The Knitting Experience Blog
Knitting fever
Wow! What a busy week. Seems that someone let out the secret of how wonderful knitting can be and those new and returning knitters are ready for some fiber therapy. Sorry for the lack of blog updates, but with all these wonderful knitters around, it is hard to make myself break away and sit at the computer.
Check out the impromptu gathering on Saturday -
I neglected to get a good shot of the other side of the room, so I apologize for those who were left out of the picture. Thanks to everyone who came to knit and enjoy a rainy afternoon - it was lovely.
Pam had me in awe with her finished - and blocked! - Seascape shawl. She used Hempathy, which has an incredible drape - something you never would guess from a hemp based yarn.
She has also been whipping out those Christmas gifts. Look at the gorgeous cowls-
Sandy is making a beautiful wrap for her mother out of Cascade's Baby Alpaca Chunky-
And I've been a bit obsessed with the Cabled Ornaments from Knitting Daily. So far, I've made 6.
They are super easy to make (as long as you know how to cable) and make great gifts! The pattern can be found at knittingdaily.com . I used Jo Sharp's DK wool and can get about 3 ornaments from one ball.
Saturday also saw the arrival of patterns from Figheadh Yarnworks. I love the cablework!
Time to head to the shop. I'm hoping that today brings a very special delivery...
Big Box of Cascade
Anyone who has stopped by the shop over the past few days knows that we got a ginormous shipment of Cascade. The Cascade wall is replenished with many vibrant colors including those for your holiday knitting in both 220 and 220 Superwash:
The 220 Tweed that sold out so quickly is back-
Along with the wildly popular Eco Wool-
When I met with the sales rep, I had my order all planned out, knew just what I wanted, and was sure that I wouldn't be distracted. Ha! By now, I should know better.
He tempted me with this:
That would be Eco Alpaca. 220 yds per skein of luscious, undyed, worsted weight baby alpaca. Oh. My. God. It is insanely soft. I almost fell over. I get weak in the knees every time I touch it. Now I am in search of the perfect pattern, because I MUST knit with this.
Speaking of knitting... David finished his piratey hat -
How cool is that? Awesome work David! He used Jo Sharp's DK Wool, and skipped the lining as the stranding work makes it plenty warm all on its own.
Huge cheers for Jerri who finished her Mystery Shawl. It is stunning.
After blocking, it is to be gifted to a very lucky person. Wow! She used Cascade's Heritage sock yarn for the shawl, so not only is it so super soft you want to wrap it around you and camp out on the couch all day, it is also washable!
Check out what Amy is making for her son's birthday. I am in trouble if my boys see this:
Pirates, are of course, exceedingly cool. Combine them with black, and bright oranges, and you have a sweater that you KNOW they will wear.
(Seriously, Amy, what were you thinking? Connor is going to want one of these. And as soon as he wants one, Alec will want one!)
A fabulous knitter brought in this Noro vest - the pattern name escapes me right now - but aren't the colors beautiful?
Oh, and I finished my Punky Fuchsia baby sweater.
I love the way the color plays out in this yarn when knit. It is Classy from Dream in Color. I have a couple possible sweaters in mind for myself out of this yarn when the next shipment arrives.
Time to get ready for work. We are open today for your knitting and relaxing needs. Happy Veterans Day everyone!
Spunky delivery
The wonderful Amy of Spunky Eclectic made a surprise delivery yesterday of all kinds of goodies.
First we have a fresh supply of desperately needed Spunky sock yarn. I think we were down to 3 lonely skeins. Check out the colors!
And the Color of the Month - Sumac in Skinny Socks. Each skein will be 15% off for the month of November, or until it's all gone to happy homes.
Perhaps best of all, she brought us a present:
See that cool cabley hat? Amy designed it as a free pattern to go along with her Biggie Yarn. The pattern is sized from infant through adult large, and every size - except for the large - takes just one skein of Spunky Biggie Yarn. The pattern is free with a purchase of Biggie Yarn.
Another local artist stopped by recently. Amy Boneville, a brilliant photographer, has just introduced a line of beautiful cards.
Perfect for sending notes to your fiber friends!
We've also received a number of new books - and a restocking of the incredibly popular Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard.
Oh, and there's been some knitting too.
Jenna stopped by looking fabulous in her Malabrigo Cropped Cardigan and Noro scarf.
Becka whipped up this chunky fun scarf in an afternoon:
2 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky Hand Dyes and size 17 needles - instant scarf!
And I finished one project, made great progress on another, before being distracted by something new. Details later.
Happy Halloween!
It is that wonderful time of year again when all the ghost, goblins, superheroes, and princesses come out to play. At 4:30pm this afternoon, the downtown will be swarming with costumed creatures as the annual Halloween parade takes off. Whether or not you have kids, this is a sight not to be missed and one of my favorite events of the year. Get your costumes ready and meet us on the mall! We'll be closing the shop at 4pm today so we be there for all the fun.
Last night, the Knit at Night crowd celebrated the holiday in spirited style. We had costumes, treats, and excellent knits.
See that gorgeous bag? Peggy announced that she was going to give it away to the first person who said they wanted it. She had made it in a quilting class a couple years ago, but just never used it. Luckily, Peggy was one of the first to arrive so I didn't have to push anyone out of the way and cause bodily harm to get it -
Thanks Peggy!
And now, pictures from the party...
(Notice David's sweater? It's Durrow - one of my favorite men's sweaters- and he used Cascade 220. Awesome cables. Now, focus on his current knit, a We Call Them Pirates hat. He's making it as a store sample. Yay!)
Happy Halloween all!
