The Holiday Knitting Race is On!

How many out there have finished their holiday projects?  As usual, I'm way behind (maybe running a yarn shop has something to do with it?).  I had a plan this year, really I did, and then at Turkey Day (2013), my MIL mentioned that she's always cold.  Then I glanced at my holiday copy of "Knit Simple" (2013), saw the garter stitch sweater on the cover and figured " perfect gift!   Oh, this should be easy"......and cast on Saturday night, November 30th.

Normally, I can choose(guess) the correct size to knit without any trouble.   So I cast on, and fortunately, due to traffic whilst returning youngest son back to school, had a good four hours of knitting time.  Back of sweater just flew off the needles.  Then I looked at it and kept debating if it would really be the correct size.  I actually checked the gauge (off by 2 stitches and 2 rows.)    I asked opinions at the shop, had several customers who were of a similar size let me hold it up.  I decided to start a front panel and make it the next size up.  The devil on my shoulder tried to tell me I could block and make it fit.  The angel on the other shoulder told me to start over, now before it gets any closer to the holiday.  After about ten rows, the devil and angel on my shoulders agreed and said "give it up!"  So, I frogged the front, recast  going up a sweater size and needle size. So far,  so good.

Now the problem is that this is a self-striping yarn, with good color runs, but I remembered that MIL, who is/was an amazing sewer, is also a perfectionist, so I really should try to match the colors.  (I promise the next time I plan a sweater, I will really think this through before starting.)  It became apparent that with the back being wider, the stripes would be more narrow (notice, they never show you the back of the sweater in the magazine).  So, of course, the front panel has a wider stripe...

I have already wound off yarn from the existing balls to keep the color changes together, and have several small balls in the knitting bag.  Since I have to frog the back anyway, my plan is to use to balls and widen the stripes on the back, so that they will more closely match the front.

So here we are, Turkey Day, 2014  and the sweater is closer to being finished.  The only problem?  I worked on it a bit here and there over the last year, and usually, I'm very good about keeping the pattern with the project, (which was living in the dining room). Lo and behold, the pattern has gone AWOL.  I have managed to track down another copy, so this may actually work.

On another note, I posted in January a picture of a sock made with Raggi.  It wasn't until a few days later that I realized, that I forgot to turn the heel!  No way would this sock fit the son it was knitted for.  I knitted the second sock with another modification, which son said fit better, so since I was already partially frogging the sock,  I frogged all the way back and started the first one over.  Problem:  I need the end of the ball to finish the toe.  Big problem:  Can't find the end of either ball.  I never get rid of sock yarn ends (may have to darn one some day).  I'm convinced the yarn shop gnomes have followed me home and are having fun at my expense.

And so, the holiday knitting race is really on!

Black Friday Sale, 2014!

The Announcement everyone's been waiting for!

 Needles in the Haymarket’s

Black Friday Sale!!!!!!!

Doors will open at 8:00a.m., Friday, November 28, 2014

Entry will be through the parking lot side door.

The Specials are:

   8:00a.m. – 9:59a.m.  

      Yarns, Notions, & Accessories*  30 %off       Cross Stitch Fabrics 25% off

   

10:00a.m. – 11:59a.m.

        Yarns, Notions & Accessories* 25%       Cross Stitch Fabrics 20% off

  12:00p.m. – 6:00p.m

   Yarns, Notions & Accessories *  20% off        Cross Stitch Fabrics 15% off

All patterns and Books (Knit, Crochet and Cross Stitch)  20% off All Day

DMC threads, 4 for $1.00 all day

All Anchor and Prescencia Threads 10 for $1.00 All Day

All other Threads 20% off All Day

Needlepoint canvases 70% off all day!

We will be giving away prizes again this year.  To enter the drawing,  please bring a donation of a canned good for the Haymarket Food Pantry.  Additional tickets may be purchased for $1.00 each.  Actual drawing will be held on Monday, December 8^th, 2014.

Sale prices are on in stock merchandise only.  No special orders.  All Sales are Final. 

May not be combined with any other discounts.

*No discounts on Needles, Debra’s Bags or purchase of a gift card

Wordless Wednesday

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Sunset, Glen Haven Beach, Summer 2014

What I Started on My Summer Vacation

As the saying goes "the eyes are bigger than the stomach" or in yarnspeak "I packed way more projects than any human could finish in ten days".  (Well, if the weather had been really bad, I was ready for it!)

Here are the projects I started while on vacation.

The Chenille Hoodie - still in pattern writing phase, but is being knitted hood down and in the round.
Yarn: Bella Chenille by Universal Yarns

Next up from the 2014 Halloween Issue of Just Cross Stitch"

The Remember Me Serpentine Scarf
Yarn:  Alchemy Yarns "Sparky" in "Prairie

Back to my work, or I'll never be done for Fall!

Vacation Bound

It's been two summers since I actually had a vacation.  My family decided I really am in need of a break (especially after middle son's wedding).  So northern Michigan bound we are!
Since no one lets me drive on trips anymore, I figured I could get a lot of knitting done. First project up: socks for my just graduated high school niece.  Socks were knitted using Cascade Fixation in "Arizona Sunset".  Congrats, Becca A!

I have a tendency when packing for vacation to think I will start and finish more projects than humanly possible.  (Hey, it might rain or be a crappy day on the lake...)  My family is placing bets as to how many items I might actually finish.   Since I'm not sure how many I brought, I can't say how much yarn came with me (hey, I left the spinning wheel home this time!).

I will leave you with another finished project, (I had to weave in the ends).  Entrelac Scarf, made in Gina #16.  (It's a much better photo op up here at the lake.)

Annual July Sale!

Annual July Sale

Starts July 4^th – July 20^th

July 4^th hours:  9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

July 4^th only: Regular Priced yarns 20% off!

July 4-6 only:

DMC FLOSS 4 for $1.00

DMC Perle 3 & 5, $1.00 each

Perle 8 2 for $5.00

On Sale July 4^th-20th

New Cross Stitch patterns and kits 10%

Threads:  Weeks Dye Works, Crescent Colors, Gentle Arts, Gloriana, Planet Earth and Rainbow Gallery 10%

Needlepoint Canvases 65%

25% off:

  Shalimar Honey Worsted, Feza Tokyo, Viva Glitz, Juniper Moon Marlowe, Findley Dappled, Sabine, Moonshine, KFI Painted Desert, Tristan, Louisa Harding Mulberry Silk, Plymouth Juli,  Berroco Quasar, Noro, All Sock Yarns

Noro Taiyo Lace and Berroco Karma 30%

All Ruffle Yarns 65%

Frabjous Fiber Needle Pouches 10%

Sale prices are on in stock merchandise only.  No special orders.  All Sales are Final.

May not be combined with any other discounts.

*No discounts on Needles, Debra’s Bags or purchase of a gift card.

Summer Reading

With Summer upon us, (and my next project not quite ready for prime time post...) I thought I'd mention some fun authors and titles that deal with knitting, spinning, crochet, and needlework.  Some (at least for me) were quick reads, but humorous all the same.  I should mention, all are mysteries.

Author:  Sally Goldenbaum  The Seaside Knitters Series.  The series starts with "Death by Cashmere" and has eight books so far.  I would like to be invited to the Friday night deck dinner.

Author:  Amanda Lee  The heroine owns a thread shop in a small town in the Pacific Northwest.  The series starts with "The Quick and The Thread".

Author:  Mary Canadeo  The Black Sheep Mysteries.  Knit shop set in New England, the first in the series is "While My Pretty One Knits."  (Honest, the yarn shops in my area are much friendlier with each other.

Author:  Monica Ferris  Set in Excelsior, Minnesota, the series starts with" "Crewel World".  I will tell you that "Crewel Yule" is a wonderful description (without the murder) of the TNNA Nashville Market that I attend in late winter.

Author: Maggie Sefton  The Kelly Flynn series starts with "Knit One, Kill Two".  Good story lines, but sometimes the attempt at conversational language can be frustrating.

Author:  Molly MacRae  The Haunted Yarn Shop Series  I just discovered these books recently.  I couldn't put them down, partly because of how much they made me laugh.  What could be more fun than a cat that came from nowhere and a ghost that watches too much TV?

Author:  Barbara Bretton  Starts with "Casting Spells" and is the story of a witch who hasn't developed her full powers, but owns a fiber shop in a town that looks like a miniature Salem.  I love the never ending basket of roving.  This series kept me laughing but also on the edge of my seat with the struggle between good and evil.

Author:  Betty Hechtman  The titles of the first two books say it all "Hooked on Murder" and "Dead Men Don't Crochet".  Enter the world of Molly Pink and the Tarzana Hookers, for laughter, romance and murderous mayhem.

Most of these books include a pattern and usually a recipe for a food that is mentioned.

Happy reading and enjoy the vacations!

The Knitting Gods Are Not Amused

Have you ever fallen in love with a pattern by one company and a yarn by another?  Think they'll work great together?  Well, here is my story......

I've been looking for a project to use Berroco Maya, a lovely yarn that is a blend of Pima Cotton and Alpaca.  I'm also in love with the "Sunny Tee" pattern from Knit One Crochet Too, which calls for Nautika yarn, which is Microfiber and Nylon.  I've seen both yarns knitted and love them both.  Both recommend a size 8 needle. Great, this should work.

So, I started the back of Sunny Tee with the Maya.  I finished it fairly quickly with no problems.  It's a two piece, basic summer top with simple yarn overs and increases and decreases.

 I should be done in no time, right!  Well apparently the Knitting Gods were not amused. Keep in mind, this pattern is knit identically back and front until the scoop neck for the front.  I did the increases and decreases, had stitches on the holder for the front neck, get up to where I should be ready to stitch the first shoulder, and behold!  Three stitches short on the right shoulder.  (I missed the last increase at the beginning of a row.)  Okay, frog it back, add the stitches, re-knit.  Three needle bind-off on left shoulder.  Oh wait it should have been the actual left shoulder, not the one on my left......Take out, bind-off the correct shoulder.  Pick up stitches for neck edge, wait there's an extra live stitch on the front.  Adjust and pick up one less.  Knit neck edge.  Knit armhole edges.  Mattress stitch first side.  Now, other shoulder seam.  Wait, why am I missing two inches of neck edging and why does the front have a weird section of yarn hanging?  Somehow, my ends undid themselves and unraveled.  So, frog back to original neck decreases, re-knit to shoulder again.

Time to knit neck edge again.  Exact number of live stitches on front(?????) Knit, start to bind-off, run out of yarn six stitches from end.  Deep breath, do not throw project out of car window on DC Beltway.  Try again, this time success.

Four days later, bind-off second shoulder.  Pack project and yarn to take to work to finish.  Arrive at work, no project.  Must be on the table at home.  Come home to find, that no, it fell out of the bag on the way to the car.  Fortunately, dogs did not eat it.  Ignore project again for two days, put in bag to take on Friday.  Arrive at shop, pull out sweater, no ball of yarn to finish it in bag.

Finished project. It knit up beautifully in the Maya.



I like the top so much, I'm making another.  But to appease the Knitting Gods, I'm using Nautika on this one.....

Startitis

It's been awhile since I've blogged.  I promised myself that for the new year, I would not start a new project until I finished a previous one (no matter how many new shop models we need!).  I was doing okay, as I'm still finishing Christmas presents that have now become birthday presents.  But then, we got a new to us yarn in the mail.

Raggi Sock Yarn from Jarbo!

I had heard about this wonderous sock yarn from customers and when I found the rep who sold it, ordered some.  I am absolutely in love with the yarn!

Having males in the family with large feet, I learned early on in my sock knitting adventures that boot socks made with worsted weight yarn is the way to go.  (Otherwise, with regular sock yarn on a size 3 needle, I will be in the black hole of knitting* for weeks at a time.)  Raggi is made to be knit on size 7-8 needles!

I cast on the first sock Friday evening, and finished it on Sunday.  Keep in mind this son has size 12 feet and likes his boot socks to be extra tall.  At this rate, the second sock should be done before his birthday on Sunday.

Pattern:  Sock Recipe  by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn:  Jarbo Raggi #15104

My family has an abundance of birthdays the first few months of the year, so the delayed Xmas gifts work for birthdays.  For my niece, who turned 20 at the beginning of January, a pair of Cafe Au Lait fingerless gloves.

Pattern:  Cafe au Lait by Paula McKeever  Yarn:  Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk dk Plum Noir
 (Luckily for me, she's been out of town with the college swim team, so these will be waiting in her mailbox when she returns.)

Stay warm and Happy Knitting New Year!


*Black Hole of Knitting - when you knit for three hours and have only lengthened the knit piece by an inch (if you're lucky....)