BIG NEWS!

I just got a Fedex box from South West Trading yesterday. All the samples and books and yarns are here! I am so excited to get started with my new venture. The yarns are just wonderful, and every single one seems to have a special and unique natural twist to it. I will be the SouthEAST rep (LA-MS-AL-GA-FL) for South West Trading, www.soysilk.com ....just wait, more yarn companies and pattern companies later!

Flying Fur and Cozy Necks

Lots of Fiber fun again today at the Cottage. The Chain Gang met again , and under the strict supervision of Julie, churned out a couple of lovely scarves. I think 3 or 4 were finished, but not everyone wanted to model. This crowd always makes me think of my fondest memories with my mother, learning to knit & crochet (we didn't do it well, but we had a lots of laughing fits, as I recall!). We received another blanket for the Baldwin County Care House, and I finished the yellow February Baby Sweater (no picture?), and also the dog sweater vest, which I put on, just to see if it was ok...it was ok! Woof! What fun (and flying fur!). It was a big day, and lots of old (ok, middle aged) friends stopped by. Hugs all around.

February Baby in July

Today, I finished off the February Baby Sweater, and while I was working on the final rows, in walks this Mom & her little "February Baby". River was wearing a green one, but her Mom was smart...short sleeves, rather than the 4" called for in the pattern...oh, how I wish I had done that! She and her sweater were just beautiful.

We also loved the Adriafil Knit Col shrug that Nancy is working on!

Trying to Hear Which Yarn is Calling Out "Me SKIF"

I think that front one on the left could be our store sample SKIF. Not sure yet.

Well, That's Just SKIFY!

You won't believe these kooky patterns. All avante-garde and strange. I am planning on making one right away, probably in one of the yarns we just got from South West Trading...I think the drape of a soy or bamboo is going to look extra cool & groovy on my new SKIF. I believe in always making the THING YOU CAN'T BUY. I am pretty sure you can't buy a sweater like these, anywhere around here...but I could be wrong. Maybe you can, for about $500 or so. Oh, and the patterns come with your funky metal tags & buttons, too. It will feel pretty strange to knit all those funny hanging off pieces. Oh my...that is going to mess with my Libra soul for sure. Then I will have to try hard to keep a straight face while wearing it. Maybe I will wear my sunglasses all day, and a ponytail on one side of my head. At least just for the blog picture.

One Skein Wonders

Look what Megrez Rudolf has been doing with her spare time! They are from a "One Skein" project book. Adorable!

Finishing Jobs Galore!

This sweater is made from dog hair spun in to yarn. Really! Amazing...I am sewing it together and adding the neck & sleeve edgings. What a special way to remember Fido (or Fluffy?) My dog Purl could make enough for one of these in a week. Contact the shop if you want to know where to get your dog's hair spun into yarn.

Ok, this is the "after" of one of the sweaters below. The green one has gone back to the drawing board. The sleeves don't match the armholes....by a long shot. Shall we make a vest instead? Or maybe the sleeves can be knitted (& increased) some more, or the front & back can be unravelled and made shorter. This is the problem. The armholes should be 9" tall, but they are 12". That amounts to a 6" shortfall in the size of the sleeves. Measure twice, knit once.

More and More....

I am not mentioning, "Rhonda has lost her marbles", but you might wanna come see what the UPS man has brought. Lots and Lots of Blue Sky Alpaca, the softest yarns you have ever seen, and very special for the most special knits ever. This is before the yarn got put out. I am sure it won't last.

Also got the new Clover circular for sock knitting. You can knit the whole sock on a teensy high quality circular (not 2 needles, not 4 needles, not 5 needles), small enough to knit adult socks. You only have to change to DPNs at the very end of the toe. Check em out.

Frances Grace Must Have Been Listening

Frances Grace came to her Mom's knitting lesson. She wasn't the least bit interested, and studied a game on her I-Phone during the whole lesson. That's cool, I thought, sometimes a person just is NOT into it. Later on, her Mom ran into a little trouble. "here, Mom, let me show you what to do...". That was Frances Grace.....I guess she was picking up knitting even though it did not seem like it! She is now hopelessly "into it", and here is her project, CHECK IT OUT!! AWESOME, RIGHT?

Hard Working Knit & Crochet Chain Gang

Angela is almost done with her blanket for Baldwin County Carehouse, and we think it is pretty close to perfect, if not actually 100% perfect. Ileana, and I hope I spelled that right, is doing a great job on her first crochet work (oops...I think it is her 2nd class, so don't get mad I said "first"). I am totally amazed at how good these kids are. Rhonda is warning me, I may have to look for a new job once they get trained up on their knitting & crochet. I noticed they were studying how to use the ball winder awfully closeley. It is a shame, because the pay is so good. I got the February Baby sweater very close to done, (ok, I might be exaggerating a little, but there is no proof, because I neglected to take a picture. Maybe next time. I could get the "Hey Teach" sweater (eggplant Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece) into the lace part over the holiday weekend, and then it will be an occasion for an in-progress photo shoot. I also have 3 big finishing jobs to do for the shop. Maybe I will post photos of those, too! For some reason, I think some people are actually reading this mess! Thanks, everyone, you made my day.

Something Fun to Try

Here is something fun I just came across:
Finger Knitting Video from YouTube

Now, what projects can you make from it?

FO's and WIPS

Here is Eebie's Silky Merino shell. I love the way she added extra to the bottom border. She did it after the fact, for more length, but we think it is a great improvement to the basic top pattern. Way to go! Also she is working a "St. John's Wort" sweater in lavender, from Interweave, on "antique" yarn. I am thinking it will be awesome. I just love the big collar. Great work.









Later, we had a visit from my dear friend, Elisabet. She is making a fishies baby blanket, and it is ready for the sewing up. We tried out some different ways to attach the fishies. It won't be long til it's done. Berroco Comfort yarn, and it is very very soft & beautiful. Wish that new grandbaby would hurry up! The baby is about the size of a peanut right now.

Just Knitting Along...

Not so much new lately, except for a very busy first Monday open at the Yarn Cottage. I worked on my two current projects, and of course started another. Here is the current status of the Lace & Cable top, which I have just picked up again after a (one month) haitus, and the half done February Baby Sweater in Swedish yarns Bomull Sport. I am doing the February Baby (from EZ's Knitter's Almanac) because of the popularity of the "February Lady" sweater, which we have hanging up at the shop in Cascade Greenland. It sure is a fun pattern to make, and pretty easy (see buttonholes problem below! LOL). I should be able to get the other sleeve done today & get into the body section, which is a breeze. Oh, I forgot the buttonholes (oops!) gonna put in a grosgrain band with snaps, I think. Good save, Rhonda! You gotta see the Great Adirondack rayon ribbon scarf she is making up. As for the lace & cable top (a download from Vogue Knitting) in purple, it is kinda strange....you work across the top from sleeve to sleeve (the cables run horizontally, and that opening is the neck, about halfway to the other side & getting back into one piece), then sew the underarms, then work down from there. I am doing it in a nice cotton/acrylic blend dk I have had in my stash for a long time. The other one I started isn't so interesting yet, but it's an eggplant colored "Hey Teach" sweater, which is lacey & has short sleeves. I think it should take 4 balls of Cotton Fleece, which is really nice to work with.

More about the Baby Surprise

Even though I am finished knitting it, I've been having my coffee and reading this morning on the phenomenon that is the Baby Surprise. I find it incredible Ravely.com has over 8000 people worldwide who've knitted it and posted photos, plus there is an extensive WIKI page, with loads of technical information, not only for knitting, it, but for knitting it BETTER. Then I got sidelined by this: http://www.homeofthesampler.com/howtos/craftypod.html

I had seen some buttons like this, and filed it away under "someday I will try to do this". Now I won't have to get my head dented in from banging it against the wall...now I will have instructions! It seems like a good use for the gobs of embroidery thread and perle cotton I have from other (temporarily dropped) crafts! I might even have those little cabone rings, too.

Speaking of the Ravelry phenomenon patterns, I think I am going to knit another one: the "Hey Teach" sweater (originially from Knitty), which is lacey and short sleeved....two of my favorite features in a sweater. Do you think eggplant cotton fleece is a good choice? I am still uncertain what color to make, but I think the cotton fleece will be awesome. A friend named Erin I met in Nashville at the Haus of Yarn (!!) was making one and I can't get it out of my head. Also, if you are a ravelry member, you must see knit4smiles, one of the other fabulous knitters I met at Knit Nite. She was making a "Wild Thing", but without a pattern. Truly wonderful and adorable (and scary!) too. It is finished and posted on her projects page.

Big Day! #2

...and....and..Nancy wore her new Ironstone yarns Sky sweater (yarn bought from yours truly at the YarnHaus!), another CareHouse blanket arrived, and best of all, just in time for Knit Nite, our sofas are here. Now we really mean it when we say, "Come Unwind With Us!".

Big Day! #1

It was a huge day at the Cottage. I finished the Baby Surprise Jacket in KnitCol, Ann brought by her new Arcadia top in Pink, Christina started a pink baby sweater in Mandarin Petit, we got a bunch more bankets for Baldwin County Care House, Angela has an orange one in progress, and we double-dog dared her to go get us some dinner with her winter hat & green short-row scarf on (she did!), and....and....and.... (see next message!)

Bonnie's Socks & My Newest Baby Sweater

Well, the Baby Surprise is getting so close to done, I thought I'd start up the February Baby Sweater pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac. It's working up so nice in the sport weight cotton I am using, Gjestal Bomull Sport (say that 3 times fast!). A lovely inexpensive high quality (Norwegian?) cotton).

Below are the socks Bonnie just made of Cascade Fixation (new colors just came in FYI). (Bonnie's are NOT matching, of course!). Good job. I told her about the Sock Symposium we are planning....learn lots of different sock techniques during a few hours on a Saturday. Two dates are planned one in July and one in August. Check the Yarn Cottage website for details, but give us a couple of days to get the newsletter ready for July.

Baby Surprise Edging

This is how the sweater looks tonight. I plan on making little loops while binding off in I-cord. That way, I can avoid the whole "buttonhole" issue. I think it will be cute with 3 loops. FYI, if you want to see what an I-Cord bind off is all about, check out this You tube video. The pattern does not include an edging, and the sweater looks great without it, but I thought it might be a nice modification. What do you think?

Broke, Busted & Disgusted

Back from my trip, and find out NOBODY even touched the Baby Surprise sweater. Another good reason to be disgusted to be back is the photos of the view out my Dad's apartment window. Also, naturally, I am broke, and also unpleasantly surprised to be back to regular life & got a few extra lbs around the middle. Now, there will be a big diet starting shortly, and maybe things will smooth out soon. Also, the sweater's got to get done. Maybe tomorrow. Then I can work on my new Lupine Lace socks in Malabrigo Sock Yarn(got those started on the trip after shopping at the Haus of Yarn in Nashville, and back to the Lace & Cable top, which (I thought) was off track, but after frogging a few rows, realized it is actually ok.....there are 53 stitches on each side, but somehow I thought it was supposed to be 51....until I looked at the pattern. On the Baby Surprise sweater, I'm thinking about doing an I-Cord bind off (maybe in a sold color??), which I see is quite popular in the NEARLY 9000 of them people have posted on ravelry.

Kay brought her FINISHED BERROCO COMFORT SHAWL by the store today and modelled for us, while vowing to work on something a little more interesting to knit next time. Or, at the very least, it could start at the wide part and narrow down to a point, right Kay?