Yarn Gallery Blog

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

It’s October, cool and rainy, and this morning I went into the closet and found the plastic zip bag that contained my nicely washed and folded Napa pullover.  It’s the first one I made – several years ago – and it’s just as welcome as fall.  I put it on to run errands and because it’s wool, the drizzle stayed on the outside and I stayed cozy on the inside.  Wool is such a lovely protective fiber, I always feel so sorry for people who can’t (or think they can’t) wear it.  Anyway, it’s sweater weather and I’m delighted – it was a long time coming this year!

I just finished a simple top-down sweater in Noro’s Yuzen, from a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern – boring but I love the sweater that resulted so I won’t complain too much.  Rolled edges, some increases on the sleeves and body and a reverse stockinette stitch rolled neck edge.  Casual and easy to wear over a number of colors.

While I’m waiting for Sarah’s Manos to come in (if you don’t know what I’m going to knit for my lovely niece, you can read about it here) I’m fooling around with a stitch pattern from Barbara Walker’s first Treasury – it’s a neat pattern for a scarf because it’s reversible and it has a tendency to pleat if you don’t block it too hard, so…I’ve had a skein of beautiful Road to China Light from the Fibre Company on my end table next to my knitting chair for weeks, and I started fiddling with it in this pattern.  Here’s a photo so far

- frankly I don’t want to put it down, but I’m not sure whether it’s the yarn or the stitch pattern.  The yarn is absolutely blissful, a blend of baby alpaca, cashmere, camel and silk.  The lightweight version is about a sportweight, and I’m working on a 4 needle, so it’s not growing speedily, but the fabric is pretty in real life.  This yarn has been improved over the years, from costing a fortune for a single skein that was not particularly uniform to a very reasonable price for a luxury yarn, with excellent quality and consistency and a myriad of the loveliest colors.  You can’t tell from this photo, but this colorway called Blue Tourmaline has the slightest hint of pink/purple shading – it’s truly jewel-like.  I really want to find a wonderful project so that I can justify buying a lot of it.  I do have 4 wonderful colors in stock but really want them all, which you can see here.  They (Kelbourne Woolens, distributors for the Fibre Company yarns) have some neat free patterns, too.

Don’t miss David’s latest weekly production – a hat, a washcloth, a vest, and a scarf.  AND he’s taking the Tunisian Entrelac Shawl class with Lynne Nagle.  He made a scarf from Opale, a novelty yarn from Plymouth that is totally cute knit up, soft, shiny, and animal-fiber-free.  Here’s my version in deep rich purple:

Isn’t it pretty?  Available in purple, a creamy beige (see David’s scarf here) and black.

Janet just finished her felted tote class, and here are a couple of photos from the class – some people didn’t felt their bags enough so had to have a do-over.  That’s pretty typical, when you’re alone in the laundry room, it’s hard to judge just how much you should felt something until you’ve done it once or twice.  Luckily, you can throw it right back in and re-do it.  I’m sorry I don’t have the names with the  bags:

Pretty! Done in Lamb’s Pride Worsted with Fabu as a novelty addition, and felted flowers to embellish the front.

This was knit in several heathery shades of Berroco’s Peruvia Quick – the colors really complement each other.  I believe she’s making a hat to match one of the colors.  Love the vintage button!

And this bag was done by Lori Landa, who didn’t take the class – she loves to make bags:

Very elegant, with black suede straps and striking colors.

Here is an adorable baby dress that Carol Whitcraft made for us, using soft and yummy Crystal Palace Panda Silk, but any sock yarn would do:

It’s just the cutest thing, you have to see it!

Virginia Griffith just started knitting – not even a year ago!  Here are two things she’s completed recently – one a summer tee in Ty-Dy Cotton from Knit One, Crochet Too, which she learned from Janet in a class this summer…

…and a Nimbus jacket in a mixture of E. Lavold’s Silky Wool and Trendsetter’s Dune.  Both worn in one week, which just shows how goofy the weather has been:

Virginia has worked really hard on her knitting and has made some amazing projects in a very short time – she’s starting another cardy with lace borders at the hem and sleeves, and worked out the lace pattern by herself – I feel like a very proud mama (and so should Janet, who is such a supportive and encouraging teacher.) (Not to mention Donna, who can always get you on the right track whenever there’s a problem.)

Judy Keely has just completed her first sweater, a top-down raglan in a fun self-patterning yarn.  Doesn’t she look happy?? It’s either the sweater or the fact that she’s heading to the Southwest on vacation soon, I don’t know which.  Anyway, she’ll be able to pack this lightweight sweater for those cool nights:

And Diane Huddleston nicely agreed to model the red coat-sweater I showed you last week hanging on my bedroom door.  It looks a lot better on Diane (as do most things!)

Okay, that’s it for this week, folks.  Fire up those needles and get going – it’s knittin’ weather!

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

This is it blocking, taking up all open floor space in my bedroom. I had to roll across the bed if I wanted to get to my blow dryer. Luckily, with the incredible temperatures we had, it dried in about 24 hours.  You can see the construction of the shawl in this photo, all the modules building from the outside edge to the center.

Here it is at its soft and drape-y best.  Even though it took several intense weeks of knitting, I really loved the project and couldn’t be happier with the results.  Norah Gaughan’s design for Berroco was excellent, the pattern had only one problem, and the only thing I changed was the top edging, by making it a few rows less wide.  It took 14 balls of Classic Elite’s Fresco and was worth every penny and minute spent on it!  And, thank goodness, it’s out of my system and I can get on with new things, which I’ll be talking about soon.  Meanwhile, if you feel as I did about this wrap – that it simply must be knit – the pattern and yarn (in wonderful colors) are available now at the shop.

The heat has been something else, yes? and I think my brain was cooked – couldn’t think of one thing to say here, plus the computer room was always so hot, I just didn’t want to be in it!  However, the best things about July are also here – ripe local peaches (got some beauties at the West Reading Farmers’ Market) and my homegrown tomatoes are ripening as we speak.  Two things I love and only eat in season.  The stuff they ship from elsewhere shouldn’t even be called the same name!  Thanks to David Ritz for posting his amazingly numerous and beautiful projects and providing inspiration (and provoking envy)!

Fall yarns are arriving weekly now and the gals and I will be talking about fall classes soon.  I don’t want to rush through life, but I have to say I’m ready for fall weather and fall clothes.  From what I’ve noticed so far, vests are making a comeback – check this out:

Yarn and pattern coming soon.  Armwarmers optional!

Longer sweaters, or short sweaters layered over longer tops.  Big wraps and capes. Cowls and neckwarmers of all types.  Hats that have something special about them – cables, an interesting shape, fair-isle patterns, several colors or textures.  And, so I’m told by yarn reps, who admittedly have their own agenda but also see lines from the European markets that haven’t reached us yet, there is new interest in “fashion yarns” – those fun yarns that make great trims and accessories without a lot of fancy knitting.

I’m on a quest to find a great outside jacket pattern in superbulky yarn that will be warm enough to walk the dogs and run errands when the weather gets quite cold.  Low hip length, a big collar that can be buttoned up to my chin, an overlapping front for warmth, and a yarn that will make a dense but not heavy fabric.  Pattern Quest.  We should design a video game!

Okay, enough!  The heat wave has broken and I’m going out to do errands and enjoy the freshness of this beautiful day.

See you soon!

Trish

I love the change of seasons for many reasons and one of them is that it brings new fashions and colors to our notice.  I don’t rush out and buy stuff, of course, but I do love to see what the designers have thought up and see what the trends are.  As far as I can tell, the trends this season are for muted ombre colors and bright tone-on-tone prints, lots of ruffles and gathers and ties and other embellishments, loose plain jackets, and the safari look, which raises its pocket-y, lapel-y, belt-y head every few years. ( I ignore it because I look like Elmer Fudd on his wabbit-hunting trek. Don’t need all those extra things hanging on my clothes.)

I have to say, Berroco is right on top of these trends.  They’ve added an ombre line to their wonderful yarn Seduce and Norah Gaughan’s new collection is full of pleats, gathers, ruffles, and embellishments.  I can’t decide which to do for the shop, but I loved this the minute I saw it:

Lots of knitting but I think it may be worth it.

Karen Wenrich is knitting this gorgeous tank for the shop in black Bonsai:

This is the subtle pleat at the center of the eyelet detail.  Love it!

Bonsai and Seduce colors as well as the new Norah collection are at the shop already.  This was one thing I couldn’t wait for!

More about new yarns as time goes on.  Meanwhile, many of you are finishing up wonderful winter projects as you can see below.

Jettie Hunt and Kim Walker both finished their ganseys from the class that ended just before Christmas.  Jettie’s husband Michael is modeling his:

The sweater is not hot pink, it’s a gorgeous rich burgundy but I couldn’t get the photo to look like that.  So, I’m sorry, Michael, you’re not only headless but also extremely colorful!

Kim Walker knit her gansey in a beautiful dark green tweed, which  looks gray but gorgeous nonetheless in this photo.  It’s absolutely lovely.

The gansey was quite a project, with a huge commitment of time involved.  Congratulations to all who have finished theirs, and for those who are still working on it, keep going.  It’s definitely worth it!

Last week I showed you the Abstract Leaves Vest that Karen Walter is making and teaching.  It had three steeks (extra stitches added that allow you to continue to work Fair Isle in the round even after the garment has reached the armhole and neck openings).  This picture shows the neck finished and one armhole being worked on, while the third steek is still intact.

And here is the finished vest!

It really is a beautiful piece, and the yarn (Nature Spun Sport) makes a crisp design with a very soft hand.  Wonderful!

Lynne Nagle brought in this fabulous wrap that she crocheted.  It’s done in a self-striping yarn, with a beautiful swirling motif.

The pattern is called the Infinity Wrap and is available for download from Interweave Press’s store.  I hate to promote expensive downloaded patterns on this blog, but if the magazine is unavailable, at least it’s a good thing if the pattern can be still be purchased.

Jennifer Gensemer brought in this pretty cabled “snood” (which is not a snood but a neck wrap that can also be worn over the head as a hood.  A snood is an old fashioned hair net popular with Victorians.)  (Okay, I’ll try to quit the quibbling.) Jennifer did a beautiful job on it, working it in black Baby Alpaca Grande.  Margie Jozwiak was in the store and volunteered to model it for us.  Aren’t they both gorgeous?

Jennifer bought the pattern on the internet (Ravelry, I believe).  You can find it by googling “Snooty Snood.”

And here is this week’s Belle of the Blog.  Annie Harlin is a well-known artist and has worked in many media.  She’s retired, she says, but how do you retire from art?  By pleasing yourself and not potential customers, I guess, and look at the wonderful hooded cape she made from – oh, my gosh, I can’t even estimate the number of different yarns she used!  The braided fringing alone must have taken hours.  How wonderful to have this kind of vision, yes?

That’s it!  See you soon…

Trish