Trunk Show Finale

Hi Knitters,

Did you notice anything different? Does the blog look well-rested, refreshed, updated? Just thought I'd ask:) I've had a little work done. That's one of my watercolors that I did for Itty-Bitty Hats but they didn't get in the book. The painting in the header is of the Ribbons hat. I haven't made that sweater yet but it sure would be cute. Maybe soon...

I finally found some time to pop into the fabulous, acclaimed quilt and knit shop, Stitcher's Crossing yesterday. I love this shop for many reasons. One, it is big and beautiful and stuffed with fun textiles of all sorts. Two, the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful when you need it and they let you browse, touch, look and enjoy on your own when that is what you need. Three, it is right by my house, convenience rocks! Four, they are always switching up their displays and decor which is fun and inspiring to see. And five, Stitcher's has a monthly newsletter and class offerings that can't be beat. There may be a few more reasons to go to this shop but I'll stop there for now.

Well, I was thrilled when Sharon, the owner, asked me when I was in the shop one day if they could host the final leg of the Itty-Bitty Nursery trunk show. What a great way to end a trunk show that's been on the road for over a year now right by my home. The shop has the trunk show through the end of July so if you haven't stopped in you still have a week to do so.

The shop is located at 6122 Mineral Point Road, 53705, which is on the west side of Madison. There are maybe 20 or more original pieces that I knitted and designed for Itty-Bitty Nursery. The displays are fun and they are sprinkled though out the shop. The theme of the shop this month is the cupcake so this trunk show fit right in, starting at the front door with the knitted cupcake tea set from the book.

Love this cupcake quilted piece. Is it a table runner or a wall hanging? Either way it's cute.
It feels strangely good to be reunited with the projects in this book. I loved seeing the finger puppets, Three Pigs and a Wolf, and their houses and the black cooking pot. Remember the wolf can be dropped through the brick house's chimney right into the pot.
The pacifier clips are still just as fun as ever. Unfortunately, the frog pacifier clip disappeared at one of the shops along the way. That makes me sad. The elephant and the flower still remain and they are as cute as ever. I always get asked where I bought the clips and the answer is Target.

Remember that the Flower Pacifier Clip is a free pattern on the sidebar of my blog and I have a tutorial on how to knit the petals on the sidebar as well. The petals use a double-knitting technique that is pretty slick.
The Collector was as happy as I was to revisit the projects I had knitted so long ago. She remembered everything. She is especially taken with the tea set and the Garden Mice Mobile (the mobile is knit in Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton which is the best and just check out the colors, yum). I love those little knitted mice. They would be the best for stand alone knitted toys. I told The Collector we could remove the mice when the mobile came home so she could play with them or put them in her room. She did not like that idea at all and told me she is saving the mobile for when she has babies. That was a warm moment for me to say the least. I love that.

Note to self: Don't bring The Collector along when going to Stitcher's Crossing if you don't want to buy a bunch more stuff than you intended. She picked out four fabrics for a skirt, plus I had to buy the pattern, and then she spotted a baby doll bassinet pattern. I had to get that pattern, too. I can't resist her pure enthusiasm. I washed and ironed the fabrics for her skirt when we got home and she stood right by my side, literally, watching and waiting. I could feel her breath on my arm. She trimmed all of the fly away strings after the washing and folded the pieces after I pressed them. Too much.
One of my favorite sets in the book is the Circles and Stripes Stroller Blanket and Jacket and the Chubby Bunny. I am really sad to say that the Chubby Bunny has also disappeared along the way never to be seen again. I clearly remember the feeling I had when I finished that bunny and it was elation. It is one of the first times when I truly realized how much I loved designing and making knitted toys. It was a revelation. It kills me that the original Chubby Bunny is gone. I can't believe that things get stolen like that but I know it happens. Sad about that.

This set is done in the Blue Sky Alpacas organic cotton which will forever be my favorite cotton to work with. If you haven't tried the dyed or organic cotton you simply must.
The hoodie Stroller Jacket and mittens set holds the sweetest memories for me. My sweet mom, who was the most wonderful seamstress ever, lined the inside with Sherpa fleece (bought at Joann's) and stitched in the tiny zipper (bought here) for me. I love and cherish that she was part of this book project.

Once again, the Blue Sky Melange was the biggest treat to work with ever. The colors are beyond any designer's dreams. They are deep and rich. I can't wait to get this pillow home. This will be used non-stop. There is a pocket on the back of the pillow to store your current book. My girls both want this pillow in the worst way.
The felted mommy-bag is in terrific shape. I can't believe how well this has held up. It makes me happy to see that I still love these projects just as much today as when I made them a few years ago. The good thing about this genre of knitting is that these projects never go out of style. That is a good kind of knitting. Forever knitting.

The bag is made with Cascade 220 and boy is this a fun and fast knit. There is a pocket on the side just the right size for a bottle and there are pockets on the inside to fit diapers or whatnot.
The Collector also has her eye on these pillows. She can't wait to toss them on her bed. These are made out of Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille and holding two strands together throughout. These are fast and squishy fun.
The Itty-Bitty Nursery Trunk Show will be at Stitcher's Crossing for only one more week. The shop is adorable, charming, welcoming and is chock full of inspiration for knitting and quilting and embroidery and punch needle work and cross stitch and fabrics and on and on.... Be sure to stop by and have a look around if you are in the area. I know this shop is a must see for quilters when they do shop tours in the area and it has been recognized on a national level for being an all-around excellent place of business. I agree!

On another related note, I brought in the quilt top I finished last week to pick out a backing and get the batting. I am excited about the backing fabric. I washed and ironed and pinned the two fabric pieces I am using together. Now I just have to run a seam to join them. I am going to bring in my quilt to Stitcher's to pin the sandwich together on their big quilting tables in the classroom area of the shop. They have clips to hold the fabric in place on the tables, too. Then I will bring it home to quilt it and head back to get help with the binding. Can't wait. The ladies at the shop seemed hesitant about me doing free motion quilting for my first project. I am still going to practice on some scraps to see if I can do it. If not, I am just going to run straight lines throughout which I will love just as much.

The last thing I did yesterday while I was there is I signed up for a basic quilting class for the fall. It meets three times and I figure that I could use some basic instruction and it will really help my sewing skills along in general for all kinds of projects. I am not interested in doing intricate quilting but more like the kind of quilt I just made where I make up my own pattern as I go along. It will be good for me to get some tips and tricks in the class. My sister might sign up for the class as well which would be really fun. I am hoping she joins me. I am excited about taking a class, what a treat for me. I never do stuff like this.

For now.

best, susie

Fairies & Watermelon

Hi Knitters,

How's that for a summery title on a blog post? 

First off, I have just made a new free pattern available for download on the Spud & Chloë blog. It is going like hot cakes already! 

Click here for the free download.
Click here for the Ravelry information page.

Have fun making juicy little watermelons! It's a quick and simple summer (or any time of year for that matter) knit.
I have to give you a fairy update since I have talked about my daughter, The Collector's, deep and abiding love for all things fairy. The Collector and her trusty friend scrimped and saved their every last dollar and penny for about a year to save up for their very own fairy house planter for the yard. The girls stored their dollars in a shoe box in The Collector's bedroom and every once in awhile they would pull it out and meticulously count their treasure. The excitement built for months and months. There is something to be said for earning, waiting and wanting. It is a good thing for appreciation building.
Finally, after months and months of chores and saving the amount had gotten close enough where I felt I could chip in a little to help them along with their fairy dream house. I didn't mind adding to their pot because I love the planter as much as they do. It is a beautiful hand-crafted addition to my yard.
Watching the little girls set this up in a back corner of our yard and plant the flowers was about the sweetest thing ever. I happened to have 3 pots in my garage that fit just right. They are so excited about it. They made a pathway out of flat stones and broken mosaic pieces. The Collector painted a bird house to hang from the fairy house.
They carefully sprinkled a few fairies in and about the fairy house. Some are so hidden that it is impossible to see them with the human eye alone:)
The Collector even wove a special rainbow mohair blanket for the fairy house. She leaves the blanket outside rain or shine. It's been a particularly cool summer around here and fairies need a bit of homemade warmth, too. Isn't that twig ladder incredible? 

This was a special once in a lifetime purchase and it is a beauty that was worth the wait. We will cherish this for years to come.

Find out the details of the Fairy Garden Planter here.

Okay, don't stop reading yet. Along the lines of a fairy related theme today there is an incredibly sweet and wonderful little giveaway going on at a blog I enjoy. All you have to do is leave a comment to enter. I am lowering my odds of winning by telling you all about it but I like to share! Go quick to enter.

Click here to check out this handmade felty giveaway.

Here is another blog I love and I love her book, too. I am definitely going to sew a few items from here.

Now, I've had some emails about my quilt progress. Unfortunately, my life and work have taken over and I haven't found any length of time to get to the quilt shop by my house to buy the backing and the batting. Soon.

I have been reading a whole lot on making quilt sandwiches and all other sorts of quilt-related things here:

I think I'm in love.

Is that a little too strong? Sorry about that. I mean this is a seriously great blog and her tutorials are beyond fantastic. Her entire tutorial offerings are all bookmarked now and I will be referring to them often. I will be linking them specifically as I go on my quilt. One more thing, I absolutely love her reason for the name of her blog. You have to read the information if you are interested.

Enough already, right? I'll be back soon with lots more. Good luck in the giveaway if you enter.

best, susie

Behind the Scenes

Hi Knitters,

So how does a sketch in a sketchbook get turned into a published pattern?

Behind the scenes of any creative endeavor is my favorite place to be. I love taking a look at how things come to be especially when it concerns design. You know when knitting designers are interviewed and they get asked about their design process or how they started knitting? That's my favorite part. I want to learn how they come up with ideas and patterns. That's the juicy interesting part.

Today I want to share a taste of how one of my Spud & Chloë patterns came to be. I had been asked to do a couple of specific things for the brand launch. The Baby Bartlett set and the Camp Hoodie are the patterns I did on request. 

After I had finished those I started looking at the yarn samples they had sent me. I loved the colors and the feel of the yarns so on my own I continued on. I started sketching out a couple of hats. One of which is pictured above. The sketch is nothing fancy but I had my eye on one of my favorite color combinations blue and brown and cream. I knew these colors together would make my sketch come to life. 

I began an Inca style hat with ear flaps in Spud & Chloë Sweater yarn in Toast, Ice Cream, Rootbeer, and Splash. I used a slight variation on the waffle stitch for the base of the hat and then for the top I used more of the signature Itty-Bitty Hats knit rounds with a purl round thrown in to differentiate the stripes. I love all of the texture playing around with the striping colors.
I pulled out my trusty Pom Tree and got busy with the poms and tassels. I have a tutorial on how this great tool works if you are interested. Here's where you can choose if you want to include all of the poms or just a few or none at all. The hat looks great on its own without the extras. Of course, I think it is more playful with all of the poms and tassels included!
I lined the hat with an off-white fleece. I have a tutorial on how to line a hat if you are interested. I was thrilled with the outcome when I was done. I thought I would send a picture to the Spud & Chloë people to see if they felt the same way. Sometimes it is hard to try for things out of the blue, I guess out of fear of rejection. I usually do it anyway. I always tell myself the worst thing that can happen is that they will say no. That's not that bad of thing to happen. I've dealt with way worse than that in my life. After I start thinking who cares if they say no I can easily click on that send button. It's not a big deal. You could do that, too. How do you know if you don't even try?

Guess what? They loved it, too. I quickly wrote up the pattern, threw the knitted hat in a box and sent everything off to Minnesota, where the Spud & Chloë headquarters is located. Now, Blue Sky Alpacas and Spud & Chloë are top-notch in that they go the extra-mile when it comes to their patterns. They have a long line of support of technical editors and test knitters for every pattern they publish. Every pattern is scoured by editors and tested by actually knitting the pattern. This is not always done by other publishers by any means. Even better, most of the time one of the staff members knits the project so they are familiar with the pattern and can answer questions as they come up right at the office. 

There simply isn't the time or money for a lot of companies to do the step of actually having someone knit out the entire pattern. Due to the fact that this is a small company that is completely dedicated to the highest quality of products and service they can take the time to get things right. It isn't about cranking out high quantities of anything. It is quality first. Does that mean there aren't ever errors in the patterns? No, that's impossible. However, there are very few errors and they are immediately corrected and posted.

The hat ended up being knitted up in different colors for the photo shoot to fit in better with the color scheme of the pattern line. The sample hat in the photos is not lined. You can make the hat either way and it works out great. The pattern photo is fantastic and playful and downright fun. I love that little girl, she looks so happy and energetic. Isn't her hair beautiful? The hat was named Flap Happy Hat by the company. Perfect name choice. A lot of the models are staff members' children, friends and family. The entire pattern line was shot on the company owner's property. It is all down-home. 

Here are some places you can purchase the yarn and pattern for this hat or any of the Spud & Chloë patterns with a stop in the shop, call or online:

here

here

here

here

here

or

here

Okay, I hope people are checking in today because I am going to be on a live web cam show tonight at 7pm central time. I am not sure how this works at all so it could be some fun(ny) viewing if you are home and looking for something to do. Here is the link for the live show tonight. It is called Stitch & Dish. I hope to see you there or rather you'll see me, right? I might have to run a brush through my hair today!

Have a great Friday, Knitters.

See you soon.

best, susie

El Stitcheroo

Hi Knitters,

All together now!
I noticed that not all of my lines are exactly straight. Straight lines are for the birds anyway. Who needs 'em?

Tomorrow I shop for backing and batting and I try some practice stippling. We'll see. I'll share.

I even enjoyed ironing this time. That's new for me.

best, susie

p.s. This aft I recorded an interview for Ready, Set, Knit! podcast. It will air July 25th. I'll link later. It was fun.

p.p.s. Our house is in full renovation mode so of course I have to learn how to make a giant quilt at the same time just to make things more interesting. I'm stepping through rubble to go back and forth between my sewing machine and iron. Craft on no matter what:)

That's All

Hi Knitters,

Columns complete. Now to fire up my iron!





Thanks for indulging a girl just having some fun.

best, susie

Whoot!

Hi Knitters,

Whoot! Whoot! A completed wildflower crown is being sported about. We picked and wove the flowers and greenery together late yesterday. That's a proud little mama.
The lighting is poor in my family room where my quilt is on the floor but you can get the idea. There is no rhyme or reason which is perfect. I am so excited about this project. My mind is all over it. I am going to be adding more columns in between the columns above with different fabric so it will end up looking different. I need to finish my columns first then press the seams and sew the columns together. It is big. I am not sure of the exact measurements yet. I am totally winging it!! My kinda project, make it up as you go. I'll take better pics in better lighting when I can haul it around in one piece. I am so excited about it that I had to share.

So I've learned that you can do stippling by taking the foot off of your machine completely and lowering the feed dogs (which I just found the lever for after much searching). I'm definitely going to try that on some practice fabric first. I think I can do it! I can't even tell you how much I love it when people write and tell me sewing answers. I love it so much. It makes my day and I am learning at a fast rate. Thank you to everyone who emails and comments with sewing tips. I take them all to heart. You're the best.

Whoot! Whoot!

Just had to say it one more time, forgive and forget.

best, susie

Winner & Swap Goodies & More

Hi Knitters,

Hope you are all having a good weekend. I am having a fun weekend because I had a visit from my new boss lady. I don't why but I think "boss lady" is funny and I always will. She is comfortable and funny and cool and smart and inspiring. I even got to meet her parents and her son. Plus she liked my coffee which some say is too strong. What more could a girl like me ask for? 

I've got a winner for some fabu Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille! Four watermelon colored skeins are coming to.....

Barbara Chrisman in Waco, Kentucky!!!!!

Thanks to all who purchased the Watermelon Washcloth pattern at the sale price (it is still on sale by the way). This has been a popular pattern for sure. Thanks, too, to the fantastic Susan Druding, the owner of Crystal Palace Yarns, for the support of my washcloth project. I have to say it every time because she has made it so fun by including the yarn giveaways as a part of the new patterns. Thank you once again.
I know, I messed up the link on the fabric bundles I was talking about in the last post. Look here to see a fantastic selection of fabric bundles. I can't even say enough how thrilled I am with the fabrics and colors. They are playful and different and I even got some Jay McCarroll (season one winner on Project Runway) garden friends fabric in the bunch. Love his tomato fabric. The frog is my new free pattern that you can find here! There is a bouncy surprise knitted right inside.

Now I am scouring books and online resources to try and figure out how to make a quilt. I literally am clueless but I think I am going to start by making strips of varying widths and lengths of squares. I can keep making different strips all the same length and keep going with the strips to get the width I want for the total quilt. I don't want anything too precise because that doesn't work for me. I want it to be a little crazy and not too thought out. I have my fabrics all washed and pressed and ready to cut, so maybe later today I will start.

The other thing is that I love stippling or free motion quilting that is done on a machine. Can I do this with the regular foot on my machine? I want to figure this out. I love all of that crazy stitching that is neither here nor there. I may end up doing straight lines for the quilting every inch or so. I don't want to get bogged down in precision. A girl just wants to have fun! Right, Cyndi?
I got a sweet little treat dropped off on my doorstep a couple of days ago. Remember I posted the ribbon hat I made (you can find out more about this swap on the link) and sent to Canada? Well, this is the hat that was sent to me and I love it. The funny thing is that my sender lives in Stoughton, Wisconsin which is really close to Madison. She had her friend who lives nearby drop off the package to me. Look on the table and you will see a little patterned chicken dish, fantastic, and dove dark chocolates, yummy!
The ribbons are fresh and fun. There are sheep and cows in the midst of the green and yellow. It is sweetness. Jill knit the hat in Spud & Chloë Sweater yarn on a size 8 needle. It worked great. I love the entire package and I already have a baby in mind for the hat. Thank you, Jill.

I need to get over to Stitcher's Crossing to take photos of my trunk show they have on display right now. This is a terrific quilt and yarn shop that is on the west side of Madison. You should pop in there if you get a chance. That is one nice shop with a super helpful and kind staff. The Itty-Bitty Nursery trunk show is going to be displayed for the entire month of July. They are having a cupcake theme throughout the shop. Love that.

There was a wonderful article about Madison in the New York Times a week ago so here it is if you are interested.

Here is a fabric flower technique that I am going to try.

At some point I am going to try all of these, very soon I am placing my order. 

I have been thoroughly enjoying the story of this blog, you might, too.

Here is one more simple quilt that I probably should do as a first project but I like to make things painful for myself for some reason. I think I will make this quilt for my kids sometime soon. Love that fabric.

One more crocheted item I think The Collector would enjoy is this. I could see her taking this with her everywhere. 

We are headed out today to collect wildflowers for a wreath for her head. She saw this in Family Fun magazine and has to make one. I couldn't find the link for this specific craft so I'll take some photos to share. My friend Betz has a craft in the current issue called, The Foamerator. We made these yesterday and they are fun.

Betz also has a new fabric and pattern line coming out that looks like winner! Can't wait! One last thing, Betz sent me this incredible flooring idea and I want to share it with you.

Phew! Once I started I couldn't stop, so much to share with you. Have a good Sunday, Knitters.

best, susie

It's All About the Grout

Hi Knitters,

I am amazed every time at the dramatic change a mosaic piece undergoes after it is grouted. I think it is absolutely all about the grout.
I also think that a mosaic piece can be ruined if the pieces on the surface are not properly buffed out of the grout. The grouting step and the buffing can make or break a project like this. Sloppy grout work is a big no-no. 

I spend so much time on the cleaning up the grout after it has slightly dried on the pot. I take an old hand towel and I buff and buff and buff. One of my goals is to get most all of the edges of the buttons, in this instance, to show. Also, for the buttons I wanted the thread holes to show. I still have some work to do before the buttons are showing in their best light. Buttons have a lot of ridges and whatnot. I think I may go after the button pot with a toothpick to clear away any grout from tight spaces that I can't get with my towel. When I started buffing the pot all of the buttons looked white, you couldn't see any color at all. It is coming along.
Do you see the huge difference the grout made? It looks like a completely different piece. I love the way the grout softens the look of the surface, giving it a dusty sweetness.

I haven't made a mosaic pot for a long while and although I didn't think I was missing it now I am thinking about making more. I simply think the little mosaic garden pot is fantastic. What a gift. This pot was made with a beloved mother's buttons and will be given to her beloved daughter. A pair like this I have never seen before and I am honored to make a handmade gift to share between the two of them.

I know. I'll be back soon with some knitting. I have been knitting lots and I need to share it with you. Soon.

Have a great Wednesday everyone. I hope you are clocking some knitting hours this summer. 

best, susie

First Patchwork

Hi Knitters,

I want to quickly share with you the completed patchwork project I had talked about briefly a week or so ago. Instead of a quilt I put together a tote bag, fully-lined, every piece backed with interfacing, skinny shoulder straps with two generous lined pockets inside, one divided.
The fabric is all Anna Maria Horner's fantastic Chocolate Lollipop and Drawing Room collections combined. I love both of these collections so much and had ordered fat quarters of each a long time ago. It feels so good to finally put these to use. I used brown thread and did some fun quilting lines throughout the patchwork outside. Some lines are straight and some are squiggly on purpose. I think it adds interest and it just looks cute to have the extra stitching.
I did use the advice of many of you sewers who responded to help me with my lack of knowledge. I thought it was funny how the sewers are just as bad as the knitters. There are basically as many ways to press your seams as there are sewers. This is exactly what knitting is like, preferred technique is all based on what works best for you. I ended up pressing one row of squares one way and then the next row the other way. I don't know, I just did that and it seemed to work. I need to get more work under my belt before I decide what works best for me. You know, try different things. That's how you form smart opinions, just like all of you have, through time and experience. Thanks again for chiming in.

Basically, I didn't even look at a pattern for this at all. I made the two outside pieces using 4-inch squares and continued on from there. I did squared off gussets instead of rounded. The straps are skinnier than the other bags I made and I love them this way. It really could be reversible but who wants to hide all of that fun patchwork? Not me. 

Now, I am going to start working on a small-ish patchwork quilt. We'll see what happens. I literally have no clue. I ordered a bunch of new fabric stacks from Spool. The bundles are unbelievable, a burst of color. I will share before I start washing and ironing and working.

Take care. Tuesday's almost over already. Whoooosh! And it's gone.

best, susie

13

Hi Knitters,

Thirteen is my lucky number this year. My daughter turned thirteen. She is my sweetest, juiciest peach on earth. Peachy. Every year my dear sister hosts a birthday bash for Peachy at her fantastically old lake house. Since Peachy was very little she has held a great adoration for my sister. Peachy is a shy, quiet girl. She always wanted to quietly stand by my sister and soak in her every move and word. She would want me to tell her things she was too shy to say herself but wanted my sister to know. My sister is a loving aunt and she has always understood Peachy. It is only appropriate for her to host her birthday party every year.

Well, the day was picture perfect. I did some of the above. I swear I saw a dinosaur in those fluffy clouds.
The day ended with a view to remember. Gorgeous.
And in between Peachy opened gifts. She may be thirteen but she is still sporting skinned knees like a little kid. Love that.
She played with cousins galore. Aren't those awesome steps to the lake? My sister got a new shed that you can see at the top of the steps, it's not quite done. It may not seem like a big deal but living on a lake without a garage and four kids, a shed becomes a big deal.
Our little cousin fished while wearing his super-cool Star Wars swimsuit. Heaven.
Bathing beauties had silly fun by the shore.
Peachy and her best buddy lounged lakeside.
Swimming at dusk was magical.
Boys, boys, boys.

Peachy is delicious and I am proud of the teenager she has become.Have a good Monday, Knitters. I am in recovery mode from a hectic holiday weekend as I am sure many of you are as well. You would not believe the state of my house: total, gross, wreck.

best, susie

p.s. I am making a button-fillled mosaic pot for a special someone. I was going to add some other little items on the pot but the buttons overwhelmed me with joy so I am sticking to it, pure and simple. Grout is coming later today. I will share my finished button pot when I am done. Do you remember the mosaic fruit I made ages ago?