Julianna's Fibre Giveaway & More!

Hi, Knitters,

The lovely Julianna from JuliannasFibre on Etsy has contacted me to see if I would share a skein of her beautiful sock yarn with one of you. Of course I said yes! She sent me the same skein of sock yarn that one of you will receive and it is gorgeous. It is an unusual because it is a repeating gradient called Continuum Hand-Dyed Gradient Sock Yarn which I haven't seen before. I really like it. The yarn is squishy, dyed to perfection and just the most warm, water-y shades of blue. You will love this yarn, too.

Julianna works and lives in Ottawa, Ontario and she is sending the winning skein directly to the lucky winner. Thank you to JuliannasFibre for this wonderful opportunity for one of you.

Here are the details from the JuliannasFibre Etsy Shop for the Past Lives Continuum Gradient:

Julianna's Lucid Dream Sock Yarn

Superwash Merino/nylon sock yarn
80% Superwash Merino/ 20% nylon
420 yds/380 m
4 oz/113 g
Fingering weight yarn 
7-9 st.s = 1" on 2 - 2.75 mm

Machine wash and dry on gentle settings.
Handmade in a smoke-free pet-free studio.

(photo from Julianna's Fibre on Etsy)

Julianna has a swatch worked up in the photo above and it is really pretty. The colorway in the photos is called Past Lives and it is available for pre-order now. She has the Continuum Gradient available in purple and gray shades, too. JuliannasFibre also has beautiful tonals, self-striping and sparkle sock yarn in the shop. It's all well-done and the customer service has a very good reputation. Check it out if you are interested.

I see Julianna has a podcast, too. I'll have to watch this one. Click here for Julianna's podcast!

I already follow Julianna on Instagram. Click here for her Instagram feed!

Leave one comment on this blog post if you are interested in winning a skein of Continuum Gradient in the Past Lives colorway! We will be sock twins if you get a skein or if you win. In the comment please include your Ravelry username or an email where Julianna can contact you to gather your mailing information. Please only click on Publish one time and be patient for your comment to appear as there is a delay.

Good luck if you enter to win!    

For a couple of other random knitting achievements both big and small, I finished knitting up the first size addition to the Waiting for Winter Mitten pattern. Last fall I started gathering measurements to add on both smaller and larger sizes to my favorite mitten pattern. That's as far as I got.

I am determined to get the additional mitten sizes done this coming fall. My fingers are crossed! I have a good start with the first smaller-sized child's pair of mittens. They are really sweet and adorable, I'm very pleased. 

I'll keep you posted on my progress. For the mittens in the photo I used up leftovers of Noro Kureyon and alternated two balls every two rounds to get the colorful stripes. 

Click here to see more about my favorite mitten pattern called, Waiting for Winter Mittens & Fingerless Mitts!

I haven't talked about socks for awhile. Back in the fall of 2013 I spun up a traditional 3-ply sock yarn out of 4 ounces of Polwarth roving from Into the Whirled in the Chromatic Composition colorway. I loved spinning the Polwarth so much. 

I cast on for this pair of socks quite a few months ago and quickly finished the first sock. The single sock sat and sat for months with no explanation. I kind of forgot about it.

Then the other day I saw the yarn and needles and one finished handspun sock sitting in my studio and I randomly picked it up and cast on. A few days later.....

I am wearing my new handspun handknit socks. And it just cooled down significantly outside, perfect timing.

I cast on 60 stitches instead of 64 because the yarn is a little thicker than commercial sock yarn. I used 2.5mm double-pointed needles instead of my usual 2.25mm dpns. I used my free pattern, How I Make My Socks. 

I had 376 yards to start. The finished socks weigh in at exactly 3 ounces. The leftover ball weighs in at 1 ounce. They fit perfectly and the cuff is my favorite length which is 6-inches. I'm very happy with my new socks. There really is something fun about knitting up your handspun yarn. It is gratifying.

Click here for Into the Whirled!

Click here for the How I Make My Socks Pattern!

One last thing has come to fruition. I finished knitting the character Loopy, from The Loopy Ewe! TheLoopyEwe.com, which is one of my favorite online and in person yarn shops, is celebrating their 9th anniversary this August. Sheri, the owner, asked if I would create a knit version of their beloved Loopy from their logo. Since Loopy just happens to be an adorable sheep wearing bright red patterned socks I had to say an enthusiastic yes!

The pattern and kits have now been released from The Loopy Ewe. Click here for more information on the website!

The pdf pattern is currently exclusively available through The Loopy Ewe. I will be releasing the same pattern on Ravelry under a different name (and with different socks) in 6 months, so in February 2016. I will announce it everywhere when the pattern is available in my Ravelry pattern shop!

Here is the information from The Loopy Ewe for the Loopy pattern and kit information page: 

Susan B Anderson has designed a knit Loopy and now you can knit up your favorite sheep in socks! Loopy is knit almost completely seamlessly. The body and head are knit separately in the round and then whip stitched together. There is a simple popcorn stitch section on both the body and the back of the head. The ears and limbs are picked up and knit directly onto the toy. The signature red socks are knit in with one of the socks worked in stripes. The face and sock details are embroidered after the knitting is complete.

Finished measurement: 7 3/4 inches (19.5 cm) tall when sitting

Materials Needed:

• The Loopy Ewe Solid Series
  
  • 2 skeins 01-39 White
  • 1 skein 7-35 Tan
  • 1 skein  91 Cardinal or 63-2 Tomato Red

Note, we are currently sold out of White and Tan. If you'd like to reserve these skeins, please email us (support@theloopyewe.com) if you’d like us to save you a kit of all four skeins to make Loopy. ($48 for just the yarn, or $53 for yarn plus pattern.)

• US 5 (3.75mm) DPN or size needed to obtain gauge
• US 5 (3.75) 16" (40 mm) circular or size needed to obtain gauge
• Fiberfill
• Poly pellets (optional - considered a choking hazard for infants and young children)
• Yarn needle
• Black fingering-weight yarn or embroidery floss for face
• Detachable stitch markers

Please note, this is a digital pattern and it will be emailed to you when we process your order.

The yarn I used to knit the sheepy sample is sock yarn or fingering weight yarn held doubled throughout the project. You could also use one strand of worsted weight yarn to get the same gauge.

Have fun if you knit up a Loopy. I'd love to hear about it.

Leave a comment if you'd like to be entered to win a skein of JuliannasFibre Continuum Gradient sock yarn. I'll select a winner in a few days.

Good luck and let the comments begin!

I hope you are all well. I'll be back soon with more.
xo ~ susan