We’re very excited to be hosting the wonderful Kate Oates at our shop this weekend!

If you aren’t familiar with Kate, she’s the author of Knitting Clothes Kids love, and the creator of the Tot Toppers and When I Grow Up line of knitting patterns.

Projects from Knitting Clothes Kids Love.

The Top Toppers line includes garments, hats, and accessories for kids and baby, always with a bit of fun and a whimsical spirit. When I Grow Up patterns are for those of us who are not tots, and feature a modern classic style. We’ll be welcoming Kate for a book signing/trunk show, and she’ll also be teaching a class.

On May 3rd from 11:00am – 3:00pm, join us in the store for Lunch With Kate. We’ll have a trunk show and book signing so you can meet Kate and have her sign your copy of Knitting Clothes Kids Love! We’ll be serving lunch, and giving away a door prize of one of Kate’s patterns with enough yarn to make it. You must register for the door prize in person, so come on by and enjoy lunch and chit-chat with Kate!

On May 4th, join Kate in a workshop called Grow With Me to learn everything you need to know about getting a great fit when knitting for kids and babies. Knitting for little ones is always fun, but the major drawback is that so very quickly they grow out of their clothes. In this workshop you’ll talk about how children grow and the best ways to get more wear out of each garment. You’ll also walk through a little necessary math to make adjustments in patterns, walk through patterns schematics, learn some adjustable hem tricks, and more! The Grow With Me workshop is 10:00 – 1:00pm on May 4th, and you can get more information and sign up on our website.

Everyone loves knitting for little ones, so we hope you’ll join us for this fun weekend! Grab a copy of Kate’s book, and pick out some yarn for your favorite project while you’re here – I’m sure Kate will be full of great tips, tricks, and ideas!

The new year is here, and for many people that means it’s time to make New Year’s resolutions. While we might not be much help with your fitness goals or desire to take an international vacation, we do have a huge class listing that will expand your knitting horizons.

If you love color, try taking a dyeing class. Looking for a new technique to use up all of that stash? How about kumihimo? For some handy skill building, explore our classes on blocking, finishing, the magic loop technique, or novelty stitches.

You can check out the current listing and sign up for classes on our website. We’re always adding new things  so check back often for exciting new opportunities. Here are a few of our favorite upcoming classes:

Swing Knitting

SWING KNITTING WORKSHOP w/ BRIGITTE ELLIOT
Saturday and Sunday, January 19 & 20 | 10:00am – 3:00pm

If you want your knitting to truly be an art form our swing knitting workshop is the class for you. Swing knitting is a relatively new European fiber art form and free-form knitting technique utilizing short rows, and our workshop is taught by swing knitting expert Brigitte Elliott. Brigitte has been knitting since age 9 and spent time in Germany learning swing knitting from its creator.

Dishcloth made using swing knitting

This class will teach you everything you need to know about the concept and its innovative marking system, and you’ll complete a couple of small projects. With the skills you learn you’ll be able to apply this technique to all kinds of future projects!

YARN DYEING WORKSHOP w/ KATIE FRANCESCHI
Saturday and Sunday, February 23 & 24 | 12:00pm-4:00pm 

Think dyeing yarn is hard? Think again! Katie Franceschi, the dyer behind Yarn Love, shows you just how easy it can be to dye amazing colors.

Learn to dye yarn like a pro!

You’ll learn how to mix up just the right color, apply it to your yarn, and set it for lasting color. In each session you’ll have both an informational lecture and hands-on dyeing time with Katie. You won’t find a better place to get individual attention from a pro – this class is limited to just 8 students! By the end of the workshop you’ll have created 10 beautiful skeins of hand-dyed yarn, and have the skill to make endless more on your own.

We hope we can help you grow as a knitter this year, and we’re looking forward to seeing you in a class. Here’s to a happy and fiber filled 2013!

Although most people are excited to find out what’s inside a gift box, we take an extra bit of pleasure from the outside, too. A creative bit of wrapping is the icing on the cake, especially if it’s fun to do. Luckily for knitters and crocheters, the perfect wrapping supply is something we have in great abundance: yarn!

We’ve been scouring the web for fun gift wrap ideas as the holidays draw closer, and there are tons of great ideas out there for making the outside of your package just as pretty as the item inside. Here are a few of our favorites:

Monogram Gift Tags

Use your favorite wrapping paper and add a custom gift tag. The yarn-covered ombre monogram letters at the Catch My Party blog caught our eye – their yarn-covered letter is wooden, but we’re going to try the same technique using a smaller letter cut from cardboard or posterboard. Just cut out your letter and start wrapping with yarn! Brushing a bit of glue on the back as you go will help the yarn stay in place. Use holiday colors, the favorite colors of the person receiving the gift, or mix it up with whatever you have in your stash. These letters are perfect to use as-is, or you can embellish them even further as shown in the photo.

Pipecleaner Package Decorations

For a more free-form approach, try the yarn-wrapped pipecleaners idea from the Bloesem Kids blog. Form a pipcleaner into whatever shape you’d like, then wrap with yarn. Easy! And since pipecleaners are so flexible, the options on this project aren’t just limited to names and initials. Make a tree, a star, a heart – the options are limitless. Best of all? Add an extra loop of yarn and your wrapping can be hung up as a decoration!

Yarn Block Prints

If making your own wrapping paper is more your style, you can still work yarn into the process! Block-printing with yarn is easy, quick, and a great project to do with kids. Simply grab a block of wood (or some other hard flat surface that you don’t mind getting paint on), and a bit of yarn. Wrap the yarn around the block in a freeform pattern and tie or tape it off on top of the block. Brush a bit of paint onto the yarn on the bottom of the block, then press onto your blank paper. Voila! Repeat this painting and stamping process until you have as much wrapping paper as you need, and then let it dry. You can find full instructions for this technique on the Whip-Up blog.

Ribbon Replacements

If you’d like the yarn itself to take center stage in your wrapping, use it instead of ribbon to  wrap around your gifts. In the Fun Lane has great photos of how simple brown kraft paper allows yarn to shine. Wrap it in a freeform path for an organic look. Or, for something more geometric, wrap several strands vertically and then weave several more strands through horizontally. Keeping all the yarn in the same color scheme will make all your gifts look coordinated no matter how much you experiment with creative wrapping ideas. And of course, a few yarn pompoms never hurt! Here’s our favorite easy technique for making pompoms with a fork.

Happy wrapping, and happy holidays!

If you made it to our 3rd anniversary celebration Nov. 10, you know that we introduced two new colors to our Purldiver collection at the party. The first, Manatee was inspired by a picture not taken by me, but by Susan on her I phone!

Manatee

I was rinsing the engines on our boat “Purldiver”. The hose was hooked up and water was coming out of the engine but it was no longer running. I was cleaning the seats and was startled by a splash and noise coming from around the motor. Well, it was a manatee! A very big manatee, and it was drinking the water coming out of the engine. Wow was it thirsty. I called Susan over and she got some great pictures and this amazing video. He stayed for half an hour, drank gallons of water, and would have been there longer if I hadn’t turned the hose off.

The yarn is dyed by a new dyer for us, Fleece Artist, out of Nova Scotia, Canada. Its 100% silk and they did an amazing job capturing the colors.

I did a little research. Scientists suggest that manatees in salt water can go without drinking fresh water for extended periods. On average, they must return to fresh water every one to two weeks to drink. They also get fresh water from eating aquatic plants.

The second yarn introduced at our 3rd anniversary celebration is Starfish.  The inspiration was this picture of a starfish taken while on a trip to Komodo National Park in Indonesia with our son Daniel.

Starfish

The park had some of the lushest and diverse reefs I’ve ever had the opportunity dive.  Truly spectacular.  Starfish have small tube feet on their underside, with a mouth in the center.  If they lose an arm (or two), it will grow back.  They are found in all oceans and come in a rainbow of colors.  We have carried Sweet Georgia Yarns before, but this is the first custom color they’ve dyed for us.  They have sure captured this starfish’s colors on the spot.