I just released the Ripple Scarf and the Pop-Up Flower Hat and they are available now for $6 each at Pick Up Sticks. The Ripple Scarf is an expanded-upon version of a design I did for last season’s Knit & Crochet Now 
. This version is knit out of Paton’s bamboo/silk blend and the curves at the front are really just stripes pushed out by repeating blocks of short-rows. It’s an unusual use of the technique, which is, of course, why I love it. The cast on side is the long edge, another interesting feature.
When the striped side is done, it curls. It can be blocked, and the seed stitch edges will eventually sit down but they really, really want to fold back up again. Rather than fight that for the life of the scarf, I knit a stockinette stitch back, then embellished it with a running stitch. The decorative stitching is not necessary, but I like the way it adds a deconstructed edge as a counterpoint to the prettiness of the waves on the front. I wear this scarf EVERY DAY. The weight is perfect and because of the bamboo silk, its hand is soft but not fuzzy.
I made the flowers before the hat as a way to thank my customers for a great 2011. The flowers felt lonely without a perch, so I knit up this deep-brimmed cloche out of my alpaca, doubled. The band is knit lengthwise, then the stitches are picked up along its edge. The crown is then worked in the round. The pattern is in three sizes and includes the flower instructions so you don’t have to download that separately. If you just want the flower pattern, it is still available as a free download at Pick Up Sticks.
I’m Knitty and my best friend since high school (and business partner) is Kitty. Don’t ask how the names started. We don’t know. But they stuck. The hardest part of leaving Oakland has been leaving Kitty. When we lived in the same area, we were each other’s Dailies. So you can imagine my JOY when I found out Kitty was coming to New York for a long weekend. Kitty lived in New York, and she worked for Jim Henson and The Metropolitan Opera. As a part of her duties, she sometimes sourced, so she knows New York inside and out. She’d spend her days hunting for trim and beads and whatnot — any little detail on any costume you can imagine. Here’s what happened when Kitty showed me New York. So fun![nggallery id=13] 
We’ve entered all the sales from Stitches Midwest and the results are in! Benji and her friends were by far the most popular designs at the show. Everyone loved the way the doll could be customized to look just like the girl she was being knit for.
