Win a Fiber Dreams' Chokecherry Days Sweater Kit

For this blog giveaway our sponsor is the very generous Laura Patterson of Fiber Dreams!  And by generous she's not only giving away her beautiful new sweater design Chokecherry Days, plus two more of her patterns, but this is her 3rd time sponsoring a giveaway on my blog!  Let's give it up for Laura...rousing applause!

Prizes
1st Chokecherry Days & 3 skeins
Serendipitous Ewe Fate Fingering in Twilight Sky

2nd Winner's Pattern Choice
3rd Winner's Pattern Choice

the lovely Laura Patterson

Meet Laura: I’ve been knitting off and on since I was probably about 7 or 8 years old. Grandma taught me to cast on and to knit, but not how to purl; Mom taught me to cast off within the next few days. I remember sitting in the backyard while Mom was in the kitchen, knitting up what must be the world’s ugliest vest for her out of green variegated acrylic yarn that she bought for me at the grocery store. The vest was hip length, opened in the front, and was fastened with two huge pompoms connected by a crochet chain. It had to be pulled on over the head as those pompoms didn’t come off. I had no idea what a pattern was, much less how to read one, so I made it up as I went along. It was the 1960s. You can imagine how horrible the yarn was. 

 

After that I crocheted a lot, did needlepoint, embroidery... whatever. Took two knitting classes at a yarn shop when I was in my 20s, learned to purl (!) among other things. I still have and wear the sweater I knit in that first class. 

Between then and now I’ve phased in and out of knitting here and there, now and then. Made scarves and sweaters mostly, then a bunch of socks and an intricately cabled Aran for Dave in the 1990s. This was one time when the infamous “boyfriend sweater curse” didn’t strike, as we weren’t married yet when I made that sweater for him. Knitting was replaced with a flurry of counted cross stitch projects for three or four years before knitting resumed. After about 15 years of husband-ly prodding, Dave talked me into designing my first piece, Pinwheel, a lap blanket for him to use in his home office in winter. I’ve been designing non-stop ever since, and loving it. 

I’d started knitting a lot of lace, and didn’t have any blocking wires. I borrowed a set from a dear friend, and that got Dave to thinking. That year he gave me a set of blocking wires in a clear acrylic tube for my birthday. We talked about what it would take, and decided that we had a product there. The clear acrylic tubes were pretty, but the finish was fragile, scratched easily, so Dave started sanding them to give them a more resilient finish. Since then we started having the tubes custom made for us, then getting our label printed directly on the tubes. Not only are the new tubes more resilient, but with so much of the work done it means less time in the shop for Dave, while simultaneously giving us a more professional product. 

In June of 2009 we signed on with Bryson Distributing. Getting on with Bryson has done wonderful things for sales, as I’m sure you can imagine. In January 2011 one of my shawls, Evening, was in the fashion show at TNNA. The shawl seemed to be one of the hits of the fashion show. We’re hoping that that will introduce us to even more stores.

Chokecherry Days

Brilliant red in summer, chokecherries darken to nearly black by harvest time, when their sweetness is at its peak. The lacy leaves and red color of Fiber Dreams' Chokecherry Days sweater evoke blissful days of summer, wiling away the time, waiting for the fruit to ripen to perfection before making autumn’s jams and syrups.  

Basic stitches are set off with a parade of leaves and its knit in one piece from hem to armholes.  
 
Knit in a fingering weight you only need 2-3 skeins of Serendipitous Ewe's Fate Fingering! 
 

Fortunately for knitters everywhere Patterson has focused her talents toward designing Socks, Lace Shawls & Scarves, Accessories and Women's Garments. She is an amazing knitwear designer with an eye for beauty that melds pleasingly with comfort and wear-ability.  Please take a moment to browse her Collection. 

Serendipitous Ewe Fate Fingering

Enter this Giveaway: The more ways you enter, the more chances you have to win. Make sure to leave a comment(s) under this blog post telling what you did to enter. And please make sure to leave your name and check this blog, Facebook, Twitter and my Ravelry group on July 30th to see if you have won.

The Winner will be announced Tuesday July 30th.  

 
1. Take a look at Fiber Dreams pattern collection and tell us which is your favorite and why. 
2. Blog about this giveaway on your blog & link it, leave a comment under this blogpost with a link back to your blogpost. 
3. Join my Ravelry group, Sandrasingh.com and introduce yourself in the "Welcome tell us about yourself..." thread. 
4. Announce this giveaway in your Ravelry group, or in a Ravelry group that allows you to announce blog giveaways. 
5. Friend me a Facebook: Sandra Singh and write a comment on my Wall about this giveaway. 
6. Announce & link this giveaway on your Facebook Wall. 
7. "Like" my Facebook Page, Sandrasingh.com 
8. Follow me on Twitter: Sandrasinghcom 
9. Announce this giveaway with a link on your Twitter page. 
10. Follow this blog. 
11. Sign up for my Newsletter on my Home Page.
12. Pin and link your favorite Fiber Dreams' pattern on your Pinerest page.

Stitching in the Stacks by Sarah Barbour

Stitching in the Stacks 

Perfect Projects for Back to School & Gifts 

Ask most people to picture either a librarian or a knitter, and they’re likely to conjure up the same image: a stern, older woman with sensible shoes and hair in a bun.  

Stereotypes aside, there does seem to be a special bond between knitters and libraries. Sarah Barbour's eBook Stitching in the Stacks celebrates that connection, offering 30 exquisite designs inspired by librarians (real and fictional), library architecture, cataloging systems, and sometimes the books themselves. Each pattern comes with its own story, making this book as fun to read as it is to knit from.

Follow the links after purchase to quickly download this eBook.

Chokecherry Days Sweater

Brilliant red in summer, chokecherries darken to nearly black by harvest time, when their sweetness is at its peak. The lacy leaves and red color of Fiber Dreams' Chokecherry Days sweater evoke blissful days of summer, wiling away the time, waiting for the fruit to ripen to perfection before making autumn’s jams and syrups.  

Basic stitches are set off with a parade of leaves and its knit in one piece from hem to armholes.  

Knit in a fingering weight you only need 2-3 skeins of Serendipitous Ewe's Fate Fingering! 

Visit Fiber Dreams to see Patterson's entire collection.

"You've made this day special, just by being you."

'Yarn-bomber' made a sweater for this statue of Mister Rogers

Yarn bombing, also called guerilla knitting, is apparently a thing. It involves anonymously knitting or crocheting garments around pretty much anything the rogue knitter feels could use a little warmth. The latest "victim" is this statue of Mr. Rogers in Pittsburgh, Pa., because what's Mr. Rogers without his sweaters? If you grew up watching "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," you likely still remember him putting on a sweater and sneakers, and singing, "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" at the start of every show. Despite the harsh name (and the mildly creepy-looking statue), yarn-bombing is a touching tribute to the man who reminded kids everywhere, "You've made this day special, just by being you." 

Reported by Nick Mangione from MSN

Winners of the Seni Designs Giveaway

Thank you for entering!  We have our 3 Winners.

1. Espiral & a 130 gram ball of Kauni Effektgarn 8/2 (winner’s choice of color) - Cait of the Ms C and Miss E blog
2. Winner’s Pattern Choice - Joyce of the Tetsu Kaba blog
3. Winner’s Pattern Choice - Cardi Lover of the Ci Caru Cardigans and Cardigans blog

Please email me at Sandrasingh@sandrasingh.com to claim your prize!

And please enjoy all of Ines Sousa's patterns at Seni Designs.

12 New Sock Patterns by Andi Smith

 Big Foot Knits by Andi Smith

So many sock patterns are written as if one size fits all. But anyone who has larger feet and legs knows better.  In this ingenious eBook, Big Foot Knits, designer and author Andi Smith walks the bigger-footed among us through the steps of properly measuring our feet and legs, assessing the toe and heel shapes that fit us best, and adapting patterns to suit our shape. All this, plus 12 gorgeous sock patterns, each with instructions for modifying to your foot and for knitting top-down or toe-up.  

Knit each in your favorite Fingering Weight yarn, which are all On Sale!

7 Projects for Fall: Woodsmoke & Ash Knits for Men

 Keep he men in you life warm with one of these 7 Projects.

As a knitter you're always mindful of the next season and it won't be long that Fall, than Winter, will be here.  Rangel's new eBook Woodsmoke & Ash: Knits for Men is a collection of seven stylish, yet practical designs perfect for the men in your life.  Just follow the links after purchase to quickly download the PDF and begin knitting today! 

Visit Andrea Rangel to see all her designs for men and women.