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Giveaway….Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarn

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yarnTotally cool book! Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Carol J Sulcoski goes into detail about the differences between hand dyed vs machine dyed yarns, different fibers, and blends. Oooooh, the blends!

And the patterns!  Gorgeous patterns, not just for handpaints, but for any yarns.

Tips for avoiding splotching and pooling. Ideas for choosing patterns that complement the yarns and guidelines for understanding how the colors in a sock work together! – Funny story….. I’m soooooo not the person who cares if my socks pool, or splotch or even match. It just doesn’t matter to me, but this last pair of socks I knitted are I.D.E.N.T.I.C.A.L!!  Of course I’m taking credit for this, but between you and me, I knit until I was happy with how long the cuff was (toe up patterns and I are bff!), and then just started with the toe on the next one. No amount of planning could replicate this freak of nature, but they match. And I don’t care! Who’da thunk??

Anyway, tell me about your sock horror stories, I’ll send an email to everyone who comments and as usual, the first one to respond back to me with their mailing address gets this awesome book!

And if you don’t win the book, you can buy it at Interweave Press, here: http://www.interweavestore.com/store/p/2274-Knitting-Socks-with-Handpainted-Yarn.aspx

They even have a few hurt copies at a discount, but hurry!

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Knit the Coziest Sweater Ever

I’ve always wanted to knit a mohair sweater. It just seems to me like the ultimate in comfort and a bit of luxury, and I would probably live in such a sweater all winter long if I had one.

Now might be the time to finally make my mohair sweater dreams a reality, thanks to the Summer Lotus Blouse, a free knitting pattern from Hobbii.

Don’t take the “summer” in the title too literally, because it’s worked with two strands of mohair held together, so while it will be super light weight it will also be plenty cozy to wear throughout the year.

The sweater is worked from the top down in stockinette stitch with I-cord edgings for a super clean look. It uses a larger than expected needle to keep it airy and light, which also speeds up the process.

One thing that’s cool about holding two strands of yarn together is that they don’t have to be the same color. These sweaters end up looking like they use a solid color but they’re actually worked with two different colors, which gives you so many more options. Pick two harmonious colors or shades of the same color, or go wild and pick two colors that are quite different and see what happens. You could also, of course, hold two strands of the same color if you like, but part of the fun of knitting with mohair is seeing how the colors play with each other.

This pattern is available in six sizes, ranging from an actual chest measurement of 30.3 to 44.1 inches, or 77 to 112 cm. It’s meant to be worn with about 2 inches/5 cm of negative ease, but you can choose a different size if you don’t want such a snug fit.

You can grab the pattern for free and check out all the yarn options at Hobbii.

[Photo: Hobbii]