Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Knitting on Fire



Hi, Knitters,
One quick and fun announcement, my publisher has made all of my books available for the Kindle and iBook! This is incredibly exciting. Right now all of my books are on sale for around $2.99 and less. I hope you take advantage of this incredible opportunity. Even if you own the hard copies of the books, to be able to own them digitally is a big deal, perfect for portability and easy access anytime (travel and yarn shopping included). All of the book content is now available at the tips of your fingers instantly. I love that this has happened. I'll talk more about the eBook editions later.



Now for today's topic at hand:

My house is full of fiber, yarn and knitting this fall. To quote the song, this girl is on fire! It's that time of year.

Paula Emons-Fuessle introduced the Magic Cake Ruffle Shawl this week and she told me I was the first one to purchase her new pattern. Yesterday, in my post-event-fog of a Monday, I slowly selected my leftover fingering weight yarn and wound it in a gigantic cake of all in one ruffle shawl yarn. It was fun, mindless and somewhat soothing. I hand-selected yarns that are my favorites for many different reasons.

One yarn is Opal sock yarn from socks I knit for my sister-in-law a couple of years ago. These were some of my all-time favorite socks and although I loved giving them away, I have longed for a pair for myself ever since. I put in my beloved Kristin Nicholas Garden Effects yarn and my adored remnants from three gorgeous skeins of Cakewalk Yarns. I threw in some old Kaffe Fassett Regia from a pair of socks I made for TC many years ago. Last but not least, I tossed in some Noro Kureyon Sock. I still love and wear these socks all of the time. I will modify as I knit, pulling out colors and maybe even adding more. I plan to let the shawl pull me in and take me for a knitting ride. No plan is set but this is a memory shawl for sure, a trip down memory lane.

The yarn bowl above was a gift from a beloved Itty-Bitty Knits group member on Ravelry. The ceramic artist's shop is here.


Links for the project:
Magic Ruffle Shawl by Paula Emons-Fuessle
The Knitting Pipeline ~ (Paula's podcast) Please listen to episode 150 to learn more about the shawl! All of your questions will be answered in the podcast episode or in the written pattern.

I highly recommend this project. You will love it! This project and the Patchwork Socks are wonderful and useful ways to use up and find beauty in your leftover sock yarn.


Friends in Fiber Falkland Pumpkin Patch is now on the wheel. This fiber shop on Etsy is amazing, has great service and wonderful products. The owner wrote me a personal note to thank me for the many visits to her shop after my mention of the Falkland Number 6 fiber from her shop. She has it available now if you are interested. This is some beautiful roving.



Gorgeous. Fun. Autumnal.

Double Marl technique ~ my favorite way to spin!


Here are some progress shots from the Peerie Flooers hat by the talented and interesting Kate Davies.


What a fun and motivating knit so far.


My love of colorwork is stronger than ever. I use stitch markers to mark the repeats. This helps me go a lot faster. I don't ever have to stop to see where I am once I start the round, it is instantly memorized. I am in love with this hat. The fabric is light and woolly and so beautiful. I am excited to get to the top decreases. I am making the medium size to make sure it covers my ears for the bitter cold winter ahead. I have one more repeat to go before the last chart for the top.

Sheep Heid is next and then Snawheid after that and you better believe I am making that gigantic pom-pom for the top of Snawheid. I love Kate Davies' work.

best, susie
p.s. If you are reading this as an email subscriber, please hop over to my actual blog (click here for susanbanderson.blogspot.com) and take a look at the fresh new layout. The photos are bigger and brighter and I have a new header. I am loving the new look. The sock yarn in the header is 15 Colour Rainbow by Fab Funky Fibres on Etsy.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just love looking at all the pretty pictures on your blog. I love that cake and yarn bowl, I need to get one of those!

knit by nat said...

I am knitting like crazy too right now! I almost feel guilty for my knitting laziness by the end of the summer, but I always get right back into it come fall. The joy of knitting! If you have not seen it, Mr. Printables' blog makes the most AMAZING pompoms and such an easy DIY pompom maker for those giant pompoms! http://blog.mrprintables.com/making-flower-pom-poms-diy-pom-pom-maker/

redsoxgal5 said...

Wow, the colors are spectacular! Great blog as always,you write so well and share so much! Love all the photos!

Stefanie said...

Congrats on moving into Kindle versions. I like how those red flowers pop in the colorwork. Christopher Walken is hilarious.

Anonymous said...

I have loved the Peerie Flooers pattern for ages! It's lovely to see yours growing so beautifully. :) I'm excited to hear about your books being available on Kindle! Perhaps someday they'll be on Kobo so I can access them that way. I think it would be wonderful to have he patterns with me on my ereader, rather than my usual photocopy. :) Someday! By the way, I found the Downton Abby pattern book today in the U.S. when we shopped there! I'm very excited about the patterns in it, and dh has chosen the scarf/hat pattern for me to knit him. I have several chosen for me to knit for myself. I love the shawl pattern and what a brilliant idea to join "leftovers" to make a pretty cake of yarn to knit it! Must go rummage in the sock yarn stash...
samm

Anonymous said...

I just downloaded the topsy-turvy toy book and "Itty Bitty Toys" on my Kindle. I want to knit all the Christmas toys for next year and use them as decorations. I have been on a mitten binge---I am knitting "Waiting for Winter" mittens and the "Manly Mittens" from Ravelry. They are the easiest two-color mittens EVER.

Anonymous said...

I love how your shawl has bits and pieces of memories in it. I have a quilt my grandma made that reminds me of so many outfits.

Thanks for the heads up on the kindle sale. I've been eyeing Itty Bitty Toys for a while, to go with my Itty Bitty Hats.

-DCAlaneKnits

Jennie said...

I love that your books are on the kindle. I have Itty Bitty Toys in print, and I am going to my kindle to download the others. This is wonderful news!

Jennie said...

I love that your books are on the kindle. I have Itty Bitty Toys in print, and I am going to my kindle to download the others. This is wonderful news!

Maureen said...

Recognized your yarn bowl as soon as I saw it. I have a little bird sitting on my kitchen windowsill that I purchased from the artist at a farmers market in Binghamton NY while visiting my daughter at college last year!

Karen said...

How amazing that your books are on Kindle now. I live abroad & so I don't have access to lots of books I'd like to purchase. And then it is always so difficult to choose... but at those Kindle prices, I may have to buy everything you've ever written, Thanks,

Mary said...

They're on iBooks for the same price! I bought two!

Wendy said...

Love that the books are available on Kindle!

Sandra said...

Love your blog. Beautiful photos. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the trip to Kindle haha. then you talked me into the pattern for the stranded hat. My logic was that I had saved so much on the books more haha thanks for the wonderful morning--- it feels like Christmas over here!!!!!

Michele said...

I just purchased all of the books for my kindle (except Itty Bitty toys which I have in print), thank you to your publisher for offering them to us at such a low price!

Michele said...

I'm not sure if my first comment posted, my iPhone is acting silly. But I just wanted to thank you and your publisher for offering us your books at such a low price. I purchased them all except Itty Bitty Toys which I have in print. The others were all in my wish list. It was great to be able to get them at this bargain!

Unknown said...

Your hat is beautiful. What yarn are you using? I just bought topsy turvey knits for my kindle!

Unknown said...

I love your hat! What yarn did you use? I just purchased Topsy Turvy Knits, I can't wait to start knitting!

abelian said...

I own two of your print books, and am happy to have the chance to read others with iBooks. Thank you! I noticed that iTunes still lists Just Like Me Knits and Spud and Chloe at the Farm at prices much higher than $2.99. Are those supposed to be on sale, too?

Dot

Susan B. Anderson said...

Hi, Dot,
I am not the author of Just Like Me Knits. I did write the forward for that book only. I don't know why that pops up with my other books.

As for Spud and Chloe, I'm not sure why the price is higher on that one...

Take care, susan

Alicia said...

I truly enjoy reading your blog every week. Thank you for sharing your passion for knitting.

Unknown said...

I love the new picture of your very colorful socks. I've always worn just black, grey or brown socks and just started on my own sock drawer full of color. You're inspirational and thank you for the heads up on your books - went right over and bought a couple for my Kindle!

Erika said...

I love the idea of that Magic Cake shawl! And that Kate Davies hat is unbelievably cheerful.

This is definitely the best time of year to be a knitter. Early enough that you'll be able to finish things in time to wear them, but far enough from Christmas that gift knitting hasn't worn a knitter down.

Unknown said...

I hope that "I'll talk more about the eBook editions later" means the books will also be available in ePub format? Because I have a Nook. :)

Unknown said...

I'm hoping the books will also be put into ePub format... because I have a Nook. :)

April said...

Super excited about ebook options! Thanks :)

April said...

Super excited about ebook options! Thanks :)