We all make mistakes

Every day we have customers who come in with mistakes in their knitting. Many of them are afraid to rip back, and they're visibly shaken when we take their knitting and pull the needle out and start to rip back. Ripping back is a really important part of knitting. It's better to spend the extra time fixing your mistake, than living with it, and knowing each time you see it, that you could have (and really should have) fixed it.

I recently made the Encinitas Cardigan out of Berroco Calico. It's a great sweater! So easy and quick. So easy, in fact, that several times (not once) I made the same mistake. It's an easy pattern, knit 3 rows, purl 3 rows, and repeat. I must have been in a trance when knitting as I threw an extra knit row into the pattern 3 times, which I didn't even notice until I had completed the back and was well on my way into the right front. The yarn is variegated, and in this modified garter stitch pattern, it was really difficult to even see my mistake. In fact, it was so hard to see, that I thought I'd cheat and just leave it that way. But then one day I had that piece of the sweater on my kitchen table. I happened to walk by and for some reason, out of the corner of my eye, those three extra rows just JUMPED out and screamed at me. All of a sudden they were so noticeable. So I knew what I must do.

I could have ripped the back out and reknit it. But that's too easy, and there's more than one way to skin a cat. So I decided to cut and graft. You think people freak out when we rip out their knitting? You should see what happens when Mr. Scissors comes out of the drawer. Here are the step by step pictures of how i fixed this mistake:

1. I've highlighted the mistake for your viewing pleasure. One extra row of stockinette.
2. I used a long Brittany needle to pick up the entire row of stitches above the mistake row. Hint: I knit the sweater on size 8 US needles. I used a size 4 needle to pick up the stitches. It's much easier (and faster) to get a small needle through!
3. Then I picked up an entire row of stitches 3 rows below the row that I just picked up. (Why 3 rows below? Well, then I have 2 rows of stitches in between each needle. One is needed in the pattern, and one is the "extra" row that I need to remove. I plan to remove both of them, and then put the 2 pieces back together by grafting. This grafted row will replace the actual row that is needed in the pattern.)
4. Now out comes Mr. Scissors. I cut a strand from the knitted row below the row on the upper needle. I do this about 15 stitches in from the right side. HINT: This will be an end you need to weave in. If you cut right on the edge, you won't have enough yarn to weave in, and you could end up unravelling something you don't want to be unravelled!
5. With a spare needle or a tapestry needle (I like these best) I start undoing the stitches one at a time. I first worked the short tail over toward the right side.
6. Then I undid the left side. Once I undid that entire row, I could just rip out the row below. And no fear here - it's not going to go any further than I want, because I've already got those stitches locked onto the lower needle.
7. Then the fun part. Grafting! Grafting is basically kitchener stitch, but you don't pull it so tight that it makes a seam. You pull it just enough to make your seam act as an entire row of your work. In this case it was stockinette so it was pretty simple.
8. Almost finished! And what an improvement!

This whole grafting business definitely took a bit of time, and who knows? I probably could have ripped back and reknit it in the same amount of time, but sometimes it's good to push yourself to do something you wouldn't normally do. And now it's finished, looks great, and I can move on to the next one!

The Spring Lineup

We're already working on our new spring models and this year we're really organized about it. It's always so hard to choose which sweaters to knit for the shop. This year we're doing a nice mix of long and short sleeved cardigans, vests, tanks, shawls and a pretty camisole. We always make new kids sweaters, and hats, mittens and other small accessories. But the sweaters take a lot of thought, and a lot of knitting. If only there were more hours in a day!

I've been working on two sweaters. I started the Encinitas cardigan in the beginning of February but got really sidetracked when the Natural Silk Aran arrived. I started (and will finish tonight) the Urchin sweater out of the new Rowan Classic Beach pattern book. It is so cute, and was a really quick knit.

Barb is working on a great striped vest out of Jaeger Roma. She absolutely loves the yarn - some of her adjectives to describe it are: crisp, cushy, springy and soft. And no splitting! She's hoping to finish by this weekend, and then will move on to finishing the Gypsy Shawl with Koigu.

We just blew out most of our remaining Koigu colors, as we are expecting 37 new colors within the next couple of weeks. It's always a great day when new Koigu colors arrive!

A Recipe for Blocking

Some things don't need to be blocked. But some things really do. Since I opened the shop 4 years ago, I have become more of a blocker. This week I decided to get some blocking wires. We've had them in the shop for a while now, and Barb has had her own for years, which I've borrowed on numerous occasions. But it's kind of a pain to borrow them. I finish the knitting and can't start blocking until I remember to ask Barb to bring in her wires. Then she brings in her wires, and I forget to take them home for several days. (Kind of like the Rubbermaid containers we bring our lunches in... they pile up in the kitchen for almost a week before we remember to take them home. It's hard to remember all you need to take home, when you are rushing around closing the shop, and trying to pick the kids up on time!)

I recently RE-blocked my Koigu Lace Shawl. The first time I did it, I did not use the wires. And I did not pin out the points on my crochet edging as much as I could have. It was my first shawl - and not really being a shawl wearer, I did not want a HUGE shawl. I blocked conservatively and I was very pleased with the results.

A few weeks ago one of our customers was about to block her Koigu Lace Shawl. We were talking about how she should do it, and about how the edging could be blocked differently than mine was. We decided that she would pin out each point on the crocheted edging. And her results were amazing. (Aren't her colors wonderful too?)

As soon as I saw her shawl, I decided to reblock both the Koigu Lace Shawl, and the Charlotte's Web Shawl. As you can see, my results were dramatic as well.

RECIPE FOR BLOCKING

(NOTE: this technique can be followed for a number of fibers, but not all fibers. Always check your yarn label or ask someone at your local yarn shop for blocking recommendations.)

INGREDIENTS
1 knitted item to be blocked (ITBB) (shawl, sweater, scarf, etc.)
1 sink or basin filled with cool to lukewarm water
a pinch of Eucalan or Kookaburra Woolwash
3 large clean towels
1 blocking surface (a rug works well!)
a lot of pins
1 set of blocking wires (optional, but recommended!)
1 measuring tape or yard stick

INSTRUCTIONS
1) Fill basin with water. Add a pinch of Eucalan or Kookaburra. Gently agitate the water with your hands to distribute the soap.

2) Insert your ITBB. Some ITBBs have a tendency to float up on the surface (lace shawls).

3) Make sure your ITBB is completely immersed in the water. Leave for a couple of minutes, until all of the fiber has absorbed water.

4) Drain the basin and with your hands, gently press the water out of the ITBB. Caution: DO NOT WRING OR TWIST! If the soap you used requires rinsing, proceed to step 5. If not, proceed to step 6.

5) Fill basin again with clean water. Then drain basin and press water out of ITBB. Repeat this step until you feel soap is completely gone.

6) Gently lift ITBB and place on dry, clean towel. Roll up the towel. This will absorb any excess water.

7) Spread 2 clean, dry towels on your blocking surface. Thread the blocking wires through the edges of your ITBB, and using the tape measure, pin into the correct shape and size.

8) Let dry at least 24 hours, more if necessary.

Capelets, Capelets, Capelets

Cape.let (Káp'lit), N. A short cape covering just the shoulders.

I've been driving my family crazy with my latest project, "Capelets." They just laugh when they hear the word. I must admit, it is a strange sounding word.

I just finished knitting two different capelets. One is out of Cherry Tree Hill's Jumbo Loop in Java. The other is out of their Mohair Thick & Thin in Birches. Ever since the shop got these yarns, I've been dying to make something with them. I made up two similar capelet patterns. They knit up really quickly on size 19 needles and they each take only one skein of yarn. The best part is, I wear them all the time. They give me just the extra warmth I need without being too hot.

I have to say, mohair is my favorite yarn. And any mohair available in such beautiful colors is hard to resist. So hard, that I just might have to make another one of these capelets for my sister's birthday. (Lori, I hope you don't read this!)

A Birthday Present for Mom

My mom Amy, at 80+, often finds summer air conditioning in restaurants too chilly for comfort. When I asked her to pick out a knitting project for her next birthday present, Mom came into the shop to look for ideas. Koigu was a big draw, as was the Cherry Tree Hill Baby Loop, but when she saw Jill’s Optik Capelet hanging in the window, she knew it would be perfect for a little summer wrap. She picked out the Optik in Cadaquez, a colorway that will compliment her summer wardrobe of mostly blue or tan solids. I've already finished it well ahead of her May birthday. Even though my Mom is small, I knit the larger size to make the capelet fit more like a shawl and give a little extra protection from cool drafts. An extra decrease round at the top brought the neck down to a smaller size. Mom’s tastes have usually run to the tweedy practical look, so I am looking forward to seeing her in something a little glitzy!

Focusing on Vests

In the shop we have so many great patterns for sweaters, but I am at the time in my life where I do not need as much warmth. Recently I have been focusing on vests. Vests provide just enough comfort without the added warmth of sleeves. When I wear a vest, I keep it on all day. When I wear a sweater, it's on and off and on and off.

As you may have seen in an earlier blog I made the Diamond Panel Vest in Kersti and just love wearing it. I am now working on the Clock Vest from the Folk Vests book. This vest has a beautiful cable panel running up the back, and one under each arm and one on each front. It is stunning.

I decided to use Rowan Calmer, a blend of cotton and acrylic microfiber. Jill made a sweater several months ago from the Calmer Collection, though she modified it a bit to make it more wearable (see picture!) She's been going on and on about how nice this yarn is, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Cotton has never been a favorite of mine to knit with. I usually have to go down 2-3 needle sizes and find it really hard to get gauge. I am really enjoying working with Calmer. It is so soft, yet shows crisp stitch definition. And I had no problems getting gauge. Since this is a blend with microfiber, it is not as heavy as 100% cotton and will hold its shape. I can't wait to finish.

With the unusually warm winter, I have already begun thinking of spring projects. I have seen handbags that are made using tapestry crochet. I thought I would try my hand at a small project to see if I enjoyed the process. I made a tiny basket out of two bright colors of Saucy Sport. It was so much fun, I decided to offer it as a class. What a great gift idea! It was really neat to see the pattern emerge as I worked the continuous rounds of single crochet. This is a very basic technique (very portable also), the beauty comes from the color design. Now I am in search of a pattern for a larger project.

Radio Silence

We've been a bit busy here so not much time to post. Lots of packing and shipping and restocking, though. And our UPS man has been getting a workout!

Koigu and Modular Knitting

A few weeks ago we got in the Modular Knits book, by Iris Schreier. It's a really nice book that has a number of great projects - pillows, shawls, hats, scarves, wraps, vests, even fun things like an eyeglass case and a purse.

Barb decided to make the Diamond Panel Vest out of Koigu Kersti. It was really fun to make, and it's such a flattering fit! Not to mention, the color she chose goes with just about everything!

I also used Kersti to make the Sheer One-Piece Shawl, although I did not block it out as much as I could have. I wasn't going for such a sheer look. Nothing like a little nail biting at the end... it took every bit of 5 skeins. I only had about 2 yards left after I bound off.

India recently finished her Koigu shawl. She is a big sock knitter and blended a number of her leftovers all together in a gorgeous garter stitch rectangular shawl. She is also using Koigu to make an afghan - a modular one, with squares of different colors. She brought it in the other day but we will wait to photograph it until it grows in size.

A number of new spring yarns are on the shelves, and should be online by next week. And don't miss the sale section - still some really great deals on some really great yarns.

Not much knitting has been done

...but I have been painting and crocheting quite a bit. Let me explain. Before the holidays, I was on a painting binge. Painting is great therapy for me. Not quite as much therapy as knitting, but there is such satisfaction for me in completely transforming a room with just two coats of paint. So, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I painted my living room, family room, eating area, front hall and dining room. What's left? Just the kitchen, as I painted the entire upstairs this summer.

And then one night, while relaxing in my knitting chair I started looking around at the furniture. It was screaming out for something colorful. Like...a...new...throw! To keep things interesting, I decided to crochet one. I grabbed 7 colors of Mission Falls 1824 Wool and started a simple Tunisian double crochet afghan in random stripes. I'll do three to four strips and them sew them together. The colors are great and work perfectly with my rug and furniture. And oh, maybe three quarters of the way through the first strip, I glanced up and realized, I have no pillows on my couches! So I picked up a copy of 200 Crochet Blocks (my favorite new book!) and grabbed some more 1824 Wool and started crocheting squares, which I will make into pillowcases. I am having so much fun that I find it very difficult to pick up the modular shawl I'm knitting with Koigu Kersti. It's a beautiful shawl, but the crochet squares are so much fun, because with each square I am learning new crochet stitches, and getting even better at understanding crochet directions.

And I get faster with each square, so maybe I will get back to knitting in the next few days? We'll see.

It's About Time!!!

We placed a huge Mountain Colors order back in September - lots of Bearfoot and 4/8's Wool that was supposed to be here in plenty of time for the holidays. Well, the holidays have come and gone, but at least the yarn is here and it's gorgeous. Check it out!

Update on Charity Knitting

As promised, on Christmas Eve, we held our drawing for the two $75 gift cards. We had so many knitted items donated - hats, scarves, mittens, socks, and more. We received 280 items and want to thank everyone who participated. Our local winner was Maureen S. from VT, and our online winner was Donna L.F. from MN. They were both thrilled and can't wait to spend their gift cards!

My daughters were thrilled with their new hats! I followed the Handpaint Hat pattern but went down one size needle. They fit perfectly. They also love their fuzzy scarves, made with Velvet Touch and Sizzle.

My husband also received a custom made hat to replace one that was on its last legs. There's a story here... I knit him a hat about 3 years ago, out of a sportweight superwash wool. He opened it on Christmas Eve, and after about 30 seconds, he... said... it... ITCHED! I hear you all cringing, and I was pretty upset. Anyway, lesson learned (for him). Never make a negative comment (even if it's true!) about a handknitted item so SOON after it is given to you. Needless to say, I haven't made anything for him since, until this hat. I decided that I'd try again, but I involved him in every step of the process. Feeling the yarn, choosing the colors, trying it on every few rows before the decreases so it would be JUST right (he likes more of a beanie). He says it doesn't itch (it better not, it's Lana Grossa Cool Wool superwash merino, a yarn that is SO soft. We sell it in the shop, but have had delivery issues so it's not online.) And he has been wearing it every day since Christmas. I hope it doesn't come off as soon as he's out of my sight, but even if it does, he's learned his lesson. PRETEND you like it.

Most of us here finished MOST of our knitted presents. India finished the sweater for her oldest son before Christmas, and then finished the one for her youngest in the few days after, when she could openly knit before him (he had opened the pieces of the sweater on Christmas.) And her sister loved the three pair of legwarmers she received!

Betsy finished the felted slippers for her daughter in plenty of time, and even brought them in to dry here at the shop. Our upstairs heaters in the floor are great for drying felted items. She used two colors of Malabrigo (which is all finally back in stock!) She made self striping socks for her husband, and had some good natured fun at his expense - he first believed that she had NOT made them, and then he spent a good deal of time trying to figure out how she had done such a neat job of working with all those colors!

Inviting our feathered friends

All that beautiful white stuff that covered the ground just a few days ago... where did it go? Well, this is Vermont, and while we do get our fair share of snow and cold, we also have these strange meltdowns. When all the snow we have disappears in what seems like hours. Whether it's warm temperatures, high winds or rain (or in yesterday's case, all three) Mother Nature has a way of keeping things interesting.

Yesterday morning, our lovely tree (which had been secured in several places) lost her battle with the 40+ mile per hour wind gusts. She was flat on the ground when we arrived in the morning. We put her back up, and by noon she was dangling at a 45 degree angle. We went right out and set her on the ground. No sense fighting a battle you know you can't win!

This morning after the rain showers ended we all headed out to stand her back up again. We hung our decorations - all edibles for our feathered friends - cranberries, popcorn, birdseed cookies, mini corn cobs, and dried oranges and apples. She looks great. And tomorrow when the temperatures drop down to more seasonable ones, we'll add the peanut butter covered pinecones rolled in birdseed. So birdies, come and get it!

The Kindness of Others

Yesterday our postman brought us a box. Betsy and I opened it and found a very nice letter from one of our internet customers, Donna LF. Inside the box, were 14 beautiful knitted items that she was donating to our charity collection. Each one was wrapped carefully in tissue. It was amazing. As we opened each one, we were overwhelmed by her generosity. We know they will be greatly appreciated by those who receive them. Thanks Donna!

Decorating for the holidays

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My husband and daughters and I enjoyed a snowy Thanksgiving morning on the front yard of the shop, putting up our holiday decorations. It has become somewhat of an annual tradition for us. The tree, the garlands, the wreath, the lights, and half a dozen snow angels in the front yard (thanks to about 4" of fresh white stuff!) certainly make it very festive around here. Not to mention some beaded lights, crocheted snowflakes, and hand knit Christmas stockings in the front window. (Don't worry Helen and Sophie, I'll have them home in time for Mr. C.)

Local customers, please remember our 10% off sale, next Wednesday, November 30th from 5-7pm to kick off the holiday season. Hope to see you here!

Knitting for Boys

(today's post was contributed by India.)

My sons are 9 and 15. They only wear T-shirts and cargo pants. My older son rarely wears a coat, even in the winter, despite the fact that we live in northern Vermont. Occasionally, they will wear sweatshirts. So I have decided that it’s time to knit each of them a sweater for Christmas, because even if these sweaters languish, unworn, at the bottom of a drawer, a closet, or worse, in the corner on the floor under the desk, I will know that I have done my best to keep them warm and to let them know that I love them.

But of course I am not doing this simply to be a martyr. Loren, the 15-year-old, actually likes to be cozy, especially if none of his friends are around. The last time I made him a sweater, he happily wore it at home on weekend mornings, though he never, ever, wore it outside of the house. (As it happens, I am at this moment wearing that very sweater, now long outgrown by Loren but perfect for me. It’s very cozy.) So perhaps he will wear it at least on those rare weekends when he’s actually at home and not out with his friends. And if I’m really lucky, he might even wear it snowboarding. After all, up on the mountain in January or February it is really, really cold, and besides he could cover it up with a snowboarding jacket.

Connor, the 9-year-old, is a little bit tougher. Myself, I am always cold. I wear sweaters eleven months of the year. Connor has a higher metabolism than I do, however, not to mention the fact that he rarely sits still, except on Sundays to watch his beloved New England Patriots play football on TV. So that’s my approach: I’ll make him a very simple sweater using the Yankee Knitter Easy Bulky pattern and Plymouth Encore Chunky in navy blue, but I’ll work the Patriots’ logo across the front. (Does anyone have a chart of the Patriots’ logo? I can’t find one on the Internet and I haven’t yet charted it myself.)

Loren’s sweater, which I just started a few days ago (what, knit two sweaters between now and Christmas? Piece of cake.), is based on the Yankee Knitter Roll Raglan pattern but I’m modifying it fairly severely: changing the gauge, working it in one piece from the bottom up, and using 1” of ribbing rather than rolled edges. I’m also using two colors: Plymouth Encore Worsted charcoal heather for the sleeves and clay heather for the body, with each color used for a narrow contrast stripe in the ribbing.

Wish me luck.

Crocheted flowers

I can crochet. A little. I can do edgings and basic stitches. Anything more than that can cause problems for me. Crocheted flowers have always intrigued me, but the directions have never made sense to me. A couple of weeks ago I changed all that. I really wanted to make some felted flowers for my sister's upcoming craft show, and I liked the crocheted ones better than the knitted ones. I grabbed some Cascade 220 and Malabrigo and the Family Circle Easy Crochet magazine, and set to work. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I had previously thought. The first few flowers were a little rough, but now I've made about 20 and I actually GET it! What an amazing feeling it is to master a new technique.

Speaking of new techniques, everyone here is starting to needle felt, since Michele brought in her first bag. Her latest is even more fun! Lamb's Pride Bulky in Deep Charcoal is just gorgeous when felted, and the needle felting she did... well, see for yourself. (And see the bag she hooked? She is so talented!)

We have been so busy at the shop. Yesterday during a quick lull, we thought it might be a good time to put out all the new Cascade 220 colors that had just arrived. Just as we spread them out all over the floor we got slammed with customers. So I apologize to anyone who had to step over the piles of yarn. By the end of the day it was put away and rearranged by color, and we all agree it looks amazing. The new colors will be available on the website next week.

lots of holiday and birthday knitting!

So I was thumbing through my huge stack of catalogs last night, in an attempt to clean off my kitchen island. I got a holiday catalog called Gap Favorites and got a chuckle when I saw, just a couple of pages in, a light green cabled hat, that looks very simlar to the cabled beanie I just made in Blue Sky Worsted! Of course, I prefer mine, without the ribbing. But then isn't that what we knitters do best? Find something we like, and improve upon it? Then 2 pages further, another chuckle. A striped and cabled scarf that is eerily similar to one we are having made up for the shop. Ours is not ready for photos yet, but again, will be better!

Michele is working on her holiday gifts. She brought in the CUTEST little Pink Lady Bag today, made with Lamb's Pride Bulky. She needle felted some flowers with the Lamb's Pride Bulky on the front of the bag, and then covered her snap closure with a crocheted button. It is just adorable!

Barb's mom has a birthday coming up, so Barb made her a couple of ribbed hats out of Malabrigo. One is a watchman cap and the other a 3x1 rib. And Kalen's mom was moved to tears last night when she opened one of her gifts from Kalen: a beautiful Hand Paint Hat made with Lamb's Pride Bulky and Colinette Point 5. This hat is a winner - it really flatters every head shape. We have customers who make it for their kids by just using a smaller needle. The pattern is in the Knit Hats book.

I have started some wristlets in Malabrigo, color Scarlet. They are a gift for... me. When everyone else here is warm, I am freezing. We all joke about it, but I really do get chilled. This is an old building, almost 100 years, and it gets drafty. When I wear something on my hands, it seems to help. I have some gauntlets in Koigu (the Purl Stitch) which I love... but I've misplaced them. I have a pair of wristlets in Manos Multi... but those live in the shop as samples. So I look forward to this new pair and hope to be able to hang on to them.

Thank you DHL and UPS!

We are thrilled with our yarn shipments this week. Tons of Malabrigo (Thanks Tobias! You rock!) and the Cherry Tree Hill Jumbo Loop that had been sold out for a while... We actually have new colors in both yarns and they are gorgeous. When our DHL guy showed up with the Malabrigo, we were out in the driveway to meet him before he had even gotten out of the van. We dropped everything to unload the yarn, drool over the new colors, and assemble all of our special orders for the many folks who'd been waiting so patiently for it to arrive. Needless to say, the UPS guy was a bit overwhelmed with his pickup that afternoon. (He's always overwhelmed at what we ship out, but this day we blew him away.)

Jumbo Loop is one of the most popular new yarns this fall. I am NOT fond of mohair at all, but I love this yarn... what am I going to make out of it? I knit a scarf for the shop and it didn't bother me at all, like every other mohair has. It's so soft, and the colors just blended together in the most gorgeous way.

And speaking of gorgeous colors, Cascade 220 sent us their NEW color card. WOW. So many new colors from which to choose. We had so much fun choosing 20 new colors, and we should be receiving them in the next week and a half. In the quantities we order in, that's a LOT of boxes! So we'll use the next few days to get the warehouse organized and ready.

And I finished the mixed fiber shawl! It is really gorgeous (and was SO mindlessly easy) and has been a real hit so far with both local and online customers. Michele is knitting one in the blue colorway and Betsy is making one too, and she had fun picking out her own mix of colors. Can't wait to see them.

No knitting for the jurors?

Halloween is over, but the chocolate hangover has begun! Last Monday was my first of three jury duty callings. A whole day of sitting and waiting around. Perfect opportunity to knit! Or not, so it seems, as knitting needles were on a list of "forbidden items" I had been sent months earlier. I had conveniently misplaced that list on Monday, and in trying to pack an "activity" to keep me occupied all day, I figured I would take one of the girls' Velvet Touch sweaters and a crochet hook, so I could crochet my edges. Surely a crochet hook isn't a weapon? After I had waited 20 minutes to go through the metal detector, I noticed the woman in front of me had pulled out some paperwork. I glanced over her shoulder and saw that it was the list of "forbidden items." And crochet hooks, like the one in my pocket, were on that list. I had a bit of a panic attack. Not about losing a crochet hook, but about being stranded in that building all day, with nothing to do. Fortunately the panic attack was over quickly. I stepped up to the guard, whipped out that dangerous crochet hook and prepared to surrender my weapon. I guess the hook didn't scare him. He let me keep it. Long story short: I finished the edging on the Velvet Touch sweaters, did not get picked for the (murder trial) jury, and my goal for next week is to enter the courthouse (legally) with a Denise knitting needle and a knitting project.

India shared some of her knitting projects the other day. She made a great felted ukelele bag for her husband out of Lamb's Pride Bulky. She's working on some legwarmers from the Knit Stitch out of Shepard Worsted. She has modified the legwarmer pattern a bit and is making a second pair out of Malabrigo. She's always got a pair of socks going, too. I don't think I've ever seen her wear a pair she didn't knit herself!

So I guess we're all doing a bit of felting. Last Saturday Rebecca had her felted laptop bag. She used Lamb's Pride Bulky and it's just gorgeous! Michele finished her Malabrigo felted bag, and made a felted flower to cover her snap closure. We are expecting some huge Malabrigo shipments over the next two weeks. It's not easy to keep that yarn in stock.

Betsy has been working on Christmas knitting. She grabbed a few balls of Lang Malibu at our tent sale and made the cutest twirly scarf. We still have some of this yarn, so I'll put it up as a kit in the next week or so.

With trick or treating last night, I didn't get much knitting done. But I did manage to work a few rows of a mixed fiber shawl I started last weekend. I am using 8-9 different Berroco yarns all in the same colorway, and working it lengthwise. I think it will be perfect for the holidays (my colorway is red!) but I've already put together 4 more options that are just beautiful.