Knit It Up

Drawing Winners!

2011-06-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sock Yarn Rainbow - Kathryn Poe
10 ounces of fiber - Kathy Foster
Custom Colorway in sock yarn or fiber - Tanie Schembri
$50 Gift Certificates - Lisa (rocket_kay) and Rachel Anderson
Skein of yarn or braid of fiber - teabird17, brunettemama, lindaran, littledit, and zoeyrat

Yay!

More chances to win goodies and discounts on the way when we unveil our new re-brand soon.

Anniversary Sale!

2011-04-25T04:06:00.000-07:00

Time for our Anniversary Sale again! Can you believe we've been going strong on Etsy for 4 years now?

Here's the skinny:

25% everything in the shop - just use the coupon code: 4YEARS

Prizes of course - for every item purchased you get your name in the drawing. We stocked the shop with lots of goodies so there are plenty of beautiful ways to get your name in the pot!

You also get one "freebie" entry by leaving a comment here with your etsy username (so I can contact you!)

1st Prize: A sock yarn rainbow - 8 full skeins of sock yarn

2nd Prize: A 10 ounce fiber sampler with three different bases and colorways

3rd Prize: A custom colorway in any of our available sock yarn bases or spinning fibers

4th and 5th Prize: two $30 gift certificates to the shop

6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th prizes: You choose - a single skein of yarn or braid of spinning fiber.

That's 10 chances to win!

Thanks for all of your support and friendship over the past four years. We've had so much fun and are looking forward to many more!

Baby Pool + The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

2010-09-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's getting close to baby time - my due date is October 7th - and I thought, why not a baby pool? Leave a comment with your best guess on the day the little guy will arrive and whoever's closest will win a skein of hand-dyed yarn! The window isn't too huge, so leave a date and an approximate time like AM or PM.

Here's a major hint:

I make giant babies so doc has promised to "help things along" if I haven't delivered by the 1st, so I'd probably guess closer to that date than the actual due date.

In Other News - here's my new most favorite recipe for fudgy, moist, delicious chocolate cake from King Arthur Flour. I always sub sour cream for the buttermilk/yogurt though. I apologize for the pic - it seems that after making cake my kitchen is a disaster area, but if I wait any longer to take the pic, the cake is half gone!

Hmmm... maybe the giant baby issue has something to do with my intense chocolate and sugar cravings that I get in the last month of pregnancy? This recipe sooooo hits the spot!

Giveaway Winner

2010-07-20T11:00:00.001-07:00

Congrats to teabird - you're our winner! I'll be contacting you via Ravelry to get your mailing addy and color preference.

If you didn't win, don't worry, you'll have another chance to win when we host a giveaway on The Fiber Cooperative blog. We'll be giving away another bump of this gorgeous stuff there next week!

Tour de Fleece Giveaway

2010-07-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Since the tour doesn't end till the 25th, that leaves us with a couple of weeks to diminish our stash like crazy and spin!

And if you're like me that means you've pre-enhanced your stash to prepare for the stash-busting you'll be doing (and now haven't even spun a thing so my stash is bigger than when I started) or you'll be re-stocking your stash afterwards.

So I thought, what better time to give away some gorgeous spinning fiber? Just leave a comment here, any old comment, and I'll enter you in the drawing - just be sure to leave your ravelry or etsy username or some other way to contact you in the actual comment (it makes my life easier when it's time to contact you and since I'm giving stuff away I can be demanding like that.) You can even get extra entries for sharing about the giveaway on twitter or facebook, just paste the URL of your share into the comments here so I'll be sure to see it.

Here's exactly what we'll be giving away:

A 4oz bump of solid Superwash Merino fiber from the shop. I have it in stock now in black, firebrick, leaf, yellow and celadon. Winner gets to pick from whatever's in stock when I choose a winner on Friday the 16th.

All Knit it Up Clubs are ON SALE!

2010-06-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed already, but thought I should just point it out - all Knit it Up clubs are on sale at the new shop.

As you may know, I'm expecting a baby this October, so we're closing the signups for all our clubs - Sock Yarn Cinema and Spinning the Seasons - on June 30th. That enables me to dye ahead and give myself permission to be very lazy for my last trimester and after the baby comes.

Yep I'm thinking ahead. Last time I was literally packing up orders when I went into labor, and putting off going to the hospital so I could swing by the Post Office on my way there.

Anyway - SYC is 25% off when you sign up for 6 months, 20% off when you sign up for 3, or 15% off when you purchase 1 month. Spinning the Seasons discounts are the same. The awesome part is the discount applies to everything in your cart, so you can stock up on other fibery goodness while you're there. (We're doing a shop update tonight or tomorrow - so there will be even more colorways, fibers, and cool new accessories to go around.) Even if you're set for clubs you can use the code KNIT to get 15% off everything else in the shop. Including our Alice in Wonderland Sock Yarn Collection. Let's just say I'm drooling over these colorways already!

Making Knitting Sassy

2010-06-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Saw these babies and just couldn't help but picture it... A little black dress, crazy variegated handknit socks and these amazing shoes from Betsy Johnson.

How do you keep your knitting fashion-forward? Or do you care? Most of my knitting is about comfort - cozy sweaters and scarves, socks that make your toes happy, things that I tend to wear too many times between washings and combined with sweat pants on wintery days. (Of course, I do work from home so many days I get by without seeing any actual adults other than the mailman.)

These shoes could be just the inspiration I need to kick it up a notch fashion wise. Plus they're on sale right now at ideeli for just $84.

Stringin' In the Rain

2010-05-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Drawing Winners

2010-05-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here are the winners and their prize choices! Congrats to them!
(Prized all shipped out Monday May 10th so you should see them soon!)

1. Jessie from PhatFiber - a year of knitting
2. karino on etsy - a year of fiber
3. lelsesq on etsy - ball winder and swift
4. pookiepie13 on etsy - $50 gift certificate
5. mjlegg on etsy - knitter's starter library

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Sale and Drawing Extended

2010-04-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

We've extended our sale and drawing until April 25th! We just had too many new items to add to get them all listed before the sale ended. So now you have an extra week to get brand new items at sale prices!

Happy Etsyversary - Prizes Totaling $900!

2010-04-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

This Easter Sunday marked our 3rd blissful year on etsy. Which we celebrate each year with the opportunity to win some amazing prizes - and this is our biggest giveaway yet!

How it works:

1. You get one free entry into our drawing here, just by leaving a comment.

2. You get another entry for every item you purchase from April 9th until April 19th.

a. Yep if you buy 20 things, you get 20 entries into the drawing

b. Also, if you buy a club membership, you get as many entries as months in the membership (ie. a 6 month Sock Yarn Cinema purchase = 6 entries).

Oh yes, and we'll have discounts and other deals that change with my daily whims. But you can count on 10-30% off everything in the shop (except subscriptions).

Just a note - I know not everyone knits or spins but sometimes does the other exclusively, so the first name drawn will get to choose between the two first prizes, then the next name drawin will have the option of taking the one that's left or passing for the next prize, and so on and so forth. Choices - aren't they great?!

The Prizes:

A Year of Knitting (Value: $325)

12 Skeins of gorgeous hand-dyed yarn in a brand new Namaste Monroe Bag in Eggplant. (Skeins will be selected from available stock at the time of the drawing.)

A Year of Fiber (Value: $300)

12 braids and/or batts of gorgeous hand-dyed fiber in a brand new Namaste Monroe bag in Lime.

Ball Winder and Swift (Value: $120)

Every hand-dyed yarn lover's dream! No more hand winding those skeins.

Knitter's Library Starter (Value: $100)

5 of my all time favorite knitting books to start a library or add to your current one:

A Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara Walker

Luxury Yarn One-Skein-Wonders by Judith Durant

Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman

Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick

Getting Started Knitting Socks by Anne Budd

$50 Gift Certificate to Knit it Up (Value: $50)

Use it immediately, save it for a rainy day, or gift it to a very lucky fiber friend!

So what are you waiting for?! Leave a comment with your email address or etsy username to get your first entry, then hop on over to the shop to find some great deals on stuff you actually want and get even more entries into the drawing!

(Sale starts April 9th, but all purchases between now and the 19th will qualify you for entries into the drawing.)

Winter Is Over

2010-03-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

My husband thinks this photo looks like proof in an abuse case, but I think it looks like the end of winter! Scraped knees are a sure sign of warm weather and active children, so I'll take it.

Knitting Fashion

2010-03-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

I think I know her problem - she's holding those needles all wrong!

Selfish Knitting

2010-03-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

So I was just driving home from my first OB visit, and passed an LYS. I've seen it a few times (but had a car full of children with me). This time it was just me and the boy - age 2. Not a great age for LYS shopping, but I had to take the opportunity to pop in and check it out. After living in rurual New Mexico, I now shop for yarn almost exclusively online. There was no LYS within a 3 hour drive! (That's actually what drove me to start dying and spinning my own yarns.)

Anyway, I'm out of the habit of using my LYS, and today reminded my why they're so great. You never know how they'll be - snooty or nice - especially when you have a sticky-fingered munchkin in tow. (Literally sticky-fingered - not like he's a notorious yarn thief.)

I immediately relaxed when I spotted the table filled with kids toys at the door. Or I should say, when my son spotted them! One Stitch More in Cincinnati has an awesome selection of Rowan yarns, which is pretty rare, sweater's worths in stock so I had no excuse to order it online instead.

I love Rowan patterns, especially Rowan Classic (they seem to be more... well... classic than the other Rowan patterns which can be a bit edgy for my taste). So I decided to treat myself. I thummed through a few books, found one with patterns I loved, bought the yarn and now I just need to go and cast on already!

Here's my new project!
Pattern:

Woodland by Martin Storey from the Rowan book: "nature"

Yarn:
Rowan Bamboo Soft in silvery grey (so soft!)

Just Because

2010-03-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

So we're finally moved in and I am officially expecting baby #3 this fall! I promised myself I'd become a regular blogger once the move was finished so I'll definitely be posting more, but I am going to be tired a lot, so it may be simple things that make me smile. Like this...

Seriously - what's better than a knitting clown?

Spinning Wheel Winner!

2010-02-16T14:39:00.001-08:00

Congrats to mamakass - you're the Spinning the Seasons member who won the Ashford Kiwi! I'll be contacting you to get all the information I need to have one shipped off to you ASAP.

Thanks to everyone else for participating! Watch for more awesome giveaways in the future - they're just so fun to do!

Sock Yarn Cinema and Spinner's Cinema

2009-12-05T11:34:00.001-08:00

Alrighty, I know you're busy decorating and shopping and baking and furiously creating last minute gifts (hey, anytime in the month of December is last minute when you're hand-making it!) but I wanted to update you on our plans for next year.

To start with, we're going to be pulling back a bit on dyeing yarns and fibers to focus on our monthly clubs. The Sock Club comes out in January, and it features Sock Yarn Cinema, so there'a good chance that demand is going to go up a bit (well at least we hope so), plus I'm starting to miss out on some of the joys of mothering, so I'm going to really streamline things for a few years. We'll still be dyeing up yarns and fibers and creating gorgeous spinning batts, but updates and crazy sales will be a bit further apart than they have been in the past.

Next, we're going to change the system for Sock Yarn Cinema. Although we've enjoyed the freedom of billing things out monthly, and the way it makes cash flow easier to control, we're going to change back to a prepaid only system, selling several months at a time. There are many reasons for this change, a big one is that it will allow us to put in our order at the mill way in advance so we can be a bit more regular in our shipping. The other is it allows us to offer our members discounts for buying multiple months at once. The third and biggest for us is that we're planning on trying for another little fiber lover this year, and my pregnancies are a bit unpredictable. Some days I feel great, but sometimes I can't get out of bed for a week. To plan around this I will probably be dyeing up 2-3 months at a time just in case I'm not feeling well each month.

Now here are the really exciting parts of the plan for all of you:

1. Because they're prepaid, they make great Christmas gifts - start begging your families and significant others now and you could end up with a year of yarn!

2. You can choose any length of subscription and pick and choose what movies you want with your membership. So if you love 6 of the movies we have planned, choose a 6 month subscription and let us know which ones you want - it doesn't have to be consecutive months. The way they are priced, you'll end up with a discount too!

3. There will be a limited number of packages available for each month, but we'll let you know in the etsy listings if any month is getting close to being sold out. We'll take reservations as lons as they're available, so if you want to wait till March to join, no biggie, you can totally do that.

4. We're doing a crazy giveaway to promote our Spinner's Cinema club - a brand new Ashford Kiwi spinning wheel. It's great for beginners and can grow with you as you get more comfortable. Each month purchased = 1 entry into the drawing. So if you're just starting to spin and you want to upgrade from your drop spindle to a real wheel - here's your chance! Or if you want to give a 3 month subscription to your fiber buddy as a gift and have a chance to win yourself a wheel - there you go! We just want to spread around the spinning love!

(It's a big thing to ship - so this giveaway has to be limited to US participants - but if an international buyer wins the drawing, we'll do our best to find a distributor in your country, if we can't find one that is reasonably priced, we'll give you a $350 gift certificate to the shop instead - you can get a whole lotta fiber for that!)

My little family would just like to send out a big thanks to all of you for supporting us in our fiber endeavors! It has been amazing to watch our little independant business grow and we look forward as we continue to Knit it Up!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Kate

Poppytalk

2009-11-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

First, can I just say how much I love the name of poppytalk's blog? I think because it sounds like "poppycock" which seems like such a fun word to use in casual conversation. I'm definitely going to use it sometime this week.

I do spend most of my talk-time chatting with kids under the age of 5 so it shouldn't be too hard.

Anyway - just wanted to give a little plug for Poppytalk's Handmade Market. Here are just a few of my faves that I've found in their new holiday market:

kiki and polly

white owl jewelry

beehive kitchenware

Dye Pots are Bubbling

2009-11-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

I love it when I get an unexpected opportunity to throw some yarn in pots and get them going!

Just getting a bit more stock ready for the Black Friday madness. (Seriously, doesn't shopping for yarn in your jammies sound better than getting up at 4AM to stand in the cold and buy stuff that isn't even fibery?)

Etsy Love - Kande

2009-11-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

Oh etsy, how I love thee! Where else can I find such a conglomeration of handmade goodness? I got this bracelet from etsy seller Kande (aka Kristina Henning), and just adore it! It is very well-made and came in the most beautiful packaging. Any item from her shop would make a lovely Christmas surprise for someone on your list, and you won't even have any wrapping to do!

I have excessively simple tastes when it comes to jewelry, so I'm always looking for pieces that are special, without being too crazy. I guess it's because I'm kind of petite, so big chunky statement pieces never look right on me. I'm very excited about this etsy seller in particular, because her jewelry is just the right mix of sophistication and fun. Here are a few others I'm coveting, (just in case Santa is reading this post).

Twitter Tuesday - Giveaway

2009-11-10T11:19:00.001-08:00

Hey - want to win a tin of our lovely gift tags just in time for Holiday gift giving?

Follow us on twitter, and RT our latest tweet about the contest. We'll pick a winner at the end of the day, you get to choose if you want knitter, crocheter, or crafter tags and we'll send them right out.

Man, that was so easy!

Handmade or Buy It?

2009-11-05T11:11:00.001-08:00

Obviously with two etsy shops and as a lover of all things fibery I am a big proponent of handmade. And whenever I check out Martha Stewart's blog, I'm sure to find another project that entices me. Like these textured pillows.

I find myself yearning to create them - they're so gorgeous and yet... Check out these beauties available at Target for $20. Which is very likely less than what I'd spend making the Martha ones.

Know what? I bought the pillows from Target. I'll spend my free craft time knitting furiously on the Christmas gifts I haven't even started yet. (And quite a few that have been cast on and are patiently awaiting completion!) But I'm still tucking the idea away for that mythical time when my children are all grown up, I am independently wealthy, and have my days completely free to craft to my heart's content.

Well, until then, there's always Target!

Etsy Finds - Where the Wild Things Are

2009-11-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

The night Max wore his wolf suit, and made mischeif of one kind, and another, his mother called him...

Although I haven't seen the movie yet, Maurice Sendak's classic has been a favorite of both of my children. My baby (OK so he's almost 2) is particularly loving it right now. I love that it stokes their imagination and encourages them to deal with their fears. When some very scary looking trick-or-treaters came to our door on Saturday, he roared at them!

So here's a collection of some lovely etsy finds inspired by Wild Things...

Max Ornament from Batzie09

Belt Buckle by flightpathdesigns

Illustration by Nan Lawson

Socktoberfest Winners

2009-10-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't wait till 4, I thought, what the heck I've got the names in a bowl ready to be drawn (no computerized picking here) let's get to it!

So here are our winners....

Grand Prize: MaryJo Legg
{A gorgeous Namaste Zuma Knitting Bag filled with Knit it Up accessories and a Sock Yarn Rainbow - 7 skeins of sock yarn, one for each color in the rainbow!}

1st Prize: Lisa Muehleis
{An incredibly gorgeous stone spindle from Zebsis and a Knit it Up Adventurous Spinning Batt}

2nd Prize: Monkeysink
{A custom-dyed skein of sock yarn. You pick your favorite colors, piece of artwork, movie, whatever you want it based on and I'll create a colorway just for you.}

3rd Prize: PhatFiber (yes I see the irony here!)
{Knitting Mega-Sampler (8 mini-skeins of Knit it Up yarns to try) + $10 Gift Certificate to the shop. You can substitute a spinning sampler if you like!}

4th Prize: Aberdonian
{Spinning Mega-Sampler (8 half ounce Knit it Up fiber samples to try) + $10 Gift Certificate to the shop. You can substitute a yarn sampler if you like!}

5th Prize: Rois
Knit it Up Accessory Sampler (hand balm, gift tags and wool wash).

I'll be contacting the winners individually to let them know of their good fortune and get their mailing addresses. Thanks to everyone who participated in the sale and drawing - it was so fun!

What's coming up...
Mark your calenders for our day-after-Thanksgiving blowout. This will be our last sale of the year and a great time to stock up on gift tags and even some last minute yarn and fiber buys for holiday gift giving. Or, if you're like me, for the selfish knitting kick you immerse yourself in every year on December 25th! This sale will include some free yarn giveaways so keep your eyes peeled. We'll post more details here the week of the sale, or if you'd like the information to come to you, sign up for our Newsletter to receive emails every month or so with information about new products and upcoming sales.

Socktoberfest Starts October 1st!

2009-09-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

We're celebrating Socktoberfest here at Knit it Up with a sale and the chance to win some amazing prizes along the way.

Here are the details:

Sale Dates: October 1st - October 7th

All sock yarns 20% off!

All other yarns, spinning fiber, gift tags and accessories 15% off.

Drawing: 1 entry for every item purchased during the sale, plus you can get 1 free entry by leaving a comment right here on this post!

Prizes:

Grand Prize: A gorgeous Namaste Zuma Knitting Bag filled with Knit it Up accessories and a Sock Yarn Rainbow - 7 skeins of sock yarn, one for each color in the rainbow! (Yep, that pic at the top is the prize yarn!)

1st Prize: An incredibly gorgeous stone spindle from Zebsis and a Knit it Up Adventurous Spinning Batt

2nd Prize: A custom-dyed skein of sock yarn. You pick your favorite colors, piece of artwork, movie, whatever you want it based on and I'll create a colorway just for you.

3rd Prize: Knitting Mega-Sampler (8 mini-skeins of Knit it Up yarns to try) + $10 Gift Certificate to the shop.

4th Prize: Spinning Mega-Sampler (8 half ounce Knit it Up fiber samples to try) + $10 Gift Certificate to the shop.

5th Prize: Knit it Up Accessory Sampler (hand balm, gift tags and wool wash).

So what are you waiting for? Post a comment today to be entered to win, and shop it up the first week of October for more chances!

(Did we mention that pre-ordering the Nightmare Before Christmas series counts for 5 entries? Oh yeah!)

Phat Fiber Giveaway Drawing

2009-08-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hi phatties! Thanks for tuning in as we announce the winner of the full sized Dances With Wolves Sock Yarn Cinema package.

(August's Phat Fiber Box was themed "Meet Me at the Fair" so of course, we did a Sock Yarn Cinema package of yarn and goodies based on the musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Everyone who received one of our Phat samples was entered into a "raffle" for a full sized SYC package.)

And the winners are....

Ticket #0944002
Ticket #0944030
Ticket #0944025

Contact Kate to claim your prize: (kate@knititupyarns.com)

(For those of you who didn't get a Phat Fiber package with details about Sock Yarn Cinema, check out this post for more information, pricing, our 2009-2010 lineup, etc. Want to hear what current SYC members are talking about? Check out our Ravelry Group!)

Twitter Tuesdays

2009-07-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that every Tuesday we're announcing giveaways and shop discounts on our Twitter page here: twitter.com/knititup

We've already given away super cute stitch markers:

a set of our popular gift tags:

and today's giveaway: gorgeous yarn!

Some weeks it's a giveaway, some a secret sale discount, but every week makes it totally worth it to sign up for Twitter and check in on Tuesdays!

Books for Kids who have Fiber-Loving Mommies

2009-06-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

So lately I've been noticing a whole lotta children's books that appeal to my fiber-loving soul. I'm thinking there's a good chance our new library's Children's Librarian is a knitter. I thought it would be fun to share my discoveries here since I think there are probably a few other fiber-obsessed (yes I upgraded myself from "loving" to "obsessed") mommies out there who would love to find yet another way to impart their obsession to their little ones.

For our first installment, here's a book I thought would be about knitting: Martha Makes Socks by Cambria Evans. Alas, it's about the anti-knitter: a moth who's making socks for dinner! And yet I can't help but identify with her love of all things wooly, and the way she devours scarves, two delicious balls of yarn and other fibery goodies. I guess she's just as fiber-obsessed as the rest of us, and while I read it with my daughter I felt oddly comforted that the moths trying to get at our fibers love them just as much as we do.

But they're still not invited to my stash!

Bamboo Mingus

2009-05-10T16:14:00.001-07:00

So I've been dyeing yarns for quite awhile, but I've avoided the sock knitting bug till now. Not sure why really, I guess I love the instant gratification of big chunky knits. Plus, I give most of my knitting away to non-knitters or sell them in my etsy shop, so the time and effort of small yarns and complicated patterns just didn't make sense. I have a feeling that's all about to change!

Here are my very first pair of real socks (I've knit socks with turned heels and everything before - just in bigger yarns for quick gifts) knit up in my new Bamboozled sock yarn. I love these socks... let me count the ways...

1. I'm totally in love with them.

2. I'm realizing how fun it is to do a small but intricate project. It finishes relatively quickly, but is a total work of art!

3. I have a crazy large stash of handpainted sock yarn that I've been knitting scarves out
of - hah! Now I find myself dyeing more sock yarn because I want an exact colorway for a sock project I'm drooling over.

4. I love these socks!

5. Knitting a complicated pattern is oddly relaxing. You can't really focus on anything else so you kind of end up meditating on the pattern instead.

6. I must knit more soon, or else these babies will wear out quickly - I can't seem to take them off!

7. Hiya Hiya 9" circulars mean I can knit them in the round, on 1 pair of circs - total bliss!

8. Did I mention I luuuurve them?

9. I rarely knit for myself and these are a just-for-me luxury I can really sink my needles into.

Oh there's more, but I'll stop there. I'm so excited to finally take the dive and become a real sock fanatic! My new compulsions are all the sock KALs on ravelry. Right now I'm planning to knit every sock in Cookie A's new book, "Sock Innovation" over the next year - at least one pair a month. And I have about 5 other great sock knitting books I've collected over the years as I was hoping to catch the sock bug. I really think it was the Hiya Hiya needles that gave me the extra push - I'm just not a huge fan of double-pointed needles and hate magic loop. Hooray!

Sock Yarn Cinema Season 2

2009-05-07T10:29:00.001-07:00

Here are all the details you need to know to be involved this season!

1. Each package will include a skein of yarn inspired by the film, plus extra goodies, like stitch markers, chocolate, project bags, and other fun treats that go along with that month's theme. We'll be using a lot of different bases, but all will be superwash, fingering weight and enough to knit a pair of adult women's socks.

2. The price is $35 per month which includes domestic shipping. (Canadians will be charged $2 per package, everyone else will be charged $3 per package).

3. Some months will have only one colorway, some you'll be offerred a choice between a semi-solid and a variegated colorway, plus the option of buying both at a discounted price.

4. There will be two options for purchasing:

Option A: Reserve a Skein
For this option you need to email Kate: kate@knititupyarns.com with your paypal address. You'll receive an invoice each month before dye day for your package, if you want to reserve a skein, you pay the invoice, if you want to pass that month, just ignore it.

Option B: Scramble
For this option you'll want to join our SYC Junkies Newsletter by clicking here. You'll get an email each month telling you when the packages will be listed in the shop. Packages will be listed at the "secret" time, and they will be sold first-come-first-served. Once they sell out they are gone. You'll get a chance to preview the colorway while the extras will remain a surprise, but you do risk missing out so click fast if you know you want it!

You can always do both - reserve the skeins from your favorite films and then check out the colorways before buying the other ones. Just be sure to be on both lists. We'll also be notifying you of contests just for SYC groupies via the newsletter and the ravelry group.

Oh and of course you might like to know the lineup!

June: My Fair Lady
July: Dances With Wolves
Aug: Jaws
Sept: Under the Tuscan Sun
Oct: Coraline
(Plus I’ll be releasing a special Nightmare Before Christmas series this month!)
Nov: Members Choice
Dec: Christmas Story
Jan 2010: Funny Girl
Feb: Sleepless in Seattle
Mar: Pretty Woman
Apr: Singin’ in the Rain
May: Members Choice

I'll be taking suggestions for members choice months at our Ravelry Group and then we'll vote on the finalists here on the blog.

Can't wait! Invoices for My Fair Lady will start going out May 16th.

I'm BACK!

2009-03-19T12:40:00.001-07:00

We're finally getting back to normal after our big move and here's the best part...

IT'S SALE TIME!

SHOP UPDATE

The shop is being updated today will all sorts of fibery yummies, like new colorways, new base yarns and new spinning fibers.

Here's one of my favorite new items: Knit it Up SeaSilk. A gorgeous laceweight yarn that's a blend of SeaCell and Silk. It's so soft and smooth, drapes beautifully and is perfect for summer knitting. This skein is dyed up in our Milk and Honey colorway.

I'll show you one more, our new fine merino top. It's 19.5 Micron which means it is supersoft, high quality stuff. If it wasn't listed in the shop I think I'd just rub it all over my face all day. It's dyed up in our Southwest Sunset colorway:

Oh yes I mentioned something about a sale didn't I?

To celebrate our etsyversary, we usually have a contest with crazy prizes, but I thought right now you all might appreciate some great discounts instead!

Here's the plan:

SALE: March 30th through April 4th.

Everything 15% Off + FREE Shipping Worldwide!

In addition there will be roaming Mega-Deals that change throughout the week. I'll be shipping everyone's packages on April 6th and 7th, so if you like you can check in every day for the best deals. I'll combine all your purchases together for shipping.

A NEW REFERRAL PROGRAM

In other news, our referral program has changed. Instead of having to refer enough friends to earn a skein of sock yarn, you only have to refer 1 new customer to get an immediate 15% discount at the shop. That way you get rewarded right away (and I don't have to keep track of things).

I have so much more to share after such a long break that I'll be blogging much more often. I'll be sharing about our involvement in the Phat Fiber phenomenon, our plans for the second season of Sock Yarn Cinema and other knitterly happenings.

Happy Knitting!

Rudy Sock Yarn Giveaway

2009-01-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

Time to celebrate the superbowl season with some football inspired sockyarn!

December's Sock Yarn Cinema selection was Rudy, so I couldn't help dying up a couple of extra skeins to give away during Superbowl time.

This blue, gold and white colorway on my Silky base yarn was inspired by Notre Dame football uniforms, since Rudy is the story of a young man who dreamed of playing for the team. It's a lovely film, whether you're into football or just love a good story. Especially if you're like me and love to root for the underdog.

OK, to win a skein for yourself, I am asking a bit of advice. I'm planning on finally having a booth at Stitches MidWest this year (yay!), so I've been stressing over the best way to display my goods in a small space. If you've been to a show like Stitches, or even just to an LYS, tell me your favorite way to see yarns displayed: by color, by weight, in baskets, on shelves or pegs. etc. Leave a comment with your suggestions plus your email or ravelry username and I'll pick two entries at random to receive a lovely skein of Rudy sock yarn.

The drawing will be held on Superbowl Sunday and announced by the end of the game, so be sure to leave your comment before kickoff!

Procrastiknitter Supersale and Name That Skein Winner

2008-11-28T09:42:00.000-08:00

First, the winner of the Name That Skein Contest is ravelry member knittininto with the name "Beach Glass." There were so many amazing suggestions, but this one fit the blend of greens and blues and soft white so perfectly! It really takes me back to walking along the beach as a kid looking for pretty things to take home. Your skein will be to you soon!

For everyone else, this colorway is now available in the shop and at a fantastic price too! We're having our Procrastiknitter Supersale starting today through Monday December 1st.

15% off everthing in the entire shop, plus there's a roaming mega-deal: a deeply discounted item that will change every few hours. Feel free to shop several times throughout the weekend to get the best deals, we'll refund any additional shipping charges and ship your entire haul together on Tuesday.

Happy Shopping!

Name That Skein!

2008-11-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here's another one that I thought y'all could help me with: varying shades of emeralds, teals with a touch of creamy white.

Same colorway in multiple bases. What do you think it should be called? I'll pick my favorite and the person who suggests it will get a free skein!

Feel free to enter every idea you come up with - just means more chances to win!

***Make sure you leave some way for me to contact you - your email, ravelry username or etsy username.

I'll choose a winner on November 26th, so I can have them up and listed in the shop in time for our post-Thanksgiving mega sale.

And the Winners Are...

2008-11-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Socktoberfest was such a blast, but I'll stop writing and just name the winners already!

Grand Prize: bluesnharmony
A sophisticated black Persnickity Knits Fifi Knitting Clutch stuffed with 3 skeins of Knit it Up sock yarn, a set of Knit it Up knitting gift tags, a tin of Knit it Up hand balm and some awesome HiyaHiya Stainless Steel 9" circular needles (you can now knit socks on circulars without magic loop - I love them!) Total Value: over $150!

1st Prize: maryjolegg
a CocoKnits Knitting Block set. I absolutely adore mine and had to share it with you!

2nd Prize: nosheepchelle
a skein of Knit it Up sock yarn
(I know you're allergic to wool though, so we'll talk about a good alternative!)

3rd Prize: Rue/ambiknitrix
a skein of Knit it Up sock yarn

4th Prize: edina
a set of Knit it Up Knitting Gift Tags

5th Prize: katycatfight
a set of Knit it Up Knitting Gift Tags

Congrats to all of the winners and thanks to all of you who participated!

I'll be adding new yarn to the shop later this month and the weekend after Thanksgiving we'll be having a huge Procrastiknitter sale. Perfect for those of you who still haven't started your holiday knitting. But if you're amazing and all done, stop by to snag some great deals on yummy yarn for you!

May 2009 Sock Yarn Cinema Member's Choice

2008-10-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

The nominees for the May 2009 Sock Yarn Cinema selection are...

Somewhere in Time

Like Water for Chocolate (Como agua para chocolate)

Star Wars Episode I

There really is something for everyone here, and each one would inspire several gorgeous colorways.

Polls close November 15th (since you should all be in a voting mood that week). Happy voting!

SOCKTOBERFEST is finally here!

2008-10-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

It is time for Socktoberfest! Leave a comment here for a free entry into our Socktoberfest drawing (be sure to include a way to reach you - etsy username, ravelry username or email). Want to increase your chances? You'll get one additional entry for each item purchased in the shop anytime in the month of October. Sock club purchases count for however many months you buy. So if you get a 12 month Pride and Prejudice membership, you get 12 entries into the drawing! Yay!

And now what you've been waiting for - the prizes!

Grand Prize: A sophisticated black Persnickity Knits Fifi Knitting Clutch stuffed with 3 skeins of Knit it Up sock yarn, a set of Knit it Up knitting gift tags, a tin of Knit it Up hand balm and some awesome HiyaHiya Stainless Steel 9" circular needles (you can now knit socks on circulars without magic loop - I love them!)

Total Value: over $150!

1st Prize: a CocoKnits Knitting Block set. I absolutely adore mine and had to share it with you!

2nd Prize: a skein of Knit it Up sock yarn

3rd Prize: a skein of Knit it Up sock yarn

4th Prize: a set of Knit it Up Knitting Gift Tags (recently featured in Knitty)

5th Prize: a set of Knit it Up Knitting Gift Tags

All together that's over $300 in prizes! We'll keep it open through October 31st, and hold the drawing November 1st. Winners will be announced here.

Etsy Love - Persnickity Knits

2008-09-18T07:58:00.002-07:00

I love taking my knitting with me everywhere, and I usually use a fabric project bag for outings, shoving them into my regular purse. However, there were occasions, usually when I was going to be outside, that I wished for something a little heftier. Then I discovered these amazing and totally stylish knitting clutches from Persnickity Knits.

I bought myself this Little Lulu clutch in super sexy black. It is the perfect size for socks and other small projects. I've been carrying mine with me everywhere. I even took it camping! The faux leather stood up to dust and even a little rain, keeping my knitting perfectly protected.

Needless to say, I totally love this product. Even better, when I told the folks at Persnickity Knits about the upcoming Socktoberfest contest, they graciously offerred to donate a FiFi Knitting Clutch as a prize. This one is their medium sized clutch, a bit larger than the Lulu (perfect for stuffing full of other knitting prizes). To the right is a photo of the inside. My favorite features are definitely the wealth of interior pockets for knitting notions, and the lobster clasp like hook, perfect for running your yarn through, but easy to open up and take out your yarn when you want to move your project somewhere else. (I love it when you can be noncommital with your project bags!) The hook helps keep your yarn in the bag while you're knitting too.

So be sure to check out Persnickity Knits, and to keep an eye out for our Soctoberfest contest running October 1-31 for a chance to win a Fifi Knitting Clutch stuffed with Knit it Up goodies.

Knitty Feature (holy crap!)

2008-08-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Yep you read the title right, I just heard from the Knitty folks that they are going to feature my gift tags in the fall issue! Wowza! I am thrilled since I'm a huge fan. Look for them in the "Cool Stuff" feature.

I love to knit gifts, but I always forget to include fiber contents and care instructions with my gifts, resulting in more than one felted catastrophe. Such a waste of my beautiful yarn and precious knitting time! I had seen other knitting themed gift tags on the market, but nothing that included room for this important information. So, like any good DIY maven, I created some of my own (and of course I offered them for sale in my shop too)!

I'm stocking up in case the Knitty feature results in crazy sales, but if you want some of your own you may want to snag them now before the fall issue drops in early September!

I'll be adding some more tag designs soon. I recently joined the Selfish Knitters group on Ravelry to try and inspire myself to do more selfish knitting, and I can't believe the horror stories I've read about people being so unappreciative of handknit gifts. So I've also created Selfish Knitters Gift Tags that will be up in the shop soon. Similar to my other gift tags but with a special note that reads

"This project took hours of my precious time to make. You may now ooh and aah and wear it every single day for the rest of your life."

Some people just need a reminder, you know?

Here's another little something I created for gift knitters like me: The Knitter's Giftdex.

I just got so tired of asking my mother-in-law about people's favorite colors and fibers every November when I was gearing up for my procrastinated gift knitting extravaganza. Now I just fill out a rolodex card for each person, along with their birthday info, likes and dislikes, wish list, etc. I put it into a rolodex along with cards detailing which knitted gifts I've already given them. I keep it in my stash closet surrounded by squishy yummy yarn. Oh glorious organization!

Name That Skein!

2008-07-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

I've been missing doing contests lately, they're just too fun! So, here's one where you can help me out with what is always my biggest dilema - naming skeins.

This one was inspired by the Snow White Dwarf Dopey - but that just doesn't sound like the right name for it now that it is done.

Leave a comment with your suggestion for a name for this colorway. Whoever's colorway name I pick will get a free skein! Go crazy too - it can be Snow White related or totally different.

Contest closes August 6th (so I can add these skeins to my August 7th shop update).

Leave your email or Ravelry username so I can contact the winner.

(Enter as many times as you like!)

Member's Choice Vote!

2008-07-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

There were so many amazing suggestions on the Ravelry forum for our Member's Choice month that I couldn't even pick which ones to have you vote on. So, I wrote every mention down on a slip of paper and had my 2 year-old do a drawing!

Check out the poll on the left hand side of this page and cast your vote!

You get to choose between:

Breakfast at Tiffany's,

When Harry Met Sally,

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,

The Nightmare Before Christmas, and

Girl With a Pearl Earring.

Don't worry - if your favorite didn't make it onto this list, it still has a chance for our vote for May's selection.

The polls close on July 31st so be sure to make your choice before then!

RibbonWands - Featured Etsy Shop

2008-06-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

I recently ordered a ribbon wand from Etsy seller ribbonwands. I got it for my two-year-old daughter, blatantly ignoring the seller's reccommendations that they are for kids five and up. Um, yeah, after about the first year or so, and especially once you have a second child you start ignoring things like that.

Can she twirl it on her own? Kind of. But the real fun is having Mom or Dad twirl it around her. She's been enjoying it immensely, and I love toys that she can grow into. Because it really will be more fun when she's about five. Wait, isn't that the reccommended age? Oh yeah.

Anyway, I've realized in the meantime that I didn't really buy it for her but for me. Yes, I saw it and thought, "Of course my child would love that, I always wanted one when I was a kid." I had major dreams of being a rhythmic gymnast. But then I realized that you have to be somewhat flexible for that.

So when the ribbon wand came in the mail, we played with it all afternoon, but I was secretly looking forward to her bedtime so I could play with it all by myself. But then I had to share it with my husband who possibly had dreams of being a rhythmic gymnast as a boy because he was really enjoying it too.

Maybe tomorrow while she's napping and he's at work I can put on a leotard and some music and prance around with my ribbon wand. I mean her ribbon wand. OK, my ribbon wand.

By the way, I absolutely adore the idea of having flower girls at a wedding walking the aisle with twirling white damask ribbon wands in place of flowers. Think about it. The girls will thank you.

Knot Knit Scarf

2008-06-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here's another craft from Martha - she seems to have so many uses for yarn beyond knitting (or crochet). I love finding alternate uses for my stash!

Straight from Martha's website: Here's a cozy yet speedy project. Cut 12 pieces of bulky-weight yarn to about 1 1/2 times the desired length of the final scarf. (We used 140-inch pieces to make an 86-inch scarf.) Divide yarn into 4 bunches of 3 strands each. Tie 2 bunches together with a square knot, leaving 6 inches of fringe at end; repeat with remaining bunches. Pin the knots to a piece of foam board. Knot inner 2 bunches of yarn together, spacing knot about 1 inch from existing knots, then knot left and right bunches together. Alternate knotting the inner bunches and the left and right ones, spacing knots evenly apart, until about 6 inches of yarn remain on the end. Finish so that final knots mirror opposite end, and trim to even the ends.

I think it would look great with some bulky thick and thin handspun. I haven't tried it yet, but it's definitely on my list and will make for a great last minute gift that's a little different from my normal knits.

Ravelry Group

2008-06-04T18:35:00.001-07:00

Hey Ravelers! Come join the Sock Yarn Cinema group on Ravelry.

The Hills Are Alive...

2008-06-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

... with the Sound of Music - Ahh ahh ahh ahhh.

I took a little break from blogging since the craziness of the etsyversary sale, but now I'm back and the first month's Sock Yarn Cinema selections are in the mail.

I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks as I had the best time putting these packages together. You'll soon see brown paper packages tied up will strings and filled with other favorite things.

It was amazing to watch this classic film with an entirely new perspective. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen it since my teen years. I was surprised by how many of the lyrics I remembered as the characters sang them, and how many things I noticed now that I never noticed before. Like this time, I really saw an underlying theme to the film - the loss of innocence. But I loved how it wasn't in a tawdry way like you see in many movies today. I think there are turning points in the movie for several of the characters. In Maria, I saw it when she comes back from the convent and realizes that the Baroness wasn't encouraging her to leave as a friend, but as a rival. In Liesel, it's when she sees Rolf in the town square and he's very cold to her. She starts to realize that maybe her crush wasn't true love after all. For Rolf it is when he decides to blow that dang whistle and turn in the VonTrapp family. Oh Rolf! How could you do that?

The colors in the film are absolutely stunning! It is so true that if you're looking for inspiration, you're bound to find it. So when I watched, I actually found too much for one skein. I'll be listing other Sound of Music inspired colorways in my shop soon - think of them as a Sock Yarn Cinema expansion set!

Anyway, I could go on forever about this movie, really! But I think for me, the thing that brought about an unexpected emotional thrill was watching my little girl falling in love with something close to my heart. Later that day when we were shopping at the grocery store and she started singing "Do, Re, Mi...." I was absolutely beaming.

OK, now on to some club business. I've heard from a few of you that you'd be interested in a Ravelry group for the club. There we could show eachother FO's knit with each month's yarn, or inspired by the movies; we could discuss the films - I would love to hear what you're thinking about each one; and just general ravelry goodness. If you're interested, just leave a comment with your Ravelry username and I'll add you to the invite list for the group. If you want to join later, you can always do that by looking for us in the groups section. I just need at least 3 people interested now in order to start one.

For those of you who are not familiar with Ravelry - it is really too amazing for words, but I'll try.

It is totally free.

You do have to wait for an invite to sign up, but the wait is less than a week.

If you don't know what to knit with your yarn, you can look it up and see what other people have made with that specific yarn.

If you want to knit a particular pattern, look it up and see what others have done - changes they made to the pattern, yarn substitutions, etc.

Join groups of other knitters with similar interests, no matter where you are!

Can't remember what is in your stash? On Ravelry, you can keep a record of your stash so you can plan projects without having to dig around your tubs or closet full of yarn. There is also a library feature so you can keep track of all your knitting books too.

You can dink around for hours finding new projects to create, adding them to your Ravelry queue or favorites, so you'll always be able to find them.

You can go to your library, click on a book and see all the patterns available from it, click on a pattern and see what others have done, etc.

There's much more, but let's just say I love it, it is fantastic, and it has totally opened me up to an entirely new knitting world. It is great for finding patterns you want to work on and getting ideas from other knitters.

I'll end my blurb there, but feel free to email me if you want more information about it - as you can see I'm a total convert!

Next month is the Field of Dreams and I'm already planning something special.

And the winners are...

2008-04-24T19:33:00.001-07:00

The drawing was done this afternoon by my two year old (who was thrilled to be the "winner picker")

Dun dah dah dunnnnn........

(OK, imagine trumpets playing)

Grand Prize: A gorgeous project bag filled with sock knitting goodness
mrsgmath

1st Prize: a skein of sock yarn

erika~the inspired mama

2nd Prize: a skien of handspun yarn
LexxiMom

3rd Prize: Knit Kit
karta5059

4th Prize: stitch markers
rjknight

5th Prize: stitch markers
journeys and reflections

and my daughter was having so much fun she insisted on another pick so...

Bonus Prize: Winter 2007 Interweave Knits (I bought a copy and then received one as a gift)
oumom

I'll be emailing the winners tomorrow to get addresses, etc.

Thanks to everyone who participated, I had a lot of fun! So much fun that we'll be doing something like this again this October to celebrate "Socktober."

There are still a few spaces left in the Sock Yarn Cinema club if you're interested and we'll be taking nominations for the voter's choice movies soon. I also have a lot of new kits coming out soon, including a recycled sari silk purse (a pattern especially designed to have hardly any finishing!), a felted needle vase, and a spa knit kit that will include handmade soap from etsy seller Daisycakessoap. And of course there will be new yarns coming out of the dye pots every few weeks so check back often!

Etsyversary Giveaway Update

2008-04-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

The deadline has been extended to April 21st! I thought you all would appreciate one more weekend for chances to win, especially since I just received a new shipment of base yarns from my supplier and will be listing a bunch of new colorways.

Here are some photos of our fantastic grand prize worth over $150:

The project inside is just an example of how this lovely bag works. You can put your yarn in the interior drawstring bag to keep it separate from your WIP, then slide your needles through the elastic loops to keep your project from coming off.

The lantern moon sock needles are the top of the line, totally gorgeous ebony needles, US size 2, and the bag comes with a matching quilted needle case to keep them safe.

When the winner gets their bag it will be filled with a brand new Spring 2009 (totally sold out) issue of Interweave Knits, the aforementioned needles, needle case, Karatstix needle gauge and three skeins of yummy sock yarn. Two from my shop's stock and one custom dye job for the winner. I'll contact you to find out your favorite colors and combinations and create a skein just for you!

The other prizes (worth over $70) are:

1st prize: skein of sock yarn

2nd prize: skein of handspun yarn

3rd prize: knit kit of your choice (cupcake hat, baby bug hat, briar bunny hat)

4th prize: stitch markers

5th prize: stitch markers

Free Yarn Giveaways to Celebrate My Etsyversary

2008-04-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

For the next two weeks I'll be celebrating my first year selling yarn and knitting supplies on Etsy by giving stuff away! For every purchase made in my Knit! shop on etsy, you will receive one entry into a drawing for some fantastic prizes. I'm also giving away one "free" entry to everyone who posts a comment on this post with your name and email address so I can contact you if you win.

Grand Prize: a luxury handmade project bag filled with goodies including 3 skeins of sock yarn, lantern moon sock needles, a quilted sock needle holder, a set of stitch markers and a "Knitter's Rule" needle sizer and gauge checker from etsy seller karatstix. The entire thing is worth over $150.00! My mom is the seamstress in the family so she's sewing these gorgeous bags for me now. As soon as she is finished, I'll add a photo of the whole lot of goodies here.

There will also be additional prizes of yarn, kits, stitch markers, sold out copies of Interweave Knits and other goodies.

I'm very excited about the new Sock Yarn Cinema monthly sock yarn club, where I'll be creating colorways to celebrate my favorite movies and some of yours. You can join for 3, 6, or 12 months and you'll get great discounts on sock yarn, shipping, and extra goodies every month. Sock yarn club subscriptions count for multiple entries in my Etsyversary drawing depending on the duration of the club. Also, all my handspuns are on sale for 20% off and I'll even be adding some new ones at sale prices.

I've added some fun new items to my shop and will continue adding new things throughout the next two weeks of contest fun so check back often. I offer a flat shipping cost for whatever you buy in my shop, so get as many entries as you can!

Featured Shop - Karatstix

2008-04-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

I love this etsy seller karatstix! I traded a skein of yarn to her for a "Knitter's Rule" to give away in my upcoming "Etsyversary" celebration. She shipped it the day I ordered it, it came quickly and it is an absolute work of art. I am always so impressed at the high quality of handmade items I have purchased at etsy and this is no exception, Karen was such a pleasure to work with. I also love that she's purposefully using sustainable resources to create these fantastic knitter's accessories.

Here's a photo of the Knitter's Rule I'll be giving away:

And here are some photos of the custom work she does...

A WPI (wraps per inch) tool to help substitute yarns from your stash in patterns that call for other yarns:

Bobbins for fair aisle knittng:

And a 2" gauge checker:

I will definitely be returning to get one of these awesome pieces for myself! I am so excited that her phenomenal work will be a part of my celebratory give away!

Women are Dumb (Things I've Learned from Walt Disney)

2008-03-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

"A jealous female can be tricked into anything!"

Unfortunately this one (thanks Captain Hook) is quite often true. I think this pearl of wisdom could even be expanded to read "a female in love can be tricked into anything." I'm not down on love - it's great, but let's admit it girls, some of us get really dumb when we're in that state of mind. If you don't believe me, just watch an episode of The People's Court. OK, you can now mock me like crazy - yes I actually watch that show. I have no real explanation for why, except that I'm completely fascinated by the dumbness.

Anyway, back to Hook. When I watch these older Disney films with my 2-year-old I am always shocked at the absolute lack of political correctness. I think most people agree that it is often taken too far these days, but old Disney movies make me realize that a little PC is a desirable thing.

So next time you're feeling a bit jealous try to keep your head and remember there may be a Captain Hook out there playing you like a fool.

Quick Crafts - Spring Yarn Bowls

2008-03-22T12:41:00.001-07:00

Any craft that uses yarn is great since I have a ridiculous amount of it in my stash. Seriously people, I have an entire closet dedicated to yarn and it isn't even big enough to hold it all. Anyway, I came across this gorgeous idea on Martha Stewart's website. Yes it is the day before Easter, but hey, I happen to have a blue mohair yarn in my stash, an extra bowl lying around, and half an hour to kill. Now if only I was planning a major Easter dinner so people could come and admire my craftiness. Oh well! I know my two-year-old will appreciate it - especially once she figures out how to unravel it.

Instructions from Martha's website:

Dishes for sweets become well suited to spring when they're disguised as fuzzy birds' nests. Cover the outside of a bowl with double-sided tape. Wind a ball of yarn (we used mohair) around the bowl until its exterior is hidden. To finish, securely tuck the loose end behind the wrapped yarn.

Etsy Love - Star of the East

2008-03-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

The internet is so amazing. I went to the post office the other day to mail three packages for my etsy shops, one to Moscow, one to London and one to Colorado. How crazy is that? Of course, it works both ways. I have seen some great international sellers on etsy and here is one of my favorites - Star of the East.

Esther and Estella are a mother-daughter team working together to make the world a more beautiful place. Check out their Etsy profile to learn more about these fantastic artisans. Click on any of the following photos to go straight to the etsy listing.

You can find absolutely stunning jewelry at this etsy shop located in Turkey. I am especially in love with their items made from objects they find on beach walks. Here are some photos of one of my faves from their Sea Urchin Collection:

From the item description:

"We clean the sea urchins, fill them with polyurethane foam and cover them with epoxy to make them strong and shiny. We used silver colored thread to adorn the sea urchin and a glass rhinestone in the centre to finish the piece. The ring is adjustable between the sizes 6,5 and 8, beautiful and strong made of silver colored metal (nickle and lead free).

I love how they took something found in nature and gussied it up to make it jewelry. And at under $35 they are affordable too. Oh yeah, and that includes shipping from Turkey. I think any of their items would make a fantastic gift or would be a great way to spoil yourself.

Wrap-Around Scarf

2008-03-12T11:15:00.001-07:00

It is Malabrigo March on Ravelry so I decided to give this yarn a try.

Holy. Freaking. Moly.

This yarn is amazing! I've knit with merino wool before but this is the softest wool I've ever felt and the kettle dyed colors are just gorgeous. I'm planning to knit Jared Flood's Hemlock Ring Blanket out of it so I can wrap myself in Malabrigo!

Anyway, I wanted a pattern that would show off this gorgeous variegated yarn, be an interesting stitch pattern, but still be easy enough to knit during LOST.

Here's the pattern for my scarf:

(Add it to your Ravelry queue here)

Yarn: 1 skein Malabrigo Worsted (can substitute Manos del Uruguay but it is not as soft)

Colorway shown is Stonechat

Needle Size: US 10

CO 19 stitches

Knit 3 rows in garter stitch

Row 1: k2, p15, k2

Row2: knit across

Row3: k2, p15, k2

Row4: k7, wrap 3 (move the last three knitted stitches off of the right needle onto a cable needle, wrap the yarn around these stitches 3 times counter-clockwise, move wrapped stitches back to the right needle), *k4, w3, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, knit to end.

Row 5: k2, p15, k2

Row 6: knit across

Row 7: k2, p15, k2

Row 8: k5, w3, *k4, w3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, knit to end.

Repeat rows 1-8 till you get near the end of your ball of yarn, knit rows 1-3, then knit 3 rows in garter stitch.

Block like crazy (it is basically stockinette so it will curl).

Ta-Da!

Featured Etsy Shop - Kniterella

2008-03-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

Absolutely adorable notecards for knitters, sets of 9 for $8.95. Need I say more?

The House That Yarn Built

2008-02-27T15:28:00.001-08:00

OK, so I love this idea. Basically Christy from Confessions of a Misplaced Southern Belle realized that we knitters buy too much yarn, that we spend about $20 a skein on sock yarn and that if a whole bunch of knitters donated that amount to rebuilding houses in the 9th ward in New Orleans, we might actually be able to build a whole house instead of buying one skein of yarn. You donate to a program called Make It Right . (Yes, the one Brad Pitt founded.)

Now to really get you going, she's holding a raffle with a ton of yarns, a Namaste knitting bag and other goodies for people who donate. So, go to the Make it Right site, donate under the "House That Yarn Built" link and then email Christy to let her know you did. She'll enter your name into the drawing. If you're a Stash and Burn fan, let Nicole and Jenny know too - they're also raffling off a bag of goodies from Stitches West for people who donate. I've also contacted Christy about adding some of my hand-dyed yarns into the goodie pot - it is such a great cause!

Porcelain Knits

2008-02-22T10:09:00.001-08:00

Here's an amazing Etsy shop I found on Poppytalk Handmade. Artist Alyssa Ettinger makes porcelain cups, bowls, vases, etc that look like they've been knitted. Some pieces are done in aran patterns, cable patterns, ribs, stockinette, everything. I'll just post a ton of photos because the work really speaks for itself.

If you're like me and these works of art are a little out of your price range, notice she also sells samples and seconds - basically they are just as fantastic with some very small, barely noticeable flaws.

Now I'm just holding my breath and waiting for her to make a mistake on a bowl!

Oh Martha!

2008-02-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, Martha Stewart is the master of craft projects that I love but can't find the time to make. Often I get as far as buying all the supplies, I just never get around to actually putting them together. This one I will have to make time for because I love it!

This fluffy rug, so welcoming to bare feet, is made from hundreds of strips of denim. The frayed edges in shades of blue, gray, and white create subtle modulations in color.

Denim Fringe Rug Instructions: Cut a 30-by-54-inch piece of burlap. Tear about 200 strips from jeans (you'll need about 12 pairs); make each 1 1/4 inches wide and the length of a pant leg. Align first strip 1 inch from burlap's edge; with the zipper foot attachment on a sewing machine and a denim needle, stitch down center. Snip any remainder from the end, and use it to start the next row. Sew strips 1/8 inch apart, until 1 inch of burlap remains. Fold burlap edges under, and hand-stitch.

See her website for more info.

Maybe I'll make it when I live in a house with a mudroom. Oh how Pottery Barn and Martha Stewart's crafts make me long for a mudroom!

Knits that make me laugh

2008-02-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

Ah yes, I think all of us knitters have made things only to see them a while later and wonder what in the world we were thinking. That pattern, that yarn. Here is a wonderful blog that is dedicated to finding those terrible projects that should be hiding in the back of someone's closet or frogged or burned. Of course the best part is the biting commentary. It is no longer an ongoing project, but they left it all up so we can go back and get a laugh.

You Knit What? http://youknitwhat.blogspot.com/

Yarn that Inspires - Rowan Big Wool Tuft

2008-02-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share one of my current faves. I love this yarn! It is so unique, bulky and has big tufts of wool plied on with rayon thread (hence the name). I don't think I'd knit a sweater from it, but it is perfect for small projects like scarflettes or for trim on a larger project. It is soft merino and comes in lovely colors. The scarflettes I knit for my Etsy shop out of it sold very well this holiday season. For you knitters out there, here's how to make your own (not for selling!)...

With 1 ball of Rowan Big Wool Tuft and size 17 needles CO 10 stitches.

Odd Rows: K2, P2, K2, P2, K2

Even Rows: P2, K2, P2, K2, P2

Knit to desired length or until you're almost out of yarn, Bind off.

Sew a 1" button to the upper right hand corner of the right side, it will slide through the knitted fabric wherever you like it for different looks.

A fantastically fast, ridiculously easy single skein project. This would be great for a last minute gift - and I mean your friend is driving you to the party as you knit, that kind of last minute. It seriously takes about a half hour!

The only downside - this yarn is now discontinued! But I still see it on ebay and a few other places, so stock up while you still can!

Etsy Love - Pictures of Lily

2008-02-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

I found this etsy seller when she featured one of my items in a treasury she put together and I'm so glad I did! Her tags are so beautiful they make me want to give people presents just to have something to put them on. I love it when I find etsy sellers who photograph their work so well. Her work and the way she shows it off both inspire me to improve my own shops.

So check out picturesoflily at etsy!

Resistance is Futile

2008-02-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

OK, so by the title of this post I've already revealed that I grew up in a family where we watched StarTrek pretty frequently. But if I'm going to do this blogging thing I figure I've got to be honest with myself and perhaps with the 2 other people who might ever read this!

So anyway, I've finally decided to give in to this new technology and blog. Just admitting that it took me awhile to succumb makes me feel old, and I'm really not that old! I'm under 30, but I must be getting older because technology is starting to get confusing and all teenagers look like punks.

But at least when I did a search for StarTrek on Etsy, loads of items turned up! I don't watch anymore, but the trekkie items on Etsy were really quite fun, like this Spock pendant from sweetheartsinner.

I have always loved all kinds of crafting, but knitting takes center stage. This blog is dedicated to the things that inspire the artist in me - knitting patterns and yarn of course, but all kinds of art and design. I'll feature some other Etsy sellers, and just fun things I find on the web. I hope to make this a regular thing, but the realist in me knows that I'll probably post in spurts. But who knows, I actually miss writing papers since I graduated from college so this can be my new forum to write. I'll try to keep it light and avoid topics related to International Political Economy and Development but no promises!