Custom Dog Sweaters

I'm sitting here at our monthly Knitwits party at HYS and Bex, evil woman that she is, handed me a new book that just came in. It's called "Fleece Dog" by Sinco. This incredible book is full of needle felted dogs of more than a dozen breeds and they are so realistic you just want to reach out and pet them. Bex knows I have a softness for dogs and that I've been wanting to try out needle felting. She claims she didn't want me to be upset if I "hid" the book from her, but I know the truth: she just likes taunting and torturing me with new books and yarns I just can't live without.

Bad Bex!

As we were passing the felted dog book around the topic of dog sweaters came up. Several years ago I stumbled upon a custom dog sweater pattern on the internet. It's darned hard to find a knit sweater pattern for a German Shepherd, so I was quite pleased and promptly knit Cole a sweater. Unfortunately there were two problems: his acute embarrassment at other dogs seeing a big manly dog wearing a cute sweater, and the fact that acrylic yarn absorbs water and snow making the dog colder than if he had no sweater at all.

My next sweater will be knit of wool. I haven't decided which route to go. I could go with a superwash wool for easy care. If he was a small dog, I'd go for a nice sock yarn with a pretty pattern. The other option is to felt the wool. Felted wool, assuming it is tightly felted, is water resistant. I could go with the Brown Sheep wool, that reliable old standby that comes in many pretty colors, or I could go with a silky soft Frog Tree alpaca (also in many pretty colors). I haven't decided yet.

Here's the original pattern I used: http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~ebozak/knit/esb-patterns/dog-sweater.html

And here's one that let's you type in your dog's measurements and it will do all of the calculations for you: http://www.thedietdiary.com/cgi-bin/chart_dog.pl

Do you have a furry friend who needs a sweater knit with your own loving hands?

Some Missouri dog trivia. Did you know that the term "man's best friend" was coined by Missouri Senator Vest during a summation in a case in Marshall Missouri. You can read part of this "Eulogy for a dog." http://www.warrensburg.org/drum.htm

Ah, lace.....

This year for Christmas I received a hand made bobbin lace pillow. I'm a huge fan of lace. Having already tried my hand at knitted lace, crocheted lace, needle and hardanger lace, and tatting, I am ready for a new adventure in tiny fiber arts.

Before I'd even picked up some graph paper for pricking my patterns I ran to the yarn shoppe to fondle the bobbin lace books I remembered seeing there. I found four from which to choose. Bex especially recommended "Bobbin Lace without a Teacher" by Betty Alderson. There's also Geraldine Stott's "The Bobbin Lace Manual" with very clear illustrations. The photographs in Pat Earnshaw's "Bobbin & Needle Laces: Identification & Care" are so incredibly beautiful the book is worth it just for them. But my favorite, the one that really caught my eye is "New Ideas for Miniature Bobbin Lace" by Roz Snowden.

Folks who know me well know my favorite knitting needle size is 0000. "The smaller, the better," I say. While all around me extole the virtues of large needles and chunky yarn for fast knitting, I drift ever further toward the world of the microscopic. The incredible shrinking woman herself.

This miniatures book has designs for doll house furnishings, some really beautiful patterns. there go my yarn credits. I'll have to take this book home with me.

Bex reminded me that HYS has many other books on lace in stock, including books on tatting, crochet, and knit laces. I think I overheard Bex and Linda Lyle with their heads together planning a lace class in February.

People sometimes don't try knitted laces because they think it will be too hard. Honestly, lace knitting isn't hard. If you can do a yarn-over and a knit two together, you're ready to knit lace. You couldn't find a better instructor than Linda, who we all know is very patient and willing to help.

If you ever get a chance to try out lace, whether it is knitted, crocheted, tatted, or bobbin, I hope you'll give it a try.

Knitter's Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished knitting not under the tree,
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
'Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep---he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6" too small.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my needles to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.

When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.
And although I was tired--my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.

Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.
"Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite!
Move over!

Lopi, don't circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you'll work out just fine!
I know this is hard as it's just your first year
But I'd hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer."

I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!
And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's big boots stomping on the porch floor.

I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his heat to his toe
And his clothes were hand knit from above to below.

A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran knit sack.
His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.

The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:

"S.C." in duplicate on the cuff.
So I asked, "Hey, Nick, did YOU knit all this stuff?"
He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to knit when I was just a kid."

He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.

He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my needles and yarn for a cap.
He began then to knit, first one cap then 2--
For the first time I thought I might really get through.

He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.
Quickly like magic his needles they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!

He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year, start your knitting sometime around JUNE!

-author unknown

I'm BAAAAAAACK!

Sorry I've been MIA so long--computer problems way-laid me, but I'm back and ready to blog again!

Congratulations, Nancy Workman, winner of our $100 Anniversary Sale prize! The sale was a great success and we have a bounty of cookies left, so come on in for a munch and a last chance at our December sale.

Yarn Shoppe volunteers: don't forget our volunteer party Wednesday from 4 to 7. If you've earned yarn credits this year, this party is for you!

Do you still have unfinished projects and are stuck? If you need help getting over a hump, come on in to our UFO (unfinished objects) help session, Wednesday 4-7.

Are you envious about the volunteer party, but don't have any yarn credits? Here's your chance. The Shoppe will be closed Saturday, December 30 for our annual inventory. Volunteers who help with the inventory will be awarded credits which can be applied to any yarn in the Shoppe.

Don't miss out on our upcoming special classes with guest instructors:

• 10 am-1pm, Saturday, January 20th: Bulky Buster Scarf with Dave Gentzsch of Jeff City. This class is free with purchase of Ozark Handspun Artisian-Crafted Natural Yarn.
• 10am-5pm, Saturday, February 3rd: Faroese Knitted Lace Shawl Sampler with Marilyn von Keppel. The cost is $65 with lunch included (yes, there is a vegetarian option).
• 10am-5pm, Monday, March 12: Celtic Cables with Melissa Leapman. This class is based on her new book: Cables Untangled which is available at Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe. Ms. Leapman will also be available to autograph books. The cost is $65 with lunch included (yes, there is a vegetarian option).

All of us at Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe and Hillcreek Fiber Studio wish you and your families a joyous holiday season and a happy new year!