The Knaughty Knitter

All the pretty Mittens.....

These are Jennifer's

This is Ellen's.  It's pretty, and she discovered she loves Fair Isle knitting.

These are Karen's

Carole did these....her first fair isle too

and here are mine (and ellen's together)

 I forgot to bring in the other cat mitten, it is done and this one will have it's thumb tonight.
  
  I had a picture of Jennifer's and another person's too but can't find it the email or computer so please send it again.  And if you have your mittens done send a picture or come in this week and I'll take a portrait and we'll show it off too.

Knitting 101 is cancelled. My road is fine but I realize not everyone is that lucky. If you feel like coming in anyway, the store will be open. I can give you the class notes and for the makeup class you will be able to attend the February last 101 session. Those are on Thursday evening (Feb 25) or Saturday (Feb 27)The store is open today. That means I will be there for anyone who wants to come to sock class this afternoon. If you can't do that come in Monday or Tuesday to get week 2 instructions or call/email me to set up another time. Because of the classes already scheduled in February we can't push the classes back. And you will need to know how to continue with the sock so that we can finish next Saturday.

No Group Tonight

Okay there's snow.  As long as there is only snow it is very likely there will be class tomorrow.  Stacie and I will talk in the morning for a final decision on that.  As long as there is electricity at my house I will post from there or the store.

There is no group tonight though.  I will be here at least til 5pm (unless major ICE hits us and the power goes out too).  So you can come in before we get snowed in to get your "I'm trapped in the house with no knitting" yarn and project stuff.  In fact come in today, get a pattern (one of the loose ones in the binders) and yarn and the pattern is half off.

Of course you should do what feels safest and best for you. 

Oh and here's a ladybug - 3D felted critter that you could make in Sunday's class.  Great stress reliever to be able to stab something over and over......good for cabin fever maybe....

mine's a little lumpy  - think I will try a snowman maybe next.

Snow policy

Just a word about snow.  If it pours down, snowing death and destruction and ice on our heads, there may not be Friday Night Knitting.  If the electricity is out for hours and days, there may not be Friday Night Knitting.  As for Saturday classes, we'll see.  Check the website for updates.  If I can't get out of my driveway I will blog from home and we'll figure out a way to make them up.  Otherwise I will post a note when I get here saying I did and classes are on or off.  As always, do what you need to to be safe and take care of yourself. 

Waited too long to blog, now there's a lot....

Next month Laura is teaching a class in Tablet Weaving - also called Card Weaving.  This is another ancient art you could learn.  Here are some samples.

If you want to sign up, please do so no later than February 7th since I will need to order supplies for the class. 

 And now - About the Ravlympics...In case you don't know, everytime the winter Olympics is on there has been a version of the Knitting Olympics too.  Originally started by Yarn Harlot, this time Ravelry has taken it over.  We are on Team Tennessee and will be using the Knaughty Knitter group on Ravelry for posting about our projects.  The idea is that you pick a project (the rules are on Ravelry), start during opening ceremonies (Feb 12) and are done by midnight of the day the torch is extinguished Feb 28).  You can pick something big, small, challenging, fun, a UFO, a stash project....there is a list of events on Ravelry too.  I have picked mine.  I am blaming Lisa who got me started picking colors yesterday.  It is all her fault, that's the story I am sticking too anyway.  Here's what I plan to do and here are my colors so far

I may change out a color or two, but I am liking this bunch at the moment.  Oh and yes I think there are medals and winning teams and such.

And the knewsletter will be out this week with new classes, check 'em out. 
 
 

Here's what I was doing this weekend...

These are supposed to be coils.  Some of them held, some didn't, but hey it was my first attempt.

And there are these... Some yarns with turkish knots and cocoons and autowrap and core spun (a great way to use those designer batts of fiber.  And then there are supercoils (on th bobbin)- easier and fun.  A few more are home drying, but all the samples will be here late this week.  oh boy.....guess what I'll be doing tomorrow?
 
 

Just to remind you. We are closed Sundy Jan 18th ----I am at a fabulous spinning workshop in Nashville all weekend. And it IS FABULOUS. I am learning to spin really fun yarns, I had a hard time coming home tonight and not spinning more. You'd think after all day spinning, I'd be too tired, but no. I am making myself wait though 'cause we learn more neat stuff tomorrow. We are open Monday though so see you all then.

Just so you know I am not completely mitten obsessed...

Even though I have finished these two and cast on for the other little one...

I have also been Naalbinding a cowl

It's looking kind of sloppy but it is the first thing I've naalbinded.  The class this Sunday was really good, and there may be another in the fall.  I have a contact, thanks to Darlene, for books and possibly tools - so let me know if you are interested in those.  The next ancient art on the agenda is a tablet weaving class in February.

And Yoko took a liking to the Possum Hat (a pattern in Fall 09 Vogue Knitting) and has done several - some in possum yarn and this one in Mini Mochi.

Might be good in DK sock yarn that self stripes too.....
 Oh and I have been weaving today too....

 
 
 

FREE SWEATER PATTERN

with purchase of yarn for a sweater.  This week only.  Start making a sweater for the rest of the winter.  I don't think we are done with this weather yet......

Oh and there are more fair isle mitten patterns here .  Brought to you really by Darlene who sent them to me this morning.  I've downloaded and bought about 5 patterns....

Here's Jennifer's mitt...made with Jo Sharp, but it isn't pink so she's probably not keeping them.

Apparently the weather has me thinking about vacations.  Then I got a flyer in the mail this morning about a knitting retreat - but one with a twist.  It is all about knitting from vintage patterns and with vintage stitch patterns.  By vintage I mean from the 1800s.  It is about seven hours away by car but might make an interesting weekend.  Then there is the John C Campbell school where I am fairly determined to spend a week this summer.  I ran upon this picture of knitting from one of the classes.  (Like I needed to see this)

I love all the colors and pattern, despite intarsia not being my very favorite knitting technique.  This is the perfect technique for my stash.  I have lots of single balls and bits of handspun.  I am already knitting on too many projects (Two ongoing afghans, two sets of mittens, a fair isle sweater, another sweater made of little squares of Koigu - also ongoing, a starry night shawl of handspun, numerous other UFOs in bags that I try not to look at as I enter the current craziness of my yarn room, plus a few things I have lined up and waiting because some part of me thinks I don't have enough projects going already).  So January is still my personal Mitten Marathon but February is going to have to be about finishing things.

And just because it is too cute....Stacie's finished lego man.