Socks for the Holidays

So I decided last night that the perfect gift for my Secret (nondenominational) Santa were knitted socks.  If you have followed this blog for a while, you may recall that I never showed you the end of my last pair of first socks.  Ahem.  So it’s my new first pair of socks!  In time for a Friday gift exchange!  I opted for a heavier slipper sock, so I’m knitting on US7 needles, so it’s not toothpick knitting.  And when you stay up all night, it turns out you can nearly finish a sock an evening!

I just have an inch or so to start the toe!  I’m using a beautiful ‘vintage’ skein of Farmhouse, and it’s turning out lovely, if I do say so.  It even matches my little succulent garden!  Now I just have to get through the toe…

Thanksgiving leftovers (Black Friday!!!)

As we being the ‘official’ holiday shopping season, it’s a good thing we start with enough food to have leftovers that will last through the holidays!

Seriously, that’s our regular table, being entirely covered with food, as it acts as our buffet.  And this was just the first wave!

To work off all of those calories, we have decided, for the first time ever, to hold a Black Friday sale!  All black yarns in the store and online will be 15% off!

This sale is for all of you New Yorkers out there (or New Yorkers at heart…)

Ever “herd” of competitive sheep herding?

Neither had I, until my sister forwarded me this amazing video. Lets just say, the sheep herders have to do something while their wool is growing…

 

Keanu Approved

Ok, more on my sock later, but I just had to show you some exciting Hollywood news.

I have to admit I was a little star struck when The One (from Bill and Ted) says to me: “Hey, I like your mustache “

Okay it was actually “Do you have a lighter?”  But I know he was thinking it…

A Pain in my Sole

Alright, alright, you don’t even have to tell me, I already know.  I’m a day late and a dollar short with getting these knit-a-long socks done in the allotted time.  But hey, that’s the great thing about knitting, right?  It’s not a race.

So I am making my way, ever so slightly inching down the sole, and I am almost down to the toe.

I think they are coming out quite nicely!  You know, if i do say so.

Things have been quite lively here in Tarrytown these past few weeks (not an excuse for the tardiness, I know, but I at least have to try!)  We have been all over in the Yarn Bus, picking up knitters from Manhattan as well as going to the Sheep to Shawl show at Phillipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow.  This is a yearly event for us, and it was a blast as usual.

Giving our sheep friend a hair cut, no buzzers needed!

I have also been working quite a bit on our website.  Check out our new WOW sales for unbeatable deals that change every day!

I will be back soon (really!) to update you on the how the toe goes.  Until then, Happy Internet Knitting!

~Dillon

Turning the Heal

In the circle’s I run in, the ominous “they” say that turning the heal is what separates the initiated from the uninitiated .  The Men from the boys.   The knitters from the knitters. Well, now I’m in italic because my heal is turned!

first half!

As it turns out, this months knit along features a short row heal, and I have been a short row guy for quite some time.  I have a 3D background, so knitting in 3D is an old trick.  But now its SockD!

Full Heal! (plus cat)

It’s really exciting watching my first sock come together.  I’m zipping down the foot and will be updating again soon!

Knit-a-long!

Hi there internet knitters!

I say hello only a few short months after my last post here.  As they say, time flies!  Flies when you are ‘yarning’ away, keeping those fingers moving through the winter.  I have some finished projects to update you on as well as what I had to put down to type this!

Firstly, cold a winter as it has been, I have been drawn to blanket making.  Having your blanket on your lap as you make it is perfect for those blustery days.  I started with a cozy Mountain Colors Weavers Wool, in a diagonal bobble pattern to give it some texture, and loved how it came out!

My current taking forever project is a HUGE queen-size blanket, using Brown Sheep’s Nature Spun, and a pattern from the now sadly discontinued Mission Falls line.  (We still have some rapidly depleting Mission Falls in stock, so if you need some, get it while we still have it!) The pattern is from Wee Knits 3, an easy-peasy garter stitch pattern which gets its awesome look from switching colors every two rows.  My favorite thing about this project is no sewing ends!   Instead, you clip after every row and braid the ends.  Coolest fringe ever!  I’ll give you a look when it’s done, all made up on my bed.

My newest knitting foray is toothpick knitting…  I have started my first pair of socks!  I have knit on sock weight yarn before, but never socks proper, 10sts to the inch and all.  I figured with Skacel’s 20th anniversary knit along here, it would be an opportunity to really just jump in.  I like the format of following directions a bit at a time, as I have a tendency to over-think and change patterns.  What I do not like are size 2 needles.  Really, it’s just as bad as I thought it would be.

It grows pretty fast, though, due to the smallness of a sock (duh!)  The only thing I’m dreading is the second sock…

Web Woes, PotW continues!

Hello Internet Knitters! 

What a Fall season it has been for us so far.  The leaves have finally fallen from the trees and the wind has picked up.  With our now annual Stitches East outing behind us, we were enjoying our new feature that we were all really excited about, the Project of the Week.  Unfortunately, our plans have been a little delayed by what our web hosting company likes to call “unforeseen difficulties.”  We are now anticipating our web store to be down for anther one to two weeks, but we just didn’t want to wait that long to bring to you our next PotW.  Without further ado, we bring you our Alpaca Cap.

This hat is made in one of our favorites, Blue Sky Alpaca Sport Weight yarn.  We are offering this in four different colorways, Browns (shown,) Grays, Blues, and Reds.  The cool thing about this PotW is that with the three skeins of yarn that come with the pattern, you can make two whole hats, with reversed color.  Know some twins or siblings that like match?  BFF’s?  Or maybe you can make hats for the whole family!  The yarn for this project would normally retail at over $25 , but we are offering this kit today for only $19.95 .

To place your order, give us a call toll free at 877-359-4648.  If we are already on the line when you call, please leave us a message with your name and number and we will get back to you by the end of the day.

We want to thank all of our online friends for your continued patience with this, and just remind everyone that we are still shipping daily, and we are more than happy take care of your order over the phone.

 

Stitches Midwest (The Yarn Bus goes to Chicago)

Hi there internet knitters!

We have made it to the Windy City!  Or more specifically, the northwest suburbs!  We had a great two day drive out here;  The yarn bus was a hit with Midwestern drivers!  We took a small detour in Gary, Indiana, after my Mom and I had two different opinions on how to get to a place neither of us had been before.  I thought, hey, lets just get off in Gary, one of my favorite places in Indiana.  As it turns out, Gary is having a little construction on their highway stops, not to mention it has more then several one way streets…

Gary Indiana's Main Drag

From what I could tell, there was no leaving Gary.  But have no fear!  We noticed a couple of guys taking pointing and taking pictures, and we figured we could ask for directions.  Lo and behold, we had bumped into Gary, Gary’s Police Chief !

Gary, Gary's Chief of Police!

He loved the Bus and kindly pointed us to the highway.  This is hands down one of my Traveling Yarn Bus highlights.

We just finished setting up here at Stitches Midwest and are exited to start seeing all of the fiber fiends!

Enjoy the week and if you are in the greater Chicago area, come stop in!

Heat in the Summer

I know it’s too freaking hot to think about heat, but I just saw this really great video from a European Heat provider.  I think it has been around a while, but how cool is this?

I love the visualization of the knitting as warmth.  It makes me want to knit sneakers and a stair rail cozy…

Just thought you all might like it!