Yarn Gallery Blog

I’ve been spending way too much on Ravelry lately.  (If you knit under a mushroom and don’t know what Ravelry is, check it out here.)  Used to be, in the olden days of knitting, way back in ’06 or so, you’d find some yarn, pick a pattern, go home and knit it up.  Now you go on Ravelry, search for a project from dozens or hundreds or thousands, check out all the yarns people have made it in, see what they have to say about the yarn and the pattern, how they changed it or would if they had to do it again, then (I hope) head for the shop armed with a lot more information than you ever could have had before.  It’s pretty darned great.  And the choices we have in yarns these days is so amazing.  When I knit in the ’70′s, it was hard to find anything but fluorescent green plastic to knit with.

And people think it was just “hippie” style – no, I think that was the only color the acrylic machines pumped out.  If you knew enough to want to knit with real fiber, good luck finding it.  Those were the days when the little black and white ads in the back of the knitting magazines, where some obscure company offered real wool for sale by mail order, could be a life-line to all of us who didn’t live near a real yarn shop.  They were, believe me, few and far between.  In my hometown, there was woman who had a little shop in her dining room (I seem to remember lots of toilet paper covers, doilies in horrid color combinations and doll’s dresses) or there was Monkey Wards.  Both were filled with eye-searing colors of acrylic.  Possibly my passion for good yarn is a hangover from my sad yarn-deprived childhood.

Anyway (now that I’ve finished my trip down Memory Lane) Ravelry is a great place to get ideas when you have some yarn left over from a project or if you just have to have a ball – or you get a great deal from our Bargain Bin – of some wonderful yarn.  I search for new ideas for some yarns we’ve had for a while.  We just got in a shipment of Noro Kureyon and Silk Garden – we’ve had them for years and still love them for the amazing colors Eisaku Noro puts together.  We’ve made many sweaters, shawls, and scarves with them, and have seen some beautiful throws. I still want to make Lizard Ridge from Knitty – this may be the year because the Kureyon colors are simply amazing.

Still, I look on Ravelry for new ideas.  And because they were both in my hand at one time, I decided to make Baktus, a very simple sideways garter-stitch triangle, in a solid color of Elsebeth Lavold’s Baby Llama and a new color of Silk Garden.  I just started it:

It’s fun, and I think I’ll dress it up with a ruffle in the Silk Garden.  Here are all our colors of Silk Garden:

I always find that the Noro yarns don’t come across that well in photos – the joy of them is knitting and discovering how the colors play out.  That’s why I’m having fun with Baktus instead of doing something more serious, like taking the bindoff out of the collar on my Rittenhouse sweater and making it the right size (I tried to skimp, but the proportions didn’t work – oh, well, 5 more inches of k2, p2 rib won’t kill me.)

Here’s a good look at the Beseme (say Bessa-May – it means Kiss Me!) scarf that Lynne is teaching this fall.  How adorable is this thing?

Lynne crocheted it in Berroco’s Souffle, a soft gently-striping wool blend.  It’s so cute, fast, and just an outstanding accessory.  And here are samples of the jewelry she’s going to teach – I love these:

The bracelets are gorgeous and feel really good on your wrist.  I may have to take this class! Check out times/dates on the Class Page at yarngal.com.

We have a new free pattern at the shop for this pretty little cowl or capelet in a new yarn called Fumato.  It’s lightweight and warm with great yardage and has very subtle color changes throughout.  Deb Hawk kindly modeled for me

- and looked so completely adorable that of course she’s going to make one.  It’s super-easy and enjoyable to make, and I’ve also made it in Boboli, Berroco’s pretty multi-color that is also new this year.  I can think of about a dozen yarns that it would look absolutely great in.

And finally, Janet’s felted tote class finished their bags and she snapped this picture to show how different they all look, even though everyone used the same pattern.  It’s so much fun to see which colors everyone will choose and how they put them together:

Aren’t they great?  It’s almost time to think about gifts (!!!), and there are several wonderful ideas in this post alone.  Now, I’m going out to enjoy this beautiful day.  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

Yippee! I can upload pictures again, but first, if you missed the post from last week, be sure to update your bookmarks/RSS feed and any other preset for the blog from http://blog.yarngal.com to http://www.yarngal.com/blog.

The MadelineTosh has arrived and the afghan gals snagged a bunch of it.  I’ll have to reorder right away because I was at the store this morning (ordering fall yarn – gosh, so fabulous!) and saw that the carton was half-empty.  Still some wonderful things in there and I’ve got my eye on a skein of Tosh Sock that absolutely rocks.

Reminder: The shop will be closed on Sunday, May 30.

Let’s catch up with some older photos:

This is the Springtime Bandit shawl that I mentioned several weeks ago, a free pattern on Kelbournewoolens.com.  It’s pretty, fun, quick, and frankly, mine looks better than theirs, probably because of the blocking.  It’s a good pattern.

This is my Let’s dance a fandango! version of the Horizontal Feather and Fan shawl, a pattern that Janet teaches in her beginner lace class.  I used Noro’s Furin and inserted a few rows of Trendsetter’s Cha-Cha, and it’s just plain fun.  Fran Krieger is doing a beautiful version in off-white, very, very pretty.

Here are some photos that might get you into a class this summer.  First is Yuko Lewandoski’s version of the Adult Surprise Jacket.  The colors are bright but overall the effect is tailored and elegant.

This is Janet’s version of the shrug she’s teaching in her Mother-Daughter Design a Shrug class.  It’s too cute in a combo of Jelli-beenz and Fizz:

And here is the toe-up sock in progress, from Karen Walter’s class this summer.  It may be finished this week – it’s sort of like a striptease, every time I see her she shows a little bit more!  (This week she was in to raid the MadTosh before anyone else got their paws on it.)

Carol Whitcraft is knitting like a madwoman for her first great-grandchild.  Look at the beautiful blanket and this perfect little sweater in Jeannee, a soft cotton/acrylic blend.

And Karen Shearer’s granddaughter came in in her Baby Surprise, and even though we’ve shown her before, I had to take her picture again.  You can see why, can’t you?  Do you love the little pants or what?

Anne Nordhoy is an A-one knitter who knits like the wind and does the most intricate colorwork as naturally as you and I breathe.  She and her husband host an auction and fundraiser for the Y every year, and she knits many beautiful treasures to auction off.  Here are a sampling of what she’s offering this year.  They’re just too remarkable to remark on:

A Trio of Christmas Stockings

Thumb Detail (a boy and girl) of a Pair of Mittens

A Multi-Stitch Baby Blanket

Christening Gown and Bonnet

Delicate Lace Shawl

A Child's Ski Sweater

Child's Sweater

See what I mean?  It takes your breath away!

Enough for one day… see you soon!

Trish

This post won’t be long because I have a lot of computer work to do today, but I just want to tantalize you with a few projects from our summer class schedule.  First, though, I’ll show you a couple of projects that turned out really well, and tell you not to miss David Ritz’s latest in the post just below. Another gorgeous piece from David!

Carol Sullivan finished her Napa Pullover, and since it’s kind of yucky and cool today, she may even be getting some use from it before summer hits.  She used Kathmandu Aran and did a beautiful job: She chose an Annie Adams pewter shawl pin to secure the collar, which sets it off perfectly, even though it’s difficult to see in this photo.

Karen Wenrich is making a pair of bright purple socks for a young friend – they are such happy socks that I had to snap a picture of the first of the pair: Isn’t it purty?  She’s using Magic Loop, which she’ll be teaching this summer.

And Stephanie Fishkin brought in a wonderful baby blanket that she designed and knit in Nature Cotton and Patagonia, two Araucania yarns that are chunky and funky and perfect for a soft and comfy blankie.  She always has the blankets monogrammed at Initials Only.

All right, now for some glimpses of summer class projects!  That’s the computer work I have to accomplish today – I must get going on the schedule, signup sheets, web page, orders for materials, etc.  There’s a lot of work in putting a full boat of classes together, and we rarely repeat except for a few basics – we try to keep it fresh for you!

We seem to have a theme for summer: nearly every project we looked at had some amount of lace involved, so we went with it!  Janet is going to teach a simply beautiful feather and fan shawl, which Karen Wenrich is modeling here.  Janet used Noro Silk Garden  but this would be lovely in any lush yarn:

And Karen also models a sweet beret that Karen Walter is going to teach, made out of Fibra Natura Mermaid.  It’s a wonderful blend that got a nice review on Knitter’s Review:

Donna Guthrie made and will teach this great vest, made in Sublime Organic DK Cotton:

and Donna is also showing off a market bag that Karen Walter made and will teach.  It uses mitered squares with “cutouts” and is really a neat bag.  I love the two-tone handle.

Lynne Nagle will be teaching some beautiful crochet projects: a really gorgeous diagonal scarf, shown in Silk Garden a cute crocheted and felted handbag, and a pretty lacy shrug.  There are many more, including the on-going Great North American Afghan, beginner series, finishing classes, a lace shawl knitalong  with 2 shawls to choose from, and a pretty top-down tee with a demure lace panel. If I make serious progress today, I may have the schedule up by next week. You’ll get an e-mail if you’ve subscribed.  If not, do it here!

This past week was the last week (until fall) for the fabulous gals who work at the store, so I’d like to say thanks to Becky Lawrence, Janet Kakareka, Karen Walter and Karen Wenrich for all their great help and expertise this past season.  I’ll be on my own in the shop for the summer and I’ll miss them.  I’m sure you will too since you may have to wait for help with your problems.  My advice:  take a class to stretch your skills, or knit something fun and simple this summer, and just enjoy!

See you soon…

Trish