Purple Again

Sprout Sweater

We introduced Classic Elite’s Sprout, a yarn in the Verde Collection, into the shop.  It’s a 100% organic cotton with a twisted construction that gives it a very different feel than typical cottons.  It knits up nubby and bumpy.  Sprout is flying off our shelves as one of the most popular yarns in the shop.  I decided that I had to try it and chose the Textured Cardigan in the CEY John’s Bay book.  This pattern has a double seed stitch that really shows off the yarn.  It gives it a spongy feel.

I’m working feverishly to complete it this week.  Only six inches on one sleeve to go.  I travel to Washington, D.C.  and then to Indy for Todd and Nicole’s wedding shower.  I’m taking the ring bearer’s pillow with me.

I was working on it last night and started laughing that it’s purple again.  No matter how hard I try I unconsciously pick purple.  I will send back pictures of the completed sweater when I finish.  My goal is to have it on for the shower.

Heirloom Knitting: The Ring Bearer’s Pillow

Ring Bearer's Pillow

Todd and Nicole are getting married in a large wedding on June 11 in Indianapolis.  They have been together for a while, and our family adores Nicole.  The family joke is that when Todd calls Grandpa in Minnesota,  after ten seconds Norm asks to speak with Nicole.  She is fun and vivacious – comes from a large family.

About a month ago, Nicole called me and asked if I would knit the ring bearer’s pillow.  The 2-year son of her twin sister, Kelly who lives in Okinawa, will be in the wedding.  Nicole is sentimental and has woven in many family connections into the ceremony.  The request set me out looking for a pattern.

I found two in the shop – in the 101 One Skein designer books.  But I didn’t think they were just right for what I wanted.  I went through books from the shop – and settled on Dishcloths From the Heart.  I’ve knitted all of these several times for gifts at one time or another.  While I wasn’t going to admit that they are really for dishcloths, I think it turned out elegant.

I settled on the #9 pattern, Knit and Purl Hearts in the Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo DK Yarn.  Unfortunately, Debbie Bliss stopped making the 100% silk yarn.  As suspected, the Snuggly has the drape that I was looking for.  I bought an 8-inch ready-made ring bearer’s pillow.  I could have sewn it, I’ve found that I’ve become lazy in getting out my mom’s Bernina these days.   I did, however, use my mom’s double pointed needles that I inherited in her huge treasure trove to knit this heirloom.

To put the picot edge on the pillow, I first crocheted a single crochet row with 1 SC, 1 Ch, 1SC in the corner and then a double crochet row with 1 DC, 1 Ch, 1 DC in the corner.  Each side has the following picot scallops:  1SC, 1HDC, 1DC, 1Tr with a picot (3 Ch with ss in the 1st Ch to create the picot, 1DC, 1HDC, 1SC six times.  I left each corner as it was.

Ring Bearer's Pillow

Then I had a great time decorating!  I strung 33 tiny Bugle Beads between each picot for a small drape – I got this idea from one of the pillow patterns I’d found.  I picked up four heart shaped Swarovski Crystal beads for the corners and Swarovski Crystals for each picot.  Then I tacked the knitted top to the pillow, making certain the picots drape over the sides.  I must say, it is elegant.

I tested out flowers and adapted one from Nicky Epstein’s Knitting Embellishments book that we have in the shop.  I have all of her books and use them as references for my knitting.  A silk ribbon bow for the rings, and it’s good to go as a gift for the April shower.

Julie’s displayed it in the shop before my trip to Indianapolis – come see it.  Any other ideas for wedding knitting or crocheting?

Barb

Weekender Sweater Class

Weekender Sweater Class

Another successful Weekender Sweater class at Knit’n from the Heart.  Although we spent many hours sitting, (can you say numb derrière syndrome), it resulted in three relatively new knitters making their first sweater.  Huge needles, top down, and super bulky yarn make for a quick knit… and “instant gratification”.

This great learning experience for these knitters culminated in a visit  to Friday Nite Divas where they were welcomed with open arms, completed their sweaters and joined other knitters for some socializing and inspiration. As usual, this was very much in keeping with our store mantra:

Where Craft Creates Community!

They are already planning their second sweater with the same pattern…….

Heidi (Class Instructor)

Needleworks in Champaign!

Before I was a Gopher, I was an Illini.  We try to visit the University of Illinois campus and our family in Champaign at least once and twice a year.  A favorite stop is always Needleworks  on Green Street (http://www.cu-needleworks.com/staff.htm).   This shop is huge – two floors and sprawling.  Sharon is a nurse who has owned this store since 1984! It started out as a needlepoint and cross-stitch shop – but she was convinced in 2001 to start stocking yarns and knitting supplies.  She didn’t start knitting until after that. Amazing.

Unfortunately, Sharon was in Florida recovering from a hospital stay.  I missed asking her questions about the business and knitting.   She’s a great source of knowledge and walks me through the shop, pointing out yarns that are popular and those that are not.  There are always 5 or 6 knitters downstairs and upstairs, sharing stories.  We always strike up interesting conversations each time we visit.  Everyone is always impressed at Larry’s yarn knowledge —

The project that caught my eye this trip is Janice Farrell Pea’s Going to Market Capelet (http://www.cu-needleworks.com/Patterns/Shawls/Market_capelet/market_capelet.pdf)    I’ve picked up Noro Silk Garden to start one.  The staff told me that customers are making it in Silk Garden Light or Noro Sock Yarn for little girls.
Barb

Back from Travels

Organic Sprout Tank

Back from travels…and the shop looks great!

I’ve been traveling a lot lately – Washington, D.C., Champaign, Illinois, San Diego, and Tucson…a few yarn shops along the way.  I got back into the shop over the weekend.  It looks great. Julie has stocked a lot of new spring and summer yarns for new projects.   We just received a new shipment of Classic Elite Sprout – an organic, machine washable cotton with a nubby texture.  This yarn has great pattern support in two books in the shop – Beach and John’s Bay.  Several Sprout projects are “sprouting up” in the store.

Check out Julie’s Organic Sprout Tank that is featured on the cover of Ann Budd’s Knitting Green book…a darling quick knit for Summer.

One of Judy’s Winter projects, the BC Ruffle Wrap, was a popular knit in Chunky Alpaca.  She’s finished it in CEY Sprout – has a full class signed up in April, and is taking names for a new one.  This is a fun short-rows project and a wonderful spring-time wrap in the lofty Sprout.

You can see the BC Ruffle Wrap on our website at www.heartknits.com or stop in the shop and check it out.
Barb

Claire’s Fiddlehead Mittens

Claire with her Fiddlehead Mittens

I first saw the Fiddlehead Mitten when my friend Suzanne was knitting a pair in red and white to give as a gift.  It was love at first sight! I just had to knit a pair!  The colors she was using immediately made me think of my niece, Claire, who is away at a college where the school colors are red and white.  I knew that the lined mitten would be toasty warm for her while she was trekking across campus during the dead of winter.

I quickly set off to make her a pair for Christmas.  Suzanne is a big proponent of the magic loop method of knitting so I decided that learning magic loop needed to be first on my list of priorities.  I picked up the book The Magic Loop by Bev Galeskas with Sarah Hauschka quickly learned the basics of using one 40” circular needle to knit in the round.  This worked beautifully as one side of the mitten is knit and then it is turned over and knit across the other side.  There were no double-pointed needles getting in my way and I was able to see the pattern laid out flat before me.  I had read charts before but reading them while changing colors was a little bit different.  I had just recently tried my hand at two-color stranded knitting on a different pair of mittens and was able to knit continental with one color in my left hand while “throwing” with my right.  Utilizing all of these skills at one time was really exciting and it was thrilling to watch it all come together in such an amazing finished product.

I did finish Claire’s mittens in time for Christmas Eve but I didn’t get the lining completed before I gave them to her.  She opened them and was excited to have such a cozy mitten.  I put them back on the needles and picked up the stitches for the mitten lining.  I decided to knit both of the linings together using the Magic Loop method.  I spent all of Christmas Day happily finishing the lining so she could take them back with her to college.

I was so excited about the mitten process and the finished product, I decided to knit a pair for myself in blue and green to match my winter coat.  I also decided that I wanted to share these beautiful mittens with others, so I will be teaching a class (three evening sessions March 2nd, 9th, and 23rd) on how to knit them.  Some of you might be ready to learn one or more of the techniques described while others might just be excited to try all of these techniques together like I was.  Whatever your desire, I hope you will come along with me on my mitten adventure!

Pam Olson

See the Knit’n from the Heart class schedule at  http://www.heartknits.com/schedule.html.

Eileen’s Mexico Vacation

Eileen in Mexico

Just wanted to show that Knit’n From The Heart can travel anywhere.  I returned from a trip to Mexico last week.  Of course, I could not go anywhere without something to knit.  I figured a pair of socks would be easy enough to work on.  And, as you can see by the picture, I had my bag out by the pool.  Now, as for the look I have on my face I don’t know if it was from the sun or the margaritas!

Something I learned from this trip is that Mexico does not like you to carry needles on the plane.  I had no problem having them on board going to Mexico.  But when I was going home they checked my carry-on and were going to take my knitting needles, explaining that I could not carry them on the plane.  Well, I almost had a heart attack because I had 3 Addi circular needles!  Count them, three.  I told Ed, my husband, that I can’t leave without my Addis.  I was lucky enough to have an understanding official who told me I could go back and check them in my baggage.  So I went back through the lines, zipped up my carry-on and checked it.

Eileen's Sock In Progress

I’m glad to be back in Minnesota at Knit’n from the Heart’s Wednesday Morning Divas and my second home.  I wish the snow would just go away!

Eileen B

Knit’n from the Heart comment: Looks like from the picture at the left showing the progress on the sock that the margaritas might have won out over knitting.

Our New Instructor, Suzanne Wortmann

Suzanne

Suzanne recently taught her first class for Knit’n from the Heart (KFTH), Basic Socks on DP Needles. Suzanne did a wonderful job, and all of the students finished their socks. One of the students sent us an email immediately after the class and said “Hi – I just took a basic sock class taught by Suzanne on Wednesday evenings.  It was wonderful!  Suzanne knew the pattern well and helped each of us individually when needed.  She was very patient with us. We all finished our sock and left happy.  It was a fun class, and I certainly would come back to the shop for other classes.  Thank you Suzanne!” We thought you might like to know Suzanne a little better.

KFTH: How long have you been knitting?

My mother is a great knitter, but so profoundly left-handed, that she was never able to teach me to knit. So, finally, a friend taught me while we watched the 1988 Democratic convention.  I made an Icelandic sweater for my now husband and gave it to him for Christmas.  I chose to knit this first because I wanted to use thick yarn and big needles.  Of course, I didn’t take into account that he would be too hot in it, so my bonus is that I got to wear it and still do!

KFTH: What role/benefit does knitting play in your life?

Knitting is a great stress reliever for me.  I love to see patterns come to life and touch the yarn.

KFTH: What are your favorite things to knit?
My favorite things to knit are socks, hats and mittens.  I do still knit the occasional sweater, but size is always a bit of a struggle for me and the frustration outweighs the benefits.  With socks, hats and mittens, everyone needs them and size isn’t such an issue.  Plus, they are great gifts to give.

Fabulous Feet from Suzanne's Sock Class

KFTH: What is a recent favorite project purchased at our shop?

Lately, I have been knitting a lot of mittens.  It is that time of year I guess!  But I am most excited about an afghan that is in progress with yarn I received for Christmas.  The yarn is Cascade Lana Grande, and the afghan pattern is Umaro Textured Throw by Jared Flood.  It is a beautiful soft 3-ply wool with one of the plys being just a tad darker than the other two.  And the bonus, big needles so it’s going quickly!

KFTH: What do you enjoy about teaching?

I love sharing the gift of knitting that my friend gave to me with other people!  Plus, it is fun to share hints and tips that I have learned along the way.  Knitting is a craft that is fueled by the creativity of others, so to explore that with other knitters (even new ones) makes us all that much better.

Suzanne is on our schedule in March and April. You can view the March-April Knit’n from the Heart Class Schedule on our website at www.heartknits.com. You can also download the March-April Class Schedule At-A-Glance in pdf format on that page. Sign up and enjoy her class.

Preemie Hats

Ever since our loyal customer Marge approached us about a service project in 2008, Knit’n From the Heart (KFTH) has taken on ‘Preemie Hats for St. Paul’s Children’s Hospital’s Newborn ICU’ (NICU) as one of our service projects.  Another customer, Michelle (Chell), has related a compelling story about the birth of her daughter Bethany. During her pregnancy, Chell had Preeclampsia and then Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (pregnancy induced heart failure). As a result, Bethany was delivered 2-1/2 months early.  Our customers Marge and Chell will tell you today that without the NICU and St. Paul’s Children’s Hospital Bethany would not be the lively and very healthy young soul she is today.

Knit’n from the Heart  accepts knitted and crocheted preemie hats all year, but we make a big push in January to encourage knitters and crocheters to make and drop them off at our shop.  Last week, Chell and Bethany came to the shop to pick up nearly 150 hats to donate to the cause.

Thanks to all for your support!  Keep those hats coming and we will make sure they get to the NICU on your behalf!

Amelia and the Hat

The holidays were different this year for a number of reasons.  Three of our four children were able to visit this year – more than usual.  And, they brought their spouses and a fiancé.  We had overlapping kids coming and going.  In addition, we were dealing with Larry’s two surgeries on December 22 and unusual end-of-year events in my daytime job.  We managed to get a tree up, but we didn’t buy one present.  The quilted tree skirt my mother had made over 30 years ago was bare.  By necessity, we focused on family.

What was fun for me was seeing my past knitting projects come and go…hats, scarves, mittens. However, I was also reminded who in the family had not received my knitting or crocheting gifts.  Among those are our son, Todd, a story for another time, and our daughter-in-law, Amelia.

I have learned that my preferences and those of my kids diverged a long time ago.  I particularly remember the birthday where Todd, in grade school at the time, didn’t appreciate the hummingbird feeder, pajamas and fanny pack (a hot new item at the time) he received as gifts.  Now, as an adult, Todd enjoys talking with me about birds and bird-watching, and I bet that he wishes he had that feeder today.  We do laugh a lot about that particular birthday.

The Slouch Hat on Model Morgan Espelien

Undaunted, I have gone out on a limb in the past and knitted vests, sweaters and such only to find out that the recipient did not appreciate the finished project, let alone all the time and effort I put into it.  These experiences make me reluctant to start a project for a family member that I’m not sure he or she will like.  It isn’t that I do not want to do it  . . . .  the issue is I do not want to make family members uncomfortable with gifts they find unappealing.  On the other hand, it is uncomfortable to have family members wearing my projects and others not.  Does this mean they think I do not care and I do not think they are a part of our family?  How do I approach this sticky issue?

Todd just flat-out takes me on and tells me he is disappointed.  It’s an entrée to look through books and patterns to decide on a specific project.  I did not have that opportunity with Amelia – the topic never came up.  However, I was given the green light after Jeff and Amelia left for the airport to return home. Their driver, Nicole, came back from the run to the airport wearing  her slouch hat that I knitted for her last Christmas.  She told me Amelia had admired her hat and asked where she had gotten it.  Nicole let her know:  “Barb knitted it.”  This gave me the entrée to connect with Amelia.

Each year I work on a project with the holiday visiting females, reacquainting them to knitting after a hiatus.  One year it was Elizabeth’s Flap Hat; another year, scarves.  Last year, it was the slouch hat, a pattern that I created from a compilation of various ideas in the shop.  We give the pattern away with purchase of yarn.  It’s a fun, quick knit and popular.  Shortly after my conversation with Nicole, I brought home some Lamb’s Pride and knitted Amelia’s hat.

The only remaining major preference question was to pom-pom or not?  I decided to pom-pom using my favorite technique with the Clover pom-pom maker (See a Clover Needleworks, Inc. YouTube demonstration video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGd0PUWY6m0&NR=1).  After all, Amelia can clip it off, if she isn’t a pom-pom fan.:-)  To learn more about pom-pom making without the Clover pom-pom maker visit: http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-make-pom-poms.html