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Have Any Patterns for the Pattern-a-Day Calendar?

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knitting pattern calendarI’m sure you’ve seen those knitting (and crochet, and other craft) pattern-a-day calendars at your local bookstore or yarn shop. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of patterns (365, maybe? actually, it’s more like 100, as some patterns fill multiple days) to fill one of those, so the publishers are always eager for submissions. The submission period is open for the 2014 calendars, but won’t be for much longer.

In fact, the deadline was today for any patterns that wanted to be considered for inclusion in the photos on the cover of the calendar, but you have until August 15 if you want to submit a pattern — or several — to be included. All the details can be found right here, but you have to send good-quality, full-color photos (digitally or by some other means) as well as the pattern and a form that includes all the basic pattern info and your permission to publish it.

Designers of the three best patterns in the calendar will also be awarded cash prizes (up to $500), and you’ll get a free copy of the calendar for each of your patterns that is accepted, as well as the ability to link to your website in the calendar.

Have you ever submitted for or been published in one of these calendars? Spill it! I might try this year if I can come up with something that won’t take me away from my book knitting for too long!

[Photo by Accord Publishing.]

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Have you read?

Stitch Some Seagulls on Your Sweater

It’s been well documented that I love a knitting pattern with a bit of whimsy, so when I saw the Mine! Pullover from Sarah L. Kelly recently I knew I had to share it with you.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to knit a sweater with a yoke full of seagulls? And another seagull at the waist? Chasing little crabs?

The story behind the sweater (and you knew there had to be one, right?) is that while Sarah was traveling around Europe there were a lot of cheeky seagulls about. They reminded her of the scene in Finding Nemo where the seagulls say “mine, mine, mine” and thus the Mine! series of patterns was born. 

Oh yes, there’s a whole set. It was the sweater I saw first but there’s also a pair of socks (and the pattern says there’s a cowl, too, but I couldn’t find it as of this writing. If you see it let me know and I’ll add the link here!) so you can totally deck yourself out in pesky seabirds if you want.

But back to the sweater for now. This is worked in DK weight yarn from the top down in the round. The yoke and a section at the bottom are worked in stranded colorwork, with stripes on the body, though you could make the body a single color if you wanted. Details like the beaks and eyes are added with duplicate stitch to make the knitting a little easier.

The colorwork sections are charted. The pattern comes in 10 sizes, with a finished chest circumference ranging from 32 to 68 inches, or 80 to 170 cm.

The socks are worked in sock yarn and come in three sizes. There worked from the cuff down and change needle sizes to accommodate the less stretchy nature of stranded colorwork. You can choose from a side profile or a seagull that’s looking out from the sock. Make a matching pair or mix it up.

Both patterns are available on Ravelry: sweater and socks. If you make them I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sarah L. Kelly]