Awhile back, I mentioned that I bought one and only one thing at SAFF – something for my friend Judi. She was here for a work visit, and I was able to catch up with her for dinner and knitting – and give her a little prezzie! (she also got to see my messy house since I was gone for the weekend before and well, super busy before I left – oops!)

Judi loves hats – and she looks amazing in them. She also loves teals and blues and greens. Ask her what colors she bought on our MadTosh binge when I visited her in August. uh huh. So, I went in search of a dk weight yarn that called JUDI!!! when I was at SAFF. Then I set out to design something for her.

Judi had two choices – name the pattern or have it named Judi – she picked the name Ami – which means friend. Which I think is just perfection!

Ami
Yarn: Miss Babs Nurthumbria DK in Dark Blue Teal
Needles: US Size 6
Price: $5

I sent the rest of the yarn home with her to make something with. I hope Judi wears the hat, and uses the rest of the yarn, with happiness and love. And remembers just how much her friendship means to me.

Just in time for this crazy cold snap on the east coast (and yes, it is chilly here in NC!) I found myself with most of a ball of yarn, the right needles, and 2 finished projects with 4 hours of time to kill. I had just finished another project in the yarn and am in LOVE with the Mirasol Ushya – so I knew I wanted a nice snuggly cowl out of it!

Winter Wonderland
Yarn: Mirasol Ushya – 1 skein
Needles: Size US 13 (9 mm)
Notions: Size M (9 mm) crochet hook, 3 buttons, tapestry needle
Gauge: 2.5 stitches and 3 rows per 1″ in SS
Price: $5.00

Wow! What a SAFF! I had a great time this year – as always. Such a good time, that I didn’t take a single picture all weekend. No, really. Not a single one. I was also a little allergy ridden. All of my classes were awesome – brilliant students in them all! And I met some new friends, and hung out with old. I really REALLY love having such amazing fiber friends! I realize what a lucky girl I am sometimes.

My wallet is also lucky – I bought 1 thing all weekend and I can’t show it to you because it is a present for the amazing Judi who couldn’t join me at SAFF since she up and moved to SF last year. grumble grumble.

But it is good to be home with the kitties. And keep unpacking and knitting and doing what I have been doing. Overall the move has been really good for me – so YAY!

OK – time to be off. Get some more knitting done – proposals for classes, things like that!

One of th HPKCHC classes this month was to figure out what someone participating wants and make it. One of the mods wanted cookies. So – I made her cookies. Crochet cookie coasters. They were a ton of fun. I had so much fun – I wrote up a freebie pattern for them!

Cookie Surprise
Yarn: Worsted Weight and Fingering weight – leftovers – less than 100 yards total
Hook: E
Gauge: Not important for this project
Also needed: Felt for backing
Price: FREE

I made chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies (i.e. cookies with no chips!) Hope she likes them!

Now that the Charlotte Area Yarn Crawl is over – no fear – there is still lots and lots of goings on at Yarnhouse! This coming week, I am teaching Tunisian Crochet on Wednesday night (6:30-8:30). There are till spaces left in that class – in that class, we will be starting a Tunisian Crochet Sampler I designed.

Keep going with it and you can make a full afghan. Or baby blanket.

After SAFF, I will be teaching an awesome Fair Isle class where over 2 sessions you will learn how to knit in the fair isle style, setting up steeks and then we will actually cut the steeks! Super exciting!

Lots more coming in November – all of my classes are available on my class page here on the website – and everything through January that is being offered at Yarnhouse is up on their website – Jenny, Amy and I are all thrilled to be bringing some amazing classes to you this winter! Hope you check them out!

Kaylee thinks this is the perfect size for a kitty blankie!

Tunisian Sampler
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Fez (3 balls = 9 squares & border as shown)
Hook: Afghan Hook size G
Gauge: Varies based on square
Price: $5

Presley is a happy little girl who loves green! Last year when I was visiting her mom and aunt (my bestie Danielle!), P, Em and I were at Target where we saw a pretty cabled Christmas stocking. I offered to make one for P instead of buying one at the store – and here it is!

It is available on Ravelry, too.

Presley
Yarn: Universal Yarns Holiday Classic Worsted – 2 skeins
Needles: Size 8
Price: $5.00

This is a stocking you can really fit some fun in to!

Kaylee says she could fit in there, but she would not be that much fun when you got her out!

Fall is in the air! The leaves are starting to change! SAFF is just around the corner!

I just got my class enrollments `for SAFF! All of my classes are a go! Don’t worry – if you are coming to SAFF, but you haven’t pre-registered for a class, there are lots of classes still available for on-site registration. Here is a quick look at my teaching schedule for SAFF:

Friday
Double Knitting – 9 am
Custom Fit Your Knits – FULL

Sat
Creative Cast Ons – FULL
Finish It! – 1:30

Sunday
Eek! Steeks! – 9 am
Custom Fit Your Knits – Noon – spaces available in this session!

So yeah – I am teaching all day every day. So if you are at SAFF, let me know so I can make sure to catch up! I should be at the Friends and Fiberworks openhouse at least one of the nights – so stop by the shop, check it out, sign up for classes during the Winter Retreat (I had such an awesome time teaching at the last 2 retreats that I am back for another!!!)

Upcoming Events:
Arkansas Fiberarts Extravaganza – December 2011
Friends and Fiberworks Winter Retreat – January 2012

Do you know of a fiberfestival or event that I should apply to teach at? Let me know and I will look into it!

Awhile ago, I was lucky enough to design a super fun pair of fingerless gloves for The Buffalo Wool Company! Twisted Ribbons has been available through them at shows, and through Ravelry for quite some time. Late last year, my friend Abbie asked for a pair of fingerless gloves for her birthday. I knew she liked slouchy berets as well, so I knit her one to match! After sending it to her, I realized the pics I had weren’t fantastic for showing it off, so the awesome Judi was nice enough to pose in some pics of it for me!

First we have it in 1 skein of the Buffalo Gold Sportweight (it used to be #3, but I think it is Earth now)!

And Judi knit it in Madeline Tosh Tosh DK! This is the Tern colorway, which I absolutely adore!

The pattern is now available on Ravelry and if you buy it and the Twisted Ribbons Pattern, you will get $2 off! No coupon necessary – I set it all up in Ravelry that way!

(that might be my very favorite pic of Judi!)

Twisted Ribbons Beret
Yarn: Buffalo Gold Sportweight or Madeline Tosh Tosh DK – 1 skein
Needles: Size 6
Gauge: 6 stitches and 8 rows = 1 inch in 3×1 ribbing
Price: $5.00

Twisted Ribbons
Yarn: Buffalo Gold Sportweight – 1 skein
Needles: Size 6
Gauge: 6 stitches and 8 rows = 1 inch in 3×1 ribbing
Price: $5.00

So, I had this woven scarf that I was never going to wear. I made it as a sample for a beginners rigid heddle class I taught earlier this year. The yarn was cool – a cream color worsted weight (Encore maybe – I don’t even know, it was in my stash) and a skein of Kollage Dreamy in a green. It wasn’t a long scarf – or very wide. Like I said, it was a sample. But then the AWESOME Crystal (aka Kitty Von Trapp) told me about the scarf bag and a thought came to me…

I could make that scarf into a bag. And I bet other people have knit, crochet, woven (heck even store bought) scarves that they don’t know what to do with.

So I did. Chris and I were brainstorming fun classes to have at the shop, and we thought this one would be a lot of fun. Plus, even a new knitter can turn their scarf collection into a couple of bags in no time flat!

So here is my cute little Scarf Bag! It is at the shop if you want to see it up close. The strap is short on it – like I said, it was a sample that I had around – but it is super cute! I can just see a really long woven or knit one with deep pockets being taken to the farmers market!

Scarf Bag Class
September 24, 2011 – 2 pm – 4 pm
Yarnhouse

Call the shop if you are interested in taking the class!

I haven’t knit a pair of socks in ages! But in the last month I have knit 3 pairs. One for the “Couldn’t Foot it Challenge” for those of us who couldn’t make it to Sock Summit. Sometimes you just have to knit a pair of socks in 3 days.

I also designed 2 new sock patterns as part of the Camp Loopy 2011 KAL. Two? Yes. 2. See, I was traveling for work, but I bought this gorgeous yarn – Madeline Tosh in colorway Isadora – and off I went. I knit the Campfire Songs – they were everything I wanted. They reminded me of…campfires. You know, singing songs and scarfing s’mores. yum.

I was so very excited! And then I re-read the prompt and it included cables! Oops! Guess I have to order more yarn and knit another pair of socks. Oh, darn!

Another order to The Loopy Ewe! Some gorgeous Lorna’s Laces Soulmate in Whisper arrived at the house and then Love Knots appeared on my needles.

A special thank you to Heather who helped me name these socks!

I had such a great time designing these! I have plans for some knee highs in MadTosh (because if you haven’t knit with MadTosh – well, get on that! It is AMAZING!). My love of sock knitting has been rekindled!

Pattern: Campfire Songs
Yarn: Madeline Tosh Sock (in Isadora) – 1 skein
Needles: US Size 2
Gauge: 8 stitches/inch
Sizes available: 8 1/4″, 9 1/4″
Price: $5.00

Pattern: Love Knots
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Soulmate (in Whisper) – 1 skein
Needles: US Size 1
Gauge: 8 stitches/inch
Sizes available: 8 1/4″, 9 1/4″
Price: $5.00

A super special thanks to Judi for modeling the Love Knots socks last weekend when I visited her in San Francisco! If she can’t be here in Charlotte anymore, at least she can have me out to visit!