Spud says (the blog)

August 9, 2010

Hi-Bounce Inspiration

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

The second sleeve is almost done! I should have the starting information for the top down raglan knitalong together by the end of the week. That means yarn amounts and other basic information you’ll need to work along. Plus you’ll want to swatch before starting to make sure you are getting the gauge for the project.

I also have some new toy ideas I’m working on. The materials above are for two new toys. My daughter and I were out at an adorable local toy shop last week and we saw the Hi-Bounce Pinky balls. She quickly informed me that these balls are the favorites of all the kids in her gym class. Apparently Pinkies are the best bouncy balls around. I bought a couple to have on hand to include in some new toys.

Now I can’t stop thinking about the Hi-Bounce Pinky balls. I know just the toys to make around these! You never know what will inspire you.

The colors may be a hint for the animals I am going to work up… or maybe not. Stay tuned. I am going to cheat a little and use some Blue Sky Worsted Cotton in Ink (black) for one of the toys. This character definitely needs a tiny touch of black.

So that’s Spud & Chloë Sweater in Watermelon and Popsicle and Ice Cream and then the Ink in the Blue Sky Worsted Cotton if you’re interested. You won’t need much of any of it. I am hoping to squeeze two toys out of one skein of each with Watermelon as the main color in both toys. The Hi-Bounce Pinky balls can be found right here!

Oh, and you have to check out this gorgeous hooded cardigan knitted up by Peggity on Ravelry. The charted designs are from from a vintage pattern and the yarn is Spud & Chloë Sweater. I love the result (plus I always love old stuff). Here is what Peggity writes on her project page:

This yarn is wonderful - so soft and squishy!! Charted designs are from 1977 Dover Needlework Series book “Charted Peasant Designs from Saxon Transylvania” which is an unabridged republication of “Folk Cross-Stitch Design” originally published in Germany in 1964.

Click here to see the sweater! Anyway, I thought you might enjoy seeing Peggity’s work! What a treat.

I’ll be back soon with more!

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August 5, 2010

Mama’s got a brand new sleeve!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Mama’s got a brand new sleeve! Here is the full report. I am on the fifth skein of Spud & Chloë Sweater with quite a bit left on that skein. I have a start on the second sleeve. I knit the sleeve to 16 inches from the picked up stitches on the underarm before starting the garter stitch edging. I knit the sleeves on double-pointed needles, US size 7. I am knitting the entire sweater at 5 stitches per inch.

I did some decreases on the sleeves every couple of inches or so up to about 10 inches. Then I knit straight. I will get it all written out as a recipe and then we will be ready to fly! I am having this idea about the second version I will make as we do the knitalong together. I’m really thinking about doing some stripes. If you are doing your first sweater though you will want to stick to a solid. If I knit a second one I’ll have to change it up somehow, right?

It fits and feels like heaven. Now, to get back to that second sleeve….

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July 28, 2010

Onward

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends!

First off, thanks for the great response to the tiny butterfly rings! It was just a quick throw in freebie and I didn’t expect the outpouring of butterfly love. If you missed it click here for the free pattern and click here for the Ravelry project page. Within an hour of posting the pattern a quick knitter already had a butterfly ring posted on Ravelry. I wrote to tell her how speedy she was and she told me her daughter would not take her ring off for anything. Love that.

I want to share a bit about the top down raglan I am knitting up in Sweater Grape Jelly. I am moving onward and upward. Or I guess I should say downward!

The body is finished. I added a quick garter stitch border at the bottom edge. My main goal here is simple and easy. I picked up and added a similar neck edging. This sweater feels so good to hold and wear. You wouldn’t believe it. It is soft and squishy and warm. I love it.

Here’s what I’ve got so far. I couldn’t wait to try it on…

Guess what? It’s perfect!!! I love the neckline and the pure simplicity of this sweater. It is my new favorite for sure. This sweater is incredibly comfortable with the fit and the yarn. I’m all about comfort in my clothes, nothing fussy is welcome.

I’ve got a plan written out for the sleeves and have started the first. I am about two inches along.

Don’t you love it when something works out so well? I am knitting on US size 7 needles at 5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch. My sweater is in the 36 inch chest measurement size which is usually a medium. I didn’t add waist shaping because I don’t like tight clothes at all but you could add waist shaping. I am on the 4th skein of Sweater in the Grape Jelly colorway. This deep, rich eggplant/plum purple is so interesting as a color because it changes with the light and keeps you guessing.

More to come as that’s all I know for now. Knitalong plans are in progress but it will still be a little while before we start. I’ll keep you posted.

Filed under: General, Things We Love | Comments (28) |

July 26, 2010

Butterflies

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I have some tiny butterflies to share with you today. My daughter is in love with this sweet project. The butterfly on the right above is made out of Sweater and the butterfly on the left is made out of Fine. Knitting a butterfly is the perfect tiny summer project to give you a bit of a quick boost. The butterflies I made are placed on I-cord rings but you could stitch a butterfly on a sweater, on a hair-tie or barrette or on a scarf or the cuff of a mitten or kids’ sock. The possibilities are endless. It is a great little user-upper of odds and ends, too.

You only need tiny amounts of yarn in any of our cheerful colorways so just pick and choose as you see fit.

Yarn: Small amounts of Sweater (our worsted) or Fine (our fingering weight)

Finished measurement: 1-inch for the Sweater butterfly, 3/4- inch for the Fine

Needles:

For the Sweater butterfly: US size 5, set of 2 double-pointed needles

For the Fine butterfly: US size 2, set of 2 double-pointed needles

Exact gauge is not important.

Materials:

Ruler, yarn needle, scissors

Body:

With the center body color cast on 3 stitches. Work in I-cord for 1-inch for the Sweater and 3/4 inch for the Fine.

Next row: slip 1, k2tog, pass the slip stitch over the second stitch and off the needle (1 st remains)

Cut the yarn and pull through the remaining stitch.

Wing:

With the selected wing color pick up 5 stitches along one side of the I-cord body.

Row 1: knit

Row 2: kfb, k3, kfb (7 sts)

Row 3: knit

Row 4: k3, bind off 1 stitch, k2

Row 5: k2tog, k1, pass the first stitch over the second stitch and off the needle. Cut the yarn.

Reattach the yarn at the center and continue on with the remaining stitches as follows:

k2tog, k1, pass the first stitch over the second stitch and off the needle. Cut the yarn.

Weave in all ends to the back side of the butterfly and trim.

Repeat the wing on the other side.

Ring:

Cast on 2 stitches in the selected ring color. Ideally, measure the finger of the person wearing the butterfly ring. If not, the rings I made are 2 1/2 inches long.

Next row: k2tog (1 st remains)

Cut the yarn and pull through the remaining stitch. Using a yarn needle, stitch the ends of the I-cord together to form a ring.

Using the same end on a yarn needle take a few stitches to attach the butterfly to the ring. Weave in all ends on the back side of the butterfly and trim.

That’s it! Have fun with your tiny butterflies!

Click here for the Ravelry pattern page for Butterflies!

I bound off the body on the Grape Jelly Top Down Raglan! Will share soon!

Now the sleeves!!!

One more quick thing, I was interviewed on the Math 4 Knitters Crafty Living podcast show #30 and talked a bit about Spud & Chloë if you are interested in listening. Click here to listen or you can download from itunes as well.

Filed under: Free Patterns | Comments (18) |

July 23, 2010

On the Run

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Spud & Chloë and Blue Sky Alpacas have recently started printing pattern cards for our On the Run series. The pattern cards are sent to shops along with their yarn and product orders. The cards are available for order from yarn shops, too! If your yarn shop is not carrying the cards you might like to give it a mention. The patterns are fun and portable-type projects.

Well, when I saw the most recent Spud & Chloë On the Run patterns I knew I had to share them with you here. The first one is the New in Town top down raglan! It is the easiest, fastest, seamless baby sweater I have seen. The size range is from 0 to 18 months needing 2-4 skeins of Outer. Talk about a go-to baby shower or baby gift! There is none better. I might make one in every color just to have on hand as gifts.

The largest size is 11 3/4 inches from top to bottom at 2.75 stitches per inch on a US size 11 needle. This sweet sweater is so quick and effortless to knit up. Plus, it is adorable in its simplicity. All babies are welcome, both boys and girls. Maybe you want to add some Blooms to make a girly sweater and some handsome stripes in manly colors or just keep it plain. It’s all good whatever you end up doing.

Click here for the Ravelry page for the New in Town baby sweater!

The other On the Run pattern card is for these adorably sweet baby pants called, Antsy Pants by the one and only Bobbi Intveld (the designer of the famous Baby Bobbi Bear among many other great designs!). Could you imagine coming to a baby shower with a New in Town sweater, a pair of Antsy Pants and a Baby Bobbi Bear? That gift set can’t be beat!

Okay, here are the facts for the Antsy Pants. The pattern is written for sizes 0 to 24 months. You will need 2-3 skeins of Outer. The gauge is again 2.75 stitches per inch on a US size 11 needle. These whip up in no time at all. Love them!

Click here for the Ravelry page for the Antsy Pants!

The On the Run cards are 4 by 9 -inches and are printed on a lovely card stock which makes them perfect for your knitting bag. Yarn shops are doing different things with the cards. If you are a yarn shop owner please feel free to chime in with what you are doing with your On the Run pattern cards!

Again, if you are interested in this series of patterns please contact your local yarn shop or an online yarn shop. Check out our stockists page if you need help locating a shop near you.

I am waiting for some sunshine to get some photos of my tiny butterfly project. As soon as that sun shines again in the old Mad-City I will get that project up and available for you. That’s a promise.

I am almost done with the body of my top down raglan. I will keep you posted on that project, too. I’ve gotten quite a response from interested knitters wanting to join in a top down raglan knitalong! Thanks for that and we are going to have some good knitting fun together. Can’t wait.

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July 19, 2010

In the Works

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

There is a lot in the works around here. I am making nice progress on a very simple top-down raglan in our Grape Jelly Sweater yarn. I have used 2 skeins so far. It is progressing nicely. I keep trying it on and measuring as I go. I also keep measuring other finished sweaters that have a good fit so I can compare the measurements. This keeps me on the right track. So far, so good!

What I am thinking about doing with this sweater idea hosting a knitalong right here on Spud says! I won’t be sharing an exact pattern but instead it will be more like a good solid recipe with lots of instruction so you can make your own sweater to fit you! You can really do it! I even have a special guest lined up to help answer questions and give tips along the way with me. She is a super expert on the topic. It should be fun.

I won’t be starting this for at least a couple of weeks so I am just putting the idea out there to get your creative juices flowing! I think it will be a lot of fun. I don’t know yarn amounts yet so hang tight on that. You could definitely start picking out your favorite colorway in Sweater to get a jump.

How does that sound?

One last quick thing, if you are interested in getting a Spud & Chloë limited edition tote bag they are  now available here!

I’ll be back shortly with some tiny butterflies for you.

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July 15, 2010

Spud & Chloë Trunk Shows!

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Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I want to start off by apologizing to our faithful subscribers about not receiving the last few Spud says! updates by email. We had a server change and we just figured out that the email updates weren’t happening. Well, it is all fixed and in sync and the subscribers will be automatically emailed once again.

Please be sure to check out the blog to make sure you haven’t missed any of the new free patterns and other updates.

Click here to go to Spud says!

Now to change the subject I’m calling all shop owners! You can sign up to receive one of our new redesigned trunk shows!

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Our redesigned trunk shows are available now so come and get it! Request a show and choose from dozens of cleverly coordinated presentations. Contact us to host any of these gorgeous, fun and spirited collections in your shop! We are happy to send this knitted goodness right out to you.

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Everyone needs a little Spud & Chloë energy in their local shop! Here is the specific contact information:

E-mail us at:  info@spudandchloe.com

Call us at:

888.460.8862 (Toll free in Canada/North America)

763.753.5815 (International)

763.753.3345 (Fax)

Write us at:

Blue Sky Alpacas
Attn: Spud & Chloë
P.O. Box 88
Cedar, MN 55011

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You all know that Spud & Chloë is a division of Blue Sky Alpacas.  Blue Sky is newly on Facebook (click here) and Twitter (click here)! Please join us in these places, too. The more the merrier and we’d love for you to come along. There is a lot going on and it is a great way to stay updated.

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When I see these trunk show packages it makes me want to have a Spud & Chloë trunk show at my house just for me! Don’t worry I won’t sign up. I want you all to enjoy these spectacular knit pieces in your own local shops.

Have fun with the trunk shows and be sure to keep me posted. Another thing is that on our Ravelry Group, Friends of Spud & Chloë (click here to check it out), feel free to post about when your shop is hosting the trunk show! This is great free advertising and then people can comment and chat about it.

Filed under: General, Things We Love | Comments (0) |

July 12, 2010

Angelfire Studios - Featured Shop!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I have a fun featured shop to share today. The shop is called Angelfire Studios and I’ll let the owner, Justine, explain a little about the shop in her own words:

Angelfire Studios opened its doors in 2004 in Basking Ridge NJ, shortly after finding out I was expecting my first baby, a whole whopping 2 weeks later as a matter of fact!  I plugged along through a multitude of obstacles, from morning sickness to being the new kid on the block.  My goal was, and still is today, to influence people to be creative and to try something new. You never know; you may fall in love with a new technique, a new texture, or a new craft. Sure enough, the knitters who we taught six years ago are still knitting in here and are just as excited to start their next project as they were with their first scarf. My dream was to create a place where people could indulge in a variety of different mediums, such a fiber and clay.  I teach all ages how to throw on the wheel, the pottery wheel that is, which is fantastic!  I love my students and the crossover between mediums is a blast!  Knitters want to try pottery, and the potters often grab a skein of this or that on the way out the door.  It’s a beautiful warm environment in this shop, we welcome all who want to learn and share their ideas with open arms.  We also offer a gorgeous selection of wool top for spinners and felters and host felting workshops with Carol Cypher, who is an incredible inspiration to all of us who felt and even to those who don’t!

We carry yarns all sorts of yarns here but mainly there is an entire wall of Blue Sky Alpacas and Spud & Chloë!!!  There are hand blown glass buttons from Moving Mud and tons of handmade buttons from One World Buttons as well and even yarn bells made by yours truly. If only there were more hours in the day, I would be able to stock the yarn bells a bit more.  They sell out rather quickly, and I intend on offering them on the new online store, so I better get crackin’!

We launched our new online store two months ago, and so far it’s been great!  It’s been so nice to meet customers across the country, down south, and even three towns over.  Six years, and two kids later, I’m so happy and proud of this shop.  If you’re in the neighborhood please drop by, if not, visit us online!

Sincerely,

Justine

It’s me again! Thanks to Justine for the great write-up about her shop. Hey, can you believe this gorgeous crocheted blanket made out of our fantastic Sweater yarn? I want one stat! Please? I can’t get over how much I love that blanket. I’ll have to pull out my Crochet Motifs stitch dictionary and see if I can find something like this one. Justine didn’t say if they are selling a pattern for this blanket so you will have to contact her to find out more about it. Let me know if you find anything out!

The shop’s email address is: angelfirestudios@verizon.net

The buttons alone are to die for. I love the little flower buttons. Yes to that! Of course we always love our little Spud & Chloë pencil bags.

Not only does the shop have tons of Spud & Chloë, they have tons of Blue Sky Alpacas yarns. This sweater photo was sent to me with the title, Scarlett’s Blue Sky Skinny Cotton Summer Tee. I think it is adorable. Again, please contact the shop for more information about this sweater.

I have always had the urge to learn how to throw pots. I will be doing this some day in the future, no question. I love it when shops successfully combine creative mediums like this. It reaches such a broad audience. I would be at this shop all of the time if it were near me. Yarn and clay and spinning and throwing pots. It is too much and too good to be true!

Here is some shop information for you!

Angelfire Studios

403 King George Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Phone: 908.604.4294

Hours: Tues 10:30 - 5:00, Wed & Th 10:30 - 6:00, Fri 10:30 - 7:30, Sat 11:00 - 5:30
For the online shop and general information look here:

Orders over $100 get free shipping!

I want one of these yarn bells in the worst way. I think it is beautiful in its simplicity. I may have to put an order in for one of these as Justine says she doesn’t have enough hours in the day to keep up with the demand for the yarn bells. Lovely.

Here are a couple more links for you if you are interested in Angelfire Studios:

Facebook page link!

Ravelry Group link!

Thanks so much, Justine, for sharing your wonderful shop with all of us. It looks like a cool and fun place to be. If only I lived a little closer….. I hope you have endless years of success ahead!

On a sidenote, any of you who are interested in owning our limited edition Spud & Chloë Tote Bag you will have to act fast. I know that Webs, Loop and Jessica Knits are all receiving a small number of totes, maybe even today! Move fast because Loop sold out their first shipment really fast. The totes are locally made (in Wisconsin!) and the fabric is a one of a kind small run from Spoonflower. The bag shape is unique and it is completely reversible with a sturdy snap closure.

Okay, I’ll be back soon with lots more!

Filed under: Featured Shops | Comments (14) |

July 8, 2010

Cush - Free Pattern!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I have a new free pattern for you today. I love throw pillows on my couches. I like them to have a variety of textures and colors. I especially like it when the pillows are handmade. I created Cush to fill my handknit throw pillow needs. I’d love to have a bunch of these in a variety of the Outer colors. There is a stitch pattern that creates a striping effect and color changes to go with the stitch pattern would be fantastic. You could use up your Outer leftovers this way. Don’t you love handknit home accessories? The. Best.

The knit pillow case is meant to have a snug fit. When I have throw pillows on my couches they get heavily used and after awhile the form flattens out a bit and the knit fabric stretches a bit. I purposely started this new knit pillow out to be a plump and snug fitting casing for the pillow form. It feels like heaven.

I also added the buttons so you could take the form out and wash the pillow case without any troubles. That’s the whole point of Spud & Chloë, no worries knitting. If someone spills it’s an easy machine wash.

If you’d like a smooth pillow you could knit the whole thing in stockinette stitch. I might do one of these for my girls to use as a sleepover pillow to bring along places. My kids like to nap on our couches, too, and I think this would make the perfect little pillow to rest your head on. I may have to make a couple more stockinette versions of Cush. The texture adds interest so maybe some of each would be good.

The buttons I used are 1-inch and they are many, many years old. I have no idea what brand they are or where I got them. Any washable 1-inch buttons will do fine!

Here is some information you might like to know about Cush:

Finished measurement: 12-inches by 16-inches for the knit pillow case

Yarn: Outer (65% superwash wool, 35% organic cotton; 100 grams/60 yards), 2 skeins in Hedge #7210 or selected color

Needles:

US size 15 sixteen-inch circular needles or size to obtain gauge

One spare needle or circular needles in a similar or the same size to hold stitches for the kitchener stitch

Gauge: 2 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch and 3 rounds per inch in stockinette stitch

Materials:

One 12 by 15-inch pillow form (I bought mine at Jo Ann’s)

Three 1-inch buttons

Matching thread and sewing needle

Scissors

Yarn needle

The pattern could be adapted easily to any size pillow form. All you need is a multiple of 4 stitches to cast on to make it any width you’d like. Your buttonhole placement will vary if you alter the width of Cush. The other thing is you can stop at any length so if you’d prefer a square pillow at 12 by 12 inches just stop a few inches short before the buttonhole round and edging!

Have fun Spud & Choë pillow makers!

Click here to download the free pattern for Cush!

Click here for the Ravelry page for Cush!

Filed under: Free Patterns | Comments (7) |

July 6, 2010

Out and About with Spud & Chloë

Edited to add on July 6, 2010: I heard from the winner and her prizes have been shipped! The giveaway is now officially over… until the next one:)

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I’ll start today with some business. I still haven’t heard from the One Year Giveaway winner from last week. Click here to see who won. I have emailed the winner but it keeps bouncing back to me. I will wait for a couple more days and then I’ll have to select a new winner. The contest needs to finish up! I’ll keep you posted on that news.

On to some fun happenings out and about in the Spud & Chloë knitting world. I love scoping out what people are making with Spud & Chloë yarns on Ravelry. Sometimes people send me photos, sometimes people send me information about patterns, and sometimes I stumble across a project or pattern that I love. That is the case in the patterns in today’s post.

Raelynne is a buddy of mine on Ravelry in the Friends of Spud & Chloë group (come join us!) and she made the blue Giraffe from Itty-Bitty Toys out of Sweater in Lake and Splash. I just love the Giraffe done in the shades of blue. I have seen a couple of them out there.

I can tell these two are going to be good buds for a long time.

I have linked this adorable baby dress made up in Sweater another time but it is so sweet that it warrants another go ’round. The dress is called Scallop Edge Dress and is designed by Erin Harper. Erin did a great job creating this sweet project. You can find all of the pattern information here!

It gets coooold in Michigan! That’s why Sarah Lady designed these mitts. Actually, she was also inspired by the Fine colorway and Lake Michigan. You only need one skein of Fine to make these. What a perfect little pattern. Michigan Mitts is a free pattern and can be found by clicking here.

I have had several cowls floating around but haven’t whipped them up yet. I stumbled on this cowl made up in Outer and thought you might like it, too. Lorene Voskinarian made the Overpass Cowl and you can find the free pattern information right here.

Aren’t these cute socks? Love the stripes and hearts and Fine Tutu and Sassafras combination! Click here for the free pattern information from Devon Clemont. Devon has information for adult and kid sized socks.

This final project is the Outer Baby Blanket by Leslie Scanlon. Isn’t that the best baby nest ever? Perfect photo. I think this looks like the squishiest blanket around. The stitch and cable detail is wonderful!

Have a good day out and about where ever you are! Please let me know if you see a fun Spud & Chloë pattern that I might miss. I’d love to see and hear all about it.

Filed under: Things We Love | Comments (9) |

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