tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187104792024-03-12T21:53:36.361-04:00Go Knit In Your HatJust another day in the dog-eat-dog world of yarn. . .Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.comBlogger973125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-32910999508781552882013-01-01T10:54:00.002-05:002013-01-01T10:54:46.807-05:00A fresh startNew Year's Day: time when people all over the world start over again. It's a nice illusion, that the simple change of a numerical marker we use to count years is a chance to reboot our lives. But it's a helpful illusion. It's a great way to muster up the energy and commitment to make changes. And change has come to Go Knit In Your Hat.<br />
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In the past months, I've been working with a fabulous graphics designer to revamp my Black Bunny Fibers website. It's taken longer than I thought (ha) and been much more intense than I anticipated (ha) but we're finally finished. I have held off on blogging as much lately because it seemed a little silly to post more content to the old website when a new one was in the offing.<br />
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We're finally done. Introducing the new and vastly improved <a href="http://www.blackbunnyfibers.com/" target="_blank">Black Bunny Fibers website.</a> You'll find, in one place, information about my dyeing, writing, patterns, teaching and books. You'll also find a new incarnation of my blog. I'll leave up this Blogger-based blog in archived form for a while, but change your settings, please, to reflect<a href="http://www.blackbunnyfibers.com/category/blog/" target="_blank"> the new URL for my blog.</a> There's already <a href="http://www.blackbunnyfibers.com/a-fresh-start/" target="_blank">a post up there telling a little more about the move.</a><br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-37413327012547153012012-12-02T07:11:00.000-05:002012-12-02T07:11:04.398-05:00Meet me in NYC!I know it's been quiet on the blog, and I'm hoping to get back to posting more regularly very soon. In the meantime, my last teaching trip of 2012: I'll be at Lion Brand Studio today teaching from 2 to 5 p.m. -- see all the details <a href="http://www.lionbrandyarnstudio.com/index.php/class-spotlight-carol-sulcoskis-secrets-of-the-schematic/">here</a>. Call the shop at 212-243-9070 to see if there are spaces left!<br />
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Tomorrow I'll be doing a talk and booksigning at the LB Studio beginning at 6 p.m. Details are <a href="http://www.lionbrandyarnstudio.com/index.php/meet-carol-sulcoski-at-her-free-book-signing/">here</a>, and although it is a free event, the shop would like you to RSVP online if you can.<br />
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It's been a crazy fall for me, and I am still recovering from all my medical stuff, so please excuse my silence here -- and the short notice for this event (I'm more active on Facebook and Twitter). Hope you see you there!Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-7870008900302263242012-11-11T15:41:00.003-05:002012-11-11T15:41:19.739-05:00With apologies to Miss DickinsonBecause I could not stop for Kristi<br />
She kindly stopped for me.<br />
The Civic held but just ourselves<br />
And Donna, her sweet pea.<br />
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We slowly drove, with no great haste<br />
And I had put away<br />
My knitting and my Facebook too<br />
For her civility.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northampton City Hall</td></tr>
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We passed Noho, where ladies drove<br />
On streets, in comfy shoes.<br />
We passed the fields of Amherst next<br />A parking spot we choos'd.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily Dickinson Museum</td></tr>
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We paused before a house that seemed<br /> Our destination, sure.<br />
In gold and green the clapboards were<br />
We signed up for a tour.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily Dickinson</td></tr>
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She lived a century ago, and yet<br />Her work endures this day<br />All too soon they drove me back<br />
To the hotel where I doth stay.<br />
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<em>Thanks for a wonderful afternoon, K. & D.!</em><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss you two already!</td></tr>
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-20488517353241479152012-11-09T16:56:00.004-05:002012-11-09T16:56:49.881-05:00Come say hi at WEBS!I'm here in Northampton, Massachusetts, taking a little rest. Mr. Franklin Habit and I left Pennsylvania early this morning,<br />
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and although it took us a good five hours to get here, it was a very pleasant drive. (Probably because Franklin kept me laughing and entertained the entire way.)<br />
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Northampton is a wonderful place. We are staying in an amazing hotel<br />
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and had a chance to walk around a little bit already.<br />
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We are both so excited to be here--to get to spend some time in this terrific town, to get to see the lovely Elkins, to see the great folks who work at WEBS, to meet lots of knitters and get hugs from old friends, and, oh yeah, to check out the amazing yarns! (It's a particularly great time to shop at WEBS because through tomorrow, the Elkins will be donating 5 percent of all sales to the American Red Cross's Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.)<br />
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I will be signing Sock Yarn Studio beginning at 11 a.m. tomorrow, and I'll have tons of the sample items from the book for you to see. (I will also give away Tastykakes while supplies last. Seriously.) Franklin is speaking tomorrow afternoon, and there may be a space or two left in his two classes Sunday afternoon. All the details are <a href="http://www.yarn.com/webs-classes-events/">here.</a><br />
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So I want to remind everyone who lives close by to come and see us this weekend at WEBS -- America's Yarn Store!<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-52215801176356247512012-11-05T10:22:00.001-05:002012-11-05T12:09:14.775-05:00Chicago, part 2: Ferris Sulcoski's Day OffIn my last post, I left off at Saturday night. Saturday night was when folks at the show started seriously wondering about Hurricane Sandy. One designer got a call Saturday canceling his Sunday flight, and all of a sudden everyone who had to fly back to the East Coast on Sunday or Monday started worrying about whether they ought to leave early lest the airports be closed.<br />
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I had a class Sunday morning until noon (more lovely students!), and my flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 7 p.m. Because Philadelphia wasn't supposed to get hit as hard as NJ and NY, I figured there was a decent chance I would make it on that flight. (I was also skeptical that there would be any seats on flights leaving earlier Sunday afternoon.) I had a lecture from 3 to 4, and had planned on leaving right for the airport--only to learn just before 3 o'clock that my flight, too, was canceled. There were some panicked calls and some rooting around for hotel rooms, but things got worked out, and I was given a new room to check into at the same hotel.<br />
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At this point, the trip started to get a bit surreal. The show was over, but several of us were stuck for at least another night or two, and some of the folks who taught on Sunday had planned to stay another night anyway, and leave on Monday. I met up with a bunch of wonderful people in the hotel bar, like the amazing Fiona Ellis, modeling her <a href="http://soakworthy.com/tag/fiona-ellis/" target="_blank">Soakworthy fingerless mitts </a>with matching nail polish.<br />
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We ended up having a really fun dinner with Franklin and his partner Tom, Fiona and her husband Rob, Brooke Nico, and Josh Bennett. We went to an Irish place out by Franklin's apartment, where the food was amazing and we were treated like royalty.<br />
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Hmm. Not sure that my photo of fried asparagus really reproduces how tasty it was!<br />
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My flight was rescheduled for Tuesday, but there was a lot of uncertainty about whether the East Coast airports would even be open at all. But that left me with a free Monday in an amazing city. Since the Art Institute was only a block and a half away, I headed over there bright and early Monday morning.<br />
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What a rare pleasure, to spend a day wandering around a spectacular collection of art. There were so many iconic works, including a phenomenal set of Impressionist works,<br />
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some Georgia O'Keefes, American Gothic, a wing full of modern art, all sorts of great paintings.<br />
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I zipped through a special exhibit featuring colonial needlework, like the above sampler, and lots of quilts,<br />
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and saw beautiful pieces of furniture <br />
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and fragments from architecture and Tiffany lamps and all sorts of things to lift one's spirits. Even the day itself was bright and autumnal and breathtaking.<br />
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My flight on Tuesday was canceled in due course, and I was rescheduled for a Wednesday morning flight. Tuesday, I must confess, was a much less relaxing day for me. I really started to miss my family and the stress of being stranded far away, while so many awful weather-related things were happening on the East Coast, was getting to me. I was lucky to have dear friends around me (or a few clicks away) to help distract me (Thanks, T.M., K.V. & K.E.!)<br />
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Instead of moping around the hotel on Tuesday, I took another "field" trip. I went to see the Field Museum (see what I did there?) which is a museum of natural history. It was a brisk walk and the day was cloudy and chilly.<br />
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I did enjoy the walk, though, since I got a peek at the lake and got to see more of the downtown area.<br />
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The Field Museum was wonderful in a different way. How can you not love a huge dinosaur named (of all things) Sue?<br />
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There were all sorts of textile-related things to pique my curiosity, from a brief exhibit on fashion<br />
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to Native American beadwork to Tibetan clothing and more!<br />
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I was captivated by an amazing collection of gemstones and jewelry, too. Eventually I went back to the hotel, took a nap, and then obsessively checked the USAir website to see if my Wednesday flight had been changed....<br />
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I was up at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and my flight was still on, so I ventured onto the Blue Line<br />
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and joy of joys, my plane took off exactly on time, and arrived a few minutes early.<br />
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All in all, I felt very lucky. I got home as quick as humanly possible; I had a lovely hotel in which to stay and had dear people around me; and I even made it home in time for the twins' Halloween parade.<br />
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However, I am deeply sad and concerned about the devastation that Hurricane Sandy has wrought on so much of New York and New Jersey. I hope you'll join me in doing whatever you can to help, whether it's donating blood or dropping off supplies to a collection point or making a financial donation to the Red Cross or another organization or fostering or adopting a displaced pet. In addition to making my own donation, I'm going to be donating 10 percent of all sales for the month of November on the Black Bunny Fibers <a href="http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/blackbunnyfibers" target="_blank">ArtFire site</a> to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief.<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-70825081742061327492012-11-01T17:42:00.000-04:002012-11-01T17:42:24.051-04:00Chicago report (part 1)I have always had a soft spot for the city of Chicago. Many years ago, Mr. Go-Knit-In-Your-Hat and I took a trip there, saw the sights and had a wonderful time. Almost four years ago, I went to visit Franklin and meet some of the wonderful women I'd met on a Ravelry forum I was involved with. And I just returned from yet another amazing stay in the Windy City, this time to participate in Vogue Knitting Live.<br />
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The moment I checked in, I knew I was going to spend the weekend surrounded by knitters, and so it was. I immediately ran into the lovely Brooke Nico<br />
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(shown mugging here with Lily Chin and Erin Slonaker of Yarn Market News). Knitters armed with yarn were everywhere, perched on couches in the spectacular lobby of the hotel (the Palmer House is full of history, and jam-packed with amazing architectural and decorative details).<br />
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Armed with my new I-phone, I was able to take plenty of photos. The first 24 hours that I was in the hotel, I found myself snapping photos of all sorts of weird things: a snippet of wallpaper, the moldings on a ceiling, even the design on the bolsters on my bed. It's that kind of a place, where everything is beautiful and interesting to look at.<br />
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Thursday evening was the teacher's meeting, which is such a blast. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to meet up with many of the same teachers and VK staff members at various events, and we've become friends. So it was a total pleasure to see folks like these<br />
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and these<br />
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and this studly fellow<br />
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as well as many others who were, well, let's just say a bit more camera-shy.<br />
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All too soon, it was time for bed and then the first day of classes rolled around. I taught a class on knitting mittens, and it was full of enthusiastic and delightful folks. <br />
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I then got a phone call from my pal Julie Turjoman (author of Brave New Knits) and that fast, had a lunch date. We went to the second-floor restaurant at the Art Institute. The food was delicious, the company superb, and the views of Chicago's downtown were spectacular.<br />
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I got to spend a bit of time at the marketplace, so of course I had to stop by and see Ron and Theresa of The Buffalo Wool Company;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlw9yYNTbrvSflRyQxnA1JMKXK-ONtEehnOX2AtBEUSxjLqSoqdcVPiTv5K0xRmxlAOXCs-H9nwDj0UsJR2fILiyA7IwieglCSU-PsJ2dGgP6cvywi5Bq1Pcz4qC6L2PuOAP89w/s1600/IMG_0223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlw9yYNTbrvSflRyQxnA1JMKXK-ONtEehnOX2AtBEUSxjLqSoqdcVPiTv5K0xRmxlAOXCs-H9nwDj0UsJR2fILiyA7IwieglCSU-PsJ2dGgP6cvywi5Bq1Pcz4qC6L2PuOAP89w/s320/IMG_0223.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
the gorgeous Marly Bird of Bijou Basin;<br />
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and Denise of Lost City Knits.<br />
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Earlier in the day, I had seen a man wearing a kilt, and intrigued, I kinneared him. Later I realized that he was Denise's husband! And so he let me take a nice close-up photo of him in his kilt to replace the blurry, long-distance photo I had taken that day (like a big pervert, I was, taking I-phone photos of men in kilts I do not know. See what you have done to me, Dr. Mel?!?)<br />
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In a wonderful twist of fate, I ran into Philly pal Allison at the marketplace. Here we are standing in front of some of the Buffalo Wool yarn that I dyed:<br />
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<br />
Because I was trying to be good and not end up in the hospital again, I left the marketplace a little early, went up to my room and spent an hour or so just sitting with my feet propped up. I was a little nervous about traveling so soon after my hospitalization, and didn't want to take any chances.<br />
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Friday night was a cocktail party for teachers, sponsors and students, and it was held in the Red Lacquer Room, a ballroom that was, like the Palmer House lobby, full of amazing decorative details.<br />
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<br />
This is a feeble attempt to capture some of them. By this time, Taiu and Kersti of Koigu fame had arrived, so I got to spend some time catching up with them. I got to see some of my all-time favorite knitting people, like Fiona Ellis and Catherine Lowe, say hi to some new favorites like Ysolda Teague, and met some new lovelies, too. We had so much fun, but I was good and went to bed at a reasonable hour so I could be fresh for class the next morning. <br />
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Saturday I had another amazing batch of students, and then ended up hanging out with Kersti for part of the afternoon.<br />
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I got to see the Koigu fashion show, which was full of amazing garments, many of which will be featured in the new Magazine (number 4) which will be out very soon:<br />
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I participated on a panel to discuss "when your passion becomes your profession," which was a complete blast because the people on it were so fun, caught a little bit of the Vogue fashion show, which showed some beautiful items from the upcoming Holiday Vogue (outstanding), and then (after another brief rest) it was the Banquet. Guest speaker was author and knitter Debbie Macomber (which, in case you have ever wondered, is pronounced like "cucumber"). Rumor has it that there was a certain table that got quite rowdy, and believe it or not, IT WASN'T MY TABLE! (ahem, Josh "Knituation" Bennett, cough cough).<br />
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Since this blog post is running long already, I'll stop here, and pick up with Sunday's show report tomorrow or the next day....<br />
<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-64530739336215871872012-10-11T07:44:00.001-04:002012-10-11T07:44:34.012-04:00Happy National Coming Out DayEvery year, I post on this day, National Coming Out Day, to send love and support to my dear friends who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered. It takes a great deal of courage to be who you are in this world; it takes a great deal more courage to be yourself when so many in society respond with hate and bigotry.<br />
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<br />
So to my friends out there who are gay, lesbian, bi, transgendered, I salute you. I salute your determination to be who you are. I salute your courage in living openly and bravely in a world that all too often tries to deny you your civil rights and your very humanity. I love you and stand with you.<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-50655838909909508872012-10-07T12:35:00.000-04:002012-10-07T12:35:49.656-04:00Blog tour, giveaways, and a near missEven though it hasn't been that long since I last blogged, it seems like months ago. Not only have there been deadlines galore, I've been busy with lots of exciting promotional work relating to the new book. All of that got interrupted, though, when I had a scary health issue flare up. (I promise I won't go into too graphic detail, nor will I post close-up photographs of any suppurating wounds since who wants to look at that?)<br />
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The abridged version (sanitized for your protection): Last weekend I thought I was coming down with a stomach bug or food poisoning, but the main symptom I had was serious abdominal pain. By midnight I realized I needed to go to the ER. After some testing, and a PA who wanted to send me home under the middle-aged-white-lady-hysterical theory, an ER doc sent me for a CT scan. Diagnosis:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AkggyqUWDME" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Diverticulitis.<br />
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My aunt has this, so I guess maybe it runs in the family. There was some scary talk about whether I would need surgery, but we decided to wait and thankfully my body started to heal itself before that became necessary. I spent a week in the hospital, and was released Friday. Now I am very happy to be at home, although I am grappling with that exhaustion and frustration that comes from a health scare and lack of sleep, taking it all in and figuring out what's next in terms of lifestyle changes.<br />
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All of this is by way of explanation why I haven't posted already about <b>the Official Sock Yarn Studio Blog Tour</b>,which began this past week. I was pretty loopy on painkillers but my dear friends stepped up to the plate and helped me out.<br />
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Our friends at the <a href="http://www.larkcrafts.com/needlearts/sock-yarn-studio-blog-tour-and-free-project-download/">Lark blog</a> posted my full schedule of stops. This week, we got off to a great start with Kristin Ohmdahl at her gorgeous <a href="http://styledbykristin.com/whatsnew/2012/9/26/knit-book-review-sock-yarn-studio-by-carol-sulcoski.html">Styled By Kristin site...</a> (Thanks, Kristin, for being such a rock and doing such a great job in my absence!)<br />
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The next stop will be Tuesday, when Wendy Johnson, designer of the adorable Kitteh Mittens from the book, will check in with us at <a href="http://www.wendyknits.net/" target="_blank">Wendy Knits</a>.<br />
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(Rumor has it there will be another giveaway!)<br />
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If you're impatient, then you can download the free project available at the Lark blog. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cintaya Long Cowl</td></tr>
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We crammed the book so full of projects that a few that had to be cut (oh! the agony!) and the Cintaya lace cowl was one of them. But it was way too good to keep hidden, so go <a href="http://www.larkcrafts.com/needlearts/sock-yarn-studio-blog-tour-and-free-project-download/" target="_blank">here</a> and find the PDF download link. The long cowl can be worn as a single long loop or doubled as shown in the photograph above. It takes one skein (about 400 yds) of fingering-weight sock yarn -- like the BBF yarn shown in the photo.<br />
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I'll be checking in over the course of the next days and weeks with links to the stops on the tour. I may be a little quieter than normal otherwise, since, all joking aside, I do have some serious recuperating to do.<br />
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Thanks, everyone!<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-8791664479328423042012-09-18T08:23:00.002-04:002012-09-18T08:23:58.513-04:00On sale at lastI hope you aren't sick of hearing about it yet, but today is a red-letter day. My new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1454702850/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1454702850&linkCode=as2&tag=gokninyoha-20">Sock Yarn Studio: Hats, Garments, and Other Projects Designed for Sock Yarn</a>, is as of this writing in stock and ready to ship at Amazon.com.<br />
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Wow.<br />
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I first envisioned this project three or more years ago, right after I finished my previous book. Things don't always move fast in the publishing world, but the big day is finally here. And it was worth the wait.<br />
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I'm really proud of this book, in particular, because of the three books I've worked on, this one has the most me in it. For example, there's a technical section that talks about sock yarns and how to work with them, and I've always liked giving people information and insight that they can use to make their knitting more enjoyable.<br />
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There are several patterns knit in my own <a href="http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/blackbunnyfibers">Black Bunny Fibers</a> yarn, including this fabulous stranded pillow cover, designed by <a href="http://wildgeesefibres.com/">Barb Brown</a>:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnElPDt6mWsUg4tDM6RaYF5qekAkbQmx4fXXk8ozu4gPBB1jLcpgY-1xm2bQYViSDAwcCP6COeuPtJUaK4kro8y3Lkln6tqNCzmMGMx-R4y7Sr-hlbQ6C6CGpg0ncqR8R5OyDgHw/s1600/9781454702856_a304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnElPDt6mWsUg4tDM6RaYF5qekAkbQmx4fXXk8ozu4gPBB1jLcpgY-1xm2bQYViSDAwcCP6COeuPtJUaK4kro8y3Lkln6tqNCzmMGMx-R4y7Sr-hlbQ6C6CGpg0ncqR8R5OyDgHw/s320/9781454702856_a304.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cushington Square, designed by Barb Brown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
and this short cowl that I designed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweo8M90yW6p_7854OhcHzCuh8E2i4ybWz-ebNFbsGzmae3Unfg-Kd2qhzAnWrmACfAp4B01jOaJIBNd71fksnBn5cf0tqj8Gf8DaDE5UsjlyhYItbPQrRHKmvR7sYbkVHo9Emfw/s1600/9781454702856_a285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweo8M90yW6p_7854OhcHzCuh8E2i4ybWz-ebNFbsGzmae3Unfg-Kd2qhzAnWrmACfAp4B01jOaJIBNd71fksnBn5cf0tqj8Gf8DaDE5UsjlyhYItbPQrRHKmvR7sYbkVHo9Emfw/s320/9781454702856_a285.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisatra Short Cowl, designed by Carol Sulcoski</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Several of my very dear friends contributed patterns, like the aforementioned Barb Brown, <a href="https://stdenisyarns.com/">Veronik Avery</a>,<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jsUEAqCXll-ytegdAe60Op2I2Zq-iSejF1G6VCvpQc3mtylqM3hXmD9oHBleqhz1kwgzUWiufHF8OzLWNen-MdqzDwo7l8NBiZZk1p4UfqzHBeTolxjDU3GejiA31QcLPi-m9g/s1600/9781454702856_a607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jsUEAqCXll-ytegdAe60Op2I2Zq-iSejF1G6VCvpQc3mtylqM3hXmD9oHBleqhz1kwgzUWiufHF8OzLWNen-MdqzDwo7l8NBiZZk1p4UfqzHBeTolxjDU3GejiA31QcLPi-m9g/s320/9781454702856_a607.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nuit Blanche, scarf version, designed by Veronik Avery</td></tr>
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<br />
<a href="http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/">Franklin Habit</a>,<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdps39zilpg0Iu7Jx_tUYfFbEyXJgenP7oveej-Hsxa2w6HiYYsw9WTi9pojRmdjpwxpZT5vA_stcPOr9-Qw4_Z_pEniEfMrPL6BGgVBfHo3afurGV_uPsirieWzD6ws4HZSPV6Q/s1600/9781454702856_a480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdps39zilpg0Iu7Jx_tUYfFbEyXJgenP7oveej-Hsxa2w6HiYYsw9WTi9pojRmdjpwxpZT5vA_stcPOr9-Qw4_Z_pEniEfMrPL6BGgVBfHo3afurGV_uPsirieWzD6ws4HZSPV6Q/s320/9781454702856_a480.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roselein Hat, designed by Franklin Habit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
and <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/laura-grutzeck">Laura Grutzeck</a>, and I could go on and on, but I'd run out of space.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30upLxE3j92QOzhNurIYJpAHHklGYAvviEO1qYljZg2Yfkdjk_2dlkEymldFzPJErI9MI3TDXhvdBMOmNo-z70mGx6fNr2XzbqKuou0yrCw7hC_MqYRgUbDpzKb8QbmG1mVF4tQ/s1600/9781454702856_a538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30upLxE3j92QOzhNurIYJpAHHklGYAvviEO1qYljZg2Yfkdjk_2dlkEymldFzPJErI9MI3TDXhvdBMOmNo-z70mGx6fNr2XzbqKuou0yrCw7hC_MqYRgUbDpzKb8QbmG1mVF4tQ/s320/9781454702856_a538.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chambourcin Halter, designed by Laura Grutzeck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was able to do some things I think are fun, but aren't always done for practical reasons in books, like show a few patterns in alternate colorways, like the Compostela Scarf:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnRtS1qm-HjM1K9RRuC3gNiHj0BkFkVXDx3QYNKTfn6JJsCVTGUSfdGB3NXU9Tstu314ijpAF2VqKgaZEHq-W_01m5xTaxQG3J5lZQQkapQremiCCfWSntOH9E4AC2SiYUlz3uw/s1600/9781454702856_a087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnRtS1qm-HjM1K9RRuC3gNiHj0BkFkVXDx3QYNKTfn6JJsCVTGUSfdGB3NXU9Tstu314ijpAF2VqKgaZEHq-W_01m5xTaxQG3J5lZQQkapQremiCCfWSntOH9E4AC2SiYUlz3uw/s320/9781454702856_a087.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Compostela Scarf, knit in two colorways, designed by Carol Sulcoski</td></tr>
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<br />
which is shown in a solid version and a version knit in a slow self-striping yarn. I think it can be really helpful for knitters to get a feel for how different types of yarn can affect the finished project.<br />
<br />
Of course my lovely, hilarious daughter is one of the models, and you can imagine how that warms my heart:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0oP5FjjRvKIDEjgOBmBLjy5NaI9ZwRVbYT9PXqcjEMGHGQ2EO3Q-N2tIgqPrKzKOVyTDuWNR60SyVrkpVY5TypcL7bdLbdIBF3tbzZdFltijCAdNfuk28bl19BW6mWc-JYShgg/s1600/9781454702856_a686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0oP5FjjRvKIDEjgOBmBLjy5NaI9ZwRVbYT9PXqcjEMGHGQ2EO3Q-N2tIgqPrKzKOVyTDuWNR60SyVrkpVY5TypcL7bdLbdIBF3tbzZdFltijCAdNfuk28bl19BW6mWc-JYShgg/s320/9781454702856_a686.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizalu Blanket, designed by Carol Sulcoski</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I got to use yarn from companies I love, like <a href="http://www.koigu.com/">Koigu</a> (and Regia, and Lorna's Laces, and Quince & Co., and Swan Island, and ......)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg633ocNb-qv3g0sK-o3zJTqekYx7rHatyP5jN47Q-WQwybNgj4ecLWBynX7q3Mtw22yYr4f86QybRWy00jEF0hbpXSnNLN2hPp_b7Q1UWQZXThL9POk06bbFRLBOTj0feWyHr-_g/s1600/9781454702856_a645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg633ocNb-qv3g0sK-o3zJTqekYx7rHatyP5jN47Q-WQwybNgj4ecLWBynX7q3Mtw22yYr4f86QybRWy00jEF0hbpXSnNLN2hPp_b7Q1UWQZXThL9POk06bbFRLBOTj0feWyHr-_g/s320/9781454702856_a645.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anu Baby Hat, desigend by Carol Sulcoski</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was able to guide the selection of the photographer, and I simply could not be happier with the breathtaking photographs <a href="http://swatchdiaries.blogspot.com/">Carrie Bostick Hoge</a> took -- which you'll see throughout this post. (I'm also very pleased to have had a chance to meet her and call her friend, and to know that her bee-yoo-tiful baby girl is also a model in the book -- see the baby cap photo above!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcIyT84UvHGL21e-niCRFUr9wGhXUCf7FYiy7R2nWJ1SuBO419t4XLgYttqfssVOTK29uO_mcPScqjkgKbo8533E67PgpHKG0j3yv1YeD2khJtAXur0VBAe2SMgLAMuTWktHINA/s1600/9781454702856_a040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcIyT84UvHGL21e-niCRFUr9wGhXUCf7FYiy7R2nWJ1SuBO419t4XLgYttqfssVOTK29uO_mcPScqjkgKbo8533E67PgpHKG0j3yv1YeD2khJtAXur0VBAe2SMgLAMuTWktHINA/s320/9781454702856_a040.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
Flipping through the book I see so many intangible "footnotes" -- a colorway named after one dear friend (waves to piggeh), a pattern named for another, help from unexpected quarters in thinking up pattern names when my creative well was running dry, the knowledge that still other friends helped knit and finish some of the items, seeing quilts used in the photography that were loaned by my friends at <a href="http://spoolsewing.com/">Spool </a>-- that make me so happy when I think of them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1nRsecI_KAJispmRiJusPkxdtFzJvjU7m63iU1BAstRlXP9xvXT0PD3nQWdE7u1n5l3G30UFVOITLiifk2lBfrQKTEC-QW7Tj0BltmRN33s95J1JD_qvFoXooF-QkMlmQzozsA/s1600/9781454702856_a081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1nRsecI_KAJispmRiJusPkxdtFzJvjU7m63iU1BAstRlXP9xvXT0PD3nQWdE7u1n5l3G30UFVOITLiifk2lBfrQKTEC-QW7Tj0BltmRN33s95J1JD_qvFoXooF-QkMlmQzozsA/s320/9781454702856_a081.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitteh Mittens, designed by Wendy Johnson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
It's here. I love it. I am so grateful for all the help I had from my wonderful friends, old and new, in making it happen. I hope you love it, too.<br />
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<em>All photographs reproduced with permission from Sock Yarn Studio by Carol J. Sulcoski, copyright 2012 Lark Crafts, an imprint of Sterling Publishing, Inc.</em><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gokninyoha-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1454702850" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-77714983939143089022012-09-07T14:49:00.002-04:002012-09-07T14:49:40.388-04:00Check out some photosof projects from Sock Yarn Studio on the Lark Crafts blog <a href="http://www.larkcrafts.com/needlearts/welcome-carol-sulcoski-and-sock-yarn-studio/">here.</a>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-46871030198108080302012-09-06T10:16:00.002-04:002012-09-06T10:16:30.410-04:00No-Bull Book Review: Indie Socks by Chrissy GardinerI am embarrassed that it has taken me so long to write up this review of Chrissy Gardiner's new book, partly because she sent it to me at the beginning of the summer, but also because, joy of joys, it also features a sock in Black Bunny Fibers yarn. So with abject apologies for being so slow, let's finally take a look at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0981966810/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0981966810&linkCode=as2&tag=gokninyoha-20">Indie Socks: Knitting Patterns and Dyer Profiles Featuring Hand-Dyed Yarns</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gokninyoha-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0981966810" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (Sydwillow Press 2012; MSRP $28.95).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwENCQ7tP_EyBbfW_RKI9ehQnaoAV5A3h2VvY_J_5Wn-s_m0ZkQazxm0I5NLYVw4DZ2TpR_AP23QJeLZ31d0uMMd9z_zuCgrEzCOsSI2IWLlIp5TDzBAB1OAUyu3NJPkwKARdEhQ/s1600/gard+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwENCQ7tP_EyBbfW_RKI9ehQnaoAV5A3h2VvY_J_5Wn-s_m0ZkQazxm0I5NLYVw4DZ2TpR_AP23QJeLZ31d0uMMd9z_zuCgrEzCOsSI2IWLlIp5TDzBAB1OAUyu3NJPkwKARdEhQ/s1600/gard+cover.jpg" /></a></div>
Gardiner -- owner of <a href="http://www.gardineryarnworks.com/" target="_blank">Gardiner Yarn Works</a>, with an extensive collection of patterns sold on-line and in yarn shops -- has focused on 24 dyers, large and small, well-known and not as well-known, readily available and available less widely. She designed a sock pattern for each individual yarn, and presented it, along with a profile of the indie dyer. Fans of well-crafted sock patterns, in particular, those knit in handdyed and handpainted yarns, rejoice! It's a great collection of patterns and you may also find yourself intrigued by some new (or new-to-you) handdyers to augment your stash.<br />
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Gardiner begins with a brief section on selecting handdyed yarns, and a description of what she means by "indie dyer." She then divides the 24 patterns of the book into three sections based on the coloring of the yarn: Mild, Flavorful and Spicy.<br />
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The Mild section highlights semisolid and nearly solid yarns, and therefore uses more intricate patterning. Hard to pick favorites in this section of 14 good-looking patterns, but I was particularly taken with the following:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWOIYetQKNwTOKl8d7jwWP5dcazchXQL2P7K7gQDOb0cTgWA_lRtbJ2SJMK1FuZIMw2FrSN6KFnx7cDUBKMwrWK46C72tvoyr9CwCh3aGNNO3abny4VmKU2PhWSWr9mUUl_ftNA/s1600/gardener+spyglass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWOIYetQKNwTOKl8d7jwWP5dcazchXQL2P7K7gQDOb0cTgWA_lRtbJ2SJMK1FuZIMw2FrSN6KFnx7cDUBKMwrWK46C72tvoyr9CwCh3aGNNO3abny4VmKU2PhWSWr9mUUl_ftNA/s320/gardener+spyglass.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spyglass Socks (yarn by Alpha B Yarn)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
the Spyglass Socks, with a wool/silk yarn by Alpha B Yarn in a dreamy lilac;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCDlNGJlKp-Q4uJ0RzAQM2DTie73VDoDfHxNpHPbzIz8lrpBG0-rn6EgWxhruwJ-_TKBL-pRsfcf2cxEcLquF1diLCrL-QKpX5F6DTXvOkAXwm-UReQk4pA2lnn11HKXaulMSrA/s1600/gard+calpurnia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCDlNGJlKp-Q4uJ0RzAQM2DTie73VDoDfHxNpHPbzIz8lrpBG0-rn6EgWxhruwJ-_TKBL-pRsfcf2cxEcLquF1diLCrL-QKpX5F6DTXvOkAXwm-UReQk4pA2lnn11HKXaulMSrA/s320/gard+calpurnia.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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the Calpurnias, with Schaefer Nichole yarn; and<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EZeefP94mqrXzLSUiKYY4jHqvdcRimluMnmN5ItNgO2pPn8kmzacpG5VLIRvRE2_J610-GL3xVbYdEut8P2q9FA9-fTnToDvVceXpcBmWeM_dPVffklYp-7dd1l8Ja3ljcdARQ/s1600/gardiner+natsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EZeefP94mqrXzLSUiKYY4jHqvdcRimluMnmN5ItNgO2pPn8kmzacpG5VLIRvRE2_J610-GL3xVbYdEut8P2q9FA9-fTnToDvVceXpcBmWeM_dPVffklYp-7dd1l8Ja3ljcdARQ/s320/gardiner+natsa.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
the Natsa Sukka socks, which use 6 different shades of a more rustic shetland-type yarn (dyed by Elemental Affects).<br />
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The Flavorful section includes what I would term "muted multicolors," yarns with a bit more going on with them than a semi-solid, but not the really crazy color combinations of the most zany handdyes. Here's where you'll find Nami, the lovely pattern in a feather-and-fan pattern with simple wavy cuff:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuktwVXpkEGiC6lGL-OBa2SiDag5iDFBqnmbsLW_0PBsufg61tEbS3dKqfqBrYX9qj2Gl_VySLXSd8OuLfvdvFA8h2YRiHRo_FY-ASSomV-GnBrHanxNydLRYWrJwJRzRhDQ9x4g/s1600/gardiner+nami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuktwVXpkEGiC6lGL-OBa2SiDag5iDFBqnmbsLW_0PBsufg61tEbS3dKqfqBrYX9qj2Gl_VySLXSd8OuLfvdvFA8h2YRiHRo_FY-ASSomV-GnBrHanxNydLRYWrJwJRzRhDQ9x4g/s320/gardiner+nami.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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These are knit in Black Bunny Fibers Superwash Merino Classic in Kathy's Cape <br />
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(the blue color reminded Chrissy of the ocean too; "Nami" is the Japanese word for "wave").<br />
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Other lovely patterns in this section include<br />
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Flamethrower (yarn by the Unique Sheep);<br />
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Owenburger (yarn by Lavender Sheep);<br />
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Deux Tourbillions (yarn by Mountain Colors; Crazyfoot base);<br />
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Rippleside (yarn is Pagewood Farms Alyeska); and<br />
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and Gelato, featuring Iris Schreier's Artyarns yummy Cashmere Sock yarn base.<br />
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Last up is the Spicy category, with 7 patterns designed for the wildest of your handpaints. Check out Archery, in Abstract Fiber's Supersock:<br />
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Seesaw (yarn by Cephalopod):<br />
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Muir Woods (yarn by Blue Ridge Yarns):<br />
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and Soda Fountain (Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock):<br />
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There are lots of photographs, including close-up shots of details; charts where necessary; detailed patterns; and a glossary of techniques (many with clear photographs walking the knitter through them). After the pattern section is a profile of each dyer (done by Donna Armey), with a closer look at their dyeing process, inspiration and so on.<br />
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I'm always happy to see patterns designed especially with handpaints in mind, and this is a well-presented, versatile collection of terrific sock patterns to help you use up those beauties in your stash. You can purchase the book at Amazon.com, download it via Ravelry or order a signed copy directly from Chrissy <a href="http://www.indiesockbook.com/#order" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-67745099027921999702012-08-28T14:59:00.001-04:002012-08-28T14:59:17.153-04:00Summer travelsI know there is a common perception (i.e. in the mind of, say, various of my family members) that I basically spend my days sitting around knitting and surfing on the computer. Well, I do some of that, but lately, the days have been so jam-packed and busy that before I knew it, I realized it had been quite a while since my last blog post.<br />
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One reason the month of August seemed like a whirlwind for me was traveling. In between shore trips with my family, I flew out to Chicago to teach at Stitches Midwest. Whenever I go on teaching trips, I am lugging so much stuff I don't take my good camera. So you'll have to put up with photos from my cell phone, like this one of the view from my hotel room:<br />
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One of the things that freaked me out at first about the room was this:<br />
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It's a screen that is somehow built into the mirror of the bathroom. It shows whatever is on the TV, or if you don't have the TV on, it shows the events that are going on at the hotel. (In fact, if you look really hard, you can see that it is advertising a talk by Nicky Epstein.) Very Big Brother but also kind of cool....unless it comes on while you are using the toilet, in which case, better tip the chambermaid well.<br />
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I had a wonderful time: good students, lots of fun knitting friends to catch up with (waves to Shannon Okey), and Brooke Nico (lace designer extraordinaire and co-owner of the Kirkwood Knittery, in St. Louis) was my most charming roommate.<br />
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Brooke participated in a designer challenge on the first day of Stitches involving knitted skirts, and you can see her wonderful design next to her, along with some of the others.<br />
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As usual with a Stitches event, there is a preview of the vendor's marketplace the night before the marketplace is open to the public Here is what the line looked like Friday morning:<br />
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When I got to the show floor, I wasted no time meeting and greeting some of my favorite people. I promised that I would stop by Lost City Knits to meet the lovely Denise:<br />
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This is us at the Lost City booth. (Wow, I already look tired and this was taken Friday!)<br />
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Of course I visited my pals at WEBS, and got to check out the two newest yarns from WEBS. This is Buckman, a gorgeous chainette wool-silk blend:<br />
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I was also tempted by the new sportweight wool, too.....nom nom nom. All too soon, the weekend flew by and I was back at O'Hare:<br />
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I love this underground walkway with all sorts of cosmic lighting effects....or maybe it was fatigue and yarn fumes that made the walls look wavy?<br />
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Now all the summer travel is done and we are getting ready for the kids to go back to school and for the big fall knitting season. Late summer is a cruel joke for people in the industry because there is so much to get ready for, and at the same time as vacations are planned, weather is nice, and the kids are underfoot. We've already been shopping for school supplies:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fwcYbo7pjto" width="420"></iframe><br />
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while Elvis just started the dreaded Band Camp....<br />
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Hmmm. This post sounds a bit more disjointed than usual, so I'll sign off. I do have some more book reviews in the pipeline, and very soon we'll begin the Sock Yarn Studio-a-palooza, with a blog tour, giveaways and all sorts of merriment. Enjoy the last few days of summer, and I'll be back in rare form soon.<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-16280291285838762812012-08-18T10:45:00.000-04:002012-08-18T10:45:05.898-04:00Spinning and a winnerWhen I was last at the beach, I toyed with the idea of bringing along my sewing machine. I decided against it, even though I don't get nearly enough time playing with fabric, because I thought it would be too hard to know what to bring with me in terms of fabric and thread. Instead, I opted for my handy-dandy spinning wheel, an Ashford Traveler, which is really designed for portability. I popped a few extra bobbins and some roving in a bag, and I was good to go.<b><br /></b><br />
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I haven't been spinning much lately and I really enjoyed getting in the groove of making yarn. One of the rovings I played with happened to be a roving that I dyed a few weeks ago. It was a gray-brown fleece and I played with adding some color to it, while preserving a good bit of the natural color.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJ_EIsDU6sPjMSXkU0j6JP8Y1ARdrMDDYqCfbRP7AGjVN56hBQzugbvpeigKuXBPzPGlQPJGYHF2P5Gl9JJeRHpR7-itf2wQ1Sc5cmDQCCcW9cOtRk1mZqmfOlHRrXU-Bz0eAsQ/s1600/handspun2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJ_EIsDU6sPjMSXkU0j6JP8Y1ARdrMDDYqCfbRP7AGjVN56hBQzugbvpeigKuXBPzPGlQPJGYHF2P5Gl9JJeRHpR7-itf2wQ1Sc5cmDQCCcW9cOtRk1mZqmfOlHRrXU-Bz0eAsQ/s320/handspun2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was pleased with the way it came out, and am trying to figure out what it wants to be knit into. I suspect it will knit at around aran-to-chunky gauge, so scarf or hat or mittens, maybe.<b><br /></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7808260264/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="handspun close up 2 by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="handspun close up 2" height="225" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8421/7808260264_f8b260de9b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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If you're interested in playing around with some similar rovings, with some of the natural color peeking through the dyed colors, I've got four batches up in my <a href="http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/blackbunnyfibers" target="_blank">Art Fire Studio.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7808275056/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="blue shetland 2 by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="blue shetland 2" height="381" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8306/7808275056_9b149fe0a0.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Two are shetland wool; two are coopworth. And for the next four days, use the code "FRIDAY10" for ten percent off your order (one time per customer).<b><br /></b>
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<b>WINNER</b><br />
<br />
My last post was a review and giveaway of Hunter Hammersen's new book, The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet. The random number generator selected Bonnie C., of Indiana, as the winner. I've sent you an email, Bonnie, so make sure it doesn't get caught in your spam filter.) Congrats to Bonnie and thanks to Hunter for making the giveaway possible!<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-76472492471013067442012-08-08T16:09:00.002-04:002012-08-08T17:51:39.674-04:00Giveaway & No-Bull Book Review: The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet, by Hunter HammersenWhat do you get when you combine botany, vintage prints from natural history texts and knitting? You get <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984998209/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gokninyoha-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984998209">The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet: 20 Patterns Inspired by Vintage Botanical Illustrations</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gokninyoha-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984998209" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, by Hunter Hammersen (Pantsville Press 2012; MSRP $26.95 through the link above). Hunter contributed a wonderful pattern to my upcoming book, and so, knowing how talented she is, I was delighted to receive a review copy of her brand-new book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7727272188/" title="hunter cover - Copy by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter cover - Copy" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7727272188_ab7a8187a4.jpg" width="472" /></a></div>
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Having consulted that eminent source, the interwebs (Wikipedia to be precise), I discovered that a curiosity cabinet was<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
an encyclopedic collection in Renaissance Europe of types of objects whose categorical boundaries were yet to be defined. They were also known by various names such as Cabinet of Wonder, and in German Kunstkammer ("art-room") or Wunderkammer ("wonder-room"). Modern terminology would categorize the objects included as belonging to natural history (sometimes faked), geology, ethnography, archaeology, religious or historical relics, works of art (including cabinet paintings) and antiquities.</blockquote>
It's a fascinating idea, and a perfect theme for a designer who has collected knitterly things--edgings, lace patterns, twisted stitches and cables--and used them to great effect in her patterns.<br />
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Speaking of which, let's take a closer at those patterns. Exactly half (ten) are sock patterns, while the other half are coordinating accessories. It's fun to see the same botanical inspiration used in two slightly different ways. For example,<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7727271854/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="hunter crocus vernus socks - Copy by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter crocus vernus socks - Copy" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7727271854_73c191a208.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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the Crocus vernus socks use a gently-arching lace motif that echoes the lines of the crocus flower. The Crocus Vernus mitts use a slightly thicker yarn and a lace motif that reflects the shape of the leaves of the plant:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7729694850/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="hunter white mitts by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter white mitts" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7729694850_7356f55a4f.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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In another example of patterns that coordinate stylistically without appearing matchy-matchy, the Linaria bipartita socks feature a lattice-like petal shape<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7741831730/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="linaria socks by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="linaria socks" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7741831730_1e5e0c6875.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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in a divine handdyed yarn colorway called Chocoberry, while the Linaria shawl is done in petal pink, with long vertical elements and a center motif.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7727272542/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="hunter linaria - Copy by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter linaria - Copy" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8423/7727272542_7a7fd8a178.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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Other lovely socks that caught my eye are the Polypodium vulgare:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7741829654/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="polyodusm socks by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="polyodusm socks" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8298/7741829654_7c2226498f.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
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the Rubus suberectus (with "erectus" in the name, how could I not love them?):</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7741830600/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="rubus socks by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="rubus socks" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8308/7741830600_6c9d7a711a.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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the Loasa lateritia:</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7727273818/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="hunter loasa lateris - Copy by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter loasa lateris - Copy" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7266/7727273818_c2ecf03401.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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and the Narcissus pseudo-narcissus.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7727271230/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="hunter narcisisus - Copy by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter narcisisus - Copy" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7727271230_355af840f8.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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I also was quite taken with the Polypodum cowl (love that handdye, too, with all those subtle gradations of color)</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7727272944/" title="hunter polypodum - Copy by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter polypodum - Copy" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7727272944_f07a0bfd01.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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the Rosa mitts:</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7727270650/" title="hunter rosa mitts - Copy by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter rosa mitts - Copy" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7727270650_b4e79ffee4.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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the Pinus silvestris cap:</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7727270916/" title="hunter pinus hat - Copy by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter pinus hat - Copy" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7128/7727270916_31636c24d8.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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and the floaty Loasa cowl:</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7727273304/" title="hunter loasa scarf - Copy by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="hunter loasa scarf - Copy" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8434/7727273304_d2149b3c04.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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The book is a softcover, with tons of gorgeous color photos (taken by Brett Yacovella of Making the Moment), and all the amenities one would expect in patterns of this nature -- charts, close-ups of design details, tips, definitions of the stitches/symbols used, and reproductions of the lovely botanical prints that inspired the patterns prefacing them.</div>
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It's exciting to see relatively new designers putting out such high quality products, and it's fascinating to see how self-published books like this one are really raising the bar for all of us who publish patterns, regardless of medium. This is a beautiful book full of appealing patterns, and if you are a knitter interested in:</div>
<ul>
<li>sock knitting</li>
<li>accessory knitting</li>
<li>small portable projects</li>
<li>great uses for handpainted yarn</li>
<li>botanical prints and flowers</li>
<li>lace and lace motifs</li>
</ul>
then you will want to check out this book. Note that it is available in printed form, but also in electronic download format (for $18.95) and if you buy the print book via Hunter's website (linky link <a href="http://www.knitterscuriositycabinet.com/" target="_blank">here</a>), you will get a free Ravelry download of the patterns along with your purchase.<br />
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And bless Hunter's heart, she's offering a free copy of the book to a reader of this blog! Please leave a comment and make sure that there is a way for me to reach you (either via your Blogger profile or by leaving an email in the comment -- no way for me to get hold of you and I have to disqualify your entry until my psychic address-finding powers develop more fully). Leave a comment no later than midnight, Sunday, August 12th and I'll pick a winner the next day.<br />
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</ul>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com71tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-52889575921259150742012-08-05T19:04:00.000-04:002012-08-05T19:04:02.119-04:00There's no place like home<br />
I woke up early yesterday, packed some very large bins of yarn and roving into the car<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7713433714/" title="gosh 2 by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="gosh 2" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7119/7713433714_d4a4b5e172.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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and the kids and I were off. We headed upstate for a combination Nana visit and trunk show.<br />
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Until about two years ago, there was no local yarn shop in my hometown or its environs. Isn't that sad? If you ran out of yarn or needed a needle or tool, you were pretty much stuck. At some point, some big box craft stores opened, so at least there was a way to get a needle or stitch marker if you were in dire need. Then, two years ago, something magical happened:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAM9h-ZuZT6x_Sar54k2g_icoGuSgVUeZW6eyLGN92xp9RljmusrbYTQkVvE_mB2OVimbOmeuYtI6me4cs6HfmKPvoa6mzPxwVxNKR7rGdz4tosQWN89UlUumvLBGbCp9a4qP_Q/s1600/rainbow+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAM9h-ZuZT6x_Sar54k2g_icoGuSgVUeZW6eyLGN92xp9RljmusrbYTQkVvE_mB2OVimbOmeuYtI6me4cs6HfmKPvoa6mzPxwVxNKR7rGdz4tosQWN89UlUumvLBGbCp9a4qP_Q/s320/rainbow+for+blog.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_706850189">The skies parted, and <a href="http://www.goshyarnitshop.com/" target="_blank">Gosh Yarn It</a> was born.</span><br />
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Gosh Yarn It is a beautiful yarn shop full of lovely yarns like Debbie Bliss, Noro, Berroco, Classic Elite, Dream in Color, Madeline Tosh, Lorna's Laces, Cascade, Universal and many more. There are tons of gorgeous sample garments; lots of patterns and books and booklets; all sorts of tools; and really nice people to help you out.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7713834280/" title="gosh mochi by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="gosh mochi" height="462" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7134/7713834280_e2521293ec.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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When Jill and Ann asked me to come back for a trunk show, I was delighted.<br />
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I spent yesterday afternoon there, selling yarn and hanging out with the delightful customers. Since I grew up there, there were all sorts of connections that made me feel right at home. We reminisced, compared projects, and generally had a fabulous time. (This is me, waving to Alison and Bonnie and Cathy and Caroline and Stephanie and everybody!)<br />
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I was especially glad to encounter Caroline,<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7713467184/" title="gosh 1 by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="gosh 1" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7115/7713467184_bfb2f961c0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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who is a fabulous designer. Her gorgeous cowl was featured in KnitScene's Accessories magazine (you can see it in the lower right-hand corner of the magazine she's holding) and she's also had a great cowl pattern published by Quince and Co.<br />
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It was a thrill for me to see the gorgeous Daybreak shawl that Ann made from two Black Bunny skeins:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7719782610/" title="gosh 3 by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="gosh 3" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7719782610_ce04c01974.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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We decided that we were having too much for this to be only an occasional thing, so we are going to try to have quarterly Black Bunny trunk shows at Gosh Yarn It. Next one will be in December.<br />
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If you are in the Wilkes-Barre/Kingston area, do try to stop by Gosh Yarn It. You will have a lot of fun and probably leave with a lot of yarn!<br />
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And while I was creating all that mayhem in Kingston, my kids were having a wonderful visit with Uncle Mike (not shown) and Nana. Win-win, for sure.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14709897@N00/7719765930/" title="gosh 4 by Black Bunny Hop, on Flickr"><img alt="gosh 4" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7719765930_acc8e3552c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-66910167310639304452012-07-31T09:11:00.001-04:002012-07-31T09:11:10.642-04:00Back......Our week in Cape May is, alas, over. We had a terrific time, including some amazingly good weather (also some amazingly hot weather). Right now, I'm getting ready for a trunk show in my hometown: I'll have all sorts of handdyed yarns and fibers this coming Saturday, August 4, from 12 to 4 pm, at the lovely <a href="http://www.goshyarnitshop.com/" target="_blank">Gosh Yarn It,</a> in Kingston, PA. I'll also have my single preview copy of my new book, so if you promise that your hands are clean, you can get a sneak peek! I've been busily dyeing (I was very low on inventory and had to get back on track) and you can see all sorts of goodies, like these:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzDVDjzrW6YeOWaWMcJd-nf-hUwGYdotCmm6_XZbluI8xqZD7xn64Lhy7rkFrHu-zXnTZsZ10VI_c9OnUO9rZXOVjzUvZOME2ymoDx4qqkBKcyKCe-Z1b9-1w0jGvT16R2591eQ/s1600/cabana+boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzDVDjzrW6YeOWaWMcJd-nf-hUwGYdotCmm6_XZbluI8xqZD7xn64Lhy7rkFrHu-zXnTZsZ10VI_c9OnUO9rZXOVjzUvZOME2ymoDx4qqkBKcyKCe-Z1b9-1w0jGvT16R2591eQ/s320/cabana+boy.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmQD17orz6LUw_9PA_WoiucObCvQApv3DhrqHIU83oif7SxrQfJfhaTwG_9DSlDLU35ykV3HtWhtMz72thpuB8N-WwQ7RBIW84PFpFq0YP4ANyEpgq_pWoKFiwNpXoh5pz-TDhA/s1600/coastal+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmQD17orz6LUw_9PA_WoiucObCvQApv3DhrqHIU83oif7SxrQfJfhaTwG_9DSlDLU35ykV3HtWhtMz72thpuB8N-WwQ7RBIW84PFpFq0YP4ANyEpgq_pWoKFiwNpXoh5pz-TDhA/s320/coastal+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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and a whole bunch of others I haven't photographed yet!<br />
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In the meantime, here are some photos I took while wandering around Cape May with my camera. It may not surprise you to hear that Victorian Cape May is considered a national historic landmark given its fine collection of Victorian architecture....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f6N8pHuOfvUW3H0QqIWIl-veM6D6k-7QVnOH5daieV13ybEWxFjxkaUqDRWG0rPbfX6DVctfDK8BTQtN7gvtSYZzFNDYcdgmfg6g0b85DQ9PNPaqNshCaLseODEz_4dkSjRsHg/s1600/IMG_9815+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f6N8pHuOfvUW3H0QqIWIl-veM6D6k-7QVnOH5daieV13ybEWxFjxkaUqDRWG0rPbfX6DVctfDK8BTQtN7gvtSYZzFNDYcdgmfg6g0b85DQ9PNPaqNshCaLseODEz_4dkSjRsHg/s320/IMG_9815+copy.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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I love seeing all the details that go into making the houses so special, like a pane of glass or gingerbread trim:<br />
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Enjoy these hazy days of summer! And hey, do me a favor? Will you click on <a href="http://knittinguniverse.com/portal/CSulcoski_STSMW12/" target="_blank">this link,</a>to help me possibly win some buckeroos at Stitches Midwest? (Still some spots in some of my classes open......)Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-52854003542585214232012-07-23T11:32:00.002-04:002012-07-23T11:32:42.370-04:00Alpaca Sur MerWe are in the midst of our second vacation week. Ideally, we'd have spaced them out a bit more, but we had some scheduling conflicts, so there you go. Yesterday I took a little detour, and went to visit the <a href="http://www.bayspringsalpacas.com/" target="_blank">Bay Springs Alpaca Farm</a> in Cape May. <br />
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You might not necessarily expect to find an alpaca farm only ten minutes from the beach, but there it is.....past a bunch of new construction, and the road turns more rural. A quick left onto a rutted lane and you are there. It's a small farm and very informal, which adds to its charm. There are big fenced-in yards for the alpaca, with boys on the right and girls on the left.<br />
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We saw alpaca in just about every color imaginable, including some multicolors. It was pretty hot for them, and they tended to stay near the sheds (one of the owners told us there were fans inside for them).<br />
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We stopped by the shop in the back of the owners' house, and I brought home this lovely skein of alpaca made with fiber from the flock. ("Mommy, why is the weird lady in the house next door taking a picture of yarn on her front porch?")<br />
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It's super soft and I love the natural alpaca color.<br />
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We even got to see a bunny nibbling on some of the plants in the yard.<br />
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On our way out, we stopped back at the alpaca field to say good-bye when all hell broke loose. The boy alpacas were fighting, and making this chirrupping noise at each other. Then they started chasing each other around the field, trying to nip each other. <br />
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There was spitting and galloping and all sorts of alpaca mayhem. <br />
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The owners said that the male alpacas had their really sharp biting teeth removed so they couldn't hurt each other, but if they kept it up, he would turn the hose on them. Which might have been their ultimate goal, since it was so hot out.<br />
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Thus endeth our visit to the sweet little alpaca farm. It's free and a quick stop, and well worth it for lovers of our fibery camelid friends. In just a few minutes we were back and packing up for the beach, where we had a lovely afternoon building sand castles --<br />
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and in Boy Twin's case, building himself a sand Barcalounger, customized to fit his own self. (He added a hole with a sandmold and water in it for a drink holder/cooler, too.)<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-42156709582181656022012-07-19T10:56:00.002-04:002012-07-19T10:56:45.199-04:00Heads upHeads up for Black Bunny Fibers customers: remember when I told you I was working on a website update? Things are moving along, and as part of the changes, I am now going to be selling my yarns and fibers via ArtFire. You can go <a href="http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/blackbunnyfibers" target="_blank">here to see my ArtFire studio.</a> Early reports are that it's easy and convenient to use. If you're on Facebook, please "like" the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Bunny-Fibers/60240709313?ref=ts" target="_blank">Black Bunny Fibers page</a>. I'm going to be using it more and more to post photos of products, special offers and other information, and it also has a direct link to my ArtFire shop to make it easier for you to find what you are looking for. One thing I love about the new site is that I can show nice big photos, with multiple shots of the same item. Here are some of the new items I listed this week:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick up Line: Falkland SoftSilk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exotic: Custom blend 100% wool</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blazer: Falkland Silksock</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdikpQhcXsPPrfpUJTY1NNa1WsCBS7Z1xjYWsN6qoxDs8TppwzbNLr-xXzenKyKl4J89UNIdzxyEZ44Ej3H7HDIL8dTHi-UrcBdXWnW_FRHcDGm4v8D3ByTUBZDHq44TmhyphenhyphenX6q-A/s1600/punkin+pah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdikpQhcXsPPrfpUJTY1NNa1WsCBS7Z1xjYWsN6qoxDs8TppwzbNLr-xXzenKyKl4J89UNIdzxyEZ44Ej3H7HDIL8dTHi-UrcBdXWnW_FRHcDGm4v8D3ByTUBZDHq44TmhyphenhyphenX6q-A/s320/punkin+pah.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Punkin Pah: Plump Wool Nylon Sock</td></tr>
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P.S. Registration for VK Live: Chicago is now open, and you can <a href="http://vogueknittinglive.com/ehome/41215/classes/?&" target="_blank">sign up for my classes</a> (including 2 new selections -- Mitten Mojo, and an introduction to the law designed especially for knitters and designers). I'd love to see you there!<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-72016227479103889072012-07-17T14:49:00.001-04:002012-07-17T14:49:41.645-04:00The new Rowan Magazine is here!Nothing gets me in the mood for fall like a new Rowan Magazine. After taking a look at the patterns in the just-released Fall/Winter Magazine (Number 52), I am even more ready for cooler weather. My wonderful friends at Rowan sent me a review copy of the brand-new magazine, and I am delighted to give you a look at the beauties inside.<br />
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I was excited when I saw the cover of Number 52: to me, the lovely model with the English rose complexion boded a wealth of classic British designs. Sure enough, the first story is titled "Hebridean," filmed on the grounds of a Scottish castle overlooking the firth, and featuring gorgeous stranded knits inspired by the north.<br />
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For starters, take a look at Marie Wallin's Harris, combining Celtic intarsia motifs with a striped background;<br />
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Julie Frank riffs on a plaid-like pattern in the Kirkwall Wrap:<br />
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and my bestie Martin Storey opts for intricate overall motifs in Tiree.<br />
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At the top of my list is the luscious Bute sweater, women's version, by Lisa Richardson, with a delightful muted palette mixing Colourspun and Felted Tweed. Wow.<br />
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I think I would skip the elbow pads, which are shown in some of the other photos, because it would kill me to sew something over that gorgeous stitchwork.<br />
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Bute is rivaled only by Kintyre, by Marie Wallin, in whichWool Cotton, Kidsilk Haze and Pure Wool DK create this beautiful meshing of multiple motifs, with simple lines,<br />
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and Orkney, also by Wallin, with traditional motifs in a brighter set of colours.<br />
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Okay, I also really love Uist, a cardigan with textured sleeves and colorwork body, by Jennie Atkinson,<br />
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and the Tobermory vest, by Marie Wallin. Hurrah for stranded knitting!<br />
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There are some other men's garments in this story, too, like Martin Storey's Mull, another riff on plaid, knit in Rowan Fine Tweed (left, below), and Brandon Mably's fabulous vest Skye (on the right):<br />
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The second story is called "North Sea," inspired by the Scottish coast and traditional fishermen's knits. That minx Josh Bennett is back, saucily mixing traditional stitch patterns in the wonderful Fastnet:<br />
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The gorgeous Sarah Hatton gives him a run for his money in the terrific guy sweater department with Plymouth, knit in Pure Wool Aran:<br />
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Men will also want to check out Martin Storey's cabled Fisher<br />
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and cardigan Viking;<br />
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Marie Wallin's Lundy, knit in the scrumptious Cocoon, comes in a men's and women's version (women's version is left, below) and Lisa Richardson uses the favorite Creative Focus Worsted in the clever colorshifting Fitzroy (right):<br />
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Ladies, do not be worried, there are plenty of cabled and textured goodies for you, too, like the cover sweater, by Ruth Green (right below), as well as Wallin's Shannon, knit in Kid Classic (which is a wonderful yarn that I think people sometimes overlook simply because it isn't brand-new):<br />
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Sarah Hatton's Utsire, also knit in Kid Classic (I might keep going on that one, in order to cover my belly button with a longer length, but I am way older than sweet Sarah);<br />
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and Amanda Crawford's Dover, which would knit up in a jiffy given its cut-out front neckline.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEBw6T_p3KYF5l4fcx_v9gQbXdxtXtSAcrmGgtitS3AAuCxRMhvE-6w3K5vOyRL1nRTbAdTBp8KdzoEFnxCeByHseUItftes48WWna48XBAuMiC3ymgLIyc2IzEJsQQWlZzsZig/s1600/52Dover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEBw6T_p3KYF5l4fcx_v9gQbXdxtXtSAcrmGgtitS3AAuCxRMhvE-6w3K5vOyRL1nRTbAdTBp8KdzoEFnxCeByHseUItftes48WWna48XBAuMiC3ymgLIyc2IzEJsQQWlZzsZig/s320/52Dover.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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By the way, the gorgeous background for this photo shoot was Fife, Scotland.<br />
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Last, the Essentials feature is back, showing "key shapes and textures on trend," helping people figure out which designs and styles are the must-have looks for the fall season. This is a fun feature, as the sweaters are shown in a less styled manner, and several of them aim for a more trend-conscious look, rather than a classic style. You'll find a chunky fisherman's rib tunic:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjWMasy0GMq-XJYi8dVk9OP4oEFAeAVWlH81MiE6IQLN-t9I-kypvIhWr_sRZ3ZscaU-CvI2jXfrMB3-BHl-_GPT1Hzhk-qY06mofgMova4E5yq7K29ufCQaJ_kjoyA9QOv_2Eg/s1600/52+ruby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjWMasy0GMq-XJYi8dVk9OP4oEFAeAVWlH81MiE6IQLN-t9I-kypvIhWr_sRZ3ZscaU-CvI2jXfrMB3-BHl-_GPT1Hzhk-qY06mofgMova4E5yq7K29ufCQaJ_kjoyA9QOv_2Eg/s320/52+ruby.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby, designed by Marie Wallin</td></tr>
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a highly-textured turtleneck pullover (left, below); a long mesh sweater with central cable panel (in purple on the right);<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOE2FjUPl4PbNP8gObraG5dsPfMp58FhAoMXhrZ4g0pSWI6zcHImsWy76jjRS-KWGy8L7n44Ke3CyChH4_OBvGtrOqCGpUJb1HX8L_XZ8LF7WZumwzzJrYlD92Rl8sHOhD06Bo1g/s1600/52+ebbe+fala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOE2FjUPl4PbNP8gObraG5dsPfMp58FhAoMXhrZ4g0pSWI6zcHImsWy76jjRS-KWGy8L7n44Ke3CyChH4_OBvGtrOqCGpUJb1HX8L_XZ8LF7WZumwzzJrYlD92Rl8sHOhD06Bo1g/s320/52+ebbe+fala.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ebbe, by Marie Wallin (L); Fala by Martin Storey (R)</td></tr>
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a charming bobbular cardigan;<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5mqThN8WiGTDj-J_nXrEN_i21N9KLagJP8TbLQGy4n1lP6baQ42-thyphenhyphenENSlH__hHlx8BNfM6qwxqAFOONhlH2LxPBA0Xf3EPs85pzrtbCAXjbp0lA02-24sjg-hwpImB9KDZiw/s1600/52Beatrix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5mqThN8WiGTDj-J_nXrEN_i21N9KLagJP8TbLQGy4n1lP6baQ42-thyphenhyphenENSlH__hHlx8BNfM6qwxqAFOONhlH2LxPBA0Xf3EPs85pzrtbCAXjbp0lA02-24sjg-hwpImB9KDZiw/s320/52Beatrix.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beatrix, by Sarah Hatton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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an Eileen-Fisheresque "weave texture sweater," and a tank or vest with an interesting colorwork/textured stitch pattern, among others.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAd7RIl4CEJs2rDG4vWJG-vuQV5iaV4w2tGkzVLhohLhyHoDlWQuC5EZcQxl49XehkCGVHjH6WtqzCyjmZvgmBUqsEPEF2D0yi0oxAFBGUNJd6LJ1uYVlIf7fkFMHe-6AdL1HGA/s1600/52+add+igy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAd7RIl4CEJs2rDG4vWJG-vuQV5iaV4w2tGkzVLhohLhyHoDlWQuC5EZcQxl49XehkCGVHjH6WtqzCyjmZvgmBUqsEPEF2D0yi0oxAFBGUNJd6LJ1uYVlIf7fkFMHe-6AdL1HGA/s320/52+add+igy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Addison, by Amanda Crawford (L); Igy, by Lisa Richardson (R)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As usual, the articles are interesting, particularly the one on Kaffe Fassett's jubilee celebration, which also contains a special Jubilee Throw and sweater, designed by him:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_UwWjZKjhD6T2E8sKpN7-Enc151oSxcueb4WJ1-PiA1zMir20yB5CMzGkpNwk5j4M8PPuPERlL-MSWJj_jl1vLyMvo0cNRhwWdhZl4DEMdVFoREHz3f16VT4CxPkJeVBVAFa_g/s1600/52jubilleee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_UwWjZKjhD6T2E8sKpN7-Enc151oSxcueb4WJ1-PiA1zMir20yB5CMzGkpNwk5j4M8PPuPERlL-MSWJj_jl1vLyMvo0cNRhwWdhZl4DEMdVFoREHz3f16VT4CxPkJeVBVAFa_g/s1600/52jubilleee.jpg" /></a></div>
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Which brings me to an important reminder: you'll want to pay attention to the downloads that are available on the Rowan website (you'll need to register). The two Kaffe Fassett patterns, above, are only offered via online PDF download, but several other lovely garments are also offered exclusively on the Knit Rowan website, like this crossover cardigan by Sarah Dallas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHSY-QqZ2a-N6CaSvejLa98M5PWT-RmHKMovrM1nMdLlIxGW6hBafq5JzRicxrulYHGyidE9M-1ajBUtZz6hUyIU6CGmV6yD-Sj6ED8Kdgr-S5naB5V7QCPt58ujBpH5mQEIBpA/s1600/52+Biscay+255+x+340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHSY-QqZ2a-N6CaSvejLa98M5PWT-RmHKMovrM1nMdLlIxGW6hBafq5JzRicxrulYHGyidE9M-1ajBUtZz6hUyIU6CGmV6yD-Sj6ED8Kdgr-S5naB5V7QCPt58ujBpH5mQEIBpA/s320/52+Biscay+255+x+340.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Back to the Magazine: you'll also find an interview with artist Shauna Richardson, and her cultural Lionheart project in crochet; an article on "heritage knitting," i.e., fair isle, aran and gansey knits; an interview with new Rowan designer Ruth Green; a feature on wool, part of a new series highlighting facts about fibers used to make knitting yarns; a preview of the book Kaffe Quilts Again (coming this fall); and background information on the castle where some of the garments were photographed.<br />
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Rowan 52 officially went on sale July 15th and should be arriving at a yarn shop near you soon. (For my Philadelphia friends, <a href="http://www.loopyarn.com/Category.asp?CategoryID=880" target="_blank">Loop Yarn</a> will have Rowan 52 along with other new fall goodies from Rowan in early August.)<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-87271819214198412852012-07-13T19:42:00.001-04:002012-07-13T19:43:51.784-04:00Summer VacationIt was the best of times; it was the worst of times.<br />
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It was family vacation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6tCNnWSTGMZ0wueJwUAKStC1aMmvcZBuFB6szg_wTB4ilcYbiFTvaUZvFOtLGtosGFr1fwwGpdUNzXQdpnHeT-uN_dv7u5FwLP6DOwtxC5Nem4kggwBMGq-uiNOo3DUNOjGwKQ/s1600/IMG_9449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6tCNnWSTGMZ0wueJwUAKStC1aMmvcZBuFB6szg_wTB4ilcYbiFTvaUZvFOtLGtosGFr1fwwGpdUNzXQdpnHeT-uN_dv7u5FwLP6DOwtxC5Nem4kggwBMGq-uiNOo3DUNOjGwKQ/s320/IMG_9449.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's an experience that has taken on a mythology all its own in our culture: sun-kissed children frolicking in the waves (or the snow, or at the themepark), loading up the station wagon (or minivan or SUV), togetherness, memories that will last a lifetime.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQC2YPsbTcWJx781LxhFTld7LGZIP6wdMjgj0vgb462NqoCehyphenhyphenKVNLOxex49AfAwEXa7XiG-qeIIpXDGqZ353fme1EE7dDjObVyemDTOQPwZtj50ECtJjzSWV_HOE98IOPAg7HJQ/s1600/IMG_9413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQC2YPsbTcWJx781LxhFTld7LGZIP6wdMjgj0vgb462NqoCehyphenhyphenKVNLOxex49AfAwEXa7XiG-qeIIpXDGqZ353fme1EE7dDjObVyemDTOQPwZtj50ECtJjzSWV_HOE98IOPAg7HJQ/s320/IMG_9413.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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As with childbirth -- an experience which likewise has taken on its own mythology -- we find ourselves, when the ordeal is done, looking at photos of our adorable children and smiling wistfully. Forgetting all the bloody, painful trauma, the hurled recriminations, the vows (made in the thick of things) to never, ever do it again.<br />
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We rented the same lovely little house we've rented for the past few years. It's close to the beach and full of charm, and even bunny-friendly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ijsBcCq8XbveiPu3_LKZj9WVwVONP7ENL9fT-y8uVE85FXOT8nYluoztF8kAefKZOfm12lFdiHDyuG3qGiQ_ziogSRsIjKyA2UgZ-6cl97IygqpKEhWy_qWOpc0irOe6Hy5lqg/s1600/2012-07-09+16.38.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ijsBcCq8XbveiPu3_LKZj9WVwVONP7ENL9fT-y8uVE85FXOT8nYluoztF8kAefKZOfm12lFdiHDyuG3qGiQ_ziogSRsIjKyA2UgZ-6cl97IygqpKEhWy_qWOpc0irOe6Hy5lqg/s320/2012-07-09+16.38.59.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Seduced by the idea of sun, shore and seafood, I was looking forward to the trip. I'd forgotten that familiarity breeds contempt, and after four weeks at home since school let out for the summer, my family would be both excessively familiar and excessively contemptuous with me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7FNrnXlvnhoR8VhL9_mZCd7Twv_jJX6_KdIIG9U2-PsJhOr11j6mE2n9nUhhhTfG6Lut29i1_o6t_vEeyH20xPUmQNcEnpjzY6trgukMNSePpuTcZHz6PnEngtUWL1UnW_lFww/s1600/SDC19579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7FNrnXlvnhoR8VhL9_mZCd7Twv_jJX6_KdIIG9U2-PsJhOr11j6mE2n9nUhhhTfG6Lut29i1_o6t_vEeyH20xPUmQNcEnpjzY6trgukMNSePpuTcZHz6PnEngtUWL1UnW_lFww/s320/SDC19579.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course we had fun, but there were times when all that family togetherness seemed like too much. (I mean, how many times in a week can two tweeners and a teen roll their eyes? Apparently in excess of five hundred. Each.)</div>
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So next time I shall endeavor to remember the importance of going out on my own for at least one or two expeditions during the week; getting in more solo walks, whether around the neighborhood or on the beach; bringing my headphones to better tune out the exasperated chorus of "Mo-om!"</div>
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Most importantly, I shall remember that just an instant ago, they looked like this</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBiG1xGNpJ0MN749iyZJTyf3rSov4a1ZgNgaPawUbhfuRFrBfdn6J9m_Y8nfGN_DMAXJAxdCMUDPkF1seTey8lkbo6CknMO4lgoZ4LqZC-3ebyzJ23ngsw97jlAQMX9lMBeDu-w/s1600/IMG_7960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBiG1xGNpJ0MN749iyZJTyf3rSov4a1ZgNgaPawUbhfuRFrBfdn6J9m_Y8nfGN_DMAXJAxdCMUDPkF1seTey8lkbo6CknMO4lgoZ4LqZC-3ebyzJ23ngsw97jlAQMX9lMBeDu-w/s320/IMG_7960.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
and this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjIkWYZhyaytWOysRSPz1gGmcCiplMplpa4lSz3Jjm2aNiG27J8fCWdO-WqmArNNdLTwFJ93BefVKtf1G1YpTXhploclegWuXbTadMtdTuzoir-rXRw6pe1BXYKTCcSj9q-EaCw/s1600/3capemay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjIkWYZhyaytWOysRSPz1gGmcCiplMplpa4lSz3Jjm2aNiG27J8fCWdO-WqmArNNdLTwFJ93BefVKtf1G1YpTXhploclegWuXbTadMtdTuzoir-rXRw6pe1BXYKTCcSj9q-EaCw/s320/3capemay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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and because of all this family togetherness (or perhaps "despite all this family togetherness") family vacations are indeed some of the most special times of our lives.</div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-87891869157897086282012-07-05T13:24:00.000-04:002012-07-05T13:24:50.006-04:00HOLY MOLY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The UPS man brought me an especially exciting package today: a preview copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1454702850/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gokninyoha-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1454702850">Sock Yarn Studio</a>:<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gokninyoha-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1454702850" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGD2QvPAF0YnMZPRRAcVgGcr5cUWf64Rw3w1OrxoEMS7FdU3avD2wM5jYeVZSXZ_LS7UtbNxaXW3prVichiMRK4-5LLt6uye_78UEgs9UCU2QJSrB-2YDHjSGRx7IxDeCdufsUJQ/s1600/2012-07-05+12.15.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGD2QvPAF0YnMZPRRAcVgGcr5cUWf64Rw3w1OrxoEMS7FdU3avD2wM5jYeVZSXZ_LS7UtbNxaXW3prVichiMRK4-5LLt6uye_78UEgs9UCU2QJSrB-2YDHjSGRx7IxDeCdufsUJQ/s320/2012-07-05+12.15.24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's not an exaggeration to say that this is a project I've been working on for several years, so to be able to hold the finished book in my hands is thrilling. We all love sock yarns so much and they can do so many things in addition to making great socks. This book has 28 patterns for things to make with sock yarn other than socks, and this book is extremely special to me because there is so much of me and my friends and my family and my passions in it. So many of my dear fiber friends contributed patterns; several items are knit in Black Bunny Fibers yarns; my daughter modeled some of the patterns; and I was able to sit in on the photo shoots and watch talented photographer Carrie Hoge bring the garments to life on beautiful models in Portland, Maine. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M3GkCUoSPYPnUQ3DlEhpJ1asfC-PnPTiRL9txaXoxxwFXX3VWIsqPQp04F_ITCrzNriRis5UgtUJR0YX97SDPJdNfHKfB_5gxs1SbNI4S9jAIGb8KvpPzSI3mb3bMrEmzrUo0A/s1600/2012-07-05+13.26.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M3GkCUoSPYPnUQ3DlEhpJ1asfC-PnPTiRL9txaXoxxwFXX3VWIsqPQp04F_ITCrzNriRis5UgtUJR0YX97SDPJdNfHKfB_5gxs1SbNI4S9jAIGb8KvpPzSI3mb3bMrEmzrUo0A/s320/2012-07-05+13.26.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The majority of the copies of the book are on a slow boat to the U.S. from wherever they were printed -- Lark had just a few copies shipped via air, which is how I got mine -- and the book is scheduled for official release on October 2d.<br />
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A huge thank-you to everyone who contributed to making the book happen, especially my lovely editor, Thom O'Hearn.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-91939429438245518332012-06-29T09:51:00.001-04:002012-06-29T09:51:09.008-04:00No-Bull Book Review: Knit Red by Laura ZanderI am working on a post giving you my recap of TNNA, the yarn and needlepoint industry's trade show, but in the meantime, let's take a look at a lovely book that was featured at the show. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936096420/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gokninyoha-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1936096420">Knit Red: Stitching for Women's Heart Health</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gokninyoha-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1936096420" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (Sixth and Spring 2012; hardcover; 130 pages; MSRP $19.95 but available for $12.49 through the link) is a great knitting book for a great cause.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgne_dY3aGgJHXppbngv8HpUDUDBGkVp26q1XMgKE7I4ik8GrykwS9KgjzlpDIVwvEv-1arDVaHbiMTsiMt802v4aJq8YvaHIepriiv_NDDfD7bPOgbUxz9KJupTd8liy8ZK90GEw/s1600/red+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgne_dY3aGgJHXppbngv8HpUDUDBGkVp26q1XMgKE7I4ik8GrykwS9KgjzlpDIVwvEv-1arDVaHbiMTsiMt802v4aJq8YvaHIepriiv_NDDfD7bPOgbUxz9KJupTd8liy8ZK90GEw/s1600/red+cover.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
Last year, I was wandering around the TNNA show floor when I ran into
Laura Zander, proprietress of the amazing <a href="http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/" target="_blank">Jimmy Bean's Woo</a>l. Laura was
talking about writing a book that would help raise money and awareness
of women's heart health. I thought it was a fantastic idea then and now,
just a year later, with the gorgeous book in my hands, I still think
it's a fantastic idea. The statistics on women's heart health are astonishing: for example, more women have fatal heart attacks than men. One in four women who die in the U.S. each year die due to heart disease. Yet so many of us envision heart disease as something men are more likely to have.<br />
<br />
<i>Knit Red</i> aims to combat those statistics, enticing us with lovely knitting patterns, but also informing us about the dangers of heart disease and suggesting simple, do-able changes we can make to lower our risk. Let's start with the fun stuff, first, and take a look at some of the patterns.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGStTm6eCrsB4vJa06T5BYSY03SswnUvfFlRCr7SNFu8exagfTWvYM5lU8bEvGJ9pDlYWEFuS7XpDQjjubNfhBGn839vbxC4ta-JLipsVub8yRRGWPlghK_tjom9tbqZzgC941uw/s1600/red+iris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGStTm6eCrsB4vJa06T5BYSY03SswnUvfFlRCr7SNFu8exagfTWvYM5lU8bEvGJ9pDlYWEFuS7XpDQjjubNfhBGn839vbxC4ta-JLipsVub8yRRGWPlghK_tjom9tbqZzgC941uw/s320/red+iris.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
There are so many gorgeous projects in this book, and among my favorites are Iris Schreier's capelet, above. I also am grooving on this delicate lace stole by Kieran Foley, below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacuvS0ge5dJeizJE4CmM3eAX49kNQRfwsYIEgWkyOEtvdgYovbnAnUgufLItzz3af3bPxHohstf6x7GtcUimtzhYpX4l2EfasEE-VVmHJ15FC25kLVOI-1-AxvhT_30Mg6IXqnA/s1600/red+stole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacuvS0ge5dJeizJE4CmM3eAX49kNQRfwsYIEgWkyOEtvdgYovbnAnUgufLItzz3af3bPxHohstf6x7GtcUimtzhYpX4l2EfasEE-VVmHJ15FC25kLVOI-1-AxvhT_30Mg6IXqnA/s320/red+stole.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
I love the flirty eyelet socks by MMO:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNt2k8kr8dmhdQRSkkQEskOyaGOOft5rJU3RUlJyTdJwAXvfxWs1H9JSvGvo4jUGeo3C1ZD5kYvR9TeMGIOVsZsQVSTdjM8IHS2u6OPYpNQdalalHW3fK-ku32HGa4ekiw96wgQ/s1600/red+mmo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNt2k8kr8dmhdQRSkkQEskOyaGOOft5rJU3RUlJyTdJwAXvfxWs1H9JSvGvo4jUGeo3C1ZD5kYvR9TeMGIOVsZsQVSTdjM8IHS2u6OPYpNQdalalHW3fK-ku32HGa4ekiw96wgQ/s320/red+mmo.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Norah Gaughan's cabled cardigan:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XYONdnhOWiN5vNWAyJ6NWnRCKWqfryKTbYKm-fNLEk4EB5wMfDP0b443hoOBRah85FvdlUNXTNNtJK0MCX85qLnEjudfKOJA8Xnct024i6d9s-LnIjsG1onKGpvqY0GFJmkK3w/s1600/red+gaughn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XYONdnhOWiN5vNWAyJ6NWnRCKWqfryKTbYKm-fNLEk4EB5wMfDP0b443hoOBRah85FvdlUNXTNNtJK0MCX85qLnEjudfKOJA8Xnct024i6d9s-LnIjsG1onKGpvqY0GFJmkK3w/s320/red+gaughn.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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and Deborah Newton's beautifully-designed tunic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vghw_1xCrPfA_qJD7kuILwxiNwWl4PcSC7LRgv9MDi4XOvV2W0L0cE2h-ltILKqVMX0VvpYOBsze7beZL2KiJXp3vhBPDk6iNMNz_PsrVz66aos4kSgzurwNwbbv7-mL2VpIpw/s1600/red+newton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vghw_1xCrPfA_qJD7kuILwxiNwWl4PcSC7LRgv9MDi4XOvV2W0L0cE2h-ltILKqVMX0VvpYOBsze7beZL2KiJXp3vhBPDk6iNMNz_PsrVz66aos4kSgzurwNwbbv7-mL2VpIpw/s320/red+newton.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Many other of my favorite designers are featured here, such as my BFF Martin Storey, who designed a great cardigan with seed stitch panels and heart motifs, with a cute cropped fit:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6yhi04ZqhDGX5OaTuiXR_6GH0eDfzYUnPhEEt0HbNict5w60lkigzcwwegdEeqkSm5xY2O8xAVMOFnH0stdjKNIzzt9ISZi7bubqrU2coJUtcZju_b1OSgL4ToA8DpL1c5hzeg/s1600/red+story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6yhi04ZqhDGX5OaTuiXR_6GH0eDfzYUnPhEEt0HbNict5w60lkigzcwwegdEeqkSm5xY2O8xAVMOFnH0stdjKNIzzt9ISZi7bubqrU2coJUtcZju_b1OSgL4ToA8DpL1c5hzeg/s320/red+story.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
my love Sarah Hatton, who contributed an easy-to-knit twist-front top reminiscent of a ballet wrap:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXIeHgL2jY48cItXNqAah7aYRyMHqvPXakhm1MPOp0huJFqRdd49B-JI164CPWnR_zpw2aBSqij32SgWqYV_YgmMulXIwmDQ_ksGW-FlQfzepzGNScCCqcOhg2aOIR6gplCZ0xA/s1600/red+hatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXIeHgL2jY48cItXNqAah7aYRyMHqvPXakhm1MPOp0huJFqRdd49B-JI164CPWnR_zpw2aBSqij32SgWqYV_YgmMulXIwmDQ_ksGW-FlQfzepzGNScCCqcOhg2aOIR6gplCZ0xA/s320/red+hatton.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Maie Landra contributed this amazing modular dress (this is really an exquisite piece of knitwear, with modern lines but a vintage feel -- and I'm not just saying that because I heart Koigu so much):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_K8kY1L_ZhcAkjtwnmJz9jFnTR99Whoxb62msWlRXHTxBF1-Ec9XOy7SI0C2ZhUkyYG0PSYNrmBf1gvB4lPUxuX1PF8tNa_F83gFeH-eufbNx5AUWmyGc64_8eXQhuKpKQ0WUg/s1600/red+maie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_K8kY1L_ZhcAkjtwnmJz9jFnTR99Whoxb62msWlRXHTxBF1-Ec9XOy7SI0C2ZhUkyYG0PSYNrmBf1gvB4lPUxuX1PF8tNa_F83gFeH-eufbNx5AUWmyGc64_8eXQhuKpKQ0WUg/s320/red+maie.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Another nice thing about the book is that it includes both easier and more advanced designs. Cecily Glowik MacDonald's cardigan is stylish but uses only stockinette and garter stitches, and is knit in one piece to minimize finishing:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkUuFp6h953q6YGwYsIzhNhungQSNXZeJdLZQzdOwj-TtjzJ5MZ3lB5lJAjS-G0n84j-apHpLp2cO64XWodenNQmJZBq88z48bAtiZos6jVtIUEToDKpCo-EwVGGRmLCEHs6Xdw/s1600/red+cecily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkUuFp6h953q6YGwYsIzhNhungQSNXZeJdLZQzdOwj-TtjzJ5MZ3lB5lJAjS-G0n84j-apHpLp2cO64XWodenNQmJZBq88z48bAtiZos6jVtIUEToDKpCo-EwVGGRmLCEHs6Xdw/s320/red+cecily.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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and Diane Soucy's hooded cardigan has simple elegance (knit in Universal's Cashmere Fleur de Lys)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4Tz9-mCV0_xfvXaZoTSNtOAXfvXYjS_1oGUJhd1GIeF2vh0sMA-PSr4u4XrtoA3lXudu4nBk3-CsppuJn1JTVgHxM2xrGk7JCZNJ_GH97lXTjE5h67KB3wg2qoH4VrcfOpPCEQ/s1600/red+soucy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4Tz9-mCV0_xfvXaZoTSNtOAXfvXYjS_1oGUJhd1GIeF2vh0sMA-PSr4u4XrtoA3lXudu4nBk3-CsppuJn1JTVgHxM2xrGk7JCZNJ_GH97lXTjE5h67KB3wg2qoH4VrcfOpPCEQ/s320/red+soucy.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
while Andrea Jurgrau's lace shawl is a bit more challenging, with its fantastic beaded edging,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJatVx1goeKfWa_0I4nyosPKG3XTjsLxqVcO8CEHrXIAnB7DzYpERvVbzvxOnQeB31euqianjdJ-P3UyDBXP3QSdkSjCB_4jZVVtOIAx0t5Qu7NIK8TiNk9T-3Ju1J6_N7a0Lbg/s1600/red+andrea+shawl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJatVx1goeKfWa_0I4nyosPKG3XTjsLxqVcO8CEHrXIAnB7DzYpERvVbzvxOnQeB31euqianjdJ-P3UyDBXP3QSdkSjCB_4jZVVtOIAx0t5Qu7NIK8TiNk9T-3Ju1J6_N7a0Lbg/s320/red+andrea+shawl.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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but no matter what you're looking for, there are options. Like cables? Try Brooklyn Tweed's lovely mittens:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduhrW5dbIi4aDj5yjRzDuf_3BUbyaLlMACUdU0NTvo8ExL5CzK3bph3EBHH5xAvxm_ThjMdToP7O5uKqGXzeawE3Af934ElYs9Siq-1e_XyqSLIW82TiaLGcnYKPylMLv2KkNZA/s1600/red+flood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduhrW5dbIi4aDj5yjRzDuf_3BUbyaLlMACUdU0NTvo8ExL5CzK3bph3EBHH5xAvxm_ThjMdToP7O5uKqGXzeawE3Af934ElYs9Siq-1e_XyqSLIW82TiaLGcnYKPylMLv2KkNZA/s320/red+flood.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
In the mood to use some luxurious yarns? Check out Daniela Johannsenova's Mondrian-like tunic, using several different yarns and multiple shades of red (and purple!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNySwzvoJ8f7HU-piKVbtVwJ1A47ZmjBOOe4yfBMjhsxTqEidW9hAxBknAA_0a3xb2Oj1d2_QRN1SvVMBkpSmeeN0V-046jHqXj1wpsHM7VRsM5cBuPe5wNsS8CeHSZom2p7InQ/s1600/red+daniella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNySwzvoJ8f7HU-piKVbtVwJ1A47ZmjBOOe4yfBMjhsxTqEidW9hAxBknAA_0a3xb2Oj1d2_QRN1SvVMBkpSmeeN0V-046jHqXj1wpsHM7VRsM5cBuPe5wNsS8CeHSZom2p7InQ/s320/red+daniella.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
Want to let some skin peek through? Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton allows you to channel your inner minx with her off-the-shoulder mesh top:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6YGy50EVDMCXhx7DDK_O4qLx4X7yCL26KN-jPnWyj1fwNGJIFkq2q06vs6u7TOZRI_8IPj_t8gLeljMj3BWcNyg4jnDV4hDZShP9G63S5gPpnuwdhVL1xyH5kYuSZgqzCdy5CQ/s1600/red+cornelia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6YGy50EVDMCXhx7DDK_O4qLx4X7yCL26KN-jPnWyj1fwNGJIFkq2q06vs6u7TOZRI_8IPj_t8gLeljMj3BWcNyg4jnDV4hDZShP9G63S5gPpnuwdhVL1xyH5kYuSZgqzCdy5CQ/s320/red+cornelia.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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If you want to embellish, look no further than Nicky Epstein's chenille shrug, with roses around the collar:<br />
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Feel like a home dec item? Michelle Rose Orne has designed a lovely linen-stitch blanket:<br />
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For my statisticians, the books contains 31 patterns, in the following categories:<br />
<ul>
<li>5 pullover sweaters; 4 cardigans; and 1 button-front vest, all for women</li>
<li>1 dress</li>
<li>2 cowls</li>
<li>1 tote</li>
<li>2 hats (one beret, one earflap style)</li>
<li>1 shrug</li>
<li>4 stoles/shawls</li>
<li>1 blanket</li>
<li>3 sets of handgear (1 mitten, 2 fingerless gloves)</li>
<li>a spa set (washcloth and suchlike)</li>
<li>2 pair of socks</li>
<li>1 cape.</li>
</ul>
All the items are shown in red yarn, but the manufacturers and gauges vary from laceweight to chunky, from luxury yarns like ArtYarns and Koigu to more affordable choices like Deborah Norville's Soft Worsted and Deb Stoller's Stitch Nation yarns. Sizes are a bit more limited than usual; a few of the sweaters go up to 48 to 53-inch finished circumference but most have their largest size in the 40s and one or two have more limited ranges than that, so check sizing if you have your eye on a particular sweater. Of course many of the projects, like the lovely stoles and shawls, are one size fits all. You'll find schematics and chart as usual with a Vogue publication. All the patterns are for women with one or two home items -- nothing for men or kids here, since the focus is on women's heart health.<br />
<br />
One aspect of the book that I find charming are mini-profiles of the individual designers, in which they tell how heart disease has affected them and their families, and include tips for improving heart health. The pattern section is followed by facts about how common heart issues are (for example, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States); what the symptoms of a heart attack are; exercise and cooking tips; even heart-healthy recipes. There's also a section of knitting tips and techniques used in the patterns.<br />
<br />
My family has been decimated by heart-related disease: my father had pentuple by-pass surgery, my grandfather died of complications from a heart attack, and as amateur genealogist, I've been amazed at the number of relatives who have cardiac issues of some kind listed on their death certificates. The women in my family have suffered, too: My grandmother had heart problems<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABAWsQx6u0Ayxiowx2Ju00BP5gr6eZl12hPXNNBriLpBDWBAg2WlxupDT-rMuPAlZeWttUhP-YswEMkf9RwN6J_WAb59Ny0YUXItGU_f_PT3iuiF6uFYpr610ujMaim6QQGiF9A/s1600/jessie+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABAWsQx6u0Ayxiowx2Ju00BP5gr6eZl12hPXNNBriLpBDWBAg2WlxupDT-rMuPAlZeWttUhP-YswEMkf9RwN6J_WAb59Ny0YUXItGU_f_PT3iuiF6uFYpr610ujMaim6QQGiF9A/s320/jessie+edited.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandmother</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
and my dear cousin Francie died at a shockingly young age from heart
disease, to name just a few. So I am proud to heartily (pun intended) recommend this book, a
great selection of stylish patterns along with timely reminders about taking care of our hearts.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-34502997019910925252012-06-21T21:49:00.002-04:002012-06-21T21:49:47.608-04:00On my way....It's that time of year again: time for TNNA, the trade show for the knitting and needlepoint industry--or as my kids call it, "the yarn convention." I love being able to have so many of my favorite fiber people collected together in one place, and I love seeing all the amazing new yarns and patterns coming out this fall. I'll take copious notes and give you a full report when I get back.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-31561797564913469872012-06-17T09:02:00.000-04:002012-06-17T09:02:37.452-04:00Happy Father's DayThey say that time is a great healer, and like many cliches, it's a cliche because it's so often true. It's been about 2 1/2 years since my father died, and it's become easier and easier to focus on the good memories of him. The other day, my oldest kid was playing the piano and my heart stopped for a second: it was Chopin's Raindrop Prelude, which was my father's favorite piece by his favorite composer. He used to say that because the prelude was inspired by the notion of raindrops falling on a dead person, he wanted the song played at his funeral. (He was Little Miss Sunshine, sometimes, eh?)<br />
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In honor of Father's Day, here are some more of the good memories that I have of my dad--random things, in no particular order and with no intended symbolism. Just things that have popped into my head lately:<br />
<ul>
<li>My dad knew an amazing amount about World War II. He was born in 1934, so he had vivid childhood memories of significant events in the war. He had several uncles who served in the war, which probably also helped pique his interest in the war. He very clearly remembered Pearl Harbor, and listening to FDR announce the attack on the radio. He even used to do a horrible imitation of FDR: "Last night, the Japanese attached Pearl Harbor." (He refused to ever buy a Japanese car because of Pearl Harbor. (!) )He had a special fascination with the technology of WW2 and knew a great deal about the tanks and weapons used. </li>
<li>He loved to read. (Obviously this is where I inherited it from.) And every once in a while, he'd slip me five or ten bucks and tell my mother to take me to the mall so I could go to the Walden's bookstore and buy books.</li>
<li>He used to say the word "cubbyhole" like this: COO-bee-hole. I told my kids this recently and they found it hilarious. Now it's a running joke in our family.</li>
<li>He was born on July 1 and really was a summer kind of guy. He loved to swim and he loved baseball. The Mets were his team. He loved watermelon; fresh summer tomatoes (a tomato-and-cheese sandwich was his favorite); and could eat a bowl of cherries in a minute.</li>
<li>He passed the entrance test to be a contestant on Jeopardy. This won't surprise anyone who knew him, as he always had an encyclopedic knowledge of random topics and trivia. He wasn't able to be on the show, though, because the network insisted that contestants spend a certain minimum amount of time in New York until the show was ready for them, and he couldn't do that.</li>
<li>Whenever we went out to a fancy dinner and ordered wine, he insisted on putting the entire contents of the salt shaker into the ice bucket because he said it made the bottle get colder faster.</li>
<li>He loved Star Trek, the original one with William Shatner. He never really got fascinated with any other science fiction the way he loved Star Trek, though. Some of his favorite episodes were the one with Nomad; "The Gamesters of Triskelion" and the one where Mr. Spock fights Kirk to marry the Vulcan lady. He was never a big fan of the Tribbles one, though.</li>
</ul>
Happy Father's Day. I hope you have nothing but good memories of your dad, and if he's still around, and lives close by, go and make some more good memories of him. Some day you'll be glad you did.<br />
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-7135302971942719032012-06-14T08:29:00.000-04:002012-06-15T10:35:22.454-04:00First look: Noro MagazineI'm a big fan of Noro yarns. Yes, I know that they are softly spun, sometimes have knots, the colors don't always flow perfectly and if you yank too hard, they might break. So what. I adore the colors, the natural fibers, the way that the colors sometimes ply a little bit around each other when they change from one segment to another, and I enjoy the rustic feel of the yarn. So I was very excited to see that our friends at Vogue Knitting were producing a magazine devoted to Noro patterns. <a href="http://www.noromagazine.com/" target="_blank">Noro Knitting Magazine</a> arrived in stores and LYSs recently, so let's take a first look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aszvDYSbiZiTxp06gjyvtRYm-2aksKHPLWnPJ_JT7QIREBANnlOS61BqeYUUFrcXdNHSWDPXXxShNJ1xBJjg0A6Ssis16xUhMfSO_hxtNyNF2hh736TE1I6fzzphRWKWGP3Gfg/s1600/noro+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aszvDYSbiZiTxp06gjyvtRYm-2aksKHPLWnPJ_JT7QIREBANnlOS61BqeYUUFrcXdNHSWDPXXxShNJ1xBJjg0A6Ssis16xUhMfSO_hxtNyNF2hh736TE1I6fzzphRWKWGP3Gfg/s320/noro+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The magazine begins with a wonderful article by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton, who has been a Noro fan for many years and who has written several books featuring Noro yarns. Hamilton gives some fascinating background about the founder of Noro yarns, Eisaku Noro; how the company was founded; and how the yarn is made. One-page features highlight 2012 Noro yarns; books devoted to Noro design; and resources for Noro on the web. There's a special feature on the <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTlizardridge.html" target="_blank">Lizard Ridge afghan</a> and tea cozy designer <a href="http://www.grandpurlbaa.com/www.grandpurlbaa.com/Moi.html" target="_blank">Loani Prior's creations</a>.<br />
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Next are the patterns, 35 fabulous, colorful patterns. In the story "Konnichi Wa," you'll find smaller pieces, such as the cover design, a textured hat by Holli Yoeh:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ2ACfJdA9eRnSyLiBVzac_YZeb7JReYbEP7J29s6rBVERKOlpA02aYF3RKK-_JxB7xGk68Bc11zUnIswEZyuhoSVth3FEy1DK1lAWv6VnxWVW7wG2h6kXLSoFtZcaqmvl6BI-A/s1600/NORO12_01D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ2ACfJdA9eRnSyLiBVzac_YZeb7JReYbEP7J29s6rBVERKOlpA02aYF3RKK-_JxB7xGk68Bc11zUnIswEZyuhoSVth3FEy1DK1lAWv6VnxWVW7wG2h6kXLSoFtZcaqmvl6BI-A/s320/NORO12_01D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Katharine Hunt's mobius<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSeLKpG8i9CxE0QCX4pIbJ2DHADBiOeEJIMschft9v6sy3ZqK1QZP0I84x__OU2jl1dBB-J5Uq0ZyB9vFgYO4OAjQhyphenhyphenCaHKtXrPbEtS-WcX7rBeIQTHYN6oJvF1roRyabh2KErA/s1600/NORO12_02D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSeLKpG8i9CxE0QCX4pIbJ2DHADBiOeEJIMschft9v6sy3ZqK1QZP0I84x__OU2jl1dBB-J5Uq0ZyB9vFgYO4OAjQhyphenhyphenCaHKtXrPbEtS-WcX7rBeIQTHYN6oJvF1roRyabh2KErA/s320/NORO12_02D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
my checkerboard hat (!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunoONQESq4iefL5bZvulKzNtZ1kQUfgQqNSXoxS8w62xla-W1S7ZwAW2CdHMZQeZ-Mo-cWT8NZDfO2MYQfhdhSh-RzjhSO1muojiDLr6yOxJ0xIGr76NeWR-Jgz_Etic3K9-sGw/s1600/Noro+checkerboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunoONQESq4iefL5bZvulKzNtZ1kQUfgQqNSXoxS8w62xla-W1S7ZwAW2CdHMZQeZ-Mo-cWT8NZDfO2MYQfhdhSh-RzjhSO1muojiDLr6yOxJ0xIGr76NeWR-Jgz_Etic3K9-sGw/s320/Noro+checkerboard.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
and elegant socks by Christina Behnke.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXR0A6upyDHhVe0eOGqkgQKg0WyBub3_nSlWUrOnRI4XsXZSUnnpjBozz8QmV-Ij7kMCNgMA5yFIQUSNXJn5N9uUpU0vPi8hS3-niaEd7cqhbh2pe24NA6ocXBooPXiD625jxB_g/s1600/NORO12_07D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXR0A6upyDHhVe0eOGqkgQKg0WyBub3_nSlWUrOnRI4XsXZSUnnpjBozz8QmV-Ij7kMCNgMA5yFIQUSNXJn5N9uUpU0vPi8hS3-niaEd7cqhbh2pe24NA6ocXBooPXiD625jxB_g/s320/NORO12_07D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
The second story is texture, including Therese Chynoweth's lovely lace cardigan;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw46L05QTgwa_HMOzp7pEFYVnyTGpNYmyMPKOp5jbWYHlNM7GdDwSbNoCR_NWcY90XmNGb0xTDhEgFTOl85yKxYfwA6rBY4Tn-I4HcPIRCicwRv_OsSdtze-jgSorgMoIsb6nK5w/s1600/NORO12_09D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw46L05QTgwa_HMOzp7pEFYVnyTGpNYmyMPKOp5jbWYHlNM7GdDwSbNoCR_NWcY90XmNGb0xTDhEgFTOl85yKxYfwA6rBY4Tn-I4HcPIRCicwRv_OsSdtze-jgSorgMoIsb6nK5w/s320/NORO12_09D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
Cheryl Murray's subtle yoked pullover<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBakz7hCiAQqo20quW4Xe1j3GoM8RYTVmAaaxeVR1XF6MonUISxidwmlUmUO2YQm9pZbWjp8X_Qh5PMWGvkzJlg-17bnokGIIMsYqG97KDKV-tr5RCyMv-equR_jjR2G4RlrHWg/s1600/NORO12_10D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBakz7hCiAQqo20quW4Xe1j3GoM8RYTVmAaaxeVR1XF6MonUISxidwmlUmUO2YQm9pZbWjp8X_Qh5PMWGvkzJlg-17bnokGIIMsYqG97KDKV-tr5RCyMv-equR_jjR2G4RlrHWg/s320/NORO12_10D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
and Daniela Ni's tunic with textured edging.<br />
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<br />
Vintage Modern is the title of the next story, with an absolutely stunning red dress by Carolyn Noyes knit in one shade of Kureyon with a solid color Debbie Bliss yarn.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtgsjoLxuK6s69Ly-xMWBDRbgkf8gtrHmDX2N1ZlWoIavy6VMFy7SI_0eGEhybthb7EWTdOM997tLu_SIrBYigEx9H_GIagLsmWPK0WQVSTejgdVgBh21DKIz2O9ouEZvhPlH4ZA/s1600/NORO12_14D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtgsjoLxuK6s69Ly-xMWBDRbgkf8gtrHmDX2N1ZlWoIavy6VMFy7SI_0eGEhybthb7EWTdOM997tLu_SIrBYigEx9H_GIagLsmWPK0WQVSTejgdVgBh21DKIz2O9ouEZvhPlH4ZA/s320/NORO12_14D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
Wow.<br />
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Two skirts in more muted colorways are lovely, like this one byYoko Hatta:<br />
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<br />
and there is a long cardigan that showcases the repeating colors of Noro by Mari Tobita.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMtMfJkmY1LeuUbGPjnf2hfcdu0ZTJx_FBNsflnsCgc_QNS6CJ4H93SEBv9a4lDl_X8dAyKx4JTbAn18RnqhojTTHoG44VgC8JXq8b2wB3BscCh7aJoQ5199jYk1X-MfM_Vj6DQ/s1600/NORO12_18D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMtMfJkmY1LeuUbGPjnf2hfcdu0ZTJx_FBNsflnsCgc_QNS6CJ4H93SEBv9a4lDl_X8dAyKx4JTbAn18RnqhojTTHoG44VgC8JXq8b2wB3BscCh7aJoQ5199jYk1X-MfM_Vj6DQ/s320/NORO12_18D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
There are several shorter stories, too, including a men's story (I like this sweater by Kenny Chun)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvPPx-x2R0Xy6gU_Bv7FiEZLAo4MjKqXz631z9C_4hyphenhyphenngZ0ZZ-iUvGFhed1jsJh3OzBl1K8CyaS7fJB97C0gxzB4rym_LmBl_52HNt07btC2rzDiLlhujaWJcaQYrYnA-7x8faw/s1600/NORO12_19D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvPPx-x2R0Xy6gU_Bv7FiEZLAo4MjKqXz631z9C_4hyphenhyphenngZ0ZZ-iUvGFhed1jsJh3OzBl1K8CyaS7fJB97C0gxzB4rym_LmBl_52HNt07btC2rzDiLlhujaWJcaQYrYnA-7x8faw/s320/NORO12_19D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
a feature devoted to Noro Karuta, a new yarn with more monochrome-ish colorways (which, coincidentally, is on sale for a limited time only at Loop -- <a href="http://www.loopyarn.com/Category.asp?CategoryID=897&utm_source=Loop+Newsletter&utm_campaign=86b1f59408-Winter_in_Summer_Sale_6_4_2012&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">go here</a>):<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTO2SvI58H0CTn11DDB3NeNsemVbiBeur8vlgsd_YluT2q-JcgA4DIoummgKGcLxgASodKfnzsHhPF7FyL4IWl0KdrpQMLrz4l7mpL6RqukoQ-vwMCRBY6zLNBw9QZ-Q_3mR5jw/s1600/NORO12_23D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTO2SvI58H0CTn11DDB3NeNsemVbiBeur8vlgsd_YluT2q-JcgA4DIoummgKGcLxgASodKfnzsHhPF7FyL4IWl0KdrpQMLrz4l7mpL6RqukoQ-vwMCRBY6zLNBw9QZ-Q_3mR5jw/s320/NORO12_23D.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilma Peers design</td></tr>
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<br />
two striking pieces making use of stripes;<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnE_eOj-EiHigVsXv7w915NTvJN-CF8qxoWLec81UqlFGkTd03rzUlIV2fM1qHBGCilZgLwaR7gv391wXhjP1WyYy7NvEzysDNCVI9JOzZcanGC4jaXY6PdkxFcyHLqk3G363zw/s1600/NORO12_26D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnE_eOj-EiHigVsXv7w915NTvJN-CF8qxoWLec81UqlFGkTd03rzUlIV2fM1qHBGCilZgLwaR7gv391wXhjP1WyYy7NvEzysDNCVI9JOzZcanGC4jaXY6PdkxFcyHLqk3G363zw/s320/NORO12_26D.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irina Poludnenko design</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDI_q15DT52W2P1rDowON8MyBOqzUlCxiAOfc8HIuUViEdf-ASi7YiXW1o5OUy2shqNSYjpR-k5SexTCRVRmFXYpMsZb0WNLYwSl3q41PcHr-h_Wrxder8UtccPeNEliju7d3YA/s1600/NORO12_27D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDI_q15DT52W2P1rDowON8MyBOqzUlCxiAOfc8HIuUViEdf-ASi7YiXW1o5OUy2shqNSYjpR-k5SexTCRVRmFXYpMsZb0WNLYwSl3q41PcHr-h_Wrxder8UtccPeNEliju7d3YA/s320/NORO12_27D.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galina Carroll design</td></tr>
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<br />
home designs, like this throw<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFiH-VTMelS_U-5OvPIdSeProGk1HU6t6l6I4nzwzv6FGXh2oiKgjkyiztOkqtkqiSAjVmhZdcrck7AyKeqH6PPr445XmdLriydYMeckwOxSltpZM1e_UPFef5_MKczPkh8iZCw/s1600/NORO12_31D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFiH-VTMelS_U-5OvPIdSeProGk1HU6t6l6I4nzwzv6FGXh2oiKgjkyiztOkqtkqiSAjVmhZdcrck7AyKeqH6PPr445XmdLriydYMeckwOxSltpZM1e_UPFef5_MKczPkh8iZCw/s320/NORO12_31D.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erica Schlueter design</td></tr>
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felted bowls<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCHOSNT4FYNGq3TT4ItVFMJwiir7YSS5-Z3_gu3vO0hbrbCRWCmTWuVBvc_XCtNR9v2AOaJ5DzrzTCfHhJxUdbHzk7cJcD3m4y4cr2q1KdRm843EaEg4hgmg0Uy0PkzYbmeRIgg/s1600/NORO12_32D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCHOSNT4FYNGq3TT4ItVFMJwiir7YSS5-Z3_gu3vO0hbrbCRWCmTWuVBvc_XCtNR9v2AOaJ5DzrzTCfHhJxUdbHzk7cJcD3m4y4cr2q1KdRm843EaEg4hgmg0Uy0PkzYbmeRIgg/s320/NORO12_32D.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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and a tote (both by Jacquiline van Dillen).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pXyodCKFmVqinhpE3Ykn1R0GI8IW3_n1mLlFPKGs7frEaVNoPXjl_9N86OWu9HfXS3K5rzzF1IL5NBpkYlEJJY7d5OaxHY0Mq4K7AfqbKsscEbYH56NXsq4n1_2Aom5zoIzEOw/s1600/NORO12_33D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pXyodCKFmVqinhpE3Ykn1R0GI8IW3_n1mLlFPKGs7frEaVNoPXjl_9N86OWu9HfXS3K5rzzF1IL5NBpkYlEJJY7d5OaxHY0Mq4K7AfqbKsscEbYH56NXsq4n1_2Aom5zoIzEOw/s320/NORO12_33D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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A variety of yarn weights are used, from yarn categories 1 (fingering) to 5 (chunky); sizing is generous, with most patterns going into the high 40s or low 50s-inch finished circumferences; and there are color photos, charts and schematics to make your knitting easier.<br />
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I do love Noro so for me, picking up a copy of this magazine was a no-brainer. (I even found it at Wegman's!). Lots of luscious patterns and inspiration, at the bargain price of $7.99. <br />
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<o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos by Paul Amato for LVARepresents.com</span></o:p></div>
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<br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com2