the yarn garden

Nelly the Owl!

2012-02-03T16:36:00.000-05:00

Meet the newest addition to the YG Zoo! She's crocheted out of leftover scraps of worsted weight (probably Cascade 220), using a fantastic pattern from FreshStitches. Love her!

Upcoming Classes...

2012-01-19T10:42:00.002-05:00

For more classes, check out the Classes page!

Thumbs Up
Saturday, January 21st from 1:00 to 4:00
Fee: $20
Instructor: Jill Bigelow - Suttell
Description: Mittens are quick projects that are always in demand by family, friends and your local homeless shelter. They are easy too...once you master that pesky thumb. Thumb styles vary so one the thumb you are used to knitting may not be the one called for in the next pattern you want to knit. In this class, we will make 3 thumbs then compare and contrast them. You must be able to knit in the round but no mitten experience is necessary.

Supplies and homework: contact store for list and homework assignment

Basic Socks
Thursdays from 6:00p - 8:00p OR Saturdays from 1:30p to 3:30p
January 26th, February 2nd & 9th OR January 28th, February 4th & 11th
Fee: $40
Instructor: Lindsay Potter
Description: In this class, you'll learn the basic construction of a sock using double-pointed needles and fingering weight yarn. This is a great way to get in the sock craze, but with one warning - once you start socks, there's no turning back!

Supplies and homework: contact store for list and homework assignment

2011-12-14T12:36:00.001-05:00

holiday hours

CLOSED

Saturday, December 24^th

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Happenings at the YG!

2011-11-18T12:47:00.001-05:00

Holidays Hours for YG
Thursday, Nov. 24th - closed. Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, Nov. 25th - 8:00 am - 6:00 pm. Black Friday Sale!
Saturday, Nov. 26th - 10:00 am - 4:00 PM. Small Business Saturday!

Were you aware that next week is Thanksgiving? Where on earth did November go? All I keep hearing on the radio is Black Friday this, and Black Friday that (and in the case of Art Van, Black Saturday?). Well, most of you know that YG always has a huge Black Friday Sale, and this year is no exception! Set your alarm clocks, drag your friends out of the big box stores, and haul yourself to Charlotte this year! I'll be opening my doors at 8:00 am ( and if you know me, you know how tough that is!!) and we'll start selling at 8:01.

YG's Annual Black Friday Sale!

8:00 am - 9:00 am -- 30% off the entire store!

9:01 am - 10:00 am -- 25% off the entire store!

10:01 am - 11:00 am -- 20% off the entire store!
11:01 am - 6:00 pm -- 15% off the entire store!

And for the first time ever, we'll be celebrating Small Business Saturday too! Check out the link above; it's a great movement by American Express to encourage all shoppers to support their local small businesses like me, Fay from Fay's Evelyn Bay, Betsy from Bella's & Bella Grande's, Nancy from the Hen House, and Shirley from Tea & Vintage Treasures, just to name a few.

YG's First Ever Small Business Saturday Celebration!

We'll carry over the discount from Friday: 15% off the entire store!

Additional discounts on some of your favorite items

Plus, spend $85 or more, and receive a free YG mug!

If you need more reasons to come to Charlotte for the big shopping weekend, check out our other local businesses for their sales; keep up to date with our business here, thanks to CAN DO!. Make sure to plan on stopping at Fay's Evelyn Bay for coffee after you shop here; she's offering 20% off your bill for Friday and Saturday if you show her your receipt from a local business. If you need a sweet treat after your hard day's shopping, be sure to check out Corey's Carousel for some delicious cupcakes! And be sure to check out Michigan Untapped for their Black Friday specials too!

Learn Toy Making From a Pro!

2011-10-06T11:26:00.002-04:00

Toy Making 101 - Snails!

Saturday, November 19th from 12:00p - 3p

Fee: $45 (pattern, stuffing, black yarn for embellishments included!)

Instructor: Chris de Longpré of Knitting at Knoon

Learn toy making from the master herself, Chris of Knitting at Knoon fame. She's the designer of all the adorable stuffed toys you've seen around, including the always popular SnoBuddies, Bunny Hop, and our most recent addition, Monkey Business. You will get in touch with your happy place while constructing a fanciful snail in class, demonstrating a number of useful joining and connecting skills used in making knitted toys.

Mid Mitten Yarn Shops Shop Hop

2011-09-07T16:23:00.000-04:00

Passports on sale now!

Be sure to mark your calendars for September 15th, 16th, 17th, & 18th for the brand-new, re-designed shop hop. We're changing things up a bit this year! Our new name is the Mid Mitten Yarn Shops (MMYS), in place of CAYSC (because who could remember what that stood for, anyway!), and look for a lower ticket price ($15 instead of $20), among other changes. As most of you know, we lost a yarn shop in the year since our last shop hop, but we also gained a fantastic new shop and partner in MMYS, Sticks & Strings in Old Town. So join us, fellow knitters, as we celebrate all the fantastic fiber and inspiration from your local yarn shops, the Yarn Garden, Rae's Yarn Boutique, Sticks & Strings, and Woven Art!

4th Annual Knitting At Potawatomi Retreat!

2011-07-22T14:02:00.000-04:00

Potwawatomi Inn, October 28th, 29th, & 30th

Angola, Indiana (hour and a half south from Lansing)

Cost - $305

This includes virtually everything for the weekend!

Lodging - two women to a room, with two queen beds

Meals - from dinner on Friday to brunch on Sunday (and a snack bar on Saturday!)

Math for Hats - your course fee and cost of the booklet is included!

Tot Toppers Trunk Show! - Kate will be bringing a variety of her patterns and samples for us to drool over (but not on, please)

Payment -

Deposit* - $100 with sign-up to hold spot

2nd Payment - $100 by Friday, September 2nd

Remainder - $105 by Friday, October 14th

*Deposit is non-refundable after September 2nd, unless a replacement is found

Math for Hats taught by Kate Oates

This course is intended to help knitters at all levels adjust and add sizes to an existing pattern, or to start from scratch to design their own hat. We begin by learning how to swatch in the round. We will discuss gauge, different levels of ease including when negative/positive ease are appropriate with a variety of stitch patterns, and how to use available standard sizing and even estimate yardage. We will look at all basic hat shapes including beanies and berets, and also discuss some accessories like earflaps and embellishments. Finally, we will look at the various construction methods and how they suit for the hat inside your head!

Skills required:

-cast on

-knitting in the round

-basic increasing & decreasing

-the course is perfectly suitable for beginning knitters!

After the class, we'll use our new skills to knit chemo caps for donation to the local cancer unit at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. And of course, there will be yarn, and food, and chatter, and the mobile

yarn garden and all the other things you've come to expect from our weekend away!

Holiday Hours!

2011-06-29T13:33:00.002-04:00

Just a heads up...

YG will be closed on Saturday, July 2 and Monday, July 4th to celebrate our nation's birthday.

Happy Birthday USA!

May we all get lots of knitting done on our long weekend :)

Now for the Interesting Details!

2011-06-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

When I received the book Knit Noro, this was one of the first items that caught my eye. I thought it would be a perfect shop model, flattering for a wide variety of body shapes and sizes, and of course, worked in Noro. Then I took a closer look at the instructions and loved the pattern even more. Why, you ask? Here are the reasons!

1. This creatively constructed vest is knit sideways from a provisional cast-on at the center back, then the cast-on stitches are picked up and the other side is knit. Cool!

2. Vertical stripes are more flattering than horizontal stripes.

3. Loved the button loops, as mentioned in the previous post.

4. Knit out of Noro Taiyo... need I say more?

5. At first glance, it looks like the entire pattern is knit in garter stitch. Boring! Upon closer examination, I discovered a strip of stockinette stitch sprinkled in every so often. Just enough to break up the boredom!

6. Since the garment is knit sideways, ROW GAUGE becomes more important than STITCH GAUGE.

That last bit is pretty important... ROW GAUGE is more important than STITCH GAUGE. In this case, because the garment is knit sideways, stitch gauge (how many stitches you get per inch) actually determines the length of the garment. Row gauge (how many rows you get per inch of knitting) is the determining factor for bust circumference. Interesting. Take into account the fact that garter stitch is infamous for stretching, and you have a recipe for gauge disaster! So I proceeded through a fairly intensive gauge swatching process, thinking what a great teaching tool this would make. So I took pictures every step of the way, so you could see the importance of what I was doing. Ready?

1. First step: Knit two gauge swatches in pattern stitch (garter stripe pattern, in this case) using two different size needles (US 8 & 9, respectively). If you look closely, you can see the knots in the tails. Those tell me what size needles I used. Clever, huh?

2. See how much difference one needle size can make?

3. Measure each swatch carefully and record the sizes (either write it down or take a picture... you won't remember, I promise!).

Swatch with US 8 needle (stitch x row) = 3.875" x 4.1875"

Swatch with US 9 needle = 4" x 4.625"

4. Give your swatches a bath, by caring for them like you'll care for your finished project. In this case, the swatches went for a dip in the sink with some SOAK instead of the washing machine at home.

5. Wring out the extra water and let them air dry. I swear by ShamWows!... they really are extra absorbent and dry really fast. Plus, there's no lint like from a regular towel.

6. Now for the fun part... in order to see how much this thing was going to stretch when I actually wore the vest, I had to simulate that extra weight somehow. Solution? Hang the swatches from a hanger, then add some extra weight in the form of a ball of yarn. I just took some scrap yarn, threaded it through the center of each ball, and tied it on to some spare dpns threaded through the bottom edge of the swatches. I kept the swatches trussed up this way overnight. Pretty fancy, huh? (Ignore the scary, creepy basement... it was the only place that would be undisturbed overnight).

7. Now for the moment of truth... what happened to my swatches?

US 8 swatch = 4.125" x 4.25"

US 9 swatch after bath = 4.5625" x 4.625"

8. Now, all that was left was to choose which swatch I could live with. I decided to go with the US 8, and know that the vest might end up a bit longer and a bit bigger than the actual measurements, which I was okay with. Since the style of the vest is a wraparound, I figured I could just snug up the placement of the buttons a bit. And it turned out perfectly!

9. What I would do differently - I forgot to measure before I trussed up the swatches. That way, we could actually see what the difference was before and after they were weighted. Oh well, next time.

So yes, swatching AND BLOCKING really IS important, even though it feels like it takes time away from our "REAL" knitting. Knitters, go forth and knit with confidence, knowing ahead of time how your project will turn out!

The Finished Object First...

2011-06-21T15:51:00.000-04:00

...to whet your appetite for more information! Look for another blog post soon, detailing the intensive swatching process that I went through to achieve a good fit. It's interesting, I promise.

Close up of my favorite part of the project. The button hole loops were made at the same time as the applied i-cord edging, then wrapped with yarn. Cool, huh? And the super awesome buttons are hand made by my friend, customer, fellow knitter, and local artist Stormi Stuler.

Irving comes to live at YG!

2011-05-24T12:25:00.000-04:00

Look what I found in my garden today. I was out inspecting all the green things that are appearing, and this little monster growled at me!


"Oh you scared me! What are you doing in my garden?!" I exclaimed.

I must have scared him too, because he leapt from the fence to settle on Victor the gnome's head. There he crouched, keeping his little black eyes glued on me.

"Poor little guy... I'm not going to hurt you! My name is Lindsay, what's your name?" I asked gently.

He immediately leapt straight up into the tree, where he must have felt a little safer, being taller than me. He struck quite a pose actually, smiling right at the camera as he told me his name was Irving.

"Don't worry Irving, I love little knit guys like you. Why don't you come inside?" I said coaxingly.

He was still just a little unsure, but he hopped along beside me until he spotted the old bike. Up he leapt (the little guy has some incredible jumps for being a little knit monster!) and posed for another picture. He's quite the model, I think.


Irving cocked his little ears and said, "I guess you're all right for a human. What's inside?"

And so we went inside, where Irving found yarn that looked suspiciously like his yarn, as well as a book full of his family! And of all places, it was in the bathroom!


"Uh, Lindsay? Why do you have this stuff in the bathroom? That's weird!" Irving asked. I replied, "Why not? I have a captive audience when they're in there!"

Irving absolutely adored my mug from Jennie the Potter, insisting that he take a break inside it. And of course, modeling for yet another picture. As he rested, he jabbered on and on. Apparently once a monster starts talking, you can't get them to shut up!

"This mug is glorious! I love the sheep and the green yarn floating around it. It's very comfy for a monster like me to rest in." Irving rambled on and on.

I decided that Irving should meet some friends in the shop, before he talked my ears off. So we went on to the baby room, where Henry the Baby Bear from Itty Bitty Toys lives.

Unfortunately, I didn't know that monsters and bears did not get along. I mean, why would I? Did you know that? This is only the fourth monster I've ever met, and the topic of bears just never came up. You can see from the following pictures what happened... poor Henry.

"Irving, why don't we go meet another toy? Leave poor Henry alone!" I exclaimed, hurrying to rescue poor Henry.

Finally, some friends Irving can tolerate. Mama and Papa Bunny welcomed him with open paws, excited to have another toy join them in the YG family.

"Finally, some normal friends. Not weirdo pink bears... what were you thinking, Lindsay!? Everyone knows that monsters and bears don't get along. Sheesh!" Irving scolded.

By now, I was getting a bit irritated with that little monster, so I hurried the tour along, hoping Irving would find somewhere comfortable and leave me along for a little bit.

Irving thought he found a nice, comfy home in this variation on my Cabled Cowl. Doesn't he look so cute, hanging out among the pretty colors of Noro Kureyon?

"LINDSAY!" Irving yelled. "I don't like this place... it's too far away from all the action!"

I sighed, and went over and got him.

"How about being right by the cash register? If you sit here, you can see the front and back door, and you can be right by the cash register." I suggested.

"This is perfect! Now I can see both doors, and make sure no one sneaks up on me. And, then I'm closer to you and we can talk all about........" Irving started rambling.

I tuned him out, knowing he didn't really expect a response. So next time you're in, maybe you can take Irving for a trip around the shop and give my poor ears a break!

Pattern: Irving, designed by Rebecca Danger

Source: Big Book of Knitted Monsters
Yarn: Jamieson's Double Knitting, less than 1 skein each of Sapphire #676 & Rust #578
Needles: 40" US 4 (3.5 mm) addi Click and Chiaogoo dpns

Aruba, Jamaica, Ooooo, I Wanna Take Ya....

2011-05-06T13:43:00.000-04:00

to Bermuda!!

Pattern: Bermuda Scarf, designed by Ilga Leja
Link: Ravelry link - can be downloaded here!
Yarn: 180 grams of Silk Garden Sock, colorway S322
Needles: 24" US 8 (5 mm) addi Turbo

Stitch 'n' Pitch!

2011-04-29T17:13:00.003-04:00

What a pretty day! The sun is shining in the bright blue sky, the winds are relatively calm, and it looks pretty warm out. You know what this weather is good for? Eating a ball park hot dog at Cooley Law School Stadium and cheering the Lugnuts on to a victory. Wait... what's that? There's an event planned just for knitters? Called Stitch 'n' Pitch? That sounds too good to be true! Combining all of the above as well as knitting and yarn buddies. Could it get any better?! Why yes, it could. Make it Ladies' Night and throw in drink specials and salon services!

Interested? Join us for Ladies Night on Wednesday, June 15th as Yarn Garden and Woven Art host a Stitch 'n' Pitch at Cooley Law School Stadium to cheer on Lansing's own Lugnuts. For just $38, there will be a catered dinner, boys in baseball pants (ahem!), drink specials, a goody bag (with a baseball-inspired sock pattern designed by yours truly, and Lugnuts-inspired sock yarn hand dyed by Nancy!), and a host of other activities. Tickets on sale NOW, call to reserve yours!

Sneak peek of the sock pattern/yarn: I present Curveball!

Cowls!

2011-03-03T13:45:00.005-05:00

What is your favorite thing to knit? Right now, mine appears to be cowls. I've never been a huge fan of knitting scarves... they just take so darn long! So when cowls first hit the fashion scene a couple years ago, I was delighted. Cowls can be much smaller, and take much less time to knit or crochet than a scarf. Here's proof of my current obsession... a virtual parade of knitted cowls, all followed by Ravelry links and yarn info so you too can create your own cowls!
Autumn Orange Cowl, number one, knit out of less than one skein of Misti Alpaca Chunky Hand Paint. The hat is the Lansing Beret (see below for pattern link and yarn info).
Autumn Orange Cowl, number two, with more stitches. This time, one entire skein of Berroco Borealis #5020 Selfoss was consumed in the knitting.
Autumn Orange Cowl number three, even more stitches and two strands of yarn held together. One was a skein of Noro's Kogarashi #5, the other was a ball of Cascade's Kid Seta #13. The Kid Seta is a mohair blend, and it lent just enough fuzz and color to really soften the overall project. Love it!Next up is a cowl of my own design, the Cozy Cabled Cowl. This first one is knit out of a half ball of Cascade's Eco Duo #1704.
Cozy Cabled Cowl number 2 is worked out of an entire ball of Berroco's Blackstone Tweed, color #2646 Salt Water. (Please excuse the silly face... I hate just staring at the camera and smiling... it gets old!)
This was one of the patterns from the 2010 CAYSC Shop Hop, designed by Melynda Bernadi from French Press Knits, exclusively for our event. My sample of the Lansing Cowl is knit out of Ultra Alpaca #62170 Cerulean Mix. I'm unsure what happened with the camera on this shot... it's terrible! But, you can see much better pics of the Lava Flow cowl here. My sample is knit with the luscious Epiphany from Cascade, in good old goes-with-everything black. And last but not least, Rita's Reversible Cabled Cowl, a Misti International pattern. This sample was knit using two hanks of Misti Alpaca Chunky Hand Paint in colorway Havasu.

Why I Love My addi Clicks!

2011-02-08T14:52:00.010-05:00

If you're a knitter, you know what addi Turbos are. They're the Cadillac of needles, the best of the best, the needle of choice for most knitting rock stars. So I was absolutely THRILLED when I heard through the grapevine that Skacel was busy coming up with an interchangeable needle set. After a bit of a wait, I got one of the first sets of addi Clicks, and have lived & knit with them for a long time now. So this post is a bit late in coming, but deserved nonetheless. So I present, my top ten reasons why I LOVE my addi Clicks:

1. I have every needle I could possibly need (from US 4 - US 15) at my fingertips (500 different combinations!).

2. Even a ridiculously long needle, because I can join multiple cords together using the connector.

3. Because I've already bought a number of addi Turbos, I now have two sets of needles in most sizes, to use the two circs method of knitting in the round.

4. I get to use a pretty della Q silk bag to organize them!

5. I can buy extra tips of the sizes I use the most, so I don't need to "borrow" tips to start a new project.

6. BUT, I can use the cord as a stitch holder if I don't have an extra tip and DO need to "borrow" that size tip for another, more attractive project (hehe!).

7. I can use two different size tips while knitting in the round. This is such a cool, fun thing that I've just discovered. My knitting gauge is pretty tight, so it is sometimes a chore to push the stitches up and over the join. My solution? I use a needle tip that is 2 or 3 sizes smaller on the right, and the correct size for the gauge on the left. And it doesn't change the gauge, since you're forming the stitches with the bigger needle. Sweet!

8. I can buy extra cords in assortment packs (24", 32", & 40") OR in triple packs. So if I have a few (ahem!) projects using the cords as stitch holders, I can buy more cords to keep on knittin'!

9. The Clicks come with a cute little gold heart pin that I can wear proudly and proclaim to all that I am an addi Clicks user.

10. The Clicks now come in more options than ever. There's a kit with bamboo tips, a kit with lace tips (pointier on the end), and the best part? They're all interchangeable and can be used together.

So there you have it... all the reasons why I love my addi Clicks, and why you should own a set too!

Susie The Stegosaurus

2010-09-10T15:16:00.004-04:00

Susie the Stegosaurus came for a short visit in August. Isn't she a beautiful dinosaur? She's knit out of Noro Kureyon Sock, and her spikes are knit with a solid color of Regia. She was made by following a pattern from Knitting at Knoon, called Prehistoric Pals.

She really enjoyed hanging out in the garden, and being a vegetarian dino, she really enjoyed the ginormous tomato plant in the corner.

Susie also found the hops vine to be interesting. A bit itchy, and a little smelly, but she liked the way the vine grew around the fence.

And of course, she got to meet the boys of the shop, Noro the Barky Sheltie and Roscoe the Killer Min Pin. Noro is pretty used to seeing strange creatures around the shop, so he didn't really pay her much mind.

Roscoe, on the other hand. He wanted Susie to play! He would pick her up, and toss her around, and pick her up again. I finally had to rescue Susie because she was having a little too much fun, and I was concerned for the safety of her spikes.

After leaving the Yarn Garden, Susie went to live with a very special friend for her birthday. Happy Birthday Jordyn!

Henry the Baby Bear

2010-08-20T16:28:00.002-04:00

The newest addition to the YG family is the always adorable Baby Bear from Susan B. Anderson's Itty Bitty Toys book. His shop name is Henry, and he actually gets to live here. As you can see from this first picture, he loves the yarn that he was knit out of, so much so that he wanted his picture by the sign. And who am I to argue with a bear, even if he is a Baby Bear?

He also loved the other Noro that lives here, Noro the Sheltie. Noro was tolerant enough of Henry to give him a piggyback ride out to the garden. Wasn't that awfully nice of him?

On his way out to the garden, Henry spotted the crotchety old crow, Edgar, that lives near the lilies. I'm not sure what they chattered about, but it didn't take long for Henry to hustle back inside.

After coming inside, Henry spotted Chipper, another fellow of the winged persuasion, and they had a hushed conversation about Edgar the crotchety old crow.

Henry managed to find the section of Noro yarn in the store, and found his favorite color. He loved that color so much! I told I thought it looked like a great color for him, it would really show off his eyes.

The legs above the sock yarn caught his eye, and made him laugh so hard he fell right off the shelf. He did manage to spot a fellow Noro project, so I sat him next to the Road-Tested Legwarmer, knit out of Noro Kureyon by LynnH of ColorJoy herself.

By this time, Henry was getting pretty tired, so I introduced him to Purl the Girl that lives in the bathroom. I made her a long time ago as an entry in 4-H. They took a long nap together in the flower pot.

When Henry woke up, I introduced him to the kids in the baby room. They are sporting the sweaters called Ted and Mini Ted from Knitting at Knoon Designs. This was going to be his new home, and I hoped they all got along well. So far so good!

So next time you're in the YG, be sure to look for Henry the Baby Bear and say hi. You might even be inspired to knit a Baby Bear of your very own!

Fall Classes at YG!

2010-08-18T16:15:00.005-04:00

Class policies:
Class fees are payable only by cash or check, and are due when you sign up to secure your spot in the class.

Class fees are refundable up to 24 hours before the class, unless the class is canceled by YG or the instructor. In that case, the fee will be refunded to you, in the form of store credit or check.

Please support our business by purchasing your supplies from the Yarn Garden. The entire class fee you pay goes to your instructor. The supplies you purchase ensure that YG will be here and will continue to offer the opportunities to learn our wonderful craft for many years to come. Thank you!

2nd Step: Knitting in the Round!
Thursdays from 6:00p - 8:00p OR 10:30a - 12:30pAugust 19th and 26th
Fee: $25
Teacher: Lindsay HarmonDescription: Learn to knit in the round using circular needles and double pointed needles. In this class, you'll choose from two options and make a hat. Topics covered include: knitting in the round, simple colorwork (stripes) and decreases.

Fair Isle Hat
Saturday, August 21st from 12:00p - 2:00p
Fee: $15
Instructor: Jill Bigelow - Suttell
Description: This hat is an introduction to Fair Isle. It will teach you to work with yarn in both hands, knitting English and continental. You will also learn how to read a chart with colors and symbols. You will get tips to personalize your hat, including cable ribbing and casting on with 2 colors.

Cabled Cowl
Thursday. September 9th from 6p - 8p
Fee: $15
Instructor: Lindsay Harmon
Description: Learn how to knit a simple cable while you knit this quick, cozy cowl. You should know how to knit and purl, and you'll learn a provisional cast on, how to cable, how to make a dropped stitch, and how to do a 3 needle bind-off. Cowls are addicting, you'll be making one for everyone you know!

Learn to Bead!
Sundays, September 12th from 12p - 5p
Fee: $25 + $26.50 for kit
Instructor: Lindsay Harmon
Description: Learn five different ways to add beads to your knitting in this comprehensive beading class. The project is a fancy little beaded bag knit in a dk weight cotton, and is a great learning tool! The kit for the class includes the book, beads, a skein of yarn, and a beading needle. Space in this class is limited, and you should be comfortable with knitting and purling, and there is a bit of homework. Sign up early to reserve your spot!

Basic Socks
Thursdays from 10:30 a - 12:30p OR 6p-8p
September 30th, October 7th, and 14th
Fee: $40
Instructor: Lindsay Harmon
Description: In this class, you'll learn the basic construction of a sock using double-pointed needles and fingering weight yarn. This is a great way to get in the sock craze, but with one warning - once you start socks, there's no turning back!

Taming the Dragon
Saturday, October 9th from 10:00a - 4:00p
Fee: $40 (includes Heere Be Dragone pattern)
Instructor: Sharon Winsauer
Description: The famous Heere Be Dragone Shawl uses some interesting techniques and unusual stitches. This workshop will cover the stitches used in the dragon and tips for successful completion of this unique and fun-to-knit, yet challenging shawl.

Top Down Socks From the Toe Up
Thursdays from 6p-8p
November 11th and 18th
Fee: $25
Instructor: Jill Bigelow-Suttell
Description: Have you ever seen a top down sock pattern that you wanted to work from the toe? Then this class is for you. Jill has chosen Baroque from Knitty Fall 2008 as our sample pattern. We will learn how to determine the toe shaping, converting the pattern stitches to create the same look as the original sock and work a heel flap from the bottom up. This class is for the adventurous knitter with previous toe up sock experience.

Heel Variations
Saturday, November 13th from 11:00a to 3:00p
Fee: $25.00
Teacher: Jill Bigelow-Suttell
Description: Did you know there are lots of different types of heels that can be knit in socks? In this class, time permitting, we will work on 3 - 4 different sock heels. This class will help you explore and expand your sock-knitting horizon, and aid in designing your own original patterns. The more you know the better!

Free Sole Socks
Saturday, November 20th from 1:00p - 4:00p
Fee: $20
Instructor: Jill Bigelow - Suttell
Description: We all treasure our hand knit socks but what to do when they finally wear out? The construction of these socks allows you to replace a heel, toe or sole without tearing up the whole sock. We will make a sample size in class and you will get a pattern for a adult size sock. Previous sock experience required.

Two Circs Magic!
Saturday, November 20th from 10:30a - 12:30p
Fee: $20 (pattern included)
Instructor: Lindsay Harmon
Description:Learn how to knit small circumferences in the round without the dreaded double pointed needles. This can include socks, hats, sleeves, necklines, etc. etc. For this class, we'll knit a child's hat with worsted weight yarn, and discuss how to apply the new technique to other projects.

Classes are being added weekly, so if you have a request for a certain class, call or email me soon!

Christmas in... June?

2010-06-03T13:41:00.004-04:00

I'm getting a jump start on my designs for our third annual shop hop (check out "Capital Area Yarn Shop Cooperative" on Facebook or Ravelry for more details on that). My designs this year? Christmas stockings. I've wanted to knit my family stockings for a while now, and what better way to force myself to do that? I've found that my design process comes much easier when I just knit it, and write down the pattern as I go. The key to that sentence? WRITE IT DOWN AS I GO! I'm trying to be better at that... so here's a glimpse into my process.

My favorite part? The colored pencils and Sharpies! Of course, usually these items also require the presence of white-out, which I have a nice supply of. I found a great tutorial on how to create knitter's graph paper online here. It uses a common software program that most of us have on our computers already (Excel), forces you to knit a swatch (ha!), and opens up the whole world for color design. Ready for a sneak peek?

Doesn't look like much yet, but I'm having a ball with the colors. Next up is a stranded colorwork design.

Do you see that glimpse of blue to the left, close to the top? That would be a "yarn bomb". This scarf has outlived its usefulness indoors, so outside it went, as my own personal version of "yarn-bombing". Look it up here in Wikipedia! And here's a better shot of the 'bombed' tree in my garden -

My First Steeked Sweater!

2010-03-19T12:08:00.004-04:00

Well, knitters, I did it. I took a sharp pair of scissors (Ginghers... thanks Mom!), and cut a perfectly good sweater down the middle, and cut open the sleeveholes. Here's the end result, first, so you don't get nervous. See, it turned out beautifully!

So, here's the prep: sewing machine, check. Sharp scissors, check. Sewing needle, check. Yarn to sew with, check. A tube body, and two separate sleeves, check. What!? No wine in the house?................ It's okay, just take a deep breath... and check. I was ready.

So I prepared my trusty sewing machine, measured the armhole depth on the sleeve at least 3 times, pinned my shoulder opening and measured that at least 3 times, and sewed a line on either side of two stitches, first down, then across the bottom of the opening, and back up to the top. Then I did it on the other side (since my sweater needed two sleeve holes). Then I boldly did what hundreds of knitters have done before me. I cut open my pretty little baby sweater.

Here's a close up of the cut. See the sewn line? That's all that kept my pretty little sweater from unraveling. And you know what? It did!

I sewed in my pretty little sleeves into my pretty little sweater, covered up the cut edges with the built in facing knit on the sleeves (which you'll see in a minute), and turned again to my sewing machine. This time, I sewed each line down the front at least 3 times, up, down, and up again. I took another deep breath and cut the front wide open, effectively making my pretty little pullover into a pretty little cardigan with cut edges.

After making "the big cut", I picked up my stitches as instructed along the cut edges, on the outside of the sew line, and knit the button bands. After those were done, I picked up the collar stitches and made a facing on that as well. These facings are wonderful things, hiding all the cut, or raw edges, and making them invisible (and hopefully even harder to unravel!). Here's the close-up shot of the arm hole facings.

And since all knitters are curious about the inside of a hand knit sweater, here it is with one half inside out.

And a close up of the button bands. See how the facing is folded over and covers up all the icky, raw edges? Pretty cool, I think. And the buttons are little owls for now. I think they're cute, but I'm always on the lookout for good buttons. And since this is not intended for any little body to wear yet, they're just fastened with twisty tie wires. I like to do that for a while, and let it marinate, then I'll sew them on permanently, or find something different.

After practicing the technique of steeking on something small, I am definitely ready to tackle a bigger project. It was helpful to think of the hundreds and hundreds of past knitters that steeked sweaters, even without machine sewing guides for protection. So, what do you think? Are you brave enough to attempt to cut open a sweater?

More Boxes of Fun...

2010-03-05T16:45:00.006-05:00

Today saw the delivery of another new yarn, Origami by Berroco. This is a super fun blend of acrylic, linen, nylon, and cotton... and it's machine washable! Check out the pattern booklet for some ideas of garments to knit.

See how cool it is? It's constructed of multiple strands of different colors, running parallel to one another, all wrapped together by a black thread.

Also in the same box were four new colors of Vintage, the great machine washable wool blend. Don't they make you think spring? I think they would make great kid things.

Why I Love Big Boxes of Yarn...

2010-03-04T19:29:00.003-05:00

How can you not love getting big boxes full of yarn-y goodness? Today's UPS shipment included two big boxes from KFI, which included three new yarns from Noro and two new yarns from Sirdar, and a box from Berroco, which included 14 colors of Pure Pima, their beautiful 100% cotton yarn. Let's start with the Berroco, shall we?

Full of fun, spring-y goodness. Also in the box are three of Berroco's new books for the Spring/Summer season. #292 DK Baby, with patterns using Comfort DK and Pure Pima (which are interchangeable... betcha didn't know that!!). #294 Origami, with patterns using this pretty new yarn, which has not made its appearance in the yarn garden yet, but will be shortly. And last but certainly not least, Norah Gaughan's vol. 6, with patterns using Pure Pima, Seduce, and Bonsai

And that takes care of Berroco... which leaves the boxes from KFI! First up are two new additions to the baby room, in the form of Kisses and Crofter, both from Sirdar. Both of these yarns are self-striping, one in subtle tones of the same shade, and the other striping in a Fair Isle-like color pattern. Both are very soft acrylic-blends, perfect for your DK weight baby needs!

And finally, my favorite yarn in the world to look at. NORO! 3 new colors, 4 new books (including the first ever kid's book from Jane Ellison). Love it... all of it.

First yarn up is the yarn you've seen featured here for the last few weeks, the brand new laceweight Noro yarn called Sekku. It's here in all 8 colors, just waiting to for you to grab it and start knitting!

Also in the box is a new DK weight yarn from Noro called Aya. It's a cotton-blend, made up of cotton, silk, and wool. If you don't knit with Noro because you don't like the feel, this is the answer to that complaint. It's soft, the colors are brilliant, and very kid-friendly.
And last but not least, Taiyo.

Oh, Taiyo. You're a cotton-silk-wool-nylon blend, and I'm usually pretty good at resisting yarn's tempting call, but you. You yelled at me, and insisted on being knit. I tried, I really did. But this particular color, and this blend, and this hat, and I just love you. I'm weak, I know, but this. Yarn. Is. Delicious. How could I resist your yummy citrus-y colors?

Well, I didn't. And I'm anticipating that this hat from Chic Knits will be on my head this weekend. =)

She Goes For The Gold...

2010-02-28T17:04:00.001-05:00

AND SHE WINS!

Off The Needles!

2010-02-27T10:56:00.003-05:00

I stayed up a bit too late last night, finishing my last row and binding off Bitterroot, my Olympic project. But... it's done! I'll be blocking it tonight =)

Olympic Interruptions...

2010-02-24T17:21:00.004-05:00

So, I have to admit I have been a bit unfaithful to Bitterroot, my Olympic project. I got distracted by these...

which will hopefully look like these if the felting gods are feeling generous.

And then today, I was interrupted by the UPS man with the delivery of several large boxes containing yarn. Darn him!

In my defense, I was at a point where I couldn't go any further until I bought my beads. Which I did on Monday, in the middle of a snowstorm, of course. My favorite place to go for beads is T & T Trading in Grand Ledge. They have a huge selection, and are wonderful, knowledgeable people that were very willing to help me find the perfect beads to compliment my shawl. These are a 6/0 Japanese seed bead, clear with an iridescent shine. They are subtle, just catching the light enough to make the edges sparkle. I love it!

(The first row of beads is in green area closest to the needle, in between the clusters of yarnovers.)

Olympic Update

2010-02-19T12:02:00.004-05:00

Hmmm... not much done since last post. I did get past the odd brown color, and am now into green. This makes my heart happy! In other knitting news, I've gotten pretty far on a sock for J. This is my Thursday Night TV knitting, something that I can work on without a thought or a look. Someday, he'll have a nice pair of yummy socks, knit out of Cascade Heritage.

The Rows Are Getting Longer...

2010-02-17T15:32:00.004-05:00

Well, as the title implies, it's taking longer to get across each row. Which means I don't see as much progress, but I am still enthralled with the yarn. I love Noro, imperfections and all. I love the 'thick and thinness', the vegetable matter I am picking out, but most of all, I love the colors. I probably wouldn't have chosen this colorway to work with if I'd had a choice, but I do love it. The odd brown/silver color I'm currently in is a great example. Not a huge fan of the color itself, but I love the way it looks in the project. That Mr. Noro sure knows what he's doing, and I thank him for it!

A couple close up shots so you can enjoy the way the shawl is flowing, pattern repeat by pattern repeat. I'm loving the pattern... simple to memorize, at least at this point. It's actually a great pick for an Olympic project, because I'm still able to pay attention to the TV, or the company around me, and still work on it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T14:22:00.003-05:00

Here's my Valentine's Day in pictures...

(A Valentine's gift for my Valentine... a delicious cherry pie, made with lots of love!)

(A portion of my Valentine's gift from my Valentine... my favorite flowers, Gerbera Daisies!)

(And a pictorial update on Bitterroot, my Olympic Knitting Project)

2010 Winter Olympics Kick Off!

2010-02-12T15:41:00.010-05:00

Have you heard about the Knitting Olympics? No? Well, check out this post from the Yarn Harlot, and learn about this fun event. Basically, you choose a project and cast on during the opening ceremonies, knit furiously for 17 days, and finish the project by the ending ceremonies. The catch is, it needs to be a challenge for you to finish during that time period. Just think of the Olympic athletes, pushing and challenging themselves to win the ultimate prize. Yeah, make it a challenge like that. As for me, this is my Olympic challenge. Bitterroot, from the current issue of Knitty, seen here. Follow along with me on my blog, where I'll be updating every other day or so with my progress. Will I win a gold medal? I hope so!

Here's a before picture, so you can see the "raw materials" of the project before I dive in (why yes, that IS Noro lace weight yarn. How observant of you!).
Now let's dissect the picture, and see my favorite knitting tools. First up is the needles, an important part of any knitter's toolbox. I love my Addi Clicks needles, the interchangeable needle set from Skacel. And of course, what else would I store my needles in but a silk needle organizer from della Q?

Next up is the yarn, which is a brand spankin' new yarn from Noro, called Sekku. So brand new, in fact, that I don't even have it for sale yet. I got in a preview bag to play with, and it was a natural choice for Bitterroot. You'll notice the pencil in the picture as well, which is essential for keeping track of your spot in your pattern. Now, I happen to pretty picky when it comes to my pencils. I adore Dixon Ticonderogas. They have the best lead, the eraser works really well, and the writing is green. Awesome!

All projects need their own project bag, and I chose this particular one because it was a gift from a good friend of mine. It's a great size, with nice handles and it has my name on it. You'll also notice the Knit Kit, which is the Swiss army knife for knitters. Scissors, a crochet hook, a row counter, a tape measure, a thread cutter, point protectors, and stitch markers, all in one compact. Perfect for the traveling knitter. Next to the kit is a Pattern Tamer, which is a tool that aids in keeping your place in a chart. Also essential for lace knitting!

And last but not least, the stuff that keeps a knitter like myself going. My nice shiny tea kettle, always ready with hot water. Next to that is my favorite sheepy mug, hand made by Jennie the Potter. It contains a Lipton's green tea bag, my caffeine of choice. My mug is resting on a hand knit cotton coaster/dishcloth/swatch, as I tend to overshoot the mug and make a mess. The only thing missing from this particular shot is a pizza box, as Knitting Olympians rarely have time to make dinner, haha! And now I'll leave you with a funny picture of my boys...

Roscoe doesn't think that he can lay on the floor... his big brother is much warmer and cozier. It's a good thing Noro is such a good boy!

Now Open Sundays!

2010-01-13T17:05:00.000-05:00

My dear readers, it is dreadful that I continue to ignore this blog. I have it set as my home page, so I see it every time I open Firefox. Well, the guilt has finally taken over, since I don't have the holidays, or inventory, or even the weather to blame anymore. So here's a quick catch up on what's been going on...

I changed my hours at the shop... I'll now be open on Sundays from noon to 5:00 pm! Grab a cup of joe from the best coffee shop in town, and stop in for some quality knit time. Check out the list of classes for this winter at this post, or better yet, sign up for my free email newsletter! Just email me, lindsayharmonATmacDOTcom, and I'll add you to the list of friends.

I finished a pair of socks for my honey, J.

I took a group of my favorite knitters on the 2nd Annual Knitting at Potawatomi Retreat, and we had a fantastic time learning Sideways Gloves from Jill and just hanging out and knitting!

I finished my first lace project ever, with plenty of time to spare for Addison's baptism. Check out this picture at my sister's blog for an adorable shot of Addie.

We had an addition to my family in the form of a new puppy, Roscoe. Check him out in the family Christmas picture. He's the tiny one sporting the itty bitty hand knit Noro sweater. Actually, he's the only one in the family wearing something hand knit. For shame!!

I knit a ridiculous amount of gifts, none of which I took a picture of.

And now I'm working on a beautiful Dale of Norway pattern, called Setesdal. I've wanted to knit the traditional Fair Isle baby set for a while now, so I decided that after Christmas was the perfect time to start. I decided to start with the hat, to really make sure my gauge was on. Good thing I did, because I had to increase the needle size for the second time. So, the hat is done, with the exception of a pom pom, which may or may not get added. The sweater is started, as is a number of other projects. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and may you knit lots of woolly goodness to keep you warm this winter!

Winter 2010 Classes

2010-01-13T16:57:00.002-05:00

Poly Clay with Sparkle & Shine: Foil & Translucents
Saturday, January 23rd from 11:00a - 3:00p
Fee: $35 + $8-15 for materials
Instructor: Lynn Hershberger
Description: This is the same material Lynn has been teaching for years, with a new twist. Tint translucent clays, layer with foil leaf, and you have buttons that compete with mother of pearl. Buttons made using this technique work with many colors of yarn. They have depth and finesse, and a bit of something special. You can make buttons, beads, handles for tools such as crochet hooks or small screwdrivers. Make a keychain or a writing pen. Whatever you make, it will make you smile.

Fair Isle Hat
Sunday, January 24th from 12:30p - 2:30p
Fee: $15
Instructor: Jill Bigelow - Suttell
Description: This hat is an introduction to Fair Isle. It will teach you to work with yarn in both hands, knitting english and continental. You will also learn how to read a chart with colors and symbols. You will get tips to personalize your hat, including cable ribbing and casting on with 2 colors.

Top Down Hats
Saturday, January 30th from 11:00a - 2:00p
Fee: $20
Instructor: Jill Bigelow - Suttell
Description: Starting at the top gives you different design options. In this class we will try different cast on methods and discuss options including earflaps, neckbands and even adding a scarf directly to the hat.

You Can Learn to Knit!
Sundays from 3:00p - 5:00p
January 31st, February 7th and 14th
Fee: $40
Instructor: Lindsay Harmon
Description: Never picked up a needle before? Looking for a refresher knitting class? In this class, you'll learn (or re-learn) to knit, purl, increase and decrease. By the end of the class, you'll have created two washclothes, and you'll have the skills to make anything in knitting.

Basic Socks
Thursdays from 6p-8p
February 4th, 11th, and 18th
Fee: $40
Instructor: Lindsay Harmon
Description: In this class, you'll learn the basic construction of a sock using double-pointed needles and fingering weight yarn. This is a great way to get in the sock craze, but with one warning - once you start socks, there's no turning back!

Design Your Own Sweater, Set In Sleeves
Thursdays from 6:00p - 8:00p
February 18th, 25th, March 11th, 25th
Fee: $50
Instructor: Jill Bigelow - Suttell
Description: Now another option for designing your own top down sweater; set in sleeves. You have the same options as the raglan sleeve class (any yarn, needles, stitch patterns) plus one new option. With set in sleeves, not only can you make any sleeve length you want, you can even make a vest or tank.

One Day Neckwarmer
Saturday, February 20th from 1:00p - 3:00p
Fee: $20
Instructor: Lynn Hershberger
Description: This project is a low-stress, high-reward project you can make with not much yarn. Buy one 50gm ball of self-striping yarn, and one 50gm ball of a solid, and make two... one for you, and perhaps one as a gift. Or use a leftover half-skein of Silk Garden as a starting point, perhaps. Lynn will help you choose yarns that will work well together in this fun project. Yes, really... some folks have knit this piece in merely 5 hours. Instant projects surely make a lot of us happy, and with all this color it is twice rewarding.

Mitered Squares Obsession
Sunday, February 21st
Fee: $20
Time: 1:00p - 4:00p
Instructor: Lindsay Harmon
Description: Have you seen the mitered square blankies that are taking the Internet by storm? They're made using your leftover sock yarn, and it can quickly become an obsession. You'll need at least 3 different colors of fingering weight yarn and whatever size needles you normally knit your socks with.

Another Sock Class...
Saturdays from 11:00a - 1:00p
March 6th, 13th, 20th
Fee: $40.00
Teacher: Lindsay Harmon
Description: In this class, you'll learn toe-up construction, using an afterthought heel and Judy's Magic Cast-On, and how to knit on two circs. This is a great class for all skill levels, and all types of yarn. Because you're starting at the toe, there's no need for swatching or a specific weight of yarn. Woohoo!

Knitting Left to Right
Sunday, March 7th from 12:30p - 2:30p
Fee: $15
Instructor: Jill Bigelow - Suttell
Description: Knitting in one direction can be challenging in many techniques - Fair Isle, short rows and entrelac to name just a few. Knowing how to knit from left to right will make knitting easier and more fun. Whether you knit English, Continental or have a style all your own you can, with a little practice, knit in both directions.

Fix Mistakes
Sunday, March 21st from 12:30p - 3:30p
Fee: $20
Instructor: Jill Bigelow - Suttell
Description: Do you fix a knitting mistake by frogging (rip-it, rip-it) all the way back to the mistake? What a waste of time. Learn how to recognize many common mistakes and how to fix them without ripping.

2009-10-08T16:33:00.003-04:00

I finished two of the great free patterns from Misti International, the maker of the Misti Alpaca Chunky that I got in last week. The scarf is a super cute, super quick little knit, perfect for a gift. The hat was man approved, and tested on a walk around town. It got two thumbs up for softness and warmth. Check out the patterns here and here, and get to the shop to pick out your color. Each project takes less than one skein to complete, making it an extremely affordable indulgence.

(Cabled Hat, Ribs and Ruffles Scarf)

And a status update on the first attempt at "real lace". There's been no need to dip into this yet:

I'm really enjoying this foray into lace knitting. When I tried lace last time, it was just a little scarf with very little repetition. I think that might be the difference this time. With an entire shawl, there's a lot of repetiton, and you're able to get into a rhythm.

(entire progress - lace edge and 12 rows of body done)

I'm also appreciating the challenge that it has presented. When you are proficient at something, it's easy to forget the feelings of frustration when you were first learning the craft. This particular project has helped me remember what it was like to feel like all thumbs when I was first learning to knit. I think that helps me be a better teacher to my newbie knitters. Here's a close up shot of the progress so far:

(my first nupps... aren't they pretty? I'm excited to see the transformation that blocking can render on lace.)

If you've ever wanted to try lace, or any kind of challenging knitting, go for it! What have you got to lose? If you don't like it, rip it out and knit something else. As I've heard from a number of customers, "This yarn is too nice to only knit once!"

Last but not least, here's my beautiful niece Addison showing off her first of Aunt Bam Bam's (that's me... long story) handknit sweaters. The beauty of this top down sweater is that it's easy to add length to both the body and the sleeves. And as you can see, the sleeves are getting a bit short because she's growing so fast. This is easily remedied... I'll just rip out the sleeve cuffs, re-attach the yarn, and add a couple inches. I'll probably do the same at the bottom of the sweater to add length to the body as well. Then she can wear it even longer! Her mommy told me that it matches practically all of her wardrobe, since the little princess only wears pink and purple.

(Addison: February Baby Sweater, Elizabeth Zimmerman, knit in Mary's Little Lamb - Me: Nuss, Berroco Design Team, knit in Blackstone Tweed)

Mmmmmisti Alpaca!

2009-10-02T15:37:00.008-04:00

Just a quick note with lots of pictures to show off some new yarn... I've been thinking about bringing this yarn in for a long time, and the time was finally right! Check it out, this is Misti Alpaca Chunky Handpaints...

Lily Pad

Jazz

Delphinium

Baby Rainbow

Azulichen

Sushi

Excuse the not-so-great photography... my awesome siste r got all the shutterbug genes in the family!

How many projects can you start?

2009-09-24T16:53:00.008-04:00

After the craziness of the shop hop, my mind seems to have some trouble focusing on one thing. I pulled out an old pair (haha... who am I kidding - one) sock to finish and started the other one during the week before the shop hop. During the shop hop, I needed to start something new, so I started and finished a very cozy boy hat out of Shepherd's Wool from Stonehedge Fiber Mill. This is a yummy wool yarn from Michigan's very own fiber mill. You can find more info about that here. Check it out, it's a great place to visit if you're ever up in that neck of the woods! Since the intended recipient of the hat wouldn't model it, I had to use Glass Head George. Doesn't he look handsome in it?

So, here's the current list of things started, or about to be started:

First up, a cabled hat from my very own head. Many of you have been inquiring about a cable class, and I always feel better about teaching a class from my own pattern, so here's my solution, or rather, the start of it. I'm kind of killing two birds with one stone here, as many of you have been asking after a hat class too. This should fit the bill perfectly!

The yarn is from Imperial Stock Ranch, and it is their 2-ply Mulespun. This doesn't really mean much to me... all I know is that it is soft! You get a lot of yarn for a good price, and the colors are beautiful. Plus, I think it's great to support a US-based business, and this particular one is fantastic. Check out their website for more information! (Note: I took this picture yesterday, worked on the hat a bit more last night, determined it was too big, and ripped it out. So, needless to say, this may be on the back burner for a bit. I plan on re-starting tonight.)

Next up is the mate to the sock that I mentioned above. The yarn is a yummy blend of cashmere, merino, and nylon from Handmaiden, called Casbah. It was an indulgence purchase from Fiber Fest last year... I couldn't help it, the yarn practically begged me to take it home. Who am I to say no to cashmere?

The random balls of yarn you see here will be knit into 6" blocks for an undisclosed project. Should be fun... I plan to play around with a lot of different stitch patterns.

So that leaves the last project, the one I'm the most anxious about. It's a gift for a very special person, and it's my first attempt at "real lace". By "real lace" I mean laceweight yarn, charts, and smallish needles. It's going to be the Triangular Summer Shawl from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. I've assembled a survivor's kit for lace, and all that's missing is dental floss for lifelines. I intend to use plenty of lifelines. This will have the added advantage of making the shawl smell minty fresh, as well as saving me from ripping out a lot of knitting (hopefully!).

And if all else fails, and I lose my sanity during this project, I always have this to fall back on. Not to use during knitting, understand, but after. We all know that knitting and wine don't always mix well, especially in a lace project!

Lulu for Lena!

2009-07-24T13:14:00.009-04:00

The Yarn Garden just seems to attract all kinds of visitors, both human and otherwise! Look what I found wandering down my garden path today!

A giraffe! She told me her name was Lulu, and she loved flowers. Here she is, checking out a container grown knit flower. She was a little disappointed in the lack of a pretty smell. She told me that it smelled too much like a stinky farm animal.

As she made her way through the Yarn Garden, she found this beautiful little sweater, knit out of organic cotton. "Oh, I just LOVE babies!" She gushed, gazing up at the beautiful hand knit sweater. "I bet that would be perfect for my human, Lena!"

Looking over, Lulu spotted a pretty blue bird, and the two of them gossiped a bit about the silly but cute Kid's Felted Flip Flop they found. They wouldn't really let me hear what they were saying, but I did overhear this... "It's just not girly enough for me... I'm a princess, and I should wear pink!"

I started to get the feeling that Lulu was a bit of a diva, and I knew it for sure the instant I saw this:

Of course Lulu loved the beaded silk from Tilli Tomas. What self-respecting, super girly-girl doesn't love silk strung with beautiful glass beads? She tried to snatch the silk with Swarovski Crystals, but I told her to keep her hooves off it... that yarn cost more than $100 dollars!

Then Lulu spied Dolly, our shop model for baby clothes. As any good girl would, she rushed right over and gave her a big hug. Awwww!

Then, poor Lulu spied Victor the gnome. I don't think there are gnomes where Lulu is from, because she high-tailed it away from Victor, and hid behind the display case. Poor thing, she was so scared!

But Victor is holding a pot of flowers, and we know how Lulu can't resist a good look at pretty flowers. So she crept a little closer, and hid behind the Mini Clutch from Namaste.

After standing as still as a statue, and noticing that Victor was standing just as still, she decided it was safe to get close enough to take a sniff. "Ugh! These flowers stink like plastic! What kind of garden is this?" She exclaimed, back to her diva self.

"Oooo, who's that handsome looking thing over there?!" Lulu exclaimed, gazing at Potawatomi Pete. I told her, "Lulu, that's Pete. He's not Prince Charming, he just wears a crown." Still, she had to go over and investigate for herself.

She gave Pete a big smooch, and when Pete didn't suddenly sprout long legs and a long neck with a handsome, full tail, she started crying. Unfortunately, she had to learn for herself, as we all do, that sometimes a frog is just a frog. I thought I knew just the thing to cheer her up...

A real flower! "Finally," Lulu sniffed, " a real flower!" She smelled the hydrangea, and gazed at it, and smelled it some more.

Lulu wanted to know what it was that I did here. I told her that I liked to knit, and she wanted to see what that meant. So she perched herself up on my shoulder, and I showed her how to knit. She thought that knitting was pretty cool!

I knew she was back to her diva self, when she struck a pose and said, "Take my picture!"

So here she is, in all her glory. Lulu, the aptly named diva giraffe, who will be going to live with my cousin Abby and her new baby, Lena. Congratulations Abby, and I can't wait to hold Lena when she gets here!

Finished Projects... Woohoo!

2009-07-16T16:31:00.003-04:00

My computer has a built in camera, which comes in handy for quick mug shots, sample pictures, and all around goofiness. I've decided that this is a great way to show off my finished projects, so here it goes!

First up is a hat knit out of Bijou Basin's Bijou Spun, which is 75% pure yak down and 25% superfine merino. It's a two-stranded, cabled band, which was a lot of fun to knit.

Next is another hat, knit out of Lumpy Bumpy by Charlene. This is a brand new yarn to the shop, and it's from a company called Farmhouse Yarns. I love this company... they buy 80% of their fiber from American farmers, and all the spinning and dyeing is done here in the US. This is a great way to support our country, and the yarn is beautiful to boot! Look for more of their yarns in the future here...

Third on the list is a kerchief knit out of Rock Star from Tilli Tomas. This is a one skein project, perfect for that hank of delicious beaded silk that you've been eyeing.

Last but not least is a little giraffe named Lulu. You'll read more about her later... but isn't she adorable?

Whew...

2009-06-15T20:47:00.003-04:00

Mom and I returned from TNNA exhausted, inspired, and packed to the gills with goodies! Check out my kill...

Included in this year's stash are many new yarns, some of which you'll see in the shop in the next few months, and some of which you won't. There is wool, alpaca, and cotton from the US, wool from Uruguay, bamboo from Canada, buttons from Gail Hughes, a keychain from Annie Adams, lots of mini-skeins from Farmhouse Yarns, and lots more! Here's a close-up of the buttons from Gail Hughes...
Last year, these flew out my door quicker than cashmere on sale! They'll be priced and ready to go tomorrow night.

After such a long, exhausting weekend, this is all I wanted to do - curl up in my new goodies and take a nap, using some beautiful wool from Imperial Ranch as a pillow!

Look What I Found In The Garden!

2009-06-11T12:39:00.009-04:00

Knitters! Look at this very rare caterpillar I found creeping along the fence outside! I think he's of the Very Hungry Caterpillar species.

I can tell because of his distinctive coloring. It's easy to see from the top view, which I snapped while he was luxuriating in the sun on my picnic table.

His facial features are distinctive as well. You can see, from this close-up of his face, that he's got a bright red head, big purple antennaes, and big green eyes, ringed in yellow. See his mouth? It's pretty big, so he can eat a lot. He is, after all, a Very Hungry Caterpillar.

He seems to be a very rare type of Very Hungry Caterpillar. Can you see his feet? It appears that he has hand knit socks on them! This is very rare indeed, a Knitter's Very Hungry Caterpillar. I decided to call him Chuck. Noro, meet Chuck.

It appears that Noro is not too sure about Chuck. I don't blame him, since Chuck is Very Hungry.

"What do we do about him, Mom? I think he wants to eat me!!"

As you can see, Chuck decided not to eat Noro, and they became friends pretty quickly. Noro even gave Chuck a piggy back ride to the tree!

Chuck thought the tree in my garden looked like a good place for a nap, so he inched his way up the tree and took a rest for awhile. Luckily, I was able to snap a picture. Napping is very rare for Knitter's Very Hungry Caterpillars. You know, because they're so Very Hungry!

Chuck really like my garden. He wanted me to take his picture on the "Welcome To My Garden" sign. I did, but I made sure that he knew that he couldn't get too attached to the garden. There was somewhere else that he was needed more than outside in the garden.

But before he could go there, to his new home, he wanted to explore an indoors Yarn Garden. So I took him inside. First thing he saw was a pot full of yarnflowers, and he begged me to let him hang out in the pot for a while.

Next stop inside was the Baby Room, where he felt oddly at home. He really liked the picture of the baby on the cover of Vintage Knits, so I took his picture next to it. He didn't really want to leave the Baby Room, but I picked him up and we continued on our exploration of the inside of a Yarn Garden.

The next thing that caught Chuck's attention was a hot pink basket. He thought that looked like a cozy hideout, so he hung out inside the basket for a while.

Not too far from the basket, Chuck spotted some huge Gerbera daisies. He felt so at home stretched out on those flowers, but then he saw the most beautiful, tastiest looking sweater he had ever seen.

I told him it was called the Flower Child sweater, which explained why he loved it so much. I perched him up on Dolly's shoulder, but he started to look Really Very Hungry. I snatched him down before he could take a bite of Flower Child.

All in all, Chuck said he was very impressed with the indoor Yarn Garden, and was glad that he could hang out there for a while. I took his picture under the indoor Yarn Garden sign, while he talked a bit with Potawatomi Pete the Frog in the window.

I was very glad to have Chuck in my life for a short time, but I knew there was a little person that was soon to enter this world that would love him even more. So Chuck got to go home, to anxiously await the arrival of Baby Stewart. We can't wait to meet you Stewie!

Chuck at his new home, waiting for Baby Stewart's arrival!

My Non-Knitting Obsession

2009-05-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

So, I've discovered a new passion of mine... baking! I think I love it because you get finished results pretty quickly. A good friend of mine, Kristy Walters, brought me a starter of Amish Friendship Bread. If you're not familiar with Amish Friendship bread, it's really fun. You get a starter from a friend, which I believe is a mixture of flour, sugar, milk, and yeast. You then let it ferment for 10 days, feeding it once during that time. Then on the tenth day, you feed it again, separate out 4 starters, and use the leftover dough to bake bread. You keep a starter and give the 3 remaining to a friend.

I've had so much fun trying different combinations in mine. So far, my favorite has been a chocolate/coffee flavor with chocolate chips that I baked into muffins. It's been a great breakfast. As you can see from these pictures, I went a bit overboard this last time, baking two batches. Two batches was enough to make two loaves of bread and 36 muffins. Mmmmm... they are so good!If you're interested in baking Amish Friendship bread too, come on in! I always have starters to give away.

The Traveling Socks...

2009-05-08T15:41:00.000-04:00

So, I started this little game with 15 of my customers, and I'm pretty excited about it. The Traveling Socks is a fun way to get a funky, hand knit pair of socks, knit by all different people. This pair of traveling socks is divided up into 7 parts. Each "owner" of a pair starts her socks with the number of stitches to fit their foot/leg, and completes the cuffs. Then she'll send her cuffs on to the next person on the list, who will knit the next section of the sock, using yarn from their stash and whatever stitch pattern they'd like. Then that person will send it on to the next person on the list, and so on. The last person on the list will send the almost completed pair of socks back to the owner, who will knit the toes to make sure they fit. Everyone starts their pair at the same time, so everyone will end up with a hand knit, one-of-a-kind pair of socks. What fun, right?
Well, I started my cuffs using two different colors of Berroco Sox Metallic. I've always wanted to try knitting one sock inside the other, so I'm doing it! It's only a couple inches, and it's okay if the socks don't match perfectly. I plan to knit the opposite color on the toes, so they'll kind of match. Stay tuned to see the final product in a few weeks!

Finished One Just To Start Another...

2009-05-02T15:32:00.000-04:00

and so it goes, right? I actually started two projects, but more on the second one tomorrow! This little pile of yumminess is going to be Hanne, designed by Lia Moya.

This is a stunning free pattern from Knitty's Spring 2009 edition, and you can find it here. I decided to use Noro's Silk Garden #84 and Cascade 220 #4192. I was thinking that black or charcoal was going to be the best contrast color for me to use, but my friend Sam convinced me to try the light pink. I think I'm really going to like it! It's certainly outside my color comfort zone, but there is green in it, so I'm good with that. This should be a good social knitting project, as it is basically mind-numbing garter stitch with four decreases every other row. What are you all working on?

Not So Basic Tank...

2009-05-01T15:19:00.002-04:00

Here's a shot of my version of the Basic Summer Tank from Knitting Pure & Simple. I taught this at my shop, and encouraged my students to use the pattern as a springboard, making changes to the pattern as they saw fit. Each one of us ended up with a truly unique tank, custom fit to our own bodies, not the standard body sizes from a pattern.

It was very liberating for my students to not have to conform exactly to the pattern. I loved seeing the lightbulb moment when they "got it". They figured out how to make their knitting do what they wanted it to do, rather than just knitting exactly what the designer did. Good job ladies!

Technical Info:
Yarn - Smooth by King Cole (100% acrylic)
Needles - US 8 & 6
Pattern - loosely based on Basic Summer Tank from Knitting Pure & Simple

We All Know This Already...

2009-04-03T16:43:00.003-04:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

This video has CBS reporting what all of us already know about knitting and needlecrafts. Check it out!

Wallace the Pig

2009-04-01T13:06:00.004-04:00

The yarn garden had a visit from an adorable little piggy last week. His name is Wallace. Say hi to Wallace everyone!

Wallace loved my spring decorating here at the shop. He thought the big gerbera daisies smelled really good!

Wallace discovered the Namaste bags... his favorite was the lime green Zuma, of course. He told me that his favorite color is green. He's a pig after my own heart!

He fell in love with the rack of Malabrigo. See him, hidden in the yarn? I had to tear him away with promises of new friends. I also needed his help up at the register.

Wallace met Potwatomi Pete up at the register, and they were fast friends. They helped me figure out an issue with the cash register, so we shared high fives all around (well, mostly just Pete and Wallace.)

Wallace discovered another friend in the baby room, Lamby. They were telling secrets about something all afternoon. I still don't know what they were talking about, but I think Wallace really wanted a crown like Pete's. I told him I can only handle one Prince Charming at a time, and his new owner didn't need him to be a prince.

Wallace went to his new home on Sunday, and gets to meet his new owner very soon! His new owner is my cousin Cydney's new baby, Cooper Lee, born last night. Congratulations Cydney! I hope Cooper likes Wallace, and I can't wait to meet him.

The Yarn Just Keeps Coming!

2009-03-20T14:17:00.007-04:00

Besides the boxes of Malabrigo that came in this week, I also had this come across my doorstep...

Yup, 69 pounds of yarn from Cascade! It contained three yarns for warm weather knitting. First up is Luna, a 100% cotton, aran weight yarn in 18 different colors.

The subtle texture and nubbiness to the yarn makes even stockinette stitch look interesting. This is a great yarn for all types of projects, from babies to grown ups. Here's a baby hat knit with it...

And here's a close of the texture...

Next up is Sierra, one of Cascade's work horse yarns. It's a blend of 80% pima cotton, 20% wool, and it washes like a dream. Remember this sweater?

It's knit out of this wonderful yarn, and I now have 18 colors in stock, including 4 of their quatro colors. See?

And last but not least, is a brand spankin' new yarn to the shop, Cotton Rich DK. This is a DK weight blend of 64% cotton, 36% nylon. The newly finished shop model, Catch The Waves Tee, was knit out of this yarn. It was nice to work with, and the drape is fantastic! More on the sweater later, but for now, here are the 13 colors on hand (there were 14, but one color barely made it out of the box before it was snatched up!).

Stay tuned for more!

Mmmmm... Malabrigo!

2009-03-19T10:34:00.006-04:00

It's finally here! Malabrigo's Merino Worsted is here and on the shelf. Here's what my back table looked like when I pulled it out of the box...

And here's what I like to call the "Malabrigo Rainbow"... isn't it gorgeous?

There's a few more colors on backorder, as well as many colors of their sock yarn, which you can see here. Those should be in the shop very soon!

I've also picked up a new line of yarn from Punta Yarns, called Montoya Beach. It's a 100% linen, which is great for those shopping bags that we're seeing everywhere, and the drape of linen fabric is perfect for a lightweight summer top. Here are all the colors...

Isn't it beautiful? The sheen that it has is outstanding. Here's a close up of a few hanks...

More and more warm weather yarns are making their way into the shop every day... stop by soon!

New Arrivals...

2009-03-10T14:29:00.003-04:00

Check out some of the new stuff that the man in brown left for us...

a re-stock on some of our favorite colors of Comfort from Berroco...

Some yummy bags from Namaste... those little notions bags are only $5! I had to double-check the math on that, since I am notorious for mis-reading invoices. But they are really are only $5!

And some very delicious knitter's candy... a selection of Beaded Plie and Flurries from Tilli Tomas. This yarn is pre-beaded silk and it is yummy to knit with. AND, the price for Beaded Plie has actually gone down, so hurry in for your favorite color. There's a new multi-color in there called Drewbilation and I absolutely love it.

This is a close up shot of Drewbilation... isn't it stunning?

Also in this week:
A great new book from Interweave Press called Simple Style.
Addi Turbo Needles
Dale of Norway books (remember the pink kimono wrap baby sweater?)

The Obsession Continues...

2009-03-06T14:27:00.005-05:00

So, I have been knitting little squares furiously, and it seems that I have talked a few of you into participating in the yarn swap at the end of the month. Want proof? Here's Lucy, with her box of beautifully wound eight yard hanks, ready to exchange at the swap.

Here's the progress on mine...

I wove in all the ends with the exception of the last row, and I am at a self-imposed standstill. I'm trying to make some headway on a sweater for the shop. It's a new yarn coming in this month, called Cotton Rich DK from Cascade. Click here to see the color card! And here is a progress picture of the sweater... this is one complete pattern repeat.

The design is really fun to knit. The front and back are exactly the same, so I'm knitting them both at the same time on the same needle. That way, when I bind off, I'm done! All that will be left is sewing up the side seams and shoulders. Look for it in the store soon!

I'm a Woman Obsessed!

2009-02-27T12:06:00.000-05:00

So, after reading countless blog entries, seeing projects in action, and having customers harass me (yes Mona, I mean you!!), I've given in. Yup, I started a scrap sock yarn mitered square project. Actually, it's more of an amoeba at the moment. And I think I'm going to call it a shawl, because my track record with blankets isn't the greatest. To see what I'm talking about, click here. She's got fantastic step by step instructions for the construction of her blankie, and I'm just building off what she's done. See what I've got so far?

I'm hoping to have this as a class in the near future, along with a yarn swap. Since each square takes a minuscule amount of yarn, it would be great fun to get together and swap scraps! What do you think? Are you interested?

p.s. I would totally take any leftover sock yarn you've got laying around in your stash. =)

A Little Pizzazz Never Hurt Anyone...

2009-02-26T17:47:00.002-05:00

And here it is... my Sheep 2 seed stitch, completed! I cast on for the hat on the very day that I blogged about it (oops! Sorry UFOs!) and finished it the next day. The yarn is dyed beautifully, with each stitch coming up a different color, and I didn't even mind the seed stitch. Maybe it was the fact that I was using US 11 needles, but still.

I liked the hat when it was done, but I thought that a little pizzazz was needed. So I took a few days and pondered what flavor pizzazz it should be. I had the perfect button from Buttons by Alice, but I didn't like the idea of one button just sewn on. So I came up with this little flower...

Cute, eh? It's super easy. Just knit I-cord until you can form your snake into a good sized flower, and sew it in place. Take your button of choice, sew it in the middle, and tada! you've got pizzazz. What do you think?

Sheep 2

2009-02-21T12:28:00.001-05:00

This yarn has been on back order for ages, but it's finally arrived and I love it more than I thought I would. It's called Sheep 2 (nope, not very original, but I didn't name it!) from Sheep Shop Yarn Company, and it's a bulky, 100% wool. Think a touch bulkier than Cascade 128, but hand dyed in beautiful colorways. Here are the six colorways that I picked out for the shop...

And here's a close up shot of color #G43, one of my favorites..

I'm itching to cast on this adorable seed stitch hat, knit in the red colorway on the left in the picture. The yarn is all wound, and just waiting. Darn this startitis!

Vacation Blues

2009-02-20T12:06:00.006-05:00

Going on vacation somewhere warm always has two effects on me. One, it makes me wish even harder for spring when I get off the plane at home to 20 degree weather. And two, it always leaves me a little depressed when I come home. Does anyone else feel like that? It's like post-vacation blues. Back to the grindstone, back to the same old sights, back to the old life. Not that I don't love my life, but sometimes that taste of the exotic or different makes me wish that I was able to travel more. Someday, right? In the meantime, there's lots of yarn to make me happy.

Remember this?

Well, here it is, blithely observing the Pacific Ocean on the railing of the Hermosa Beach Pier in California. My traveling companion was very patient, even though he thought that knitting on the pier was a little strange. He's learning.

And it turns out that he wasn't the only one who thought it a big strange. I didn't think I looked too odd, whipping out my vacation knitting while sitting on a bench, enjoying the ocean breeze. What do you think?

Well, I had quite a few observers that were engrossed by my knitting for the 10 minutes or so that it was out of my bag. I guess people in LA aren't quite as public about their knitting?

And here it is, completed except for the weaving in of ends and blocking... look for a class on it in the near future.

Vacation Knitting! (and new Silk Garden)

2009-02-12T14:37:00.003-05:00

Believe it or not, this knitter is taking a vacation. Just a little mini one, for a long weekend. We all know what that means, right? Vacation knitting! And these new colors of Silk Garden just came in...
And I happen to seriously have fallen hard for this one, #87...

And I desperately want to see this one knit, #211...
So I'm combining the two colors with another of my faves, #282, and I'm making the Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf, which can be found here. (For those of you on Ravelry, check it out there... unbelievable!) I debated for a long time between this scarf, and Brooklyn Tweed's Noro Striped Scarf, found here. The Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf won, purely because I think it will hold my interest more than 1x1 ribbing. It's not that I don't LOVE the Noro Striped Scarf, because I absolutely do, but I'm just being realistic. So here are the pretty little yarn cakes, all ready to be knit with those lovely Chiaogoo bamboo needles. Progress report when I get back!
And just a little bragging... because I'm super proud of this particular piece of knitting...

The Lucy Coat, from Knitting At Knoon, knit in Cascade 128.

We've all been there...

2009-02-09T20:50:00.002-05:00

Now, here's a little secret about us knitters... we've all been here before. We use yarn that may potentially itch and/or scratch, and we insist that it will soften up when we block it. This is true to a certain extent, but if something is truly itchy, no amount of blocking, soaking in hair conditioner, or other desperate attempt is going to make it wearable. One of my knitters in Albion insisted on knitting a sweater with Cascade 220, even though she is allergic to wool. When she finished it, she actually took Benadryl so she could wear it. The persistence that we have is pretty amazing!

I was surfing the Internet on a fairly slow Thursday evening, and I happened across this video. I'm a huge fan of Dane Cook, and I had no idea that he hosted Saturday Night Live. Where was I!? Check this video out, and you'll know what I mean...

A New Idea...

2009-02-06T20:01:00.002-05:00

So, I've decided that I'm a terrible blogger. I have the best of intentions. I take great pictures, I plot out posts in my head, but somehow they never materialize. I do, however, faithfully send out an email newsletter every Friday afternoon. Since I have readers that are not receiving my newsletter (email me to get on the list!), I've decided to post my newsletter here every week. And MAYBE that will motivate me to post here more often. So, this is week 1 of newsletter posting... Enjoy!

Newsletter #87

2009-02-06T19:58:00.003-05:00

Can you believe that it is the second month of 2009? It seems like I was just sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner, and now it's time for chocolates, flowers, and mushy stuff. It's certainly hard to believe! Time seems to fly by, but winter seems to drag. That doesn't make very much sense, but it sure feels like this winter has already been long, and we've still got some ahead of us!

Having said that, spring really isn't that far away, and that means I need to make some room for the new spring and summer yarns. This is a great deal for you, because I've got lots of yarn priced to move. Be sure to check out the yarns that are on sale, including Nature Wool, Amaizing, and Dolce, just to name a few. I've also moved a lot back to the sale bins, so come in and dig for a deal!

new stuff!

yarn - In this week was a nice big box of Cascade yarns, including some very Lindsay-esque colors of Heritage Handpaints, their delicious sock yarn. Cascade has expanded their color palette to include some beautiful bright colors. These should certainly help escort spring here sooner! Also included in the box were some brand new colors of Cascade 128, in big enough quantities for you to make your very own Lucy coat (see below).

publications - The new issue of Crochet Today! landed today via Fed-Ex. The cover project is an adorable shrug, crocheted in a cheerful pink bamboo blend yarn. There are a few very interesting afghans that are featured in this issue as well. Lots of stuff for those of you that like to wield a hook instead of two needles!

We're finally back in stock on one of your favorite books, Boutique Knits. Check out the link above for a reminder of the super cute projects featured in this book. The adorable pink hat by my cash register is from this book. Thanks for making it for me Sharon! In the same shipment was a re-stock on another favorite, Selbuvotter. Many of the beautiful mittens that the very talented Janeen has knit can be found in this book. It's also the book that the Selbu Mittens and Gloves class is based on. Come in and check it out!

stuff - Guess what finally came in? Ball winders and umbrella swifts! These have been backordered since Christmas, and many of you have been asking for them. Be sure to get in quick to get yours. We're also back in stock with four flavors of our favorite wool wash, Soak. This includes Scentless for the first time. If perfumes bother you in your laundry, be sure to check out this fantastic version of your favorite.

yarn garden classes

Cathedral Mittens
Saturday, February 7th
Fee: $20
Time: 10:30a - 4:00p
Instructor: Janeen Licatovich
Description: This is a great introduction to color knitting. The unique slip stitch pattern makes a great "window", and using a self-striping yarn like Noro's Silk Garden or Kureyon really makes for a beautiful stained glass window effect.

Another Sock Class... (full!)
Wednesdays, February 11th and 18th
Fee: $25.00
Time: 2:00p to 4:00p
Teacher: Lindsay Harmon
Description: In this class, you'll learn toe-up construction, using an afterthought heel and Judy's Magic Cast-On, and how to knit on two circs. This is a great class for all skill levels, and all types of yarn. Because you're starting at the toe, there's no need for swatching or a specific weight of yarn. Woohoo!

Another Sock Class... (full!)
Thursdays, February 12th and 19th
Fee: $25.00
Time: 6:00p to 8:00p
Teacher: Lindsay Harmon
Description: In this class, you'll learn toe-up construction, using an afterthought heel and Judy's Magic Cast-On, and how to knit on two circs. This is a great class for all skill levels, and all types of yarn. Because you're starting at the toe, there's no need for swatching or a specific weight of yarn. Woohoo!

Warm Hearts Mittens
Friday, February 13th
Fee: $20
Time: 1:00p - 5:00p
Instructor: Janeen Licatovich
Description: If you've never knit color work before, this is a great introduction. This quick mitten is knit in bulky to chunky weight yarn, using a combination of four different colors.

Topper Down Hat
Saturday, February 14th
Fee: $25
Time: 11:00a - 4:00p
Instructor: Lynn Hershberger
Description: This warm hat is easy to adjust as you knit, with hints all the way. Start with a small square at the top, and increase until you reach the right size. Use my gauge and stitch counts to reach a standard size, or improvise a bit! Stripe or not, it is warm & quick.

Toe Up Mittens
Monday, February 16th (President's Day!)
Fee: $25
Time: 11:00a - 4:00p
Instructor: Lynn Hershberger
Description: Do you have President's Day off? What better way to spend it than making warm mittens! You'll be learning to knit them from the top down, using Lynn's toe-up method of casting on. And, there's not swatching... you knit to fit, and make up the design on the fly!

Selbu Mittens
Saturdays from 10:00a - 4:00p
February 21st and 28th
Fee: $40
Instructor: Janeen Licatovich
Description: Learn to knit these beautiful, traditional Norwegian mittens in this series, based on the book Selbuvotter from Terri Shea. You can choose from a selection of six different patterns, ranging in skill levels from beginner to advanced.

Heel Variations
Saturday, March 7th
Fee: $25.00
Time: 11:00a to 3:00p
Teacher: Jill Bigelow-Suttell
Description: Did you know there are lots of different types of heels that can be knit in socks? In this class, time permitting, we will work on 3 - 4 different sock heels. This class will help you explore and expand your sock-knitting horizon, and aid in designing your own original patterns. The more you know the better!

Selbu Gloves
Saturdays from 10:00a - 4:00p
March 14th and 21st
Fee: $40
Instructor: Janeen Licatovich
Description: Branch out of your mitten knitting by trying out beautiful colorwork on functional gloves.

Design Your Own Top Down Sweater
Thursdays from 6:00p - 8:00p
March 19th, 26th, April 9th, 16th
Fee: $50
Instructor: Jill Bigelow-Suttell
Description: The first session of this class was such a success that we're bringing it back for a second time! This class will teach you to make a sweater all in one piece. It is started at the neck with no seams to sew. There is an added benefit of being able to try it on as you go, so you can adjust the pattern to your body. You can use any type of yarn that you like. There are several necklines, sleeve lengths and pattern options to choose from.

Guess who finished her Lucy coat? ME! I wore it today, I'll probably wear it all weekend, and again on Tuesday to show it off to my Tuesday Night Knitters. There are literally thousands and thousands of stitches in this coat, and I absolutely love the way it fits. Chris, great job on the design! It was fun to knit, and it really didn't take me as long as I anticipated. Other than finishing Lucy, there's been a hat knit since last week, and a thrummed mitten started, which I'll be getting back to shortly. What have you been working on?

Happy Knitting!

A Lesson In Gauge...

2008-12-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

Now, it's a known fact that generally, knitters don't like to waste time making gauge swatches. We want to get started on the project as soon as we can, our fingers are just ITCHING to cast on for that beautiful sweater, or that adorable hat, or those irresistible socks. Well, as a knitter that knits somewhat tightly (it started when I began planning an ill-fated wedding), I know that I have to make a gauge swatch. As the owner of a yarn shop, I know that I have to make a gauge swatch, and I tell every single knit-tomer that he or she needs to make a swatch before they start. The reaction that I generally get is a groan, and a reluctant agreement, even though I KNOW though they won't. A few days, weeks, months later, in comes said knit-tomer, upset because their sweater/hat/socks don't fit. I'll let you all in on a little secret... it's because of the gauge monster! Check out this picture...

This is from the Chippy Socks class, taught by Lynn H. of ColorJoy. These two socks were knit by two different students, on the same size needles, same yarn, with only a six stitch difference between the two. Pretty unbelievable, isn't it?

Another example of the gauge monster is what has happened with the Lucy Coat Knit-A-Long. When I swatched for my coat, and ended up using the needles that pattern called for, I knew we were in trouble. So for our first meeting, everyone swatched. And swatched. And swatched a little more. After much grumbling, I think everyone got gauge, or close. But, we have a range of needles sizes, starting with tight knitters like me on a US 10, all the way down to loose knitters on a US 5. This is Cascade 128 that we're using, which calls for 3 - 31\2 sts per inch on a US 10 - 10 1\2. That's crazy! So the moral of the story is, save yourself a lot of heartbreak, and just make those darn gauge swatches. They make great coasters!

We Start 'Em Early...

2008-12-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

Remember Sheldon? Well, meet Sheldon's new owner, Ryker Henry Stephens. As you can see from the picture, we introduce new ones to the joys of yarn as soon as possible.

Isn't he precious?

It Makes My Heart Happy...

2008-12-03T12:25:00.006-05:00

While eagerly awaiting the midnight showing of Twilight, one of our current obsessions, this is what I saw...

My best friend Kristy, who just learned to knit last month, making her first sweater, out of Cascade 220 Superwash Handpaints.

And another best friend, Lindsay S., making baby booties for Baby S., due here in July. That's Megan in the background, making a silly face because she was bored and didn't have anything constructive to do while we waited. You should learn to knit Megan!

The movie may not have lived up to our high expectations, but we had fun anyway. Go Team Edward!

My Knitters

2008-11-14T15:23:00.003-05:00

I had the extreme pleasure of going down to Albion College last night and teaching my favorite group of knitters how to knit log cabin squares. I started the group when I was a student there, and I am thrilled that the club is still alive and going strong. The Albion College Brit Knits (ACBK rocks!) has a huge variety in their membership, from econ majors like myself to language majors to theater majors to scientific types. And I'm telling you, there are at least three very smart young men that belong to ACBK.

Anyway, here is a picture of all of our log cabin squares-in-progress. They are doing a great thing by knitting these squares. When they're completed, they'll be sewn together into an afghan and either donated to Project Linus, or raffled off as a fundraiser.

While I was there, my knitters presented me with multiple gifts. I was so spoiled! They dyed me some sock yarn in Albion colors (purple and gold... go Brits!), I got a club t-shirt, AND (drumroll)... THEY KNIT ME AN AFGHAN!! Check out the picture... isn't it gorgeous? You can't see much of the stitch definition, but there are cables, and lace, and knit/purl patterns, and lots and lots of love knit into that blanket. It was so wonderful to be on the receiving end of someone's knitting, because I know exactly what went into making that blanket. They thought of me every time they touched that yarn, and that really makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. So Libby, Amanda, and Jenny, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I'll think of each one of you every time I wrap up in it.

Need A Gift Idea?

2008-10-28T13:03:00.002-04:00

One day last week, Sharon and I were hanging out at the shop and in strolled Carrie, a salesperson at one of my favorite shops here in Charlotte, Carl V. Reck Jewelers. She was holding an awesome pendant, designed by the owner's son for his mother. She wanted our knitterly opinion on the design, which was two needles crossed with three beautiful sapphires/yarn balls on it. Of course, we loved it, and I went right over and talked to her at their shop. A few days later, she walked back in with this one in her hand for me to wear here. Isn't it beautiful? This particular model is made with white gold, and a single peridot/yarn ball in the middle. You can't really tell from the picture, but the balls at the top of the needles are green gold. How cool! So, if you love this design, be sure to contact Carl V. Reck Jewelers here, and tell them Lindsay sent you!

The 2.5 Year Project

2008-10-16T18:50:00.003-04:00

Another UFO down, lots more to go... this particular UFO has quite a story behind it. I think all of you will agree that the knitting gods had it out for me with this jacket. So here it goes...
I saw the pattern at In Sheep's Clothing, the yarn shop no longer open in Marshall. It was in a Debbie Bliss book, and it looked like a motorcycle jacket. I didn't buy the book then, and it haunted my dreams. So I went back to buy it, and it was gone! That should have been my first clue...
But no, I ignored the knitting gods, and pursued the book online. I found it, and got the perfect yarn for it from Kim, the former owner of my shop. It's Maggie's Tweed, if anyone wants to know. I cast on for the project on my way down to Chicago for Spring Break of my senior year of college. I decided to knit both fronts at the same time, chuckling to myself about how fast it was going to get done. Well, again with the knitting gods. They thought that I was too smug, so somehow, the two fronts didn't match. So, I ripped out one, and re-knit it. Then I finished the rest of the pieces and sewed it all together. I didn't like the way the sleeves fit in, so I tore them out, picked up stitches around the armhole, and knit them on to the garment. Perfect! Then I had to knit the trim separately and sew it on, the collar, the bottom of the sweater, and the sleeve cuffs. That took a lot of fiddling to get it just right, but it worked. Aha, I thought. It's done! All that's left is the zipper and the snaps.
"Haha!" Said the knitting gods. "We still have some tricks left for you..." And they did. First of all, I had never put in a zipper, but I know how to use a sewing machine, so how hard could it be? Well, I had never heard of a zipper foot. So I mangled the crap out of my sweater, and threw it across the room. A few days later, I picked it back up and decided to just sew it in by hand. So I did, backwards. Again, I threw it across the room, and there it stayed for a long time. Then I picked it up, sewed the zipper in by hand, the right way. This time, I thought, I really had it. I triumphantly dug out the snaps I had bought for it, and proceeded to sew the snaps on wrong. So again, across the room it went, this time with a few choice words. When I could look at it again, I decided that maybe I'd just forget about the snaps and wear it the way it was. I put it on, and HATED the way it fit, of course. So I went to Sharon, and begged for help. She took it home, did her magic, and brought it back. I loved the way it looked, finally. So I wore it a couple times with no snaps, and the sleeve cuffs kept dragging across everything. Well, last night I dug out those snaps again, and sewed all four of them on correctly, and steam blocked it. Finally, it was done. And I still like it... as a matter of fact, I'm wearing it today!

Knitting at Potawatomi Retreat

2008-09-26T14:52:00.013-04:00

(Here's the whole crew, posing in front of our Petes-in-Progress.)

What a great time! We had such a blast down in Indiana, eating, knitting, eating, buying stuff, eating, knitting, talking, eating (we ate a lot of really good food... good thing calories don't count on the weekend!). On Saturday, we knit a cute little frog named Potawatomi Pete.

(Here's my Pete... I made him into my Prince Charming)

(Anne liked her Pete so much that she gave him a kiss!)

On Saturday night, we had the First Annual Yarn Garden Fashion Show, in which everyone present brought one (or four) projects that they were proud of. So, in no particular order, I present to you the models of the Fashion Show.

(me modeling my first sweater that ever fit me right)

(Nanette was too shy to pose for a picture, but aren't her mittens pretty?)

(Sharon's beautiful Wrap Me Up Shawl, designed by Chris, our teacher)

(Vonnie's first attempt at lace... also her first time ripping out A LOT!)

(Pat, sorry about the blurry picture. We loved your story about your wrap!)

(This was knit for Sherry's daughter Sam. Sam doesn't knit, but she makes us food, so we let her hang out with us.)

(Delaine couldn't choose her favorite project, so she showed off four of her favorites)

Lucy showed us all up with her beautiful aran knit coat. I'm proud of you Lucy!

(Mary's pretty little sweater showed off her rhinestone zipper perfectly!)

(Julee's favorite stitch, entrelac, is shown off here in her favorite shawl.)

(Janet's not quite done socks are knit in a pretty shade of Cherry Tree Hill)

(Here's another shy lady, Janeen. I'm modeling my favorite pair of gloves here.)

(This is another example of Janeen's beautiful work)

(This is also Karen's first attempt at lace, knit in a yummy pink cashmere).

(We tried not to scare Denise, but this picture makes it look like we didn't succeed...)

(so here she is again, showing off a darling baby sweater.)

(I think this is Frankie's first attempt at lace and design... she's been knitting less than a year!)

(Diane likes to knit hats for charity, and this is one she whipped out this weekend.)

(This is Ginny, with an ingenious way to cover up holes in socks.)

(Here's Audrey, with a beautiful Fair Isle sweater in progress. I'm jealous!)

(This is still Audrey... she likes Fair Isle!)

(This is Anne, with a pretty pair of wristlets.)

(And last, but by no means least, is Nanny. This lady stole the show with her modeling skills and beautifully knit ruana. I'm proud of you Nanny!)

Socks!

2008-08-11T14:18:00.003-04:00

I like to share photos of my customer's finished projects, and I'm especially proud of Liz. Here is her first sock...
And her second baby sock matches perfectly! Woohoo Liz!

And a rarity here at the yarn garden... a finished pair of socks knit by me! This is the yarn that I dyed myself in the Yarn Dyeing class. This class is being held here again this Thursday, and I highly recommend it. It was great fun!
Here's the yarn just after I dyed it... kinda ugly, I thought. I was a little nervous at how bright it was. I like the finished sock though, and it looked much better in the ball when I wound it.
This was the sock that traveled with me to TNNA in Columbus. Wanna see proof? Here it is in its very beginning... just a little toe along for the ride. (Yup, that's Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the Yarn Harlot.)
And you already saw the finished product. The pattern is a free one on Knitty called Back to Basics. Click here to take you right to the page. The designer, Deb Barnhill, is possibly a genius. This is one of those patterns that you blindly follow, hoping like crazy that someone isn't playing a huge joke on you. It's that weird. Fun, but weird. Trust me, it works. I knit it. Twice. And it worked both times.

And this pretty little toe belongs to Nancy Wilkinson, another customer from my store. Here is proof from Free Technique Thursday that SOMEONE learned the new Kitchener technique, because Nancy's toe is perfect. Good job Nancy!

(Mary, Karen, and Mary in the background)

Did I mention the yarn is Nancy's own hand-dyed yarn from the same class? Nancy is an artist in her own right, and here are her beautiful hanks of yarn.

Hopefully we'll see sock number two soon, Nancy!

2008-08-07T21:32:00.003-04:00

Here's just a little sneak peek at the box of yumminess that arrived here this week... a variety of unique, one-of-a-kind hanks of Supersock from Cherry Tree Hill. This yarn is delciously soft, and the colors *sigh*. They're awesome. I think that would such a fun job... I'd love to be Cheryl of CTH or Mr. Noro for a day.

(warm shades of CTH)

I'm thinking that the Picot Wristers from Knitting Matters would be lovely in the 4th hank from the left in the warm shades shot. It's got several shades of bright green (duh!), pink, and orange in it... perfect for my winter coat. Hmmm...

(cool shades of CTH)

And of course I love every single shade of green and blue here. It's such fun to open a box from them... Christmas every day!

Here's a little photo to make you chuckle... this is what happens to little boys when Aunt Bam Bam (me) babysits.

(This was all voluntary sister Jess... I swear to you, they locked themselves in Noro's cage!)

Our New Friend

2008-07-31T17:33:00.004-04:00

We at The Yarn Garden have made another friend! This little guy is Sheldon, and he was knit out of Comfort (Berroco) and Luna (Cascade). You can find the pattern to make Sheldons here.
When Sheldon was finally completed, he got to do lots of fun things at The Yarn Garden. He loved to play on the cash register, and he helped me ring up lots of sales today. Go Sheldon!

Sheldon also enjoyed playing a lot in Sockland. He especially liked the new Ultra Alpaca Fine from Berroco. You can see all the colors here.

Sheldon also seemed to enjoy all the gnomes. He liked Rufus so much that he took a little nap, using Rufus' boot as a pillow!

Sheldon also got to play outside for a little while today. Poor thing, got scared shell-less by the ever-watchful garden gnome by the tree!

Noro got to meet Sheldon. Noro gets kind of lonely in here sometimes, with him being the only non-English speaking animal around. So I thought that it would be nice if Noro and Sheldon could be friends for the time that Sheldon has with us. Noro thought Sheldon smelled kind of fishy...

but then decided that they could be friends. Aren't they super cute together? Sheldon will only be here until the middle of September, so if you'd like to meet him, be sure to get in here soon!

Watercolor Dreams Entrelac Scarf

2008-07-18T13:02:00.004-04:00

(excuse the ends... I was so excited to have a mostly finished object that I didn't take the time to weave them in)

This is probably the only way I'll ever knit a scarf, and here are the reasons:

1. Noro Kureyon
2. Dive Autunno
3. Noro Cashmere Island
4. Noro Silk Garden
5. Entrelac - this makes it entertaining
6. A super quick, easy knit (I promise!)

This scarf is the class project for the Introduction to Entrelac that I'm teaching in September. You guys have responded so much to this class, that I believe I need to schedule another one. I have cut off enrollment in the class at ten. Luckily, my mom is going to be here to help out! She absolutely adores entrelac, and she's good at it. You should see her entrelac sweater from Sarah's class. It's georgeous. Stay tuned for further FOs... I have a few in the works!

With this ring...

2008-07-15T14:30:00.002-04:00

I pledge to listen to my heart. I promise to take care of me first, and celebrate my individuality. I vow to never let anyone treat me in any way less than I deserve, and I will stand up for what I think is right.

While this isn't the ring that I was planning on showing off to you, this one is better. It is symbolic of me, and all I stand for. It will remind me of what I have gone through to become the person that I am, and it is beautiful. Thank you to everyone for the thoughts and prayers, I've felt them all.

Meet the newest gnome...

2008-06-03T13:50:00.000-04:00

Henrietta!

Nanny has hunted and hunted for a girl gnome, but the few that she has found look like witches. However, she found Henrietta for me, so I wanted to introduce her to the rest of the family. Look for her next time you come in!

A knitted mystery...

2008-06-02T10:30:00.000-04:00

I'm very proud of this. I love the yarn (Artyarns Silk Rhapsody), I love the pattern, I love the sparkly little fouf in it. But I can't tell you what it is. Maybe you can guess, but here's a close-up...
Isn't it georgeous?

Update on new stuff...

2008-05-31T11:30:00.000-04:00

Due to my recent lack of posting, I've fallen behind in new stuff. So, I'm trying to get back on track, and without further ado, here is this week's "New Stuff".

First up are some super cool labels. I love these... I think they're a fun way to personalize a garment, especially for a gift. The labels have adhesive on the back, so it stays put while you're sewing it on. What fun!
Next in the box were some shawl pins. I've had these in before, and couldn't resist bringing them back. At just $2.50, they make a great pin for scarves or shawls.

Last but not least, Berroco's Comfort DK is back in full force. See how pretty the shelves look when they're full? Not that I mind when they're empty (it means you're buying the yarn!), but I just love how it looks. This yarn is fabulous for baby stuff, or a non-woolly knit. It is super washable, and at $3.25 a ball, it's a great price too.

My mom and I are getting ready to go to TNNA next weekend, which is the big tradeshow where I go and play for a weekend. No, not really play, but see the new yarns for fall, and mingle with bigwigs in the industry. It's a pretty awesome time. This year, we have a little experience under our belt, so we're even more excited. Last year, Mom and I were like giddy little girls when we got Debbie Bliss's autograph. Maybe this year we can act like the cool professionals that we are. Until we get to see the Yarn Harlot, who is giving the lunch lecture on Friday afternoon. We can't wait!

I'm officially a Pampered Chef!

2008-05-30T12:33:00.005-04:00

Well, my huge-mongous order from my Pampered Chef bridal shower arrived (a long time ago, and I'm just now posting...), and I wanted to share with you how excited I was. I refrained from tearing open every box and package when it arrived at the store, but once I got home, all bets were off...

The furry kids loved it. I couldn't capture a good action shot (I was too busy playing cook), but the kitties were making forts, and dragging cardboard all over the house. Here's a shot of the dining room table (disregard the dirty Tigers hat hanging from the pretty orange candle).

And here's the crowning glory... my bright, shiny, stainless steel pan set! I was so excited, I pre-washed the set and used them that very night for dinner. Never once in my life did I think I would be so excited about "house stuff". But honestly? I can't wait until I have matching silverware.

Brit Knits!

2008-04-25T15:46:00.003-04:00

(l. to r. me, Amanda, Jenny, and Libby)

The Brit Knits from Albion College invaded the shop on Saturday. A friend and I started Brit Knits when I was in college, and I always have such a great time when I get together with this group. We get to call it a "class" even though most of the knitters are more experienced than I am. This was definitely the case on Saturday. We decided that I would teach a "Design Your Own Sock" class. I showed them a couple different cast-ons, we did some different increases (thanks to Libby... you rock!) and then the girls looked through the Harmony Guides to find a cool stitch pattern for the foot/leg. Now, I learned how to make toe-up socks from Amanda, and Libby was teaching classes at her LYS before I even thought about owning a yarn store. So, to say that I was "teaching" them was something of a joke, but we had a good time anyway.

Libby chose a solid green from Cherry Tree Hill, and used a stitch from the Knit & Purl guide. We decided that the stitch looked like grass clumps, like the kind that you used to draw as a child. Super cute, especially with her choice of color!

Jenny chose a yummy Cherry Tree Hill colorway with pretty purples and blues and chose a beautiful cable motif from the Cable & Aran guide. My kind of girl! I love cables, and she chose an especially pretty one.

Amanda's yarn was a pretty, spring-colored confection, also from Cherry Tree Hill. We debated between that one and a funky, bright orange/yellow/pink hank, but she chose the safe road, haha. Her stitch motif came from Lace & Eyelets, and it was a beautiful panel that was running up the top of the foot, and she chose to frame it with some simple cables. Absolutely stunning!

It's great how we could all be making the same thing, but each one suited the designer's individual tastes. You guys are awesome, and I expect pictures when they are done. Oh, and good luck with finals!

What I see...

2008-04-24T14:34:00.003-04:00

Am I lucky, or what? This is the beautiful view that I get when I look out my back door. I can take my knitting, lunch, students, anything out to my beautiful little oasis in the middle of the city. It's kind of like my personal Central Park, my place to get away and surround myself with at least a little bit of green during the day (and I don't mean money, haha). This is really my first attempt at caring for a garden, and I'm really enjoying it. All the credit goes to Kim Torkko and Sherry Myers (of Trees 'N' Scapes fame). They are the ones that designed the landscaping and planted the perennials. All I really have to do is pull weeds, clean up litter and dog poop, and enjoy it.

One of the bigger tasks that lie in my garden is the caring and taming of the hops vine. If you visited the shop at any point last summer or fall, you know what I'm talking about.

(The beginnings of the hops vine)

See that arbor over my back sidewalk? It is COMPLETELY OVERTAKEN by the hops vine. The tendrils will creep all the way down to the gate, try to take over the neighbor's little patch, and pretty much reach out and grab you if it isn't properly trained.

(The view from the parking lot)

I love the way it looks... it's beautiful. And if you brew beer, I have one of your main components literally growing in my background. But... I hate the stuff. It leaves big red welts down my arms if I attempt to touch it without shoulder-length gloves. And these welts stick around. A long time. And they're itchy. And I swear to you, it grows a foot overnight.

And one other thing about this beautiful pavement oasis... why is it that cigarette butts never make it into the trash? It seems that they are attracted to beautiful things just like we are, and that's another thing that disgusts me. Picking up cigarette butts is just gross, and it's intentional. I can see how the occasional candy bar wrapper could fall out of a purse or bag, but a cigarette butt is knowingly flicked from the fingertips of a smoker.

Other than those things, I really do love all things green. Look at this beautiful butterfly bush...Isn't is georgous? I have a very pretty little row of lilies that are sprouting into very pretty bushes, and a hydrangea bush that has leaves sprouting left and right. I think I can even spot the beginning of a flower. It kind of looks like cauliflower. Right smack in the middle of the garden is a pretty little tree that popped out leaves on Sunday when I wasn't here. See... isn't it cute?

Spring has Sprung!

2008-04-10T14:54:00.005-04:00

Spring is here in a big way! Not only do I have green stuff growing in the garden (real flowers, not mold!), but my big spring and summer shipment has arrived from Cascade. Want to see what Christmas looks like at the yarn garden?

That's two huge boxes full of yummy yarn that came in Monday. I don't think that my UPS drive was very happy with me that day... they were pretty heavy! Sharon, Mom, and Nanny were all on hand to help me open "presents" and boy did we have fun. It's always great to hear other people appreciate yarn, and you always hear the same thing, "I could make X with this yarn", or "Ooo, this is my favorite color". People making plans... it's a great thing! Here's Sharon, rearranging yarns to fit in the new stuff. She's great at arranging things... the new arrangement makes the Jamieson yarns really stand out.
And here's Nanny and Noro, pricing the new stuff for me to put out on the shelves. She's a great help!
Here's the rundown on the new stuff...

Contained in this shipment are two brand-spankin' new yarns to the yarn garden... Sierra and Pima Tencel. Sierra is a worsted weight blend of 80% pima cotton, 20% merino wool, and it's what I knit Bette from Black Purl with. It comes in a 100 gram ball, with 191 yards. The ball band calls for 5 stitches to an inch on a US 7, and it IS machine washable on gentle cycle.

(Sierra is on the top 3 shelves, with Luna on the bottom 3)

Pima Tencel is a dk weight blend of 50% pima cotton and 50% Tencel, and I'm totally in love with this yarn. If I could figure out how to make this wedding knitting, I would cast on for anything with it right now! Pima Tencel comes in a 50 gram ball, with 109 yards, and the gauge on the ball band is the same as Sierra, even though I think it is a little smaller. The label says handwash and lay flat to dry, but I would give your swatch a run through the machine to see what happens.

(Pima Tencel is on the two shelves, with Madil's Eden on the towers above)

The third yarn that is yummy is called Eden, and it is 100% bamboo. The shine and drape that come from this yarn is incredible... you have to see and feel to believe! I had a few colors here last year, but I finally had my order in early enough to get a nice selection of colors. It's a 50 gram ball, with 109 yards and a gauge of 5 stitches to an inch on a US 6 or 7. It is machine washable on cool, and lay flat to dry.

There are two more yarns that I've expanded the color selection on: Luna and Fixation. Luna is 100% Peruvian cotton, with a gauge of 4.5 stitches per inch on a US 7. It comes in a 50 gram hank with 82 yards, and knits up with nice texture.

(Fixation, solids on left, prints on right)

Fixation is 98.3% cotton and 1.7% elastic, with a gauge of 5.5 stitches per inch on a US 5 to 9. The reason the gauge is so wide is because this yarn is super stretchy, making it great for non-woolly socks, knit bathing suits (don't laugh!), and other fitted things. It is a 50 gram ball with 100 yards of relaxed yarn, and is machine washable.

Be sure to get in here soon to see all the yummy new yarns, and to get the best colors. Shop note: huge sale this weekend to celebrate my anniversary. 10% off everything, including needles, sale stuff, books, etc. Hope to see you here!

Monkey Kitty?

2008-04-01T11:53:00.002-04:00

Before I get to the story and pictures my very own "monkey kitty", here's the latest from the shop...

1. A full selection of patterns from Kalamazoo Knits, a small MI-based pattern company, including lots of sock patterns and this super-cute baby bootie pattern...2. The new collection from Opal, called Mississippi. Two of each color, ready for knitting a beautiful pair of socks. The patterning that Opal does is amazing... every new collection looks distinctly different. Coming in from them soon are some solids to help show off the intricate cables and lace patterns that are out there. 3. The summer yarns are trickling in slowly but surely. I have seven new colors of Tahki Cotton Classic still in the box, waiting for a new home on the shelves. I have a 64 pound box of yarn on its way from Cascade, which includes Sierra, Luna, Fixation, and more Autunno. Also, a yarn new to the yarn garden, Pima Tencel. This blend is perfect for handknitting... adds a little give to cotton, and the shine is yummy. Look for all this to be out in the next week or so.

Okay, so back to the monkey kitty thing. I could not find Tila, our little gray kitty one afternoon. I searched under our bed, behind the couch, all her favorite haunts (or so I thought). No Tila. I was afraid she had snuck outside somehow, so I go outside and look around for a bit. Still no Tila. I gave up and was in the bathroom when for some reason, I looked in our washer and dryer closet. Look what I found...On the far right side, middle shelf, nestled on our formerly clean sheets between the tablecloths and iron box. Yup, she climbed up in there and made quite a little nest for herself.

Then, I was still sleeping one morning when I heard crashes in the kitchen. "Hmm, I wonder what's going on out there?!" I thought as I dragged myself, bleary eyed, out of bed. I found some of our kitchen decor on the floor, and this on our cabinets...Do you see her? Up next to the fat chef man on the TOP CABINETS IN MY KITCHEN! As I was scraping the sleep out of my eyes and fumbling for my camera, she lifts her head and looks at me, as if to say "What? I don't tell you where to sleep!"I realize, with stories of my cats making it onto my knitting blog, that I have given up my secret. I, a devoted dog person my whole life, have become the crazy cat lady.

buttons, buttons, buttons!

2008-03-19T14:07:00.003-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting with Alice Hunt, of Buttons by Alice fame, yesterday morning. She is such a wonderful artist, and I always look forward to seeing her new goods. I especially love it when she comes to visit because I was an art minor in college, with a concentration in pottery, so I understand and recognize the work she's put into them. It makes me want to sink my hands into clay and make something beautiful again. Here's a sampling of the buttons I got...

As you can see, Noro thinks they're really cool too, haha. I've done a little rearranging, to make sure that this beautiful work is more visible. I've moved some things off the spinning rack, and replaced two sides with the buttons. It's a wonderful place to look for inspiration. Alice and I always talk about encouraging people to pick their buttons before their yarn, and I hope this makes it a little easier.
Here's a close-up of some the new spring buttons. I thought they were very fitting for the yarn garden, and these are some of my favorites. If you scroll down, you'll see that I've used them on three of my models here in the store.
I absolutely had to have this button, and I'm already plotting what I'll make to use this on. Unfortunately, I don't think I could consider it "wedding knitting", so I have a few months to ponder it. Unless, of course, one of you makes plans for it before me. I also have these in a smaller version... they'd be great for a spring/summer sweater!
This pattern is called the Sassy Summer Handbag, and it is one of Lynn Hershberger's Colorjoy patterns. I randomly chose these colors, and the minute I saw the finished bag, I knew that button belonged on it. The colors worked perfectly, and it's a great background for the pretty flower. It's knit in Cascade Pastaza, and I have the pattern here!Crocheted out of O~Wool Balance, a blend of cotton and wool, this mesh stitch jacket is perfect for a beach cover-up. This will definitely be an addition to my suitcase for my honeymoon in Mexico, thanks to Sharon. If you can see, you'll notice that another flower button from Alice is the closure at the top.
My mom knit this for the shop, out of Noro's Silk Garden. It's a wonderful, kimono-style sweater with just a little stitch variety to keep your interest, but really lets the yarn shine. The pattern is called Sausalito from Dolce Handknits. Again, a flower button from Alice is the single button closure.
Last but not least, no blog entry about Alice would be complete without mentioning her shawl pins. Here, you can see a shawl pin holding the Wrap Me Up shawl on the mannequin. I often use one of her pins to hold my buttonless Rambling Rows jacket closed. These are truly a work of art, and as individual as each knitter. I love it when I find a match between a knitter and a pin... it's like the pin calls to her, and she can't help herself. I love my job, and the opportunities that I have to meet so many cool people. Be sure to check out Alice's website, and come see the selection of buttons here at the yarn garden.

Finished Socks!

2008-03-13T12:27:00.003-04:00

So, I finished my socks from the new Berroco sock yarn, aptly called Sox. It's color #1425, and it knit up just beautifully. Lots of jewel tones, greens, oranges, purples. It's so pretty, in fact, that it was the first color that I sold out of. Actually, quite a few of the colors went fast, so expect a re-stock in the near future. Here's a photo of the finished pair...

And here I am, trying to use the camera on my computer, which is raised up on the counter...
And the triumphant final picture, where I made it to the top of the stool just in time for the 3 second delay to take a somewhat decent picture. I wish someone had walked in while this was going on... we could have had quite a laugh!

I used the Knitting Pure & Simple Basic Beginner Sock pattern for fingering weight yarn, on size 2 needles. Of course, I can never follow a pattern exactly as it is written, so these are the changes I made:

1. My gauge was much different than the pattern calls for... mine was 9 sts/in. and the pattern called for 8 sts/in, and the label on the yarn called for 7.5 sts/in. All of these were on a US 2 needle. Luckily, I did a gauge swatch (yup, I do these now) and did the math. If I followed the numbers in the pattern, and my gauge stayed consistent, then the final sock would end up smaller in circumference, which is exactly what I wanted. And I was right... they fit perfectly!

2. I knit these using the Magic Loop method, rather than the dpns that the pattern called for. This called for some creative re-figuring of the pattern, but it worked.

3. Instead of a stockinette heel flap, I did a sl1, k1 on the knit side and purl back heel. This gives the heel a bit more sturdiness, and I think it is a little cushier.

4. Last but not least, I decreased down to 16 stitches for the toe and did the Kitchener stitch to end it. The pattern calls for you to decrease to 8 and do the drawstring thing, but I like the finish of the Kitchener better.

Hopefully Bette from Black Purl will be done soon... I'm 10 rows or so away from being done with the body, which leaves cap sleeves and the neckline left. Maybe next week... until next time, Happy Knitting!

P.S. Thanks for the comments!

Bag Style Trunk Show

2008-03-12T16:51:00.005-04:00

What a bad blogger I've been... I'll try to do better. I do like comments (hint hint) so I know that you read me. Kim, you're the best at commenting, thank you! Everybody else, you've got some work to do. I look at the Yarn Harlot's blog with her hundreds of comments on every post, and I admit, I get a little jealous!

Anyway, I've been busy getting my store around for the trunk show that is now out. I have 9 bags from Interweave Press's Bag Style, trunk show #1. It's hard to choose a favorite, but I think I like the Surface Woven Tote and the Hemp Market Bag. It seems that there is a trend towards using your own bags at the grocery store. I think it is a fantastic idea, and this Market Bag fits the bill perfectly. Here's a few pictures of the displays here at the shop...

Here are two other cute bags... the first one is an Ipod cover, (I apologize for the Voldemort-like appearance of the mannequin), and the second is an enormous bag crocheted with raffia. I think this bag would be virtually indestructible, and there's a ton of possibilities!

The trunk show is here through Monday, March 17th, and the sale (yup, sale) will be on until then as well. This sale includes Malabrigo, Cascade 220 and 128, Nature Wool, and a few other Yarn Garden favorites. I hope to see you here (and read you in the comments, haha)!

someday soon...

2008-02-21T14:06:00.010-05:00

it will be spring! Instead of this...

we'll have these!

Instead of feeling like this...

we'll be bright and cheery like this.

I know, I know, it's hard to believe. Trust me though, it will happen. It always does, eventually. Let's just hope that winter doesn't drag through April. This time of year sure makes for a depressing start to your day.

One chance to brighten up your day could come when you pull on your socks. I'm sure some of you are thinking "What the heck is Lindsay talking about!?" Well, socks are a great way to add some bright, fun colors to your wardrobe, and nobody has to know but you. It's kind of like a little secret that only you know about. We as knitters have the opportunity to give that moment, that "secret", to ourselves and our loved ones. What better way to cheer someone up than a hand knit pair of socks? They'll keep the recipient's feet warm, make them smile every time they look at them, and they are heaven to wear. I could sing the praises of socks all day... for now, how about a list?

1. Sock yarn... it doesn't count as regular stash yarn, everyone knows that.
2. Two socks at the same time... prevents second sock syndrome
3. Smiles from the wearer
4. Easy to travel... we all know about the Yar n Harlot's Traveling Sock
5. Custom fit... you can make them to fit YOUR foot, not the "average" foot
6. Very warm
7. Comfortable
8. Endless variations... but always the same basic pattern
9. Inexpensive to knit

In the spirit of this, the yarn garden has Opal's new line, called Rendez-vous, in stock. The things that this company can do with dyes is amazing. Check out the picture... there are eight new colors in the Rendez-vous collection, plus three new ones from the Zirkus line.

Also in this week are some new patterns from Black Purl. I especially love this one...

This reminds of summer... it will be great knit with some of the new summer yarns coming in shortly. Just because it's hot out doesn't mean you have to stop knitting. Just make small things, like these tops or socks.

Last but not least, a new fiction knitting novel has arrived on the scene. Check out Cast On, Bet's Off. Part of my mission here at my shop is to support Michigan businesses, and this book is written by a man from New Buffalo. Jack and his wife own Sit & Knit, A Yarn Cafe. It's available only in LYS like mine, so help support Michigan and read on!

And a happy picture to end on...

Super Bowl Party!

2008-02-05T14:10:00.000-05:00

l. to r. around the table - Lindsay S., Mom, Sharon, Janet, Janet's cousin, Nanny, Pat, and Lucy (and Noro, of course!)

Thanks to all my "gnomies" that came to hang out with me at the shop for the Super Bowl. The junk food was fantastic, the pizza was yummy, and the company was awesome! We had a great time knitting, even though we only got one hat completed (Go Lucy!). Check out Lindsay Stewart, knitting away furiously on her "perfect" hat.

Here's a few more participants...

Sisters, Kelly Clemens and Kim Brown!

My favorite "yarn garden gnomies", my mom Julee Harmon and employee Sharon Nye!

At another Super Bowl party we attended that day, I got to hold a 5-month-old baby girl that was wearing an adorable crocheted hat. I asked the mom who made it for her, and she said that she got it from the hospital. I saw proof that our work is cherished ladies, so keep the hats coming!

2008-01-31T12:28:00.000-05:00

For all of you that know me, you know that I'm the midst of planning a wedding. I'm engaged to the best man I know (besides my dad, and Fred is just like him!). We dated in high school, and broke up when Fred went to college. Anyway, to make a long story short, we started dating again in April of 2006, and got engaged June 30th, 2007. To get the full story, check out our wedding web page on The Knot...

Fred and Lindsay's wedding web site

There's a little story behind this website... I really didn't want to make one. I thought if people wanted to know details, then they could ask me or Fred. What did couples do before web pages were so easy to make, anyway?? Well, this is an example of my ability to give in to peer pressure very easily, haha. I have two good friends that are getting married this year as well, and they both have one. My good friend Lindsay S. had one, and still plays on The Knot, even though she got married in June. My sister even had one, back in the dark ages of 2001! So, I gave in. And it was kind of fun. Okay, maybe a lot of fun. Check it out, let me know what you think.

These are a couple of our engagement pics... I love them! They capture us so well... the first one is such a Fred face, with me laughing at him. And the second one is perfect... we are most comfortable in our jeans and boots! This photos were taken by the best photographer I know, my sister Jessica Cornman. Check out her website for all your photography needs!

Enough about me... I know you're all foaming at the mouth for yarn updates. Well, you better sit down, because I got some pretty cool yarn in yesterday! The first bit of yarn was some re-stocks of a new yarn garden favorite, Comfort by Berroco, along with new colors. There's finally some nice baby greens, a cream, and pink for all the girlie girls. Next to pull out of the boxes was Comfort DK by Berroco. The yarn garden is now fully stocked with 24 colors, ready for baby knitting! We've been lacking a nice DK weight baby yarn for a while now, and I think this fits the bill nicely. And last but not least, sock knitters listen up! BERROCO HAS MADE A SOCK YARN! It's aptly called Sox by Berroco, and I stock EVERY SINGLE COLOR! There are some great booklets that support the new yarn, so be sure to look for those when you come in. It comes in 100 gram balls, so one is enough for a pair. It's a 75/25 blend of superwash wool and nylon (washable!) and the self-striping colors are beautiful. This yarn would be absolutely perfect for the Black Purl baby sweater that continues to fly off my shelves.

And last but not least, the yarn garden is hosting a Super Bowl party this Sunday from 11:00a to 4:00p. This should leave us plenty of time to get home for the commercials... oops, I mean the big game. We'll be knitting baby hats for Hayes Green Beach hospital, using the new Comfort DK by Berroco. Bring your US 6 double-points or two circs of the same size, and $10. You'll get the yarn, pattern, and food for the $10. And of course, there will be a huge sale, since believe it or not, spring is coming, along with new yarn. This means I have to sell some yarn to make room for new stuff. Come help me out! If you have any questions, call me at the shop! 517.541.9323... until next time, happy knitting!

Murphy's Law

2008-01-24T19:40:00.000-05:00

I realize that Murphy's Law says that the instant that one begins to teach or take a class, or scrub her store from top to bottom, customers will flock to the store. But really, why is this? This such thing happened to me today. I was scrubbing the floors (it IS salt season in Michigan!), with the front of my store in total disarray. Now, keep in mind that yesterday, I sold a grand total of one pair of needles. Not even Addi Turbos, but a cheaper set. So I figured, being the intelligent college graduate that I am, today would be more of the same. "Ha!" said the retail gods! No sooner did I take apart my front room, with all kinds of yarn and books scattered EVERYWHERE, in walks three customers in a row. Now, I'm not complaining, really I'm not. I love my customers, and at least they saw proof that the yarn gnome does clean her store! The moral of this story is to ignore Murphy, and come in whenever you want, preferably right after I get done cleaning.

The same thing seems to be happening lately with snow... I just get my sidewalks shoveled, salted and dry, and then the sky will open and dump just enough snow that I have to start the whole process over. I imagine it's a pretty funny sight, me shoveling snow with my dog trying to attack the shovel and then tracking the snow all over the freshly cleaned sidewalk. At least he's having fun, because I sure as heck hate shoveling snow!

On the business end of things, I got two new books in today: Kristin Knits and Itty-Bitty Nursery. Being the color lover that I am, Kristin Knits is a virtual buffet of yumminess. The "put-it-all-together gloves" captured my mind and won't let go. I love them! And the Itty-Bitty Nursery book is just adorable. There's a knitted teapot set and a three little pigs knitted set! And you should see the cupcake hat... it's ridiculously cute!

Are you a yarn gnome?

2008-01-22T14:22:00.001-05:00

You know how you can walk into a yarn store, swearing not to buy anything and come home with a sweater quantity of Malabrigo? Or hunt for size 2 double-points and find 6 pairs, all being used? Or sniff out a yarn shop, no matter where in the world you may be? Can you blithely ignore the grumblings of non-gnomes that say things like "Did you really need that?" or "Don't you already have 10 colors of that same wool!?" These would all be indications that you are a yarn gnome. We all have a little yarn gnome in us... we're kind of like the sock gnome that lives behind the dryer eating socks, except we like yarn.

This blog will attempt to chronicle the adventures of one such yarn gnome named Lindsay, who owns a cute little yarn shop in Charlotte, Michigan. It is aptly named the yarn garden, and this is where Lindsay and Noro (her dog, named for the yarn, not the virus, as some Muggles think!) spend a vast majority of their time. Read on!