Bowled Over

Hi Knitters,

First things first, there is a giveaway going on right now over on Sheep Dreams for the Spud & Chloë at the Farm book and the yarn to make Spud and Chloë! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment. Dianne is one of the organizers for the Kentucky Sheep & Fiber Festival where I am having a workshop and a book signing. Also, Dianne lives on a farm where they raise sheep and loads of other animals. She has a lamb-cam set up in her barn for lambing season. Dianne is one busy woman.

Here are the links to all of this good stuff:

Sheep Dreams Spud & Chloë giveaway! Click here and enter! Good luck to you all:)

Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival (May 20-22nd)! You can sign up for my class or stop by the book signing to say hello!

Lamb-cam!

Okay, now onto my lovely new yarn bowl. I am dying to share this talented potter with you. Julie Knowles Pottery is the Etsy shop where I purchased this flower design yarn bowl. I love it so much and it is making me really happy while I knit. I highly recommend Julie's shop.

Here is the link:

Click here to check out the Julie Knowles Pottery shop!

I am blown away by the beauty and charm of this sweet yarn bowl. It is so exquisite in every way. To hold it is to really feel the handmade heft and quality of this piece of art.
I keep switching out the yarn I place in the bowl because I have so many projects going. The yarn bowl has held up to four different yarns a day lately.A piece like this at your side makes knitting even more fun if that's possible.

Below is a short and chatty spinning video for you today. I propped my camera up on the arm of the couch so it isn't the best but that's okay.

The video is cut off here on the blog, for a full screen viewing click here to go to Youtube to watch me spin.

Enjoy the spinning and thanks for keeping me company, everyone. I sure do appreciate you all.

best, susie

Bunny Knitting Season

(photo by Liz Banfield)

Hi Knitters,

I've been known to knit a bunny or two in my day. I thought I would pull together a bunny laden post to celebrate the coming of spring this year. I'm not sure why I have the knit bunny love but I am sure that I will knit many more in the future.

Above is the Chubby Bunny from Itty-Bitty Nursery. This was the first toy I ever designed and I have been smitten with toy knitting ever since. (photo by Liz Banfield)

Chubby Bunny ~ Itty-Bitty Nursery

Blue Sky Organic Cotton
(photo by Liz Banfield)

Bunny Tail ~ Itty-Bitty Hats

Yarn~ Rowan Cashsoft Baby DK
(photo by Liz Banfield)

Bunny Tail ~ Itty-Bitty Hats

Yarn ~ Rowan Handknit Cotton
Here is a Bunny Tail made by a young and new knitter friend of ours, Miss Molly. This one is made in Blue Sky Worsted Cotton and it is beautiful.
Rabbit ~ free pattern on Spud & Chloë's Spud says! (my other blog)

The surprise inside? A tennis ball.

Yarn ~ Spud & Chloë Sweater

Mini-Reversible Duck to Bunny ~ free pattern on Spud & Chloë's Spud says! (my other blog)

This little toy flips inside out and turns into a tiny yellow duck.

Yarn ~ Spud & Chloë Sweater

Bunny and Chick ~ available in my Ravelry pattern shop

Yarn ~ Cotton Chenille or Sugar-n-Cream Cotton

Pattern feature: These two toys are made entirely out of garter stitch squares. It's the perfect beginner project.
Oh, Bunny! Washcloth ~ available in my online pattern shop and my Ravelry pattern shop

Yarn ~ Cotton Chenille

Bunny Hat and Blankie ~ Spud & Chloë printed pattern line, available in local yarn shops and online yarn shops. Check here for the pattern.

Yarn ~ Spud & Chloë Outer
This entire set is crochet and can literally be whipped up in a day or two. I had so much fun making this in the super bulky machine washable Outer and with a big crochet hook. It is simple and fast. It's a winner for any baby shower or baby gift, I guarantee it.
The tail is optional but always a cute touch.

At the same time I made the bunny hat and blankie I was working on the Woodland Bunny for the Holiday Issue of Knit Simple 2010.

Woodland Bunny ~ pattern in Knit Simple 2010 (#39 bunny in the magazine)

Yarn ~ Spud & Chloë SweaterThis is one of the sweetest bunnies I have ever made.
He sits so quietly in your hands, too. What a good bunny.
I made this awesome tall bunny for Blue Sky Alpacas printed pattern line a little while ago. I just love this long legged bunny in a carrot sweater. The yarn (handspun cotton) is no longer available but Blue Sky Skinny Cotton would be a great substitute.

Hop ~ pattern in Blue Sky Alpacas printed pattern line sold in local yarn shops and online yarn shops. Click here to purchase and see the pattern.

Pattern feature ~ Hop is worked in one piece from the tip of the paws all the way to the tips of the ears. If you don't like seaming this one is for you.

Hop is a gentleman and a scholar (at least in my mind).
Bunny ~ pattern in Itty-Bitty Toys

Yarn ~ Blue Sky Worsted Cotton

This Bunny is the first toy I knit for Itty-Bitty Toys.
I love the Bunny's paunch. I stuffed the tummy so it is all round and chubby.
He's just as cute from the back. Pom pom bunny tails are the best.

I have two more bunny patterns, click here and here.

Each of these bunnies hold memories for me. I can remember all kinds of events going on in my life as I knit every one of them. Knitting is funny like that. Every project tells a story.

"Hoppy" bunny knitting to you all this spring.

best, susie

p.s. I have three upcoming giveaways. One on Spud says! for a fantastic Spud & Chloë at the Farm giveaway you won't want to miss, another right here on this blog for a surprise featured designer's patterns and some luxury yarns and finally, another book giveaway for some cookie goodness. Stay tuned.....

Demeter's Shawlette

Hi Knitters,

Meet my new favorite neckwear. I have become slightly shawl-obsessed over the last few weeks.

In honor of my new interest I knit up a shawlette this weekend in Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn. I've had this ball of earthy yarn for several years and I just ran across it again last week. Let me tell you, I love this yarn but it had 5 knots in it. 5. That's a lot of knots. I was lucky because the knots all came in the middle of a color and didn't jump to a new color which would have created an unnatural progression in the striping pattern.

The best thing about the Noro is how the colors change gradually. I love how you are knitting along and then you start seeing little flecks of the upcoming stripe color. It never get old. So yes to the yarn, no to the knots. I'd use it again in a heartbeat.
I used the wonderful Laura Linneman's (of the Knit Girllls video podcast) Demeter's Shawlette pattern. Click here to see the free pattern for Demeter's Shawlette. Laura's pattern calls for a beaded edge but I chose to work 6 rows in garter stitch and bind off. I considered adding beads but the simplicity of the project is really what appealed to me most so I opted out.
My Demeter's Shawl blocked out to be about 60 inches long and 23 inches top to bottom on the center line. It is a nice size. Perfect.

I also recently knit up the Baktus shawl out of Zauberball. The Baktus is another good and simple shawl pattern. There is something so quick and fun about using up an entire ball of sock yarn and also ending up with a gorgeous lightweight knitted piece to wear around your neck. I love that.

Oh, I have to give you notice that I am teaching at the Kentucky Fiber Festival (lol. I just clicked on the link and there I was! I didn't even know this was up.) This will be my first sheep and wool and fiber festival ever and I get to see my friend Dianne who I have known for a few years now. She is a good one and she is also running the festival along with many, many others. I will be in good hands. Dianne is hosting a Spud & Chloë at the Farm book and Spud & Chloë yarn giveaway which I will let you know about as soon as it is up.

Click here to jump over to the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival to find out the dates and how to sign up for my class!

Also, later this week I am hosting a really wonderful giveaway that I am very happy about. Be sure to check back for that.

best, susie

Spud & Chloë at the Farm is here!

(photo by Liz Banfield)

Hi Knitters,

Yesterday my new book became available! That's an exciting day. Your local yarns shops, book shops and the bigger chain book stores and online booksellers have books either available or on the way right now. Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered and thanks to those who are picking up a copy now that it is available.

Click here to find out about Spud & Chloë at the Farm.

Click here to see all of the projects in the book.

Click here to see the Mother Hen and Chicks project in the photo.

(photo by Liz Banfield)

The Mother Hen and Chicks project is one of my favorites in the book. The mama hen lifts up and nests the little chicks right underneath her feathers. Her body is like a hat, it is hollow inside. The eggshells are removable, too. This little chicken set has a lot of interactive options which I love. I love a toy that does something.

I have a lot of people who want to knit the entire Spud & Chloë at the Farm set. I think a knit-a-long for the book is in store. I'll keep you posted if you'd like to join in.

Here is the Spud & Chloë yarn requirement to make every project (there are 13!) in the book:

Color # Hanks

Sweater:
Toast 3
Firecracker 3
Splash 2
Ice Cream 7
Root Beer 3
Watermelon 1
Firefly 2
Pollen 2

The following 3 colors are for the buckets and only a small amount is needed:
Grass 1
Popsicle 1
Moonlight 1

Fine (piglets):
Tutu 1
Sassafras 1

Outer (hay bales):
Cornsilk 2

Okay, back to some TC crafting news. TC is bringing back the old gum wrapper chains! She is using printed paper cut in strips instead of gum wrappers. I used to love this craft in the old days when gum came in sticks with the paper wrapper over the foil wrapper. Now it is hard to find gum packaged like this. My favorites were Double Mint, Juicy Fruit and the best ever, Fruit Stripe Gum (was there a zebra involved in this brand?). Do you remember buying gum just to get the wrappers? I do.

TC has made lots of bracelets like this. Our crafty neighbor makes these chains out of Starburst wrappers. I think I shared a headband she made with her Starburst chains.

Click here to see a video on how to make a wrapper chain.
TC also has been covering these boxes with decorative paper and flowers. The box we purchased at Joann's. Inside the box 6 tiny cylinders nested. TC covered those, too.
I think the flowers and paper are from an American Girl paper set. The box is going to be used for a gift and the cylinders are housing some of my notions like yarn needles and stitch holders.
What a cheerful little project. I don't even know how she did it because I didn't watch her as she worked. It sure is neat and tidy though. I know I saw some glue and scissors were involved.

Here is another friendship bracelet TC made for a friend. She chose rainbow colors for this one.

I finished those Spud & Chloë stripey socks I started awhile ago. I will post more about them on the Spud says! blog but I wanted to share them with you, too. I am not writing up a pattern for these because they were inspired by a pair of socks knit by someone else.

Anyway, I love the end result and so does TC. I started knitting more socks because TC has been raiding my handknit sock collection this past winter but now she has her eye on these, too. It may be a lost cause.

By the way, someone's legs are quickly getting longer....

I love the heel gusset and the mismatched toes. What a great pair of socks and what fabulous yarn (Spud & Chloë Fine).

I've been doing a tiny bit of spinning but not much. I really need more hours in the day, don't you? I think that is every knitter's wish.

best, susie

TC's Newest

Hi Knitters,

TC has been a crafting busy bee. Her newest undertaking is making friendship bracelets amongst a few other things which I will share later. She has had a huge bag of embroidery floss for a long time. Neither of us can quite remember how she got all of that embroidery floss which is kind of funny. What I find so interesting about TC is how she studies and learns a new skill. I don't know what triggered the new obsession with friendship bracelets but she must have seen something somewhere.

She hopped on youtube and found a young girl who has an enormous series of tutorials on all kinds of stitches for these bracelets. She spent so much time studying and also writing out the step by step instructions for each of the patterns. Then she takes her written notes and goes from those to actually make the bracelet. I think the action of writing out the steps brings clarity for her so she can understand better.

Click here for one of the tutorials TC found!

With these bracelets you can even spell out names with lettering. There are stripes and chevron patterns, too. She has one bracelet going that is called the rag rug which is a series of colorful knots. For all of you kids from my generation or older, this is really macrame done on a tiny scale, which means each bracelet is a series of knots. Macrame in my day was done with rough, hairy twine and held hanging plants or made wall hangings with owls. Those were the days. I know I tried my hand at macrame long ago.

TC became particularly fond of the wave bracelet in the photo. She has made 3 or 4 of these so far. The one above with the shades of green is for my son's girlfriend.

She made this one in pinks and purple for me. I've been wearing it ever since. The other day TC loaded up her bag of thread and her trusty clipboard (to hold the bracelet while working) in her backpack to take to school. She has a really nice study hall teacher who lets them chat if their work is done and TC had the idea to teach a couple of her friends how to make friendship bracelets. I guess they loved it and now have made their own wave bracelets. If you get to sit by old TC in study hall you may just learn a new craft or two along the way.
In other news, I have to share this poster my son made. He is a junior in high school. He made this poster as part of a group assignment for French for Le Chat et L'oiseau (the cat and the bird) which is a children's story. I think that's correct. It is supposed to look cartoonish and child-like.

The fun thing is that by moving the attached skewers on the right side of the poster the cat's arm moves along with the bird, like he's swatting. He wanted a brass fastener but I didn't have any so instead he asked if I had any string. Um, yes, I do have some string.

Anyway, I thought it was kind of cool and innovative for a school poster. This son is into animation and is taking a computer animation class right now which he loves. He brought the character movement right into his poster. He also told me likes the French word for bird, l'oiseau. Me, too.

TC is continuing to play the French Horn. I thought this quick last minute practice session before her concert was cute. She had her music on the stool in front of her. I love a good beginning band concert. They all sound exactly the same.

Well, those are some of the goings on over here. What's happening at your house?

best, susie

What a Difference

Hi Knitters,

I haven't been spinning much at all this week as time hasn't allowed but I want to share a bit of spinning today that was finished recently.

This beautiful skein is spun from 4 ounces of Sunshine Yarns roving in Wintersong.
This time around it went so much better. I mean 100 times better. I don't know how it happens but somehow you start to intuitively figure out how to control the roving as you spin. I haven't had any further instruction or help but I just sit by myself and spin for minutes a day when I get a chance. Somehow things are slowly coming together.
I am pretty pleased and TC has told me this is my best yarn yet. That's pretty good praise as she is an honest one. It is still far from perfect and has some thicker sections sprinkled in but I'll take it.
I have 250 yards so I know I am getting better and more consistent because....
... with this 4 ounce braid (Springtree Road in Coriander) I got 166 yards. That's 84 yards more! That's improvement. Both are merino wool. Although the Wintersong is superwash.

My goal is to get enough eventually out of one 4 ounce braid to make a pair of socks for myself. It seems a little lofty but that's my goal. I'm sticking to it.
I don't know yet what these two will become but I am even kind of liking them together. We'll see.
I had a little tiny bit left over on a bobbin from both my earlier attempt at Wintersong and my latest more successful attempt. I plied those two tiny bobbins' worth of singles together to get about 30 yards of this thick and thin. Maybe I will make a tiny sweater ornament or a tiny mitten ornament with this.
Here was my first attempt with this same roving I shared a few weeks back. As you can see there was a lot of trouble going on. It kept breaking and breaking on me and I couldn't get the twist even or even going. I still adore this skein because I like that imperfection. It is amazing how different the same roving can look when spun in a different way.

It is also amazing to me what a difference a few weeks of practice can make. It is like night and day and the funny thing is that I don't even know what I've done to improve. That's kind of cool. It just happens. It's the same with knitting or any skill I guess. Practice and patience makes all of the difference in the world.
So this is Sunshine Yarns Wintersong part 1. Part 1 became a scarf (My so-called scarf). I'll keep you posted on Wintersong part 2.

I have been knitting and sketching like mad this week. I'll have some knitting things to share coming up soon.

Oh, I joined The Knit Girllls spin-a-long! I am watching the back episodes of their video podcast as I have been knitting this week. I joined through their Ravelry group for the Knit Girllls. Ooooh, I see they are almost to 1,000 members! I don't know if I'll have the time to spin right with them due to my upcoming publicity stuff for Spud & Chloë at the Farm but I got on the list to get the roving. They are all going to spin the same roving and then have different project options for knitting it. It sounds like a lot of fun.

Hope everyone is doing well out there.

best, susie