How cute are these?
What are they? How did they come to be?
AUNTIE SARAH: Look Chloë, I designed knit baby pants!
CHLOE: Check these out Spud!
SPUD: Hmm?
SPUD: Baa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!
SPUD: Wait a minute, quality wool on a baby’s butt?!!
AUNTIE SARAH: Well, the baby will have a diaper on, of course.
CHLOE: Of course
SPUD: Still
Super Soakers for Super Chubby Legs! Pattern coming soon…
That’s right Spud & Chloë pals. There is a Color of the Year 2012: Tangerine Tango. I think that just sounds like fun!
The Color of the Year (and this Tangerine Tango image) are brought to you by Pantone. Pantone is an amazing color company, so to speak. Sort of in a nutshell, Pantone has created the Pantone Matching System. This phenomenal tool allows precision color matching of a specific color no matter the equipment used, the country of origin and production, or language spoken.
Did you know that Spud already has some pretty rockin’ oranges? In Sweater there is Firecracker 7509. This orange is the color of my dear cousin Chloë’s hair. Very saturated and rusty. Cider 7515 is an extremely wearable orange. It looks great with both Firecracker and Pollen 7508. When you are looking for a playful and zingy orange Pollen is the one for you. Be sure to peek at Lovey Dovey. I love little girls in nontraditional, sweet, bright colors.
Then there is the autumnal Cedar 7209 in Outer. This color is very rich, and not such an overwhelming orange; lots of our pals like this color. Now, I am going to include another color from the Outer collection that some of you may want to debate me on…Sunkissed 7206. I am including this shade of pink because it looks lovely when placed with oranges, like it has a coral influence. The next time you see Sunkissed in person be sure to compare it with oranges, I bet this color will surprise you. I wonder if people will make the Double Garter Cowl in 2012′s Color of the Year?
Last, but not least is our outrageous oranges in Fine. Fine is my favorite and these oranges are the best. Clementine 7802 is a solid medium orange; wearable and fun. For an orange with punch Goldfish 7817 cannot be beat. It is a light, bright color! The last color I would like to talk about is Orangutan 7819; if you are hesitant to wear orange you could start here and not feel overwhelmed by such a powerful color. I’m actually quite fond of Goldfish and Orangutan together. Wouldn’t that be a buoyant striping combo? Don’t forget our brand new Easy Tee from the Spring 2012 Collection in Fine.
So, back to the geniuses at Pantone. They also promote a color the year. The idea is that this color will fit the spirit of the year. I love what Pantone’s website tells us about Tangerine Tango “…a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.” So, what do you think of Tangerine Tango? Would you like or wear a Tangerine Tango? What color would you have picked for 2012?
(photo by PiPiBird)
Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,
I love seeing new patterns using Spud & Chloë yarns, especially when I just happen upon them spontaneously. Today I want to share two new patterns I spotted recently. First is the Shellseeker pattern by Heidi Kirrmaier. Heidi is a fantastic designer and a good one to watch. I heard about the Shellseeker on a podcast (can’t remember which one) while I was out running the other day. I don’t think they said that the pattern called for Spud & Chloë on the podcast so when I looked it up when I got home I was excited to see that the Shellseeker is made using Sweater.
Click here to see the Ravelry page for the Shellseeker.
(photo by PiPiBird)
Here is what I love about this pattern. I love the stripes and thinking about all of the striping options you could come up with in Spud & Chloë Sweater. The colors in our Sweater line include so many compatible and contrasting options, the sky is the limit. I love the interesting and flattering increases along the front and that the back flap is a tiny bit longer than the front. Most of all I love the giant pocket in the front. My hands would always be in that pocket if I had this sweater.
(photo by PiPiBird)
The design is knit in one piece from the top-down and has sizing options for a 30 to 50 inch bust. That’s a generous sizing range. Don’t forget that this would be the perfect older child or teen sweater and it would be a quick knit, too. Those are all good things.
If you click on the Ravelry project page you will see a special discount code you can use at Knit Culture to save 10%! Don’t miss out on this special deal. Knit Culture is selling kits of Spud & Chloë Sweater for you to make this gorgeous and comfy sweater. Knit Culture has put together lots of color combinations to help you easily envision and choose your stripe colors in Sweater. The Shellseeker would also look fantastic in a solid if you aren’t into the stripes so much.
You can purchase the pattern individually on the Shellseeker Ravelry project page if you aren’t interested in the kit.
Click here for the Ravelry project page for Shellseeker (in case you missed it earlier).
(photo by Interweave)
And just look at these wonderful colorwork socks by Katya Frankel. They are called the Elusive Bias Socks. The socks use Spud & Chloë Fine in the Green Bean and Shitake colorways. What a great color combination. That Shitake colorway has been one of my favorites since the first time I saw it. The pattern for the Elusive Bias Socks can be found in the new Interweave Accessories issue (click here). For more photos of these stunning socks click here.
Well, there you have it. That Spud is a busy guy.
Happy December to you. I’ll be back soon with more…
(photo from Knit and Tonic)
Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,
Wendy Bernard has completely reworked her Girlfriend’s Swing Coat pattern to fit girl sizes 2-14 and to use Spud & Chloë Sweater. It is in the photo above in the colorway called Waterslide. I love this cardigan as it has Wendy’s flare and style and it’s for kids!
Click here to see the details and to purchase the pattern.
(photo from Custom Knits 2)
Wendy Bernard has done it again with this gorgeous jacket knit in Spud & Chloë Outer in the Flannel colorway. The pattern is in her new book, Custom Knits 2. What a versatile and timeless garment. I love this one, too. I can’t even imagine how quickly this jacket would work up, in a flash, no doubt!
To get Wendy’s book, Custom Knits 2, first check with your local yarn shops. Most yarn shops will be carrying this book or could order it for you.
(photo from Knit Circus)
Now for a wow moment, just look at this double-knit cardigan. The Wild Cherry Cardigan is worked up in Spud & Chloë Fine and it is completely reversible. How fun is that? The pattern is found in the new issue of the Winter Knit Circus 2011. It’s an online magazine.
Click here for the Ravelry project page for the Wild Cherry Cardigan!
Take care and I’ll be back soon with the rest of the Mini-Fairy Along.
(photo by Ellen Bishop)
Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,
Well, people are quickly finishing up their Polly Pullover/Cardigan for our knitalong. Only two to three weeks after we started there are finished cardigans popping up. In the photos I’ve seen everyone looks fantastic in their Pollies (or is it Pollys?) so far! Also, some are just starting their cardigans so no worries if you haven’t started yet.
The finished short sleeve cardigan with stripes in the photo above is by Ellen Bishop. This one is not for her, it is a gift for a smaller girl (I can’t remember if it’s her daughter but I think so), and now she wants to make one for herself. Ellen is an excellent knitter and she shares lots of her knit toys on the Friends of Spud & Chloë forum. She does great work. Ellen also used the leftover Outer in the Bayou colorway to whip up a Slope Hat to go with the Polly cardigan.
Click here to see Ellen’s Ravelry project page for the Polly Cardigan!
Click here for the knitalong ravelry group thread.
Merri Fromm, the designer, keeps getting compliments on her fantastic Polly Pullover pattern. It really is one of the most clear and simple raglan top-down sweaters you could knit. Great job, Merri!
If you click on the “knitalong” button under categories on the sidebar, you will be able to see all of the knitalong posts for the Polly Knitalong.
(photo by skinnedknees rav id)
A lot of people are making solid versions of the Polly but many are experimenting with different striping combinations. I especially like this one that includes the Sequoia colorway. That’s Sandbox (tan), Flannel (brown) and Sequoia (the rusty red) in those stripes. The photo above is from Skinnedknees on Ravelry or Sarah. She is an instructor at Firefly Fibers in Beaver Dam, WI where they sells tons of Spud & Chloë yarns. I was just with the shop and Alisa, the owner of Firefly Fibers, at the Madison Knitters Guild where they featured Spud & Chloë yarn as a vendor for the meeting. I hope to do a shop feature on Firefly Fibers soon. The shop is currently hosting a Spud & Chloë trunk show during this month of October.
Click here to see more about Firefly Fibers!
See another long sleeve cardigan version of Polly made in the beautiful Giggle (purple) colorway click here! It turned out great.
Click here to see a blog post by Andrea on On Blueberry Hill! Andrea made the short sleeve cardigan version in solid Flannel and it fits and looks perfect on her.
Now onto the “more” part of this post. I have a new toy design that was released in the Knit Circus Special Issue, Gifts 2011. It is made in Blue Sky Worsted Cotton (for the cow and spots) and Spud & Chloë Sweater (for the horns and optional red scarf). Knit Circus has had a lot of great patterns done in Spud & Chloë, like here and here.
Click here to see more about Milk Cow on Ravelry!
Click here to go to Knit Circus!
The pattern is available for purchase here.
Lastly, I am heading for the Craftsy studios in Denver, Colorado, to film two online courses that will be available soon. I am so excited about the courses I will be taping and both are using the wonderful Spud & Chloë yarns, of course. I sent over a huge box of Spud & Chloë yarns to decorate the studio with, too.
The photo above is a peek at one of the courses I am teaching. It is a slick new pattern that makes three different toys all using the same body, so like a 3 in1 pattern. The best thing is that these toys are knit completely in one piece from the top of the head all the way down to the toes. It is a pattern that is jam-packed with clever tricks and twists to achieve a toy without a single seam. All three are adorable to boot. For these toys I used Spud & Chloë Sweater in Ice Cream, Watermelon and Beluga. Each toy uses less than one hank.
More to come later on this pattern!
(Knit by Raelynne01 and photo by Raelynne01 on Ravelry)
The other course I am teaching for Craftsy is the Giraffe from Itty-Bitty Toys. I am making a wonderful blue version in Spud & Chloë Sweater. I am using Splash for the body and head and Moonlight for the spots and details, both in Sweater. For a more traditional version I have seen others knit the Giraffe in Pollen and Firefly in Sweater and it is the perfect color combination.
I have also seen a couple of Spud & Chloë blue giraffes on Ravelry that I fell in love with. The photo above, from my friend Raelynne01 – rav id, really inspired me to make and teach a Spud & Chloë blue giraffe course for Craftsy. Thank you, Raelynne01!
Click here to see Raelynne01′s ravelry project page with more great Giraffe photos!
That’s enough for now. With the grellow (Firefly and Beluga Sweater) I have started a hat that I love. I am thinking about some mitts to match, too. The hat will be a free pattern available right here when I am done.
Take care and I’ll be back soon with more….
Design Coordinator extraordinaire and resident social butterfly, keeping you up to date on her wee cousin Chloë and her pal Spud. Find her musings at S&C Facebook, S&C Twitter, and Blue Sky Alpacas Bluesletter.
Effervescent Auntie Sarah customer service turned Design Coordinator and newby Designer, watch her bubble!
Her very first free pattern is Super Soakers.
