Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Cool Stuff

Hi Knitters,
This has to be fast and furious, too much work for me and too little time. I have so much to share with you. I am in the midst of editing and nearing my last little bit to get organized today and send on back to my trusty editor, Trent, at Artisan tomorrow. The book is shaping up very well and I heard yesterday that the cover shot and design has been selected. I can't wait to see it. It's all pretty exciting. 

Imagine my dismay when I opened up my email a couple days ago and I saw an email from Susan Duckworth. I had to rub my eyes, grab my glasses and check my pulse. To refresh your memory and mine, I had to go back to this post. She saw this. Yes, Susan Duckworth is the author of the book that started me on my knitting obsession back in the 1980's. When I see an email from the author of the book that changed my life, it is surreal in a way that I can't describe. Susan wrote that she loved my blog post and the comments and that she is still going strong. Her site is here and it is beautiful. I wrote her back and I thanked her for changing the course of my life forever through her work. Was that too much? I hope not. Who ever could have dreamed that would happen to me? It is enough to last me a long while.

Yesterday I was trying to avoid knitting at all costs so I would simply sit and read and edit. However, knitting is literally like breathing for me, I can't possibly go a day without any or a lot of it included. It is like when I try to diet, I only want to eat more. I rolled up my new skein of Mountain Colors River Twist and started this beautiful scarf pattern. You may like the pattern, too. The yarn is fantastic, the pattern is easy and fun. And that's all I knitted yesterday, that's not too much but enough to make me feel better. Can you relate to that or is it just me?
The other day while knitting with my Girl Scout bunch I finished up the first Noro Kureyon Sock yarn sock. I am in love and I already started the second sock. This is how I have been walking around my house. The sock is pretty, my look is not. My kids just shake their heads as I walk on by. Do I care? nope. Note the recorder and the Nerf shooter in the photo, this shot sums it up around here. It's a miracle I get any work done.
My sweet bag sewers/geniuses are getting some cool nationwide publicity in Crochet Today, the current issue.  It's the SewBendy bags! I have been touting these fantastic, handmade, reasonably priced bags for awhile now. I own more than I am willing to share, it's a little embarrassing. Every sewbendy bag I have is crammed full with a small project just waiting to jump on my wrist as I go out the door or to carry around the house. For a long time I kept one bag in my car at all times with a sock project going. I have to do that again.
When I see prints like pears and sweet peas I can't resist. I try to wait it out and then when I check back and the bags I want are still there I think it is fate and I have to get them. I am only being kind to give them a home, right?
I still can't get over the sweet pea bag. It was meant for me, I am sure of it. The graphic print on outside is only rivaled by the small pea pod print on the inside. The bags are gems and treats. If you have any inkling, you should get one. They are meticulously sewn, there is a snap loop feature to hold your yarn, keys, needles, etc. and a pocket on the inside. The bags are perfect. There are two styles. The pear bag is the knit/tuck and the sweet pea bag is the knit ditty. Go for it!
Back to this now. Oy. Decisions, decisions. You'd all like to see more project patterns than basic instructions, right? That's what I'm leaning towards and I hope you'll agree. Let me know what you think on this subject. There will still be techniques/instructions in the book and lots of them. I know that I always skip the instruction section in the books I get and go straight to the patterns...

Gotta go! Yikes.
best, susie

19 comments:

Dappled Green said...

I absolutely agree about deleting the basic instruction pages. I can't tell you how irritated I get to see the "how to make a knit stitch" over and over again in books that I have purchased for the patterns. Those instructions have their place in the world but not in a pattern book in my opinion!

Alison said...

I agree, you can buy books filled with nothing but basic knitting help, most of us have them, so it's nice to pick up a book filled with patterns front to back.
Maybe there should be a help site for those of us with as many project bags as we have knitting projects!

KCina said...

Susie..Thanks for reposting info about SewBendy..I'd been wanting to get a bag, but they didn't have exactly what I wanted, until TODAY...Fishy bag was just ordered and I made sure they knew YOUR BLOG was why I went shopping today!
~ Cheers!
~ Kathy (Hillsboro, Oregon)

KCina said...

Hi Susie,

Thanks for posting about SewBendy today...I had been wanting one of their bags, but hadn't seen just the right fabric, until today! Fishy bag has been ordered and I made sure they knew I found them thru YOUR BLOG!

Cheers!
~ Kathy (Hillsboro, Oregon)

Susan B. Anderson said...

CFcina!
I was looking at that fish bag! I am glad you got it first:)
susan

Kathleen said...

YES PUH-LEASE don't fill up the new book with basic instructions. There are plenty of books out there for that purpose....we want patterns, patterns, patterns...the more complicated and challenging the better (well, ok, that last bit is just my opinion..) Any hint as to the title????

Anonymous said...

Susan...Where did you get the knitting bag in the pic that looks like a punchneedle rug?

Susan B. Anderson said...

Kargas,
I got the bag at the Knitting Tree in Madison. It is a Be Sweet bag. I love it.
susan

The Andersons said...

As much as I love your basic instruction pages, I thin more patterns are a better choice. Your books are always the first place I go if I need a refresher on anything. Your instruction pages are the best I've seen and the illustrations are very clear. I love, love, love them! But perhaps in your third book you can leave some of that behind. Can't wait for your new book!

Susan B. Anderson said...

Kathleen,
The title of the new book is, Itty-Bitty Toys! I think it may have just come up on amazon as a pre-order but with no cover photo yet.
susan

barb :0) said...

HI SUSAN,
I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU IF THIS BOOK CONTAINED TOYS ...... UNTIL I READ THE LAST ENTRY !!!! YIPPPEEE !!!!
WHEN IS THE BOOK DUE OUT AND DO YOU HAVE A BOOK SIGNING SCHEDULE YET ???? I CAN HARDLY WAIT !!!! YOU HAVE SIGNED BOTH OF MY ITTY BITTY BOOKS :0)
THANK YOU !!!!

~ ♥ LISBETH ♥~ said...

Hello ! Just me popping by to say hello. Always so interesting reading your posts.

Did you see the little hen that I knitted from Itty- bitty nursery? Anyway I arranged a give-away and the winner was Mias Landliv. She has an absolutely beautiful blog that I am sure you will love and the little hen looks so sweet on one of her beautiful quilts. Here is the link :
Miaslandliv

Take care.
All the best ,
Lisbeth.

Anonymous said...

I would almost agree with you about the basic knitting but...the other day when starting another hat I needed to refer to your book about how to start knitting in the round. My mind just went blank.I went to your book because I think you're the most clear in your writing.

As to the basic knitting and purling. No, that's pretty basic. I would refer people to your web site for your tutorials. I think those are fantastic. Those videos are really worth a thousand instructions.

Carisa said...

Susan--Don't you know this is how most of us feel about YOU! You are our inspiration and knitting guru! Can't wait for the new book. Love your blog--especially the post on the girl scouts teaching that was fantastic.

peaknits said...

What a great sock! Are you going to the Knit In?? I am only going to hit the vendors - child care issues - but honestly, just that will make me soooo happy:)

Unknown said...

Susan! You are SO good to us. We couldn't have been as successful without support from folks like you. We can't help but swell with pride every time you mention us - it's always such a fun surprise. Thank you!!

<3
SewBendy
(Melissa & Jenn)

Kristin Nicholas said...

Very cool about the Susan Duckworth connection. She is a lovely woman - I met her many years ago when she came to a show. We represented Ballantine Books for a while. I still have that book although I was never brave enough to knit from it.

Good luck with the book edit - mine is coming along too....
Best - Kristin

Anonymous said...

I skip the instructions too and only look at it if there's something unusual. More project pages are always better!!

Mim said...

Susan,

I usually just skip over the knitting how to pages in books and like to get to the meat of it. But what if your book is the first book a non knitter picks up and is enticed to try with? Not sure what the right way to go is, to be honest.

It has just dawned on me that I still do not own your first two books, how is this possible? I have knit several items from them. I must do something about this asap!