My art yarn came from Milana Hilados
by Kelley on September 3, 2010
Jody thought I would appreciate seeing the shop where she bought my lovely knitting treats. Just look at the temptations.
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Another treat from the Yarn District in Buenos Aires
by Kelley on September 2, 2010
My friend Jody sent such a wonderful bag of yarn goodies to me!
This is a decadent collection of alpaca, laceweight yarn. It is a warm-toned brown and is unbelievably soft. I can’t wait to cast-on a shawl but I’m not sure about the design. I don’t want to make my usual Pi shawl because the alpaca yarn is going to be very warm. It certainly doesn’t need to be doubled over like you do when you where a Pi shawl.
I also think I want a relatively tight stitch pattern. Textured rather than lacy. Umm, what to do, what to do. I’m open to suggestions.
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What really happens in the Knit Picks office
by Knit Picks Staff on September 2, 2010
The Knit Picks office is a pretty busy place. We are always working on the catalog, or developing new products. But that doesn’t mean that it’s all work and no play!
I came to work wearing some awesome crocheted slippers that I bought at Last Thursday (an arts festival in Portland on Alberta Street). I love how bright and crazy they are! Stacey wanted to take my picture, and I decided to do a high kick!
A gift from another knitting enthusiast
by Kelley on September 1, 2010
Apparently knitting is extremely popular in Argentina. In fact, there is a Yarn District in Buenos Aires!
My friend Jody lives in Argentina. She sent this yarn to me because she thought I would appreciate the uniqueness of this yarn, and she knew I would love the autumn colors! This yarn is a bulky thick and thin yarn, with orange felted flowers tied to this really interesting art yarn.
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Let me introduce you to my drop spindle
by Kelley on August 31, 2010
Of course, introductions require names. I’ve always named my spinning wheels. My Kromsky Sonata is Elizabeth. My Joy is Amy. But, I never thought about naming my drop spindles.
The last couple of years I’ve become enamoured with drop spindling. I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty and personality of each of my drop spindles. The surprising productivity that comes from the portability of drop spindles. I am just as likely to grab a spindle and fiber as I head out the door each morning as I am to take along a knitting project.
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Yeah, my first IDP pattern
by Knit Picks Staff on August 30, 2010
What an exciting feeling! to have a pattern you’ve created be posted
on the web. Also, I now have a great appreciation for all the designers
out there… creating a pattern has been an interesting experience for
me… but I finally did it!!! (and I have a great model, don’t you
think!!!)
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Spinning Out of Control!
by Knit Picks Staff on August 26, 2010
My coworkers and I are so excited that we are finally offering spinning supplies, because we’ve been crazy about spinning for a long time. I learned how to knit first, and then my love of yarn drove me to try to spin with a drop spindle made out of a cd and a dowel, and later I bought a spinning wheel. Kelley actually learned how to spin before she started knitting. In college, she had a work study job at her college’s library, and many of her coworkers were spinners and taught her! Alison is a spinning maniac, bringing in hanks of handspun to the office almost every Monday morning.
We all hang out after work for informal craft nights, but we thought it would be fun for everyone to bring their spinning wheels to work so we could gather and spin together!
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Rocket Pop Sock Progress
by Knit Picks Staff on August 25, 2010
I knit socks slow, and my current sock project, which I blogged about last May,
is the slowest one I’ve done yet! I mean, I did take time off the knit
a couple of sweaters, and finish another pair of socks, and finish my
Tiger, and ribbing takes me such a long time (thrower here!), and so
much of this project is in plain old white yarn in 2 by 2 rib, and,
and….
The best words a knitter can hear
by Knit Picks Staff on August 25, 2010
A while back, I posted about the sweater I was knitting for my hubby for our anniversary.
It
had some issues: the shoulders weren’t quite right, and the motif was
puckering. Well, after a hasty finish, I presented it to him on our
anniversary trip with a rather cool reception. I had no idea if he
actually liked it or if he was being nice. I knew it was too warm to
wear at that point, so I figured I’d have time to fix the issues and
throw a zipper in before he could wear it.
So, fast forward a few months. We had a trip to Crater Lake looming, and he needed a warm sweater.
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Every knitter should give spinning a try
by Kelley on August 25, 2010
I know that my early confidence with knitting was the result of learning to spin before I learned to knit. Transforming fiber into yarn gave me an understanding not only of the properties of different fibers but also what I could expect from my finished yarn.
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