My newest knitted design: Turtlenect Batwing

My favorite place for inspiration is my own closet.  So I used my most beloved sweater as the model for my latest knitted sweater design.  I figure that if it's a style that has a proven success record in my own wardrobe, chances are that other women will like it too.  Here's the story of what inspired my latest knitting design and what I was doing while I designed it.

For years, my cheap-acrylic-yarn-Forever-21 sweater has been my absolute favorite. I actually bought it on a whim - I think it might have been on sale.  At the time I bought it, I hadn't yet tried one of the voluminous sweater fits, and thought it would be fun to experiment.

Hanging with family in my favorite sweater.

I found that the sweater was fun to wear with just about everything as a layering peice - especially with more fitted tights or a slim maxi-skirt.  There were only two things I really didn't like about it: 1) the gross yarn it was made of and 2) the cropped length.  The cropped length worked with some outfits I had, but a lot of time I wanted the warm layer and a little extra coverage down below.  I didn't feel like I always had a good first-layer garment to provide the length I wanted below so that I could wear the sweater with leggings or a pair of pants with a clashing waist line.

So when I designed the sweater for myself, I copied the shaping and the fit of the sweater, but I changed up a few things to address the short-comings of the original sweater I loved.  First, I used Pearl, a warm wool yarn with a little bit of bling that is bulky so it will work up a voluminous sweater quickly. Next, I decided the sweater had to be relatively hassle-free to work up, so I designed it as a 1-piece, top-down garment that you can try on as you go.  I added cabling details that I thought would make it an interesting hand-knit that was beautiful to wear, and I lengthened the body of the sweater so that it could be just a little more versatile than my already track-proven favorite.

I knit this whole sweater on my recent trip to India. I think that travel and knit/crochet are excellent companions once you learn a few travel tricks.  For example, getting a data sim card for an internet dongle is a lengthy bureaucratic process in India requiring all sorts of paperwork, passport photographs, and multiple trips to the wireless provider.  And you really do need a dongle if you are staying for any length of time and want reliable internet.  I was able to cheerfully cope with the red tape because I had my Batwing project.

We travelled by all means imaginable for a month through the states of Tami Nadu and Kerala.  When the scenery became monotonous AND there was enough room to move my needles on public transport, my trusty Batwing project made me feel that my time was not wasted, and I struck up countless conversations with locals who were curious about what I was doing.  Women and children came up to me and wanted to touch my project, and on many rides I had people who just wanted to sit near me and watch.  It is really remarkable how approachable you become by those of different cultures when you display a skill that they (or their mother or grandmother) may have, and how easy it is to forge bonds. We got "adopted" by many people along the way who shared their food with us and showed us the ropes, partly because they were drawn in by the curious sight of a foreign woman knitting on their bus or train.

A hat collection will be released in the near future with the Star Beanie that will look great with the Batwing.  Watch for it in the coming weeks.

Shows are a ton of work when you are exhibiting, but I absolutely love them.  It is so cool to meet up with knitters and crocheters who have worked the patterns, talk with people who are excited about the tools they bought at a prior year show and to just talk with knitters in crocheters in real life to see what they are making, what they like and what kinds of things we are doing that is most inspiring to them.

I hate to play favorites, but this lady I am posing with in the photo above is one of my all-time favorite show customers.  Take a look at a video I made of her about 2 years ago and you will immediately understand why.  She visits every year, and this year my son was helping in the booth, so she invited our family to come see the horses on her ranch after the show.

She is talking about our best-selling Stashbuster Blanket pattern and our Extended Tunisian S Hook.  I have demonstrated the technique at the show for several years, and it is a customer favorite.

Another favorite this year was the Rebel Cardi that I teach students to make in my online Craftsy Class Beyond Basic Broomstick Lace.  Aida came by to show me the progress she'd made working the upper bodice of the class project - she's using the DK Cotton Tape that is featured in my class design.

Caren stopped by to show off the cardi she was able to finish in just 2 1/2 weeks using the stash yarns she already owned!  I caught her on video below - she took the class not even intending on working the class project - she just wanted to watch the video of all the techniques. 

As she says in the video, she became so enthralled that she couldn't resist whipping one up herself! We also had visits from all sorts of knitters and crocheters who were proudly wearing our designs and wanted to show them off:

		Modest Cloche sighting!
		Art Nouveau poncho looking good!  Who says ponchos aren't cool?   Send them to our booth and we'll change their minds!
		Excellent Tunisian crochet project for beginners: the Asymmetric Poncho!
		Jen looking ravishing in her Crystalline Snood.
	....	Jinx!  Both Lori and I are wearing our Asymmetric Ponchos worked in the same yarn!  Each of us wearing ours in a different way.

Take a look at all our photos from the show on Flickr.

If you visited us at the show, thanks for stopping by! If you missed it, please visit us at Stitches West 2014 - it will be in Santa Clara from February 20 - 23 in 2014.  You've got enough time to put it on your calendar and make plans!

Can you smell it? Stitching season is in the air again....  Need a little inspiration? Take a look at some recently-completed projects from stitchers who have followed our patterns:

(above) Jolene made Goddess for her daughter, Megan. See more of Jolene's work, she's Panacea on Ravelry.

BeepB's Scabbard

Beepb (from Ravelry) models her Scabbard.

Josefin's Anais Jacket 

Josefin in Stockholm completed a gorgeous Anais Jacket and even did a video on how to twist the stitches. She is Crosseyes on Ravelry.

Cassandra's Anais

Cassandra looks stunning in her Anais. She's cassandradavidson on Ravelry.

Annette's Lotus 

Annette modified the pattern to suit her thicker yarn. Here she is modeling her camisole-length Lotus. She's ANetTow on Ravelry.

Jenny's Goddess

Jenny knit her Goddess using 100% silk yarn unraveled from a sweater she found at the thrift store!! She's jenpaxt on Ravelry.

Helam's Modest Cloche

Helam has made a few beautiful Modest Cloches - this is just one of them. Love her detail with the flower. She's Helam on Ravelry.

Mooberly's Silken Tunisian Cap 

Mooberly on Ravelry has made a few of these Silken Tunisian Caps- she's having fun with Tunisian Crochet in the Round.

I talk a  lot about Tunisian Crochet because I think it's such a fun technique for both knitters and crocheters. Tunisian Crochet is a hybrid of knitting and standard crochet and it provides opportunities for colorwork that aren't available in knit or crochet alone. You don't need to be an advanced crocheter to learn this technique - any beginning crocheter or knitter who has done a little bit of crochet can learn!

Right now, we are doing an unbeatable giveaway to get you started with Tunisian, and entering to win is easy: all you have to do is subscribe to our mailing list to enter.  (This giveaway is open to stitchers EVERYWHERE in the world!)

The Grand Prize ($138.29 value):

1) Free Class: Tunisian Crochet - Revolutions in Color & Style! Let Stitch Diva Jennifer Hansen guide you from the basics to in over 10 hours of instruction that you can watch anywhere, anytime online in the privacy of your own home. ($59.99 value)

2) Denise Interchangeable Crochet Hook Kit: A complete system of hooks that will provide you any configuration Tunisian crochet hook from size X to size Y - the only tools you'll need to do the class projects! ($44.95 value)

3) Tunisian Crochet: Simple Twists on an Old Technique - Our limited-edition book that is full of unique and stylish projects. A great resource for once you've completed the class.($24.95 value)

4) Facebook Special!! If you win and are also one of our facebook fans, we'll throw in a kit for you to do Tunisian Crochet in the Round. Just 'like' our page for a chance to win.($8.40 value)

The winner will be chosen Monday, September 17 and be notified via email.

Fun at the TNNA Craftsy party:  Me (Jennifer Hansen) at center wearing Tunisian Crochet Multi Garment, with designers Ellen Gormley (left) & Rebecca Velasquez (right).  Photobombing services at rear provided by Drew Emborskey (aka The Crochet Dude)

It's been quiet around here because we've been away at TNNA. TNNA is short for The National Needlework Association and is responsible for putting on the industry shows for the knit and crochet industry.  There are two big shows per year, the biggest one is held every June in Columbus, OH and Stitch Diva Studios is a regular exhibitor at the show.  KnitCircus wrote an excellent backgrounder about TNNA, read more about the show and the organization behind it here.

In addition to selling our patterns online, we do sell them wholesale to shops and we got our start doing so 9 years ago at our first TNNA. (Are you a yarn store owner interested in carrying our hardcopy or downloadable patterns in your store? If so, email us at wholesale@stitchdiva.com)

Here's a video below of two excited yarn store owners who have had a lot of success with my Endless Knitted Cardi Shawl design at their store.