A Little Something New Coming Soon

Here are a few photos of what I've been working on for the shop.  I still have a few tweeks to make but basically this will be the design.  This will be a great addition to your knitting bag.  A compact interchangeable/dpn needle case that measures approximately 5-1/2" by 8" when closed and has slots for 20 pairs of dpns/

needle tips.  It also has a zipper pouch for all your other accessories (scissors, tape measure and the like.  It has a long flap to hold the needles in place and a tab closure with a super cute button.  I'm also working on some other accessories to go with this: a small, flat stitch marker case and a dpn cover.  I hope you like it!  Stay-tuned! There may be a secret coupon code for this design JUST FOR blog readers!

Let's Try This Again!

As you can see from my previous post, it has been literally YEARS since I have added anything to this blog. Well, life has slowed down somewhat for me: my daughter was married a year ago and has moved back to the Motherland (Maine) so it's just "The Hubs" and I now and my little business "KnittingsMyBag".  With more time to devote to the business, I'm getting back into the things that can help it grow.  Here are some things that I've been cooking up for my blog followers:

• Secret Coupon Codes
• Blog readers will be the first to "sneak peek" new products (and even some deep discounts to be the first to try out some prototypes)
• Frequent Purchaser Program (I've got to find a better name for it)
• Giveaways (from KnittingsMyBag)
• Giveaways (from some of my favorite vendors)
• Meet Ups (for knitters who are in my area; both in California and in Maine)
• Knit-a-longs

Those are just some of the things I've come up with.  I'm hoping that as we get more followers, more ideas will float to the surface. For the first few weeks, I'm going to concentrate on writing better posts and spread the word about being back in the blogging world.  If you are a fan of KnittingsMyBag, help me out by sharing this info with your friends from the knitting/crocheting world. 

Thank You Giveaway!

As a thank you to all my wonderful customers, I'm having a Christmas B.A.M. giveaway.  You must own at least one KnittingsMyBag project bag to enter.  Here is what you need to do to win.

1. Join the KnittingsMyBag Ravelry Group http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knittingsmybag and leave a comment with a photo of one or more of your KnittingsMyBag project bags in the "Christmas B.A.M. Giveaway" thread; AND

2. Follow me as "KnittingsMyBag" on Instagram and put a photo of one or more of your KnittingsMyBag project bags on Instagram http://instagram.com/# with the following hashtag: #knittingsmybag

 3.  You may enter as many times as you like as long as EACH photo is of a different project bag.

You MUST do BOTH steps 1 AND 2 TO WIN.  THE DRAWING WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 1, 2014 through Random.org and I will post the winner on the blog, the KnittingsMyBag Ravelry Group and Instagram.

This is a $60.00 Christmas B.A.M. (you can read details on what you will receive by going to my BigCartel shop at www.knittingsmybag.bigcartel.com 

Thanks to all my wonderful customers for a great year and I look forward to great things in 2014.

CONGRATULATIONS! Dragonfly7673! YOU WIN!!

Congratulations to Dragonfly7673 for her winning entry in the StitchPrayLove lip balm contest.  Stay-tuned for the next blog giveaway coming soon.

Closin' in on Christmas

Wow, another year quickly coming to an end. Christmas is upon us and once Thanksgiving is gone -- BAM I feel overwhelmed with Christmas responsibilities.  Who puts this pressure on me…..ME.  It's crazy!  My family is so low-key it's ridiculous yet I run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to make each Christmas more spectacular than the last.  I'm nuts!!

Take time to enjoy the season: force yourself to stop and smell the mistletoe this year. Watch some classic Christmas movies with a big 'ole bowl of popcorn (with butter, of course), wrap gifts while Christmas music is playing in the background, have a cup of Peppermint tea and a sugar cookie while you knit away on that knitting project (not a last minute Christmas gift you are trying to whip through). Enjoy all the many blessing we have in our lives.  And…………..

If you are lucky enough to live where there is snow……. maybe you can just sit and look out your window and watch the beautiful flakes fall to the ground in COMPLETE silence.

Hahahahah, LOL, ROFL, if only you could! It's a nice thought isn't it. But this is reality so get your butt out of those pajamas, shower, go over your 8 page "To Do" list and hit the mall.  Oh, but before you do that, go over to www.knittingsmybag.bigcartel.com and pick up those last minute items for your knitting friends and swap partners!  I'll be updating the shop every few days with new items so go back often and check out what's on the shelves.

Ready, set Gooooooooooooooo……..

Next Up: KNITMAS BLACK FRIDAY UPDATE

I'm going to have a super fun and different update in my big cartel shop on Black Friday, November 29th 2013 starting at 12:0l am.  I'm going to have lots of great items I have NEVER listed in the shop before as well as some items that haven't been around in awhile.  I'll be posting most of the progress and a list of what will be included in my blog so stay close.  Some of the items aren't even knitting related - just fun, fun, fun...

Preview listings are up for 2013 Christmas B.A.M. sets

Go over to www.knittingsmybag.bigcartel.com and see the preview listings with complete descriptions and more photos for the Christmas B.A.M. sets that will be available on November 14, 2013 at 10 AM EST.  PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that on November 14, the Comfort & Joy option will have individual listings due to the fact that the yarn is slightly different for each set.  PLEASE LOOK AT ALL the photos associated with the listing before you purchase. The yarn listed WILL BE the yarn that you receive.

Sneak Peek - Christmas B.A.M. 2013

“Winter Wear” is a self-striping skein of sock yarn dyed in colors reminiscent of the colorful outerwear of a Maine winter. Each stripe is approximately four yards and is semi-solid in color. The stripes are Beanie Red, Scarf Green, Mittens Orange and Gloves Blue.

Striped Maple Sock Yarn 
Our self-striping yarn is a lovely, thick fingering weight (almost a sportweight) yarn comprised of 100% SW Merino. Each skein has three happy plies, tightly twisted to create a lovely dense sock yarn. You may need to go up a needle size from your usual for sock knitting. 
Content: 100% SW Merino 
Weight: 100 grams, 320 yards 
Yardage: ~320 yards 
Gauge: 6-7 sts/inch on US 1-3 
All fibers from Highland Handmades are dyed with professional dyes and heat set, then rinsed in plain water.

There will be 12 sets with It's A Small World fabric and 12 sets with Sheep in Knitwear for a total of 24 sets with Winter Wear self-striping sock yarn.

No Two Flakes 
“No Two Flakes” is a kettle dyed colorway that is as unique as the snowflakes that inspired it. A combination of the kettle dyeing process and the specific dyes used means that your skein is different from any other skein dyed - even one from the same pot! The result is a watercolor-esque skein of yarn that ranges from snowflake white to winter blue, interspersed with dainty flakes of dark blue throughout. The yarn was reskeined to better demonstrate how it will look when knit.

Sugar Maple Sock Yarn 
One skein of Sugar Maple Sock Yarn is more than enough for a pair of socks or a small shawlette. It is machine washable and dryable, but you may want to wash by hand and line dry in order to extend the life of your knit object. 
Yardage: 425 yards 
Composition: 75% SW Wool, 25% Nylon 
Weight: 100 grams, fingering weight. 
Gauge: 7-8 sts/inch on US 1-3 needles 
All fibers from Highland Handmades are dyed with professional dyes and heat set, then rinsed in plain water.

There will be 24 sets of Comfort & Joy fabric which will include No Two Flakes sock yarn.

The official drop date and time: November 14, 2013 at 10:00 AM EST.  These are going to be popular so get your fingers ready for fast checkout.

StitchPrayLove - A Review & Giveaway

I was fortunate enough to find a lovely Etsy shop called StitchPrayLove operated by a wonderful customer of KnittingsMyBag, Julie.  Julie is a fellow Mainer so it's a Win/Win for me.  I love to support folks from my beloved Maine but it was a fabulous surprise when I got my order and found out that her lip balms and lotions "ROCK".

Right-off-the-bat, when you go to her shop you can see the attention to detail.  I love her graphs.  She offers tons of choices in scents/fragrances and the packaging is sweet. You even get your choice of labels!

Her prices are so reasonable and they make great gifts for swaps, knitting groups, and stocking stuffers. Now for the important information: how does it feel.

I purchased the Lip Balm Set which comes with a stick lip balm and a jar lip balm.  I chose Raspberries & Cream.  I balm is incredible.  It floats over your lips and soothes them right away.  The scent is just right: not overpowering.  Some balms go on with a waxy feeling but this is more like a lotion for your lips.  The jar is equally lovely.

I also purchased the TRY ME! 3 Solid Lotion Bar Set.  I like to keep lotions in my knitting bags because as we all know, even one little hangnail can get snagged on your yarn.  The scents that I chose are: Pears & Berries; Warm Vanilla; and Amazing Grace: all of which are like the lip balm - just right when it comes to the amount of fragrance.  The little surprise is that they are in the shape of a heart.  Bonus!  How cute is that!  The lotions go on smoothly and they are not greasy like other, more expensive, bar lotions.  This lotion soaks right into your skin and prepares your hands immediately for touching the most delicate of yarns and fibers.  I now keep one next to my ladybug as well because all spinners know that rough hands make for more difficult spinning.

For the price point, you can't beat these wonderful products for handmade gift giving or for purchasing in bulk to have in all your knitting/crocheting project bags. Her customer service is superb and I received my order very quickly.

My review results is 2 Needles Up for StitchPrayLove  Go to her shop and order now ahead of the crowd because once the word gets out, I just know it will be difficult to get her products.

Here is a photo of what I received. **

**NO COMPENSATION WAS GIVING WITH REGARD TO THIS REVIEW. ITEMS WERE PURCHASED THROUGH REGULAR RETAIL CHANNELS AND THE ABOVE COMMENTS MADE ARE SOLELY MY OWN.

GIVEAWAY:  I'm giving away a Lip Balm Set from StitchPrayLove.  I will allow you to go to her shop and choose your scent, let me know and I'll order the set and have it sent directly to you.  Here are the rules of the giveaway: 1. You must subscribe to this blog; 2. You must join the KnittingsMyBag Ravelry Group and 3. You must follow the link to the StitchPrayLove shop, choose your scent and post it in the comment section of this post.  This giveaway will run through November.  I will select one entry through Random.org on December 1, 2013 and order your set on that day.  Thanks for visiting my blog and my Ravelry group and best of luck.

Pump It Up!

KnittingsMyBag has now been around since December of 2009 and, although my little company has been growing each year, it has been growing at a snail's pace.  I'm now at an impasse.  I need to decide whether I want to "Grow" the business or just be satisfied with the way it is now.

After much thought and prayer, I have decided to "Pump It Up" for the next year.  That's right; give it all I've got for one year and see what happens.  This all sounds great, right.  The only fly in the ointment is that my daughter, Hillary, will be getting married in May, 2014 and although they have decided on a small family wedding, it is still taking place 3,000 miles from California and I'm in charge of planning. So, with all that being said, I'm going to be a busy lady for the next year.

Here are some of the ideas I have for KnittingsMyBag in 2014:

Work on branding by products (website, blog, social media);
Expand my selection of project bags;
Add more knitting accessories;
Create a NEW club for my customers;
Pump up my Ravelry group by offering more giveaways and contests;
Institute a VIP customer program;
Add more professional packaging;
Create a KnittingsMyBag newsletter;
Blogging on a regular basis;
*Thinking about a KnittingsMyBag Video Podcast

I hope that you will subscribe to my blog and watch my progress over the coming year to see what is in store for KnittingsMyBag.

Hitting the Road!

Well, it's FINALLY that time of year! Time to travel to my favorite place this side of heaven: Maine. From the moment I leave, I start to dream of the day I will get to return to the lake. There is no more beautiful place to spend time then our little cabin on the lake and I use the term "lake" very loosely. The lake, actually named Echo Lake, known as Puffer's Pond to the locals is only one wide and less than ten miles long. To me, it's as big as the ocean.

This year, my daughter, Hillary, and I will be making the trip by car. That's right, by car.  Our 16 year old bichon, Wilby, is no longer able to make the trip by plane because of his arthritis coupled with the fact that he is now totally deaf and almost blind.  His Vet feels that it would be too stressful for him and could be the end of the poor old man so it's off we go!

I'm certainly NOT one for road trips. I hate being trapped in a car.  Even with knitting to keep me occupied, all I want to do is sleep! With that being said, I'm going to look upon this trip as a once in a lifetime chance to spend 48 hours in a car with my daughter traveling COMPLETELY across the country. 

For me, even with the invention of the GPS, a AAA TripTik is a must.  It may not "speak" to you but the additional it gives you is so valuable.  Our TripTik tells us that it is 3,334 miles from our "house" in Southern California to our "home" in Maine. WOW, now that IS a cross-country trip!

Well, I'm choosing to view this trip as an opportunity to spend some well needed time with my daughter. We have so much fun together. I know that there will be screaming (SLOW DOWN), crying (I'm sick of this), and weight gain (pass those potato chip - I'm bored) but there will be more laughing than anything else.  A trip of a lifetime. A cross-country road trip. Awe, what we do for the love of our pets.

We plan on videoing lots of our adventures so there may be a clip or two on the blog. If not, there will certainly be photos.

I'd ask you to wish us luck but I don't believe in luck. Your prayers would be very much welcomed!

Photos: Hillary, Echo Lake, Lobsters, and Wilby

2:10 pm

Today is my birthday. Yup, December 7th (a day that will live infamy). Actually, I was born in 1959 and not 1941-Pearl Harbor Day. I will certainly never make an impact with my life to equal that of Pearl Harbor Day but I do like to recite the phrase. Today, I am 53 years old. I’ve been married for almost 31 years to the only man I have ever loved or been with physically (which is rare I’ve come to realize). We have a wonderfully beautiful 25 year old daughter who brings me more joy than I could have ever felt possible. YET, on this day, at least for the past four birthdays, I feel lost and alone. You see, my mother passed away on March 9, 2009. She was so much more than a mother to me. She was my friend, my confidant, my biggest supporter, an advisor and above all, my hero. She accomplished things in her life I could only dream of. During WWII, she and her best friend hitchhiked from Vanceboro, Maine (on the Canadian border) to California to work in war factories. She wanted to “do her bit” she always said. She taught in a one room school house and before she retired had taught three generations of children in many families in our small town. After my dad passed away, she and I became even closer. Although I would never live in my hometown again, I went back home every 6 weeks and stayed for 3 weeks until she was diagnosed with breast cancer when I took my daughter and my dog and moved home where I stayed with her until she passed several months later. She was 89 years old and until just one day before she passed away, she was still guiding me, directing me and even in the way she was leaving this earth showing me her strength. On her sickest days she would dictate notes to me to send to those she called, “shut-ins” and “lonely folks” in our town. She would send my sister to purchase little gifts and deliver them to elderly folks with just a note saying, I was thinking about you today and thought you could use this, a friend. Every year as far back as I can remember, my mom called me at exactly 2:10 pm on my birthday. Even when I worked, she would call and when I answered the phone she would always say, “Today at 2:10 pm was the only time you ever caused me any pain.” Of course, that wasn’t true and we would laugh and chat away about everything and about nothing. What a wonderful mother to bring such joy to her child. Now, all these years later, and since December 7, 2009, I watch the clock. I feel the anticipation build as it gets closer and closer to 2:10 pm. Although my mind knows the phone won’t ring, my heart has hope and I hold my phone to my heart praying that God will somehow allow her to call just one more time. I’m a collector of pendulum clocks and they are all over the house. I’m OCD about making them all the exact same time. If you have pendulum clocks (wind up) you know that there is a slight clicking sound as each minute passes. So, as I hear the clock tick onto 2:10 pm, I hold my breath and pray for my phone to ring…………………………………………………….but inevitably I hear the click to 2:11 pm and still my phone is silent. My heart sinks every time as if it was the first time and the tears begin to flow. My sweet mother gave me thousands of pieces of advice over the years. She loved sharing quotes and quips from her mother like: it’s a poor bird who sh**s in his own nest (meaning, it’s a bad person who turns on their own family) (The “sh word” was the only swear word my mother ever used and only when she quoted that verse, I might add). Another one was, “you blister your butt, you sit on the blisters and many a blister you’ll sit on”. That one meant that when you don’t listen to the advice of your mother, you were going to get hurt and you would have no one to blame but yourself. One of the best, and much less confusing, pieces of advice my mother ever gave me was when she said, “When you are feeling sad and lonely and when you are feeling sorry for yourself, that is the time to reach out to someone less fortunate than yourself. Get “out of yourself” and bring some joy to someone else and in their joy, you will find joy as well.” I think of those wonderful words of advice each year on my birthday. Each year at 2:11 pm when I feel like my world is falling apart all over again. I allow myself time to grieve for the wonderful woman I have lost but not for long lest I fall so deep I will not “get out of myself”. Then, I reach down within to the place where my inner strength lives and I reach out to someone to try to bring joy to their lives. Sometimes it’s a phone call, sometimes I send flowers to someone not feeling well or going through a rough patch. Other times I write a note or a long letter giving encouragement and/or hope in their situation. Whatever I do, I do it then and there while I feel vulnerable and raw. It’s a time when I feel I can most connect with someone who might need more than just lip service from another person asking about how they are doing. So, on this December 7, 2012, as I wait for 2:10 pm, I’m writing a blog post. Not so that others can read it, although it may help someone somewhere, but so that I can for the first time in my life hear the click of the clock and smile even with tears on my cheeks. Because, for almost 50 years I was fortunate enough to have received such a precious gift; one that so many people never get to experience. Today at 2:11 pm instead of weeping for my loss, I will thank God that I had a mother who impacted my life as she did and gave me the wonderful advice to look beyond myself to help others and in caring and loving others, I comfort and care for myself. THANK YOU MAMMA! The love I have for you will live on forever and ever.

Summer is here and I'm headed to Maine!!! Wow, I can't believe it. It's that time of year again and this year is going to be even more exciting. We are renovating our family camp. When my parents passed away, they left the camp to one of my sisters, my brother and me. At the first part of this year, my siblings decided they just didn't want to invest the money it was going to take to bring it back to its "glory days" so they signed their shares over to me. The ONLY drawback is that my husband, Jim, and I just purchased the camp across the street two months earlier. So now with two camps to totally renovate on a cash budget, we are perdicting that it will take three years to complete both places. Jim is a wonderful businessman but, well, let's just say that he lacks the skill set to get this job done. We are hiring professionals to do most of the work. Jim will only be around for ten days at the beginning of the summer and then drop in to check on progress at some point during the summer. That means I'm on my own. I'm looking forward to the challenge but I have to admit, I'm a little scared as well. Dealing with New Englanders is not always an easy thing. I can say that because I'm a Mainer through and through and when it comes to out-of-staters, we just don't like 'em. So I will be rampin' up my Maine accent and wearing flannel this summer so that I can get the best deal AND get the most cooperation. I'm going to post lots of photos throughout the process so I hope you will stay-tuned and join me in my journey. It's going to be an emotional rollercoaster for me because this camp is where we lived every summer from the time I was about 8 years old. My mother was a school teacher and my dad was a cobbler for Dexter Shoe (3 miles from the camp). So, once school was out, we packed up and went to the lake. When my daughter, Hillary, was born in 1987, I wanted her to experience the wonderful summers that I did as a child so when she was just four months old, she made her first trip to camp and then every summer after that, no matter where we lived in the country, she and I came to camp for five weeks. The memories we have all made here cannot be replaced. Doing a total remodel and preserving what makes this place "camp" is going to be a balancing act for me. I don't want to get caught up in making it a "resort". I want to keep the feeling of a simple family camp BUT without the need to carry water from town to drink and the smell of musty carpets. It's going to be interesting for sure!!

Spring is Coming - Yes, it REALLY is!

As winter snow piles up for some of us, warmer weather is creaping into our forecast in California and I'm already dreading the hot weather that summer brings.

With that said, I find myself looking over at my fabric stash and "eye-balling" fabrics with springtime colors: bright and cheerful. As soon as I'm caught up on custom orders, I'm hitting the spring fabrics hard in an attempt to brighten the day and spread the good news that Spring WILL come this year and we, as knitters, will be ready!!

Valentine's Day is Approaching

Once the new year has begun our thoughts seem to turn to the next big holiday and for most of the female population, it's Valentine's Day. KnittingsMyBag is no different. I've got some super cute surprises in the works to make Valentine's Day a blast for you knitters out there. Whether you purchase items for yourself or for a loved one, you'll find these items a great addition to your knitting collection. Stay-tuned.

Twas The Week Before Christmas

Twas the week of Christmas, when all over the Net
Podcasters were scurrying to get their casts set.
Their stockings were hung as a background with care
In hopes that all watching would somehow even care.

They worked like mad people to share what they’d knit,
They were talking so quickly on the camera they did spit.
They scrambled to finish their holiday knitting,
Many confessed they acquired blisters while sitting.

They wanted a break, a vacation was desired
It was easy to see they were just plain tired.
Their stashes were growing at alarming rates,
Let’s face it, we’re all hidin’ yarn from the mates.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.
The beautiful scene was a joy to behold, until we heard
Diane from Knitabulls saying, ‘Crap, it’s snowing and I have to walk the girls.”

And so they prepare for their last shows of the year,
No matter how sick, with the coughing and hacking,
They crammed in one more show before packing.

They gathered their props, all their pets and their show notes,
To bid us Merry Christmas and send us out to purchase Barnes and Nobles totes.

Now Bella! now, Maisy! Stay on your chairs,
Now Fred stop your leaping onto “well, you know where”!
On John, John, on Ernie (hey, gimme’ that pom pom)
and Skippy, whose training, stop biting the neighbors!
All the podcaster pets are so wonderfully exciting!

Now they’ve promised to be good in the coming year, yarn diets and knit alongs, it’s all very clear,
There will be projects to show and stash downs to be sure
But Tina from Knitting Blooms will find SOME way to procure.

Sheila and Wendy (Knit1HeartToo) will continue to be “wicked” good,
While Dawn and Nicole (Wolfe Farms)….well, they’ll do what they should!
Steve (DramaticKnits) will continue to drive his Miss Daisy (Callie),
While Becca from Knitbytes will be gamin’ like crazy.
Erin (mommyneedsyarn) will return with her sassy way, and
Jaydee (Twisted Strands) will have the beer of the day (hiccup).
Carin (Round the Twist) will no doubt have another “EPIC” year. And
The Stockinette Zombies with give us nothing to fear.
CharmingLochie (Kelly) will come to us thanks to “the one who pays”
And Tammy (The Proverbial Knitter) will continue the yarn stash craze.
Vicki (DragonflySoars) will finish her sweater,
While Katie (Knittin’ On The Fly) will be our “jet-setter”.

And now it’s been said with pen to paper,
We love our podcasters from whom we can’t taper.
We follow each week, we are clearly stalkers
And confess that many of us are just plain off our rockers.

We wish you the merriest of Christmases it’s true,
And always remember your viewers are “True Blue.”

Merry Christmas,
KnittingsMyBag

Merry Christmas from KnittingsMyBag

2011 Podcaster Challenge Winners

Mother Bear KAL Group: 231 Bears Total!!!
Knitabulls: 34 participants - 66 bears
Knittin' on the Fly: 13 participants - 50 bears
MommyNeedsYarn: 25 participants - 35 bears
DragonflySoars: 15 participants- 28 bears
KnittingBlooms: 16 participants - 26 bears
Exchange Student in Fiberland: 10 participants - 18 bears
Knitbytes: 3 participants - 3 bears
Barknknit: 2 participant - 2 bear

KAL Project:
Knittin' on the Fly: 26 completed projects (cannot count Katie's project)
Knitbytes: 23 completed projects
Knitabulls: 10 completed projects
Miss Elle Knits: 8 completed projects
BrittKnits: 8 completed projects
DomesticaKatedDarling: 6 completed projects
Dragonfly Soars: 6 completed projects
Knit1HeartToo: (Sheila) 6 completed projects; (Wendy) 3 completed projects
Dramatic Knits: 5 completed projects
Addicted to Yarn: 3 completed projects
NoteableNeedlework: 3 completed projects
Exchange Student in Fiberland: 2 completed projects
MommyNeedsYarn: 2 completed projects
Knitting Blooms: 1 completed project
A Cronic Knitter: 1 completed project

Prize Category Winners:
Most Altered Pattern: DramaticKnits (Steve)
Best Yarn Choice: Knit1HeartToo (Sheila)
Talkin' Smack: Knit1HeartToo (Wendy) - I think people were afraid NOT to vote for her!
Suffered Through It: Exchange Student in Fiberland (MariGayle)
Special Guest: Knitabulls (Diane)
Hot Mess: Exchange Student in Fiberland (MariGayle)
Super Knitter: NoteableNeedlework (Kate)
Most Creative Photography: Proverbial Knitter
GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF THE 2011 PODCASTER CHALLENGE

****************Diane of the Knitabulls Podcast*****************

Check out my previous post for photographs of the prizes (except for the Grand Prize Category - photos of those items to follow in the coming days)


**Disclaimer: The numbers were checked and re-checked and are accurate to the best of my ability. If you split your vote between more than one individual in a single category, those votes were not counted.

Photos of Prizes for the Podcaster Challenge

Most Altered Pattern:

KAL Group Award:

Best Yarn Choice:

The "Talkin' Smack" Award:

The "Suffered Through It" Award:

Favorite Special Guest Award:

The "Hot Mess" Award:

The "Super Knitter" Podcaster Award:

Most Creative Photography Award:

Visit to Bartlettyarns-Harmony, Maine

August 5th my sister, Krista, and I had the opportunity to visit a local yarn factory and were fortunate enough to get a tour of the mill. Tim, an employee of five years, was our guide and it was great fun and quite a learning experience.

The oldest machine at Bartlettyarns is dated back to the early 1800s and the newest machine is dated around 1948. It was so much fun to see how the fiber is taken from beginning to end.

You can see what wonderful yarns and rovings I purchased and I plan on making many more purchases through their online store at www.bartlettyarns.com. Check out their site. Their prices are great and the product is even better.

Heather from HighlandHandmades talks a lot of her trip to Bartlettyarns in a recent podcast and shows a hat she made her husband from their yarn http://www.thefiberistafiles.com/?m=201108. Katie from Knittin on the Fly also shows her sample yarn pack in her podcast http://knittinonthefly.blogspot.com/