Fear
Fear is losing your sister soon after her husband is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Fear is caring for your sister’s husband as he is dying of cancer.
Fear is caring for your severely disabled nephew, wondering how he feels about the loss of his Mom and the imminent loss of his Dad.
Fear is caring for an angry and sad and confused intellectually disabled child who has lost his Mom and his Dad.
Fear is caring for this child knowing he will become your son.
Fear is crossing the street with this child as he sits down in traffic.
Fear is chasing after this child when he runs away in public.
Fear is worrying people will think you are doing something wrong by trying to catch this angry child as he runs away, because he is sad and scared because he’s lost his Mom and his Dad and can’t communicate and you are a new person in his life.
Fear is being a child who has lost his Mom and his Dad and having to move cross country with family who he doesn’t know.
Fear is not fully understanding what is happening around you.
Fear is not being able to communicate.

Love
Love is grieving for your sister and your best friend for as long as you need.
Love is not being afraid to continue to love your friends and family after you’ve lost someone dear.
Love is letting a disabled child into your heart.
Love is continuing to love and care for an angry child.
Love is adopting a child who can’t communicate.
Love is picking up a child who sits down in the middle of a cross walk in the face of oncoming traffic.
Love is chasing the child in public when he runs away.
Love is working against fear.
Love is trusting your family when you don’t know what is happening around you.
Love gives you hope and strength to keep reaching out to a child who is sad, angry and scared.

Love is sending the child off to school each day to be loved by his teachers and classmates.
Love is the expression of joy you feel when your child begins to wave hi at 11 years old.
Love is hope that one day his communication abilities will continue to increase.
Love is acceptance that his communication abilities may never increase.
Love is accepting that your child may not ever engage in regular eye contact or say I love you.

Love is in a Mother’s heart whether her child is borne by her or borne by another.
Love is being grateful that your sister put this amazing child in your life.
Love is celebrating her memory and seeing a part of her each day in her child.
Love is a child who can’t speak or write, waving hi on Mother’s Day.

D waves Hi from Michelle on Vimeo.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the women, men, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles who take a child in despite the fear and find love. Every day.

From my house to yours.

This week I am focusing on editing a book proof so it can go off to the printer, sending off samples for photography for an upcoming book with Baah Yarn, readying the Zen Yarn Garden book for graphic design (so close to being ready!) and catching up with my very long to do list.

It just hit me this weekend that I will have four collections/books released in 2013. I think I need a nap or at least a lie down.

The shawl above is knit with two skeins of Beaded Plie by Tilli Tomas and will be coming soon in kit form.

Happy Monday!

Today, May 18, 2013 only! This special is good for one skein of Tilli Tomas Sock and one Pattern sent via PDF.

The yarn runs $20 and the patterns are $8 for a total of $28, and if you use the code: FacebookSaturdaySpecial I’ll give you free shipping for anywhere in the US and International up to $9 off. This is good today only!

Click Here to Buy

Yarn Details                                                                                                                                    440 yards/402 meters of 90%  superfine australian merino and 10% nylon SOCK by Tilli Tomas.

Pattern Choices
Flambe
Nebulous
Dana
Wild Lettuce

Thank you so much to everyone who ordered a June KAL kit! The kits have completely sold out and we will be shipping on June 1st, 2013.

The Green Peacock Shawl and the June KAL Pattern will be included in the June KAL Kit. You may knit either or both in our Fickle Knitter Design KAL on ravelry to be eligible for the KAL prize.

The KAL will run June 7th-June 28th, 2013 and is open to those who purchased kits and those who prefer to use stash yarn. The June KAL Pattern will be released in time for the KAL. I hope you’ll join us!

I have updated the numbering on the Short Row Center for clarity. Instead of numbering the rows Row 1 and Row 2 they are now marked sequentially from 1-10.  Also please note that wrong side rows immediately after the short rows should read P1, [yo, p2, p2togtbl] 5 times instead of Slip 1 purlwise, p1, [yo, p2, p2togtbl] 5 times. These two corrected rows are show below in italics.

Short Row Center
Work to one stitch to the right of stitch marker (ending with Row 2 of 130th repeat) and work Short Row Center instructions.
Row 1: [Ssk, k2, yo] 5 times, k1, TURN.
Row 2: P1, [yo, p2, p2togtbl] 5 times.
Row 3: [Ssk, k2, yo] 5 times, k1, ssk with edge stich.
Row 4: Slip 1 purlwise, p1, [yo, p2, p2togtbl] 5 times.
Row 5: [Ssk, k2, yo] 5 times, k1, ssk with edge stich.
Row 6: Slip 1 purlwise, p1, [yo, p2, p2togtbl] 5 times.
Row 7: [Ssk, k2, yo] 5 times, k1, TURN.
Row 8: P1, [yo, p2, p2togtbl] 5 times.
Row 9: [Ssk, k2, yo] 5 times, k1, ssk with edge stich.
Row 10: Slip 1 purlwise, p1, [yo, p2, p2togtbl] 5 times.

Chart C Row 2 should read
Row 2, and all even-numbered (WS) rows to Row 6: Slip first stitch purlwise, purl all remaining stitches.

Instead of

Row 2, and all even-numbered (WS) rows to Row 8: Slip first stitch purlwise, purl all remaining stitches.

In other words, Row 2, Row 4, and Row 6 are all worked by slipping the first stitch purlwise and purling the rest of the stitches.

The Chart B Stitch Counts should read:
Stitch Counts after Chart B Repeats (17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53, 57, 61, 65) Stitches.

Instead of
Stitch Counts after Chart B Repeats (17, 21, 25, 29, 34, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53, 57, 61, 65) Stitches.

In other words, the number of stitches after the fifth repeat of Chart B should read 33 instead of 34 stitches.

The Yin Shawl KAL signups are now open. We’ll be casting on this July for this three skein beauty. Every week you’ll get one clue for the shawl and we’ll all Knit Along together in the Fickle Zen Group on Ravelry.

To reserve your kit please visit Zen Yarn Garden today!

Click here to buy your June KAL Kit today, Limited Quantities available!

This is the June KAL Kit Pattern that will be featured in the June KAL Kits shipping on June 1st. It is knit with two skeins of Knitted Wit’s super soft 100% superwash fingering yarn in the Keylime colorway.

The official KAL will kick off on June 7th and there will be prizes. You are welcome to use your own stash yarn or join us with your very own June KAL Kit. We are down to the last third of kits available so if you’d like one I’d recommend purchasing it soon! We are on schedule to sell out before ordering for the kit is closed on May 15th. The June KAL Kit Pattern will be released immediately before the KAL and those that have purchased a kit will receive a PDF download of the pattern as well as one for the Green Peacock Shawl.

The kit provides enough yarn to knit either shawl and includes 760 yards of Knitted Wit‘s Superwash 100% Merino Fingering Weight Yarn (that’s two skeins!), Two Fickle Knitter Design knitting patterns, a lovely hand made box project bag with sheep fabric by A Needle Runs Through It, and 2 sterling silver stitch markers with Amethyst colored Venetian Glass discs from Knitifacts.

Knitted Wit 100% Merino Wool
100% Superwash Merino make up this exceptionally soft and squishy hand dyed yarn by Lorajean Kelley of Knitted Wit. Lorajean specializes in natural beautiful, bright colors and and sources yarns from US Farms and mills. You get the best of both worlds with this delicous merino fingering yarn and it is a delight to knit.

Your Color Choices Are:
Haute Pink (Pink)
Buckle My Shoe (Turquoise)
Orange (orange)
Keylime (Green)
Honey Lavendar (Blue Purple)

The Patterns
The Green Peacock Shawl and a second surprise pattern (coming soon!) will be included in the June KAL Kit. You may knit either or both in our Fickle Knitter Design KAL on ravelry to be eligible for the KAL prize. The KAL will run June 7th-June 28th, 2013. Both patterns were written specifically for use with the Knitted Wit Yarn.

The Box Bag
These beautiful box bags are lovingly hand made by Maria Negrete of A Needle Runs Through it. Each bag is made with 100% Organic Cotton Sheep Fabric. The bag is finished with heavy duty zippers and unique metal zipper pulls. These bags are finished beautifully inside and out!

The Stitch Markers
Knitifacts continues to create amazing things for the Fickle Knitter Design KAL Kits. These two purple-amethyst sterling silver stitch markers coordinate perfectly with the green disc stitch markers from a few KAL Kits ago and the alexandrite disc stitch markers from the March KAL Kit. The amethyst discs are made from Venetian glass and are amethyst in color. The markers are hand made in the US by Laura of Knitifacts and are sure to delight.

US Kits ship for $4 and International Kits ship for $9. Kits will ship on June 1st, 2013.

(Not shown in photos: The second Knitting Pattern included in the kit. Additional Photos coming soon!).

Please email fickleknitterdesign@yahoo.com with your yarn color choice after placing your order.

I have a limited number of kits available so if you’d like one, please order yours today!

If you are a yarn shop interested in carrying these limited edition KAL kits please contact me at fickleknitterdesign@yahoo.com

Want to stay up to date with our products but not sure how? Please join the Fickle Knitter Newsletter Mailing List, the Fickle Knitter Ravelry group, like the Fickle Knitter Design Facebook page, or follow me on twitter to stay up to date with what’s new!

I have two upcoming appearances lined up for Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, this Saturday May 4, 2013. I’d love to see you so please stop by and say hi! I am so very fortunate to have such wonderful businesses to work with in the knitting industry. I enjoy these small businesses so very much and I hope you’ll come out to the show and show your support for local farmers and small business this year.

Shelridge Yarns
I’ll be signing books on Saturday from 3-3:30pm at B27 in the Main Exhibition Hall with Shelridge Yarn. I’ve written a brand new pattern using this beautiful yarn and I hope you’ll stop by to see it!

Shelridge Farms was recently rebranded to Shelridge Yarns when Lyn took the reins from Buffy. Please come to the Shelridge Yarns booth located at Main Exhibition Hall:B27 to meet myself and both wonderful ladies and get your copy of Leaves or On Holiday signed! The very lovely Barbara Kreuter will be in attendance also.

Shalimar Yarns
I’ll be doing a meet and greet at the Shalimar Yarns Booth in the All About Yarns Tent located at E3, the Outside East Vendors from 2-2:30 on Saturday at the booth. We’ll be selling copies of the Breathless Shawl and this is your chance to see the shawl in person as well as meet the faces behind the name.

Maryland Sheep & Wool is one of my favorite knitting gatherings. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do, hope to see you there!