Slow the F*ck Down

Sometimes I get a little high-strung.

Sometimes I get a little stressed.

Sometimes I get a little depressed.

Sometimes I just need a little reminder.

My peace cranes hang in my window and they’re colorful and happy and sometimes they make the rest of my office look pretty too.

Just your friendly reminder, slow the fuck down every once in while.

Free Classes!

I’ve gushed about Craftsy’s classes before (and I have a few backlogged in my own folders that I need to finish)!  If you haven’t pulled the trigger, I really encourage you to try some of their *Free* Classes!  Yes! They have those!  Free! Classes!

The next 2 free Craftsy mini-courses I’m going to take are:
1. Short Rows – because they’re a totally useful technique to have in your back pocket

2. Modern Buttercream – because I love cooking and want to try something different

Check out all of the other free Craftsy mini-courses by clicking here.

Practice

Along with knitting, and among other things, photography is a passion of mine.  Animals are a passion of mine. 

I’ve been practicing at all of the above for years – learning new knitting techniques, designing new shapes, textures, etc, photographing new material, trying different techniques, testing different settings, learning how to teach new tricks to my canines, improving upon my ability to communicate with them.

If you follow this blog, you know that little miss Mona Lisa has been my constant companion for years, and recently we decided to bring in a foster to join us. 

His name is Duncan, he’s about a year old, a lab mix who had no structure or lessons in his previous home.  He’s come a long way and while trying to teach him how to be a good family member, he’s teaching me how to show his true personality through pictures.

Obviously, I still have a long way to go, but these are shots from a quick little session we had the other day, on a whim. 

What are your passions? Creative or not, we all have interests and things that we study in our off time, things that we pursue and work towards.

Spring is A-Comin’!

Spring is coming, and I have proof.

See that right there?  Those are spring colors.  If I knit with them, the warmth and life and colors will come!

What have you been knitting lately?  Spring colors? Fall colors?

Natural Colors

We  love roasted artichokes in my house.  I enjoy prepping them, eating them, and just looking at them.  They have some of the prettiest colors, and it’s all natural!

Very spring-y and pretty, I think I need to knit with some of these colors.

Oh wait, I kind already am….

New Design and a KAL!!!

As I’m sure you know that I’ve been working on a design with some Sweet Fingering yarn from Candy Skein.  That design is now finished and we’d love to offer a KAL for it!

Sweet Summer is a small shawl that uses only 1 skein of Sweet Fingering (438 yds).  It’s great for a first shawl project or something to use up those gorgeous single skeins you have in your stash.  It features basic knit and purl stitches with simple increases and yarn overs.  Textural changes reveal a graphic sun ray pattern branching into an easy lace border meant to mimic the way light and heat radiate from the sun’s surface.

The Details:

• Start Date: April 15, 2013
• End Date: May 15, 2013
• The KAL will be held in SillyLittleLady’s Group
• Coupon Code for 20% off the Ravelry pattern and 15% off yarn from Candy Skein: sweetsummerkal
• The coupon code will be valid until April 16th for those participating in the KAL
• There will be a giveaway package mailed to one lucky winner chosen by random number generator of those who link pictures of a finished project by May 16th to the Pattern Projects.

Please play along on Instagram!  Take a picture of your yarn, wip, anything about the KAL and tag both @candyskein and @thesillylittlelady along with the tag #sweetsummerkal.

All members who produce a finished shawl will be entered to win a giveaway package, just don’t forget to link it to the pattern page on Ravelry so that I can enter you!

More Yarn Porn, and Soon a KAL!

This beautiful yarn is Superwash Corriedale/Nylon in a fingering weight from LMS Studio Arts in the Giddy Gherkin colorway and I’m so excited to start swatching with it!

It’s a gorgeous, delicate pastel-ish green and I think it’s perfect for the coming Spring that we all want so badly. 

I’m thinking a sweet, light Spring/Summer hat, it’ll be just the touch of soft warmth that a cool breeze or shady tree call for.

And the KAL is coming soon for that design I’ve been teasing you with, watch this space

Out in the World

I just wanted to share with you guys today my little inclusion in the latest Yarnwise Magazine!

My Bearded Viking Helmet was included in their Indie Patterns section with some fabulous company and I am totally thrilled!

I haven’t been able to find a copy of the magazine in my new state, but if you’ve seen it check out pages 56 and 57 to see some Strange Knits.

Yarnwise is a UK based magazine, but even if you’re in the states that can be found in some retailers that sell magazines along with Twitter and Facebook.

Giveaway Winner!

I want to thank everyone who entered my latest giveaway!  I really enjoy running these and am not quite sure why I don’t do them more often…I’ll try to have them more frequently

Without further distraction, the winner is Kate!  I’ll be sending you an email shortly to get your address!

Again, thank you all for entering and I promise to be back tomorrow with something knitterly

There Are Always Pretty Things

In the midst of chaos

In the midst of sadness

In the midst of happiness

Don’t forget to seek out the pretty things and surround yourself with them.

(Just a reminder of the pretty things found in my life when things get hectic. What brings you back to a pretty view?)