Never Boring

Hi Knitters,

Well, it's never boring around here. I want to fill you in on a couple of knitting and winning opportunities that have popped up recently.

First off, Braided is my new Spud & Chloë free pattern. Here is the Ravelry link for Braided if you're interested. Enjoy. I am hoping to get an instructional video up about how to make this scarf within a week or so. I'll keep you posted.

Next, the Itty-Bitty Knits group on Ravelry has reached over 1,000 members. In honor of this fantastic group of charity and swap and knitalong knitters and the growing membership I have started a giveaway thread. I talked to my editor, Trent Duffy, at Artisan books and he generously has offered to give away 3 preview copies of Itty-Bitty Toys. That means three winners will be selected!

Click here to enter the Itty-Bitty Toy book giveaway.

You have to be a member to enter the giveaway and I know a lot of you are already members so hop on over and enter. Please feel free to join the group now, too, you are always welcome in the group and then you can enter to win the book. The contest will be open through Oct. 5th.

The members of the Itty-Bitty Knits group are truly helpful, warm and welcoming. Their enthusiasm pulls you in and holds you. Honestly, I never thought I would become involved in a forum but I visit the Itty-Bitty Knits forum every day because it is so endearing and active. I always want to see what is going on there. The group runs constant monthly charity hat knitting that has benefited charity organizations all across the country and beyond. I venture to say at this point hundreds of knitted baby goods have been donated on behalf of the Itty-Bitty Knits group. That's a lot of good going on.

Yesterday, I desperately finished my fourth toy for a photo shoot that is happening today for Spud & Chloë and Blue Sky Alpacas and I mean right now. I literally lost track of the date and then on the news I heard the date being said in the background. I suddenly realized that I had this final toy due in ONE day. I could not believe it. It was only partially completed. I never do that, ever, and I won't ever do that again. It was painful. After hours and hours of straight knitting and detail work I finally finished the toy. At about noon yesterday I raced with my knitted toy wrapped in tissue paper over to FedEx and had it priority over-nighted to Minnesota, directly to the photo shoot location. Phew and double phew. Never again. never.

One other exciting thing that has been added to my schedule this week is due to an email I received from Candi Jensen last weekend. Candi is the producer of the PBS show Knit and Crochet Today. She wants to use three of my projects/patterns for the upcoming season of her show. This involves knitting up step-outs for the segment. You know, when they show the project being knit in progress. This means you have to knit up partially completed projects for them to use in the demonstration. When is all of this due in Detroit? Next week. Yeah, taping starts next week.

You are going to benefit from this Knit & Crochet Today endeavor, which I love. I am knitting a new washcloth/dishcloth pattern for the show that will be offered for free on my blog and also on the show's website. (There are tons of free patterns over there and you should take advantage!)

I haven't even started this one yet. (My stomach just sank.) I'll let you know when that's available for the taking.

Besides that, I should be receiving a contract for a new book deal from Artisan Books this week. The next book I am about to start is something new and different and I hope you are going to love it. I do. Artisan (a publishing group for Workman publishing) is the same publisher I have worked with from day one and I can't say enough good things about them. If you are on twitter you should follow Artisan Books for updates and fun and interesting tidbits. Artisan has several new knitting/fiber related books in the works that I am anxious to see. Artisan is also the publisher of Melanie Falick's, Knitting in America, now available in soft cover as America Knits and, Kids Knitting. These are two of the most popular knitting books of all time. It's a good, good publisher for knitters to get familiar with.

Plus, the tour for Itty-Bitty Toys is being set as I write. It will start in mid-November and I am literally going to be all over the country in the upcoming months. I'm very excited about this and I will post more information as soon as everything is confirmed.

Yikes, what time is it? I gotta go!

Oh yeah, I have a quilt class to squeeze in, too. I have to cut my fabric today. I actually thought things would be calm around here at this time when I signed up for this class last summer. Foiled again.

Wish me luck and I wish you luck if you enter the giveaway.

best, susie