The Knaughty Knitter

Knitting Groups

Please remember you are welcome to come by and knit or crochet with us any time!   Here are some free groups to join the creative community!

• Mondays         noon to 2pm      tatting
• Tuesdays         1pm - 3pm          socks-along
• Wednesdays  10:30am-1pm    bring your lunch and projects
• Thursday        5pm- 7pm           KAL blanket
• Friday              5pm-7pm            stitch and share
• Sundays           1pm-3pm            charity projects

If you'd like to learn to knit or crochet, we will teach you.   Call ahead to set up a time, then come purchase your yarn and needles or hooks and we'll get you started.  Lessons are free when you purchase your supplies from us.  

Have you ever dyed?

Hand dyed yarn is a joy to knit with.  You can do your own without too much mess and chemical knowledge - just use Kool-Aid.  No need for dedicated dye pots and microwave and the kids can help out.  There are tons of tutorials on line for how to do this.  But here's how I usually dye with Kool-Aid and it seems to be a bit different method than most.  Use the one that you have to add sugar to, not the artificial sweetener kind. Set your yarn (wool or silk or fiber to spin) to soak in water. No vinegar needed - Kool-Aid is acid enough by itself.  Seriously, don't drink the stuff.  Get a large pot and fill it with water, heat to boiling.  Turn off the heat, pour in a packet or 5 of Kool-Aid depending on how intense you want your color and how much wool you have. Squeeze most of the water from your yarn and gently place it in the water, cover and let set about 20 - 30 minutes until the dye is absorbed.  If you gently stir it a time or two you will be sure to get the dye onto it evenly, but for a kettle dyed look, just let it set in one place.  You can also sprinkle another color onto the wool and if you leave it set with no stirring, you'll have spots of different color on your yarn.  Let it cool, rinse, hang to dry and you can knit your pretty yarn.

This bag was made from Kool-Aid dyed yarn before I opened the store (10 years this week).  Never fades...

Oh and the point of all this.......I got a LOT of dyeable yarn from Brown Sheep last week and thought I'd put it on sale for a bit.  The weather might hold for a while yet to do some outside dyeing so come get it.  There's Burly Spun, Bulky and Worsted Lamb's Pride and it is 15% off through Saturday this week.

Make Christmas Stockings!

I just put a class on the schedule for making Christmas Stockings.  There's still time to make one for that new grandchild or the new son-in-law.  Class starts Sat Oct 17th and runs through Nov - included is a half hour private lesson time for when you get stuck.  Pick a Ravelry pattern or one from our selection. And when you are done, you'll have acquired all the skills necessary to make socks!

Slip Stitches

 Saturday I taught a slip stitch tutorial... It was free - and I demonstrated several different ways of doing the same k1, sl 1 pattern.  Each way is a little different... so folks could choose how they wanted their cowls to be.

The first - the slipped stitches are slipped on row 2 as well.  The second are all knitted on the 2nd row, the 3rd - all stitches are purled on row 2, the 4th - stitches were slipped with yarn in front... there are more variations possible, but you know it was a class, I didn't want to overwhelm anyone.

Next week's Free tutorial is on making the big lacy throw that I made a few weeks ago.  It takes 4 sk of Brown Sheep Burley Spun and #19 needles.

New from Frabjous Fibers

I got a big box of spinning things from Frabjous Fibers....3 feet of sheep, lambs tails, Center Pull bumps for spinning self striping yarn, hand dyed roving braids, and then some merino and silk from Ashford came too.  If you want a new thing to spin for Tour de Fleece, it's here.  I think I will reward myself for all my spinning with a center pull bump at the end of the Tour.... Any one up for a spinning day at the store?  How about Saturday August 1st from 12-4.  Bring your wheel or spindle and come spin awhile.

Beginning Knitting and Crochet

Classes are this Saturday.  There's still some room in these classes. Sign up and don't miss out.

Two huge boxes of Manos De Uruguay Maxima came in Friday - woo hoo, love that yarn.

Oh...I just thought of something.....Let's make July Free pattern with purchase month....So when you make a purchase I'll add a sweater pattern to your bag FREE. 

Sign up to learn to do hand embroidery.

No one else in town that I can tell teaches this so I do it every now and then.  I love to embroider and do it on lots of things.  I love learning about the kinds of embroidery done in different cultures and incorporating it into mine.

The class is June 13 but the deadline for signing up is June 5th so I can the materials together.  You can gather your own supplies or I can do it for you.  See the classes page for more information

I just added this class...

Beginning Weaving on an Inkle Loom - Saturday, June 27th, 12:30-4pm.   You'll learn to warp and we'll begin weaving on this fun little loom.  Make belts, straps, edgings and more.  Buy your loom here and the class is $20.  Bring your own loom and it is $45.  Looms need to be ordered ahead of time so please register by June 15th in order to get yours in time for the class.  Looms come in standard or mini sizes and you can use either one.  Yarns will be a lightweight cotton or linen, no acrylics - they're sticky.  Bring some thin twine or hemp to make heddles with. 

Open Wednesday 1-4pm

Normally we would be closed Wednesday.  But tomorrow is special - we will be open from 1-4pm just for all those Stitches travelers coming into the area.  Stop by and see us while you are here. And hey join us for Friday Night Knitting from 5-7 too.

 

Need Help?

I have put a discussion thread on our Ravelry group where you can post your knitting, crochet or weaving questions and I will do my best to answer them.  I will check it most days.  Unlike on the phone you could even post a picture and I could see the problem up close to help you.