knitting with Ragga Eiriksdottir

This past weekend, I took a wonderful knitting class with Icelandic knitting designer Ragga Eiriksdottir. (You may know her as RaggaKnits.) We learned how to make upside-down Icelandic patterned yoke sweaters. Super neat, right? The Des Moines Knitting Guild hosted a weekend of classes with Ragga before she heads up to Minneapolis to do more teaching gigs with the talented and awesome Stephen West. Here are some of my pics from the workshop.

If you can't tell, we all had a bit of fun. Ragga brought piles of sweaters to share with us, some from her family's collection and some that were from the 50s-60s (worn while salmon fishing) that still looked amazing. She told lots of stories and shared so many bits and pieces of her knitting expertise with us. We knitted tiny upside-down Icelandic Lopi sweaters using Icelandic Lopi wool yarn and learned a German twisted cast-on. So of course I'm feeling all kinds of inspired to go forth and knit a my own pile of patterned yoke sweaters. Right now. 

into this.

Loving the Joe Goddard Remix of The Socialites from Dirty Projectors. Listening to this lots this week.

block party

It has been terribly dreary and gloomy, stormy and rainy in this part of the world lately. Will the rain ever stop? We are not sure. So I thought I'd give us all a little dose of color today. Hopefully, this will do the trick. 

This is one of our most recent rainy-day projects. I can't get enough of the Kid Made Modern craft sets. This one is called 'Block Party' and it provided days of fun.

 Paint a little, let it dry. Have a snack. Come right back. Paint a little more. 

 Paint a tiny building.

Or a little sailboat.

 Paint with rainbow colors. Anything goes.

Such a simple idea, and what a fabulous result. Mini works of art that become a tiny city. Little canvases to build with. If you're in the market for some rainy day fun, grab some Kid Made Modern art supplies or kits at Target.

Check out some of our other adventures with Kid Made Modern right here.

Paper Tape + Book Project

Charley Harper Bird Mobile

Vanilla – a new knitting pattern

Over the weekend, I made this perfect-for-any-season slouchy cap, and named it 'Vanilla'. I used a ball of Rowan All Seasons Chunky from my Rowan Ambassador seasonal sample box that I got last month. And I must say ... I'm a big fan. I love chunky yarns as it is, but I've never knitted with anything quite like this. It's obviously a thicker version of All Seasons Cotton, but it's definitely not stiff whatsoever and has so much drape for a chunky yarn. If you've never tried it, it's unbelievably soft and smooth. Like vanilla. I can tell that this is going to be my go-to neutral hat – this soft shade (Pebble/601) will go with anything and everything.

This basic garter stitch hat is simple enough for a beginner, and a quick project that anyone can finish in an evening or two. It uses exactly one skein of Rowan All Seasons Chunky. Find the free pattern for Vanilla on Ravelry ... right here.

a pullover for Bowie

I finished knitting this sweet pullover sweater quite awhile ago for little Bowie and after hunting down the perfect buttons for it, I finally took the time to have him try it on.

The pattern is Basic Pullover by Candi Jensen, from the book 'Knit in a Day for Baby.'

It's a pretty simple and straightforward knit, and I made it a size larger so he can wear it this fall. It think it may fit just right by then!

I used Cascade 128 Superwash Chunky in charcoal and summer sky. It's super soft ... and washable. Which is a big deal.

You can find more project details here. (So, what are you working on these days?)

knitXmidwest: a knitting retreat!

So, this is exciting. In coalition with my local yarn shop, Hill Vintage and Knits, I am super happy to announce knitXmidwest, our first annual knitting and crochet retreat. It's going to be amazing.

It's happening this fall, right here in lovely Des Moines. And you're invited.

Spaces are limited and reserved upon payment. 

Saturday, Nov 2nd and 3rd

Walnut Woods Lodge, Walnut Woods State Park

Des Moines, IA

$25 per day; $50 for the weekend

10:00-4:00 p.m. each day

More details to come!

Click here to register online now or call 515-288-CATS!

vintage quilts from India

I spotted these vintage sari throws from India on Fab today and I had to share. These quilts are more than just textiles—they’re stories. Crafted from past fashions in the Indian state of Rajasthan, each one is unique, with patterns and designs that reflect the region’s vibrant history as a textile trading hub. Hand-plucked from the Indian state of Rajasthan, these exotic textiles have been stitched together in the kantha tradition, making them a tactile treasure alive with history.

These quilts are all $99 and ship for free on Fab.com today. And as of right now (1:00 p.m. central time) there are 20 hours left, so this ends soon. I just couldn't resist sharing – I can't take my eyes off of the vibrant fabrics in these sari quilts. I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite!

in the box

So, as a follow-up to my last post about being a Rowan Ambassador, I wanted to share a few photos of my first seasonal box of yarn and pattern books. You want to see what's inside, right? I did too ... I was so excited to see this package arrive on my doorstep last week.

Inside, I found one skein each of the new Rowan yarns for this season: All Seasons Chunky, Softknit Cotton and Kidsilk Haze Glamour. Also included were several pattern books, a swatch book of the Spring/Summer 2013 line and Rowan Knitting and Crochet Magazine 53.

Here's a better look at the pattern books. I'm especially excited about the Rowan Studio Issue 30, which is a gorgeous collection of baby/kid-sized sweaters. Several of them were named after the Von Trapp children in The Sound of Music, which is so fun. (Liesl, Marta, Gretel, Friedrich, Kurt, Louisa and Brigitta.) That alone makes me want to knit these sweaters even more!

And this issue of Rowan Magazine is full of colorful florals and modern shapes. Rowan describes the collection like this: 'Inspirations for Spring 2013 are pulled from the fragility of blossoms and the fresh new growth that the sun encourages to the abundance of the summer flowers that follow. As a bold contrast, the digital age inspires an optimistic approach to life as we look forward to the future and the promises that new technology can bring. Pixilated pattern, optical geometrics and sharp modern graphics combine to inspire with the work of the Bauhaus and artists such as Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian and Josef Albers.'

This color-filled swatch book has me itching to make about a million-and-one things. I've started knitting a hat using the All-Seasons Chunky but I know I can't stop there. I have a scarf pattern picked out for the Kidsilk Haze Glamour and I want to make something for Bowie with the blue Softknit Cotton. (What are you working on as spring approaches?)

Rowan Yarn Ambassador

I have some fun knitting-related news to share! Last fall, Rowan Yarns put out a call to yarn lovers everywhere seeking out 15 international Rowan Ambassadors. I sent in this photo (above) and a 100-word application letter, which was easy to do since I'm a huge Rowan fan. Then I crossed my fingers and waited. A few months later, I received an email that said I had made it to the shortlist ... and then I got another email saying that I had been chosen to be a Rowan Ambassador. What does this mean, exactly? Basically, I will be paying attention to knitting trends, giving feedback on new yarns, and sharing new yarn/book releases on social media outlets amongst other things. I'll also get to preview collections and seasonal yarns. I can't wait to share everything with you. I'm pretty thrilled!

Most knitters I know are pretty familiar with Rowan's gorgeous, classic designs and wide variety of yarns. But just in case you haven't had a look at their patterns or projects yet, here are some of my most favorite sweaters and accessories.


And, here are the other Rowan Ambassadors! We've all had a chance to 'meet' online/gush about yarn and knitting, and I've really enjoyed checking out all of their beautiful work. I've linked each person to their Ravelry page, so take a look for yourself.

Konrad Siebenhüter, Augsburg (Bavaria), Germany 

Anja Troschau, London, UK 

Cindi Brumpton, Ontario, Canada

Claire Durbin, Somerset, UK 

Anne Featonby, Ontario, Canada 

Esther Hartley, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Dayana Krawchuk, Montréal, Quebec, Canada 

Linda Ortyl, UK

Viovioleta Patch, Zaragoza, Spain 

Ute Rehner, Germany 

Kristen Hansen Rettig, San Francisco, California, USA 

Sarah Woodhouse, Nottingham, UK 

Tina Sanders, Phoenix, Arizona, USA  

Maria, Germany 

a family photo

Sometimes, even on the busiest of days, you need to take a second and make everyone sit down on the couch. Set the timer on the camera. And take a picture of everyone in your little family, yourself included.

Even if it turns out blurry. Or no one is looking at the camera. Whether you're all dressed up or just lounging around your pajamas, it doesn't matter. These precious days go by so incredibly fast – they really really do. So take a minute or two and preserve this moment, with everyone in the picture. Someday you'll be so glad you did.

** I have been more inspired to do this ever since taking part in the Dos Family Picture Tour a few years back. See the photo we submitted way back in 2009 here. (Scroll down until you see us with a tiny Lo peeking out of the Vespa sidecar.) And see even more ridiculously cool photos from last year's tour here. **