Yarn Gallery Blog

Sorry I didn’t get to post last week.  I left a day early for my sister’s because the weather on Christmas Eve looked pretty crummy.  Did you all have good holidays, did you get what you wanted, did you all get gift certificates from Yarn Gallery?  Lots of people did, that I can swear to.

I’m ready for New Year.  It’s my favorite holiday.  I don’t care about New Year’s Eve, I love the first day of a new year, with all the possibilities still to come.  I’m enjoying my time off very much, and since I’m still on vacation, I’m going to show you these great projects and then get back to being non-yarn-store-lady for a couple more days.

Here’s Suzie Carpenter in a cozy jacket in Alpaca Bouclé.  She looks great in anything, but this jacket is just the right color and fits perfectly:

Sheila Yarus is a terrific knitter and made this Debbie Bliss design from DB’s Luxury Donegal Tweed.  It’s all in seed stitch – I love the look of it, but don’t like knitting so much of it.  Sheila shows us that it’s worth it.  It’s beautiful and, of course, accessorized perfectly – I wish I could show you a closeup of that pin!

Lynne Nagle crochets like no one I’ve ever seen before!  Her projects are always innovative and exciting – or maybe she just doesn’t bring in all the granny-square afghans (sorry, that was kind of snide, and I shouldn’t be – I like crochet!)  Anyway, here are several examples of Lynne’s beautiful work, always in gorgeous yarns:

This interesting scarf is done in wool/silk Twizzle, hand-dyed by Mountain Colors, and feels heavenly.  Lynne says it wasn’t difficult, but I can’t figure out how it was done:

I love this hat/scarf combo, done is Jitterbug merino from Colinette.  The hat is really cool – I’m into hats right now, they’re fun and interesting to make – it’s not quite a beret,

but very rakish with its slight pouf over the band.

These are absolutely beautiful mitts made from Classic Elite’s Alpaca Sox.  Another skein of it left with Lynne, and I took one home too, after seeing these.

And this is the Dragon shawl, with lace surrounded by a border that resembles scales, and a funky pointed tail.  It’s done in Claudia’s Sportweight merino, and it’s cuddly soft and drapy.  All crocheted!

Debby Andrews has worked hard on this romantic cardigan with lace sleeves, an applied cord border and a perfect ribbon to close it.  You can see how hard work pays off!  The sweater is lovely, in a wool/silk/alpaca blend.

Theresa Hill knit a Napa pullover for her friend Karen (who is modeling and taking the picture, something I’ve tried to do and failed miserably), lengthening the body and sleeves per request.  Such a very good friend – knit to order, and it was done for Christmas!  Theresa is from Delaware and always tries to visit the store when she and her friends come for Jazzfest.  Wonderful job!

And this cabled beauty is worn by another beauty.  Melissa Korth made this sleeveless sweater for her daughter Jen.  I won’t quote what she said while she was shaping the neckline and trying to keep the cables straight!  Another great job by Melissa – and the sweater is good, too.

One more thing – most of the classes are filling up nicely, so don’t delay – if you’re interested in any of them give us a call or stop in ASAP!

Happy new year, one and all.  Hope to see you soon.

Trish

lace yoke sweater, originally uploaded by yarngal628.

just finished my own version of a lace yoke top down sweater…a
little late xmas gift. im going to start a cable sweater for myself
now in the eclogical wool i bought. cant wait to see how it turns out…
happy new year to you all !!!

David Ritz

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!, originally uploaded by yarngal628.

To Trish and staff and all the customers at the yarn gallery…
"buddy" and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy
2009!!! Looking forward to all the new knitting projects that will be
coming up in the future and more wonderful classes and more yarn,
books, patterns, etc…woohoo!!!!!!!!

Dave Ritz

cabled top down yoke sweater, originally uploaded by yarngal628.

YAY!!! the cabled top down sweater is finally done… just in time to
give for a gift next week…
thought you would like to see it.
cya soon
DAve Ritz

Oh, my gosh, have you seen the photo Wanda Strickler posted?  Look below, and you’ll see her holding up her knitting in the most gorgeously tropical-looking garden.  The photo is from her and husband Eric’s trip to Thailand in October, and isn’t it the perfect counterpoint to today’s dreary weather? Thanks, Wanda, as a customer, neighbor and friend, you’re an absolute peach. (You too, Eric!)

I have an insane amount of computer work to do today so I won’t blather on as I usually do.  Isn’t it always the case that the things we like to do – like blathering on about knitting in general – get sacrificed for the things we must do?  Well, I’m sure you’re happy, because we’re getting right to the photos today:

First I want to show some new models we made to inspire your knitting:

This pretty jacket was knit in Rowan’s Big Wool by Karen Wenrich.  The design is by Cocoknits and is great because the reverse stockinette stitch gores make this very chunky wool seem drape-y.  It’s very flattering as well as quick to knit:

The color is a beautiful dark berry shade.

Karen Walter made this lovely piece from Debbie Bliss Pure Silk and Rowan Kidsilk Haze.  It’s absolutely heavenly!  We closed it with a pin, but you add ties or a big bow from hand-dyed ribbon.

And I finished this interesting wrap from a Plymouth pattern in a Noro yarn.  It was one of those patterns without a decent picture and with a schematic that is hard to fathom, so I wasn’t really sure how it would turn out.  I just figured that diagonal lines plus self-striping yarn could be pretty neat.  There are cables that travel up the sleeves and across the back that are hard to see here.  I’m pleased (just look at that weird smile) – it’s a striking and comfortable accent to any plain outfit.

I also finished this little neck warmer which is from the new Winter issue of Knitty.  It’s called Poinsettia and I worked it in Handmaiden’s Cashmere Silk blend – very, very nice to have around your neck, I can assure you!

It will also keep your pottery nice and warm.

Okay, enough about us – look at these projects that our customers have finished:

First, Peggy Schlegel made this completely adorable owl sweater for her grandson.  It took 5 or 6 different yarns – I think she can make a scarf or two with the leftovers.  It’s just perfect!  This is something he’s going to look at when he’s grown up and be full of wonder at this amazing sweater his grandmother made just for him!

Debbie Griffiths has been taking Janet’s Friday morning sock class, and look!  An extremely well-fitting and beautiful first sock!

Made in Fortissima Socka Mexico Country.  Love these colors.

Sylvia Kurpiewski made my Cabled-Waist cardigan beautifully.  However, there was a certain mixup about needle size and – how shall I put it?  A failure to check gauge?  I believe her words were “I hate that gauge swatch stuff” or something to that effect.  Anyway, Sylvia is enviably tall, and the sweater wasn’t, so she ended up very generously giving it to her tiny friend Tracy who is modeling it for us here.  It’s a lovely sweater, and knitted rather densely so that it must be very warm indeed!  It looks charming on Tracy, doesn’t it?  The pattern is a house pattern, free with purchase of the yarn to make it.

Okay that’s it for this week.  I hope your holiday preparations are going well and that soon you’ll have time to sit down and knit a while.  I sent an e-mail about our holiday hours, but in case you haven’t seen it, we’ll be closed Monday through Friday the week of Hanukkah/Christmas, open Sat & Sun the 27 & 28th.  Then we’ll be closed Monday through Thursday the week of New Year, and open Friday through Sunday afterwards.  I’m planning to post next week, but just in case – be sure to have safe and happy holidays!

Trish