Andrea Rangel Pattern Winners!

"Thank you" to everyone who entered our Andrea Rangel Pattern Giveaway!  Our 3 winners get to select the pattern they want!

Congratulations to: Quilterbell, Connie K and Emily.

Please email me at Sandrasingh@sandrasingh.com to claim your prize.

Say Goodbye to The Schaefer Yarn Company

Its an end of an era, after 33 years of hand painting yarn Cheryl Schaefer is retiring and closing The Schaefer Yarn Company.  She is not selling and closes Dec 31, 2012, so these lovely yarns remain available for a short time only.  Stock up now, I have lots of inventory and I'll place special orders for you.  Take a look at Schaefer's website, they just released their new 2012-13 colorways and a new yarn Meryl, I'm happy to order these for you too, they're not listed on my site so please email me. 

Yarns
Kathleen bulky
Elaine bulky
Chris - worsted
Laurel - worsted
Miss Priss - worsted
Nichole - fingering
Audrey - fingering
Nancy - DK
Susan - DK

Schaefer Patterns
Buy 3 and get a 4th FREE!
In the Comments Box name the pattern # you want.
Patterns are sold as PDFs and will be emailed to you after purchase.

Andrea Rangel Pattern Giveaway

"Thank you" to everyone who entered our Andrea Rangel Pattern Giveaway!  Our 3 winners get to select the pattern they want!

Congratulations to: Quilterbell, Connie K and Emily.

Please email me at Sandrasingh@sandrasingh.com to claim your prize.

I have some great news! Knitwear artist Andrea Rangel has joined Sandrasingh.com. Rangel knows the classics, but she also loves trends and she has a really special way of making the two work together. Her pullover, dress, and tasteful accessory designs all have a fun, updated, yet refined style. There are countless projects you'll fall in love with when looking through her collection, amazing garments you'll want to knit to wear immediately, but what caught my eye were two of her smaller projects the Dinar slippers and Khareef hat. 

Dinar

With our holiday gift knitting starting to pick up I know these will be an instant success, both in the making and giving.  Dinar are a pair seamless cabled slippers with a shaped instep and attached I-cord edging, the sole is worked with yarn doubled for extra comfort and durability.  

 

Khareef

Worked in a bulky yarn for a quick knit the Khareef hat is worked top down with graduating stripes; a very quick, simple, and fashionable design.  Do it in stripes or even a solid, you'll get a lot of mileage for both the guys and gals on your gift list with this pattern.

Rangel has also teamed up with me to do this Blog Giveaway!  3 Lucky Winners will win an Andrea Rangel Pattern of their choice.

Andrea Rangel

Meet Andrea Rangel: Like so many others, I was taught to knit by my grandma. When I went away to college, my multi-talented aunt reminded me how to do it and I’ve had needles in my hands ever since. 

I live in Cowichan Bay in British Columbia, Canada, where I knit, design, blog, sit in the woods, take pictures, and ride my bike. I like to make just about anything that can be made out of yarn (wool especially), and I love to contemplate the intricate interactions of fiber, stitch pattern, shape, and color.

My patterns have been published in Twist Collective, Interweave Knits, Knitscene, Knitty, Clotheshorse, and other third-party publications, as well as independently.

And Rangel also took a moment to answer these questions for us!

1. Every knitwear artist has an interesting story about how they began designing.  Please tell us about yourself and what got you interested in knitting and designing knitwear.
Throughout college and my career as a teacher, I was knitting whenever I could. When I realized that I wanted to knit full-time, I was fortunate enough to have a very supportive husband and I dove in, working part time at a coffee shop, at a dye studio, and as a knitting teacher. A couple of months ago I moved to a tiny village on Vancouver Island in British Columbia and now my time is almost exclusively dedicated to designing and developing classes.


2. What is your design philosophy?
I love a challenge and I always try to create something a little unexpected.   I'm always thinking about functionality so I spend a lot of time solving design problems to make sure every element of each design has been carefully thought out and makes good sense. I learn something from every design and really enjoy that process of building on lessons learned for future work. 


3. Who or what inspires you the most in your design process?
My inspiration comes from everywhere.  I might get cold on a bike ride and think of the perfect cowl to keep me warm, or read a call for submissions and love their mood board.  I spend a lot of time looking at street fashion and knitwear design as well as natural colors and forms. I'm always thinking about knitting, so it's not hard to be inspired by the world around me.
  
4. What direction do you see yourself heading in as a designer?
I'm working on a menswear book that should be published early next year, which I'm very excited about because it's something new for me - both the menswear and the self-publishing a book. I'm also trained as a teacher and would love to travel more for teaching, especially since I live in a pretty isolated place at this point. 


5. How have the advances in technology and the internet helped you (or hindered) you as a knitwear designer?
Technology allows me to do what I do. Ravelry has changed everything for how I can market and sell my designs, and since I publish independently so much, the software I use both for design and layout are invaluable to me.  I also use my tablet for sketching and as my communication when I'm in the road. It's also amazing to have online resources like the blogs of other designers to look to when I have questions.  I love my tech!

Thank you Andrea for taking the time to speak with us, we've enjoyed getting to know you better.  

Enjoy the rest of Rangel's collection.  All of Rangel's patterns are sold as PDF downloads and you just follow the links after purchase to download the PDF.

Eple

Harrow Collection

The Harrow Collection was designed with Victorian- era style in mind, so it’s got a touch of the costume feeling about it.  The eBook includes the three patterns: Whittingham Wrap, Issa's Bloomers and the Zarzamora Socks.  Its a collection of patterns you might knit and wear in a drafty old house while reading Whuthering Heights in front of a sputtering fire.  And the Whittingham Wrap is sold separately.

Kalaloch

Katie Summer Dress

Parmenia

Shilshole

Sugar

The 3 winners will be announced on Dec. 4th.  The patterns will be emailed to the winners as a PDFs.

Enter this Giveaway: The more ways you enter, the more chances you have to win. Make sure to leave a comment(s) under this blog post telling what you did to enter. And please make sure to leave your contact information.
1. Tell us which Andrea Rangel pattern is your favorite and why.
2. Blog about this giveaway on your blog & link it, leave a comment under this blogpost with a link back to your blogpost.
3. Join my Ravelry group, Sandrasingh.com and introduce yourself in the "Welcome tell us about yourself..." thread.
4. Announce this giveaway in your Ravelry group, or in a Ravelry group that allows you to announce blog giveaways.
5. Friend me a Facebook: Sandra Singh and write a comment on my Wall about this giveaway.
6. Announce & link this giveaway on your Facebook Wall.
7. "Like" my Facebook Page, Sandrasingh.com
8. Follow me on Twitter: Sandrasinghcom
9. Announce this giveaway with a link on your Twitter page.
10. Follow this blog.
11. Sign up for my Newsletter on my Home Page.
12. Pin and link your favorite Andrea Rangel pattern on your Pinerest page.

Gentle ladies and kind sirs: welcome to the world of Needles and Artifice, where corseted Victorian fashion gets an energized infusion of punk. 

In this fantastically playful take on steampunk knitwear design, the Ladies of Mischief offer not only 23 original patterns, but also a high-flying, busk-snapping adventure that plays out across each chapter.

Pull on your goggles and spats, knitters: you’re in for a wild ride.

Once you've ordered this eBook follow the links after purchase to download the PDF.

23 Garment and Accessory Patterns

Meet The Ladies of Mischief: a group of 12 friends who believe that if you mix different personalities, quirky ideas, a vast variety of talents and gifts, and a handful of challenges, with trust, love, and a little compassion… you can write a book and run a business. They really believe the power of friendship can encourage, support, and push you to use your talents for creative, collaborative and visionary work. And they wrote you this book to prove it could be done. But mostly they did this because they are all really good friends. And they really like to knit. And wear corsets.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sexy Turkey Hat - by Angela Catirina 

 Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

4 New Shawl Designs by Kitman Figueroa & Mia Rinde

Kitman Figueroa I.t.t.o

 A bottom up, short row, crescent shaped shawl I.t.t.o is knit in 2 contrasting colorways of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light. A shipment of Tosh Merino Light is due in my shop late Dec. or early Jan. but you can always special order any colorway you wish!

Kitman Figueroa Drop City

 Figueroa's Drop City scarf is a mindless addictive knit in Malabrigo Sock and it includes a short & long repeat version. This quick knit would make a much appreciated gift!

Mia Rinde Hearts that Flourish

 Mia Rinde's triangular Hearts that Flourish shawl has increases built into the hearts, making the center stitch less pronounced. Knit in Malabrigo Lace or Tosh Merino Light.

Mia Rinde Building a Reef

And Rinde's Building a Reef is a triangle shawl with an 11-stitch lace panel instead of a single center stitch, it also includes cables! Knit in Malabrigo Arroyo or Tosh Merino Light.

Planning your Holiday Gift Knitting just got easier with my 25% Off Sale! Save on In Stock Yarns, Needles, Hooks and Paper Patterns & Magazines.  

And if you spend $50 or more you'll receive a FREE Skein of Yarn or Pattern! 

Sale ends Nov. 19th. 

Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs and Butterflies

When you need a soft, single ply yarn nothing else will do but Bullfrogs & Butterflies.  You'll get spectacular results every time for your worsted weight projects and it felts beautifully.  Handpainted in Lorna's nearly solid and multi colorways, you'll fall in love with its feel and look.  Crafted from 85% wool and 15% mohair. 

Shalimar Zoe Sock

Zoe Sock is a luxurious yarn crafted of a 3 ply, 100% superwash merino wool with a delightful hand, fantastic springiness and an amazing loft.

Sandrasingh 1 Ply Merino Worsted

With it's exceptional softness your every project will be a dream, my 1 Ply Merino Worsted is crafted of 100% Uruguayan merino wool.  This smooth yarn is artisan dyed in the most exquisite colors, please order enough for your project as colors vary from dyelot to dyelot.  Each hank is 215 yards/3.5 ounces. 

Conjoined Creations Flat Feet

Conjoined Creations Flat Feet sock yarn is a new concept in sock knitting!  No skeins, no balls, no tangles and its portable!  You simply unravel as you knit. 

Pico Accuardi Acid and Weed

Pico Accuardi's Acid and Weed sock yarn is crafted of 100% Superwash Merino Wool and hand dyed in both natural and acid dye to achieve just the right look.

Cascade Lana D'Oro Paints

Lana D'Oro Paints is a classic wool yarn combining 50% superfine alpaca with 50% wool for a soft yarn with an exquisite drape.  Each skein is hand painted in a beautiful mix of hues.  Lana D'Oro Paints is perfect for any project done in a worsted weight yarn and one generous hank, 219 yards, will make a hat or cowl.    

Seredipitous Ewe Fate Fingering

Fate Fingering by the Serendipitous Ewe, is an amazingly soft yarn and perfect for creating shawls, scarves, cowls, hats & mittens, and socks too.

Crazy 4 Dyeing Bella Sock

Crazy 4 Dyeing's BellaSock is crafted of a soft and bouncy 100% superwash merino wool!  It's excellent stitch definition, easy care and generous 480 yard hank will make your sock knitting a dream.