Goodbye! And thank you!

Hey everyone!!

I just want to let everyone know that Andrea and I (Kathryn) have decided to bring our Quirky Bird journey to an end. We started this little venture several years ago while we both worked at Knitters Mercantile. We’ve had so much fun over the years collaborating to design and write patterns. And we have learned a TON about the pattern writing process and how to bring an idea from the ether into reality.

However we both have new adventures in our lives and we are not able to give Quirky Bird our attention in a way we think it deserves. You have probably noticed that we have been quiet for awhile now.

Andrea is co owner of the fantastic 614 Knit Studio! The studio teaches knit, crochet, spinning, and weaving classes of all skill levels! Andrea carries absolutely gorgeous boutique yarns and is a wonderful place for all fibery type peoples to hang out. If you haven’t yet, please check her out!

614knitstudio.com

I am keeping busy chasing my two little girls! They are hilarious, sassy, goofy little humans that bring a smile to my face in unexpected ways everyday. (It’s possible there’s a few sighs of exasperation in there too. But it’s tons of smiles and laughs too.) I’ve also gone back to full time work at a 9-5 too so life is great but hectic.

So, where does that leave us? All of our patterns are now free to download here on Rav. We are planning to leave them up and free. (It’s possible we may publish a new free pattern here from time to time. It’s helpful to us to have a place to put up patterns for teaching.) I will be shutting down the Quirky Bird website, social media, email. You can message us here but it will not be checked very often. If you need to contact us you can get in touch with Andrea at the studio - 614knitstudio@gmail.com

We have LOVED working with all of you and we are so grateful for all the support that you have shown us. It is incredible to see the finished projects you have made with our designs. Thank you thank you!!

 - Kathryn

Arch City Shawl

Hello there! We've just published a new pattern and we'd love for you to see!

Arch City Shawl

The final installment of the inaugural year of the Colors of 614 Club brings us to The Short North. Known for its colorful arts and culture, the Short North area, just north of downtown on High Street, boasts one of the most successful revitalization projects in Central Ohio. All along High Street, you will find large steel arches complete with color changing fiber optic lights. Reminiscent of a century past, these arches have given Columbus back the nickname of “Arch City.”

The striking color inspiration image highlights the arches from the north, on High Street, facing downtown just as a huge storm was rolling into town at sunset. Arch City Shawl was inspired by the view as you head into town from the Ohio State University campus. The Cross Bar stitch pattern and yarn overs below mimic the arches that span High Street. This crescent shaped shawl uses a needleless cable/drop stitch technique that is perfect for an adventurous beginner/ intermediate knitter.

Get your pattern at 614 Knit Studio or grab it here on Ravelry!

Malabrigo March 2015

It’s Mmmmmmmalabrigo March! And guess what? We’re having a sale!

If you don’t know about Malabrigo March, you really should. It’s a celebration of the wonderfulness that is Malabrigo. You can check out the Malabrigo group on Ravelry here for more info.

Here’s our main part of our celebration - get 50% off our Tilled Scarf! It uses Malabrigo Rasta and Silkpaca Lace. No coupon code needed!

Also, to add to the celebration, enjoy our other patterns at 25% off too! Please use coupon code MM2015

Click here to see all of our patterns on Ravelry. 

Sale starts now and runs through March 31, 2015.

And we sure do love it when we see your beautiful projects of our patterns on Ravelry. Please post pictures of your projects!

Gloria Seaming Tutorial

In the Gloria Headband, Cloche, and Handwarmers we seamed the band together in a particular way. This particular way gives Gloria its distinctive shape.

 Did you read the seaming instructions but would also like to see some pictures to make it more clear? Never fear! We've got pictures for you.

I'll leave you to read the exact seaming instructions on the patterns. But I'll give you some pictures and a quick walkthough which should simplify the process.

FYI - Both the handwarmers and the headband are constructed in the same way. The band is worked first then (if you're working the cloche or the handwarmers) stitches are picked up on one side. Obviously the lengths (and therefore the number of rows) of the bands from the handwarmers and headband/cloche are different but the seaming instructions are the same for both.

Tutorial time!

Once you have finished the band, pin it together with your removable stitch markers.

Start seaming. Start where the top of the band is overlapped. Insert your tapestry needle underneath the edges stitches.

Work your way from the area where the edges of the band first meet down to the corner of the edge that is on top.

Seam to the opening between the two bottom corners.

Once you've seamed the outside, now turn the band inside out and seam the inside.You will seam the inside of the areas just seamed on the outside. Continue with the yarn you used to seam the outside. Insert your needle underneath a stitch from one side of the band and a stitch from the other side of the band.

Continue seaming until you have reached the corner where you originally started on the outside.

Work one bottom corner at a time, use the tail and tack only the top corner of the edge to the center of the band.

To pick up stitches, start at the corner where you started seaming and insert your needle underneath both legs of the slipped stitch on the edge. Here is a good video on picking up and knitting.

Ta dah! You're done!

We would love to see your finished Glorias. Please send us a pic at quirkybirdknits@gmail.com or, if you don't mind, post them on Ravelry.

See you soon!

Gloria Cloche, Headband, and Handwarmers

New patterns are here!

Gloria Cloche

Gloria Headband

Gloria Handwarmers

Like I mentioned in the teaser post, this design was inspired by 20s fashion. We love a good cloche. We also like options and matching sets. So, you get instructions for the headband and cloche in one pattern and we have another pattern for the matching handwarmers!

The band of the hat and the handwarmers has a reversible seed stitch and rib stitch pattern. Pick whichever side you like best for the outside of your headband, cloche, or handwarmer! You can see the knit side in the cloche and the purl side in the headband.

All of these patterns are available for purchase on Ravelry!

Get your Gloria Cloche and Headband pattern here.

Get your Gloria Handwarmers pattern here.

And if you prefer printed versions, you can always pick up copies at Knitters Mercantile. 

We hope you love these patterns as much as we do!

G-L-O-R-I-A

New design coming verrrrrry soon!

And her name is G. L. O. R. I. A.

This design was inspired by all of the cool Glorias out there. But most especially the Gloria with the most swagger, Gloria Swanson.

We here at Quirky Bird are particularly inspired by vintage fashion and the 20s are a particular favorite. This new design certainly has a 20s flair!

Keep your eyes peeled for this new design that will be released very soon! And meanwhile, here's a teaser.

See you soon!

Fanfare

One of the things that we are incredibly fortunate to be a part of is the Knitters Mercantile Accessory Club. We have designed for both the 2013 and the 2014 clubs and it is a lot of fun! We design pieces for the club that are easy to knit and are straightforward in their design. And we get to hang out with a fabulous group of knitters in the club meetings!

All of the pieces we design for the club are one skein projects. Who doesn't love a one skein project? But we also like to be flexible so in many cases we have also included the option to, with an additional skein, expand the piece into a larger size.

With all of that, I give you Fanfare.

Fanfare was originally designed for the April installment of the Accessory Club. The name comes from the shape of the shawl. It's a trumpet! A looooong trumpet.

We are in love with shawls and we are in love with interesting shawl shapes. One of the things that I particularly love about this is the asymmetry. Short on one end and tall of the other, this shawl can be styled in oh-so-many ways! We love the versatility and beauty of JUL fixtures and we have used a variety of them to give you ideas on how to style Fanfare.

The other delight we have in this shawl is the yarn. We used Lorna's Laces Honor, which is a sumptuous blend of alpaca and silk. Oh. My. Word. It is delicious.

Here on the stats on Fanfare.

Sizes: Small (Large)
Yarn: DK weight in a fiber with drape. We used Lorna's Laces Honor.
Yardage: 275 for the small. 350 for the large.
Needle: US 7 circular, at least 24".
Specific skills: knit, purl, yo, k2tog, wrap and turn short rows.

You can purchase and download Fanfare on Ravelry, on Etsy, or get a printed copy at Knitters Mercantile!

Well hello there

Hey! Long time no see.

So, yeah, we've been silent here but that ends now. We've been up to things! Here are a few things we've been up to.

1. New patterns! We've done a few new patterns since we've last posted here. We will be telling you all about our new patterns in upcoming posts. Get ready for the pretty!

2. We're on Etsy now! Check us out here.

3. We've got some cool new Quirky Bird merchandise in the works. But shhhhh! Don't tell anybody yet. We're still working on it.

Come back soon to hear more about what's new!

Greater Than >< Less Than Mitts

 Check out our newest pattern - Greater Than >< Less Than Mitts!

Inspired by those little mathematical symbols, these mitts feature a simple lace pattern that is very easy to work. The right and left mitts are mirror images of each other.

 
Worked in the sumptuous Baah Yarns Sonoma, Greater Than >< Less Than Mitts are a delight to knit and to wear! The color of the mitts shown is Blue Topaz. Isn't it vibrant and gorgeous?

These mitts were featured in Knitters Mercantile's Accessory Club in October.

You can download the pattern on Ravelry. Find it here!

We hope you enjoy!

Turtle Baby Vest

Turtle Baby Vest is here!

This little vest is so much fun to knit. It's worked in a bulky yarn so it works up very quickly. The revere stockinette background really highlights the turtle. Don't you just want to tickle that little turtle?

The vest is designed to work for baby. Both straps attach to the back with buttons making this piece easy to fit over baby’s head. The ribbing is carried up the side so the vest is stretchy and wearable for a long time. The I-Cord bind off around the neck creates a pretty finished edge.

The turtle is really fun to knit. Instructions for the turtle are both charted and written so you have options. The turtle is just a combination of knit and purl stitches, a few simple twists, and basic increases and decreases. Easy peasy!

 
The vest is written for 2 sizes - 3-6 and 6-12 months.

Head on over to Ravelry and pick up a copy of Turtle Baby. Or you can purchase a printed copy at Knitters Mercantile.

Corsette

 Brand new, fresh pattern! We present to you Corsette. It's is a flirty and feminine cloche cap inspired by the Roaring Twenties and Steam Punk corsets.

Worked in the round, this one size fits all cap is purposely worked large and is fitted to your head with JUL fixtures.  (Haven't heard of JUL? We are big fans. They make gorgeous pedestal buttons and fixtures. Check them out here. )

The body of Corsette is worked in a wide stockinette/moss rib stitch and a seed stitch gusset with a ruffled edge.

We have styled it two different ways. The first is with the cinching of silk ribbon around JUL pedestal buttons. 

The second is with JUL Latch closures.

The body of the hat is worked in a wide stockinette/moss rib stitch and a seed stitch gusset with a ruffled edge.

The yarn is Yarn Hollow Photograph. It's a super scrumptious Blue Faced Leicester worsted weight yarn and it's hand dyed to perfection.

You can purchase Corsette on Ravelry. You can also purchase a printed copy of it at Knitters Mercantile.

We hope you love this cloche as much as we do!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Hello there!

Andrea and I have been busy, busy bees recently. Busy with what you ask? Observe.

Two little girls! And they were born only 9 days apart. That's my Veronica on the left and Andrea's Laura on the right.

We have been enjoying these little ones like crazy. But we also have new patterns in the works! One upcoming pattern is a certain vest with a baby turtle on the chest.

Stay tuned......

Footies Part Deux

Holy cannoli people! Our Footies pattern is getting all kinds of love these days!

We are super excited because it is one of the Malabrigo March knit alongs in the Malabrigo Junkies group on Ravelry. We LOVE seeing all the versions of Footies out there. Warms our hearts, it does.

Footies is a free pattern on Ravelry but we know that Ravelry isn't everybody's thing. We want to post the pattern here as well. So without further ado, check out the instructions below.

Supplies:
1 skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage (or equivalent worsted weight yarn)
US 5 32” circular needles (for magic loop) OR US 5 DPNs
Tapestry needle
Stitch marker

Gauge:
5 sts = 1” in stockinette stitch

Abbreviations:
co – cast on
k – knit
p – purl
ssk- slip, slip, knit
k2tog- knit 2 together
sts – stitches
pm – place marker
bo – bind off

PATTERN:

Heel
CO 14 sts.
For the heel, slip the first stitch of every row purlwise.
Starting with a purl row, work 17 rows of stockinette stitch.
Work 4 rows of garter stitch.
Next row: BO 13 sts. Keep last stitch live on needle.
With right side facing and live stitch on right needle, pick up and knit 12 sts along the side of the heel, 11 sts along the bottom (the CO edge), and 13 sts along the other side of the heel. 37 sts total.

Leg opening
Row 1: (WS) k3, p31, k3.
Row 2: (RS) k37.
Work rows 1 & 2 until you have a total of 18 rows.

Foot:
At the end of the 18th row of the leg opening, cast on 9 sts using the knitted cast on. Place marker and join to work in the round.
Rnd 1: p3, k31, p12.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Repeat rounds 1 & 2 once. Repeat round 1 again.
Rnd 6: p3, knit to end.
Rnd 7: Knit 7, pm (this will be the new beginning of round), knit to end.
Knit 28 rounds. Or you can adjust the pattern to fit your foot here. Try on the footie. Knit the foot until it reaches the bone at the base of the big toe.

Toe Decreases:
Rnd 1: k1, ssk, k17, k2tog, k2, ssk, k17, k2tog, k1.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Rnd 3: k1, ssk, k15, k2tog, k2, ssk, k15, k2tog, k1.
Rnd 4: Knit.
Continue in this fashion (work a decrease round with 2 less sts on top and bottom of foot between decreases, followed by a knit round) until you have 14 sts left.
Divide the remaining sts on to 2 needles – one needle containing sts from the top of the foot, one needle containing sts from the bottom of the foot. Graft the sts together.
Weave in your ends. Make a second slipper in the same way.

Pop the Footies on your feet and enjoy that toasty feeling!

Totasaurus Rex

Rawr! We've got a new pattern for you today - Totasaurus Rex!

Totasaurus Rex is the perfect felted tote for newer knitters. It’s what we teach in the Beginners Felted Tote class at Knitters Mercantile! In that class we teach how to knit in the round, pick up stitches and I-cord bind off.

The pattern calls for 4 balls total of Kraemer Mauch Chunky. Two balls are needed of a main color, and one ball each of two different contrasting colors are needed.

You will also need US #11 32” circular needle, stitch markers, matching sewing thread, and a sewing needle. Optional notions include 4 bag feet, plastic canvas for the bottom of the bag, and fabric to cover it.

The gauge listed on the pattern (12 sts to 4”) is the gauge in stockinette stitch before felting. The bag will obviously shrink because that's what happens with felting. :)

So head on over to Ravelry and get your copy of the Totasaurus Rex pattern!

Free pattern - Footies!

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Oh, wait, you have no idea what I'm thinking? Ok then, I'll tell you.

I want cozy feet and I want them now.

It's November. Here in Ohio it's nippy out there. And in my opinion nothing says happy quite like toasty warm feet. That is the thinking behind Quirky Bird's newest pattern.

Footies!

Yes, Footies. Happy and snug slippers for your feet.

Footies are a quick little project. They also are a one skein project (just one skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage was used). This makes them a perfect for a gift for yourself or for another.

The best part? Footies is a free pattern!

Click here for the free Footies pattern.

So go on over and get your copy of the pattern. Knit 'em up and enjoy your toasty feet!

Quirky Bird Goes to the Fair

One day last week, Quirky Bird decided that it would be great fun to visit the Ohio State Fair.

They happily ate their fried corn fritters and cheese on a stick and drank their lemon shake ups. They toured a Civil War encampment.

They saw some crazy cakes. One cake was a sink filled with dirty dishes and another a dirty litter box.

They toured another area and saw some Brillo Pad art.

They even saw the butter cow! There was also a butter cake to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Columbus.

But what Quirky Bird was most excited about was seeing all the sheep and wool at the State Fair. Quirky Bird has a great weakness for sheep and wool.

They saw many, many sheep.

There were sheep with horns.

There were sheep with colorings that Quirky Bird had never seen before.

There were sheep with their jackets on.

There were sheep that tried to stick their tongue out at Quirky Bird.

There were lots freshly shorn sheep.

On their way through the sheep barn, they walked through an area that contained many beautiful fleeces.

There were even prize winning fleeces!

 Quirky Bird saw a lady spinning wool too. They sure liked her Schacht Ladybug spinning wheel!

Quirky Bird had a great time at the fair. See you next year Ohio State Fair!