Best New Hat

Hi Knitters,

Words can't describe the fun I had early this morning with a ball of yarn and some needles. Yesterday I finished a baby set I am working on for a yarn company and it was a big weight off my shoulders. Now I still have to write up the pattern but still. I was looking around on ravelry and I ran across this pattern, Felicity. I love the shape of this hat. It is slightly fitted, then it moves into a slouchy style hat on the top. Voluminous hats are in style but to be honest, I don't love the hats that are too huge. This one is just right. 

I spied the pumpkin handspun Dianne sent me (don't forget about her new etsy shop).  I have had that yarn sitting by my side for the last two months just waiting to be wound and knitted up into something perfect. I wound the yarn by hand last night, what a treat, and then I started the Felicity pattern. Right away I knew I would run into a few issues but I gave it a go anyway. First of all, using a worsted weight yarn on a size 5 needle, you cast on 70 stitches. That will give you about a 16-inch hat. That is tiny. My head measures almost 22-inches. That might be a brain squeezer. Secondly, it starts with a purl row, then moves into stockinette. It was a roller and I didn't want a roller. Thirdly, I have no remembrance of the yardage in the skein Dianne sent me so it was a guess. I am pretty good at eyeballing amounts but this was a new pattern. This morning I ripped out the hat I started last night and started again.

This time I cast on 90 stitches on a size 7. I put in a k2, p1 rib to start off. Then I carried on sort of looking at the pattern but sort of not.
My hat became more something that was inspired by Felicity. I changed just about everything about it but it still kind of looks like the pattern. I am going to try another one with different yarn and try to stick to the pattern better. I really like this pattern and the final look. It is easy, easy and fast. One of the main things is that my version is not quite so long lengthwise, I kept looking at my dwindling ball of yarn and so I kept eliminating rounds. Mine still has a little slouch to it and I truly love the final product. It was a smart move because I only have a tiny bit of yarn left over. I gave the hat a good steam when I was done and it made the yarn even better.
The yarn is so beautiful. I can't describe how good it felt to work with such a treasure. There is a squish and a loftiness that you don't find in manufactured yarn. The color is one of my favorites. I thought about Dianne the entire time I knitted. I told The Collector over breakfast about how my friend lives on a farm in Kentucky and raises the sheep that are then sheered and how she spins their wool and dyes it. She just kept looking at me and the yarn and then she simply said, "That must be hard." I agree.

Thank you, Dianne, for the wonderful gift. I will treasure my best new hat.

I have a few other quickies to share. Chris shot me an email yesterday morning to share some fun news. Elefante has made it to the big-time. Look at all of those great free patterns. I love that. Elefante is right up there with Eunny Jang, Veronik Avery, Grumperina, Jared Flood (brooklyn tweed) and others. That is excellent and fun. Whip-Up is such a great site, love it to death. Thank you for the honor.

Another excellent thing is that I mentioned a couple of posts ago that my daughter's coat had a broken zipper. Some of the teeth were missing and it wouldn't zip past that point. A kindly reader wrote a comment about a tailor shop right by my house that fixes zippers. I took two coats in and got them back in a couple of days with brand-new zippers for $20 a pop. I thought that was about the best thing ever. I zipped my daughter up this morning and it felt like a new coat. Yay, 2o bucks is a lot cheaper than a real new coat.

Gotta run. Have a good day, Knitters.

best, susie 

This and That

Hi Knitters,

See that mitten? That is size woman's small that doesn't come close to fitting my woman's small hand. (Note to self: don't photograph your wrist ever again.) The Collector couldn't even fit her little hand in this mitten.
Here is size woman's large with some modifications to make it even larger. It fits fine now. The pattern is the Plum Blossom Mittens that I have linked and talked about before. Here's the thing, I started doing the fair isle flower pattern (you can see it in the corner of the sheet) in another mitten I started but I had some concerns. The concerns were that first, it would be way too small (I was right), second, there were long skips in the fair isle and it was a major pain to carry and twist along the contrast color in the round on 4 double pointed needles. I just wasn't having any fun with it. That's when I stop. I need to have fun while I knit or forget it.

I was going to duplicate stitch on the bloom and I even started on one of the mittens. It did not go well and it didn't look particularly good, so I pulled it out. I have an idea that I think will carry on with the theme of putting the palms together and getting that one image. I will share it as soon as I am done.

I still recommend the basic mitten pattern just be mindful of the size. I had to make the largest size and I had to make it a lot longer on the cuff and the palm before decreasing for the top. You can try it on as you go and then you can't miss with the length. 

It is a simple and easy pattern and I learned a thing or two. It has the coolest thumb ever. You knit an I-cord on 10 stitches and then to close up the ladder you chain up the bars with a crochet hook creating stitches. You pull the end at the top of the thumb through the last crocheted stitch. I thought this was genius and I loved it and I love that I learned a new trick. The other cool thing is that the thumb gusset was done in the simplest way at the end of the round. These mittens are so easy to make and it is a good pattern.

One other thing is that the yarn, Valley Yarn's Berkshire Bulky, is fantastic. It is soft and beautiful and it only cost $4.99 for 108 yards. That is a steal. I will use it again and again. I will definitely be making some stripey pairs for gifts, they are so fast.
Now for some odds and ends. These are the cutest little hair clips I bought at Anthology. I have to get down there again soon. These are The Collector's clips. The popsicle clips are like a ceramic type piece and the owl clips are fabric covered buttons. You can find them here online. I never tire of owls for some reason. I thought you might enjoy these bits of fun. They are the perfect stocking stuffers.
I pulled out my Yuletide Gnome for the season. Can't beat that beard. Hey, I found the pattern for you here. Before this pattern was more difficult to get your hands on but Alan has made it available as a single sheet now. Smart move.

When I see that I am getting a lot of hits from Japan I know Sunny has been up to something. Sure enough, check this out.

I just received a copy of Knit Two from Kate Jacob's publicist at Putnam publishing. I will try to read it soon and let you know what I think. It may not be for awhile but I thought you might want to get your own copy if you are a fan of her first novel. It was released on November 25th. I am interested in reading Knit Two and I am crossing my fingers for a happier ending this time. I still liked the first book but I just wish it wasn't so sad.

One last thing, the new winter Knitty is out. It looks like there are some fun patterns with some big-name designers included like Norah Gaughan, Nicky Epstein, Stefanie Japel and more. Wow, what a line up.

Carry on, Knitters.

best, susie

Oklahoma Hook

Hi Knitters,

My sister told me that the winter storm we are currently having is due to an Oklahoma Hook weather pattern. I don't know what that is but it sure is messing things up around here. We are set to get about 10 inches of snow by tomorrow and then continuing on tomorrow. The Madison Knitters Guild is not happening tonight. Cancelled. That is sad. I prepared hard over the last few days to be the guest speaker at the meeting, packed up loads of stuff to share, plus I had a bunch of fun giveaways planned for the meeting. It would have been so fun. Bummer. 

The guild meetings are planned about a year in advance so maybe I'll get to see the Madison knitters next year. There isn't anything you can do about the weather, that's one thing I know for sure. I am glad everyone will be home safe and sound tonight. The Madison Guild has Stephanie Pearl-McPhee coming to town for the Madison Knit In next March. That sounds fun.

We went to a Christmas tree farm yesterday to pick out our tree. Last year there was a blizzard while we were picking out our tree, this year it was windy and cold. The Collector picked up spare branches that were on the ground. She is determined to make some winter fairy houses in the yard. We are going to get going on that later this week. We looked up some neat versions of winter fairy houses in a couple of her books. I'll keep you posted.

My husband is 6' 5" so he is always the tester for how tall the tree is before he cuts it down. It's all very scientific. 

This tree passed the test. It is a beauty. My husband is a trooper. He gets right down there on the ground in the snow and saws away. It was really cold out, too. I have a lot of pictures just like this one. Every year I take a shot of him on the ground cutting down the tree. I don't know why.

Aren't those hats the best? I love it when the kids all wear their knitted hats. It makes me all warm inside. If you get a tree do you cut your trees down or do you buy them already cut? Either way it sure is fun to have a beautiful pine tree all decorated in your house. The house just smells so good. 

When we have our tree up I always turn on the lights right away when I get up really early in the morning. Then when the kids get up they see the tree all lit up first thing when they come down the stairs for breakfast. I like that for some reason.

Hope you are all nestled in and warm tonight. I will be.

best, susie

Did you see this fantastic project? I am definitely doing this one with the kids.

Little Knitted Things

Hi Knitters,

I've squeezed in a few little Christmas-y knitting items here and there. Those minutes I sit and wait for kids in my car really add up.
This is a sachet Christmas tree. It is about 4-5 inches tall. I filled it partially with lavender so it smells really good. Here is the pattern and the yarn is here. This was fast, fun and easy peasy.
I made up my own snowman. He is about 4 inches tall. Love him to death and I plan on making more in different sizes. Here is the pattern for the sno-buddy family. My pattern is in my head. I added arms with a couple of brown I-cords stuffed with pipe cleaners. They look like sticks and they bend. Perfect.
Here is a quick Santa Baby Ornament that I made while waiting for my daughter after school today. I strung it with white thread so it is ready to hang. Cute, cute at about 2 inches tall.
Can you spot the last tiny thing I made?
I made up a quick Pear Apple Cozy out the most beautiful yarn ever. It is a dk weight yarn and the name of it is Ginny. It is a gorgeous treat, all fresh and beautiful and fruity. I can't tell you how yummy the colors are in Ginny, rose, gold, peach, lime, light pink. 

To give you a hint at how I made my snowman, I used my cozy pattern and then instead of the ribbing for the head I decreased a little for the neck, then I increased a little for the head and then I closed it up on top. 

As for the cozies, I keep making them and giving them away and then I never have any around for myself. I really want to use my cozy to hold yarn cakes while I knit. I am determined to knit a bunch to keep around here for good.

Okay, I have some fantastic links for you. Take a peek.

I am ordering these straight away to add to my handknits. I love this simple idea so much.

I have the original one from Garnet Hill that my sister gave me, but now you can knit your own.

This is cool jewelry that I would love to own. 

These would be a dream come true to have at your fingertips while knitting.

Last but not least, my friend Dianne has opened her shop and it is incredible. Eat that yarn up quick! I can't wait to knit with my yarn from Dianne and then I can get some more. 

Oh, and one more, I had several people send me this link. I think it is funny that it reminded them of me in some way. Too fun.

Okay, that should keep you busy for awhile. I am the guest speaker at the Monday, Dec. 8th Madison Knitters Guild meeting. This should be fun but I need to get organized this weekend so I know what I am saying when I get there. Yeah, that would be good, right? 

It has been a crazy week with deadlines and now I just need to catch my breath for a moment.

From the knitter of little things, take care.

best, susie

Blue Christmas

Hi Knitters,

We are getting snow around here, at least several inches today. The Collector was running over to our neighbor's house to help her friend shovel the driveway. I was watching her run around the corner from the front step and suddenly she dropped straight down in the front yard for a quick snow angel. I happened to have my camera handy so I snapped a shot. It was dusk and I couldn't believe the blue wash of the setting sun.
She's wearing my coat because the zipper in her coat broke. Darn zippers.

I'll be back soon with some fun links to share.

best, susie

Hat Lining 101

Hi Knitters,

Here is how I line my knitted hats. You will see how easy it is, even if you don't sew a lick. First, I use fleece for the lining. You don't need much. You will need a sewing needle and matching thread, a good pair of scissors and your hat to line.

Line up the hat with the bottom along the edge of the fleece and one side of the hat lined up to the fold. Where I am starting to cut on the photo above is on a fold. Make sure you are cutting the fleece in the stretchy direction or along the bias. If you aren't sure just give the fleece a stretch, if you pull it one way it won't stretch at all, in the other direction it will stretch. 

Here's where I just eyeball it. I look to see where the hat starts to decrease and use this as a guide to cut the fleece. I cut the strip of fleece and I add a couple of inches on to the end.
Next, turn your hat inside out. Pin the fleece with the right side out to the bottom edge of the hat. The ends will overlap and then I trim off any excess fleece but still leave about 1/2 inch of overlap.
Then I take my sewing needle and thread and start whip stitching along the edge. I use regular thread, not elastic, but elastic thread would probably work better. I just don't have any in my house. Regular thread works great, too, but occasionally I have to do repairs. Pick up a stitch along the knitted edge and then go through the edge of the fleece. I usually go through each knitted stitch.

Most importantly, while you are sewing stop every few inches and put your hands inside the hat and stretch the hat and the fleece to make sure you aren't pulling the stitches too tight. Hats have to stretch and if you don't stretch the hat while you are sewing the thread will break when the hat is used.
Now that the bottom is sewn, take the end and pull it over the other edge until you see that fleece is fitting the hat along the top edge of the lining.
About here looks good to me. Now where's my pin?
I place a pin at the top to hold the overlap in place and then I pin all around the top edge. I whip stitch up the edge and secure the top so the overlap stays in place.
Here is another shot of this step.
Once the edge is sewn down I start stitching the top edge of the fleece to the hat. I go through one purl bump and then I go into the fleece. I just continue this around the top edge in this manner going in the purl bumps every couple of stitches.
Don't forget to stretch the hat and the fleece as you stitch along. Stretchy, stretchy. Tie off the thread and pull the end to the inside of the fleece and pull the needle out again. Trim off the thread so it stays inside the lining.
Voila. You have a fluffy warm hat. No itching here for sure. I am telling you that kids absolutely love a fleece lining in their hats. It never fails. If you are using cotton or a non-itchy yarn anyway, the lining just adds that extra warmth and squish. Lining a handknit hat just makes it that much better and that's hard to do.
I hope this helps. I will add this tutorial to my sidebar for future reference. Remember, you may have to do a repair here and there by tacking down a loose edge. I can tell you from lots of kids wearing their lined hats I really don't do repairs very often.

Good luck with lining your hats, Knitters.

best, susie

p.s. This hat is my revised, bigger version of the Santa Hat for The Collector, with the extended top for extra floppiness as requested. I've already given two more Santa specials to my sweet nieces. Now they have almost a month to wear them.

Santa's Home

Hi Knitters,

Quick update:

Santa hat is a big hit.

Brown hoodie has reappeared and  lives on!

Hmm. Hmm.

best, susie

Ho, Ho

Hi Knitters,

I needed a little typing reprieve this morning. As a result The Collector has a new hat. I finally, after 3 years of wanting, knitted up this gorgeous Santa Hat. I reviewed the pattern in the last post and episode 2 of the Itty Bitty Podcast. It is a great pattern, super fast and has an adorable result in the end.

Kathy Pasusta designed the Santa Hat (pg. 111) for the book, Handknit Holidays. The recommended yarn is Blue Sky Worsted Hand Dyes in red and Blue Sky Bulky in polar bear. It is knit on size 9 double points and 16-inch circulars for the red at 4 sts per inch and size 11-16 inch circulars for the brim.
Here is what I did. I used the red #66 Manos Wool Classica that I just got for the Just Enough Ruffles scarf. Oh well on that. The hat seemed more important to get done. Then, did you know that if you double a heavy worsted it becomes the same as a bulky weight yarn? I doubled (held two strands together) some Blue Sky Cotton in Tulip #615 for the brim.

I found a couple of errors in the pattern. I didn't check for corrections anywhere but I am sure they are out there. I am thinking about making a couple of these more for my nieces. I will change several things for my next versions. I will make the top a little longer so it is more like a stocking hat. My daughter was disappointed that it wasn't floppier on top. She adores the hat and wanted to wear it to school but I wasn't quite done. She literally jumped up and down when she tried it on.

I made the child size/small. I think for the next version I will make the woman/medium size. It seems a bit tight. I already added several rounds onto the bulky brim so it would be longer but it still could use some length. Next time I may add some straight length on the red at the bottom before you jump right into the decrease rounds. The other thing I did was to line the hat with some off-white fleece. It is such a good touch. Is anyone interested in a tutorial on hat lining? Maybe I will photo the process for the next hat and share. 

I looove the hat. I have a thing for bulky weight bobbles They are fun and beautiful when used correctly like on this brim. I had this great idea. I used 2 size 11 dpns to work the bobbles, then just placed the remaining stitch back on the circular. It was the best thing ever. It made that one "make bobble" round go so much smoother. That one round took as much time as making the rest of the hat.

I'll take a shot of The Collector in her hat when she gets home from school. 

Okay, Knitters, I have to get 2 more patterns in the can today and grocery shop for Thanksgiving. Have a fantastic holiday weekend.

I'm out.

best, susie

p.s. Remember the brown hoodie with the sherpa lining from mini-boden? Already lost. Hmm, hmm.

Itty Bitty Podcast Episode 2

Hi Knitters,

Episode 2 of the Itty Bitty Podcast is up and running. We did not end up switching servers. The link is here and I will also keep it up top on my sidebar. If you click on the link you can listen right on your computer. 

The podcast is also up on itunes under Itty Bitty Podcast. I am a one-take wonder and that's probably how it will stay for now. I just like to talk about knitting and patterns and yarn and designers. If I had to do too much editing and technical stuff the recording would most likely not happen. I had fun talking about these patterns and ideas and I hope you get some gift knitting ideas from my ideas.

In this episode I have pulled together 20 (or more) knitted gift ideas. Some of these gifts I have made before and some I plan on making soon. I hope you enjoy it.

Here are the links:

Knit Simple Magazine

45 minute mittens

Santa Baby Ornament 

Pom-pom Peds 

Plum Blossom Mittens 

Berkshire Bulky 

Mini Mittens ravelry

Mini Mittens pink argyle

Mini Stockings and Mittens from Christmas Stockings

Just Enough Ruffles Scarf

Peaknit

Worsted weight socks

Bean Bags 

Snobuddy Family

Knitterella

Peppermint Candy tape measure

Interweave Knits

Handknit Holidays

Cupcakes

More cupcakes ravelry

Yarnstorm

Elefante

Last Minute Knitted Gifts

Target Wave Mittens ravelry

Knitting Nature

Wow, that's a lot to look at. Have fun. If you do listen, thanks for listening.

best, susie

Hello, Vance

Hi Knitters,

Lacy sent me these photos of her little sweetheart, Vance. With Lacy's permission, I just had to share them with you. In the above shot, Vance is wearing the Cotton Stria Stripes. He is 3 months old today and it looks like he has a real talent for smiling already:) What a fantastic smile, it makes you melt.Vance is sporting a manly version of the Chocolate Blues bonnet and scarf combo here. He is doing his over the shoulder pose, it's a killer. Cheeks like that need to be cherished for sure. Awesome.

Thanks for sharing, Lacy, he is excellent and so is your knitting. Both hat patterns are found in Itty-Bitty Hats.

My personal knitting has been lacking lately so it is fun to see other people having fun with their knitting. It never gets old for me to see babies in knitted hats. I still love it every time. I have a huge manuscript deadline coming up way too fast so most all of my time and energy has been focused on writing. The baby viewing brightened my day.

I am dreaming of knitting, though. Today I organized my next podcast episode. I pulled out my favorite projects for gift knitting, my top 20. I have some new projects and some old to share. I will record this weekend while my boys are home and then chances are way better it will get up and running quickly. I am switching to a different podcast host for this episode. We will get it figured out soon. If I didn't have those teenage boys to help me I don't know what I'd do. Oh yeah, I'd have to learn it on my own. 

Have a good Friday night, Knitters.

best, susie

A Little Tree-t

Hi Knitters,

The Collector picked out this wool felt tree kit when I dropped in a yarn shop by my house to pick up some knitting needles I needed. Isn't it cute? Pop on over here to see some adorable felt kits for the holidays. They look fun for adults or kids.
She isn't done yet but I love the way she pulled out matching thread and a sewing needle and fabric glue and went to work. I didn't help her one stitch. Her stitches are so sweet and messy. The best way to learn sometimes is to figure it out on your own. 
While I was taking a picture of the felt tree I took one of my kitchen. I have a funny little kitchen. My house was built in the late '70's and the style is typical of that era. About 8 years ago I did a mini-update of the kitchen on my own. The work area is the typical u-shape style kitchen. I'd love to open it up and get rid of the stove/cupboard part someday. It makes a very cramped space when more than one person is in there. The table space is cramped, too. Someday....

Anyway, one thing I added to the kitchen is a big chalkboard that fit perfectly on the backside of the stove section. The table is right behind the chalkboard so the kids can turn around and draw. It has been a fun addition over the years. This chalkboard is from Pottery Barn if anyone is interested. I need to get some of that chalkboard paint because some parts of the chalkboard don't work well anymore, the chalk doesn't show up. I think that paint would work to fix it.

Have a good Wednesday, Knitters.

best, susie

Funnies

Hi Knitters,

My kids love the Sunday Comics. I did, too, when I was young. I grew up with 3 older siblings and every one of us read the funnies on Sunday morning. I would get them last but that was okay by me because it would take me forever to read them. I guess I studied the pictures as I went along. My kids pass around the comics section just like I used to with my brothers and sister. It makes me feel nostalgic for a time when there weren't computers and video games. It's a simple pleasure, I guess.

My mom's favorite comic was always The Family Circus. When I was little we used to read it together every Sunday and giggle. I am pretty sure it used to be in one of her ladies' magazines, too, maybe Family Circle? 

Yesterday, The Collector asked me if I had read The Family Circus yet and I hadn't. She told me it was a really nice one. She brought it over to me to read and it caught me off-guard. I won't say too much more about it. It made me tear up because I know that feeling very well. I may frame it. If you need to see it bigger just click on the photo to enlarge it. Could any comic ever be any sweeter?
The Collector also brought this comic home from school to show me. I'll save this one, too. She has a soft spot, that girl.
Continuing on with snow-people, The Collector and I made homemade playdough yesterday while the older kids were at a swim meet. I drew the lucky straw and got to stay home with her instead of going to the meet. Her friend came over later and they collaborated on this old snow lady complete with spectacles, a straw cane and an apron that ties in the back. We are letting her dry to keep. We also made goop. I haven't made either of these for a long time and I forgot how much fun it is for a little one to have the good homemade stuff.

Here are the recipes I used:

Playdough

Cook together in a saucepan on medium heat:

2 cups water

2 tblsp. oil

1 cup salt

food coloring

Add:

2 cups flour

4 tsp. cream of tartar

Keep cooking and stirring until the dough breaks away from the side of the saucepan. Take out of the pan and place on a cutting board and continue to knead until it is cool. Store in an air-tight container.

Goop:

1 box cornstarch

water to mix

food coloring

Place cornstarch in a plastic container big enough to get your hands in. Mix in enough water to make a goopy mix. This is a tactile, texture-y substance. Dig your hands in and feel it melt. Scoop some into your hands and watch it ooze away.

Easy and fun! Can't beat that. 
Time for some show and tell. I subscribe to Parents magazine since I have been contributing projects for them here and there. I like to keep up on the contents. In the December issue I got a nice surprise.
A few of the knitted toys from Itty-Bitty Nursery showed up on page 107. It is a funny feeling when you see something you made in a magazine and you don't know it is coming. It is like you have to rub your eyes and look again. Here we have an adorable smiley baby holding the Grumpy Ol' Bear, the Dotted Chicken is on the side and the Bunny Rattle is in the front. I love seeing knitted stuff out in the wild. This made my day.
This is the cutest ad ever. Sweetness rules.
Back to this book briefly. If you look here you can still see the old cover with my bunnies on it. That's kind of funny, right?
Here are the Organic Bunnies, pg. 28, inside the book. It is funny because the book is organized in chapters by the weight of the yarn. I used a heavy worsted weight Blue Sky Organic Cotton for the bunnies but they are in the chapter for Lightweight yarn. I know why they did this because when I knit toys I knit at a tighter gauge to get a dense fabric. That way you don't see the stuffing and the shape is held better. The gauge I used falls into the lightweight category but the yarn is definitely a worsted weight.

I think the bunnies should have been in the other chapter for medium weight. It is a bit confusing. If I had a skein of worsted weight and I wanted a one skein project I wouldn't look in the lightweight chapter to get ideas. Oh well, whatcha gonna do?

Here is a great baby project for some sport weight yarn. I have to make some of these for sure.

Have a great Monday and start of your week, Knitters.

best, susie

Sweet Surprise

Hi Knitters,

I had just returned from a tired trip to FedEx, where I shipped off some final projects to Minneapolis for photography and another package filled with a project for Parents magazine, when I heard my husband calling me. He called out, "There is a surprise here for you." It was all I could do to drag my knit-weary bones out to the living room. But to my surprise there was a month-old baby wearing a sweet pea hat I had knit for her. I got to hold her for a long time and it felt so good. I can't even say how much it made my hectic day to hold a newborn in a sweet pea hat. The. Best. Ever.
Isn't she a beauty? My next door neighbor's daughter is the mother and she and her husband have moved in with them for awhile. It is pretty exciting to have a new baby next door. What you can't see in these photos is the 5 little girls circling around drooling over the baby. That was the best. My daughters had 3 neighbor friends over and they could not get enough of the little sweet pea. They all had a chance to hold her and they were so excited. Girls love a baby, always.
I have had many emails from friendly knitters wanting to share some sort of tidbit or link lately. This photo was sent to me from Kathleen Ruttum. She sized up the Inca Snowflake hat from Itty-Bitty Hats for her daughter, Mary and her friend Katrina. These two beautiful young women are students at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Every winter break they go skiing and they wear these hats. Kathleen told me that they constantly get asked where they got their hats. How fun for Mary to be able to say, "My mom made it." Thanks for the photo and note, Kathleen. What a perfect example of how you can size up a pattern from itty-bitty.

Carla sent me this link, too cute. Thank you.

Renee sent me this link, love it. Thank you.

Craig sent me this link, love Craig and Viv, love his shop and I want to go back and stay there.

I am sending you this link. Store this one away for future reference to her free pattern. Here is another one I love. I still have that same feeling.

My podcast, The Itty Bitty Podcast, is available now in a couple of places. You can download it here or you can just listen on your computer. Also, it is up now on itunes under Itty Bitty Podcast or you can search for susanbanderson. Subscribe if you'd like, I'll have more coming soon. I will put up this new link at the top of my sidebar, too.

Now I have to hit the pattern writing road. Row 1: knit...Row 2: purl...Row 3: where's my candy?

best, susie

Hey, It's Up!

Hi Knitters,

I added this part on Tuesday due to some difficulties we encountered with the links and the itunes account.

However, my first podcast episode is up and sort of running! 

It is not available on itunes yet. We had a little snafu so we will be working on it. I will send out a new post when we get it fixed. My computer technician has a band concert and homework tonight so we'll see when he gets a chance to help me. Homework has to come before podcasts, I guess.

The new link is here: Itty Bitty Podcast. You can listen to it through podbean for now. This is temporary until we get things settled on itunes. For the first episode I kept it very simple. I did a book review of one of my favorites from the not so far past. It took me a few minutes to warm up so be patient with me: )

I hope you enjoy the episode. My girls say the introduction and my oldest son composed the music and both of my sons helped get the podcast up and running. My husband did the dinner dishes and kitchen clean up so we could work on the podcast together last night.

Okay, have a good night.

best, susie