Knit with Me on The Longest Day

May 19, 2022 / uncategorized / Leave a Comment

Once again I am taking part in the Alzheimer’s Association’s (alz.org) The Longest Day event. This annual event takes place on the summer solstice–the day with the most light. On this day volunteers spend the daylight hours doing something they love while raising awareness and hopefully a lot of funds for to help find a cure for this dreadful disease.

For my part, I plan to knit from dawn to dusk on June 19. Although it’s not quite the summer solstice, it’s close enough for me!

In anticipation of the event, I designed the Fading Memories Cowl (shown above). On June 19, I’ll knit another version of the cowl while partaking in five online knit-a-longs sponsored by some of my favorite yarn shops. I’d love for you to purchase the Fading Memories Cowl and knit along with me. I’ll donate $5 to Alzheimer’s research for every pattern purchased! 

To help keep me focused during this very long day, I’ve scheduled a series of online knit-a-longs hosted by five of my favorite yarn shops. Beginning in Florida, we’ll follow the sun across the continent and end in Washington. You can check in, give me a “way to go, thumbs up” emoji, and hang out for an hour of chat and encouragement and even some prizes! All five sessions are free and will take place on Zoom.

  1. Start the Longest Day KAL at Four Purls of Winter Haven, Florida. This zoom session begins at 6:00 am PDT, 7:00 am MDT, 8:00 am CDT, 9:00 am EDT, 10:00 am ADT and 10:30 am in NL.
  2. The next stop will be at Hill Country Weavers. This Zoom session will be at 8:00 am PDT, 9:00 am MDT, 10:00 am CDT, 11:00 am EDT, 12:00 pm ADT and 12:30 pm in NL.
  3. Drop in on me again, courtesy of Longmont Yarn Shoppe of Longmont, Colorado. This zoom session will begin at 12:00 pm PDT, 1:00 pm MDT, 2:00 pm CDT, 3:00 pm EDT, 4:00 pm ADT and 4:30 pm in NL.
  4. Keep knitting (or take a nap), then join River City Yarns of Edmonton, Alberta for an afternoon session starting at 2:00 pm PDT, 3:00 pm MDT, 4:00 pm CDT, 5:00 pm EDT, 6:00 pm ADT and 6:30 pm in NL.
  5. We’ll finish up our cross-country KAL with a visit at the Bazaar Girls Yarn Shop of Port Townsend, Washington. This session starts at 4:00 pm PDT, 5:00 pm MDT, 6:00 pm CDT, 7:00 pm EDT, 8:00 pm ADT and 8:30 pm in NL. Contact Dana at events@bazaargirls.com to register.

And in any event, please visit my fundraiser page and make a donation. To encourage donations, I’ll enter your name in a raffle for every $50 you donate (donate $50 and get one chance to win, donate $100 and get two changes to win, and so on). The winner will receive the Fading Memories Cowl that I knit during the event.

Thank you.

 

Knit With Me on The Longest Day

June 3, 2021 / uncategorized / 3 Comments

You are cordially invited to join me on June 20 as I knit from sunup to sundown my Fading Memories Socks to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research. There’s still time to purchase the special Fading Shadows Gradient Kit from Longmont Yarn Shoppe. For every pattern sold, I’ll donate $5 to Alzheimer’s; for every gradient kit sold, Longmont Yarn Shoppe will donate $10!

To make this day more interactive, four Local (online) Yarn Shops have joined in to host virtual zoom Knit-A-Long sessions with me. You can check in, give me a “way to go, thumbs up” emoji, and hang out for an hour of chat and encouragement. All four sessions are free and will take place on Zoom. Please click on the links below to register for each session. And yes, there will be prizes and special offers; including a very special prize draw for those who join in all four KAL sessions.

  1. Start your Longest Day KAL at Four Purls of Winter Haven, Florida. This zoom session begins at 7:00 am Pacific Time, 8:00 am Mountain Time, 9:00 am Central Time, 10:00 am Eastern Time, 11:00 am Atlantic Time.
  2. Keep knitting (or take a nap) and join River City Yarns of Edmonton, Alberta for a mid-day session starting at 11:00 am Pacific Time, 12:00 pm Mountain Time, 1:00 pm Central Time, 2:00 pm Eastern Time, 3:00 pm Atlantic Time.
  3. And after a short break, join in with the Bazaar Girls Yarn Shop of Port Townsend, Washington. This session starts at 1:00 pm Pacific Time, 2:00 pm Mountain Time, 3:00 pm Central Time, 4:00 pm Eastern Time, 5:00 pm Atlantic Time. Click here for the login codes.
  4. We’ll finish up our cross-country KAL with a visit at Longmont Yarn Shoppe of Longmont, Colorado. This session starts at 3:00 pm Pacific Time, 4:00 pm Mountain Time, 5:00 pm Central Time, 6:00 pm Eastern Time, 7:00 pm Atlantic Time.

And in any event, please visit my fundraiser page and make a donation.

Thank you.

Knit with me on The Longest Day!

May 29, 2021 / Charity, Patterns, Socks / Leave a Comment

Please join me on The Longest Day (Sunday, June 20) as I knit to raise awareness (and hopefully a whole lot of funds) for the Alzheimer’s Association. Each year the Alzheimer’s Association challenges individuals to help fight the disease by raising funds and awareness for care, support, and research on the day with the most light.

For my part, I’ll knit from sunrise (somewhere around 5:00 am) to sunset (somewhere around 9:00 pm) Mountain Standard Time on a pair of socks I designed specifically for this event.

The cable-and-eyelet pattern in my Fading Memories Socks represents the twists and turns in the memories of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s, in a gradient colorway inspired by The Longest Day logo.
For every Fading Memories Socks pattern sold, I will donate $5 to Alzheimer’s research.

The yarn I used is Fading Shadows gradient kit of 5 mini skeins specially dyed by Greenwood Fiberworks. The yarn is 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon; there are 92 yards (20 grams) of each color for a total of 552 yards (120 grams). The gradient kits are available through Longmont Yarn Shoppe of Longmont, Colorado.

For every gradient pack of Fading Shadows sold, Longmont Yarn Shoppe will donate $10 to Alzheimer’s.

On Sunday, June 20 (the longest day of 2021), I’ll knit another version of Fading Memories Socks and post my progress in hourly (or somewhat hourly) Instagram posts.

Because it’s better to knit together, some of my favorite yarn shops have joined in the fun. In addition to donating a percentage of their sales to Alzheimer’s, they will host free Zoom knit-a-longs (I’ll be there), complete with prizes and special offers. Contact the shops directly to register. Those who join all four knit-a-longs will have a chance for special awards.

Four Purls of Winter Haven, Florida: 10:00 to 11:00 am Eastern Time (9:00 to 10:00 am Central Time, 8:00 to 9:00 am Mountain Time; 7:00 to 8:00 am Pacific Time)

River City Yarns of Edmonton, Alberta: 12:00 to 1:00 pm Mountain Time (2:00 to 3:00 pm Eastern time, 1:00 to 2:00 pm Central Time, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Pacific Time)

Bazaar Girls Yarn Shop of Port Townsend, Washington: 1:00 to 2:00 pm Pacific Time (4:00 to 5:00 pm Eastern Time, 3:00 to 4:00 pm Central Time, 2:00 to 3:00 pm Mountain Time)

Longmont Yarn Shoppe of Longmont, Colorado: 4:00 to 5:00 pm Mountain Time (6:00 to 7:00 pm Eastern Time, 5:00 to 6:00 pm Central Time, 3:00 to 4:00 pm Pacific Time)

Follow me on Instagram at annbuddknits. Better yet, join me in the knit-a-longs and support a great cause!
Either way, please visit my  fundraiser page and make a donation.

Thank you.

 

Approaching THE LONGEST DAY

June 15, 2020 / uncategorized / 4 Comments

Please join me on The Longest Day, Saturday, June 20, as I knit from sunrise to sunset to raise awareness (and hopefully a lot of funds) for Alzheimer’s awareness and research.

I’ve designed the Fading Memories crescent shawl to represent the increasing holes in the memories of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s, in a colorway inspired by The Longest Day logo.

For every Fading Memories pattern sold, I will donate $5 to Alzheimer’s research.

The yarn I used is The Mystery of The White Plum gradient kit of 6 mini skeins specially dyed by indie dyer Schmutzerella Yarns, who will donate $5 for every pack sold.

The following dyers/yarn shops also have special colorways for this shawl and will donate a portion of the proceeds to Alzheimer’s research.

Not to be outdone by yarnies, master ceramicist Charan Sacher of Creative With Clay has also joined the cause and is taking orders for purple and gray mugs. The 16-ounce mugs are dishwasher and microwave safe, and are available in four knitterly designs.

For every mug ordered, Charan will donate $5 to Alzheimer’s research.

Click here to order your mug.

 

As I knit the shawl on Saturday, June 20, I’ll post my hourly progress through Instagram posts. Follow me at annbuddknits.

Whether or not you want to join the knit-along, please visit my fundraising page and make a donation. Together we can help find a cure!

KFF Beaver Creek!

May 31, 2020 / Classes, Knit For Fun Retreats / Leave a Comment

After having to cancel my last two Knit For Fun Retreats due to COVID-19, I’m delighted to announce that the third one is moving forward!

Join the fun in Beaver Creek, Colorado, September 24 to 27, 2020, with StevenBe, Andrea Wong, and myself.

Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa

We’ll stay at the five-star Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa. where you’ll enjoy luxury rooms that include refrigerators, flat-screen televisions, complimentary wireless Internet, premium bedding, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers.

 

Click here to find all the details about classes and costs, and a link to register. Registration opens at 10:00 am Mountain Standard Time on Monday, June 1.

It’s time to knit together again!

 

A KAL in Support of Alzheimer’s Research

May 27, 2020 / Accessories, Charity, crescent shawl, healing, Patterns, Shawls / 1 Comment

As more of my friends and family become victim to Alzheimer’s disease, I find myself more passionate about the fight against it. That’s why I’ve registered to take part on The Longest Day this summer to raise awareness (and hopefully a whole lot of funds) for the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Longest Day is the day with the most light (the summer solstice), which will be June 20 this year. It’s also the day that the Alzheimer’s Association calls on everyone to fight Alzheimer’s disease by raising funds and awareness for care, support, and research. For my part, I’ll knit from sunrise (somewhere around 5:00 am) to sunset (somewhere around 9:00 pm) Mountain Standard Time.

 

I’ve designed a special project for this event. The Fading Memories crescent shawl (available on Ravelry) represents the increasing holes in the memories of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s, in a colorway inspired by The Longest Day logo.

For every Fading Memories pattern sold, I will donate $5 to Alzheimer’s research.

 

 

 

The yarn I used is The Mystery of The White Plum gradient kit of 6 mini skeins specially dyed by indie dyer Schmutzerella Yarns. The yarn is 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon; there are 92 yards (20 grams) of each color for a total of 552 yards (120 grams). The Fading Memories shawl uses nearly all of the 552 yards in the gradient pack.

For every gradient pack sold (click here to order), Schmutzerella Yarns will donate $5 to Alzheimer’s.

 

I’m delighted to announce that other indie dyers and yarn shops have join in the fight by producing other yarns that work equally well for the Fading Memories shawl pattern.

Sun Valley Fibers has created a merino/cashmere/nylon gradient set of six 100-yard skeins (600 yards total) called The Longest Day.

Kits will initially be available at The Longmont Yarn Shoppe, in Longmont, Colorado, and later at www.SunValleyFibers.com.

For every gradient pack of The Longest Day sold, $10 will be donated to Alzheimer’s.

 

 

Emma’s Yarn, based at Four Purls Yarn Shop in Winter Haven, Florida, has dyed a special Hella Hank (80% superwash merino, 20% nylon; 600 yards). The color, called Bright Spot, is a reminder to look for the positive in any unfortunate situation.

For every skein of Bright Spot sold, $5 will be donated to Alzheimer’s.

 

 

The Bazaar Girls Yarn Shop and Fibre Emporium in Port Townsend, Washington, is offering three yarn choices.
They will donate 10% of proceeds of each skein of the following yarns sold to Alzheimer’s if you mention the Fading Memories shawl.

Elemental Affects Civility (70% US merino, 30% mulberry silk; about 600 yards) in the special Fading Memories colorway.

Available at The Bazaar Girls Yarn Emporium in Port Townsend, Washington.

 

Colinton Lace Blends (80% unbrushed mohair, 20% silk; 250 yards) in the Slate Variegated colorway.

You will need two to three skeins for the Fading Memories shawl shown above.

Colinton Lace Blends are only available at The Bazaar Girls Yarn Emporium in Port Townsend, Washington.

 

 

Jorstad Creek has a three-skein set (600 yards total) of Ursa Minor fingering weight (75% superwash merino, 15% nylon, 10% silver stellina): 1 skein each of Silver, Lavendar, and Sapphire. The kit colorway is called Stardust Memories.

Available at The Bazaar Girls Yarn Emporium in Port Townsend, Washington.

 

On June 20 (the longest day of this year), I’ll knit another version of my Fading Memories shawl and track my hourly progress through Instagram posts. Follow me at annbuddknits. Better yet, join me in the knit-a-long and support these yarn shops and indie dyers while donating to a great cause!

Either way, please visit my fundraising page and make a donation. You don’t have to wait until June to give — funds are welcome right now.

Thank you.

Son of a Goat Herder

April 20, 2020 / Children, Sweaters / 2 Comments

In response to the popularity of my adult-sized Goat Herder and infant/toddler-sized Junior Goat Herder pullovers (both available on Ravelry), I’ve reworked the design in sportweight yarn for in-between sizes of 3 to 12 years and named it Son of a Goat Herder.

Like it’s siblings, wide ribs in the lower body give way to a chevron pattern worked with twisted stitches—no cable needle is necessary! The body is worked in rounds from the hem to the armholes, then the back and front are worked separately in rows to the shoulders. Stitches are picked up around the armholes, the sleeve caps are shaped with short-rows, then the rest of the sleeves are worked in rounds down to the cuffs. There are no seams to sew.

Finished Size: About 231/4 (28, 32, 36)” (59 [71, 81.5, 91.5] cm) chest circumference. To fit approximate sizes 3 (5, 8, 12) years. Sweater shown measures 28” (71 cm).

Yarn: Sportweight (#2 Fine). Shown here: Elemental Affects Cormo Sport (100% wool; 400 yards [365 meters]/4 ounces [112 g]: #31 Limoncello, 2 (2, 3, 4) skeins.

Needles: Size U.S. 5 (3.75 mm): 24” (60 cm) circular (cir) and set of 4 double-pointed (dpn). You may substitute the magic-loop method using a single circular needle for the double-pointed needles.

Notions: Markers (m); removable markers; small amount of waste yarn for marking sleeve caps; tapestry needle; stitch holder (optional).

Gauge: 24 sts and 36 rows/rnds = 4” (10 cm) in St st, after blocking.

Use the code GOAT to receive 20% off any (or all) of the Goat Herder family (Goat Herder Pullover, Junior Goat Herder Pullover, and Son of a Goat Herder) between now and midnight Sunday, April 26.

Below left to right: Goat Herder Pullover, Junior Goat Herder Pullover

Yarn Support

March 23, 2020 / Patterns, yarn stash / 2 Comments

Dear friends,

I do hope you and yours are safe and well. The corona virus epidemic has certainly changed life as we know it.

The practice of social distancing has its challenges, but I’m keeping up with friends and family through video conferencing (in-person meetings may become obsolete!). I’m entertaining myself by learning to cook with what’s on hand, binge watching PBS shows, and, of course, knitting.

Sadly, social distancing has caused a lot of small businesses to suffer reduced sales. Most of those in the fiber industry, who don’t have much of a cushion to begin with, are truly struggling. To encourage yarn purchases, I’m discounting all of my independent patterns (those published through Ann Budd Knits) in my Ravelry store through midnight Friday, March 30. Use the one-time code KNIT! to receive 50% off the regular price of these patterns.

Stay healthy and knit happy!

 

 

 

 

Book Winner(s)!

March 15, 2020 / Books, Raffle / Leave a Comment

Thank you all for jumping in the raffle for one of my books. It’s especially nice for me to see so many comments on a blog post!

The winner is Roxanne Smart, who wrote: “Scarf Style 2 would be a delight for me to own. Why? 1. Because I don’t have it. 2. Because an old lady never has too many scarves. 3. Even if an old knitting lady has too many scarves they make wonderful gifts for others.”

After drawing Roxanne’s name, I was feeling generous and drew a second winner.

The second winner is Karen Berger, who wrote: “I would be very happy to win a copy of Simple Style. Thanks for the raffle!”

Congratulations Roxanne and Karen. Please reply to me at annbudd@annbuddknits.com to give me your mailing addresses.

Raffle Time!

March 3, 2020 / Books / 69 Comments

It’s raffle time again!

In appreciation for the joys I get from knitting and helping people knit, I’d like to give away one of my books.

Tell me which title you’d like to win and why, and I’ll enter your name in a drawing for a free copy. You can find all of my titles on at annbuddknits.com — click on books.

The winner will be announced Tuesday, March 17.

 

 

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