Sew, Sew and Sew

Hi Knitters,

First things first, Rachel, of Twist Your Stitches, is having a fantastic giveaway that involves luscious Blue Sky Alpacas Yarn, a Blue Sky pattern for a hat and mitten set, a Blue Sky Pretty Cheap bag (sweet muslin drawstring bags printed with a bird), handmade soap, and a children's book that involves sheep. This giveaway is only going on one more day! Quick, all you have to do is leave a comment and you have a good shot at winning these fantastic prizes. Enter here!

Okay, when you are piecing squares together (photo above), like for quilting I guess, what do you do with the seams on the back? Do you press them open? Do you trim and lay them flat in the same direction? I have no idea what the correct way is. Please let me know if you get a chance:)

Thank you for the bobbin help! With all of your help I actually figured it out and it was exciting. I jumped up and down and clapped and my kids thought I was so silly. Wow, I not only got comments, I got emails and emails and I even had an offer from a former sewing instructor in town to pop on over to help. I couldn't believe the willingness to offer help. Thank you. Touching. 

Lexie Barnes' Sew What! Bags is my new favorite book. Lexie does a fantastic job with this straightforward instructional book. What I love about it is that basically it is a template for a wide variety of bag patterns. It is done incredibly well, like all Storey book are. Even a complete beginner, like me, can pick this up and make beautiful bags. Lexie includes drawstring bags, reversible totes, messenger bags, wristlets, tissue and eyeglass holders, a backpack, an artist's roll, and a child's tiny tote and more. There is a great array of choices and the lay out is crystal clear. There is a helpful newbie, instructional section at the beginning which I have read through at least several times. I have learned so much from Lexie's book. I highly recommend it.

Here's the other point about this book. If you are interested in knitting your bags, you could totally use this book as, again, a template for your knitting. The pieces for each bag are clearly illustrated with the measurements. All you would have to do is knit your pieces to the measurements and stitch up and you could have all of these great bag patterns in knitted form. I think this is a perfect translation.
Here is my first reversible tote. I have a couple of stacks of Anna Maria Horner's Chocolate Lollipop and Drawing Room fat quarters. I am piecing together some tote bags for my girls and me using up these fabric pieces and scraps.
I did a bunch of applique work, which is so fun. I just kind of scribbled around with the straight stitch, which I am calling the "scribble stitch" because I think it looks like a little kid just scribbled around the pieces. I love the messy stitching.
Every side is different because I am using scraps and small pieces. My girls love the fact that every way you turn the bag you see something new.

Now, I added rounded gussets to the bottom corners, which are not in the original pattern. I like my bags to stand up on their own. I learned this gusset from my first bag, the Birdie Sling by Amy Butler. I had a lot of people email to ask where to get the Birdie Sling pattern so there is the link. I bought all of my Amy Butler fabric and patterns here. Those are some really nice and helpful sewing ladies in this shop. They have been incredibly helpful. But see with those gussets? I am already transferring my limited bag of tricks around.
My seams are a little uneven but I don't mind a bit and I doubt that I ever will. It is just a pure fun creative release for me and there is no need for perfection in my book. These bags are completely reversible with nice pockets included. Plus they are the perfect size.
I've already carried this bag around a bit and have received many compliments and then I always proudly think in my head, "I made it." I can't really believe it myself.
This one is the Collector's bag. She selected all of the fabric pieces and cut out all of her applique pieces on her own. Her name is on one side, she cut out the letters, and she cut out some hearts for the other side.
She absolutely loves it. She requested shorter handles. No problem.
This is my other daughter's bag. Again, it is reversible.
This time I cut out strips and stitched them together to form the fabric. They are all different widths and many are a little uneven and I didn't even really measure. This is more my kind of sewing.
Anna Maria's fabric is beautiful and fun. Her color sense is spot on. This bag turned out a bit smaller.
Happy little sewer! That's me. I feel pretty good about being able to sew a few simple things. I don't know how much time I will really have to sew in the upcoming months. I have a lot of things on my plate but boy, is it fun. I want to keep it up for sure. At this point I am not that interested in sewing garments. I like bags and funny little objects. Maybe some fabric toys are in line. I love it that you can just cut and you have your fabric instantly. With knitting you are creating your fabric stitch by stitch. However, much of the construction is the same. 

Knitting and sewing are alike and different at the same time, right?

Anyway, go and enter that giveaway today! 

Thanks for indulging me on my new sewing adventures, they will be few and far between. I actually finished writing a pattern yesterday that has been haunting me for awhile. 

Did you see that I posted the tiny crochet flower pattern on the other blog? Remember I stitched them to my chartreuse cardi? Look here if you want this simple pattern.

The sun is coming up and my kids will be up in a few minutes for that early, early swim team call. Have a great Wednesday, Knitters.

best, susie

Last Sunday

Hi Knitters,

Sunday was a day of memories from start to finish. The Collector turned ten years old. My husband celebrated seventeen years of being a father. No words can express my gratitude for being a part of their lives....

best, susie

Sew, Sew

Hi Knitters,

I've caught a sewing bug and The Collector has joined me. She had some fleece she had picked out quite awhile ago. We made up a pattern from scratch on paper and pinned it on the fleece and cut it out. We did the same for the handles.
Next, she hand stitched the entire thing together with a needle and thread. She did a great job with this project. She has so many projects going at all times. The stripey gourd snake is lingering on my front stoop. I have asked her about it several times but she isn't interested in finishing the stripes right now. Hopefully it will come back to her soon.
Next up, The Collector is holding my first finished sewing project since home economics class in 7th grade, where I made a laundry bag. I made Amy Butler's Birdie Sling using Amy's fabrics as well. My sister came over and taught me how to use my sewing machine. I am doing pretty well with it and I have made a few more things since this bag. I finished the Birdie Sling in one day. I became obsessed with finishing it. I have done some hems and tailored the bodice of a dress to fit me, that was an experience. I made up my own way as I went along. I am sure it is completely wrong but now the dress fits and it looks fine. What's wrong in that?
The bag on the left is mine and the bag on the right is my sister's version. We flip-flopped fabrics and I actually bought her fabrics for the bag as a birthday gift for her. The only problem is that her daughter has taken over her bag completely and I don't think she has used it once. She doesn't mind a bit.
Well, now here is my problem and I know there is an easy solution. I can put a bobbin in my machine when it is empty and then I can load on the matching yarn and it all works fine. I can thread my machine, too, which is a great accomplishment for me. What I can't do is put in a bobbin with thread already on it and then get the thread to come up and work. I can't get it to catch. I called my sister yesterday and she told me over the phone how to do it. I still can't get it to work. Maybe tomorrow I'll figure it out. She may have to come over and show me. I really have no idea what I am doing, it is all pure chance when something goes right.
The lining is the best, it is called Happy Dots. The Birdie Sling has fantastic pockets inside. Great pattern, clear instructions, it even includes pleats on the outside. I learned a ton by making this bag as first round try. Fun, fun!
Okay, you will never guess what this outfit is. Check out the metallic detail on the fabric. There is so much going on here.
My sister dug this one out of storage for me to look at. (See that half finished stripey snake on the table?) Let me tell you about this. When my slightly older sister was in middle school she took a sewing class. This was in the mid-1970's. There was a Singer store at the mall where she took her class. Being the over-achiever that she still is today, she selected this full ensemble as her summer project, full-on high waisted pants, groovy hat and slick jacket with a zipper. I bet my mom just about died at her choice. I am sure the other kids didn't pick anything as complicated. 

I remember her (and my talented seamstress mom) working on this project very hard that summer. In the end it was a work of perfection from head to toe. I mean, wow, just look at that. (If you haven't noticed, my sister was and is a tiny little thing being that the Collector is quite a bit younger than my sister when she wore the outfit). 

At the end of the summer there was a style show in the middle of the mall, complete with a stage, an emcee and music. My mom and I went to watch my sister strut her stuff. She wore some platform sandals to top it all off. The hat was worn slightly tipped to the side. I was really proud of my sister, bursting really. If only I could be that beautiful and cool as her, that's never happened. They actually had judges who selected the winner of the sewing class, isn't that weird to make a sewing class a competition? My sister won first place! She got a little box of jewelry as the prize. I thought she was the coolest thing ever. 

The rest of my family, dad and brothers, were meeting my grandparents at the Wisconsin Dells for a few days and they were already there. We went late to join them because of the fashion show. I remember all of this vividly and it was about 30 years ago. That's so funny because sometimes I feel like I can't remember yesterday.

Anyway, this sewing tale had a happy ending to say the least. My first project had a happy ending, too. Sewing is pretty fun and fast, it's a good change of pace. I am getting a kick out of it for sure.

Tomorrow I'll be back to the knitting as usual, pattern writing to be specific. I am getting a back-log of patterns that need to be written up and it doesn't feel very good. Uneasy.

Good night. I'll be back soon.

best, susie 

Ribbons to Send

Hi Knitters,

Yesterday I quickly whipped up a Ribbons hat from Itty-Bitty Hats for the Itty-Bitty Knits group Ribbons Hat Swap. What a fun little knit. It's a dreary day weather-wise around here so the pictures are fittingly dreary, too. It looks like the sun is trying to peek out now though.
I dug through my ribbon stash and pulled out some luscious dusty pink crinkly ribbon, some raw baby pink silk, and one sheer chocolate brown ribbon and one silk chocolate brown ribbon. Brown and pink, one of my favorite color combos of all-time.
I used the squishy, washable Spud & Chloë Sweater yarn in Ice Cream. It is a worsted weight and worked up slick as can be on a size 7 needle at 5 stitches per inch. It is as creamy and smooth as any vanilla should be.
I'm going to include a Spud & Chloe pattern box and a skein of S & C Sweater yarn in Moonlight for my swap partner to enjoy. She lives in Canada. I hope to get to the post office this afternoon but we'll see how the day unfolds. I think my Ribbons hat looks like a sweet cupcake done up in style. I love it!!

Next, I am in participating on the June Knitalong for the Upside Down Daisy Hat from Itty-Bitty Hats. The group is doing a casual knitalong to go through all of the hats in the book. I need a hat for a gift so I am jumping in for this one. Come and join us, you can pop in and out as your schedule allows!

I noticed on ravelry that one of my toy designs ended up in this magazine supplement. I am going to try to get a copy of this magazine today. That is always a weird surprise to see one of your patterns turn up somewhere. I will post more about this when I get a copy in front of me.

I had a kind reader, Chris, let me know that I was on WhipUp.net here. I am so appreciative that people let me know about these things. Otherwise I would miss it completely. Thank you so much, Chris.

One last mention, did you see this project? Looooove it. Must make it. Really, what a great site. It never fails.

Take care on this Wednesday and hopefully you'll get to knit a little.

best, susie

Home Again, Home Again

Hi Knitters,

I'm home. There is nothing better than coming home. Even a couple of quick days away is enough when I am alone on the road. Even though my kids are getting older I still miss them just as much as when they were little although I was never gone much when they were little. 

I had a fantastic time at TNNA. It was a whirlwind of fun and yarn and chit chat. What a worthwhile trip. I feel very lucky that I got to attend at all. It was all kind of cooked up at the last minute so my thanks to Blue Sky and Artisan Books for their continued support.
To give a quick recap of events, it all started on Saturday morning with taping an interview for the lovely Candi Jensen, the producer of the Emmy nominated PBS show, Knit and Crochet Today.

This was interesting and fun and different. I have done live t.v. shows for my books and that can be nerve wracking because you only have that few minutes and you don't know where the host is going to go exactly. My strategy is always to, in a nice way, lead the interview where I wanted it to go. I would try to move the discussion along to get my intended points in. I would come in with a plan in mind. Sometimes it would work great and a few times not. This time I had no idea what to expect but these points that were given ahead of time were helpful:

1. Wear a bright color, not all black or all white. I wore my cardigan with the tiny crochet flowers and a bright melon-colored tank underneath, very springy.

2. The interviewer (Candi) is off screen and will ask you questions. These questions are edited out so it appears that you are just talking when the show airs. This means you need to restate the question in your answer so people can understand what you are talking about. I think I did okay at this.

3. Arrive camera ready in your wardrobe and makeup. Everyday makeup was suggested. However, when the camera man looked at me onscreen apparently I didn't have quite enough makeup on. My everyday makeup is nothing or next to nothing so the camera man wrapped me up in a big piece of plastic, like a big sandwich, and gently smeared some powder on my forehead, nose and chin. He told me it was extra-important to blend due to HD. Yikes. That was funny to me. I can't imagine that it looked good but whatever. My kids got a kick out of that.

4. They would film about 15 minutes of you talking and then edit and splice in your book or projects or whatever you were talking about later. The final version will be about 6 minutes long or so.
It was fun, I talked a lot and I hope I sounded okay. I can't think of anything that went too wrong so I am pretty sure it will be fine. What a memorable experience. I am such a PBS fan. Growing up in my era there weren't all of the kids programs like there are now and I watched a ton of PBS as a kid and now I still check in all of the time to see what is showing even with all of the other channels we get nowadays. It is always good solid t.v. My dad was a huge PBS watcher and he would contribute every time they had a fundraising event on the channel. I found that admirable.

Anyway, I'm a bit off track so back to the show, the best part was the "green room." I first came in behind Louisa Harding. She's so elegant. In the room was Robyn Chachula, who is about the cutest thing you will ever see, and she is a regular expert on the show. Robyn is friendly, helpful and fun. I am glad I got to meet her. Sitting in the green room was Marlaina Bird, the fantastic host of the Yarn Thing podcast. I never miss an episode, be sure to check out her line up of interviews, it's awesome. She is an up and coming designer landing projects in all of the major knit and crochet magazines. She's in just about every issue. Marly is a good egg and a positive force in the yarn world. There is a lot in store for her in the future. It was good to meet her, too.

Sally Melville was in the room when I got there along with an ex-Workman publicist, Kim Small. It was great to see Kim again. Brett Bara, so sharp and nice to meet, is the host of the show and the editor of Crochet Today, and Vogue Knitting leaders Carla Scott and Trisha Malcolm were in the green room, too. It was fun to see and meet all of these great women.
I spent a little time in the Spud & Chloë booth and that was a treat. It was so busy in there, absolutely non-stop filled with people, which is a great sign. The booth was gorgeous just as you would expect it would be. The Blue Sky area was elegant and beautiful and the Spud & Chloë was camping. That sort of sums it up. I loved it all, just soaked it up and tried to burn it into my memory.

I had a great book signing with R & M book distributors. It is always fun and good to meet people and I got to hear a lot of terrific Itty-Bitty knitting stories. Thanks to everyone for coming. I got to meet Maureen, who works at Workman, she kindly checked in on me to make sure everything was going okay. I also had the chance to catch up with Amy Greeman, who is a fantastic and talented director of publicity for Storey publishing, which is a Workman company along with Artisan. I got to meet the illustrious Gwen Steege from Storey, which was a thrill for me. I have always seen her name on books throughout the years. You will recognize her books, look here. Now I look her up and see she has a couple of chocolate chip cookie books to boot. I knew I liked her. Gwen is truly lovely.

I got to chat with Kristin Nicholas for awhile which is always fun. I will post more about this later. She has some cool new stuff brewing I want to tell you about. I loved seeing her again.

On Saturday night I went to dinner with the Blue Sky Alpacas/Spud & Chloë people and the Purl/Purlbee people, Joelle, Jen and Page. It was fun to meet them. I was especially glad to get to meet the Blue Sky staff in person. They are a lovely, friendly and fun group plus they were all so welcoming to the new girl in town (me). Plus they are all loaded with tons and tons of talent no less. It is a fortunate group to be associated with. I had a great time with them all.

Okay, that little hat and sweater is one of the new Spud & Chloë patterns I designed and knitted for the launch. I called it Mon Petite Poire (in French) translated, My Little Pear. They changed the name to Baby Bartlett Set, which is cute, too. It is an easy, peasy knit made in Fine (sock weight yarn) on US size 3 needles. The sweater is a boatneck style with stretchy ribbing at the neckline and a generous opening for easy on and off. Starting off in the round and separating at the armholes makes for a simple body. The sleeves are knit in the round so there is minimal seaming. The applique is optional, it would be cute plain, too. The hat alone is a great sock yarn stash buster. It is the perfect sock yarn baby hat you can whip up in a jiffy. The pattern will be available in your local yarn shops and online very soon.

Look here to get all of the information about the Baby Bartlett Set!

I reformatted the free Cupcake Pincushion pattern with a better template with the help from my son last night. It got thrown up on the blog before I had double checked the pattern lay out. We are learning as we go along. It is much better now. Here is the new version if you are interested. Click on the link at the bottom of the post to get the downloadable pdf.

Enough already! The laundry is buzzing, the house is a mess, kids are swimming and in and out, groceries are needed, knitting work is waiting...you know how all that goes, right?

Happy Monday, Knitters!

best, susie

Monkey Business

Hi Knitters,

I am leaving you for the weekend with a photo (by Liz Banfield) from my new book that I could simply stare at all day. Could there ever be a better expression on a face than that? His face is telling me a story. 

Liz Banfield=genius. No question.

Please check out this write up from Ysolda. It is fantastic and beautiful.

I am packing and a-packing. I'll see you on the flip side, Knitters.

best, susie

p.s. My first free pattern is up and available for pdf download here. A sweet for my sweeties!

O-hi-o!

Cover for Itty-Bitty Toys (Note the similar expressions of the giraffe and the little boy, so sweet.)

Hi Knitters,

I hope you are all having a good first half of the week. It is flying by fast over here. I want to update you on my TNNA plans in hopes that some of you will be in Columbus and that I will get to see you there. My time there is going to be fast and furious, lots packed into a short amount of time.

Late on Saturday morning I am taping an interview for the PBS show Knit and Crochet Today. You should check out this site for tons of information and free patterns, it's a good one. The show that I am on won't be on the air until next fall. That will be cool and fun. 

The next thing I have on my plate for Saturday is a book signing at the R & M book distributors booth. The booth is #120 and my signing is from 1:00-2:00. I will be signing Itty-Bitty Hats and Itty-Bitty Nursery. I have blads to hand out for Itty-Bitty Toys which will be released this upcoming fall. Blads are like brochures with some sample photos and pages of new releases. Publishers use blads for publicity before the actual book is printed. Anyhoo, I have a big stack of Itty-Bitty Toys blads to pass out to people. They are really cute. So if you already have the other books you may be interested in seeing the preview of my new toy book!

R & M, booth #120, has a fun book signing line-up for the weekend. I'd like to get every book on that list (and I almost have). Be sure to stop by if you get a chance:

Saturday, June 13

11 A.M. Edie Eckman: How to Knit Socks
12 P.M. Rose Langlitz: Tasty Crochet
1 P.M. Susan B. Anderson: Itty Bitty Hats
2 P.M. Nicky Epstein: Knitting in Tuscany
3 P.M. Hansi Singh: Amigurumi Knits
4 P.M. Melanie Falick: Weekend Knitting

Sunday, June 14
11 A.M. Kristen Rengren: Vintage Baby Knits
1 P.M. Barb Beteggnies: Just for Baby
2 P.M. Debbie Bliss: Design It, Knit It

Monday, June 15
11 A.M. Iris Schreier: Reversible Knits

After my signing I hope to head over to the Blue Sky Alpacas and the Spud & Chloë booths. This group is in booths #323-327, 422-426. I have to check out the scene over there, it is going to be so exciting. Also, I want to walk around the floor for a bit and take in everything. See the sights so to speak. 

Then I am off for a fun dinner with some excellent fiber-y people, which will be fun and interesting. The next day I'm out the door heading for home. It is going to go so fast, I'm dizzy just thinking about it.

(Spud & Chloë Outer)

Okay, now on to a little more news. The Spud & Chloë site went live today. Check it out. Please check out the blog, too, and subscribe if you are so inclined. Tomorrow the first free pattern is going up on the blog, set for tomorrow morning to be more specific. It is a cute one so you may want to nab it. Originally there were going to be 3 free patterns up but now they are going to be released one at a time. I like that better anyway.

(Spud & Chloë Fine)

So you may want to check out all of the Spud & Chloë patterns and the yarns, too.  

(Spud & Chloë Sweater)

Can you guess which patterns I designed? I have 1 pattern for the Fine yarn, 2 patterns for the Sweater yarn and 1 pattern for the Outer yarn. I'd love to see if you can pick them out of the bunch.

Since I will be gone for a few days I won't be sending out pattern orders over the weekend. You can still place orders and I will get them out as soon as I get back! I will hurry, I promise.

Tomorrow is packing time. It has to happen. 

Wish me luck, Knitters. I'll try to get some good scoop for you to share next week:)

best, susie

Fini!

Hi Knitters,

I finished stitching, with a needle and thread, nine tiny crocheted flowers to the front neckline of my chartreuse cardigan. C'est fini! J'adore.

On to a small crafter's delight, The Collector is painting her gourd from the farmer's market into a colorful striped snake. She is using acrylic paints. I will seal it so we can put it out in the yard when she's done. I love how the stem looks like a hissing tongue. She is in heaven. Her friends think it looks like a potato in its natural state. I agree.

Oh, you have to try this. Go here. Answer a few multiple choice questions, quick clicks. Get results. I am a Shropshire, which means I've inherited grace, elegance and manners. Ooooh, I hope so and here is my button. I remember when Potter Craft had you find out what kind of yarn you were. I think I was mohair and I have no idea what that means. I'm hairy and I shed, maybe?

Clara's new book is a must have and I am dying to snag a signed copy at TNNA if she's signing. I'll stand in that line. The cover alone is a treat to look at. Fingers are crossed. 

Monday it is! Take off and run with it.

best, susie

Pea Pod Yarn Winner plus a little something

Hi Knitters,

Checking in quickly this morning to share some Pea Pod Washcloth news. The winner of the yarn giveaway is:

Terri Paulson-Sasaki!!! 

Congratulations and you get to select the colors of 2 skeins of the beautiful, lush Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille. The generous Susan Druding, the owner of Crystal Palace Yarns, always deserves a huge thank you for supporting my washcloth project with these fantastic yarn giveaways for you. Thank you.

Up next is a juicy summer-themed washcloth that I can't wait to knit up. It's been in my sketchbook for months now. Yum.

I had to go clothes shopping this week because, truth be told, I don't spend a lot of time or effort on my wardrobe. I know, shocking. I wanted to spruce up a little cardigan I bought to bring to TNNA next week. I know it will be warm in Ohio but sometimes air conditioning can make you feel chilled when inside, right?
This morning I whipped up a sprinkling of tiny crochet flowers using the new Spud & Chloë Fine yarn. It is fingering or sock weight yarn and the color selection drives me crazy it is so good. I made up a quick flower and used a size 1 crochet hook (I had to dig to find that one). The pattern will appear later as a free pattern on the Spud & Chloë blog so you can flower up your plain cardigans, too.

I made a flower for each colorway of Fine. It is so delicious. Just listen to the names of the colors: sassafras, tutu, calypso, anemone, cricket, dachshund, clementine, glow worm and popcorn. If those don't make you smile I don't know what will. I mean, dachshund, cricket, popcorn and tutu? Come on, those are about the best color names in the history of color names. I get a shiver.
My little flowers are currently pinned on my chartreuse cardigan waiting to stitched on with needle and thread. 

I would have brushed my hair and put on lipstick for you and maybe even cleaned the fingerprints off the mirror in the living room but I am in a rush right now. I am running out the door to buy some real-live flowers for my yard.  This is way past due and it is one of my favorite springtime rituals. Can't wait to get going.

Wish for the thunderstorms circling my area to stay at bay so I can plant. Please?

Love you, dear Knitters. I'll be back soon with some fun updates on my upcoming activities at TNNA! I really hope to see some of you there in person, I would love it.

best, susie

Noteworthy

Hi Knitters,

Last weekend we ran down to the Farmer's Market that circles around the square in downtown Madison. It is such a treat. It goes on every Saturday and it is a sight worth seeing if you are in the area. Our weekly market is one of the largest, if not the largest, in the country. You can get just about anything your heart desires as far as fresh produce and good eats goes but the market also includes jewelry, art work, t-shirts, baby goodies, etc.
Here is a shot looking down State Street. Now, I don't know if you can make it out but under one of those white tents there are some skirts hanging. This is the cutest little skirt sewer's booth. Her company's name is orangyporangy and she has a great site. I bought this one. As soon as I got a chance I snuck into a restroom in the Capitol building to throw on my new orangyporangy skirt. All of the skirts are well made. 

You can order online if you can't pop in to see her at the market on Saturdays. If you look at her site it looks like she does shows all over the country. On our way out I stopped by to show her my skirt after I put it on. She clapped and jumped up and down. Super cute. She does a lot of vintage polyester skirts that are a hoot. I love it.
It gets pretty crowded so it is better to come early but we had a soccer game to attend first.
What is it about radishes? Gorgeous.
Onions? Not bad either.
I enjoy seeing all of the flowers, rows and rows. But my real every single time treats are Kettle Corn, we always get a large bag and share it and cheese curds, the squeaky, salty kind, we share those, too. The kids like honey sticks and beef jerky.
I love my city. There is so much going on here all of the time. It is like a big city boiled down into a tiny package. I think it is a little like a secret but maybe not so much. Madison has been voted the #1 city in the country many times over for various reasons and in different publications. When this has happened, Madisonians shudder wishing our secret could stay a secret. Madison is growing and changing, as all cities do, but it will never lose its charm in my eyes.
This is the Gourd Man's cart. He is from Blue Mounds and he grows these gourds and leaves them out all winter. Then in the spring he takes them and scrapes off the skin and mold leaving them clean and with the hard smooth surface exposed. We bought two. The Collector picked out one that looks like a curly snake and she is painting it with acrylics right now. I'll share later. I picked out a gourd that looks like a giant pear. It is sitting in my living room. Good addition.
I always get tomatoes and lots of them. I can eat a tomato sliced up with salt and pepper for a meal and be very happy. Aren't they pretty?
There are loads of bakeries sprinkled throughout the market. This one had these cute frosted cow cookies. We didn't get any, just looked. Maybe next time.
And here is some old-school Madison joining in. It wouldn't feel like home without some bright tie-dye in the mix. We are the home of the tie-dye and the Birkenstock sandals, too.
Hey, I want to let you know what's going on. Next week my new blog over at Spud & Chloë (yes, I learned how to do the umlaut:) is going live. I haven't had too much knitting content on here because I have been working on stuff for the Spud & Chloë project. What I want to tell you is that next week there will be three new free Susan B. Anderson for Spud & Chloë patterns available when the blog launches. Be sure to head over there and sign up for the blog so you can be notified when it goes up. The patterns are super cute and fun and I will be adding to the free pattern batch every month. The patterns are all available in pdf format. It is all so well done.

Yesterday I got a sneak peek at the new site and blog which is all being cleverly designed by smart and clever web design people. The site is incredible and user friendly. Every detail is being scrutinized to make it the best it can possibly be. The blog design is amazing and cute and fun. I can't wait get things going over there. It is called, Spud Says... and I am listed as the curator. I love that so much, the curator. I had to look it up to be sure I am filling all curator duties.

Okay, knitting peeps, I will be back soon with more from the heart.

best, susie

p.s. look at these cuties, you may want to knit some.