Knitting isn't just an art form, it's practical magic! Take the Dark Arts Hat & Cowl, for example. With just a few waves of my pointy knitting wands, an unlikely pair of hand-dyed yarns were transformed into an eye-catching, feather-light set of Spring accessories.

I can't wait to see all the magical yarn combinations YOU will choose for your very own Dark Arts Hat & Cowl. Don't forget to share your FO's on social media with the hashtags #darkartshat and #darkartscowl. Now, go, my friends, and make your own knitty magic! The patterns are available on Ravelry now. 

When the going gets tough, the tough neglect blogging. 

It's been a full three months since my last post--insert embarrassed emoji here--but I want you all to know that I've said three hail Betsy's and promised to do better this year. Time will tell, lol.

My last post celebrated the launch of my Celtic Charmers pattern. But a month later, when it came time to publish The Weston Tweed Wrap, I'd run out of steam. After launching The BFF Collection at the end of September [TEN patterns!] and Celtic Charmers just a few weeks later, when November 19th rolled around, I was knackered. So much knitting, pattern-writing, photography, editing, and marketing went into that pattern...and I still had a holiday market to prep for!

So, yeah, come publication day, the most I could manage was to update the cold comfort landing page. Blogging about The Weston Tweed Wrap--or anything else I knit in the three months after that--simply got put on the back burner. You know what they say, "out of sight, out of mind". Well I guess 'they' read my blog. I meant to hit pause, but it seems I hit stop. Well, good news! Finally, it's time to hit "play". Here we go...

They say there's "no rest for the wicked". I must be very, very wicked! The moment The Weston Tweed Wrap was off my plate, market prep was very, very ON!

Friday night, December 14th, cold comfort knits participated as a vendor at St. George's Night Market, a curated pop-up holiday market for last-minute shoppers. It was my second time as a vendor at a Burlington Made event (@burlingtonmade on Instagram) and I really can't say enough good things about how well-organized, well-curated, and well-attended Stephanie's shows are (follow the links to learn more and/or connect on Instagram).

​It seems that after last year's show, my hats and other knits had gained a bit of a reputation, and I'm happy to report that just a few hours into the show, I was almost sold out. And by closing time, I was left with the 'extremely onerous' task of packing up three hats. Three hats! 

I've already started knitting for next year's show! ​

December 15th. Wicked child that I am, there wasn't a moment to rest after the Night Market. With only 9 days left until Christmas, it was time for gift knitting to commence...and FAST! Thankfully, I only had a few gifts to knit. Luckily, I'd been smart enough not to sell all my stock. With what I held back, and what I managed to knit, I'm happy to say that a few special friends will be enjoying warm heads and hands this winter! Two of those friends, my "brother from another mother" and "sister from another mister" (collectively known as BJ) one-upped me in grand fashion with the best hat EVER, hand-knits notwithstanding. Yes, that's me wearing a sheep hat. Yes, it's as awesome as it sounds/looks/feels. LOL.

2018
17 Patterns Published
137 Pictures Posted
17, 565 Total Likes
65 Hand-Knits Knitted
...and a partridge in a pear tree ;)

New year. Still wicked!

January 3rd provided proof that there really is no rest in my little knitty world. Just a few days into the year a spring shawl was already forming on my needles. My first ever crescent shawl! Having never knit a crescent before, naturally I figured I could design one (whaaaat?).

Spoiler alert: I finished it in less than a week. It turned out beautifully--I'm really pleased with the result. And, it was so much fun to knit that I've already cast on another one--a completely different design--and I'm already up to 200+ stitches!!!

​The pattern(s) will be available in time for Spring knitting. I hope you'll stay tuned!

Happy New Year! Happy Knitting!

Sincerely, 
Alexis :)

Six months. That's how long it's been since I first saw the submission call from The Fibre Co. for their Yarn Support Program for Indie Designers. Now, after months of behind the scenes wooly work, here we are. Publication day. Woohoo!!! Celtic Charmers is now available in my Ravelry shop! Click HERE to link to my shop.

Celtic Charmers is a pair of rustic fingerless mittens/gloves inspired by my British Heritage, and my love for all things wooly. Knit from Lore, the newest yarn from The Fibre Co., and featuring an impressive-looking--yet easy to knit--cable, they are a wooly classic I hope knitters will reach for again and again. In fact, if you use the recommended yarn, you'll get to knit two pairs right away! One for you. One for a lucky friend or loved one. It's true!!! One skein of Lore is enough for two pairs of Celtic Charmers. Does it get any better?

YES IT DOES! To celebrate the release of the Celtic Charmers pattern, and the spirit of collaboration that inspired it, I'm offering 20% off the regular price from now until 10 p.m. EST on October 24th, 2018. Use coupon code ILOVELORE during checkout.

Why are you still reading? LOL. 

If you've been following me on Instagram (@coldcomfortknits) you know that earlier this year two of my designs (two!) were selected by The Fibre Co. to be part of their Yarn Support Program for Indie Designers [insert happy dance here].

No, I could not! So...if a free skein of Lore and a free pdf pattern for Celtic Charmers seems like your particular cup of tea, head on over to my Instagram feed and enter to win! You have until 8pm EST on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 to enter.*

*Unfortunately, because to the outrageous cost to ship from Canada, the giveaway is open only to residents of Canada and the USA. Sorry rest of the world! I promise, it's not personal! 

Hand knit hats. Hot coffee. Good friends. What more could a knitter ask for?
​Oh, a sale??? Okay! How's this...?

Tomorrow is the big day folks! The BFF Collection will be LIVE ON RAVELRY. Woot Woot!

I worked so hard to craft a cohesive collection of ten knittable, wearable, giftable hats that I hope will meet all your hat knitting needs this holiday season...and beyond! 

Inspired by the warmth of friendship, and a tongue-in-cheek nod to the legendary sitcom Friends, The BFF Collection was designed to have a hat for every knitter, and every wearer. 

I hope you'll check out my Ravelry shop tomorrow (designer/username: AlexisAdrienne) and support this collection (and its maker).

Humbly yours in knitty friendship, 
​Alexis Adrienne :)

PS: I'm absolutely scared out of my mind that, in trying to design, knit, photograph, write, edit, market, and publish 10 patterns at once, I've just unwittingly created a massive impending onslaught of misery. I'm all but convinced that, despite weeks of staring non-stop at my computer screen, I'll still have managed to make some massive typos, bone-head cut-and-paste errors, crucial omissions, and otherwise humiliating snafus that will send a sh*tstorm of angry Ravelry messages, IG messages, and personal emails my way. At this point, the fear is practically paralyzing, and as much as I am proud of this collection and what I've accomplished, I'm also feeling a deep sense of dread, and the desire crawl under a rock and hide. Just thought I'd keep it real, lol. There really is a REAL person behind this collection, and I hope y'all will keep that it mind and be kind if you find a boo boo somewhere along the way. 
Cheers,
​Alexis xx oo

If you follow me on Instagram (@coldcomfortknits) you know that, for me at least, this summer was a doozy. Some difficult health challenges made it nearly impossible to find joy in knitting (shocking, but true), and I really wasn't sure that there would even BE a Fall / Winter 2018 collection from cold comfort knits.

But dark times pass, and if this summer taught me anything, it was about the importance of REST. Actually, it's not so much that it taught me that rest is important. I think we all know that--in our heads, at least. But in our hearts, I think we too often consider rest as selfish, or as some sort of luxury.

Flowers? They know that rest is important! In fact, flowers are pretty miraculous, aren't they?

Even as the snow flies and the wind howls—when the survival of something so soft and delicate seems an absolute impossibility—there they are. Biding their time beneath the surface. Resting. Restoring.

Flowers know what we humans so often forget: Rest is not a luxury, it is a biological imperative. No rest, no restoration. No rest, no resilience. No rest, no beauty.

​I designed Dormant to be a warm & wearable reminder of the wisdom of flowers. After all, to survive the darkness—to bloom our brightest—we must all take time to rest!

I sincerely hope that you will knit / wear / gift these gloves with the spirit of rest & self-care in mind...and then go out in the world and  bloom your bloody brightest my knitty friends!!!

"Imagine getting a box brimming with beautiful, specialty yarn delivered straight to your doorstep--a box of yarn that you didn't pay for....."

So began the (almost) too-good-to-be-true Instagram post seeking sample knitters for @woolandhoney.

Yeah, pretty much my dream job. And, yeah, I was 99.9% certain I didn't have a chance. They'll get a bazillion applicants. They'll never choose you. Why would they choose you? You don't have enough social media followers. You're Canadian; they won't want to deal with shipping logistics. And on and on went that irritating little voice in my head.

However, since making stuff with sticks and string is kinda what I do, I decided to ignore that little buzz-kill of a voice, and went straight to work preparing my knitty resume.

And then, a few weeks later, wait for it...

They picked me. THEY PICKED ME!!! OMG OMG OMG!!!

And let me tell ya', once I picked myself up off the floor, I was pretty damn ecstatic!

My first sample was the #treadhat by fellow Canadian @soveryshannon, knit using a gorgeous skein of light and lofty Stone Wool from Twig & Horn. 'Twas like I'd died and gone to knitty heaven.

Between the super-soft wool and the addictive pattern, I churned this baby out in no time...like less than a day. Then, I kinda wished I hadn't. I mean, I know the whole point of sample knitting is to be quick (and accurate, obvs), but when I pulled that tail through the final loop, it was actually kind of a let down. What do you mean it's over already?! :( 

Luckily the two bodacious fibre bosses behind Wool & Honey, Melissa & Liz, have graciously invited me to knit another sample. But what will it be? What WILL it be??? Dear readers, the moment I know, you'll know, but until then I guess the suspense will have to kill us together!!!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

You can now get an extra helping of cold comfort, in OML Make Book, Volume 2, the latest and greatest publication from Our Maker Life. 

When the @ourmakerlife dream team of Kelly (@knitbrooks) and Jewell (@northknits) approached me to be part of this inspirational project, it was a no-brainer. I was thrilled to contribute a pattern, and even more thrilled to be included alongside some of the most talented makers I already faithfully followed and loved. What an honour! 

The book features 30 Top Makers, and is divided into three sections, Maker Stories, Visual Lifestyle, and Patterns. Inside these inspiring pages, you'll find stories of creativity, perseverance, and sooooo much love for fibre crafts. If you're looking for the perfect book to kick back and relax with this summer, look no further my friends!

Naturally, all the makers were approached about the book long before it's final publication date. At the time I found it SO hard to choose a pattern to contribute--I'm a Libra; decision-making isn't exactly a 'strength'. Ultimately, I chose The Trafalgar Hat, and am I ever glad I did! 

The OML Make Book, Volume 2 began in the Summer of 2017. In October 2017, I published The Trafalgar Hat on Ravelry...where it went on to become my most popular pattern to date! 5000+ knitters can't be wrong ;)

Now you can get the pattern, PLUS SO MUCH EXTRA FIBRE-Y GOODNESS, in this amazing book. Yay! 
​