Technical difficulties to the extreme.

My work computer died yesterday - taking all the photos, files and other work related items with it. To top it off, Jenni's computer is also behaving weirdly. We think it's the heat. Cross your fingers for us! Maybe once it cools down again (we don't have A/C in our office), the computers will rise from the dead.

Luckily, I hadn't transferred all the photos from the store camera to my computer yet, so I do have some fun customer FO shots to share, in lieu of the many photos lost with my now expired desktop. Last Wednesday (and I have the time-stamp to prove it), Maile came in with a collection of Swirl Scarves she'd knit over the past year:

Nine in total. Amazing, huh? We had some fun photographing the collection, on Brook, as you can maybe tell...

(this was before the 100F+ weather we're having now, ick)

Maile told us that she loved the pattern because it was so easily memorized and quick to knit. She made Swirl Scarves as gifts for friends and family (many of these lot are destined to be Christmas gifts this year). Then she pulled out two really beautiful sets of wristlets she'd made using left-over ShibuiKnits Silk Cloud:

(and modelled:)

The pattern is in Arctic Knits, and to get gauge Maile held two strands of Silk Cloud double. I'm told (by Brook and Maile) that the finished effect is sinfully sumptuous. Being allergic to mohair, I could look but not touch. They looked magnificent, though. Good job, Maile! I wish I had a blog to link to, or a ravelry journal, so our readers could find more information on her FO's... Alas, it was not meant to be.

I have to admit that my favorite thing about the store blog is all the inventive and creative projects we get to document - all made by customers and staff members.

And, speaking of staff members, have you seen the adorable gingerbread men and women Marjorie made for Christmas in July? If not, have a peak:

Yes, those are indeed gingerbread people wearing icing bathing suits with fish and star sprinkles (it is summer!). This is the kind of thing I wouldn't dare make up. They were really yummy, but it was almost a shame to eat such hilarious cookies.

In closing, we'll leave you with a candid photo of Sandy Kay that Jenni absolutely insisted on:

When Sandy Kay discovered, whilst digging through her knitting bag, the remote to her home TV. Priceless.

Keep on the lookout for the new website (it's so close to launching, we can all taste it!), and a new blog layout. If you didn't read about the Big Project that's been stealing my time from the blog and other worthwhile duties, check out our most recent Newsletter.

Check back tomorrow, wherein we shall unveil a sample being made with our City of Roses Super Sock exclusive and share some pix from tonight's Girasole KAL. Until then, stay cool!

Can we pretend? (spoiler!)

I suppose I could have back-dated this post and no one would ever have known, but that would have been lying and, quite honestly, I doubt anyone would have believed it. So let's pretend instead that I actually updated the blog on Thursday and that we're right back on schedule.

First off: last Wednesday Patrick came in to finish up his unbelievable Seamless Yoke Sweater:

The pattern is in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Without Tears, Knitting Around and Knitting Workshop. Patrick adapted the pattern from his copy of Knitting Around. He and his "wife" made up a different Fair Isle pattern for the yoke and changed the ribbing to a 1x2 instead of a 2x2 but other than those teeny tiny details, it's the same pattern. Here's a shot of the yoke:

It kind of makes me think of a technicolor zebra*. Or, strangely, 1970s wallpaper. When Patrick came in he was already onto the neck ribbing and only had some minor finishing to do after that. I managed to drag it away from him to get a picture of it flat:

Do you see what I see? It's something indicative of extreme OCD or insanity or both. The sleeves match. Considering the fact that he is (probably "was" by now) knitting with Kauni, the odds of managing that are very difficult. The color of yarn, btw, is Kauni W-EH. I forgot to ask how many grams he'd needed. Sorry.

All madness put aside, I'm sure we all want to see it finished and modeled (hint, hint, Patrick). So maybe some cajoling will get him to wear it into the store.

Second: we have Wendy's recently completed Kauni mitts. I'm sure you remember Wendy and her EAT hat - if you don't, check this post out. The latest creative creation to come off her needles are a pair of Fair Isle and lace gauntlet-like mitts:

Admit it, they're awesome.

Made with Kauni W-EJ as the MC and W-EG as the CC. Wendy has told me that Kauni is her new favorite to work with, so we might be seeing many more improvised designs in coming months.

This is a Kauni-centric post, isn't it? It's interesting how projects can be tied together.

Third: Gratis Knits, please! The next Gratis Knits pattern is overdue. We're still looking for submissions. Seriously, if you have an original pattern for something springy click the link above and consider it.

Lastly, a bit of silliness. The photoshoot for the May Sock Club's pattern was last week, held at a super-secret location down the street. Hah. Here's Liz:

Who was this month's sock model. Thank you, Liz. And, just because you can already see it on ravelry by might not have yet, here's a SPOILER:

...

(feel free to skip this if you want to be surprised)

...

... our designer for May is none other than the reknowned and revered Cookie A. I've seen the pattern and it is lovely.

And I think that's everything that needed to be caught up. Cheers!

*It could happen.

Late Tuesday night...

I realised the blog hadn't been updated since last week.

My goodness, have we been busy. TNNA is coming up and we have to prepare for that, among other things like the Jared Flood workshops this week and Ruth Sorensen's visit next month. Of course, in the midst of all this excitement, we have daily excitements like "A"...

"A" is 8 years old and already a knitter, she and her mom dropped by to show off her first finished sock (the second one is already on the needles). The socks are being knit out of Cascade 220 Superwash using the Magic Loop method. And, as you may have noticed (like us), "A" is wearing A Good Stripe Dress from the Spring 2008 Interweave Knits that her mother knit for her... and I think I just found "A"s dress on ravelry. How adorable is the whole picture?

That's all I've got for now, aside from a couple of notices:

• HUGE shipment of Malabrigo arrived yesterday - a little of everything but Sock was included.
• If you still haven't picked up your Evening with Jared Flood ticket(s), now's the time - though we will be handing them out.
• A nice big box of Fleece Artist/ Handmaiden yarns and kits also arrived yesterday.
  

Have a great Wednesday!

we're not endorsing anyone, but...

Meriwether came in today with her finished Obama sweater:

Maybe a month ago, I helped her pick colors of Cascade 220 Superwash and ShibuiKnits Worsted Merino that matched one of his political posters. How awesome is that? Senator Obama's face is done entirely with intarsia in FIVE colors!

Okay, so it's awesome in a slightly crazy way. But we can get behind the slightly crazy here. If you'd like more information on how she knit it, you can check her ravelry notebook (she's promised to update it) or see her YouTube video: Obama knitter girl.

(And, seriously, if any of our readers are working on a McCain sweater (or hat, whatever), we'd be glad to feature it - Knit Purl is nonpartisan.)

Moving on to less inflammatory topics, we were visited by baby Kandyce last Thursday for our weekly Sip 'n' Stitch:

At 2 months and almost 10 lbs, she got passed around by Mommy's coworkers a lot. She also was very patient with 3M, who had never held a baby before. I wish I could have gotten a picture of her eyebrows - they are so expressive! Just adorable.

I would plotz more over her cuteness, but I just looked at the clock and time is running short. We just receive an update from Farrah, who is knitting us a sample Icarus Shawl in Isager's laceweight wool:

And a close-up:

Aside from us lacking some serious lace samples, we're also putting together a Miriam Felton display, for those of you who might be interested in her upcoming workshops but are still wary of the lace. It's gonna be awesome. I'm hoping we (Farrah and I) get our respective shawls done in time for Miriam's visit.

And, finally, we just received our first shipment of Happiest Girl sock yarn:

Dyed by Happiest Girl Dyeworks, in Portland, these are fantastic colors that you won't forget in a hurry. And, very especially, we have 4 (oops, now 3!) skeins of Halloween sock yarn, named Icabod. Grab it while you can.

That's it for now. I have some loooovely silk lace yarn for you on Thursday. And a swatch, too. It'll be nummy. Until then, happy knitting or crocheting!

FO pr0n & Skif KAL embarks

So much has been happening the past couple of days! Reorganizing after any knitting conference is always a huge undertaking, and we still have boxes of yarn sitting around waiting to be unpacked. Also, after getting another newsletter out, we are officially down to our last spot in the Sock Club. I have to admit, I began to wonder if we'd ever sell all 200 spots - but we almost have, and what a relief it is!

Well, mostly. We've been having some problems with USPS not delivering the September kits and the like. But, for the vast majority of our Club members, things have been moving along relatively smoothly.

Moving on. Patrick dropped by today to say "Hi" and to show off his super-hot, completely Rockstar, cardigan. The pattern is Oak from Rowan's The Organic Cotton Collection, and the yarn is Cotton Purelife in Quebracho & Cuba. Personally, I think the FO is goigeous:

He admitted that, technically, it wasn't truly a Finished Object as he had yet to find & sew on snaps. I still think it counts, since he could wear it. Am I right?

Next, we have a shop sample Patrick made for us, modelled by Enid: the Zenith Carpet Bag from Bag Style:

Knit with 3 skeins of ShibuiKnits Merino Alpaca. One minor alteration to the pattern: we decided to put the second set of smaller handles on the inside of the bag, for a more attractive look.

And, finally, a photo from the Skif CO Party on Tuesday night. I don't want to hear or see any comments about how we may look, since some people I won't name actually refused to be pictured at all. Cowards.

It was quite a lot of fun - wine, cheese and knitting, what else could one want? - and I think very successful. Quite pleasant all around.

Other than that? The new Fall Class List is up and the News & Events page updated. That's enough for now, I think.

a rockstar, updates, and an extremely late YarNews Flash

Have I got a Rockstar for all y'all. Today we were visited by Paula (no blog and not on ravelry, :sad:), who was eager to show off her finished "Joy" from Rowan Vintage Knits:

She used Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4-ply, which is now discontinued, and about 3 million beads (I'd guess). The finished sweater was beyond beautiful. Maybe we should be happy she's not on ravelry, it's hard not to feel like an underachiever by comparison, isn't it? Still, she definitely deserves Rockstar status.

As for updates... In the past week, LOTS has happened. Let's see...

1. Jenni, our beloved inventory specialist, had a baby girl yesterday who weighed in at 6lbs 9oz. I believe the name chosen is Kandyce. No photo yet, but maybe soon...
   
2. The August 15 Newsletter went out, woe unto me as the web orders person. (well, not really) And let me just tell you, if you want one of those Japanese books (like me :sigh:), there's going to be a little wait - we sold out in almost record time.
   
3. We received our special Koigu for the Sock Club and it is gorgeous. Simply beautiful. The gals at "No Mean Feet!" admitted to being awed last night. And the pattern to go with it? Exquisite, really. I can't wait to knit it for myself!
4. At a rapid pace, open space is diminishing in the Club. We're filling up spots so quickly, I can barely keep up with enrollment.
5. And last, but not least, I spoke with SOAK today and they are sending along not only our Sock Club goodies but a bunch of surprise treats for us to give away to participants.
   

In the YarNews section of this post, it's a bit embarrassing, but... We've had Noro Silk Garden sock in the store and in stock for a while now and it's still not on the web (it will be soon, if I have anything to say about it). Should you want a ball or two (or the new colors of Kureyon sock), drop by the store:

We got ya covered.

Shown above is also a Clapotis made with 1 skein of the Silk Garden sock in #269.

The final tidbit on my list of updates? My Skif #2, a Habu-happy Zena:

If you want to know all the yarns, well, check out my ravelry notebook or click on the picture and see the notes on the original image. The thought of linking all the yarns I'm using just makes me a little faint, honestly.

Rhapsody in ... Spruce?

We were visited by KnittingInMind from Seattle yesterday so she could show off her latest FO, a Rhapsody in Lace & Ruffles using ShibuiKnits Baby Alpaca DK:

Oh, yeah, feel the sweet alpaca bliss.

She decided that she wanted some more ShibuiKnits yarn for her next wicked WIP, which is when we (okay, 3M) managed to get an "action" shot, too:

(am I the only one reminded of Carmen?)

Anyway. We love to see beautiful (and even not-so-beautiful) WIPs, FOs, and crazy projects you might be planning. Bring 'em by the store and we just might post 'em all over the Interwebs.

Now, for those of you (unlike The Blogger, I think we have more than 2 subscribers*) who are more interested in crazy projects than beautiful FO's (I know you exist), here's some eye candy taken by The Blogger, who was a little trigger-happy yesterday and produced a collection d'art focused on our SKIF KAL progress:

Now, The Blogger's Zena makes me a little embarrassed because I didn't embrace the SKIF philosophy as much as my coworkers**. But, in my defense, at least I managed to get the organic feel of the pattern copacetic with my yarn choice.

The Blogger and I have been making steady progress, clearly, but one has to wonder: will we finish in time to walk down the Catwalk? Or, like so many knitters before us who didn't gauge their knitting time well, will we end up walking down that red carpet with half a sleeve un-knit, circular needles still hanging in distress, glaringly obvious?

Clearly I have no anxiety at all about finishing on time. Which explains perfectly why I bought enough yarn for another SKIF sweater yesterday***. As I have often said, denial was a necessary development in human evolution. Without it we'd never have left the caves, crossed any oceans, or CO that 13th pair of socks OTN just because.

And, anyway, that Tsumugi silk looks ever so nice in my stash right now.

*not many more than 2, admittedly.
**Yes, yes, I cheated. I admit it. Move on.
***Ha.

A Rock Star and the News

Where to begin... there is just so much news on the yarnfront... Mind you it's not good news. Tragic news is the best word to describe it actually. The best way to take the sting out a bit is to sandwich the news between some happy news.

Happy news: we have a rockstar in our midst and her name is Esther Hynes. Since Esther lives in California we do not have a current photo of her. I imagine she looks like this. Here is a picture of her with her sister.

As you know, rockin' is a tough job. You're traveling to the next gig, eating food on the road, and you need to make sure you look hot for the next show. You just wore the black lacy outfit at the last show and you'd like to bring out something colorful for that very special groupie you've had your eye on. Something like this:









The "Butterfly Poncho" from Knits from a Painter's Palette. It can be worn in two different ways making the costume changes between sets easy.

















You would really like to wear the "Kimono Jacket" that Maie Landra designed in the Vogue Anniverary issue, but you've been knitting for one year and you are only 25% done:


It uses a crazy amount of Koigu, but the color change keeps you entertained and the blues and greens really makes the color of your eyes pop. Perhaps you can finish on the way to your next gig in Portland. Yeah, 'cuz you're a Barracuda.

------------------


Now for somber news: in May the Malabrigo factory had a fire.

(Told you the news was tragic.) We will take the sharp inhalation of breath as a response similar to our own. We are sick. Pit-of-the-stomach-stabbing-pain sick.

The good news is the mill is still running, but because they are in Uruguay and have to deal with Uruguian bureaucracy, they haven't even been given the okay (as yet) to return to rebuild the warehouse, or start dyeing again.



The delay means any Malibrigo yarn available in the store right now is all we can get. All of it. I want Lace Baby in "Amoroso" for my next SKIF project, but it's not gonna happen. We would love to get more to you but we can't. Because they can't. Because of Uraguian beaurocracy, the space-time continuum, and the Ides of March. No more.

At least, no more for awhile. The rumor mill has the first Lace Baby being available sometime in April 2009. So there you go.

------------------

Now even more somber news (anyone need a therapist yet?): In keeping with the theme of rumors, or fires, or Pit-of-the-stomach-stabbing-pain we are loathe to announce...

You might need to sit down for this...

Our good buddy Lars (good ol' Lars), of Unicorn Book Publishing, told us the news...

We are loathe to announce: the warehouse fire that destroyed the master copies of Poetry in Stitches.

Yeah that's gonna sting for a bit. Try some aloe or some antibiotic ointment.


Can you even believe it? It seems getting a copy of this book is like trying to kill a windmill. So, the first editions that those smart knitters have (The Blogger is not one of them) is like gold, wrapped in platinum and coated in diamonds.


Eventually there will be more. For everyone who signed up on our list (all those names we painstakingly recorded) do not worry. We plan on making big announcements when we hear more about the return of the book. Just keep us updated on your shipping address if we are to mail your copy to you.

------------------

After all that gut-wrenching pain, I leave you with a bit-o-pretty:

Zena.
Isn't she just divine?












I sprinkled some Catherine Lowe Alpaca in the mix and now I must have more. See the pretty plum color (as opposed to the chocolate or blueberry color)?


Knitting it in was akin to heaven.


My yarn diet is collapsing in a big way.

Rockin' in the USA!

This is Jeff Friedman.

Perhaps you can tell by his twinkling eyes or his provocative smile; he is a rock star. The kind of rock star that brings serious mojo to the knitting circle full of hellfire and smokin' attitude. Nothing scares him. Especially not a technique steeped in historical significance: double knitting.
As you can see, he knit a hat. An ear flap hat with stripes and textured patterning around the brim. That makes him a particularly bold rock star. The kind that doesn't mind getting dirty.












All that and he's new to the land of knitting. Anna Makarovna would be proud.

Here's to you Jeff; keep on Rockin' in the USA!