Cast-on Cottage

Knitting Along the Ella Coat.

2012-01-28T04:19:00.000-08:00

Oh my. I can't even think where to start. So I'll share a photo.

that's Boo, Penny, Anne (not knitting Ella), Nora, Nancy, Kathy and me

Yes, that's us yesterday afternoon (mostly*) working on week 2 of the Ella Coat Knit-along. Week 2 starts at the armhole shaping and ends with the bodice completed. Which means there is counting and decreasing (including that tricky ssp!) and talking.....and frogging.

And Kathy looking for bling.

And finding it!

this is what Kathy found for herself (her coat is madelinetosh vintage in the fragrant colorway)

and for Nancy (Nancy's coat is the red, the orange will be the ruffle and the multi sparkle will be stripes)

And Nora looking for inspiration for ruffles.

my coat is shepherds' wool in the plum colorway and that's noro silk garden for the ruffle

And finding it...for me! (thank you Nora for spending much of your knitting time hunting through the bins of Silk Garden to find this!) I hope week 3 includes ruffles because I am so excited about knitting mine I'm not sure I can wait much longer!

(sadly, I didn't get a photo of Nora's ruffle selection - maybe next week?).

It's not to late to join the fun. Be sure to join the Ravelry Group and subscribe to Noni's blog for all the details. And definitely make plans - if you can - to knit with us on Friday afternoons. We start around 1 and end...by 6!

*anyone is free to join in the Friday afternoon knitting...many of us are working on Ella, but not everyone is!

Socks from the Toe Up.

2012-01-13T03:16:00.000-08:00

click to see all the patterns on Ravelry

Our sock knitting club starts this Sunday (January 15) from 1-3pm at the shop. The club is going to knit projects from Wendy Johnson's fabulously popular book, Socks from the Toe Up.

They've selected the Diagonal Lace Socks (page 52 ) for their first project.

Prolific sock knitter Jane Kelley has already finished one pair. She used Madelinetosh Pashmina in the magnolia leaf colorway. Pashmina is a sport weight blend of merino, cashmere and silk. I think her feet are going to be spoiled!

The club is meeting monthly on the third Sunday. Hope you're making plans to join in!

Happy New Year. Let's KAL!

2012-01-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

Whoa. Blogger tells me it's been 22 days since I last posted. Yes, time flies when you're having fun (or when you're trying to finish up that holiday knitting that didn't seem like that much knitting when you planned it. back in July.)

Please forgive me. (and promise me you'll help me with my holiday knitting "problem" this year by either a) convincing me not to knit it; or b) helping me understand how long it will really - really!! - take to knit - thank you!)

OK deep breath and yes, it's 2012. A new year. I hope you have plans - like me! - for NEW knitting!! ...and a new KAL*!

or two.

or three.

Yep. that's right. We're planning THREE knit-alongs to start the year.

First up, the Ella Coat. Kathy started a world-wide craze; Noni herself has jumped on the bandwagon for this one. Yay, Kathy! We're officially casting on January 20 at 1pm. If you're interested, check out Noni on Ravelry or Facebook for more details and then contact the shop to get your yarn (come in person if you can - we have all the colors of the suggested Shepherd's Wool in stock).

Kathy will be knitting a striped version.

yes there are sparkles in with all those colors!

I've opted for a solid with a contrasting ruffle.

that dark color (my main color) is the same color shown on the pattern cover. personally, I hope it doesn't turn out quite that bright!

Next, the Panoramic Stole. Continuing our crush on the ever popular Coastal Knits - this is our second KAL from that book (we did the Rustling Leaves Beret in late 2011). I loved this design when I first saw the book. And Theresa sealed the deal when she told me she'd ordered the suggested yarn - Swan's Island. A stunning organic merino/alpaca fingering from Maine. Oh my! The pattern calls for just two skeins. We'll be casting this one on next week - Friday the 13th.

I've chosen a neutral... yes, for once, I won't be the one standing out in the crowd in the purple/blue/green/red lace shawl!

the oatmeal colorway

And third, any and EVERYthing Maggie! Our Maggiknits weekend was a huge success and we know many of you (and me!) have a few kits and/or projects to knit. Please let us know what you're working on - and of course, if you have any questions, ask! My first (of three!!) projects is the Skerries Capelet (and yes, I'm going to knit it seamlessly!)

*we get lots of questions along the lines of "what's a KAL?". Simply, it's a Knit-along (KAL) - a project that the shop is supporting by encouraging lots of knitters to join in. So we post here on the blog, or Facebook, or Ravelry, or our newsletters about that project. Yarn and needle suggestions, skills required, helpful tips, anything that we think will help you complete that project successfully. Along the way, we like to have fun...and we love to celebrate those successful projects. There is also a community aspect to these projects. Theresa has created a wonderful environment in the shop for knitting (seriously. that new couch and chairs. have you sat there to knit? amazing!) and we have KAL time in the shop every Friday afternoon from 1-ish til 4-ish (or maybe 6pm when the shop closes). It's a great time, not only to knit, but also to connect with other knitters (not only about knitting)...and it's my hands-down favorite way to start the weekend. If you have any questions about KAL-ing at the Cottage, please leave a comment here, or on Facebook or Ravelry. and please, don't be shy about joining us!

The Knitbot Trunkshow.

2011-12-14T16:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, Maggie's gone, but the excitement continues!

trunk show samples (more designs on the table behind)

Hannah Fettig's trunk show arrived in the shop on Monday. She's the designer behind Knitbot and the Maine end of Coastal Knits. We've featured a few of her patterns in the shop for months now - great patterns like the Featherweight Cardigan, Contented Cardi and Wispy Cardi - and now that we have her trunk show, you can see the designs knit up and try them on!

I spent a bit of my time in the shop yesterday doing just that. Here are my hands down favorites - the ones I would cast on right away to knit for myself (if only my Christmas knitting were done!). All of these designs are knit seamlessly, and with the exception of the Sycamore Vest, they're top-down raglans, which means they're also easy to fit.

we're not sure about the bird applique!

The Trail Jacket features an A-line silhouette and 3/4 (how about changing these to bracelet?) length sleeves. Knit in a heavy worsted/aran yarn, we suggest Spud&Chloe Sweater, Rowan Felted Tweed Aran or Kathmandu. We would also add a button to the neckband.

the pattern offers two options for the placing the back cable detail - across the waist or across the shoulders

The Contented Cardi features half-sleeves (which can be easily shortened or lengthened), the super-popular elongated and drape-y fronts, and a subtle cable across the back. My favorite yarn for this pattern is AslanTrends Llama Mulberry Silk which has a lovely drape, but it would also work well in Berroco Ultra Alpaca, Cascade 220 or the Madelinetosh DK or Merino DK.

The Lightweight Pullover I wasn't prepared to love this one but I do! It reminds me of those very-favorite pullovers I had when I was in college...they were easy to wear, went with everything, and kept me just-a-bit warm. Perfect for our southern winters! The sample is knit in Classic Elite Fresco, one of those under-appreciated yarns. It's a sport-weight wool/alpaca/angora blend...easy to knit with, blooms beautifully and comes in every color. Or of you're wanting to splurge, how about the Fibre Company's Road to China Light. or Madelinetosh Pashmina.

The Sycamore Vest. This came across my radar when it was first released, but a few of the comments on Ravelry made me pause about knitting it. Here's the great thing about trying on a sample! I LOVE the way it fits, especially the way it hangs open, ever so casually.... It takes a sport-weight yarn with a bit of heft to give it drape. I was thinking Mirasol Nuna, but then today remembered the Louet Linen. I'm going to use the Linen.

And last, but certainly not least, the incredibly popular (for good reasons!) Featherweight Cardigan. The sample is knit in Canopy Fingering and it's lovely. simply lovely. If Canopy Fingering doesn't appeal, we have many other options from which to choose. Spud&Chloe Fine, Marian Foale 3-ply, Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light... the list goes on.

The trunk show will be in the shop through December 31. We ordered all the patterns yesterday, so they should be in the shop shortly. (And we have the Contented Cardi and Featherweight Cardigan and a few others already.)

Maggie Excitement. Continued.

2011-12-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

Maggie herself has come and gone and we had a blast while she was here (you can see photos of the all the fun on Facebook)...but we still have the trunkshow and a great selection of kits available in the shop.

the trunkshow - one (of three!) racks

La Alhambra - available as a kit

the London Scarf - multiple kit options

Sadly, the trunkshow and extra kits are headed back to Maggie on Monday. But that still leaves a few days to come into the shop and see what you missed.

I dare you to try to resist!

The Ella Coat Knit-along.

2011-12-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Kathy posted on Facebook and Ravelry about doing a "big" knit-along in early 2012. By "big", we mean a coat!

Yes, we fell in love with The Ella Coat when we saw Nora Bellows modeling it so well back in November (she was in the shop for a weekend, teaching the Noni Bags workshop).

Now the pattern has arrived and we're gearing up to order yarn for all who are interested.

The pattern has options for a solid coat, a solid coat with contrasting ruffle (that's the option pictured) and a striped coat. Yarn requirements vary based on which option you choose. For the solid coat with contrasting ruffle (as pictured), the smallest size 32" takes 1,000 yards of the main color and 500 yarns for the ruffle; the largest size 54" takes 1,500 yards of the main color and 750 yards for the ruffle. Striped versions have 11 different colors (1 skein of each plus 500 yards for the ruffle).

The recommended yarn is Stonehedge Fiber Mill's Shepherd's Wool, a beautiful worsted wool with 250 yards per skein that comes in plenty of colors (check out the color cards here).

The pattern is very detailed (just like all the Noni Bag patterns, if you're familiar with them) and includes notes about modifications to ensure a beautiful fit. The coat body is constructed as one piece, the sleeves are knit separately and then sewn in. (and even given my bias toward seamless construction, I'm going to give this one a try!)

...the hardest part is going to be choosing the color(s)! I'm thinking about a brown body with an oatmeal ruffle. or maybe an oatmeal body with a brown ruffle. or maybe purple and green like the pattern shows. What colors would you choose?

Off to a Slow Start.

2011-11-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

...but a good one! Three of us started the Rustling Leaves Beret tonight. Yes, it's a slow start - 144 stitches in 1x1 rib on a small needle isn't quick!

not even an inch of ribbing to show for our time! (and how 'bout all those Starbucks cups??!!)

Project notes: we're all using a size 1 16" circular needle (and at least two of us used about a 60" tail to cast on those 144 stitches :-) Please note that the pattern suggests a size 2 needle; we went down one size to ensure a snug fit for the brim. We are planning to switch to size 3 needles (as the pattern suggests) for the body of the beret.

It's not too late to join in the fun! We'll be knitting at the shop tomorrow afternoon - please join us!

Rustling Leaves Beret KAL.

2011-11-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it's November already? Can you believe Starbucks already has their Christmas cups? Yes, and if you're like a lot of knitters, you're thinking about knitting gifts.

So our next knit along is a cute beret that should knit up quickly. We're going to knit the Rustling Leaves Beret, designed by Alana Dakos, and included in the super-popular Coastal Knits book. We think this beret would make a lovely gift*.

It takes just 175 yards of fingering weight yarn and suggests Madelinetosh Sock (395 yards). That's right - a skein makes two! So find a friend and a skein you both love and make plans to join us!

close-up of the claudia handpaints fingering (top) and tosh merino light (bottom)

Of course any fingering weight yarn would work and we have plenty of other options in all kinds of colors.

tosh merino light, claudia handpaints (175 yds = a single skein project), madtosh sock

We're going to cast-on at Knit Night this week (Thursday, November 10) and we'll continue knitting Friday afternoons during our "normal" KAL time.

(*and of course we think it's fine if you knit this one for yourself!)

Knitters for Peace.

2011-10-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

...apparently I haven't posted here before about our wonderful charity knitting/knitters. I searched the blog for "charity" and "tuesday" and came up empty. I did, however, find a wall photo on Facebook (and I hope that link works). I feel terrible about that...not only because the ladies who show up week in and week out are what make Tuesdays a great day to work in the shop, but mostly because they create such beautiful works of art. for charity.

They call themselves Knitters for Peace. Most would call them angels. Here's a sampling of the latest hundred or so hats they've created to donate to Christian City Children's Village and the Mt Bethel United Methodist Homeless Ministry.

this is the "pile" - there were two more bags full sitting off to the side when I took this photo

see what I mean about works of art? look at the lovingcare that went into the details on this hat!

I had to try this one on!

Would you like to join in? the only thing required is your time and bit of knitting knowledge. Theresa donates the yarn - if you know how to cast-on, knit and purl, we'll make sure you learn the rest of what's required to knit a hat! We'd love to have you!!

Maggiknits Weekend.

2011-10-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

...if you receive our newsletter, you're already in the know about this special event (and my apologies for a repeat!). but if you don't (oh, and you should! please visit our shop's homepage to subscribe - it's the "join our email list" link at the bottom),

we have an exciting announcement!

We will be hosting Maggie Jackson at the shop for three days of fun including a fashion show and workshops. Mark your calendars!! December 2, 3 & 4.

In Theresa's own words:

"If you have been to Stitches, you know it's often difficult to even get close to the booth hosting Maggie and Maggiknits. I have experienced it myself at Stitches and Market and I’ll tell you why it’s so hard... Her garments are different, eclectic, statement pieces – like the kind of special wardrobe pieces that you would find in wonderful boutiques that are now few and far between. They are high style but very wearable and hugely fun to create."

We're starting off Maggiknits Weekend with a fashion show on Friday night and then we'll host two days of workshops on Saturday and Sunday. See below for details. Reservations are required for all three events - call the shop (770) 998-3483 to reserve your space (or visit us in person - we always love to see our customers)!

Friday Night Fashion Show - December 2, 2011
Refreshments 6:00 pm
Fashion Show 6:45 pm
Tickets: $10

Please join us for an informal Fashion Show presented by Maggie. There will be approximately 40 designs for your review. Refreshments will be provided starting at 6:00 pm followed by the Fashion Show at 6:45 pm. Space is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance.

Saturday "Oh No...Not Another Scarf" Workshop - December 3, 2011
10:00 am to 4:30 pm
Cost: $125 includes lunch and materials fee (enough materials for a project)

By the end of this class, Maggie hopes the piece you make will NOT go towards a scarf but to one of the other design options she will show including a table-runner, a pillow, a purse, a shawl a wall hanging, etc. Maggie will have you thinking 'outside of the box' by making holes in your work, cutting yarn in the middle of a row, just to retie leaving knots to the front of the work, joining her re-known tubes and working a Ladder Stitch. She will also show some finishing techniques for the project. Maggie will offer her advice on what she has learned from being a Fashion Designer doing Ready-to-Wear for 25 years, selling to well-known high end department stores and having a staff of 45 knitters. Samples of these stitches will be shown on garments to stretch your creative thinking. (Bring Needles size 7 or 8 US, preferably wooden, bamboo or plastic to work with the linen and other yarns and scissors.)

Sunday "Wearable Art" Workshop - December 4, 2011
10:00 am to 4:30 pm
Cost: $125 includes lunch and materials fee (enough materials for a project)

This class is a combination of various small squares which can be put together after class to make a scarf or put towards a larger project. We will make knitted and fabric bows on a square, a ruffle stitch square with a tube and 2 colored picot tube, knotting yarns to make a loopy stitch, to name a few. Samples of these stitches will be shown on garments to stretch your creative thinking. (Bring Needles size 7 or 8 US, preferably wooden, bamboo or plastic to work with the linen and other yarn and scissors.)

Following on the "weekend" theme, we are offering a $25 discount if you attend both the Saturday and Sunday workshops. Total cost to attend both sessions will be $225.

Bad News and Good News.

2011-10-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Bad News first:

Theresa received a note from Susie Gibbs this morning saying that she's sick and won't be able to be at the shop tomorrow. We're working to reschedule and we'll let you know as soon as we have a new date.

Good News last:

We were planning a party, and we're going to have one anyway! Bring your knitting and let's have fun in spite of the Bad News.

Susie Gibbs in Person!

2011-10-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

three yarns and three supporting pattern books

Yes! the person behind Juniper Moon Farms will be at the shop - in person! - next week. Tuesday, October 11, from 5-8pm. We love her story and (love love!) her yarns and the opportunity to meet her "for reals" is...simply priceless.

Please plan to stop by.

Tuesday, October 11

5-8pm

fabulous company and luscious yarns, refreshments (and wine)

no charge

If you've started a Juniper Moon project - or have one in your queue, all the better. Please share! (and if you haven't. beware. it's enticing for sure)

Creature Comforts Modifications.

2011-09-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

As promised! ... and barely in under the "promise" wire because I kept thinking I'd be able to have my own project cast on for a photo. Not gonna happen and I finally admitted it at 6:00 pm tonight. So this is a photo-less blog post. Bear with me!

In response to feedback from the 250+ knitters who came before us on this project, our suggested modifications are to:

1. remove the pocket; and

2. knit the main body ribbing in the round.

Assuming y'all can figure out how to not knit the pocket, the rest of this deals with the main body ribbing. We were initially planning a provisional cast-on, moving straight into the main body (and the cable chart) and then joining the provisional cast-on stitches to the live stitches at the end to knit the ribbing. But we saw a few project comments about the finished shrug falling off the shoulders. That made us think that a more stable edge might be better. Yep, that means we're going to pickup stitches all around the main body to knit the ribbing (after we knit the main piece and seam the underarms).

I'll definitely post photos soon, but for now, if you want to get started, this means you need to cast on (long tail cast on is fine) and immediately move to the Cable Chart. The first row will be a wrong side row. (and despite what the chart says at the top of page 8 - the chart is read from left to right on a wrong side row - just like every other chart you've ever read!) ...and don't forget to adjust your length measurements to account for not having that 1-1/2 inches of ribbing at the beginning.

I know a few folks have started - it would be great to see works-in-progress (especially since I don't have one to share!). Please post photos in Ravelry to share in our group, or on Facebook.

Happy Knitting (and Happy FALL weekend!!)

What the UPS Man Brings.

2011-09-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

I've posted before about my love for the UPS man who services the Cast-on Cottage route. Truly, a yarn store must deserve a special rating. Remember the day we had 29-ish boxes delivered? yeah. we're a tough crowd.

I always get a little twinge of excitement in my stomach when I pull up to the shop and see the truck.

and then I read the labels on the boxes sitting in the foyer. yesterday was a home run!

Yes, two boxes (50+ pounds if you're weighing, but really, ladies don't weigh do they?!) of madelinetosh. our latest shipment of vintage, tosh dk, pashmina and the new "sport" are now checked in, stocked and ready to knit.

dusk, well water, magnolia leaf, byzantine and antique lace

cousteau, well water and smokey orchid

We have new colorways - magnolia leaf and antique lace! - and tried and true oldies - byzantine, well water, dusk composition book gray. (and more) And of course, it's madelinetosh - it's all lovely!

Creature Comforts Cardi.

2011-09-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

aka our latest "project crush". And oh my, I'm onto something new here - I just googled "project crush" so I could link in a definition and got nothing useful back! In short, this is a project that we fall in love with, often at first sight, and will daydream about, and then do all sorts of crazy things - like setting aside holiday knitting?! - to cast-on.

In any event - this is it, the Creature Comforts Cardi. A madelinetosh pattern that is available in the shop or online.

It seems like we might be in a new phase of crushing on projects - our Nantucket Vest KAL being the first - that are part accessory, part garment, fun to knit and flattering on many different shapes and sizes. I hope it continues. Because even if it's not an official KAL, we all know it's more fun to knit along!

click the photo to see it bigger!
(and then click your brower's back button to return to this post)

First up - yarn suggestions. The pattern suggests madelinetosh vintage, a worsted weight, washable merino. It's a lovely yarn and we have project quantities in oodles of colors (and another shipment on the way). Vintage suggests a gauge of 18-20 st/4 in and the project requires 18. Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted is a great match. It's also a worsted weight washable wool in very pretty colors, with similar yardage. Thinking a bit outside the box, we also have two Cascade worsted merino/alpaca blends - Eco Duo (70% alpaca/30% merino) and Eco Cloud (70% merino/30% alpaca) that suggest 18 st/4in. These yarns come in gorgeous neutral/natural colorways - the Duo are blends of two colors and the Cloud are heathered - that would show off the stunning cable panel on the back and work up into that "throw on anytime/go with anything" cardi. The alpaca blend seems like it would lend a nice drape to the project, as long as you take into account that it might grow.

I've chosen Eco Cloud for my project. I swatched today (and wet-blocked my swatch :-) and am pleasantly surprised to be on stitch gauge with the recommended size 9 needle - I can't remember the last time I knit a sweater on size 9 needles! My row gauge is 1/4 row off - I'm getting 5-3/4 rows/in and the pattern requires 6. I don't think this is going to be an issue. I'm moving forward with the size 9's!

...knitting with the Eco Cloud is like a dream - soft, flexible...and fast!

We've chatted a bit in the shop about pattern modifications...I'll post about those next week.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, or want to join in, please leave a comment here or in our Ravelry group. I've started a new thread for this project.

Hoppin' in Style.

2011-09-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

My last post didn't generate ~~a lot of~~ any feedback, but after working a 6+ hour shift in the shop today, I know there are a LOT of shop hoppers!

And no offense to any of the others (really - it was a pleasure to meet you and I do hope you'll come back to visit!), but these two were my favorites. They arrived with big smiles on their faces - Cast-on Cottage being shop #7 on their list! - and had these great bags to store their newly acquired stash...

Robin and Donna, with the shop hop bags that Donna created (her pictures are much better than mine!)

and passport portfolios to record today*'s journey.

(and they happily agreed to be photographed for our blog - THANK YOU!!)

*Yes, they are planning to turn in their completed - all NINE shops! - passports at The Whole Nine Yarns this evening. They said they set off at 8 a.m. this morning, visited the shop that was farthest away first and enjoyed a picnic lunch in Duluth. They seemed well-matched for such an adventure - we wish them the best in the grand prize drawing!

P.S. Even if you don't think you can make all nine shops, it's still worth buying the passport (remember, it's just $1) and getting it stamped at the shop - you only need to spend $10 to get a stamp. Turn in your stamped passport to the shop by next Sunday (September 25) to be eligible for all the prizes (except the $900 grand prize). It's the best raffle ticket I've bought lately :-)

Are You Planning to Hop?

2011-09-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

As in "Shop Hop"? The 5th Annual Atlanta Shop Hop starts tomorrow (Saturday, September 17) and continues through next Sunday (September 25). Nine shops in the metro area - including Cast-on Cottage - are participating.

To join in the fun, all you need to do is purchase a passport (just $1.00 - we have them on sale at the shop) and then visit one, two, or all nine! of the participating shops. Spend $10 at the shop and you'll receive a pattern and a stamp on your passport. If you get all nine stamps, you're eligible for the grand prize - nine $100 gift certificates (one from each shop). If you don't get all nine, you're still eligible for great prizes.

Here's a look at our prizes (and of course they're great - Marci and I picked them out!)

perfect for a lace shawl, complete with a pin!

who doesn't covet a lantern moon bag filled with notions?

and my personal favorite - a kit to knit the Stacey shawl (and yes, that's the Pewter colorway)

...and our stamp - of course it's a paw print!

Check out the official Shop Hop blog to see all the prizes and the passport for the Official Rules.

And have fun hopping!!

The Knit Along.

2011-09-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

In the knitting world, it's known as a KAL. I've written about them before and this afternoon's session was a great example of what's so wonderful about them. Knitting in a group, be it virtually or in person, allows us to share lessons learned (no one should have to repeat a mistake that someone else has already - usually painfully! - made), tips for success...support and inspiration. I haven't done any research to support these next statements, but I suspect that projects worked in a KAL are:

more likely to provide a positive experience (in Ravelry, this is the big smiley face); and
get finished (provided we space them far enough apart to allow time to finish!).

KAL-time at Cast-on Cottage is a pretty loose affair (ooohh, doesn't that sound NOT like knitting!) We have a group knitting time (2:00 - 4:00 on Friday afternoons) and we usually have a designated project. But folks arrive as early as 10:00am (and leave as late as 6:00 pm - ahem, that is when the shop closes Mary!) and some knit the KAL project - and some don't.

Which brings me back to today. and why our Friday afternoon KAL is a must-not-miss event on my weekly calendar!

Beverly, Libby, Lydia, Kathie, Pat, Mary, Penny (with Holly), Jessica & Joanna

This is the group, gathered at the yellow table at 3:45 this afternoon (thank you Marci for taking the photo!) Nine of us knitting (ten if we count Holly; sadly, despite Penny's efforts to get Holly to hold yarn, turns out she's much better at ~~growling at~~ noticing small children than she is at knitting). Four of us working on the Nantucket Vest. Everyone chatting. and laughing. and sharing.

Not only sharing about yarn and patterns and who's knitting what with what...but also about the Nantucket Vest. I demo'd casting on with two balls of yarn - a must-do suggestion for the circular part of this project. (and I looked for an on-line tutorial and didn't find one that was exactly right - this one gives the gist - you'll use two balls of your Nantucket Vest yarn and I suggest you drop ALL of the slip stitch when you're done).

And we talked about swatching. Swatching is important if you want to knit a garment that fits like the pattern says it will! Yes, you should swatch!

The pattern has gauges for three different stitch patterns using three different needles. Size 6's for seed stitch (worked in the round), size 7's for stockinette (worked flat) and size 8's for feather and fan (worked in the round). Because the two "in the round" swatches are a combination of knitting and purling, I don't think it's necessary to swatch them in the round. Seed stitch worked flat is really identical to seed stitch in the round (just be sure to knit the purls and purl the knits). And feather and fan worked flat just has rows 2 and 4 (the "wrong side" rows) reversed - i.e., row 2 = purl and row 4 = knit when you work flat. I worked my swatch to use all three needles and all three stitch patterns (you can see an example in this blog post). Suggest you do the same, but it's likely that if your size 7 stockinette swatch works out to the stated 4.5 stitches per inch you'll be fine.

If you're joining us virtually, please chime in on our Ravelry thread. We'd love to see photos! (I'll share one of mine once I'm through with that first seed stitch section).

...and a closing note to everyone who shared their Friday afternoon with me today - I LOVE this time - thank you!!

Nantucket Vest KAL (again!).

2011-08-24T04:11:00.000-07:00

My how time flies! Was it really over three months ago that we announced our plans for the Nantucket Vest KAL? And then a few weeks later, we had to put it on hold because the Tahki Ripple yarn was on backorder. At that time, we expected the yarn in late July. Well, it finally arrived yesterday! Yes, the Tahki Ripple is now in stock in three colors - white, black and natural.

The good thing is that since we live in Georgia, and it's still August, we have plenty of time to knit - and then wear! - the Nantucket Vest before the temperatures drop (but can I say, honestly, if it got just a bit cooler right this very second, I wouldn't complain!). So we're still moving forward with the KAL. We'll cast on next Friday, September 2 - which will allow everyone who's participating in the Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL to finish that project first.

The Nantucket Vest pattern is the in the Summer 2011 issue of Interweave Knits. We still have a few copies available. And if you're not sold on the Ripple, the Maggiknits Maggi's linen is a great substitute. I've seen a work-in-progress with with the linen and it shows off the stitches and the lace perfectly. I had planned to use the Ripple, but after seeing the linen, I'm strongly considering changing my mind!

If you have any questions about the upcoming KAL, please post them here, or in Ravelry or on Facebook. and please - if you're participating in the Westknits KAL, share photos in our Ravelry thread. We've seen a few in the shop and they are looking lovely!

Juniper Moon Farm.

2011-08-22T03:50:00.000-07:00

You remember Theresa had way too much fun checking out all the yarns at market back in June. One of her best finds was a new line by Juniper Moon Farm. Susan Gibbs owns Juniper Moon Farm. She left her job in New York City as a network news producer to raise sheep and make yarn. How cool is that??!(you can read her story here).

Our shipment arrived in the shop on Friday and judging by the Sunday Seamless Sweater Workshop's reaction, it's a wonderful addition!

a pile of Findlay

There are three yarns:

Willa, a 60 percent merino, 40 percent superfine kid mohair blend in a bulky weight, with an ice cream cone twist and 153 yards per ball. Susan Gibbs says, “I wanted to make this yarn because so many knitters think they don’t like mohair. Superfine kid mohair doesn’t have any of the itch associated with lesser-quality mohair, it’s gloriously soft and has a lovely sheen.”
Findley, a 50 percent merino, 50 percent silk lace yarn that, at nearly 800 yards, comes in a ball rather than a hank so it doesn’t have to be wound. “The yarn is super smoothy, with a beautiful sheen,” Susan says. “It’s soft, doesn’t split and it feels amazing when it’s knitted up.” This is the yarn that captured my heart. I bought two skeins to knit Hannah Fettig's Breezy Cardigan.
Chadwick, a 60 percent merino, 40 percent baby alpaca single-ply aran yarn that comes in a 202-yard, center-pull ball. “This yarn is so special, so soft and so lofty that you may never want to knit with anything else,” Susan says.

a bigger pile - Findlay and Willa

Each yarns comes in 12 luscious colors and each features patterns by designer Tanis Gray. You can see all the colors by visiting Juniper Moon’s website...or the shop. Of course Theresa ordered all the colors!

the biggest pile with all three yarns!

Spoiler Alert #2! (and a few tips).

2011-08-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

Before I share the spoiler, I thought it might be helpful to first share a tip about getting pattern updates from Ravelry. Designer share updates to their patterns not only for Mystery KALs (where each clue is typically distributed as a pattern update, so you end up with one file at the end that includes all the clues), but also for errata corrections, improvements to charts and photos, and even formatting. Usually, you'll receive notification via a Ravelry message or an email when an update is available. But if you don't, you can also retrieve updates manually.

Log into Ravelry and select Purchases from your My Notebook page.

Then find the pattern that's been updated and select View.

And Pattern Updates

You'll be able to store the updated pattern in your library and download it.

Now for the spoiler and Clue #2 tips. Like last week, if you are participating in the Westknits Mystery KAL and don't want to know about clue #2, please stop reading!

OK - Clue #2.

This week's tips relate (again!) to the M1s. First, the M1Ls in color A during the 1st section of the clue. These M1s should be worked with a bar of color A... which is tricky because the color change happens right before. The "bar" is part of the xCA from the row below. And you want to be sure the xCA from the current row is "snug" - I held the strand of color C tight while I knit the picked up bar with color A.

color A is pink and color C is dark gray

The M1L in the final garter stitch section should be worked with a bar of color C - so that works just like the tip from last week (you can read about that here).

Stephen wraps up this week's clue with a suggestion to clean up the ends. Yikes! no kidding! I think there are 16 total so far!

Lorna's Laces Celebrates Chicago.

2011-08-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

...with nine new colorways, each named for an iconic Chicago landmark. Lorna's Laces blogged about the new colorways (three posts - here, here and here), sharing photos that inspired the colors, and finished projects in different bases. We have all nine colorways in both Shepherd Sock (the "big" 435 yard skeins) and Shepherd Worsted. (and really good news, the prices didn't go up this year!) These are both superwash wools and work great for a variety of projects - socks, shawls, sweaters, accessories and afghans. (pictured at left, top to bottom - Buckingham Fountain, The Bean, Navy Pier, Grant Park, The Skyway and The L)

I love the yellow, pink and blue colorways (Magnificent Mile, Lincoln Park Zoo, The Outer Loop) for baby projects. A sweater, or a blanket, perhaps?

photo found here

But the one I couldn't resist was The L (it's the bottom skein in the first photo above). If you've ever ridden that elevated train, trust me, this yarn is the prettiest thing ever to come from it!

Amy Christoffers of Savory Knitting used it for a sweater.

photo found here

I'm going to use it for Damson.

Spoiler Alert! (and a lesson learned).

2011-08-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

If you're participating in the Westknits Mystery KAL and do NOT want to know about Clue #1, please don't read any further.

OK, so you want to know about Clue #1, right?

I thought it might be helpful to share a lesson I learned knitting it.

It has to do with working M1s on the edge where the colors change. I typically find the bar to pickup for an M1 by looking at the stitch on my left needle and finding the bar that comes from it.

The M1R is worked in Color B (light gray) at the edge where Color C (dark gray) begins. When I knit the clue the first time, I followed my normal M1 technique, and ended up with dark gray bleeding into the light gray section. oops!

Yep, ripping and re-knitting!

The second time through, I found the bar to pickup by looking at the stitch on the right needle and finding the bar - note that I had to go down a row to find it, since I had already knit the stitch on the right needle.

Happy with the end result now!

(and here's a shot of the back, to show how the color crosses should look)

Please share your progress, questions, etc. on Ravelry. The Westknits fanclub group going crazy ... tons of posts! and you can post in our group, too.

Westknits Mystery KAL!

2011-07-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

Are you a Stephen West fan? He's the genius behind Westknits and the incredibly popular Daybreak and Boneyard shawls. His trademark design elements include garter stitch and color. And he's sponsoring a Mystery Shawl KAL on Ravelry beginning August 1.

If you haven't participated in a Mystery KAL, here's the gist: the designer releases the pattern in "chunks" (called "clues"), usually one each week. So you don't know what the finished object is going to look like until that last clue is published...and knitted! The participants in the KAL have a friendly competition to see who can complete the clues first. (Don't forget that Ravelry is world-wide and those knitters in England and Norway have a six hour headstart on our day in Atlanta!)

Back to the Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL. It starts August 1 (that's Monday) and Stephen promises new clues in an updated pdf file each Monday.

The pattern is sized S/M/L and recommends three colors of fingering or sport weight yarn. The Small size requires 150 (A)/65 (B)/180 (C) yards; Medium 150 (A)/175 (B)/225 (C); Large 260 (A)/175 (B)/318 (C). The gauge is 22 st/4 inches on a size 4 needle.

Stephen suggests Fibre Company Road to China Light, Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, Madelinetosh Pashmina and Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light. All yarns we just happen to have!

I purchased the pattern this morning to see more about how the colors work. Stephen suggests thinking about Color C as the anchor color, with colors A and B supporting. He loves browns as anchor colors, but really, it's up to you! (I love dark gray as an anchor). He also says that A and B could be solid, semi-solid, variegated or self-striping. And if you're struggling with three colors, you could combine A and B and have a two-color shawl. Lots of options!

Jessica and I played around with the Canopy Fingering yesterday and put together seven color combinations we think would knit up beautifully. Note that you could knit the Small shawl with one skein of each (there are 200 yds on each skein).

orchid, coqui, guava

river dolphin, plumeria, obsidian

acai, laguna, fern

quetzal, tanager, paw paw

obsidian, jacaronda, laguna

macaw, jacaranda, blue corn

guava, river dolphin, obsidian

For option 1, I like coqui or guava as the C color.

For option 2, obsidian seems like the best C.

For option 3, acai or laguna would make good C colors.

For option 4, use quetzal for C.

For option 5, obsidian (this is Jessica's favorite).

For option 6, macaw or jacaronda.

and last but not least, option 7. This is my favorite and I'm going to use obsidian for C.

Of course you could also use stash yarn, or "sock" yarn, like madelinetosh (395 yards per skein) or lorna's laces (215 yards per skein) or the new claudia handpaints (175 yards per skein)

One of the best parts of a KAL is seeing others' project choices. Please post your project on Ravelry and share it with our group!

If you have any questions, please comment here or join in the discussion on Ravelry.

Claudia Handpaints.

2011-07-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

Another day. another new yarn. Seriously, it's starting to seem like that! Last week was completely overtaken by the Rowan, so much so that the completely wonderful shipment of Claudia Handpaints that arrived on Monday was overshadowed. I'd planned to post about it last week, but I felt like it deserved a spotlight of its own. And then I'd planned to post about it over the weekend, but I got caught up in classes and knitting...and now it's Tuesday.

And finally time to share about Claudia Handpaints.

Theresa is now stocking two of her best lines. Handpainted (duh, right?) fingering merino.

just a taste of the new "handpaints" wall...there are more colors above and below where I cropped this photo!

and handpainted linen.

that's Claudia on the left and Louet on the right. love the mixing possibilities!

If you've never seen these yarns in person, the fingering merino is kind of like the koigu kpppm (and as much as I am a huge fan of that yarn, Claudia's colorways....they had me at hello)

and the linen is exactly like the Louet Euroflax Sportweight. Seriously. It's the same fiber base, just handpainted. and wow! who knew what handpainting could do! I thought I'd had my fill of the yarn when I knit Liesl earlier this summer. Maybe no. Have you seen this pattern? (it was one of today's featured patterns on Ravelry and we have it in the shop). I might have to knit another tunic.

Liesl, Janna's Tunic...and Claudia's Handpaint Linen

Coming tomorrow - an update on our KAL plans (see this post on Ravelry for a hint). and then another post about new yarn (yes, our UPS driver is still being good to us!)

The Rowan Wall.

2011-07-22T04:57:00.000-07:00

Did you see on Facebook about Tuesday's mega UPS delivery? Yep, 29 (yes, twenty nine!) boxes were delivered Tuesday morning. 22 plus 3 more from Rowan, and 4 other boxes.

First we unpacked the boxes.

And cleared space.

It was a team effort - Theresa and Barbara printed tags for Dawn, Jessica and I to adhere to what seemed like thousands of balls of yarn (really, though, it was "just" hundreds!). Marci and Sheryl spearheaded the stocking.

By Wednesday morning we had this.

Yes, our Rowan Wall.

Theresa will have all the details in the soon-to-come newsletter, but to highlight, we have a LOT of Rowan :-)

new colors of Big Wool

New colors of Kidsilk Haze, Kid Classic, Wool Cotton, Lima, Cocoon, Felted Tweed (and lots of Felted Tweed Aran - a great weight for fall and winter projects) and Big Wool. New yarns, including Alpaca Cotton, Creative Focus Worsted.

and my favorite, Fine Lace.

a few of the colors of Fine Lace

The colors are gorgeous; I love the alpaca/merino blend (think drape-y and soft). So much that I've now added Hannah Fettig's Featherweight to my queue!

New Yarn from the Fibre Company.

2011-07-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

New yarn has been arriving daily (and Theresa promises more is on its way), but the shipment that arrived on Thursday is especially noteworthy. Three boxes from The Fibre Company, filled with Canopy Fingering and Road to China Light. I first heard about these yarns on podcasts last year and was hoping Theresa would be able to stock them. And now she has!

That's the Road to China Light on the left. It's a sport-weight blend of baby alpaca, silk, camel and cashmere with 159 yards per skein. Here's a close-up.

You really need to see it in person to believe the depth of color and unbelievable softness. And the drape of those fibers when it's knitted up. Oh my. Of course I've got my eye on this for a sweater (or two), but there are plenty of one or two-skein patterns, too. I especially like the Hermoine Hearts Ron hat (and how timely with the last movie just out this weekend) which is free on Ravelry, and the Eleanor Cowl, free from last fall's Knitty.

And the Canopy Fingering is on the right. It's a light fingering-weight blend of alpaca, merino and bamboo with 200 yards per skein. Here's a close-up.
Just like the RTC Light, it's perfect for projects that drape (like a sweater knit at a looser gauge ... perhaps Hannah Fettig's Featherweight, Breezy or Wispy cardigans?)

Karen's already swatched for Featherweight.... she'll probably end up using size 4s. Isn't it pretty?

If you're wanting a smaller commitment, the Selbu Modern and Springtime in Philadelphia berets (both free patterns from Fibre Company's website) were both designed for this yarn and the finished projects are stunning.

But, honestly, I have a feeling that anything knit up in these yarns will be stunning. That's the beauty of beautiful yarn! (and you can likely imagine what our first KAL will be this fall!)

Ravelry Love.

2011-07-09T04:55:00.000-07:00

Do you knit or crochet?

If you answered "yes", are you a member of Ravelry?

If you answered "no", you should be! Click here to join. It's easy. It's free. And it's the best resource I know for patterns and advice.

Plus it allows me to keep track of all my projects...so I don't have to remember how many balls of yarn I used, or what size needle, or what modifications I made.

And once you join, please be sure to join the shop's group. We'd love to have you participate in the discussion and share your projects with us, too. (and of course, please add me to your friends!)

A blogging friend of mine shared this wonderful article about Ravelry (click here to read it). Written by a non-knitter, it still does an excellent job explaining what's so great about Ravelry. (in case I haven't convinced you already!!)

Nantucket Vest KAL.

2011-06-27T04:24:00.000-07:00

...the best laid plans and all that...

Yes, our plans to start the Nantucket Vest KAL this month have been thwarted by the incredible popularity of the suggested Ripple yarn. Theresa ordered the white, black and natural (aka "color 07 - fog", the one pictured) colors and we finally received the white and the black last week. The natural is on back order, with an anticipated delivery date in late July.

So, we'll plan to cast on August 5 to allow everyone time to get their yarn*. Figure we can all use a month off from a KAL... to make another Summer Flies or maybe finish up a project or two (does anyone else have three unfinished projects from previous KAL's, or is that just me?)

In the meantime, and I swatched (black - yikes!) the three main patterns on the three different suggested needle sizes. This is going to be a very fun knit!!

*Please call the shop (770-998-3483) if you'd like to pre-order yarn for the Nantucket Vest. The smallest size calls for six balls, the medium seven and the large ten. It's $9.00 a ball.

Cute. Cottage Style.

2011-06-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

First, the new awnings. yes, they are yellow and white striped. and yes, don't they totally make the "Cottage"?

...and second, Butchie on his new bed. with his favorite tiger toy. and a box of yummy red cotton yarn keeping watch.

(yes, I am coveting a smaller version of this bed in pink with white polka dots for Holly!)

Any "cute" in your world right now?

We've Been Bombed.

2011-06-16T04:36:00.000-07:00

...as in yarn bombed! yep, a few of our regulars celebrated World-wide Knit in Public Day this past weekend in a very constructive, very creative and very colorful way.

How did you celebrate?

Me, I knitted.

Yes, at the beach!

Making a Bigger Summer Flies.

2011-05-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! We're seeing and hearing a lot about Summer Flies, our current KAL. The pattern knits up quickly and I know I'm not alone in saying this is one of the most fun lace shawls I've ever knit!

And while many of you are following Kathy's inspiration and using multiple skeins (or leftover bits and pieces :-) of koigu, at least a few - me included! - are using single skeins of malabrigo or kureyon sock. Those single skeins have significantly more yardage than the koigu... malabrigo with 440 yards and kureyon with 462 yards. Which means leftovers (ugh!) or an opportunity to make the shawl bigger. I'm opting for the bigger shawl.

But how to make it bigger? This isn't a typical lace shawl with a charted pattern that you can simply repeat more times. Ravelry to the rescue! I searched the finished projects to see if someone else who'd used one of these yarns might've figured out how - and posted the details.

Here's what my search looked like.

click the photo to see it bigger - I typed the name of the yarn (in quotes) into the search field

From here I found sylverling's Christmas Flies. and then found thetanull's. success! thetanull's project page includes all the details for adding an additional set of butterflies and ridged eyelets and adding rows to the latticework and final sections. I plan to follow her instructions for the additional butterflies, ridged eyelets and latticework, but doubt I'll do more rows in the final section before the bind off.

We'll see. I still have 73 grams of yarn left after finishing section 5!

Knitting Summer.

2011-05-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Am I right to assume that 99% of the people who read this blog knit in climates where it gets HOT in the summer? ...and where we've all considered giving up knitting (gasp!) or simply knitting really small things (socks, mittens, hats...to, you know, get ahead of the holiday gift rush) or traveling someplace far away where it's cooler to get through the heat. Over the years, I've tried all of those things (last summer I knit a record three pairs of socks and a few lace shawls).

But my true knitting love is sweaters. And even though it's hot in Atlanta, we have air conditioning figured out, which means it gets cold inside. sweaters are comfortable (if not required).

So I was excited to see so many fun-to-knit (and fun-to-wear!) sweaters in the latest Interweave Knits. And when Jessica showed up to work the afternoon shift at the shop and said "did you see the new Interweave is here?" and I said "yeah" and we both said "let's match up patterns and yarn" [am I also right to assume that 99% of the people who read this blog completely get that conversation...and wish they'd been part of it?!] ...it was a lovely afternoon!

the cover, with all of our yarn selections

Here are our top three picks - pattern and yarn suggestions:

First up, the Torch Lily Tee (Jessica kicked off this whole thing when she favorited the pattern on ravelry last weekend). We think the Rowan Silky Tweed would be a lovely match. And both of us think the suggested modifications to make this a cardigan instead of a tee might make it more versatile (even if that does mean you're knitting back and forth, purling the wrong side :-). Oh, and did I mention the construction is top-down and seamless?

Next, the Cobblestone Vest. I suggested this one because I'm knitting a vest in the suggested Euroflax and loving it. Yes, the yarn seems a bit stiff, but it softens up as it's worked. and I love that the finished piece will be so easy to care for. Cobblestone has an interesting mix of lace and stockinette (not too boring to knit!) and the wrap-around waist seems flattering to many figures.

And finally...the Nantucket Vest. We're completely smitten. Feather and fan is a classic lace pattern and the construction - a knit circle, with different needle sizes used to create the circle, joined with a simple rectangle of stockinette - oh.my.wow. Maggiknits maggi's linen seems like a great substitute for the recommended Ripple - similar gauge, thick/thin texture and fiber content.

Did I mention we're completely smitten? yep, enough to suggest this as our next knit along! The sizing (three sizes, based on your back measurement) is generous...and therefore forgiving. And we have many colors of the maggi's in stock. Look for more details, but we're tentatively planning to cast on in June (giving everyone enough time to finish Summer Flies once. or twice!)

What kind of a summer knitter are you? could we tempt you to try a sweater?

An Itty-bitty Baby Doll.

2011-05-06T05:45:00.000-07:00

We are long-time fans of Susan B. Anderson - she designs many of the patterns for the wonderful Spud&Chloe yarns and she writes their blog and a blog of her own...and she has published several pattern books for baby and children toys and accessories. Itty Bitty Toys was the first (I think?!) one, published in 2009. (side note - I first heard about the book on Never Not Knitting, one of the podcasts I mentioned a few weeks back; Alana interviewed Susan in this episode - it's a great listen!)

The book includes 27 patterns for stuffed toys in all shapes and sizes - some are knitted, some are crocheted and all are 100% adorable. See what I mean?

This is the Baby Doll Set knit by our very own Patty M. for her granddaughter. She completed the ensemble with the matching child's hat... even down to those yellow braids!

LOVE the detail - the belly button, the fingers and toes...and the lace edging on the bloomers

here's the back view

...and a close-up of the ruffle. see what I mean about details?!

Patty used the suggested Rowan Organic Purelife Cotton DK and it worked up beautifully - the finished pieces are soft ... completely lovable!

Thank you for sharing the finished objects with us, Patty - they're truly special!

Officially.

2011-04-27T04:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, if you've seen the newsletter, you know it's officiall! We've chosen Summer Flies as our next KAL, starting next Friday, May 6.

In case you haven't been in the shop lately, here are the two versions that inspired our choice, knit by our own Kathy S. Kathy said that when she read the pattern and saw it laid out in sections...she knew she had to use different colors of Koigu KPPPM. Inspired indeed!

For these two shawls, Kathy used three colors of KPPPM (and size 8 needles and she followed the pattern as written). Now she's working on a third (and it might be finished by now) that uses six. We've seen a lot of interest in the multi-colored idea, and Theresa wants to encourage everyone to try it. So she's put the KPPPM on sale - 10% off. Thanks, T!

Marci and I played around with some pairings yesterday. See how fun this is!

Of course, Summer Flies can be knit in just about anything - any weight, color, solid, variegated, etc. As long as it will show off lace, go for it! If you're not sure about the alternating color idea, how about a multicolor fingering weight? I have a skein of Kureyon Sock in my stash that I've been holding back for a lacy shawl. And the Malabrigo and Madelinetosh Sock are always lovely choices for lace. You could make the shawl bigger if you choose the Kureyon or Malabrigo, since they have 440+ yards. This project on Ravelry has details for adding extra sections.

We'd love to have you join us - virtually in either our Ravelry forum or on Facebook, or in person at the shop on Friday afternoons.

edited to respond to Bonnie's comment - be sure to use version 8 of the pattern (that's the one that's linked above) - Kathy and Sally both used it and didn't find any errors.

Another Kind of KAL.

2011-04-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was Stitches South. or maybe it was the weather. or maybe it was just luck, but at 2:30 last Friday afternoon, when I am usually knitting along at a table full of other knitters, I found myself knitting alone. OK, yes, I was in a yarn shop, surrounded by knitters - and stitchers :-) - but I was the only one knitting. I had fun chatting with folks, and got Marci to take my photo.

me and Holly (of course!) and my clapotis!

And then I thought about turning this into a blog post. Because I'm sure most of us end up knitting (or stitching) alone - KAL for purposes of this post! - at some point.

How do you keep yourself company when you find yourself KAL? Of course there's TV, and with DVRs, that's maybe all you need! But you can watch TV with other people. What I like to do when I KAL is listen to knitting podcasts - and I've often been asked about my favorites, so I thought I'd share:

Electric Sheep - hosted by Katie, aka "Hoxton Handmade", who lives in London (yes, I love listening to her accent, too!), this is a thoughtful, well-produced, typically weekly podcast. She begins each cast with an essay and those essays might be my favorite part. Most have made me laugh, all have taught me something, and one even made me cry (in a good way :-) She also talks about knitting and the knitting scene in Great Britain.

Doubleknit - hosted by Erin & Jessica who live in Seattle. They are avid knitters, readers and TV/movie watchers; and they talk about all those things on each show. Their casts aren't quite as frequent, maybe once every three to four weeks.

Never Not Knitting - hosted by Alana Dakos, aka "Never Not Knitting". Alana is also a designer; she has published patterns for accessories and sweaters for both adults and children. She podcasts semi-monthly, in series of ten and then takes a break. As I type this, she's on a break; I think new episodes will resume in May. She talks about her knitting and designs, reviews yarns and books and occasionally interviews designers (like Debbie Bliss, Hannah Fettig, Kate Gagnon-Osborne). Each episode also includes a story submitted by a listener; one of my favorites was a story submitted by Kirsten Kapur (who is also a favorite designer of mine).

Stash & Burn - hosted by Jenny & Nicole who live in San Francisco. This podcast started in early 2007 - pre-Ravelry! as Jenny & Nicole attempted to get their sizable stashes "under control". They talk about knitting and life and yarn and patterns and stash. Lots of stash...

You can download these (and many other!!) podcasts - for free! - on iTunes.

If you have recommendations to share, please join in - I'm going to open up a thread in our Ravelry group and of course you can also comment on Facebook.

Love.

2011-04-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

And no, this isn't a post about yarn.

Nope, it's about a new puppy.

A very-hard-to-photograph puppy.

Named Butch ("Butchie" for short).

I had originally titled this post "Theresa's new love", but then I thought about this photo and decided it was probably just about "love".

Congratulations to Butch(ie) and Theresa - puppy love is the best!!

p.s. this is Butch's sister Annie loving on his mama Penny. apparently the "love" runs in the family!

A Brief Update on the Clapotis KAL.

2011-03-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Rainy Monday! Hope everyone enjoyed a knitting/stitching-filled weekend, with plenty of college basketball!

I wanted to share a quick update on our latest KAL, the Clapotis. We had a lively and large number at the shop on Friday. Hope just as many of you joined us virtually for the cast on!

Sally and Theresa

Just about everyone is using the spreadsheet I linked to in the last post. And no one but me is mirroring their twisted stitches. There were a few questions about slipping the stitches at the beginning of every row. I slip purlwise every time, with the yarn in front on the purl side and with the yarn in back on the knit side. Being consistent - remembering to slip on every row and slipping the same way on every row - is more important than the specifics of how you slip.

Mary and Kathy

Knitters have selected a few different yarns for the project - I saw Araucania Ruca, Misti Alpaca Suri Handpaint, Ella Rae Lace Merino, Spud & Chloe Fine and Malabrigo Sock. Each of these yarns is working up beautifully. It's just a matter of selecting the right size needle and adjusting the pattern size (number of increase and/or straight repeats) if necessary. BTW - the spreadsheet makes it really easy to make those pattern modifications!

We also had the opportunity to support a good cause. Kathy's daughters made stitch markers ($5 for a dozen) and all the proceeds are going to Samaritan's Purse to help Japan. She sold out Friday, but promises another batch early this week.

Getting Ready for the Clapotis.

2011-03-22T04:18:00.000-07:00

We're hearing lots of interest in our next KAL, the Clapotis - the more the merrier...and the more good input we'll have to help everyone be successful. Remember we're casting on this Friday at 2pm at the shop - this is a suggested start time... please feel free to start sooner and/or join us virtually!

Hopefully by now you've selected your yarn (if not, check out this post for suggestions, or come by the shop and we'll be happy to help!) and given some thought to which size needle works best.

You might've visited Knitty to print out the pattern. But no worries if you haven't! When I knit my second Clapotis, I didn't even use the pattern. Instead, I used the fabulous "ClapotisStitchNumbersFinal" spreadsheet linked in the How do you pronounce CLAPOTIS? group forum on Ravelry:

click the image to link directly to the forum on Ravelry (note that you need to be logged into Ravelry for this to work!) then click the name of the spreadsheet to download it

This spreadsheet includes row by row, section by section instructions and stitch counts. I cannot recommend it highly enough! Here's a snapshot of the first bit of the spreadsheet to give you an idea:

One thing about the spreadsheet is that it's just words and numbers. The actual pattern has a schematic...you know a picture is worth a thousand words! This shows the finished dimensions (21 inches wide and 55 inches long) and illustrates the unique construction - it's knit from the lower left corner to the upper right corner, making a parallogram. wow!

from the Knitty pattern page

Ok, so you have yarn, needles and the pattern. Now what? You swatch!

Wendy found a great blog post that describes a way to swatch so you can try out the dropped stitches and make sure you like the drape of your fabric. The post also talks about resizing and/or using all your yarn. If you're thinking about using yarn other than worsted weight and/or making a different size, I highly recommend reading it...and swatching!

The past two times I knit this, I followed the pattern and twisted the stitches on the knit side only, twisting in the same direction by knitting through the back loop. I didn't have any issue with the results. But when I swatched for this project (following the great blog post's instructions), I tried out the mirrored twist. See what you think.

swatched per instructions, starting mirror twists mid-way - Spud & Chloe Fine (colorway 7802 - clementine), on a size 5 needle

Me, I think I like it (please note that I used the mirror twist on the left side of the dropped stitch - like column 2 in her example).

I have two balls of the Spud & Chloe Fine, approx 490 yards. I am planning a scarf-sized Clapotis - narrower and longer than the pattern schematic. I'm sure I have enough yarn to do this, but I'm going to get into the pattern and work a few of the increase sections before I decide what modifications (if any) I'll make.

Questions?

Our Next KAL - Clapotis.

2011-03-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

(typing this, I realize we've selected another pattern that is going to tempt alliterative blog titles - I promise to do my best to avoid the tempatation...but it's hard!)

The Colchi KAL is wrapping up; the finished shawls (and WIPs) we've seen are gorgeous. Please share your project with our Ravelry group so we can ooohhh and aaahhhh!

...and that means it's time to plan our next one. It's going to be Clapotis (pronounced clap-oh-tee, Ravelry link). Cast-on date is Friday, March 25.

We picked this project for three reasons:

First, it's a fun knit - I've made two and still want to make another one (or two!) - that lends itself to a group project. There are several forums on Ravelry devoted to the pattern and Excel spreadsheets to help track your progress.

Second, it's adaptable to just about any yarn - really. Any weight - the projects on Ravelry span laceweight to aran. Just about any fiber - because of the dropped stitches, we suggest something relatively "smooth and non-sticky". Think merino, silk, cotton...and shy away from mohair :-) And any color - solids, variegated, multi tonal - all lovely. see below for a few suggestions.

and Third, Theresa has promised to join us. Yes, this project has been in her mental queue since she saw one knit in Misti Alpaca Suri Handpaint (oh my, there are some gorgeous ones on Ravelry!). Hopefully this is just the motivation she needs to cast on!

We hope you'll join us, too! I'll be back next week with links to my favorite tips and tools on sizing and tracking the pattern. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments or in our Ravelry forum.

Yarn Suggestions
(these are just a few of the dozens of great possibilities. please note that suggested yardage and needles are just that. suggestions! in the next post, I'll share tips about resizing the pattern to fit the yardage you have - the pattern as written makes a shawl-like scarf and many folks have made a more scarf-life size)

Theresa's favorite Misti Alpaca Suri Handpaint. Suggest 3 skeins and a size 6 needle. Ravelry links here.

The ever-popular Koigu KPPPM. Suggest 3-4 skeins and a size 6-7 needle. Ravelry links here.

Or Noro Sock, either Kureyon or Silk Garden. Suggest one skein and a size 5-6 needle. Ravelry links here.

Still thinking fingering weight, how about Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. One of the new 100g skeins and a size 6 needle. Ravelry links here.

Or maybe lace weight? There's the lovely Ella Rae Lace Merino. Suggest 2 skeins on a size 3-4 needle. Ravelry links here. (and check out our very own yarngurl's FO here. I've seen this one in person and it is stunning!)

And finally, a worsted weight. None other than Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted. Suggest 3-4 skeins on a size 8 needle. Ravelry links here.

The Colchi KAL Continues.

2011-02-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

...my apologies, I couldn't resist the alliteration!

We were a small group at the shop on Friday, but we all made forward progress.

Jessica's in the upper left, knit out of her stash...something light worsted, I think. and Sharon's is the lovely turquoise Venezia. and mine is the purple Sublime.

a close-up of Sharon's. Venezia is a great choice for this project!

A few clarifications and notes based on questions I've heard:

First, the ssp (slip slip purl) stitch that appears on the wrong-side rows beginning on row 24. Think of this like an ssk (slip slip knit) except on the wrong side. Slip the first stitch as if to knit, slip the second stitch as if to knit. Then slip both those stitches back to the left needle (keeping their "new" orientation) and purl them together through their back loops. Yes, it's a bit awkward - at first - but we get lots of practice! Here's a video that demonstrates the stitch.

Second, a reminder that the designer included a great video link in the pattern for the yarn over short rows.

Third, what happens for rows 45 and on? (the pattern gets pretty vague at this point). You want to keep working the short rows, using row 43 as the model for the right side rows and row 44 as the model for the wrong side rows. You will continue the short rows until you use up all the stitches, til row 74, I think? (I'm still on the chart... so I'm kind of speaking out of turn here!). Also, the stitch counts shown (113-13-13-19-25...) include "13" twice, but I think it's really only 13 once on row 42. Row 43 has 19 stitches, row 44 has 25 stitches, etc.

Fourth, here's a video that shows an i-cord bind-off. (it takes a long time to execute, but it makes a great looking edge!)

I'm hearing that folks are finishing. I can't wait to see pictures - please post them in our Ravelry thread.

And that means we're starting to think about our next KAL. Clapotis (ravelry link) was suggested because it's so versatile - you can pretty much use any yarn you want (as long as it's not too "sticky"...dropping stitches with sticky yarn is not fun!) and it makes a lovely wrap for summer. Stay tuned as we finalize our plans.

Best Wishes.

2011-02-25T04:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Jane's last day with us. *sad sigh* Her morning class gave her a wonderful send-off with homemade treats, coffee and these adorable petit fours that said "K1" and "P2".

Like the good friend I am, I focused my camera on Jane's face, and the petit fours got brightened out of the photo. Oh well!

Jane, you'll be missed. And we wish you all the best!

Too Cute!

2011-02-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

(apologies for all the cross-posting, but Theresa made me do it!)

Yes, I finally knit Holly a sweater. And it's probably the cutest thing I've knit since my girls were babies. (a very long time ago!)

It's a free pattern from My Savannah Cottage, knit in the Ysolda Red colorway of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted. Raveled here (and it's public, so you can see all my project details).

Another Craze?

2011-02-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

Yarn has been arriving at a crazy rate - not that I'm complaining... if you love yarn and love to knit, new yarn is a great thing! And on Tuesday, our long-awaited Malabrigo shipment arrived. A few bags of Twist, and a lot of bags of Rios and Rasta. Rios is new to the shop and it is as pretty in person as you'd expect. Joining Madelinetosh Vintage and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted, it's a high quality washable worsted wool, perfect for accessories and sweaters.

But as excited as I am about Rios, I'm loving that our Rasta wall is once again (if I've counted right, this is the third time!) restocked. We have 14 colors plus black and natural. And since most of our blog readers probably have a Marian cowl (or two, or maybe you knit three and gave them all away), we wanted to suggest a new one-skein pattern. Thank you Jessica for sleuthing on Ravelry! The super-fast, ultra-cozy scarf ( free pattern here) is a perfect knit for right now. Seriously, right now! you can cast on tonight and finish before tomorrow.

Or if you're a brand new beginner, it might take a week, but still! This is the progress three of our Wednesday morning beginners made in just one hour...

One skein of Rasta. and note that we're using size 17 needles, not the size 19 that the pattern suggests, and we are sticking with the 10 stitches. The scarves look to be about 5-6" wide and we'll report back on the length. The Rasta has more yards than the suggested Twinkle Soft Chunky, so we're thinking 60" at least... stay tuned...

Colchi Cast-on.

2011-02-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

Our latest KAL started Friday with the cast-on. Three of us were there in person - and that means we cast on a whopping 1,035 stitches - WOW!

...after 2 hours of knitting...

That's mine in front, Kathy's on the right (she's using Venezia Worsted in a colorway that's going to look fabulous at the Masters in April!) and Jessica's in the back (she's using something in a light worsted weight from her stash).

If you're joining us virtually, be sure to read the details I posted here about reading the chart. And if you have any questions, feel free to leave them here, or in our forum on Ravelry. Looks like we've got great participation for this KAL - thank you to everyone for participating!

And special thanks to Beth for letting us know how to pronounce the pattern name. If you missed it on Ravelry, it's coal - ki - KAY - kI (i = little i sound, KAY = syllable that’s emphasized, and I = long i sound). So no "ch" sounds, just "k" sounds :-)

We'll be meeting again this Friday at the shop - 2-4pm (ish) if you'd like to join us in person. We'd love to have you!!

Even More Madelinetosh!

2011-02-04T06:14:00.000-08:00

...as in 108 POUNDS of it! By the way, that is two UPS boxes that are about four feet by four feet by four feet - we're glad our UPS delivery person is a strong guy (cute too!) because we can't lift a box that big!

This latest order, which arrived just this past week, includes Vintage, Merino DK, Merino Light and more colors of Pashmina.

First up, the Vintage, 200 yards of 100% superwash merino in a worsted weight (18-20 stitches over 4 inches).

a few colorways of Vintage up close

This yarn is great for accessory projects - our very own Kathy knit up these Susie's Reading Mitts in just one day! - because you can get a hat or a pair of mitts out of one skein. And it's washable!

But of course I love it for sweaters. It would be perfect for the February Lady Sweater, or Cassis (next up in my queue, in the Composition Book Gray colorway), or the Creature Comforts Cardigan.

Creature Comforts Cardi - seriously LOVE the back of this!

...and a few more colors up close

Then the Merino DK, another 100% superwash merino, single ply, 225 yards per skein that knits up to 20-22 stitches over 4 inches. The colors are - as you'd expect - simply gorgeous; and the single ply makes it super soft. Again...great for accessories - one skein would make a lucious cowl - and sweaters. I just added this one (Hooray Cardigan-> ) to my queue!

Merino DK

The Merino Light is also 100% superwash merino, single ply, but it's 440 yards of fingering weight. Yes, it screams "make me into a shawl" :-) and with that generous yardage, it would be perfect for just about any of those super-popular lace projects.

Merino Light

I've written about Pashmina before (and again!) but now we have more colors. Pretty isn't it?

Pashmina

I'm knitting the Fall Away Cardigan with the Cove colorway and I am loving it. The yarn is just yummy and the colors. oh my. (you can read more about my love affair with this project here).

Happy Knitting! ...and Happy Friday - a cold wet day like today seems perfect for knitting, doesn't it?

A Colchi Swatch.

2011-02-01T03:52:00.000-08:00

As promised! I've selected a pretty dusty purple shade (#107-rhubarb) of Sublime Aran for my Colchi (even though I've finally learned to type its full name, I have no idea how to pronounce it, so for now this is going to be Colchi, which I say as "kol-chee" :-) The finished projects on Ravelry that used worsted weight used about 440 yards - the Sublime has 94 yards per skein so I bought five.

For this swatch, I decided to test out the first section of the chart. I cast on 25 stitches, using the knitted cast on (remember back when we did the Annis shawlette, we needed a very stretchy cast on and that was the one we suggested) and a size 8 needle. I then worked one repeat of the chart through row 18. I like the fabric and love the texture in the pattern. I think I'm going to use a size 9 needle for the "real" cast-on just to be sure I have a stretchy enough edge for blocking out the points. Also, I am not planning to knit or purl back a plain row after the cast-on, before starting the chart - we did that on Annis, but I like the look of the lace starting right away on this swatch. I do need to remember to switch back to my size 8 needles for the first row (if you're there on Friday, please remind me!)

A few notes about the chart. Because we're knitting flat, we read the odd rows (right side) from right to left, and the even rows (wrong side) from left to right. The chart symbols (at the bottom of the first page) for the empty square and the square with the dash are only shown for right side rows. An empty square is stockinette - it gets knitted on the right side and purled on the wrong side. A square with a dash is the opposite - it's purled on the right side and knitted on the wrong side. Note that the two edge stitches are worked in garter stitch - knitted on every row; they have empty squares (knit stitches) on the right side and dashed squares (knit stitches) on the wrong side. There is also a "cdd" = "central double decrease", which gets worked over 3 stitches: slip 2 together knitwise, knit one, pass the 2 slipped stitches over. Here's a video to demostrate.

We'll be casting on at the shop this Friday afternoon. 345 stitches might take the whole two hours!

Please let me know if you have any questions. We've had a great response in the Ravelry forum about this project - hope it continues!

Seasonal Thoughts.

2011-01-26T04:40:00.000-08:00

I'm in Florida right now, visiting my parents, and it's a balmy 58 degrees outside (and yes, that's at 7 am); they're forecasting a high today in the upper 60's. And my Google homepage shows Roswell with a low of 25 and a high of 40 and those little white dots that mean snow flurries. So while I have spring here, I know it's still winter at home.

And I think it fits perfectly to share ideas for knitting winter....

Dave's Montera Set

Dave's Montera Set is the latest free pattern from Classic Elite's newsletter. It includes mittens and a hat sized for both women and men, knit in a textured stitch pattern that works great in one or two colors. The suggested yarn is a 50 wool/50 alpaca blend at 4 st/in. Cascade Pastaza would be perfect - and comes in about a hundred colors (and it's reasonably priced - you could make the set with two skeins for around $20).

...and spring.

photo from silberfee on flickr

This is the Colchicaceae shawlette and it's going to be our next KAL. It's a free pattern on Ravelry (). The pattern suggests about 380 yards of DK weight yarn, but there are also beautiful projects knit in worsted weight (like this one in my favorite Venezia Worsted) and sport weight (this one in madelinetosh Pashmina is stunning!) as well. In a bright color and a yarn with some silk (and of course a cute white t-shirt!) this screams SPRING to me. We're going to start the KAL next Friday, February 4. And with any luck, by the time we've finished, we'll have some warmer weather!

I'll be back early next week with yarn suggestions and a gauge swatch. If you're planning to knit with us in person, it's 2-4pm at the shop. But we welcome virtual participation as well - feel free to participate in our Ravelry forum, or on Facebook.

Stay warm and happy knitting/stitching!!

edited to add (in response to Lydia's question in the comments): Ravelry has finished photos of three finished shawls knit in fingering weight yarn. All three report to use close to 500 yards and one used a size 4 needle (the other two don't mention the needle size).

More Madelinetosh.

2011-01-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I showed you the recently arrived Madelinetosh Sock. But I later learned I'd showed you only half the colors - yep, Theresa ordered 24 colors of Sock, not "just" 12!! Here's the other half. and a close-up of the gorgeous gray and pinky purple on the bottom row:

One of the great things about getting Madelinetosh at the shop, where you can see (and touch!) the yarn is that our shipments are all dyed at once. And Theresa always orders project quantities of the yarns. So if you want to make a sweater, say out of Pashmina

next up in my queue - the fall away cardigan in cove

or maybe out of DK

february lady sweater knit in kale

or Merino

tea leaves almost done knitting in olivia

or maybe even out of the Sock, you can buy skeins that match. And you probably won't have to alternate skeins (I hate alternating skeins!)

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe it's 2011 already! December just flew by (like the rest of 2010) and I apologize for the long silence here. I overcommitted a bit on my holiday knitting and things like blogging took a back seat. I intend to do better this year - in both my overcommitting and the frequency of blog posts!

The shop is closed today but we'll be open tomorrow from 1-4pm (our regular hours) in case you need a knitting or stitching "fix". On the knitting front, we have several new yarns from Berocco, including the very popular Remix. And the first box of the Madelinetosh re-order, including 12 colors of Sock and 14 of Pashmina has arrived. I hadn't seen that many colors of those yarns except online - so I visited the shop on Thursday to see them in real life. I wasn't disappointed! and as good as photographs are, believe me, these yarns are even better in person.

First, here's the Sock. One long skinny photo to show off all the colors....

a close up of the blues and golds on the top row

and then a close up of the grays on the bottom row... I tend to think this yarn is too nice for socks, but wow, wouldn't these colors look wonderful on a man's foot?

and a portrait of my absolute favorite colorway

and then the Pashmina - the long, skinny photo that shows all the colors....

a close-up of the 2nd row

and the 3rd...

Wishing everyone the best for 2011! Hope to see you soon... and until then, happy knitting/stitching!!

Holiday Decorations.

2010-12-08T04:39:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't seen the shop's holiday decorations - or even if you have and you're just as smitten as I am - I wanted to share a few of my favorite holiday views.

a very festive welcome

the tree in the entry way

deocorated with birds and snowmen

hanging balls

...favorites until yesterday, when Greer, who won the $100 gift certificate from the Open House drawing, came to claim her prize. and her wonderful smile completely lit up our tree. Congratulations, Greer! (and to all the winners - check out our Facebook page for the complete list)

my new favorite photo of our holiday decor!

Giddy Up!

2010-11-30T06:04:00.000-08:00

Our very own Greer makes these wonderful project bags. And they're for sale exclusively at Cast-on Cottage.

She has a great eye for color - love the variety of fabric and ribbon combinations! - and her workmanship is flawless.

Choosing just one could be the hardest part.

Unless you're a die-hard fan! (and yes, that's an entire sweater project in there - yarn, knitting and two sets of needles)

Love Your Shop.

2010-11-24T02:57:00.000-08:00

If you received the November newsletter in your email inbox* last night, we hope you're planning a trip to Cast-on Cottage to over the weekend to show off the shop to (or escape from - no worries, we understand!) your holiday visitors. And if you're thinking you might buy a skein (or two or three, who's counting - see, we do understand!) of yarn, there's something new you should know about.

Classic Elite has launched a very cool promotion called the "Love Your Shop" giveaway that celebrates the Local Yarn Store (LYS).

Here's how it works. You spend $40 or more between Nov. 11 and Dec. 15 on yarn, patterns or books at any LYS that carries Classic Elite (like Cast-on Cottage!). It doesn't have to be Classic Elite products - it can be anything. You send Classic Elite your receipt, and they send you a free pattern booklet plus 3 mini-skeins of yarn. All the details are here. How awesome is that?

*if your email address has changed since we added you to our database, you need to re-subscribe to the newsletter to update your address. the link is at the very bottom of the shop's website (here). (p.s. you can also subscribe by clicking the Join Our Mailing List tab on our Facebook wall.)

Progress Report on the Turkish Bed Socks.

2010-11-23T04:56:00.000-08:00

We started our latest KAL two Fridays ago (on November 12) and we've had great participation in the shop these past two weeks. Admitedly it didn't seem like we made a lot of progress that first Friday - I spent the better part of one hour sewing the two seams - but it was fun and the conversation took us many very hilarious places. Looking back, I guess it's amazing any of us got knitting done! And sadly, since I didn't get a photo to share, if you weren't there, you missed it - Theresa sat with us and cast on a sock for herself.

Given our somewhat slow start, Joanna and I were very excited when we got to the finishing steps on our first socks this past Friday.

my sock on the left and Joanna's on the right (I love the way her yarn is striping!)

We must've excited Sharon, too. Because yesterday, she was wearing hers. Yep, a finished pair (raveled here). And we modeled the photo to match that one on the pattern. Which sadly doesn't show the big smile on the knitter's face, but you know it's there!

Cute, huh? Makes you want to knit a pair for yourself, doesn't it?

And in case you do, here are a few of the "key learnings" from the group so far:

The seams up the sides are tedious, but worth it - they add structure to the sock.
When you cast on the stitches across the top of the foot, really snug up the yarn across your dpn's. It's easy to get holes (and those aren't any fun).
Plan on at least a few extra rows on the foot - the pattern suggests 24 rounds and that is way too short (for everyone I've talked to). Sharon added a couple of rows, I added five and Joanna added a few more than that. The toe decreases add about 2" and you probably want the finished sock to be no more than 1-1/2" shorter than your foot. More stretch than that might be uncomfortable.

If you're knitting along virtually, please let us know in our Ravelry group. Questions, comments, etc. are welcome there, on facebook, or here. We'd love to have you join in the discussion!

...and of course now that we have finished objects appearing, there's talk about our next KAL. Stay tuned...or better yet, comment and share your ideas. Not only about the project (a beret or a cowl, perhaps?), but also the timing. We're game to start another project before Christmas if there's enough interest, otherwise we'll kick off the next one January 7.

Rasta Cowl Craze.

2010-11-10T05:12:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I posted about this fabulous new yarn called Rasta and suggested a simple cowl pattern (Marian ) that might work.

We wanted to try it out, so I bought a skein that day and made my Instant Gratification the next. I used size 15 needles because that was the biggest needle I had and cast on 57 stitches (I was actually aiming for 55, following suggestions from other Ravelers, but my long tail was just a bit too long and I added 2 more stitches). I knit until I had about 5 yards of yarn left and then bound off in pattern. I did add the full twist before joining - and that was probably the hardest part of the whole project. Turns out twisting on purpose is tricky!

I wore my cowl to Knit Night and Sharon and Pat (and a few others I'm sure) were inspired. We know y'all have knit dozens of these cowls because the Rasta wall is looking empty! (and no worries if your favorite colorway is gone - Theresa has reordered.) It is great fun to see the finished cowls - of course they're all gorgeous and they work up so quickly they put big smiles on knitters' faces.

But this past weekend, we saw a sight that confirmed this is officially a project craze.

Yes, that's Molly and Louise, who are regular customers for the "Needlepoint Garden" part of our shop and frequent participants in ~~Knit~~ Stitch Night. And yes, they're knitting (and smiling!). The Rasta Cowl. We love it!

Another Crush (and our next KAL).

2010-11-05T04:21:00.000-07:00

Our infatuation with the gorgeous Churchmouse patterns continues. We're seeing quite a few Linen Stitch Scarves, all looking lovely - and so different. A few Fridays ago, we were sitting around the table for knit-along time and I was finally binding off my scarf and a woman came up to me and commented about the scarf and said she was from Bainbridge Island, and I asked if she'd been to Churchmouse and did she know that was where the pattern was from and turns out - she was one of the models for the pattern! (she's the one with the really cute hair wearing the green scarf). Wow!

Our conversation continued and she asked if we'd knit any of the Turkish Bed Socks. Well, no, but we love the pattern, especially because they look so cute with Danskos.

She said the pattern is really fun and it only uses one skein of Koigu (that's 175 yards - not much knitting at all!) So the group of us around the table bought the pattern and picked out our yarn and then shared the whole story with Theresa. And she suggested we do them as our next KAL. And I said sure, but will you join us? And she agreed!

We're going to cast on next Friday, November 12 at 2pm. Please join us! And if you can't make it to the shop on Friday afternoons, that's OK - please join the discussion on Ravelry or Facebook. These projects are all about the shared experience.

(ok - honestly, this one is also about making a really cute pair of socks to decorate the insides of our Dansko clogs!)

The Incredible, Custom-fit Raglan Sweater.

2010-10-31T04:36:00.000-07:00

Jessica is offering a class based on this "incredible" pattern, beginning November 4. We wanted to share a few examples of finished sweaters to give you more ideas about what "custom-fit" really means. The beauty of this pattern is that you can do so many things with it.

Do you want to use a chunky, self-striping yarn? No problem.

Do you want a light-weight pullover with subtle waist shaping? No problem.

Do you want a v-neck and some lace details below the waist? No problem.

The pattern is flexible not only for design elements, but also for skill level. The top-down raglan makes a great first sweater because it's easy to fit (top-down means you can try it on as you go) and seamless!

The class is $60 for four 2-hour sessions. Thursday, November 4, 11 and December 2, 16, 10am - noon. If you'd like to sign up or if you have questions, stop by or call the shop (770)998-3483. There are still spaces available.

Special Coupon for Facebook Fans.

2010-10-28T03:32:00.000-07:00

Are you our fan on Facebook? You should be. We just published a 10% coupon. And it's just for our Facebook fans.

New Yarn.

2010-10-26T04:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we shared pretty yarn pr*n photos. I promise it's been worth the wait. These two even have good names.

First up, meet Manos del Uruguay's Maxima. 218 yards of single ply worsted weight merino in ten kettle-dyed colorways that will make you want to cast on now! And Candi did. She knit up this lovely scarf (a free pattern called Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks ) in just one evening. The knitting was definitely better than the baseball that night (unless of course you're a Rangers fan)!

She used one skein and followed the pattern as written. The finished scarf measures 4-1/2" wide and 50" long. With two skeins, you could make it longer and wider and it's still a reasonable price at $12/skein.

This yarn would also be yummy in a cowl, especially one that has some texture to show off the pretty colors. Maybe this one?

And then we have Malabrigo's Rasta. 90 yards of super bulky merino, kettle-dyed and slightly felted. The colors are what you expect from Malabrigo. Super saturated gorgeous. This yarn is popular for cowls, especially Marian . But what about a lacy scarf, like this one , just out in Joelle Hoverson's More Last Minute Knitted Gifts (we'll have the book in the shop shortly).

Happy knitting!

Fingerless Mitts Love. and a Class.

2010-10-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

We are a bit obsessed with fingerless mitts, and not just because we're knitting them for our current KAL! They also are relatively quick, make great gifts, and add a pretty and practical touch to a fall or winter outfit.

I've made cabled, lacy mitts for gifts, and last year, knit a plain pair for myself; but this year, I wanted to treat myself to "pretty" - cables, lace and gorgeous yarn. I found the perfect pattern in Abbie Tilden's October Mitts - knit in fingering weight (8 st/in) yarn, with tiny cables twisting up the sides (and they even twist in opposite directions on the two mitts - what a nice detail!) and two beautiful lace leaves framing the thumb gusset. I used Spud & Chloe Fine, a blend of washable wool and silk and had plenty in one skein to make the pair. I love how the silk looks in the finished mitts - I have my "pretty" for sure.

The elements I love about these mitts - cabling without a cable needle, charted lace, fitted thumb gusset, fingering weight and size 1 double pointed needles - are also ones I love to teach, and I'm so excited to be able to offer a class. If you'd like to learn these techniques and knit these beautiful mitts, please call the shop to sign up!

The class will run four hours, spread over two Saturdays - November 6 and November 13, from 1-3pm. The cost is $30 (plus the materials and pattern that you should purchase ahead of time). You should have some familiarity with knitting in the round, increases and decreases, ribbing and cables. And if you prefer to knit in the round with magic loop, or two circular needles, I won't make you use double pointed needles :-)

If you have any questions, please leave a comment here, or message me on Ravelry (my Ravelry name is "mere")

FO Friday.

2010-10-15T04:59:00.000-07:00

aka "KAL update #2".

Yes, we have a finished pair of Susie's Reading Mitts and they are gorgeous!

raveled here

Joanna knit these with the Sublime Aran and I don't think she even had to block them (yes, her knitting is that pretty straight off the needles!)

She's already cast on for a second pair, using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in a pretty blue colorway.

Also, we found a FREE!!! slouchy hat pattern (raveled here) that mirrors the picot edge and garter/lace. You know, in case you're like me and want a hat to match!

Juliet in Triplicate.

2010-10-12T02:39:00.000-07:00

Our first Juliet class finished up on Sunday. It what was - I think - a record for the Sunday Seamless Sweater classes: four students had finished theirs. And three of them had their sweaters to model!

Karen, Sharon and Sandy modeling their finished Juliet sweaters

Sandy was actually still working on the 3rd button loop when we stopped to take the photo, but that's really (really!!!) close to being done - close enough to get into the photo anyway.

So everyone agrees this is a great sweater because you can finish it. It's also great because you can use different yarns and get different looks - four seasons worth, which is great for Atlanta. These ladies all chose fall/winter versions: Karen used Karabella Aurora bulky; Sharon used Araucania Azapa; and Sandy used Rowan Cocoon. The Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweed chunky would be lovely, too. For spring/summer, we have the chunky Venezia (I used this for the version I knit in May). Or any of the worsted weight yarns held double - or maybe just knit loosely for a lot of drape (like Liesl, knit in Rowan Summer Tweed).

If you'd like to knit Juliet, there is still room in the class that starts on Sunday, October 24. Call the shop (770.998.3483) to sign up.

Susie's Reading Mitts.

2010-10-05T03:39:00.000-07:00

aka "KAL update #1".

A small but very entertaining group of us met for knitting last Friday afternoon. And in case you're worried about showing up when you don't care to knit our KAL project, you shouldn't be. Two of the four knitters were knitting other things!

Beth, Joanna and Sharon

But Joanna and I cast-on the Susie's Reading Mitts. Joanna selected the Sublime Aran in a lovely shade of gray (maybe the pewter colorway?). She even knit a swatch before-hand, which was good, because she ended up going down two needle sizes. And you know I chose the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a deep shade of purple. Following recommendations from a few Ravelers, I cast-on and knit the rounds before the eyelet turning round in a one-size-smaller needle (for me, that was a 4).

And to avoid having to sew down the hem, after we knit the four rounds following the eyelet turning round, we followed Carole's instructions for knitting the cast-on edge together with the current round (check out the pattern for Carole's Picot Edge Socks - she even includes photos to illustrate! - thank you Carole!). Then we proceeded with the Decrease Round and the Lace Pattern.

Great progress to share after just two hours!

Joanna and Mary, showing off our mitts

We'll be knitting again this week - 2-4 p.m. on Friday. Please join us for knitting (and knitting along if you want!)

Winners for our Next KAL.

2010-09-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

If you voted, I doubt this will be a surprise - the two winning patterns have been in the lead the whole week! But just to confirm (and in case you didn't vote :-), the winners are:

yep, Susie's Reading Mitts and Linda K's Yummy Mummy Wristwarmers .

Hope you're planning to join in with one (or both?!) of these patterns. You don't have to participate in person (we meet for knitting at the shop from 2-4pm on Fridays) - virtual is welcome, too (and please post to our ravelry thread to share your thoughts and photos!). We're simply trying to encourage the "community" created by a shared knitting experience.

Me, I'm planning to knit Susie's Reading Mitts. It was an easy decision only because I have just one set of the absolutely fabulous Signature dpns in size 1. And they're booked 24/7 with socks. I have plenty of dpns in sizes 5 and 4 (see below) to cover Susie.

Susie's stated gauge is 5-1/2 st per inch on a size 5 needle. That's a standard gauge/needle for DK weight yarn (including my favorite Blue Sky Alpaca Silk), but the pattern recommends a worsted weight yarn knit a bit tighter. I think a tighter fabric is great for mitts because it wears better and will keep you warmer. Based on my review of the Susie's projects, about half the knitters have chosen a worsted weight, and half a DK (there are a few who have chosen other weights, but I didn't review their projects!) What choices! I think about half the yarn in our shop would work:

kathmandu and elsebeth lavold on the left; spud & chloe sweater in the middle; debbie bliss cashmerino aran to the right

And after a ~~quick~~ (who was I kidding? of course I couldn't pick out yarn in just 5 minutes?) visit to the shop this morning, I have 4 skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a lovely deep purple ready to go (it's the one on the 2nd bin from the top in the photo above). Please note the mitts require about 200 yds (only 2 skeins), but I'm planning to knit a beret to go with (stay tuned!). I'm hoping to cast on tomorrow for a gauge swatch and I'll report back - I'm also planning to knit the rows before the eyelet turning row in a smaller needle to make the turned under edge fit better. Stay tuned for details on that, too.

I hope there are (at least!) a few of you who will knit the Linda K's (fingering weight) mitts so we can share hands on advice about that pattern, too. Please feel free to speak right up in the comments, or you can private message me on Ravelry (my user name is mere).

Here are the details for the two patterns - please feel free to post question/comments/etc - we really do want to hear from you!!
Susie's Reading Mitts This pattern isn't quite as old, but it's still very popular. And note that we've got a suggestion about those picot edges that will avoid having to sew them down.

photo from flickr

Linda K's Yummy Mummy Wristwarmers (note that this pattern is only available via Ravelry)

Happy Knitting!!

How Would You Spend $100?

2010-09-24T03:06:00.000-07:00

...if you won a shopping spree at Cast-on Cottage?

For lucky customer Marge Licht, that's not a daydream kind of question. Nope, Marge won the Grand Prize Drawing and has $100 to spend!!

We did enjoy talking about the possibilities at Knit Night. I offered up "something fun" and was quickly reminded that really, any yarn purchase should be fun. We finally settled on "a splurge". Something you've had your eye on but haven't quite been able to justify. For me, that would be a lacy stole's worth of Blue Sky Alpaca Silk. What would it be for you?

Congratulations, Marge, and enjoy!

Fingerless Mitts KAL.

2010-09-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

It's time to vote! Thank you to everyone who chimed in on Ravelry to help us narrow down the choices. We're going to pick two patterns - one for worsted weight and one for DK weight - so you'll still have a choice to make about which one to knit (unless you decide to make them both!)

So, without further ado, the finalists:

For worsted weight,

Fetching (sorry, but the ravelry project button seems to be broken this morning! maybe it's because over 15,000 of these have been knitted!!) - Fetching was originally published in Knitty back in 2006. It's a fun knit and fast (and the only one of these four finalists I've made -back in pre-ravelry days!)

Susie's Reading Mitts This pattern isn't quite as old, but it's still very popular. And note that we've got a suggestion about those picot edges that will avoid having to sew them down.

photo from flickr

And for DK weight (although many have knit these projects with fingering weight),

Sourwood Mountain Fingerless Mitts - Another design from Knitty, from 2009.

Linda K's Yummy Mummy Wristwarmers (note that this pattern is only available via Ravelry)

photo from flickr

Please vote using the buttons in the sidebar to the right. And check back on September 29 to find out which ones win. We'll be starting the KAL on Friday, October 1 from 2-4pm (or you can always join us virtually).

Shop Hop.

2010-09-13T04:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, the 4th annual Atlanta Shop Hop is coming soon! Saturday, September 25 through Sunday, October 3. Cast-on Cottage is participating for the 4th year, and I'm sure this one will be the best yet - we have a lot more (parking!) space, and bins and racks full of pretty yarn. I've heard a rumor that the very talented Wendy Petitti designed the complimentary pattern that we'll be giving away with Shop Hop purchases. Yes, this is definitely the year that Cast-on Cottage should be a must stop on your shop hop list!

All you need to do to participate is purchase a passport (they're just $1 and you can purchase them at Cast-on Cottage or any of the other participating shops) and visit one - or more! - of the shops. When you make a $10 purchase at a participating shop, you'll get a stamp in your passport and an original complimentary pattern. If you get stamps from all 10 shops, you're eligible for the grand prize - ten $100 gift certificates (that's one from each shop for a total of $1,000 - and yes, that's a lot of yarn!!) Even if you don't visit all ten shops, you're still eligible for prizes (here's a link to last year's prizes and winners)

Honestly, visiting all 10 shops will require some planning - and a good bit of driving - but it would make a very fun day or two with a few of your knitting friends. And if you're not the driver, that could be some great car-knitting time, too!

There's more information about Shop Hop, including a list of all ten participating shops, on the Shop Hop blog. We've started a thread in our Ravelry forum - if you have any questions, comments, etc., please feel free to post them there or on Facebook.

Happy Hopping!!

One More Look and a KAL Update.

2010-09-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

I can't promise this will be the last post about our new location, but I think we're getting close! There have been a few additions since we opened and I thought you'd like to see them.

first, I'm sure everyone knew Theresa would want a dog out front to greet customers - well he's here!

did you know there's a computer (with a printer) up front so you can browse patterns on-line

And check out the stunning painting hanging above. This is one of three Juanita Kauffman originals in the shop; they add a perfect touch of whimsy and color, don't you think?

here's the second one

and the third (way back there in the back)

Finally, for the needlepointers, there's a new cabinet, full of canvases.

see it there under the window?

And in KAL news, we're planning fingerless mitts next, to start on Friday, October 1. There's a thread in our Ravelry group to suggest patterns. We'd love a few more suggestions and then we'll pick a few for you to vote here on the blog for the final selection. You can also leave pattern suggestions in the comments here.

Happy Friday. Happy Knitting!

New Yarn.

2010-09-06T04:36:00.000-07:00

My apologies for posting about fabulous new yarn on a day when the shop is closed! Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend and knitting!

If you visited the shop on our opening day, you might've noticed that the front row of cubbies was empty. Well, it's full now - the Spud & Chloe yarn has arrived! We've got all the colorways in Fine, Sweater and Outer.

This line is one that Theresa has wanted to carry, and now that we've got more space, she can! I've read a lot about it (their blog is curated by the very talented Susan B. Anderson and publishes great free patterns) and seen plenty of gorgeous FOs on Ravelry, but truly, it's even better in person. The colors are saturated and fun - and there are so many. But my favorite part is the way the yarns feel.

Fine (the fingering weight) is a blend of 80% superwash wool and 20% silk - yes, silk. The put-up is 248 yards per skein, so you'd need two to knit a pair of socks (and wouldn't socks with silk be nice?) or most shawlettes, but one would be plenty for a pair of fingerless mitts.

Sweater (the worsted weight) is a superwash blend of 55% wool and 45% organic cotton. It's super soft and while I know it will make great accessories, it's really ideal for ... sweaters! Susan is hosting a top-down raglan knit-along on the blog - and one of my favorite seamless sweater designers, Wendy Bernard, is offering tips on fitting. The pattern page on Ravelry summarizes all directions.

Outer (the super bulky weight) is a superwash blend of 65% wool and 45% organic cotton. I think it might be even softer than the Sweater (maybe because it's thicker) and seems perfect for cool weather accessories like hats, scarves and mittens. Leaf (a free scarf pattern from the blog) would be perfect - and think how quickly it would knit up!

Happy knitting everyone!

FO Friday.

2010-09-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is a favorite topic for many of the knitting blogs I read and I'm happy to be able to use it! (not to mention it helps me feel better about the fact I took the photos two days ago...but what "beautiful finished object" word goes with Wednesday?)

Shirley was in the shop - yes, on Wednesday - wearing her lovely new sweater.

It's Blossom, knit up in Hempathy.

...and she was shopping for yarn for another Linen Stitch Scarf, but was happy to let me photograph the one she'd finished. Wow!

(apologies to Shirley - this scarf really deserves a Jared Flood style photoshoot!)

Finally, if you haven't found our new location yet, it's even easier now. The last two new signs have been installed. This one is above the front door.

And there's an even bigger one on the Marietta Highway side. I think we're pretty hard to miss!

Welcome!

2010-09-01T04:10:00.000-07:00

...to our new home!

We enjoyed a steady stream of customers all day - many thanks to everyone who stopped by and/or left comments on facebook and ravelry. It's so much fun to see all of you having fun in the shop!

We celebrated in real style (yes, those are pink and green balls of yarn on top of the petit fours :-) And especially love that the yellow table was full of knitters...

There will be signs posted on the building itself later this week (maybe even today), but the sign from the Canton Street yard has been moved. The new Cast-on Cottage is hard to miss (and finding a parking space is easy, too!)

We're Ready!

2010-08-31T03:16:00.000-07:00

Many (many!!) working hours later, and what seemed impossible has been accomplished!

there's a lovely spot in the front of the shop for stitching

the yellow table looks completely at home surrounded by comfortable chairs

the patterns and books are on display

needlepoint threads, too

the central seating area is complete with pillows

so we've turned out the lights and gone home for some sleep!

The shop opens today - Tuesday, August 31 at 10:00 a.m. Hope to see you soon in our new location!!

More Progress.

2010-08-29T04:14:00.000-07:00

They say that the key to getting a lot done in a short period of time is to have many hands to help. And it's true! Theresa, the Cast-on Cottage staff and a few of our friends have been working nearly round the clock this past week.

Everyone's hard work is paying off! Yes, it's starting to look like a yarn and needlepoint store!

canvases have been hung on the cork walls

threads have been hung

the cascade wall is done!

as is the wall - this one holds blue sky, misti alpaca, lorna's laces and louet - and the malabrigo worsted and twist is in those cubbies to the left

Classes start today in the new location... and in case you're wondering why we're not opening for everyone til Tuesday?

It's because there is still a lot to do!

the library - pretty empty

and the rest of the shop!

Yep, a lot!!

A Preview.

2010-08-23T04:34:00.000-07:00

...of our new location. Yes, it is official! Our new shop is in Coleman Village at 860 Marietta Highway in Roswell and we'll be open there on Tuesday, August 31.

If you've visited the current Canton Street shop in the past week, you've seen that the moving sale continues ... and maybe wondered where the yarn was going!

I took a field trip to the new location yesterday and have photos to share! (visit our facebook page to see more, especially of the parking lot with plenty of room for everyone!)

view from the arched entryway - love the bright green paint here, and the hot pink wall in the background

yes...there's still a lot!! of work to be done!

the new cascade wall (much bigger...and brighter!!)

part of the needlepoint area (there's more to the left) - that brown wall is really covered in cork and will ultimately be covered with canvases

the classroom - I'm standing in the doorway - and what you can't see (to the left) is a long counter that will be perfect for assembling large projects...or maybe just showing them off!

there will be lots of chairs and seating areas so folks can sit (and knit or stitch)

another view from the back to the front - love the tower of sock yarn!

I had no idea we had some of these colors!

some of the Rowan yarn in its new home

and new yarn! this is Amy Butler Organic - we have all the colorways in both DK and aran weights

and new colorways of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock - that red on top is Ysolda Red!

Student Successes.

2010-08-14T03:49:00.000-07:00

You know we love showing off our customers' FO's. And it's extra fun to show off projects that our students finish. Something about that "first success" is just. plain. special.

First, here's Joanna modeling her February Lady Sweater. She used Araucania Toconao.

And Debra knit a hat using Ann Norling's basic ribbed hat pattern and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted.

And Ginny finished this vest for her nephew. The pattern is from the Purl website and she used Sublime Organic Cotton DK.

Beautiful work! Congratulations, Ladies!!

Finished Toes!

2010-08-07T04:56:00.000-07:00

Our toe-up sock KAL started yesterday and we have progress to share! That's Beth's sock on the right (she's using malabrigo sock in the primavera colorway) and mine on the left (using pagewood farms yukon in the fabulous fall colorway).

I'm really excited about the smooth finish from the turkish cast-on. I left the stitches on the two dpn's I used for the cast-on until the third round (which is the 2nd increase round) and I substituted "knit in the front & back" (kfb) for the M1's that the pattern suggests. To get those increases spaced evenly, I did the kfb in the first stitch on needles 1 and 3 and in the 2nd to last stitch on needles 2 and 4 - that leaves one plain knit stitch on the outside...similar to the ssk/k2tog on the edges of cuff-down socks.

I'm hoping we have more participation in this KAL - after all, 28 of you voted on the pattern! (and I didn't vote!) Of course virtual participation is fine...but please share your projects and progress with us on Ravelry.

Casting on for Toe-up Socks.

2010-08-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

One of the very cool things about toe-up socks is that there's no seam at the toes (which means no kitchener, which is, in my opinion, one of the very best reasons to knit toe-up socks!). But this also means you have to cast on in a way that allows you to "build" a toe. The Turkish Cast-on is one method - and that's the one suggested by the pattern - so that's the one I researched!

Gotta love the internet, and You Tube (and Google). A quick search for tutorials turned up thousands of results. These are my three favorites.

First, a video showing the cast on with two circular needles (she says it also works for magic loop).

Second - still for circular needles, a blog post with great photos.

And last but not least, a video for dpn lovers (like me!)

Note that you don't need to watch the entire 7 minutes...I managed this small beginning after watching just over 5 minutes of the video.

...I've also realized it might be helpful to do your cast-on while watching the video of your choice - please feel free to cast on ahead of Friday's "official" start date (I think I might need to!)

Hopefully this provides you what you need to get started, but please, if you have any questions, post them in the comments or on Ravelry; we'll respond as quickly as we can - thanks!

And the Winner Is....

2010-08-02T03:29:00.000-07:00

a BIG thank you to everyone who voted!!

Here's a link to the pattern and to the Ravelry projects . I'm still researching tutorials for the toe-up cast on and will follow-up with another blog post before Friday.

Remember - we're launching our KAL this Friday, August 6, at 2pm. If you can't be there in person, please do share your project with us on Ravelry. I've started a thread in our forum - start discussing!

Project Crush.

2010-07-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Churchmouse Yarns & Teas? They're the folks behind that oh-so-popular Barb's Koigu Ruffle scarf. Theresa contacted them to get that pattern back in the shop. And we were only mildly surprised a few weeks later when the shipment from Churchmouse arrived...including all eleven of their patterns. Yeah, these patterns are that hard to resist! They're well-designed, beautifully photographed with clear instructions, printed on nice cardstock, and most require just a few skeins of yarn.

But one pattern quickly became our new crush - the Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf. We sold out of the pattern in a week....and had a complete blast helping customers pick out the three skeins of Koigu's KPPPM to knit it.

I jumped on the bandwagon, too, and I'm really pleased with how my scarf (here's the ravelry link if you want to see the colorways I'm using) is working up. Even casting on 450 stitches didn't seem quite so bad once I saw the colors (I did follow the pattern's suggestion and place markers every 50 stitches to keep up with my progress...and make sure I had the slip stitch pattern right). This is my first project using KPPPM and I love the yarn. Of course the colors are gorgeous, but it's also nice to knit with - soft and not at all splitty or twisty (and so far no knots!).

The pattern is back in stock - and we're keeping the rack of KPPPM stocked as well!

If 525 yards of fingering weight yarn is scaring you away from this project, consider using a DK or worsted weight yarn instead. The long color repeats of Noro's Silk Garden or Aya would be lovely and you could use just a single colorway to get a nice striped effect. The linen stitch is also gorgeous in a solid (maybe the Ultra Alpaca that's on sale?)...especially for a man's scarf.

We're Moving!

2010-07-22T05:20:00.000-07:00

It's definitely worth a trip - this is a sale you don't want to miss!!

Thinking about Socks.

2010-07-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

Specifically about knitting them, toe-up. Have you done it? Want to give it a try? Please join us for our next KAL!

We're planning ahead - this KAL won't start until August (Friday, August 6 if you're keeping track). And that gives us an opportunity to try out a new poll feature - yep, we're going to vote on the pattern for the KAL. (and it's all anonymous - we only see the total number of votes, nothing about who voted). The poll is located in the blog sidebar, below the "where to find us" section.

Wanting to keep this as simple as possible - we're going to start with two patterns - both designed by Wendy Johnson, who is probably the queen of toe-up socks. She's written books and published dozens of patterns...many of which are free on Ravelry. Two that look especially fun and would work in a variety of yarns and colorways, solids or not, are the Nanner Socks and the Double Eyelet Rib Socks.

These are the Nanner Socks. You can check out the projects on Ravelry .

and these are the Double Eyelet Rib Socks - and the projects on Ravelry .

Voting will continue through Sunday August 1 and we'll announce the winner on Monday August 2. And if neither of these patterns appeal, please suggest an alternative in the Comments and we'll add your suggestion to the poll.

...and last but not least (in case you need some inspiration for voting!) a view of our sock yarn wall - including the dozens of colorways of Araucania Ranco, now 15% off!

P.S. We know there are a few Annis shawls out there ... some finished and some still works in progress. We love to see them all - please share! stop by the shop for a photo - or if you're a bit shy, simply share your project with our Ravelry group!

More Madelinetosh!

2010-07-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

Yes! the Pashmina has arrived!! And it looks and feels as good as we thought it would (honestly, maybe even better!) We have four colorways...and I promise it's a complete coincidence that they all look so pretty in this "natural" setting.

clockwise starting at the left - celadon, dusk, thyme and moorland

The yarn is a sport weight (5-1/2 to 6 stitches per inch) blend of merino, silk and cashmere, with 360 yards per skein.

Now the only problem is figuring out what to knit with it. I'd been planning a sweater (maybe goodale, which meets my "must be seamless" criteria and it's designed for pashmina or wendy bernard's essential tank with that pretty lace detail down the front). But now that I've seen - and fondled - the yarn, I think I want it to be a shawl. Something lacy, but with a solid background to show off the color and the softness and the shine of the cashmere and silk. Have to love Ravelry for making it really easy to find patterns. This search shows 19 patterns that would work with one skein. Andrea's Shawl is at the top of that list - and it's been in my favorites for months. But I think Shaelyn is the winner.

And now to pick the color....

Testing the New Lana Grossa Needles.

2010-07-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know we are now carrying the Lana Grossa wooden "design lumber" needles in the shop? Yes, we have double-points and circulars in the full range of sizes* and even crochet hooks.

Here's what the Lana Grossa website says about the circular needles:

Unique durability thanks to a special compression process of layered wood. The durability beats the precious woods such as rosewood and is beyond comparison with any other wooden needle.
Attractive colour combination through the separate tints of the various layers of wood.
Light, but at the same time extremely robust and resilient.
Easy to handle and the flush surface of the wood means you can knit for hours and your hands are pleasantly warm.
Slim, tapered tips.
Black, extremely flexible wire with a smooth transition to the needle which lets the stitches slip easily.

Sounds great, doesn't it? maybe too good to be true?

I've been testing these needles while knitting the Annis shawl. With 363 stitches per row and about 100 nupps and more yarn overs, I figured it was a perfect project to try. And I am happy to report - these needles are wonderful.

My three favorite things:

First, those "slim, tapered tips" are truly super-pointy. I didn't have any problems with the nupps (that photo to the left shows the 5 wraps of one nupp getting purled together). I cast on those 363 stitches with my addi lace size 9 needles and on the first lace row, where I knit the stitches with the lana grossa size 7 needle, I could really tell the difference in points. The addi lace seemed blunt in comparison.

Second, the cable is really flexible and the join is smooth. The cable isn't fighting me at all - it's settled into a nice circle. And my stitches are sliding easily without catching.

Third, they're pretty. I love the colors in the wood. And I think those colors provide just enough contrast to show up the yarn. Granted, I'm not knitting black or navy, but I don't think it's hard to see the stitches at all.

In short, I'm recommending these needles!

*note that the sizing is metric; the needles come in whole and half mm sizes only. So the US 1 (2.25 mm), US 3 (3.25 mm) and US 5 (3.75 mm) aren't available. Sadly. Because I would love to try knitting socks with their dpns.

Another FO Modeled.

2010-06-28T03:10:00.000-07:00

This is Janice*, modeling her just finished Lily Chin Convertible Coat (M002), knit with Rowan Cocoon. Janice said this was a fun project to knit - cool construction with flat panels of garter stitch and many (many!) picked up stitches. And it is definitely a wearable piece - you can wear it long (like the first two shots) or turn it upside down and it's a swingy short coat.

Ooops for the blurry 3rd shot, but we were having so much fun with the photos that it was hard to focus!

*and Janice, apologies in advance if I've misspelled your name - I can't find my notes and my memory isn't what it needs to be!

KAL the Fourth.

2010-06-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been nearly six weeks since we started our third KAL (Springtime Bandit). We've loved seeing everyone's shawls and the "knit along" was really helpful when we had had questions or ran into problems.

So we are excited to announce our fourth KAL: Annis by Susanna IC, a free pattern from the latest Knitty. It's getting rave reviews on Ravelry - check out the project gallery to see why we're excited about it!

...and if you're still wondering "why another shawl", it's because this is not "another triangular shawl that starts at the center back". Nope, this is a full crescent-shaped shawl that starts with the lace edge and ends with stockinette, shaped with short rows. And you can do beading or nupps to add texture to the lace section.

The designer has knit four versions of the pattern in different weights and even posted directions for a mini version. Her version for Knitty used just less than 400 yards of lace-weight, but many have also used fingering weight (aka "sock yarn"). Those fingering weight versions are also coming in at around 400 yards (some more, some less).

You know we have plenty of options in both lace and fingering weight - lovely solids and semi-solids in wool, alpaca and other blends. I've opted for fingering but had a hard time making the final selection. I narrowed it down to a skein of malabrigo sock in primavera (Jane says it makes my skin glow) and a skein of madelinetosh sock in composition book gray (Jane says it makes my blue eyes pop - btw, Jane knows how to sell yarn, doesn't she?!). I decided to swatch both and make my decision once I saw them knitted up.

Long story short (details below!) the composition book gray wins!

I knit my swatch from the lace pattern chart, adding a few rows of plain stockinette at the end. My gauge is slightly smaller than the 14 st/4" that the pattern states, but I'm ok with a slightly smaller shawl.

Swatching Specs:

Knitted cast-on using size 9 needles - it is VERY important to have a loose cast on. Many forum posts suggested this one - and I think it works perfectly.
Purled back (still using size 9s) to create a foundation row - I made this modification at the suggestion of other forum posts - some chose to knit the foundation row, but I opted to purl it since the lace pattern is stockinette and the first pattern row is the right side (knitted).
Switched to size 7 needles to knit the chart, slipping the beginning stitches purl-wise with the yarn in back on the knit rows and in front on the purl rows.
I played around with the nupps, too. On the swatch above, I used Nancy Bush's method, with only 5 wraps (K, YO, K, YO, K into the stitch) instead of 7. I also tried Myra Wood's method, but I just couldn't handle the crochet hook and the knitting needles together. My nupps are definitely less "bumpy" than some - but I'm pleased with the result.

If you're curious, here's the malabrigo sock version, knit on size 8s (with size 10s for the cast-on and foundation row).

This was just too open for me. I could see, though, that with lace-weight that would be more heavily blocked, the bigger needles might be fine.

Lesson learned? swatch!!! (and if you're really questioning your results, wet block and pin out your swatch!!)

Project Highlights (please refer to the pattern for all the details):

Construction/Pattern - this is a crescent shaped shawl, knitted in one piece starting at the outside edge of the lace and shaped with short rows.
Yarn - approximately 400 yards of lace or fingering weight.
Needles - see above for my thoughts on size. You'll want to use a circular needle so you have enough room for all the stitches. The pattern suggests a 32" needle (the cast-on is 363 stitches!!) and something longer would certainly work.
Knitting Skills - intermediate lace, including increasing, decreasing and following a chart. nupps and short rows. Note that the pattern on Knitty is charted only, but the Ravelry pattern page does include written instructions.

We'll be casting on this Friday, June 25 at 2pm. Please join us virtually if you can't be at the shop in person!

Smile!

2010-06-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

We love seeing our customers showing off their knitwear. And of course I love sharing the pieces with you. Which means I need pictures! I'm sure it's just my imagination (right?!) but sometimes I get the feeling customers are hoping my camera and I aren't there or maybe that we're too busy to take pictures when they stop by.

Except for yesterday. Carol and Greer were great sports about playing along with me. And the photos show it!

Here they are together -Carol modeling her summer shawl (a shop pattern staple) and Greer with her Miley Tee (after seeing how cute this is, we're looking into carrying c2knits patterns in the shop - the designs are topdown seamless - my favorite!!), knit with Debbie Bliss' Amalfi.

And this one shows off the side detail of Greer's top.

Thank you both for your lovely smiles!!

Guilt-free Desserts.

2010-06-16T03:29:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love dessert. Especially pretty cakes. And when they're guilt-free, even better!

These pieces were stitched our long-time super-talented customer Mark (who also knits!!)

Knitting in Public.

2010-06-14T03:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, happy to report we had a few ladies brave Saturday's heat and humidity to amuse the passers by on Canton Street! It was actually not too hot in the shade and there was an occasional cooling breeze. But (like always) it was the company, sharing ideas & expertise, planning projects, and simply being together that made it all worthwhile!

And we have new photos!

Love that everyone wore something knitted. My special favorite is Virginia modeling her gorgeous Zia from French Girl Knits (it's the 3rd one down on the left, raveled here).

Thank you to everyone who stopped by!

Do you KIP?

2010-06-10T03:28:00.000-07:00

Cast-on Cottage is celebrating World Wide Knit in Public (WWKIP) day this Saturday, June 12. Hopefully the heat and humidity won't keep us inside and we can enjoy the shade on our front lawn. Of course there are also plenty of knitter-friendly restaurants on Canton Street (my socks-in-progress have seen the inside of most of them!) if it gets too hot.

Please join us!

More Madelinetosh!

2010-06-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday was an especially good UPS day - our long-awaited order of madelinetosh sock and DK arrived!

We have eight colorways of sock (celadon, composition book gray, fathom, fig, glazed pecan, olivia, tart and wisteria) and five of the DK (fathom,kale, nostalgia, tart, wisteria). These colors are truly gorgeous and a photo can't begin to capture their depth, but at least the sun came out...and I didn't get too many strange looks when I posed these skeins in our front yard!

a sampling of DK (left to right: kale, tart, wisteria, fathom)

and a sampling of sock (left to right: tart, glazed pecan, celadon, composition book gray, olivia, wisteria and fathom)

These yarns are incredibly popular - for good reason - they're soft, beautiful and washable! Check out the thousands of projects on Ravelry (sock and DK) if you're looking for inspiration. I haven't been able to decide where to start. Socks or a shawlette in the sock, or a February Lady Sweater in the DK?

Please share your projects with us on Ravelry. I've started a thread in our group to encourage a virtual conversation - photos, ideas, questions are welcome!