Knifty Projects

I've been bustin' my buns working on the book inventory for the yarn shoppe. I've entered over 400 titles and that's just in knitting. Next week I get to tackle crochet, spinning, weaving, and dyeing.

Some friends came in to work on projects and seek a little help, and others brought projects to show off. I managed to snap a few pictures to share....

First came Mariea Caruthers with a cotton mitred block rainbow vest.

She said she'd be selling it at the 17th Annual Columbia Weavers and Spinners Fall Exhibition Sale, November 10-12.

Don't quote me, but I think she said it would be $65.


Next I had a nice visit with Christy Porter, who appeared to be working on at least three projects at once. She also likes to modify patterns, so she's a gal after my own heart. One project was a lovely lavender sweater based on "Bobble Blue" from the cover of Interweave Knits Spring 2006. But without the bobbles.

She was also working on a lace stole in a traveling vine pattern from Barbara Walker's 2nd Treasury of Knitting Patterns. Later on she'll be adding a border using a leaf pattern from Nicky Epstein's Knitting on the Edge. She said she'd do the leaves in 4-5 different autumn colors so it should be really spectacular and I'm really looking forward to seeing it finished.

Christy and I talked about felting and agreed to carpool to the three-week class for Bex's Olympic Bag which will cover not only felting but some two color knitting Christy wants to try

I was very pleased to see Linda Lyle who has been working this week to rescue Alice Kimble from her infamous "toss it down" sweater that has thwarted all attempts to complete it. It's a very pretty pale green cabled sweater with an interesting cable. One branch of the cable is in stockinette and the other branch is in moss stitch. The rest of the sweater is purled which was making it difficult to seam. Linda worked some decorative seaming magic and made the seams look like part of the pattern.

Linda pointed out that this sweater lookes equally nice inside out. A reversable sweater, who'd have thunk?

I've been busy working on pink ribbon pins and pink chemo caps for October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Columbia's October 6th celebration. Please remember to wear pink on the 6th to show your support for cancer research, patients and family in any way you can. A five dollar donation will still get you one of our lovely crocheted pink ribbon pins. Even Nancy Belcher joined in and made some, all the while exclaiming that she couldn't crochet. (I noticed she showed up a second day to crochet some more. )

I've knit half a dozen chemo caps and have two more on my needles for one of Joan Ditmore's friends. Yeah, I'm knitting them two at a time using the magic loop technique and pretending they are two socks.

I've been trying to convence more people to try magic loop, but I haven't had many takers. Joan gave it a try on her mittens and had it working smoothly in about ten minutes. I tell ya, if you hate double pointed needles, magic loop is the way to go!

I'm also working on a stash-busting project that I'll share as soon as I can get pictures uploaded from my camera. It's a fast and fun project that makes a great fashion statement.

If you have a project you've been working on that you'd like to share, bring it by the shoppe Monday or Thursday afternoon and I'll snap a photo for the blog. Hey, there are worse kinds of photos that can wind up on the internet. I'm trying to get the daytime Knitwits group rolling, so if you're free on Thursdays from 1 to 3-ish, drop on in to Hillcreek and set a spell. If you aren't there to dish the gossip, expect us to be yakking about you!

BLOODY SOCK OF DEATH

Well, here it is. I pulled an all-nighter and finished it in under 24 hours. I wanted to get it shipped out today for delivery Monday morning, but I screwed up on the FedEx deadline (I thought I had until 2 pm, but I didn't).

My bloody socks of doom are knit of black sport-weight Brown Sheep wool, with red glass dropplet bead decorations and ruby metalic embroidery floss (for blood trickles).

I passed out on the couch after finishing them, waiting for the camera software to install on my laptop. Ruby (Cole's daughter) woke me up insisting she needed to go potty. Or play. She wasn't sure which. So I checked the install and here I am, again, up at 2:40 am.

I'm heading to bed. More on Sock Wars tomorrow.

yarnmonkey blog

I had a scare. I never received a confirmation email from the Yarn Monkey when I sent in my application to be conscripted in the sock war. Then they were talking about a mysterious list of the warriors. I finally found it on the yarnmonkey blog, and yup, I'm there.

Yay!

Now if I can just hold out until I get the pattern. It is 7 pm in Belfast, but they've experienced power outtages due to a hurricane. 10,000 homes are still without power. No telling what that would do to internet connections either.

Still hoping all in the affected area come through the storm safely.

GOOD GRIEF! I just ran a count of all the contestants entered in the Great War of Socks. Any guesses on how many socks are going to be swirling around the world in the next two months? I counted 1568 feet (784 people). That's a lotta socks!

Where is the Yarn Monkey?

Is it all a cruel hoax? Is the Yarn Monkey toying with us? That's the crux of discussion on the official Sock Wars forum.

We've received word they are having severe storms, even a hurricane in Ireland, with power outages. The Yarn Monkey resides in Belfast, or so it is rumored. I just hope everyone affected by the storms weathers them safely, even if they're given MY dosier and are furiously knitting socks of death for me.

It looks like my pup, Ruby, may have run off with my rainbow yarn. I'm down to five socks as it is because she keeps stealing and stashing them who-knows-where. I know they're not going in the water bowl, which is where she always heads when she steals my cellphone. Other than that, I have no idea.

So.......

I stayed up all night, searching for the yarn and checking my inbox for the dosier of my victim. No luck on either count. When Hillcreek opened this morning I charged over to reload. Since I purchased that first ball of ammo, YM posted a required yardage of 160-180 yds in a 50 g ball. That may be DK in Belfast, but it's more like sport in Missouri. So I wound up getting a different yarn anyway.

This time I'm going with 100% black wook, a la Brown Sheep. Since Ruby stole my yarn, I'm stealing some of hers. I've collected up several balls of sparkly red yarn for various collar scrunchies and other decorative accessories for her. So I'll be embellishing my socks of death with Yarn Bee Gilt Eyelash in "Star Ruby." My goal is to make socks that look like charred stumps with blood pouring out of the top. REAL deadly socks.

I also picked up some red gilt embroidery floss for embellishment in case I get stuck behind Sunday and have to wait to send them out. If that happens, I'll duplicate stitch in some catchy slogans. Right now I'm considering putting "Do not ask for whom the sock is knit" on one sock and, "It was knit for thee -- Sock War '06." OTOH, with only 50 g of yarn, I'm not sure the socks will be big enough to hold all that text, so it might just be "kill" and "die."

There's some discussion about international mailing and customs, and the fact we shouldn't send our socks in camo wrapping or put any threats or crossed-bones on them. I suppose ticking socks are also out of the question.

Well, I'm not in good shape. I stayed up night before last, trying to finish some felted hats being sent to "Afghans for Afghan" today at five (I need time to let them dry). Then I stayed up all night last night, waiting for my dossier from the Yarn Monkey. How much longer can I last?

On top of everything else, we're doing that crochet gathering to make pink ribbons for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer thingy, "Positively Pink for a Cure." I warned Joan I might just be there for moral support and may be furiously knitting socks of death instead of ribbons of hope and sisterhood. She said she understood.

Okay, back to sit on my inbox, checking for the umpteen jillionth time to see if I'll ever learn who I'm to kill and how (what pattern).

Wish me luck!

Hello Everyone!
I dyed some cream colored Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride yarn with the Country Classics dyes in cherry, sugar plum, mountain aqua and ripe tomato colorways. I had a lot of fun and it is amazing how the colors flow so well together. I really enjoy being a part of the yarn shoppe. It is a wonderful and joyful place to be after school. While being in the yarn shoppe a year and a half I have learned alot such a dyeing, knitting, and weaving but I have to learn to crochet and needle felting yet. Well that's all for now, see you soon. "Sit and Knit in the yarn Shoppe a Bit." Chrisma

Bex's Felted Bag Revealed

We've admired it since the Knitting Olympics, and now its secrets will be revealed!

Bex has agreed to offer a class on constructing her famous felted bag, being modeled to the left by our own Chrisma. Isn't it great to have our own in-house model?

The bag is knit from Brown Sheep wool in six colors (two shades each of three color families). One skein of each color is required (six skeins in all).

The type of wool used in the bag will have important effects on how it felts. Wool that is processed with certain chemicals and/or mixed with acrylics (known as "superwash wool") will not felt properly. Bleached wool also resists felting which may account for the fact that light colors are sometimes harder to felt than darker colors. The Brown Sheep wool has been tested in many projects, including my own infamous fuschia hat (now residing in Maine). I found it a very nice yarn to knit and it didn't make me itch, which most wools do. Other wools can also work, but be sure to check their ability to felt with a (dreaded) gauge square before committing to a large project like this one. If you measure your gauge block, felt it, and measure it again, you can check to see if your wool will felt the same as the one used in the pattern.

In the class, Bex will reveal the secrets behind the beautiful diamond pattern sides











And bulls-eye bottom.


This will be a three night class. In addition to the stitch patterns, Bex will teach us about I-cord for embellishment and finishing our bags. The class runs three Wednesday nights, October 11, 18, and 25th 6-8 pm. The cost of the class is $30, with 10% off on materials needed for the class. Space is limited and filled on a first-come basis so sign up early.

The pattern for Bex's Olympic Bag will not be available to the general public until after the class. Students will help to refine the directions for the pattern for optimum clarity through their questions during the class. How often do you get to work through a project with the designer as your co-pilot? It's a great opportunity.

BATTLE CRY!!!

War has been declared and I am now armed to the socks. What war, you ask? Why the Great Sock War of '06 of course!

As soon as I enlisted, I began basic training. I knit up a pair of socks in Trekking (XXL), a type of magic stripe yarn. We were all curious to see how it would look knit up, so off I went to boot (or is it Birkenstock?) camp. How long did it take me to knit up this warm-up pair of socks? Read 'em and weep sock warriors: I knit this pair in just two days. Plus, it's sock yarn, instead of DK (required ammo for the Sock War) and I knit tall socks instead of the short socks we'll be making in the war. I think I could actually finish my killer pair in one day. If I overnight them, that means a "kill" in just two days. I don't expect to survive the war, but if I can get the first "kill" I will be quite pleased with myself.

"Magic Stripe" yarn is really cool. You just knit along and the colors change all on their own. There is no joining of different colors and no buying of several different colors of yarn. They're as easy to knit as boring plain socks, but much more exciting to watch, and to wear. Magic stripe socks are like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get. Just looking at the ball of yarn, it looks like an ordinary variegated yarn. But when you knit it up, it really is magic!

Yesterday the armory list was posted and today I shopped. I momentarily perplexed the ladies at Hillcreek when I charged in demanding poisonous yarn fit to kill a sock recipient on sight, but they soon got into the spirit of my expedition. Bex and I dug around in the sale bin and came up with this Regia Crazy Color in DK weight.

The instructions call for 50 g, which I have, but I am doubtful I can knit a whole pair with just 50 g. Unfortunately, there was only one skein of this glorious color. What to do?

Why, I must supplement my yarn from my trusty yarn stash, of course! "Hmmm," I pondered, "what would make these socks really stand out and be especially deadly?" Why, something fuzzy, of course! So I dug around in my chemo cap yarn. Here are the odd bits of "Fur Real" I have left over. I've got some fuschia Berroco Chinchilla somewhere but I can't find it. I might have to get some more while the price is so good ($5/skein). The Fur Real is at a good price too ($4, half off the regular price of $8/skein). But stash yarn is best of all!

The Fur Real yarn is interesting to knit up. Most variegated yarns stripe. At least for chemo caps, the Fur Real made spots instead of stripes. The chemo cap on the left is from the pattern I posted in the blog. Note the rounded top. The one on the right was knit from a a popular pattern I used to use. Note the "missile head" top. It reminds me of Beldar and Prymaat Conehead of SNL fame. I "stole" the rounded top from the two-headed hat Alice made from the Knitwits' retreat.

Oh, I also picked up a set of Addi-turbos for my war-chest and learned a little known secret about them that I'm going to pass on just to you. Promise, now, you won't go sharing it, right? ;) Okay, did you know Addi's are guaranteed for life? Yup, they'll replace them for free. I suddenly thought of Mary, whose dog carefully extracted her favorite needles from a washcloth and ate them. So I asked Bex (in jest) if they were guaranteed even if chewed (by a dog). AND SHE SAID, "YES." All you have to do is hang on to the package they come in and you can return them (in the original package) to your retailer for a replacement. I'm sticking my packages in the folder with all my warranty stuff. Just remember, it's our little secret.

I'm a horrible penny pincher and I'll admit I resented spending $12-$15 for a set of circular needles I could get at Walmart for less than half that price. I got stuck buying my first pair of Addi's because I couldn't find the size I needed anywhere in town. Bex has 'em all, every single size and length of Addi's they make. I heard Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe is the only place other than the manufacturer where you can get any Addi they make. So I bought them, resentfully, and I tried them. Sure the tips are nice and "glidey" and the cable is super "flexi." Now that I know they are the last needles I'll ever buy, they're also economical!

I've got this scheme to knit everything on circular needles. With the magic loop technique, I can throw away my double points and I don't even need a collection of circulars in various lengths. With magic loop, one size fits most! Bex said if we get enough interest she'll let me teach a class in magic loop knitting. So if you'd like to throw away your double points and knit hats (decreases and all) or anything else in the round and on only one set of circular needles, vote for my class!

Ah. And now it's time for another election. I've got to decide which yarn out of my stash I should use to amend my war socks. You've seen my chemo stash: purpley pink ("pink elephant"), pale pink ("Easter Bunny"), blue green ("Peacock"), and blue (whose name I forget). It's too late for you to enlist in the Sock War, but it's not too late for you to participate. Help me design my killer socks. Which yarn should I use? Should I "fur" the cuffs or the whole leg? What about stripes of fur? Or the foot? Should I do a pattern stitch? What would make my socks the most deadly?

September Sale and Classes

This month Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe is having a stock up sale on yarn. Buy four of a kind and get a fifth skein for free. It's a great opportunity for folks with large projects on the horizon for the holidays or people who just want to challenge Bex's "My Stash Is Bigger Than Yours" bracelet.

I'm eyeing the Euroflax. I'd love to make some lace curtains for my kitchen and Bex told me linen would be a good choice for that application because it will hold up well to the sunlight exposure. Let's see, about three skeins a window, four windows....


September Class Schedule

Hot Topics Classes (Saturdays 10 am to noon, cost $15):

Sept 9: Basic Toe-Up Socks (all skill levels)
-If you've been frustrated with socks in the past, try this fun and easy technique. You don't have to pick up stitches or do the Kitchner stitch and you can actually try on your socks as you knit to get a perfect fit every time. No more sock wrinkles to cramp your style!

Sept 16: Lace Knitting Basics (intermediate level)
-Lace isn't as hard as it looks. If you can knit two together and yarn over, then you already know the basic stitches. Bex can teach you how to read lace charts so you can read patterns and know where to put the K's, K2TOGs, and YOs. Wouldn't a lace shawl look spectacular on that special someone this holiday season? I'm knitting a camel hair lace shawl for my mom.

Sept 23: Crochet for Breast Cancer Awareness with Joan Ditmore (all levels)
(If you already crochet, bring a "G" hook and join us for free. Hillcreek will supply the yarn.)

Sept 30: Play Day: work on anything you want and get help (Knitting, Crochet, Dyeing, Weaving, Macrame, Beading, etc.)

Oct 7: Crochet with Joan (all levels)
-Crochet is a great way to make doilies, edgings, afghans, reversible scarves and much more.
-Every knitter can benefit from basic crochet skills for picking up dropped stitches, provisional cast-on, finishing edges, joining, and decorating knitted items to name but a few possibilities.


You say you want more?

Bex is open for suggestions on new Hot Topics classes. It's your chance to put her through her paces while you learn new and exciting skills and techniques. Here are some possibilities:

• Entrelac (a beautiful basket-weave pattern)
• Beading (peyote & brick)
• Macrame
• Inkle Weaving
• Triangle Weaving
• Tatting
• Dying Yarn in the Microwave
• Two-Handed Fairisles
• Bead Knitting
• EZ Surprise Baby Jacket
• Easy Neck-Down Children's Sweater
• Swirl Knitting
• Felted Knitting
• Needle Felting
• Crocheted Bookmarks
• Crochet or Knit Angels & Snowflakes
• Magic Loop (throw away your double pointed needles!)

Is there a class you'd really like to see offered? Drop a note here or stop in the shoppe and let Bex know. (I'm really pushing for peyote beading.)

Think Pink!

Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe will participate in "Passionately Pink for a Cure" in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month on Friday, October 6th. Donate $5 before the 6th and get a pink crochet ribbon pin to wear. Your donation will be sent on to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Join us in wearing pink on the 6th in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Shoppe is accepting donations of hand made pink women's garments (knitted, crocheted, woven, etc.) to be passed on to cancer patients in area hospitals. To help you with your projects, we offer a selection of yarns suitable for knitted chemo caps. We recommend either Berroco Chinchilla (the prefered yarn for Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital) or Real Fur. Chinchilla is on sale for $6/skein with a limited supply of bright pink available at $5/skein. Real Fur is half off its regular price of $8/skein in a variety of colors including "Pink Elephant" and "Easter Bunny."

Don't have a knitting pattern for chemo caps? We can help! Just print off the easy pattern below. If you run into trouble with your hat, be sure to drop by the Shoppe for some help. If you've never knit in the round and would like to learn, sign up for our Play Day class on September 30th. We'll show you just how easy it is to use this fun technique that allows you to avoid purl rows and seams in hats, mittens, sweaters, and more. Bex is also offering a class in Continental Knitting Basics on September 2nd. If you haven't learned to knit yet, a chemo cap is a great first project. Let us teach you how.


Chemo Cap Pattern

With Chinchilla or Real Fur yarn and #9 circular or double-point needles, cast on 60 sts. Work back and forth in garter stitch for 8 rows. For garter stitch, you knit both the front (right) side rows and the back (wrong) side rows. This is a purl-free pattern! When you've finished the 8th row, you'll have a hat band of four garter ridges.

Join to form a ring and knit in the round until the piece measures 8 inches from the cast on edge. Now it's time to start decreasing to form the top of your hat.

Row 1: *K8 K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 54 sts remain.
Rows 2-5: Knit plain.
Row 6: *K1 K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 36 sts remain.
Rows 7 and 8: Knit plain.
Row 9: *K1 K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 24 sts remain.
Row 10: Knit plain. Row 11: *K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 12 sts remain. Row 12: *K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 6 sts remain.

K8 = knit eight stitches
K1 = knit one stitch
K2TOG = knit two stitches together (decrease one stitch)

Pull the yarn end through the remaining six stitches and weave in. Sew the short seam in the hat brim and weave in ends. Ta-Da! This pattern produces a more rounded (less missle-shapped) top than some of the other chemo cap patterns you find on the internet.

Remember to Think Pink!

Posted for Bex by Kirsten