BLACK FRIDAY KNITTING PATTERN SALE!

I'm excited to announce my first ever BLACK FRIDAY PATTERN SALE! ALL of my knitting patterns in my personal Ravelry shop are 25% off NOW thru Cyber Monday (Dec. 1, 2014) at 11:59pm. 
Just use COUPON CODE: "blackfriday" 
ENJOY!!!
Shop Here: http://www.ravelry.com/stores/christine-marie-chen-designs

Jamberry Nails make Knitting more fun!!!

 I recently took the leap and became a Jamberry Nails Consultant. My friend Stephanie blogged about the Jamberry Nails she bought from me over on her blog! Click on the photo below to go directly to her post! It's definitely worth checking out! By the way, aren't her DIA DE LOS MUERTOS nail wraps just the cutest?!?!?

Dia de Los Muertos

Jamberry nails really do make Knitting more Fun too and I get compliments on my nails everywhere I go! True story... even the "male" Barista at my local Starbucks recently complimented me on my nails and asked if he could take a picture of them with his cell phone! ;)  Now that just made my day! 

And if the 300+ designs we have had previously just don't seem to fit your taste, wait until you see these!!! You can now wear your Knitting on your Nails! There are 3 different designs to choose from at the moment. See them below... Click on each image to be taken directly to each individual design link! 

Tight Knit

Sweater Weather

Stitched Away

If interested in Buying, Hosting an Online Party, or Joining my Team just click here: http://christinechen.jamberrynails.net  I would love to have you join my "Jamily" of Knitters! Let's cure naked nail syndrome together! :P

Crocheting in the Rain

We finally got some rain this afternoon! After months of drought, this dry, parched city got a little relief!
So... as I sat crocheting in my car this afternoon, waiting to pick the kiddos up from school, I couldn't help but hum this little tune! "Singing In The Rain" I hope it brings a smile to your face as it did to mine!

And now... I've gotta get back to crocheting in the rain!

I'm loving this Anzula Nebula yarn!!!

Raindrops on my windshield! :)

Lara Smoot Designs: Why do designers charge for patterns?

Have you ever wondered what goes into designing a pattern and why you have to pay for the majority of patterns?  Fellow designer Lara Smoot did an awesome job of explaining it all on her most recent blog post! Click here to check it out! Thanks Lara!!!

Lara Smoot Designs: Why do designers charge for patterns?:

Feel Good Yarn Company, My New Design & An Interview!

I recently created a new pattern for the Feel Good Yarn Company using their LanaMundi SilverSpun yarn.
SilverSpun is a sport weight cotton yarn spun with PURE SILVER available in a regular sized skein (173 yds) and a mini-skein (50 yds).

The silver content in SilverSpun makes it therapeutic and conductive. Silver has excellent thermal properties, is nontoxic and is perfect for those suffering from diabetes, arthritis and sensitive skin. Silver is also an excellent conductive agent thus allowing smartphone or tablet touch screen use while wearing gloves knit from the yarn. The silver is permanently adhered to the yarn and will not wash out. It's produced in the USA with North Carolina grown cotton. It's absolutely amazing to work with! 

Greensboro Fingerless Mitts & Cowl Set by Christine Marie Chen

I'm proud to announce that my Greensboro Fingerless Mitts & Cowl Set is now available for purchase in my Ravelry shop! Click on the pattern name above! ^

Constructed from bottom to top, the fingerless mitts carry an intricate lace pattern up the back of the hand, yet they are surprisingly easy to knit. Simple stitches make up the design. Yarn overs, k2togs, and passing slipped stitches over are the basics of this pattern. The lacy texture yields a very stretchy fabric giving the hands full flexibility of motion. These mitts along with the matching cowl make perfect transitional accessories in going from one season to the next because of the thermal properties of the SilverSpun yarn. Keep warm and cozy while adding a touch of lace to any outfit even on the chilliest of days!

After designing this set I had the privilege of doing an interview with Laurie Gonyea, owner and founder of the Feel Good Yarn Company. She recently emailed me to let me know that she has posted the interview on her blog! So, click on over to her blog and check it out!!! Enjoy!

Click here: An Interview with Christine Marie Chen

A Post Card From the Road

Just thought I'd test out the Blogger app I installed on my phone. Therefore, I'm sending a postcard from the road! We left South Lake Tahoe this morning and we're headed home.
Just doing a little knitting now that we're back on the highway again. Just passed through Sacramento. Wow what a difference in temperature! It's about 20 degrees warmer here than it was at Lake Tahoe! Ok... Back to my knitting! ;)

A Family Vacation and Knitting in Tahoe

This post comes to you this evening directly from South Lake Tahoe! Summer is coming to a close and the kids will be going back to school very soon. So we decided to take a little family vacation to South Lake Tahoe before getting back into our regular schedules. This is the first time I've ever been up here and I have to admit that it's even more beautiful than I had imagined. Tahoe has so much more to offer than what I had originally thought. It's definitely not just for skiing! Yesterday we paid a visit to Emerald Bay by way of the Vikingsholm Trail. We hiked down and back up the one-mile trail (with about a 450-foot elevation change) from the parking lot to the bottom of Emerald Bay! It was definitely worth the effort. We had a spectacular view of Fannette Island, which is the only island to be found in all of Lake Tahoe. It is located on the west shore of the lake. It's a sparsely timbered, brush covered upthrust of granite that rises 150 feet above the water.

The view of Fannette Island from Vikingsholm Trail

 There's nothing quite like relaxing in a quaint little house in the middle of a quiet wooded neighborhood. We rented our little home away from home through Homeaway Vacation Rentals. I highly recommend them if you prefer a more private getaway as well as having all the comforts of home. I even found a little time to relax and get some knitting in. I'm working on a new hat design with Skeindalous Yarns! Stay tuned for updates coming soon!

Ah... a cup of coffee and a little knitting in the cabin!

We did quite a bit of walking around town while here. On the first night we walked down to the beach and I had to stop along the way when I saw these Hollyhocks. The color was amazingly beautiful! I think I'm going to have to plant some when I get back home! Just gorgeous!

Hollyhocks

Last but not least, I love the trees around here. They stand strong and tall in all their beauty. I could just gaze up at them in awe for hours. I'm going to miss this little town. I could see myself living here happily someday. This has been a wonderful vacation. One I won't soon forget!

The view from where I stood at our cabin

Join me on Instagram!

In an effort to integrate my social platforms, I would like to invite you to follow me on Instagram! At the same time I want to send out a HUGE welcome to any of my Instagram followers that decide to follow this blog! I plan on updating often and keeping you in the loop on upcoming events and design releases! I might even throw in a contest every now and then! Thank you to all of my faithful Instagram followers! I couldn't do this without you! I love you guys!!!

Trunk Show at Purls of Joy in Healdsburg

Owner Rosanne Park and myself

I was recently invited to do my very first Trunk Show at Purls of Joy  in beautiful Healdsburg, CA. I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days at the shop as well as finally meeting the owner, Rosanne Park. Everyone was so kind and hospitable! I felt perfectly at home!

I had such a wonderful time meeting this group of amazing knitters! 

This is the announcement that appeared in the Events section of their website:                             

Trunk Show

Christine Marie Chen

is an independent designer from the Bay Area. We are delighted to present Christine's first Trunk Show and highlight her beautiful and inspiring designs. Christine has had her patterns featured in numerous publications and has created exclusive designs for Manos del Uruguay yarns. See her designs knitted in some of our yarns and learn how she creates them.

July 25th & 26th    Call 433-5697 for more information.

I had such a wonderful time sharing my story and meeting other knitters that are just as passionate about the craft as I am. Below are a few of my designs that were on display. Thank you Purls of Joy for having me!!! :)

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