Sneak Peek

The dishtowel frenzy has not abated (I'm on #8, but the last 4 and the next one will all be for friends, so they don't count as being crazy), but I promised you a sneak peek at the next Momogus Knits pattern coming down the pike. And I keep my promises!!

My patterns tend to come in waves - Mary at the Tangled Web asked for a baby hat with cables a few years ago, and that led to a veritable tsunami of cable patterns. Then I did the American Girl doll Chestnut Hill Gansey, and that led to another slew of CH Gansey patterns. I love knit/purl combinations and texture, but I also wanted to write a pattern that was an easy introduction to colorwork.

So here we go, Easy Colorwork Headbands, perfect for skiing, walking the dog, a good snowball fight, or just styling in the 'hood. These are two-color headbands, knit in the round with a double layer of fabric for warmth, in a manly check or classic snowflake:

Cats love 'em!!

Pay no attention to the fact that there seems to be a 2" difference between them (that's just me and my customary gauge issues...) Once I knit up a Manly Checked Pattern sample that's a normal size, we will be photographing and putting into final form.

Colorwork is so much fun, and like cables, looks more difficult than it is. I hope these introduce a whole bunch of knitters to the fun and wonder that is colorwork!!

Perhaps A Dishtowel Intervention is Needed....

Well, with the long pause between posts, you're probably thinking that Momogus Knits Industries, Inc. has been cranking out new patterns and samples left and right. That steam cloud in the air - why that must be that new cabled beret pattern she's been talking about for a year, now! That clanging and whirring - that must be the cardigan version of the Chestnut Hill Gansey, right?

Hmmm....yes, the factory has been cranking out products, but unfortunately they have nothing to do with Momogus Knits. I have become consumed with the Hanging Dishtowel from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Like many addicts, I have no idea how I got to this place. I don't like knitting with cotton, I don't like buying yarn from big box stores, I have dishtowels that work just fine. But first this happened:


Then this:


Then this:


Here they are, adorning my ker-AZY circa 1960 stove/oven:


I am plum crazy in love with this pattern. And yes, not only do I have another one on the needles, but I went back and bought more yarn yesterday for some more. I even showed a picture from my cellphone to another mom at Gus's baseball game and she politely admired it, so of course now I have to make her one! HELP!

So yes I am crazy, but here's the thing. In all my knitting life I can't remember knitting something that actually cost less ($1.79 for yarn, 1 day to knit) than the thing that I could have bought at the store. Plus I think they're awful spiffy, as far as dishtowels go.

(Don't worry - I actually finished a Momogus pattern this week. Will post a preview with pictures next. That was the tiny little clang that could barely be heard over the dishtowel clamor.)

Opening Day!

For the past 4 years my son has played baseball in the local community league (GYAC). Last year he was part of an informal all-star team that took on the girls' softball all-stars. The game was fantastic, and I was so moved and impressed with the girls. They played hard, and they played well. It made me so happy to see girls with an outlet to be active and competent and powerful.

Anyway, a germ of an idea was born - we had joked about me sponsoring Gus's team and how embarrassing that would be. But what if I sponsored a girls' team? Well, I called the commissioner and filled out the forms and the result was seeing this lovely lady on Saturday:

I almost burst into crazy-lady tears when I saw her. I'm so proud of my girls! May they grow up to be strong and powerful women!

Gansey Giveaway!

First of all, a grateful shout-out to The Tangled Web (I'm talking about you, Mary and Annie!) for all their support for the Momogus Trunk Show last week! It was a great evening - we had about 40 people - it was really touching! Love you crazy knitters!!

Second of all, welcome to following stores: The Needlesmith in Grand Haven, Michigan, Adirondack Yarns in Lake Placid, New York, and Slip Knot in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. If you're in the neighborhood of any of these fine yarn stores, pop in and give them some love. We have to support our local yarn stores, folks, or they'll all disappear!

The Ganseys are all done and will be up on Ravelry ("Momogus") and Etsy ("Momogusknits") by the end of the day, if you need to buy one RIGHT NOW (you do, don't you?????) and will be up on the website by this weekend, maybe, depending on how much I can flog my dear webmaster. In the meantime, if you email me through the contact form on the website, I will send you the American Girl Chestnut Hill Gansey and Hat pattern FREE FREE FREE!

It's adorable! And quick! (Boy, I thought baby sweaters knit up fast - doll sweaters are done in 2 minutes!) And it matches the Child's Gansey! You must know some deserving little girl who would like one of these:



These will only be available for free for a limited time, so contact me now!

Reversible Cable Scarf Class

I taught a Reversible Cable Scarf Class this weekend at the Tangled Web. My students were extra-great this time! They all buckled down, and even the ones that had never cabled before tried cabling without a cable needle (gratuitous promotional note: all MK cable patterns include instructions for cabling without a cable needle). After knitting all those cable pattern samples and making approximately 12 billion cables in the process, I am a BIG believer in cabling without a cable needle. I highly recommend it.

Here are my great students, concentrating hard:

You guys rock!

Gansey Madness!

It occurred to me the other day that not everyone knows what a gansey is. I've been throwing the word around for months to non-knitters who politely nod when I tell them how many ganseys I've been working on. I assumed they knew what I was talking about, but they probably didn't and maybe didn't want to know! Anyway, a gansey or guernsey, is a fisherman's knitted woollen sweater, similar to a jersey, which originated in the Channel Island of the same name. (thank you, wikipedia) Ganseys usually have a textured pattern on the yoke and upper sleeves alone.

And now (drumroll please) here is what I have been working on for the past six months. PHEW. Welcome Chesnut Hill Ganseys!

In ascending size, American Girl Doll Chestnut Hill Gansey:


Baby Chestnut Hill Gansey:


Child's Chestnut Hill Gansey:


Adult Chestnut Hill Gansey:


Baby Chestnut Hill Gansey Hat:


Adult Chestnut Hill Gansey Hat (worsted weight):


Adult Chestnut Hill Gansey Hat (chunky weight):


There's also a child's hat, which I couldn't find (aren't you sorry??) and another baby hat. Yes, I have that cobblestones-and-trolley-tracks pattern burned into my brain forever. We took the pattern pictures for these samples this past weekend and now the patterns are being put into final graphic form. Boy howdy, will I be glad when they're ready to go! It's like giving birth!

Stay tuned, they'll be ready for purchase next week. And if you're not already a member of my Facebook Group, go join! I'm thinking I'll have something special going on for the debut of these patterns. Just sayin'....

And because I'm nuts, I'm also work on this because I realized there should be CH Gansey Cardigans too:

That's the back of the Baby Chestnut Hill Gansey Cardigan. Madness!!

Braces rule!

Welcome to Infinite Yarns in Farmingdale, New York and Knit Witz in Jacksonville, Florida! Phew! It took me a while to get ahead of the welcoming-new-stores business, but I am now officially caught up. And it's a nice problem to have, so I'm not complaining!

My Tendinitis Brace and Wrist Brace are my new best friends! I went to the very nice orthopedist (thank you, Ted Feldman!) last week, and he recommended doing everything I had already been doing (rest, ice, ibuprophen), but to also start wearing these braces - the TB during the day and the WB at night (because we all have a tendency to sleep with our arms and hands all curled up, which is bad for tendinitis - who knew?) Well, the braces have made a huge difference! I've been able to knit again!

I had farmed out the remaining Chestnut Hill Gansey samples to my test knitter, Maureen, to finish, so I was left with nothing Momogus-y to knit. So of course I started a Olympics cardigan and some mittens and a blanket for a friend who was just diagnosed with cancer. I had a lot of knitting backed up in me after the last couple of months! But the wheels are turning about some new patterns, so expect to see a lot coming down the pike in the next couple of months. Tomorrow I will post some pictures.

Shameless plug: I'm hosting a Momogus Knits Patterns Trunk Show and Party at The Tangled Web on March 26 from 6-8 pm. That will be the official unveiling of the Chestnut Hill Gansey patterns, plus I'll have lots of samples of all of my other patterns, plus wine! Yeah! Stop by if you're in the neighborhood! We always have a lot of fun!

Finally, the Gus of Momogus just turned 10. Happy Birthday, my beloved boy: