CraftSanity with Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood

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Kristin Nicholas is my kind of creative. Some people pick one art medium and stick to it, but not Kristin. She does it all.

She's a craft book author and illustrator who is into stitchery, knitting, painting, ceramics, interior design and gardening much much more. In addition to using color with wild abandon in her knitting and embroidery projects, Kristin enjoys splashing color throughout her 1751 farmhouse where she lives with her husband, Mark, and daughter, Julia. On this farm located in an abandoned apple orchard, Kristin and her family live an inspired life raising sheep, pigs and chickens.

Tune in this week to hear the story of how Kristin got into the business of art and craft. Get inspired, then check out Krisitn's yarn line and plot out your next colorful project.

This week's project is from Kristin's "Colorful Stitchery" book. Download the pdf instructions for recycled wool potholders.




Win a copy of Kristin's books! This week I'm giving away two books: "Kristin Knits" and "Knitting for Baby" (the book she co-authored with Melanie Falick who was featured on episode 30.) Post a comment about this week's show and get in the drawing to win one of these two great books. Tell us how you use color in your work. Do you use it with wild abandon, or are you more monochromatic in your thinking? To enter, simply copy your post into an e-mail to Jennifer@craftsanity.com. Please include your mailing address in your e-mail so I know where to send your prize if you win. The deadline is Friday, Feb. 29. Good luck everyone!


There is still time to get involved in these fun opportunities, too!

WIN THE BOOK! Be sure to enter this week's contest to win one of two copies of Samara O'Shea's book. All you have to do is write a letter about what letter writing means to you and send it to my P.O. box (address below) postmarked no later than Feb. 29. (Check out episode 69 if you missed it.) I will call upon Samara's letter writing expertise to select the winners. Are you a letter writer? Did you ever receive, or send a letter that changed your life? Send me your story for a chance to win a book and have your letter scanned and published online. Please write: "For the Love of Letters" on the envelope so I know your writing to enter the contest. Please include your e-mail address so we can reach you quickly if we need to.

Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood
CraftSanity Podcast producer
P.O. Box 888192
Grand Rapids, MI 49588-8192

Pen Pal Exchange: And because I've been really enjoying receiving letters lately, I thought I'd start CraftSanity Pen Pal Exchange. So, if you're interested in writing to a fellow listener, e-mail your full name, age, interests, and mailing address and I will attempt to match you with a pen pal with similar interests. Please write "Pen Pal Exchange" in the subject line and send me your response by Feb. 29. Samara and I are going to participate in this exchange and we'd love for you to join us.

Fabric Postcard Swap: Okay, here's one more opportunity to get cool mail. I'm also be hosting a fabric postcard swap. If you'd like to participate, e-mail me your name and address by Feb. 29 and I will match you with a swap partner. Partners will be assigned in early March and the deadline to mail your postcard is March 31. The theme is "Spring" so think flowers and sunshine.

Support the show! Buy a CraftSanity T-shirt or button.

Taking Names: Who do you want to hear from next? Send your comments, guest and show topic suggestions to jennifer@craftsanity.com.

The only crafting I've had time for this week has been the completely mindless sort of knitting where you pick it up and knit without thinking or counting. You just breath and knit and life is good for a few rows. This is great way to recover from the white-knuckle commute home on scary, snow-covered West Michigan roads.

I was so pleased with how Abby's felted purse turned out, that I had to make one for Amelia, too. The design is Ruth Boelkins' nonstop knits Mini Felted Tote Purse pattern and it's super easy. I've been lugging this project around in my bag all week.

I usually always have a project with me, so I'm never caught waiting in line somewhere without a nerve-calming distraction. I ALWAYS feel better about waiting when I have a project to work on. They should offer free knitting lessons while people wait forever at the Secretary of State's office. That could possibly help reduce the collective anger among the customers waiting in uncomfortable chairs because knitting can really take the edge off.

Speaking of projects, I'm still planning to post a new podcast this week. If all goes well, it will get posted tomorrow.

In case you missed the free project I posted yesterday on my newspaper blog, I wanted make it available here, too, so all you knitters living outside of West Michigan get a fair chance to try out Ruth Boelkins' free nonstop knits pattern for felted roses. These roses can be used as lapel pins or classic embellishments for hats, purses and whatever else you'd like to make fancy. Download the the pdf of Ruth's Rose pattern and give it a whirl.

Ruth is a fellow West Michigan knitter. You can read her story on my newspaper blog and check out her patterns and purses for sale in her etsy shop. Her patterns are also available at Country Needleworks, 584 Chicago Drive, Jenison, Mich.

Enjoy!

Today Abby, Amelia and I spent some quality time watching the hot, soapy water in our washing machine felt a wool purse I just finished knitting for Abby. I've done some felting before, but this was probably the first time the girls were aware of the process and they seemed to get a kick out of it.

"Is it done? Is is done?" they asked every time I stopped the machine to check the progress.

This project was inspired by Ruth Boelkins' Nonstop Knits Mini Felted Tote Purse pattern. To find out more about Ruth and her super crafty family check out Ruth my weekly art & craft column that is published in Sunday's edition of The Grand Rapids Press.

Below are the before and after pictures. I'm pleased with the outcome. However, Abby seemed to be most interested in the purse when it was in the washing machine.

Ah, well. Maybe she'll show some interest when I complete Amelia's purse. Worse case scenario I'll have two cute little purses to add to my collection. So it's basically a win-win.



P.S. I finished editing a new podcast tonight and hope to post it within the next couple days, so stay tuned.

Here's a sneak peek at my latest knitting project. I'm making a felted purse for Abby from a pattern by a West Michigan knitwear designer who I'm featuring in my craft column this weekend. So check back on Sunday for all the details.

Even though work and family obligations kept me from attending her book signings at two west Michigan book stores, I was pleased to get a chance to meet up with Susan B. Anderson both days she was in town. We went to lunch on Wednesday at Marie Catrib's and made a quick stop at a City Knitting, a great yarn Grand Rapids yarn shop. We taped an unconventional CraftSanity interview Thursday at the Grand Rapids Public Library, one of my favorite haunts.

The crazy part of the interview was that I taped it with BOTH my daughters present, which is a CraftSanity first. They're 2 and 3 and therefore not great co-hosts for my show yet. Thankfully, Susan loves kids (she has four of her own) and is a very easy-going knitter. So I gave Abby a cookie to munch on (I seem to bribe Abby with cookies every time Susan visits.) and Susan and I had a fun conversation with a few minor interruptions. Amelia slept in her stroller through the whole thing!

Susan showed Abby and I the adorable reversible toys she designed for a new book project. One was a reversible cat and mouse and the other was a tiger and elephant. So fun! Abby "raced" them across a chair seat while we talked and seemed to really enjoy them. I'm so happy to hear Susan is working on a knitted toy book. Plush toys are all the rage and not just for kids. I know I'm not the only one who had crafted a few toys to put up on the shelf or bring along to work. This is fabulous news.

I'll be editing audio today and hope to wrap get a new show to out before my weekend ends. I'll likely include my chat with Susan as the after show, or possibly post it as a standalone. We'll see how long it is. In the meantime, check out episode 46 to learn more about Susan and her life as a knitter and author.

Hey knitters! A rising star in the knitting world is headed back to West Michigan. Susan B. Anderson, of Madison, Wisconsin, the author of "ITTY-BITTY HATS" and her latest book "ITTY-BITTY NURSERY" will be speaking in at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Treehouse Books, 37 East Eighth Street, in Holland and at 7 p.m. Thursday at Schuler Books& Music, 3165 Alpine Ave. in Walker.

I met Anderson when she came to West Michigan for her first book tour and I later interviewed her for my CraftSanity podcast. Check out episode 46 to hear the story of how she became a knitwear designer and landed a book deal. By the end of the interview, you'll feel like you know her and you'll want to come out and meet her in person.

Anderson's latest book hit newsstands in October and is loaded with more great patterns to knit for the little people in our lives. I love the plush peas and carrots pillows on page 90, cupcake baby hat on page 113, cupcake tea set on page 120, and the "Three Little Pigs" inspired pattern on page 155.

Anderson's patterns are great because she knits her experience as a busy mother of four into her designs. For example, on page 107 there's a pattern for an attractive diaper bag that will serve a hip mama as a fun tote for years after the baby graduates from diapers. And if the "Plug Fairy" had not already made a stop to collect all the pacifiers from my house, I'd be knitting the adorable pacifier clips on page 98 because they're so much cuter than the ones you can buy in the store.

So if you want to rock the next baby shower you attend, pick up your needles and make a project in this book. You will surely impress the mother-to-be if you show up with a darling, handknit "garden mice mobile" or a patchwork textured blanket. With 40 projects to pick from, there's likely something to strike the fancy of most every knitter who loves to knit for babes. The only disappointment is that I don't have time to knit everything I like in the book.

While I'm a huge fan of Anderson's work and find just about all of her designs absolutely tempting, (Okay, so I'm not going to knit the baby wipe dispenser cover.) I have to say my favorite pattern in this book is the whimsical "clothesline" that includes a tiny knitted sweater, pair of jeans, t-shirt, ruffled skirt and parasol. I'd love to knit one of these lovelies and hang it across a window in my home. It just strikes me as one of those projects that people of all ages can enjoy whether they live with kids or not. Thanks, Susan, for another great book.

Hey Knitters, want to meet a craft superstar?

Lily Chin, the famed knitwear designer, master knitter and fastest crocheter in the world, is going to give a series of workshops Aug. 18 and 19 at the Nautical Yarn in Ludington, Mich. Participants will learn to custom fit patterns, shape with short rows and other tips and tricks to improve their knitting.

Chin will meet with fans during a free book signing Saturday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the yarn shop located at 108 South Rath Ave. Check out the yarn shop site for workshop prices and supply information. Call 231-845-9868 to register for the workshops.