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

JANUARY CLASSES

Create a mesh with darning

Repairing the knitted fabric

Part I: Simple Repairs

Duplicate stitch

Repairing pulls
Repair a single strand break in stockinette stitch: knit side, purl side.

Bring to Class - a knit swatch

Use worsted weight yarn in a light color for your learning swatch. This is so you can see what you are doing.
Knit on needle size 6, 7 or 8. If you are a tight knitter, use 8’s. Bring a small amount of dark colored yarn.

Cast on 30 stitches with the light colored yarn. Garter stitch (knit every row) 4 rows to stabilize the edge.
Then change to stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl one row) and knit about 4 inches. Bind off loosely.

Part II: Darning Knitted Fabric: for Large Holes

-Stabilize the edges of the hole.
-Setting up a grid along the length of the fabric

-Stabilizing the sides
-Weaving in new fabric

Bring to Class: The swatch you used for the first class OR a knitted garment that needs
darning with, if possible, matching yarn OR both.

Date: Wednesday, January 18 & 25, 2012

Time: 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Teacher: Susan C. Stewart, MD - a.k.a. The Sweater Doctor
Price: $65.00

Choose any gauge yarn you like.

Crochet Motifs
Beyond the granny square this workshop will focus on three crochet motifs.  Using – 5 colors of your choosing you will learn to read written instructions to crochet multiple variations of these three motif.  Use your knowledge of basic stitches to crochet the motifs to make a cowl, eternity scarf or lap blanket create a lap blanket.

The color palette is created with the use of hand painted and tonal colors.

* Use colors to add depth to a crocheted square.

* Use your knowledge of the chain, single/double crochet to expand your stitch library.

Prerequisites: Must chain, single and double crochet independently

More info:  Guest blogger Evy Leonard talks about her creative process (look in the archive from last month.)

Date:  January 21, 2012

Time: 1:30-4:30pm

Teacher:  Evy Leonard

Fair Isle and Steeking

Snowflake comes alive through color

Using five colors to paint a picture learn two distinctive technique in this class:

-To knit while using two strands of yarn at a time.

- Understand the facets of working and reading Fair Isle patterns.

- Use the process of "steeking" to cut your knit with scissors.

Class project will be a coffee cup cozie. You must printout your own copy of the pattern - Free download available: http://bit.ly/rRaLWE Materials must be purchased at Stitch Therapy.

Cost of yarn and needles not included in class fee.

Teacher - Kris Percival
Date: January 14, & 28, 2012
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Cost: $100.00

Prerequisites: Must Cast-on, knit and purl without assistance

Wine Tasting

An Italian Lambrusco

A refreshing wine with a sparkling bouquet that can vary from fruity to floral with hints of violets and heather. On the palate it is zesty, with nice fruit flavors and a clean finish.  One important thing to keep in mind is that a Lambrusco can be either dry or sweet.

Tuesday night January 24, 2012, 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Call to book your seat in one or more of these classes.

UPCOMING CLASS: REPAIRING KNITTED FABRIC / DARNING KNITTED FABRIC

Part I:  Simple Repairs

Where is the yarn going?
Duplicate stitch

Repairing pulls
Repairing a single strand break in stockinette stitch: knit side, purl side.

Bring to Class - a knit swatch

Use worsted weight yarn in a light color for your learning swatch.  This is so you can see what you are doing.  Knit on needle size 6, 7 or 8.  If you are a tight knitter, use 8’s.  Bring a small amount of dark colored yarn.

Cast on 30 stitches with the light colored yarn.  Garter stitch (knit every row) 4 rows to stabilize the edge.  Then change to stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl one row) and knit about 4 inches.  Bind off loosely. 

Part II: Darning Knitted Fabric: for Large Holes

Stabilizing the edges of the hole.
Setting up a grid along the length of the fabric

Stabilizing the sides
Weaving in new fabric

Bring to Class:  The swatch you used for the first class OR a knitted garment that needs darning with, if possible, matching yarn OR both.

Date: Wednesday, January  18 &  25, 2012

Time:  6:30 - 8:00 pm

Teacher: Susan C. Stewart, MD - a.k.a. The Sweater Doctor

Price: $65.00

Call to reserve your space.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Mitered Border

Happy Holidays --

Please join me on this Thursday night for a toast in celebration of the holidays and happiness in the coming new year.
    
This is the first in a series of wine & yarn pairings at Stitch Therapy, I just received a shipment of a special hand painted alpaca from the state of Missouri, named for famous operas, the colors are spectacular and the fiber is soft to the touch.

The project choices are endless including this mitered scarf out of one hank every row is knit. Or the lace triangular shawl made from two hanks.  Crocheters I have a few stitches that are easy to commit to memory to make a scarf, shawl or blanket.  The gauge of this yarn ranges from a DK to an Aran I would recommend a 7 (H) to a 10 (J) for your knitting needle or (crochet Hook).

TASTINGS

YARN

 

HPKY  - Hand Painted Knitting Yarns

- 100%  Alpaca
- In 15 different Hand-painted and tonal colors
- 500 yards per hank - hand dyed in Missouri
- Projects - dress Kit, mitered scarf with picot edge

WINE

Domaine des Nugues "Made by G" Sparkling Gamay
Beaujolais, France, Gamay

Made by G is a sparkling red wine, produced from 25 year old Gamay vines.

 

This fruity, floral and fresh style of sparkling wine is a true delight!

Our local wine shop: Picada Y Vino carries the featured wine just three doors down from Stitch Therapy.
    

Date: Thursday, December 15th from 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Guest Hostess: Kim Anthony Davis

Hope you can make it.

Connect Online

www.stitchtherapybrooklyn.com

www.stitchtherapybrooklyn.blogspot.com www.stitchtherapyknitalong.blogspot.com http://stitchtherapybrooklyn.tumblr.com

Twitter: @StitchTherapy

SHALIMAR A MUSIC GROUP from the 70's

Today Shalimar is the yarn company behind lovely yarns like "Breathless" and "Honey" two yarns that just arrived today at Stitch Therapy. The yardage on both is plentyful and fiber is soft to the touch.

Breathless: merino, cashmere and silk

Breathless, our newest yarn offering, is a stunning 3-ply superwash blend of Merino, cashmere and silk.

With a generous 420 yards, Breathless is wonderful for any one-skein project, small sweaters or a large pair of socks.

100% Superwash Australian Merino

With it's scrumptious hand, sheen and drape, Breathless is the perfect choice.

FREE PATTERN: Fingerless Gloves in Honey

Honey Worsted is our superwash worsted with a generous 250 yards.  Machine washable with a soft and sqooshy hand, Honey Worsted is a versatile yarn for sweaters, accessories and afghans.