Free Crotchet and Knitting Easter Patterns
Berroco is offering a free crochet Easter chick pattern along with a free knitted and felted nest for the chicks pattern on its website.
These adorable Easter Chicks look like the famous marshmallow candy chicks often seen in Easter baskets this time of year. And the felted nest knits of fast.
The chicks use Berroco Plush in bright shades while the felted nest uses Berroco Ultra Alpaca.
This is a fun and cute Easter holiday project that would make a great center piece for the Easter dinner table.
Get the crotchet chick and knitted nest patterns.
March 31, 2006
Secret Pal 8 Taking Sign Ups
Secret Pal 8 Taking Sign Ups
Sign ups for the 8th Secret Pal 8 for knitters and crocheters starts on April 1, 2006. The deadline to sign up is April 30th. Pals will be matched up by May 15th. The secret pal exchange will occur between May 15, - August 31, 2006.
Participants must commit to sending $60 worth of items to their secret pal during the 3 and 1/2 months period along with e-mails and snail mail cards. In exchange, each participant will have their own secret pal that does the same.
Items that can be sent include knitting and crochet-related items like yarn, knitting needles and accesories, knitting books, crochet hooks, crochet books. Other items may include bars of soap, cards, candy, and other nice treats.
To find out more, check out the Secret Pal 8 blog.
Sign ups for the 8th Secret Pal 8 for knitters and crocheters starts on April 1, 2006. The deadline to sign up is April 30th. Pals will be matched up by May 15th. The secret pal exchange will occur between May 15, - August 31, 2006.
Participants must commit to sending $60 worth of items to their secret pal during the 3 and 1/2 months period along with e-mails and snail mail cards. In exchange, each participant will have their own secret pal that does the same.
Items that can be sent include knitting and crochet-related items like yarn, knitting needles and accesories, knitting books, crochet hooks, crochet books. Other items may include bars of soap, cards, candy, and other nice treats.
To find out more, check out the Secret Pal 8 blog.
March 30, 2006
Second Big Girl Knits Book Announced - Seeking Patterns
Have you seen the rave reviews for Big Girl Knits? by Jillian Moreno and Amy R Singer? Several major knitting magazines are proclaiming it a very welcome addition to the knitting book world…they love it.
Potter Craft [a.k.a Random House], has asked Amy and Jillian to write a 2nd Big Girl Knits.
This time around, the book is getting big with color and texture. Here's a snapshot:
Building on the B3 system (Boob, Belly, Butt), the book will review how to choose or
create knitwear that fits well and looks great. It will show Big Girl knitters how
to use color and texture in a way that looks fab on them (hint: less is more).
It will teach how to adapt patterns that have color and texture using side
panels, and how to wrap their brain around the math for motif repeats, use
decorative decreases, and have a refresher on short rows.
Definitions For boo:
Color = stripes, including self-striping yarn, color blocks, motif work [Fair Isle,
intarsia, mosaic, and embroidery]
Texture = ribs, lace, cables, twisted stitches
Amy and Jillian are looking for garments for women sized 14-24 (chest measurements from 40-54" with no ease) that are flattering, not dumpy.
And since not every size 20 woman has the same physical attributes as every
other, they need designs to flatter each of the different types of big girl body
shapes.
Key points to think about as you work on your designs:
- all designs must have an element of color or texture (or both)
- all designs must be sized from 14 to 24 (we will provide a standard
set of measurements based on industry standards)
- each design must be customizable in some way to accommodate the
differences in body type, focusing on boobs, belly and butt as the
three major areas to flatter [for example, adjustable short rows for
busts, adjustable number of pattern repeats, additional pieces where
required]
- yarn must not be heavier than 4sts/in for garments
- no rectangles; no drop shoulders
- think shaping!
- think vertical -- not necessarily vertical lines, but perhaps the
suggestion of vertical with motifs, patterns, colorblocks, diagonals
that are more vertical than hortizontal, or simply the absence of
horizontals.
- think combinations of texture features to create flattering silhouettes
- selective placement of ribbed panels or color or areas of lace can be very
flattering, which is what we mean by less is more…a lace sweater doesn't
need to be 100% lace
Amy and Jillian are looking for sweaters, vests, jackets, coats, wraps, socks, skirts, gloves, mittens, even knitted jewelry, all designed for curvaceous women
who enjoy standing out and showing off their best assets. As with BGK1, this
book is for intermediate knitters and above.
Submission details:
- Submission deadline: April 14, 2006
- Submission ingredients for each design: full sketch of the item,
including design features, customizable areas and techniques used and
what area[s] of the bigger body it is meant to suit; photograph of one
swatch, with yarn details noted as per the Knitty submission guidelines
[http://knitty.com/subguide.html]; your contact information and a very
brief design resume [for unpublished designers, this means links to
good photographs of your finished work]
Yarn will be provided; this may require you to tweak your design to
accommodate, because all designs are subject to our publisher's approval.
Please specify commercially available current yarns in your submission.
The expected final schedule in place at this time, is for production of the knitted samples to be complete by September 1, 2006. Yarn will for the projects will be sent out by June 15, 2006.
Compensation will be discussed with each designer individually. Designers will
also receive one copy of the book.
Each designer will be instructed to knit a specific size so their sample will fit
one of our professional Big Girl models for photography.
Samples will be returned to the designer once the book's trunk show is
complete [approximately 12 months after publication, which is currently
planned for Spring 2008].
One important note: you need not be a Big Girl yourself (or even a girl!) to
submit designs to this book. All that is asked is that you understand the variety of
ways bigger female bodies are shaped and what makes them look their best.
Jillian and Amy are both big girls themselves and take this project very
seriously.
Early reader reaction to the first book has reinforced our belief that Big Girl
knitters want this kind of design and style information…and this 2nd book will
give them more of what they want.
Please send your submission(s) to this address by April 14th:
thegirls@biggirlknits.com
Have you seen the rave reviews for Big Girl Knits? by Jillian Moreno and Amy R Singer? Several major knitting magazines are proclaiming it a very welcome addition to the knitting book world…they love it.
Potter Craft [a.k.a Random House], has asked Amy and Jillian to write a 2nd Big Girl Knits.
This time around, the book is getting big with color and texture. Here's a snapshot:
Building on the B3 system (Boob, Belly, Butt), the book will review how to choose or
create knitwear that fits well and looks great. It will show Big Girl knitters how
to use color and texture in a way that looks fab on them (hint: less is more).
It will teach how to adapt patterns that have color and texture using side
panels, and how to wrap their brain around the math for motif repeats, use
decorative decreases, and have a refresher on short rows.
Definitions For boo:
Color = stripes, including self-striping yarn, color blocks, motif work [Fair Isle,
intarsia, mosaic, and embroidery]
Texture = ribs, lace, cables, twisted stitches
Amy and Jillian are looking for garments for women sized 14-24 (chest measurements from 40-54" with no ease) that are flattering, not dumpy.
And since not every size 20 woman has the same physical attributes as every
other, they need designs to flatter each of the different types of big girl body
shapes.
Key points to think about as you work on your designs:
- all designs must have an element of color or texture (or both)
- all designs must be sized from 14 to 24 (we will provide a standard
set of measurements based on industry standards)
- each design must be customizable in some way to accommodate the
differences in body type, focusing on boobs, belly and butt as the
three major areas to flatter [for example, adjustable short rows for
busts, adjustable number of pattern repeats, additional pieces where
required]
- yarn must not be heavier than 4sts/in for garments
- no rectangles; no drop shoulders
- think shaping!
- think vertical -- not necessarily vertical lines, but perhaps the
suggestion of vertical with motifs, patterns, colorblocks, diagonals
that are more vertical than hortizontal, or simply the absence of
horizontals.
- think combinations of texture features to create flattering silhouettes
- selective placement of ribbed panels or color or areas of lace can be very
flattering, which is what we mean by less is more…a lace sweater doesn't
need to be 100% lace
Amy and Jillian are looking for sweaters, vests, jackets, coats, wraps, socks, skirts, gloves, mittens, even knitted jewelry, all designed for curvaceous women
who enjoy standing out and showing off their best assets. As with BGK1, this
book is for intermediate knitters and above.
Submission details:
- Submission deadline: April 14, 2006
- Submission ingredients for each design: full sketch of the item,
including design features, customizable areas and techniques used and
what area[s] of the bigger body it is meant to suit; photograph of one
swatch, with yarn details noted as per the Knitty submission guidelines
[http://knitty.com/subguide.html]; your contact information and a very
brief design resume [for unpublished designers, this means links to
good photographs of your finished work]
Yarn will be provided; this may require you to tweak your design to
accommodate, because all designs are subject to our publisher's approval.
Please specify commercially available current yarns in your submission.
The expected final schedule in place at this time, is for production of the knitted samples to be complete by September 1, 2006. Yarn will for the projects will be sent out by June 15, 2006.
Compensation will be discussed with each designer individually. Designers will
also receive one copy of the book.
Each designer will be instructed to knit a specific size so their sample will fit
one of our professional Big Girl models for photography.
Samples will be returned to the designer once the book's trunk show is
complete [approximately 12 months after publication, which is currently
planned for Spring 2008].
One important note: you need not be a Big Girl yourself (or even a girl!) to
submit designs to this book. All that is asked is that you understand the variety of
ways bigger female bodies are shaped and what makes them look their best.
Jillian and Amy are both big girls themselves and take this project very
seriously.
Early reader reaction to the first book has reinforced our belief that Big Girl
knitters want this kind of design and style information…and this 2nd book will
give them more of what they want.
Please send your submission(s) to this address by April 14th:
thegirls@biggirlknits.com
March 20, 2006
Interweave Announces One Skein Secret Pals Exchange
Interweave Press is celebrating the publication of *One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit and Crochet* by Leigh Radford (April 2006) by starting a new kind of secret pal exchange—the single skein exchange.
This is an event for knitters and crocheters of all ages who love Secret Santas, pen pals, and yarn (of course!).
The idea is simple: knitters and crocheters sign up via e-mail by May 1 and receive two skeins of yarn, one per month, in the mail during June and July 2006 from their assigned, anonymous secret pal; in return, they mail two skeins in two months to their assigned secret pal. In the last month, August, they finally release their identity and give their secret pal a single knitted or crocheted item made with a skein of yarn.
Visit http://www.oneskein.com/secretpal.asp for details.
Interweave Press is celebrating the publication of *One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit and Crochet* by Leigh Radford (April 2006) by starting a new kind of secret pal exchange—the single skein exchange.
This is an event for knitters and crocheters of all ages who love Secret Santas, pen pals, and yarn (of course!).
The idea is simple: knitters and crocheters sign up via e-mail by May 1 and receive two skeins of yarn, one per month, in the mail during June and July 2006 from their assigned, anonymous secret pal; in return, they mail two skeins in two months to their assigned secret pal. In the last month, August, they finally release their identity and give their secret pal a single knitted or crocheted item made with a skein of yarn.
Visit http://www.oneskein.com/secretpal.asp for details.
March 12, 2006
New and Upcoming Books
One Skein by by Leigh Radford. 30 projects to knit and crotchet. I’ll be reviewing this book in the next episode. (already available)
Classic Knits for Real Women: 30 Versatile Knitwear Designs in Plus Sizes
by Martin Storey, Sharon Brant, Peter Williams
Funky Knits : Knitting Know-How for Hip Young Things by Carol Meldrum, Julie Marchington (already available)
One Skein by by Leigh Radford. 30 projects to knit and crotchet. I’ll be reviewing this book in the next episode. (already available)
Classic Knits for Real Women: 30 Versatile Knitwear Designs in Plus Sizes
by Martin Storey, Sharon Brant, Peter Williams
Funky Knits : Knitting Know-How for Hip Young Things by Carol Meldrum, Julie Marchington (already available)
Knitting Charity
Guidepost Outreach Ministries – Knit For Kids, Handmade Sweaters From The Heart
http://www.dailyguideposts.com/help/knitforkids.asp
http://www.dailyguideposts.com/help/sweater.asp
- provides three sweater patterns (knitting, crotchet, and advanced aran knitting)
- “Guideposts has partnered with many leading organizations including, World Vision and Feed the Children to clothe needy children here in America and around the world in places like Romania, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Kosovo to name a few.”
About Guidepost - http://www.dailyguideposts.com/aboutus/
- faith based organization that publishes GUIDEPOSTS magazines, best-selling books, and outreach ministry services
Guidepost Outreach Ministries – Knit For Kids, Handmade Sweaters From The Heart
http://www.dailyguideposts.com/help/knitforkids.asp
http://www.dailyguideposts.com/help/sweater.asp
- provides three sweater patterns (knitting, crotchet, and advanced aran knitting)
- “Guideposts has partnered with many leading organizations including, World Vision and Feed the Children to clothe needy children here in America and around the world in places like Romania, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Kosovo to name a few.”
About Guidepost - http://www.dailyguideposts.com/aboutus/
- faith based organization that publishes GUIDEPOSTS magazines, best-selling books, and outreach ministry services
New Podcasts
There has been several new knitting podcasts released in the last month or show. I have promos for a few of them. If you are new knitting podcaster and would like me to play your promo on the show just send me your promo or give me the link to it and I’ll try to include it in a future episode.
Time2Knit by Donny Thulson (promo)
The tales and trials of knitting. Stories and different experiences and follies as a new knitter.
http://time2knitpodcastblog.blogspot.com
Musings of a Peaceful Knitter by Lisa Akers(promo)
The podcast that brings you thoughts for knitting and shares insights from knitters and crocheters around the world.
http://www.bestillandknit.com/knitblog/
Mosh Knit by Brooklynne Michelle
Punk rock knitter brings the wild side of knitting to podcasting. Love the music she plays on her podcasts. Check out the knitted vagina on her blog. http://moshknit.blogspot.com/
AussieKnit by Kate in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
AussieKnit is another knitting podcast, this time based in Australia. The podcast references Australian yarns and yarn stores and tries to deal with some of the problems with being an Aussie Knitter.
http://aussieknit.blogspot.com
CrochetCast by Jeanie (promo)
The first crochet podcast from another Texan. Yeah! Jeanie also has some knitting related segments of the show. http://www.crochetcast.com/
New Knitting TV Show
StichCraft with Lily Chin (http://www.oxygen.com/StitchCraft/)
- the pilot aired on March 5th on the Oxygen network in the US
- no next airing is posted on the Oxygen websitehttp://www.lilychinsignaturecollection.com/whats_new.php?article=8
New Knitting Product
I saw the coolest knitting bag in the latest KnitPick newsletter I got this week. It is called a Knitting Nest from Circular Solution If you ever knit with more than one ball of yarn, you need this nest! No more tangled messes... place each ball is its own compartment and the Knitting Nest does the rest. Place it on the floor, couch, or around your wrist for traveling convenience. 10" diameter, 7½" tall.
http://www.knitpicks.com/tools/itemid_80278/tools_display.aspx
There has been several new knitting podcasts released in the last month or show. I have promos for a few of them. If you are new knitting podcaster and would like me to play your promo on the show just send me your promo or give me the link to it and I’ll try to include it in a future episode.
Time2Knit by Donny Thulson (promo)
The tales and trials of knitting. Stories and different experiences and follies as a new knitter.
http://time2knitpodcastblog.blogspot.com
Musings of a Peaceful Knitter by Lisa Akers(promo)
The podcast that brings you thoughts for knitting and shares insights from knitters and crocheters around the world.
http://www.bestillandknit.com/knitblog/
Mosh Knit by Brooklynne Michelle
Punk rock knitter brings the wild side of knitting to podcasting. Love the music she plays on her podcasts. Check out the knitted vagina on her blog. http://moshknit.blogspot.com/
AussieKnit by Kate in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
AussieKnit is another knitting podcast, this time based in Australia. The podcast references Australian yarns and yarn stores and tries to deal with some of the problems with being an Aussie Knitter.
http://aussieknit.blogspot.com
CrochetCast by Jeanie (promo)
The first crochet podcast from another Texan. Yeah! Jeanie also has some knitting related segments of the show. http://www.crochetcast.com/
New Knitting TV Show
StichCraft with Lily Chin (http://www.oxygen.com/StitchCraft/)
- the pilot aired on March 5th on the Oxygen network in the US
- no next airing is posted on the Oxygen websitehttp://www.lilychinsignaturecollection.com/whats_new.php?article=8
New Knitting Product
I saw the coolest knitting bag in the latest KnitPick newsletter I got this week. It is called a Knitting Nest from Circular Solution If you ever knit with more than one ball of yarn, you need this nest! No more tangled messes... place each ball is its own compartment and the Knitting Nest does the rest. Place it on the floor, couch, or around your wrist for traveling convenience. 10" diameter, 7½" tall.
http://www.knitpicks.com/tools/itemid_80278/tools_display.aspx
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