There are two Hats to mention today!

Allerton is a skater style slouchy Hat that features columns of slipped stitches against a garter stitch background. The pattern also includes notes on how to customise the columns for a truly unique Hat whilst still maintaining the Hat's structure. Although it may appear to be a classic square top finish it isn't; there is a gentle shaping to the crown which creates a unique drape.

The Hat is named for Chapel Allerton, where the Baa Ram Ewe shop is located. I feel in love with this skein of Manos del Uruguay Alegria when I was there teaching earlier on in the year, and was keen to take on the challenge and design something with it!

Hadleigh is possibly one of my favourites in this collection - it's proportion, the use of slipped stitches, it's sideways brim, that cheeky pixie point - lots of things to love about this one!

The yarn is a hand-dyed skein I purchased at the Swiss Wolle Festival, when I was teaching there last year. The dyer, Bilum, is a new to me dyer from Hungary and I really loved the way the shades were layered within the skein. It's a sports yarn that reminds me of Wollmeise with it's softness and twist.

The naming for this one is a little more abstract that some of the other designs. It reminded me of a bottle neck junction that we used to travel along all the time on the A13, on our way to Southend. The junction that takes you through Hadleigh, and that joins as you head out of the main high street, is visually very similar to the way that the slipped stitches travel up the Hat and converge at the point of the crown. Hadleigh is one of the lesser known towns along that stretch of the A13, and with an historic castle and lots more to explore than meets the eye. Hadleigh is in the borough of Castle Point, which seems so apt for this Hat!

That's all from me today, but do keep an eye out for updates to your Ravelry library as I release each pattern - I'm about a day or so behind in blogging about them all.

Mobberley is the next release from the Painted Woolly Toppers for Kids collection!

There's something rather special about chevrons in garter stitch paired with sideways knitting, and this time I wanted to take it a bit further with a double chevron - and it's pretty effective!

Mobberley is named for the yarn, Mobberley Aran, which is named for where the dyer Yarns from the Plain hails from. Although I try to not give a pattern the same name as the yarn, it seemed the most appropriate and fitting! There's something rather charming and characterful about the name, which fits Aran's posing and attitude just so.

The pattern is sideways knit garter (and all you need to know is included) and the increases and decreases are pretty straightforward. It's a simple and memorable knit that is incredibly striking, don't you think? It wouldn't work at all in a solid colour yarn - it needs that bright variegation!

The yarn is a wonderfully woolly and sturdy (but still soft!) British yarn, and that structure works so well with the pattern. It says solid and warm and playful all at the same time.

The Mobberley pattern comes in 4 sizes, and of course being sideways knit, there's always the option of adjusting row gauge and trying it on as you go. Gotta love a sideways knit Hat :)

We're almost there with the new book, and I am dead chuffed with the cover!

Painted Woolly Toppers for Kids - my new book, due for release very shortly

When I surveyed the cover photo in a previous post, although comments here were in favour of the roses, the overwhelming majority across all channels was in favour of this cheeky shot. And I do agree... there are *lots* of cheeky shots inside, more poking out tongues, pulling faces, all sorts of fun, childish behaviour and this sets the tone perfectly.

The hand writing was provided by Aran, and he's proud to have done so.

This week I'm working on the very final edits so that I can get the final draft out to my editors and review copies to dyers, bloggers and reviewers.

And if you want to find out when the book is released, don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter if you haven't already!

I've not made as much progress with the trapped nerve and RSI club as I'd hoped; I was doing well but then things got difficult again (not sure why, but suspect sleeping conditions and complacency with exercises) and now I'm back to taking things very slowly, with forced regular breaks. I'm also reconsidering my release schedule to keep the pressure at bay.

Because of all this, the print edition won't be ready at the same time as the digital edition, both for the book as well as the single patterns. Print takes much more editing, as I'll need to readjust the blacks, have test prints done etc, and the thought of all that time at this laptop is hurting my brain.

Anyways, keep an eye on the blog/Instagram/Twitter/Newsletter because before you know it, the eBook will be available for pre-order! I'll then introduce the patterns over the coming weeks, and I'm sure you're going to the love the photos as much as the patterns.

Until then.

It's been a little while since I mentioned the new collection here, but it's almost done. 2nd round of edits are all in, so with the exception of one last tutorial and the final round of edits, it's good to go.

Except for the photo editing. This has been held up by a) the trapped never in my neck and the multiple RSI's in my right arm and b) photo editing.

Discovering that my favourite RAW editor didn't support my new camera threw me off a bit last year when I bought it, but I've been able to get by with editing JPEGs in Gimp. But not so with this new collection.... shooting against a black background has been a huge learning experience, from building a giant light tent on the plot to using my zoom lens with a wide depth of field (which takes me further out of my comfort zone than I can express). The photo editing isn't a big job on this per se, as the photos are sharp and uncontaminated; the main issue was the constantly changing light and fast moving kids. And because of this, the main concern is in matching skin tones and yarn colours and blacks for the background, all of which I'd always do in RAW. Learning a whole new software, a heavy front end and extremely powerful software, all whilst trying to limit time at the computer is bound to make this part.... longer than it needs to be.

BUT! I'm almost done with the RAW editing! And while I plug away (slowly, just a few hours per day) with the editing, care to share your opinions on the cover shot? These aren't the final edits, but I think these are the final 2 shots.

Tongues or metal roses? And do tell me why!

There is the back cover too, so neither shot will be wasted and I think they play pretty nicely together. But I can't decided.... Twitter and Instagram are pretty unanimous at the time of posting... care to share your thoughts?

Our wee boy is not so wee any more, he turns 8 today!

Aran is sound asleep as I type. Being the grown up kid he is, he treated himself by putting all the Xmas money he got from relatives, all his pocket money saved and all the extras towards buying a second-hand wii u. (many thanks to Uncle Brett, Great Uncle Alex, Great Aunty Janice, Grandad and the tooth fairy)

Today will see yet more presents and surprises, and then an afternoon out at the local bowling alley with hoards of his friends. There will be cake for the kids and wine+earplugs for the grown-ups. We're pretty sure it'll be a special day for him.

8. How did he get to be 8 already?

Last year on Aran's birthday I released Lumossity as a free pattern, asking folks to donate to their local kidney charity. This year I'm publishing Torsione with the aim of sending a bit of extra cash to Kidney Research UK.

Use code breakinghearts to get 25% discount off the pattern until midnight Tuesday 15th March, GMT. Use the code here or on Ravelry. And during the promotion period, 50% of profits* will be donated to Kidney Research UK.

Torsione was originally published in The Knitter, and has also been published in The Knitter Deutschland. The rights reverted back to me some time ago, and I've been waiting for the ideal time to release. I'd say today was that day, and this was the way to do it. We still feel the pain of having watched Aran go through his illnesses, his kidney disease and the effects of, every day. Scars of this nature run deep and we want to make the most of today, in more ways than one.

And he's well. Since getting discharged from the consultant's clinic into the hands of our GP for his annual checks, he's had impetigo and he was fine. He's had a bit of a chesty cough and cold, and he was fine. Several of his friends have had Strep throat and he didn't catch it, and he was fine. He's had all of the things this winter that in the previous couple of years would have had us in the hospital and he's not even had a day off school.

Remember way back when I said I had a plan to offer patterns in two currencies? That this website would be in £GB and Ravelry in $US? Well, I made it happen! You can buy in the currency that suits you best AND still have the patterns available in your Ravelry library. Coupon codes are valid in both places, too. Win win.

If you want to help us celebrate and raise some extra funds for Kidney Research UK, feel free to share this image with all the info. A newsletter is going out shortly, and I'll post on Ravelry, Instagram etc. Just raising awareness of kidney disease and especially kidney disease in kids and the rare illnesses that lead to it is a great help.

I hear a boy stirring; let the fun begin.