I am happy to announce knitting designer Connie Chang has joined the Independent Knitwear Designers web ring. Connie is a talented knitting designer, and her designs have been in some very top notch publications. I am delighted to add her to the web ring.
I really loved her design, Henley Perfected, in the Winter 2007 issue of Interweave Knits. I may have to knit one for myself.
Peace and Knitting, JoLene
22. High Country Knitwear, site for designer Pat Feeley, offers pdf patterns for download. There are also tips and tricks, and a newsletter. Patterns include accessories as well as garments.
23. Wendy Knits, a blog for knitting and spinning by designer Wendy D. Johnson and author of Wendy Knits, is a personal blog…a very popular one, too, so kudos to Wendy. Her blog has a link to her book, and she does discuss her designs and projects she is working on. She has a number of sock patterns that she has been selling that are quite popular, as of this writing there is not a clearly identified link to the sock patterns.
24. Pick Up Sticks, devoted to felted knitting, is from designer Maggie Pace. Maggie started her business in 2003, and it has been mentioned in numerous venues since then. By all accounts (and rightly so) the felted knitter’s dreamsite. The designs have been featured on Knitty Gritty, Knitty, Knitter’s Review, and various knitting magazines.
25. Carol Bristol Designs is another site for felted knitters, and features the designs of Carol Bristol. Bags, baskets, vases and more.
26. Red Bird Knits is a site devoted to sock and lace knitting. They carry yarns and patterns from a number of independent designers, besides their own “house” line. They are located in Canada, and it is a family run business that grew out one sock knitter’s quest for Regia sock yarn.
27. Gardiner Yarn Works is from designer Chrissy Gardiner, another member of the Association of Knitwear Designers. She is a prolific designer and has designed for Classic Elite, Y2Knit, Blue Moon Fiber Arts, and others. She has also been published in a number of books and magazines. She has a line of pattern leaflets as well.
28. The Woolen Earth is from Canadian designer Jennifer Appleby. She has knitting and crochet patterns under The Woolen Earth label as well as freelance work with publications such as Interweave Knits. Her online shop features her patterns and kits, as well as provides links to her freelance work. She also has a blog.
Up on deck, Kanine Knits, Blue Flower Knits, Sivia Harding and others!
16. ChicKnits, the very Chic and fun web site of Designer Bonne Marie Burns, is a wonderful site to explore. Her blog was started as a hobby site and has since mushroomed into a hot destination for many knitters. This talented designer has been a featured writer on Knitty, which is how I first heard of her. Her blog includes articles, tips, and links to her patterns. She is a member of TNNA, and is a photojournalist in Chicago. She also designed the buttons for the ring. Thanks Bonne Marie!
17. Needle Beetle is the site of designer Brenda Zuk, a Canadian knitwear designer with a degree in Fashion from Ryerson University in Toronto. She is another designer who is very prolific, and there are a lot of wonderful patterns on her site in a wide variety of types of knitting; lace, colorwork (brilliant fairisles and lovely intarsias), and texture. While most pullovers are not plus sized, she has a lot of sock patterns as well as other accessories that may prove tempting for the ample knitter.
18. NeoKnits is the delightful blog of designer Melissa Wehrle. It is an ejoyable read with peaks into the life of a knitting designer, with links to her designs. She also works with One Planet yarns, where she is available to help knitters in knit alongs of her designs.
19. Oceanwind Knits is from Canadian designer Lori Law. On her site she writes “I hope my designs speak for themselves. I focus on clean lines with definitive detailing. I love felting which just brings on a whole new level of design possibilities. I like a single motif or detail to make a design ’sing’ and I like to try unexpected colour combinations. I want to design something you can sling around your hip and feel good wearing about town. 
And, I like things to be fun”. I would say that they do, Lori. And I don’t mind saying I really love that shawl on the home page! Oyster Bay, I think it is called. Lori has patterns as well as hand dyed yarns.
20. Wool and Fiber Originals is a the site of designer “Cat”. Her patterns online are mostly of accessories. She has a unique service I don’t see offered anywhere else and that is for custom drafting. She also has tutorials on her site.
21. Wooly Wormhead is the site for you if you love creative and wild hats. Ruth Paisley is a textile artist in the UK, who has studied textiles at Bolton University and she eventually made her way to Goldsmiths. She writes on her site “Goldsmiths has an outstanding international reputation in the Fibre Arts, encouraging its students to approach Textiles from an artistic, sculptural and cultural perspective. Here, I was able to develop my interest for 3-dimensional Textiles, working with techniques learnt from, among others, weaving, experimental embroidery, basketry, and millinery, concentrating on marrying inspiration and quality of finish”. She really has some fun and funky hats, and does commission work as well in spinning animal fibers.
Up on deck, High Country Knitwear, Wendy Knits and more!
This has been a lot of fun, I must say. I am humbled by all the talent out there and enjoy sharing these talented designers with you.
Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace
Here are some more sites to whet your knitting appetite. Believe me, there are some really neat sites in this ring. I wish I could show them all in one day but it would be too much to digest for both of us.
7. Felted Handbag Workshop has, as you may guess from the name, handbags galore. From the site: “Knitted/felted handbag, purse, tote and messenger bag patterns, designed to let you choose your own yarns to make YOUR bag YOUR way.” They have a link for hats as well (check out the Felted Millinery Department)
8. Freia and the Knitwhit is the blog for Tina Whitmore, of Knitwhits. Actually the blog is her personal blog with information on her dog, Freia, as well as her designs and other interests. From the Knitwhits website (there is a link from this blog to the site under Categories in the left column): “Knitwhits has been featured in Bust!, the Contra Costa Times Newspaper, CNA Magazine, Family Circle Easy Knitting, Interweave, Knit It!, Knitter’s, Knitting (UK), Newsweek, Spin Off, Vogue Knitting and Yarn Market News.”
9. Knitting at Knoon Designs is the site of designer Chris de Longpre. Most designs for adults go up to a 46″, but there are a few that are a bit larger. Her pattern leaflet selection includes accessories, children, and baby items as well. She is also a member of the Association of Knitwear Designers.
10. Goddess Knits is the website of Renee Leverington and the Mystery Shawl Along. She also has sock patterns. From the site: It all started with a Yahoo group called “Mystery Shawl Along”. From there Renee has continued to design more shawl patterns as well as socks and other accessories. The “Mystery Shawl Along” continues with a new shawl beginning about every other month. Interested in joining in the fun? Visit our “Mystery Knit Alongs” page to place your order. Did I mention how breathtaking these shawls are? you need to click on the thumbnail to see the detail in these wonderful designs.
11. Knitting in Color, from Nanette Blanchard, is a great site for lovers of stranded knitting. She has a number of booklets available and a portion of the proceeds goes to the Colorado House Rabbit Society, a non profit pet rabbit rescue. Sorry I cannot tell you more, but when I went to snoop around the page was temporarily unavailable. You can also look at the Nanette’s page on Lulu to see what is available.
12. Heartstrings Fiber Arts is the site of Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer (Jackie E-S). Jackie is also a member of the Association of Knitwear Designers. She is a teacher, with traditional and online classes, and also has a line of patterns. Her patterns are extensively carried and the links on her website if you order online will be filled by stores that carry her patterns.
13. CFM Designs is the online home of Carol F Metzger. Carol has not only knitting and beaded knitting, but other art as well. She has links to her blog and etsy store on the site as well. Carol also teaches, and is involved in knitting as fine art.
14. Cultured Purl has purses, bags, totes, and accessories by Betsy Coyne. Bags of all types are great projects when you want a smaller project to do.
15. Sarah Louise Harper, another Association of Knitwear Designers member, has numerous patterns. Her site features children and adult patterns, with the adult patterns up to 52″ on some of the patterns. Interestingly, they offer a service of the finished product if you do not know how to knit. Click on Nut Moon Shop for details.
On the next list, ChicKnits and more!
Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace
As many of you know, I started a web ring for Indy designers. My goal is to make it easier for knitters to find us. VBG.
The ring is up to 37 sites now. There are some really great sites, so if you are in the mood to shop around please take a look at them. I don’t get anything out of it other than the pleasure of sharing them with you. I will go through the list, about a half dozen at a time, till we run through the whole list. I was going to do the whole thing in one shot, but I am getting tired and I need my beauty sleep. 
1. JoLene Treace Unraveled (obviously, since I started it)
2. Amanda Knits Her last name is not on the page, but she is off to an interesting start.
3. Dawn Brocco Knitwear Designs: Dawn is a wonderful and prolific designer. There is a lot to see on this site.
4. Independent Knitwear Designers: Home page for webring. If you are an Indy Designer with either a line of pattern leaflets that you publish yourself, or you have information on your site regarding your designs and what books and magazines they are in, this is the page to go to read about the ring and to sign up.
5. Big Sky Knitting Designs: Blog of teacher and designer Janet Szabo, this site has her books and her newsletter Twists and Turns. Those who are into Aran knitting would be familiar with Janet as she is the cable queen. She is a member of the Association of Knitwear Designers.
6. Figknits: Blog for designer Jennifer Haggen. She also has a link to her business website, Figheadh Yarnworks. Like my blog, hers talks about her day to day life as a designer. I have not read enough to say whether she is better at posting than I am, but she does share pictures in her blog of things published in magazines, so you can get an idea of other sources for her designs. Her knitting design website has the pattern leaflets that she sells.
Tomorrow, I will be finishing up Blossom, a scarf with a traditional edging going into Fiber Gatherings by fellow Association of Knitwear Designers member Joanne Seif. Joanne is a genuinely nice person and I am thrilled to be a part of her book. When I have more details to share on that, you can be sure I will. I have started and restarted that edging I don’t know how many times. 3 or 4 at least. The yarn is a heavy fingering weight (almost more of a sport than fingering). It is Acero from Brooks Farm, and they have custom dyed a colorway with the same name as the design (Blossom) which they will be carrying. They not only go to the major sheep and wool festivals, but they also go to Stitches events. They have been at Stitches Midwest for a number of years, and each year I love to go to their booth and drool over the wonderful yarns.
Anyway, when you are knitting lace with heavier yarns you cannot always do things the way you are accustomed to doing them, as effects are more magnified due to the thickness of the yarn. Persnickety me, I kept playing with different things until I was happy with the effect of the way the join looked between the edging and the scarf. Each design has a way of telling me when it is done and when it is not. When it is done, I quit tweaking.
Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace
The ring has grown to 17 sites. There are a few blogs that are personal blogs of designers that also feature their knitting, and there are sites such as Janet Szabo’s Big Sky Knitting. There are many talented designers in the ring and I do hope you check them out.
Thanks to Bonne Marie of ChicKnits (the newest member of the ring) for designing a button for the Independent Knitwear Designers Web Ring. She has a really interesting site. I have been to her site many times and was excited to see her join the ring.
Peace and Knitting, JoLene
