Loreley

In my August Newsletter we discussed the knit outerwear designs that are going to be popular for Fall. This discussion naturally leads to accessorizing your new coat or jacket and Ivete Tecedor of Chaigu has taken all the guess work out of getting it right and has made it easy for you with her new Loreley Scarf.

This classic scarf is quite simple to knit, it features garter stitch broken up by eyelet rows to keep it fun, but what really makes it unique is its knit in a blend of 8 different colorways of Koigu's KPPPM fingering weight yarn! You'll love watching the colors fade in and out while you work this project and you'll love the way it looks on you even more!

Ivete has an eye for color and she has put together some very special Kits for Loreley featuring color blends that are only available on my website, once these Kits are sold out, they're gone!

Finished Measurements: 6.5″ wide by 64″ long
Gauge: 24 sts and 40 rows = 4″ in garter stitch on size US #6/4.00mm needles
Materials: Approximately 15-17 oz of 8 colors of sock yarn. Shown in Koigu KPPPM. Total of about 440-500 yards of sock yarn are required to complete scarf

Summer Sale! Save 30% on Madelinetosh Yarns

Celebrate the remaining days of Summer by saving 30% on Madelinetosh Yarns!

Pashmina
Pure Silk Lace
Tosh Sock
Tosh Merino Light
Tosh DK

Sale ends August 17th.

August 2011 Newsletter

Summer is winding down as Fall is gearing up and you just want relax and knit, I've got the perfect project to help you do just that while at the same time get a start on the Fall fashion line up!

In This Issue: Ysolda Patterns Winners & New Giveaway / Monet's Pool / Fall Fashion Preview / Ecuador KAL / Yarn Sales! /

Ysolda Patterns Winners & New Giveaway
But first I'd like to thank everyone who enter my last blog giveaway for 3 Ysolda patterns! Congratulations to our winners Debby H, Silvina and Amy Valentino. And this month if you enjoy knitting references in pop culture you'll want to test your knowledge in my latest giveaway for a Farmer McGregor Sock Kit, it includes the pattern and a skein of Dream In Color Smooshy. To enter visit my blog, knittingwithsandrasingh.blogspot.com

Monet's Pool
Make the most of your remaining Summer and knit something beautiful for yourself. Jane Thornley's new Monet's Pool is a simple yet elegant shrug created by mixing your favorite yarns & colors in either an easy "drop stitch wave amid purls" design or feather & fan. This lovely pattern bridges the gap between Summer & Fall and you can choose between two lengths.

Monet's Pool

Or knit something small, fast & easy that packs a powerful punch! Sivia Harding's new Galatea is a graceful and infinitely adaptable beaded lariat style neckpiece, let it be your first piece of statement jewelry for Fall.

Galatea

Fall Fashion Preview
I've been pouring over Fall '11 runway reports and the latest fashion magazines and once again the current styles are being influenced by the classic, put together looks worn by the ladies on the hit TV series Mad Men and more importantly, knits still reign supreme! I'm seeing bold colored outerwear used to bring focus to this season's masterful mixing of patterns. This is your cue, as a knitter, to create a special garment, you'll wear again and again, to update your wardrobe.

The Ella

Solid colored outerwear can bring focus to any outfit and one of these designs is sure to flatter. Noni's The Ella coat has a sophisticated A-line shape with a bodice that sits slightly above your natural waist for a flattering, wearable silhouette. LANG's classic Buttoned Cape is also very sophisticated with its strong cables and side buttons.

Wellesley

Berroco's short, fitted Wellesley jacket would work beautifully at the office.

Andokides

For a weekend look knit Through The Loops Andokides, this unfitted, three quarter length jacket features a design at the yoke, sleeves and hem, but what about working it in a solid instead, either a neutral or bright will give it an entirely different look.

Syncopated Rib Coat

And Gardiner Yarn Works' playful Syncopated Rib Coat has a 5" negative ease for a fitted, comfortable style and is knit seamlessly with minimal finishing in Malabrigo Merino Worsted.

And a swingy poncho can be either relaxed or upscale. Berroco's Holyoke is a roomy box style with front flap pockets while Columbia will keep you extra warm with sleeves and an attached scarf. But LANG's fringed Poncho with Turtleneck is very sexy.

Holyoke

Columbia

Ecuador KAL
Once again transitional pieces are important this Fall, key layering pieces that allow you to make the most of your entire wardrobe. Berroco's Carleton, Anne Richardson's Ten Way Jacket, Nelkin Designs Cayden or Through The Loops Lonicera are perfect, flowy cardigan designs ideal for layering over your light weight summery tops.

Carleton

Ten Way Jacket

Cayden

Lonicera

Ecuador

And of course JOJI's new Ecuador is a fantastic all weather garment, wear it breezily through the rest of Summer and add boots to walk stylishly into Fall. Joji herself is hosting a KAL for her new hit design. Whether you like to knit alone or with a group an online KAL meets all your needs. Since it's online you can join at your leisure, lurk or participate, and get your questions answered from the designer herself! Stop by my Ravelry Sandrasingh.com and join us.

Yarn Sales!
Over the last few weeks I've introduced knitting patterns that are perfect to relax & knit while at the same time make great gifts. I've put the accompanying yarns On Sale!

Yarns On Stage	Malabrigo Sock	Malabrigo Merino Worsted
Dream In Color Smooshy	Berroco Ultra Alpaca	Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light
Schaefer Anne	Schaefer Lola	Madelinetosh Tosh Sock
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock	Lorna's Laces Grace	Susan Bates Knitting Needles

And I have a special announcement, Wendy Peter Pan's Velvet Touch has been discontinued and I do have some left in stock.

Thank you for joining me for my newsletter! I look forward to hearing from you about which of these projects will be on your needles.

Happy Creating,
Sandra Singh

Farmer McGregor Sock Kit Giveaway

"Thank You" to everyone who entered!
And I received so many nice comments from knitters telling me how much fun this giveaway was, I appreciate that too.
I was happy to hear everyone enjoyed solving these riddles.

Now drum roll please!
Our winner is Karen O'Reilly!
(I wonder if Karen is any relation to John C?)

1. Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's as Holly Golightly
2. John C Reilly in Never Been Kissed as Gus
3. Marilyn Monroe in Lets Make Love as Amanda Dell
4. Cary Grant in Mr. Lucky as Joe Adams
5. Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation as Charlotte

Farmer McGregor Sock

For this blog giveaway I thought we'd do things a little differently! Since I opened Sandrasingh.com in 2005 I've loved learning about famous people who knit in real life and about pop culture references to knitting in books, TV programs and movies.

Below are 5 riddles about movies that feature a character who knits. You need to solve each riddle with the name of the movie, the character's name who knits and this actor or actresses' real name.

The prize is a Farmer McGregor Sock Kit which includes the Pattern by Alice Yu and 1 skein of Dream In Color Smooshy in Ruby River.

To enter you must do two things:

1. Email me at sandrasingh@sandrasingh.com with the 5 correct answers and your contact information.
2. Leave a comment under this blog post stating your contact information and that you have emailed me with the answers.

Please don't leave the answers under this blog post!

A name will be randomly drawn on August 10th and if they have all 5 answers correct they'll be the winner!

Riddles

1. This actress was a real life knitter who once knit matching sweaters for herself and her husband! So it was very believable when in this famous 1961 film she picked up a pair of knitting needles and proclaimed, "Jose brought up the blueprints for a new ranch house. I have this strange feeling that the blueprints and the knitting instructions got switched. I may be knitting a ranch house!"

2. The pushy newspaper boss in this 1999 comedy is a knitter. To learn what teens are really up to he pushes one of his copy editors to research this story by returning to her old high school and posing as a student. One thing leads to another during this comical farce and the leading lady gets the kiss she's been waiting for while giving her pushy knitting boss the story he's after.

3. In the star studded cast of this 1960 musical comedy the leading lady uses knitting to down play her sexiness and give her a "girl next door" quality. The plot revolves around a case of mistaken identity and of course the leading man falling in love with this leading lady.

4. In this 1943 film a resourceful gambler wants to outfit his illegal operation on a gaming ship en route to Havana but faces two problems: a lack of funds and the fact that he's just been drafted. He quickly assumes the name of a dying 4-F, and launches a drive to raise the cash. This pursuit runs him smack into heiress who he falls in love with and he becomes a member of a war relief agency in hopes that they may charter his boat to carry supplies for his own little war effort. This is what ultimately leads to the famous scene in which this gambler learns to knit to help promote knitting for the war relief effort.

5. A movie star with a sense of emptiness and a neglected newlywed meet up as strangers in Tokyo, Japan and form an unlikely bond. One of the early scene in this 2003 film shows the young newlywed trying on a scarf that she has been knitting.

Good Luck!

Ecuador KAL

JOJI's light and flowing cardigan Ecuador cardigan is the perfect transitional garment to take you through the rest of the Summer in style and usher you into Fall with a certain flair! And now designer Joji is hosting a KAL for Ecuador in my Ravelry group, Sandrasingh.com

Worked with Malabrigo's fingering weight yarn Sock in a fairly loose gauge it features an A-line shape, with draped fronts and a very simple lace pattern in the body. This pattern is absolutely seamless and it includes directions for a short-sleeved and a long-sleeved version.

It is based on another pattern of JOJI's Pole, if you are familiar with that pattern, you will find the instructions very similar to it. But changes include:

• Different gauge
• Different collar
• Lace pattern in the body
• Set-in sleeves with short row shaping

Sizes To fit chest: 30/32 (34/36, 38/40, 42/44, 46/48, 50/52, 54/56, 58/60)" and 75/80 (85/90, 95/100, 105/110, 115/120, 125/130, 135/140, 145/150) cm.
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock (440 yd /100g)
Short sleeved version: 3 (3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7) skeins
Long sleeved version: 4 (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7) skeins
Needles: 3.5mm (US 4) straight or circular needles for the back piece and body. 3.5mm (US 4) and 3.0mm (US 2 ½) double pointed needles or a long circular needle (for magic loop) for the sleeves.
Gauge (in Stockinette Stitch) 22 stitches and 40 rows to 4" (10 cm) on US 4 (3.5mm) needles, after blocking. It is very important that you get a loose fabric

Whether you like to knit alone or with a group an online KAL is a great way to go! You can stop by and visit at your leisure, lurk or participate. And since its being led by Joji your questions will be answered by the designer herself!

Ecuador along with all of JOJI's patterns is sold as a PDF with zero shipping fees, stop by my website and browse all of JOJI's designs.

We have our Ysolda Pattern Winners!

Thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway!
We have our 3 winners...

Please contact me at Sandrasingh@sandrasingh.com & tell me which pattern you would like emailed you:
Elijah, Ishbel or Liesel.

Debby H
Silvina or Silvinasi on Ravelry
Amy Valentino

Summer and Gift Knits!

I know a heat wave is blasting across this great nation, but Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are less then 6 months away! Have you been thinking about your gift knitting?

Let me just give you a few ideas....

Harmonia's Rings Cowl

If you're a long time Sandrasingh.com customer you may remember when I introduced Sivia Hardings' Harmonia’s Rings Cowl, it was very popular and remains so. It knits up beautifully in Berroco's Ultra Alpaca which is now 25% Off.

Sivia has taken this lovely accessory and has grown it into a tunic sweater, the Harmonia's Rings Sweater!

Harmonia's Rings Sweater

She shares the inspiration behind the transformation..."After many requests, the Harmonia’s Rings Cowl has been re-engineered to fit seven sizes. The addition of a fitted body to the drapey yoke makes a world of difference! Because of the drape of the yoke, this design accommodates a wide range of body types."

Wear this lovely pullover alone or wear it layered… the perfect compliment to your wardrobe through the seasons, and it would make a very special gift for a well deserving friend.

Sock knitting is perfect for this hot weather, they're small and travel well and they also make very thoughtful gifts.

Beaded Faux Cable Anklets

Try one of these new designs by HeartStrings FiberArts, for the women on your gift list knit a pair of the Beaded Faux Cable Anklets, a textured knit-purl stitch pattern and enhanced with beads created with only one skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, which is 10% Off right now!

Johnny Socks

And for the men the Johnny Socks, this classic pair of socks features embossed ribs and diamonds.

Isabella

And the versatile Isabella pattern, a hat, mittens and scarf set by Through The Loops, is an easy knit in a sophisticated stitch design that suits a wide variety of personal tastes and styles. And it only takes 3 skeins of Malabrigo Merino Worsted , which is also 10% Off, to work the entire set!