Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

When I saw these two shades of Spud & Chloë Sweater together a few months ago I could not get the image of a sweet little strawberry out of my head. I thought it would be fun to combine the colorways Barn and Grass to create a delicious little bite of a hat.

I know that berry hats have been done forever but this one has an easy fair isle twist to include the seeds as you knit and a fun little green topper that is also worked right in as you go. The squiggle on top is made in a fun way as well. This hat works up in no time at all and you will be the hit of any baby shower or birthday party when you show up with this yummy treat of a hat as your gift.

The Very Berry Hat pattern is a new addition to our On the Run pattern line. These patterns come on handy little cards that easily slide right into your bag. They are available at local yarn shops and online yarn shops that carry Spud & Chloë. If the Very Berry Hat pattern or any of the On the Run patterns are not in the shop they can quickly and easily get them for you so be sure to ask.

Click here for the Ravelry project page for the Very Berry Hat!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Today I happily sit and knit the border on the yummy Outer baby blanket I am whipping up. As I was sitting in my living room knitting I stopped for a minute to look at the beautiful pile of Outer in my lap. I happened to have my camera right next me so I took a photo for you of my view. Lovely, isn’t it?

This blanket is really taking shape nicely if I do say so myself. When I make a blanket that needs a border there is always a lot to take into consideration. I thought about a crochet border, a border in one shot with mitered corners, an attached I-cord border and some different color options for the border.

I wound up deciding to use the colorway called Hedge for the border. Here is what I am doing, I simply start on one side with the live stitches, complete a garter stitch border with 3 rows, do a Russian bind off (see the link below), turn and continue on to the next side where I pick up stitches. I am repeating this until each side is complete. It is done without cutting the yarn which is always good.  Also, it gives a clean but substantial border for the blanket.

I love to try new things with each project I do. For this project I tried several new stitch patterns, a crochet provisional cast on and the Russian bind off.

Click here to see my new video tutorial for the provisional cast on I used for this project! If you receive the email version of this post, I realize that for some reason the video tutorials don’t come through with the email. That is why I am providing the link again here.

For the Russian bind off I checked out this video tutorial:

Click here to Paula of The Knitting Pipeline’s video tutorial for the Russian bind off (I only do the bind off knitwise for this blanket.)

One last important thing, I am teaching a Spud & Chloë class on Sept. 16th, 2011 at The Creative Collection in St. Paul, Minnesota. I am very excited about this as it is going to be a fantastic event. September 16th is Vogue Knitting Day at the event and there are all sorts of wonderful classes and teachers with the focus on knitting. It is a knitting star-studded event (that’s kind of funny).

I am offering two separate Toy Knitting Workshops. I will post about this again with more detail soon. For now though here is the link to sign up before the classes fill:

Click here to check to find out the details and to register for my class!

I’ll be back soon with more blanket news…

(photo provided by Laura Nelkin)

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I have to share this adorable baby knit with you today. Laura Nelkin has designed this tiny set using Spud & Chloë yarns. The baby is Luke and he is two weeks old in the photo.

Click here to find out more details and how to get the pattern for Lolly Pod!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I have a few news items to take care of first today. The book/workshop/blog tour is continuing for Spud & Chloë at the Farm. I was interviewed on the Splendid Sticks blog and she is hosting a giveaway for the book.

Click here to visit the Splendid Sticks blog.

I also was lucky enough to chat with Kathy Elkins on the Ready, Set, Knit! podcast. We talked all things Spud & Chloë. The podcast is available on itunes or you can click here to listen on your computer. I love this podcast and listen to every episode.

On Saturday, May 14th, 2011 (that’s in two weeks!) I am teaching a toy making workshop at Stitcher’s Crossing in Madison, Wisconsin from 1-3pm. Together we are making a mouse from Spud & Chloë at the Farm. I’ll be doing lots of demonstrations for face embroidery, whipstitching parts together, stuffing knit toys and more. There will be some fun gifts from Spud and a giveaway or two at the class. I can’t wait and I hope to see you there.

After the class on May 14th, I will have a drop-in book signing and trunk show, I will bring the entire set from Spud & Chloë at the Farm, from 3-4pm at Stitcher’s Crossing. This is a casual gathering and everyone is welcome!

Stitcher’s Crossing has all of the yarn available to make the entire farm set from the new book and they also have kits for individual projects or the whole set ready to go.  The shop also has signed copies of any of my books available at all times (I pop in the shop all of the time).

For workshop and book signing information please call 608 232 1500 or click here to visit the Stitcher’s Crossing website.

One last newsy-type item is the Spud Knitalong that I am hosting! It officially starts tomorrow, May 2nd, 2011. I am so excited about the great response to the knitalong of my friend, Spud. It appears a lot of people want to make Spud! You can join in anytime so don’t worry if you can’t start right away tomorrow, you are always welcome. See you right here tomorrow if you are joining in.

Now to talk about the fantastic Dream Catcher Blanket in the photos. Last winter I had a huge surprise show up at my door and it was delivered by my sister. On Ravelry I am lucky to be a part of a group called Itty-Bitty Knits where there is a big group of generous knitters who actively gather together to spread goodness and to offer support on a daily basis. The group does monthly charity knitting that sponsors different organizations all over the country and beyond. The group also loves Spud & Chloë which I appreciate.

The moderator of the group is Suzanne and she secretly came up with the idea to have willing members of the Itty-Bitty Knits group knit squares using Spud & Chloë Sweater and the Dream Catcher Baby Blanket square patterns. It was an enormous undertaking and actually it became quite a journey for Suzanne. In order to keep the whole thing a surprise Suzanne got my sister involved and kept a secret thread going on the group for months. Suzanne had met my sister at my book signing event at the Knitty City in New York City last year. I love that my sister was part of the whole thing.

Click here to watch Suzanne’s video podcast, Knitting Knirvana, where she tells the story of the making of the blanket which she calls Operation Surprise Susan (that makes me laugh). By the way, Suzanne has a video podcast that is wonderful and she just had a baby girl a few days ago. She is a good one.

I was completely touched by the generosity of the group and the enormity of the task of the knitting and stitching together of this blanket. Don’t let the photos fool you on the size of the blanket. It fits a king-size bed with 108 squares, 9 across and 12 wide. The squares came from literally all over the country and even from other countries near and far (even as far as China!). It blew me away to receive such a gift. I was floating for days or weeks or actually I am still floating when I think about it.

The gigantic Dream Catcher Blanket lives on the couches in my house. The colors are gorgeous and the layout of the squares is breathtaking. Everyday my kids are bundled up underneath it either reading or watching a movie or taking a nap. It makes me so genuinely happy to see them enjoying the blanket. The blanket is soft and warm and it feels like getting a big hug when it is wrapped around you.

I shared this story on my other blog but I had to share it on Spud says! as well. If you want to make someone feel loved I suggest knitting them a blanket. It works.

If you’d like to see me open the surprise box with the blanket on video click right here.

As usual I have lots of Spud & Chloë and Blue Sky Alpacas knitting on my needles. The two cakes of Sweater in Barn and Grass are being whipped up into a little surprise at the moment. Any guesses what this will become?

Have a great day and tomorrow we begin the Spud Knitalong!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I am getting ready to launch a knitalong for Spud starting next Monday, May 2nd, 2011. I can’t wait to start working on some of the projects from the new Spud & Chloë at the Farm book together. There is no better character to start with than the star of the show. If you are interested start gathering your book and materials and we’ll work through the pattern together. I’ll give tips and tricks along the way for making Spud but also just for toy making in general.

I have been getting a few requests for a video tutorial on how to do the loop stitch for Spud’s wooly coat. It is a little tedious but it is only for a few short inches. The extra effort is well worth it in the end because when you hold Spud and feel his loopy coat there is something different and special about it.

I will have the video tutorial for the twisted loop stitch ready for the kick off on Monday!

Here is a list of the materials you’ll need to make Spud along with the book, Spud & Chloë at the Farm:

Finished measurements:

8-inches tall (not including hair on head), 5-inches wide across the body, 5 ½ -inches long from the front end of the body to the back end of the body

Yarn:

Spud & Chloë Sweater (55% superwash wool, 45% organic cotton; 100 grams/160 yards), 1 skein each in Ice Cream #7500, Toast #7506 and Firecracker #7509

Tools and Materials:

U.S. size 4 double-pointed needles, set of 4 or size needed to obtain gauge

Stitch marker

Scissors

Yarn needle

Polyester fiber-fill

Tape measure or ruler

Black embroidery floss

Optional: poly pellets (Do not use for young children or babies as it poses a choking hazard.)

Gauge: 5 ½ stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

Let me know if you’re planning on jumping in and making your own Spud.

I’ll post a thread on our Ravelry group and will make announcements on our Facebook page as well.

I hope to see you there!

(all photos provided by Oiyi’s Crafts)

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Today we visit another stop on the book blog tour at the fantastic Oiyi’s Crafts. This is a blog I have been following for years now. Angela is an incredibly talented knitter, designer, spinner and mother, check out her etsy shop.  I love how she shared her adorable 3 year old daughter’s look through Spud & Chloë at the Farm. This girl is the cutest thing and she is lucky to have such a talented crafty mom. I have loved seeing all of the handmade items Angela has made for her daughter along the way.

Little Lamb is a favorite project.

The Farm Dog is perky and energetic.

The cartoon children’s story is shared frame by frame throughout the book and then all together in one place at the end.

Thank you, Oiyi’s Crafts, for hosting a stop on the blog tour today. Oiyi’s Crafts is offering a giveaway for the Spud & Chloë at the Farm book.

To enter the giveaway or to check out Oiyi’s Crafts in general click here! Good luck if you enter.

Onto other news, late last night I finished up a big two part project for the upcoming Spud & Chloë pattern line set for June release. Remember the fair isle project in Fine I shared a sneak peek of a short while ago? That’s the one in the blues and greens. I am really excited about the way it turned out. My only wish is that I could keep it for myself but turning your finished knits over when they are done is all part of the job.

Also, I’ll be in Lexington, Kentucky at the Kentucky Sheep & Fiber Festival on May 20-22nd. I am teaching a toy knitting workshop on Saturday, May 21st and on the same day I’ll be signing books and hanging around the festival for a bit if you’d like to stop by and say hello. Hope to see you there.

Here is a run down on some other events and there are a few more I’ll add in later but here it goes for now:

April 18, ARTISAN BOOKS GIVEAWAY

Find out how to win the book here: http://twitter.com/artisanbooks

April 20, Kristin Nicholas’ GETTING-STITCHED-ON-THE-FARM

http://getting-stitched-on-the-farm.blogspot.com/

April 29, SPLENDID STICKS, a new site by Kara Gott Warner

http://www.splendidsticks.com/

April 30, READY, SET, KNIT! podcast with Kathy and Steve Elkins

http://readysetknit.yarn.com/

May 2, WEB’S YARN STORE BLOG

http://blog.yarn.com/

May 6, PETITE PURLS BLOG

http://petitepurls.com/blog/

June 1, NEVER NOT KNITTING podcast with Alana Dakos and blog

www.nevernotknitting.com

June 7, PETITE PURLS—Summer Issue!

http://www.petitepurls.com/

PLUS! Catch Susan in-person at:

June 11, TNNA (Columbus, OH): Signing her new book in the Unicorn Booth at 1:30pm.

www.tnna.org

June 17, WGN mid-day show appearance and nina, a well-knit shop (Chicago, IL): Meet & Greet Book Signing, 5-7pm.

http://www.ninachicago.com/

…and just in case you missed these…

April 8, CREATIVE KNITTING

http://www.creativeknittingmagazine.com/newsletters.php?mode=article&article_id=1620

April 4, KNITTY—Spring and Summer Issue!

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss11/FEATss11stuff.php

March 28, KIWI MAGAZINE

http://www.kiwimagonline.com/bookclub/reviews/spud-and-chloe-at-the-farm-knit-read-book-by-susan-b-anderson/

Edited to add on March 30th, 2011: The giveaway is now closed. No further entries are being taken. Thank you to everyone who entered.

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I have an exciting giveaway to offer you today. To celebrate our first Spud & Chloë book being released we are please to announce that we have pulled together a fantastic prize package for two lucky winners!

If you win, here is what we will send to you:

One copy of Spud & Chloë at the Farm

Enough Spud & Chloë Sweater to complete both Spud and Chloë! This includes one hank each of Firecracker, Splash and Ice Cream and two hanks of Toast! That’s 5 hanks of squishy, yummy Sweater. There is one other small surprise we are throwing into the package but I’ll keep that a secret for now.

To enter please leave one comment on this blog post. Please include your Ravelry id or your email so if you win I can easily get in touch. I will randomly select two winners in a few days.

Good luck. Ready, set, GO!

Here is one last fun thing to leave you with as we head into the weekend. I swear that I had this entire hat with the ends woven in and the ribbons tied in less than 45 minutes and I am not even a fast crocheter! I swear.

Click here for a link for more information on the pattern in the video!