Another one of those posts...Happy New Year!

Another one of those "OMG how can it have been so many months since I last posted?" entries.

To finish off last year's news...
I have finished the jacket. Right now I have to finish grading it for other sizes, and I'll be able to post photos here along with putting the pattern up for sale. I do like how it finally turned out and I like the hat and mittens that go along with it. Looking back, I think I personally would like it in a navy wool tweed rather than the purple... but we'll see what kind of knitting I get around to in 2011! It shouldn't take nearly as long next time around, since I'd just have to follow the pattern!

Since the last post, I've designed a couple of items in the Double Bambu yarn and have them out for test knitting. I'm about to put together two more items for test knitting, and then will be back to finishing up a couple of my designs that are half-done (half-baked? hmmm).

In December, I designed and knit some "Texting Mitts" for my younger son, and should have those up to the web-site soon.

I also spent some of my IBM bonus $$ and purchased the Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium. I am absolutely loving it!! They gave me a month of lynda.com free subscription and I really am finding this site absolutely critical to help me get up and running.

2011-- a whole new year of possibilities
For 2011, I'll be using: In Design, for my knitting pattern layouts; Illustrator, to create the schematics and possibly some of my color charting; PhotoShop, for the photos of the patterns; and I hope to start using some of the web-based design tools (Fireworks, Dreamweaver and Flash) when I re-vamp my online store.

All this goes along with a re-organization of my home office and studio to start the new year off right.

I enlisted my son's help and we moved the furniture around in the home office and now I have easy access to all of my file cabinets-- the idea being it will be easier to get everything filed right away, and not leave piles of papers everywhere. I also have setup here a good spot to video "How to" knitting techniques... so hope to produce some of those in 2011.

For the studio, the re-arranging should help keep the knitting machines and loom available for work (right now they look more like storage). I'll also have a nice, diffused light area for photographing the knitwear garments on the dress forms.

All in all, good progress, and more good progress to look forward to.

Happy New Year!

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Bamboo Cabled Gloves

Here are my Bamboo gloves. They have a trio of cables that move up into decorative stitching (looks like beads). Soft. You knit the fingers in little i-cord tubes and then knit the body/hand of the glove.

I don't have these any more since I donated them to the TKGA Auction last fall.

If I ever have a lull in projects, I'll make myself another pair.

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Snowflakes and Stars

This is a sweater that I wanted to show at the Kntting Guild conference last Fall. However, I really didn't have enough time to finish it myself. I ended up sending the pattern and yarn off to Ghost Knitters, and they did a wonderful job of knitting the pieces. I then did the steeking and finishing myself.

Made out of "Double Bambu" which used two strands of Silk City Fiber's Bambu 7, the sweater has wonderful drape and is cool feeling as well as warm.

I do offer this pattern for sale on our website.

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