Hi everyone! Whew what a week! I hope all of you were able to make it thorough the last clue ok. I know there were many folks hung up on getting the correct stitch counts at the front and back split, and I hope everyone was able to either figure it out, or at least move forward. Remember, if you haven't yet, make sure to take a look at the photo tutorial I provided to illustrate the split. I think a lot of folks found it helpful. Another way to wear it. Finished weaving the ends at the ballpark recently. This week's instructions will prove to be much simpler. This clue will also be the final clue for this KAL. I think now it's time to tell you all what you've made. Most of you guessed it-- it is indeed a cowl! It's hooded cowl to be exact, because it can be worn up over the head...

Now that the weather is warming up, our thoughts are turning to lighter,  more portable knitting projects and we've been stocking up on some lusciously awesome new yarns for summer! This seems like the perfect time to start talking about fibers. This will be the first post spotlighting a specific fiber and how it is best used for knitting, crocheting and weaving. Have you ever chosen a different yarn than your pattern calls for and then not gotten the results you expected? One possible reason for this is that you chose a yarn with a completely different fiber than the one the project was designed with. For instance, lets say that you made a sweater that was designed for Cascade 220 but you chose Berroco Linsey instead. Now you're wondering why instead of being fluffy, warm and springy...

Hi everyone! As promised, I've put together a little tutorial for separating the back from the front on your Mystery KAL project. I will encourage you all once again, as I did on the Ravelry thread, to follow the directions step by step and very literally. I would even go as far as to say you may not want to read through them all the way for this section..just do it! If you over-think it too much, it will become more confusing than it's worth. That said, many people are visual learners. Sometimes, with more complicated directions like this, there is just no "right way" to explain it, regardless of how carefully you edit your directions. However, I do apologize for some of the silly mistakes that I made in my sleep deprived state. I should have been more careful with the directions for this...

Guten morgen, meine liebe Freunde! Forgive my German and the slight lateness of this blog post. :) I've been spending the weekend with German relatives in Tahoe. My younger brother got married last night and all of the family is visiting. The above greeting means "Good morning my dear friends!" Or something close to that. :) In any case, I do truly apologize for being a bit late. This post is a bit of a long one and it was important to me that it be just right because it could be a bit confusing if you haven't done this type of project before. I am really excited about today though, because we get to do a little lace. I think many of you are rested and ready for a little excitement too. The beginning of this section is a bit tricky because we are separating the front from the back...

Hi everyone!  Heather and I have been receiving so many wonderful poetry submissions for National Poetry Month, that we thought we would share some more of them with you this week! Here are a few more of our faves from the past week and a half: By Sheri Chin I have some yarn So pretty and fine It knits into socks With a wonderful design. Short rows for the heels, Decreases for the toes, She shall have warm feet, Where ever she goes. Haiku by Ann Stolzman Color Affection Is A Color Addiction So Many To Choose! Mike's Blanket by Rebecca Haller Horrible accident. Left for dead. Survived. But never the same. Lenten gift. Hand knit comfort. Cherished 3 months more. Buried with honor at death. Knitter transformed.  Limerick by Elisabeth Kazup There...

The Old Silk Road My honey, Geoff, left on Monday for Uzbekistan and we just got the Kaffe Fassett collection which has fabric called Uzbekistan...go figure! Geoff thought that was really neat when I showed him! We do a lot of traveling together, but this was a trip that wasn't within my interest scope, however, I will be excited to hear about his adventures when he gets back in May. He will be gone for almost a month and I will miss him, but I know he will have fun. Of course I will have fun here at home and may have to grab some of the Uzbekistan fabric and do something with it before he gets back. What beautiful textiles he will see! He will be traveling The Silk Road on a tour and has gotten it in his head to do some wheeling and dealing to buy yarn and maybe Laura will...

Hi everyone! Hope you have all had a great week! I know the short rows were confusing for some of you, so I hope everyone made it through mostly unscathed. :) Ok, so you are probably tired of Game of Thrones memes by now but I saw this one this week and I loved it so I had to share: From www.quickmeme.com Heehee. Makes things seem a bit more innocent, eh? Also, in case you were wondering what the GoT characters would look like if they were cats, I have the answer for you: From www.cheezburger.com Is the cat they found for Jorah not the perfect match?!?! I love it! Ok, back to business. In case you are just joining us for the MKAL. Here are some quick links to the previous posts: -Gauge and Swatching -Clue #1 -Clue #2 Alright, now on to clue #3! By this time you should have...

Over the next few weeks I'll be writing about some of the most common questions and advice we give out in the store. Today, I'm reviewing swatching as it seems like we can't emphasize it enough! I don't know how many people have come into the store lately who've gone to the trouble to knit up a sweater only to find out it's too big and have to either give it away or frog it and start again! I'll be the first to admit that swatching can be a drag when you're excited to get started but I've learned through experience that if I want to make a garment fit correctly the first time with no tears or frustrations then I must knit a proper swatch before I begin.  It's worth the effort and is never a waste of time. As Diane Soucy (of Knitting Pure and Simple) says: "A tiny difference in your...