Crochet Love....

crochet love

A day at the shop...

A bouquet graces our table from the local farm stand in Chaplin.  Stop by Bedlam Road for a $4 bunch of lovely garden flowers.  The farm stand sells things all season long.  Linda loves their garlic pesto!

So, in between customers Sandee is out on her brandy new bike!  A bunch of us have tried this great new bike out and of course we all want one.  It is mighty comfortable.  Check out Scott's Cyclery if you're looking for a new or custom bike.  

Kathy is showing off this Clapotis shawl knit by Barb W. The big story is that Barb took 2 skeins plus a little extra yarn...and Sandee can't remember starting a third ball, she claims that she only used two skeins!  Well, Sandee did use all that yarn...and Barb did eventually convince her of the fact.  Don't worry, if she's helping you figure out a project...your project will be calculated correctly!  Barb used Rustic Tweed...2 skeins PLUS a little.

Kathy and Winston the Mule...Winston is a very personable Mule!

Bonnie brought Zoe by for a shop visit....so cute!

And...if you haven't been by to Yarns With a Twist lately...there is a pot of lovely yarn at the end of this rainbow.

Ellyn Cooper's Shawl...

Ellyn Cooper crocheted this beautiful shawl using one of her gorgeous yarns.  

MT. Vernon Doilies...

It's raining doilies here at Yarns With A Twist!

Sue P. crocheted these 50 doilies for her niece's wedding that is being held at Mt. Vernon in Virgnia.  This beautiful gift will be covering jars of jam from Mt. Vernon...as gifts for the guests attending the ceremony.  We've watched Sue crochet all of these gorgeous circles or snowflakes for the last couple of months.  She is thrilled to have them completed way ahead of schedule...the wedding is not until Sept.  She used a cotton crochet thread in two different shades.  Sue, you did such a beautiful job!

Beautiful!

Nanya the Knitting Gnome

We like to support small independent artists, yarn-dyers and local yarn company's that foster the art of fiber in all its forms.  I came across this lovely little book for children and the children in all of us. Nanya the Knitting Gnome is a wonderful little book about finding your true passion.  Now that school is either out or nearly out for most of the children in our lives this might be just the book they need to create a new lifelong interest in knitting.  Once you purchase the book come by and pick out some yarn at the shop with your favorite child.  Hopefully, someday they will become part of the circle of knitters.

Also, did you know that this week is Knit in Public Day?!  Come by and knit with us all week long...We will be hosting a WWKIP day on June 19 from 11-5pm.  All the information is on the WWKIP website. 

Honey Bees in Your Knitting...

So, it seems like a lot of you are working in your gardens.  Here is a free ravelry download to honor those lovely bees in our gardens.  A cool gift for any bee lover or a child you'd like to share some of nature's creatures with.

Over the last three years, one in three honey bee colonies has died of the still mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder in the United States. Other countries are experiencing similar losses, which poses a real threat to the 1/3 of our food supply that relies on honey bees for pollination.

Raise awareness, knit your own hive! This play set is a quick knit and especially great for toddlers who like to put the bees in, take them out, fly them around and stuff them back in the hive. It’s still pretty fiddly as my toy patterns typically are (you’ll need to work in the round, pick up stitches, make i-cord and trust me), but the finished product is pretty stinging cute.

Ravelry Honey Bee.

Help the Honey Bees

We have plenty of different colors of cotton available to knit these creatures up!

Learn to Knit

Getting Started Learning to Knit from About Knitting.

The very first step in any knitting project, from the simplest scarf to the most intricate lacey shawl, is the cast on.  Casting on is simply the way that you get stitches onto the needle so that you can start knitting.

There are many differnt ways to cast on, and different methods are useful for different kinds of projects.  If you are new to knitting though, there are two main types of cast on that are useful and easy to learn: the knitted cast on and the long-tail cast on.

Before we get to those, however, we have to start at the very begining with the slip knot....

go to About Knitting.com for more about this.

Of course there are all sorts of online resources for you to learn to knit....however, we want you to come into the shop to learn to knit with US.  There is nothing like sitting in person with someone to help guide you through the process.  This is the perfect time to come into the shop to sit and learn to knit so that you will be well on your way to making gifts for your friends and family in the later part of the year.  Come by, make new friends and begin a craft that will last a lifetime.  Learn to knit...that's just the beginning...!

The first day of summer is coming up this week.  Just because it's summer, doesn't mean you have to take a break from knitting.  We have lots of ideas for small projects to take along with you on all your outings this summer.  Perhaps you'd like to come out one evening during this nice warm weather and sit and chat about knitting with others that are just as enthusiastic as you are about your knitting....or just come by for a break from your routine....share with us what you're up to.  Sandee has a new bicycle that she's loving riding...so if you want to talk bikes come by and share any tips that you have for her!

Sweet Summer Ride!  Perfect basket to put your knitting needles in....

Knitting Art

source

Isabel's Surprise

Sue, Sandee, Christiane, Deb, Bonnie, Barb W. and Kathy crocheted this lovely blanket for Isabel to comfort her while she's recuperating in the rehab facility.  Although not everyone got a chance to crochet a few stitches into this blanket our hearts and spirits are all in that blanket...along with our healing and best wishes for a speedy and full recovery for her.  We miss our Isabel/Izzy very much and cannot wait to have her back in the shop with us knitting on her socks.  If any of you would like to either visit Isabel or send her a card please contact Sandee for information.

Shelly Turtle

Shelly the Turtle made her way into the shop today under Mary's arm.  Shelly is so cute.  Mary's lucky godson Gabrielle is the lucky receipient of this special gift.  Mary you did such a beautiful job!  Shelly is made out of Plymouth Encore Chunky Tweed and Lamb's Pride Worsted andLimbo Mexiko.

Clapotis

Sandee knit up this beautiful Clapotis, available from Knitty out of Rustic Tweed.  The best part of knitting this shawl is that you get to drop the stitches on purpose! Christiane is modeling this lovely Clapotis and is actually knitting herself one for an upcoming wedding she's going to in Germany in the next week.

Lace Caplet

Sheila knit this gorgeous Lace Capelet by Tanis Gray from the Vogue Knitting Spring 2010 issue. The yarn she used was Tara a bamboo/cotton...which has a lovely drape to it. She knit this piece for our beloved Isabel Teed who is currently in a rehabilitation facility.  We hope she knows how much we love and miss her while she is trying to heal.  Thank-you so much Sheila for gifting this special embrace to Isabel.

Beauty!

The new class list is out.  Please see the sidebar for all the information.  You should have all received your newsletter in your inbox by now.  Let us know if you have not.  

Queen Kahuna Socks

We had a great time starting our new socks using Queen Kahuna's book Crazy Toes and Heels.  Here are some photos of our first class.

Sandee dressed up with Deb's help to get us all in the mood!

Sandee and Deb...knitting buddies!

Our very own Queen Kahuna!

Everyone is getting measured, picking out yarns and settling into knitting a guage. This book is a challenge and requires some concentration in sorting through it. However, if you master these techniques you will be very pleased with your great progress.  This class is ongoing and once you've made your way through your first pair of socks you will have a perfect pair fitted exactly to your feet!  Stop by and learn more about the book, the process and the great fun we're all having.