The Sweatshop of Lovers Blog

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:

I love everything about it! The bag, the pattern with your notes, all the tags, the buttons, everything! You and Tara did such an excellent job on those!

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!

It is amazing how much can be accomplished in just one little year. Today is my one year blog anniversary! I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into a year ago, but I am so happy I did. I’ve written more in this past year than I wrote in four years of writing school. I’ve knit more this past year than I ever have before. And I’ve taught more classes than I ever have before.

And, of course, the launch of the Knit Kits is a huge step forward for my little Sweatshop. And to thank you for being a part of this crazy year we are hosting a Madison Kit Giveaway!

Brynn Rockin Out

Win a Madison Cowl Kit or a Madison Hand Warmer Kit! To enter, leave a comment about which knit kit you want, which color, and how you are planning on wearing it. Tweet it with a @sweatshopoflove for bonus points!

You have until the Super Bowl (that is Sunday, February 7th) to enter! Our winners will be announced Monday, February 8th.

HOTT!

And you can take your style cues from our Madison Kit model, Brynn! She rocks the Madison Cowl and Hand Warmers so well it was like we made them for her.

Love It!

She had some lovely things to say about what she was modeling, too! “I am amazed at the vintage feel of the pattern; it makes this set especially unique.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  I also love how the gloves are like little coats for your hands!  I can still rummage through my purse, flick my hair out of my face and get things done without constantly pulling gloves on and off.  The cowl feels like a hug around the neck! It not only kept me warm doing my chilly morning shoot, but it didn’t feel confining.  Vintage fashion meets function – yes, please.”

Thanks, Brynn!

How sweet! And how cute is her outfit? I couldn’t NOT make this a Style Your Knits.

Navy Floral Strapless Dress: Vintage (Knee Deep in Pilsen)

Cropped Tuxedo Jacket: Twenty8Twelve

Pale Pink Wool Cardigan: I bought it in like 9^th grade!

Faux Croc Leggings: American Apparel

Belt: Vintage (Knee Deep in Pilsen)

Suede Booties: Aldo

ZigZag Bracelet: Vintage (Randolph Street Market)

And Tara took all these cute pics! She wanted to give a shout out, “To Atomix and it’s awesome patrons for being so cool with us shooting in and around the coffee shop. Everyone was really radical about it.”

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.