Blocking

Hello,

It's funny that although I've been crocheting for fifteen years, and knitting for at least three, I have never blocked a finished piece! Because I almost exclusively made afghans, pillows and scarves in the past, blocking wasn't really important. But now that I'm making gloves and hats and things, I'm realizing the importance of getting the right size.



For Kristin's Basic Neckie pattern, I did a stretchy cast on with a crochet hook, which I soon found out was not really necessary, as it made the cast on edge really wide. So I decided to block it!. I ran it under warm water until it was soaked, gently squeezed out the excess, than pinned it to a beach towel on the ground, in as perfect a rectangle as I could make. A day or two later it was dry and perfectly rectangular! Amazing I have never tried this before . . .

-Amerique

New sock yarns, special "Corners" and projects

A few days ago we got in several lovely new sock yarns from Lana Grossa. They are lovely yarns and Jeanne's sock knitting fervor is contagious. I'm just itching to start some socks and I may just do it soon with some of these. There is Seta/cashmere print and Seta/Cashmere. Seta is a wool, silk, polyamid and cashmere blend that's machine washable. It's 209 yards to the skein so you'll need two for a pair of socks but at only $12 a skein it is right in the ballpark of high quality sock yarns and a real deal for cashmere.

Another that has grabbed my attention is Solo a wool and polyamid self striping yarn and is a full 462 yards for $16 so a fabulous deal. I also love the colorways. Not only would this make nice sock but I think it would be great for everyday wear lace shawls and scarves.

Please do check out the cotton and multieffekts too.

I was exploring our website last night and found this great little tool I didn't know was there. It's called "Corners". If you go to the kits page and scroll all the way down to just below the Advanced Search you will see a list of Corners. In these Corners you will find suggestions for yarns, kits, patterns, notions and more for making each theme listed.

I've finished the little dog sweater I was designing and the slouchy beret that Jeanne showed you pictures of last week. I'll get pictures taken soon to show and I'm working on writing up the patterns. I'm also working on some other things for gifts that I'll be posting about soon.

Have fun and enjoy!

Terry

So much inspiration

We have so much inspiration around the shop I am having a hard time focusing, of course that is what it is like around here most of the time. We just got Interweave Accessories magazine in and dang there are some really cool things to knit! This is just in time for that holiday knitting crunch we all seem to get into and I would love to knit all the projects in this magazine, but alas, I MUST focus, so I am thinking of doing the hat on the cover for starters.


Of course we have also gotten in Prism Yarns Saki and boy is it super luscious. At 430 yards it is perfect for a pair of socks (yep I am back in sock mode again :) but would make a fabulous scarf, or small shawl for that special someone, hmmmm that's me right? The colors are so rich and yummy and I have fallen in love with Alpine, no Harvest, no Tumbleweed, accckkkk I can't decide, help me I am falling!!!

Of course I am twitching to knit up my own super soft Lana Grossa Gnocchi scarf. We have added some mew colors to that line and I would like to work mine up in one of the variegated colors. Yuuummmmmyyyy! It only takes four balls to do this fabulous scarf and it will workup really quickly. Victoria knit a scarf for Alice and she did it with only 2 balls.

Well I have to go lay down with a cold cloth on my head to stop this dizziness, ha ha!!

As always happy knitting!

Jeanne :)

Confession

I have to confess that I wasn't all that into the Lorna's Laces Swirl yarns at first. Then the boxes were opened and the intensity of the colors started attracting my attention. Each time I walked by, a different color would come to my attention. These colors are really vibrant and I've fallen in love with several colors. I'm now making and planning several projects I will be giving as birthday and Christmas gifts. In the last post, Jeanne showed a picture of the slouchy beret I'm knitting in Swirl DK in Gold Hill . I've now finished it and as soon as I get it blocked I'll get a picture posted. I'll have the final pattern written up soon. It is the pattern I've developed for the beginning knitting series I'm teaching.

In fact, I have become so enthralled with the Swirl DK that I bought enough in this month's color of the month, My Favorite Fellas, to knit a sweater for myself. I'm still deciding which pattern I'll make but I'm really liking the Farmer's Market Cardigan by Connie Chang Chinchio in the Fall 2009 Interweave Knits. I'll have to make some adjustments to use DK weight instead of Green Line Worsted but I think the color variation in Fellas will work very well in this design.

Speaking of classes, we do have a lot of exciting classes planned this month. If you are local or will be in the area do check out our class list and sign up.

Wishing you all fleet fingers and your projects are flying off the needles.

Terry

Power knitting, woo hoo!!

With so much new stuff in the shop and the gift giving season coming in for a landing, all of us have been knitting like lunatics! I am working as quickly as I can to get our projects up on the project log for you to see all the details, but phew, there are flames coming from the needles around here and it's all a little hot to handle, ha ha!

Victoria fell in love with the Lana Grossa Gnocchi yarn right away and her darling daughter Alice, had to have a scarf! Isn't she cute and this scarf took just 2 balls of this super soft fun yarn. Oh yea and I happen to know that we just got some really cool multi colors in this yarn, yum!


Then of course Sandy and I got into a race with our Icing Swirl hats and it looks like we will be carrying this pattern book by Ysolda soon! I have already gifted my first hat out of the Lorna's Laces Swirl Chunky in Daffodil to my daughter Shelly (thanks for the picture Shelly). She rides her bicycle everywhere, rain or shine and had recently lost a hat that I had knit her, so Moms needles to the rescue :) When she told me she lost the hat she was on the verge of crying and this little hat just knit up so quickly it was easy to help her out.

Of course Laura has finished her first sock (for Huck not Wiley :) out of the Lorna's Laces Limited Edition for November, My Favorite Fellas. This great color is a tribute to those furry friends that we all love to see around the site modeling for us. As I write this my two favorite girls are snuggled up right here with me and I just love the loyalty that my dogs give me with so little prompting.

Terry is working on these amazing tams/berets and she is using the Lorna's Laces Swirl DK in Gold Hill (the one on the needles) and at 50% off how can you go wrong?? The darker tam/beret is done out of bits from her stash, so this pattern is going to be great for stash busting for sure! She tells me she is writing it up and will have it finished soon.

I have also finished my first scarf with the Trendsetter Cha Cha yarn and the Malabrigo Worsted. I am going to work on getting a demonstration of how to work with this really amazing, soft, ribbon type yarn! There is a little bit of practice involved, but once you get rolling it is as easy as pie!

As always happy knitting and keep those needles clicking Jeanne :)

Hi everyone,

A week or so ago we got in the cutest Pony needles and notions for kids (and adults who love cute things). Who can resist colorful needles with cat heads on them?!? I am in love with Pony children's knitting needles. SO ADORABLE!!!!!!! I hope these are a big hit!! I'm also partial to the fish bobbins and pom-pom makers. I suppose I have simple tastes and/or am easily amused by bright colors and shiny plastic, but I don't care - I LOVE THIS STUFF!!















The next time I need a pair of straight needles, you better believe I'm gonna buy Pony children's cat head needles!!!!

-Amerique

A bunch of tired Beans!

We unloaded, inventoried and got so excited over the Lorna's Laces Swirl Chunky and DK yarn shipment I mentioned in my earlier blog, but phew we are tired!

At one point yesterday I had my pile of swirl up to a cash value of $300.00, but calmed down a bit and ended up under $100.00.

It was hard though and even Amber is in on this one with about a $100.00 order sitting over her desk. Sandy was the most restrained at only one hank of the Chunky, but somehow I have a feeling she isn't done yet.

We both cast on last night with the Chunky for a darling 'Icing Swirl Hat' from Ysolda's Whimsical Little Knits book and are both at about the same point.

At any rate this tired little bean needs to get back to work, but I thought you would enjoy seeing the shop in such fantastic upheaval!

As always, happy knitting!

Jeanne