Changes are afoot...

You may have noticed that I have changed the title of my Blog... This is because I am getting ready to launch a new venture... some sock knitting patterns that will be sold on Ravelry, a free site for those who enjoy the fiber arts.  The patterns will be sold under Greyhound Bend Designs.  Greyhound Bend is the name of our home here in Missouri; we live on a bend in the road, and we have LOTS of greyhounds, hence "Greyhound Bend."  Anyway, I am hoping to do more blogging about the knitting venture, announce new pattern releases and tell you what all I am working on (with pictures) to help get the word out.

At this point, Ravelry will be the only location where my patterns will be available for purchase.  It will just make life simpler to have only one place to get the patterns and for me to have to keep track of what and how things are selling.  Since Ravelry is free for all users, and there is a rather large membership of folks who are into knitting and other fiber arts (well over 2,000,000 at this point), it just seems like a logical location.

So what am I working on now?  I am in the final steps of readying a pattern that I am working on for publication.  At this point, the pattern is called Frills and Lace Socks...

... this is just the first of the socks from this pattern that is completed.  I am currently working on sock #2 of this pair, as well as a second pair that started like this...

... it has blue beads that match the blue mohair and the blue flecks that are in the main color (Lisa Souza Sock! in Delft).  This is the yarn that inspired the pattern to begin with, but we have had a lot of rain the past couple of days so I have not been able to get a good picture of the sock as it now looks.  I am also still on the foot as this is a pair that I am making for a friend from Ravelry who sent me the yarn and a foot model.  She has a very high arch, and the reason for designing a sock for her in the first place is to learn how to devise a pattern for her type of foot needs.  I am working on a new heel design to go on her socks that includes a gusset within the short row heel set up to give her more room across the instep.  I will get more pictures as soon as we are past this and the weather cooperates.

I also have a couple of other patterns in the works... a series of patterns based around a rather simple cable and lace design that will have the series title of "As You Like It Socks."  There are going to be 3 different patterns (thus far) in this series, but I am still looking for names for the individual patterns and still have a LOT of writing and editing to do.  But here are a few glimpses of what these will look like...

And there will be 2 distinct but related patterns called "Temptress Socks"  and "Seductress Socks" that are lace with a diagonal rib.  These were specifically designed to deal with another common foot issue, very large ankles (known as 'cankles').  The pattern is very stretchy and will accomodate large ankles while still conforming to thinner portions of the foot and leg.  And it is a pattern that will look nice on the leg of ANYONE, not just those with large ankles! The first pair of  "Temptress Socks" is pictured below, but the picture of the first pair of "Seductress Socks" is not available for publication yet as they are a birthday present for a good friend whose birthday is not until October.  The patterns for these socks are also only partially written, but I hope to have all of these patterns released before Christmas. 

Here are a picture of the "Temptress Socks"...

Oh yes, and lest you think the greyhounds are being ignored or neglected... here's Fritzie in his new greyhound hat for the coming winter...

This pattern is not my own, but is available on Ravelry as "Pointy Greyhound Hood" and is FREE (although a donation to a local greyhound rescue is recommended).