New yarn ‘caddies’ are in the shop.  Place your yarn in the clear vinyl bag…thread the yarn through the grommet/hole at the top, and off you go.  Never worry about your yarn falling on the floor (at your next meeting!) rolling under your seat (at the movies!) or getting in the dirt (at your kids practices!).  We have your yarn ‘covered’!

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The Spring 2010 Wild Fibers magazine arrived today! As usual, the articles and photographs are amazing journeys through countries which are a fiber enthusiast’s dream– the Peruvian Andes, The Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho (Russia) and into Whales.  Come in soon to pick up your copy–they usually sell out fast!

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If you’ve been part of the Tuesday knitting & coffee ‘klatch’, you know that Hazel has her own Olympics going.  She’s created her own slouch hat pattern and has knit one for every female member of her family!  You can pick up her pattern at the shop.  Please come by on Tuesdays between 4:00 and 6:00 for help from Hazel and a bit of fun as well.

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I am thrilled to announce that Creative Yarns will be hosting Maggi Jackson , the Irish designer behind the yarn line "Maggi Knits," the weekend before Stitches South in Atlanta. The dates are April 16-18, 2010, and we will be having a fashion show Friday evening, with a trunk show and classes to follow Saturday and Sunday. Maggi is well known for her innovative knit designs, and her cotton and linen yarns are perfect for Macon’s warm weather. But perhaps the nicest thing about hosting Maggi is Maggi herself! She has a delightful Irish accent, so you’ll enjoy listening to her no matter WHAT the topic, and she is expert at helping women knit items which flatter the figure, whether the figure is small, large, short or tall. Maggi teaches original knitting techniques which will lend any garment a couture quality, and this is not surprising, given that her background is that of a couture designer. Her classes are all "hands on," with clever titles like "Oh No. Not another scarf…." and every shop we’ve talked to that has hosted her says her approach to teaching has been enthusiastically received by their customers.

Our store is featuring Maggi’s Linen, which we’ve added to our inventory because it knits up quickly (the yarn pulls out with 3 strands), has a lot of yardage (126) for the money ($8.25/skein), AND is the perfect weight for Macon weather! The colors are stunning, and we have lots of patterns that can be used to make sweaters, skirts, sleeveless shells and wispy scarves. You can look at the selection of Maggi’s Linen on Maggi’s website or better yet, come by the store and let us show them to you.

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Those of you who watched me knitting away with the 1824 Wool know that I ended up “frogging” (rip-it, rip-it, rip-it) my too-wide sleeves. December found me knitting the sleeves again, and I also lengthened the sweater a bit. Two days before the 25th, I was able to pop it in a box and wrap it to put under the tree.  Patrick has been wearing it a lot ever since, as Macon’s weather has been so delightfully (?) winter-like these past few weeks! 1824 Wool is a merino superwash, so it is both soft and practical. I love the color combinations available for striped sweaters, and I urge each of you to try a “top down” sweater pattern, as there are no seams to sew up when you finish. Here’s the photo of the pattern and yarns I used (below)as well as the final product (above). 

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My favorite knitted gift from Christmas of 2008 will be replicated this year. The Composed Mitts

by Michele Rose Orne are perfect for the budding photographer in my family! The pattern calls for Sport Weight yarn–a luscious baby alpaca–from Blue Sky Alpacas . I spent several days arranging (and then re-arranging) the colors last year–there are so many from which to choose! I decided to go with the colors listed in the pattern.  The pattern was originally published in the Fall 2007 Interweave KNITS and can now be purchased through the Interweave store .

Give these mitts a try–the color chart is easy to follow and the resulting pattern is great fun to watch as it progresses.  Recently, Whitney completed a ‘photo shoot’ for one of her classes using her Composed Mitts .  It can’t get more satisfying than this!  Now to begin arranging the colors–something different for 2009!

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Our 5th Annual Komen Central Georgia fundraiser and our 1st Annual Knit-A-Tit-A-Thon have been an astounding success! Over 80 scarves were knitted and have been returned–ready for delivery. A total of 83 “Tit-Bits” have been knitted and stuffed; some are already in use.  We say a huge thank-you to all the women who participated in these events.

Some of our knitters weren’t satisfied with a mere week-end of knitting, and turned the Knit-A-Tit-A-Thon into a month-long contest! The first place prize goes to Jessica Pitts for knitting the most Tit-Bits and keeping the excitement going throughout the month. Jessica received a gift card for a full facial at Renaissance Plastic Surgery Center and a free car wash from Fountain Car Wash. She’ll be pampered and massaged for all of the long hours she spent knitting 13 Tit-Bits , then she can sport around town in a clean vehicle!

Natalie Seals came in second, with a total of 11 Tit-Bits, giving Jessica a run for the grand prize! She receives a beautiful necklace from Custom Framing on Ingleside Avenue and a $10 gift certificate from the Fountain of Juice.

Suzi Hamilton wrapped up the top three with a total of 8 Tit-Bits completed. For her dedication and hard work, Suzi gets a gift certificate for a free oil change at Raffield Tire Master. Hopefully this will keep her Jeep in great shape so she can come see us more often!

And along comes Sarah! Not aware of the on-going ‘contest’, Sarah (of the Second Saturday Knitters) knitted up 12 of the Tit-Bits! Sarah is an inspiration to all of us—with her long needles tucked under her arms, she’s a force to be reckoned with

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Socks…Socks…Socks

We have increased the class size for our Introduction to Charting class that will be held Thursday, November 19 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. This class focuses on using charts to visualize your knits before you pick up your needles. We start with several written stitch patterns and walk through converting the patterns into charts. Students then swatch their chart. Techniques learned prevent errors and tears! Students attending should bring graph paper, color pencils, pencils, yarn remnants, appropriate needles. Class Cost: $35, plus supplies.

Intermediate Toe-Up Socks is a two part class that will be held on Saturday, December 5 and Saturday, December 19 from 9-11 a.m. Designed for students who have some experience knitting socks, this class focuses on advanced sock knitting techniques like toe & heel variations, adapting for fit, arch & calf shaping and cast on variations. We use a basic sock pattern that allows you to customize your toe, heel, and stitch pattern. This free-spirited class is very hands-on and skills learned include short rows, Make 1 Right, Make 1 Left, and the Lifted 3-in-1 Increase. Class Cost: $50, plus supplies.
2 in 1 Socks is a two part class that will be held on Saturday, January 9 and Saturday, January 23 from 9-11 a.m. In this class we take a unique approach and knit one sock inside the other using a method similar to double knitting. When completed, you pull the socks apart. Appropriate for both toe-up and top-down socks, this method works for simple knit/purl sock patterns using dpns, magic loop or two circulars. Techniques learned include throwing yarn with both the left and right hand, decreasing, increasing, casting on and binding off. Class Cost: $50, plus supplies.

If you are interested in any (or all) of these classes, please let us know as soon as possible. Classes are limited to the first 6 registrations received and we expect them to fill up quickly! Call the store at 478.GO.KNIT (746-5648) right away.

Reminders…

Whether you’re just beginning , ready to tackle the next step , or a seasoned pro stuck on a project , we’ve a full range of classes designed to suit your needs.  We offer individual sessions and group classes (open or private) in knitting, crochet, felting and spinning.

Take a peek at our class schedule or give us a call at 478. 7GOKNIT (746-5648) to sign up today.

Spaces are limited.  Early reservation is encouraged. Registration is considered complete upon reciept of class fee. Classes are limited to registered students.

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If you’ve been looking for some new yarn to knit for fall look no further than Blue Sky Alpaca’s newest line of yarn: Spud and Chloe.

The new line offers three perfect weights for all of your knitting needs: chunky, worsted, and fine. The chunky yarn is called “Outer” and is made of 65% superwash wool / 35% organic cotton. It’s a great yarn for a quick knit project on larger needles.  The worsted weight yarn is called “Sweater” and is made of 55% superwash wool / 45% organic cotton, making it the perfect blend for any project.  The fine yarn is appropriately named “Fine” and is made of 80% superwash wool / 20% silk.  The silk adds a softness and sheen that most other sock weight and lace weight yarns do not have.

Susan B. Anderson, author and designer of the Itty Bitty Hat, Nursery, and Toys books, is blogging for the line and has been coming up with many cute (and free!) patterns for all three of the yarns.  Thus far, she has come up with a cute frog and rabbit pattern, a cupcake, kid socks, watermelon hat, and a hip cable scarf for men. One of the patterns our customers are loving is the “Braided Scarf” that uses only three skeins of Outer. Check out the pattern here: Braided Scarf

If you’re looking for some sweaters, leggings, arm warmers, hats, etc. to keep your hands happily knitting, we have all of their patterns in the store.  Our personal favorite pattern is the “Hoot Hat,” which is adorable on any baby.

We currently have their trunk show, so stop by and see what’s missing from your yarn stash!

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We had such a great turn out last night at the 5th Annual Komen Central GA Fundraiser!  Our wonderful customers helped us raise $700.  Donations to the Komen Central GA chapter will be appreciated and accepted throughout the month of October.  If you didn’t have a chance to pick up one of our scarf kits for the Bosom Buddies, we still have several left!

Thanks again to all that came out to support a truly great cause.

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