Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Helix aka the Pine Cone Blanket


A gorgeous and sophisticated addition to the Molting Yeti pattern shop, meet Helix, aka the pine cone blanket.

This beautiful, substantial, sophisticated blanket mimics the natural spiral pattern found on sunflower heads and pine cones. Two sets of spirals emerge from the center, intersecting as they grow. Simple pinwheel construction with no piecing or seaming make this a quick and enjoyable knit.

This blanket was featured at the juried Mathematical Fiber Arts Exhibition at the 2009 Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC (it spirals in two directions - what's not for a mathematician to love?). But don't fret - there's some fussy counting in the beginning as the pattern establishes itself, but it's smooth sailing after that!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Gigantimon Site Update, and Look out Pittsburgh, Here I Come!

I've been working like crazy over the last couple months preparing for the next big step in my knit-designing career - selling wholesale to yarn shops. I've updated all of my patterns with a simplified, professional, and consistent look, and with some downright gleeful formatting. My designs are all about having a gigantic sense of fun - I try to make objects that are fun to wear and fun to play with, and write patterns that are fun to make and even fun to read. Oh, and beautiful, too! I hope you'll agree.


Thanks yet again to my amazing crew of test knitters for helping make this magic happen! I couldn't have done it without you!

Full-color printed patterns on fancy glossy paper are now available in the shop, and at wholesale rates to yarn shops - If you'd like your local yarn shop to sell Molting Yeti patterns, don't hesitate to get in touch!

I also put together a help page with links to tutorials on all of the trickier moves used in my patterns. I hope people will find it useful!

...And, if any of you are in the Pittsburgh area this weekend, be sure to find me at the Fifth Annual Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Show! It promises to be an awesome time, with vendors galore and some really awesome classes. You can't miss me - I'll be the guy in the boa!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Math, Fiber, and Actual Tatting Content!

In January a blanket I designed was featured at a juried Mathematical Fiber Arts Exhibit at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC. My blanket shared the same table as design hero Norah Gaughan's original for Celestine, which feels pretty great!

I'll gush more about that later, but here's something else from the show that I find totally awesome - a tatted fractal by mathematician Ted Ashton!


I love this. It's mathy and handmade at the same time, which means that Ted in making this piece was really doing the math by making smaller and smaller triangles. Plus I think it's really beautiful.

Thanks again to sarah-marie belcastro and Carolyn Yackel for organizing the special session and show!

Edit April 3 09: If you're in or near NYC between April 25 and May 17 and you want to see Ted's work in person, stop by the Yarn Theory show at the PS122 Gallery!