April - 2008

April 29. 2008

Well as most of you must know by now, the class schedule is done - and I'm doing the dance of joy.  (The dogs love it when I dance - thank goodness no one else can see.) It's been an intense week and a half trying to get everything on the computer, on the website, on everyone's calendars, then photos and signup sheets, and finally ta-da!  I want to thank Bridget Gaughan and Margaret D'Amico who signed up for classes about 30 seconds after the e-mail went out.  Those girls are on the ball!

I'm catching up on e-mails, so if I missed anyone or you got deleted in the 500 - 800 viagra offers that were waiting for me when I finally got around to it, please forgive me and try again.

Remember, our hours are changing May 1.  The new ones are now posted on our Hours Page as well as our door, the phone, and our business cards.  Just remember - no more Tuesdays until further notice!

Since I am heartily sick of the computer right now, I'm going to show you some great projects and then get on with things I haven't had time for: cleaning my house, washing winter sweaters, getting in touch with friends - and knitting!

First, Rochelle Mann designed and knit this great sweater for her husband in a heathery shade of blue Encore.  Her work is always impeccable - I love those wavy cables on the sleeves.

Barb Werner was in for some sock projects to take along when she goes to her daughter's college graduation and brought this stunning project to show us.  She knit this Lucy Neatby scarf in Jaeger 4-Ply Merino.  It's so lovely in the lace pattern.

Diane Monderiewicz attended a few of Janet's Friday morning sock classes and produced a beautiful pair of socks, as you can see.  Usually everyone's first pair is a little wonky, but these fit her perfectly.   

And lastly, Chris Dreazen brought in her handspun that she made from the Mountain Colors top we ordered for her.  There's something about handspinning that blends colors so beautifully, or maybe it's Chris's talent. I've just gotten in a couple Learn to Spin kits from Nancy's Knit-Knacks.  It includes a little fiber, a drop spindle and a DVD to show how to do it.  I'm thinking of trying it, just to see what it's all about.  Chris's yarn makes it very tempting.

Okay - I'm signing off for the rest of the day.  See you soon!

Trish

April 23, 2008

Short post this week - my computer time is being spent on the new class schedule.  I'm finally seeing it come together, with some really great ideas for all levels.  But my goodness, getting all the information together in one place is amazingly difficult.  Next week I'll have it done, with maybe a couple of things to be added later if free time opens up for a teacher.  Anyway, I know you'll forgive a short post because you would rather see a new schedule instead of my regular blah-blah-blahg!

I spent most of Monday with a yarn rep - yes, they're out there selling for fall already, while we've barely got the cottons and bamboos into the shelves!  Very nice stuff for fall, as well as some new sock-y and baby things coming sooner.  I think you'll really like them!

Here are a few photos from this past week:

First, Karen Walter knit this gorgeous short-sleeved lace cardigan from Rowan's 4-Ply Cotton in this great mango shade.  The design is from their most recent magazine, and I love all the feminine details.  The yarn is a fingering cotton, so it takes a while to knit a sweater, but with these classic touches, you'll wear it forever.

Carol Sullivan is just getting back into knitting and came in to show us her first felting project:

Sorry about the blurry pic, we wanted to get the colors of the bag right and the flash washed them out.  Aren't they the greatest?  The bag is a simple shape, but the color selection and the way they're blended make this a stunner. Carol is on her way!

Mary Hofmann finished her first sock on Magic Loop.  The toe was freshly grafted for the photo - one down, one to go.  The yarn is Colinette's Jitterbug, a wonderful yarn in a brilliant colorway called Blue Parrot (newly back in stock, I might add).  A new shipment of the yarn came in while Mary was grafting - she loved the yarn so much she bought three more skeins in the gorgeous new colors we got.  (I'm sorry, I'd show you, but several colors were sold out by the time the weekend was done.)

And finally, this sideways cardigan from the cover of Vogue Knitting.  I finished it, with much gnashing of teeth over the shoulder bindoffs I'm afraid, and of course, now I love it. Very interesting to knit, and because of keeping the lace pattern correct (or at least mostly so) while doing seven sets of bindoffs for each shoulder and several at the neckline, I think it more deserving of an Experienced rating rather than Intermediate.  The instructions had no mistakes, at least for the middle size, so if you want to try it, go for it.  You know we'll help!

Okay that's it!  Enjoy the weather and being outside, and pity me peering at the computer screen while I try to make a sensible class schedule!

See you soon...

Trish

April 15, 2008

Happy Tax Day!  For anyone who is really spending today getting taxes together, you have my sympathy.  For all the rest of us, let's breathe a little self-satisfied sigh and wait for the rebate so that we can go out and boost the economy, like good little consumers.  Gotta love those politicians!

Is that why we like knitting so much - because we really do have control over something?  As Elizabeth Zimmerman said, "You are the boss of your own knitting."  That has stuck with me ever since I read Knitting Without Tears. If you're just beginning to knit, it doesn't seem that way.  It seems like evil spirits or poltergeists are the bosses of your knitting.  For some people, it seems like Trish is the boss of their knitting.  But you get to a point, if you keep at it, where you think, "Hmm, I don't have to blindly follow the pattern.  I can add or take away waist shaping, do the neckline differently, use a different yarn, add a zipper instead of a button band," and on and on. When you start saying "I could..." and then it becomes "I can..." that is the moment when knitting is not just fun and relaxing, but also exciting and creative.  And the more you knit and the more new things you try, the closer you get to that moment.

Wait a minute, got to climb down off my soapbox. 

There, back down to earth.  So, we got some new yarn this week - you're surprised, aren't you?  We got new colors of Cotton Classic - very vibrant and beautiful.  New colors of Noro Hotaru, to make our simple cardigan (free pattern, really easy) or our Yoke Summer Top (ditto.)  New colors of Debbie Bliss Pure Silk - so yummy, soft, luxurious. And this new yarn from Elsebeth Lavold called Bamboucle:

I really like it.  It's a textured blend of bamboo, cotton, linen and nylon.  It has a soft-rough texture reminiscent of terry cloth, but with the underlying smoothness and drape of bamboo.  Hard to describe, but the hand is very nice indeed.  I'm not sure what I'm going to knit out of it yet, but we all agree it would make a really great exfoliating washcloth (or mitt) as part of a gift basket.  It's too nice to just be washcloths, but sometimes, especially with an unusual blend of fibers like this, you have wait until the yarn tells you what it wants to be.

I called up Tilli Tomas last week because they sent me an e-mail showing some wonderful new totes.  I ordered 3, they popped in the door on Wednesday and now there is only one left.  Here is the lonely last tote:

in black with olive lining.  It's very sturdy with a million pockets inside and tres chic. Click the link above to see other colors - I'll be ordering again next week so if you want to order or want more details, let me know.

And Chris Dreazen, who spins as well as knits, wanted to try some of this hand-dyed Targhee top from Mountain Colors, so I ordered a little for stock for any other spinner out there who may want to try it.  It's really beautiful, you can see the dyeing techniques so clearly on the fiber.  And if you separate it into fairly even strands, you can knit with it or thrum mittens and socks with it.  It's fiber, it's pretty, we'll think of something!

I finally finished something and now I love it again.  This little jacket in Royal Bamboo is wonderful.  It's a Classic Elite design:

that looks like:

so you can see how choice of colors really changes the look.  It's very nice to wear, smooth and cool.

And just look at these great projects:

Lynn Nagle CROCHETED these socks!

They came out a little big (we sock knitters all know that story!) so she's starting another pair in a lacy pattern.  They are surprisingly soft and cozy and work great for house socks.

Here are more socks, by Loretta Hollenbach and Martha Van Kouwenberg freshly grafted at the last session of the Magic Loop Sock class.  Beautiful job!

Two views of the Manos shrug, just finished by Barb Piazza, with a perfect job of knitting and blocking:

and here is our lace tank (free pattern here) just finished by David Ritz:

Another beautiful piece by David!

I guess that's it for this week - there's more to talk about but dogs need walking, house needs cleaning - you know the drill!  I'm truly working on the new class schedule so be patient - I'll e-mail when it's set.

See you soon...

Trish

April 9, 2008

Good Morning!  Another fabulously gray day in Berks County, PA - but we're not going to let that bother us.  This weather is great for lots of things - let's list 'em!

1)  Acclimatizing your plants to the outdoors.

2) Learning how to entertain your children on those days when they simply won't go outside and leave you alone.

3) Putting on gray clothing to become invisible and stalking your enemies.

4) Polishing your flip=flops and freshening up your (sigh) summer wardrobe from last year.

5) Shopping on-line.  I told you last week about Rebecca Botvin's adorable line of children's clothes.  Here's her website - www.beccabeedesigns.etsy.com - full of really cute things and there's a sale on through April for local people.  And here's her daughter Nina in a mermaid sweater Rebecca designed and knit just for her:

6) Volunteering.  Phyllis Dessel, Quality Manager at the County Office of Aging called the other day.  She's arranging a staff training day on brain fitness, and one of the points they want to make is that learning new things is good for your brain.  She wanted to see if there were any knitters out there who would volunteer to do a couple hours teaching knitting basics (cast on, knit, bind off) to their staff members. It would be from 1:00 - 3:30 on Tuesday May 20 at a site to be determined.  Anyone who might like to help out can call Ms. Dessel at 610-478-6500 or e-mail her at pdessel@countyofberks.com.

7) My favorite: knitting!  Take advantage of this crummy weather to finish up some of your leftover projects.  Remember that beautiful scarf you decided to make for dear cousin Agnes then put aside because it was taking so long and was fussy to knit?  Dig it out, figure out where you were when you got bored and add a few rows to it.  If you do that every day for a couple weeks, it will be done and Agnes will have it for her next birthday, if she makes it, poor old thing. 

I know it's not 10 things, but you can fill in the rest.  Spring cleaning, shredding that stack of credit card offers that's been growing under your desk, anything to pass the time until the sun shines again, someday.

Meanwhile, here are some great projects tobrighten the day:

Shoshana Tannenbaum finished this Absolutely Fabulous Colinette afghan for her son and daughter in law. It's lovely!

Jennifer Fernandez knit this beautiful Elsebeth Lavold design for her daughter:

It's just gorgeous, isn't it? I love the cable details on the skirt.

David Ritz finished his top-down cabled pullover already!  It's pretty in periwinkle blue Linen Isle.  People think I knit fast, but I can't hold a candle to David!

And I wanted to show you the finished shawl I made to be auctioned off at the Museum Gala this year.  It's made in Handmaiden Yarns Maiden blend of silk and wool in gold and is a tribute to my friend Georgette Leroux.  Georgette, who volunteeered at the Museum for many years, died last year.  She was born in Belgium and loved lace. She also collected beautiful antique fans and the edging around the bottom of the shawl looks like a series of tiny fans.  There are other things in the motifs that remind me of her, but I won't bore you with them.  Most of the motifs in the ground are from Knitting Lace Triangles by Evelyn Clark and the edging is from Barbara Walker's First Treasury of Knitting Patterns.

That's it for this week, folks.  Now, all together, let's run outside and do a sun dance.  Yes, if you must, you can do it naked.  If it works, no one will arrest you!

See you soon...

Trish

April 2, 2008

Warm weather is coming, folks, and beginning in May, we're going to a summer schedule, meaning simply that we'll be closed on Tuesdays again.  We'll still be open on Thursday evenings until 7, so the schedule will be as shown above.  I'm also doing away with formal help sessions for the summer:  If you need help with a project, just come in when you have time. You'll have to be prepared to wait if we're with other customers, but you're all pretty sweet about that anyway.  Our help sessions have a way of running rather long (sometimes all day) so we're just going with the flow.

Have you been to a West Reading First Thursday yet? This week kicks off the season with blue grass music from the Manatawny Creek Ramblers.  They're playing at 6th and Penn from about 5:30 to 8:30. I think a lot of the stores are staying open later, too.  Come in and say hi if you decide to attend.

We've had a lot of questions about summer classes, and believe me, we're trying to get a great schedule together for you.  It takes a lot of coordination to get this scattered group of teachers together to make a plan.  We're working on it, I promise.  Meanwhile, don't forget Janet's Friday morning sock class from 11 - noon - no need for reservations, just come and learn how to make great socks!  Now's the time to get started, you know - they make great summer projects, great travel projects, and perfect Christmas gifts. And we have a couple spaces in the Great American Afghan series, continuing into the spring on the 4th Saturdays of April, May & June.  You can read about it here.

Now I want to show you a couple of projects David Ritz just made from two of our in-house patterns.  First is a Napa Pullover made for his mother in a pretty iris shade of Cleckheaton Country 8-ply.  This is a great superwash wool, so it's practical as well as pretty.

And then he finished the Yoke Summer Top in Noro's Taiyo:

Love this colorway!  Dave is a fast and adventurous knitter with a great eye for color and style.

Mary Ann Posey brought in this beautiful afghan made for her by her daughter.  It's a Colinette Absolutely Fabulous afghan, made in the garter ridge pattern.  It's really beautiful, with colors that are perfect for Mary Ann's house.

Donna Hain brought in her new Kitchen Sink Bag to sew on the handles, and was wearing her Placed Cable Pullover in this great red Silk Dream, so I got a picture of both the bag (sans handles) and Donna, much to her annoyance.  No one is safe if they enter wearing a gorgeous sweater like this!

The bag is in blues, greens and a dark, dark brown shade of Galway, with Fabu as the accent yarn bringing all the shades together.  It's so pretty, and with dark brown leather handles - beautiful!

And this is a great way to end this post.  Look at Rebecca Botvin's adorable little guy in his bright red devil hat.  He looked so cute - and was an angel the whole time they were in the store!  You can't tell from the picture, but the ties are little pointed devil tails. I should have gotten a picture of his sister, who was wearing an outfit made by Rebecca, who designs children's clothes. Next time she's in, I'll ask if there's a website (if my brain is working that day.)

That's it! I have no projects of my own to talk about because I'm getting almost nothing done and I'm not sure why.  Too much paperwork, not enough knitting!

See you soon...

Trish