Hitchhiker KAL

Well, you know how it is, we get a new yarn in the store and we immediately start wondering, "What can we knit with this little gem?"  First of all, our Misti Alpaca family of yarns is growing.  We introduced you to Qolla with the Linen Stitch Cowl and now we want you to meet Pima Silk Handpaint.  Pima Silk is a DK weight yarn of 83% Peruvian cotton and 17% silk.  Yes, its soft.  Yes, its dreamy.  Yes, its colorful. 

Hmmm KAL . . .  The Hitchhiker by Martina Behm it is!  Stop in at KT to choose your yarn.  With names like Ambrosia, Faberge, Fuschia Fusion and April Showers you may have a hard time choosing.You can even purchase your pattern at KT and it will be directly downloaded to your email or your Ravelry Library!

The KAL is set to begin Friday, March 23rd.  Stop in any time between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. and join the fun.

Knit on!

Nancy

Eat Like It's Spring Already!

I don't mean to tempt fate or anything but it certainly seems to me as if spring has sprung.  Days in the upper 70's with crisp, clear nights make me think of crisp, crunchy, fresh salads.  So I raided my recipe box and pulled out one of my favorites.  I'm sure many of you have seen the recipe before and I don't have a name for it - I just call it Jan's Salad  - easy enough - I got the recipe from my friend Jan!  Anyway, I'd like to share and hope you enjoy.

Jan's Salad

• Mix together for dressing: 1 cup oil, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, and 2 T soy sauce
• Brown in 2 T butter 'til toasty: 2 pkg Ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets), 1/2 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, and 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• I use the following greens: Red and green leaf lettuces, Chinese cabbage, and scallions 

I suppose you could add a grilled chicken breast and call it a meal.  That's what I do to my husband, anyway.

Happy Knitting!

Renee

Our Colorful Winter Yarn Festival!

You should check out our Colorful Winter Yarn Festival if you are in the mood for a ton of fun! Mark your calendar for February 15 through February 18th and be sure and stop by the shop each day if you can! Need I say there will be drawings each day?

Here are some of the highlights, but be sure to click on this link for all the details!

• The Yarn Tasting Extraordinaire: You will get a "treat bag" of yarn samples (enough to knit a swatch of each or throw them all together into a fun scarf). Plus a complimentary wine, cheese, meat, cracker, bread, and CHOCOLATE tasting provided by us at Knitted Together and served by Gateway Market and Stam Chocolaterie. You will also get a $10 gift certificate to use on your purchases that night only! Order your ticket now!
• Trunk Show of Yarns and More: Trunks full of Dream in Color yarn and Mountain Colors yarn ... as well as a nice sampling of Schaefer Yarns!
• Great Bags: Maruca Designs from Boulder, Colorado! American made and delightfully fun!
• Workshops each day: 1 hour classes that give you a taste of techniques for things like entrelac, lace, the moebius cast-on, bead knitting, stranded knitting, and knitting socks with hand-painted yarns.
• The Launch of our New Contest: The NCAA Team Scarf Challenge! You could win a $100 gift card!
• And last but not least, February 18 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm we will have THE GRAND FINALE PARTY, that will include wine and treats ... plus a gift card drawing!

We hope to see you at the festival!

Nancy & everyone at Knitted Together

We Love You Allie & Always Will

As a child I asked for a kitten every time I was up for a gift (Christmas, birthday, and any other gift giving event). Since my father didn't like cats my dream was never fulfilled until Tim and I were married and my dog had died. Our daughter Katie was 2 when we adopted the cutest little calico that we unanimously named Allie.

Allie knows Addi Turbos are the best needles!

Last Friday we sadly had to say good-bye to our Allie. She was almost 15, and had been sick for a couple of weeks. Last week everything went downhill and we found ourselves attempting to nurse her back to health. Unfortunately she was unable to eat, so she rapidly got weaker.


The weather on Thursday was in the 60s and sunny, so I opened the curtains to the back yard for Allie to look out if she felt like coming downstairs (she spent most of her time in our Master bathroom which is the where she began her life in our house). After much deliberation and many tears, Tim called the vet and scheduled to bring Allie in Friday morning. Friday morning we served her Maple Pecan Crunch cereal in a saucer of milk. She was so happy, considering she was constantly fighting to get into Tim's cereal bowl every morning.

Allie enjoyed her "maple milk" breakfast!

When we came home from the vet's office we found our other two cats looking nearly as sad as we did. To think they could sense the change in our home was amazing. Cats are funny creatures. We have been fortunate to have 3 of the sweetest cats belong to us ... or more likely we have belonged to them :)

If you've ever opened up your heart to a cat or a dog, you know as I do that the love of a pet is worth the pain of loss you endure in the end. We love you Allie, and always will.

One Monday last summer Allie was surfing Ravelry with me

Daybreak KAL

We had a fantastic time last night starting the Daybreak shawlette/scarf by Stephen West. Our first KAL of 2012!  It started off by most of us getting to KT just in time to see Suzanne E. finish up her very first knitting project.  It was the Noro Striped Scarf and she did an amazing job considering she just finished Nancy's Beginning Knitting Class on December 10th! Then everyone pulled their color choices out and we spent some time helping each other decide which color to start with.  We all cast on and were able to get our 'Make One's' under control by evening's end. 

I brought a couple bottles of wine and a new recipe called Robert's Corn Dip featured in Where Women Cook magazine.

Robert's Corn Dip (Makes about 6 cups)

• 3 (11-oz) cans sweet corn & diced peppers, drained
• 1 (7-oz) can chopped green chilies
• 1 (6-oz) can chopped jalapenos, drained & liquid added to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 (16 oz) pkg shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Scoop-style corn chips

Mix all ingredients except corn chips together and refrigerate. Serve with corn chips.

It's not too late to join us for the Daybreak KAL  - Tuesdays in January from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  Most, but not all of us are using two skeins of tosh sock - many beautiful and vibrant colors are left to choose from.

Renee

It's Confession Time!

I told Tim last night that I'm in love. Of course I love him to pieces, but I am having a "yarn love affair" with Madelinetosh Pashmina! It's the most beautiful, softest, bounciest yarn I've ever used. I'm making the Imogen Cowl and the pattern just screams fantastic in Pashmina. What do you think? I've got a bit left to knit, but here's a peek prior to finishing and blocking. 

My Imogen Cowl in the Thicket colorway

A few of the other lovely colors of Pashmina

I've got more Madelinetosh yarns slated to come in very soon, so I'm sure a little more Pashmina will wander home with me. I just hope that Tim won't mind! :) 

As you prepare your New Year's Resolutions, be sure to add "knitting with Madelinetosh Pashmina" to your list. You won't be sorry ... except for maybe when you get hooked like I am. I hope you have a Happy New Knitting Year!

Knit a Quick Cowl!

I found a miniature leaf pattern in Barbara Walker's book A Treasury of Knitting Patterns and decided to use it to make a quick cowl/infinity scarf for my daughter Katie as well as for a shop sample. I made Katie's cowl in a couple of hours, so just in case you need a pattern for a last minute gift, here are the instructions. The finished cowl is 8 inches wide by 56 inches in circumference. If you would like to make it longer or shorter the pattern is a multiple of 6 stitches.

Leaf Lace Infinity Scarf

Materials 

• Size 13 circular needle (24- to 32-inch is just perfect) 

• 2 skeins of Cascade 128 Superwash.

Miniature Leaf Pattern 
Round 1: Knit.

Round 2: *Knit 3, yarn over, slip 1, knit 2 stitches together, pass slipped stitch over, yarn over; repeat from * around.
Round 3: Knit.
Round 4: *Yarn over, slip 1, knit 2 stitches together, pass slipped stitch over, yarn over, knit 3; repeat from * around. 

Instructions
Cast on 132 stitches.

Join carefully to avoid twisting your cast-on stitches. Purl one round. Knit one round. Purl one round.
Work Miniature Leaf Pattern for width desired.
Knit one round.  Purl one round. Knit one round. Purl one round. Bind off knit-wise. 

Enjoy!