Giveaway Winner!

Congratulation to woodstockcate, our winner for this month's giveaway to win a DVD copy of Knit and Crochet Now Season 4 and a Waves Crochet Set! We have contacted woodstockcate via Ravelry PM to arrange for the delivery of her prize. Thanks to everyone who entered this month's blog giveaway!

As 2013 winds down, we would like to wish our friends and fans a happy and healthy new year. May 2014 be filled with lots of knitting and crocheting! 

Last-Minute Gift Inspiration!

For our friends celebrating the holiday next week, we'd like to share a few of our favorite last-minute gift projects which can be easily completed in just a few days' time or less! 

Bluebird of Happiness by Sara Elizabeth Kellner
This little bird can be knit in just a few hours and is available as a free Ravelry download!

Glühwein by Laura Aylor
This free pattern can be knit with just a small amount of Bulky weight yarn.

Leafy Washcloth by Megan Goodacre
You need just 30 yards of yarn to knit each leaf, and the pattern can be made in various weights of yarn, too!

Scalloped Boot Cuffs by Jenny Dickens
These boot toppers crochet up in a jiffy in worsted weight yarn, and the pattern is available for free on Ravelry!

Nel the Tiny Owl by Stacey Trock
These wee owls can be crocheted with small amounts of worsted weight yarn!

For more great last-minute gift ideas, check out the 2013 Knitter's Pride Holiday Gift Guide for crafty gift ideas such as our limited edition Karbonz gift set, the Box of Joy!

Be sure to join us next Friday (December 27th) when we announce the winner of the December Blog Giveaway - you can click here to enter! 

Special Post + Giveaway: Knit and Crochet Now!

On today's post, we have a special interview with Ellen Gormley, renowned crochet designer and resident expert on the Knit and Crochet Now! show. There is also an opportunity for one of our lucky readers to win Season 4 of the Knit and Crochet Now! series on DVD and a set of Knitter's Pride Waves crochet hooks - read on for more information! 

What inspired you to try crochet? Do you do any other crafts? 

Crafting and crochet in particular was part of the culture of my family. My mom dabbled in many crafts but crochet was perhaps most dominant. My Great-Aunt lived next door and was an avid thread crocheter. I have practiced sewing, knitting, embroidery, quilting, latch-hooking but have found to crochet to be the most portable and compelling. I currently have a few knit projects in progress as well as crochet.

What are your 3 essential tools for your preferred craft? 

My three preferred tools (besides hook and scissors) are my digital camera, for taking process photos and visual note-taking, a blunt tip tapestry needle, and locking stitch markers. I wish locking stitch markers were sold by the hundred and included at least 5 colors. 

Have you ever had a project go horribly wrong? When disaster strikes, do you try to make the best of it, or do you prefer to frog and start over again? 

Yes! I have had many projects go horribly wrong!  I learned a real lesson in gauge early on when I crocheted a sweater that was probably 6 sizes too big...why didn't I try it on as I went?  I try to "harvest" the yarn and frog out projects that didn't work to re-use the yarn. Sometimes when I have a horrible project, I put it in the back of the closet until I can get enough time and space to deal with it later.

What is one tip you learned way too late in your crafting career? 

Something I wish I had learned earlier in my crafting life would be that it is ok to break the rules. Generally there are accepted ways of joining yarn, beginning a row, or joining a round, but just because the pattern describes the traditional methods, the crafter can switch to her preferred method. As a designer, I'm allowed to change it as long as I can adequately describe how it was completed.

What do you see as the next big trend in crochet?

The next big trend in crochet might be simple lace paired with DK weight yarns. I think crocheters yearn to make showstopping wearable accessories that are worthy of quality yarn.

Giveaway

One lucky reader will be randomly selected to win a DVD copy of Knit and Crochet Now Season 4 and a Waves Crochet Set! To be eligible, simply leave a comment on this post telling us what Knitter's Pride products are on your wish list this year. Be sure to also include a Ravelry ID or email address so that we can contact you if you win! 

We'll randomly select one lucky winner to announce on our next blog post on December 27. Good luck! 

Many thanks to Ellen Gormley and the folks at Annie's Publishing for making this interview and DVD giveaway possible.

Free Pattern + Giveaway Winner

Today we have a guest post from blogger and knitwear designer Mari Chiba from Mari Knits. You may recognize her from our last blog post or from her recent pattern in The Unofficial Harry Potter Knits, Ginny's Cardigan.

I’ve been intrigued by giant knitting needles in the past, but never got around to trying some out until recently. A good friend of mine asked me for a hand-knit wedding gift a couple of months ago. I knew that I didn’t have a lot of time, and I also knew that I wanted to give a gift that would be practical. I thought about matching hats, but I’m close friends with the groom and don’t know the bride as well - any sort of clothing item would be a big risk!

I scoured Ravelry and Pinterest for days trying to come up with the perfect hand-knit wedding gift. On Pinterest, I kept seeing beautiful big knit blankets, and then Craftsy had a sale on yarn, and it was meant to be! I made this blanket by holding four strands of bulky weight yarn together while using my giant Knitter’s Pride Basix US 50 needles.

The needles are beautiful! You can see the grain of the wood, they are extremely smooth and shiny, the join to the cable is flawless, and if there’s a vampire attack they could double as stakes! Really, what’s not to love?

This simple blanket is worked completely in garter stitch. I didn’t have a good idea of how big the actual blanket would be, so after knitting the entire blanket I went and picked up stitches along either side and worked a few more rows in garter stitch. I actually really like how this looks, but you could also just cast on more stitches!

I would recommend a machine washable yarn for this project, because I don’t know about you, but my sink isn’t big enough for me to block this!

Free Pattern: Chunky Garter Blanket

4 sts x 4 rows = 4” in garter stitch, though gauge is not essential for this pattern

Materials

20 skeins Schachenmayr Silenzio; 50% Acrylic, 25% superwash wool, 25% Alpaca; 50g/60m. Shown in Color 92.

US 50 40” Knitter's Pride Basix Circular Knitting Needles

Note:
I held four strands of yarn together. I used 16 skeins for the body of the blanket, then used the remaining four skeins for the garter edgings.  

Blanket
Cast on 26 stitches

Knit every row until work measures approximately 52”, or you have used nearly all of the 16 skeins of yarn. Bind off all stitches

Edging

Pick up and knit every other stitch along the side of the blanket, working into the garter bump so that holes don’t appear.

Knit 3 rows.

Bind off all stitches.

Repeat edging for the other side of the blanket

Finishing

Weave in ends and trim. Machine wash and either air dry or tumble dry low depending on your yarn. Enjoy!

Giveaway Winner
Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway this month! Raveler Jenonymous is our lucky winner; we will contact our winner to arrange for the delivery of the prize, a Bamboo DPN Set and a PDF copy of the KaPOM hat by Mari Chiba.

Holla Knits! Accessories Blog Tour

We're so pleased to be a stop on the Holla Knits blog tour this month! Just in time for your holiday gift-knitting, the 2013 Holla Knits! Accessories issue features six fun, fashionable accessories that are perfect to give and get this holiday season.

The KaPOM hat by Mari Chiba is a fresh take on earflap hats, and it's also an easy way to incorporate pom poms, one of this season's hottest trends, into your wardrobe. If you're new to making pom poms, check out our easy-to-follow photo tutorial on the Knitter's Pride blog!

The Pippi Cowl by Emily Greene Blue is a versatile bulky-weight scarf that knits up quick; it would even look great with pom poms instead of tassels!

Keep your hands toasty all winter long with the Hodgepodge Mittens by Annie Watts - they're as fun to knit as they are to wear!

Speaking of colorwork, the Chumash Cowl by Karinknit Designs is simple to knit and completely reversible, too!

Unbroken by Lee Meredith may look like a simple cloche-style hat with textured stitches, but the clever construction allows you to easily customize your project to fit any head - plus, there are no ends to weave in at the end (really!).

No Glove(s) No Love by Claire Sandow are vintage-inspired gloves with a modern twist: a heart cutout created by multidirectional knitting, short rows, and some strategically placed increases and decreases.

Giveaway

Ready to cast on? We're giving away an 8" Knitter's Pride Bamboo DPN Set and a PDF copy of the KaPOM hat to one lucky blog reader! Simply leave a comment on this post telling us which Holla Knits! accessories pattern you'd like to make for your chance to win; be sure to also mention your Ravelry ID or email address so that we can contact you if you win. We'll randomly select one lucky comment to announce on Friday, November 22.

Be sure to stop by the Holla Knits! blog today for a special Subscriber Giveaway featuring our new Rejoice Pom Pom Maker Set, too!

Good luck and happy knitting!

Treat Yourself: The Knitter’s Pride Holiday Gift Guide

What Knitter's Pride set is on your wish list this holiday season? This week's blog post have 5 great gift ideas for festive holiday gifting, whether you treat yourself or surprise a friend!

1. For Karbonz Lovers: Our Holiday 2013 limited-edition interchangeable needle set will be arriving at a store near you this month! The Karbonz Box of Joy is comprised of our carbon fiber needles which have earned rave reviews since their launch last year, and we're pleased to introduce the ultimate set to give and get this year.

This Karbonz interchangeable needle set is packed in an attractive box with a laser-cut "tree of bloom" design, giving you a peek at the Karbonz needle tips contained inside. The set contains nine sizes for your knitting pleasure: US sizes 4, 5, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10, 10.5 and 11 (3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 & 8.0mm) along with 4 cords (one each of 24” & 40” and two of 32”), 1 set of cord connectors and a complimentary Shawl Pin from the new Azure Charm range.

Only 2,500 sets will be made available (click here to find a Knitter's Pride retailer near you); once they're gone, they're gone!

2. For sock knitters: We have plenty of DPN sock sets to suit every knitter! Our newest set is the Nova Cubics DPN Sock Set, which combines the strength of our Nova brass needles with an easy-to grip cuboid shape which provides excellent stitch definition. Each set is available in your choice of three popular needle lengths - 5", 6" or 8" - and contains 9 needle sizes ranging from US 0 to US 6.

3. For warmth & luxury: Our Deluxe Japanese Bamboo Interchangeable Set is great for those who prefer the warmth of wooden needles. Made from the finest Japanese bamboo, these needles are lightweight yet durable. The interchangeable needles feature 24 Karat gold plated ferrules and connectors, giving them a touch of luxury. The Deluxe Set includes 10 needle pairs and accessories in an attractive green zipper case; we also offer a Starter Set, Chunky Set, Single-Ended Crochet Hook set and Tunisian Crochet Hook set in this line!

4. Merry & Bright: Our new Waves Crochet Set features a colorful rainbow of handles that are easy to grip for hours of comfortable crocheting. If you love the smooth finish of our aluminum soft grip crochet hooks, you'll love the color-coded handles in our newest line, Waves. Each set includes 9 frequently-used sizes packaged in an attractive fluorescent pink or green zipper case, making it great for gifting!

5. The Gift of Organization: our new faux leather Thames bags come in five fashionable colors; they're perfect for the on-the-go knitter (or crocheter) on your list! Each handmade bag is designed to accommodate small projects, knitting needles, crochet hooks, and other notions in separate compartments so that your essential tools are always within reach.

Winners + Felted Bags for Fall

Thanks to everyone who entered this month's blog giveaway! Our lucky winners are:

Raveler Globalite, who won the yellow Thames bag, and Raveler knittingdork, who won the red Thames bag! We have contacted the winners to arrange for the delivery of their prizes.

Knitter's Pride Faux Leather Purse Handles, shown here with hook option.

Felted bags and totes are a great project to make this time of year; they are handy, fun, and make great gifts, too! We have a variety of new bag handles that are perfect for accenting your hand crafted bags: Genuine Leather Handles are available in 3 beautiful natural colors shown below, and Faux Leather Handles come in the rainbow of colors pictured above. Both are available with or without hooks so they can be easily attached to your bag.

Knitter's Pride Genuine Leather Purse Handles

If you need a little project inspiration, here are some great patterns from Ravelry which we think would look great with any of our new bag handles.

Clockwise from top left: Winterbloom Bag by Amy Gunderson, Amethyst Organiser by Diane Bertolatti, Molly's Carpetbag by Cricket Toomey, Ripple Tapestry Tote by Ellen Gormley, Red Rose Tote by Debbie O'Leary, and the Cappuccino Felted Bag by Emma Vining.

We look forward to seeing your bags, totes, and other creations in the Knitter's Pride Ravelry Group. Thanks for joining us!