Little Lovey

There has been some discussion over on the Ravelry group about this fabulous pattern for the Zig and Zag Sock Yarn Pram Blanket by Debbie Orr and what my pal Blogless Carla has been doing.




It all started at knitting guild last month. May is our annual yarn garage sale, and I was thinking of getting rid of a big bag of Sophie's Toes scraps that was clogging up my closet.


I'm sure you have heard the joke of the quilter who dies and the family finds a box of scraps in the attic labeled: "Scraps Too Small to Save". Well, it was like that. I had an overflowing bag of yarn scraps--pieces too small to make booties, too small to put in Magic balls, too small to even make Barn Raising squares. But they were just so dang pretty. I really hated to throw them in the trash. I wondered if some clever individual could think of something.


But I hesitated, because I didn't want to bring a bunch of crap that nobody wanted to guild, and be embarrassed. But the were so dang pretty. So I organized them loosely by color, shoved them into ziplocs and weighed them so they were roughly 200 gms each, and brought them to guild. I had no idea of the price. (Or if anyone would want them.)




I sat down with a bunch of friends at guild, and started to unload them and ask my friends advice about the price, and people started grabbing them up right away! I had 7 of the 10 bags spoken for before I could even get them over to the sale table!

Discussion ensued: they were pretty! But what would you actually do with them?!


Right then, in a serendipitous moment, another friend happened to walk by and see Blogless Carla oohing over her scraps and said right away: you could make the Zig Zag Pram Blanket! So Carla looked it up on Ravelry that night, cast on with her ziploc of blues and greens with a little pink thrown in, and was hooked!





She finished it in less than a week. She used a separate ball (Sophie's Toes, color: Downtown) for the border, because she wanted the border to be all the same color, and she wasn't sure that she had a scrap ball big enough for the border. Apparently you weave the ends in as you go, so it isn't such a chore at the end. It weighs 150 gms total and measures 20" wide by 27" long. It is a little blankie-but just perfect for a little lovey.

I know it must be a fun knit, because she cast on another one right away!

The second blanket is made with a Sophie's Toes Magic Ball. (Color: Pastel Baby). She wanted to make a bigger one than the first, so she added 2 repeats to make it wider, and added more scraps to make it longer. FYI the Magic Ball will just make the smaller version (150 gms).

I believe that the original pattern has 9 repeats and the bigger blankie has 11. It measures 24" wide by 31" long.

Big thank you to Carla for letting me show off her beautiful creations! And for even more Zigzag blankie love, check out Paulacrowe's blankie on Ravelry!

Something Old, Something New

Hello! I still knit!

If you have kids you know that May is a really crazy month. All the end of school programs, art shows, preschool sing, Mother's Day tea, etc. Add in a birthday. Get outside and get that yard shaped up. Then, catch Tote Bag Fever and go a little crazy on that for awhile. My studio (my whole house) is just a crazy mess.

So, I've been trying to organize my knitting projects that have gotten scattered around the house. When I really want to buckle down and get some stuff finished, I do the "finish one old project before rewarding myself with a new project" game. I know you do that too.

So today I present you with two FOs, one started last October, one started last week.


First up, the Chic Basic Hoodie--Lace Version. I started this last October with some Cotton Ease in Violet. It clipped along for a few months, hit the wall in January, when I discovered for the 85th time, that a 4" rib just doesn't work for me. After a few months in time out, I ripped back and reknit 3" in stockinette and 1" rib.

Finished the sleeves in the car during spring break, and sewed the buttons on today!
I changed the hood to a big collar. I just picked up the same amount of stitches called for my size, fudged a bit to make sure I had a multiple of 4 (+2) and knit 8" of 2 x 2 rib. When picking up stitches for the collar, I made sure the pick up looked good on both sides, by just picking up the very edge loop (1/2 a stitch). More details on Ravelry.

And now, for something completely different.....

I love animal print. I especially love it on kids.

I've had this idea for awhile, to make a Magic Ball using Tiger yarn and some other bright colors. Last week I made a boy version, with Tiger, Candy Corn, Picnic Basket, and others, and a girl version, with Tiger, Cosette, Deep Rose, California Poppies, and more (pink, orange, yellow, and some neutrals).

Just as a mom "tests" the chocolate chip cookies when they come out of the oven to make sure they are good for everyone, I decided that I needed to test out one of these to see if it lived up to my vision.

I am really super happy with the result. I made this Baby Surprise Jacket from the boy version. I upsized it to a 3T to test out how large a sweater I could get from one Magic Ball. I can report that I used almost the whole ball for the 3T size--I had 2 color sections out of 15 left over--so it is could be possible to do a 4T and just make it shorter.

If you are needing to see the girl version, you can catch a sneak peek over at the Sophie's Toes Ravelry group forum, or see them in the shop tomorrow night.

Color Palette

I have often felt that semi-solids don't get enough credit in the hand-dyed sock world. I love dyeing the pretty variegated yarns, and I love looking at them in their beautiful skeins, but I really knit a lot more with the semi-solids. They can be so rich. They behave so well. But for some reason, probably because they are not as flashy as their variegated siblings, they don't sell as well. But they are really beautiful for lace knitting, and there seems to be a new abundance of fair isle patterns for which semi-solids are fabulous.



One evening last month, I was frantically packing for spring break. (I know you have been in this situation--you have a family of 5 to pack for, for 9 days. It's whatever-o-clock at night, and you are leaving at whatever-o-clock in the morning, and you still have a million things to do. And what are you worried about? That's right. Your knitting. Will you have all the right yarn/needles/patterns/tools that you need? Will you run out of anything? Is it all portable enough? Etc., etc., etc.)



Well I was in that situation and I did my usual. Ignored all the chores and went into a trance-like state where all I could think about was the perfect sock yarn colors for this beret. Just between us, I spent more time picking out yarn colors for the beret than I did packing for my 4 traveling companions.





I ended up with a dark green Layers of Color Collection double-dye from a year ago, and Favorite Jeans. (In other words, dark green and medium periwinkle blue.) Two color knitting is so addicting. I was contemplating a matching (or maybe NOT matching but somewhat co-ordinating) pair of fingerless mitts.

Then a friend asked about possible combinations for the Garden Gate socks.

I'm thinking about making those too, but I might convert them into arm warmers instead of socks.

And just to throw another pattern at ya, here's a mitten pattern that has been in my queue for awhile.

So I started thinking about fun color combinations and started matching up friends. I came up with a zillion combinations; here are just a few:

Midnight and Cinnamon Spice

Cranberry and Olive

I Heart Pumpkin and Winterberry

My Favorite Shirt and Iced Coffee

Green is the New Black and My Favorite Shirt

Windy City and Iced Coffee

These are just a handful of the combinations I photographed. I will post some others on the Ravelry group or you can see all of them on my Flickr page.

I'll be updating my etsy shop tomorrow -Tuesday- evening at 7pm Central, and I'm posting all of these (plus more) semi-solids, and some of their flashier varigated siblings.

Happy Knitting!

One More Bag, Before You All Go To Sleep On Me

A little patchwork action, a little knitting, and one more bag, before you all die of bag boredom.

I've had this tiny little photo of a patchwork bag on my bulletin board for a few years. I clipped it from a magazine and I wish I could give credit, but it's been so long, maybe even 10 years, and I have no idea where it came from.

I've wanted to copy it--not just the patchwork, but also the boxy shape, and the great size. I have a lot of handbags and totes, which are usually perfect, but my regular tote is sometimes a little too small to stuff a full-size sweater project into.

And I have a few huge bags, for daytrips or carrying your life with you to the pool.

I have recently noticed an absence of oversized-purse bags, for carrying a big sweater project plus the handbag essentials like wallet, phone, etc., and not looking like a dork, or like Santa with his pack.

Last year at the quilt show in Paducah, I bought some fat quarters from these folks. Mmmm, French fabrics, ooh la la. This spring I quilted them up in a random patchwork placement and made this bag.

I liked it and the size was great. 16" wide, 7" deep, 10" high, in case you are interested. It could be a tad higher, but I had to make the patchwork squares work out evenly. However, it wasn't as fabulous as I had hoped, so I went back to the original photo and realized that one thing I love about the magazine bag was the binding on the outside of the sides. I had never made a bag like that.

I wasn't 100% sure how to do that, so i just pinched the sides (wrong sides together) and sewed a 1/4" seam up the sides, then bound it like you would bind the edges of a quilt.

I was surprised what a difference it made, in giving the bag a really boxy shape. Making it stand up on its own.

It is a little detail, but it was the oomph that the bag was missing. Now I really love it.

Just the right size for a sweater project and some necessities.

And if you have an interest in the sweater, I have been working on this one off-and-on for a few months, but I am nearing the finish line! It's the Chicknits Basic Hoodie. I had a little speed bump when I had to rip off the bottom ribbing because it was-ahem-less then becoming on me.

I'm eliminating the hood and making a wide collar. Just a couple inches to go on the collar and the front bands.

Wishing all you mamas out there a very happy Mother's Day and a little knitting or sewing time to yourself! xo

For A Good Cause

Spring is in full swing and if you know anything about me at all, you know that I ususally catch the Tote Bag Fever right around now.

I picked out one of the world's prettiest fabrics for this one. It is for a good cause and it could be yours! A few months ago a knitting friend's husband died unexpectedly. She has four kids who will be entering college in the upcoming years, and our LYS is having an auction of cool stuff to benefit their college fund.

It is sturdy, fully quilted, lined and straps bound with contrasting fabric, and a little pocket inside for your phone or whatever. Watch the Wool and Company blog for details about the upcoming auction.

Speaking of tote bags, there are several more in the queue, so if you are afraid of catching the fever, you might want to avert your eyes for the next several days!

House of Totes

Have I told you lately that I love you?

Thank you SO MUCH for all the fantastic comments and suggestions that you left on the vending post. I intend to reply to you individually but I haven't had a chance yet this week. Thank you!!


My mom and sister arrived tonight (Allison from Los Angeles and Mom from Indiana) and we are hanging out/packing/watching American Idol tivo'd/they are shopping in my mini-yarn store that I have packed in rubbermaid totes in the corner/and we are all planning our knitting projects for the weekend. We are leaving early in the morning for the quilt show.

Everyone deserves a new tote bag for the quilt show, don't you think?

I got this bug fabric last year at Hancock's of Paducah. I have this thing where I have to at least attempt to use a fraction of the fabric I get before I go back the following year.

My sister has dubbed my home "House of Bags and Totes." I admit, when I am getting ready for a trip there might possibly be totes hanging from every doorknob in the house.

Speaking of bags, have you seen this fabric from Alexander Henry? It's called Sew Now, Sew Wow! If I can find it this weekend, I'm buying a truckload.

Perfect bags for the knitting projects that will be coming along with us tomorrow.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you next week!

Madison Knit-In

Hi Friends!

Here is my weekend round up of my trip to Madison a couple weeks ago, when I went to vend at the Madison Knitter's Guild Knit-In.

The best thing about the weekend was sharing it with Blogless Carla. She is the best yarn assistant in the world! She puts the booth together better than I do. (Waving to Carla!!!!!) Thank you!!

You might remember that I've only done this once before; last fall at Yarn Con in Chicago. So I learned a lot again at this show and kind of used the weekend to test whether I want to add vending to the etsy selling on a regular basis. It is a LOT of work.

My booth here was a lot bigger than the one at Yarn Con. The other major difference was the flavor of this show. There were a lot less indie vendors and more professional booths. I felt a bit self conscious with my plastic bins (see below), next to all the professional display racks.

I also learned that I need a big sign. I had smaller signs distributed along the tables, but nevertheless, one lady thought my booth was named "Gym Lights". (You'll have to embiggen the photo above to get that.)

The last thing I would say, is that many vendors had the ability to take credit cards, and I didn't. I did lose a few sales to that. Except for one at the end, when my friend Marilyn from Black Water Abbey (love her and her yarn!) heard what was happening and offered to run it for me. Thank you!

So. Sign, credit cards, more interesting/professional booth display. These are the things I would work on if I were to do it again. Please don't write and say I'm being hard on myself! I am just trying to be objective, and give myself constructive criticism and learn. Read on for the stuff in the "good" column:

Things I wouldn't change: the yarn, the customers, sharing a fun weekend with a great friend. I think I will try to do it again, maybe just 2 or 3 a year, especially shows close by.

Oh yeah, and I won't change the little candy display, (which was a huge hit at Yarn Con with the Candy Corn). This seasonal display was Easter M&Ms and Easter Basket yarn. Yum and Yum!

Here's one more thing I want to discuss. The use of samples. I have heard so many stories recently about samples being stolen from yarn stores and yarn show booths, so I've a little reluctant to display knitted samples. At Yarn Con, I took a few shawls, scarves, socks and fingerless gloves and kept them under the table and brought them out when people had questions.

However, I know from my own experience how well samples help sell yarn. I have been drawn in many a time to a beautiful shawl hanging in a booth. Before Madison, I knit another little baby sweater and a pair of booties to show how much you could get out of one skein. (Yarn color Pale Rose).

I also set out a few scarves and fingerless gloves. It is especially helpful for people who walk in the booth and love the yarn, but don't knit socks, and want some ideas for other things you can do with it.

I think that if, instead of using my own items that I have knit for myself/worn/loved/become attached to, that I knit a few items specifically as samples that I would feel better about using them.

What do you think about samples? What do you like to see? I would love to hear your opinions. Have a great weekend, everybody!

(Cute Baker's Rack above courtesy of my mom. Thanks Mom!)