Looking Forward

Christmas has come and gone, all the Christmas knitting is finished, gifted, and hopefully being enjoyed by the recipients. As for me, despite all the hoopla, I did my best to remember the reason we are celebrating - the birth of the savior! It really takes some effort to concentrate on what is important and to keep it front and center.

I heard someone say that they reserve the week between Christmas and New Years to knit something they want to knit. Stop knitting gifts (they should be done anyway!), take a break from working on designs and patterns,and knit for the enjoyment of it. I have taken that to heart, as I think it is a really good idea to remember why I got into the design business in the first place, and that is because of my love of knitting. As a benefit, I am finding little inspirations along the way. I really do learn something new from every pattern that I knit, and the pattern I am working on is no exception.

I purchased a kit at Stitches from Carol Sunday, for the Adam's Rib Cap-Sleeve wrap. The yarn, Eden, is wonderful and the pattern is interesting. Complicated enough that it is not monotonous, but repeats throughout, so I can still watch movies and football. I am hoping to get a good amount done over New Years and the following weekend. It is so cute - I really want to wear it as soon as I can. Thanks Carol, terrific design work!



I do have one hat that I haven't posted on the blog or my website. The website is my next order of business. Anyway, here is the Happy Flaps Hat. It is a fun, quick to knit earflap hat that uses Malabrigo Worsted Merino double stranded. The pattern is available on Ravelry and Patternfish, and soon on my website, cherylbeckerichknits.com

Flaps and Cables Hat

I am in hat mode again. I hope to publish a few more in the next couple of weeks. Hats are so quick to knit, and they always seem to be a hit with the kids in my family. Therefore, I tend to gravitate towards them around this time of year.

This pattern is available on Ravelry and on my website

Creative Knitting January 2010, contains a design of mine, the Cable Swirl Tam & Mittens. I haven't seen it in print yet, but the digital version is now online. Creative Knitting is now offering digital subscriptions with access to 2 years of back issues. It is a very cool idea, and I am a subscriber, but I am anxious to see the real thing and to get some type of feedback on my design. ....or maybe I won't want to hear the feedback. I hope that is not the case.

As a side note, good year CKS Tiger Cadet Football team. We love you all.

Patterns available from Scarlet Fleece!

Just wanted to announce that Scarlet Fleece is now selling downloadable patterns directly from the website. You can purchase several of my designs and those from several other talented designers in your home and at your leisure!

It is fall in Indiana. The leaves are bright, football has moved from the regular seasons to the playoffs, high school and CYO, that is, and I am busy submitting design proposals to yarn companies and magazines. I love the design process, but I wish I was better at drawing! What I see in my mind is always better than what comes out in my sketching - I always hope the people looking at the sketches have a good imagination and read the descriptions. My sketching skills have improved, if only marginally, over the last couple of years. Nowhere to go but up, Ha!

Here are some pictures of Brown County Indiana in the fall. Come and visit sometime

Knitting Pattern A Day

Get yourself a Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar....then skip to November 19,20 and 21st. You will see my pattern for the Green Market Bag. I guess you don't have to make it in a day, you get the entire weekend!!

I haven't looked through the rest of the calendar yet, but there are always some fun, quick things to knit. They have to be pretty short patterns, because you don't get much space for instructions, but that can be a good thing. Especially after (or during) a complicated, high concentration project.

Here is a picture of the Green Market Bag....now go buy a calendar.

Summer Fun

My family and I recently returned from our annual trip to Holland Michigan. This has become an annual trip for our extended family. We camp, ride our bikes to the beach, eat Hudsonville ice cream from the Ottowa Beach General store, ride back to the campground, go back to the general store for more ice cream, on and on it goes!

This year we were minus one kid, as our oldest son was on a trip to Philmont with scouts. He missed the ice cream, but not to worry...we brought him a gallon of Deer Traxx. It worked out well, because he was really, really hungry after backpacking for 2 weeks carrying 50-60 lbs and climbing mountains. I must tell you though, it was extremely strange not having him on vacation. Even weirder because we didn't hear from him for 11 days. In this world of cell phones, you can usually always talk to your kids, even if you are away from them. Not so on this trip.

RJ at Philmont



We couldn't take RJ, so we took all 3 dogs. I must say, they loved it!! One of our dogs, Toby, had to have his leg amputated last fall. He was the hit (novelty) of the campground. My husband kept telling little kids that he got bit by a grizzly bear (or a shark) protecting his family.

Morel eating ice cream

I didn't get much knitting time, yarn and sand on windy days are not a great mix, but I did manage to use up my yarn with just a little bit left on my sweater. I can't believe I did that. The other skein was just laying there waiting for me when I got home