Spud says (the blog)

Archive for January 2010

January 29, 2010

Spud & Chloë Pencil Bags Now Available!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I am thrilled to let you know that our fantastic little Spud & Chloë pencil bags are now available for purchase. You can get your bags online and in local yarn shops where Spud & Chloë products are sold. If the pencil bags aren’t  in your favorite Spud & Chloë shop yet be sure to ask. Any of our shops can get them in a hurry for you!

Here is the company description:

The adorable Spud & Chloë heavy-weight canvas pencil bags come equipped with heavy-duty metal zippers and are just the right size for toting all of your knitting necessities. Available now in Spud & Chloë retail shops and online shops.

See the stockists list on our site for more information about where to purchase the bags.

I have a couple of these little bags at my house and I just love them! You will, too.

January 27, 2010

Adding a Ruler

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I noticed on Ravelry that a few people who knit up the Heart Tape Measure have said that it turned out bigger than they expected. I thought maybe it would help visualize it if I held up my version with a ruler. The finished Heart Tape Measure is about 3-inches wide not including the edging. It is about 3 1/2-inches including the edging slightly stretched.

The same measurements apply to the length.

I hope that helps a little. It is really important to get the correct gauge when knitting cozies because they need to fit. My gauge measures at 5.5 stitches per inch. If you find that your heart is a little big you could try going down a needle size.

Have fun!

Here is the link to the Ravelry page for the Heart Tape Measure!

Here is the free pattern link for the Heart Tape Measure!

January 24, 2010

The Wool Cabin in Glorious Salt Lake City

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Finally, I am getting the chance to share a gem of a knit shop called, The Wool Cabin! This great spacious yarn shop is located in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah. I have had the privilege of visiting The Wool Cabin on my last two book tours so I know personally what a special place this shop really is.

The shop is owned and run by two sisters, pictured above. On the left is Alison Barlow and on the right is Suzette Cannon. These two gorgeous, vibrant sisters are moms and even grandmas. Can you believe it? You can’t find a nicer pair anywhere and I mean that. Their shop was originally owned by their mother and after she passed away they carried on her dream by keeping The Wool Cabin going. It is a successfully active knit shop.

As soon as Spud & Chloë came on the market, Suzette and Alison jumped on board. They absolutely love the Spud & Chloë yarn and patterns. They carry the entire line of Spud & Chloë at The Wool Cabin.  It is the perfect yarn and pattern line for the family-oriented knitters that their shop caters to. The Wool Cabin knitters are eating Spud & Chloë up! They also carry the Blue Sky Alpacas line. There is hardly a week that goes by where someone doesn’t ask me where to get the Blue Sky Alpacas Knit Chicken pattern I designed about a year ago. I always direct these questions to contact The Wool Cabin. Suzette will send you the Knit Chicken pattern so fast you won’t believe it! She’ll send you the yarn, too.

The shop doesn’t have an online store but I think sometimes it is nicer to talk to someone on the phone to place your order. I know there are lots of people out there who don’t like to order anything online. Here is the place to go if you want to talk to someone personally when you place your order. I highly recommend The Wool Cabin for personal and speedy customer service. You will love the staff and service at this shop! Guaranteed!

You can look up the colors, yarns, patterns on the Spud & Chloë site and give them a call to place your order! The phone number for The Wool Cabin is:

801-466-1811

Call them!!!

There is also a website for the shop with updates on classes, new yarns and products and event schedules. Check out the site at www.thewoolcabin.com.

If you are in the area be sure to stop by the shop. You won’t be disappointed. Here is the address:

The Wool Cabin
is located at:
2020 East 3300 South
Suite 11
(at East Ivy Place)
Salt Lake City, UT
84109

They have samples knit up and they follow Spud says! very closely. I am sure they have more of the free pattern samples knit up. As soon as the patterns are released their needles are flying. When I was at the shop in November 2009 they were so anxious for the Modern Rib Hat free pattern that I hadn’t even posted yet. They were casting on before the pattern was even available. It’s ski country around their neck of the woods.

Suzette and Alison are fun and supportive and enthusiastic! Mainly, they are good, good people and you can trust them to no end.

Give them a call. Stop on by.

The Wool Cabin feels like home. That is the best way to describe it. The sisters have created a knitting community that is so fantastic and supportive. Plus, they are fun, funny and both of the sisters have a GREAT sense of humor. You don’t always find that. You just feel good when you walk in the door.

The shop is carrying the complete line including the brand new colorways for all three Spud & Chloë yarn lines. They also have the complete Spud & Chloë pattern line, the pattern boxes and the brand new Spud & Chloë pencil bags!!! These are now available for purchase by the way! They can get you anything Spud & Chloë that your heart desires.

Thank you, Wool Cabin, for the ongoing support. We are proud to have you carrying our line.

January 20, 2010

Heart Tape Measure - Free Pattern!

Hi Spud & Chloe Friends,

Tonight I am making the Heart Tape Measure pattern available. This is a quick little knit that you can whip up in time for Valentine’s Day or for any other day. The Heart Tape Measure is sweet enough to eat and will surely make measuring a little more fun.

Here is some information you might like to know:

Finished measurements: 3 ½ inches by 3 ½ inches including the edging

Yarn: Spud & Chloë Sweater (55% superwash wool, 45% organic cotton; 100 grams/160 yards), 1 skein in Watermelon #7512 and a small amount of Ice Cream #7500

Needles: US size 6 or size to obtain gauge

Crochet hook: 4mm or size G

Gauge: 5 ½ stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

Materials:

Scissors

Yarn needle

Embroidery needle (optional to pull pom-pom through the end of the tape measure)

Tape measure - standard size 2 inches across and ½ inch high

Small amount of fiberfill

Have fun with your Heart Tape Measures. Love lives on!

Click here for the Ravelry link for the Heart Tape Measure!

Click here to download the free pattern for the Heart Tape Measure!

January 19, 2010

Heart Tape Measure- Pattern Preview!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Here is my first attempt at the Heart Tape Measure. I think it turned out pretty sweet.

I am going to knit up one more before I finalize the pattern.

I’ll have the pattern up and available very soon!

January 18, 2010

Where is that?

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Do you have any of these around your house? I have a bunch of tape measures but of course can never find one when I need it. I have a fun knit involving a tape measure coming up. If you’d like to join me grab a standard tape measure, about 2-inches across and about 1/2-inch high.

See you as soon as I get the first one done!

January 13, 2010

Heart on a String - Free Pattern!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I am happy in my heart to bring you this sweet hat pattern today. The hat is just as cute without the heart. It is one of the simplest and quickest hats you will find! Here is some information you may want to know about this project:

Sizes: baby (child, adult)

Finished hat circumference to fit head sizes: 16-18 (18-20, 20-22) inches

Note: The hat is stretchy and is designed to fit snuggly on the head.

Yarn: Sample worked in Spud & Chloë Sweater (55% superwash wool, 45% organic cotton; 100 grams/160 yards), 1 (1, 2) skein(s) in Ice Cream #7500 and 1 skein in Watermelon #7512

*Note that the yarn is held double for the hat.

Needles: US size 11 sixteen inch circular and a set of 4 double-pointed needles for the hat OR size to obtain gauge and US size 6 set of 2 double-pointed needles for the heart

Gauge: 3 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch with the Sweater yarn worked with 2 strands together

Tools:

Ruler or tape measure

Scissors

Yarn needle

Stitch marker

Stitch holder

Have fun whipping up this fun and fast project! Yay!

Here is the Ravelry page for Heart on a String!

Click here to download the free pattern for Heart on a String!

January 9, 2010

Heart on a String - Free Pattern Preview

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I had to immediately share the project I finished this morning with you. January is always that time of year when I start thinking about Valentine’s Day and knitting. There isn’t a sweeter holiday to knit for. Pinks and reds and creamy shades of white all mesh together for Valentine’s Day fun.

This hat is inspired by drawings and illustrations I’ve seen in children’s book illustrations and other places with heart balloons on a string! Love those images.

I whipped up this sweet little hat for the next free pattern for Spud says! It literally took me about an hour to make this baby size hat.

I’ll have it available next week for you. The pattern is for Sweater yarn, held double for the hat. I used US size 11 needles. The sizes are for baby, child and adult. Details coming soon… very soon. I want you to knit up a bunch of these for your little and big sweethearts.

I’ll be back soon with my Heart on a String!

January 7, 2010

Oh, Baby!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I simply could not resist sharing this new hat pattern designed by Brandy Fortune. She is also known as Pixie Purls and she is one of the founders of Petite Purls. Brandy has two sweet little girls and she loves to knit for them. This new hat pattern is called, Serendipity. It is knit out of one of our new shades of Spud & Chloë Outer called Sunkissed #7206. Outer is so squishy and soft it is destined to be snuggled around a baby’s head! What a perfect use for this fantastic yarn. I’m loving the big pom-pom, too. No surprise there.

Is that the cutest baby ever or am I seeing things? Let me rub my eyes for a second. Nope, I’m pretty sure that’s the cutest baby ever. Those baby cheeks, the baby chin, the sweet little baby nose….. oh yeah, and the super cute hat. That’s quite a package.

Yay, Brandy! Love the new pattern. For all of the details, sizes, yarn amounts and to purchase the pattern hop on over here!

January 4, 2010

Leaf - Free Pattern!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I am happy to bring you a fun new free pattern today. This pattern is a little different than others I’ve done before. The pattern is for either a scarf out of Spud & Chloë Outer or for a bookmark out of Spud & Chloë Fine. It is the exact same pattern only done in a super bulky weight yarn for the scarf and in a fingering weight yarn for the bookmark. All you change is the size of the needles and the weight of the yarn. You get two completely different projects! I love that.

The other unusual aspect of this pattern for me is that I used a stitch dictionary for the leaf pattern in this design. I haven’t ever done this before but the leaf pattern kept me intrigued. I have discovered this book called, Super Stitches Knitting, written by Karen Hemingway. I have never been very interested in stitch dictionaries until Karen’s book. It is wonderfully creative, has super clear instructions with great photos of the swatches. I don’t know what it is exactly about Super Stitches Knitting that has caught my eye but I highly recommend it!

I knit the scarf version of Leaf using 2 skeins of Outer in the Peat colorway. Any color would be fantastic. Who doesn’t love a great leaf pattern? I used US size 15 needles at 2 stitches per inch.

The scarf measures 4 inches by 76 inches, using up most all of the 2 skeins of Outer.

The bookmark is about 1.5 inches wide and about 10-inches long. I gave this away as a gift last summer so I don’t have the exact measurements for the bookmark. I used US size 2 needles and just a small amount of Fine. This makes for a beautiful bookmark as it is very thin and delicate. I love this little project. What a great use for your left over Fine! Any color in Fine would look great in this pattern as well.

Have fun with your new scarves or bookmarks!

Here is the Ravelry page for Leaf!

Click here to download the free pattern for Leaf!