march - 2007

March 27, 2007

It's beginning to look a lot like spring around the shop - this week we received our Classic Elite yarns, including Classic Silk and Pebbles, and new colors of Calmer from Rowan.  We've put new models up for display, including a luscious-feeling pullover made by Karen Wenrich.  It's a great design from Oat Couture's easy-knit line called the Silverlake Pullover, and the yarn is a soft cotton-blend tweed from Lang called Atlantis.  Wearing it is like eating your favorite comfort food: absolutely yummy.  We have a new V-neck tank/vest in Berroco's classic Cotton Twist, and the fun drop-stitch cabled sweater that I showed you a couple weeks ago, done in Calmer from Rowan.  Feels so good, everyone just wants to hug it.

We also received a shipment of older-but-new-to-our-shop Debbie Bliss and Jo Sharp design collections.  A distributor was having a clearance, so I took advantage and now instead of $15, you can buy them for $7.95 or $8.95.  They're good, classic designs by two of the best designers so, if you'd like a look, come in while I still have them.  I fell in love with one of the designs and am looking for the perfect yarn - you'll see it soon in real life, I hope.   With all the yarn I have, you'd think it would be no problem to find the one I want, but sometimes, as you all well know, there's something in your head and nothing will do until you can match it exactly.  Problem is that it's designed in Aran weight yarn and I don't carry a lot of that for summer.  Now I must go on a yarn hunt till I find the exact cotton blend that will give me the smoothness of 100% cotton without the droop.  I don't know what's more fun - looking for the perfect yarn or finding it and knitting it.  We all must have a dream!

Meanwhile, I'm working on a Baby Surprise Jacket.  For those who don't keep up with blogs, this is an Elizabeth Zimmerman design from 1968 (and if you don't know who EZ is, order a copy of her Knitting Without Tears right this minute!) that is so clever and cute that it enjoys a renaissance about every 10 years or so, and it's all the rage now.  When I first opened the store, I made a model and gave a class, but it was too soon, I think.  I believe that only one person actually finished the jacket and that was after 4 years!  (The original grandchild for whom it was planned was long past fitting into it.)  Now we have lots of people who are capable of doing it and many who would find it irresistible fun.  I'm halfway through, so maybe a picture next week?

Bev Bortner finished the model for our crocheted scarf class (Sunday, April 22 - still openings left).  She worked it in Jade Sapphire's 2-Ply Hand-dyed Cashmere, and it's beautiful.  The stitch pattern is very basic and is accessible to anyone who knows how to single crochet, so if you'd like this delicate beauty for your very own, call to reserve your place.  This would also be lovely in a fingering weight merino, such as Koigu.

Too bad this isn't a true "Touch" screen! I would love it if you could touch all the yarns I talk about while you're reading this.

Wednesday Night #1 went well, with everyone getting a good start on their Lotus Clutch.  We'll finish up this week, then we'll be starting the belt made from Eros Extreme in One-Skein Wonders.  You'll need to bring/buy size seven needles (circular or straight) and one skein of Eros Extreme or 100 yd. of  another bulky ribbon that you originally met at Yarn Gallery.   If you want beads on the fringes, bring 14 pony beads of your choice.  Remember we start at 7, but if you need supplies, please come early.  We'll also be selecting the next project to be worked on - if there's anyone out there who wants to do the tea cozy (noisily voted down last week - it's pretty complicated), Judy Alderman wants you to come and vote for it! Meanwhile, here's my version of the belt:

Okay, I'm going to quit yakking momentarily, but I want to show you a couple cute things I saw this past week (among many, really).  Margie Leisawitz made this cute top-down kid's sweater for her grandchild, and she did it lickety-split.  If it's for the kids, it gets done, while a beautiful sweater for herself, lacking only one sleeve, languished for over a year before finally being bound off this week - but that's a grandmother for you!

And Stephanie Fishkin, being blessed with a very prolific circle of friends and family, seems to create nothing but baby blankets, but they are all so cool!  This colorful number is just the latest of several I've seen, all done in Nature Cotton and worked in color blocks and in various stitch patterns (see detail below).  Then she has them personalized at Initials Only with the baby's name.  No wonder her friends keep having babies - I'm sure it's just to get the blankets!

Have a great week, everyone!  See you soon-

Trish

March 20, 2007

I feel like I'm in a weird little time warp.   The sunlight outside says spring, I'm knitting tank tops and lacy little cardigans - spring, right? - I have the urge to go outside and dig in the dirt - but when I go outside, everything is piled up with snow!  It's okay, though, spring happens tomorrow and I'm ready. 

Our Wednesday nights also begin tomorrow, and I'm excited for that.  We're starting with the Lotus clutch, which is very cute and clever. 

                                             If you're coming and don't have materials yet, you'll need to buy one skein of Noro Lotus, bring or buy size 11 needles and the book we're using, One Skein Wonders. We start at 7 pm, but if you need yarn, come a little early because it has to be wound.  We'll also decide which project will be next on our agenda.  Can't wait!

There are new Just the Facts and Purl Girls sessions on the Class page.   Every now and then I think that everyone who ever wanted to learn how to knit must know by now, but apparently, that's not the case.  We still have plenty of demand for our beginner series, for which I'm very grateful, and now there is a pleasant blend of new and experienced knitters in our shop. 

Speaking of experienced knitters, Margitta Pfleger came in wearing her finished Fair Isle sweater from the recent class that Bev Bortner taught.  I love how the sweater colors set off her own stunning coloring, don't you?

Margitta took basic classes just a year or two ago, and has simply soared into more and more complex classes and techniques. 

And Suzy Crump has also become an accomplished knitter.  She has an artist's adventurous nature, which leads her to try things that we might not think of.  She made a very cute sweater for her granddaughter Mia last year, and now the sweater itself still fits but was too short.  Suzy fixed that by picking up around the bottom edge and knitting a lacy panel (luckily she had extra yarn!!), then adding a row of French knots to accent (and incidentally disguise) the join. It is so sweet and looks even better than the original sweater.

  Suzy in another handknit sweater                     Mia's Sweater

Oh, I could go on about the great projects and new yarn coming in every day at the shop, but I'll save that.  I promised Geordie a good long walk today, and he's holding me to it.  Off we go...

See you soon.

Trish

March 13, 2007

Wow, what a beautiful day it turned out to be!  I think the only people who could possibly be disappointed in today's weather are the ones who just finished their cabled Montera sweaters, without a chance to wear them.  But I think we're in for another spell of cold weather so they'll get to take them for a spin.

This warm weather inspired me to finish a sweater that I knit completely last summer and then totally lost interest in and never put together.  I was yearning to knit for fall and this sweater, even thought it has a lot of really fun, non-repeating cables, was in Rowan's Calmer, a decidedly warm-weather yarn, and has a bunch of dropped stitches - also just too much fun, but very open, and it just wasn't a fall sweater.  I can't tell you another time that has happened to me - I'm a finisher, by gum, and when all the pieces are knit, they get made into a sweater, no matter what.  But this time I just couldn't do it.  So all of you who have pieces of sweaters sitting in bags and baskets and ziplocks and closets, waiting forlornly for you to put them together so they can be worn and loved instead of dreaded and despised - just know that I understand.  But also know that I finally put this one together, and isn't it cute? Well, it is and you'll have to come in to see it because my picture is kind of crummy.  Anyway, pick one of your sweaters-in-waiting and sew it on up!  You'll feel all virtuous and you'll also quickly have something new to show off.

One more of our Sunrise Circle jackets has been completed.  Peggy Schlegel finished hers, after having to totally rip out one (very complex) front due to a gauge change.  She persevered and hardly even grumbled and here is the finished product!  She looks great in it, and can now begin to knit for her soon-to-be first grandchild, which was a terrific motivator for getting this project done. 

There is one more jacket out there to be finished. I won't mention any names, but come on, Patsy, you can do it! 

Our next Knitalong will be a beautiful lace project, led by Karen Walter and meeting weekly for 8 weeks starting in June.  I'm just putting the details up on the class page now.   We're charging a fee this time to cover Karen's time (she's an expert lace knitter and lots of fun to knit with), but the cost of the yarn is reasonable and the pattern is included so it won't be overly expensive to do.  You can attend or miss any session, there will be no set goals except to have the project done in the 8 weeks, which should be perfectly do-able with Karen's weekly support. (I'm going to knit-a-long too - it's not often I get to enjoy the company of others to just knit and not be in charge.)

One more great thing to show you before I go mop up the hairy, muddy footprints from my floor (one drawback to everything melting - but I'm not complaining!!)  Deb Hawk finished her Fair-isle turtleneck and it's beautiful.  I won't go into the little bit of fudging and felting that occurred, but Deb simply won't have it any way other than perfect - and it is!

Excuse the fuzzy area around the sweater - I tried to blend out the background so you could see the sweater and it look like I overdid it a little.  Oh, well, when it's 70 degrees outside, who cares?

Have a great week!  See you soon-

Trish

March 7, 2007

I'm a little late with an update this week.  I think I'm just a little wordy (no, really?), and this page was getting too big.  So Janelle at Design Revolution (janelle@designrev.com, if you ever are interested in your very own website.  It's kind of a blast, really.) came to the rescue as usual and set up an archive of past postings, which you can see to the right.  So I hope it takes you less time to catch up on what's going on at the shop.

It's snowing and although I'm going to the shop soon, I'm not counting on seeing anybody today.  Geordie will be very disappointed because after two whole days of just me, he's ready for some excitement.  I try to get him worked up when I finish a sweater, but really, he's just not that into knitting.  But I did finish a really cute number this this week, in Classic Elite's Classic Silk.  They have a lot of great designs in their spring collection, which you can see on their website or at the shop. This one struck me from the beginning - it's a little challenging but it's seriously adorable when done.

Last week was fun - we received our shipment of Royal Bamboo from Plymouth.  It was one of our favorites last year, and I just went all out this year - they added beautiful new solids and multicolors.  I'm trying to decide what to knit for a new model - it would be lovely in any pattern for a light worsted weight yarn.  We also received Savannah, another great fiber combo from The Fibre Company.  A mixture of all kinds of things - wool, soy, cotton and heaven only knows what else, it comes in lovely heather shades.  I only got 5, but am looking at the gorgeous color card as we speak, wondering if I can afford some more.  ("I just want some more..." - isn't that the Target commercial?)  Melissa Korth is using it in a throw she's designing to accent her new living room furnishings, along with a lovely melange of other yarns and colors.  And I want to thank "Melissy" for lending me a copy of The Friday Night Knitting Club - I finished it yesterday - what a moving story it tells.  I really recommend it.

What else?  Oh yes, we got a shipment of "Tofutsies" from Southwest Trading Company.  Another fun combo of fibers for your feet, it has wool, soy, cotton, and chitin which is fiber made from shrimp and crab shells and is in there, supposedly, because it's a natural antibacterial agent.  Not that our tootsies would SMELL, of course, but just in case?  I don't know how effective it is or if it's just a gimmick, frankly.  However, the yarn is yummy, comes in a lot of fun colors.  The sock I'm making is soft and pretty, so I don't much care about the seafood buffet aspect.

The last class for the Cabled Sweater took place on Sunday.  Everyone's sweater is really coming together.  Wish I had pictures for you, but we'll show them as the finished products are worn into the shop.  And it looks like we'll have the weather for wearing these sweaters - definitely warm winter sweaters! - for another few days.

A couple more projects to show you:  First, Najma Iqbal finished a vest she started last summer, just in time for spring.  She used a pretty hand-painted yarn, and despite a rather long hiatus from knitting, finished it up with enthusiasm and determination in short order when she got back to it. (She is now working on a wonderful cardigan in Soho Bulky Tweed, which she will have ready LONG BEFORE next winter, right Najma?)

And finally, Tracie Yawger, who is the children's librarian at Spring Township Library when she isn't knitting, brought in a couple cute projects, some great mittens and this absolutely adorable baby jacket in Encore Colorspun.

I love the way the long color changes accent the all-in-one-piece raglan designs. Cute, cute, cute!

By the way, don't miss the article on Hobbies in the spring issue of Berks County Living magazine.  There's a nice write-up on three Berks yarn shops, including us, of course!

Okay, Janelle has done her magic and I can upload the update!  Keep on knitting, you all, and bring in those beautiful projects!

See you soon-

Trish

February 28, 2007

Wow, I just took a clear look at my house and it looks like someone set off a bomb in here - not a bad bomb full of harmful things, but a good bomb, full of yarn and knitting paraphernalia.  Truthfully, I've been knitting like crazy lately (you're surprised, aren't you?) going from one project to the next without a breather and having 3-4 projects going at once, something I try not to do because then it feels like there's no progress being made at all.  But sometimes it just happens.  I'll be happily working away on a nice cabled T-shirt when this flirty little fingering weight catches my eye and I think, "Wouldn't that be nice in crochet?  I haven't had a serious crochet project for a while. I should do one, so my crochet customers don't feel ignored."  And off I go, swatching and learning the pattern, investing serious time because crochet is not easy for me.  Love the results but realize this will take a while to finish - fine, I'll do a few rows every evening, which I do.

The cabled T is coming along and I love the Classic Silk I'm working with, but my hands ache a little from the non-stretchiness of the yarn.  It would be lovely to work with wool - just a small project - a hat, a scarf.   I poke around the back room at the shop - oh, gosh, here's the luscious Optimum wool I bought a few years ago.  It's soft and lofty, with a micron count similar to cashmere.  Very pricey - too pricey, it was a mistake to buy so much.  But how can anything so beautiful be a mistake?  All it needs is the right model (and a little discount) and people will see how wonderful it is.  But just a hat or scarf?  This is the kind of fiber that begs to be a sweater worn next to your skin.  A simple little sweater, maybe a top-down raglan so it doesn't take too much yarn - let's swatch and see what a twisted rib would look like.  Oh yeah, baby, that's what I like!  And another project is born...

So now I've counted approximately 500 million yarn snippets all over the knitting chair, ottoman, and surrounding rug, as well as 7 stitch markers on said rug, and 2 on the chair (not counting the ones that are still in projects - I hope).  3 counters, 2 pairs of scissors, 2 cable needles, 14 circular needles and two sets (complete, I hope) of double points.  Two new knitting books I'm still drooling over, 3 patterns in progress along with notes of what I changed, 3 that are next in line (probably), 3 pens, 1 pad of sticky notes, 5 balls of yarn waiting to be swatched, a basket and 2 bags of yarn for works-in-progress, 3 fashion magazines to see what's new in the spring ready-to-wear lines - not much for us BTW, unless you'd like to knit your very own micro-mini - plus Melissy's copy of  Friday Night Knitting Club, which she kindly allowed me to borrow.  (It's a good book and I'm really enjoying it - well-written, good characters with interesting stories.  The author knows about knitting but she also knows how to write, which isn't always true in books aimed at a niche audience.)

So, to get back to my theme, it's time to clean up around here.  And I will.  But we just got this beautiful hand-dyed cotton from Ellyn Cooper and really, it's whining at me to be swatched.  Maybe I'll just see what needle size it likes to be knit on...

Before I start cleaning (yeah, right) I have to show you two beautiful sweaters Elaine Vardjan knit for her girls.  Elaine has been knitting since she was a little girl and does expert work, always with wonderful yarns.  She takes an idea and runs with it:  started out with a vest in mind, but didn't like that look, so added sleeves.  The next sweater is similar but the yarn is different.  She came in for yarn for number 3 and I can't wait to see how that turns out. 

And I did actually finish a project, amidst all the other stuff I'm working on.  Here's a picture of my finished throw in mistake rib on size 15 needles, using three different yarns held together, with a fourth thrown in for the fringe.  It turned out just as I had hoped, soft and with a luxurious drape, even through I used summer yarns that will be usable all year, not just in winter. 

You'll have to come in to touch and see.  We're going to kit these in the colorways I have available - I'll try to have photos next week of the colors.

Oh, good, it's time to get ready for work.  I'll clean tomorrow!

See you soon..

Trish