News from knitch--March classes beginning

March 3rd, 2011

*Open Knitting Tonight*

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Regular Hours M, Tu: 10-5 W, Th: 10-6 Fri, Sat: 10-5 Sun: 12-4 OPEN KNITTING: Every Wed 1-3PM Every Sunday: a UFO support group 1-3PM 1st and 3rd Thurs 5-8 PM *Saturdays in March: Cowlgirls* Knit-along 1-3PM**

Recent Arrivals from ROWAN

NEW: Kidsilk Aura is a worsted-weight version of customer favorite Kidsilk Haze--you get the same soft blend of kid mohair and silk, but it works up into a slightly heavier fabric.

New colors are here in both Kidsilk Haze and Felted Tweed, too.

KNITTER"S REVIEW
On yarn Substition One of the most frequent questions we are asked at knitch is, "Can I use different yarn than the pattern calls for?" The answer is "Yes, and..." read this great article on the subject, which goes into all the things you need to know to make successful yarn substitutions.

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Greetings!

On Saturdays in March, join us from 1-3 for a new knit-along (KAL) Pick any pattern from the hot new book, Cowlgirls.

Cowls are the latest in fashion accessories, and make quick projects that require little yarn. You can see 3 or 4 designs from the book worked up by Kathleen in the shop.

April's KAL will also take place on Saturdays from 1-3. The project is the "Unwind Wrap" by Rowan, a light and airy striped shawl made with Kidsilk Haze and Summer Tweed. This wrap calls for many colors of yarn--but only a little of each. With enough participants, knitters can save on the yarn by swapping partial skeins with each other during the KAL. A sample of this shawl is on display in the shop.

Beginning tonight, March 3, Evening Open Knit will now keep earlier hours, from 5:00-8:00pm. And be sure to mark your calendar for two weeks from tonight when there will be another Delafield "Ladies Night Out" special event

MARCH Class Highlights

Classes begin Saturday and all next week--sign up now

Is your ultimate knitting goal to someday make a sweater? Take the next step toward that goal with Barb's Next Step Knitting class.

Learn the ins-and-outs of sweater techniques by following a top-down baby sweater pattern from Knitting Pure and Simple.

This design company produces many, many adult patterns in all different styles for all different yarn weights. Once you make the baby sweater, you'll have all the skills you need to make yourself--or anyone else--a great garment.

Next Step Knitting project

Sven is back: just for fun, knit this Scandinavian character with Jenni. This pattern by Cottage Creations offers lots of scope for creativity.

Classes for unique and unusual garments:

Sue B. has unveiled her Miracle Vest 2--in a new lacey version. Students in this class will have a choice of making either the new style or the original bulky vest. (Look for a photo on the website later this week.) Saturdays, March 12, 19, 26 10am-12 pm

Japanese Mystery Scarf-so called, because the designer deciphered how to make it by examining a scarf a friend brought home from a trip to Japan. A super way to make use of space-dyed sock yarn if you have a single skein too small to make a pair.

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Heart Hat: worked up in cotton, this little bonnet would make a sweet gift for a summer baby.

View the complete class schedule. Register by mail or phone: 262-646-9392

SHOW and TELL

Flights of Knitting Fancy and more

Felted Flora:

Natalie learned to knit sometime around the turn of this year, in a one-hour private lesson at knitch.

Her first two projects were hats, and for a third, she chose the Booga Bag, a popular free download pattern for a felted drawstring purse.

Natalie Needle Felt

Natalie used purple heathered wool from Cascade for her bag, and embellished it with free-form needle-felted flowers and leaves. "Have you done needle-felting before?" we asked when she showed us the professional-looking results. "No...I just saw somebody doing it...um...at another yarn store," she confessed.

She shared a needle-felting tip with us that she gleaned from that other (nameless) store: Steam-pressing the backside of the needle-felted area helps "lock in" the design. We suspect that acts a little like blocking, to set the wool fibers.

Thanks, Natalie!

Fish Story:

Knitting has plenty of mathematical aspects: pattern repeats, stitch counts, gauge. Some knitters suffer these for the sake of art, and some positively revel in them.

We learned about one such group of math-minded fiber-folk when Mary Jo showed us a knitted rendition of MC Escher's Fish tessellation. Mary Jo belongs to the Wooly Thoughts group on Ravelry--a bunch of knitters who enjoy exploring the deeper mathematical possibilities of knitting and crochet.

Escher Fish

She volunteered to test-knit some of the interlocking fish, following a pattern developed by another Wooly Thoughts member, a designer from Germany. Each one of the fish is knitted individually and sewn together.

Completed hexagonal fish blocks will be joined to make a blanket, with edges trimmed staright after securing with machine stitching. Definitely not for the faint-of-heart!

You can read about the project and see more photos at the designer's blog. (Scroll down to earlier posts.)

Sweet Sweater Success:

Mary marked the first anniversary of her "knitting career" by showing off her just-completed-first-ever sweater: a seed stitch cardigan with pockets and a collar. (from a pattern by Debbie Bliss, worked in Cascade 220 Superwash.) She thinks it will fit her daughter just right, come next fall. Mary R. sweater

Mary and her mom-in-law, Kay, have been regular participants in the Tuesday morning Fearless Knitting class since last March. This intrepid team has tackled all kinds of knitting projects in the past year, coaching each other along the way. We love their spirit!