Winter Wonderland Hat & Mitt Set ~ Pattern Available with Discount Code!

Hi, Knitters,

I had a wonderful time teaching last Friday at the Sun Valley Fibers January Thaw Retreat. I had two talented groups attend my Fair Isle Hat and Top-Down Baby Cardigan Workshops. It was great to get to attend a local retreat. It was held in Barneveld, Wisconsin, which is about 40 minutes or so from my  home. The Wisconsin knitters are always dear to my heart and they are a warm, welcoming, friendly bunch. I have met and know many of them, and I met many new friends as well. Attendees weren't only from Wisconsin. I had students from Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois. I heard someone came all the way from Texas, too.  Anyway, thank you to Jeanette and George (the owners of Sun Valley Fibers) for being helpful, gracious hosts and for inviting me in the first place. I would definitely come back!

Click here to see a photo of my teacher table demo in action! The photo was taken by Megan Williams of the Stockinette Zombies video podcast. She was in my class and it was great to meet Megan in person. I love her podcast and watch every week.

Jeanette had asked me awhile ago if I would design something with the signature Thaw Retreat colorway she created just for the retreat and I said sure. I came up with a squishy hat and mitt set with a simple cable pattern, just to add a little fun and interest. This would be a good first time cable project for anyone wanting to try.

The yarn colorway, Winter Wonderland, is beautiful but you could use any variegated or solid or semi-solid or self-striping colorway for the set. It would all work wonderfully. I used Jeanette's 80/10/10 Superwash Merino/Cashmere/Nylon Worsted Weight yarn and let me tell you, it is squishy and beautiful. The Sun Valley Yarns are always gorgeous and fun to knit.

I love how the set turned out. The hat is knit at a slightly tighter than usual gauge. It fits so nicely and doesn't stretch out at all. The mitts have a slightly off-center cable running down the top of the hand. I put the cable a little closer to the thumb side of the mitt because I think it looks a little more interesting that way. Also, I think you, as the wearer, can see the cable when it is set toward your thumbs a little while you are knitting or sipping your hot mug of cocoa. I love the folded ribbed cuff on the fingerless mitts. It could be worn flat for more coverage as well.

Click here for Sun Valley Fibers!

Click here for the Winter Wonderland Hat & Mitt Set information and to purchase! You get both patterns included. A discount code is included for $1.00 off through Feb. 2nd, 2014!!

The discount code is: THAW

The patterns were tech-edited by Amy Detjen and test knit by Jeanette of Sun Valley Fibers. The simple cable is written out and charted.

Here is specific pattern information you might like to know about the Winter Wonderland Set:

Hat

Size: To fit an average adult-size head from 19 – 22 inches (This size range would also fit a teen or older child's head as well.)

Fingerless Mitts:

Sizes: small (medium, large) to fit hand circumference 6 (7, 8) inches at knuckles

Yarn: Sun Valley Fibers 80/10/10 SuperwashMerino/Cashmere/Nylon Worsted Weight, 220 yards/120 grams in Winter Wonderland

Hat without pom-pom: 1 skein (115 grams for the hat without pom-pom)

Hat with pom-pom: 2 skeins (The pom-pom in the sample weighs 23 grams)

Mitts alone: 1 skein

Hat with pom-pom and mitts: 2 skeins

Needles:

US size 5 sixteen-inch circular for ribbed brim

US size 6 sixteen-inch circular for the body of the hat

US size 6 double-pointed needles for the top of the hat

Or size to obtain gauge

Gauge:

6 sts per inch in stockinette stitch on US size 5

5.5 sts per inch in stockinette stitch on US size 6

The hat has the perfect amount of slouch for me. It is slightly slouchy and that can be adjusted by how much you turn up the ribbed brim. The big pom-pom is fun but you could leave it off.

On the brim I alternated skeins every two rounds, and on the body of the hat I alternated every round. I think the pooling looks pretty cool on the brim and I am usually not much of a pooling fan. Alternating every round on the top section of the hat eliminated the pooling. I had fun experimenting with the alternating. I don't knit much with variegated yarns, hardly ever, so it was fun to see what would happen.

If you'd like to purchase the Winter Wonderland Hat & Mitt Set I am running a discount for the first week of the pattern release. The discount is for $1.00 off. The hat and mitt set are both included and will be for sale for $5.00 normally, and today through Feb. 2nd, 2014, I am selling it for $4.00 with the discount code: THAW

Click here to get more information or to purchase the patterns!

Click here for the Ravelry project page for the Winter Wonderland Hat and Mitt Set!

Click here to get the Sun Valley 80/10/10 Worsted Superwash Merino, Cashmere, Nylon yarn used in the set! I don't know if Jeanette is going to be selling the Thaw Retreat colorway, the retreat is ending today. Jeanette has loads stunning colors (some new!) available in this same yarn that would look great in the hat and mitts!

You could also use any worsted weight you have in the stash. Striping from the stash would look super cute!

Be sure to type in the discount code THAW when you purchase the pattern set. To get both of these patterns for $5.00 is a great deal, but don't miss the chance to get both for only $4.00 this week!

Have a great Sunday, Knitters! I'll be back soon with much more. I'm thinking of doing another Catching Up video podcast of sorts later this week, too. I hope you'll join me.

best, susie

Home Again

 

Hi, Knitters,

Well, it's been a slow week. I returned Monday from Vogue Knitting Live in New York City, got my boys off and back to college, and my girls have had finals this week for high school. They have half-days of school all week. Anyway, it's been quite hectic around here with not much time for thought. And honestly, I am a little tired this week. I hate to admit it but there just wasn't any down time at the New York event. My boys were with me and we had so much fun together in my off-time and they had fun together while I was teaching. My boys covered an incredible amount of ground, ate amazing food, and saw so much. I have some photos from them that I will post later.

I want to briefly thank my students at VK Live. My classes were full and fun, energetic, and hard working. They were good learners. They were often funny, too, which always makes my day. We worked so hard together on toy-knitting and two-handed colorwork knitting. It was great. Thank you for coming to class and spending time with me. I am teaching and giving a lecture at the next Vogue Knitting Live in Seattle in March. Click here to find out more about Seattle! I hope to see you there.

I will do some fun things with my new pattern, Mary, Millie, & Morgan, starting next week here on the blog. Thanks for all of the wonderful comments and support for the new doll sets. I hear Quince & Co. has sold a lot of Chickadee and a lot of eBooks so far. That's just wonderful. Thank you!

I won't be tired for long. I am teaching two workshops tomorrow at the Sun Valley January Thaw Retreat, which is not too far from my house so I am excited for that. I am teaching the Fair Isle Hat and the Top-Down Baby Cardigan Workshops and I am selling and signing my books at the lunch hour. I hope to see some of you there! I love a local event.

I randomly selected the two winners for the Infinite Twist handspun yarn. By purchasing the Prairie Ridge Shawl pattern you were automatically entered to win this beautiful yarn. The winners are..... seashorehsharon and kally (both rav ids)! Congratulations ladies! I have messaged you both on Ravelry with instructions on how to receive your newly won yarn. I won't get to the post office until next week to mail out your prizes just so you know.

That's enough of that business-type stuff, let me share what I've been doing around my home the last couple of days while I get my energy back.

Above is a tiny skein of Navajo-plied yarn from the end of a bobbin. I finished spinning the Friends in Fiber Falkland in color #1. I have the other bigger 2-ply skein all finished now. It is gorgeous! I'll take photos and share with you later. Great Etsy shop, Friends in Fiber, I can't say enough good things about it. Go check it out!

While traveling and while in New York, I finished the sock above, and am now on the gusset of the second sock. I happened upon this yarn while looking around on Ebay. I purchased it for a mere $3.00 per 50 gram ball. $6.00 total.  That's a steal and I love it. The yarn is Schoeller & Stahl Fortissima Colori, Socka Color, #9072. It's the standard superwash wool and nylon.

You know, I have such a thing for this commercial-type patterned sock yarn. I simply love it. It's fun to knit and the socks wear like iron. Those are Signature Needle double-pointed needles, US size 1s, six-inch in length.

Yesterday, I finished up my Gourmet Stash Fibery Tribbles singles. These were 2 oz. total. I am going to ply this bobbin with the white merino that I have in the bowl.

I can't seem to capture all of the colors in this fiber in a photo. There is gray, black, green, a couple of blues, and purple. It's just beautiful. I had fun spinning this because of the combination of fibers and the pops of color. I think it will be fantastic with the creamy white as the other ply. That way I will save the yardage, too.

Here is the creamy white ready to go!

On my Artisan Wheel I am spinning up this Friends in Fiber BFL/silk Rainbow Gradient next. The colors are pretty and I plan on keeping it as a gradient. I will probably just spin up the whole thing in one shot and then Navajo-ply. I'll keep you posted. It should be fun.

You don't have to pre-draft the Friends in Fiber but I did just to make it a little quicker to spin. I made this gigantic ball of fluff yesterday from the Rainbow Gradient braid. We hung out on the couch together and chatted for awhile. The socks are in the discontinued Vincent Van Gogh line of Opal sock yarn, in case anyone is wondering.

I'll be back in full action next week. The Bunny Love pattern is going to be released in a few days, too. It was previously only available in kit form so that will be fun. I think I will be adding a bit to that pattern so stay tuned....

I hope you are well. Winter continues on in full-force around here, the low today is -13 degrees. That's Wisconsin for you. All the better for me to stay inside, drink hot chocolate and spin and knit.
best, susie

Mary, Millie, & Morgan ~ Dolls for Quince & Co.!

(photo by Carrie Bostick Hoge for Quince & Co.)

Hi, Knitters,

I am so excited to announce the release of Mary, Millie, & Morgan, Knitted Dolls & Clothes! This is my first eBook and what an honor to be able to work with Quince & Co., the publisher of the collection. This little collection is like a dream come true. I have been wanting to knit these dolls for a long time and it finally happened. I am thrilled with the results and I hope you will be, too.

The dolls are knit seamlessly and from the top-down, all in the wonderful sport-weight 100% American wool, Chickadee from Quince. This delightful, charming yarn comes in a wide array of lovely colors. You can pick and choose colors to make your own doll, well, your own. The eBook includes patterns for the comfy cardigan, fancy skirt, pretty dress and cozy shawl. 

The dolls and clothes are a fun knit! I think you will really like the construction. The dolls measure about 9-inches tall. 

Here are the links for Mary, Millie, & Morgan, Knitted Dolls & Clothes:

Click here for the Ravelry project page!

Click here to see the complete lookbook on Quince & Co.!

Click here to see beautiful photos of the dolls and all of the clothes and to purchase the eBook!

Click here to see the Chickadee yarn by Quince!

I am going to talk a lot more about Mary, Millie, & Morgan here on the blog. There is much to tell and share about these sweet girls. I have some in progress photos and my own home photos to share, too. 

But today I have to get packed up and organized for Vogue Knitting Live in NYC! I still have so much to do. I can't wait to get to New York to teach workshops, see old friends and meet new friends, enjoy the city a little, have dinner with my favorite editor from Artisan Books, have fun with my sons, and mainly, knit all weekend!

Please stop by my book signing at the Knitty City booth on Saturday, Jan. 18th, at 5:30pm. The booth numbers are #712 and #714! Bring your books, patterns, notebooks, buy books at the booth. I'll sign it all if you'd like. I hope to see you there if you are around.

Lastly, thank you so much for the support for the Prairie Ridge Shawl and the Little Dragon patterns. The patterns have been flying out of my pattern shop. The Prairie Ridge Shawl sale is going on through this coming Monday. The $1.00 off discount code is: PRAIRIE. By purchasing the shawl pattern you are automatically entered in a giveaway to win the Infinite Twist handspun yarn to knit the shawl like in the sample.

See you on the other side of this very busy weekend! We'll chat more about the dolls then.

best, susie

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