Bella's Mittens

Bellas's Mittens were inspired by the movie Twilight and designed by Mariel Henault.  These are all the rage lately.  We are having an upcoming class in this pattern on October7th at 7pm .  Barbara Williams has knit this pattern up and she'll be teaching the class. Her grey mittens came out beautifully and we'll have a photo to post soon.  We thought we'd include a photo from subliminalrabbit.  Here is the pdf for the free pattern with updated corrections.

Come by the shop to pick out yarn for this project or call to sign up!

Talented Customer Projects...

Christiane Burkhard designed and knit this sweet sweater called Patches... using one skein of sock yarn.   This class is being offered September 29 at 7pm & Oct 2 at 9:30am 

This is a sample of the blanket that Sue P. is crocheting for a baby blanket class that she will be teaching October 2 at 9:30 am. 

Here is Ellyn Cooper in one of her new designs.

Ellyn Cooper wearing her new neck scarf design.

Ellyn designed this new neck scarf as well.

This stunning sweater was knit by Liz Sharon who took a class last year with Sheila in shadow knitting. She won this first place blue ribbon at Hebron Harvest Fair.  Congratulations Liz...what a beautiful job you did!

Liz did a gorgeous job with the seaming of this sweater.

Close up of this beautiful technique...

Liz also knit this beautiful sweater for her daughter.

Sue W. knit this gorgeous afghan out of Mission Falls Cotton. This is a baby blanket pattern called Patches in a Mission Falls booklet #3.  Sue made this afghan for herself and amended the pattern to make it wider and longer.  The little knit triangles along the edge of the afghan really finish off the blanket and give it that extra special touch.  This afghan has a terrific hand and feel to it...beautiful job Sue!

Linda S. crocheted this pretty scarf out of a hand-dye yarn.

Dave knit these arm cuffs for his daughter.  She tends to like the funk so he used varied buttons to funk it up some!

Renee M. knit this second pair of Queen Kahuna socks.  We watched her finishing up the cuff using a crochet hook so that there is a little more give in the finished sock.  Beautiful job Renee! Everyone that finishes these socks loves how perfectly they fit.

Fun, Flounce and Flowers!

Sandee knit this shawl called The Modular Capelet by Catharine Hennessy.  She used Ellyn Cooper's Yarn Sonnets called Nantucket as the accent.  The main color is out of Highland Wool. 

Sue knit this lovely shawl called The Flower Petal Shawl.  She just recently taught a class in this and if anyone else is interested in another class, please let us know.  This project was knit out of a hand dyed tencel yarn from End of the World Farm in Fayette, ME.

Sue knit this fun new scarf called Flounce.  It's a great project for gifts and only takes an afternoon to knit this up.  We have a variety of colors for you to choose from. The yarn is also called Flounce.

Carol knit this scarf from the book 60 Quick Knits. The book is in its second printing and will be available at the shop sometime in the middle of October.  She used Cascade Superwash Paints and Superwash 220.  The is a beautiful scarf with a nice pattern contrast...beautiful job Carol!

Sue P. knit up this garter stitch scarf out of Urban Silk.  This is a silk and cotton yarn with a lovely hand when it's knit up.

Margaret is knitting on a baby afghan of her own design...it's beautiful!  Margaret is one of our beautiful and prolific knitters at the shop.  We'll get a photo of this afghan when she's finished with it.  She is using Fiesta Boomerang for this project. 

Virginia Woolf...

Some of you make get a daily newsletter from knittingdaily. Today there was a post about Virginia Woolf being a knitter.  I know many of us at the shop are voracious readers as well as knitters and crocheters.  I thought I'd post this tribute to Virginia Woolf in honor of our eclectic tastes in knitting as well as literature.

Did you know Virginia Woolf was a knitter?

(NPG 5933. Virginia Woolf (née Stephen) by Vanessa Bell (née Stephen), 1912. Oil on board, 15 3⁄4 x 13 3⁄8 inches (400 x 340 mm). National Portrait Gallery, London)

The one I'm featuring here, about Virginia Woolf's portrait by her sister, Vanessa Bell, really struck me. I'm a big reader, and judging from the number of comments on the August 23 newsletter about needlework in literature, so are you!

I had no idea Virginia was a knitter; knowing that makes me admire her even more. And her quote below about knitting being the saving of life is so poignant, especially considering her ultimate suicide.

I have to think that Virginia was able to lose herself in her knitting, in the feeling of the yarn slipping through her fingers and the needles gently clicking against each other. I hope she found the peace that she sought as she spent time with her knitting.

And I hope you'll enjoy this insight into Vanessa's portrait of her sister.

Virginia Woolf (née Stephen)

In 1911 or 1912, when Vanessa Bell (1879-1961) painted this small portrait of Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), Virginia was working on the draft of what would be her first book, The Voyage Out, published in 1915.

The writer hated to pose and be looked at. The indistinctness of Virginia's features—the eyes and mouth are smudges—might suggest that Vanessa accommodated her sister's dislike of being scrutinized by neglecting to clearly delineate those features.

In fact, the simplified forms and strong colors typified Vanessa's style at the time. All elements of the painting are reduced to flat planes of color outlined in black, with virtually no modeling to suggest three-dimensionality. The colors are bold but not pure—mauves, greens, and blues, orange, turquoise, and gray-green—against which the pink of the knitting is shocking. It is likely that Vanessa experimented with these flat, strong colors after seeing paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Paul Cézanne in a small exhibition organized in 1910 by her then-lover, Roger Fry. Vanessa characterized her response to the exhibit as "a sudden liberation and encouragement to feel for oneself which were absolutely overwhelming."

It was well-known among her friends that Virginia was a knitter. After Virginia's death Dame Edith Sitwell reminisced: "I enjoyed talking to her, but thought nothing of her writing. I considered her 'a beautiful little knitter.'"

Virginia thought of knitting as therapy. Early in 1912 she reported to Leonard Woolf, before they were married and shortly after she had been in a rest home, that "Knitting is the saving of life." That salvation worked until 1941, when Virginia took her life.
—Fronia E. Wissman

Autumn Projects...

Ocean Serenade by Christiane Burkhard.  Christiane designed and knit this gorgeous shawl out Woole Yarn Creations Color Changing Cotton.  There will be a class on this project coming up in September.   This shawl looks just  like the ocean water. It is in the shop for you to enjoy.

Barbara W. knit this Nora Gaughan sweater called Quarzo...in Book #7.  She  used Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light.
Notes from her project:
Pattern called for 8 skeins (I took 9) I only used 7.  The last skein I rolled and then divided in half.  I would recommend purchasing required number of skeins.  The knitter can then make their own decision on whether they will need the last skein or not at the end.

Pattern calls for Size11 circular in 16" and 29".  I had a pair of 11-24" and they worked just fine for the entire pattern.  I also used the  Size 11 dpn for the sleeves and Size 8 (pattern calls for circular, I used dpns) for the collar.  Pattern, as written, does not say the size 9's are used for the collar.

Sweater does tend to roll at the bottom when knitting.  When I blocked it came out and sweater lays flat.

The decreases for the raglan sleeve as written are very confusing.  They are worked simultaneously.  I suggest writing them out instead of tryig to follow the pattern.

Even after all the confusion with the sleeves, this was a very easy, very quick knit.  I began Thursday, August 26th and completed on Sunday, September. 5th.

Ellyn knit this Striped Graduated Scarf out of 60 Quick Knits.  She used Cascade 220 and Ellyn Cooper's Highland Wool.

Sandee knit this same scarf out of Cascade 220 and Ellyn Cooper's Highland Wool.  This scarf is quick and easy and fun to do.  Ohhh hang on ....they say...you actually have to concentrate a little bit with this project!

Barbara W. knit these mittens out of Cascade 220 and Ellyn Cooper's Highland Wool...we showed this earlier and now here is the complete pair.  These are beautiful mittens.  We'll be having a class in this project coming in October.

Friday Finale...

Our customers are fabulous knitters and crocheters! We don't always get to see their finished projects. But, I figured out a way to post some of their projects for you to enjoy....Ravelry!

Lynda B. knit this Midnight Shawl using Noro Kureyon.

Sam H. knit this fantastic phone cover for her iphone. 

Sam H. also knit this great market bag using Berrocco Suede.

Sam's first pair of socks! She has since gone on to learn the Queen Kahuna method of sock design.

And..here they are! She says she prefers this sock method as it creates a perfect cutstom fit.

Lastly, here is a sweet Princess Caroline Coat that Sam knit.

Margaret knit this Baby Surprise Sweater using Berrocco Comfort DK.

I'm so pleased to be able to share some of these projects that have escaped our camera

New in the shop...

We have lots of new things in the shop.  We have some beautiful new yarns, patterns, bags and needles.  Here is a sampling of some of them.  We hope you'll come by to see everything and visit with us to plan your next project.

Barbara Williams knit up this gorgeous mitten with Ellyn Cooper's yarn.  The pattern is from 60 Quick Knits and is called Spotted Fair Isle Mittens.  Barb will be teaching a class in this coming up in the Fall.
We'll have this posted soon for you to sign up.

Sandee knit this gorgeous Mariposa Shawl using Southwest Trading Bamboo yarn.  In the lower border there are little beads that glisten and set the shawl off perfectly.  This shawl was knit as a commission piece.

We have a shop model in of Plymouth Yarn Company's Unisex Cabled Pullover.  There is also a cardigan knit in this same pattern.  The yarn used is Worsted Merino Superwash.  We have many new colors in of this deep, rich yarn.  Here are a sampling of some of them...

Closeup of cabled pattern...

Conjoined Creations has this new pattern out called... Year 'Round Jacket. The yarn used for this project is called Surf's Up and is made of soysilk and polyester.

Just in are Bryson Rosewood needles made in India.  These are very pretty needles.  This is a nice addition to your collection if you love to collect beautiful tools.

Schoppel Wolle made in Germany has come out with this new Flying Saucer yarn.  This is a unique colorway.  This skein is wound 2 strands at a time so when its dyed both strands match...so, when you actually knit with it you get matching socks or mittens.

We have a selection of Urban Silk is that is made of silk and cotton.

A basketful of Plymouth Yarn Linen Isle made of cotton, rayon and linen.

Skacel Collection has this Urban Silk Lacy Wrap designed by Jackie Erickson-Schwietzer.

We also have some new Laurel Birch bags for your knitting.  

We hope to see you soon for all your new fall projects!