New Pattern Available: Ebbenflow Cowl

Energy, water, air, love, and laughter all experience an ebb and flow. The trick is learning how to go with the flow and, oddly enough, it is ultimately the most natural way. It actually takes more effort to strain against the ebb and flow in our lives. Soft, elastic, light and pretty, this slightly biased cowl will accentuate any outfit. It may not help you sort out all the stresses in your life, but it will give you an easy project to work on while you ride the waves.

Finished Measurement:
This cowl is knit in the round with no seaming. Directions are given for a 56” circumference cowl with a height of 13”. This pattern is easily adaptable. To change circumference you need only cast on more or fewer stitches in multiples of 20. Changes in height are achieved by working more or fewer vertical repeats of the lace chart.

Yarn Requirements:
Necessary yardage will vary with any sizing customization you choose to execute.
Approximately 350 - 380 yards were required for the 56” circumference/13” tall cowl as instructed.

Shown in Dye Monkey Yarns, HipHop Monkey
(400 yards/100grams, Fingering, 100% Superwash Merino, color: Chalk Line).

Recommended Needles:
Size 8 (5mm) 40” Circular needle or size required to get gauge.

Supplies:
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
Stitch markers and row counter may be helpful.

Gauge:
Approximately 12 sts / 28 rows = 4” (10 cm) in lace pattern in the round, blocked.

Pattern released exclusively in Dye Monkey Yarns Signature Series Kit 1: June 2015

The kit includes: Ravelry pattern download or digital delivery of PDF for Non-Rav Members and one (1) skein of Dye Monkey Yarns HipHop Monkey Colorway: Chalk Line (100% Superwash Merino 100g/400 yards)

$35.00 Each, S&H included

If you would like to order your kit with additional skeins of "Chalk Line", please contact me for pricing and I will invoice you directly.

I am happy to ship kits as gifts. Please specify in "additional instructions" when ordering or email me directly.

Kits will ship on or before June 13th.
A Knit-A-Long will be hosted in my JesseKnits Ravelry Group. Feel free to join us!

My apologies - at this time I am only shipping to North America (ie US & Canada).

Public pattern release scheduled for January 2016.

Today in the Dye Pot...

"Single & Fabulous" on Tap Monkey Fingering

I'm dancing in dye again!

Today's dye pots include a lace weight of "Single & Fabulous"
- just because I think this color would make an absolutely sinful shawl, and I'm playing with blues, purples and hints of teal on some worsted weight.

I'll let you all know once they hit the shop!  Happy Crafting!

Signature Series Kit 1: Ebbenflow Cowl

Ebbenflow Cowl in Dye Monkey Yarns HipHop Monkey
Colorway: Chalk Line
(100% Superwash Merino 100g/400 yards)

I'm very excited to announce the availability of the first of my new Signature Series Kits - the Ebbenflow Cowl!

This is a limited release. Pattern and yarn will not be available again until January 2016.

The kit includes: Ravelry pattern download or digital delivery of PDF for Non-Rav Members and one (1) skein of Dye Monkey Yarns HipHop Monkey Colorway: Chalk Line (100% Superwash Merino 100g/400 yards)

$35.00 Each, S&H included

If you would like to order your kit with additional skeins of Chalk Line, please contact me for pricing and I will invoice you directly.

I am happy to ship kits as gifts. Please specify in "additional instructions" when ordering or email me directly.

Kits will ship on or before June 13th.
Pattern details can be found here.
A Knit-A-Long will be hosted in my JesseKnits Ravelry Group. Feel free to join us!

My apologies - at this time I am only shipping to North America (ie US & Canada).

Last Skein of Colorway on Sale

Last Skein!! Cupcake Confetti on Salsa Monkey - SALE regularly $12.00 - Now just $9.00 (plus S&H)

Birthday Party hot pink, pink, lavender, purple, plum, blue and white.
Variegated and speckled like confetti on top of a cupcake.

This is a hand painted/hand dyed yarn. Variations will occur from skein to skein.
Photo has been taken to best show colors, however color representation varies from device to device/monitor to monitor. 

Salsa Monkey - 100% Merino 100g/220 yards
Soft, durable and felt-able. Perfect for just about anything - this one is a straight up work horse with pleasurable hand. 
Hand Wash ~ Air Dry
Available on Etsy

New Colorway - I love this red!

Single & Fabulous on Tap Monkey.

Okay, so he left. Now what?
Wait.
He didn't leave. Nope. YOU threw HIM out.
He never was good enough; never treated you as good as you deserved.
You were always fabulous, but now you're Single AND Fabulous! wearing your hottest reds and calling him out. Next time he sees you, he'll know his mistakes.

Red. EVERY red. From deep maroon up to a crayon red and on to blushing roses and blood tones, with dashes of whites and pinks. Generally in the blue family of reds. NOT orange-reds.

This is a hand painted/hand dyed yarn. Variations will occur from skein to skein.
Photo has been taken to best show colors, however color representation varies from device to device/monitor to monitor. 

Tap Monkey Yarn Base - 75% Superwash Merino/25% Nylon 100g/463 yards
Soft, elastic and durable; a gorgeous sock yarn. Hand Wash ~ Air Dry 
Available in Etsy Store

Knowing when to call it quits...

Today, I killed a WIP. Dead. It wasn't working for me. I tried. I tried valiantly, but in the end, it had to go.

I'm still not sure what was wrong with it. It was a sock pattern I'd knit a couple of times before. I liked the yarn - the color wasn't quite me, but the hand was nice. The first time I ripped back was because I'd realized I'd knit the foot about an inch too short. The second time was because somehow I was on the wrong row after the heel was completed. I studied those socks against each other and could not find the error. I'm still not sure if the problem was with the first or second sock, or simply with the knitter.

In the end, I announced to my husband that I was simply going to throw the whole mess away, and for once, instead of encouraging me to fix it and move on, he agreed that this horse was well beaten and it needed to go. I suggested ripping it all back and gifting the yarn. He said no. The negative energy I'd twisted into that yarn would only torment the next knitter. And so, I yanked out my needles and threw the whole thing away. It was stunningly liberating. The weight lifted from my shoulders instantaneously. Now I'm on to new things.

I need to learn when to call it quits. I think I work a lot of things way past dead. Is that part of being a perfectionist?

Strains of Kenny Rogers now haunt my thoughts... "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run."