yarns etc... and Great Yarns

Blue Slip

2012-02-14T10:50:00.003-05:00

When I was younger, I would forget things quite a lot. Important stuff in the kid world, actually. Library books, homework for fourth grade (I did that one a lot), the dreaded "blue slips" that the missed homework required me to take home. I forgot stuff all over the place. It didn't take much to make the old vinyl record in my head skip a track. I would spend a fair bit of the time overcompensating by coming up with excuses. Sometimes they were pretty lame ("I dunno where I left it") and sometimes they were a bit outlandish ("It's not my fault! This huge wind came out of nowhere and my backpack was unzipped, and...").

"What does this have to do with knitting?" you ask.

Well. Which would you rather hear?

A) Lame: I kept thinking I had more time this week for knitting than I really did, so I putzed around a lot with boring stuff like laundry and trying to "defrag" my computer so it wouldn't run out of disk space and therefore I didn't get to the toe of the Relevé Socks.

B) Outlandish: I meant to do the socks all the way. By golly, I was going to knit both of them and then I'd have TWO done and wouldn't that be great? Except I still haven't finished knitting my son's preschool teachers' Christmas arm warmers and I'm dying a slow death from diffuse guilt over it so I finally cracked open that project and knit on it, even though I am so. over. them. The arm warmers. Not the teachers. Don't be crazy, teachers are the future, guys. So then I was behind on many things, not just the socks, and I decided that the best thing to do would be to watch a bit of TV, and maybe clean out the walk-in closet in my bedroom....and...um....sit down and have peace talks with the clothes moths. They would learn to like tofu instead of wool and silk and stuff, and they could have my tofu and I'll take their woolly snacks. But then the peace talks broke down and we busted out our laser guns and I just barely escaped with my life. But hey, the walk-in closet is looking pretty dang spectacular.

Why do you taunt me, moth?

Ugh.

I confess, you got me. Hand me my blue slip. I'm in trouble.

I did not knit on the socks, and I cannot, for the life of me, come up with a reason other than the fact that my mental vinyl record skipped. I really really really like them. The color, the yarn (give me a rebel yell if y'all love some Shibui), the pattern is phenomenal, pretty, beautifully done. The instep is going swimmingly. It's just on pause. I haven't hardly knit on anything else, either. Knitter fail. Give me a second blue slip, will ya?

So, bearing that in mind, I will now show you some pictures of something I have finished, blocked, and photographed. So you can't yank my knitter's card, ok? Ok???

Here is my Pi Shawl, knit in Kauni Effektgarn in (surprise, surprise) Rainbow colorway. It sure does stand out on a gray, rainy day.

I feel like I just got done knitting a Starburst candy. It's fun, colorful (to put it mildly) and was a nice, easy, meditative knit.

Sometimes things like this happen. Sometimes I do not get a chance to knit, and my mind ends up pining for it, turning around in circles like a dog chasing its tail. Fortunately, knitting never decomposes, never drops its stitches and tinks itself (unless my daughter gets ahold of it). It will wait for me, patiently, until I can get back to it, pick it up, and do what I love best. It will not be resentful if I forget, willfully or accidentally. I love that about this craft, and all things yarny.

The Game Is Afoot!

2012-02-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

I swear the weather yesterday made me feel like I'd been transported to London...cold and dreary. If some fog had rolled in, I would have donned some tweed, pulled out a pipe, and released the hounds. Today looks much nicer out.

I'm boogying along, however, having done the heel flap and picking up the stitches along it for the gusset. The heel flap is a nice one, with slipped stitches providing some extra sturdy protection. It's so nice to have something soft and green to remind me that spring is coming soon. Especially in North Carolina!

One problem I used to run into when picking up stitches along a heel flap was that those particular stitches seemed extra stretchy and would lead to a "laddered" look around the heel flap. Not exactly what I was looking for. I now knit into the back of the heel flap stitches, which twists them and closes the spaces that gap between them. If you're running into that problem, give this solution a try.

Turning the heel shows off a particularly nice "V" heel.

In other news, I am slowly but steadily working on another project. I have been hankering for a cabled sweater, so here is my progress so far on scratching that particular knitterly itch:

This is Gwendolyn, designed by Fiona Ellis. I'm enjoying getting a crash course in allll kinds of cabling action. I've almost completed the back, and I'm in love with it. I'm also getting a fierce craving for pretzels every time I pull it out to work on it....can't figure out why. Mmmm, pretzels.

Where are the pretzels? I put them around here somewhere....

The Mother Ship Has Landed!

2012-01-31T17:02:00.001-05:00

Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy

oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy!

Lookadat!

I love it when big boxes galore show up at Yarns Etc.

Some bright, pretty colors for the upcoming spring season!!!

Ohhhh wouldn't that make a pretty little flimsy, frilly accessory for a sundress? Spring, where are you?

Mmmmm, wall o' wool. Yummmmm.

PS: Mary showed me how far she's gotten on her sock for the knit-along:

I so know the feeling!

Knit-Along Part One

2012-01-31T08:00:00.004-05:00

How's it going out there, peeps? Are you having fun on the Relevé socks? I admit, when I first saw the socks, I thought 'oh boy, this is going to be so hard and I'm going to fail just trying to knit after the cuff ribbing is over.' I've never knit anything other than straight vanilla socks. I have been known to get Jiggy Wit It and do 1x1 ribbing all the way down the sock. Just once, though, with size 1 needles, and I'm never doing it again! So when I saw cables and lace, I thought I was toast, and I have been so very pleasantly surprised. This pattern is a delight to knit.

The Shibui sock yarn I am using, aptly named "wasabi" is also a delight to knit. I'm having quite a lot of fun here, folks. After years of only knitting one kind of socks one way, this is a breath of fresh air. The color and pattern (and this gorgeous weather) are making me feel like spring is right around the corner.

Wasabi. Wasssaaaaaabi.

Here is one helpful tip I'm going to throw out there (just in case you didn't know this...or maybe you do something different, or better, who knows?). When casting on for a sock, you almost can't cast on too loosely, however, it's lousy when you cast on too tightly. Lousy like a tight rubber band around your calf, am I right? Not that I...um...ever did that...before. What can a knitter do to combat this serious issue? One tool I use is to cast on holding two double-pointed needles together, like so:

This insures that the stitches are nice and loose for the top of my sock, but not so loose that it will fall down my leg when I wear them. Once I've cast on enough stitches, I remove the extra needle and reposition the stitches around three DPNs (some people like to use four, I just use three so I can pretend I have a "spare" DPN if and when I lose one).

I just want to say, to any people out there who are skittish about using DPNs, please don't freak out. Seriously. It may look like knitting trigonometry to you, and it did look like that to me before I tried it, but really this is super old school knitting. This is what was used before circular needles were invented. You may have more needles, and they may have two pointy ends rather than one, but you only use TWO at a time, not all of them at a time. Just like regular knitting. It's in the wording, I think. You hear "double pointed needles" and think it sounds much harder than it is. I felt the same way. In fact, I was so worried about the concept of intarsia...because it sounds like a communicable disease (!), that when I finally sat down with Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book and a blanket I was working on, I was stunned at how easy it actually was. It's all in how you perceive it....let go of your fear, young Skywalker, and you too can use the force....

In the meantime, here I am, cruising to the heel.

And I tried to stretch it out over my hand to fully show off its gorgeousness:

What colors are you using? What yarns? Heck, what are you knitting on right now?

Drumroll, please....

2012-01-17T08:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first ever Great Yarns/Yarns Etc SOCK Knit-along!

It took lots of Ravelry window-shopping, blog comment reading, and an exciting seven coin tosses (like the World Series, to be fair) and, my friends, we not only know what article of clothing we are knitting, we also know what pattern we are knitting, and we are in for a real treat!

May I present to you the Releve Sock from our local designer KT!

This is a top down sock, with cables and lace (never fear, we're all in this together), in a fingering weight yarn. The yardage required (depending on foot size) is 375-425 yards (343-389 meters).

KT is a local designer, and has had patterns published not only on Ravelry, but in KnitCircus, Interweave Knits, and 101 Luxury One Skein Wonders, among others. Her blog is here. She very kindly offered a pattern of hers up for our knit-along. I feel so fortunate! Thank you, KT!

In order to get the pattern, you will need to go to this link, and when you check out, use YARNSETC as the code in order to get the pattern for free. I had a little trouble with the code this morning, so email me (ellarine23ATyahooDOTcom--replace the AT and the DOT with the @ and the .) if you also are noticing trouble. I have shot off an email to KT to double-check whether or not I just maybe did it wrong. We'll get it hammered out, no worries.

So...I'm gonna go sock yarn shopping this morning. It's all for educational purposes, right?

Oh yes, that's very nice. What else have you got?

Oooooh, me likey. Got anything else?

Oh Mary, you speak-a my language.

In other news, I have a slightly embarassing story to tell you. Yesterday I was super-klutzy, and ended the evening (after stepping on a few children's toys and saying bad words in many languages) falling down the stairs! Not all of them, really only about 4 or 5, but I feel strongly that they were perhaps the pointiest and most brutal of all the staircase (wah). As I lay there, stunned, at the bottom of the stairs, I realized I had hit my hands and wrists all over the place while I'd tested out gravity. Since I have a slight dash of hypochondria, I immediately had a teensy freak out that perhaps I had hurt my hands and...(gulp)...might not be able to knit!!

I immediately set to doing in-air, invisible knitting gestures to see if anything hurt. I am pleased to say that I've been cleared for playing with yarn, still. However, my husband and children think I should be benched for obsessive knit/yarn-intoxication. Game on!

PS: Forgot to add!! I took the liberty of setting up a discussion thread on Ravelry for the knit-along. If you need help for a part of the pattern, or you want to share about how much you love it, or just want to chat, we're there. Just look for the Yarns Etc/Great Yarns board, and the thread should be at the top. See you soon!

The Results Are In!

2012-01-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

I was so pleased to see several comments from knitters after last week's blog post. It looks like we're going to do a knit-along, folks! I'm very excited, as it's my first knit-along. Details are still coming together, and in a day or two I will present the pattern we will be knitting, along with some yarn options. Seems like we're all split down the middle on the whole sock/shawl debate, but no one is threatening to unleash the clothes moths on us if we pick one and not the other (knock on wood). Yet another reason why I love knitters, we're all pretty happy and laid back, so long as you don't take our yarn away! I shall determine what we will do by scientific method. Are you familiar with the Flip-a-Coin Research Institute? Just kidding (sort of).

In other news, have you been by your lovely local yarn store lately? If not, you have got to see this:

Yarns Etc did a little shuffling of their chi recently, busted out the feng shui manual and aligned their chakras in a most pleasing manner. Seriously, have you seen how gorgeously the yarns are displayed there now? For instance:

I had to mosey through and appreciate all the yarns in their new cubbies...heck, I appreciate the yarns every time I go, new cubbies or not! In one such cubby, there was a new kid on the block:

Some people think I'm an enabler...I just laugh and laugh....

This is Malabrigo Arroyo, which is a sport weight, superwash merino from Uruguay and it is hand-dyed in batches of only five (FIVE!) skeins...which would make a beautiful project, as colorful and unique as a stained glass window.

I also have finished another project here on the home front.

This is the Landscape Shawl from Evelyn Clark. I've had pictures of it up on the blog before, and while right here it isn't looking its best, try as I might to make the camera do it justice (it looks like oatmeal hurl here), it does look very nice in person. Each band of the shawl is done in a different stitch. Garter, seed stitch, stockinette, moss, etc. It also has a lovely picot edging along the sides of the shawl. I sized it down a little bit, since my mother-in-law, who requested it, did not want it to be overly large.

I still am chugging away on my Pi Shawl as well. It is much, much more colorful, thanks to the rainbow Kauni Effektgarn I'm using. You may need sunglasses for this next picture:

I'm very close to knitting on a border, and then I will be faced with a quandary. What am I going to do with this shawl? Not exactly working as a blanket, too scratchy for my baby daughter (sorry, Kauni, but you know it's true), not sure if a circle shawl is my thing...I was drawn in by the slowly changing colors that make Kauni so cool though. I'm a simple creature...some days I'd call my friend and say, "I was on yellow-green earlier today and now I'm almost to purple!" It's the little things in life, I guess.

So, to finish up, please feel free to add your two (or ten) cents in about the upcoming knit-along!! I'd love it if we could get a bunch of us together working on something, helping each other along! Keep coming back, too, since the pattern and yarn will be up in the next day or two! See you soon!

YARNS ETC 2012 CLASSES

2012-01-03T21:07:00.000-05:00

CHAPEL HILL CLASSES

Call yarns etc to sign up today 919.928.8810

Learn to Knit $25
Always wanted to take up knitting? Now is your time, come learn from the best! One time class.
7- 9 pm
Monday, January 9
Monday, February 13
Monday, March 8

Knitting 201: Beyond The Basics $25
An enthusiastic boost to get your knitting up to the next level! One time class.
7- 9 pm
Thursday, February 2
Thursday, February 23

Thursday, March 22

Learn Continental Knitting $25
The key to mastering the Left-Hand hold on your knitting. Knit for ease and knit for speed, try out continental!

6- 8 pm

Wednesday, February 8

6- 8 pm
Wednesday, March 14

Learn to Crochet $25
Here's your opportunity to get a beautiful start on your crochet adventures! One time class.
7-9 pm
Monday, January 16
Monday, February 20

Monday, March 12

Crochet 201: Beyond The Basics $25

Ready to tackle the next big thing in crochet? Come in and get the support to make your crochet a smashing success! One time class.
7- 9 pm
Monday, January 23
Monday, February 27

General Knitting $60

Tuesday 7- 9 pm

Session 1 January 10, 17, 24, 31, February 7 & 14
Session 2 February 28, March 6, 20, 27, April 3 & 10

Sunday 6- 8 pm

Session 1 January 8, 15, 22, 29, February 5 & 12

Session 2 February 19, 26, March 4, 11, 18 & 25

Session 3 April 15, 22, 29, May 6, 20 & 27

Toe Up Sock Workshop $50

From the tip of the toe to the top of the cuff, socks will have you hooked! Four sessions to sock Mastery! Seamless toe, Magic Loop and all the skills you need to use each of our amazing yarns to make a sock that fits perfectly every time.
6:30- 8:30pm
Session 1 Monday, January 23, 30, February 6 & 13
Session 2 Monday, February 20, 27, March 5 & 12
Session 3 Monday, March 19, 26, April 2 & 16

Session 4 Monday, April 23, 30, May 7 & 14

Soctopus $45

This adorable guy is sure to please kids of all ages!

10- 12 am

Monday January 30 & February 6

7- 9 pm
Monday January 30 & February 6

Cabled Bag $25
Classic cables featured on a great knit bag. You'll want one in all of your favorite colors!

10- 12 am

Monday, February 20 & 27

7- 9 pm
Monday, February 20 & 27

Finishing Help and Techniques $25
Get the tricks to polish off any knitting project for the best finished look.

7- 9 pm

Thursday February 2

9- 11 am
Tuesday February 21

Classic Knit Hat in Any Size $50
Come pick out your favorite yarn in the shop and we'll create a great hat together. With a little expert guidance you can knit any hat to flatter. Raise the bar!
4- 5:30 pm
Session 1 Sunday, January 15, 22 & 29
Session 2 Sunday, February 12, 19 & 26

Session 3 Sunday, March 11, 18 & 25

Session 4 Sunday, April 22, 29 & May 6

Fingerless Mitts $45
A Simple project with universal appeal! Great for all types of winter activity. Come learn this instant classic.
10- 12 am

Monday, February 6 & 13

7- 9 pm

Monday February 6 & 13

Magic Loop $20
A great skill to have in a pinch! Always wanted to try it? Learn this great method for knitting quickly in the round with a longer circular. Saves wear on your hands and wrists and improves the versatility of your knitting needle collection.
4- 5:30 pm

Sunday, February 5

Sunday, March 4

Sunday April 15

LEARN TO SPIN $60

Introduction to spinning technique on the spindle and spinning wheel. A perfect activity for all! Includes Materials.

6- 7:30 pm

Wednesday, February 15 & 22

See details and sign up here!

CREATE A FANTASY CREATURE $60

WITH WENDY FELDMANN

Basic needle felting technique with creating, attaching, blending and surface application all covered by a truly talented fiber artist.

6- 7:30 pm

Wednesday, January 11 & 18

See details and sign up here!

GREAT YARNS 2012 CLASS SCHEDULE

2012-01-03T19:41:00.000-05:00

GREAT YARNS JANUARY-MARCH 2012

CLASS SCHEDULE

CALL NOW TO REGISTER 919.832.3599

KNIT NIGHT- JANUARY 5TH, 6:30-9:00 PM
KNIT NIGHT- FEBRUARY 3RD, 6:30-9:00 PM
KNIT NIGHT- MARCH 2ND, 6:30-9:00 PM

BEGINNING KNIT CLASSES - $55.00 are available at a variety of times, both day and evening. Class includes your yarn, needles, instruction book, knit gauge and two, 2 hour sessions. Choose from one of the following times and add a wonderful craft to your new year and an art you will treasure for a lifetime!

Beg. Knit, w/ Ellen, Mondays, Jan 16, & 23, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Beg. Knit, w/Justine, Friday, Jan 20 & 27, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Beg Knit, w/ Ellen, Wednesday, Feb 8 & 15, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Beg. Knit, w/Ellen, Monday, Mar 5 & 12, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Beg. Knit, w/Ellen, Wednesday, Mar 21 & 28, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

New! KNIT ALONG WITH FRAN- A beautiful all purpose sweater pattern, by Classic Elite Yarns created with Toboggan Yarn. Four 2 hour sessions and you will have a brand new sweater for your wardrobe, $60.00.

Mondays, Jan 16, 23, 30, & Feb 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m. or

Mondays, Mar 5, 12, 19, & 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

BEGINNING CROCHET CLASSES - $55.00 are also available at a variety of times, both day and evening. Class includes your yarn, hook, instruction book, and two 2-hour sessions. Choose from one of the following times:

Beg Crochet w/ Pam, Tuesdays, Jan 17, 24 & 31, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Beg. Crochet, w/Pam, Thursday, Jan 19 & 26, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Beg. Crochet, w/Rebecca, Thursday, Feb 9 & 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Beg. Crochet, w/Pam, Tuesdays, Feb 28 & March 6, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Beg. Crochet, w/ Rebecca, Thursday, Mar 1 & 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Beg Crochet, w/ Rebecca, Thursday, Mar 22 & 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

INTRO TO SOCKS ON DOUBLE POINTS: Beautiful socks to knit with Liz. You will not be buying store bought socks after you learn how to knit your own! Tuesdays, Jan 17, 24, & 31, 7-9 p.m. $50.00

New! MIDNIGHT DREARY FINGERLESS GLOVES: w/ Ellen, Weds, Jan 18, 25, & Feb 1, 9:30-11:30 a.m. $55.00. A little longer than fingerless mitts, includes a small cable technique adds to the fun!

New! BE MINE VALENTINE PILLOW: Designed and taught by Justine, sign up to make this special pillow and surprise your special valentine! Weds, Jan 18, 25, & Feb 1, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $45.00.

New! CROCHET STAR COWL: Dazzle your friends they will want one of these too once they see it on you. Make this beautiful star cowl with Pam. Only three two- hour sessions on Jan 31, Feb 7 & 14, 9:30-11:30 a.m., $55.00.

New! FADE TO GRAY PONCHO: A really cool poncho and you can make it in any color! Select this class taught by Ellen and create a stylish poncho to wear with practically everything in your closet. Two Thursday evening classes with a gap in between for knitting purposes- Feb 2 & 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m., $45.00.

New! GIACOMO’S BABY HAT (Fair Isle): Don’t be afraid of learning a new technique. Have you ever knitted with two colors before? Come take this class with Ellen and learn how to use more than one color in your knitting. This baby hat is too cute and you will be knitting more than one. Three, 2-hour sessions, Mondays, Feb 6, 13, & 27, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., $55.00.

LEARN TO KNIT CONTINETAL: Join Liz and relax! Knitting Continental, a different way to hold your yarn and perhaps relax those wrists! Ward off carpel tunnel syndrome, one, 2-hour session, $35.00.

Tuesday, February 7th, 7-9 p.m. or

Friday, March 9th, 7 - 9 p.m. or

Thursday, March 15th, 7-9 p.m.

GREEN APPLE FINGERLESS MITTS: The pretty cabled fingerless mitt, keeps your fingers warm without removing your gloves you can still text or type in these pretty hand warmers with cables. Class is with Justine on Wednesday, Feb 8, 15, 22 & 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $55.00

LEARN ABOUT LACE KNITTING: This class will introduce you to lace knitting lace techniques while creating a beautiful scarf for yourself. Learn how to read patterns and charts with this simple creation. Taught by Liz, Monday, Feb 13 & 27, 7-9 p.m. $45.00.

QUICK AND EASY GRANNY SQUARES! Taught by Rebecca, this class will illustrate a wonderful way to create quick and easy gifts crocheting granny squares. Whether it is one continuous square or lots of little ones joined together you can create some wonderful heirlooms. Only takes one, 2-hour session, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m., $35.00.

New! LUCY’S OWL This project class can either be a toy or a very friendly pillow in a child’s bedroom. Let Ellen show you how to create Lucy’s Owl in four, 2 –hour sessions held on Tuesdays, Mar 6, 13, 20 & 27, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $55.00.

SOCKS FROM THE TOE UP! Here is a class where you can learn a new technique, socks knitted from the toe up using magic loop! Justine is offering this popular class again and students rave about this technique. Wednesday evenings, Mar 7, 14, 21, & 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $55.00.

New! ELISE SHAWL (CROCHET): Crochet this shawl with Pam and create a topic of conversation! It’s beautiful and you will love wearing it. Sign up quick- spaces are going! Three 2-hour sessions on Tues, Mar 13, 20, & 27, 9:30-11:30 a.m. $55.00.

A Choice And A Challenge

2012-01-02T21:03:00.000-05:00

Is there anyone out there interested in shaking things up?

With the coming of the new year, my mind is trying to rev in about four (or so) different directions at once, knitting wise. Of course, none of this pertains to any of the knitting projects I currently have on needles. So what if I tell you what I'm thinking about, and you guys see if you want to play along with me?

Idea #1: A knit-along. For something that a lot of us maybe have not done before. Perhaps a sock? Are you guys all veteran sock knitters out there? Maybe a cool patterned sock? Something like this, or this, or some basic socks for first timers? Maybe we could be optimistic and go for a whole dang pair of socks? If not socks, maybe something else like....a lace shawl? This would certainly be challenging for me. Have I told you all about my (multiple) attempts to knit the Swallowtail Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clark, only to go down in flames each time? Am I nutters to think about getting back up on the horse again? Maybe the Vlad Shawl? Or Multnomeh, which seems slightly less intimidating, yet still beautiful? Anyone?? Anyone??

Idea #2: This one is like "Fight Club" except, you know, with no fighting. A secret, underground,
über-cool collection of knitters and crocheters, putting together scraps of knitting for the sole purpose of tagging/yarn bombing various stationary items around Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

Bonus points to be awarded for originality, amount, and style. Pictures are strongly encouraged. Send them to me at the blog, and we'll revel in the fact that we are slowly making the area a bit more cushy and snuggly. And colorful. We could even make a contest of who can tag the most stuff in a day? I could come up with a prize of some sort....Any thoughts?

In the meantime, life has ground to a bit of a halt here. My son has been sick with a particularly nasty virus, and has been feverish and pretty much miserable since Wednesday. Knitting time has been hard to come by lately, and can't wait for the usual grind to return so I can knit a bit more. I've been knitting a little bit on a Pi Shawl, having some fun with rainbow colored Kauni Effektgarn. I'd take a picture, but right now it's so bunched up on my circular needle that it looks like I took a rainbow and threw it in the blender. Once it's off the needles, I will happily take lots of pictures, but right now it's just not the prettiest thing you ever did see.

Please leave a comment and let me know how you want to shake things up!

Veni, Vidi, Steeki.

2011-12-27T14:41:00.001-05:00

My friends, I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Are you still recuperating? I feel like I am!

We had a blast, ate dinner at my sister's house, and it was my parents first Christmas in Chapel Hill, and my daughter's first Christmas, too. A couple of very nice firsts.

Another first? A knitting first for me?

I steeked.

Having a moment of cold feet here....

Seriously!

Those knitting writers weren't kidding when they talked about having a stiff one or lying down after cutting your knitting. I didn't exactly have a lie down, but I definitely experienced an adrenaline buzz akin to how you feel directly after riding a roller coaster. I may have terminal dorkiness, since I would get that systemically affected by yarn.

It was really nice to steek for the first time at Yarns Etc. There were several knitters sitting there, it felt somewhat like group therapy. "We're all going to get through this together, Erin." "Deep breaths, honey, almost there." But you know what? The cut knitting behaved exactly as I'd been promised it would. It didn't ravel, thanks to some hand stitching I'd done around the basting/cutting line. The whole thing did not frog itself, and I ended up with a really pretty nice sweater (if I do say so myself).

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Ski Pattern Sampler Sweater. The wool is Lopi. My husband is a lucky man.

While I was at the yarn store, I noticed many pretty items that weren't necessarily yarn, but were great when used in conjunction with yarn and knitting (or crocheting). Have you seen the great selection of buttons?

Or the ribbons? Ribbon can look so beautiful laced through evenly spaced holes in a knit, along the hem, at the waist, even at the wrists or laced through a set of arm warmers, perhaps, reminiscent of the lacing on old-time clothing?

These gorgeous colors on the silk ribbon look especially fine.

Sometimes a little something extra can just bring out a hand knit, take it to the next level, as it were.
And sometimes the something extra is just a gorgeous little runner like this:

Or you could try something like this fantastically unique yarn here:

This is made by Prism, and I believe the yarn is called "Stuff".

And I fell completely in love with these adorable little measuring tapes.

Lookit! A ducky!

I saw a few nice husbands walk into the store back on Thursday, asking for yarn for their spouses for Christmas. If you received such a gift, lucky you (I made sure my present was yarn! Lucky me!), and you can come on in to get the little extras you need to make your hand knit shine.

I'm Not Running The Show

2011-12-19T21:40:00.001-05:00

It seems that this week has been one where I learn (repeatedly) that I am not the captain of my destiny...well, not as much as I would like. Maybe I'm the assistant key grip or something.

My first clue? That would have been in the middle of my knitting crunch time. I had five days to make two pairs of arm warmers for my son's preschool teachers. They are fabulous ladies, and I was knitting them the uber-stylish Lovisa Arm Warmers, and I even had alllll the yarn I needed from my own stash. I had oceans of time in which to knit these. The first one was done by the evening, and I cast on the second one right away. I was using two different brands of yarn, but they were both the same weight (their differing behavior when they got washed alarmed me briefly). They also had what appeared to be the amount of wool required to knit the pattern. I was going to rock this challenge. But it was not to be so. Oh no.

The first arm warmer was fine, and then I had that lovely sinking sensation as I went through the second one. You know what I mean? At first you're like, "hmmm, seems like less than half a ball of yarn here. Oh well, I'm sure I'll have enough." and you knit on. Then, you look again and say to yourself "Um, I think it's looking really thin there on that ball..." and you begin to worry, but you keep knitting. Then you get to the point where it is SO obvious you were in knitting denial, there wasn't a snowflake's chance of making it through without cannibalizing the first arm warmer to finish the second one. I also set about making some modifications to make the yarn stretch, as I only had one ball of this particular yarn (Jo Sharp DK Merino, in the shade "teal", partnered with Debbie Bliss Merino in a cream color).

I finished the pair, and went to wash them. The second they hit the water and I saw them side by side, the urge to whack my forehead repeatedly with the palm of my hand was almost more than I could bear. My friends, since I had "modified" the second one, it was decidedly....well, look:

Waaah waaaah waaaaaaaaaaaah.

Note to self: When you modify one, you must modify the other one. It does not make me feel too good about my brain power that I was as surprised as I was when I looked at them side by side in the soapy sink water. And guess what? I still ran out of blue yarn!!! More modifications to come, obviously.

I did have some measure of success with the Lovisa Arm Warmer pattern, however:

This was made with some Berroco merino/silk blend I had laying around, and I found a fantastic couple of buttons to finish it out.

I love these so much I think it will be painful to part with them come Christmas.

Another sign I was not running the universe came about two days ago:

It's sort of hard to see what's going on there, so I took a better shot. Here:

That is a bajillion gallons of water streaming up from under the road near our home, creating a lot of scrambling for pots and buckets to fill up before all the water was shut off. In my house, and everyone else in the neighborhood. For almost 36 hours. With two kids. Oh yeah, definitely was not feeling in control there. But look, here is another finished project:

This is the Hurricane Hat, which made me be able to hold my own at a party where there was some serious Secret Santa action going on. Made from gorgeous Malabrigo in the much-loved color Azul Profundo.

I'm cranking out the knits, still psyching myself up for the Steek-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, not to mention a shawl or two, a scarf or two, and another hurricane hat as well as yet another two batches of arm warmers.

I (most likely) am not going to get everything done on my to-do list in time for Christmas, but I am sure going to enjoy it, especially since I have lots of knits to work on, running water, and this:

Have a very merry!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

2011-12-06T14:07:00.001-05:00

Or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or Solstice, or winter, or that you need another excuse to hit up the knitting store. In which case I am happy to oblige you!

A Pretty Picture Window at Great Yarns....

It's a few short days until the gift giving season is unleashed upon us, knitters, crocheters, weavers, and appreciators alike. How are you holding up? Are you trying to think up one last gift? Or perhaps, twelve? Fear not, here are some possible ideas....

Perhaps a fun little scarflette in a snazzy yarn?

A snuggly cowl made with nubby yarn on big needles?

Everyone loves hats, you know. Tams, cloches, berets, beanies, yarmulkes, whatever!

A wee cape to warm the shoulders of a loved one?

If you crochet, you'd be amazed how quickly you can crank out a gorgeous scarf like this one....

And Yarns Etc and Great Yarns also have thoughtfully put together kits for fantastic fingerless mitts.

You can't go wrong here, folks. I bet you need at least one more thing from your friendly neighborhood local yarn store.

Including having a bit of fun with your fellow knitters/crocheters!

It's therapeutic, really.

2011-11-28T11:10:00.001-05:00

I'm a passionate knitter. By passionate, I mean that I feel my way through knitting, that I'm personally, deeply involved in my knitting. When things go well, I'm deliriously happy. I've been known to point enthusiastically at other people in public (like for instance, the Durham Museum of Life and Science...ahem) when they correctly guess I'm knitting with Noro sock yarn. By the way, whoever that was, I'm sorry I freaked you out. Also, an apology to my friend Liz who was a tragic bystander to that moment. I probably shouldn't have jumped up and down at the same time as pointing. I just really really REALLY like knitting. I get really really passionate about it.

This is soooo going to be a part of my retirement plan. Just don't tell my mother.

I also get really passionately disappointed when certain things about knitting do not go my way. When my stitches don't count out correctly, as in lace knitting. Or when I forget to double check my cast on stitches and end up knitting a foot long arm warmer that is tighter than its mate. Frogging 12 inches of knitting tends to make my blood pressure go up, and I start feeling like perhaps I may morph into the Hulk.

"Don't make me angry...you really wouldn't like me angry."

So think of this little story I'm about to tell you as a sort of PSA. If you struggle with these feelings like I do, take heart. Read on.

I love some of the tools that come with the knitting territory. Specifically, I adore my yarn swift and yarn winder. Maybe I'm easily entertained, but it just makes my day to bust those two things out and use them. Something about the twirling of yarn (hey, it's dancing!!) and winding it from a pretty skein into a manageable little cake of yarn that beckons to the excitement of casting on for a new project, or serious progress being made about a larger project, it feels like its own achievement to wind a few hundred yards into a nice little compact ball.

I had bought a wooden swift and a yarn winder a while back. The swift is a beautiful, fantastic tool. I highly recommend buying one for yourself or the special knitter in your life. The yarn winder is also a valuable tool. You don't necessarily need a swift for a yarn winder, but if you just have a swift, well, that's like having a bowl of soup with no spoon. The winder is the spoon that makes it all so much easier.

This ball winder just looked like a winder. In fact, it was a smarmy little punk of a winder that had a soul full of clothes moths and porcupines. It loved to eat yarn. It started out so innocently. It wound the first five or so balls perfectly. Then we had a hiccup. A ball of worsted didn't come out with that uniform drum look to the skein. It was rather bell shaped...upside down bell shaped. It was still workable, so I shrugged it off.

My friend came over one day and asked to borrow the yarn winder to wind up some laceweight. We set it up, and I manned the crank, happy to see hundreds of yards of yarn get wound up without having to use our arms or feet or a chair for winding. Immediately it all hit the fan. It was as if we had boiled up eighteen boxes of angel hair pasta and then threw a stick of dynamite into the mix. Yarn everywhere. It was a veritable rat's nest. It even looped under the holder and fouled up the gears of the yarn winder. I began to feel angry. Why the &$%@ would you even have exposed gears on a yarn winder?!? We had several more gray hairs by the time we rescued every blessed yard of laceweight from the rabid yarn winder. It went into quarantine on the shelf while I questioned myself about whether or not I broke the winder.

'How could I break it by just turning the handle?' I asked myself. 'Well, you are you,' I answered. 'If anyone could do that, it'd be you.'

I tried taking it out and winding other yarns, but we never got back to a workably wound ball of yarn. I took it apart, blew any lint out of it, put it back together. I tried going slow. I tried going fast. I told myself I just wasn't going to get that mad about yarn, for cripes' sake. I mentioned pitching the yarn winder in the trash, but my friend said she wanted it, that perhaps she could make it work.

Time passed, but the simmering resentment of having a tool that mangled yarn smirking at me from the bookshelf ate at me, I confess. Perhaps I hadn't been getting enough sleep. Maybe too much coffee. I am still at a loss to explain my actions.

One day we hit critical mass. I pulled it out, told myself I would try again. I wound two skeins of worsted and it looked just about normal. I felt like we had made it through our rough patch. I pulled out some fingering weight, and all h-e-double-hockey-sticks broke loose. I tried to handle it like an adult. I did some muttering, pulled the winder apart some more, tweaked cogs and various thingies. My husband and son retreated upstairs when certain language made an appearance. I tried to wind one. last. time.

It chewed it up. It broke the yarn.

I flipped the frak out.

....

....

I came back to myself. I was sitting on the kitchen floor, bashing the yarn winder, swinging it by its handle into the floor. I was muttering something about it needing to look as broken as it was behaving. I could hear Steve telling my son to wait a few minutes before going back downstairs. Andy asked why. Steve said (and I quote), "Because Mommy is really mad at her yarn winder right now."

Snort.

In the middle of what I guess must have been a rage blackout, I heard that and started laughing. I got up, pitched the little schmuck into the garbage, and went on my merry way. A wiser knitter (one would hope). My husband, who somehow loves me in spite of myself, made sure to get me a proper yarn winder from Yarns Etc. for Christmas that year.

I haven't had a lick of trouble from that one.

I believe that a knitter is only as good as the tools he or she has. I believe that a knitter should use the best yarn she can (sort of) afford. I believe that it's OK if my knitting has me seeing red, maybe even crying a little bit. Or cussing. Because even though knitting can be very satisfying, fulfilling, and meditative, it can also be quite dramatic. There can be cliffhangers, tragedies, obsession, love, and hate. If you've ever felt anything like I felt the day I bashed a yarn winder, know that you're not alone.

However, if no one out there has ever felt that, please don't tell me. Please also do not send the men in white coats to my house, either.

I'm much better now. Honest.

Best Laid Plans

2011-11-21T22:14:00.001-05:00

I had this grand plan. It was so simple. Aren't those the two silliest sentences ever uttered/typed? Every time I get really excited and start hatching a plan, the forces that be start laughing maniacally and get to work.

I had planned on knitting two sleeves to go with the ginormous sweater I've been gestating for three years now. I had planned on having oodles of time to knit both sleeves...this was going to be so freakin' easy that I'd sit down to knit and, 45 minutes later, I'd have two sleeves. I had planned on then measuring the depth of my armholes, measuring the tube o' sweater I had finally, officially, finished earlier this week. Then I planned on breaking out the sewing machine, setting a nice line of stitches around my basting and breaking out the scissors for a little steeking. But that wasn't meant to be, oh no.

Firstly, since I had oceans of time to knit two stranded knitting sleeves, I might as well cast on another project or two, since that's just not enough to occupy my time. So then I busted out some graph paper, some good old Cascade 220 in black and white, and attemped to design mittens for my knit-finicky four-year old son that must have airplanes. Not just any old airplanes. They must be P-51 Mustangs. Basically airplanes with propellers. Does anyone out there have a freakin' clue how to do that?!? I gave it my best shot:

That's my attempt right there. I'd like to think that the art of knitting can encompass anything. I've seen many a knitted thing that I didn't think possible. I've heard tell of knitted boats, bizarre knitted animal attacks, and really teensy tiny knits. I figured that I'd bang this out and it would totally look like a dang airplane on a dang mitten. Um, no. Also, if I try to follow the "rules" I've heard about stranded knitting (no more than two colors per row, no further than five stitches in one color), then you end up adding a lot of little "embellishments" to your airplane graph. I'm attempting to explain it as flak to anyone who asks. Including my son. The palms are really rather nice, though:

Sooooo, after that little experiment, I thought I'd buckle down and start knitting up those sleeves, but then Violet got an ear infection. It was accompanied by all manner of sad, feverish symptoms that made my poor little girl a very miserable, clingy, unhappy baby. So, here is what came of my plans: 

Yup. I'll be generous and say I think that's about 1/3 of a single sleeve. In fact, since that picture, I have almost doubled its size, so at least progress is being made. I also had to go to the fabric store and purchase more bobbins for the sewing machine since I sort of cracked the last one. My sewing machine was originally my mother's. It is beautiful, and you must treat it with respect. It is not going to kiss on the first date, and the cracked bobbin was evidence of that. I was being way too forward with the grand dame, and she let me know, in her dignified way, that I was out of my mind, sewing-wise. My big plans for a post on steeking will have to wait for another post. (I hope that might be next week. I am now going to throw salt over my left shoulder, spin three times counterclockwise, and knock on wood.)

Meanwhile, my lovely friend DJ gave me a moebius. Not just any moebius, but a Cat Bordhi moebius:

Behold the Lacy Moebius Cowl! Gorgeously knit up in Malabrigo Rios, in the color "Arco Iris".

I just love the gorgeous colors in this.

So, for now, I'm still knitting sleeves. I ~~plan~~ hope to be steeking in the next few days, but I must admit that it is the same kind of hope that I have when I hope I'm only in the dentist's chair for a little while, and that no cavity/gingivitis/unicorn/explosion is found. I've been reading up on steeking, and I feel relatively prepared...except for the scissors going cutty cutty on my knitting. That part gives me a hiney cringe. There's just no other way to put it. See you next time. Oh, and:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

What a week!

2011-11-14T21:36:00.001-05:00

It is a historic day, at least at my house. A rare event has occurred. The last time it happened was possibly at least seven months ago, and goodness knows when it may happen again.

My friends, I have finished a project.

...

I know. Me, too. Stunned. I have to wash it still, so perhaps not fully done. I may be penalized for technically lying to you all...and I have to do a teensy bit of grafting to be truly, absolutely done, but really, I'm done. Honest!! Oh, and block it...

Anyone else getting reminded of a particular Monty Python sketch?

It's done entirely in Cascade 220 wool, and it's a fair isle yoke pullover à la Elizabeth Zimmermann and The Knitting Workshop.

It's a lot of firsts for me...first pullover, first Fair Isle, first time not following a pattern, first time something I've knit didn't ferment in the "unfinished project" pile, first time using the EPS whirlygig, first time I've knit something for myself that I didn't immediately start tugging and pulling on various parts to make it "fit better". I did a swatch, got gauge, and then set to measuring myself and figuring out how many stitches to cast on, and the EPS formula did the rest. And it fits!!!

It's about 12am in this shot...not exactly my most glamorous time of the day.

I don't know about other knitters, maybe they're serene and confident the entire time they're knitting, but when I was knitting along, as I got further up, the more I became nervous about whether or not this would be a complete disaster of a knit. One downside to a bottom-up sweater is that you can't shimmy into it to check the fit. It's a total leap of faith the entire time. Doing the Fair Isle, I stuck strictly to what wool I had in my stash. It was a bit more colorful than I expected, and I was a little more worried that I would look like an Easter egg on drugs from the armpits up. It seems to be all right, though. I modeled it for my son and my husband, and neither of them would lie to my face and say it was pretty if it wasn't, and no one dropped to the floor and had convulsions from the colors. I'd say that counts as a success.

I've also been making some fingerless mitts, using the Funky Chunky Mitts pattern I like so much. I got some Plymouth yarn...and I've lost the label (de l'Air???), but the merino yarn looks really cool even before you knit it up. Check it out:

I love how fall leaves make any picture look super pretty.

These mitts are a thank you note to someone who gave me a quite a pleasant surprise last week. Unbeknownst to me, a friend of mine had signed me up for a sort of nationwide secret Santa. So I received a big box in the mail last week with all sorts of goodies for my family all the way from Washington state! I'm supposed to pay it forward, and I will, but I just have to give something back to my extremely thoughtful secret Santa.

And that's about it for me this week. I had hoped to be finished with Steve's sweater as well, but that's going to be my goal for this next week. I'll be steeking with the best of them, and taking lots of pictures to show here! See you then!

Sweatah Weathah

2011-11-01T11:09:00.001-04:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween. My son went as an airplane, which is different than any other day of the year, when he is an airplane. If I were Super Mom (or perhaps well-rested) I would have remembered to take a picture of him, but alas, I forgot.

We also have had the funk. The nose-swiping, circus-seal-impersonating funk. Both the children and I have it, and my husband is somehow immune. That's probably a good thing, because we can't handle a man-cold around here. We still have PTSD from the last one in July. Violet was up quite a bit last night, gritching about her stuffy nose. It's really hard to reason with a baby at 4 am, by the way.

I have been knitting, quite a fair bit, too. I find that I really go to town on something simple when real life is whupping my butt. That sweater I was knitting a couple of weeks ago? It didn't really work out, so I did a mercy killing and started something else.

This is my lovely assistant Violet showing the almost-completed body and the almost-completed sleeve of another Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern, the yoke patterned sweater (Cascade 220 in Denim Heather). I swear I do knit other things that aren't EZ, I promise. I'm just...going through a phase. Maybe I need to branch out. But right now the endless rows of stockinette are very soothing.

Here is another project I've been working on. This is the Landscape Shawl by Evelyn Clark (of Swallowtail Shawl fame). I've knit this before, and I'm making this for someone for Christmas...which I found out is only 53 days away. Gulp. Please don't smack me the next time you see me. I'm just telling the truth here, folks.

Anyhoo, this shawl is made from the wonderful, cushy, bouncy Elsebeth Lavold Merino Lace, but in my humble opinion, it is rather thicker than lace. Maybe more like a fingering weight. What's nice about the shawl pattern is that it has instructions for different weights of yarn, from lace all the way to worsted. Each section/chevron of the shawl is knit in garter, seed stitch, stockinette, moss stitch, or reverse stockinette, and it has a nice picot edging along the sides. What is also very nice about the pattern is that I can actually knit it. I am missing that part of my DNA that allows other competent knitters to make lace. I couldn't knit lace if you held a gun to my head, or a flame to my stash. I cannot even knit the super-popular Swallowtail Lace Shawl that everyone and their blind, three-legged dog can knit. I've tried three times, and ended up saying things that blistered paint.

I am also reaching into the mists of time, sifting through the stash for another goody that needs to be finished.

It's Elizabeth Zimmermann again (sorry, folks, I'm going through a phase), the Ski Sampler Sweater. My husband has been waiting for this albatross for about three years now, and this year (knock on wood) it's gonna happen. I am knitting this up in fantastically rustic Icelandic Lopi. My husband loves that sort of thing. In fact, as I'm knitting along, sometimes I come to a bit of a twig still in the yarn and you know what? I just keep it in there and knit it into the sweater too. He loves scratchy clothing, which strikes me as bizarre to say the least, but at least I'm doing my part to make sure he is itchy-scratchy all over. My husband is...well, that's another post for another day. I'll just say he's hard to knit for. So is my son, come to think of it.

I'm almost done with the body of this sweater, and then comes the sleeves and then....DUM DUM DUM...I shall be steeking. That's right, cutting my knitting all up. Making armholes. I've never done it before--have you? I find it makes me nervous that in the books I've read about knitting, whenever steeking comes up, the author invariably recommends you either have a drink afterward, or lie down in a dark room. Sheesh.

She Blinded Me With Science

2011-10-25T07:35:00.000-04:00

Please tell me you know that song! Long live the 80s!!

My house is smelly right now. I've been conducting science experiments. On yarn. Veeeeery interesting, I must say.

Let me start with a bit of back story. I have a friend of mine who had given me a large amount of yarn, therefore he has first dibs on either of my kidneys, should he need them. But they were mystery yarns. I had no labels, and they were already wound. They seemed to be made of wool. They were rather scratchy. I was keen to use them, but I also had no idea how many yards there were in each skein, and the weight of the yarn was somewhat less than worsted weight, yet not exactly dk...it was hard to say what was going on with them, actually.

I wanted to make some mittens for my son, so we picked out some yarn out of my stash. He was interested in some of the mystery yarn. I pulled it out and set to swatching. But it didn't feel like wool in my hands. Sort of inelastic, really. I finished my swatch and washed it and then the weirdness hit a peak. It didn't smell like wool. No weird, funky wet-dog/wet-sheep smell. It was more of a smell reminiscent of leaving your CD in the microwave and setting the timer to three weeks. That kind of a smell. The "uh-oh-we-have-synthetics" smell. No bueno.

Now, I admit, I prefer wool (and I would hardly scoff at cashmere) to synthetics, but they definitely have their place, and I think they're getting better all the time. You've got to admit, they were freaky-deaky back in the day when they first came out--I think we can all agree on that? Nowadays, they can be very soft, come in an amazing array of textures and colors, and of course they are machine wash-and-dryable. On the other hand, they don't do the amazing things that wool (and other natural fibers) can do. Wool is warm, breatheably warm. It takes some effort to make wool truly wet, since most liquids bead up on its surface, and (isn't this so cool?) wool exudes heat as it dries. I read somewhere that in Scotland, in the bitter cold weather, they would dip their wool in water before putting it on (!). I'm wondering who the first person was to try that little experiment. "Hmmm...it's so freakin' cold, I'll just nip off to the pond to get my clothes wet before I put them on. This'll be great!"

Another plus for wool--it does not burn on its own. It can smolder, but will extinguish itself once the source of the flame is removed. That is why wool is such a great thing to put on small children, and why things like nylon and acrylic are a bad idea to put on children, considering those materials can catch fire, burn and melt like gangbusters (shudder).

I wanted to find out what was up with this mystery yarn. What was it made of? Was my nose off? Maybe it was wool, but I wasn't sure. How could I find out, you ask? Easy. All you need is this:

No one can see my messy kitchen. You've all been hypnotized. It is spotless....yesss....

And this:

Lest you think I am some kind of chemist/genius, all I am doing has been done before and wonderfully explained in Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's book, Knitting Rules! Can I confess something? The first time I borrowed that book from the library, I apparently misplaced my sense of humor there and thought she had written a real Rule Book. Dork!

So, Stephanie (aka the Yarn Harlot) has this tidy table that shows what to expect when you submerge various yarns/fibers in bleach. Basically, if it is a natural fiber, it will eventually dissolve in full strength bleach. Man-made fibers will not.

The most fun came from testing the yarn with fire, however. In the beginning, the yarn was looking so innocent...

but the seed of mistrust had been sown. This is what it looked like to me:

Guess who learned how to doodle on photos today?

I started out with every intention of being a good little scientist. I had a kitchen timer, a dish of bleach, a candle, a pair of scissors, and the camera. But after a while, the fumes of burning yarn combined with the glee of burning stuff led to lots of blurry shots of yarn on fire. It was hard to hold the yarn (whilst on fire, mind you) with my left hand while trying to focus the camera and take cool shots with my other hand. The first ~~victim~~ sample did this:

Did you see that? Those three shots all happened within maybe 2-3 seconds. The fibers shrank from the candle flame (another sign it isn't a natural fiber--cotton, wool, silk will not do that), then flared into flame. This yarn showed a blue tinge at the base of the flame,

and the smell was enough to knock your socks off. It also dripped long black crumbly plastic-y ash. Yuck. This was a wonderful reminder to me that, as the mother of two small children, to never use such a fiber for their knits.

The mystery yarn was horrified.

I tested all of the mystery yarn. I was determined to learn the truth. And the results?

All acrylic. All of the skeins shrank from the flame, then went up in flames. It smelled of burning chemicals. None of the samples I submerged in bleach ever showed any hint of dissolving, even after 15 minutes.

I decided to try some yarn that I knew had natural fibers in it. I busted out some good old-fashioned kitchen cotton yarn:

And the flames were noticeably different.

Here you can see that there are no flare-ups, even though the entire strand is on fire, it is a steady burn. There is no black crumbly ash, but instead you can see at the bottom of the strand, an ash gray remnant, still showing evidence of the plying done to the yarn. Isn't that cool? The smell of burning cotton was akin to burning wood, a relief to my nose at that point.

I also burned a tiny strand of Noro. Look away if this is shocking to you.

Noro has all kinds of fiber in it. Wool, lambs wool, nylon, silk. And it went up in flames, too, with the old crumbly black ash. Bummer.

I decided to try some alpaca/wool blend yarn, and was surprised that it also went up in flames completely. I had hoped that the yarn would behave like pure wool is supposed to. That is, it would only smolder when flame was applied, and that would cease once the flame was removed. I finally went for the Cascade 220 wool and decided to put it to the test.

It did burn a little bit, I was surprised to note. But the flame was very small and very quickly put itself out.

All in all, it was a really fun experiment to do. Even better was when my husband came home after 45 minutes of me burning acrylic yarns and was almost knocked backward by the smell. "What the $%&# are you doing?" he asked. I had burning fiber in one hand and our family camera in the other. I can only imagine what he must have been thinking....

PS: Even though you may do your experiment at the kitchen sink (handy place to put stuff on fire, and water is easily accessible, just in case), do not presume to wash your burnt yarn and bleached yarn bits down the drain:

PPS: There is not enough apologizing you can do on a Saturday when the disposal is clogged by bleached, burnt yarn.

Process Versus Product

2011-10-18T13:20:00.000-04:00

Where do you fall? Are you about the destination, or the journey?

I have come to the conclusion, slowly, that I am a process knitter. That is the only sane and logical way I can explain how many dang unfinished objects I have. I must reeeeealllly like the process. Yup. That's why I have so much stuff on the needles and what feels like only 2 finished projects to my name, and I have been knitting for almost four years now.

I know I've finished more than two things...like, maybe four things. But still, if I finished everything in my closet and project bag...s.... well, I would have a sizable pile of handknits. How can you tell which category you fall into? Here are some probing questions. A word of caution beforehand, however. Do not ask yourself these questions if you are A) uncomfortable with facing the truth, B) uncomfortable with the size of your yarn stash, C) operating heavy machinery. Drowsiness may occur.

Do you have many unfinished objects in your stash? More than two?

Do you find yourself making up reasons why you must cast on another project?

Do you have little or no problem "shelving" a current project for finishing at a later date?

Are you bothered when you cast on for another project when you "should" be finishing your current one?

Are you only working on one thing at a time?

Do you buy yarn with no clear project in mind, but simply because of sheer desire for it?

Are you running out of places to put your unfinished projects?

I find I am unconcerned with finishing things anymore. I mean, I might finish a sweater, which would be no small thing, considering, but the risks involved in blocking it and sewing it up!! I mean, people, it might not fit!! One sleeve may be two inches longer than the other. If I don't finish it, and just knit here and there, on into eternity, I have this lovely sense of heading towards a finish line without the bone crushing reality of making something that won't fit a humanoid, but perhaps a giraffe. My self-esteem just can't handle something awful of that magnitude. Miles of yarn and months of hard work leading up to...the desire to swear loudly and awfully for a full 48 hours straight.

I remember (vividly, still) one of my first finished projects. I knit a nightgown. No, really. Guys, please stop laughing. I know...a nightgown??? Really? But yeah, a nightgown. It was very gorgeous; it was in Mason-Dixon Knitting (I love those ladies), and it was knit in Louet Sportweight linen. At the store, I decided to swap out the yarn for Knit One Crochet Two Ty-Dye. In worsted weight. And...being the newbie that I was, I sort of scrapped the basic tenets of gauge. I set to work with the needles recommended in the pattern, but not the yarn. I knit. I knit some more. I knit for two months, monogamously, on this. Vine Lace patterned hem....waist shaping...seed stitch top. Then I knit the front, all the same, but add in bust line shaping, etc. etc. etc. Finally I was ready to block and sew them up. I had been dealing with some doubts since I was working with something that was giving me wavy ty-dyed pink and purple horizontal stripes that would make a twig look chunky, but I kept telling myself it was going to be great. Oh, and it was. A great disaster, right up there with Krakatoa. It was sooooo big. I mean huge. It was so wide that it looked like a hair scrunchie for an Ent stuck in the 80s. It would have made a smashing tractor tire cozy. I would have a picture of it put up here, except the picture, along with the knit, has mysteriously disappeared.... That sucker hit the frog pond with enough velocity that people in France had their hair blown back. I believe that may have been the moment when I was profoundly, psychologically placed firmly in the process knitter column.

That being said (boy, wasn't that a lot of rationalization for this next sentence?), here is a new project I have started:

This is Cascade 220 in Denim Heather and Merlot Heather. I'm playing with fire, trying to design a sweater from a pattern book, like this one:

Doing a swatch (I can be taught), and going for it. I am not sure what to do with the neck, the sleeves, and whether weeping will be involved, but I'm going to try anyway. All the Elizabeth Zimmermann I've been reading lately has me puffed up like a Scotsman from "Braveheart" to be a fearless knitter rather than a blind follower.

Stay tuned....

Field Trip

2011-10-04T11:03:00.001-04:00

I thought it would be fun to take a bit of a field trip this week. A little look-see around the blogosphere to see what is going on in the knitterverse. I'd like to show you some of my most favoritest blogs out there, and also give shout-outs to our local bloggers, too. If you blog and would like a shout-out as well, post a comment and we'll get to know all our cyber-neighbors. Nerd alert...who says "cyber-neighbors"? What am I? Running for mayor of the web??

So, that being said, the very first place I run to every day, the blog that has its own button on my tool bar would have to be, no doubt, the Yarn Harlot. From the first post I ever read, I have been a faithful follower of the Harlot. If you haven't been, I strongly recommend you visit. Strongly. I also recommend that you read her archived posts, as well. This blog represents to me that a knitter can really find friends, her place in the universe, and a smashing career/life calling if she just keeps knitting. Not to mention that she is a published author of...knitting humor. Seriously. She also invented the word "Kinnear" (as a verb) and Greg Kinnear complimented her right back by calling her the "Michael Jordan of knitting." She is my superhero.

Another place I visit frequently would have to be Mason-Dixon Knitting. I have used the books that Ann Shaye and Kay Gardiner have published (Mason-Dixon Knitting and Mason-Dixon Knitting: Outside the Lines) and let me tell you that I have purchased so much dishcloth cotton yarn because of them!

I also have to mention that, even though it is not a blog, Ravelry is also a phenomenal place to visit. If you haven't been...well, I'd say it's like Facebook for knitters, crocheters, weavers, and crafty folks, but without all that really annoying upgrade junk.

Brooklyn Tweed has patterns that just kill me, they're so beautiful, and so beautifully photographed.

A list of blogs to visit would not be complete without mentioning Wendy Knits.

And now for some local flavor....

My friend Wendy (not the aforementioned Wendy) has her own website: ChickenStitch Creations. She is one seriously talented woman! Let me tell you that she has entered handknits into the State Fair and she WON.

Another recent comment on the blog led me to a new blog I've been exploring: Wool Durham. Sara just finished a gorgeous Acer Cardigan that has me feeling the itch to cable myself one, too. Check it out!

Also I visited the mysterious PfeifferGrad's website: House Of Tater. She's mysterious because I couldn't squeeze her first name out of her blogger profile (d'oh!). At first glance she mentioned a fiber hangover, so you know she's one of us!

And a last one (for now) would have to be Connie Chang Chinchio's website. I always fall hard for her designs, even if I don't always finish them (ahem...cardigan..cough cough).

That being said, I have to tell you that the cardigan appears to be getting very irate at me. It has been two weeks since I've knit a stitch on it, and I think something is going to have to be done, if I want to not be smothered in my sleep. Look at this craziness:

The dang thing's GOT A SHIV. It has its nasty little knitted sleeves wrapped around a frackin' weapon! Send help!

I can't tell if it's aiming for me or the Malabrigo. Help.

PS: In an epic blogger fail, I forgot to mention another very cool, local blogger. Ms. Nik of the comments also has a beautiful blog: Nik's Knits. You must go see it, it's very pretty and lots of great projects!

Great Yarns Fall/Winter Class Schedule

2011-09-30T18:15:00.001-04:00

Great Yarns Fall/Winter Classes

October 17, 2011 through December 21, 2011

Call us at 832-3599 to sign up or for more information.

Beginning Crochet: $55.00 (Supplies included)

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Thursday, October 20 & 27

Tuesday, November 29 & December 6

Learn the fundamentals of crochet! In this 2-part class, we will learn how to make a beginning chain, slip stitch, single crochet, and double crochet, and we will put these stitches to use in making very lovely dishcloths. No previous experience necessary.

Beginning Knitting: $55.00

9:30 to 11:30 am-

Wednesday, October 19 & 26

Monday, November 7 & 14

Monday, December 5 & 12

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Friday, October 21 & 28

Friday, November 11 & 18

You need a new hobby! Beginning Knitting is a newbie friendly class with lots of fun included and a great chance to meet new people. You will learn (or be refreshed on) the basics of knitting plus tips and support to get you started on TONS of new projects. After this class, scarves, hats, blankets, washcloths, even simple sweaters will be at your fingertips!

Lace Scarf/ Intro to Lace: $50.00

7:00 to 9:00 pm-

Thursday, December 8 & 15

Lacy scarves and shawls look good on anyone and are incredibly fun to knit, but the patterns can sometimes seem intimidating or daunting. Fear no more! In this class, we’ll learn the basic lace stitches, which all the other lace stitches are based on, and we’ll also learn how to read lace patterns, including how to read charts. In this 2-week course, we’ll get you started on a simple, customizable lace scarf – depending on what yarn you choose, it can be a light-weight accent scarf perfect for a spring or summer evening, or a heavier woolly scarf to keep you warm on a chilly winter night! Supplies not included.

Intro to Socks (w/ DPNs): $50.00

7:00 to 9:00 pm-

Wednesday, November 2, 9 & 16

A great introduction to making socks and knitting in the round on double-pointed needles! In this basic intro-to-socks class, we’ll work step-by-step through the process of knitting a sock (cuff down) in a simple ribbed pattern, and when we’re done, you can take your new skills home to knit its mate on your own. Supplies not included.

Toe Up Socks: $55.00

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Wednesday, November 30, December 7, 14 & 21

A quick, easy and enjoyable way to make socks! Start from the toe and then decide how long you want to make the cuff!

Earflap Hat: $40.00

9:30 to 11:30 am-

Monday, October 17, 24 & 31

Fun to make, this hat is a true favorite among both kids and adults.

Etta Hat: $50.00

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Wednesday, Oct 19 & 26

A hat you will want to wear with everything and everywhere. A Joy to knit.

Knit 201: $45.00

9:30 to 11:30 am-

Wednesday, November 9 & 16

Wednesday, December 7 & 14

Keep making frustrating mistakes? Dropped a stitch? Afraid to fix an error? Come learn how to correct those pesky errors and take your skills to the next level.

Swirl Shawl /Scarf: $50.00

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Tuesday, October 18, 25, November 1, & 8

Beautiful Scarf or Shawl pattern that shows off color transitions in a unique way. Take your skills to a new level with this class.

Holden Shawl: $55.00

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Monday, November 21, 28, December 5 & 12

A necessary addition to anyone’s wardrobe, this shawl is simply beautiful.

Knitted Rag Doll: $55.00

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Thursday, November 3, 10, 17 & December 1

Many knitted toys have been the most favored and treasured toys ever created. You can learn to create these adored items in this class and have fun creating hair, striped stockings, a dress, shirt or even turn your doll into a superhero!

Holiday Elf: $45.00

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Monday, November 7 & 14

This too cute holiday elf will be all over the house watching the children… he is loads of fun to make and love.

Christmas Stocking: $50.00

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Friday, December 9, 16 & Monday, December 19

Start your own family tradition. This is a relatively simple stocking that also has a little fair isle for that very Christmas-y look.

Crochet Baby Blanket: $45.00

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Tuesday, November 15 & 22

Need to make a quick surprise? This is the class to take, an easy way to make someone special a very thoughtful gift!

Learn to Knit Continental: $35.00

7:00 to 9:00 pm-

Tuesday, October 11

Tuesday, December 13

Most Americans learn to knit English style – that is, holding the working yarn in your right hand and “throwing” the yarn to create the stitch. However, some people find that Continental style – holding the working yarn steady in your left hand and “picking” the stitches with the right needle – is more efficient and can reduce pain caused by carpal tunnel or tendonitis. In this two-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to knit and purl Continental style. Supplies not included.

Crochet Granny Squares: $35.00

6:30 to 8:30 pm-

Wednesday, October 13.

The granny square offers endless possibilities in crochet. Learn how to create the basic granny square, how to create a giant granny square blanket, and how to join smaller squares into an afghan.

Mish mash.

2011-09-27T10:43:00.000-04:00

Uuuuuuuuugh I cannot take it anymore.

I have to confess something. I can't keep doing this anymore. It is sucking my will to live. I'm starting to break out in hives every time I think about doing it.

And by "it", I mean the Farmer's Market Cardigan that I've been knitting on since the Nixon Administration.

In the past week, I haven't done a single thing with it. I have it shoved in a large plastic bag (I love those huge gallon-sized plastic bags. Perfect for knits.) and it's been left completely alone. In my head, however, I've shamed myself so thoroughly that, if thinking about a project was knitting on a project, I'd have finished the dang thing and cast on for another one in laceweight yarn. Oy vey.

My relationship to this knit is not going well. If I had a personal relationship with this much hostile resentment simmering in it, we'd be having "the talk". You know, the one where you start out trying to be all "it's not you, it's me" and "I need some time alone to work on myself" and end up yelling about toilet seats and mothers and "why don't you clean up after yourself, you gerbil-faced buffoon??!?" Yeah. That's how I feel about it right now.

Angry baby is angry.

So. Since I am the master of my knitting destiny (stop that laughing), I am making a decision based on ~~desperation~~ what I am capable of living with, combined with ~~my desire to be done right frickin' now~~ the amount of time I'm willing to designate to this project. The finishing work on this cardigan is getting abridged. Big time. I'm skipping the pockets, and doing a different shawl collar treatment, one that doesn't require me to do arithmetic on the cables to make it look right (I swear it's got arithmetic on the cabling for the shawl collar!). I'm also renaming it. This will become the I'm About To... Cardigan. Think I should sell the pattern on Ravelry?

I've been knitting, not just thinking about knitting, this week.

These are birthday socks for my mom. (Hope you aren't looking, Mom, since I haven't gotten them to you, yet!) You know about Noro sock yarn, right? Gorgeous colors that drift ever-so-subtly from one rich shade to the next...and never a chance of making a perfectly identical pair of socks. I tried, really I tried. The one sock looks like I punted a squid, though. Just a little inky on the toes.

These are "Picky Pants", in a gorgeous shade of Malabrigo ("Lettuce"). Sorry for the crap picture. I love these pants so much...I just have to finish off the I-cord drawstring for the waistline of the pants and it will be good to go.

I also cast on for a second pair of Picky Pants, in Azul Profundo. I keep going around the house, hoping to use the word profundo in a sentence, because it just sounds cool. Profundo, eh?

Muy profundo, ci. I have profundo feelings about the Malabrigo. I like pizza profundo, it's supposed to rain-o profundo today...ok, I will stop.

It's been rather chaotic around here the past few days as well, unfortunately. We have had a bit of a cold making the rounds on the children, and that has reeeeallly cut into my knitting/sleeping/lazing about time. I will hopefully have better news to report next time! See you then!

Winter is coming.

2011-09-20T11:46:00.000-04:00

Are there any of you out there completely addicted to the "Game of Thrones" series on HBO? If so, then this title might have made you smile....But truly, winter is coming. (Cue "serious" music)
Did any of you out there enjoy donning some handknits when the weather turned chilly this past weekend? I was so happy to be cold. I wore my February Lady sweater, and my daughter was decked out in her Baby Surprise Jacket. It's times like these that a knitter and his or her handknits are appreciated properly!

I've been lucky to get some pictures of what the knitters of Great Yarns have been working on. I don't have names to go with the faces, so give a shout out in the comments, will you, if you see your mug on here!

This is the mitered squares blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting.

No clue what this is, but I want it desperately.

Look at the edging on this, just stunning.

I have a friend who is going through a feather-and-fan phase. I bet she's delirious right now.

These accomplished knitters look like they have been very busy all summer long, with gorgeous knits to wear and use once the heat is long gone. And, on a different note, I have to tell you about my friend. Let me change her name first...um...Miz. My friend ~~Liz~~ Miz learned to knit from me, and knitted happily all winter long. She went to the yarn store quite a bit, and even chewed me out in a friendly way when she had a bit of a shopping splurge at the yarn store. Somehow she thought I was "enabling"...whatever that means. But Miz doesn't knit in the summer. Not a stitch. She just stopped cold turkey. Hey, Miz!! See what you could have in time for fall and winter if you weren't off the wool, eh?!?!? Anyone else remember that story about the grasshopper that sang all summer? Uh huh, Miz, I'm talkin' to you!

Lesson learned: winter is coming.

This knitter has been working at the Cardigan-That-Will-Never-End. I know a lot of projects get to a point where it's like a marriage. There were fun times, there will be fun times ahead, but right now we're trudging along together. No fireworks, no fire, just blah. And there is an excess of blah going on with my Farmer's Market Cardigan. You would think that, after you knit the body and both sleeves, you would be on the homestretch. It all seems rather final. But not with this puppy. Then I am supposed to hem the sleeves and then pick up the provisional stitches on the body to knit pockets. Then add a shawl collar, mow the lawn, feed the pigs, dust the furniture, and finally, FINALLY, I can block it and sew it up. Lesson learned: read the pattern all the way through before you look at the picture for too long and are hooked. So help me, this sweater better fit like a dream. I could have knit a house by now. Here are some pictures of it:

Is it just me or do these sleeves look about a mile long?

This is Cascade 220, called "Eggplant".

This yarn is so dark that I think my vision has gone from 20/20 to 20/2000. It sucks all the light out of the room like a black hole. In fact, knitting on it is rather black hole-like, too. I'm resisting the urge to stick it back in the closet.

Since that sweater is SO dark and I have been knitting on it for SO long, I had to get some little projects out to take the edge off. They had to be small, easy, and brightly colored.

These are "Picky Pants", made of Malabrigo (am I the only one who constantly mispronounces it?). It is my first time with the Malabrigo, and I'm resisting the urge to sell all my furniture to buy a large amount of it. It's so soft I almost think it's cotton candy and I should taste it to see if it tastes as good as it looks. Is it just me that feels like that? Ooookay...awkward moment.

I am also working on another small, colorful project. But it is a secret, for someone for their special day. And they read this blog, so...

I promise you, it's not this. What are you knitting?

Six (Or More) Degrees of Separation

2011-09-06T10:54:00.000-04:00

I call my mother every day, pretty much, just to keep up with all the exciting things that aren't really happening for either of us. We're not dashing people, constantly on the go, having parties on a whim, and up until today, I felt pretty reassured that I knew everything there was to know about my mom. But yesterday, I was in for quite a shock.

I found out that my mom had knit once. One project. And finished it. Shocker #1. I had not known my mother had knit anything. She said it was a scarf, and her tension was so tight that it was almost impossible to move the stitches on the needles. I totally sympathized with her on that one. When I first learned to knit, I made stockinette stitch resemble Kevlar. She carried it to the movies to knit on it before the show would begin, and finished it in time for Valentine's Day, or their anniversary, she couldn't recall which. She never picked up needles again, but I was impressed. She knit a scarf. Just one. Did not feel the wooly fingers of addiction grab her in the least. But...she did finish it. She has a waaaay better track record (percentage-wise) at finishing stuff than I do. She bats .1000 on that one.

I had to laugh to myself when I asked her whatever became of it. I presumed that it must have been lost or abandoned or thrown out years ago. "Oh, it's still around here somewhere," she said. My parents just moved to North Carolina from out of state this past June, and have moved six times since I was born, and this scarf was knit over a decade beforehand. Even a non-habitual knitter, having knit ONE OBJECT (and finished it--dang!), has the presence of mind to know that a handknit is something to hold on to. Hey, are you still a non-knitter if you have actually knit something? Discuss....

Then she casually mentions how she had learned to knit whilst watching a "show on PBS" and, I swear, my skin prickled. My ears perked up. My hair stood at attention. "Um, mom," I said, "was it 'The Knitting Workshop'?"

"It was so long ago, honey," she said, "before we had Lynda [my oldest sister], and--"

"Did she have long gray hair pulled back in a bun?" I blurted out. I was rooted there, just gripped.

"Well, yes, and she had an English accent and was very funny about how people didn't have to knit so tightly, unless they wanted to," my mom said.

"HOLY COW THAT WAS ELIZABETH ZIMMERMANN, MOM!!!!! YOU SAW ELIZABETH ZIMMERMANN ON 'THE KNITTING WORKSHOP' WHEN IT ORIGINALLY AIRED!!!!"

Enter big fat SHOCKER #2.

You may be sitting there, reading this (hey, how're you doin', by the way?), and going, "yeah, so?" or something like that. But, I swear, this was the equivalent of finding out your mom hung out with...oh, I dunno...Mick Jagger. It's like that time my sister Lauren sat down in the food court at the mall and realized she was sitting across the aisle from Andrew Dice Clay. Well, that's not exactly a moment you would want to brag about, perhaps. It's that buzz you get from realizing you know someone who knows someone who actually rode in an elevator with Benecio Del Toro. I do know someone who...um, yeah, the Benecio thing. Cool, huh?

I told my husband last night, and I got all wild-eyed and overly excited all over again. His counter-story included someone he knew who rode in an elevator with Elvis Costello AND Joan Jett. But neither of them are knitters. Are they? I googled it, just to see. Can't say I'm not doing research here, folks.

Perhaps this conversation seemed such a bombshell because Elizabeth Zimmermann has been on my mind lately. Her newest book,

Knit One Knit All,

published posthumously, recently arrived at my house, and I've been devouring the beautiful designs in it. I wanted to write about EZ, but what in the world could I say that hasn't already been said, and said much better than I ever could put it? My mother holds Julia Child in the same esteem that I hold Elizabeth Zimmermann.

I still qualify as a "blind follower", as she would put it, but I have high hopes that one day, thanks entirely to her "unventing" things, and her EPS percentages for making your own custom-fitted knits, I will be a fearless knitter.

Whoa.

2011-08-30T09:18:00.000-04:00

This past week has been rather interesting, hasn't it? I mean, for one, we have the horrible, devastating earthquake that shook up the entire eastern seaboard. Did you see some of the pictures of the aftermath? It's pretty gruesome stuff. Please, let's have a moment of silence.

...shudders...

Ok, moving on now. Oh yeah, then there was the hurricane. Hurricane?!?! I'm from St. Louis, my friends, and I have lived here seven years and have never had to do "hurricane grocery shopping" before. I bought water, I bought flashlights, I bought batteries, I filled up the cars with gas, I considered buying tarps, and on and on. I was thisclose to buying a freakin' generator! I haven't seen that much of The Weather Channel since that time I went to the periodontist, and novocaine was involved in that one. Oy....

It's times like this that make me very glad to be a knitter. When I am stressed out, overwhelmed, fearful, worried, am being bugged out of my mind by my children and/or husband, I turn to knitting. I don't gamble, smoke, drive fast, drink, and my coffee intake is starting to moderate after all these years, so knitting is my one and only obsession. Well, that and yarn.

See this?

This is some of the yarn I bought when visiting my in-laws in Cincinnati. This crazazy yarn called Frivola, and it is my first foray into the world of novelty yarns. It is this very soft yarn, with little cocoon-like nubs in shades of green (with sparkles in it!). When I was out on Saturday with it, several friends remarked that it looked like I was knitting with broccoli. Hmmmm....

Broccoli:

Frivola:

Ummmmm...ok, they have a point.

One skein of this knitted up faster than you can say "choppin' broccoli" . I finished the skein in 15 minutes, to my surprise, and I have another to add to this scarf. I hope it will make one of my nieces happy this holiday season. Oh yes, I am knitting already for Christmas, but even thinking about it makes me twitchy.

I am also knitting for the upcoming fall weather. I had this epiphany, really, that if I took something out of my stash that I had cast on for months (ahem...years....ahem) ago and, like, knit it, then I would have--get this--a FINISHED PROJECT! So I delved into my stash and considered many pretty, neglected balls of yarn, and found this little number:

This is the Farmer's Market Cardigan, by Connie Chang Chinchio. I always find myself gravitating towards her knitting designs. They look so chic and pretty, yet comfortable. I am knitting this one up in Cascade 220, in a color called "eggplant", but doesn't exactly resemble that. It's black and deep slate blue plied together (eggplant? really?), and I may be sorry at the end that I chose such a dark yarn, that it may not show off the gorgeous cabling in the collar, but 12 inches of it was already knitted up when I got it out of the closet, and I'm goin' for it!

CHAPEL HILL CLASSES

2011-08-26T16:35:00.004-04:00

Learn to Knit $25
Always wanted to take up knitting? Now is your time, come learn from the best! One time class.
7-9 pm
Monday, September 19
Monday, October 17
Monday, November 21

Learn to Crochet. $25
Here's your opportunity to get a beautiful start on your crochet adventures! One time class.
7-9 pm
Thursday, October 6
Thursday, November 17

Knitting 201: Beyond the basics $25
An enthusiastic boost to get your knitting up to the next level! One time class.
7-9 pm
Thursday, Oct 13
Monday, November 14

General Knitting $60

Tuesday 7-9

Session 1 September 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11 & 18
Session 2 October 25, November 1, 8, 15, Dec 6 & 13

Sunday 6-8pm

Session 1 September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9 & 16

Session 2 October 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20 & 27

Toe Up Socks $50

From the tip of the toe to the top of the cuff, socks will have you hooked! Four sessions to sock Mastery!
6:30- 8:30pm
Session 1 Monday, September 12, 19, 26 & October 3
Session 2 Monday, October 10, 17, 24 & November 7
Session 3 Monday, November 14, 21, 28 and December 5

Special Skill Series $40 for all three or $15 per class
Fill your knitting toolbox with some great new tricks, take one or take all three!
4-5:30 pm

Session 1 Session 2

Get Gauge, and Basic Pattern Reading

Sunday, September 11 Sunday, October 16

Magic Loop for Knitting in the Round

Sunday, September 18 Sunday October 23

Continental Knitting Techniques

Sunday, September 25 Sunday, October 30

Finishing Help and Techniques $25
Get the tricks to polish off any knitting project for the best finished look.
9-11 am
Wednesday, Oct 19
Wednesday, Nov 9
Wednesday, Dec 7
Saturday, October 22
Saturday, November 12

Classic Knit Hat in Any Size $30
Come pick out your favorite yarn in the shop and we'll create a great hat together.
4-5:30 pm
Session 1 Sunday, October 2 & 9
Session 2 Sunday, November 20 & 27

Fingerless Mitts $30
A Simple project with universal appeal!
4-5:30 pm
Session 1 Sunday, November 6 & 13
Session 2 Sunday, December 4 & 11

LEARN TO SPIN $60

Introduction to spinning technique on the spindle and spinning wheel. A perfect activity for fall! Includes Materials.

6-7:30 pm

Wednesday, September 14 & 21

See details and sign up here!

The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!!

2011-08-23T09:30:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, a prince fell in love with a girl.

And married her.

And the entire world went nuts about them. Just lost their frickin' minds. They couldn't get enough of them, seeing them together, separately, clubbing, brushing their teeth, whatever. And not just the normal folks. Knitters went nutsy foo-foo as well. See this?

My friends, what we have here is commemorative yarn for the Royal Wedding. Ta-dow.

It was truly a beauty of a yarn, a deep blue with just a little bit of sparkly tencel, and very reminiscent of a certain sapphire engagement ring. This lace weight yarn is not only gorgeous and a bit unusual, it is a true collector's item. Only 1000 skeins were made by Fyberspates, and this skein came with its own numbered certificate of authenticity. And, if you too are an Anglophile in love with the newest Windsor smug marrieds, you may be able to order your very own skein at their website (ahem, I'll wait while you go check it out...no really, it's cool).

I got to touch the Royal Yarn when I came in to Yarns Etc this past Friday. Leslie, who works there, had gotten this yarn, along with several other wonderfully sheepy things, from her mother, who had been to Britain recently. Other gorgeous items included yummy wool spun from British sheep, and these really great little coasters...

And, lest you think I am moving on from the Royal Awesomeness of the Brits, I present this to you as well:

Now that is what I love about knitters. It's one thing to be sitting there with your buddies, and cracking jokes about the royal family, but it takes a knitter to see the yarn potential in Prince William marrying Kate Middleton. They not only have the balcony scene...

...they also have a Youtube video of the whole dang thing!

"Mawwiage....mawwiage is whut bwings us togethuh todaaayyyy...dat bwessed event, that dweam within a dweam. Have you da wing?" Um, sorry, got off track there. Anyone know what movie that is from?

Speaking of the Brits, another invasion of sorts was happening at Yarns Etc when I was there on Friday.

Can I tell you that there is an obscene amount of Rowan yarn at the store right now? Just for starters, I saw Roawan Colourspun, Purelife, Lima, Felted Tweed, Big Wool, Cashsoft Baby DK, Pure Wool DK, Kidsilk Haze, Purewool 4 ply, and the Rowan Studio Issue #23.

All in beautiful colors for fall. And fall is coming, this summer nastiness can't last forever...uh...right?

I also saw Misti Alpaca Baby Me Boo, this sweet thick and thin yarn:

I also had a bit of an attack of glee when I spied a basket of this:

KAUNI EFFEKTGARN!!!! This stuff looks so cool when I have seen it used on Ravelry (like this, this, or this) and I have had trouble tracking it down before. I was so pleased to see some here! I also saw a delivery of Shibui come in as well, and I had to breathe slowly and relax so as not to tear 'round the store like a Tasmanian devil.

I know for a fact that the hot, sticky summer can't last much longer. Want to know how I know? Looky here:

Can you see it? Try this one...

It's a gnarly old tree near where we live, but if you look closely, the leaves are turning....

Look What's New!

2011-08-13T09:09:00.000-04:00

As if you needed a reason...

to go to the yarn store...

to come and see what's new...

what's gorgeously soft and beautiful...

unbelievably shimmery...

a palette of colors to work with...

and exciting new patterns to knit up...

Seriously...why are you still looking at this?!? Come on in!

That Dang Duck

2011-08-09T08:53:00.000-04:00

Below is the pattern I have been tweaking for knitting my son a duckling from a children’s book that he loves.

1. Cast on 30 stitches. Knit four rows. On fifth row, knit into front and back of each stitch, 60 stitches.

2. Knit 1, slip 1 all the way across. Continue until you realize that this doesn’t seem to look like double knitting as it was explained to you by Elizabeth Zimmermann’s books. Also realize that this seems a little big for a duckling. Frog, and tell yourself that it was a good thing you did it sooner rather than engage in Knitting Denial (a real syndrome) and keep going.

3. Cast on 20 stitches. Knit four rows. On the fifth row, knit into the front and back of each stitch, ending up with 40 stitches. Again (because you’re on autopilot) knit 1, slip 1 across each row. Realize that you have now knit something that you will have to turn inside out, so the smooth knit stitches will be on the outside of the duckling rather than in its innards. Frog again.

4. Cast on 20 stitches, again knit four rows, again increase to 40 stitches as in previous directions. Think long and hard about what is confusing you about double knitting and why you’re not getting the result you want, and decide (inexplicably) to do. the. same. thing. again. Knit 1, slip 1. Have at it, go to town. Now you tell yourself you WANT to flip the bird—inside out, that is. Tell yourself that you meant to do that, what with those two garter ridges at the bottom and all. Tell yourself it’s for stability or something…anything. Knit on. Remember the syndrome mentioned in Step 2, but shrug it off.

5. Get to about 3-4 inches in length, gloating to yourself about how cute this little alpaca/wool yarn is, and how it looks just like the ducky in the book. Set duck body aside and prepare to figure out how to knit its feet.

6. Cast on nine stitches in the softest, sweetest, carrot-y colored alpaca yarn ever. Melt internally when you picture how it will go so well with the gray duck body. Imagine that your son will, for once, fawn nonstop over the knitted duck, as opposed to the other knits you have made him. Cunningly shape the feet, using SSKs and k2togs like a champ. When down to three stitches, work I-cord, smirking to yourself about how these look SO much like duck feet that you feel like your IQ just went up three points. Repeat with second foot, and add additional five points to IQ.

7. Return to duck body, and prepare to sew/graft duck feet to garter ridges, but properly, so it will look ridiculously cute when the body is turned right side out. Cut gray yarn with enough tail to easily thread (on a yarn needle) through every other stitch on one side, turn work and thread the needle through every other stitch on the way back. Remove work from knitting needle and feel a little nervous. Luckily enough, the

knitting opens up in the middle, just like it ought to, like a pocket. Feel free to say “Squee” in a high-pitched voice now, like a pre-teen at a Justin Bieber concert. Turn duck inside out.

8. Realize that duck isn’t properly turning inside out. Make this face:

9. Realize that there is one. single. stitch. that you mis-knit/slipped and now, you have made a duckling with one heck of a belly button.

10. Spend too much time trying to come up with some kind of knitterly work around, to no avail. Console yourself by realizing you knit the cutest duckling feet ever. The first ever knitted duckling feet? Decide to go back to the drawing board....

I'm sure there's a yarn store closer....

2011-08-01T23:17:00.013-04:00

The time has come for our annual visit to Cincinnati to visit my husband’s family. We drove. The two kids with their car seats, their toys, and me in the backseat, and Steve up in front. Do you know that you can drive fast on the highway, only stop three times, get snarled in traffic twice, get a flat tire once, and have a nine hour drive take 12 (TWELVE!) hours???!! Please hold your applause, but I will take my Purple Heart medallion now. Both children were great and very excited for the first hundred miles, and then it was just that grit-your-teeth-and-drive experience every parent knows about and shudders to remember.

I did a little knitting on the drive up, when both the children were asleep for approximately four minutes. I’ve been having a little love affair with simple knits for the kitchen, namely scrubbers. I get some good old cotton yarn, cast on 33 stitches, and knit in seed stitch until it is approximately square, and then bind off in pattern. It makes for a wonderful dishcloth, and something about the type of stitch makes the yarn long lasting.

For me, one of the fun things about travelling is visiting funky and cool places you can’t find at home. Granted, I live in Chapel Hill and with Carrboro nearby, it is near impossible to have a shortage of funky and cool. But, when it comes to yarn stores, I find that, the more I see, the more I want to see. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of visiting the yarn store, and the fact that they’re all over the globe, not just in my neighborhood, means that (thank god) I am never in danger of running out of yarn. I don’t think that will happen, but I want to be prepared, you know, just in case.

I visited a yarn store I’ve never been to before.

Fiberlicious (http://www.fiberlicious.com/) is located in Madeira, Ohio, and owned by the slightly flushed Cindy, whose air conditioning had conked out the morning I had visited (I’m sure it’s functioning wonderfully right now).

She has a wealth of novelty yarns, eye-catching and beautifully dyed, and she was very friendly and lovely herself. She told me how they were ordered from all over, but all dyed in the USA. She will sit with you and help you design your own knits as well. There were also button and carved rosewood hooks, skeins with wooden beads and cloth-cut leaves strung on them, and clothing for sale as well as purses and knick knacks. A very interesting and eclectic collection, and I left with some interesting cocoon-shaped bobbly yarn to make into a scarf, and some lacy yarn that ruffles when you knit it, and a wee gorgeous skein of (gulp) cashmere, my first. It was a single skein, all by its lonesome, and I felt like it really needed a friend. So, it was more of a philanthropic venture than an impulse buy. And it was “souvenir yarn”, so I think I’ve done well at rationalizing that purchase. I’m hoping I have enough to make a lacy, airy cowl. The other yarn purchases are going to be knit into Christmas presents.

I am also attempting to knit a duckling.

That may be the weirdest sentence I’ve typed in recent memory, but it’s true. My son is in love with a children’s book: Duck, Duck, Goose (by Tad Hills), and there is a little, gray, know-it-all duckling named Thistle. My son loves Thistle, and has been begging me to make one. I selected an alpaca/wool blend yarn...

(Valley Yarn Stockbridge from our very own Yarns etc, to be exact), and so far I had juuuuust enough time to cast on 30 stitches, knit three rows, and then knit in the front and back of each stitch to bring me to a total of 60 stitches. I have a theory that some double knitting might be the way I want to go on the body and head of this duck. But of course, I’m hardly an expert knitter, and I might find (shortly) that that isn’t going to work out. Stay tuned….

Updated: Fall Classes at Great Yarns

2011-07-25T23:01:00.005-04:00

UPDATED 8-8-2011

Great Yarns Fall Quarter Classes

August 22 through October 14, 2011

Call us at 832-3599 to sign up or for more information.

Beginning Crochet: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. August 23 & 30 or September 7 & 14. $55.00. Supplies included. Learn the fundamentals of crochet! In this 2-part class, we will learn how to make a beginning chain, slip stitch, single crochet, and double crochet, and we will put these stitches to use in making very lovely dishcloths. No previous experience necessary.

Beginning Knitting: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. September 12 & 19. Or 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. September 15 & 22. $55.00. You need a new hobby! Beginning Knitting is a newbie friendly class with lots of fun included and a great chance to meet new people. You will learn (or be refreshed on) the basics of knitting plus tips and support to get you started on TONS of new projects. After this class, scarves, hats, blankets, washcloths, even simple sweaters will be at your fingertips!

Sweater Class- 6:30 to 8:30p.m. - August 22, 29, September 12, 19, 26 & October 3. $65.00. Are you willing to go to the next step? Take your skills to another level and learn to put a sweater together. Seaming, increasing/decreasing, shaping, selecting what patterns are best for you are all part of this 6 week session. This class is in high demand and a traditional favorite at Great Yarns, don’t hesitate to sign up now.

Fingerless Mitts with Cables: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. August 24, 31 & September 9. $50.00. In this class we will learn to cable while knitting a pair of beautiful fingerless mitts!

Intro to Lace – 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. September 1 & 8. $50.00. Lacy scarves and shawls look good on anyone and are incredibly fun to knit, but the patterns can sometimes seem intimidating or daunting. Fear no more! In this class, we’ll learn the basic lace stitches, which all the other lace stitches are based on, and we’ll also learn how to read lace patterns, including how to read charts. In this 2-week course, we’ll get you started on a simple, customizable lace scarf – depending on what yarn you choose, it can be a light-weight accent scarf perfect for a spring or summer evening, or a heavier woolly scarf to keep you warm on a chilly winter night! Supplies not included.

Intro to Socks ( w/ DPNs) – 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. - September 6, 13 & 20. $50.00. A great introduction to making socks and knitting in the round on double-pointed needles! In this basic intro-to-socks class, we’ll work step-by-step through the process of knitting a sock (cuff down) in a simple ribbed pattern, and when we’re done, you can take your new skills home to knit its mate on your own. Supplies not included.

Cabled Purse: 9:30 to 11:30a.m. September 14 & 21. $45.00. Learn a new technique and take home a beautiful clutch purse with cables, a perfect addition to your wardrobe.

Magic Loop: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. September 21. $35.00. Come and learn this exciting method of knitting in the round and free yourself from dpn’s!

Knit 201: 6:30pm to 8:30 p.m. September 27 & October 4. $45.00. Keep making mistakes? Dropped a stitch? Afraid to fix an error? Come learn how to correct those pesky errors and take your skills to the next level.

Knitted Toy Doll: 9:30 to 11:30 a. m. September 28, October 5 & 12. $50.00. Many knitted toys have been the most favored and treasured toys ever created. You can learn to create these adored items in this class and truly enjoy making knitted dolls for your children and grandchildren.

Fair Isle Goodie Bag with Halloween Design – 6:30 to 8:30pm -September 28, October 5 & 12. $50.00. Join us in our intro to the Fair Isle/Stranded knitting technique while we knit this adorable Halloween goodie bag!

Crochet Market Bag: 6:30 to 8:30 pm - September 29 & October 6. $45.00. Create a useful crocheted market bag for grocery shopping. This bag is simple yet fun to make. Also great to give as gifts!

Cast – On Methods (knit): 6:30 to 8:30 pm - October 10. $35.00. Did you think that there were only one or two ways to cast-on? There are actually many different ways. Come join us for a fun evening as we explore a few of them and learn what situations they are best suited for.

Learn to Knit Continental: 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. October 11. $35.00. Most Americans learn to knit English style – that is, holding the working yarn in your right hand and “throwing” the yarn to create the stitch. However, some people find that Continental style – holding the working yarn steady in your left hand and “picking” the stitches with the right needle – is more efficient and can reduce pain caused by carpal tunnel or tendonitis. In this two-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to knit and purl Continental style. Supplies not included.

Crochet Granny Squares: 6:30 -8:30 p.m. October 13. $35.00. The granny square offers endless possibilities in crochet. Learn how to create the basic granny square, how to create a giant granny square blanket, and how to join smaller squares into an afghan.

An Introduction

2011-07-25T13:20:00.012-04:00

How did I get here? Well. My name is Erin, and I used to be a regular, non-knitting individual. But all that changed about four years ago. Before then, I thought yarn was vaguely interesting…sort of. Somehow, mysteriously, I got sucked in.

I started knitting when my son was eight months old. I learned from a book, and while I wanted to throw the yarn across the room and use the book as kindling for a fire (I was a leedle frustrated at first), I kept at it. When I had a strip of something that looked like knitting, I felt almost as I did when I first became a mother. “See that? I made that! Isn’t it cute?”

At first I could take it or leave it. I didn’t need to knit all the time, and I didn’t miss it when I had a few minutes’ time and nothing to do. It took me seven attempts to knit a purse. Seven agonizing cast-ons, hours and hours of grinding concentration to make the simple in-wrap-out-off motions of knitting, and seven fraught bind-offs, including my personal favorite, when I figured I could cut the yarn an inch in length after I’d finished, and I watched the entire thing frog itself in .087 seconds. That was attempt #6, by the way. Weirdly enough, I kept at it.

Sometime after that, I don’t know when, I morphed into a knitter. I started visiting the local yarn store, Yarns Etc, more often. I started planning ahead, buying yarn for those “future projects” I had planned (the slippery slope of yarn addiction is very subtle), and sometimes I just bought yarn because it felt too good to go home without it. I started new and daring things like…hats, socks, sweaters. Things meant to fit a human body, and sometimes the results were tragically comic. What better way to underscore the importance of gauge than to spend two months knitting a nightgown that would work better as a cozy for a tractor tire? That little label on the yarn is trying to tell you something, chica!

My son is four now, and I have an almost four-month old daughter, too. My knitting time is scarce, but now I would say I am a Knitter. It is a rare day that I don’t knit for at least a few minutes (I knit while I waited in the hospital to have my daughter—the nurses were very amused, and I think some of them wanted me to get a psych consult). I buy knitting magazines, I’m on a knitting and crocheting social network (Ravelry holla! If you haven’t been there, you must go), and one of my most favorite moments in life right now is the second I walk in the door at Yarns Etc, and just look from wall to wall at all the cubbies full of fuzzy skeins that scream, “take me home!”

When did you become a knitter, Knitter, or knit enthusiast? Or even...a crocheter???

I don’t get to come to Yarns etc as much as I’d like to lately, but I am always greeted like an old friend when I show up with my wee people. My son loves Mary’s thoughtful assortment of toys (and I appreciate them, too), and has even knit a little bit. My daughter is becoming alert enough to see all those beautiful colors on the shelves…perhaps she will become addicted to the art of knitting and crochet, too?

A few days ago, Mary had asked me if I would be interested in writing for the store’s blog, and I leapt at the chance. Hmmm, let me think…talking about yarn, knitting, my favorite store, and do it weekly. Gee…um…YEAH!

So that's how I got here. I want to talk about yarn, fiber, cool stitches, beautiful projects, and all the fun things that are arriving at Great Yarns and Yarns etc. I want to make your mouths water and your fingers twitch with lots of beautiful pictures of projects and yarns.

New Bags

2011-06-07T20:40:00.003-04:00

We just got these great drawstring project bags in both stores! There are 2 sizes and many colors to hold all of your projects. They are printed on both sides with "KEEP CALM AND CARRY YARN"

A good slogan to live by -don'tcha think?

SPRING SCHEDULE FOR GREAT YARNS

2011-04-09T16:49:00.000-04:00

New schedule for classes at Great Yarns right here!

Basket Workshop

2011-03-24T21:11:00.006-04:00

Last Sunday a bunch of us knitters got together and learned how to make baskets! We all learned a lot about the craft of basket making and we all were very happy with our finished work.

Beth and Rebecca are hard at work weaving the last few rounds of their baskets.

Ann and Vickie are almost finished!

More Basket Progress!

Here is a finished Basket! We all really enjoyed our class and our baskets that were all unique to us. We were all happy to go back to our knitting too!

Cute Children's Knits

2011-02-23T09:08:00.007-05:00

Children's projects are so much fun to knit! You can make really cute sweaters for all the special little ones in your life. They don't take much yarn and they work up really fast.

This cute cardigan is made in the very versatile Chesapeake from Classic Elite. It is a cotton/wool blend that makes a soft warm sweater.

One of our customers made this cardigan for her new Grandson. As you can see, she spent many hours working this Fair Isle pattern in the round and included steeks for the front and armhole openings. She then got her courage up and cut the openings-gasp! I know her grandson will look so sharp in this cardigan.

How cute for Spring!!! Any little girl would look adorable in this sweater.

I love the buttons used for seeds and the detail work in the yoke.

And my favorite- Little Red Riding Hood!! This sweet little girl came in to help her mother pick out her next project. I know a few little girls- and big ones too- who would love a red cape like this.

Vogue Knitting Live NY January '11

2011-01-31T10:03:00.005-05:00

I have just returned from the 1st Vogue Knitting Live event in New York City. It was so much fun! All the Knitterati were there! You couldn't walk down the hall without bumping into one of the designers from the pages of Vogue Knitting Magazine! The magazine did a great job with the conference. Now, if they could just do something about the weather that weekend....

There were so many beautiful handmade garments and beautiful yarns. Here are just a few of the wonderful things I saw.

These are knitted Empire State Buildings made of tiny yarn and lots of patience. They were at one of the check-in booths along with this new book from Vogue.

This was the centerpiece at Nicky Epstein's booth. All these beautiful flowers were made by her and were for sale in her booth- along with many other wonderful creations by her.

Here is Nicky on a break from teaching and signing books. Everyone had fun and we can't wait to see what happens next year!

Christmas Surprises

2010-12-28T19:10:00.005-05:00

We have the best Mail Carrier and UPS man at Yarns etc... in Chapel Hill.

Our Mail Carrier is Nancy-she is always happy and cheerful and adds lots of flair to her job.

This is our UPS man Calvin. We are so happy to see Calvin coming everyday. He brings us big boxes of fun fibers and other goodies. He is also always happy and cheerful. And he shows us that not only is he really good at his job but he also really loves what he does.

We decided to make them something really special for Christmas this year. We all Needlepointed these cute ornaments for them. This is the back view of the ornaments with their name on them.
This is the front view of them-complete with packages and letters. These came out so cute and we really had fun making them. Nancy and Calvin were really surprised and were truly happy to be a recipient of these personalized ornaments. It is so much fun to give a great gift that is so well received.

Finished Projects

2010-10-22T21:47:00.007-04:00

Here are some finished projects from some of our customers.

We love to see your finished projects-please come show us and let us take a picture for the blog!

This cute little girl loves her new cardigan knit by her grandmother Sharon.

Jennifer models a new tank top made by her mother Myra.

This happy customer is happy to show off her newly finished red sweater.

Kathy shows off her first sweater project! Great work!

The interesting yarn and cables make this a really special sweater.

Another Last Day

2010-09-30T07:42:00.002-04:00

Kim has been working with us at Great Yarns for over a year during her search for full time employment. She has just gotten a job in her field and today is her last day working with us. We have all enjoyed working with our very own Roller Girl this year! This is a picture of Kim hard at work in the Rowan aisle at Great Yarns. What a great way to end your time working at the yarn store-rolling around on the floor in the Rowan! Good luck! We will miss you!

Welcome Fall

2010-09-14T06:55:00.003-04:00

This is the lovely Mrs. Jane Lane. She has been working at Yarns etc... for over 4 years. We love the days we get to work with Jane! We all love her! Jane is a woman of many talents. She knits, she needlepoints, she is a master gardener and she brings us treats to snack on during the day. As you can tell by her modeling stance, Jane has also done some modeling.

We are so grateful that Jane has given us her time, talent, patience, and smiles for these past few years. Her life has gotten so filled up with all of her many activities and family that this is her last week to work with us. We will look forward to seeing her when she comes for a visit!

Thank you for being you. We will all miss you.

Jane made these cute pumpkins that are a perfect project for this time of year. You can use them for Halloween decorations and, a month later, for Thanksgiving. The yarn used was a perfect shade of pumpkin colored orange organic sport weight wool from Three Waters Farm.

The weight yarn you use determines the size of the pumpkin. You can make slight changes in the pattern and make them taller, or fatter, or embellish them in different ways.

Thank you for sharing these with us.

Pumpkin Pattern

#1 for fingering weight

#2 for sport weight

#3 for DK weight

#4 for worsted weight

Cast on 58 sts.

Row 1- p2(K5,P2) to end

Row 2- K2(P5, K2) to end

repeat above 14 times for a total of 30 rows

leave 18" of yarn an thread through sts on knitting needle

Stalk

With brown or green cast on 4 sts, work 16 rows in St st. Cast off.( you could do this an an i-cord)

Finishing

Tie cast on edge of stalk into a knot. Gather top of pumpkin around knot and sew securely. sew down the side of pumpkin, stuff and finish off. To secure the shape of the pumpkin sew one long stitch through the center of the pumpkin from base to top and back again.

Summer Knitting for Barbie

2010-07-08T22:15:00.003-04:00

We have been having a lot of fun this Summer making ALL kinds of interesting things!

My friend, Bradley, of The Swell Doll Shop in Chapel Hill made this elegant Barbie dress one day. I used to make lots of Barbie doll clothes when I was young and I got out my sparkly yarn and had fun making one right quick.

Bradley gave me permission to share the pattern so you can make your own cocktail dress for the Barbies in your life. When you are at Yarns etc... in Chapel Hill just walk down the hall a few more feet and visit The Swell Doll Shop. You will be reminded of so many dolls from your childhood!

11 ½ inch Dolls Knitted Sheath dress

Materials: Sock yarn, fingering weight yarn (1/2 ounce)

Size 1 knitting needles

Steel Crochet hook

Three snaps

Safety pin or Small stitch holder

Gauge: 9sts=1”, 13 rows=1”

Dress: Skirt: beg at lower edge of front and back of skirt,

cast on 46 sts. Work in Stockinette st (k 1 row, p 1 row)

for 32 rows.

Cast on 4 sts at end of last row for placket =50 sts.

Next row: (k1, p1) twice. K to last 4 sts (p1,k1)twice.

Next row: (p1, k1) twice. P across to last 4 sts (k1, p1) twice.

Repeat last 2 rows twice more, end wrong side.

Waist shaping: row 39: (K1, p1) twice, k 9, k 2 tog, k 2, sl 1, k 1, psso,

k 12, k 2 tog, k2, sl 1, k 1 , psso, k 9, (p1, k1) twice- 46 sts.

Row 40 and all even rows: Keeping frst and last 4 sts in ribbing P across.

Row 41: (k1, p1) twice, k 8, k2 tog, k2, sl 1, k 1, psso, k 10, k 2 tog, k 2, sl 1,

k 1, psso, k 8, (p1,k1) twice- 42 sts.

Row 43: (k1, p1) twice, k7, k2 tog, k2, sl 1, k 1, psso, k 7, (p1, k1) twice-

38sts

Row 45: ((k1, p1) twice, (k 6, k 2 tog, k 2, sl 1, k 1, psso) twice, k 6 (p 1, k 1)twice -34sts

Work 13 rows even, end wrong side.

*Inc note- to inc, insert right-hand needle in bar before next st on left hand neele. K loop (inc made).

Bodice shaping (k1, p1) twice, k4, (inc 1 st, k 1) 19 times, end k 3, (p1, k1) twice-53sts. Work 7 rows even.

Left back: (k1, p1) twice, knit 10. Turn. Bind off 14 sts of left back. Do not end off. With crochet hook , sc across left back. End off.

Front: Join yarn at arm side, K1, p1, sl 1, k1, psso, k17, k 2 tog, p1, k1,-23sts. Turn. Leave remaining 14sts unworked for right back.

Next row: k1, p1, p to last 2 sts, k1, p1.

Next row: k1, p1, sl1, k1, psso, k15, k 2 tog, p1, k1- 21 sts. Work 1 row even.

Divide for straps, k 1, p1, k1, sl these 3 sts on a pin for left shoulder strap. Bind off next 15 sts for neck edge. P1, k1. Work in ribbon on remaining 3 sts for 16 rows or until strap fits doll’s shoulder. Slip 3 sts of left shoulder strap onto needle, work same as right strap.

Right Back: Join yarn at underarm. K 10, (p1, k1) twice. Bind off. Do not end off, With Crochet hook, sc across.

Finishing: Sew back seam to placket in place on wrong side. Sew straps to back, work 1 row sc on front of neck edge and lower edge of skirt. Steam-press edgings and seams lightly. Sew snaps to back.

Carolina Fiber Fest

2010-06-03T08:57:00.005-04:00

The Carolina Fiber Fest was at the NC State Fairgrounds the weekend of May 21-23rd. There was an abundance of Fiber and smiles to go along with it all.

Great Yarns/yarns etc... sponsored the Ravelry Meet-up.

There was lots of knitting and sharing and meeting new people.

There were so many beautiful projects. People won prizes for various entries. This project won for the oldest project - I think she said she spun the yarn 6-8 years ago.

People came from as far away as Wilmington and as close as 1/2 mile away. The thought of wonderful fibers and demonstrations and new Fiber Friends brings people from far and wide-even in the heat and thunderstorms!

We even have proof of the World's Youngest Knitter! Meet 2 month old SAM. He can DO some knitting!!
If you missed it this year- mark your calendar for next year!!

Knit Grafitti

2010-04-23T17:33:00.004-04:00

My family and I recently took a wonderful vacation to Northern California and San Francisco. We had a marvelous time- enjoyed all the sights- even visited a few yarn shops. We parked our car next to this bike rack in Haight- Asbury one night. My husband said look at that- and took this picture. It is always exciting to see unexpected knitting and color!

Oh, and look at this- have any of you seen this in your favorite Whole Foods parking lot?

Or this? This tree will be a little warmer this Fall.

Here is a short video and news clip about another town that has been experiencing a bit of Knit Grafitti. It makes me wonder what we could all do to brighten our surroundings with our brightly colored knitting!

'Midnight Knitter' Pulls The Wool Someone is spinning quite a yarn over one New Jersey shore town.An unidentified culprit dubbed the "The Midnight Knitter" has been covering tree branches and lamp poles with little sweaters in West Cape May, N.J. under cover of darkness, CBS station WCBS-TV reports.Mayor Pam Kaithern said police were looking into the guerrilla crocheting, which technically is against the law because it is being done on public property without permission.Despite the illegality of the act, the town's mayor and residents admit they're enthralled by the rainbow of colors that has popped up.Resident Susan Longacre takes a walk each morning in Wilbraham Park, where several tree branches and light poles have gotten the treatment. She thinks it's great.Even those who are not thrilled admit the yarn is better than spray-painted graffiti.West Cape May is about 147 miles south of New York City.

Purple Hats

2010-03-12T08:21:00.003-05:00

The following information is from an email we received from Lynn Jackson, please consider participating in this worthy cause.

Dear knitters:

We need YOU! We invite you to put your terrific talent to work!

WHO: Please share your knitting (or crocheting) gifts to help us reach our goal to provide a PURPLE newborn baby cap to every infant born in North Carolina during the week of April 11th, 2010. This [PDF]flier has all the details.

WHAT: Help us raise awareness of a statewide education project designed to teach parents and other caregivers about the Period of PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina – the largest and most comprehensive evidence-based Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention initiative in the country.

WHEN: The deadline to send your finished baby caps is March 25th, see mailing address on flier or call/email with questions.

More info about The Period of PURPLE Crying:
The Period of PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina is designed to educate parents and others about the normalcy of increased early infant crying and how to cope with it. More than 5,000 nurses in hospitals across North Carolina have educated more than 140,000 parents about this important program, so far. Help us honor, thank, and celebrate our nurses and hospitals! By raising awareness and understanding, the Period of PURPLE Crying program seeks to significantly reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries that occur when frustrated caregivers shake crying babies.

Visit our website for more information on the Period of PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina: purplecrying.info Please pass this information along to anyone you know who might be interested.

For more information and questions, please contact:
Lyn Jackson 919.961.1081 Ljackson@purplecrying.info
Jane Royall 919.733.6341 jroyall@purplecrying.info

Fun Day at the Yarn Shop

2010-03-11T22:18:00.006-05:00

It is always a fun day at the Yarn Shop. It is especially fun when Babies and Grandchildren come to visit.

Baby Wyatt was there as well as Kerri's new baby boy and his visiting cousin from Minnesota.

We also love it when Miss Anne's Grand daughters visit too!

The next best part was when the ladies from the yogurt shop came by giving away frozen yogurt samples. It was a particularly warm day so everybody was really happy to have some of the cool tasty treat!

You just never know what is going to happen next......

Baby Wyatt

2010-02-21T20:25:00.004-05:00

Baby Wyatt came to visit last week! We all took turns holding him and enjoying him. It was a cold day and he was all warm and snuggly in his little wool sweater and striped hat. He is so sweet and Hannah is such a good mama. We all miss her but she is doing the most important job in the world right now. We will look forward to seeing you again soon!