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Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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The Read Along Knit Along is back!

February 23, 2017 2 Comments

The spring 2017 Read Along Knit Along is headed your way! Plan ahead with all the details in this post.

By popular demand, it’s time for another Read Along Knit Along! Last fall, we knit the Other People’s Houses Shawl and read the teen fiction debut novel from Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, The Smell of Other People’s Houses. The fantastic discussion on Ravelry, live chat with the award winning author herself(!), and beautiful finished patterns made the first RALKAL a roaring success.

This time around, we’re going to be knitting a brand new sock pattern, which will be revealed and available on Ravelry next Wednesday, March 1. (But there’s a sneak peek at the bottom of this post if you’re curious!) We’ll be reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Annie Shaffer and Ann Barrows, which was chosen from among the fantastic suggestions in the Ravelry Group book selection thread. It’s a fun read that clocks in at under 300 pages, and paired with (see what I did there?) a socks project, this RALKAL should be a fun little way to celebrate spring.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Annie Shaffer and Ann Barrows

RALKAL 2.0 Details

  • RALKAL 2.0 will run Saturday 3/4 through Saturday 4/1. That will give you 4 weekends to work on your socks & read the book.
  • The hashtags are #RALKAL & #rickandrollsocks.
  • Here’s the main RALKAL 2.0 Ravelry discussion board.
    • There will be a few specific sub-threads going on too:
      • a pattern discussion & question thread.
      • a couple threads to chat about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, with special care taken to avoid spoilers (because that’s the worst).
  • As usual, there will be a couple of tutorial videos demonstrating harder or unusual elements of the pattern we’re knitting.
  • For supplies, you’ll need 100g of sock yarn that you can get 6 stitches & 8 rows over 1 inch for gauge. A great opportunity to stash dive! ;)

Prizes!

Knit alongs are a little more fun when you’ve got a carrot to help motivate you to make the deadline, aren’t they? I’ve got a gorgeous yarn I can’t wait to show you for part of the prize package, and there’s also a copy of Barbara Walker’s first Treasury of Knitting Patterns (my absolute favorite stitch dictionary) up for grabs. You’ll be able to enter the giveaway for casting on, using the Instagram hashtags, participating on Ravelry, and of course, finishing the book and at least one sock. Since second sock syndrome is real, you can enter once for each sock you finish, even if you knit them two-at-a-time style. :)

The spring 2017 Read Along Knit Along is headed your way! Take a sneak peek at the socks we'll be knitting & plan ahead with this post.

A sneaky peek at the socks we’ll be knitting!

For now, that’s all I can reveal, but this should give you everything you need to get ready to cast on and start reading with us starting on March 4! Tune in next week for a pattern reveal and link to the pattern on Ravelry. Can’t wait!

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Filed Under: Knit Along, Knitting Tagged With: kal, knit along, ralkal2, read along knit along, sock knitting

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. MariposaKnits

    February 23, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    I’ve never heard of a RALKAL, such a cool idea!! I’ve also been wanting to try knitting socks for a while now, maybe this is my motivation… As a first time sock knitter, do you think this pattern would be do-able, and I would be able to keep up?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      February 23, 2017 at 8:16 pm

      Yes! I’ve got a bunch of tutorials that should help & there will be tons of support on Ravelry too!

      Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the S Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. Thank you. 🙏🏻❤️ If you love this pattern & didn’t know already, we are going to be doing a knit along (KAL) from October 1-29 featuring this spooky sweater vest & lots of tutorials, especially for the intarsia part. 
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Later today my newsletter will be coming out with additional Knit Along details, so if you’re not already signed up, now is a great time - the 🔗 is in my b1o. 
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Pictured: My Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book by @tanisknits. Model is wearing size 1 with 2” of positive ease, knit in @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted. Vest images via @insighteditions 
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#spiralhillsweatervest #handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
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What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
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