I love announcing new shops! Here’s one:

We are Urban knitfits- based in Portland Maine.  We make cozy wool fashion accessories and items for the home.  We love to work with eco wool, and about 80% of our projects are made with Peruvian eco wool!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/urbanknitfits

Caron Yarn Giveaway!

Get Your FREE Skein of NaturallyCaron.com Country yarn!

Go directly to Caron’s site, here: http://www.caron.com/free_sample.html to find out how to get your free yarn.

Gotta go…. got knittin’ to do!

Go here quick (as in don’t wait until tomorrow!): http://store.nobleknits.com/

There are a plethora of free slipper patterns out on the inter-webs, here’s a fast and easy version for you, thanks to the folks at Free Vintage Knitting. http://www.freevintageknitting.com/slipper-pattern/woolco-manual/slipper

Turn a plain knit garment into a stylish garment, easily, quickly and with flair with 150 stitch patterns.

Do you take your inspiration from a berry bush? A picket fence? A river lazily crawling through a valley, a hedge maze? No matter where you find your ideas, Knit Edgings and Trims will help you finish them off.  Picots, appliques and braids. Fringe, tassels and eyelets. They’re all here. This is an indispensible resource, and… the best part is….I have a copy to giveaway. Or, you can get it straight from Interweave: http://www.interweavestore.com/Knitting/Books/Knit-Edgings-Trims.html

Let see, what would the criteria be. First of all, we’ll run this giveaway until the end of November. (by that time I’ll be off of the big boat and back at work). But, I also need your ideas. Recently I made a valiant effort. Valiant! Trust me, it was noble. I however did not succeed. You see, I have a collection. Gasp. Yes, a collection. I collect knitting needles and seem to have amassed a number of circular needles that when strung all together could stretch quite far. But, I have no way of storing them. How do you store your circs? What are your favorite ways of taming these unruly masses? (bonus points for handmade ideas).

Ready… set…. Go (oh, and don’t forget, this book comes from a NON pet-free home).

All of your comments were wonderful. I will compile a list and try to encompass everyone’s suggestions in this blog. Thanks so much for playing.

I have to make a disclaimer. I thought when I said that my puppy (and now my daughter’s puppy) chose the winners, that it was kind of implied that I am not a pet free person. My puppy really does choose the winners. That being said, please know that anything you win on this blog does NOT come from a pet free home. Smoke free, yes, but pet free, no. Neither will ever change. So…. ready for the next giveaway?…….. stay tuned!

The only thing about Ravelry is that you have to sign up for an account, but trust me, take the time to do it, you WILL NOT be sorry!

He’s the town sheriff, straight as an arrow, a local hero and wants her.

What’s the problem? The rogue, buff, biker who stole her heart in high school and never gave it back.

When she accepts the Sheriff’s marriage proposal it sets into motion an intense rivalry, the likes of which this quirky, quaint little town has never seen. Who will come out on top, and who will go down in flames?

What’s a girl to do?????

A nice easy read, and the storyline is intriguing enough to keep you interested with just a bit of graphic romance to spice things up.

Nora Roberts fans will love this book. The Sweethearts Knitting Club, by Lori Wilde.

Knittinghelp.com has a YouTube video to show you how easy it is to create these effects. Thanks knittinghelp.com!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbUGxPYcJU

This adorable set is from Red Heart and uses Heart and Sole with Aloe yarn from Red Heart.

For sock lovers looking for an affordable sock yarn with something special, Red Heart “Heart & Sole” yarn is a terrific option. Infused with all the wonderful properties of aloe vera, “Heart & Sole” can soften your hands as you work with it, and you’ll notice your needles & hooks gliding even more smoothly along each strand of this fiber gem. Effortlessly create socks, scarves, gloves, shawls, tops, sweaters and more with auto-striping & faux Fair Isle patterning. Also with a higher nylon content than most sock yarns, easy-care “Heart & Sole” has incredible snap-back features for excellent shaping & long wear. Beautifully crafted in Italy of 70% superwash wool & 30% nylon.

The pattern for the baby vest and socks is free here:  http://www.bargainyarns.com/yarn/Heart_Sole-Babys_Holiday_Vests_Socks_WR1960_Free-5151.html

http://floryknits.com/fp-noro1skein.pdf

Note: this is a generic pattern for creating this stitch pattern. This pattern uses a multiple of 17 stitches, decreasing to 15 stitches in rows 2-7. In the example shown, there are two vertical repeats.

Leaf Lace
Cast on multiple of 17 stitches.
Row 1 (Wrong Side): Purl across.
Row 2 (Right Side): *K1, yo, k1, k2tog tbl, p1, k2tog, k1, p1, k2, p1, k2tog, k1, p1, k1; repeat from *.
Row 3: *P4, (k1, p2) twice, k1, p4; repeat from *.
Row 4: *(K1, yo) twice, (k2tog tbl, p1, k2tog), p1, (k2tog tbl, p1, k2tog), (yo, k1) twice; repeat from *.
Row 5: *P5, (k1, p1) twice, k1, p5; repeat from *.
Row 6: *K1, yo, k3, yo, sk2p, p1, k3tog, yo, k3, yo, k1; repeat from *.
Row 7: *P7, k1, p7; repeat from *.
Row 8: *K1, yo, k5, yo, sk2p, yo, k5, yo, k1; repeat from *.
Repeat Rows 1-8 for Lace Pattern.

Thanks, Lion Brand Yarn!

But enough of that. I have enough yarn in my stash room to substitute just about anything. So what do I do?

I find out how many yards of yarn I need for my project. Then I connect to www.yarndex.com and find the brand and name of the yarn that is required and find out both the weight of the yarn and how many yards are on each skein. From there I multiply how many yards on each skein by how many skeins are called for to give me the total yardage suggested for my project. I then take that number into my own private lys yarn room and go from there.

That’s my best advice for substituting yarn. You can always take 2 or more lighter weight yarns and hold them together to get a heavier weight also, but that’s kind of sketchy.

If you’ve never knit with this yarn, you have to try it. It’s

just YUMMY next to your skin! Go here for this offer: http://www.dreamweaveryarns.com/catalog/polarknit-worsted-weight-fleece-yarn-p-3168.html