Pattern Release: Strand Hill Cardigan

It's been a long time coming, but the pattern rights to my Strand Hill Cardigan have finally been returned to me!  This pattern originally appeared as the cover pattern of the Knit Picks Golden Morning Collection in April, 2015. 

I am thrilled to finally have the option to knit it up in some Cedar Hill Farm Co. yarn, and I think it's going to be sparkly this time around!

Strand Hill is a top-down, seamless cardigan features a wide panel of Estonian lace down the center back and a narrower panel of the same lace on the front panels. This pattern has been test knit in a variety of yarns, including cotton, and has been worked up by many, many lovely folks (check out all of the beautiful project pages on Ravelry for this pattern!) who have loved working it.  The sweater is seamless and is worked flat for the body; the sleeves are worked in the round so that there's no seaming there, either.

Whether you'd like to knit it up as a cropped cardigan or as a full-length cardigan, this sweater is sure to be one of your very favorite handknits.

This pattern is currently available at Ravelry, Craftsy, Cedar Hill Farm Company, and Knit Picks.
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New Pattern Release: Ripple Socks!!!

There's a sexy new sock pattern in town and it's the Ripple Socks pattern!

You know, one of the most difficult patterns to find, even with all of the bazillion patterns out there, is a sock pattern that doesn't get swallowed up by the random patterning of hand dyed and indie dyed yarns.  Am I right?! Yes, I am.

With that in mind, I have spent the last few months designing these socks, the pattern for which has been rolling around in the back of my mind for years and years.  Personally, I love a little waviness, but every time I've searched for a sock pattern that uses this particular shell pattern, I couldn't find one.  Of course, that meant I just needed to sit down and write one, myself.

The coolest thing about this pattern, besides its sexy waves and eyelets, is the fact that the stitch pattern is actually stretchy.  Unlike most lace or cable patterns where you find the fit to be a bit tighter than anticipated, this pattern actually works with your foot's individuality.  Consequently, you will find that the sizing in the pattern is limited to two primary sizes; however, the reality is that the pattern actually fits four sizes.

Another thing about this pattern that makes it unique is the fact that I have taken into account that people knit socks using a variety of methods.  Consequently, you will find written instructions for DPNs, independent circulars, and two-at-a-time Magic Loop. That's right, THREE different sets of directions are included in this pattern!

You can download your own copy of this pattern on Cedar Hill Farm Co., Ravelry, Craftsy.

And, definitely a special thanks goes to my daughter Kaelin, who is definitely the best knitwear model out there! 

The Palazzo Scarf: A New Debut

In 2015, Knit Picks selected The Palazzo Scarf for inclusion in its 2015 Spring Accessories Collection. I am excited to announce to you that the rights to this pattern have been returned to me! You can join me in my excitement as I am re-introducing it to my fellow knitters.

Palazzo is now available for download on Ravelry, Craftsy, and of course, the Cedar Hill Farm Company website.

This elegant scarf is a pattern that involves knitted lace and seed stitch, so it is a great pattern for those of you who are looking to delve into some intermediate knitting to advance your knitting skills. If you are a veteran knitter, then this is a quick and versatile knit that you definitely need to add to your handmade wardrobe. It works well for any season and for any occasion. (I'll probably be wearing mine with my favorite pair of jeans.)

Knit Picks had this scarf knit up in their own yarn for the photos and inclusion in the collection, of course, but any fingering weight yarn, particularly with an alpaca or silk component, would be an excellent choice to work with. Myself, I'll be casting this pattern on in the Cedar Hill Farm Company Journey base, though I haven't quite decided which colorway to choose first.

I hope you'll take a second to stop by any of the above pattern websites to take a look at this very versatile, very trendy pattern and download one for yourself.

Happy Knitting!

From Sheep to Shawl

You hear a lot these days about the resurgence of natural wool in Europe, and how a handful of Europeans are bringing back "old school" wool to the knitting community.  Here in the states, I don't think the average crafter is really aware of just how much natural yarn is available.  Old School has been available for a long, long time!

In 2014, I convinced my husband that my path to greatness required me to raise sheep. Although I know that he didn't really want to go in that direction, we borrowed a trailer, drove to South Carolina to locate a breeder in the middle of literally nowhere U.S.A., and we bought our first sheep: a ram lam and two ewe lambs.  I named them Stanley, Stella, and Blanche, and they have each lived up to their A Streetcar Named Desire caricatures.  Stanley is a teeswater/cormo cross.  Stella and Blanche are corriedale/finn crosses.  And so began the breeding program.

Now, in 2017, we have twelve sheep (having lost 3 to one thing or another) and I have my own farm-raised yarn. I bred it for its luminosity and depth, for its sturdiness and drape.  I sheared it and skirted it.  I sent it to Mountain Meadow Wool in Wyoming, where Ben bent over backwards to make the single-ply that I had in my head. I dyed it here on the farm. I named it Single Sheep. I sold a bunch of it--it's still available in the shop, don't worry!--and while attending middle school basketball games this season, I knit it up into this lovely little number which, incidentally also happens to be in my daughter's basketball team colors. The pattern is the Soho Shawl by Kristin Ledgett. I used most of a skein of Autumn Afternoon and about half of a skein of Natural, but your yardage may differ because I made mine a bit larger than the pattern suggested. Although the yarn is a little "curly" in the skein, it relaxes both while knitting it and after a good soak followed by light blocking.

Cedar Hill Farm Company's Single Sheep isn't your average yarn, folks.  I don't mean to toot my own horn, but in the sunlight, it literally GLOWS. This isn't a superwash. It's a natural, American farm-raised wool. It hasn't been chemically abused or bleached in any way--as a matter of a fact, it amazes me that the mill was able to get all that red clay out without resorting to a chemical ooze.  It's sheepy. It's organic. The colorways that I have chosen are earthy and vivid. It's just plain wonderful wool yarn! And if you are like I am, which some people may refer to as a "wool snob", then this is a yarn that you will love, too. If you would like to try it, just click on any of the links in this post or go to my shop's home page. Single Sheep is the featured yarn on the home page, and you can just click on any of the photos to get your hands on some for yourself.