I usually love dyeing.
(Note: that’s dyEing, not dying)
Most mornings I get up, have a cup of tea and then put on a pot of dye. I add fiber or yarn, let it simmer, turn it off, let it cool, rinse it and then hang it out to dry on the porch.

But then the cold, wet weather came.
And the porch wasn’t get the yarn dry fast enough.

And I wanted to get all the Organic Cotton dry for the Learn to Knit Kit.
So I turned to my trusty washing machine.
I’ve done this many times: Spin cycle for 2 minutes, take out the fiber, hang it out. It gets the drippy wetness out and it dries so much faster!

But…I stepped away.

And it got ugly. Agitation-cycle ugly.
Here’s the proof:
(avert your eyes, faint of heart!)

That’s 6 skeins of yarn, not just tangled, but tangled TOGETHER!

I can only write about it now because it’s all untangled and hand-balled into sweet little balls of yarn.

Best yet, I’ve knit with the yarn since the ordeal and I’ve forgiven it utterly. It is so soft, I just couldn’t stay mad.

And after all that, my mom is smitten with the cowl I knit with it and wants one in every color.

Back to the dyepots!

Remember: Today’s the last day to get *free* videos and a pretty bound booklet when you buy the Learn to Knit Kit!

Yes!

It is time, future-knitters, to step forward and claim your Learn to Knit Kit!

Not to get too sappy, but when I announce a new thing to the world, it feels like releasing a baby bird. Where’s it going to go? Is it going to find love? A comfy nest?

I like to imagine that these cute little balls of yarn are going somewhere my other yarn has never gone.  They are climbing into the hands (and hearts!) of people who’ve never picked up needles or yarn.

They are the ambassadors of knitting, the first impression you will have of this thing I love so much (my passion). They will settle into your lap  and convince you that this knitting-thing is pretty cool.

Bright, handdyed colors. Soft, squeezable texture.
Will it convince Maybe Knitter to become Proper Knitter? Will it bridge the gap between Future Knitter and Current  Knitter?

I can not wait to see!
To get these sweet little ambassadors into your hands, buy a Kit here.

Oh, I almost forgot – for this week ONLY, the Premium Kit (videos! printed book!) is the same price as the Basic. So yeah, video downloads and a printed book for FREE until Friday!

This weekend, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family (we’re not tied to the *actual* day).

After the big meal was enjoyed, Mom and I sat down with our knitting.
Just like we do after most meals together. After Holidays, after bimonthly Sunday lunchs, after a cup at the coffeeshop; we knit.

This tradition began 4 years ago, after Thanksgiving dinner.

I’d been knitting for a year and my mom had become increasingly interested in the bright colors and soft textures. We found some smooth yarn and good needles and after Thanksgiving dinner, we began.

Snuggled next to each other on the couch, with the smells of cranberry and pumpkin still lingering, she made her first stitch.

And then her first row.

And (a few months later), her first scarf. She finished 3 bags before she ever finished that first scarf, which cemented my belief that beginners should start with something *small*, not a scarf!

Tomorrow I’m releasing the Learn to Knit kit.

I’m nervous, jittery and excited. It helps to take a moment and remember:

It’s the culmination of all my teaching-people-to-knit experiences and it all started on that couch, at Thanksgiving.

It’s just me, coming over with my yarn and needles to sit down and teach you for a bit.

That’s not so scary, is it?

(Not a knitter? Think you might be? Sign up for the Maybe-Knitter e-course (free!) to learn a bit more about this knitting thing.)

Remember when I asked you to come up with a name for the Learn to Knit Kit? Well, it’s winner time!

Wow, it is unanimous!

Y’all really love the name….

Learn to Knit Kit

You came up with some great names! I particularly liked “Hatch your Inner Knit Chick”

There were over 30 names suggested, but over 1/4 of the people who responded said that “Learn to Knit Kit” was a great name.

The winner is the first person who told me to keep the original name

That person is…Laurie!

Thanks all for all of your suggestions! Tune in on Tuesday to get the Learn to Knit kit!

This week is Learn to Knit Week; every day I’ll be sharing tips, ideas or stories of learning to knit.
If you’d like to share your story, leave it in the comments!

In all this making-a-kit-for-new-knitters, I’ve collected a list of tips for new knitters. Instead of keeping it just for the people who buy the kit, I thought I’d offer it for free!

This is Learn to Knit Week, as I get ready to share the new Learn to Knit kit. Every day I’ll be sharing tips, ideas or stories of learning to knit until the kit is released on Tuesday.

Ok, I am thisclose to being done with the Learn to Knit kit, but one vital component escapes me:

What should I name the darn thing?

I’ve given up hope on coming up with anything, so I’d like your help.  Can you come up with a name for the kit (you can read more about it here, if that’ll help your imagination)?

Share your ideas in the comments and if I pick your idea, I will send you a free Whatever-We-Call-It kit: needles, yarn & instructions.

If you’re already a knitter, it’ll make a great gift for that cousin who’s always asking you to knit her a scarf.

If you’re not a knitter – here’s your chance to learn!

Leave your suggestions in the comments and I will pick a winner this Friday and announce it here on the blog. Be sure to leave you email address in the comments (won’t be visible to anyone else), so I can contact you about sending the kit!

Thanks for your help!

PS. The rules-

Suggest as many names as you like.
The winner will be the FIRST person to post a specific name, so be sure you’re not repeating anyone.
If no one suggests a name I can use, I reserve the right to cancel the contest. But I really don’t want to – so think hard!

For the past month, I’ve been asking you questions about your “learn to knit” experiences, because I’ve been creating a Learn to Knit kit (available next Tuesday!)

Today I want to answer those questions and suggest that you read the comments ya’ll posted, because there are some sweet, hilarious and amazing answers!  I think they show the multitude of ways people learn and adapt to something as individual as knitting.

And if you don’t knit yet? Sign up for my free Maybe-Knitters e-course to help you decide if knitting might be for you.

How did you Learn to Knit?

I taught myself from Debbie Stollar’s Stitch N Bitch book, after having attempted to teach myself from another, far more dificult book. Debbie’s way of explaining things just made it all easier.

AND that book turned me onto the wonder of Craftster.org and Knitty.com. Any question a new knitter has will be answered in those two places.

What did you find challenging about learning to knit?

The whole “pull new stitch through old stitch” had me stymied for SO long. Once I figured that out, the whole thing just *clicked*.

What was the first project you knit?

Oh, gross. My first project that I started was a mauve and beige striped scarf, knit with horrible acrylic yarn, made for my best friend. I cast on far too many stitches and the thing took me FOREVER. I ended up chucking it into the back of my closet and moved on to skinny-er, similarly disgustingly acrylic scarves. After churning out 5 or 20 scarves in a month, I started a hooded pullover out of the most ridiculously bright teal mohair. I finished the sweater (it fit!) but ended up giving it to my mom (she loves all of my knitted outcasts!)

These experiences have instilled a true love for good fiber! I tell every new knitter that I teach that you simply must start with smooth, simple yarn that feels good in your hand. Organic cotton or  a sturdy, soft wool is best, but I know non-knitters are sometimes afraid of wool (it will itch!, they cry, unfamiliar with the bliss of lofty handspun), so I start them out with soft organic cotton.

What yarn did you start with? What do you recommend new knitters use?

(Not a knitter? Think you might be? Sign up for the Maybe-Knitter e-course (free!) to find out)

Maddie (seen above) is a bit miffed that I haven’t blogged much about her life.

She wants you to know that she was shorn months ago and I just got around to carding her fiber. Simply unacceptable! She was happy to learn the Xiane took the majority of her fleece (she can’t bear to think of it unused!) but chided me on my own slacker-y-ness.

Shera, who donated her very first fleece to my fiber-y pursuits is slightly more relaxed about it, but she would like you to know that I’ll be selling some of her dyed locks (so curly!) and a few batts carded from her fleece.

The fiber will be in the Boutique tomorrow (Saturday, 11/14) at noon (EST).

The sheep hope you like it!

Last month I posted a few colors of Hemp Laceweight and they sold out almost immediately. Today I have 2 skeins each of 5 different colors, and they will be in the Boutique at 10 am.

Here’s a little sneak peek of what’s coming:

Grape

Leaf

Pumpkin

Catch all the colors of Hemp Laceweight here!

Each season I make a little list of the pleasures I want to soak in. I call them manifestos, but they’re really just love letters to the season. These seasonal lists are my own little things-to-do-before-the-moment-passes.

First up, let me just confess: I love the word “Autumn”. As a child I met an older girl, with long auburn hair, named Autumn and she seemed the very epitome of the season.  For that reason, I love to call it “Autumn”, not “Fall”. “Fall” sounds vaguely ominous while “Autumn” is full of colorful leaves & toasted marshmallows & pumpkin pie.

Now that I have that mini-rant out of my system, it’s time to bask in the wonders of Autumn.

This week, I am determined to:

• Find a baking pumpkin and make some pumpkin puree (this is a great tutorial)
• Bake my favorite fall breakfast snack, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (I substitute fresh-ground flax seed for all of the oil)
  
  (Pumpking Chocolate Chip Yarn)
• Spin a few more Autumn-inspired yarns
• Enjoy my sweet little sheep & card some of her fleece.

What are you doing to celebrate Autumn?