New Hat!

Just a quick post to show off my newest listing in my ShirleyKnits Etsy shop:

The listing is here.

I've been enjoying making these hats! The colorwork is fun, and the I like the colors of the cotton yarn. They have sold really well in local shows, but not as well online for some reason  ;-(  I am working on a new one in wool to see if that might be more popular among my internet customers.

I haven't been listing as quickly in my ShirleyKnits shop. I have decided to discipline myself to painting every day and the paint has kind of taken over most everything. (If you want to see what I have been up to, you can see my daily painting blog here.) What new knitted items I was finishing were selling locally without even making it to my Etsy shop. I hope to get a few more things listed before the holidays and hope for a few holiday sales!

Chili Red Handknitted Scarf

I added a new scarf to my shop this week. Love the colors in this one! One strand is a gorgeous chili red. The other is a variegated yarn with red, purple, turquoise, olive and other gorgeous colors. I liked the yarn so much, that I bought more to make myself some socks!

Anyways, you can find the scarf listed here.

On the needles, more fingerless gloves. I just designed a new hat and another pair of fingerless gloves for spring. Then I need to get back to the bags and ipod sleeves.....

Okay, I'm Back!!

Oh my goodness...I can't believe it has been October since I have updated this blog!

I have been really good about keeping up with  my art blog....not so much here unfortunately. I am going to try my best to at least post new items here and a little about their inspiration. I'm not even going to try to catch up from the last few months!

Anyways, my latest is a pair of fingerless gloves. I am having a lot of fun knitting fingerless gloves with colorwork - a relatively quick knit and only a little fussy with the thumbs. I just listed these Royal Purple ones:

They are available here.

I think the design came from some Latvian mittens. I have been looking through my books lately and then came up with this idea, so I suspect it was sparked by something I saw in one of my Latvian mitten books. I love the richness of the colors - this is a gorgeous purple. And they are knitted in Elann's Peruvian Highland wool which is nice and soft. I hope they find a good home!

On the needles: more fingerless mitts. I am also finishing up a gorgeous scarf in a brick red color. I will be casting on a hat and cowl to work on this weekend while the kids are skiing.

Neckwarmers!

I started working on neckwarmers - (or cowls or scarves, etc.) as a way to work through some of my odds and ends in my stash. They are fun to knit - and fun to wear!

Here is my newest:

listing here

More Hats!

Yes, I seem to be in a hat rut lately!

But I am having fun with them -playing with color and playing with pattern.

I have been looking at books with pictures of Guatemalan crocheted hats and I have been inspired - and obsessed!

Here is one more:

It is made from 100% cotton and is soft and comfy (not to mention colorful!).

The listing is here.

There will be a few more hats over the next week or so, and then hopefully I will have some other items to post!

For Sophia

Sophia is a sweet 4 year old autistic little girl who was recently diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. She has had an operation and will be starting radiation soon. They are looking for handknit hats and other things to send to Sophia. This is the hat I recently sent:

I hope to make a few of these to put up on my Etsy site to raise funds either for Sophia or for pediatric cancer research.

If anyone is interested in sending something to Sophia, or just to send here prayers and well wishes, they have set up a facebook page here:
http://www.facebook.com/HopeforSophia

Another Colorful Cap

Here is my newest listing, a colorful cotton hat inspired by some of the wonderful Guatemalan crocheted hats I have seen in books I have been reading lately. I've been working in cotton because - well, it is summer here and cotton is a little less hot and sticky to work with, and also I have found that some people prefer cotton anyways. I also love the colors and they way they really stay bright in cotton. I think these hats have a really fun, bright look to them! In a few months I will switch to wool and make some more winter-ish hats. But for now it's cotton.

The listing for this hat is here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/51335623/colorful-cotton-cap-handknit-hat