Two patterns to announce!

I seem to be falling behind in here, because I have two patterns out this month already and it's only mid-month!

The first one is a colourwork design that I've loved since the moment the idea popped into my head.

Fear the Firedrake! are colourwork socks (you don't say!) worked from the cuff down to the toe. I have short feet so the chart ends where my feet do (!) but it's easy to add more red (or whatever colour you choose) or busk it and add more flames if you need to lengthen the foot. They take a bit of concentration, not least because the colourwork on the back of the leg extends into the heel flap so you'll need to be able to work stranded colourwork flat as well as in the round, but I hope you'll agree the overall effect is worth it. I love the potato-chip nature of stranded colourwork (just one more round to see the next bit of the picture appear) but tend to use it on hats and mitts rather than socks. I do love a stranded colourwork sock though.


And the other pattern this month, which just went live today, is Corrie Cornflower.

This one was designed for my own handspun yarn, which was also the inspiration for the name. I started spinning at the end of last year, and like many newbies my early handspun was really quite chunky. Smooshy, warm, a bit thick-and-thin, very useable, but not what I usually knit with. It was a personal milestone reached when I successfully spun a 2-ply fingering weight yarn in sufficient quantity and quality to be able to knit a full project and this shawlette design was the result. The yarn was spun from some dyed Corriedale fibre in a colourway called Cornflower. Corriedale wool isn't quite as soft as merino but it is comfortable against the skin, and is easier to spin for a beginner as the fibres are longer and less slippery so easier to work with.
Don't worry, though, the pattern will knit up beautifully in commercial fingering weight yarn too. The design isn't beaded, but it wouldn't be difficult to add beads if you wanted to. Or try a gentle gradient-dyed yarn for a different effect. Enjoy!