In the Loop

Hi Knitters,

Good Monday morning to you all. A few months back I was contacted on Ravelry by Katie, a student and staff member at the Loop Yarn Shop in Milwaukee. The Loop was hosting the Itty-Bitty Nursery trunk show in October and she wanted to see if I would come for a visit while the trunk show was at her shop. Considering Milwaukee is only about an hour and a half away from my house in Madison I said sure. I am so glad I went. 

What a wonderful yarn shop. I especially noticed the sleek, stylishly customized layout of the shop. The owner, Katelyn, designed the shop and had many of the display pieces custom built and you can really tell. I was impressed, plus I have a huge thing for concrete floors. I love them, I guess it is the contrast of the cool concrete with the warm yarn and knits. It looks great together.
The shop's walls are almost all floor to ceiling windows and best of all right next door is an Alterra coffee shop. Alterra is the best coffee shop around and it fits perfectly with the Loop. The shop has knitted samples in every corner, window and shelf. Everything is displayed beautifully. I brought some extra hats, toys and sweaters from Itty-Bitty Nursery, Itty-Bitty Hats and samples from my blog.
Here is Katie and the fantastic cake she made for me. It was so cute, it even had my name on it, and everyone loved eating a piece, especially my kids. My whole family came along to the event and they had a great time at the shop and in Milwaukee. Isn't Katie cute? She is enthusiastic, warm and friendly and welcoming. She is a senior in college in textile design and will be heading off to spend the second semester in Peru visiting and studying fabric and knit manufacturing and design companies. Katie has a bright future and I hope she keeps me posted along the way.
Katelyn had these large storage/display units made for her shop and they are an incredible asset. Even the height is perfect and they allow easy access to display items, yarn, books, tools, etc. The other side held Habu yarn in open-top pullout drawers. That was fun to see.
One of these large islands was dedicated to the Itty-Bitty Nursery trunk show. I was happy to see that all of the items are looking fresh and well-kept and really like brand new. With all of the traveling the samples are doing I thought they might look a little worse for wear. Thank you to all of the previous yarn shops that have hosted the show for taking good care of the samples.
I couldn't get a great shot of the display due to the sunlight coming in the huge windows but you can get the picture. There were levels and access and books. It looked better than I could ever have imagined.
The tea set seems to be one of the biggest hits. The kids all love it and one of the staff members, who has 5 kids, Joan, now has to make the set for her girls after they saw it in person. I think she was only planning on making a few pieces but now she is in for all of it. Her kids and husband came to shop and they were so cute and friendly.

I signed a lot of books, the shop sold a lot of books and yarn while I was there and they did a great job getting people into the shop. It was a beautiful fall day so I wasn't sure what the turn out would be but it was amazingly good. There was a steady stream of enthusiastic knitters and crocheters and I loved meeting all of them.
We had a raffle for 2 hat kits, 2 Itty-Bitty books and 6 Itty-Bitty Nursery tape measures. Katie put all of the entries in the Rosebud Wreath hat and we all got to pull out the winning names. That was fun. Some of the winners were still in the shop at the time of the drawing. It is fun to see someone win in person.
At the end of the day, Katie gave me a gift that I adore. She is an avid reader of this blog and she had seen some of my mosaic work. The mosaic fruit I did quite awhile ago inspired her to do some of her own mosaic work. She made me a pair of mosaic knitting needles, size 50! I love them and I appreciate the thoughtful work that went into this gift. I will cherish them, Katie. Thank you for making the entire day a treat.
Left to right: Katie, me, Patricia and Katelyn.

Patricia is Katelyn's mom and I really enjoyed her. She is a prolific knitter and crocheter and has had patterns published in both of the the first two One-Skein Wonder books. She had a crocheted hat and a wonderful caterpillar toy published and I think there is a wrap in there, too. Patricia owns an apple farm, is a former teacher and current teacher educator and she and her family have lived and taught in many different countries around the world. What a wonderful, smart, lovely woman with so much to offer. I always love the mother/daughter teams.

The Loop Yarn Shop is a treat and a stop that is a must for Milwaukee knitters and visiting knitters. Thanks for a fun Sunday and for letting my family mill about in your store, they had good time, too.

best, susie

Catching Up

Hi Knitters,

I am just checking in briefly today. I had a very short reprieve, literally a couple of days, from deadline knitting so I pulled out a couple of projects I had started awhile ago. I have sung the praises of the Clapotis, written by the fabulous Kate Gilbert, many times. It is the absolute best scarf/wrap I have ever made. Last winter I wore my first Clapotis to death so I decided I would make another one.
I think I will love this new version just as much. I am knitting on US size 8 needles and using Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb (50% wool, 50% Silk) in the Tuscany #403 colorway and I can't remember where I bought it. You need 4 skeins. It is a pricey project but well worth it in my eyes. Triple love it. I still have a long way to go before finishing but I love that there is no rush.
My Opal sock project is making way. You know what's interesting is that the long red stripe is actually two different colors. In a certain light you can see the ever so slight variation. I do wonder why they stuck those two close shades together. I think it would have been better to spread them out a bit. Oh well, still love the colorway #1702. 

I keep this project in my car and I only knit on it while I am waiting places for my kids. I never take my SewBendy bag out of the car. That way I know I will always have some knitting to work on while I wait. That's my Amy Butler fabric SewBendy bag. Check it out if you'd like, they have a few new bags on their etsy shop. I love my SewBendy bags so much. You should get one or put it on your Christmas list or give one to a knitter you love. I know I keep saying that but it's true. I have added their shop to my sidebar "favorites" so you can easily get to their shop any time.
I am amazed at the amount of knitting I can get done in little spurts of time. I have one whole sock done and a good start on the second. Those minutes add up to a lot of knitting.
I had a sweet surprise arrive in the mail the other day. My friend, Dianne, who lives on a farm near Lexington, KY, is so talented. We share a love of all things fall and pumpkin orange. She sent me two of the most beautiful skeins of her handspun yarn in, what else, pumpkin. I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the box. It made me cry to think of her thoughtfulness and her generosity. I really can't believe my good fortune on this one. You should read her blog where she shares her daily life on the farm with her sheep and loads of other animals. She also shares recipes, knitting, spinning, dying, the list goes on and on. I love her charming, upbeat and practical style.
This huge fantastic pumpkin skein is 230 yards of a chunkier weight yarn. It reminds me of a Malabrigo or Manos yarn. It is thick and thin and soft and squishy. I can't wait to whip up something luscious with this, probably a scarf of some sort. I want to show this one off.
Also included was this skein of 135 yards of a slightly heavier worsted weight yarn. Maybe a hat with this would be just right. Her tag is adorable, the yarn is called, Sheep Dreams and her farm is called, Tanglewood Farm. The catch line is "home grown - hand dyed - handspun yarn from the farm." Perfect. Lovely. Appreciated.
The Collector picked out this pumpkin from the farm the other day. That's my kind of pumpkin, all interesting and colorful and imperfect. She found a bright orange one, too, but she liked this one even better. It's kind of spooky, right?

Okay, knitters, I am off for a quick run before my kids get home from school. This tired knitter needs some fresh air. Enough is enough.

best, susie

One More Fall Day

Hi Knitters,

Yesterday we headed out to a local pumpkin and apple farm to pick our fall goodies. It felt more like summer than fall it was so warm. What a beautiful day.
The pumpkins were picked over and many were rotten and gushy. It's been unseasonably warm lately and I guess that can be tough on the pumpkins. We found only a few that were good enough to keep. That's a shame. I saw lots of good pumpkins at the grocery store but that's never quite as fun. I'll need to pick up a few more later this week.
My husband is a good pumpkin picker and apple picker. His height and strength come in handy on the farm. Plus he is good all-around entertainment for everyone. He always has some child sitting on his shoulders trying to reach the highest apples.
She found a keeper. Even though the stem was gone the pumpkin was still in great shape.
The hay bales were prime jumping ground. That's my nephew following behind The Collector.
The apples were gorgeous and we filled a great big bag with a variety of types to bring home. 
The Collector found an enormous apple on the ground and she carried it around for a long, long time. She was very proud. She also fed another apple to a huge horse and loved it.
We love it when the apples still have the stem and leaves attached.
The colors were amazing. The sun was shining and the air smelled of apples. 
Just look at that vibrant red, so shiny and bright. I can't get enough of it.
I can't get enough of these not so little apples either. 

Now to pull out my favorite apple recipes. It will be an apple-filled week.

best, susie

p.s. Look at this and then this. I love her.

Feelin' Groovy

Hi Knitters,

Remember the words to that song.... slow down, you move too fast....

I gathered up The Collector after school and took her for a hike in a gorgeous nature conservancy that is only a few blocks away from our house. In this conservancy you can find everything from ponds, prairies, secret forest paths, private quiet benches, woods, wild flowers, a hidden old-fashioned playground with an ancient teeter-totter with tires sticking out of the ground to break the impact, to meandering paths. We love it there and spend lots of time hiking around, we know it like the back of our hands. It was a fall day to remember.

The Collector had a grand time...

...the sky sparkled...
...the wind blew....
...The Collector ran...
...bees buzzed...
...red vines climbed...
...leaves turned, trees decayed...
...The Collector sprung into action...
...wheat grass enveloped us...
...the colors amazed us...
...red leaves peeked from a sea of green...
...The Collector danced...
...trees grew sideways...
...wild flowers lined the pathway...
...a feather was gently held by the grass ...
...yellow flowers were gazed upon...
...The Collector sang songs and found an enormous brown leaf....
...summer ended....
...The Collector found a treasure trove of Witch Apples...
...then she spotted a Witch Apple that landed in the crook of a branch....
...feelin' groovy.

I am sending the joy of fall to you today, dear Knitters. Enjoy.

best, susie

Part Two

Hi Knitters,

I know, I know, it's blurry, but just look. How cute is that? I feel like holding those little sweet peas. I knitted the sweet pea hats for a friend of my brother-in-law's who was having twins, obviously. She loved the hats so much that she put them on in the hospital, used them for her birth announcement and actually teared up when she received the hats. If that doesn't make a knitter feel good I don't know what does. My favorite part of that picture? Those legs and toes. Don't you feel like squeezing those baby toes? 
Here is another shot of the babies in the hats. I love how the little girl has her hands over her head while sleeping. I think boy/girl twins are so unusual and fun. Oh, sweet peas. If you knit and you are trying to think of a gift for a baby the best go to gift is a newborn size baby hat. You can't go wrong, it's fast, easy, inexpensive and the reaction from the mother is the best.

It's funny because I just knitted another set of baby blue sweet pea hats for another set of twins. There is something about twins and sweet peas, it's a good combo I guess.
Okay, here is that cover I couldn't get to load yesterday. Yay, Debbie. That cover sweater is a beauty. I love that layered look.
Here is the other photo I wanted to share yesterday. The ad for the Woolie Ewe is gorgeous, eye-catching. It makes you want to know more. Hey, you all should pop over to their new online shop because they are having a contest for a $100 gift card for the shop or online and everyone should enter. That's a big prize for a great store.

Okay, now I've gotten all of those photos up from yesterday. Why does that happen sometimes?

One more thing, the Itty-Bitty Nursery Trunk Show is now at the Chix with Stix yarn shop in Chicago. The trunk show will be there from Oct. 2-15 so stop on by if you are in the area. I love Chicago, wish I was there. Their site looks really nice, too. Check it all out. In fact, I have a friend who was raving about this shop not too long ago. She had just been there and loved it. I hope it goes well with the show.

One more thing after the last one more thing, I am going to be making an appearance at Loop Yarn Shop in Milwaukee, WI on Sunday, Oct. 19th from 12-3:00. It is an open house event to go along with the trunk show and I am excited to be there. Bring your books for me to sign or buy one at the shop, bring your baby pictures, bring your knitting or just bring yourself. Pop in for a quick hello or stay the whole time. I will love to see you.

At the Loop event on the 19th I am bringing some fun stuff. I have at least one hat kit for the rosebud hat from Itty-Bitty hats and I have some Itty-Bitty Nursery tape measures. I think we are going to have a raffle of some sort. I am also throwing in my bag lots of hats from Itty-Bitty Hats, the actual samples from the photos in the book to share with you. Mark your calendars and head on out to Loop Yarn if you are able. 

Here is the info. on these two shops:

Chix with Stix

contact: Dana

Forest Park, IL 60130

chixstix@sbcglobal.net

708 366 6300

Itty-Bitty Trunk Show Oct. 2-15

Loop Yarn Shop

contact: Patricia Colloton-Walsh

2963 N. Humboldt Blvd.

Milwaukee, WI 53207

pwalsh8131@aol.com

414 265 2312

Trunk show from Oct. 16-28

Event with Susan (me!) Oct. 19 12-3:00pm

Off to take my daughter to swim team.

Bye for now, Knitters.

best, susie

Woolie Bliss

Hi Knitters,

I had a few more pictures to add but I can't seem to get them uploaded for some reason. Time to move on. I want to tell you about this fabulous new magazine. Debbie Bliss now has her own knitting magazine and it is being produced by the fantastic people at Soho Publishing as in Vogue Knitting and KnitSimple variety. The premiere issue is exquisite. Be sure to click on the link above to see the cover. Soho Publishing strikes again with top notch knitting material for us. Wow.

The magazine features 36 beautiful designs for the home, baby/child, women and many sweaters for men. I am not kidding, the patterns are all gorgeous, the photography is to die for and Debbie even offers a personal section called, "blissful life," where she talks about her favorite things. She shares a recipe, her favorite stitch (can you guess?), a favorite artist and other tidbits. It's fun to hear from Debbie, her taste is impeccable. The magazine is better than a book because of all of the personal touches, interviews and ads.
Here is one sweater I love. Just look at it. I think it is really pretty and different. Wouldn't you love to cuddle up in that on a cold day?
Debbie has a knack for taking the simple project, interjecting it with color and quality in construction. She takes simplicity to a level beyond. I admire Debbie for that. She offers some adorable kids projects in this issue.

I was thrilled to see a full page ad (one of the photos I couldn't get to load) for one of my favorite yarn shops in the country. They have just opened a new online shop and if it is anything like their shop, it will be a winner. The stock and service is like no other. I was there on a Saturday last fall and it was hopping with knitters, packed full. They are nice as pie. 

You have to take a look. This shop has a personal relationship with Debbie Bliss, she has visited them several times. They literally have everything in the Debbie Bliss line. If you are looking for something specific, this is the way to go. The inventory is enormous for any brand or line of yarn or accessories you can imagine, the shop is run by a mother/daughter team and the staff is the best. The Woolie Ewe is a good shop to support.

Here is one quick link for you  today. I keep dreaming about this one. Yup, gotta make that.

I am a year older today, another year has passed in my life. I feel good, happy, contented so I never give my age much thought. It's one of those things you can't do anything about so why bother worrying about it. The older you are, the more interesting you get in my book.

Happy Sunday, Knitters.

best, susie

p.s. You know, one of the projects in the magazine is a needle case, knitted and lined with fabric. I see them everywhere in books, over and over, and every time I wonder if people ever make needle cases. I never have. Do you have any interest in this project or have you ever made a needle case, knitted or sewn or felted? I'd love to hear, maybe I'm missing out.

p.p.s. Debbie's favorite stitch? Moss stitch. Clearly.

Queen of Chicken

Hi Knitters,

What a week. I have received some good news. Photographer extraordinaire, Liz Banfield, has signed on to work on the toy book with me. She did the photography for the first two books and she is fantastic. Check out her site and her blog, she is truly amazing. Yay!

When my husband came down the stairs the other morning I had a drill, hammer, saw and tons of wooden pieces spread all over the kitchen counter. He asked, "What is this, the shoemaker and the elves?" My life has become elf-like at this point. That is so funny. Yes, I have some roll-y type toys in the new book. They are pretty cool stuff. Can't wait to share.

If I have any other title it has to be The Queen of Chicken. The other day my sister called me to give me a new chicken recipe that she got from a friend while on the school playground. When I find a new quick and easy chicken recipe I'm all over it. The cooking isn't fancy around here but it is big.

Here are few of the chicken recipes I rotate on a regular basis:

chicken salsa

chicken and rice

barbecue chicken

chicken salad

chicken soup

shredded chicken sandwiches

chicken enchiladas

chicken Parmesan

baked lemon chicken

grilled chicken

chicken curry

chicken chili

chicken Marsala

There are many more but I am too tired to remember right now. See, I am like the shrimp guy in Forest Gump, only with chicken. Me and my chicken casserole, best friends forever. Okay, so here is the new one I tried the other night:

1 bottle French dressing

1 package French onion soup mix 

1 can whole cranberry sauce

Heat up the sauce ingredients above and brown the chicken ( I get the boneless, skinless breasts, family size pack). Place everything in a 13x9 inch pan ( I have to make 2 pans of everything a night and usually there are no left overs, I double or triple every recipe). Bake at 350 degrees for maybe another 45 minutes. Oh, and cover with foil. 

The thing is that my family loves French dressing, all of them. My husband is the biggest French dressing lover I have ever met. He will order French dressing in every restaurant and we always have it in the fridge. Anyway, my family loved this recipe and everyone agreed that it is a do-again dish. I'll add it to my list of hash slinging recipes. I need to fill these kids up and it isn't an easy task.

The Queen of Chicken is now signing off. I am a tired out chicken little.

Good night, Knitters.

best, susie