Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Sampleri ~ new pattern & kit!


Hi, Knitters,
I hope you are doing well. It has finally turned chilly around here and I am full-time wearing wool sweaters and handknit socks to stay warm. It seemed to take a long time this year. It has been a really good fall season so far and I hope it's been the same for all of you. 

I was teaching at the Signature Needle Arts retreat a couple of weeks ago and I had such a nice time. Tomorrow I leave for Edmonton, Alberta to teach at an Ann Budd Knit for Fun retreat. Those are always such a great time. I'm really looking forward to teaching with Ann and Joji Locatelli. I haven't met Joji before so I am really looking foward to it.

Today I want to let you know that I have a new pattern out called Sampleri and it is a simple colorwork hat sized from newborn up to adult xl (fits a man size head). Sampleri means sampler in Finnish. 

The pattern is on discount right now for $3.50, no code needed, through Nov. 6th, 2017. Then it will be priced at $5.00. 



The kits include our Wisconsin Woolen Spun Worsted in gorgeous rich colors. 


Here is some information you might like to know:

Sampleri

Knitting
October 2017
Worsted (9 wpi) ?
5.5 stitches = 1 inch
in stockinette stitch
US 5 - 3.75 mm
US 6 - 4.0 mm
250 yards (229 m)
Newborn (baby, child’s small, teen/adult small, adult medium, adult large, adult extra-large)
This pattern is available for $3.50 USD  buy it now
Sampleri is being offered at an introductory price of $3.50 starting today, Oct. 30 through Nov. 6, 2017. After that it will be priced at $5.00. 
Over on Barrett Wool Co. we have Sampleri Kits available!
What could be better than a cozy handknit hat made with squishy worsted weight wool? Well, better yet is all of the above plus some simple colorwork charts thrown in for fun! Sampleri, meaning sampler in Finnish, is a quick adventure in stranded colorwork using four or five (depending on the hat size) simple charts along the way. The crown is worked in the main color only and ends with four tiny and charming I-cord loops featuring the four colors used in the hat. It’s the perfect finishing touch for a perfectly festive hat!
Finished measurements: 12 (13, 14.5, 16, 17.5, 19, 20) –inches in circumference (the measurements have been rounded slightly).
Sized to fit: Newborn (baby, child’s small, teen/adult small, adult medium, adult large, adult extra-large)
Sizing Note: The larger sample is knit in the adult extra-large size and comfortably fits my son, Evan, with a little room to spare. Evan has a 22.5-inch head circumference. I would make the adult medium size to fit me, I have a 22-inch head circumference. The yarn does soften and bloom quite a bit with washing and blocking.
Yarn: Barrett Wool Co. Wisconsin Woolen Spun Worsted (100% American Wool; 100 grams/250 yards, 228 meters)
Samples were made using different colorways.
Sample 1 (made in the Adult Extra-Large size): 
MC: Oats 
CC1: Penny 
CC2: Harbor 
CC3: Jam
Sample 2 (made in the Newborn size): 
MC: Rain Shower 
CC1: Penny 
CC2: Hawthorn 
CC3: Jam
Yarn Note: The MC for the Adult Extra-Large size used less than 50 grams and the Contrast Colors used under 20 grams each.


The top of the Sampleri hat is finished with four charming looped I-cords and I think it is my favorite topper ever. 


The Wisconsin Woolen Spun lends itself to colorwork so beautifully. This is really one of my favorite types of projects. The hat whips up in no time, it looks more complicated than it really is and the finished hat is lovely and fun to wear. All of that adds up to a great knitting experience!


The Sampleri Kits include enough yarn to make the adult xl size. If you make the baby size you will be able to get more than one hat out of the yarn provided. 

There are two choices for the Main Color yarn, Rain Shower or Oats. And there are two Contrast Color choices, one includes Harbor (navy blue) and the other includes Hawthorn (brown). All are beautiful options.



Well, have a super week. Thanks for all of the support. I'm off to the great north. I hear it is really cold and wintery in Edmonton right now so I am packing warm wooly clothes and pulling out my winter coat. 

Sounds kind of perfect for a knitting retreat, doesn't it?
xo ~ susan

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Making Magazine No. 4 / Lines & Sleepy Kitten Set Kits


Hi, Knitters,
Yesterday Making Magazine No. 4 / Lines was released and we also released our kit to go along with the magazine, the Sleepy Kitten Set Kit! I am so excited about this project and kit and the magazine.

Over on Barrett Wool Co. have the magazine for sale individually as well as included with the kit, or you can purchase the kit without the magazine if you already have your copy. 

Click here for more information or to purchase Making No. 4 / Lines! You will love this magazine. We also have copies of Making No. 1, 2 and 3 available for purchase as well in the Mercantile.



photo from makingzine.com

The Sleepy Kitten Set Kit includes enough of our Wisconsin Woolen Spun yarns to make both kittens, the knit-in stripey jammies and the separate nightie, and enough of the same striped fabric to make two sleeping bags (you have to stitch the sides of the fabric together to make the sleeping bags). You also get whisker thread and embroidery floss for the face. The kit comes packaged in a hand-stamped cotton project bag. The only thing you'll need is a little stuffing!


photo from makingzine.com

This is one of the most charming projects I have ever designed. I love the little beds!

photo from makingzine.com

These little kittens have a really fun construction. You knit the legs, arms, tail and ears first. Then when you knit the body and head the work the appendages right in as you go! The only seam is to attach the head to the body. It is slick and satisfying and the finished kittens are adorable.


The pattern will be available for individual purchase in 6 months over in my Ravelry pattern shop. For now, the pattern is only found in the Making Magazine No. 4 / Lines.


The kittens are knit in worsted weight yarn. The nightie is knit in fingering weight yarn.


Good night, sweet friends (the kittens, I mean). I love how little ones love to put things to bed over and over again. These two seem to fit the bill for hours of playing and cuddling.


The kits are selling really fast, so if interested hop on over quick.

Have a great weekend, Knitters! I'll be back soon with more.
xo ~ susan

Sunday, October 08, 2017

A Bear and A Bunny Suit ~ new pattern + The Knit Show


Hi, Knitters,
I hope you are all doing well. The weather around here hasn't seemed very fall-like. It has been unseasonably warm but hopefully, it will start cooling down a bit coming up in the days. I love the fall just as so many others do. Plus, the fall season makes me fall more in love with my knitting every year for some reason. I keep saying it but it really is high knitting season right now. So much is happening that I am having a hard time keeping up.

Yesterday I released a "new" pattern. Let me explain. The original pattern for the bear in a bunny suit was published over a year ago in a book called Drop Dead Easy Knits. The copyright has now reverted to me and so I took it upon myself to update and modify the original pattern so it is even simpler in many respects and even cuter in all respects. I rewrote the pattern and moved and changed some things in the design so I renamed the pattern slightly. It is now called A Bear and A Bunny Suit. Doesn't that sound like a storybook title?

I also wanted to use my bouncy beautiful Home Worsted Weight wool from Barrett Wool Co. which wasn't released yet when the book came out. If you haven't tried our Home line of yarns you really should. It is a joy with which to knit. It feels so good running through your fingers and onto your needles. 

So the pattern is now called A Bear and a Bunny Suit and it is on sale right now through Wednesday, Oct. 11th, 2017. No code is needed. The pattern is priced at $3.50. On Oct. 12th the pattern will be priced at $5.00. The pattern is available on Ravelry and Barrett Wool Co.



We have kits over on Barrett Wool Co. for A Bear in A Bunny Suit but they are going so fast. We will definitely add more after we get the first batch done and out the door. Remember to sign up on the product page for an automatic email reminder when the item is back in stock. You'll literally be the first to know as soon as something is restocked.




Here is some information you might like to know:

A Bear and A Bunny Suit

Knitting
October 2017
Worsted (9 wpi) ?
6 stitches = 1 inch
in stockinette stitch
US 5 - 3.75 mm
US 6 - 4.0 mm
175 yards (160 m)
5.5 inches tall when sitting
This pattern is available for $3.50 USD  buy it now
New Release Pattern Discount! The pattern is on sale for $3.50 starting today, October, 7th, 2017 through Wednesday, Oct. 11th, 2017. No code is needed. After Oct. 11th the pattern will be priced at $5.00. Enjoy!
This new A Bear and A Bunny Suit pattern is a modified version of the original pattern that first appeared in the book Drop Dead Easy Knits in 2016. I’ve changed quite a few things in the written pattern and design for this new version so I decided to release it with a slightly modified name, too.
A Bear and A Bunny Suit is a charming pint-size toy with a knit-in bunny suit including an attached hood that pulls off and on. You will fall in love with this little bear. The design and pattern feature an almost completely seamless construction and lots of specific guidance throughout to make sure your Bear turns out just right.
Finished measurement 
Approximately 5 ½ inches (14 cm) tall when sitting
Yarn 
Barrett Wool Co. Home Worsted Weight, 100% American Wool, 100 grams, 230 yards (210 meters)
Home Worsted Weight colors and amounts for samples: 
Bear: 25 grams in the Bear colorway 
Bunny Suit: 50 grams in either the Priscilla or Wishing Well colorways
Needles 
Body, Head and Hood: US size 5 (3.75mm) double-pointed needles, set of four 
Arms, Legs and Bunny Ears: US size 6 (4mm) double-pointed needles, set of four 
Or size needed to obtain gauge
Gauge 
Smaller needles: 6 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch 
Larger needles: 5.5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch
Materials 
Locking stitch markers 
Yarn needle 
Scrap yarn 
Fiberfill 
Small amount of black worsted weight yarn for the face embroidery 
Optional: Two 6mm safety eyes (safety eyes are considered a choking hazard for infants and young children) 
Note: If the toy is for an infant or young child use the black worsted weight yarn to embroider the eyes instead of the safety eyes.
Construction Notes 
The body is worked from the bottom up and in the round. The hood is then picked up at the neck using set-aside stitches and is worked flat. The hood stitches are placed on scrap yarn. The head is worked separately in the round and is then stitched to the top of the body (this is the only seam in the entire toy). The hood is then finished off. The bear ears, bunny ears, arms and legs are picked up and knit directly onto the toy.


The little brown bear could not be any sweeter. I love it when the hood is pulled down. 



We are offering the Bear kit in three different colors, Priscilla (pink), Wishing Well (blue) and Grassland (green). It would be cute in so many colors of Barrett Wool Co. Home Worsted



Even sweeter from the back....



I always get a kick out of knitting a foot or a toe while the finished toy is hanging upside-down. It just looks so funny. The good thing with A Bear and A Bunny Suit is that when you are done knitting that last stitch on the foot, the bear is completely finished! It is a fantastic feeling.

And now for one more exciting development.


Back in July I flew down to Austin, Texas for about 24 hours. There I filmed a segment for The Knit Show with Vickie Howell. I've put the The Handmade Holiday Episode in the post here for you to watch. I come in at about the 4 minute mark. 

But, the entire first season has been released on YouTube. All ten episodes are now up and ready for your free viewing. The show is incredibly well done and I am proud to be a tiny part of the show.




So I had a birthday last week and on that day my new book with Quince & Co. called Kindred Knits was officially released, and The Knit Show was released as well. It was quite a day to remember.

Phew! What a week. Have a super Sunday, friends. I'll be back soon with more.
xo ~ susan

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Pete Hat


Hi, Knitters,
I hope you are all doing well. I have a super quick pattern discount to tell you about. I am making a Pete hat right now as a gift so I decided to put the pattern on discount until Oct. 9th, 2017. The pattern price is set at only $2.00! No code is needed.

Sometimes you need a super simple man's hat and this is the perfect pattern for just that.


Have a great day, friends.
xo ~ susan