I want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  May you be blessed with health and happiness.

Thank you so much to each one of you for touching my life.  I hope I have been able to add a little joy to yours for certainly each one of you has enriched my life.  I often say " Strangers are Friends I have not met yet".  This is so true especially when you have a common interest.  I am not just talking about our common love for yarns and knitting.  To me knitting is just one expression of the common desire to make this world a happier and warmer place, a peaceful place of unity between all.

December Classes

Holiday Class Schedule at the Knitting Garage December 2014

                                                                                                                                          

Do you realize that with Thanksgiving so late this year we are already on the homestretch with getting our knitted gifts done right after Thanksgiving?!

Below are three classes I will be giving to get you started on a quick-to-finish-project.

Individual Projects:

These classes are held twice once on Saturday morning 10am to 12 noon and on Wednesday of the same week from 11am to 1pm (dates are indicated).  The cost of $40 per class includes the pattern and any additional help needed to finish the project.  Prior sign-up is necessary for the class during the week on Wednesday and recommended for the Saturday classes, but additional walk-ins are welcome Saturdays with a maximum number of four students per class.

December 3^rd and 6^th Cabled Headband (for the beginner knitter; you need to know basic stitches)

My own pattern and a quick knit (you can make one in a day).  If you have never knitted cables before, you can learn how. There are 37 projects posted on ravelry alone which all use this pattern.  Check them out .

December 10^th and 13^th Spa Cloth (for the advanced beginner)

This is a very popular pattern for a beautiful Spa Cloth.  Once you have mastered the circular cast-on, you   will be able to make one of these in a few hours as there are only 26 rounds to knit and you are done.  Paired with a nice bar of soap, they make perfect gifts for anyone on your list ( think of your children’s teachers).

 

December 17^th and 20^nd Quick hat worked flat (for the beginner knitter; needs to know basic stitches)

Do you need a last minute, but special handmade gift?  This hat is knitted flat and shaped to seam together in the end; no need to learn to knit in the round for this hat.  This is also my own pattern.

 

Preview of classes in January: 

After all the knitting you are doing for everybody else, you may want to think about making something special for yourself.

I will start another sock-knitting class and will also continue with the individual project classes on Saturday mornings.  Treat yourself to learn something new and wear the yarn you have been eying for so long…..

A full schedule will be posted end of December.

A soft and warm cowl in two colors using Misti Alpaca

SOCKS !

Fingerless mitts in Cascade Sport yarn

...SOCKS...

Pembroke Shawl using Misti Alpaca or other bulky yarn... ( a good project to learn lace stitches).

       

What's on my needles (week 43)

So much happens in one week; so much to share!

At The Knitting Garage

I had two loveley ladies come to my beginner's knitting class last Saturday, Ginny and Sylvia.
Those of you who follow me on Facebook (click to get to that page and "like" me while you are there) , well, those may have already seen the cute video Sylvia took of me winding yarn :)

Sylvia is also the inspiration behind a second version of my "simplest Mitts" pattern.  As she had never held a pair of needles in her hands before Saturday, I added an even simpler version and an explanation of the stitches.  If you are just learning yourself or if you are planning to teach someone to knit, this may be a good pattern to use.  It is still just $1 until December 1st when I will change it to $1.50; here is the link and a picture of the extended pattern (it is now three pages rather than one page) :  "The simplest Fingerless Mitts you'll ever make".

Since Ginny already knew how to knit, she decided on the original version and learned a few new stitches.  I heard that she already finished the first mitt.  Way to go, Ginny!


 
By the end of the class, Sylvia knew how to cast on her stitches, how to knit and how to purl!

Everybody who came by the store could tell, we were having lots of fun.
Of course it meant that I didn't pick up the Sophie Bag at all that day...

Sophie Bag

The bag is coming along with only 20 more rows to knit, then felt and attach the handle. 
It is going to look gorgeous!

Remember, I will give a class on this this Saturday.  This will be the last class of my Fall schedule.  I will be posting a new schedule with classes for December right after this post.

 At Home

I couldn't meet with my sock classes student this week, so the Christmas surprise socks are on hold.

But I did finish the " Susie Rogers' Reading Mitts" (free pattern on ravelry) in the Cascade Sports superwash.  They are a gift and I think they came out very pretty.

They just need to get blocked to bring out the lace a little more.
On Sunday I started on a pair of "Veyla" Mitts in Canopy Fingering.  I made one mitt as a store sample in the mink yarn (which is on sale this weekend!), but wanted to use the heavier yarn for these; they are also a gift.  I finished the first mitt :) and started on the lace of the second mitt; should be able to finish these next week, perhaps on Thanksgiving.

As always,  click on the links to get to the patterns.
Last not least I want to let you all know that I found a knitting themed box of tissues at Aldis in Kingston!  ;)...so cool, perfect for my knitting area!

What's on my needles (week 42)

At the Knitting Garage

The Sophie Bag 

My store sample is coming along nicely.  I am more than half done with the knitting. For the main body of the bag I am alternating between Cascade 220 and Noro Kureyon as both are good yarns for felting.  The striping should look real pretty when it is felted!  I also decided to sew on leather handles rather than knitting straps.  We have some very nice ones at the store.  What better way to show them off than in a store sample?!

Don't forget:  If you want to get started on your own Sophie bag, you can do so in my class on November 22nd or December 3rd.

At Home

I really should not have started on the scarf in a scarf project last week, since now it is yet another project on the back-burner as I switched gears and started on my gift giving projects.  However once in a while I remember that silky luxurious feel of the yarn and am looking forward to pick it up again in another six weeks or so :)

Christmas surprise socks

Since I am using these for demonstration purposes in my sock knitting class, I have to pace myself a little with these.  Before the second class this Saturday I will need to have knitted both cuffs the same length and have one heel flap completed. That should not be a problem since I almost finished one heel flap last night.

working the two socks in tandem on two sets of DPN's

one heel flap is almost done

Another pair of road trip socks

I am pacing myself with these, too, but for another reason.  I want them to be finished for Christmas and I know that if they are done much earlier I am tempted to give them to Tony already. This should not be too much of a problem since there are several other projects in the making.

the cuffs are almost the right length on these two at the time toe-up socks knitted on 2 circular needles

Susie Rogers' reading Mitts

I just started these yesterday in Cascade Sport weight super wash yarn in the same color as a moebius I had made last year, so I am making a set little by little...
The pattern is free on ravelry.  You can click on the link above to get to the pattern.
These mitts are a quick knit.with just enough interest to make the mittens stand out. They should be the perfect gift.
I am knitting these on one circular needle using the magic loop method.
These are a few changes I made:

• I am making them shorter and only knitted another nine knit rows after the lace pattern before starting the thumb gussets.

• I worked the increases for the thumb gussets as M1R and M1L for a neater look. Here is a good video by Knit Purl Hunter to see the difference: M1L, M1R

• I am following the advice of some fellow ravellers and am knitting the thumb in the medium size.

the first eyelet row will be the turning row for the picot hem

I worked the thumb gussets as M1R and M1L

 One mitten is done, just one more to go!

What's on my needles (week 41)

At The Knitting Garage

The Sophie Bag store sample

It has been busy at the store (a good thing!), so I did not get so far with the bag.  Still, I finished the bottom and started knitting the body of the bag in the round.  This is the point when I will start incorporating the Noro yarn for some fun stripes.

Classes

I am having fun knitting basic socks with two ladies.  Both are new to sock knitting, but their socks promise to look and feel great.  I remember knitting my first pair of socks and how daunting it seemed, but how exciting when you hold that very first pair of socks in your hands.  I have knitted nine pairs of socks (plus one single one for the store)  trying out different methods and I am in the process of knitting pair #10 and #11.  You can see them here : Doris's socks
Please remember that if you plan to come for just one session of the four session class, you need to be at the right part of your sock. 
The next session is Saturday November 15th from 1-2:30pm "start the heel flap" and you will need to have finished your cuff by then.

I am using Matthew's socks in my sock knitting class; both cuffs are almost done

Beginners knitting Class
The simple fingerless mitts class on Saturday November 15th  and Wednesday November 19th is a great beginners knitting class with no prior experience required.  You will learn the basics and will be on your way to finish your first small project you can wear with pride.
The Saturday class is almost full, but I may schedule this class again soon if there is enough interest.

At Home

I finished the i-cord edge around one armhole on the Chevron Tank.  It is coming along, but I must admit that I am not having fun with this and it has become the project I am least likely to pick up.
I told myself that part of the reason for this is that it is the time of year when I should exclusively knit presents...

one i-cord edge done ...

... however I must admit that I cheated.
I blame it all on a friend of mine who cancelled our afternoon get-together.  Well, I had dinner already in the slow cooker, did not want to work on the Chevron Tank, could not work on the socks for class as I needed to start the second cuff in class, could not work on Tony's socks since I am keeping that project as a nice easy one to knit  when we are having company this weekend, so I had to start something new and the scarf in a scarf kit which I had bought at "Knitting Addiction" on the OBX last month was calling out to me...

an easy knit in pretty Fall colors

just finishing the cuffs on Tony's 2-at-a-time toe up socks