Savannah and spring shawls

Sorry for the blog being a bit quiet last week, but I was attending a conference in Savannah, GA for 3 days. What a gorgeous city! I left warm temps in VT for warm southern temps and lots of good southern cooking... I'm still working it off!

As I was leaving my house for the airport, I looked up to see this:Apparently my cats read that blog post, and are now quite at home jumping up onto my new "blocking station" to check things out. Drat. Some things are better left unsaid.

It was a really busy conference. Lots of brain work, and not much time to explore. But I got to start each day with this view: And I did manage to sneak in about an hour of exploring the city. I loved the architecture. Each time I turned a corner I found more to like.I'd love to be able to walk down this street every day!I did take some trip knitting. (Which only happened on the flights down and back though.) I started the Citron shawlette out of Manos del Uruguay Serena. I'm using the Wildflowers colorway. The pattern is easy and free (Knitty Winter 2009) and I plan to do at least one (possibly two) extra repeats. I'm taking a trip with Marc and the girls in June, and this will be just perfect for it...

Manic-In Monday

Sorry this is late this week! I left town Sunday night for a business conference and just got back at midnight last night.

After a week of unseasonably warm weather in Vermont, our mannequin is digging the short sleeves. Poor thing clearly didn't check the Weather Channel; our temps are downright chilly again! We are expecting a low in the teens tonight. Brrr, toss me an afghan!
Sweater: This sweater is adorable, and way cuter in real life than in the photo in the book. It's called Bellambie and it's knit with Berroco Origami Yarn. The pattern is from Berroco Book #294 Origami.
Bag: Still the best small purse we carry, the Namaste Mini Clutch is hip and practical. It holds crochet hooks, scissors, pens, or other small items, has great storage for those credit cards and is even roomy enough for the all-important cell phone.

Crafting with a Backseat Driver

Sometimes we all need a little assistance with new skills. So what do you do when you aren't quite happy with the crochet edging on the collar of your newly finished Nuss sweater knit from Berocco Blackstone Tweed? Why you visit us here at the shop to get some advice, of course!

We took a look at Deb N's sweater and discussed some options for blocking for sizing reasons and re-creating the crocheted edging. We called on our crochet expert, Barb, for a bit of crochet crab stitch demonstration. Crab stitch can be a bit tricky as it seems 'backwards' but after a bit of assistance from Barb (aka the "Backseat Crocheter") things started to flow more smoothly. Thanks for being such a great sport Deb, and good luck with that edging!

Customer Projects

Some more customer projects have wandered into the shop recently!

I love the colors in this sweater:
Kat Z. recently came in wearing her new creation knit from Tahki Cotton Classic. She adapted the pattern for the three strands of this yarn held together from Knitting from the Top Down which gives this cardi a wonderful color appeal!

And yesterday we had a this cute Encore Tweed sweater stop in... What a perfect gift - the Tweed is beautiful and Encore is easy care! We aren't sure which pattern it is because Megan C. (who knit it) recently welcomed a new arrival of her own to her family. Her mother brought in the sweater to show us while Megan was home being mommy! Congratulations Megan & Mark!

My new blocking station

Marc and I have lived in our house since November of 1994. And we've always wanted a fireplace. I mean, isn't a fireplace exactly what's needed during the cold Vermont winters? I think so.

Unfortunately, our house is a very open layout. Each room sort of flows into the next, and there aren't many interior walls. Most of the exterior walls have very long windows. So there really aren't many good choices for a fireplace.

This fall we decided we wanted to try to make it work. And we came up with the perfect spot. This silly little half wall, that "attempted" to divide the eating area from the family room became the new home of our gas fireplace. We love it!

My cats REALLY love it. Every time it's on, they come right over and get as close as they can. After a few minutes, they're asleep and purring loudly. They're like little drugged out kitties.

My cats get into everything. So why is it, that they have not yet jumped up on top of the fireplace? It's not that high. And it's NEW. Don't cats always investigate anything NEW? If I were a cat, I'd be up there in a heartbeat! Stretching out on the tile top, that's warm even when the fireplace isn't on (the pilot keeps it cozy) I'd be causing havoc up there, checking out those bookshelves. But they haven't even tried it yet.

I'm not complaining. I actually am thrilled that they don't go up there. It gives me a perfect spot to block my knitting projects! And to dry sweaters that need to be handwashed. I can't tell you how many times I've hand washed a sweater, laid it out on my mesh sweater rack, and come in 5 minutes later to find a stinkin' cat curled up on top of the wet sweater. It kills me!

Now that I have a new sweater blocking station, I can actually leave things out to dry, and not worry about 2 cat critters messing things up.

Speaking of blocking, my Rhythm Superwash project is going so quickly! I'm sad that it will be over soon, because the yarn is so much fun to use. I love starting a ball and not knowing what colors will appear as I knit!

I blocked the pieces last night, so I could get a handle on the finished size. These pictures are both off in color due to some early morning camera issues - sorry! The real color is sort of in between.

I only have 4 more hexagons to knit and then once they are blocked I will crochet everything together into a baby blanket. It's looking great!

Suzie swatches sample swatches down by the seashore

Suzie and I met up yesterday at the library for our kids' knitting group. We're working on strips that will be pieced together into a small throw that we'll give to a youngster at FAHC this May. We are hoping to make 2 throws, which would mean that each kid needs to knit at least 2 strips. They are only 25 stitches wide by 30 inches long, so it's definitely do-able.

I was really glad to point out to them yesterday that they had all finally mastered the talking AND knitting part. Until recently, they'd put their knitting down when they were talking, and we'd remind them that they COULD try to do both. Now it's become second nature.

Anyway, Suzie is making a sweater for her son Ben and is in the process of yarn selection and swatching. She really likes the Spud & Chloe Sweater (below, left), but a couple of weeks ago I told her about the Elsebeth Lavold Cool Wool that we'd just gotten in. She picked up a ball, swatched it (below, right) and loves it.

She's also recently made a Celebration Baby Hat (Knitting at Knoon Polar Baby Caps pattern) out of the madelinetosh Tosh Sock. We have this hat knit up in the shop out of Koigu. It's so easy, so fun, and so cute. Really the perfect baby gift.

Customer Projects

First up - a followup to Polly's blog post about a great, mindless project. Check out her completed Half Crepe Shawl:It is beautiful, and looks amazing on her! I just love the color she chose.

The other day we got an email from a customer of ours, Karen R. in the Dark Pastel Multi. She included some nice photos of a sweater made from one of the self striping/patterning Plymouth Encore Colorspun. Not everyone can visualize what these look like when they are knit up, so we wanted to share this with everyone. Karen wrote:

Hi!

I had recently purchased a skein of Plymouth yarn from you to finish the baby sweater I had started. I’m sending pix of the whole project. The pattern is ‘Lillie’s Little Sweater’ from Cottage Creations, someplace in Iowa. It’s a great pattern and this is the third time I’ve made it – all three with Plymouth yarn, though I did my own variations. The last pix shows the sox I made before I even started the sweater – which of course is the reason I ran out of yarn for the sweater. The dye lot is different but it really only shows if you’re looking for it – and if you’re that fussy we’re probably not friends anyway :) Thanks for your help. If I’m ever in Essex Junction…

Karen R.

We thought her sweater was so cute, that we're planning to order the pattern to sell here at the shop. And for all you Wonderful Wallabee fans, stay tuned. That, and a few others are coming too! Thanks for sharing Karen, and for giving us the chance to add to our pattern offering!

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

Inspired by color

Our shipment of Jojoland Rhythm Superwash came in last Friday. We've had the regular Rhythm (that felts) for a long time now, and have done so well with it. Recently people have been asking for different colors, and the Superwash is available in different shades, so we brought it in. The price is only a bit more ($5.40 for the regular, $6 for the superwash) and the colors are fabulous!

I had enough time to photograph it and get it online just before I left on Friday. We had such a great time picking out our favorite shades.

#1 - Red Burst

#2 - Feeling Blue

#3 - Lilac in Bloom

#4 - Summer Landscape

#5 - Strawberry Sundae

#6 - Cosmic Burst

#7 - Taupe Eagle

#8 - Camoflauge

Shawn is partial to Cosmic Burst and Summer Landscape. Barb couldn't decide between Red Burst and Strawberry Sundae, and ended up starting a scarf with the Strawberry Sundae. I loved Feeling Blue and Lilac in Bloom, and started a project (below) in Lilac Bloom. And of course, Taupe Eagle and Camoflauge are gorgeous neutrals.

I decided on a portable project for kids. There will be seaming involved, or perhaps crocheting, but I really like the sense of accomplishment I get when working in pieces. And I am SO loving how this color is working out! I am dying to knit tonight!

I just packed up this same color for a customer of ours in NY who is making a Baby Suprise Jacket with it... I picked out a fun girly color of Berroco Vintage for some contrast stripes for her, and I really hope she shares some photos of the finished sweater, before she "gifts" it away! (Hear that Laura!? I hope so!)

Fun with Color (and Stash!)

Leslie O. stopped in recently with her finished pair of bright fingerless mitts created from worsted yarns in her stash such as Malabrigo, Lambs Pride Worsted, and Cascade 220. Aren't these fun?

I especially like the bobble edging and optional embroidery stitches that you can add to this pattern.

Check out these Fingerless Flower Gloves by Kristin Nicholas on Ravelry for more photos!

The yarn about yarns

It's always important to realize that the yarns that knitters and crocheters use in their crafts/arts all have a history or story behind them.


In fact if you check out the new Interweave Knits (Spring 2010) issue you'll find a nice little article called "Feel-Good Yarns." The author, Sharon Riggs, quickly spells out some important aspects of sustainably produced and organic yarns.


The best part? Kyarns carries yarns from all four of the companies highlighted in the article and you can stop by to take a look at them any time. We are happy to point these yarns out and help you find a pattern for the O~Wool Balance (from Vermont Organic Fiber Company), Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton, Cascade Eco Wool, or Green Mountain Spinnery's Sylvan Spirit yarn.


All of these yarns are a joy to knit or crochet with and their environmentally conscious background is a wonderfully satisfying bonus!


Our selection of organic, sustainable, and/or environmentally conscious yarns doesn't stop with these few selections - be sure to ask us about our other offerings when you stop by the shop or you can always contact us by email or phone for additional information.

Even in Vermont you can be a Metro Girl!

Yep, we don't have a metro. And we wouldn't qualify as a metropolis (in my opinion). But that shouldn't stop you from tackling a beautiful pattern like Metro Girl from the Manos Arts and Crafts pattern booklet like Sandy W did.

Take a look at this amazing zippered cardigan knit in Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica. And yes, I did say it is a zippered cardigan!

Don't let a zippered pattern fool you - it isn't terribly hard to get the zipper in your finished project if you have the correct type and length of zipper. (We have order forms in the shop for custom zips!) All you need it a bit of sewing thread and a sewing needle and you, too, can have a zippered cardigan - some might even say that this is easier than knitting button holes...

Crochet Series Classes a Hit!

The spots for our crochet series classes are filling up fast and just as a teaser I thought I would share with you the project I created out of my sampler swatch this weekend. Here
is an i-phone or palm carrier crocheted using Berroco Vintage.

The sampler was a rectangle I created from single, double, and triple crochet stitches. I added the shell stitches to ruffle the top and then slipped stitch the seams and added a bright button for fun. Just a little something fun for the students that work on a sampler for the first class. I'm off to work on the sample for the Double Ended Crochet class now :)

Manic-In Monday

It's spring break this week for most of the colleges around here, and the temps have really started to warm up. I was downtown the other day and even though the streets seemed deserted (oh the flux of a college town...) those kids who remained were showing a lot more SKIN!

Even though it's by no means summer weather here in Burlington, Vermont, that mercury is inching up the thermometer. And some people tend to rush it a bit. I was young once too, and went without hats, mittens, scarves... I even wore shorts (horror!) when there was still snow on the ground. Now, at my advanced age, I am much less daring. I prefer to be too warm, rather than too cold. So yesterday, when I got out of my car in my down jacket (it was 54 degrees, but it was cold when I left the house in the morning!) I did a bit of a double take when I saw a 20-something sporting a boob-tube. No coat, no scarf, nothing on the shoulders... just a bit of fabric around the middle. Brrr. Now that's too much (or not enough!) for me. But to each her own.

Anyway, our mannequin is celebrating her youthful side this week. She saw so many college kids in the shop last week - loading up on knitting supplies for those plane and car trips - that she was clearly influenced by their bright, fun & springlike outfits. Time for short sleeves & scoop necks! She's got her handy knitting pouch, since she's planning on meeting up with some friends and knitting down by the lake. After all, the snow's almost gone!

Sweater: Marina Sweater in the Noro Joy Pattern Booklet using Noro Taiyo Yarn

Bag: GoKnits Pouch: lightweight, portable, colorful & great for smaller projects!

Crappers!

I've been working on my Roo Designs Sheep Roll Neck Sweater over the last week. I am using the Jil Eaton CottonTail. It's really turning out nicely, and I had high hopes that I'd be finished by Sunday. But I'm not.

I made some changes. Remember, you CAN make changes to a pattern! I didn't make any BIG changes, but I did do things differently than how the pattern was written.

1. For small areas on the sheep (the eyes) I elected to do the duplicate stitch instead of intarsia.
2. I was supposed to bind off both shoulder seams and then seam them together. Instead, I left the stitches on a holder, and worked a three needle bindoff on each side.
3. The pattern called for seaming one shoulder seam, then picking up and doing the neck, and then seaming the neck edge along with the second shoulder seam. I don't like to do that - I'm not a fan of any type of seam on a neck edge. So I closed both shoulder seams, and plan to work the neck on double pointed needles. (I'm not quite there yet!)
4. The sleeve decreases called for a k2tog on both sides of the sleeves. I changed it and worked a k1,ssk at the beginning of the row, and a k2tog,k1 at the end of the row. These slanted decreases line up better.
5. The sleeve decreases were supposed to be worked every 3 rows. I prefer (and always recommend) to work the decreases on right side rows. I am anal about keeping those slants going the right way, and it's just easier to always do it on the right side rows. Plus, I calculated my row gauge, and there were plenty of rows to make this change from every 3rd row to every 4th row.

I was nearing the home stretch last night, and was working the seams. Look what I found when I got to the bottom!

OOPS! I can now add a final change to this pattern:

6. Cutting the bottom edge off, and re-knitting the bottom back ribbing, cuz, well... clearly I can't count.

Hey, we all screw up!

Manic-In Monday

This week's outfit is one of my favorite new spring sweaters! It is such a great style - a classic v-neck cardigan sans pockets, and it looks great over basic tees or dressier tops. Add a fun & lightweight bag that's perfect for toting your gear this spring, and a wrist twist of glitz (say that 10 times fast!) and it's obvious our gal is thinking of cheerier temps that are just around the corner.

Did you notice all of the cardigans in the stores this fall & winter were crew necks WITH pockets? Crew necks make me feel like I am choking, and pockets on the hips? Who needs useless little squares of extra fabric on that area? Not me. I'm shouting out a huge thank you to Berroco for bringing back a flattering V-neck with no pockets. Now, I'm off to cast on...

Sweater: Ano Sweater knit with Berroco Weekend yarn from Berroco Book #296 Weekend

Bag: Lantern Moon Lucy Bag

Wrist Twist: Berroco Lumina yarn, great for a little glitz! Makes a fun sweater or accent edging!

Baa baa white sheep, have you any cotton?

When the new Roo Designs patterns arrived last week, I fell in love with several of them! Since I completed my baby block project, I was feeling ready to tackle another intartsia project.

I had a hard time choosing between the Owl Sweater and the Sheep Sweater... and I may just end up knitting both of them!

But then we got a shipment of the new Jill Eaton CottonTail yarn, and with its gauge and great selection of fun & happy colors, it was a perfect match for the Sheep Sweater, so my decision was made.

I had a busy weekend so didn't get as much done as I'd hoped, but I am well on my way. It's been fun knitting with the CottonTail. I really like it, and I'm not a huge cotton fan.

We also got some fun new Jil Eaton Minnowknits patterns which work with this yarn, too.

Free pattern

Here's a cute free pattern that uses Nepal Print, an self-striping organic cotton from Stacy Charles.

What a quick and easy baby gift!

Pet Peeve Alert: Mismatched edgings

I just finished this adorable little baby shrug. I used the madelinetosh Tosh DK in the Baltic color. The yarn is so lovely to work with! I now understand the cult following it had. We do have a lot more Tosh on order, but it is about 4-6 weeks out, as they are waiting for fiber to arrive at their facility. So we are waiting patiently...

I used the Knitting Pure & Simple Pattern #288: Little Girl's Shrug. I love the Knitting Pure & Simple patterns, but have always been frustrated at how they recommend a garter ribbing on the button band, and then a ribbing on the neck, cuff and bottom edges. This drives me crazy!!! To make it even worse, in this pattern there is a great option for a lace edging on the bottom, which I decided to do. But then I'd have THREE different edgings: garter, rib and lace. No way! It wasn't going to fly for me.

I do understand why they do this. Because these sweaters are top down, they want you to work the garter edging on the button band AS you work down from the neck. You can't work a vertical rib as you work downward. So I'm thinking they are doing it to make it easier, so you don't have to go back and pick up stitches to work the button bands. BUT, you have to pick up stitches to work the neck edge, so you might as well pick up your button bands and work them so they match the neck edge. Right!?

In my sweater, I did the garter button bands and I did choose the lace edge for the bottom. When I worked my neck and cuff edges, I chose to use garter stitch to mirror the button band. In my opinion, it looks so much better this way.

Just know that you have the option of changing things on any pattern you follow. Just because it's written a certain way, doesn't mean you have to do it that way. It also doesn't always mean it's the BEST way.

More class preparations

Part two of my class prep work!

I've just finished the charted and written instructions for our Cables 101 class. I'll be working up these swatches myself, to be sure there are no errors in the directions! (Proofing is important in knitting too!) When I knit these swatches, I'm going to practice my "cabling without a cable needle" because we cover that in the Tips and Tricks class and I find that the cables knit up faster when I don't have an extra needle to wrangle.

I'm working on a crochet sampler in worsted weight wool for the Intro Crochet workshop in our Crochet Workshop series. I'm looking forward to our next needle shipment because Barb taught me how to crochet with an afghan hook in preparation for this series of workshops. Now I need my own needle so I can work up a double ended crochet washcloth demo for the second class in the series.

Barb is already working on her scarf sample for the third crochet class in a new cotton & acrylic yarn, Berroco Weekend. I got to help pick out colors and it is going to be a striking spring scarf if I may say so. Stay tuned!

Suzie's small needle projects

Suzie was in recently with some of her latest small needle projects. I loved the colors of the yarn she chose, so I thought I'd share them.

Here's her Baby Surprise Sweater in Schaefer Nichole - colorway Little Mermaid. So cute! This colorway came in after I made my shop model, so I was so glad to finally see it made up. It's perfect for this pattern.

And here's a beautiful pair of socks she's making out of the Tosh Sock. We just love this colorway; it's called Rhubarb. I wish it came in the heavier weight Tosh DK, but it doesn't. Too bad!

Manic-In Monday

I know you're shocked! It's Monday, and I'm on time with posting our mannequin Monday post. Here's why... it's school vacation week. I knew I would be working from home this morning while my kids grabbed a few hours of extra beauty sleep after a big skiing weekend. So yesterday on the way back from Sugarbush, I stopped at the shop to grab a big stack of new patterns and books to work on this morning. Our mannequin clothing changes occur Saturday evenings, so I snapped a quick picture, loaded it onto my computer, and remoted in this morning to do the post. Yay!

This sweater is one of my new favorites. I love the tweedy yarn, love the style, and love the gorgeous soft colors. I also love the new yarn she's sporting as a choker!
Sweater: From the Louisa Harding Little Cake pattern booklet in Louisa Harding Willow Tweed yarn
Choker: BRAND NEW yarn from Tilli Tomas called Beaded Superwash, this is a beaded SUPER SOFT superwash merino! Think Flurries, but softer and superwash! (I think you need to make a new Baby Beanie for some little baby out of this!)

Last week we had a local designer stop in the shop - Becky H. Here she is modeling her own design, Cambridge Cables:

This beautiful sweater was featured in the Winter 2009 Twist Collective online knitting magazine. If you haven't checked Twist Collective out yet, please do! The designs continue to be excellent and the magazine is always full of inspiration.

The sweater Becky is wearing is knit from Green Mountain Spinnery yarn, specifically the Silkspun. The sweater in Twist Collective is knit with madelinetosh Tosh DK (formerly called Madeline Tosh Worsted).

Becky has more designs available on Ravelry. Check them out!

Projects for upcoming classes

Last week I admitted that I've finished only one project in 2010. That's because I have so many different projects on needles right now! I've now finished another project, the Quincy Hat (from Jared Flood's Made in Brooklyn) that I started for our recent class on the same project. Just one skein of Rowan Cocoon - this is a great hat.

One reason I have so many things on my needles is because I'm getting ready for our upcoming knitting classes!

I've started the Newborn Sweater for the next First Time Sweater class. This is our own pattern and I'm using one of our new yarns, Classic Elite Katydid. This is a nice organic cotton tape yarn that knits up nicely and in my new favorite color - green.

I've also started an entrelac project called Quant. This is a free headband pattern from Knitty.com and I'm using Berroco Jasper. This class is coming up next month so I wanted to make up the pattern beforehand to display in the shop. This is a really fun project... sign up!

Barb's Finishing Class is next week, so I have to finish my swatch 'homework' for that. Emily and I are both sitting in on Barb's class so we will all be able to teach it in the future. We all know how to seam properly, but we try to be really consistent in how we teach certain techniques, and finishing is one of those techniques. Next week's class is full, but we've scheduled another session in April if you you'd like some excellent instruction on seaming your finished pieces together.

I also have a pair of striped socks (Yankee Knitter Classic Socks for the Family) on my needles. I started these to demonstrate the jogless stripe technique in our last Tips and Tricks class, and will show them in the next Tips & Tricks class as well. That class filled up so quickly that we're offering it again. There are only a few spots left, so hurry and sign up.

So I have lots of projects, and I'm really looking forward to the upcoming classes. More about the rest of the classes in another post.

Manic-In Monday... on Friday?

Sorry! But that's what happens when it's President's Week and we are slammed with visitors from out of town.

And, in all honestly, the mannequin had a hard time deciding what to wear this week. She first picked out an ensemble that was nixed by management (she wore one of the pieces back in December, and we CAN'T repeat an outfit this early in the game, now can we?)

Then she tried on a few other new samples that have arrived from yarn companies over the past couple of weeks. After she struggled to get into these sweaters (remember, her limbs tend to fall off and get all twisted at the MOST inopportune times) those sweaters, too, were nixed. The samples were SO new that in some cases we didn't have the pattern books yet, and in others, we didn't have the yarn!

She ended up sporting one of our most popular linen spring sweaters, a gorgeous year round shawl, and our own felted project bag. Every time I am out and about in Burlington, I see at least 2-3 of these bags being carried around.Sweater:Orleans Sweater in Berroco Naturlin from Berroco Book #273 Naturlin

Shawl: Leafy Lace Shawl in Green Mountain Spinnery Sylvan Spirit yarn

Bag: Kaleidoscope Yarns Felted Project Bag in Cascade 220 yarn

Cross Country Project

Polly asked last week if she could share some thoughts on her latest project with our blog readers. I was thrilled! So here it is... in her own words!

Recently I was anticipating a cross country road trip from Prescott, Arizona to Vermont with my daughter and wanted a fun, but no-brainer project for the car. Besides all the cool stuff to watch out the window, we had audio books and Cd's to entertain us and I didn't want to have to think very hard about my knitting. So, I bumped my Half Crepe Triangular Shawl project to the front of the queue.

It uses the Mountain Colors Half Crepe yarn which I chose in the color Lupine. The pattern is easy as pie (and free!) and it's turning out beautifully! On a 32" US size 8 circular needle you begin by casting on 3 stitches. Then EVERY row you simply K2, YO, knit to the end of the row until the shawl is as long as you want it, then bind off. How's that for easy?

Not only was it a great project for the car, it's great for sitting and talking with friends or watching TV or a movie. It's almost like the shawl is knitting itself! I must be almost a third of the way done and I just started last month so at this rate I'll have it done just when we finally go into spring in Vermont and need a light layer.

Have to say, I'm looking forward to when my chosen color of Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted comes in to the shop so I can begin my Blue Sky Alpaca Pleated Vest. Definitely feeling the need for an alternate project that asks a wee more of my brain power!

Thanks Polly. Keep us posted!

Surprise!

This is a bit dated, but still fun to see!

Just before Christmas we had a surprise visitor to the shop. Jessica S. stopped in with her family to check out the Classic Elite pattern booklet Made In Brooklyn. She had a good reason for wanting to see it... she's friends with the designer, Jared Flood (Brooklyntweed), and she was a model in the photographs for the pattern booklet!

Here she is in the shop with one of her photos!

First Finished Object 2010

It's washed and blocked. I've completed my first finished object for the year 2010. I find it fitting that I finished knitting this on the last day of January - then it had to wait for a laundry day and button. But here it is, the Knitting Pure and Simple One Button Cardi in size 6.
I knit it with Berroco Vintage so that it would be a washable item since it is destined for a small friend's wardrobe. This is a fun in the round project and I am particularly enamored of the garter stitch border - such a nice way to switch up each long row and a good finishing detail.

Stay tuned for why I've only finished ONE project since the beginning of 2010 :)

Organic Baby Blocks

When we received our shipment of the new O~Wool Balance yarn several weeks ago, I knew I needed to start a project. But what? I loved all of the colors, and wanted to use a number of them, but I didn't want it to be just stripes. I needed a portable project, since my weekends are busy and on-the-go, and I don't want to lug around a large project. And, I wanted to make something that would be a great baby gift, since the yarn is so soft and organic, and perfect for little ones!

In the end, I chose to knit 5" squares (portable) with intarsia (not plain old stripes!) and to assemble them into fun baby blocks (great baby gift!)

The squares were really fun to knit and assemble. I went to a local craft store and purchased some 5" foam, which I then cut into 5" blocks.

The seaming was easy, and believe it or not, I was actually very strategic about my color usage (though you don't have to be!)

I wish I had these 10 years ago when Helen and Sophie were new arrivals! The ones I had were smaller, and wood. These are much bigger, but are so lightweight - they each weigh under 4 ounces.The pattern should be written up by sometime next week.

Sunrise in the Shop

The other day Margot came into the shop and Michelle and I both commented on her lovely scarf. Take a look! It reminds me of a colorful sunrise and was knit in many sections as she HANDSPUN the yarn on a DROP SPINDLE for this project! Can you tell that I am immensely impressed by this amazing feat of patience and skill? The scarf is lovely and a very fine gauge yarn that she spun from Blue Faced Leicester fiber.

If you were STRANDED without your knitting...

...what would you do? I don't even want to contemplate that one!

But while we're talking about "stranded", checkout Lisa R.'s AWESOME stranded cardigan!

Pattern is in Interweave Knits Winter 2009 issue. She used Cascade 220 yarn. Isn't it gorgeous?!?!

Here's the original, courtesy of Interweave Knits:

Early notice!

Special early notice for blog readers! Check this out... email goes out Thursday morning!

January Greatest Knits

Haven't done this in a while... sorry! Here are the greatest (hits) knits for January!

Kits
Manos Desert Throw Kit - This has been so popular for years now. Probably because there are so many gorgeous color combinations that can be made with all of the wonderful colors of Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica that we carry! I've noticed a lot of these kits going home for the winter with different folks.

And several people have substituted washable alternatives, since they've been worried about how the recipients may end up caring for the finished project. (Try Mission Falls 1824 Wool or Berroco Vintage if you want machine washable. They have great color cobos, too!)

Yarns
madelinetosh, Madeline Tosh, madtosh, Tosh: no matter what you call it, it's been HOT this month. We now carry 4 madelinetosh yarns: DK (this used to be called "Worsted"), Sock, Lace, and Pashmina (which just arrived last Friday). No question about it, madelinetosh yarns are the current favorite. We couldn't keep the colors in stock from our first shipment and the second shipment, while just in, is going fast! All of these yarns are very soft machine washable wool that comes in amazingly dyed colorways. You'll have to knit with it to believe it! (NOTE: In addition to what we order for the shop, we are happy to special order Tosh yarns. Any yarn, any color. This is not on our webiste yet, but will be once we figure out the best way to do it. Please call us for details.)

We have two samples here in the shop: Barb's Kiwassa Shawl knit from one skein of the Lace, and Jill's World War II Hat from one skein of the DK (formerly Worsted).

Notions and Needles
Kollage Square Double Pointed Needles - We've reordered these over and over, and they are still flying off the shelf. The feedback we've gotten is that these needles are amazing and really do help prevent hand fatigue.

I've used them to knit some of Craftyheghog's Stuffed toys and really enjoyed them. Other customers are now addicted to the short double points for smaller projects like socks. Come in to the shop and try them - we have a set on the counter to test drive.

Knit Kit - All in one, and one for all. There is a tool for every knitter contained in this handy little case. This is becoming everyone's favoirte traveling companion because it is TSA approved!
It includes folding scissors, point protectors, stitch markers, a crochet hook, thread snips, measuring tape, and row counter.

Projects
Alice Cowl - Knit from our new Road to China Light yarn. New colors for this yarn are now in stock, and they have so much depth to them! Great jewel tones to compliment a wonderful free pattern design from the Fibre Company for this cowl - just the thing since it has been in the negative temperatures here in Vermont. And by the way, cowls are the IN thing!

Manic-In Monday

How about that Superbowl? I confess, I missed the first half (I was too busy eating cookie dough making cookies in the kitchen) but I did manage to sit down and watch the exciting second half. It's my one football game of the year, and last night didn't disappoint.

So, wings and beer yesterday, and chocolates and champagne (perhaps?) next Sunday. Our mannequin is obviously dressing this week to drop some Valentine's hints... She's sporting a very stylish sweater, with heart details, a gorgeous needle felted scarf and she's toting 2 hot new product from Namaste in the perfect color for this special day... RED. I had to post a second picture to highlight these Namaste items:And here's a closeup of the sweater in another color so you can see the details:

Sweater: Sweetheart sweater from the Kindred pattern booklet. Knit in Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran Yarn.

Scarf: Pagewood Farms Needle Felted Silk Scarf Kit in Reds

Bag: brand new Monroe Bag from Namaste - only have a few of these in stock, but more are on the way, so order now and you'll have it soon. This is a fabulous new shape and style from Namaste. It's going to make me break my "no-more-new-bags" rule. Oops!

Wallet: New Namaste Wallet. I mean really, why are we carrying wallets? I promise, I wasn't going to!! But customers called and emailed about it, so of course, I brought it in. But listen up, Namaste... please don't start making something like... I don't know, shoes?! I'm sure they'd be great, but I have to draw the line somewhere!

Manic-In Monday

This past weekend was FREEZING here in the northeast! We had wind chills in the NEGATIVE 40's on Friday, and Saturday and Sunday were only a bit warmer. Brrr. I actually blew off skiing this Saturday to sit at home and knit by the fire. It was the right choice, for sure.

These cold temps had everything to do with the mannequin's outfit change for this week. She's bundled up in several really soft and warm knits. After all, she does stand right by the door and gets awfully chilly with customers coming in and out all day. (Is this outfit a hint that she wants a new spot in the shop? Deal with it honey, we need you front and center!)

There's also a bit of a cable theme going on here. Did anyone notice that? Shawn is working on the next round of classes (starting in March) and there's a cable workshop.

Sweater: Brea Sweater made with Rowan Lima yarn. Pattern - Rowan Lima Collection. This is one of Shawn's favorite sweaters. She's normally wearing it down in the shop, but the mannequin must have won out this time.

Scarf: Jade Sapphire Cashmere Scarf for Her Kit in Natural Woman. If you haven't seen this in person, you simply must. Seven pattern choices come with this kit. This is my personal fave.

Mittens: Hoot Mittens made with Fibre Company Canopy yarn. Pattern is free! These were easy and fun to make.

Bag: Cable That Bag pattern from Gardiner Yarnworks knit with Mission Falls 1824 Wool, an incredible worsted merino that is machine washable!

The one year afghan

One of our customers took a Learn to Crochet Class here at the shop and spent her time this past year putting her new skill to work. She put together this huge, amazing, crocheted afghan.

The mixed fibers, mixed colors, beautiful stitch pattern all combine for a wonderful effect!

Kudos are in order Dannah B. - congratulations on the completion of your project :)