Louisa Harding Book Giveaway Winners!

Bertie 

I am pleased to announce the three "lucky" knitters who will each receive a copy of Louisa Harding's new Colline pattern book thanks to Knitting Fever!

Thank you to everyone who commented on my post for Louisa's new book Colline.  According to your comments...Bertie is a "top" favorite in the new book.  

Here's the Colline Book winners' comments about their favorite design in the book:

Jules wrote:  "Hi Lisette, thanks for the preview! The new cotton/alpaca blend sounds interesting--the benefits of alpaca with the coolness of cotton. My favorite design has to be the cover one, Bertie. I like her color combination on that!"  

Sarah wrote:  "Hard to choose just 1 fav: either short sleeved Phil or Stan!"

Gwen A. wrote:  "Jamie is my favorite...and in my current 'favorite' color, too!  :)
Thanks for the preview and the chance to win the book!"

I have contacted the winners through Ravelry.  A special "thank you" to Knitting Fever for sponsoring the Louisa Harding book giveaway! 

Stay tuned for your chance to win with my next Louisa Harding Jesse book review and giveaway over the next few weeks.


(Photo credit:  Stephen Jessup)

Colline

Louisa Harding's 

Colline

The 2013 spring/summer Louisa Harding books and yarns are now making their debut.  Louisa says:  "This season I am embracing the idea of recapturing 'Zest' and 'Joie de vivre'."

As a designer, Louisa found inspiration for her latest collection from her travels last summer to Barcelona, Spain.  In describing Barcelona, Louisa says:  "Look up and you stumble upon some of the 20th century's most exciting architecture and decorative arts.  Buildings created with zest, passion, enthusiasm and craftsmanship."  

Colline

 Filled with inspiration from her Barcelona travels, Louisa created her 2013 spring/summer collection of yarns and designs using bright "zesty" colors. Her vision is clearly visible in her Colline pattern book which features 14 fashionable designs.  I particularly like her color-blocking styles where you pair high-contrast shades of color together...perfectly achieved with her new Colline yarn color palette.  

Colline is a soft blend of 80% cotton and 20% alpaca and comes in 12 vibrant colors.  According to Louisa:  "Colline is beautifully soft to the touch and produces great stitch definition when knitted".  

Well now that you know a bit about the Colline collection,

let's have a peak inside the book...

Bertie

 Here's Bertie.

Va, va, va voom...

Bertie just might be my favorite design in the book!  I think it's perfect for a night out "on the town" enjoying tapas or making an entrance at a special summer event.  Bertie is also available in a two-color version.  

Jamie

Here's Jamie. 

Louisa is famous for her cardigans and Jamie is a perfect short sleeve cardigan for summer.  For those who like color-blocking, Louisa also designed Jamie as a contrast edge cardigan.  I love how Louisa designed this cardi with a lace-up ribbon closure in lieu of buttons!

Marni

Meet Marni.

I love the retro look of the Marni top.

Marni can be knit as a solid color top (as shown above) or in a two-colored, striped version. 

Pete

Here's Pete.

I love Louisa's capelets.  Pete is a two-color (color blocked) capelet and can also be knit as a one-color caplet with sleeves.  

Stan

Meet Stan.

Stan is the perfect accessory to brighten up your summer wardrobe!  Louisa designed Stan so you can knit a scarf version in two hanks of Colline or a shawl version in 3 hanks.  

All these gorgeous photographs from the book are by Louisa's husband, photographer Stephen Jessup.  You can view the entire Colline collection at Knitting Fever.com.  

Colline Book Giveaway!

Now for the fun part!  After you view Louisa's new Colline collection, leave a comment here on my post and tell me your favorite design from the book and you'll be entered into the Colline book giveaway.  Three of my "lucky" blog readers can win Louisa's new Colline book thanks to Knitting Fever.

So leave a comment on this post before Saturday, April 27, 2013.  Three randomly selected people will each receive a copy of the Colline book.  Book prizes will be mailed out by Knitting Fever.  US residents only.  Void where prohibited. 

Good luck!

(A special "thank you" to Vincent at ImagiKnit in San Francisco, CA for assisting me in taking my Colline photographs at ImagiKnit.  All Colline book images are by Stephen Jessup and used with permission.)

Store Spotlight: ImagiKnit

 ImagiKnit

One of my favorite streets in San Francisco is 18th Street in the Mission District.  The stretch of 18th Street between Guerrero and Sanchez is home to San Francisco's famed Tartine Bakery and Cafe, Bi-Rite Market and the most wonderful yarn store in the city,

ImagiKnit.

This past weekend my husband, nephew and I enjoyed a San Francisco getaway.  The guys went to the Giants games and I went yarn shopping!

 Great Walls of Yarn

ImagiKnit is located on the ground floor of an old San Francisco style Victorian building at the corner of 18th  St. and Sanchez St.  (I read somewhere that its location is in the former garage of the building.)  The roomy store has two large rooms which are filled to the ceiling with the tallest yarn shelves I have ever seen! 

 Great Customer Service!

 Keeping with it's Victorian architecture, owner Allison Issacs has decorated ImagiKnit with antique furnishings and flea market finds.  Her vintage styling and decor give the store a comfortable vibe and make you just want to sit down and knit.

Even though ImagiKnit is in a big city, it has a very welcoming and a real "neighborhood feel" to it.  The staff are always friendly and helpful every time I've ever shopped there.

 Allison Isaacs

On this visit, owner Allison Issacs was behind the counter so I had a chance to chat with her.  I found out that she recently celebrated the 10 Year Anniversary of ImagiKnit last September.  

 Allison loves that her store is a destination stop for many tourists visiting San Francisco.  While I was there, I recognized another customer's Scottish accent who happened to be visiting from Scotland.  I love to visit yarn stores when I travel, too, and ImagiKnit is certainly one of the best yarn stores I've ever visited.  Luckily for me...it's only a 2 hour drive from where I live!

My So Called Scarf

Before Allison officially opened ImagiKnit she was "knitting up a storm" making samples for the shop.  Alison told me:  "After I opened ImagiKnit, one scarf and pattern really put me on the map!"  That scarf is her

 "My So Called Scarf".  

According to Ravelry, nearly 6,000 "My So Called Scarves" have been knit to date.  Thanks to Allison, it's now a free pattern.  And, you can see in the photo above that the original scarf is still hanging around the shop...just like an old friend should!

 Got Yarn?

 ImagiKnit's yarn stock is impressive!  I can always find my favorite brands there like:

Louisa Harding, Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Noro, Habu, Malabrigo, Be Sweet, Koigu, just to name a few.

So if you find yourself in the city by the Bay,

be sure to get over to 18th Street and ImagiKnit.  Make sure to allow enough time for a coffee break or lunch just down the street at Tartine Bakery and Cafe!

ImagiKnit

3897 18th Street 

(corner at Sanchez St.)

San Francisco, CA  94114

(415) 621-6642

Idiazabal & Membrillo Pressed Sandwich

(Lightly smoked sheep cheese with quince jam.)

Tartine Bakery & Cafe

600 Guerrero Street

(corner at 18th St)

San Francisco, CA 94110

(415) 487-2600

Hot Off the Press!

Louisa Harding's New Books

Look what I have my "hot little hands" on...

the new Louisa Harding Spring and Summer pattern books!

Every season, I eagerly await the arrival of the new Louisa Harding books at my local yarn store.  This week I am so excited to be one of the very first knitters to get my hands on the new books which are "hot off the press"! 

Louisa's new pattern book are:  Jesse, Colline, Mila and Etcetera.  Last night I flipped through their pages and the books are gorgeous!  Louisa's husband and photographer Stephen Jessup certainly knows how to capture the beauty and essence of his wife's designs.  For these books, Stephen photographed the collection against a white background which not only showcases Louisa's "fashion-forward" style but also her new "colorful" Spring/Summer yarn line.  

Perhaps you are just a bit curious on how I got my hands on these new books so fast?  Well here is the exciting news:  The wonderful people at Knitting Fever, Louisa's American yarn distributor, have graciously sent me the books for me to review on my blog.  I couldn't be more excited!  

And, there's exciting news for you, too!  When I do a book review on my blog, there will be a prize drawing for the book I review that my blog readers can win.  The book prizes will be selected by a random number generator and the prizes will be mailed out by Knitting Fever.  

So stay tuned... 

you could be a winner of one of these new Louisa Harding pattern books.  

To "keep in the loop" with my upcoming book reviews and other news, you can follow my blog with updates via email now.  The email sign-up box is towards the top right hand side of my blog.  

I'll be back soon with a book review and prize drawing!