An Interview, Powhatan's Festival of Fiber and Spark KAL with Bare Naked Wools!

Last month Robin Hunter contacted me to see if I would be interested in participating in an interview for her blog.  There are a few blogs that I try to read on a regular basis and hers is one of them.  She always has interesting information and I enjoy reading the interviews she does with other designers.

Robin posted the interview today.  I'm really honored that she asked me!  She asks a lot of good questions and if you were wondering more about me and my business, please check out her post:  An Interview with Lara Smoot

For the past few weeks I have been getting ready for the Powhatan's Festival of Fiber.  I've put together some "Ready to Knit" kits with a few of my patterns.  These kits include the yarn, pattern and a stitch marker.  All you will need are your needles to get started!


Frost in Bloom



Oktoberfest



Iridill
 


Ferry Beach 




I will also be bringing some Mother of Dragons kits.  They include a Limited Edition dragon project bag, Mother of Dragons pattern and coordinating yarn.  This is just a little hint of the bag as I am putting the final touches on them:

I will be adding some project bags and kit's to my Etsy shop around the first week of May.  I am really excited to be starting this new venture!

Speaking of excitement, the Spark KAL has been announced in the Bare Naked Wools group on Ravelry.  We would love to have you join us.  It begins on April 30 and Erica and I have some fun things planned for the KAL including a few contests along the way.  If you are looking for something to knit for your Mom for Mothers Day, Spark is a perfect gift.  Mom can wear it in the chilly spring air when she goes out for her morning walk, or in the evenings since the nights are still a bit chilly.  Ok, who am I trying to kid here?  When I spoke with Erica earlier this week she had 2" of snow at her house! It's definitely a late spring and Mom would sure appreciate a nice hand knitted Spark cowl to keep her warm.  Check out these pictures from the look book photo shoot.  Beth knitted the lighter colored Spark using all Bare Naked Confection and I knitted the darker one in Confection with Indieways Best Worsted for the contrast.

Wandering Wildflower

Introducing Wandering Wildflower

Introductory price of $3.50 until July 1 on Ravelry

Wandering Wildflower is a very versatile pattern and can be worn as a scarf or a cowl.  If you make the version in the pattern it will use close to 450 yards of fingering weight yarn.  The pattern can easily be modified to accommodate a skein with less yardage by casting on fewer stitches.  Shannon who test knit for me used an alternating color for the eyelet section. It's really quite striking.  Just waiting for her to upload pictures.  We are giving her slack though. I think she is still unpacking boxes from her move last weekend.  If that won't put a delay into things, I don't know what will!

Yes, the pattern name was changed :)  A friend suggested that Kracken might not be the best choice for something that is wrapped around ones neck.  Lindr came up with the name and will receive a copy of the pattern (Lindr please contact me via Ravelry and I will send you a copy right away).  JudyH also will be receiving a copy from our random drawing.  Thank you to everyone who participated!

I'm packing today to leave for TNNA tomorrow.  It's exciting to go and get to see friends that we don't see that often.  I can't believe it's been over a year since Ive seen Anne and Erica!  Im really ecstatic about getting to meet Carrie aka IrishGirlieKnits this year!  Ive always loved knitting her patterns and have done some test knitting for her in the past.  

If you are going to TNNA this weekend, please stop by the Shalimar Yarns booth and say hi.  I will be working all day on Saturday and Sunday morning.  Ive finished my Tempest sweater and will be wearing it.  It's hot pink - Love Potion and gray - Ore so I should be easy to spot. 

Blocking With Noodles

Blocking with noodles she says.  Interesting concept, but sounds like it could be a bit messy.  I always have a bit of a quandary when blocking a large object that has been knit in the round like an infinity scarf.  Anne Hanson who has been a wonderful mentor and who I have test knit for recommends rotating the knitted object as it drys to prevent creasing.  This works really well and will guarantee that there will not be any creases.  Sometimes though, I forget that I put something out to dry or I'm limited on time that day and worry that my nice infinity scarf won't block well.  Connie came up with a very easy way to Block It and Forget It (like the infomercial - Set It and Forget It).  She used paper towel tubes at each end with a towel wrapped around them and said it worked like a charm.  Andy and I were walking around a sporting goods store and I spotted some pool noodles and the light bulb went off.  I picked one up and walked around with it while we shopped.  I have to give Andy a lot of credit, he never asked why I wanted a pool noodle even though we don't have a pool!  When it was time to block the new infinity scarf I took a good chopping knife and cut the size I needed.  The cut noodles worked like a charm:

And we have a name for the new pattern: Kracken.  While it wasn't one of the ones that were posted in the comments, it's gone over really well with everyone we told.  I used the random number generator to choose the pattern winner.  Congratulations to: JudyH. Please PM me on Ravelry (SpinningLara) with your information and when the pattern is published I will send you a copy.  We are hoping to do a photo shoot for for it this weekend.  Test knitter's Liz and Shannon have been knitting away on theirs.  Liz has been working on two Kracken's and Shannon is doing one in two colors that is really amazing.

Here is the new sock design that I've been working on:

It's a really fun and quick knit.  I'm casting on for it's mate over the long weekend and should have the pattern ready for test knitting sometime next week.  If you are interested in test knitting please let me know.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend.  Please take a moment to remember our fallen hero's.  They gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedom's that we are fortunate enough to have.

Knit Along Time!

It's been a really exciting week here!  Erica asked me to hoast the first Knit Aong in the new Bare Naked Wools group on Ravelry.  We will be using my brand new Ribbon Street Cowl pattern along with Anne's new Breakfast Blend DK yarn.  It's really quite an honor to be be asked to do this and Ive been over the moon about it!  Erica, Barb, Anne Marie and myself will all be there if anyone has questions or needs help.  It's fun and easy pattern, perfect for knitting in the evening while relaxing or to take with you to knit group.


The Ribbon Street Cowl pattern is just $3.50 until the end of the month in my Ravelry shop. 

Ive already knit one up in Breakfast Blend DK.  It's in the Morning Smoke colorway.  Don't you just love this color?  Grays are my favorite!  Not to mention the fantastic blend of Merino and Alpaca that gives this yarn softness and fantastic squish factor!

 For an idea of what it would look like in other colorways, please see the pattern page on Ravelry.

The other thing that has made this a great week is that I finally got around to painting the shelves that Andy made for the dining room.  I honestly had gotten so burned out from our kitchen remodel that I just couldn't bring myself to paint these three simple shelves.  In all fairness, it did take most of a day to get them painted.  Now all that is left to do is to paint the bottom of the wall.  The current color really doesn't go well with the new cabinet color.  We are changing it to a warm shade of brown.  Oh and then Andy is buiding a new and larger pantry.  But, that's a story for another day!

 

Hope to see you in the Bare Naked Wools Ribbon Street Cowl KAL!

caissa

Earlier this year Anne Hanson asked me to do a test knit for a kimono style sweater.  Sight unseen, with only a hint of what it was going to look like, of course I agreed!  After all, Anne's patterns are fantastic and very well written.  Hints of what it would look like would pop up on her blog from time to time.  Little snippets of knitted fabric, hints about the shaping, and photo's of the yarn kept me on pins and needles!  Last month an email from Anne came and it was time to begin. 

 

It took me just a little over a month to complete my caissa and I really enjoyed every minute of the pattern.  It's straight forward, easy to follow and like all of Anne's sweater patterns, fit's perfectly. 

 

We have had a couple of cool nights here and Ive already had a chance to wear it.

 

 

It's the perfect sweater for wearing with jeans and a light shirt in the fall.  And this winter it will layer nicely over a long sleeve shirt.  Ive checked to see that it's light enough to fit under my coat which will make it perfect for car trips. 

 

The pattern should be coming out soon.  Keep an eye on Anne's blog for the details. 

 

If you would like to meet Anne and have a great learning experience, she will be at the Shalimar Yarns Studio on Friday September 21 for the Knitspot Finishing Series.  More information and the link to sign up is here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Labor Day

Our Labor Day weekend was very relaxing and enjoyable.  We went to Dish for dinner with Shannon and Rob and then walked around downtown. Taking pictures of each other and having a great time.

 

Andy really spoiled me all weekend by taking me out to lunch Sunday and Monday.  I really enjoy cooking, but it's so nice to have a break.

 

It rained for part of the weekend which means prime knitting time!  I made some real progress on my Cassia test knit that Im doing for Anne.  It's a fantastic and straight forward pattern which makes it perfect for tv watching or knitting when company is over.  I did a quick dry fit last night to check the sleeve length and I absolutely love how the sweater fits and looks!  Pictures to come soon! 

 

I did manage to squeeze in a few hexipuffs.  The grand total as of yesterday is 164.  Still a long way to go, but they seem to fly off the needles.  Each one takes about 20 - 30 minutes.  The Fair Isle ones take about 45.

 

Ive also discovered a new favorite wine.  No, not all of them!!  It's Flip Flop Moscato.

It's light, slightly sweet and even Andy who is not a fan of Moscato seems to like it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



More on the Kitchen and a bit of a break

August has been such a busy month and has flown by.  We have been working on the kitchen nearly every day.  There have been times when Ive wanted to give up from shear exhaustion.  Andy manages to keep going, I have no idea where he gets his energy and drive from.  He's really an amazing guy! 

 

It rained on Saturday so instead of being able to work on the upper cabinet doors we took a trip to Home Depot to purchase our new backsplash.  Little did I know that when we got home Andy was going to install it.  It looks like an old tin ceiling and came in sheets that are applied with adhesive.  It took just a few hours to put up and we love it!  It completely changed the look of our kitchen and will be much easier to care for than tile.

 

Shown here with my Shalimar Yarn's KAL project, Anarchary in the UK Handwarmers.  The yarn is Homage in Cranberry, Bluecrop and Tawny and is a dream to knit with!

 

 

The next time you see this kitchen there will be doors!

 

Andy and I did manage to take a three day weekend and head to Yorktown, VA.  We were both so exhausted from our home improvement projects that we really appreciated a quiet getaway.

 

We spent some time on the beach

Met a Pirate

Supported our forefathers

Saw cannon fire!

 

And quite honestly spent a lot of time at the Yorktown Pub

 

 

 

 

 

 



Blog Neglect!

It's been way too long since Ive posted on my own blog.  Ive been working day and night getting ready for this past weekend at TNNA in Columbus.   Since Ive been working as Director of Social Media for Shalimar Yarns Ive been able to have a lot of wonderful opportunities and attending TNNA was definitely one of them!  Andy and I left early on Friday and drove out to Columbus to help Kristi and her daughter Edie set up the Shalimar booth.  After we got everything set up, we had a fantastic dinner with Anne and Erica at 89 Fish & Grill.

I took this picture early in the morning before anyone was there.  I think the booth turned out pretty well.  We had a lot of compliments on how the yarn was displayed.

We were right next to the HiyaHiya booth.  They are a fun group and have wonderful needles!  If you haven't had a chance to try them out, head to your LYS and give them a whirl.  Sharp points, great price and the interchangeables start with size 2! 

During the show so many designers stopped by and it was an honor to meet them all!  Amy Polcyn came by and said she had heard of me.  This just floored me as she is an amazing designer as well as a technical editor for many publications such as Interweave.

Andy and I stopped by to visit with Michelle aka FickleKnitter who will be working on a design for a Shalimar KAL later this year.  She has some amazing designs and I cant wait to knit one of them!

Tonight we are kicking back, watching The Sitter and having Pina Colada's. Glad to be home and to have a chance to relax and do some knitting. Im currently working on Bigger on the Inside. It's a free pattern on Knitty.com. Ive also got a second Color Affection aka the Crack Addiction Shawl in the works. Here is a picture of the first one:

My plan is to make more time for blogging over the summer!  Do you have any fun summer plans?

PS:  I met Tiny Owl Knits and not only is she adorable and sweet, but her designs are too!  Im going to have to make a Beekeeprs Quilt after seeing her's in person. Sweet and a great way to use up left over sock yarns!

 

Catching Up and FO's

It's been a whirlwind here the last few weeks and it's hard to know where to begin.  I have to admit that I may have had a extra iron or two on in the fire last month but it was all in good fun.  Anne asked me to test knit her new and fantastic pattern - Sticks N Stones.  Not only was this a fun knit, but it's really straight forward and allowed for some good movie and tv time with Andy. 

Keep an eye out on Ravelry and Anne's blog for this great pattern!  The yarn is Woolen Rabbit Sporty in Olive Green.

Kristi, from Shalimar Yarns has added a wonderful new 100% silk lace yarn, Ardent, to the Shalimar line.  When she asked me if I wanted to try it out I jumped at the chance!  This is the Ring of Lace Wrap in Ardent Conch Shell.  You can see it in person at the Shalimar Yarns Booth next weekend at Maryland Sheep & Wool.  We will be in the All About Yarns tent.  Join us on Saturday at 1:00 for a meet and greet!

In preparation for MDSW we have been having a KAL in the Shalimar Yarns Group on Ravelry.  We chose the Calsada Scarf and will be wearing them at the meet and greet.  It's a quick and fun pattern and works up beautifully in Shalimar Breathless.  Pictured here in the Tahoe colorway.

Last weekend Andy and I took a trip up to visit with Kristi and Paul for Anne Hansons Sweater Fitness Workshop.  I can't tell you how much fun it was and how much I learned!  Ive already started my next sweater, a Sprossling in Breathless Hemmingway.  Anne had some great tips on fitting my figure and they are really working well. 

Ive been coveting some of the cute bags on etsy and decided that it would be more cost effective to make my own.  Andy and I have been watching Mad Men on Netflix.  It's our new obsession and we can't wait to finish dinner and sit down, relax and watch a new to us episode.  When I saw this fabric it seemed like the perfect choice for my bag:

You can read more of last weekends adventures on Anne's blog!

 



My New Favorite Sweater

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be a test knitter for Anne Hanson's newest sweater design; Blümchen

I love my finished Blümchen.  Not only does it fit perfectly but it was such a fun and very easy knit that Im currently shopping for yarn for a second one!

If you are looking for a well fitting and flattering sweater this is the way to go.  I used Knitting Notions Classic SuperwashMerino in Pumkin Spice. 

The finished sweater may give the impression that it was difficult or challenging to knit, but I promise it was quite easy.  The lace pattern is easy to remember and I knit the majority of it while watching tv with Andy in the evenings.  I even brought it to our knit group and worked on it while catching up with the girls.

What Dreams May Come

I had a really horrific health scare late in the summer that required a biopsy.  There were sleepless nights for my husband and I before and after and quite frankly a lot of worry. 

A couple of nights before the biopsy I had a vivid dream where Anne Hanson told me that if I joined her Fall in Full Colors club my breast would be fine. 

Now, Im not into reading into your dreams or fortune telling or anything like that.  But I figured, what the hell.  It's yarn and patterns by one of my favorite designers, how could I go wrong?

Well, Im not saying that the Fall in Full Colors club has magical healing powers, but my biopsy turned out just fine. 

The last time Andy and I were out on the boat the leaves were just starting to turn a beautiful yellowish green.  With the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains the colors were spectacular!  I was thinking that it would be great to find yarn in these colors:

Since I work for Kristi I knew the September shipment would be Shalimar Breathless.  But I had no idea of the color.  There was such a happy dance when this arrived:

Fantastic, yes?

The pattern to go with it is for Hazeline a stunning shawl.  I can't wait to get started on it and will be winding the yarn today.  I have one cuff left to finish on the Vodka Gimlet that Im doing in Honey Worsted Black Truffle and then will get to cast on for the Hazeline.  Im proud of myself for showing restraint and not casting on until the Gimlet is finished. 

Leaving

Anne Hanson is one of my favorite pattern designers.  Her patterns patterns produce amazing results. 

This is Leaving and it's first sweater that I have knitted where I am completely happy with the fit. 

Knitting a something as large as a sweater and not knowing how it's going to look on your body is a little daunting.  If you look at the finished projects page for Leaving on Ravelry it looks wonderful on everyone.  It's light enough to wear in early fall with a shell under it and later on in winter would also look great with a blouse. 

The yarn is hand dyed BFL by Wits End Serenade.  It was a gift from Andy at the Montpellier Fall Fiber Festival last October. There is a skein and a half left over.  Enough for a shawl or perhaps a vest.  The nice thing about yarn is that it doesn't have an expiration date.

Seams?  What seams?  They don't really stand out, do they?  That is thanks to Ann McCauley, another fabulous designer, author and mentor.  She was here in Virginia a couple of weeks ago and was kind enough to teach a seaming class at our knit group.  While Ive done some seaming in the past I was never satisfied with the results.  After Ann's class my seaming has improved one hundred percent.  If you ever have an opportunity to take one of her classes, I highly recommend it.