Mary’s Summer Bag
by on April 12, 2012

I try to live green all year round (not just for Earth Day!).  Living in Portland OR makes it pretty easy – we have great public transportation & bike routes, recycling (and now composting) is a way of life, and most of our grocery stores & restaurants stock organic foods.  And the city of Portland recently banned plastic bags at major grocers and big-box stores.  So it’s not unusual to see folks carrying their own bags.

Our very own Kim designed this week’s Freebie Friday – the very cute Mary’s Summer Bag, perfect for bringing to the grocery store & farmers markets!

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Tags: Freebie Friday, Independent Designer Partnership


Congratulations to our winners!
by on April 12, 2012

Thank you for all of your entries in our Custom Crochet Contest!  

I randomly chose our three winners:

Winner #1

Ginny!

Ginny’s comment: “That looks like a great book! I’ve been crocheting for years but I’ve never made a sweater.”

Winner #2

Sarah!

Sarah’s comment: “I’ve tried making a crochet sweater, once. It didn’t go so well. Maybe this is the book I need to encourage me to foray into the depths of sweater making again.:

Winner #3

Lisa!

Lisa’s comment: “Beautiful sweaters! I’ve never made a crocheted garment, but these sweaters are original and creative enough for me to give it a try.”

Congratulations!  I hope we’ll be seeing some beautiful crochet sweaters from this book!

 

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Tags: Contest, crochet


Podcast Episode 184: Interview with Hunter Hammersen
by on April 12, 2012

We simply adore Hunter Hammersen, and we were all super excited when we heard the news of a new book in the works! After months of waiting, her latest book – The Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet – is finally available and it features a stunning collection of socks patterns as well as a variety of accessories. In this week’s episode, Kelley reunites with author and designer, Hunter Hammersen, to chat about the process behind her latest book. Similar to her first book, Silk Road Socks, which features sock patterns based on oriental rugs, Hunter shares her inspiration for creating a collection of designs inspired by curiosity cabinets. Hunter explains just what exactly a curiosity cabinet is and gives Kelley a brief overview of their history and importance. She also chats with Kelley about how curiosity cabinets inspired her new book and how she was able to translate a collection of botanical …

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Tags: behind the scenes, Podcast


A workhorse shawl
by on April 11, 2012

You know how much I love lace shawls. But, I also appreciate simple, wear anywhere shawls.
My favorite style is Faroese because it has relatively long “wings”. Women could cross the “wings” across their chests and tie the ends behind their backs. The shawl stayed in place while the women attended to their chores.

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Tags: Inspiration


How to Dye Yarn with Food Coloring
by on April 10, 2012

As the sugar high of chocolate, jelly beans, and Peeps finally wears off, you might find a box or two of leftover Easter egg dye lying around the kitchen. Instead of tossing them back in the cupboards, grab some of your favorite Bare yarns and start dyeing! You might be surprised to learn that a lot of unconventional dyes, like Easter egg dye and food coloring, are a wonderful way of dyeing protein based fibers like wool, alpaca and silk. In addition to being inexpensive, these are dyes you can easily find at your local grocery store. Another great thing about dyeing with Easter egg dye and food coloring is that these are nontoxic dyes, making them ideal for a fun afternoon crafting project with children. And if you are anything like me, you might already know that right after the holiday is the best time to stock up on Easter egg dye packages for year-round yarn dyeing fun!

     

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Tags: Dyeing, Fun, Technique of the Week, Tutorials


It’s raining Cats & Dogs!
by on April 6, 2012

Cats & Dogs Satchels, that is!

Knit in Wool of the Andes Sport,
this satchel is messenger-bag style and is big enough for a laptop,
schoolbooks, a knitting project, and of course a bag of treats for your
favorite furry friend. The body of the bag knits up quickly in
stockinette, and there are options to knit the strap and the inside
front pocket plain or in an adorable paw-print pattern.

But the real draw of this bag is the tesselated pattern of adorable Westie dogs and lounging black kitties!

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Tags: colorwork, Kits, Knit Picks Designers, New Products


Lots of New Reference books
by on April 5, 2012

Does it seem like you never have enough reference books? It feels like that for me!  My personal library is fully stocked but I am always looking for more – every book gives a slightly different look at different techniques.  Also, books with stitch libraries are a must-have to spur on the imagination!  I’m excited to show you several of my favorite new reference books that will be perfect for your library!

The Knitting Encyclopedia by Claire Montgomerie

the knitting encyclopedia

Breeze through previously difficult techniques with step-by-step instructions, full-color photos and helpful diagrams. Then use the new skills you’ve learned with the simple, intermediate, and advanced projects provided in the book. The projects range from hats and scarves to a Fair Isle sweater or coat. I love the large, easy to read images in the techniques sections.

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Tags: Books, New Products


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