Tuesday, September 11, 2012

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

30 comments:

Suzanne said...

You are going to be part of an amazing line up at that knit event in Canada. I hope you enjoy the experience.

chmurka said...

All they are great :D
I can't stand to see the yarn

Anonymous said...

I hope you enjoy your fiber! I'm excited to see it spun up. I've been waiting for someone to spin one of those sets!

- Becca
Moonshine Fiber Co.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MoonshineFiberCo

Stefanie said...

That is so amazing! Ho'omaka'i Susan on the Canadian engagement. I'll be looking forward to reading about it. I think it's so cool how that cute 8 year old knitted up the penguin herself for her new moi moi. That it too sweet.

Zenitude said...

I'll be at the KnitEast also, as a participant. Even though I have not signed up for those wonderful toy knitting classes, I hope we'll have the chance to meet!

CelticCastOn said...

I've signed up for your toy workshop, can't wait to learn some tips from you!

Anonymous said...

I would absolutely love to attend a workshop of yours! Is there ever anything like this in Virginia? Have fun! It all sounds so wonderful. ~Mary~

Dorothy said...

Oh,be still my heart! If only I could attend, both for the classes and that location! Now, if anyone knows of a good electonics/electircal engineering job that my husband can get RIGHT NOW, I could go. LOL. It sounds absolutely wonderful. I"ll be looking forward to the patterns coming out later.

Amber said...

Oh I love your blog! It's like getting in an email from a friend (and i mean that in a nice way, not a creepy I'm going to stalk you way!)

I CAN NOT wait to see this cool yarn! I love the picture of the little knitter and the gorgeous tree.

And I wish I lived close enough to take a class (in a friendly, I'm not stalking you, really, kind of way!!!)

Wendy said...

You seriously have never been to Canada?! You live in Wisconsin - so close! Anywho, have fun!

PS - did you take a class to learn how to spin? I'd like to learn, but have NO idea how to get started...

GerryART said...

Your Frogs are driving my brain crazy. LOL
hugs

Anonymous said...

I'll be in your Build a Toy Workshop! I'm sure it'll be fun, the only difficult part is waiting a year until it happens! :)

Brandi Schoch said...

Congrats have fun at your knit event....i Love your tree!

Elizabeth D said...

Must! Have! Frogs!

I can already see them, smaller, in sock yarn remnants. . .

wolfgran said...

LOVE the new toys, so cute! Those frogs make me squeal!
Thank you for posting the penguin story and pic, too, I love that so much! Very sweet:)

idiosyncratic eye said...

I wish I could go to cool festivals and take amazing classes like this! So jammy those that get a place! ;)

PS. Well done Vicki's granddaughter, she's done a grand job of that.

PPS. That tree is beautiful, I love trees.

:)

Pam K said...

Hi Susan; I actually have a question about the Opal Sock yarn bunny:). I am almost done with the head ( and already love the look). You suggested the safety eyes. Can I get those at most large craft retailers, or do you order them from somewhere? Thanks so much. I will post a photo under the Itty Bitty group when I am done:)
Pam

Susan B. Anderson said...

yes, Pam K, you can buy the safety eyes at big box craft stores. i got them at Jo Ann's.

Vicki Maynes said...

Thank you for including Rhiannon in your blog! We printed it out so she can keep it and she took a copy to school to show her friends!

Vicki Maynes said...

Thank you Susan for including Rhiannon in your blog! She was so excited that we printed a copy of it for her to save and she took it to school to show her teacher and friends!

Liz said...

I can't wait for the frog pattern I love frogs!

Liz said...

i can't wait for the frog pattern. They are so cute!

Artesanatos da Minie said...

I wish a great teaching course for you and I love your frogs!

Mi.

remmy said...

I'll be there all day Saturday with you.

I just can't wait...

Melissa said...

Hi Susan,
I've been so hung-up following the QRS KAL on Rav that I've forgotten to check your blog for the past week... so I missed this announcement! I'm sooo excited that you're coming to New Brunswick next year, I'm going to do my best to be there, the classes sound amazing! I wanted to go to Vogue Knitting Live because of your toy classes, but this is even better! Looking forward to it!
Melissa.

Vicki said...

I have started the Sock Yarn Bunny, got the last package of 6mm eyes at JoAnn's yesterday. Now how do I get them to lock on? I put the eyes in the knit fabric but the white circles seem to only go on a little way - do I have to push them on really hard? Do I use a tool to get them on?
Thanks for the help.

Vicki

Susan B. Anderson said...

vicki - i just snapped them on and they seemed to clamp down enough (the white piece). I pushed the white thing on with my hands only.

Vicki said...

Thanks, Susan. I guess mine are tighter than yours - or I am a weakling! I'll get my hubby to help me.

Marge said...

Susan,
Could you please let me know how, or where, I can but the string along frogs pattern. I am slowly recovering from fractures to my laft ankle and my right foot so I am not out and about to attend any classes, etc.
Thank you,
Marge

Susan B. Anderson said...

Marge ~ the pattern for the STring a long toys will be published sometime in the near future. Right now they are only available in my workshops.

I hope you heal quickly.
susan