Tennessee Yarn store ~ The Knaughty Knitter

Look what's new!

This alpaca yarn from Heart of the South Alpacas.  This yarn is like one that they donated for door prizes at the Fiber in the Boro and before they were picked up I used to go get them and just sit and feel them.  This was some of my favorite yarn of the festival and now it is here!  Alpaca fiber from here v. South American feels much different, somehow more substantial and solid than the South American.  When you come in next feel them both to compare - you'll be surprised.  These were grown here in Tennessee and mill spun.  They vary in weight and price, and are really wonderful.  No dyed ones though.  Just a bunch of colors of undyed fibers.....I got some spinning fiber too by the way.

I have added a hat class to the end of January's schedule.  It is a class where you can use any yarn, any needle, and make your own hat.  There are just some simple rules to remember and you don't need a pattern anymore! 

And I got an opportunity today to order some basic tapestry looms.  Is anyone interested in a tapestry weaving class?  Let me know and I will get them.

Gift Suggestion # ...oh who knows

But Thursday would be the last chance at getting a spinning wheel or loom here before the holidays.  I keep knitter's looms in stock but spinning wheels and the larger looms have to be shipped from the west coast so order today for delivery before Christmas.

Oh and yesterday was cowls....here's one I made this morning between customers.  1 skein, the pattern is free with purchase of Souffle by Berrocco....easy easy easy!

Introducing.....

Targhee Top from Mountain Colors...Targhee wool is very springy and lofty, a little goes  a long way.  I have a whole shawl out of 3 oz that I got from Folsom Farms (local wool we also carry)

 
And Lisa's Rag Bags. 

 She makes these from all recycled materials.  Each one is unique and you can only get them here.  I have one and I love it.

 

And re introducing River Twist, also from Mountain Colors.  It seems a bit expensive ----until you knit with it and then your only thoughts are along the lines of "Where have you been all my life"  New colors are in.
Mountain Colors yarns are the ones I used to buy when I would go out of town to other yarn stores - I still think of it as vacation yarn and knitting with River Twist is like taking a luxury vacation at a spa.

And here is a FO that sat in the UFO pile for years.  It started out as a vest  but I was really done making little squares and sewing so it became a shawl.  It is all Koigu.  Never be afraid to mix colors....

 It'll be hanging over by the Koigu in the store....you know, in case you need to see it.  Also out of Koigu is the June Secret Scarf.....here are the beginnings of a couple of them......

 

Spinning Group

is here tomorrow from 12-3...come join us and spin the afternoon away.

I have added some classes to the calendar for July that will help you tap into your creative side.  Check 'em out.  (Hint - if you want to take the freeform knitting & crochet class - take the beginning crochet class in June so you can practice.)

Okay I added socks too.....but a different way of doing socks than my usual toe up, afterthought heel - a more the "old fashioned" way - cuff down etc.  and this will be a little lace sock.  SO if you have made socks before, but don't quite get it and want to try them again this is a good class for you, or if you have never made socks before this'll work too.  I have two socks on the needles and one is made with interesting techniques - it makes the tiny yarn knitting go faster, so does making it lace.....I know it seems that would be harder, but trust me on this - I usually find sock knitting tedious and I am really liking the little lace one.

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.

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....

 

Cleaning Lady, New Socks, & Oh, Spinning This Saturday

I had one of those mornings where you take your time cause your running early for a change....Then it hits you - the cleaning lady is coming and you're NOT ready!  so there's a frantic 10 minutes of washing & putting the dishes away, cleaning up the yarn that is everywhere and then realizing you forgot to put makeup on as you pull in the driveway at work...At least I had these to make up for it.  They languished in the UFO pile for  2 years or so and now are very comfy socks that are making me want to knit more socks.....

 They are made of Fiesta Baby Boom  and are springy and soft.  Also a faster knit (if you do it all at once) cause it can be done on #3s.

Lace socks will be cast on on Mar 1st, along with a couple of scarves and cowls in handspun yarn - the list is growing  - which kind of defeats the purpose of February being for Finishing. 

Oh, there is spinning circle this Saturday from 12-3 - Jan says she will bring a DVD on spinning for us to watch, while we are spinning.

 

Here's what I am doing now

This weekend I went to the Sewanee Studio Tour thing and Lynne Vogel was doing all this amazing stuff with her tiny spun singles with active twist - weaving and knitting entrelac and it was really beautiful stuff....but I came back and decided that weaving even with commercial yarns in lace weight might be fun and pretty and I was right.  Here's what is on the loom right now

 It is Alpaca and Tencel hand dyed by Fiesta yarns.  It is shiney and soft and light as air.  I have enough in one skeing for at least two scarves - so I think the second one will be woven with some mohair and silk lace weight yarn in a solid color - Kid Seta I think will do well.  I might get the chance to spin up some singles tomorrow and use them in something interesting too.

And with the recent shipment of Farmhouse Yarns came more of Andy's Merino - a yarn that is totally irresistable for me.  It's a slightly felted single ply yarn, and butter soft.  Here's s cowl in the works.

 I am still trying to decide how big it'll be - if I stop now I can also get a pair of hand warmers out of the leftovers.  Cause after yesterday's icey cold temps I have decided it will be months before I ever leave the house without a hat, handwarmers or mittens and several layers of wool on my body.

And at the Studio Tour in one place was a maker of the most amazing hand made books I have ever seen.  Each was unique, covers carved from wood and embellished in truly creative and thoughtful ways and superbly bound with cotpic binding.  Her name was Nancy Wallace - I wish she had a website but she doesn't.  But I had to mention her because they were truly awesome examples of bookmaking.  There were some really great artists exhibiting everywhere but these two really stood out to me.