Minneapolis!

Hi Knitters,

I'm here in Minneapolis this morning and this afternoon I will be in Anoka at Shepherd's Choice (see my sidebar for details). It's their grand opening today at 1:00pm. Yesterday I got off the plane and was whisked to KARE 11, the Minneapolis NBC station to do a live segment for Showcase Minnesota. That was very fun. The host Corbin sincerely loves the knitting and the toys. She was really funny and cute and silly. You can watch the segment here if you missed it.
Here is the table I set up for the show. There was a chef preparing his segment right next to me. Cooking segments are so much work. I can't believe all of the prep for a quick few minutes. It smelled spicy and yummy. My set up is simple in comparison.
The toys looked so sweet and inviting. They did me proud.
Everyone loves seeing the reversibles in person. There is nothing like holding one of these in your hands.
The puppies wrapped up in their blankets is one of the most popular patterns so far. You never know what will take off. They are pretty sweet.

Anyway, it was fun and fast. In the green room before my segment I got to hang out with Bobcat Goldthwait. Love it! I thought it was him but he looks different than when I last saw him. He has short or no hair, he wore big dark rimmed glasses and a little plaid newsboy hat. I realized for certain it was him when the station staff kept filing in and telling him how much they loved him and what certain skit or movie or David Letterman appearance they loved. He was very gracious and kind. He was performing in Minneapolis. Bobcat was interested in my book tour and where I was going. I found him really nice and quiet and humble. It was good to see. He talked about his daughter who is currently in Massachusetts filming a documentary on the Kennedy family. Prior to that she was working on a reality show about Carnie Wilson called, Carnie Unstapled. Fantastic.

Seriously, I can't make this stuff up. Last tour I was in a green room with a child star singer who sang Jesus Take the Wheel for her segment and her stage mother behind the scenes was craaaazy. It was incredible. I just smile and soak it all in. These are the kinds of moments when you can't believe you are where you are. It's so removed from my everyday life.
That afternoon I went to Needlework Unlimited in Minneapolis. I love coming to this shop, it is my third visit. The beginning of the event was fast and furious. I signed so many books, the staff kept bringing out stacks and stacks. The shop owner had already sold several boxes of books before my event. That is so good to hear. We almost ran out of books by the end but there were a some left and I signed the remainders if anyone wants to pick up a signed book at the shop.

This grandma, daughter and granddaughter came with Itty-Bitty Hats all knit up. The grandma is working her way through the entire book. They were so fun and enthusiastic and proud. I enjoyed them thoroughly. Thanks for sharing!! What a beautiful baby. Itty-Bitty Hats continues to be one of this shop's best-sellers in books. They have sold hundreds and hundreds of copies since it came out. That is amazing for a yarn shop. I love to hear good news like that.
I had lots and lots of kids show up with parents. They enjoyed all of the toys but especially the reversibles and the felted super balls. This little guy reminded me so much of my nephew. I had to do a double-take when he walked in. The brother-sister pair were very fun and spent lots of time at the table with their mom.
Here she is! The gorgeous model from page 155 came to the signing along with her little sister and mom. Her name is Anya and it was a treat and a half to meet her. Her mom was so excited and proud.
Anya was kind enough to be in a picture in with me. Thanks for making the effort to stop by, it was great to meet you and thanks for being a part of the book. I think the mom bought four copies of Itty-Bitty Toys and had me sign all of them.
The shop had a couple Kristin Nicholas pillows on display.
Aren't they gorgeous? I will be reviewing Kristin's new book as soon as I get a chance.
Finally, Amy Jensen stopped by with her mom and daughter. I had to get a photo of her Spud & Chloë leg warmers. She looked so incredibly cute with her skirt, boots and leg warmers. I loved it. Her daughter and mom were really fun and stayed a long time. You can get the pattern for these right here. Pretty cool, right Rachel?

I'll be back with more about Minnesota, Anoka and Shepherd's Choice soon!

best, susie

T.C.'s On the Move

Hi Knitters,

The Collector (new abbreviation is going to be T.C. for today anyway) has been in the most crazy crafting mode lately. She is non-stop with it. A short while ago T.C. finished her second sock toy and I hadn't shared it yet. She made Rosie the Elephant. That's not the project name in the book (Stray Sock Sewing, Too), she came up with the name.
I helped her stitch on the layered buttons for she selected for the eyes and the wooden heart button for the belly button. She used black yarn and a yarn needle to stitch the smiley mouth.
I love the way the arms are just the sock folded over with a running stitch down the center. Her instinctive sewing is amazing to see. She just kind of figures out how to stitch on her own. T.C. is already almost finished with her second elephant in a gray, black and white striped sock. Her plan is for the elephants to be good friends.
T.C. also made these two hats which I am going to bring with me to donate for her to Knitting for Noggins (see the tour schedule on my sidebar for more information and a link) in Little Rock. The hat on the left is the Bunny Tail hat from Itty-Bitty Hats out of Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton. I knitted the ears on top for her, that was a little beyond her skills.

The other hat is some fuzzy yarn she picked up at Stitcher's Crossing (she biked up there with a friend and came home with this) and absolutely loves for its fluffy softness. I want to say it is called, Heaven? Anyone recognize that? This type of yarn is always appealing to kids but it is tricky to knit with. I just took the gauge and figured out the number to cast on for this one. I can't remember what that number is and believe me you can't even count those stitches with that yarn. I suggested the two pom-pom ears to make it look kind of bear-like. It is very sweet. She loves making the pom-poms, too.
Okay, a kitchen remodel update is due. Our house still has some unfinished odds and ends if you can even believe it. We started the remodel last July and it still continues. The stone tile for our back splash has now arrived. It's a poor picture in my dimly lit storage area in the basement but it is super cool green variegated stone. It's called, Ming Green. As soon as it is installed I will take some photos of the completed kitchen to share. I promise. I haven't forgotten.

Have a great Wednesday, Knitters!

best, susie

p.s. You wouldn't believe how many emails I have received about my Mary Jane's from a couple of posts ago. The brand name is, Think! and they are made in Germany. I bought mine at a small local shoe store that doesn't have a website and I don't know anything more about them. They were pricey for me but I will have them the rest of my life for sure. Have at it!

Sewing Green & Knitterly Gifts

Hi Knitters,

Yesterday I received a copy of Sewing Green from Betz White. I would have purchased this book anyway but Betz told me she would send me one. I couldn't wait to get a copy of my own. The book is wonderful and packed full of green information and projects. That's Betz's gorgeous niece on the cover which I am sure makes it even more special for Betz. The beautiful photography is by John Gruen.
The patterns are included and inserted into the back flap of the book. That is a wonderful inclusion. Sewing Green is a good and educational read on its own but the projects are truly fun and Betz at her best. She has a way of making practical items but shining them up with fun twists and turns. I love this new book from Betz and I think you will, too.
These sweet coasters would make any table come to life. The instructions are well-written and clear. The projects in total seem to encompass all skill levels, easy to a little more advanced. There is something for everyone basically. I am a new sewer and I feel like I could tackle any project in the book.
This is perhaps my favorite pair of projects, not hard to guess why. Baby hat + stuffed toy = the best projects ever! The adorable hat and stuffed dog are made out of recycled materials which is the point of the entire book. You can't get any cuter than that. Love it!
This bag (I really want to make this one!) is made out of place mats. Isn't it great?

Betz used to live in Madison before moving out to Maryland a couple of years ago. I got to know her when she was in town here and we still stay in touch. She is a constant source of inspiration and ideas and support. Her blog is fantastic and she has a new line of organic fabrics that she sells on her etsy shop. I have some of her new fabric and it is gorgeous and fun. She has a new pattern line to support the fabric as well. All of this is worth taking the time to check out. Her site is here and the site has links for all of these pieces including being able to order a signed copy of the book directly from Betz!

Congratulations, Betz! You are on a major roll and it sure is fun to watch.
Okay, I told you that last weekend while I was in Grand Rapids I had two sweet knitters give me a couple of knitterly gifts. These are the best kind in my eyes. Being a knitter means that no one ever (or rarely) knits for me. These gifts were a surprise and a treat.

First, I mentioned Linda and how she has made 40 Garden Mice from Itty-Bitty Nursery , my second book. I absolutely had to show you a closer look at the mouse she gave me. You are going to want to make one or two for yourself. Linda gives them as gifts and ties them to packages. She said people go crazy over her mice when they get one and I can see why.
The mouse is wearing red long johns! I mean....
....complete with a back-flap and tiny black beads for buttons. Have you ever? I swear I haven't seen a cuter version. The original mouse is made in Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton and the body is striped.
I guess Linda does all sorts of versions of the Garden Mice. She had one with her that was Halloween-style with orange and black stripes and a mask. I am completely impressed and I want to go back and make a bunch more mice just like Linda! It is so inspiring. Thank you for making my day, Linda, and for inspiring me.

The Ravelry link for the Garden Mice is here.
Hilary presented me with this soft, beautiful hat as a gift. Hilary, that is so thoughtful and sweet. I love the hat and I will probably have to fight for it around my house.
Hilary knitted the hat out of Spud & Chloë Sweater yarn and she added a big button. It's an awesome hat. Now, I don't know what pattern Hilary used or if she made it up herself so I can't help you there. Hilary, if you are reading this could you please leave the pattern information in the comments if there is anything you can share? I know people are going to ask. I knew the minute I touched the hat that it was Spud & Chloë Sweater yarn because it is squishy, warm and incredibly soft. It feels like heaven next to your skin. It would only take one skein (160 yards) to make a hat like this.

You can purchase Spud & Chloë Sweater yarn here, here and here.

There you have it for today. I hope you get to knit a lot this week, Knitters.

best, susie

Sending Love to Michigan

Hi Knitters,

Michigan went by so fast! It was a wonderful trip and you can't find nicer knitters anywhere and I really mean that. I had more genuinely kind knitters at these last two events. They gush, many of them have emailed me, they brought their toy knitting to share. When I looked into the faces of the people who came to the events, I couldn't believe the smiles I saw. I had a great time.

This woman was so fun. She and her husband came to the event but her husband shopped in the bookstore while she sat with the knitters. I loved her wrap, which wasn't handknit, but was so lovely. I brought my finished turkey along from the Spud says! knitalong I just completed. She brought her turkey to show me! Love that and it looks great.
This sweet woman showed up early with a basket full of toys she had already knitted from Itty-Bitty Toys! She did a great job and I am thrilled with how well the toys turned out for her. She had a Hippo, Pig, Lamb and a Grumpy Old Bear (from Itty-Bitty Nursery). There are lots of toys in Itty-Bitty Nursery, my second book, in case you didn't know.
She also had a bunch of Spud & Chloë toys from my other blog, Spud says! The patterns for the frog and bunny are free so be sure to check those out, just click on the photo on the sidebar over there. The chicken is my Knit Chicken pattern for Blue Sky Alpacas (the owners of Spud & Chloë).

Side note: I can't believe all of the requests I hear about getting the Spud & Chloë yarns. People want this yarn. I heard from yarn shop owners that it is highly requested and the hottest thing out there right now. The knitters I see really, really want to have this yarn locally available. For example, there isn't a store in Madison carrying Spud & Chloë and I think it would be a huge success for any store to bring it in. I get emails all of the time from Madison knitters who are shocked that they can't find this yarn in any of the shops yet. The demand is big for the Spud & Chloë line and knitters really like to buy locally and support their local yarn shops. Spud & Chloë is readily available on lots (check here for a list of stockists) of online shops so it is easily accessible. I'm just saying....
Okay, I have to tell you about this fantastic ball of energy sitting right there in the white shirt. She made me laugh and she made my day!

First let me tell you what happened. Unfortunately, there was a terrible location mix up for my event. I thought it had been cleared up but I guess not. About half of the Itty-Bitty Toys group showed up at another Schuler's location. The event had been publicized to be held at two different locations. In the meantime, at the Schuler's I was actually at, we ended up waiting for about 30 minutes after the starting time to begin so people could come from the other location. It was a beautiful day outside on a Saturday and I felt worried about making people wait so long.

I finally started talking after some of the other group arrived and I tried to do an abbreviated talk so people could get on with their Saturday. It was difficult to do. Many of the knitters had arrived early for the original starting time and so the time was really ticking. I felt badly about this, that's a lot more time than they bargained for. Thank you to the knitters who drove across town to come to the other location. I am always so appreciative when people take time out of their busy schedules to come to an event so thank you, Knitters.

This sweet group of knitters (above) came in about 45 minutes late. The woman in white, Linda, is perhaps the most excited Itty-Bitty fan I have ever met. I loved her. I felt horrible for the inconvenience (for everyone) and that Linda missed most of the event. She was so cute and kind about it. I will take a better photo of the mouse she knitted, she gave it to me! It is incredible. Her mice are from the Garden Mice Mobile in Itty-Bitty Nursery.

Linda has knitted about 40 Garden Mice (you can make them as separate toys, not only for the mobile) and she makes them in clothes and costumes! That's right, I said 40 mice! The mouse on the left is wearing red long johns, which is the one she gave to me. Apparently, red long johns originated in Michigan. Who knew? The mouse on the right is in a Halloween costume including a mask. I couldn't believe it. Her mice are the best I have seen and Linda is very clever. She had lots of comments and questions for me and she was funny and fun. I loved every minute of it. By the way, Linda has 8 children and 17 grandchildren. She is a ball of energy and I bet her family loves and enjoys her. I know I did.
I love seeing everyone enjoying the toys. My driver, Shirley, took pictures for me. Shirley did a great job getting me around. She even ran to Wal-Mart to buy me a hairbrush. I forgot my brush and the next morning I finally found a black pocket comb at the hotel. Try blow drying your hair with a pocket comb, plus I have really thick hair. Not good. I tried to brush my hair after the fact but it didn't help much, it was too late. Oh well, what are you going to do? All I can say is sorry about the hair but people didn't come to see my hair, that's for sure. I think that is really funny.
The woman holding the lamb is so kind. She works at Lizzie Ann's Wool Co. in Holland, which is a great yarn shop. They want me to come back sometime and teach a workshop. That would be wonderful and I hope someday that happens, my fingers are crossed.
What a fun, positive, supportive group. I can't explain the wonderful energy this group had. It was a treat.
I signed away. There were lots of people with multiple books and the other Itty-Bitty books. Itty-Bitty Hats has just gone into its 5th printing and will be available again very soon, any day now. I had lots of requests for Itty-Bitty Hats and I know it has been unavailable for awhile now. Artisan did a large reprint so we should be good for quite awhile. Itty-Bitty Nursery has just been reprinted as well.
This sweet family attended. The woman on the left had recently emailed me to tell me how the Itty-Bitty books had helped her recover from difficult year. It meant a lot to me to hear about this. Knitting really can be healing and I hear stories like this all of the time. Their little girl loved the toys, just look at her clutching the Hippo and Lamb. She was making lots of fun noises, too. She has a sister on the way, too. Lucky girl. It was great to meet you.
I received another knitted gift from Hilary. She writes me and comments all of the time on the blog. She knitted me this beautiful hat out of Spud & Chloë Sweater yarn. I am touched and I love the hat. I will wear it proudly. I can't thank you enough. She told me that I have inspired her but her actions inspire me to keep going and working so hard. A small gesture of appreciation like this means the world to me. Thank you, Hilary. It was my honor and privilege to meet you.

Side note #2: One comment I always hear is that people are surprised at how petite I am. That makes me laugh. I never think about it until someone mentions it. I am not tall and maybe I appear taller in photos or the tutorial videos because I hear this all of the time. Isn't that funny? I am what I am and it's all I've got to work with:)

Regrettably, I didn't get good photos at the Lansing event other than these two wonderful women. The woman on the left is holding her friend Rae's Elefante (see my sidebar for the free pattern). Her name is Lynn and she has a wonderful blog and a big group on Ravelry. She was very sweet and supportive and I loved meeting her. Her energy is contagious, really, check out her links out.

I had such a great time in Lansing. The night went as smooth as silk and I had a WONDERFUL event. Everything went so well. What a good, happy group of knitters. They had questions and comments. There were babies, moms, proud grandmas, younger and older knitters all in attendance. Toys reach everyone in all stages of life and everyone loved the toys. My favorite thing is to see the adults react to the toys. There was one woman from Virginia who was visiting a new grandchild in Lansing. She was lovely. There was another woman and her husband who just happened to be in the bookstore and they both sat in the front row for the entire night. It was very cute that her husband sat right with her. Loved that. She was absolutely smitten with the toys and couldn't believe her good fortune to be there by chance. Wonderful.

There was a fantastic giveaway hosted by Rae's Yarn Boutique. I got to draw three names out of a hat at the end of the event. Thank you so much to Rae for the giveaway! It made for a fun element for the night and I appreciate the support and generosity to no end. Lansing knitters be sure to give Rae's Yarn Boutique lots of knitterly support. Thank you, Rae!!

Okay, I've gone on long enough. I love, love, love Michigan, it is beautiful! Triple love! What a great state. The knitting enthusiasm in Michigan never fails to amaze me. The knitters I have met are very family and friend-oriented and they love the baby knitting. Plus, the climate suits knitting perfectly. Thank you to all who made the effort to spend some time with me. I appreciate you all from the bottom of my heart.

Next week, Minnesota! My family roots are in Minnesota and my Blue Sky/Spud & Chloë peeps are in Minnesota! Can't wait! I am going to be on Kare 11 Showcase Minnesota on Friday, live t.v!! Love that.

More details to come. I've got to get knitting now, deadlines never go away even when you are on tour:)

best, susie

Lakeside Fibers Getaway

Hi Knitters,

I am on the road now but my first event was a hometown affair. I packed up my trunk show and The Collector and we headed off to the ever-beautiful Lakeside Fibers. I didn't get any good photos during the event because it was a busy signing, which is a good thing. The Collector and I took a few photos at the very end when things were winding down.

The two ladies sitting behind me were so incredibly cute. They got to the event right at the start and we chatted and I signed their books. Then they sat right behind me and the entire time they went page by page through the book and discussed every project and what yarn they were going to use. The woman on the left used her iphone and looked up all of the yarns and their availability. Every once in awhile I would chime into their conversation. I got a big kick out of them.
I did snap this shot earlier. This little guy loved the toys. I glanced over and saw that he had quietly placed the Finger Foods on his fingers and was just loving it. I loved that he did that on his own like that. I asked his mom if I could take his picture and then he looked a little worried when I snapped the shot but he had a good time. I enjoyed seeing kids come by and place their toy orders as they went down the table.

I always have a good time at Lakeside. The Collector ordered dinner and we always get the lemonade at Lakeside. It is so yummy and tart and fizzy. You have to try it. The ladies sitting behind The Collector were funny. One didn't knit (but she places knitting orders to her friends:) and the other was having trouble with her double-pointed needles. I did a brief demonstration for her and gave her a couple of tips but she didn't seem convinced. Really it just boils down to practicing, that's my biggest tip. They came along with my friend Ramona, who I just love. She is so supportive and fun and it was really good to see her. She sends me fun emails with links all the time. Keep it coming!
Lots more long-time friends and knitting acquaintances showed up. I am so appreciative of their effort to come and visit me. These are the knitters who show up at every local event I have and it is touching.

This little sweetheart has a wonderful knitting mother who I've known for years. In fact, I hosted a knitting baby shower for her at the shop I used to work at (everyone knit squares and then I sewed them into a blanket for her) and then she went into labor later that same day. Five years later here she is at my knitting event. I loved how she is holding the book in her bag. Her mom emailed me later that she has placed her orders for about every toy in the book. Get busy, Renee! Christmas is right around the corner. Renee sends me great emails with cool links, too. Gotta love friends like that.
I was honored to have two famous Madison-based knitters attend the event. Carol Rududu is a fabulous knitter and she brought her fantastic version of The Chubby Bunny (pattern in Itty-Bitty Nursery) which I had seen on Ravelry. I was happy to see it in person. I love how the toys take on different personalities. She pointed out how little ones love to put their fingers in the rings. She won a Bobby award on Ravelry for her fair-isle leggings/tights. You have to jump over (click on her name above) and check those out and the rest of her projects. You will be impressed by her knitting. The leggings are really incredible.

Along with Carol was TECHknitter and the two of them are Madison knitting friends. She was fun to meet and so interested and genuine. She is in the Ravelry Hall of Fame for most educational knitter and most educational Ravelry member. That's quite impressive. Her Ravelry page is here and her fantastic technique blog is here. Check them both out.

They were friendly and warm and fun and it was great to meet and chat with these women in person.
The Collector was worn out by the end of the night. See, we really enjoyed that lemonade. She had a lot of people asking if she was The Collector. She always looks down and says yes. It's cute.
This is the most fun trunk show to bring along because it is an interactive toy-laden table. Everyone smiles and touches and tries everything.
That woman standing at the table asked The Collector for her autograph, too, very sweet. I am glad I got to witness her first book signing:) This same woman was so fun, she just fell in love with the toys. In fact, I think she was just at the shop and stumbled upon my event. The toys won her over.

Anyway, I am deeming this event a good and fun success. Thank you, as always, to Lakeside Fibers for hosting me. Make sure you stop by this Madison treat of a yarn shop and cafe. There is nothing else like it anywhere.

I'll check back in soon, Knitters.

best, susie

The Collector & Molly's Hat

Hi Knitters,

This is just a quick post to share some photos I took of The Collector this morning. She is wearing the newest pattern in my pattern shop. It is called Molly's Matching Hat and it is for sale for $2.00 (that's a steal). The Collector was coloring some turkey drawings she made for school before she had to leave. As she stood in my studio coloring at my table, I was admiring her standing there. I was struck by all of the shades of light blue that were swirling around her. I grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots. She was unaware I was taking the photo, those are usually the best kind.
After I took the photo she said, "Hey." She had this look on her face.
She is a good sport because then I wanted some photos of different angles of the hat. Her head is 21.5 inches, the hat also fits my older daughter and me. Our heads are both 22 inches. It is really an adult-sized hat but remember there isn't much size difference for kids' heads and adults' heads. Most kids can wear adult-sized hats. Molly's Matching Hat is knit to a 20 inch circumference and stretches up to 22 inches. I like a snug fit on the hats I knit.
You know, every morning when I brush and fix The Collector's hair I always, everyday, think about how much I love brushing her hair. I will be sad when she starts fixing her own hair, which I am sure will be very soon. I cherish this motherly duty. It's the sweetest hair and she smells so good.
Feeling a lot of love for my kids today and I just thought I would share.

The hat has a matching mitten pattern called Molly's Mittens for sale for $3.00. If you purchase both patterns you get them for the bargain price of $4.00. These are the fastest knits around on big needles, size 10, and completing both patterns takes only 2 balls of contrasting colors in this yarn total. You could finish knitting this hat in an hour or two. Really.

I am including all of the pattern and yarn information because when I don't include it I get asked:) I was mainly taking the extra shots to include on the Ravelry page for the hat.

Okay, have a great Wednesday, Knitters! It's a busy one.

best, susie