Knit the Holla Back Tank with me on the Holla Knits blog!

The votes are in, and I'll be leading my fearless Holla-Knitters (Knittas? Too much?) in the first Holla Knits Knit Along. 

We'll be knitting the Holla Back Tank starting on Monday, August 20th. There are tons of fun discounts and prizes, so click over to the Holla Knits blog to read all about it!

W+S Yarn Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who has bought WORK+SHELTER yarn and patterns over the last three weeks! 

A Chevron Sunshine Cowl made from W+S in three colors.

It's so fun to see the things I've made go out into the world. To celebrate, and keep the WORK+SHELTER love going, I'm giving away a yarn pack of three 100g skeins of TEA+WOOL, with one of each color: Darjeeling, Lemon Grass & Chamomile. 

Anyone who buys anything from the WORK+SHELTER Etsy Shop before midnight on Sunday, August 5th will automatically be entered to win. And if you've bought a pattern or yarn in the last three weeks, you're already entered to win!

I'll announce the winner here on Monday, August 6th, so go ahead and treat yourself!

Holla Knits KAL, Whoohoo!

I'm pretty excited to be hosting the first ever Holla Knits knit-along! 

(Begin counting exclamation points now...)

I will be leading a team of fearless knitters to complete one of the sweaters from the Spring issue of Holla Knits, and voting is now open! After the votes are counted, I'll divvy up the pattern into 8 bite-sized chunks, and we'll tackle one per week. At the end of 8 weeks, you'll have a gorgeous new sweater. 

This is perfect for anyone who hasn't knit a full sweater before, or is a bit intimidated by the advanced knitting in the Holla Knits patterns. I'll be answering questions on the Holla Knits Ravelry group, and checking emails at katie@hollaknits.com. 

I'll kick off the Holla Knits KAL on Monday, August 20th. After a week of voting, the winning sweater will be announced on Monday, July 30th. The winning sweater pattern will be offered at a discounted rate of $3, instead of the usual $6. Holla Knits subscribers and anyone who has already purchased the winning pattern or who purchases it before August 20th will get a coupon code for discount yarn from the indie dyer. Anyone who finishes their sweater with the KAL will be entered to win prizes! Whoohoo!

So hop over the Holla Knits blog to vote and check out the designs.

New W+S Pattern: Chevron Sunshine Cowl

The Chevron Sunshine Cowl is the third of three patterns designed especially for TEA+WOOL, the tea-dyed yarn I created for WORK+SHELTER. It’s knit flat with an eyelet chevron pattern, and then seamed to create a cowl shape. It can be worn loose, or doubled up for extra warmth.

A few months ago, Allyson Dykhuizen invited me to work on a new yarn-dying project for WORK+SHELTER, called TEA + WOOL. This 100% wool yarn was dyed with Indian teas, and is available in our Etsy shop, with all proceeds going to WORK+SHELTER.

I’ve designed a few accessories especially for TEA + WOOL. The Chevron Sunshine Cowl is one of those accessories! By purchasing this pattern you are helping this amazing cause. Read more about this project here, donate by emailing Theresa, and when someone compliments you on your beautiful new cowl, be sure to tell them about WORK+SHELTER.

WORK+SHELTER is a new foundation started by Allyson’s friend, Theresa VanderMeer. WORK+SHELTER offers women living in the slums of New Delhi a fresh start. Theresa is working to give these women decent living conditions and a chance to build a better future. WORK+SHELTER will be a safe place where women can come with their children to live and work. She will be providing training, materials, and a fair wage, and members of WORK+SHELTER will be producing products to be sold in boutiques around the world.

WORK+SHELTER Chevron Sunshine Cowl

Finished Size  41” around and 5” wide.

MATERIALS

Yarn  WORK+SHELTER Fingering Weight Wool.

Needles  Size 6 (4 mm).

Notions  Tapestry needle.

GAUGE

25 sts and 28 rows - 4” in St st.

Ravelry Pattern Page

This week only: Purchase any yarn in the WORK+SHELTER Etsy Shop and get this pattern for free!

Holden's Blanket

I knit this baby blanket a few months ago, but kept it under wraps. When I was home in Michigan, I went to a baby shower for my lifelong friend/college roommate, Randi. She's having a little boy (Holden! I love that name) in August, so I knit him this warm-weather blanket. 

The pattern is Pickle's Breezy Baby Blanket, and I used Knit Picks Comfy Sport in Whisker, Marlin & Honeydew. It is so soft. Can big people use baby blankets, too?

Summer Goal #2: Beaded Bracelets

Using my bead loom was goal #2 of my summer crafty plans, and I'm totally in love with these bracelets. I made the one on the left when I was at my parents' house in Michigan (so I got to raid my sister's vintage button collection), and I made the one on the right as a gift for my cousin last week. 

 

How nifty is that bead box? It has a little locking mechanism, so you don't have to be scared to throw it in your bag. Meghan made the top bracelet. 

Finishing these bracelets always baffled me. You have anywhere from 4 to 8 strands of thread, and I wasn't sure how to make a secure loop until now. I tied them in a knot and then used that ole friendship bracelet knot to finish them, weaving in the ends when I was done. So far, it's stayed secure! 

New W+S Pattern: Tiny Cables Cowl

The Tiny Cables Cowl is the second of three cowl patterns designed especially for TEA+WOOL, the tea-dyed yarn I created for WORK+SHELTER. It's knit flat with an eyelet cable pattern (no cable needle required!), and then seamed to create a cowl shape.

A few months ago, Allyson Dykhuizen invited me to work on a new yarn-dying project for WORK+SHELTER, calledTEA + WOOL. This 100% wool yarn was dyed with Indian teas, and

is available in our Etsy shop, with all proceeds going to WORK+SHELTER.

WORK+SHELTER is a new foundation started by Allyson’s friend, Theresa VanderMeer. WORK+SHELTER offers women living in the slums of New Delhi a fresh start. Theresa is working to give these women decent living conditions and a chance to build a better future. WORK+SHELTER will be a safe place where women can come with their children to live and work. She will be providing training, materials, and a fair wage, and members of WORK+SHELTER will be producing products to be sold in boutiques around the world.

I’ve designed a few accessories especially for TEA + WOOL. The Tiny Cables Cowl is one of

those accessories! By purchasing this pattern you are helping this amazing cause. Read more about this projecthere, donate by emailing Theresa, and when someone compliments you on your beautiful new cowl, be sure to tell them about WORK+SHELTER.

WORK+SHELTER Tiny Cables Cowl

Finished Size  24” around and 7” wide.

MATERIALS

Yarn  WORK+SHELTER Fingering Weight Wool.

Needles  Size 6 (4 mm).

Notions  Tapestry needle.

GAUGE

25 sts and 28 rows - 4” in St st.

The WORK+SHELTER Tiny Cables Cowl is $2.

Ravelry Pattern Page

This week only: Purchase any yarn in the WORK+SHELTER Etsy Shop and get this pattern for free!

Last week in Instagrams

1. Lemon Soup from Daphne's, my official comfort food.

It's been a rough week - Chris broke his ankle on Thursday, and I've spent a good amount of hours in doctor's waiting rooms. But that means I got some knitting done on design samples? Yup, I'm trying to look on the bright side. Hope you guys had a good week!

 

2. Wearing my MUYM tank. 3. Office party with Sweet Lucie's amazing ice cream.

4. New plates and a tray. 5. New yarn for my Holla Knits Accessories design.

 

6. & 7. I'm prepping for a big audition, which means brushing up on my violin and accordion.

My 3 Favorite Nutella-sicles

You may have noticed that I've been obsessed with homemade popsicles this summer. I love to try new combos, and so far my favorites use Nutella. If you've never had it before (blasphemy!), Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread that's good on, well, anything. Toast, crepes, strawberries, spoons...

1. Plain Ole 2. Almond Banana 3. Striped Cookie 

So I wanted to share my three favorite recipes thus far. Measurements are for 4 medium sized popsicles (those on the left and middle, purchased at Target) or 6 small sized popsicles (on the right, purchased at Ikea), but feel free to add more or less Nutella to taste. 

1. Plain Ole Nutella-sicle: Whisk 1/2 cup milk into one heaping tablespoon Nutella. Pour into your popsicle molds and freeze. That's it! 

2. Almond Banana Nutella-sicle: At least 24 hours before, peel & freeze a ripe banana. Then whisk 1/2 cup almond milk (any brand) into one heaping tablespoon Nutella. Cut the banana into chunks and put a bit in each mold, then pour in Nutella mixture and freeze. 

3. Striped Cookie-Nutella-sicle: At least 24 hours before, peel & freeze two ripe bananas. Then whisk a tablespoon of Nutella into a 1/4 cup milk. In a separate bowl, whisk a tablespoon of Cookie Butter into a 1/4 cup milk. Blend the frozen bananas in a food processor until creamy (this also makes a good ice cream by itself). Pour Nutella mixture into the bottom third of molds and freeze for 20-30 minutes. Repeat with banana mixture and then Cookie Butter mixture, and let freeze completely for at least 4 hours. Soak these in hot water for a few minutes before you take them out of the molds to ensure they'll come out clean.

I hope you make some, share them with friends (or don't) and enjoy! 

Summer Goal #1: Lace Stripes!

I got a little bit of knitting done on my Lace Stripes sweater while traveling. 

Knitting this sweater was the first of my summer goals, and I'm glad I prioritized it, since I've already worn it three times. I wanted my Lace Stripes to be like a comfy sweatshirt, but nicer, and the finished product lives up to my dreams. It's classy, slouchy, stylish and the perfect extra layer in the summer heat. 

I knit this up in Knit Picks Comfy Worsted in Ivory, just like the pattern told me, and ended up using 7 skeins. I knit the 41" bust size. A little word of warning: Allyson designed this sweater with 4" of positive ease, which is not my thing. I mostly go for the negative ease, but I figured if I knit the size at my actual measurement (41"), that it would fit tightly. Wrong. It's loosey-goosey. 

I did make a few modifications. First of all, I added two stripes-worth of length, so it hits just below the bum. I have a long torso, so I knew I wanted a little extra length. Second, I started the ribbing for the neckline one row early, to make it more boatneck-y. Yes, that's a technical term. I also did my standard mod: knitting the sleeves one size smaller than the body. I have me some skinny arms. 

Ooo! Also! I conquered my "Reading while Knitting" goal! This was the perfect project to knit while reading Shakespeare for my acting class. So that's like, half of a summer goal, right? 

New W+S Pattern: Basketweave Neckerchief

The Basketweave Neckerchief is the first of three cowl patterns designed especially for TEA+WOOL, the tea-dyed yarn I created for WORK+SHELTER. It's knit flat with a textured stitch pattern, and then seamed to create a neckerchief shape.

A few months ago, Allyson Dykhuizen invited me to work on a new yarn-dying project for WORK+SHELTER, called TEA + WOOL. This 100% wool yarn was dyed with Indian teas, and

is available in our Etsy shop, with all proceeds going to WORK+SHELTER.

WORK+SHELTER is a new foundation started by Allyson’s friend, Theresa VanderMeer. WORK+SHELTER offers women living in the slums of New Delhi a fresh start. Theresa is working to give these women decent living conditions and a chance to build a better future. WORK+SHELTER will be a safe place where women can come with their children to live and work. She will be providing training, materials, and a fair wage, and members of WORK+SHELTER will be producing products to be sold in boutiques around the world.

I’ve designed a few accessories especially for TEA + WOOL. The Basketweave Neckerchief is one of
those accessories! By purchasing this pattern you are helping this amazing cause. Read more about this project here, donate by emailing Theresa, and when someone compliments you on your beautiful new cowl, be sure to tell them about WORK+SHELTER.

WORK+SHELTER Basketweave Neckerchief

Finished Size  20” around and 9” wide.

MATERIALS

Yarn  WORK+SHELTER Fingering Weight Wool.

Needles  Size 6 (4 mm).

Notions  Tapestry needle.

GAUGE

25 sts and 28 rows - 4” in St st.

The WORK+SHELTER Basketweave Neckerchief is $2.

Ravelry Pattern Page

This week only: Purchase any yarn in the WORK+SHELTER Etsy Shop and get this pattern for free!

My Summer "Vacation" in Iphone Pictures

I'm finally back in LA, breathing a huge sigh of relief that I made it through the last week and half of plane trips, car trips, seeing a million old friends, and eating all the food. My trip home to Michigan and Chicago turned out to be a bit more stressful than I had hoped, but it was so nice to see my friends and family in the Midwest. Less nice to sweat the whole time due to humid, 100-degree temperatures!

Also, yes. These are all photos from my iphone. I had to take home too much stuff, and didn't really have room for my DSLR. So enjoy the instagrams! 

 

1. Our trip started with a bang - our plane was delayed.  2. At Burbank Airport, you can walk right up to the plane like it's the 50's.

3. Flying over the Rockies.

4. Less than 12 hours after we landed, I drove to East Lansing, home of my alma mater, Michigan State, to attend wedding #1. 

 

5. I went as the date of my Senior year roommate, Finn. 6. Who wore a pocket square.

7. And we had a little MSU Theater Dept. reunion! 

8. Back to Saline, where Meghan and I beaded bracelets. 9. And made Nutella Pops with almond milk and bananas. 

10. I had to visit Meghan at work, 212 Arts Center, which had been yarn bombed! 11. Made quite a bit of progress on my Lace Stripes (ok, I finished!)

 

12. A few days later, Chris and I headed to West Michigan, where we jumped in the freezing cold lake on a 100-degree day. 13. Did some Antiquing.

14. And ate at Soe Cafe, which is our favorite place to stop when driving from Saline to Chicago. The fish & chips are AMAZING. 

15. The next morning saw two of our best friends getting married at the Art Institute in Chicago.

16. Yes, I made Kate's dress! More pictures to come. 

17. That night I met up with my favorite Chicago knitters, and met a few in person that I had only met online. 18. My wedding weekend manicure. 

19. The next morning, Chris and I took it easy, starting with Ginger Mimosas at Orange. 

20. Then back to Saline, for dinner with my family. This is my brother Patrick, a rarely-caught-on-film 15-year-old specimen. Who is drinking Vernor's, not beer. Don't get worried, y'all!

21. I spent some quality time with my nieces. This is Madigan, who kept telling me that everything was "Phenomenal." 22. And Meghan and I finished our bracelets, almost. 

23. Then back home, where I was greeted with an amazing coming home present: My succulent had bloomed!  (I'm usually a failure with plants)