Yarn Gallery Blog

Busy, busy last week as the nasty old humidity moved out and cooler weather arrived.  A crispness to the air, a chilly light breeze, a little shiver – and it’s autumn!  Instead of seeking shade, the boys and I walk on the sunny side of the street now, looking for warmth.  It’s so great to get the sweaters out of their summer plastic bags, smell the little bit of lavender or eucalyptus left over from their last Eucalan wash, shake them out and fold them onto their shelf or into the drawer where they’ll live for the next six months.   Finding the handknit socks that were in between the sweaters to keep the folds from being too sharp is like getting a little present whenever one drops out.

Okay, sorry – I do just love sweaters and can never wait to be able to wear them again!  Even though I make – what, maybe 30 sweaters a year, there are always 2 or 3 favorites that I really fall in love with.  I can’t wait until the yarn is no longer available so they can come home with me.  I hope you feel the same way about the sweaters you make – love them, care for them properly, and they’ll be friends forever.

Here’s one that will certainly become part of my wardrobe someday, modeled by Karen Walter, who was wearing the exact right color of shirt, so was bullied into having her picture taken Again:

This Snowfall jacket, in Fresco from Classic Elite, is from the Snow Angels booklet.  There is Half-Linen Stitch at the bottom, and Half-Linen Rib at the waist and cuffs.  It’s done in pieces on size 3 and 5 needles.  I won’t lie to you:  between the stitch and the needle size and the sewing-up, it took a while to make it  but it’s a very flattering and versatile piece.  I made it in purple, which seems to be my current obsession, but we have many other wonderful colors in stock.  I modified the sleeves, which were designed to be wide and split at the cuffs – I’m too klutzy to wear sleeves like that. Here’s another view:

Here is another sweater I just finished – after ripping 80% of it out and reknitting it:

Isn’t the yarn pretty?   It’s Riva from Debbie Bliss, a chunky wool/acrylic blend that (obviously) self-stripes but in a non-obnoxious way.  The pattern is Lutherie from Laura Chau, but I changed it a lot, keeping mostly the basic shape.  It looks better on a female body, as do most round-yoke sweaters, with a 60′s feel to it – 3/4 sleeves, a neckline that is reminiscent of portrait collars, waist-shaping and a bit of flare at the hip. The yarn makes it modern, but done in a solid color, I could see Mrs. Cleaver in this jacket, probably with elbow-length gloves and matching shoes and purse.

Carla Fraser brought in these cute baby socks, done in BabyBoo:

Very sweet!  They look like tiny little athletic socks.

Deb Schlarb came in to buy some yarn to make her son Jonathan a tiger (and ended up with enough yarn to make an entire savannah’s worth of animals) and allowed me to take a picture of her gorgeous Zauberball socks:

These could be models for the Zauberball labels, they’re so perfect. We have new Zauberball colors on order – I hope they’ll be here soon because now I’m inspired to knit socks again.

Billie Beadle found this turtleneck pattern in an old book and wanted to make it for her daughter.  We figured out what it would take and off she went!  Here is the amazing finished product, done in Manos Wool Clasica:

I still don’t know exactly how those cables are done in the contrasting color – we were too busy to take a good look at the wrong side and see what was going on!

Aren’t our customers stellar?

Enough!  I’ll see you soon…

Trish

…finished objects, that is.  I have a lot of photos to post so you don’t have to read a whole lot to get to them this week – I hear those cheers, stop it immediately!  But first I want to tell you that Janet and Donna did a wonderful job of displaying our finished samples and that we have beautiful sweaters, scarves, hats and shawls for sale.  The people who came in last weekend had a great time trying things on and getting first pick of the things that were on display, but don’t worry, there are more!  Come in and see what’s available – you could save yourself some last-minute knitting.

Okay, now to the photos, I have a lot since I didn’t post any last week…

Mary Ann Posey brought in several finished shawls to show us, done in Evelyn Clark’s beautiful Flower Basket and Leaf Lace patterns.  The light blue is made from Jaggerspun “Zephyr” and the darker is from Mountain Colors’ “Winter Lace”.

She also brought in her husband Ken in his new cardigan that she just finished, made from K1C2′s “Linus”.

Beautiful, Mary Ann!

Carla Frazer made these Twisted-Rib Mitts from our free pattern in a pretty brown shade of “BabyBoo.”  Although not a warm yarn, it’s smooth and soft and pretty and has no wool if you’re knitting for someone with allergies.

Sue Seidel came in to model her “Nimbus” jacket, in a beautiful shade of Berroco’s Borealis.  Sue is a relatively new knitter, but loves it and puts in the time to make sure she’s on the right track and will end up with a beautiful piece that fits and flatters her.

Joan Gruber, determined to pick up knitting again, learned to make mittens in two days of concentrated effort.  Here are the sweet little mittens in a bright shade of Plymouth’s “Jelli Beenz”, thanks to Joan’s efforts and those of Karen Walter, who stuck with her through the whole process:

Speaking of Karen, she made these pretty mitts from one ball of Classic Elite’s “Wool Bamboo” from a free pattern from their newsletter.  Get the pattern here.

Rochelle Mann brought in 2 finished (or nearly so) projects.  The first is this great kid’s cardigan in a bright blue shade of Plymouth’s “Encore”, with raglan sleeves and cable details:

and here is a small section of a wonderful (and humongus)ncomforter she has been making for a while, which is very nearly completed:

Isn’t it pretty?  Rochelle researches and figures out all her own patterns – that takes a very good knitter!!

And here is Sylvia Kurpiewski in a beautiful Adult Surprise Jacket.  She made a summer-weight version from “Ty-Dy Cotton” and wanted something warmer for fall.  Isn’t it just wonderful?  And she looks so pretty in it:

Janet, Donna and I have all been working hard on new scarf models to inspire your gift knitting.  I’ll try to get the pictures together for next time – or maybe send out an email if I get a minute.

See you soon!

Trish

How do you motivate yourself when you’re in the middle of a long project?  I have embarked on a Noro sweater done in fingering weight yarn that has an interesting construction and I’m still not sure how it’s going to go together – that’s the attraction.  However, I have to knit about a mile of plain old stockinette stitch before I can see how to put it together – that’s the drawback.  I motivate myself by putting little pins into the 25th, 50th, 75th etc. row so I can at least see that I’ve accomplished something.  I also say:  I’ll do 10 rows tonight, then work on something quick and fun.  Sometimes I just keep going, especially if there’s something interesting on TV so that the stockinette doesn’t put me to sleep, and sometimes 10 rows is all I do, but at least I’ve made progress on the project. I see  a lot of projects that people have put down for months at a time, and can’t remember where they were.  Even two rows a night will get the thing done eventually – sticking it in the back of a closet doesn’t work!

Don’t miss David’s scarves from Classic Elite’s Liberty Wool.  They’re beautiful, and I’m glad he got some of the yarn because it’s out of stock and I can’t get more until later in November (they hope!)  This week I’m getting some Trendsetter Sierra, a multicolored bulky with textury-bits – should make great scarves, cowls, and quick sweaters.  Have you started your holiday knitting yet?  We have a million ideas.

Here is a link to a fashion show of handknits held in Philly during Fashion Week.  You’ll recognize some of the knits if you get the main knitting magazines, but it’s fun to see them on real people and in motion:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZrWm7aZlcM

People brought in great show-and-tell this week:

Caroline Simonson loves intricate projects and is currently working on an aran cardigan, but she brought in this wonderful throw to show us.  She worked it all using double-knitting, from which you get a double thickness of fabric with the motifs coming out light-against-dark on one side and dark-against-light on the other.  It’s a painstaking procedure, but look at the result and the very cute theme for a small boy:

Doris Luckinbill wore this great side-to-side sweater done in Noro Transitions (sadly discontinued):

when she brought this beauty in:

It’s a design from Maggie’s Ireland, done in Berroco’s Seduce with accents in various other yarns.  I hope the wonderful textures come through in the photo – it’s really a masterpiece!

Karen Wenrich is working on a Featherweight Cardigan in Noro’s Kirameki, their new laceweight.  It’s so beautiful I thought I’d show you the work-in-progress:

And here is another masterpiece!  Donna Guthrie finished her Great American Afghan, just in time to give it to her niece who is getting married next weekend.  Just look – I mean really look – at this – so perfectly finished and blocked, the beautiful sawtooth edging, and the blocks each beautifully rendered, then brought into the whole.

Many people have been working with Donna in her afghan classes, struggling through the harder blocks and learning a lot of new techniques.  To see this beautiful piece all together should really be a motivator to continue through all the blocks, no matter how tricky they are!

Well, I can’t top that, so that’s all for today!

See you soon…

Trish

Here is Sarah’s wrap – everything knit with tails not yet woven in, kinda lumpy and random-looking:

And now, with the magic of blocking,  the pile of knitting above has been transformed into this:

A soft, lacy shrug that drapes beautifully, in gorgeous Manos Wool Clasica and will look stunning on my lovely niece.  I have to decide whether to edge it – single crochet is suggested in the pattern, but I like the way it’s stretchy all around and the edges all curl under and look fine, so I may not put any border on it.  I wish she could model it for us because shrugs really need a body in them to give them shape, but I won’t see her until Thanksgiving.

Here is the fuchsia lace scarf I talked about last week – it turned out so pretty when blocked (you have signed up for Donna’s blocking class, haven’t you?) and of course, the Road to China Light yarn is just wonderful.  It really gives cashmere a run for its money, I have to say.  The pattern is free at the shop with the purchase of yarn to make it:

David bought yarn to make it last week when he was down for class, so you’ll see his version when he’s done with it.  Did you see his adorable felted pumpkin basket by the way?  Too darn cute!

Our last knit-along night was cursed with ugly weather, so we didn’t get a group shot, but here are some of the beautiful finished jackets:

Trina Simcox used “Cayenne” from Katia and made her jacket textured, funky, swingy, and very cute!

Kathie Holm used Berroco’s Borealis in shades of blue and purple for a soft water-color palette. Martha Van Kouwenberg used two different but coordinating self-striping yarns to get her beautiful autumn tones.

Dianne Hershey loves color and this bright and beautiful blend of colors in Borealis was just right for her.  Think of the colors she can wear with it, from one end of the spectrum through the other.

Patty Golembiewski chose earth tones in Borealis for a fall look that can go from casual to professional in a minute.

Gosh, everyone looks washed out – I was trying avoid red-eye but it looks like we all emerged from living underground for six months.  I need a photography class – I see some blogs that have such beautiful photos.  Of course, there’s maybe one very beautiful photo per post, so – oh, just deal with my bad pictures.  It’s the projects, not the pics, that are important, right?

Here’s a photo I couldn’t mess up:

because the subject is so cute!  This is Barb Werner’s granddaughter, Tessa, very interested in petting Geordie (whose rear can be seen, waiting for more pets) and wearing a wonderful Angel Sweater that Barb knit for her.  Adorable!

Anne Stevens made this beautiful Boxtop Jacket (from Knitted Jackets – if you don’t have it, you definitely want it) from Debbie Bliss’s merino/cashmere Como and adorned it with one beautiful vintage button.

Now more than ever, this jacket is on my list!

And I mentioned that we were expecting Misti Alpaca’s Handpaint Lace – it arrived in 3 very gorgeous colors:

Blurry, but beautiful none the less!  Maybe one of these colors will be my sister’s lace triangle.  Some of their Handpaint Chunky just shipped this week. Misti’s colors are always well-thought-out and dyed to the stitch.

Okay, I have to go file down my claws – I can’t type more than 3 letters without making a mistake – it’s time for a manicure.

See you soon…

Trish

I’ve finished three things this week – one was a shawl that is pretty cute, is a free pattern, is a good use of the yarn, but which I hated knitting.  Here it is:

Cute, yeah?  Those little pleats at the bottom are short rows which change size as you travel from one side of the scarf to the other, so you’re always counting stitches and looking at the directions for the particular section you’re on. Plus every few rows you’re changing needle size.  It was repetitive and tedious without being easy, and I can’t say worse than that for a knitting project.  It’s Coquille from Knitty (here’s the link if you really must http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEff10/PATTcoquille.php)  I did like the yarn, “King” from Noro, a rayon-y blend that softens, fuzzes a little and reflects light nicely and has very subtle color changes through it.

I started and finished this wonderful garter stitch piece this week – it was fairly simple, although there is some subtle shaping that helps it fall nicely, and the yarn (Schulana’s “Pacolana”) is completely addictive.  Soft, warm but lightweight and lofty, lovely to knit with, fuzzy but not sheddy and lots of yardage on a ball.  You need to make something with this, you’ll just love it.

I haven’t knit socks for a while, but I was inspired by new colors of Fortissima Socka Mexico that came in recently:

Looks like we may get one more storm this afternoon – I hear my garbage can rolling around in the back yard – so I’m going to speed through the rest of this post.  Speaking of socks, don’t miss the pretty socks someone posted yesterday, they’re really gorgeous and she gave the link to the free pattern.  I’d love it if you sign your posts – Flicker just identifies them with our account name.

Karen Walter finished this sharp little Trina jacket, done in Blackstone Tweed from a free pattern on the internet.  (And, by the by, doesn’t she look great modeling it? Just look what a summer of eating sensibly and cycling your head off will do for you – unlike my summer of knitting and complaining about the humidity – somehow not the same results.)  It’s a great piece, soft and yummy but shapely and not droopy in Berroco’s Blackstone, which comes in such great grownup colors.

This beautiful sweater (and the model/knitter) are just gorgeous, and I’m afraid I’ve forgotten her name.  (She came in for buttons just when our knitalong group was coming in and I didn’t write it down. You know what that means – it’s gone!) The sweater is done in Classic Elite’s luscious Montera and it is absolutely perfect.

Check out the pretty little angel and pink ribbon beads that Patty Golembiewski found to embellish this wonderful felted bag.  She knitted like crazy to get it ready to donate it for a raffle to be held in October, which is Breast Cancer Month.

Isn’t it just great?

Donna Howard, who broke her wrist earlier this year, is back on track with her knitting, and finished her Puzzle-Me-This Jacket.  She did a wonderful job, and the color really sets off her hair and eyes.

Liz Heckman knitted this hugely-long Dr. Who scarf for her son, picking exactly the right colors and knitting it precisely the way the original was done (or at least the way the 4th Dr. Who wore it).  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then just never mind.  Trust me, her son will absolutely love it!

Okay, I think that’s it – now the sun’s out so I didn’t need to worry, but I’m sure you’re sick of me already, so goodbye!

Trish