Mitten Kit Giveaway & a few works in progress

Hi, Knitters,

Happy Saturday to you all. I want to let you know about a giveaway I'm hosting over on the Barrett Wool Co. Journal. We are giving away one of our Three Color Mitten Kits to a lucky winner. You need to enter over on the Journal, not here. 

Click here to read all about the Mitten Kit prize and to enter over on the BWC Journal! 

It's super easy to enter. The kit is worth $44.00 and it's a perfect time of year to knit mittens. Knit your mittens in July and you'll be all set for the fall season!

Good luck if you enter. I'll select a winner in a few days.

I'm finishing up a couple of hats. This one will be a free pattern and I'm pretty excited about it. The yarn is one skein of Home Worsted Weight in the Bluff colorway. The hat in the photo is an adult size and I'm blocking a baby size version right now. It's pretty cute.

Click here to see more colors in Home Worsted Weight!

I am working away on a really sweet top-down short-sleeved cardigan and I decided to try out a knotted steek for the body of the sweater. I am going to be posting a full tutorial on this technique soon so watch for that if you are interested. It is a super easy technique that takes away most all of the bulk associated with the other steeking techniques I have tried.

More on this soon! 

Yarn: Wisconsin Woolen Spun Worsted in the Sherwood colorway! 

And I finished the first sock in the Bergere de France Goomy 50 sock yarn. I can't remember where I purchased this yarn but I'm sure if you google the name it will pop up for you. 

I used my Smooth Operator Socks pattern and I love the look it gives the sock. I'll be casting on the second sock today. 

Have a great weekend, friends. I hope you are doing well and that your knitting is coming along swimmingly.

xo ~ susan

Gale's Art Sock Blank Subscription Giveaway and much more!

Bracket from Mason-Dixon Knitting

Hi, Knitters,

I've a few quick things before the giveaway information. First, the smart and clever ladies over at Mason-Dixon Knitting always surprise me with their fun ideas. Kay and Ann have come up with a knitting version of March Madness. Get your bracket now!

I am honored to be included in March Mayhem 2017 in the Home, Baby, Toy category with my Sheep! pattern. 

Voting for each category starts today, March 15, 2017 and they will have a winner by April 3, 2017. 

Everything Kay and Ann do is so well done and humor is always a major ingredient in their knitting.

Hop on over to vote, check out all of the patterns and to download their March Mayhem pdf bracket!

Click here for the Sheep! pattern information or to purchase. This is my pattern that is included in the March Mayhem Bracket. 

Yarn is Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight.

One more fun thing is that over on Barrett Wool Co. we are having a quick tiny scissors sale. We have marked down the scissors at $1.00 off the regular price through March 16th, 2017! That's tomorrow! No coupon code is necessary. All colors and styles are included. We are stocked up with Putford, Flower Power and Little Love styles in great colors.

Don't miss out on adding to your scissors collection! I love these snips and I think you will, too.

Click here to go to the Barrett Wool Co. scissors sale!

photo from Gale's Art

Now for the giveaway!

Gale of Gale's Art asked if I would like to offer a 3-month sock blank club membership to one of my lucky readers and of course I said yes. You can choose between the sparkle club and the regular sock yarn club. 

The prize is worth $100! You will love Gale's sock blanks. They are beautiful and a treat to knit. The finished socks are speckled and so beautiful. I have knit socks from her sock blanks and the finished socks are some of my favorites. Thanks to Gale for the opportunity.

Click here to read the information on what you could win!  I love Gale's inspiration.

Yarn information:

Fiber content for the sock blank yarn is 75% merino, 25% nylon. There are 463 yards per sock blank and they are 100 grams. The Recommended needle size is 1-3 US with 7 to 8 stitches per inch.

To enter to win leave one comment on this blog post. You must include your Ravelry username or an email address as a contact if you should win. Please only enter one time, there is a delay before you will see your comment appear. Only click on the Publish button one time.  I will randomly select a winner in a few days. I will then give Gale your contact information so you can work out the details of the prize.

Read Gale's information about each of the three blanks below:

photo from Gale's Art

“Fireworks over New York City”-The first month, April, will feature a stylized New York City Skyline at sunset. The fireworks overhead are a celebration for the summer! SHIPPING- APRIL 7, 2017

photo from Gale's Art

“Yellowstone with Bear” -The second installment will be a tribute to one of the greatest natural treasures in the United State. Verdant green mountains and valleys are the background for many happy campers and an occasional bear. SHIPPING - MAY 7, 2017

photo from Gale's Art

“Hawaii is hot,hot,hot” – is the third and final sock portion of the club offering. You can almost smell the tropical flower flowing on the trade winds of the islands! This is a super intensely colored sock has rainbow hues with purple hibiscus and bright green leaves dancing across it! SHIPPING June 2, 2017

I just have to share these cute photos from last weekend. My husband and TC and I went out for Sunday breakfast downtown and then we went to a fantastic art exhibit at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. There was also the St. Patty's Day Parade happening around the Capitol Square. My Miss Molly is from a big Irish family and they are in the parade every year. We walked over to see them and I was struck by all of our Waiting for Winter Mittens.

Miss Molly had knit her own pair and had knit some for her sister, Megan. I was wearing my own pair of Waiting for Winter Mittens out of some of my handspun yarn. My son snapped the photo above when we were comparing our mittens and I thought it was so cute. 

I am wearing my newest hat pattern called Owen. Click here for the Owen pattern!

Here are the mittens up close! 

Click here for the Waiting for Winter Mittens pattern on Ravelry!

Good luck if you enter the giveaway. I'll be back soon with more.

xo ~ susan

Sheep! Kit Giveaway + more!

Hi, Knitters,

Well, good morning to everyone. I hope you are all doing well. I am quickly popping in to say hello and to tell you about a few new things that have popped up. First, I am hosting a fun kit giveaway for my popular Sheep! pattern. I have knit these cute Sheep up in my own yarn over at Barrett Wool Co. and we made some fantastic kits. The kits literally sold out in a matter of a few hours but as we were packing them up to ship out we discovered one extra kit. So we decided to give it away to one lucky winner! And I have to say we have been blown away by the response to our kits. I kind of knew how much people like a kit before but now I really know how much people enjoy kits. It makes sense especially for projects that use small amounts of many colors. 

Be sure to read how to enter! Please do not leave a comment on this post to enter to win.

Click here to see how to enter and to find out more about the Sheep Kit Giveaway! The kit is worth $40 and it includes a digital copy of the pattern via a Ravelry code. 

Click here to go to Barrett Wool Co. on Instagram! (This is where you actually leave a comment to enter to win. Be sure to read the details on the Barrett Wool Co. Journal to make sure you are eligible.)

Click here to see the Sheep! pattern on Ravelry!

The Barrett Wool Co. version of the Sheep! are worked up in our Home Fingering Weight Yarn, which is a bit of a heavier fingering weight so the only thing I did differently is to use one size smaller needle since the original sheep were knit in a sport weight yarn. The finished sheep are remarkably similar in size and it worked out perfectly. 

The other quick thing I want to mention is that we have had such a successful launch for Barrett Wool Co. and some of the colors have sold out. It is very exciting thanks to all of you. We have a gigantic new order of yarn coming so we will be fully restocked in the near future. But I want to make sure you know that we have still have so many of the colors left in stock and in both the fingering weight and worsted weight. 

Thank you for such a fun end of the year for my family and me. It has been incredibly satisfying and just downright fun. 

photo from Quince & Co.

Next up, there is some exciting news from Quince & Co. They have brought back the very popular doll kits for the Mary, Millie & Morgan collection. These kits have been sold out for months and months so if you are at all interested be sure to pick one up quickly.

Click here to see the Mary, Millie & Morgan pattern on Ravelry!

Click here to see the Mary, Millie & Morgan Kit on Quince & Co.!

Photo from Quince & Co.

The Quince doll kit includes everything you need to make one doll and all of the clothes. You get the beautiful yarn, stuffing, the printed book, embroidery floss and you even get two tiny buttons for the cardigan. All of the supplies are wrapped up in a beautifully printed drawstring bag.

The kit makes knitting the doll a lovely experience.

I have a new pattern coming out after the holidays and it is this handsome hat being worn by my son, The Baker. He asked for a new lighter weight hat that he could wear indoors and outdoors. I always jump at the chance when one of my kids asks for something handknit. The hat is knit out of Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight Yarn in the Bluff colorway. It is such a fun and simple knit and it takes only one skein of our yarn. 

The hat is called, Baker's Hat. I have another one on the needles for my other son in the Pepin colorway which is a deep eggplant purple. I am making really good progress on that.

Most of the Home Fingering Weight Yarn colors are still in stock if you are interested in grabbing a skein in advance for the Baker's Hat. 

The pattern is already written and is with my tech editor right now. I'll let you know when it is ready. I have writtent the pattern in four sizes, baby through adult large (which is the size my son is wearing). This isn't just a hat for a man, it is simple and lovely and would look great on anyone.

I want to be sure to mention that we have added electronic Gift Cards to our shop so if you are looking for that last minute gift this is a great option. Click here to find out more about our Barrett Wool Co. Gift Cards!

Finally, I have to mention out of gratitude that on the home page of Ravelry Community Eye Candy: The Year in Projects, posted on Dec. 21, 2016, I noticed that my Smooth Operator Socks pattern was included as one of the top patterns for 2016. This pattern took off last July and has kind of had a life of its own. This was one of the most gratifying projects I have ever created and again, I want to thank you for the support. I love what I do get to do with knitting and knitting socks has been a big part of that through the years so this has been an extra fun experience.

Click here to find out more about the Smooth Operator Socks pattern! 

Good luck if you enter the Sheep! Kit Giveaway!

Much love to you all. I'll be back soon with more. Is it really December 23rd?

xo ~ susan

Autumnal Odds and Ends

Hi, Knitters,

First things first, the winner of a copy of Drop Dead Easy Knits and two skeins of Quince & Co. Owl is....

thissandiknits on Ravelry!

Congratulations to Sandy. I've contacted Sandy via Ravelry to gather her mailing address and her Quince & Co. Owl color choices. All is set to go. 

Thank you to Kirsten Kapur, Mary Lou Egan and Gale Zucker for the book to give away and to Quince for playing along as well. I'll have another giveaway very soon!

Now for a few odds and ends.  

I am so excited about the fall issue of Vogue Knitting Magazine. You have to get your hands on this issue. I love and want to knit almost every project in the magazine, plus there are great articles with loads of information, tips, and beautiful photos. It is an issue mainly devoted to Fair Isle knitting and what design could be better to grace the cover than from the talented colorwork genius Mary Jane Mucklestone. Mary Jane is so deserving and I just honestly feel thrilled for her. I hope you all get to take a class someday from Mary Jane and meet her in person. She is interesting, smart, and fun and full of life. She has an article in the magazine about Fair Isle Knitting tips. And that hat on the cover is flying onto my needles. I am in love with this sweet little pointy hat. I have an old stash of Rowan Felted Tweed DK as you can see in the photo above. The hat on the cover is made in the same yarn. Now I just need to figure out my colors. 

Click here to see Mary Jane Mucklestone's designs on Ravelry!

Click here for Mary Jane Mucklestone's website! Her world travels are amazing to follow.

Click here to follow Mary Jane on Instagram! You'll want to follow her.

Click here for Vogue Knitting Magazine! Really, go get this issue!

Click here to see all of the designs in the Fall 2016 issue of Vogue Knitting Magazine!

The magazine is in a new format and size. It is just stunning and exciting. There are lots of other designs by fantastic knitters that aren't colorwork, as well. The runaway hit seems to be the sweater from another favorite designer of mine, Nora Gaughan. 

There is something for everyone. I'll keep you posted on my hat progress. I'm casting on today.

I have revamped my Build a Toy Workshop handouts for my upcoming classes this weekend at Knit City in Vancouver and for other upcoming venues. I am super excited about it. This is one of my favorite classes to teach because it lets the students take over as the designer with lots of guidance. I can't believe some of the fun knit toys that have come out this workshop. The photo shows just a few of the options you can make with the patterns provided in class.

Click here for Knit City in Vancouver! Oct. 1-2, 2016. There are still a few spaces left in two of my classes. I hope to see you there. I have a book signing on Sunday morning in the market at 9:00am, too. 

Click here for Vogue Knitting Live in Minneapolis! November 4-6, 2016, registration is open. 

I've finished the purple-themed socks I had been working on for awhile. They were a gift for my sister-in-law.

The Opal yarn is discontinued but you can still find it on Etsy.com if you look it up.

Yarn info:

Opal Sweet & Spicy 2, color number 8615. Cuffs, heels, and toes in Opal Solid in color 5186. 

Here is the finished pair. My sister-in-law received them in the mail the other day and she said she cried when she opened the package. She tried them right on and said that the fit is perfect! Now that makes you feel pretty good and appreciated I'd say. She is a teacher and she told me she couldn't wait to show everyone at her school. That's about the cutest thing I've ever heard. 

I used my new sock pattern called Smooth Operator Socks. 

Click here for the Smooth Operator Socks pattern information or to purchase!

For this pair I used the No-Kitchener stitch toe and heel option, and the single line decrease option. Both of these options are included in the addendum to the pattern.

Then I cast on a brand new pair. I am using the Twister Stripes colorway from Knit Circus Yarns. I got the 100 gram set, the yarn comes in two matching cakes. I made the cuff 9-inches long in total and I made a 3-inch ribbed cuff to turn down. Next time I will try their smaller size socks sets. They have a medium-size that would be the perfect amount of yarn.

Click here for Knit Circus Yarns!

The sock pattern is again my Smooth Operator Socks pattern. For the heel I pulled the yarn from the other end of the yarn cake, I pulled from the outside. This works out so well because then you are using the last color of the gradient stripes for the heel. The challenge is to get to use all of the yarn and colors when you are working from an incredibly fun gradient yarn like Knit Circus. This makes it certain that you will reach the end color.

For this sock I used the Smooth Operator Socks original heel and toe decrease, with the rounder Kitchener Stitch toe and heel. The rounded toe and heel Kitchener Stitch option is found in the pattern addendum.

I bet you all have a lot of autumnal knitting odds and ends going on, too. It's that time of year and I am really happy about that. I am getting back into teaching again which feels good. I hadn't taught since last May before the Knit Circus Retreat. I really love to teach knitting workshops and it's good to have lots of venues on my schedule for the fall, winter and spring seasons ahead.

I'll be back soon. I'll try to remember to take lots of photos while I'm in Vancouver. I'll have lots to share next week. I'm already planning.
xo ~ susan

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

Updates & Prizes

Hi, Knitters,

Late yesterday I sent out a pattern update to all Smooth Operator Socks pattern purchasers. This new information is now included in the pattern for new purchasers. 

Here is the note I sent out with the update:

Hi Smooth Operator Sock Knitters,
First I want you to know that with this update the pattern is completely the same with the exception of 2 pages of variation notes that have been added to the end of the pattern, pages 14 and 15. Here is the reason for the additional notes.

I’ve been tinkering around with the SOS pattern a bit and have successfully tried some new techniques. I want to share these options with you. The new notes at the end of the pattern include:

1. A simple technique tip to get rounder corners on your Kitchener Stitch heels and toes.
2. A new way to finish the heels and toes without any Kitchener Stitch. No Kitchener Stitch anywhere in the sock! I have done the last two socks with this technique and I love the look and feel of this version.
3. Instructions for another way to do the decreases on the heels and toes that creates an even smoother heel and toe decrease line. It is a single sleek line of decreases that is really quite beautiful and simple to do. This is now my go-to decrease option! Now you can substitute this version right into your own Smooth Operator socks if you like.

Thank you for the support! Enjoy.
xo ~ susan

I've been working away on some new socks using the new variations to the pattern. This one is the Opal Sweet & Spicy 2, color number 8615. The cuff, heel and toe is in the Opal Solid Series, number 5186. I have had this yarn for a long time now and I'm so glad I decided to start working on it.

Here are some links you may want to check out:

Smooth Operator Socks Pattern

The Itty-Bitty Knits Group on Ravelry (Come join us!)

The Smooth Operator Socks Knitalong Thread (You can still join in up to August 22, 2016.)

The Smooth Operator Socks Photo Thread

#SOSkal photos on Instagram

Sock blockers are from theloopyewe.com

Needles: Double-pointed needles from Signature Needle Arts, US size 1/2.25mm, 6-inch length

For these socks I used the new single line decrease variation and the No-Kitchener finishing for the heel and toe. I love both of these options so much. I think these variations make the sock look even better. The original version is just as good though.

It's all about having options and trying new things. That's how you learn what works best for you comfort-wise for the wearing of your socks and what makes your knitting the most enjoyable experience for you.

Every time I start the heel and pick up the extra stitches to close up the gap I try to experiment a little with which legs I pick up. For every sock it can be a little different, the technique is the same but where I insert the needle under the legs can be different. I look at the stripes (sometimes skinny stripes will get a jog in the stripe, for example) and the different colors and how the pulled up stitch legs will look. If I don't like the look or if I still have a hole I will try another spot. The more times you do this part of the sock the better you'll become at it.

The sock in the photo above is the first time I didn't have any gap or hole that needed stitching up on the one side of the heel where I joined in the yarn. I achieved this by experimenting with the picked up stitch legs. In the past I have had a tiny gap on the side where I joined in the new yarn which isn't a problem because that end needs to be woven in anyway so at the same time I just stitch up the gap, too. Anyway, I feel pretty good about this one!

Here is a close up example of the Single Line Decrease variation and the No-Kitchener Finish. I think it looks extraordinarily clean, neat and tidy and oh so smooth. I really love it. This is the Noro Taiyo Sock yarn. I lost the label so I don't know the color number and I purchased the yarn in Door County quite a few years ago.

The heel finish in the photo above is an example of the Kitchener stitch with the Rounded Corner variation found in the new update. The simple tip in the update really helps smooth out and round the common problem of those pointy corners.

The finished sock is like a little work of art. The Noro Taiyo Sock yarn is a single-ply yarn that looks so much like a handspun yarn. I know that a single-ply won't wear as well as sturdier sock yarns but I don't mind at all.

I haven't talked about this much but one thing about an afterthought heel, like in this pattern, is that it is completely replaceable. You can simply put your needles back in just like you did to pick up the stitches, cut out or rip out the heel if there is a hole and then knit a brand new heel. It is so slick. If I do get holes in my socks it will most likely be in the heel.  

Berry Colorful Yarning: (l to r) Bright Beginnings, Berry Punch and Hulk

Last but not least, I have randomly drawn for three more prize winners for the Smooth Operator Socks Knitalong! BC Yarning generously sent me three skeins of her beautiful self-striping sock yarn a bit ago. I am so excited to share it with three of you. I randomly selected two winners from the SOSkal Photo thread and one winner from the Instagram #soskal photos. 

The three winners have been contacted and they are:

1sheep2sheep

4laurel

goldiegirl

Click here to visit the Berry Colorful Yarnings Etsy Shop! Thank you for the prizes.

Congratulations to all three winners! I'll be drawing for more prizes next week. I am having the best time with the knitalong. It's so inspiring and I can't believe how many SOsocks have already been completed. There are already 437 posted projects at this time. That's impressive. Socks are really the perfect summer project.

I'll be back soon with more.

xo ~ susan

Episode 24 ~ Sheep Heid, Pattern Sale & Little Skein!

photo from littleskein.com

Hi, Knitters,

I have a new podcast episode up on YouTube. Click here for Episode 24!

Subscribe to my podcast on YouTube!

Follow me on Instagram!

Join my Ravelry group, Itty-Bitty Knits!

I'd love to see you around the interwebs.

I have two quick and important announcements: 

~ I am running a huge Spring Pattern Sale of 40% off my entire Ravelry Pattern Shop, including eBooks, from today, April 20th to the end of the day on Monday, April 25, 2016! 

Click here to visit my shop and check out the patterns!

To get the discount please use the code: SPRING2016

~ The second announcement is that I am giving away one of those adorable Little Skein original fabric project bags today! The bag is called, Create, and it is wonderful. 

Click here to visit Little Skein!

Thank you to Anne Vally for the fun opportunity! To enter to win the project bag please leave one comment on this blog post. Please include your email or Ravelry username so I can get in touch if you win. Please be patient for your comment to appear, it takes awhile for it to show up on the blog comments. I'll randomly select a winner early next week!

Now for some links for the things I talked about in the podcast:
Sheep Heid by Kate Davies
Kate Davies Designs website
Schoolhouse Press sells Jamieson Spindrift
Miss Babs Yowza
Fringe Supply Co. Field Bag
KnitCircus Gradient Stripes Matching Socks Set in Come What May
Yarnover 2016
Crofthoose Hat
Signature Needle Arts dpns

Here is the top of the Sheep Heid hat before blocking! It's phenomenal.

You can see my pile of ends after only a couple of inches!

The Knit Circus Gradient Stripes socks are beautiful! 

Thanks for joining me today. Good luck if you enter the win the project bag from Little Skein.

I'll be back next week to randomly select a winner.

xo ~ susan

Knits of the Week

Hi, Knitters,

I'm popping in with the winners of the giveaway for two kits from Never Not Knitting for my designs, Little Owl and Squirrel and Acorns.

The winners are..... laurasimo and simbaswing (both rav usernames)!! Congratulations.

Both winners have been contacted via Ravelry. Thanks for entering and for the kind comments, I really appreciate it. I will host another giveaway very soon.

The perfect seasonal quote in my notebook says:

"The grass grew green again and the woods were full of wildflowers." ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Now for the socks. I finished the second sock early this morning. The yarn is the only sock yarn I have knit twice. I gave the first pair away and vowed to find the yarn to knit another pair to keep. 

I found the yarn again and have had it for a couple of years. The other day I saw it sitting on a shelf and decided to finally cast on. I wasn't disappointed! The color lived up to my memory and beyond. I love these socks. 

Yarn: Opal Schafpate III color #5096 (Unfortunately, I don't know where to purchase this yarn at this point.)

Pattern: How I Make My Socks - my free pattern

Sock Blockers: from theloopyewe.com

This week I also revived an old project that was cast on at least a couple of years ago. The hat pattern is Sheep Heid by Kate Davies. I am using Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift in the same colors as the pattern uses, the naturals. It is beautiful and fun. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

I have so much work to do and I am sure you are all busy, too, so I won't keep you long today.

I also hope to get outside to enjoy the warming weather this pretty spring week and of course, to visit the wildflowers in the woods near my house. I hope you get to do the same.

xo ~ susan 

Super Sock Friday!

Hi, Knitters,

First things first, I have a couple of quick announcements. 

I was a guest on the Yarn Thing podcast this week. You can have a listen to the episode by clicking right here!

I have just added a book signing/meet and greet to my schedule at Fancy Tiger Crafts in Denver, Colorado! I will be there on March 1st, 2016, from 7 to 8pm! Click here for more information! I hope you can join me.

I have one spot in one class (Egg to Owl) left as of right now for the Yarnover event in Minneapolis in April! Click here to find out more! Meg Swansen is going to be the keynote speaker so I am super excited about that. I love her.

Now for the giveaway. I've randomly selected 12 winners to receive 100 grams, enough for a pair of socks, of the Arne & Carlos Regia sock yarn. Thank you to Regia for the fantastic and huge giveaway opportunity. And thank you to all of the people who entered, it was an amazingly huge and fun response!

Here are the 12 winners by Ravelry username: 

flyingmonkeys

JeansNY

Roadchick

philomenasfriend

Wagner

AnneSATX

LavenderLune

bbean33

JKnits51

fieldwonderful

Elvensknits

PLC1

Congratulations to you all! Have fun with your sock yarn. I have contacted all of the winners via Ravelry pm with instructions on how to receive your prize yarn.

Now on to a few pairs of fun socks in the works. The photo above is a very sweet sock that I started yesterday. I'm really in love with this little sock so far. It is the perfect Valentine sock project to have started.
Here is the information:
Yarn: The Wool Barn's BFL Tweed Sock yarn in the Soft Pink colorway. (I LOVE this dyer!)
Needles: DyakCraft 6-inch double-pointed needles in Golden Oak, 2.25mm size
Pattern: How I Make My Socks with the added Eyelot Mock Rib Cable from the Ellison Bay shawl by Paula Emons-Fuessle.
Stitch Marker from Little Skein.
The sweater I am wearing in the photo is Antrorse by Shannon Cook in Quince & Co. Osprey in the Peacoat colorway.

I've actually finished the pair in the photo above, in the Patons Kroy Socks yarn but I still need to take a photo of them. I'll post the finished pair photo next time, but in the meantime I did take a video of the finished pair that you can see by clicking right here! For almost daily updates of my knitting you can follow me on Instagram if you'd like. Click here for my Instagram.

I love these squishy socks and I got both socks to match perfectly stripe by stripe so that is kind of a treat. It takes effort to get those stripes to match, a lot of winding off and remembering where you started with the first sock. 

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks in the Meadow Stripes colorway (I'm not sure where to get ahold of this colorway right now, I've had this for awhile in my stash.)

Needles: US size 1.5 or 2.5mm double-pointed needles, 6-inch length, from Knit Picks. 

Pattern: How I Make My Socks but I cast on 60 stitches due to the heavier fingering weight

Sock blocker from TheLoopyEwe.com 

I pulled out a sock project that I had started quite awhile ago. I love this sock and can't wait to get the second one finished! The yarn is uniquely dyed so there will not be any pooling or flashing of the colors. I like that a lot. the variety of colors and the quick color changes makes it really fun to knit, too.

Yarn: Graffiti and Asphalt in the Wonder Sock by Gale's Art (coolest colorway ever!)

Needles: Signature Needle Arts dpns, 6-inch length, size US 1.5/2.5mm

Pattern: Monkey Socks free pattern

Sock Blocker from TheLoopyEwe.com.

I'm definitely a bit sock-obsessed right now. I am having the best time with my sock knitting. I am gifting some of my recent sock projects to others in the family, and I need to get some more socks on the needles for both of my sons. They both love their handknit socks and need more in their drawers.

Have a great weekend, friends! The days are getting a bit longer now and spring is coming right around the corner. There is so much to look forward to and it will all be here before you know it.
xo ~ susan