Dark and Stormy

Hi, Knitters,

Yesterday's late afternoon hike was the most enchanting fall experience. The day was dark and stormy. There was lightning and constant rain. The air was wet and heavy all day. 

After the storms cleared away.... this is what was left.

The dark spots on the path above are six gigantic wild turkeys.

All of this breathtaking fall beauty inspired me to start spinning this.....

Shetland Wool. Dyeabolical Yarns.

It's a very rustic wool that is going to be an autumnal bulky weight marled yarn.

In the meantime I am working away on my VK Live classes for Chicago on Oct. 28th. The preparation is going very well and I am anxious to get down to Chicago. 

The other bit of news is that the Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong is officially over. I will be posting the fantastic prize drawings with the selected winners by the end of the week. I need to gather a few more photos of the prizes from the generous donors before I can do this.

Have a great fall-inspired week. I'll be back very soon.

best, susie

Bunny Love

(photo provided by angie)

Hi, Knitters,

I love my job. I love my job for so many reasons and one of them is that every single day I get emails from knitters all over the world. I never know what is going to pop up in my inbox. I get photos and stories and questions. I love it that people want to share their knitting and stories with me. That is the reason I knit, write and share with you, because it is incredibly rewarding when I get an email like the one that came from Angie the other day. 

With Angie's permission, here is sweet little Rachel's story, and I have a question for all of you at the end: 

Hi Susan,

I am a knitter from (deleted for privacy) - my friend recently gave me a bag of wool from her sheep Little Nut. How  in the world do I clean the wool? It has some unmentionables on it from Little Nut along with small pieces of hay. Thank you for any and all advice! I have your book Itty Bitty Toys  and love it! The picture I attached is of my daughter Rachel and her bunny. She was 3 lbs 11 oz at birth and the bunny kept her company in the NICU at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. She is now 14 months and I am looking forward to making her the puppy from your book. I am waiting to add the facial features to the bunny once she is old enough to tell me if it is a boy or girl bunny.

Thank you,

Angie 

Hi, Angie,

Okay, 2 things:
1. That is the sweetest photo I have ever seen. Can I put that on my blog and tell your story? I love it so much. If not, no problem and I totally understand.
2. Is the wool roving or fleece or is it spun up into yarn that needs to be cleaned?
And one more: 3. I love the name LIttle Nut. At first I thought you were talking about the baby's nickname when I glanced at your email. :)
best, susan

Hi, Susan,

The wool has been untouched since being sheared off of Little Nut- I apologize for not knowing if it is roving or fleece. My friend has bags of it in her barn and does not knit or spin.

Rachel and I would be honored if you used her picture with her bunny and story. Rachel has a remarkable story herself- she has spina bifida and had her spine surgically repaired at 23 weeks of pregnancy at Vanderbilt University Hospital. I knitted the bunny while I was on bed rest until my water broke at 32 weeks 5 days. The bunny stayed with Rachel in the NICU and now  happily lives  in Rachel's room.

Angie

It's me again. I can just see Angie knitting away on the bunny while on bed rest and how it helped to pass the time while she anxiously awaited the arrival of Rachel. I love how at a time when you feel helpless knitting can bring a bit of comfort, at least you are doing something for the person you love while waiting it out. I love how the bunny kept Rachel company in the NICU and now lives in Rachel's room. It is sweet that the bunny is waiting for a face until Rachel can help tell her mom how she would like it to be. That photo of the baby and bunny has quite a story behind it.

Rachel sounds like a miracle baby. I am so glad she is now 14 months old. Thank you, Angie, for sharing your story and knitting.  

Now for the wool from Little Nut (best name ever for a sheep), I don't know much at all about processing raw fleece. Do any of you have advice for Angie? She lives in Wisconsin but I don't think that matters too much if you send it away to be processed.... or maybe you have information on how to clean the wool yourself. Please leave a comment if you are able to help direct Angie.

I love my job. Thank you, Knitters.

best, susie

p.s. And because I know I'll get asked, click here for the bunny pattern information.

Up and Coming....

Hi, Knitters,
There is a lot of up and coming news to look forward to on my blog (check out my new banner - this is a completely natural shot, I didn't arrange the leaves at all), in the teaching/touring realm, with upcoming designs for my ravelry shop and with a new yarn company, with a new book and a pending book contract, and much more. There is a lot to be thankful for and excited about.  I really thought things might slow down a bit but it hasn't and may even be busier than ever. So today I just want to share a little bit of what's going on and a couple of other new things you might be interested in.

I am still doing some editing on my upcoming spring 2013 book. I can't believe it, but it's true. I honestly think this is my best book yet, everything about it excites me. Can't wait to share more details very soon... I have a phone call with my book publicist and editor scheduled for this Friday to start planning my upcoming book tour events for 2013. Let me know if you have any fantastic ideas or opportunities for our discussion.

Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago is literally right around the corner. I hope the attendance is beyond Vogue's expectations in Chicago because I want VKLive to come back to the Midwest again and again and again. I believe my classes are both sold out still but check if you are interested because you never know when someone needs to drop out at the last minute. Yesterday I finished the final little top-down baby cardigan for my class (photo above). Now I need to sit and write and edit patterns and polish up my handouts for the class. That's right, I am working right up to the last minute on this one as other deadlines have pushed things down to the wire. It is a new class for me so that makes it extra-fun and challenging.

I will be teaching this same class at some future venues so stay tuned for that. I just got a fun phone call yesterday about a potential Madison class in February 2013.

The tiny cherry buttons on the cardigan above are from a new favorite etsy shop, actually the same owner has two button shops. The buttons are all handmade and charming. I ordered a bunch and have more favorited on etsy for future baby projects. The button-maker extraordinaire corresponded with me to customize my order, which I didn't expect but enjoyed. Click here and here to see Ayarina's sweet button shops. One shop has fancier buttons and the other has simpler designs. You will love her work.

I keep hearing from people I have met before or who I know that are coming to both of my classes on Sunday, Oct. 28th in Chicago. That makes me smile and will make the classes even more fun. I always have some surprises up my sleeve for my classes so we'll see what I come up with this time. Can't wait!

I finished up the final String-a-long characters for my other VKLive class. We have frogs, monkeys and mice to choose from. If you are coming, bring colors in worsted weight yarn that will fit your animal of choice. Stripes and unusual colors are always welcome.

And just to throw in a little twist, I did this pint-size String-a-long Mouse in a sport weight (Quince & Co. Chickadee) on US size 3 needles. Instructions for this extra-tiny charmer with a loop on his tail for attaching to the bigger mice are included in the pattern.

All of the patterns for my VKLive classes will be available and published in the near future. I'll keep you posted.

Before I talk about what this handspun yarn has turned into, I want to mention two audio podcasts I have been enjoying. The first is 2 Knit Lit Chicks, a mother/daughter duo who knit like champs and read like crazy. First of all, I always love a mother/daughter chat. Tracie, the daughter, and Barb, the mother, have such a smart, sweet, and funny rapport. You can tell they get a kick out of each other and that is fun to hear. They knit and share about knitting but also I love their book choices and reviews. I long to have more time to read and this podcast lets me dream a little about the books I'd like to read. I highly recommend this podcast.

Click here for the 2 Knit Lit Chicks podcast site and blog!

Click here for the 2 Knit Lit Chicks Ravelry group! I'm a member.

Another brand new audio podcast that I love is TwinSet, recommended by Paula. This is an identical twin sister duo, Jan and Ellen. I have listened to the first two episodes and they are good! The banter is fun and funny. The content is smart, thoughtful, knitterly, organized and interesting. Both sisters are expert and experienced knitters and have diverse and interesting lives. All of this combined makes for a great show. One sister is in Minnesota and the other is in Pennsylvania. Anyway, they are off to a great start and I hope there will be lots more to come. Check this one out.

Click here for the TwinSet podcast site and blog!

Click here for the TwinSet Ravelry group! I'm a member.

Okay, on with the handspun in the photo above. I shared this Sunshine Yarns handspun a short while ago. I couldn't wait to knit it up into a shawl and here is a little preview:

I have the handspun version done and blocked. It is a beauty! My love for this shawl is over the top. The Quaker Ridge Shawlette is my first shawl design and this second shawl design has lots of new features, a garter tab start, new and simpler increases (I didn't realize how difficult the m1L/m1R increases are for some knitters), an airy stitch detail, and a swingy short ruffle with a delicate edging. It's so sweet looking now that it is dry and unpinned, better than I imagined. It is fun and easy to knit and in the end it is pretty adorable.

I am calling this one the Owen's Woods Shawlette. The pattern will be coming soon. It is a fingering weight shawlette. I am now knitting up another Owen's Woods Shawlette in some Brooklyn Tweed Loft (2 hanks, 550 yards, fingering weight) in the Long Johns colorway. I might add some beads to the bind off with this one. I'll keep you posted.

I am planning a mitten knitalong coming up in November. I have a new worsted weight mitten pattern coming out soon that will have several size options and a couple of variations. Mittens are winter knitting at its best.

Anyway, lots going on and lots to share coming in the near future. First things first though I have to get my classes all set and wrapped up because in less than two weeks I will be teaching at Vogue Knitting Live.

Let me know what your up and coming plans are for your knitting and otherwise. I'd love to hear about it.
best, susie
p.s. I am knitting these three shawls just for fun. Click here. Click here. Click here. Yarn and patterns for all three are in my hands now.

A Little Moonshine in the Morning

Hi, Knitters,

First of all, what a great and huge response to the books and yarn giveaway! Wow. I didn't imagine getting so many entries to win. That's just fun and amazing. The randomly selected winner is someone I actually know. Every rare once in awhile a friend wins one of my giveaways and I always enjoy that so much. The winner of the Color by Kristin yarn pack and all four of my books is the one and only Dianne of Sheep Dreams. (Click here to see Dianne's wonderful blog.) I know Dianne is a huge fan of Kristin's and she will love and enjoy the yarn. Congratulations to Dianne and thank you to everyone for entering.

Thank you to Kristin Nicholas and Classic Elite Yarns for the generous yarn pack for the winner! If you don't have Kristin's yarn, Color by Kristin, in your local yarn shop, please ask the shop owner about it. They may already carry Classic Elite and if the owner gets requests they may add Kristin's yarn line to their inventory. Word of mouth does wonders in the yarn industry. I love this yarn and hope it stays around for many years to come.

Now onto some yummy, squishy handspun yarn.....

Early in the morning to get my day going I sometimes sit and spin for a short bit. It is kind of like the calm before the storm of the day. I just finished up plying some gorgeous singles spun from roving by the Moonshine Fiber Company. I purchased this about a month or two ago.

Click here for the Moonshine Fiber Company Etsy shop!

Click here for the Moonshine Fiber Company website!

Click here to see a super funny blog post Moonshine did when I first posted about their fiber!

The yarn was spun from a black and gray roving and another brightly colored roving. Each colorway of the roving weighed in at 2.5 ounces for a total of 5 ounces. The roving was a combination of fibers including merino, colonial, alpaca, silk, sparkle threads and soy silk. They also threw in some slap bracelets, Ray Bans, and Jellies for a dash of 80s flair. The neon brights are very 80s. I love this silliness and it certainly made for a fun and interesting spin. 

My finished hank of yarn is a 2 ply heavy fingering weight (maybe sport weight) and measures in 462 yards. I'm not sure what I'll make with it yet. For now I am enjoying just squishing this big bouncy barber pole-y skein of goodness. The way the dark black and gray singles plied with the eye-searingly bright singles was inspiring. I knew the dark singles would tone down the brightness significantly. You can't really see the sparkle element in the yarn in the photos but it is there in person.

Basically, I love this cute little etsy shop, the fun women behind it and especially their enormous sense of humor about the entire thing! Don't miss Moonshine Fiber Company.

Here is how it all started (be sure to check out the adorable stamped brown paper bag they use for packaging - I love it:):

All of this came out of that tiny paper bag!

By the way, I crammed all 5 oz. of plied yarn on a 4 oz. bobbin. I kept squeezing it down so I could get more on. It was barely possible but in the end.... I won.

Alright dear Knitters, I will be back soon.

best, susie

The Classics by Woolly Wormhead

Hi, Knitters,
I didn't close out the Super Fall Birthday Giveaway yet so it is still going and keep right on entering! I'll pick a winner in a couple of days.

Note: All photos for this post are from the Classic Woolly Toppers book.

So now for the matter at hand, I have been asked to join in the blog tour for a brand new hat book by one of my favorites, Woolly Wormhead. Today is my assigned day. Therefore, I am jumping in with both feet because I am so happy to be included in the blog tour for this fantastic new collection.

Woolly Wormhead is an incredible sculptural hat designer. Her designs are interesting, thorough, thoughtful and frankly, ingenious. She takes knit hat design to a whole new inventive level, but at the same time keeps them doable and wearable. That is no small feat.  I just listened to a very well-done interview with Woolly that offers a lot of insight into her design process and background. Click here to listen to this fun interview!

Woolly Wormhead is adding to her top-notch hat collection with this new book, Classic Woolly Toppers, which I highly recommend.  However, let's not forget that Woolly has an extensive number of hat designs already under her belt. (Click here to look at all of her impressive hat designs.) She's almost to 200 original hat designs now. This is one experienced and knowledgeable hat designer! This makes her work all the more appealing because she is a seasoned hat designer.

Click here for Woolly Wormhead's website and blog.

Click here for the Classic Woolly Toppers website. (Purchasing information is here.)

Click here to see all of the patterns in the Classic Woolly Toppers book on Ravelry!

You can purchase all of the patterns individually or the entire the ebook on Ravelry, and you can order the print copy of the book through the website for the book (linked above).

Here is a description of the book from Woolly:

Classic Woolly Toppers features 10 timeless Hat styles, redesigned for the modern knitter.

Relevant techniques are included, and where appropriate, patterns are provided in charted as well as written format. Schematics are also provided for unsual construction techniques. And like all other Woolly Wormhead patterns, each design includes a range of sizes.

More details are available from the books’ webpage.

Available in both print and eBook formats.

This is one of my favorite designs from the book.  I love the clean simple lines and the fit of this hat. It is called, Alternato and it looks like a fun knit.

The Knit Girlls did a wonderful and thorough video review of this book. Both Laura and Leslie have knit hats to show from Woolly's designs and from this current release. It is fun to see the hats knit up and to see them try the hats on. Once you see this video review, you will want to get this book immediately!

Click here to see The Knit Girllls review of Classic Woolly Toppers!

I love the interesting brim construction of this hat, Ravine. 

The Camden Cap is the most popular hat in the book so far. The unique brim construction and cast on have people talking! I love this sporty cap.

Woolly always includes a wide range of sizes in all of her patterns. She has written instructions and charts when needed. She offers clear technique descriptions and schematics. All of the care and effort put into her patterns makes the best experience possible for the knitters. Woolly is so earnest and hardworking, you can really tell she cares about her designs and the knitters making them.

Anyway, hop over and look at her patterns and hopefully buy this exciting new collection that will never go out of style. These really are classic hats by a modern-day hat architect.

I feel like we are all so fortunate to have such a wide variety of designers out there to choose from. Woolly is a good one! I got to meet Woolly briefly at TNNA in 2011 and it was so great to meet her and put a face with all of her amazing hats.

Let me know what you think!

Here are the rest of the blog tour dates:

11th October 2012  Dull Roar Blog hosted by Alex Tinsley

15th October 2012  rock+purl Blog hosted by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud

19th October 2012  Sheep to Shawl Blog hosted by Donna Druchanas

23rd October 2012  do stuff! leethal Blog hosted by Lee Meredith

27th October 2012  Bricoleur Knits blog hosted by Cirilia Rose

31st October 2012  Just call me Ruby Blog hosted by Susan Crawford

best, susie

Super-Size Fall Birthday Giveaway!

Hi, Knitters,
First, I want to briefly share two brand new interviews I did that were recently published. They both turned out great and I thought you might be interested. Here are the links:

Click here for the interview on Spin Artiste! 

Click here for the interview on Art or Crafts!

I have a great opportunity for you today. I am excited to offer a super-fantastic giveaway package for one lucky winner. To celebrate the fall season and my birthday today, I am offering a copy of each of my four books to one lucky winner! If you already have my books, keep reading to see what else is included in this giveaway.... you'll want to enter, just share the extra copies of the books with someone you love.

That means for this giveaway you'll get a copy of Itty-Bitty Hats....

Click here to see Itty-Bitty Hats on amazon!

Click here to see the projects in Itty-Bitty Hats on Ravelry!

Itty-Bitty Nursery......

Click here to see Itty-Bitty Nursery on amazon!

Click here to see the projects in Itty-Bitty Nursery on Ravelry!

Itty-Bitty Toys.....

Click here to see Itty-Bitty Toys on amazon!

Click here to see the projects in Itty-Bitty Toys on Ravelry!

And Spud & Chloe at the Farm!

Click here to see Spud & Chloe at the Farm on amazon!

Click here to see the projects in Spud & Chloe at the Farm on Ravelry!

Now, as I was planning this fantastic book giveaway with my publisher, I remembered that my friend, Kristin Nicholas, has just this fall released her gorgeous yarn again through Classic Elite. The yarn is now called, Color by Kristin. I used Color by Kristin (formerly called Julia) to make my favorite project in Itty-Bitty Toys.

The Princess and the Pea project is so much fun and really, in this yarn, it is a spectacular set for any child. It feels so sweet and soft and special.

I remember working on this set on a trip with my family. The kids kept telling me it needed more mattresses so of course I obliged. The stack of mattresses grew and grew and new rich colors of Color by Kristin kept getting added in. The set uses many colors of the Color by Kristin yarn and since Kristin specializes in color, you can't go wrong.

Anyway, I contacted Kristin to see if she would want to include her yarn in this giveaway because not only did I use it for one of my favorite projects in the books, you could use this fantastic worsted weight yarn for baby hats, toys, stripey baby sweaters, mittens, booties, blankets, and for just about any project in my books! This is such a squishy, soft and fun yarn to work with, you will just love it. It is also great for colorwork and striping.

Sure enough, Kristin got me in touch with Classic Elite and they offered a HUGE prize just for you!!

(photo of yarn from Kristin's blog banner)

Click here for Kristin's blog! You can buy her books (I have them all), sign up for her knitting retreats at her farm, and see her patterns and her pattern booklets for Color by Kristin - check out her blog sidebar for all of these links.

Click here to see Color by Kristin and her pattern booklets!

Click here for Kristin's yarn, Color by Kristin! 

Here is the yarn information: 

Content: 50% Wool/25% Alpaca/25% Mohair

Care:

Hand Wash Cold, Dry Flat

Weight/Yardage:

50g/93yds

Gauge:

5 sts = 1" on US 7 (4.5mm)

Knitting Weight:

Worsted

Click here for Classic Elite!

I am so excited to say that you get this huge sample pack of Color by Kristin along with my four books! It's such an amazing giveaway prize package. Yes, the winner gets all of the yarn in the photo above.  I'm not kidding.

Here is the exact yarn pack you will be receiving from Classic Elite Yarns! It's your lucky day.

What a day and what a way to spend my birthday, giving back to all of you! That's the best.

To enter to win my 4 books (if you have my books already just share one with a friend or keep a spare for yourself), and the incredible yarn pack of Color by Kristin, leave one comment on this blog post (please just post one time - I have to approve the comments so there is a delay from when you post to when you are able to see your comment on the blog). Please leave your email or ravelry id in your comment so I am able to get in touch with you if you win.  I will be back in a couple of days to randomly select a winner. 

Good luck and let the comments begin!

best, susie
p.s. Thanks for all of the "LIKES" on TC's photo. I really appreciate the support and hope that we win the iPad for our family from our orthodontist's office. Click here if you haven't LIKED TC's photo yet and would like to.

Monkeys and a Photo to Like

Hi, Knitters,
I am finally able to focus on my Vogue Knitting Live classes that are coming up at the end of October. I've had deadline after deadline on other knit projects but I think my plate is finally cleared for the moment so monkeys it is!

I finished the first of four little String-a-long-Monkeys, which is a brand new design for one of my VKLive classes on October 28th. The string of monkeys will go along with the String-a-long-Frogs (click here to see the frogs). I am planning on a few bunnies as well but now that I think of it, that may change to mice...... stay tuned.

Click here for Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago on October 26-28th!

And then there were two!

These little monkeys are knit in Quince and Co. Lark, which is a worsted weight yarn. For the knitters coming to my class bring whatever colors you want to knit either a monkey, frog and/or a mouse in, and striping yarn if you want to do a stripey body. Bits and pieces and bobs are welcome, stash dive for sure for this small project, unless you want your toys to look just like mine. Then hop on Quince and Co. and order up some Lark (worsted weight) in various monkey, froggy, or mousey colors! I just love this 100% wool in solid colors for knitting toys. This wool is the best because there is something so pure and sweet about it.

Click here for Quince and Co.!


And yes, these patterns for the String-a-long toy series will definitely be published in the future! I will keep you posted right here for when that happens.

I have another new shawl and those mittens coming up shortly, too.

Oh, and one last thing, our orthodontist is having a Grin to Win contest on Facebook. All four of our kids have gone through braces and TC is the last of them. I posted this photo of TC smiling with her braces and a friend's puppy on the contest page (sometimes the photo is at the top and sometimes you have to scroll down). The photo with the most LIKES wins an iPad! We don't have an iPad in our home and we would love to have one.

Anyway, if you are on Facebook and could LIKE this photo on the contest page, we would be so appreciative. The contest says to tell all of your friends to hop on over and click like so that's what I am doing. I consider all of you my friends and knitting buddies. The contest runs through October 31st. I put the link and photo on top of my blog sidebar, too.

Click here to go to the Grin to Win contest page and LIKE the photo of TC with a puppy! 

Thank you so much if you are able to help, and if not that's okay, too.

I'll be back soon with lots more!
best, susie

QRS Update and Halos of Hope

Hi, Knitters,
The Quaker Ridge Shawlette (QRS) Knitalong is buzzing along with only a few weeks left to go. I am having the best time with this fun and chatty group of knitters. Finished QRSs are popping up left and right and they all look fantastic. Many are venturing into shawl and bead knitting for the first time and they are having great success.

Quaker Ridge Shawlette pattern
Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong
Quaker Ridge Shawlette posted projects

The photo above (used with permission) is of three of the Itty-Bitty Knits group members and Quaker Ridge knitalong-ers having a meet up in Seattle at Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. Don't they look wonderful in their freshly knit shawls? I love this photo so much.

From left to right are (by rav id), gathersnomoss (her shawl is still on the needles), redbayknits, and jenb69. Thanks for sharing! Here is what gathersnomoss had to say about the Itty-Bitty Knits gathering:

Today, we had an Itty Bitty meet-up in Seattle. Luckily, there were QRSs so we could recognize each other. We took a field trip to Churchmouse Yarn and Teas and modeled our shawls. Please ignore the fact that mine is still on the needles. We got loads of compliments and one person wanted to know who knitted them for us. It was a fun outing.

For the QRS knitalong group I have been having weekly prize drawings. The first prize drawing to kick off the knitalong was from me, 10 winners won a gifted pattern of their choice from my Ravelry pattern shop.

Along with this prize, I have had some generous donations from other vendors so far. This gorgeous prize yarn is from Luna Grey Fiber Arts. Jackie, the owner and dyer, generously donated this beautiful hank of her Polwarth/silk fingering weight yarn.

Click here for Jackie's etsy shop, Luna Grey Fiber Arts!

Jackie also donated this project bag to go along with the yarn. Now for the best part......

The winner! This is racedogmom (rav id) , SallyAnn. This photo (used with permission) was taken by her husband and I just love it because you can just feel her excitement. She's so cute and joyful. It really is the best.

Thank you, Jackie and thank you, SallyAnn for sharing!

The next prize drawing was from Sun Valley Fibers. Jeanette is a local vendor to me and she is always so incredibly generous and quick to donate. I love that about Sun Valley Fibers.

Jeanette has donated a new colorway, called Bug Juice, in her Merino/Cashmere/Nylon fingering weight base. Click here to read more about it! It is really beautiful. Sun Valley Fibers attends and sells at major knitting events all over the country and is quite well-known in the industry. So it is an honor to get to have prizes from them for the knitalong.

Click here to see all of the Sun Valley Fibers yarns! Hop over and check out the Yarn Buddies, too. I have one and I use it all the time. I love it.

Okay, the latest prize being drawn for later today comes from my buddy and fellow Madison native, Jaala Spiro. She has started her own hand-dyed yarn line through her Knitcircus brand. She is just so creative. Jaala generously donated the yarn in the photo above for one lucky winner. Thank you to Knitcircus yarns and Jaala. Here is more information about the yarn.

Knitcircus Silk-Wool Fingering in Autumn Harvest: 
Self-striping long repeat moves from burnt orange through ochre and
goldenrod yellow. The softness of wool blended with silk's strength and
gloss; hand-dyed one at a time. 70 merino wool, 30% silk, 440 yards/skein.
Perfect for lace, shawls and heirloom knitting or crochet. Colored using
professional-grade acid dyes.

Click here for the Knitcircus etsy shop for gradient and kettle-dyed yarns and gorgeous patterns!

Click here for the Knitcircus website, sign up for the newsletter, listen to Jaala's podcast with Amy Detjen (love this one!) and more!

We are having a ball over on the Quaker Ridge Shawlette knitalong. If you missed out on this one, I will host another knitalong soon. I have lots of ideas in the works including another shawl design that is already completed. I have some fun toy ideas for a knitalong, too. If you have a preference let me know what type of pattern you'd enjoy for the next knitalong.

I have a couple of quick announcements here to finish out today.

I am hosting the October Charity Knitting on the Itty-Bitty Knits group on Ravelry but anyone can join in and send donations. I am honored to be co-sponsored this month by Halos of Hope.

Click here for the Halos of Hope charity knitting organization!

Click here for the downloadable label for your Itty-Bitty Knits donations!

Click here for the Halos of Hope charity knitting thread on the Itty-Bitty Knits Ravelry group! We are already having responses from people who will be donating this month.

Here is the information directly from Pamela Haschke, the President and founder of Halos of Hope:

As we were looking through what we’ve received lately, realized we actually may be short on kids’ hats. We’re going to do two larger campaigns for kids here in the next few months, so stocking up on kids’ caps is probably a great way to do this KAL/CAL with Itty Bitty Knits. We’ll need both basic kids patterns (simpler) hats, as well as some festive ones, which always bring a smile to the kids. 

Sizes should be 14 - 19” in circumference. This is considered baby to teen size. No preemie hats, please, as those go to a different area of the hospital that the cancer units. Hats need to be 5.5” to 6” in height.

Yarns: The key is soft and washable for kids’ hats. Cottons, cotton blends, acrylics, acrylic blends, 100% superwash wool. Two comments here, please ask folks to be careful with economy worsteds, because they often are scratchier than 100% Highland wool, and don’t soften when washed. So those hats sit at the centers, because they aren’t soft enough. The second is, if the hats have any wool content, just let us know. Because of the washables, we don’t shy away from wool, but we just need to have the hat ‘tagged’ if it has wool content. Also, Fun Fur. I know it sounds crazy, but the kids seem to love these. 

Address to mail your donations:
Itty Bitty Knit Group Hats
Halos of Hope
P.O. Box 1998
Arlington Heights, IL 60006-1998

That way my guys will pull these out from the general donations, get them to me, and I can count them separately. We’ll try to get photos of the overall donated hats to share through our social media, and post to the group once they are all received.

About Halos of Hope:

Halos of Hope is an IRS recognized 501(c)3 organization not-for-profit organization committed to providing in-need cancer patients with crafted hats donated by caring volunteers. The organization was started in October 2007 by Pamela Haschke, a survivor of a rare breast cancer with a high mortality rate, and provides caps to more than 475 cancer treatment centers across the United States. We currently support over 155 pediatric centers nationally. 77,000 hats have been provided to comfort cancer patients since our inception, and over 2,400 continue to be sent each month. We believe cancer is a journey of courage, and we hope a caring, handcrafted hat provides some comfort along the way. Centers are asked to give the caps to their patients free of charge.

What an organization! I hope to get lots of donations throughout the month. Be sure to let me know or post on the thread if you donate. Thanks to Pamela for letting us all be a part of this important charity that does so much good on such a large scale. I'll share more on this as the month progresses.

best, susie
p.s. It has been announced by The Knit Girllls that I will be teaching at the SSK (super summer knitogether) in Nashville in June 2013! I am so excited about this upcoming event that is so popular that they have a lottery drawing to get in and a huge waiting list for those who don't get in through the lottery. More to come on this soon!

Fall Obsessed

Hi, Knitters,
I have become obsessed with a few things as of late, the fall season, my phone camera, instagram, and nature hikes.

I post a lot of photos of my hikes and findings throughout the day plus a ton of knitting stuff on my twitter account, under SusanBAnderson. If you are interested you can follow me by clicking right here. You can also follow me on Instagram.com under susanbanderson.

The following photos are some of my latest shots of the fall Wisconsin terrain.

I have a fun and big giveaway lined up and ready to go I just haven't had the time to do it justice. I will get that going as soon as I am able.

I hope you are enjoying this glorious fall as much as I am.

best, susie