Hi, Knitters, I am sitting in my hotel room in Austin, Texas (well, really just outside of Austin) where I am spending the weekend teaching at the Knitting in the Hills retreat. The retreat is hosted by the wonderful shop called Hill Country Weavers. The retreat is going really well, so far it's been a lot of fun and I've met some great and kind knitters. A few days ago I had an exciting pattern release. Amanda Soule of the Soule Mama blog, which I have followed for the past 10 years or so, emailed me to see if I would contribute a design to her magazine called Taproot. I couldn't say yes fast enough! Click here for the Soule Mama blog! This blog is fantastic, I can't recommend it any higher. I have made Amanda's recipes, purchased her books, sewn her projects, admired her family, knitted projects just like hers (Shalom, for example) and longed for her little farm. She has a sweetness like no other. Click here for Taproot Magazine! We will be selling the Weave themed magazine over at Barrett Wool Co. very soon. Hopefully next week when I get home. A bit on Taproot Magazine now. I subscribed the minute I heard about Amanda's new venture, she is the editor of the magazine. It is an ad-free magazine with beautiful artwork, recipes, articles, stories, crafts, etc. It's a very organic, homestead-like magazine and I love it. I have saved every issue on a special bookshelf. I read every page when it arrives, but slowly so I can make it last. When the magazine first came out I saw it on the racks at the checkout at Whole Foods. I stopped in my tracks. I was so excited about it. I told my kids but they didn't really get it. I felt such a connection to the magazine because of my years of following Amanda. Anyway, I thrilled and so proud of the project I designed and pattern I wrote for Taproot. Since the magazine has a bit of a homestead theme I decided to make some chickens. Amanda loved the idea. Since the theme of the magazine is Weave, I chose to do a woven colorwork pattern in the body of the hens. It worked out really well. I was doubly excited to be able to use my own yarn, Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight, for the project. We will be having kits available using the Home Fingering Weight in Picket Fench, Red Flannel and Peppercorn, and we will have the magazine for purchase as well in the very near future. That's how Three French Hens came to be! The pattern will be available for individual download in my Ravelry Pattern Shop in 6 months. I will announce it everywhere when it becomes available. Here is some information you might like to know: Three French Hens by Susan B. Anderson Published in Taproot Magazine, Issue 21:: WEAVE Craft Knitting Category Softies → Animal Published March 2017 Suggested yarn Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight Yarn weight Fingering (14 wpi) ? Gauge 7.5 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch Needle size US 2 - 2.75 mm bottom-up chart in-the-round kitchener one-piece seamless stranded written-pattern The pattern will be available in my Ravelry pattern shop in 6 months from the magazine release date. Barrett Wool Co. will be having kits for the Hens very soon! Introduction: These adorable French Hens are the perfect size to sit on a windowsill or, better yet, to fit lovingly into the small hands or pocket of a child. The completely seamless construction makes for a fun and fast knit. The hen is worked from the bottom up starting with a flat garter stitch piece for the base. Stitches are picked up around the edges of the base for the body, which is then knit in the round. The body is completed with a bit of grafting at the top, leaving live stitches from which the head is then knit, followed by the crown. The beak is then picked up and knit on. Before you know it you have created a beautiful little hen. Three French Hens have a fun, smooth and slick construction with lovely results. Knitting the hens can be somewhat addicting. You may end up wanting to knit an entire brood! Finished measurements: 3 ½-inches (9 cm) tall, 3-inches (7.5 cm) in length. Yarn: Barrett Wool Co. Home Fingering Weight (100% American Wool; 370 yards (338 meters)/100 grams), 1 skein each in Picket Fence, Red Flannel, and Peppercorn. Samples: Hen #1: Main Color (MC): Picket Fence (Background color) Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Red Flannel (Base) Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Peppercorn (Woven lines) Hen #2: Main Color (MC): Peppercorn (Background color) Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Red Flannel (Base) Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Picket Fence (Woven lines) Hen #3: Main Color (MC): Red Flannel (Background color) Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Peppercorn (Base) Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Picket Fence (Woven lines) Needles: US size 2 (2.75mm) set of 4 double-pointed needles or size needed to obtain gauge. Gauge: 7.5 stitches and 9 rows per inch (2.54cm) Materials: Detachable stitch marker Tape measure or ruler Yarn needle Polyester fiberfill Poly-pellets – Optional: considered a choking hazard for small children! Black embroidery floss for the eyes Scrap yarn to hold stitches I made three different version of the Hen using all three of the colors. This one may be my favorite. Gotta have the back view! The magazine is beautiful and I am very honored and proud to be a tiny part of it. Click here for the information on Ravelry! In 6 months the pattern will be available for purchase in my Ravelry pattern shop. Love to you all. I hope you are all well. I better scoot off on my run before I teach. xo ~ susan