When I was a kid in Maine, there was always a lot of talk about the cargo rail lines being reopened to passenger tr ains to make for an easy connection between Portland and Boston. Let's just say that I grew up, went to Boston (not by train) for college, graduated and then lived in Manhattan, traveling home to visit (still not by train) for more than a decade.
But the train finally did come back to Maine, in 2001--and it beat my own return to the state by a full nine years.
And since coming back to the place I always called home no matter where I was actually living, I have been lucky enough to start a new venture--designing patterns for hand-knitting. When I started sketching out this self-published collection, I wanted it to be a roundup of all things Maine--the state whose climate taught me early on that sweaters and hats were wardrobe staples for about eight months out of the year--like it or not!
--designed by a native Mainer (me!) with contrast yarn created by a Maine indie dyer (Heather, of Highland Handmades)
--modeled by a lovely Maine girl
--photographed by another native Mainer (whom I fortuitously met one snowy day as she was shooting fashion on a rarely traveled lake road)
--and named for the journey that brought me back home (but maybe I should have called this mini collection "Design Local, Maine edition"?)
Or maybe "Design Local, New England", because I owe Wendy from Massachusetts (pennywenny from the Knit 1, Heart Too podcast) a huge thank you for her wonderful tech-editing skills on both of these patterns.
Wendy and her co-host Sheila (SheilaD37) will be giving away a copy of the hat and sweater pattern, plus a $10 WEBS certificate on their podcast after returning from Rhinebeck. And, if you'll be at Rhinebeck, too, be sure to enter the "Where's Carolyn?" drawing for the chance to win a $20 WEBS certificate plus a copy of the "Train to Maine" patterns! All you have to do to enter is spot me at Rhinebeck (October 19-20) wearing the Pullover or Hat, snap a pic of you and me together, post it on the Knit 1, Heart Too Ravelry Group thread, and tune in to Wendy and Sheila for the drawing.
Patterns for both the Train to Maine Sweater and Hat are available for download purchase on Ravelry; (you don't have to be a member to buy patterns on Ravelry).
All aboard!
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