Susan B. Anderson

Another Flower Headband - New Pattern

2012-01-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
Well, after years of seeing these adorable flower headbands all over the place and having my daughters request that I a make them one, I finally sat down and designed one myself. It is not an earthshaking design and I didn't reinvent the wheel, but I did try to spice up my version with some fun techniques that may be new to some of you (if not that's all the better). I threw in some detailed instructions for short rows and a sewn bind off and a few different sizes for the headband and a completely customizable flower.

There you have it! My girls are in love with these headbands. Peachy likes the natural version and TC likes the colorful Noro version. Go figure.

Here is what you will need:
120 yards of chunky weight yarn (samples in Rowan British Sheep Breeds - leftover from the Owls sweater, and Noro Kochoran)
US size 10 needles, 6mm, 16-inch circular and 24-inch circular (the longer needles are optional but make things easier) or the size to obtain gauge
Gauge is 3.75 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch.

And you'll need about one afternoon or evening to make a beautiful headband! It is a fast and furious and simple project.

A little front angle for you....

The Noro Kochoran version...

TC wanted a lining for extra warmth so I found a headband that I purchased at Jo Ann's for $1.00 in a matching shade of pink. I see these cheap-o headbands all over, even in drugstores and grocery stores. I took a matching thread and stitched it in leaving enough give so that it stretches nicely.

One note, TC wanted a bigger flower so I added a 10 petal layer to her finished version. This version has a smaller flower.

Go big or go home (with your flower that is).

Now, I want you to know that there are pages of similar projects on Ravelry like this one. There are even many free versions of headbands with flowers. You may want to check these out.

I am making this pattern available for an extra-low price of $2.50.

And for this price you get:
3 sizes: small child (large child, teen/adult); 16-inch (18-inch, 20-inch) circumference (remember to have 1-2 inches of negative ease when selecting a size)
Technique instructions
A customizable revamped flower pattern (similar to the felted flower in Itty-Bitty Hats) - it is only 3 rows per petal layer!
An instructional video for the flower - remember this one?

And a whole lot of fun, I hope! I made three of these and had the pattern completely memorized including the flower. It is that simple. It's my new go-to gift.

Click here for the Ravelry project page link!

I forgot how much I love making these flowers!

For some other cool flowers to embellish your headband check out this pattern by Kristin Nicholas.

The button-free headband gets narrower in the back of the neck for comfort. This project is a great way to use up leftovers from other projects. You could stripe yarns and use different yarns for the flower, too. Mix it up!

The pattern is in my Ravelry Pattern Store and I am putting it up in the new Craftsy.com pattern store as well (I'll let you know when it's available over there). Yarn shop owners, by the way, I have made my Ravelry Pattern Shop patterns available for wholesale if you are interested in that. I think you have to be a pre-approved shop but definitely check into it if that is something you'd like to do.

Here is the Ravelry button to click to purchase the pattern for Another Flower Headband, if you are interested:

I'll be back with my Milk Cow pattern from Knit Circus. The rights have reverted back to me so I can sell the pattern in my shop now.

Also, a couple of you left comments about a Pinterest invite but you didn't leave your email. I need your email address to invite you.

Take care, sweet Knitters, and keep those ears warm!
best, susie

And Now....

2012-01-23T06:57:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
Ahhhhhh.... and now my Owls is even better and much more comfortable and wearable.
Red oval buttons from the Sow's Ear.
Succinct and clear sewing machine steeking instructions from, Color by Kristin, by Kristin Nicholas.
Tiny sentimental antique eye buttons moved discreetly to an owl on the back, had to keep those.
best, susie

One Last Hoot and Link Time

2012-01-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
Well, my Owls pullover, designed by Kate Davies, is finally dry and I have been wearing it ever since. It smells so good from the Soak wool wash I used. While it was blocking TC and I were discussing the buttons and she knelt down put her face right in the wool and took a deep sniff. She told me it smelled really good. That made me smile. She's a wool-girl.

The blocking didn't change the appearance much but it softened the fabric a little and it just feels cleaner and fresher. It was much needed.

As promised, here are the details for my version of Owls.

Needles: US size 10 and 10.5, 24-inch circulars and dpns - for the sleeves
The pattern recommends a 32-inch but I didn't have any problem knitting the entire body and yoke on the 24-inch circs.

Size: Size 4 in the pattern (38-inch bust)
Usually I make a 36-inch bust size but Kate describes the sweater as a very fitted pullover and I really didn't want a super tight chunky weight sweater. I wanted to be able to layer underneath. Even though I went up a size, it really did turn out as quite a fitted sweater and I was right on gauge and used the suggested yarn.

Yarn: Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds Chunky (100% British wool), 120 yards per skein (I used the better part of 6 skeins.) in the Steel Grey Suffolk colorway

Length of body to underarms: 17.5-inches

Length of arms from underarm to bind off at wrist: 17-inches

There you have it. I followed the pattern as is! If you make an Owls please let me know and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I have to talk for a moment about Pinterest. I am having so much fun over there. I have discovered and tried lots of new recipes, found new sewing patterns and crafty inspiration, learned about new products, and especially enjoyed the huge numbers of knitters on Pinterest.

Click here to check out my boards on Pinterest! Please feel free to follow me if you'd like (you can follow all boards or select the ones you are interested in). I'd love to see you over there.

It is still relatively new as a site so you need an invite to join but then you are a member right away. There is no waiting. If you need an invite let me know and leave your email in a comment on this post. I will happily send you an invite. I am a little busy over the next few days but I will add you as soon as I get a chance.

I'll leave you with a few fun recipe links I've found on Pinterest. I have cooked entire meals from Pinterest links which has been really fun. Check these out:
One Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe
Yummy no-bake cookies
Crockpot chicken and noodle soup
Snickerdoodle muffins
The bark that changed everything (Watch out, this is addicting and the kids love it!)

Off into the weekend we go! I have a couple of new patterns that will be available for purchase through my Ravelry Pattern Shop next week. I haven't had the time to update my shop much at all so I am looking forward to doing more of that. I am working on the cutest women's winter accessory right now that I am so excited about.

Take care.
best, susie

Owls Blocking Day and Button Eyes

2012-01-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

Blocking day has come again and this is actually the second day of blocking. The Rowan British Sheep Breeds is a heavy wool and it really soaked up that water yesterday. I put a fan on it yesterday, too, and it is still damp today. Maybe by tomorrow it will be dry.

I will be wearing it tomorrow if it is ready! I'll share one more photo of me in the finished and blocked and buttoned pullover.

By the way, when I dumped the water out of the basin where I was washing the sweater, the water was quite dirty with a small amount of brown sediment at the bottom of the basin. This is a truly rustic wool and I absolutely love it. I never mind picking twigs out of my yarn as I work. I have no idea why I am so drawn to natural wools and tweeds like this. Yum.

You can see the button choices here. TC helped me place them on the owls. She loves helping me make choices about things like this.

After much deliberation, I have to say that this is my favorite....

...the single owl and the tiny white button eyes and off-center to the left. It's just enough.

I've already stitched these two button eyes on with some matching gray thread. I found the buttons in an old button tin that my dear friend gave me after her mom passed away many years ago. I think her mom, Bernice, was around 90 years old. What a treasured gift. The two buttons I picked are not an exact match and they are slightly yellowed around the edges. I imagine they are really quite old which I love. Antique buttons kind of go with this sweater.

I love these buttons even more now that my friend is gone. She was a huge bird lover, too. It will be a sweet reminder of her and it made me feel good to stitch these particular buttons to the owl.

There is both back shaping and a little side shaping on Owls. You can see the back shaping clearly here. I have only done side shaping before so this was new to me. I kind of like it. Waist and back shaping are always optional if you want a looser fitting sweater.

I'll give more details and information (like size, gauge, tips, needles used, etc.) on my final post about Owls in a day or two. I've heard from a lot of knitters planning to start their own Owls sweater. It is a good choice.

Also, I have received lots of questions about my blocking boards since the Citron blocking day post. Mine are the original Knitter's Block by Cocoknits (click here for her website). I love them and I have the largest size set. It comes with the carrying bag and the set includes blocking pins, as well. Check it out if you are interested.

best, susie

Hoot Off the Needles

2012-01-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

Owls, by Kate Davies, is off the needles with grafted stitches under the arms and only one end yet to weave in on the neck. I couldn't wait to throw it on and check it out.

I already love my Owls. I think with a good blocking it is going to fit perfectly and relax the stitches a little. I can't recommend this pattern enough. It is well-written and has a large size range, there is even a kids version called Owlet.

This is the perfect bottom up, easy-peasy cable, seamless yoked sweater for a first time sweater knitter. If you are considering tackling a sweater this winter or year this is a good one! Big needles, big yarn, knitting in the round, minimal shaping.... all of this makes for a fast and fun knit.

I filled up my Soak basin with cold water and added the sudsy Soak Wash in the Sola scent, squished the sweater around a bit and let it sit for almost 30 minutes. I gently squeezed out the excess water and rolled it in a towel to get as much water out of the wool as possible.

I now have it drying flat on my blocking boards, no pins. I'll get a photo later to share. I need to get a fan blowing on it to speed up the drying a bit.

I dug out these tiny blue buttons that I am going to sew to only one owl, off-center and on the front. I bought these buttons a long time ago at Purlsoho. I'll see how it looks once the sweater is dry before I decide for certain. I have some clearer blue buttons that I may consider, too.

I'll keep you posted on the Owls progress as I finish up these final steps. I'm off to a busy week with lots of work knitting and deadlines looming. I have to put down the personal fun knitting for a short bit and focus on work knitting, which is also fun but different.

Have a great start to your week, Knitters. What are you knitting this fine week in January?

best, susie

Friday Fun

2012-01-13T14:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

I am on the second sleeve of my Owls sweater. I have the cuff completed so far. I finished the body and the first sleeve this week. I love the Rowan British Sheep Breeds yarn. It's delicious and full of character and depth. This yarn seems to have layers of color and it kind of tells a story in itself.

This morning my knitting buddy Jaala Spiro came over for tea, hot chocolate and baked treats and lots of knitting, of course. We had so much fun chatting and knitting away. The time flew. It was a good way to end the week.

I want to give you a quick update on TC's fleece blanket. These are the squares from the corners of those tied fleece blankets she has saved up over the past couple of years. She sewed them with the machine into columns. Then I helped her sew the columns together with the machine. It was a little tricky because the seams became quite thick and a little difficult to get through the machine.

We went to JoAnn's and picked up a piece of a pretty blue fleece (with a 50% off coupon!) for the backing of the quilted top. Isn't it adorable? TC is so proud of it.

She trimmed the edges with my pinking shears. It is so thick and soft. We love the way it turned out.

We have it all wrapped up and ready to give to a baby she helps take care of over at my sister's house every week. She is so excited to give the blanket to him. He is almost a year old so it is perfect. She will see him in a few days.

Have a great weekend, Knitters!

best, susie

Russian Join ~ Video Tutorial

2012-01-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
I have a quick video tutorial on how to do a Russian join when you are attaching a new ball of yarn to your project. I have been using this technique recently on both my current project, Owls, and my last sweater, Agnes. It is a slick technique and then you don't have to weave in ends later.

One thing to note is that you could dampen the joined section with warm water and roll it in your hands to felt the fiber together a bit. I didn't do that but it would secure the ends a little more. I did felt the ends like this on the Agnes sweater which I made with Quince & Co.'s Puffin. It is a single ply yarn and felted very easily.

Either way it works great and I hope you enjoy!

For all of my video tutorials on youtube (I have 42 tutorials now!) click here.
best, susie

Winter Break Excursion

2012-01-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

Last week my sister and I took some of our kids to the new Madison Children's Museum which is located downtown and right off the square. I forgot my camera so these photos were taken with my phone so the quality isn't great. We had been to the old location of the Children's Museum a long time ago but the new building is so much better. I am glad we got to see it.

I loved looking at all of the creative and decorative pieces around the museum. This is a curved bench with book spines as the back rest. Clever!

There were lots of extras sprinkled throughout the museum like this set of old hairdryers. My favorite was when three boys sat in the seats and pulled the dryers down over their heads and chatted away like a bunch of ladies at the salon.

There are interesting climbing structures and a suspended gigantic hamster wheel that the kids can go in and run so it turns. My nephew tried the hamster wheel. TC and her cousin climbed to the top of this structure.

The museum has a lot of making or craft areas. There was a weaving area with bits and pieces of string to make a cooperative woven piece of art that is then left as a display. TC and Peachy worked on this for a bit.

Here is one of the finished weavings that turned out well. There was also a shadow room where you stand on a wall and pose (we all crammed into the room at the same time) and a flash lights up the room. When you step away from the wall your image is left on the wall. That was fun.

Throughout the building there were artistic touches like these mosaic columns. TC's class at school made a bunch of these bottle caps that were then used in the mosaics. She loved seeing them. I love the way the museum used community-made art. By the way, the old fridges were sealed closed for safety. This hallway led to a big kitchen area.

I love the way they used the different color grout.

The little artistic touches and lots of details made for interesting things to look at everywhere you turned.

This art station had baskets with items found in nature like pine cones, leaves and twigs. They had glue dots to put your design together. We tried this for awhile but it was pretty picked over. Cute idea though! There was another art area with various paper materials to create, too. There was a painting room with traditional paints and paper ready to go but we didn't go in that one.

Right next to this creative nature counter there was a huge window with buckets of paint in front of it. You could just dip right in and paint on the window. I painted some big flowers and TC painted some little flowers.

My nephew loves to build things so he made this huge tower. First he built himself inside without a way to get out so he had to redesign with the lower section so he had an escape route. There is also a Lego room that looked like fun but there was group meeting in there so we didn't go in.

After the museum we all went out for an early dinner at The Old Fashioned which is directly on the capitol square. I recommend this restaurant. It is a good one to take the whole family and it has a great view of the gorgeous capitol square and building right out the windows. It is usually super crowded but since it was early we got right in.

It was a fun excursion and I thought you might enjoy it, too!

best, susie

Hoot

2012-01-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

This morning I cast on Owls by Kate Davies. I have had a bag of the Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds Chunky Undyed (100% British wool) in the Steel Grey Suffolk colorway for over a year waiting to become an Owls pullover.

I am pretty excited about it. In a couple of weeks it is supposed to get really cold around here (finally) and maybe I could have my new Owls ready to wear by then. Hoot!

Click here for the pattern information for Owls.

Click here for the the fantastic natural wool I am using from Rowan.

I'll give you more details on the pattern as I go.

best, susie

Fleece, Felt and Pashmina

2012-01-06T04:30:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

When Prince William married Kate Middleton she was spotted at the grocery store wearing a large triangle shawl with a ruffle. Click here to see some of the Kate shawls. I wanted to make one just like Kate's and patterns popped up everywhere to copy the famous shawl. I even bought three gorgeous hanks of Madelinetosh Pashmina in the Forestry colorway with a Kate shawl in mind. (I bought the yarn here.) However, I have been so busy that I never got to it.

The color is showing truer in the photo above. Yesterday I wound one of the hanks of Pashmina into a cake and started designing a semi-circle shawl. It's going to be a very simple shawl with some fun details. The yarn is absolutely delicious to work with. I love the subtle variations of the color of the Madelinetosh yarns.

The yarn seems huge, in a good way, after the lace weight of the Citron. I am working on US size 7. Pashmina is a sport weight yarn so I am getting 5 stitches per inch. I am loving the shawl so far and it is going quite fast. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Now for a little TC crafting update. For Christmas TC got an American Girl Felt Box craft kit. Click here to see the kit. She had so much fun with this simple kit. TC whipped these up in a very short time, maybe an hour or so. You have to sew the flowers together at the center which was the most difficult part of the kit. The felt came with a sticker backing and only required some trimming. The only other thing was gluing the felt balls to the flowers and gluing the sparkles to the trim.

She loved this easy kit and the boxes are adorable. TC has them displayed in my studio for now. She recommends the kit for other kids.

It's so good to see TC up to her crafting antics. Over the past few years TC has made many of those fleece blankets that are tied around the edges. She has given most of her blanket creations as gifts. When you make the fringe blankets you cut a square out of each corner of the fleece. She has been saving the squares in a bucket. Since we have a little time over the vacation I asked if she wanted to sew a quilt with her squares.

We placed the squares in a quilt order on the floor making sure the color arrangement was good. I keep telling her it is going to be a lot smaller after the sewing. We got ten columns with nine squares each.

I dusted off my sewing machine which I haven't used for a little over a year. I miss it so much. I was relieved that it still worked fine. TC went to town sewing her squares together on the machine. All of those stacks with labels are completed columns. She is now done with nine of the ten columns. Maybe we'll finish it up later today. It is fun to see her so excited about something. She was definitely surprised how much smaller the quilt is going to be compared to the spread out version on the floor. It will be a baby blanket size. I think we'll put some sort of backing on it.

She has also been knitting away on her Noro scarf. She bought the yarn in Door County last summer. I'll share a photo of that later. It is so pretty.

Into the weekend we go! Life is good and the new year feels fresh and relaxed. I hope you are all doing well. I'd love to hear about what you are crafting on this winter.

best, susie

Handspun Thorpe

2012-01-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

I joined The Knit Girllls Knitalong/Spinalong (KAL/SAL) a little while ago. Click here for the Ravelry group. The yarn above I spun from roving by Cloudlover called Haunted Vineyard. The roving became 130 yards of a double marl bulky weight yarn. There are many patterns to choose from for the KAL/SAL to suit all kinds of weights and yardage of yarn. When I spun I didn't have anything in mind other than I was trying to get a heavier weight yarn. I had been spinning only fingering weight and wanted to experiment a little.

I was so pleased to see that one of the selections was Kirsten Kapur's (I love all of her designs) Thorpe hat which requires 130 yards of a bulky weight yarn. It was a match made in heaven. While I was waiting for my Citron to dry I cast on and worked up my own handspun Thorpe.

Click here for the free pattern information for Thorpe!

The thing with my handspun yarn is that it isn't always perfectly even so figuring out gauge can be a little tricky. I started on US size 9 needles and was planning on making the medium size. My gauge was a little off but I kept going. When I came to the part in the pattern where I had to make choices based on size I decided I better make a large because it seemed a little small. I increased to the large size (the hat is worked from the top-down).

When I got to the garter stitch brim I realized that the hat now seemed a little too big so I decreased back down to the medium size stitch requirements before I started the garter brim and earflap. You know that garter won't pull in at all like a rib will, so I am glad I switched back to the medium size.

My Thorpe became a combination medium and large size hat. I had the matching green worsted weight wool sitting in my studio. It made for the perfect edging and ties. The edging is a half double crochet which I can never remember how to do so I looked it up on youtube before I started. Thank goodness for youtube, right?

In the end it fits like a charm! I didn't block it at all because I love the rustic look of the yarn. I wore it out this morning while TC and I tried to sneak in an outdoor ice skating session but to our sadness our neighborhood the rink was closed. It was open briefly yesterday so we got our hopes up. Instead we went for a hike in our neighborhood conservatory. There is still plenty of winter left and I hope we can get our outdoor skating in over the next couple of months.

There's a quick little share for you today! I hope you are well and I appreciate the emails and messages and comments I've still been receiving. Thank you all very much for the support.
best, susie

Now for the Wearing

2012-01-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
Now comes the good part, the wearing. I wore my freshly blocked Citron out for some shopping yesterday and I couldn't keep my hands off the beaded edge. I have to do more beaded edges on things. In fact, I think I may cast on and try my hand at a shawl design today with some optional beading and maybe a tutorial or two for that. I will use sock weight yarn for this next one. That sounds kind of fun. I think it will have to have a ruffle, too. I am loving the ruffle. It will be something simple.

I asked my husband to quickly take this back shot of the shawl before he scrambled off to work. Before I asked he stopped and said, "That's cute." That's a lot from him.

I didn't enjoy knitting with the yarn all that much but I am loving the final project enough that I will most likely knit with lace weight again, maybe a Madelinetosh lace next. I can't believe the warmth I feel on my shoulders by this lightweight little shawl.

If you make the Citron I highly recommend making it bigger than in the pattern by adding at least a couple of sections before the ruffle. I would have regretted it immensely if I had not taken the time to make it bigger. Now it is just perfect.

I will most often wear this shawl like this, wrapped up close around my neck. That's my favorite style.

The colorful beads (6/0 Czech glass crown jewels, Royal Ruby) were in a tube I picked up at Jo Ann's. I used all of the beads in one tube. I used a 1.25mm crochet hook to apply the beads. I bought the hook at Jo Ann's, too, Clover brand. That was all guess work and much to my happiness it was a first time success.

Off to another project or two! Someone is having fun around here.....
best, susie

Blocking Day

2012-01-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

Last night I pulled out my blocking boards and wires and pins. I soaked my beaded Citron for about half an hour in Soak, gently squeezed out the excess water and pulled it into shape. I used the blocking wires on the top edge and then I softly pulled the rest out flat. I don't want to pull out the ruching too much because that's the best part of this shawl.

I am loving the tonal qualities of the dye. It is gorgeous.

The yarn is Malabrigo Lace in the Sealing Wax colorway. The pattern is free from Knitty and is called, Citron.

I had a fan blowing on it last night for a couple of hours and I think it is already dry this morning. I will probably take it off shortly.

I am so thrilled about finishing this project. It is giving me a lot of happiness to be done.

Since there are lots of people at my house for the next week I will have someone to take a photo of me wearing my Citron to share with you. It is going to be permanently attached to my shoulders for quite some time to come.

best, susie

Beads and Winter Break Go Together

2012-01-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

First, I quickly want to thank you for all of the emails, messages and comments. I am overwhelmed by your kindness. Things are going to be good on the other side for me and I love that I have heard from so many of you sending your warm wishes, support and encouragement. Change is good and thank you for being my knitting buddies.

I spent hours (literally) today working only on completing a beaded bind off for my Citron. I love this beading technique so much. Click here for the tutorial I used. It was great fun adding the beads as I went. It is fun to try and learn new things. You should try adding beads sometime if you haven't yet. It is entertaining and beautiful.

I also added four rows of garter stitch to the edge of the ruffle. I had two hanks of Malabrigo lace. I didn't use all of the second ball, there is still quite a bit left. I need to block and weave in the ends. I'll show the finished shawl and get a better photo for you but I am so excited about it being done that I had to share right away. Yay for finishing projects that have been languishing for years. I think it will easily be my favorite shawl for the winter.

Right after I posted about the fall-like weather around here it started snowing. It isn't really a good snow but more icy. Today it is cold and windy and icy. It feels like a proper winter day. I went for a run being extra careful not to slip and I did fine. My husband went running after me and he fell very hard gashing his hand, and bruising his elbow and knee. His elbow and knee are both swollen. He is fine but it is rough out there today.

On a different winter break note, I took my girls and their cousin to a Pilates class last week. My niece is getting her Pilates instructor certification and is giving free classes to gain the required hours. We had so much fun in the class. I haven't done Pilates before and I have some sore muscles to show for it. I run everyday but I am not good at the stretching and repetition stuff. We are going a couple more times over the kids' holiday break. We can't wait to go again and it is especially fun to go together.

Last night we hosted the high school boys swim team for a New Year's Eve gathering at our house. We had around forty people or so including the parents who came to help. The team has a tradition of game playing at this annual event. Some of the dads took charge of various card and dice games where the boys collected chips. The chips were used to cash in for prizes the parents donated at the end of the night. The prizes were things like small gift cards from all over, candy, games, and fun snack things. We had more food than I can possibly describe. It was incredible. What a generous group of parents.

I know I've said it before but this group of swimming boys are more fun every year. They are loud, funny, and silly and always good to each other. They sang songs, they played games for hours, they cheered, they ate, they had a huge, loud count down to bring in the new year. I love having them at our house. It was plain old good fun!

Wow, did I have a surprise waiting on my doorstep the other day, a giant basket of chocolates from Craftsy.com. I love this company! They are fun and supportive and they are doing wonderful new things in the crafting world. Click here to see my online courses, Wee Ones Seamless Toys and The (not so) Itty-Bitty Giraffe, and lots of other fantastic crafting courses! My courses are doing well and I am enjoying it immensely over there.

Thank you, Craftsy.com!

I'm off to soak my new Citron in some Soak Wash in the Amy Butler scent, Sola. When you smell Sola you can't stop breathing it in. It is my favorite Soak scent. I'll keep you posted on the shawl! I can't wait to wear my new and blocked and beaded Citron.

best, susie

New Days Ahead

2011-12-30T06:23:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
Yes, it is December 30th here in Wisconsin and it still looks like fall. It is strangely warm around here, at least warm to us. I think there is another day in the 40's on tap and there is no snow on the horizon. Some of us are enjoying the snow-less winter and some of us are really missing the piles of snow, the sledding, hiking through the snow, and especially the outdoor ice skating. I bet winter is still coming our way.

Enough of the weather chatter, this post is mainly to let you all know that I have decided to leave my job as curator of the Spud & Chloë blog. It is a happy and good decision. I am excited to focus even more on my family, to work on my own things, to go in my own directions, to focus more singly on one project at a time, and mostly, to have the chance to breathe a bit. I take all of my work very seriously and I would not leave without much thought and consideration about what's best for my family and me. It is all good!

Of course that doesn't mean I am really resting. I am into the editing phase for the manuscript for my 5th book right now (it's going to be a good one) and I am already onto planning and lining up my next book which is always a fun time. I can't wait to get going on a new book project, the beginning is the best time of that whole process.

Also, I am especially excited to have the chance to focus on my own blog more. I love it on here and I have some new plans brewing. You can always and still find me here, on Ravelry under susanbanderson and in my fun and fantastic Itty-Bitty Knits group (click here for the group), please come join us, or on Facebook (click here for my Facebook page) and on Twitter (click here). I'm not going anywhere.

So I am onto new days ahead. I'm taking a deep breath and enjoying my family time during this holiday break, and sneaking in a little knitting time here and there. Call me crazy but maybe, just maybe, I'll even read a novel or two at my leisure.....

That's my story. Happy new year to you, dear Knitters. Let's make 2012 the best and most knitterly year yet!

best, susie

Now for the Ruffle

2011-12-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
I hope you are all doing well. It is a busy, busy week for everyone I am sure.

Today I am quickly sharing that old Citron I started well over a year ago. I pulled it out again last weekend to see if I could actually finish it up. I am knitting with Malabrigo lace weight in the Sealing Wax colorway, on US size 6 needles. I don't know what it is about this project that makes it difficult for me to stick with it. Is it the lace weight yarn (not my favorite) or is it the endless rows of stockinette stitch? Actually, it is both of these things.

I added two more sections, for seven sections total, to use up the yarn and because I want it to be bigger. As written, this is a very small shawl. The added sections have made the stitch count very high even before the ruffle. I haven't dared to count or figure out how many stitches I have at this point in case it might make me want to stop working on it. Now I am on the first ruffle row where you kfb in each stitch. It will be well over 700 stitches in each row. This is going to be a long suffering ruffle to complete but the reason I keep going is that I know without a doubt that I will absolutely love wearing my rusty red Citron when it is complete.

I can't wait to bind off and block! There is a small possibility that I might add some beads to the edge as I bind off but I am not sure yet. I'll keep you posted.

Take care, Knitters. Thank you to the lovely knitters who have sent me some very kind and heart-warming emails and notes recently (Barb, Jenni, Nancy, Mary Rose and Betty to name a few). Those really make my day.
best, susie

Merry, Merry!

2011-12-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
My husband has always laughed about an old family friend who would greet everyone during the holiday season with a chipper, "Merry, merry!" So in the spirit of the goofy family friend of yore, I am sharing a, "Merry, merry!" greeting with you today and for the weekend.

The socks above sort of sum up my Christmas knitting this year. I didn't quite make it. I have one of things that should have two. Some gifts have even less than that finished. I am happily giving up! Instead of finishing the knitted gifts I have made great progress on my next upcoming book manuscript and that is a worthwhile compromise. I am so excited about this new book. It has come together like nothing I have done before. I simply love it. It won't be out for awhile yet but I will be sure to keep you posted.

Now that this book is coming to a close, I have future books in my head, on my needles and in my sketchbooks. I am having that sense of excitement you get when you start something fresh and new, kind of like when you cast on a new knitting project. It is the best.

There is so much potential on the horizon for the new year.... just look at all of that yarn-y fun just waiting to be had.

I hope your gift knitting has been more successful than mine this year!

Happy holidays from my house to your house. I am wishing you all a peaceful, warm, and family-filled holiday season.

Knitters, I hope to see you all back here next week. For now, I've got to get some pies in the oven.....

love, susie

Thrumming and Spinning

2011-12-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

I am thrumming away on a mitten. I am finally making thrummed mittens which is something I have wanted to try for a long time. It is very fun and something you might like to do if you need a lot of warmth from your mittens. In Wisconsin you always need warm mittens in the winter so these are perfect. To make the thrums you create small 3-inch loops of roving to knit into the fabric as you work. It is very simple to do.

The loops are on the inside for an extra layer of woolly warmth. The yarn is Malabrigo. I'll tell you more about this project when I get a complete pair.

For some fun and quick spinning I recently spun up some Sunshine Yarns roving into a super bulky 2-ply yarn. The color name is Whipped Mocha. It is 100 yards and the interesting thing is that it is a wool and Tencel blend. The Tencel gives it quite a sheen as you can see. I have never knit with Tencel and when I ordered this fiber I didn't realize it was a Tencel blend. That's good though because I like trying new things.

I now have learned that I don't enjoy spinning with Tencel. It is fiber made from wood pulp cellulose that has a silky texture (I looked it up). It was shedding all over when I spun. I was literally covered in fiber after spinning with this roving and fiber was floating around the room and it was all over my chair. The end result is beautiful but I don't think I will use Tencel again for spinning.

I will make a big, chunky cowl with this yarn. It is really soft and squishy.

You learn by trying new things and that's what I love about creating.

Christmas is almost here and I am so excited to be home with my family over the holidays!! It is going to be a good year. Where are you spending this holiday season? Are you home or away?

best, susie

Agnes!

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

First off, the winner of The Knitter's Life List is sauceyjill (rav id)! Jill is one amazing knitter so please go check her out on Ravelry and on her blog. I've known Jill for some time and she inspires me on a regular basis. Everything she knits I want to knit, too.

Thanks to everyone for entering. I still have that same big stack of books waiting for reviews and giveaways so I will keep working away on that. There are so many wonderful knitting books out there and I love to share them with you.

In the meantime, I have finished my beautiful Agnes pullover.

The yarn is Quince & Co. Puffin in the Bark colorway, the pocket is Osprey in the Bird's Egg colorway.

The pattern for Agnes is from Quince & Co. and is written by Melissa LaBarre.

I blocked it with a heavy steam from my iron and a damp cloth and the stitches evenly sprung into place with ease. Puffin is a single ply bulky yarn that I knit on US size 11 needles. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Puffin. The sweater came together so fast, maybe a week of off and on knitting at most.

I have also just finished a fantastic pattern for my upcoming book in Quince & Co. Lark and, I have to say, the project may be my favorite in the entire collection. It is my tiny masterpiece. The yarn is gorgeous and has a sweetness to it, sort of a beautiful simplicity. You should try Quince & Co. yarns if you haven't yet. It is American sourced wool which I like, too.

Click here for the Quince & Co. website.

I only made a couple of minor modifications. I added length to the body. I think the sweater is slightly cropped as written in the pattern, which is adorable, but not for me. All I did was add a couple of inches under the pockets and before the ribbing. In the pattern the ribbing starts immediately below the pocket opening.

If you look at the lovely Gudrun Johnston's blog post about the Agnes sweater that she made along with her daughter you will see that her version is a little shorter than mine. It looks great and perfect on her but I need a little more length to my sweaters. Gudrun is one of my favorite designers, too, so be sure to check out her blog and patterns if you have a chance.

Click here to see Gudrun and her cute daughter, both wearing Agnes.

The only other thing I changed slightly is that I made the sleeves about an inch longer than in the pattern. They measure 19 1/2 inches from the underarm. I think the 2x2 ribbing number didn't work out either on the body or the arm, can't remember, so I decreased by 2 to make it work. Other than that I followed the pattern exactly. I did make the 40 inch size so it is quite roomy on me. I usually make the 36 inch size but I wanted it big and comfy so I could layer underneath. The pattern is clear and simple to follow. One more thing, I only used 6 out of the 7 hanks of the yarn so I have an extra hank that I'll whip into a hat or something at some point soon.

Isn't is just a perfect cozy winter sweater? The pockets are dreamy, the yarn is squishy and fun, and I will get tons of wear out of this one. I love a simple sweater for so many reasons. Simple sweaters are fun and fast to knit and even more fun and practical to wear. That's all I ask of my knitting and this project has everything I look for in a sweater pattern.

It's a good day when you have a brand new handknit sweater to throw on!

best, susie

The Knitter's Life List Video Review and Giveaway!

2011-12-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
I posted a 5 minute video review of the lovely Gwen Steege's new book, The Knitter's Life List. I am giving away a copy of this beautiful book that is packed full of information and inspiration.

Please leave one comment on this post if you would like to win a copy. Also, please leave your email or ravelry id so I can get in touch with the winner to gather a mailing address. I will give your address to Storey Publishing to send out a copy to you directly. I love this book and Gwen even signed my copy so I will be keeping this one for myself.

Good luck if you enter! It's a terrific book and I guarantee that you will love it!
best, susie

My New Friend Agnes

2011-12-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

On my kitchen table this morning is the forever going game of Yahtzee and my new sweater friend, Agnes. The constant Yahtzee playing has been going on since our trip to Door County last August. The house we stayed at had a Yahtzee game just waiting for the Anderson family to dig in. The love of this dice game followed us home where we had a small travel Yahtzee set in a cupboard. It's been found and has been a constant for months now. There could be anywhere from 1 to 5 players at anytime. I often sit and knit nearby while the others play.

Now for my friend, Agnes, which you may be more interested in anyway. A few days ago I was hankering for a new sweater project so I wound 7 hanks of Quince & Co. Puffin in the Bark #121 colorway. I have had this yarn for quite some time now and when I saw the new Quince & Co. Wool Book One by Melissa LaBarre and Cecily Glowik MacDonald, I knew I had to make Agnes with the Puffin I had sitting on my shelf.

I love everything about Agnes, the big yarn knit on US size 11 needles, the top-down and seamless construction, the surprise side pockets and the easy casual style of the sweater in general that is a signature of Melissa LaBarre's designs. It is perfection. The Quince & Co. pattern is available in the ebook called, Wool Book One or as an individual pattern purchased through Ravelry.

Click here to read more and to see more photos of Agnes on Ravelry!

Click here to see more about Agnes on Quince & Co.!

Here is the hole for my pocket just waiting to be picked up and knit with Quince & Co. Osprey in the Bird's Egg colorway. I think the bird's egg blue will be a winning combination with the rich bark color. I am already on the second sleeve and those pockets will knit up so quickly. After a good blocking, I think this sweater is destined to become a favorite throw on for this winter and many more to come.

I will share a few knitted Christmas gifts coming up shortly or as soon as I finish them. Even with all of the busyness of my work knitting recently I am still trying to squeeze in a few homemade gifts. What are you all knitting on for the holiday season this year? I would love to hear about it.

best, susie

Banner Hat

2011-12-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

Last week I put up a new banner on the blog (the photo above). In October I did post a very short video on the making of the hat right here if you're interested. The video includes some of these same photos.

TC took the photos of me on our front stoop in a very quick and haphazard way. I love the banner photo in the way the sunlight is blinding in the distance.

I didn't write a pattern for the hat. I made it up as I went. It has a deep ribbed brim and a simple stockinette stitch top. I thought this project would show off the gradient roving from Fiber Optic, which I purchased at the Kentucky Sheep and Wool Festival last May.

I did a Navajo ply to keep the colors together. The fiber is a wool and silk blend. The yarn ended up being a worsted weight. I knit on US size 7 needles at 5 stitches per inch. I love the way it turned out.

Here is the yarn all ready to go. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful.

I'm going backward in the creation sequence here but this is the roving being spun into singles on my wheel last summer.

This is the roving before being spun. I've had a few asking questions about the hat so there you have it. The sweater is the Tea Leaves Cardigan by Melissa LaBarre in Madelinetosh dk in the Burnished colorway. It is my most worn handknit garment. What a great design.

The thing is that TC wore the hat to school one day recently. When I saw that she had it on before school I hesitated and almost asked her not to wear it but I held back. I didn't say anything because I want her to feel free to wear our handknits anytime and anywhere without hesitation. I want her to enjoy homespun clothing and to not worry about it at all. I want her to basically enjoy the fruits of our making lifestyle. I kept my concerns to myself.

Now the hat has gone missing and I am still glad I didn't say anything to her. I can always make another.

That's the story of my new banner. I am happy to have photos of my handspun hat to remember it fully.

The other new thing on the blog is that I am categorizing all of my old and new posts now. Since there are well over 700 posts it is taking me quite awhile to plug through them and distinguish what the labels should be. I have known about the need for categorizing these posts for a long time. When I finish categorizing all of the posts, blog readers will be able to find old posts and look for different topics easily. The categories will be posted on the blog sidebar for easy access. It is long overdue. Completing the labeling of all of the posts is still a work in progress. I think I have close to 300 posts categorized by now. I hope people will find this helpful in the future.

I'll keep chipping away at it in my spare moments. Have a great weekend, Knitters.

best, susie

Ode to Opal

2011-12-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

I love Opal sock yarn. It's even cuter in person, if that's possible.

If you want some, I bought it yesterday at the Sow's Ear, Opal Schafpate 3, 5096.

That's it. I just had to share.

best, susie

A-Treeing We Will Go

2011-12-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,
We cut down a tree and brought it on home. The whole crew was able to gather up to go pick our Christmas tree today. I was glad to have everyone around. It sure doesn't look like winter in Madison. There's no snow and instead we had mud. It rained all night last night. I don't remember cutting a tree down in mud before. I prefer the snow by far.

There's that Surefire Hat again. He has two and swaps them out but always has one of them on everyday. He is a good and helpful one always jumping right in to get involved. I love that.

I now have 22 photos of my husband cutting down the Christmas tree and they all look pretty much like this one. This year the tree cut through so quickly. It was an easy time.

The stripped pine cones looked so unusual and ornamental on the tree branches.

What a group. They make every outing a memory with lots of laughs and silliness. L.O.V.E. them.

It looks like a fall day much more than a winter day in Wisconsin, particularly in December. It is strange. It wasn't even that cold, maybe 36 degrees.

TC in her TC's Cozy hat (free pattern found on Spud says! or Ravelry)

Peachy wore her new Bella's Mitts. They are her favorite thing now (she told me so).

Peachy also wore her Twilight Hat that I knit for her last fall.

Peachy in her Twilight Hat and my eldest in his new Surefire Hat made in Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter. This is a true meeting of the minds.

I put up a new header on the blog. I have heard some very kind and positive feedback. I'll tell you more about the photo and a couple of new things on the blog in the next post.

For now, have a happy Monday.
best, susie

Haunted Vineyard

2011-12-02T03:57:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

The Knit Girllls are having a spinalong/knitalong on their Ravelry group that I joined. Cloudlover Yarns is the maker of the roving or yarn that was sent out to the knitters joining in. I love her stuff so much. This colorway is called the Haunted Vineyard. What a great colorway name. To join in you could either get the yarn or the roving to spin. Then The Knit Girllls pick a wide range of projects that you can make for the knitting of the Cloudlover yarn or roving.

The roving was so beautiful and I really wanted to try a different spinning technique this time. I ran across this post by Jillian on the Knitty Blog about a technique called the double marl. I ended up doing the double marl spinning technique on my Haunted Vineyard roving.

Click here to see the post about the double marl technique.

Along with this new technique I wanted to try to spin a bulkier yarn. I switched the whorl on my wheel to the largest size to create a heavier weight yarn. I was so pleased with the results. The double marl distributed the colors in a fantastic and interesting way and the roving was easy to prepare before spinning. Plus, it took such a small amount of time to spin up 4 ounces of fiber. Sometimes you need a quick project and this was it. I had just finished up spinning 8 ounces of fingering weight which took forever. I will share information later on this.

In the end, I got 130 yards of a yummy, squishy, chunky weight yarn. One of the patterns for the knitalong is the Thorpe hat by Kirsten Kapur (one of my favorite designers) and it happens to be free AND it happens to require 130 yards of a chunky weight yarn. How could anything work out better than that? It couldn't. I can't wait to cast on. I have all of December and January and February to complete the Thorpe hat and still be within the guidelines for the knitalong. I can easily make that.

Click here for the Thorpe hat pattern!

(photo by Cloudlover)

Here is what the roving looked like before spinning. Isn't it so gorgeous? Cloudlover has yummy yarns and tons of other roving choices and a fiber or yarn club. Be sure to check it all out. You will love it.

One more time:

Click here for Cloudlover Yarns!

Click here for The Knit Girllls! If you aren't watching this video podcast you should. You will be inspired.

Click here for The Knit Girllls Ravelry group!

Have a good Friday, Knitters. Into the weekend we go...

best, susie

A New Decade

2011-11-30T04:29:00.001-08:00

Hi Knitters,

My eldest son turned twenty. Twenty. It is difficult to describe the love, appreciation and admiration I feel for my kids as they grow into adulthood. Parenthood is beyond words, really, and it is by far the best and most challenging work I have ever done.

This one brings a peaceful, warm contentment to my life like I have never known.

Happy birthday, little one.

best, mom

'ello Elefante

2011-11-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

My sweet knitting-whiz of a neighbor, who is 15 years-old, recently completed an Elefante. She asked me to stitch the head on for her the other day. Her Elefante turned out great. It is a gift for a friend. I am pretty sure this is her first toy.She is already a crochet champion as is her mother. Her mom crochets like the wind, no joke. I love the way she tilted the ears back a bit.
To balance this version of the Elefante I had to tip the head slightly up so the trunk doesn't sit on the ground. It stood up better this way. I love how you can play around with the placement of the toy parts to give a different feeling. This Elefante looks happy like he is lifting his trunk to say hello. Good job all around!

Click here to find out about the free pattern for Elefante. There are now 2,423 finished Elefantes on Ravelry and there are 6,184 more in queues. That's pretty cool.

I love to see the progress of young and talented knitters. I am lucky to have a few around me at all times.

Hope you all had a good holiday weekend. Back to the grindstone, right?

best, susie

Sweet Little Mini-Retreat

2011-11-23T03:38:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

First things first, the winner of Custom Knits 2 has been randomly selected and contacted. Congratulations to MonkeyButtBabies (rav id) or Jessica who has already contacted me with her address. I promptly sent the information off to the publisher to send out the book. Done deal! I have a big stack of books lined up to review and give so enter again if you are interested. Thanks to everyone for participating.

Last weekend was the Knit Circus Mini-Retreat and I had the best time. The retreat was held in the founder of Knit Circus, Jaala Spiro's, parents' home. It is a gorgeous little house nestled in one of my favorite Madison neighborhoods. The house was bright and cheerful and artistic and cozy. I just loved being there and knitting in this lovely treasure box of a house. Jaala called her mom's house a treasure box and I thought it was so fitting. The house from the outside looks like any other nice house on the block but when you are inside you are met by bursts of color and pattern and homemade goodness. You want to stay forever.
Jaala's dad is a talented woodworker. He made the dining table and the mantle amongst other things in the house. I got to sit in front of the fireplace the entire day.

My students worked on tiny knit fairies and all made good progress. Most finished the body and head and arms and legs. It was a chatty group as many of the knitters knew each other from other places and the Sow's Ear (a knit shop in Verona, WI).
The knitters were so much fun. The group in these photos are from Amy Detjen's colorwork class.
Amy is a fantastic teacher with so much experience and unending tips for improvement. I learned two new things from Amy, a new way to do a kfb and a clever way to trap floats while doing colorwork. The class was last Saturday and I have already used both of these new techniques since then. I call that a success.
I made this simple two-handed colorwork hat during the class that Amy is stretching here as she gave us some blocking tips. I almost finished the hat during the class but didn't quite make it. I finished the hat quickly that night by basically putting the top of the hat on, weaving in the ends, giving the hat a good hearty steam, and lastly, adding a couple of twisted ropes at the top. I've already worn it on a couple of walks. It's a good one. I am still using up the leftover Brooklyn Tweed Shelter yarn I have from a couple of book projects. I love this yarn so much.
Many of the students stayed all day which was fun, a few came and went. Pat (above) was a pleasant and fun all day attendee. She sat in front of the most colorful bookshelf I have seen. Each shelf was painted a different color and had matching shades of books inside. It was so well done and interesting.
Jaala's mom recently went to Paris and came home with these tiny winged cups. The house belongs in a magazine and my photos don't do it justice by any means. Everything was sweet and heartfelt and colorful.
See what I mean? My stove never looked so cute.
I love the dropped basin sink, the teal floor, the white glass cabinets, the beautiful light fixture that looks like folded paper, the handmade curtains.....
Amy brought her suitcase of her spectacularly impressive colorwork garments that included a couple of Alice Starmore creations. Wow, did I enjoy that and everyone oohed and aahed as she pulled the items out to share.
I have never tackled something so intricate but I would love to someday.Here is my finished hat from the retreat. It is like a fun memory hat for the day. The knitters I taught were sweet and fun and oh-so talented. It was the easiest group I've ever taught. They were all so accomplished and didn't need much help from me. I actually for the first time ever got to knit right along with them during the class. The day was like a giant knitting circle and I've never experienced anything like that before. I loved everything about the day.
The simplicity of my sweet checkerboard hat is the perfect representation of the day, colorful, warm, cozy, skillful and easygoing.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a mini-retreat in Jaala's parents' home, DO IT! If you ever have the opportunity to take a class with the delightful and funny Amy Detjen, DO IT! You will laugh and learn at the same time. Amy is teaching at the upcoming Vogue Knitting Live in NYC so go sign up for her classes if you are able. You will have a great time.

Have a sweet, warm and cozy holiday weekend, Knitters. I am thankful to have you, the talented knitters, and knitting in my everyday life. I am so lucky.

best, susie

Win a Copy of Custom Knits 2!

2011-11-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

I am a longtime fan of Wendy Bernard. Sometimes you find a designer that just clicks with your own thought process and Wendy is that person for me. I read her writing and patterns and I get her intentions so clearly. I have learned so much about sweater knitting from her, especially over the last year or two.

With that in mind, I want to share with you her second book, Custom Knits 2. It is an extension of her first book, Custom Knits, with even more technique and guidance packed in. Custom Knits 2 was released this past October and it is an excellent pattern book but even more so it is an excellent resource book for customizing your sweaters. The book is fun to look at but it is one that you need to actually sit down and read thoroughly. Custom Knits 2 has a ton of instructional tutorial-like information that benefits any sweater knitter from beginner to advanced.

Here are the various topics addressed in Custom Knits 2:

Preplanning for your sweater

Simple alterations and add-ons

Converting patterns to fit men, women and children

Tailored raglans

Substituting yarns, gauge and stitch patterns

Starting from scratch

Starting from Scratch is my favorite section in both of Wendy's books. This is where she provides a formula for making your own sweater from scratch. Her formulas really work as I have used them before and I will be using the one in this new book to make a top-down yoked cardigan very soon. I have big plans for this.

Anyway, please check out these links to get some great information about this book:

Click here for Wendy's guest blog post on the STC Craft blog - a great interview where Wendy answers all of your questions.

Click here to see all of the Custom Knits 2 patterns on Ravelry.

Click here for Wendy's fantastic blog, Knit and Tonic.

Click here to see Custom Knits 2 on Amazon.

Click here to see the Knit and Tonic Ravelry forum group where Wendy will soon host a knitalong for her new book. This group has over 2,000 members!

I simply love Wendy's easy, casual style, her clearly written patterns and formulas for sweater knitting and her blog. I think you will, too. I basically recommend everything to do with Wendy. She's a good one.

If you would like to win a copy of Wendy's new book, Custom Knits 2, please leave one comment on this blog post. Please leave your email address or your Ravelry ID in your comment so I can get in touch with you if you win. I will be back in a few days to select a winner.

Good luck if you enter.

best, susie

College Road Trip

2011-11-14T08:43:00.001-08:00

Hi Knitters,

My senior son was invited to spend a weekend at Ohio State University in Columbus and so we packed up and took a college road trip. It was a most beautiful weekend weather wise, you could not have asked for more. We had campus tours, a football game, and time to enjoy that good old campus atmosphere that we are so used to in Madison.
One thing we learned about OSU is that it is big, bigger and the biggest in just about everything. The campus and facilities are all topnotch and a lot are brand new. You can see the stadium in this view from a library window.
This is the main campus area and it looks like many other Big Ten campuses but again, it is just huge. It truly is a lovely and nostalgic college. You can really tell that people love OSU when you are there and with good reason.
I was struck by this sculptural art piece outside one of the campus buildings, so simple but it could tell many a story.
That's my son in the shorts and blue t-shirt. He is with his group of swimming recruits for the weekend. He had a good time and was thoroughly impressed. I don't know what will end up happening for him and his college selection but what a great place to visit either way.

On the way to and from OSU we had many hours in the car which enabled me to sit and knit to my heart's content. I worked on all kinds of projects that have been languishing including that handspun Hitchhiker shawl (I don't have a photo of my progress). I completed a bunch more of the points but I have to say I get bored very quickly on that project. I can do it for a bit and then I have to move on to something else. I hope it doesn't turn into another Citron for me which is a year and a half in the making so far.

I knit up a quick pair of the Outsider Mitts, a free pattern I did for Spud & Chloë, in our high school colors. These are a gift for a swimmer on my daughter's team. I knit them in the super-bulky Outer yarn on US size 13 dpns and I am telling you if you want a fast and cute gift these are it! I could knit these a million times over because they turn out great and they are quick and fun.
I finished my Door County Cherry socks. I am in love. Madelinetosh Merino Light is the yarn and it is lover-ly! I have been shuffling about my house in these and they are exquisite.
My college sophomore son sadly told me the other day that he lost his Surefire Hat that I made him at least 5 years ago. I am not making it up when I tell you that he wore that hat everyday for most all of the day in our cold Wisconsin months and for years. My other son has two of these hats due to losing and finding one while I knitted him a spare. Both boys wear their Surefires constantly and it makes me incredibly happy.
Well, of course I told him I would whip him up another Surefire Hat in an instant. The originals are knit in Tahki Donegal Tweed but I recently had acquired some of Brooklyn's Tweed Shelter for a book project I am working on and I had some leftovers just waiting to be used up. The colors happened to be just perfect and remarkably similar to his old hat. I gave it to him last Saturday and he put it right on and wore it the rest of the weekend. Nothing is better than that.

I have talked about this pattern quite a bit but only because it is a hat that is so loved at my own house. If you are looking for a teenage boy or man hat with earflaps you should check this one out. The Shelter looks and worked fantastically well, too, if you are wanting to try out that new-ish yarn.

Click here to see the pattern for the Surefire Hat!

TC is knitting away on her Noro scarf. It is so pretty and rustic and halo-y. Good stuff and right up TC's alley.

She brought this to knitting club last weekend along with the start of a baby hat that you can see a bit of in the photo above. She comes and goes with her knitting but it never seems to leave her completely.

I started a Mini-Fairy-Along on Spud says! This week I am posting in progress shots on Spud says! and I started a thread on the Spud & Chloë Ravelry group for people to post photos and share their progress. I needed a new sample for an upcoming class. I am teaching a fairy knitting workshop this coming Saturday in Madison at the Knit Circus Mini-Retreat along with the fabu Amy Detjen. I signed up for Amy's colorwork class for the afternoon so I am really excited about that. It will be my first knitting class and I am starting with the best instructor in the biz. That's pretty sweet.

The fairy project is from the Knit Simple Holiday Issue 2011 and is called Flora & Fairies.

Click here for the Spud says! post on the Mini-Fairy-Along!

Click here for the Ravelry project page for the Flora & Fairies!

Click here for the thread in the Friends of Spud & Chloë Ravelry group!

On Saturday I went for a run while TC was at her knitting group at a nearby church and when I came home she had set up shop in my tiny studio to stitch up a charity blanket. It made me really, really happy and I just had to share. Oh, and to be young and sit on the floor to stitch up a blanket... I can't do this any more due to various aches and pains but I enjoy her being able to do this.

Isn't it a great blanket? The church collects knit and crocheted squares and then pieces them together to make fantastic patchwork blankets to give to local charities. TC said that all of the squares are supposed to be the same size but they always end up all different sizes. I had to laugh at that because that's what always happens with knit and crochet patterns. Everyone works and measures differently, right?

My sweet and juicy Peachy finally got her Bella's Mitts! This project was over a year in the making. Patient Peachy never forgot though and has been asking about them. A long car ride to Ohio was exactly what I needed to get these done. She could not believe her eyes when I gave them to her. She is in love with her new mitts and just in time for the new Twilight movie, too. That new one is looking a little racy in the ads isn't it? Not so sure about that.

TC modeled the new mitts for me early yesterday. I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in the Pewter colorway. The yarn is a bulky weight, and I knit on size 9 dpns. I did quite a bit of modifying but you wouldn't need to as it is a great pattern. They are shorter in cuff length than the pattern calls for, too. We wear coats in these parts and to have a cuff going almost to your elbow with a bulky yarn isn't functional. Also, I ordered two hanks of this wool from Knit Picks and only used one hank so I may whip up a matching hat for Peachy in the future.

Click here for the free pattern for Bella's Mitts.

I hope you are well this week, dear Knitters. I am contemplating another fun giveaway this week but I'll see how things unfold around here. It has been the busiest fall on record for my little family and me. I am looking forward to less travel and fewer deadlines and more home time in the coming winter months and into the spring. I am snuggling in around here for sure! Light that fire and put the teapot on....

How about you?

best, susie

Wee Ones Seamless Knit Toys on Craftsy!

2011-11-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Knitters,

In October I headed to Denver for several days of taping two online courses for Craftsy.com. I had such a great time while I was there. It was hard work filming the classes but very fun at the same time. Today I want to share one of the courses, Wee Ones - Seamless Knit Toys, with you and it is available and for 50% off for a short time!

Click here for a course preview and for the 50% off deal!

Now, for a little information about Wee Ones - Seamless Knit Toys. It is a three in one pattern for an elephant, hippo and bunny. The body is the same for each toy. The head for each animal starts out the same and then is shaped at the front to create the different features.
You start out by knitting the head of each animal. The ears are picked up and knit right on the head. After the head is complete you pick up stitches for the neck and knit down for the body as if you are making a top-down sweater. After creating a yoke, you leave the arm stitches on scrap yarn.
For the legs you use the afterthought technique that is often used for heels in socks, thumbs on mittens, or pockets on sweaters.
After you knit the last stitch, you are done with the toy! It is clever and fun and fast. There is literally no seaming at the end and not one separate part to stitch together. Using various techniques and tricks the Wee Ones come together so smoothly. I think you will really love this pattern.

After making the first Wee One you will see how easily and quickly be able to make more. These toys are the perfect gifts for any occasion!
The tails are picked up and knit on for the elephant and hippo and of course the bunny has a sweet little pom-pom attached to the back.

In the course I demonstrate face embroidery which is one of the most important pieces to a successful knit toy.

This photo became a little fuzzy when I re-sized it, but I want you to see the bonus pattern I included in the course. The pattern is for a fun little stripey top-down sweater that fits all three Wee Ones! I love this quick little add-on. I was thinking the sweater could be personalized with school/college colors, favorite colors or embroidered with an initial or two.

The Wee Ones are about 5 inches tall when seated. The toys are made in a worsted weight yarn and I used Spud & Chloë Sweater, of course. Each toy takes less than one hank of Sweater.

I linked this previously in the post but here it is again with more detail. I have a 50% off deal available for you right now! This deal will end soon. The course is normally $59.99 and right now you can purchase it for $29.99! You get all of the video lessons which you can watch any time at your own pace, it never expires.

The patterns for the Wee Ones and the top-down sweater are both included with the course. You also get a 100% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the course. There is no risk whatsoever. Also, there are discussions, project photos, a forum to ask questions or to discuss. I am already jumping in to help with questions and discussions and it has been so fun to hear what people are thinking while knitting the Wee Ones.

Click here to see a course preview, lesson previews, and to get a 50% off price for the course!

Click here for the Ravelry project page for Wee Ones!

Right now the pattern is only available when you purchase the Craftsy course for Wee Ones.

If you haven't been to the Craftsy site before you really should pop over and see what all of the buzz is about. It is a fantastic resource for all kinds of crafting, not just knitting.

Let me know what you think. I am really proud of this pattern and design and how this Craftsy.com course turned out! I'll do a separate post later about the second course I did for Craftsy.

best, susie

Fading Fall

2011-11-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

I have notified the winner of Coastal Knits. Thank you to everyone who entered. I have more to give very soon so be sure to enter again.

A few weeks ago TC and I went for a hike in our nearby nature conservatory. It has been a gorgeous and warm fall here in Wisconsin and this day was no exception. Now it is getting a lot colder and darker and I know the fall season is fading fast. I want to share our beautiful Madison fall nature one last time.....
Golden hued paths....

... bursts of red....

.... flowers still in bloom....

....changing leaves....

... purples, greens, golds, reds, browns....

... fuzzy stems in the fading sunlight....

... tiny ponds flocked by wildflowers and long grasses...

... open fields surrounded by dense woods...

... my favorite red climbing vines....

....and long casting shadows. If you look way out on the horizon you can see the wonderful University of Wisconsin campus buildings peeking up from the landscape.

And it wouldn't feel right if I didn't include my Halloween crew in this post. A few cousins and my sister and sister-in-law came over to share pizza and trick or treating on Halloween night. TC is holding out her spooky Halloween fingernails (press ons!). She also had feather eyelashes and our neighbor did her ghoulish make-up. In addition to TC we had two un-costumed teenagers, a nerd, a snowboarder and a very scary werewolf. The night was a hit.

Bring on Thanksgiving!

best, susie

Coastal Knits Giveaway!

2011-10-31T02:59:00.000-07:00

(Photo from Coastal Knits)

Hi Knitters,

When I heard that two of my favorite designers were collaborating on a book of knits I couldn't wait to see it. Both are wonderfully talented and with their combined designs they have created a book that is fresh, gorgeous and fun! I have talked about each of these women quite a bit before on my blog and I am sure you already are familiar with them anyway but Hannah Fettig and Alana Dakos are simply two smart, young, and hard working designers who deserve all of the accolades they receive.

Click here for Alana's website, Never Not Knitting!

Click here for Hannah's website, Knitbot!

The premise of their new collaborative book, Coastal Knits, is simple but yet clever. Hannah lives on the east coast and Alana lives on the west coast so they each took their respective shorelines as the inspiration for their designs. The book includes beautiful photography of each of the coasts and background information on their inspiration and the selected yarns. They also used yarns to create the samples from each of their coasts but they give many alternate yarn suggestions for each of the designs, which is incredibly thoughtful and helpful.

To hear a lot more detail listen to Alana's podcast, Never Not Knitting, where she and Hannah discuss every step of the process and the designs in detail and they answer questions from knitters. It's a great listen. Click here to listen!

There are 10 designs (click here to see all of the designs) that include a sweater, cardigans, a hat, fingerless mitts, a shawl, and a cowl. Each design is special and thoughtful. You will absolutely love Coastal knits. Some of the designs could be worked up in a matter of a few days and others are more involved. There is something for every woman in this book. The pattern collection is only available in book format.

Click here to go to the Coastal Knits website!

Let's look at a few of my favorite projects in the book. Above is the Rustling Leaves Beret by Alana. Alana is the queen of beautiful detail and that shows in this beret design. Her designs are incredible and thoughtful. Every inch of every design is tended to by Alana so all you have to do is knit and have fun. I love that about Alana. What a talent.

(photo from Coastal Knits)

Hannah designed the fingerless mitts, Branching Out. I am making these for sure! I already have the yarn set and ready to go. Hannah has a knack for taking a simple shape or garment and giving it a special twist, something only she could come up with. I love her modern, clean aesthetic so much.

(photo from Coastal Knits)

Hannah's Water's Edge Cardigan is so simple and sweet. I could see throwing this on over just about everything in my wardrobe. I love this one and it is knit in a worsted weight so it would be a quick knit. I am making this one very soon!
Alana's Gnarled Oak Cardigan is divine. The detail at the neckline is perfection. Oh, I really want to knit this one up right away! Love it. I would wear this one out. I clearly have to knit my own Gnarled Oak Cardigan this winter.
The Rocky Coast Cardigan is already one of the most popular patterns on Ravelry. I have to make this one, too. The front is worn open, the feel is relaxed and easy, the cable pattern is paired with a wide rib which I love. It really is perfection in every way.

(photo from Coastal Knits)

Alana's Wildflower Cardigan is knit in pieces and has subtle feminine details. I think this little cardigan would be a lovely addition to any wardrobe. I want a Wildflower Cardigan in my closet for sure.

I pretty much have my to-do list all set as I would love to have every single design in the book in my knit wardrobe this season. Everything in here is practical and stylish at the same time. Along with the variety of garments there are small knits in the book that would be the perfect gifts for the upcoming holidays, too. It's all here!

The best part of this post is that I get to give a copy of Coastal Knits away to one of you! If you don't win I strongly encourage you to get a copy of your own. I can't recommend this work of art pattern collection highly enough. These are two of the most outstanding new designers in the knitting industry and I guarantee you will love this book.

Please leave one comment on this post to enter to win a copy of Coastal Knits. Please include your email address or your Ravelry name or both so I can easily get in touch with you to gather your mailing address if you win! I'll be back soon to randomly select the winner.

What an honor for me to be included on the Coastal Knits blog tour! I actually asked to be included because I feel so much admiration and love for these two designers. They are taking the knitting world by storm on their own terms and I am enjoying following both of their prolific careers. The future is bright!

Good luck and let the comments begin!

best, susie

Come Knit with Amy and Me!

2011-10-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

I have an exciting new class lined up for a Knit Circus Mini-Retreat on November 19th in Madison. I am going to teach a class on toy knitting where we make my charming little fairy from the Knit Simple Holiday Issue 2011! With special permission from the good people at Knit Simple I am able to offer this one time class opportunity.

Way more exciting than my class is that the always fantastic and talented Amy Detjen is teaching a colorwork class following my class in the afternoon. I am definitely going to stay and learn from Amy. What a thrill. People travel from all over the country and I am sure beyond to take one of Amy's classes so don't miss this opportunity! She is one of the smartest, most knowledgable and funniest knitters around. I so admire her.

I hope to see you there!

Click here to find out more and to register for the Knit Circus Mini-Retreat!

Also, there are still spots available for the November 5th Knit Circus Retreat. There are spots open in a sock basics class, a mini-mitten class and a design your own cowl class!

Click here to find out more about this quickly approaching Knit Circus Retreat!

Oh, and I want to let you know that I just posted a new free hat pattern on my other blog, Spud says! It is called the Beluga and Firefly Hat in honor of the fantastic gray and yellow color combination. It is a simple and fun hat to work up with just enough of a textural stitch pattern to keep things interesting but nothing too difficult.

Click here to go to Spud says! to check out the free pattern!

Click here to go to the Ravelry project page for the Beluga and Firefly Hat!

Have fun and let me know if you are coming to my November 19th class and if you knit a Beluga and Firefly hat.

Don't miss my post scheduled for Monday where I am reviewing a beautiful new book by two of my favorite designers, Coastal Knits!

Happy weekend to you!

best, susie

Catching My Breath

2011-10-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

Sorry for the long delay in between posts. I am back from Denver where I was filming two online courses for Craftsy.com. It was a hectic and intense week. I'll post more on that later. It was one of the coolest and most fun weeks I have ever had career-wise! I am really excited about the whole thing. I loved every single thing about the Craftsy experience.

When I got home from Craftsy I decompressed with some spinning. I took a day to catch my breath which is something I rarely do.

I shared the photo above awhile back. It is some Phoenix Song (colorway) roving from Dani at Sunshine Yarns, one of my favorite indie dyers. The singles are now the gorgeous hank of yarn in the first photo.

By the way, Sunshine Yarns is having a huge update on this coming Tuesday, Oct. 25th if you are interested. I love her yarns and roving, it is all very inspiring.

The colors in Phoenix Song are so sweet and yummy. There is yellow, an array of pinks, orange, gray, white, gold.... I think the addition of gray is what made it so interesting to me.

I ended up with a squishy, plump 4 ounce hank of superwash wool. I finished the singles off with a 2-ply and came up with 252 yards. I think it is a sport weight. My plan right now is to make a pair of skating mittens for the upcoming winter. TC and I have some big ice skating plans for the outdoor ice rink season this year. I think a pretty pair of Phoenix Song handspun mittens will keep me happy while I skate. I am pretty sure they will end up on TC's mitts after they are done. That's okay, too.

I'll keep you posted as I go.

You know when you finish off one new hank of handspun you want to run back to your wheel and your roving stash to start something new. Usually I hunt for something kind of different than what I just finished. My hunt led me straight back to Kentucky and my fantastic Dyeabolical purchases. I got a 4 oz. braid of the roving above. I pre-drafted it into these enormous balls of soft roving all ready to spin onto my wheel.

When I was in the Dyeabolical booth, the mastermind behind this eye-catching fiber recommended that she wanted to spin the braid on the left with the pinks and purples and blues together with the first roving a I showed, on the right. Being the newish spinner that I am I took her idea and ran with it. I grabbed the two braids and fell in love with her idea.

Dyeabolical has an inspiring blog, too, that will make you want to snatch up all of her yarn. Click here to see her blog! And now I just see that there is a video blog/podcast! I will be checking all of that out. I actually have some Dyebolical yarn, too. I may have gone a little crazy with my purchases at the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival last May. Everything has brought me so much joy that I don't regret a single dollar spent.

I have a bobbin full of the first roving and have started a second bobbin. I can't wait to get the second 4 ounce braid spun up so I can see how these will ply together. It's motivating to have something so yummy ahead of me. Spinning is über fun!!

Speaking of Kentucky.... I wound my gigantic hank of Sheep Dreams handspun. It is an alpaca/wool blend that was gifted to me by my Kentucky friend, Dianne of Sheep Dreams. I think the hank has around 580 yards which is plenty for a Hitchhiker Shawl by Martina Behm. It is a fun little knit that is incredibly easy and portable since you don't need to have the pattern with you. You can just count your garter stitch ridges and you'll know exactly what comes next.

I also plan on making Martina's Lintilla Shawl with my lone hank of deep purple Wollmeise. That's probably coming up next for me on the shawl front.

On my recent travels I have gotten some sock knitting done. Socks are the perfect plane knitting project. Just last week I finished up one Candy Corn sock from my favorite striping sock yarn, Vesper. You can find her site right here. I am knitting these socks on my only purchase from Vogue Knitting Live, a set of US size 1 Blackthorn Needles. Let me say, these needles are like nothing else. I love them. They are made from a carbon fiber and they are black and smooth and unusual. Be sure to check them out if you are interested.

I don't know if I'll finish the second Candy Corn sock before Halloween but either way I absolutely love the yarn. I highly recommend the Vesper Self-Striping Sock Yarn!

I'm almost done with my second Door County Cherry sock. Really I only have a few quick inches to go. I love them more than ever now that I can see wearing them soon and just in time as it is getting colder outside.

The yarn is madelinetosh merino light. Click here to see some color choices if you are interested. This yarn is a single ply and it may not wear so well for socks but I don't care. I will love them while I can! It is worth it to me to have such a gorgeous and soft pair of socks that remind me of our vacation in Door County. The. Best.

I bought my one hank of tosh merino light at Spin in Door County. To get some like mine you could call them up at 920-746-SPIN (7746) !

To finish off this long overdue post, TC has been working her magic with the Halloween crafts. The other day she asked me for a couple of paper grocery sacks. A short while later she had sculpted some exquisite Halloween trees to go with her fabric pumpkin collection. The trees are so sculptural and moody. I love them. TC hung two knit acorns of mine on the branches. You can see one acorn at the top of the tree above if you look hard enough.

Not too long after the tress she created some salt dough ghosts that were finished off in the microwave and then simply decorated with a black Sharpie. I am telling you that one of the best things about having a crafty-to-the-core child is that you get seasonal decorations without even asking. The other thing I am enjoying is her total independence in finding and selecting her crafts. I didn't help one bit with any of this. It is all self-driven! Yay to that!

TC's favorite crafting and inspirational sites is Family Fun (we get the magazine, too)! She found all of these Halloween projects on here.

Click here to go to the Family Fun site to see these and more Halloween crafts!

On another note, the winners for the Knit Circus pattern collection have all been notified by email. Jaala Spiro will be emailing the patterns to the winners. Thanks for entering and I'll have another giveaway very, very soon.

Have a great week, Knitters. I've missed you.

best, susie

Knit Circus Special Issue, Gifts 2011!

2011-10-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

This is the season for gift knitting and toys really are the perfect gift project for so many reasons. They're cute, small, do-able in a short time frame, a small amount of yarn is needed, no size or fit issues, and ALL age groups love the knit toys, not just the kids. I've said this before but when I go places it's the adults who go craziest for the knit toys.

My latest design was released yesterday in the Knit Circus Special Issue, Gifts 2011! This is an online magazine that has free articles and recipes and then you can purchase the individual patterns or the entire issue for an incredibly reasonable price.

Click here to browse through the entire Knit Circus Gifts 2011!

Click here to find out about purchasing the single pattern for Milk Cow as a pdf download!

In the pattern introduction I talk about how the Knit Circus headquarters is in Madison because the founder and editor in chief, Jaala Spiro, is a life-long Madisonian like me. Since we both have strong Wisconsin ties I thought I would honor that by making a Milk Cow for the issue. Wisconsin is the number one dairy state so what better to represent that than an adorable little Milk Cow.

Click here for the Ravelry project page for Milk Cow!

The yarn is Blue Sky Alpacas Organic and Worsted Cotton. The optional red scarf and the horns are made in small amounts of Spud & Chloë Sweater.

I even included an udder... that was an experience. I made a brown cow for Spud & Chloë at the Farm, my last book, and I've had people ask me where the udder is on that cow. This time I was sure to include it. You could use a bucket from the Spud & Chloë at the Farm book if you are looking for a bucket pattern to include with your Milk Cow.

See? It's really there!

I love the personality of this one! What a fun and quick knit. Milk Cow is a good size and would be perfect for younger kids especially because it's a little larger. The entire Knit Circus Gifts Issue is wonderful with scarves, mitts, a cowl, a shawl, doilies, socks, a blanket, a cool reversible bag, a hat.... all of the patterns are a treat!

Click here to see all of the patterns in the issue on Ravelry!

Have fun if you make a milk cow for your house or as a gift!

Oh, and leave a comment on here with your email address if you are interested in winning a copy of the entire pattern collection! I have been given the go ahead to share the entire pattern collection with 10 lucky winners! Please leave one comment. I will be back very soon to pick the winners.

Good luck.

best, susie

A is for Apple Farm

2011-10-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

In the midst of all the knitting deadlines and knitting obligations I've had lately, we did find the time to sneak away to our favorite local apple farm last weekend. It was humid and over 80 degrees so it was an unusual fall day for us in our part of the country. My sister and her son and the fabulous knitter, Miss Molly, all joined us. I was happy to have all of our kids together with us.

I hope you enjoy this wordless view of our day. Our apple picking day ended later that night with an enormous pan of warm apple crisp served with vanilla bean ice cream on top.

I hope you are having a glorious fall. I have more fall-related posts in the works.

Click here to learn about our favorite pumpkin and apple farm in Madison!

best, susie

A week in the life....

2011-10-06T07:45:00.001-07:00

Hi Knitters,

A week in the life includes....

...a birthday for a wonderful son turning 18 years old, bittersweet in the best way possible...
... a pair of fun new clogs that I've had for awhile but just wore for the first time last week....
...and the arrival of long awaited and almost impossible to get watermelon striping yarn that even includes seeds.

I can't wait to knit this hank up. I'm thinking about another hat or maybe mittens or maybe a cowl, not sure yet. I'll show you what I end up making with this hank when it's done.

I have been drowning in knitting deadlines lately, barely coming up for air and trying to push through. I'll have lots to share soon.

These are some busy family times and work times. What does your week include?

best, susie

Ruche Beret - Weekend Hats

2011-10-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

I've had another design pop up last week in a newly published book. It is one of my most favorite designs I have done. About a year ago I sent off this hat to Interweave for Cecily Glowik MacDonald and Melissa LaBarre's new book, Weekend Hats. I am going to review the entire book coming up soon (as soon as I get a copy) but I wanted to first quickly share the hat I made for the collection.

The hat is worked from the top-down. The yarn is Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino. It is a drapey, decadent and romantic yarn. I absolutely fell in love with Suri Merino while making the hat. On one side of the hat you add more increases to get that extra fabric. Then just before the ribbing for the brim you make 3 pleats on the side of the hat that has the extra stitches. The pleating is a slick technique that I came up with as I worked. I am very pleased with the outcome.

The hat is actually pleated and not ruched so the name of the hat is a little misleading.

Click here for the Ravelry project page for my Ruche Beret!

Click here to see all of the projects in Weekend Hats!

Click here for the Amazon link for the book!

Click here to see the BSA Suri Merino yarn and colorways!

I made the hat sample for the book in the Harvest colorway and it only takes one hank of yarn. It is the perfect quick gift for the fall and winter seasons ahead. The Ruche Beret is knit at 5 stitches per inch on the dk weight yarn. This makes the drape in the fabric even better.

The Ruche Beret is also truly a weekend project. You can start one day and finish the next! It's a fast one. I have two more hanks of the Suri Merino in the colorways Earth and Seamist. I am planning on two more Ruche Berets this season. One for me and one for a gift.

I'll be back soon.

best, susie

p.s. Don't forget that I am speaking and signing books at the Madison Knitters Guild next Monday, Oct. 10th, 2011! Please come if you are in the area, the meeting starts at 6:30pm and the guild meets at a new location. I would love to see you there if you are able.

Handspun Hat

2011-10-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

While in my hotel at Vogue Knitting Live and on the plane home I worked up my handspun Fiber Optic yarn into this great little hat. TC took a lot of the photos of me in the hat. I love it and wanted to share it with you tonight.

Enjoy!

best, susie

Vogue Knitting Live Recap

2011-09-28T04:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

Well, I've been home for a few days now and trying to catch up or at least pick up where I left off. Vogue Knitting Live was nothing short of spectacular. The classes, the market, the dinners, the fashion shows, the raffles and giveaways... all of it was incredible. Vogue Knitting has such a history and you could feel it all around you at the event.

The event was at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. It was a beautiful hotel and the space accommodated the thousands of knitters very comfortably.

I only took photos in one of my classes. I had great and enthusiastic toy knitters. Every class was different and that's what makes teaching so much fun. I had quite a few knitters finish their projects. We made mice from Spud & Chloë at the Farm for the most part although some other animals were made along the way.
This class was particularly quick with their knitting. I did in-class demonstrations for small groups throughout the classes. That was fun.
Hard at work on their mousies....
I had all levels of knitters, some even trying to remember how to knit in the round from scratch. It all worked out fine in the end. I hope there were new techniques learned by all.
I had sisters, friends, mothers and daughters, even an 8 week old baby attended one of my classes. She was beautiful. See that cute woman in the green top in the photo above? That's Stefanie, one of my good friends on the Itty-Bitty Knits forum. Here is her blog. She is a talented knitter and new designer. Stefanie is Kepanie on ravelry. She is a good one. I loved meeting her in person.
The hotel was a well-run establishment. I enjoyed my stay there and even had one chance to workout at the fitness club. That was a treat. There was a spectacular pool in the back of the hotel, too.
Vogue is one with style for sure.
There was some sort of knit flower contest going on with Nicky Epstein's beautiful flower book. I loved looking at the flowers people made.
That's me getting ready for my class. Yes, I'm the one with the heels.

This is the marketplace which was packed full and thriving the entire weekend. I saw a ton of yarn and accessories and needles flying out of the shops. It was a fun and spirited atmosphere in there.
More on this later but that's the gorgeous Vickie Howell on the cover of the Knit Simple Holiday Issue 2011, and right to her left on the cover in the small photo is my latest project for Knit Simple! I did a fairy story for the magazine. I'll share more on that later but I will say that the Knit Simple team did a fantastic job!! There's going to be a huge giveaway coming up shortly for this one. Stay tuned...

It was fun that the magazine was released at this event and that I got to see it for the first time with my friend Stefanie by my side.
This lovely woman and teacher came to my last class and she brought four of her knit toys from Spud & Chloë at the Farm. Her enthusiasm was contagious. Thanks for bringing the toys and sharing with me. I loved it and your toys are so wonderful.
My hotel view looking to the right....
and to the left....
and straight ahead. It was a busy stretch.
The ongoing fashion shows were so much fun to watch. To see trends and different garments and accessories was so inspiring. The Vogue staff worked so hard all weekend and beyond. I couldn't get over how upbeat and positive they were. They did a great job and deserve so much credit. What a huge undertaking and then do to it with such style and success. Wow.
The gala dinner on Saturday night was a highlight for me. I have admired Kaffe Fassett for over 20 years. He was the speaker for the evening. I own almost all of his books. There might be a quilting book of his I don't own but I have have all of his knitting and mosaic books. I love them all. After seeing him speak I will have to go get his quilting book as well, the one I don't have.

Kaffe presented an color-filled slide show of his work and his inspiration which is really the world in front of him. The detail and scope of his handwork makes me swoon. He lives in a world without technology and email. He does handwork and stitching and art to fill his time. It is a life I aspire to live. There are occasional days when I long to live without technology (but I never really could - I would miss you all too much for one).

Kaffe impressed me with his small detail work on his sweaters and quilts. He had one enormous quilt that had tiny rectangles that were all hand stitched together. I mean each small piece was maybe a few inches. I will never forget it. I have a lot of his fabrics and I loved to see how they were made. He hand paints all of the designs which makes them richer and more interesting.

I have to give one last mention to two of the sweetest, funniest, sisters and knitters that I was so lucky to spend time with last weekend. These vivacious women are the sisters who own The Wool Cabin in Salt Lake City. I was so happy to see them and lunch with them and dine with them. They made my weekend all the better! These two make me laugh so hard. They are just plain fun and funny. I've known them since 2007? I think that's correct. Thank you, Suzette and Alison, for spending time with me and for lunch! I loved it. Also, hi to Patricia in Utah once again! We really should meet in person someday soon.

I'm speaking at the Madison Knitters Guild meeting on October 10th. I hope to see you there if you can make it.

best, susie

Catching Up

2011-09-20T04:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

I have a few things to catch you up with. First off, another hank of yarn has been spun. I actually started this one months ago. It is the beautiful Fiber Optic Yarns roving I purchased at the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival back in May.

The roving was 4 ounces of an 80% merino and 20% silk. The stunning colorway is Gold-Fuschia Layered Gradient. I spun up a hank with 224 yards in about a light worsted weight. Although it isn't all that even so in some spots it is a sport weight. The colors are so rich and interesting and that's what attracted me to the roving. I love the way the gold plays out, too.
It is a gradient roving starting with a vibrant red and gradually moving into a brilliant fuschia. I am thinking about a hat or a cowl for this one. I think that either of these projects will show off the yarn at its best. I'll keep you posted.
I wanted to keep the gradient colors together so I spun the singles and then Navajo plied. This keeps the colors together. I did much better this time with the Navajo plying. In an earlier skein I overspun when using this technique. Thanks to the advice of a kindly spinner on Ravelry I slowed my speed way down when plying and this seemed to help a lot. This is a very balanced hank of yarn, not perfect by any means, but it hangs straighter than straight. That's progress.

Click here for the Fiber Optic Etsy Shop!

Now my neglected once again wheel has some yummy Sunshine Yarns superwash wool roving sitting and waiting to be finished. This is the Phoenix Song colorway and I think it is pretty brilliant with gray, white, orange, gold, red, blue and yellows sprinkled throughout. There is something very sweet about the way it is spinning up. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
I saw this sock yarn last fall and didn't get it. This year I snagged a hank of Vesper Sock Yarn in the Candy Corn colorway. It is self-striping and I can't wait to dive in and have some Halloween-inspired socks to wear. I'm a big fan of the candy corn, the kind you eat.

It is not easy to get this yarn as it flies out of the shop as soon as it is listed. If you want some for yourself you have to be on your toes. Click here for the Vesper Sock Yarn shop.

I wrote about the Sew Bendy bags a long, long time ago. The Etsy shop is on my blog sidebar. I use and love these little bags literally every day. I keep my small projects in them and I have a lot of small projects going at the same time and all of the time. I have also given these bags to my daughters and my sister. I can't recommend them enough.

Click here for the Sew Bendy etsy shop!

This is TC's favorite Sew Bendy bag, the sweet pea one. She is knitting on her Be Sweet cotton stripes hat right now amongst other things.

Click here for the Be Sweet Bambino Taffy yarn!

Here are TC's latest knitting accomplishments. She finished her long in the making baby blanket out of Plymouth Heaven (click here to see the Heaven yarn). She bought her Heaven yarn at Stitchers Crossing. TC even ran out at one point and biked up to Stitchers to buy another ball or two. She absolutely loves this garter stitch baby blanket. She was going to donate it to her knitting group but I see that it hasn't left the house quite yet. I think she is having a hard time letting it go. We'll see what happens. She donates so much that it wouldn't be so bad for her to keep a little something.

I think I may have mentioned the Chunky Mochi Baby Hat she finished this summer. It is on her shoulder in the photo. TC picked out this yarn on our Door County trip. She is always attracted to the Chunky Mochi yarn and has another hat on the needles in a different colorway called Baby Face.

Click here for the one ball Chunky Mochi Baby Hat pattern!

Click here for Spin of Door County, where she bought the yarn!

Last but not least, Miss Molly has finished another sock and is on the foot of the second sock. This is her first pair of fingering weight socks and she is moving right along. The sock yarn is called Shamrockin' and it is another hank of Vesper Sock Yarn. This yarn is interesting in that the colors change dramatically depending on the light.

Miss Molly loves green and she loves being Irish so this yarn was meant to be on her feet. I love sharing her knitting progress. Last fall she was a complete beginner, this fall she is knitting socks on US size 2 double-pointed needles. Pretty impressive.

I am off for Vogue Knitting Live in Los Angeles in a couple of days. I hope to see some of you there and I know I will see some of you in my classes. I am really excited to go but I'll be even more excited once I finish organizing and packing.

Take care and I'm planning on posting from California so stay tuned.

best, susie

A Day at Pope Farm Park

2011-09-16T05:32:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

Last week TC, my husband and I spent some time hiking at a new to us and nearby park, Pope Farm Park. We found a stunning and long rock wall, just past their prime sunflower fields, a gully beyond our imaginations, a spillway, fairy hiding spots and homes, signs of fall, long grass that felt like cushions under our feet, magical clouds.... and all just a few minutes from our front door.

We've already returned once more and TC has requested Pope Farm Park as a future picnic spot. I'm with her.

Enjoy!

I hope you have a fall-filled weekend. I can never get enough of all this season has to offer.

best, susie

She has a way....

2011-09-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

(photo by Alana Dakos)

Hi Knitters,

That Alana Dakos has a way with her knits whether it's her own design or someone else's design. I was reading her blog the other day and she had the sweetest post up about her little girl starting school. Click here to read her post.

I was so happy to see that she knit up the apple pattern in my Itty-Bitty Toys book as a first day of school teacher gift. What a cute and perfect idea.

(photo by Alana Dakos)

Doesn't it look like you could just take a big bite? Yum.

Alana and Hannah Fettig have a new book coming out very soon. It is up for pre-order right now at coastalknits.com. If you pre-order you get gorgeous patterns available for immediate download. You can check out all of the patterns on the site, too. I can't wait to get my copy as it looks like a really good collection.

best, susie

p.s. Thanks to Alana for giving me permission to share her beautiful photographs today.

Fall Flavored Handspun

2011-09-09T09:45:00.001-07:00

Hi Knitters,

I am leaving you this week with a new hank of fall flavored handspun finished a few days ago. I tell you this fall-like weather is a dream for drying handspun outside. No humidity and a light crisp breeze makes for some fast drying time.

This alpaca/fine wool blend is a gift from my Kentucky fiber friend, Dianne of Sheep Dreams. She lives on Tanglewood Farm in Versailles, Kentucky and she is a fiber talent to be reckoned with. Dianne sent me a few 4 oz. bags of this beautiful roving with shades of green and rusty reds. It is the perfect fall spinning. I still have one bag left. I used the first 4 oz. bag up right after I started spinning and I spun that into a beginner's thick and thin yarn, which I love.
My second attempt to spin this fiber was fairly successful. I got a whopping 582 yards out of a tiny bit over 4 ounces of roving. I actually weighed the finished hank when I was done spinning because I couldn't believe the amount of yardage I had in the end. It's all true!
The singles spun so quickly and finely. I did a simple 2-ply and I think with the alpaca/wool blend and the yardage this will have to be a shawl of some sort. It is a fingering weight yarn. My other thought is to spin up the other 4 oz. bag and see what my total yards would be with both bags.
With the unspun roving included I might even have enough for some kind of fingering weight cardigan (like this one that takes 800-1000 yards) when I am done. That could be fun.

I am leaving you today with links to my knitting podcast playlist read directly off my iPod and in alphabetical order (I LOVE them all and have recently added some new ones to the list):

All of these podcasts are available through iTunes. I want to send out a huge thank you to all of the dedicated podcasters for their time and hard work. They keep me company on a daily basis while I work, knit and exercise. I am so happy every time I see a new episode pop up and if there isn't a new episode to listen to I often listen to old episodes over and over.

Have a great weekend, Knitters. See you bright and early next week. I did a fantastic nature hike with TC that I will share next week.

best, susie

p.s. I am starting a caridgan knitalong later this month. Click here for the details. Next week, I am adding more larger cardigan sizes than are available in the original pattern if you are interested.

TC's Little Pumpkins

2011-09-08T04:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

The winners of Bambeanies are:

heartrock

Barbara L. (knityid on rav)

Angela (baking27 on rav)

All of the winners have been contacted. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone for entering.

Fall is definitely in the air around here. The season is changing, the air is crisp and fall activities and school are in full swing. The other day right before school started TC was looking for something to do. She jumped online and started checking out the fall crafts on the Family Fun website. She found and picked out this quick fabric pumpkin craft and got to work. On the site this craft project is called, Squash Softies.

Click here to see the Family Fun fall crafts and to find the pumpkin craft!

I love the photo above of TC. She likes to chat while she crafts.

So far TC has made eight little stuffed pumpkins. She found some orange fleece and white fur to start. Doesn't everyone have these materials hanging around the house? Later we went to JoAnn's and she picked out three different Halloween-themed printed fabrics to use as well. I think I spent $7.00 for the fabrics. Everything else we already had.
You cut a circle out of the fabric, fleece or fur.
TC used various plates and bowls to trace around with a marker on the fabric. Then she threaded dental floss on a needle and did a running stitch about a 1/2 inch inside the edge of the circle.
TC gathered up her pumpkin slightly to create a bowl.
More gathering and scooting the fabric around was needed as she pulled up.
Then she stuffed and stuffed and shaped the pumpkin.
In between the cutting, stitching and gathering, TC ran outside to collect sticks in our yard. She is very particular about her pumpkin stems. Before knotting off and cutting the floss, she stuck in the stem.
I had to help her with the final knot to make sure the fabric was tight and secure around the stick. This is a little tricky but using the floss really helps with this part.

A couple of things to note if you try this with your kids, the cotton print fabric is a lot easier to work with over the fleece or fur because it isn't so bulky. We also used hot glue to secure the stick to the fabric after the pumpkin was finished. Everyone picks up the pumpkins by the stem and if it isn't glued in it falls right out. You could use fabric glue here as well.

One more thing, we started using poly-pellets to give some weight to the bottom of the pumpkins so they sit better. If your pumpkins aren't for small children you might like to add the poly-pellets to your pumpkins.
Here is TC's little pumpkin collection for home so far. The print fabric pumpkins are gone already. She has given away several pumpkins to my sister and to my husband's friend and co-worker. She is a giver of pumpkins. TC will make more of the printed pumpkins and I'll share them when she gets to it.
Aren't they sweet? Fall is here!

I think I heard a rumor that pumpkin spice lattes are back at Starbucks. I may have to venture out to see if this is true today.

best, susie

p.s. Have you been on Pinterest yet? I am having so much fun over there. Click here to see my boards so far. I hope you'll join in and join me if you find it interesting. I have found so many inspiring ideas since I joined and I think you might, too.

p.p.s. Way cool to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee knit one of my Itty-Bitty Hats. Click here to see!

Woolly Wormhead's Bambeanies Giveaway!

2011-09-06T05:53:00.000-07:00

Edited to add on Sept. 8th: The giveaway is now closed and no further entries are being taken. Thank you everyone for entering! I'll have another giveaway very soon.

Hi Knitters,

I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend. The last couple of days have been cool, crisp, sunny and gorgeous in the Mad-city, my favorite weather ever.

This morning I have a treat and a half for you. Woolly Wormhead has a new hat book out and she has generously offered to 3 of you a chance to win a copy. Two copies will be in pdf form and will be delivered to you via email and one copy will be in printed book form like the copy I am sharing with you today.

The book is called Woolly Wormhead's Bambeanies and inside there are 20 fantastical and clever hat designs for you to knit. The size range is from a 16 inch head circumference to a 20 inch head circumference. 16-inches would fit toddlers and just as a reference, I usually make my own hats to measure right around 20 inches. This is a great span of sizes for you to choose from.

Click here to see Woolly Wormhead's website!

The book includes schematics for each hat, a wonderful sizing chart for hats (a perfect reference to have on-hand), 20 patterns for boys and girls, an illustrated instructional and technique section, an abbreviation glossary, multiple photos of each pattern, a wide range of easy to find yarns.

It is a very appealing collection overall. There isn't one hat that I wouldn't knit and love.

There are hats that use garter stitch and short row shaping, hats that use stockinette stitch and many textured hats as well. A couple of the hats sport buttons which I love.

There are hats that twist and turn the direction of your knitting without sacrificing fit.

I love the simple designs the most. The photos are clear and sweet and detail oriented.
How wonderful is this simple but glorious handknit hat? I absolutely adore it.

I think Woolly Wormhead has a wonderful design energy and zest for hats. She is a girl after my own heart. I got to meet her very briefly at TNNA this summer and it was a thrill for me. I am a longtime fan of hers.

If you are interested in winning a copy of the book please leave a comment on this blog post. Please leave your email or ravelry id/name in the post so I can easily get in touch if you win. I will contact you to gather your mailing address if you win the printed copy. If you would like either version, pdf only or print only please specify.

I will be back in a short day or two to randomly select 3 winners for Woolly Wormhead's Bambeanies.

This book is a great addition to anyone's knitting library. I promise that you will love it! If you don't win you should consider getting a copy for yourself.

Good luck and let the comments begin.

best, susie

VK Live! and New Patterns

2011-09-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

First, I talked to Beth Ritter at Vogue today and my classes are filling up for Vogue Knitting Live in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 23rd and Saturday, Sept. 24th. There are still some spots left in my classes and many other people's classes so please sign up if you are considering any of the classes being offered at the event.

I am getting really excited to head west for this big knitting event. I am also attending the Gala Dinner on Saturday night, Sept. 24th. I have already heard from some of the knitters sitting at my table for the night. Thank you. I am glad I won't be sitting by myself.

Click here to find out about and/or sign up for my classes or any of the wonderful classes being offered!

Now to change the subject, it seems I've got patterns coming out of my ears these last few weeks. I'm going to share a quick run-down of some of the recent releases.

The cute puppy set above is available in the brand new Interweave Gifts Issue 2011, available on news stands on September 6th. The set was named by Interweave as McHenry and the McHenry Hat. I have no idea why but it's cute. I was also honored to be interviewed for the Gifts issue and the interview appears inside the magazine. I haven't actually seen the magazine yet so I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Click here to purchase the Interweave Gifts Issue 2011 or to find out more information.

Click here to see the Ravelry project page for McHenry (the puppy).

Click here to see the Ravelry project page for the McHenry Hat.

The hat is really fun to knit. As you work on the hat, the ear placement is marked with a piece of scrap yarn as you knit and then the ear stitches are picked up and knit right onto the hat. There are no separate parts and no seaming or stitching, only smooth sailing.
McHenry is a sweet little fellow sure to withstand lots of carrying about and snuggling. I think the puppy is about 5 to 6 inches tall if I remember correctly.
I knit this sample in Blue Sky Skinny Cotton which is a dk weight. It is a wonderful yarn to knit toys with. I originally made McHenry in Spud & Chloë Sweater, which is a worsted weight. Interweave already had a project in Sweater so I had to switch. You could knit McHenry in Sweater, too, if you prefer and it would work out just fine. The Sweater colors Toast and Rootbeer would be perfect matches.

The red collar and the spot are optional, of course, but I think they add a little more fun and character to the project.

Another project that was just released is the Very Berry Hat I knit up for the Spud & Chloë On the Run pattern card series.

Click here to see the Ravelry project page for the Very Berry Hat!

Click here to see all of the Spud & Chloë On the Run series pattern cards!

I used Spud & Chloë Sweater in the Barn and Grass colorways. The hat features four sizes, a simple fair isle pattern to make the seeds and the green top, and a cool little squiggle at the top. I love this hat as it could be made in so many different colors and it could be for a boy or girl.

The pattern is in printed form only (a pattern card) and is available only in local and online yarn shops. It is not available as a download.

Click here or here for two shops that have this pattern available right now.

There are many, many more shops that have the pattern. If the shop carries Spud & Chloë and/or Blue Sky Alpacas they can get this pattern for you and fast!

I also had a FREE pattern just released for Blue Sky Alpacas in their new Techno yarn. This yarn is dreamy and different. This is the perfect pattern to try out a hank or three! The set is called the Zig Zag Mittens and Hat and the pattern is written in an adult size.

Click here to download the free pattern for the Zig Zag Mittens and Hat set!

If you don't already get the Blue Sky Alpacas Bluesletter you should hop on over here and subscribe.

My friend and co-worker and favorite yarn supplier, Merri, writes this letter and she does a wonderful job.

Look here to see all 4 of the new free patterns just released by Blue Sky Alpacas - they are soooo good!

The Zig Zag Mittens have a long ribbed cuff that can be worn down or folded up. This adds a bit of versatility when you want to tuck the mittens inside the cuffs of your coat. I love being able to do this for warmth in the winter.
The original Zig Zag Hat I made was in dark gray, light gray and natural colors of Techno. I really like the contrast of the zig zag lines in these colors, too.
It is one of those hats that can be worn many different ways by adjusting the folding of the brim. I love it when a hat has versatility.
Although the pattern is written for an adult it fits my 11 year old daughter perfectly. Kids would fit in this hat as well as adults.
Here the brim is folded in half.
Now TC is wearing the Zig Zag hat as a full slouchy style hat with the brim not folded. This is my favorite way to style the hat.
I have a lot more patterns coming out over the next month or two that I am anxious to show you. I'll share them as they are released.

This has been such a hectic week or two around here with the hustle and bustle of school sports starting, college moving, parent meetings, sports events, form filling out, check writing, general sign-ups and school registrations and doctor appointments... it is a gigantic whirlwind. I am just trying to keep my act together. (To be honest, I did miss an orthodontist appointment today while I was at another doctor appointment with my son - go figure.)

I am sure you are all just as busy with your upcoming school year and fall activities. It's fun, isn't it? I love this time of year for so many reasons.

best, susie

Lace Designers x 2

2011-08-26T03:55:00.001-07:00

Hi Knitters,

First things first, emxlenie (rav id) won the Super End of Summer Giveaway. Congratulations to Emilene and thank you to everyone who entered. There are more giveaways coming up so stay tuned to enter again.

Second on my list is to tell you about my friend, Laura Nelkin's, Craftsy Online Class. I get to offer you a 50% off deal for her Mastering Lace Shawls online class! I am really excited about this. Laura is the queen of lace. She is a prolific lace designer, her shawls are gorgeous and her beaded knitting is extraordinary. Check out how she added lace to this baby project.

Here is the trailer for her class:

Click here to find out how to sign up and to get your discount on Craftsy!

Click here for Laura Nelkin's blog (it is fantastic).

Click here to see all of Laura's designs on Ravelry.

I thought Laura's lace class was the perfect tie-in to another up and coming designer, Christina Wall, because she loves to knit and design with lace, too.

That brings me to the third thing on my list, the opportunity to share a fun designer with you. Her name is Christina Wall and I have met her a couple of times at TNNA. Her sister is the felt flower designer from the giveaway. When I met Christina in June she was wearing an adorable cardigan (shown above) and shawl knit in Spud & Chloë yarns and she really caught my eye. Plus, both of the sisters were excited and sweet and just plain cute and fun together. I loved that about them. They both had such enthusiasm for knitting and for Spud & Chloë. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of Christina's patterns today.

Check out Christina's Lamb's Lace Cardi pattern, shown in the top photo, right here!

Click here to find out about Christina's Ginger Leaves Shawlette! This pattern is quite popular on Ravelry.
Here is a back view of the Ginger Leaves Shawlette. Isn't it elegant and sweet?
I love Christina's lace work. Click here to see the Woodland Spring Shawlette on Ravelry! This appears to be Christina's most popular design with being in almost 500 queues, over 1,000 favorites and over 60 finished projects. Christina is really taking off as a designer which is so fun to see.Here is the lucky thing for you. Christina is hosting a giveaway for the Adrift Shawlette (shown above) which takes 2 hanks of Spud & Chloë Fine which is 456 yards of fingering weight yarn. I think the Adrift Shawlette would be gorgeous in one color, too. I love it. All you need to do is pop over to her blog and leave a comment. She also is offering a 15% off coupon for ALL of her patterns. She has cardigans, cowls, scarves and more shawls.

Click here to go to Christina's blog to enter to win the pattern for the Adrift Shawlette. Let's show Christina some love! I'm going to enter right now.

Click here to see all of Christina Wall's designs on Ravelry. She is one to watch.

So two lace designers for the price of one blog post today. Lace knitting is hotter than ever. I have another book giveaway for Wendy Johnson's new lace book coming up for you, too. Lace is everywhere.

Off to the weekend. I hope you all get to spend some time knitting and enjoying your loved ones over the next couple of days. I know I will.

best, susie

Super End of Summer Giveaway

2011-08-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

Edited to Add on Aug. 26th, 2011: The giveaway is now closed and no further entries are being taken. Thanks to all who entered.

Hi Knitters,

I've gathered some wonderful goodies for you today for my Super End of Summer Giveaway. To start, there is a new book out by the wonderful Larissa Brown. Larissa is also the author of a favorite book of mine called, Knitalong. Her new book is, My Grandmother's Knitting.

It is more than a knitting pattern book because Larissa persuaded (happily I'm sure) some of the top knitwear designers around to share their family histories involving knitting. My Grandmother's Knitting is exactly the kind of book I adore. I want to hear the story of how Wendy Bernard learned to knit from her Grandma Shorty and how Meg Swansen was so strongly influenced by her smart and clever mother, Elizabeth Zimmermann. The book is simply a satisfying treat.

The book is divided into two sections. The first section is Family Stories. Here is a list of all of the knitters' stories included: Wendy Bernard, Pam Allen, Meg Swansen, Ysolda Teague, Jessica Marshall Forbes, Kay Gardiner, Joan McGowan-Michael, Kristin Spurkland, Teva Durham, Jared Flood, Norah Gaughan, Anne Hanson, Leigh Radford, Chrissy Gardiner, Adrian Bizilia, Kirsten Kapur and Emily Johnson.

What an impressive group of knitters and authors and designers and storytellers.

Each family story is better than the next. The stories shed light on the generational aspect and personal history that everyone's knitting contains. Today's influential designers share their talents with us because of their grandmother's or mother's or father's or some other beloved relative's knitting.

I love family stories in general and when they involve knitting it is all the better to me.

In the second section of the book, each of the knitters listed above, and a few more, then offer a pattern inspired in some way from their family story. It could be a project directly from their knitting loved one or something inspired by, modernized and updated. The patterns include everything from scarves, gloves, a cardigan, a colorwork sweater, a cowl, a shrug, a cape, a pillow, hats, socks, a shawlette, mitts, slippers, a dishcloth and blankets. The variety is wonderful. All levels of knitting skills are included.

To see all of the pattern click here to go to the Ravelry page for My Grandmother's Knitting.

Here are a few patterns I love. The Storm Cloud Shawlette, by Hanna Breetz, is a simple and sweet little knit.
The always popular Ysolda Teague offers up these gorgeous little Fiddlers' Mitts.
I just love this simple scarf that is a striped tube by Rodger P. Murray. I want to make one of these this winter.
These mittens are knit starting at the top of the thumb and then the top of the mitten and all worked on double-pointed needles. I can't wait to try these out.

Well, it is a lovely book that I think many of you would enjoy and use. I am happy to be able to offer you a chance to win a copy of My Grandmother's Knitting today but there is still more....
I also want to offer you a chance to win a beautiful repurposed felt flower pin. This one is mine and was given to me at TNNA from Heather R. LeFebevre. I think it is so well-made and sweet. I love the name, Reincarnations, very clever.

Heather has generously offered to give a flower of choice from her Etsy shop to the winner of this giveaway. You get to pick your favorite which is such a treat.

Click here to check out Heather's Etsy Shop!

Click here to check out Heather's blog!

But wait, there's still more...

I've decided to throw my latest and only handspun yarn of this summer into the gift pot! I recently finished spinning this Cloudlover Polwarth hand painted roving called Wild Bunch. It turned out great. The finished yarn has lavender, purple, bright green, blue and even a dab of pink in spots. It is gorgeous.

Click here to see the Cloudlover shop! I'd like to have one of everything, please.

Back to my handspun yarn, the larger hank is a 2-ply, about a sport/dk weight, 264 yards which is plenty for a cowl, mitts, or a hat or two.

The tiny hank is a Navajo plied sampler that is about 28 yards.
The Wild Bunch yarn was soaked in the Amy Butler Soak Wash. I can't stop squishing it and smelling it because it is just so darn yummy. There are some thick and thin spots, it's far from perfect, but I think this yarn could make a very cute project for one of you and you'll know that I spun from my heart when you cross those imperfections.

Okay, leave one comment, and one only, on this blog post to enter to win a copy of My Grandmother's Knitting, a terrific felt flower from Heather's shop and a hank of my handspun yarn. If you enter please leave me an email address or Ravelry id/name where I can reach you if you win. I will then contact you to get your mailing address. I will pick a winner via a random number generator in a few short days.

Good luck with the Super End of Summer Giveaway!

Let the comments begin.

best, susie

Dill Pickled

2011-08-18T10:59:00.001-07:00

Hi Knitters,

My 17 year-old son loves a good challenge and this one involves our garden cucumber harvest and his love of dill pickles. He studied how-tos and recipes, drove to the grocery shop and bought the jars and seasoning and went to town. Below is a pictorial post so you can see his pickling work in progress. He cut slices and spears. Why not live it up?

The finished and sealed jars are now sitting on a shelf in our pantry for at least two weeks before we can crack one open to try our first homegrown dill pickles.

Enjoy!

best, susie

p.s. I am pulling together a fun giveaway that I will post in a couple of days. There will be multiple prizes so be sure to check back to enter.

Yum!

Fiber Fiesta

2011-08-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

I haven't even touched my wheel since early June when I had just started spinning this Cloudlover Polwarth. Over the last couple of days I snuck in a moment here and there and at night to finish up the 4 oz. braid.
I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a a bit more yardage. I did a 2-ply at maybe a sport weight and got 264 yards in the hank above.
The colorway is called Wild Bunch and I really love it. It looked very different in the braid before being spun. By the way, I used a sample of Amy Butler's signature Soak when I washed the yarn and it smells so good you wouldn't believe it. I think this is my favorite Soak scent. I don't know if it is still available so I will have to look that up and get a big jug if it is still around.
I had a small amount of singles left on one bobbin when I was done with the other bobbin so I Navajo plied the leftover. I got a tiny 28 yard hank of probably a DK weight or so. You know, I over spin the twist when I ply using the Navajo technique. It did block out with the soaking and hanging with a light weight. I have to fiddle with this to figure out what I am doing wrong.
Here is my Door County Cherry sock. I bought a hank of Tosh Light Merino in this pinkish/reddish/purple-y and brown in spots color. I immediately named them my Door County Cherry socks because cherries are the claim to fame for Door County if you didn't know. I bought the yarn at Spin of Door County. They had lots of colorways at the shop.
That slight variation in the color holds my interest even though the contrasts are small. Madelinetosh is just a yummy, delicious yarn in every weight.
Here is the start of my second sock. I've had to set it aside since the trip due to other work knitting. I'll finish soon I hope.
Okay, here we are again with this beauty of a sock. I started this several years ago and I just finished the toe yesterday. I don't know what it is about this Watermelon Stripe sock but I couldn't seem to finish it for some reason.
The yarn is from Sunshine Yarn and it most likely isn't available any longer. There are wonderful new selections though. I love Dani's yarn. It is cute, right? I should immediately cast on the second sock, right? I didn't.
Here is another pair I started years ago. I finished the first sock at least three years ago. I have no idea why I didn't start the second sock right away. It is Vesper Striping Sock Yarn (I am a huge fan) and I own several more colorways of this hand-dyed yarn.

I finished up the Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn socks. The color number is S258. I love them. I knit them on US size 1 needles and they are dense, dense, dense.

Here is another hank of yarn I have been sitting on for a year or two. It is Sanguine Gryphon's Bugga sock yarn in the Yellow Dung Fly (not sure what that is but it sounds kind of gross) colorway. It is 20% cashmere and 70% wool and 10% nylon. It is a smooshy delight. I am doing a simple rib with cables running down the sides of the cuff, not sure yet whether I will continue the cables on the sides of the foot or not. We'll see how I feel after the heel.
I love the Bugga yarn and will collect more in the future.
Well, I am working away on my sock collection for the upcoming winter season. TC dipped into my handknit socks last winter and I don't mind that but if I'm sharing I definitely could use some new pairs. These socks were finished by knitting a round here and there and in the car or at a swim meet. This is proof that you can make some progress a little at a time.
TC picked out a ball of Mochi Chunky in Door County to make a baby hat. She made this over a few days.
I loved it because she made the entire thing herself including the double-pointed needles and the I-cord on top. Many times she likes me to do the top for her but she can actually do it herself. It's a very sweet hat. She will donate this to her knitting group that does charity knitting for local charities.
Late last night I started spinning some Fiber Optic Fiber that is 80% merino and 20% silk. It is one I picked up at the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival last May and the colorway is Gold-Fuschia Layered Gradient.
It starts with one color and slowly moves to several other colors to the other end. I am trying to spin it straight through, not dividing it at all. I will then Navajo ply it so the gradient color transitions stay intact. My only worry is not to overspin the plying. It could be really cool in the end and I am thinking about some kind of shawl with the yarn. Wish me luck.

Okay, it is getting late and I am very sleepy so I think I won't go back and put all of the links in tonight. If you are interested in any of the yarns or fiber you can always google the names of the yarn or fiber and shops and sites will pop up for you that way. If I get a chance I'll come back in and put the links in later.

I'll be back soon with a fun giveaway for you. I hope you are having fiber fiestas, too, Knitters.

Good night. I'm crawling into bed to dream about more knitting and spinning.....

best, susie

Spin of Door County

2011-08-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

When we were in Door County last week I discovered a fantastic knit shop. It is called Spin and it is owned by Terry. She is an energetic, fun yarn shop owner. She actually owns the old bank building in Sturgeon Bay where she opened Spin about five years ago. It is a gorgeous building inside and out and Terry has created one of the most charming and inviting knit shops I have ever seen. I am not exaggerating. I love it at Spin.
There is room after room chock full of top of the line yarns and accessories and books and magazines. The selection is so good and widespread. The shop was bustling with knitters the entire time we were there on several different occasions and days. I was impressed with how busy it was. That is a good sign. Spin is doing something right.
There is an upstairs where knitting groups meet with enough room to have multiple groups meeting at the same time. It is unusual to have several comfortable and spacious rooms in a knit shop but Spin has it!
Even the hallways are bubbling over with yarn. I love the detail on the windows. The building is really, really beautiful and nostalgic. I love this setting. These stairs lead up to the big lounging/teaching/knitting group rooms.
The other thing that impressed me was the amount of samples that were knit up in the shop. It was incredible. Sweaters, shawls, toys, baby items, mittens, blankets, scarves, vests, hats... you name, they had it.
TC and I had so much fun here. When my husband took my fisherman son off to fish at a pier nearby, TC and I hung out at a big table on the main floor and knitted for an hour or so. Terry has a bowl of candy on the table at all times so we helped ourselves to Jolly Ranchers and Starburst and knit away. Good times.

As we sat we met a few local knitters and watched people trickle in and out of the shop. There is such a sense of community happening at Spin. There were so many happy knitters coming in and out and people buying sweater amounts of yarn. Terry told me they have open knitting time in the morning one day a week and then one night a week and they get a large group for both of these times. She has lots of groups that meet at her shop as well.

TC told me she wished I worked there. I thought that was a big compliment.

I'll share TC's and my Door County knitting in the next post.
That is TC standing by the table we sat at one afternoon. She picked out some Noro Kochoron #81 for a scarf, mitten and hat set she wants to make. I am sure I will pitch in on this project (and maybe steal it to wear sometimes when we are done). This yarn is spectacular and has a little angora added.

Terry has a brand new site and she told me that very soon they will be selling all of their yarn and everything else online so check back for that if you are interested. For now you can stop by or give them a call and they will send your order right out.

Click here to find out more about Spin of Door County!

On a final side note, we stopped by the home of the Green Bay Packers on the way back to Madison. They were having a family day and scrimmage type thing so Lambeau was overtaken with enthusiastic Packer fans.

We had lunch at the stadium at a restaurant called, Curly's. (I know you are all jealous right now. lol.) All of the menu items had tricky football-Packer-referencing names. As we were having lunch the new recruits walked through the restaurant with their families and into a private room. My husband and sons were very excited about this.
Now, I want you to get a feel for what I go through with this whole thing. We had to stand in a large hallway for a long time while each new recruit had photographs taken with their families and we watched.

The guy on the left (above) in the white t-shirt was the number one draft pick for the Packers. I don't remember his name. His stature was impressive. Just to check, my husband casually walked by the new Packer while my oldest son took a photo to see who was taller/bigger. That's my husband in the gray t-shirt and baseball cap on the right. I have to say that they are pretty similar in size. The kids all laughed so hard when my husband was "casually" walking by. He was so awkward and obvious. Do you see that blonde lady in the Packer shirt looking at him?

I live with a goofy crew no doubt.

Here we all are on the big steps to the stadium. My husband explained to us why Lambeau is the perfect football stadium design. I was mesmerized (just kidding). I have zero interest in the Packers or football but if it makes my boys happy, I'm right there with them. It is harmless fun.

We had a good time and it was funny to see the crazy-devoted Packer fans in person. These people are Packer nuts! Wow, there is a whole world out there that is all Packers all of the time.

Have a good Friday, Knitters.

best, susie

Door County from the Outside

2011-08-09T04:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Knitters,

Here is the outer view of our trip. Much of our time was spent at the beach on Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is so huge that it seems like you are on the ocean. Waves lap up to the shore and the water is so cold and clear.
Swimming for hours at a time kept TC very busy. We gave her the award for spending the most time in the water. My husband took a close second place because there was only one time she was in the lake without him. He is so much fun and always game for anything. I love that about him and so do the kids.
We were very lucky to have Miss Molly, my son's sweet girlfriend, stay with us for a night. Her family was in Door County at the same time and we got to spend some time with them. They left earlier than we did so she finished her trip with us at the Eco House. She is a treat and she brought her knitting, which I love. She is making her first sweater and her first pair of fingering weight socks. Seeing someone master first time projects, and doing it well, makes me happy.
The empty beach was beyond fantastic.
I went for daily runs on the beach and on the quiet, skinny lakeshore road. I loved it because it was so flat. I could run forever. It is hilly where I live and I am not good at running up hills. I am missing this shady flat road now that I am back to the hills of my Madison neighborhood.
A view from the beach...
Reading, knitting, swimming, football, sleeping and walking were the main beach activities. In front of the house the owner added a new abstract sculpture. I'm not so sure about it. The framework mimics the window panes and the curved part mimics the shape of the roof. It was made by a friend of the owner. We thought it looked like a lobster claw.

The owner stopped by briefly at one point and we asked him about the sculpture. When my husband asked if it was a lobster claw he got really quiet. We are still laughing about that. It's all subjective with abstract art, right?
Oh, Peachy. I love her.
I have a son with a love of fire...and fishing. This one spent a large amount of time fishing in various spots. He caught a few fish and a large fish was on his hook at one point but he didn't bring it in. My husband was his witness. I love his zest for things.
I had to laugh when I saw this photo my son took. This is the kind of thing my sons and my husband think is funny. This is the side of a restaurant called, Hot Tamales. We actually got carry out from here one night and it was surprisingly good. The actual restaurant looked a little questionable and when the boys saw the room air conditioner unit being held up by cement blocks they could not stop laughing about it. My son quickly added that they really needed 8 1/2 blocks.

Next up, the knitting and maybe a little Packers. You'll see.

best, susie

p.s. I have to tell you something funny real quickly. When I got back home my neighbor brought over a package they picked up for us. It was addressed to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I couldn't figure out what happened for awhile. I thought it was from Stephanie or maybe a new book from Stephanie but then inside it was a new book by Rachael Herron (which I am very excited about!). Then I realized it was a complimentary copy of Rachael's book sent from Chronicle Books to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee but with MY mailing address under her name. Isn't that the funniest thing? I don't even know how Chronicle got my address because I have never been in touch with them. I would love to keep my copy and review the book for Rachael. I should let Chronicle or Stephanie know about the mix up, I guess. Anyway, I thought you'd get a kick out of that.

Nooks and Crannies

2011-08-07T05:06:00.001-07:00

Hi Knitters,

Well, we are back from a spur-of-the-moment trip up north to the always breathtaking Door County, Wisconsin. At the last minute my boys got off of their work duties at our pool and my husband found one of our favorite vacation homes open for the week. We scrambled our belongings together, shoved everything in our trusty van and headed north.

TC likes to write in the guest books left in the places we stay. We read her note from a couple of years ago and above is what she wrote this time. I love the innocence of her writing.
So the road led us once again to the fantastic Eco House, the same house I wrote about here awhile back. There were a few changes but not many. One of the main changes is that the prairie grass had been pulled from the front of the lot and has been replaced by a butterfly garden. The plants are all there to attract various species of butterflies and we saw a lot of them. TC loved the milkweed which of course was covered with the stripey caterpillars that will eventually become Monarch butterflies. We have two of them at home with us now and one is already turning into a chrysalis. She is very excited about it. TC will release the butterflies as soon as they hatch.

The best part of this house is that it is completely modern and designed to be sleek but it includes more nooks and crannies and comfy spots than you can use. Everywhere you turn there is some splash of color or texture or a pillow and a soft bench. It thrills me for whatever reason. I love the colors on the walls, the architecture, the beams, the kitchen, the red, the subtle green, the neutrals, the earthy counter tops, the lamps, the artwork, the lighting, the minimalistic modern lines paired with the chunky furniture... it keeps you looking and discovering the entire time.

I know I wrote about this house before but there is enough material in this setting to write a lot more. I tried to take photos from different angles (but they do overlap quite a bit). Here are my thoughts for this trip in a nutshell.
The long expanse of the main room is broken up so keenly with furniture placement that creates a separateness of space out of one huge room.
Private spots are thrown into the openness in the most clever and inviting ways. You can't help but to sit and be quiet.
This telescope had everyone looking especially when some of us were at the beach or when a boat drifted by.
I adore these closet doors in the master bedroom with their slick gliding tracks. I have closet envy here for sure. You wouldn't believe how smooth these doors are.
Secret balconies and front porches were popular reading spots.
This nook is off the front entry way and it is the most inviting way to enter a house.
The loft bedroom windows proved to be entertaining once again, very Laugh-In style even though my kids don't even know what Laugh-In is. There is a wood burning stove with the longest exposed chimney I have seen.
Each rug is perfect in texture, size, color and print.
We were greeted with bundles of wood we used to make bonfires on the empty beach in front of our house. The nightly fires were magical.
In the early morning hours I knitted and watched the Cranford series (recommended by Paula of The Knitting Pipeline). I loved it so much that I was sad when it was over. There was no internet, three TV channels and no cell phone reception. Perfection. Everyone read and read and read books. Books were finished and started. I read The Help (on my Kindle) and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (hardback book).

By the way, the ladies in Cranford wore the cutest little knit shawls and fingerless mitts. I recommend this BBC series to the fullest.
I completed some socks that I'll share later and I am now on the sixth section of my Citron Shawl that I started way last summer, of 2010 that is. I am adding a couple of sections to make it a little bigger than the pattern calls for. I am making it out of Malabrigo Lace in the Sealing Wax colorway. This is my first project in lace weight and I am not really won over by it so far. I have a feeling though that once I block it and wear it I will be completely won over by lace weight. The jury is still out.
The kitchen counter top in this chunky dark finished cement is really one of my favorite things. I love cement for some reason and these counter tops drive me crazy with their coolness. The zucchini is from our garden at home. We are quite proud of our meager garden harvest so far.
The back splash is another feature that I can't get enough of. In fact, we were remodeling our kitchen when we came to the Eco House last time and I almost put this stone black splash in my own kitchen. In the end I didn't because I wasn't sure it fit in with our house but at the Eco House it is the best. I even like the green salt and pepper grinders.
This cranny looks out into the woods that surrounds the house in the back.
The handcrafted bird mirror is in the powder room off of the kitchen. I would have liked to take this mirror home with me. I keep looking for an identifying something or other on it so I can get one, too, but I can't find anything.

I love the wall color, such a deep rich red.
Of course, the most enviable room for me is the gigantic laundry room with more concrete counter tops, new front loaders, room to fold and hang things up.... room to breathe. One day I will have a decent laundry room. I probably won't get one until all of my kids are grown and gone and then I will wonder why I ever wanted such an extravagance. For now I just dream.
Darts were thrown and cheers were cheered on a daily basis.
I love this huge chunky coffee table, the oversized couches where many a nap was had, the two swiveling red chairs, and the striped rug against the cool tile floor.
The upstairs melts into the downstairs because the open windows keep everything as one space.
The dining table was filled with games, books, people, good homemade food (we cooked some fabulously yummy meals together) and storytelling. The geometric rug trimmed with the green border is thoughtful and excellent. It's all just so good together.
The master bedroom is spacious and clean. The chaise lounge is one of my favorite spots. The view is so inviting and I love the candle filled fireplace (never used but pretty to look at).
Yahtzee was the game of the trip. So many rounds of Yahtzee were played with different groups and even individually. It became such a contest between everyone. Occasionally poor sportsmanship was displayed and quitting occurred which evoked much deserved harassment and laughing. Who knew Yahtzee could be so much fun?

I am dividing my vacation journey into three sections. Today is the inside, the next will be the out-of-doors and then will come the knitting! I discovered the cutest knit shop in Sturgeon Bay that I can't wait to share with you. TC and I hung out there quite a bit.

I missed you all. What did you do last week?

Until next time....

best, susie