Quick Picks

Hi, Knitters,

We made a spur-of-the-moment apple run to the Eplegaarden, one of our local apple and pumpkin picking farms, yesterday. We grabbed TC and headed over to pick a large bag of apples. We were in and out of the farm pretty quickly. I hope to get back with a bigger group of family to pick pumpkins in a few weeks. The apples were pretty picked over already as I think the picking season started early this year due to our extreme weather over the last six months. 

My husband and TC worked so fast picking our bag of gala apples that I had a hard time fielding the flying apples and taking photos at the same time. Here is our first apple run in photos ~

 My husband walking through the raspberry crop.

 Worker bees.

 Our tried and true technique works every time. Most of the apples left were at the tops of the trees.

 A bag full.

 Snapped from the car, another beautiful farm on the short drive over.

Now for a couple of knitterly items from the weekend.......

 I've started another shawl design. It's quick, fun and simple. This version is in my fingering weight handspun, the next version will be with a commercial fingering weight yarn. 

 While watching The Fat Squirrel Speaks video podcast last week, I saw her HD Yarns self-striping sock yarn and quickly jumped over to Etsy to get some of my own. 

Click here to visit The Fat Squirrel Speaks website!

Click here to see HD Yarns on Etsy!

Now the two hanks are wound and ready to cast on. 

Note that HD Yarns just opened on Aug. 3rd, 2012, and has had only 6 sales. Rich, the owner and dyer, is currently dyeing up more of his fantastic and unusual striping sock yarn. The colorway I have is called Dynamics. I like it for the color changes and the uneven striping. The base yarn Rich uses is from Knit Picks. I can't wait to get started.

Click here to see it and other versions of HD Yarns!

Have a super Monday!

best, susie

Soule Sister

Hi, Knitters,

I have wanted to write about Amanda Soule and her Soule Mama blog for quite awhile now but haven't found the right moment. That moment is finally here. As you can see by the stack of her books and magazines above, I have been a long time follower and admirer of her writing, sewing, crafting, cooking, gardening, knitting, family rearing, and her honest lifestyle. She does it all and she does it quietly and thoughtfully. There is something peaceful and earnest about her blog that I love. The joy she finds in her family and nature shines through in every post.

Click here for the Soule Mama website.  Here you will find Amanda's inspiring blog, links for her books and her magazine. 

Click here for the inspiring soulemama project page on Ravelry. I want to knit everything Amanda knits and I definitely have knit things inspired by her photos and postings. The Garter Yoke,  Shalom and the Tea Leaves cardigans are all examples of projects I have made due to Amanda's blog posts and her beautiful knitting. She chooses, executes and photographs her projects so skillfully.

When I first heard the news that Amanda was becoming the editor and contributor for a new grass roots magazine called, Taproot, I knew it would be nothing short of unique and beautiful. The artwork on the cover and throughout the magazine is stunning and interesting. The inside pages are chock-full of information and articles. I subscribed right away. 

There have been three issues so far (in order above from right to left) and each has a theme, issue 1 is soil, issue 2 is paths and issue 3 is retreat. I have read them all cover to cover and there is a wide variety of topics offered in each magazine. You'll find everything from gorgeous photography, illustration and artwork, quotes, science lessons, recipes, patterns, well-written articles surrounding the theme of the issue and much more more. 

For example, in the retreat issue, there is an article about the Squam Retreat that recently took place in the New Hampshire woods. Amanda attended Squam this year and then wrote about it for the magazine. I really enjoyed seeing that article and would love to attend this retreat someday. I think my friend Dianne went this year and gave it rave reviews as did Amanda. Oh yes, Dianne's posts about Squam are here and here. Dianne's blog is really good, too, and you should read it if you don't. She is a woman with many talents.

 (photo from the pages of Taproot)

Anyway, back to issue 3 of Taproot. I was pleased to see that the multi-talented Carrie Bostick Hoge, of Quince & Co. and Maddermade.com, has a mitten pattern in the pages of this issue. These adorable corrugated mittens are knit in Quince & Co. Puffin, Osprey or Lark, depending on the size you are making. I will be making a pair of Carrie's mittens out of Quince yarn for sure. The mittens come in sizes from baby all the way up to fit men. That's a wide range.

Click here for Quince & Co. of which Carrie is the art director. All of the glow-y photography for Quince is from Carrie.

Click here for Carrie's blog, Swatch Diaries, and her patterns on Maddermade.com. She has been quite prolifically designing baby patterns lately, probably inspired by her own beautiful little girl I imagine. I have the yarn and pattern set for this gem of a sweater by Carrie and it is next in line after I finish the Calligraphy cardigan (which is taking me forever).

Anyway, please check out Taproot, the Soule Mama blog, and Amanda Soule's books. You won't be disappointed and you'll have hours of reading and inspiration ahead.

Now onto some more knitting fun.....

I even have more Quince & Co. for you today. I ordered two skeins of Quince's Tern, which is a wool and silk blend in a fingering weight. I keep saying this everyday, but I really am casting on Paula's Hyla Brook this weekend. I have had this set for weeks on end and I just haven't gotten to it yet. The colorway is called Sea Grass and I am knitting it on US size 5 needles.

Can't wait!

Here is the third pair of worsted weight mittens I have made from my newly created mitten design. The pattern is coming soon. These are just the best pair of simple worsted weight mittens I have made. The mittens above are made out of Noro Kureyon and it takes two skeins to make this medium-sized pair.

I am working on a big project right now with a deadline looming. This is why I haven't started my Hyla Brook yet amongst other things. I still have a ways to go. This project is stretching my skills a bit as it includes something I haven't designed before. Take your guesses!

One last thing, my Vogue Knitting Live class for the top-down baby cardigans has been sold out for awhile but now there is suddenly one spot available! The class is from 2-5pm on Sunday, October 28th in Chicago. I hope someone snags the opening soon. Click here for more information on the class!

Have a great weekend, Knitters. It is turning into a lovely fall season so far.
best, susie

Knit East Atlantic Fibre Fest and more

Hi, Knitters,
I am super excited to announce a teaching engagement that has just come up. I am heading to Canada for the first time to teach at the Knit East Atlantic Fibre Fest. Knit East is happening September 27th, 28th, and 29th of 2013.

Click here to find out more about the Knit East Atlantic Fibre Fest!

Be sure to check out the fabulous venue, the historic Algonquin, St. Andrews By-the-Sea, in New Brunswick, Canada.

The event is put on by Cricket Cove.

I am teaching three new workshops. The first workshop is for the String-a-long frogs (and monkeys and bunnies). This is the same one I am teaching at the Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago this October. The VK Live class is currently sold out.

The frogs are knit in one piece, no seaming whatsoever, and they are a fun and fast knit. The frogs or monkeys or bunnies could be worked in any colors or stripes. They can be knit as stand-alone toys or made with a loop on one limb that hooks onto the next friend in line! They are super cute and fun.

This set is made in four shades of Quince & Co. Lark, which is a worsted weight yarn. I know I'll be asked so yes, the pattern will be released in the near future with access for everyone.

I am teaching two more workshops. One is a new concept that I know will be great, it is called, Build a Toy Workshop. I am offering lots of body, head, ear, tail and legs/arm choices for the class to choose from to create their own toy! I can't wait to pull this together and mostly, to see what people come up with.

The last class I am teaching is going to be full of surprises. I am teaching a two-part workshop for the Opal Sock Bunny. The students can grab a ball of sock yarn and their needles and head to class. We are going to cover all sorts of techniques and toy tips while creating this seamless, top-down bunny. This is a class that is jam-packed with technique. The fun thing is that many of the techniques used in making this toy translate into other projects of all sorts like socks, sweaters, and even shawls.

The good people at Unicorn Books are providing the professionally made printed patterns, that are sold in yarn shops, for the students AND there will be some fun giveaways as well. The students also will receive the pattern for the matching Sock Bunny Hat.

The other teachers include Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Ann Budd, Bristol Ivy, Mary Jane Mucklestone, and Deb Barnhill. There is going to be yoga for knitters and rug hooking workshops and spinning workshops. It all sounds fantastic to me!

I hope to see lots of you at Knit East 2013! Let me know if you are coming. I have already heard from lots of Itty-Bitty Knitters on my Ravelry group who will be there so I am sure it is going to be fun.

There is a Knit East Ravelry group, which I have joined, and I have already signed up for the swap for the event. I am so excited about the whole thing. Come join me over there.

Now onto some miscellaneous things....

 (photo provided by Vicki Maynes)

Vicki Maynes sent me the sweetest email this morning that included this photo of her adorable 8-year-old granddaughter. She knit this penguin out of Itty-Bitty Toys all by herself. Vicki helped show her how to seam and she took off and finished it by herself, too. She is giving it to her newborn sister, born yesterday, as a welcome to the world gift. What a great email to wake up to this morning.

Here is the email from Vicki (all being shared with permission, of course):

Hi Susan,
Here is my 8 year old granddaughter with the penguin she knit for her new sister, who was born yesterday. She did a really good job with it and was so proud of herself!
I have another picture of her handing the penguin to her sister and the look on her face is priceless!
Just look at the enjoyment and encouragement to continue knitting your pattern brought to her! Thank you so much for your wonderful patterns!
Vicki

I want to quickly share my next spinning project. Moonshine Fiber Company is a new shop on Etsy and they are out of Chicago. I have heard about them on several podcasts and happened upon an update so I grabbed this amazing pairing of roving. I love a brown paper bag for packaging, too. I don't know what it is but I adore getting something wrapped in brown paper like this. Quince and Co. does this, too. I think it is so home-y and simple and warm.

I'll tell you more about it later once I get going more but it is 5oz. You spin the colorful roving as singles and then the black roving as singles. Then you ply it together for a unique yarn, to say the least. It is a mixture of fiber. I have started a tiny bit of the colorful roving and it is pretty fun.

More to come on this project.

TC and I took a hike yesterday before dinner. It was beautiful.

I'll leave you today with one of my favorite trees. It is a gigantic oak tree. It must be so old.

best, susie

A Sunshine Handspun Yarn Story

Hi, Knitters,
This past week an accomplishment happened, albeit minor in many ways. I finished spinning the best yarn I have spun to date. I don't know what happened but the last two yarns I spun have all of a sudden seemed hugely improved somehow. It makes me excited to see this sudden improvement when it has been such a gradual learning process. Really, I don't know that anyone else could even see the improvement but I feel and see it in the yarn. There is something better going on in there. I have been spinning for a little under two years now so hopefully things will continue on an uphill climb in the technique area. Spinning is such a good thing.

With that being said, I am excited to share my latest yarn creation with you.

Here is the information:
Roving: Sunshine Yarns, 100% superwash merino, 8 oz., Desert Cactus
Yarn: 596 yards total of a sport weight (Remember, this is only a guess until I start knitting and I enjoy that.)
3-ply: 564 yards
Navajo ply: 32 yards (I Navajo plied the uneven remaining singles left on two of the bobbins.)

 This is the roving directly out of the bag.

 The pre-drafted roving wound into gigantic fluffy balls are anxiously awaiting the wheel. I divided and weighed it into three-parts at 2 5/8 oz. for each section. The division worked out perfectly to get 3 very even bobbins of singles.

 I purposely tried to spin pretty thin because I knew it was going to be a 3-ply yarn in the end and I didn't want it to be too thick.

 Three beautiful, full bobbins of singles are rested and waiting to be plied. That biggest bobbin there in the front was deceiving, it was the first to run out when plying.

 I was completely enraptured once I began plying. 

 One plied bobbin done. The plied singles filled two bobbins.

The colors are wonderfully subtle and complex. From farther away it looks gray. Up close you can see bursts of orange, purple, green, and charcoal mixed in. 

 The finished yarn is lofty and light as air.

I have decided that I am going to knit a modified Quaker Ridge Shawlette right along with the knitalong group. I think this yarn is going to make a beautiful shawl. We start the knitalong tomorrow, September 9th. You can join in anytime on the thread, all are welcome, but today is the last day to sign up to be eligible for the giveaway drawings I am lining up.

The turn out has been spectacular. We have hundreds knitting along and joining in. Thank you! We are going to have so much fun. I have even gotten some wholesale yarn store pattern sales through the Ravelry approved local yarn stores program which is great.

Quaker Ridge Shawlette pattern

Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong thread

And we're off!

best, susie

Odds, Ends and Beginnings

Hi Knitters,
On this Sunday, Sept. 9th, the Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong begins! I am so excited to finally get this going. We have a great turn out on the Itty-Bitty Knits group on Ravelry so far. The official sign up ends this coming Saturday but this is just to be eligible for the prize drawings for the knitalong. You can join in anytime and just knitalong for the fun of it, that's always welcome. I'll do occasional updates here on the blog, too, if you want to just knit on your own and follow along right here. It's all good in my book.

I am most excited to see all of the brand-new posters and joiners on Ravelry and the Itty-Bitty Knits group and the huge number of first time knitalong joiners. I love bringing new people in to all of these knitting-related places because they are so good for knitting in general. Knitalongs bring such an atmosphere of community, sharing and helping when working on a project. They are motivating, too.

Click here for the Itty-Bitty Knits Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong!

Click here for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette pattern! Please note that the pattern is now on sale for $4.00 and after Sept. 9th the price will go up to the regular price of $5.00.

I wanted to share a couple of shots of the shawl spread out in all of its glory. You can get a good view of the ridges on the body of the shawl, the two increase lines, the lovely ruffle and the shimmer of the beaded bind off. It's a big beautiful shawl that can be worn wrapped up around your neck or draped over your shoulders. The Quaker Ridge is a versatile shawlette.

The yarn is Pashmina by Madelinetosh (2 hanks are needed for the shawl) and it is decadent and drapey. I enjoyed knitting with this yarn more than I can say. Click here to see more about Pashmina!

For the beaded bind off on the shawl, I used these flossers. I could string on about 10 beads at a time. You place them on the yarn one at a time as you bind off. It is a little tedious but beautiful in the end. In the pattern I link to a couple of great video tutorials on how to place beads with a flosser or tiny crochet hook. This type of flosser worked well for me others use the Superfloss. You can buy either of these at the grocery or drug store.

On to other knitting, I have finished two more pairs of my worsted weight mittens. This pair is knit with the ever-fantastic self-striping watermelon wool from Freshisle Fibers. Click here to see more about the Freshisle Fibers Watermelon yarn. I am so in love with this yarn but it is tricky to get your hands on. I stalked the site one day (around the first of the month is a good time to do this) and I lucked out.

Pattern coming soon! The third pair I knit is in Noro Kureyon (2 skeins) and I will share those shortly.

On to some odds and ends, I've been feeling a little sad and melancholy as I watch my babies, now adults, leave for college one by one. I have always been happy to have four children to call my own but these days I am happier than ever to have lots of kids. The gradual transition to having independent adults for children is helping to ease the sadness. Don't get me wrong, I find great joy, fascination and happiness in my grown children, it is just a different phase of life. The fact that everyone is doing well is all this mama really needs to know. Any mother will tell you, it is a difficult time when your kids first leave home because you know that things are never quite the same again. They are good and happy, just not the same.

Anyway, to melt away the sadness and longing for my boys I've been doing lots of this......

and this.......

and this.....

and this....

....and all is good in the world.

And I've pulled out the handspun Hitchhiker shawl once again. It's the project that never ends. I am knitting it out of my handspun from Dianne of Sheep Dreams roving. It is lovely and I know I will love wearing it when it is finished. It is getting to the finish that is making me lose my mind. Wish me luck. The pattern is clever and simple. I have completed 35 out of 41 points, each point being 8 rows of garter stitch, each row getting longer and longer and longer.... I may set a new record for having the Hitchhiker on the needles longer than anyone else in history.

I've completed editing my current book pages. Phew! Another round is done and gone. This book has been a lot of work. I think the extra efforts will be worth it in the end. It is always exciting to see your work come to life in a book. The new book will be released in the spring of 2013.

Lastly, I have so been enjoying my little backyard garden this summer. We have bowls of ripe red tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. The zucchini has been especially abundant, too. There is nothing better than fresh picked veggies from your backyard. This makes my day.

Carry on and I hope to see you at the Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong or just knitting along on the side!
best, susie

Eat Local, Knit Local

Hi, Knitters,
The Madison Farmers' Market, which is officially called the Dane County Farmers' Market, is an amazing treat during the spring, summer and early fall seasons around here. It takes place every Saturday morning and the vendors circle the capitol square. The beauty and vastness of the market takes my breath away every time I go. Usually we have swim meets on Saturday mornings in the summer so we don't get a chance to go too often until the summer swim season is over.

Last Saturday we went to the gigantic market and I think the end of the season is the best time to go. Everything is rich and robust and the colors just knock you out. This particular Saturday was especially energized because another event, The Taste of Madison, was set to start immediately following the market. The Taste of Madison is an enormous food market where foodies get to sample small portions of every kind of food you could think of for $1-4 from 84 restaurants and caterers from the area. There are three live music stages going at different offshoot streets from the square as well. This is another hugely popular event on the square. Both my brother and sister attended this one later that afternoon. On top of all of that action, the University of Wisconsin students were just back to campus life and there was the first Badger football game of the season. Badger red was the color of choice that day.

Click here for the Dane County Farmers' Market website!

Click here for the Taste of Madison website!

As we were walking around the colorful market, taking in the fun atmosphere and beautiful fresh produce, my husband turned to me and said, "Why would we live anywhere else?" I agreed. Madison is definitely our city.

 Radishes are so incredibly beautiful to look at.  They get me every time.

 I didn't know that rhubarb came in different colors. Rhubarb reminds me so much of my mom and her seasonal rhubarb pie. That was an annual treat at our house when I was growing up. Added later: I've been told this is not rhubarb but Swiss Chard. Still looks like colorful rhubarb to me, I can dream there is such a thing. Does Swiss Chard taste like rhubarb?

 Eggplants? I am pretty sure these are some type of eggplant, pretty no matter what.

 Heirloom tomatoes and colorful cherry tomatoes. The. Best.

 Ahhhhh, the glorious sunflowers. I wait every year for the sunflower season.

 Someone had the perfect eye-catching display idea here. Powerful carrot impact on the eyes!

 We found the queen bee and watched for a moment. Hard workers those bees.

Then suddenly I ran across a small booth with a tiny shelf display of yarn. There was a young man in the booth and I asked him about the wool. The farm is called, Shady Blue Acres, located in southwest Wisconsin. They sell organic meats, vegetables and wool from their heritage sheep. They have Romney, Rambouillet and Tunis breeds. Their wool is milled at the Blackberry Ridge mills in Mt. Horeb, which is about a half hour away from me.

Shady Blue Acres has an interesting story behind it. Click here for their website.  The Tunis sheep breed isn't mentioned in their Heritage Sheep text section but there are photos of this breed in the slide show of sheep.

Click here to find out about the Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill. I have visited this mill before and had a tour and it was really interesting and fun.

I came away with a beautifully twisted skein of 226 yards of a medium weight yarn of Tunis wool. The skein cost me $10. It is the bounciest and squishiest skein you could imagine. I am in love with this skein for some reason, slightly obsessed. I have held it and squished and smelled it many times since it came home with me. I am thinking of dyeing it but I have no idea how to do that. 

Any suggestions in the dyeing area are very welcome! Anyone? 

Also, I am thinking I might have to go to the market next Saturday and get more. I asked if he did mail orders online and he said I could email him and they would charge me through Paypal but he seemed hesitant. I am thinking I would love a sweater in the Shady Blue Acres Tunis wool though.

 TC rested her toes for a moment.

 I literally held my Tunis wool like a baby while we walked around the rest of the square. TC bought me a maple sugar sucker which I promptly stuck in my yarn. It was a pretty sweet combination.

And then I ran into this booth! Again, the Wisconsin Highlands Farms offered fresh off the sheep wool and roving milled at the same Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill. I had to get a couple of balls of the fluffy white roving on the top shelf. I got 6.5oz for about $12. I might have to dye this, too. Any ideas in  simple dyeing techniques for a novice are again welcome here.

Click here for a fantastic little article in the Isthmus about the Wisconsin Highlands Farms wools! It's a pretty interesting read for anyone interested in the sheep and wool business.

 Next we happened to run into my niece and nephew on State Street. They were on their way to a tailgate and then to attend the Badger game. 

I admired my woolly purchases on the quick car ride home. I can't believe my good luck. What a great way to start the long weekend.

Have a good Tuesday!

best, susie