City Knitting News
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Dear City Knitting Friends,
LNYP
Late Night Yarnie Party is this Friday the ninth, 7 pm to midnight. You know the drill. Bring your own chair. (We have bum-holders for about 20. Attendance is 30-50. Do the math.) Bring a small something to share- please don’t everyone bring something, we’ll have too much food. Doors open AT 7:00. I’ll open the lobby so you can line up inside in case it rains. Register is open, but knitting help IS NOT available from staff. It’s a party night for everyone. Nursing babies and knitting children are welcome, kids running around are not. So, there it is. We’ll see you. (I overheard Kristin threatening Shirley for smoked chicken dip, just saying.)
Books
We still have plenty of great books and patterns marked 40% off. Many of our shop samples were claimed quickly, so a few more were added for this week. This sale lasts through October 17 so there is still time to pick up a bargain.
We also have some new titles on our shelves that you will want to check out. Norwegian Handknits (Sue Flanders and Janine Kosel, $30.00) is a collection of thirty patterns for colorful folk mittens, socks and scarves. All of these patterns have been inspired by the collection of traditional Norwegian knits found at the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah Iowa. This museum has an extensive collection of textiles and handknits made by Norwegian immigrants and their ancestors. Not only are there great knitting patterns in this book but there is also lots of cultural history including recipes. Fortunately the authors left out the recipe for Lutefisk!!
There are two new books featuring lace patterns. The first is Knitted Lace Designs of Herbert Niebling (Eva Maria Leszner, $28.00). This book is loaded with exquisite knitted lace tablecloths and doilies. The second is Knits from the North Sea (Carol Rasmussen Noble and Margaret Leask Peterson, $27.95). This book features patterns for lace scarves, shawls, and stoles in the Shetland tradition.
A must have stitch dictionary is Twisted-Stitch Knitting (Maria Erlbacher, $28.00). Twisted stitch knitting provides incredible definition and depth to knitted work. This dictionary uses black and white photography so that the pattern design can be clearly seen and the charting seems straight forward and easy to use. Edited to add: Since writing this, we have run out. We are ordering more, so please call to reserve one from the next shipment.
And finally, A Fine Fleece (Lisa Lloyd, $30.00) explores the differences between handspun and commercial yarns. The book has over twenty-six projects using the yarns side by side. Each project is chosen to show the yarn to its best advantage.
Cast On Special this Week
This weeks Cast On Special is Rowan Colourscape yarn. We have two Rowan Colourscape books with great patterns and several individual patterns designed by Lorilee that are beautiful using this yarn. Buy a pattern and/or the yarn for a project in Colourscape and get 10% off your purchase.
Class updates
Classic Socks, three sessions beginning Friday afternoon, has room for one more student.
Holey Squares Scarf Class this Sunday has room for four more.
Sock Yarn Blanket (join the craze) has room for more.
Afghan Square Class on the third Monday night of the month has room.
Seismic Socks, learn to strand color vertically, has room on Saturday October 24.
Convert to Continental either Saturday afternoon October 24 or Friday afternoon October 30.
Felted Clogs (Fiber trends) has room on Saturday, October 31. Learn so you can make them for Christmas for your family and friends.
More details are on our website, or ring us up at 616-454-9276.
Sock Knitters
Thanks to a customer with whom we had this discussion this week, we want to pass along a nice tip about Cat Bordhi’s new Personal Footprints book. If you are someone who ruins socks quickly just by wearing through the heel, you’ll want to try patterns from this book. Since you first knit a toe to heel capsule, the heel is accessible for reworking after the fact. So, you can do two things. You can either rip and re-knit just the heel if it wears out. Or, you can add the reinforcing nylon to just the heel. Many don’t like using the nylon in traditional socks because it gets worked in the round, and shows on the sock instep. Not true here, because the heel is knit independently in the round. Cat also suggests knitting twisted stitches in those hi-wear spots. Give it a try. We ordered more Wooly Nylon today, and will have it soon.
This cool fall weather just begs for a knitting project, can’t wait to help you find the perfect one for you.
-City Knitting