The 8th annual St. Baldricks event  is coming soon (March 14) in Canton.  This group funds more cancer research for Children than any other.  You can donate online or by mailing in this form.  You can choose a participant of your own to sponsor, give a general donation or my favorite participant is kristin W on page 4 of the participant list.  I say support a young women willing to shave her head to raise money for cancer research.  Her head will be shaved at a school assembly.

Labels: St Baldrick's Cancer

I was out last week and now I am trying to catch up.  Roxanne the crochet teacher here at Yarnia is an art teacher in her regular life and she worked for hours on Wed to  do a "feng shui" affect on Yarnia.  She is really good at making things look arranged so hopefully she can do that for the store.  That is not my forte.  I fight my  basic pack rat nature all the time.  I am working on the class list.  There are still some upcoming classes listed but I need to get the new ones added to the website.
I know all of you have been home knitting.crocheting because of the olympics and all the snow so to help you restock, come check out the weekly specials in March (I might even have one for the end of Feb if we can travel.  Supposedly we are getting another storm warning)

Southwest Trading company just sent me a note about this neat pattern using Karaoke  (which I have in multiple colors) called not entirely entrelac.  I thought you might like it.

Crystal palace yarns has new patterns on their website. We have the yarns for these projects in stock.  Check out this one that show mochi plus  off in a blanket.  The pattern is based on the parquet technique in one the old Barbara Walker books. If you have never explored the Barbara Walker Treasury books, put it on your to do list.  There is a wonderful Barbara Walker website that shows off what you can find in these books.
Another one is this mochi plus pattern for a hat
Panda silk DK lacy hat and fingerless gloves
Basic wash cloths in cotton chenille
Bamboozle baby hat

I have the crystal palace 50 states 50 socks CD in stock.

The new issue of living craft magazine coming soon.  There is a free pattern from the issue on the website now.

Now  that I have shown you patterns that you can get from crystal palace, don't forget I have the new classic elite gallery and farmer's market books.
Other recent arrivals
knitting pure and simple baby sleeping bag, tank top for women, short sleeve hoodie and girls cap sleeve cardi
Fiber Dreams Canterbury bells, Cirrus, Pinwheel Blanket
and see the blog entry a couple back for other recent patterns.

Labels: fiber dreams, knitting pure and simple, living craft purim

I have 40+colors of Gems fingering weight and 20+ colors of Merlin.  If you ever wanted to see full range of the colors of Louet yarn,  come in and see.  The colors are on display on the front table right now along with 3 sock patterns and the Lucia scarf pattern.  There is an example of the Lucia scarf on the table as well.  I took the lucia pattern and created a chart for it so if you purchase the pattern ask me for the chart

In stock: the Accordian mitt kit  in Gems worsted that has been on ravelry.

You can also find other yarns from Louet. at Yarnia as well (like euroflax, gems sport, mooi) You can see all the various yarns and all the gorgeous colors on their website but they are even prettier in person.  If you are a newer knitter take a moment to see how the same color (say french blue) looks when dyed in different fibers.
The same dye used on silk, wool, or linen will take differently.  It is quite interesting.


Gems, euroflax and merlin are all machine wash and dry yarns so they are not only beautiful, they are practical as well.

Labels: accordian mitt, Louet, merlin

I have a bohus sweater sitting in my queue.  It is sitting there because when I do fair isle I like to use both hands and a bohus pattern requires me to purl with the working yarn in my left hand.  My natural style of knitting is english "throw" style. So purling with my left hand is a bit weird for me.  I looked on  the internet last night to watch various peoples' knitting style and found  the Norwegian Purl
I like it.  It really works and I am getting tension that looks good with what I do with my right hand.
So what is the point of all this?  The point is you never stop learning or adapting.  I admit, I am old enough now that I don't change as much as a use to, but change is good for you once in awhile.
Speaking of knitting styles.
Beginners classes at yarnia are taught in the western style of knitting. Students can choose whether to be an English thrower (working yarn is in right hand) or continental (working yarn is in left hand) knitter.  You don't choose your style on whether you are left or right handed.  You choose the style that fits your hands.  Once you practice, whichever way you knit will become faster and smoother.  I teach western style because the stitches are mounted the same way all the time and because most patterns in the US assume your are knitting this way.
For students in classes above beginner level, I work with you if your style is different so that you can get the results from a pattern that you want.

So what is the difference between western, eastern or combination knitters?  Basically, they differ in how they wrap the yarn when making a stitch.  The result is that the stitch is can be mounted on the needle differently for these knitters. Different isn't wrong.  It is just different. I teach western style of knitting  because the stitches are mounted the same way all the time and because most patterns in the US assume you  are knitting this way.    For example,  most patterns will ask for a K2tog and assume that by doing this, you will do a right slanting decrease.   If a knitter has a different style, he/she must know how to get a right slant decrease for their style.  I am going to list a couple of sites below that you might find interesting to explore this.  For those of you out there who are frustrated because it seems like your knitting results are always different than others or if every time you ask for help it actually messes up more of you knitting than it helps, you might find the exploration very illuminating.
Annie Modesitt 
Combination conversion table from Grumperina
Wikipedia on combination knitting

Labels: combination knittiner, eastern knitting, norwegian purl

I am working on my blog for today, but I just realized I better at least post that the store is in fact closed today.
I can't get my car out of the drive and my piece of road is now a county road and it is not clear out there anyway.  I will be in the store Monday later afternoon doing paperwork if you need something.
  It is a good day to burrow in and knit.  I am working on my May ruffle from Kate Jackson.
Other New things:
new patterns
  Maylie from Marie Grace
  sweaters from Knitbot like the Lightweight Pullover,
  Daybreak from Westknits,
  Robin hood by Grace Akhrem,
Istbel beret, Istbel Scarf, Snapdragon tam, Snapdragon flip flop mitt, vela scarf, tiny shoes, etc from Ysolda Teague
Teaching patterns from Dale of Norway in round knitting, socks, raglan sleeve and lace mittens/gloves
New Retro pattern book from Dale of Norway
Jammies from knitting at knoon..... Since I carry Farmhouse yarns I have the Mary little lamb yarn that these are done in.

Labels: daybreak, farmhouse yarn, Grace Akhrem, jammies, Westknits, ysolda teague

Latest issue of knit scene (springwinter 2010) arrived along with the latest Cast on Magazine.
The latest pattern books from Classic Elite Gallery and Farmers Market are in and we have summer set, allegoro, sprout, classic silk, solstice, silky alpaca lace and premiere yarns to do the projects in.

Just in today are these cute hat shaped needle gauges from clover.  Ever wonder why it is hard to figure out what is the right needle for the job when you are deciding between a 10 and an 11.  Take a look at a needle gauge.  A 10.5 is one millmeter size up from a 10 but an 11 is several sizes up.

New yarns are coming from Shalimar (Zoe sock, honey worsted, miss chunky).  The dyer is in the process of getting a new website up so there are many, many more choices of colors than the site shows you.  There are several designers doing patterns in this yarn  (and when my shipment comes, it will have a new color card).
Monitors often lie.  Green and gray are often confused on computer monitors from the color in real life.  Purple and brown are also misrepresented.  That is why it is so nice to see a yarn in a shop.