KNews at Knitting Today

Lorna Miser, knitwear designer and author and former owner of Lorna’s Laces, is in Indiana right now and is available to teach a special class at Knitting Today this Saturday, November 1, from 1-4. It is going to be a class I had to leave out of the retreat offerings: Design for Baby, Knit for Baby. But don’t let the title fool you as the project can server as a sampler for a larger sweater too. Lorna will be talking about using inspiration and ideas for the design from “found” items such as scrapbook paper. Working from a generic cardigan shape sweater for baby through toddler, and your choice of yarn, you can start knitting right in class as well as have many ideas for future projects. Cost is $30 for the 3 hours session, a bargain considering that the same class goes for $80 at Stitches which is where she’s headed. Lorna also has designs and inspiration for the Stitches classes and if time allows, we’ll have show/tell. Please reply or call immediately if you are able to attend as class size is limited to 8.

I read in a DIY magazine this morning, that if you lower your heat thermostat by 2 degrees Fahrenheit that you could save $180 a year.  Many of you know we’ve been remodeling our house in order to quit heating with electric ceiling coil heat from 1968 supplemented by a woodstove from the 1970s and have moved to gas forced-air and along with it A/C [which I am soooo thankful to have!].  In connection with this remodel, we’ve had to tear down ceilings, redo walls, and live in general messy disarray for about a year.  Well, Wednesday of this week the downstairs came back together.  A lovely Bryson Canyon colorway on the wall [think sunset], the furniture and television center back in place and a new open path to the backdoor.  But, while sitting downstairs watching television, we all feel slightly chilly (this is a tri-level, so part of it is insulated cement block).  When I read this article this morning, I had a quick vision of Mr. Rogers walking in and changing his shoes and coat for indoor shoes and a cardigan.  Isn’t that wierd?  What I saw was a rack with decorative knobs and hooks screwed to the wall by the back door downstairs.  On that rack were cardigan sweaters with nice matching zipper pulls, one for each of us, all in the new Shepherd’s Wool.  I saw this movie in my mind playing itself out, everyone coming in the house, slipping off their shoes and putting them in their cubby by the front door, putting on their Felted Clogs from the Fiber Trends pattern, meandering downstairs and slipping into their cozy cardigan.  Now, it might have to be zippered hoodies for my girls but right now I’m personally into cardigans — on again/off again, you know.  I’m not sure about the boys, will have to ask them.  I have a couple of designs in mind that I’ll need to track down, one of Mary Anne Oger’s from a few issues back in Knitwords and a button-down from the Purl Stitch book (which I think I could interpret to the machine).  And I really like the Iain cable hoodie sweater from Figheadh which I need to get ordered and do a knitalong with.  Getting off the subject, saving money by reducing heat costs . . . what do you think?  Have you done it and how have you used your savings?  Did you buy yarn with it?  I can get four really nice-quality wool sweaters for $180 out of the Shepherds Wool.  Should that be on my next top ten list?   
– Lea-Ann

that I would never be one of those crazy women with a “stash” of yarn just sitting around.  I know…. how absurd to even think it possible.  I was reminded of this comment this weekend when my son snapped at me “Why is there more yarn on my dresser?  Can’t you put it somewhere else?”.  In my defense, his dresser is in the dining room because we are remodeling the entire upstairs (it is completely gutted at the moment) so it’s not like I ventured into his private chamber to plop my yarn onto his dresser.  It was the closest flat surface when I unloaded the bag.  To answer his question- No, there isn’t anywhere else to put my yarn.  I had already covered his sister’s dresser with a bag and a tub; the extra dining room chair has a bin of Cascade 220 and fun fur waiting to be turned into Alpine Boots - not to mention the several bags of already started projects strewn about the house.  What to do with all this yarn that is turning my children against me?  Well, I had a brainstorm while packing up the summer clothes in one of those giant Space Bags.  I admit that I have some yarn that I have no idea, at this point in time, what it will someday become so why not throw it in with the clothes and vacuum seal it?  Yep, that’s what I did.   Won’t it be fun next spring to open up that “box” of clothes to find that delicious yarn just waiting for me?   And as a bonus my son can stop whining at me.

Susan

Okay, here’s the scoop.  I have decided that I absolutely must have a felted door mitten for the winter season.  I’ve liked this project since it came in and now that we have the Shepherd’s Wool I can’t stop thinking about it.  I pull in my driveway and I picture it on my door… I dream about it… I must have it.  So, what’s the problem?  I cannot decide on a color!  I’ll walk out and pick up the skeins and squeeze them; bury my nose and inhale (they all smell the same, in case you’re wondering); turn them over in my hands. But still, no decision.  Those of you who know me know how anal I can be so what comes next will probably surprise you because….

This is where you all come in.  I have narrowed it down to three colors (Hunter Green, Garnet, and Royal Blue- see below, but note that the colors are a bit darker and deeper than what you will see) and I will let all of you pick for me.  Here’s what you do: post a comment telling me which color you like best.  I will go with the color that gets the most votes and then post the finished project here.   The nominees for Felted Door Mitten are:
 

A bit of background:  My house is buttercream yellow with an oak front door.  I have a white porch and no shutters or anything else that may argue with the mitten color. 

So, there you have it.  Post a comment and let’s get the ball rolling.  Pun intended.

Susan

As announced in the Knitting Today E-news (sign up at http://knittingtoday.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/ktnews/ if you don’t receive it!), to celebrate our new yarn, we’re having a contest!  Tell us why you love knitting with wool and be entered in our Shepherd’s Wool giveaway for one of the Andean-Style Caps shown below!  Contest ends September 30, so don’t delay.

Don’t worry, if you don’t win the contest, the kits will be available for purchase shortly. 

As promised, the new fall line of Noni patterns is here!  I am in love with the boys’ and girls’ pants and T’s sets.  I can visualize my kids when they were little running and tumbling and rolling around in an outfit like this. Almost makes me wish I still had a little one… almost.  The Ella and the Legume Coat is absolutely adorable and how can you go wrong with a hoodie pattern that goes from a size 2T right up through an adult 50″ chest?  Okay, enough talking… click on the link to see all the Noni patterns, including the new fall line:   Show Me The Noni!

Susan

P.S.  Don’t forget, we will be glad to special order the hardware for the bags too!

The first thing that comes to mind when I squeeze this yarn is “YUM”.   It’s top merino so it’s extra lofty, which also means that it’s perfect for felting.  The really cool thing about Shepherd’s Wool is that it’s practically homegrown- it is milled and spun right in East Jordan, MI.  I have three projects picked out to do with this yarn, and that’s only because I don’t have time to pick out any more.  I want a Wonderful Wallaby , a pair of Felted Clogs, and a Covered Rock Saddlebag. Oh, and maybe a Felted Door Mitten. Check back in a few days and look for the new Noni patterns.  She’s expanded into clothing designs (cute, cute, cute!) and she now uses Shepherd’s Wool for her designs.  Can’t say as I blame her!  We’re going to carry all 45 colors…. here’s what we have so far.   - Susan

Click to see Shepherd’s Wool

Why am I the only one who has TEN on her list (notice comments from previous post entitled “With a Little Help from some friends . . “? Don’t you guys really have other things stashed away that you need encouragement getting through? Carli, I had to mix the list order up a little bit more than what *we* had originally decided. October is almost here and I want Vicky’s prayer shawl to be done. I think I’m going to stash away the Mexico Socks and only work on them during class time. I’m seriously feeling the need to start a sweater in the new Shepherd’s Wool so I’m diligently working to get the projects that belong to other people off the list. Cross off, done, finished, yeah –

1. Cross Stitch Scarf
2. Peg’s Sweater
3. Becky’s Sweater. 

Retired to Hibernating status: Filigree Lace Shawl. In the bag and working on:

1. Vicky’s shawl
2. Penny’s Baby Sweater repair,
3. Marilyn’s sweater finishing.  
4. Ring of Lace shawl — my travel knitting but I dropped a stitch late during UFO night and I now need to do a repair. I’ll tackle it tonight at horse.  

Notice I have not yet added more to the list, but when I do its going to be Shepherd’s Wool projects. That stuff is just wayyyyy too yummy to ignore for much longer. Oh, and I’m working on a postcard mailing for an upcoming sale — keep your ears tuned! Lea-Ann

a big thank you to Lisa, Patti and Carli — you know, sometimes the pile just gets overwhelming and it takes some friends to help straighten it out.  It took 4 hours to sort through the stack on the table, my desk, and my shelves and voila, now I can think again!  Do you ever feel like that?  So overwhelmed that you just don’t know which way to turn or what project to pick up?  And, before you ask, NO, I will not show you a picture of the before and after, but I will give you a list of my top ten UFOs:

Cross Stitch Scarf (Andy’s Merino II, 101 Designer One Skein Wonders) - finishing today
Wristers (1 strand fingering wool, 1 strand mohair, my own design)  - 1 down, 1 to go
Mexiko Socks (for moi’, 2 at a time, toe up, jojo heel, stretchy cast off) - at the heel, travel knitting
Peg’s Sweater - repair for a customer
Marilyn’s Sweater - Sally’s Favorite Summer Sweater finish for a customer
Penny’s Baby Sweater repair - Baby Uhl newborn design - I LOVE this yarn!
Felted Snowman - a quick, fun project, I’ve been working on it for almost a year I think
Vicky’s Prayer Shawl - finish by October for the Chilifest
Wrap Me Up - this moved back to my top ten when the sisters from Goshen stopped by with a little show and tell and one of them had this done in a combination of Noro, Donegal, and other odds and ends
Filigree Lace Shawl - this will remain on my to do list for a long time since it takes forever to get across a row — anyone interested in a lace knitalong to encourage me?
Ring of Lace Shawl - had to tear out and restart on bigger needles.  This one is the most likely to become something else (I sort of like Anita’s feather and fan scarf she brought in better but am not quite ready to give up on this design yet).

There you have it, the top ten UFOs.  The other UFOs went in a container (or two) in the back room. I think they’ll let me pull another one out when I have one finished.  Or maybe I can start another one when I have one finished.  Now, perhaps, I can concentrate on getting my list of classes ready for the fall.  Classes will be Tuesday evenings, Thursday mornings and Saturdays all day.  I have a list started, but not all the samples are done.  I really like to concentrate on techniques vs. projects, can’t you tell? 

Okay, tell me your Top Ten! 

Olympic Knitting:  Are you knitting during the Olympics?   Friday night, August 8, 2008, is the start and we are gathering at Knitting Today starting at 6:30 to enjoy. RSVP please, bring your UFO or new Olympic project and we’ll get going.  

TofuTee:  We also have the TofuTee Trunk Show in the store and that will be the last time to come and see it before it is shipped on to the next venue.  The TofuTee is a great pattern, knit sideways, uses 5 balls of the Tofutsies yarn and we have 15 new colors as well as several from the old collections in stock . . . .

http://www.knittingtoday.com/go.mvc?ID=tofutsies 

Looking forward to seeing you!  Lea-Ann