New Year, New Classes: Learn a new skill!

Is it your new year's resolution to improve your knitting skills or learn a new technique? I'm teaching a number of classes that will help you achieve just that!

January is a series of classes all about brushing up and improving the skills you already have to improve all of your knitting!

Jan 4- Measure to Fit
Learn how to measure yourself correctly, and then how to use those measurements and your gauge to make your knitting fit perfectly- whether its a sweater, a hat, mittens, or anything else.

Jan 11- Short Row Shaping
Give clothing that extra perfect fit with short rows- make the back of a collar stand a little higher than the front, or the seat of a sweater a little longer than the front, with this simple technique.

Jan 18- Finishing Skills
Learn to finish your knitting with a professional touch- sew neat and invisible seams, weave your ends in invisibly and securely, and block perfectly.

Jan 25- Anatomy of a Stitch (taught by Eileen)
Get the hang of "reading" your knitting, and learn to recognize and fix many common mistakes including dropped stitches.

February's series of classes are introductions to a variety of techniques and skills to take your knitting in new directions.

Feb 1- Cables
Get an introduction to cabled stitches- learn how they work, and get suggestions to start a cable project.

Feb 8- Lace
Demystify lace knitting by working with worsted weight yarn and big needles, and learn how lace knitting works so that you can translate your new skill into a project.

Feb 15- Colorwork
Do you love the colorful patterns of Norwegian sweaters? Learn about Fair Isle and Intarsia colorwork techniques and you'll be ready to tackle your own colorwork project.

Feb 22- Double Knitting
Learn to make reversible, double thick, colorful fabric that is perfect for scarves, hats, bags, and more.

Feb 29- Knitting with Beads
Want to add a little more sparkle to your knitting? Learn a few different methods of adding beads to your knitting and add something special to your next project.

You can sign up for just one class or a whole series- contact Sheepskate at 549 High St, Dedham, MA by calling 781-320-9276 to sign up.

Gratuitous Holiday Knitting

Because this week has been vacation for me, I don't want to bore you with shopping or sales- I just want to share some of the adorably creative holiday knitting out there on the internet!

From Mochimochi Land- 

From the Handknit Holidays-along-

From Ravelry- these adorable coasters!

And for the nerdy among you- a snow covered TARDIS.

And lastly, in case you're still rushing around shopping for a knitter (or other stitcher) on your list, the Yarn Harlot has been posting fantastic ideas for gifts all month! 

On the Needles

While I've been procrastinating on my holiday knitting, I have actually been knitting quite a lot- and so we have an update on four of my projects!

First up, the army of Yoda I hinted at last time- see those? Aren't they cute? I'm actually up to 5 now. Those are destined, along with a bunch of other amigurimi I have yet to make, to be wedding favors. So needless to say, between now and August, I'll be crocheting up a storm!

The other wedding project is also coming along, I'm now halfway through the pattern! And its beautiful, I can't wait to finish it.

I haven't touched my travel socks in awhile, in favor of the addictive hexipuffs, but I did finish the toe before I put them aside. Still exciting to be knitting on my own yarn finally!

Lastly, the hexipuffs, oh, the hexipuffs! I'm up to 21 total now, here are all the new ones since my last update- I've been having a lot of fun with little bits of my handspun yarn and some sock yarns I haven't used before from the mini-skein kits Sheepskate has.

Holiday Knitting

Are you slacking on holiday knitting as much as I am this year?

I gave up on trying to knit for everyone on my list years ago, but this year I still have a couple of small special things in mind- 2 to be precise. And I haven't started either one. I know, I know.

If you're not done with your holiday knitting either, join me this Wednesday night for fun and knitting, wine and snacks, and any help you might need with figuring out your projects! All the fun is at Sheepskate, 549 High St, Dedham, MA Wednesday Dec 7 from 6:30-9. Its a $10 drop in, or call 781-320-9276 ahead to reserve your spot!

So what am I doing instead of knitting my gifts? Well, I have been working on my veil and my hexipuffs, and an army of Yodas (more on all of that later this week). Instead I've been cooking! The last few weeks have been filled with frustrations as I had a series of failures with yeast breads. Yesterday I finally decided to give it another go, and tried a new recipe for pasta dough, and it worked! Rolled out easily, and I made a delicious butternut and ricotta ravioli with a pesto cream sauce. I realize pasta isn't yeasty, but my recent attempts at that have been sticky, too dry, and extremely thick, respectively.

Today, heartened by that success, I decided to give bread another go- and today I made an "American Sandwich Bread" a simple white bread with milk and honey- and it rose (!) and baked (!) and now I'm just waiting for it to cool to give it the real test- eating! There's a grilled cheese sandwich in my near future!

Hand Knit Movember

I’m auctioning off my mustache on ebay to support the Movember cause! This cause means a lot to me because my dad has been fighting prostate cancer for about 5 years, and "men's" cancers receive far less attention and funding than "women's" cancers. So get a prostate exam, and bid on my Mo!

That's right, this hand knit mustache is up for auction, and 100% of the selling price will be donated to Movember!

And because I know you’re going to ask- yes, you can knit your own, pattern here, and yes, the designer gives express permission to sell a mo for charity. (And yes, I’d love it if you tell all of your philanthropist friends about my little auction!) And, if you feel inclined to donate, that’s good too. Its a good cause.

I've been knitting...

...and knitting. Quite a lot lately, actually, which is a nice change! I actually finished something- my sweater, that was my train knitting until it got too bulky, which meant the hood took as long as the whole rest of the sweater- but its done now, and so soft and snuggly and warm, and I'm so glad I'll be able to wear it all winter! Gypsy Wools Gaia Bulky (organic supersoft Merino) is sooooo yummy to be covered in!

I've also been making hexipuffs lately on the train, I'm up to 7. Its fun pulling out these little bits of leftovers to revisit in puff form! And as if I'm not addicted enough, I'm working on making mini skein kits and sample puffs for Sheepskate... and of course one of those kits is going to have to come home with me. This is really just enabling my stash acquiring... *sigh*

And finally, I've started a brand new project- knitting my wedding favors! Since Ryan and I are such space nerds, we're going to give out space themed amigurimi to our guests. I'm starting with Yoda, and I've already finished one. He doesn't have eyes yet, but isn't he cute? And the pattern's free, which never hurts!

Loofah, Washcloth, or Potholder- A Perfect Gift!

The full directions for this free pattern are included in this post, but if you prefer you can download a pdf copy. download now

Use any worsted weight cotton or cotton/linen blend to make these quick and easy circular washcloths! Use them flat as potholders as well, or braid some yarn and thread it through the eyelets, cinch it closed around a bar of soap and use as a loofah for a luxurious washing experience.

Mercerized cotton works great for washclothes and loofash, because it is exfoliating to wash with, a softer cotton (like Lily & Cream) works great for potholders because it creates a dense and not slippery texture.

Pair one of these loofahs with a bar of boutique soap, and you have a quick, inexpensive gift that will bring a little touch of luxury to each day for the receiver. Perfect for the holidays, hostess gifts, etc. 

Washcloth/Potholder/Loofah gift knit

Jen Stone-Gerardy – knitolution@gmail.com – www.knitolution.com

Gauge: 20st/4inches on size 8 needles (note- you can use yarn at another gauge, your loofah will just come out larger or smaller than the approx. 8” diameter that this gauge produces.

Cast on 19 sts.

Row 1: Knit one row and turn

Row 2: K3, yo, k15- 1 st remaining on needle.

Row 3: Turn, placing yarn to the back of the work, and knit to the end of the row. Do this for all odd numbered rows.

Row 4: K3, yo, k15- 2 sts remaining on needle.

Row 6: K3, yo, k15- 3 sts remaining on needle.

Row 8: Bind off 3 sts, k2, yo, k12- 4 sts remaining on needle.

Row 10: K3, yo, k12- 5 sts remaining on needle.

Row 12: K3, yo, k12- 6 sts remaining on needle.

Row 14: Bind off 3 sts, k2, yo, k9- 7 sts remaining on needle.

Row 16: K3, yo, k9- 8 sts remaining on needle.

Row 18: K3, yo, k9- 9 sts remaining on needle.

Row 20: Bind off 3 sts, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1-20 7 more times.

Bind off all stitches.

Sew up the seam to make a circular dishcloth, and pull the center hole tight.

Wash and block so that it lays flat.

For loofah- make a braid long enough to go around the whole cloth. Thread it in and out of the centermost set of holes created by your yarn overs, tie the ends of the braid together, put soap in the middle and pull tight around it. Wash with the soap inside for an exfoliating luxurious washing experience!

November Classes!

I've updated my class schedule for the next 2 months! Here are the next 3 classes coming up, you can find the full schedule on my Classes page. Call or email Eileen at Sheepskate to sign up for any of these! 781-320-9276 or email Eileen@sheepskate.com.


Wed 11/9: Dyeing with Koolaid- Dye your own skein of superwash sock or worsted weight yarn in a rainbow of brilliant colors using Koolaid! You'll lean how to dye yarn without harmful chemicals or a big mess- and you'll keep your skein to make something completely unique with! Class is $35 plus yarn to dye.

Wed 11/16: Loofah Holiday Gift- Want a quick gift for everyone on your list this year? Make a circular washcloth with a scalloped edge using cotton yarn. If you prefer a loofah, you can cinch the circle closed around a bar of soap. Pair this with a bar of fancy soap for a quick gift that will give the most luxurious shower experience! Class is $20 plus materials.

Wed 11/30: Hexipuff Madness- Have you seen the Beekeeper's quilt? It's takingravelry by storm, and it's a brilliant way to use up little bits of leftover yarn, have a quick and easy take-along project, and end up with a gorgeous puffy knitted quilt! Learn how to make these fun and addictive 'puffs in this class. Class is $20 plus yarn- bring your own scraps, or buy our $25 kit that includes the pattern and 10 mini skeins.

Shirley

Oh, what a month! You've already seen the launch of 2 new yarn lines, Chubby Bunny and Worsted Wooly, and now finally, here's #3- Shirley. I've been wanting to do this line for awhile now, because Shirley is an homage to one of the greatest artists I've ever known- my grandmother.

She was a spectacular quilter, and her use of color is really mind blowing. I learned so much from her, and now, as I look at photos of her quilts to pick out my colorways for Shirley, I'm paying attention to her work in more detail than ever before, and I'm learning even more. 6 colorways in the shop and counting, each named for the quilt that inspired it, and with a photo of that quilt on the lable.

And the knitters at Knot Hysteria with Stephanie Pearl-McFee will be the very first people to get their hands on it! I just shipping a big box full of Shirley and alpaca fiber for their retreat!

Shirley is a moderately soft yarn, but it has sheen and loft, and makes a wonderful texture in knitting. It also makes excellent hexipuffs- I know, because I knit my very first hexipuff this week as a swatch for Shirley! 

October Winners!

My October contest has ended- and we have some winners to announce! All winners may choose the pattern they would like from my patterns page, or from ravelry if they prefer. Congratulations!

Via Twitter- @HeatheryDoune is the winner! Thanks for retweeting and for following @Knitolution!

Via Facebook- Kitty Crab is the winner! Thanks for being a fan of my page!

Congrats to the winners, and we'll do another contest soon!