Quaker Ridge Shawlette Pattern Now Available

Hi Knitters,
The Quaker Ridge Shawlette pattern is now available for purchase at a discounted price in my Ravelry Pattern Shop. Please note that this pattern is also available to non-members of Ravelry and to approved Ravelry Local Yarn Shops for wholesale.

Click here to see more and/or to purchase the pattern for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette!

The price is now $4.00 per pattern from now until Sept. 9th, 2012. Starting Sept. 10th, 2012, the price will go up to $5.00.

The official Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong sign-up and thread is now open on the Itty-Bitty Knits group. Sign-ups will close on Sept. 8th at 12 midnight, Central Time.

Click here to sign-up for the knitalong and/or to see the information and thread!

The Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong will run from Sunday, Sept. 9th, 2012 through Sunday, Oct. 21st, 2012.

For those who finish a shawlette, and post a photo by Oct. 21st, you will be automatically entered in the drawings to win some fantastic giveaway prizes!

More information will be coming soon but for now you can purchase the pattern and start gathering your materials.

By the way, I want to include everyone who wants to participate so although it is best to be a member of Ravelry and join in on the knitalong thread, if you don't belong to Ravelry and want to join, please let me know.

Let the sign-ups begin!
best, susie

Weekly Hodge Podge

Hi Knitters,
Here's a taste of what is happening over at my house....

I am working on the pattern for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette. It should be ready very soon and I'll keep you posted. (Here is the rav link for the shawl.) This morning though, I did do some knitting. I finished the sleeves and button bands for this new top-down seamless baby hoodie design. I have two adorable buttons at the ready as soon as the wool dries. The yarn is the beautiful and yummy Quince & Co. in Lark. Check it out right here!

This is another sample for my Vogue Knitting Live class this Oct. 28th from 2-5pm in Chicago. I have about 7 different options for the basic baby cardigan so far to choose from for the students taking the class. It should be pretty fun. I hope to see you there! I heard from the event coordinator at Vogue that this class is almost sold out now, too.

All of these these new baby patterns will be published and made available at a later date for purchase.

I have started winding the small amounts of handspun yarn leftover from knit projects into tiny balls leaving enough at the end to make a loop and tie a knot. They are like little ornaments. I don't know why but they look larger in the photo than in person. The biggest one is about an inch big.

TC brought home a puppy that belongs to some kids she babysits. The kids came over with her, too, and they played outside for a long time. The puppy is so cute, obviously. TC just loved him. His name is Bucky. I guess the kids named him.

 I am spinning up this gorgeous roving from Sunshine Yarns called Desert Cactus. 

I pre-drafted and wound it into these fluffy roving balls just waiting to be spun. I can't wait to finish this up to see the final outcome but it is taking long because I have 8oz. and it is going to be a three-ply yarn in the end. I'll share when it is finished.

I finally started Laura Linneman's My Hope shawl in Cakewalk Yarns sock yarn in the Smirk colorway. Oh, that yarn is good. It is gray with speckles of beautiful colors thrown in. I love both the yarn and pattern so much. This is a perfect match.

For some reason I am getting bunches of new sign-ups in my Craftsy Wee Ones Seamless Knit Toys online class. I mean hundreds and hundreds of new students over the past week. I am not sure why, but I am certainly happy to see everyone over on Craftsy. I still check in at least several times a week to answer questions and to see new finished projects.  

Anyway, if you are one of the new students, thank you for joining me on Craftsy! The elephant above is included in the class along with the patterns for a hippo and bunny. All three toys are knit from the top-down and are seamless, including the top-down sweater. The class is jam-packed with fun toy knitting techniques and tips. You learn a lot while making some cute little Wee Ones knit toys.

Click here to see information about my online classes for Craftsy.com!

Click here to find out about the individual pattern for the Wee Ones toys!

Click here to see my other Craftsy class, the Not So Itty-Bitty Giraffe class!

So that's what has been happening around here. What's going on at your house this week? I'd love to hear about it. I have two or three reviews and giveaways coming right up so keep your eyes out if interested.

best, susie

Quaker Ridge Shawlette Coming Soon!

Hi Knitters,
Well, I never expected the reaction to the teaser for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette. The pattern preview shot to the number one spot on the Hot Right Now Top 20 Patterns on Ravelry! That's so much fun and it has spurred me on to get that pattern written and released quickly and to pick a date for the upcoming knitalong. Thank you for the interest in the pattern.

Today, I am sharing the needed materials for the shawl and the knitalong starting and ending dates. The pattern will be released within the next week or so. It will be available for purchase on my Ravelry Pattern Shop at a reduced price up to the starting date of the knitalong. At that time the pattern will still be available for purchase but the price will go up slightly.

I will announce the start and finish dates and have updates for the knitalong on this blog and I will also start a thread on my Itty-Bitty Knits Ravelry group as soon as the pattern is up for purchase. Please hop over to Ravelry and join the group if you haven't already done so, we'd love to welcome you over there. It is a really fun, helpful and talented group of knitters. I will gather prizes for giveaways for the knitters who complete their shawls in the allotted time for the knitalong.

Click here for the Itty-Bitty Knits group on Ravelry and please join if interested!

I will start the thread on the forum group for the shawlette knitalong as soon as the pattern is released for purchase. You can officially sign up for the knitalong as soon as the thread is open in Itty-Bitty Knits which will be in the next week or so. I will announce all of this information here on the blog.

Click here for the Ravelry project page for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette and please favorite or queue up if interested!

Starting date for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong: Sunday, Sept. 9th, 2012
Ending date for the knitalong: Sunday, Oct. 21st, 2012

Of course, if you'd like to knit the shawl and not join the knitalong, that's just fine, too. You can work in your own time frame. My blog will go on as usual covering all sorts of knitting fun during the knitalong which will mostly be held on the forum thread.

If you would like to join in the knitalong, now is the time to start gathering your materials.

(The photo above shows my favorite way to wear this shawl - so chic and warm!)

Pattern information for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette:

Shape: Semi-circle with a straight-edge at the top, worked from the top-edge down

Finished measurements after blocking: 70-inch wingspan, 22-inches deep (including the 1.5-inch optional ruffle)

Difficulty: Easy! Beginners welcome! Both experienced shawl knitters and first-timers will enjoy this straightforward design.

Skills needed: I'll help with all of this along the way once we get started.

Cast on

Knit

Purl

make 1 right (m1R)

make 1 left (m1L)

knit 2 stitches together through the back loops (k2togtbl)

Bind off

Placing beads

Yarn: 2 skeins (360 yards per hank) of Madelinetosh Pashmina, 720 yards,  (I used approximately 570 yards total, with about 150 yards leftover in the second skein of Pashmina.)

Yarn Note: Any sport weight yarn will work great for this shawl. The shawl is easily modified to make smaller or larger because you aren't tied to a certain number of stitches at any time during the knitting of the shawl. It could easily be any size you'd like.
If you use a different sport weight yarn or a different weight yarn the yardage requirements will vary.

Gauge: 5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch (unblocked)

Please note: Gauge for this shawl does not have to be exact, however, if your gauge differs from 5 stitches per inch you will have different yardage requirements. 

Needles: US size 7, 32-inch circular needles or size to obtain gauge

4 stitch markers needed

Optional beads: 2 tubes of size 6 glass beads.

Please note: This size bead worked fine but some - not all - of the beads were too tight to get onto the yarn with the flosser. If you'd prefer a slightly larger size bead that would work fine, too. I am happy with the size 6 beads, but definitely try the beads out beforehand if at all possible. You want to make sure you can get the beads over the flosser and onto the stitch/yarn fairly easily. You could also use a crochet hook method for applying the beads but I found the flosser method worked better for me. 

Click here for Laura Nelkin's excellent tutorial on the Superfloss and crochet hook bead placement technique. 

Click here for The Knit Girlls' fantastic tutorial on bead placement with Superfloss.

Note: I bought the 2 tubes of beads at JoAnn's. The color I used is called Emerald Mix. 

If you are not interested in the beads you'll just do a regular old bind off and be done! It will every bit as pretty without the beads.

Ruffle option: The pattern includes an optional ruffle. If you are short on yardage you could leave the ruffle off or make it a few rows shorter.

If you choose to do the beads and the full ruffle, you will end up with 492 stitches and will need that same number of beads. If you choose not to do the ruffle but would like the beaded edge, you will end up with 246 stitches and will need that same number of beads.  It's up to you!

Here are some more photos of TC wearing the Quaker Ridge Shawlette. She is as tall as me now if not a little taller!

Here's to hoping that you are having a beautiful August Sunday. Lots more to come on the Quaker Ridge Shawlette and again, thank you for the overwhelming support.

You are all the best!
best, susie

This Week So Far

Hi Knitters,
This week has been a productive one. I finished editing book proofs yesterday which took hours on the phone with my trusty editor. With that off of my plate for a couple of weeks (the book pages will return to me again one more time for further work) I worked on a few projects needing to get finished.

Many months have passed since I started my first shawl design. I set it aside to work on more pressing projects. Last weekend I picked it up again to work on in the car as we drove to Chicago for a day of fun. I am calling this shawl the Quaker Ridge Shawlette due to the stitch pattern inspired by Barbara Walker's Quaker Ridging stitch pattern in a Treasury of Stitch Patterns.

This is honestly a super easy shawl and is perfect for first-timers or someone wanting a simple, generous shawl to work on. I absolutely am in love with this semi-circular shawl. The shawl is clean-lined and the perfect way to show off some gorgeous yarn in a clear and easy way.

Click here for the Ravelry project page for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette!

When we got home all I had left to do was add a ruffle and complete a beaded bind off which was no small feat. The ruffle and beaded bind off are completely optional. You could just do a few rows of garter stitch and bind off. This would look great, too.

It took many hours of ruffle knitting and bead placing, but I finally finished binding off and I even blocked the shawl yesterday. Voila! The finished Quaker Ridge Shawlette has now been wrapped around my shoulders early this morning.

Here you can see the beaded bind off close up. I used a flosser to place the beads. Click here for a great tutorial on how to place beads with a flosser.

Anyway, I am in love with my new shawl. It is so beautiful and drapey. The beads add so much. The pattern is coming soon. Plus, I am going to have a knitalong for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette early this fall. More details will be coming up!

The pattern calls for a sport weight yarn. I used 2 hanks of Madelinetosh Pashmina, which is 720 yards. I had 47 grams leftover at the end. The colorway is Forestry which is rich and gorgeous. I knit on US size 7 needles, 32-inch circular, at 5 stitches per inch in stockinette before blocking. The blocked shawl is about 70 inches across the top edge and about 22 inches deep including the ruffle. It is a semi-circle shape.

Let me know if you are interested in the pattern and/or the Quaker Ridge Shawlette knitalong!

Click here to see Pashmina!

This cardigan is my Ravellenic project so I am glad I finished it in time. It is a sample for my Vogue Knitting Live class coming up in Chicago on Oct. 28th. I just checked in with Vogue and my toy class is sold out and this baby cardigan class is almost sold out! Click here to find out more about signing up for the class and other classes.

I've already cast on another baby cardigan for the class in a heathered gray color that will have a hood, plus a different edging and closure. I have some yellow buttons that I may use for this gray hoodie.

I am using Quince & Co. Lark, which is a wool worsted weight, for all of these cardigans. I am in love with this yarn and company. Click here for Quince & Co. All of these patterns I am working on will be available to everyone in the future, not just students in the VK Live class.

I dug through my buttons to see if anything would work on the tiny striped cardigan but I am not seeing anything that clicks. I need 6 tiny buttons for this one. I may have to search for some new buttons somewhere.

I have just a few spinning photos to finish out the day. I have this hank of 270 yards of a bulky weight merino in the photo above. This is a very playful hank that I finished awhile ago. I can't remember  where the fiber is from. I started a scarf with it but then ripped it out. It wasn't quite right and now I am not sure what this will become.

I am also working on spinning up singles to make a 3-ply out of 8oz. of Sunshine Yarns superwash merino roving in the Desert Cactus colorway. It is very pretty with lots of shades of gray and purple and even splashes of rust and green here and there. It's really interesting because it looks so different in the braid compared to the singles on the bobbin. That makes it fun to spin. I have the roving divided into thirds and I am on the second bobbin now. I am trying to spin very thin since it will be a 3-ply in the end. We'll see what happens.

I'll leave you with a photo of TC and me in Chicago. We had lunch at an outdoor cafe, shopped and walked around the city. It was a fun-filled, and hot sunny day in the windy city.

Well, those are some of my happenings this week. Have you gotten any knitting or spinning done this week?
best, susie

Handspun Yarn Story

Hi Knitters,
The winner of the copy of Wearwithall is Carmen (cnuland - rav id). Congratulations! Thank you to everyone who entered. I have a really fun giveaway coming up that includes some gorgeous yarn. Look for that in the near future.

Today I want to share a handspun yarn story through photos. The process of spinning yarn has become a real passion of mine. I love every step along the way. The roving in the photo above is from Cloudlover (click here for the site) in the Green River colorway.

In the end I got 298 yards of about a dk weight yarn. I am thinking about making a version of this shawl with it even though I am short on the yardage. I will just make it a little smaller to compensate.

best, susie

Wearwithall Giveaway!

Hi Knitters,
The authors of this fine book asked if I would like a review copy and I jumped at the chance. I had read Kristin Nicholas' review and interview with Theresa Gaffey, one of the authors, and thought the book looked like something I would sincerely love to own.

Please go read Kristin's excellent interview with Theresa by clicking right here!

The book is authored by the combined talents of five designers from Minnesota, Mary Lou Egan, Theresa Gaffey, Scott Rohr, Shelly Sheehan, and Sarah K. Walker. All have vast experience in the fiber world and have strong connections to the Yarnery in St. Paul. I was at this yarn shop on a book tour stop in 2007 for Itty-Bitty Nursery and it is fantastic. The book is also printed in Minnesota. I love the local feel of the book.

Whenever I get a book I am always anxious to open up the cover and read the introduction. I want to find out the intentions of the author for the book. Wearwithall is for all levels of knitters from beginner to experienced. There are beautiful basic patterns that can be knit several ways, which the designer walks you through. There are a variety of projects including scarves, wraps, mittens, blankets, baby-wear, a couple of truly wearable men's items, hats, and a woman's cardigan. The main goal on these pages is to be able to use this one book to create a collection of knits to suit just about anyone you can think of. It will be a book that you will come back to again and again altering the knits to suit your needs and style.

Please click here to see all 13 patterns in one place!

Please click here to go to the Wearwithall site where you can buy the book and all of the yarn for the projects!

The photographs are by one of my favorites in the fiber world, Gale Zucker. I absolutely have loved her work for years and years. She is such a talent.

Here are a few of the projects:

(photo by Gale Zucker from Wearwithall)

I love this sweater/tunic project but I especially love baby legs in stripey tights. What a great photo.

(photo by Gale Zucker from Wearwithall)

I think this stole is the most popular project in the book according to Ravelry. I love this and would knit it in a heartbeat because I would wear and use it all of the time. Remember that you can get all of the yarn from the Yarnery for the projects in the book.

(photo by Gale Zucker from Wearwithall)

This is such a cute garter stitch cardigan. What a perfect, simple project. I can never get enough of a baby in garter stitch with stripes.

(photo by Gale Zucker from Wearwithall)

A woman's cardigan in Rowan Kidsilk Haze is another perfect option. There are also other yarn options for this project and for all of the projects in the book which is always helpful.

(photo by Gale Zucker from Wearwithall)

These socks are perhaps my favorite project in the book. They are made out of Cascade 220 which would make them a very fast knit, but also the colors are gorgeous. I think I will have to knit these at some point soon. The book also shows a photo with the socks knit in the dark gray with the light gray accents.

(photo by Gale Zucker from Wearwithall)

And of course, being from Minnesota you always need a pair of mittens or two. These wonderful colorwork mittens are also shown in a solid version and with different cuff details. Modifications for all of the patterns are explored in detail.

I guess my summary of this book is that it is a very thoughtfully compiled group of patterns that any knitter would benefit from owning. The book is carefully thought out and stylish and beautiful. I want to knit up several of the projects right away and there are many gift items that would be perfect as well. Every single pattern is a winner. I know that you will all love Wearwithall.  You can feel the experience of the authors exuding from the pages. I like that.

If you would like to win a copy of Wearwithall, Knits for Your Life, please leave one comment on this blog post. Please leave your email or rav id so I can get in touch with you to get your mailing address if you win.

I'll be back in a couple of days to randomly select a winner. Good luck and let the comments begin!
best, susie

Progress Inside and Out

Hi Knitters,

Progress is being made on the second baby cardigan for the Vogue Knitting Live Class I am teaching on October 28th in Chicago. I am using these tiny cardigans as my class samples and also for my project for the Itty-Bitty Knits Ravellenic Team for my Ravelry Group. The green stripes are fresh and fun. This little version is going to have short sleeves  and maybe a hood or a matching hat. This class is all about options and making the cardigan you want.

Click here to see the classes at VK Live in Chicago! 

Click here for the Itty-Bitty Knits Ravelry group!

We are loving our garden this summer. Everyday we are bringing in fresh vegetables that quickly vanish. Cucumbers are winning the production rate so far this summer. I can't believe how fast cucumbers grow. When we bring them inside, they get sliced up and thrown in salads or dipped in Trader Joe's Cilantro Dressing (click here for the link to this dressing) for a speedy snack. This dressing is delicious and by far my favorite. I like it on everything.

The kids started snacking like crazy on peppers last spring and haven't quit. They love them. I was even slicing them up and putting them in baggies to bring to school for a snack. We have been buying large numbers of red, green and yellow peppers. We'll see if that continues this school year. I love them, too, they are so crunchy.

One of my favorite things in the summer is to slice up a garden tomato and sprinkle it with a little bit of sea salt and ground pepper. That's it. It's the best snack around. Our tomato plants are bursting with tomatoes this summer. I am so excited for them to all start turning red. I check a couple times a day and usually come in with a handful or two.

I have had two huge zucchinis a couple of weeks ago but the plants haven't produced any more yet. In case I get asked, the chicken platter was a gift from my sister a few years back and it is in constant use. I just leave it out on the kitchen counter and something always ends up on it.

Yesterday I cooked up some corn on the cob. I cut the corn off and made this yummy salad, Corn and Blueberry Salad, click here for the recipe link. It seems like a strange combination but it is fantastic. I think the texture of the blueberries and the corn together really works well. And throw in that lime juice? It's incredibly fresh tasting. I used a cucumber from our garden in here, too. It was so delicious. This is a summery salad and the kids loved it. I am going to make it again very soon.

How are your gardens growing this summer and what are your favorite summer recipes? I'd love to hear.

I'll be back soon with a giveaway and review!
best, susie

A Monkey, Clouds and Cake

Hi Knitters,
As the days speed by and blur by in some cases, I still manage to get some personal knitting and spinning done although it seems less lately. I finished up two single socks this past weekend. On the right is my first Monkey Sock by Cookie A, a free pattern from Knitty.com. I love it and can't wait to cast on for my second sock. On the right is the handspun Dyeabolical yarn. It is so well suited for socks.

For the Monkey Socks, I knit on US size 1 dpns and the yarn is Kristin Nicholas' (click here for her blog) Garden Effects by Regia in the Holiday #3306 colorway (click here for the yarn).

I used my regular old heel flap and gusset, not the one in the pattern. I did do the twisted rib stitch suggested in the pattern. It is a k1, p1 rib where you do the knit stitch through the back loop. I think I like a regular rib, like a k2, p2, better. You never know unless you try.

Great pattern, fun and easy lace chart, and perfect yarn for the Monkey Socks.

For my Dyeabolical handspun (click here for the site), I worked on US size 1 dpns and I used my free sock pattern, How I make my socks (click here for the pattern).  I love the new handspun sock dearly, can't wait to start the second. This will be my third pair of handspun socks since I started spinning almost a couple of years ago. That's pretty good.

I can't believe the amount of yarn I still have left. I have already knit a shawl and a sock from this hank of handspun. I will still have a ton left when the second sock is done.

I am using my Signature Needle Arts dpns with the stiletto points in US size 1 (click here for the site).

The cake of yarn is sitting on a Yarn Buddy by Sun Valley Fibers (click here for the site). I love having this yarn buddy.

I started a mitten with the Themyscira handspun. It's funny because when I say the weight of the yarn I spin I am totally and completely guessing. I actually have no idea and I don't take any steps to measure and figure out the actual weight. I thought this skein was a bulky weight, measured through my studious eyes. However, when I started knitting I quickly realized it is a worsted weight and I had to rip out the cuff I had started. Then I moved down to a US size 7 needle. I had to rip out the cuff again because the gauge was still too loose.

Now I have found the perfect fit. I am using my Signature dpns, US size 6, to get a nice bouncy fabric that will keep my mitts warm this winter. These are going to be really cute mittens and I am writing up a brand new pattern from scratch for them. I will share the pattern at some point with you when I am done. I am using a measuring tape and using that good ol' calculator and pencil and paper to get it just right. The good thing is that they will be written for a worsted weight yarn and not necessarily for a handspun. You could use any worsted weight wool in your stash for these.

I don't mind at all not knowing the exact weight or gauge of my handspun. It's all part of the fun trying to figure it out. The spinning is a side note to my knitting that I don't have to take seriously at all and I want to keep it that way. It's just free and easy!

This is the next up roving now on my Ladybug wheel. It is lovely. The color is Green River, perfection, and it is 4 oz. of Polwarth from Cloudlover Yarn and Fiber (click here for the site). This site has some irresistible yarn and fiber if you are interested. I have used roving from this shop before and it is wonderful.

The first 2 oz. is done and I think it is really beautiful so far. This one I am doing pretty thin and it will be a 2-ply when I am done.

I finished the Cakewalk Yarns socks in Cherry Blossom (click here for Rose's Etsy Shop). The pattern again is from my free sock pattern (click right here).

I love the speckled yarn and the sweet color so much. Cherry Blossom is a hit all around.

The yarn is a light fingering weight and the socks feel like air. I can't wait to put them to use this fall and winter. Now I will be casting on my next pair of Cakewalk socks..... what to choose, Sudden Valley or Hero Squad?

I'll be back soon with more.
best, susie
p.s. I think I might have to get these clogs. What do you think?