Anyhow, before things are totally topsy turvy and I’m nursing round the clock I wanted to share some of the knitting I’ve done so far for baby Oliver. I wasn’t going to post it all, because, well lets just say he’s got some modeling duties straight out of the womb so I wanted to save showing those for when patterns were close to being ready!  But then I just couldn’t resist taking a few snapshots, forgive me for showing you something you can’t knit right away.  The good news is it should all be ready to go by the end of June.

One of the first things I cast-on for was Gramps Cardigan. How could I not.

I used Tosh DK in Norway Spruce.  I am planning on him wearing this in the fall.  I get a lot of questions on the sleeve sizing in this pattern and I do stand by it!  I think the reason why some knitters have a little trouble is that most of the sweater is knit back and forth, and the sleeves are worked in the round. A lot of knitters tend to work more tightly when in-the-round. So, if this is you, you’ll want to consider sizing up your needle for when you knit the sleeves!  Just a little tip Oh, and also the sleeves LOOK smaller than they actually are because of the reverse stockinette background on the cable panel,  If you gently flatten it you should feel more comfortable about the circumference of the sleeve.

Around the same time as Gramps was on the needles, I worked up these two upcoming designs while contemplating his newborn pictures. First a fingering weight cabled stocking cap (tosh sock):

And next, a new cocoon & hat set with a stitch pattern I sort of became obsessed with (you’ll see, this is not the only upcoming design that features it!).  This is Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino. I used it for Antilogy last fall and it had the perfect amount of soft & halo cozy for a newborn. Here’s hoping he’s not allergic to alpaca…

About this time, I realized that OH MY GOSH, what is he going to wear home from the hospital?  So of course I had to come up with something–I was about 37 weeks along.  I love a baby in a bubble so this top-down romper turned out exactly as I hoped.  And obviously I had to make a coordinating hat. I went with not too matchy matchy.  I used my Yarn Love Amy March Worsted for the romper (superwash!) and then the sportweight Marianne Dashwood (also superwash)  for the hat.  It was a good thing I got this on the needles prior to Stitches South because pretty much all the colors I used are GONE.

Right after I bound off the romper I got a blanket on the needles.  This could be my favorite one of the projects I’ve knit for him.  I have had this planned for quite some time, but I cut it down to the wire on this one.  You’ll recognize the stitch patterns used from Gramps.  Yet another pattern you can anticipate. This is Yarn Love Amy March Worsted as well, dyed to match Oliver’s nursery walls.

After working all of this new stuff up, I was ready for a break! I scoured Ravelry and found an adorable little hoodie by Carina Spencer that O had to have.  I knit it in less than a day last weekend.
Then, I decided to do another quick little hat.  Newborn knitting is seriously addicting.  It goes so stinking fast! This is the hat getting put directly on Oliver’s head when he comes out, instead of the hospital pink & blue one. I used a waffle rib for the brim.

And well, that’s that for now!  I am also mid-Safari Sun Baby Hat for him, how could he not have one of those as a “summer” baby.  Should finish that one up today.

So see?  There are plenty of things you can knit for warm-weather babies!  I can’t wait to snuggle with my new baby and start putting him in all this stuff.

I wanted to also mention my maternity leave.  If you e-mail me between now and towards the end of June you’ll get an auto-reply. I am taking about 6 weeks to get used to being a mom of three.  I hope that if you do have a pattern question, you’ll go post in my Ravelry Group and members can help each other out. Thank you for understanding!  Its times like these that I wish I had a whole team working for me.

ONE LAST THING.  Oliver, in his kindness, has decided to do a contest from the womb.  Enter the baby pool for a free t-shirt!

The first was a Spring When I Grow Up Sweater combo…4 patterns which on their own tally up to $28, you can purchase as a set for $18. Recap: Lilly Tunic, Sweet Tea Shrug, Madeline Cardigan, & Dixie Lace Sweater.

The second was a Spring Tot Toppers Sweater combo…6 patterns which on their own tally up to $37, you can purchase as a set for $23. Recap: Summer Vest, Vintage Petti-Set, Sand Vest, Sarabeth Cardigan, Gentleman’s Polo & Sweet-As-Pie.

The last was an adorable Baby Pattern Bundle…7 patterns which on their own tally up to $37, you can purchase as a set for $23. Recap: Gramps Cardigan, Chunky Striped Stocking Cap, Sugar Bear Set (Hat & Cocoon), Cabled Tie Topper, Rosy Scalloped Hat & Snugglebug.

So I think that works out to something like 35% off.  I hope you will enjoy this very limited time offer!

When I Grow Up Springy Sweater Bundle

Tot Toppers Springy Sweater Bundle

Tuesday: A Springy Sweater Bundle will be given away to 4 separate winners!  There will be a WIGU bundle and a TT bundle to choose from. WIGU Bundle includes the new Madeline Cardi & Lilly Tunic patterns, as well as the Dixie Lace Sweater & Sweet Tea Shrug.  Four patterns in all. The TT bundle includes Sarabeth, Gentleman’s Polo, Summer Vest, Sweet-As-Pie, Sand Vest & Vintage Petti-Dress. Six patterns in all.

Tuesday’s winners have been announced: Congrats to Jackie P, Jane O, Mary T and jhstamm! 

Baby Bundle

Wednesday: Baby Day! I’m in my third trimester now & knitting stuff for our expected little man, Oliver. I’m giving three winners Baby Pattern Bundles which include the following 6 patterns: Snugglebug, Gramps Cardigan, Sugar Bear Cocoon & Hat, Chunky Striped Stocking Cap, Cabled Tie Topper and Rosy Scalloped Hat.

Wednesday’s winners have been announced: Congrats to Sue B, Grace W and Joan H!

Thursday: One lucky winner will get to pick their own 2-oz Tot Topper kit.  A kit includes your choice of each:  pattern, project bag and 2 oz worth of YarnLove Charlotte Bronte Worsted.  For full details on the kits, check out the listing on etsy.

Thursday’s winner has been announced: Congrats to Caroline M who gets her choice of kits!

Math for Hats Worshop

Friday: Workshop day!  I will give away a spot in my upcoming Math for Hats Workshop!  The class runs online from March 1-15.  Click here for full details on the class.

Friday’s winner has been announced: Congrats to Margaret R!

I’d say your week is looking up, no? I like to shake things up as far as entries go, especially when I have such fun prizes to give away. Here’s how you get entries.

1) Step 1 is that you must be a subscriber to my mailing list. Of course, I never share your e-mail.  One perk aside from this week’s giveaways is that I do an automatic pattern giveaway with every new release and these winners are always pulled directly from the list!  So go ahead and sign up. Everyone on my list is automatically entered once into each giveaway I do.

2) Comment on THIS POST, just ONCE. Each commenter will be given one additional entry.

3) The usual “sharing” suspects…you can do any or all of the following once per day for one bonus entry, Monday through Friday (prior to the afternoon winner announcement on the last day). Example, if you tweet & facebook every day you’ll end up with 10 extra entries.

• tweet the link to this blog post using the hashtag #2012TTfreebies (one additional entry each day).
• share this blog post link with your facebook friends and also tag Tot Toppers. So first go “like” the Tot Toppers page, then make sure to use the @ feature on your fb so I’ll see your post. (one additional entry each day)
• pin one of the giveaway photos from above on pinterest and describe your pin with the phrase “2012TTfreebies” (one additional entry each day)

4) And finally, you can buy stuff from me.  You’ll get an extra entry for every $2 your spend at Tot Toppers this week!  This includes in my etsy shop of cool stuff and my pattern shop (on my website, ravelry or craftsy).  Example, if you purchase a kit from my etsy shop for $31, you get 15 extra entries.  If you purchase a $6 pattern, you get 3 extra. If you happen to purchase a pattern THIS WEEK and then win it, I will allow you to make a swap in your bundle (please note that I cannot do this for purchases that occured prior to February 20)

Good luck to everyone, I hope this will be a fun pick-me-up in your bleary winter!

Additional notes:

• If you’ve already signed up for the course and are the winner on Friday, I will refund your purchase.
• I’m “backdating” purchases starting this morning at 12:01 am, so if you’ve already bought something today, no worries, you’ll get your bonus entries!

Madeline is a fitted cardigan done in sock weight yarn.  I used Tosh Sock in the colorway “Chamomile” for my sample.  Its such a happy yellow and I love the subtle variation. Trust me, it will brighten up your wardrobe for sure.

Madeline  is worked first sideways, and then bottom-up.  Its characterized by little details like a cabled band around the waist & at the raglan decreases.  The sideways hip panel is widened with short rows.

It should be easy enough for you to make this a longer-sleeved cardi if you like, as always the pattern includes a full schematic.

Here are all your Madeline Cardi details:

Size: XS(S, S/M, M)(L, L/XL, XL)
Finished Chest: 28.25(31.5, 34.5, 37.25)(40.5, 43.25, 46.5) inches
Gauge: 25 sts and 29 rows per 4 inches in stockinette on larger needles
Yarn: 680(760, 850, 920)(1020, 1100, 1200) yards sock weight yarn
Tools: Size 3(3.25 mm) needles and set of 5 DPNs, Size 4(3.5 mm) needles and set of 5 DPNs, stitch markers, cable needle
Notions: 10(10, 10, 11)(11, 11, 11) 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 -inch buttons

And then came Lilly!

This one I love because I created it in a shape that I scour my favorite stores for because I feel like its so flattering.  The deep V-neck lengthens, and the pleat under the bust distracts from my stomach which I consider a personal “problem area.” You can’t really even see it, but there is some gentle a-line shaping at the hip to give some extra room there as well. Its a comfort feature more than a “design” feature. Take a look at the details:

Lilly is constructed with top-down SEAMLESS set-in sleeves.  Its a fairly magical process and if you’ve not knit something like this before, you’re in for a treat.  You’ll think the pattern is totally nutso and then there will be an aha moment and you’ll be so impressed with what you’ve done! You’ve also got two options written out for length-a tunic and & dress.

The sample shown above was knit in Rowan Amy Butler Belle Organic DK.  This was not my first time knitting with it and I still love it.  Its a bit heavier than my second sample, which was knit in Dragonfly Fibers Dance Rustic Silk.

It was harder to photograph this darker sample simply because the color doesn’t show off the details as well as the blue.  I so wish that you could all see and touch this sample in person because it is just divine.  The silk gives such a fabulous drape and its incredibly soft to the touch.  Knit at the DK gauge, its  a looser fabric than the Amy Butler sample as well. I can’t wait to wear this one in the fall (post-baby!) It will be nice and light.

Lilly details:

Size: XS(S, S/M, M, M/L)(L, L/XL, XL, 2X)
Finished Chest: 30.25(32.5, 35, 37.25, 39.75)(42, 44.5, 46.75, 49.25)”
Length: Dress- 33.5(34.5, 35.5, 36.5, 37.5)(38.5, 39.5, 40.5,  41.5)”; Tunic- 30.5(31.5, 32.5, 33, 33.5)(34, 34.5, 35, 35.5)”
Gauge: 22 sts and 28 rows per 4 inches in stockinette
Yarn: Dress- 1275(1400, 1550, 1650, 1800)(1950, 2100, 2250, 2425) yards; Tunic- 1150(1275, 1400, 1500, 1625)(1725, 1850, 1975, 2125) yards dk weight yarn
Tools: Size 6(4.0 mm) needles and set of 5 DPNs, stitch markers

I feel like its just been ages since I’ve released new patterns, and it really has been months.  Such a long time for me, but I guess that’s one of the side effects of working on a book One of the perks of being on my mailing list is that you get a chance to win a copy of every new pattern I release.  So, without further adieu, congratulations to Helen (hshershey@xxxx.xxx) for winning a copy of Madeline Cardigan and Jami F (jamilynnfitz@xxxx.xxx) for winning a copy of Lilly Tunic! I have e-mailed both of these winners their patterns and hope they enjoy. Go ahead and sign up for my mailing list so you’re entered for a pattern next time!

Also, stay tuned…I am planning some fun for this week and will be posting again very soon!

The new baby is due early next May, and his name is Oliver Henry.

I’ve been working hard on my book over here…actually there is a sneak peek in the above picture!  Something still in progress of course.  In addition, I made the boys some Christmas sweaters.  I’ve been talking about them in my Ravelry group for quite some time AND, I did a guest blog post on Craftsy.com last week that talks all about adding colorwork to your knitting. If this is a topic you’re interested, I’ll invite you to go and check out that post.

Bye for now–  And hope your holiday season is off to a great start.  I’ll leave you with the boys out enjoying their sweaters while we shopped for our tree…and it was close to 70 degrees….  Sigh, South Carolina!

I love the inspiration behind the book too–the “coastal” element incorporating both designer’s respective environments.  You’ll learn a little bit about each author before the book delves into projects, then there are more specific introductions to each design that draw in the personalities responsible for them.  Alana & Hannah were even able to incorporate locally produced yarns!

I knit up both the Rocky Coast Cardigan & the Cambrian Cowl.  I also have plans to knit the Sand & Sea Shawlette as a Christmas Present!  The Cowl was so cute and fast to knit up.  I have never knit a cowl before and this one really suited me. (hint hint, great for holiday gifting!) I also love when buttons are a feature because it means you can really personalize it and make it look different even if you knit it more than once.

Okay and though I’ve talked about it before, in case you missed it, here’s another look at my Rocky Coast Cardi.  I did shorten the sleeves a bit since I live in the Deep South and its still 90 degrees daily…I wanted more wear out of it through the year. I’ve linked the pic to my Ravelry project if you’re interested in the details.

I decided to ask a few off-the-wall questions of these women for a quick interview.  I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know their quirky side as they indulged me by answering  Alana & Hannah also answered a bunch of questions on the latest NeverNotKnitting Podcast episode if you want to learn even more.

Q:  What is the latest you stayed up working on this book?

Hannah: I’m almost positive Alana beat me on this, but I didn’t go to bed before midnight for most of this project.  I have a toddler, so night time = work time!

Alana: I remember one night actually getting out of bed at 3am and working until 5am on it. I was so stressed about it, that I couldn’t sleep!

Q: What food made you most productive? 

Alana: I’m pregnant.. so any type of food is welcome right now. I did eat a lot of crackers and cheese during this project because I was too busy to make something more complicated.

Hannah: COFFEE

Q: Is there anything in particular (food, a song, a tv show you watched in the background) that will be a reminder of this book process for years to come? 

Alana: I think that the one thing that will be forever linked to Coastal Knits in my mind is this pregnancy. That’s all I’ve been doing since I found out I was pregnant! I feel like our little one will always be thought of as “The Coastal Knits Baby”.

Q: Approximately how far behind did you get in housework? 

Hannah: Let’s just say that no visitors been allowed upstairs in our house for 9 months.

Alana: To the point where I feel I will never catch up! I’ll spare you the ugly details..

Q: Which design was most challenging for you? 

Alana: The Gnarled Oak Cardigan. This was the second adult sweater that I had ever designed and the yoke chart is fairly complex. It was hard to get the stitch counts right when decreasing for the yoke while increasing and decreasing in the stitch pattern itself. It was quite tricky and took more swatching than I care to remember.

Hannah: Rocky Coast – it was challenging to figure out the all over cable pattern from the top down.  Some said it couldn’t be done…but I did it!

Q: Who in your household was most excited for the book to be finished?

Alana: Probably everyone! It’s been a big endeavor and I’m sure that the family is happy to have the book writing over and done with.

Hannah: My husband.  He’s excited about the project and it’s success right out of the gate.  He’s also excited to have me back as part of the family

Q: At what point did you feel like you were really going to ever get it completed?

Alana: We had a deadline. There were times where I never thought we would reach it but it all came together in the end. Having the baby due in November gave us a lot of incentive to work hard and get everything in on time. I had this reoccurring nightmare about editing book proofs in the delivery room!

Q: If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?

Hannah: Balsamic Vinaigrette

Alana: Ranch

Q: What was the most surprising thing you learned about each other during this process?

Hannah: Alana has business card sized plastic bags for her business cards.

Alana: Hannah has a morbid fear of scrapbooks.

Q: Inspired for your next collection yet?

Alana: Oh boy.. I think I’ll need some time before I can answer that one.

Hannah: Can we answer this one in a few months?  And breath.

—————-

Get Your Copy

See?  Told you that would be fun!  But, even more fun is that these ladies are giving away a signed copy of the book to one of you.  Hooray! Now that I think about it I should have made them sign my copy Simple rule to enter this giveaway. Post only ONE comment.  Cross your fingers, and I’ll draw a winner sometime Wednesday, probably later in the day.  Its a quick one because I’m getting ready to head out to SAFF on Thursday morning. And if you don’t happen to be lucky here on my blog, keep following the blog tour because I have a feeling there will be other opportunities!  Here’s the blog tour schedule:

Coastal Knits Blog Tour
Saturday, October 15 – Never Not Knitting Podcast hosted by Alana and Hannah
Monday, October 17 – Kate Oates of Tot Toppers
Tuesday, October 18 – Knitmore Girls, podcast review
Wednesday, October 19 – Mary Joy Gumayagay, our wonderful graphic designer
Friday, October 21 – Romi Hill of Designs by Romi
Monday, October 24 – Andrea Sanchez, adventures of a sample knitter
Wednesday, October 26 – Kelbourne Woolens, distributors of The Fibre Company
Friday, October 28 – Allegra Wermuth, of Petite Purls
Monday, October 31 – Susan B. Anderson
Wednesday, November 2 – Carrie Bostick Hoge, of Maddermade and Quince & Co.
Friday, November 4 – Wendy Bernard of Knit and Tonic
Monday, November 7 – Nicole Dupuis, sample knitter chronicle
Wednesday, November 9 – Ariane Caron – Lacoste of Falling Stitches
Friday, November 11 – Deirdre Kennedy, adventures of a sample knitter
Monday, November 14 - Shannon Cook of Luvin the mommyhood
Wednesday, November 16 – Anne Hanson of Knitspot
Friday, November 18 – Julie Crawford of Knitted Bliss
Monday, November 21 – Margaux Hufnagel of tentenknits
Monday, November 28 – Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops
Wednesday, November 30 – Jaala Spiro of Knit Circus
Friday, December 2 – Cecily Glowick MacDonald of Winged Knits
Monday, December 5 – Veronika Jobe of Yarn on the House

Dear fellow kid hat lovers–there is a new book in town you simply must take a good look at!

Bambeanies is Woolly’s FOURTH book and I think they are just getting better and better.  Perhaps its because this one is so very much in my knitzone, but it also could be the really adorable kids (including Woolly’s own son).  I do love a cute kid in a fabulous hat!  One of my favorites is Quatra, pictured below.  I love the fun spiky top, and the quirky buttons, and even the zig-zag brim.

I love how Woolly is able to design fresh & unique hats, but not in an overly complicated manner.  Tipper is another favorite (below)!

And for the techniques that are new to you, or seldom used, never fear because the book includes a thorough tips & techniques section, including illustrations.

As part of the blog tour I got the opportunity to ask Woolly some questions.  I decided to go a little bit obscure, but still knitting related.  I made Woolly chose between a series of options and here’s how it turned out. She definitely cheated a little on some of the answers Enjoy!

1) Lace, Cables, Texture, or Colorwork
 Anything with texture! I’m a tactile sort, so lace cables or other textured patterns will win me over every time.

2) Black, Brown, Grey or PINK
Hehe – black or grey, every time!

3) Beret, Beanie, Pixie or Slouch
Oooh, all of them? I guess if I had to, this would be my preference: pixie, slouch, beret, beanie. Or perhaps: pixie, beret, slouch, beanie? All Hat styles are the best!

4) Sideways, Bottom-up or Top-down
Always sideways – it’s a construction method that I just love. Then I’d choose bottom up over top down, purely because I prefer the look of decreases for the crown over increases.

5) Even or Odd
Even. I like odd, for the sake of it’s oddness, but when it comes to pattern construction, I like things balanced.

6) Over the ears or on top of them
Over the ears, always. There’s nowt worse than cold ears!

7) Solid or Variegated
Somewhere inbetween? Solids are great for texture, and I use them a lot. Yet I also love to support indie dyers, and as heavily variegated can be quite limiting in terms of design, semi-solids are a winner.

Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall
Winter or Fall. Woolly Hat seasons!

9) Sock, Worsted or Bulky
Worsted would always be my preference, though lately I’ve been having fun with finer yarns, including 4ply/sock. 

10) DPNs or Magic Loop
I always seem to get into a bit of a tangle with magic loop! DPNs have always been my preference, yet I’ve moved over to circulars for the body section of a Hat (love me some interchangeables) and for ease of use, I ought to get to grips with magic loop. But until then, it’s DPNs all the way for crown shaping.

To celebrate the launch of the book, Woolly’s going to give one winner a hard copy of the book, and one an electronic copy on Tot Toppers.  To enter the giveaway, simply post a comment on this post telling me why you agree or disagree with one of Woolly’s sentiment’s above. Can’t wait to hear your knitterly preferences. I will draw two winners randomly next Monday! Good luck.

Winners have been chosen and the giveaway is closed!  No run off and purchase your copy if you weren’t one of them

I had the picture of this sweater–called Antilogy–swimming in my head right around the time I heard about Knitculture’s booth.  Antilogy means a contradiction in terms or ideas. This sweater is cozy and breathable at the same time.  I knew I wanted something a little fuzzy to make it so.  I chose the deliciously soft Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino.

Antilogy is worked top down, seamlessly & in the round.  The lace pattern is both written and charted.  You do need to wear an undershirt with it Its a great transitional piece that you can wear even when its not freezing outside.  I thought this made it good fit for Los Angeles as well as those of us in southern, warmer climates.

I love the slight halo this yarn gives the sweater! You could easily make this with longer sleeves too. The back and front are symmetrical for a little dip. For an even lighter garment, you could use a cotton or bamboo blend at the same gauge.

Those at the show get a little bit of a head start, this pattern won’t be available online for a few more weeks.  You can get it exclusively through Knitculture at the show and in their shop through October 10.  After that, I’ll make it available here on my site and Ravelry, per my usual pattern availability!  I’ll be sure to update this blog post whenever I have a link to it on Knitculture’s site for you.

pattern info
Size: XS(S, M, L)[L/XL, XL, 2X]
Finished Chest: 29.25(32.5, 36, 39.5)[42.75, 46.25, 49.75]”
Gauge: 14 sts and 16 rows per 4 inches in Lacy Lattice on larger needles
Yarn: 475(525, 600, 650)[750, 825, 925] yards double knitting or worsted weight yarn*
Tools: Size 5(3.75 mm) and size 10(6 mm) circular needles and set of 5 DPNs in each size, stitch markers
*Note: Yarn is worked at an intentionally loose gauge to feature lace pattern; be sure to block swatch before measuring for gauge.

Happy first day of fall—-> aka Knitting Season!  What better way to enter fall than with an awesome yarn giveaway, details in this post.

Remember this post? I adore Knit Collage’s Pixie Dust yarn and wrote up an oh-so-fast “pattern” for a necklace/cowl/scarf called the Pixie Necklace. As it turns out, this little project also works for Rolling Stone, another KC yarn. I made this one for my aunt who helped me at Stitches Midwest last month. (errr…I guess I should write up my recap post for SM soon!)

There is more yardage in Rolling Stone than in Pixie Dust, so I did go around probably twice as many times before binding off. The key is to start binding off when you have a length of yarn left that is at least three times as long as the circumference of your pixie necklace.

And now I have yet another option for you to use your fancy Pixie Dust or Rolling Stone yarn! This is the Drama Scarf and it uses two skeins of Pixie Dust in contrasting colors.  Its just as easy as the Pixie Necklace “pattern” though there are a few more lines of instruction. Here it is wrapped twice around my neck.

Drama Scarf
I used US size 19(15 mm) needles for this scarf.  They were actually Amy-the-Knit-Collage-lady’s but she took pity on me at TNNA as I was raring to go and gave them to me!

To prepare: Divide your contrasting color (CC) skein in half.  You can do this by weighing the entire skein, dividing this number by two, and then sectioning off the yarn until you get to the “half” number.  If you don’t have a scale, use your measuring tape to measure out half the yarn. This sounds daunting, but remember these skeins only carry about 35 yards. Once you’ve got two approximately even balls of CC, you’re ready to begin.

Pattern
With one ball of CC, cast on 18 sts.
Knit back and forth in garter stitch until you’ve got about a foot and a half length of yarn remaining.
Next row: Knit 3 sts together all the way across the row. 6 sts.
Switch to your full skein of yarn.
Knit back and forth in garter stitch until you run out of it.
Switch to your second ball of CC.
Next row: Knit into the front & back & front again of each stitch.  You’ll have 18 sts again.
Knit back and forth  in garter stitch until you’ve got about a yard remaining.
Bind off all sts.
Use your finger to weave in any extra yarn or loose ends.
Why cut it? Its so pretty!

Okay and here is the best news of all.  Amy of Knit Collage has offered to host a giveaway for two skeins of Pixie Dust so that one lucky knitter can work up her own Drama Scarf! (Or heck, two Pixie Necklace’s… fastest Christmast knitting project ever).  All you have to do is comment on this post and be a Tot Toppers mailing list subscriber to win. Pixie Dust retails for $35, so this is a rocking $70 yarny prize.  I feel like my pictures are pretty good (model aside), but even they do not do this yarn justice.  Its just so happy and sparkly and it makes me smile.

I’m going to randomly pick the winner sometime on Wednesday September 28. You can pick your colors, and Amy will send the yarn to you directly.  Please post only one time and make sure you provide your name AND e-mail address when you sign up for the mailing list if you’d like to only post your name in the comments (that way I can connect the dots to get ahold of you).  The comments ARE moderated (thank you spammers for making this necessary), so don’t panic if  your comment doesn’t immediately show.

In case you don’t win, click here for retailers of Pixie Dust so you can shop for your own.  A sprinkling of online shops: Noble Knits , Purl Soho, Fabulous Yarn