I recently met Carrie from Alpenglow Yarn for lunch, and left with some of this fabulous alpaca yarn to use in the upcoming design collection.

This chunky, squishy alpaca is gorgeous in its simplicity. 

It is an undyed 100% alpaca fiber collected from and milled by farms local to where I live in California. 

I love that the name of the alpacas it came from is printed on the label... and...

although it could be considered annoying by some, I love that while I'm knitting this fiber I am finding little bits of vegetation in it. This is the real deal. I am loving the rustic nature of this yarn. 

Another benefit. It's thick!

This latest design worked up in a snap! And I even finally found a use for these amazing buttons that I had in my stash from long ago. I've been waiting for the perfect project for these!

I am one happy knitter right now. :)

Back to work I go!

It was a pleasure getting to interview Ysolda in Episode 53 about her latest book, Little Red in the City!

To enter to win a signed copy of the book, please leave a comment (including your contact information) under this drawing post. Remember, only one comment per person please.

A winner will be chosen and announced here on July 15th, so please check back then to see if you've won!

Learn more about Ysolda and Little Red in the City by listening to my latest podcast episode HERE.

Episode 53

Shownotes:

Ysolda

Pigeonroof Studios Yarn

Baby Sock Patterns

Little Red in the City

Little Red's Sweater Patterns

Ysolda's Blog

Ysolda on Ravelry

Join the Never Not Knitting Ravelry Group!

Follow me on Twitter HERE

.The winner of Episode 52's Pigeonroof Studios Drawing Giveaway is Kristin! Congratulations!

*Please check back soon to enter the drawing for Episode 53!

Get 10% off all of Ysolda's pattern pdfs through July 14th, 2011

by entering code "NNKPODCAST" in the checkout process.

This offer is exclusive to the Never Not Knitting podcast listeners and blog readers.

As a fellow knitter.. you know how it goes. We buy yarn with the best of intentions. Beautiful expensive skeins. But sometimes they are so beautiful we are afraid to use them for fear that they will be wasted on an unworthy project. 

And yes...I'm using the word "we" here when maybe I should be saying "I". I guess I'm hoping that I'm not alone in this.

Frankly, this happens to me more than I care to admit. 

And that is what happened with these two skeins below. 

Remember this? And this?

They were lying in the deep recesses of the stash. One skein dates all the way back to a 2007 purchase!

But guess what? Although I was envisioning each of these gorgeous skeins for their own separate equally gorgeous projects.. I realized as of late that they look awfully good paired together.

So that's what I did! I was able to incorporate both skeins into a design for my upcoming design collection.

And I can't tell you how good that feels to lift these two beauties from the dark, lonely depths of my yarn bins.

In Episode 52, you heard me mention Pigeonroof Studios yarn. Well.. hear it is! 

Aren't these skeins so beautiful? 

These colors remind me of a springtime garden.

To enter to win these five beautiful skeins provided by Krista from Pigeonroof Studios, please leave a comment under this post. Remember to please include your contact information. 

Only one comment per person please.

This prize includes:

1 skein of Cassiopeia fingering singles in Spanish Moss

1 skein of STRONG sock in Blackcurrant

1 skein of SIREN TWO sock in Juniper

2 skeins of Cassiopeia lace singles in Petal

Gorgeous stuff.

The winner will be announced here on July 1, so be sure to check back then and see if you've won!

Drawing Now Closed! Winner is Kristin! Congratulations!

Episode 52

Pigeonroof Studios

Cascade Fixation

The Birds and The Bees headband patterns

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue headband patterns

Pattern Game Tutorial

List of Pattern Stockists

Saartje's Booties

Bootie Projects On Ravelry

Goodale Sweater

Pigeonroof Studios Etsy Shop

Pigeonroof Studios Colorways On Flickr

Join the Never Not Knitting Ravelry Group!

Follow Me on Twitter!

The winner of Episode 51's 

Spud and Chloe Drawing Giveaway

 is 

Des! Congratulations!

*Please check back soon to enter the drawing for Episode 52!

Get 10% off all purchases at

pigeonroofstudios.etsy.com

 through June 30th, 2011

by entering code “nevernot11” in the checkout process.

This offer is exclusive to the Never Not Knitting podcast listeners and blog readers.

...Swatching tiny oak leaves in delicious green yarn. 

Since I'm a lover of all things green and leafy, I'm finding this part of the design process very exciting. 

On Episode 51, I had the privilege of interviewing Susan B. Anderson about her latest adorable book, Spud & Chloe at the Farm. This book is seriously so cute. If you enjoy knitting toys, you will LOVE this book. And so will your little one!

Leave a comment below to enter to win a copy of your very own along with yarn to make the Spud and Chloe characters and a cute themed measuring tape and project bag. Thank you to Artisan Books and the Spud and Chloe yarn company for providing these fabulous prizes.

Please remember to include your contact information in your comment. 

Also, only one comment per person please.

The winner will be announced on my podcast and blog on June 15th so please check back then to see if you have won!

Episode 51

Shownotes:

Spud and Chloe

Stitches West

Unwind 

Wildfiber

My Pashmina Sweater

Susan's Blog

Spud and Chloe at the Farm

Never Not Knitting Ravelry Group

Follow me on Twitter!

*Please check back soon to enter the drawing for Episode 51!

Now that my first collection design is out of the way.. I decided to pick up this swatch again from a few months back. This will be collection design #2.

Apparently at the time all of these numbers and scribbles made a lot of sense to me. 

I didn't take very good notes because I was absolutely POSITIVE that I would remember what I was doing..

But now.. a few months and one fuzzy pregnancy brain later.. I have simply no idea.

I've been swatching this poor idea to death over the past few days and I hope to make sense of it all soon.

I'm desperately hoping that this gorgeous yarn from Pigeonroof Studios will work for this design. 

I must use it on something.. its just too pretty.

On a side note..  Season 6 of the Never Not Knitting podcast is starting tomorrow! 

Join me then for episode 51!

Remember the pattern collection I eluded to earlier? Well, my first piece is now DONE.

Mostly knit in the throes of early pregnancy morning sickness, this sweater has taken w-a-y-t-o-o-l-o-n-g and I cannot tell you how excited I am to get it off of the needles!

Isn't it strange how sometimes picking the right buttons to finish a garment can be the hardest thing about the project? Choosing buttons is such an important part of the process and it's the part I find very challenging.

I went back and forth between these three options for awhile and finally settled on the middle row of buttons.

They most captured the essence of what this sweater is all about. Sweet and feminine with some vintage charm. I look forward to showing you the entire thing when the time comes.

I know it's annoying when designers show you these kinds of vague and non-revealing photos of their upcoming patterns, but this is how it will have to be for now. Please bear with me while I finish the rest of these designs.

My pregnancy put me way behind schedule, but I still hope to be able to reveal the entire collection to you at the end of the year. This is a very special and personal collection of knits and I hope that it will be worth the wait!

I will keep you all up to date with my progress. And just so you don't get too bored, I will be releasing some other designs that will be part of my regular pattern line in the next few months. 

With my new pregnancy, this collection of knits, and my podcast season starting up again, this blog will be one busy place! Stay tuned!

Recently Veronika from the Yarn on the House blog was kind enough to knit up some samples of my latest headband patterns (Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue) for me to send out with the trunk shows. She also sent me these gorgeous pictures of her daughter, Jasmine, wearing them.

Isn't she beautiful?

I really enjoyed seeing the headband designs on an older girl. I think that this proves that these headband patterns work wonderfully for a girl of any age.

Last year Jasmine was kind enough to model my Spring Garden Tee design as well. Click here to see those photos.

Thank you again to Veronika and Jasmine!

I randomly chose a winner for the book Knit, Swirl! from all of the comments left and I'm happy to announce that the winner is Veronica! Congratulations!

Veronica, please email me at nevernotknitting@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Thank you!

Can't decide between a bird or a violet?

Or a rose or a bee headband?

Now you can purchase all of the headband patterns at once and save.

This pattern bundle includes both The Birds and The Bees headband pdfs along with the new Roses Are Red and Violets Are Blue patterns.

Purchasing the pattern bundle instead of the individual patterns results in a savings of $2.

Have fun making cute stretchy headbands this summer!

I just received in my shipment of Roses are Red, Violets are Blue printed headband patterns!

I love the way they turned out.

As you know, I offer the pattern pdfs as individual downloads HERE on my blog, but

in this printed version (found in yarn stores), both patterns are included in one. 

The above picture shows two copies of the same pattern. (One is just flipped over.)

This concept is often confusing, so I thought I'd show you what I mean.

Below you will see the pattern open on both sides.

No matter how you flip this brochure, one pattern will always be right side up.

You should have heard me trying to explain this style of printing over the phone to some of my family members. It was very frustrating for everyone involved. I guess its something you just have to see to understand. :)

I think these patterns turned out lovely and the way its printed up is fun and unusual.

The most special thing about both of my headband patterns (this one and the Birds and Bees headbands) are the games included  for children. I included these games as a way for knitters to get their children involved in the process.

My five year old daughter helped me put together a "game playing demonstration" for you to see how they work! 

If you recall, a few months ago I had a little headband pattern published in 

Knitcircus Magazine's 2011 Spring Issue.

Now I am happy to tell you that I am adding my Roses Are Red pattern to my own pattern line. It is now available as an individual download in my pattern store and will be hitting the shops soon!

But.. it brought along a friend as well...

The Violets Are Blue headband pattern! (Named after the children's rhyme of course.)

Both patterns are so fun and quick to knit up and only take just the smallest amounts of fingering weight yarn.

During the warmer months, knitters don't often like to have big woolly projects on the needles and in their laps. These headbands can offer you a quick portable summertime knitting project. 

This pattern is ideal for little girls of all ages, but I definitely think it could be worn by a grown up as well. This pattern can be easily adjusted to fit any size head by simply extending the Garter stitch band.

Here is the pattern information for those of you interested:

SIZE

Baby (Toddler, Child)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Headband: 12 (14, 16)” / 30.5 (35.5, 40.5) cm long, 1.25” / 3 cm wide.

Stretches to fit 15.5 (17.5, 19.5)” / 39.5 (44.5, 49.5) head circumference.

MATERIALS FOR ROSES ARE RED

[MC]: Louet Gems fingering [100% Merino Wool; 185 yd / 169 m per 1.76 oz / 50 g skein]; color: 

Fern Green #39; 1 skein or approx 35 (40, 45) yd / 32 (37, 42) m of a fingering weight wool or wool blend.

[CC1] color: Crabapple #26; 1 skein or 10 yd / 10 m.

[CC2] color: Dusty Rose #64; 1 skein or 5 yd / 5 m.

[CC3] color: Willow #55; 1 skein or 5 yd / 5 m.

MATERIALS FOR VIOLETS ARE BLUE

[MC]: Louet Gems fingering [100% Merino Wool; 185 yd / 169 m per 1.76 oz / 50 g skein]; color: Willow #55; 1 skein or approx 35 (40, 45) yds / 32 (37, 42) m of a fingering weight wool or wool blend.

[CC1] color: Violet #45; 1 skein or 40 yd / 37 m.

[CC2] color: Mustard #1352; 1 skein or 5 yd / 5 m.

[CC3] color: Fern Green #39; 1 skein or 15 yd / 14 m.

Alternate Yarns: Malabrigo Sock, Spud and Chloe Fine

2 US1 / 2.25 mm double pointed needles

Tapestry needle

GAUGE

40 sts / 72 rows = 4” / 10 cm in Garter stitch on US1 / 2.25 mm needles or size needed for accurate gauge.

I really hope you enjoy knitting these up! 

If you liked these patterns, click HERE for more fun headbands.

Oh yes.. and I forgot to mention.. there is another fun 'hidden picture game' included for kids in both of these patterns! :)

Thank you so so much for all of the kind comments that everyone left on my last post!

Unfortunately Blogger has been strange the past few days and temporarily took my last two posts down. 

They finally got them back up but all of the first comments that were left are now gone. :(

I wouldn't have minded on any other post, but the last post was so special that I would have really liked to have kept all of your comments there. So disappointing!

Anyways, I'm back with a final book review before the beginning of my next podcast season. Originally I was only planning on reviewing seven books but I was sent this book during the past few weeks and I liked it so much I thought I'd add it on!

This is a brand new knitting book just hitting the shelves now... Knit, Swirl! by Sandra McIver.

This book contains patterns for beautiful, one piece circular shaped sweaters.

I think that the information on the inside jacket of Knit, Swirl! sums up the premise of this book very well.

It reads:

Elegant Design

Flattering Fit

Flexible Sizing

Versatile Styling

Basic Knitting Skills

Minimal Finishing

One Piece, One Seam

Eighteen Patterns 

In Four Dramatic

Silhouettes

Sounds like the perfect sweater doesn't it?

I want one!

Although each pattern follows the same theme, each sweater is different. 

The book contains lots of options regarding shape, measurement and style.

If only I had more knitting time, I would honestly love to knit one of these! 

The construction seems unusual and fun and the finished sweater itself seems so cozy and flattering.

The first thing that really attracted me to this book were the beautiful large photographs.

Here are a few of my favorite sweaters pictured.

I highly recommend that you check out this book. Its a gorgeous publication and the sweaters seem very wearable and easy to make. The style of these sweater looks like it would be flattering on a variety of body shapes and sizes.

Also.. this particular book that I will be giving away is autographed by the designer!

If you would like to enter to win this copy of Knit, Swirl! please leave a comment under this post.

Remember to please include your contact information and only one comment per person please.

Ill announce the winner of this drawing next week!

I already mentioned this on the blog, but as a reminder.. the winner of last weeks drawing for the 

Vogue Knitting Knitopedia was Susan J. Congratulations!

Hello blog readers. As you might have noticed, I've stepped back from my knitting over the past few months and  because of this, my poor little knitting blog has been lacking in content. 

I want to assure you that there have been good reasons for this.

I have been working on a collection of knits that I am hoping to release at the end of the year. For the first time I am designing some women's sweaters which I'm finding to be a fun and challenging endeavor. I love knitting sweaters so much, I think it is time that I crossed over into this new venture. 

You can see that I am using hand dyed yarns heavily in this collection. 

I am enjoying working with such inspiring colors.

One of the sweaters is almost done, but the other projects are still in a swatching stage. I wanted to be done with this by now and have so much more to show you, but there has been this other "project" of mine that has been taking up ALL of my energy.

This little boy who will be joining our family in November!!!!

I cannot quite tell you how happy I am to share this with you. We have been wanting to expand our family for some time now and we are absolutely thrilled to be having a second child.

The last three months have been spent in my bed with my saltine crackers, but it is so worth it!

I'm feeling so much better now and I hope to get back to my regular knitting schedule and get this collection done! I have a lot of work to do but I am really excited!

So.. there will be a lot of fun new projects for me to share on the blog over the next several months. 

I'm very excited about these knits and I hope you will love them too!

All of the sudden I have so much to post about, so I have decided to 

postpone this week's book review for a bit.

The winner of last weeks book drawing giveaway though was Susan J! Congratulations! 

I'm excited to tell you that I have a new little pattern coming out very soon. 

Here is a little hint...

More updates coming in tomorrow's post!

Thanks to my web programmer husband and my talented graphic designer, I have a brand new wholesale website! This website allows shop owners to easily and conveniently order patterns for their stores and even schedule the trunk show!

If you would like to see my professionally printed patterns carried in your local yarn shop, please direct your shop owner to my new wholesale site at nnkwholesale.com.

It is so exciting for me to see my patterns popping up in more and more places around the world! I would have never thought when I started this venture that my designs would be so far reaching. 

It's been such a fun journey. Thank you. :)