Knitting in the Heat

The sweltering summer months don’t mean you need to put away your needles until the cool of fall. You just need to change what’s on them! As the weather turned from unseasonably warm to drought-conditions-that-made-fireworks-illegal here in the Midwest, I’m casting on some adorable knits from two books from Kristi Porter. Check these out!

Knitting In the Sun offers 32 warm-weather patterns perfect for both knitting and wearing as the temperatures climb. Here are a few favorites.

Kristi, a mom of two young kids, followed up Knitting in the Sun with More Knitting in the Sun, which features 32 patterns for the little ones in your life. Here’s what I’m planning to knit for my three kids.

Have fun!

Free Project from Teach Yourself VISUALLY Color Knitting

Want to try your hand at stranded knitting without committing to a whole garment’s worth of stranding? Mary Scott Huff’s Songbirds Blouse from Teach Yourself VISUALLY Color Knitting is a perfect fit for spring. Knit in cool cotton yarn, its cheery birds are sure to make you smile as you watch them come to life on your needles. Subtle waist shaping makes this versatile sweater figure-flattering, too. Click here for the pattern: Songbirds Blouse Pattern.

Songbirds Blouse

Songbirds Blouse Detail

Announcing Teach Yourself VISUALLY Color Knitting, by Mary Scott Huff

Happy May, everyone! The bright greens and purples and pinks that I see outside my window on this cheery spring day have me thinking about color…and color knitting! So it’s a happy coincidence that Mary Scott Huff‘s new book, Teach Yourself VISUALLY Color Knitting, will be released next week. Mary has packed so many techniques and so much information into this comprehensive guide, from stranded knitting to intarsia to entrelac, that you’re sure to find something you can’t wait to start knitting. Here’s a sneak preview: 

Stranded knitting projects from Teach Yourself VISUALLY Color Knitting

Intrigued? Check back on Friday for a FREE PROJECT from the book!

 

Fiber Festivals

As spring approaches, we are reminded of the upcoming fiber festivals around the country.  For fiber lovers, a festival is more than a setting for buying and selling materials—it’s a gathering place where artisans, designers, farmers, and friends come together to teach, learn, share, and celebrate this timeless art in a unique 21^st-century marketplace.

Whether you are an avid attendee or simply wanting some festival inspiration, grab a copy of Joanne Seiff’s Fiber Gathering: Knit, Crochet, Spin, and Dye More than 25 Projects Inspired by America’s Festivals. Joanne highlights eleven fiber events throughout the U.S. and gives you a taste of what each has to offer through photography, essays, lore, and even a local recipe. On top of that, talented designers have contributed patterns using fibers that are ubiquitous to each festival.

Safe travels to everyone Maryland-bound next weekend!  

2012 Fiber Festivals

Northeast

• Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, West Friendship, MD, May 5-6
  http://www.sheepandwool.org/ 
• New York State Sheep & Wool Festival, Rhinebeck, NY, October 20-21
  http://www.sheepandwool.com/
• New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival, Deerfield, NH, May 12-13
  http://www.nhswga.com/sheep-and-wool-festival

 South

• Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair, Fletcher, NC, October 26-28
  http://www.saffsite.org/
• The Tennessee State Fair, Nashville, TN, September 7-16
  http://tennesseestatefair.org/

Midwest

• Michigan Fiber Festival, Allegan, MI, August 18-19
  http://www.michiganfiberfestival.info/

 West

• Black Sheep Gathering, Eugene, OR, June 22-24
  http://www.blacksheepgathering.org/
• Estes Park Wool Market, Estes Park, CO, June 9-10
  http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=TownofEstesPark%2FCBONLayout&cid=1251609816602&pagename=CBONWrapper
• The Wool Festival at Taos, Taos, NM, October 6-7
  http://www.taoswoolfestival.org/

Video and Giveaway – How to Make Money Using Etsy

Today, Handmadeology‘s Timothy Adam offers a couple more tips on how to improve your selling experience on Etsy. Leave us a comment on this post and one lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive a copy of Tim’s new book How to Make Money Using Etsy.

Learn how to schedule a whole week’s worth of social media promotion using Shop Marketing Helper:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7whhmuUSRE

There is a new Etsy app that just came on the scene called the Shop Marketing Helper that will help Etsy sellers save time by scheduling all their social media marketing efforts. I have been scheduling the social media promotion of the Handmadeology Etsy shop and our traffic and sales have doubled and beyond!

25 strong backlinks to your Etsy shop in 3 mins or less! 

Now your Etsy business can have a social media presence even when you can’t be there!

http://handmadeology.com/etsyshopmarketing

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Great Examples of Etsy Facebook Fan Pages Using the New Timeline Design

Tim Adam of Handmadeology.com, author of How to Make Money Using Etsy: A Guide to the Online Marketplace for Crafts and Handmade Products, has graciously offert to share some wonderful tutorials and tips with our Wiley Craft readers.

As a creative business owner there is no doubt you want your Facebook Fan Page to draw fans in and keep them there. You also want your images to match your brand and at the same time be crisp and clear. The deadline is fast approaching and all Facebook Fan Pages will make the switch over to the new timeline.

Here are some examples from the handmade/design world…enjoy!

1. On the Handmadeology fan page we are featuring new fans each week. You can get your Etsy items featured by clicking the cover photo, liking and sharing the photo, and leaving your Etsy shop link. This helps stimulate fan interaction and greatly increases our reach on Facebook.

2. A little biased here as this is my wife’s fan page! You can see she integrates her logo along with her slogan and samples of her work.

3.  Great design here. Shows off designs and lets the fan know what their shop is selling.

4.  Eye-catching for sure! A close-up shot piques the interest and makes me want to find out more.

5.  Love this product display!

6.  No text, but simple eye-catching photos!

 7.  Adding a photo from your last craft show is a great way to show your fans what is happening offline.

8.  Get seasonal with your cover photo.

9. Great mix of photos and info.

When you are designing your timeline cover, profile pic, and even your custom app pics, it can be a pain and time-consuming. With this Photoshop template you can drag your images and test them out in Photoshop first.

Fan Page Timeline Photoshop Template FREE Download:

Download HERE

With this template you can design your timeline before you upload them to Facebook…saving tons of time!

Studio Spaces Giveaway Winners Announced

Happy Friday to all and a big congratulations to Rebecca and Janet – the winners of this week’s giveaway of Studio Spaces.

I don’t know about all of you, but the weather here is just screaming for some Spring cleaning. Don’t tell my Publisher, but I’m sneaking my desk copy of Studio Spaces home this weekend so I can rodeo in a few areas in my own home studio.

Spring Cleaning and Free Project from Studio Spaces

Sorry we have been so silent this year at Wiley Craft! We’ve been incredibly busy putting the finishing touches on some soon-to-release books and getting even more new books underway. I honestly can’t wait to share all the great new offerings we have coming out this year, so keep checking in.

The first book I’d like to share is just perfect for this time of year – just past the new year and almost into Spring. It’s time to take stock and get the chaos under control. Whether your consider yourself a sewer, a quilter, a knitter, a scrapbooker, jewelry maker, or a little of everything, Studio Spaces by Better Homes and Gardens has a ton of inspiring ideas for how to corral your crafting supplies in ways that are not only practical, but beautiful.

Studio Spaces is a great mix of inspriation and bare-knuckles how-to. In addition to the before-and-after makeovers, the projects, tips, and organizing ideas, you’ll also get sneak peeks inside the studios of 6 top designers – but more about that next week. For now, I’ll leave you with a free project, some creative book ends that make great use of designer fabric scraps,  Get It In the Bag.

Irish Knits Giveaway Winner

Many congratulations to Juliane, the winner of the Contemporary Irish Knits givewawy. My huge apologies for the delay in both selecting and posting the winner. The school holidays and kid wrangling got the better of me and I’ve just now been able to get in and wrap this up.

Free Knitting Project — Preppy Bobbled Hat

We hope everyone is able to enjoy some downtime this week and recover from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. What do we recommend to unwind? Knitting, of course! This knitted bobbled hat uses elastic yarn and is basically just a tube cinched at the top with a crocheted chain. (The elasticity will ensure a snug fit.) Click here for the pattern.

Have a fun, safe weekend and we’ll see you in 2012!