To Stitches Midwest & Back

This past Friday and Saturday I took a mini vacation and road trip to Schaumburg, Illinois with three friends (Ann, Dana and Stacy) from the shop. Each of us had signed up for an all-day class for Saturday. The class I took was called How Do Your Socks Get Striped. Elise Duvekot, author of the book Knit One Below was the teacher. I'm so glad I took the class, because when reading her instructions in the book the technique had seemed kind of confusing. After taking the class, my friend Ann who took the same class, and I talked about class potential for what we had learned! Maybe in the near future we will have a class at the shop to teach the technique.

Dana and Stacy took a class in a Swedish color knitting technique. They really loved all of the history that their teacher gave them which included lots of slides for them to see.

Our other goal was to visit the Stitches Market! For me the market exposed me to some really fun yarns that were new to me. (Some have potential to be new yarns for the shop.) If you've ever gone to Stitches, you can surely relate to the frenzy that all knitters get when confronted with an entire show floor with different booths filled with gorgeous yarns they can purchase!

On Saturday after our classes, we packed the car and started back after a quick dinner. On the way back Dana and I laughed about feeling like we'd been in the car for days. Well, technically we had ... we drove over on Friday morning and drove home on Saturday night, so more than 10 hours was spent in the car! We were all thankful for Ann's expert driving skills, since there have been so many accidents on I-80 lately. I arrived home at midnight and was glad to sleep in my own bed!

I missed the Wrap Group while I was gone, but hopefully this Friday they will enjoy listening to my Stitches class and shopping stories.

Keep on knitting!

The Wrap Group -- July/Aug #5

It's been a little while since I blogged. This is mainly due to being super busy unpacking and shelving lots of lovely new yarns! I'm sure you can forgive me for that one good reason.

It's looking like fall in the shop, but still feeling a whole lot like summer. We've had record heat and record rains that have caused flooding in Iowa. My heart goes out to all the poor people in Ames, Colfax, and other parts of Iowa that have lost so many things in their really soggy homes. I keep hoping that the rain is over, but it sounds like there's more coming today and tonight and that it could affect the Des Moines River and in the long run affect the people here in my hometown.

As for the Simple Yet Effective Shawl, we are close to winding down. I wanted to talk about the blocking process for this triangle shaped shawl. If your shawl made from a wool or a wool blend yarn, you can totally wet the shawl; then you need to roll it in towels and gently squeeze out most of the water before shaping it. You don't want to stretch it as that can cause it to be misshapen. Lay out the shawl on several large towels and gently spread it out making sure that there aren't any lumps and bumps in the shawl. Check the edges to make sure that they are smooth and straight. You can use T-pins to hold the final shape of the shawl in place, but make sure that the pins don't pull bumps out along the edge. Since this shawl is a combination of stockinette stitch and garter stitch you need to push the garter edges in and gently pull the stockinette edges out so they are all even. Allow the shawl to dry completely before you remove the pins. Depending on the yarn, you can sometimes merely steam the shawl, shape it, and allow it to dry on a towel. The Rowan Colourscape Chunky yarn that I used is perfect for the steaming method. That yarn shapes easily with steaming. Other yarns may require a total dunk in water or else you'll still have curling of the edges.

If you're in our neighborhood, be sure to stop in and check out the new yarns. We still have lots to come, but for now I know you'll love what you see.

Keep on knitting!

The Wrap Group -- July/August #4

Hi Wrappers!

I've been really busy working on the kit for tonight's Friday Night Knit Club (FKNC), so I'm going to tell you a little about it just in case you want to come get one. I think it would make a great closure for one of your wraps. I designed a flower pin that you can felt or not felt out of lovely Cascade Cloud 9 (50% merino, 50% angora).

Here's my short list of some of the uses for a felted or knitted flower: make it into a pin as I have, wear it on a knitted hat, attach it to a felted purse, wear it on your winter coat, attach it to a shawl or wrap as a closure, or tie it onto a gift bag for a friend.

Since we chose a "fiesta" theme for tonight's FNKC, I'm making a couple of Mexican dip recipes that use one of my favorite canned tomato products, Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies. I use it in my homemade soups and chili all winter!

The recipe I'm sharing with you came on the back of the large box we picked up at Costco. It's delicious!

Black Bean Salsa

Makes 12 servings (1/4 cup each)

• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (10 oz.) Ro-Tel Original diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, drained
  
• 1/2 cup whole kernel corn, frozen or canned
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve with tortilla chips, tacos or burritos, if desired.

Happy knitting!

The Wrap Group - - July/August #3

Hi Wrappers!

This past week I've spent time working on another new wrap, plus working on a kit for our Friday Night Knit club, so I've been really busy. The new wrap I'm working to complete is called Opal and is from a book called Winter Blooms by Kim Hargreaves. It's basically a very quick knit, requiring only 4 skeins of Kid Silk Aura (so less than 400 yards). It's just so soft and super light. I think it will be wonderful to wear this fall and winter. It's triangular and has a really pretty picot edge along the two sides.

Several of our newer Knitted Together knitters are working away on the Simple Yet Effective Shawl. It's a nice transition project for new knitters that want to make something that isn't straight. The good thing about that pattern is that you really can do any number of rows of garter stitch and stockinette stitch. It's just a matter of looking at it once in a while to see if you need to vary your rows again.

As a bonus project I'd like to suggest Coquille a shawlette from the new issue of Knitty. It requires 3 skeins of Crystal Palace Mini Mochi to complete it. We have 3 colors in stock now with more on back order. Lots of new colors will be coming!

Next Friday is the Friday Night Knit Club and I want to invite you all to come. We are feeling a little like a fiesta, so watch for our newsletter soon. You may want to get one of the kits this time, since the project would make a great gift. (And no, it's not a scarf this time!

Keep on knitting,
Nancy

The Wrap Group -- July/Aug #2

Hi Wrappers!

I really like the look and feel of my completed Simple Yet Effective Shawl. I love the Rowan Colourscape Chunky yarn so much! But I did discover some technical things that I would change on my next shawl. When you work the wrong side rows, knit or purl the yarnovers (yos) that are along the shawl edge through the back loops so the holes close. Maybe it's just me, but I don't care for the yos along the edge! I also didn't like the inconsistency of the bumps on the center stitch of the garter sections. I would always Purl the center stitch on the wrong side of ALL sections.

I hope you are staying busy with your knitting. Stop by the shop and check out my Simple Yet Effective Shawl.

Nancy

A rainy Fourth makes way for knitting!

We've had so much rain in June that we nearly flooded. Then we had one week of no rain. Of course that wasn't going to last, nor would we want it too! But, we had rain on July 4th and it was tropical for temps and moisture. Just plain gross out...

With all the rain and gross weather, I did a whole lot of knitting. I finished my Damson, but nearly wasn't able to. I could tell I would run out of the Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn I chose to use when I got to my bind-off, so I cut it and used some Malabrigo Sock (which is the same yardage) that looked similar in color to my shawl to bind off. I've heard that yarn companies are allowed a certain percentage for shrinkage in the amount of yarn on a skein, but I think that there was more shrinkage than should be allowed. That or designer Ysolda Teague used every yard of the skein of Malabrigo Sock that she used for her sample. I'd be interested in knowing if anyone else has had trouble completing Damson with 440 yards. I think it could be an issue with Ella Rae Lace Merino ... someone else at our shop had to buy more yarn to finish the Damson she was making with ERLM yarn in a different color. She was even shorter than I was. We both got gauge, so that wasn't the issue.

I also worked hard on finishing my Simple Yet Effective Shawl for the Wrap Group. I will end up using about 2 1/2 skeins, so if I have enough I may add a simple edging.

Yesterday I pulled out my Swallowtail Lace Shawl from Evelyn Clark. I was happy to get back to it! Maybe I'll knock another WIP out.

We look forward to seeing you in the shop whenever you can make it. I know it's hard when everyone is so busy in the summer. Have a good one, and keep on knitting!

The Wrap Group -- July/Aug #1

Hi Wrappers!

It's Nancy here --- I had a terrific vacation last week and I'm feeling refreshed and ready to go. I got lots of knitting done while I had my stay-cation!

At Knitted Together we have some news to pass on. Carol won't be leading the Wrap Group any longer. We want to thank her for over 2 years of help in our shop and her wonderful work leading the Wrap Group. We wish her the best in all that she does. I've always told her she's a terrific cheerleader to all of you! I'm sure she'll be missed.

I'll be leading the current wrap project, and Jean may lead some of the future ones. If you haven't had the opportunity to meet Jean yet, I know you'll love her as much as we do. She's been a customer of ours since the beginning and she and I became good friends from the beginning. Our friendship has grown even more as she has been working for us (since November 2009). Jean is never afraid to try something new; as a matter of fact she seems to enjoy a challenge. She's very smart and researches anything that she doesn't know how to do. In my opinion that makes her a fantastic teacher.

Our new project for the Wrap Group is the Simple Yet Effective Shawl. I started mine yesterday and I'm making it out of 3 skeins of Rowan Colourscape Chunky. That yarn graduates in colors similarly to Noro. It's really going to be beautiful. I chose a really pretty blue called Northern Lights. The pattern calls for a chunky weight yarn and size 11 needles, so I could have also chosen Noro Iro or Noro Kochoran which also would have lovely color variations as well. You can also use a lighter-weight yarn such as Noro Silk Garden or Silk Garden Sock for a fun lighter-weight shawl.

As I've been knitting the pattern, I've occasionally worked a row with yo, k2tog across for some fun eyelet holes between garter ridges. I'll probably only do that every now and then. I'm thinking about warmth for wrapping up in this winter...

We hope you'll be able to find the time to join us at the shop or here on the blog as we work our way through another wrap. If you have any questions or comments about our new project, I'll sure try to help you!

The Wrap Group -- May/June #5

Hi Wrappers!

We are halfway through our Feather & Fan Fantasy, so it's time for a bonus pattern. This time, I just can't resist Citron by Hilary Smith Callis on knitty. It's a semi-circular shawlette or can be made larger by adding more pattern repeats.

The pattern calls for a lace weight yarn, but there are some beautiful samples on Ravelry using fingering weight yarn. I'm thinking Frog Tree Alpaca Fingering, Rowan Kidsilk Haze, Regia Hand-Dye Effect, Noro Kureyon Sock, Crystal Palace Mini Mochi, or Ella Rae Lace Merino. Of for Lace weight you could go with Cascade Alpaca Lace or Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace.

Adjust your needle size accordingly. As always, I suggest you buy one skein more yarn than specified, especially since several people have repoarted running short before finishing the bind off. You might also want to do the ruffle in garter stitch if you're just tired of purling by that time.

Off to dig into my stash...

Wrap On!

The Wrap Group -- May/June #4

Hi Wrappers!

Oh, my goodness! The Feather and Fan possibilities are endless and are taking over my life! In our in-store Knit Together, Judy is using a gorgeous sock yarn that has me all fired up to start yet another F & F. The recipe is only a suggestion...Let your imagination run with it.

On another note, we know that many of you were interested in getting the Zauberball Crazy yarn to make the Baktus Scarf (which was a bonus project for the Mar/Apr Wrap Group, you can find it here). Good News! Nancy has gotten a limited supply in two different color ways. You can buy it out on our website or come into the store! But hurry, because it will go fast!

As always, let us know if you need any assistance with your wrap by commenting on this post.

Wrap On!

The Wrap Group -- May/June #3

Hey, Wrappers!

Are you having fun with your Feather and Fan Wrap? Several of the in-shop knitters are doing the scarf (38 stitch) version in some great yarns. Debbie is using Cascade 220 Handpaint in the Fruit Smoothie color. Doesn't that sound yummy? Several others are also doing one-yarn versions, rather than mixing four textures. This is such a free-wheeling recipe that almost anything goes! I'll be in the shop today, if you can join us. As always, if you have questions or comments, click below.

Wrap On!

The Wrap Group -- May/June #2

Hi Wrappers!

I hope your Feather and Fan Wrap is coming right along and that the video tip from last week was helpful in getting you started. As you continue knitting I would like to suggest that you count your stitches on each Row 3 (until you are comfortable with the pattern) to make sure that you are on track. That way, if you're off, you only have to unknit a row or partial row. If you are off, it's likely that you missed a yarn over or forgot a k2tog in Row 3.

Below is a picture of the store model that I knit using... Cascade Sierra, Trendsetter Dune, Noro Silk Garden, and Rowan Summer Tweed. As always let me know if you have any comments or questions by commenting on this blog post.

Wrap On!

The Wrap Group -- May/June #1

Hey Wrappers!

I'm in love with our May-June Wrap, using the Feather and Fan pattern, also known as Old Shale. This is so adaptable to many types of yarns. The recipe calls for four different textures of yarn to make a generous wrap about 16" x 78". It's a fun way to try some of the new and different yarns Nancy's been getting in. I'll be in the store today from 1-3pm to help you pick out yarns. If you can't make it in, write a comment on this post letting me know what you are thinking and we can play with some ideas. For further inspiration, check out one of my favorite artists at http://www.janethornley.com/.

You can find the printable pdf pattern here. You can also find it in the free pattern section on the side bar of this blog. Below you will see another exciting video tip, teaching you how to knit in your ends. We think you will find it helpful as you change from yarn to yarn.

The Wrap Group -- Mar/Apr #6

Hi, Wrappers!

How's your knitting going? I'm thrilled to have finished my second One Skein - A Stole from Noro Silk Garden Sock #269, a cream, gray, taupe mix. It's going to be the curtain for the sidelight by my front door! I used about 1 1/2 skeins and it's blocked out to about 12" by 78" to fit my window.

I added a very long fringe to my first stole, using up the rest of the second skein of Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn that I made it from. I cut the fringes about 18" long and used about 25 fringes on each end. Can't wait to wear it!

Of course, I'll probably have to knit yet another one because I have my eye on several other fingering weight yarns. Nancy has this fabulous Opal hand painted sock yarn that's calling my name!

Did any issues come up during your knitting that you think would help others? Would love to hear your comments.

Wrap on!

The Wrap Group -- Mar/Apr #5

Hey Wrappers!

Everyone is moving right along with their One Skein - a Shawl, so I think it's time for a bonus pattern. One of my favorites -- the Baktus Scarf is so much fun to make. It's simple enough you can even talk or watch TV while working on it!

I made the one shown here from one ball of Zauberball Crazy.

Sock yarn is a great choice for the Baktus, because it's lightweight. Some of the other ones you could choose from are Araucania Ranco, Opal Hand-dyes, and Crystal Palace Mini Mochi. 100-grams of sock yarn and a US size 3-4 needle is perfect. Just make sure the fabric is drapey, but not too holey!

As always, comment on this post with any comments or concerns.

Wrap on!

The Wrap Group -- Mar/Apr #4

Hey Wrappers!

I wanted to give you another hint that will help you as you are working on your One Skein--A Stole project. After completing the row following a wrap row, tug the stitches down evenly to open up the drop stitches. This will make the work less messy as you go.

Also, if you are ready to start another stole and have some sock yarn laying around, this is a great stash buster project!

As always, comment on this post with any questions or concerns.

Wrap On!

The Wrap Group -- Mar/Apr #3

Hi Wrappers!

In this project we use a triple dropped stitch. For those of you who are wondering how this stitch works or for those of you who are a little scared to drop the stitches, we have created a how-to video to show you the process of the triple dropped stitch! Enjoy and let us know if you have any other questions or comments!

Wrap On!

The Wrap Group -- Mar/Apr #2

Hi Wrappers!

I hope that you all got your One Sken-A Stole! project cast on without any problems. We are all enjoying this project in the store. Terry is doing hers in the Noro Silk Garden Sock. Mardeen is making hers from Dream in Color Smooshy and Kris made it in Artyarn's Silk Rhapsody. OH MY! Major YUMMY.

Keep your eyes open for an exciting new tip on next week's blog. And as always... If you have any questions or comments let us know by commenting on this blog posting.

Wrap On!

The Wrap Group -- Mar/Apr #1

Hi Wrappers!

March has come in like a lamb, and aren't we grateful?! Our wrap for March and April is an easy, breezy stole that you'll wear now into spring and summer. It is called One Skein-- A Stole! by Katja Jordan and it is a free Ravelry download.

The designer specifies one skein of Noro Kureyon Sock yarn resulting in a 60" wrap. I used Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn instead, which has less yardage, so I bought 2 skeins. Using 1 1/2, I got a 72" wrap, plus enough for a long knotted fringe! I also think it would be wonderful in Classic Elite Alpaca Sox, Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere, or Ella Rae Lace Merino. Any fingering weight yarn will work up beautifully.

To get you started I have a few hints to help you out:

Hint #1: I knit nearly everything on bamboo circular needles but switched to straights because the triple wrap stitches were getting tangled up on the cable of the circulars.

Hint #2: I usually pull yarn from the center of the ball. When using Noro Sock, DON'T! It tangles like crazy. In fact, it tangles quite a bit, pulling from the outside of the ball. Next time, I think I'd have Nancy wind the yarn.

Hint #3: Keep your cast on and knitting loose. Likewise for the bind off.

If you are knitting along with us, we would love for you to comment and let us know what yarn you chose for your project. And keep in mind that if you have any questions about yarn choice or how to get started you can comment on this blog and I will do what I can to help!

Wrap On!!

The Wrap Group -- Jan/Feb #5

Hi Wrappers!

How's your 5th Avenue Infinity Scarf coming? Did you finish? If so, we would love to see a picture! Since we can't all be together, we thought it would be nice to see what all the other wrappers have been working on at the end of each project.

SO... email us a picture of your 5th Avenue Infinity Scarf (in jpeg format) along with your name and the yarn information to customer_service@knittedtogether.com. Next week we will post a photo gallery on the blog of everyone's projects.

Also, remember that next Friday we are starting a new project! It's the One Skein-A Stole by Katja Jordan. Take a look at The Wrap Group page for more information!

Wrap On!

THE WRAP GROUP -- JAN/FEB #4

Hi, Wrappers! I just can't stop knitting wraps! The knitters who are joining me in the shop on Friday afternoons are speeding right along on their 5th Avenue scarves. Terry is doing hers in Noro Kureyon Sock yarn on size 6 needles. Kris has already finished her Noro Silk Garden 5th Avenue and is on to the next wrap!

If you are getting ready to finish your 5th Avenue Infinity Scarf, you should know that it is a good idea to bind off with a larger size needle. At least one to two sizes bigger than the needle you used on the project. Doing this helps the edge not to pull in and end up smaller than the cast on edge.

If you have any questions about it or anything else that you have run across, let me know by commenting on this blog posting and I will try my best to answer your question.

Wrap On!