If you're looking for Christmas tree decorations that are a little out of the ordinary you could try these Animal Balls by Claire Slade (VerilyV on Ravelry). With a robin, bear, penguin, hedgehog and sheep all included in the pattern, you could make a set of matching baubles or make the whole woodland for a fun animal-themed tree.

I wanted to know more about this different take on Christmas decorations, so I decided to ask their designer Claire about this design, and about her knitting designs in general. Here is what she said:


Me: The Animal Balls are great Christmas tree decorations with a difference. Where did the idea for them come from?

Claire: Animal balls happened because I wanted a woodland theme for my own Christmas tree last year, I wasn’t originally planning on releasing the pattern, but am glad my family persuaded me to.

Me: How did you start designing patterns?

Claire: I started designing because my then-three-year-old son requested a hat with trains on and I couldn’t find a pattern so I created my choo choo beanie.

Me: Which is your favourite design so far, and why?

Claire: My favourite design so far is probably my midnight owls hat, I love colourwork and I’ve received so many nice comments from knitters who have made one.

Me: What type of item do you most like to design, and why?

Claire: What I like to design goes in phases, recently it has been hats, but at the moment it is lace shawls. What I love the most is texture and bright colours.

Me: What do you plan to design next?

Claire: I currently have a sketchpad full of colourwork sweater designs that I am hoping will come to fruition next year, I’m quite excited about these and I’m hoping to get started after Christmas.

 

Thank you, Claire, for answering my questions. So some interesting new colourwork designs to look out for from Claire Slade in the New Year then, hopefully.
​Enjoy the rest of the Gift-A-Long!!

Grillage is a sock pattern by Aurelie Colas (spinnygonzales on Ravelry), a French designer now living in Aberdeen, Scotland. The stitch pattern works for either semi solid yarn or those tricky multicolours that look so lovely in the skein but are nigh on impossible to find a pattern that enhances both colours and design.
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Grillage is the French word for chicken wire, the mesh of which inspired the stitch pattern for these socks, which use a top-down construction and a short-row heel.
If you like to knit textured socks, why not check out Aurelie's other sock patterns and more in her Ravelry pattern store. 

My six-year-old had mentioned in passing that he really liked his new Star Wars T-shirt that he was wearing, and mused that "I just need a light sabre to to go with this T-shirt". And then he went about his day and I thought little more of it. Until I saw this pattern on Ravelry.
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Yes, that's right, a knitted Light Sabre, by Emily Ringelman. And since I know exactly what will happen when Smaller Son sees Big Brother's light sabre, I'm going to be making two of these between now and Christmas! Even better, the designer is part of the Indie Design Gift-A-Long so I can count these toward my GAL projects, even if I do have to make them at work on my breaks so that little eyes can't see them before December 25th!

The next pattern in my to-knit list is this pretty sweater, Marchmont, from Miranda Jollie (hanwellknitter on Ravelry). I like the stitch pattern and the neckline, but my favourite feature of this pattern is that it has two fit options. Standard fit is for women who fit standard dress sizes; curvy fit is for women with a larger bust who benefit from a smaller waist on their sweaters to emphasise their curves rather than drowning in something big enough to fit their bust size. This is perfect for me, as I always end up having to balance between something with enough room at the top but put in extra decreases to flatter my proportionally-smaller waist. This pattern does that all for me - bonus!!

Miranda Jollie is a fellow London designer to whom I was first introduced during last year's GAL. I asked her some questions about her designs - here's what she said.

Me: How did you first get started in knit design?

Miranda: I unexpectedly had a few weeks off work a few years ago with something called vestibulitis, which affects your balance, so I was spending vast amounts of time just sitting on the sofa and knitting. My brain needed a bit more work out than just following a pattern and after experimenting with writing & publishing a very basic phone cosy, I designed & published my first proper pattern, Pendleton Fingerless Cycling Mitts - though I couldn't really cycle at the time! ​

Me: What items do you like to design most?

Miranda: Probably cowls. They're so versatile and I also wear them all the time. The only disadvantage is they're one sided and I really enjoy the challenge of designing scarves that work from both sides - my Cricket Sweater Scarf is one of my favourites for that reason.

Me: Which of your designs is your favourite, and why?

Miranda: My favourite, for sentimental reasons, has to be the Cat Walk Shawl which I designed to raise funds for the PDSA charity which helps people afford quality vet care for their pets. Our cat Bluey was diagnosed with cancer last year and we were lucky enough to be able to cope with a sudden bill but I really wanted to help people who aren't in that position do their best for their pets. Bluey did incredibly well for over a year after he was diagnosed, but sadly we had to say goodbye to him this autumn, so this one is very meaningful for me. I'm afraid the photoshoot for the shawl ended up being more cat than knitting...

Me: Where did the inspiration for your Marchmont sweater come from?

Miranda: For most of my patterns, I can put my finger on something I saw or read about that inspired the stitch pattern, but this one was more an internal design process. It's really a prettier, lacier progression of the zig-zagging that started in my Skillion Cowl and then Joni Scarf. I love circular yokes and find them very flattering so I just wanted to make something that was quite simple and elegant. I'd also bought the most beautiful Shilshadair yarn when I was in Be Inspired Fibres in Edinburgh and wanted to make something that would do it justice! The name is from the area where the shop is where I bought the yarn.

Me: What is your favourite yarn to design with, and why?

Miranda: I love to work with British wool where I can and have made a lot of patterns recently using the Blacker range of yarns which are dedicated to supporting the British wool industry. They're also very good for making the rather structural ideas I quite often have.

Me: What designs do you have in the pipeline that you can share some news about?

Miranda: I've just been swatching for another sweater idea which is inspired by the Gillette Corner building on the A4 road in West London, which I hope will be ideal for the marled John Arbon Textiles wool I bought at the Unravel show this year.

I've also got a couple of patterns in Knit Now magazine coming out early in 2016 one of which is inspired by one of my favourite gory English myths!

Me: Now that does have me intrigued! Thanks, Miranda, for answering my questions. 

For these and all of Miranda Jollie's designs, click here to go to her Ravelry pattern store. Plenty of garments and accessories there to choose from.

On the whole I am not a knitter of toys. I am also trying to actively reduce my stash. However, I have deviated from both of these plans for this pattern! Hippo critters by Ellen Kapusniak (knittipolitti on Ravelry) are fat-bottomed hippo stuffies.
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As soon as I saw this pattern I knew these little fellows would be perfect for my toddler nephews for Christmas. One is going to be yellow and the other one green, with a bit of blue to make the leg stripes. They look to be ideal carry-along friends for little ones.
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Ellen has a couple of other toy patterns in her portfolio, but really the other pattern of hers that I have my eye on is her Filigree shawl. I do like a large shawl, the kind you can really wrap yourself up in to keep warm, but I don't have any chunky yarn in my stash. Hmm, maybe I'll have to buy the pattern anyway and then ask for the yarn for Christmas?!

To see Ellen's other designs, or to buy the pattern to make your own cute and cuddly hippo critters, click here to go to her Ravelry designer page.

I want to make a gift for my son's before- and after-school childminder. She does a lot of running and the weather is getting cooler so I hope she might like a hat to keep her head cosy. 
I have a ball of Noro Kureyon sock which I would like to use, so I looked in the Gift-Along designer bundles for a hat suitable for light fingering, and I have chosen Riles by Talitha Kuomi (talithakuomi on Ravelry).
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Talitha is a designer from Massachusetts, USA, and has over 100 patterns in her Ravelry portfolio, from sweaters to accessories, bags and cushions. The Riles hat is meant for a gradient set of mini yarn skeins, using a slipped stitch pattern to show the colours. I'm hoping the long colour changes in the Noro yarn will mimic this effect and allow me to get a similar look but with just one ball of yarn.
For more designs by this designer, click on the photo or on her name above and see which hat or mitts or sweater or cowl or pillow or scarf or headband or.....you would like to knit next!

The next Gift-A-Long pattern I'd like to feature is a sock pattern by Amy Kenagy (KnittingAmyK on Ravelry), a designer who hails from Spokane in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. I do like patterns that allow multicoloured sock yarn to shine. It's so easy to be tempted by the beautiful colours of the yarn in the skein, the bright rainbows or the exciting hand-dyes, but then it's not so easy to find a pattern that doesn't disappear into the colours or make them look like brightly-coloured splodge.

I wanted to know more about the designer who had created this fun sock pattern, so I asked Amy a bit about herself and her designs.

Me: How did you first start designing knitting patterns?

Amy: I first got into design when I had first started knitting and couldn’t find a baby skirt pattern that fit my needs. Having only boys and not wanting to pay for something that wasn’t quite what I wanted for a gift, I knit and wrote my Girly Girl Skirt pattern. Being a math teacher, I love the logical and mathematical side of knitting so it was fun to combine that with creativity.

Me: Finding inspiration for multicoloured sock yarn can be tricky. Where did you get the idea for All of my Ducks in a Row?

Amy: I am always finding myself attracted to multicolored yarns but don’t always love the way they pool. I wanted something that had cool texture but would work well for both variegated and semi solid yarns. This fit the bill. At first I was thinking it reminded me of flower buds but then the idea of little ducks zigzaging in the water with the little bubbles behind them seemed more appropriate.

​Me: Which is your favourite of your designs, and why?

Amy: I am going to take the cop out answer here and say that I love all of my patterns for different reasons. I love the practical Bubbly Scrubber or the stylish Broken Up Boot Cuffs for a quick gift. I love my When You Wish shall for sentimental reasons. I adore the All of My Ducks in a Row for the textures. Each pattern has a texture I love or is a quick knit with a practical use or has a mathematical approach that I appreciate.

Me: What is your favourite type of item to design?

Amy: I love making my patterns a teaching piece. I want them to be approachable for all knitting levels and try to incorporate quicker ways of doing common techniques into my patterns, like cabling without a cable needle, short rows with no wraps and turns, etc. So I wouldn’t say I have a favorite item, but more a passion for passing on discoveries I have made that make knitting easier or yield a cleaner, more finished looking project.

Me: Finally, any sneak peeks of your future design plans?

Amy: I am the technical editor for 6 Bits Storybooks, which is a beautiful new knitting publication. I will also be a design contributor for the issue coming out this Spring. It will be an accessory that I am still working out the details for but I am honored to be included.



Thanks, Amy, for telling me about yourself and your designs. Now I must be off to wind some sock yarn ready to cast on for All my Ducks in a Row!!

The first pattern I'm going to knit in this year's GAL is this market bag by Dana Gervais (Knitalot924 on Ravelry), a designer from Ontario, Canada. This bag caught my eye because of the fresh happy orange colour in the photographs, and also because of this handy feature of it - it comes in its own storage pouch.
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A new law brought in in England last month means that supermarkets and large shops are now required to charge for carrier bags. I've been reusing bags for years anyway and always keep a few in my car but if I'm out on foot I have been caught out a couple of times being without a bag. I have a fairly roomy handbag but there's only so much a girl can fit in there. 
My plan for this bag is to keep it in my handbag. The pouch will keep it contained and make sure it doesn't take up too much space in there, but opened out to full size I should be able to get a good many impulse purchases in there.
I have a skein of KnitPicks Dishie cotton in a green colour in my stash so I'm going to cast this on straight away as my first GAL project. 
To see Dana Gervais' other designs, click on her name above or on either of her photographs. That will take you to her Ravelry designer page with patterns for a larger market bag, socks, scarves and more!

 Looking back at some more patterns I knitted during the 2014 Gift-Along. I took the opportunity to treat myself to some patterns for items for myself, as well as for gifts for others, and one of them was this pattern for Dancing Dolphins mittens by Sonja Launspach (sllauns on Ravelry). There's also a matching hat pattern available but I decided to go for the mittens. 
I love dolphins; I swam with them once and it was a very special experience. When I saw the photos of these beautiful mittens I had to try them, even though I had never made colourwork mittens before.
The pattern is written for three hand sizes, Small, Medium and Large, and there are different charts with slightly different designs for each one. (Obviously a bigger mitten has room for more picture than a smaller one!!) I went with Small, as my hands are on the titchy side.
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The pattern takes some concentration with different charts for front, back and thumb, and different pictures on the left and right hands, but it does avoid getting second-mitten-syndrome because you really aren't just knitting the same piece twice. If you like stranded colourwork, the designer has a number of other patterns for socks, hats and mittens all using that technique. 
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Photo courtesy of and copyright Sonja Launspach, showing all three sizes of mittens

The last pattern to be featured from my projects from last year is Poplar- the Dishcloth  by Julia Stanfield (j-j on Ravelry). This pattern is part of a collection all using the same stitch pattern to create either a dishcloth, a blanket, a scarf or a cowl. I plumped for the dishcloth, and ended up making two of them during the 2014 GAL. The first was a green one, using KnitPicks Dishie.
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It makes a nice big dishcloth, excellent for washing up as well as for mopping up spills in the kitchen. I have two small boys - a fair amount of stuff gets spilled in my kitchen!


I also made a second one, taking out one column of the lace pattern to make a more square-shaped cloth and this was given along with some pretty scented soaps as a Secret Santa gift at work. Unfortunately, the recipient didn't get the clue from the soaps that it was meant to be a face cloth, but she did say she found it very useful indeed to put hot dishes down on at the table for Christmas dinner, so I guess it found an extra use I hadn't anticipated!
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The white cloth was made using Lion Brand Cotton Ease, using slightly larger needles to allow for the thicker yarn. In fact both cloths knit up very quickly using cotton yarn held double. You could use multicoloured yarn for really snazzy cloths, or plain white for a classic clean look.

And now I have finished reviewing last year's patterns, now it's on into the 2015 Gift-Along! Find out which patterns I'm going to make first tomorrow on the first day (for the UK, at least!)

One of the perks of being a participating designer in the Gift-Along event is the chance to see which other designers are joining in too by looking over the sign-up list before it goes public. It means that in the frantic rush to get everything in place in the few days between sign-up and start, I've been able to take a good look through the designers' sale bundles to see which patterns I want to buy to take advantage of the 25% discount at the start of the Gift-Along. My Ravelry queue is growing by the day! I have seven patterns in my shopping cart already, just waiting for the giftalong2015 coupon code to activate, and I'm sure there will be more before the event is over.

Here are the yarns I'm planning to use for the first of my GAL projects. Yes, first! I suspect I'm being over-ambitious but I'm hoping to get lots of knitting done before 2015 is finished.
So what is for what? Ah, now that would be telling!! Once the GAL starts and those patterns are safely on my virtual library shelves, then I'll start to feature my choices, but in the meantime here are some clues.

One of these yarns is for a hat, two are for socks, one is for a sweater (kind of obvious which yarn in the photo that might be, but the pattern itself is still a surprise!) and the last is for a bag.

Now that I've chosen which patterns I want to buy first and which yarns I want to use first, I just have one choice to make - which project to cast on first on Friday after work!