knot another hat

My Top 5 Go-To Gift Patterns

Even selfish knitters like myself find a need for a knitted gift here and there. I pretty rarely knit for others, but sometimes it just feels right (I like to think us knitters have a certain intuition for knowing when a hand-knitted gift is just what the doctor ordered). 

I took a look through ALLLL my projects on Ravelry, specifically at those that were knit as gifts. I was looking for the common themes, or even for repeats (I don't often knit anything twice), and I found that I have some favorite gift projects that I want to share with you. 

#5 Socks

Whether lightweight, midweight, or boot weight, knitted socks are something I have gifted repeatedly (but only to the REALLY deserving!). I have made a total of 23 pairs of socks for others, ranging from kids socks to size 12 men's socks. That's 46 socks! (Remember that time I had to make the SAME pair twice?) I mostly just follow one of my plain vanilla sock patterns for socks on 2 circular needles, because I don't have to think about it. Socks are definitely a bigger time commitment - a pair can take anywhere from a week to a month, depending on the weight of your yarn and your speed. Here's a throwback to some matching socks I made for Jason and wee baby Campbell, about 13 years ago: 

#4 Seamless Baby Cardigan

This neck-down, seamless cardigan is so quick to knit, even if you put a giant skull and crossbones in the back. ;) I have made this several times for friends' wee ones, both plain and with pictures knit into the back. In worsted weight a 4.5 sts/inch, you can knit one of these up in under a week. I especially like adding little custom details like a few rows of contrast colored edging. Here is the Skully Girl sweater I knit for a new babe in the family a few years ago: 

#3 The Diamond Slouch Hat

This one is actually one of my own designs, and I've made it several times as gifts for friends with milestone birthdays. The pattern is easy yet has enough going on to be entertaining, and it's worked in light worsted weight, making it doable in a weekend. It's a flattering hat that doesn't crush hair, which is always important (to me, at least). Here's my original diamond slouch: 

#2 The Honey Cowl

This easy cowl makes such a great gift, and can be especially good for using that unique skein of hand-dyed yarn. The slip stitch pattern is easily memorized, and there are two size options: a shorter length, or a long length for doubling. This is great if you are short on time; the smaller version can be knit in a couple of days, and the longer version in about a week. I still wear my almost-black honey cowl daily during the winter, but my favorite might be this version I knit in Knitted Wit's Reforestation - the special colorway she dyed to support the re-building of the Gorge trails after the disastrous fire in 2017:

#1 The Wurm

Aside from plain socks, this might is my most repeated project, as to date I have made no fewer than 5 Wurms. To me this might just be the perfect hat - the slouchy fit means it never crushes your hair, and it works in a nice range of heavy sport to DK weight yarns. Start to finish the Wurm can be knitted in about 6 hours. Over the years I have made Wurms out of alpaca, wool, and silk/cashmere blends, and they've all turned out great. Here is the Wurm I made for my mom a couple years ago in Feederbrook Farms Entropy DK: 

There you have it! I'd love to hear in the comments what some of your favorite gift projects are! 

Happy Hour Project Club has launched!

Our first month's installment of the Happy Hour Project Club launched on Wednesday - cheers! 

Sometimes after a night out, you might feel a little ... swirly. Sometimes, you feel a lotta swirly. Either side of this cute colorwork cowl will have you covered, no matter HOW you feel! 

Introducing Swirly:

Swirly is a stranded colorwork cowl, knit using Stonehedge Crazy (each skein is completely one of a kind!) and Berroco Ultra Wool DK. The cowl is two-sided and extra warm, with a large swirl motif on one side and a small swirl motif on the other. 

The rest of the Happy Hour package included a della Q project bag ("Work Less ... knit more!"), a custom made knitting themed stone coaster, and a recipe for one of my favorite cocktails, the Basil Gimlet. 

Cheers! 

It was an Olive kind of week ...

With fresh inspiration from the Olive Knits  book signing party, I immediately casted on the North Channel Collared Cardigan the next day. A week later (roughly 4.5 days of knitting time) - I bound off the last stitch! And can I tell you how much I LOVE this sweater? 

Marie gave me some important advice sometime last year ... she said we women often have the compulsion to knit something long enough to cover up our less favorite parts (for me - my derriere). While longer cardigans have their place (and are definitely some of my favorites to wear), sometimes it's better to go with a shorter piece that can be layered over a longer piece. I decided to take this advice and make this sweater the length intended and resist my usual urge to go longer. Her pattern notes also indicated that this design had more positive ease than most, so I took that into consideration and chose a size that would fit closely, as intended (a size that is for a finished bust that is actually smaller than mine). Ending result? Love love love. 

So of course, having knit one sweater in a few days convinced me that I should immediately cast on another. This time I'm going for the Shoreline Cardigan, and using The Fibre Co Luma in Sherry. This time I am knitting my normal bust-aligning size, due to more (brilliant) pattern notes that describe the fit and stitch of this particular piece. And I can tell I'm going to love this one as well. 

All this new thinking regarding sweater length nudged me to pull out an older Olive, the Stillwater cardigan. I don't tend to wear this one much because it is a shorter length, but I grabbed a swingy little black dress and paired the Stillwater over the top, and it was perfection, and a great ending to an all-around Olive-y week of knitting. 

Today in the shop we kicked off our three-day Cocoknits Sweater Method intensive. These knitters are rockstars! Everyone surpassed our expectations for Day 1 and is off and running on their sweaters. I can't wait to see what progress they have made by tomorrow's class! 

 

Our weekend with Olive Knits

Whew! Are we lucky or what? 

I had the good fortune to spend several days with Marie Greene of Olive Knits a week back, and boy do we have a good time! 

We kicked off Marie's visit with a book launch party celebrating her new book, Seamless Sweaters in 2 Weeks. Marie brought aaaallllllll the sweaters from the book for us to drool over. I immediately picked out three must-knits (and I mean, I'll start them now). (I actually mean I just finished one yesterday.)

Marie graciously spent the evening chatting it up with our great customers and signing their books. (Signed copies of Marie's book are available in-store or online at Waucoma Books.) I have to give a huge thank-you to Ingrid (#saturdayshopgirl), who snapped most of these pics! 

Sisters Sara and Amy (travelling from Boise and CA, respectively), showed up with the GENIUS idea of having their books spiral bound for easy pattern reading. 

After the book signing, we packed up and headed out to Dufur, OR for our annual Spring retreat, Knit Away From It All. We spend three days doing just about nothing, except knitting, snacking, and chatting. (We had a few adventurous knitters who got in some cross-country skiing.)

One of my favorite parts of the retreat is planning out the swag - I love giving my knitters gifts as much as Oprah loves giving her audience gifts. Swag this year included a mini-skein bundle from sew happy jane, a sheep enamel pin by gingiber, bath bombs, a hand-stamped bracelet by Lemon Kissed, chocolate by Mayana, and snacks by Siren Snacks. On top of this goodness we had swag from attendees, including hand-made bath salts from Melinda, a little llama and mini skein from Yvonne (LavenderSheep), champagne splits from Kate, lavender from Jill, a little tool set from Marie, a gorgeous hand-sewn tool caddies from Kara, and amazing hand-sewn zipper bags from Kathy (who ended up sick and couldn't come, WE MISSED YOU KATHY!).

While at the retreat, our knitters had exclusive access to a special pop-up shop of sew happy jane yarns and INK bags ... some of us may have found some new sweaters ... 

The entire weekend was magical, and the Dufur Valley did not disappoint on the beautiful, wintry, knitting weather (but with dry, safe roads - yay!). 

We even remembered to get a parting group shot to commemorate the weekend. :) 

Thanks to Marie and thanks to everyone who came to the book party and the retreat, from near and far! 

Oh - and those sweaters I want(ed) to start? Finished one yesterday, casting on another tomorrow. Stay tuned to Insta for the finished pictures of my North Channel Cardigan! 

 

New hat coming soon!

Our local teacher, Kirsten, is a tubular rockstar. She makes the tubular cast on and bind off look like magic. She's gearing up to teach her Tubular class this Spring, and she inspired me to get back on the tubular horse, so to speak. 

Earlier this Fall my youngest was given a great slouchy beanie. It's a commercial beanie, and very simple, but the look of the corrugated fabric (think a-la-Wurm) just begged to be turned into a handknit pattern. So when I decided I needed a medium to practice my tubular cast on, writing up a pattern for this beanie was the perfect solution! 

Et voila - the Carbon Copied to the Max, knit in Knitted Wit Big Sky Worsted, color First Frost. 

 

 

TNNA recap

TNNA bound in PDX with my Atenti Overnighter

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the annual needlearts trade show, also known as TNNA. This is the conference where retailers like me can see what's new in our industry and order for the Fall/Winter season. Manufacturers from all over the world bring their wares, and I spend four and a half days walking around like a wide-eyed zombie trying to take it all in.

I arrived in Columbus, OH on Thursday evening, charged up and ready to go. Friday I had an all-day class with Gale Zucker and Beverly Army Williams - it was called "Hands-on Mobile Photography and Writing". This class was AMAZING. These ladies really know their stuff, and it truly was hands-on. 

Gale giving us tips on lighting and backgrounds

 

Beverly teaching us mind mapping techniques.

There are so many vendors, so much color, so many new things ... Every year I spend the first half day trying to soak it all in, and then I invariably need a nap back in my room to let it percolate a bit. 

!!!!!

 

Display at The Fibre Co. booth

Baaah! Adorable sheep at the Feederbrook Farm booth

Several years ago TNNA decided to allow "cash and carry" at the show - meaning retailers like me get to actually buy product on the show floor to bring home. I love this new policy - it always felt so weird in past years to browse thousands of new products and then come home to my customers and say, "Yeah - it looked amazing! But you don't get to see it until it all arrives in a few months." Now I can actually bring home goodies to share RIGHT NOW - and whet everyone's appetite for what's to come! 

My haul (I fit it in my suitcase!!!)

 The other handy thing about cash and carry is being able to pick up yarn/patterns for shop samples (like the gorgeous scarf in Manos Fino pictured below), so the knitting can begin and the sample can be ready by the time the yarn arrives! 

Scarf in Manos Fino

Here are a few pictures of things that you can look forward to seeing at Knot Another Hat in the near future! 

Backyard Fibers Sport

 

Cashmere lace kits from Lux Adorna

All in all - it was a great trip. I got to spend time with my good friend and fellow shopowner Janet Avila, connect with people I've met over the years, and eat a TON of Jeni's Ice Cream. The whole trip was a nice little reset button. But - when you see this as you start your descent into PDX - 

- you know you're almost home, and that's a good feeling. 

knit night de mayo and other weird (non)traditions

So, everyone knows by now that the Cinco de Mayo holiday isn't a real thing, right? No, it's not Mexican Independence Day (that is September 16). And it's not a holiday that has long been celebrated in Mexico. It's about as real as Cinco de Quatro (and if you don't know that one - it's time for some Arrested Development!). Consequently, I skip right over that date on the calendar, in favor of this one....

May 31st. This is the day of our annual Knit Night de Mayo - the knit night where I bring a Barrel O'Fun (it's a real thing) of Sangria and unlimited Juanita's chips, and you all bring your best salsa or guacamole (or both) and try to win our contest. This funky tradition started back in 2013, and we had so much fun that first year we've had to do it ever since. 

The winner in each category gets a $25 gift card to the store. So what we're talking about here is this, folks: 

knit night + sangria + juanita's + salsa + guac + gift cards = the perfect excuse to show up! See you Wednesday! 

what summer means to me

This weekend is the Memorial Day Weekend holiday - traditionally called the official kick-off to summer. To celebrate the impending season, we're going to have a SALE! But first - here are 10 things that mean summer to me:

1. the "chtch chtch chtch chtch" of the sprinklers in the orchards (I don't really get to hear this one anymore. Sad face.)
2. planting flowers in beds and pots and watching them grow
3. rising early and being able to sit outside in the sun with my coffee
4. jason's mojitos
5. cherries, cherries, cherries 
6. summer rain storms
7. YMA camp and all it offers my girls
8. summer knitting (read: shawls) 
9. summer sunsets
10. 100 degree days when the air is so still you can swim through it - love it. 

I'd love to hear from you all about what means "summer" means to you. 

And on to the sale news! 

We want to help you welcome summer the right way, so we will behaving a Memorial Day Weekend Sale, May 27-29, online and in-store! Find warm-weather favorites at 25% off - yarns like Berroco Remix, Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy, MondoFil Japon, Shibui Twig, Manos Serena, and more! 

 

These yarns are just begging to be made into these great summer projects:  

Ishbel in MondoFil Japon	Slope in Shibui Twig	Filtering Daylight in Manos Serena
Essex in Berroco Cotolana	Diamond Slouch in Berroco Modern Cotton	Eavesdrop in Classic Elite Fortuna

          

to serial knit, or not

I've been musing on the idea of serial knitting (knitting a certain project more than once, even over and over). I don't do it*. This must put me over into "product knitter" territory, because I almost never feel the urge to knit something more than one time. But I'll come back to this in a minute. 

Let's digress to that time I had to knit something four times. 

My mom is a twin. One day she and her twin are on vacation together. Separately, they each go to the knit store in town. They each phone me from the store, and ask if I would please make them socks if they bought the yarn. First time, I said, "sure!" Second time, I said, "wow, your sister just asked me that, but ok."

Then the twins came back from vacation and delivered their yarns to me, one at a time. And wouldn't you know it, they had bought the same exact yarn. Same yarn, same colorway, same everything. Oh yay. 

(kind of reminds me of the time they showed up to their birthday party in essentially the same shirt and then both closed their eyes for their picture - let's revisit that for a moment, shall we? 

They're going to be super happy with me for this one.

 So, I had to make the same sock four times. And you thought Second Sock Syndrome was hard to deal with. 

No, you're not seeing double. That's four of the same g*d*$# socks.

Even the things I have knitted and loved the most don't compel me to knit them again. Sometimes I think I might, or even say I might, but I never do. 

How about you all - do you serial knit? Even large projects like sweaters? 

*The Fine Print: there are a few things I have serial knit in my life - like 6 matching striped ski hats so my Six-Pack friends and I could look like dorks on the slopes (apparently there's no photographic evidence of these); or pussyhats for my whole family; or plain vanilla socks. I don't really feel these count. 

how about a little spring cleaning and some stash amnesty?

Spring is in the air! Well, maybe just the air in my head…But I am determined to make it Springtime here at the store. The great new cottons and DK weight yarns have me itching to start some warmer-weather tops and accessories (see last week's post). But the new yarns aren’t the only reason it feels like Spring around here—it’s the Spring cleaning! Or, rather, Spring organizing. I went after the chaos that is my office this week, and it feels like a much more productive space now. I'm going to do something really brave and share a picture of my workspace - all of you Type A peeps out there might want to look away. I swear to you it is controlled chaos. For reals. (Those of you brave enough can hop over to our Facebook page and flash your own controlled chaos!)

Are you thinking, gee, how tidy! No?

Spring cleaning isn’t just for my office - but for YOUR STASH as well!

I know - no one wants to really admit how much stash they may or may not have. Maybe it's a big Rubbermaid tote in the closet. Maybe it's 16 totes. Maybe it's entire rooms of your house. I DO NOT JUDGE (ahem, when your stash is so big you have a yarn store, cough cough). It's also high time to dig out those projects that have been languishing on the needles for too long. Take a good hard look and decide if it really is worth finishing, or not (and it’s OK to not finish something!). If you need help getting going again, bring it in! Please, please do not worry about bringing us something you didn’t buy from us—that is not why we’re here. We want to be a resource to our community of knitters and crocheters, and that means helping you all work on your projects! If you decide it’s not worth finishing a certain project, bring in those extra unused skeins for STASH AMNESTY. 

What on earth is STASH AMNESTY, you ask? We are willing to provide you the invaluable service of taking any unwanted stash off your hands - no matter what kind of yarn it is, how long ago you bought it, or if your aunt Mabel left it to you in her will. We will relieve you of the heavy burden of all that stash - just think of the hours of therapy we are saving you from!

In exchange for every 1 pound of stash you bring us on Saturday and Sunday, May 13/14, we'll give you $1 in KAH Cash*. 

That's right - we are going to PAY you to relieve you of that albatross around your neck. Got four pounds of acrylic sitting around? That's $4! That heavy cotton you thought was pretty 10 years ago? Turn it into new yarn with KAH Cash!

We'll take all of your newly liberated stash and use it for donations to Warming The Gorge and the local senior center crafters.

One final, important note: if you’re reading this and you are thinking, Gee, I don’t have a yarn stash, then get thee to the yarn store, and quick!!

 

*The inevitable fine print: only full skeins with intact ball bands will be accepted; KAH Cash not redeemable on sale yarn, classes, or events.

knitting for all seasons

Spring has sprung is trying to spring, and for so many of you folks that means less knitting time. I get it - the garden is calling, trails are begging to be biked and hiked, and the daylight hours just keep getting longer. But the arrival of Spring and warmer weather doesn't have to mean the end of knitting, which is why I want to talk to y'all about knitting for all seasons. Yes! Some people really do knit year round! It blows my mind when people walk into the store come September and they haven't knit since February. What? People stop knitting for the "off-season"? Surely not people I know, right? All joking aside, we do live in Oregon, and have our share of days when playing outside isn’t an option.  And don't forget all the other times we can be knitting (how much time do you spend waiting in doctor’s offices?).

If you don't know about some of your fair-weather knitting options, allow me to introduce you. Lightweight shawls, meet Knot Another Spring Knitter: 

claire de lune shawl in lavendersheep yakkity yak sock

Knot Another Spring Knitter, meet the 3-Color Cashmere Cowl in Lux Adorna Sport Cashmere: 

Or the lovely and lightweight Berroco Nebula, just begging to become a Dangling Conversation Shawl: 

berroco nebula

And what could be lighter than a mini skein? Try the Unicorn Parallelograms with 1 mini each of 20 colors tosh Unicorn Tails: 

So, you ask, what does my Spring knitting look like? I have just started Xanthe, in 3 colors of tosh Merino Light: 

 So - what are YOU going to cast on? For a little added incentive, Saturday is Double Rewards Day! That's right - every dollar spent earns twice the points, Saturday (May 6th) only! Or as my kids would say - it's X24U!

giving thanks

I certainly have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. The last few months have a been a whirlwind of moving the store, then barreling headlong into the 5th annual Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival. Neither venture would have been possible without YOU - my customers, my family, and my four amazing employees.

On the morning of our move, over 20 great customers showed up to help pack and haul totes full of yarn . . .

They stacked them almost to the ceiling . . . 

And we almost lost a few along the way . . . 

But in the end, you amazing people had Knot Another Hat entirely packed AND moved in just a mere 3 hours. By 11:30 we were in the new location, and the unpacking could begin. I know the saying, "Many hands make light work", but you all proved it true in ways I couldn't even have imagined. In no time at all, we were ready to debut this . . . 

. . . all because of amazing folks like you. This Thanksgiving, I'm giving thanks for community -  near, far, no matter where you find yourself this morning, if you are reading this you have been a part of the Knot Another Hat community in some way, and I am grateful! 

PS - Here at Knot Another Hat we have always chosen to #optKnitting on Black Friday - so you won't find us open after the holiday until Small Business Saturday - join us then for treats and great 2016 coupons! 

CGFF workshop spotlight: knitting polygons with Norah Gaughan

Years ago I knit a sweater that captivated me from start to finish - Norah Gaughan's Bubble Pullover from her groundbreaking book, Knitting Nature. It is made up of a series of hexagons that all connect to each other. I was fascinated by how Norah used these multi-sided shapes to create the body of the sweater, and by how well they came together to create flattering shape all around.

In Norah's class, Knitting Polygons, you will also feel the magic of knitting with these intriguing little shapes! You will learn all the tricks to using them to make garments that double as works of art.

Norah is a renowned knitwear designer and former design director of Berroco Yarns. Her use of shapes and mathematics in her work is well recognized throughout the knitting world. Norah authored the book Knitting Nature, and has created hundreds of designs for Berroco and other knitwear magazines such as Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits. She now freelances as a knitwear designer and teacher - and we are so lucky to have her join us this year at the CGFF!

To register for Norah's classes or any other 2015 CGFF workshops, visit our website.

CGFF workshop spotlight on nuno felting

Have you discovered nuno felting yet? Carin Engen is coming to the CGFF to share with you all the magic of turning fiber into fabric. Her Introduction class will introduce you to the tools, materials and methods used to literally paint with fiber. Or try your hand at designing your own felted purse - a work of art by any measure! And if you have previous experience with nuno felting, the Advanced class will take your skills to the next level, introducing you to new fibers and techniques.

Carin is an award winning fiber artist and workshop instructor who has been using her experimental, playful nature to explore felting and color seriously since 1992. She maintains a studio in Garberville, California where she produces a line of hand dyed wool fabric and fiber as well as her felt art. She is an enthusiastic teacher who encourages innovation in her students work.

To register for Carin's classes or any other 2015 CGFF workshops, visit our website.

CGFF workshop spotlight on Sarah Anderson

I love to spin - I know many of you do, as well. And as my spinning skills progressed over time, I came to achieve lovely, even, fine, smooth singles. But I've reached an impasse, where those lovely, even yarns are all I can create. If you're in the same boat I am, this class is for you.

Meet the soft corespun yarns of Sarah Anderson. Sarah is known for her incredible techniques for spinning designer yarns of all kinds, and my favorite just might be the soft corespun yarns. If you get your hands on these beauties, you won't want to let go. They are light, fluffy, bouncy. In class you will use top, locks, and batts to create intriguing textures that you can leave as singles or ply together for a cozy and warm finished yarn.

If you've had the pleasure of spinning with Sarah, then you already know she is an excellent teacher, warm and encouraging, with a great sense of humor. Classes with Sarah are not to be missed! For more information about Sarah, and to register for this class or any of her other classes at the 2015 Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival, see our website.

CGFF 2015 registration is open!

About a month ago I told you all about how the 5th Annual Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival (#cgff15) morphed its way into an amazing Fall event, and how I had been working hard to bring you fantastic vendors from around the Pacific Northwest, and incredible teachers from all over the country. 

Knitting ER - learn how to fix those mistakes!

Well - now you can register for those workshops! We have felting, spinning, knitting, drop spindling (beginner class even includes a spindle!), and rigid heddle weaving! We have instructors you know and love teaching topics you are passionate about. The response on the first day of registration was great and openings are disappearing left and right. This level of excitement just makes me anxious for it to be November already! 

Norah Gaughan sharing the secrets of designing with cables.

I have another fun CGFF announcement - this year we will have our first ever Banquet! On Saturday, November 7th we will gather at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum for a happy hour, dinner, music by The Quiet American, and a keynote address by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Tickets for the banquet are also on sale now!

River Gallery at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.

I really hope you can join us for the entire weekend party! 

bunches of hats, or how I lost the best hat ever

Last October I was lucky enough to get away to McMenamin's Edgefield for a girls' night with my bookclub. We had a great time relaxing, drinking wine, and soaking in the Edgefield soaking pool. And in all that fun, I lost my favorite hat. The loss is made even more poignant by the fact that I somehow never took a picture of this hat. Let's take a moment of silence to remember the amazing gradient Wurm that I made with no less than five colors of Shibui Pebble.

The photo that never happened.

Losing a hat doesn't have to be a terrible thing for a knitter, right? After all, it's a great excuse to knit yourself a gazillion new hats to make up for the lost one. Which I immediately set out to do, starting with finishing this one: 

• Flora's Cap by Churchmouse Yarns
• 1 skein each Shibui Pebble and Shibui Silk Cloud, in Brass
• US 2 (3.25mm) needles

 I like my Brassy Flora, but it didn't float my boat like my lost hat, so I made this:

• Corral by Justyna Lorkowska
• 1 skein Schoppel-Wolle Cashmere Queen in Purple
• US 6 (4mm) needles
• Mod: added a half repeat of lace motif for more slouch

And I like my Corral well enough, but, meh. So I made this:

• not another Wurm, by Katharina Nopp
• Shibui Baby Alpaca DK and tosh DK
• US 4 (3.5mm) and US 6 (4mm)

And this one is good, but...well, you get the picture. The lost perfect hat is always better in memory than three new ones. 

And, since I was apparently on a hat kick, I also made these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess that was a lot of hats for a three month period. I can't say that I've found my replacement yet, but continuing to try is half the fun, right? 

So what else have I been working on in the last 18 months?

As most already know, after the 2013 Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival I took the reigns of the show from its founder, LavenderSheep (AKA Yvonne to those of us that know her well!). In April of 2014 the CGFF returned for its fourth year and we had a bangup time. I loved getting to know all of the amazing vendors better, and we added a Happy Hour to the Friday evening marketplace opening, which just made it all the more merrier. 

 

Bumblebirch owner Sarah Kurth chatting up some festival attendees during 2014's Happy Hour.

After the 2014 show I realized the constraint our location was putting on the event. The location was lovely, but it didn't have any room to grow. We were always going to be limited to the same marketplace room (which held around 22 vendors), and just 3 classrooms. I scoured Hood River, trying to brainstorm another option that would allow us to grow while still fitting my vision of a small-ish, niche show. And then I found the perfect location - - it just wasn't in Hood River. 

Meet the Fort Dalles Readiness Center, located in The Dalles, Oregon, just 15 miles east of Hood River along the path of the mighty Columbia. 

I found this gem while scouting locations for my 20 year high school reunion, and I knew it was perfect. The new Platinum LEED Certified building offers a 10,000 sq ft marketplace area, and 3 state-of-the-art classrooms. Bonus? It's location is right next door to the campus of the Columbia Gorge Community College, meaning we would have classrooms galore at our disposal. 

Check out this view from the Marketplace floor:

More changes were in store.....right after the 2014 show, two other major events announced their dates for 2015 - and they were exactly the same dates as our traditional 3rd weekend in April. What does this have to do with our little special show? Essentially, it meant that all of the great instructors we could hope to host at the CGFF would be committed to these two large shows. And so a date change was in order. 

I could not be more excited for the 2015 CGFF, which will be held November 6-8, 2015. What more perfectly woolly time of year than early November, when we are dreaming of sweaters and beginning to think of the holidays? We have a STELLAR lineup of teachers coming in (check them out, as well as what they're teaching on the CGFF website). We have 40 vendors from around the Pacific Northwest who can't wait to show you what they've been creating (interested in vending? join our vendor list here). It's going to be one heck of a good time. 

I'll leave you with one last photo - this is a shot of The Dalles by Bill Carey Photography, from the northern shore of the Columbia. Absolutely beautiful. 

 

A Project Club is Born...

I have designed some things in the past. Periodically, inspiration strikes. I really love creating new things - I love finding a yarn or a stitch pattern so compelling that the ideas start flooding in and broadcasting their potential all over my brain. The only problem is this: I'm usually too busy to ever let those design seeds sneak in and start talking. Running the shop, maintaining the website, preparing for the 5th annual CGFF (save the date!) - - all of those great things conspire to keep creativity at bay.

Until last Friday. Finding myself home alone with a few free hours, I decided to update my Ravelry library. As I paged through all of my knitting books, my eye caught on the shelf with all of my stitch dictionaries. Vogue Stitchionary's and Harmony Guides...they just called to me. I started paging through ... and ... BOOM! 6 designs were born.

Once I got started it just kept snowballing! And best of all, when I would see a stitch that appealed to me, or a motif, I almost immediately pictured a yarn in the shop that would be perfect. After sketching out some plans, I ran down to the shop Saturday morning and grabbed up a bunch of goodies and got started. By Saturday night I had one prototype knit and 2 others underway. Because the yarns I chose were so much a part of each design, I decided the perfect vehicle to get these great designs in my customers' hands was through a "club" that provided the pattern AND the yarn together - and here we are. Presenting ....

Knot Another Hat 2015 Project Club! Think of it like your trusty farm CSA - investment now will provide fresh and inspiring projects for the next 6 months! Each month (beginning in June and running through November) Club Members will receive a goodie bag from Knot Another Hat with an exclusive* club pattern, the yarn to make the project, and a special treat. All 6 projects are accessories - fingerless mitts, hats, home decor, scarves, and more, and they use between one and four skeins of yarn. The fibers used will vary from wool to alpaca to silk to cotton, and techniques used include basic lace, basic cables, and basic two-color stranding. The value of the 6 months' worth of goods is over $285 - and the club price is only $250 (plus $30 for shipping if not local pickup).

Enrollment runs now through May 31st. All you have to do is choose from one of our 9 color palettes. These palettes serve as the inspiration for your Project colors, and are not exact representations of the colors that will be included. Each project will reflect that palette's general "feel".

It feels so good to have CREATED again! I hope you'll be able to join me in the next 6 months of fun! 

*Club patterns will not be available to the general public until 3 months after the club release date.

Top 10 Spinzilla finish for Team Knot Another Hat!

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a new fave...

Introducing Tea with Jam and Bread. 

 

Tea With Jam & Bread

This quick little top-down raglan is the quintessential Saturday sweater and my new fave FO. (But don't tell - I wore it this week on a Thursday. In fact, I bound off my second sleeve Wednesday afternoon and didn't even wait to block it - that's how excited I was to wear it). There is so much to love about this design, first and foremost being the comfortable, I-just-threw-this-on-but-isn't-it-fab style. Coming in a close second, really more like a first-and-a-half, are the pockets. I LOVE POCKETS. Pockets on tunics, pockets on skirts, pockets on dresses - pockets pockets pockets. Finally, this is a really well-crafted design, with lovely back neck shaping thoughtful raglan increases (no armpit poofing happening here). 

 

My timing on this sweater was perfect, since we woke up to a crisp 38 degrees this morning - fall is here. Luckily this lovely little number is knit out of another new fave: Classic Elite Majestic Tweed. We've had MT here since last Fall, but this was my first chance to get it on my needles and I quickly fell in love. The fiber combo is perfect: wool, angora, silk, nylon. Strength, shape memory, softness, and the inimitable angora haze. 

 

Tea, Back View

 

If you know me at all, you know that I very, very rarely make anything twice. But I would do it in a heartbeat with this sweater. 

I just need to pick out the colors. ;)

• Pattern: Tea with Jam and Bread by Heidi Kirrmaier
• Size: L1, 42.25" bust - ~3.5" positive ease on me (availalbe from children's size 4 to women's 54" bust) 
• Yarn: Classic Elite Majestic Tweed, 7 skeins violet #7256, 3 skeins charcoal #7275, 2 skeins butterscotch #7206.
• Gauge: 19 sts = 4" on US 7 (4.5mm) needles. 
• Upcoming class beginning October 17

My love affair with the clapotis

Aah, the Clapotis. The scarf/shawl that swept the nation, right? It debuted in the Fall 2004 issue of Knitty, and its popularity soared into the stratosphere and never came back down. It only boasts a mere twenty thousand projects on Ravelry, and that number doesn't even include all the people in the world that have made one and NOT bothered to add it to Ravelry.  

Clapotis #1, 2009

I, myself, have contributed four Clapotis (what's the plural of Clapotis? My French isn't that good) out of the twenty-plus thousand walking the Earth. My first was way behind the times; after all I knit it in 2009, a full five years after the pattern was first published. The second was a gift for my friend Nichole, and I made it in my friend Paula's handspun yarn. The third was more recent, and it is this Clapotis that reignited the flame.

Clapotis #2, 2009

Last Fall we brought in Dream in Color Starry, a fingering weight hand-dyed yarn with a subtly sparkle. I looked and looked for the perfect one-skein project to show off this yarn and couldn't find anything to my satisfaction. The colors of this yarn are deep and saturated, and anything with too much pattern going on was going to fight against both the dark colors and the sparkle. I don't know when or how the Clapotis came to mind, but once it did, it was clearly the perfect solution.

There was one problem - it was fingering (the Clapotis is for light worsted), and I didn't have enough yardage. So I did a little reconfiguring and turned that puppy into the perfect scarf. 

Clapotis #3, 2012

This past summer I found myself in need of a "brightly colored scarf" (I sing in a local choir, and this was a dress requirement for our Memorial Day concert). It was going to be hot in the concert venue, and Noro Taiyo Sock had the ideal mix of bright colors and cotton content - it took about 10 seconds for me to decide to make another modified Clapotis. 

Clapotis #4, 2013

I couldn't love it more. 

• Project: Clapotis, by Kate Gilbert from Knitty, Fall 2004
• Yarn: Dream in Color Starry, color Amethyst Ink (upper pic), and Noro Taiyo Sock, color 09 (lower pic)
• Needles: US 5 and US 7, respectively

Re-visiting an old favorite...

Fall has finally arrived here in Oregon. After weeks of temps in the upper 80s to low 90s, the wind blew in cooler air and rain and it is time. 

Time for sipping hot beverages, layering clothes, watching football, but most importantly, time for wool. This can mean different things to different people: spinning, knitting, weaving - or if you're me, all three. (No, not at once, although if I could figure out how...)

Since I have an unprecedented quiet weekend at home, I kicked off my personal celebration of Fall by going through the sweaters in my closet. There were over 35 of them, all hand-knit (OK, one was crocheted). A lot of them were made to be samples in the shop, and since I almost always make my own size, they come home to Chateau Le Keller when their usefulness has expired. I knew that the time was past due to sort out the winners from the losers, the lovelies from the fuglies, and PURGE. 

In the end, about 15 are headed to the Used Sample Sale coming up at the store (stay tuned for more on that!). About 3 went into my oldest's closet (yes, my oldest - at age 10 - is pretty near to being my same size). The rest are pretty evenly split between I-love-them-and-wear-them-all-the-time and I-don't-love-them-nor-wear-them-but-they-have-sentimental-value-and-I-can't-get-rid-of-them. 

And this long preamble is how I arrived at the old favorite...The Rogue Hoody. Do any of you remember this pattern? It was big news back in 2005/06 - pre-Ravelry days. I chose it to be my project for the very first ever Knitting Olympics, created by the Yarn Harlot for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Talk about a throwback: the shop was in its first year of existence and my youngest wasn't even a twinkle in my eye.

This sweater has it all going on - creative cables that give excellent shaping to waist and cuffs, beautifully tailored turned hems, a lovely hood with the perfect fit. I chose Cascade 220 in Cream to keep it classic and simple and durable - and it has held up well (here's my FO post from back in 2006 - cracks me up).  

 

Rogue, re-visited in 2013

Today, I put it on (I put on all of them in turn). I think I need to make this again . . . an updated Rogue, maybe in NatureSpun, or even (mmm) Debbie Bliss' BFL Aran. Don't you all agree? 

 

Spinzilla - a monster of a spinning week!

It's Spinzilla time! Spinzilla is the first-annual nationwide event of the Spinning and Weaving Group, part of the National NeedleArts Association. During the week of October 7-13, competing teams will challenge each other to see who can spin the most yarn. What's at stake? Prizes galore from a variety of contributors, and prizes here at the shop, and bragging rights, of course!

Join the Knot Another Hat team, and let's show what we can do! To sign up, go to the Registration website and choose team Knot Another Hat. Registration costs just $10.00, and the proceeds go toward funding mentoring programs in the needlearts - a great cause!

Signups are open from August 15th through September 23rd, and we are limited to 25 team members (virtual or local, doesn't matter) so don't delay!

And here's a little secret - all #teamKnotAnotherHat members will get 20% off all fiber in the shop between now and Oct 13! 

we <3 noro

 

New Koromo and Taiyo colors now in stock!

Contest! Win 15 great patterns!

We're kicking off our Winter Pattern Sale with a contest! You could win this amazing collection of 15 kids' designs!

Just leave us a comment on our Facebook post and mention which of our sale patterns you most would like to work on (link to sale immediately below), and we'll randomly select a winner on Wednesday, 1/23, at 3:00pm PST.

Follow this link to the sale: http://tinyurl.com/wps2013kah

it's a velvet kind of morning

I have been wanting to knit with Classic Elite's Portland Tweed since bringing it in to the shop almost three years ago. I can't believe it took this long, but I knew it needed to be just the right project. When I saw this in the Winter Knitty, I knew I had "the one".

• Pattern: Velvet Morning by Julie Crawford, from Winter Knitty bis 2011
• Yarn: Classic Elite Portland Tweed, 13 balls Tidal Foam, 1 each Best Teal, Amarinth, & Gull Gray
• Needles: US 7 (4.5mm)
• Mods: top-down sleeves knitted in the round

I really, really loved knitting this. So much so that I am making another one. {gasp!} I never, ever, hardly ever make anything twice. In fact, I've already casted on (see below). The only mod I made was to three needle bind off the shoulders, then pick up the sleeve stitches around the armhole and knit the sleeve from the top-down in the round, using the short-row set-in sleeve method. Why sew if you don't have to, right?

BUT! There's always a but. I do have a problem with the architecture of this piece: the lack of neck opening. When I first realized that the shoulders and back were going to have no neck shaping, I thought it was a mistake. But then I took a closer look at the pictures on the Knitty pattern page and realized this was indeed the intent of the design. So I went with it. See?

I find the result to be quite awkward to wear. I know the design is meant to be a "slouchy" sweater, but without a neck opening you can see how the shoulder seams are forced to hang way back on the shoulders. It's just not for me.

So on Round 2 I am going to add a wee bit 'o neck shaping to the fronts and the back so that the whole piece will sit more squarely at the top of my shoulders. I think the rest of the design still gives off enough of that "so comfy and slouchy you'll wear it every day" vibe. :)

Here's a sneak peek of Round 2:

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!