New Pattern - HAVTORN shawl

 My new pattern HAVTORN shawl is released! You can find the pattern now on Ravelry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Havtorn is an elongated triangular shaped shawl that begins with a garter tab cast on and grows by six stitches every two rows. The shawl is built in two sections, each using either of the two colors used as its main color.
The pattern is carefully designed for you to always work comfortably with one strand at a time. Once the body is complete, a delicious textured border is added. The spaced petit picot bind off gives the shawl its finishing touch.

 

 

I had so much fun designing this shawl. I played a lot with different textures and stitch combinations as I just couldn't decide at first which ones to use. This involved what felt like endless swatching. But I have gained a lot of insight and found new stitch combos that I will be able to also use for upcoming designs as well. And that made a lot of fun! The design process for Havtorn was very inspiring. 

I had the idea for this design for quite some time although it also took its time to come to life. To create a vision in real life sometimes takes some experimenting and going back and forth, as I also did while sample knitting. And so, the pattern is now released a little later as I was hoping for. But I think it was definately worth the wait! I am so in love with this design! All that beautiful texture and the different elements that work together and complement each other are just amazing.

My favorite part is the textured border in combination with the petit picot bind off. It makes this shawl so elegant and feminine. 

I can't wait to see some more colorful versions of yours since my sample uses neutral colors. That too was an experiment of sorts. I usually work with colorful yarns. During testing I already had the pleasure of a lovely interpretation in red and beige which I find so beautiful. 

So don't miss out on the 20% release celebration discout and use code HAVTORN on Ravelry!

A little more details...

Yarn:
You'll need approx. 300m/ 329yds of color A and 450m/ 493yds of color B of DK weight yarn.

The sample is worked in Drops Soft Tweed (50% Wool, 25% Alpaca, 25% Rayon; 130 meters / 50 grams), colorways 3 sand (color A) and 8 pepparkorn/dark grey (color B).

Gauge:
18 sts / 27 rows = 10cm / 4 inches in stockinette pattern on 3,5mm/US 4 needles
Gauge is not critical. But it will influence size of shawl and amount of yarn needed.

Finished size:
Finished size is about 180cm/ 72 inches wingspan and 70cm / 28 inches deep.

Instructions:
The pattern includes charts and fully written instructions for all sections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let Havtorn fascinate you with its engaging textures and patterns throughout and start your vacation knit now! :) 

 

I hope you love my new design just as much as I do and I hope to see your project on Ravelry (feel free to share you FO in my group!) or on social media. Make sure to use #HavtornShawl and tag me on instagram @thedrizzleofhoney!

Love,
Stefanie

Happy new year!

I wish you all and your families a very happy and healthy new year 2023!

Hopefully you had a good 2022 and had some time off during Christmas and were able to relax a little bit.

I'm looking back at a year filled with a lot of work which resulted in many beautiful new designs and also much time with my family and kids which I am so grateful for.
Being able to see them grow, hear them laugh and feel their love is the most valuable thing to me. Which makes me even more thankful for you all that make it possible for me to support our family with my designs and doing what I love. Thank you to every single one of you that bought a pattern from me this year! Thank you for following me on my knitting journey.

I am starting off the new year with a surprise for you:

NEW YEAR, NEW DESIGN!

Aella hat & cowl

It fills me with so much joy to announce my first new pattern in 2023 - AELLA!

 Aella is a set including a matching hat and cowl pattern. So yes, you're reading right: it's actually two patterns in one!
For this wonderful design twisted stitch twists travel alongside beautiful 4 stitch cables to then fall in love with the surrounding soft seed stitch texture.

Who doesn't love matching accessories? It just makes you feel beautiful and adds that little extra style to your outfit.
The inspiration behind Aella is a quiet winter forest during falling snow. The cables and twisted stitch waved lines remind me of trees and their protective branches. I love the harmony together with the soft seed stitch texture around them that hint at the peaceful and silent feeling of falling snow.

The pattern comes in three sizes:
Child (Adult S/M, Adult L)
Hat: To fit 50(56, 60)cm / 20(22, 24) inches head circumference.
Cowl: Finished circumference 49(59, 60)cm / 16(20, 24) inches.
Finished height 25(30, 39)cm / 10(12, 12) inches.
 
The pattern is designed for you to use your favorite soft and cozy aran weight yarn and then let go and dream about having this lovely duo caress your soul.

Aella is now available in my Ravelry Store  and to celebrate the release with me and you'll also receive 20% discount until January 8 2023! Use code AELLA and enjoy!

It would make me very happy if you use #AellaHat and #AellaCowl when posting your awesome knits on social media, so I and everyone else can find and share your wonderful project!

I hope you love my new design as much as I do and will give Aella a warm welcome into my collection of patterns.

I hope to have you by my side next year as well.
Happy new (knitting) year!!

Love,
Stefanie

New Pattern - SOLROS sweater

My new pattern Solros sweater is now available in my Ravelry Store!

Solros is a seamles top-down sweater with a beautiful textured yoke.
The design comes in 7 sizes ranging from 80-140cm / 32-56 inches bust circumference and uses fingering weight yarn to give you the perfect all year round favorite sweater. The pattern also has options to work either half sleeves or full length sleeves. For the perfect finish there are two video quick guides available as well on how to work the italian tublular cast on and the tubular bind off which are also explained in the pattern. 

Solros means sunflower which has been my inspiration for this design. I find sunflowers with their big flower heads just so beautiful. To me they are the essence of summer, the sun, of warmth and being happy and in a good mood. The texture around the yoke reminds me of the round textures of the sunflower seeds. The stockinette stitch in the sweater design creates the same stillness as the flower petals around the sunflower head. Together it brings a wonderful harmony.

Who doesn't love a good yoke sweater? They are one of my favorite things to knit. What makes this one special is the eye catching textured yoke with its intriguing stitch combinations which ware actually not too hard to knit. Solros' classic element of stockinette body makes it easy to style as well. 

 

With sweater weather already here and Christmas just around the corner it's the perfect time to start this addictive knit. 

>> Don't miss out on the release discount and get 20% off the pattern using code SOLROS in my Ravelry store. (valid through Sunday, November 20 2022)

Please use #SlorosSweater and don't be shy to tag me @thedrizzleofhoney on Instagram when sharing your project so I and everyone else can find it easily to share the joy.

Discover the pattern and add it to your library here!

I hope you'll love the sweater as much as I do!

Love,

Stefanie

Pattern release - Sorley

Yay! The wonderful Sorley Shawl is now available in my Ravelry store!

Sorley is a very light summer shawl perfect for when there's just that tiny bit of wind that gives you instant goosebumps.

The narrow shawl combines airy textures in two colors with a special construction that makes it a creative and interesting knit. You'll only need about half a skein of two colors of your favorite fingering weight yarn to finish this shawl.

 

I am so in love with this design. It is also a very nice smaller shawl to complete your outfit by adding a little something around your neck. And shouldn't you need it right now it takes only very little space in your bag. So you have the shawl with you. To be safe.
The test knit showcased beautifully how pretty this shawl is in any combination of colors. It just works, and that makes me very happy.
Test knitter omiegosh wrote: “It’s a great place to use up those leftovers that are too small for a complete project, but are too large to not keep.“

Finished size is about 30 cm x 200 cm / 12 inches x 80 inches, so this is not too big of a project either and makes for the perfect summer (or vacation) knit.

To celebrate the release use code SORLEY on Ravelry to receive 20% off the pattern until May 22 2022. Hop over now to the store and enjoy!

Please use #SorleyShawl and tag me @thedrizzleofhoney on Instagram when posting so I can see and share your beautiful project too.

Have an awesome week everyone!

Love,

Stefanie

News April 2022

Hi everyone!

A lot is going on around here. So much so that I had to skip last month's news update.

Much behind the scenes work. As you may imagine knitting samples and pulishing patterns is just a small part of all the work that goes into a design until it is ready to be published. 

But of course those are the most exciting parts of the process and the ones that are most interesting to post about. Whereas the not so interesting and "share-worthy" times include sitting in a bubble and designing, doing the math, writing up pattern drafts to knit a sample from and then refine and perfect until a pattern for testing is created, of course the test itself which usually takes several weeks and finally the last finalizing steps to get the pattern ready for publishing as well as creating all the materials and content that need to go with it. All those steps involve a lot of care, attention and love.

Besides that there's always a lot of behind the scenes that takes place in termes of running a business, especially since most of us are a one-woman-show.

But let's get back to what's new!

 

New pattern - Alora skirt

There is a new pattern available in my Ravelry Store - Alora!

 

 

If you are like me and like to wear your knitted pieces all year round, then this is one to consider for you: 

Alora is a very feminine knee length skirt that uses negative ease to create its flattering shape and accentuate your beauty. It’s intended to be worn high at the waist and uses a pretty and simple knit and purl pattern for super relaxing knitting and a stretchy fabric that allows for a very comfortable fit.
You can use any DK weight yarn you have in your stash and you will get the perfect not-too-hot-yet-not-too-cold skirt for in between seasons. Alora is available in seven sizes.

You don't have to knit sweaters only. Personally, I appreciate a nice change from time to time. So why not knit a skirt for yourself? I promise you’ll be surprised by how wonderfully warm, beautiful and comfy you’ll feel.

For more info on construction and sizing please see the pattern page.

I am very happy to finally be able to offer a new skirt pattern for you. Especially since I know how many of you loved my Amaranth skirt. And also now for Alora I've gotten positive feedback already in the test knitting stage. I'm looking forward to see many beautiful projects!
Please use #Aloraskirt and don't be shy to tag me @thedrizzleofhoney on Instagram when sharing your project so I and everyone else can find it easily to share the joy.

 

Sorley shawl

Currently I'm sample knitting on my next design: Sorley shawl.

This two colored shawl has a little different construction. No classic crescent or triangle shape. I often find myself craving a more unique shape of shawl when spring is about to arrive.
Starting point is a center diamond shape where stitches will then be picked up along the sides to work the shawls wings adding texture and pattern throughout.

Each of those wings has one of the two colors used as dominant and the other as contrast.

For the sample I'm using Manos del Uruguay Alegria in Atlantico and Butia. This is of course a fingering weight hand dyed merino yarn. This kind of yarn is always so wonderful to work with especially for shawls. And I know I'm not alone there ;)

So, I'm very excited for this design and how it will turn out. Yes, a test knit for this design will start soon. I will have to finish the sample (a little more to work on the second wing) and then put the pattern in testing shape. :) Follow me on Instagram and join my Ravelry group if you want to know first when the party starts! 

Next design - summer top

For my next design I have also started working on a summer top. Although I feel I am a little bit behind on the schedule on this one. But no worries, I will catch up! 

It will be a short sleeved, top-down, seamless, round yoke construction with a texture pattern in the yoke and stockinette body. I am already thrilled about the design. And it will be my first not free summer top. My other summer tops have been free patterns. So I hope you will love this one just as much as the other ones :)

Have a wonderful weekend and happy easter to you all!

Love,

Stefanie

News February 2022

Happy February! ;)

We were having a bit of a slow start into this new year. At least it feels like it. I have been so stressed out and now all the kids have been sick too. There just wasn't as much done as I'd liked it to be.

New design Alora skirt

Nonetheless, I am working on my new design Alora skirt! 
This one is going to be a knee length skirt in a very flattering shape with negative ease. I opted for a cute and simple knit-purl-pattern for relaxing knitting and a stretchy (=comfy) fabric.
The pattern will be for DK weight yarn so you'll get the perfect in between not-too-hot-yet-not-too-cold skirt for spring and/or fall season.

I'm really enjoying working on this design. The knit/purl texture is very meditative and flowing - a real breeze to knit. And I just adore the beautiful and classy pattern!

Since no one likes to sew after finishing a knitted project, I revisited the waist band construction from my previous skirt design Amaranth. (Which has a double width waistband that gets folded around the elastic and is then sewn onto the inside of the skirt.)
So, I came up with a solution that requires an absolute minimum of sewing. It's going to be a fold over waist band, knit to the skirt as you go. In the end you just thread the elastic through, sew it together (either by hand or using a sewing machine) and close the hole in the waist band.

It's very important for me that you love the process of knitting as well as the finished project when working with my patterns. And I hope you will like Aloras waistband construction.

As I am making good progress on the sample, I will start to finalize the pattern within the next week. And then of course it's time for test knitting! :)
If a knitted skirt is something that's missing from your selfmade wardrobe or you've never knitted a skirt but are interested to give it a try, be on the lookout on my Insta and my Ravelry group for the test to start soon!

Hope to see you there!

Love,

Stefanie

News January 2022

 Happy new (knitting) year to you all!!!! 🎇

I wish you all a happy, healthy and wonderful new year!

First off all, I want to thank you for your love and support, for welcoming me back to work after having my twins. It's so exciting to be able to do what I love - designing. And this year too I will strive to enrich your lives by providing you with gorgeous knit designs, addictive knitting experiences and beautiful self-made pieces in your wardrobe.

The question everyone asks as a year's going to end: What have you accomplished this year? I think we can all give ourselves a little compassion when asking this particular question. Because it has been another difficult year for everyone. That does include me too. 

But I do have some things I am proud of myself for.
I am proud of having my pre-baby weight back after having three children. I didn't manage that after the first one, but I did now. That makes me very happy. I've been working out, so there's also more muscle which makes me feel great. I feel so much better with less weight, it gives me a new feeling of myself.
This also means I'm eating better which is also something I've been struggeling with when the twins were babies. They are 2 now, so they don't need as much all around the clock care as they did before. So there's more time for cooking :)
In an effort to focus a bit more on self care (because that's important as everyone with kids can confirm) and my own psychological health I made some adjustments. For example in an effort to watch less TV  I've read 42 books last year, nearly all of them from my local library. (spend less money on books was a thing too) And this habbit sticks with me. I love it! I have always been a book reader but I lost it a little bit during the past years and I am very happy to have it back.
And of course I am very grateful to have found a way to be able to work again with all my boys at home. It's a challenge of course to work something out that works for everyone. And that's always our number one goal when changing something. It has to work for everyone in the family. And I think we are right on track. I'm proud of that.

I hope you too have some things your are proud of yourself.

New patterns

EMBER

Three weeks ago I released Ember hat. I just loove this design!
If you're looking for a little variety from stockinette and garter stitch and are as fascinated by knitted texture as I am, then Ember hat is for you!

 

This hat is a gorgeous and cozy design that combines wonderfully rich texture with beautiful cables. The pattern features big and small cables, bobbles as well as a mini honeycomb pattern to complete the feminine design.

The pattern comes in three sizes:
Child (Adult small, Adult large)
to fit 50(56, 60)cm / 20(22, 24) inches head circumference and can be worked to make a beanie 20(22,22)cm / 8(9, 9) inches total length or slouch 24(26,26)cm / 9.5(10.5; 10.5) inches total length.
To make an even slouchier hat, the pattern has notes on how to easily adapt.

And it's a perfect stash buster too, using only between 180-220m/197-240yards of sport or DK weight yarn.

Have a look at the pattern in my Ravelry store here!

EMBERLY

Sharing the spirit - new year, new design, three days ago I also released Emberly fingerless mitts which are matching Ember for a set of the two.

I had the thought of designing matching fingerless mitts already when I started working on Ember. And I moved through with it, very happy that I did.

Emberly fingerless mitts are very cute and a creative and intriguing knit. By themselves or together with the hat they will add a stylish and feminine touch to your outfit.

The pattern comes in three sizes:
Small (Medium, Large)
to fit 16(18, 20)cm / 6.5(7.25; 8) inches palm circumference
The pattern includes suggestions for you to personalize your mitts.

Using only between 90-120m/99-132 yards of sport or DK weight yarn it’s a perfect project to use your stash.

The set of hat and mitts is a great addictive knit based on the same rich texture.

Since this pattern is a new release, there's also the release promo still running until midnight January 9, 2022. Use code EMBERLY and get 20% off the pattern on Ravelry.
I have another offer running: If you buy Ember and Emberly together (put them both in your cart before check out) then you'll automatically receive Emberly 50% off.

Check out the pattern in my Ravelry store here!

Moving forward, planning, new ideas, new designs

During the last days of the year I've been thinking a lot about where I would like to go with my designs this year. And now I'm planning and working on new design ideas. 

So I thought, what would YOU like to knit this year???
What would you like me to design for you?
Are you planning to take on a knitting challenge for 2022? Do you want to knit a lot of sweaters or shawls or hats?
If you have wishes or suggestions for patterns you would like to knit, just let me know in the comments or on Instagram @thedrizzleofhoney !

I'm looking forward to hear from you!

Love,
Stefanie

News December 2021

 Hi everyone!

I hope you're having a great week!

Today I want to share a news update with you.

New pattern release - ARUNA shawl

I am very happy to announce that my new design ARUNA is now available in my Ravelry Store.

ARUNA is a crescent shaped shawl that starts with a garter tab cast on and grows by two stitches on every row. After the deliciously textured body is worked a wide dramatic border is added which is worked from three charts. The design is completed by a spaced petit picot bind off.

Arunas generous size allows you to wrap yourself up perfectly.
Enjoy the voluminous texture and delicate drape while feeling warmth hugging you and embrace the gracefulness of a crescent shawl combined with feminine stylish design.

Use your favorite DK or worsted weight yarn in a solid or variegated tone and feel the flow when starting your project.
Work from big charts and step up your bobble-knitting-game with this design!

Hop over and have a look at the pattern right now! 

I've so longed for this day to come. This design comes from the bottom of my heart. I hope you'll love Aruna as much as I do and give it a warm welcome.♥

New design EMBER hat - testknit

I've also been working on my next design, EMBER hat. I had a great time designing this one. It's always fun and challenging to work with cable designs. And I must say, I'm very satisfied with my sample knit. 

The design has a lot of 2-stitch cables (which luckily can of course be worked without using a cable needle), two wider cables and of course some bobbles! I don't seem to get enough of those lately...
The hat also features loads of texture which makes it so fun to knit and irresistible to look at.

Right now I am hosting the test knit for this design in my Ravelry group. And I'm still looking for some wonderful testers who'd like to knit this very cozy hat design combining beautiful texture and rich cables.

Here's some background info for you, in case you're interested.

Deadline is December 16, 2021.
The pattern comes in three sizes:

Child (Adult small, Adult large) - to fit 50(56, 60)cm / 20(22, 24)inches head circumference. 

The Pattern can be worked to make a beanie 20(22,22)cm / 8(9, 9) inches total length or slouch 24(26,26)cm / 9.5(10.5; 10.5) inches total length.

Using only between 180-220m/197-240yards of sport weight yarn it’s perfect to use your stash. It's a quick project as well, maybe you’re looking for a last minute Christmas gift to make or are in need of a new hat for this season, please have a look at the full test request.

Like I said, the test is hosted in my Ravelry group The Drizzle of Honey Knitwear.
If you like I'll see you there and we can have a good test knitting time!

Change in eStore

As you all know, besides offering handknit patterns for purchase on Ravelry, I'm offering ready to wear knitwear on Etsy as well. 

But I am about to close that store down because it never really worked for me. Also I never got warm around their shop manager, it's just not for me somehow.

But of course there are a lot of alternatives out there to be explored and that's what I'm currently doing on the side. I'm looking for something where I can offer both: handknit patterns and my knitwear. Having another place besides Ravelry to sell my patterns is appealing for me too. Although you don't have to have a Ravelry account in order to buy patterns, I'm not sure everyone knows about that. 

Another reason is I would like to have "my own store" as well. That's also why I don't want to use a platform like Etsy anymore.

Recently I have been looking into payhip. And I wanted to ask, do you have experiences with payhip? Good or bad, or any other services like that? Any recommendations or suggestions?

Don't worry, my Ravelry store stays open, there is no better place for knitting in the world! 

 

That's what wanted to share with you today. 

I hope you're having a little winter wherever you are (if you are on the northern hemisphere). We've had a little bit of snow so far. And it's gotten cold, -10 degrees C more or less. But I always prefer the cold to the wet rainy weather. 

And I always love when the first snow falls. Everything gets a little brighter and the air smells so fresh and clear... That gives me a sense of calm and quiet which I try and keep in my heart and mind as long as possible.

Thanks for reading!

Have a wonderful time!

Love,

Stefanie

News November 2021

 Hi everyone!

 It's time for a new update! :) 

Aruna test knit

There has been a lot going on this month. Of course, there's been A LOT of smaple knitting. Every free second I got from our wonderful little boys went into it. So I got the pattern ready and the testknit for Aruna running, which is now at full speed! 

I'm very grateful to have found some testers that take the time to test my pattern. That is truly amazing. They are the first ones to work from it and even the first ones to link their finished project and may be featured on the pattern page once it's released. That just fills me with joy!
It's always an exciting and also nervous experience for me. I appreciate all the feedback I get from tests. Testers are in the front seat to making a pattern better with everything they have on their mind about it. May it be words of appreciation, comments or suggestions for improvement. I love to work it out. Together with the testers, ask them for their opinions and impressions. To create the best pattern for you all, so you can enjoy the process of knitting just as much as your finished project.
Test knitting is a very vital part of creating a design and shaping it into a pattern.

As for the pattern, I have put some thought into changing the layout a bit too. I hope you'll like it. I thought this would be a good time to change things up a bit and hopefully make it even easier for you to work with my patterns. Because (to me) knitting always is about having fun and relaxing while doing it. So I always try to make everything easy to understand and to provide good structure in the pattern so you can quickly find what you're looking for.

How to video

There's another first time with this design and pattern: For the first time I'm providing a short video that you can go to to see how to make a specific and maybe a little challenging stitch if you're making it for the first time.
It's for one of the bobble stitches in the design, the popcorn stitch. I don't want to get into too much detail at this point. If you're following me on Instagram you've probably seen it already.
Otherwise, you can find it HERE. And don't forget to hit follow if you haven't yet! ❤️

Mousey hats 

In between there needs to be a little time for some fun-knitting here and there. This time I made two mouse hats for our twins. 

I already made a fox hat two years ago which still is very popular. The hats are all perfect for toddlers, using short rows to shape ears. This provides the poper fit for little heads and ears.
As for the mouse hats, I like how the small faces turned out. I'm very happy to have found those different buttons for the noses. All the buttons are from second hand.
To shape the mouths in a different color I used intarsia technique. The ears are worked seperately after finishing the actual hat (using duplicate stitch for blue) and were then sewn onto the hat. I recommend using markers before starting to sew so they will be straight.
I'm very happy with the hats, with all three actually. I always loved the fox one too. Now they are our three little wild ones whenever we go somewhere...

You can find my Ravelry project page here.

Looking forward to this month - New design(s), pattern release

It is getting noticeably colder around here now and my head just keeps thinking hats, hats, hats!
So I have a few new ideas for hat designs I'm currently working on. But I'm also yearning to make a pattern for fingerless mits.
Let's see were my musings will take me...

And of course Aruna will be published this month. I am so very very looking forward to this!
It has been such a long process it feels like. But I am proud and I am so happy to have been working on my first design again. And I hope you will give this design a warm welcome and that it will earn your love.

Thank you for stopping by and reading.

I hope you enjoyed the update and will be around with me on my knit-live-journey.

All my love,

Stefanie ♥

As always, if you want to be the first to know about anything that's new and exciting, follow me on Instagram.