What busy bees our designers have been this summer!  We have nine new free patterns on the site since May.  

We have two smashing Aria designs, the Aria Easy Poncho and the Aria & Mini Solid Long Cowl.  The Easy Poncho, designed by Sandy Blue, is delightfully drapy, light to wear and uses only four balls.  Its St st and rev St st ribbing and simple construction - two rectangles - makes this a great project for any knitter.  The Long Cowl, designed by Laura Andersson, is a snazzy accessory that uses a strand of Mini Solid to give the piece body without adding a lot of extra weight.  Wear it long or double it up around the neck.   

The Diamond Lace Cowl, also by Laura Andersson and done in Monaco, is dreamy!  The silky hand and shimmery surface of Monaco is accentuated in this piece.  As Laura writes, "Monaco is a classy and elegant yarn that spoke to me of an equally elegant and interesting design. The centered diamond lace seemed just the ticket, offering a lovely lace motif that was fun to knit."  Monaco is a bamboo and rayon blend with slow-stripes that creates a unique, sophisticated fabric that is soft and shiny.  This piece uses four balls to make.

We have an addition to our doll collection.  The Cuddles 18" Doll Sweater is adorable and, as you might imagine, quick to knit.  It uses one solid ball and one print ball of Cuddles.      

The most recent addition to the free pattern library is the Mendocino Shaped Shawl by Gail Tanquary.  This four-ball shawl not only looks great in soft, two-ply, slow-striping Mendocino, and it also wears quite well.  The blunt end is a comfortable alternative to the traditional point for those who do not like to sit on their shawl.  The shawl is knit from center back neck edge downward.  Yarn overs at the beginning of the row are dropped on the following row without knitting them. This allows for a stretchy edge and a small picot trim.   

Shambala is a super cozy and warm bulky yarn with gorgeous slow-striping color ways.  It will be available in eight delicious shades beginning this fall.  Shambala is easy and fun to knit, with exciting color effects that can be very forgiving to uneven stitches!  It boasts a higher than usual yardage for its size (70 yd/50g), so it goes further than a typical wool bulky.  It may be difficult to think of this wooly wonder while it is in the 90's and above in many parts of the country, but you will be longing for it come fall! 

We have posted several Shambala patterns in preparation for its September arrival.  Preview the Big Cable Scarf (a cozy classic), Mistake-Rib Cowl (comfy and easy, pictured to the right), Ribbed Hat (one-ball project), and the Lace-Edged Ribbed Hat (sweet and fun) to inspire you for the upcoming season.   

"This infinity wrap is knit circularly as a large tube with lace eyelets worked on 5 of the 6 pattern rounds. If you have not knit lace where there is lace patterning every row, the Sunset Wrap is a good introduction. And even if you have, you'll enjoy how relaxing and fun this project is.  Because Sunset Wrap is pleasingly reversible, you can wear it in a variety of ways."  

Next is the equally fabulous Flames of Fall stole, knitted in Sausalito.  The design dazzles in the new fall 2012 "Harvest" color way.  Like the Sunset Wrap, the piece is enhanced with delicate glass beads, which, of course, can be omitted without compromising the delicate beauty of the design. "Beads and flames of lace endue a soft glow of warmth in this pleasingly reversible stole."  Three balls go amazingly far for this timeless beauty.  For another elegant Sausalito accessory, check out the designer's Peak-a-Bead scarf. 

Lastly are the dainty and sophisticated Terzetto Victorian Mitts, designed in ultra silky Panda Silk.    "'Terzetto' is a musical term meaning a trio for instruments or voices.  Terzetto Lace Mitts are named for the threesome of lace stitch patterns used in their design. Let this trio of lace stitches sing to you while knitting and wearing these elegant near elbow-length Victorian style fingerless gloves."  The mitts look great against the Great Hall lobby of the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), as they are themselves works of wearable art.   

All HeartStrings FiberArts patterns can be purchased online for immediate download or for hard copy shipping.