Join knitting expert Eunny Jang, crochet ace Kim Werker, spinning and weaving fiberista Liz Gipson, and favorite stitcher Shay Pendray on Knitting Daily Series 300, where yarn and fiber take center stage.

Featured Knitting Daily Season 300 guests include Halcyon Blake, Laura Bryant, Dawn Butler, Jil Eaton, Kathy Elkins, Abby Franquemont, Mary Scott Huff, Adina Klein, Barry Klein, Kelly Lealos, Beth Lutz, Kathy Merrick, Lisa Myers, Shirley Paden, Kristen Rengren, Iris Schreier, Penny Sitler, Becca Smith, Andrea Wong, and Kathy Zimmerman. Learn a variety of cast-on methods, the basics for managing your yarns in colorwork, how to knit jogless stripes in the round, tips on becoming a designer, and more.

4-DVD Set. Total run time is approximately 5 hours, 48 minutes. This DVD Set is for your private home viewing only. It is not authorized for other use. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

Go here for more info on this DVD series: http://www.interweavestore.com/Knitting/Video/Knitting-Daily-TV-Series-300.html

But, if you want to win one free, you’re going to have to put on your knitting, I mean thinking caps!

I want to know this: What would you like to see more of in this blog? I try to give you lots of free patterns, book reviews and website ideas. What do you want more of? Let me know how to make this a better blog and maybe you’ll be the one to win this awesome series!

Entries will be accepted until Friday Nov 13th, 5PM EST.

I’m not usually one for trendy yarn, the stuff I spin ends up being lumpy and bumpy enough, but this just looks like fun! And, it comes in green! Plus 6 other colors, but, peeps, it comes in green!

And with that green, or really any of the other colors, you can make this:

This is Red Heart’s newest novelty yarn called, Pomp a Doodle™.   I love it. It even has a fun name!

Where else but Red Heart!

Cotton spinning made easy. With a few adjustments made to your wheel, you can spin cotton just like the pros. Become a “cotton spinner extraordinaire”. 120 minutes long, and 10 chapters including: Introduction; Spinning Wheels; Type & Care; Cotton Fiber Carding; Lendrum Wheels; Preparing for Spinning; Spinning Your Puni; Spinning Cotton Sliver; Review & Problem Solving Plying; Using Your Handspun Yarns. What are you waiting for?

DVD from Cotton Clouds, here: http://www.cottonclouds.com:80/shopping/product_info.asp?id=722

Your chance to get top of the line knitting books, and other craft books too at deeply discounted prices!

Go to Interweave’s Hurt Book Sale, here: http://www.interweavestore.com/Hurt-Book-Sale.html

Since I know virtually nothing about meerkats and close to less than that about Star Trek (no, I never joined the trekkie groupies) we’re just going to have to go with her description.

This new design of meerkat wears original series Star Trek sweaters. All Meerkat trekkies wear Federation emblems (not yet a communicator) proudly on their chests and have their ranking stripes on their sleeves.  You’ll have to go here to read more. Check back later to order, they seem to be all sold out! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=25630260

They really are cute, even if you don’t know a tribble from a Spock (well, ok, that one I do know).

So, how do you, as sock knitters deal with that? I’d love to find a pattern that uses worsted, dk, or even sport weight. Can you steer me towards one?

The last catalog that KnitPicks sent out (not this past one, but the one before that) featured socks. The socks, all supposedly hand knitted, were all lined up in a drawer and looked so soft, comfortable and squishy. Made me want to knit nothing but socks the rest of my life.

I know what you’re saying, figure it out yourself, how hard could it be, but I’d rather hear from you tried and true knitters on your failsafe patterns.

Anyone? Anyone at all?

The above book, Sock Innovation is by Cookie A. Pretty cool book, lots and lots of neat ideas but beyond that, it’s a technique book.  Take the cuff you want, the heel and toe you want, choose a gusset and put them all together, the way you want to. Even an after thought heel. (there is hope for my sock knitting after all!). There’s a chapter on stitch techniques, working with charts, taking a written stitch pattern and converting it to a sock pattern and lots more. The socks in this book are all gorgeous, there aren’t any I don’t like, so why give it away? I’m sure someone else could better be served by this book.  Someone like you!

So, of all the comments that I get (steering me toward sock patterns that use worsted, dk or sport weight yarn), I’ll send an email to everyone. First one to respond with their mailing address gets the book. K?

The new issue of KnitNet is out. This online magazine features not only new patterns, but also video archives, as well as all their previously published patterns. Listings of knitting blogs and knitting guilds and free catalogs and newsletters are there too. Very cool!

Go here for a teaser! http://www.knitnet.com/

Tired of searching in your knitting bag or purse for your knitting notions? The Knit Kit is the Swiss Army Knife of knitting tools. It includes a tape measure, stitch counter, thread cutter, scissors, crochet hook, stitch holders, and tip protectors, all on one compact device. No need to continually buy various accessories when you can have them all in one! Great for traveling by car or plane (TSA approved).

Seriously, this IS the coolest gadget. I ordered mine about 3.2 seconds after I first found the link. It’s a pre-order, set to start shipping late March to mid April of 2009.

Get yours today!

Did you ever forget your tape measure or ruler? Here’s a solution. Knit and measure in one! Available in sizes 10-15, and priced at only 15.95 a pair.

From Omni and available at  DreamWeaver Yarns, I know I want some!

Talk about being in fiber heaven! This box was stuffed, STUFFED! with all kinds of treats for the fiber freak. All manner of handspun and hand dyed yarns, needles, stitch markers, lotions and balms, software, and coupons for further savings from the sites that have provided these samples. It was a dream come true!

Hurry on over to PhatFiber.com, once a month you can line up to hopefully be one of the first to claim your box.

This is what is PHAT…  Phat Fiber is a mystery box of awesome samples for the yarn and fiber enthusiast in us all. With a focus on the independant artisan, this box is a super grass-roots treat for the senses. When your box arrives, chock full of samples, expect to be overwhelmed with the sight and feel of artful yarns, bits of roving, small batts, stitch markers, original patterns, valuable discount coupons and much much more. Inside, you could find anything that yarn and fiber enthusiasts would love…even an herbal tea or two! Phat Fiber seeks to bridge the gap between talented online artisans and consumers hungry to support the independent small business.

I was recently handed a box. A really cool box. Very sturdy with luscious knitting stuff inside box.
Harmony Guides, 101 Stitches To Knit. Seriously, Interweave Rocks! They’ve outdone themselves this time.
One of the greatest challenges a knitter can face is finding the perfect stitch pattern for a project. Whether you want to create a highly textured lace scarf or revamp a basic sweater silhouette with a new stitch pattern, 101 Stitches to Knit is the perfect portable one-stop source for stitch inspiration.

Each card features a stitch design on the front side and concise easy-to-follow instructions on the back. A color-coded system which divides the cards into themes—Knit & Purl, Lace & Eyelets, and Cables & Arans—makes organization a breeze. Forget about carrying a hefty book or crinkled photocopy of a stitch pattern! These sturdy cards can be slipped into a handbag or wallet as a quick reference, making knitting during your commute or lunch break easy as pie!

Furthermore, the cards and eight-page booklet on basic knitting techniques are packed in a sturdy box frame. Whether you’re a beginning knitter or an expert, these handy compact cards promise inspiration for any knitted project.

And, I promised you pics of my slippers and the mossi cardi, those you will get, as soon as I find my camera…… sigh!

Color Works, The Crafter’s Guide to Color by Deb Menz, Available from Amazon

Hardcover and spiral bound, built to take with you and take the abuse.

Stumped about which colors to use in a craft project? Ths book give you practical, hands-on tools for using color in nine crafts, including knitting, spinning, weaving, quilting, surface design (including stenciling and rubber stamping), hand and machine embroidery, beadwork and paper collage.
Color theory principls are demystified with clear explanations, examples, and more than 270 hand-crafted swatches that bring color palettes to life in all nine mediums.
Contents include: Describing Color, Basic Color Relationships, Understanding Value, Color Contrasts, Color Harmonies, Characteristics of Media (knitting, spinning, weaving, embroidery, quilting, collage…), Choosing Colors and Design.
Includes several pull out tools to take with you to make sure you pick colors that harmonize and play well together.

If you signed up for a Color and Texture class in college, I imaging this would be one of the textbooks that you’d be reading.

So much information. One of the most useful tips I’ve ever received for matching colors is to use the black and white settings on my camera to take a picture. Almost like magic, the hues, and shades just jump out of the frame! It actually made me commit to memory, that particular feature on my digital camera. That in itself is huge!

When asked about color, Eunny Jang sums it up by saying: “Eunny Jang says: ” “Pick two color families (hues). Then pick three variations of each–dark, medium, light. Now you have six colors that go together beautifully!”

Sandy Wiseheart of Knitting Daily has worked up two different swatches using the principles in this book. To download the charts for these swatches, go here (you have to be a member and log in to get the swatch charts).

Brand new! For 2009, Aslan Trends introduces it’s First Annual Knitting Challenge for 2009, to benefit the International Myeloma Foundation.

Aslan Trends, author of the popular Season’s Change Books, Volume 1 and 2 (both available through Yarn Market) is asking knitters and designers world wide to be creative, be imaginative and through the use of Aslan Trends Organic Cotton, Alpaca, Merino and Mohair Yarns.

Proceeds will be donated to IMF, the International Myeloma Foundation.

Here is a free pattern from Aslan Trends to celebrate this contest!

Don’t forget to enter our Year End Giveaway! Just make a comment, make sure to give me your email address, and on Jan 1, I’ll contact one of you for mailing instructions!

I have got, are you ready? THE MOST GORGEOUS SHAWL PINS I’ve ever seen to show you! I’ll let that one sink in for a bit.

Gorgeous!

Absolutely Stunning!

I’ve actually had this pin for quite awhile and was waiting to tell you about it after I got it’s counterpart cardigan done. I specifically requested this very pin because the cardi in question is a fall, mossy colored thing. Well it’s not done. I know, you’re surprised. Shocked even. But I wanted to get the word out. Because…. Christmas is coming….. thinking really awesome stocking stuffers….. and if you hurry, you’ve probably still got time to get some for yourself…….

Hop over to Gita Maria, here: http://gitamaria.com and drool over the incredible variety of pins, buttons, pendants, charms, and other jewelry she makes. Incredible stuff. All hand made one piece at a time (so it totally fits in with your handmade Christmas plans). And from the size of her catalog, she’s either incredibly ambitious, or she’s commissioned some of Santa’s elves to help out.

Now, just for fun, I searched for sheep, and guess what I found? Yup! A sheep button! And alpaca buttons too. Too much fun!

Go here quick:  Gitamaria.com  and get yours today!

Myself, I can never have enough tape measures. I keep two in my Denise Knitting Bag, 1 or 2 in my knitting basket by the chair, one by my spinning wheel, another in the kitchen, and these days, you can get them in such cute little shapes.

The peppermint and sheep tape measures are from Lantern Moon, and the Monkey and Koala tape measures are from Scouts Swag.