It's been a while since I have worked on this sweater for Elijah, but I sure am now. Remember how I mentioned that birthday season had opened at our house? Well, it is on in full swing, and I am now racing to finish this for Elijah's birthday. I have bought myself at least three extra days to complete it because I can give it to him at his birthday party.

The proposal packet has been completed and sent on, but I still can't share anything here. If they reject it, I am already prepared to send it to another magazine, which has a later deadline, but a similar type of request for designs. If they don't want it, I will publish it myself later this year. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and so glad that I have a supportive and appreciative family. They were all rooting for me to finish, thought my finished swatch was the bomb, and Rich, especially was so proud of my work. He has snapped a partial picture of it for the screen saver on his iPad.


I have another design that I'd like to get published in the next two to three months, if anyone is willing to take a shot at testing the knitting on this pattern. In the pictures, Ventus is shown in a miniature that I sent to IK for their Summer 2015 issue (in case you care, the color is truer in the second picture). It didn't get in, but I still really think it is a good design. This is a bit more complicated, knitted lace, with patterning on both sides. I made a doll sized version as my sample to send to them, but this would be sized for an adult. I'm still editing this pattern, so testing won't begin for about three to four weeks at the earliest. It shouldn't take more than a few nights once the basics of knitted lace are mastered. Please e-mail me or leave a comment with contact information if you are interested in test knitting this pattern.

Oh! I forgot to mention that I have the beginnings of an Arabian Knits Designs page on Facebook, if anyone is interested in following my work.


I'm so thrilled with this month's selection from Paradise Fibers' Yarn Club: Becoming Art's Cielo in the regionally inspired colorway, Carousel. The colors are perfect for me, and I'm trying to decide if I want to make a fun pair of socks or use it to make a shawl or something else. I don't know when I will get to these fun skeins, since I have so many other projects in the line up, but I look forward to doing it. So far, I haven't made a single one of the included patterns, but it's nice getting them, anyway. Also with the yarn and pattern, they sent a sample of wool wash and rinse.

In the book department, Rich and I are still working on A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter together and I'm still reading Christ in His Saints.



Also posting to Keep Calm and Craft On

Labels: Birthday, Books, Design, Family, Homemaking, Knitting, Yarn, Yarn Along