June 2007

Jaywalking done

Or at least, one half of the pair is done. Still have the second sock to go. But, this is one of the things I love about summer sock knitting - I don’t need to finish both socks at once since I won’t exactly be wearing them anytime soon.

At least that is how I rationalized this:

Just as I was about to leave the shop yesterday, I grabbed a skein of Spunky Skinny Socks and wound it up fast before reason could get in the way. I’m going to make these:

Ok - you can’t really see them from this picture, but they are the Gentleman’s Fancy Socks from Vintage Socks. I’ve been itching to use this colorway from Amy and it was the last skein. (Don’t worry, I’m ordering more and we still have a few colors left!) I really want to make these for Peter. Poor guy. Still doesn’t have a sweater. But, I’m all about the socks right now and seem to be whipping them out. I love how portable they are! And I’m really enjoying playing around with different techniques. At a recent Knit at Night, we puzzled out the cast on for the toe up socks in the summer Interweave. Very cool. This Vintage Knits pattern has a different heel than I’ve done before so I’m very curious to see how it works. I’m a little worried that it might be too wide, but if that happens, I’ll rip and put in my own.

I also finally finished the Baby Pea Pod sweater:

I LOVE how it turned out.

We had a lively and fun Knit at Night this week. A few shots from around the room:

Perhaps one of the more entertaining moments occurred when Jerri asked our opinion of her current project(s).

She is making 3 versions of the same shawl because she can’t decided which she likes best. The pink is on a different needle and therefore a different gauge. The sage and white versions have different gauges and different techniques for carrying the yarn. I think we only narrowly prevented her from starting a 4th version.

Marcia totally impressed me with her first pair of socks:

And her summer bag that she also lined with cool fabric. We have a store model of the bag done up, but I wasn’t daring enough to try the lining. Now I think I should. It looked great!

Patti is another one of us addicted to socks and recently completed a pair from Favorite Socks and was working on another:

Cheryl stopped by to visit and knit yesterday. She gave me a preview of the sweater she’ll be sporting for Knit in Public Day:

We figured out that she knit this in just over a week. It was about that long from when the yarn left the shop to when the sweater appeared. Wow! And I thought I was fast. You can’t see it in the picture, but the sweater has beautiful cable and eyelet detailing around the collar and sleeves. You can check it out on Knit in Public Day.

I know, I know. You want details. Soon. I shall post the schedule soon. Tomorrow if the computer gods are with me. Karen came straight from the Farmer’s Market on Saturday to give me details of our set up there. What I CAN tell you now, is that we are going to have an amazing time.

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Knit in Public schedule

I practiced my knitting in public this morning. Is there really anything better on a cold rainy morning, than a large cup of coffee and some knitting? Fellow knitter and good friend, Andrea, was supposed to join me in this early KIP, but alas, our schedules didn’t quite meet. I was too early, she was too late. But, we both KIP’ed and now I am almost at the heel, and she finished a project.

Time to make our Knitting in Public Day Brunswick-style schedule official. If you are in the Brunswick area - join us. If you aren’t in the Brunswick area, see that you are, and join us. If you are REALLY not in the Brunswick area, then knit in public wherever you are and send me a picture to post next week.

Details:

KIP is Saturday, June 9th

We will begin our day at the Crystal Springs Farm Farmer’s Market at 9am.. Karen has warned them of our arrival and they are not at all scared. They are even putting up an awning or two to provide shade for us. How’s that for a welcome? I recommend that you bring a folding chair. I will have a few extras with me, but it is always good to come prepared. Bring your knitting (did I need to say that?). Toss some $$ in your project bag, as the shopping promises to be good.

Around 12pm, we shall assemble on the town mall for a picnic lunch. You can brown bag it from home or there are a dizzying number of delectable choices along Maine Street for lunch fare. Just PLEASE remember to save a little change for ice cream at Cotes. Ahhhhh... Java Crunch. Love the Java Crunch.

By 4pm, I figure we’ll need a little something to re-energize ourselves and keep the needles flying. We’ll meet at the Little Dog, caffeinate, knit, talk, etc... .

I think 6pm would be a good time to descend upon Sea Dog for dinner and merriment. If you haven’t already told me you are planning on coming, please send me an email by thursday morning so I can give them a bit of a heads up. (Remember, dinner, drinks, and knitting is on you, entertainment is on us.)

What, you might ask, are we doing between the scheduled stops? Anything you like. This is the perfect chance to explore our wonderful downtown. Shop, visit the art galleries, sit on the grass and knit, walk and knit, talk and knit.

The shop will be open for our regular hours during KIP day. After all, we wouldn’t want anyone to have a knitting emergency and no source for that extra skein of yarn, or that one needle size you don’t have but the pattern requires. Becka and I will be going back and forth between the shop and KIP locations, so if you have any questions, feel free to drop by the shop or call, and one of us will be there with the details and last minute changes/additions.

In the meantime, get those KIP projects ready and we’ll see you on Saturday!

Monday, June 4, 2007

Scott is back!

Yesterday brought happy surprises. Scott is back from Iraq and walked through the shop door with a huge smile on his face. It was amazing to see him and a huge relief to know he made it back safely. Unfortunately Mindy was working then, but she joined us for Knit at Night. It was wonderful to see them together!

They will both be joining us at various points for Knit in Public Day. Yeah!

As we were all enjoying catching up with Scott and Mindy, Beth and her gang of happy knitters from Portland joined us. They had heard about our knitted boobs and wanted to join in on the fun and contribute their skills to the cause. Isn’t it amazing how knitting can bring us together? Beth and her group met, and became close friends through a knitting class she teaches. Ever since, they have been gathering on Thursday nights for knits, food, and good times. They were a very joyous crowd and brightened our evening. Thanks!

The night both elated and exhausted me. I’ve spent most of the day today getting ready for KIP tomorrow - and recovering from last night. Luckily, I had a little help. Connor, an entrepreneur in the making, struck a bargain with me and did the dishes:

He does good work too!

Friday, June 8, 2007

We KIPed all over town

World Wide Knit in Public Day was a grand success - despite the threatening weather. The wonderful folks at the Crystal Spring Farmer’s Market had an awning ready for us. While it felt like we were in a bit of a fishbowl since they put is smack in the middle of everything, it was also a tremendously empowering way to represent the knitterly ways. We got many curious glances, stares, questions, and even a little knitter-to-be who toddled over to sit with us and entertain us with her joyous smiles.

The pictures from my camera are few. My camera is ANCIENT and is sadly unable to keep up with my blogging needs. It is about 8 years old - which, as you know, in the digital age, is practically pre-historic. Becka thinks my unwillingness to let go of techno-relics is both hilarious and a serious problem. I only just got rid of the cell phone - which was purchased the same year as the camera. And I didn’t intend to get rid of it. Sure, the on/off button only worked if it felt like it. Some numbers barely worked at all. And it was huge. Huge and clunky. People laughed when I pulled it out.

You laugh. But it was PAID for, damn it all. And you couldn’t beat the service deal I had. Eight years ago, the basic plan was much cheaper than it is today. So I hung onto my ridiculous, totally uncool phone. Even when the cell phone company sent me a crisp $1 bill for my antique. I saw no reason to give it up.

Until Peter lost it.

Yup.

Lost it. On the streets of Portland.

Did I get a new one? A fancy, flashy, so tiny you can barely see it, phone? Nope. Not yet. I know I should, what with kids, the shop, etc... . I even went to the store and scoped out the possibilities. I just can’t yet. Still mourning the old faithful phone.

All this is a long way of explaining why my pictures of KIP are truly awful and not at all plentiful. The card on the camera no longer fully erases so I only have a few shots available at any one time. The flash comes on - not when needed - but in a sorta *surprise* kinda way. The camera itself has to be jostled out of its slumber each time you take it out to use it, so I stand there apologizing as people try to hold their poses.

So enjoy the pictures such as they are. I shall be shopping for a new camera today. It saddens me to take this step. I will miss my clunky relic, but it deserves a rest.

(For much better pics check out Anna’s blog.)

Monday, June 11, 2007

Summertime fun

Now that the excitement of KIP day and the Fiber Frolic have passed, how will we entertain ourselves this summer?

Small, portable projects are always great. Personally, I can’t get away from socks. Or, you can shake it up and make yourself a cool summer accessory like the headscarf pictured above. Becka used Spunky Rustic Silk and 2 repeats of the Flower Basket Shawl, plus the end pattern, to create this gorgeous piece. See where a little creativity can take you?

Then there is the new issue of knitty. Yes. For those who STILL haven’t signed up for email notification from knitty.com, I am very happy to tell you that the summer issue is out.

My absolute favorite pattern is Wisp. It is just so lovely.

A close second is Zodiac - a baby sleep sac. We used these with both boys and I don’t know what I would have done with out them. A knitted version is genius. Consider this one next time you are looking for the perfect baby gift to make.

Likewise, Grrr is just too darn cute not to make for a new baby, kids, or, heck, adults who like a giggle.

Next, I’d vote for Coachella for sheer ingenuity. I really like the look on the front, and how it is constructed, but I’m not so sure I would wear this one.

Even with the excitement of knitty, I couldn’t help but feel that we need something more. Something to entertain our knitting fingers. Then inspiration hit early this morning. A knit-along (or KAL for the blog savvy). For those who don’t know, a knit-along is created when many knitters are suddenly overcome with the desire to make the same piece, each putting their own creative spin on it. Along the way, they share their progress, their triumphs (yes! 4 repeats of the lace done!), their heartaches (ripped out 4 repeats of lace - missed a YO in first row), and their questions (has anyone else had trouble with row 14 of the second chart?). It is a great way to cheer each other on, to learn from each other, to advance your skills and accomplish what you didn’t think you could do.

Now, most KALs are basically restricted to blogland - which has been great. You can knit, and talk, and share with people all over the country, and world. But, what if we combined the advantages of the internet KAL with a personal, local KAL?

What if, we knit a sweater. Why a sweater? Because so many of you are hesitant to take that leap on your own. To put down the scarves and blankets (Tracy...) and to tackle a fitted garment. Let us be your support group.

And what if that sweater challenged you to try something new, such as knitting in the round, doing cables, etc.. but you knew you could do it, because other knitters would be there to help?

What if the sweater was drop-dead gorgeous.

Let’s knit the Rogue sweater. I give Becka the credit for starting this little obsession of mine. She has been planning on knitting Rogue for weeks now and has even picked out her yarn. I was jealous. Very jealous. I wanted to knit it too. Well, why couldn’t I? And once 2 of us are doing it, we might as well throw open the doors and make it a knit-along.

So... check out the pattern. You have to buy it directly from the designer: The Girl from Auntie (who is clearly brilliant) on her webpage. Look at past KALs for this sweater to help you decide what look you want for yours. Becka is doing the pullover without the front pocket in Cascade Sierra. I am going to knit the cardigan version, also with no pockets in Cascade 220. Neither one of us has done this sweater before, so we’ll be knitting and learning along with you.

Where does the personal KAL work into this? I propose, that in addition to my postings, updates, pictures on the blog, that we gather at the shop on Saturday afternoons from, say, 1-2pm every Saturday through the end of the summer. No charge. This isn’t a class. It is a support group. We’ll be helping each other out. Sharing tips and advice. And knitting. Lots of knitting. Everyone will need time to consider the pattern, select yarn, swatch, and get started. So let’s have our first KAL gathering on June 23.

(I know that Saturday afternoons aren’t convenient for everyone, so feel free to grab a Rogue buddy and camp out on the big red couch during the week.)

In the meantime, feel free to email with questions or just stop by the shop. I was so excited about it today, I couldn’t stop talking about it and now we already have 4 more people ready to go!

And at the end of the summer, we’ll just have to have a Rogue party.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Rogue

This has to be one of my favorite parts of starting a new project... studying the pattern, considering the yarn, and the anticipation of picking up the needles.

I am so excited about knitting Rogue and having it as our summer Knit Along! Becka’s yarn , Cascade Sierra is pictured above. Here’s my choice:

Cascade 220. Pure wool, and perfect for Rogue. Unfortunately, I didn’t have quite enough skeins on the shelf in this color, so I placed a special order for it yesterday, along with my weekday Rogue knitters’ yarn. They are joining me in the 220, but each with different colors. They also can’t make it on Saturday, so they will be knitting Rogue at various times during the week.

Remember - the official kick-off to our knit along is next weekend, but you can join us whenever. Before, after, whatever makes you happy.

In the meantime, I’ve made a bit more progress on my various sock projects. Peter FINALLY has a finished sock.

I’m really impressed with this pattern. It is the Gentleman’s Fancy Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks. I thought it was going to be huge, but with the tapering down the cuff to the ankle, it fits perfectly. One more to go, and he’ll actually be able to wear them.

But, that doesn’t mean I couldn’t start yet another pair of socks. Check out the new sock pattern from Knit One, Crochet Too in Wick:

As a bonus for those who shy away from tiny needles, these are knit on US 5. Though the pattern is designed in Wick, it would work for most worsted weight yarns.

UPS has been very good to us this week. My new camera arrived this afternoon. Yeah! I’ll try to figure out how to use it tonight.

More Cascade yarn arrived.

New colors in Sierra:

Fixation:

And for the Harry Potter fans:

Time to start those house scarves!

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

A party for a party

I can’t believe I missed her - but Amy made a quick trip to the shop on Friday to deliver more Spunky Eclectic Skinny Sock and Super Nova yarn. As many of you know, we were down to just a couple skeins.

I’ve already grabbed one for myself - the Beekeepers. Yup. She really did make a beekeeper colorway for my dad. Now I need to find the right pattern. Thank you Amy!

Here are the Skinny Sock yarn colors. The 5th one in from the right is called “Shark” and it is the perfect name. The tones are so incredibly cool. Silver, blue. Wow!

And the Super Nova. More Super Nova will be arriving soon.

Right after the shop closed on Sat. Bec and I packed up the boys and drove to mom and dads for a little Father’s Day celebration (and to give Peter the night off!), to see their new baby goats, and to beg mom to help us sew in the zippers to our cardigans.

Here is Becka’s Central Park Hoodie under construction:

And yes, the Twisted Teas helped the process immensely.

My Spunky Cardi:

All the various pictures were intended to help me explain the process of how we went about this task, but, the Twisted Teas did not aid the photography. And to be completely honest, mom did all the sewing. She has vowed that it is the last time. With Rogue, we are on our own.

Here is Dad taking pictures of us taking pictures of our knitting. He was a good sport.

And I just have to show you the most recent additions to the family. Baby goats. Nigeria Dwarfs to be exact. They are milking goats, not fiber goats. But I am curious to see what their coats are like as they grow.

Meet Candy and Faye:

Friday, June 15, 2007

More Spunky and some goats

I can’t believe I missed her - but Amy made a quick trip to the shop on Friday to deliver more Spunky Eclectic Skinny Sock and Super Nova yarn. As many of you know, we were down to just a couple skeins.

I’ve already grabbed one for myself - the Beekeepers. Yup. She really did make a beekeeper colorway for my dad. Now I need to find the right pattern. Thank you Amy!

Here are the Skinny Sock yarn colors. The 5th one in from the right is called “Shark” and it is the perfect name. The tones are so incredibly cool. Silver, blue. Wow!

And the Super Nova. More Super Nova will be arriving soon.

Right after the shop closed on Sat. Bec and I packed up the boys and drove to mom and dads for a little Father’s Day celebration (and to give Peter the night off!), to see their new baby goats, and to beg mom to help us sew in the zippers to our cardigans.

Here is Becka’s Central Park Hoodie under construction:

And yes, the Twisted Teas helped the process immensely.

My Spunky Cardi:

All the various pictures were intended to help me explain the process of how we went about this task, but, the Twisted Teas did not aid the photography. And to be completely honest, mom did all the sewing. She has vowed that it is the last time. With Rogue, we are on our own.

Here is Dad taking pictures of us taking pictures of our knitting. He was a good sport.

And I just have to show you the most recent additions to the family. Baby goats. Nigeria Dwarfs to be exact. They are milking goats, not fiber goats. But I am curious to see what their coats are like as they grow.

Meet Candy and Faye:

Sunday, June 17, 2007

June newsletter and sale

Hello Everyone,

June has been an exciting month so far in the knitting and crocheting world. We celebrated World Wide Knit in Public Day on June 9, and the very same weekend, fiber enthusiasts from all over New England descended upon Windsor, Maine for the annual Fiber Frolic.

With such a great start to the summer knitting season, we decided that we should organize something exciting and interesting to keep the fun going straight through August. The perfect solution hit - a knit along! For those who don’t know, a knit along is created when many knitters are suddenly overcome with the desire to make the same piece, each putting their own creative spin on it. Along the way, they share their progress, their triumphs, their heartaches, and their questions. It is a great way to cheer each other on, to learn from each other, to advance your skills and accomplish what you didn’t think you could do

So... we will be hosting a knit along for a beautiful sweater, Rogue. You can check out the pattern on the designer's webpage: The Girl from Auntie.

Now, most KALs are basically restricted to blogland - which has been great. You can knit, and talk, and share with people all over the country, and world. But, what if we combined the advantages of the internet KAL with a personal, local KAL? In addition to my postings, updates, pictures on the blog, we will gather at the shop on Saturday afternoons from 1-2pm every Saturday through the end of the summer. No charge. This isn’t a class. It is a support group. We’ll be helping each other out. Sharing tips and advice. And knitting. Lots of knitting. The first KAL gathering will be on June 23.

For complete details of the knit along, visit our website at www.theknittingexperience.com and click on the Rogue KAL link.

As you prepare to cast on for your own version of Rogue, consider taking our Cable Clinic this Wednesday from 10:30-11:30am and learn the basics of cables and chart reading.

In addition to this week's Cable Clinic, the new summer class schedule is now posted on our website. By popular demand, we have added two more sessions on sock knitting, a felting class, and a mitten class.

To add to our summertime fun, we'll be having a SALE on those all important summer items - books and accessories. This Saturday, June 23, from 10am-4pm, all in-stock books and patterns will be 20% off. AND, because there is nothing like beautiful summer accessories, all in-stock Lantern Moon items will be 20% off. That includes needles, bags, baskets, needles cases, sheep and lady bug tape measures, and yarn-themed post-it holders.

We are going to have a wonderful summer and look forward to sharing it with you.

Happy Knitting!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Summer solstice and knitting

Something was in the air last night. Did you feel it? It was everywhere, from the overflowing crowd at Knit at Night to the amazing light display put on by the fireflies when I got home.

Maybe it was the solstice.

Maybe people heard that it was Anna’s birthday and that she was bringing cake to share with us.

Either way, the knitters were out in force:

Thank you Anna! And thanks to Marge for providing the cake knife.

Marge appeared earlier in the day bearing a gift for me - a beautiful cake knife. Exactly what we all know I desperately needed. Thank you!

And yes, there was knitting. Lots, and lots of knitting.

And finally, a big hello to my grandparents, who stopped by the shop Wed. morning:

My grandmother is an incredible knitter who thankfully has shared her talent with Mom, Becka and I. I love you Mimi and Grampy.

Friday, June 22, 2007

The Book

Heidi’s book is now listed on Amazon.com!!

The release date is October. We will, of course, be having a party. Get ready everyone - the patterns are incredible (I got a sneak peek at them this weekend.).

Monday, June 25, 2007

What do you knit in the heat?

Socks. Socks are the best for summer knitting. Small. Lightweight -even when using wool. Extremely portable for those impromptu visits to the beach.

Was I cleverly knitting a sock today?

No.

No, I was working on a sweater in Malabrigo. (A sample of one of my patterns in Heidi’s book - how’s that for a teaser???)

At times I questioned my own sanity as I wondered if the wool would felt just from the humidity. But, I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t stop.

Then, I picked up my Rogue in Cascade 220. Wool again.

It isn’t as though I don’t have socks I can knit. I finished the first of my Wick socks.

And could have easily cast on for the second one. That would have been logical. Soy yarn and a sock. Perfect scorching hot weather knitting.

But, no. I craved wool.

And this is why I love ravelry.com. Here is a place where people understand my insanity. Seriously. You need to check out this website. I am not sure that I am capable of describing how incredible this site is. It’s been called the MySpace for fiber addicts. Now, the whole MySpace thing has kinda passed by me (I was knitting), but I now have a bit of an understanding of how people can spend hours on the computer. The day I got my invite (it is still in Beta testing so you need to request an invite to join. Soon they will open it to all. In the meantime... register for an invite.... now!), I spent so much time on the computer that my back seized up. Really. Not kidding. Major back problems.

But. No regrets. I love ravelry.com

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

The Knitting Experience Café

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