Yarn Gallery Blog

Two lusciously gorgeous days and I’ve accomplished nothing. Still piddling along with the last sleeve of my Kiko, pondering the deep eternal questions of humanity, like, Why the hell are human arms so long, and thinking about other projects I want to do now that most spring/summer models are done:

I want to re-visit the Featherweight Cardigan, this time in fingering weight instead of lace.  The laceweights I used stretched out into a vast infinite shapelessness, sort of like the universe before the big bang.  I’ve seen others that are in fingering – so much better!  So Donna and I picked out this pretty color of Ranco,

a semi-solid kettle dyed fingering wool/nylon blend from Araucania, which is discontinued but which I happily still have tons of.  I’m inspired by this, which just arrived at the store:

a collection of Hannah Fettig’s basic designs called Knitbot Essentials, which contains 4-1/2 sweater designs and a basic hat, mitts, and cowl all beautifully photographed, plus her thoughts on drape and sizing.

I’m dying to do another Vitamin D, knit to my actual size instead of the size I want to be.  I loved this project the whole way through and I think this will be our summer knit-along.  I’m going to wait for my next shipment of Merino Light from MadTosh (still 4 – 8 weeks away, unfortunately) to pick a color, or maybe I’ll see something pretty when the reps start circling in the next few weeks.

I’ve decided to close on Sundays from Memorial Day through Labor Day! I’m excited about what I might do on a Sunday afternoon.  Monday and Tuesdays are good efficient days to have off – doctor & vet appointments, grocery shopping, bank, post office, you can do all those prosaic necessary things. But Sundays!  A movie, a concert, brunch – woo-hoo!  (You can tell it takes very little to thrill me.  I’m easy!)  I’ll be open 10 – 4 on Saturdays to make up for it a little bit.

Here are a couple models I’ve finished in the last few weeks, and the patterns are now actually written and pretty much edited:

This is the Breezy Big Easy, inspired by a fun over-sized cotton that is called Pareo and self-stripes in the Lang version and is called Rosita and is mildly variegated in the Trendsetter version. It’s knit on 15′s and 17′s, is soft and comfortable with a loose body and semi-fitted sleeves, and while I wouldn’t want to wear it when it’s 98 degrees, it’s perfect for a coolish morning on the deck or a breezy evening on the beach.  See?  I also knit for the life I want to have (only when I’m tired) rather than the life I really have.

This swingy cutey-pie is a Knitting Pure & Simple design, not my own.  It’s knit from Katia’s Temis (textured cotton/acrylic) on size 9 or 10 needles to make it nice and open and finished with a rolled edging in plain yarn.  I knit a size down from my normal because I knew the gauge would be big, but I should have gone 2 sizes down because it’s almost too big for me.  Anyway, this you could wear on a 98-degree day over a tank and be comfortable and covered.

This is the Lacy Cap-Sleeve Top, in Berroco Seduce.  What can I say? – it’s another top to put on over a camisole that will keep you comfortable but make you feel and look dressed when it’s hot, hot, hot.  I have to say, we have a great selection of warm-weather styles for you to make, and beautiful yarns to use as well.

Deb Schlarb, back from her cruise, brought in another fabulous tea cozy – this one is so fun and ridiculous that I don’t even know what to say about it.  It’s like a tea pot with a funky beret:

What a riot it must have been to knit!  And Deb also made this terrific dress/beach cover-up for a trip to Greece that’s in her plans.  It’s done in Pareo (see Big Easy above) and it’s a perfect look for long, lean Deb.

Janet’s sock class finished up this week and look at the results:

Congrats to Donna Ford, Carla Frazer, Diana DeMarti, Janis Edwards, Jill Pelchar, and Barbara Esterly, feet all pictured here.  Beautiful!

Karen Wenrich has been working on Stornaway from Alice Starmore’s Fishermen’s Sweaters for some time.  It’s a project and a half.  She got it done, and it’s absolutely worth the time and effort and worthy of the beautiful yarn she searched for for over 2 years.  I tried to get a detail shot but it’s tough with black.  You’ll have to take it from me, it’s a stunning piece of knitting.

And Janet’s knitting group all made this project, which the name escapes me at the moment – c’mon, it’s 6 o’clock – time for a glass of wine and a game of fetch with Jackson – but isn’t it gorgeous??? Gwen Snavely modeled it, because she’s nice and her shirt was the perfect color:

We did this as a knit-along a few years ago – what a fun project, and Janet’s is just beautiful!

All right, you’ve got to be ready for a glass of wine by now, too.  See you soon!

Trish

I’ve been knitting spring and summer models for so long that it’s easy for me to forget that spring is only about 3 weeks old.  I live about 2 seasons ahead – sales reps are calling for appointments to show fall yarns and designs already.  I’m not interested yet but in a month or so, they’ll have to be seen, especially since I probably won’t be going to the big yarn show again.  Geordie is too old to go to a kennel – maybe I could dress him up like an ancient yarn shop lady and take him to the show with me:

Seriously, sometimes I feel like this – smothered in knitting and loaded down with projects and bags wherever I go!  I think he could pass for a serious knitter but he would definitely spend more time at the food court than at the yarn booths in Columbus.  That would give him away because yarn shop owners would rather shop for yarn than eat.

The silly hat is another tea cozy made by Deb Schlarb.  Here it is with a cute little button-covered one that she also made:

Deb won one of our March gift certificates and despite the fact that she and her family were leaving at 4 am the following day for a cruise, she popped in to show her crazy-cute cozies and this:

A really beautiful lace wrap to wear with a fabulous orange-print dress on the cruise, made in record time from Lana Grossa Lace Luxe.  It’s perfect, and I can’t wait to get more colors, coming this month sometime!

Congrats to Chris Dreazen who was our other gift certificate winner this month. Chris is another super knitter who is working on a Fair-Isle yoke sweater.

Speaking of which, here is Susan Bonner’s beautifully completed Fair-Isle yoke sweater from Donna’s class.  Isn’t it just great?

Meanwhile, look at this pretty stuff from Dream in Color that should be arriving in 2 – 3 weeks:

It’s a laceweight wool/silk blend called Wisp.  I ordered 5 bright saturated colors for some summer fun.  Love these new yarns!!

See you soon…

Trish

Yoke cardigan, a photo by yarngal628 on Flickr.

Happy Easter !!!
Tonight I finished a cardigan called yoke cardigan from knitbot. It’s for a gift.
Going to look at my patterns to see what to make next
Cya soon
Dave

Here it is, just a plain little top-down cardy – one of those things that you’re always looking for in your closet but you don’t necessarily want to knit it.  Very satisfying to get it done in 3 days (if you can spare 15 – 20 hours out of any 3 days!)

Now for some really striking pieces!

Janet finished her Boxtop jacket (from Knitted Jackets) in a combination of Noro Kocheron and Classic Elite Montera.  I love how the delicate colors complement her.  Luckily, she got to wear it one very cold morning  – it’s warm!

And David brought in several things he’d finished lately, including the gorgeous Snowshow Aran that he and Donna are going to teach for this fall:

Look at those seed-stitch cables!  Donna is working on her version and says that it takes a full 12 minutes to go around once when you’re doing all the cable crossings.  Not for the faint of heart!

Here are two more sweaters David finished, held by Donna.  This one is done in Cleckheaton Country 8-ply, a really lovely (and sadly discontinued) wool:

…and this one is done in Plymouth’s Coffee Beenz;

And don’t miss his just finished top-down gansey in beautiful off-white on the post below.  It’s just beautiful!

I was going to start with this gorgeous yarn, Everlasting Sockweight from Dream in Color, but so much of it has flown out the door that I didn’t want to tempt you too much:

I have one or two skeins left in several colors – enough for a pair of socks or a scarf or hat and mitts -  and sweater quantities in the two darkest colorways and the bright green.  I’m yearning to do a Featherweight in one of the colors but am in the middle of a complicated pullover just now. It’s looking beautiful in heathered gray 220 Superwash Sport – which reminds me that my Cascade shipment should be here in another week or so!

I’ll need some simple knitting after this.  Hannah Fettig just published a book with all her basic designs called Knitbot Essentials. It contains many of her most popular designs all in one place.  It should be here this week – a perfect way to use your favorite lightweight yarns.

What next?  A pretty summer-y garter stitch cardigan that Karen Wenrich is working on, a Breezy Big Easy in Pareo and I may even get the pattern written for my lacy top in Seduce. Now, when the warm weather comes back, we’ll be ready!

See you soon…

Trish

Top down gansey sweater, a photo by yarngal628 on Flickr.

Hi trish,
Just finished my top down gansey sweater . Great pattern and I had enough yarn left over from a previous sweater I made. Going to start the yoked cardigan today by knitbot.
Happy Easter and cya soon
Dave