Winners!

Now of course you're all winners in my book, but the two randomly-picked [the 10-yr-old guest judge did a lot of writing and cutting and folding up into teeny-tiny pieces of each name] winners of the first MKPAYG are Nicole:

who chose the mauvey colorway.
Here was her comment: I have always loved to learn to make socks. I love the summer colors. I would choose the Plummy, Mauvey goodness. My favorite summertime treat matches the colors of the yarn, plums and berries, any sort of berries are great, sweet and refreshing for the summer!

and Louise*

who picked the autumny colorway.
Here was her comment: I love the autumny colors because it reminds me of twirling in the woods of color in the fall. Raking the leaves and jumping in them... I use to lay out leaves of color on my lawn and make a lawn quilt of color hoping the wind wouldn't blow it away until i finished. My favorite summer treat is also watermelon because my grandpa use to let all 13 grandchildren go to his watermelon patch in Tennessee and pick out their own melon. We would haul them in wheelbarrows back to the farm house and then have seed spitting contests. I love knitting socks and hope I win this !!

My beloved late mom also loved a watermelon seed-spitting contest, so that made me smile. *Louise, you need to email me at info@momogusknits.com and let me know your address!

Congrats to you two! As for the rest of you, don't be discouraged if you didn't win this time, I have A LOT of yarn and pattern giveaways queued up for you! And also, if you would like to simply purchase the Twisty Toe-Up Sock pattern, I can't stop you!

And speaking of summer treats, treat yourself to a read of the comments in the contest entry. They all hit me at once in my email inbox, so it was a sort of symphony of sometimes-nostalgic, sometimes delicious comments, which was absolutely delightful. Thank you so much, all of you, for sharing!!

One thing I want to know though - Carla Willingham, what in the world is a Pickle Snow Cone??

Pattern AND Yarn Giveaway!

I've decided to up the ante of giving away stuff by starting a series of Momogus Knits Pattern AND Yarn Giveaways. Today, here's the first MKPAYG!

What's the perfect late-summer project? Socks, of course! They're small, portable projects and by the time you're finished knitting them, it'll be time to wear them! I never got what all the fuss was about handknit socks....until I knit myself a pair. Oh, the warm yumminess of that lovely yarn enveloping your lucky toes!

I (and many others to judge by the photos I've received) have been knitting the Twisty Toe-Up Tube Socks like crazy.

Here's mine:

Here's Cortez with hers:


Here's Anne's and Lisa's:



I love these socks, if I do say so myself. Starting the toe is fun, the twisted rib pattern is easy and interesting, and not worrying about a heel is awesome!

Now I want everyone to make Twisty Toe-Up Tube Socks!! So two lucky folks will receive a FREE copy of the pattern and TWO SKEINS of lovely 100% merino Koigu sock yarn. You have a choice of summery pinks or autumnal colors. I love using two skeins in a toe-up pattern - you just start each sock at the toe and just keep knitting until your skein runs out. Easy-peasy!

Look at the plummy, mauvey goodness:


OR...look at the gorgeous autumnal quality of these:

Koigu makes the softest, squishiest, yummiest socks ever. And though the directions say to handwash, my Koigu socks go through the washer and dryer with the rest of the laundry without harm. Just my experience.

To be eligible for the free pattern and yarn, leave a comment in the Comments section below and tell me which colorway you'd like (mauvey or autumny) and what your favorite summer treat is. Mine is watermelon - cut up in chunks and chilled in the fridge. Heavenly! I'll pick the winner in some sort of random fashion, perhaps involving a 10-yr-old guest judge.

Etsy-riffic!

Do you all know about Etsy? Has it altered your life (and your checking account) like it has mine? I came across this wondrous website a few years ago - now whenever I have a moment I go and check things out. It's all (or mostly) handmade items. It makes you never want to shop at Target ever again. I have to be careful how often I go on because I just want to buy every thing I see.

This month I hit the Etsy jackpot with three new purchases. First this, two gorgeous chili bowls from darshanpottery. These are exactly the kind of thing I love - I love the earth tones, the shape, the capacity of the bowls. Look how beautiful!

And they're from Vermont, my most favorite state in the country!

Next, I had a hankering for a necklace, so I poked around Etsy and found this:

This is from delicacyj. Isn't that the prettiest thing you ever did see?

Finally, after seeing a ton of filmy laceweight shawls at TNNA, I had a hankering for some laceweight yarn. I had none in the stash, so I bought this:

100% tussah silk yarn from dyeforyarn which became this:

"Little Leaves" by Susanna IC. Loved the yarn, loved this pattern. It has little silver-grey beads in it - I lurve knitting with beads!


So that's a little tour through Etsyland for you. And of course, you can always find FABULOUS knitting patterns there as well!

Welcome!

A mighty Momogus Knits shout-out to the newest members of the family: String Thing Shop in Mountain Top, PA, Tangles Knitting On Main in Waxhaw, NC, Between Friends, LLC in Brainerd, MN, Knitting Up A Storm in North Myrtle Beach, SC, Seaport Yarn in New York, NY, Knit Knack in Maplewood, NJ, A Sheepy Yarn Shoppe in White Bear Lake, MN, The Needle Tree in Greenville, SC, Heavenly Stitches in Lima, OH (television home of "Glee"!), Maggie's Knitting Cottage in Johnstown, NY.

As always, if you're ever in the neighborhood of any of these fine stores, go in and force yourself to buy some beautiful yarn and maybe a Momogus Knits pattern or two (just sayin'....)! We have to support our local yarn stores, folks!! Go here to find one close to you!

Oops

(oops! just found this in the draft folder! It's still cool, just not quite as timely as I hoped!)

Hey, you know what's super-cool?! I just found out that Threadbear Fiber Arts in Lansing, Michigan is featuring the Momogus Knits Easy Shells series as their May Project of the Month! Woo hoo! I just got a call last week from the owner, wonderful Rob, with an order for more patterns because the shells were the featured pattern.

This!

V-Neck Shell

And this!

Boatneck Shell!

And this!

Scoopneck Shell!

That is awesome. Go check out their website! It's a good thing I live 645 miles from Lansing or I'd have no money left. If any of you out there are in Michigan, get in your car right now and go visit Threadbear!! Let me live vicariously through you! Mapquest says it's only 10 hours and 45 minutes to drive there....I wonder if they're open on Sundays.....

Sneak Peek

The dishtowel frenzy has not abated (I'm on #8, but the last 4 and the next one will all be for friends, so they don't count as being crazy), but I promised you a sneak peek at the next Momogus Knits pattern coming down the pike. And I keep my promises!!

My patterns tend to come in waves - Mary at the Tangled Web asked for a baby hat with cables a few years ago, and that led to a veritable tsunami of cable patterns. Then I did the American Girl doll Chestnut Hill Gansey, and that led to another slew of CH Gansey patterns. I love knit/purl combinations and texture, but I also wanted to write a pattern that was an easy introduction to colorwork.

So here we go, Easy Colorwork Headbands, perfect for skiing, walking the dog, a good snowball fight, or just styling in the 'hood. These are two-color headbands, knit in the round with a double layer of fabric for warmth, in a manly check or classic snowflake:

Cats love 'em!!

Pay no attention to the fact that there seems to be a 2" difference between them (that's just me and my customary gauge issues...) Once I knit up a Manly Checked Pattern sample that's a normal size, we will be photographing and putting into final form.

Colorwork is so much fun, and like cables, looks more difficult than it is. I hope these introduce a whole bunch of knitters to the fun and wonder that is colorwork!!

Perhaps A Dishtowel Intervention is Needed....

Well, with the long pause between posts, you're probably thinking that Momogus Knits Industries, Inc. has been cranking out new patterns and samples left and right. That steam cloud in the air - why that must be that new cabled beret pattern she's been talking about for a year, now! That clanging and whirring - that must be the cardigan version of the Chestnut Hill Gansey, right?

Hmmm....yes, the factory has been cranking out products, but unfortunately they have nothing to do with Momogus Knits. I have become consumed with the Hanging Dishtowel from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Like many addicts, I have no idea how I got to this place. I don't like knitting with cotton, I don't like buying yarn from big box stores, I have dishtowels that work just fine. But first this happened:


Then this:


Then this:


Here they are, adorning my ker-AZY circa 1960 stove/oven:


I am plum crazy in love with this pattern. And yes, not only do I have another one on the needles, but I went back and bought more yarn yesterday for some more. I even showed a picture from my cellphone to another mom at Gus's baseball game and she politely admired it, so of course now I have to make her one! HELP!

So yes I am crazy, but here's the thing. In all my knitting life I can't remember knitting something that actually cost less ($1.79 for yarn, 1 day to knit) than the thing that I could have bought at the store. Plus I think they're awful spiffy, as far as dishtowels go.

(Don't worry - I actually finished a Momogus pattern this week. Will post a preview with pictures next. That was the tiny little clang that could barely be heard over the dishtowel clamor.)