Printed Patterns Now Available through NNK Press

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Thursday, March 30, 2017

Super Clog Giveaway, Podcast news, and March Mayhem!


Hi, Knitters,
There is a lot going on today. First I posted a new podcast episode on my YouTube Channel. Click here to see the video on YouTube. I'll link all of the show note links at the end of this post. 

Next, I am so excited and honored that my Sheep! pattern has made it to the Final Four of the Mason-Dixon Knitting's March Mayhem bracket. We are in the Championship round. Thank you for voting and if you are up for one more vote I would really appreciate it. The voting is open today, March 30 and tomorrow March 31, 2017. Thank you so much for taking the time if you vote. 


I have put up a 20% discount for the Sheep! pattern on Ravelry (no code needed)! The pattern is set at $4.00 for today and tomorrow, March 30-31, 2017. Click here to go to the Sheep! pattern!


Now for a quick clog story...

I was in middle school when my mom bought me my first pair of Troentorp clogs. From then on at the beginning of the school year I would get a new pair of Levi's corduroys and a new pair of Troentorps. I was pretty much ready for anything with that kind of wardrobe. Years and years later, as an adult, I was at a doctor appointment and the nurse who was checking me in was wearing the same clogs I wore in high school. They were brown Troentorps with shoelace ties. I had forgotten about them and was completely enamored seeing her pair that day. 

Since that reminder I have been slowly building up my Troentorp clog collection. I think I have four pairs at this time and I simply love them. I especially love wearing them with my handknit socks. It is a super combination. 

I have been posting lots of Troentorp clog and handknit sock photos on my Instagram account lately. This lead the good people at Troentorp to contact me to see if I wanted to host an Instagram giveaway for a pair of Troentorp clogs. I said of course! I could not pass up this opportunity for my beloved sock-knitting friends.


To enter to win a free pair of Troentorp clogs of your choice do the following simple steps:

1. Leave on comment on Susan's Instagram post! Please do not leave a comment here on the blog or email me. Click here to go to the Instagram post to leave a comment. 

2. Follow @troentorpclogs over on Instagram! This is a must to be eligible to win. 
Click here to go to Troentorp Clogs on Instagram.

Troentorp has generously provided a 10% off discount code good through April 12, 2017 for you to use. The discount code is (same caps and space): Susan B

I hope you take advantage of this super fun clog giveaway and the discount code from Troentorp Clogs. 

I will be back in a few days to randomly select a winner over on Instagram. I'll be in touch with the winner at that time.


Show notes for Episode 28: Sweaters, Mittens & Hens

 Barrett Wool Co. We now have it so you can sign up for an email notice when any out of stock item returns to the shop. This is an immediate email update from the shop so your odds are really good this way!

Barrett Wool Co. Kits

Taproot Magazine (includes the Three French Hens pattern) for sale now on Barrett Wool Co!

Soulemama ~ one of my favorite blogs!

Branches & Buds Kits  Sign-up for the email notice and our newsletter to find out when these kits hit the shop next week. They have sold out super fast the other two times we listed the kits. We have a big order of yarn coming in for this next round.

Three Color Bulky Twist Mitten Kits Grab one of these kits now! I don't know when we'll have this yarn back in the shop, it could be awhile.

Fringe Supply Co. tape measure bracelet

Tea Embassy Lemon Chiffon Tea

Jennie the Potter

Suburban Stitcher Yarn and podcast

Knitters Guild Knit In event (I'm on the schedule to vend Barrett Wool Co. and to teach next year 2018!)

Wisconsin Woolen Spun Yarns

Home Fingering Weight Yarn

Three French Hens on Ravelry

Making Magazine 3 coming to Barrett Wool Co.! I have an adorable design in this next issue in May, 2017.

Never Not Knitting (house tape measure)

Little Skein (Winnie the Pooh bag)

Okay, friends! Thanks for the support and love and I'm sending it right back at you. Much love to you all. Happy knitting and I'll be back soon with more.
xo ~ susan 
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Friday, March 24, 2017

Butterfly & Cocoon Pattern ~ discount available now!


Hi, Knitters,
All of the beautiful photos in the post today were taken by Carrie Bostick Hoge of Maddermade and Making Magazine. Some of the photos originally appeared in Making Magazine 2: Fauna.

Today, the Butterfly & Cocoon pattern is available for download via Ravelry. I have put the pattern for sale at a special discounted price starting today and going through Sunday, March 26, 2017! The price is set at $4.50, no coupon code is necessary, and the regular price starting Monday, March 27, 2017 will be $5.50.

Click here to find out more information or to purchase the pattern for Butterfly & Cocoon!

We will be having kits for this pattern from Barrett Wool Co. when we get our new shipment of our Home yarns. The new shipment is arriving in a couple of weeks. We are so excited to be fully back in action with all of our yarn lines.


Also, another quick note. I just saw that my Sheep! pattern has made it into Round 3 of the Mason-Dixon Knitting March Mayhem! That's so exciting. Voting is now open for Round 3 and if you are so inclined I would love to have your vote to get into the Top 2 patterns in my category.

Click here to check out March Mayhem and to vote! Thanks so much.


Here is some more information you might like to know:

Butterfly & Cocoon

by Susan B. Anderson

 Making No. 2 / FAUNA

Knitting

Softies → Animal

October 2016

Quince & Co. Chickadee

Sport (12 wpi) ?

6 stitches = 1 inch
in stockinette stitch

US 3 - 3.25 mm
US 5 - 3.75 mm

200 yards (183 m)

5½" tall
This pattern is available for $4.50 USD
 buy it now or  visit pattern website
Discounted price of $4.50 is available today, March 23, 2017 through Sunday, March 26, 2017! No code necessary. Starting March 27, 2017, the price will be $5.50! 
Enjoy! 
Susan
Finished measurements
5½” (14 cm) tall
Yarn
Chickadee by Quince & Co.
(100% American wool; 50 grams / 181 yards)
• 1 skein each (only small amounts of each color are used) in the following color ways:
Sample 1: Kumlien’s Gull (A), Egret (B), Shell (C), Split Pea (D)
Sample 2: Clay (A), Chanterelle (B), Aleutian (C), Honey (D)
Sample 3: Iceland (A), Petal (B), Lupine (C), Pomegranate (D)
OR
50 yards (46 meters) or less of each color in sport weight yarn
Notions
• Tapestry needle
• Removable stitch markers
• Fiberfill
• Safety eyes, size 4.5 mm (see Notes)
• Black embroidery floss
• Waste yarn
Gauge
6½ sts = 1” (2.5 cm) in stockinette stitch with smaller needles
6 sts = 1” (2.5 cm) in stockinette stitch with larger needles
Notes
Butterfly is worked in the round from the bottom up and stuffed as you go. Face detail, wings, and antennae are added after. Cocoon is worked from the bottom up in the round, then bound off at beginning of hood and continued in garter stitch. Top of hood is grafted, with stitches kept live at center of hood to make I-cord loop.
Warning: Safety eyes are considered a choking hazard for young children and infants. Embroider eyes if this is a concern.
For more information, see: https://makingzine.com/


Now for a look at some playful photos by Carrie!













I love this one as it shows the little loop at the top of the hood.


So sweet!


Thanks for your continuing support. I really appreciate it and I hope you take advantage of the pattern discount if you're interested in knitting your own set of Butterfly & Cocoon toys!

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a wonderful weekend. I hope you get to spend some time knitting. I'll be back soon with more.
xo ~ susan

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Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Pattern Sale & Winner & March Mayhem!


Hi, Knitters,
I have randomly selected a winner for the Gale's Art 3-month Sock Blank Club. And the winner is.....
gathersnomoss (rav name) or Becky! Becky congratulations. I hope you enjoy knitting your socks. Thanks to everyone for leaving comments and I'll have another giveaway very soon. You can still sign up for Gale's Sock Blank Club! 

If you have sock blanks and you don't want to knit socks, don't forget that I have the perfect little shawl to knit up with one sock blank or one skein of sock yarn. It's called One Love and it is a really fun knit and a great spring/summer shawl. Click here to see the pattern for One Love!

Okay, now for the pattern sale. Over on Barrett Wool Co. we are celebrating the first day of spring (and it was 60 degrees outside yesterday!) by offering a 25% off coupon code for all of our patterns. 

The coupon code is: SPRING2017 and you enter it at checkout. You can use the code on Ravelry or on Barrettwoolco.com. 

Here are the Ravelry links to the patterns on sale (Code: SPRING2017)

Snowy Pine Shawl

Baa (includes exclusive video tutorials)

Wrap Me Up Toys

Wee Sheep (includes 7 exclusive video tutorials)

Hiking Hat

Skating Hat

Baker's Hat

Owen Hat

Waiting for Winter Bulky Mittens

Barrett Wool Co.wl (fisherman's rib ~ video tutorial included)

And one more quick thing, we have just restocked so much of our Wisconsin Woolen Spun yarns over in the Barrett Wool Mercantile! It is just beautiful yarn and you won't want to miss it.

Click here to check out our Wisconsin Woolen Spun yarns!



Over on the Mason-Dixon Knitting March Mayhem it appears my Sheep! pattern has made it through the first round of voting! Thank you so much if you voted. Round 2 voting ends at the end of the day today, March 21, 2017. So if you are voting, the Sheep! and I would love your vote for Round 2.

This is such a fun thing to get some knitting enthusiasm going. I love Ann and Kay of Mason-Dixon Knitting and if you aren't following their new website and shop, be sure to subscribe. They do a fantastic newsletter called Snippets every Saturday morning and I always look forward to it.

Click here to vote for Round 2 of March Mayhem! And thanks if you click on Sheep!


I just taught the Sheep! Workshop at the Madison Knitters Guild Knit In last weekend and it is such a fun class. It was wonderful teaching right in Madison at such a big event. 

Click here for the Sheep! pattern information or to purchase on Ravelry!

L to R: Mary Jane Mucklestone, me, Laura Nelkin, Lucy Neatby & Kate Atherley

I loved meeting all of the knitters in my classes and getting to hang out for a little bit with Lucy Neatby, Laura Nelkin, Kate Atherley and Mary Jane Mucklestone. My husband and I took the group out for dinner at the El Dorado Grill on Willy Street, and then we took them over to the Willy Street Co-op for a quick grocery shop. They were seeking out some healthy food to keep in their hotel rooms. 

It was a fun weekend. I hope you are all doing well. I have a fun Taproot Magazine giveaway coming up later this week so I'll be back very soon. 

Much love to you all.
xo ~ susan
p.s. I forgot to mention one last thing. Vickie Howell (of Knitty Gritty fame) is trying to start up a new knitting show and she has just started a Kickstarter. Click here to check it her campaign video! It sounds like a lot of fun. This would be a great thing for the knitting community! 
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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Gale's Art Sock Blank Subscription Giveaway and much more!

Bracket from Mason-Dixon Knitting

Hi, Knitters,
I've a few quick things before the giveaway information. First, the smart and clever ladies over at Mason-Dixon Knitting always surprise me with their fun ideas. Kay and Ann have come up with a knitting version of March Madness. Get your bracket now!

I am honored to be included in March Mayhem 2017 in the Home, Baby, Toy category with my Sheep! pattern. 

Voting for each category starts today, March 15, 2017 and they will have a winner by April 3, 2017. 

Everything Kay and Ann do is so well done and humor is always a major ingredient in their knitting.

Click here for the Sheep! pattern information or to purchase. This is my pattern that is included in the March Mayhem Bracket. 



One more fun thing is that over on Barrett Wool Co. we are having a quick tiny scissors sale. We have marked down the scissors at $1.00 off the regular price through March 16th, 2017! That's tomorrow! No coupon code is necessary. All colors and styles are included. We are stocked up with Putford, Flower Power and Little Love styles in great colors.

Don't miss out on adding to your scissors collection! I love these snips and I think you will, too.



photo from Gale's Art

Now for the giveaway!

Gale of Gale's Art asked if I would like to offer a 3-month sock blank club membership to one of my lucky readers and of course I said yes. You can choose between the sparkle club and the regular sock yarn club. 

The prize is worth $100! You will love Gale's sock blanks. They are beautiful and a treat to knit. The finished socks are speckled and so beautiful. I have knit socks from her sock blanks and the finished socks are some of my favorites. Thanks to Gale for the opportunity.


Yarn information:
Fiber content for the sock blank yarn is 75% merino, 25% nylon. There are 463 yards per sock blank and they are 100 grams. The Recommended needle size is 1-3 US with 7 to 8 stitches per inch.

To enter to win leave one comment on this blog post. You must include your Ravelry username or an email address as a contact if you should win. Please only enter one time, there is a delay before you will see your comment appear. Only click on the Publish button one time.  I will randomly select a winner in a few days. I will then give Gale your contact information so you can work out the details of the prize.

Read Gale's information about each of the three blanks below:

photo from Gale's Art

“Fireworks over New York City”-The first month, April, will feature a stylized New York City Skyline at sunset. The fireworks overhead are a celebration for the summer! SHIPPING- APRIL 7, 2017

photo from Gale's Art

“Yellowstone with Bear” -The second installment will be a tribute to one of the greatest natural treasures in the United State. Verdant green mountains and valleys are the background for many happy campers and an occasional bear. SHIPPING - MAY 7, 2017

photo from Gale's Art

“Hawaii is hot,hot,hot” – is the third and final sock portion of the club offering. You can almost smell the tropical flower flowing on the trade winds of the islands! This is a super intensely colored sock has rainbow hues with purple hibiscus and bright green leaves dancing across it! SHIPPING June 2, 2017


I just have to share these cute photos from last weekend. My husband and TC and I went out for Sunday breakfast downtown and then we went to a fantastic art exhibit at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. There was also the St. Patty's Day Parade happening around the Capitol Square. My Miss Molly is from a big Irish family and they are in the parade every year. We walked over to see them and I was struck by all of our Waiting for Winter Mittens.

Miss Molly had knit her own pair and had knit some for her sister, Megan. I was wearing my own pair of Waiting for Winter Mittens out of some of my handspun yarn. My son snapped the photo above when we were comparing our mittens and I thought it was so cute. 

I am wearing my newest hat pattern called Owen. Click here for the Owen pattern!


Here are the mittens up close! 


Good luck if you enter the giveaway. I'll be back soon with more.
xo ~ susan
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Saturday, March 11, 2017

Owen ~ new pattern release!

Hi, Knitters,
I hope you are all doing well. I 
Last night I released a new pattern over on Barrett Wool Co. and it is called Owen. This wonderfully simple colorwork hat is so much fun to knit and to wear. 







Here is some information you might like to know about the pattern:

Owen

by Susan B. Anderson

Barrett Wool Co.

Knitting

Hat → Beanie, Toque

March 2017

Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight
Barrett Wool Co. Wisconsin Woolen Spun Fingering Weight

Fingering (14 wpi) ?

7.5 stitches and 8 rows = 1 inch
in stockinette stitch

US 2 - 2.75 mm

250 yards (229 m)

Two sizes in pattern to fit an 18-22 inch head circumference
This pattern is available for $5.00 USD
 buy it now or  visit pattern website
Our new Owen hat is a simple and classic colorwork hat that is fun and entertaining to knit. There are two different size options, one fitted and one with a looser fit. And there are two different sample versions using the exact same charts but yielding very different looks. Both sizes are designed to fit a head circumference from 18-22 inches, which covers a wide age range from child to adult size.
The classic two-color hat shows off the crisp colorwork of the contrasting colors, in either the red or blue, against the heathered oatmeal background. We just love this classic look for any gender. The colorwork “stripes” add a fun twist to the traditional look of the hat.
The colorful version of Owen uses a creamy white background with five gorgeous colors worked together and alone throughout the hat. The colorful version is inspired by one of our favorite local nature conservancies. The colors directly relate to the gorgeous Wisconsin landscape we see especially in the late summer or early fall including blue sky, field grasses, purple and orange wildflowers and of course the green grassland.
We hope you enjoy this simple dip into two-color stranded knitting. This pattern would be especially good for beginners and experienced knitters alike.
Finished circumference measurements
17 (19) inch (43 48 cm) circumference, 8 (9) inch (20 22.5 cm) length from cast-on edge to the top of the hat at the gather.
Note on Intended Fit:
Either size can fit a head circumference of 18-22-inches comfortably. The smaller size makes a snug fitting hat and the larger size makes a looser fitting hat. My head measures 22-inches and both sizes fit me really well. The yarn and fabric have a lot of stretch. The Wisconsin Woolen Spun yarn really blooms and expands a bit with washing.
The two-color hat is shown in the smaller size.
The colorful hat is shown in the larger size.
Yarn
Classic two-color version:
Barrett Wool Co. Wisconsin Woolen Spun Fingering Weight, (450 yards or 411m/100 grams), 1 skein each in Oats (MC) and Harbor or Jam (CC).
Colorful version:
Barrett Wool Co. Wisconsin Woolen Spun Fingering Weight, (450 yards or 411m/100 grams), 1 skein in Birch (MC).
Barrett Wool Co. Fingering Weight (370 yards or 338m/100 grams) small amounts (approx.
90 yards/25 grams each) in each of ve contrasting colors. Sample uses: Birch (MC) and Grassland (CC1), Wool Violet (CC2), Field (CC3), Wishing Well (CC4), and Marmalade (CC5). This includes yarn for the pom-pom; if not mak- ing one, you will only need a small amount of CC5.
Needles
US size 2 (3mm), 16-inch circular needles and double-pointed needles or size to obtain gauge.
Gauge
7.5 stitches and 8 rows per inch in stockinette stitch
Materials
Yarn needle
Stitch markers
For more information, see:https://www.barrettwoolco.com/products/owen


I knit up different versions of the hat in different colorways!


This hat reminds me of the colors in the original Home Alone hat worn by Kevin. I've always loved that hat so much. Kevin's hat has reindeer but this gives a similar appearance.


The hat feels and fits like a charm. This is the looser fitting size. 


You can see that there is more length and ease in this hat.


This is the more traditional fitted version.  The hat is light as air but still warm due to the woolen spun yarn. 


Hat knitting for me is not seasonal. It is a year-round project. Even in the warmer months ahead I love having a hat on the needles. It is fun, small and portable, which is perfect for warmer weather. And you know it will get used and loved in the colder seasons ahead. 

I hope you enjoy this new pattern. We had kits available on Barrett Wool Co. but I think they've sold out already this morning. Click here to see the kits for Owen! Check to be sure. Maybe we'll be able to restock them.

The best way to find out about new kits or restocking of kits is to subscribe to our newsletter on Barrett Wool Co. Click here to go to Barrett Wool Co. and enter your email in the box at the bottom of the page. The box is on the bottom of every page. 

I'll be back soon with more. Until then...
xo ~ susan
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Saturday, March 04, 2017

Three French Hens ~ Taproot Magazine

 

Hi, Knitters,
I am sitting in my hotel room in Austin, Texas (well, really just outside of Austin) where I am spending the weekend teaching at the Knitting in the Hills retreat. The retreat is hosted by the wonderful shop called Hill Country Weavers. The retreat is going really well, so far it's been a lot of fun and I've met some great and kind knitters.

A few days ago I had an exciting pattern release. Amanda Soule of the Soule Mama blog, which I have followed for the past 10 years or so, emailed me to see if I would contribute a design to her magazine called Taproot. I couldn't say yes fast enough!

Click here for the Soule Mama blog! This blog is fantastic, I can't recommend it any higher. I have made Amanda's recipes, purchased her books, sewn her projects, admired her family, knitted projects just like hers (Shalom, for example) and longed for her little farm. She has a sweetness like no other.

Click here for Taproot Magazine! We will be selling the Weave themed magazine over at Barrett Wool Co. very soon. Hopefully next week when I get home.

A bit on Taproot Magazine now. I subscribed the minute I heard about Amanda's new venture, she is the editor of the magazine. It is an ad-free magazine with beautiful artwork, recipes, articles, stories, crafts, etc. It's a very organic, homestead-like magazine and I love it. I have saved every issue on a special bookshelf. I read every page when it arrives, but slowly so I can make it last. 

When the magazine first came out I saw it on the racks at the checkout at Whole Foods. I stopped in my tracks. I was so excited about it. I told my kids but they didn't really get it. I felt such a connection to the magazine because of my years of following Amanda.

  

Anyway, I thrilled and so proud of the project I designed and pattern I wrote for Taproot. Since the magazine has a bit of a homestead theme I decided to make some chickens. Amanda loved the idea. Since the theme of the magazine is Weave, I chose to do a woven colorwork pattern in the body of the hens. It worked out really well.

I was doubly excited to be able to use my own yarn, Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight, for the project. We will be having kits available using the Home Fingering Weight in Picket Fench, Red Flannel and Peppercorn, and we will have the magazine for purchase as well in the very near future.

That's how Three French Hens came to be!



Here is some information you might like to know:

Three French Hens

by Susan B. Anderson
 Taproot Magazine, Issue 21:: WEAVE
Knitting
Softies → Animal
March 2017
Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
7.5 stitches = 1 inch
in stockinette stitch
US 2 - 2.75 mm
The pattern will be available in my Ravelry pattern shop in 6 months from the magazine release date.
Introduction: 
These adorable French Hens are the perfect size to sit on a windowsill or, better yet, to fit lovingly into the small hands or pocket of a child. The completely seamless construction makes for a fun and fast knit. The hen is worked from the bottom up starting with a flat garter stitch piece for the base. Stitches are picked up around the edges of the base for the body, which is then knit in the round. The body is completed with a bit of grafting at the top, leaving live stitches from which the head is then knit, followed by the crown. The beak is then picked up and knit on. Before you know it you have created a beautiful little hen.
Three French Hens have a fun, smooth and slick construction with lovely results. Knitting the hens can be somewhat addicting. You may end up wanting to knit an entire brood!
Finished measurements: 3 ½-inches (9 cm) tall, 3-inches (7.5 cm) in length.
Yarn: Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight (100% American Wool; 370 yards (338 meters)/100 grams), 1 skein each in Picket Fence, Red Flannel, and Peppercorn.
Samples: 
Hen #1: 
Main Color (MC): Picket Fence (Background color) 
Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Red Flannel (Base) 
Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Peppercorn (Woven lines)
Hen #2: 
Main Color (MC): Peppercorn (Background color) 
Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Red Flannel (Base) 
Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Picket Fence (Woven lines)
Hen #3: 
Main Color (MC): Red Flannel (Background color) 
Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Peppercorn (Base) 
Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Picket Fence (Woven lines)
Needles: US size 2 (2.75mm) set of 4 double-pointed needles or size needed to obtain gauge.
Gauge: 7.5 stitches and 9 rows per inch (2.54cm)
Materials: 
Detachable stitch marker 
Tape measure or ruler 
Yarn needle 
Polyester fiberfill 
Poly-pellets – Optional: considered a choking hazard for small children! 
Black embroidery floss for the eyes 
Scrap yarn to hold stitches 

I made three different version of the Hen using all three of the colors.


This one may be my favorite. 


Gotta have the back view!




The magazine is beautiful and I am very honored and proud to be a tiny part of it.

Click here for the information on Ravelry! In 6 months the pattern will be available for purchase in my Ravelry pattern shop.

Love to you all. I hope you are all well. I better scoot off on my run before I teach. 
xo ~ susan




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