...Dear Tina...

Dear Tina,

You and I have walked quite a long road.  From meeting for the first time at The Farmhouse Knit Shop when you brought in your first skeins of STR, to packing the first sock club in your living room with Rabia, down the road through 2 Sock Summits (complete with a Flash Mob),  Sock Camps, not to mention the countless shows, no matter how you slice it, that's a long road.

There have been many skeins, much laughter and a few tears throughout this journey.  We have shared olives,  crafts, a bit of knitting and a monkey or two...

I have felt very fortunate throughout this journey.  I have worked hard but have had a ton of fun.  I have met some fantastic people and done some really fun things through this and am grateful to you for all of that.  

Thank you for trusting me as your show coordinator for these years and thank you for showing me your colorful world.  The flowers are beautiful, as is the card.

 

Thank you again for all of it.  This says it all...

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." ~Dr. Seuss

love,

Debbi

...official business...

This just in:

Welcome to the Club!

Hello Debbi! And welcome to the second year of Twisted's Shawlette Club! It's all about the small shawls in this club: one skein of gorgeous, hand-dyed yarn partnered with a fantastic designer. What more could a knitter want? KITS Every other month, starting in March 2012, you will receive: a special skein of sock yarn, dyed exclusively for the club by an exciting indie dyer an all-new, exclusive pattern for a shawlette or other neck warming type device written by an equally exciting knit wear designer a lil’ extra gifty! We're starting off with the fabulous pairing of Debbi Stone + Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Debbi and Tina are always a great team, and this design is extra-special. Our test-knitter is having the best time with the lovely and interesting knit, and has been waxing poetic about Seduction, the base Debbi and Tina chose.

I am pretty proud of this!  If you have joined the club I can't wait for you to get your first shipment!  It's going to be a really fun year!!!

...Twisted...

Finally, I am able to tell you that I will be one of the designers for the 2012 Twisted Shawlette Club!  I am really excited about this, especially since I will be working with Tina's yarn!  You all know how much I love that!  And check out the list of other designers and yarn companies.  WOW!

2012 TWISTED SHAWLETTE CLUB 2012 is just around the corner! Reserve your space now for next year's Twisted Shawlette Club. We'll be upping the ante on yarns, including more luxury fiber blends and some exciting new designers. Here's the 2012 line up (subject to change): March 2012: (Blue Moon Fiber Arts & Debbi Stone) May 2012: (The Plucky Knitter & Shannon Squire) July 2012: (Black Trillium & Kristin Spurkland) September 2012: (Big Alice Dyes & Larissa Brown) November 2012: (Hazel Knits & Star Athena) January 2013: (Little Red Bicycle & Carrie Sullivan)

If you are interested in signing up for the club you can go to the website and sign up there!  I hope you decide to join us.  It's sure be great fun!

...keeping warm...

As promised

Warm and cozy mittens or fingerless mitts that are quick to knit up. 

The cuffs are long enough to fit inside or outside of a jacket or sweater sleeve.  Which ever you prefer, your hands will thank you for this bit of coziness while you’re out in the chilly air!

The fingerless version is perfect to put on when you need a little warmth but want your fingers free.  Perfect for when you are texting or taking photos!

Cuffed with a beautiful cabled band that is finished with a smart decrease and buttonhole, they are the perfect project to show off those special buttons you might have in your collection. 

              ~ Erin's Mittens ~

                          

Yarn:

Valley Yarns Northfield

[70% Merino/20% Baby Alpaca/10% Silk,

50gm/124 yds] 2 skeins

or

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Heavyweight

[100% Superwash Merino, 198gm/350 yds]  1 skein

Supplies:

US 6/4mm 32 inch circular needle

US 7/4.5mm 32 inch circular needle

1 set US 7/4.5 mm double points

or needles to obtain gauge

cable needle, markers, yarn needle, two 7/8" buttons

Gauge:

5 stitches/inch over stockinette

Finished size:

hand circumference:  7.5 inches

length from edge of cuff to top of mitten:  10.5 inches

Notes:  Pattern includes both charted and written instructions.

...part three...

Yet another peak at a little something coming out soon!

Erin's Cowl will be out on the heals Erin's Mittens.  It's a cozy hug of cables for your neck.  The perfect compliment to Erin's Hat!

All three patterns use either Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock - Heavyweight or
Valley Yarn - Northfield.  Both yarns have beautiful stitch definition that show off the cables perfectly.  If you are looking for a quick holiday gift, any one of Erin's collection will be perfect!

Stay tuned for more details...

...east coast adventure, part 1

I just have time for a quick post before I head here to finish setting up the Blue Moon Booth.  I just finished up the best 5 days ever.  First up Rhinebeck.  What an event!

The fiber, the food, the animals....so much to see.  It's like no other festival I have been to.  I bought a few things (more later on that).  We started the morning on what Knittinggolfer like to call the "magic bus"which left from WEBS.  It was great being with all of those knitters for the ride.  There were goody bags for all and door prizes.  The best part was that we were dropped off at the entrance, given a ticket for admission and away we went.

We got to see Steph briefly.  She had a huge line of knitters waiting to get her new book signed.

 I ran into Anne and got to show her my Rhinebeck sweater.  So exciting! 

 There was fried dough....

We finally got back on the magic bus at 4:00 and headed back to Webs.  What a day!!

From there I head to Knittinggolfers house for some rest before Stitches East.  It was so much fun to finally meet her family in person.  Her husband was great and her kiddos.....so much fun!  

Needless to say with 4 of them Marcy stays really busy.  There is always someone coming or going from that house.  In one day we were in the car no less than 7 times.  While I was there I got to see Emily and Nicole play soccer,

 Zac play baseball (coming into home!)

 and Erin do cartwheels.

  The kids even made me a welcome sign.

It was so great to be with such a wonderful family.  Thanks Marcy and Rick for your hospitality!

Now I am in Hartford getting ready for the opening night of the Stitches East Marketplace.  It's going to be a great show.  If you are in the neighborhood, stop by booth #805 and see me!  

...on the road again...

Finally, after weeks of waiting and preparation I am leaving on a jet plane in the morning for my east coast trip.  First stop, Rhinebeck, NY and the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival.  And if you know anything about Rhinebeck you know that you've got to have a new sweater just to make an appearance.  Enter Bel Air.

 

Yup, this is the sweater I started back in August when I was in San Francisco at A Verb for Keeping Warm with my pals Stephen and Carrie.  We were lucky to be taking class from the master herself, Anne Hanson!  And this is the result of that fantastic class.  Let me tell you, Anne was right.  If you take your measurements and knit to them.....the sweater fits!  I love this sweater beyond belief.  If you see me wearing it at Rhinebeck I'll probably make you listen as I describe all that is lovely about it! Humor me.....

I'll be taking in  everything with my best pal, Marcy.  This trip is going to be one to remember!  We start by getting on what Marcy likes to call "the magic bus" at Webs  and riding from the shop to Rhinebeck with a bunch of knitters!  Who could as for anything more?

We'll be making stops to see Miss Babs and then to The Fold.  Speaking of The Fold, if you love
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock (and who doesn't?) get on over there!   Not only will they have a great selection of STR, but they also will have Silk Hankies!  Rumor has it there is a cowl pattern (free) that will be showing up there that can be knit from one hankie!

We'll be stopping by to see Steph at her book signing that kicks off the tour for her new book.  Can't wait to see her!

Once Rhinebeck is over Marcy and I will travel back to her house for a few days of rest before heading to Stitches East in Hartford.  I'll be hosted by our pals at Webs and will have a bunch of great Blue Moon yarns.  Tina has sent some beautiful garment yarns along with Socks That Rock so the booth will be packed with loveliness!  Please stop by and say hello if you get to Stitches.  I'd love to see you!

Well, as they say let's get this show on the road!

...meet Virginia...

Meet Virginia, the younger sister of Patricia.

Do you have that special skein of bulky yarn in your stash? Virginia is your girl!

She knits up quickly and can be worn many different ways; as an infinity cowl, twisted and fastened as a mobius, or wound double or triple around your neck.

Add a couple of special buttons and Virginia is ready to go!

~ Virginia ~

Yarn:

~ Blue Moon Fiber Arts - De-Vine

[100% Merino Wool, 8 oz/226g, 225 yards/205m],

colorway: Jasper

Supplies:

~ size US 10/6.0 mm or size to obtain gauge

~ Cable needle

~ Yarn needle

~ 2 one inch buttons

Gauge:

~ 3.5 stitches/5 rows per inch over stockinette stitch

Finished measurements:

~ Length: 62 inches

~ Width: 7 inches

Notes: Written and charted instructions included. This is a great project for the first time cable knitter.

...sock camp...

Just recovered unpacked from Sock Camp. As usual it was best of times, it was the craziest of times. The theme this year was Alice in Wonderland and boy what a rabbit hole we all fell into!

The campers were amazing as always. Fantastic talents at the Talent Show (dancers, puppet masters, singers, quilters, magicians, poetry reciters, story tellers..... you get the idea). I love the Talent Show and I am continually amazed and impressed by the multitude of things these people can do!

And then there was the homework. With each and every presentation we were blown away. The imagination is unbelievable.

The teachers/classes were wonderful. JC and Anne were rock stars, as usual. I heard so many great things about what the campers learned from them. I would love to take a class from each of them sometime. Hmm.....road trip.......

I got to be a class room aide to Steph. That was pretty cool! In her class the campers learned the fine art of darning. It was awesome!

I was able to slip away from Steph's class one morning and had the opportunity to dye with Tina. It was pretty great. Here is what I came away with.

I've already got several new designs in my head that will feature these lovelies!

Getting to spend time with Anna Zilboorg was especially nice. She is one smart cookie!

The best part of Sock Camp for me is getting meet new campers and being able to welcome back repeat offenders returning campers. Some of my closest friends have come from Sock Camp. Some of these people I only get to see once a year but I will tell you when we get together it's like we just saw each other yesterday. I love that!

Marcy, Carrie and I.

I got to spend a great deal of time with Stephen, a.k.a. hizKNITS. We shared the job as camp counselors. That definitely was a high point for me. Stephen is a pretty cool dude and loves to laugh as much as I do. I think we might be a deadly combination. He's also the one that turned me onto Honey Badger. You can thank him for that........

As always, I am thankful for the opportunity to be at Sock Camp. Thank you, Tina. I loved it.

...Octavia...

My great-grandmother, Octavia loved flowers. She especially loved African Violets that grew in profusion throughout her home; pink, blue, violet and white. Whenever I see African Violets I think of her. Introducing....

~ Octavia ~

This triangular shawlette, named after her, has pretty little lace violets running throughout and is trimmed with a simple lace edging. Octavia looks lovely knit in a single skein of fingering weight yarn such as Floating by A Verb for Keeping Warm, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight or Annapurna also by A Verb for Keeping Warm.

I love the how the little violets make me think of my great-grandmother. This pattern is a sweet as she was!

~ enjoy ~