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A Good Time Was Had By All: MN Yarn Shop Hop Wrap Up
The Shop Hop is over, and we're back to our regularly scheduled fun around here. Whew! It was super busy, but super fun! Generous Hoppers at Double Ewe helped us raise $3,948 for the Centennial Area Food Shelf - that's $1,056 more than 2015 - wow! The combined total from all 15 shops in the Hop was over $55,000 for food shelves throughout the Twin Cities. Holy buckets! Thanks to all of you!! We sold out of the yarn we commissioned for the Hop, but it did last through all four days. We sold the last skein during the last hour of the last day. Thanks for that too! And finally, both our knit pattern and our crochet patterns are available for download on Ravelry. Any sport weight yarn would work well for them - Ewe So Sporty or Mad Hatter come to mind, but we have lots of other choices too. What Alice FoundLooking Glass Moebius My final thing to share about the Hop is a bit of verse from my inspiration, Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass. I love these words: "In a Wonderland they lie, Dreaming as the days go by, Dreaming as the summers die: Ever drifting down the stream - Lingering in the golden gleam - Life, what was it but a dream?" --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
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What About Classes? Knit Alongs?
My class schedule for May is coming along nicely, and I should have it for you next week. But I do have a couple things I want to share with you now: Kelly's Workshop is an ongoing workshop style class. Jump in and out whenever you want, and only pay for the classes you attend. You pick the project, we provide the support. Even if you've never knit before, we can teach you. Mitttens? Socks? Lace? A sweater? Learn how to fix those pesky mistakes or how to seam nicely. Knit what YOU want, but if you get stuck, don't worry, we're right there to help you. This is a great option if you want to take a class with a friend, but you knit at different levels. Come to just one class or come every week - your choice. These workshops meet ever week and have no end date. You do not need to register, just show up!
When: Wednesday afternoons 4 - 6 pm --or-- Thursday mornings, 10 - noon Cost: $5 per class session ------------------ Knit Alongs
I'm bringing back our Thursday Knit Alongs for the summer. Yay!
A knit along (KAL for short) is when a group of people are working on the same project at the same time. KAL's at Double Ewe are a little bit like classes, but more casual. There's no fee to attend, but we do ask that you purchase your materials at Double Ewe. I have a couple of projects in mind, but if you have an idea that you'd like to see as a KAL, let me know. I'd love to have some company and an excuse to sit and knit on Thursday afternoons!
KAL: Happy Hoppin' Hat
Each year, in support of the Minnesota Yarn Shop Hop, Diane Augustin publishes a new "Happy Hoppin" pattern. This year, it's a really cute hat knit in Malabrigo Rios with beads. So fun! If you haven't knitted with beads before, this is a fun intro to it. These hats would make really cute gifts. We'll run this knit along for two weeks - come to one or both. Thursdays, April 28 & May 5
Time: 4:00 - 6:00Materials: One skein of Malabrigo Rios; about 260 size 6/0 TOHO seed beads (1 packet). You'll need size 7 & 8 16" circular needles as well as size 8 dpn's for the top of the hat.
Cost: Participation is free; we just ask that you purchase your materials at Double Ewe.
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What Have We Been Stitching? What's New?
Here's some of what we've shared on Facebook/Instagram since we last chatted: Posted on April 12:
Gauge. To some people, it's a swear word. But sometime's it's SO important; not always, but sometimes. Yarn Sub did an interesting experiment that's worth sharing: The Startling Difference in Gauge Between Knitters. Really, it's worth a quick read. If that wasn't enough gauge fun for you, I wrote a couple of articles about gauge a few years ago: Part One: Gauge Schmauge, Is It Close Enough?Part Two: How to Knit & Measure a Gauge Swatch--------- Posted April 13:
Did you notice our brown paper bags are back? The plastic ones were gifted to us, so it seemed silly not to use them. Plus, purple. I understand why stores use plastic: they cost a teeny tiny fraction of what the paper bags cost. That being said, I do prefer the paper: they're sturdy and have so many uses. However, if you find yourself with a stack of Double Ewe paper bags, feel free to bring them back to us - we'd love to use them again. Reduce-reuse-recycle, and all that. ---------- Posted April 14:
My desk has been taken over by Opal posters...know what that means? Opal sock yarn is here! ---------- Posted April 15:Have you seen these? They're sort of ingenious! They save your stitches, protect your circulars, and come in a bunch of pretty colors. Check 'em out next time you're at Double Ewe! ---------- Posted April 16:
With the Shop Hop over, I took some time for some personal knitting, and what's more fun than knitting for grandkids? So, I whipped up slippers for all three of them. I used Merino Extra Fine 85 held double, and the pattern is Children's Mukluks from Knitting Pure & Simple - both available at Double Ewe.
---------- Posted April 19:
How gorgeous is this?! It's Tami's latest FO: Celtic Myths knit with Malabrigo Arroyo. So beautiful!! And get this: it's a freebie on Ravelry!
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Want More from Double Ewe?
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Hanging Out at Double Ewe
Come knit & crochet with us! Work on whatever you want, no registration, no string attached, just show up. Tuesday evenings, 6:30 - 9 Friday afternoons, 1:30 - 5:30 Saturdays, starting at 9am We gather these three time each week, however if you find yourself with some time to kill, or you just want a little escape, stop on by anytime we're open and find a spot around the coffee table.
Please note: Open knitting is not a class. Although we're always happy to answer questions as time permits, sometimes it gets a bit hectic. For more dedicated help, consider coming to one of Kelly's Workshops: Wednesdays from 4-6, Thursdays from 10-12. $5 per class.
We celebrated my Mom's birthday last weekend. I thought I'd shake things up a bit - the little kids can't have all the fun! Happy birthday, Mom!
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