Russet Lodge Custom Knits

It seems people like free things, and they like knitting socks, because my toe-up hose have now been downloaded 1766 times.  I am now on the main ravelry pattern page in the number 1 spot of "Designs that Ravelers are looking at today."  I never expected this pattern to do any better than my others did.  None of my other free or purchase patterns have been made more than a few dozen times.  I've also sold about five of my for-pay patterns since offering the temporary freebie, so I guess that's a bit of spillover interest.  Time will tell if this giveaway helps my pattern sales in the long run (i.e. if it gets enough buzz while it's free to make people want it after it's not). For now, here's another gratuitous screen shot with yours truly in that coveted spot...

I made the "hot right now" list of patterns in Ravelry's pattern database, and as of 8:30 this morning my kilt hose pattern has been downloaded a massive 499 times! I guess people like free stuff, and it looks like it's been shared in lots of different groups around Ravelry. Thanks to everyone for getting the word out. This has also seemed to generate a lot of interest in my other patterns too. For a free copy, visit yesterday's blog post and click the "buy now" button.  Discount applies automatically at checkout through 10/31.  Here's a screen shot, since this will probably never happen again...

I have another great pattern available now, and best of all it is FREE through 10/31/13!  I published my top-down kilt hose calculator pattern a little over a year ago, but I didn't have anything available for those who like to knit toe-up (as I often do).   This pattern is all you need to make toe-up kilt hose from any yarn for any size body from baby to big-and-tall. The pattern includes information on how to measure and fit kilt hose, choosing yarn and needle sizes, and how to plug in any cables, color work, stitch patterns, or intarsia your heart desires. This is an intermediate pattern.  Basic knowledge of toe-up sock construction and working short row heels and toes is helpful. Click the button below to get your free download any time until 10/31/13.  After that date it is available for $6.50  No Ravelry membership is required.

I have to admit, today I am as pleased as the cat that got the cream.  For all the years I've been making custom kilt hose for sale I have had the idea rattling around to make a universal pattern calculator for kilt hose.  I am a knitter who loves the freedom of knitting without a pattern to make something unique and well-fitted.  There is something thrilling in sitting down with paper and pencil and working it out every step of the way.  That said, I know not everyone's mind has the degree of math geekery and OCD that mine does, and I wanted to find a relatively simple way to help people who don't daydream about becoming an engineer to create something fully customized.  I've avoided this project for a long time because, well, pattern design is complicated.  It requires a lot of time and thought, even when you're not doing algebra that includes nineteen different variables (yes, really). I would first like to say a huge thank you to the kind folks over a...

It's here, knitters! I am hosting this knit-along to give everybody a chance to try out my new Alaine Socks, named and designed for a friend of mine. I'm going to be offering the pattern here for free during the knit-along, and afterward it will be available to download via ravelry for $2.50. The pattern is going to be released in pieces as we go through the knit-along so that everybody can enjoy the surprise factor. This is a lace sock, so it's probably best for female feet and you probably don't want a yarn whose colors are too wild. Semi-solid/kettle-dyed yarn would be ideal. That said, I'm using a hand-painted yarn whose colors are rather subtle. If you have questions, comments, suggestions, corrections, or any other feedback please leave your comments on this entry. :) Thanks to everyone who participated in the knit-along. This pattern is now available for purchase only.

Though I reserve this blog mostly for publicizing my patterns and sharing information on some of my products which are available, I thought I would make a quick post to let people know I currently have no waiting list for custom-made knitwear, including kilt hose and bonnets. I am always working on personal projects, and I can't guarantee a time frame, but it's likely to be closer to 6-8 weeks than the year plus wait I've had in the past. I also offer other services including hand-dyed fibers and yarns, handspun yarns, pattern design, tech editing, pattern translation French/English, charting, writing out charted patterns, test knitting, and article writing/editing. Drop me a line at russetlodgeknits at gmail dot com if you're interested. You can also visit my design page on ravelry or my facebook fan page (links on the left) and check out my latest items for sale at http://shekure.etsy.com. My personal blog ramblings are availble at http://unaspenser.livejournal....

This Saturday, June 13, is Worldwide Knit in Public Day. If you have any interest in knitting or other crafts, check out the website at http://wwkipday.com . If you search the events for Boise, Idaho, you will notice that yours truly is hosting a knit-a-thon! If you're in the area and would like to swing by and say hi, please do! I'll have knitting supplies to swap/share/give away and some goodies too, and I'll be glad to teach anybody new who shows up how to knit. If you're interested, check out the facebook event (search Worldwide Knit in Public Day) or drop a comment. :) Happy knitting!

Updated waiting list info. My waiting list has dwindled (mostly due to the economy), so hopefully wait times will shorten up considerably. In other news, I am currently working on the following projects: Some slipped-stitch colorwork socks in Noro Silk Garden Sock a cotton mesh tote bag made from some odds and ends from a thrift store heart cable kilt hose (my design) for Arlen (pattern will be available eventually) putting a new collar on a sweater of my mom's a socktopus for my niece a secret project for a friend another bonnet for HF

Due to requests for more specifics than I gave in my last post, here are my prices for hand-made, custom-sized kilt hose. Standard kilt hose: ribbed cuff and knit body in any single color - $65 Cabled hose: ribbed cuff and cable work in any single color (my design choice) - $85 Simplified Balmoral hose: three-color entrelac cuff and single-color body in any colors(pics coming soon) - $110 Argyle kilt hose: ribbed cuff and three-color argyle body in any colors- $140 Balmoral hose: two-color entrelac with two small stripes and single-color body in any colors- $140 Any other custom work priced based on time and complexity (contact me) Prices updated to reflect yarn costs, etc.

Despite closing my waiting list several months ago, the order requests continue to pour in. Since I have a second knitter, and since my customers insist they don't mind the wait, I am going to re-open my waiting list. I will continue to take payment as I get ready to start orders and I will continue to say that you should expect to wait a year for your order. Please try not to flood me too terribly. Christmas is coming, after all, and I have a whole family waiting for knitted goods, since the rule in our family is that all Christmas gifts must be home-made.

I just realized while going back through old orders that my wait time is up to nearly a year! This means I am not spending enough time knitting and am taking on more projects than I can handle. While I feverishly train my husband to knit bonnets and help with orders and continue my busy and challenging life the orders keep coming at a slow and steady pace. It is with all this in mind that I have decided to stop taking new orders for a while. I will still be selling patterns and will consider pattern design on a case-by-case basis. However, I simply cannot keep up with the volume of orders I have received, and I feel it unfair to ask anybody to wait a year for a $45 hat. When my waiting list time is back down between 8 and 12 weeks I will open it up to new orders. I would like to thank all of my clients for their patience with me. I'm only one woman, and hand-knitting takes a lot of time. When you add chronic tendonitis and carpal tunnel (due in large part to knitting) and a ...

For anybody who has been wondering, my wedding went very well, and my husband will be moving here instead of having me move to Scotland. I have very mixed feelings about that, but I just want to be with him. That's the important part. The other big news is that I quit my second job to devote more time to knitting, and I may be hiring a second person to help with bonnet production! These are big steps for me, and I'm excited to try to branch out into publishing a knitting book, teaching classes, and learning to spin my own yarn. I really do apologize to my customers who have been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for me to finish their projects. I haven't forgotten you, I promise! I carry my knitting with me everywhere I go and work on it as often as possible. I racked up about 12 hours of knitting last weekend with no sore wrists in sight, so I plan to keep cranking out the goodies. Also, I am in the process of wrangling a scanner to scan an article from the holiday ...

I know I haven't been posting or knitting much lately, and I apologize to everybody for being slow. I am currently working two jobs, planning a wedding, and trying to orchestrate a move back to Scotland (again). I haven't forgotten about any of you, though, and to prove it here's the first of a pair of argyle kilt hose made to match the Isle of Skye tartan. The yarn's a bit thicker than the previous kilt hose I posted about, but it's very soft, and the hose have been a fun and challenging project.

Here is a link to a review of my simplified Balmoral hose over on X Marks the Scot . I'm glad they were so well-received and the pictures are much nicer than mine. Also, the waiting list has been recently updated for all my pending customers. :)

I just wanted to share some photos of the pair of kilt hose I'm currently working on. The cuff is similar to Balmoral hose, but my customer wanted something a tad less fancy and formal, so instead of a two-color entrelac cuff with about six rows of entrelac bordered by several different colored stripes, we did a few rows of the entrelac in three colors and left it at that. The result is, I must say, very pleasing. If you're interested in purchasing something like these (or anything else) please scroll down for more info or contact me at russetlodgeknits@gmail.com.

Hebridean Bonnets, also known as tam-o-shanters, after the Rabbie Burns poem of the same name , are a slightly more modern take on the headwear of the Scots. They are most commonly associated with the 1860s, but are still worn today. This pattern is now also available for purchase, as are the hats themselves. Pattern and hat prices are the same as the eighteenth-century style bonnets, and may be purchased from the paypal menu at the top of the blog.

For those of you who've always thought Scotch Bonnets were just a type of flower or perhaps a hot pepper, I've got news for you. They're hats too. Lovely felted wool hats. Think tam-o-shanter or beret on steroids. These babies are lovely, almost completely waterproof, and much softer than wool has any right to be. They were the hat of choice for Scots fighting in the '15, the '45, the French and Indian War, and even the American Revolution. Sadly, these bonnets are now pretty tough to find in this country, especially hand-made, as they should be to be authentic, and in any variety of colors or sizes. That's where I come in. I've designed my own pattern, and am now offering my bonnets to the world! Check the paypal menu at the top of the blog to order, drop me an email, or click the button below to purchase the knitting pattern online. Hat prices include shipping. Custom sizing available. Go nuts, Scotophiles!

Interest in my kilt hose and knitted goods is coming along slowly but surely. I've changed my profile and this blog to make it easier to contact me by email, but I also get comments on this blog via email when you make them, so feel free to get in touch however you like! I should be finished with a sample pair of the standard kilt hose this week, and as soon as I can chase down a camera photos will be posted here. I know I'm trying to sell them, but these things really are wonderfully comfortable. The size is very customizable for differing calf, ankle, and foot sizes. I've decided to make the pattern itself available for sale too for anybody interested in knitting their own. I've made standard small, medium, and large sizes, but if you have unusual measurements, I'm happy to customize it. Please contact me to order either kilt hose or the knitting pattern!

My fiance, Arlen , is a Scot. He loves his kilts and wears them with pride. He recently joined a forum for his fellow kilt-wearers from around the world, and pointed out to me that many of them are looking for hand-knitted goods. Favorite seem to be kilt hose, tams, and Aran sweaters, and these fellows seem to have a very difficult time finding quality hand-knitted clothing. This, then, is my offer to the kilted men of the world, as a woman who loves one kilted man in particular. I am now offering hand-knitted goods for the Scots and Scotophiles of the world . Custom sizing and designs are available, and the sky's really the limit. I can do argyle, plain knitting, ribs, cables, your name/initials, entrelac , anything. Really! I'm also happy to design and share patterns for those interested in knitting these types of goods themselves. Please comment or email me if you have questions or to make your order. You pick the fiber, color, weight, everything!