New design from Laura Nelkin "Lolly Pod"

I have been privileged to knit for a very talented designer named Laura Nelkin.  She is not only creatively gifted, she is also a dear person and I have really been happy to get acquainted with over the last few years.  She recently left her position as Design Director for Schafer Yarns to pursue her own design career full-time.  I can't wait to see her first book.  But, along with working on a future book, she is keeping busy traveling the country doing workshops and creating new patterns.  Here is her latest design called "Lolly Pod." Is it not just the cutest thing ever?!

She calls this design "Lolly Pod"and you can purchase it here at Laura Nelkin Designs  or here on Ravelry:

What about that baby, too?  Precious.  I had to buy this pattern immediately even though at the moment I don't have any newborns to knit for.  But then on Ravelry I saw this sweet picture of a little girl snuggling her stuffed animal in a Lolly Pod and that opens the opportunity to knit Lollys for a much wider number of kids.

What little girl, or little boy for that matter, would not love a cozy little sleeping bag for their favorite stuffed animal?  I am definitely going to have to show this to my 11-year old niece who took up knitting two Christmases ago while I was home.  She looks like she might be about the same age as the little girl in the photo.

More knitting news:

If you are not already receiving Clara Parke's e-newsletter "Knitting News" I highly recommend signing up for it.  This week Clara shares her seven-minute video tour of the 38th Annual Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  For those of us who couldn't make it to Maryland, she provides a fast and fun little taste of the festival that you can take without having to leave your desk.  Watch it right here.

Clara Parkes probably knows more about fiber than just about any other living person and her Knitter's Forum is a great place to find answers to any knitting question you can imagine.  It's a great resource and one that I have used often.  Clara is the author of The Knitter's Book of Socks, The Knitter's Book of Yarn, and her latest, The Knitter's Book of Wool.  She has such a genuine appreciation for the sheep who provide us with so much warmth and cozy comfort and her writing style is entertaining and easy as well as being very educational.

Finished one sleeve on my Susan sweater yesterday and the next one is on my needles so I'm on track to have it finished in this next week.  Signing off now to work on some swatches for a beginning crochet class that I am teaching at Gourmet Yarn in the morning.  I really do love introducing knitters to the few simple crochet stitches and techniques can add so much creativity, and really pretty edges, to their knitted projects.

Happy Knitting, Josey