Back to school with Creative Options by jen geigley

It's almost back-to-school time for my kids and when it comes to a love for school supplies, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Lotus and I both are suckers for a fresh pack of Ticonderogas, new markers or a brand new box of crayons. I'm sure you can relate. It's the most wonderful time of the year!

But staying organized throughout the school year is a challenge. That's why I was excited to try out this new organizational system from Creative Options, perfect for school and art supplies. Check out how we'll be using these storage solutions for back-to-school.

This is the Creative Options Two-Tray Box, which is similar to a large tool box or tackle box. It has 2 cantilever trays with 13-24 adjustable compartments and tons of storage in the base. This is ideal for art supplies for kids of any age, and would make a great locker organizer. Lo loved moving things around from compartment to compartment and I was happy to see that she thinks organizing can be fun!

Check out all of the art supplies that easily fit inside this box. Even Lo's big Crayola boxes fit inside the large compartment under the trays, and finding anything you need is a cinch. I love that there's a place for each and every tiny supply.

The lid of the Two-Tray Box has two more storage compartments that are perfect for smaller items. Like erasers. Or colored pencils. Or paperclips. Or hair clips, chapstick and ponytail holders. We have lots of ideas. Anything goes!

Next up ... paper. On Lo's school supply list this year were a number of notebooks, folders, lined paper, composition notebooks ... plus she always needs construction paper and plain white drawing paper for school projects and homework assignments.

This Project Box with Handle is the perfect, compact way to store all of her folders, paper and notebooks (plus a few extras.) It's heavy duty and the clips stay closed, making this box perfect for a school desk or locker. If you have younger kids, this would also be a great addition to your art supplies area to keep all of your craft papers in check. This organizer was nominated for the 2015 The Craft & Hobby Association Hot Product Award!

Last but not least is the awesome Large Craft Caddy, perfect for locker organization or kids going off to college dorm rooms. This caddy has eight outer storage pockets and a removable inner tote that snaps on or off. I love the three little pockets in front that hold pens or pencils.

This compact organizer holds a ton of things. Once again, Lotus fit in several large Crayola boxes, pencils, markers, highlighters, glue, a pencil box and pencil pouch and so much more. This is perfect for kids in elementary, junior high or high school – anyone can get organized when it's this easy!

It's hard not to get excited for back-to-school time! Everyone loves a fresh start. Organization is a fantastic thing to teach your kids. Watching them do it on their own is pretty cool, too.

For more great ideas on how to use these organizational boxes and caddies, check out the Creative Options Facebook page here.  My friend Amy Tan has also done some fantastic blog posts and and fun videos featuring really smart ways to use Creative Options' organizational tools, like this one! Definitely check it out for some inspirational ideas for new ways to organize your life.






TEN years of blogging (and a new website) by jen geigley

HELLO, lovely friends and dear readers. This is my first post in my new digs, here on my new website. (Just a heads up – my new website can be found at jengeigley.com but my blog can still be found at heyjenrenee.com. No need to update your blog reader – it all points to the same place.)

I am loving this new space. And I hope you'll take a quick look around, because I've got some big news to share. More on that soon.

But let's just take a moment, dear friends, to reminisce. Until right this very moment, I have been blogging on Blogger. For the past ten years. TEN years. And a lot of you have been in the blog game for just as long. My first blog post was in 2005. The world was a completely different place, and so much has happened in the last decade. The cool thing is I've met dozens of most excellent online friends over the years, and some of you have been reading all this time. (I heart you.)

Basically, that makes 2015 our ten year friendiversary.

We've watched each other move to new cities and have been there, virtually, for all sorts of fantastic life events. We've seen each other through the tough times too and no matter where we all live, here we are. Connected through this weird and wonderful online universe. Thank you to all of my online pals. Thank you to whoever is reading this right now.

Happy friendiversary/blogiversary my friends. Old or new, I'm just glad you're here.  (And if you are here, please say 'hi' so I can say 'hi' back!)

Rowan Loves: Pure Wool and Creative Focus Worsted by jen geigley


Take a peek at another one of my favorite collections from Rowan's 2015 A/W releases – Rowan Loves: Creative Focus Worsted & Pure Wool Superwash Worsted. This is the third brochure in the Rowan Loves series, and features nine designs that can be knit in either yarn, giving you lots and lots of options. I am absolutely in love with the photography and styling of this collection, and no surprise, these were all designed by the talented Marin Storey. See for yourself why I adore all of these gorgeous sweaters and accessories. So wearable with fun details ... and it's so much fun seeing the design variations and differences between the two yarns! Enjoy.
 


Let's start off with Bellerose, a classic striped cardigan or sweater. The contrasting colors in the cuffs and bottom edge are so cool; I'm in love with both versions of this sweater.


 

Use either yarn to knit Rockette, too. This casual sweater has ribbed edgings, semi set in sleeves and a pouch pocket. I would wear this all of the time.
 


Bergen would clearly be gorgeous in either Creative Focus Pure Wool Superwash. This boyfriend style cardigan has contrasting pocket and cuff detail. I love the shape of this and again, the color-blocked sections are super fun.



Corona is a textured cardigan or sweater. The longer length cardigan has placement pockets and the longline sweater has a deep rib collar and edgings.



Astoria is a chunky cable sweater with a roll neck and raglan sleeves. It can be knitted in either a shorter or longer length version.



Driscoll is a classic sweater with semi set in sleeves. It has a stand up rib collar and can be knitted in either a shorter or longer length version.



Haven is a boxy sweater or jacket. Both of these loose-fitting designs are knitted in moss stitch with delicate, contrasting lace panels.


Skyland is a scarf or shawl! How clever. Knitted in garter stitch and finished with pom poms, you can choose either a shorter length scarf or a longer length shawl. (I love pom poms.)



And finally, Union is a slouchy hat knitted in garter stitch. It uses just one ball of yarn!

Keep an eye out for Rowan Loves this fall at your local or online Rowan stockists ... you'll love this collection!

Rowan A/W Preview: Martin Storey's Easy DK Knits by jen geigley


Rowan is launching three brand new DK yarns this Autumn/Winter season, and I'd love to give you a quick preview of two of them: Pure Wool Superwash DK and Super Fine Merino DK. These two new yarns are showcased beautifully in Martin Storey's collection, Easy DK Knits.

A little bit of info about these two yarns: Super Fine Merino DK has a natural elastic quality for movement when wearing. The knitted fabric is soft and smooth and feels great to wear. Super Fine Merino will also be available in 4-ply and Aran.

Pure Wool Super Wash DK is hard wearing, making this yarn idea for the whole family and perfect for household knits. It's superwash, too!

This book is quite possibly my favorite this season and has so many perfectly wearable sweaters in it. My absolute favorite is this simple pullover, Greenwich, which I plan on making (right away) in Super Fine Merino in a bright chartreuse shade called 'Zing.' Check out more photos below of my favorite designs from Easy DK Knits.

Greenwich – Super Fine Merino

Barbican – Pure Wool Superwash DK

Mayfair – Super Fine Merino DK

 Brixton – Pure Wool Superwash DK

 Dulwich – Super Fine Merino DK

 Hampstead – Super Fine Merino DK

Kew – Pure Wool Superwash DK


Keep an eye out for this gem this fall at your local Rowan stockists ... it's sure to be a classic go-to collection that you'll turn to again and again.

time after time by jen geigley


My pal Kara has just released a new product called Time Books and I wanted to share them with you. Because they are way cool. Time Books are a printable zine-inspired method of time-based art journaling. They are easy to print at home or send out to a print center. Time Books can be whatever you want them to be — quick, bulky, cheap, elegant, long, or short.

 

What Time Books are is easy: throw one in your suitcase before a trip, spend a month adding to
one, or make a Time Book all about a day, long ago.

The traditional Time Book is a stapled saddle-stitched book (which will require a long-arm stapler), but there’s nothing that says you can’t mix it up. Try different binding methods like hand-stitching,
machine sewing, hole punching. If you want to bulk up your Time Book, add pages with your own
patterned papers before binding. Anything goes.

You can purchase Time Books here for only $10. I have already started working on mine and let me tell you ... freedom! And fun. So easy. Give it a try (and let me know if you make something cool!)

Share your Time Books on Instagram with #timebooking. @classeskaramade #classeskaramade

soaking and blocking (and a giveaway) by jen geigley


I've been doing a lot of this lately, which is a good thing. There's nothing like giving your sweet new baby sweater a gentle, loving dunk in the sink. But plain water isn't enough for your sweet new baby sweater. You have to use Eucalan. I have used Eucalan for a few years now and it's a must-have for your soaking and blocking process.

You don't skip this part, right? (Right?) Because you owe it to yourself to finish out these last steps properly on that amazing handmade garment that you spent so much time knitting. A good soak in a bowl or sink filled with lukewarm water and wool wash will do wonders for how your hand-knits look and feel. Really.



Last month at TNNA, I was one of the lucky attendees at the Marly Bird Designer Dinner and received a swag bag of epic proportions. In that bag was a sweet little bottle of Eucalan's new scent, Wrapture by designer Kristin Omdahl, infused with the essential oil of Night Bloom Jasmine. It's as good as it sounds. It not only smells wonderful but also has a ton of benefits. All of the Eucalan scents have natural moth inhibiting properties, and the lanolin and essential oils act as natural fabric softeners that will make your sweater extra soft, also allowing the fibers and stitches to lay really nicely. Wool wash cleans and softens your hand-knits with amazing results ... and you don't have to rinse.



Typically, I use Eucalan the 'traditional' way – soaking my garment in a sink or a bowl of lukewarm water (with one teaspoon of Eucalan per gallon) and then laying it out to dry. However, sometimes I knit sweaters that require a bit more care. Sometimes I'm wary of completely submerging them. With these delicate garments, I add a couple of drops of Eucalan into a spray bottle of water and boom, I'm ready to dampen and block my sweater. Eucalan is a no-rinse wool wash so it's perfectly okay to spray it on your garment and let it soak right in!

So. Would you like to soak your next finished project in Eucalan? I know you would. (Giveaway time!)


THE PRIZE


Pack includes: 2 each of the individual use single use pods (Eucalyptus, Lavender, Grapefruit, Unscented, Wrapture), 
6 stain-removing wipes, 1 pack lint removers, 1 nail file and 1 sewing kit in a re-usable vinyl zipper bag.


HOW TO ENTER

   • Comment below telling me if you're a hard-core wool wash user, or a first-timer!

   • Like Eucalan on Facebook or follow them on Instagram.


THE RULES

    •    Giveaway is open to US and CAN residents only

    •    Giveaway is open until Sunday, July 12, 2015 at 11:30 PM CST.

    •    Comments must include a valid email address or Ravelry ID so I can contact you if you are the winner. :)

    •    Winner will be chosen via random number generator and will be contacted within 48 hours after giveaway ends.


A huge thank you to Eucalan for this wonderful giveaway. Good luck and thanks for reading! :)




knitting in public + a fiber exhibition + a community art project by jen geigley


Here in Des Moines we are so lucky to have The Des Moines Art Center, home to ever-changing exhibitions throughout the year and a fantastic permanent collection that includes pieces by Edward Hopper, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Francis Bacon, Georgia O'Keeffe, Grant Wood, Roy Lichtenstein, Mark Rothko and so many more. Yes, we are pretty lucky. And the current exhibition on display is a fiber exhibit called Fiber: Sculpture 1960–present. Which, for a knitter, is pretty on point. Lotus and I had to check it out.




 

And not long ago, I mentioned a community fiber project that correlates with this exhibit – the Art Center is collecting hand-knit or crocheted swatches for a re-imagining of the iconic painting "From the Lake No. 1" by Georgia O’Keeffe. So Lotus and I signed up for the project and picked up our yarn. (I believe knitted submissions are due this Friday if you would like to jump in.) It's such a fun project for us to do together.


Last weekend the Art Center hosted a knitting circle, which was the perfect way to celebrate World Wide Knit in Public Day. We worked on our swatches for the community fiber project and I got to chat with some of my favorite knitting friends. Paul Kasal also gave a short talk on Georgia O'Keeffe and history of "From the Lake No. 1," which was quite fascinating. 



I'm naturally pretty excited to be part of this fiber experience and can't wait to see how this turns out. After what I imagine will be some very creative and interesting assembly sessions, the final piece will be unveiled on July 10th. Thank you, Des Moines Art Center friends, for bringing knitters together from all over our lovely city and making something big and beautiful out of all of our tiny handmade creations.


Scarves in the Round: a giveaway! by jen geigley

Adorned by Heather Walpole

My amazingly cool and talented friend Heather Walpole is a designer and the founder of Ewe Ewe Yarns, and she has just written her first book! I'm super stoked to be part of her blog tour for Scarves in the Round: 25 Knitted Infinity Scarves, Neck Warmers, Cowls, and Double-Warm Tube Scarves.


Heather and I have been friends for a couple of years after collaborating on a 30 Day Sweater project. And I got to meet up with her, see her Ewe Ewe Yarns booth and her new book at TNNA a couple of weekends ago. She's fantastic. Her patterns are featured on eweewe.com and have appeared in the One + One series, as well as in Knit Simple, Love of Knitting, and Creative Knitting magazines. She's also a fellow graphic designer ... and she's done design work for IKEA. So, she's pretty awesome.

In this book, Heather uses circular needles to create fresh, modern takes on the old standby scarf. Finished items range from cowls to long tube scarves and neck warmers for knitters of all skill levels. Get ready to feast your eyes on gorgeous colorwork designs, entrelac, bold striping, geometric patterns and Fair Isle. Check out some of my favorite projects from Scarves in the Round below ... and keep reading to find out how you can win your own copy.







Pretty awesome stuff, right? You definitely have to see the rest of her designs because you'll want to make them all. So ... would you like to win your own copy?

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME! 

THE PRIZE




HOW TO ENTER




THE RULES

  • Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only
  • Giveaway is open until Sunday, June 14, 2015 at 11:30 PM CST.
  • Comments must include a valid email address or Ravelry ID so I can contact you if you are the winner. :)
  • Winner will be chosen via random number generator and will be contacted within 48 hours after giveaway ends.

A huge thank you to Heather for this wonderful giveaway, and congrats on the amazing book!

TNNA recap: the Rowan adventures by jen geigley


I have a few more TNNA photos to share, and this time it's all about Rowan. I was invited to attend the trade show with Rowan via Westminster Fibers, which was a super cool experience. The highlight of the weekend was getting the opportunity meeting some of the Rowan team from the U.K. One of my favorite knitwear designers of all time is Martin Storey, and it was a real treat to be able to chat with him over the weekend. Pictured above is my wonderfully talented TNNA roommate, Kristen from Knitionary, Martin and I. He is one of the head designers at Rowan and learning about what goes on behind the scenes (the photo shoots, design stories, pattern design, putting together collections) was absolutely fascinating. He's such a nice guy!


There was a knitwear fashion show on first evening of TNNA which featured 75 designs by various yarn companies. Rowan showed four designs – a vest, a fair isle sweater, a wrap and a wedding dress. This gorgeous Kidsilk Haze bridal gown was saved for the finale and was a showstopper! 



The next day, we got to check out the Rowan booth which was bursting with brand new designs and new yarns.


One of my new favorite yarns for fall is Hemp Tweed, which feels a bit squishy and seems to have great memory/stretch to it. I loved all the designs that were showcased using this yarn and can't wait to knit with it this fall. (I believe it's available beginning July 2015.)



And Kristen and I had fun checking out the new Swarovski + Rowan collaboration, which includes yarn pre-strung with Swarovski crystals and packages of crystals/baubles/beads that are available for purchase on their own.



Martin Storey and the lovely Kate Buller brought out champagne and chocolate covered strawberries for everyone during their knitting with Swarovski demonstration, which was really neat. Martin showed us all how to knit with pre-strung crystals.


And they had a sweet little baby garment display showcasing Rowan's Super Fine Merino 4ply, which is another favorite of mine. It feels so nice and will be amazing to knit with. It's washable, too.


And that's it! I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet these sweet and talented people and spend the weekend with other knitting enthusiasts, doing what we do best. A huge thanks to Rowan for everything – I had such a great time!

TNNA recap: the experience by jen geigley


Last weekend, I attended my first TNNA (The National NeedleArts Association) trade show in Columbus, Ohio and wow – what a time! I was invited to attend with Rowan via Westminster Fibers, which was an honor. This recap is basically photos from the overall experience and soon I'll share a collection of photos of my friends from Rowan and their new yarns and garments. (There is so much to share!)



First of all, Columbus is a delightful city. I'd never been, and I really enjoyed all of the restaurants and coffee shops and stores that were within walking distance of our hotel. The view from our window was pretty great, too. (Unbeknownst to us, the Rolling Stones played in Columbus on Saturday night and ended up staying at the hotel across the street from us!)



Perhaps the best part of the weekend was finally meeting this wonderfully talented and crazy sweet knitting friend, Kristen from Knitionary. We are both Rowan Ambassadors and have been friends for a few years online but it was so fantastic to meet her in person and hang out with her all weekend. We were roommates and naturally stayed up talking until 1:00 a.m. every night.



Friday night, I attended Marly Bird's Designer Dinner, which was a treat. I sat at a table with several talented ladies and ended up sitting next to Stefanie Japel, knitwear designer extraordinaire and teacher at Craftsy. We enjoyed food and drinks and giveaways and swag bags ... it was pretty sweet.



The actual trade show opened on Saturday morning, with fiber displays as far as the eye could see. Before I knew it, I was bumping into knitting friends, shop owners and designers I had long admired.Like Olga Buraya-Kefelian (OlgaJazzy) and Meri Tanaka, the founder of Amarisu.



And the one and only Nicky Epstein.



And the entire Ravelry team, minus Jess who was outside with her sweet baby. How do they do it? Such a sweet and kind crew.



We talked about women in baseball and adventures in advanced body/armhole shaping with Ysolda Teague. She is completely brilliant and delightful.




And I had to say hi to your knitting hero and mine, the fantastic Mr. StevenBe. I hope to head up to his shop in Minneapolis soon for a visit (and yarn shopping.)




Do you love Arne & Carlos? I do. They were there in spirit. I had to check out what they were knitting.



What else? Well, to summarize ... it was a weekend of yarn. And beautiful knitwear. Too many things to list ... but one of the highlights was obviously Rowan. Their display space was huge and completely gorgeous. (More on that soon.) Other favorites were Madelinetosh, Spud & Chloe, Blue Sky Alpacas, Knitter's Pride, Shibui Knits, EweEwe, Classic Elite, Jade Sapphire, Wool and the Gang, Knit Collage, Lavishea, Loopy Mango, Malabrigo and Zealana. There was so much to see.




And of course, before I left Columbus I had to hit up Jeni's. I had heard about Jeni's for years from other people who had made it a TNNA tradition. And now I know why there's always a huge line when you walk by.



This ice cream is spectacular. So yeah, I get it now. I get it! I got the Trio (3 half scoops) of Pistachio and Honey, Brown Butter Almond Brittle and Salty Caramel. Holy. Cow. So delicious.



And then as I was stuck in the airport waiting for my delayed flight, I discovered a Jeni's vending machine ... at the airport. At my gate! It made my long wait much more tolerable.



And that's my recap! On my journey home, I jumped on delayed flights from Columbus to Chicago in the very middle of the night, and then back to Des Moines to rest my head and snuggle up with my family. The weekend went so fast and was jam-packed with knitting and new yarn and the most lovely people ever. Would I go again? Yup. I definitely would.