A book review and what I'm knitting

So, today's blog is all about what I've been doing lately when I'm not at the shop.

I read How to Knit a Love Song by Rachel Herron:

I'm a sucker for a good romance and this one kept my attention so much that I didn't knit, in favor of finishing the book!

(Did you get that? I. DIDN'T. KNIT. And I have some things to get done -- see later in this post for details.)

It was just the right amount of mushiness and a little bit of raciness which was ok too (it's a romance after all), and it's about knitting! There are even some references to Elizabeth Zimmerman in there. I put a link to Amazon if you click on the book title up there, in case you are interested in purchasing it. I checkede to see if my book supplier had it so I could have it in the shop, to no avail, so I'm sending you online.


WHAT I'M KNITTING:

I am one sleeve away from finishing my February Lady Sweater! I absolutely love how it is coming out. It really is a relatively simple pattern (top down). Class coming up starting at the end of May....


I'm hoping to be completely done by the end of the weekend.

I'm also working on the Lace Ribbon Scarf for a class (good for beginning lace knitters) coming up on May 15:


This is made with the Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors II sock yarn and I LOVE the color! Nice and bright. Once it is blocked, the pattern is really going to show well. I need to make some serious progress on it soon so I can have it as a sample in the shop.

I'm also working on finding a tank top or tee pattern for a class in June to use with the new yarn Haze (by Queensland) that came yesterday. I picked a pretty color (blues and periwinkles - of course) and can't wait to get started on it.

What else have I been doing when not at the shop? Brushing the cat (long haired cat + warmer weather= need I say more?). I'm really surprised she still comes near me when she sees the brush. She's had a couple of mats that I've been working on and she hates it. But the next day, she still jumps on my lap anyway.

CUSTOMER SHOW AND TELL:

Check out Lisa's gorgeous swirl scarf made with Mini Mochi sock yarn:

You wouldn't believe how soft this feels. Amazing (and it makes nice, comfy socks too).


Sally's baby blanket made with Ecore Colorspun:

Very cute and comfy.


Sue's handspun yarn, spun on a drop spindle:

Sue took the drop spindle class last weekend and came in 4 days later with another skein!

Don't forget the shop is closed this Sunday for Easter. For those who celebrate, enjoy the holiday!

A Special Knit Night

We had a wonderful "Nancy's Knit Night" last Friday! Lots of people came to knit (and munch on some goodies) in her honor:







Laurel brought some of Nancy's stash and, with this, we raised a nice amount of donations for The American Cancer Society and Wiawaka Holiday House to be given in Nancy's name:







Robin put together a great slide show on her computer, with pictures of Nancy at the shop and at Wiawaka:








And here are Christine and Sally with their version of no-knit cowls with some of Nancy's yarn!:



Gorgeous!

It was a really nice night and a great way to remember Nancy.





The next day, we had another Drop Spindle 101 class. Here they are, spinning away:






And here they are with their finished skeins:




More drop spindle classes are scheduled for May and June if you are interested. It's a great way to get introduced to spinning. And drop spindling is a portable/affordable obsession (I mean, hobby).





Customer Show and Tell:

Christina's first-ever non-rectangular-or-square project! This beautiful triangle prayer shawl made with Ecore in a drifting colorway:

Karyn's beautiful "Helleborus Yoke" sweater from the most recent KnitScene:

Amy's adorable Pebble Yoke Sweater made with Cashmerino Aran in a class here at the shop!:

Another class for this sweater is coming in June! Check out the classes here: www.spinningroom.net/classes.htm

Mari with her wonderful mobius cowl:

Darla's second (or maybe it was her first, but felted second) Constant Companion bag with the added pocket and needle felted flower! How cute is that?:

Kathy's mobius cowl made with Willow Tweed -- so pretty:

And her wonderful entrelac scarf made with the now-discontinued Nature Wool Multy:

More on what I'M knitting in the next post.....

Another sign of spring!

The mallard couple that comes to visit us a couple of times each spring. The pond is still frozen except for that little part in the middle (and some of the edges) so she's taking what she can get!


We've got some crocuses starting to come up too!


And here is Paige (age 2-almost-3), Candy's granddaughter, in her Pebble Yoke Sweater that Candy made in class:

Very cute!

First Day of Spring!

It was a great day at the shop on the first day of Spring, busy with classes and others dropping by to knit.

Here is the Felted Sheep Tote Class, working away...


And the Drop Spindle 101 class...


...who, for part of the class, got to go outside to the gazebo and enjoy the gorgeous weather!


And here they are with their finished, plied skeins:




The doors were open at the shop and a nice breeze came in --- such a welcome sign of Spring!



Customer Show and Tell:

Karen's 3rd mobius cowl made with a gorgeous color of Noro Kureyon:

(Since this picture was taken on Saturday, she has made her fourth and started her fifth!)

Lisa's beautiful Noro Kureyon felted hat:

Remember the 17" before picture in the last post?????

Laura's carseat blanket, two baby surprise sweaters and a cute matching hat:

So adorable! The sweater on the left has cute sheep buttons with wiggly legs...

Laura also brought this wonderful little skein in:

It's her OWN hand spun and plied yarn!

Mary Kate's complimentary socks (it's a pair, but each one has a slightly different pattern) made with Periwinkle Sheep sock yarn:

Bev's adorable hats made on a round knitting loom:

And her very first knitting with needles project!:

...with a cute little crocheted border.

Kathy's pretty scarf made from a vintage pattern in the new Piecework magazine:

Sue's Adult Surprise Jacket made with Encore Colorspun:

Her co-worker threatened to steal it if she left it unattended!

Lisa's Constant Companion bag made with Noro Kuryeon, Fetching Fingerless gloves made with Cashmerino Aran, and her Monkey Sock(s) made with ArtYarns Cashmere Sock Yarn.

Wonderful!

Suzanne's second-ever knitting project --- a scarf with a pattern, made with Encore:

Nancy's lap blanket, made with Encore:

Stevie's cute little socks made with Mini Mochi sock yarn:

Darla's Constant Companion Bag, made with Lamb's Pride Bulky:

Love that purple!

LOTS to show

So much to show you! Lots of customers stopped in to show their finished projects, and we also had the Knitting Olympics show-and-tell at the knit in last week. (Knitting Olympics projects will be abbreviated to "KO project" below.)


But first, look a this cutie who came to visit with his mom, Meagan:

This is Thomas and he is five months old. He was doing lots of smiling until I took out the camera!

And Nancy M. brought in these sweaters to show me. They were made by her grandmother when she was living in Poland and they were made with all different kinds of yarn in her own, made up pattern.

It's hard to tell in these pictures but the sweaters have all different textures because of the different scraps of yarn she was using (which she had to do since there wasn't enough money to buy yarn for a whole sweater).

On to show-and-tell:

Susan with her lace shawl made with an alpaca yarn:

Beautiful, and very soft too!


Lisa's hat made, with Noro Kureyon, that will be felted. Pre-felting, it measured 17 inches long!




Barb's beautiful ribbed scarf:

Tina's kimono made with Encore Tweed:

So cozy -- and the tweedy yarn is perfect for this pattern!



Linda's felted bowl:

...embellished with pretty wooden beads.

Amy's comfy Wonderful Wallaby made for her son:

....and her KO project -- a pair of socks!

I love the colors!

Lisa's baby sweater made with Encore Colorspun:

By the way, Lisa donated one of the Knitting Olympics prizes, a handmade wooden nostepinne (won by Diane G).

Ok, good segue.... the other prizes were:

A skein of Periwinkle Sheep sock yarn. (won by Mary Kate)

A skein of Silky Wool, with the nostespinne

Ravelry mugs (won by Nancy E and Joan T)

Ravelry Tote Bag (won by Elizabeth)

Ravelry glasses (won by Linda)

Nancy C's mobius cowl made in the class here at the shop with two colors of Silky Wool:

Ruth's Constant Companion felted bag:

Her first big project after learning how to knit!

Barbara's socks! (can't remember the yarn!)

Karen's mobius cowl made in the class here at the shop, with Dream in Color chunky yarn (I think!)

And her second one! ...made with the now-discontinued Nature Wool Multy :(

Lea's Nancy's Scarf made with mostly Baby Alpaca DK:

She made the scarf wider than the pattern called for - beautiful!

Darla's KO project - handspun yarn! so pretty....

Jackie's recent projects:

A baby blanket made with Encore, a hat and several skeins of yarn dyed with Kool-Aid!

Mary Kate's Fetching Fingerless Gloves made with Super Aussie:

Kathy's Celtic Cable Scarf made in the class here at the shop with Rialto DK:

Wonderful!

Deirdre's Thrummed Mittens made in the class here at the shop with her own mohair roving from her goats!:

Mary Jean's cute little baby hat (with a pom pom!) made with Dreambaby DK:

Elizabeth's KO project, a Baby Surprise Jacket made with Jeannee:

So cute! (sorry for the blurry picture....)

Trudi's KO project, a cardigan (can't remember the yarn!) embellished with buttons that she made herself! :

Lisa KO project, Brambleberry Vest:

Beautiful!

Deirder's KO project, a pair of socks:

Cheryl's very cute felted hat:

Sue's KO project, a felted bag:

Karyn's KO project, a beautiful Ishbel Shawl (love the color!):

And her OTHER KO project, her Pirates hat:

AND she had another project, the Traveling Woman Shawl, which was also very pretty but I didn't get a picture.

(Sorry some of these pictures are so dark - guess i was having some trouble with the camera!)

Kathy's Blooming Cotton Scarf made with Cotton Rich DK and Pima Tencel:

Gorgeous!

Pat's KO project, her very first pair of socks!

Barb's KO project, a cabled cowl made with Encore Chunky:

her first time with cables!

Kathy's KO project, her very first pair of gloves, made with Baby Alpaca DK:

So many beautiful finished projects! Keep them coming!