Tennessee Yarn store ~ The Knaughty Knitter

Some new things....

I've been in sock mode lately and I decided to do a Summer Sock Club - June, July, and August we'll meet and there will be a pattern and yarn and a short class for whatever new techniques are in the sock.  Part of doing this is to explore other sock techniques - I almost always use my really simple way of doing socks  - toe up and with an afterthought heel - and there are a lot of other interesting ways to do socks out there.  So each pattern will feature a couple of things that are different from my usual way of doing socks.  This is not a beginner's sock class, but if you generally can read and work your way through a pattern you'll do just fine.  You'll also get to use some different yarns than you may have used before.  I should know the dates for this one by the end of the weekend and will send them out in the knewsletter too.

Another new thing is an iphone app featuring the shops of downtown Murfreesbor0.  It just became available yesterday.  It's here - the droid version is still being worked on.  But it's kind of cool. 

This is a pile of projects I call

 
The It's All Lynne Vogel's Fault Pile.  I mean this in the best possible way.  I recently read through the Twisted Sisters Sock Book again and immediately went and spun some sock yarn.   It is a three ply yarn in superwash merino and I did them on size 4 needles so it is pretty tight and hopefully will last a long time.  I have only some cuff to go on one sock and I already love them even if will be too warm to wear them soon.  And you would never guess from the look of the fiber it would be like this, but surprises are good in spinning.

Then there are the little entrelac pieces....I saw some of Lynne's tiny entrelac done in hand spun singles and loved that too. So I recently decided to try some.  The purple one is on #4s, the green/blue is on #0s. In my memory hers were even smaller.... These will grow up to be little cowls that I can wear in the summer even (always cold...)  For some odd reason it didn't occur to me to change the yarn and work from the other end to have more control of the colors - at least not until I was part way through the second piece.  But I am okay with letting them be what they are.

In the process of knitting these I have fallen in love with Entrelac (I once said never again).  It is way easier when you can knit it both directions. (there'll be a class for entrelac this summer).  So I am starting another one this week in commercial yarn - it'll be bigger, with bigger blocks just because everything else I am knitting right now is on tiny needles.  I also want to knit more socks so I have another bit of superwash handspun yarn I did at the same time - it is next.  But what this means is that the first thing on my dyeing schedule for when the weather gets better is superwash fiber for spinning.

Happy Spring!

I spent Saturday evening and all day yesterday digging in the garden.  I dug asparagus beds and flower beds and the usual over abundance of ambition has hit the wall of "I am so tired" and I guess I won't do more for a couple of days.  Just knitting will fill my evening just fine tonight. 

There are some new colors of old favorites in this week - lots of linen - including some of the georgeous new hand dyed linen from Louet.  Some Kidlin and also Gems which we have not had in a while.  The lovely colors of the Gems are making me want to knit a pair of fair isle socks.....They sent a market bag pattern with the linen and so I will add a class for that to the schedule. It can be knitted or crocheted so you can choose which you prefer.  It even folds up into itself to make a nice little packet you can just stuff in your purse and carry til you need it.  The farmer's market starts in June so you have time to make a wonderful new bag for it.  I am also adding a felted "market bag" to the class schedule in the next day or so.  This one I have been carrying as a purse for a year or so and just made myself another one this weekend because I love it a lot.

I spent most of the day reorganizing and getting rid of some things so there'll be some changes you'll notice - makes it easier to see things when I do that.  I got rid of the stuffed donkey - the little girl down the street was totally thrilled to have him. 

Book Sale Today

Today lots of books are on sale - 20-30 percent off.  And...all magazines are 20% off just for today.

I just got a price list from Cascade yarns and thought I would let everyone know the price on Cascade 220 has gone up after many many years of no rise in the price.  So come get it at the old price for this week.  I am ordering from them on Tuesday and so  if there is something you want let me know by Tuesday.

 

Spring Spring Spring

Here are violets from in front of the store

 

I have finished writing the pattern for this shawl.  I think it is a perfect little spring shawl.  Light because the cotton & cashmere yarn just are and still warming for cool evenings. I would like someone to test knit it for me - this means you buy the yarn with a discount and get the pattern free to knit it, let me know of any issues with the pattern.  It would need to be done fairly quickly - no more than three weeks.  Let me know if you are interested.

 
Oh and tomorrow is the last day to sign up for sock class that starts the next Saturday.  Also magic loop is tomorrow and there is still room in that.

Annual St Patrick's Day/Happy Spring Sale

This year it'll be over three days!  On Thursday all green + mostly (50% +) green yarn is 20% off .  Friday there will be yarns and accessories on sale, come in and look for the green tags to know what's on sale - plus I will be putting a bunch more stuff on the clearance shelves too.  And Saturday selected books will be 20 to 30% off.  I'll just put piles of them out to pick through.  Don't forget the big box of 50% off patterns too, there are some great things in that box.

Here are some things......

Here are some of the February Secret Scarves - it was illusion knitting - so you can only see the hearts when you look at it at an angle.

 

Sanita made this adorable crocheted flower scarf

 

And here are what has distracted me for the last couple of days....Entrelac using active singles - (handspun yarns that are not plied and used fresh off the bobbin)
 
I am not completely thrilled with the way the colors worked our but still, it is addictive and interesting.  I am now working on a longways strip of entrelac, using size 0 needles and smaller yarn.

So Little Time, So Much Knitting

I am having one of those weeks when I want to knit everything - really I mean that, I can't see something interesting without going "Oh I should knit that"  So I have got a couple of more things going...and some waiting for a project to be finished so I can start another (like socks, I have made an agreement with myself that I finish the pair on the needles before starting another).  I have to batches of handspun sock yarn waiting for me to finish the socks I am doing now.  The problem is I have about four or five "Oh I have to knit that" skeins of ready made sock yarn waiting too.  I was spinning this morning and the absolutely wonderful little entrelac scarf I saw at Lynne Vogel's popped into my head - along with the variations I would do to it.  I am starting one today with almost active singles (I just dampened themon the niddy noddy to make it easier to knit with). 

 

Fortunately I am half way through the edging on the shawl I have been working on in Plymouth Vita yarn - a wonderful recycled cotton and cashmere  yarn.

 
I have most of the pattern written (which is good since the class for this shawl starts on the 21st). 
This stitches in this one are kind of different. 

And then this morning I look on Ravelry and the Mawelucky Love group is buzzing with a new mystery knit along....She writes the most incredibly lovely shawl patterns and so I am immediately sucked in.  I'll be using alpaca for the Birthday Pi shawl starting, of course, on 3/14 (Pi Day).  Thanks Abby for bringing this to my attention......at least it is for fingering weight yarn, cause I am pretty sure I shouldn't and couldn't face a lace weight pi shawl at the moment.  Anyone else up for it?  I'll help folk who are new to lace knitting if they want to join in......

It's not just

Random Yarn Porn....This is the newest sock yarn from Crystal Palace - Sausalito.  It is beautiful.  It sort of looks like they plied Mini Mochi and got these wonderful handspun looking colorways.  So it is not a single ply, which means it wears longer and it is still as soft.  If I had not just yesterday finished plying some hand dyed Merino superwash I would be using this stuff for my next pair of socks.  ...I feel a sock knitting frenzy coming on....

 

If you are in March Secret Scarf Club you will need size 10-10.5 needles - straight is fine and a cable needle (there are many of these at the store if you don't have them)........If you knit tightly bring a larger needle, if you are loose bring the smaller size.  I won't say any more about that now.   April Secret Scarf is now open for registration.  The class dates are Thursday April 7th at 5 or SAturday April 30 at 2pm. 

And Saturday we got some lovely spindles by  local woodworking guy.  The ones I have for sale are Mesquite wood with maple shafts.  I have been coveting and may keep the walnut one with the cherry shaft....I don't use a drop spindle much and may be convinced to let it go, but it will be hard.  I'm a sucker for hand turned wood things, especially nicely balanced drop spindles.  He also makes nostepinnes and we have a couple of those too. 

The cutest baby knits ever

are in the new book put out by Cascade.  60 Quick Baby Knits got here this morning and everything in it is just adorable.  The patterns call for Cascade 220 Superwash (which I don't have a lot of) but could easily be done in plain old Cascade 220 or Plymouth Encore. If you knit baby stuff, you gotta have this book.  Just sayin'.....