Sunday, December 17, 2017

Isthmus Itty Bitty Article & Little Giraffe!

photo by Sharon Vanorny

Hi, Knitters,
I hope you are doing well. December is going by quickly and there is still no snow in Madison. The temperatures have been pretty mild for the most part. I always love it when there is snow on the ground for Christmas so hopefully this week we will get some. Fingers crossed.

I am fortunate enough to be featured on the cover (photo above) and inside the Madison weekly newspaper called the Isthmus this week. That has been a fun experience. And about that photo, I was actually sitting on that porch swing in a Madison neighborhood so that part is true. The little animals were also sitting on that porch swing with me, most of them are about 6-10 inches in height at best. So when I saw the photoshopped knit toys that were made huge it was a little startling. The photo has grown on me though, I love the playfulness and creativity the it evokes. It does catch your eye for sure and that is good for a cover photo.


The article is well-written by Linda Falkenstein and it includes interviews with Evan Anderson, Jaala Spiro of Knit Circus, and Paula Emons-Fuessle of the Knitting Pipeline

I met with Linda to for the interview in person and she had a lot of good and different questions for me. She is about my age and is also a lifelong Madisonian so I think in some way that added to the interview in a good way. It was fun going down memory lane and also talking about all of the recent developments in my knitting life. 

photo by Sharon Vanorny

I love it that Evan was part of the article, too, and that they featured Barrett Wool Co. We are actually sitting at my sister's table here. 

Anyway, check out the Isthmus if you are interested. It is a true Madison staple. 

photo by Carrie Bostick Hoge for Making Magazine

Now for some knitting news. The Little Giraffe pattern is now available for individual download on Ravelry. The pattern was originally in Making Magazine No. 3 / Dots

To celebrate the pattern, I have set the price at a discounted $4.00, no code is needed, until December 22, 2017. Then the regular price will be $5.50. 


But even better, we brought the Little Giraffe Kits back to Barrett Wool Co. in some fantastic new color choices. The kits include everything you need to make the Little Giraffe except the stuffing. You get the yarn, pattern (if needed), safety eyes and black yarn to stitch the nose.  



The kit above is in the Strawflower pink and Folkstone gray colors in Home Worsted Weight yarn.

photo by Carrie Bostick Hoge

The Little Giraffe measures in at about 10-inches in height. The toy is knit almost completely seamlessly. The feet, arms, and ears are knit first and then as you knit the body and head the appendages are knit right in as you go. There is no guesswork at all. The only seam is to stitch the head to the body. 


photo by Carrie Bostick Hoge

Anyway, it is an awfully cute toy and I love the size on this one (even though it isn't as life-size as in the first photo), it is kind of perfect for kids to snuggle and hold.

Have a great day, Knitters, and I'll be back soon with more.
xo ~ susan

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful article in the Isthmus. The first paragraph nailed it - you are a rockstar! I was excited to see big toys sitting next to you; “new patterns are out!” But no, haha! Hope to see you next year at A Good Yarn again.

Karen said...

I am a BIG fan of yours. The article was wonderful. I have a group on face book called TOYS.....knitted in the round. You are our super hero there. I do a lot of posts with the newest development of your business and patterns. We also promote other designers who knit in the round. I challenge those who have a flat pattern to try to convert to the round. But I love your patterns because you do all that work. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1493890657344841/ THANKS

Pearl said...

I just wanted to let you know I read the Isthmus article and it was like a nice respite from the frenzy of the season. I've been reading your blog and watching podcasts for years. I guess the article reminded me of the wonderful knitting/making community that has developed and the pleasure of listening or reading one of your contributions. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your family. Best wishes, Pearl

Holly said...

Congratulations and best wishes on your success. Merry Christmas to you and yours. xxHolly

paws said...

I saw that giraffe and thought, "Whoa! That is huge softie!" LOL

Unknown said...

Love your work and loved the Isthmus article. I was recently in a shop in Sturgeon Bay which had a few of your pieces for sale. When I read the Isthmus article, it was serendipitous, altho I am 13 yrs older than you, I grew up on Hamersley Rd, swam at Ridgewood pool, went to Orchard Ridge, graduated from JMM (1st full 3 yr class) and my last name is Anderson. I first learned to knit by taking lessons at Manchester's, which was at Westgate Mall. There was a lady in the yarn dept that taught knitting, I was about 12 yo. We might be Irish twins. HAHA
Knit on! Pam