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Because you deserve it, I’ve uploaded a new pattern on Ravelry. Hygge Delight Cowl is designed with the Danish notion of hygge, which roughly translates to “cozy” or “comfort”, in mind. Knitted in the round with 100% cashmere yarn in a straightforward stripe pattern, the knitting is a joyful experience while the resulting cowl is thick and luxurious.

A simple slip-stitch pattern is worked in the first round of each color to add interest to the repeating stripes. The cowl is worked as a tube (double thickness and double warmth!) that’s finished off with Kitchener stitch. Choose a gradient kit as I did or combine colors of your own choice!

From now until midnight December 23, receive 20% off the Ravelry purchase price of the Hygge Delight Cowl by using the code DELIGHT when you check out.

This is just a friendly reminder that it’s not too late to join Team Ann Budd Knits in a day of knitting on Tuesday, June 19, as part of The Longest Day event sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Longest Day is a worldwide fundraiser event for Alzheimer’s awareness and research. My own sweet mother (Barbara S Walker) died of complications due to Alzheimer’s in 2016, but she started “disappearing” nine years before that. A day doesn’t pass without my thinking of her and how she supported me throughout my creative endeavors. I have many (too many) friends who have also been affected by this disease–as a patient, family member, care giver, or helpless onlooker.

For my part, I plan to cast on at sunrise and knit until sunset. It’s not the actual longest day of the year (that would be June 21), but it’s pretty close. There will be about 16 hours of daylight during which I’ll have needles in hand (allowing breaks for stretching, of course). I’ll post my hourly progress on Instagram (annbuddknits). I hope to raise $150 each hour I knit–that’s an optimistic goal of $2,400.

If you’re in the area, I invite you to join me at Shuttles, Spindles and Skeins in my hometown of Boulder, Colorado, where I’ll be hosting a knit-a-long from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. You can participate even if you’re not in the area. Simply grab yarn and needles and spend the day, or even just an hour, knitting.

Please join my team, make a donation, and spend a day (or as much of it as you can) knitting something special.

Thank you.

Due to an error on my part (I forgot to make clear the closing date for the original promotion),  I’m extending my offer three of my skirt patterns (Lacy Pleats, Putting On The Pleats, and Take Two Skirt) for a combined discount of $12 (that’s more than 30% off the price of purchasing them separately) until midnight February 2.

I’ve unofficially declared 2017 the year of handknitted skirts. It’s a little-known fact that skirts are much easier to knit than a sweater (one piece, very little shaping, no seams, fewer fit issues) and takes about the same amount of yarn as three pairs of socks.

Each skirt design features an elastic waistband, increases along four “darts” for a fitted silhouette from the waist to the high hip, then “pleats” separated by wedge-shaped “gores” to the hem. Because the skirts are knitted from the top down, it’s easy to adjust the length to your personal preference. For the best fit, choose a size that’s one to two inches smaller than your actual high-hip circumference.

Putting On The Pleats is my first skirt design in which stockinette-stitch pleats are separated by reverse stockinette stitch gores. It’s worked with sock (fingering weight) yarn at a gauge of 7.5 stitches/inch.

Sizes: 33 1/2 (35 1/2, 37 1/4, 39 1/4)” high-hip circumference (allow for 1″ to 2″ of negative ease).

As the name implies, Take-Two Skirt is my second skirt design in which I added a slip-stitch pattern in each of the pleats for a more elongated look. Like Putting On The Pleats, Take-Two is worked with sock (fingering weight) yarn at a gauge of 7.5 stitches/inch.

Sizes: 34 (36, 38, 40)” high-hip circumference (allow for 1″ to 2″ of negative ease).

Lacy Pleats features a simple lace design in each of the pleats, which are separated by reverse stockinette stitch gores.  This design is worked with Spirit Trails Fiberworks Brigantia at a gauge of 6 stitches/inch.

Sizes: 33 1/4 (36 3/4, 40, 43 1/4, 46 3/4)” high-hip circumference (allow for 1″ to 2″ of negative ease).

And for the adventurous knitter, I’m teaming up with Jeane DeCoster of Elemental Affects: A U.S. Yarn Company to teach a workshop on designing your own custom-fit skirt at Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins in Boulder, Colorado, February 18, 2017. The workshop fee includes yarn, personal style assessment, custom skirt pattern, an eight-week knit-a-long hosted by yours truly, and a finishing celebration at Shuttles, where you can show off your skirt.

Space is limited. Call Shuttles at 303-494-1071 to secure your spot.

I can hardly believe that I’ve passed the 100-follower mark on Instagram. The lucky winner is teetwo56.

Please check out my Ravelry patterns (under Ann Budd) for your choices, then contact me at annbudd@annbuddknits.com to claim your prize.

Instead of waiting for special numbers, in the future, I’m just going to award prizes willy-nilly as I feel like it.

Like a lot of the country, it’s been cold and snowy here (with another 8″ predicted tomorrow). But here in Colorado, the storms are usually interrupted by a sunny day or two. Even though the temps have maxed out at 20 degrees since the last storm, the sun has helped to keep the roads manageable (along with snowplows and sanders, of course).

And, it’s helped to melt the snow that’s already fallen. I wanted to share the beautiful sight outside my home office window.

My husband claims that the ice sickles are an indication of leaky gutters. But I think they are just lovely and prefer to think that they’re a harbinger of brighter days to come.

Wishing your brighter days, too.