The Annual Festivus Post

The Random Number Generator has chosen!  Congratulations to K Valdes who has won the yarn and pattern book and to Stitched Together who has won her choice of one my patterns!  Happy Festivus! 

The Festivus post started a couple of years ago when I had a few grievances and thought maybe some of you could use a place to air yours without hurting anyone's feelings.  Continuing in this tradition, leave your grievance comment here on my blog by midnight on Festivus (December 21) for a chance to win a three skeins of Berroco Linus with a pattern booklet from Berroco (both are from my stash), and as second prize a choice of one of my patterns.  If you are lucky enough not to have a grievance you can post your Feat of Strength, or Festivus Miracle.  Did you knit twelve pairs of socks over the last few weeks? Well, we want to hear about it!  I'll be drawing the name by random number generator.  Please reply within 48 hours or I will have to choose another winner.  You can email me at my name at aol dot com if you would prefer that I post the comment for you so that you can remain anonymous.

I'll get things started with a grievance.

Dear Crazy: I've had enough of you this year to last me a freaking lifetime.  You come in many forms and show up in many ways and I'm sick of your shit.  Are you some sort of poltergeist that jumps from being to being showing up just when I've had enough time to relax and let my guard down?  Move the hell on and don't show up in 2105.  Enough is enough.

Miss Babs Knitting Tour

Just before we left for our trip to Florida this fall I received a wonderful email from Miss Babs asking if I would like to be one of the designers for the Miss Babs Knitting Tour in 2015.  Of course I said yes, and I am so pleased and excited to be part of this years tour! If you haven't heard of the Knitting Tour before, it's a year long journey to far off places all done from the comfort of your own home.  Four delightful packages are sent out in March, June, September, and December.  Miss Babs has a group just for the Tour on Ravelry where participants can ask questions, chat, show off their projects and generally have a great time: Miss Babs Knitting Tour  You can check out projects from past Tours there as well.  I'm sworn to secrecy about where we will be traveling to this year, but I can tell you it will be a lot of fun.  

Sign ups are open now, just in time for Christmas and holiday gift giving (or receiving, heh!).  Click on the picture below to take you to the sign up page which has a lot more information about the tour as well.

Pack your knitting bag and get ready for a year of travel fun!

Holiday Knitting

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Thank you so much for the support during my Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday Sale.  Now that you have stocked your Ravelry Library with some new patterns and did a bit of stash enhancement from the sales lists that Marly Bird and Lisa from Indie Untangled put together it's time to figure out what to cast on!   I'll be casting on a couple of pairs of Intersect Mitt's tonight for gift giving.  They knit up so quickly and it's a really fun pattern.  I have some nice yarn from Indieway Yarns in my stash that I plan on using for both pairs.

I also will be working on a few new designs in the coming months and am really looking forward to getting started on them.  One of them is going to be in this delicious yarn from Bare Naked Wools.  It's called Confection Sport, and there is good reason for that.  If you look up confection in the dictionary it should say: See Bare Naked Wools, but all it says is: a dish or delicacy made with sweet ingredients.  It's absolutely scrumptious!  This colorway is called Nougat, but it comes in several other delicious colorways like: Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate.  Yum!!

 I hope that you are enjoying the holiday season and remember to take time to relax and knit in between going to the market and trying to fit in all of the festivities.  Speaking of which, my annual Festivus post is coming right up and I have some fun prizes to give away! 

Happy Thanksgiving from
Lara Smoot Designs
All patterns in my Ravelry Pattern Shop will be 30% beginning November 27 and ending on Midnight December 1.
No coupon code required.

Yarn Snobbery

Pam MacKenzie wrote a blog post entitled "Being a Yarn Snow has it's Limitations" last week and it got me thinking.  In her post Pam talks about yarn snobs limit themselves to all natural fibers or just wool.  It really made me reflect on how I perceive yarn snobbery.  I had always thought that a yarn snob limited themselves to more expensive and fancier yarns and wouldn't be caught dead purchasing yarn from a big box store or a craft store.  I know some knitters who are like that, which was where my train of thought was coming from.  I also have considered myself to be a full blown yarn snob because I only knit with yarn that I really like and isn't that what knitting is all about?  Having a yarn that feels wonderful and is even prettier to look at, glide across your needles and produce something that you or someone you care about will enjoy wearing?   I think we are all a little bit biased when it comes to our favorite yarns.

When I go shopping for yarn, the first thing that always gets my attention is the color.  I think that's the case for most knitters, we are naturally drawn to colors that we like.  If I am shopping in person and not on line the next thing I notice is how the yarn feels.  I have a really hard time putting a skein of yarn down if it is really soft and luxurious to the touch.  The final decision maker is how the yarn smells.  Yes, I know it's weird, but I smell the yarn.  I have no idea what the ladies at Maple Creek Farm use to wash their yarn with, but they really should sell it.  It's fragrant but not overpowering and smells nice while I'm knitting.  It's a little bonus feature that I think is pretty cool. 

Of course we all have our favorite fibers to work with, and mine happens to be wool or a wool blend.  I really enjoy the softness of cashmere and silk and when added to a nice merino it's like the icing on the cake.  Cake is good by itself, but put some icing on it and now we are talking! 

There are so many different types of yarn and fiber out there that to limit yourself to just one is like only eating one food for the rest of your life.  I like to try different yarns and fibers because you never know what you might like or how they will knit up.  A friend once gave me a skein of yarn that had been made from recycled bottles.  Sounds weird, I know.  It was kind of a boucle' and I wound up making a reusable market bag out of it.  

There are some yarns that I really don't enjoy knitting with and tend to avoid.  They tend to either be scratchy, contain a large amount of soy which makes me itch like I have poison ivy,  or just don't feel good when I fondle them.  It doesn't make them bad yarns, or yarns that shouldn't be used.  They just aren't right for me. 

Are you a yarn snob?  If so, what makes you one?  

Stash Bash

If you are like me and have little balls of sock yarn hidden away throughout your home, then it's time to cast on for Stash Bash!  

Knit or Treat!!  Stash Bash is just $2.99 on Ravelry until November 5th and then it will be $6.00.  

I had such a great time designing and knitting Stash Bash.  Originally there was just one version, but when I finished knitting it I knew that I had to cast on for a second one!  It's such a fun knit and doesn't require a huge amount of concentration which makes it perfect to take to knit group or work on under your desk when your boss isn't around. 

The Mild version was knitted with the two skeins of Kismet Fingering  that I picked up at Mosaic Yarn Shop during the Yarn Crawl. This was a limited edition colorway and is no longer available, but Kismet Fiber Works now has Gradient Kits which would work up perfectly.

The Wild version was knitted with one full skein of Bugga (416 yards) and varying amounts of left over yarns for the contrast:
Contrasting Colors:
1. 4 gm/10 yards Indieway Yarns First String Plus Fingering
2. 9 gm/15 yards Painter's Palette Premium Merino
3. 12 gm/20 yards Verdant Gryphon Bugga
4. 13 gm/25 yards Socks That Rock Lightweight
5. 15 gm/30 yards Verdant Gryphon Bugga

6. 17 gm/35 yards Gnome Acres House Gnome
7. 19 gm/40 yards Plucky Feet
8. 21 gm/45 yards Socks That Rock Lightweight 

Seasons

I got an email from Carol at Rivers Edge Fiber Arts this week telling me to keep my eyes out for a package.  The mailman now thinks I am some sort of yarn crazed lunatic because I have been meeting him at the mailbox every day! When you are waiting for something exciting like yarn it really feels like time slows down and this week was no exception.  I was only a few moments too late to meet our mailman today and it makes me wonder if he has started speeding up his route to avoid the yarn stalker?  When I opened the mailbox, the package from Carol was there!  I opened the package up right away, and am so delighted at the amazing fall colors! 

This is Seasons, a blend of 70% Royal Baby Alpaca and 30% Tussah Silk.  It's so soft that I just want to wrap the skeins around my neck and wear them just like they are!  The colorway is Riverstone and can be found at RiversEdgeFiberArts.com  This is the same yarn that my Juliet pattern is designed for.  I was going to knit another Juliet in Riverstone, but when it arrived all I could think is what a fantastic cowl this yarn would be!  If you are heading to SAFF this weekend, be sure to stop by the Rivers Edge Fiber Arts booth and pick up a set of Seasons so you can make your own Juliet.  I have to warn you though, if you pick it up you will not be able to put it down.  It's that soft!

It's gotten chilly here and we had a bit of frost on the car's this week.  I thought it was time that Iggy had a proper hand knit sweater.  I don't really have much worsted yarn in my stash and wound up using left overs from the two Intersect projects.  Iggy doesn't seem to mind and I think the stripes are cute on him!  I made it on the large size so that he has some room for growing.  I also skipped blocking it since the yarn is superwash and I can get a bit of stretch to it if needed in a month or so. 

 

Just before we left for Florida I had a moment of panic and thought that I would run out of things to knit on our trip.  It happens every time we go away and not only have I yet to run out of something to knit, I can't remember finishing a project while on the road!  Back to the moment of panic...I went digging through my stash, skeins were flying everywhere, and I found a lovely skein of Miss Babs Yummy 2-Ply in Perfectly Wreckless.  I wrote up a little cable and lace sock pattern and stuck it in my carry on bag.  Of course I didn't have time to work on it while we were on vacation!  Now that we are home and settled back into our routines, I have cast on and am really enjoying the yarn and creating the new design.

The Arya Collection

Needle is a small, slender sword that Jon Snow had made by Mikken for Arya Stark before he went away to the Night’s Watch. The sword is suitable to Arya’s slight build and the style of fencing known as “water dancing” used by the bravos of Braavos. Arya named it Needle as an ironic reference to her hatred of needlework. She sometimes refers to her use of the sword as needlework. Eventually, Needle also comes to represent her previous life at Winterfell and symbolizes the happy childhood with her family, which she still yearns for.

Earlier this year at Maryland Sheep & Wool I was able to spend a little bit of time chatting with Miss Babs.  We talked about our favorite characters from Game of Thrones and tossed around a few ideas for a new Game of Thrones inspired pattern.  Babs and I both really like Arya's character.  She's smart, spunky, and doesn't really back down from anything.  On the trip home I worked up a small chart and some sketches of Arya's Needle and then got to swatching.  After a Skype meeting with Babs and Jen, Babs created a limited edition colorway called Arya in Yummy 2-ply.  It will be available in limited quantities this weekend in her booth at Rhinebeck along with a hard copy version of both patterns.  The Arya yarn will also be available for pre-order at missbabs.com.  

Arya's Needle is a versatile shawl pattern and can easily be knit with three different looks. The edging and center sections have the same number of stitches and can be interchanged if you would like. You could have a shawl with three swords, two swords and lace in the center only, or lace in all three sections. The choice is yours!  

The long and slender point of needle will let you Subtly wield your sword with Arya’s Mitts. Instructions are included for a shorter version if you would prefer to wield a dagger rather than a sword! The pattern has two sizes: S/M and M/L and is very easily adjusted by going up or down a needle size.

The patterns can be purchased individually or in ebook format on Ravelry.

Beth, Helen and Kathy did a fabulous job test knitting.  If you have a chance, check out their projects on Ravelry.

A New Pattern Is Coming

This has been such a busy week!  Andy and I have been spending every free moment working on the deck to try to get it finished.  The majority of the construction is done, which is a tremendous relief.  We still have the stairs to put in and then can begin work on leveling up the ground under the deck so that we can have a cement patio poured. 

Andy and I sat outside this afternoon, put our feet up and had a beer.  It was so nice to be able to take a moment to relax and enjoy the deck and the beautiful day.  The new wood needs to cure for six months before we can paint the deck.  We plan on painting it, along with the house this spring.  It's going to be fun to choose a color and we are really looking forward to it!

I haven't had as much time as I would like to knit this week and am still working on the Bethesda's Socks for the Sock it To Me KAL.   I also have a new cowl design on the needles that I plan on taking with me next week while we are on vacation. Yep, that's right, we are taking a vacation!  This one doesn't include construction, cooking, laundry or anything of that nature. 

I have a blog post scheduled for next Friday which will have a BIG surprise and announcement which I think you will like.  If you follow me under Lara Smoot Designs on Facebook there will be a few hint's there during the week as well. 

Happy Friday!

It may seem strange that I get excited for Friday since I'm self employed and wind up working most every day.  Even if I am working, the weekend is still the weekend.  On Friday's I usually cook something more involved than pizza for dinner.  When Andy get's home from work we have a cocktail and kick back a bit before dinner.  Tonight I'm making Carnita Pork and will serve it will a corn salsa, black beans, avocado's and rice.   I can never get enough avocado in any form - sliced, in guacamole or fried.  I will eat it any way that it comes!   Andy has been working a lot.  Between his day job and building our deck (pictures next week!) I haven't seen as much of him as I usually do.  Since a large portion of the deck was rather high up and I am terrified of heights, I wasn't able to help out.  Now that the decking boards are mostly done I've been able to give him a hand.

I've been working on a pair of Bethesda's Socks in the Sock It To Me KAL in my Ravelry group.  If you haven't joined in, there is still plenty of time to get a pair of socks knitted up.  The holidays are right around the corner and socks make a great gift!  This is my sock in progress.  The yarn is from the Murder on the Moors yarn club that The Natural Dye Studio did earlier this year.  The club was a lot of fun, reasonably priced and came with a short mystery story in each shipment. 

Next week I have a new pattern set in Bare Naked Wools Ghillie Sport/DK coming out!  It's called Sugardance and will include a cowl and mitt pattern.  The pattern will be released on Monday and Knitspot will be having a pattern giveaway on their blog, so keep a look out there. It's a super easy knit and would make a great gift for a friend for the holidays!  I know, I know the leaves haven't even fallen off the trees yet.  Isn't it better to get started on that holiday knitting now, rather than to wait until the last minute and have to block a project in your hotel room or at your in laws?

Yarn and Fibery Goodness

I recently got a very lovely package of yarn from Deborah at Yarn Indulgences.  Deborah has a fantastic online shop that specializes in hand dyed yarns in a fabulous array of colors.  I had a really hard time choosing between them because each skein is a work of art.  This is what arrived in my mailbox:

This first lovely is the Indulgent Style Fingering base in the Campfire colorway.  It's an 80% Superwash Merino 20% Silk blend and feels absolutely decadent.  It's screaming that it want's to be a shawl so be on the lookout for a new design in this!

This next lovely skein is in the Indulgent Fingering base in the Maleficent colorway.  Can we say fabulous purple and green?!  Indulgent Fingering is a 100% Superwash Merino base which has a lovely luster and the colors really pop on it.  I have to say that both of these yarns are much more vibrant than what my pictures are showing.  My camera has been a bit of a party pooper recently and I fear that it will need to be replaced in the near future.  I'm hoping that a new memory card will improve things a bit and will try that first.

I also received this beautiful batt as a prize for participating in the Tour de Fleece in the Dropped Stitches Podcast group on Ravelry.  The batt is from Knit Spin Farm and is a beautiful blend of Blue Faced Leicester, Angelina, Corriedale, Finn, Merino, Sari Silk and Silk Noil.  The colorway is Violets at my Feet which is the perfect name for it!  It's quite soft and scrumptious feeling and is going to be a dream to spin up.

Julia tucked in a few other little goodies into the package. I feel very spoiled!

Eclipse

 I've joined up with Natasha from Unplanned Peacock to bring you this lovely wrap.  Eclipse is a super easy, short row, garter stitch shawl worked up in Unplanned Peacock's Peacock Sock.  Peacock Sock has a lovely hand and I really enjoyed knitting with it.  It comes in an incredible selection of colors and Natasha is always helpful in choosing ones that go together if you have a hard time with that. 

 
Eclipse one of those knits that you will want to take with you to work on everywhere you go.  If you make a mistake while working on it, it's not a big deal.  The garter stitch will hide it and only you will know.  For those of us who aren't fond of picking up wraps on short rows, good news!  No need to pick up the wraps.  The lovely garter stitch texture hides them perfectly. 

I want to thank you all so much for your support of my designs.  I really can't express how grateful I am!  I love seeing all the things that you are knitting and enjoy the friendly chatter that you bring to my Ravelry group and on Facbook.  I am not always able to have coupons or sales for new designs, but try to offer them as frequently as I can.  For Eclipse, use coupon code: Luna for $1.00 off in my Ravelry pattern shop.  Thank you again for your support!

Lara

Two Fun Fall KAL's

Fall is almost here and we have two fun KAL's on Ravelry beginning on September 12! 

Pictured is Frost in Bloom


The Cowltastic Knit Along 

Fall is the perfect time for cowl knitting. They are fun and easy, plus make great holiday gifts. If you are a last minute gift knitter (like me!), then you know how nice it is to be able to have a gift made ahead of when you need it (instead of finishing it up in the car and trying to block it in the hotel room).

Guidelines:
Cast on no earlier than September 12.
Use any of my cowl patterns.
Post a picture of your finished cowl by October 19 midnight your time to qualify for prizes.
Tag you project with LSCowltastic.
Use coupon code: Cowltastic for $1.00 off of one pattern for the KAL. The coupon is good through September 12.

I can’t wait to see what you guys make! Spark and Camberwell are perfect for using up stash left overs if you are on a yarn diet.

Spark

 Camberwell

The Sock It To Me KAL

Pictured are Frost Bite


Socks are one of my favorite things to knit and I can’t seem to get enough of them. They are great for gift giving - to those who are sock worthy of course! I owe a pair to a friend who hand washes the ones I made for her a couple of years ago so I am going to join in on this one.

Guidelines:
Cast on no earlier than September 12.
Use any of my sock patterns.
Post a picture of your finished socks by October 19 midnight your time to qualify for prizes.
Tag you project with LSSockItToMe.

Modifications? Of course! If you prefer toe up and want to alter one of my patterns to knit them toe up, sideways, or any other mod’s feel free to do so. I really love seeing what you make from my patterns and love seeing the mod’s too!

Use coupon code: SockIt for $1.00 off of one pattern for the KAL. The coupon is good through September 12.

Sock it to me??? Why this name? My maiden name was Toomey and when my mom was pregnant with me she was a teacher. She told me that her students wanted her to call me Sockit Toomey. I always thought this was really funny :)

I'm working on the prizes for both KAL's.  If you would like to donate a prize, please let me know!

Why do designers charge for patterns?

Have you ever wondered what goes into designing a pattern and why you have to pay the majority of patterns?  I was recently asked why I would charge for a pattern and I found this very thought provoking and I thought it would make a good blog post.  I won't be able to answer why other designers charge or don't charge for their patterns, but I will be able to tell you what goes into one of my designs and hopefully give you an idea of what you are spending your hard earned money on.

I think that everyone's design process is different because we are all creative people.  When I am starting a new design, it's often based on something that inspires me.  The inspiration for my Mother of Dragons shawl for instance, came from Game of Thrones.  When I watched the last scene at the end of the first season where Daenerys emerges from the remains of the funeral pyre with the dragons, I knew I had to design a shawl that would have some dragon qualities to it.  I sketched out the basic shape that I wanted and then did a lot of research in my stitch dictionaries for inspiration.  I worked on the charts for many hours to make sure I liked how the stitches were going to work and then I began swatching.  I dug through my stash to find just the right yarn.  It had to have a fiery effect with some variegation in the colorway to help show off the lace scales.  The Biker Chick from Miss Babs was a perfect match.  Once the swatching is done and the charts are laid out, then the fun begins!  I knit every design that I create.  I know this takes a lot of extra time, but I want to be certain that I like the way something is knitting up.  Especially when something has a lace component in it.  I think we have all knitted something at one time or another that just didn't flow well for us.  It doesn't mean that it was a bad pattern or that the lace wasn't charted or written well.  When this happens I think it just didn't have the right rhythm for me.  With my patterns I figure that if the lace or texture is knitting well for me and that I am enjoying what I am knitting than there is a very good chance that other knitters will enjoy it as well.  

Now we are at the point where the design (a shawl in this instance) is knitted up and I have blocked it.  I work on the final measurements and verify that the gauge from my swatch matches what I knitted.  Now the pattern writing begins.  I take very detailed notes while I am knitting my designs and use them to help me write the pattern.  Out of the whole design process I find that writing the pattern can be the most challenging.  I want to be absolutely certain that anyone who purchases one of my patterns will find the instructions to be clear and easy to follow.  I double and triple check what I have written and then have my editor go over the pattern in case I missed anything.  Anything that needs to be corrected is done at this time and then finally the pattern is sent out to the test knitters.  My test knitters are absolutely fantastic and tell me when they find something that needs clarifying or if something doesn't seem to be working for them or for the yarn they are using.  Once the test knitting is finished, I compile their notes and make any necessary changes to the pattern.  Then this final version is sent back to the editor for a last check before publication.

The photo shoot comes next.  It's always a lot of fun for me to finally get to see how one of my designs is going to look in real life!  Andy and I are always on the look out for new places to take pictures and we are lucky to live in an area with really great scenery.  I edit the pictures and choose which ones will work well in the pattern lay out and which ones will work best on line.  Speaking of pattern lay out, that is another very important component.  I do the lay out myself and try to incorporate the theme of the design into the pattern. I put almost as much time and thought into the lay out as I do on the written portion. There are also advertising costs, fee's from the places that patterns are sold at (Ravelry, Etsy, etc.), and fee's for PayPal as well. 

From start to finish not including the time that it takes to knit an item, a pattern generally takes me about forty hours to create.

I hope that this helps to explain the design and pattern writing process and gives an insight on why designers charge for their patterns.  I would love to hear your thoughts on this!

Lara

Coquette

Introducing Coquette

Have you ever touched a yarn was so soft that you could wrap yourself up in it? I liked the Coquette yarn so much, that I named my new shawl design after it! 

When I got my first skein of Coquette, I fell in love it!  I knew I had to design a shawl that I could wrap around myself and really enjoy the feeling of the yarn while I was wearing it. The Coquette shawl is light and airy while warm enough to keep the chill off your shoulders. Coquette is the perfect accessory for any occasion and pairs well with everything from your favorite dress to jeans and a t-shirt. The simple lace pattern is easy to remember and enjoyable to knit.

I am so excited about Coquette and hope that you will enjoy knitting it as much as I enjoyed designing it.  Please use coupon code: WF2014 in my Ravelry Pattern Shop for $1.00 off.  The coupon expires on August 18, so don't wait too long! 

Use the same coupon code atWanton Fibersfor 10% off your order through midnight August 18th.

SKAL With Cat and Sparrow and a New Pattern is on the Way!

I'm so delighted to announce that there is a Spin and Knit Along (SKAL) for Night's Watch in the Cat & Sparrow Ravelry Group.   The SKAL official start date is September 10, but since they are located in Australia we thought we would go ahead and announce it now to give everyone a chance to order their fiber for the spinning portion.  If you aren't a spinner, no worries because Julie of Dyed By Hand Yarns will be offering a limited edition Night's Watch coloway in one of her fab yarns for anyone who wants to just do the knitting portion.  All the details for the SKAL can be found here:  Cat & Sparrow Night's Watch SKAL   Check out this cool batt that they created in the Night's Watch color!  I can't wait to get spinning on it!

Next week I will be releasing Coquette,  a new lace shawl pattern in Wanton Fibers Coquette yarn.  Rachel from Wonton Fibers will be having a update with lot's of Coquette in it next Friday the 15th.  I can't wait to see what colors she has for the update.  I absolutely love this yarn, it's one of the softest yarns I have ever touched.   Seriously if I had enough of it, I would wrap myself in the skeins and wear them like clothes. 

I am over the top excited about the pattern and will be giving a copy away on Facebook.  Yesterday I noticed that my design page on Facebook is only 9 likes away from reaching 400.  I can't believe it!  I really appreciate all of the support from you guys and can't thank you enough!  Once the page reaches 400 I will do a drawing for the Coquette pattern.

I have never been very good about holding out on things and really can't resist giving you a sneak peek of Coquette.

Modifications

One of the things that I like the most about designing is getting to see all of the beautiful projects that you are making from my patterns!  It's really fun to see them knit up in different yarns and you guys have so much creativity with modifications.  KisForKnitting added beads to her Mother of Dragons Shawl:

Stephanie used her own yarn that she had made at a mill from local fiber to create a larger version of Mother of Dragons. 

FlowerKnitDeborah who won a copy of Juliet on Facebook, knitted hers up in just a matter of days!  She used Indulgent BFL Silk DK which is from her own shop.  I love how Juliet looks in a tonal colorway.  The lace pattern really shows up well.  I really enjoy working with variegated and self striping yarns and sometimes forget how pretty something can be in a more understated colorway.

 

What modifications have you made to patterns?  Are you a knitter who strictly follows the pattern, or do you like to change things up a bit? 

Fresh off the needles and soon to be handed over to Margi for test knitting is Eclipse.  She is knit up in Unplanned Peacock's Peacock Sock in Sun and Moon.  Here is just a hint of what she looks like!

I don't want to go on and on about the puppy and how cute he is and how much I love him and all, because not everyone loves puppies and some people just want to hear about knitting and that is perfectly ok.  We did finally figure out a name for him last Friday so we don't have to call him Voldemort.  We are calling him Iggy!  He looks like and Iggy, don't you think? :)

The Song of My People

Our puppy came home two days early and we are so happy to have him home!  I am completely wiped out from lack of sleep.  He (still no name) has been singing the song of his people at night and I haven't gotten much, if any, sleep for the past two nights.

In celebration of our puppy's homecoming I have created a coupon for all of the patterns in my Ravelry shop for $1.00 off.  It's good through midnight on Saturday July 26.  

Use coupon code: puppy

Any hints or tips on getting him to sleep through the night?  Post one and I will do a drawing for your choice of one of my patterns.  I will do the drawing on Friday August 1.

I will be back in full force next week with a knitting blog post! 

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

I had such a fantastic time at the trunk show at Mosaic Yarn Shop last weekend!  The best part of the day was getting to meet so many very talented knitters.  I am extremely embarrassed to say that once the shop opened I totally forgot to take any pictures.  I think I talked non stop the entire time I was there and taking pictures slipped my mind.  Suzanne aka NeedleHappy  brought one of her finished Yorktown Socks (in a coordinating bag to boot) to show me and I didn't even get a picture of that.  She does have this picture on her Ravelry project page, but I would have liked to have taken one of her and her sock.  The yarn is

Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk and has a lovely hand.  I've never tried it, but may need to after feeling it in person.

I did manage to take a couple of pictures before the opening.

 

The center shawl is Juliet in Rivers Edge Fiber Arts new Seasons self striping yarn.  Juliet was released on Monday and there is a coupon code for $1.00 off if you purchase Juliet through Ravelry: Summer2014  It expires at midnight on Saturday July 19.  Juliet is also available on Craftsy and will be added to my Etsy shop early next week.   In case you want to order yourself a skein of soft as a kitten Seasons yarn, Carol is offering free shipping through July 20.  If you would prefer a hard copy of Juliet, Carol will have them on hand at the shows that she has a booth at.

I got to spend some time with Natasha from Unplanned Peacock who is one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet.  She has a great selection of yarns and some really fantastic colors.  I'm currently working on a new design in her Peacock sock that will be released in early fall.  Want a teaser?   Here is the swatch, the colors are Moon and Sun.

It's countdown to puppy time!  We get to bring the little cutie home next Friday and we still don't have a name.  Andy has threatened to call him "He who must not be named" if I don't figure out what to call him before we bring him home.  I have told him no-way are we naming our puppy Voldemort! This face is way too cute for that!  Margi has suggest Thor which I like, so maybe he will be Thor.  I could knit him a little Viking hat.