Knitting Like Crazy

Book Review & Giveaway: Knitting Pleats

2012-02-07T08:30:00.000-06:00

Well, I am a day late, but I do have another book review this week. It's no joke that the pile of books to review around here is huge. But, I am glad to be making a dent in them and sharing some knitting goodness with you.

This week, it's Knitting Pleats by Olga Pobedinskaya.

As the title suggests, the book is full of projects that use knitted pleats as a design element. A couple of the designs were a little too fashion forward for my tastes. But there were several projects that I really liked:

The book also includes a section on how to knit pleats. I am glad to find that in there because I have no clue how to do that! There are 17 patterns in the book, so there is bound to be something you would want to try.

The book is published by Martingale and Company and retails for $24.99.

Want my review copy? Just leave a comment between now and Sunday, 2/12 8pm central time. I will draw a random winner from the comments. Make sure you leave your Ravelry id or something in your comments so I can find you should you win. Good luck!

Note: I received this book as a review copy. For more info, please see my disclosure policy.

Giveaway Winner

2012-02-04T08:12:00.000-06:00

Thanks everyone for reading my book review and entering the 60 Quick Knits giveaway!

And the winner is ..... saraq24! Sarah, please check your Rav messages for details!

Stay tuned. There are many more book reviews/giveaways coming! Happy knitting. :)

WIP Friday? Faux Cable Socks

2012-02-03T08:17:00.003-06:00

Well, I cast on for my Faux Cable Socks for the Knitting Like Crazy February Sock KAL that I am running over in the Ravelry group. I'm knitting mine out of some A Verb For Keeping Warm yarn:

So far, so good. I got through one repeat. I have a feeling with lots of football to watch on Sunday, I will make some significant progress then!

Have you joined in the Sock KAL fun? How are your socks going so far?

Happy knitting!

Now Available: Timberland Shawl

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

I designed this shawl exclusively for Fuzzy Wuzzy Yarns in Arlington Heights a few months ago. Garter stitch and lace, two of my favorite things.

Knit out of one skein of Shaeffer Anne yarn, you can whip this thing up in a flash. You could also use any sock yarn you like, but you would need 450 yards or more.

Timberland is now available on Ravelry for $6.00. But, if you use the coupon code 'timberland' at checkout, you can get it 20% off now thru 2/17! A great deal!

Hope you enjoy!

February KAL - Socks!

2012-02-01T08:30:00.000-06:00

I have been itching to knit some socks, so I thought I would drag in all my blog readers/Ravelry group into it. It's a February Sock KAL!

Knit any one of my patterns, post a completed pic in the Ravelry group by 2/29 and be entered into a random drawing for fabulous prizes. What kind of prizes? Sock yarn, of course!

To get ready for the February Sock KAL, all my individual sock patterns in my Ravelry shop are on sale. 20% off when you use the coupon code sockkal. Code good thru 2/15.

Take a Hike Socks (only $4 with coupon code!)

You could also knit up my Geneva Socks. Available from Kollage Yarns on Patternfish here.

And, many people have already decided to knit up one of my freebie patterns, the Faux Cable socks.Click here for download.

I'll be knitting the Faux Cable Socks too. I have been wanting a new pair after the pair I had had an unfortunate felting incident awhile back. Hope you can join us!

Book Review: 60 More Quick Knits

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hope you all enjoyed the book review from last week. And, thanks again for all the comments. I love reading them! I think I am going to try to do book reviews on Mondays until I get through the stack of review copies. So, onto this week's book review:

This week I am taking a look at 60 More Quick Knits. The book features 20 hats, 20 scarves and 20 mitten patterns.

I have to say, I found the mitten patterns to be especially charming. Here is a shot of my favorite one, the Nordic mittens:

And, I thought many of the hats were very clever too. Here is the Bridcage Beanie:

All the patterns in the book are written for Cascade 220 sport. A nice affordable yarn if you ask me. I think what I like the most is since you know that all the patterns are written for sport weight, you could easily subsitiute yarn, if you wanted to.

I think this is a great book and there are tons of things I would knit in it. It retails for $17.95 and I have seen it on Amazon for as low as $11.27!

This is the exact kind of book I would keep for myself, except I don't think I will get around to knitting anything in it for awhile. So, how about another giveaway! Just leave a comment here (and make sure leave a Rav id or something so I can find you should you win) and I will draw a winner on Friday, 2/3 around 5pm central time. Good luck!

Note: I received this book as a review copy. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy here.

The winner is....

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks for all the comments on the book review. I enjoyed reading all of them!

And now what you actually want to know - the winner.

Using a random number generator, the winner is ..... KristyR! Congratulations. Kristy, I have sent you a Rav message, so be on the look out for that!

To those that didn't win, stay tuned. There may just be another book review giveaway on the horizon. Just sayin'.

New Stitch Markers

2012-01-25T08:30:00.000-06:00

So, my friends, Cathy and Melissa, love them some Disneyland. They are frequent visitors and I love their collection of Disney things that pop up in their knitting bags. On a recent trip, they brought back our knitting group a souvenir. One kids bracelet with the elastic out of it. The result? Stitch markers!

Pretty smart if you ask me. Each of us in the group took a little handful to add to our stitch marker collections. I can't wait to use them!

Book Review: Terrific Toe-Up Socks

2012-01-23T04:49:00.000-06:00

The review copies of books have been piling up around here, so you will likely be seeing book review here on a weekly basis for awhile. The upside to this? Many of them will be giveaways, so you will want to stay tuned.

The first one to review is Terrific Toe Up Socks by Janet Rehfeldt.

What I like about this book is that half the book discusses the techniques needed to successfully knit toe-up socks. There are a variety of cast ons, increases, and decreases illustrated as well short row heels including wrap and turns (which admittedly are my nemesis).

If you are an experienced toe-up sock knitter, you may find this book too be a little too much technique and instruction. But for someone like me who has knit toe-up socks before but struggled through some of the techniques, this book is great. I wish I had it when I was first trying to go toe-up!

The book also includes about 8 patterns. That's quite a lot of info in this book!

The book is published by Martingale & Company and retails for only $14.99. On Amazon, it's currently only $9.99.

Want my review copy? Just a leave a comment here on the blog (make sure to include your Ravelry ID in your comment or some way for me to contact you) by Friday, 1/27. I will draw the random winner at 5pm Central Time on Friday! Good luck!

Note: I received this book as a review copy from Martingale & Company. For more information, please see my disclosure policy here.

FO: Caponcho

2012-01-13T08:28:00.000-06:00

My 12-year old niece, Hallie, asked me for a poncho. Like 2 years ago. She wanted turquiose and grey. I finally made her one and gifted it to her for Christmas. Better late than never, as the knitters like to say. :)

I used the Rosa'sCaponcho pattern (it's free Rav download) and made a few mods. I added some ribbing at the neck and the edge, and changed yarn colors every 4 rows for some stripey goodness. Oh, and I knit until it "looked big enough." I used Loops & Threads Charisma yarn. Bulky, soft and cheap. :)

Hallie loved it! She loved it so much she thanked me twice for it. Which when a pre-teen thanks you twice for something and means it, you know you did good.

I will have to try to get a couple pics of her wearing it. I didn't have the camera with me on Christmas morning, but she tried it on and it fit perfectly.

Cork Management

2012-01-11T08:30:00.000-06:00

It's no secret to readers of this blog that I recently became obsessed with knitting Korknisses.

Seriously, wish I was knitting some right now rather than sitting at the computer. :) Love those little guys. Anyway, it's getting to the point where I am saving every wine cork I can get my hands on, and have had friends give me a cork or two. So when my MIL received a cork cage from my SIL for her birthday in November I dropped some serious hints that I would like one for Christmas. I was quite happy that my hinting paid off.

It's cute, it's practical for the woman weirdly obsessed with knitting cork people and looks quite good in our kitchen. It sure beats the plastic bag shoved in a drawer, which is how they were being stored before.

New Spring Designs from Kollage

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Spring is coming (although it has been feeling wonderfully Spring-like in the greater Chicagoland area lately) and I am happy to report I have not one but two Spring designs that have just been released from Kollage Yarns!

First up, it's Edmond:

Edmond is a hat and cowl set knit out of Lofty. I love me some Lofty! Edmond is named after a dear coworker. Perhaps my favorite coworker of all time. Yeah, I said it. Anyway, I am currently considering my color options and plan on making another set just for her.

You can get the Edmond pattern on Patternfish.

And then there is the Crashing Waves shawl:

There were so many amazing photos, I couldn't choose just one! :)

Crashing Waves is knit out of Creamy. If you haven't tried this yarn...do it now. It is so soft! As a girl who gets kinda itchy from wool, I love this alternative for shawls. Cotton and milk? Yes, please!

The Crashing Waves pattern is also available on Patternfish.

Hope you enjoy knitting the new patterns as much as I liked designing them!

Note: Photos used with permission by Kollage Yarns.

FO: Bonnie Jean

2012-01-06T08:30:00.000-06:00

I finished this up awhile ago, but the camera card ready thingy had gone missing (found it buried on the bottom of my knitting bag). Here is the Bonnie Jean scarf I knit for the Kollage KAL on Ravelry:

Knit out of just one skein of Riveting. A little garter stitch, a little texture, a little lace. What's not to love?

Yes, I knit on my wedding day.

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

I know I have posted lots of wedding stuff on the blog lately, but I couldn't resist posting this last set of pics. Our photographer, Lindsay*, made sure to tell me to bring my knitting along on my wedding day. And, since Jenni was in the wedding, I told her she had to bring hers too.

This was one of my favorite parts of the day. It was the perfect little break among all the craziness.

Jenni and I made sure to have knitting with us that coordinated with the wedding colors of pink and navy blue. Jenni is knitting with some yarn I dyed her to match the wedding, and I am knitting with Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR lightweight in the FemmeBot colorway (which Jenni had bought me).

So glad we took the time to get these photos. I mentioned this already on Facebook, but I look forward to looking back on these pics with Jenni when we are knitting away at the nursing home together someday. :)

*Lindsay and her husband, Ken, are seriously the best photographers ever. Hire them for your wedding, family photos, I don't care. They are soooo awesome.

My new notions holder

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Like many knitters, I am a sucker for anything cute that will hold my knitting crap. And, right before Christmas, I found the cutest little thing ever at Walgreens.

I paid something like $1.49 or something for it. I mean, maybe it will completely fall apart, but for $1.49 I am willing to take the risk. The little metal closure seems ok to me:

I put some of my stuff in there and it all fits nicely. If I can cram a little tape measure in there I'll be good to go.

Now, you might be thinking, isn't some of that stuff in there from your KnitKit? And the answer would be yes, yes it is. While I love the idea of the KnitKit, I wish there was a bigger compartment to put the extra stuff. Like a tapestry needle or extra stitch markers. So this is my new self-made KnitKit.

And a little Tinkerbell never hurt anyone. :)

Good-bye 2011. Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T08:15:00.001-06:00

I wasn't going to post a 2011 review, but then I started thinking about how 2011 was the best year ever and why not relive a little bit of that, right? :)

Of course, the best thing ever was getting married!

(from l-r we have my dad, my mom, Alex, me, my sister, my BIL, and my two brothers)

(this is one of my fav photos from our wedding day. thanks, Lindsay!)

There was Sock Summit which was super super fun. I also had my first pattern in a magazine! We finally got the awful wallpaper down in our kitchen and painted in there. I got a book deal! We had some fun with mystery shawls and mystery socks. My full time job at the end of this year has made another turn for the better. Even though my job is getting better, I started making spreadsheets that say things like "exit strategy" and "financial game plan," which means I know I am getting closer to my goal of working for myself. I lost 30lbs (which I have more to go, but 30lbs isn't too shabby)! I completed two 5K races.

Yeah, I can't complain about 2011. And now here we are in 2012. As 12 is my fav number, I figure this year has to be good. Here are some goals I have for this year (knitting and otherwise):

Finish my book!
Work out my second e-book idea and make that happen
Host some good mystery KALs (March is coming, mystery shawl, just sayin')
Do four 5K races and complete at least one of them in under 35 minutes
Get my craft room/office all pretty
Lose another 30lbs!
And, the ever popular, start knitting holiday gifts in June. I have plans for a couple Christmas gifts for next year.

So, what are your goals? Hope you have a great 2012!

End of Year Sale

2011-12-23T08:30:00.000-06:00

Well, December certainly has flown by! To celebrate the end of the year and the start of a new one, I am having a pattern sale, now through 12/31.

Carefree Shawl

Moor Shawl

Take a Hike Socks

20% off all my individual patterns in my Ravelry shop now through 12/31. Use the coupon code "happy2012" at checkout to have the discount applied!

Thanks for sticking around and reading the blog during 2011. 2012 is sure to be even better!

FO: Wedding Socks

2011-12-09T08:31:00.000-06:00

I finally finished the socks that I started the day before our wedding:

Some nice plain ol' cuff down socks. These were the perfect knitting for the days around my wedding, when my brain was mostly fried and could do little except be nervous/freaking out about hosting the biggest party of my life.

These are knit out of STR Lightweight in the FemmeBot colorway. 60sts. US Size 1. Made for some nice, mostly non-pooling socks.

I was going to keep these socks, but I have a person in mind that they would be better suited for. I think she will love them.

I have lots more STR in the stash, that has been ignored for some time due to other projects and designs getting in the way. I think I may to dive into the stash and get another pair on the needles for those days when shawl math is a little too much. :)

E-Book Pre-Order

2011-12-06T09:30:00.000-06:00

So, a couple months ago I decided that I really wanted to do an e-book. I have been having such a great time designing that it seemed like a good next step. I am so happy to say that my e-book is now available for pre-order!

E-book Rav Page

The e-book is going to contain a total of 8 patterns, released throughout 2012. The first pattern, the Legume Hat, will be available in the e-book in January 2012.

If you pre-order the e-book now, you will get a PDF file with some general information. Then, after the first of the year, you will get an update to the e-book that will contain the Legume Hat pattern. Every month that another pattern is added, there will be an update to the e-book that will automatically be added to your Ravelry library!

The e-book is called Head, Shoulders, Wrists & Toes. It will contain patterns for those things. So, socks, hats, shawls, mitts. A new pattern will be added every other month, with two bonus patterns throughout the year. That's a total of 8 patterns for the year.

If you pre-order now, it will only be $18. For 8 patterns that is a VERY sweet deal. After Jan. 1, the price will go up to $24.

The patterns will be available for individual purchase 2 months after they have been released in the e-book. But, buying the e-book will be wayyy cheaper (for example, the Legume Hat pattern will be $5 once released). So get one now and tell your friends! :)

E-book Rav Page

Happy knitting. I can't wait for next year and all the great knitting projects I plan to bring you!

It's an addiction.

2011-12-05T07:17:00.000-06:00

Ok, this is a problem. I seriously cannot stop knitting wine cork people:

With the deadline for my upcoming pattern book looming and some other things in the works, I don't have lots of time for mindless knitting. But when I do, I don't know why, all I want to do is turn wine corks into people. And now I am getting super crazy and making my cork people with mustaches! Seriously, this is turning into a sickness.

My combined couple days of cork knitting had turned into this:

And there are more wine corks around here. And I think people are going to start bringing me their wine corks. Someone help me.

Btw, the pattern is Korknisse. I modified it a little adding a little i-cord to the top of the hat.

Cookie Copycat

2011-12-03T10:29:00.001-06:00

So, I was reading Debbi's blog the other day and she posted about these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I printed the recipe and then for days I could not get the idea of making these cookies out of my head. Fortunately, today we have family birthdays to celebrate and and a gingerbread house making party to go to, so I had an excuse to bake some delicious treats.

Of course, we had to have a taste test. Let me tell you, these things are soooo good. And, only three ingredients. I think it is literally impossible to screw them up, they are that easy. That's my kind of baking.

You can get the recipe here.

So, yeah, there is no knitting in this post. But in the name of cookies I think it's ok. :)

Knit Simple: Leaf Hat & Mittens

2011-12-02T06:40:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, the new Knit Simple Winter 2011 arrived in the mail.

Knit Simple Winter 2011. Photo by Paul Amato.

And look what's inside:

Knit Simple Winter 2011. Photo by Paul Amato.

It's my new pattern!! Leaf Hat & Mittens! I was so so excited when I flipped open the magazine to find my pattern taking up a full page:

This being my first pattern in a magazine, you can guess there was much jumping up and down and squeeing. I hope you all like knitting it as much as I liked designing it!

Here are some pattern details:

Pattern: #26 Leaf Hat & #27 Leaf Mittens (Rav link here & here)
Size: Adult

Yarns suggested: Yarnmarket Fabulous Felines

Yarn weight: Bulky / 12 ply (7 wpi)

Gauge: 14 stitches and 20 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch (using larger needles)

Needle sizes: US 9 - 5.5 mm & US 10½ - 6.5 mm

If you have a subscription to Knit Simple, you might already have the magazine. If not, it hits newsstands on December 6th. I hope you'll check it out!

Wednesday WiP: Wedding Socks

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

Today I thought I would show the progress of my "wedding socks." I started knitting them the day before my wedding and have been working on them on and off since then.

These socks make me happy for many reasons. Of course, number one being that every time I wear them I will be able to think of knitting them while everyone was getting ready the morning of our wedding. And knitting them on the plane ride to Cabo, and here and there while on our honeymoon.

These socks also made me happy because the yarn was gifted to me from Jenni, my knitting BFF. And she picked out just what I like Socks That Rock (in the FemmeBot colorway).

Finally, these socks made me happy because I have achieved happiness with this multi-colored yarn. No crazy pooling or flashing. I think I may have finally found my happy place with the mutli STR yarn. 60 sts. US Size 1.

Happy happy WIP. I can't wait to finish these babies!

Bridgewater Socks

2011-11-15T09:30:00.000-06:00

I have added a new sock pattern, Bridgewater, to Ravelry today!

These socks were designed for Socktober at Fuzzy Wuzzy in Arlington Heights. Now that Socktober is over, I am happy to have it available here on Ravelry!

It’s a cuff down with heel flap. It’s an easy lace pattern with only two rows of lace/repeat. The rest is just stockinette.

Also, it’s written for 3 sizes - 56sts, 64sts, & 72sts.

Now thru 11/25, you can get the pattern for $1.00 (making it only $4) when you use the coupon code “bridgewater” at checkout!

Hope you enjoy it!

Kollage KAL Cast On

2011-11-08T17:53:00.000-06:00

Friday was the start of the Accessories KAL, which features a few of my patterns, in the Kollage Yarns group on Ravelry.

I had some time this weekend to start on my project (due to flying to Chattanooga for wedding), and actually got quite a bit of knitting done:

It's my Bonnie Jean pattern knit out of Kollage Riveting Sport. It's the recycled blue jeans yarn and it soft and beautiful and yummy. I seriously can't put this thing down. At the rate I'm going, I think I will be done with this by next week!

Did you join the Kollage KAL? If so, what are you working on?

Happy knitting.

More Korknisse

2011-10-31T07:51:00.001-05:00

This weekend, I somehow got myself in the Christmas spirit. I know, I know. Today is Halloween, I shouldn't be thinking about putting up the tree and watching classic Christmas TV specials. But, I am.

To combat this, I decided to work on something I wanted to add to my Christmas decorations this year...some Korknisse.

I have been saving wine corks for forever. My plan is to make quite a collection of these, both for me and for some of my friends.

I modified the pattern slightly, adding a couple extra rounds of ribbing on the hat (I found the hat stays on the cork wayyy better with this mod). I also added a wee bit of i-cord to the top of the hat. Because I think it's cute.

I knit these five little guys in just a couple of hours. I think they may be the perfect project for this evening, while handing out Halloween candy. Such a simple pattern and can be easily set down and picked back up while the doorbell is ringing for hours on end!

Kollage KAL on Ravelry

2011-10-27T17:46:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to announce that Kollage Yarns will be hosting a KAL with my patterns in their Ravelry group in November and December!

Here is the info from the Rav group:

Choose any of the patterns above - Candlelight Shawl, Vokuhila Socks, Bonnie Jean, Winchester, River Run - and pair it with Creamy, Sock-a-licious, 1/2 N 1/2, or Luscious!

Cast on Nov 5 and keep posting your progress, questions, comments in this thread and you will be eligible for fabulous prizes along the way! knitlikecrazy will be checking in daily to cheer us on and give us advice!

Load your project on ravelry with pertinent pattern, yarn, needle info and tag project with kollageKAL

Finish your project by midnight EST December 31st, share your finished project with the group, and be eligibile for the grand prize!

I am thrilled that Kollage is featuring my patterns in their next KAL. If you haven't tried their yarns yet, you should. They are all really nice and softy and squishy. I wouldn't design with their yarns if I did not LOVE them. :)

Even though I can't win the prize from Kollage, I still have plans to knit along. I will be knitting the Bonnie Jean shawlette. If I manage to get that done, then I need a pair of the Winchester mitts for myself!

With the holidays coming and these projects being small, it's a great way to get some of that holiday knitting done with the chance of winning a prize at the end!

Join us, will you?

Hello, Mrs. Lucas

2011-10-24T07:45:00.000-05:00

Well, the blog has been quiet for a few weeks, but I swear I had a good reason....I was getting married!

On October 8th, I finally tied the knot with Alex. This blog has seen Alex go from friend/roommate to boyfriend to fiance to now my husband. So I have to share a few pics.

We were married at Cuneo Mansion & Gardens and the weather could not have been more perfect. It was 80 degrees! We were super lucky that we could have the outdoor wedding that we had planned!

After the ceremony we headed out to take pictures. These next photos are taken by our amazing photographer, Lindsay Johnson. Seriously, if you are in Indianapolis and need a photographer, call her. And, hey, she came to Chicagoland for our wedding, so really no matter where you live, you should hire her for something. She is sooo good.

And, of course, there had to be knitting pictures:

My friend, Jenni, who I frequently talk about on the blog was one of my bridesmaids. I can't wait to see more of the knitting pics with us knitting together!

So, that's the wedding. A few days later we jumped on an airplane an headed to Cabo San Lucas. There were a lot of frozen drinks involved in this honeymoon:

We had a great time in Cabo. We cannot wait to go back!

So, now it's back to reality. Well, not totally, as I still have another six days off of work to get the house in order (it's pretty much a disaster after the last few weeks) and to work on my book and some other designy things I have up my sleeve. What, you ask? :)

In January, I will be hosting another Mystery Shawl KAL.

Also in January, I will be releasing the first pattern in my e-book. The e-book will be one pattern every other month with a couple of bonus patterns thrown in there. I am working on the cover art for the e-book this week, so once I have that done, I will reveal the title and patterns and stuff. I feel confident that this will be something my readers will enjoy!

Finally, I have decided to change my last name on all knitting related things. I always planned to change my last name, I just wasn't sure about what I wanted to do in the knitting world. So, you can find my designs on Ravelry by searching for Jen Lucas (if you type in Jen Hansen, I will still come up).

So that's what's been going on in my life for the last month or so. How about you? What have you been up to?

Lookout! It's a Yarn Bomb!

2011-09-09T07:53:00.001-05:00

We were driving through Alex's parents subdivision recently and came along this gem:

A crocheted yarn bomb! It's been there for a few weeks now, and hope it stays forever. I think the subdivision looks much better with this yarnie addition!

A Big Announcement

2011-09-02T06:35:00.000-05:00

I have some very big news to share. . . .

I am now under contract with Martingale and Company for a knitting pattern book!

Someone please pinch me, I cannot believe it! When I submitted my proposal back in March I didn't really think it would happen. I honestly thought, oh, this is never going to happen. At least I'll have a few patterns ready to go in my Ravelry shop when I get rejected.

I am delighted, my dear fiance, Alex is delighted (and willing to accept that the first three months of marriage I will be ignoring him and working on my book) and I hope all of my dear blog readers are delighted!

Hooray!

Chicago Yarn Crawl

2011-08-26T09:23:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I went yarn crawling with Erica from Kollage Yarns. With the Chicago Yarn Crawl going on, we wanted to check out some shops we hadn't been to before.

First we went to Mia Bella in Highland Park. It is the cutest shop. We think it looks Martha Stewart-ish in the best way possible. It was so bright and clean and cheery. I think I could definitely spend hours in there knitting.

While there, Erica took a picture of me with the Kollage ad in Vogue, featuring the Vokuhila Socks I designed (free pattern from Vogue website, get it here).

After that, we headed to Three Bags Full in Northbrook. Another very cute shop. The place is huge. I loved their wall of sock yarn! Finally we headed to Arlington Heights were we met Jenni and Jenny (yes, Erica was hanging out with two Jennys and a Jen!) and had a nice dinner with beer, fried mashed potato balls and talk of knitting. A fin Tuesday afternoon/evening if you ask me.

Timberland Shawl

2011-08-24T07:14:00.001-05:00

When Chris at Fuzzy Wuzzy Yarns asked me to design a shawl for her with some Schaeffer Anne, I couldn't refuse. The yarn was screaming for something pretty. And so the Timberland Shawl was born:

The shawl takes just one skein of the Schaeffer Anne. You could probably do it with a larger skein of sock yarn too.

I think it's the perfect shawl to have for the fall. It's nice and cozy with the garter stitch, but has that pretty little leaf pattern running through it. I am so excited how this one came out.

Currently, this pattern is exclusive at Fuzzy Wuzzy Yarns as part of a kit. If you want one, you can call the store at 847.253.9276 and Chris can hook you up. The pattern will be available to everyone in February of next year.

So that's what I have been knitting lately. How about you? What have you been working on?

Happy knitting!

Sock Summit - Day Four & Round Up

2011-08-22T06:59:00.001-05:00

Ok, I am FINALLY posting about the last day of Sock Summit. Sorry for the delay.

Sunday morning, I took a class on designing with Japanese stitch dictionaries. I really enjoyed the class and had a great time knitting a little swatch using techniques found in the Japanese stitch dictionaries. I even learned to make a crocheted bobble. While I don't really see myself using that in a design anytime soon, it was super cool.

After class was over, I met Jenni and we decided to walk over to Twisted. We knew it was kind of a hike, but it was nice and we hadn't been outside of the convention center area, so off we went. It really was a nice walk. We stopped for lunch and beers, and then went to Twisted.

This shop is seriously cute.

I especially enjoyed the vintage knitting pattern section. I spent some serious time flipping through all those booklets!

I left there with a skein of A Verb for Keeping Warm sock yarn and some roving.

Then we walked back to the hotel and chilled on the roof for awhile. I was especially exhausted after our weekend of knitting, so we headed back to the room and knit in our PJs. A wonderful finish to a wonderful weekend.

I am so glad that Jenni and I decided to make the trip to Portland for Sock Summit. And, of course, we have already made plans to return in 2013!

Travelling West Socks

2011-08-19T05:55:00.000-05:00

While at Sock Summit, I gave away some Knitting Like Crazy goodie bags. Inside were some stitch markers, some coupon codes, and the Travelling West sock pattern, my most recent sock creation.

Now Sock Summit is over, and I thought it was time to share the pattern with everyone else! I really hope you all enjoy it!

The pattern is written for a cuff down, 64 sts sock. It's an easy little lace pattern, and has both charts and written directions.

It's available on Ravelry for $5.00. You can see the pattern page here. Or, just click the buy now button below.

Hope you enjoy. Happy sock knitting!

Vokuhila Socks

2011-08-16T17:09:00.000-05:00

I seriously can't believe I haven't blogged since Sock Summit! Bad blogger. I still have a Sock Summit wrap up to do, but something very exciting happened that I have to share first.

So, sometime in late April/early May Erica at Kollage calls and says there is this opportunity to have a sock pattern on the Vogue Knitting website, but the deadline is literally crazy. I thought about it for a second and agreed to do it. I had about 4-5 days to think up a pattern, write it, get it tech edited, knit the socks and convince someone to test knit the socks on the same 4 day deadline. I guess all the stars aligned or something, because I got it done. And, I can now reveal the Vokuhila socks:

They are a part of the Sock-Cess ad campaign in the brand new Vogue Knitting Fall 2011. Just one skein of Sock-a-licious and you are good to go.

The pattern is now available on the Vogue Knitting Website here. And, it's a free pattern, so really you have no reason to not download it. You know you want to make them!

Also, the Kollage Yarns group on Ravelry is hosting a Vokuhila Socks KAL starting on 8/22. So, if you are in the mood to knit some pretty socks, you can join us over there for some sock knitting fun. Details are in this thread on Ravelry.

And, finally, I have been getting A LOT of questions about the name of the socks. Here's the story:

Vokuhila is the German word for mullet. It’s the perfect name for these socks as they are all business down the back of the leg onto the heel flap, but it’s party time down the front of the sock.

Hope you enjoy the socks. Happy knitting!

Sock Summit: Day Three

2011-07-30T21:27:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Sock Summit! Day three of the convention proved to be another good one. The morning started up with a little Knitting Like Crazy meeetup:

It was so much to fun to meet people that I only previously knew online! At noon, I headed over to the Paradise Fibers booth to sign the Coffee Break Knits booklet with all the designers:

I can't believe my pattern was included in a booklet with all these amazing women. Irishgirlieknits, Thayer Preece, Sandi Rosner and Anne Hanson are all women I respect so much in this business, so it was awesome to meet them all and be included in a booklet with all of them. Hope I cross paths with these ladies again soon!

Finally, we went and watched the Sock Summit Flash Mob:

It was amazing. I nearly shed a tear at all those knitters dancing for the love of yarn!

Tonight, Jenni and I are just chilling out in the hotel room. We just ate a little Burgerville (Walla Walla Onion Rings....Yum!) and are now just watching a little tv and knitting the night away. Perfect relaxing evening to another perfect day at Sock Summit

Happy sock knitting! :)

Sock Summit Video Update: Day Two

2011-07-30T00:47:00.000-05:00

I've been Skyping with Alex while at Sock Summit, and that gave me the idea that I should try to do a video for my blog update today. Hope you enjoy it!

Sock Summit: Day One

2011-07-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

I had the most wonderful day at Sock Summit today. I had a full six hour class with Cookie A. I learned so much about sock construction and also moving lace panels around socks in crazy ways as Cookie likes to do. It was amazing. I was also happy to see Denise (who was in the class with me) and that we were able to chat for a bit.

After the class was over and met up with Jenni and we headed to the marketplace. I bought kind of a lot of yarn (but more on that next week when I return home and can take good photos of it) and a couple other goodies, but the best part of the marketplace was seeing my pattern in the Kollage Yarns booklet "Coffee Break Knits." I was a little ridiculous when I saw it:

And then I had Jenni take a nice picture that didn't make me look crazy. :)

Hopefully lots of people will be stopping by on Saturday in the Paradise Fibers booth to get their booklet signed! :)

After that, we headed up to the ballroom for the Opening Night Reception. We met some very awesome knitters while in line waiting to get in:

The Viking Hat ladies are all in the same knitting group. There were several of them. I seriously love their hats and the little variations each one added to them!

So that's it. Jenni and I are pretty wiped out from our first day at Sock Summit. Tomorrow I have another full day of classes and of course the Sock Hop. Tomorrow is shaping up to be another good one!

Are you at Sock Summit? How was your day? What did you learn? And, if you weren't at Sock Summit, hope you had a wonderful knit-filled day!

Greetings from Portland!

2011-07-27T19:08:00.001-05:00

Greetings from Portland! I landed this afternoon and was greeted with some perfect weather. I love that I was on a little plane (I flew to Seattle from Chicago and then made the quick flight from Seattle to Portland) and exited right out into the lovely weather!

After a quick train ride, I checked into the hotel and then went immediately to the convention center to pick up my stuff. It's official. I have the badge. It's Sock Summit time baby!

Now I'm back at the hotel room, just chillin' out, and plotting my plan of attack when the marketplace opens to students tomorrow afternoon.

Other than that, I plan to go to bed early (maybe have a beer with some buddies first) and gear up for tomorrow. Maybe I will cram a little knitting in too. :)

What's in the bags you ask? Well, in the black bag is the Mystery Sock for the Mystery Sock KAL. Certainly, I can't show you that. It would ruin the fun! The kitty bag has some Sockalicious, so I can work on a pair of my new River Run mitts!

If you are in Portland, what are you up to tonight? Anything fun I should know about? If you are not in town for Sock Summit, is there anything you would like to here about this weekend? I can try to get the scoop for ya!

Happy sock knitting!

River Run Mitt & Cowl

2011-07-27T05:00:00.010-05:00

On Monday, I posted about being a part of a booklet signing for Kollage yarns at Sock Summit! Come see me in the Paradise Fibers booth on Saturday, 7/30 from 12-1:30pm (still pinching myself that I get to do this. Feeling so lucky and thankful!). I would love to meet some of my blog readers/Ravelry buddies!

My pattern in the booklet is River Run. It's the blue fingerless mitts you see in the bottom right corner of the booklet cover!

There is also a matching cowl to go along with it. And, the whole thing takes a skein of Sockalicious, so not only is it an easy project, but not too pricey!

Here are some of the pics from Kollage:

The patterns will be available on Patternfish on 8/1. So, if you won't be at Sock Summit this weekend, you can still get your hands on the pattern!

Well, I will be in Portland this afternoon and I can't wait for what is sure to be another amazing Sock Summit experience. I will be trying to post to the blog each night if I have time! And, if that's not enough Sock Summit talk for you, then you should follow me on Twitter. :)

Remember, not only will I be in the Paradise Fibers booth on Saturday, but I will also be having the Knitting Like Crazy meetup outside the ballroom Saturday morning at 8:30am. Details in this blog post.

Save travels to everyone and I hope to see some of you this weekend! Happy sock knitting everyone! :)

Yarn for Mystery Sock KAL

2011-07-26T08:23:00.000-05:00

What yarn does everyone plan to use for the upcoming Mystery Sock KAL?

I loved the Sanguine Gryphon Bugga that I used for the Mystery Shawl KAL in May that I have decided to use my precious skein of Skinny Bugga for the Mystery Socks.

The colorway is Polyphemus Moth. It looks brown but as I have been working on the pattern, I realize there is almost a little bit of this murky green in there. It is gorgeous!

As I am prepping to leave for Sock Summit tomorrow, I have been making detailed lists of the booths I want to shop in at the marketplace. I have a feeling I am going to be doing some serious damage in the Sanguine Gryphon booth. I am officially addicted to this yarn.

Sock Summit: Booklet Signing at Paradise Fibers Booth

2011-07-25T08:28:00.004-05:00

This morning I have some very, very exciting news to share...

I will be doing a booklet signing while at Sock Summit this week! I will be joining Anne Hanson, Sandi Rosner, Carrie Sullivan (aka irishgirlieknits), and Thayer Preece in the Paradise Fibers Booth on 7/30 from 12-1:30pm to sign the booklet.

I can't believe my patterns get to share pages with these amazing designers. I am so excited to meet them all, and I am already trying to mentally prepare myself not to be all groupy/stalkerish/creepy when I meet them!

If you are at Sock Summit this weekend, please stop on by and say hello! Paradise Fibers will be located in Booths 623, 625, 627, 722, 724, 726.

Again, we will be there from 12-1:30pm on 7/30. Can't wait to see everyone. Happy knitting!

August KAL - Mystery Socks

2011-07-21T08:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I promised you Mystery Socks, and Mystery Socks you shall get!

Each Friday in August, I will be releasing a piece of the pattern.

Clues will be released as follows:

8/5, 8/12, 8/19, 8/26

Everyone will have until Friday, 9/2 to post a pic of their sock. I will be creating a thread in the Ravelry group especially for that.

Only one sock needs to be complete to be entered into a drawing for valuable prizes (prizes are TBD, but will be about the same as the Mystery Shawl KAL!)

What do you need for this KAL?

US Size 1 needles (whatever you prefer for sock knitting)
1 skein of fingering weight yarn
Stitch Markers
Tapestry Needle

What can you expect from the pattern?

Pattern will be cuff down. That’s what I like to knit and those are the patterns I like to write. :)

Pattern will have charts and written directions. I will be writing out the charts, so if you are scared of charts, you can still sign up!

Want to sign up? Just reply to this thread on Ravelry. The Mystery Shawl in May was a whole lot of fun, and I think the same will be true for the mystery socks!

Happy Knitting and I look forward to knitting socks with everyone. :)

Knitting Like Crazy Meetup

2011-07-20T08:11:00.004-05:00

With Sock Summit quickly approaching, I thought it was time to reveal the details of the Knitting Like Crazy meetup!

My meetup will be taking place on Saturday, 7/30 at 8:30am. We will be meeting in the lobby area outside the Oregon Ballroom!

It's a little early, but I wanted to make sure that people could stop by before classes and shopping if they want.

And, why should you come? How about a little goodie bag incentive, hmm??? :)

The first 25 people to show up wearing one of my patterns gets a goodie bag. This can be one of my free patterns (including the Mystery Medallion Shawl) or one of the patterns from my Ravelry shop, or one that you got through Kollage Yarns/Patternfish. If less than 25 people come wearing a Jen Hansen design, then the bags will go first come, first serve. I only have 25 bags, so if you really want one, I recommend arriving with your item on at 8:30! :)

So, what's in the bag? Well, that wouldn't make it any fun now would it? :) Let's just say there will be something EXCLUSIVE (through October) in there for those with a bag. And there might be coupon codes for really REALLY good things.

I look forward to meeting everyone! Happy sock knitting!

Sock Summit Sale!

2011-07-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

I don't know if any of you are going to Sock Summit next week. I am and, let me tell you, I am so very excited!

So excited, in fact, that I have decided to have a pattern sale!

All individual patterns in my Ravelry shop are 20% off when you use the coupon code "portland"

Coupon code is good now through 8/2, which is when I will be returning from Sock Summit.

If you are going to be at Sock Summit, check back here tomorrow, where I will post some details about the Knitting Like Crazy meetup I have planned.

Also this week I will be revealing a thing or two about the upcoming Mystery Sock KAL.

Lots of exciting things going on around here lately. How about you?

Happy knitting!

Giveaway Winner

2011-07-04T12:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone for the comments. They general concensus? We hate seaming!

So, the winner of the book as determined by the random number generator is....greyowl! Please check your Ravelry messages!

Thanks everyone for checking in with the blog and entering the giveaway. I have lots more to review in the next few weeks and have some more giveaways already planned. So, stay tuned. :)

Happy knitting!

Book Review & Giveaway: Seamless Knits

2011-06-29T09:24:00.008-05:00

Recently, I received a review copy of Seamless (or nearly seamless) Knits by Andra Knight Bowman.

I have to say, I love the idea of this book. I don't know about you, but I pretty much hate seaming anything. The book title says it all, the patterns require little to no seaming. That is a dream come true for me.

The book contains 19 patterns, and are separated by construction type: bottom up, top down, and side-to-side.

Most of the patterns are bottom up (there are 10 total in this section). There were lots of cute patterns in this section. The Deb Vest is a garter stitch vest that seems super easy. The Dixie Sweater has an awesome collar that I haven't really seen in a lot of sweater patterns, and the April Cardi is a simple loose cardigan that I could actually see myself knitting and wearing.

In the top down section there are four patterns. The one I liked was the Sandi sweater (seen in the cover photo above). I could totally see my knitting BFF, Jenni, whipping up that one up in a weekend.

Finally, in the "Somwhat Side-to-Side" section, there were five patterns. My favorite one there was the Patti cardigan. It's knit in different directions, and would be a good addition to any knitter's wardrobe.

So, if you hate to seam/finish and want to try some new sweater patterns, I think this would be a good book for you. The patterns are sized up to a 2XL, giving lots more people the chance to make and wear the sweaters!

Since I am not much of a sweater knitter, I will be giving away my review copy. Just leave a comment and you will be entered into a random drawing for the book! (please include your Ravelry name, or link to your blog so I know where to contact you should you win). I will be drawing the winner on Friday, 7/1! Good luck!

Note: I received this book as a review copy from Martingale & Company. For more information, please see my disclosure policy here.

Korknisse

2011-06-27T08:09:00.001-05:00

For some time, I have been saving my wine corks. I knew just what I would use them for someday.

Finally, that day arrived. There are only two so far, but they will be multiplying soon.

It's my new friends, Korknisse! This pattern is super quick (and free!). I knit these two guys in just under an hour.

For mine I used some leftover Cascade 220 Heathers and some US Size 3 dpns.

I think I am going to make a bunch more to decorate the house around the holidays. Probably make some as little gifts too. Guess I better get a-drinkin'. :)

Happy knitting!

Elation

2011-06-23T08:02:00.000-05:00

I introduce Elation:

It's an easy shawlette pattern. Just garter stitch and eyelets. No charts, no purling. Just easy, breezy knitting. Perhaps my favorite kind. :)

Elation is available as a Ravelry download for just $4.00. It takes a skein of just about any kind of sock yarn. Around 400 yards should do.

C'mon, you know you want it knit one.

Summer Sale

2011-06-16T07:35:00.000-05:00

With the completion of the Mystery Shawl KAL, I thought having a little summer shawl sale seemed just right. I love knitting shawls in the summer. They are quick knits, easy to take with you, and usually not too bulky!

Snuggery Shawl

Now through 6/19, you can get 20% on all my shawl patterns that are available in my Ravelry shop.

Phineas Shawl

Just use the coupon code "summershawl" and your discount will be applied at checkout!

What are you knitting this summer?

Book Review: Knit Noro

2011-06-15T07:09:00.001-05:00

Recently, a received a review copy of Knit Noro. This is one that I wanted to take a look at as soon as I heard about it. I love me some Noro, but basically use it to make Noro Striped Scarves. I love that pattern, but would love to do other things with the stripey goodness that is Noro yarn.

This book has a nice range of patterns. There are sweaters/vests, socks, gloves/mitts, hats, scarves and blankets. Basically, there is something for everyone in this book!

Like any knitting book, there are some things I would knit and some that I would be unlikely to make. But, I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of things in here that I would make. Even though I am not really a sweater knitter, I really like the Belted Cardigan Vest and I love love love the Fair Isle Cardigan. The Ridges Ripples Scarf and Leaf Lace Socks are two patterns that will definitely be going to the Ravelry queue.

Even if you are not a fan of Noro, I think you might like this book. There are lots of pretty patterns in here, and they would look good in just about any yarn.

Overall, I think this book is a good buy. There are 30 patterns in the book, and most of them are really really good. Especially if you like to knit sweaters and garments, then I think this is a most excellent book to add to your knitting library!

Knit Noro retails for $24.95. It's currently on Barnes & Noble website for about $16.

Note: I received this book as a review copy from SoHo Publishing. For more information, please see my disclosure policy here.

Jenni @ TNNA

2011-06-14T06:59:00.000-05:00

So, my knitting BFF, Jenni, had the pleasure of going to TNNA this year. I was insanely jealous of her trip to Ohio, but she promised me good pictures. She did not disappoint.

Here are some of her pictures from the Kollage Yarn booth.

That is one fine-looking booth. The two scarves you see there in green and khaki are my new Bonnie Jean scarf, which will be available in the near future! Here's some close ups:

And here is Jenni with the sample she knit for me:

Both scarves were knit out of Riveting. Seriously, people. That recycled jeans yarn is so awesome. I am not much of a sweater knitter, but I have a very strong urge to knit a whole sweater out of it. Love love love.

Jenni also snapped a picture of my Winchester Cowl:

The cowl has a matching pair of mitts, and both are knit out of Kollage 1/2 N 1/2.

It was so fun talking to Jenni Sunday night, hearing about all the fun she was having at TNNA. I can't wait to see her tonight and pet some of the amazing yarn she managed to get her hands on.

Happy knitting!

And the winners are. . . .

2011-06-10T22:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone so much for joining me in the Mystery Medallion Shawl KAL. It was a whole lot of fun and I really enjoyed chatting and seeing everyone's progress.

Some stats about the KAL:

230 signed up for the KAL
Currently there are 99 projects in Ravelry for the shawl
58 people completed it with pictures to show off

All those numbers totally shock me. I never thought I would get a response like that. It was so so very exciting!!

And, what's even more exciting is seeing who won some prizes (you can see pics of the prizes in this blog post)! Using a random number generator, here are the winners...

The winner of the ZigZag Stitches project bag is.....scarletpurls!

The winner of the KP Gloss yarn and a copy of my Snuggery Shawl pattern is....aslon!

And finally, the winner of the hand-dyed by me sock yarn is....drillis351!

Please check your Rav mailbox for a message!

Thanks again everyone. Stay tuned. Mystery Sock KAL is coming in August. New clue every Friday in August. More details coming in early July!

Feed Your Creativity!

2011-06-09T07:30:00.003-05:00

I am so very excited to share that I have two designs that will be available through Kollage Yarns Feed Your Creativity Program!

The first one is the Bonnie Jean Scarf knit out of Riveting (love that yarn, you should try it!). The second are the Winchester Mitts, knit out of 1/2 n 1/2.

When the patterns are available I will definitely let you know. I am so excited to be a part of the upcoming year's program with some awesome designers like Anne Hanson, Carrie Sullivan, and Sandi Rosner.

Working with Kollage over the last few months has been so awesome. I really hope that you enjoy my new patterns.

Come back tomorrow to find out who won prizes in Mystery Medallion KAL! (I will be posting around 9pm Central Time!)

New KAL Coming - Mystery Socks!

2011-06-08T07:07:00.001-05:00

After much pondering, I have decided that the Mystery KAL is just so much fun. The Mystery Shawl KAL has been so great to host, that I have decided to do it again...with socks!

Take a Hike Socks

Not much of a sock knitter? Well, maybe now is a good time to try! The pattern will be for a top down sock. The clues will come out in four installments. Clues will be released on the following dates:

Friday, 8/5
Friday, 8/12
Friday, 8/19
Friday, 8/26

One sock will need to be complete by Friday, 9/2 in order to be entered into a drawing for a prize or two.

Come Fly With Me Socks

I will be organizing sign ups at the beginning of July. Just thought I would share a little info to get everyone excited! More details coming soon!

Happy knitting!

It's an Addiction

2011-06-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

If you are a regular reader of this blog, it's no secret that I am obsessed with ZigZag Stitches. I think about 95% of the project bags I own are made my Catherine. And that's the way I like it. :)

I have been trying to stock up on an extra project bag or two as Sock Summit approaches. Why? Because if it's anything like last time, there will be a major startitis frenzy going on while in Portland. And you gotta keep all those projects organized!

Anyway, last week, I got this gem that I had ordered the week before (which is mega fast, because it came from Canada!):

I couldn't resist the fancy French ladies. Even the inside of the bag is pretty.

This is drawstring bag is bigger than the normal size ones you usually see. You could definitely fit a large shawl or sweater parts inside it. Or 2-3 sock projects. Just sayin'.

Mystery Shawl KAL - Prize Recap

2011-06-06T06:55:00.000-05:00

With the Mystery Shawl KAL ending on Friday (I will be drawing names at around 5pm Central), I thought it would be fun to look at the prizes one more time.

First up, there is the project bag from ZigZag Stitches:

Photo courtesy of ZigZag Stitches.

Then there are the two skeins of KP Gloss (and you will get a copy of my Snuggery Shawl pattern sent to you too!):

And then there is a skein of my hand dyed yarn:

Make sure you post a pic or link in the Ravelry group by Friday, 6/10 to be entered into the random drawing! Not on Ravelry, just leave me a comment with a link to the picture of your shawl and I will add you to the list!

Mystery Medallion Shawl

2011-06-02T07:53:00.000-05:00

I have had such a great time seeing everyone working on their shawls.

As for me, I can now share some pics of my finished shawl:

I am so pleased with how this shawl came out. I will definitely be wearing this one a lot!

I hope everyone else is pleased with their results. Hopefully, it will make you want to do more mystery KALs with me in the future. :)

Happy knitting!

A little outdoor spinning

2011-06-01T07:28:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was a little hot during the day, but in the evening, it cooled off and got super breezy. I couldn't resist pulling the spinning wheel out on the patio:

I haven't been in much of a spinning mood lately. But, last night, it seemed like the right thing to do. Hopefully, we will have some nice weather again today and I can do the same thing today when I get home from work.

What's that I'm spinning? It's a Sheep to Shoe Kit from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in the Lettuce Knit colorway. Alex was asking me last night what it was going to become. At first, I thought I would knit it into a shawl. There is something like 8.5 oz. of roving, and I thought I could get a huge shawl out of it. But then I started thinking of those sweaters I see on Ravelry with the handspun yarn used for the yoke of the sweater. So, I don't know. Hopefully, it will become something awesome. :)

Happy spinning (and knitting)!

Take a Hike Socks

2011-05-31T07:18:00.000-05:00

I have a new sock pattern now available on Ravelry. It's the Take a Hike Socks:

The sample (knit for me by the wonderful Manda) is out of a skein of Dream in Color Smooshy. There was tons of yarn left over. So, any skein of sock yarn should do you just fine.

I love the pattern on the top and how it stretches out to go down the leg and onto the foot of the sock!

So, thinking you saw this in another design recently? Well, you'd be right. It's the same stitch pattern from my Take a Hike Cowl!

The Take a Hike socks are available on Ravelry for download. Cost is $5.00. You can see the pattern page here, of you can click the "Buy Now" button below.

Hope you enjoy the new pattern. Happy knitting! :)

Mystery Medallion Shawl KAL - CLUE FOUR

2011-05-28T13:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it's time for the last Mystery Medallion Shawl Clue.

Download Clue Four Now

Some people on Ravery were asking how to make this last clue bigger. The answer? Just repeat Rows 1-4 again until you are happy with the shawl size. For every 4 row repeat, you will do the four stitch repeat one extra time.

Thanks so much for knitting along. If you are on Ravelry, post a pic in the completed shawl thread to be entered in to win prizes. Not on Ravelry? Leave a comment on the blog with a link to your picture. Or you can email me a picture at jen AT knittinglikecrazy DOT com.

I will be posting my finished pics next week! Happy knitting!

Mystery Shawl KAL - Week 3 Progress

2011-05-26T06:41:00.000-05:00

Well, the Mystery Shawl Clues are winding down. How's everyone doing with their progress? Here are a couple shots of mine after completing clue three:

This has been my favorite clue so far. I love that this lace compliments the center panel so well.

I can't wait to see everyone's finished shawls over the next couple of weeks! And, here's a hint about the final clue coming out tomorrow:

If you are scared about running out of yarn, it's a pretty short clue. It's only a few rows (less than 10).

Can't wait for Friday! Happy KAL knitting. :)

They need to know the truth. . . .

2011-05-25T07:12:00.001-05:00

So, when I ordered my new chart keeper from Slipped Stitch Studios, I also ordered a little something for my cubicle at work:

Because, honestly, the people around the lab need to know the truth about me. :)

My New Chart Keeper

2011-05-24T08:04:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, when we were dying yarn at my house, Beth pulled out this awesome chart keeper she had purchased on Etsy.

Filled with chart keeper envy, I asked her where she got it. Slipped Stitch Studios, she replied. Cut to me ordering my own the very next day!

I could not resist the deer themed chart keeper. Looks like my back yard (with a lot less weeds!). What I like about this chart keeper is the zipper pocket. I also like that your whole pattern can slide right in the plastic cover.

You can order the magnet ribbon thingies from the Slipped Stitch Etsy shop, but I already had a few.

The one in the middle I got from my friend, Cathy, the two outside ones I got in a swap package last year.

I am very excited about my latest Etsy purchase. I know I will be putting it to good use.

Get anything good on Etsy lately?

Happy knitting. :)

Phineas Shawl

2011-05-23T12:44:00.000-05:00

I am happy to introduce my newest pattern - The Phineas Shawl!

It's knit out of 2 balls of Knit Picks Chroma Fingering. It's a pretty large shawl, with three lace sections instead of the traditional two.

I love the pattern with the stripes of the yarn. It's the perfect combo!

Many thanks to my wonderful test/sample knitter, Mimi. Excellent work and I look forward to working with you more!

The pattern is just $2.99. It's a chart based pattern, but don't let that scare you. The charts really are not too bad. Why not learn them now and knit yourself a Phineas Shawl?

Happy knitting!

Mystery Medallion Shawl - Clue Three

2011-05-20T05:08:00.000-05:00

It's Clue Day!

You can get Clue #3 by clicking the link below:

Download Clue Number Three

Also, as I posted last night, I am having a pattern sale this weekend:

Now thru Sunday, 5/22. 20% off all patterns in my Ravelry shop. Use coupon code “bday” to have discount applied at checkout

Hope you enjoy the next clue! It's my favorite of them all!

Bday Special!

2011-05-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

Well, tomorrow is my birthday. Nothing too exciting will be happening. Just a little dinner with Alex and a Mystery Shawl Clue. Actually, seems like a fine way to spend a birthday!

To celebrate hitting the big 3-1, I am having a sale in my Ravelry shop. 20% off all my patterns available in the Ravelry shop! Just use the coupon code "bday" to have the discount applied at checkout!

Sale ends on May 22! Enjoy! :)

Mystery Medallion KAL - My progress

2011-05-18T08:34:00.000-05:00

How's everyone's progress coming along with the Mystery Medallion Shawl? Hope everyone is doing well.

This week was a pretty short clue with only 14 rows to do. I thought it would be a good chance for people to get caught up!

This week, we added the secret heart chart. If you look closely, I think the garter stitch band looks like there might be some lace hearts hidden in there.

What's up for the clue coming out on Friday? It will be a little bit longer and a little bit lacier. I think everyone will like it. The next clue is my favorite.

Check back Friday for Clue #3! Happy KAL knitting!

One year ago. . . .

2011-05-17T08:00:00.006-05:00

One year ago today, Alex made me a scrapbook page and then asked me to marry him.

How could I say no to a man who decided to use arts & crafts to propose? Seriously, people.

Mystery Medallion Shawl KAL - Clue 2

2011-05-13T13:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! Clue Number 2 of my Mystery Medallion Shawl is now available!

Click the link below to go straight to the PDF download.

download now

The clue contains both Clue 1 & 2 with Clue 2 being on page three.

Happy knitting. And, if you like, join us on Ravelry for help and chatter about the shawl. Hope everyone is enjoying it so far!

Yarn Dyeing Day

2011-05-11T07:50:00.002-05:00

The other weekend, some of my favorite knitting buddies came over for a little yarn dyeing fun.

When I was dyeing yarn and selling it on Etsy, I would do it in my basement. But, this particular Sunday it was so beautiful that we took the yarn dyeing out to our back yard.

Here is a nice in progress shot:

Everyone dyed lots of beautiful colors. I encouraged them all to open Etsy shops. :) Here are the many skeins drying:

Yum. Yum and Yum. Everyone took their skeins home and I can't wait to see how they knit up. Lots of semi-solids in there for shawls and Cookie A socks! Beth dyed some roving too (which is on the bottom left of the pic above). I think it's going to spin up awesome!

I hope to have another yarn dyeing day with my friends soon. We always have such a fantastic time!

Happy knitting (and yarn dyeing)!

Mystery Shawl - Clue 1 Progress

2011-05-10T06:52:00.000-05:00

I have been loving seeing pics of everyone's shawls in progress over on Ravelry. Everyone is doing really well! I was a little worried that clue number one was going to be a little too much knitting for one week, but it seems to be doable for most people, which is great!

I thought I would share my shawl after Clue #1:

So far so good. I am totally in love with the panel down the center. My math nerd/geometry loving mind just loves it!

How's your shawl progress coming?

Happy knitting! Come back Friday for Clue #2!

Mystery Shawl KAL - CLUE ONE

2011-05-06T06:30:00.001-05:00

Hooray! The Mystery Shawl KAL is officially on!!! Are you ready?

In order to make it easy for everyone (you and me both), the clue is available as a PDF download. Each week I will update the pattern with a new clue. The new clue will start on a new page of the pattern, so you can just print the pages you need each week!

You can get Clue #1 for the Mystery Medallion Shawl by clicking here.

If you have any questions or need help, just email me (jen AT knittinglikecrazy DOT com) or send me a Rav message (knitlikecrazy). You can also join the Ravelry group, we will be chatting lots about the shawl over the next few weeks over there.

Have fun, thanks for knitting along, and happy knitting!

On your marks, get set . . . .

2011-05-05T08:02:00.000-05:00

Well, the Mystery Shawl KAL starts tomorrow! I can't wait to get going and to see how everyone likes the shawl. I really hope you won't be disappointed!

I thought I would review everything before we start, just so we are all ready to go. Here is the information about the clues coming out:

Here is how it is going to work:
Each Friday in May I will be posting a clue for the next set of directions for the shawl. There will be 4 clues total. I will post the clues both on my blog and on Ravelry.

May 6
May 13
May 20
May 27

KAL ENDS JUNE 10TH!

Here is information on how to win prizes:

After the last clue comes out, everyone will have two weeks to get caught up/finish their shawl. The KAL will end on Friday 6/10. Post a picture in the Ravelry group in this thread, or post a link to your picture and you will be entered in to win some prizes. Want to see the prizes? See this blog post.

Here is the information on what you will need to knit the shawl:

Materials:
One skein of sock weight yarn (400yards)
US Size 4 needles
Stitch markers (2)
Tapestry Needle

Here is the gauge information:

6sts/inch in stockinette stitch

When the KAL is over, I will put the clues all into one pretty little pattern and it will be available on Ravelry for free.

Can't wait to start tomorrow! Have fun everyone! :)

And the winner is. . . .

2011-05-04T17:20:00.019-05:00

Thanks everyone for all the wonderful comments on the scarf! I really appreciate everyone's continued support and I enjoyed reading every single comment.

And now onto what you all have been waiting for. The winner (as determined by the random number generator) is . . .Knittingdancer!! Please check your Rav messages, knittingdancer, I sent you a message.

Hope you enjoy your three balls of Firefly to knit your own Firefly Foxmoor Scarf.

Thanks everyone, and I hope you all enjoy knitting the pattern!

Sad that you didn't win? Well, there's still time to sign up for my Mystery Shawl KAL which starts on Friday! Sign up in this Ravelry thread. There are prizes to be won! Tempt, tempt.

Happy knitting! :)

April Cookie A Sock Club

2011-05-03T08:10:00.001-05:00

So, I am a little behind on my blogging of the Cookie A. sock club. And, I have to admit, I have not yet knit my February socks. I think there will be lots of Cookie A. sock club knitting happening for me while at Sock Summit though. I have been working a lot on new designs (and the Mystery Shawl KAL!) so there hasn't been a lot of time for random sock knitting.

At Sock Summit, oh at Sock Summit, I will knit whatever socks make me happy, which I think will be all my Cookie A. sock club socks. :)

Anyway, in April, I received the next installment of yarn:

It's a new yarn from Lorna's Laces, and OMG is it beautiful!

The yarn is 55% SW Merino, 15% Nylon, and 30% Outlast (which is some sort of mystery awesome fiber that is supposed to keep your feet nice and temperature controlled!)

Totally in love with this yarn! Can't wait to knit it up!

Happy knitting. :)

Meet Chubby Chirp, The Second

2011-05-02T08:09:00.019-05:00

As you followers of my blog know, when I get addicted to a pattern, I get addicted to a pattern. Something takes over me and I can knit the same thing over and over again (I've knit three Ishbels, five of my own Carefree shawl, and three Baby Surprise Jackets). Um, I think it may be starting with the Chubby Chirps.

This time, I knit the little guy out of some Berrocco Weekend that I had leftover from another project. I used the safety eyes this time, and I think he came out even better than my first Chubby Chirp!

Will I knit more of these? Yes, I think I will. They take just an hour or two to knit and I think they are about the cutest thing ever. I am not a toy knitter, but these guys have me hooked!

What are your favorite toys to knit? I think I may be ready to expand my toy knitting horizons soon!

Happy knitting. :)

Mystery KAL - The Prizes

2011-04-28T08:11:00.004-05:00

Have you signed up for my Mystery Shawl KAL yet? The first clue comes out next Friday (May 6th)!

There is still time to sign up. You can check out details in this blog post or over in Ravelry in this thread.

How do you win a prize? Just post a picture of your completed shawl in the Ravelry group, or you can leave me a link to your picture in the comments on my blog (if you are not on Ravelry). All knitters who complete their shawl and have their pic posted by the deadline (June 10) will be entered into a random drawing for prizes.

So, what are the prizes? I am still working on throwing one more into the mix, but here are the three so far.

First up, is a project bag by ZigZagStitches:

(picture by ZigZagStitches. used with permission)

Catherine makes my absolute favorite project bags. I have quite a growing collection from her etsy shop. So, I decided I need to get other people addicted to them, so I scored this lovely owl one for a prize in the KAL.

Next up, is some Knit Picks Gloss Fingering weight yarn (2 skeins):
The winner of this Knit Picks yarn will also get a copy of my Snuggery Shawl pattern (now available for download on Knit Picks!)

And, thirdly, a skein of Knitting Like Crazy Insanity Sock yarn in the Buttercup colorway:I closed up my etsy shop last month to focus on designing, but I still have a few gems around the house that I am hoarding for giveaways. This skein is one of my favorite I dyed. I think it would look lovely as a nice super lacey shawl. :)

Stay tuned early next week for a review of all that is going on with the KAL and for the first clue on Friday. I have so many people signed up for this KAL. I can't believe the response this time. Hope you all enjoy knitting along!

Happy knitting!

Firefly Foxmoor Scarf

2011-04-27T07:57:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Classic Elite Web-Letter 188 hit the Internet. Inside it was my newest pattern - the Firefly Foxmoor Scarf!
The scarf is knit out of 3 balls of Classic Elite Firefly. That yarn is awesome! You really should try it. When Classic Elite sent me yarn to swatch, I had a few choices, but I was immediately drawn to the Firefly. It's a really great spring yarn.
The pattern is a great one if you are new to lace. And, the pattern is both written and charted, so don't let the lace scare you!
The pattern is available for free on the Classic Elite website. You can download the pdf here.

I had been keeping this one secret for quite a while now, so I am glad I can finally spill it for everyone to enjoy!

And, to celebrate my pattern in the Web-Letter, I am giving away (yep, you guessed it) 3 balls of Classic Elite Firefly so you can knit your own Firefly Foxmoor Scarf.

Just leave a comment between now and Wednesday, May 4th. A random number generator will determine the winner. Please leave your Ravelry name or a link to your blog in your comment so I can track you down if you win!

Thanks for stopping by my blog. While your here, you might want to sign up for my Mystery Shawl KAL starting next Friday. Details here.

Happy knitting and good luck. :)

Note: Pattern pictures courtesy of Classic Elite Yarns.

Sock Summit - Oh, the Classes!

2011-04-26T10:28:00.006-05:00

So, last week, I'm at home minding my own business, screwing around on Twitter, and I see a tweet that the Sock Summit class schedule is up.

Cut to me running dramatically to the computer. :)

I went to the first Sock Summit and had a spectacular time (you can read all about it in this blog post). I took some good classes and knit so much during that weekend that I came home with three and a half pairs of new socks (seriously. knit. all. weekend).

Last time was heavy on the yarn purchases and I only took a couple classes. Seriously, here is the yarn haul from last time:

I'm almost embarrassed to post that. That is A LOT of yarn. I have knit more than half of that in the last year and a half, but there is still quite a bit of Sock Summit stash around here. This time, I am going to try to take some more classes. Of course, there will have to be yarn buying, but it is going to be scaled back this round (yeah, I say that now, right?). :)

There is no way that I can take all the classes I want to (there are so many good classes!), but here are the ones at the top of my list:

Advanced Top Down Sock Design
Writing Up an Awesome Sock Pattern
Making the Next Monkey
Designing with Japanese Stitch Dictionaries

(um, see a theme there?) :)

I also am interested in these classes:

Knitting Knee Highs
Oddball Stitches
Story Socks
Designing Socks with Handpainted yarn

So, we'll see. Hopefully I can get into some of my top picks!

Are you going to Sock Summit? What do you want to take?

Come Fly With Me Socks - The Redo

2011-04-19T08:24:00.004-05:00

So, part of trying to get better with designing is redoing the layouts of my older patterns.

The Come Fly With Me Socks have been available for some time, but I didn't really have good pictures of them. I decided if I was going to update the pattern, then I needed to update the pics too. Enter my wonderful sample knitter, GMarie. I sent her some yarn (Dream in Color Smooshy) and in return she knit me some socks. She knit them so quickly and beautifully. Thanks so much, Gaylen!

I love my new pics for my pattern. And, I think I like the pattern even more with this yarn. I will need to knit myself a pair soon, I think.

In celebration of the "re-release" of my Come Fly With Me Socks pattern, all my sock patterns in my Ravelry shop will be 20% off now through 4/30. That means each pattern is only $4!!!

No coupon code necessary. Discount will be applied at checkout!

Thanks again everyone for the support! Happy sock knitting!

Mystery Shawl KAL - Blog Buttons

2011-04-18T08:08:00.001-05:00

Did everyone check out the post with the shawl gauge?

I thought it would be fun to have a few blog buttons/pics for Ravelry if you so choose. Not required, and you can post whatever you want (in progress pics, for example), but I just thought it would be cool to have a little blog button to go along with the KAL.

Now, I am totally terrible at Photoshop, but I made some buttons and I think they look ok. I am not going into graphic design any time soon, but they get the job done. :)

Feel free to use them:I find that the first one fits really well for a project pic on Ravelry.

Enjoy and hope everyone is excited to get started!

Haven't signed up yet? No problem, check out all the details in this Ravelry thread!

Mystery Shawl KAL - Gauge

2011-04-14T08:23:00.001-05:00

So, we have been talking about a Knitting Like Crazy Mystery Shawl KAL for May in the Ravelry group, and I realized I never posted anything on the blog - oops. :)

Here are the details:

Each Friday in May I will be posting a clue for the next set of directions for the shawl. There will be 4 clues total. I will post the clues both on my blog and on the Mystery Shawl KAL thread in the Ravelry Group.

So, clues will come out:

May 6
May 13
May 20
May 27

After the last clue comes out, everyone will have two weeks to get caught up/finish their shawl. The KAL will end on Friday 6/10. Post a picture to the thread or give me a link to it on your blog and you will be entered to win valuable prizes!

Materials:

One skein of sock weight yarn (400yards)
US Size 4 needles

I will be using my precious skein of The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga in the Leaf Insect colorway!

When the KAL is over, I will put the clues all into one pretty little pattern and it will be available on Ravelry for free.

Once you post a pic of your finished shawl, or let me know that you posted it to your blog, you will be entered into a drawing for prizes? What? I'm not sure yet, but I think the people who won the last KAL will tell you they were not disappointed. :)

So, if you are playing along, you may or may not want to know the gauge for this shawl.

Gauge: 6sts/inch in stockinette

Hope everyone has fun playing along. I think it will be a good time. Happy knitting!

Sock Class - Week 1

2011-04-13T08:38:00.001-05:00

I know that most people who read my blog know how to knit socks. But, I thought that for those that don't, I would post a thing or two about sock knitting over the next three Wednesdays.

This month, I am teaching "Sox in the City" at Fuzzy Wuzzy in Arlington Heights. It's normally my friend Jenni's class, but I picked it up for her this month, while her son was in town. The class goes over how to knit a basic cuff down sock.

The details of my basic worsted weight sock:

Yarn: Cascade 220, 2 skeins
Needles: US Size 6 dpns (that's double pointed needles)
Cast On: 48 sts

So, it obviously starts out with the cast on.

I am of the opinion that your cast on better be pretty loose. Maybe I just have a freakishly large heel or something, but I have knit a sock or two that were unwearable due to not being able to get it on my foot!

I find that long tail cast on (for me, anyway) is a little snug. So, when knitting a sock, I always go with the knitted cast on (video link).

Alright, so after casting on, comes the "joining round, being careful not to twist." Oh, how everyone who has knit anything in the round has twisted and knit themselves a nice mobius. I do it at least once a year. :)

I always make sure that the cast on edge is facing inwards on all three double pointed needles. Then I pick it up, join it, and start the ribbing.

I am sure to pull tight on the first two stitches of the round, so that it is joined nicely. You can also use the method of swapping the first stitch and last stitch in order to join the round tightly (here's a link that describes that).

Most socks start with ribbing. For a basic sock, like this one I am knitting for the class, I like to go with a 2x2 rib (that's knit two, purl two around).

You can knit the ribbing for as long as you like, but I went with 2" for this sock. Enough to hold the sock up.

After that, it's just knitting every round. When knitting in the round, you are always on the right side, so to get stockinette, you just have to knit each round. I think this is one of the reasons I love to knit socks. I am not a purl girl. :)
So, now I will just keep knitting every round until my sock is 6" from the cast on edge.

Next week, I will go over knitting heel flaps, turning the heel and the gusset.

Happy sock knitting! :)

Vine Flower Dress

2011-04-12T08:06:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I was at home, being bored while Alex was up in Fargo visiting my brother with my other brother & brother-in-law. Ah, boys weekend. Anyway, I was home and pretty bored and I got to thinking about how I had not knit my niece anything in awhile.

Enter the Vine Flower Dress.

I started searching on Ravelry for dress patterns. And, the second I saw this Anne Hanson gem, I knew it was the one. I bought it, shopped my stash and got started.

Caitlyn is a very tall baby, so I knew I probably would have to modify it a little bit. So, I ended up knitting the largest size for the skirt, decreasing extra to get down to the smallest size for the body and added 2 extra inches in the body to account for her height.

I was a little worried about making all these changes, but it was worth it. The dress turned out to be a great fit.

My sister said that she has already gotten so many compliments on it. Someone told her that I was very talented. Ok, yes, I am a good knitter, but this was all the pattern. This pattern is so unbelievably beautiful. And, it was so well written and the construction is easy, it really isn't me with the talent, it's Anne Hanson!

The yarn I used was Valley Yarns Superwash DK from Webs. I had bought it last year with plans to make Caitlyn a sweater with it, but I am so glad I didn't do it. The dress and the yarn together are a perfect combination!

I can't wait to find something else mega cute to knit my niece. Any ideas?

Snuggery Errata

2011-04-08T08:07:00.001-05:00

I have updated the Snuggery Shawl pattern for one minor error.

In the set-up rows section, the pattern says Repeat rows 3 & 4 eight more times (45 sts total). That should read:

Repeat rows 3 & 4 eight more times (49 sts total).

If you bought the pattern through Ravelry, you should have received a message saying that you can download the new version of the pattern (Version 1.1). If you purchased the pattern through KnitPicks, then you should be contacted by them about the change as well.

You can also find the errata on my new tab at the top of my website. This is something that I will be updating going forward if there are errors in my patterns. Hope everyone has a good weekend. Happy knitting!

How to Knit a Heart Back Home

2011-04-07T08:33:00.003-05:00

About a week ago, I finished reading How to Knit a Heart Back Home by Rachael Herron.

I read Rachael's first book, How to Knit a Love Song and just loved it. I was so excited to hear that her next book was coming out. Like, so excited I pre-ordered it!

This second book did not disappoint. I even enjoyed it more than the first (which surprised me, because I really really liked the first one)!

I loved that How to Knit a Heart Back Home had characters from the first novel in smaller roles. It felt like you were catching up with some old friends. This book, just like the first one, is perfect for the knitter wanting to read a good love story. The way the main characters find each other again and how their relationship blossoms left me up late reading into the night. It's definitely a page turner.

I think the love story in this book stands on it's own, but add knitting perfectly sprinkled throughout the book and you really have a winning combination. I have tried reading some other knitting-related fiction, and I usually have a hard time getting into it. It all seems a little cheesy. Not in these books. I think if you are knitter (or other fiber artist) you will really enjoy how the knitting is woven (pun intended) into this book. I thought the way the knitting was presented in the second of Herron's books was even better than in the first.

So, the weather is getting warmer, and you may be looking for that perfect beach/poolside read. I highly recommend How to Knit a Heart Back Home. I think you will really like it.

Note: I was not compensated for this review. I read the book, I liked it, so I am sharing my thoughts. For more information, please see my disclosure policy here.

The Great Zauberball Socks

2011-04-06T07:29:00.000-05:00

I finally finished a pair of socks this year! It's my plain Zauberball socks: I needed something to knit while working at the yarn shop. Something that was mostly mindless that could easily be knit while chatting. The plain stockinette socks are the perfect project for that sort of thing! I knit them using on Zauberball (I probably used about 3/4 of the ball). Just your average, everyday top-down stockinette sock pattern. I used US Size 1 needles and cast on 72 stitches. I think if I knit socks with this yarn again I would consider going down to a Size 0. The more I knit socks, the tighter I am wanting the fabric, and I think I would like these socks a little more if the fabric was just a wee bit tighter. I love my fraternal stockinette socks. Happy knitting!

Meet Chubby Chirp

2011-04-05T07:55:00.000-05:00

I am not one to knit toys. Well, there was the angry uterus, but other than that, I am not a toy knitter. When I saw Sarah's Chubby Chirps on Ravelry, I fell in love. And, as you know, I often blog about how jealousy drives me with lots of knitting related things. Stash enhancing, accessories, knitting bags. I covet lots of people's things. So, because I coveted Sarah's Chubby Chirp so much, I had to knit one for myself. This little guy took me just a couple hours to whip up. Not bad for the girl who does not like knitting toys because I think they are just too hard. The pattern is a Rebecca Danger pattern (I reviewed her book in this post). I think this Chubby Chirp pattern was so well written, now I want to try to knit a monster even more than I already did after reviewing the book! The bird pattern is free. You can get it as a Ravelry download here. Happy knitting!

Your knitting and crochet time.

2011-04-03T07:33:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the last day of the 2nd Annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week. I have had a great time writing up all these posts. And, it's been fun writing about some different things on the ol' blog. :)

This last post is all about time:

"Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys. What items do you like to surround yourself with whilst you twirl your hook like a majorette’s baton or work those needles like a skilled set of samurai swords. Do you always have snacks to hand, or are you a strictly ‘no crumbs near my yarn!’ kind of knitter."

Ah, my knitting time. How I love it so.

I am pretty lucky. I have kind of a lot of knitting time. I have an awesome work schedule (6am-2:30pm, I know many of you wince at the idea of starting work at 6am, but I love love love it!). I get home by 3:00 or so. Sometimes (especially in the winter) I take a little nap. Otherwise, I do a little housework, maybe throw in a load of laundry, and then park my ass on the couch. And, I knit.

Lately, I have been knitting while watching Ellen (she is my new after work or fav) or Oprah. I get caught up on Dancing with the Stars or Biggest Loser or (in the summer) So You Think You Can Dance.

Once Alex gets home from work, I will make dinner, and then after dinner we usually have shows we watch together (American Idol, The Office, Modern Family). Yep, I knit through all of that too.

So, you are thinking - holy sh*t, Jen, you sure do watch a lot of tv. My answer, why yes, yes I do. :)

Every night isn't like this though. I teach/work at a yarn shop, I go out and knit with my knitting buds, and I have taken a recent liking to Zumba, so I go to that 2-3/week.

I will pretty much knit in every spare moment I have. In the passenger seat of the car, while waiting at a doctor's office, my lunch break, anywhere. :)

How about you? How do you get your crafty time in?
Thanks again for following along in a week's worth of blogging. Hope you enjoyed it!

Happy knitting! :)

Something To Aspire To. . . .

2011-04-02T05:47:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 6 of the 2nd Annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week!

Today's Post: Something to aspire to "Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? Maybe the skill or pattern is one that you don’t even personally want to make but can stand back and admire those that do. Maybe it is something you think you will never be bothered to actually make bu can admire the result of those that have."
There are lots of things that I would like to knit but I don't think I am ready for - a highly cabled cardigan for example. Just thinking about the issue of gauge and getting a cardigan that fits in the end is enough to give me a headache. I don't think I will ever knit one (especially because I realize that I am NOT a sweater knitter).

I would really love to be a better crocheter. I think about taking a class in order to get better. I would also really love to learn to weave. I think both of these are things I will find time to do and get good at over the next few years.

What about you? Anything you would like to knit or a new craft you would like to try? Tomorrow's post is all about time, time, time. Stay tuned! :)

And now for something completely different. . . .

2011-04-01T08:31:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 5 of the 2nd Annual Knit & Crochet Blog Week! Today is something completely different. . . .

My Favorite Socks:

Where Are They Now?

2011-03-31T08:22:00.002-05:00

Welcome Back for Day 4 of the 2nd Annual Knit & Crochet Blog Week.

Today is all about where are your knits now?

Rather than telling you about who has my handknits and whatever happened to them, I thought it would be fun to look back on something that was long forgotten.

Remember this post about my Katherine Hepburn Cardigan?

Um, yeah. So 3 years ago I blog about how I really want this Katherine Hepburn Cardigan. I even showed off my progress (pictured above).

That's about as far as I ever got with the sweater. When we moved to our house in the summer of 2009, I moved it with me. Last summer though, I ripped it out, and sold the unused yarn. I was never going to finish that sweater, as much as I loved it and wanted it. I think in the last year I have come to realize that I am just not a sweater knitter.

Got any good frogging stories? Did your handknits end up anywhere cool?

Come back tomorrow for more. Tomorrow is a challenging one. :)

Tidy mind, Tidy Stitches

2011-03-30T08:16:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Day Three of the 2nd Annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week.

Today's post theme is Tidy Mind, Tidy Stitches. Today is all about talking about getting organized: "Blog about an aspect of that organization process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organized stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry."

I would say that I am pretty organized when it comes to my knitting. I am very good about keeping my Ravelry page updated. I really think that is because I had been blogging for awhile before Ravelry. I was used to photographing my projects. Now, my stash, that is something that has recently gotten quite unorganized. I seem to have yarn all over the house. I rarely photo it for Ravelry these days, which is something I plan on getting a handle on soon. Although, living in a house filled with yarn in random places really isn't a bad thing.

Finally, I thought I would show off how I keep all my WIPs organized: Each WIP gets its own project bag. Really, it's one of my favorite things about knitting! I love me some project bags. And ZigZag Stitches? Well, she is my fav fav fav. Why? Because you can get knitting witches: Or knitting cats:

Or even knitting chickens:

So, that's how I keep things organized. What about you? Stay tuned for tomorrow's post: Where are they now?

Skill + 1UP

2011-03-29T08:09:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Day 2 of the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week.

Today is all about skill. The website tells me to "look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year."

I can say that a year ago, I didn't think I would be in the place I am with designing. Last January I took a Design Your Own Shawl class online with Stefanie Japel, and that really got the ball rolling for me. It was in that class that I designed the Moor Shawl.

From that class I caught the designing bug, and managed to score myself some charting software. I figured out how to use it and started designing more. I was able to start working with yarn companies, including Kollage and had my Geneva Sock pattern published by them:

And most recently, I had my Snuggery Shawl published through the KnitPicks IDP, which I think is my favorite design to date (and only $2.99 - tempt, tempt):

I have learned so much over the last year about designing, the process, and how to get those patterns published. This is a skill that I look forward to developing more this year and can't wait to see where it takes me!

Stay tuned for tomorrow: Tidy Mind, Tidy Stitches.

Happy knitting!

A Tale of Two Yarns

2011-03-28T11:59:00.004-05:00

I this on a couple of blogs this morning, and I thought it would be fun to play along!

Each day this week I will posting about the topic listed for the day on the website. Today's post: A Tale of Two Yarns.

I have decided to talk about my favorite sock yarn, and one that I was not crazy about. First up, my favorite sock yarn:

Duh. It's Socks That Rock. I love all weights of this yarn. I love that it's tightly spun, and I love the colorways. The only drawback on this yarn for me is I wish the yardarge was a little more. I would knit a lot more shawls with it if it was!

Some other sock yarns I like: Kollage Sockalicious, Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, and Malabrigo. Yum. Malabrigo.

And, here is a sock yarn I am not so crazy about:

Collinette Jitterbug. I know lots of people like it and I really thought I would too. The colors are amazing and it is also tightly spun. When I first tried it I thought it would become a standby for me, a fav that I would often turn to. I don't know. I just didn't like it that much. Haven't bought some in years. Maybe I should give it another try!

What are your fav and not so fav sock yarns?

Happy knitting. Hope you enjoy all my blogging this week! :)

Cause Jenni She Knows Me. . . . .

2011-03-24T07:16:00.001-05:00

My knitting BFF, Jenni, was very lucky to go to Vogue Knitting Live in January. She was very nice and brought me home some of my fave yarn, Socks That Rock!

The colorway is Femmebot.

I am so in love with this color combo. It is going to make some awesome socks. I am thinking I may need another pair of Charade socks. This yarn just screams that pattern to me.

I have been very strong in the yarn buying department this year, so it was nice that Jenni is helping to enhance my stash while I am not. What a good egg!

Happy knitting!

It was the jealousy that made me do it. . . . .

2011-03-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was reading Carrie's blog as I like to do, and she posted her Stitches West Recap. In it, she showed off her Romi shawl pin.

I became jealous of her shawl pin. I just had to have one of my own! A few days later, this arrived:

I caved and ordered one. After scouring the pages of Romi's website looking for my favorite, I ended up buying the first one on the first page. It was my fave!

I look forward to wearing it with my shawls.

Happy knitting!

There's Still Time. . . .

2011-03-22T08:24:00.001-05:00

Just popping in to remind everyone that my buy one, get one pattern sale is still going on!

From now until 3/27, if you buy one pattern in my Ravelry shop, you get one pattern (of equal or lesser value) for free.

All you need to do is use the coupon code "freebie" during check out and the discount will be applied. It's good for any of my patterns in the Ravelry shop.

Thanks for everyone's support! I hope you are enjoying the patterns. There are more to come soon so stay tuned. :)

Note: Discount is applied for Ravelry shop purchases only. There is no coupon code available for the KP website. Just FYI. :)

Still Spinning

2011-03-21T07:55:00.001-05:00

Even though my spinning wheel mostly sits around and collects dust these days, every once and awhile I bust it out and give it a little love.

I finally finished spinning the Miss Babs roving I acquired at Stitches Midwest last year. It's 4oz of pure merino loveliness.

It's 2-ply and I ended up with about 325 yards in the end. Not bad for me! I usually end up with something in the 250 yard range, and I am always trying to spin thinner.

I think I may try to design something for it. Another handspun shawlette of some kind, I think.

I really how the colors came out in this yarn. I think at Stitches Midwest this year, I may need to acquire some more. :)

Happy knitting (and spinning)!