Vera Bear KAL for June

Oh honey!  Let me tell you that I barely got this blog posted in time.  The June KAL is going to be Vera Bear by Annita Wilschut.  This pattern is by the same designer from our April KAL, Jacobus the Monkey.  Purchase your pattern on Ravelry, then purchase your knitting supplies at KT and join us Thursday evenings from 6-8:00pm beginning June 7th.

Knit me, knit me, knit me ...

Vera is very teddy-bearish looking and is fun, fun, fun to knit!  If you are up for an extreme challenge while you knit this bear, you can download your pattern in Dutch.  But don't expect any help from me going forward.

Happy Knitting and hope to see you for the KAL

Renee

The Great Jacobus Monkey Party!

Tonight we had a party to celebrate the end of the KAL for Jacobus the monkey. We planned it a couple of weeks ago, giving all the knitters time to get their monkeys done and ready for their photo moments!

A whole lot of monkeyin' around!

At least one of the monkeys showed up without it's maker, but we all --- knitters and monkeys alike --- had fun. We enjoyed wine, fruit, dessert bars, cookies, and chocolate (yum!) after taking pictures of everyone.

OK, which ones are the monkeys?

Human treats ... sorry monkeys.

In June we are having a KAL for Vera, the bear by the same designer as Jacobus. Renee brought her bear, affectionately named Bart, so we can give you a sneak preview of what's to come.

Bart (aka Vera) the bear.

Stop by to pick out bear yarn if you decide you want to participate on Thursday evenings in June!

Fasten your seat belts guys!

Keep on knitting,

Nancy

Meandering Mesas Scarf KAL

Tonight we begin the Meandering Mesas Scarf KAL at 6:00 pm at Knitted Together. I started my scarf awhile back, but set it aside for all of the "summer" scarves we have been knitting for the shop (oh and a couple other projects as well ...). This week I started to work on my scarf again and it seems to move along rather quickly. The pattern is from Mountain Colors and calls for one skein of Crazyfoot sock yarn, size 6 US needles, and a cable needle. If you've never cabled before, this is a nice reversible cable that is crossed every 10 rows. Other than the cable row, you just have to knit the knits and purl the purls (except for the first 3 and last 3 stitches which are in seed stitch and you knit the purls and purl the knits). In other words you don't need to look at your pattern unless you are on a cable row once you get going! Easy.

You can see the reversibility of this cable scarf.

Keep on knitting!

Nancy

Tiny Rosetta Monkey is Done

I was able to finish Rosetta in time for everyone to see her last evening at the Jacobus monkey KAL here at the shop. Rosetta ended up being about 9.5 inches tall including the tuft of yarn hair that I added last minute (you know how baby orangutans always have that fluffy hair on the top of their heads). I also only used a little less than 30 grams of a 50 gram ball of Regia 4-ply sock yarn. I used a tiny bit of pink Opal sock yarn for the face, hands, and feet. So if you are inclined to make a Jacobus monkey with sock yarn you will probably have at least 30 grams left of something laying around.

Tiny Rosetta perches on a crystal compote.

I may just have to make another monkey. Just think about it; a monkey would make a great gift for anyone (of any age) on your gift list! You can continue to join us at our Thursday night KAL through the month of April! I think we'll take a group photo of all the monkeys at the end of the month and post it here. It's sure to be good for a giggle!

Keep on knitting,

Nancy

Monkey Business All Around!

Last week we started Renee's KAL for Jacobus. We had quite the crowd last Thursday - the chairs were filled with people starting their monkeys. What with Judi's Magic Cast-On and magic loop learners, we were kept busy. Renee brought Banana cup cakes that were really moist and delicious. They were perfect for all the monkey business as we knitted together!

I got my Jacobus monkey started, and promptly named her Rosetta because of my friend Rose and my yarn. I'm using Regia Flusi sock yarn in a rose, blue, red and orange colored stripe with Size 0/2 mm Addi Turbo needles since I needed to go down a couple of sizes from what I normally use for sock knitting. The fabric seems to be just about right for stuffing. I'm nearly done with her, but I'm afraid I may have issues stuffing her since she's so tiny. My plan is to finish her by tomorrow, so I can parade her around tomorrow evening at the KAL. I still have to knit her second ear, tail and finally her last leg. Right now she's a one legged monkey!

If anyone else wants to start knitting Jacobus with us, purchase and print your pattern from Ravelry and stop in Thursday for our KAL a little before 6 pm. We can help you pick out yarn and needles if you don't have the right size.

One legged Rosetta with her lips still flapping!

Keep on knitting,

Nancy

April KAL - Don't Laugh But I'm Doing This

OK. I have always wanted to knit a sock monkey and I think I have finally found the perfect pattern. It's Jacobus by Annita Wilschut.  

Jacobus a.k.a. Mitch (skinny and flat) mid-knit!

Now he's feeling full and satisfied.

And very relaxed and and happy!

I've knitted my Jacobus (just call him Mitch) from Cascade 220 Superwash Paints in the Beach Grass colorway for Mitch's body and Cascade 220 Superwash in Banana (Get it?  BANANA!!) Cream. My next one (oh yes, there will be many) is, I think, going to be: Body by Malabrigo in Azul Profundo and Face by Malabrigo in Lettuce. OR something else. Who knows what I will choose by April 5th? I'm notorious for changing my mind 9 or 11 times.  

One of the cool things about this pattern is that you can use any weight yarn. Plus Annita's pattern has lots of photos to show you what Jacobus should look like as you are working on him.  A couple of our Thursday friends, Stacy and Patti, have already purchased their Jacobus yarns.  They opted for bodies in Malabrigo and decided to share a skein of Cascade 220 for the face, hands and feet.

The KAL is set to begin Thursday, April 5 from 6-8:00 p.m. and will continue through Thursday evenings in April. Come and 'monkey around' with us. It will be a blast! Join us and be prepared for some taste-tempting treats of the monkey variety!

Happy Knitting!

Renee

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

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.

My Truly Tasha's Shawl Update

I got the body of my Truly Tasha's Shawl (TTS) done this weekend and have completed nearly half of the lace that encircles the body. The instructions for the first corner were difficult to understand, but I finished it. The rest is downhill from here!

Tomorrow night I can get everyone started at the Knit Together, knowing they will be able to do the lace when they come to it. I certainly didn't want to lead anyone down the wrong path ... anyway the end is in sight for my TTS.

It's a good thing I'm almost done, since I found the Travel Shawl in Veronik Avery's new book Knitting 24/7. I'm going to actually start it tonight. (I know I'm not done with my TTS yet, but I think I work better when there's something I'm really excited to work on calling out to me.) I decided I'm going to use Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds DK for the Travel Shawl. It's a scrumptious undyed blend of Suffolk, Jacob, and Bluefaced Leicester.

Remember to print off your Truly Tasha's Shawl pattern for the Knit Together tomorrow night. I hope to see some of you here for some mindless knitting that we can chatter to!

Too, too busy!

Sorry about my lack of blogging lately. I've been busy planning and writing up classes and Knit-Togethers for the shop. We've also had a bad flu at our house. Thankfully so far I've stayed well, even if poor Tim and Katie had it. I hope you all are washing your hands and using hand sanitizer. You don't want this bad virus ...

I recently finished my Feather & Fan scarf using gift yarn that was really lovely! Now I'm knitting Truly Tasha's Shawl from Nancy Bush and I'm also making the French Press Felted Slippers. Both of which we will be doing here at the shop. Check out our class list for June for the slippers (it will go up next week after I finish the slippers) and check out our event list for the May Knit-Together on Thursday nights. The shawl is a mindless knit so far. I'm not on the lace edging yet, but hope to be there very soon. As for the slippers, I cast them on this morning and will plan to felt them this weekend. They are a really quick knit, that's for sure!

Happy knitting!

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!

Join us tonight for the Lizard Ridge K-Tog

We often hear knitters in the shop say they would love to knit the Lizard Ridge (throw) from Knitty.com. For any of you who might be interested, we are starting the Lizard Ridge Knit-Together tonight!

Be sure to print off your pattern from this link before you come tonight. We’ll teach you how to knit backwards tonight, which is a big help with the short rows that occur in this undulating Noro Kureyon color-fest! The pattern calls for size 8 needles (straight are fine if you are planning to knit the throw in squares (or strips as I'm doing). If you want to knit it in one piece, you will need long circulars.

We hope to see you tonight from 6 to 8 pm.

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!