Free on Friday

Here's a free pattern from Berroco!This gorgeous cowl, called Ostrom, takes just 3 hanks of Ultra Alpaca Tonal. This simple 2 row rib pattern is worked on size 8 and 9 needles, so will go relatively quickly. Enjoy!

Manic-In Monday

If you're not local to our area, then you may not have heard. We had snow pretty much ALL DAY yesterday... on May 9th! It didn't accumulate, but it was cold and windy, and the weather station on the top of my house (my husband's a weather geek) actually measured a wind chill of 9 below zero yesterday morning. What the!?!?! I only set foot outside once yesterday, and even my full length down jacket wasn't very helpful.

So after yesterday's frigid weather, our mannequin pulled out the long sleeves and jeans again. Even though today is supposed to be 60 and sunny, yesterday's chill is STILL in the air. And it is blustery by that front door. And her color choice? All red. Well, I'm kind of seeing red too, thanks to Mother Nature's curve ball.

Sweater Dilga sweater Elsebeth Lavold Book 14 knit in Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy yarn

Scarf: Noemi scarf from Berroco's Norah Gaughan Volume 1, in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light yarn (we have some great colors on sale right now!)

Manic-In Monday

Since this week is St. Paddy's Day, and we had our SHAMROCK free shipping promo (if you missed that, you have to sign up for our email list), our gal thought she'd be a bit festive.

She's not even Irish! But that doesn't mean she can't celebrate with her Irish friends over a pint or two of Guinness. She was careful not to overdo the green (true "kelly green" doesn't do much for her complextion) but in our opinion, she still looks really festive. I'm sure she'll be welcomed with open arms down at Rí Rás. Skirt: Aune Skirt in Berroco Norah Gaughan Collection, Volume 1, using Berroco Ultra Alpaca Yarn
Scarf: One skein Scarf in Artful Yarns Lustro, pattern is free on the label

Berroco Trunk show is here!

Wow! This week has really flown by. We've all been commenting on how quickly the days have passed. We get here in the morning, the doors open, and next thing you know, you check your watch and it's closing time.

We can't really account for all those hours in the middle of the day, but we do know that the parking lot is full, the door is opening and closing all day, the shop is bustling, we're seeing so many folks from out of town in town for some foliage peeping and yarn shopping, we're restocking and straightening like crazy and our "emergency doorbell" is ringing and ringing. We installed a doorbell under the front counter so as soon as the people working the floor need help, they press the button, and the buzzer rings upstairs. Then everyone upstairs drops what they're doing and comes to help. (It's our new favorite "gadget"!)

TRUNK SHOW ALERT!! Yesterday afternoon we unloaded the Berroco trunk show: Oh my gosh. There are some SICK SICK SICK sweaters in this trunk show. My list of "wants" has just increased! Just now we had a welcome lull in the shop, and I called everyone down to try things on. We has so much fun seeing how the sweaters fit us. I have to say, we were working it big time. Watch out ANTM, here we come!

We're all REAL people with REAL bodies, and our bodies are all different shapes and sizes. It's so great to see that a lot of these sweaters work well on different figures. We also tried on sweaters that we didn't think we'd like, and we ended up liking them! The biggest surprise for me was the bright yellow Potter from Norah Gaughan 5:I knew this was a popular sweater, but it didn't appeal to me in the least. After trying it on, however, I realized I love it! (And yes, the color is growing on me too...)

Emily never thought she'd like Nimbus in Peruvia Quick - but she changed her tune after trying it on. And look who is peaking out on her Woman's Bob Tee! That Ravelry Dog sure does get around!Barb looked awesome in Assemblage from Norah Gaughan 3. This sample is knit in Inca Gold. Here she is admiring the detail on the cuffs. This one's a little blurry (sorry!) but Shawn is sporting Nuss in Blackstone Tweed (Book #288). The blur is because we were both laughing so hard, NOT about the sweater! We just felt so funny posing for the camera.Shawn is wearing the Beagle Sweater from Norah Gaughan Men shown here in the smallest size. Even though this pattern is in the men's book, it's clear that the style is quite unisex. Shawn would shorten the sweater if she made it for herself - she's got it rolled up in the picture. And here's me in Drift. This is a free pattern and it combines the stitch pattern from Beagle (above) with a more feminine fit. This was super comfortable and very flattering, knit in Vintage Wool. Here's Emily in Anhinga - very cute! (Pure Merino, Norah Gaughan 5) Barb tried on the Osprey Shawl from NG5. This is an easy piece that is very versatile, and it uses Ultra Alpaca and Ultra Alpaca Fine. And here's Shawn in the Nonpairel in Blackstone Tweed (Book #288).. This looks so great on her! In the pattern book it's shot with such a different outfit. I never would have put it with just jeans, but it takes on a whole new meaning when dressed down. Okay, Shawn was a good sport to put this next one on, as ruffles just are NOT her thing (Sweater is the Heron, NG5). We always like to tease her about it though, that and her favorite color "pink". (NOT) So if this sweater were done in pink, this could have been a great blackmail photo. She's such a good sport though, she was really having fun with this shot! And since we're on the subject of ruffles, here's me in Cormorant (NG5). I've actually started one of these for myself. I'm making the next size down, in teal Vintage Wool, and I've only got the sleeves done. This is a reminder that I need to get moving on that. And to stop spinning like a 4 year old wearing a skirt! This was another of my favorites, the Curie from NG5. We could only get the detail to show up without the flash. It's gorgeous and fits like a dream! Here's the last shot - I'm wearing the Danielle Coat from Book #287 in Berroco Sundae. Great coat! And Shawn has on the Goodall Sweater from NG5 in Inca Gold. This was stunning!So come on in now (through next weekend) to check out these sweaters!

Staying Connected

Vacation time! Here we are at our camp in Maine again. We make a summer trip here each year. This year we, together with Marc's sister - who also owns the camp - decided to forego some of life's little luxuries. Specifically TV (which we didn't really care about), a land line phone, and internet connection. And add to that - we use AT&T for our cell phones, and there's no AT&T service here. (Can you hear me now?) So we're completely NOT connected. Which is nice, in a way. So to connect, I must come to the library, which is only open 2 days a week for 5 hours a day. Luckily, they recently installed wireless, which is free and accessible from the parking lot. Last year I would laugh each time I drove by the library - it would be closed and there would be 2-5 cars parked out front. The people in the cars had their computers out, checking email, working, etc. And this year, I'm right in there fighting for a spot!
We went kayaking today on the Sandy River - and got up early to beat the rain, which has now returned after a two day break. It was the girls' first trip, and we went with Marc's aunt, who is a seasoned kayaker up here! We had the most amazing time. Thanks Maddy!And now it looks like more rain off and on for the rest of the week. So tomorrow we may trek in to Freeport - haven't been there for years.

I only brought two projects with me on this vacation. I started Cormorant before I left, and completed the first sleeve. I always start with the back, then the fronts, and then finish up with the sleeves. But several knitters I know do the sleeves first, and you know? I think I like it that way! I cruised on the first one and am well into the second one. The pattern calls for Berroco Ultra Alpaca and Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine. I wanted to make something that was machine washable, so I substituted Vintage Wool for the Ultra Alpaca. A lot of the colors are the same in these two yarns, so it was an easy substitution.

I also started a scarf out of Noro Silk Garden. This scarf is so simple, yet with the two colors of Silk Garden, it just keeps changing. It's really mindless and easy to knit. If you haven't seen this scarf and want to try it, you can see it (and the free pattern) on Brooklyn Tweed's blog.

I am using the Kollage square circular needles and I love them! I'm using a size 7, and when I'm finished the scarf, I'm going to swatch the Vintage Wool on them. I am using size 7 Addis on my sweater, so it will be an interesting experiment to see how different my gauge is on Addi 7's and Kollage 7's. Hmm. Stay tuned.

Small needle knitting with Smooshy

This week I've been speeding through a new project. I'm speeding because I'm not a small needle knitter. So if I don't work on this project a LOT so that I can see progress, it will end up in the UFO bin.

Ever since the new Dream in Color Smooshy yarn arrived the Night Watch shade has been calling to me from across the room. (And we just received two new colors today!) It was time to figure out a project on small needles that I would actually finish. (I have to admit to you now that I've knit a lot of socks. But most of them never end up with a mate to make a pair!)

Recently I've noticed many customers choosing to knit the Yarndance Slip Stitch Mosaic Hat. It really shows off a variegated yarn with a solid - so I knew the Smooshy would be great for it. I'm also a big fan of Berroco's Ultra Alpaca yarns in all three weights (Ultra Alpaca, Ultra Alpaca Light, and Ultra Alpaca Fine) so I choose a bright heathered green in the Ultra Alpaca Fine to combine with the Smooshy.

And as Jill pointed out this morning, I've finally managed to knit something that is not hand wash! Both the Smooshy and the Ultra Alpaca Fine are machine washable! (Laundry day at my house is always a bit like having small flock of wet sheep around. The smell of wet wool lingers much to the delight of my housemate and feline companion, Indigo.)

I'm really pleased with the look of these yarns together and the pattern is close to being done - check it out!

Blankets and throws

Many people have been worrying out loud about the cost of heating their homes this winter. We know there will be an increase in blanket, throw and afghan knitting this fall, in fact we've already seen signs of that. Most folks are wanting to knit something simple and warm, and in many cases, portable.

There are quite a few knitting patterns for afghans that are made in pieces. A brand new afghan booklet for fall - Manos del Uruguay Geometry - is a prime example. When Barb and I went to the TNNA show this past June, we saw all of these afghans knit up, and it was one of the things I was MOST excited about. We waited ALL summer to get the books, though I did manage to get a pre-copy of one of the patterns, so I could get started on a shop sample. This is the Adventure Throw, straight from the pattern booklet, done in shades of blues, teals and greens.I chose to use 12 less similar colors of the Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica, and it's going to be NICE!!!

I started knitting my Adventure Throw in the middle of the summer. Since it's really for the shop, I am actually only knitting half of the throw - it's enough to give folks an idea of what it will look like when it's twice as big. I'm on square 5 of 6 (the whole throw has 12). Here there are this morning, unblocked.

Then I blocked them - huge difference, isn't there? The pattern says to sew the pieces together and then to block the whole throw. Remember, in any pattern, you need to count on your own knowledge and expertise. The pieces of this throw alternate... half of them are in stockinette and garter, and the other half are in garter and some yarn-overs. Even though I am doing them all on size 9 Addi Turbo Knitting Needles, the pieces with the yarn-overs end up a bit bigger than the ones in garter/stockinette. So I chose to block them all to the same size BEFORE seaming them. Again, my choice, and I believe, a good one.

Here they are drying. They already look so much better!

In truth, I like the pieces in garter/stockinette better. If I were to do this afghan again, I would probably eliminate the ones with yarn-overs, and just do these in different colors. That's the great thing about the Manos del Uruguay Geometry pattern booklet. You can mix and match all of the different octagons and squares and come up with one all your own!

Suzie is doing just that. She's started working on the Moonstone (my favorite in this book!)and she's using Berroco Ultra Alpaca and Mountain Colors River Twist. She may decide to throw in some other yarns too. I can't wait to see it!

A few more projects completed

So the hat and mittens are finished! And they are very simple - and perfect for someone who hasn't tried mittens before. As you can see, the River Twist looks very different when used with Ultra Alpaca. (The swatch in the center is River Twist by itself.) I'm glad I chose to add the Ultra Alpaca - I think it softens the River Twist in a good way - just the right amount. Michele came in today wearing her Latitude tank top in Linen Jeans (Book #270.) It's SO cute. She did alter the neck a bit - it called for the purl side (reverse stockinette) to show, but she didn't like it that way, so she flipped it over and made the stockinette side show. Good choice! It's adorable - and so flattering. Here she is modelling it for you, while pulling notions and patterns this morning...
Barb had a nice weekend at her camp - and started and finished the flared ribbed scarf out of King George. Suzie made one in off-white late last spring, and because it wasn't really scarf weather at the time, she left it in the shop as a sample. But we were looking around at samples the other day, and picking out some new things to be knit up, and we realized that Suzie is bound to come in and claim that scarf at some point. Since it is such an easy and cute scarf, and a GREAT use of King George, we decided to make it in another color. Ta-da! It's a gorgeous scarf, and Barb just loved knitting with the yarn.

I got my rain barrel installed before our ugly day of rain yesterday. We had so much that the 55 gallon barrel had filled up between midnight Saturday and 11am Sunday. Then it poured out of the overflow tube, and right on down the driveway for the rest of the day.Then it continued to POUR until about 7:30am, then we had drizzle for 20 minutes, followed by another several hours of a heavy downpour. Needless to say, none of the plants on my deck need to be watered, and neither does my garden... So I don't quite have a use for the water I collected. And there's a lot more rain predicted for the next week. Any ideas?

Helen and Sophie had a little art show after their camp last week. It was really cute - they did so many different things, and had the best time. One of the highlights of the summer camp experience for sure. Here is Sophie with her stuff...

and Helen...Now they have some cool artwork to hang in their rooms. Speaking of their rooms, this is what happens in their rooms when they forget to close their doors each day. The cats LOVE sleeping in their beds, especially in Sophie's. Here's Maisy on a doll blanket:and Lucy, right on the pillow. YUK! I'm tired of changing the pillowcase every day! But she does look like she's made good friends with the AGD...