New and Old

Hi, Knitters,
The two winners of the Winter Bliss Cowl pattern are stitchwitchy and NanaKnits4Us (both rav ids)! Congratulations! Lise (zenitude on rav) is sending you your patterns through Ravelry. Thanks for entering.

Yesterday was an unseasonably warm day for November in Wisconsin. I think it got up to the mid-60s. Often we have snow by this time of year so I had to take advantage.  I went to a different spot this time for a short hike. The different spot is called the Arboretum and it is another old favorite nature conservancy in Madison.

There is an area in the Arboretum devoted to all different types of pine trees and another devoted to different types of flowering trees. The flowering tree area is the best place to go in the spring. It is all so beautiful. The Arboretum is owned by the University of Wisconsin. We saw groups of college students working on different projects while we were there yesterday. They were fencing off areas for something, not quite sure what. There are many areas labeled and the trees are often labeled as well.

Click here for the UW Arboretum website.

I took these photos through Instagram on my iPhone. I love and enjoy Instagram so much, it is really a new passion of mine. I take lots of knitting and nature photos almost daily through Instagram. If you are interested in following me or checking it out, there is now a brand new way to follow Instagram on the internet. It is really fun and there are so many great designers and interesting people of all sorts of talents on here to inspire.

Click here for my Instagram webpage where you can check out my photos and follow updates!

What kind of leaf is this? Anyone? I know I know it but I can't remember. It looks like a golden fan to me. I gathered a few of these beauties to add to my growing leaf collection. TC and I have been pressing leaves this fall and then setting them out to admire.

On another old topic, I steeked my Calligraphy Cardigan by Hannah Fettig yesterday! I started this old cardigan a long time ago. I used a crochet steek. I added a steek to the front of the cardigan, it's not in the pattern, so I could knit in the round instead of back and forth. I am now adding on the ribbed buttonband. I hope I like this cardigan in the end as it has been a lot of knitting. My hopes are high at this point.

I finished a couple of old books, old in the sense that I had started them months ago and hadn't gotten around to finishing them. I do that sometimes. I love to read books, fiction and non-fiction, but I don't have a lot of time to indulge myself too much right now. I often start books and don't finish until a long time later.

I started reading Major Pettigrew's Last Stand way back on a spring vacation trip and just recently picked it up again to finish. It is a wonderfully written story about an older English gentleman, his family and small town, and the development of a very innocent new romance. It is a delightful read and a sweet story, and I highly recommend it. Thanks to Paula for the recommendation (I read and watch almost everything Paula recommends because I adore her taste).

I read this one in paperback book form, purchased at Barnes and Noble.

Click here to find out more about Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.

I also recently finished Hit by a Farm, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Barn. This is the story of a Minnesota author, Catherine Friend, who along with her partner, Melissa, drop everything and move to start a working farm. Catherine was supporting Melissa's lifelong dream of having a farm even though it wasn't a shared dream. This book is an account of their new things learned, the adjustment to farm living, and the daily trials and tribulations of farm life - good, bad and gross. There are some slightly graphic details about farming animals included so be warned if that's not your cup of tea. I'll admit to skipping over bits and pieces here and there.

I listened to Hit by a Farm on audiobook, purchased from iTunes. The book is read by the author, Catherine Friend, and her authentic Minnesota accent is charming if I do say so myself (I am sure I have my own Minnesota accent of sorts because both of my parents were born and raised in Minnesota). Catherine has a nice way of injecting humor and self-deprecation into situations that I enjoyed. She is endearing and honest.

It's a good book and if you are interested in the topic of starting a farm or just hearing about it. There is another book from Catherine after this one called, Sheepish. I may read this one, too, at some point. Thank you, AmyBeth, for this recommendation.

Click here to find out more about Hit by a Farm.

Last but not least, I have always enjoyed reading memoirs, especially from people who have led extraordinary or unusual lives and when there is a huge creative talent involved. When I saw that Rosanne Cash had released a memoir I downloaded it on my Kindle right away. This is another book I started quite awhile ago but just recently finished. Rosanne Cash has led both an extraordinary and unusual life and she has an incredible musical talent. How could her life not be these things with Johnny Cash as her father? The book is definitely about Rosanne's life, not her father's life, although he does play a part in the book.

I really enjoyed Composed for so many reasons. Roseanne is a great writer and story teller. She kept me on my toes while reading because she jumps around on the timeline a bit. This didn't bother me but I had to keep track at times. Roseanne Cash is honest and thoughtful. She has lead a life with huge successes but many struggles as well. I think her intention was to tell her own story about her life because there have been so many stories and versions told by others about her family. Her story is respectfully told through her own words. I recommend this book.

I read Composed on my Kindle, purchased through Amazon.

Click here to find out more about Composed.

These are just books from my own personal library that I wanted to share with you today. I have two more books I am reading, one in paperback book form and another on my Kindle. Who knows when I will ever finish but I'll keep you posted when it happens.

Happy Sunday!
best, susie

Soup, Sweater and Cowl (giveaway!) Season

Hi, Knitters,
The other day I linked to a great knitting blog, Pepperknit, by Erin - the editor in chief of Yarn Market News. She not only shares her knitting, friends and city (NYC), but she also shares recipes. I couldn't wait to try out Erin's recipe for roasted butternut squash soup. I picked up the ingredients on a trip to the grocery store and whipped up a batch for my family. I am a major year-round soup fan and butternut squash soups are a fall staple.

It was simple, quick, extra-delicious and the roasting of the veggies made the house smell so good. Give it a try. I diced up red onions, tomatoes and avocado to sprinkle on top when serving. We also added a dollop of sour cream and served with a crunchy baguette on the side. It was a meal of meals.

Click here for the recipe from Pepperknit! She has great photos of the soup in progress, too.

With permission, I am sharing Jessica's (knitgineering on rav) baby cardigan and tiny sweater ornaments from my VK Live class a couple of weeks ago. Within a few days after the class she had these all complete. I love your sweaters big and small, Jessica. Thanks for sharing with me.

Pattern for the tiny sweater coming soon....

Last but not least I have a fun giveaway for you. Lise Marleau Nesbitt (zenitude on rav) sent me an email yesterday. She offered to share two copies of her Winter Bliss cowl with us. Read all about this pattern here or click here to see the pattern on Ravelry.  The pattern works with about 100 yards of any bulky weight yarn, Lise suggests Misti Alpaca Tonos Chunky or your wonderful handspun. I am definitely making one or two of these for gifts. I have Misti Alpaca sitting in my stash and I have some chunky handspun as well. This is the perfect stash busting pattern. You could also hold a worsted double. Look to the stash. The cowl only takes a couple of short hours to complete. It is knit flat in garter stitch and can easily be made to fit looser or closer around your neck. I love it.

Lise Marleau also has a beautiful etsy shop stocked full of hand dyed yarns and fiber. I seriously want the entire shop to be delivered to my house. Click here to see Zenitude on Etsy!

By the way, Lise Marleau Nesbitt will be at KnitEast with me next September so I'll get to meet her in person. She is from Ontario.

Leave a comment on this blog post if you would like this zippy Winter Bliss Cowl pattern either emailed or sent to you through ravelry. There will be two pattern winners. You need to leave only one comment on this post (remember there is a delay in posting, please don't post more than once), and the comment must include your rav id or email.

Comment away! This will be a quick one. Maybe we could knit our cowls together.... 

best, susie

A Good Luck Rainbow

Hi, Knitters,
JillShoke (rav id) shared a heartwarming story on the Itty-Bitty Knits group the other day. With Jill's permission to use the story and her incredibly sweet photographs, I am now sharing the story with all of  you. Here is how one knitter's wishes came true.....

From Jill:

I just wanted to share some sweet pictures and the story that goes along with them.

This past summer my stepdaughter and her husband were visiting us. I had just finished a log cabin blanket out of Tahki Classic (Joseph’s blankie of many colors) for my new grand-niece. My son-in-law shared the story of his sister and her husband who after several years of trying to have a baby, were now looking to adopt… and were in final “talks” with a couple of expectant mothers.

I decided to whip up an adorable Rainbow Marley with my scraps and send it home with them for “good luck."

2 weeks later, this sweet couple found out that they would become parents….. and 2 months later they brought home this sweet little babe….

And now, 5 months after that (just in time for cooler weather!!) Baby Allison is the smiliest, laughing-est, sweetest little girl you can imagine! That’s my hubby getting some “not quite a grandpa but a guy can practice” snuggles!

Susan, thank you for such a great, sweet pattern!

It's me again. Jill, thank you for sharing this uplifting happy story. I think baby Allison is about the best thing ever. She makes me happy just looking at her. I can only imagine the joy she is bringing your family. 

And if it's possible, she's even better with your Rainbow Marley Hat on top!

Thanks again.

best, susie

p.s. The hat pattern is found here (Itty-Bitty Hats book) and here (Ravelry link). The tutorial for the hat topper is found here. Oh, and there is one more video tutorial on weaving in ends using the Rainbow Marley hat right here.

Sugar and Spice is Everything Nice

 (All photos provided by Sugar and Spice, photographer Caro Sheridan)

Hi, Knitters,
Today I have something fun and fresh to review in the crochet world. The fantastic Linda Permann has authored a brand new crochet ebook called, Sugar and Spice, Six Bakery-Inspired Crochet Fashions. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen more gorgeous crochet designs in my life. Linda called on some talented friends to help her pull her new book together. The photography is simply stunning and is by the talented Caro Sheridan or splityarn on Ravelry (she also has a photography class on Craftsy.com called Shoot It!), and the one and only Amy Herzog is one of the beautiful models. Linda is a talented and experienced designer as you'll see, so you can be completely confident when using her patterns.

Here is Linda's description of the book:

When I think of fall, I remember pumpkin patches, changing leaves and crisp morning walks. I savor those first cool mornings, and as the temperatures fall, my urge to snuggle up with crochet gets even stronger.

The six designs in Sugar and Spice were inspired by my love of crocheted texture—and desserts, ranging from simple to ornate. Bubbling cherries swim a cobbler crust, embossed designs adorn an Italian cookie, and glowing beads of sugar dance along the edge of a freshly baked pie. Just like a delicious dessert, a beautiful hat, shawl or sweater will leave you feeling warm and content.

I hope you find inspiration in these pages to make your own crochet delicacies, either as gifts or to cherish for yourself.

Happy Crocheting!

I think this cardigan is wonderful. There is so much detail and the fit is perfection. I would wear this thing out. What a perfect everyday little cardigan.

Click here to see more information about all of the patterns on Ravelry!

Click here to see more about Linda Permann! Really, you have to click on this link and just look at her work. Linda is so incredibly talented. She recently moved to Colorado to work at Craftsy.com - one of my favorite places to be! Craftsy is lucky to have such talent and experience.

I met Linda briefly at TNNA a couple of years ago. She is just as smart and adorable as her designs. As far as this ebook goes, I love every design in here. Each project is stylish, beautifully made and designed. Plus the projects look fairly quick and fun to crochet. Linda seriously takes crochet to an enviable level. Every project is stunning.

Click here for Linda's website and blog!

All six of the designs are made in Malabrigo yarns. What's not to love about that? I think Linda's pairing of yarn and project is perfection throughout the book.

 The Pinzelle Beret is exquisite.

 I love this Cherry Cobbler Beanie. Who doesn't like cherry cobbler?

I am going to have to try to crochet one of these hats.

 This is one of my favorites, the Tart Shrug. It is so pretty and sweet looking.

 These colors could not possibly look any better on the beautiful and talented Amy Herzog. She has the best hair in town. This is the Cocoa Wafer Cowl. It is all a winning combination, including the photography.

Click here to see all of Amy Herzog's designs! She has a new book coming out this spring, as well. I'll be reviewing this one as soon as I get a copy.

The gray with the yellow with Amy's wonderful coloring makes me want to crochet the Sugar Sparkles Shawl immediately. Just look at the border on this one! It is incredible.

I can't recommend Linda's work enough. She is a great one to follow. The ebook filled with these six designs can be purchased for download for a mere $18, which is only $3 per pattern. That is a steal. Let me know what you think.

best, susie

Sunday Fodder

Hi, Knitters,
It is Sunday already. Last week was a complete blur. Do you want to hear about it? It really isn't all that interesting or important just busy life stuff that everyone has from time to time. If not, skip ahead to the knitting content. But if yes, here is the rundown:

I got back from VK Live Chicago on Sunday evening and awoke early Monday morning with a painful headache that I couldn't shake for several days. It was really a tough one. I don't suffer too often from headaches and usually if I ever get an occasional one it can be fixed with a couple of ibuprofen. This headache would not go away and it kept me up at night. Finally, on Wednesday the pain dulled. I was not able to accomplish much at all while the headache was there.  Luckily it faded just in time for Halloween. On Halloween night we hosted our annual dinner and trick or treating at our house and neighborhood with my sister and brother's families which is always a treat not a trick. We had a good time together. Here is the creepy crew this year:

Aren't they great?

Next, I had to pick up my son who took the bus home from college in the middle of the night at 3am, on Thursday/Friday morning. Due to crazy scheduling of his classes, the bus schedule and doctor appointments there was no other choice. I set my alarm for 2:40am but couldn't really sleep leading up to 2:40am for fear I wouldn't get up. My son had doctor appointments for a knee injury on Friday. I spent the entire day at the hospital Friday where I did get some knitting done.

On Saturday we had to serve breakfast to the high school girls swim team before their meet. I had shopped for this on Thursday at a couple of different stores but hadn't organized it yet. I woke up early Saturday morning to get things set up and ready to be lugged into the school before their early warm-up was done. That went fine and the girls swam well at the meet that day. On Saturday night we hosted a small dinner gathering. I cooked up my mom's hearty bean soup recipe, sliced, buttered and warmed two loaves of french bread and made a yummy chopped salad with tons of veggies. It was a delicious and comforting meal if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, while I was cooking I sliced my finger. My husband ran out to get band aids because of course there was not a single band aid in our house. After cooking and cleaning for the dinner I felt a rare and true feeling of exhaustion set in.

Now it is Sunday morning, I am feeling much better.  I can type and knit with my band aid-ed pointer finger which is good. My husband is taking my oldest son, TC, and our 9-year old nephew to a Packer football game right now. They are on the road as I write. It takes about 3 hours to get to Green Bay from Madison. The sun is shining but it should only be in the forties today so they loaded up winter coats, hats, mittens and blankets to keep them warm. My son with the knee injury opted out which opened up the spot for my nephew who is beyond excited to tag along.

None of this simple busy-ness seems important or relevant with all of the Hurricane Sandy issues going on but I thought I'd share anyway. The news clips and headlines are heartbreaking. I heard once from my friend and editor, Trent, that he was okay but I know his NYC apartment was without power and water for the week. I was thinking about him and all of the east coast knitters, friends and family this week. My brother and his family are all fine. They live in the D.C. area.

Needless to say, the blog and my book page editing have been neglected this past week and so today I am attending to both.

So on with some knitting! I finished the little hat on the right to donate to the Halos of Hope charity. They provide in-need chemo hats for patients all across the country. I'm getting these hats to the charity headquarters this week.

I'll tell you more about the hat on the right in an upcoming hat post. TC knit the hat on the left and she is donating it to Halos of Hope as well. She is a generous knitter, rarely keeping or knitting anything for herself.

I have recently designed several new baby hats for gifts that I haven't blogged about. I am considering releasing a mini hat collection for download on my pattern shop. I have a lot of pattern writing lined up for the upcoming weeks. Not my favorite thing but a necessary thing.

On another note, I just have to share this beautiful fall platter my sister gave me for my birthday that was earlier in October. I love it so much. She knows how much I love the fall season and I will use this year-round, not only in the autumn. It is a fused glass platter by Peggy Karr. Take a look at the red leaves and remember the color for later.

This morning I looked about my cluttered studio to take stock of things I need to get done. I gathered a big stack of books that range from fiction, to stitchery, to knitting. All of these I plan to talk about and review in upcoming posts. I have more books to review that aren't even in that stack. Some of the books I purchase myself and some are sent to me from various publishers to review. I am considering posting a book review a day for a week or two just to get caught up at some point soon. I think that would be kind of fun.

Lately I've been thinking about patterns that I have written up and knit but have never gotten out of my sketchbooks. This brings me to the cabinet in the photo above. It was a free find on the street next to my sister's house last summer. I couldn't believe my good fortune finding this cabinet that fits so perfectly into my tiny studio. I especially love the cameo knobs. This thing was so dirty when I brought it home. I had to scrub and scrub to get it clean. It was literally brown in some spots. It looks so good now.

Well, I bet you think I would store yarn inside....

... but instead I store years and years worth of sketchbooks. Inside these scrappy sketchbooks are my handwritten published books, random ideas, drawings, watercolor paintings, complete patterns, incomplete patterns, new book ideas, yarn samples, lists, etc.

In fact, on that way bottom shelf. I have a little cigar box with a lime green stripe that is storing a complete book idea inside. It is really good but I haven't shared it with anyone yet. So it sits.

I think I am going to pull out these sketchbooks and look for unused treasures over the winter. That is my plan.

While sitting at the doctor for most of the day on Friday I pulled out my old unfinished Calligraphy Cardigan in Tosh DK in the Thunderstorm colorway. I am almost to the ribbing on the bottom of the body. It is a long sweater with four inches of ribbing on the bottom edge. I think I have about four inches of stockinette left before I get to the ribbing. I know I will love this one when it is finished, I just need to finish it. I did add a steek at the front of the body because then I can knit round and round instead of back and forth. It was a good choice  for me as it is surely making this go faster. I already have the perfect buttons lined up and waiting to be stitched onto the button band.

I have also been plugging away on my next shawl design. I can't wait to finish and I am getting close. I have one sample finished in handspun. This one is in Brooklyn Tweed's Loft (fingering weight), two skeins in the Long Johns colorway. I adore this yarn and color. If you look at my platter with the leaves, it is the red leaf color exactly. I love this color red. This shawl sits on the arm of my chair so I can steal a row or two whenever I have a second.

The harder I work the messier my studio gets. It happens over and over. I need an overhaul soon and then it will be clean and shiny and super-organized only to become cluttered once again as my work load increases and I become absorbed. It's just the way it is.

Oh, and here is another sketchbook brimming with handwritten patterns and drawings... and on the bottom of that stack in the background is yet another spiral sketchbook partially filled.

It goes on and on.

Have a super start to your week. I hope things are looking up out there for everyone.
best, susie
p.s. As if this post wasn't long enough, I have to share two blogs I have fallen for in the best way. Click here and here to visit them.
p.p.s. Purl Soho just released their own yarn line, Purl Soho, a squishy merino wool. That is incredibly exciting and I can't wait to try it out! Click here to see more.

Vogue Knitting Live Chicago 2012

Hi, Knitters,
Well, all is said and done. Last Sunday morning, I woke up to my alarm at 3:20am to get ready to hop on the road to Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago. I had to be at the Palmer House at 8am to get my class lists and room assignments. My husband and TC drove to Chicago with me.

The sun rose at around 6:30am and the sky turned a beautiful pink color.

Finally, we could see the tall Chicago buildings on the horizon. It was such a dark and gloomy morning but I guess the day turned into sunshine later. My husband dropped me off at the front door of the Palmer House and went on his way to have a fun time with TC in the city.

As I was waiting for Gabrielle, from Vogue, to meet me by the elevators on the 7th floor of the hotel, the elevator doors opened and out popped Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. She was locating her room and dropping off some stuff for her morning class. She came back from finding her classroom (there were at least 60 classrooms on the floor) and said she had found my room on the way. She then helped me tote my two suitcases to the room. She is just as kind and personable as she seems on her blog. Before she jumped on the elevator to go have breakfast she mentioned that she was concerned that there wasn't a crock pot in her room for the class. She was teaching a class on silk and they needed a crock pot for part of the class content. 

When Gabrielle got off the elevator I was surprised she was on a scooter, I found out that she broke her foot. I can't imagine running this event with a broken foot. She deserves and extra gold star for that. As we were talking about my classroom and student lists and the key and what I needed to turn in after my classes, I casually mentioned that Stephanie had been here and was worried about a crock pot. Gabrielle's face dropped. She said it was the first time she had heard that Stephanie needed a crock pot for class. She turned to one of the volunteers with a worried look. They were certain that the hotel wouldn't have a crock pot available to cook silk in. 

Almost at the same time they came up with the thought that there was a Target directly across the street from the downtown Chicago hotel and off they went to fetch a crock pot. I loved listening to the whole thing and I was glad I mentioned it to Gabrielle. I assume a crock pot was delivered.

As I was waiting for Gabrielle, Carla Scott, the editor in chief of Vogue Knitting and Knit Simple, got off the elevator. She said, as many did during the day, "I haven't seen you at all this weekend." This was because I had just arrived on Sunday morning. The rest of the gang had already been there for several days.  

I got settled in for my morning Toy Workshop class. It really is one of my favorite things to teach as I have knit and designed so many toys at this point that I have gathered a lot of useful tips and tricks. I love sharing this information with other interested toy knitters.

What I didn't know since I was tucked into my classroom was that the weather on the east coast was playing a major role in the day for many of the VK Live participants at this point. Flights were being canceled and others were rearranging their flights early to try to get home.

Here is my top-down baby sweater class set-up. I made a basic top-down raglan pattern and then offered lots of design options. Even though the cardigans all started the same, in the end they could all look very different by making various choices along the way. 

I even designed and offered a mini-sweater or cardigan pattern option for the students in case someone wanted to knit a tiny cardigan just to be able to get all of the top-down cardigan concepts in during the class time. The mini cardigans/sweaters were ornament-size, maybe three inches long.

The mini-cardigan and sweater pattern will be available soon (after my mitten pattern and my new shawl pattern are done). 

No one opted for the mini-sweater or cardigan, they all started a regular size baby cardigan, which was fine. Most cast on for the 0-3 month size, a few cast on for the 6 month size, and all made good progress during class. I demonstrated picking up stitches for the button bands and neck edge, how to do the buttonholes and where to place them, placing the stitches for the sleeves back on the needles and picking up at the underarm and I included a quick trick for how to close up the gaps when picking up the stitches for the underarms. 

It was a fun and relaxing class.

Here is one side of my class for the Toy Workshop. They were amazing and chatty and fun. At times the group was so loud that it was hard to hear above the roar of the chatter. I loved that they were having a good time. They worked so hard, too. I ran demonstrations throughout the class, each demonstration I repeated three times to be sure everyone could come up to the front to see each technique.

Many in the toy class either finished the String-a-long toy or were close to finishing. I couldn't believe how fast they were. I have taught toys to lots of other groups and this one was by far the quickest group I have seen.

My work and demonstration table becomes messier and messier throughout the class. I always bring lots of toys for everyone to look at during the class. One thing that happened for the toy class is that I underestimated the amount of fiberfill the students would need. I didn't realize how many students would actually finish the toy or come close during the class so the supply of fiberfill was quickly dwindling down to nothing. 

I then started looking at the toys I brought for display and picked the Milk Cow to open up to steal the fiberfill out of so the students could keep working on their toys. I snipped the yarn at the front of the cow's body and pulled out the stuffing for everyone to use. The cow looked so sad and deflated.

After I got home I quickly re-stuffed and popped the stitches back on my dpns and reworked the front of the body. Here is the Milk Cow looking as good as new! I thought that was some quick on your feet thinking to solve our stuffing shortage problem.

Evelyn finished her String-a-Long Frog and put him in a very zen-like pose. Aren't they both cute?

At the front table sat three of my Itty-Bitty Knits (my group on Ravelry) buddies. Sheila (NUcat), Jessica (knitgineering), and Pat (plynn). It was so much fun to have them in class!

I had students from D.C., Arkansas, Canada, Illinois, Seattle, Los Angeles.... it was so fun to hear all of the places people came from for the event.

Pat made the mouse and nearly finished, and Jessica whipped up the monkey finishing every last stitch including the face embroidery. Jessica, by the way, has only been knitting for a year and a half. Her speed and agility with the needles amazed me to no end. She is a natural, no doubt.

(photo provided by plynn - she cropped the photo and couldn't get it back to the original size. :)

Pat, me and Jessica - intrepid Itty-Bitty Knitters! 

 After class I signed books, and got to look at photos of my toys with babies. I love it when people have photos. Pat took the photos for me! Thanks, Pat.

 I love chatting after class and getting photos with students.

 

Everyone was so fun! Thank you for coming to class with me.

 Here is Ashley from Arkansas. She was extra sweet. Hi, Ashley!

Here is my baby cardigan class. I have to laugh because this class was just as fun and sweet and hard working as the toy group but I could tell everyone was tired by the end of the day on Sunday, for this was the last class of the event. The students had already had 3 days of classes and shopping and fashion shows and dinners..... I also had one person drop out and then four students, who had paid and signed up for the class, didn't show up. I don't know for certain but I bet this had to do somewhat with the flight cancelations and scrambling to get home on Sunday. Many were stranded and still may be.

In the class was Brigitte, the owner of the Klose Knit Yarnshop in Urbana, Illinois. Paula of Knitting Pipeline just did an entire podcast featuring this yarn shop and her workshop with Stephen West at Klose Knit. Click here to see the blog post and/or listen to the show. I loved meeting Brigitte. She encouraged Stephen to write up his first pattern for publication as he worked at her shop as a teen in Urbana. It is really a fun story.

Brigitte's sweet husband patiently waited on some lounge chairs outside the classroom and Brigitte left a bit early to get on the road home. Her husband waved at the door as they left.

Also, in the cardigan class I had the privilege of having Jenee and Rebekah (whose flight was canceled to get back to D.C.) and Jessica again (speedy Jessica almost finished her baby cardigan during the class!). These three knit with me for the entire day. That was quite an honor. My friend Dianne of Sheep Dreams was there and it was great as always to see her.

My Madison friend, Ginger (front table on the left) made it to the class which was really fun. I really enjoy her. Brigitte was sitting right behind Ginger but had left before I snapped this photo.

It was a wonderful day full of knitting, teaching and meeting new people. I loved every minute of it. As quickly as I came, I packed up and met my husband and daughter at the front door of the hotel, and left. I didn't see the hotel much at all. Oh, and on the way out I got to chat briefly with Ysolda and Amy Detjen, who were both teaching and speaking at the event. That was a nice way to end the day.

I am not going to the VK Live in NYC in January, but I hope to be back again in the future. Vogue Knitting Live is one great event.

Click here for the Vogue Knitting Live website!

best, susie

Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong Prize Winners!

(photo provided by Luna Grey Fiber Arts)

Hi, Knitters,

It's prize drawing time for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong finishers! I am so excited to be able to offer such stellar and high quality prizes to this group of wonderful knitters. I'm going to jump right in. 

The first prize is a gorgeous skein of Rainbow sock yarn from Luna Grey Fiber Arts. Jackie the owner donated another skein of her hand dyed yarn and a project bag that was previously given out during the knitalong.  

 (photo provided by Luna Grey Fiber Arts)

The project bag is also included in this prize. And the winner is....... LannieK (rav id)! LannieK I hope you enjoy your fun new yarn and project bag.

I'd like to thank Luna Grey Fiber Arts on Etsy for generously donating to our knitalong. Please head on over to Luna Grey Fiber Arts and please take a look at her beautiful hand dyed yarns. This shop is truly a feast for the eyes.

The two hanks of yarn in the photo above are a lovely gift from Jackie of Luna Grey Fiber Arts to me. The yarn on the left is her  Hand Dyed Cashmere Merino Sock Yarn and the yarn on the right is her Merino Silk Lace Yarn. Wow, I can tell you that this is some squishy, soft, luxurious yarn. The colors are deep and rich and vibrant. I can't wait to dig in and knit something up with both of these yarns. I will keep you posted. Jackie, thank you! I highly recommend Luna Grey Fiber Arts.

 (photo provided by Dyeabolical Yarns and Spinning Fibers)

Next up in line is a skein of yarn from one of my all-around favorites in the fiber world, the one and only Dyeabolical Yarns and Fiber.  If you are a regular reader of my blog you already know that I have worked with Dyeabolical yarn and fiber pretty extensively over the last year or so. The fiber and yarn is top-notch, the colors are bright, deep, interesting, and vivacious. Rachel, the owner, is a generous soul and has once again donated a skein of her superwash merino wool in the Traveling Tea colorway. This skein is a sock weight yarn in an oversized skein of 493 yards.

Click here to read all about this skein of yarn! It is so much fun.

And the winner is...... MissyT (rav id)! Congratulations to MissyT and a huge thank you, as always to Dyeabolical Yarns and Spinning Fibers!  Be sure to stop over to Dyeabolical and check out her holiday colorways. You can't go wrong with this shop.

 (photo provided by The Wool Dispensary)

The Wool Dispensary is a wonderful and relatively new independent yarn shop. I met one of the owner's of The Wool Dispensary, Sam Boice, in Chicago at Nina's, a well-knit shop, when I was on book tour. Actually, I have met her a couple of times now. She is a lively, talented knitter with tons of enthusiasm for her hand dyeing business. I love the name of the company as well as the yarns and colorways. Sam is an experienced dyer in the industry. I believe there is another owner, too, and they work out of Chicago. Give them a visit, you won't be disappointed.

Click here to check out the intriguing yarns on The Wool Dispensary shop!

Click here to visit The Wool Dispensary website!

Thank you, Wool Dispensary, for the generous donation of a project bag and a beautiful skein of yarn called, Arabian Nights in the Useful Poison base (merino/nylon/cashmere blend), fingering weight, 435 yards. I have my own skein of their sock yarn in a denim blue called Stardust and let me tell you, it is dreamy. I can't wait to knit with it.

And the winner is...... daylily1220 (rav id)! Congrats to daylily1220 and a huge thank you to The Wool Dispensary.

 (photo provided by Knitcircus)

The next prize is from my generous and talented friend Jaala Spiro of Knitcircus fame. Knitcircus has started their own line of hand dyed gradient and kettle dyed yarns. The yarns are spectacular to say the least. Jaala has a real eye for color and she has brought this right into her yarn line.

Check out the Knitcircus Etsy shop to see the color for yourself!

Click here for the Knitcircus website and sign up for Jaala's newsletter which is packed full of yarn-y information, patterns and tutorials.

Also, Jaala has started a brand new yarn club called All Wrapped Up. This club includes yarn and shawl patterns (Jaala designs the best shawls!) sent to you on a monthly basis. Click here to find out more.

Jaala has generously donated this skein of Malabrigo worsted base (yes, she dyes up the original Malabrigo Worsted which they have available to hand dyers), 100% merino and 210 yards, in her Foliage colorway, to one lucky winner!

And the winner is...... kieristhefastest (rav id)! Congratulations to Kelly and a gigantic thank you to Jaala and Knitcircus yarns. Jaala actually donated two skeins, one was previously awarded to a winner during the knitalong. Below is the photo from MelissaMartin (rav id) of her previously gifted gradient skein of Knitcircus yarn:

photo of Knitcirus gradient yarn by MelissaMartin (rav id)

Isn't it beautiful? Melissa is already knitting away on a new shawl with her prize which is fun to see.

 (photo provided by Infinite Twist)

This next prize is so above and beyond. I can't believe I get to offer such an interesting and high quality prize. Cate Carter is the owner of an independent company called, Infinite Twist. Here is a blurb from the website about the yarn and kits offered in her shop:
All of the wool yarns used in our kits are hand-spun and hand-dyed. Our range of semi-solid yarn is handspun at the Qinghai Spinner’s Cooperative. The Co-op (which is managed by social venture Shokay) provides much-needed income to 22 rural Tibetan women living in China’s Qinghai province. Our silk/wool 2-ply and wool/novelty yarns are spun in-house. All dyeing is done in our color lab with safe and colorfast dyes sourced in the U.S.

Infinite Twist is quite an impressive undertaking for Cate. Please visit her website by clicking here!

Click here for the Infinite Twist Etsy shop! Cate sells more than just yarn. Cate gifted me some of her spinning fiber and yarn samples. I'll post again about Infinite Twist in the near future to share the fiber and yarn further.

(photo provided by Infinite Twist)

The winner of the prize from Infinite Twist will receive a beautiful kit that includes handspun yarn, the pattern for the Leaf Pattern Cowl pictured above, and a set of circular needles. What a generous prize! Thank you, Cate. Please jump over and check out Infinite Twist!

And the winner is....... nauti54knitter (rav id)! Congratulations.

 (photo provided by Jelby)

The next set of prizes has been generously donated and created specifically for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong. That's right, we have our own colorway now! Cary Smith, the owner of the Etsy shop, Jelby, creates the most beautiful, fun and practical stitch markers around. I have about 5 sets of her stitch markers that I've purchased and used extensively. I am a die-hard fan! 

To my delight Cary came up with a set of Quaker Ridge Shawlette stitch markers that so beautifully represent my love of the outdoors and autumn and this shawl. For those of you interested in getting your own set of Jelby Quaker Ridge Shawlette Stitch Markers, Cary is making them available in her shop for purchase!

Click here for Jelby on Etsy! Go get some! You will love these stitch markers. All of the colorways are beautiful. Check out her tins and wool stitch markers, too.

Here is Cary's description of the inspiration for her prize donations:

When designing the stitch marker colorway for the KAL, I tried to focus on the shawl name, Quaker Ridge, as well as Susan's love of nature. Using her photography as an inspiration, I imagined Quaker Ridge as a wooded hillside that runs along a field in shades of green and amber with accents of chocolate brown. 

Prizes:

• A set of Eterne (snagfree) stitch markers in the Quaker Ridge colorway (fits up to US7)
• A set of Eterne (snagfree) stitch markers in the Quaker Ridge colorway (fits up to US9)
• An embroidered felt storage tin and a set of Eterne (snagfree) stitch markers in the Quaker Ridge colorway (fits up to US7)
• An embroidered felt storage tin and a set of Eterne (snagfree) stitch markers in the Quaker Ridge colorway (fits up to US9

Each set contains 10 stitch markers. The tins are similar in design (sheep under a tree) but like most things in nature, they are slightly different.

 (photo provided by Jelby)

So there are 4 Jelby winners!

Winner #1 - Set of QRS, fits up to US size 7 stitch markers is..... my3sonsjct (rav id)! 

Winner #2 - Set of QRS, fits up to US size 9 stitch markers is....  EllenLBishop (rav id)!

Winner #3 - Set of QRS, fits up to US size 7 stitch markers AND the embroidered tin is.... peggity (rav id)! 

Winner #4 - Set of QRS, fits up to US size 9 stitch markers AND the embroidered tin is.... moniquew (rav id)!

Thank you, Cary!! You are fun and generous. Congratulations to the winners.

 (photo provided by Sun Valley Fibers)

Jeanette of Sun Valley Fibers is the owner of a local (to me) independent yarn company. She is one of the kindest, most generous people around. I love working with her and her yarns. I own Sun Valley yarn that I've purchased and I can't say enough good things about it. 

Jeanette donated 4 skeins of her luxurious and beautifully dyed yarns to our knitalong prize treasury. Thank you, Jeanette. I've already given out one skein to a lucky winner during the knitalong so that means we have 3 skeins left to give. Please check out Sun Valley Fibers online and at fiber events all over the country. This is one popular and respected yarn company and it is well-deserved. 

Click here for the Sun Valley Fibers website and shop!

The winner of the beautiful yarn in the photo above, a glittery fingering weight superwash in the Cheeky colorway, is..... Gmahelen (rav id)! Congrats!

 (photo provided by Sun Valley Fibers)

This gorgeous single-ply fingering weight in the Blush colorway is going to..... Julesbean (rav id)!! Congratulations.

 (photo provided by Sun Valley Fibers)

The luscious yarn in the photo above is fingering weight merino/cashmere/nylon in the Plum Crazy colorway and a skein of this is going to..... jenb69 (rav id)!

Congratulations to the three winners of Sun Valley yarn and thank you to Jeanette!

(photo provided by Inspinknity)

Last but not least, there was a lot of discussion about blocking shawls and blocking wires going on throughout our knitalong thread. It came up over and over. One thing I could not live without when I am blocking my shawls are my Inspinknity blocking wires. So I contacted Rachel Calado, the owner of Inspinknity blocking wires to see if she would want to donate to our knitalong. Rachel told me she had been following the QRS thread and would definitely throw in a set of her Super Long Premium Blocking Wires! How exciting is that?

Click here to go to the Inspinknity website!

Click here to see the Super Long Premium Blocking Wires!

Here is a description of the prize set:
Super Long Premium Blocking Wires are designed especially for large pieces, such as circular shawls, scarves, blankets, or anything with a really long edge. With these super long wires, you'll be blocking your hand knitted (and crocheted!) items more easily and faster than with traditional methods. Using just a couple of wires and some T-pins, your work will look amazingly professional after blocking.

These wires stand apart from anything else on the market today. Made from a super-elastic wire with seemingly magical flexibility, these blocking wires will not rust, tarnish, corrode, or easily kink. They will not stain your knitting, and will last for many, many, many years! You can arch and curve these wires as you need, and they will always return to straight. This special property allows these wires to be used over and over again without weakening from repeated bending and straightening.

Set contains:
six 67” wires with tip protectors
thirty nickel plated T pins

I am so excited about this set! Thank you, Rachel. Go look at the Inspinknity Blocking Wire sets, there is so much variety. They are wonderful and tried and true. I could not live without my set and you will love them, too. 

And the winner is..... greeneye (rav id)!

Congratulations to greeneye and a humungous thank you Rachel of Inspinknity!

Well, in total I gave out 16 fantastic prizes during and now after the knitalong. I have contacted all of the winners through Ravelry with instructions on how to receive their prizes. It has all been a great experience. I love the positive energy surrounding this wonderful shawl knitalong. The camaraderie and helpfulness has been truly inspiring. I'd like to thank everyone for participating and thank all of the amazing prize donations I received to pass along.

Phew, that was one long post.

Have a great weekend, Knitters. I'll see you on the other side of Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago! I can't wait.
best, susie