small things

AndeeKF Fiber Arts and Photography {giveaway}


Today’s giveaway is from Andee, whom you might know from her blog, Match the Pictures.  She’s been a regular part of our Yarn Along here at Small Things for as long as I can remember.  I am very pleased to be sharing this space with her today!


“My name is Andee and I am a wife and a mother of two sons. I have a huge passion for the Fiber Arts. I have been knitting and making my own patterns for the past 15 years. I grew up on a farm with horses and I loved the lifestyle of living on a farm. About five years ago my parents no longer had any horses or ponies and they decided to fill their pastures up with alpacas. I was so excited when the first alpacas came to the farm. I couldn’t wait for the day when I would be able to start using their fiber to knit with.


Each Spring we shear the alpacas and send their fiber to a small fiber mill to have it processed. Some of the fiber is spun into yarn, some is processed into roving (which we spin ourselves) and the rest is turned into rug yarn. We have the fiber processed per alpaca or alpacas. Sometimes we blend similar alpacas’ fibers together so we can get more yarn in a certain color. All of the yarn is tagged with the alpaca’s names and sold in our farm store.


I have learned over the years that each time we get the fiber back from the fiber mill it varies in thickness. I wanted to design some patterns that would work well with the yarn from the small fiber mills as well as for handspun yarn. People who come to the farm are so excited to purchase yarn from our alpacas and always ask what they can make with it. This inspired me to create some knitting patterns that would work with varying weights of yarn.


I was also inspired to make knitting patterns after falling in love with some hand-painted yarns. I have found different Indie yarn dyers that make amazing skeins of yarn. I have found myself falling in love with the color of the yarn and couldn’t resist purchasing it. I enjoy designing patterns for these types of yarn.


I started publishing my patterns about a year ago and I have been overwhelmed with the support I have gotten from knitters, yarn companies and yarn store owners. I plan to keep designing patterns that work well for Indie yarn dyers, hand-spun yarns and fiber mill produced yarns. I do also enjoy working with commercial yarns, but my passion is for the specialty yarns.


Because I love yarn and knitting so much and I want to immerse myself in the fiber arts as much as possible I also work part time at Chelsea Yarns in Colts Neck, New Jersey. I help customers select yarn, I help them with their knitting projects and I offer lots of encouragement. It is the type of LYS where people come together to knit, appreciate yarn and a place where many customers make lifelong friendships. It is a wonderful environment and I’m very happy to be on the Chelsea Yarns team. I must admit one of my favorite parts of working there is getting to wear my hand knits!

3-AndeeAll of my patterns can be purchased online in my Ravelry Store. They can also be purchased in person at Arrow Acres Farm or Chelsea Yarns.

 

3-Andee1If you are in the Monmouth County, New Jersey area and want to meet me and the alpacas I will be at Arrow Acres Farm this weekend (Directions HERE). We are having an Open House for National Alpaca Farm Days September 27th & 28th. It is an educational weekend for the public to come and meet our alpacas and learn all about alpacas and the fiber arts. I will have samples of all my patterns on display as well as the patterns available for sale.”

For the giveaway I am offering a copy of my Outlander & Standing Stones E-Book which contains both my Standing Stones pattern and Outlander pattern.  To the same winner I am offering three skeins of Shibui Baby Alpaca yarn in the colorway Mineral, which will knit up wonderfully as an Outlander Cowl or a Standing Stones Cowl.  In addition, I am giving 10% off my knitting patterns on Ravelry until October 5th at midnight EST using the code “SMALLTHINGS”.

For your chance to win, leave a comment on this post. 

***Comments are closed and the winner is Amber who commented, “Ahhh!! I love alpaca fiber! Pick me! Pick me! ;)”

Thanks, Andee!

 

knitting patterns

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. What gorgeous patterns…truly lovely. I am very envious of the alpacas. I would love to have alpacas.

  2. I have the Standing Stones Cowl already in my Favorites on Ravelry…. Just need some excellent yarn to make it with! 😉

  5. Gorgeous patterns! I love the colors and patterns she chose, she definitely has a gift for designing. Beautiful yarn and beautiful work.

  8. I think I might have to revisit Knitting if I won this. I love the look of the infinity scarves and I want one right now, not in ten years, which is how long it would take me to finish. But, if I won, I would give it a go. Maybe it would be easier than it looks.

  10. The Standing Stones pattern is one of my favorites ever, and I can’t wait till I get a chance to knit it some day soon! Thanks for the opportunity!

  11. I love her patterns. Really lovely. I checked out the yarns too and the colors are lovely. I am bookmarking for next project. I would love to win and work with those lovely patterns

  21. My husband wants to get some alpacas when we move to our land. He is most definately into the whole process of yarn making from beginning to end. I knit ☺That is my third passion (after Jesus and my family) what a wonderful giveaway! Off to check out your patterns on Ravelry!

  27. my goal this winter is to learn to knit – I already crochet. What a wonderful shawl that yarn would make.

  30. What a lovely sharing post! I’m headed over to her Ravelry store now to check out the patterns! I’d love to win this giveaway. Thank you — Isabel

  33. Thanks so much for the giveaway. I absolutely love Outlander, and would love my very own Cowl scarf! I am obsessed with the books and the show! Thanks so much for the chance ♥

    mmalavec(at)med(dot)umich(dot)edu

  35. What a clever girl ! The patterns are beautiful and I love that they don’t seem complicated . Thanks for your kind offer and discount.

  37. Ginny – I love your site.
    Andee – I love your patterns, yarn and ALPACAS!!
    Thanks for the giveaway and discount on Ravelry!

  44. I don’t normally enter your giveaways, as I don’t have children, and many of them are geared toward children, but I absolutely love this giveaway…..her patterns are great….

  47. Hi, I have been admiring your patterns for a while now, especially the outlander themed. We haven’t been able to get the series in the UK so I have been re enjoying the books from audible.
    Great patterns and a fantastic give away.

  48. that yarn is beautiful, Thanks for the chance to win … I’m off to stalk you on ravelry and “favourite” standing stones. I was lucky enough to visit stone henge last year and I’m still in awe