TOPS, TANKS & TEES KAL || KNITTING WITH QUINCE & CO. LINEN

Oh Kestrel how I love thee. Who's Kestrel you ask? Why Kestrel is the newest linen yarn from Quince & Co. and let me tell you....this yarn is fab.u.lous. 

Every year during the Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along I try to encourage everyone to try a summer friendly fiber to knit with and to embrace those plant based fibers. My go to recommendation has always been Quince & Co.'s first linen yarn - Sparrow. Sparrow is a pretty fingering weight that knits up and wears great! So when Quince & Co. announced they were releasing Kestrel - an aran weight linen - be still my beating heart! Linen + aran weight = happy shannon! I admit I tend to knit with yarns that are DK or higher most often so the idea of a linen that is aran weight, 100% linen and organic just had me swooning! Not to mention it's seriously amazing to knit with, drapes like a DREAM. I can't stop petting mine!

Now don't start to get scared and run from the computer saying "linen....hmmm...not sure...I only knit with wool....don't like how it feels on my hands....don't know how to care for it...." etc, etc. We've all been there. It's like anything new that you learn. Linen can seem scary to a knitter who hasn't used it. But trust me when I say it's not. As a sewer who also knits linen really appeals to me! I love the fact that what you get is what you see. Linen doesn't lose it's shape or stretch out. It just is what you make it. You can treat it just like fabric! And no, it's not like linen fabric where you end up all wrinkled at the end of the day. It won't go all cray cray on you. You can wash it in the machine, iron it and more! Plus it doesn't pill! The more you wear it - the better it gets! How can you not like that right?

Looking for some helpful posts on knitting with linen?

// Check out Knitting with Linen and also Finishing with Linen by Hannah Fettig of Knitbot. There are some great tips in these posts!
// Pam Allen (designer & one of the founders of Quince & Co.) & Hannah Fettig have a wonderful new podcast out called Knit.fm that is fun to listen to and educational! If you take a listen to Episode 7 (Design Process) you can learn more about Kestrel and also working with and caring for linen yarns. If you enjoy knitting podcasts make sure you subscribe to Knit.fm!

Need some lovely patterns to try out your linen knitting skills?

We recommend the following collections for some wonderful linen patterns:

 Kestrel   ||   Sparrow Sans   ||   Knitbot Linen

How about some helpful tips on linen?

// You can put linen in the washing machine and the dryer.
// It get's better the more you wear it and wash it.
// You can still block your linen item.
// It softens up after wear.
// It's sometimes easiest to wind linen by hand as it has a tendency to tangle and knot. If you do use a swift, go slow and be careful.
// Always knit from the outside of your ball - not the inside. If you do knit from the center pull you may want to put your yarn inside a sock or something to contain it to keep from knotting.
// It comes from the flax plant.

I promise you once you give it a try you'll like it! You may be surprised at how much you'll enjoy the end result! 

And if you have found linens rough to knit with in the past Kestrel will be a welcome addition to your yarn stash. I found it enjoyable to use and quite comfortable on the hands to knit with. Two thumbs up in my book! I also highly recommend any of Quince & Co.'s yarns and if you haven't tried any of them yet give it a go! They have a wide selection of weights, reasonable shipping and the colors - well swoon! Texture, loft, drape - their yarns have it all. I haven't met a Quince & Co. yarn I haven't loved yet :)

So what do you say? Are you going to give knitting with linen a try? Have you knit with Kestrel or Sparrow before? Let's chat yarn ladies! And don't forget to share any tips you may have on knitting with linen! I'd love to add them to the post!

This post was brought to you by our Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along Official Sponsor - Quince & Co.!

*All images in the post courtesy of Quince & Co.

GIVEAWAY || WARP & WEFT SEWING GIVEAWAY!!

I'm worried for my computer I'm drooling so much over today's giveaway from one of Canada's loveliest fabric shops -  Warp & Weft!!! Wowsa!

**This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for all of your entries.**

Warp & Weft is an amazing online fabric shop that is also proudly Canadian (for all you fellow Canadian shoppers shipping rates are fab!). Esmari has such a great eye and aesthetic so it's only natural that she would stock Merchant & Mills products in her awesome shop! So when I did my book review for the Merchant & Mills Sewing Book yesterday (read it HERE) we only thought it fitting to offer you all a fun giveaway too! Can we say thank you Esmari!!! She's so great!

Besides her generous giveaway prizes she is also offering you all 10% OFF at Warp & Weft and that includes ALL products - even sale items!! Wahoo! Just use code "veryshannon10" at checkout!! Happy shopping my friends! You will not be disappointed! I love shopping online in shops like Warp & Weft.

Esmari has curated a shop filled with exquisite textiles, notions, embroidery, high quality fabric, lovely kits & more! She even has fun workshops! I seriously suggest perusing the website and reading her blog for something special!

You ready to here what you could win?

// THE PRIZES
Prize Package #1
- 25 Merchant & Mills Sewing Needles
- Bamboo Point Turner from Merchant & Mills
- Merchant & Mills Tape Measure
- 1 ounce Dressmaking Pins from Merchant & Mills
- copy of Merchant & Mills Sewing Book

Prize Package #2
- Merchant & Mills Tie-End Bolster Cushion Sewing Pattern
- Rapid Repair Kit from Merchant & Mills

// HOW TO ENTER
- Visit Warp & Weft notions section and then leave us a comment letting us know what your favorite sewing notion is.
- *Bonus Entry: Like Warp & Weft and/or Very Shannon on Facebook and then leave us a separate comment letting us know you did that too.
// THE RULES
- You must leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- Giveaway open until May 25th, midnight, PST.

You can find all things Warp & Weft below:

WEBSITE || FACEBOOK || TWITTER || BLOG

Good luck and a big thank you to Warp & Weft for the wonderful giveaway!

*All images courtesy of Warp & Weft.

READING || MERCHANT & MILLS SEWING BOOK REVIEW

Oh my! I could hardly contain my excitement when the new Merchant & Mills Sewing Book by Carolyn N. K. Denham showed up in my mailbox!!!

I am a HUGE fan of Merchant & Mills and their new sewing book does not disappoint! Beautifully bound and designed, this lovely addition to any sewers collection stays true to the Merchant & Mills brand. Their notions, scissors, pins & needles are coveted and some of my absolute faves! You can't miss spotting a fab Merchant & Mills product or pattern and I was so happy to see all that gorgeous styling put into one book published by Chronicle Books.

 

The Merchant & Mills Sewing Book is filled with techniques, helpful information, tips and more! I honestly know I'll be reading and re-reading this book for many years. My absolute favorite part of the book is the Foundations section. So much amazing info in this section of the book! I wanted to photograph all of it but then realized I'd be showing you the whole book! And let's not forget the patterns! 15 of them! All fabulous and very handy! I'm dying to sew up the Duffel Bag and the Tote Bag asap!

All the sections include signature styled Merchant & Mills photographs and diagrams and all the patterns are accompanied by great illustrations along with easy to follow instructions.

Here's a quick run down of what's included in this must have book!

MERCHANT & MILLS SEWING BOOK

INTRODUCTION

// Keep it Simple and Do It Well

PART I: THE FOUNDATIONS

// Sewing Tools: Furnishing Your Toolbox

// Haberdashery: A Panoply of Small Things

// Basic Sewing Techniques: The Inside Information on Construction

// Patterns: Your Template for Making

// Cloth: The Beautiful Raw Material

// Pressing Matters: A User's Guide to Good Flattening

PART II: THE PROJECTS

// The Calico Bag

// The Tailor's Ham and Sleeve Roll

// The Ironing Board Cover

// The Hussif

// The Maker's Apron

 // The Bolster Cushion

// The Pillow Cushion

// The Button Cushion

// The Throw

 // The Document Bag

// The Flight Bag

// The Duffel Bag

// The Tote Bag

// The Tailored Shawl

// The Fisherman's Top

Overall I give The Merchant & Mills Sewing Book two thumbs up! I would recommend this to any sewer looking for a stylish addition to their library. It will be well loved and read in my home for years to come!

You can find all things Merchant & Mills on their website HERE.

Are you a Merchant & Mills fan? Would you like to win a copy? Stay tuned for some seriously fun prizes tomorrow on the blog!

TOPS, TANKS & TEES KAL || WARM WEATHER KNITTING NECESSITIES

1. Knit and Let Knit Tote  2. Sparrow Yarn 3. Box Pouch 4. Fox Yarn Bowl 5. Neon Stitch Markers 6. Zippered Pouch

Summer knitting is almost upon us and the weather is warming up. So today we're going to chat warm weather knitting necessities! And yes - there are some :)

Now you all know how much I encourage and preach continuing to knit in the warmer months of the year. That's how our Tops, Tanks & Tees and Summer Sweater Knit Alongs were born! Just because it's gorgeous outside does not mean that our passion for knitting needs to be hidden away for months at a time. Bring that knitting out of the closet - let it see the sunlight! Instead of thinking you can't be knitting - embrace it! Bring it to the beach, take it to the park, have it go on your road and camping trips! Knitting is truly a bring it everywhere you go hobby!

So what sorts of things does one need to make knitting suitable for the warmer months? Well...these warm weather knitting neccessities of course!

// A ROCKIN' BAG OR BASKET
We don't want you getting sand in your fibers so make sure you are carrying a rockin' project bag to keep your knitting lovelies safe. You can use one of our tutorials to make your own (if you are so inclined) or spoil yourself and purchase a great new bag to go with your shorts and a tank :) We are currently crushing on all things Fringe Supply Co.

Not in the mood for a bag? We've all been crushing big time on baskets! I have an African Market Basket from Tolt Yarn and Wool that is MY FAVE! I need more and I mean like 5 more! They are great for storing your projects, yarn and for bringing your current knitting projects with you in style!

// THE RIGHT SIZE PROJECT
Now the art of warm weather knitting is to be smart and choose a suitable project. For example - don't cast on a giant chunky wool sized blanket to bring around with you. Instead opt for something light and easily portable like a top, shawl, socks, sweater etc. It makes a world of difference when it's on your lap and in your bag.

// FIBER
Warm weather fibers are becoming more and more readily available. With cotton blends, linens and more in your LYS you cannot go wrong in knitting up that lovely summer tank for yourself this year with all the gorgeous yarns on the market! Our personal fave of the moments are Sparrow and Kestrel from Quince and Co. Linen only gets better the more you wear it so cast on now for a super lovely top to wear this summer!

// YARN BOWL OR CADDY
One of my favorite things to use lately is my yarn caddy (or yarn buddy as shown here) as I like to call it. What the official name is for these I can't seem to figure out but they are AWESOME! Keeps my yarn from falling all over the place, keeps it clean, it's easier to knit and I bring it with me everywhere. What can I say - I love it.

A yarn bowl is also a stellar choice for keeping your yarn sand and dirt free! There are tons of stylish and modern yarn bowls available now and heck you could even make your own at your local pottery shop! That's what I plan on doing one of these days.

// NOTIONS & POUCHES
As any knitter knows we LOVE our notions as much as we love our knitting. Stitch markers, gauge tools, tape measures, scissors, cases and more - you can never have enough. The cooler and cuter the better! I have this adorable case to store my stitch markers and scissors in!

And with all those notions you definitely need a good pouch to keep them in! Sew yourself up some with a great tutorial or pattern (you can see ours here) or purchase a unique handmade one and show off those notions!

// SUNSCREEN, SUNNIES & GOOD TIMES
Knitting is always more fun with friends! Keep your skin protected out in the warm weather with sunscreen, your favorite pair of sunglasses and a rockin' hat! Meet some knitting pals on the beach or your favorite restaurant patio and soak up the fun!!!

So grab your needles, your fave bag, your coveted notions, some sunscreen and your sunnies and go bask in that gorgeous weather all summer long!

This post was brought to you by our Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along Official Sponsor - Quince & Co.!

Now....what are YOUR warm weather knitting neccessities? We're dying to know!!! Comment below with your faves!!!

STYLO ISSUE 2 || THE FRANKIE DRESS PATTERN (COMING SOON)!

I've been excitedly counting down the days until the newest issue of STYLO was out and today's the day!!!!! My upcoming dress pattern - FRANKIE, is featured in STYLO Issue 2!!!!

I've been sketching the design for FRANKIE since last fall and knew I wanted it to be our next VERY SHANNON sewing pattern for this sprint! I've got a soft spot for color blocking and thought it would be a fun detail to add to such a cute dress silhouette! My girls and I just love it! I'm aiming for a late May/early June release so stay tuned! It's such a fun sew! I'll be putting a call out for testers soon as well.

THE FRANKIE DRESS FEATURES:

// No closures - that's right! No zippers or buttons!

// Color blocked bodice 

// Options for a bodice with no color blocking

// Options for sleeveless, short sleeve and 3/4 length sleeve

// Special pleat details on the skirt

// Multiple skirt length options

// Pockets!!! 

and more!!!!!

FRANKIE makes a versatile dress filled with options so it can be worn all year round. I can easily see it styled for playtime over some cute leggings but also easily worn as a sleeveless maxi length just perfect for a flower girl or a summer dress at the beach! There are so many options and ways to customize it and make FRANKIE work for that special girl in your life!

I can't wait to show and tell you more! And I will soon! But for now you can check out the pics over in the newest issue of STYLO and see some below!!!! I hope you will all love FRANKIE as much as I do <3 

Also make sure you flip through the whole issue of STYLO! There are amazing projects in there and I'm so honored to be included. But I also have a special sale on in honor of STYLO and you can get the discount code in the newest issue!!! The sale is valid until May 31st, midnight, PST.

// Have you signed up for our free newsletter yet? Sign up HERE to stay up to date on new pattern releases, sales and more!!!

GIVEAWAY || WE'VE GOT SOME WINNERS!

I've been hit with a doozy of a cold this week and didn't get a chance to announce all of our giveaway winners!!!! 

I did get a chance though to cheer myself up with a new skirt from Target (shown above). It's going to be well worn this summer! I also got spoiled by the hubs with a lovely bouquet of flowers on a rainy day after a rough week. So sweet of him!

So we had two awesome giveaways the last few weeks! First up our amazing Caterpillar Green Yarn Giveaway!

The winner is........

COMMENTER #130 - Jenny!

Next up is the amazing Fat Quarter Shop Lotta Jansdotter Fabric Giveaway!!! Can't go wrong with one of my new fave fabric lines - Sylvia!

The winner is.....

COMMENTER #71: Lynne!

Thanks to all of you who entered and congrats to our winners! I'll be in touch with you soon!

Happy Mother's Day this weekend to all you amazing moms out there! Remember you are special and so deserving of this special day. Take some time to pamper yourself and to get pampered. You earned it! Much luv and see you all on Monday for something really EXCITING!!!!

CREATIVITY || CAMP ALOHA FRIENDS!

Let's Go Camping Print by Lucy Darling Prints

Have you guys heard about Camp Aloha Friends yet? A fun, online interactive summer camp for crafters and creators alike - Camp Aloha Friends is sure to be a great way to get making, learning and also finding new friends this summer! 

The lovely Mel of the podcast - Singlehanded Knits, is the host and organizer of Camp Aloha Friends! She's such a lovely spirit and so much fun! Hers is one of my fave podcasts to knit along with! She's a funny, sweet and oh so awesome! You can find it on her blog here.

When I first heard about Camp Aloha Friends from Mel I knew you guys would love it! I love that Mel really tries as much as I do to get people making new friends. We both also strive to create wonderful and warm communities for our readers! I know some of us have found ourselves living in a town/city where we don't know anyone that is passionate about the same things. It can be hard to break out of your comfort zone and find those people that all share the same passions that you do. So sometimes going online is one of the easiest way to find and interact with these wonderful gals and guys!

My issue is that I find it hard to make it to events and conferences for both knitting and sewing. I'm in Canada and I'm always feeling like I'm missing out on all the fun events/retreats that happen in the US.  That's what's great about Camp Aloha Friends - it brings the event to you! You can take the classes, get the supplies and make new friends without even leaving your house! How cool is that!!!!!

Summer Camping by Valentin Stoev

Here's some of the details on Camp Aloha Friends:

// DATES
Camp Aloha Friends starts on June 15th and will run through till the end of September (you can still access things until the end of October though) and you can sign up and purchase your Camp Suitcase now.

You can choose to be a Day Camper (all access but you provide your own supplies) or a Bunkhouse Boarding Camper (all access with Camp Suitcase & other benefits). Fun right!

// WHAT IT IS
>>> an international assortment of teachers gathered together to teach an intercraftual array of fun!
>>> a special website for you to "camp" for the summer to access if you are enrolled!
>>> activities and crafts that build upon each other that YOU CAN DO.
>>> Knitting, sewing, crochet, tatting, embroidery, paper crafts, yarn dyeing, weaving & creating a loom are just some of the crafts you will do! 
.....and more!!!!

Here's Mel herself to tell you more about Camp Aloha Friends!
 

You can also view a longer version as well here.

// WHAT TO EXPECT
There will be fun activities, classes, chats and more all throughout the camp!

"....with activities to join in, either in real time as they post, or when you want or are able to join. There will be a monthly overview—each month giving you a glance ahead for planning purposes and weekly postings for activities. The Camp Aloha Activities are classes taught by Camp Counselors who love what they do and are passionate about sharing their heart with you. They will do this through video classes, photo tutorials,  audio feeds, pdf printouts and beautiful crafty combinations of these elements! Crafts are clearly taught, experiments easily explained, info seminars are exciting and inspiring!"

// THE CAMP SUITCASE - WHAT IS IT?
One of the most fun aspects about Camp Aloha Friends is the Camp Suitcase! Mel has handpicked many of the special items you need for your classes at Camp Aloha Friends and will send it direct to you!

"…everything from the fabric on the outside of your Camp Suitcase (a beautiful sweater sized project bag in a durable duck cloth), to each fabric bundle included in your charm pack for sewing class, to the buttons and ribbons and inspirational paper! These items are not simply tossed in, but are lovingly put in to your bag with much aloha and care to ensure you feel like the kid at camp getting a treat from home!" 

// THE NITTY GRITTY

You can find out more about the instructors (some awesome people!), the pricing and more details HERE.

I hope you have a great summer filled with creativity and community!

TOPS, TANKS & TEES KAL - FREE KNITTING PRINTABLE!

It's here! It's time to cast on for the Top, Tanks & Tees Knit Along!!!! Are you excited? Yay!

You've all been chatting away in our Ravelry group sharing favorite patterns, yarn picks and posting pics of yarn lovelies and swatches! It's been fun already and the kal hasn't even started yet! Firstly I am so thrilled to announce that one of my favorite yarn companies - Quince & Co., is our Official Sponsor of the TTTKAL!!!!! Wahoo!!! I'm so excited to have them on board for this kal in particular! Their gorgeous linen yarns Sparrow and Kestrel are both fabulous choices for the TTTKAL as well as the rest of their selection! We'll be sharing more on their yarns, collections, patterns, podcast and more during the knit along. But if you're just joining in and still looking for a great yarn/pattern I highly recommend checking out Quince and Co.! You won't be disappointed!

Are you guys ready for something fun? Now, I love printables. I love lists, and notepads and sticky notes..etc...it's a bit of an addiction of mine. So the other day I was thinking how fun would it be to have us a free knitting printable to keep our project organized for the TTTKAL? I tend to sketch all my pattern info on scraps or in random journals and am notorious for losing them. I hope that this will at least let my notes stand out a bit more and look a bit prettier if I must say so. So while you are all getting ready to cast on take a second to write down your yarn name, colorway, gauge, needle info etc and then plug it into your ravelry project page and get knitting!!!!

I've given you a column to list the yarn(s) you are using and make notes about them, write down your gauge (put your needle size(s) here too!), the cast on and bind off methods you tried or preferred and then general notes or row (rnd) counts if you'd like! I hope I'm not the only dork who thinks this stuff is fun! Any way I can be a tad more organized is a win win in my book!

Simply click on the "download box" below to print out your own copy!!!!

// PLEASE NOTE

This printable is free for personal use only, not for commercial use. You can print as many as you like for yourself or as a gift to someone, but you are not allowed to sell this printable in digital or print form, nor to distribute it in its original or in an altered form.

If you'd like to share some images of this printable, on Pinterest, social media, in a blog post... that's great! Thank you so much! Please feel free to use some images, but please credit and link back to this page. Please do not distribute the printable direct from your site and please do not link directly to the file- instead, please link back to this page. Thank you so much in advance!

I'm so excited for you all to start knitting!! It's never to late to join! You can find all the information, signups, dates, and more on our Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along Homepage!!!!! Yay! Don't forget to use our offical hashtag on social media - #tttkal!

// THANK YOU TO OUR OFFICIAL TTTKAL SPONSOR - QUINCE & CO!

WEBSITE || BLOG || RAVELRY || FACEBOOK || TWITTER

PATTERN || EMERY - SUMMER ISSUE OF POM POM QUARTERLY!

I'm so excited to tell you about my newest pattern - EMERY that is now available in the newest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly!!!

I've been happy dancing around the house since Friday with excitement! I'm a huge fan of Pom Pom Quarterly and was over the moon to be able to publish a pattern with them! They are such a fun and modern knitting magazine! If you haven't seen an issue yet I highly recommend them. You can purchase & subscribe online and also find Pom Pom at your local yarn shops and select bookstores.

I so enjoyed knitting and designing EMERY! This pattern is a textured play on fun geometrics! Knit from corner to corner to create a triangular shawlette that is modern & stylish and can be worn multiple ways. Reversible & light, this pattern is quick to memorize and easy to knit for all skill levels. Stitch definition pairs nicely with the lace details creating a triangle emblem focal point on this sweet, yet modern shawl.

EMERY will take you from summer days to steamy nights. Paired with a cute tank & shorts or a summer sultry dress at a beach side party - no matter what the outfit - EMERY will make you shine.

Knit up using ONLY 2 skeins of the deliciously lovely Plucky Sweater from The Plucky Knitter in colorway Mini Skirt you just can't go wrong!

You can get a copy of EMERY in the newest summer issue of Pom Pom Quarterly that is available to pre-order HERE.

Thanks for all of your support and happy knitting! I hope you enjoy EMERY as much as I do! I can't wait to make another one!

You can get a copy of EMERY in the newest summer issue of Pom Pom Quarterly that is available to pre-order HERE.

You can fave, queue and pre-order EMERY as well on it's Ravelry Page HERE. 

READING || BOOKS ON THE TABLE

I've got some fun new books to show you all today! You ready to get making?

I love books and I love adding new ones to my collection. I also enjoy sharing them here and reviewing some of my faves for you all! I've decided it would be fun to keep a new series running on the blog called "books on the table". I've done a few now and have enjoyed them as I hope you all do too.

Today I've got some good ones! Not all sewing either which I think is fun! The current books on my table are:

MAKE YOUR MARK by Lark Books

NEVER BEEN STITCHED by Amanda Carestio

SEW QUICK SEW CUTE by Fiona Goble

FABRIC BLOOMS by Megan Hunt

For the reviews & to see more pics keep reading!

Make Your Mark: Creative Ideas using Markers, Paint Pens, Bleach Pens & More is so fun! Seriously! I adore this book! And it comes with a pen!!!! The projects in it are all great fun! My favorite ones are the modern and geometric ones for dishware and more! I can't wait to try this out! It's right up my alley and something I've been wanting to try for a long time!

The book has clear pictures, great instructions and includes 50+ templates as well! If this is something you've been wanting to try I highly recommend Make Your Mark!

Next up is Never Been Stitched: 45 No-Sew & Lo-Sew Projects by Amanda Carestio! This book is filled with projects that are easy to make, involve little or no sewing and range from accessories to clothing & toys! If you are new to sewing or looking to try your hand at it you may find some fun projects in Never Been Stitched!

Sew Quick Sew Cute by Fiona Goble is filled with projects just perfect for any project you're craving! They are all quick sews and like the book says - cute! I really love the wide range of projects included in this book and can see myself sewing up more than a few of them! How cute are those underwear drawer sachets below! Adorable!

Also, don't forget to check out Fabric Blooms: 42 Flowers to Make, Wear & Adorn Your Life by Megan Hunt! A pretty book filled with instructions on how to make blooms with lovely fabrics, felt and using stitched embellishments.

Which books are you currently reading? Do you have any new faves you added to your collection? I'd love to hear about them!

GIVEAWAY || FAT QUARTER SHOP LOTTA JANSDOTTER - SYLVIA FABRIC GIVEAWAY!!!

Who wants to win some fabric? I love having a fabric giveaway and today's Fat Quarter Shop one doesn't dissapoint! 

You all know one of my favorite fabric designers is Lotta Jandotter so I'm super excited to show you one of my latest finished projects using her gorgeous new line "Sylvia"! I am absolutely head over heels in love with this black and white palette. In fact, I'm so much in love with it that I'm now going to bed on it every night. That's right - I made new pillow covers!

What better fabric to rest my head on each night than some Lotta Jansdotter? Hehe. I know. I need help but hey, what can I say - I love these prints and they just happened to be just the thing I needed to go with my new duvet and blanket!

Now I happened to have bought myself a half yard bundle of Sylvia and I decided to use 4 of my prints to make the pillow cases. I got to use my nifty new serger (review coming soon) that I also am smitten with so whipping up these pillow cases was a breeze! I sewed them up the other night while the hubby was working tax season overtime and then slept on them that night!

I used the following prints from the line Sylvia by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics for my pillow cases:

// Black Tav  // White Tav // Black Suvi  // White Suvi

Aren't they pretty? I seriously wanted to lay in that spot all day. The sun was out, my bed was cozy, my pillows were soft and the newest issue of Uppercase Magazine (all on textile design) just seemed so fitting to keep in the shot since I've been indulging in it the last week or two. If you happen to read the issue I have a wee mention/pic in it of my Sweetheart Dress!Squeee!

But moving on back to my pillows...ahhhh, the pillows. Don't you all just love new pillowcases? I love anything new for my bed (which I plan on buying this year too), our mattress is currently on the floor thus why my bed side tables look sooooo high. And yes, I'm 36 and my mattress is on the floor...haha. Our bed broke. What can I say? Low on the priority list. I'm saving up for a King sized. Once you have more than one kid you need a King.

I used this tutorial from my pal Dana over on MADE as a rough guideline for sizing etc to make my pillow cases. Since I was using half yard pieces I made a way wider side accent for mine.

What am I going to do with the rest of my half yard bundle - make throw pillows for my grey couch :) Yep. They will go with my Lotta Jandotter quilt and match my bed pillow covers...lol. The house of Lotta happening over here...lol.

Want to see some more pics and find out what you could win? Keep reading for more!

THE PRIZE
- One lucky winner will win a Fat Quarter Bundle of Sylvia by Lotta Jansdotter from our awesome sponsor Fat Quarter Shop.

HOW TO ENTER
- Simply visit this page featuring Sylvia over at Fat Quarter Shop and then come back and tell me which print is your favorite!
- Bonus Entry: Like Fat Quarter Shop and/or Very Shannon on facebook and then come back and leave me ANOTHER comment letting me know you did that too.

THE RULES
- You must leave a valid email in your comment or have a valid email associated with your profile or you will be disqualified.
- Giveaway is open until Sunday, May 4th, 2014, midnight, PST.

A big thank you to Fat Quarter Shop for the awesome prize! You can find all things Fat Quarter Shop below:

WEBSITE  //  BLOG //  FACEBOOK  //  TWITTER  //  INSTAGRAM  //  PINTEREST

Good luck and happy sewing!!!!! I can't wait to see who wins!

KNITTING || TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG ANNOUNCEMENT

I know you have all been waiting so patiently for this announcement so I'm happy to finally be able to announce the dates for our annual Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along!!!

It's been a super busy April so this year we are going to try out May for the KAL. I'm also going to try out us only having 1 month for this KAL vs a longer duration like we usually do. I find you gals are usually on your 2nd projects by the time the end rolls near so if we run the TTTKAL shorter it allows a bit more of a break in between this and the Summer Sweater Knit Along. So mark your calendars and get ready to join in!!! You can always find our Knit Along Directory here.

Our TTTKAL is simply knitting a top, tank or tee to join in!  You can make it out of any weight of yarn, any style you'd like - it just can't have full sleeves or be considered a full sweater!  It can be really summery or it can be warm and cozy with short sleeves. We want you to be free to knit what you'd love to be wearing this spring & summer! There are so many wonderful patterns out since last year's KAL I know you won't have a hard time finding one to knit or crochet! Fun right? But to make it easier you can follow and get inspiration on our Tops, Tanks & Tees Pinterest Board! Make sure to use our hashtag #tttkal on social media and on pinterest!

Togue Pond by Pam Allen

Plus you get to knit along with our great group of gals online!  We're lots of fun and the ravelry group is very active and chatty during our kal's. Think of it as sitting each week with hundreds of ladies knitting/crocheting alongside you cheering you on every step of the way!  Trust me - it's fun! We will also have a handy Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along Homepage on my website! You will always be able to find all of the posts and relevant info on that page!

Our knit alongs are suitable for any level of knitter! If this is your first garment - don't be scared to join in!  We've got a great group of ladies in our ravelry group and we are all always game to help and answer any questions!  During our knit alongs there is always great technical posts with lots of info, tips & tutorials to help you get through your projects.  We also have a new Tips & Techniques page that you can always go check out that houses all of our helpful posts.

If you you haven't done a knit along with us before you don't want to miss the end rewards! When we are all done we celebrate with me showing off some of your finished projects on the blog here with our starring you post and then I host a giant giveaway with awesome prizes from our KAL sponsors!!!! All you have to do is sign up (link & info below) and have started or complected your project to be eligible. 

So what do you say? You ready to join in for our Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along? Yay! You can find all the info and details below!

WHAT ARE THE DATES?

Start: May 7th
End: May 28th with a fun giveaway!

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS & RULES?

- You can KNIT OR CROCHET ANY PATTERN OF YOUR LIKING that fits under the category of a top, tank or tee.  This can be either for an adult or a child.  Your project cannot have full length sleeves.  any weight of yarn can be used.

- You don't need to finish your project (though we love it if you do) to be eligible for the giveaway but you do need to start.  We really want to encourage people to knit together and form a sense of community and online friendships.

- There will be a topic thread in our ravelry group that you can chat away about your projects, share patterns, cheer each other on and more.  Have fun with it!

- Have fun! For reals! That's a rule..lol! You must have fun!

- If you're not on ravelry feel free to share your pics and chat in the comments. We love when you guys comment on the blog and it's also a fun place to have convos and share your blog posts as well.

HOW DO YOU SIGN UP?

Enter your info into this private form to be eligible for the prizes for the giveaway! You must have a project in progress during the KAL to be eligible. Projects already begun before the KAL started are allowed to be joined into the KAL. You can also double up KAL's if you are in an existing KAL with that project.

You can sign up by clicking on the link below.  
*Note: you must be signed up to be eligible to win the giveaway prizes at the end of the knit along.

TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG SIGN UP FORM

WHERE CAN YOU FIND US TO JOIN IN?

1. RAVELRY. Find the KAL running in the Very Shannon Ravelry Group. The thread to chat in will be up today sometime so you can all pop in and share which projects you will be making, swatches, yarn choices etc. This is the part I find the most fun! I love all the chatting, friendships, laughs and support. If you haven't joined in over there before for our KAL's you should give it a try.

2. PINTEREST. We will have a fun Tops, Tanks & Tees Pinterest Board where you can find other  projects pinned to see different yarns & patterns and to get inspiration. We will be adding to this pinboard as the KAL progresses throughout the month so please share your projects pics with us! We love to see them!

3. BLOGS. Each week throughout the KAL, I will both be posting here on the blog along with some special guests. You will be able to read the posts hopefully every Wed throughout the duration of the knit along. Please feel free to join in and post on Wed as well and share your links in the comments so we can read your posts too!

4. SOCIAL MEDIA. You can follow along with pics and more with the hashtag #tttkal. You can find me on facebook, twitter, instagram and google+.

5. HOME PAGE. You can always keep up to date with all the posts, sponsors, details & more for the TTTKAL on our Tops, Tanks & Tees KAL Homepage!

Do you have a pattern in mind? What yarn are you planning on using? Pour a cup of coffee and let's chat TTTKAL!

GIVEAWAY || CATERPILLAR GREEN YARNS GIVEAWAY!

I will admit I have now become an avid sock knitter. An addicted one at that. I have embraced the sock knitting.

I have knit since I was a young girl but only started knitting socks last year. After crossing it off my list of "to learn how to's" I quickly realized what a silly git I'd been. I mean seriously, I feared the sock. I feared the heel. I feared everything about sock knitting. The base fear though was that I detest wearing socks. I only wear them when I really need to. They bug my feet and always have. I used to pay my little sister to put my socks on my feet for I couldn't even stand that out of the dryer sock feel and I'm still the same way.

So when I slipped my feet into a pair of lovely handmade slippers gifted to me from my friend Buffy (thanks again Buffy) I started to realize...hmmmmm...if I can control what the fiber content is going next to my skin maybe I would actually wear socks? And the rest is history.

I gave it a shot and let me tell you, there are not a lot of things that compare to that moment when you turn a heel and you want to shout out in glee "it's a sock, a real sock, a real, real, real sock, with a heel and everything"! No matter how many socks I make I still get an adrenaline rush from the toe and the heel. They make me so gosh darn happy. It's pretty hard to explain in words but trust me in that it's fun and I now see 100% why it's so darn addicting! The yarn for socks is a plenty and there are tons of amazing ones to choose from! It doesn't break the bank to knit a pair of socks and the best part - you can bring them with you everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I don't leave home without a pair of socks in my bag anymore. Thus leading me to my love of the "vanilla sock". That lovely plain sock that you can mindlessly knit and make out of any fave yarn you come across.

My current yarn obsession - Caterpillar Green Yarns. Seriously. Obsessed. Self striping. Awesome colors. Soft as butter. Did I say self striping? Yep. 'Nuff said. And the icing on the cake - she lives in my city! Heck yeah people! Can you hear the yarn angels singing! Hehe. The dyer behind Caterpillar Green Yarns is the lovely Catherine who has mad skills. Like serious skills. She makes yarn that makes you scratch your head and go "how the heck did she do this?". It's gorgeous. I love that I can just drive by her place and beg her for more yarn...j/k...sort of...lol. Don't worry Catherine...I promise not to stalk you :)

I met & fell head over heels for Catherine's yarns last summer at Fibrations here in town. She quickly became the hot commodity and we all left home with some of her pretty sock yarns. I cast on this fall and have become smitten. I now have acquired a few more skeins. You can purchase her MCN Fingering in 2 different sizes - 115g and 170g!! Both are more than enough to make a pair of socks! Plus you can add on yummy accent skeins for your toe and/or heel! Love! I've also been waiting patiently for something new she's been cooking up as well - self striping shawl yarn! Can you hear me squealing with delight? I can't wait to see it when it's ready!

Ready to see some more pictures? What's the fun in having yummy yarn if you can't share it with others who equally love yummy yarn? I've been dying to show you all my current socks on the needles! 

Aren't they so purdy!!!. And guess what? You can enter to win some today!!!! Yahoo!!! I'm dancing around the house in my one sock right now out of excitement for y'all! 

// THE PRIZE
- One lucky winner will get to choose a 115 g skein plus accent skein (click here to read more about the awesomeness of her accent skeins) of their choice from Caterpillar Green Yarns!!!! Thanks Catherine!

// HOW TO ENTER
- Simply visit Caterpillar Green Yarns and check out all the lovely yarns, then come back here and tell me which 115g skein/colorway of yarn you'd choose if you won!

// THE RULES
- You must leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- Giveaway is open until Sunday, April, 27th, 2014, midnight, PST.

You can find all things Caterpillar Green Yarns below:

SHOP ||  RAVELRY  ||  INSTAGRAM  ||  BLOG

And don't worry, I didn't forget all the nitty gritty details of my socks! 

And yes, I know my stripes on the 2nd pair don't match At. All. I decided to go a little wild and just wing it and break the sock knitting rules. They make me smile that they don't match. I think it's the gemini in me wanting them different. It's like knitting a brand new sock! And that coral heel on the first pair - my fave thing ever!

Yarn: Caterpillar Green Yarns, MCN Fingering, Colorway: Concrete & Tulips
Needle: 2.75mm/US 2 Addi Turbo Sock Rocket, 32" circular (for magic loop)
Pattern: Gusset Heel Basic Socks from the book Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy D. Johnson
Follow along with it & get more details on my ravelry project page.

Additional Yarns Shown:
1) MCN Fingering, Colorway: Ocean Sunset (170g with accent skein)
2) MCN Fingering, Colorway: Skyline (115g)

Alrighty....who's ready to win themselves some new yarn? Yay! Good luck and HAPPY KNITTING!

READING || HAPPY HOMEMADE SEW CHIC & SEW CHIC FOR KIDS BOOK REVIEW!

I have a serious crush on Japanese sewing & knitting books. An "I will pore over every image and diagram a gazillion times" sort of crush. 

The aesthetic, the vibe, the layout - I love it all. I'm heavily influenced by the clean lines and the fresh feel of Japanese books. They just get me all creatively inspired and, of course, dying to make everything in the books!

I was so excited to get my hands on two of the popular Happy Homemade series "Sew Chic" by Yoshiko Tsukiori and "Sew Chic for Kids", by the talented Ruriko Yamadaboth, translated and published in English by Tuttle Publishing.  And yes, you read that right - they are in English! I have to say that when they started releasing this line in English I was over the moon. I'm a visual and a technical learner. I like to read and see the instructions so I love that I can now read the instructions as well as see them. Their diagrams are gorgeous and very well done but I longed to read the words in the book as well.

Keep reading below to see my review & more pics!

// SEW CHIC FOR KIDS

The best thing about Sew Chic for Kids is that I love pretty much every pattern in it.  

Ohhhh....the clothes, such lovely clothes...and for both boys and girls!!!! Can I hear a yay?!The book is filled with 20 wonderful essentials for any child's wardrobe. Plus they are the type of clothes that are the ones that you enjoy sewing as much as your children love to wear! The book includes patterns in the back, and lots of gorgeous images in the front. Instructions are given in written and diagram form. The pattern pieces are in the back of the book and head's up - they don't include seam allowances. But don't fret - the book has a section showing you how to add them, how to sew, and more tips, techniques and instructions.

The pattern pieces are included in the back of the book and there are 2 double sided pattern sheets, giving you a total of 4 pattern sheets. Pieces are spread out throughout the pattern sheets so I highly recommend you check the contents list on each sheet to make sure you aren't missing any pieces for the garment you are making before you start sewing. It sounds harder than it is. Once you start using them you'll see what I mean.

I definitely recommend Sew Chic for Kids and can't wait to sew something up for my girlies and my nephew. But first I have to choose my favorite one to start! This is proving to be much harder than I thought! I love them all!

// SEW CHIC

Sew Chic just oozes relaxation. The pictures depict the kind of girl I so wish I could be. The clothes are comfortable, effortlessly chic and so lovely. 

Now I've got me some curves so I can't pull off all of the looks but there are definitely some I could wear! The book includes 20 patterns ranging from tunics, pants, skirts, dresses and more! My fave piece to try is that lovely jacket shown in the middle shot below. It's something missing from my closet and think it would be a flattering piece for many body shapes. Just like Sew Chic for Kids, Sew Chic has inspiring and clean images in the front, patterns in the back. Patterns contain written instructions as well as diagrams. No seam allowances on the pattern pieces but instructions written in the book on how to add them making it not seem so overwhelming.

The pattern pieces are included in the back of the book and there are 2 double sided pattern sheets, giving you a total of 4 pattern sheets. Pieces are spread out throughout the pattern sheets so I highly recommend you check the contents list on each sheet to make sure you aren't missing any pieces for the garment you are making before you start sewing. It sounds harder than it is. Once you start using them you'll see what I mean. 

It also includes a section on tips for sewing, how to make bias strips & v-neckline facing, attach facing & binding and how to sew pockets. As well as how to trace patterns onto paper, add seam allowances, straighten fabric, pattern placement and how to take your measurements. It's all done so tidy and neat all of that literally only takes a few pages!

Women with curves take note though - the book does only go up to a certain size level and I know a majority of us are bigger than their largest size. If you have some alteration experience I'm sure you could grade up a bit to make them work but I wanted to include this in my review as I'm someone who has a hard time myself finding patterns that are mainstream that fit my curvy shape. The largest bust size is 40 1/4" and the largest hip size is 43 3/4". This isn't a direct con to this book though. Most Japanese sewing books have sizes in the smaller ranges so it's to be expected when you purchase them.

I still love Sew Chic. I still hope to sew some things from it and even aside from that, I just love looking at it! As someone who has published 2 books I get a real joy out of seeing how these are put together and I know they will be a well loved addition to my book library.

Both Sew Chic and Sew Chic for Kids are published by Tuttle Publishing and can be found at your local bookshop, sewing store and on Amazon. If you have a love for Japanese sewing patterns and books I highly recommend giving the English publications a try. The Happy Homemade series is amazing and always drool worthy. They make a lovely set of books to add to your sewing pattern collection.

Do you love Japanese sewing patterns and books?  Which book is your favorite? Have you made any of the patterns from Sew Chic and Sew Chic Kids?

P.s. Have a wonderful long holiday weekend! My oldest is turning 7 on Easter! Can you believe it! It feels like only yesterday that she was a baby! See you all on Tuesday! 

MOMENTS || CHECKING IN & A WINNER

Just popping in today to quickly say a hello and draw a winner!!!

My folks just left this morning and after having them here for 2 weeks I'm already missing them. I'm a blubbering baby who spent last night crying. I only get to see them once or twice a year and we are very close so it's hard to say our goodbyes or "see you soon's" as I like to say. I got to take a much needed mini-break from work and spend some time with them and my family with some amazing weather these past 2 weeks knitting and drinking coffee in the sunshine. The sun has been out and it's been soooooo warm!!! It's been wonderful.

I hope you all have had a great week as well! I'm excited to hear what you have all been up to. I also have some fun new posts to share with you in the upcoming weeks as well!

And now I know you're all waiting to find out who won the awesome Tanis Fiber Arts Giveaway we hosted last week! The yarn, the patterns....ohhhhh...such a lovely prize!

The lucky winner is.....

Commenter #157 - Brittani!!!! 

Congratulations Brittani! We'll be in touch soon about your prize!

A big thank you to all who entered and to Tanis for the generous prize!

What have you been up to this past week or so? Any new projects on the needles? What have you been working on? Making? Fill me in! I've missed ya!

p.s. yes, that yarn in the pic above is Tanis Fiber Arts yarn...isn't it gorgeous? It's Orange Label and I am so smitten with it!

GIVEAWAY || LUCKY PENNY BABY COLLECTION FROM TANIS FIBER ARTS!!

Who's in the mood for a fun giveaway? Me, me, me, me! 

I was sooooo excited when my lovely friend Tanis of the amazing Tanis Fiber Arts wrote me to say she had released a new collection all for baby boys entitled the "Lucky Penny Baby"!!!! Seriously....adorable. And even though I have girls I would make every single thing in here. Plus there is definitely not enough go to patterns for boys in the knitting world so it's great to see her filling that void with stylish and cute patterns!

In the "Lucky Penny Baby Collection" you get 4 stylish patterns! 

// SCHOOLBOY VEST

// R&R HOODIE

// KEYFIT BABY BLANKET

// FROSTED ALPINE HAT (sizes infant to adult!)

The patterns feature Tanis's beautiful and scrumptious yarns and showcase her signature style and use of color! I can't wait to cast on the Frosted Alpine Hat and R&R Hoodie! I've got a few little men in my life who could most definitely use these!

Tanis also offers great size ranges for the collection as well! The Frosted Alpine Hat goes all the way up to adult from infant!!! Love that! I also love all the thoughtful details she's placed into each pattern. Any of these patterns would be a great shower present or something special for that little man (or girl) in your life!

Would you like to know what you could win? Click below to keep reading & to see more pics!

Aren't they all adorable? Ready to find out what you could win? Yay!

// THE PRIZE
- One lucky winner will win the following:

- A copy of the "Lucky Penny Baby Collection" 

- 3 skeins of Green Label Aran weight from Tanis Fiber Arts in 3 coordinating colours!!!! Wowsa! Tanis will surprise the winner with the colour of the yarn and the winner can put them towards a Schoolboy Vest or a Frosted Alpine Hat (or both if they knit the small sizes!).

// HOW TO ENTER
- Simply leave me a comment letting us know which project from the Lucky Penny Baby Collection you would make first!
- Bonus Entry: like Tanis Fiber Arts and/or Very Shannon on facebook and leave us a separate comment letting us know you did that too.

// THE RULES
- You MUST leave a valid email address with your comment or you will be disqualified.
- Giveaway is open until Sunday, April 13th, 2014, midnight, PST.

A big thank you to Tanis for her talent, inspiration, this awesome giveaway and for being such a special friend! I can't wait to see who wins this special prize! You can find all things Tanis Fiber Arts below:

WEBSITE || BLOG || FACEBOOK || TWITTER || INSTAGRAM || RAVELRY 

Happy knitting and enjoy!

CREATIVITY || STAYING ON TRACK

I love cherry blossoms. 

It means spring is here with it's blue skies to bask in, sunshine to soak in and new projects to dive into. Where I live the streets become lined in cherry blossoms. Tree after tree, row after row, the pink blossoms fill the sky. As islanders we know to soak it in and relish in it for the rain could just be right around the corner. I've always loved cherry blossoms and the experience of watching my little girl laugh and experience joy in what we call the "snow blossoms" as they fly through the afternoon breeze and flutter across our heads, faces, twirling and dancing in the sky, was one of those moments I'll remember for always.

I always say when the blossoms are blowing and line the sidewalks it's like walking on heaven. A heaven of puffy pink petals. It's bliss. I think we stood there for at least 5 minutes today in one spot just laughing in the blowing blossoms. Thankfully I am not the only loony toon who does this. I'm happy to have passed down my weirdness to my children. Poor things.

Aside from cherry blossoms, though I could talk about those purdy things for a few more paragraphs but I digress, I must admit I missed February. Yep. Didn't get my "Creativity" post in. It was a nutso month and I think I may have fallen a bit off track if I do say so myself. I tried my darn hardest to stay true to my January resolution post (read it here) but life does like to put me up for a challenge. It likes to say "hey Shannon, wanna play?" and then take me for a life ride.

I want to try to write this post at the start of each month to keep myself on track for the year. I like that I can write in this post honestly and openly and that you can all see that I'm a normal gal just like the rest of you. I need more sleep, I need to exercise more, balance my time better, remember to slow down and enjoy the little things and so on...you get my drift. I'm not perfect. I work too much. I lose my temper. My house is a mess. I take on more than I can handle - daily. But each night I know my little family and I are getting by and that most hours are spent happy. It's those hours that I feel like things are out of whack that I need to work on. The ones when everyone seems to need me for something and I just don't have it in me to do it all. The ones where you just want to curl up in bed and drown out the "to do list" that keeps you up at night. I hear ya. I'm right there with ya. I know you all can relate.

So this past month I didn't do so hot. I finally got up the courage these past weeks to start eating gluten/wheat again since my doctor gave me the requisition back in May of 2013 to get the tests done for Celiac Disease. Truth be told it scared me so bad to eat it again that it took me going to Seattle the other weekend to do it. We ended up cheating on our eating plans and I figured since I had already cheated I might as well finally get the scary thing done. So I've been eating the enemy and feeling horrible. Like an alien version of myself. It has not been fun. It has been hard. I have cried. I have felt sick every day but today is my first day back on my plan again. Goodbye wheat. See you never. I can't wait to fill my body with green smoothies, salads and whole foods and get back onto my exercise plan.

Besides working on JOURNEY events and travel for that I've been busy behind the scenes on a new sewing pattern - yay! Watch for the call for testers this month (fingers crossed)! I'm so excited to show you all! I can't stop making versions of it because I find it such a fun sew. I've also got a few knitterly things up my sleeves too...you know me - never without my needles and a sketchpad. You can also read a fun interview about me and more funny things here on Nora Meets the Maker! I was so excited to be asked by Kollabora to be interviewed by Nora! It was a great time! I heart Kollabora and if you aren't already a member I strongly urge you to join. It's so fun! You can also purchase some of my patterns on there as well! Come follow me!

So what's next for this month? Family. My folks are in town for 2 weeks. They get here tomorrow which means things may be sporadic and slow around here till they leave. I only get to see them once or twice a year and I love them to bits and pieces and I promised this time that I would not be a nutso working freak when they are here. Normally I am a stress case...lol. So this year I plan to take the time to enjoy their company without fretting over deadlines and work. I cannot wait to see them! I miss them so! It will be a good test of my January post to see if I can balance everything this month.

We are also in the middle of tax season. And if there are any other "tax widows" out there, and those of you who are know what I mean, you know April is hell. It's my most dreaded month of the year. Except for the 20th. That's my wee ones bday so I can't hate that day ;) And hello....how did my first baby get to be turning 7? Wahhhhh! I cry every time I think of it. But yeah, April is not fun at all. I go into survival mode and we all just try to keep our heads above water until it's over and we can breathe again. I love hearing from other gals who live with accountants. We all need to support each other during this crazy time.

Even though April is usually insane for us I'm going to attempt to do my darnedest to make it better. I'm going to slow down a tad and find the wee bit of balance I had for January and February again. I miss it. March kicked my butt and I don't intend April to do the same. I'm going to try my best to stay on track and I hope you'll join me. I love knowing that I have these posts to answer to and that I can share my creative journey with all of you and hear about yours too.

So who's with me? Anyone else a bit off kilter with their balance this last month? Who else is starting a new eating/fitness plan? Anyone else feeling the need to slow down a tad and rejuvenate their creative energy? Please chat. I so love to hear from you my friends :)

// PS - the winner of our Very Shannon Fat Quarter Fabric Bundle from Fabric Spark is.....commenter #193 - Marti Taylor! Congrats! I'll be in touch soon!

MOMENTS || OUR TRIP TO TOLT YARN & WOOL AND VOGUE KNITTING LIVE!

I've been so excited to show you all pics of our recent trip to Seattle for Vogue Knitting Live and our visit to the popular new yarn shop - Tolt Yarn and Wool!

It took me a bit to get back into the groove of things after being away. Having one kiddo home for spring break sure put a damper into my work plans too. But now we're getting back into the routine of things again and I knew if I didn't post these soon I wouldn't get a chance to.

Jane and I had so much fun here I honestly begged the lovely owner Anna to let me be a virtual employee! It's yarn heaven in there and I came home with a nice loot! I cannot say enough about this shop. I was there for a few hours and still didn't get to see everything. It honestly is amazingly curated and filled with treasures! The decor is to die for and Anna has put the most special touches and style into this huge and airy store! I'm not joking when I say it's like walking into yarn heaven. It's that awesome. There is a fireplace to sit around and knit, a lovely back table area with stylish chairs and table lamps to knit and converse with friends plus an upstairs area for classes and more! It's bright, warm, friendly and oh so inviting! My fave purchase from Tolt was the AWESOME Tolt mug!!!! I have been using mine everyday! I got the white one! I also got one of the rockin' baskets you see all over the shop. It's so lovely and my yarn now has a happy home in it!!!

Thank you soooo much to Anna (for everything and for being so kind) and to all her lovely staff for making it such a special event for Jane and I. And thank you to everyone who drove out to attend - it was such a great group of women and we had so much fun the time flew by way too fast. And I can't forget to give a special thank you to Veronika from Yarn on the House for her lovely pressie! She's such a doll! And she has a new line of yarns just out called YOTH Yarns and let me tell you - she is one to watch! This yarn is STUNNING! I highly recommend you guys! I can't wait to wind mine up and start knitting with it! You can see it in the collage below. Her yarns can be purchased at Tolt right now and you can see her trunk show there as well!

So sit back, sip a coffee/tea and step inside Tolt Yarn and Wool with Jane and I! For more pics and to hear about the rest of my trip see below!

See that pic of me above? That's what happens when you are around too many yarn fumes! I was like a crazy kid in a candy store!

And one of my fave things to do when I get home is to make you all an instagram collage of our trip!

Here's some of my fave shots from our weekend! We honestly had such a great time that we hardly have any pics! It's hard to take photos when you're having such a great time and getting to chat with so many awesome people! Vogue Knitting Live was great (I didn't buy much as we were so busy shopping was tricky) as was our stay at the Marriot Courtyard in Bellevue. Love that hotel. We honestly camped out in the lobby there on the last night till very late eating, drinking and of course knitting with all of our gals! It was one of the highlights of the trip for me! We always have fun in Bellevue and Seattle and it's so fun to get over to visit from Canada.



Jane and I like to travel to Seattle via the Coho ferry from Victoria and then we drive from Port Angeles to Bainbridge Island (home of Churchmouse Yarn and Teas!!!) and again, for the 2nd year in a row we were unable to go to this amazing shop due to our ferry transfer time! I swear we were almost in tears!!! All of the women from Churchmouse are so beyond lovely (they had a booth at VKL) and I even found out the owner is a long time family friend! What are the odds right! Such a fun experience! We were so happy to have gotten at least to chat with them during VKL. I could have hung out at their booth all day. And I don't have a picture, but Jared Flood (of Brooklyn Tweed) was there and I got to chat with him and of course, fawn and get flustered. He is such a huge inspiration to me that I honestly become speechless around him! Me - speechless! I know right! It's a miracle of epic proportions! I still have the ball bands he signed last year hanging on my inspiration board near my desk.

I also had another surreal experience meeting one of my favorite long time bloggers - Dottie Angel (aka Tif)! You can see a pic of her and I together in the bottom row, center of the collage above. Seriously, it was as her and I like to call a "serendipitous meeting". I heard she was working at Tolt Yarn and Wool Shop so when Jane and I arrived for our trunk show I was pretty much stalking the shop looking for her! I was beyond excited to get to meet her. But our paths were not meant to cross that night. But on Saturday at VKL while we did our signing at Stash Local I looked up and there she was!!! It was such a special and touching moment for me to be able to say in words to her how much her blog and writing meant to me. She was one of the reasons I even started blogging and I have been a loyal fan of hers ever since. She was so kind and like a kindred spirit! I could have chatted with her all day! It truly was so amazing to meet her! Thanks again Tif!

Another huge highlight for me was getting to finally meet Susan B. Anderson! Let me tell you - she is the sweetest woman ever! I just wanted to keep hugging her she is so patient, kind and nice. It was so fun to get to meet her and we were all looking forward to it! It definitely was a big highlight for our whole group to get to chat and meet her!  She is such a huge inspiration and I'm a big fan of her work! Thanks for being so sweet Susan! I hope we can meet again!

I also got to meet Karen Templar from Fringe Association. If you see the pics above of my loot the bag with the yarn quote is Karen's and I also got a print of hers with the same quote to put in my office space. I'm a big fan of her blog and shop. She has a great eye and her aesthetic and taste is amazing! If you haven't visited her shop before go now! You won't be disappointed :) I could have spent all my moula at her booth but had to control myself...lol.

Our book signing at Stash Local was so fun and we got to meet so many wonderful people! We thank Sonia again for having us!!! We so appreciated the support Sonia!!! It was a blast and your booth was so lovely!!! She had so many gorgeous yarns on display I just kept stopping what I was doing and petting all the Hazel Knits yarn! We were also lucky enough to have the booth be right near Sincere Sheep (the yarn for Jane's Spate mitts from JOURNEY), Chicken Boots and Fringe Association! It was great fun to be around so many lovely ladies! I also got to pick up a gorgeous skein of yarn from Neighbourhood Fiber Co.! I've been wanting to try their yarns and their booth was amazing! It was very hard to just choose one!

Of course before we left Bellevue we had to hit up the mall and visit Anthropologie (my first time!!!), the Disney and Lego stores (for the kids) and eat a yummy lunch at the Cheesecake Factory! We then raced to Trader Joe's (we all LOVE Trader Joe's) to stock up on all of our faves and then raced to get over the border to catch our ferry. It was a long night home but we made it :) It's always so fun to go on these road trips but I'm also always happy to get home to my girlies and the hubs!

// Don't forget - if you would like to get to see Jane and I and visit our trunk show for JOURNEY and get your copy of JOURNEY signed make sure to pop by the lovely Beehive Wool Shop this weekend on Saturday from 12-4! We're officially launching JOURNEY in our home city! We can't wait and we hope to see  you all there! 

Have you gotten to meet a fave blogger of yours? Who's yarn are you currently coveting? Have you been to Tolt Yarn and Wool yet? Let's chat! 

SEWING || FREE BONNIE DRAWSTRING PROJECT BAG TUTORIAL!

If you're like me, you always need as many project bags as possible. One is never enough. There are always more projects and I love it that way!

While I already have tutorials for our fun Reversible Sock Knitting Project Bag, Indie Project Bag, as well as our fun Brigitte Needles & Notions Zippered Pouch, I figured it was about time to whip one up for some of you beginner sewers that's a classic! A lot of my knitting readers are just getting into sewing and I thought that the Bonnie Drawstring Project Bag would make a great intro to sewing project for them that isn't boring, is fun to make but that also makes a great gift too! And more experienced sewers can play with fabric choices, add personal touches and customize to their hearts content!

You all know my personal motto is to get knitters sewing and sewers knitting! I live by that! So why not tempt the knitters to the dark side by getting them to make their own project bags that they all love? I know how much my friends and I adore our project bags and no matter how many I have I always add more. It's fun...what can I say!

When I spotted the new line "Sweet as Honey" from the uber talented Bonnie Christine a few months ago I was instantly in love. The colors, the patterns, the mixtures of designs - they were truly reflective of the style we love from Bonnie on her fab blog "Going Home to Roost"! I loved that she stayed true to her addicting aesthetic! The fabrics are as lovely as all of her work. And to top it off her line is available from Art Gallery Fabrics - one of my fave fabric lines. Their pima cotton is to die for soft and drapes beautifully!

When Bonnie asked me to join in on her Sweet as Honey Blog Tour I was thrilled! The only problem I had was deciding which fat quarters to use!!! I had already gotten my hands on some of the fat quarters so I luckily was able to mix and match for my project today! I highly recommend the prints in this line. They are so cheerful and beautiful and I find myself so drawn to them during the rainy season we are just putting behind us here.

Would you like to learn how to make our Bonnie Drawstring Project Bag? Let's get sewing! Read below to find out how!

BONNIE DRAWSTRING PROJECT BAG TUTORIAL

*Copyright 2014 VeryShannon.com. All rights reserved.  Email askveryshannon@gmail.com if you have questions.

MATERIALS

*NOTE: I made my project bag using 2 fat quarters that measured 19 x 22". The main portion of the bag is a 12.5"W fat quarter folded in half height wise. I have given instructions/dimensions for the fat quarter pieces below but will also list below the dimensions if you would like to use a different piece of fabric.

1 Fat quarter of main fabric cut to 12.5"W (19"H)
1 Fat quarter of accent fabric cut to 2 pieces 12.5"W x 6"H
OR
1 piece at 12.5"W x 19"H of main fabric (or 2 pieces at 9.75"H sewn together with a 1/4 SA with edges finished)
2 pieces at 12.5"W x 6"H of accent fabric
2 pieces of 1/2" twill tape at 32" - 35"L (or drawstring material of your choice..ex ribbon, fabric)
Removable fabric marker
Coordinating thread
Scissors or rotary cutter w/mat

INSTRUCTIONS

*ALL SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE 1/4" UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

STEP ONE: PIECING TOGETHER YOUR BAG

*NOTE: I made my project bag using 2 fat quarters. I will give instructions/dimensions for the fat quarter pieces but will also list below the dimensions if you would like to use a different piece of fabric.

TIP: If you have sewn two pieces of fabric together to form your main fabric for the bag you may skip the step above.

Take your main fabric piece that is 12.5"W x 19"H and fold in half with right sides facing each other and press along fold. The fold will be the bottom of your bag.

With your main and accent fabric right sides together sew your accent fabric to both the top and bottom of your main fabric using either a serger or on your sewing machine. If using your sewing machine finish your seam allowance with a zig zag stitch or other appropriate stitch. Press your seam allowance towards your main fabric. *See diagram to the left.



STEP TWO: FINISH SEAMS
Using a serger (or a sewing machine) finish the side seams of the whole bag neatly right along the edge.

Measure and mark 3" down from the top of your bag. This will be where our opening for our drawstring will be. *See diagram below.

TIP: You can finish the seams using your sewing machine by using either a zig zag stitch, a mock coverstitch (or other appropriate stitch on your machine) or by using pinking shears.

STEP THREE: SEWING YOUR BAG
With right sides facing each other sew both side seams with a 1/4" seam allowance (if serging sew right along your inner serged edge) starting from the mark you just made. *See diagram below.

STEP FOUR: CREATING YOUR CHANNEL
We are now going to make the channel for your drawstring. You are almost there! Press your seam allowance open and towards the wrong side of your fabric carefully. Now fold down and press the top of your fabric down 1/2". Then press and fold again 1". Make sure your seam allowance is fully enclosed in your fold. We don't want this show from the outside of the bag. Pin along the entire top perimeter of your bag. Topstitch along this fold close to the inner edge of your fold neatly and precisely. Press well. *See diagram below.

STEP FIVE: PUTTING IN YOUR DRAWSTRING

Attach your safety pin to one end of your twill tape and pull the twill tape through the opening on your front left side and out through the front right side. Then pull it back into the right side of the other side of the bag (the back) and back out the left side forming a loop. Tie a half knot with both ends together. Repeat this step but this time entering in the channel from the front left side. *See diagram above and below.

I like to finish the ends of my drawstring off by serging and then pressing over 1/4" or so and stitching it down. This is optional though. Feel free to use or make whatever you'd love to have as your drawstring.

You did it! Yay! Great job! This is a great time to add your label or any finishing touches you may want! Personalize and customize to your heart's content! That's what makes these bags fun!!!!

Make sure you share your pics! Add them to our flickr group, share them on our facebook page, or comment with a link below! I love seeing your project pics!

You also do not want to miss all the stops on the Sweet as Honey Blog Tour! Thanks again for having me Bonnie! There have been some amazing projects!!!! Tomorrow the tour will be stopping to visit Heidi at Hands Occupied and yesterday a lovely table runner was made by Mel at Missouri Mel.

P.s. - if you love the basket in the shots above as much as I love mine it's from Tolt Yarn and Wool. I adore it! Plus you can wet it and reshape it!