Episode 31 ~ Cabled Gigi & Yarn Giveaway!

Hi, Knitters,
I hope you are having a great long weekend here in America. We had a family cookout last night which was really fun. I love having all of my kids and their significant others around. There is always a lot of laughter and storytelling. And there is always a lot of good food! The hot weather continues with a projected high of 93 degrees today. It is tough to do much at the height of that heat. I'll get outside on the early side today.

I recorded a new podcast episode. If interested, please be sure to enter to win the yarn over on YouTube by simply leaving a comment that includes your Ravelry username.

Click here for Episode 31 and to leave a comment over on YouTube!

Click here for Episode 31 Shownotes and Links over on the BWC Journal!

In the podcast, I'm wearing a new pattern release called Cabled Gigi Pullover. It is a new favorite of mine. The pattern is by Devin Ventre. Click here for Devin's website, Knitty McPurly.

The Cabled Gigi Cardigan and ALL of the Barrett Wool Co. patterns are 50% off right now using the code SUMMER at checkout.

Click here for the Cabled Gigi Pullover!

Click here for all of the Barrett Wool Co. Patterns!

We have kits right now for the Cabled Gigi Pullover on Barrett Wool Co. The kit includes the pattern and yarn and also a custom made Diamond Willow button that is truly beautiful.

Click here for the Cabled Gigi Pullover Kits in 7 gorgeous color options!

Have a wonderful week ahead. I'm traveling to Vermont to teach at the Wing and a Prayer Farm this weekend. I can't wait for this small intimate retreat in a scenic setting. I have never been to Vermont so I am really looking forward to it!
xo ~ susan

Minnesota 52 Giveaway!

photo by Gale Zucker

ETA: The winner has been randomly selected. The winner of the ebook is Teachermom on Rav! She has already been gifted the ebook from Megan and Cori! Thanks for the fun everyone and I'll host another giveaway soon. 

Hi, Knitters,

I'm popping in quickly today to let you know about an Instagram giveaway I am hosting. The prize is an ebook copy of the new book Minnesota 52 written by Megan Williams and Cori Eichelberger. Megan is half of the Stockinette Zombies podcast that I'm sure many of you know already. Cori is Megan's good friend and a top-notch knitter to boot. 

The book has socks, a shawl, hats, colorwork projects, multiple sweaters, cowls, mittens and more. There are fun little stories and a delicious recipe for granola bars. I know how good these are because I already made a batch. 

The photography was done by the wonderfully talented Gale Zucker. 

Click here to see all of the projects included in Minnesota 52!

Click here to leave a comment to enter to win the book!

To enter to win a copy of the book, hop over to my Instagram account and leave a comment over there! Click here to leave a comment to enter.

Please do not enter here if possible. If you don't have access to Instagram please leave a comment here and I'll include you in the pot for the random drawing. 

Here are a few of my favorite projects in the book:

photo by Gale Zucker

photo by Gale Zucker

photo by Gale Zucker

There is something for everyone in Minnesota 52 and the book has a happy fun outlook on knitting which I love.

Click here to enter to win!

Good luck and I'll be back soon with more.

xo ~ susan

Mitten Kit Giveaway & a few works in progress

Hi, Knitters,

Happy Saturday to you all. I want to let you know about a giveaway I'm hosting over on the Barrett Wool Co. Journal. We are giving away one of our Three Color Mitten Kits to a lucky winner. You need to enter over on the Journal, not here. 

Click here to read all about the Mitten Kit prize and to enter over on the BWC Journal! 

It's super easy to enter. The kit is worth $44.00 and it's a perfect time of year to knit mittens. Knit your mittens in July and you'll be all set for the fall season!

Good luck if you enter. I'll select a winner in a few days.

I'm finishing up a couple of hats. This one will be a free pattern and I'm pretty excited about it. The yarn is one skein of Home Worsted Weight in the Bluff colorway. The hat in the photo is an adult size and I'm blocking a baby size version right now. It's pretty cute.

Click here to see more colors in Home Worsted Weight!

I am working away on a really sweet top-down short-sleeved cardigan and I decided to try out a knotted steek for the body of the sweater. I am going to be posting a full tutorial on this technique soon so watch for that if you are interested. It is a super easy technique that takes away most all of the bulk associated with the other steeking techniques I have tried.

More on this soon! 

Yarn: Wisconsin Woolen Spun Worsted in the Sherwood colorway! 

And I finished the first sock in the Bergere de France Goomy 50 sock yarn. I can't remember where I purchased this yarn but I'm sure if you google the name it will pop up for you. 

I used my Smooth Operator Socks pattern and I love the look it gives the sock. I'll be casting on the second sock today. 

Have a great weekend, friends. I hope you are doing well and that your knitting is coming along swimmingly.

xo ~ susan

New Strata Hat + Winner!

photo courtesy of Vogue Knitting Magazine

Hi, Knitters,

I selected a winner for the skein of Wollmeise yarn! The winner is.....

Laurie Taylor or pgngrl (rav name)! 

Congratulations! I've contacted Laurie and I will get her skein right out in the mail. I will have another giveaway soon so check back. Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter to win. 

Now, today Vogue Knitting Magazine Early Fall 2017 is being sent out to subscribers today. The magazine will be available in retail stores on July 11, 2017. I am so excited that I have a design, Strata Hat, and an interview in this issue. The photography of my hat design is so beautiful. It is such a thrill for me to be included in this issue. I have read and loved this magazine for decades now. I remember way back when some of my first sweaters were knit from the Very Easy, Very Vogue magazine patterns. 

Click here to see the Strata Hat on Ravelry!

Click here to see all of the designs in Vogue Knitting Early Fall 2017!

Click here to find out more about upcoming Vogue Knitting Live events!  I won't be in Seattle this fall as I'm teaching in Edmonton, Canada that same weekend. But I will be at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC in January, 2018. 

photo courtesy of Vogue Knitting Magazine Early Fall 2017

The Strata Hat is knit in one skein of Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight in the Wishing Well colorway. The yarn provides crisp stitch definition to play up all of the textured stitch patterns on the two side panels of the hat. The hat is worked from the bottom-up with a 1 by 1 twisted rib brim. The two textured stitch panels are separated by stockinette stitch sections.

The mitered earflaps are optional as they are picked up and added on after the hat is complete. I love the earflaps as they add so much texture and interest to the look of the hat. The entire hat is a fun and simple knit using only the knit and purl stitch. 

The Strata Hat is definitely unisex, too. 

Click here to see all of the color options for the Home Fingering Weight yarn!

 photo courtesy of Vogue Knitting Magazine Early Fall 2017

There are so many great designs and designers in Vogue Knitting Early Fall 2017 including Kaffe Fassett, Norah Gaughan, Yoko Hatta, Kristen Tendyke, Sarah Hatton, Louisa Harding and many more. It's quite an impressive collection. 

Anyway, have a fantastic week ahead. I am teaching at KnitCircus on this coming Saturday, June 17. I think there are still a few spots left so if you are in the area come join in the fun. Then we move on to Father's Day, right after that it is my daughter's birthday, then I am speaking and vending at the Stockinette Zombie's retreat in Rochester, Minnesota! The busy-ness continues.

There is so much to look forward to for the rest of June. I know you are all busy, too, but let's remember to find the time to knit!

I'll be back soon with more.

xo ~ susan 

Butterfly & Cocoon Kits!

Hi, Knitters,

Happy Sunday to you all! I am still taking entries to win the skein of Wollmeise yarn. 

Click here to enter. I will pick a winner in a couple of days!

I want to quickly let you know that I have a new kit available on Barrett Wool Co. They went up on Friday in the shop and they sold out really fast. We have just added a few more in the shop so if you want one act fast because there aren't that many left.

Click here for the Butterfly & Cocoon Kit on Barrett Wool Co.!

This pattern of mine originally appeared in Making Magazine No. 2 / Fauna, which is such a beautiful magazine. We sell all three issues of Making Magazine in the Mercantile on BWC. So if you purchase the kit you have options for the pattern: no pattern (if you already own it) included, or a Ravelry download code included, or the Making Magazine included.  

A little about the toys. Both the cocoon and butterfly is knit seamlessly from the bottom up. The original samples were knit in a sport weight yarn. The new samples are worked up in Home Fingering Weight, which is a heavier fingering weight yarn. I went down one needle size from what is recommended in the pattern. I knit the cocoons on a US 4 and the butterflies on a US 2. 

Click here to see more about Home Fingering Weight yarn!

This worked out beautifully and the toys look and feel just wonderful. 

The Butterfly & Cocoon Kit Includes:

• 25-gram skeins in the following colors of Home Fingering Weight: Ellie Gray, Wood Violet, Grassland, Priscilla, Field, Marmalade, Bluff and Picket Fence. Enough yarn is included to knit at least 3 butterflies and cocoons.
• Three pairs of 6mm black safety eyes with plastic washers.
• Black Pearl cotton for mouth and optional eye embroidery.
• Tin of 20 colorful stitch markers.
• Packaged in a hand-stamped cotton bag.

Okay, knitters, have a beautiful Sunday. I'll be back with much more soon....

xo, susan

Wollmeise, anyone?

Hi, Knitters,

First, I am teaching two classes at KnitCircus right here in good old Madison, Wisconsin, next weekend, Saturday, June 17, 2017. There are a few spots left and I would love to see you in class! Click here for more information!

As promised last week, I have a quick and fun giveaway for you today! I'm giving away a skein of one of the most sought after yarns in the history of yarns. I'm serious about that. Wollmeise is and insanely popular yarn. It is often hard to get unless you are sitting and waiting for an update and then you have to act fast. The yarn is from Germany and is known for its intense color and super tight and crisp stitch definition. It is so beautiful. 

I have had this oversized skein of Wollmeise (it's 150 grams/510 yards!) for few years and although I love it I've decided to share it with a lucky winner. It would make a fantastic shawl, or socks, lace, or even babywear due to the superwash element, etc. And although I can't remember how much I paid for it I think it was right around $40.  

Here is the yarn information:

Rohrspatz & Wollmeise, Twin (80% Merino Superwash/ 20% PA handgefarbt (nylon), 510 yards/150 grams. Colorway - Petite Poison Medium. Fingering weight. Suggested needle size 2.5 - 3mm or US 1-2.

To enter to win please leave one comment on this blog post. Be sure to leave your Ravelry username or an email address so I am able to contact you if you should win. I will be back in a few days to randomly select a winner! 

Good luck! You will LOVE this special and huge skein of yarn. It is a treat. 

Happy weekend.

xo ~ susan

Pattern Sale & Winner & March Mayhem!

Hi, Knitters,

I have randomly selected a winner for the Gale's Art 3-month Sock Blank Club. And the winner is.....

gathersnomoss (rav name) or Becky! Becky congratulations. I hope you enjoy knitting your socks. Thanks to everyone for leaving comments and I'll have another giveaway very soon. You can still sign up for Gale's Sock Blank Club! 

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

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

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

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

Snowy Pine Shawl

Baa (includes exclusive video tutorials)

Wrap Me Up Toys

Wee Sheep (includes 7 exclusive video tutorials)

Hiking Hat

Skating Hat

Baker's Hat

Owen Hat

Waiting for Winter Bulky Mittens

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

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

Click here to check out our Wisconsin Woolen Spun yarns!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Much love to you all.

xo ~ susan

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

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

Bracket from Mason-Dixon Knitting

Hi, Knitters,

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

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

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

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

Hop on over to vote, check out all of the patterns and to download their March Mayhem pdf bracket!

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

Yarn is Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight.

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

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

Click here to go to the Barrett Wool Co. scissors sale!

photo from Gale's Art

Now for the giveaway!

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

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

Click here to read the information on what you could win!  I love Gale's inspiration.

Yarn information:

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

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

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

photo from Gale's Art

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

photo from Gale's Art

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

photo from Gale's Art

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

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

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

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

Here are the mittens up close! 

Click here for the Waiting for Winter Mittens pattern on Ravelry!

Good luck if you enter the giveaway. I'll be back soon with more.

xo ~ susan

Sheep! Kit Giveaway + more!

Hi, Knitters,

Well, good morning to everyone. I hope you are all doing well. I am quickly popping in to say hello and to tell you about a few new things that have popped up. First, I am hosting a fun kit giveaway for my popular Sheep! pattern. I have knit these cute Sheep up in my own yarn over at Barrett Wool Co. and we made some fantastic kits. The kits literally sold out in a matter of a few hours but as we were packing them up to ship out we discovered one extra kit. So we decided to give it away to one lucky winner! And I have to say we have been blown away by the response to our kits. I kind of knew how much people like a kit before but now I really know how much people enjoy kits. It makes sense especially for projects that use small amounts of many colors. 

Be sure to read how to enter! Please do not leave a comment on this post to enter to win.

Click here to see how to enter and to find out more about the Sheep Kit Giveaway! The kit is worth $40 and it includes a digital copy of the pattern via a Ravelry code. 

Click here to go to Barrett Wool Co. on Instagram! (This is where you actually leave a comment to enter to win. Be sure to read the details on the Barrett Wool Co. Journal to make sure you are eligible.)

Click here to see the Sheep! pattern on Ravelry!

The Barrett Wool Co. version of the Sheep! are worked up in our Home Fingering Weight Yarn, which is a bit of a heavier fingering weight so the only thing I did differently is to use one size smaller needle since the original sheep were knit in a sport weight yarn. The finished sheep are remarkably similar in size and it worked out perfectly. 

The other quick thing I want to mention is that we have had such a successful launch for Barrett Wool Co. and some of the colors have sold out. It is very exciting thanks to all of you. We have a gigantic new order of yarn coming so we will be fully restocked in the near future. But I want to make sure you know that we have still have so many of the colors left in stock and in both the fingering weight and worsted weight. 

Thank you for such a fun end of the year for my family and me. It has been incredibly satisfying and just downright fun. 

photo from Quince & Co.

Next up, there is some exciting news from Quince & Co. They have brought back the very popular doll kits for the Mary, Millie & Morgan collection. These kits have been sold out for months and months so if you are at all interested be sure to pick one up quickly.

Click here to see the Mary, Millie & Morgan pattern on Ravelry!

Click here to see the Mary, Millie & Morgan Kit on Quince & Co.!

Photo from Quince & Co.

The Quince doll kit includes everything you need to make one doll and all of the clothes. You get the beautiful yarn, stuffing, the printed book, embroidery floss and you even get two tiny buttons for the cardigan. All of the supplies are wrapped up in a beautifully printed drawstring bag.

The kit makes knitting the doll a lovely experience.

I have a new pattern coming out after the holidays and it is this handsome hat being worn by my son, The Baker. He asked for a new lighter weight hat that he could wear indoors and outdoors. I always jump at the chance when one of my kids asks for something handknit. The hat is knit out of Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight Yarn in the Bluff colorway. It is such a fun and simple knit and it takes only one skein of our yarn. 

The hat is called, Baker's Hat. I have another one on the needles for my other son in the Pepin colorway which is a deep eggplant purple. I am making really good progress on that.

Most of the Home Fingering Weight Yarn colors are still in stock if you are interested in grabbing a skein in advance for the Baker's Hat. 

The pattern is already written and is with my tech editor right now. I'll let you know when it is ready. I have writtent the pattern in four sizes, baby through adult large (which is the size my son is wearing). This isn't just a hat for a man, it is simple and lovely and would look great on anyone.

I want to be sure to mention that we have added electronic Gift Cards to our shop so if you are looking for that last minute gift this is a great option. Click here to find out more about our Barrett Wool Co. Gift Cards!

Finally, I have to mention out of gratitude that on the home page of Ravelry Community Eye Candy: The Year in Projects, posted on Dec. 21, 2016, I noticed that my Smooth Operator Socks pattern was included as one of the top patterns for 2016. This pattern took off last July and has kind of had a life of its own. This was one of the most gratifying projects I have ever created and again, I want to thank you for the support. I love what I do get to do with knitting and knitting socks has been a big part of that through the years so this has been an extra fun experience.

Click here to find out more about the Smooth Operator Socks pattern! 

Good luck if you enter the Sheep! Kit Giveaway!

Much love to you all. I'll be back soon with more. Is it really December 23rd?

xo ~ susan

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

Photo from Drop Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

Hi, Knitters,

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

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

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

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

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

Click here for Drop Dead Easy Knits on Amazon!

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

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

Photo from Drop Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

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

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

Photo from Drop Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


xo ~ susan

Rhinebeck Sweater Weather + MrsBrownsBags for you!

Hi, Knitters,

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

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

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

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

photo by gathersnomoss on Ravelry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So here is your giveaway prize....

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

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

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

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

xo ~ susan