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Yarnit Creator Competes on FUNDERDOME

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yarnit in the funderdomeI had never even heard of the Steve Harvey show FUNDERDOME until I saw that Kate from Yarnit was going to be on it.

It’s an entrepreneur competition show where two different ideas are pitted against each other for funding. The studio audience votes on the best idea, but at some point in each round one of the entrepreneurs is given the opportunity to cash out so they get some money whereas if they go to the end and don’t win the vote they would get no funding.

The Yarnit was pitted against the Dreamcade Replay, a console gaming device to play retro video games. That business won the big prize (though the vote was really close) and the Yarnit cashed out at $25,000, which is still pretty great.

If you don’t know about the Yarnit, it’s a plastic ball (yeah, there were lots of ball jokes on the show) that sits on a base that you put your yarn inside while you’re knitting. The yarn feeds out of a hole at the top and stays clean and protected from animals and children while you work. They’re lightweight, durable, have a clip-on strap for on-the-go knitting, and the ball itself fits in many standard car cup holders.

They come in lots of different colors and styles for personalization and you can even store stitch markers and other little tools in the base. So cool! (And if you happen to want to get your hands on one, they’re running a special for a limited time on the clear Yarnit; use the code Funderdome.)

Congratulations, Kate, and I can’t wait to see the new product in action!

[Photo: ABC]

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Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.