I've been working on a new baby bonnet pattern that I'm about ready to release. I have a couple of test knitters working it now, and as soon as we've tested the pattern, I'll be able to release it.

I've been working on a great cabled sweater for my son. It will be his first sweater that I've made. I got the yarn for it (Knit Picks Shine Sport) for Christmas, and finally cast on a month ago. I had made a bit of progress, through the first cable repeat, and then realized that I was running out of yarn rather quickly. I was certain to not have enough to complete the project. Turns out that I made a poor calculation when substituting yarn. The original pattern calls for Sirdar's Snuggly 4 ply. That is a fingering weight yarn that comes in balls of about 250 yards each. I used the yardage for Sirdar Snuggly DK, which has only 150 or so yards per ball. So, you can see my error resulted in my not having enough yarn. Of course, that dye lot is long gone. Well, replacement yarn is on the way, and hopefully I will have a new sweater for him this fall!
The lesson here? Make sure you substitute wisely, and double check the yardage.

I was featured in Yarn Market News (a trade publication for the fiber industry) this past issue. Please stop by my Press page to read the article. It's so fun to be featured in national press!

I finished this sweater up this morning as Carlin was sleeping on the couch. She's been feeling lousy the last couple of days, so it's a good time for me to catch up on some knitting projects.

Here's a pic of the sweater:

The inspiration for the sweater came from I live on a Farm, but as you can see, the finished product isn't exactly like the original!

Now, off to work on Mitchell's sweater. Fortunately, I've got a year or so to finish it before he outgrows it! Here's a pic of it so far...

Well, I've been wanting to start spinning for a while, and I finally took the plunge. Without the need to be making products for craft shows, I am able to spend more time learning new skills to share. I'd love to have you join me for this fun class. It's on July 19 from 1-4PM. Learn more and sign up in my webstore.

I have seen several free and pay patterns for footie socks out there, but frankly, they didn't suit my needs. So, I took the best of each pattern and created my own. This pattern is a toe-up pattern on two circulars, but you could probably do it on dpns if you wanted. The catchy part is the cast on, but it can be done on dpns (or so I am told). This pattern is for a woman's shoe size 7.5-8, but it is easy to adjust to any foot. It does make socks that are about 1 full size large before washing as the Cascade Fixation yarn shrinks with washing. So, please keep that in mind as you make your own socks. Send me a pic of yours or post it on ravelry. I can't wait to hear from you!

Also, this pattern has not been FULLY error checked. You might find something that needs tweaking. Please leave a comment if you find something!

be still & knit, llc is changing business to focus solely on classes and programs! So, I've got dozens of baby and children's items on clearance. May and June are among the most popular months for babies to be born, so stock up on great gifts for all the little ones in your life. More items are being added daily, so stop by often. As with every item from be still & knit, shipping is FREE!


Visit http://www.bestillandknit.com/shopping to see our latest clearance items!

Well, my sock yarn has arrived! Here's a pic:

It's gorgeous, and quite nice yarn (and cheap, too). I am looking forward to knitting this sweater, but unfortunately, the needles I need are currently engaged in knitting a sweater for Mitch. Once I get that one done, I'm looking forward to starting this one.

Well, I am about to embark on a project that breaks one of my long-held rules about knitting. I am going to knit a sweater out of sock yarn. I have firmly held for a long time that garments other than socks should never be knit with sock yarn. So, here I go. I ordered up the yarn and buttons from Nordic Mart (great prices, by the way). I should have it in my hands in a week or so. At least it's all garter stitch and sock yarn won't be too heavy to knit this summer! I fear that it may take me all summer to knit this one. Anyone care to join me on a knit-along?

With the change in my business and personal life, this blog will change, too. I'm going to be adding more personal anecdotes and information to the blog. Not just knitting news, but news from me and my family.

One thing that's been weighing heavily on me is the story from a friend. Heather Ledeboer is the owner of Mom4Life, an online boutique for products for the journey of motherhood. This past weekend, she gave birth to her son, who was stillborn. His heart stopped beating over a week before his birth. I can't imagine how I would get through such a challenging situation. Heather has taught me the grace and strength she is sharing with the world comes from Christ. Her faith is amazing, and I just wish that my own faith is strong enough to hold me through whatever life brings. Her story is chronicled on her blog. I encourage you to read it - but have a box of tissues nearby.