Moved!!!

Just a quick update to let you know we've moved- blog locations, that is!  You will find the new blog (with all the previous posts) at http://www.frenchpressknits.com/blog/ . Make sure you pop on over sometime in the next few days as we are kicking things off with a giveaway!

While you're there, take time to peek around the new frenchpressknits.com - thanks! :-)

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Christmas in July

This year has been a long and trying one.  I quit my job in October and took on role of full time stay-at-home mother of three little ones.  Joe started and completed his first year teaching and it was a doozy (I hear the first year's the hardest, right?!)!  Now that July has come in to our lives, life is simpler.  Joe is home and we are enjoying family time, and during the days, I am free to work... on knitting!

Yarn has been arriving...

And I have been winding:

And it's time to (finally) sit down and work on my stocking pattern collection!

My goal is to have a collection of 5-10 stocking patterns released by mid October (Rhinebeck, anyone?!), available in digital download and hard copy.  I'm busy getting quotes from printers while charting and knitting and writing and all the other good things that life is allowing me these days


.  Follow me over on Instagram for the most up to date posts, or with the hashtag "#fpkchristmasinjuly"

Favorite Summer Tee

It started slow...

And at first, I wasn't really sure how I felt about working with Linen yarn.  But, slowly the project began to take form...

Until I had a substantial piece and could really start to understand the beauty of linen fabric.

And then came time for sleeves:

Which admittedly took longer than they should have.

But then, sweet completion!

And this fit!

Raveled: here

This summer my linen tee has been getting much wear.  It's true what they say about linen- softer with each wash/wear.  It's beauty truly lies in its drape and feel, which only grows softer and comfier with each wear.

Here's the inspiration tee with the handknit tee- math is a beautiful thing, my friends!

And for those wondering: yes- I will be writing up a pattern, but not immediately. It will be something I work on this winter for release early spring. There are some other projects taking my time these days- more on that soon... 😉

Annie's Signature Designs Kit Winner

Thanks all for entering to win the Ventana Vest Kit.  Our winner is Aubrey McKelvey.  Congrats, Aubrey!

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Annie's Signature Designs Summer Love Collection Giveaway

As I'm busy stitching away on my first ever summer knit, I wanted to give you all the opportunity to jump right in as well.

I have been given the opportunity to help spread the word about Annie's Signature Designs Summer Love collection- an exclusive, seasonal collection of upscale knitting and crochet patterns.  This season's inaugural collection was envisioned by Lena Skvasgerson, who brings more that 25 years of experience in the European design market. 

The collection is teeming with options of lightweight layering pieces that are perfect for the summer months.

My favorite piece is probably the Chamisal Tee Pattern- but I think that is partly because I have summer tees on the brain?

Annie's gives you the option to "build-a-kit", which means you don't have to look far to find the perfect yarn for your project, it can all be ordered together.

Have I still not convinced you that lightweight summer knit are what all the cool kids are wearing this year?  Well- this may help....

Up for grabs is a lovely Ventana Vest Kit.  One lucky winner will receive a pattern download and enough Plymouth Yarn Driftone to complete the project.

 To enter, take a peep at the Summer Love Collection Lookbook (or click this link to see the pattern webpage) and let me know which look is your favorite.  Comment below, make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you are our randomly selected winner.  Giveaway ends at 11:59 EST on Friday, April 29, 2016.  Best of luck!

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Linen Stitching

For some time, I've been wanting to remake one of my favorite summer shirts in a hand knit version.  Now that I'm home with the kids full time I have been able to find extra time for knitting (or sometimes just thinking about knitting- that's an accomplishment, too!).

This picture is from a few years ago, but it's the best I could find that would give you an idea of the shirt.  It's a lightweight knit fabric with clean, simple lines.  It fits perfectly and I feel beyond comfortable in it.  I actually have the shirt in both white and black and both get a fair amount of wear, especially in the warmer months.  

Enter Shannon Cook's (aka 'Very Shannon') TTTKAL.   Many of you are probably familiar.  For those who are not, it stands for "Tops, Tanks, & Tees Knit Along"  and it was the perfect excuse to finally see my project through to fruition.

Since the store bought version fits perfectly, I started with careful measurements and multiple swatches.  I decided to knit the shirt in Quince&Co. "Sparrow".  The yarn is a fingering weight linen, and is quite a difference when compared to my normal 100% wool.  

There's a totally different feel when working with linen yarn, it kind of gives my fingers this funny tingling feeling.  Like, you know your feet get that weird prickly sensation when you're standing at the edge of super high building (what... am I the only one?!?)?  It's sort of like that in my hands.  I'm learning to appreciate it for what it is. 

Something else I've learned.  Linen looks messy as you knit.  It makes you question your existence as a knitter and wonder if the bloom and halo of wool is just a crutch to hide your stitch flaws ("a little caulk, a little paint, make a builder what he ain't"... I feel like we need one of these for knitting).

But then you wash your knitting (yes wash, not just block- I'm talking full on washer and dryer!)...

and you're left with uniform stitches with a bit of slub and a drape that is out of this world.

Tomorrow I have a giveaway kicking off- stay tuned for your chance to win a summer knitting kit!

Lamplight Mittens

Just a quick post to alert the knitting world to a new mitten pattern I released today :-)

A classic mitten design featuring a subtle cable pattern. Contrasting lined cuffs add warmth and a pop of color to give these mittens a touch of unexpected luxury.

Starting with a provisional cast on and contrasting yarn, the inner cuff is knitted before switching to the worsted weight yarn. After completing the outer cuff, the inner cuff is turned in and joined as you continue to knit the body of the mitten.

Utilizing just one skein of Quince & Co. “Owl” and a small amount of fingering weight yarn, this project will fly of your needles and onto your hands before the spring warmth has time to set in!

Find them on Ravelry now!

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