Ida of Knit A While and The Evolving Sock Knitter is starting to organize designer blog tours.  I get to be first!  I’m being interviewed by three different bloggers over the next few days:

3 Feb (today!): Freshstitches
4 Feb: Digitalnabi
5 Feb: Purls Entwined

They all came up with interesting questions.  I’ve also done a coupon code for 20% off my Ravelry patterns to people who check out the blog tour.

Read more about what Ida’s doing here (scroll down).  I think it’s a really neat idea.  I hope to be  hosting some designer stops here as well when she picks the next designers.

Simone, for Sanguine Gryphon, has been mailed.  I’m not sure on the release date for the spring pattern collection;  usually it seems to be at least a  month after the due date (which was Feb 1st).  It’s fanciful and beaded and lacy.  Three different colors, 2 different yarn weights.

I’m working on the Ennea vest cardi thing.  I keep going back & forth on how to start it.  I’m using worsted weight wool, the wool I bought at Warm Valley Orchard on our Washington trip September 2009 (a second post about the trip here).  I’d cast on 244 251 sts last night, worked a bit in seed stitch, realized I’d miscounted (I was supposed to cast on 244), decided I wasn’t thrilled with the seed stitch border anyways, and frogged about 3/4″ of knitting.  I really, really want to get a lot of this done before Madrona — i.e., most of it.  It’s too big of a project to take, when I’m going to be bringing samples, etc, and fitting everything into a carry-on.

Regarding Madrona –  WOOT!  so excited.  I’ll have some of my samples at the Black Water Abbey booth, if you’re going and are interested in seeing them.  Marilyn will also be selling some of the Magcloud copies of Mittens!.  I still haven’t done my homework, but I figure that’s easy travel knitting.  For my actual project knitting, I’m hoping my Sanguine Gryphon Bugga in Karner’s Blue arrives in time — I’m planning on bringing the Zylphia Cowl (still in planning stages).

The only bittersweet thing about going to Madrona is that I’ll be missing Stitches.  I have new friends I’d love to be able to meet up with that are going to Stitches.  I’ve never met any of the Sanguine Gryphon folks in person, and they’re going to be at Stitches West for the first time this year.  (If you go, and visit the booth, you can see samples of Zylphia, Emily and Jack.)  Deb of Pico Accuardi (I love her podcast, At the Kitchen Table) will be bringing some samples of mittens from Mittens! and other patterns that she’s knitted up in her yarns.  Marilyn is sending a person to man a Black Water Abbey booth at Stitches as well, and will have some samples she knitted of my patterns with her yarn (and some Magcloud copies of Mittens!).  So, if you go to Stitches, let me know how it was!


Don’t forget to enter the Knitcircus giveaway here!