Briggs & Little Country Roving

It's no secret that I have an obsession/adoration for super bulky and chunky yarn. But sometimes I get the itch to knit with something a little bit different. And I've found a super bulky that is a little bit different (and looks amazing.) It's called Briggs & Little Country Roving, and it's made of 5 strands of 100% wool that are held together as a single strand.

Briggs & Little is Canada's oldest woolen mill and has a really interesting history that you can read about here and here. (Seriously, you should check it out because I just learned a lot about how yarn is spun at a mill.) They use 100% Canadian wool and environmentally friendly dyes, which are very wash & light fast. As you can see here, Country Roving is spun from single strand roving into 5-ply rolls. It's wound to stay together (while remaining separate!) The end result is definitely that wonderful super bulky, woolen fabric that we all love but it's also light and airy. It knits up lightning fast. Country Roving comes in 15 shades, and the one I'm using here is called Sheep's Grey. Each lovely 8 oz roll has 155 yards.

This month Briggs & Little are celebrating their 100th anniversary of the Briggs & Little Name, though the mill itself has actually been around for over 150 years! If you'd like to try the yarn, you can contact them by emailing yarninfo@briggsandlittle.com to find your nearest Briggs & Little retailer. They can also ship directly to customers if you don't happen to have a LYS that carries the yarn. You can check out their yarns on their website ... and be sure to follow them on Facebook!

I'm actually playing around with designs for my next book with Briggs & Little Country Roving because I am really enjoying the way it looks as I knit! I've been on the hunt for a woolen super bulky like this for awhile and I think I've found 'the one!' (What would you make with this super cool 5-strand wonder?)

I've just gotta share ...

(photos by Alex Crahan)

This year (for the first time since maybe 7th grade) I have clear skin. I have spent years covering issues on my face with layers of concealer and makeup. After having my kids, I dealt with painful breakouts that hurt my face and I tried everything I could find to get rid of them but nothing was working. I tried not to worry about it when I went out of the house and covered it the best I could but truthfully, I felt embarrassed about my face. I'd cover my face with my hand or try to hide parts of my face with my hair when I'd talk to people. This was something I didn't want to worry about anymore.

Breakouts like mine physically hurt and being in my late 30s, I felt I owed it to myself to figure this out. And I found something that worked. Rodan + Fields saved my face. And I'm just getting started. Acne and pregnancy have left scars and dark spots and melasma on my face. R+F has skincare regimens for people like me with adult acne, but also for people with sensitive skin, rosacea, dark spots, discoloration, loss of firmness and more. Rodan + Fields has been around forever, you've seen Proactiv commercials and you know the story but it's the real deal. Real dermatologists who have developed products and regimens that can help.

After thinking about it for awhile, I've decided to become a Rodan + Fields consultant. Because I truly believe in this stuff. I have seen friends' faces transform (in person) and the results are mind blowing.

If you are even a tiny bit interested (or know someone else who might be interested) in finding out more or just want to follow my skincare journey, you can find me in the following places. Thanks so much, my friends! (Don't worry ... I'll be right back to blogging about knitting in no time flat, I promise!)

Find me here:
My Rodan + Fields website
My R+F Facebook Group
My R+F Instagram
Email me with questions!

Della Q Millie Roll Top Project Bag

Check out this GORGEOUS knitting/project bag. (I'm a little bit obsessed. I feel like it's the perfect bag for me!) It's called the Millie Roll Top Bag by Della Q and it's a knitter's dream.

I recently had the chance to try out a Millie Roll Top Bag, and the funny thing is that my husband Bo (who has a million outdoorsy hobbies ... kayaking, off-road unicycling, skateboarding, snowboarding, etc.) recognized the genius design of this bag before I did! The Millie Roll Top Bag is fashioned after a kayaking dry bag. So of course, Bo immediately said 'Your knitting bag is like my kayak dry bag!' YES. Yes, it is. And it makes so much sense! Knitters need cool, functional gear, too.

It's a simple and modern design with no fuss – no zippers or buttons to mess with. The fabric is super soft and just slippery enough that your yarn won't get fuzzy while you carry it around. My striped bag is the 'Cedar' colorway but you should definitely check out the other colors and prints here.

The bag itself is 15 x 18.25 inches, which is perfect. And the band at the top allows you to roll down the top of your bag to whatever size you need it to be, depending on the size of your project.

Then you just tie the two straps! Totally functional and extremely cute.

So yes – this is my new favorite knitting bag and you'll definitely see me carrying it around a lot. Check out Della Q's demonstration video below and find all of her fantastic bags, knitting needle/crochet hook cases and more right here. Also, you can follow her on Facebook here.

Greenwich

I finished a sweater! Okay, it took way longer than it should have (cough, I started last October) but things come up. I kept putting this on the back burner but no one's keeping score ... no one exactly wins the knitting race, right? This pattern is Greenwich by Martin Storey, knit in Rowan Super Fine Merino DK in a colorway called Zing. (Such a super rad color!) This still needs to be blocked but I couldn't wait to try it on to see how it feels/looks. This yarn is amazing if you're at all sensitive to wool or tend to get itchy. Super Fine Merino DK is smooth, squishy and extremely soft ... it glides through your hands when you knit with it and I swear it almost feels like rubber. In a good way. This is definitely a extra comfy everyday knit!

The side slits on the bottom edges are a fun detail. And that stitch pattern is created with a k1 below rib which takes a bit to get used to, but goes pretty quickly. (Says the girl who took six months to knit the sweater.)

Want to make one of your own? You can find this Martin Storey pattern in Rowan's Easy DK Knits at your local yarn shop or online. You can also find more info on Ravelry and on Rowan's website.

Okay, I'm going to go block this now and maybe take better pics when I'm done. ;)

Happy knitting!

Love + Leche

Lotion bars are a kind of a big deal right now. I keep seeing them popping up on my Instagram feed and in local yarns shops across the land, and I've always wanted to give them a try. For a knitter/crafter/mom, these bars make so much sense. My knitting hands are always so dry and I know I'm not the only girl with this problem. The one lotion bar in particular that I keep running into is Love + Leche, an all-natural handmade moisturizing bar made with beeswax. Which sounds absolutely delightful (and it is.) They also make Goat Milk Soap and Anywhere Balms!

I got to try my very first Love + Leche lotion bar a couple of weeks ago, along with an adorable bar of Goat Milk Soap, both in a Lemongrass scent. Take a look at the gorgeous hand-poured reliefs of these bars. They are truly a joy to hold in your hand and they radiate a gorgeous, natural golden honey color. Fresh goat milk, warm golden honey and beeswax ... that's what goes into these products. I love that.

Okay, let's talk about the Goat Milk Soap. What a soft and soothing experience. This design is the Nubian goat “mascots” of Love + Leche. Adorable. (My kids love this soap and it smells fantastic.) The Goat Milk Soap has a light lather and feels totally silky in your hands. It's naturally nourishing, super gentle and made from goat milk, honey, beeswax and organic extra virgin olive oil infused with calendula flowers. I kept my bar in the kitchen where I do the majority of my hand washing, but you can also use Love + Leche soaps on your face and body. I tried the Lemongrass scent but now I want to try them all. (It's easy to treat yourself, because you get $3 off if you buy 3 bars.) The Goat Milk Soap is available in Lavender, Lavender-Rosemary, Anise, Cedarwood, Lemongrass or Unscented. Yum.

And this is the lotion bar (or one of them ... check them all out right here.) I'm totally, 100% infatuated with this bee design. The warmth of your hands gently softens the beeswax as you use it, allowing your skin to replenished and deeply moisturized. It feels extremely soothing on my perpetually dry hands. You can even use it on chapped lips, rough feet and split fingers. (I recently used it on the windburn on my son's cheeks.) Each bar is available with a reusable tin for $1 extra. And once you have a tin in your possession, you can order individual bars and reuse the tin again and again. Unlike other hand balms for knitters, Love + Leche bars are totally handmade and hand-poured using local beeswax, locally grown, organic skin-healing calendula flowers, and scented only using plant-based essential oils. They are also available unscented. Need a cool gift for a knitter in your life, or anyone really? Check out the Mini Lotion Bar Gift Set, which includes 5 mini lotion bars in each scent. (Lavender, Lemongrass, Lavender-Rosemary, Citrus-Rose and Cedarwood.) Then you can try them all, or share with a friend.

The lotion bar is definitely something you'll want to keep with you all of the time, and the tin makes it easy to throw it into your purse or knitting bag. Super slick. It's so nice to have a non-messy, spill-proof lotion bar when you're out and about, especially with kids. Dry hands? We can fix that. Chapped lips? Not a problem.

So, you're dying to give Love + Leche a try, right? Well you're in luck – we'll make this super easy. :)

Get a FREE Mini Lotion Bar with purchase of any product
when you enter the coupon code 'JenGeigley' at checkout.
(Good through the end of May.)

Awesome, right? Treat yourself to an all-natural lotion bar, soap or balm and say goodbye to dry hands. Enter the coupon code above, hit the 'Apply Coupon' button and you're all set. Also, follow Love + Leche on Facebook if you have a sec. You'll love their beautiful photos.

(A big thank you to Love + Leche for letting me try out the Goat Milk Soap and Lotion Bar and for the awesome coupon for my blog friends. Enjoy!)

The A-word

Yesterday, our son Bowie was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder/ASD. And today nothing is different, yet it sort of feels like everything has changed. It's just a word. The A-word. And it might be a tough word to say at first but I think we are just about to break through some doors, help Bowie in brand new ways and discover more about him. We are excited about the future. He's a fantastically cool, intelligent, fascinating boy and I am oh-so-proud to be his mom.

It's a tiny bit ironic that April is National Autism Awareness Month, because our family is feeling very aware. And that is what is pushing me to write this blog post. I'm an autism mom – technically only since yesterday – but really I've been one all along. And while my viewpoint on this might be super fresh, this is the story of the beginning of our journey. We don't feel the need to hide the results of Bowie's evaluation yesterday. We think it's better to share. It's not a scary thing, or a sad thing – it's our everyday. It's so many people's 'normal.' And we are ready to do more for him and learn more about him. Like our amazing doctor said yesterday "Autism is just a word, just a diagnosis but it doesn't change who Bowie is. He's a great kid ... he has a great name."

First off, I have to tell you that Bowie is my heart. If you know us or have seen us in person, you already know that he and I are stuck together with super glue. Pretty much all of the time. He is extremely cute and funny and sweeter than sugar. He spontaneously showers me with hugs. He will hold my face in his hands and smoosh his cheek into my face. He is very smart, caring and has memorization skills that will blow your (average) mind. He used to be very quiet but now has started chatting much more and honestly, he is a delight to be around. I love listening to what he has to say. And he has a lot to say.

Bowie was also a delightful, perfect little baby. He loved to be snuggled and was affectionate. He smiled and laughed. Did he look directly at us ... in the eyeballs? Not always. I remember him staring at the windows in our bedroom when he was nursing or when I'd rock him to sleep and I used to think he could see ghosts. I wasn't sure he could hear me sometimes. We sought out help for Bowie early on because he had a significant speech delay as a toddler. We weren't super worried though. He was doing well in so many other areas that it wasn't a huge concern at first. But by age two, he still hadn't said typical first words like 'mama' or 'dada' ... and I wasn't sure he ever would. Our pediatrician set up in-home speech therapy visits. And that really helped. He went from using baby sign language to developing a slowly growing vocabulary. Our sweet therapist was like a friend to me and at one point, I did muster up the courage ask her if she thought Bowie might have autism. She didn't really say yes or no, and maybe she couldn't. But she opened my eyes to things that we needed to see. Like Bowie's reclusiveness, which we thought was independence.

Once Bowie learned to say a few words, he was fantastic at being social and loved to say 'hi' and 'bye' to people. He would make eye contact ... for a brief second. He was very coordinated. But he flapped his hands. He loved to be held. But he spun in circles. He could sing the alphabet and count to 20. But he couldn't always hear us call his name. It was all very confusing even though I analyzed everything on a daily basis. A lot of the things he did or struggles he had looked like they could be caused by something else. And a lot of his strengths threw us off. Maybe spinning in circles and constantly jumping off the furniture was just him being a boy. Maybe his older sister talked a lot so he stayed quiet. Maybe he had speech apraxia. Maybe he had a cognitive delay that would work itself out by kindergarten. Maybe he was just super independent. Even some of our favorite therapists and our beloved pediatrician were uncertain. Maybe I was crazy for thinking it could be autism ... but I couldn't shake that feeling in my heart and in my head that it might be. All the pieces add up and make so much sense now in hindsight. Of course they do. But we didn't know. And that's okay.

And so we waited a bit. And things became more apparent during his first year of preschool. His wonderful teachers brought out the best in him and he's really done well in the classroom. We set up his IEP. We had conferences. We met with his amazing team of therapists and teachers at school. A whole team of professionals who are committed to our family and truly care about my child. And I could eventually see that they were kindly, softly, carefully nudging us toward getting an evaluation and a diagnosis.

There was a phrase I had heard them say when one of us would mention testing ... 'It wouldn't be a waste of time...'. And after I had heard three different teachers/therapists say that phrase, I finally understood. They were telling us to go. So we decided to get the ball rolling. We, like so many other families were referred by our pediatrician to a local child development center at our local children's hospital. And we were put on a very long waiting list for an autism evaluation last November. And had our appointment yesterday, April 4. And let me tell you, the waiting is the hardest part. It sucked. But it gave us a chance to accept the possibility of having a child with autism. It gave me time to get ready for it. To read about it. But no matter how prepared you think you are, the A-word can hit you like a ton of bricks.

But it can also open doors. We are embracing it. And now we can see (and feel) how fantastic it can be. I felt a literal wave of relief come over me yesterday after we left the doctor's office. I took a deep breath – inhaled, exhaled. And then took Bowie out for ice cream. Now that we have a diagnosis, we are eligible for the additional speech therapy that Bowie needs most. There are so many resources available and we are lucky to live in a city where we can access them easily. We have an outstanding doctor who will help us along the way. We have a plan now. We have answers to the questions we've had in our heads all of this time. We are excited and optimistic about Bowie's future. We have so much hope. He's healthy. He's okay. We're okay. We woke up this morning, the kids ate breakfast, and I took them to school. Just like always. Every little thing is gonna be alright.

All photos by Alexandria Crahan Photography

Hey, knitting bag ... let me upgrade you.

When I was in NYC a couple of weeks ago, I spent some of my free time hanging out in Muji, home of all things organizational and minimalist and perfect. I swoon over every darn section in that dreamy store, but my first stop is always the stationery, with the tiny perfect notebooks and mechanical pencils and planners and binders. I love stocking up on these everyday items, but on this trip my mind immediately went to my knitting bag needs. I love carrying around a zipper pouch with all my notions and tools, but lately it had become a mess and I knew cleaning up my game would just made me feel better and be more inspired to work creatively.

So, knitting bag ... let me upgrade you.

Out went all the crazy odds and ends – a broken tape measure, dull craft scissors that I had stolen from my child's art bin, and the mess of whatever else that had accumulated in my multiple project bags over the years. I have to admit that yes, I've been reading 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' (like the rest of the world) so I am striving to keep and use only the things I truly love. I do think this is a magnificent idea.

Anyway, what's in my bag? Well, let's start with the bag itself, which is a large zipper pouch (In 'window' print) from Bookhou. I love it so very much and have been using it daily for quite awhile. It's hand-crafted and screenprinted – so much attention to detail. Everything they make is cool. The little tool treasures I snagged at Muji are the aluminum ruler, a wooden mechanical pencil, stainless steel + acrylic scissors, a tiny steel tape measure and a few notebooks in various sizes (where I keep my sketches and write down notes for new patterns.) A few of my other supplies have come from another favorite source, Fringe Supply Co.: the ebony repair hook, the matte black stainless steel 'facet' mini scissors, black rubber stitch marker and metal removeable stitch markers. Then there's my Wool and the Gang tapestry needles and my trusty Field Notes notebook, which I carry with me constantly. You can never have too many notebooks.

I love the contents of my bag now – cool supplies make the making more fun. What's in your bag? Are you due for an upgrade too?

WIP Wednesday

I feel like the queen of WIPs lately, but that's okay. I find that I'm a sloooow sweater knitter and I want to remedy that. Must knit faster. With zero distractions. In a perfect world. HA. Just like every other knitter out there, I'll get there eventually ... stitch by stitch, one row at a time.

Anyway, here are the two biggest projects on my needles right now. And I've got a good start on both, so they shouldn't take too much longer. You would think. ;)

The first is Greenwich by Martin Storey, and I'm using Rowan Super Fine Merino DK in a colorway called 'Zing.' I will admit that I've been working on this since October. (Flinch.) But it's coming along so nicely - I have finished the back and I'm about halfway through the front. The fabric is so extremely soft and springy, and I know I'm going to love this sweater when I'm done. If you've never knit with Super Fine Merino DK, here's the run-down: it's extremely buttery soft, and almost feels like rubber (in the best way) as it glides through your fingers. Weird but true. I am in love with this yarn. And the stitch pattern in this sweater is interesting, too – not complicated, but it's a k1 below rib which looks pretty great on both sides of the fabric and keeps things interesting.

My second WIP was my airplane knitting project on the way to and from NYC last week. I started the Julia Sweater from Wool and the Gang, and I'm knitting it with Shiny Happy Cotton in Ultra Violet. Again, this yarn is so extremely soft and cool and it's my favorite cotton yarn ever – it will not tear up your hands like some cottons do. This sweater is made of a loose-ish seed stitch fabric, which is going to give it some fabulous drape. I'm excited to finish and wear this one.

So, what are you working on? Are you on a sweater kick, too? Tell me, tell me. :)

Vogue Knitting Live NYC 2016

I just returned from a crazy spectacular weekend at Vogue Knitting Live NYC 2016, and jeez. I have a ton of photos that I'd love to share. I personally enjoy reading people's blog post recaps of special events, and maybe you do too. Especially knitting-related special events. But how can you sum up a weekend that was bursting at the seams with new experiences, new friends and yarn as far as the eye can see? I will try.

I arrived in NYC on Friday afternoon, and had just enough time to check into my hotel room at Row NYC (highly recommended) and change into my gold pants for my book signing at the StevenBe + Do Ewe Knit booth. Vogue Knitting Live happens in Midtown near Times Square, so the buzz of the city hits you right away. After I had smoothed out my ragged traveling self a bit, I ran over to the Marriott Grand Marquis (VK Live headquarters), went up the escalators and found myself in the Marketplace.

This is what the Marketplace looks like and it was crazy. Steven and Karen's booth was buzzing and there were knitters and yarn everywhere! Just as it should be.

I ran up to Steven, we gave big hugs and then discovered we were both wearing gold pants. Mine weren't nearly as gold as his, and I wasn't wearing light-up shoes, but still. We were pretty on point. And we didn't even plan it. I cannot express (with words) my love for the StevenBe family. Jeremy, Missy, Tara and everyone at the shop are truly a StevenBe family – I love them so much and they have been so kind to me.

At the booth, I got to check out 'Knit York', the first episode of Steven's new reality t.v. show. WOW. You absolutely need to watch it immediately because it's out of this world fantastic. Go now. I'll wait.

As I was getting acclimated to my new glitter-filled environment, I plopped down some books on a table and did the whole book signing thing. I quickly discovered that I had brought just the right amount of books for each day in my carry-on, but they sold out quickly. Such a whirlwind ... and so much fun to meet so many knitters who had made a Gap-tastic cowl early on in their knitting days, along with fellow bloggers and friends from Facebook and Instagram. I love talking with knitters! All day long ... bring it.

Then, I happened to notice a very special person who was also signing books nearby. Yup, the one and only Susan B. Anderson. We exchanged books and each looked through each other's pages and projects, one by one. (While I completely geeked out ... I tried to be cool about it but no.) Her new book is called 'Kids' Knitting Workshop' and it's fantastic, and you can find it right here. I definitely urge you to grab a copy because she is the best. I know this for a fact because we hung out for a couple of hours that evening, chatting about knitting and family and books and the Midwest. It was so incredibly cool to meet her.

Outside the marketplace were a variety of extremely talented fiber artists. I got to meet Jacqui Fink, who creates hand-knit oversized scale textiles and installation works made from a selection of beautiful natural fibers and raw materials. You can find her (huge) custom yarns here at Little Dandelion. I also got to meet London (of Made by London). She is a Brooklyn-based street artist who crochets fantastical displays of all kinds, including this David Bowie piece at VK Live. Please please please check out her website to see the amazing things she has done.

That night, I walked around and explored a bit on my own. In all the times I've visited nyc over the years, I haven't really spent much time in Times Square. (I'm normally with my pals Jamaica and Kristi and we like to hit Brooklyn pretty hard.)

Day 2 (for me) was Saturday. I took a sweater design intensive with Amy Herzog for most of the day (which was amazing.) But after class I had another book signing at StevenBe's booth and that's when I had the chance to meet my FRIENDS! I was so overjoyed to see these faces when I got to the booth with my books. I finally got the chance to meet the sweetest and most supportive knitting pal ever, Gaye of GGMadeIt. (Go read her blog – do it.) I felt like I already knew her of course, so we hugged and squeezed each other pretty much all day and started gabbing right off the bat about yarn and life and everything under the sun. I was so happy to have enough time over the course of the weekend to actually talk and hang out with her; she is genuine and fun and just a joy to be around. I also met Kelz from MarCheleKnits and her sweet mom and so many other knitting friends! Plus I got to chat with Carina and Kristen from The Third Piece. (Have you seen their amazing new yarn, Funky Chunky!?) So yeah, the people. The people are the best part of this whole experience and that's the biggest thing I've taken away from VK Live. I wouldn't call it 'networking' ... it's definitely just meeting new people who are just like you. Knitting enthusiast friends who completely understand your world. I loved every minute and the days went by much too quickly.

(Are you exhausted yet? Hang tight, because I promise I have some great stores ahead.) So, Saturday night, I had no actual plans. That day, Karen (of Do Ewe Knit) and her sweet husband Fred had invited me to join them and the StevenBe gang for dinner. I shyly waffled for a bit and said I didn't want to impose, but they insisted. Fred said 'Just be at the Empire State Building at 8:00.' My face went blank and I said 'Okay ... okay!' And wouldn't you know it – Fred is the owner of the restaurant at the Empire State Building. He has quite a history there, along with lots of stories and trivia to share. We enjoyed a delicious dinner with drinks and a gorgeous cake celebrating Karen and Steven's friendship. Fred took us all up to the observation deck on the 86th floor ... then up to the very top viewing area on the 102nd floor. It was spectacular and I felt like the luckiest girl in nyc. It was a night I'll never forget and these people are so very special and wonderful. I'm so grateful to know them. And Steven. He is my honest-to-gosh knitting hero.

On that note, Day 3 – Sunday. The day started off with me popping into Steven's class (New Perspectives on Knitting) to share some of my samples and my book. Watching him do his thing and listening to his stories is just a dream – I loved having the chance to just absorb some of his brilliance and I could honestly listen to him talk about fashion and knitting all day long. After class, there were VK Live fashion shows and extreme knitting, selfies with Karen Posniak of Do Ewe Knit, putting my pin on the 'Where does your stash live?' map, meeting GG's daughter Shelbey and exploring the marketplace with my new knitting friend Tee Maniluwhua-Rivers. So much fun packed into one day! Sunday was the last official day of VK Live, so before long it was time to pack up and say our goodbyes. It had all gone by so quickly and I already can't wait until next year. I've decided that I cannot miss this event and hope to make this a yearly thing.

But my NY adventures in knitting weren't over yet. After the Marketplace closed on Sunday, I decided to walk to Purl Soho. In what you could call a small snowstorm. Giant, heavy snowflakes were falling into my eyes and face and this Iowa girl got a tiny bit lost-ish because I had buried my head deep down into my coat, head down, moving forward through Manhattan, Chelsea, then Soho ... and ended up walking a bit too far. I don't even know. Whoops. But I managed to end up at Purl well before closing time, and decided to 'visit' my book in the shop. I stepped into the warmth of the shop, smiled at all the gorgeous samples that I recognized from The Purl Bee and shook off the snow. And there it was. My book was right there, sitting on a big table of super bulky deliciousness. It was such a thrill to see it there. At Purl Soho. One of my favorite shops in the world. And the staff there has been SO kind to me. After quite a few re-orders, they've said 'Weekend' has been quite popular with nyc knitters and that makes me so extremely happy. I wrote 'Weekend' for fun, just to see if I could really do it. And all along, my secret ultimate dream was to see it on the shelves at Purl Soho one day. And this was the day. Dreams come true, my friends.

I said goodbye to my lovely hotel (and the awesome food at City Kitchen/coffee at District M) on Monday morning. I had such a perfect time at the Row and I'd definitely stay again. I still had a tiny window of time that morning before I had to be at the airport, and I decided to spend it doing something I really loved. So I hit the streets and walked to the MoMA.

Be still, my contemporary art loving heart. It was without a doubt the best use of my time and being there made me so happy. I jumped into the 'Making Music Modern: Design for Ear and Eye' exhibit first, which was a graphic designer's/music enthusiast's absolute dream. I wanted to move in. To the exhibit. Then I hit up some of the greats – Pollack, Lichtenstein, Warhol and Basquiat. On my way out of MoMa and on the walk back to the hotel, I got a little teary-eyed. This weekend had been such a departure from my everyday mom life in the midwest, even though I obviously love that life so much. And as my friend Gillian pointed out, art just 'hits you where you live.'  It was all just a reminder of who I was, who I am and what I love. I was walking my last few city blocks in the freezing cold. I was feeling all the feels. (Thanks, nyc.)

I ended the trip feeling the same way most people feel when traveling; I jumped on that plane feeling not quite ready to go home ... but also totally ready to go home. With a smile on my face and new memories made, I'm already looking forward to next time.

Black Sheep Society

My friends Johnny Vasquez and Lacie Lynnae, founders of New Stitch a Day and Argyle Sheep, are doing something exciting and new! And I'm stoked to be part of this new crafting adventure. It's called the Black Sheep Society. (I'll tell you more about that in a minute.)

Johnny and Lacie have helped over 10 million people around the world improve their knitting and crocheting skills through New Stitch and Day, the 30 Day Sweater challenge, and now their retail store Argyle Sheep. I have personally been part of their 30 Day Sweater Challenge, and I can vouch for how wonderfully helpful, knowledgeable and FUN they are. Everything they do is above and beyond what you'd expect. They are knitting and crochet experts who are well-organized, wonderful to interact with, and they offer high-quality HD videos and personalized help every step of the way. They are absolute pros at what they do.

So naturally, I was 100% on board when they asked if I'd be one of their designers for the Black Sheep Society. There are 11 designers creating exclusive projects for this craft-a-long, and they're kicking things off with my interrupted garter stitch cowl project (in the photo above). Want to know more? Read on, dear knitting friend.

What Is The Black Sheep Society?
In the simplest terms, The Black Sheep Society is an ongoing Monthly Craft-A-Long club beginning January 15th. We wanted to take the idea of a Knit-A-Long to the next level and create an experience that was like nothing ever seen before.

How Is this Craft-A-Long Different?
Aside from working on the same projects at the same time as a group, we've added a few components that will take things to the next level.

Project Kits Using Carefully Curated American Products
We think it's important to be more connected to you clothing and that starts with using trustworthy materials made in the USA.

HD Video Classes For Each Project
We're using our years of experience producing video content to give you in-depth, step-by-step instructions of every single project. You won't just get written pattern instructions, you'll have a video instructor to help you along the way.

Live Q&A Sessions With Our Designers
Get to know the people behind our collection. We'll be holding frequent live hangouts with our designers so you can hear their stories, and ask your questions.

An Interactive Community Forum
You'll have access to everyone in the community, to share your progress, ask questions, and give feedback to new friends from all around the world.

Interested in finding out more?

Join The Black Sheep Society Here