We got some new sock yarn in this week, which is always fun:

Here are a few new colors of Opal, some in their Fairies & Elves series and a couple from Vincent Van Gogh.  I always look forward to seeing what comes next with these folks, they’re very creative.

and these pretty colors in Fortissima’s wool/bamboo blend.  You’ll love the way this feels in your hands and on your feet!

I finished this little Westlake shawl/scarf last week and it looked like a poor little curly leaf when I finished:

Then I blocked it and it looks like this (only better when it’s off the floor and onto a person):

Blocking makes such a miraculous change in the character of your knitting.  Of course, there are some things it can’t change.  Najma Iqbal was happily sewing sleeves into an armhole and it was going so well, she kept going and sewed the side of the sleeve onto the side of the body.  When she discovered it, she didn’t have a fit.  No, she held it up and said, “Trish, is this one of the things that you always say will be okay once it’s blocked?’  Najma’s funny and a good attitude is half the battle, right?

Here’s another Stephen West design that Sheila Yarus knit into an adorable baby blanket, made from Ranco and Taiyo Sock.  I love the two yarns together and the way the stitch patterns change as you move out the circle.  It’s bright! it’s fun! It was knit on size 3 needles from the center out! Kudos, Sheila!

Marcia Martin is recovering from foot surgery, so she had some serious knitting time and made this wonderful entrelac sweater.  She said it wasn’t blocked yet, but I couldn’t resist taking a picture.  You should feel this sweater in Pacolana – lofty, soft, and really luscious.   She did her own thing on the sleeves, incorporating the contrast color with a small stripe.

Minna Bromberg wore her wedding cap in – I don’t think you can see how pretty it is, with just a little silvery sparkle knit in, and a delicate lace pattern.  She’s making CD cozies for a concert she’s doing at the Miller Center Wednesday night and selling CD’s to benefit Berks Women in Crisis.  I hope some of you get a chance to go!

And here’s the (southern) belle of the blog this week.  Jettie Hunt brought in her beautifully blocked Celes Shawl, from a class that finished up just a few weeks ago.  Done in a truly beautiful midnight blue shade of MadTosh Merino Light, it’s just stunningly lovely:

Thanks, everyone, for bringing in your projects.  We love seeing them and it makes for such an interesting blog, yes?  Now, I’m going to finish the pattern for a store-bought sweater that Virginia Griffith wore in one day.  And then I’m going to see if I can talk Virginia into test-knitting it for me!

See you soon…

Trish

Hi Trish
Just finished a sweater for my sister. The pattern is called Dixie lace by
the Co called when I grow up.
Have a make a pair of socks for a gift next
Cya soon
Dave

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID

Luckily we have Marjorie Marinaccio’s projects to look at.  She has been a knitting whiz this year so far, finishing three gorgeous projects and came in with (literally) a suitcase-full to show us:

This gorgeous cozy coat is made from Como, a retired wool/cashmere superbulky that Marjorie fell in love with as you’ll see. Great color for her, and the shawl collar, pockets, and roll-up cuffs are going to be so cozy in cold weather:

She also used Como for this pullover, which is such a great comfortable style for wearing anytime:

And this beauty, done in a gorgeous shade of Peruvia Quick, is her favorite:

And you can see why.  Perfect fit, that beautiful cabled collar, and a wonderful color.  Wasn’t it sweet of her to trundle all these sweaters in?   A peach and a great knitter!

Look at the previous posts to see a really pretty little girl in a really pretty little shrug (my favorite pattern for a little girl – fast and really cute).  Rebecca made it for her daughter, who loves it and is a great model.  Also check out David’s Big Alfred sweater – I really want to see him wear this.  He liked it so much he had Google translate it from Swedish to English so he could make it – I wonder how well Google did with knitting terms.

I got not much done this past week.  I finished a little shawl from Stephen West but right now it looks all curly like a dried-up leaf, because I haven’t blocked it yet.  I would probably get it half-blocked then get distracted or fall asleep on top of it.  Surely by next week I will have adjusted, right?

Anyway, see you soon, I hope. If I’m napping, just wake me up…

Trish

Hi trish
I finished my big Alfred sweater. Glad I got it done before I left for calif. I wanted this sweater as soon as I saw it online, I rewrote the pattern from the google translation of Swedish to English. I like the texture of the pattern . There is one other Swedish sweater I had translated , a basket weave pattern, so when I get back I’ll give that one a try.
Cya soon
Dave

Hi Trish!

This is the shrug I made for my daughter. The pattern is Knitting Pure & Simple – Little Girl’s Shrug. It is a size 10, and still very roomy for her.
I used King George Alpaca/Wool/Cashmere blend, so it’s super soft. It was a really great yarn to work with. I love the way it drapes. I appliqued the flowers on with some scrap yarn from another project. There is a single flower on the back, which adds a nice element.
She loves it, and has requested another, so it’s a win/win for me!

Have a good one!
Rebecca

I love it, it’s definitely better in fingering weight yarn than in laceweight.  I did little stockinette rolls at the front edges and cuffs to give it a little oomph since the Ranco yarn is a bit plain. It’s something you could wear all the time, and I would like to make another in a neutral color.  We’ll see.

I have nothing major to say this week (so what’s different??) so we’ll get right to these great projects:

Karla Renninger made these terrific socks in Packer colors.  She’s all set for football this fall:

Kristin Ruth made this amazing sweater for her dad – we’re completely impressed!  Beautiful Job!

Martha Weidner crocheted these adorable little elephants from bright colors of Jeannee – they will hang from a mobile.  Aren’t they just the cutest?  If I did this, the mobile would only have 4 elephants – I would have to have one of these cuties for myself.

Jeri Kozloff knit this glorious little jacket from Ranco (she inspired me to use it for my Featherweight because hers turned out so well.)  You can see some of the clever construction details, but can you tell it’s made from 3 identical triangles? Jeri did a wonderful job – the exposed seams demand meticulous finishing!

Becky Steltz makes a great model for her black jacket knit from De Aire superbulky merino.  Despite a rather sad spring, she has kept her beautiful smile.

And Pam Burger made this very cute bag in Mountain Colors “Crazy Woman” colorway.  It’s very cute, with I-cord drawstrings and handles, and one perfect button.

Have I mentioned that we have some new Advanced Beginner classes up on the Classes page now as well as a new beginner series and a Kids Knitting series?  And don’t forget our crochet classes – you too could have a cute little elephant all your own!

See you soon…

Trish

I made this for Jackson’s "friend". The pattern is from Ravelry. The yarn is from my stash from years ago: Pebbles Classic Elite. I would have liked the body to be a little longer, as it hits him in a weird spot….doesn’t matter though because he won’t wear it. I put it on one of his Teddy Bears.Thanks!Rebecca

I made this for Jackson’s "friend". The pattern is from Ravelry. The yarn is from my stash from years ago: Pebbles Classic Elite. I would have liked the body to be a little longer, as it hits him in a weird spot….doesn’t matter though because he won’t wear it. I put it on one of his Teddy Bears.Thanks!Rebecca

Just finished the baseball sweater, from the book knits men want .i did it with left over yarn I had in my stash .
Almost done with big Alfred. Will post soon.
Cya soon
Dave

So, on with some great projects, and we’ll begin with a sad tale.  This is Marci Frey with her beautiful felted tote.  Doesn’t she look so happy?  Little did she know when this picture was taken…

…that this was going to happen:

A very naughty dog spotted her bag while Marci was contentedly sitting at home knitting away on a new project, and he decided that leather handles were just what he was hungry for.  What luck to find two available!  How often does that happen?

Well, I’m sure it won’t be happening any more at Marci’s house.  And don’t worry, we’ll find a solution to fix the bag.

Mary Ann Posey brought in another very beautiful lace shawl she finished. Isn’t it just lovely?  I forget how many shawls this is for Mary Ann.  Marjorie Marinaccio modeled it for us – her white top showed it to perfection and she’s so cute – one of the few people I can look at eye-to-eye!

Sandy Albert finished her Louisa and it looks wonderful on her!  And just see how pretty she looks in this color:

Beth Rumble knit her felted tote in vibrant colors – so much fun!  I love how the Noro multi-colored yarn pulls it all together without dulling it down.  A tote is a great place to play with color:

And this is Lynda Slovitsky’s Celes Shawl – Karen’s class just finished up – in a beautiful shade of Madelinetosh Merino Light.  This picture doesn’t do it justice but it was rainy outside, and we got busy before I could do a better job with it.   It’s lush and looks delicate, but feels drape-y and substantial, all at the same time:

And I have to show you a new needle case that Donna and her cousin Cathy have designed.

As usual, it’s beautifully sewn, with carefully selected fabrics and buttons, and laid out with great planning and efficiency on the inside:

Space for circulars, double points, hooks, cable and sewing needles, scissors and more. It’s compact and perfect for packing with everything you need for a travel project or a week at the beach, or to hold all your supplies for a class.  They’ve made only a few so far, but the Danu Art factory is working on it.  (Danu Art is a very wee factory, consisting of Donna and Cathy, both great sewists!)

I’ll see you soon!

Trish