I Love You, Yarntini

Hi Knitters,
I can't say it enough, I love Yarntini. I am not ashamed to proclaim my love. I know I tend to gush over things I find wonderful, but that's just how I am. I mean it when I say it.

The color way is called Pureknits, but it is like neopolitan ice cream. One of my favorite color combinations is pink and brown, another is light blue and brown. You can't go wrong with either of those.

I can't fully describe how these socks feel on your feet, well, foot right now. The yarn is incredibly soft and squishy. The rib makes the fit fantastic and snug, like your foot is being held sweetly. I used size 2 needles. I did a knit 3, purl 1 rib, couldn't be any easier if I tried. I love having that simple project to interject between designing new projects from scratch. Socks rule.

I love you, Yarntini, I really do.

best, susie

They Say It's Your Birthday

Hi Knitters,
When you turn 8 years old it is a big deal. We had a big birthday bash over here last night for my youngest daughter and it was fun. We worked all day on this cake, well, off and on and in between trips to the store to pick up more ingredients.

This picture made me laugh. I look so serious, but those candles would not light.

My daughter spotted this recipe in American Girl magazine a couple of months ago and she knew right away this would be her birthday cake. It uses jell-o (hello jell-o people!) to color the layers of cake. I like the idea of the blue sky with clouds and a rainbow inside.

The only modification I did was to use two cake mixes divided into four layers instead of one cake mix. This is a big crowd over here and the double cake mix makes a more impressive cake. Note the Windex in the back. We actually did some cleaning, too.

All four kids helped with the cake. That cute cake plate was a gift from The Knitting for Noggins group in Little Rock, Arkansas (thanks Robin!). This was a benefit for the Children's Hospital. I'll be heading down there again this fall for another knitting extravaganza, can't wait.

Look in the background, that's my daughter making pigs in a blanket. Now don't laugh but I am going to tell you two dishes I am known for in these circles. One is my famous Scotcheroos, and the other is pigs in blanket. That is so bad I can't believe I am admitting that. People actually request my Scotcheroos when there is a potluck. I've had that recipe memorized for about 15 years. Last fall I started making mini pigs in a blanket with little smokies and crescent rolls for my son's high school swim team potlucks. I've had phone calls from other mothers about how to make the pigs in a blanket. How embarrassing! Both of these items are always gone in a heartbeat at every function. I am telling you it is a high class joint around here. Beware.

Okay, some knitting news is needed here. Take a listen to Guido Stein on It's a Purl Man . On his most recent podcast he interviews one of my all-time favorite knitters and artists, Kristin Nicholas. If you want some major inspiration check out her blog. She lives on a beautiful farm and her photos from her house and land will warm your heart. One of her books, Kids Knitting, was part of the inspiration for my contacting Artisan (my publisher) with my own book idea. I just love Kids Knitting and her illustrations are all over that book. She is honest and matter of fact about the publishing world and has vast experience to draw from. Oh and by the way, the song that opens the It's a Purl Man podcast makes me laugh every time. Guido recorded it with his brother and it is the best music intro on any podcast. So funny!

best, susie

Another Day in the Life

Hi Knitters,
Oh my, what a beautiful hot father's day we had in Madison. It feels like mid-summer already. We served my husband breakfast in bed with a yummy new crust-less quiche I tried for the first time. It was delicious. I love a good new recipe. Then we headed out to downtown Madison. We went to the capitol and climbed the stairs to the lookout balcony. It takes your breath away, the beauty of this city. Madison is surrounded by glorious lakes. It is like an island, a getaway. After that we went to the Memorial Union which where the university students old and new hangout.

We got big old Babcock ice cream cones and sat out by the lake. Then we walked up Bascom Hill, which is like the center of the University, and pointed out our buildings to the kids. The law school building is on the right up above and straight across is
the old education building where both my dad and I worked. He worked as a professor for about 32 years at the UW-Madison in curriculum and instruction. The campus brings back so many memories for me.

Remember my son jumping off of the couch a few posts ago? Here he is again. He is a major goofball. Where does he get it?

Here is one last parting shot of Itty-Bitty Nursery for now. This is a finger puppet set of the three little pigs. The pigs are cut off a bit in this picture but not in the book obviously. My son took this picture for me. There are the 3 pigs, and a wolf, you know the story, right? They are horizontal finger puppets with four legs. This just made sense to me because that's how they really are in the world. There are three houses made of sticks, straw and bricks. The brick house has a chimney to drop the wolf into and a black cooking pot for the wolf to land in. I like the idea of finger puppets to go along with a well-known story. It makes it more fun.

Enjoy the day.

best, susie

Itty-Bitty Nursery and a Woolgirl

Hi Knitters,
I tried to get a few better shots of the promotional materials for Itty-Bitty Nursery. I think they turned out a little better but what I really need is a scanner. I'll have to look into that.

If you click to make these larger you will be able to read the print. I hope.

This little girl is so beautiful I could just eat her up with a spoon! The other two pacifier clip patterns include a frog and an elephant. I tried to include boys in this book! I always think there is a lack of boy cuteness available. It is a lot easier to design for girls in a lot of ways because the sky is the limit with color and you can go over the top and get away with it. Boy stuff requires subtlety in color and design to an extent. It can be a little trickier.

The babies are all from the Minneapolis area. They grow them good up there! I just love these babies. They are so sweet and I can tell they have big personalities to boot.

This is the back of the book. The tour locations are not complete as I am already scheduled for several cities not included on this list. We'll have to wait and see where I end up going. The tour is being scheduled for this upcoming fall. I'll keep you updated on all of that stuff. I love that baby in the white one-piece outfit on the blanket. I used to dress my babies in those one-piece snuggly outfits. They just look so comfortable on those little round bodies.

Okay knitters, just take a look at what I received in the mail today. I am so excited about this package. I have such a thing for watermelons. I love the colors of watermelons inside and out. It just looks like summer to me. When my daughters were babies they both had watermelon swimsuits and I had a watermelon beach towel growing up that I loved (I still have it). Anyway, it has been a common theme around me forever. Most of all I love to eat watermelon. My mom would always slice up watermelon in finger-food size squares for us, plus she would pick out all of the seeds. This was before seedless watermelon. She always did those little extra things that made you feel so loved. Oh, it was such a treat and a great way to eat it. I am trying to think of how I can include watermelons in my next book project. I know I'll find a way.

When I checked out the new summer knitty I saw an ad for Woolgirl and I clicked onto it. I was pleasantly surprised. This shop out of Oregon has a wonderful selection of yarns. You should check it out when you get a chance. When I saw the Sereknity yarns in these beautiful watermelon color ways I just had to get some. I bought fingering weight and sport weight in watermelon and I love them both. This is fantastic yarn.

Jennifer Jett is the owner and boy did she do a nice job with the packaging. The yarn came enclosed in plastic and wrapped in colorful tissue paper with cute stickers and ribbon. She included a sweet sheep stitch marker (love it!), some Soak and a handwritten note card thanking me for the order. I want to thank her for making this purchase such a treat. I feel like I have been gifted even though I made the purchase! That's how retail should be if you ask me. I will be back for more and soon.

Thanks for the kind responses this week.

best, susie

Crazy

Hi Knitters,
Okay, I published the Sneak Peek post and it vanished except for the title. I published again in hopes it would appear. It appeared with the title only. Then I went for a run and when I returned the first Sneak Peek with the text and pictures appeared and was published. I have no idea what actually happened.

Don't make fun now. Since a couple people have asked already the book is due out in September 2007 and is up for pre-order on amazon under Itty-Bitty Nursery. The cover photo is not on amazon yet but hopefully soon. You should check out the knitting books on sale over there, too, it is unbelievable. K2together with Tracey Ullman is five bucks!

This is really my last post for today.
best, susie

Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek

Hi Knitters,
Look what just arrived in my basement. That's all I'm going to say about that. I know you are jealous about this summer treat.

Luckily, this Artisan Catalog arrived the same day as the drum set. It is the fall 2007 Artisan catalog. Artisan is my publisher if you don't know. I am excited to show you a sneak preview of a tiny bit of Itty-Bitty Nursery.

I know the pictures aren't the clearest, a little glare is going on. I am running out the door in a minute so I don't have time to re-do right now. Maybe I'll try again later or get my son to do it for me.

The sweater and pillow set are made in Blue Sky Alpaca and they are such a fun knit. It is garter stitch heaven. I have a funny story about this set I'll share with you later. The cover shots, the cupcake hat, scarf and mitten set, the polka dot chickens, the pacifier clip (there are three different clips in the book) and the patches blanket are all made with Rowan yarns, my all-time favorite company.

The peas and carrots pillows are made with Crystal Palace cotton chenille which is a great baby yarn. Anyway, it's all looking good.

The other fun thing about getting a catalog from your publisher is that I get to see who the other authors are that are releasing books the same time as I am. Artisan publishes a wide variety of books, mainly cook books I would say, but they cover many other topics as well. They are a part of Workman Publishing. The whole thing interests me to no end.

One last thing or maybe two, congratulations to my sweet 5th grade girl for completing elementary school. She is on to the much larger middle school next year. It is a milestone for any child. We are very proud of her. She is filled with sweetness and love. You can see that I wasn't lying about my husband's height. My sister picked the bouquet from her garden, what a treat. The gym was at least 100 degrees. Isn't that always the case?

The Inspiration Wednesday podcast was released yesterday. It is a fun listen, only about 30 minutes. Adrienne does a great job. Her friend Toya, who she does the podcast with wasn't there due to computer problems. For a little inside track and a laugh, you wouldn't believe how tired and worn out I was when I received Adrienne's call for the interview. It was at 8pm, which normally wouldn't be that late, but it had been one of the busiest, most hectic and stressful days I can remember. I literally had not sat down all day. Not to mention that I had gotten up at 3:30am that morning and I had to take an anti-histamine for horrible allergy problems which only added to the fog. I even considered rescheduling with Adrienne but decided against it. Then when Adrienne called me she told me she was completely exhausted and had her tire blow out on the way to or from work that day. You probably wouldn't notice my tiredness too much, but I thought letting you know might add to your listening experience. We both just laughed about it all and carried on.

That's just what you do in life!

best, susie

Yarntini On the Go

Hi Knitters,
I went on a field trip with my daughter's fifth grade class today. We went to the Wisconsin Dells to visit the Mt. Olympus amusement park. It was a long day but it was filled with nice, fun kids,which is always a good thing. I don't know about you, but I don't go on roller coasters or other spinning-type rides. I just can't do it. It makes me feel sick and then I don't recover very fast. I've always had this problem since I was little and it has only gotten worse with age.
Since I don't go on the rides I had a lot of waiting time at the exits. I would send my five girls off at the start of the ride, walk over to the exit and pull out my new Yartini Pureknits sock and rib away the minutes. Oh yes, I am already at the heel and started the sock this morning. It was a good day. My daughter had a ball and I got to knit on my beloved Yarntini sock yarn. If you haven't tried this yarn you are missing out. It is absolutely the best. I am dying to get more of it but it is sold out everywhere. I haven't forgotten my second Vesper Sweet Water sock, I just couldn't wait any longer to start the pureknits color way. I will return shortly to the sweet waters. I will probably alternate the two yarns to finish both pairs.
I planted the pot. How cute is that?
best, susie

1 Vesper Down, 11 To Go

Hi Knitters,
Look it matches the morning paper. I finished my first Vesper Sweet Water sock. I love it. This is great yarn, and I have 6 skeins of Vesper in my possession, in different colors of course. I know I am lucky. So I figure I will be knitting a total of 12 socks with Vesper yarn and I have only finished one sock so far. I will share as I go. I'll be starting the matching sock to this one later today.

When I finish a sock I always put it on immediately, fresh off the needles. This is a thrill for me every time. There is something so motivating about finishing a project.

I used size 2 dpns and let the yarn do all of the work for this simple stockinette sock with a heel flap. Oh well, can't wait until I have a pair.

A couple of years ago I made two mosaic pots. This is my favorite mosaic project and I have made many of these tiny pots to give as gifts. Anyway this particular pot I grouted with some pre-made grout from Michael's. I had never tried this before, I have always mixed my own grout. I was so disappointed with the pre-made stuff. It was gooey and too sticky for me. I had a hard time working with it. I couldn't even get the grout cleaned off of the pot very well.

I was going to throw the two pots out in the trash, but instead I put them out in my backyard. They sat out through a year or two of harsh weather and one of them broke. Now I absolutely love this remaining tiny pot. I think it looks great and I am so glad I saved it. Some of the tiles and things have fallen off, but this year I am going to plant in it and set it out.

Some things just get better with age.

best, susie

p.s. I did an interview with a new crafting podcast a couple of nights ago. It is called Inspirational Wednesday. It will be available June 13. The show is available through itunes. I'll give more details later.

Some Fun Now

Hi Knitters,
You know Little Shop of Horrors, right? I like to sing the "some fun now" song in my head every once in a while. It's a little pick me up. I snagged this little tote last weekend at a beautiful boutique close to my house called Beauty Blossoms. It was in the baby gift section but my eyes saw knitting when I looked at it. It is tiny, just big enough to hold a sock in progress.

There are nifty pockets going all around the outside to fit your cell phone, keys, yarn needle tube, tape measure and your slip-n- snip scissors. Just perfect if you ask me. See, I'm making a little progress on that Vesper sock.

I don't know anything about this brand, The Piggy Story, other than it is cute, cute, cute and they have a sweet website.

Here is my other some fun now. I have been going needle felting crazy for the past week on some book projects. Oh my goodness do I love it. You just have to try this technique if you haven't done so yet. I am going hog wild with this gloriously dyed roving purchased here. The color selection is a smorgasbord of roving delight. There is a color available for any project you have in mind.

The right tools for needle felting are essential. I use the single needles from Fiber Trends for extra-fine detail work. The Clover felting needle tool with multiple needles for covering larger areas. Finally, the Clover felting mat brush is awesome for felting the roving into a piece of felt to be cut out into shapes and then applied to your work.

I did stick my finger one time when I was talking to my son and wasn't looking. That really smarts, don't do it. Those tiny needles are so sharp they can pierce your skin instantly.

Other than the pierced finger, I love my job.

best, susie

Summer Gem

Hi Knitters,
Here is a quick little knit you might enjoy. I have written before about Rowan's Summer Tweed. I love the yarn and the color selection is fantastic. It is a crunchy yarn that softens as you knit it and then even more as you wear it. I love the laced neck opening, the 3/4 length sleeves and the shape. I knit this on a size 8 needle.

Kim Hargreaves has a been a favorite designer of mine and of Rowan for many years. She designed this entire Summer Tweed Collection. There are some great sweaters in here including many tanks and cardigans. Anyway, check it out if you like quick knits with a fun yarn.

I looked through my old Vogue Knitting mags to see if I could find the original hound's tooth outfit from the last post, but I can't find this specific issue. I had fun browsing through all of those past issues from long ago anyway. I love to see what I dog-eared as potential projects or things I liked. When you are in that moment you can't imagine that something will go so out of style so quickly. If I ever run across that issue, I will be sure to share it with you.

Have a great day.

best, susie

Hound's Tooth 101

Hi Knitters,
Yesterday I picked up a copy of Knit.1 at Barnes and Noble. There is a lot of good stuff to check out in this issue. Yay to Adina Klein, the new Editor in Chief! When I got to this page with the attractive hound's tooth jacket by Mari Lynn Patrick, who is a very talented designer, I remembered something from my past. I am not afraid of sharing this hound's tooth disaster with you, my dear knitting friends, because if you have been knitting as long as I have, surely you have a few skeletons in your closet as well. I know I am not alone.
How completely unflattering is this sweater on me? Wow, that's hard to look at!
Let's go back to about 1987. I was in graduate school and was working as a program assistant for the school of education at the UW. I was in charge of contacting school districts and placing student teachers in classrooms around the Madison area. I vividly remember working on this Very Easy, Very Vogue hound's tooth sweater set while I was working on these placements. Did I just say sweater set, you ask? Why yes, believe it or not I knitted this bad boy up with a very short hound's tooth skirt to match. I'll give you a second to stop laughing.
I can't find the skirt, I am so mad about that. I would have slapped that on for you to get the full effect. The sweater is absolutely huge in width, but that was the style then. Huge, voluminous on top and skinny on the bottom was the trend, which has come back in style only it is much more flattering today. This is not a good shape for my build at all but I unfortunately went along with it anyway.

I pulled the waist in behind my back for the above shot to create some type of shape. Fitted Knits, this is not. I remember wearing the skirt and sweater with black tights to my program assistant job. That is so funny to me. The other people in that office were very granola-type academics, basically hippies. This is Madison we're talking about here. Then I show up wearing the full hound's tooth shabang! What was I thinking? Clearly not much. I remember feeling really proud of the two stranded color work I had achieved. I think this was my first attempt at this technique. It kills me that I actually thought I looked good in this sweater. I asked my seventh grade son to take pictures of me at about 6:30am on our front lawn. He is a good sport. My kids thought this sweater was so funny, and they couldn't believe it when I told them it had a matching skirt and that I actually wore it out in public. We all had a good laugh at my expense.

Maybe in 2027 a mother will pull out an old knitted outfit from 2007 and her children will get a good giggle at her expense, too. I can't even imagine what the knitted future will bring.

On another note, my seven-year-old daughter had 10-inches cut from her hair yesterday to donate to Locks of Love. I am very proud of her for doing this. It was her own idea. Her cousin had this done and so she was inspired to do the same. I gave her every chance to change her mind but she was determined. I loved her long brown pony tails and I will miss them. Now she looks adorable with her chin-length bob. There is something so warming about the thought that her hair will be made into a beautiful wig for someone in need of a little comfort.

best, susie

Champion

Hi Knitters,
Here she is, the finger knitting champion of the world, well maybe our neighborhood. This 7-year-old has completed finger knitting an entire ball of Red Heart rainbow yarn. The skein was 278 yards. I had the privilege of interviewing her about the experience.
Question: How long did it take you to knit this gigantic cord?
Answer: Well, I kind of stopped in the middle of it, but after that it didn't take that long because I kept working on it.
Question: What are you planning on doing with the cord now that you are done?
Answer: I am not really sure. When I play house with my sister I could bring it and I could carry it around everywhere. Right now it is rolled up in a big ball.
Question: Was it fun to make?
Answer: It was fun to see how long I could make it and I beat my old record.
Question: What's next for you as far as projects go?
Answer: I want to keep on knitting and I want to knit a hat with the same kind of yarn.

Thanks for your time, I know your interview schedule is tight with that championship title!

This morning I finished a large knitting (the kind with needles) project along with my daughter. I like to get some knitting work done early in the morning, then I feel like I can move on with the rest of the day knowing I already accomplished something.
Happy Saturday.
best, susie

Good Charlotte

Hi Knitters,
Finally I got around to finishing up this blanket for beautiful baby Charlotte, who was born in January. Charlotte is the daughter of the photographer for itty-bitty hats and itty-bitty nursery. She had a baby during the work for both of the books, two babies, two books.

I finished embroidering her name on the edge this morning and I will pop it in the mail tomorrow. The yarn is Manos Cotton Stria. A storm is brewing outside so the colors look a bit more muted than they actually are. I used size 6 needles and made 5 strips that I later stitched together. Then I picked up and knitted a picot edging in white. Easy, easy.

Even if she is almost 6 months old, you can use a blanket any old time, right? Or maybe I should say, better late than never!

Here is another site to check out. This one is loads of fun, so much to see.

best, susie

Family Trees and Knits

Hi Knitters,
Well, the Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky was such a pleasant surprise for me. I quickly picked this up before I went to Florida in March. I started reading it beside the pool and I was immediately hooked. I literally couldn't put it down.
I'll give you the quick premise of the book. A young couple is thrilled to be getting ready for the birth of their first child. The husband is an attorney and comes from a prestigious east coast family with a heritage that is documented back to the pilgrims. The wife has a more questionable family lineage. She was raised by her single mother and grandmother. Her father was a big question mark, and when the story picks up her mother had already passed away in a terrible accident.
Okay, the twist comes in when the couple deliver their beautiful baby and she happens to be African American. The parents both thought they were white. Here's where the story picks up. Accusations fly, questions are posed, and the quest to find the truth takes on a life of its own. Secrets are revealed along the way and other situations are stirred up do to the digging to find answers. The story doesn't unfold as you might imagine.
Now there are two things that I found fascinating. When I selected this book I thought it just looked like a fun, easy and entertaining read for my trip. I was surprised to find out that much of the story takes place in the grandmother's yarn shop. Knitting is a major part of the story line and is a major part of the characters' lives. Oh the joy I felt when I discovered this.
The second unknown was that much of the story takes place in Madison. The mother went to school at the University of WI and this is where she met the missing father. I love Madison and I love it when it is included in stories and movies. It is a beautiful city.
So now I've got an interesting story, plot twists, knitting galore, a baby, and Madison all in one novel. I recommend this book for a fun read that catches your attention right from the get go.
Debbie Bliss has done it again. Family Knits was just released and I had to pick it up. There are patterns for everyone including men, women, children, and babies. There are sweaters, scarves, hats, lace socks, long coats, and mittens. It is Debbie's classic lines and fantastic yarns that make this another one of her outstanding books. The photography is inviting and the shots of scenery and flowers and beaches make you wish you were there. I would wear many of the sweater designs easily. The children and baby designs are wonderful as always.
I have been an admirer of Debbie Bliss since the late 1980's, and I continue to support her whenever I get the chance. One thing you may want to note is that in the past her books didn't have schematics for sweaters. This book has schematics for all of the sweater designs. This is a good move!
One more thing, check this out. I have been loving this blog lately and you might too.
Happy Monday.
best, susie