Felting Fun & Fixes

Plymouth Gina has been a very popular yarn in the shop for knitting, crocheting and felting. I found a cute pattern on Ravelry for a Felted Flower Bowl, and decided to make a couple for the front counter. 

I grabbed two balls of Gina and finished these bowls in one evening. I felted them this morning.

It was my first attempt felting with a front loader and it went pretty well. But the bowls did not felt all the way, so they required some hand felting afterwards.

Red bowl - just out of washing machine, Blue bowl - after additional hand felting

I did have a teeny issue with one of the bowls. When I opened the door to the washing machine, I noticed a hole in the bottom of the red bowl:

I think I rushed a bit when weaving in my ends! The tail had come unwoven in the machine, so I grabbed some leftover yarn and a tapestry needle and did a bit of mending: 

Then I hand felted the bowl under hot running water in my sink for a few minutes and you can hardly see my mending job.

Bowls like this can be hard to shape but I found a piece of pottery that my mom had made and it was just the right size:

These bowls will dry quickly - today's sun and warm temps will see to that.

Cezanne Bags

The other day we received our shipment of Cezanne knitting bags from Jordana Paige. We got all four beautiful colors - Stone Gray, Mediterranean Teal, Bordeaux and Poppy:

Poppy was the crowd favorite because we sold 2 the very day we took them down into the shop. Sorry! But the other 3 colors are gorgeous, too, and the Poppy will be back in stock after the holiday.

Sleek Back View with One Large Pocket

This bag looks like leather but is actually synthetic, which is easier on the wallet than leather, and a bonus for those of you who don't like to use leather products. It's got a ton of useful pockets and compartments, including a row of 7 pockets for tools and needles and two small interior zippered pockets.

3 Front Pockets

In case you wanted more internal features in this bag, there's also a key loop, three credit card slots, a removable zipper pouch, two circlets™ to prevent your yarn from tangling, a yarn pocket below each circlet™, two small outside pockets, and one large outside pocket at front and back. The bag closes neatly and securely with a metal turn clasp closure, and the adjustable shoulder strap is removable, just in case you want to carry it like a briefcase.

Pockets, pockets, pockets!

If you're ordering this and must have it for the holidays, please remember to choose an expedited shipping method for guaranteed delivery. And if you're local, come on in and grab one before they go.

Of course we've been selling a ton of gift certificates for our local customers, so you can always come in and grab one from our next shipment, after the holidays.

Customer Project: Stained Glass Granny Squares

Take a look at this lovely crochet project! The colors are gorgeous and the tiny little granny squares outlined and pieced together with the black yarn reminds me of a beautiful stained glass window.

One of our customers (we can't share the name because this is a surprise!) shared this project with us. She's using fingering weight yarns (many of the multicolored hues are Koigu KPPPM) to create this amazing piece.  

This is quite the undertaking because the squares are 2-3 inches across and she is putting each one together as she works to form a large blanket for her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

What a beautiful wedding gift - I REALLY hope we get to see the final product before it is gifted!

The Better Buddy

Namaste has just made a few improvements on their best selling Buddy Cases! The new "Better Buddy" is sleeker and has updated materials, new colors and stronger magnets. All for the same price!

The new colors that we have in stock are:

Pumpkin Spice

Espresso

Caribbean Blue

Butter Yellow

While we certainly love the reinvention of the Buddy Case, we didn't have any problems with the original ones, and neither did our customers! But, our remaining stock is now on sale. We've got Lime, Eggplant and Peacock left.

This is a great gift item. Why not give one of your buddies a Buddy?

Get it while it's hot!

contributed by Shawn

Many of you may recognize this amazingly simple, flamboyant scarf.

And you probably also remember how the Flounce yarn was gone in a flash last season? And how we couldn't get more because the supplier was COMPLETELY OUT OF EVERY COLOR? We waited for MONTHS for our reorders to arrive and we only got a limited amount of just a few of the colors. It was certainly well after the holiday season before we could let customers know it was available again.

Well there are 8 NEW amazing colors available now and we have them in stock! But we have a feeling this yarn is going to be hard to get this again this season especially as the time for holiday gift giving draws near.

So we've purchased other ruffle yarns that are almost exactly like the Flounce. That means we have more supply and more colors! Check out Rozetti Marina, Plymouth Joy and Katia Ondas. In addition to these three we have many other new ruffle yarns. 

Even though we have added new ruffle yarns and increased our stock, we still anticipate another shortage. So please DO NOT WAIT to get the colors you like, or the colors you think your friends and co-workers will ask for as soon as they see YOUR scarf.

These scarves are quick and easy knitting projects (no purling!) and make great gifts.

New Noro Inspiration

contributed by Shawn

The new Noro Knitting Magazine Premiere Issue Fall 2012 (http://www.kyarns.com/product/noro-magazine-fall-2012/noro-knitting-patterns) is full of new Noro inspiration!

I loved the Crochet Slippers:

Crochet Slippers

So I immediately grabbed my new favorite color of Noro Kureyon and worked up a pair of these. They're a perfect summer adaptation of warm wooly slippers!

My slippers!

I love the Crochet Throw made of hexagon shapes.

Crochet Throw

This is a perfect crochet pattern alternative to the Modular Afghan that I love so much from the Knit Noro book.

I already have some favorite colors of Noro Silk Garden picked out for the Checkerboard Cap.

Checkerboard Cap

All you need is 1 skein each of 2 different colors of Noro Silk Garden yarn for this simple color work hat.

And, it you're inclined to begin your Holiday Knitting in July, then you might want to take a look at these classic hats: the Man's Slouchy Hat and the Man's Ribbed Hat.

Slouchy Hat

Ribbed Hat

Each hat can be done with just 2 skeins of Kureyon (1 skein each of 2 different colors). I think they are perfect designs that anyone would love to receive as a gift this winter.

The Cropped Jacket features a wonderful construction that shows off the Noro colors so well!

Cropped Jacket

Cropped Jacket - back view

The pattern calls for 984 yards color A and 656 yards color B Silk Garden Sock.  We no longer stock the Silk Garden Sock, so have already helped some people choose from the colors of Taiyo Sock yarn so they could get started on this one right away in time to wear for late summer!

I hope this magazine inspires you to pick up some new colorful knitting or crochet projects too!

Gifts for Kitty

Some friends who watched my two cats earlier this month while we traveled just got a kitty of their own and we're going to meet him today! I wanted to take him a little cat toy, and a hand knit mouse was just a little too boring for me.

So I did some pattern searching on Ravelry and found a free pattern for a crocheted can of sardines. I thought it was adorable, and since I haven't crocheted for a month, I thought it would be fun!

I grabbed some fun colors of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece and got started. My can looks a little wonky, but oh well! The sardines were fun to make - I felt like I was making gloves!

Because this is for a kitty, I did not put any catnip in with the stuffing. I thought I'd test the toys out on my cat Maisy, who loves toys. Unfortunately, she was pretty much in the midst of a midday catnap, and she was more bothered than amused. If I sprinkled a little catnip on the sardines, it would be a different story!

What the heck are these things?

Yawn. I'm already bored with this game. You're making me guess?

 

Ok, I'll guess. A hat?

A back massager?

I've got it! A pillow!

No!? Ok, I quit. Naptime.

Della Q Items: Back in Stock

We carried Della Q bags and needle cases a number of years ago and now we've got 4 our favorite new Della Q products back in the shop.

First up is "The Que". This is a great circular needle case that's available in two fun fabrics. We chose the cotton prints, because we think they're gorgeous and durable. 

The pockets that hold each needle are actually large enough to hold more than one set - which we all know is important, since who just has one of each size? Also, there's a great little flap on each pocket. This flap is actually sized perfectly to tuck into each pocket, holding the needles securely inside. If you've ever picked up your needle case and it was upside down, and all of your circulars spilled out all over the floor, you'll appreciate this tiny - yet super smart - detail.

We also carry two interchangeable kits (by Denise) in gorgeous Della Q silk cases. There's a knitting needle set and a crochet hook set, and these were both really popular gift items this winter. It's so smart that these two companies teamed up together with their incredible products!

Denise Crochet Hook Interchangeable Set in a Della Q case

And just last week we received some really fun Della Q project bags. These are perfect for small knitting or crochet projects, and make great gifts - they're under $10!

These bags come in assorted colors and you can choose from three funny sayings. SO much better than a plastic baggie for your project!

Expand your pattern library...

... and your vocabulary too! 

When I was back in Vermont a couple of weeks ago I was walking around the shop and stopped in the back room a moment to pet the Misti Alpaca Pima Silk Yarn. We stock 8 colors (5 multis and 3 solids) and they are all gorgeous! The blend of pima cotton and silk is incredibly soft and I knew that I had to get this yarn on my needles immediately.

We looked on Ravelry for a baby sweater that we could make with this yarn, and came across the Puerperium Sweater. It's free and simply adorable! I cast on in the Burlington Airport as I awaited my flight to Newark. It's a top down raglan, and I figured I'd be far along by the time we touched down in Newark. But, I had a really nice seatmate, and we chatted more than I'd anticipated, and by the time I was ready to knit, we hit some major turbulence, and both of my hands were gripping the armrests so that made it difficult to knit. I only got about 12 rows finished!

I did get more done on my long flight to Stockholm (when I wasn't trying to sleep!), and then a little more on my quick flight to Helsinki. I'm now finished and I love it! 

This sweater is the perfect newborn gift. Of course that's where it got its name...

I'd never heard of "puerperium" before. Have you? The definition is "the state of a woman during childbirth or immediately thereafter" or "the approximate six-week period lasting from childbirth to the return of normal uterine size".

Well, I just learned a new word, and perhaps you have too! 

Because I loved this yarn so much (and our customers do too) we've increased our offering from 8 to 14 colors! As soon as our order arrives, we'll have 9 multis and 5 solids. Aren't they gorgeous?

Can't wait for the new colors to arrive!

Great News! New Throw Kits Will Soon Be Available!

contributed by Shawn

We used to sell the Colinette AbFab Afghan kits in the shop.  Before we stopped selling these kits a few years ago, I offered to knit my mom one in the colors of her choice.  I started it and was about half-way through when I got distracted by other projects. 

I finally pulled it out last week and completed it just in time to send it off to my mom as a surprise Mother's Day gift!  It was so easy since the stitches aren't complicated - the effect is all about the colors and textures!  I can't believe I didn't finish this long ago. It's really a beautiful piece and I even took the time to do the tassels and it looks amazing.

Jill was in town this past week meeting with all of our sales reps. She and Barb bought a lot of fun new things for fall and winter, including... new mixed fiber afghan kits! 

Stay tuned, because we've got about 6 or 7 colorways coming in a gorgeous afghan kit from Mountain Colors! We can't wait to have these in the shop.