About Me

My photo
Dexter, Oregon, United States
I am a self-employed knitter/designer and photographer. I strive to write unique designs inspired by nature, folklore, magic, Fairies and Elves, and I find a lot of inspiration from symbolism and traditions in cultures throughout history. I also love to photograph nature on an intimate level. As a Master Gardener I raise garden starts each spring to sell locally, and I am also a musician in the band Zayante. You can find me on Ravelry as Peargirl and our band Zayante can be found on Soundcloud..

About purchasing patterns...

All patterns are listed alphabetically within categories, and are available by clicking on the "Add to Cart" button for each pattern. You will receive an e-mail from knitpixie@msn.com usually within 24 hours with the pattern attached, ready for you to download and print. You may also purchase through Ravelry~ http://www.ravelry.com/stores/lorna-pearman-designs for automatic download. You can also find Peargirl Knits on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/peargirlknits. There are no refunds on patterns. Happy knitting!!!

Estimating Yardage? This May Help...

Knitting Calculator at Jimmy Beans Wool

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Nightshade Gnome Hat ~ A New Design After a 6 Month Set-Back


I am very happy to be designing and knitting again after suffering an Acute Ischemic Stroke at the end of June. There is a lot that I feel the need to say about this experience and the road back, maybe in my next post, but for now I am just happy to proclaim "I am me, all of me, able to do all of the things I love"!!! This is my first design since "the event" and I am ecstatic to not only have the ability again, but also the energy. I love my brain, my body, and the drive I have always had that has enabled me to push myself each day, all day, to get myself back in the groove of life and loving it! This new pattern should be available by tomorrow for your knitting pleasure...Happy Solstice and Merry Holidays ~Lorna 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Two Rabbit's Pantheon of Bunnies ~

I've finally completed all 6 bunnies, now I'm working hard to get the pattern online. From left to right, Two Rabbit's bunnies are Eggplant Blossom, Black-Eyed Susan, Carrot Top, Daylily, Red Hot Chili Pepper and Bartlett Pear.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Heading Into Summer

2012 has been a very busy year so far. It is hard to believe that summer is right around the corner. In February I had the honor to be a featured designer on Canary Knits Indie Designer Day. Teresa Gregorio, aka Canary Knits, is a fabulous designer. She has a beautiful design that is published in the book Brave New Knits. Then in April, another designer, Lidia Tsymbal, aka Madam Butterfly, interviewed me on her blog: Lorna Pearman Interview. Lidia has some really pretty shawl designs. Do check out both of these talented knitter's designs, you won't be sorry!


I was the featured artist for the month of April at our local Siuslaw Valley Bank in Pleasant Hill. Each month the bank features a local artist or business. I set up a nice display similar to what I take to our local Dexter Lake Farmers' and Crafters' Market. Included in my display was knitting, hand-crafted soap and photography. I even sold some things.


The only items that I could not include in my display were my garden starts that I also sell at the Market. The greenhouse really consumes my time from February through June as I raise (mostly) peppers and tomatoes from seed. I just finished the final transplanting and I'm ready for Market which begins this Sunday from Noon to 3pm. My offerings include 13 varieties of Tomatoes (222 plants), 14 varieties of Sweet Peppers (196 plants) and 15 varieties of Hot Peppers (197 plants), as well as Tomatillos, Dusky Eggplant and Fairy Tale Eggplant, Sweet Basil, Thai Basil, 2 varieties of Lavendar, Anise Hyssop 'Golden Jubilee' and a few other herbs and flowers.
I also sell my starts directly from the greenhouse, so this next month will be a busy one as mid-May thru mid-June is the optimum planting time for this area. The Farmers' Market continues every Sunday through the end of September, so if you live in the area, or are just visiting, please stop by and say hello. Dexter Lake is a beautiful setting for our Market and boasts one of the best disc golf courses in the world.


This year will be my first year vending at the Irving Grange Community Market. This market will happen on the first Saturday of each month beginning on June 2nd and ending on Oct. 6th., and will be open from 10am until 4pm. I will be at each of these Markets except Aug. 4th. I'm pretty excited to be included in this new market and I will also be at their November/December Holiday Market. 
As if all of this doesn't keep me busy enough, I also am in a band called "The Pears" with Dennis Pearman (my husband, on guitar and keyboards), Mike Murray (bass) and Bob Becker (drums). I play keyboards and sing, and we rehearse weekly. We will be playing in Eugene, OR at the Maize Lounge at 13th and Oak on May 24th (Thurs). On Aug. 4th Dennis and I will be hosting our annual Lost Valley Music Festival on our 2.5 acre piece of paradise here in Dexter. This year will be our 31st year.
If you'd like, you can check us out here http://www.reverbnation.com/thepearsband where you can listen to 13 songs  from our new CD "Green Buddha" that we just finished recording.
Have a wonderful summer and remember that the Dalai Lama said "The purpose of our lives is to be happy". I choose happiness.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Two Rabbit's Pantheon of Bunnies






There is a lot of folklore surrounding rabbits, but the following is one of my favorites. In Aztec mythology, a pantheon of four hundred rabbit gods known as Centzon Totochtin, led by Ometotchtli or Two Rabbit, represented fertility, parties and drunkenness. While I really don't want rabbits to find their way into my garden, it's fun to imagine them having a wild party in the garden by the light of the moon, while the world sleeps, oblivious to the fun they're having. Inspired by this myth and my love of gardening, my new pattern I am working on is a garden variety of bunnies...here is the first of 6 ~ "Chili Pepper Bunny".

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Spring and Rejuvination


Each Spring I feel a new burst of energy as the days grow longer and new growth appears on trees and in the gardens. The garlic I planted last October is already 6-7" tall, and the greenhouse is full of peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, broccoli, basil and lavendar starts for our local farmers' market that opens on May 13 at Dexter Lake. We have a raised bed in the greenhouse where lettuce, carrots, arugula, beets, spinach, and onions have made their appearance. My knitting slows down as the greenhouse calls me each day to water and transplant the seedlings into bigger pots. Soon the Rhododendrons and Azaleas will be in bloom and the landscape will be a riot of color, with 100+ year old Fir trees as the backdrop. Although I appreciate the break from gardening that Winter provides, I always look forward to this time of year.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Willow Moon Scarf

I finally finished a new design, not that it should have taken me as long as it did, but I am doing a lot of work towards growing tomato and pepper starts in our greenhouse to be ready for our local farmers' market, as well as making soap, printing macro-photos for cards that I make, etc. Spring does get me going, but there is so much to do. The Willow tree symbolizes the beginning of Spring, when all of life is stirring below, ready to shoot outwards once again. I feel that stirring within myself each Spring, anxious to sow seeds and feel that same sense of awe I feel each year as each tiny seed I plant becomes its own unique and incredible self, offering itself in the form of food and beauty for all to enjoy. I named this design "Willow Moon"... the Willow Leaf Edging is from Weldon's Practical Needlework Vol. 5, and combined with linen stitch for the body of the scarf, the difference in gauge causes a gentle curve to the scarf reminiscent of a crescent Moon.



Monday, January 16, 2012

Beautiful Snow


We had snow last night...what a beautiful temporary event, usually only once or twice a year, and lingering for just a few days.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Blog Archive

Followers

Elvish Baby Hat

Elvish Baby Hat
My grandson Soul looking very elf-like in the Elvish Baby Hat.

Elvish Kids Hat

Elvish Kids Hat
Peregrine, a cute little Elfling at the Quarter Stitch Yarn Shop in New Orleans.

Om Slouch Hat

Om Slouch Hat
A comfy, slouchy hat sure to look good on even those who think they don't look good in hats.

Oregon's Old Growth Hat

Oregon's Old Growth Hat
Knit in Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande Tweed for softness, with a beautiful cabled fabric for texture, this hat will keep your head and ears warm in the coldest temperatures.

Just Sleeves and A Hood Shrug

Just Sleeves and A Hood Shrug
The hood in this shrug pattern is tall and deep enough to not pull up on the shoulders for a very comfortable fit.

Clown Fish Love Anemones

Clown Fish Love Anemones
Sue Wineland's adorable grandaughter Margaret

My great-nephew, Charles Alexander Brown in his Bunny Hat

My great-nephew, Charles Alexander Brown in his Bunny Hat
He was the source of inspiration for my first design, the Chocolate Bunny Baby Hat, photoed here wearing the original.

My grandson Jaylen in his Spider Boy Hat

My grandson Jaylen in his Spider Boy Hat
Jaylen is fun to knit for...he loves to wear what I knit him!

Ivy Headband

Ivy Headband
My granddaughter, Skyla, modeling her headband that I knit for her.

My beautiful great-granddaughter Savannah Rain in her Noro hat with my granddaughter Katia

My beautiful great-granddaughter Savannah Rain in her Noro hat with my granddaughter Katia
Hand knit hat in Noro Silk Garden using Nancy Lindberg's "Headband, Hat, Helmet" pattern.