Spud & Chloë Honeybear Hoodie

Honeybear Hoodie vp

The Honeybear Hoodie from Spud & Chloë is very cute and quick to knit, and is an excellent first sweater for anyone ready to give garments a try, with a four-part video tutorial to walk you through the techniques. Click HERE to get your pattern on Ravelry.

Sizes: 0-3 months, 4-8 months, 9-12 months
Needles: Size US 11 (8mm) 24″ circular needles, size US 11 (8mm) double-pointed needles
Yarn: Spud & Chloë Outer, 65% superwash wool, 35% organic cotton, 100 grams/60 yards: 3 (4, 4) hanks
Additional Materials: stitch markers, waste yarn, tapestry needle, two 7/8″ buttons, measuring tape
Gauge: 10 stitches and 16 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

The yarn used in the sweater is Spud & Chloë Outer, see the colors available here.

The yarn used in the socks is Spud & Chloë Stripey Fine, see the colors available here.

Visit the Spud & Chloë website here to find a retailer near you.

The Honeybear Hoodie pattern is available here on Ravelry.

The entire Little Spuds collection can be seen here.

An adorable behind-the-scenes video of the Little Spuds photoshoot can be found here.

Here are the other patterns in the Little Spuds Collection:

BundleMeBlankie_0509_medium2
Bundle Me Blankie & Sweetie Socks

PintSizePullover_1024_extended_medium2
Pint-Size Pullover & Happy Hat

RoundaboutRomper_1101_medium2
Roundabout Romper & Sweetie Socks

BooBooBottomsGrey_1235_medium2
Boo Boo Bottoms & Tiny Topper

Correcting a Dropped Decrease

Whoops – you’ve accidentally dropped stitches right through a decrease! In this video, I show you how to recreate k2togs and ssk stitches (two common decreases) without ripping back rows and rows of stitches.

You can see my entire “Correcting Mistakes” playlist here.

The crochet hook I’m using is a Knitter’s Pride Dreamz hook.

The knitting needles I’m using are Knitter’s Pride Bamboo DPNs.

The yarn I’m using is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky.

The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Amanda”.

My silver ring is actually a knitting needle gauge, and can be found here.

Binding-Off in the Middle of a Row

There are several reasons that a pattern will have you binding-off stitches in the middle of a row – the necklines of sweaters, for example. In this video I show you how to do that, while keeping the correct stitch count.

The basketweave stitch in my sample is the stitch I use in my Mimi Hooded Scarf pattern.

The needles I use are Knitter’s Pride Bamboo DPNs.

The yarn I use in the video is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky.

The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Amanda”.

My silver ring is actually a knitting needle gauge, and can be found here.

Regent Street Poncho

Regent Street Poncho for vp

A modern, luxurious poncho – and flattering to all body types. A fun project to “sink your teeth into” as we finally venture into cooler weather.

Sizes: Two sizes – Petite and Average. Ponchos in photos are Average size, 48” wide, 26” long.
Needles: Size US 7 (4.5mm), 24” or 32” circulars, 16” circulars for collar (or you can use magic loop with a longer cord), DPNs (or magic loop) for sleeve cuffs
Yarn: 17 50 gram balls of Knit Picks Gloss DK, or 1968 yards of another DK weight yarn
Additional Materials: tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends
Gauge: 19 stitches and 26 rows = 4”, (or 4.75 sts per inch, 6.5 rows per inch)

Pattern + links to three-part video tutorial, $6 via PayPal.addtocart

collar for VP

Note on Sizing: The sizing on the pattern is based on your height and arm length, and nothing to do with your bust size (which is how most garments are measured). The design is appropriate for any size, from XS to XXL (or larger).

Note on Substituting Yarn:
This pattern will “work” with any yarn you choose, as long as you’re able to get the correct gauge (stitches per inch). The weight of the yarn I used is DK weight, also called “8 ply” outside the US. When choosing a yarn, I encourage you to stick with an animal fiber or animal fiber blend, so that your finished poncho will block out nicely. Other fibers that will look great in this pattern are wool – especially merino wool, alpaca, or a silk/wool blend.

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The yarn I used in my gray poncho is Knit Picks Gloss DK.
The blue poncho in the collar close-up photo is made with Knit Picks Capra.

The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Amanda”.

My silver ring is actually a knitting needle gauge, and can be found here.

Giveaway! Knitter’s Pride 16″ Platina Needle Set

My 16″ interchangeable needle set changed my knitting life – I think every knitter should have one. I’m really happy to give this set away to a lucky winner!

You are welcome to comment here, but to enter the contest, you must leave your comment on the YouTube watch page.

Since not everyone can win, you can find these needles for sale here.

Please watch the entire video for instructions on how to enter the giveaway. This contest is open to US and international viewers (customs charges may apply outside the US). The contest is open until 12:01 am (US Central Time), October 14, 2015; and the winner will be announced in video on October 15, 2015. The winning email address will be chosen by random number generator.

Giveaway Signup!

Sign up to win one of three exclusive colorway subscription kits from my friends at A Good Yarn Sarasota, and their new subscription box called Purl Diver. Each winner will receive a three-month subscription to Purl Diver!

Each stunning color kit is inspired by marine sea animals and comes with a hank of luxury yarn from dyers like Lorna’s Laces, Fibre Seed, Mountain Colors, Dream in Color, (to name a few); a pattern and a little goodie.

purl diver sm

Purl Diver subscriptions are open only between Oct 1-Oct 31. Every month is a new surprise and subscriptions are three or six months. To learn more about A Good Yarn Sarasota’s Exclusive Purl Diver subscription kits, visit the Purl Diver page.

Filling out the form below will enter you in the giveaway contest, and the A Good Yarn Sarasota mailing list. You can opt out at any time.

Winners will be chosen by a random number generator and announced on Facebook and via email on October 13, 2015. Good luck!

Purl Diver Giveaway Signup

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SKEINO Miss Grace Shawl

Miss Grace mannequin vp

Tapestry Knitting is the exciting new technique used in the SKEINO Miss Grace Shawl, and I’m so excited to bring you this video tutorial explaining how to work the free Miss Grace pattern.

Skeino has removed this pattern from their website, but the Ravelry link to the free pattern is still active.

Time-coded Video Links:
Intro
Working Chart A
Working Chart B
Working the Border

Details and more photos of my Miss Grace can be found on my Ravelry project page. The colorway I chose for my shawl is “Sherri”, and the colorway of the yarn in the video is “Barb”.

I’ve done two other tutorials for SKEINO which can be found here:
Arabella
Scarf-in-a-Scarf

This blog post explains more about Tapestry Knitting, the technique used in this shawl.

To learn more about SKEINO and how they are collaborating with organizations that employ people with special needs in Germany and the US, visit this blog post.