Madison Knitters Guild Rocks!

Hi Knitters,

Oh my goodness! I never knew how much fun the Madison Knitters Guild was until last night. I was the guest speaker for their monthly meeting last night. I have never attended a guild meeting of any sort before so I didn't really know what to expect.
I set up my trunk show for Itty-Bitty Toys. I also brought some projects from Itty-Bitty Nursery and Itty-Bitty Hats. It was fun to pull out some of my older book projects. They still look good!
There were over 300 people in attendance. There wasn't an empty seat in the house. It is interesting because the Madison Guild recently changed their location due to the ever-growing attendance at the meetings. Now they are filling up this venue to the brim! They will have to switch locations again. Impressive!
What a great position for the guild to be in! Too many knitters!
It was fun to see such a large audience enjoying each other and knitting and sharing projects. I just loved the whole thing.
The trunk show tables were packed full and the toys got lots of love! They have been sitting in my suitcase so it was fun to pull them out and plump them up a little. The toys are holding up so well even with the hundreds and hundreds (maybe thousands by the time my tour ends) of hands hugging and touching and squeezing them.
I literally sold boxes and boxes of books! It was so fun! I signed and signed and signed. I couldn't believe the support and enthusiasm of my hometown knitting crowd. Knitting is alive and well in Madison! You are an awesome group of FUN knitters.
It was a treat to see many familiar faces from my past and present. I always love seeing old friends.

I would like to thank the guild for having me. A special thanks goes out to Kay Moffat for being my right hand for the entire night. I grew up with her beautiful daughter, Chris, and she knew my mom really well. It was nice and comforting to have her there. She was incredibly helpful! Thanks, Kay!

Thank you to Kate and Connie. I have never had a better time at an event. The energy was just intoxicating. The audience was really fun and funny and participatory. It was a love fest.
After I spoke there was show and tell. I loved watching the knitters proudly share their newest knit. Above this woman is a brand-new grandma and she made a jingle bell hat for her grandchild.
This is Heidi and she made a sweater for her son. Gorgeous!This woman made her beautiful sweater. It got lots of oohs and aahs.
This is Amy Anderson. She is well-known Madison designer and knitting teacher. Amy makes a lot of hat patterns and she shared a bunch of her newest hat designs. They were lovely!This is my buddy, Sara! She is from Platteville and comments on the blog all of the time. She is fun and positive and it was a treat to see her again. She made some simple child size leg warmers and they were really cute.
This man made a double-knit hat for a friend. The hat is reversible and well-done!
This was my favorite share of the night. This is Beth. She made that fantastically complicated sweater on the table. She was asked when she started the sweater and she said November of 2009. The crowd gasped. One woman yelled out in a funny, joking way, "We don't like you." Everyone laughed. It was so funny. I loved it. Beth also made her looooong stocking hat that sits on her head and wraps around as a scarf! I want one of those so I may have to design something like that. Isn't she cute?

That's that. I felt so good and happy after the meeting. It was an incredible night. Madison is cool and the knitters in Madison are even cooler. It is THE place to be!

best, susie

Madison Knitters Guild (+ a new winner!)

Hi Knitters,

First off, I had to randomly select a new winner for the Color by Kristin book. The new winner left this comment:

~yolanda said...

What a lovely book! I love color. It is indeed the spice of life!


ravelry id-yolandamarie :)

January 03, 2010

Yay, Yolanda!! Please email me (or send through Ravelry) your mailing address. I will pass on your address to Kristin's publisher so they can send you your book. Congrats!

Okay, now on to some more business. On Monday, January 11th, I am the speaker for the Madison Knitters Guild meeting. For all information about the guild and meeting please hop on over here. The doors open at 6pm and I will be there to sign and sell books at that time. At 7pm the meeting starts and I will be talking about Itty-Bitty knitting things and sharing book trunk shows and answering questions about knitting, blogging, my books, how I got started, etc... I am hoping for an interactive meeting!

To make the meeting even more fun and exciting my kind employer and fabulous yarn company gave me some prizes to raffle off at the Monday night MKG meeting:

Raffle prize #1 - (see photo above) My brand new polar bear pattern yet to be released called, Three Brrrr Bears, and enough Spud & Chloë Fine yarn to make the smallest bear. This will come in a Spud & Chloë pattern box and will include the Spud & Chloë zipper pouch!

Raffle prize #2 - My Flap Happy Hat pattern and the Spud & Chloë Sweater yarn to make the hat! This prize will come in the Spud & Chloë pattern box and will include Spud & Chloë zipper pouch!
These are the Spud & Chloë zipper pouches.
This is the beautiful Spud & Chloë pattern box.
Raffle prize #3 - The next raffle prize includes the Blue Sky Alpacas Polka Dot Hat Set Pattern, 3 skeins of the dreamy Suri Merino, enough to knit up the set, and a Pretty Cheep Project Bag!!
Raffle prize #4 - This prize includes the Two Button Hat Set pattern, 2 skeins of the Worsted Hand Dyes, enough to complete the project and a Pretty Cheep Project Bag!

Can you believe the generosity of Blue Sky/Spud & Chloë? I am telling you this company does so much behind the scenes goodness. They are constantly donating to charity projects and helping and providing constant customer service. They do all of this quietly and discreetly which makes me love them even more.

All information about the yarn and patterns and products can be found on the following links:

Spud & Chloë

Blue Sky Alpacas

I will have some other things to raffle off as well. Maybe I'll throw in a couple of books or something like that. I'll see what I have.

Anyhoo, I hope you can come to the meeting. I am very excited about the meeting and have been looking forward to it for a long time.

See you there!
I just had to throw this project into the post because I am so happy about it. I finished this new hat design up this morning. I am calling it, Heart on a String. It is going to be a new free pattern on my other blog, Spud says! As soon as I write up the pattern I will make it available.
Isn't it sweet?
I always see drawings of heart balloons on string and I love them. I decided to make a knitted heart on a string as an homage to the heart balloons often found in children's literature illustrations and elsewhere.

I love Valentine's Day, the colors, the sweethearts and cards and candy. It is a fun time of year. Hopefully this little free hat pattern will make it a fun season for knitting along with showing our love for each other.

I'll let you know as soon as the pattern is available.

best, susie

A Little Better Now

Hi Knitters,

These photos are a little better of my new hat pattern, Slip. Look how long T.C.'s hair is getting. Those are some long braids. She wants to get her hair cut off for Locks of Love again this spring. That is fine but I miss the long hair when it isn't there.

The details for the hat pattern are here.

To order the pattern click here.

The Ravelry page for Slip is here.

I haven't heard from Courtney yet for the giveaway. Courtney? Are you out there? You won Color by Kristin! Email me your mailing address. You have until tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 8th.

Speaking of Kristin, did you see this hat she designed? Awesome!!!
The Collector was so excited when I let her wear the hat to school today. She likes to wear the hat low on her head, like hanging down over her eyes a bit. I made her push it up a little for the photos.

My friend Rachel posted some great links today. She is a fun one to watch. Her knitting is incredible and she has her finger on the pulse of the knitting world. I love her blog.

I posted this hat on my other blog today. It is called Serendipity and is designed by Brandy Fortune. It is made in Spud & Chloë Outer. Check out this hat and more over on Spud says! I also recently posted a Leaf scarf and bookmark pattern and the pattern for some delicious pears. Both patterns are free!

Another friend of mine, Sylvia, has started a very sweet blog called, Fresh Maked. I may have mentioned it one other time. She knits (very well), designs, bakes and sews. Her new sewing pattern is free and is ready for download. It is for these fantastic fabric letters. I might have to give this pattern a go. I think I need lots of words on my blank walls. Words like: knit, hop to it, write your patterns, get your work done, stay focused, deadlines... yeah, words like that:)

The photo below is from Patty (aka jimberlys). If you look behind The Collector, above, you can see my yarn storage cubbies. Patty looked up my cubbies from the Sundance catalog and her handy and talented husband made her some of her own. She was sweet enough to send me a photo. I love your Ribbit, Rabbit and your Hoot Hat on top of your cubbies. Thanks for sharing.

One more quick thing! I am the speaker for the Madison Knitters Guild meeting on Monday, January 11th. I have some really fun things lined up including 4 fantastic giveaway raffle prizes straight from Spud & Chloë and Blue Sky Alpacas! I have some things up my sleeve to give away, as well. It should be a fun night with my super-sized trunk show that will include items from all three Itty-Bitty books. I'll have more on this on the next post!

Okay, I'm supposed to be knitting right now. Gotta go!

best, susie

Slip! (+ 2 winners!)

Hi Knitters,

I am having so much fun knitting hats again. I never tire of designing hats. The new hat in my Pattern Shop is called, Slip. (You can purchase the pattern here.) The name of the hat is due to the amazing slip stitch pattern that gives the hat a fair isle look without doing the fair isle technique. It is so simple and quick and fun to knit. You simply work the mid-section of the hat alternating 2 contrasting colors every 2 rounds and following a slip stitch pattern at the same time. It keeps the knitting engaging without being difficult. I like that.

A couple of interesting points about Slip is that it is worked from the top down. This is the first time I have done this technique. It was fun for a change of pace. The second interesting point is that the slip stitch pattern is perfect for variegated yarns because it breaks up the coloration of the yarn. This prevents pooling which is commonly a problem with variegated yarns. These are both a big plus in my book!
I was privileged to get to try some of the new Blue Sky Alpacas yarns that are just being launched this month. There is an exciting new Blue Sky Multi Cotton line (will be available for purchase in January 2010) in the gorgeous and popular Blue Sky Cotton line. The colors are enticing and yummy, as always, be sure to check them out. Any of the tried and true Blue Sky Worsted Cotton would work perfectly for Slip, in any two contrasting colors. You need one skein each of two contrasting colors to make this hat.
Here is some information you might like to know about Slip:

Size: Finished hat will fit an older child up to an adult size head measuring between 20-23 inches.

Yarn: Blue Sky Multi Worsted Cotton (100% organic cotton; 67 grams/100 yards), 1 skein each in Gherkin #6802 and Punch #6800

Needles: US size 7 double pointed needles, set of 4, and sixteen-inch circular needles OR size to obtain gauge

Materials:

Ruler or tape measure

Stitch marker

Scissors

Yarn needle

Gauge: 5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

The hat is squishy and warm. It has a very comfortable fit. The ribbed brim can be turned up or down. Both ways look great and sporty.
I had The Collector try it on this morning before school to take a couple of quick photos. Then she begged me to wear it to school today. It is soft, warm, cuddly and comfy and plus it is just super cute. The colors pop and are bright and fun which is especially good at this dreary time of year in Madison. I can't say enough about this fun hat! You will love it.
This is a pretty poor photo of me (lol) taken by The Collector but I just want to show you how well the hat fits both of us. She is 10-years-old with a 21.5-inch head. I am 45-years-old (like you need to know that:) and my head measures 22-inches. Most kids have the same size heads as adults. The hat is so stretchy that it would comfortably fit a man's size head as well. Slip stretches enough to fit at least a 23-inch size head. In some manly colors or organic shades of cotton this hat would be the perfect man-hat!

You know Spud & Chloë Sweater is the exact same gauge as the Blue Sky Cottons so this would make a great yarn substitution as well. So many wonderful yarns and options to choose from!

The pattern is available for purchase for $4.50 here.

The ravelry page link for Slip is here!

Please note: I personally send out all orders via email only with an attached pdf file of the pattern. Please be patient, it is not automated. Sometimes there is a slight delay (like if I am packing lunches or sleeping or doing laundry or grocery shopping:). I try to be as prompt as possible!

Contest Winners!

Now for the winners of the Kristin Nicholas, Color by Kristin book!!!! Thank you to everyone who left a comment to enter the drawing. Kristin has told me she has read every comment so thank you for saying all of those wonderful and loving things to her. That's always fun to read and she deserves it! The winners below need to email me their mailing addresses to pass on to Kristin's publisher within 2 days, by Friday, January 8th. If I don't hear from the winners by Friday I will select a new winner at that time. My email address is always on my blog sidebar.

The two randomly selected winning comments are:

Elly said...

I would absolutely LOVE to win this book. I have never tried Fair Isle knitting and would love to learn from this book by Kristin.
I can't wait!
Thank you!
Elly, Chandler AZ
(IknitCupcakes-Ravelry name)

January 03, 2010

Courtney said...

I love to follow Krisitns blog. I grew up in western mass and worked on a dairy in sunderland, it reminds me of home. I found her blog when I was looking for directions online to sew in a zipper. I would love to win her book as I really enjoy stranded knitting and was recently laid off and won't be able to buy it.

January 05, 2010

I look forward to hearing from you both and congratulations!!!!

best, susie

Win a copy of Color by Kristin!

Edited on January 6th, 2010: The giveaway contest is closed! Thank you to all who entered and commented on Color by Kristin!

Hi Knitters,

I am excited to finally get the chance to review Kristin Nicholas' new book, Color by Kristin. I know it has already been reviewed in many knitting magazines, on Knitty, and on a variety of blogs. All have been favorable reviews. I don't mind adding to the reviews after the fact because I love it, too. Kristin Nicholas has been in the fiber industry for many years. Along with her vast experiences, which include being the creative director for Classic Elite for 16 years and having her own custom-made yarn line, Julia, which is distributed by Westminster Fibers, Kristin has a wealth of knowledge that only a few select people will ever have. On top of these claims to fame she is also the knitting expert on Knit & Crochet Now, the PBS show that is top-notch. She is wonderful on this show as you can see her fun, no-nonsense take on knitting. It is delightful and sometimes funny but always refreshing. She doesn't take things too seriously. I like that. She tells it like it is.

I first saw a preview of Color by Kristin at TNNA last June where Kristin was also debuting her new sock yarn, Best Foot Forward and some new colors in her yarn line, Julia. Both of these are beautiful yarn lines. I was immediately smitten with her book. I share a love of color and of embroidery with Kristin which makes her work incredibly appealing to me and apparently to others as well.
I want to show you some of my favorite spots in the book. First off, you feel like you are stepping into a little piece of Kristin's life on her New England farm. The photography was all taken on her farm and land. The photos include her home, her daughter and her friends and her animals. You get a sense of how color plays a major role in Kristin's life on a daily basis due to her environment. You can get a feel of her farm life on Getting Stitched on the Farm, which is Kristin's blog and a favorite of mine. If you don't subscribe, you should.

I love the back story on any creative endeavor and Kristin starts the book with a glimpse into her story. The tiny picture on the left is Kristin in the 1970's wearing an outfit she sewed herself. The lower tiny photo is Kristin and her husband, The Farmer. He's the one who stole the New Jersey girl's heart and turned her into a farm-loving fiberista. Aren't we all lucky that happened? The twists and turns in Kristin's life are inspiring. Her journey has not always been an easy one and she has an honesty about the ups-and-downs in her life. She is always positive and uplifting. Kristin is a hard-working woman and her successes and her large, dedicated group of followers are proof of her talent and constant appeal.

This sweater is one of my favorites. It is called the Child's Zip-Up Cardigan. If you have ever feared steeking or putting a zipper in a knitted garment, Kristin's directions will put you at ease. In fact, the entire book is like taking a class with Kristin right at your side, guiding your every step. All of the projects are knit in Kristin's own yarn line, Julia. The colors are rich and saturated. I highly recommend Julia yarn for any project. It is a worsted weight yarn that is a blend of wool, mohair and alpaca. It is nothing short of gorgeous and soft. In fact, I used Julia in Itty-Bitty Toys for the Princess and the Pea Set. It is the best.
The book focuses on fair isle knitting, which is color stranded knitting. It is fun and not as difficult as you may think. I love this technique and Kristin makes it simple for any level of knitter. Don't be intimidated by all of the beautiful colorwork. I am honestly telling you that you can do it! Kristin makes it easy. She has technique guides with clear illustrations, design techniques, embroidery techniques, edging techniques and best of all there is an extended Colorwork Chart Glossary! The glossary includes colorwork charts with repeats from 2 stitches all the way up to 30 stitches. Basically, Kristin is giving you the tools to create her designs but also she is giving you the tools and techniques to create your OWN beautiful colorwork designs. Color by Kristin is a book that will last through time as a great resource for colorwork. It is a book that belongs on every knitter's bookshelf.
Included in the book are patterns for mittens, pillows, sweaters for kids and adults, scarves, jackets, socks, gloves, blankets... They are all gorgeous and bursting with livelihood and color and joy. Kristin's experience as a designer makes her patterns clear as clear can be. It's like she can anticipate just about any question or concern that might pop up. This sets her apart from a newer designer who may assume that people will already know things. Kristin just knows how to make techniques attainable and simple! Her philosophy is anyone can do it!
I am always drawn to kids patterns and mittens and pillows in general. As far as Kristin goes, I love everything she does. The photo above is my favorite shot in the entire book. That is Kristin's daughter on the left, Julia (the namesake of the yarn line) and her friend. They are wearing two different versions of the Best Friends Pullovers. I want to make one of these for The Collector in the worst way. I have a bunch of Julia in a basket in my studio just waiting to be knit up into something fun and this may be it. I just need some time, right? Cute little girls they are!
I told Kristin that I think her next book should be a mitten/glove book! She just laughed when I told her this but it's true. I think she wasn't in the mood quite yet to take on another book project or even hear about one. I was just planting the seed selfishly hoping it would come true someday. She designs really cool mittens and gloves. They are like little pieces of art. On the page above you can see how Kristin uses embroidery to liven up her knitted fabric.
The embroidery absolutely changes and enhances her designs. I LOVE doing embroidery on knitted fabric and this is another one of Kristin's signature design elements. Embroidery on knitted fabric is not difficult to do and the results are always fantastic. It isn't like you have to have any previous embroidery skills to achieve these looks. Kristin uses the most basic embroidery stitches to get major effect. Plus she takes you step by step on how to do it. No worries.

Now, here are the most important things I want to mention.

Kristin has her own shop on her blog sidebar. Kristin's shop link is here.

If you are going to order a copy of Color by Kristin, order directly from Kristin. She will even sign the book for you or for someone else if it is a gift. What a treat to own an autographed copy of Color by Kristin. In the shop Kristin also sells 5 of her other books (I have them all and you should, too!), postcards featuring her beautiful photography (I have a couple sets of these and will never send them because I like them too much!), her painted canvas bags (yes, she is an artist, too, and I have a couple of these bags!) and her stitchery kits (I have two of these and one is completed the other is not, it is a gorgeous hand-stitched pillow on my couch!). Every product is divine.

Recently, Kristin has started her own online pattern shop. Now you can purchase individual downloadable patterns directly from Kristin. She has five patterns available as of now and they are wonderful. There are hats and mittens, a pillow, a sweater and hat set and felted bag. Be sure to check those out here!

If you haven't gathered by now let me say it out once and for all, I love Kristin Nicholas' work. I am a major supporter of everything she does. She is just as wonderful in person as she appears to be in any other form. I feel lucky to know her and to be able to say that she truly is a good, talented and smart cookie. She is humble and easy to relate to. I admire her so much. If you haven't listened to Kristin's interviews on Craftsanity or It's a Purl, Man, you must! Kristin is a storyteller and her stories are a good listen. I think she was interviewed on Ready, Set, Knit! with Kathy Elkins pretty recently. Look that one up, too.

I am extra-excited to offer you a chance to win a copy of Color by Kristin. Leave a comment on this post to enter. Say hello and leave your name, a link, something to identify yourself, a ravelry link.... tell me why you love Kristin:) Whatever you'd like. In a few short days I will randomly select two winners. Each winner will receive a copy of Color by Kristin! The winners will need to email me to give me their mailing addresses so I can pass those on to Kristin's publisher to send out the books.

Good luck and let the commenting begin!

best, susie

p.s. Thanks for the love and support of my new hat pattern, Ruche! It's been selling like hot cakes!

Ruche!

Hi Knitters,

I started this hat as a treat for myself a couple of days ago. Yesterday I really had some time to nail it down. I LOVE it! The yarn is the most decadent, gorgeous, soft, lofty treat ever. It is Blue Sky Alpacas Royal which is a 100% luxury alpaca. It is like nothing else I have ever tried. Delicious. It is light as air and the drape is dreamy. I want to knit a lot more with this yarn.

The hat fits so nicely. It's comfortable, covers my ears, clings where it should and looks fantastic! I am thrilled with the way this turned out. The stitch pattern involves increasing and decreasing to get the rippled effect. It is simple but interesting, too, which is the best for this busy time of year. It makes for perfect knitting by the fire. There is nothing more difficult than a kfb (knit in the front and back of the same stitch), and a k2tog (knit two stitches together). Easy, peasy.
I am calling this new pattern, which is available for purchase in my pattern shop, Ruche. Here is the dictionary definition of ruche:

ruche (rōōsh)
n. A ruffle or pleat of lace, muslin, or other fine fabric used for trimming women's garments.

[French, from Old French rusche, beehive, from Medieval Latinrūsca, bark of a tree (used for making beehives), of Celtic origin.]
ruched (rōōsht) adj.

Perfect, right? Beehive, bark of a tree, pleated, ruffled, they all fit the bill. Viva La Roooosh!
The Collector took the photos this morning. Not bad for a 10-year-old.
Here is some information you might like to know:

Size: To fit an average size woman or large child with a head circumference of 20-22 inches.

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Royal (100% luxury alpaca; 288 yards/100 grams), 1 skein in Vermillion #711

Needles:

US size 3, 16-inch circular and 24-inch circular needles OR size to obtain gauge

US size 3, double-pointed needles set of 4 OR size to obtain gauge

Materials:

Ruler or tape measure

Stitch marker

Scissors

Yarn needle

Gauge:

6 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

Abbreviations:

k knit

p purl

k2tog knit two stitches together

kfb knit in the front and back of the same stitch

rnd(s) round(s)

st(s) stitch(es)

Click here to order the pattern for Ruche!

Ravelry page for Ruche is here!

The pattern cost is $4.50. Please remember that I personally send out all patterns from my shop via email with an attached pdf pattern. Sometimes there is a slight delay because it is not automated, it's me doing all of the sending! I try to be as prompt as possible.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy this beautiful, lush hat as much as I do!

best, susie

p.s. Two of my patterns made the Best Knitting Patterns of 2009 for Whipup.net. Check it out here! Thanks, Ramona, for letting me know.

p.p.s. I have a new free pattern available on Spud says! Check it out here!