Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Autumnal Odds and Ends

Hi, Knitters,

First things first, the winner of a copy of Drop Dead Easy Knits and two skeins of Quince & Co. Owl is....

thissandiknits on Ravelry!

Congratulations to Sandy. I've contacted Sandy via Ravelry to gather her mailing address and her Quince & Co. Owl color choices. All is set to go.

Thank you to Kirsten Kapur, Mary Lou Egan and Gale Zucker for the book to give away and to Quince for playing along as well. I'll have another giveaway very soon!

Now for a few odds and ends.

I am so excited about the fall issue of Vogue Knitting Magazine. You have to get your hands on this issue. I love and want to knit almost every project in the magazine, plus there are great articles with loads of information, tips, and beautiful photos. It is an issue mainly devoted to Fair Isle knitting and what design could be better to grace the cover than from the talented colorwork genius Mary Jane Mucklestone. Mary Jane is so deserving and I just honestly feel thrilled for her. I hope you all get to take a class someday from Mary Jane and meet her in person. She is interesting, smart, and fun and full of life. She has an article in the magazine about Fair Isle Knitting tips. And that hat on the cover is flying onto my needles. I am in love with this sweet little pointy hat. I have an old stash of Rowan Felted Tweed DK as you can see in the photo above. The hat on the cover is made in the same yarn. Now I just need to figure out my colors.

Click here to see Mary Jane Mucklestone's designs on Ravelry!

Click here for Mary Jane Mucklestone's website! Her world travels are amazing to follow.

Click here to follow Mary Jane on Instagram! You'll want to follow her.

Click here for Vogue Knitting Magazine! Really, go get this issue!

Click here to see all of the designs in the Fall 2016 issue of Vogue Knitting Magazine!

The magazine is in a new format and size. It is just stunning and exciting. There are lots of other designs by fantastic knitters that aren't colorwork, as well. The runaway hit seems to be the sweater from another favorite designer of mine, Nora Gaughan.

There is something for everyone. I'll keep you posted on my hat progress. I'm casting on today.

I have revamped my Build a Toy Workshop handouts for my upcoming classes this weekend at Knit City in Vancouver and for other upcoming venues. I am super excited about it. This is one of my favorite classes to teach because it lets the students take over as the designer with lots of guidance. I can't believe some of the fun knit toys that have come out this workshop. The photo shows just a few of the options you can make with the patterns provided in class.

Click here for Knit City in Vancouver! Oct. 1-2, 2016. There are still a few spaces left in two of my classes. I hope to see you there. I have a book signing on Sunday morning in the market at 9:00am, too.

Click here for Vogue Knitting Live in Minneapolis! November 4-6, 2016, registration is open.

I've finished the purple-themed socks I had been working on for awhile. They were a gift for my sister-in-law.

The Opal yarn is discontinued but you can still find it on Etsy.com if you look it up.

Yarn info:

Opal Sweet & Spicy 2, color number 8615. Cuffs, heels, and toes in Opal Solid in color 5186.

Here is the finished pair. My sister-in-law received them in the mail the other day and she said she cried when she opened the package. She tried them right on and said that the fit is perfect! Now that makes you feel pretty good and appreciated I'd say. She is a teacher and she told me she couldn't wait to show everyone at her school. That's about the cutest thing I've ever heard.

I used my new sock pattern called Smooth Operator Socks.

Click here for the Smooth Operator Socks pattern information or to purchase!

For this pair I used the No-Kitchener stitch toe and heel option, and the single line decrease option. Both of these options are included in the addendum to the pattern.

Then I cast on a brand new pair. I am using the Twister Stripes colorway from Knit Circus Yarns. I got the 100 gram set, the yarn comes in two matching cakes. I made the cuff 9-inches long in total and I made a 3-inch ribbed cuff to turn down. Next time I will try their smaller size socks sets. They have a medium-size that would be the perfect amount of yarn.

Click here for Knit Circus Yarns!

The sock pattern is again my Smooth Operator Socks pattern. For the heel I pulled the yarn from the other end of the yarn cake, I pulled from the outside. This works out so well because then you are using the last color of the gradient stripes for the heel. The challenge is to get to use all of the yarn and colors when you are working from an incredibly fun gradient yarn like Knit Circus. This makes it certain that you will reach the end color.

For this sock I used the Smooth Operator Socks original heel and toe decrease, with the rounder Kitchener Stitch toe and heel. The rounded toe and heel Kitchener Stitch option is found in the pattern addendum.

I bet you all have a lot of autumnal knitting odds and ends going on, too. It's that time of year and I am really happy about that. I am getting back into teaching again which feels good. I hadn't taught since last May before the Knit Circus Retreat. I really love to teach knitting workshops and it's good to have lots of venues on my schedule for the fall, winter and spring seasons ahead.

I'll be back soon. I'll try to remember to take lots of photos while I'm in Vancouver. I'll have lots to share next week. I'm already planning.
xo ~ susan

Friday, September 23, 2016

Drop Dead Easy Knits ~ Quince & Co. Owl Giveaway!

Photo from Drop Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

Hi, Knitters,

Last week a new and exciting knitting book was released, Drop Dead Easy Knits, by Gale Zucker, Mary Lou Eagen and Kirsten Kapur. I am fortunate enough to have a pattern included in the book, Bear in a Bunny Suit. I have a little story on how this came to be.

A couple of years ago Gale Zucker, who I first met at the SSK retreat in Nashville, asked if I wanted to get together at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC. I said sure! I love Gale and so does everyone else; she's a good soul. Well, to that meet-up Gale brought along Kirsten Kapur, who I didn't know personally but of course I know and love her knitting. We chatted for a bit at the hotel and then they took me on an adventure weaving through the city to a pop-up yarn shop for Starcroft yarn and fiber (this is amazing yarn with an even better story behind it).

I had the best time ever. I just loved that night, it was warm and cozy and magical. The beautiful sheep-y wool fumes and the knitting talent in that tiny shop was overwhelming. I stayed an hour or two. Right before I left to go back to the hotel Kay Gardiner of Mason-Dixon Knitting walked in the shop and I briefly got to meet her which was great. Gale Zucker is the common thread here for me and possibly everyone else at that event. Gale likes to bring people together. She is kind and friendly and interested in others. When I was at SSK she arranged a dinner with Ann Shayne, the other half of Mason-Dixon Knitting, and that was another treasured memory I have due to Gale. Really my dream is to get to work with Gale someday on some sort of project and hopefully that will happen.

Kirsten Kapur, who is a native New Yorker, helped me catch a cab to get me back to the hotel. While we walked a block or two to get to a good cab-catching spot Kirsten asked me if I would design something for their new book. Gale and Kirsten were going to ask me earlier in the night but the night sort of swept away quickly on us. I said yes to the book project offer, Kirsten flagged down a cab for me and I jumped in. That was that.

A short while later they got in touch with more details about the book and I started dreaming up my project for the now named book, Drop Dead Easy Knits. The projects are supposed to be fairly easy and doable, that is the point. I like that in any project and those are usually the most inviting projects to me so it's a good fit.

Click here for Drop Dead Easy Knits on Amazon!

Click here to see all of the projects in the book on Ravelry! There are patterns for sweaters, blankets, shawls, mitts, cowls, a scarf, and hats to name a few. It has great variety.

For my project I had always wanted to knit a little bear in a bunny suit and I thought Drop Dead Easy Knits might be a good place for it. My youngest daughter had a little stuffed bear dressed in a pink bunny suit when she was little and I saved it thinking I'd love to knit one of my own someday. I finally had the chance. I was excited to dig in and create this new and fun knit toy.

Photo from Drop Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

Click here for the Bear in a Bunny Suit project page on Ravelry!

I picked Owl yarn by Quince & Co. as the yarn for my bear. Two skeins of Owl is all you need and you could easily get two bears out of the two skeins. The bear is a fast knit on a worsted weight yarn on US size 5 needles.

Photo from Drop Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

The hood can be taken off or can be pulled up. I love a toy that has something to do and the hood with ears provides the "to-do" in this toy.

The toy is constructed almost completely seamlessly from the bottom up. The only stitching together is for attaching the head to the body which only takes a minute. With easy increasing and decreasing the bear body and head come together quickly.

The hood, ears on the bear and hood, arms and legs are all picked up and knit directly onto the toy so there are no separate parts to stitch together. I used safety eyes but you could easily embroider eyes as well.

The Quince & Co. Owl is such a great yarn for toy knitting. The alpaca halo and heather-y look of the yarn gives the toy a cozy, old-fashioned look, sort of warm and comforting.

Anyway, it's a cute and quick knit. Bear in a Bunny Suit is the perfect project for the gift-knitting season that is now upon us.

Click here to see more information about the Bear in a Bunny Suit!

There are so many projects in Drop Dead Knits that I would like to knit myself and I think you'll feel the same way, too. As a matter of fact I just looked up the book on Amazon and it is already the #1 bestselling knitting book! Congratulations to Gale, Mary and Kirsten! That's so exciting.

Giveaway!
I am giving away one copy of the book today. I also contacted Quince & Co. to see if they would want to give away two skeins of Owl to knit the Bear in a Bunny Suit and they said yes! So the winner of the giveaway will get to choose two skeins of Owl in any of the available colors along with winning a copy of Drop Dead Easy Knits.

To enter to win please leave one comment on this blog post that includes your Ravelry username or an email address so I can contact you if you win. Please be patient for your comment to appear and only click on the Publish button one time. There is a delay before you will see your comment.

I'll be back next week with a randomly selected winner. Have a wonderful weekend ahead. I'll be back soon with more. Oh, and here is a super cute video from the authors:

xo ~ susan

Friday, September 16, 2016

How to Make a Memory Book

Hi, Knitters,

First and foremost, the winner for the MrsBrownsBags and the Rhinebeck Sweater Weather sock yarn from Nomadic Yarns is......

DCKnitdiva (rav username)!! Evelyn, congratulations!

Evelyn and Nomadic Yarns have been contacted to exchange information and all should be set. Thank you for the enormous response to the giveaway. That makes it all the more fun. I'll host another one very soon.

Now for today's topic at hand. Last summer my son got married to his high school sweetheart who we just adore. I wanted to make a small memory book for them that wouldn't take up an enormous amount of space but would be filled to the brim with snippets from their wedding. During the entire lead up to the wedding day I started saving things like shower invitations, save the date cards, printed out (!) photos, old and favorite recipes handwritten on recipe cards, etc. Any little thing that would fit on the pages of the book I saved.

I had the kids (when I say kids I mean my son and his wife) pick out the guest book they wanted for their wedding. I loved the book they picked.

Click here for the same guest book they chose! It is the perfect size.

I began making the book cover by cutting out the fabric. I just made it up as I went along. I picked out a beautiful natural linen for the outside and the inside fabric is a natural cotton. I opened the book at the center and laid it flat on top of the fabric. Then I took a few measurements for the length and width of the rectangle I would need to cut out. For the flaps on each end to hold the book cover I added 2 extra inches onto the horizontal length of the rectangle.

Then all the way around each side of the opened book I added on 1/4-inch for the seam allowance.

Basically just open the book, lay it flat, cut out a rectangle to fit the opened book cover adding on extra length for the flaps on each end and for seam allowance. Super simple! Use your book as the pattern template.

I cut out the fabric with a rotary cutter. I set aside the cotton inside fabric and figured out where the front of the book would be on the linen. I put my embroidery hoop on the fabric and pulled out some embroidery floss and dove into the stitching. I loved every minute of it, this is my favorite part.

On the front I embroidered some flowers, buds and grasses and their names and wedding date. I just did this free-hand. For writing things out taking really tiny back stitches works the best for me. That way you can make the curves easily on the letters.

I embroidered on the back of the book, too. My friend and book editor sent a card with the sweetest quote and I am officially stealing it to use from now on. His card said, May your life be full of "moons and Junes and Ferris wheels." Do you know where that came from? I did but I had to tell the kids. It is a lyric from Joni Mitchell's song Both Sides Now. On the back of the book I stitched the sentence with a couple of different words but it's mainly the same. It's a little hard to capture in the photo for some reason but it's clear as day in person.

I just love those words so much.

After the embroidery was set I placed the inside fabric and the embroidered cover right sides together and sewed them together with my sewing machine leaving an opening to turn it right side out. I hand-stitched the opening closed then. I pressed the seams and pushed out the corners and got it looking nice and crisp. I added a gray binding around the edges for an extra detail, I think it looks good. I used the machine to attach the binding on one side and then hand-stitched it down on the other side, just like you would for a quilt. You wouldn't need the binding though, it looks good without it, too.

Next I folded over the flaps on both ends and hand-stitched those in place on the top and the bottom. The photo above shows the inside of the cover with the flaps stitched down. The front and back covers are inserted into the flaps to hold the fabric cover on the book. Think of it like a book jacket with the flaps sewn down at the top and bottom.

Here is a little tour of the inside of the book. I smudged out phone numbers and addresses and last names for privacy so if you see a little blur you'll understand.

I finished up the cover and put in some photos on the pages but then brought the book to the wedding to have the guests sign in. It's funny what happened. First people were signing the book with their names and addresses but by the end people were signing in with notes to the couple. I loved that so much because they already had the guests' addresses so notes and wishes seemed a lot more meaningful.

After the wedding I began putting the book together with everything I had collected.

Part of the fun was not being too neat and tidy about things. I pulled out my collection of washi tape and started taping everything down that I could find. There is so much cute washi tape on Amazon, I could really go crazy. Click here for a really cute set, for example! I am nuts over washi tape and I use it every chance I get.

I was touched that they used a bunch of my little sketches of leaves, acorns, and twigs on their invitations and other things. That was really a sweet touch.

I layered cards and had things that could flip up to show something else underneath. There are cards hanging over the edges of the pages at times. Art books are just fun. There are no rules, stack, tape, write on the pages, throw in photos, tags, funny stories, heartfelt notes, a napkin, a leaf, a flower, etc. Anything goes!

The pages became jam-packed with memories. I wrote a letter to the couple and put it in a sealed envelope in the book to read later. They still haven't read it and I suggested maybe waiting a year or two, space it out a bit. I like that idea.

The last thing I added was a button and a loop to close the book and hold the contents tight. You have to actually squeeze the covers to get the loop over the button. When the button loop is undone the book is kind of like a Jack-in-the-Box, it springs open and the pages explode. I used a smooth wood button that is engraved with a twig, I have a whole set of these for a cardigan, but I don't know where I purchased them. For the loop I hand-stitched a strand of hemp cord to the back. I made an over-hand knot with the ends of the cord to make the loop. I used sturdy thread and just let the knots show on the back. Again, there is nothing too neat and tidy about the book.

I made another book that was similar for my niece who got married just a few weeks later. Click here to see my niece's book! I packed this book chock full of shower cards, photos, notes, written messages from family and bridesmaids, invitations, etc. I used a blank book for this one. I love the little blank books from Bare Books. They are inexpensive, just the right size and have the perfect number of pages. They are not overwhelming to fill. Highly recommend. Click here for Bare Books.

I have to tell you that I could just sit and make these books all day long. I have the best time doing it but I didn't know if others would love it as much as I do. Well, my answer came when Molly politely asked about the book and I hadn't quite finished it yet. She spurred me on to get it done. When I finished it she came over to visit and I gave it to her. I was so touched that she immediately and quietly sat down at the kitchen table and slowly poured over each and every single page in that book. She drank it in. I could see how much she loved it as she ran her hands over the pages and smiled and giggled at the photos and notes. It was touching.

Honestly, I don't know if I've ever had something I've made received in a better way.

That felt really good.

Love to you all. I'll be back soon with more.

xo ~ susan

Friday, September 09, 2016

Rhinebeck Sweater Weather + MrsBrownsBags for you!

Hi, Knitters,

First and quickly, I am teaching at the Knit Circus Fall Retreat on Sept. 17, 2016, right here in Madison. I have two workshops and they are quite full but there are literally a couple of spots left. I'd love to see you there if interested.

Click here to sign up or to check out the Knit Circus Fall Retreat!

Now for the business at hand, I have a treat for you today. I am excited to be able to give away a couple of sought-after prizes to one lucky winner.

I believe I first saw Nomadic Yarns in the Rhinebeck Sweater Weather colorway of self-striping sock yarn on The Knit Girllls podcast. This was maybe a couple of years ago. I think Leslie was knitting a pair of socks with it. I immediately fell in love with the deep, rich fall-themed stripes. The entire ball has a golden hue and it is stunning. Although I thought long and hard about it I didn't end up ordering it at that time and then I basically forgot about it.

photo by gathersnomoss on Ravelry

Then my friend Becky, gathersnomoss on Ravelry, joined in the Smooth Operator Socks Knitalong. She was using the Rhinebeck Sweater Weather yarn for her socks and I was reminded about this beautiful colorway once again. This time I jumped right in and ordered some Rhinebeck Sweater Weather for myself and I felt so good about it. Becky's sock shows how beautifully this yarn knits up. It is dreamy and near perfection.

The yarn is dyed to order from Nomadic Yarns and you select the yarn base you would like. I like it when shops are set up like this because then there isn't a frantic update where you are trying to get that specific skein. It takes a bit longer to receive your order but I don't mind waiting a few weeks at all. After I received my yarn from Ashley of Nomadic Yarns I was not disappointed.

I ordered the Brit Sock base which is 80% superwash BFL, 20% nylon, 400 yards. The stripes move from deep purple to sky blue to brown to gold to orange and finally to red.

Click here for Nomadic Yarns on Etsy! Be sure to check out her other bases and self-striping colorways. Ashley is an amazingly talented dyer and project bag-maker!

Click here for the Smooth Operator Sock pattern which is perfect for keeping your stripes in order!

Ashley of Nomadic Yarns wrote me a note asking if I'd like to give away a ball of her beautiful Rhinebeck Sweater Weather sock yarn in the base of choice to one lucky winner and of course I said yes.

The next part of the prize is being offered by half of one of my favorite podcasts The Grocery Girls. Jodi is the sister on the left and the talent behind MrsBrownsBags on Etsy.

Click here for MrsBrownsBags on Etsy! (It will be empty because her bags sell out in minutes!)

Click here for The Grocery Girls Podcast on Youtube! I subscribe and love this sisterly podcast that Jodi does along with her real-life sister, Tracie. They are adorable, sincere, talented and so funny. You will want to watch this one, trust me. There is just something about sisters that is so good. The way they talk and know each other and laugh, it's the best.

Jodi has come up with such a clever take on her project bags. She knits up a big swatch of fabric in her favorite yarns, then gets this swatch made into printed fabric which she then sews into her lovely project bags. It is completely original. The bags are well-crafted with attention to detail. I love her matching leather zipper-pull and zipper, and the small ribbon loop and tag on the side. The inside is a creamy colored subtle print. I like that, too, because it is easy to see what's inside your bag.

Out of the blue a couple of weeks ago Jodi contacted me via Instagram to see if she could send me one of her project bags. I said sure! I had been admiring them on her podcast but I am terrible at keeping track of shop updates and knew I would never get one of her bags on my own. What I didn't know is that Jodi and her sister Tracie were going to send me a bag of treats that included project bags, maple candy (they are Canadian), cute scissors, a ball of Nomadic Yarns in their original Sock Tawk colorway (it's completely random that I had a giveaway of Nomadic Yarns in the works already), and knit-themed notecards. One of the bags they sent was marked for a giveaway! Thank you so much to both Tracie and Jodi for the gifts and the giveaway bag. You are generous and appreciated.

So here is your giveaway prize....

One skein of Nomadic Yarns in the base of your choice and in the Rhinebeck Sweater Weather colorway!

The fantastic knit fabric project bag in the photo above from MrsBrownsBags on Etsy!

To enter to win the yarn and project bag please leave ONE comment on this blog post that includes your Ravelry username or an email address so you can be contacted if you win. Please be patient for your comment to appear, there is a delay. Only click on the publish button one time, please. Next week I will randomly select one winner. I will contact the winner to gather the mailing address so I can send out the project bag, and also to put the winner in touch with Nomadic Yarns to make arrangements for the yarn.

Good luck to you all. Have a great weekend ahead. I'll be back next week with more.

xo ~ susan

Monday, September 05, 2016

Woolful Love

Hi, Knitters,

A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed by Ashley Yousling of the Woolful podcast. I fell in love with this podcast as soon as Ashley burst onto the fiber scene a couple of years ago. She is incredibly thoughtful and positive and talented so I was honored to be invited to be on her podcast.

The middle photo from above was taken by Carrie Bostick Hoge of Maddermade and Making Magazine. The pattern for the Flower Fairy and Leaf Sprite will be available for purchase in November 2016 in my Ravelry Pattern Shop.

Here are the pertinent links if you are interested:

Click here to listen to my Woolful interview!

Click here to check out Woolful on Instagram!

Click here to listen and subscribe to Woolful on Itunes!

I loved seeing the photos Ashley chose from my blog and Instagram to share on her website. I pulled her photo choices from her blog for you to look at here. Some of them are a trip down memory lane. Some of you long-time readers will get a kick out of a couple of these photos.

WOOLFUL PODCAST

Episode 65: Susan Anderson – Wisconsin homegrown, teaching, learning to write a book and knit toys

August 19, 2016

If you get a chance to listen to Woolful I hope you enjoy it! I'll be back in a few days with a fantastic giveaway. I've given a couple of peeks on Instagram if you want t check it out.

xo ~ susan

Friday, September 02, 2016

String Along Toys ~ ebook and print book now available!

Note: All photos in this post are provided from Quince & Co.

Hi, Knitters,

How are you? I hope everyone is doing well and that you are enjoying your last days of summer before school kicks into full swing. We are finally settling down a bit around here after the most hectic, jam-packed summer I can remember. What a whirlwind it has been.

I have a couple of quick announcements to talk about before we talk about my newest ebook and print book. First, I am teaching in Minneapolis at Vogue Knitting Live, November 4-6, 2016. Registration is open for classes and they are filling up nicely. I think one of my classes is sold out and I have raised the numbers a couple of times already to let more students in, but there are still other classes available from me and from many other instructors. I'll be at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC in January 2017 as well coming up here. Anyway, I hope you'll hop on over to check out VK Live in Minneapolis.

Secondly, I'm teaching in Vancouver at Knit City coming up on Oct. 1 and 2, 2016! I am super excited to teach at this venue. I have two classes sold out and I recently let the waiting list join these two workshops. I have a couple of other workshops still available with a few spots left. I hope you'll come and join me. I would love to meet you. Click here to visit the Knit City website and check it out.

Next, I am teaching at A Good Yarn's first big retreat, A Good Retreat, in Orlando, Florida coming up in May 18-21, 2017. I am so excited to be teaching alongside my buddies Ann Budd and Romi Hill. Click here to get all of the details and to sign up to join us!

Now for some exciting news! My brand new pattern collection, String Along Toys, is available through Quince & Co. I am so proud of this little group of toys. Let me tell you a bit about them.

I shared the new ebook here on my Instagram! I'd love to have you follow me over there for more up to the minute information and fun.

Click here for String Along Toys on Ravelry! The pattern collection/ebook will be available for purchase from my Ravelry pattern shop in November 2016 if you are interested. Now it is only available through Quince & Co.

Click here to order the ebook and print book on Quince & Co.!

I started teaching the String Along Toys workshop in 2013 and I kept promising that the patterns would be available through Quince & Co. since that time. It has finally happened and Quince has done a beautiful job with the patterns. Anyone who has finished their little String Along characters now have a place to post them on Ravelry. I know there are a lot of finished projects already out there. Click here to post your finished String Alongs on Ravelry!

Here is a little information about these adorable friends, monkeys, frogs and mice. They are all worked from the bottom-up and they are all seamlessly worked in one-piece. The body and head are worked in one-piece and then the ears, limbs and tails are simply picked up and knit onto the toy. The monkey and the If you notice, one of the limbs on each of the toy is finished with a loop. This loop allows the toys to be strung together in any combination. This makes the toys even more fun for little ones.