Hello from Chicago! As we get our new lives set up here, I’m going to take a tiny break from the blog. I’ll be back soon with the official announcement of the 2013 Mochimochi Photo Contest! In the meantime, you can take a look at last year’s contest details and see the winners for inspiration.

I’m thrilled to say that my fourth book of knitting patterns, Huge & Huggable Mochimochi, is now in stores everywhere!

Now you too can knit up a gigantic roly-poly, a family of capybaras, a hungry monster bag, and many more supersized mochis.

Not only are they big, but these toys include a wide variety of fun knitting techniques, like bobbles, cables, colorwork, and unusual shaping. Don’t let the size fool you—these guys knit up quicker than you’d think with thick yarn and big needles! And several projects come with smaller versions, so you can make a little guy before tackling the main squeeze.

Buy a signed copy in the Mochimochi shop, get it from your local yarn store, or come to one of my upcoming book signings!

October 24th: Lion Brand Yarn Studio, NYC
November 1st-3rd: Vogue Knitting Live Chicago
December 7th: Looped Yarn Works, Washington D.C.
December 8th: Loop, Philadelphia

And look who’s growing up fast!

That’s my niece Nora. Big thanks to my sister and her husband Nat for letting me borrow her cute face for the cover!

While I’m at it, huge thank-yous to my photographer Brandi Simons, to Sonnie and Sarah and the rest of our wonderful models; to the yarn companies who contributed their lovely products (Cascade, Lion Brand, Knit Picks, and Spud & Chloë); to all the test knitters who were involved in making the patterns user-friendly; to Marilyn, my excellent tech editor; to my editor Betty Wong and her assistant Caitlin Harpin for their great work and guidance; and to everyone else who was involved in making this book happen.

Now, let’s take over the world with MEGA MOCHIS!!

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be teaching a master class on toy design at NYC’s Lion Brand Yarn Studio on October 27th!

This is the first time that I’ve taught this class, and I’m so looking forward to the opportunity to share my passion and design experience in this way. It’s one thing to teach techniques, but designing is one of my favorite things that I get to do, and I think toys are a great place to start for anyone who wants to try their hand at it.

The three-hour class will be more about planning than hands-on knitting, but I hope to get everyone off to a sure start to creating their own knitted toy. We’ll cover everything from sketching to shaping and incorporating various knitting techniques, to (if time allows) pattern writing and promotion.

Here’s the official class description:

Design a knitted doll, animal, or other character that is all your own! Anna Hrachovec will share the inspiration and process behind the hundreds of mochis that she’s designed over the years, and she will help you get started turning your sketch into a plan and a pattern. Emphasis will be on three-dimensional designs using simple geometry and a variety of techniques.

Visit the Lion Brand Yarn Studio website for full information and to sign up!

And if you’re in the NYC area, don’t forget to come to my talk and book signing at the Studio on October 24th!