Huge Little Skein Giveaway! Plus join the #annealong!

*All of the photos for today's post are used with permission from Little Skein in the Big Wool.

Edited to Add on Oct. 9th, 2014: Anne Vally has added one skein of the Anne's Story fingering weight yarn to the prize package!! So an additional $32 skein of Anne's Story included with the Luxe Kit!!! Thank you, Anne, for upping the ante!

Click here to find out more about this yarn! 

Hi, Knitters,

I am here today with a fantastic giveaway for you! I am so excited to be part of the team that gets to promote and host a giveaway for the newest Little Skein kit, Green Gables. I was lucky enough to be in Maine with Paula Emons-Fuessle, the designer of the shawl Balsam Hollow for the Green Gables kit, on the day the kit debuted and was released for sales. The kits are still available for purchase now but the initial kits sold out in literally a couple of minutes! It was so exciting to witness when we were together in Maine. Paula and Anne are rock stars for sure.

Anne Vally, the creative force behind the ultra-successful Little Skein in the Big Wool brand sent the kit preview along with four sample shawls knit in the yarn color choices for the kit. The entire kit is breathtaking. Anne goes all out and that's why her kits are so incredibly special.

Here are some links for you to enjoy:

Paula Emons-Fuessle of the Knitting Pipeline podcast! She's the designer of the gorgeous shawl.

Click here for the Balsam Hollow shawl on Ravelry (to be released for individual download in November).

Little Skein in the Big Wool website!

Little Skein in the Big Wool Etsy shop! You can purchase all of the kit pieces separately and together in different forms. If you are thinking of a knitting-related gift for the holiday season, any part of the kit would make a great gift.

Knitalong with Littleskein group on Ravelry! I'm a member ~ come join us.

It's hard to imagine the amount of work and thoughtfulness and love Anne pours into her kits. She is really something. So today I am giving away to one lucky blog reader the Luxe Kit! Thank you to Anne Vally for the generous giveaway opportunity.

Click here to see today's giveaway prize, the Green Gables Luxe Kit! The prize today is worth $105!

Here is Anne Vally's description of the Luxe kit:

The LUXE Green Gables shawl kit features everything you need to make "Balsam Hollow," a new (and exclusive to Little Skein) shawl design from Paula Emons-Fuessle of the Knitting Pipeline and inspired by Anne of Green Gables, and to truly reminisce about the optimistic and enchanting Anne Shirley and her forever home on Prince Edward Island.

Your LUXE kit includes:

• A PDF copy of Balsam Hollow, a beautiful new shawl design from Paula Emons-Fuessle (you will receive download instructions after placing your order)
• Two 100g skeins of Leading Men Fiber Arts' Marquee yarn in the exclusive Green Gables palette colorway of your choice, which is ample yarn to knit either the standard size or the extended size of this beautiful shawl
• A project bag in your choice of style: drawstring bag (suitable for 1 to 2 skein projects) or a larger zippered project bag (ideal for 2 to 3 skein projects)
• A Canadian Girl stitch markers (with either the Anne master marker or Canadian Maple leaf)
• Autumn Leaves impatient knitter tag
• A surprise sweet treat and all of Little Skein's signature special packaging

The yarn for the kit is custom-dyed by Leading Men Fiber Arts.

Click here for the Leading Men Fiber Arts shop!

There are four options plus an added variegated sock yarn (click here to see this one, I had to order my own it's so pretty!).  The colors are gorgeous and autumnal. I have the Green Gables color and I'm getting the Anne with an E color sent to me. I am going to cast on Paula's Balsam Hollow shawl very soon! It will be good retreat and travel knitting for me coming up.

Here is the description of the beautiful yarn from Anne Vally:

About your yarn:

Leading Men Fiber Arts' Callback base is a round and bouncy 3-ply superwash merino wool. It absorbs color beautifully and is rich, saturated, and glowing. This yarn is the perfect sportweight blend and creates a drapey yet warm fabric.

The palette of available colors evoke autumn on Prince Edward Island -- the luscious green leaves of Green Gables; the evergreens of Orchard Slope, the sloping area between Anne's home at Green Gables and Diana Barry's farm; spooky purples and dusky evening colors of the Haunted Wood; and of course, Anne's beautiful red hair.

Dyer: Leading Men Fiber Arts
Base: Callback sportweight
Colorways: Green Gables, Anne with an E, Orchard Slope, or The Haunted Wood
Fiber content: 100% superwash merino
Yardage: 328 yards per 100 grams

The Anne palette of colors is available exclusively from Little Skein in the Big Wool.

You get to choose between two bag options. Both are so beautifully handcrafted. The zipper bag is a little bigger and the drawstring bag (the one I have) is just right for a skein or two plus your project. Anne designs her own fabrics. The lining is as intriguing as the outer fabric. I think this is my favorite fabric design yet from Anne. The leaf motif with Anne of Green Gables outline in the big maple leaf is one of the best details ever. I LOVE this bag!

Here is Anne Vally's description of the bags:

About your project bag:

Prince Edward Island project bags are handcrafted from original fabrics, created by me, exclusively for the Green Gables kit.

The fabric features hand-painted watercolors from Polish artist Agnieska Swiejkowska and adapted by me to create a portrait of leaves and the natural world in beautiful autumnal colors, with a wistful silhouette of Anne Shirley. The exterior fabric has been digitally-printed for me on my favorite blend of cotton-linen fabric, which is wonderfully durable and has a slight nubbly rustic texture to it. For the zippered project bags, I've upsized the design to create a larger motif of Anne, and the drawstring bag's fabric is likewise sized to that particular design.

The interior fabric for Prince Edward Island is a warm autumn green, featuring some of my favorite quotes from this classic heroine, like secret and optimistic messages from Anne to you.

My drawstring bags have been sized for 1 to 2 skein projects, and my shawl-sized zipper bags are quite roomy and are sized to fit 2 to 3 skeins of yarn and your work in progress.

The Little Skein stitch markers have long been one of my favorites. They are so well-made and pretty. In the Luxe kit you win a set of markers and the choice of one of two charms. Here is Anne Vally's description of the stitch markers:

{ ABOUT YOUR STITCH MARKERS }

You'll receive a set of 8 stitch markers with a master marker of either the Anne silhouette or a Canadian maple leaf. Let me know in the notes section of your order if you have a preference; otherwise I'll surprise you!

Paula picked a leaf motif because trees play such a big role in the setting for Anne of Green Gables. It's perfect. The shawl is so simple, triangle shaped garter stitch with a simple leaf lace motif at the border. A first time lace knitter could knit this shawl. It is lovely. There are two sizes, the original and then one with an extended lace section. Great work, Paula! I love the way the shawl design ties in with the bag and stitch markers and yarn. 

Leslie Wind also contributed and designed the most beautiful shawl pin I have ever seen to go along with the kit. It is a simple leaf shape and it is effective and stunning. The leaf silhouette shawl pin is called Kindred Spirit. It is light as air and a real piece of art.

The shawl pin is NOT included in today's giveaway but you may want to order one to go with your gorgeous new shawl. I have one and I can't wait to wear it all together, and carry my bag while using my stitch markers and knitting my Anne's Story sock yarn...... while reading my new Anne of Green Gables book!

Click here to see the shawl pin!

Click here to see Leslie Wind's Etsy shop!

Anne's patterns are always beautifully photographed and have a clear and easy to follow layout. The pattern for the Balsam Hollow shawl has been tech edited and test knit. 

The other part of the Green Gables kit is the #annealong that is running from September 23 to December 21st! You'll want to join because it is so simple to enter and there will be fantastic prizes along the way with a big grand prize given at the end. Here are the Grand Prize details......

And: the grand prize is totally awesome, and it will be announced on December 22. 

At the end of the #annealong, on December 22, I’ll choose a grand prize winner who will receive the NEXT Little Skein kit which will be released in January and features a new (upcoming) shawl design from Susan B. Anderson and two skeins of Plucky Knitter yarn.

Yes, that's me! You get the chance to win my upcoming new kit with Little Skein!!! It is going to be spectacular and fun. And yes, the yarn is exclusively dyed for the kit by the Plucky Knitter. You'll want to try to win this one so enter the #annealong by posting anything Green Gables related along with the hashtag. It's so simple!

The #annealong is a wide open -along that includes not only knitting Paula's shawl but also reading, sharing a photo, starting an Anne Shirley-related or inspired project.... well, here is Anne Vally's great description of the #annealong:

Click here to read about the #annealong on Anne Vally's website!

I am so excited to announce that Little Skein in the Big Wool, together with my co-hosts Susan B. Anderson, Amanda Jennings (heyporkchop of the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery), and Paula Emons-Fuessle of the Knitting Pipeline, will be hosting a fall #annealong on Instagram to celebrate fall with Anne Shirley!

Here's how it works:

The #annealong is an Instagram contest, readalong, watchalong, and knitalong. To join in, make sure you have anInstagram account and then:

1. Start an Anne project ...

• Knit the Balsam Hollow shawl from Little Skein’s “Green Gables” kit -- kits will be available for sale beginning September 22 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time in both the Little Skein Etsy shop and in the new Little Skein pop-up shop
• Knit any pattern that reminds you of Anne of Green Gables
• Knit with yarn that reminds you of Anne, Prince Edward Island, etc.
• Read one of the Anne of Green Gables books (maybe read along with the awesome Juniper Grace?!)
• Watch the fabulous Anne of Green Gables miniseries
• Do anything else that reminds you of Anne Shirley, Green Gables, Prince Edward Island …. make it work, double dip, have fun

2. Share a picture on Instagram that shows what you're doing

3. Enjoy the community

• Like an #annealong photo
• Comment on an #annealong photo
• Become inspired and uplifted

4. Maybe win a prize!

Now, to win the Luxe Kit worth $105 please leave ONE comment on this blog post (please do not email me to enter) that includes your email address OR your Ravelry ID! Please be patient for your comment to appear and don't post repeatedly. I approve all comments to avoid spam and sometimes it takes me awhile to approve the comments so there is a delay. In your comment I'd love to hear your connections to Anne of Green Gables or your favorite part of the kit if you'd like or just say hello. I will randomly select one winner next week when I return from teaching at Webs in Massachusetts.

Don't miss out on this fantastic giveaway opportunity... yarn, bag, pattern & stitch markers worth $105! That's a huge and beautiful prize.

Good luck and let the comments begin!

xo ~ susan

The Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat 2014 ~ Recap

photo by Barbara ~ ravblb on Instagram

Hi, Knitters,

A week has passed and I think I have finally recovered from the Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat 2014. I had the best time ever! Paula, in the photo above, is a fantastic host and retreat coordinator. She has just released her podcast reviewing the retreat. Paula has a gift for bringing people together and for fostering friendships. She hosts three Knitting Pipeline retreats throughout the year. The three retreats are all very different. Two of the retreats are hosted in Washington, Illinois, her hometown, and then she hosts the Maine retreat. This was her second annual Maine Retreat. If you are interested in attending any of Paula's retreats you'll need to start following her on Ravelry and her Knitting Pipeline Podcast. All of these retreats fill up incredibly fast and there are always waiting lists to get in.

Click here to go to Paula's website, Knitting Pipeline to listen to her podcast and to look at her photos!

Click here to follow or join in Paula's Knitting Pipeline group and here for her Knitting Pipeline Retreat group.

photo by Susan Wilkins of Fresh Air Photography

Do my eyes deceive me or do I actually look tall in this photo? Trick photography!

Here is the entire group of wonderful, knitterly women. Everyone is holding a pair of mittens that were donated to the Maine Mitten Project. It was so much fun to meet everyone and to have these fun knitters in my classes. Their enthusiasm for knitting was contagious. I'll never forget the Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat for so many reasons. First, Paula let me teach and then she let me enjoy the retreat as an attendee for a couple of days. I didn't have to work the entire time which was such a gift. I took full advantage and loved every minute of it, soaking in the setting and the knitters. Second, it was my first (of hopefully many) trips to Maine and I feel as if I could live there I loved it so much. Last, meeting all of these talented, fun, spirited knitters is something that will stay with me for years to come.

One more last, I got to meet Pam Allen from Quince & Co. in person for the first time. I have emailed and talked on the phone with Pam but we have never met face to face. This was a true highlight of the trip for me. Pam is one of my main role models in the knitting industry. She is honest, easy to work with, hard working, and so talented, everything she does is spot on. I met Pam when she came to share her gorgeous Maine Quince & Co. yarns for all of the knitters. Everyone went crazy for the yarn and the purchases were flying. It was super fun to see.

The Quince crew including Jerusha and Dawn along with Pam, came back the next day with the orders for the attendees. This time I got to sneak away with Pam for a coffee and a macaron and a chat for an hour or so. I loved this time together so much. We have a few more projects together coming up soon! 

Thank you, Paula, for this life-changing retreat!

Linda Healey was the perfect tour guide because she lives right in Kennebunk, Maine. Linda and Barbara picked me up from the airport, took me out for lunch, gave me a grand tour of the area, and then delivered me to the retreat center. Linda's knowledge of the area is impressive to say the least. She knew so much history and all sorts of facts. I loved it. Linda helped me plan out my running route for my stay in Kennebunk. I appreciated that because I have a horrible sense of direction and can get lost very easily. I stayed right on track when running because it was so simple to run along the ocean. Thanks to Linda for all of her help.

Click here for Linda's Instagram feed! She has gorgeous photos of Maine, knitting and spinning. She's a good one to follow.

Click here for Barbara's Instagram feed!  Barbara takes great photos, too! Another good one to follow.

Click here for Barbara's public Flickr feed with loads of Knitting Pipeline Maine retreat photos!

Barbara is a talented photographer and knitter and she has some great photos from the retreat. I bought a skein of Barbara's beautiful hand dyed yarn from her line called Eggy Johnson (no online shop is available) that I'll share later. Thank you, Barbara for the welcome and for your photos.

At the end of the retreat Linda also took me back to the airport in Portland the following Thursday and we went out for lunch at Becky's Diner in Portland. I had some fantastic chowdah (that's Maine talk for chowder) that I won't forget anytime soon. We stopped by Port Fiber and I got to meet the energetic owner, Casey, and I purchased a couple of her hand dyed braids of Maine fiber. Housed in the same building is A Gathering of Stitches, a workshop space owned by Samantha. I hope I get to teach there someday! 

Here are a few photos of my first day in Portland:

The following photos are of my stay in Kennebunk for the retreat:

The setting of my first early morning run on Gooch's Beach. Not too shabby. I ran every day while in Maine. I was in heaven.

I'm obsessed with the jagged rocks all along the beach.

We stayed at the Franciscan Guest House in Kennebunk. It was the perfect setting for the retreat. Kennebunk's main street was a few blocks to the right and the ocean was a few blocks to the left. Everything was incredibly scenic and convenient. There was so much to do and see and the venue was perfect for just hanging out and knitting together. There were outdoor and indoor spots that were comfortable for everyone.

The President and Mrs. Bush were staying at their house in Kennebunkport while we were there. The photo above is of their home. It is huge and gated and heavily secured. It is an impressive sight. A few knitters saw Barbara Bush a couple of different times walking with her walker and dogs on the beach, secret service in tow of course. One of the retreat knitters, Pam, actually talked to Mrs. Bush about her dogs while she was walking on the beach. Pam was so funny recalling the story.

Photo by Paula Emons-Fuessle

I ate my first award winning lobstah (that's Maine talk for lobster) roll at the Crab Shack. Paula and I shared this order I am showing. We each had a sandwich and a bit of coleslaw on the side. It was delicious. Each one of those sandwiches cost $18 and they were not big.

I'm wearing my Hyla Brook shawl, a design Paula did for Quince & Co. I love this shawl so much and wore it for the entire retreat. It is the perfect size. Click here for the pattern information for Hyla Brook. I made mine in the Storm colorway of Finch from Quince & Co. I added beads to the bind off edge. 

Photo by Paula Emons-Fuessle on Walker Beach

This was the setting for dinner one night. The water was like glass and the colors were so vibrant. Maine is just breathtaking. Plus, I had one of the best fish dinners I've ever had. The food was so good in Maine.

This is the little restaurant where we had dinner. I can't remember the name of it.

Running on the beach! What a treat.

My buddies Kriste and Kelly, a mom and daughter duo from Texas, kept me company throughout the retreat. I just love these two and have met them before in person. Kriste does a lot of test knitting for me, she is such a talent. I consider her a good friend and now her mom falls into this category, too. Her mom Kelly is so much fun and a great knitter, too. I love their matching stature (very tall) and gorgeous red hair. They are a stunning pair. The two of them together are fun, warm, welcoming and the retreat would not have been the same for me without them. Thank you, Kriste and Kelly!

One afternoon we snuck away to Ogunquit, which was about 30 minutes from Kennebunk, and we went for a long and scenic walk along the oceanfront. Every turn on the path was more beautiful than the last. 

I wanted to make sure I stuck my feet in the ocean before leaving. It was freezing and rocky.

I found out that two of my favorite podcasters Mary of the Knitting Dish (left) and Grace of Juniper Grace have secret nose spoon talents at dinner. Who knew? Grace didn't really drink all of that but someone thought it added to the photo. I kind of agree. These two are a hoot. I love both of their podcasts so be sure to check them out.

Click here for the Knitting Dish!

Click here for Juniper Grace!

I taught the Sock Yarn Bunny Workshop! There were a few finished bunnies, many almost finished bunnies and many in progress bunnies. We put the bunnies in their various states on the table and took a photo. It was fun to see how many knitters kept working on their bunnies after the class. I have received a few messages from people who have finished their bunnies now at home.

Click here for the Sock Yarn Bunny pattern information! Mini version pattern is here!

Mary's finished sweetheart!

Twinset Jan's finished mini sock yarn bunny is so cute! I purchased some of Jan's farm alpaca yarn that I will share later. Jan has a wonderful podcast that I've mentioned before, Twinset Designs. I highly recommend it.

Click here for the Twinset Designs audio podcast by Jan and her twin sister Ellen! You'll love it!

Bunnies together forever!

Paula, Louise and Lisa (from left to right) are checking out Paula's photo! 

You may recognize Louise from the Caithness Craft Collective podcast. I've listened for years and you should definitely check this podcast out. Louise and her mother came all the way from Scotland to attend Paula's retreat. It was incredible to meet them. What a fun pair! There were people from all over the country in attendance and from Scotland and Canada. That's such a credit to Paula that people will travel so far to come to her retreats.

Click here for Louise's podcast!

Click here for Louise's Etsy Shop! She sells Tartan knitting project bags that are adorable.

While at the retreat I designed and knit this tiny little sheep that I am using for a new workshop I am developing for The Knitter's Review Retreat in November and for Vogue Knitting Live in NYC! The Vogue Knitting Live class sign-ups just opened if you are interested. I think the class is called 3 Wee Sheep! Let me know if you are coming to class with me.

I gave this little guy (it's about 2-inches tall) to Linda Healey as a thank you for driving me all around and taking me out to lunch. I have already made another for my class sample. It's a fun, one-piece bottom up knit. The pattern is currently only available for my classes. 

Thanks to Paula and all of the attendees for making my first Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat a fond memory. I hope to go back again and again either as a teacher or just as an attendee! I don't want this to be my one and only time at this retreat so I'll make sure this wish comes true.

xo ~ susan

p.s. Paula debuted her new shawl design and kit release in coordination with Little Skein at the retreat. The kits and Paula's Balsam Hollow shawl are a HUGE hit. You can order your own Anne of Green Gables inspired kits right here on Little Skein. I will be talking about the kit and the #annealong very soon.

A Pair and A Spare ~ A Mitten Story

Hi, Knitters,

I started knitting a pair of mittens a couple of weeks ago for TC's swim sister for the high school swim season. Every year I have knit a pair of mittens for both of my daughters' swim sisters. I have done all sorts of mittens with different yarns ranging from a worsted weight to a bulky weight to a super bulky weight. This year I was digging around in my stash to see what I could find for a fun pair to give away to TC's sister. I stumbled upon some skeins of Noro Kureyon that had been sitting around for many, many years.

The pair I whipped up for the swim sister (in the photo above) were knit with two skeins of Noro Kureyon in the same colorway and just knit straight through without worrying about the color changes. They turned out so adorable and cheerful. The mittens are mismatched in a charming way. TC told me that her swim sister just loved the mittens so much. That made me feel good.

I used my Waiting for Winter mitten pattern. I have this pattern completely memorized, all three sizes in the pattern, and I love that I can just sit down with my worsted weight wool and knit a pair of mittens from memory in no time at all. I love this pattern that I have refined for years and years. It is so simple and quick. The Waiting for Winter mitten pattern is written for worsted weight yarn knit at a 5 stitches per inch gauge.

Click here for the Waiting for Winter pattern! 

The pattern comes in three sizes to fit: large child/small woman's hand, medium woman's hand, and large woman's hand. The pattern is easily sized up or down by using different gauge yarn or by following the easy number trends in the pattern to expand the sizes to fit smaller children and men.

I knit the middle size, or the medium, in the pattern which fits an average-size woman's hand. Lengths can always be varied for the cuff, thumb and hand. 

One medium mitten (the middle size) with a: 

3-inch ribbed cuff 

+

1-inch of stockinette stitch worked before the thumb gusset starts

+

a 4-inch hand beyond the held stitches for thumb and before the decreases at the top of the mitten

+

1.75 inch thumb before decreases

=

30 grams of worsted weight wool 

The Noro Kureyon comes in 50 gram balls. So I know that I need 2 skeins to make a pair of mittens in Kureyon. 

If you knit the Kureyon straight through you will get mismatched mittens, which I love! They go together but don't match perfectly. I think this is super cute for woolly winter mittens.

Now the Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat was hosting a mitten-along as a group charity donation to the Maine Mitten Project. Click here to find out more about the Maine Mitten Project! I can't remember how much I had completed on the first mitten or the second mitten before I got to the retreat but I finished the pair while at the retreat. This was a great retreat knitting project as it is fun, super simple and I have the pattern memorized. I would knit mittens again at a retreat.

This time I used the Noro Kureyon in a different way. I took two contrasting balls of the Kureyon and striped them. You can see this in the mittens (in the photo above) I donated along with the other attendees' mittens. The mittens definitely were a pair but they are mismatched in the cutest of ways.

The mitten donation was incredible at the retreat. I think there were about 50 attendees at the retreat. I think in the end there were around 70 pairs of mittens donated to the Maine Mitten Project. What a huge success.  The attendees took the donation very seriously. Paula, the host, had a mitten share time where everyone got to stand up and share the pair or pairs of mittens they made to donate. I loved this time of sharing. I had so much fun looking at all of the different styles and sizes and yarns. It was really inspiring. Sometimes the simplest plain pair of mittens can capture your heart. There is something sweet and good about a pair of wool handknit mittens. It brings you back to childhood somehow. 

Something funny happened while I was at the retreat. My son, who is in business school at the UW-Madison, called me asking for help with a class project he was assigned. The class is about entrepreneur small businesses and he was put in a group of students to come up with a clever idea. His group wanted to do something with winter-wear knit accessories. That's why he called me to see if I had any ideas. It was funny that I happened to be knitting mittens right at that time.

We started talking about various ideas about mittens. His group thought about a pocket to put a bus pass or ID card in on the top of the mitten hand but then I thought you couldn't bend your hand which would be annoying. I think this has been done before, too. Then my son and I started talking about how you always lose one mitten and then the mitten that's left is useless.

I started thinking about what if you had a pair of mismatched mittens, like the Kureyon mittens I had been working on, but then you continued adding a third mitten into the set so that if you lose one you have a spare. So we called it, A Pair and A Spare! The perfect set of mix and match mittens was born.

My son's group loved the idea. My son shared a photo of the stripey mittens to the group and several girls in his group said they would wear these mittens every day! The idea was met with huge approval. I quickly knit up a sample set for my son to bring and share with the group. I don't know how the story ends with the business class project but I know that I love this set of 3 mix and match mittens.

Aren't they squishy and inviting?

So here's how you make these stripey mittens and you don't have to make three mittens but you might want to after I tell you about them.

Remember that each of these medium-size mittens from the Waiting for Winter pattern weighs in at 30 grams. With contrasting colorways of Noro Kureyon and two balls, 50 grams each, you have 100 grams of worsted weight wool. You can get 3 mittens with 100 grams or 2 balls of Noro and you hardly have any leftover yarn at the end (about 10 grams). It is the perfect project and yarn use. Kureyon has long color changes that sort of fade into the next color as you go along. This makes the striping entertaining to knit and the outcome is stunningly beautiful.

Click here to see more about Noro Kureyon! 

For the mittens I followed the Waiting for Winter pattern to a tee. I did 2 round stripes with alternating balls of Kureyon.  So knit 2 rounds with one ball, and then 2 rounds with the other ball. I carried the yarn up on the inside of the mitten being careful not to pull too tight as I worked. 

When I started the decrease rounds at the top I only used one ball of yarn. Then when I went back to finish up the thumb I continued using the same ball I used at the top of the mitten for the decrease rounds. That's it! It is so easy and you end up with this set of 3 mittens that are mix and match plus you have a spare mitten. The mittens are so inviting and sweet looking. Noro Kureyon is one of the great yarns of all times in my opinion.

I think this is the best gift around. It is a fun and fast knit, the Kureyon is $8.95 a ball at WEBS, so your gift is under $20. You can have so much fun picking out contrasting colorways of the Kureyon and you really can't go wrong, the crazier the colors, the better for the mitten sets. After my son is done with the mittens for his class project I will definitely be gifting these for the upcoming holidays. 

Now if you think about it, if you have 4 balls of Noro Kureyon (200 grams) and did the stripey mittens like this you would end up with 6 mittens or 3 pairs of mittens that are mix and match. This is not a bad idea either. What a great way to use up Noro and have some quick gifts ready to go. I'm thinking about knitting these up for everyone on my list this coming holiday season.

Let me know if you try the A Pair and A Spare idea or if you just try the stripey Noro Kureyon mittens. Also, doesn't everyone have a few balls of Noro Kureyon in their stash just waiting to be used somehow? I know I do. I have 3 balls left that I plan to knit up into Waiting for Winter mittens in this stripey-style.

Fall is really getting going around here. The fall foliage is becoming breathtaking. I am soaking it all in as fall is truly my favorite season of the year.

xo ~ susan
p.s. The knitting project bag in the first photo is from LoveSockWool on Etsy!

The Loopy Ewe Fall Fling 2014

Hi, Knitters,

It's time to get back at this blog writing thing with gusto. I want to start by mentioning two longtime friends of mine. I have kept in touch with both of these women for years and have worked with both off and on for years in the knitting industry.  And both of my friends have started new businesses which I think will be enormous hits.

First is Merri Fromm who is a talented knitter, writer, designer, tech editor and graphic design artist. Merri has left her office job recently and is starting a new design brand and website called Tangletown Knits. This is a new venture but she already has a few adorable designs up and available for purchase. Merri is a good one to follow and I can't wait to see what she continues to come up with over the months to come.

Click here for the Tangletown Knits website!

Secondly, my buddy Tanis Gray, who you might know as a Vogue Knitting magazine editor, Knitting Daily TV show contributor, fantastic knitting teacher, talented knitwear designer (she has so many books and magazine covers and designs), sewer, and all-around good person, has just opened one of the sweetest Etsy shops around selling her sewn project bags. I will be ordering again and again from her shop because these are my most favorite type of project bags. They are soft, roomy and they have the fabric drawstrings for closure which is such a great added feature. You will want to check out Tanis' Etsy shop and stock up for yourself and for your knitting friends! The bags are the perfect gift price point. 

I better get my order in before you all jump over there and sell her out. Everything Tanis does is top-notch perfection and I can say that with complete confidence. The other thing is that for someone who worked at Martha Stewart and Vogue Knitting and is currently working for several yarn companies in various roles, Tanis is the most honest, down-to-earth soul around. She has had and continues to have great successes and she is humble, generous and kind and really fun and funny. You would all just love her in person. She is one of the hardest working talents in our industry.

Click here for TanisKnits Project Bags on Etsy!

Click here for TanisKnits website! She has a fantastic blog, too.

Now on to today's topic at hand....

I have been traveling to teach over the past couple of weeks and I'd like to share a bit about these events with you.  

First in terms of events, about two weeks ago I went to Fort Collins, Colorado to teach at The Loopy Ewe's Fall Fling. The event is now alternating between a Fall Fling and a Spring Fling which I think is a genius idea. Sheri Berger, the owner and host of the event, is one of the most organized people around. She has every detail planned out and the event runs like clockwork. 

Click here for The Loopy Ewe website. (Get on their newsletter list to keep up with the ever-changing and exciting yarn updates! I look forward to this email every time.)

The 150 or so attendees get to take classes. The teachers (see the photo above) were from left to right, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (she also spoke twice while in Colorado, once at the event and once before the event for the community of non-attendees), Ann Budd, me, and Marly Bird. It was a great group, with lots of fun and laughs included. 

I taught four workshops, two sessions of Little Dragon, and two sessions of Fair Isle Fingerless Mitts. Both topics went well. I especially enjoyed seeing how many students continued on with their Little Dragon knitting after the class. Many finished or almost finished the dragon project while at the retreat. That was fun to see.

I showed my classes that the Little Dragon can cover his eyes by tucking his nose under his arms so a lot of the photos have the dragons being bashful. It's very sweet.

Click here to learn more about the Little Dragon pattern!

Here are a few of the finished Little Dragons:

The following photos are of Marion Hooks Little Dragon. She messaged me to share her completed Little Dragon a couple of days ago. I thought her dragon has so much expression and personality that you might enjoy seeing it as much as I did.

Click here for MarionHooks (rav id) Little Dragon project page! Thanks for sharing with me!

photo by MarionHooks

photo by MarionHooks

Photo by MarionHooks

Sheri schedules trips to her shop, The Loopy Ewe, for all of the retreat attendees. The Loopy Ewe is fabulous. There are rows and rows of expertly cultivated yarns. Many staple yarns, including their own brand of sock yarn, and also many indie dyers that you don't often see in person. It is a treat to be at this calm, large and well-organized yarn shop. I just love it there. Plus, there is now an enormous well-stocked fabric section at the back.

The photo above is of the talented spinner/knitter/weaver/chain mail artist Lynn Zimmerman, the shop manager (I think this is right). She's standing in the first aisle of yarn at The Loopy Ewe and she's wearing a newly finished top that looks so good on her. I can't remember the name of the pattern..... okay, here I found it:

Sugar Maple!

Stephanie brought the house down on the first night with her informative speech and super funny Q & A session! What a treat. She is such a talented and impressive speaker. I soaked in every minute.

This table of goodness is from my first Fair Isle Mitt workshop! Aren't they great?

This table is from my second session of the Fair Isle Mitts workshop! Later that night at the closing ceremony I saw a few finished mitts and the class was earlier that day. Pretty impressive!

Every year there is a group photo. What a talented and fun group of knitters. Do you see me there? I'm in the front row, sort of in the center off the to right a bit. Stephanie is two down to the right from me. 

I didn't get a huge amount of knitting done at the retreat but here is a little of what I accomplished. I started the sock on the left, String Theory sock yarn that I purchased at The Loopy Ewe the first day of the retreat. It is a dream to work with and I did a (slip1, knit1) repeat for 1 round every time the color changed. I have now finished this sock and started the second one. The sock on the right is the second sock in The Lemonade Shop yarn called Rainbow Stripes (I think she is taking custom orders now as the yarn is sold out, but check out the stitch markers!). I have now finished both Rainbow Stripes socks and have a new pair for the sock drawer.

Thank you to Sheri for organizing such a successful and well-run event! And thanks for having me back! I will come and teach for you anytime.

Okay, next I'll be back with a look at the Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat, which was a completely different experience. These two retreats, both wonderful, could not be any more different. That's what makes my job so much fun, every day is so different.

xo ~ susan
p.s. More sweater talk coming up, too!