Originally today was supposed to be the launch day for my new Knit Kits. We decided to push their debut back. Now they are going to debut at Renegade! So you’ll have to wait until September 11th to get in on these next kits.
What are the next knitting projects we are kit-izing?
Nautical Knot Necklace!
One of them might have something to do with what is in this picture. That is all I can say!
I’ve been talking about it obnoxiously, but here I go again: I got into the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago this September! I’ll be focusing almost exclusively on selling my knit kits and, since I won’t be in Chicago from July 30th-Sept 6th, I want to get my entire kit inventory finished and ready to go before I leave.
Knit Kit Project Bags
Which means I’ve got to sew my ass off.
I make every drawstring project bag for every kit. I buy hanks of muslin. I dye the muslin yellow in a bucket in my kitchen. I cut all the bags. I sit at my sewing machine and stitch them all up.
Stamp!
I iron them. I stamp them!
LOTS of Stamps
I iron on all the stamps.
It’s quite a process. I want to have a huge inventory for Renegade and I’ve got just over two weeks to get it all finished. Back to the sewing machine!
Twin Cities Headband and Socks
It’s been about two and a half months since we cooked up the Madison Cowl and Madison Hand Warmers kits and we couldn’t wait any longer to bring you another set of knit kits!
Both Twin Cities Headband and Twin Cities Anklet Socks Knit Kits come in Blackberry and Flamingo.
Twin Cities Headband in Blackberry
Twin Cities Headband! (rav page)
This ruffle headband with plaid button closure is so cute I haven’t taken mine off since I finished it and I know you won’t, either! The seed stitch boarder keeps it from curling, the ruffle is just big enough to make a statement but not so big it takes over your head, and the handmade plaid fabric button is the perfect accent. In short: You need this headband!
Twin Cities Headband Knit Kit in Flamingo
Included in this kit:
Laminated pattern
Cotton yarn
Handmade plaid fabric button
Drawstring project bag
You will need:
Size 4 needles
Yarn needle
Can’t wait to wear this headband? We don’t blame you! And don’t forget to order the matching Twin Cities Anklet Socks!
Order them on The Sweatshop of Love’s Etsy Page!
Twin Cities Anklet Socks in Flamingo
Twin Cities Anklet Socks! (rav page)
A shout out to the ruffle ankle socks we wore as little girls, this big girl version will send any outfit from cute to seriously adorable.
This basic toe up sock pattern with a double moss stitch top, eyelet rows and ruffled finish is a slightly more advanced pattern, but if you’ve knit socks before you can tackle the Twin Cities Anklet Sock for sure. Email me if you have questions about the pattern.
Twin Cities Anklet Socks Knit Kit in Blackberry
Included in this kit:
Laminated pattern
Cotton yarn
Drawstring project bag
You will need:
Set of 5 size 4 double pointed needles
Can’t wait to wear these socks? We don’t blame you! And don’t forget to order the matching Twin Cities Headband!
Order them on The Sweatshop of Love’s Etsy Page!
If you have any questions about these patterns don’t hesitate to email me at allyson[at]thesweatshopoflove[dot]com.
Chicago knitters! Keep your eyes peeled for the classes for these kits! They will be scheduled in the next few months. And email me if you want a kit! I’ll be happy to bring one to class for you so you can avoid shipping costs.
Now you get why I had to jump the gun Friday, right? If you were sitting on these cute knit kits you would want to share them, too!
I can’t wait to share with you what we’ve got cooking for our next set of The Sweatshop of Love Knit Kits!
So I won’t.
They will be available Monday! Holla!
Madison Hand Warmers Kit!
I was packaging the Madison Cowl and Hand Warmers kits up the other day and I was blowing myself away with how amazingly cute these things are!
I mean that in a non braggy way, of course. It is kind of like when you finish knitting something and someone compliments it, and you yell out immediately, ‘I know! Isn’t it amazing?!’ Because you are just so surprised it turned out so well. Kind of like you weren’t even responsible.
As you can see, this kit here to my left is about to get packaged up! It’s a gray hand warmers kit.
The hand warmers take about half a skein of yarn, so that ball is wrapped up with a Sweatshop tag. The laminated instructions (see that laminated shine?), designed by Tara, is popped into the drawstring project bag.
Buttons!
I was always terrified I was going to forget the buttons every time I packaged a bag up. I’m pretty sure I double checked every bag.
Ready to Go!
See the cute Illinois stamp in the corner? And that the color of the draw string is the color of the kit? Yeah, we kinda thought of everything.
Madison Cowl Kit
For the Madison Cowl Kit, each project bag gets a full skein of yarn, again with our cute tag!
Instructions!
Buttons!
Again, laminated instructions and fabric covered buttons round out this kit!
One of my favorite parts of this project was pairing the fabric for the buttons with the colors we chose for the cowls.
See all the button/cowl match ups here!
Ready to Go!
Our tag on the bag makes it happen! This kit is ready to go!
We got our first feedback yesterday! Lori said:
Thanks, Lori! Order your own kit on our etsy page.
Thank you all for entering my Madison Cowl and Hand Warmers kit giveaway! I say this every time I have a giveaway, but this was our biggest response yet!
The winner of the Madison Cowl Knit Kit is Katie! Who said: “Red, Gray, Blue ahhh decisions, I LOVE them ALL!! I think red is my favorite. The cowl would go wonderfully with my black coats!!!”
And the winner of the Madison Hand Warmers Knit Kit is Beth! Who said: “Happy Blogversary! It is one of my favs and I already have it in my RSS google reader. I like the hand warmers, my self.”
I’ll be emailing both of you right now to get your info.
Thanks again to all who entered and stay tuned for more fun Madison Knitting Kit info soon!
I’ve been working like a crazy person this weekend to:
1) Finish knitting my Dollar and a Half Cardi, my February sweater, before the Ravelympics start and I have to knit all those projects. On Friday. *shakes head*
2) Put together all of the Madison Knit Kits so I can start dishing them out!
When I’m explaining all the stuff I do on my weekends to my grandma she always says, ‘No rest for the wicked! or, for you!’ The wicked, or knitters, I think she means. I’m ok with it.
Be sure you enter my Kit Giveaway! You have until tonight to enter! The winners will be announced tomorrow.
Madison Cowl and Hand Warmers!
I could not be more excited to launch The Sweatshop of Love’s Knit Kits! This is a project I’ve wanted to do for years, and with the help of Miss Tara Shade Sweatshop Knit Kits are a reality! Take a peek at our Etsy page for details about the Madison Cowl Kit and the Madison Hand Warmers Kit.
And if you are thinking of taking my Madison Cowl and/or Madison Hand Warmers classes, buy a kit and get the class for $10!
AND be sure to check out the Sweatshop Blog tomorrow for a chance to win a Madison Cowl and Madison Hand Warmers kit!
Sign up for these classes now! Spots are filling up faster than they ever have before. Tonight’s Beginner Crochet class, Sweater Club Thursdays, and Toe Up Socks are all full! Sweater Club Sundays starts February 7th and only has two spots left!
Be sure to email me if you have any questions about these classes or if you want to sign up. I look forward to hearing from you!
See you soon,
Allyson
Winter Classes:
Sweater Club: *Thursdays are full! Only two spots left for Sundays!* All hail the return of Sweater Club! Signing up for this class gets you one or two classes per week over the course of eight weeks. The goal is to finish your sweater by the end of the class. If you are with me on my knit a sweater a month quest, knit two sweaters in class with me! Winter session of Sweater Club starts Thursday, February 4th and/or Sunday, February 7th. Sweater Club continues every Thursday night 7-9 and Sunday morning 10-12 until Thursday April 1st and/or Sunday, April 4th. There will be a one week Sweater Club Break the week of February 25/28 for some knitting catch up. The one class per week option for eight weeks costs $75, the two classes per week option for eight weeks costs $120. Email me at allyson@thesweatshopoflove.com if you have any questions or to sign up for this class!
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Bow Headband: Quick, easy, and adorable, this double moss stitch Bow Headband is the perfect way to start working hand knits into your wardrobe! This is a great project for beginner (and knits up ridiculously quick if you’ve got some experience under your belt!). Monday March 15, 7-9pm. 2 hours, $20
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Ruffled Crocheted Bib Necklace Workshop: Ok the crocheting is out of control this season! Put this whole Stefanie Fail of A Common Thread Ruffled Bib Necklace together by the end of this three hour workshop! Saturday March 20, 1-4pm. $40 with materials
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Beginner Knitting: Did you get on this mailing list in the hopes that eventually you will have the time to learn? Sign up for this beginner knitting class and learn how to cast on, bind off, and knit and purl. Monday April 12, 7-9pm, $25
Beginner Crochet: *Tonight’s class is FULL! Sign up now for Tuesday, April 13th’s Class!* This is a great opportunity to learn the basics of crocheting! In this class we will learn to make a chain, single, half double, double, and treble crochet stitches, and how to crochet in the round. Use these mad skillz for Ruffled Crocheted Bib Necklace, Granny Square Workshop, and Granny Square Slippers. Tuesday April 13, 7-9pm, $25
Group Knitting and Crocheting: Come get help starting a project, finishing a project, picking a project, picking materials, or learning something new! 2 hours, $15
Knitting Book Club: Our next book club meet up will be Monday, March 1st at 7pm. We are reading When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro! If you are interested in joining the book club, send me an email. Please don’t come with knitting questions as I won’t be teaching anything (so the book club can be free of course), just come to knit and chat about our book
| Please note all classes are held at New Wave Coffee at 2557 N Milwaukee Ave / 3103 W Logan Blvd in Logan Square unless otherwise noted. |
I could not be more excited to introduce to you The Sweatshop of Love’s latest endeavor: Knit Kits!
The Sweatshop of Love, along with the ridiculously talented Tara Shade, are ready to premier our first batch of Knit Kits – the Madison Cowl and Madison Hand Warmers!
Take a peek to the right at our Etsy Mini Store! These kits are all available at our Etsy store, or send me an email at allyson[at]thesweatshopoflove[dot]com and I’ll hook you up.
Madison Cowl and Hand Warmers!
You’ve gotten a little peek of these patterns in the newsletters because both the Madison Cowl and Madison Hand Warmers are classes in April. This is the perfect opportunity for knitters not in Chicago to get in on the Sweatshop fun!
Madison Cowl Kit
Gray
Green
Red
Blue
Madison Cowl Kit – (rav page) As fun to knit as it is to wear, the Madison Cowl is a super cute way to work your hand knits into your wardrobe! Using a seed stitch boarder and an intuitive lace pattern throughout, this Cowl is a great way to master chart reading and lace work. Never read a chart pattern? Our easy to read instructions will make it a cinch.
Finish the Madison Cowl with handmade fabric buttons designed to stand out no matter which color Madison Lace Cowl kit you decide on.
Included in this kit is:
An easy to read pattern
Yarn
4 handmade fabric buttons
A nifty drawstring project bag
You will need:
Size 7 needles
Stitch markers or scrap yarn
Yarn needle
Madison Cowl!
Need this Madison Cowl around your neck immediately?! We know you do! This kit is only 36 bones! And don’t forget the matching Madison Hand Warmers. Need the full set? Get both Madison Kits for $54!
Madison Hand Warmers Kit
Madison Hand Warmers Kit- (rav page) A great introduction to following a chart pattern, these Madison Hand Warmers are a super quick knit and fun to wear! And handmade fabric button accents make these hand warmers stand out from the crowd.
Knit on straight needles and seamed around a thumb opening, the Madison Hand Warmers are perfect for beginner and intermediate knitters looking for a quick, fun, easy to wear project. Never read a chart before? No problem with this easy to read pattern with step by step instructions to get you some cute hand warmers with no head aches.
Included in this kit:
And easy to read pattern
Yarn
2 handmade fabric buttons
A nifty drawstring project bag
You will need:
Size 7 needles
Yarn needle
Madison Hand Warmers!
See yourself rockin’ these adorable hand warmers? We do to! This kit is only $24. And don’t forget the matching Madison Cowl! Need the full set? Get both Madison Kits for $54!
Now can you see why I’m so excited?! These kits rock! And this is just our first round. Stay tuned for more Sweatshop Knitting Kits in the near future.
