Procrastiknitter Supersale and Name That Skein Winner

First, the winner of the Name That Skein Contest is ravelry member knittininto with the name "Beach Glass." There were so many amazing suggestions, but this one fit the blend of greens and blues and soft white so perfectly! It really takes me back to walking along the beach as a kid looking for pretty things to take home. Your skein will be to you soon!

For everyone else, this colorway is now available in the shop and at a fantastic price too! We're having our Procrastiknitter Supersale starting today through Monday December 1st.

15% off everthing in the entire shop, plus there's a roaming mega-deal: a deeply discounted item that will change every few hours. Feel free to shop several times throughout the weekend to get the best deals, we'll refund any additional shipping charges and ship your entire haul together on Tuesday.

Happy Shopping!

Name That Skein!

Here's another one that I thought y'all could help me with: varying shades of emeralds, teals with a touch of creamy white.

Same colorway in multiple bases. What do you think it should be called? I'll pick my favorite and the person who suggests it will get a free skein!

Feel free to enter every idea you come up with - just means more chances to win!

***Make sure you leave some way for me to contact you - your email, ravelry username or etsy username.

I'll choose a winner on November 26th, so I can have them up and listed in the shop in time for our post-Thanksgiving mega sale.

And the Winners Are...

Socktoberfest was such a blast, but I'll stop writing and just name the winners already!

Grand Prize: bluesnharmony
A sophisticated black Persnickity Knits Fifi Knitting Clutch stuffed with 3 skeins of Knit it Up sock yarn, a set of Knit it Up knitting gift tags, a tin of Knit it Up hand balm and some awesome HiyaHiya Stainless Steel 9" circular needles (you can now knit socks on circulars without magic loop - I love them!) Total Value: over $150!

1st Prize: maryjolegg
a CocoKnits Knitting Block set. I absolutely adore mine and had to share it with you!

2nd Prize: nosheepchelle
a skein of Knit it Up sock yarn
(I know you're allergic to wool though, so we'll talk about a good alternative!)

3rd Prize: Rue/ambiknitrix
a skein of Knit it Up sock yarn

4th Prize: edina
a set of Knit it Up Knitting Gift Tags

5th Prize: katycatfight
a set of Knit it Up Knitting Gift Tags

Congrats to all of the winners and thanks to all of you who participated!

I'll be adding new yarn to the shop later this month and the weekend after Thanksgiving we'll be having a huge Procrastiknitter sale. Perfect for those of you who still haven't started your holiday knitting. But if you're amazing and all done, stop by to snag some great deals on yummy yarn for you!

May 2009 Sock Yarn Cinema Member's Choice

The nominees for the May 2009 Sock Yarn Cinema selection are...




Somewhere in Time

Like Water for Chocolate (Como agua para chocolate)

Star Wars Episode I

There really is something for everyone here, and each one would inspire several gorgeous colorways.

Polls close November 15th (since you should all be in a voting mood that week). Happy voting!

SOCKTOBERFEST is finally here!

It is time for Socktoberfest! Leave a comment here for a free entry into our Socktoberfest drawing (be sure to include a way to reach you - etsy username, ravelry username or email). Want to increase your chances? You'll get one additional entry for each item purchased in the shop anytime in the month of October. Sock club purchases count for however many months you buy. So if you get a 12 month Pride and Prejudice membership, you get 12 entries into the drawing! Yay!

And now what you've been waiting for - the prizes!

Grand Prize: A sophisticated black Persnickity Knits Fifi Knitting Clutch stuffed with 3 skeins of Knit it Up sock yarn, a set of Knit it Up knitting gift tags, a tin of Knit it Up hand balm and some awesome HiyaHiya Stainless Steel 9" circular needles (you can now knit socks on circulars without magic loop - I love them!)

Total Value: over $150!

1st Prize: a CocoKnits Knitting Block set. I absolutely adore mine and had to share it with you!

2nd Prize: a skein of Knit it Up sock yarn

3rd Prize: a skein of Knit it Up sock yarn

4th Prize: a set of Knit it Up Knitting Gift Tags (recently featured in Knitty)

5th Prize: a set of Knit it Up Knitting Gift Tags

All together that's over $300 in prizes! We'll keep it open through October 31st, and hold the drawing November 1st. Winners will be announced here.

Etsy Love - Persnickity Knits

I love taking my knitting with me everywhere, and I usually use a fabric project bag for outings, shoving them into my regular purse. However, there were occasions, usually when I was going to be outside, that I wished for something a little heftier. Then I discovered these amazing and totally stylish knitting clutches from Persnickity Knits.

I bought myself this Little Lulu clutch in super sexy black. It is the perfect size for socks and other small projects. I've been carrying mine with me everywhere. I even took it camping! The faux leather stood up to dust and even a little rain, keeping my knitting perfectly protected.

Needless to say, I totally love this product. Even better, when I told the folks at Persnickity Knits about the upcoming Socktoberfest contest, they graciously offerred to donate a FiFi Knitting Clutch as a prize. This one is their medium sized clutch, a bit larger than the Lulu (perfect for stuffing full of other knitting prizes). To the right is a photo of the inside. My favorite features are definitely the wealth of interior pockets for knitting notions, and the lobster clasp like hook, perfect for running your yarn through, but easy to open up and take out your yarn when you want to move your project somewhere else. (I love it when you can be noncommital with your project bags!) The hook helps keep your yarn in the bag while you're knitting too.

So be sure to check out Persnickity Knits, and to keep an eye out for our Soctoberfest contest running October 1-31 for a chance to win a Fifi Knitting Clutch stuffed with Knit it Up goodies.

Knitty Feature (holy crap!)

Yep you read the title right, I just heard from the Knitty folks that they are going to feature my gift tags in the fall issue! Wowza! I am thrilled since I'm a huge fan. Look for them in the "Cool Stuff" feature.

I love to knit gifts, but I always forget to include fiber contents and care instructions with my gifts, resulting in more than one felted catastrophe. Such a waste of my beautiful yarn and precious knitting time! I had seen other knitting themed gift tags on the market, but nothing that included room for this important information. So, like any good DIY maven, I created some of my own (and of course I offered them for sale in my shop too)!

I'm stocking up in case the Knitty feature results in crazy sales, but if you want some of your own you may want to snag them now before the fall issue drops in early September!

I'll be adding some more tag designs soon. I recently joined the Selfish Knitters group on Ravelry to try and inspire myself to do more selfish knitting, and I can't believe the horror stories I've read about people being so unappreciative of handknit gifts. So I've also created Selfish Knitters Gift Tags that will be up in the shop soon. Similar to my other gift tags but with a special note that reads

"This project took hours of my precious time to make. You may now ooh and aah and wear it every single day for the rest of your life."

Some people just need a reminder, you know?

Here's another little something I created for gift knitters like me: The Knitter's Giftdex.

I just got so tired of asking my mother-in-law about people's favorite colors and fibers every November when I was gearing up for my procrastinated gift knitting extravaganza. Now I just fill out a rolodex card for each person, along with their birthday info, likes and dislikes, wish list, etc. I put it into a rolodex along with cards detailing which knitted gifts I've already given them. I keep it in my stash closet surrounded by squishy yummy yarn. Oh glorious organization!

Name That Skein!

I've been missing doing contests lately, they're just too fun! So, here's one where you can help me out with what is always my biggest dilema - naming skeins.

This one was inspired by the Snow White Dwarf Dopey - but that just doesn't sound like the right name for it now that it is done.

Leave a comment with your suggestion for a name for this colorway. Whoever's colorway name I pick will get a free skein! Go crazy too - it can be Snow White related or totally different.

Contest closes August 6th (so I can add these skeins to my August 7th shop update).

Leave your email or Ravelry username so I can contact the winner.

(Enter as many times as you like!)

Member's Choice Vote!

There were so many amazing suggestions on the Ravelry forum for our Member's Choice month that I couldn't even pick which ones to have you vote on. So, I wrote every mention down on a slip of paper and had my 2 year-old do a drawing!

Check out the poll on the left hand side of this page and cast your vote!

You get to choose between:

Breakfast at Tiffany's,

When Harry Met Sally,

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,

The Nightmare Before Christmas, and

Girl With a Pearl Earring.

Don't worry - if your favorite didn't make it onto this list, it still has a chance for our vote for May's selection.

The polls close on July 31st so be sure to make your choice before then!

RibbonWands - Featured Etsy Shop

I recently ordered a ribbon wand from Etsy seller ribbonwands. I got it for my two-year-old daughter, blatantly ignoring the seller's reccommendations that they are for kids five and up. Um, yeah, after about the first year or so, and especially once you have a second child you start ignoring things like that.

Can she twirl it on her own? Kind of. But the real fun is having Mom or Dad twirl it around her. She's been enjoying it immensely, and I love toys that she can grow into. Because it really will be more fun when she's about five. Wait, isn't that the reccommended age? Oh yeah.

Anyway, I've realized in the meantime that I didn't really buy it for her but for me. Yes, I saw it and thought, "Of course my child would love that, I always wanted one when I was a kid." I had major dreams of being a rhythmic gymnast. But then I realized that you have to be somewhat flexible for that.

So when the ribbon wand came in the mail, we played with it all afternoon, but I was secretly looking forward to her bedtime so I could play with it all by myself. But then I had to share it with my husband who possibly had dreams of being a rhythmic gymnast as a boy because he was really enjoying it too.

Maybe tomorrow while she's napping and he's at work I can put on a leotard and some music and prance around with my ribbon wand. I mean her ribbon wand. OK, my ribbon wand.

By the way, I absolutely adore the idea of having flower girls at a wedding walking the aisle with twirling white damask ribbon wands in place of flowers. Think about it. The girls will thank you.

Knot Knit Scarf

Here's another craft from Martha - she seems to have so many uses for yarn beyond knitting (or crochet). I love finding alternate uses for my stash!





Straight from Martha's website: Here's a cozy yet speedy project. Cut 12 pieces of bulky-weight yarn to about 1 1/2 times the desired length of the final scarf. (We used 140-inch pieces to make an 86-inch scarf.) Divide yarn into 4 bunches of 3 strands each. Tie 2 bunches together with a square knot, leaving 6 inches of fringe at end; repeat with remaining bunches. Pin the knots to a piece of foam board. Knot inner 2 bunches of yarn together, spacing knot about 1 inch from existing knots, then knot left and right bunches together. Alternate knotting the inner bunches and the left and right ones, spacing knots evenly apart, until about 6 inches of yarn remain on the end. Finish so that final knots mirror opposite end, and trim to even the ends.







I think it would look great with some bulky thick and thin handspun. I haven't tried it yet, but it's definitely on my list and will make for a great last minute gift that's a little different from my normal knits.

Ravelry Group

Hey Ravelers! Come join the Sock Yarn Cinema group on Ravelry.

The Hills Are Alive...

... with the Sound of Music - Ahh ahh ahh ahhh.





I took a little break from blogging since the craziness of the etsyversary sale, but now I'm back and the first month's Sock Yarn Cinema selections are in the mail.

I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks as I had the best time putting these packages together. You'll soon see brown paper packages tied up will strings and filled with other favorite things.



It was amazing to watch this classic film with an entirely new perspective. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen it since my teen years. I was surprised by how many of the lyrics I remembered as the characters sang them, and how many things I noticed now that I never noticed before. Like this time, I really saw an underlying theme to the film - the loss of innocence. But I loved how it wasn't in a tawdry way like you see in many movies today. I think there are turning points in the movie for several of the characters. In Maria, I saw it when she comes back from the convent and realizes that the Baroness wasn't encouraging her to leave as a friend, but as a rival. In Liesel, it's when she sees Rolf in the town square and he's very cold to her. She starts to realize that maybe her crush wasn't true love after all. For Rolf it is when he decides to blow that dang whistle and turn in the VonTrapp family. Oh Rolf! How could you do that?

The colors in the film are absolutely stunning! It is so true that if you're looking for inspiration, you're bound to find it. So when I watched, I actually found too much for one skein. I'll be listing other Sound of Music inspired colorways in my shop soon - think of them as a Sock Yarn Cinema expansion set!



Anyway, I could go on forever about this movie, really! But I think for me, the thing that brought about an unexpected emotional thrill was watching my little girl falling in love with something close to my heart. Later that day when we were shopping at the grocery store and she started singing "Do, Re, Mi...." I was absolutely beaming.



OK, now on to some club business. I've heard from a few of you that you'd be interested in a Ravelry group for the club. There we could show eachother FO's knit with each month's yarn, or inspired by the movies; we could discuss the films - I would love to hear what you're thinking about each one; and just general ravelry goodness. If you're interested, just leave a comment with your Ravelry username and I'll add you to the invite list for the group. If you want to join later, you can always do that by looking for us in the groups section. I just need at least 3 people interested now in order to start one.



For those of you who are not familiar with Ravelry - it is really too amazing for words, but I'll try.

1. It is totally free.


2. You do have to wait for an invite to sign up, but the wait is less than a week.


3. If you don't know what to knit with your yarn, you can look it up and see what other people have made with that specific yarn.


4. If you want to knit a particular pattern, look it up and see what others have done - changes they made to the pattern, yarn substitutions, etc.


5. Join groups of other knitters with similar interests, no matter where you are!


6. Can't remember what is in your stash? On Ravelry, you can keep a record of your stash so you can plan projects without having to dig around your tubs or closet full of yarn. There is also a library feature so you can keep track of all your knitting books too.


7. You can dink around for hours finding new projects to create, adding them to your Ravelry queue or favorites, so you'll always be able to find them.


8. You can go to your library, click on a book and see all the patterns available from it, click on a pattern and see what others have done, etc.

There's much more, but let's just say I love it, it is fantastic, and it has totally opened me up to an entirely new knitting world. It is great for finding patterns you want to work on and getting ideas from other knitters.

I'll end my blurb there, but feel free to email me if you want more information about it - as you can see I'm a total convert!

Next month is the Field of Dreams and I'm already planning something special.

And the winners are...

The drawing was done this afternoon by my two year old (who was thrilled to be the "winner picker")

Dun dah dah dunnnnn........

(OK, imagine trumpets playing)

Grand Prize: A gorgeous project bag filled with sock knitting goodness
mrsgmath

1st Prize: a skein of sock yarn

erika~the inspired mama

2nd Prize: a skien of handspun yarn
LexxiMom

3rd Prize: Knit Kit
karta5059

4th Prize: stitch markers
rjknight

5th Prize: stitch markers
journeys and reflections

and my daughter was having so much fun she insisted on another pick so...

Bonus Prize: Winter 2007 Interweave Knits (I bought a copy and then received one as a gift)
oumom

I'll be emailing the winners tomorrow to get addresses, etc.

Thanks to everyone who participated, I had a lot of fun! So much fun that we'll be doing something like this again this October to celebrate "Socktober."

There are still a few spaces left in the Sock Yarn Cinema club if you're interested and we'll be taking nominations for the voter's choice movies soon. I also have a lot of new kits coming out soon, including a recycled sari silk purse (a pattern especially designed to have hardly any finishing!), a felted needle vase, and a spa knit kit that will include handmade soap from etsy seller Daisycakessoap. And of course there will be new yarns coming out of the dye pots every few weeks so check back often!

Etsyversary Giveaway Update

The deadline has been extended to April 21st! I thought you all would appreciate one more weekend for chances to win, especially since I just received a new shipment of base yarns from my supplier and will be listing a bunch of new colorways.

Here are some photos of our fantastic grand prize worth over $150:

The project inside is just an example of how this lovely bag works. You can put your yarn in the interior drawstring bag to keep it separate from your WIP, then slide your needles through the elastic loops to keep your project from coming off.

The lantern moon sock needles are the top of the line, totally gorgeous ebony needles, US size 2, and the bag comes with a matching quilted needle case to keep them safe.

When the winner gets their bag it will be filled with a brand new Spring 2009 (totally sold out) issue of Interweave Knits, the aforementioned needles, needle case, Karatstix needle gauge and three skeins of yummy sock yarn. Two from my shop's stock and one custom dye job for the winner. I'll contact you to find out your favorite colors and combinations and create a skein just for you!

The other prizes (worth over $70) are:

1st prize: skein of sock yarn

2nd prize: skein of handspun yarn

3rd prize: knit kit of your choice (cupcake hat, baby bug hat, briar bunny hat)

4th prize: stitch markers

5th prize: stitch markers

Free Yarn Giveaways to Celebrate My Etsyversary

For the next two weeks I'll be celebrating my first year selling yarn and knitting supplies on Etsy by giving stuff away! For every purchase made in my Knit! shop on etsy, you will receive one entry into a drawing for some fantastic prizes. I'm also giving away one "free" entry to everyone who posts a comment on this post with your name and email address so I can contact you if you win.

Grand Prize: a luxury handmade project bag filled with goodies including 3 skeins of sock yarn, lantern moon sock needles, a quilted sock needle holder, a set of stitch markers and a "Knitter's Rule" needle sizer and gauge checker from etsy seller karatstix. The entire thing is worth over $150.00! My mom is the seamstress in the family so she's sewing these gorgeous bags for me now. As soon as she is finished, I'll add a photo of the whole lot of goodies here.

There will also be additional prizes of yarn, kits, stitch markers, sold out copies of Interweave Knits and other goodies.

I'm very excited about the new Sock Yarn Cinema monthly sock yarn club, where I'll be creating colorways to celebrate my favorite movies and some of yours. You can join for 3, 6, or 12 months and you'll get great discounts on sock yarn, shipping, and extra goodies every month. Sock yarn club subscriptions count for multiple entries in my Etsyversary drawing depending on the duration of the club. Also, all my handspuns are on sale for 20% off and I'll even be adding some new ones at sale prices.

I've added some fun new items to my shop and will continue adding new things throughout the next two weeks of contest fun so check back often. I offer a flat shipping cost for whatever you buy in my shop, so get as many entries as you can!

Featured Shop - Karatstix

I love this etsy seller karatstix! I traded a skein of yarn to her for a "Knitter's Rule" to give away in my upcoming "Etsyversary" celebration. She shipped it the day I ordered it, it came quickly and it is an absolute work of art. I am always so impressed at the high quality of handmade items I have purchased at etsy and this is no exception, Karen was such a pleasure to work with. I also love that she's purposefully using sustainable resources to create these fantastic knitter's accessories.



Here's a photo of the Knitter's Rule I'll be giving away:







And here are some photos of the custom work she does...

A WPI (wraps per inch) tool to help substitute yarns from your stash in patterns that call for other yarns:

Bobbins for fair aisle knittng:

And a 2" gauge checker:

I will definitely be returning to get one of these awesome pieces for myself! I am so excited that her phenomenal work will be a part of my celebratory give away!

Women are Dumb (Things I've Learned from Walt Disney)

"A jealous female can be tricked into anything!"

Unfortunately this one (thanks Captain Hook) is quite often true. I think this pearl of wisdom could even be expanded to read "a female in love can be tricked into anything." I'm not down on love - it's great, but let's admit it girls, some of us get really dumb when we're in that state of mind. If you don't believe me, just watch an episode of The People's Court. OK, you can now mock me like crazy - yes I actually watch that show. I have no real explanation for why, except that I'm completely fascinated by the dumbness.

Anyway, back to Hook. When I watch these older Disney films with my 2-year-old I am always shocked at the absolute lack of political correctness. I think most people agree that it is often taken too far these days, but old Disney movies make me realize that a little PC is a desirable thing.

So next time you're feeling a bit jealous try to keep your head and remember there may be a Captain Hook out there playing you like a fool.

Quick Crafts - Spring Yarn Bowls

Any craft that uses yarn is great since I have a ridiculous amount of it in my stash. Seriously people, I have an entire closet dedicated to yarn and it isn't even big enough to hold it all. Anyway, I came across this gorgeous idea on Martha Stewart's website. Yes it is the day before Easter, but hey, I happen to have a blue mohair yarn in my stash, an extra bowl lying around, and half an hour to kill. Now if only I was planning a major Easter dinner so people could come and admire my craftiness. Oh well! I know my two-year-old will appreciate it - especially once she figures out how to unravel it.

Instructions from Martha's website:

Dishes for sweets become well suited to spring when they're disguised as fuzzy birds' nests. Cover the outside of a bowl with double-sided tape. Wind a ball of yarn (we used mohair) around the bowl until its exterior is hidden. To finish, securely tuck the loose end behind the wrapped yarn.

Etsy Love - Star of the East

The internet is so amazing. I went to the post office the other day to mail three packages for my etsy shops, one to Moscow, one to London and one to Colorado. How crazy is that? Of course, it works both ways. I have seen some great international sellers on etsy and here is one of my favorites - Star of the East.

Esther and Estella are a mother-daughter team working together to make the world a more beautiful place. Check out their Etsy profile to learn more about these fantastic artisans. Click on any of the following photos to go straight to the etsy listing.

You can find absolutely stunning jewelry at this etsy shop located in Turkey. I am especially in love with their items made from objects they find on beach walks. Here are some photos of one of my faves from their Sea Urchin Collection:

From the item description:

"We clean the sea urchins, fill them with polyurethane foam and cover them with epoxy to make them strong and shiny. We used silver colored thread to adorn the sea urchin and a glass rhinestone in the centre to finish the piece. The ring is adjustable between the sizes 6,5 and 8, beautiful and strong made of silver colored metal (nickle and lead free).

I love how they took something found in nature and gussied it up to make it jewelry. And at under $35 they are affordable too. Oh yeah, and that includes shipping from Turkey. I think any of their items would make a fantastic gift or would be a great way to spoil yourself.

Wrap-Around Scarf

It is Malabrigo March on Ravelry so I decided to give this yarn a try.

Holy. Freaking. Moly.

This yarn is amazing! I've knit with merino wool before but this is the softest wool I've ever felt and the kettle dyed colors are just gorgeous. I'm planning to knit Jared Flood's Hemlock Ring Blanket out of it so I can wrap myself in Malabrigo!

Anyway, I wanted a pattern that would show off this gorgeous variegated yarn, be an interesting stitch pattern, but still be easy enough to knit during LOST.

Here's the pattern for my scarf:

(Add it to your Ravelry queue here)

Yarn: 1 skein Malabrigo Worsted (can substitute Manos del Uruguay but it is not as soft)

Colorway shown is Stonechat

Needle Size: US 10

CO 19 stitches

Knit 3 rows in garter stitch

Row 1: k2, p15, k2

Row2: knit across

Row3: k2, p15, k2

Row4: k7, wrap 3 (move the last three knitted stitches off of the right needle onto a cable needle, wrap the yarn around these stitches 3 times counter-clockwise, move wrapped stitches back to the right needle), *k4, w3, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, knit to end.

Row 5: k2, p15, k2

Row 6: knit across

Row 7: k2, p15, k2

Row 8: k5, w3, *k4, w3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, knit to end.

Repeat rows 1-8 till you get near the end of your ball of yarn, knit rows 1-3, then knit 3 rows in garter stitch.

Block like crazy (it is basically stockinette so it will curl).

Ta-Da!

Featured Etsy Shop - Kniterella

Absolutely adorable notecards for knitters, sets of 9 for $8.95. Need I say more?

The House That Yarn Built

OK, so I love this idea. Basically Christy from Confessions of a Misplaced Southern Belle realized that we knitters buy too much yarn, that we spend about $20 a skein on sock yarn and that if a whole bunch of knitters donated that amount to rebuilding houses in the 9th ward in New Orleans, we might actually be able to build a whole house instead of buying one skein of yarn. You donate to a program called Make It Right . (Yes, the one Brad Pitt founded.)

Now to really get you going, she's holding a raffle with a ton of yarns, a Namaste knitting bag and other goodies for people who donate. So, go to the Make it Right site, donate under the "House That Yarn Built" link and then email Christy to let her know you did. She'll enter your name into the drawing. If you're a Stash and Burn fan, let Nicole and Jenny know too - they're also raffling off a bag of goodies from Stitches West for people who donate. I've also contacted Christy about adding some of my hand-dyed yarns into the goodie pot - it is such a great cause!

Porcelain Knits

Here's an amazing Etsy shop I found on Poppytalk Handmade. Artist Alyssa Ettinger makes porcelain cups, bowls, vases, etc that look like they've been knitted. Some pieces are done in aran patterns, cable patterns, ribs, stockinette, everything. I'll just post a ton of photos because the work really speaks for itself.

If you're like me and these works of art are a little out of your price range, notice she also sells samples and seconds - basically they are just as fantastic with some very small, barely noticeable flaws.

Now I'm just holding my breath and waiting for her to make a mistake on a bowl!

Oh Martha!

Yes, Martha Stewart is the master of craft projects that I love but can't find the time to make. Often I get as far as buying all the supplies, I just never get around to actually putting them together. This one I will have to make time for because I love it!

This fluffy rug, so welcoming to bare feet, is made from hundreds of strips of denim. The frayed edges in shades of blue, gray, and white create subtle modulations in color.

Denim Fringe Rug Instructions: Cut a 30-by-54-inch piece of burlap. Tear about 200 strips from jeans (you'll need about 12 pairs); make each 1 1/4 inches wide and the length of a pant leg. Align first strip 1 inch from burlap's edge; with the zipper foot attachment on a sewing machine and a denim needle, stitch down center. Snip any remainder from the end, and use it to start the next row. Sew strips 1/8 inch apart, until 1 inch of burlap remains. Fold burlap edges under, and hand-stitch.

See her website for more info.

Maybe I'll make it when I live in a house with a mudroom. Oh how Pottery Barn and Martha Stewart's crafts make me long for a mudroom!

Knits that make me laugh

Ah yes, I think all of us knitters have made things only to see them a while later and wonder what in the world we were thinking. That pattern, that yarn. Here is a wonderful blog that is dedicated to finding those terrible projects that should be hiding in the back of someone's closet or frogged or burned. Of course the best part is the biting commentary. It is no longer an ongoing project, but they left it all up so we can go back and get a laugh.

You Knit What? http://youknitwhat.blogspot.com/