Mother’s Day is coming…and sooner than you think

Somehow, despite my best efforts, I am usually late with my Mother’s Day gifts. Often it is because my mother loves hand knit socks and while I can make a pair of plain socks in a few days if I put my mind to it, I am easily distracted when it comes to knitting (my internal dialog goes something like this - ohhh…I like that cardigan, I need to cast on. But wait, what about that cute top you have been looking at for months? Now is a good time to start working on that. Socks, you need to work on those socks. But I really do need a new afghan. This probably sounds familiar to many of you). I may have given her a sock with the needles still in it one year for Christmas and as soon as she opened the box, I asked for the sock back so I could finish it (full disclosure, it was only the second sock that wasn't done. And I was staying with her the days leading up to the holiday, so I felt I couldn't work on them in front of her).

But this year if different! Not only was I on time for Mom’s Day…my mother has already received her gift!

A few weeks ago I was on the phone with my mother. She said she wanted a new knitting project. My mom is the knitter who will make a scarf and then put down her needles for months on end (this is so not the type of knitter I am. I can't go a day without knitting.) She also likes small quick projects. I began asking her what it is she wanted to knit.

Me: A scarf?
Mom:  No.
Me: How about a hat?
Mom: Ummmm no.
Me: How about a bag?
Mom: No…not really my style.

I could see this was going to be a challenge.

The next day at the lunch table I was telling one of my co-workers about my quandary. I wanted to help find my mom something to knit. But she had shot down all of my immediate ideas. We came up with the idea of her making dishcloths  My mother is no stranger to making dishcloths  In fact when she taught me to knit when I was a kid, she taught me to make the garter stitch dishcloth that is a square, knit on the diagonal starting with 3 stitches. This is still her go-to pattern. She has made it so many times, she has it memorized (it’s a really easy pattern…you can find several versions on Ravelry).

I decided to give her some Seedling for making the dish clothes. I chose 3 different colors that I knew would go with her kitchen and pulled 2 skeins of each of the colors. My colleague suggested that I find some free dishcloth patterns on Ravelry and print them out. I downloaded a bunch of patterns and put them in a folder for her. I found a cute little knitting bag to put everything in, so she could keep it all nice and tidy.

The other day I received a phone call from my mom. She had received her package in the mail and was so excited. It was a win-win for her. Not only did she get her Mother’s Day gift early…she now had something to knit. She said she really liked the idea of getting a project to do. She loved the yarn that I picked for her, only said she was afraid it might be too nice for her kitchen - and I have to say that I agree with her. So instead she is going to use the yarn to make wash cloths for her bathroom. Luckily she used the same colors in her bathroom as she did in the kitchen.

I can't wait to see her FOs.I told her she had to take some pictures and I will share them with you when she does.

This year Mother's day in the United States is on May 12th. Are you giving your mom (or grandmother, aunt or other mother type figures) yarn for Mother’s Day? How about knitting her (or him) something special to show you care? Time is running low, but if you set your mind to it (and don't get distracted like I do), you can do it!

MillaMia Stocking Kits, just in time!

Have you knit a Christmas stocking yet? Christmas stockings have long been on my to-do list, and we may have found the perfect pattern from MillaMia, a line of yarns and patterns based in England.

Scroll down for a holiday giveaway!

MillaMia is an established European brand that is now being distributed by Classic Elite Yarns here in the States. Founded and operated by two sisters who spent their childhood summers in Sweden, MillaMia's style is distinctive and contemporary.

Their products include Naturally Soft Merino, a 100% extrafine Merino machine-washable sportweight yarn in 17 colors, a collection of beautifully styled patterns for children, and cushion and stocking kits for the holidays. You can find their entire range of products here in the States beginning in January 2012, but stocking kits are available now! 

Kits include the Candy Cane (4 balls of yarn plus the pattern), Cables (3 balls of yarn plus the pattern) and lastly the Nordic Star (3 balls of yarn plus the pattern). Though pictured above in Scarlet, these kits also come in Moss and Snow (red, green and white for the holidays!) You can buy stocking kits from the retailers listed below.  If your shop isn't listed here, don't worry! Keep checking our website here for new retailers and ask for it at your LYS.

• WEBS, Northampton, MA, http://yarn.com 
• Yarn Garden, Portland, OR,  http://www.yarngarden.net 
• Stitch House Dorchester, Dorchester, MA, http://www.stitchhousedorchester.com 
• Sweet Pea's Yarns and Gifts, St. Clair, MI, http://sweetpeasyarn.com/ 
• Hub Mills Store, N. Billerica, MA, http://www.hubmillsstore.com 

We want to give one lucky reader in the United States a chance to experience MillaMia and Naturally Soft Merino this holiday season. We're giving away one stocking kit of your choice! You'll be hooked. Just comment here and let us know how you prepare your home for the holidays. Be sure to include a way to reach you, either through Ravelry or email so we can notify you if you win! We will choose a winner on December 8th at noon. Comment away!

Knitcircus Winners!

Last week we selected the winners of our Knitcircus Giveaway! Jaala Spiro, editor, offered to give three winners the entire collection of patterns from the Holiday Gifts Issue. That's 13 patterns, including the lovely Shapely Shawl by Jane Prater, knit in Magnolia.

I loved reading people's thoughts on holiday knitting, head over and check them out. It seems the consensus is that only the most deserving receive handknits...giving us more time to knit selfishly! Without further ado, here are the three winning commenters, as chosen by the random number generator at random.org:

Shannatheshedevil said: This year, only I am getting holiday knitting! I did knitted gifts last year and have decided I am just not organized enough to do it.

Graceannecarter said: There will be a white Christmas in southern California because I am knitting up a storm!!!

Mamsy said: I have so many projects going, I love knitting presents. I am sure I will need some last minute pattern for someone I may have forgotten, perhaps even me.

Congratulations, winners!

Knitcircus Gifts Giveaway!

Yup, I'll say it. Christmas is 69 days away. After Halloween, it's a slippery slope to the holiday season. Can you stand it? Knitcircus recently released its Holiday Gifts edition, and what an issue it is! Packed with small, simple knits, you're sure to find a pattern that's perfect for that special someone (or let's face it, for yourself. Am I right?) I was thrilled to see this piece by Jane Prater.  

Scroll to the bottom for a special giveaway!

The Shapely Shawl, a shawl that won't fall off! Here are some words from Jane Prater...

Triangle shawls are so wonderfully easy to knit, but they fall off my shoulders. I wanted a shawl shaped like my body to stay on through the day, and a design easy enough to knit in public. The shaping is the star of this piece, yet the increases are super simple. Wear it pinned, tied, or just hanging loose. Any way you wear it, it will stay on your shoulders and keep you looking good!

The yarn is Magnolia, a yarn I could go on and on about (and I have...) It's soft, luminescent, the perfect gauge, and comes in a stunning range of soft, sophisticated colors.

Jaala Spiro, the editor of Knitcircus, is offering a very special giveaway!  

Three people will receive the ENTIRE COLLECTION of patterns from Knitcircus Gifts 2011!

That's 13 patterns! Not only can you make the Shapely Shawl, but you can make any number of the other 12 patterns. Because they're all yours! All you have to do is comment here, and tell us what you think about holiday knitting. Do you knit to show your love to all your friends and family? Or is it just for the extra-appreciative? Or, my personal opinion, who has time for gift knitting when there's so much to knit for myself? The contest will close at noon on November 1st, when the winner will be chosen at random. Please be sure to include some way of contacting you, whether it's by email (spell out the "dot" and "at" for extra security) or Ravelry. Comment away!

Designer Spotlight: Laura Zukaite

Laura Zukaite is an independent knitwear designer with an impossible-to-miss style and yen for luxury fibers and sophisticated looks. Her patterns are often thoughtful and well designed, with feminine details and a touch of the unexpected. Take a look at the Magnolia Swirl Cowl, a free pattern published in our weekly Web Letter. It is a tapered cabled strip that is joined in a coil of sorts, not with regular seams, but with a spiralling silk ribbon, integrating the finishing into the design.

Laura is already familiar with Magnolia, having used it in her Golden Girl Cardigan, another clever, feminine piece from her independently published collection at LauraZukaite.com.

She is the author of two books, Luxe Knits and Luxe Accessories, both featuring sophisticated designs in luxury yarns, and is also a frequent contributor to various online and print magazines, like Knitting, Vogue Knitting, and Knitty. She was kind enough to do an interview with us here at the blog.

How long have you been designing?
I have been knitting since I was five. All of my knits and later sweaters came out of just my imagination. Back then I never thought of what I was doing as "designing". But now when I think about it- I was designing all along.

How did you get started? 
Actually, I do not remember. As far as my memory goes, I have always been knitting. My mother is an excellent knitter, so I assume that she taught me somewhere along the way. But I do not have a recollection of my first project or yarn that I used.

What's the first piece you ever designed (not necessarily for CEY)?
I think that the first piece that I have intentionally designed was when I was about 14 or 15. My mom bought me a cone of a beautiful Gray Heather Alpaca yarn and I knit myself an Aran Turtleneck. I still have it and wear it to this day: it became my favorite skiing sweater.

What pieces did you design in the Fall Collection?
For CEY Fall Collection I have designed two pieces in Kumara: Afternoon Light (off-shoulder top) and Landscape (ribbed hat), a piece in Ariosa: Glacier (ribbed cardigan), and an accessories set in Giselle: Merry and Bright (Hat and Cowl).

What is the timeline for one of your designs, from swatch to pattern to sample?
Depending on a complexity of a design- it could take anywhere from one to three weeks to turn around a sweater piece.

Approximately how many patterns do you publish a year?
20-30.

Do you use test knitters?
No.

What is your "design process"?
I usually start with the yarn and swatch. After I have the fabric created- then I move into sketching. I usually sketch-up a few ideas for one swatch and then pick my favorites. After that, I select colors and start the knitting process. I like to take notes as I knit and write the pattern afterwards.

Where do you do your design work? What does your "creative space" look like?
I usually design at home and execute “on-the-go”. But sometimes I would come up with ideas while just walking around and then only put it on paper when I get back to my studio. I knit pretty much anywhere (subway, train, waiting for doctor’s appointment…etc) but rarely at home.

What is your favorite piece you designed for the Fall Collection? What was your inspiration? My favorite piece is Afternoon Light (off-shoulder top) in Kumara. I remember at that time I was obsessed with subtle little ways of exposing the skin- and the piece just came to life naturally.

Friendship Bracelets from Purl Soho

Purl Soho recently posted a tutorial on how to make friendship bracelets on their blog at PurlBee. I used to love making friendship bracelets! Their post triggered an onslaught of summery memories for me: lazy afternoons in the crafts cabin at summer camp, DIY bubblegum-colored pedicures to show off in my flip-flops, and gooey s'mores and late night ghost stories under the stars.


Though these once epitomized the fierceness of my adolescent relationships, I love how they look on my adult self too--kind of bohemian and casual, perfect for wearing to the lake. How come I never thought of these fun stash-busters before?

What kinds of yarn work best for these fun macrame projects? Cotton is the perfect choice, though other cellulose fibers would work fine too. Cellulose fibers are those that are derived from plants (as opposed to protein fibers which come from animals). Do you have any scraps of these yarns laying around? All you need is 72 inches!

• Premiere 50% pima cotton, 50% tencel
• Cotton Bam Boo 52% cotton, 48% bamboo viscose
• Provence 100% mercerized Egyptian cotton
• Solstice 70% organic cotton, 30% merino wool

Head over to our Facebook page and show us what you came up with!

May Liberty Print Colors and Patterns!

Happy May! They say April showers bring May flowers; I can't wait to see my garden bloom over the next few weeks. With the new month comes new Liberty Print colors and new free patterns for our Liberty Print Subscribers. Embers & Ash is a combination of grays, blacks and reds with a brown and tan splash, while Majestic Mountains couldn't be a more appropriate name for a colorway that says it all in blues, purples and browns. If you've made any of our free patterns, we encourage you to post your FO's on our Facebook wall!

Crochet Granny Square Baby Blanket

Using printed colors gives a wide range of colors without having to change colors and the solid stripes keep the overall appearance of the blanket from getting too muddy or chaotic.

Liberty Wool by Classic Elite
A: 2 balls – 7854 Lavender
B: 2 balls – 7893 Rainforest
C: 1 ball – 7885 Tangerine
D: 2 balls – 7809 Majestic Mountains
E: 1 ball – 7894 Jade
F: 1 ball 7804 Painted Desert

Easy Striped Hat

An easy-to-knit striped cap in super-soft, washable Liberty Wool. For distinct stripes, choose two printed colorways with no colors in common. Each hat will be unique depending on where in each color sequence the stripes meet.

Liberty Wool by Classic Elite
A – 1 ball 7808 Embers and Ash
B – 1 ball 7806 Reflecting Pool
Note: For sizes S and M, 1 ball each will make 2 hats.

Happy Knitting!

WIP it! Project Bags from Classic Elite!

These awesome Blossom Project Bags are now available from Classic Elite!

They are made right here in Lowell, Massachusetts and come in a selection of bright coordinating prints. Lucky Heather, our sales manager, had boxes filled with bolts of colorful fabrics in her office all last month. There's only so much fabric we can fit in there, so the prints and patterns are subject to change, but they're all fun and super-colorful!

The round bottom means they stand straight up without flopping over. Perfectly portable, these are just the right size for projects on circular needles or small double-points. A pair of socks perhaps? Maybe a hat or a pair of fingerless gloves?