The Yarn Shop and Fiber Place

Utterly mesmerized

I don't know when I've had so much fun knitting.  I'm creating our Yarn of the Month free patterns out of the Habu Textiles and a lace-weight kid mohair/silk blend.  It's a small shoulder wrap that I've decided to call "Cherry Blossoms". 

I can hardly wait to get up in the morning and rush to my knitting.  Or to sit down with a cup of tea in the evening to add a few more rows.  It's a very slow and meditative kind of knitting.  Working with such fine yarns on large needles, I find I must pay close attention to placing the needle into each stitch. 

It's hard to explain why I love this so much; the slowness of the work seems in sharp contrast to my usual rush-rush pace.  And perhaps that's the gist of it right there.  The slowness and the exquisitely beautiful yarns.  The name "Cherry Blossom" was inspired by one Habu yarn in particular, the Paper Moire.  It has tiny little tufts of linen paper on a nylon core that look so much like tiny leaves on a vine or blossoms on a branch. 

We hope you enjoy this month's free pattern--please come on by the shop to pick up a copy or download a copy by clicking on the link below.

Download Cherry Blossoms

I hope that some of you will enjoy knitting this ethereal shawl as much as I have!

Barbie Pink

Thoughts On Socks

Overheard at The Yarn Shop:

"Socks are so addictive to make...I love the way they fit."

"They're so quick to make."

"And they last forever."

Encouraging words for my first pair, which have already traveled through the Rocky Mountains even though they're not quite socks yet.  This is my first "real" knitting project.  And though I wouldn't necessarily call it a fast knit (remember that I'm a crocheter first), I would definitely call it gratifying. 

There's something to be said about taking the time to create such a basic, utilitarian item by hand.  Stitch by tiny stitch.  This pair is a gift to my loving and supportive partner, kind of a six-year-long running joke between us. 

As I knit up a row here and there, I concentrate on the sacrifices he makes for our family and how much I appreciate how hard he works.  It makes all those humble little circles of stitches feel very honorable and important--each stitch a representation of the hours he of his life he gives to support our little tribe.

And once these are off the needles?

Well, there are two sets of little tiny feet in our house.

And my own two feet.

And of course we'll each need more than one pair of socks.

Oh, there's just nothing better than the potential I see in The Yarn Shop's wall of sock yarn.

Stitch by tiny stitch.

Drifts of Wool ~ The Anniversary Cowl Pattern (Free Pattern Alert!)

A thick and quick knit cowl, complete with eyelet accents and an almost-a-hint-of-a-cable all throughout the pattern.  Perfect for those who are terrified of jumping into the realm of cable knitting.  Like me.

Those look innocent enough.  Deep breath, Jules.  Deep breath. 

Barb was feeling sassy about it being the anniversary and all, so she threaded a silk ribbon through the eyelet trim and tied it into a big bow right up front.

Inspired by this idea, I grabbed one of Tammy's renowned flower scarves and followed suit:

There's nothing better than a simple accessory that can be changed and updated at a whim, whether it be with a decorative skinny scarf that features a special stitch, a lariat scarf made with a more extravagant yarn (I'm thinking of shiny things and handspun art yarns...), or a simple ribbon to liven up your mood and help keep your neck warm on a windy spring day!

Join us in celebrating our 12th year of making your fiber dreams come true by knitting up your own rendition of our exclusive free pattern.

The Yarn Shop Anniversary Cowl

Yarn:  Cascade Lana Grande -- 3 balls

Needles:  24" or 40" circulars, size 13

Finished Size:  32" circumference, 15" length

Pattern:

• Cast on 72 stitches, place marker, join in a round.

• Knit one round, Purl one round.

• Knit six rounds.

Next round, begin cable pattern:

• Round 1:     K4, *C2B, K8.  Repeat from * until the end of round.
• Rnds 2-8:    K
• Round 9:    *K8, C2B.  Repeat from * to last 4 sts, K4.

• Rnds 10-16: Knit.

• Repeat rounds 1 - 16, then repeat rounds 1 - 12.

Eyelet Round:

• K2, yo, K2tog, *K4, yo K2tog.  Repeat from * to last 2 sts, K2.

Knit 3 more rounds.  Bind off loosely.

Adorn with your choice of fanciness!

Abbreviations:

C2B -- cable two back:  slip next 2 sts to a cable needle and hold at back of work.  K next 2 sts from working needle then K 2 sts from cable needle

YO -- yarn over (creates the eyelet hole)

K2tog -- knit two together (a decrease stitch)

Wee Socks Are the Answer

But what is the question, you might legitimately be asking.  Actually, wee socks are the answer to many questions, such as: 

• What’s the most fun you can legally have knitting? 
• What, besides your sleeping children or your darling pets, are so cute you just can’t stop staring at them?
• What’s the perfect use for odd bits of leftover yarn?  Even better, the perfect use for odd bits of handspun yarn that you value at approximately $5 per foot? 
• What’s the perfect venue for trying out a new stitch pattern? 
• Ditto for color experiments? 
• What brings joy, love, and world peace? 

Yeah, well, that last one might be stretching things a bit, but not much.  Wee socks can certainly bring peace to the individual and so, by extension, let's just get enough people knitting ‘em and voila!  World peace at last! 

By the way, we’ll be knitting wee socks at The Yarn Shop this Saturday morning, Dec. 5,  from 9 to 12. We will also post our wee sock pattern here and on our website.  Cost of the workshop is five dollars...not a bad price for world peace these days!

Happy holidays ~

Barbie Pink