Category: Fun Stuff

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TNNA Overload

Searching for the perfect Yarn

Oh, my! I went to TNNA with one purpose. It was to find a yarn that I could use to design several projects for babies in order to teach some machine knitting technique classes over the next 9 months. Instead, I came home with about 17 project ideas. Because I fell in love with several hand knitting projects and am intrigued by the techniques to work them, Tom and I talked about my teaching hand knitting classes in person at “the Studio” [still trying to figure out what to call the old store] to a limited number of people. I need some opinions here.

Would you be interested in taking hand knitting technique classes once a month for a few months?

Now for some Eye Candy

Do you see a yarn in there suitable for baby knit projects? Um, just the one. Back to square one for my LK150 projects — choosing suitable yarn. My goal for the LK150 classes is to have at least one done this month. I have to get moving!

What about those in person classes??

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My studio

Lorna Miser showed a picture of her huge loft studio on Facebook, so I thought I’d show the progress on my space.

First, the south wall. The right side is full of magazine collections. The left is being filled with ufo projects as I unearth them.

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The east wall has two machines, the lk-150 and a 160+ ribber. I think I’ll sell the 160 and that space will be replaced by an ultimate sweater machine so I can test techniques and swatches for the new website, Ultimate Knitting Club.

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The north wall is my desktop and book collection. In the boxes at the left are my Workbasket collection. In sorting my books by type, I have a lace grid, a Fair Isle grid, a grid of stitch pattern books, an Elizabeth Zimmermann and Meg Swansen section, a sock collection, and various and sundry.

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The problem? No place for yarn even though I have four cubbies full at the store that need to come home, a couple more bookshelves of reference material also the store, and, lastly, a file cabinet. I had to relocate weaving, sewing, and scrapbooking to the cottage. Oops!

I’ll show the cottage space next time, followed by our shipping and packing stations for our website, Knitting Today and our eBay stores,  bondknitter and icefisherman1.

Where is your space?

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Yarn bombing beauty

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While I love the color and randomness of yarn bombings, if I was going to do one, this is more my style. Thanks to Stitch Diva for sharing the image in facebook. I’ll gladly post the link if I can track it down. Have you ever yarn bombed? What’s your style? post a link to your favorites in the comments, please.

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Woolly Holiday Hunt Day 7 – Baby It’s Cold Outside!

Our inspiration, Baby It’s Cold Outside — so cold, your fingers turn a shade of blue, but what better to  warm that cold baby in than a blanket made of yarn Ull fall in love with.  Look at this flickr photo for inspiration!!

Use the bolded clues above to find the picture on our website at https://knittingtoday.com.  Send the URL to customerservice@knittingtoday. and you’ll be entered in the drawing for a Marie Mayhew three-pack of patterns or projects (value up to $30). Submissions will close at 9am on Monday, and the drawing for the winner will be at noon.

The featured Marie Mayhew pattern today is Woolly Snowbaby! They are all decked out to keep warm while singing Christmas carols, don’t you think?

Comment below and let us know if you’ve enjoyed this scavenger hunt through the website.  Did you get a chance to use the 40% off coupon we emailed those who entered? We have another coupon thank you gift coming, so check your email after noon on Monday!

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Woolly Holiday Hunt Day 6 – He licked all the candy canes, ’til he turned them all green.

 

The “Grinch Who Stole Christmas” returns every year for an encore presentation.  While looking at the pictured yarn, I was reminded of the lines:

When the Grinch discovered
There was no way,
To Keep Christmas from coming
On Christmas day,
He devised a new plan…

Though not quite as mean.
He licked all the candy canes,
‘Til he turned them all green. 

But, really, he couldn’t take away the taste.  

Use the bolded clues above to find the picture on our website at https://knittingtoday.com.  Send the URL to customerservice@knittingtoday.com and you’ll be entered in the drawing for a Marie Mayhew three-pack of patterns or projects (value up to $30). There is one more clue tomorrow at 9am and the drawing will be Monday at noon.

In the meantime, imagine this beautiful Woolly Nest and Eggs added to your tree decor.  While you’re at it, throw some scraps to the birds outside for their own nests.  If you want a slightly smaller nest, there is the Woolly Nest Ornament Kit which includes everything you need including the poem.  We just stocked the refill kits too, in case you want to make more than one. Our little pathetic tree is actually an ornament hanger display filled with greenery.  I’ll take better pictures later to show you how cute the display looks with the Woolly Ornaments.

 

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Holiday Hunt Day 3 — sweet treats in the ???? of our shoes

St. Nicholas’ day is on the 6th December, but in Holland, the major celebrations are held on the 5th December. The name Santa Claus comes from the name Sinterklaas. On December 5th, children leave clogs or shoes out to be filled with presents. They also believe that if they leave some hay and carrots in their shoes for Sinterklaas’s horse, they will be left some sweets.

Clue: We love sweet treats especially if they show up in the “soles” of our shoes!

Once you find the featured picture above on the product page at https://knittingtoday.com, you need to email that page URL to customerservice@knittingtoday.com.  You’ll receive a reply back that you’ve been entered or a try-again if you aren’t quite there.  While these clues seem fairly easy to us because we’re in the store day-in and day-out, I realize those who don’t know the products we carry might be having a little trouble.  Feel free to email us (customerservice@knittingtoday.com) for clarification.

The sweet treats shown in the photo above are made with Marie Mayhew’s Woolly Candy Corn pattern.

Happy hunting!  Come back tomorrow after 9am for the next clue!  All emails will be entered in the drawing for $30 worth of Marie Mayhew Woolly patterns or projects, drawing on the 19th.

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Woolly Holiday Hunt Day 2 – he is a jolly ????

Clue:

Frosty the snowman was a jolly ???? soul,
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal.

Here’s the scoop: the picture above is copied into one of the products on the page related to the ???? word missing from the clue.  If you search for that word, you’ll find a number of products you can click into to find the featured picture.  It seems like it should be easy, but we try and make you click around just a little bit so you get to know our offerings and how the website works. Once you find the featured picture on the product page, you need to email that page URL to customerservice@knittingtoday.com.  You’ll receive a reply back that you’ve been entered or a try-again if you aren’t quite there.  While these clues seem fairly easy to us because we’re in the store day-in and day-out, I realize those who don’t know the products we carry might be having a little trouble.  Feel free to email us (customerservice@knittingtoday.com) for clarification.

Come back again tomorrow after 9am est to get the next clue.  Every time you email the answer, you are entered into a drawing for three Marie Mayhew Woolly patterns or projects (up to a $30 value).

Here’s a glimpse at some of our favorite patterns, including the cute little snowbaby in the photo above: Woolly Snowbabies, Woolly Snowman, the Snowman Materials Kit, Woolly Accessories, and Woolly Hats. Note, the Woolly Accessories and Materials Kits are new this season to accent your Woolly Snowman. We found that Galway and Rejuvenation make good Natural Snowy colors for felting.

P.S. While you’re busy clicking around,  I (Lea-Ann) am working on installing a coupon module in the store and working on some of the design functionality, so don’t be surprised if things move around a little bit.

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Woolly Holiday Hunt Day 1 – enjoy your cookies with some ?

Clue: Pulling our treats out of the oven to cool! Waiting for our ????  to brew (to make it easier, Lea-Ann is editing this post to say “Steep”, sorry Tara)! You are looking for the page that has the pictures from this blog post on it and that page has to do with the ???? mentioned– send us the link to that page.

Today’s photo features the Woolly Gingerbread Cookie.  Shown here, Marie strung the gingerbread men on a satin ribbon with a doorknob jingle.

Gingerbread Men: Forget the fat and calories with these too sweet gingerbread men. Two sizes that are fun to make and decorate. What cute package tie-ons these guys would make with your favorite Gingerbread Cookie Mix in a Jar! This is a cute, easy project to knit out of 100% wool and felt.  Use up your odds and ends or choose from the many fun colors of Shepherd’s Wool fingering and worsted.  Buy some cute buttons and thread to add the icing! Such a cute design by Marie Mayhew!

Using the clue above, find the product image in our website at https://knittingtoday.com, and email customerservice@knittingtoday.com with the location you find.  (Note: the search feature will get you part way there, you have to dig into the projects to find the photos). Once we receive your email, you’ll be entered in the drawing to be held on December 19 for three Woolly Marie Mayhew patterns or projects (up to $30 value).  Come back tomorrow after 9am EST for the next clue and project idea.

And, I’ll close with a picture of some real cookies from my daughter-in-law and grandson.

Woolly Gingerbread and Christmas tea cozy

 

 

 

 

 

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Join Our Woolly Holiday Hunt!

 Once a day, starting December 12th and ending December 18th, we’ll post a photo along with a clue, on the blog at: https://knittingtoday.com/knews  of a felted holiday project from the Marie Mayhew Trunk Show.

The projects include snowmen, santa, gingerbread men, ornaments, a nest, candy corn, and a penguin.  The photo and the clue will give you a hint where these adorable projects will be hiding in our online store at https://knittingtoday.com 

Once you find the page on the online store with the photo, email us at customerservice@knittingtoday.com, tell us what page you found it, and be entered in a drawing to win 3 Marie Mayhew patterns or products (up to a value of $30)!

The blog picture will be posted at 9 AM Eastern Time daily which gives you 24 hours to find the projects! You will receive a return email confirming your entry (although it won’t be immediate since we don’t check email 24/7).

Only one entry per day, but you can enter every day for more chances to win! Winner will be announced on December 19. Happy Hunting!