A new obsession – Spinning!

At the beginning of the new year, instead of setting resolutions for myself that I knew would be lost after a month or two – I instead tried to come up with a list of crafting goals for myself in 2012. And wouldn’t you know it, I have been slowly been tackling new projects and checking off my goals! One of the things I knew I really wanted to try this year was spinning. And aside from the fact that you get to make your own yarn, I just loved the zen-like calm that spinners have about them as they sit at their spinning wheel.

Combined with the fact that I had a wealth of information all around me since so many others here at the KP office know how to spin, I finally faced with the fact that it might be time to learn. I had a good chunk of Wool of the Andes Roving in Tidepool Heather that I started on with a drop spindle, and that is where my spinning adventure started!

L: Full Circle Roving, R: Full Circle and Wool of the Andes Roving

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Decisions, Decisions

I recently finished a new cardigan (and I should get pictures one of these days, it’s my favorite!) but now I want to make another one.  Maybe it’s been the cooler weather we’ve had out here this spring, but I’ve been grabbing one of my knitted cardigans every morning to throw on to go to work – and of course I need some new ones to add to my rotation, especially some lighter weight ones. So I’m debating between a couple I’ve had my eye on recently.

Jennifer Thompson‘s Star Gazing Cardigan has been on my list forever – I love the lace detail and the overlapping fronts.  It would be my first fingering weight cardigan. (eek!)

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Same great patterns, new format!

I’ve got an exciting announcement!
We’ve partnered with a small, US-based publisher to bring you our eBook collections in full-color, high-quality printed editions! You can find them in our New Books section.

Right now, the American Prairie and Uptown Chic collections are available in this format.

The quality of these books makes them perfect for pattern collectors, gifts, or just to have a physical, dog-ear-able, highlight-able, cross-out-your-rows version of these great titles. All of the patterns in these collections are now available in three formats: in a printed book of six patterns for $14.99, a downloadable PDF eBook for $9.99, or as individual pattern downloads for $4.99 each. Now, you can get these great pattern collections in the format you like best!
Look for more of our eBook titles in printed format in the future!

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Mary’s Summer Bag

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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Congratulations to our winners!

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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Podcast Episode 184: Interview with Hunter Hammersen

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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A workhorse shawl

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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How to Dye Yarn with Food Coloring

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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