Have you seen these patterns? Perhaps if you’re a long-time reader you may remember them. The Country Stockings, the Dovetail Shawl & the baby version of the Houses Slipover. These are all patterns that were destined to be in the Houselock collection, but were never actually released. Why? The shawl & stockings are even written up!

Country Livin'

It’s hard to give a definite answer. I think part of it was my inexperience. Releasing patterns (or anything, actually) is a scary business. Still, designing, knitting, writing up, and photographing a pattern, and then not doing anything with it? Silly. And lazy.

I regularly get messages from people looking for these patterns, and I have to tell them a little sheepishly that they were never released, and won’t be in the near future. The pieces themselves are now in storage in the UK. The patterns are tucked away in my hard drive, all on their lonesome, when instead they could be duplicated and reduplicated all around the world; proliferating in all manner of shapes and colours, and perhaps bringing a little excitement and delight to knitters.

Baby Blues

The baby version of the Houses Slipover (looking appropriately mournful in these photos) was, admittedly, a failure. I knit it upon fervent insistence, but it didn’t occur to me that the motif is rather large, and babies are rather small. Ha! Oh dear, this is turning into “Knitting & Crochet Confession Week”. ;)

Still, all yarns can be reknit, retold, and not all those who wander are lost. Hopefully these patterns will come Home yet. :)