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Mens Cable Knit Sweater Pattern

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Things are really getting crazy around my house now that the Holiday Season is in full swing and I am sure the same is the case at your house. Make sure you set some time aside to knit whether it is something for you or for your loved ones 😉 Maybe a mens cable knit sweater pattern is in your near future…do I have your interest piqued? If you don't have a particular pattern in mind I have one for you, the Cobalt Cables Mens Sweater by Marly Bird.

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I simply love this piece. It is such a comfortable sweater that my model wanted to take it home with him. He said it fit his broad shoulders better than many store bought sweaters that he has in his closet.

Well, we all know that is because of the saddle shoulder construction; it allows for more room in the upper chest which is great for men. Also, the cables get to be highlighted at the shoulder with this type of construction.

Get this pattern now!

Cozy knitted blanket in shades of blue and gray featuring a textured stitch pattern, draped over a couch.   $4.99, PDF Download Only

Here are some more pictures of the piece to entice you more!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What pattern are you talking about in this post?

So here's the thing… I'm super excited about the Cobalt Cables Mens Sweater pattern! It's by me, Marly Bird, and I just love how it turned out. It's perfect for the holidays if you're looking for a gift for the guys in your life.

How much does the pattern cost?

Honestly… the pattern is a PDF download only and it's just $4.99. A small price to pay for a sweater that fits so well!

Why does this sweater fit men so well?

Yes! The reason it fits so well is because of the saddle shoulder construction. It gives extra room in the upper chest area, which is fantastic for broader shoulders. Plus, it really highlights those gorgeous cables!

Can I get this pattern as an ad-free PDF?

You know… new patterns are now available in ad-free PDFs in The Pattern Shop! It's a great way to get all my patterns without any interruptions.

What kind of yarn do you suggest for this sweater?

Oh gosh… the page doesn't actually mention specific yarn suggestions for this sweater. You'll have to check out the pattern details on Ravelry for that info!

Knit and Crochet Now

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KCN_Season4_PromoGraphic Today on the YarnThing Podcast with Marly Bird: the crew of the Knit and Crochet Now! TV show!  Producer, Candi Jensen; knitting expert, Kristin Nicholas; and crochet expert Ellen Gormley joined Marly to talk about the behind the scene goings on of the production of this public TV show all about knitting and crochet!

Candi Jensen is a designer in both the knit and crochet worlds who started as a content design advisor for this public television show and was thrust in the role of the producer right before production.  What began as Knit and Crochet Today is still going strong as Knit and Crochet Now! 7 years later and is still shot at the Detroit Public Television studios.  The show is now sponsored by Annie's Crafts, where you can take classes, get supplies and check out the magazines they produce (such as Creative Knitting, one of my favorites) as well as get patterns and supplies for the projects you see on the TV show.  You can find Candi: on Ravelry, Pintrest, and all her books on Amazon.

Also with the show from the very beginning is Kristin Nicholas, the knitting expert on Knit and Crochet Now!.  Marly likes to call Kristin the Queen of Color.  Kristin is the author of eight books including: Color by Kristin, Kristin Knits, Colorful Stitchery, and more.  You can find Kristin: on her blog Getting Stitched on the Farm, her website KristinNickolas.com, and Ravelry.  She has a few new patterns that are great for Christmas: Kristin's Colorful Christmas Stockings and the holiday card Santa Lamb, too cute!  Don't forget to check out her other patterns and notecards while you are on her website.

Ellen Gormley joined the show in Season 3 as the crochet expert.  She started as a guest interview and came back as a permanent member of the cast soon after.  Ellen is also the new editor of Crochet! magazine (check out her first issue in Autumn 2014) and author of several books herself: Go Crochet! Afghan Design Workshop, Learn Bruges Lace, and Crocheting Clothes Kids Love.  You can find Ellen: on her blog GoCrochet, Ravelry, and her on-line classes with Annie's Crafts (the direct links are on her blog).

Popular Knitting Internet Radio with MarlyBird on BlogTalkRadio

You can find out anything you want to know about the TV show at Knit and Crochet Now! TV, Annie's Crafts, and on Facebook.

Just in case you want to check out any of the other people Marly mentioned that are on the show: Robin Chachula, Brett Bara, and Amy Herzog.

And last but not least, the GIVEAWAY!!  Leave a suggestion about what you want to see on the next season of Knit and Crochet Now! below for your own chance to win the DVD set of the entire 4th Season of Knit and Crochet Now! and a set of Kristin's Santa Lamb cards!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Knit and Crochet Now!?

So here's the thing… Knit and Crochet Now! is a public TV show all about knitting and crochet. It's been around for 7 years and is still filmed at the Detroit Public Television studios. It's sponsored by Annie's Crafts, where you can find tons of goodies!

Who are the experts on the show?

Honestly… the knitting expert is Kristin Nicholas, who Marly calls the Queen of Color, and she's written a bunch of books. The crochet expert is Ellen Gormley, who joined in Season 3 and is also the editor of Crochet! magazine and has written several books too!

How can I watch Knit and Crochet Now! if I don't get it in my area?

Yes! Lots of folks can't get the show locally, but you can find out everything about it on their website, Knit and Crochet Now! TV, or check out Annie's Crafts online. Plus, many people are asking their local libraries to get the DVDs!

What kind of new techniques or projects would you like to see on the show?

Oh, crafty friends have so many great ideas! Some people would love to see more Amigurumi, simple pattern drafting, how to pick and care for yarns, or even machine knitting. Others want more Tunisian crochet, Bavarian crochet, overlay crochet, or specific knitting techniques like steeking or entrelac.

Can you tell me more about Candi Jensen?

She's a designer in both knit and crochet worlds! Candi started as a content design advisor for Knit and Crochet Now! and then became the producer. She's got tons of books out and you can find her on Ravelry and Pinterest too!

Bonita Patterns with Lianka Azulay

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Boots TrioTuesday on the YarnThing Podcast with Marly Bird: Lianka Azulay, owner of Bonita Patterns!

Bonita Patterns owner Lianka Azulay, born in Brazil, picked up her first crochet hook at age 7, and hasn't put it down since. She is specializes in the research and use of unique stitch patterns in her designs to bring fashionable and contemporary style to crocheted pieces.

Her first collection of patterns, Crocodile Stitch Fashions, was published by Annie's Attic and quickly became the #1 best-seller in the publisher's catalog. The huge success of her pattern collection touched off a trend, and the Crocodile Stitch became “one of the hottest crochet techniques in crochet today” (Crochet Magazine).

Lianka believes that “having your own signature as a designer is important”.

You can find out more about Lianka and purchase some of her wonderful patterns here:  Online store: www.bonitapatterns.com

Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bonitapatterns

Subscribe to her newsletter: Bonita Patterns

And we can't forget the GIVEAWAY! As always, leave a comment below for your chance to win

both Lianka's book and 5 (FIVE) patterns from Bonita Patterns.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Lianka Azulay and what makes her designs special?

So here's the thing… Lianka Azulay is the owner of Bonita Patterns and she was born in Brazil! She started crocheting when she was just 7 years old and hasn't stopped since. What's really neat is that she loves using unique stitch patterns to make her designs super fashionable and contemporary.

What was Lianka's first big success in the pattern world?

Honestly… her first collection of patterns was called _Crocodile Stitch Fashions_, and it was published by Annie's Attic. It became the #1 best-seller for them… can you believe it?! That really kicked off a trend for the Crocodile Stitch, making it one of the hottest techniques out there!

Where can I find more of Lianka's patterns and connect with her?

Yes! You can totally check out her wonderful patterns on her online store at www.bonitapatterns.com. And if you want to keep up with her and her designs, you can follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bonitapatterns, or even subscribe to her newsletter!

What is the Crocodile Stitch, and why are people talking about it?

Well, the Crocodile Stitch is a really unique and beautiful stitch that Lianka specializes in using in her designs. It became super popular after her pattern collection featuring it became a bestseller, and now it's considered one of the hottest crochet techniques!

Did people hear a keyword in the podcast episode?

It seems like a lot of listeners didn't quite catch a keyword during the podcast… they were having so much fun with the giveaways! Some people chose their own fitting keywords, like “Crocodile Stitch” or “American Dream,” which sounds like a fun way to participate!

Friendly Chat and 30 Day Sweater Challenge

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Thursday's podcast: A Friendly Chat and 30 Day Sweater Challenge

A rather impromptu conversation between Marly and Me (Julie) and Johnny Vasquez co-creator of the 30 Day Sweater Challenge!

Marly and Julie discuss a variety of random topics including knitting, crocheting, contract work, books, audio books, and education.

Johnny Vasquez, founder of the New Stitch a Day website, talks about how he got into knitting, making a website, and the 30 Day Sweater Challenge.  New Stitch a Day provides step-by-step tutorial videos on knitting and crochet techniques as well as classes on various knitting and crochet topics.  A new stitch/technique video is added every weekday, Monday through Friday.  Check out all of their videos on their website and become a subscriber for VIP status and access to specials!

As a spin-off of New Stitch a Day, Johnny came up with the 3o Day Sweater Challenge.  The Challenge is based on a project that aimed to break down the process of knitting a sweater into simple and easy to follow steps and to get people through knitting an entire garment.  Johnny and Co. took their knitting know-how from New Stitch a Day and developed a course for making a custom top-down seamless raglan sweater.  The course includes a 30 schedule, video tutorials, a sweater calculator, downloadable worksheets, and more!  Check it out here.  If you like written instructions, you can buy the companion book 30 Day Sweater eWorkbook! There is still time so join the Challenge today!  If you are using the 30 Day Sweater Framework (the custom top-down raglan), you can be a part of the 30 Day Sweater Competition with your custom sweater design and maybe win their awesome prize package and be part of the 3o Day Sweater Book!

The prize package includes:

  • 5 sets of Signature Needle Arts Convertibles needles
  • A sweaters worth of yarn from Malibrigo
  • $200 gift card to Stitch Sprouts design services
  • A Stitches “The Works” package to any 1 Stitches event in 2014
  • Have their pattern featured in the 2014 Stitches West fashion show
  • and $1000 in cash!

Also, let Marly know what you are doing for the challenge by leaving a comment below and also give us your opinion on making crafting literature a regular part of the podcast!

Next week on the Yarn Thing Podcast, Kristen TenDyke and Finish Free Knits!!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the 30 Day Sweater Challenge all about?

So here's the thing… the 30 Day Sweater Challenge is all about breaking down the process of knitting a sweater into simple steps. It's designed to help you get through knitting a whole garment!

What do I get if I win the 30 Day Sweater Challenge competition?

Honestly… the prize package is pretty amazing! It includes things like knitting needles, yarn from Malibrigo, a gift card to Stitch Sprouts, and even $1000 in cash! Plus, your custom sweater design could be featured in a fashion show!

Is there a prize for just finishing the sweater challenge?

Yes! Well, sort of… While there isn't a specific prize for completing the challenge, your reward is knowing you accomplished such an amazing feat and getting a sweater you'll love!

Who is Johnny Vasquez?

Oh, he's the co-creator of the 30 Day Sweater Challenge and the founder of the New Stitch a Day website. He has tons of step-by-step tutorial videos for knitting and crochet techniques.

What kind of topics did Marly and Julie chat about?

They covered a bunch of random things… like knitting, crocheting, contract work, books, audiobooks, and education. It was a really friendly chat!

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Green Mountain Spinnery

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Tuesday on the Yarn Thing podcast: the Green Mountain Spinnery!

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Today’s guest was Eric from the Green Mountain Spinnery, located in Putney, Vermont.  Green Mountain Spinnery was founded in 1981 and several years ago became a worker-owned cooperative when several employees became part owners.  The Spinnery was founded as an environmentally friendly mill that supports sustainable, regional sheep farming and produces high quality yarns, all of which they still do today.  Visitors to the New England area can take a tour of the mill on the first and third Tuesday of every month (or you just might convince someone to take you around if they aren't too busy on any other day!).  There, you can learn all about the process of making our favorite material yarn!

All of their lovely yarns are spun from fibers gown in the USA and include:

Mountain Mohair;Mountain Mohair detail

Sylvan Spirit;Sylvan Spirit

Green Mountain Green;Green Mountain Green

These are just three of their many yarns, several of which are completely organic! (An important note Green Mountain is a certified organic mill!)  Check out their complete selection here!

In addition to their yarns, Green Mountain has a large pattern selection, many of which are designed by their own employees (Eric included!).  They also have several books, the first of which was The Green Moutain Spinnery Knitting Book which was followed by 99 Yarns and Counting.  Their newest is an e-book called Green Mountain Weekend with designs from their weekend retreat instructors including Barbara Walker, Nancy Bush, Fiona Ellis, Gudrun Johnston, Alison Green, and Kate Gilbert.

Green Mountain regularly hosts weekend retreats that connect instructors with fiber enthusiasts in an enjoyable weekend in New England.  For up-to-date information on their retreats and other events at the Spinnery sign up for their newsletter on the right hand side of their main page and check out their events list and blog.

Last but not least, the weekly giveaway! Leave a comment in the podcast notes using Eric’s keyword to be entered to win your own copy of the Green Mountain Weekend e-book!

You can find Green Mountain Spinnery on: their website, Facebook, and Ravelry and at the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival!


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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I visit the Green Mountain Spinnery?

Yes, you can! If you're ever in the New England area, you can take a tour of the mill. They offer tours on the first and third Tuesdays of every month… and if you ask nicely, they might even give you a tour on another day if they aren't too swamped!

What kind of yarns does Green Mountain Spinnery offer?

Honestly… they have some beautiful yarns! They spin all of their yarns from fibers grown right here in the USA. Some of their popular ones are Mountain Mohair, Sylvan Spirit, and Green Mountain Green. Plus, a few of their yarns are totally organic!

Does Green Mountain Spinnery have any books or patterns?

Oh, absolutely! They have a great selection of patterns, and many of them are designed by their own employees… how cool is that?! They also have published books, and their newest is an e-book called Green Mountain Weekend.

How can I find out about Green Mountain Spinnery's events?

So here's the thing… the best way to stay up-to-date on their retreats and other events is to sign up for their newsletter on their main website. You can also check out their events list and blog for all the latest info!

Where can I find Green Mountain Spinnery online or at events?

You can definitely find them on their website, and also on Facebook and Ravelry. And if you love fiber festivals, keep an eye out for them at the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival!

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Diana Gabaldon

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Diana Gabaldon joined Marly on the podcast to share what it has been like writing the 8 books in the Outlander series (7 published and one to come in March 2014), along with the excitement regarding the tv series based on the first book that Starz is producing and is expected to hit the cable airways in 2014. Click to Listen

The show began with the big SPOILER ALERT disclaimer so that all of the listeners knew Marly and Diana were going to talk about all things Outlander and nothing was going to be left out of the discussion. For me, that made the interview that much better because Marly was able to ask about specific scenes without having to tip toe around the topic.

Here is an excerpt from Diana’s bio on her wonderful website https://www.dianagabaldon.com/ :

“Diana Gabaldon is the author of the award-winning, #1 NYT-bestselling OUTLANDER novels, described by Salon magazine as “the smartest historical sci-fi adventure-romance story ever written by a science Ph.D. with a background in scripting “Scrooge McDuck” comics.”

The adventure began in 1991 with the classic OUTLANDER (“historical fiction with a Moebius twist”), has continued through six more New York Times-bestselling novels— DRAGONFLY IN AMBER, VOYAGER, DRUMS OF AUTUMN, THE FIERY CROSS, A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES, and AN ECHO IN THE BONE, with more than twenty million copies in print worldwide.”

Smiling woman in a colorful blue shirt signing a book at a table surrounded by greenery.

So what’s in store if you give the podcast a listen?  You will find out the answers to the following:

  • Does Diana knit or crochet herself?
  • What kind of writing process does she use when writing the pages of her books?
  • Who was the inspiration for Highlander Jamie Fraser?
  • How long did it take for Outlander to find a publisher?
  • Will book 8 (My Own Heart’s Blood) be the final book in the series?
  • How does Diana react to feedback regarding certain scenes in her book?
  • How long has Diana be a presence on social media?
  • How does Diana feel about the casting for the main roles for the Starz series?

Join Marly and Diana as they talk about why Jamie and Claire have entranced so many readers for the past 22 years, and why the idea of “What makes people stay married for 50 years” has had such an impact on the development of the series.

Besides Diana Gabaldon’s website, you can also follow her on Twitter @Writer_DG or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDianaGabaldon .

*Giveaway* – leave a comment here with Diana’s secret word, and you could win a booklet containing the first 7 chapters of My Own Heart’s Blood.  Winner will be chosen the week of Oct. 14th! 

Marly Updates: 

Join Marly at STITCHES East in Hartford, Ct. Nov. 7-10th

New pattern available exclusively at www.KnitCrate.com

No podcast week of Oct. 6th as Marly is traveling to Detroit to film the next season of the Knit and Crochet Now TV show!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Did Marly chat with Diana Gabaldon about knitting?

Honestly… yes! In the podcast, Marly and Diana talk about whether Diana knits or crochets herself. You can tune in to find out!

What's the scoop on the Outlander TV series?

So here's the thing… Marly and Diana discuss the excitement around the TV series based on the first Outlander book. It was expected to hit the cable airways in 2014 by Starz.

How did Diana Gabaldon get started with Outlander?

Yes! The adventure began way back in 1991 with the classic OUTLANDER. It's described as a historical fiction with a Moebius twist, and it just grew from there!

Is book 8 going to be the last one?

Honestly… Diana and Marly touch on this! They discuss if book 8, “My Own Heart's Blood,” will be the final book in the Outlander series. You'll have to listen to find out!

Where can I find Diana Gabaldon online?

So here's the thing… you can visit her wonderful website at dianagabaldon.com. Plus, you can follow her on Twitter @Writer_DG or on her Facebook page.