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some little summer things.

It feels like summer is drawing into autumn. The nights are drawing in and mornings are nippy. I’m grateful to be able to experience a safe, carefree, summer.

Water, river water, outdoor pool water and the water in the brook below the allotments has been a daily treat. We have been so short of rain that, in turn, we have been short of natural water outside but here are some of the luxuries of water

A summer of Flowers. All year, I have collected, saved and dried many flowers – from the first Peonies and Roses to the last Straw Flowers and Statis with Bronze Fennel, Daisies, Rosemary, Honesty, Yarrow, and any number of other flowers in between.

Every year, I make a dried flower wreath – this year, it felt like I made a ring of summer. I gathered all the left over flowers and made a bright ring for my daughter too.

On Bank Holiday Monday, it was Hope Show in the Village of Hope in the Peak District. It was a wonderful, happy day with sheep dog trials, Shire Horses, prize Sheep, Sheep shearing, many stalls – great food and stalls as well as a wool tent. I sat beside a couple I had never met before so that I could be near their beautiful Merle Sheepdog who only had eyes on the the sheep dog trials. It was another hot, bright day with thousands of people enjoying the many wonderful local shows. I loved the tent with the prize flowers, eggs, cakes and knitting. I will enter next year.

I went to Park Hill Summer Fair and my son arrived for the weekend, got straight out of his camper van and sat down to play chess with a complete stranger – this is Sheffield

I have been walking every evening in Sept in aid of Cancer Research Uk – where I will walk 3 miles every evening after work in my local area. I started a little early – about the 25th August and I will continue until September 30th. I share my walk on instagram in a post or in stories and share the local wildlife. If you would like to sponsor me, my link is here

I made a long overdue visit to see my daughter and her partner, in London – along with their dog, Luna, who had a fall.

and when In London, I saw beautiful hand made cards in a shop in Covent garden and promptly went back to Pattis and made two in the same style – here (below on the right) is the first one I made in vintage green checked ribbon. I think I am on to something.

and last but not least by any means, on Saturday, 6th Sept, I saw and felt deeply, the National Peaceful Protest of 300,000 people walking from Russel Square to Parliament to say that we do not agree with arming Israel to kill the people of Gaza. 300,000 people from all across the UK calmly marched to drums, singing, whistling and 800 were arrested – mostly over the age of 60 years old. It is all completely incomprehensible and we cannot turn away to what is happening.

So, I hope that you have had a good, care free summer, safe from harm and let’s hope that Autumn will bring world changes.

Add-on Tree and Star sleeve pattern release

Hello everyone, It’s the last day of August and although we have finally welcomed some rain, it was still hot this moring. However, the weather is turning to cooler mornings and the light is drawing in earlier in the evenings.

I’ve had a very busy two weeks – releasing the Kaleidoscope Jumper pattern and On Friday, I released the add on sleeve, which was requested by many followers on Instagram, so that the knitter can choose which motifs for their sleeves. The Tree and Star sleeve pattern, also comes with a full Sanquhar alphabet so that you can personalise your knitted jumper – either for an heirloom or for a gift. Here’s a little insight into both

In the previous post, you will be able to find out about size of the jumper, why the sleeve is grafted into the armpit and other tips.

Below are my most recent designs. For any one of them, you can use your 4 ply stash – particularly the Fair Isle vest and long hat/scarf.

I’m looking forward to September. I’ll be nipping to London to see my daughter and to Skipton to Yarndale as well as a couple of closer little events.

And to finalise, I’d like to say a big thanks for following me, let me know your thoughts on the add on sleeve in the comments here or nip to Instagram, where there are lots more photos.

here’s instagram, if you’d like to see more frequent updates

Happy incoming Autumn.

Tracey

Bolt-on, Tree and Star sleeve pattern.

Above is an image of the alternate sleeve to the one that is included in the Kaleidoscope Jumper pattern. It is a Bolt on pattern called – Tree and Star Sleeve. Below are reasons why I published the pattern with Tree sleeves charts only and why I am producing a 2nd bolt on sleeve pattern.

Below are A Few Notes from the last page of my Kaleidoscope jumper pattern to explain some of my decisions.

Why is the Kaleidoscope Jumper pattern one size only?

It iis one size because the motifs of 44 stitches, dictate wherre the pattern lies – to increase the size, I would have to add one more motif, change where the neck lies in the pattern and calculate additional decreases at the shoulders and it would go on and on. I t would take e 6 months to make different sizes. I am just one person without tech support. It is actually easy to increase the size by knitting the jumper in UK 3:5mm needles rather than UK 3mm

Why did I knit the sleeve in the round from cuff up then graft it into the armpit?
Here’s the reason that I did the sleeves this way.  Initially, I picked up the stitches around the arm hole to knit the sleeve in the round from the shoulder down to the cuff but I realised that if I knitted the tree motif, from the trunk first, as usual, the trees would be upside down, ending with the tree top at the cuff.  So, I turned the motif around and swatched the tree from its top down the trunk base so that I could knit the Tree only sleeve from the armhole.  But, knitting this way resulted in the stitches of the tree motif being visibly upside down starting from the shoulder, and I didn’t like that either.   You can see the swatch on the right and how the stitches are visibly the wrong way.  It is possible to do it this way but it will always look somehow upside down.  But, if you want, you can knit the Tree sleeves from the armpit down to the cuff, with upside down motif stitches,  it is your choice.

note upside down stitches

So, I knitted the sleeve in the round from the cuff up then joined it at the arm hole by grafting it expertly into the armpit hole. I needed to explain why I knitted the sleeve this way as it might seem a little weird but the result is perfect trees knitted from the cuff up and all the stitches are perfectly the right way. I thought that doing the sleeve this way is worth this extra consideration in the name of neatness and accuracy

Why does this jumper pattern only have Tree sleeve charts?

I did a poll on Instagram and my website to ask what people which sleeve they would like for the jumper pattern. Hundreds of people answered.  The options were: – 1: – just Tree sleeves or 2: – just Tree and Star sleeves which are the same as the body, or 3: – Both sleeve charts.  Most people said that they would knit 1: – Tree sleeves only, but some wanted both charts, just in case.  When asked if those people would consider paying more for the option of both sleeves to be included in the one pattern, even though there was more work charting a 2nd sleeve, knitting it, and writing a full pattern, they mostly said no.     So, I have happily knitted Tree sleeves in my Kaleidoscope jumper because most people requested this and the Trees look a wonderful companion pattern and compliment the body.

What about the Tree and Star sleeve?  Where can I get it? 

My test knitter has knitted the Tree and Star sleeves, which are the same motif as the body.  The Tree and Star sleeve chart pattern along with the Sanquhar alphabet pattern to enable you to add your initials and year of knitting to personalise your work, will be released separately to the jumper pattern, as an add-on so that the knitter can make their own choice of sleeve.  The name of the bolt-on pattern will be, Tree and Star Sleeve Pattern. The reason that this is a separate bolt-on pattern, is because of the extra work to design, create and knit it as well as write the intricate charts and pattern notes.  Plus it gives the knitter the choice to just pay for the original pattern or pay extra if they want and extra design.

So, if you would like to buy the Kaleidoscope pattern, it is here

I am also knitting a swatch of how to add your initials and the year when the jumper was made, into the sleeve, just above the cuff, in the Bolt on Tree and Star Sleeve pattern that will be out this week.

Thank you to everyone who has bought the Kaleidoscope Jumper Pattern it is here, if you want to go check it out.

Let me know what you think about the options for a 2nd sleeve pattern.

Kaleidoscope Jumper pattern

This is a frank and honest request.


If you buy my kaleidoscope pattern when I release it this weekend, please do not forward or share it with your friends or family or knitting group.


This pattern has taken 4 months of my life. I started at the beginning of May and have spent between 4-6 hours every day, either charting, designing, knitting, promoting, writing blogs, sorting yarn for test knitter, liaising a lot with test knitter, rewriting, printing, reading the pattern, updating charts,altering pattern and constant knitting and figuring out ways round things. When the pattern is released, ravelry charge about 10% and then PayPal always take 10% from the payment. So, my life has been poured into this pattern.


It and I have a value.
PLEASE do not share patterns.
Everyone is happy to buy lots and lots of wool, so please think of the actual design. End of Frank and honest discussion. Let me know what you think in the comments

I am releasing the pattern at the weekend, however, there may be a soft release earlier and I think if you are signed up to my Ravelry, as a ‘friend’ then you hear the moment the pattern comes out.

I would love to hear your comments, and follow me on instagram for lots of regular updates

After the release of the kaleidoscop jumper pattern, there will be the release of an add-on alternative sleeve pattern for the jumper. I am excited about that. Here is ravelry

here is information on why there will be an add-on pattern

Why does the Kaleidoscope jumper pattern only have Tree sleeve charts?
I did a poll on Instagram and my website to ask what people which sleeve they would like for the jumper pattern.
Hundreds of people answered. The options were: – 1: – just Tree sleeves or 2: – just Tree and Star sleeves which are the same as the body, or 3: – Both sleeve charts.

Most people said that they would knit 1: – Tree sleeves only, but
some wanted both charts, just in case. When asked if those people would consider paying more for the option of both sleeves to be included in the one pattern, even though there was more work charting a 2nd sleeve, knitting it,
and writing a full pattern, they mostly said no. So, I have happily knitted Tree sleeves in my Kaleidoscope jumperbecause most people requested this and the Trees look a wonderful companion pattern and compliment the body.


What about the Tree and Star sleeve? Where can I get it?
My test knitter has knitted the Tree and Star sleeves, which are the same
motif as the body. The Tree and Star sleeve chart pattern along with the
Sanquhar alphabet pattern to enable you to add your initials and year of
knitting to personalise your work, will be released separately to the
jumper pattern, as an add-on so that the knitter can make their own
choice of sleeve. The name of the bolt-on pattern will be, Tree and Star
Sleeve Pattern. The reason that this is a separate bolt-on pattern, is
because of the extra work to design, create and knit it as well as write the
intricate charts and pattern notes. Plus it gives the knitter the choice to
just pay for the original pattern or pay extra if they want and extra design.
I have also test knitted the Tree and Star sleeve with my initials and the date above the cuff, as a swatch.
But, for now, I am most pleased to present you with, by popular demand, my Kaleidoscope jumper pattern which
has only a Trees sleeve pattern and instructions.

Kaleidoscope pattern update

Thank you to everyone who commented on my Instagram post on July 30th  when I asked what sleeve you would most like me to finish my jumper in, as I had already knitted the 1st one in Trees only, not tree and star, like the body. 

There were many comments to say what sleeves you’d like to see as the second one, on my latest Kaleidoscope, jumper design.  To  be precise, I had 166 comments and 544 likes on that post.   I also added a poll on my Instagram stories to ask the same question, and below are the results for that.

So, for the first time, I actually did a real research survey to find out what you wanted.   The results were really interesting.

The overall winning suggestion was that most of you just wanted Tree sleeves only in the pattern, just as I had already knitted with the first one, but a lot of you thought that I should add the alternative ‘Tree and Star sleeve chart’,  to give the knitter options but some of you said that you wouldn’t pay extra for an additional sleeve pattern design even if it took me days to chart , test knit, write the pattern and instructions.  This I found quite disheartening as the Kaleidoscope pattern is my most adventurous and my most perfect and I wanted to release it with 2 sleeve options but if people don’t want to recognise the work in that extra design, I have made a compromise.

I will release the Kaleidoscope jumper pattern within 2 weeks week AND I will follow up with a ‘Bolt-on’ pattern which is a chart of the alternative ‘Tree and Star sleeve, plus a Sanquhar alphabet chart for you to be able to personalise your knit with your initials and date above your cuff.   This way, I will produce a beautiful pattern with the sleeves requested by the majority in my surveys.  And, I will have an additional bolt on pattern with the 2nd sleeve.   The bolt on pattern has more work than a hat pattern and deserves to be recognised as a design in itself.

It’s 3 months since I started the project on 10th May. Not bad for a fast slow knit.

Please comment on what colours you’d like to see this jumper knitted on
I’m excited to bring this pattern out.

Below are a few comments from Instagram.  You can follow me here on instagram for more updates and lots of photos

But, I think that the best way to find out about the pattern release, is to become a ‘friend’ of mine on ravelry,  then I think you get an update when the pattern is published

Oh, I knitted the second sleeve in  Trees only, and I am almost ready to graft the 2nd sleeve into place,  here is a video of the graft after I took the risk of grafting the sleeve into the armpit with double yarn for strength. I am most happy. The jumper has grafted shoulders, the sleeves expertly grafted into the armpit, a mitred V neck and the option of 2 different sleeve patterns plus a Sanquhar alphabet to knit your initials and the year into the design. I hope that you will knit it and make it personal to you.

My test knitter is knitting Tree and Star sleeves to match the body AND, I will also knit a Tree and Star sleeve with my initials and the year knitted into the work too.  My test knit will be yellows and greens.

Let me know what you think in comments.  Join me on Instagram to get more frequent updates and join as a friend in Ravelry to hear when the pattern comes out first.

Also, if you do want to, there is still the Tree and Star hat pattern to knit before the  jumper,  to get used to the motif, or after, to have as a twin set.   I can’t wait to wear mine. 

Just a few comments from my Instagram post asking which sleeve you would like to finish the design.

First of all: what a fantastic pattern! I love it!
😍😍😍 For me, I’d choose option 1, trees only. But I think I’d include both options in the pattern ❤️

Hi Tracey, I would probably knit the trees/stars option but would like to have the tree option open until I get to the sleeves in my project. And I would pay the double if that idea what it takes.

When will the jumper pattern be available? I will be in Shetland on 11-18 Aug and would love to know the amount of yarn and color codes to be able to buy yarn with me home to Denmark.

Hi Tracey! It’s a beautiful design 💙 I’m not in the position to be taking on a large project at the moment, but I’d choose Option 1. I do love symmetry. I’m not sure how many would be open to paying more for a potential 2nd sleeve option. But, if you design another sweater in the future in the same gauge, perhaps with a round/crew neck, or a cardigan

Choices! I’d probably like both sleeve designs because I’d be tempted to do one sleeve of each pattern 🧐 I like the deliberate similar but not matching!

I love the tree sleeve! As much as I’d enjoy the options I know in my heart I would still pick two tree sleeves. I’d also pay more to have the options. Could you release a second sleeve option as an add on pattern later to cover your work?

Could you sell a tree sleeve version and a tree and star only version as separate patterns, or charge a bit extra for a sleeve add-on? A tree only (including body) pattern would be great too

Trees for me as first choice ❤️❤️❤️

Trees on the second sleeve as well !

Both please Tracey

Trees only add a lovely interest.

I would love your new pattern to offer both options. Personally I think i would like the combo best but it’s a rare treat to have a choice. Keep up the good work my flower!

winner chosen. I hope that you’re all up for buying this exciting pattern

Hi! Such a gorgeous jumper! I probably would go for trees on both sleeves. The colours are amazing!! 😍😍😍

Test knitting with me.

About 4 months ago, I put a call out for anyone who has knitted my Sea Urchin hat pattern or my Tree and stars hat pattern and would like to do a test knit of my latest design, then, to get in touch. A lot of people got in touch but had not knitted any of my patterns, so didn’t know my style of writing, or when they found out the project was a jumper, they pulled out.

my trusty Test knitter, Mary stepped in and I sent her a box of yarn.

test knit yarn box.

It’s costly to test knit and the yarn that I sent Mary to use or choose, would have cost me over £100. I have supported Mary with alignment and will help with the mitred V neck and graftin the sleeve into the arm hole.

So, she learns too.

I put a poll out for which sleeve should I finish my jumper with? Normally, I would do 2 different sleeves to both test knit and because I like to design that way but the overall winner for the choice of my 2nd sleeve by over 100 comments was for me to knit a 2nd sleeve in the trees design. So, Mary, will knit the test knit in tree and stars ( I think I will do a 3rd sleeve in completely different colours to test it also)

The thing that came out of the polls were that some people wanted just trees but said that I should add both charts for both sleeves and that set me to thinking about all the extra time taken to chart, swatch, test, hand knit, alter a 2nd sleeve just to give an option in a pattern. I don’t think that pattern buyers think about the time taken to write a full pattern and to add extras is doing it for love.

My pattern will have 2 different charted sleeves. It will take longer and more work. But I hope that you will all find that it is worth it Because I am absolutely loving this jumper as it grows.

Over the weekend, I added a 10% discount offer on the Tree and Star hat, if anyone wanted to Get Ahead with learning how to knit the Kaleidoscope Jumper. I forgot to add the offer to my website followers so I have just extended the offer until midnight tomorrow night.

10% off the Tree and Star Pattern until Midnight UK time, Monday 4th Aug

the pattern is in the link above and there’s no discount code, the discount is taken in your basket.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on which sleeve you will be knitting, but, until then, here’s the armhole, waiting for my 2nd sleeve and here is the matching hat. I can’t wait to wear them as a twin set when I hope to visit Japan in December.

Tree and star hat pattern here

Kaleidoscope pattern details

I am almost finished knitting my new design. It has a lot of gorgeous features. – Grafted shoulders, a beautiful mitred V neck band and I have just grafted the first sleeve into the body of the armhole.

I normally knit my sleeves by picking up stitches around the arm hole then knitting down to the cuff, but the reason that I grafted the tree knitted sleeve into the arm hole, is because I knitted it in the round from the cuff up and then worked the finished sleeve into the armpit. The reason for this is because I did a swatch of the tree motifs and to get them standing the right way, (trunk at the cuff end of the knit) if I was knitting armpit down to cuff, I had to start knitting the tree from its top. This is quite an easy thing to do. But, I realised from the swatch that if I knitted the trees from the top to the trunk, starting at the arm hole down, the stitches would be upside down and that really annoyed me. Here is a swatch of what the stitches would look like if I had knitted them from the armpit. Can you see that the stitches are sitting upside down in the tree motif? And to the eye, it would look a mistake when the whole sleeve was knitted and it would really annoy me.

So, I have knitted the sleeve, in the round from the cuff up to the top and it was an absolute pleasure. Detailed images will be in the pattern of the joining seam and how it looked when finished and I will release videos on how I grafted the sleeve into the arm pit.

The question is now that I am undecided whether to do a 2nd tree sleeve, which would look harmonious and cute, or shall I knit a sleeve with the tree and star motifs from the body? Or would you prefer both options in the knitting pattern so that you can choose to knit either one design or both?

So, I am having a little ‘win the pattern post on Istagram’ Anyone who comments on my post which one they prefer will get a chance of winning the pattern when it is released.

My instagram is @traceydoxey and you can let me know your preference on the post for a chance to win.

If you would like to knit this pattern but feel a little daunted, you can start very simply with the Tree and Star hat pattern which is in the link here

I am really excited about this pattern, so much care and attention has gone into it. There will be pages of charts to help you get your motifs, V neck and armpit decreases in the right places and options – for you to choose yourself to make the design more your own.

Let me know your thoughts on the pattern and if you are hoping to knit it. here is the instagram page to join in giving your idea of what the 2nd sleeve will be

Behind the scenes of my latest design

Last week, I painted the walls in my sitting room. It has been difficult to get the exact right colour because of the light in the room – Finally, I landed on a Little Greene paint by the name of Bassoon. It is perfect, deep in tone but light in colour – it’s the colour of wet sand – good wet sand.

The colour has completely elevated the room and opened my eyes in a different way as well as bringing joy to the space that I haven’t felt in a long time (if ever)

Tiggy watched over my labour and didn’t budge an inch – he hasn’t faired well in this heat, so I have been a little worried about him

This morning, I am not in work until after lunch time, so I have taken time to spend with my new design, updating the pattern, rewriting the sleeve and staring at my beautiful yellow wall. I am really enjoying my new design. It will have at least 8 pages of charts to help you as an aid with decreases and shaping. There will also be 2 alternative sleeves so that you can personalise it in some way to suit your own tastes. So, on my workdesk at home this morning, are swatches of sleeves and how they will knit up and fit in, updates in my design book and I have started planning a meet up saturday morning here in my ground floor flat in Sheffield for knitters to come together, talk, learn, share and I will also be on hand to offer advice, share patterns and yarn. If that is something that you are interested in – then get in touch via the contact page.

here’s the latest pages in my design / swatch book

https://videopress.com/v/YZgxTrvH?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.files.wordpress.com%2FYZgxTrvH%2Fimg_2280_mp4_std.original.jpg&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true
swatch / design devlopment book

It would be lovely to do this full time – so if you would like to support me, please buy my patterns here, join me in my online workshops or you can buy me a kofi in this link 🙂 and I will name you when I buy the drink

Big love from Tracey – constantly learning, constantly knitting, constantly trying to make exciting work. If you enjoy my work, give me a comment 🙂

I think I like it

Behind the scenes, this little easy to knit jumper is coming along just fine.

Grafted Shoulders – done.

Mitred V neck this weekend and then sleeves incoming.

If you like this little jumper and would like to try it, you can practice the motif by knitting its matching hat. This jumper will be called Kaleidoscope and it is kinda obvious why. The patterns dance like the patterns at the bottom of my old kaleidoscope

If you would like to knit the hat, it is called Tree and star and the link is here

And if you would like to grab one of the last two spaces on my online colour blending workshop on 26th July 3-5pm UK time, then the link is here, just fill in the form and I will send you the details. 🙂 After the workshop, you will be able to confidently and successfully choose your own colours in any Stranded colour work or Fair Isle pattern.

What do you think so far to this new little jumper? It is a very easy addictive pattern to knit.