Category Archives: Local Yarn Store

Apr 7 2013

Sunday Weekly Review

Well this week I was determined to start and finish  Building Block #7

Block # 7

Block # 7

from Knit Purl Hunters  afghan book.

Building Blocks by Knit Purl Hunter

Building Blocks by Knit Purl Hunter

I went to my group class with Kari the wonder woman  at my Local Yarn Store Knitknack in Maplewood, NJ and thought I had it all down.  Well for some reason it turned out to be harder than I thought. I put a large F in the word frog this week. A four row pattern and I had to start over three times before I got it right. In row three you reduce ten stitches and in row four you put them back. I had a different number of stitches every time I did row three and four. Well I think I finally have it down. We’ll see.

My Block # 7

My Block # 7

Feb 13 2013

Wednesday — Monthly Knitted Building Blocks Class

Tonight I went to my LYS Knitknack for our monthly class.  On to block five. This block features cables. I am doing my block in black and so far I have had a few challenges. I will prevail however and complete this one too. I am thinking that I will try my hand at designing some blocks to fill in with the twelve that we are creating from the book by Knit Purl Hunter.

Photo of Building Blocks book cover

I love the class because our instructor Kari always gives a useful tip or two. I know how to do cables but tonight she taught us how to do cables without a cable needle. Great tip but far scarier than I want to deal with. Anyway here is my beginning.

Black Cable Block beginning

Black Cable Block beginning

Feb 4 2013

Monday Yarn Day Frog Tree Merino Yarn

I needed a contrasting yarn for my Lucy hat so I went to Knitknack my LYS and Meera (the owner) suggested that I add this Frog Tree merino yarn.  The yarn is 100% merino and is made in Peru. The color was right and I only needed one skein so I bought it. I was pleasantly surprised by this yarn. It knit up nicely and is so soft. I am thinking about getting more of it and turning it into another project.

Frog Tree merino yarn

Frog Tree merino yarn

Frog Tree yarn in white in Lucy hat

Frog Tree yarn in white in Lucy hat

 

Jan 11 2013

Building My Afghan …One Block At A Time

I have just begun block four of our one a month afghan blocks. It is fun visiting my LYS Knitknack on the first Wednesday of every month to begin our new blocks. We are at different levels of the knitting experience but even for the seasoned knitters there always seems to be something to learn.

Last months block involved making bobbles which I had never done. Turning the work and knitting/purling back and forth was a challenge for me. I was so busy worrying about the bobbles I flubbed the pattern and when I realized it I decided that I had gone too far to take it out. So this is not perfect but it’s good.

My Bobble Block

My Bobble Block

Dec 3 2012

Building Blocks Monthly Workshop

DSCN0013Since the beginning of October I have been attending a once monthly class at my LYS. We are making twelve different knitted blocks which will become a throw or mini-blanket. We are using the book Building Blocks by Michelle Hunter of Knit Purl Hunter which is published by skacel.  We are using simpliworsted by HiKoo. It is 55%merino superwash, 285 acrylic and 17% Nylon. It is fabulous. It is so soft and comes in great colors.

Each block is a different pattern and the goal is to teach new skills with each. I am just completing my second. We lost a monthly meeting due to “Sandy”. Anyway I have posted the first one. I will post the second tomorrow when I finish it.

 

Mar 3 2012

Saturday from Sheep to Felt Part 3

So many lessons to learn about sheep’s wool and other natural fibers. Last weekend I bought a kit from my LYS Knitknack that consists of wool and mohair locks in pretty shades of green and blue as well as some nylon fibers in shimmery blue green iridescence. I also had a bit of roving that I had purchased last year. The kit was to be needle felted into flowers but since I had been reading in The Art of Feltmaking about making felt balls for jewelry I decided to try with what I had.So I attempted to make the locks into balls. Well first I separated the fibers and then I proceeded to wet them and put a small bit of soap on them. Well they didn’t exactly form a smooth ball. There was fiber bits on the surface and no matter how hard I rubbed with my hands they were still fuzzy.  I then switched to the roving that I had and did the same thing. They did felt. I think that I am going to try to make the ones made of the mohair and wool locks neat by using a felting needle. Anyway this tells me that at different parts of the process, wool can be used in different ways.

I continue to read and learn. Every experiment teaches me something else.

Wool and Mohair Locks made into balls

Wool and Mohair Locks made into balls

Wool and Mohair Locks made into balls

Wool Roving felted into balls

Feb 10 2012

Friday Readings

I just received my catalog from Halcyon Yarn. Actually it’s two catalogs. One has yarns and fibers and one contains equipment. Halcyon has been in business for forty years in Maine. They are dedicated to using environmentally friendly products including yarns that are dyed using ecologically safe dyes. As well as carrying well-known brands of yarn, they carry their own dyes and dyeing equipment. They have their own set of tutorial videos that can be accessed from their website.  They also carry fiber for spinning and felting.

The second catalog is full of equipment for knitting, crocheting, spinning, felt making, weaving and other fiber crafts. The catalogs are well done and even if you don’t buy anything they are fun to read. The catalog’s were free. Check them out.

Feb 7 2012

Tool Tuesday – Stitch Catcher

Hey knitters out there, if you haven’t dropped a stitch yet you aren’t a real seasoned knitter. I did not have this happen until I started making socks. For me it is because sock yarn is so fine that I have realized on several occasions that I have dropped a stitch. In the past the project would have become a UFO or I would have sought the help of someone in a LYS to correct this error. Well I’m a big girl knitter now and when I drop a stitch I need to find it and pick it up. I use a small sized crochet hook but I just found a “stitch catcher” on Annie’s Attic web site. It’s their brand Annie’s Choice Stitch Catcher. I strongly suggest that if you don’t have crochet hooks that you pick one of these up. Annie’s Attic sells this item for under $3.00

Annie's Choice Stitch Catcher

Oct 16 2011

Sunday Recap

This week  was pretty much a bust craft wise. I was not really feeling well and it took all week to shake it. Every day I had good intentions but just couldn’t pull it off. Anyway I ended the week yesterday at my LYS,  KnitKnack and spent several soothing hours among the shelves of yarn, wonderful smell and good company. It was of course truly uplifting and thanks to birthday generosity I had money to buy beautiful yarn. You will hear more about the yarn and what I’m doing later this week. Anyway I hope my focus returns this week and my blogging muse too!