Right on Target

Hi Knitters,
I woke up this morning and quickly knitted a Target Wave Mitten from Nora Gaughan's beautiful book Knitting Nature. I used Cascade 220 and knitted on US size 5 and 7 needles. I made the largest size and it fits my 8 year old perfectly.

This is how I feel about Target Wave Mittens! On to mitten number 2...

best, susie

p.s. Did you notice that the Utopia Hat, which is an adult size pattern, fits both of my daughter's who are 8 and 11 years old? Most adult size hat patterns will fit most children's heads. It's a good thing to know! You don't always need a pattern for a child size hat for even pretty young children. This opens up a ton of patterns that will work for kids. Most kids have adult size heads.

p.p.s. I added the badge for Knitting Friends on my sidebar. It is fun to see what is happening out there in knitting blogland. I get such a kick when my blog makes the list! This site gets you to read all kinds of blogs that you normally wouldn't visit. When you click on the badge it takes you to the top 15 blogs of the day but make sure you visit the community page (click on community at the top of the page) to see the top 100 blogs of the day. Knitting Friends is a great new resource for knitters! I know I have mentioned this before but I think it is worth another mention.

Utopia Hat Alert

Hi Knitters,
I started this yesterday evening and look what I already have this morning. The pattern is called the Utopia Hat designed by S.M. Kahn and it is a free pattern found here. It is a wonderful pattern.

I knitted on US size 8 sixteen inch circular needles and dpns. The yarn is some fun stuff I picked up in New York a couple of springs ago at Seaport Yarn. It is Lobster Pot Yarn which is hand dyed in a lobster pot and hung to dry in the salt air of Cape Cod (this is straight off the label). That sounds good to me! The colors of this yarn are vibrant and rich, it is a mohair/wool blend. The colorway I used is called Lobster Boil (don't you love that?) and it is a rich coral color. It is a worsted weight yarn. You can also buy this yarn here.

If you decide to knit this hat let me give you a couple of pointers. I had read somewhere else that the hat is a little short but I didn't listen. I don't enjoy a hat that won't cover your ears and sit low on your brow. Well, it's true, this hat came out too short even after I added a half-inch before the cable pattern started. I had to fix mine by picking up on the cast on edge and knitting 2 solid inches to make a turned up brim to remedy the shortness. It looks cute but let me suggest another solution.

I would work in the k1, p1 rib for 1 inch at the start. Then instead of 3 repeats of both the lower half cable pattern and the upper half cable pattern I would do 4 repeats of each. This should add enough length to make it a comfortable length hat. I never know if people like a shorter hat or if it is an error in the pattern or if it is just the way hats fit different people. Who knows, but this is one element I always check. If a hat is too short in the end it simply won't be worn.

I think I will add a fleece lining and possibly a small pom or tassel on a string (or two). I'll keep you posted.

I think I will knit this one again for sure. The Utopia Hat is fast, easy and great looking. It is a fantastic looking cable pattern. Good work, S.M. Kahn.

Happy Saturday!

best, susie

p.s. Check this out. Dani is a knitting wonder. Oh yeah, I have to show you the yarn she dyed for me.

Quickly Now

Hi Knitters,
Oh I wish I could remember where I first saw these tiny mittens. Ugh. I simply can't find the link even after googling. Sorry about that. I somehow ended up looking at these a few days ago and I didn't print out the pattern. I just made mine up based on what I saw. There is a free pattern somewhere out there. Let me know if you know the link to this pattern. I made the three pairs above with sock yarn scraps. It always feels good to use up those little ends. I knitted on US size 1 dpns. The mittens are a little less than 2 inches in length.

These are pretty cute mittens. I will give them away, maybe for teacher gifts. I need to make a few more pairs. What a fun and sweet and quick project. Perfect for this time of year.

Touchdown!

I also finished up the hourglass scarf from Lynne Barr's Knitting New Scarves and I love it. I have talked about the unusual techniques used throughout this book a couple of times and I have received some requests to do tutorials on these techniques. I have a better idea though. There is a knitalong for this book going on here. I have never joined a knitalong before but this one is tempting me. This is the place to go if you have questions or if you want to show off your finished scarf. Maybe if you request video or pictoral tutorials over at the knitalong Lynne Barr herself will oblige! You never know. There are a lot of finished scarves already posted so be sure to take a peek.

Koigu Kerstie is such a treat to knit, squishy, yummy yarn. I made a few modifications from the original pattern. I made mine a bit wider and I shortened the length between the hourglass shaping. I also made mine quite a bit longer than suggested. I think many of the scarf lengths in the book are on the shorter side. That's the good thing about making your own! You can make it however wide and long you'd like. This was a quick, quick, quick knit!
I started on the boa scarf from this same book where you knit through the middle of one piece, passing the stitches to the other side before knitting the rest of the piece. It is a pretty fun technique. You have to knit lots and lots of these X's and you string them along as you go. We'll see how far I get.

Knit on!

best, susie

Note: Thanks Diane (that was quick) for the pattern link for the mini-mittens. Now that I look, her mittens have a better thumb. Cute pattern!

Brrrr

Hi Knitters,

Winter is upon us in Madison today. There are blizzard conditions whipping around our city. We made it to the Christmas tree farm despite the snowy conditions. On the way there I realized that everyone was wearing a handknit hat. It gave me a good feeling, I can't help myself. From left to right we've got a center square, a surefire hat, a stripey stocking hat, and another surefire hat. What a goofy group of kids, they are so funny. By the way, my son on the high school swim team is getting requests for me to make more surefire hats from his friends. Right now I am acting like I didn't hear this. Do you think it will just go away?

Remember this little gem from Knitty? I made two of these last winter and just a few days ago I stitched in fleece linings in both of them. It makes the hats so much warmer, such an easy trick. The kids love it and then you never have to worry about anyone itching. By the way, this hat was knit in the beautiful Kristin Nicholas yarn, Julia, I was just talking about. Remember to enter here to win a boatload of this yarn. The other hat I knitted like this is in Cascade 220. I just realized that this is another example of repeat knitting. I may be the queen of this.

We found a beauty. It was strange but the trees seemed so picked over and it is still early in the season. Wonder why? I think the snowy day added so much to the tree cutting adventure. It felt like we were in a snow globe. I actually brought along a big blanket and wrapped it around myself as we tromped along. The kids couldn't believe it when I pulled that blanket out but I didn't care. I get sooo cold and that extra layer helped keep me warm. I didn't even get that cold. I am definitely doing that again even if it did cause some embarrassment. Sorry kids.

Look at the effort here. This is my husband sawing away. He really cut this one down quickly. It seemed like he had just started and then it fell right over.

My little sweets sat with a tiny tree while we were waiting. The tree is now all decorated and beautiful but my house is an enormous mess. All of the decoration boxes were pulled out of the basement before I was ready. You know how you need to organize, clean and put things away before the decorations come out? Moms you know what I am talking about. Well, I haven't done any of that prep work yet. There is a lot of enthusiasm going on around here but I still feel like it is too early. Am I crazy or just in denial? Maybe a little of both. I've got to get my Christmas spirit revved up!

Hey, check out this adorable snowman hat I saw here. What a cute hat, I love it. Also, if you are looking for a quick knitted ornament remember my free pattern for the santa baby hat ornament that I did for the craftsanity podcast last year. This makes a great little gift and it is a quick and easy knit.

That's all for now. Have a peaceful night.

best, susie

With You or Wich You

Hi Knitters,
Have you heard the song Clumsy by Fergie? Those of you with teenagers might know what I'm talking about. If not, let me fill you in. This is a song about falling in love where the singer is supposed to be saying, "with you" but repeats the line, "I'm so in love wich you," with emphasis on the "ch," over and over at the end. I think this is so funny. My 14-year-old loves this song. Oh, to be a teen. The funny thing (or not) is that I can't get this song out of my head. I guess that makes it a hit?

How does this tie in with scarf knitting you ask? Well, I'll tell you. The entire time I've been knitting on this scarf the song Clumsy has been running through my head non-stop. Yes, it's true, go ahead and laugh (at me). I would. Actually, it's a pretty cute song with a bouncy beat so it's not too bad.

Let me tell you a bit about this project. It is the hourglass scarf from Knitting New Scarves by Lynne Barr. This is a fantastic book filled with crazy, unique scarf patterns. I have several earmarked for this winter. I started with the hourglass scarf because I had this Koigu Kersti just waiting to become a scarf. Plus I had some really old Koigu 2 ply in butter yellow that worked perfectly for the accent color.
The cinching segment is so fun. You divide the stitches on 2 double-pointed needles and then you do a slip stitch sequence in the round in 2x2 rib using the two different colors. The dpns are several sizes smaller for this part and it really pulls the scarf in for a dramatic effect. The good thing is that you are knitting in the round and this keeps the scarf looking great from both sides, always a plus. The ribbed scarf section is knitted with two strands of the Koigu Kersti held together on fairly large needles. Talk about squishy, it feels so good.

You know when I started knitting this I was feeling kind of tired and I thought I would make up my own cinching technique instead of reading and learning Barr's new techniques. This was my mistake. I had to pull back and read and learn her ways. Her wording and descriptions are unusual but it actually didn't take me more than a second to figure it out. You can do it too.

It is always worthwhile to learn a new technique here and there. That's what keeps you growing and inspired. I am inspired by Lynne Barr. She is pushing the envelope, twisting and turning stitches, working from new directions. I should pay attention to this no matter how tired I am.

Okay, one more time, "I'm so in love wich you."

best, susie

p.s. I've heard a recent rumor that you're not supposed to post works in progress (wip) pictures on your blog, only finished projects. What? I love the wips on people's blogs and I have no problem seeing projects along the way, that's fun. Keep posting what you are working on, knitters, I want to see how you're doing on things.

p.p.s. I have to tell you that I didn't know that there is a fantastic giveaway going on for a Kristin Knits book launch celebration. You can enter on Kristin's blog through December 10th to win 20 balls of her yarn, Julia, in assorted colors. Enter quick, that is some prize. Good luck.

Boy, Does Kristin Knit

Hi Knitters,
As you've already guessed this post is devoted to my love of Kristin Nicholas. First, I have to make a brief mention of another topic near and dear to my heart, my son. Sixteen years ago today I had my first child. In some ways it seems like an entire lifetime ago, things were so different back then. I was in my third year of teaching middle school and my husband was in his third year of law school. I think we moved six times in those three years. We had a whole lot of nothing but it was one of those blurry, wonderful periods of my life where hard work, no sleep and youthful adventures were what we lived on. I always wanted to be a mother, I couldn't imagine what else I would do in my life. My own mother was the best mother I have ever seen, really too good to be true in every category. I am very lucky in that sense. When you grow up with a parent who embraces motherhood wholeheartedly like that it is all you can see and hope for in your own future. Having my first son was the best thing that has ever happened to me, besides marrying my husband. This baby became and remains the center of our universe. He is a sweet, family-oriented, kind, considerate, mature homebody (which I love). He sticks by my side through thick and thin, plus we laugh a lot. When I was touring I think he may have missed me more than anybody. He is my good friend and I love him. Happy 16th birthday, Evan.

Now on to this beautiful, scrumptious book by the one and only Kristin Nicholas. Kristin Knits was just recently released and it one book I was anxiously waiting to get my hands on. I bought it site unseen and I am not disappointed one bit. Just get a look at the cover, gorgeous, and that picture of Kristin is the best. Let me backtrack a bit, Kristin Nicholas is one of the reasons I wanted to start writing knitting books. When her book Kids' Knitting first came out, I just loved everything about it. The natural photography, the simple, clear patterns, the colorful style of the designs and of course, Kristin's original illustrations. With this book in my hand I started thinking maybe I could do this, too. Kristin inspired me then and she inspires me even more now.

You may know, I love color in a way that it often rules my life. I notice color, it overwhelms me at times. Kristin is all about color, crazy color, mixed color, stripes, dots, swirls, embroidered knits, flowers, checks! She is my kind of girl. If you want to learn about color you have to get this book. She provides insight into what inspires her color selections and you'll usually see that most of her inspiration comes from nature. She lives on a working farm in New England. This setting is glorious. I've enjoyed her blog so much that it is a permanent link on my sidebar. I am very selective about what I link to on my sidebar. I only link to blogs that are beautiful, clean, heartwarming and informative. Kristin's blog is one of my favorite places to visit. Her book gives this same warm, homey feeling.

When I read a knitting book and I actually read knitting books, patterns and all, my favorite thing is to get a personal feeling about the writer. I want to know all of that behind the scenes stuff like what inspired this design, what was she thinking, how did she learn that technique, basically how did this come to be. I don't know if that's normal, but I would like to peer into every designer's sketchbook if I could. That beginning idea is the meat, the filling, the basis for every design. Kristin sprinkles little snip-its of her "yarn journey" throughout the book. For example, she talks about her grandmother, her first attempt at knitting, her background in color exploration and much more. Each pattern has a background introduction. This is the stuff I love and it makes the book more of an experience. There is an instructional section at the back filled with Kristin's beautiful, clear illustrations, including terrific step-by-step instructions on how to put a zipper into a finished sweater. This alone is worth the purchase of the book. She also has this as a tutorial on her blog (you gotta check out her blog!).
Let's get a brief look at some of the patterns you will find in here. The book is divided into sections as follows: sensational scarves, colorful hats (see above photo, aren't those great hats?), cozy socks, marvelous mittens and gloves, stunning sweaters, and back to the basics. The photographer, Kevin Kennefick, does a spectacular job. The photography is outstanding. It is fresh, clear, well-shot to show the projects, and natural. The models are wonderfully wholesome and fun to look at. You feel like they are people you know.

The entire book has a natural, homey feel. Much of the photography takes place outside, where Kristin clearly like to be. One thing of note is that all of the patterns are knitted out of Kristin's own yarn line, Julia, which is distributed from Westminster Fibers. I think I own at least one ball of every color of this yarn. It is beautiful, lush and rich in color. I love how these patterns show off the versatility of her yarn. The other thing is if you don't want to use Julia (it is a mohair, wool blend) it is a worsted weight yarn. The sky is the limit for substitution!

Just look at these sweaters...I can't get enough. I want to knit everything in here. I only wish I had the time to do that but I will pick and choose many projects for sure. I read awhile ago, or maybe it was a podcast interview with Kristin, where she said she didn't like knitting scarves by width. She gets too bored and the project seems too long that way. She likes to knit scarves the long way. Well, she held true to this statement because the scarves are knit the long way in the book and they are wonderful.

The sock patterns are really great. They are all colorful, playful and cozy looking. I can just feel the squish of these socks. I love padding around my house in handknit socks in the winter and these make me want to cast on immediately.

Anyway, if you are looking for a new book to gather some gift knitting inspiration, look no further. The gift knitting potential in here is staggering. There are lots of quick projects that could be whipped up in a jiffy. There are also some big projects, like the afghan, that may take a couple of years to finish. There is something for everybody in Kristin Knits.

Kristin has so much knowledge from her vast experience in the knitting world, take advantage. She was the former creative director for Classic Elite Yarns and has been in the industry for over 20 years. There aren't that many knitters who can say that.

Well, I guess you catch my drift!

best, susie

p.s. Thanks for all of the pattern orders, knitters. I am overwhelmed and I appreciate your support.

Rosebud Cardigan Pattern

Hi Knitters,
It's finally ready, the Rosebud Cardigan pattern! I am so glad to be able to offer this sweet cardigan to you. I have received more requests for this pattern than anything else I have ever designed. The bear on page 81 in Itty-Bitty Hats was sent to the photographer as kind of an afterthought to be used as background material. The response to the bear in the rosebud cardigan has been a huge surprise to me. I have been promising this pattern for months and it is finally here. I love it that knitters quickly express what they are interested in knitting, it helps to know. Here are the details:

Size:
To fit a medium-sized teddy bear or an 18-inch doll or an American Girl doll

Yarn:
2 skeins Rowan Handknit Cotton in Black
Small amounts of Tahki Cotton Classic for the rosebuds and leaves (the exact colors are listed in the pattern in detail)

Needles:
US size 7 needles
US size 7 double-pointed needles
US size 4 double-pointed needles
The cardigan fits perfectly on my daughter's American Girl doll, too.

This teddy bear I purchased from a Michael's Craft store years ago. He still looks good as new. Well, knitters, have fun with this and I hope to see some pictures of your Rosebud Cardigans. The pattern is available for purchase, just click on the buy now button below.

best, susie

Surefire Hat

Hi Knitters,
The pattern for the Surefire Hat is available now! With design input from my son I think we created the perfect teenager hat. The Surefire Hat has it all for both warmth and style. As soon as my other son saw the first hat he just had to have one of his own. Repeat knitting at its best.

Just click on the buy now button and it will be sent to you in a pdf file via email. Here is a quick description:

Size: Average adult-size head, 21-23 inches. Don't forget that many little kids (as young as 2 or 3 years old) may already have a head this size, it's always best to measure if possible.

Yarn: Tahki Donegal Tweed Homespun (183 yards/skein), 1 skein of each color #852, #854, #848, #833 if you want the stripes like mine. If you want a solid hat 1 skein of the Donegal Tweed will make it!

Needles: US size 8 sixteen-inch circular needles and a set of 4 US size 8 double-pointed needles or the size to obtain gauge.

Crochet Hook: (for the edging only) 5mm

Gauge: 4 1/2 stitches per inch

I hope your kids love this hat as much as mine do! You'll get plenty of requests for more, I am sure.
best, susie

Surefire Hat

Hi Knitters,
Well, you know you have something good when as soon as you finish you get a request for another one. That's exactly what happened with this hat design I knitted this past week for my teenagers. It's a sure-fire hat! I made the dark brown ear-flapped hat first for my oldest son. He is a swimmer for the high school team and his coach requires the boys to wear hats outside at all times. I, of course, love this requirement.

Immediately upon the completion of hat #1 my other son wanted the same hat. Some slight arguing ensued about not having the exact same hat which is understandable. My oldest son had a big part in the planning, color selection and design of his hat. I quickly came up with the idea to use the same colors, only place them in a different pattern. I'm smart like that sometimes (just kidding, any fool could figure that out).

The hats are a big success, thus the name Surefire Hat. The definition of surefire is: certain to get successful or expected results. This hat is fast and easy. I used Tahki Donegal Tweed and US size 8 needles for a quick, quick knit. I lined them both in gray fleece for extra warmth, gotta have that in this neck of the woods.I have a new tool in my repertoire. It is called the incredible rope maker. Move over pom-tree there's a new love in town. I will do a demo of this one soon. It is slick and I got it here. I made the long ties with this and again, love. The best part of this is that you need two people to make the rope (for the twisting part), although I am certain I could manage on my own, but my daughter just loves to join in. The ropes are easy to make and they look so professional, impressive invention. I'm just saying you may want to get one and get one quick! I am seeing endless possibilities.

I am almost hesitant to say this but I am going to make available some down loadable patterns for purchase from my blog and this hat and the teddy bear sweater (remember that?) are the first two patterns in line. I'll tell you what, we had a couple of months of trying to get the paypal system in place but I finally think it is set. What happened is that we missed a deadline for a response because we went on vacation. We had to start from scratch with the process but since paypal already had some of our info. in the system it wouldn't let us continue. After multiple lengthy phone calls, faxes (including a few lost faxes), computer time, etc. I think we are cleared to go. I will attempt to get these patterns written and available very soon. This puts the pressure on which is good. I will continue to add free patterns to the blog as well. I think that makes things more fun.

Here is another project I had buried in a long line of dream knits. I finally got the chance to start working on it. I mentioned my quest to get the yarn for this pattern way last spring. I looked high and low to find a shop that had enough Rowan Scottish Tweed DK to complete this project as it takes about 21 balls. I finally found it from here, what great service and selection. This is my kind of yarn. I have such a thing for simple cables in luscious tweed. Then again who doesn't? I can never get enough. The pattern is the Cabled Blanket Coat by Sarah Dallas in the Scottish Inspirations book, filled with many more great designs. The cabled coat is the perfect pattern in my eyes. Ooh La La! I can't wait to wrap up in this sweater next to the fire with a hot cocoa in hand. Maybe I'll even get extra marshmallows. It is good to dream big...

best, susie

p.s. You can now subscribe to my blog (see sidebar). My son worked on getting the RSS feed in place and it is now working. There are two different ways to subscribe although I think most knitters are doing it through the email entry at the top of the sidebar.

p.p.s. Check out this for more fun information on the top 100 knitting blogs. It is official, I am now addicted to this site. I am reading some of the most fun, interesting, inventive knitting blogs ever due to knitting friends.

Black Sheep Knitting

Hi Knitters,
Can you imagine my delight when I walked in the door at Black Sheep Knitting in Needham, MA and Dani Frisbie was sitting at the back table having lunch. Do you know her? She is the talented force behind sunshine yarns and the blog knitting sunshine. She is currently working on her new online shop which should be up and running in a matter of weeks. She has spectacular monthly yarn clubs including a fantastic Harry Potter themed club. Dani works at the shop in Needham and it was great to get to know her a little in person. I linked her blog awhile ago on my sidebar because I think she is such a talented knitter. The photos of her work are so inspiring and she is constantly turning out projects, one better than the last. I have bought some of her yarn in the past from her etsy shop and it is so beautiful. She gifted me with a yarn she dyed that matched the cover of itty bitty nursery. She started with pink and overdyed with blue which made for a rich lavender and pink blend. I will be showing all of my wonderful yarn-y things I collected on a later post. Thank you Dani, for the yarn and for being such a gracious host. Keep me posted on your new online shop! Everyone let's get behind Dani and support her, she is a wonderful, kind-hearted talent!

This beautiful shop just got better and better. Here is another member of the knitsmiths knitting group. It's the one and only Alison Hansel of the blue blog and Charmed Knits fame. Her book has done so well and deservedly so! I own it, of course, and every pattern is pure fun. She kindly recommended Black Sheep Knitting to me as a good tour stop and she was right. Alison brought her three kids along to the shop and that baby girl is simply adorable. She wore her upside down daisy hat to boot. It was great to meet Alison, such a talented and inspiring knitter and recently seamstress! I have been a fan for a long time. I printed out her stripey vest from knitty ages ago, I still want to make that one. I just love meeting the knitters I admire from afar. It seems surreal.

Here is my next celebrity meeting. Take a good hard look at this beautiful woman then take a look at the pure joy on my face. I couldn't believe my eyes. I reviewed one of her books months ago you may recall. This is Barbara Delinsky who has written more books than I can count but who recently wrote Family Tree. I have some strong feelings about this book. I absolutely loved it. I read it last spring on a trip to Florida with my family. It was a difficult time for my family due to a horrible loss we had just suffered. I was dazed and in a fog. I found myself melting into this book in a way I haven't experienced very often. Family Tree provided a wonderful distraction for me at a time when I needed to fill the time in my head. It is a beautiful book and I highly recommend it. The most pleasant surprise about this book is that knitting is a major storyline and it also takes place part of the time in my hometown of Madison. I felt like there was a reason I was drawn to this book in the book store. I didn't even read the inside flap, I just grabbed it and went. Isn't that weird how things happen sometimes? It makes you wonder. I have inherited stacks of Barbara's books recently and I can't wait to read them. Barbara is a huge knitter and is a fan of itty-bitty hats. She pointed out many of the hats she has already knitted for her grandchildren. I loved meeting her more than I can say. I was dying while I was signing her books, just feeling like it wasn't really true. What a fun moment.

The people at this shop just kept coming and coming. One great story after another. This is Judy and she was the cutest thing. She not long ago had spinal surgery. She was unable to move for months. During her recovery she would take a pain killer and then she knew she had a couple of hours where she could manage to knit. Itty-bitty hats helped her get through her recovery without losing her mind (that's a quote!). How I love this story. Doesn't she look great?

This is one of the shop owners, Susan, playing with a little sweetheart. Susan was so nice, helpful, happy and fun. They all are like this. I would go to this well-stocked shop all of the time if I lived here. Black Sheep Knitting felt like stepping into a warm, welcoming home.

I wanted you to see this knitted set from itty-bitty nursery by one of the workers at Black Sheep (I think it was Melissa who knitted it, but I am not 100% sure). Isn't that cute? I love it in the purple manos cotton stria. Dani is knitting one in a muted blue-ish color, it is gorgeous. I hope I get to see the finished project. It is good to see people using differently colors.

This is Lisa and boy is she fun. She is great to chat with and she had so many good stories. My sister loved her too. Lisa is a knitter anyone would love to hang out with. She was knitting a pink and brown hat that was to die for. She hung around and made our time so much fun. Thanks for coming Lisa! Isn't that baby cute peeking over Dani's shoulder?

My sister and I got a major kick out of Sophie (the cutest thing ever!), the official store mascot. Okay, she played with the cupcake tea set for a loooong time and we loved it. She poured tea...

she added lumps...

and she stirred her cup with a golden teaspoon. You know what is interesting-you have to make sure to knit the little things when you are making a set like this. Sophie played with the sugar cubes only for about 20 minutes. She lined them up, put them in the sugar bowl and then lined them up again. She was adorable and this confirms my belief that it is all in the details. The lumps make the set!

Oh, you thought it couldn't get any better than Sophie? Well, just look at this bundle. Too incredibly cute for words, Dani's not too bad either. Also, get a look at Dani's shawl. That is made out of her fantastic hand-dyed yarn. It is spectacular, her talent is astounding.

Here is Debbie the other owner. She is terrific. Black Sheep Knitting has supplies bursting out everywhere you turn. The customers have a home here as I heard they have a different knitting group every single night of the week at the shop. It is the place to be for knitters in this area and beyond. They have such a huge selection of top of the line yarns, you can find anything you're looking for in this one spot.

Dani knitted all of these itty-bitties and they are strung up behind the cash register. What a great surprise. Thanks to everyone for this wonderful event. I appreciate all of your efforts. I enjoyed every minute and your shop provided some of my most memorable moments of the tour. I hope to come back sometime soon!

Okay, a couple of business notes. I have had a ton of emails asking about this scarf, I am not kidding, a lot of email. This scarf, worn by the lovely Jaime (right) and the tired, worn-out Susie (left), was purchased at Knitty City. It is a Tara Handknits product handmade by a women's Cooperative in Nepal. There are several colorways available. It is called the "tiny circle crochet scarf flower." It was $42.00. I hope that helps. I think they only had a couple left when we were there but give them a buzz if you want one! I have to say I have been wearing it out and about here and I have gotten a lot of compliments on it. Maybe we should all just make one ourselves, too. It would be easy.

The last thing is a site I have been enjoying and want to pass on. It is called knitting friends. It highlights the most popular blogs for the day, week and month. I have been going to it regularly to keep up with the comings and goings of the knitting world. This site has directed me to a lot of new blogs that I otherwise would never read. It is really fun and a bit addictive. Check it out.

Okay, there will not be more tour stuff for a long time now. It's just me at home with my yarn and needles and kids. I will not torture you with any more pictures of me for as long as humanly possible. I am sorry about that but other people were taking all of the pictures therefore I was in all of them. If you knew how much I hate being in pictures, truly, I avoid it at all costs, you would laugh at this situation.

Bye for now knitter friends.

best, susie