Totally forgot to make this round-up earlier, but I think it’s appropriate to look back on what I achieved in 2021 and appreciate it, especially if I feel down about any designs in progress this year! It’s never a bad idea to hype yourself up :)
Two feet modeling hand-knit socks in lavender yarn. A lacy pattern adorns the instep, and there is a lacy ruffled cuff at the top.
Rogelio
Hilariously, this sock is so not my style. But I really wanted to keep the Jane the Virgin series going (not to worry, I do still have further plans for this, though I’ve slowed down slightly) and had to get Rogelio just right. For me, that meant the lacy ruffle cuff was a must - even though my test knitters all opted to skip it! This might have been one case of focusing too much on my artistic vision over what knitters actually wanted.
Two hats in gray, with textured stripes in red and yellow, respectively. The texture pattern is the same, but the hats are knit in 2 different weights of yarn.
Little Bits Beanie (free size)
This is a pattern I really enjoyed from 2020, remade with a calculator customized to your yarn weight, gauge, and head size. It was basically a test drive of the Sizing With Spreadsheets method, and it worked great!
Two feet modeling colorwork socks in red and black. The cuff fades down the leg from black to red at the heel, then back to black by the toes. There’s a spooky hand motif in black on the instep.
Fear Street
Another offering for the Scarefest! Inspired by the Netflix series of the same name (which was in turn inspired by a book series). The series was pretty gory, but somehow I managed to get through all three movies. Compared to Black Flame Candle, I feel like this particular design doesn’t take my breath away, but I still love it as a solid colorwork pattern.
Light Breaks
My first, but not last, pattern with KnitCircus yarns. This one was rough, mostly because it took me a few tries to get the shawl math right. Then, I had to mess with the striping sequence to ensure that enough MC and CC were used up evenly and it turned out large enough. This was really a lesson in patience and perseverance. I was so frustrated during the ripping/reknitting, but ultimately I’m thrilled with the final product.
I’m holding up a large half-pi shawl worked in a peach-pink-purple gradient striped with white. Slipped stitches create colored rays on the right side.
I’m wearing a thick, textured cowl knit in multicolored stripes. Matching fringe hangs off the bottom.
Double-up Cowl
This was a long time coming - I had been hoarding the DK weight advent kit for a year waiting for the perfect inspiration to strike. And I think it did! Obviously, it features my all-time favorite provisional cast-on + 3-needle bind-off methods, and has an easy knit/slip-stitch texture to keep you engaged while knitting. Ultimately, whether the texture is visible in the finished project, depending on the yarn used, is irrelevant - the point is to entertain me while knitting!
Looking at how many patterns I put out last year compared to 2020 is surprising, in that it was way fewer! Ultimately, I’m not sad about it, partially because my productivity was directly related to my mental health, which was not in the best place last year thanks to the big C, and also because the neverending rat race of constant-publishing isn’t how I want my business to be!