knot another hat

save the date!

We want to make sure that you have your calendars marked for two important events on the horizon!

First: March Madness! Don't forget that the entire month of March is when we mark down our closeouts and discontinued yarns and shove them on out the door! The March Newsletter will highlight the sale yarns and give you more info, so stay tuned.

 
Second: The 2nd Annual Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival! This successfuly festival is returning to Hood River the weekend of April 20-22. You will find amazing fiber artisans throughout the show (including us!), as well as a plethora of classes to get your technique up to speed. Find out more info and register for classes at LavenderSheep's CGFF page.

 

imperial yarn trunk show happening now!

We are very honored to be hosting the latest and greatest from our farm neighbors to the southeast, Imperial Stock Ranch.    The trunk show features the runway designs from Portland designer Anna Cohen, as well as classic Imperial Yarn house designs. You will find socks, tunics, snuggly bolero jackets, scarves, hats, and more!   For those of you unfamiliar with Imperial Stock Ranch, it is a family owned and operated ranch located on more than 30,000 acres of Oregon’s beautiful high desert. Originally a homestead for pioneers of the western frontier, the ranch has been steadily producing Northwestern products since 1871. Current owners Dan and Jeanne Carver say, "It is on this vast landscape that our stewardship practices — of the land, of the animals and of our family — are cultivated and the strong foundation of our business has been forged. It is also here that we produce grains, hay, grasses, cattle and sheep, allowing us to create the variety of consumer products you are familiar with."    The Imperial Yarns are made from locally native Columbia sheep, which produce Columbia wool. The wool is custom milled without harsh chemicals, leaving it comfortable, soft, and pure. From their Sport weight yarn, Tracie, to the bulky 2-Strand Pencil Roving, there is a yarn for every kind of project. We even carry their Sliver Roving, which is perfect for making the thrums that go in their Retro Thrummed Slippers.    Now through the end of February, when you make in Imperial product purchase we will enter you in our drawing to win the Petal Necklace Kit from Imperial Yarn, recently featured in Vogue Knitting Magazine (pictured at left). Don't miss this extraordinary chance to knit with a piece of the Western Frontier!

It's time to swirl!

This Friday marks the beginning of the Knit, Swirl! Knit-A-Long here at Knot Another Hat!

JOIN US FROM 3pm TO CLOSING FOR OUR KAL KICK OFF!

What's a Knit-A-Long, you ask? Also known as a KAL, Knit-A-Longs are an informal organization of knitters who want to get together and knit the same thing. In our case, we will all be knitting different swirls out of Sandra's book!

There are no class fees, as this isn't a structured knitting class, and there are no commitments, but there will be prizes and incentives for working on your project.

If you have yet to see Sandra McIver's self-published Knit, Swirl!, you are missing out! This lovely hardcover book is the most innovative book to hit the knitting industry in quite a while. Not only is the book chock full of captivating patterns and eyecandy photography, it is well-researched and meticulously written. My finished Swirl, the Sheer Beauty Swirl, is here at the shop, and everyone who tries it on has fallen in love!

If you'd like to sign up to receive news and updates about this Knit Along, just sign up on the form to the right----->! See you Friday!  

let's kick off fall with a contest!

Hello Fall!

Do you feel it in the air? The crispness has arrived to the Pacific Northwest. Daytime temps aren't bad, but there's a feeling there . . . it's about to get c o l d. So what better time to breath some life into this stale 'ole blog and have a contest!?!?

My dear friend and talented designer, Nichole, has a brand-spankin' new eBook: Harvest (here is the Ravelry link to view and purchase the eBook). Harvest is a collection of 5 stellar patterns, and it is the October edition of the Malabrigo Freelance Pattern Project. Those of you following the Project know that every month this year has featured a new eBook by an up-and-coming indy designer. I can assure  you 100% that Harvest is the best one yet! Let's take a tour, shall we?

 
First up, The Harvest Capelet. This beauty is knit with Malabrigo Silky Merino, and has a subtly beaded border to lend sparkle and weight. The unique shaping of this capelet means that it will curve just right around your shoulders and stay put! Finished off with a bit of silk ribbon and you have the perfect cool weather shoulder cover.

 
The Autumnal Vest is your must-have fashion piece for Fall. Quick to knit out of Malabrigo Rasta, this vest has a leaf motif that borders each front edge and forms the stand-up collar.

 
 
One of my personal favorites in the collection, the Foliage Hat will entertain you as much as it will keep you warm. Knit out of doubled Malabrigo Lace, its subtle cables creates trees and are shedding their stranded colorwork leaves. Though it is beautifully soft in Malabrigo Lace, the colors available in either Classic Elite Fresco or O-Wool Classic 2-Ply make them great choices (single-stranded) as substitutes.

 
These Gathering Mitts are meant for serious coziness. They are made of a felted inner layer connected to a superwash outer layer cleverly knit together. Using Malabrigo Worsted for the inside and Malabrigo Rios for the outside, you can toss the whole project in the wash to felt and have it come out perfectly. On a side note, the pattern also includes instructions to knit the two pieces together just in case you'd like to ever wear them separately!

 
Last, but never least, are the Pumpkin Patch Legwarmers. Grab your favorite color of Malabrigo Sock, double it up, and whip out these ruched legwarmers to keep you warm!

All of these great patterns are available separately as downloads, but if you like them all, then by all means buy the whole eBook! You can get the whole collection as an eBook on Ravelry or on bluegirl's site. Now let's talk about the contest!

 
Nichole is going to give away two lovelys skein of Malabrigo Sock and one copy of the eBook to a lucky winner on my blog! All you need to do to enter is leave me a comment on this post, telling me what YOU love about Fall Knitting Time!

 

can't wait!

Our madelinetosh merino light was re-stocked just in time to choose my colors for this:

 
 
This will be my first mystery KAL!

Here are my colors:

 
(from top to bottom: cherry, tart, & blackcurrant)

I'm wound up and ready to go - can't wait for Monday!

We are hiring!

Have you always wanted to work at an LYS? How about the added benefit of living in the Columbia River Gorge?

Knot Another Hat is looking for a part-time employee for Thurs-Sun schedule (20-28 hrs) to begin mid-August. Must be familiar with computers and online social media. Experience in customer service a plus, knitting experience required. Email cover letters and resumes, including knitting/crochet experience, to sarah@knotanotherhat.com.

Join the fun!

It's Time For March Madness!   Our annual March Madness sale has arrived! Don't miss these special mark downs on closeouts, discontinued yarns, single colors, and more! There are some great luxury yarns included that will surely go fast! You can view the entire list of sale items on our website here!     Upcoming Classes   Rocky Road Fingerless Mitts, Mar 5 & 12    Yoked Cardy for Girls or Women, Mar 7, 14, 21, 28   Larkspur Cabled Jacket, Mar 10, 17, 31, Apr 7   Needle Felting 101, Mar 12   Learn To Knit, Mar 28   Knitting 911, first Sunday and third Thursday (ongoing, drop-in) Help From Berroco: Video Tutorial on How to Install a Zipper!    Lately we've heard from many of you that you need help installing a zipper into a project. Well, just in time for this newsletter, Berroco has released a video tutorial on how to put a zipper into your next cardigan project! A zipper can be a fantastic way to finish off a front cardigan opening, or the top of a felted bag. Check out their tutorial for more info!

sorry for the tardiness, but let's announce a winner!

In all the hustle and bustle of prep for the big purlaway workshop this weekend (more on that soon) I forgot to name the winner on Friday! I'm so sorry!

So - this morning I put y'all into the random number generator and it picked poster #14 - so congratulations Eva S.!! You win the loot of over 20 amazing sock patterns!

Thanks again to everyone who participated. My own socks are in need of a new needle: naughty new kitties chewed up the cord of my US1 and it is completely unusable. Oh well!

one last teaser . . .

Succulent Socks, by Gardiner Yarnworks. Just one more example of the patterns we are giving away in the Great Sock Pattern Giveaway! Don't forget to enter by commenting on this post!  

The winner will be announced Friday (tomorrow)!

Look ma! I'm on TV!

On August 13, local television station CGN7 had me on their show, Localite, to talk about knitting and my shop!

It went so much better than I had expected (I was so nervous!). :) And, in Segment 3 I even taught Jon Compton, the host, how to knit (spoiler: he was a natural)!

 

spring/summer vogue trunk show is here!

Come on down anytime from today to next Wednesday to see the lovelies from the Spring/Summer 2010 Vogue Knitting on display in the store! Try them on, ooh and aah, and get yourself some summertime projects!

Also - we'll be having a special Trunk Show Knit Night next Wednesday, April 14th from 5-8pm. Join us for relaxing knitting time and one last farewell to the trunk show before we have to send it on to the next store!

 
  

new toys

A few months ago I bought a new Olympus E520 fancy-pants camera, and then a couple weeks ago I bought this:

I can't go into all the details yet, but I have something exciting coming up in the next month or so, and I'm going to need to take a lot of very nice, quality photos. . .

Now I just need to get trained on my camera!

olympic knitting...don't think I'm headed for gold

My early confidence in my progress seems misplaced at this point.

I still love my chosen project, but I hadn't really thought through the fact that I'm essentially knitting a very long scarf - and I hate knitting scarves.

The pattern stitch is pretty easy and very memorizable, so at this point it's not even keeping me entertained. I just finished the 68" of the long panel, and I've picked up stitches along the panel to knit the back. After the back is finished it's some crazy number of inches to knit the belt, then a crochet finish a couple of times around the whole thing.

This being Friday, and with the Olympics ending Saturday, it really doesn't look like it's gonna happen, folks. Don't get me wrong, by no means am I giving up...just sayin'.

(PS - LOVE the YARN. Hand Maiden Fine Yarns Great Big Sea Silk in Pewter - delicious. Every stitch.)

I almost forgot! Contest Winner!

I've been so caught up in my Olympic knitting that I completely forgot to post the winner of the contest from Chrissy Gardiner's guest post! After entering all commenters into the random number generator, the winner was Chia, AKA monkalicious! Chia wins a copy of this book, courtesy of the designer herself:

Congratulations, Chia! Just email me at customerservice - at - knotanotherhat - dot - com with your mailing address and I'll pop this puppy off to you asap!

Olympic update coming later today, hopefully (even though I left my camera at home - warning! - shoddy cell phone pictures coming up!).

are you ready?!?!?!

Today is the day! Opening ceremonies are at 8pm PST, and you can cast-on when the torch is lit!

This is so exciting - we have over 40 participants! Scroll to the bottom of this post to see a list of participants and their Olympic projects.

It's not too late to sign up! You have until 5pm PST to contact us here at the and register your 2010 Winter Knitting Olympics project! Read our original Knitting Olympics post for all the details!

OK - you might be wondering what I am going to commit to during the Olympics. I had a hard time choosing, and all of my options came from one publication: the 09/10 Winter Vogue Knitting! (Warning - the following links are all Ravelry links)

1. #15 B.A.H.: oops - already knit it, so obviously that one is out.
2. #23 Cabled Yoke Cardigan: a serious contender.
3. #28 Wrap with Belt: interesting construction, might have stash yarn to use.
4. #10 Belted Tunic: very intriquing, looked good on me at TNNA.
5. #09 Tunic Vest: didn't try this one on, just think it's super cute.

OK - here's pros and cons. 2nd choice would mean working with mohair....not sure I'm up for that right now. 3rd choice - no cons that I can see. I could use my stashed Handmaiden Ottowa...it has interesting construction and interesting stitch patterns to keep me entertained, and I tried it on at TNNA and it was very cute. 4th choice...liked this one on me, too, but that is going to be one helluva lot of stockinette stitch to do in 16 days. Hmm. 5th choice - really like this one, but I don't think I have a yarn that is right for it and so I'd have to order and don't have time.

We have a winner! #3 (#28 Wrap with Belt) is the clear choice for me. Now my only decision is yarn: I have enough stashed Handmaiden/Fleece Artist Ottowa in 2 different colorways, but I'm concerned it won't have the same drape as the sample I tried on, which was a wool/silk blend. HOWEVER - there is some LOVELY Handmaiden Great Big Sea, a wool/silk/seacell blend, calling to me from the shelf across the room....so very, very tempting...

 So - what's YOUR project??? Here are what the TEAM KAH Olympic Knitters will be undertaking:

• Wendy A - Mossy Jacket
• Penny B - Short Lucky
• Stephanie B - Garter Stitch Panel Afghan
• Helga B - Prairie Shawl from Folk Knits
• Sarah B - Combining 2 patterns for sweater for her
• Ann B - Pretty as a Peacock Shawl
• Carol C - Lace Smoke Ring
• Jodi C - Crocheted Hat
• Sarah C - Slip-Stitch Layers from IW Holiday 09
• Kristie C - Purlaway mitten
• Rachel C - February Lady Sweater
• Maureen D - Blue Sky Alpaca Silk Shrug
• Amanda D - Kaleidoscope Scarf
• Lisa E - St Johns Wort Cardigan
• Misty E - dishcloth baby sweater
• Kylie E - Chunky Knit Scarf
• Alison F - Catherine Cardigan
• Sue-Ann G - 2 Socks at once/Magic Loop
• Michelle H - Fruit Loop Socks
• Kelsey H - Cold Mountain
• Beth H - Heartstrings Fiber Arts Lace Cowl
• Beverly H - Willoughby Scarf
• Inger - Crocheted Ripple Lap Blanket
• Tracie J - Nashua Handknits Vest
• Lydia K - Meandering Vine Shawl
• Cherri K - Moss Stitch Beret
• Sarah K  - Wrap With Belt
• Claire L - WIPs busting on Purple Cardigan from Summer 09 Vogue
• Emma Marie F - Kaya Cabled Scarf
• Lisa M - Novelty Garter Scarf
• Julie M - Knit to be Square Bag
• Jill M - Panbe Dress Tunic from Winter '10 Knitscene
• Julia N - Loretto Vest from Winter '10 Knitscene
• Penny P - WIPs busting a 20 year old afghan project
• Katrina R - Lillie's Little Sweater
• Nichole R - hat design project
• Melanie R - Debbie Bliss Ruffle Coat for baby
• Sandy R - Zigzag Anklet
• Mary R - Toe Up Socks
• Lynn R - Baby Sweater
• Beth R - Knit 1 Below Sock
• Mary S - Berroco Tonia
• JaneAnn S - Unloved yarn project
• Laurie S - Fine Knit Ribbed Man Sweater
• Heidi S - Chunky Baby Blanket
• Margaret S - Shawl
• Teri S - Lace Shawl
• Janice T - WIPs bust on 5 overdue afghan squares
• Kelly T - Wandering the Moor
• Elizabeth V - 2 at once Socks
• Destiny W - Debbie Bliss Cardigan
• Missy W - Savannah Cardigan
• Mokihana W- WIPs busting: 2 blankets, shawl, toy giraffe
• Sherry W - Hoody, #15 Winter 10 Vogue
• Janice W - February Lady Sweater
• Paula W - spinning a 3-ply yarn
• Crispin Y - Top-down Baby Sweater
• Susan Z - spinning 8oz Shetland

If you think you should be on this list but don't see your name, or still want to sign up before 5pm tonight, just comment to this post!

every reason you ever needed to knit toe-up socks

Greetings, readers! Today I am taking over blogging duty for Sarah to talk a bit about my book, Toe-Up! Patterns and Worksheets to Whip Your Sock Knitting Into Shape. Sarah was kind enough to volunteer her blog as a stop on my blog book tour (you can see all the details of the tour at the Toe-Up! website). Sarah mentioned that she is in full-on Olympic knitting preparation, and asked which socks from Toe-Up! might be good Olympic event candidates. My first suggestion, if you've never knit toe-up socks before, is to attempt your first pair. What better time than during the Olympics? To inspire you, here's a shot of the basic sock pattern from Toe-Up!, called the Mix-and-Match Rib Sock Recipe. The Mix-and-Match Rib sock pattern gives a selection of six different rib patterns that you can knit in a range of sizes from newborn to men's. If you're already a proficient sock knitter, Toe-Up! has several patterns that can provide you with a challenging Olympic knitting project. If you're itching to try some colorwork (and love to knit things that look a lot harder than they are), pick your three favorite colors (one light, one dark and one in-between) and cast on for Fjordland. Even if you're a bit intimidated by colorwork, the combination of knits and purls used for this pattern has a tendency to even out the color stitches (and it looks really impressive). For colorwork aficionados (and fans of The Big Lebowski), we have The Dude Abides, a stranded design inspired by Jeff Lebowski's sweater. For knitters looking for more of a challenge, there's Spring in Oregon, which has a knitted-on cuff that runs perpendicular to the leg of the sock. Or Vortex, for cable-lovers. And finally, the most challenging sock in the book, worthy of the most stalwart of Olympians, is Sakura. With bobbles, traveling stitches and lace, there's something for everyone in these socks! If you're still not sure that your Olympic knitting is challenging enough, why not design your own socks? Toe-Up! provides you with a series of worksheets that will enable you to crunch the numbers, allowing you to add your favorite toes and heels to any sock you want to knit. Whatever you choose to knit during the Olympics, enjoy! I'll be knitting away on my socks while watching curling, ice skating, downhill skiing and any other events I happen to stumble across. While I'm not taking on an official Olympic knitting challenge, I am planning to take full advantage of all the television time to get some serious knitting done!

******************************************************************************************************

Sarah here - Thank you Chrissy for the fabulous post, and for the great Olympic inspiration! To further inspire your sock and Olympic knitting, we are having a contest. Leave a comment on Chrissy's post here telling us about your own sock knitting, and we will select a winner to receive a copy of Chrissy's book!

But that's not all! Register with Team KAH (see this post for more info) for the 2010 Winter Knitting Olympics and select a pattern from Chrissy's book as your Olympic project, and we will select one sock knitter who wins Gold to ALSO win a copy of Chrissy's book! That's two opportunities to win!

Thank you, Chrissy!

2010 Winter Knitting Olympics: Join TEAM KAH!

If you were around KAH four years ago for the last Winter Olympics, you probably remember the exciting Knitting Winter Olympics that went along with them! If not - here's your opportunity to win Olympic Gold (AKA a $10 gift card to KAH)!

This is how it works:

 

Who: anyone who wants to take on a personal challenge can participate.

 

What: you must choose and commit to a knitting, crochet, or spinning project that is a personal challenge to you.

 

When: you must begin when the flame is lit during the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies on February 12, 2010 and finish before the flame goes out at Closing Ceremonies on February 28. That's 16 days.

 

How: you must register your chosen "challenge" here at the store before 5pm PST on February 12. To register you may stop in and sign up, or leave a comment to this post with your project, name, and contact email. To win Gold (and collect your prize), you must bring your completed project to the store between Mar 2-5. Long distance web participants can email a picture of their project during the week following the Olympics to customerservice-AT-knotanotherhat-DOT-com. 

 

Take the challenge! You can follow Team KAH's progress during the Olympics here on the KAH Blog. I'll post in a couple of days with my Olympic hopeful goals...Go Team KAH!

 

 This is the official Team KAH button - feel free to add to your blog or webpage!

gumbal sale tomorrow - web customers, too!

Don't forget our 5th Annual Gumball Sale tomorrow, Saturday the 16th from 10am to 5pm!

 

If you missed the Sale last year, this is your chance to grab some big savings! For one day only, the entire store will be 10% off*, and you can grab a bonus discount by taking a turn at the gumball machine! The available gumballs will range from an extra 5% to 90% off! There are a few rules:

• Only one gumball per customer. You may make more than one purchase at the storewide discount level, but may only use the gumball discount once.
• You must select everything you would like to purchase before selecting your gumball. Selecting your gumball is the last step prior to payment. NO ADDING TO YOUR PURCHASE, NO SUBTRACTING.
• Minimum discount is 10%, maximum discount possible is 100%.
• When the gumballs are gone, so are the extra discounts! (Storewide 10% off will be in effect all day).
  

Web customers, this includes you, too!: Submit your order between 10:00am-5:00pm PST on Saturday, Jan 16th, and we will have a stand-in take a turn at the gumball machine to earn your extra discount! (Discounts won't show in your order confirmation online but will be applied and will be reflected on your receipt). 

dusting off an oldie-but-goodie

I hope you all had a swell Thanksgiving weekend - I know I did.

This is the hardest time of year to blog, because there is so much gift-knitting going on that cannot be shared in a public forum because of prying eyes! You will just have to wait until the New Year to see some of the beautiful things coming off my needles right now . . .

. . . But in the meantime, I have a new shop sample and pattern to share with you! Many of you are familiar with my Raglan Bolero, a sample I worked up for the now-discontinued Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky. For a long time now that pattern has needed to be re-worked to add some important sizing - namely anything bigger than a 36" chest. So when the new Cascade 128 Superwash Merino arrived at the store, this was just the excuse I needed!

• Pattern: Bulky Raglan Bolero, by moi! Available for $5 as a download here.
• Yarn: Cascade 128 Superwash Merino (128 yds/100g, 100% merino), 2 skeins (pictured in #893, Ruby)
• Needles: US 10 1/2 (6,5mm)
• Gauge: 14 sts = 4" 

 So - this new and improved pattern has four sizes (32", 35", 39", 42") and takes just 2 to 3 skeins of the Cascade 128 Superwash Merino. It is so quick to knit on size 10 1/2 needles - it just flies.

This bulky merino from Cascade, new this Fall, has me more excited than most recent arrivals to the market, simply because of its utter softness and its washability. I have repeatedly pulled it for project after project since its arrival a month ago. And because it is slightly bulky, projects knit with this yarn go so quickly! It is my new go-to baby yarn. And you can take it from me: this yarn is SOFT. Truly, truly soft. AND: my new sample bolero was washed in the washer - so I can attest to this yarn's ability to be washed and dried in the machine! And with such a great palette of colors - including heathers - you can knit one for each holiday outfit this season - fantastico!

Don't despair - the previous pattern is still available, but it has been renamed "Superchunky Raglan Bolero" due to its gauge of 2.75 sts =1". You can download it as well! Enjoy!

beautiful new sample

We have a gorgeous new sample here in the shop, just in time for our last week of savings with October's Yarn of the Month!

• Pattern: coco knits Katarina
• Size: Small (33-36") (available up to size 46")
• Yarn: Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Worsted (75 wool/25 alpaca, 215yds/100g) 5 balls in Lavender Heather #0712
• Needles: US 7

 My amazing sample knitter, Maribel, finished this just in the nick of time! Creative Focus Worsted has one more week as the yarn-of-the-month, plenty of time for people to grab some great savings. Regularly $8.90 a ball, it's currently on sale for $7.20 - for 215 yards!

The wide garter stitch edgings around the neck and fronts create an easy-to-wear look for a wide range of sizes. You can close it up tightly by overlapping the fronts, or let it hang open casually for a drapier style.

The cuffs widen at the bottom in a repeat of the garter motif of the shawl collar.

(We have ours closed with an Annie Adams Shawl Stick in Twig)

A little spot of Spring on a dreary rainy day!

check out that cover!

 

 

 

Another design by

Nichole gets published,

and this time snags the cover of the

Knit Simple Holiday 2009 issue!

 

The designer herself is offering this cute holiday cabled shrug as a class in November - sign up today (click the link to see the back view)!

the trunk show that almost wasn't

WHEW! That's the sound of me (and Soho Publishing) breathing a huge sigh of relief!

On Wednesday I was supposed to receive a trunk show from Soho (publishers of Vogue Knitting) that included all of the even-numbered garments from the Fall 2009 Vogue Knitting.

I received a box. That was leaking soil. (Yes, soil.)

I opened the box (in front of my FedEx guy, thank goodness). Inside was this:

No sweaters. No paperwork. Nothing even resembling a passing whif of knitwear. Just seedlings - lots and lots of seedlings. Four flats worth of 1cm(square) cells of Primrose seedlings. And lots and lots of dirt. (Can you imagine now how I might have started to feel kind of sick?)

Phone calls were made, weird, bizarre circumstances were imagined, the worse was expected. The worse being, of course, that all the sweaters/pieces (HALF THE ISSUE!) had been stolen somehow during its overnight trip from the Soho offices in NY to my door in OR.

And wouldn't you know it? In the course of 24 hours FedEx tracked down the lost and lonesome and boxless sweaters, and this morning, merely 48 hours later, they arrived.

WHEW!

And now we are enjoying these lovely pieces through next Tuesday (more literally, in the above picture I am enjoying #30, Loose Fitting Cardigan). Stop on by and say Hello, and try on a sweater or two. While the trunk show is here receive 10% of your purchase of the supplies to knit a project in the Fall Vogue or Holiday Knit Simple.

After all, they went through quite a lot to come see us!

A designer in our midst!!!

ETA: The new Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Chunky (as well as its little sister DLT Aran) can now be found on the website HERE!

Woo hoo - check this out. Recognize the above picture? It's from the Fall 2009 Vogue Knitting, and it is designed by our very own Nichole Reese! Many of you know Nichole from seeing her here in the shop, but did you also know she is a successful knitwear designer? Her entire pattern line, bluegirl knits, can be found on our site, available as instant downloads. One of our favs? The Machu Picchu Hat:

This warm earflap hat is knit with one skein each of Alpaca With A Twist Big Baby. . . delicious.

Another favorite, (and I swear I'm not biased just because it's my cutey-pie modeling...) the just-released Little Miss Sunshine:

This lovely is knit out of Bambino, the good-feeling and make-you-feel-good yarn by Be Sweet. Its blend of organic cotton and bamboo is perfect for kids' stuff. This pattern would also work with any other dk or light-worsted weight yarn. 

So let's all give Nichole three cheers for her first published design - and keep your eyes out for more great designs by Nichole in upcoming publications!  

Nichole can be found on ravelry as yarnpusher.

More trunk show goodness!

We are excited to offer you the Gardiner Yarnworks Lovin' Lace trunk show! Now through Sept 10 you can view 12 lace designs by Chrissy Gardiner and friends on display at the shop!

Included are:

• Any-Gauge Reversible Pinecone Scarf in 2 different gauges of yarn
• Toe The Line Shawl (which you probably remember I knit a couple months ago)
• One Night Stand Scarf
• Kiwassa Shawl
• Path of Flowers Shawl
• Ivy Wrap
• Cannon Beach V-Neck (XS to 5X)
• Midnight Lace Scarf
• Scarf for Ptesan-Wi
• Boomerang Scarf
• Cappuccino Scarf

Stop by soon, or shop virtually and order any of Chrissy's patterns as .pdf downloads from our website!

Lovely Lace and a Little Contest

A few weeks ago Purlaway held our 2nd workshop, Spring Into Lace with Portland knitwear designer Chrissy Gardiner. The workshop was fantastic (for pictures, comments, and swag details click here). We had such a good time, lots of fabulous attendees, and of course, a great goody bag.

The pattern worked for the class was Chrissy's Toe The Line Shawl. After helping people all day back up, fix mistakes, etc, I figured that I knew that shawl pattern as well as I ever would, so I may as well cast on. I already had some Alpaca Lace that I hand-dyed at a KAH Dye Workshop last year, so viola! I knit me a little shawl!

• Pattern: Toe The Line, by Gardiner Yarnworks
• Yarn: Henry's Attic Alpaca Lace, hand-dyed by moi, 1.7oz or about 590 yards
• Size: 9 repeats of lace pattern, then edging

• Needles: 24" addi Lace needle size US5 (3,75mm) 

This was a furious little knit for me - in speed, I mean (not in aggravation). It's been a long time since I've done any kind of lace, so I was very captivated and engaged. I just wanted to keep going and going. I debated going to 10 repeats (it's so hard to tell when it's still on the needles!), but I'm glad I went with just 9 (thanks Nichole, for talking me out of 10 and the extra couple of hours of knitting that would have required!).

It's been hard to catch a sunny day to do a photoshoot. Scratch that - a sunny day when I'm not in lounge/pajama pants. Sunday was beautiful, but I was focused on gardening and forgot about photos altogether.  

On to the contest part of this post! I was very surprised to only use less than half of my skein of alpaca lace for this shawl! I have approximately 2.3 oz, or about 720 yards, left of this yarn. It's dyed a cool silver/purple colorway, and it could be yours! Just leave a comment on this post with your own feelings about knitting (or NOT knitting) lace, and you'll be entered in the drawing for the remaining Alpaca Lace and 1 Gardiner Yarnworks lace pattern of your choice!

The drawing will be done a week from now on May 27th, and the winner announced on the 28th. So c'mon - how do you really feel about lace?!