Before I start a new contest, I wanted to announce the winners from the April Blog Contest (where I asked you about the weirdest thing you have ever cooked with or eaten.) Some of you have eaten some rather disgusting interesting things. YUCK. Wow! I used the random generator to pick 3 winners, and will be sending skeins of Femme Fatale (the color that Claudia dyed up for the Spring Fling) to Betty in Calgary, Marji in NY, and Catrina in NC. Congratulations to all three of you! I have a few extra skeins of this colorway, so you’ll have another chance to win it in our May blog contest as well. 🙂
Speaking of the Fling, when people first arrive and check in, we give them each a Goodie Bag, filled with fun things. Since I’m such a bag and mug kind of person, I have fun picking these out especially for the Fling each year. And then filling them! Here is a photo of this year’s bag and contents. (I was a little into Apple Green this spring – can you tell? It’s such a happy color. I got our new travel mugs in that color as well.) I liked this bag so much that I may order them to sell here (only it won’t say Spring Fling). I liked the mugs a lot, too, but since we have a hard time shipping mugs because of breakage, I probably won’t have those for sale online. But I do have some filled Goodie Bags to give away, and I thought a blog contest would be the way to go. Included: the cute bag (it has an over-the-shoulder strap, pockets under the flap, and water bottle holder), 1 skein of Wollmeise’s Femme Fatale, the Loopy mug, two patterns, a Little Loopy, a post-it holder, a Spring Fling stitchmarker, and a mini skein of Baby Boom. Retail value is $65. We’ll use the random generator to pick the winners from the comments section and I’ll pick a winner for every 200 or so entries. My question for you to answer in the comments is: Who is your favorite knitwear designer? (It’s ok to say “I don’t have one”. I want everyone to be eligible to get in on this contest. But if you do have one, tell us!)
Have you joined our groups on Facebook and Twitter? We just finished up one of our 24 Quick Quizzes over there. I think I need to start doing those on our Ravelry group every once in awhile, too. We love connecting with you in other places, if you have time for those things in your life. (They can take time away from knitting, though. Ask me how I know….)
I‘m heading off to MDSW this weekend and hope to see some of you there! I never did come up with a good meeting place or time for Loopy Groupies. Instead, I’m just going to carry this big red bag, because it’s the ideal lightweight shopping bag, and I do intend to fill it up with purchases. If you see me walking by, grab me and say hi! I’ll be back to blogging on Monday with pictures of SHEEP. I love all of those sheep.
Sheri whowouldbringafewlambshomeiftherewasanywaytodoit
Ruth Sorensen has lovely things, can’t wait to do the leaf sweater!
Carol Sunday, Veronik Avery, and Spilly Jane
Definitely Cookie A. I recently started knitting just so I could make her socks!
That changes moment to moment it sometimes seems but at this exact moment I’m rather enamored with Jared Flood’s designs.
There are so many! I love Cookie A, Jared Flood, Ysolda, and Anne Hanson are just a few of my favorites.
Right now I think my favorite designer just might be Cookie A. A thinking knitter’s sock designer.
I love the nature-inspired Norah Gaughn. She is a genius. If I were to win the bag, it would go to Knitting Daughter, since I was at the Fling. Well, maybe minus the Wollemeise….
Hard to narrow down to one designer……maybe Wendy Johnson. I really like her sox. Anne Hanson too.
Cookie A – Yay Socks!
I’ve had several favorite designers, it usually depends on whose pattern I’m knitting at the moment. Cookie A, Anne Hanson, Evelyn Clark, Ysolde Teague, Carol Anderson, and the list goes on…
My favorite varies from project to project. Currently, I’d have to say Jared Flood.
I love the creativity of Wendy Bernard. I’m also always delighted by Gudrun Johnston’s designs.
I have so many knitwear designers that it was very hard to choose. There is one that stands out. Alice Starmore has been a classic designer of timeless fashion in knitwear. Her patterning is quite unique in working with colors. You look at a finished piece and say I could never do that. Yes you can, she never uses more than 2 colors at a time but her methods and colorwork stands testimony to her skill. Her fisherman patterns are the most unbelivable I have ever done and making them make you feel a part of history. Her pieces are heirlooms and often tell a story of familys. Each of my children have very large afghans made for them when they married.
Yes, Alice Starmore is my all=time favorite knitwear designer
So many ….lately my favorites would be ….Ysolda, Jared Flood, Hannah Fettig, Evelyn Clark, Emily Ross, and Diane Soucy !
What a hard one! Just looking around my desk, I have patterns from Noro, Spud & Chloe, lesley Stanfield, Chris Cylsma and Kathy Merrick – and that’s only the tip of the iceberg!!! I’m totally drawn to knitting sweaters based on great photography or samples 🙂
Bonnie Marie Burns, Wendy Johnson, Kathleen Taylor, Jared Flood, lots of others!
I LOVE knitting socks!!! The award for favorite designers is a toss up between Cookie A & Wendyknits.
I have so many favorites that choosing just one is almost impossible. I love Anne Hanson’s designs and Cookie A for starters. There are a multitude of talented designers out there.
I would also have to say Elizabeth Zimmerman. She gives such great basic knitwear advice, Nothing tricky yet incredibly intelligent.
I have to chime in as another fan of Cookie’s socks!
Love Cookie A for socks.
also Debbie O’Neill
Elizabeth Zimmerman
My favorite designer is Kim Hargreaves.
Melissa Leapman; Kaffe Fassett; Elizabeth Zimmerman
Nancy Bush is probably my favorite at the moment as I’m a suck for the traditional updated patterns she documents.
Looks like I’m a little late to the contest! Are there any bags left? LOL
I have a few favorite designers, but since I’m loving socks and shawls right now, I’d say my favorite is Wendy Johnson — I love her sock patterns. They’re so easy to follow and always turn out nicely.
For shawls and socks Anne Hanson, for sweaters Norah Gaughan.
There are sooo many! Anne Hanson, Ann Budd, Adrienne Fong and many others. There are so many inspired designs that it is hard to choose only a few. ;D
I don’t think I have a favorite designer, though I do have a few I usually enjoy – Cookie A, Gudrun Johnston, the Zephyr girls, Connie Chang Chinchino… so many great patterns out there!
I can’t say I have one favorite, there are so many of them with lovely patterns 🙂
I love lots of patterns, but I so admire Anne Hanson’s patterns! I am trying to get experienced enough to do one! 🙂
i think my favorite designer is ysolda. i just love her aesthetic.
Right now, my favorite designer is Marnie Mclean—love her patterns on Twist Collective! EZ is a constant favorite, and numerous other designers seem to get my attention regularly, but these are the two that come to mind immediately!
Cookie A. I love her socks, especially the Pomatomus pattern!
Don’t have just one. There are too many of them!
Jared Flood. I am inspired by each design.
Oops! I added an “i” to Bonne Marie Burns name.
I don’t have one yet……still discovering people!
kim hargreaves is one of my favorites
Cookie A is my current favorite sock designer!
It’s Wendy Johnson. I’m completely infatuated with her socks and her shawls.
Cookie A, Wendy, Ysolda and Jared Flood are those that come to mind first.
I forgot! Coco Knits, fun fun stuff!
For socks and shawls, Wendy Johnson, hands down. For fun sweaters and scarves, Maggie Jackson. For classy sweaters and baby things, Debbie Bliss. Honestly, how can I pick just one?! I also like Louisa Harding, Lily Chin, Norah Gaughan…. I better get knitting!
My favorite designers are Wendy Johnson, Cookie A. I have many more designers that I would love to knit their patterns.
Hard to pick just one. I find myself going back to Ann Budd’s books over and over again, but my all-time favorite designer has to be Elizabeth Zimmerman. I just love her writing and her innovative techniques. How did she come up with all that????
Lately I have loved Elizabeth Freeman’s shawl designs!
I don’t have one, but am getting more familiar with different ones, also am finding a lot of new designers on ravelry…..
I forgot, CoCo Knits has wonderful patterns!
I don’t have a fave either. I do like the Zephyr patterns though.