Last year's GAL patterns for me ranged from socks to childrenswear, toys to sweaters, mittens to Christmas decorations. I must confess to not having knitted them all yet but I did make a good start on working my way through my extended pattern library, and this post looks at two of the patterns I made from last year's Gift-A-Long.

The first is Elphaba, a ladies' fingering weight sweater by Mary Annarella (marymealittle on Ravelry).

This is the first time I had worked an adult-size sweater top-down. I've used that method for baby cardigans before but never on something this scale, but the pattern is very well-written and I was confident to follow it. What I especially liked was the section on fit at the end of the pattern - several pages of notes and suggestions on how best to adapt the pattern to suit your body shape. I used this section to add bust darts. I've never done that before, but the sweater is intended to be quite fitted and I'm relatively bigger in the bust than in the waist or hips so I wanted to add extra fabric there. I also adjusted the waist shaping, to make the waist smaller, and added extra rounds of stocking stitch before working the lace edging at the hem. I'm short in stature but long in the torso and need extra length in my sweaters for a comfortable fit.
I really like the neckline on this garment. Low enough to be flattering but still high enough to be decent! And the simple band at the neck is perfect for the style of the rest of the sweater. I plan to knit this one again in the future.



The second pattern from last year's GAL is Empyrean gloves by Sharon Fuller (sharonf on Ravelry). I had received this as part of a pattern exchange, and must admit I was a little wary when I found it had been allocated to me, because I'd made mittens and fingerless mitts before but never gloves with fingers. 

​Photo courtesy of and copyright Sharon Fuller

I had made my mother-in-law a scarf as her Christmas gift and had just enough yarn left over to make these gloves to go along with it. Luckily the scarf was neutral enough that, even though the patterns aren't connected in any way, the matching yarn made it look like they were intended as a set, and I had some pearl beads left from another project too, so I got stuck in.
There was a slight issue with the charts which has now been resolved, and I felt happy enough to dive in with making the individual fingers for the first time. 
I especially love the beaded hem on these gloves. The beading on the backs of the hands is subtle and adds a touch of pizzaz to these classic gloves. They're simple enough for everyday wear but would not look out of place worn with a dress coat for a smarter occasion.
Not only was I pleased with my gloves, so was my mother-in-law, and she has said she has had plenty of compliments on them from her friends. (And they do fit her - the photo here shows me wearing them and I have crazy-short fingers!!)

Both the designers of these patterns are participating in this year's gift-a-long too. If you like them, click on the pattern names in the text to be taken to the pattern's Ravelry page, or on the designer's name to go to her Ravelry page and see more examples of her work.

Come back on Thursday to read about more patterns I knitted from last year's GAL and maybe get some ideas for your list for this year's.

What patterns have you found in the list so far?!

This year's GAL is the third one run by indie designers on Ravelry. It was started in 2013, growing out of a discussion about how best to run knit-alongs. Designer Larissa Brown had an idea for a group of designers to run a big simultaneous knit-along or "gift-along" promotion, working together to publicise the group promotion, and the idea developed from there. The concept grew to become the 2013 Gift-Along, with 177 designers offering their choice of their self-published patterns to promote with a 25% discount for two weeks, and then a massive KAL/CAL which lasted until the end of the year.
Unfortunately, not being a designer nor a user of social media in 2013, I'm sad to say I was completely oblivious to the fun that went on that autumn.

The first contact I had with the GAL was in the summer of 2014. I had started designing patterns in June of that year and had joined the Designers group in July. In August a discussion thread with the header "Gift-a-long 2014?" appeared in the group message board. I opened it, read it and was intrigued. After reading more I decided I wanted to take part in this event too, even though I only had a handful of designs published at that stage.
By the time the sign-ups opened in October I had 9 patterns available and was eligible to participate. I decided to include all nine (designers could choose to submit a minimum of 5 patterns, up to a maximum of 20), and from there it was a steep learning curve to work out how to set up the different promotions required to offer the sale discount and the prize coupon codes, how to make a photo collage of the requisite size, how to create a pattern bundle, and how to set up Ravelry ads.

The GAL itself was like a six-week-long party! I sold a few of my patterns, bought as many as I sold (!) and found many new designers whose work I hadn't seen before. I also treated myself to a pattern I had had my eye on for over a year, and had even purchased the yarn for, but had been waiting for the right time to buy. With a 25% discount, it seemed the perfect time to treat myself to that pattern I had been looking at for so long. 

Over the next few days I shall post in more detail about some of the designs I knitted from last year's GAL. I must confess I still haven't knitted all of them, and some are going to become projects for this year's GAL. Any pattern by a participating designer is eligible for the Gift-A-Long - it isn't a requirement for the pattern to have been purchased this year; if you have it in your library already you're good to go!

I was amazed with how many projects I did complete during the GAL last year though, ten all together (although three of those were from my own patterns so don't really count - the idea is to promote other designers!). The remaining seven were varied - colourwork, colour blocking, lace, beading as well as plain knitting - and five were gifts. The rest were for the household or for myself. After all, the GAL fully encourages selfish knitting!
​

This coming Thursday, November 19th, marks the start of the third annual Ravelry Indie Design Gift-A-Long, a six-week long knit/crochet-along using patterns from a huge list of independent pattern designers.The Gift-A-Long (hereafter to be referred to as GAL) starts on November 19th at 8pm US-EST (so if you’re in Europe or anywhere further to the east it will be a Friday 20th start). It kicks off with a sale. All participating designers, and there are over 300 of them, will be discounting between 5 and 20 of their single patterns, although any paid-for patterns self-published by participating designers will be eligible for prizes in the knit-along/crochet-along events. The KAL/CALs will be sorted according to the type of item you're making. There's one for hats and head things, one for gloves and mittens and other arm/hand things, a sock and foot things one, one for childrenswear, one for household items, a scarf and neck things one, and a shawls one. Pretty much whatever you like to make, there's a KAL/CAL for you!

So how do you find which patterns count for the GAL? The list of participating designers will go live any day now, and that list will include a link from every single designer to their pattern store. Within that store you'll also find a bundle of sale patterns, each with 25% off available for the first 8 days of the GAL (more details on that nearer the time). It's up to you whether you choose to knit or crochet a pattern you already have or to treat yourself to some new ones. Either way, any paid-for self-published pattern is included, and if you start it on or after the GAL starts, it could win you one of the thousands of prizes on offer.
Prizes?! Did someone say prizes?! 
Yes, sirree, I did! Thousands of coupon codes for a single pattern from designers’ Ravelry stores, and hundreds of physical prizes from yarn to stitch markers to books to project bags and more are up for grabs across the GAL. 
Who’s going to join in the GAL this year? You can find the official GAL group here! If you'd like to know a bit more about how it actually works, I'm going to post some more over the next few days of what I did in last year's GAL, and how I'm preparing to take part in the 2015 GAL as both designer and knitter. I'm so excited!!

No, I can't believe it's November already either, but here it is. And with it comes my latest pattern release. Alternating Current Flip-Top mitts are the perfect halfway accessory on days when you need a bit more than a fingerless mitt, but you still also need to be able to use your phone, your keys, coins, buckles, or anything else that requires more manual dexterity than you get with regular mittens on. These differ from your usual flip-top mitts though because the flip top is knitted as a fold-back flap rather than the normal button-back top. I find those so fiddly to use. Cold fingers and small buttons don't really mix, and when the button drops off you're left with the flap waving around like a flag!

I was inspired by the fold-back cuffs on my sons' snowsuits when they were toddlers. The end of the sleeve had a second layer which folded over the hands to keep them warm, or folded back if you wanted their hands free. However, those had quite blunt ends and unless the sleeve was long or the fist was bunched, there didn't seem to be quite enough room.
Using short rows I have made the fold-back flap shaped to allow enough room for the longer fingers in the middle but without making things draughty for the little finger at the end! Clever, huh?!

See? Fingers when you need them - cosy covers when you don't!
The afterthought thumb is closed, but you could leave the end open if you prefer.

The photos were taken on a cross-channel ferry between Dunkerque and Dover. It was a lovely calm crossing, sunny but chilly, and I was actually glad I'd brought the mitts along for photographing because it meant I could stay outside and enjoy the sunshine without getting cold fingers.