Dish Towel 3-PAK

I let this project sit on the back burner for a little too long, but I'm happy to report that the Dish Towel 3-PAK is now available in the ALL Shop! These 100% cotton beauties are a generous size of 9 x 9 inches, knit up in a tuck stitch for an extra cushy hand-feel. They will look great in your kitchen, or in the kitchen of somebody you love. Buy them here!

I Found You!

I had a very brief holiday vacation last week, so I made off to Wisconsin to spend the day with my family. There are many wonderful things about visiting home, but I always look forward to digging through the goods in the basement, and going to Avalanche Looms with my mom. My mother is an expert collector, and has been my entire life. Her basement is better than most thrift stores, and keep in mind, this is the stuff she doesn't use. And so, I had a thirty minute session rummaging through everything and was able to find lots of things that I wanted and two things that I needed, an enamel tea pot and some green glass.

Later that morning, at Susan's shop, my mom treated me to a new pair of incredible mittens and a few rolls of designer tape. The mittens are a part of a textile show Susan curated at her shop, called Sno-Crush. I was very honored to have the opportunity to participate and delighted to find these wonderful mittens by Barb Monroe. Read more about the event here, where Susan will also be posting additional information about the contributing artists!

Specials

One thing that really keeps things spicy around the studio is special requests. I have been getting more and more of these types of projects as the holidays approach. Everyone puts on their thinking cap during this time of year, trying to imagine the perfect gift or scenario to make certain the season is special. Making specials are a wonderful break from the daily duties, a time to get funny and try ideas that have been germinating over time. This sweater is a little number I knit up for a very loyal client who nearly has a full knit ensemble! I had so much fun knitting this sweater, I was almost giddy.

I have also received some very fun and interesting requests, specifically related to holiday family portraits. Oh, this is right up my alley. I couldn't imagine a more perfect situation...sweaters for the whole family? NO PROBLEM! Sweaters for you and your dog? NO PROBLEM! These are ideas that look great on everyone.

Jobbers

It's winter here now! I had a brief moment of excitement as I saw the piles snow outside my window. Very brief. I am changing the relationship I have with winter this year, as I recently quit smoking and have decided to stop winter biking too. Winter biking in Minneapolis is crazy. I used to do it every day, all year, when I worked at Target. It stinks if you don't have any proper gear. My super-power North Face gloves were stolen at a restaurant last winter and I think it was then that I decided I wouldn't be buying another pair, at least not for riding. Instead, this winter, I am spending every day inside, and I love it. I don't feel bad about hating winter, I've lived here my whole life. I'm just going to be inside for a little while.

So the last few weeks have been very busy and there has been some excitement around the studio. Flurries of activity! I will have more to report about bits and bobs in that department later. But for now, let's admire these beautiful tiny objects! The labels are 100% cottton, woven on tiny looms in Europe, and they are gorgeous. The black ring is a new piece, hot of the press, from Celestine. You don't have to stretch your imagination too much, you know what goes in the middle. I almost fell backwards off my chair when I opened the file she sent me. She knows just how to tickle my heart strings.

Happiness!

Today the ALL Shop updates featuring the long anticipated ALL + ETC collaborative knitwear collection. The shop is bursting with color! Go on, get in there, and don't forget that this is your first chance to purchase the limited edition TEAM: Annie Road t-shirt, and once they're gone, they're gone! Other new bits include Celestine's Mini's, a small shop within a shop where laser cut miniature jewels have been made available for you!

Read more about ETC here.
Read more about Celestine here.

!!!

I have been so busy lately. One could say I am moving and shaking, on the go, making a run for it...and so on. Well, there are all sorts of things happening, but the most important is the second fall update, scheduled for Monday, November 15th. This new product line comes from the hearts of ALL and ETC, to keep you warm inside and out. Monday will also be your first opportunity to buy the A--- Road tee shirt. YEAH!

In other news, as the holidays approach, please do get your orders in sooner rather than later. I already have a very full schedule between now and then and may have to start turning orders down as the time draws nearer. I don't want to be a Grinch, so please make sure to get your orders in by DECEMBER 8TH to be shipped by DECEMBER 20TH (if you are an international customer, please consider the delivery service you will be using and adjust accordingly). Unfortunately, even then it is not guaranteed, it will all depend on how much comes in before that. I will be sure to post updates as needed. After the ALL +ETC collection is released on Monday, there will not be any new products added until after the New Year.


Pictured Above: Cheeto Dotter Mini, photographed by ETC, modeled by ALL

A Change of Pace!

Eric and I have been working on a very special project, one that has transformed our studio and allowed us to work on something different than our own day-to-day routines. We are presently finalizing all of the details and will be able to share more in a few weeks, but in the meantime, here are a few non-knit-bits I have been working on for it. SHOES! A change of pace! I have had these shoes, and these fabric paints for years. It's been great fun to revitalize them and I will eventually be sending them away to start a new life in a different place. Not-So-Basic-Editions, I'm ready for summer again.

Hats!

I have been neck deep in hats for the past few weeks. There are hat towers, and small hat villages forming around my ironing station. Crystal came by with some new poms earlier this week, and my, were there some gems in there. My favorite ones are the versions with the fluffy green spots, they look like mold! My other favorite ones are newer and they are the exact color of couscous. My other favorite ones are all the rest of them. Who am I kidding, I love them all! So, I wanted to photograph a whole lot of them together, it's rare that I have so many items pile up at a time, I am usually at the post office mailing before I get a chance for group shots. This particular layout reminds me an awful lot of a tee shirt I wore on the first day of school in 6th grade. It was a white number with a grid of turtle shells, all of them painted crazy colors. On the bottom, it said "Uniformity is Boring." Yay for tee shirt slogans, sometimes they are just fine.

A--- Road for Everyone!

This is the A--- Road tee shirt. It was hand-drawn by Eric Carlson in the winter of 2008 as a very special holiday gift for me. I highly endorse this shirt, it has all of my favorite things in it! Well, like most things I post on here, this is an item you will be able to buy in the ALL Shop in the near future. We are having a pile of these tee shirts printed in Oakland, probably as we speak, by a friend who has recently started his own print shop with a few others. There will be 100 shirts in total (S-XL) and they will be available online within the next few weeks. We will accept pre-orders, you know where to find me. BTW, Eric has recently started a new blog. You should get in there, it is clean, sparkly, and new.