Tara Miller Designs

New Pattern! Cambridge Hiver Toboggan

Brrr, its cold outside better grab a hat…wait do I need ear flaps or not?

Ever wish your hat could style a ribbon to match your new coat?

One stylish winter cabled hat can provide endless choices and you only have to knit one hat. With removable ear flaps for extra chilly days and eyelets for a suave ribbon of any color, or both, only you can decide.

This design was created for my sister while she was living in Cambridge, MA working at a local university. She wanted a cabled hat that was warm but she wasn’t really an ear flap person, more of a ribbon girl. Unfortunately in Boston, you can’t rule out ear flaps, no matter what look you are going for; blue ears rarely match anything.

The idea of detachable ear flaps popped into my head one day but I wasn’t sure of the placement. I decided to just poke holes all around and let her decide the best place for her flaps. When I saw the finished product, I realized it begged for a ribbon, perfect for my sister, who never leaves the house without carefully rolled curls. The most important part, for me, was the top. I wanted the hat to be beautiful from every angle and knew the top was critical. Reading on the subway, bending over to pick up a penny, or tying your shoe lace, if you knit it, you want it to put on a show no matter what!

With removable ribbon and ear flaps, this hat is perfect for days in the park, hot dates or hurrying to your knitting group, no matter how chilly it is outside.

Photo credit [Tara Miller(model)/Shaun Krisher(photographer)]

   

Download for $5.00

Sally Stripe Scarf- A free pattern

Since I started thinking up patterns I have been putting some aside as free patterns. This is the first and one of my favorites. I created this to match the Kim Hat from LMKG, I made last year. I just sat down one day and just switched colors when it felt right. I then had to sit down and write out the pattern, which for me usually happens on delay of a few weeks. I much prefer knitting to writing patterns. But I do love to share.
Check out Sally Stripe and free feel to download...she's free and easy! Sally features hidden button clasp and great stripes in a soft worsted wool. The garter rib really helps highlight the stripe without competing with it. Sally is just wide enough to protect your neck without extra bulk.

 

Bittens- Baby Mitten Knitting Pattern

    

Once again a new pattern. I came up with this tasty idea when registering for my soon-to-be little one. Since the baby will be born in late Jan (fingers crossed) or early Feb, it will be really cold, even in Ga. I wanted to stock up on little mittens since I love to be outside and I know if my hands get cold so will the little one's. I could not find any really good mittens, or any that weren't overly baby or ridiculous, so here we are.
The name comes from a combo of baby and mittens since that is what they are baby mittens: Bittens. I thought it was quite clever. You can make them in any combo of colors or solid. The ribbing is snug to keep the mittens in place but super stretchy to accommodate as baby grows. The bulb (I like to think of them as flowers) blooms from the ribbing to give baby room and wiggle fingers but will keep those tiny digits toasty. 

To purchase or for more pattern info, click on the photos below.

Bittens Knitting Pattern $5.00

                                                         

    

 

New Pattern Thursday!

Whoo! Let me introduce my newest knitting pattern, The Freezer Burn Belly Band. Since the discovery of my pregnancy and the onslaught of products that family and friends sent me, I knew I wanted to make most of it for myself. This included Belly Bands (Bella Bands ), which have been great. I used this tutorial to make my own from old tshirts but I knew that wouldn't cut it during winter. I would only get bigger during the cold season and my biggest pet peeve (besides being cold) is when my sweater can't cover the gap and I freeze my midsection. I would be damned if my belly would freeze this winter. Top that with the fact that like many first time preggers, I am showing later and smaller than most so maternity clothes are not fitting all that well. I needed a wooly helping hand. So I created the Freezer Burn Belly Band. Made from a form fittting and conforming rib and a Merino/Alpaca blend that feels amazing and so snuggly. As I was knitting the first version, I realized that this will be something I would wear even when I am not pregnant. Like the legwarmers I knit for my wedding that I  still wear all winter, the Freezer Burn is like a legwarmer for my mid section. I can also use it as night comes and I don't want to take off my warm shirts to add another layer. This just slips on. I plan on making several and soon with different ribbing or even cable patterns. I can't wait to get started. Last but not least, it uses minimum amounts of yarn. I used a little over 1 skein of Nashua Ivy for the Freezer Burn!
This pattern has been occupying so much of my time that I have neglected my Ravelry page to the extent that finished projects still don't have pictures. Oh and my blog too.

P.s. This pattern is free to the first 3 comments interested. Just let me know you knit and are interested in the pattern.For those who must purchase, you can download the pattern here for $4.00!

Charlotte

 

I am proud to announce a new Knitting Pattern, named after one of my beloved Grandmothers, Charlotte. This scarf, like her name sake, is one cool chic. Designed for the scarf-knitting-haters. Scarfs can be so boring to knit: they go on and on and are usually straight and boring. Charlotte is non of those atrocious attributes. She is short and feisty, but easy to knit. She is easy but not loose. Charlotte is sure to keep you warm when you need it and make you look good to boot. I knit her up in my fave, Cascade 220, but I bet the sheen of silk or cashmere would only enhance her beauty. Check out here on my new knitting patterns page.

Office Space

So I have been working on some sewing project for a neighbor of mine and let me tell you, I have never hated sewing more. Everything went wrong and I am so glad it is over. I made some box pleat valances, about 21 knife edge pillows and 4 (all different sizes) bench cushions with zippers and piping.

I HATE PIPING.

It was Murphy's law all over the place (which means that when I took pictures the memory card was not located in the camera). She was really lucky I didn't go office space fax machine on those cushions. I was SOOOO close. I won't go into the details but I am glad it is over. She loved everything and I am so glad. Word to the wise: When making seat cushions with foam 1)cut the foam to size with a electric craving knife 2) wrap that sucker in batting. I was supper pissed when after about 4 hours of wrestling with fraying fabric, zippers, and piping, my seat cushion looking like it had on underwear 3 sizes too big. You know the look I am referring too. You have a pair like that, that you wear on laundry day. My mom rescued me. She took me to lunch and then we bought some batting. We put it on and their was a collective sign of relief. Well, really it was only me signing. Mom knew what she was talking about. I think I was hold about 5 breathes so that explains that.

While I am glad it is over, I am also glad to have accomplished those cushions. I think I will reevaluate whether or not I factored them into any of the rooms of my house.

Speaking of my house! I am painting the sewing room! Hooray. It is the first room to be painted and I am over the moon. The color is from Mt Vernon, Washington's Daughters room. It is the best color and it almost perfectly matches the Fiesta color Peacock. Here is a sneak peek. I am much further now. All that is left it the bit at the top. Then the guest room. I am painting that Copper Coin. I will post pictures of that later this week.

Last but not least. I am starting a new sweater pattern. It is my Deep V Neck sweater. Here is a teaser with more to come later. I have also started the Tangled Yoke from Interweave Knits. I am using the steeking technique.   

Introducing: GrueneTree Knitting Patterns

This endeavor is a long time in coming. I have many patterns in my mind and several on needles but generally the finished pattern never comes to fruition as often as the product does. I have decide that a change needs to be made. I now have several patterns in the wings including a cable hat with a beautiful top design, detachable ear flaps and lovely satin ribbon detail, an Elephant kids hat (long ago promised to Kris...It is coming), a scarf (that is as far as i have brainstormed that one) and a scholarly but sexy v-neck Alpaca/Merino Sweater. But my first project grew from a raining day with Barbara Walker, some dreamy brown wool and cold, cold hands.

My hands are always cold. They are cold right now. I periodically stop typing to blow on them, stick them under my legs or grab some coffee/hot chocolate. my cold hands used to prevent me from walking my dogs in the morning (my favorite time of day) and caused me to purchase hideous driving mittens so my hands would not freeze to the gear shift. But even in Spring and Winter my hands suffer debilitating temperatures of 60, even--dare I say it-- 50 degrees. I needed some support and found that hand mitts were my salvation. I fell in love with the mini cable and needed a project to apply it to. The 2 (hand mitts and cable) fit perfectly together. I happily discovered as I knit up my idea that with certain increases these hand mitts resembled a pretty remarkable tree. I crafted 2 versions for spring and fall, to match not only function but also form and the need of color change. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do and I can't wait to see your interpretations. 

Enter GrueneTree Knitting Patterns

1st Free Pattern

1234 I am so excited to share my first pattern. It is a bit simple but fun and handy none the less. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Free Reversible Fabric Mouse Pad