From Mama, With Love – Blog Tour and Contest

Posted on | April 9, 2014 | 35 Comments

Several months ago, a good friend, Tanis, contacted a couple of us about an idea she had – what if a group of knitwear designers who also happen to be mothers put out a completely independent collection of handknit designs inspired by and made for their children? I loved the idea — both because I love designing knits for little people (quick satisfying knits that take a skein or two of yarn – what could be better than that?) and because I’ve been veering more and more towards independent publishing in the last couple of years and the opportunity to do that with the support of talented friends spurring each other on was too good to resist. Each contributing designer is someone whose designs and aesthetics I’ve long admired or who I’ve had the luck to know in real life, and in most cases, both. I think you’ll find that they are already familiar to you (Tanis Gray, Kate Gagnon, Margaux Hufnagel, and Melissa LaBarre-Rogers).

We collected ideas, sketches of designs, and an outline of a plan. I think the resulting collection is a good representation of each of us and our distinctive voices while meshing cohesively as a whole. There are lots of projects to suit all tastes – from simple but beautiful accessories to slightly more complex manipulations of color and texture that would easily fit in amongst a family’s most prized heirlooms. I’ll talk more about specific designs in the collection in a future guest blog post during our tour’s stop at Ysolda’s website, but for now, here are a few photos to whet your appetite. Patterns are available as part of the e-collection until October 1st. Thereafter, patterns will only be available individually.

Now for the contest…
Post a comment in the comments section on who your favorite person to knit for is. It doesn’t have to be a child or even a human! I’ll choose a winner randomly in a week to receive 2 skeins of Dream in Color Groovy in Velvet Port to knit my Kyle vest, pictured below (though of course, you don’t have to knit Kyle!). Groovy is a great, plied 100% superwash (!) merino wool yarn in chunky weight dyed in a variety of gorgeous nearly solid and variegated colors. Check out the full palette on Dream in Color’s website. Contest closes at midnight EST on Wednesday, April 16th. I’ll announce a winner on Friday, April 18th.
IMG_5686

Be sure to follow the rest of our blog tour (italics for completed posts):
Friday, April 4th, Carol Sulcoski of Black Bunny Fibers
Monday, April 7th, Melissa LaBarre of Knitting School Dropout
Tuesday, April 8th Tanis Gray of Tanis Knits
Wednesday, April 9th, yours truly :)

Friday, April 11th, Susan B. Anderson
Monday, April 14, Kate Gagnon Osborn of Kelbourne Woolens
Wednesday, April 16, Vickie Howell, Host of Knitting Daily
Friday, April 18, Carol Feller of Stolen Stitches
Monday, April 21, Kate Chioccio of Dragonfly Fibers
Wednesday, April 23, Julie Crawford of Knitted Bliss
Friday, April 25, Katie & Kara of Nice & Knit
Monday, April 28th, Ysolda Teague (Guest Blog Post from me)
Tuesday, April 29th, Karida Collins of Neighborhood Fiber Co.
Friday, May 2nd, Cecily Glowik McaDonald of Winged Knits
Monday, May 5 – Carrie Bostick Hoge of Maddermade
Wednesday, May 7th – Thea Colman of Baby Cocktails
Friday, May 9th – Kate & Courtney, of Kelbourne Woolens
Tuesday, May 13, Jessica Correa, of Dream in Color Yarn Co.
Thursday, May 15, Kristen Kapur of Through the Loops
Tuesday, May 20, Tanis Lavalee of Tanis Fiber Arts
Friday, May 22, Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting

Comments

35 Responses to “From Mama, With Love – Blog Tour and Contest”

  1. Andee
    April 9th, 2014 @ 12:07 pm

    I like to knit for myself and I’m not afraid to say it :)

  2. Anne Marie
    April 9th, 2014 @ 12:10 pm

    My favorite person to knit for is usually the youngest of my 8 kids since smaller is quicker!

  3. Marilyn (Merry) Fenton
    April 9th, 2014 @ 12:13 pm

    I love knitting socks for my little sister. She’s always appreciative and I know she loves wearing them.
    wahoomerryf on Ravelry

  4. Mrs Zuvers
    April 9th, 2014 @ 12:25 pm

    It’s odd because we really don’t get along that well, but my favorite person to knit for is my brother. Unlike most other members of the family, he seems to appreciate the effort and time that goes in, expresses unabated joy at receiving a handknit, and actually uses them once he gets them.

  5. Jan
    April 9th, 2014 @ 1:38 pm

    Right now I enjoy knitting for me as I appreciate all of the work and time that goes into a project!

  6. Roopali
    April 9th, 2014 @ 3:49 pm

    I love knitting hats for my nephew – he really wears them even living in Southern California and socks for my mom – she loves and actually wears them as opposed to my dad who likes to keep them for special occasions!

  7. Lila Guterman
    April 9th, 2014 @ 10:03 pm

    Selfish, but my favorite person to knit for is ME! Second favorite is probably my daughter.

  8. Sharon V
    April 9th, 2014 @ 10:10 pm

    My favorite person to knit for is my mom. She hardly ever asks for anything, and doesn’t gush over the things I make for her, but I always ‘catch’ her wearing the thing I make for her ‘in the wild’. I love that.

  9. Rachel R.
    April 9th, 2014 @ 10:57 pm

    My favorite person to knit for is my husband – even though he always wants kind of boring stuff (simple ribbed hats and scarves, etc), but he’s so appreciative!

  10. Helen King
    April 9th, 2014 @ 10:58 pm

    I love to knit for our Grandkids first, then other family members, then for myself.

  11. Jody
    April 10th, 2014 @ 12:15 am

    I usually knit for me, but I recently knit Hugo for my son as a birthday surprise, and he loved it. That made all of the hours spent worthwhile. :-)

  12. Magrit
    April 10th, 2014 @ 3:27 am

    Sooo lovely !
    I like to knit for my two nephews. The older one now has his own ideas, which I have to follow :)

  13. Miriam T
    April 10th, 2014 @ 6:23 am

    I too am a selfish knitter.I know that I appreciate the thought and effort involved in each project.

  14. Tina
    April 10th, 2014 @ 7:56 am

    I’ve been thinking about this long and hard and although I really enjoy knitting for others (especially for Christmas) I like knitting for myself best. Nothing keeps me more motivated to finish a WIP than the thought of wearing it.

  15. Melissa G
    April 10th, 2014 @ 9:04 am

    My daughter!

  16. Melissa
    April 10th, 2014 @ 9:31 am

    Lately, I like to knit for my husband…when I’m not knitting for my friends’ babies-to-be!

  17. Amy
    April 10th, 2014 @ 11:38 am

    I love to knit for my neice, Molly. There’s no better way to showcase my knitting!!

    amyknit40 on ravelry
    alounsberry@cox.net

  18. Linda Rumsey
    April 10th, 2014 @ 11:45 am

    I mostly knit for myself, as I get quite upset when I knit for someone else and they don’t wear it. I have been known to knit for both my Mom and my daughter, but only if they ask for it more than once!
    lindarumsey on Ravelry

  19. Andrea B
    April 10th, 2014 @ 11:48 am

    Knitting for any of my nieces and nephews – especially hats – quick knits!

  20. Crystal Simpson
    April 10th, 2014 @ 1:57 pm

    My favorite person to knit for would be my baby girl, cause it is quick and she is the perfect model :)

  21. Irina
    April 10th, 2014 @ 2:32 pm

    I like to knit to young kids, especially to my younger daughter. Kids cloths does not have to follow any dress-codes, and kids don’t really have strong preferences in what they where (and in any case – I still have a control over what she wears!), so I can indulge myself on knitting what I like, or find interesting, rather than trying follow changing taste of a pre-teen!

  22. Corlene
    April 10th, 2014 @ 3:29 pm

    My favorite people to knit for are my neices and nephew. I just love to see all the little ones in cute, little handknit items.

  23. Savannagal
    April 10th, 2014 @ 3:40 pm

    To be honest, me. I don’t have to worry if I will like it or if the color is perfect, or if it will fit me, or even if I will ever finish it, much less on time. I’m the perfect recipient!

  24. Sylvie
    April 10th, 2014 @ 8:04 pm

    My favorite person to knit for is me! My second favorite is my best friend – she sews a bit and her mom is a knitter, so she appreciates everything.

  25. Karla
    April 10th, 2014 @ 9:27 pm

    I really like knitting for my sister, her personal style stretches me and keeps me from getting bored :)

  26. Cinda
    April 11th, 2014 @ 5:02 am

    I am so into knitting for our first Grandaughter…. (F&F),Fun and Fast. Gotta as they grow so fast!

  27. Mary Jo
    April 11th, 2014 @ 10:33 am

    I love to knit for so many people its hard to narrow down. But I can tell you who I like to knit with. That would be my Mom. She is in hospice and knits everyday. My sisters and I are taking turns staying with her. during my 2 weeks we organized her stash and found so many unfinished items. I have been finishing hats and mittens and socks for Mom. And Mom has been choosing new projects with kids and grandkids in mind. The new projects we work together – I cast on and get it started and then Mom takes over. She loves the feel of the fiber gliding over the needles and it makes her happy to think about who the gift is for and how they will look in it.

  28. Winsome Rosenthal
    April 11th, 2014 @ 4:45 pm

    I think that I have enjoyed knitting for my daughter the most! She’s now in college, so the projects are a little bigger than fir the wee ones. However, she always picks out interesting and fresh patterns that challenges me just enough for me to see them through to the end!
    Thanks for this giveaway.

  29. Shelly
    April 11th, 2014 @ 11:06 pm

    I love to knit for my nieces and nephews.

  30. Denise L.
    April 12th, 2014 @ 7:29 am

    I’m going to go the imaginary route and say that my favourite people to knit for are my future grandchildren! I’ll likely become a grandparent within the next few years, and am already thinking about all the little things I would like to knit. My time was much more limited when my own children were small.

  31. Marcia
    April 13th, 2014 @ 7:30 am

    My sisters!

  32. Mimi
    April 13th, 2014 @ 8:44 pm

    I love knitting for my husband! He always love everything I knit him, regardless of how good it looks, or how well it fits.

  33. Meredith
    April 15th, 2014 @ 1:57 pm

    So happy to see this collection live, Connie! I think my current favorite person to knit for is Moira, since she is now old enough to tell me her preferences and it’s really becoming a collaborative creative process. Love it!

  34. Michele
    April 21st, 2014 @ 6:14 pm

    i don’t do a lot of knitting, mostly because i’m fairly new at it, when i do knit i like to do it for perfect strangers and if someone happens to comment on what a pretty yarn or ? i will let them have it or tuck it into a give away bag of clothes to go to the homeless….i know the contest is over, i just wanted to post.

  35. Jan
    April 28th, 2014 @ 10:06 am

    Mostly me as I learned to knit so I could make me socks! I also love making hats…

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