Knitcircus

Kittens' First Day

 We interrupt your usual knitting content for a special news flash.

Today's the day!

Purl went from this:

To this:

Sorry about the dark pic, I didn't want to disturb her with the flash.

The vet's x-ray showed three kittens, and she told us that might not be totally accurate; turned out that Purl had five babies in there! (One is under her forepaw in the pic).

It wasn't long since Purl was a kitten herself; in fact, she's still pretty darn young. The vet recommended waiting to spay her until she was six months old and we had her appointment on the books; turns out our Purl is an early bloomer. We didn't know that she was in heat or that she could use the cat door until one morning, I couldn't find her anywhere. Finally, by the back fence, an unfamiliar cat ran away from me, and Purl crawled out from the bushes. And that was that! We've had cats all my life, and these are the first kittens I've seen on their first day on Earth. :)

The orange one, who the kids have called Foxy, gave us a scare; he came out pretty quickly after Kitten #1 (the gray tabby called Emerald), and Purl was busy licking Emerald and didn't notice him right away. I had to rip open his sac of water. He didn't seem to be breathing. With gloved hand, I tunred him over onto his stomach and he gave the tiniest possible wet, gasping cough. A couple of coughs later, Purl started licking his face, and then he started breathing and windmilling his tiny limbs.

Right now, everybody's resting just fine. :)

Jaala

 

Kollage Winners and Susanna IC Patterns

Okay, we've got some lucky winners of the four Kollage Wilky Whey Yarns:

Two-skein winner #1: jennlucas1 from the blog comments

Two-skein winner #2: 4oaks from Ravelry

Winners have been notified and their skeins will go out in the mail on Tuesday!

Thanks again so much to Erica and the generous folks at Kollage for those wonderful prizes. And thanks to everyone who commented and entered. :)

How about some fun weekend knitting? We've got some freshly-added patterns from Susanna IC you can purchase and print up to cast on while you're waiting for the barbecue to heat up.

Alcea Shawl, from Knitcircus #13, by Susanna IC.

Or you can work up the Kalmia Hat with just one skein of Malabrigo worsted...

Have a great weekend, and great holiday if you're Stateside!

Jaala

Milky Whey Giveaway

Maybe because I love food so much, when there's a yarn made out of something one traditionally eats, it beckons me irresistibly. And when my fingers felt the hand and drape of the Kollage Milky Whey at Stitches last year, it was time to dig in.

And now you'll have a chance to try for youself; Kollage has generously provided four skeins for us to give away!

Two lucky winners will each take home two skeins of Milky Whey for some yummy stash enhancement.

Just leave a comment here on the blog, or on the Knitcircus Ravelry group letting us know what else on the Kollage site you love, and we'll have the Random Number Generator give us some winners Friday morning, the 27th. You can also retweet with hashtag #milkywhey.

Just for fun, one of my fave extra pics from Summer...

 
That little guy is sure cute....

Jaala

 

Sock dilemma

Sock Summit's coming up! Pretty darn soon-ish. Whoo!

Of course, right now I'm working on my Isis KAL project,which is coming along... Finished the lace section and now I"m joining front and back. 

But as soon as that's over, it'll be time for this knitter's needles to turn all sock-y. But there are so many great sock patterns, I can't decide which one to do first!

Shall I cast on these?

Scatterling, by Hunter Hammersen, Issue #10

Slanting Rib Socks, by Candace Eisner Strick, Issue #13

Or Contestant Number Three?

Lonely Planet Socks, by Beverly S., Issue #14

Your help in deciding greatly appreciated...

Jaala

 

Summer Knitcircus Knitalong...How's it coming??

ISIS Summer Knitalong-how's it coming??

Hi there, it's Chriss Storch here, designer of the Isis pattern from the summer 2011 issue of Knitcircus.  I have the honor of guest-blogging here on the Knitcircus blog and today I'd love to know....how's your Isis top coming along??
Here is a pic of my progress:  Yes, not so much progress at all but hoping to CO for it today...You see, besides this KAL, I've been plugging away at my design for the fall issue, which is a gorgeous, if I may say so myself, jacket made of Malabrigo Twist yarn.  Now you understand why I just can't put this project down, I mean, c'mon...it's Malabrigo!!!  But-I did  have high hopes that I'd be sporting my second Isis top in Disneyworld next week when hubby and I surprise our kids with a quick trip for Memorial Day weekend.  Maybe I'll just have to take it as my plane-knitting project?? 

So, how is your Isis top coming along?  For a little incentive to let us know how your Isis KAL is coming along, the first TWO knitters to post a pic in the Knitcircus summer KAL post (Knitcircus group on Ravelry) will win a copy of this:

 
Get ready...get set....GO!!!  More contests to come for this KAL, including stitchmarkers, shawl pins and great knitting books for your library!  Check back here and in the Knitcircus group for more info every week!  This summer KAL is going to be so fun!! 

Happy Knitting!

Chriss Storch, Isis designer

chriss1099 on Ravelry

Health and Love Scarf Contest Winners!

 

 

The First Place winner, who will have her scarf featured in the Fall 2011 Knitcircus, is Carolyn Kern's Love & Prayers Scarf! She'll receive $50 cash, a $50 Gift Certificate for luxury Handwerks yarn, and a $50 donation in her name to Womenheart, as well as a year's subscription to Knitcircus.

G.K. Green deserves a special commendation for her clear awareness of and interest in women's heart health issues, as well as congratulations for winning second place for her New Day's Journey design. 

 

Third place goes to Joy Gerhardt's bold Hugs and Stitches design. 

We were lucky to have Bonnie S, from the WomenHeart group, as a guest judge; thanks so much, Bonnie!

Carolyn Kern's winning design will be worked up in this gorgeous Briar Rose Glory Days DK yarn, and featured on an extraordinary model. Look for more info on  Womenheart and knitted projects for women with heart disease on the blog, newsletter and in the Fall 2011 Issue.

 

Stash and Burn and some Pretty Sock Yarn

Some fun things for y'all today, my friends, but first things first! The winner of the Saffron Baby Hat Kit is (drumroll please):

Teisha from the comments!

Runners up= Jeannie P and Annekriley.

Nicole and Jenny, of Stash and Burn podcast, did a wonderful roundup of Knitcircus patterns on their new show and are giving away three Pattern Collections and a Year's Subscription through June 1! They also praise Hunter Hammersen's new book, Silk Road Socks,  reviewed in the Summer Issue.  Our resident sock expert, Webmistress Cindy, coudn't say enough great things about this collection.

Speaking of socks, look what just arrived in the mail:

Petales de Rose Julep Sock Yarn from Springtree Road.

Winding it up now so I can start doing a little Sock Summit knitting....

 

 

 

 

Saffron Hat Kit Giveaway

Now here's a fun switcheroo: visit SpringTree Road's blog to win Knitcircus Summer Pattern Collections and a subscription, and on the Knitcircus blog, you could win some of Maya's yarn!

Muscadine Sock in the colorway Fleur d'Oranger, to be exact, enough to knit Michelle Miller's Saffron Baby Hat from the Summer 2011 Knitcircus!

Thanks to Maya, (and Michelle's design genius) you have the chance to win a Saffron Baby Hat Kit! We'll print up a copy of the pattern and send the yarn, pattern and needles your way.

This lovely little lace hat uses the Fibonacci Sequence as inspiration for the top shaping, making for a lovely swirling shape that perfectly echoes the curved lace of the body. 

To enter, please leave a comment either here or on the Knitcircus Ravelry group, telling us which other SpringTree yarn is your favorite, or which wieght yarn you like to knit with best generally. Two runners-up will receive Summer Pattern Collections.  This giveaway runs through tomorrow night; winners announced Friday morning!

Wondering who won the Velvet Hippo markers and Knitcircus Subscriptions from our Monday giveaway?

 The two marker and subsscription winners are:

Jill R from the comments and ilina from Ravelry!

The Summer 2011 Pattern Collection winner is:

Candice D from the comments!

All winners have been notified. 

Tune in Friday to find out about the Health and Love Scarf Contest and winners!

 

 

 

Marie Grace Designs and Velvet Hippo

Now that the Summer 2011 Knitcircus is out, it's time to celebrate with a spate of giveaways from our generous partners! We have two wonderferul giveways to showcase today: first, Marie Grace Smith, designer of the clean-lined and adorable Girly Gansey and Hooded Gansey Vest, is doing a giveaway on her site, Marie Grace Designs. She's not only offering Knitcircus Summer Pattern Collections and a subscription, but enough Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton yarn to complete one of the Gansey designs!

Now for the second: Knitcircus is proud to be able to offer two sets of the stitch markers reviewed this issue as giveaways, along with the chance to win Knitcircus Subscriptions and patterns.

Tow lucky winners will receive a Year Subscription to the Knitcircus Pattern Collection (5 Issues) and a set of Velvet Hippos markers; the one shown, plus a Half-Dose in the Flamingo colorway, a set of  beaded ring markers and one dangly special marker. A third winner will receive a Knitcircus Summer Pattern Collection.

To enter: just leave a comment on the blog (including email or Ravelry contact info) or the Ravelry Knitcircus Group today or tomorrow, telling us your favorite part of the Summer Knitcircus. Winners and an exciting new giveaway will be announced Wednesday, May 11th.

 

 

Isis KAL and Summer Giveaways

Ready for summer fun? Let's do a Knitalong! The Isis top flatters a wide range of figures and calls for just enough lace to make for an interesting knit (and sexy finished product).

Designer Chriss Storch has graciously agreed to host the KAL on the Knitcircus Ravelry Group; it starts now, and goes through July, which gives you plenty of time to finish up this gorgeous knit! Everyone who joins will get a blog button, opportunities to win prizes will be sprinkled throughout and finishers will receive special blog trophies and knitterly prizes.

Chriss is also kicking Summer off with a giveaway on the Yarngirl blog, and you can  win more Knitcircus goodies on  the wonderful VeganCraftastic blog!