Things we have been up to:

We have all been designing and knitting like crazy to come up with a slew of new hat patterns for all of you for a special February promotion, which will start next week. Here are two I have been working on: an adult Como roll brim hat and a children’s Kureyon roll brim hat. These and MANY more will be available next week – watch for your newsletter.

Announcement 1:

On Monday February 1 from 2-8 pm we will have Linda Cortright in the shop. She is the founder and publisher of Wild Fibers Magazine. (If you haven’t seen it, you don’t know what you are missing. Published here in Maine and about all things fiber; Amazing Photographs!) She also founded Keep the Fleece as a celebration to honor the United Nations International Year of Natural Fibres in 2009. She started a project called the World’s Longest Scarf in 2009 to promote the importance of natural fibers by creating the world’s longest scarf made from natural fibers. It is now nearly 1000 feet long! Each row in the scarf represents one dollar donated to Heifer International which provides fiber animals to poor families to enable them to become self-supporting. She needs help sewing it up!! SO she will be here at the shop with all these yards of scarves and we need recruits to come and help stitch them together. Come if you are local, call a friend or two; it should be great fun. At the very least, read up about it. It is a great cause for fiber awareness.

Announcement 2:

I have finally gotten Michael to agree to a blog post for all the weavers out there! (I simply talked him to death until he had to agree. He called me a car salesman and I tried not to be offended.) He is starting with one post a month and I have warned him he may need to do more depending on interest and feedback. He will have his own spot on the homepage where you can click and get right to his post which is called ‘Advancing the Warp’. He will be talking about what he is working on, what he is planning and answering FAQ’s from weavers and anyone else who has one! Be sure and tune in….

The pattern itself is lovely. All leaves and trailing vines… As lace goes it’s not a hard pattern to get the rhythm of and it only patterns on the right side. (On the back you are knitting knits and purling purls.) But what makes it truly amazing is the scale. Two strands of a super bulky yarn knit on size 35 needles. 1.25 stitches per inch. How often do you get to look at knitting on this type of scale?

I think knitting itself is magical; it will forever astound me that a person can pick up yarn and two sticks and make a garment. (or any other thing) You don’t even have to understand knitting to make something. You just need to master the knit stitch. You can go along forever without really understanding it and then you knit something at a gauge of 1.25 stitches to the inch. WOW! Suddenly the difference between SSK and K2tog makes all the sense in the world. These trailing vines have forever changed the way I look at lace and I loved it to begin with.

You don’t have to go crazy and buy 20 balls of Como and a pair of size 35 needles. Pick a lovely lace pattern and your favorite bulky yarn. Go a little crazy and double it on size 15’s and watch this magic happen for yourself. Call me and I’ll help you with the chart.

Christmas Stocking was finished too, all except the name in duplicate stitch. I didn’t think it was necessary to hurry and put her name on it in light of the fact that she decided not to use it this year. You heard me right. I didn’t make myself one and due to unfortunate circumstances I found myself without a stocking this year. While out shopping for my Christmas gifts at Old Navy, she bought me a fleece stocking, which they had on sale for $1.00. She gave it to me before Christmas and proclaimed that our stockings didn’t match. Could we please go back to Old Navy and get a stocking for her so our stockings would look alike? (How to resist?) A couple of days later I was graciously given a lovely hand-knit stocking. When I showed it to her she agreed that we could use the homemade ones next year… The purple striped/pink jeweled one is mine.

I also managed to knock out one of those super bulky weekend pullovers for my cousin Sandy who helped me lay ceramic tile in my new house. In Christmas Red of course. We clash beautifully when I wear my bright purple one.

So! On to new and improved projects. The most exciting (and ridiculous)thing I am knitting is the Leaf Lace Shawl from the Vogue Knitting Shawls and Wraps compilation. I have seen this wrap before in one of their mags and was transfixed by it then. The photography is stunning and as crazy as it looks, it begs to be knit. I found myself with 20 balls of Debbie Bliss butter yellow Como that I impulsively bought when the distributor sent it to us by mistake. I could not resist the color and had at least three sweaters in mind (as usual). I settled on one in the Como book, cast on and knit in the round up to the armholes. I them divided it into front and back and knit most of the back. Then the sweater got very comfortable in my knitting basket and began to languish. I should have had this sweater done by Christmas and I didn’t even want to work on it. When this Shawls and Wraps book crossed my desk this week and I saw the pic on the back cover, I knew. So I went home and frogged the 10 balls of yellow I had knit and cast on the shawl. The Como is bulkier than the yarn in the pattern so instead of a 19 I am using a 35 (because the yarn is doubled). Doesn’t that make it even more over the top ridiculous? Using 20 balls of Como for a wrap is a kind of absurd my co-workers are used to so I am off to the races! I have one of ten total chart repeats done. Check back for progress…

There is just so much knitting you can do for yourself before you run out of room for it all.  I have filled my drawers, my closet shelves, a cedar chest and given lots of it away.  But as long as I’m at Halcyon, there will be another skein of yarn or a pattern that just cries out to go home with me.  That leads to my computer/yarn storage/Christmas tree room–which is another story for another day.  I’m trying to convince my family that the Christmas tree would look lovelier in another room or I will be as busy as one of Santa’s elves moving yarn!

For years, I have been offering to knit sweaters, socks anything for my three sons.  When they were little, I could do that.  But now, except for the occasional winter hat, or the mittens we sent to Afghanistan, I get painful expressions and attempts at tactful responses.  Imagine my elation when my eldest (and biggest) last year came into the store and announced that he wanted a sweater. Be careful what you wish for!  He chose the pattern, one that requires reading every line of a 52 row repeat (for a 49″ chest!)   And he chose the yarn, Bulky Black Lambs Pride!  Now, I am mother-bound to make this sweater but……..  I gave him the yarn and pattern wrapped for his birthday last February and promised the sweater would soon follow.  Always excited about starting a new project, I sat down and cast on.  Do you know how many prettier, more exciting colorways there are here?  Since starting that sweater, I have started and finished four Side-to-Side cardigans–3 in patagonia, and one in the red Noro Iro, the Christening gown, a Baby Fiesta Dress, a rug for my husband’s birthday, an Einstein Coat in Noro Kochoran, a Lopi sweater, the February Lady Sweater in Lana Bambu, a Slytherin hat for his youngest brother (big mistake!), at least one neck warmer in Malabrigo Silky Merino, three felted bags, two Victorian Stoles and a partridge in a pear tree…(That doesn’t even cover all the works in various stages of progress!)  Now, the Lopi sweater and the Einstein Coat were both group knit-along projects.  Anytime Nolan dropped in, he was sure to comment, “That doesn’t look like my sweater.”   And everyone feels duty bound to use the greeting, “How’s Nolan’s sweater coming?”  Today I have on my latest temptation–the Silver Creek Bulky Seed Stitch Vest in Kochoran.  The colorway is shades of rose and green, perfect for the season (will also work around Valentines Day)!  And I love it!  But as I sewed the last button on last night, I swore to myself (because no one else would believe me) that I will not knit another thing until I finish Nolan’s sweater and that I will do that by Christmas!  ( The men in my family are taking odds on whether that is this Christmas or next!)  At least it’s bulky and I’m almost through with the back!  Oops!  Noro just arrived to be put away, maybe with a blindfold on!  May your holidays be filled with color!

Sorry for the short post. It is getting ready for Monday time with the kindergartener and I am exhausted. I set tile at my house yesterday for 10 hours…

Next post look for a finished stocking and some tidbits on my next sweater – the Concetta Cardigan from the brown stitch. Give me a shout if you have already made this thing. It is gorgeous.

Back to this week’s title – Eureka!!! I have had one of those amazing Eureka Moments! in my knitting. It has been a long time since I had one (which simply means I haven’t been challenging myself) and oh did it feel good!! I mentioned in last week’s post that I was going to knit Meredith a Christmas stocking this year and true to form, I couldn’t get it cast on until after Thanksgiving. No matter how soon the stores insist on foisting Christmas on us, it never starts for me until the Thanksgiving leftovers are in the fridge. This presents a problem time-wise since my holiday knitting time is very short; but that’s the way it is.

Last year (around this time) I started this same stocking. The New Ancestral Christmas Stocking in the second Mason Dixon book. (there is alot I love about this book but the fair isle instructions and this stocking pattern make it worth its weight in gold.) I started it (because Meredith needs a handknit stocking) and because it  has instructions for learning the two circular needle way of knitting socks. (On page 116 of this book there is one skinny column of instructions and that is how I learned this method. Short and to the point.) When I started this stocking last year, I couldn’t quite decipher the instructions on page 65 regarding weaving the long strands behind the work. It wasn’t clicking and I wasn’t motivated enough to keep trying. Plus, I was so excited to have learned the two circular needle method for socks that I picked up sock yarn and didn’t stop until well into the new year.

So. Yesterday I cast on The Stocking. (I am changing up the pattern a bit – I am leaving out the argyle portion because it is partially done in duplicate stitch and my patience will only go so far.) I am doing a striped portion then the snowflake and then more stripes. Last night I finished the first portion of stripes and geared up for the snowflake. I got the Fair Isle instructions out and I was determined this time to GET IT. My Dad even scanned the snowflake portion of the chart to blow it up for me so I wouldn’t go blind. I had no excuses not to go for it. I read page 65 and tried it with yarn. Again and again. Until the Eureka Moment! I got it!  I finally got it! The instructions finally made sense and I was fair isle knitting with both hands and weaving the yarn behind the work and it looks Fabulous!! At the beginning of the instructions she promises to ‘Talk you down’ (after a very funny bit about the movie Airport 1975) and she did!! Just take a gander at the beginnings of my gorgeous fair isle snowflake! Look at those beautiful tidy strands on the back! I did all that yesterday – two circular needles is SO fast – I might have time to knit my own self a stocking.

I took all these pictures at the playground with Meredith today. We were taking advantage of this unheard of late November warm sunny weather…Now I must go knit The Stocking.

I work at Halcyon Yarn Monday through Thursday and since August have been building a house Friday through Sunday while still fitting in regular life stuff: cooking, some cleaning, mothering, a little sleeping. Recently it all caught up with me I think. So I have vowed not to do any Christmas knitting this year. To try and keep pressure and expectation low; I have enough stress and deadlines right? (Like the blog that I have been neglecting) So what am I working on now? A blanket for my brother. For Christmas. It is a compulsion to knit andor craft for those we love at the holidays. And I am failing miserably to stay away from Christmas gifts. Just this morning I wound 3 hanks of Peace Fleece into balls for Meredith’s first hand-knit stocking. (She is 5 already-shame on me!) I never succeed in knitting early Christmas gifts because I can’t get revved up for it until after Thanksgiving. So pressure and deadlines it is.

Joe’s blanket is a bigger more manly version of the Encore 8-Hour Baby Blanket. I love to make the building blocks blanket because it is just enough thinking to keep me interested but not TOO much thinking and it is reversible. I leave off the garter stitch edges/border to conserve yarn because the block pattern looks good that way and it keeps the edges from rolling. I am using the Patagonia cotton we used to carry since Joe is down in Georgia.

The stocking that inspired me for Meredith is the one out of the second Mason Dixon book. It is done in the round on two circular needles and I think it will go fast. It is going to look smashing in these colors. Will post progress.

Some of the other ladies at the shop have been keeping busy and here are the beauties they are working on. Susan is making a sweater with Noro Iro out of the new Noro Volume 26: World of Nature. Kendra is making the Amherst Cardigan out of the Noro Vintage and Beth is knitting the infamous February Lady Sweater out of the Lana Bambu. Here they are:

So here’s to all the last minute Holiday Knitters! Have some egg nog and Knit It Up!!

Let me know what you are Last Minute Knitting…

I am presently still lost in Peruville. I finished my gorgeous burnt orange mittens with nary a problem. They are WARM and fabulous. So fabulous in fact that my daughter requested a pair of her own. (after I had already asked her if she wanted me to make her a pair and was told no…) So I have started a pair in bright red for her. Here is a funny picture of the first one.

I also (finally) cast on with the apple green Peru I bought back in August. I am making a free vest pattern off of knitty.com called Boogie. Designed by Maine’s own amazing Amy King back I don’t know when, it is a fabulous knit. Made more fabulous by this terrific yarn… It shows all the details of the cable to full advantage. Looks like it is going to take 6 balls for the largest size and with only the two side seams to finish, it is QUICK. Quick and gorgeous free pattern in a luxury washable yarn in amazing colors. What’s not to like?

Stay tuned for Beth’s February Lady Sweater knit with Lana Bamboo and a tidbit of my latest foray into Swans Island; I went off the deep end with an 8 ball purchase…

When I got going on my Einstein Coat, Beth wasted no time casting hers on in an equally beautiful Noro yarn and word of our Noro versions got out to the Sit and Knit Group. They were very interested because not too long ago, they did an Einstein Coat knit-along of their own. So when Beth and I finished our coats, she sent out an email to the Group telling them to bring their coats on Monday night so we could all have a show and tell. Here is a small representation of the finished coats. 4 coats couldn’t make it, mostly due to being out of town on the backs of lucky recipients. (that’s how generous this Group is – knitting Einstein Coats for        gifts…)

While I was there, I snapped some pics of other projects they had on tap. This vest came from the book Folk Style and Debbie knit it out of two colors of Malabrigo Worsted. She is known in the group for her tendency to knit complicated color work sweaters, to keep from getting bored!

These slippers were made by Dottie who is usually busy filling up a chest with baby articles for as yet unborn babies. Seems like she has started a trend; there are now more than a few knitters in the group manifesting grandchildren with hand knits!

This last pic is an in-progress hand punched rug that Tammy is making out of our Halcyon Yarn Rug Wool. Tammy made her Einstein Coat out of Lambs Pride Bulky and is on her way to becoming an intrepid knitter with the help of her knitting group.

So here’s to the many talented and kind-hearted knitters we are lucky to host here on Monday nights. If you are a local, please come by and meet them first hand for some time on the needles!

I’ve blogged about it before, but now I am actually (finally) knitting with it and I LOVE it!! Peru is a blend: 40% wool, 40% acrylic and 20% alpaca; machine washable, lay flat to dry. Yardage is average for a bulky yarn at 116 per ball. It is soft. Pass the itchy kid-test soft. So pull out your size 10-10.5 needles and let’s get knittin’!

Susan already got knittin’ and finished a sweater for her granddaughter out of the magenta shade. It is the children’s Gifford Jacket and knit up quicky quick at this bulky gauge. Susan modified the pattern for short sleeves, per granddaughter request and look how cute it is!!

As for me, I found myself in need of a pair of mittens due to the blast of November weather we had in October. So on Wednesday night, I cast on a mitten with a rusty shade of Peru. On Thursday morning, I had a finished mitten for show and tell at work which amazed my co-workers. The amazement didn’t have anything to do with the beauty of the mitten (ha!) or how quickly I made it. It was the fact that I made a mitten at all. I do not knit mittens. Socks, sweaters, shawls, scarfs, hats by the dozen, but never mittens. I even knit lace. But not mittens. I have tried them and never quite gotten the knack. I don’t understand it but I have a severe mental block where mittens are concerned. They never look right or feel right or fit. Ridiculous, I know. But there you have it. Do I have a mitten phobia?

Anyway, I pulled out the good old Yankee Knitter Hats and Mittens pattern and cast on without trying to think too much about it. And before I knew it I had a mitten. And it’s kind of cute. The other conundrum here is that this pattern is done flat. I practically never knit anything in pieces. I will go to great lengths to avoid sewing pieces together. And here I have a mitten. Knit flat and sewn up. Who would’ve known? Still can’t say I’m crazy about knitting mittens but I am crazy about Peru. I brought home the orange that just came in and I am casting on this weekend to make the Yankee Knitter Easy Bulky Sweater with the cable front. (Which I will be modifying to knit in the round!)

Stay tuned next week for the Einstein Coat blog update and prepare to be amazed….