Susan B. Anderson: books

Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Announcements!

Hi, Knitters,

I hope you are doing well. All of a sudden it seems like a lot is going on but that's expected when knitting is your game and the high knitting season has arrived.

First, I want you to know that late yesterday we posted the long-awaited Branches & Buds Sweater Kits again on Barrett Wool Co. This is our most popular kit and we can't keep it in stock! They are already going super fast.

The pattern and design is by the incredibly talented Carrie Bostick Hoge of Maddermade and Making Magazine. It has been so much fun offering these kits with Carrie! The size range is really good and the Wisconsin Woolen Spun yarn literally makes the sweater come to life. I have been wearing mine non-stop, pretty much every day.

Click here to find out more or to purchase a Branches & Buds Sweater Kit!

Here is a quick photo of the Branches & Buds Sweater Kit from Barrett Wool Co. I promise you will love it as much as I do. It's fun to knit and fun to wear.

The next announcement I have is a big and exciting one! I have a new book, both digital and printed, that has just been released through Quince & Co. I have worked on this project for quite a few years and to see it finalized in this fantastic book format is such a treat. The digital download ebook is available now. The printed book is up for pre-order right now over on Quince & Co. I think the printed book will be out on October 5th (which happens to be my birthday, what a gift!).

Quince & Co. is very much so the nicest company on earth. I LOVE working with them, they are smart, kind, knowledgeable, and everyone is incredibly talented and artistic. I can't say enough good things about this company. It is an honor and a privilege to get to work with Quince in any capacity. Thank you, Quince & Co., for bringing my work to life in such a charming and easy to read way.

Here is a description of the book from Quince & Co.:

Susan B. Anderson’s book, Kindred Knits: Knitting For Little Ones Near And Far is more than just a pattern book—in addition to the sweet variety of cardigans and other accessories for babies, the book includes a thorough primer in the construction of a basic cardigan pattern, fully annotated and illustrated, plus a tutorial on using a child’s tee to measure, calculate and knit a custom cardigan pattern that is guaranteed to fit the recipient. A pattern for tiny sweater ornaments is also included! Every project is worked in worsted-weight wool Lark. This fun book is available in print+pdf and is a treasure to have on the knitter’s bookshelf.

Preorder now and download the ebook immediately! Print expected to ship October 5th.

Click here to find out more, see all of the projects, and to purchase!

Click here to see all of the patterns included and to favorite on Ravelry!

Just one more thing about the Kindred Knits book. The size range of the little sweaters and hat go from newborn to 24-months but the techniques and know-how to make a cardigan in any size using a tee-shirt for measurements is invaluable. You can be across the country from the intended baby or child and if you know the size they wear, you can knit a sweater for them that will fit. There are worksheets and guides that will help you knit an incredible cardigan in any size. And there are fully illustrated step-by-step tutorials included. It's a really good resource of information.

Also, my artwork is sprinkled throughout the book and that is super fun for me! I have a secret dream to be an illustrator so it is a thrill.

So again, click here to check out Kindred Knits: Knitting For Little Ones Near and Far!

Click here for Kindred Knits on Ravelry!

My last announcement is that I am teaching at Vogue Knitting Live in New York City in January 12-14, 2018! The classes have just gone up and I hope if you are able to attend, please consider taking one or all of my classes. I would just love to see any of you in person. This is one of my most favorite events of the year. You can't beat gathering with thousands of knitters in the best city in the world, NYC!

Click here to check out Vogue Knitting Live in NYC!

Alright, my loves, I will be back soon with more. I love this little blog and I appreciate you checking in with me. Have a wonderful weekend.

xo ~ susan

Monday, July 10, 2017

Minnesota 52 Giveaway!

photo by Gale Zucker

ETA: The winner has been randomly selected. The winner of the ebook is Teachermom on Rav! She has already been gifted the ebook from Megan and Cori! Thanks for the fun everyone and I'll host another giveaway soon.

Hi, Knitters,

I'm popping in quickly today to let you know about an Instagram giveaway I am hosting. The prize is an ebook copy of the new book Minnesota 52 written by Megan Williams and Cori Eichelberger. Megan is half of the Stockinette Zombies podcast that I'm sure many of you know already. Cori is Megan's good friend and a top-notch knitter to boot.

The book has socks, a shawl, hats, colorwork projects, multiple sweaters, cowls, mittens and more. There are fun little stories and a delicious recipe for granola bars. I know how good these are because I already made a batch.

The photography was done by the wonderfully talented Gale Zucker.

Click here to see all of the projects included in Minnesota 52!

Click here to leave a comment to enter to win the book!

To enter to win a copy of the book, hop over to my Instagram account and leave a comment over there! Click here to leave a comment to enter.

Please do not enter here if possible. If you don't have access to Instagram please leave a comment here and I'll include you in the pot for the random drawing.

Here are a few of my favorite projects in the book:

photo by Gale Zucker

There is something for everyone in Minnesota 52 and the book has a happy fun outlook on knitting which I love.

Click here to enter to win!

Good luck and I'll be back soon with more.

xo ~ susan

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

String Along Toys ~ Now Available!

photo from Quince & Co.

Hi, Knitters,

I hope you are doing well. I had a relaxing family vacation that was just wonderful and then I came home to a series of design deadlines for several magazines so I have been keeping my nose seriously planted in my knitting over the last couple of weeks. I am off to Vogue Knitting Live in NYC tomorrow so if you are going to be there I'd love to see you in class. My Sunday classes still have a few openings but I believe the other days are sold out. Anyway, be sure to say hello if we cross paths. I'd love to see you.

I am so excited to offer you my latest ebook originally published by the lovely Quince & Co. The ebook has the patterns for three toys, a mouse, a monkey, and a frog, that can be made as stand-alone toys or by creating a loop for a hand or foot can be strung together to create a garland or just to hold hands. The ebook is called String Along Toys and it has just become available for purchase in my Ravelry Pattern Shop.

To celebrate I am offering the digital ebook for 50% off the original price. The original price is $10 and it is now available for $5 starting today, January 11th and ending January 15th, 2017. No code is necessary as I've just set the price to make it simple for you.

Click here to find out more information or to purchase the String Along Toys ebook!

The patterns are also available in a beautifully printed book by Quince & Co. if you are interested. It makes me so proud to see how Quince presents my work in both the printed form and the digital form. They really do an outstanding job. I love how Quince incorporated both my personality by adding in my original artwork in the book and how they capture the personality of the toys through the wonderful photography. It is very well done overall.

But most importantly, the patterns, knit in Lark (worsted weight) are clear and the toys are extremely fun and quite quick to knit. The construction for all three is completely seamless from the bottom-up. The mouse and monkey construction is a little different than the frog. With a clever twist at the neck, the stitches change direction without adding any short rows.

photo from Quince & Co.

Here is some information about the pattern and yarn you might like to know:

String Along Toys

by Susan B. Anderson

Published in

Quince & Co.

Craft

Knitting

Friday, September 23, 2016

Drop Dead Easy Knits ~ Quince & Co. Owl Giveaway!

Photo from Drop Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

Hi, Knitters,

Last week a new and exciting knitting book was released, Drop Dead Easy Knits, by Gale Zucker, Mary Lou Eagen and Kirsten Kapur. I am fortunate enough to have a pattern included in the book, Bear in a Bunny Suit. I have a little story on how this came to be.

A couple of years ago Gale Zucker, who I first met at the SSK retreat in Nashville, asked if I wanted to get together at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC. I said sure! I love Gale and so does everyone else; she's a good soul. Well, to that meet-up Gale brought along Kirsten Kapur, who I didn't know personally but of course I know and love her knitting. We chatted for a bit at the hotel and then they took me on an adventure weaving through the city to a pop-up yarn shop for Starcroft yarn and fiber (this is amazing yarn with an even better story behind it).

I had the best time ever. I just loved that night, it was warm and cozy and magical. The beautiful sheep-y wool fumes and the knitting talent in that tiny shop was overwhelming. I stayed an hour or two. Right before I left to go back to the hotel Kay Gardiner of Mason-Dixon Knitting walked in the shop and I briefly got to meet her which was great. Gale Zucker is the common thread here for me and possibly everyone else at that event. Gale likes to bring people together. She is kind and friendly and interested in others. When I was at SSK she arranged a dinner with Ann Shayne, the other half of Mason-Dixon Knitting, and that was another treasured memory I have due to Gale. Really my dream is to get to work with Gale someday on some sort of project and hopefully that will happen.

Kirsten Kapur, who is a native New Yorker, helped me catch a cab to get me back to the hotel. While we walked a block or two to get to a good cab-catching spot Kirsten asked me if I would design something for their new book. Gale and Kirsten were going to ask me earlier in the night but the night sort of swept away quickly on us. I said yes to the book project offer, Kirsten flagged down a cab for me and I jumped in. That was that.

A short while later they got in touch with more details about the book and I started dreaming up my project for the now named book, Drop Dead Easy Knits. The projects are supposed to be fairly easy and doable, that is the point. I like that in any project and those are usually the most inviting projects to me so it's a good fit.

Click here for Drop Dead Easy Knits on Amazon!

Click here to see all of the projects in the book on Ravelry! There are patterns for sweaters, blankets, shawls, mitts, cowls, a scarf, and hats to name a few. It has great variety.

For my project I had always wanted to knit a little bear in a bunny suit and I thought Drop Dead Easy Knits might be a good place for it. My youngest daughter had a little stuffed bear dressed in a pink bunny suit when she was little and I saved it thinking I'd love to knit one of my own someday. I finally had the chance. I was excited to dig in and create this new and fun knit toy.

Photo from Drop Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

Click here for the Bear in a Bunny Suit project page on Ravelry!

I picked Owl yarn by Quince & Co. as the yarn for my bear. Two skeins of Owl is all you need and you could easily get two bears out of the two skeins. The bear is a fast knit on a worsted weight yarn on US size 5 needles.

Photo from Drop Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

The hood can be taken off or can be pulled up. I love a toy that has something to do and the hood with ears provides the "to-do" in this toy.

The toy is constructed almost completely seamlessly from the bottom up. The only stitching together is for attaching the head to the body which only takes a minute. With easy increasing and decreasing the bear body and head come together quickly.

The hood, ears on the bear and hood, arms and legs are all picked up and knit directly onto the toy so there are no separate parts to stitch together. I used safety eyes but you could easily embroider eyes as well.

The Quince & Co. Owl is such a great yarn for toy knitting. The alpaca halo and heather-y look of the yarn gives the toy a cozy, old-fashioned look, sort of warm and comforting.

Anyway, it's a cute and quick knit. Bear in a Bunny Suit is the perfect project for the gift-knitting season that is now upon us.

Click here to see more information about the Bear in a Bunny Suit!

There are so many projects in Drop Dead Knits that I would like to knit myself and I think you'll feel the same way, too. As a matter of fact I just looked up the book on Amazon and it is already the #1 bestselling knitting book! Congratulations to Gale, Mary and Kirsten! That's so exciting.

Giveaway!
I am giving away one copy of the book today. I also contacted Quince & Co. to see if they would want to give away two skeins of Owl to knit the Bear in a Bunny Suit and they said yes! So the winner of the giveaway will get to choose two skeins of Owl in any of the available colors along with winning a copy of Drop Dead Easy Knits.

To enter to win please leave one comment on this blog post that includes your Ravelry username or an email address so I can contact you if you win. Please be patient for your comment to appear and only click on the Publish button one time. There is a delay before you will see your comment.

I'll be back next week with a randomly selected winner. Have a wonderful weekend ahead. I'll be back soon with more. Oh, and here is a super cute video from the authors:

xo ~ susan

Friday, September 16, 2016

How to Make a Memory Book

Hi, Knitters,

First and foremost, the winner for the MrsBrownsBags and the Rhinebeck Sweater Weather sock yarn from Nomadic Yarns is......

DCKnitdiva (rav username)!! Evelyn, congratulations!

Evelyn and Nomadic Yarns have been contacted to exchange information and all should be set. Thank you for the enormous response to the giveaway. That makes it all the more fun. I'll host another one very soon.

Now for today's topic at hand. Last summer my son got married to his high school sweetheart who we just adore. I wanted to make a small memory book for them that wouldn't take up an enormous amount of space but would be filled to the brim with snippets from their wedding. During the entire lead up to the wedding day I started saving things like shower invitations, save the date cards, printed out (!) photos, old and favorite recipes handwritten on recipe cards, etc. Any little thing that would fit on the pages of the book I saved.

I had the kids (when I say kids I mean my son and his wife) pick out the guest book they wanted for their wedding. I loved the book they picked.

Click here for the same guest book they chose! It is the perfect size.

I began making the book cover by cutting out the fabric. I just made it up as I went along. I picked out a beautiful natural linen for the outside and the inside fabric is a natural cotton. I opened the book at the center and laid it flat on top of the fabric. Then I took a few measurements for the length and width of the rectangle I would need to cut out. For the flaps on each end to hold the book cover I added 2 extra inches onto the horizontal length of the rectangle.

Then all the way around each side of the opened book I added on 1/4-inch for the seam allowance.

Basically just open the book, lay it flat, cut out a rectangle to fit the opened book cover adding on extra length for the flaps on each end and for seam allowance. Super simple! Use your book as the pattern template.

I cut out the fabric with a rotary cutter. I set aside the cotton inside fabric and figured out where the front of the book would be on the linen. I put my embroidery hoop on the fabric and pulled out some embroidery floss and dove into the stitching. I loved every minute of it, this is my favorite part.

On the front I embroidered some flowers, buds and grasses and their names and wedding date. I just did this free-hand. For writing things out taking really tiny back stitches works the best for me. That way you can make the curves easily on the letters.

I embroidered on the back of the book, too. My friend and book editor sent a card with the sweetest quote and I am officially stealing it to use from now on. His card said, May your life be full of "moons and Junes and Ferris wheels." Do you know where that came from? I did but I had to tell the kids. It is a lyric from Joni Mitchell's song Both Sides Now. On the back of the book I stitched the sentence with a couple of different words but it's mainly the same. It's a little hard to capture in the photo for some reason but it's clear as day in person.

I just love those words so much.

After the embroidery was set I placed the inside fabric and the embroidered cover right sides together and sewed them together with my sewing machine leaving an opening to turn it right side out. I hand-stitched the opening closed then. I pressed the seams and pushed out the corners and got it looking nice and crisp. I added a gray binding around the edges for an extra detail, I think it looks good. I used the machine to attach the binding on one side and then hand-stitched it down on the other side, just like you would for a quilt. You wouldn't need the binding though, it looks good without it, too.

Next I folded over the flaps on both ends and hand-stitched those in place on the top and the bottom. The photo above shows the inside of the cover with the flaps stitched down. The front and back covers are inserted into the flaps to hold the fabric cover on the book. Think of it like a book jacket with the flaps sewn down at the top and bottom.

Here is a little tour of the inside of the book. I smudged out phone numbers and addresses and last names for privacy so if you see a little blur you'll understand.

I finished up the cover and put in some photos on the pages but then brought the book to the wedding to have the guests sign in. It's funny what happened. First people were signing the book with their names and addresses but by the end people were signing in with notes to the couple. I loved that so much because they already had the guests' addresses so notes and wishes seemed a lot more meaningful.

After the wedding I began putting the book together with everything I had collected.

Part of the fun was not being too neat and tidy about things. I pulled out my collection of washi tape and started taping everything down that I could find. There is so much cute washi tape on Amazon, I could really go crazy. Click here for a really cute set, for example! I am nuts over washi tape and I use it every chance I get.

I was touched that they used a bunch of my little sketches of leaves, acorns, and twigs on their invitations and other things. That was really a sweet touch.

I layered cards and had things that could flip up to show something else underneath. There are cards hanging over the edges of the pages at times. Art books are just fun. There are no rules, stack, tape, write on the pages, throw in photos, tags, funny stories, heartfelt notes, a napkin, a leaf, a flower, etc. Anything goes!

The pages became jam-packed with memories. I wrote a letter to the couple and put it in a sealed envelope in the book to read later. They still haven't read it and I suggested maybe waiting a year or two, space it out a bit. I like that idea.

The last thing I added was a button and a loop to close the book and hold the contents tight. You have to actually squeeze the covers to get the loop over the button. When the button loop is undone the book is kind of like a Jack-in-the-Box, it springs open and the pages explode. I used a smooth wood button that is engraved with a twig, I have a whole set of these for a cardigan, but I don't know where I purchased them. For the loop I hand-stitched a strand of hemp cord to the back. I made an over-hand knot with the ends of the cord to make the loop. I used sturdy thread and just let the knots show on the back. Again, there is nothing too neat and tidy about the book.

I made another book that was similar for my niece who got married just a few weeks later. Click here to see my niece's book! I packed this book chock full of shower cards, photos, notes, written messages from family and bridesmaids, invitations, etc. I used a blank book for this one. I love the little blank books from Bare Books. They are inexpensive, just the right size and have the perfect number of pages. They are not overwhelming to fill. Highly recommend. Click here for Bare Books.

I have to tell you that I could just sit and make these books all day long. I have the best time doing it but I didn't know if others would love it as much as I do. Well, my answer came when Molly politely asked about the book and I hadn't quite finished it yet. She spurred me on to get it done. When I finished it she came over to visit and I gave it to her. I was so touched that she immediately and quietly sat down at the kitchen table and slowly poured over each and every single page in that book. She drank it in. I could see how much she loved it as she ran her hands over the pages and smiled and giggled at the photos and notes. It was touching.

Honestly, I don't know if I've ever had something I've made received in a better way.

That felt really good.

Love to you all. I'll be back soon with more.

xo ~ susan

Friday, September 02, 2016

String Along Toys ~ ebook and print book now available!

Note: All photos in this post are provided from Quince & Co.

Hi, Knitters,

How are you? I hope everyone is doing well and that you are enjoying your last days of summer before school kicks into full swing. We are finally settling down a bit around here after the most hectic, jam-packed summer I can remember. What a whirlwind it has been.

I have a couple of quick announcements to talk about before we talk about my newest ebook and print book. First, I am teaching in Minneapolis at Vogue Knitting Live, November 4-6, 2016. Registration is open for classes and they are filling up nicely. I think one of my classes is sold out and I have raised the numbers a couple of times already to let more students in, but there are still other classes available from me and from many other instructors. I'll be at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC in January 2017 as well coming up here. Anyway, I hope you'll hop on over to check out VK Live in Minneapolis.

Secondly, I'm teaching in Vancouver at Knit City coming up on Oct. 1 and 2, 2016! I am super excited to teach at this venue. I have two classes sold out and I recently let the waiting list join these two workshops. I have a couple of other workshops still available with a few spots left. I hope you'll come and join me. I would love to meet you. Click here to visit the Knit City website and check it out.

Next, I am teaching at A Good Yarn's first big retreat, A Good Retreat, in Orlando, Florida coming up in May 18-21, 2017. I am so excited to be teaching alongside my buddies Ann Budd and Romi Hill. Click here to get all of the details and to sign up to join us!

Now for some exciting news! My brand new pattern collection, String Along Toys, is available through Quince & Co. I am so proud of this little group of toys. Let me tell you a bit about them.

I shared the new ebook here on my Instagram! I'd love to have you follow me over there for more up to the minute information and fun.

Click here for String Along Toys on Ravelry! The pattern collection/ebook will be available for purchase from my Ravelry pattern shop in November 2016 if you are interested. Now it is only available through Quince & Co.

Click here to order the ebook and print book on Quince & Co.!

I started teaching the String Along Toys workshop in 2013 and I kept promising that the patterns would be available through Quince & Co. since that time. It has finally happened and Quince has done a beautiful job with the patterns. Anyone who has finished their little String Along characters now have a place to post them on Ravelry. I know there are a lot of finished projects already out there. Click here to post your finished String Alongs on Ravelry!

Here is a little information about these adorable friends, monkeys, frogs and mice. They are all worked from the bottom-up and they are all seamlessly worked in one-piece. The body and head are worked in one-piece and then the ears, limbs and tails are simply picked up and knit onto the toy. The monkey and the If you notice, one of the limbs on each of the toy is finished with a loop. This loop allows the toys to be strung together in any combination. This makes the toys even more fun for little ones.

Here is the knitty-gritty:

String Along Toys

by Susan B. Anderson

Published in

Quince & Co.

Craft

Knitting