Something New

Hi Knitters,

I bought a couple of weavettes and an instruction book from Purl a little while ago. Any type of old-fashioned craft interests me and these looms were brought back into production after being discovered by Lisia Conforti in her grandmother's house. Her father immediately remembered how to thread and weave on this little loom. As a child he had made baby blankets, seat covers and afghans with the woven squares. I am enchanted by this sweet story, so I finally found some time to give it a try.

I used some leftover Noro Kureyon (pronounced crayon, remember?). It was trickier to thread the loom than I thought. I am usually pretty quick to pick up stuff like this, but it took a lot of looking and checking and even some correcting after the fact. I love the way this 6-inch square turned out. The fabric is fine, light as a feather. It is beautiful on both sides and I love the picot edging effect. I don't know what I will do with it, but something may come of it. What a fun distraction for a Saturday afternoon. You should give this one a try.

I got a bunch of new books in the mail from amazon last week. I have a few more on the way and I am waiting on pins and needles for a few releases this spring. I will keep you posted on my new arrivals and will be sure to highlight all of the goodies I find.

Okay, I am only going to say this once (you know I am laughing right now), and I hesitate because I really love, love, love No Sheep For You, by Amy R. Singer, but here it goes:

Why, dear heaven above, why the naked knitter? I am such a modest soul that this picture makes me cringe. I don't want to see naked people on my beloved knitting book covers, and I don't want to see naked knitting, ever. Sorry, it had to be said.

Can you imagine showing up for this photo shoot, a sweet looking, wholesome, beautiful young model, and they hand you this little knitted fabric on needles and tell you this is what you are wearing for the cover shot? I would have run for the door (I realize no one would ever ask me to knit naked under any circumstances, but I can pretend, right?) I know they are being cheeky about the itchy wool thing and I get it, really I do, and the model is adorable and courageous.

That's it, this topic is closed and will never be mentioned again. It's over. This is a terrific book and I love to knit with other fibers than wool. Amy Singer is the queen of no-wool knitting due to her allergy to wool and she does a top-notch job with this book. It is informational and the patterns are outstanding. Just take a look at some of my favorite patterns in here. This is a beautiful lace shawl made in Handmaiden Silken, oo-la-la! Tuscany is truly lovely and designed by the one and only Amy R. Singer herself. I must make this, absolutely no question. Beautifully done.

Remember my love for Banff? Well, my love for Morrigan wasn't a surprise when I found out the same designer here was the creator of Banff. That would be Jenna Wilson and wow, is she a talent. This sweater is complicated with about 4 pages dedicated to charts and abbreviations of those charts. It is knit out of Rowan's Calmer, which I have always wanted to try but haven't yet. This would be an achievement to knit to completion. Maybe someday.

You know what I love about this picture? I love the traditional little college prep cardigan on the girl with the head full of dreadlocks. This is great and she is really cute. What a beautiful sweater, perfect lines, sleeves, everything. It is called Cables and O's and is designed by Brooke Snow. The yarn is Queensland Collection Cotolino, a linen and cotton blend. Great design Brooke.

This final pattern, Tomato, is written by the wonderful Wendy Bernard who writes one of my favorite blogs. She is such fun and her designs never miss. She has her own book coming out soon with Stewart, Tabori and Chang and I can't wait for that one. This is such a cute sweater, I just love it. I would definitely wear a cami or something under it, the neck is a little low for me, the modest one. It is knit out of one of the best yarns on the market, Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, which I use extensively in Itty-Bitty Nursery. It is luscious, beautiful cotton and you have to try it.

I appreciate the variety of models in the book, they look like beautiful, real women, not just skin and bones. That's the best to see. Interweave and Amy Singer strike again on that subject, they are wonderful.

You should check out No Sheep for You. Great title, fantastic patterns. I could have included so many more patterns that I want to knit like socks, a bag, men's sweaters, and much more. This book is a winner all-around even with the you-know-what on the cover. See I told you I would never mention it again.

best, susie

Pig Big

Hi Knitters,

My daughter named this post. I couldn't do much better than that. The pig's name is Pinkie. My kids have always named their stuffed animals by their colors. Like I remember a brown dog named Brownie, and a white wolf named Whitie. You get the picture. So much for creativity in that area.

Anyway, the pig is refreshed and plump as a plum (my daughter again). He's quite squeezable, too. A little new stuffing can go a long way.

One quick news bit for you, did you see that Interweave Knits has a new editor? It's the one and only Eunny Jang. She is fabulous and quite a catch for the magazine. I am a big fan of her knitting and her knowledge of all things knitting. She is super smart and a great writer to boot. When Eunny posted on her blog about this exciting news she received close to 1,000 comments of encouragement. I think she'll do just fine with that kind of adoration. Best wishes to Eunny.

Pam Allen will be missed, she did a fantastic job as editor. I am sure we will see much more of her in the knitting publishing world in the future.

Check out this and this.

best, susie

Lucky

Hi Knitters,

How lucky am I to get to look at this beautiful baby photography all day long? Can you guess what this project is all about? It's so fun. The photography makes this book come alive and my beautiful photographer, Liz Banfield, knows just how to capture the spirit of the projects. She is wonderful. I appreciate her to no end. Plus she has 2 babies of her own, one born during the creation of itty-bitty hats (her son is wearing the little chick hat) and one during the creation of itty-bitty nursery. Phew! That's a lot of work. She is fantastically talented and she sends the most beautiful baby announcements on earth, ever. Lucky babies.

I know I already talked about this great book. I can't stop thinking about The Friday Night Knitting Club. When I was little I used to re-read my favorite books all of the time. It was kind of a standing joke in my family. A couple of my all-time favorites were Mandy by Julie (Andrews) Edwards and Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of Nimh (I know, sad). I read those two books more than I will ever admit to anyone. I am still crazy over books to this day. This Kate Jacobs book may have to be a re-read for me. I loved it that much.

Here's the other thing, I just listened to Kate Jacobs on Ready Set Knit (a podcast available on itunes with the owners of Webs, one of my favorite online shops). Kate sounds like the friendliest down-to-earth author. She sounds as astounded by all of her good fortune as anyone. I mean to have a first novel come out, be on the New York Times bestsellers list for weeks and to have Julia Roberts wanting to star in and produce a movie version of your book is just beyond the wildest dreams imaginable. And she sounds like she is appreciative and loving it all. And she's a knitter. Good work, Kate, and someday I hope to meet you.

Okay, here are a couple of quick facts for you. Do you know how to pronounce Kureyon? Well, apparently it is pronounced like the word crayon. Faith asked someone who spoke Japanese and it translates into this crayola-like word. I don't know if I will get used to it, but it is fun to think about.

Next, I can't remember where I heard this but did you know that 80% of knitters make their knitting projects in the same exact color that it is photographed in on the pattern? I found this pretty interesting. That is a high percentage. I admit to doing this myself on occasion, but not always. I found this to be true when working in a yarn shop. If you didn't carry or have the color from the picture, it was a no go, no question.

Oh yeah, that Rowan Scottish Tweed DK I thought I snagged, back ordered. You can't win them all.

best, susie

Lookie, Lookie

Hi Knitters,

I found another pair of the pg. 81 booties in my studio. I have some demo pieces knitted up and I just need to get someone around here to photo my hands (that should never be done, ever, and you'll see why) putting the booties together. They are simple knitting, then a tiny bit complicated to put together. I plan on that shortly.

Okay, have you seen the spring Knitty? It is a good one. Here are my favorites: carolyn, tahoe, torque, and dashing. Stacey did you see dashing?

I pursued my Rowan Scottish Tweed DK quest and guess what? I found it here because they sent me a promotional email that I opened up and (wa-la) it was there for the taking. I don't even know when I will have time to knit the cabled blanket coat (see my March 17th post), but knowing the yarn is with me is a good feeling.

Off to edit I go.

best, susie

Deja vu

Hi Knitters,

I want to give you a little, tiny, okay I'll say it, itty-bitty peek at the new book. This is the title page, I haven't seen the cover yet.The old title was The Knitted Nursery, the new title is Itty-Bitty Nursery and I love it. It feels so right and comfortable. A lot of work goes into the title of a book. It is the joining of many opinions, including sales and marketing people. The new title will be recognizable and will create a quick link to the first book. It's all good.

Anyway, I am progressing along with still much work to do. No candy this time, but this book is sweet enough on its own. I am very happy about it and I can't wait to share more. It is due back at Artisan by Thursday.

It is a beautiful day here in Madison and the kids are off of school today for teacher inservice. I love it when they are home with me.

best, susie

Some Pig

Hi Knitters!

That exclamation point still feels not right, but I am trying. The pig is one of my favorite animals. I am obsessed with pigs in children's literature. I don't know exactly what it is about them. This particular pig is a Debbie Bliss special and the pattern comes from Toy Knits, a1995 publication. If you have any interest in knitting toys, you should own this book. This is one of the first toys I ever knit. I started a piglet at one time but I am not sure what happened to it. I should find that. My daughter keeps it on her bed and the other day she brought it to me in my studio and asked if I could re-stuff him.

He is kind of a well-worn flattened out version of his former self and he could use a little refurbishing. (That sounds strangely familiar.) I am going to attempt this rejuvenation this weekend. I love it that my little sweetie loves this pig so much and that she sees the value in something handmade. I will definitely tackle this request pronto.

Have you seen this book? It is a Rowan production with designs by Sarah Dallas, Wendy Baker, and Catherine Tough. It is a fantastic book that includes patterns for a lace vest, scarves, slippers, sweaters for men and women, a blanket, pillows and a shrug. In my opinion the most fantastic design in the book is Sarah Dallas' Cabled Coat Blanket.

I just love this design and I have been planning on knitting it for a long time. I love everything about it, the long fronts, the horizontal cables, the ribbed sleeves and the collar. I think I would wear this to death.

In fact, I ordered the yarn online (I won't say from where) months ago. They were wiped out of the Rowan Scottish Tweed DK in the colorway I wanted. I have checked back two times and that was a long time ago at this point. I really want to knit this garment so I need to pursue this further. I know as a former knitting store staff member that yarn can be tough to get in a timely fashion so I understand the dilemma. I am going to keep trying.

Have a good weekend everyone.

best, susie

The Knitting Circle

Hi Knitters,

I am not quite up to that exclamation point yet. I am starting simple today with a review of this beautifully written novel by Ann Hood.

The main character, Mary Baxter, suddenly loses her only daughter at age 5 to meningitis. It is a tragedy like no other, devastating and earth shattering. The story unfolds as she attempts to piece her life back together in a different world. You can feel the black cloud and fogginess that surrounds Mary as she tries to move through her daily life.

At the encouragement of her estranged mother, Mary starts to knit and attends a knitting circle at a local shop. Each of the women in the circle teach Mary a new knitting technique while sharing their own secret burden or tragedy in the process. I am not going to lie, this novel is on the dark side, if not downright depressing. However, it is beautifully and respectfully written and what I really love about it is how the knitters are portrayed. A lot of knitters are truly generous and loving and this quality shines through in the story. Knitting is portrayed in a lovely light as it is a source of comfort for these women.

In the end the message is uplifting. Life goes on and people have to carry on, maybe in a new or different way, but nonetheless moving forward. Ann Hood is the perfect writer to cover this topic as she lost her own young daughter recently. It broke my heart to learn this. It made the novel even more meaningful as Ann Hood lived through the terrible tragedy of losing a child first-hand.

I would recommend this book with the understanding that it is a sad story with a positive message running throughout.

best, susie

p.s. I've gotten the okay to write up the elefante pattern and share it with you. As soon as I can muster up the energy and focus, I will make that available to you. Thank you to everyone who has left comments or emailed me personally with warm wishes. I appreciate you all.

p.p.s. As I was writing this post, the doorbell rang and the second pass proofs for my second book have arrived at my door for me to edit. This will be a good distraction.

Sweet Weekend

Hi Knitters!

I love these wintery weekends, so sweet and cozy. The fire was going last night, and everyone was around. The travel outside was treacherous, icy, snowy, blowy. We had pizza for dinner, no cooking for me. It was just one of those nights. It was good to be home, together.

Since March has arrived I have started thinking about the embellishment class I am teaching in a few short weeks. I started knitting up some samples for that. I am still trying to decide what to include and what to leave out. It is a 2 hour class and I like to pack in as much as possible. I think I will start with some demo stuff and then let people make choices about what they would like to work on. I like the class to be flexible so everyone learns something new they will actually use after the class. I will give lots of options for sure.
Last night I was dying for some candy to eat, but this had to do instead. This game makes me want to knit candy. Hmmmm...

I hope you are having your own sweet weekend with the people you love.

best, susie

Elefante Finito

Hi Knitters!
Okay, he's finished and that's Spanish and Italian in the title. I'm feeling some tiny elephant love for this little guy.

Oh, and again...I uploaded the same shot twice, sorry.

Get ready for the close-up. He is such a camera lover, what a ham!

This project is pure fun all rolled up into a little ball with a trunk. I have the pattern written out in detail in my sketch book, but I think copyright is an issue here, since it is a knock-off, certainly not an exact replica, but close enough. If anyone knows more about that, let me know. If I can get the pattern approved I will make it available to you.

You could figure this one out on your own, too. I used size 4 dpns and Cascade 220 and a little Julia for the blue colors. Here are the general steps:

Make a ball for the body (think about a hat just closed on the top and bottom).

Make a ball with a trunk for the head (stop decreasing and knit straight for a bit for the trunk).

Make four tubes with closed bottoms for the legs (throw in a purl round to get the ridge).

Crochet 2 circle ears folded in half with single crochet edging to hold them closed.

Make a tiny i-cord tail with a tassel.

There you have it (I won't say wa-la, but it would fit here for sure)! Elefante! Check out the original adorable crocheted animals here.

A couple of quick news bits for you, starting with something brewing around on the net. Apparently, Pam Allen's daughter is the model frequently used in Interweave magazine and on the cover of both Wrap Style and Scarf Style (by the way, both of these should be in your knitting library). She is beautiful and natural looking, an excellent model for the company. It is funny I just mentioned Pam Allen and her daughter, a couple of posts ago, in Knitting in America. Some people complain that Interweave always uses the same models over and over, but I like their models so it doesn't bother me at all, instead it feels familiar and good. I like it, too, that Pam puts her daughter in the publications because she is not only an excellent model, but I love the whole mother-daughter thing.

Check out this studio. Boy, am I jealous. I could never be that organized. Ever. And where would I put all of my candy?

For more fun knitted toys look here.

One last news bit to mention, the Madison Knitter's Guild Knit-In is on Saturday, March 24th. It looks like they have a great line-up for classes. I am teaching an embellishing class in the morning session which I am very excited about, but that means I have to start working on my shtuff (that's not a typo). You don't have to be a member to attend and take part in the classes, so everyone is welcome. I am bringing a sneak peek of my new book to share!

Best of all Annie Modesitt is coming to speak and I can't wait for that. Find out more about the Knit-In here. If you are in the area, come and hang out with me. I am staying for lunch after my class and attending Annie's talk right after. I'd love to see you there!

best, susie

Elefante

Hi Knitters!

It's coming along. I have the head, ears and tail yet to complete. Knitted toys are all about proportion. I am hoping to get the head-size correct on the first try.

Gotta run!

best, susie

Button Up

Hi Knitters,

I finally got around to grouting my button pot. If you missed the last post about this, I made it for my friend from her mother's antique buttons. It still needs a little final cleaning, but the general look is there. I have to go through with something like a toothpick and get in all of the little crevices that are still holding grout remnants. The strings and cloth left stuck in the buttons looks even cooler after the grout. Yeah for mess!

I used a dark grout, almost a charcoal-like color. I wanted the buttons to pop as much as possible and if it had been a white grout, many of the white buttons would have been lost. When I mosaic I just let my hands place things without too much thought. I let things take shape organically. I like mosaics to be messy and crammed full so that every time you look at a piece you see something different or you find a new view.

Now I need to pop a little plant in there or a soothing candle. We'll see.

best, susie

p.s. I started knitting a little stripey elephant today...

How Embarrassing

Hi Knitters!

I've been blogging steadily since mid-October now and it has been enjoyable, but I have made a few (or more) blunders along the way. If you missed them, let me be the one to point out a select few for your enjoyment this morning.

1. I could not for the life of me figure out how to get those links to work. I tried and tried to no avail. I just figured it out 2 posts ago and embarrassingly enough it is super easy! What kind of idiot could not figure that out? That would be me. So now that I have it down take a look at some of my favorite stops like here, here, here, and here. Oh, and here and here.

2) On a post awhile back, and I am trying to remember what I was talking about but I can't (maybe the marshmallow snowmen?), I tried to end up a project description with a bang. I ended up writing "wa-la!" when in my head I was combining voila and ta-da. That is embarrassing, right? My kindly friend was the only one brave enough to correct my humiliating blunder. I appreciate help like that when I am down.

3) Usually I am a decent speller, fifth grade champ (that's so pathetic to bring that up), but since I have been blogging I seem to be making silly spelling errors left and right. My most embarrassing recent errors have included the same word, twice. It isn't the error so much as the word's meaning that makes it especially humiliating. The word I am talking about is genius. I referred to Kate Gilbert as a genious, and Wenlan Chia as a genious. Who's the real genius here? That would not be me.

I can only laugh! As my daughter would say, human beings make mistakes, it's okay. I am sure there are many more to come. If you see any silly mistakes, let me know, I can take it. The "wa-la" moment made me laugh for several days, the "genious" moment made me kick myself, and the links thing, ugh, I still can't believe I couldn't get that. I have my fingers crossed that the links in this post will work. Boy, would that be embarrassing.

Okay, on to knitting now. The first shot is showing the progress I have made on the Lady Eleanor Shawl. It is Kureyon and it is a pleasure to knit. Secondly, that yarn above is yes, more Vesper. I know I showed two skeins the other day, but look what came in the mail yesterday! Sarah came into a windfall of Vesper. She actually was/is selling some of her extra and I took her up on it. Now I am the owner of Sweet Water, Knit and Tonic, Muddy Waters, and Neopolitan. It is beautiful and I am a proud mama.
The only other news I have came to me in an email from a friend yesterday. She knew where that stripey elephant came from (pg. 18, Itty-Bitty Hats, up on the shelf). These little crocheted toys are so cute, I just love them.

Today Madison is going to be hit by a blizzard. We already have quite a bit of snow and added some last night. It is a good weekend to stay inside and keep warm. I spy with my little eye: my husband!

best, susie

Scene of the Crime

Hi Knitters!

I don't have much time today, but I thought I would quickly share the scene of my ongoing crime with you and it isn't all pretty.

First of all, I have to eat candy while I am editing, somehow it makes the hours a little less painful. My candy of choice these past days has been sanded lemon drops, coffee nips, dulce de leche nips, and buttermints. Don't ask. I have the worst sweet tooth. I would easily skip a meal for a fantastic dessert.

Secondly, see all of those post-its sticking out of the top of the proofs? Those are all of the pages I need to revisit before sending it off. That isn't pretty at all! That makes me shudder.

Third, I shouldn't be working on anything else right now, so those socks are totally illegal. They are poison to me, but I can't stop. That is the Posh Yarns I got from here. It contains cashmere. Please release me, let me go. Do you even remember that song or am I way out there on that?

I received the cutest email from a knitter last night. She has itty-bitty and she loves the book, but she has become obsessed with a little elephant in one of the pictures. She wanted the pattern. I had to look for a long time to even find the elephant and it is really cute. If you have the book, look on page 18, up on the shelf. Unfortunately, I didn't knit the stripey elephant and it I am pretty sure it is a store-bought toy. I really love those stripes, those ears, and the size of that little guy. I may have to make one just like it! I'll let you know if it happens.

Much of the background stuff is mine in most of the shots in the book. Like for example on page 18, the hat the woman is "knitting" I started and sent to the photographer on about an hour's notice, the patchwork blanket is mine from Alphabet Soup (the staff made it as a group project), and also you can see my fairy's green foot and tulle skirt on the shelf. Throughout the book background items from my studio appear. I had never seen that elephant before yesterday, though, and I think I am getting seriously obsessed with it!

The other two most common questions I get in emails are, where is that bootie pattern on page 81, and on the same page, where is the bear sweater pattern? I need to write those up and I am seriously putting those two items on my things to do list as soon as I get a chance. I promise. I'll keep you posted on that!

ttfn.
best, susie

A Little This, A Little That

Hi Knitters!

When I pick up my girls from school I always grab something to knit while I am sitting in the car waiting. Yesterday I was running late so as I ran out the door I grabbed these two skeins of Vesper Sock Yarn. The entire 10 minutes I sat waiting I admired this yarn, read the labels several times, breathed in the colors, and squeezed it in my hands. It kept me very occupied. Oh well, I thought it was pretty funny how looking at yarn can leave my mind pretty satisfied. I am easily entertained. The much sought-after Vesper is even more beautiful than I imagined and I can't wait to start working with it. The names are wonderful, too, Midnight Knitter and Meteor, so dreamy!
One more happy skein of yarn to talk about is this Sunshine Yarns in the Fiesta colorway. Dani designed this yarn when she saw Alison knit the Manos Cotton Stria Stripey hat from Itty-Bitty. She loved the colors so much that she designed a yarn colorway that incorporated the Cotton Stria colors. I feel so connected to this skein of yarn in a round about way, I just had to have some. To have a yarn inspired by one of your designs is so much fun. Dani has many other beautiful yarns on her etsy shop, so check it out. Fiesta!!!
I am knitting a bit as I am trying to finish up my editing, but not much. This is a future book project so I can't share too much. It is a fun one though.
This is the Breathmint Sknitches started up. I looove it!
My girls made these beautiful little mosaic tiles with some of my mosaic junk. This is a great and easy project for kids, no grouting, just cramming (my mosaic style of choice) with a little mosaic glue. I put felt pads on the bottom and if the tiles are flat enough these make great coasters. It is a perfect grandma or teacher gift, too.

I must carry on!
best, susie

I'm Just Saying...

Hi Knitters,

Don't you love Interweave Knits? I love this magazine and when it arrives in my mailbox I drop everything to do my initial quick run-through of the patterns. I get the lay of the land, so to speak. Then when I get a chunk of time I start reading, and I mean reading every word, looking at every advertisement, just soaking it all in. This is a top-notch production, period. I dog-ear pages in everything, even expensive coffee table books. I can't help it for some reason. In this issue of IK I have 7 pages dog-eared with projects and things I want to check out more thoroughly or pictures I am inspired by. Kate Gilbert, you kill me with those beautiful sweaters! You are a shaping genius. Gorgeous!

Then, out of the blue, I open to this! I had to laugh, well because, you know my issue with knitted underwear. This is a beautiful spread, I totally appreciate it, but will I knit a bra? Not on your life. What I looooove about this is the Ann Budd and Pam Allen designs and paragraphs about their knitted lingerie. Starting with Ann Budd, and I quote, "I'm not much of a lingerie type gal. Most days I can't even be bothered to hang earrings in the holes in my earlobes. So I had a little trouble getting my head around the lingerie theme for this staff project...until I realized that I do like to lounge on the couch while I knit or read. And I do love socks..." Okay, I love Ann Budd. I am with you on the earring thing. She made the most adorable, beautiful pair of light blue socks I have ever seen. They look like little clouds in a soft blue sky. Are socks lingerie? I guess I do have a thing for knitted lingerie then. Ann Budd is one of my favorite designers and especially her pattern books for the standards, she is awesome. I am going to knit those lingerie socks for sure.

Pam Allen was just as good in her lingerie paragraph and I quote, "...I can get chilly when I'm sitting up in bed reading. So it seemed that a soft, weightless shrug would serve me well. I won't be slipping it on over anything too brief, but it will still look good over the T-shirt I like to sleep in." Pam, that shrug is beautiful and delicate and airy. I love it, and I love it even more that you are going to wear that over your t-shirt. I can relate to that. I have been a fan of Pam Allen ever since she designed that beautiful coat with the appliqued mittens for her daughter in Knitting in America by Melanie Falick. Did you see that? Fantastic.

I think it is great that IK takes a subject that not everyone can relate to and makes it easily relate to everyone! That is a sign of creative greatness. What a wonderful magazine, even the lingerie.

Remember those buttons I talked about earlier on my light switch? Well, that dear friend of mine is going through a difficult time right now so I kept thinking I should do something with those buttons. Well, here it is. I am creating a mosaic pot out of her mother's antique buttons. I have to grout it still, but first it has to dry. Tomorrow I will grout and take another shot to share. What is so great is that her mother, who was 90 years-old when she passed away, left on threads and pieces of fabric on the buttons. I left all of that stuff on, it makes it so real and alive. You can imagine the clothes those buttons were on, how they fell off, and what they were intended for. This is my love for her all wrapped up around a little terra cotta pot.

best, susie

p.s. I know I laughed at the knitted bikini patterns before and I feel a little guilty about that. I'll come clean about something in my past. When I was 19 I actually had a brown crocheted bikini that I got on a trip to Hawaii (I was a lot skinnier then). I wore that bikini out! I loved that bikini like no other. It did not sag when wet, the brown looked great on my brown skin, and I thought it was just about the best thing ever. My sister had the same bikini in light blue and she felt the same way. I should see if I can find a picture of us in those over at my mom's house. That could be funny. I am such a nerd sometimes!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Hi Knitters!

Are these not the best little bugs ever? I know nothing about who made them but I know where I bought them. Madison is a relatively small city but, boy oh boy, do we ever have great locally owned shops with a big city feel. You can't find better local retail shops anywhere. These bugs, which are pot hangers, to hang from your pots, of course, were at a kind of new Madison gift boutique/floral shop called Gratitudes. Any time I am giving a non-knitted gift this is where I shop. The owner has a talented eye for the unusual and the unusually cute gifts. They have the best flower arrangements and plants, too. I love this shop. The bugs were only $2.99 a fruity-pop. I bought some up for Valentine gift add-ons. They look like summer and they make me smile.

Twinkle, twinkle little knits, how I wonder where you are (going to fit into my schedule). Twinkle's Big City Knits is absolutely fantastic. I could knit just about everything in here, okay not the full-length skirt, but most everything else. Wenlan Chia is a chunky, bulky knitwear designing genius, which is no small feat. It is difficult to make this gauge yarn look shapely and spirited in garments, and she does it with ease. Wenlan divides her book into sections titled downtown, resort, night on the town, shop the town, twinkle tips, twinkle techniques and the twinkle patterns. Wow, what a ride.

Living in a cold climate makes this book appealing for the warmth factor, but she includes many sleeveless vests, and tops that you could layer or wear alone in warmer temps. There are scarves and hats that are a definite must-knit! Wenlan is innovative in her design, the shapes are new and fresh, the details are divine. She uses her own yarn line throughout the book, which I haven't seen before, but she gives resources to find her yarns and instruction and suggestions on how to substitute different yarns. The Twinkle Handknit yarns are distributed by Classic Elite and I plan on trying some of them so I will let you know what I think! This small town girl will be making many big city knits. If you like chunky, bulky knits on big needles then this one is for you.
Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy days to share in my knitting adventures, I appreciate you all. I flat-out love knitters. As the mason-dixon ladies would say: Mwah!

And a couple of hugs, too.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

best, susie

Work, Work, and a Little Banff

Hi Knitters!

Here's one you'll want to make, and love to make. It's Banff by Jenna Wilson from the always wonderful knitty.com. I ran across this when looking through the archives and realized I had a boatload of the suggested yarn just sitting in my studio. It was leftover from my yarn shop that closed, as is much of the yarn I use for sweater projects. Odds and ends of this and that made it home with me to fill my studio. The yarn is Tahki Soho Bulky Tweed and it is delightful to knit with. This hearty tweed is filled with life and color and heft. Talk about a fast knit, this is it. Within a few short days I completed Banff. Don't just walk, run to your needles to make this sweater. I think this is my new favorite and I may have to make it again at some point.

Banff is cleverly designed and is all about proportion. The design is perfect for a petite person who wants to wear a bulky oversized sweater. If you look at the model on knitty you will see what I mean. The lengths of the sleeves and body are great although my favorite part is the cut of the sleeve. The ribbed cuff is slightly belled. I roll them up, just one fold when I need my hands for work. When I keep them down, I can't explain it, this sweater makes me feel so snuggly. The sleeves cover my hands to my knuckles, and usually I can't stand this, but this sweater makes you feel like grabbing a hot cocoa and a book and heading for the couch for a good long lounging session. I love it.

Here's what I am doing while wearing my Banff and it isn't lounging and it isn't snuggly. I am editing my proofs for book #2. It is so exciting to see what the pages are going to look like, it is a first glimpse at how things are going to come together. The same book designer and photographer are being used as on Itty-Bitty. I am pleased as punch! This book is the apple of my eye, a fantasy knitting book come true. I can't wait to share more. The book is set to be released in October 2007, which seems like a long time away, but there is much to be done before then.
My work table is a silly conglomeration of things I have collected. Some of these pieces are decoupaged on (mod podge of course!) and some I just slide under a plastic desk protector that is on top of the table. I save concert tickets, postcards, photos, subway passes, hotel keycards, cards, magazine pictures, etc., anything that strikes my fancy. Plain surfaces are hard to come by over here. I don't find it distracting but rather comforting instead.

As Simon Cowell likes to say, "Off you go!" That's exactly what I need to do! The editing is waiting.

best, susie

The Best Part

Hi Knitters!

The best part of finishing a new pair of socks is....

starting the next pair. The vintage socks from yarntini are spectacular, warm, and squishy. They make my feet feel loved. You know what I mean. I ordered these next two future pairs of socks from theloopyewe.com and I am excited to get going. The Posh yarn, which I casted on this morning, is 30% cashmere and 70% merino. I can't wait. The sKNITches yarn is beautiful and is called Breathmint. Minty fresh! I fell for the name.

I have a major thing for color names from crayons, to paint, and most of all to yarn. I can, at times, fall in love with a yarn simply due to its name. I know Rowan used to have Biggy Print in a colorway called Cookie. Cookie. How can I resist that? I also have s'mores sock yarn from Knitpicks. Rowan Handknit Cotton has double chocolate that's hard to resist as well. Why is it all about dessert with me? I have such a problem. I can even recite all of the paint colors on my walls by name. It's all strange but true.

Moving on, tomorrow the beautiful and talented Betz White will make her debut appearance on the Martha Stewart Show. Everyone be sure to tune in. She is a new friend of mine and I am excited for her. I also saw that she has her birdie pouches in the latest issue of Adorn magazine. Congratulations to Betz! She is taking off.

I have a quick, funny story before signing off. I was in JoAnn Crafts last weekend where I ran across Knit It! magazine. I walked by it several times as I was with my son and we were picking out fabric and notions for his home ec. class. Finally, while we were standing in line to check out I grabbed a copy and flipped open to a spread about....itty bitty hats! Really, I opened directly to that page. I nearly fell on the floor. I had to step out of the line for a second to catch my breath. It was just a weird experience. There are 3 patterns from the book in the magazine. Stars, pink pastel marley and the upside-down daisy patterns are featured with a brief description of each. It was a funny thing to happen, so unexpected.

The proofs for book #2 are arriving at my house on Saturday and I have about 10 days to edit. Wish me luck!

best, susie