ANNOUNCEMENT || WE'RE MOVING!

I have been bursting at the seams to tell you guys some exciting news!!! We've bought our first home! Wahoooo!

Over the last few months we've been going through all the steps in finalizing the purchase of our very first house!!! I wasn't able to mention anything online to you all until everything was done but now we're living in the middle of packing chaos and getting very excited for the big move! I keep pinching myself to make sure it's all real!

We take possession at the end of July and we cannot wait for all the space! We've been living with both girls in our 2 bedroom condo for almost 7 years! We love the place we've been renting but we can't wait to have some more personal space, a small yard and for momma to have her own office!!! We spent a loooooong time looking and seeing way more houses/townhouses than I think I ever needed to. Boy do I not miss that stage of real estate..lol. We knew when we walked in the house we bought that it was meant to be ours.

The hubs and I have worked so hard and saved so much to be able to buy our first home. It's been such a dream of ours for us and our kidlets and it feels amazing to have our dream come true!!! I can't wait for all the little things....planting our garden, painting the walls, decorating, fun diy projects and more! I mean just getting to buy a welcome mat is going to put me into a happy jig! So many "house" things that I just can't wait to do! If you see a woman in Target dancing in the home aisles you know it's me ;)

Needless to say July is going to be a tad different on the blog. We've got a family vacation planned (our first in many years) and of course, the big move! I will still be blogging and trying to keep things as normal as possible around here but there may be a few moments when things are a tad quieter. Don't worry though, there are lots of fun things in the works that are coming your way soon! The Summer Sweater Knit Along is in the works, our Frankie Dress Pattern is so close to going into testing and there are some knitterly goodies coming your way as well! I've also got a few finished sewing projects that I need to blog about too! So stay tuned!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading all these years, and for supporting this blog and my pattern designs! It means so much that I get to share this next journey in my life with all of you!

SALE || BIRTHDAY SALE - 30% OFF!

It's my birthday today so I'm in the mood for a sale!!!!!! 

I love me a  sale! So since I'm turning 37 today I figured why not give you all 30% off the entire shop!!! Wahoo! Enjoy!

USE COUPON CODE "BDAY30" TO GET 30% 0FF THE ENTIRE SHOP! 

// Sale is valid until midnight, PST, June, 21st, 2014.
// Sale is valid in our shop HERE, on Ravelry, and in our Etsy Shop.

Happy making and creating and have a wonderful weekend!!!!!

SEWING || FREE REVERSIBLE BOX TOTE PATTERN!!!

I've got a new FREE pattern for you all today! I'm on such a huge project bag/tote/pouch kick this year! I just can't seem to get enough and the Reversible Box Tote is just what I needed!

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Perfect for carrying around all my knitting projects, journals, notes, & yarn spools! Heck you could even use this for the beach, for shopping, as a purse and more! The shape holds a ton and is so comfy to carry! I've been wanting a project tote that I don't have to wear over my shoulder. With my bad back sometimes I just find it easier to carry them by hand and let's admit it - some of my normal totes end up dragging on the ground or I get scared they are going to rip carrying all my loot around.

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The Reversible Box Tote is sturdy, stylish and just waiting for you to sew one (ahem..or a few) up! 

Trust me, I am going to make at least a few more!! It's a super quick and easy sew that is suitable for a beginner sewer and beyond! So don't be scared if you're just learning! There's room for you to customize to your hearts content too! Want more pockets or ones with a zipper or velcro? Go ahead - add them on! Want a quilted look? Skip the interfacing and add batting instead and quilt it to your outer bag fabric for a custom look! You could even color block! So many options! See - you can't have too many when they can all look different!

You can choose to download the free pdf from our shop HERE or direct HERE if you'd prefer :)

*Note: Make sure to download the file first and then print from Adobe Reader - not direct from preview/google drive or the picture quality/sizing can be wrong.

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I used the gorgeous new line from Sara Lawson (of Sew Sweetness) for Art Gallery Fabrics called Jungle Ave.

It's part of their awesome Limited Edition line that is drool worthy! 

I am HEAD OVER HEELS in love with the combos of black/white and that fuchsia/pink! Love it! I was so happy when Sara asked me to join in on her fabric tour and to sew something up using Jungle Ave.! And since Sara is the queen of bag patterns I thought it was only fair to honor her and sew up this tote in her line! Sara is so sweet and one talented lady!

For my Reversible Box Tote I used the following prints from Jungle Ave.

Outer Bag // NeighborHoods

Inner Bag // Dotted Boulevard

Pockets // Word on the Street

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So....you ready to sew one up? Grab your latest fabric crush and let's get making!

For the FREE

Reversible Box Tote pattern and information please visit our Reversible Tote Pattern page HERE or if you would prefer you can download it HERE

Happy sewing!!! Use #soveryshannon to share your projects on social media!

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GIVEAWAY || TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG GIVEAWAY!

Confetti Powder from Confetti System

It's giveaway time!!!! After all your hard work knitting up your top, tanks & tees it's time for our annual giveaway for the TTTKAL! 

A big thank you to Quince & Co. for being our Official Tops, Tanks & Tees Sponsor this year! Without Quince & Co. we wouldn't have our knit along! Our other super fabulous sponsors have donated some amazing prizes for you all to win! I'm drooling over here people! Two of you are going to be some lucky knitters!!!! Please visit their sites and show them some love! Each of our sponsors are companies I love and use. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.

|| PRIZE ||

- Kestrel and Sparrow Sans eBooks and 1 skein each of Kestrel and Sparrow in the color of the winners choosing from Quince and Co.

|| PRIZE ||

- 3 skeins of Julie Asselin Yarn - Fino (Merino/Cashmere/Silk), in winners color choice.

|| PRIZE ||

- $25 Gift Certificate to Jane Richmond Designs.

|| PRIZE ||

- $25 Gift Certificate to Sugar + Candy Handbags.

|| PRIZE ||

- 2 sets of Akin Stitch Markers

|| HOW TO ENTER ||
- You must be signed up in the TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG and have started a project during the time of the knit along.  You DO NOT have to be done your project but you must have cast on and started knitting.

|| THE PRIZES ||

First Place Prize

- Quince & Co. prize package, Julie Asselin Yarn Prize Package and Jane Richmond Prize Package.

Second Place Prize

- Sugar + Candy Handbags Prize Package, Akin Prize Package

RULES:
- You must have left a valid email address when you signed up in the form above.

- You must have taken part in the TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG that is now over.
- Giveaway ends Sunday, June 15th, 2014 at midnight, pst.

More information and links for the entire knit along can be found on our Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along Homepage. Good luck everyone and thanks again for knitting along with me!

WINNER || UP, DOWN, ALL-AROUND STITCH DICTIONARY & BLUE SKY ALPACAS GIVEAWAY

The weather here has been positively gorgeous and I've been busy behind the scenes on some secret projects and hanging out at the beach and floating on lakes :) I hope to fill you in on some of them soon. But for now I'm excited to finally get to announce our Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary & Blue Sky Alpacas Giveaway winner!!!!

The winner is.....

COMMENTER #71: MICHAELA

Congratulations Michaela! I'll be in touch with you soon in regards to your prize! Thank you to all of you who entered.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! What have you been making lately? 

TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG || STARRING YOU!!!

Vasa knit by Sunflowerknit

Today is the day we've all been waiting for! The Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along 2014 - Starring You Post!!!! I seriously love putting this together for you all every year! It's so fun!

I mean how could you resist showing off all these amazingly gorgeous projects!!! You guys blew my mind this year! We shortened the TTTKAL by almost a month and still some of you whipped out 2 projects! Mind blown!!! Plus there was some seriously great uses of color and fibers paired with inspiring and oh so lovely patterns this year! I'm so happy to see so many of you embrace knitting warm weather garments!

Saco Stripes by JennEmerson

When putting together today's post I couldn't help but get emotional. I feel so lucky to have so many wonderful knitters joining in on our knit alongs. It does my heart good to see so many of you having such a good time, bonding, laughing, sharing stories and also learning/helping each other with your projects. I know I enjoy sitting down and reading through the thread every night and following along on Instagram with our #tttkal hashtag. It's so fun to see what you all have been up to with your projects!

Willing Spring by Jaykayknits

I can't help but say a huge THANK YOU to each and every one of you who participated - whether you finished or not. It means the world to me that you join in and have fun! From someone who had nobody to knit with to now having all of you it  makes me get all teary eyed! You guys are the best and I can't wait for the next one!!!

And now - here you all are!!!! You're AMAZING!

Sourpatch knit by BetsyJo

Saco Stripes and Driftwood Tee both knit by Knitthehellout

Dulce De Leche knit by ryanpagehaas

Davis knit by Knitmish

Fire Opal Tee knit by Mamatronic

Leger and Saco Stripes knit by Gardenknittr

Drifting and Scarborough Shrug knit by Moonkun

Regatta Tee knit by Sbnyc

Cap Sleeve Lattice Tops - 1 & 4: Knit by Becca Flake 2: Knit by Stephni-A 3: Knit by Joy201

1. Bryter knit by KCmomof2 2. Saco Stripes knit by cassburns 3. Simple Circle Yoke Pullover by DrAnna 4. Sunny Lou Dress from byannieclaire 5. Short Row Sweater knit by laura2022 6. Sparrow knit by Regalraven 7. Hawt Sands knit by Mamtronic 8. Hetty knit by likeleigh

1. Lavina knit by inafunk 2. Whispers by qtpieknitter 3. Emerald knit by lilpixie124 4. 26-29 Super Cotton Vest knit by karinamaza

1. Stoney Brook Top knit by madgiddy 2. Icarus knit by urbanizer 3. Saco Stripes knit by culabrat 4. Wakame knit by philda 5. Jessa knit by CassyTom 6. Sagoponack Tee knit by ummashin 7. Cosmopolitan knit by Purplefish 8. Nachtfalter knit by pattymatt 9. Catskills Cardi knit by bibite 10. Tomboy Cardigan knit by asimplehomestd

1. Bokeh Tank knit by craftycavy 2. Drambuie knit by mootastic1 3. Aquae Tank by mradford  4. Shannon knit by ValentinaS 5. Vertex knit by Calliopesmom 6. Dropveter knit by Karinamaza 7. Ribbon by qtpieknitter 8. Holla Back Tank knit by PamonMars

Wowsa!!!! You guys did soooo good! So many amazing projects! And such a fun variety! I love it! Congrats again on all of your WIP's and FO's! You guys rock!

You can always check out all the lovely knitted projects on our...

Tops, Tanks & Tees Homepage

 Ravelry #TTTKAL Project Page

Instagram with #tttkal hashtag

And a huge thank you to our wonderful and supportive sponsor Quince & Co. for helping to make our TTTKAL 2014 happen!!!! Please go visit them and show them some love!!

Stay tuned for next week! Our big giveaway is coming up!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!

SEWING || LOTUS POND RUBY DRESS

So excited to show you all my new Ruby Dress made from Rae Hoekstra's pattern and sewn with her new fabric line Lotus Pond!!!

You all know how much I adore Rae and all her creative talents and endeavors so I'm super happy to be part of the Lotus Pond Tour that's going around on right now.  If you haven't seen Lotus Pond for the fabulous Cloud 9 Fabrics you must get your hands on some! It's fresh, fun, and....well...just plain scrumptious! I love every print I've seen! Plus the quality of Cloud 9 Fabrics is fabulous as well as Rae's aesthetically pleasing uses of her color palette! I cannot wait to get some more to whip up some new outfits for the kids.

But instead of sewing for them this time this momma needed a new summer frock to wear. I wanted something a) comfy b) vacation ready c) something I could throw on over a bathing suit or easily pair with a fab pair of leggings & boots/shoes. Enter the Ruby Dress. A quick and easy sew that fulfilled all my holiday requests. We're going on our first vacay in years this summer and I will be lake/pool side for 7 days and could easily imagine the Ruby Dress being a staple part of my holiday wardrobe. Plus Rae just looks so darn cute in hers (see the Ruby page here) I couldn't resist channelling my inner Rae :) I sewed mine up with Fluttering Fields (bottom portion) and Meadow Blossoms White (upper portion) from Lotus Pond.

I made my Ruby Dress with Size Large Bust and an XL for the bottom portion. I got a great fit on the upper portion which was my biggest fear. I didn't want the bust area to pull or distortion due to the size of my ahem....girls. Well Rae gives you an upper bust and a bust measurement to go by, as well as hip so I found this dress easy to accommodate my body shape. I used my lazy man's hip seam again - aka, did a 1/4" seam allowance instead of a 1/2" as called for. I like doing this sometimes when I want a tad more ease (this pattern calls for 4" of ease for comfort) and I don't feel like I need to go up a full size in the pattern.

I love that this dress is so versatile! I was bad and already wore this before the photo shoot. In fact I wore it a few hours I finished sewing it. 

I paired it with my dark denim skinny jeans, my new fave shoes (see them HERE), and my never leave the house without light coral cardigan. I also could see this in my closet with my grey capri leggings, or in the fall paired with full length leggings and my fave boots with a handmade cardi. A sign of a great pattern :) I do need a new belt though. I noticed a lot of people belt their Ruby Dresses and this is a cute look! I just have bad juju trying to buy belts. They never look right on me and hit me in my trouble spot so I'll be on the lookout for one to pair with this as well.

Overall if you've got a bust and curves and wondered if you could pull off the Ruby I say go for it! Play around with your sizing and have some fun! I hemmed mine a heckuva lot shorter than the pattern size states to show off the legs to slim my overall body. I think mine is about 2" - 2 1/2" above the knee and I'm a shorty at 5'4".

A big congrats to my lovely friend Rae on another wonderfully inspiring collection! You consistently amaze me with your talents m'dear. Thank you sooooo much for having me along!!! Sending big Canadian hugs my way to you luv <3

DRESS: Ruby Dress from Made by Rae

SIZE MADE: Size Large for upper portion and XL for the lower portion.

MODIFICATIONS: Used a 1/4" seam allowance for the bottom portion and cut and hemmed the dress shorter. 

FABRIC: Fluttering Fields (bottom portion) and Meadow Blossoms White (upper portion) from Lotus Pond by Rae Hoekstra for Cloud 9 Fabrics

Have any of you made a Ruby Dress yet? Have you got your hands on some Lotus Pond yet? Are you planning on making any vacation outfits? Let's chat - coffee's on....

GIVEAWAY WINNERS GALORE!!

I'm so excited to announce the winners of the last 2 giveaways! There were some AWESOME prizes to be had!

First up the April Rhodes Arizona Fabric Giveaway! Seriously still drooling over these prints folks! They are all so lovely!

// THE WINNER IS: COMMENTER  #40 - MOLLY

Next up is the amazing Warp & Weft Sewing Giveaway with some gorgeous prizes from Merchant & Mills! Such a drool worthy prizes!

// WINNER #1 IS: COMMENTER #47 - KELLY

// WINNER #2 IS: COMMENTER #15 - SOPHIE

Congratulations winners! I will be in touch soon about your prizes! And a big thank you to all who entered! Thanks for reading!

P.S. Don't forget to enter our great Blue Sky Alpacas Giveaway for a chance to win the new book "Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary", yarn & more! Enter HERE.

TTTKAL || DEADLINE EXTENSION POLL

Image via Quince & Co.

Knitting a whole top, tank or tee is time consuming. You guys know that I always like to give you all a chance to vote if you'd like a 1 week extension on the deadline to finish up your KAL project.

It was new this year to try the TTTKAL in a 1 month time span. Usually I do 2 months but found everyone was making at least 2 projects - it was too long. So this year we did 1 but I'd still like to offer you a chance to push it back a few days if you'd like before we do our starring you post! The new deadline would be Monday, June 2nd, 2014.

Remember - do your best to get some lovely finished pictures of your project to show off your hard work! Get someone to help you or find some great tips on our post last year on taking great project pics by our guest Michelle from A So Called Handmade Life. It's got lots of great tips and her pics are always some of my faves! Click HERE to read the post. You can also find more helpful info on our Tips & Techniques page HERE.

Trust me when I say that you will appreciate taking the time to take a good project shot later on when you look back at all your knitting on ravelry. It feels good to have your work shine and to share it with all your fellow knitters :) Plus our next KAL post is our "Starring You" one and I'll be posting some of the finished projects on the blog next week!!

Now it's time to vote! Fill out the poll below and then get knitting ladies!


And for those of you who are already done - wahoo!!!! There are some AMAZING projects in our Tops, Tanks, Tees Knit Along FO Page on Ravelry!

Thanks for knitting along with me!

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

UP, DOWN, ALL-AROUND BLOG TOUR & BLUE SKY ALPACAS GIVEAWAY!!!

Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary by Wendy Bernard || Published by STC Craft/Abrams || Photos by Thayer Allyson Gowdy

I adore stitch dictionaries. I can't get enough of them. Fun reading for me at night is perusing stitch dictionaries. Weird, but true.

I love seeing all the endless possibilities and the creative why's and how's. When I heard about Wendy Bernard's new book "Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary" I got super excited! A coil bound stitch dictionary that does all the work for you! Seriously! She's written it so that each stitch is shown with instructions & charts and can be knit in 4 different directions!!! Flat, in the round, bottom up, town down - you name it - she shows you! Genius!!! This is the first of it's kind and I'm so excited to be on the tour today sponsored by Blue Sky Alpacas!

I have spent some lovely hours slowly perusing this gorgeous book! True to the STC Craft/Abrams brand, "Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary" is as pretty as it is useful. Clear, and bright photographs, easy to follow instructions and charts - Wendy has written and compiled a book that is a must have for any knitters technical library. I cannot tell you how useful this book is. So much helpful information and I keep going back to the coil binding. I love that it lays flat while I'm knitting from it. Plus all the yarn used in the book is from Blue Sky Alpacas (whose yarn I adore) and the colors just pop from the pages! Wendy even has each chapter broken into color themes! WEEE! It does my book lovers heart so good to see this! It adds such a great texture & vividness to the swatches when you are flipping through the book itself.

Photos above: Thayer Allyson Gowdy

There are lots of special little details added to this book. Such as the fun graphic design! On the spine and bottoms of the pages where the stitches are written there are shapes that mimic the symbols used in knitting charts. I go gaga for things like this! I really loved this book and thoughtful design elements of the book itself. It's also broken up into great sections to make it easy to find what you're looking for.

Here's what's included:

// HOW TO USE THE STITCH PATTERNS

- Swatching Basics

- Swapping out Stitch Patterns

- How to Work With Charts

// KNITS AND PURLS   // RIBS   // TEXTURED, SLIPPED, AND FANCY   // YARNOVERS AND EYELETS   // CABLES   // LACE   // COLORWORK   // HEMS AND EDGINGS   // PROJECTS   

// APPENDIX

- Designing From Scratch

- Abbreviations

- Special Techniques

- Key

- Stitch Multiple Index

- Acknowledgements

- About the Author

Wendy Bernard also added some great chapters in this book that are very educational and useful for any knitter - designer or not. Such as the section on Swapping out Stitch Patterns - so handy! She also has a great chapter on the end that is on Designing from Scratch and she gives you 3 patterns that you can easily learn and design your own using the stitch patterns in the book! It's awesome!  There is a stole, a slouch hat, & some mittens! Also at the end of each Stitch Chapter there is a project using one of the stitches from that section and there are some darn cute patterns as well!

I couldn't resist whipping up a swatch of one of the stitches in the Textured, Slipped & Fancy chapter! I made mine using the Bamboo Stitch! A fun one! Doesn't it look so scrumptious in Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand Dyed? This yarn is beyond heavenly and that color......swoon, it's color #2023!!!! I can't wait to knit more with this!

Needless to say this book is great! Patterns, design help, stitch dictionary & more Wendy always puts together books that are so valuable but also inspiring! I recommend this one to any knitter looking to add to their stitch dictionary library. It's got some great ones in it! Plus this book would also be a handy tool for knitting instructors or shop reference.

But that's not it.......I've also got an exciting prize to give away today!!!!

// THE PRIZE
- One lucky winner will win this lovely prize package:

- 3 drool worthy skeins of yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas (shown in the picture above & below)

- a copy of Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary by Wendy Bernard

- an adorable Pretty Cheep Project Bag

// HOW TO ENTER
- Leave me a comment letting me know what you love about stitch dictionaries.
- Bonus Entry: Like Blue Sky Alpacas and/or STC Craft on facebook and leave me a separate comment letting me know you did that too.

// THE RULES
- Open to US/Canadian residents ONLY.
- You must leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- Giveaway is open until June 1st, 2014, midnight, PST.

Follow along the rest of the Up, Down, All-Around Blog Tour below! Lots of chances to win!!! Good luck and happy knitting everyone!!! A big thank you to STC Craft/Abrams and Blue Sky Alpacas for having me on the tour! Congrats on the wonderful book Wendy!

May 20: Knit and Tonic - we will also post Tour Info & Schedule on the Blue Sky Alpacas Blog.

May 22: FreshStitches

May 24: Hey Jen Renee

May 26: Very Shannon

May 28: Miso Crafty Knits

May 30: The Sweatshop of Love

June 3: Stockinette Zombies

June 4: Mari Knits

June 6: Lattes and Llamas

June 21: Wendy Bernard on the Ready, Set, Knit! podcast

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.