Category Archives: About the Blog

A Proposal

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I have an idea.  Dangerous, I know.

I want to ask you guys if you think it’s a good idea, because without your participation, it would be much less fun.

So here it is:  Would you be interested in a “Surprise Sock Pattern of the Month Club?”

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFor a flat fee, I would deliver a brand-new sock pattern to your email inbox every month for the next year.  The patterns would be adult-sized sock patterns in a variety of sizes and knit in a variety of styles from light, lacy, girly socks, to manly, utilitarian socks and everything in between.

Please let me know if you’d be interested.  I think it would be totally fun!  I’ve got ideas!

Feel free to explain your answer in the comments section below!

 

NaNoWriMo!

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Because I cant help saying “yes, and” to any challenge that crosses my plate, I’m doing NaNoWriMo again!

I’m very excited!  This will be my third year doing NaNo, and this time I am not nearly as prepared, so it’ll really be an adventure. (Eep!)

crest-05e1a637392425b4d5225780797e5a76For those of you who aren’t familiar, NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month) happens every November, when people across the country (and the world) sit down at their computers, laptops, typewriters, or notepads and commit to writing 50,000 words of an original novel.  It’s actually pretty fun (difficult and time consuming, sure, but also fun, especially if you were the kind of kid who thought doing elaborate school projects was fun).  Some professional novelists use NaNo to get a jump on their next bestseller (Water for Elephants is a famous NaNo novel), but most people who participate just do it for their own entertainment, like me.  (No one is ever going to read my stories.  I just about die from embarrassment even thinking about it!)

I took a writing course at my local community college last year to help prepare for NaNo, but this year I’m flying solo.  I don’t have my entire plot mapped out, but I think that’ll be OK.  I hope!

I might not know where my story will go, but I bet there will be knitting involved!

Have you ever tried your hand at writing fiction?  What other creative projects do you enjoy?

Charmed Giveaway!

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It’s Giveaway Day!  The most wonderful day of the year!  Woo Hoo!

So, to catch you up, if you weren’t paying attention:  Last week, Knit Picks’ new collection Charmed: Whimsical Knitted Accessories launched, featuring 23 adorable patterns!

32752[1]And (more importantly) featuring two of my patterns! Choose Your Own Adventure Mitts and Ride the Rails Scarf.

51956220_2_medium[2]51974220_7_medium[1]Also, featuring this important cat-themed hat.  Too cute for words.

51976220_3[1]10 of you folks entered the drawing, and that means instead of going to some online number generator, or printing out a million little slips of paper, I get to bust out my favorite 10-sided die!

(What? you don’t have a selection of oddly-shaped dice among your knitting supplies?  How do you make random stripe patterns?)

I gave it a roll, and…

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFogKnits!  You’re the winner of a copy of Charmed!  I’ll send you an email, so be on the lookout!

If you aren’t lucky-duck FogKnits, and want your own copy of this freaking adorable pattern collection, head on over to Knit Picks (it’s actually on sale right now!).

What’s On Your Needles?

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It’s been a blue moon since I’ve checked in with you on what you guys are making, and I think it’s time for me to change that!

My friend Jenny just finished this darling little baby sweater!  (We picked out the buttons together when we visited Bainbridge Island last month.)  It’s a fantastic Halloween-y mix of purple green and black, with tiny silvery-gray mother-of-pearl buttons.image_medium2[1]Adorable, right?  I’m so glad Jenny sent me a picture of the finished project, because her visit to Seattle ended before she got to finish the sweater.

She used the Sunnyside pattern by Tanis Lavallee, which comes in two adorable versions-featuring cables and garter stitch or zig-zag lace and darling picot edging.

5617340260_185f264cd1_z[1]Too cute!

So, what are you working on?  I’d love to see!  And, if you want to send along photos, they might end up on the blog (with your permission, of course!)

 

Project Bags!

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My folks came out to visit me last weekend (Hi Mom! Hi Dad!) and we spent three days exploring the Puget Sound, riding the ferry, and eating too much good food.  It was great to get to spend time with them without having to worry about doing all the holiday stuff that comes with visiting at Christmas or Thanksgiving (not that I mind making Christmas cookies and eating green bean casserole).

And not to sound too materialistic, but Mom brought me a present!  An adorable little project bag, perfect for a pair of socks-in-progress.

And, do you know the best part about the project bag?  She designed and made it herself- from sewing the bag all the way down to creating the fabric designs!il_570xN.835404308_255k[1]I know, right!  Look at those goats!  Adorable!

I will own that I’m pretty good with needles and yarn, but while I like doodling from time to time, I’m not half the graphic artist my mom is.  (She’s actually going to school for illustration and has a pretty cool little business designing fabric and paper goods)

il_570xN.835407966_lncv[1]She actually has on a whole line of knitting- and crochet-inspired patterns, and then is using them to make bags, pouches, chidren’s clothes, and all manner of useful things.  Look at this sheep/stockinette project bag.  Could you get any cuter?

il_570xN.780881295_lwek[1]And, she’s even making little hand-bound notebooks, perfect for throwing into your matching knitting bag!

il_570xN.825976551_3v45[1]I know I’m a little biased, but I think that any of these would make a great gift for a favorite knitter in your life (or me!).    If you want to take a look at all the adorable things Mom makes, you can visit her Etsy store here:

Paper or Threads

Or, if you want to make your own projects from the fabric she designed, click here:

Spoonflower

Ollie and the Vet

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Bad news, folks.  No knitting-related posts today, I’m afraid.  Ollie’s got a wicked stomach bug, and I’ve got to go take care of him (and clean the floors…ick!).  Send him good vibes and well wishes.

WP_20150911_001He looks pathetic now, but I’m sure he’ll be up and running around, chewing up blankets again in no time!

 

EDIT:  Thanks for everyone’s good wishes!  As of Sunday morning, Ollie’s feeling 1000 times better.  He’s getting back his energy and getting into mischief again.  We might even go for a walk today!

400!

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Woo!  It’s me!  Again!  For the 400th time!

I’ve been writing this blog for more than 2 and a half years, three times a week.  Posts start to stack up.  There’s a part of me that wants to print it all out, just to see how much paper it would use.

But that’s crazy.

(And a waste of paper.)

Instead, let’s talk about my second-favorite thing (apart from knitting and writing about knitting): TV.

Sincef I’ve done 400 posts, let’s see what shows have had more than 400 episodes.  (Of course, this is according to this website, so who knows how accurate these counts are.)

Bonanza (apparently) ran for 430 episodes.  (I remember watching the beginning of this show hundreds of times as a kid when it came on after Little House on the Prairie, but I don’t think I ever actually watched it.)

161430-bonanza-bonaza[1]Law and order is still one of my favorite mindless TV binge-watching shows, and at 456 episodes, there’s lots to binge on.

law-and-order_510[1]I loved the Simpsons from middle school through high school and would watch reruns after school almost every day.  I memorized quotes and learned every character’s backstory… yes, I might be a bit of a nerd.  Now, with 541 episodes, I’ve got quite a lot to catch up on.The_Simpson__s_Family_by_Simpsonix[1]And Lassie wins the episode race with 588 episodes over almost 20 years.  This surprised me, as I’m pretty sure the few episodes I saw as a kid were all basically the same.  But, I suppose that could be said for a lot of TV shows.7ad9c765f42de0847bf1a3fafeca067f[1]I’ve only got 188 more posts before I overtake Lassie!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

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Oh man, you guys.  It’s time!  Time to give away those free copies of Twist & Tweed!  I’m so excited!

75206DBut, before that, I just wanted to say that you’re all making me very wistful for autumn.  I can’t wait to do all the apple-picking, cider-sipping, forest-hiking and sweater-wearing that everyone has been talking about.  It’s just about killing me that it’s going to be in the 80s again today.  Oh well, I suppose we’ll get back to lovely rainy autumn days soon enough…  but patience was never my strong suit.

In the meantime, let’s get the drawing underway!

As of right now, 72 people entered the drawing, and I’ve got 2 copies of Twist & Tweed to give away– one e-book and one paper book.

Let’s go to the random number generator:

For the e-book:Capture 1Kristen!  You’ve won the e-book!  You can look at it while your apple pie is baking in the oven!

 

And for the paper book:

Capture 2Lana!  You’ve won a copy of the paper book!  You can take your book up north to your favorite apple farm and read it while sipping hot cider!

Congrats, ladies!  Keep an eye out for an email from me with the details!

If you want a copy of your own, head over to the Knit Picks website here!

Free! Free! Free!

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So, you know my new pattern (the Ballard Pullover)?  It’s not being published on it’s own.  It’s part of a fantastic collection of gorgeous, autumnal knits.  Twist and Tweed!  Here’s what you’ll find inside:

Amazing cables! Cables! Cables!

75206D120[1]Tweed and heathers!

75206D110[1]And more (freaking amazing) cables!75206D115[1]Holy cow, are my fingers itching to start knitting up these projects.  Do you think I could finish that dress by the time fall rolls around if I start now and skip stuff like going to work and sleeping?   Maybe.

Are your fingers itching to cast on, too?  Well, today’s your lucky day!  I’m giving away two (count ’em, two!) copies of Twist and Tweed– one e-book and one paper book– to two lucky readers!

Want to enter? Just comment below with your favorite autumnal activity!  I can’t wait to read all about apple picking and cozy blankets and imagine that I’m back in autumn!

What should I be reading?

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I have a confession to make.

I am a (clearly) avid blogger- I’ve consistently written three posts a week for the last two and half years.  I like the idea of blogs, and I think they’re totally worthwhile and can be amazing.

But (and here is the confession), I haven’t consistently read any knitting blogs (or any blogs, really) since I started On the Needles.

I know!  Heresy!

Back in the day, and several computers ago, I had a whole list of a dozen or more blogs that I’d check nearly every day.

Now, I can’t remember their names.  And the ones I do remember seem to have lapsed.

Through the Loops has changed its name, and hasn’t been updated since May.ThroughTheLoops-Logo[1]The Mason-Dixon Knitting ladies haven’t posted since February.511RlvWDFBL[1]And, the Purl Bee has completely changed- It looks like an online store now.

header-sticky-logoTell me that there are still good knitting blogs out there.  I know there has to be, but where are they?  What should I be reading?  I need to up my blog-reading game.