Saturday, June 20, 2015

Episode 16 ~ Gratitude Abounds & Giveaway Fun!

Hi, Knitters,

I'm back with a new podcast episode and giveaway today. There is so much to share with you but be sure to look at the end of the post for photos of today's giveaway opportunities, you won't want to miss it. Instructions to enter your name in the hat to win are at the end of the post as well.

Click here to see the video on my YouTube Channel!

Click here to see the video on iTunes!

Let's dive right in. Here are some links for what I talk about knitting-wise:

Ambrosia Cardigan

Quince & Co. Puffin

Wooly Moss Roots toggles

Solja lace and colorwork pullover sweater

SSK Retreat in Nashville

Spin Off Magazine

Itty-Bitty Knits group on Ravelry

The IBK Retreat after class at the University Club

I forgot to mention that at the retreat 34 hats were collected for donation to Halos of Hope! Thanks to Pat, plynn on Ravelry, for collecting and delivering the hats for the group. There is a thread in the Itty-Bitty Knits group for a monthly charity hosted by a member. There are always lots of charity knitting opportunities going on in the group if you are interested.

Thank you to everyone for coming to Madison for our retreat!

Here are the links for the lovely sponsors and donations for the gift bags and door prizes! You are all the best and I appreciate your generosity to no end. Everyone was thrilled and you all helped to make the retreat so special and memorable.

Please click away and visit these talented designers, dyers, artists, shop owners! Please pass on my regards if you purchase anything.

Yarn on the House YOTH Yarns

Leading Men Fiber Arts

Kreinik

O-Wool

WEBS

Caterpillargreen Yarns

Alana Dakos - Never Not Knitting

Gleener

Rebecca Ringquist – Dropcloth Samplers

The University Club where we had class and lunch together.

Door prize mania!

Cute name tag buttons for everyone made by Kriste.

My trunk show of toys.

The workshop was for the Mary, Millie & Morgan dolls. Many of the students ordered doll kits from Quince & Co. for class.

Everyone settling in for class.

Kriste describing and handing out door prizes!

Madison Memories exclusive yarn from Quaere Fibre.

The group at the Farmers Market on the square.

Here is the Quaere Fibre Madison Memories 9 stripe sock I started with the coordinating heel.

Click here for the IBK Retreat Pre-order for the custom project bag on Little Skein! It looks like Anne is on vacation for a few days but I know she is taking pre-orders on the project bags so send her a message if you are interested.

Giveaway Prize #1 ~ My door prize package includes:

Sample from Tuft Woolens wool soap

Kookaburra Wool Wash

1 skein of Lollipop Yarn Rainbow Striping Sock Yarn

1 Spool of Kreinik tinsel thread

Giveaway Prize #2 includes:

Mini skeins of all sorts

Discount codes

Tuft Woolens Soap

Dyeabolical Row Counter Ring

Dropcloth Sampler from Rebecca Ringquist

Needle Gauge

Kookaburra Wool Wash

Exclusive Project Bag from Little Skein

Quaere Fibre exclusive Madison Memories 9 stripe sock yarn skein!!!

TO ENTER:

Please leave one comment on this blog post to enter to win one of the giveaway prizes. 2 winners will be selected, one for each package. You must leave your contact information Ravelry name or email address in your comment. Please only click on Publish one time! There is a delay before you will see your comment appear on the blog.

I will be back in a few days to select 2 random winners! This is going to be a big one so good luck to everyone.

Thanks for joining me and love to you all!

xo ~ susan

Monday, June 15, 2015

Ambrosia

Hi, Knitters,

I want to announce that I am hosting a giant giveaway later this week. About 10 days ago there was a retreat in Madison, my hometown, where almost 30 knitters from my Ravelry group spent a long weekend together. We had door prizes and retreat bags and yarn and gifts. Well, I have stockpiled a bunch of things, including the custom stripey sock yarn from Quaere Fibre, to share with you. I want to do a good job thanking all of the sponsors of the retreat and not rush through it so later this week that will happen. You won't want to miss this opportunity so be sure to stay tuned.

Now for today's big news. I finished a cardigan! It may not seem like big news but it has been a very long while since I knit a sweater of any sort so I am pretty excited about it. Has it been a couple of years? I can't remember. Well, the Ambrosia cardigan has been on my mind for several years. When Gudrun Johnston, the designer, released her book Knit with Me I immediately purchased the yarn to make Ambrosia, the cover cardigan. That was in 2012. Three years later in 2015 it feels good to finally get this project out of my stash and onto my shoulders.

Here is some information you might like to know:

Pattern: Ambrosia by Gudrun Johnston

Yarn: Quince & Co. Puffin in the Frank's Plum colorway

Gudrun Johnston's website The Shetland Trader

The pattern for Ambrosia is available for individual download and it is also in a book called, Knit with Me by Gudrun Johnston. The book is wonderful and has many patterns I would like to knit and wear. In addition to the book there is a baby/toddler pattern for download called Wee Ambrosia which is in sizes 3 months to 3 years. I may have to knit this one at some point, too. It is super cute.

The Ambrosia cardigan is knit from the bottom up, starting with the body, then the arms are knit and attached to the body. The yoke slip stitch pattern is really fun to knit and is quite simple despite the complicated appearance. When something is easy but looks tricky that's always the best. The decreases for the shoulders are done after the stitch pattern section which keeps things simple again. The neck edge is bound off and then picked up for the hood. Since the yarn is a bulky weight and is heavy the bind off and picked up edge provides a seam of sorts for added structure for the garment. I liked the thoughtfulness that Gudrun ran throughout the design. It is designed for simplicity, function and aesthetics.

The hood is just the right size. It is not gigantic and heavy at all. There is some unique short row shaping on the sides of the hood which gives it a rounder shape and makes it not so pointy. I like that the hood doesn't cover the diamond slip stitch pattern on the back. It's all very clever and done with purpose.

After the hood is finished, the front bands and hood edging are picked up and knit in one long row from bottom edge to bottom edge. The buttonholes are placed by the knitter with general instructions, not specific placement. This is fine because you can try the garment on at before knitting the buttonholes to figure out the best placement for the toggles. There is a reference for buttonhole placement using the stitch pattern section as a rough guide, one at the top, middle and lower edge of that section. Using the patterned section as a guide made it easy.

I originally had only 8 skeins of Puffin in Frank's Plum. The size I wanted to make calls for 10 skeins. I thought I had better order a couple more skeins so I didn't run out so I went ahead and purchased two more skeins. Guess how many skeins I used..... 8. Now I have two more skeins of Puffin added to my stash. But that's alright, I'll make a hat or mittens or something from the extras along the way.

Here are some in-progress shots for you.

Here I am trying on the fresh off the needles Ambrosia to see where I wanted to add pockets on the fronts. Pockets are not included in the pattern but I really couldn't envision my Ambrosia without pockets. I am planning to wear this as a layering jacket in the fall and winter and I know that pockets will come in handy for warming my hands, holding car keys, or for storing other odds and ends. I bet a ball of sock yarn will fit nicely in these pockets. Yes to that.

In 2012 when I bought the book and yarn for Ambrosia I immediately started searching for toggles. One of my favorite button shops on Etsy is Wooly Moss Roots. I have used these buttons on many garments in the past and they are beautifully handcrafted every time. Wooly Moss Roots uses different types of wood branches for their buttons and they are so beautiful.

I love the rustic look of the reclaimed sassafras wood used in the three toggles on my cardigan. I love that the bark is still on the toggles. They are sanded down just enough so the surface is smooth and will not snag on the buttonhole. The ends and back are smooth as well.

Click here for Wooly Moss Roots on Etsy!

I used purple thread to stitch on the toggles and they work and look perfect.

For the added pockets I picked up stitches using the knit fabric as a guide. I wrote out the directions on an Instagram post if you are interested in looking there for my photos. I am using the hashtag #projectsweaterchest for my sweater photos which stemmed from my sweater chest videos last fall. There are over 1,200 posts in #projectsweaterchest already. Use this on Instagram if you are doing some sweater knitting of your own so we can all see what you're up to.

Click here to see my added pocket instructions and other photos on Instagram!

Here are my general notes on what I did to make the pockets:

~ I picked up stitches by inserting the tip of the needle under the right leg of 16 consecutive stitches, added in the yarn leaving an 8 inch end, and knit directly onto to the cardigan.

~ I picked up the stitches on the fourth row up from the border and 8 sts over from the front bands on each side.

~ 16 sts wide measures about 5-inches

~ I worked 18 rows in stockinette stitch

~ Work 6 rows of garter stitch at the top edge

~ I used the ends to stitch down the sides of the pockets.

~ The pockets are about a 5-inch square which is a good size for pockets in general.

I washed the finished cardigan in Soakwash in warm water and laid it flat to dry.

I am thrilled with the squishy, cozy results of Ambrosia! It fits great and I love it. I made the 37.5 inch size. I usually wear a 36 inch size but I wanted it to be a little oversized. The sleeves are long-ish so I can turn up the cuff or if my hands and wrists need extra warmth I can wear them down. There is plenty of positive ease, at least a couple of inches which is perfect for a layering piece. I wouldn't want it to be fitted or snug.

Ambrosia is the epitome of comfy and cozy knitwear. I highly recommend Gudrun's lovely, well-written pattern. This is a fun and practical one to add to your wardrobe. Definitely check it out.

After Ambrosia flew off my needles I cast on another sweater called Solja by Anna Maltz.

I'll fill you in on all of the Solja details very soon!

Don't forget the giant giveaway coming later in the week. I hope your summer if off to a wonderful and sunny start.

xo ~ susan

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Episode 15 ~ Summer Sweater Plans

Hi, Knitters,
Today I have Episode 15 ~ Summer Sweater Plans for you. I also discuss how to use a second strand for the heel flap and turn when using self-striping or patterning yarn. This helps to keep the stripe pattern intact on the front of the sock.

I also share lots of sweater plans and current sweater knitting and yarns and more.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube!
Click here to watch on iTunes!
Click here for my Ravelry group, Itty-Bitty Knits!

Here are the links for the podcast:
Arne & Carlos Regia Sock Yarn
The Loopy Ewe Sock Blocker
Signature double-pointed needles
How I Make My Socks (free pattern)
Ebb Cowl
Rivulette
Little Bobbins dpn holder
SewBendy Bags
Owls on Dante tape measure
Ambrosia by Gudrun Johnston
Knit with Me book by Gudrun Johnston
Solja by Anna Maltz
Waterlily by Megan Hernandez
Pom Pom Quarterly
Quince & Co. Puffin in the Frank's Plum colorway
Quince & Co. Lark
Jill Draper Makes Stuff
Tolt Yarn and Wool (Where I purchased the Empire Yarn.)
Ramona (cardigan pattern I will use for the Empire yarn)
Louise Cardigan - coming up soon!
Maude Cardigan by Carrie Bostick Hoge
Shelter yarn in the Button Jar colorway

I discussed the Itty-Bitty Knits Retreat that's happening this weekend here in Madison, WI.
Click here to see the retreat thread on Ravelry!

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

Thursday, May 28, 2015

May Madness

Hi, Knitters,

The phrase is usually March Madness and is in reference to basketball but around here it has been more like May Madness. I think most families experience the same things no matter the ages of the kids. The school year is ending which means final sporting events, parents' nights, banquets, field trips, forms to read and sign (usually accompanied with checks), year-end concerts, organizing summer activities, and high school final exams are upon us. Many of us have college kids moving back into the house which means stuff upon stuff coming into the house. And then there is usually a bit of lag time in between school ending and summer jobs starting so there is a lot of hanging out and eating going on.

It's just a lot of everything. Most all of it is fun and happy and exciting right along with being a lot. I hope if you are having May Madness at your house you are able to catch your breath and enjoy it a bit.

For today's business at hand, I have a tiny bit of knitting to share with you. I have turned the heel and finished the gusset on my Regia Arne & Carlos sock. This is the first of the pair and it has been slow going because I haven't been working on it much. I do love it so far.

The rib is 12 rounds, k2, p2. The cuff is 6-inches long. The pattern is my free one called, How I Make My Socks. The needles are from Signature (6-inch length dpns in US size 1/2.25mm). The wooden sock blockers (these are my absolute favorite) are from The Loopy Ewe. The Arne & Carlos Regia sock yarn is a bit difficult to get. I found a few skeins here and a few skeins here.

There is a casual Arne & Carlos sock knitalong on Instagram. Use #acregiakal to tag your photos if you are interested in joining in or seeing more photos of socks being knit out of this yarn line. It's inspiring to see all of the Arne & Carlos socks and the twists people put on them and just how others knit their socks in general.

Also this week I have been putting a serious editing dent in the first pass of my next book. Editing is tedious work and requires focus and concentration. These are two things that don't come easily when you have May Madness going on in your house.

Let's just say I have had to close a few doors here and there to keep noise and commotion at bay.

Today, May 28th, 2015, is the final day of the Yowza Weigh It Shawl 1-4 sale. I reduced the price for all four shawl patterns to $4.00 for one week, and tomorrow they will return to the regular price of $5.00.

Click here to see all four of the Yowza Weigh It Shawls.

I want to thank you all so much for the support for the release of the Yowza Weigh It 4 shawl. The response has been fantastic. I really appreciate how you all make things so much fun around here. I am very grateful.

I heard from the people at Miss Babs that Yowza yarn sales have been through the roof, especially for the Perfectly Wreckless colorway (as seen in the shawl in the photo above). You only need one skein, needles and a kitchen scale to make the shawl. It's all garter stitch and there is no counting or keeping track involved.

It's good all around. Thank you, again.

I have to share an inspired version of the Yowza Weigh It Shawl 4 with permission from pamelajd on Ravelry.

photo from pamelajd on rav

Pam made her Yowza Weigh It 4 with two DK Twist Gradient Sets from Madelinetosh. I love this use of two gradient sets in the pink and silver bell gradient colorways. You know how you get these beautiful gradient sets and then you have no idea what to do with them so they just sit on the shelf.

Well, here you go!

photo from pamelajd on rav

I want to make one of these for myself just like Pam's version. It is so beautiful. I love the way both of the striping colors are gradient in the shawl. It is just stunning. I love it!

The ribbed edging instructions are available in the Yowza 4 pattern as an alternate edging to the applied garter edging in the shawl I am wearing.

Okay, back to my pencil, post-it notes and pages. I hope you are having a good week and that you have a great weekend ahead.

I'll be back soon with more.

xo ~ susan

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Yowza Weigh It Shawl 4 is Now Available!

Hi, Knitters,

The winner of the YOTH Yarns giveaway is..... elvensknits on Ravelry or Sharon Keller!

Congratulations to Sharon! I have contacted both Sharon and Veronika of YOTH Yarns to let them know and to coordinate the details of the prize. Thank you to everyone for the fantastic response. We had over 800 entries to win which is very exciting.

Now for some more fun news. I have finished the fourth shawl in my Yowza Weigh It Shawl series. That's right Yowza Weight It Shawl 4 is here!

The idea behind this continued study of shawl shapes is that you cast on using 8 ounces of a light worsted weight yarn (like the Miss Babs Yowza which is 560 yards) and you never count a single stitch! You keep track of what to do by weighing your yarn only one time while working on the shawl for the Yowza 4!

The shape is an asymmetrical elongated triangle for the Yowza Weigh It Shawl 4. The entire shawl is worked in garter stitch including the applied edge. There is not a single purl stitch to be found. This shawl is incredibly simple with a 2 row repeat. You instantly have it memorized.

All of the Yowza Weigh It Shawls 1-4 are based on the use of one skein of the very popular Yowza from Miss Babs. Other yarns could be substituted and would work fine. All of the shawls are incredibly simple, mostly all garter stitch, and they provide an excellent exploration of a variety of popular shawl shapes in a very easy to understand way.

Click here for Miss Babs Yowza! Whatta Skein!

Click here for more information or to purchase the Yowza Weigh It Shawl 4 pattern!

Yowza Weigh It Shawl 4

Click here for more information or to purchase the Yowza Weigh It Shawl 4!

Finished Measurements (after blocking): 78-inch wingspan, 16.5-inch depth

Yarn: Miss Babs Yowza (100% Superwash Merino Wool; 8 oz./560 yards), 1 skein.

The sample is knit in the Perfectly Wreckless colorway.

Weight of the finished shawl: 7 3/8 oz.

Needles: US size 8/5mm circular needles, 32-inch or size to obtain gauge

Gauge: 4.5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

Materials:

Yarn needle to weave in ends

A detachable stitch marker

Kitchen scale that weighs in ounces and grams

Abbreviations:

k knit

kfb knit in the front and back of the same stitch to increase 1 stitch

k2tog knit 2 stitches together to decrease 1 stitch

st(s) stitch(es)

RS right side

WS wrong side

Pattern Notes:

The shawl is knit from side to side on the bias with a slow increase of stitches on one side. When a key amount of yarn is reached an applied garter stitch edging is added to finish the shawl. There is a continuous ribbed edging option in the pattern for those not interested in an applied edge detail.

In celebration for the Yowza 4 pattern release I have a discounted sale price for all 4 Yowza Weigh It Shawls. I have changed the price for all 4 Yowza Weigh It Shawls to $1.00 off the regular price of $5.00.

The discount sale price of $4.00 is good from today, Thursday, May 21 through next Thursday, May 28th! After May 28th the price will go back to $5.00.

Click here for the original Yowza Weigh It Shawl.

Click here for the Yowza Weigh It Shawl 2.

Click here for the Yowza Weigh It Shawl 3.

Click here for the Yowza Weigh It Shawl 4.

Here are some photos of the shawl for you to enjoy. Note that no filters or any type of alteration has been used on the following photos and yes, the yarn is that brilliant on its own!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great long holiday weekend if you are in the U.S.

xo ~ susan

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Episode 14 ~ Knitting Talk & a YOTH Yarns Giveaway!

Hi Knitters,
I have a new podcast episode for you today. I am sharing some of my favorite new and new-ish video podcasts, new to me yarns, a finished shawl design, a sock in progress, and a huge giveaway for YOTH Yarns!

Click here to watch the my podcast on YouTube!

Links:
Video Podcast recommendations:
Junk Yarn Podcast
A Homespun House Podcast
Little Bobbins Knits Podcast
Little Bobbins Etsy Shop
A Wee Bit Knitty
Sara Wright ~ LoveSockWool Podcast and Etsy Shop
Manda Rine's Podcast
Buckaloo View Podcast
Round the Twist
Disascraftwork
Stitched in Sweden

Vibes & Scribes Donegal Tweed
Cakewalk Yarns
Must Stash Yarns

Paula of the Knitting Pipeline
The Summer of Paula Episode
Hyla Brook Shawl

Curious Handmade ~ Knitting Pipeline Retreat Special podcast

Sun Valley Fibers
SSK Retreat ~ July 2015 in Nashville
The Knit Girllls Podcast

photo from YothYarns.com

Above is a photo of the Gradient Yoth Yarns sets that are displayed so beautifully on dowels. These sets were the hot item at the last Vogue Knitting Live in Pasadena.

Yoth Yarns Website

Yoth Yarns Designs on Ravelry

Yoth Yarns Giveaway ~
A sweater's worth of Big Sister! That's 6 skeins, 231 yards per skein in DK weight. Superwash Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend. You will work out the colorway with Veronika! I think you will love this luxurious yarn. Thank you to Veronika for the generous prize.

To enter to win please leave a comment on this blog post. Please only leave one comment and include your Ravelry username or an email address. Please be patient for your comment to appear, there is a delay before it will show up on the blog comments. Only click on publish one time.

Good luck! Thanks for watching. I'll be back soon with a randomly selected winner.
xo ~ susan

Tuesday, May 05, 2015

April Travel Review & Kit Winners Announced

Hi, Knitters,
Well, today is the day. Anne Vally of Little Skein upped the ante due to the ENORMOUS response to the giveaway. She decided to offer 2 of the Big Woods Luxe Kits as prizes. I have randomly selected 2 winners from the 1,077 entries, each will win a Big Woods Luxe Kit from Little Skein.

The winners are.... lindarumsey and sewmanygirls (both rav usernames)!

Congratulations to the winners. I have given your names to Anne Vally of Little Skein and she will be contacting you via Ravelry pm to gather your preferences and mailing addresses to send your kits. Thank you for the overwhelming response.

Click here for the Little Skein Etsy Shop!

Anne asked me to pass on some further kit information to you. There are still some of the Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering Big Woods Kits available in the red- Mr. Edwards and green- Big Woods colorways! The golden Half Pint colorway is sold out. Also, be sure to note that Anne provides many different kit combinations so there is something for almost any price range, you can pick and choose.

collage photo provided by Little Skein

I wanted to thank Anne for sending me my shawl sample back to keep and wear and for including some of the lovely kit items as gifts in the package. One of the available kit items she sent, which is my favorite by far, is the photo collection by Joy Prouty. I follow and love Joy Prouty on Instagram along with tens of thousands of others. I am framing these Little House photos, signed by Joy, and will be hanging them in my home studio. They are joyful, peaceful and perfect. The photos are from Joy's personal collection and include original photographs of her visit with her family to the Ingalls' Homesteads in Walnut Grove, Minnesota and DeSmet, South Dakota.

Read all about this beautiful Little House photo collection right here! You can purchase only one photo or all of them.

Click here for the Little Skein pop-up shop!

Thanks to Anne for the giveaway and for the fun opportunity.

Now that May is here and I am home for awhile (or at least until SSK in Nashville this July), I wanted to share some photos of my April travels to Maryland, California, and Minnesota.

And with that off we go!
Than

Fun and successful Pasadena students are making their adorable 3 Wee Sheep. Some of the students got really far along during class which is always fun to see. Note (top left) the Yowza Weigh It Shawl in Miss Babs Yowza in the Funny Papers colorway, and the lovely Esther in her Quaker Ridge Shawlette (top right). Esther won the Arne & Carlos Regia yarn from my blog giveaway.

I loved the artsy stenciled walkways of Pasadena. What a pretty area.

Minnesota is where I got to meet lots of my Itty-Bitty Knits group members! And Twinset Ellen (center top row) of the Twinset Designs Podcast! And I was excited to hear Amy Herzog speak (top left photo) at the opening dinner for Yarnover. She was a wonderful and vibrant and informative speaker. Very impressive. I met a couple more Itty-Bitty Knits group members Carla and Robin (bottom left) at Yarnover.

My buddy Rae Lynne (bottom right) was at StevenBe's on Sunday. I have known her for a few years now through our Ravelry group. She gave me a couple of very sweet gifts from her Etsy Shop Chase Art. Thank you Rae Lynne!

I taught at both Yarnover and at StevenBe's in Minneapolis on the same weekend.

In Minnesota I also got to spend time with my son. Let's just say we ate A LOT! Many restaurants were visited in a couple of short days. It was fun because he stayed with me at the hotel on Saturday night. I loved that time we had together. He is the second of my four children so as you can imagine we have never had a lot of one-on-one time together. It was wonderful.

I purchased the Irish yarn called Hedgehog Fibres in the Teacup colorway at StevenBe's. It is so pretty that I immediately wound it and cast on a shawl... more to come on that. I finished a pair of Arne & Carlos socks and started a very casual Instagram knitalong for any Arne & Carlos Regia socks with the hashtag #acregiakal if you are interested in joining in.

In summary, in April I taught on both U.S. coasts and in the middle. I taught Fair Isle Mitts and Fair Isle Hat workshops, 3 Wee Sheep classes, Mary, Millie & Morgan and Ben & Buddy Quince & Co. Doll Workshops, Build a Toy Workshops, Opal Sock Yarn Bunny and Mini-Sock Yarn Bunny classes, Little Dragon classes, Fox in a Vest classes, lectured at Vogue Knitting Live and spoke on a panel discussion..... And I survived and had fun to boot!

Oh! And.....

I am quietly finishing up my next book with my publisher, Artisan Books. There is lots of editing and deadlines going on there as well. I am super excited about this new book and I hope you will be, too.

Psssst..... my new book is already up for pre-order on Amazon if you are interested in taking a peek!

And lastly, in Maryland Greg of the Knitting Daddy blog shared his new pattern samples with me.

The hat pattern is called, Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hats. The hats are adorable!

All of the proceeds from this pattern go directly to the Family Support Network of Central Carolina. You can read all about it on the project page right here! Plus, there is a discount code for the month of May for $1 off: BLUEBERRY

What a great way to use up sock yarn leftovers.

I'll be back soon with more. Until then, be well and knit on.

xo ~ susan

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Win a Big Woods Luxe Kit from Little Skein!

photo from Little Skein

Hi, Knitters,

I am so excited today to be able to offer a winner one of the amazing Big Woods Luxe Kits curated by Anne Vally of Little Skein. I was fortunate enough to be asked by Anne to design a shawl with the theme of Little House on the Prairie. Not only did I love these books as a child, I love them as an adult. I had recently reread the series before Anne had even contacted me and as you know I often hike in the beautiful prairies of a nearby nature conservancy. It was the perfect match!

Click here to see the Big Woods Luxe Kit on Little Skein!

Click here for the Pioneer Girl Shawl on Ravelry! The individual patterns for the shawl and mitten bookmark/ornament will be available in my shop in a couple of months.

There is an Instagram-along happening right now with the hashtag #littlehousealong that Anne is hosting. You can post photos with this hashtag #littlehousealong to enter. The photos don't have to include knitting, the photos can include the books, tv show, crafting related to Little House, cooking, prairies, etc..... anything related to the Little House! There are already lots of photos posted. I think Anne is selecting for prizes during the #littlehousealong so don't miss this chance.

After I was in for the design, Anne and I talked about yarn and colors. She brought up the Plucky Knitter and she wasn't sure if that would work out. Well, as it happened I had seen Sarah, The Plucky Knitter, and her sister recently at Fibre Space where I was teaching and she was having a trunk show. We chatted enthusiastically about doing a project together. I have known Sarah since before she was the Plucky Knitter and that's getting to be a long time now. Since we had discussed doing a project together I thought Anne would have a pretty good chance at putting the two of us together for her kit.

It worked! The hard to get your hands on Plucky Knitter yarn was in! You get 2 skeins of Plucky Primo Fingering in this kit! This yarn is really nearly impossible to to get.

Then the colors were discussed. I wanted a deep red. I know that Laura had red wool mittens and Ma had a red shawl (in the Disney movie version of Little House and I think the mittens or a red hat were also mentioned in the book). Then The Plucky Knitter came up with the most gorgeous rich, red exclusive colorway. I was surprised and delighted that the color was named Mr. Edwards. Who doesn't love Mr. Edwards?

Anne and The Plucky Knitter came up with the caramel gold Half Pint colorway and the cool emerald green The Big Woods colorway. They are all so pretty and fun and perfect.

photo from Little Skein

Just look at the fabric Anne designed for the project bag! Click here for a better view! It's so cute and the inside fabric is just as sweet.

Here is description of today's prize, the Big Woods Luxe Kit worth $135 from Anne:

I am delighted to offer The Big Woods shawl kit, featuring an exclusive new shawl pattern by Susan B. Anderson and three exclusive new colors of Plucky Knitter yarn in the scrumptious Primo fingering base. The Luxe kit begins at $135 and you can customize your kit to include absolutely everything you would like from my Big Woods collection, which has involved eight different artists -- all of whom are passionate about and inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder's incomparable stories of her pioneer childhood.

Your Luxe kit is made to order and will ship in approximately 3 to 4 weeks. It includes:

Pioneer Girl shawl pattern by Susan B. Anderson (which can be downloaded immediately)
2 skeins of Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering yarn in one of three new colorways (fingering weight; 75% merino, 20% cashmere, 5% nylon; 385 yards/100g) (which is shipped immediately, so that you can cast on and join in the knit-along)
Project bag (drawstring bag at the base price or upgrade to a larger zipper bag for an additional $15)
Little Skein stitch markers in one of eight new designs
"Christmas in the Big Woods" row marker, an adorably handcrafted stack of polymer clay pancakes with lobster claw clasp
Lo-Lo "to go" lotion bar in the exclusive "Big Woods" scent or in an unscented version
A wee packet of wildflower seeds, to create your own corner of the prairie
A bonus pattern: Half Pint Mittens by Susan B. Anderson, to create an adorable bookmark, ornament or other decoration from a wee bit of your Plucky yarn

photo of The Pioneer Girl from Little Skein

I am so proud of the design, Pioneer Girl. It takes 2 skeins of the The Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering yarn. I wanted to do a modern take on the Little House theme. At first I was thinking about the traditional triangle shawl shape (which I love) but I know that many don't enjoy wearing this shape as much. I wanted to design a shawl that everyone can wear successfully. I also wanted the shawl to be super simple to knit.

I decided on a long crescent shaped garter stitch shawl, it's so easy to knit and wear. I added a simple house-shaped lace motif. The final touch was an elegant and beautiful applied garter stitch edging. I love it so much. You will have it memorized in no time and the applied edging will zip right along, I promise. Of course you could always leave the applied edging off and call it a day after the lace motif but I think it really makes the shawl something special.

The photos above are my iPhone photos of the Pioneer Girl shawl as it was blocking. You can see the full shape of the shawl and a close up of the edging and lace. It is very sweet. This is a great first shawl, first lace, first applied edging for knitters of any level of experience.

After I finished the shawl I kept looking at the leftover yarn and thinking we really needed to add a little something extra with that yarn. The books are the heart of this kit and as I was thinking I remembered Laura's mittens. I decided to come up with a mitten bookmark which fit in perfectly with the kit as a whole. Anne loved the idea.

Here are a few quick photos of the mittens on a string pattern called Half Pint Mittens. This bonus-pattern is included in the kit:

I think I like the tiny mittens on a string as much as I like the shawl which would come as a shock to no one. It is an adorable bookmark or ornament. I want to hang these little mittens on a string all over my Christmas tree and put them as present toppers next year. They only take a bit of fingering weight yarn, too. Perfect.

Anyway, if you'd like to win the The Big Woods Luxe Kit by Little Skein please leave one comment on this blog post. You must include your Ravelry username or an email address to be eligible to win. In your comment you can just say hello with your contact information, but if you feel inclined tell me what The Little House on the Prairie books mean or meant to you. I'd love to hear. Please be patient for your comment to appear and only click on Publish one time. There is a delay before your comment is posted.

Thank you to Anne Vally of Little Skein for this amazing kit and for offering the Luxe Kit worth $135 to one of you. Thank you for everything. The kits have been an enormous hit for Little Skein. Anne has had record-breaking sales and the shawl pattern made it up to #8 on the Ravelry Hot Right Now patterns. There are limited kits in The Plucky Knitter exclusive yarn (I think some of the colorways have sold out) so this prize Luxe Kit is a treasure trove.

The pattern for the Pioneer Girl shawl and the Half Pint mittens will be available for individual purchase in my Ravelry pattern shop in a couple of months if you only want the patterns. I will let you know when the patterns become available for download.

Good luck and let the comments begin!

xo ~ susan