Big Sky Yarns & Crafts

Gaia!

Here is a fabulous seamless cardigan, Gaia. It is this week's free pattern from Berroco:

The designer is Kristen TenDyke, my fabulous tech editor. How much more spring-y can you get? The yarn is Berroco's Remix, their wonderful new yarn made entirely from recycled fibers: 30% nylon, 27% cotton, 24% acrylic, 10% silk and 9% linen. It is soft, soft, soft. 

So, here is my Easter basket, straight from WIld Purls:

Remix is a wonderful tweedy yarn that is a quick worsted weight. I chose the medium denim color, color 3927:

Kristen started a knit-a-long on Ravelry as well, which you can find here. I am probably going to make my Gaia with 3/4 length sleeves so it can be my go to sweater for summer. Please join as well if you are itching for a new project.

Happy knitting and Happy Earth Day!

New Wild Purls and Knitscene!

First and foremost, you Billings-ites must check out the new Wild Purls at 1206 24th Street West, just south of Grand on 24th. WOW is all I can say. Everything is so bright and sunny and wait until you see the yarn display tables in the middle of the store -- super, super cool. Check it out!

New magazine alert! I just love my new Knitscene! Have you perused it yet?

I thoroughly enjoyed the t-shirt sweaters like this one:

And these:

I hope I get to happily enjoy one of these this season.

My surprise favorite is this cute little cardi:

Is it just because it is green? Probably. I am nothing if not predictable. But I love it, nevertheless.

I have just finished the most lovely popcorn read:  The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen.

And I do mean popcorn -- once I started, it was hard to put down. Her novels are just a bit of the whimsical in everyday life. I made myself ration it, as I would have been perfectly content with ignoring my life and reading it only. We should invent a JUST ME holiday that only involves what you want to do -- in my case, knitting and reading. That's it. No compromising or else.

Knit on.

If you need a good book....

I just finished the most delightful book:

I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg. The Fannie Flagg link is to a Wikipedia page -- I didn't know her real name was Patricia Neal, did you?

Anyway, this is one delicious novel. I actually listened to her read the audio book and, I tell you, I felt like I was in Birmingham, Alabama. The characters terrifically imperfect and wonderful to watch unfold through the pages. So many twists and turns that kept my attention to the very end. Truly Loverly.

Look! A new Spring/Summer Knit Simple! Whoo hoo!

The nautical theme was breath of fresh air for me:

This sweater begs to be worn to the beach with your favorite capris, don't you think? However, what I will not wear at the beach is this skirt:

 
Three words: Short, Horizontal Stripes. We do not want to see me in this skirt. Yikes.

But the nautical pillows are a happy thought:

As is this cute, classic elbow length sweater. I would add some waist shaping to avoid Big Box Syndrome:

Look, some horizontal stripes that do not scare me:

This ad caught my eye:

A 100% recycled yarn, Riveting, made entirely from recycled jeans by Kollage Yarns!! How truly fabulous is that? Click on the Riveting link to see the colors. Must. Have. Lava. Denim. Seriously. There are never enough jeans in the world and now we get to knit with them too. It has totally smitten me.

This vest had spring written all over it:

Gotta love those diagonal stripes -- they didn't scare me either.

On a much more important note (as per Kate) we recently celebrated her 7th birthday:

My mom always gave the other child whose birthday it wasn't, a small present as well. My brother and I lived for this tradition, so I have continued it. The boys agreed:

This IS what awesome looks like.