I think my last blog was around Christmas……. so much has happened since then

A Christmas hat for Waylon, just to remind us all how fast the days have flown byyyyyy! So much since Christmas, wow!

The trees outside the shop finally lost their leaves,….. with no rain in the forecast the sun was blazing in through the huge old time windows right into our eyes as we were standing behind the counter sooooo…. I started to dream of all the ways to move the shop around and get the counter to a better spot.

We moved the ribbon & buttons front and center, I love our collection of french trims, cotton & linen bindings, hand dyed silks, pom pons, vintage buttons, all kinds of yummy stuff for my imagination to go wild!

Books in the old chinese laundry rack behind the couch in our new sitting area, Habu on the brightest wall in the shop, love the Habu!

Lots of exciting new changes happening at Knitterly!

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Ribbon and headbands…

So knitters, who else is addicted to Pinterest.com ?! Amazing… I’ve found some really great DIY tutorials. This is one I ‘pinned’ (not my design though). It was such a fast knit and I love the shape. I thought the final product was okay… But then my cute cousin, Jenna, put it on and well….  Awesome… Now I want one.

I am knitting a pretty turquoise ‘Jade Sapphire’ cashmere number for my wonderful friend, Nicole too.

I must admit… I didn’t do a functioning button because I think that over time the button hole will stretch out. I sewed  a really awesome button from our “Popeye’s” (that’s our Grandfather) old navy coat on to one side.  It’s really cool old button with an anchor and a rope going around it. On the underside I did a hook and eye deal. You won’t see the other side of the hardware once it’s on.  That way you have the cute button look without the hole getting stretched all out.

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Makes you want to make one too, yes?!

Okay so I haven’t figured out how to attach a link.. Even though my wordpress blog has a button called ‘Link’ hmmm. Not sure where it’s going after I attach it. So just do a good ole cut and paste Sorry knitters. I’ll get it soon ;D

You might get sick of headbands after this post.  I went to the shop and did a ribbon heist;D We carry elastic! Woot woot!  Ribbon is so pretty and it doesn’t take much to make one. For less than $10.00 you can make some pretty awesome hair accessories.  I have enough ribbon and elastic to make, at least, 6 headbands. Baby E definitely wants a few and baby Dub.. Ooh and Way’s buddy My…I am ribbon happy over here!  Hoping I can make some that actually stay on my head as well. I know I am not the only one who gets the slow roll. You know when the  headband slowly springs off your head exposing your ever growing bangs?! ;D

Enjoy Enjoy and let me know what you make your headband out of  Make it out of any old thing.

http://tmatthewsfineart.blogspot.com/2010/01/free-knitting-pattern-headband-ear_15.html

PS

The yarn I used is a fabulous cashmere blend  ”Kashmir Alpakka” by Sandnes  (It’s a fabulous Swedish yarn) and number 7 straight needles. I recommend the Knitters pride, the #7 needles are black. Fancy:D

Happy knitting

Start doing…

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing” – Walt Disney

The beginning of the year always brings , for me at least, lists…  I make lists for the new year. Where I want to go, sports I want to try, people I’d like to visit, projects for knitting.

This year is already so exciting.December 1 I gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Evalyn Lucille.  Life is so different and so awesome. Time has a new meaning to me, I’m really not sure it actually exists. My day begins and before I know it it’s ending again. I have been trying, hard as I can, to slow down and soak it all in. Making lists seem to take up this precious time I have.. Tisk tisk. Now is the time for DOING.

And knitting is a doing I need to do more of;D  So, at night while the family sleeps I pull out my knitting and get to work. It’s nice having the quiet and space to move my arms and knit. Monday night we took a walk and visited the parental units at knitterly, where they were moving things around.  (you have to see My Mom has rearranged the shop and it looks pretty fabulous;D)  Anyway while exiting I grabbed two balls of yarn and some circular needles. That night I sat cross legged with my yarn, Raggazza TU (purple and yellow) in my lap and my new “Knitters Pride” needles. Yum. The yarn is so fluffy and nice. The project was real quick with my #19 needles too;D I highly recommend. The knitters pride needles are well named. OH. My. Knitting. I heart these needles. Pointy tips, smooth wood, and the colors are fabulous. A rainbow of colors. Each size has it’s own fancy color. Can’t wait to have a mason jar filled with ALL the pretty colors. Before I went to bed I had made a spunky cowl and felt quite pleased with finishing a whole project.

The sunny crisp weather feels more like spring than winter. But January is here and so are some amazing yarns. Knit Collage has done it again and made the coolest sequin yarn I have ever seen. The sequins are made of metal. Metal! How cool is that?! I can’t wait to get it around my neck;D Lucky girl I am, My Mom is knitting me a self fringing shawl:D Yay!!  Ok – come in and ogle over, touch, smell, and KNIT, the fabulous winter yarns.

Knit collage baby!

I am including the pattern to the cowl I made with the Raggazza TU. Knit and enjoy

   Ragazza TU Cowl:

2 balls Ragazza Tu ( I chose two contrast colors)

32″ # 19  Knitters pride circular needles

Cast on 80 stitches

K2, P2 Repeat for every round

* I just knit until it looked like I was going to run out. Eye ball it.  About 12 rounds

Have fun and let me know how you like the needles… I’m ga ga for them…. Droool

Here are my projects

I love winter and the holidays. Icy cold air, the sun sparkling on the frost, it’s such a magical time of year. I think of movies, knitting, and a hot cup of cocoa (with mini marshmallows)

I have had the knitting bug through out my pregnancy with beautiful baby E.  And the bug continues to bite with the cold weather. Most of these projects were really fast . I have been google-ing “crafty mom blogs’ for months and have found some really inspiring woman who create awesome goodies. So some of my patterns were freebies online, some were from books, and some from single patterns…. But everything I used came from the wonderful, magical, Knitterly <3

Bear hat:

*1 ball “fleece”

*Ann Norling “head Hugger” pattern

 

 

Baby booties:

*1 hank Koigu “Kersti” ( I used about half and I made the second size)

*Book: “Natural Nursery Knits” by Erika Knight

 

Pink sweater:

*1  1/2 hanks Queensland “Pima Fresca”

*KnitBot “Yoked Cardigan”

 

Poncho’s:

*4-5 balls ( the grey and pink one is smaller) Rowan’s “All Seasons Cotton”

*1 ball “Foxy” (one ball will be enough for 2 hoods)

*Knitting Pure and Simple pattern #243

 

 

Blue sweater:

*1 skein “Malabrigo” (seriously just ONE skein)

*Free pattern “Baby Sophisticate” by Linden Down

                     http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-sophisticate

Blanket: It’s not actually finished…. I need to seam and block it.

             Book: More last minute knitted gifts

             I used left over yarn to make this guy ;D Just use any pretty yarn you have laying around:D

             

Enjoy

Wednesday blogger

Well hello… 

  I am going to be the “Wednesday blogger” Woot woot! 

Our son, Little Mr. W, is in Prechool for two hours and I have our Little E all wrapped in her Moby and ready to write. I haven’t actually had time to knit but about two rows since our beautiful daughter arrived. But “nesting” sent me into a knitting frenzy before her beautiful eyes locked on mine <3  I have made gifts for all Mr W’s and Little E’s buddies;D I used books, patterns, free online patterns, expensive yarn, inexpensive yarn, all are very fun and definitely beautiful <3 Hopefully you will be inspired and someone will make something I post. he he

   Christmas is almost here and most of these patterns can actually STILL be made before the holdiday.  I will upload my project photos, links to the free pattern I used, book titles and the yarn and cost… I need to take some pretty photos first <3

   Stay tuned for the second half of my first Wednesday blog 

Peace,

 Ashleigh

Third Thursday in December is Mohair

Third Thursday in December is Mohair!!! I love Mohair!!!! I put it with everything……. great with any yarn, makes everything warm and fuzzy! Hold a strand of mohair together with alpaca, wool, silk, glitter & sequins, even cotton is yummy and warm with mohair. We’ve got Alchemy, Rowan, Tahki, classic Elite, Shi Bui, just to name e few.

Cute little fluffy guy!

new yarns

We’ve added new yarns to our color area and crazy scarf yarns too! We have all kinds of big yarns made into a chain type thing that you knit into the side of and it curls like magic, pretty groovy, instant scarf if you need some quick gifts!

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We have a baby……..

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Evalyn Lucille Flint 8lbs. 14ozs……..20.5 inches long…………just perfect!

What The French Toast!

How did it get to be November already??? I was trying to fit in some classes and realized I was having to  work around Thanksgiving weekend!! The rain came, the time changed, the nights are cold, duh where have I been, it’s fall.   I felt a bit of panic at the thought of the Holidays getting so close but also feel so happy for all the changes and the knitting possibilities.   November 6th already, time for holiday knitting, get going so you can enjoy knitting and maybe make something for yourself.   I have really been enjoying making hats and scarves lately, fun fast and finished!   Lots of soft cozy alpaca blends and cashmere too , one I’ve recently fallen in lust with is from Sweden…. Kashmir Alpakka it’s dreamy!  I’ve made a baby sweater, slouchy hat and started a sweater for myself in it.  It’s a bit pricy ($15) but a bargain for the end result, well actually a bargain of knitting pleasure as well!  Bouton d Or has a couple of  really nice yarns that I love for hats and scarves too, so soft and delicious!   As you must know I’m a true yarn addict……… so keep that in mind if you follow me in my yummy indulgences. I don’t do drugs, (don’t like them) wine ( gives me a headache)or anything too expensive (except boots)  so yarn is definitely my drug of choice!  I spent the whole weekend home with a sore throat, knitting, loving knitting….

It’s been nice to see all the beautiful faces of the cold weather knitters popping in the shop again…  AAAAhhhhhhh yummy indulgence!

what yarns do you love?

I get that question all the time……. Such a hard one for me to answer. I love to see color when I look in the shop like looking at a kitchen store catalog and wanting colorful pans from Le Creuset and bright colored blender or dishes but the truth is I have mostly off white dishes and not much bright colored anything in my kitchen just like in my closet I like pale earthy colors so when I choose “yarn I love” it depends on if it’s for me or the shop. I love knitting on Malabrigo angora, it is so soft, hand spun- so texture feast, kettle dyed- so great color depth, and a really quick knit like on 11 or 13 needle cuz it fluffs like crazy, if I wanted to look like a fluffy bunny all the time I would knit sweaters out of it all day long, but I choose to limit sweaters in this to baby and make cowls for myself….. which are for sure some of my favorite things! Yesterday we had cocoknits and did a “what to do with Habu” yarn tasting, so much fun! I discovered a new “yarn I love” in combining Habu silk mohair with Isager wool one, wool 1 is a bit scratchy for me but mixed with Habu silk mohair it’s so soft, beautiful texture and an amazing lofty little fiber combo perfect for a yummy little sweater. I also love organic cottons, they are actually really great to knit with, being organic they are hollow in the middle which makes them have more give for easy knitting and less likely to grow in a garment and machine washable, also in some of my favorite things. I” love” cashmere, that doesn’t surprise you I’m sure! I “love” some yarns because of the beautiful colors….Like Alchemy and Mad Tosh……I “love” alpaca because of it’s softness……..I “love” thinner yarns like something you would knit on size 6 or smaller needle for a sweater because it’s more flattering fabric………I “love”textured yarns like Habu, and anything thick thin because I’m a total texture junky………I “love” cottons for kids because it’s always soft and never itches them……. I “love” yarn because no matter what is going on in life YARN always makes me smile.