handmade by stefanie

(Apparently I'm writing all of my blog headlines this week as though they are campy movie titles...) I have spent a lot of time working on two sweaters that haven't been mentioned in quite a while on this blog - the first is the Fieldwork Cardigan , which I seamed late last week and began the arduous task of knitting the edging over the weekend. On the plus side, all of the many ends are woven in from alternating skeins as I knit, so I'll just have a few ends to contend with when it's all said and done. Here's a shot before I started the edgings - it's looking so sweater-like! For those of you who are fans of PomPom Quarterly , you can now preview all of the patterns from the fall issue on Ravelry. Yet again, there are some really gorgeous designs; I don't know how they do it, but this is fast becoming my #1 favorite knitting magazine. It may be pricey to order the print copy, but it's totally worth it ( click here to read my review of Issue 5...

First off, it's semi-well-documented that I have a sock monkey obsession. At the very least, there is photographic evidence: This is why I totally flipped out when I heard about Team Sock Monkey , who competed in the Red Bull Flugtag in Ottawa over the weekend. I was hanging out with Jen from Eucalan at TNNA (who happens to be one of my clients) and she told me about how her husband and his friends were entering the Red Bull Flugtag with a giant flying sock monkey contraption named Sockrates. My natural curiousity got the best of me and I asked her if she'd mind asking the guys a few questions on my behalf for my blog. Below are their answers and some photos from the event courtesy of their Facebook page, be sure to check it out! Me: I’m guessing no one on your team had ever designed a giant flying sock monkey. What was the process like from conception to reality? Team Sock Monkey (TSM): We started with a stuffed sock monkey that we thought was pretty funn...

Last Sunday the Tour de Fleece drew to a close. After spinning like crazy to finish up the singles I had in progress last Saturday, I spent all day Sunday plying them. I crossed the finish line with some lovely skeins of natural polwarth spun on my Ladybug and the merino/silk I'd been spinning on my Victoria! Here's my 2013 Tour de Fleece collage - as you can imagine, my handpun yarn bin is now overflowing! The purple merino/silk top was the project I took on my trip to Kansas City earlier this month, and I ended up spinning in a few of my favorite spots around town such as the Nelson-Atkins Sculpture Garden: And the Loose Park Rose Garden: Thanks for joining me back here for one more Spinning Saturday! I'll be taking a break while I figure out what to knit with all of my pretty new yarns. Hopefully I'll see you back here for Spinzilla , which will be happening this fall!

Need to get ready for fall crafting? Starting to make those holiday knitting plans? There are some killer heals over at the Craftsy Supply Sale this weekend. Below are just a few of my top picks, but they won't last long at these prices! Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport, $8.60/sk  - Superwash yarn is always great for gift knitting! Louet Drop Spindle Course Kit - get everything you need to learn how to spin for under $20! Manos Silk Blend, $9.88/sk - ultra luxurious silk/merino DK yarn! Sketch Books, $3.92/each - great for gifting or keeping track of projects and designs! Sale is happening now through July 28th. Enjoy! You might like to know: I am a Craftsy Affiliate. Your purchases using my affiliate links helps support this blog, and I think you for it!

Hooray, it's FO Friday, and I am especially excited to share my finished project with you this week: See how excited I am?? Based on a vintage stitch pattern, the Scalloped Rib Socks have always been near and dear to my heart. I am thrilled to offer a totally new version of this design knit in Baah! La Jolla superwash merino sock yarn. It's delightful to knit with and the perfect way to show off this stitch pattern! Version 2.0 of the Scalloped Rib Sock pattern includes an additional size option, clearer instructions, and most importantly, CHARTS! If you have already purchased this pattern, you will receive the updated PDF free of charge! Pattern Details: Yarn: 1 skein Baah La Jolla (400 yards) - both sizes Needles: US #1 Gauge: 30sts = 4 inches in stockinette stitch Size Options: Women's S/M (7" circumference) or Women's M/L (8" circumference) Click here to purchase on Ravelry. I strongly recommend signing up for newsletter u...

Wooly App I was first introduced to the Wooly App when I was researching an article for Yarn Market News ; shortly thereafter, I ran into them at YarnCon here in Chicago, though I was in such a daze from all of the pretty yarns and fibers, I didn't spend much time in their booth. Recently, I came across their Kickstarter campaign to create a juiced-up new version of the app for iOS users (think iPhone and iPad), with the possibility of creating an Android version, too! John Stys (one of the developers) lives here in Chicago, and we met up earlier this week to talk more about the Wooly app and their Kickstarter campaign , which is getting very close to their funding goal with 13 days to go! John showed me the current version of the app, which is a reader for the notebook section of the user's account and also features a nifty photo editor that allows you to take and edit photos to upload directly to your Ravelry account. It's got a great look and feel - you'd ...

Woo hoo! The Craftsy Sweet Summer Sale has been extended through today - click the banner below to enroll in select classes for up to 75% off! Not sure what classes to sign up for? Click here to read my Craftsy class reviews ! 

The Tour de Fleece ends tomorrow, which means that I am going to be spinning like mad this weekend. Before I left for vacation, I was nearly done with a merino/silk single to ply with one of the first singles I completed during the tour (Wine Country BFL/silk from the Sweet Georgia Fibre Club ). This week, I managed to finish what was on my wheel and ply the two together, and I am so thrilled with the results! I also took some leftover singles and plied them together, with not-as-exciting results: Today, I am going to try to finish the Polwarth that is on my Ladybug: And I am also going to try to finish the second Merino/Silk single that is on my Victoria so that I can ply it with this overfilled bobbin (I may have gotten carried away) of the same fiber and color: With any luck, I'll be spending Sunday plying up a storm!  Thanks for joining me for another Spinning Saturday! I'd love to hear about your Tour de Fleece progress in the comments!  ...

As it turns out, my only FO for this week isn't ready to be revealed just yet! Instead, I'll be sharing a few highlights from my trip to Kansas City. Meet you back here tomorrow for another Tour de Fleece installment of Spinning Saturday!  We stayed with Tyler's parents, who had a fantastic view of the downtown Kansas City Skyline.  As luck would have it, my dad snagged a bottle of the hard-to-find Boulevard Coffee Ale for us to try! Speaking of dear old Dad, I let him try out my Zoom Loom! Here he is with his first woven square! No trip to KC would be complete without at least a few visits to Tyler's fave, Winstead's. ....or lots more tasty local beer! Though there isn't much photographic evidence, I managed to squeeze in plenty of knitting time. I also managed to spin every day that we were in KC, sometimes in the most unexpected places! For instance, here I am spinning on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of art. ...

We're back in Chicago after a great trip back home visiting friends and family. I have a mountain of work awaiting me and will be playing catch-up for the rest of the week, but I wanted to share my newest WIP today: This is the Locale scarf (a free pattern on Ravelry), which I am knitting with two colors of Madtosh merino light; I cast on during the train ride down to Kansas City and finished the short-row section before the return trip. I am halfway through the wave and box pattern section and really liking how this is knitting up! Today was a quick post, but I look forward to seeing you back here for FO Friday as I get back to my regularly scheduled blogging. Also, don't forget to enter my Facebook Fan page giveaway to win a skein of handspun yarn - click here for more info! For more WIP Wednesday inspiration, visit the  Tami's Amis Blog !

I'm visiting family in KC this week, so today's post will be a little different than the usual "anything goes" blogs I typically share with you - below is just a short list of fun fibery things that have been rocking my post-TNNA world!  1. Yarnover Truck - How much do I wish we had a yarn truck here in Chicago?! These clever folks just won the 2013 Business Innovation Award at TNNA , and rightfully so! They even have exclusive colorways and patterns from folks like Anzula and FickleKnitter . I never thought I'd say it (what with the lack of sweater weather and all), but knitters in Southern California sure are lucky! Image courtesy of FickleKnitter 2. KnitCrate subscription service: I met these folks at TNNA and they are super-awesome. Ever since then, I have been wanting to sign up for their sock yarn subscription , even though I am usually not into spending my hard-earned money on yarn I can't pick out myself. However, after getting to kn...

I am currently visiting family, but don't worry - I have a foldable travel wheel for the occasion and I'm still spinning up a storm in the name of Team Woolery ! In fact, I am working on some gorgeous merino/silk fiber I recently purchased from The Woolery: The purple-y fiber on the right came with me to KC, and the fiber on the left is currently in progress on my Ladybug at home: I also bought some natural polwarth top that I was planning to ply with a Finn single I've had sitting around for a few months now: Even though I've been spinning every day since the Tour de Fleece started, I really don't have any finished skeins to show for it - how is that possible?! I do have a bunch of singles, however...and I'm running out of bobbins! I still haven't plied the Wine Country or custom dyed top from last week , though the fiber I've got in progress on my Ladybug will hopefully be a good match for the Sweet Georgia single. I spent most ...

Today's FO is something I've been crocheting in secret and can finally share! I made this cute little amigurumi unicorn for a knitting friend named Patricia who has had a really rough year. I thought she could use a new friend to cheer her up (a little birdie told me she liked unicorns). Besides being friends in knitting, we had the common bond of both being parents of kidney cats . Patricia's sweet kitteh Skye passed away earlier this year, and though I know nothing could replace her (that's certainly how I feel about Robin), hopefully this little guy will be a comforting companion. Pattern: L'il Baby Unicorn by Sarah Hoe Yarn: Cascade 220 and Manos Maxima Thanks for stopping by this week - for more FO Friday inspiration, visit the  Tami's Amis blog !  Have a crafty weekend!

Happy WIP Wednesday! I find myself with only a few projects on the needles right now, which means I'll be starting some new ones while visiting family this week. First, I'll be destashing some MadTosh to make Locale , which is a free pattern on Ravelry. I also have some brand-new Knitter's Pride Dreamz needles to season: It's time to get back to baby knitting, since everyone I know continues to announce they are expecting! Many of these new moms and moms-to-be read my blog occasionally, so I won't be posting much about this project, but I am  excited to make something from this adorable book which I picked up at TNNA last month. Tyler and I will be taking the Amtrak down to KC, which means I get 7 hours of uninterrupted crafting time - it sounds like heaven to me. I am a little concerned that the above two projects plus my halfway-finished sock project won't be enough to keep me out of trouble (read: away from the yarn store) while I'm in town. I...