Door County from the Outside

Hi Knitters,

Here is the outer view of our trip. Much of our time was spent at the beach on Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is so huge that it seems like you are on the ocean. Waves lap up to the shore and the water is so cold and clear.
Swimming for hours at a time kept TC very busy. We gave her the award for spending the most time in the water. My husband took a close second place because there was only one time she was in the lake without him. He is so much fun and always game for anything. I love that about him and so do the kids.
We were very lucky to have Miss Molly, my son's sweet girlfriend, stay with us for a night. Her family was in Door County at the same time and we got to spend some time with them. They left earlier than we did so she finished her trip with us at the Eco House. She is a treat and she brought her knitting, which I love. She is making her first sweater and her first pair of fingering weight socks. Seeing someone master first time projects, and doing it well, makes me happy.
The empty beach was beyond fantastic.
I went for daily runs on the beach and on the quiet, skinny lakeshore road. I loved it because it was so flat. I could run forever. It is hilly where I live and I am not good at running up hills. I am missing this shady flat road now that I am back to the hills of my Madison neighborhood.
A view from the beach...
Reading, knitting, swimming, football, sleeping and walking were the main beach activities. In front of the house the owner added a new abstract sculpture. I'm not so sure about it. The framework mimics the window panes and the curved part mimics the shape of the roof. It was made by a friend of the owner. We thought it looked like a lobster claw.

The owner stopped by briefly at one point and we asked him about the sculpture. When my husband asked if it was a lobster claw he got really quiet. We are still laughing about that. It's all subjective with abstract art, right?
Oh, Peachy. I love her.
I have a son with a love of fire...and fishing. This one spent a large amount of time fishing in various spots. He caught a few fish and a large fish was on his hook at one point but he didn't bring it in. My husband was his witness. I love his zest for things.
I had to laugh when I saw this photo my son took. This is the kind of thing my sons and my husband think is funny. This is the side of a restaurant called, Hot Tamales. We actually got carry out from here one night and it was surprisingly good. The actual restaurant looked a little questionable and when the boys saw the room air conditioner unit being held up by cement blocks they could not stop laughing about it. My son quickly added that they really needed 8 1/2 blocks.

Next up, the knitting and maybe a little Packers. You'll see.

best, susie

p.s. I have to tell you something funny real quickly. When I got back home my neighbor brought over a package they picked up for us. It was addressed to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I couldn't figure out what happened for awhile. I thought it was from Stephanie or maybe a new book from Stephanie but then inside it was a new book by Rachael Herron (which I am very excited about!). Then I realized it was a complimentary copy of Rachael's book sent from Chronicle Books to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee but with MY mailing address under her name. Isn't that the funniest thing? I don't even know how Chronicle got my address because I have never been in touch with them. I would love to keep my copy and review the book for Rachael. I should let Chronicle or Stephanie know about the mix up, I guess. Anyway, I thought you'd get a kick out of that.

Nooks and Crannies

Hi Knitters,

Well, we are back from a spur-of-the-moment trip up north to the always breathtaking Door County, Wisconsin. At the last minute my boys got off of their work duties at our pool and my husband found one of our favorite vacation homes open for the week. We scrambled our belongings together, shoved everything in our trusty van and headed north.

TC likes to write in the guest books left in the places we stay. We read her note from a couple of years ago and above is what she wrote this time. I love the innocence of her writing.
So the road led us once again to the fantastic Eco House, the same house I wrote about here awhile back. There were a few changes but not many. One of the main changes is that the prairie grass had been pulled from the front of the lot and has been replaced by a butterfly garden. The plants are all there to attract various species of butterflies and we saw a lot of them. TC loved the milkweed which of course was covered with the stripey caterpillars that will eventually become Monarch butterflies. We have two of them at home with us now and one is already turning into a chrysalis. She is very excited about it. TC will release the butterflies as soon as they hatch.

The best part of this house is that it is completely modern and designed to be sleek but it includes more nooks and crannies and comfy spots than you can use. Everywhere you turn there is some splash of color or texture or a pillow and a soft bench. It thrills me for whatever reason. I love the colors on the walls, the architecture, the beams, the kitchen, the red, the subtle green, the neutrals, the earthy counter tops, the lamps, the artwork, the lighting, the minimalistic modern lines paired with the chunky furniture... it keeps you looking and discovering the entire time.

I know I wrote about this house before but there is enough material in this setting to write a lot more. I tried to take photos from different angles (but they do overlap quite a bit). Here are my thoughts for this trip in a nutshell.
The long expanse of the main room is broken up so keenly with furniture placement that creates a separateness of space out of one huge room.
Private spots are thrown into the openness in the most clever and inviting ways. You can't help but to sit and be quiet.
This telescope had everyone looking especially when some of us were at the beach or when a boat drifted by.
I adore these closet doors in the master bedroom with their slick gliding tracks. I have closet envy here for sure. You wouldn't believe how smooth these doors are.
Secret balconies and front porches were popular reading spots.
This nook is off the front entry way and it is the most inviting way to enter a house.
The loft bedroom windows proved to be entertaining once again, very Laugh-In style even though my kids don't even know what Laugh-In is. There is a wood burning stove with the longest exposed chimney I have seen.
Each rug is perfect in texture, size, color and print.
We were greeted with bundles of wood we used to make bonfires on the empty beach in front of our house. The nightly fires were magical.
In the early morning hours I knitted and watched the Cranford series (recommended by Paula of The Knitting Pipeline). I loved it so much that I was sad when it was over. There was no internet, three TV channels and no cell phone reception. Perfection. Everyone read and read and read books. Books were finished and started. I read The Help (on my Kindle) and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (hardback book).

By the way, the ladies in Cranford wore the cutest little knit shawls and fingerless mitts. I recommend this BBC series to the fullest.
I completed some socks that I'll share later and I am now on the sixth section of my Citron Shawl that I started way last summer, of 2010 that is. I am adding a couple of sections to make it a little bigger than the pattern calls for. I am making it out of Malabrigo Lace in the Sealing Wax colorway. This is my first project in lace weight and I am not really won over by it so far. I have a feeling though that once I block it and wear it I will be completely won over by lace weight. The jury is still out.
The kitchen counter top in this chunky dark finished cement is really one of my favorite things. I love cement for some reason and these counter tops drive me crazy with their coolness. The zucchini is from our garden at home. We are quite proud of our meager garden harvest so far.
The back splash is another feature that I can't get enough of. In fact, we were remodeling our kitchen when we came to the Eco House last time and I almost put this stone black splash in my own kitchen. In the end I didn't because I wasn't sure it fit in with our house but at the Eco House it is the best. I even like the green salt and pepper grinders.
This cranny looks out into the woods that surrounds the house in the back.
The handcrafted bird mirror is in the powder room off of the kitchen. I would have liked to take this mirror home with me. I keep looking for an identifying something or other on it so I can get one, too, but I can't find anything.

I love the wall color, such a deep rich red.
Of course, the most enviable room for me is the gigantic laundry room with more concrete counter tops, new front loaders, room to fold and hang things up.... room to breathe. One day I will have a decent laundry room. I probably won't get one until all of my kids are grown and gone and then I will wonder why I ever wanted such an extravagance. For now I just dream.
Darts were thrown and cheers were cheered on a daily basis.
I love this huge chunky coffee table, the oversized couches where many a nap was had, the two swiveling red chairs, and the striped rug against the cool tile floor.
The upstairs melts into the downstairs because the open windows keep everything as one space.
The dining table was filled with games, books, people, good homemade food (we cooked some fabulously yummy meals together) and storytelling. The geometric rug trimmed with the green border is thoughtful and excellent. It's all just so good together.
The master bedroom is spacious and clean. The chaise lounge is one of my favorite spots. The view is so inviting and I love the candle filled fireplace (never used but pretty to look at).
Yahtzee was the game of the trip. So many rounds of Yahtzee were played with different groups and even individually. It became such a contest between everyone. Occasionally poor sportsmanship was displayed and quitting occurred which evoked much deserved harassment and laughing. Who knew Yahtzee could be so much fun?

I am dividing my vacation journey into three sections. Today is the inside, the next will be the out-of-doors and then will come the knitting! I discovered the cutest knit shop in Sturgeon Bay that I can't wait to share with you. TC and I hung out there quite a bit.

I missed you all. What did you do last week?

Until next time....

best, susie

The Creative Connection

Hi Knitters,

Thank you for all of the warm wishes and positive thoughts. You are a good, supportive and kind bunch.

I am very excited and honored to be included with a fantastic group of teachers for the upcoming Creative Connection Event in St. Paul. The event takes place from September 15th to 17th and Vogue Knitting is sponsoring one day at the event.

Click here to go to The Creative Connection website to see all of the classes and speakers!

To specifically see the line-up for the Vogue Knitting day click here! You'll find Shannon Oakey, Drew Emborsky, Kristin Nicholas, Trisha Malcolm, Iris Schreier, Gale Zucker, Annie Modesitt, Amy Detjen, Chris Bylsma, Melanie Falick, Carol Sulcoski, Rosemary Drysdale, Josh Bennett, and more...

I am teaching a Toy Knitting Workshop. We are making the mouse from Spud & Chloë at the Farm and learning and refining a ton of toy knitting techniques along the way.

Click here to see the specifics and to register for my workshops on Friday, September 16th!

I am speaking as part of a panel on Thursday, September 15th afternoon as well. I can't find that on the site but I will share more on this later.

Here is the schedule for the two workshops I am teaching:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

TEACHER: Susan B. Anderson

TIME: 8:00 am - 11:00 am

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

TEACHER: Susan B. Anderson

TIME: 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm

During the class I will be conducting loads of small group demonstrations on specific toy-making techniques. It is a fun, happy and active class! You will walk out with a finished knit mouse and a lot of new tricks and tips up your sleeve for toy knitting.

Also, I am happy to sign any of your Itty-Bitty books and Spud & Chloë at the Farm books so be sure to bring them along.
As always, my generous company, Spud & Chloë/Blue Sky Alpacas, is providing every student with some wonderful gifts just for coming to the class. They never disappoint and make the class really special with their generosity.

I always throw in some fun giveaways, too. The gifts and the giveaways add so much excitement to the class. I love it.

Please let me know if you are coming to join me. I added The Creative Connection Event link to the top of the sidebar so you can easily visit the site anytime.

best, susie

Weekend Knitting

Hi Knitters,

I have a winner for the Knit Noro book, Megan or Sugarlaneknits on Ravelry! Congratulations to Megan and thank you to everyone for entering. I already have another book picked out for the next giveaway so be sure to try your luck next time.

It has been a long week around here. My dearest, sweetest friend lost her long and hard battle with cancer this week.

I miss her already.

Knitting will help carry me through and occupy my mind just as it always has in the past during difficult times.

I'll share more specifics about my weekend knitting in the photos when I get back on my feet. Today I have had the wind knocked right out of me.

best, susie

Noro for-o Milestone

Edited to Add on July 22nd 2011: The giveaway for Knit Noro is now closed. No more entries are being taken. Thanks to all who entered.

Hi Knitters,

The heat has been overwhelming in our neck of the woods the past few days. It's more of the humidity combined with the heat that is so suffocating. Last night our neighborhood pool had its water ballet show and it went fine but I have to admit it was hard to sit outside for hours in that sauna. It's the type of weather where you start to sweat the minute you walk out the door and it never stops. Tomorrow is supposed to be the worst of it with the heat index at around 115 degrees and record setting humidity. I am always interested in the weather because we have such extremes in Wisconsin. It keeps you on your toes.

Now that the water ballet show, which all four of my kids were involved in, is over I am moving on to the All-City Swim Meet that our pool is hosting in a little over a week. It is going to be a very intense couple of weeks and our family's workload has already been and is going to be incredible. The meet involves a dozen area pools and thousands of swimmers and families. It is immense. Wish us luck. It is all good fun.

Now for the business of the day. If you are wondering what the milestone is that I referred to in the title of this post, I am talking about the fact that this is my 700th post! That's a lot of writing and photos and knitting adventures and life lived in one spot. I am celebrating post number 700 with a fantastic book giveaway.

Knit Noro is a new book by Sixth & Spring Books and it is a major winner. It is a compilation pattern book with a talented gathering of designers using the most beautiful Noro yarns. Really, I can't say enough good things about Knit Noro.

Check out all 30 patterns on Ravelry by clicking here!

Check out Knit Noro on Amazon by clicking here!

I have been a longtime fan of Noro yarns. I love the stripes, bright and subdued colors combined in unusual ways, the rustic quality of their yarns and pretty much everything about it. I hear people say they occasionally have to pick a twig out of their yarn while they are knitting and they don't like it. I love that. I love a rustic and colorful yarn. Yum.

The photography in the book is spectacular and features each design clearly. There are gloves, scarves, shawls, sweaters, vests, tunics, colorwork, hats, blankets... etc. There are large, medium and small projects. It is a feast of Noro goodness. I long to make the majority of the projects in this book and I will definitely do some of the smaller projects very soon like the scarves and hats. I am planning on a vest and cardigan as well.
I love this reversible cable scarf in Taiyo.
I think this cardigan is adorable and I think it would be incredibly quick to work up. It looks comfortable, stylish and you could wear it with just about anything.
I have a ball of Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn just waiting to become these. I love the lacy pattern with the gradual striping. It's so good.
What a stunning blanket. I mean... nothing more needs to be said about the combination of the yarn and pattern. It is perfection. Wouldn't you love to have this in your house? I would.
This shawl is made by alternating two different colorways of Noro Kureyon. I have so many single balls of different colorways of the Kureyon that I am definitely making this one. It could be a good gift, too. You need 6 balls total. I easily have that for sure.
It's all just so pretty and unique and lovely. The vests are wonderful in here.
I also think doing colorwork in the striping yarn is fantastic. You get such a great effect with less effort. Who doesn't want that?
I wouldn't wear the belt but I would wear this long vest with everything I own. The pockets are an added benefit. I could use a garment like this in my wardrobe. I don't have anything like it.

There really are so many more lovely, practical, wearable, fun and stylish projects in this book. I highly recommend this one. If you love Noro there is no doubt that you will love this book!

If you would like a copy for your home knitting library leave a comment on this blog post. Please leave only one comment. Don't forget to leave your email or your Ravelry ID so I can get in touch if you win. I will be back to randomly select a winner in a couple of days. Good luck if you enter.

Here's to 700 more blog posts, Knitters. Thank you for the support, love and fun we have shared along the way.

Cheers!

best, susie