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.

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!!!

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

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!

JOURNEY KNIT ALONG GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Image by Nicholas Kupiak

So sorry for the wait everyone! I've finally got the winners of our JOURNEY Knit Along Giveaway!!!!

I've been under the weather the past 2 weeks with a bad cold that my kiddo brought home from school. Yuck. I even lost my voice for 5 days!!! Can you imagine me - voiceless. Needless to say it was not good. But I'm back and I've got a winner!!!!!

Congratulations to.....

Entry #191 - Kylie from the blog "Like Purls Off a String"!!! Yay!

We'll be in touch soon with your prizes Kylie!

A big thank you again to our prize donors - Quince & Co. and Sincere Sheep!  And to all of you for knitting along with Jane and I. We had so much fun and hope you did too.

Remember you can find all the JOURNEY KAL info here on it's home page.

I also have a fancy new knit along Tips & Techniques page (you should check it out!) and a Knit Along Directory. I'm slowly building all the pages for the knit alongs so you guys can continue to use them as resources if you'd like.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! What have you been working on? Did you get your JOURNEY project finished?

JOURNEY KNIT ALONG || THE GIVEAWAY!!!!

It's time for the post you have all been waiting for! The JOURNEY Knit Along Giveaway!!!!

I have absolutely LOVED seeing everyone's projects from the book. I can't even begin to explain how much fun it has been and how amazing it is to see all these gorgeous items knit up form the projects that Jane and I worked so hard on. It's so special to us and I thank you all for showing us so much love and support. It really truly means so much! Jane and I are both sick this week so it's cheered us up to see all your WIP's and FO's!

So in honor of that we are so excited to have a giveaway for you all today!  Our way of saying thank you for knitting with us and for being so gosh darn awesome!   I wish I could hug each and every one of you! And even though the KAL is over please keep posting your pics! You can use hashtag #journeyknits on all your projects so we can still see them on Instagram and social media! I really enjoy following along with you all!

Now...are you ready to hear what you could win?

// PRIZE 

One lucky winner will receive a $50 Gift Certificate from Quince and Co.!!!!!

// PRIZE

One lucky winner will receive a Skein of Bannock by Sincere Sheep in the colorway of their choice!!!

// PRIZE

- 2 lucky winners will receive the eBook of JOURNEY (this includes all the individual Pdf's as well)!

 // PRIZE

- 2 lucky winners will win 3 patterns of their choice from Very Shannon (that's me!)

// PRIZE

- 2 lucky winners will win 3 patterns of their choice from Jane Richmond

Here's how you can enter....

// PRIZES

Prize Package #1
The lucky winner will take home a $50 Gift Certificate to Quince & Co, an eBook of JOURNEY, 1 skein of Bannock from Sincere Sheep!

Prize Package #2 & #3
A copy of the eBook of JOURNEY, 3 patterns of the winners choice from Very Shannon and 3 patterns of the winners choice from Jane Richmond Designs!

// HOW TO ENTER
- You MUST be signed up for the JOURNEY KAL and you MUST have started a project during our knit along. Note: The project does not have to be completed to be eligible. We will be picking the winner randomly from the number that your entry gets allocated when you fill out the form. If you haven't filled out the entry form yet but you took part in the KAL you can sign up here:

JOURNEY KAL ENTRY FORM

// RULES
- You MUST have at least started and worked on a project during our JOURNEY knit along to be eligible to win. You do not need to have completed your project to win.
- Giveaway is open until Sunday, March 2nd, 2014.

A HUGE thank you to Quince and Co. and Sincere Sheep for their generous prize donations and for their support of JOURNEY! We so appreciate it!

Looking for all the JOURNEY KAL info? Remember you can find all of our info here on our JOURNEY Knit Along Home Page.

Crossing my fingers and toes for your win! Good luck and thanks for knitting with us!!!

JOURNEY KNIT ALONG || MY ANTRORSE SWEATER

Can you tell I love my Antrorse sweater? I'm so happy to have one of my pattern in my own size!

When designing Antrorse it was tricky to make it for someone that was way smaller in body size than I. Throughout the whole process I was dying to make one in my size so I could try it on as I went. The sewer in me wanted to drape, alter and shape and this time I had to trust the math and the stitches. I did end up making one for myself though. And the lazy knitter in me still hasn't blocked it....don't judge...lol. I know it needs it - desperately. But the weather here is so damp and dreary I knew it was going to take forever to dry and I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet. So you lucky ducks get pics of me in it pre-blocking :) And those of you who know I made this in October....hangs head in shame...I promise to block it soon.

When Jane and I planned out the JOURNEY KAL we both thought it would be fun for you guys to see us wearing our JOURNEY garments. You can see Jane's over on her blog later today. One of my favorite things now that Antrorse is out in the world is seeing all the beautiful body shapes wearing it and all of them looking gorgeous in it! I love that curvy gals like myself can wear it and that we look just as cute in it as the model in our book! With no waist/hip shaping it still let's us show off our curves but with the 2" of positive ease it doesn't cling to our bits and bobs that we don't want showing (ahem...like my 2 baby post c-section tummy). The funnel neck balances out our boobs and hips while the directional arrow down the center draws your eye upward slimming your frame.

I'm happy in this sweater alright. No tugging, pulling, shifting or feeling like I have to suck in all my air to pose for a pic for a few minutes. This is me. Dancing. Happy. Goofy. Listening to my new fave album  by Noah Gundersen (Ledges is my fave - cannot stop listening to this whole album), wearing my Antrorse exactly how I would on any given day. I love pairing it with my fave tunic of the moment - my Tova (you can read more about it here), a pair of dark grey leggings and my well loved knee high boots. The layers keep me warm and I feel like I'm wearing a short skirt (that flatters my legs) but doesn't reveal anything since I really have pants on :) That little pop of color just makes me smile. And knowing that I handmade both the tunic and the sweater makes me ecstatic! I love those outfit days.

My Antrorse is made from Quince and Co. Osprey in the colorway Honey and it's my fave. I am obsessed with it. It's this gorgeous creamy yellow/green color that is just awesome. I'm currently also making a Swift hat in the same color so I can rock this tone all over! Lol! A gal can't have enough of this color in my opinion. I love it. Same with the yarn :) But then you all know how much I love Quince and Co. The texture from this yarn just makes this graphic loving gals heart swoon :P

I didn't make that many mods for my pullover. I made a size 42 and the only thing I did was make mine a tad longer. I wanted the length a bit longer so it went over my problem area (aka the tummy mentioned above). Since I knew I was going to wear this with leggings more than pants it was the way to go. I hunted and hunted for the right buttons and when I spotted these at our local yarn shop - Knotty By Nature I knew they were destined for my Antrorse! They are real wood and smell glorious! I adore them!

Now it's your turn! We want to see your projects from JOURNEY! 

Get those pics added to our Ravelry group! Post your pics on your blog and share your links here! We can't wait to see all the finished projects next week you guys! There are some truly beautiful things being made!

And remember you can find everything JOURNEY KAL on our homepage here! Thanks for knitting with us!!

Sweater: Antrorse Sweater Pattern by Shannon Cook (me!) from JOURNEY

Yarn for Sweater: Quince and Co. Osprey in colorway Honey

Tunic: Tova Tunic (from Wiksten) sewn by me (read more here).

Fabric for Tunic:  Luxe in Bloom by Sarah Watson for Art Gallery Fabrics

Leggings: Costco

Boots: Old Navy (2+ years ago)
Music I was listening to: Noah Gundersen (Can't stop listening to the whole album, but Ledges is my fave!)

JOURNEY KAL - YARN SUBSTITUTES FOR JOURNEY

Have you been wondering what yarns you could use to make the patterns from JOURNEY?

We thought it would be fun to show you some yarn substitutes that we like for our patterns from JOURNEY for the knit along! We loooove the choices we have listed in the book but we know not everyone has access to those yarns and it's also fun to see the projects knit up in different yarns too! So I've compiled a list of some of the yarns that I would think of using (and some that others have knit the projects with)! I don't know about you but I love looking at people's FO's in different yarns! It's so fun!

I hope you enjoy the choices below and please feel free to suggest a yarn that you love too! I'd love to hear which one you'd love to use for my patterns!

// ANTRORSE - Aran Weight

- Cascade Eco Cloud
- Malabrigo Worsted (Aran Weight)
- Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted Solid (Aran Weight)
- Plucky Rustic

// ONWARD - Worsted Weight

- Tanis Fiber Arts Orange Label
- MadelineTosh Tosh Vintage
- Knit Picks Swish Worsted
- Brooklyn Tweed Shelter

// SWIFT - Sport Weight

- Madelinetosh Pashmina and/or Sport
- Blue Sky Alpacas Sport
- Nuna Mirasol Yarn

If you're taking part in the JOURNEY KAL please dont' forget to tag your posts with #journeykal on FB, twitter and Instagram (and so on) so we can keep up with all your awesome pics! I've been having so much fun reading through them at night! And pop by Jane's blog tomorrow to see her yarn substitutions.

I'm in the process of revamping my Knit Along home page (can't wait to show you all!). It's still in the works but in the meantime you can find our new JOURNEY KAL homepage! You can always find all the info for the JOURNEY KAL there - sign ups, posts, info and more! You can check it out HERE.

What yarns did you choose for your JOURNEY project? Did you make a substitute that you love? Leave me a comment - I'd love to know your choices! 

P.S. Don't forget to enter our "Eucalan & Knitter's Pride Giveaway" to win some lovely new goodies!

JOURNEY KAL || KNITTING BUTTONHOLES: A ROUNDUP

During the making of my Antrorse pattern I became obsessed with buttonholes.

I couldn't stop looking at them, analyzing them and studying them. I wanted to knit my dream buttonhole for my dream sweater. Then I came upon the One Row Buttonhole and my dreams came true. Clean. Easy. Reversible. Tidy. It made the perfectionist in me so very happy. Buttonholes never get enough of the limelight in knitting if you ask me.

So when discussing possible topics for the JOURNEY KAL Jane and I decided to do one on techniques for you guys today. She's covering the Turkish Cast On and I'm chatting all about knitting buttonholes! Wahoo! Fun right? Who doesn't love learning a new technique? I never get tired of it.

If you're knitting my Antrorse Sweater for the JOURNEY KAL you'll get to work the One Row Buttonhole first hand! It's been one of the most commented part of the sweater that I get from knitters. I'm so glad so many of you have found a new love for this buttonhole!

You ready to learn how to knit a One Row Buttonhole? Want to find out what other buttonholes there are? Here's some of my faves! 

// ONE ROW BUTTONHOLE
- Tutorial from NeoKnits
- Video from New Stitch a Day
- How to on Knitting Daily
- Video on Knitting Help

// OTHER BUTTONHOLES
- Buttonhole techniques on Vogue Knitting
- Buttonholes on Knitty
- Buttonhole techniques on TECHknitting (here, here, here, here , here, here)
- Buttons & Buttonholes on Knitpicks Blog
- Buttonhole tips from Tricksy Knitter
- Two row buttonhole on Crafty Stylish  
- Making perfect buttonholes Part 1 and Part 2
- Buttonholes on Craftsy
- Knitting on the Net's buttonholes

// TAKE A CLASS
- Button Bands & Buttonholes Class with Anne Hanson on Crafsty
- Knit the Perfect Buttonhole Class with Anna Zilboorg on Interweave

// READ A BOOK
- Finishing School: A Master Class for Knitters by Deborah Newton
- Knitting for Dummies free chapter on Knitting Buttonholes
- The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiat

Interested in learning more techniques from our knit alongs? Check out these fun posts for more tips and techniques! These are just a few we've covered during our knit alongs!

POCKETS || KITCHENER || PICKING UP STITCHES || BLOCKING || SEAMING

What project are you knitting for the JOURNEY KAL? What yarn are you using? Do you have a fave buttonhole? Let's chat! 

PS. Find all the info for our JOURNEY Knit Along here.

KNITTING || JOURNEY KNIT ALONG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Guess what??? We're doing a JOURNEY Knit Along!!!! Woot woot!!! We're so excited! 

Jane and I wanted to wait until after the holidays to kick off the new year with a fun knit along for our newest book release - JOURNEY: A Collaboration! We are super excited to do a knit along for this book and cannot wait to see all your projects!!! What do you say? Would you like to join us? Yay!

// START DATE
- the KAL will start on February 5th (next Wednesday).

// END DATE
- the KAL will end on February 26th with a fun giveaway! There will be awesome prizes!!!

// HOW TO SIGN UP
- simply enter your info (kept private) into this form to be eligible to win the giveaway at the end of the KAL. You also must have a project in progress during the KAL to be eligible.

// RULES OF THE KAL
- HAVE FUN! For reals! That's a rule...lol! You must have fun...lol.
- You can join the KAL with a project from JOURNEY already started. We encourage people to finish up those WIP's. If you are half way though you might want to wait a week or two before joining in to make it fair :) We also encourage playing nicely.
- You can make anything from the book JOURNEY. Other projects will not qualify you for the KAL.
- You don't have to finish your project by the end of the KAL (though we encourage that) to be eligible for the prize. We just want ya to join in :)

WHERE CAN YOU FIND US ONLINE 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 JOURNEY KAL Pinterest Board where you can find other people's projects pinned to see different yarns, sizes, and 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. OUR BLOGS. Each week throughout the KAL, Jane and I will both be posting. It will be double the fun! You will be able to read each of our posts hopefully every Wed throughout the duration of the knit along. 

4. SOCIAL MEDIA. You can follow along with pics and more with the hashtag #journeykal. You can find Jane and I on facebook, twitter, instagram and google+. Our links to our social media pages can both be found on the top of our sidebars so follow along and join in :)

WHERE CAN YOU GET JOURNEY?

You can now buy JOURNEY in mutliple formats. You can purchase the hard copy version that also comes with the eBook and the individual pattern PDF's via Amazon, your local yarn shops, and Ravelry. Click HERE to find all the links.

You can purchase JUST the eBook (with individual pattern PDF's) via Ravelry here.

Don't want the whole book? That's cool too. You can also purchase each pattern PDF individually via Ravelry. I also have my patterns from the book available to purchase through my own shop Very Shannon and on Etsy.

We thank you for all the wonderful love & support you have shown Jane and myself since the release of JOURNEY. We are so glad you are all enjoying the book as much as we do. We so appreciate each and every one of you.

So what do you say? It's KAL time!!! Yay! What project will you be making? Yarn choices? It's raining buckets and I'm cozied up with some yummy hot coffee and there's a mug for you! Let's chat!