KINGS COUNTY FIBER FESTIVAL

Embracing fiber Arts
at the Old Stone House...

Home of the Kings County Fiber Festival

Water Fun ...

The Kings County Fiber Festival fit for family, friends and neighbors of the the Old Stone House, Saturday October 6^th from 10 am – 6 pm in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The newly remodeled Washington Park offers a picturesque and colorful setting for the Kings County Fiber Festival dedicated to the natural fibers this day promises something for everyone, scheduled events:

• Fiber spinning demonstration lead by Spin City on the wheel and drop spindle
• Fleece talk with Kris Brynes of Winter's Past Farm in New Jersey
• Ergonomic Stretch with Pop-Up Yoga NYC
• “Fabrication” an art exhibit by Gail Rothchild
• Finger Knitting for kids
• And over 20 vendors selling roving and yarns of many fibers
• Handmade knit, crochet and felted items

5th Avenue Row

For a full schedule of the day follow the link to http://bit.ly/QsqNBu

The marketplace will offer you cashmere, alpaca, wool, roving, kits, handmade fall/winter accessories, knit, felt and crochet.



Opening Reception

Brooklyn artist Gail Rothschild opens FABRICATIONS, a solo show at the Old Stone House of Brooklyn.

Rothschild's work is a muscular, tactile exploration of the physical world and dynamic movement in space, reflecting her love of rock climbing. Ropes and knots become lifelines that interconnect, weaving multiple levels of meaning. The paintings begin with the basic interlocking unit that implies an infinite pattern. What grows also decays; what is interlocked will also unravel. The final painting expresses these realities of nature and culture. Tied through history, textile as common craft and painting as high art reflect the problematic privileging of human creation. By painting the de-fabrication of textiles, the work challenges notions of artistic expression and the hierarchies that are woven into our collective consciousness.
To see more of Gail's work follow the link to Brooklyn artist Gail Rothschild opens FABRICATIONS, a solo show at the Old Stone House of Brooklyn.

Rothschild's work is a muscular, tactile exploration of the physical world and dynamic movement in space, reflecting her love of rock climbing. Ropes and knots become lifelines that interconnect, weaving multiple levels of meaning. The paintings begin with the basic interlocking unit that implies an infinite pattern. What grows also decays; what is interlocked will also unravel. The final painting expresses these realities of nature and culture. Tied through history, textile as common craft and painting as high art reflect the problematic privileging of human creation. By painting the de-fabrication of textiles, the work challenges notions of artistic expression and the hierarchies that are woven into our collective consciousness. Brooklyn artist Gail Rothschild opens FABRICATIONS, a solo show at the Old Stone House of Brooklyn.

Rothschild's work is a muscular, tactile exploration of the physical world and dynamic movement in space, reflecting her love of rock climbing. Ropes and knots become lifelines that interconnect, weaving multiple levels of meaning. The paintings begin with the basic interlocking unit that implies an infinite pattern. What grows also decays; what is interlocked will also unravel. The final painting expresses these realities of nature and culture. Tied through history, textile as common craft and painting as high art reflect the problematic privileging of human creation. By painting the de-fabrication of textiles, the work challenges notions of artistic expression and the hierarchies that are woven into our collective consciousness. http://bit.ly/SZQd66

NOT FOR SINGLES ONLY DIY NIGHT

Learn to crochet ...

Paint your own pot ...



Nosh ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come play and socialize with us at Noella Brew Bar, Stitch Therapy and the Painted Pot for an evening of food and crafty fun. You chose -- pottery painting or crochet -- and we supply the rest! Bring a friend or come solo. You'll receive lessons and everything you need to leave with a project in progress. The evening includes a light meal and non-alcoholic drink of your choosing. Want a glass of wine? BYOB.

The cost for a night of fun and friends, old and new - $30.00

 

You can book your space by using PayPal to your left. Or, stop by and pay in person at either location at 72 Seventh Avenue between Lincoln and Berkeley.

 

PAINT! CROCHET! EAT! DRINK! What a great way to start the weekend

 

Date: Friday, October 12th 7-9 pm

NY STATE of MIND: FREE - POP UP YOGA

Sunny afternoon at the DeKalb Market

Pop UpYoga NYC will  host its inaugural event at Dekalb Market in Brooklyn from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday July 29th. Instructedby Be Shakti of Prana Yoga Room and accompanied by live music, yoga classes will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 to 5:00 p.m in the back market square. Yoga classes are free to the public, open level, and feature alive music ensemble. Local vendors will also be at the market offering healthoriented food and products for the day.

“Pop Up Yoga NYC is about bringing people togetherto celebrate health, good living, and building a community by supporting thearts and local businesses,” said event producer Angelica Olstad. “Past classes have been offered anywhere from rooftops, parks, school gyms, and focused onproviding a unique and fun yoga experience for the general public.”

Pop Up Yoga creates a fun and accepting environment for people who are intimidated or just disinterested in the traditional studio environment. Combining the professional backgrounds of classically trained musicians and experienced instructors, Pop Up Yoga NYC aims at bringing a morevibrant community-based interest in yoga to NYC. 

“Dekalb Market is a wonderful place for the whole family to enjoy live music, shop, and eat food. It is known for its multicultural events that include movie screenings, live music, DJs, and foster a creative entertainment,” said Olstad.

What to expect:
-       Event is B.Y.O.M. (Bring your own mat)
-       Free matgiveaway for first 10 students of each class sponsored by Vita Coco water.
-       Vendors:Organic Avenue, Sprout Skincare, Vita Coco Water and local sellers from Etsy.
-       Massage and acupuncture offered for the whole day.
-       Classes are accompanied by live music ensemble.

About Pop Up Yoga NYC:

Pop Up Yoga NYC is a wellness initiative that brings yoga into urban spaces with live music, arts, food, and natural beauty products. Classes are offered anywhere from rooftops, parks, school gyms, and is focused on providinga unique and fun yoga experience for the general public. For more informationplease visit http://www.popupyoga-nyc.com.

KNIT and BASS...a Stitch Therapy party!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4 Deep Space: Mission #1 lands at Dekalb Market, 3 pm  to 9 pm.

Featuring dj's: Francois K., King Britt, FaltyDL, Ilhan Ersahin (live on the sax), and dub poet Infinity. All Ages! Kids under 10 free. Discount advance tickets (which also get you in express entry) at www.residentadvisor.net/deepspacenyc

Welcome to Deep Space, an adventure into future dub, spacey vibes, and abstract grooves featuring resident DJ François K. For nine years Deep Space has thrown down a weekly Monday night party at club Cielo in Manhattan. For July 4th be prepared to celebrate your freedom to love all music. At Deep Space we take great liberty to explore a galaxy of music and mixing styles that have even the most remote connection to our almighty star of inspiration: planet dub. And while Deep Space is far from a dub party, we always pay our respect.

WHO ARE THESE ALIENS?

François K. tours worldwide for not only his soulful house dj sets, but also for his techno and dub mixes. He is revered as the co-creator of New York City’s legendary dance party Body&SOUL. Over the years he performed regularly at Paradise Garage, The Loft, Studio 54, Ministry of Sound, Sound Factory Bar, Twilo, Roxy, Fabric, Berghain, and Tresor, to name a few. In great demand, François has gone into the studio to produce/remix recordings by Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Jimmy Cliff, Underworld, Eurythmics, Bunny Wailer, U2, Ashford & Simpson with Maya Angelou, the Smiths, Dido, Finley Quaye, Diana Ross, Cure, Mick Jagger, Fishbone, Talvin Singh, D Train, Erasure, Yazoo, Black Uhuru, Thomas Dolby, and Jah Wobble. In 2005 François was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame.

For July 4th Francois will live mix and dub out the live sax performance of ILHAN ERSAHIN, the creator and artistic guide for all things dubby, Middle Eastern, jazzy, sublime and truly crate-digging at the mecca we love called Nublu.

Based in Philadelphia, King Britt  has always found a way to escape the strictures of any single category of music by working across genres such as deep house, hip-hop, broken beat, nu-jazz, funk and afro-tech. King toured worldwide with Digable Planets – the Grammy award winning hip-hop fusion band.  He has remixed for a diverse range of artists from Miles Davis, The OʼJays and Curtis Mayfield through to Macy Gray, Solange, Femi Kuti and Everything But The Girl and recently for Preservation Hall Jazz Ensemble feat. Mos Def, Glitch Mobb, Jay Haze and Dilouya. http://kingbritt.com immersed in the possibilities of the dubstep, underground Brooklyn-based  unlocks a natural sense of the interconnectedness of electronic funk styles, back into NYC’s original garage and further back still towards disco. His the ‘Love Is A Liability’ album and ‘Bravery’ EP came just as the post-dubstep underground was becoming far more fluid, and his easy stylistic shifts provided the perfect bridge between the new garage of artists like Brackles and Geiom, the cosmic hip hop of LA and Glasgow, and those people who were falling in love with house music all over again. http://faltydl.tumblr.com/

SHARE AND WIN!!!! The person who "shares" our Facebook party invitation the MOST will win: 4 VIP tix to 7/4 + $40 gift certificate for fun, feminine, and affordable vintage clothing and accessories at Honeysuckle Hearts+ a one of a kind custom hat made exclusively by Stitch Therapy - a fine yarn shop at the DeKalb Market.

http://www.facebook.com/events/330789416990675/

See you on July 4th and hopefully we'll all be wearing fabulous knit hats as our fashion statement. And many thanks to Maxcine for showing some outta-space freaks some love!

ART EXHIBIT AND FUN STORIES

Come to the opening reception Saturday, June 30 from 6-10pm.

June 30 - August 5, 2012
Reception: Saturday, June 30 6-10pm
Grumpy Bert @ DeKalb Market

Across from Stitch Therapy

138 Willoughby St. Brooklyn, NY

We're super excited and would like to invite you to attend our upcoming exhibition, Plush Stories : These Plush of Mine.
We've chosen over 50 plush stories and photos, coming from as far as Scotland, Trinidad & Tobogo, United Kingdom and Australia. The stories range everything from heartbreaks to reunions. Some plush are simply cute, others just strange. Regardless, all of the personal stories come from one common place, their plush.

There will be music, plenty of food and shopping all night long.

DECORATING WITH ANTIQUE WOODEN BOXES by Guest Blogger Donald Kaplan



It's vintage wood box nite at American Collectables at Dekalb Market. Why? Stop by to find out.


The versatility of vintage wooden boxes has made them one of this season’s most popular collectables.  Because they come in so many different sizes, shapes, colors and textures, and you can use them in any room of the the house for either practical uses or as decorative art.  And while prices for these collectables have begun to rise, you can still find good bargains for an attractive, hand-crafted vintage wooden box that adds new visual dimensions to any room in the house.

Use vintage wood boxes to:

• Store throw pillows in the living room, or simply as a piece of art on a table or on the fireplace mantle.



• Compliment your bedroom bureau as a new home for your jewelry or special trinkets





Looks like a card catalogue
but made by a jeweler in 1960s
to organize his findings.

• Brighten up the kitchen counter when filled with utensils, dishes, or packaged foods

• Make an intriguing dining room centerpiece filled with fresh flowers in the Spring and Summer, or with dried floral arrangements around the Autumn and Winter holidays, and use a long, low primitive hand-crafted wood box as a place for salt and peppers, condiments and napkins



• Store your yarn in a box made of antique wood, and marvel at how the contrast between the yarns’ bright colors and the deep, rich, wood tones compliments any room


• Eliminate clutter in the home office or study and keep important papers safe in wood boxes, or use them as small bookshelves.

Another of the pleasures of using vintage wood boxes is how attractive they are when used as just as you found them, or, if you are looking for a project they can easily be brightened up with just a little sandpaper, some stain or a neutral-colored water-based paint, and a tint or acrylic paint to add a little color.


Whether you displaying wooden treasure boxes, artfully building a stack of antique wood boxes to make a piece of sculpture in the home, or using wood boxes for storing your possessions right out in the open, you’ll instantly see how decorative vintage wooden boxes add character to any part of your house, and serve as a practical solution  for all your storage needs.


Donald Kaplan is owner/curator of American Collectables, a shop specializing in vintage Americana at the Dekalb Market at 138 Willoughby St in Downtown Brooklyn.  He can be found at Shops #1 and #2 at Dekalb Market

KNIT and CROCHET UNDER the STARS AT THE DEKALB MARKET



Stitch Therapy Shipping Container #57 

Stitch Therapy is excited to announce the first of three nights "Under the Stars" dedicated to fiber arts at the DeKalb Market in Brooklyn.
Organized through Meet-Up these  knit/crochet nights are also a charity knit/crochet to benefit the Henry Street Settlement.  Bring your pre-knit/crochet hats, cowls, mittens, scarves and blankets to Stitch Therapy and I will deliver the donation the Henry Street Settlement in Manhattan.  Stitch Therapy will also offer a 10% discount on yarn purchased to make a donation item!  If you want to make your first hat Stitch Therapy will get you started in the round.




My little yarn shop Stitch Therapy recently relocated to the shipping container DeKalb Market on Willoughby Street at Flatbush Avenue the retail shops, beer/wine garden and food vendors will be open late as part of the evenings. 

You can eat, drink, shop and create your way though the evening. 

Meet-Up Dates:  June 13, July 11 and August 1 -Wednesday nights from 6:00 - 9:30 pm.



ALL KNITTING GROUPS ARE WELCOME - Please spread the word, especially if you belong to other meetup groups.  Hope to see you there!

Featured Vendors




 Tea for Two
Grumpy Bert



15% off all jewelry
and complimentary wine
www.loveofpretty.com.



Honeysuckle & Hearts Vintage
15% discount on selected items
http://bit.ly/LdTn3q



Nile Valley Juices
Tell them Stitch Therapy sent you!



 

Try the hibiscus ice tea





 Lanie Lynn Vingtage
 will be offers 20% off vintage jewelry!





 

Sierra Sunset Cowl



Sierra Cowl from Jimmy Beans Wool

I love this cowl the buttons are a nice accents ... to the classic garter and feather and fan. Stitch Therapy, A Fine Yarn Shop at the Dekalb Market has many yarns to choose from to make this cowl.

http://bit.ly/JtpKhd

SHIPPING CONTAINER #57

Lights

A look inside Container # 57 at the Dekalb Market things are beginning to shape up!
Cardboard boxes are dwindling down, summer yarn is expected on Tuesday.

Yesterday I stripped the new tabletop ...  I am still trying to figure out the floors!


Old Finish

I just set-up a $5.00 book sale and all but one winter yarns will be 20% off.


I open at the Dekalb Market on Thursday May 10th and the hours are 12 - 7 pm.

Dekalb Market
138 Willoughby Street
Container #57

TRAINS: B, Q, R to Dekalb Avenue - Ride the front of the train.

Satellite Classes:  Noella Bar Knitting Salon - check the www.stitchtherapybrooklyn.com,
Summer classes "Not Just for Beginners - Continental knitting in Park Slope.
This fall and winter Magic Loop: Socks.

Old Floor

718/398-2020

CONNECT WITH STITCH THERAPY ONLINE

www.stitchtherapybrooklyn.com
www.stitchtherapybrooklyn.blogspot.com
Knit Along:  http://bit.ly/Ag2J69
Tumblr:   http://bit.ly/wrZoUX
Twitter:  http://bit.ly/xEt02W
Pinterest:  http://bit.ly/A58n9T

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/wxgzlF

SPRING NEWS

The view inside ...

Stitch Therapy is relocating to the Dekalb Market at the end ofApril. The new location with  adjusted business hours will open the second week of May.  But, before we move please drop by to say goodbye to the backyard and enjoy the moving sale: back issues of your favorite magazines for $1, books at 25% off, most printed patterns $0.25 each, and the cubbies made from solid wood are for sale. 

Packing up and moveing forward.

The last shopping day at the current location is Sunday, April 29^th.  I have a counter that I would donate to charity or a charter school or it could be an island for a large kitchen.
 
New Location:
138 Willoughby Street (@Flatbush Ave),

(Shipping Container #57)
B, Q, R Trains to Dekalb Ave

Telephone: 718-398-2020

New Retail Hours
Thursday--Sunday, 11am - 7pm
 
Stitch Therapy classes will continue in the new space “a-la-carte” and in Park Slope at the Noella Bar, 72 Seventh Avenue, between Lincoln and Berkley Place, as per the class schedule, more class locations coming.  Plan to learn the “magic loop” and “socks “this fall.
 
The move is exciting new yarns and exciting endeavors in classes in knit and yarns, I look forward to seeing you soon!

Save the Date:  October 6, 2012
logo designed by Antonio Limauco

Besides the move, you can look forward to the "Kings County Fiber
Festival", Brooklyn's first fiber exposition on October 6, 2012.
Stitch Therapy and the Old Stone House are planning a full-day event
including a marketplace for independent fiber artists from the
tri-state area, a symposium on spinning and dyeing, an art exhibit,
food stalls, and lots of fun!

Modular knit blanket with a reversed single crochet edge.

Natural fiber artists and vendors will bring materials for crocheters, dyers, felters, knitters, quilters, spinners, and weavers, using fiber as an integral material. Charity knit/crochet donation bins for hats, cowls, fingerless gloves and mittens will be
on display! Our goal is to raise awareness of both historic and contemporary approaches to fiber art.

If you are on my email list I will keep you updated on the event.

CONNECT WITH STITCH THERAPY ONLINE
 
www.stitchtherapybrooklyn.com
Blog  

Knit Along: 

Tumblr:  

Twitter: 

Pinterest:   
Facebook:

KNIT Freedom In COLORADO



Aspen Hat


Hi, Maxcine

I just wanted to let you know that a couple days ago I completed a giant overhaul of the KNITFreedom blog, so that all the free knitting tips would be easy to find and pleasant to read.


There are hundreds of techniques and video tutorials on KNITFreedom. Now you can browse through them in a lovely organized format on the KNITFreedom blog archive.

There you will find posts like "The Top 5 Stretches For Knitting Pain and Stiffness," which has gotten a bunch of knitters chatting on about how much better their hands feel.

You might also like discovering tutorials for specific techniques like how to knit bobbles, mock cables, and reversible cables - they're all in the new blog archive.

Come visit the newly-organized and redone archive, and take advantage of all the free knitting tips I've put together just for you. It's also smart to know what's there in case you need it in the future.

Who knows - the knitting trick to make your next sweater or scarf go faster may be waiting for you there!

Here's the link to the blog archive again:

http://knitfreedom.com/blog-archive

If you find an article or video post that you like, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. I always answer back!
Happy knitting,

Liat

THE RING LIAISON Guest Blogger Molly Clarke




Citrine Quartz, Chalcedony, Labradorite Feldspar, and Fluorite












It was only when Stitch Therapy’s Maxcine asked me to write a guest blog post that I realized how much my love of knitting is related to my love of gemstones. As a gemologist, I have been working with gemstones and diamonds for the past ten years, and as a further outlet for my creativity, I have been working with yarn for the past fifteen. My mother taught me to knit and purl, in what I now know is a variation on the Continental style, but back then I just thought it was the only way to knit.





 Fluorite

 My first skein of yarn was purchased from a farmer at the Union Square Greenmarket here in NYC. It was a gorgeous muted purple wool, derived from the farmer’s beloved sheep back home. It is rare to have such a short distance between knitter and original yarn source. The hands that accepted my crumpled dollars were the same ones that had shorn the sheep whose wool I was using. It is just as rare to purchase a gemstone direct from the source. There are so many people involved in the process of getting a stone from the mine and into a piece of jewelry, and you usually only meet the last person in that chain of work, if at all.



Describing the color of that first skein of yarn as a muted purple doesn’t do it justice. It was the enchanting color of an amethyst, rich in hue with a slight blue undertone. Admittedly, one of my favorite parts of both knitting and gemstones is the vast selection of delectable colors – buttery yellows of citrine, soft greens resembling emerald, the deep intense reds of a ruby, the regal dark blues that bring to mind a sapphire. I think about colorful yarns the same way I would  a gemstone before it is made into jewelry. What would this raw material be showcased best as - earrings? A scarf? Who will it? Is it for everyday wear, or for special occasions? The thought process is all about creating an end product that will shine and bring joy and happiness through its beauty.




Chalcedony

 

Perhaps most importantly, I think it is my appreciation of fine detail that attracts me to yarn and drew me to my profession. My eyes have been trained to look for and see the minutest clarity characteristics in a stone. Similarly, at home I can find myself scrutinizing every yarn stitch. Perhaps that is why I have been known as a tight knitter? I try to make sure every stitch is done correctly, because otherwise I will be sure to see that rogue loop in the finished product.



Even if no one else does! It’s amazing to me how much of your knitting style – the looseness of your stitches, the colors you choose, the method of your knits and purls – has everything to do with the rest of your life.



Quartz





If anything, I think knitting mirrors your ingrained behaviors, emotional state, and best or worst traits. Maxcine has been teaching me a whole new way to knit, and while it is hard to retrain my brain-finger patterns, I think it will make me a quicker and more productive knitter. Who knows what else about my knitting (or my life) might change!

Molly Clarke is a gemologist and owns her own business as an engagement ring consultant.

Check out her website at http://www.ringliaison.com/.

SWIFFER KNITS Guest Blogger Sara Stopek



Shine

 I personally don't choose to knit projects with acrylic yarn, but have purchased plenty of it over the years with the intention of experimenting with stitches for planning projects. But, what to do with all of that yarn that's taking up valuable stash space and never getting used? To me, acrylic does have some virtues (very washable; not expensive, so should be good for experimenting) and some not-so-goodnesses (not as pleasing to fondle/experiment with as say, silk or alpaca, it doesn't hold it's shape well, and it's very static-y)...

Did you catch the hidden virtue in that last 'not-so-goodness'?

Shaping

How about knitting up a few Swiffer covers to reduce your stash?* They're easy (and fast, unless your acrylic is super-fine gauge); they're strangely entertaining: and it's a fine excuse to try a new stitch that you wouldn't want to risk messing up in a garment or with more expensive fiber. When they're dirty (twice – they're reversible), throw them in the laundry with your socks – what an eco-friendly way to make room for More Yarn!

1) Best for mindless knitting in front of the TV: CO enough stitches to make something a little wider than a standard Swiffer cover, and knit a whole bunch of rows, till it's long enough to wrap around the bottom of the sweeper and tuck in the top on both sides. Garter stitch maximizes the dust-grabbing potential on each side of the reversible gizmo, and (allows you to keep your full attention on Downton Abbey). Or you can alternate welts of stockinette and reverse stockinette stitch (knit a row, purl a row, knit a row, knit/purl/knit... or just knit, purl, purl knit, knit purl). Or up your skills another way: commit to continental knitting for this small project... Or continental-knit one in seed stitch. Now you've mastered continental – and the bumps will be great for sweeping, and they're reversible.

Ruffles

2) Lasagna noodle: If you haven't already discovered the myriad usefulness of short rows, they're easy (and useful!). A sweeper cover with wavy sides maximizes dust-attracting surface area. The basic idea is: CO enough stitches to have at least an inch or two on either side of the sweeper cover. Now garter stitch along for a while – enough to take care of the part that gets tucked in on the sweeper top, and start short rows.

(On a larger scale and in a beautiful yarn, this could be a groovy ruffly scarf... just sayin'.)

3) Centipede: CO your magic number of stitches, and knit the part that will go around the sweeper top in whatever stitch pattern pleases you (fine time to practice something lacy that you haven't quite worked out, yes?). When you reach the part that will actually sweep the floor, CO about half again as many stitches you're working with onto your left needle at the beginning of the row; immediately bind them off, and finish the row. Now, do that again, on the other side. Alternate the tentacle rows with a couple of plain rows. (Fine time to experiment with CO/BO methods.) No reason all the tentacles have to be exactly the same length...



Washable

 And here's one I haven't tried, but you might like to:

4) Ruffle! Knit this one back and forth along the longer edge of the sweeper cover. CO twice as many stitches as you'd need to match the length of the sweeper cover refill's size. Knit a couple of rows, then k2tog a row... knit the width plus a bit, and incr each stitch by your favorite method (or mix 'em up, or learn a few new ones – it's going to be collecting dust on your floor). Then knit a couple of rows and BO. The result will be kind of like the Lasagna noodle, but worked on the other axis... Another varient would be to do a 2-stage decrease (and increase at the other edge: Start with a multiple of 4 stitches, and knit 2, k2tog for a row, then knit a plain row... then knit 1, k2tog. Now you're turned 4 stitches to 3, then 3 to 2 – cutting your total in half in two phases.

For me, these mini-projects were liberating not only because I cleared some stash, which empowered me to acquire more, new, and (dare I say it) better yarn. I also let some minor mistakes go, where in a 'real' project I can be a bit of a perfectionist. Oops, wrong number of stitches? Clean it up in the following row with an increase or decrease, and congratulate yourself that the irregularity will probably give your sweeper-upper extra dust-eating texture.

Great house warming gift.

I say combine your least favorite yarn with your most-feared, yet secretly craved, stitch/method/technique, and let the results eat your dust. And if you get tired of your experiment before it meets the size needed to cover your sweeper... bind off and call it a "dust cloth" - and it, too, can be laundered with your socks.

Note for Crocheters - you can do it too in chains and double crochet.

*I own another brand of sweeper as well as a Swiffer – the dimensions and method of attaching the cloth are a little different, but easy to adapt.

saragardens.blogspot.com

A HELPING HAND...

Maxcine,

Seeded Diamond holding two colors of
 Karabella Yarns Aurora 8

You saved the day! While knitting a baby blanket as a gift for a
pregnant close friend, I discovered I'd dropped a couple stitches. I
tried to fix them myself but only made matters worse, ending up with
strange stitches going all different directions! On the phone you
invited me to come to the shop right away. Not only did you fix my
mistakes, you showed me how I could better fix them myself in the future.

You're a lifesaver. Thanks!

Claudia