Prairie Ridge Shawl ~ Pattern Now Available!

Hi, Knitters,

The Prairie Ridge Shawl is now available for download in my Ravelry Pattern Shop! Be sure to read to the end before purchasing, I have a couple of opportunities for you.

I knit the Prairie Ridge Shawl last summer to be included in a kit from Infinite Twist. The kits are still available through Infinite Twist and the yarn included is beautiful hand dyed handspun yarn. The yarn and owner of Infinite Twist is from China. The owner, Cate, is an American and works with a women's cooperative personally and provides the wheels and spinning fiber and financial support for them. It is a wonderful company doing lots of good out there.

Click here to see the information for the Prairie Ridge Shawl!

Click here to see Infinite Twist!

The shawl pattern is for a worsted weight yarn and it is a simple but entertaining knit because there are textured ridges and yarn over rows in between stockinette stitch rows. The increases are simple. The Prairie Ridge Shawl is a soothing and fun knit.

It is a great first time shawl pattern, too!

In this photo I have the shawl worn over my shoulders and tied behind my back. I love wearing it like this. This is a generous shawl but also one you could make smaller because the pattern could be stopped at any point. 

Here is some information you might like to know

Prairie Ridge Shawl:

Finished Measurements: 68-inch wingspan, 22-inch depth after blocking

Yarn: Infinite Twist worsted weight 100% wool; 550 yards

Needles: US size 7 circular needles, 32-inch or longer

Gauge: 5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch before blocking

Pattern Note: The gauge for this shawl doesn’t have to be exact, however, the yardage requirements will vary if the gauge is different. Also, this pattern doesn’t require a certain number of stitches at any certain point, you can easily make your shawl larger or smaller by continuing on or stopping at any time. Stopping at the end of a repeat is recommended when changing the size of the shawl. If the size is different than the pattern states the yardage requirements will be different as well.

Click here to see the Prairie Ridge Shawl on Ravelry!

I have knit this same shawl twice now and have started it a third time. I love this shawl. The layers in the photo above show the original shawl knit in Infinite Twist on the bottom, the middle layer is knit in my handspun in a about a sport weight (I added a different edging), and the top layer is the version I am currently working on in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, which is a fingering weight.

The shawl in the worsted weight is a hefty beautiful shawl. The sport weight handspun version was much lighter. I gave this version to my shawl swap partner at Knit East last fall. She loved it and wore it around for the rest of the event which made me feel really good.

The red Loft version is going to be light as air and I can't wait to finish it. I am making it with 2 skeins of the Brooklyn Tweed Loft. Shawls are always fun because you can vary the size through the yarn weight. I'll keep you posted on the final version of the Loft Prairie Ridge Shawl. I can't wait to wear it.

Here are a couple of photos of my handspun version:

I'll have to see if I can find the stitch I did for this edging. It was pretty cool. I didn't use it on the worsted weight version because the yarn was too heavy.

Here comes the good part! Look at this handspun yarn from Infinite Twist:

 (the gorgeous Box of Chocolates colorway)

(the beautiful Autumnal colorway)

I have enough of the Box of Chocolates and the Autumnal colorways (both worsted weight and 600 yards each) to make the Prairie Ridge Shawl and I want to share it with you!

I also have put the pattern for the Prairie Ridge Shawl on sale for $1.00 off with a coupon code through Ravelry. The coupon code is good for one week, through January 20th, 2014! The shawl is regularly priced at $5.00 and with the code it is $4.00.

The coupon code is:  PRAIRIE

So here is the deal. If you purchase the shawl pattern this week I will automatically enter your name in a drawing for the shawl's worth of Infinite Twist in either the Box of Chocolates or the Autmnal colorways. If you purchase the pattern and don't want to be included just let me know. I will select two winners through a random number generator after I get back from Vogue Knitting Live in NYC. I will ship the yarn to two winners the week of January 20th, 2014!

Click here to purchase, don't forget the discount code!

Good luck if you enter!

Have a great Monday, Knitters. It is going to be a busy week ahead.

best, susie

Little (and Mini) Dragon ~ Now Available for Download!

Hi, Knitters,

Remember this little guy? Well, the rights have just reverted back to me from Unicorn Books and I have just added the downloadable pattern for Little Dragon to my Ravelry Pattern Shop!

Click here to see the Ravelry pattern page for more information or to purchase!

Little Dragon is knit in an interesting way, all in one piece from the bottom up to the tip of the nose. Then the arms, feet, tail, ears and wings are all picked up and added on. I used safety eyes but you could embroider on eyes just as easily.

Little Dragon is knit with 2 strands of Opal sock yarn held doubled throughout the project. This makes the yarn close to a worsted weight so you could use a worsted weight yarn as well.

The fun thing is that I can imagine dragons in all sorts of colors, red, purple, blue, multi, striped, handspun.... 

Here is some information you might like to know about Little Dragon:

Size: 6 1/4 inches tall

Needles: US size 5 dpns

Gauge: 6 sts per inch in stockinette stitch

Yarn: sock or fingering weight held doubled, about 40 grams needed

6mm safety eyes (optional)

Click here to see Little Dragon on Ravelry (you don't need to be a member to purchase patterns on Ravelry)!

The Little Dragon pattern is a pint-sized knitting adventure. You get to use all sorts of fun techniques and the construction may surprise you. I came up with an unusual way to get the head to turn that is very simple and effective. It keeps the head slightly mobile which gives the dragon loads of personality.

One thing I don't have a photo of is something cute you can do with Little Dragon. He looks sort of baby-ish and young already but when I was at TNNA at the Unicorn booth they showed me that you could put the arms up and tuck the nose in so it looks like the dragon is covering his eyes. I loved this and didn't even think of it. Then the dragon becomes sort of bashful and shy. I think kids would really like this.

Okay, and now for the Mini-Little Dragon! I made a much smaller version of the Little Dragon, so the Mini-Little Dragon it is. This tiny blue dragon measures about 3 3/4 inches tall and sits easily in the palm of your hand. It couldn't be any sweeter. 

Friends forever, these two! I know there are so many dragon-themed books for children, teens, and adults. This little dragon would make such a sweet gift for any dragon fans out there. Little Dragon has so much personality. I just love this little guy so much.

Now for the Mini-Little Dragon! Yes, I made a mini! I am teaching the Little Dragon as a vehicle for some fantastic knitting techniques and toy knitting technique workshops all over the place. I decided to add a mini-version for the class.

I am posting the simple modifications to make a mini-version of Little Dragon here on this post only. I will put the link to this blog post on the Ravelry Project Page for the Little Dragon pattern for your reference.

Here are the modifications (to the purchased pattern) you need to make a perfect Mini-Little Dragon:

To make a Mini-Little Dragon:

Needles: US size 1 set of 4 dpns

Gauge: 7.5 sts per inch

Yarn: Opal Sock Yarn Solids Series or any other fingering weight or sock yarn (yarn is worked with 1 strand instead of 2 strands held together for the original Little Dragon)

·      You will need approximately 15 grams of fingering weight to make the mini-dragon.

Work the pattern exactly the same (using 1 strand of fingering weight on US size 1 dpns) as for the original Little Dragon except for these places:

Snout:

Rnds 8-12: knit

Arms:

Knit every round until the arm measures 1 ¼ inches from the picked up sts.

Left Wing:

Row 12: knit (leave out rows 13 and 14)

Right Wing:

Row 12: knit (leave out rows 13 and 14)

And there you go!

I hope you have a great weekend ahead. It is supposed to warm up a bit around here which I'm looking forward to.
best, susie

First Sock Report of 2014

Hi, Knitters,

Well, I'm off to a fun start for 2014. I just reviewed an almost final draft of an exciting new project I have been working on for some time now. It is adorable and will be released, hopefully, later this month. My hope is that you are going to love it as much as I do. I think you will.

Over the next few days I am releasing the Prairie Ridge Shawl and the Little Dragon and Mini-Little Dragon (all in one pattern) patterns in my Ravelry Pattern Store! I will post about each on the blog to let you know when those become available. I'm very excited about both of these patterns becoming available for download for you!

I am getting organized, mostly in my head, for Vogue Knitting Live in New York City at the end of next week. Who wouldn't be excited for that? I love the VK Live events so much. The staff is excellent and the whole thing is run so well. Next up is Vogue Knitting live in Seattle in March! I hope to see some of you in New York and in Seattle. I just found out that I am having a book signing in the Knitty City booth in the market at VK Live on Saturday, Jan. 18th from 5:30 to 6:30! I will sign any and all books or book plates, whatever you'd like to bring or purchase in the booth. It would be great if you could pop on by.

Okay, enough of all of that business talk. Let's talk socks!

I want to give you a quick sock report today. I can't stop knitting tons of socks at the same time. It doesn't bother me at all. I pick them up and put them down like nobody's business. They all get finished eventually. I love the process as much as the wearing. So here we go with my many socks in progress.

Above in the photo:

Yarn: My own handspun, Dyeabolical Roving purchased at the Kentucky Sheep & Fiber Festival

Pattern: How I make my socks (a free pattern by me!)

Progress: This is the second sock. I wear the first sock all of the time, mismatched style. I'm getting close to the heel flap on the second sock.

The Yarn Buddy, that the cake is sitting on, is wonderful. It is from my buddies Jeanette and George of Sun Valley Fibers. I leave it sitting in my living room and knit a round or two or three whenever it moves me.

Needles: Knit Picks US size 1dpns

This reminds me, I have a hat and mitt set that I designed for Sun Valley Fibers for the Thaw Retreat coming up toward the end of January. I am teaching at the retreat along with Amy Detjen. I will be releasing that pattern shortly after the retreat. It is really cute and the MCN Worsted by Sun Valley is like heaven. Jeanette dyed a special colorway just for the retreat. It is gorgeous and icy, you'll see.

Yarn: Knit Circus Matching Gradient Sock Set ~ I purchased this set from my friend Jaala, the dyer and founder of Knit Circus. I love this yarn.

Pattern: How I make my socks

Needles: Addi Sock Rocket US size 1, 32-inch circs (I like these very much.) My first ever attempt at Magic Looping socks. Eh, it's okay. Dpns are much faster for me, much more efficient because there is not as much movement and sliding things around. Dpns are so compact and quick. It's cool though. I like trying new things and techniques. I will probably do Magic Loop socks again at some point just for kicks.

Progress: This is the first sock, the gusset is done and I've got a couple of inches on the foot.  

Project bag: My own sewn bag (first ever zippered pouch for me). Fabric by Julianna Horner purchased at JoAnns. Bag Pattern: Open-wide bag tutorial.

Yarn: Opal Vincent Van Gogh Starry Night (discontinued)

Pattern: Hermione's Everyday Socks

Needles: Knit Picks US size 1 dpns

Progress: I'm on the heel flap of the second sock! I can't wait to wear these. 

Project bag: Sew Bendy on Etsy I love these little bags, simple, pretty, no fuss.

Yarn: Watermelon Stripes by Abbi Grasso on Etsy! This one is an amazing dyer and I love her yarn.

Needles: Knit Picks US size 1 dpns

Pattern: How I make my socks

Progress: I've just started the ribbing on the second sock. The first sock was completed at my senior daughter's last and final high school swim meet. This memory will be tied to these socks forever.

Project bag: Sew Bendy on Etsy

Yarn: Vesper Mini Skein Halloween Set (I love Vesper Yarn!)

Needles: Knitters Pride Karbonz US size 1 dpns

Needle holder: Jelby on Etsy (purchased at the SSK market last summer)

Pattern: How I make my socks

Progress: This is the second sock. I wear the first sock mismatched right now. I'm almost to the heel flap, maybe a couple more inches.

Project bag: Windy Prairie on Etsy This is the shop with the journal covers, too.

Yarn: Patons Kroy in the Blue Striped Ragg colorway purchased at the Wisconsin Craft Market (the most amazing craft/yarn shop you will ever see!)

Pattern: How I make my socks

Progress: First sock ~ loving the yarn!

Needles: Knit Picks US size 1 dpns

Project Bag: Sew Bendy on Etsy

Yarn: Cakewalk Yarns (discontinued) in the Peppermint Bark colorway

Needles: Knit Picks US size 1 dpns 

Pattern: How I make my socks

Progress: First sock. Gusset complete and I'm cruising along on the foot enjoying every minute of this yarn.

Project bag: Sew Bendy on Etsy

On an unrelated to socks topic, I am still not finished with my Agnes sweater/now cardigan. I'll tell you the story quickly. This started as a pullover, just like in the pattern. 

Click here to see the original version of my Agnes!

I realized that, after it was finished, I would like it better as a cozy cardigan. So I steeked it as an afterthought, as you do, and I liked it much better. I had these great cut branch buttons from Wooden Treasures on Etsy and they look perfect on the Bark colorway of Quince & Co. Puffin. It's all tree-like.

Click here to see the next steeked version of Agnes!

Here is the continued issue, the neckline in the front runs too high on my neck. I get fidgety about things bothering me on my neck. It is a top-down cardigan without any shaping at the neckline. The high neck bothered me in pullover form and it continued to bother me in cardigan form. I thought that it would be better in cardigan form because I could leave the top button open but it never sits right, flopping around or something. I am a no-fuss clothing wearer. I can't have any fussing whatsoever or I won't wear it. Not wearing this lovely, cozy cardigan just can't be left that way.

The other day I was wearing a knit hoodie cardigan and another day I was wearing my Calligraphy Cardigan by Hannah Fettig. What I realized from these two cardigans is that I needed to add onto the collar so that it would flop open onto my shoulders, stay there, and then it would not hit too high on my neck. I looked and sure enough I have a leftover ball of the Quince & Co. Puffin in Bark just waiting to become a collar. It's not enough for a hood but it is enough for an added ribbed collar!

Away I went. I picked up stitches around the neckline. I couldn't pull out the edge to get live stitches due to the steeking action but I think it will look fine. I picked up so the ridge would be on the right side and you won't see it at all when the collar lays open. 

The photo above shows the remedy in progress. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE this cardigan and the yarn. I won't quit on a sweater until I get it just right for me. It's basically never over. I am sure by the popularity of the Agnes pattern that most don't mind the neckline. It is just something that bothers me and that I can fix that pretty easily.

I'll keep you posted to see if it works, it looks pretty promising. My fingers are crossed.

And to finish off the day here, a big, gigantic THANK YOU goes out to all of you for participating in my Great Stash Sale on eBay! It is now over, for the time being, although I may make a few more Magic Cakes in the future sometime.... you never know. It was great fun and it is feeling much lighter around here now. You are a speedy bunch. The last group of orders is shipping out today. 

I'll be back with new pattern information on those downloads and more! I hope you are all off to a good start this new year.

best, susie

The Great Stash Sale Continues...

Hi, Knitters,

We have now been to the post office four times, each time with a bin filled with packed orders of yarn and surprises. My eBay shop, yarnsale, is stocked up again tonight. There will only probably be a couple more updates.

Click here to see what's up for purchase right now! 

I set up my winder today and went to town making some Magic Cakes (different yarns joined with the Magic Knot and wound into one cake) that you could use to make Paula Emons-Fuessle's Magic Cake Ruffle Shawl pattern. Remember my Magic Cake Ruffle Shawl? I added in some extra special fingering weight yarns that I thought you would enjoy. You don't have to make this shawl, you could make a different shawl, a cowl, a hat, socks, a scarf, etc.

The Magic Cake above is filled with all sorts of indie-dyed yarns like Cakewalk, and Koigu (the purple on the outside is leftover from the Hippo in Itty-Bitty Toys) and some commercial sock yarns, too. Much of the yarn I have in the shop is leftover from various design projects and book projects.

Things are flying out so fast! Here are a couple of the other Magic Cakes (the ones with the extra cake is for the ruffle for the Magic Cake Ruffle Shawl):

There are other yarns in the shop. Some of the yarns are discontinued, some are not, some are unique, some are standard. All are beautiful, well-kept and loved. It feels so good to know that this lovely yarn is going to knitterly homes.

This unusual skein is lace weight wool with strung felt balls in autumnal colors! I bought this at a Madison Knitters Guild meeting from a local vendor. It's beautiful! Free shipping on this item.

Check it out if you are interested. My stash is depleting quickly. I am only going to be posting a few more groups of listings over the next few days and then it will be over!

Click here to see what's still in the eBay shop, yarnsale!

Thanks for the wonderful support. You are always such a fun group, game for anything! I appreciate you all.
best, susie

Winners All Around

Edited to Add: I have an Ebay listing for more fantastic yarn from my stash!! It's going fast. 

Click here! Click here! Click here!

Hi, Knitters,

The winner of the Mary Jane Mucklestone Muckle Toque pattern and 150 Scandinavian Motifs book is.....

jillpickle (rav id)!

Congratulations to jillpickle! Thank you to everyone for entering. What a great response for Mary Jane's book and pattern. I'll have another giveaway very soon.

The winner of successful knitting for a 20 year-old son is..... me! I'm just kidding about the winning but I really do feel like a winner of some sort. Knitting for men is tricky at times, at least for me. Not the hats so much but sweaters are difficult to gauge as far as size goes. I'm way out of my league. 

First, here is the information about the sweater:

Pattern: Chesterfield by Julie Hoover

Yarn: Donegal Tweed by Tahki

I had a sweater's amount for me of the gray tweed and a skein of the natural. I just added on and ordered a few extra skeins in gray and one more of the natural tweed so I was sure to have enough. 

As I worked I was so concerned that the sweater was too big. I had taken my son's measurements and I had a sweater that he likes to compare for size as I knit but I still had concerns. When I held up the sweater while it was on the needles and then off, it seemed enormous. 

I tried to remain confident until he tried it on but doubts were definitely creeping in. It was so much knitting and I was not looking forward to ripping it out to fix the size but I would have if needed.

In the end, no worry was needed because it fits exactly as planned and better yet he just loves it! Isn't it great? The sweater is designed to have a very relaxed 4-5 inches of positive ease and that is exactly how it fits him. I think the sleeves are a little long but he likes them that way and won't let me shorten them. I guess when you are walking around on campus in the winter in Minnesota you can use extra length on your sleeves. I get that.

He has been wearing the sweater non-stop since Christmas which makes me feel so good. It has been bitter cold outside and this has been the perfect gift for the cold winter season. 

He wanted to hold a piece of bread in the photo. He even took a bite out of it for the photo. I don't know.... he is funny and always entertaining to say the least.

Right before Christmas I decided to whip him up this new hat as well. He loves the new hat just as much as the new sweater and the hat has rarely left his head since Christmas. This is good because someone around here really needs a shave and a haircut two bits (sorry, couldn't resist). Don't even ask about the mustache.... 

What are you going to do but laugh. This one likes to experiment with hair. You just never know what's going to walk through that door. It's pretty funny actually and I really don't mind. I'm always just happy to have him home whatever the state of his hair.

Hat information:

Windschief by Stephen West  I knit it longer by an inch or two than the pattern recommends before the decreases. There is no way it would have been long enough otherwise. For men's hats I always go to at least 7-inches from the cast on edge before starting to decrease for the crown. That's my rule of thumb.

Yarn: Sunshine Yarns Worsted   I can't remember the color name and can't find the tag. This is wonderful yarn! I can't recommend it highly enough.

Cozy guy! Goofball, too.

What fun to succeed at this man-size knit! I don't know if you remember but a few years ago I started knitting another sweater for this son, he's been asking for awhile. It was too small. I discovered the size problem after finishing the back and part of the front. I was pretty discouraged and didn't try again until this fall.

The second time's a charm. Hooray for winning!

I hope you are staying warm. The high here on Monday is supposed to be 14 degrees below zero and that's the temperature without windchill. It will feel even colder. Yeah. That's even hard for me to take and I love winter. It will pass. Oh, and I just got an email that the schools are closed on Monday due to extreme cold weather and possibly on Tuesday as well. 

Another win is extended vacation for my girls! We still have vacation stuff left to do so we'll take an extra day or two. We won!

Take care of yourselves out there and let's knit the cold away together.

best, susie