professor meow-gona-cowl

good morning lovely knittens! hope you are having a relaxing morning… and you arent thinking about BEING LATE TO TRANFIGURATION CLASS!!?? *gasp* *gasp* *gasp* ok i know youd never ever do that. 🙂 i probably would though *yikes face.*

here is the second knitting pattern available individually.. professor meow-gona-cowl. looking back a year later i cant believe i ran with this pun! 😀
available here individually: buy it now

(of course it is still in the witch and wizard academy primer too)

someone mentioned making this into a hot water bottle cover! ahhhhh what a great idea. you could completely keep the neck open and tuck one in there… i think even if you made it in worsted wool instead it would be the correct size…. ill have to experiment with that… if anyone tries it please let us know!  the over-abundance and ubiquitous presence of hot water bottles is one of the many things i miss about living in england. *le sigh* thankfully i brought at least one back with me.  i know you can find them in america *kindof*…  but not 100s of them in every shop in every single size and variation. i guess i need that many of them? dont we all?

ok sweetums! ill see you tomorrow with the next pattern… hmmm what should it be?

 

a practical witch hat *individually!*

hi lovies! how are you?  feeling the cool weather finally find its way?  ive been lighting candles in the morning and sitting quietly just soak in the chill.  i think i am maybe a penguin.  at least if i ever meet a penguin i feel like he would look at me and just know. ya know?  aNY wayyyyyyy…

over the past year ive gotten quite a few messages asking me about getting the patterns from the witch and wizard primer separately.  ive been intending to do it for some time and i figure now is the perfect time!  especially because… ive been working on year 2!!!!! yes yes im pretty surprised at myself because it thought it might take a little longer to get it ready… but somehow these pieces are just coming together and screaming to come out into the light!  im afraid of admitting that a couple of them have been lurking in the shadows for um….. 7 years! how is that even possible. also i should be afraid of admitting that my patterns are screaming… sooooo scratch that!
anyhoot im aiming for a release of October 7th… ive got lots still do do though!
ok enough dilly dallying.

HERE it is! a practical witch hat.  a hat that is perfect for making potions or walking the cat. also it is pretty easy to make! there have been many finished objects posted to ravelry and instagram and they are looking GREAT! i  love love love to see them.
click here to buy it now for 5.50 USD.

you can also still get it as part of the witch and wizard academy primer year 1 ebook!

soooo also would you like a sneak peek of year 2? now this is just a HINT. cause the finished product is totally different.  i had to find a way to USE THESE BERRIES. once i saw the yarn… i saw berries, once i saw berries i had to knit berries….. once i knitted the berries… well they had a mind of their own!  people keep trying to eat these. but i promise they do not. taste. good.  ok thats it! see you tomorrow with the next pattern! 🙂

COMING SOON!:

New pattern! *PATRONUS*

 

Once upon a time long ago I was in the middle of a daydream of sorts… when in my mind’s eye I saw a giant white stag walk up behind me and place his forehead against my back.  When he did this his antlers wrapped around me in a protective embrace.  I felt so safe and comforted by this vision.  It often comes to mind when I am feeling vulnerable or afraid.  I’ve wanted to represent an antler hug in a sweater ever since.  I give you Patronus! The protective (and surprisingly comfy) hug from your own loving stag.

Patronus sweater knitting pattern BUY IT NOW or CLICK HERE for more details!

This sweater has been such a labor of love… I began my first version of him in 2012!  What a journey. 100’s of failed charts (curving antlers are surprisingly hard to represent!) Several yarn choice switches. 2 sweaters knitted and set aside. Attaching antlers and then ripping them off… again, and then again! A few tears… LOTS of procrastination.  A dash of “i give up” followed by a cup of “no, let’s keep going!”  And finally lots of jumping up and down for joy.  It is finished!  I couldn’t be happier with the results.  Once I found the perfect yarn (Brooklyn Tweed Quarry – i LOVE THIS YARN,) and settled in on a sweater shape it was time to wrap it up!  No Christmas pun intended. 😀

This is a box sweater!  I always hesitate to knit box sweaters because they seem so simple from a design standpoint… but they are TRULY so flattering and roomy!  The body of the sweater is a box (with pretty scoopy shaping for the neck – cause I don’t love wool right up against my neck.)  This means that it fits in a way that doesn’t hug you too tightly.  In fact, I’ve included 10-12 inches of positive ease.  That means lots of the baggy ROOM.  Just the kind of room I’m looking for when I’m shopping for fall sweaters in the men’s department!    (The arms do have quite a bit of shaping though to give the right fit.) Available in sizes XS – 5X.  Also! The neck is knitted like a large smooshy cowl.  It is knitted loosely and with larger needles and it barely hugs the neck at all… so no tight itchiness!

I hope you will love getting an antler hug!  Also I know a lot of you have been asking for videos! I want to make them SO MUCH but its gotten increasingly challenging to make them since kiddo stopped napping. Woweeeee he runs in asking for this or that about every 5 minutes most days.. so its really hard to get videos done!  I promise when things calm down around here I’ll be able to make lots more… cause I miss chatting!
happy knits! love, stephanie xoxo

ps. if you like the hat its the *wolfpup hat* pattern available here CLICK.

YAY! the WINNING comment has been chosen (by random number generator) and the free pattern goes to:
Kimberly Drake says:
November 26, 2018 at 9:29 am
Love your creativity and your persistence! Count me in!
ill be sending you an email! hugs to everyone and thank you SOOOO much for taking time out of a crazy cyber monday to leave a sweet comment. i read them all and they always make me smile and im usually crying by the end in gratitude! XOXO

*The Witch & Wizard Academy Primer Year 1* New e-book!

 

*Witch & Wizard Academy Primer Year 1* e-book. *buy it now!* 11.99 USD
Hi lovelies! Welcome to Witch & Wizard Academy!  Time to practice your cackle and get magical.  With proper study I know you will get outstandings on your OWLs!

PDF e-book includes 5 patterns & 5 classes (with mini-lessons for each class.)

Knitting patterns included are: click titles for more info:

1.  Professor Meow-gona-cowl  (Transfiguration Class)
2.  A Practical Witch Hat (Potions Class)
3.  Broom Riders (Flying Class)
4.  Moon Phase Scarf (Astronomy Class)
5. History of Magic Book Bag (History of Magic Class)

I get so inspired this time of year!  This little collection has been percolating for a long time… In fact I had one *broom rider* finished for almost a year! 😀  I was super happy to get back to it this fall and finish it all up.  I finished the second broom rider in 3 days once I put my mind to it! 😀 I hope you have so much fun with the patterns and the little class lessons.  Do you think hermione would totally carry that bag to History of Magic? I do! And I’m positive Dumbledore would wear the broom riders under his robes.  I know Merlin himself sports his own pair of black & white stockings these days.  I love it!  Ok I have so much to say about all of these… but I should be making a video here in the next week or so so I can blab away!  So some of you were wondering about the easiness of these patterns.  The History of Magic Bag and the Practical Witch Hat are going to be the easiest!  Definitely the next step for a beginner who knows how to knit, purl and go in the round.  Ok that’s enough of my chatting!  We have a lot of knitting to do!  I have to get started on Year 2 while you guys get to work on Year 1!  Have SO much magical fun for me ok?!  OH I almost forgot!

*THE GIVEAWAY!*
ok the giveaway has ended!  thank you all so so so so so much for the amazingly sweet and excited comments. I read them all and they bring so much joy! They inspire me so much to keep going and never give up even when I think something might not be good enough.  SO much love to you ALL. Thank you for your gifts!

SO the winner CHOSEN at RANDOM will WIN THE YARN for the *History of Magic Book Bag!*  That’s 4 skeins of lambs pride bulky in the same colorway I used, purchased at my LYS “shuttles, spindles & skeins” just for YOU!   WIN! HOOT! CACKLE! MAGIC! CAULDRONS & BROOMSTICKS! KNITSTICKS! LET’S GO!

THe WINNER IS: congratulations SHARYN!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀

Sharyn says: October 12, 2018 at 8:43 pmThis is fantastic! My teens are clamoring for me to make them everything in this collection. 🙂
I’ll be sending an email to the email you used to leave the comment to get your address! The owls will be sending you a parcel very soon! 😀

PS. SO much thanks to my family and kind friends for pulling together with lots of childcare & dinners while I burned some midnight oil to get these finished up this week!  Also special thanks to my dear friend and costume designer Kim DeJager for your brilliant photos & overall magicalocity! Love to you all, Stephanie xoxo

*NEW* sugarplum!

Hoot hoot!  Fancy visions of sugarplums?  Meet the sugarplum hats!  These hats are so fun, comfy & smooshy we have been having lots of fun wearing them.  Thats my dear Mom in the pictures getting her giggle on!  Sugarplums are perfect for sleepovers, drinking cocoa, counting snowflakes and of course holiday morning shenanigans.

I actually got kind of addicted to the color combo possibilities…  So far I’ve made these- plus purple & white, purple & green and red & purple.. and I really want a brown and white one!!! (one I can picture Scrooge wearing.)  The pom-poms have jingle bells inside and are SUPER EASY to make too I promise.  A full tutorial is included in the pattern.  For more details (yarn & gauge and stuff) go *here to the pattern page* or just *buy it now.* 

Leave a comment below and I will choose a winning comment at random on tuesday! The winner will *WIN* a free pattern of their choice from the tiny owl knits pattern shop. Extra special thanks to our photographer and dear friend Kim DeJager!
Happy holidays friends! Love, Stephanie xoxo

The WINNER has been CHOSEN by the random OWL!
CONGRATULATIONS MAUREEN!
Maureen says:
December 11, 2017 at 12:28 pm
Sugar plum Hats what a Hoot ! Most adorable Sugar plum Fairies rockin’ these adorable hats ! Must have !

Thanks everyone for your lovely sweet & kind comments! I truly appreciate them all! Maureen be sure to check your email 🙂 See y’all soon! XOXO

*NEW* fawnchkin!

Hoot hello! I’d like to introduce my new little favorite knit called *fawnchkin!*
visit pattern page OR buy it now

For some time now I’ve been playing with the idea of modifying my deer with little antlers hat to make a baby fawn version.  Now that I have my own little munchkin, it seemed the perfect time to knit a fawnchkin!  Not sure he will enjoy wearing matching hats with his mama in the future, so I had to take advantage of the moment!

Ps. Woodson loves wearing his hat! 😀  When he finds it he points to it and says “uh at? uh at?”  which I think means something like “can I have my hat?”  (or more likely “give me that hat now or else.”) This photoshoot was done about an hour into his missed nap time, so we had to feed him copious amounts of toddler fuel (raisins) to keep him going 🙂

Now for the GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below for a chance to *WIN* a free tiny owl knits pattern of your choice. I’ll choose the winners Tuesday!

The winner has been chosen at random! (with a cheerio.. yes i have a method of randomly choosing a comment and it does involve a cheerio.. its too late to explain) 😀
CONGRATULATIONS to Jane Stephens! (ill be sending you an email!)
Jane Stephens says:
November 27, 2017 at 12:42 am
What a sweet little man, and I love those mom & son hats! I wonder if my 19 year old would wear mom & daughter hats with me?

Thanks for playing everyone! happy knitting and lots of love, stephanie xoxo

 

*NEW pattern* hedwig!

HOOT! i am so excited to introduce HEDWIG!  this wrap has been SO fun to knit and it turned out better than i thought it would 🙂 .. yes im freaking out a little bit. just a tad!
here is me rambling about it incessantly between late night knitting sessions.
you can get here *here now* or visit the *pattern page for lots more info*

here she is sitting on my table waiting for her photoshoot.  she was not very patient!  we had to give her lots of tootsie rolls to keep her sitting still.. oh… wait, that was me.

so you know the drill!  leave a comment below and hedwig will choose a WINNER tomorrow to WIN a FREE pattern of their choice!

the WINNER has been CHOSEN! congratulations
ELIZABETH! yay!!! hoot hoot! watch for an email from me 😀
your comment is:

Elizabeth says:

October 31, 2017 at 8:01 pm

Love the new yarn recipe!! I can just picture wearing that, drinking a butterbeer, and reading HP while it snows here in WI this winter. Me and my kitty Salem wish you and Ruby a happy Meowloween. 🙂

HOOT!  HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
lots of love your way owlie knittens! love, stephanie xoxo

 

*NEW* celtic tree cowl pattern!

Celtic Tree Cowl – digital knitting pattern *buy it now* 5.50 USD.

Step into the magic circle of Celtic trees where fairies are known to dwell.
This never-ending cowl contains list of Celtic trees that also make up the Ogham. The Ogham (Oh-um) is an ancient Irish alphabet from around the 4^th century based on trees, with each symbol or letter of the alphabet representing a certain native tree of the Celtic Nations. B = Birch etc. Writings in this ancient language can still be seen on standing stones throughout Ireland and in other parts of the British Isles. These trees were considered sacred and there were were harsh consequences for harming them. I hope you will enjoy staying warm within this healing circle of trees so well loved and protected by many of our ancestors!

The 25 trees are: Birch, Rowan, Alder, Willow, Ash, Thorn, Oak, Holly, Hazel, Apple, Vine, Ivy, Broom, Briar (Blackthorn), Elder, Fir, Hedge (Furze), Heather, Poplar, Yew, Aspen, Spindle, Beech & Woodbine (Honeysuckle), Gooseberry.  OOPS!  You may wonder why Gooseberry is missing?  Ask the faeries about a certain midnight snack they may pretend to know nothing about!  Note: Some of the letters are highly debated by scholars.  I took a bit of liberty with a few of my own interpretations. You can go deeper with this alphabet with a little research, as each of the trees also have specific meaning and can be used for meditation and reflection. I hope you will enjoy dreaming in the circle of trees.
Love, Stephanie xoxo

*Take me to the celtic tree cowl pattern page for more information!*
*naw i just wanna buy the pattern now!*

Leave a comment by tomorrow to be entered to win a FREE pattern of your choice!

The winner has been chosen at random. Congrats to:

Christine Newman-Aumiller says:

September 30, 2017 at 4:16 pm You have such a lovely sense of style, incorporating the mystical with the modern! Keep it up.

I’ll be sending you an email Christine! Ahem, I mean the owls will bring it over soon. 🙂
Thank you ALL sooo much for your lovely comments! they brighten my soul when i read them truly!  XOXO

*new pattern: the woodsy association 2.0!*

The Woodsy Association 2.0 is here!  Introducing beaver, squirrel, fox, bear, and bunny.  I know you will be wondering if they also fight crime.  The answer is yes. Yes they do.    *click to go to pattern page.*

Here is the video where I chat about these lil dudes:

Woodsy Association 2.0 dig the rap: oh! turn down the volume to start they kind of crash though the window unannounced which is their style.  Invite them over.

***THE GIVEAWAY***
Leave a comment below to enter to *win* a FREE tiny owl knits pattern of your choice! I’ll choose the winner tomorrow night-ish in a random draw.

CONGRATULATIONS EVA! You just won a free pattern of your choice! I’ll be emailing you shortly 🙂 Thank you everyone for your AMAZING comments!!! Honestly they mean the world to me!!!
Eva says:
September 1, 2017 at 3:27 pm
It is so nice to see you back. And what a comeback it is! The new woodsies are as adorable as their friends and their song is awesome, too. Looking forward for many new cute and whimsical TOK patterns to come.

*click here to hang out with Woodsy Association 1*
so much hugs and love and more patterns coming soon 🙂 stay tuned!
love, stephanie xoxo

 

i like autumn

 hoot i think i might hear the first sighs of the leaves!  they are going to get sleepy soon.  wooooo i love fall!   i mean autumn… i try to remember to say autumn because not everyone says fall.  one time when i was living in london i was swinging on the swings in a small park… the air was getting crisp and the leaves were just starting to amber up and tumble… suddenly a little girl ran up and jumped on the swing next to me and started to swing….. i turned to her and said “don’t you just LOVE FALL!!!?” “um… no” she said.  “i dont like falling at all.  it hurts.  i fell off my bike on the way over here.” … 😛

so i just wanted to let you all know that ill be back next friday with a NEW PATTERN! hoooT! soo excited.  yes ive discovered that designing with a baby is.. um… HARD!  im finally getting some things done that ive been working on for a couple years.  hey the turtle finishes the race eventually right? speaking of the toddler here is a little update and a few pics from little woodson my little chunkcheek wonder boy.  hugs and lots of love and see you next friday! :*