events and future trunk shows

Just quick reminder of some upcoming shop events for next two months:

• May 20 (today): Book Group meets to talk about Scandalous Women today at 3pm.  And to probably also see if eclipse is happening yet.
• May 23 (Wed): Crochet Clinic 1-3 with Nancy. Free drop in clinic for all your crochet needs.
• May 26 & 28th: Building Blocks Class #4 meets to tackle the easy lace panel. 1-3:30. Homework for this class: have your #4 block cast on and the 6 row border done. Then we’ll dive right into the lace pattern in class. Just let Kim know which day you’ll attend.
• Jun 9 & 11: Building Blocks Class #5. Cable panel! Same homework applies for this class. Cables are going to be so much fun! Much easier than you think. Just let Kim know which day you’ll attend.
• Jun 12: Crochet ClinicTues. 1-3 with Nancy. Free drop in clinic for all your crochet needs.
• Jun 23 & 25: Building Blocks Class #6: Twisted Stitches panel looks tricky but not at all. Same homework: Have panel border finished so we jump right into twisting our stitches! Just let Kim know which day you’ll attend.
• Jun 24 (Sun): Book Group meets to talk about the novel, Russian Twilight today from 3-5pm.

Berroco Trunk Shows Coming!

I’m so excited! Arriving later this week we’ll have at least 10 garments from the Spring/Summer 2012 collection:  

It’s a perfect opportunity to see the finished garments up close and try them on. This show is here until  June 4th.

Coming July 12-23rd we’ll have the whole Big Kids/Little Kids show, highlighting the garments from booklet # 320. 35 patterns in the book – a great value for anyone knitting for children sizes 2-12, boys and girls.

 

Current Shop Samples on Display

Looking for inspiration for summer knitting? At the moment we’ve a couple of shop samples on display, highlighting the summer yarns Linsey and Lago:

Linsey

Poitou is a free pattern and we made it up in two colors of Linsey, a wonderful cotton/linen blend yarn in both solid and self-striping colors. We used 8 hanks total for size “medium” which is roomy and easily fits even if you’re a larger size, Poitou’s an easy vest to knit up and a versatile wardrobe piece.

Turia is a pullover using couple of colors to create a dramatic striping yoke with a touch of faux-fair isle effect. A nice easy bottom up pattern.

I love, love this yarn. It’s 64% cotton & 36% linen. Perfect for summer garments but also other home items too, like table linens, market bags or wash cloths for extra special bridal gifts. The linen adds stability to the cotton to prevent stretching, and when washed it softens up nicely.

See all Linsey here on Berroco’s site

Lago

This yarn is amazing! While knitting a swatch I was worried. It was a crinkly, rough knit. After wet blocking it was still stiff feeling. Buyer’s remorse set in.Then the next day I unpinned the swatch and was shocked! It was soft, incredibly drapey and felt wonderful against my skin. I can not wait to make something in the yarn!

Now the hard part: picking out my color and pattern! Well….the actual knitting and finishing is also hard for me too. But that’s another story…

 

So mark your calendars for trunk shows and other events. Pop in if you’re looking for inspiration or a new project for the summer months.

 

Kim

april newsletter

We’ve been busy putting lots of new things out in the shop lately.  And trying to not get whiplash from this crazy temperature changes. One Friday it’s snowing for hours here in Murphys. A week later it hits 90 degrees! And this week promises cooler temps and rain. Very crazy indeed.

Lots of new stuff in the shop 

Bee House Teapots Fresh infusion of our favorite teapots. These make a lovely Mother’s Day gift.

Our initial order of Iced Teapots sold out after this weekend’s heat wave. Made my first pot of ice tea this weekend myself and I so enjoy having a pot of tea in the fridge. You can brew it in the pot then stash it in your fridge. Any of our SerendipiTeas make great ice tea. I’m a straight-up, strong-black tea gal, but I do like the Cheeky Peach or Chaucer’s Cup iced.

DellaQ Silk organizers for needles, hooks etc… It’s taken us a year but we finally have DellaQ in the shop: new Travel Wallet, DPN/Hook Roll and the Combo Needle Case. The last one is on my Mother’s Day list…hint hint Jordi/…in royal blue!

 

More new fun yarns galore Loads of new colors and styles of fun yarns have arrived. It’s always  feast or famine. Right now companies are shipping out my orders, so we’re very well stocked at the moment.  The latest arrivals:

Triana  new colors for spring/summer: hot pink, purple, olive, red, grey/black, cream. Just released: a new free shawl pattern to work up.

On Line Joblife Lovely cotton blend perfect for warm day accessories. It’s a mesh-style yarn (similar style to Flounce) with a light, soft touch

Rumples Similar to Flounce but slightly narrower and a more cottony-feel. Lovely colors too. Free Rumples Scarf Pattern

Flourish  Variation of the Rizos/Ripples style with boxes at top edge. This line has very subtle multicolor “eyelash” edges that provide interest. Flourish Free Scarf Pattern

Petals a flirty, fun style of mesh with a shiny edge to add bit of bling. Great yardage makes for a nice wide, long scarf; or two smaller scarves perfect for youngsters.  Free Petals Scarf Pattern

New Core Yarns Lines

Ella Rae

 

We’ve brought in a fantastic line from Aussie designer, Ella Rae. Her Classic line is a great workhorse 100% wool yarn that felts gorgeously and makes a great, affordable alternative to Cascade 220. Plus she has beautiful striping colorways that are to die for.  Free patterns to felt: Persian Slippers  & Bird Mobile

Another line we love is her Lace Merino. It’s kettle-dyed and feels like malabrigo sock use to feel: soft, smooshy and springy. Perfect for garments, shawls, shawlettes, heirloom baby blankets. We have several colorways with more arriving late May.

Noro Silk Garden Sock is back! They discontinued it last year but due to popular demand it’s returned.

We’ve also expanded into the Taiyo Sock and Taiyo Worsted, and a brand new line, Karuta. Both lines are a cotton-silk blend just right for summer knitting-very soft hand and drape.

Free patterns suitable for these yarns: Welted Cowl; Slip Stitch Cowl & Taiyo Cable Scarf. I’m trying hard not to cast on one of the cowl patterns but in the sock yarn.

On the Bookshelf

Our book group just finished up The Forgotten Garden and loved it. Kate Morton (another Aussie) has three books out with another due this summer. All are perfect for upcoming summertime reading season.

Next two picks: Russian Winter and The Lantern. I’ve read the first book and loved it (fictional tale about the mystery surrounding a prima ballerina in the Bolshoi ballet and her famous jewels).  The second book is a modern novel a la Daphne de Maurier’s Rebecca. Dark, mysterious and haunting the book jacket promises. After reading the first chapter, it looks like it’ll deliver. Hooked me right away and left me wanting to read more.

Current Club Pick: Scandalous Women:

A look at 35 infamous women in history; some you know and many you don’t. It’s by a favorite blogger of mine, Elizabeth Kerri Mahon. An easy, breezy look at some interesting women throughout history. It’s a lovely launching pad into discovering new biographies to seek out for further perusal.

Recently Finished Books:

 

My Jane Austen Summer: Contemporary novel about young woman performing as Fanny at a Jane Austen Literary Festival. Light, fun, silly but enjoyable.

Innocent Spy: London in the Blitz: tragic murder masked as suicide with dogged Detective pairing up with young female MI-5 operative to solve the mystery.

Romeo Flag: engrossing espionage buried beneath a family mystery involving a long-lost trunk, a baby born in Shanghai and the Romanov family.

The last two are from one of my favorite indie publisher, Felony & Mayhem. If you like mysteries of all sorts, especially “intelligent mystery fiction” come see me for suggestions.  Truly unique in the realm of publishing, this little publishing engine that could is nominated for its 4th Edgar Award in a row with The Faces of Angels by Lucretia Grindle.

An Edgar is the Oscar in the world of mystery novels so this is huge…big…massive for such a small publisher. My fingers are crossed!

Happy Mother’s Day and Spring

Kim

newsflash: no knit night tonight

 

Illness surrounds me!

 

Fortunately I’m fine (think I had my turn in Jan) but everyone around me is getting sick  This latest round of nasty chest/sinus virus hit Megan and Mom last night really hard. Today I’m at shop and just can’t do a 10am to 9pm shift. Seeing it’s Stitches, this week’s gathering is bit smaller so we decided to cancel Knit Night just for tonight.

I know…I know… it’s very upsetting… But it’s okay. It’s just a week until our next gathering…we can manage. Yes…we’ll be brave and  the week will fly by! I promise, you’ll see.

It’s another whole year to the next Stitches though (sniff, sniff…) Every year we miss Stitches because of some illness or other…

 

We should know better than to tempt fate. We even booked a room this year we were so optimistic! But alas…Fate is a cruel mistress when she wants to be.

 

She’s being particularly cruel seeing that I’m not quite recovered from watching the last episode of Downton Abbey this past Sunday either… A year…a whole year until we get Season 3!

Hmm, so my recipe for recovery…tea, lots of tea.

Knitting…lots of knitting…

 

And praise the heavens for neflix so I can watch endless episodes of Misommer Murders, Miss Marple and very likely…rerun of Downtown Abbey Season 1 again…

 

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Kim

trends: fun novelty yarns are back

This past year we’ve seen a resurgence in fun novelty yarns. The difference this time around : they’re super easy & fast to knit up. Fun, flirty, scarves in hours. All the various permutations take just one ball. If you want a super long or wider scarf, just use two. Needle range: most take #8-10

 

They are great for teaching someone to knit too. You learn the basics of a knit stitch and binding off. Then boom! You’ve got a sweet scarf that you’re proud to wear (and not bury in a drawer like most of our 1st Scarves).

   

I’ve added them to our website. These yarns are hard to find, but very popular. Hence my endless rounds of reorders, constant back orders and future orders! If you’re looking for specific color you don’t see on website– just email or phone and I’ll add you to the waiting lists for when it’s back in stock. 

Be warned: these scarves are addictive. Kind of like potato chips. You won’t be able to stop with just one.

 

Railroad or Tape Yarns:

Rizos – Ripples – Tinseltown

These are flat tape yarns with boxes along top edge. You just knit the boxes to make ruffley scarves; either long skinny boas or wider, flat scarves. Slowest part of this yarn: hand winding into a ball before you can knit. After that it’s a very fast, affordable knit. Quick, trendy accent scarves in just a few hours.

 

 

free patterns & video: Rizos

free pattern:  Ripples

Mesh Yarns:

These are a mesh style yarn. You just knit along top edge about every inch or so. We have a couple of variations.

Flounce & Flounce Metallic

The Flounces are a finer mesh style. The metallic flounce has an added feature: you can change up the color depending on which side you knit with. I always like things that multi-task!

 

  

Depending on style you want you just need 1 or 2 balls; skinny accent scarf (1 ball), or wide fuller and long scarf (2 balls). Our basic shop recipe: Cast on 7sts with #8 needle with just one ball. Scarf measures about 4” x 62”

free patterns: Flounce Metallic  Flounce

videos: Flounce  and  Flounce Metallic

Triana & Triana Lux

Now we come to my favorite. It’s a big-holed mesh, or chicken-wire if you like. This is a lovely frothy, lacey scarf perfect as we head into spring. It’s a super fast knit with big “wow” factor. People will never know just how easy it is to make up (it’ll be our little secret). 

  

One ball cast on 7 sts for scarf about 4”x67”With Trianas I suggest using a circular needle, from size #7-10. The big holes want to slip off the backside of a straight needle which is no fun. Circulars bit easier to manage stitches.

free pattern & videos: Triana and Tirana Lux

—————————————————————–

Brand New Berroco Fun Yarns Coming Soon!

These are literally on a truck heading across country to the shop.  I can’t wait to get them. They’re ruffley but in a different way from all the others. The colors combos are lovely with a much different textural feel and look. And they are for both knit & crochet! Whoohoo! Watch for them to arrive in next few weeks. In the meantime have a sneak peek:

Meet RicRac…..

 

    

And Lacey…

colors:  RicRac & Lacey

free patterns:  RicRac: Bewitched & Lacey: Greer and Francis

videos: Lacey videos: knit & crochet

——————————————————————

Next newsletter: Watch for more about all the new yarns arriving and lots of book talk! Plus we’re launching new knit-alongs  for the upcoming months and a series of new crochet-alongs & classes.

this week: book group & a class

Hiya,

Happy New Year everyone. Just a quick post today about few doings in the shop.

Now open Daily 10-5: Just decided today to make it to official for 2012. We’re now opening daily 10 – 5pm. And of course still open late Thursday 6-9pm too for our weekly social knit nights.

Saturday Jan 14: Your First Sweater Class: First session starts this week. Click link above to see more details. If interested give us a call or email to reserve a spot. I’m planning to offer it again later in the spring/summer too. Want to purchase the pattern? You can on over on our online shop!

Sunday Jan 15: Book Group returns to monthly meet-ups. We’re talking about current pick, T.C. Boyle’s The Women: A Novel of Frank Lloyd Wright. Have to admit I’m still ploughing through, trying to finish up by Sunday. It’s interesting and I want to find out how it all ends up. But I have to say, in response to question on back of cover, “Is it easy to live with a genius?” No way! I’ve always known FLW was “difficult” personality but this book illustrates it fully. It has led me to look up the history behind the characters and wow…what a drama-filled, tempestuous existence many of these women lived. But have to say, T.C. Boyle is a vivid writer who captures the complexity (and absurdity) with style.

Interested in joining the group? Now’s a great time. Join us on Sunday to help select our upcoming books. Input is always welcome and there’s no need to have read the current book. We’re pretty casual and just enjoy a good “natter” about books, reading and other things. With this lovely weather we’ll sit outside and pretend it’s not really winter.

Enjoy!

Kim

Winter Classes 2012

January

Your First Sweater:Easy Top Down Cardi: Jan 14, Jan 28     1-3pm    $15 ea session + supplies

Learn to knit your first sweater. We’ll use a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern sized for either Girls (#106) or Ladies (#104). You’ll learn the basics of top down construction with this sweet little pattern. Perfect for three-season, this cardi is sized from Toddlers to Women.  Two sessions offered but you may only need one session to get started on the pattern, it’s that easy.  Pattern and supplies available at the shop. Come early to select your yarn, pattern and supplies.

Skills needed: know how to cast on, knit, purl, and basic increases & decreases.

(buy pattern in our online shop!)

February

Mukluk Slippers for All:  Feb 11, Feb 25    1-3pm    $15 ea session + supplies

Want to do socks but daunted at thought of it? These slippers are nice way to dip your toe into the sock-knitting-waters. Another Knitting Pure & Simple pattern sized for kids (#113) to adults (#116) that introduce you to some basic elements of socks in a fast knit with big yarn and needles.Useful, quick and easy with large needles and yarn.

Skills needed: know how to cast on, knit, purl, and basic increases & decreases.

(buy pattern in our online shop!)

new cookbooks & holiday hours

 

This newsletter has been in the works awaiting delivery for weeks now. Long before the dawn of Black Friday but alas…time flies when it’s the holidays. So here’s a peek at cookbooks new in the shop that make lovely gifts.

cookbooks galore

my most anticipated new release of the season

I’m a lazy cook ultimately. And sporadic. I like big binge sessions in the kitchen that usually yield multiple end products. Last year I discovered Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and it was an epiphany.

Literally make up a batch of dough, no kneading, very little mess, stash in the fridge (or freezer) to bake when needed. Pull off a hunk, pat it about a bit and bake. Viola! Tasty home-made yeast bread with very little effort. Music to this lazy-cook’s ears.                                  

 

But wait… It gets better.

Heaven on a Pizza Stone! This book is amazing. It builds upon the previous two books with more tips and tricks, numerous pizza dough variations and this time expanded flatbreads – even faster and easier than the breads – and tips on freezing not only dough but pizzas….that you can bake from frozen!

Needlessly to say I spent a day in the kitchen being a domestic goddess making up 4 dough batches, freezing them up so I’ve got dough at the ready. My favorite dough: Olive Oil Dough endless variations of foccaccia. (But that’s only because it’s much easier to push dough into a oil smeared tin, than trying to roll the dough out into a pizza shape.) When I’m feeling particularly flush I make up a batch of the brioche (uses lots of eggs and butter) for specially decadent treats.

Truly these books are amazing. It really is a “discovery that revolutionizes home baking.” No joke.

more of my favorite at the moment

I have a weakness. A weakness for cookbooks. I can’t help it. Especially gorgeously photographed cookbooks that make every recipe seem effortless. And if it imparts cultural insights…I’m hooked.

This book keeps staring at me and making me hungry! The photos are amazing and who doesn’t like comfort foods on a cold winter’s day? Each section highlights food from around the world and I want to  make everything. Despite it being a Saveur publication the recipes are not daunting fancy ones. All seemed totally doable and yummy. Something even my son would eat!

It’s crock pot season and there’s a couple of new books with great photos (love that) and terrific recipes.

The Slow Cook Book is big, fat with loads of recipes. Plus lots of photos makes the recipes appeal to the eye. It’s a big, comprehensive book with loads of variety. Each recipe also has conversions for conventional cooking which is a nice feature. Often I don’t think of making something early enough but could easily throw it together on the stovetop instead. A great gift for busy working cooks.

The second is a little spiral bound book with very creative recipes for soups. 50 Simple Soups is not in shop yet. I sold out and quickly reordered, now awaiting the publisher to wake up and print more! Let me know if you’d like a shout-out when it’s back in the shop. It’s a title I’ll probably always try to keep stocked in the future too because it’s such a great addition to my cookbook shelf.

How could you not like a pie baked in a jar?! This adorable little book, Cutie Pies is so sweet and makes a great gift. It also has chapters on hand pies, pot pies and other pies in addition to baking in jars…which is just so nifty. Sweet and savory recipes: I’m so wanting to try the curry veggie jars. Perfect for bringing to work to heat up for lunch.

Scandilicious: Secrets of Scandinavian Cooking is one of my favorites of the moment. I just want to crawl into this book to live. Not only are photos lovely but the tips about Scandinavian lifestyle are inspiring. Each recipe tells a bit about how it’s typical (or variation) of what you’d find in northern kitchens.

Speedy lunches, seemingly effortless “Scandi” dinners and healthful breakfasts and lovely tea treats. Top of my list are the cardamom cream buns and the various porridges that make up the staple of light evening suppers on cold winter nights. Her plum jam recipe presents canning jam as the least intimidating method ever. I so want to can jam now.

holiday hours

Hard to believe it but it is time to have holiday hours in the shop. This year we’re open Wed all season (thanks to our Mom)!

Open Daily 10-5; Thurs 10-3 and 6-9ish pm

Christmas Eve 10-3pm

Closed Christmas Day

Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 10-5
 

our crochet clinics and thurs night groups

If you’re trying to cram in making those last minute gifts don’t forget we’ve got the Tuesday Crochet Clinics (1-3pm) all month and our regular Thursday Night Group (6-9pm). Feel free to drop in and get help, encouragement or companionship while trying to finish up your projects.

 

Off to unbox several big boxes of what I think is our long awaited shiny novelty yarns! More on those in my next newsletter…

our new websites and holiday jumpstart kits

Every year I resolve to start my holiday knitting early….Like summertime early. Every year I’m rushing last minute in December to finish gifts because of course my good intentions never materialized. This year…it’s going to be different. I’m galvanized to mend my ways and actually get a jump-start holiday gifts knitting.

In upcoming weeks we’re putting together great gift kits to start making now…not later….but now. Before it’s a mad dash to the Dec 24th deadline (she says full well knowing she’ll be up late weaving ends and wrapping presents the night before…) 

holiday kit parade

Let’s officially launch the maisieblue’s Holiday Jump-Start Kits Parade. We’re putting some of my favorites gift projects into kits available on a new retail website (more details further below about the site)!! Now you too can make a dent in your Holiday Shopping list early.  Click through to order up a kit and get crackin’!

Loop-de-Loop Cowl Kit

 

Once again big, long, scrunchy cowls or infinity scarves are popular this season. This Dovetail pattern is not only stylishly warm but it is written for multiple yarn sizes: bulky, worsted, sock, and lace. Talk about a perfect stash-bustin’ pattern! It’s super easy to knit up. Knit in the round in “reverse stockinette” (a fancy way to say knit few rounds then purl few rounds).

We’ve paired the pattern with Berroco’s Boboli yarn, a gorgeous multicolor worsted weight yarn perfect for this pattern. 

I love Berroco’s description: “enchanting mix of shifting colors” and “glimmering,” which sounds odd for yarn but is so true! It has a wonderful sheen and soft hand making the cowl a lofty, snuggly bit of warmth for cold winter mornings. I love this yarn. And I’m not a big variegated/multicolor gal. I usually gravitate towards solids or tweeds…but this Boboli just makes me want to cast on more, more, more!, along with craving a big hot slice of pizza.

Easy-peasy lemon squeezy! Dig out some 24” circulars and dive in. You’ll have beautifully snuggly cowls perfect for gift-giving in no time. 

Kits contain pattern, yarn and a nifty project bag. Two sizes available: small & large. Click over to the website for more details & colors. Need needles? We’ll have those and an option to buy just the pattern so you can start bustin’ some stash.

our new websites: the lowdown

We’re launching two websites: one for books, the other for everything else.

our “books and more” website:

maisieblue.mybooksandmore.com

Our book distributor, Baker & Taylor hosts the site and does the fulfillment. Anything they stock can be ordered (books, audio books, cds, dvds, music). Shipping rates are reasonable and you can even preorder titles before they’re released! (I love that).

While we can’t ever compete with the big discounters…for those who like to try to shop local, this is an option. There are small discounts (shown on the site) which help to offset shipping. At $60 order will ship free.

One big reason we decided to launch this particular website: ebooks. Thanks to Baker and Taylor we’ll be able to sell ebooks to our customers.(Sorry Kindle owners; those are still a proprietary Amazon-only ebooks).

The ebooks are powered by Blio and support windows, android, and iphone/pad/pod platforms, and the XPS and ePub ebook formats. (That last bit of techy info for those who know what it means because I’m not exactly sure yet myself…I’m still reading those paper “antique” books!)

Baker&Taylor is a great company to work with and we’re happy to partner with them. They are supportive of small indie retailers and our sales rep, Lori is simply amazing. We’re excited to finally get this website up and running. My love of books fuels my passion to share them with our customers and now we can reach out further afield than just our little bricks-n-mortar shop.

When I talk about great books in newsletters you can now pop over and place an order to ship right to your door. Be it the old-fashioned paper book, ebook or audio book/cd -  we’ve got you covered. Perfect for our lovely customers that can’t easily pop into Murphys to shop, or those who can but need something we don’t have on the shelf right then and there.

our “everything else” big cartel website

maisieblu.bigcartel.com

Finally after a couple of years, various attempts and endless tweeking, we’re unveiling our website. It’ll start small and build from there; kits first then gradually adding other products.

Be sure to bookmark the site…notice I had to use “maisieblu…” because it won’t let me use our full name for some reason…. Or just go to the our main blog site: www.maisieblue.com for links to both shops from there.

Gradually we’ll add other items but starting with these kits help ease me into the big bad cyber-retailing world. Then I’m not like a deer-frozen-in-the-headlights, trying to build a full-on website that never gets done because I’m so overwhelmed. And end up just casting on another project as a way to avoid the question “how’s the website coming along ?” see…it’s a vicious cycle with me…

If you hit a snag or see something odd just let me know. Couple of points:

1. below product photos click the arrows to see additional photos & color choices.

2. important coupons: use these during checkout :freeship60 = free shipping at $60+order; storepickup = no shipping charge to pick up at the murphys shop.

Learning the basic tweeks and techy bits of starting this site takes some doing so it’s not exactly how I want it to look…but that’s okay. It’s a beginning. And we all know how I love starting things!

tips-n-tricks-n-kits

It’s fall…well almost fall. As soon as the light starts changing, the geese start honking overhead and the nights have a bit of a nip to them…. I start planning for holiday knitting.

My thoughts lately are all about fast knits and finishing things. I’ve found some wonderful tutorials online to help me with that pesky “finishing” issue that plagues me. Maybe this year I’ll actually get some holiday knitting done up early as a result.

But First up: sneak peek at new kits coming to the shop and new yarns that are here on the shelves, perfect for fast gift projects.

Nelkin Designs Jewelry Kits

Laura Nelkin’s sweet one-night kit projects: Butin Kit and Crochet Butin. How nifty are these?!

A stash-bustin’/one night/beaded necklace project – seriously… a finished project in just a few hours. Even I can do this one…and actually finish it….

The kits are perfect for gifts to make-and-give, or as a gift-kit for the craftster in your life. It’s a jump-start on my holiday gift making plans. Watch for kits to land in shop late next week.

new stuff in the shop

The new fall yarns are all arriving with plenty more on the horizon in upcoming months.

Berroco Flicker

I’m not a bling-bling gal that likes shiny….but for this yarn I make an exception. Super soft, stretchy chainette construction. Wonderfully sqooshy.

 

It’s a fabulous yarn. It showed up on a Thursday. I cast on this hat, and one week later I finished it. You heard right… f-i-n-i-s-h-e-d! In a week. Me….a finished item!Pattern is knit flat in a 2-color slip-stitch technique, then seamed. No dpn’s and I learned a great new technique.  Affordable, fast and oh so soft and smooshy. Gift knitting at its best.

Zorina Booklet #311

Berroco added new colors this fall and pattern booklets: #311 Flicker and free eBook. Check out the Flicker audio slideshow (I love these). The next Flicker project in my queue: Andra’s Grey Quartz Cowl. I’ll let you know how fast I finish that one up.

 
Berroco Boboli

Yummy colors, great yardage and perfect for big infinity cowls so popular now. One cowl done (yes…done! another project done!) and a second half-done. Both cowls take 1-2 hanks so it’s affordable and stylish. No pictures yet of my cowls so you’ll have to trust me on this one.

  

Boboli is good for hats, mitts and garments too. It’s soft, lovely multicolored layers with a bit of sheen. And no…I didn’t order it up just so I could chant Boboli, boboli, boboli to myself when alone in the shop ….well at least that’s not the only reason I ordered it…  It’s also got great yardage (206yds) and nicely priced ($14.99) so it’s perfect for making up gifts for the holidays.

As always Berroco has patterns and an audio slideshow to highlight this yarn’s potential.

Just dropped off the delivery truck today!

It’s thrilling when deliveries makes me squeal! This is a brand new pattern from Kollage Yarns that I can’t wait to make up. The moment the rep showed it to me I knew we had to have it.

Dangerous Curves is (yet) another big luscious infinity scarf using their Whimsy yarn (mohair wool blend). Want it short and sweet?

Pattern has both sizes and takes 1-3 hanks. Two colors arrived today with more coming later in September. But any worsted-bulky yarn will work. It’d be gorgeous in Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca, Remix or Flicker for something truly decadent.  Oooo…. I see many new cast ons in my future.

tips…tricks…and tutorials galore

I’m the first to admit it. Finishing things is not my forte. The more I knit the less this happens but still… we all know I’m the Cast On Monster so my experience with things like perfect bind offs, weaving ends, seaming is naturally less than my skills at casting on. Here’s some links to great stuff on internet to help us (me) finish things.

I’m a big photo/video tutorial fan. Certain techniques just don’t sink in my brain until I’ve found the right tutorial to help me along. This is one thing that the internet is awesome for…endless tutorials!

Nelkin Designs tutorials

Here’s another reason to add Nelkin Designs to your bookmarks. Laura’s posted up a clutch of lovely tutorial  at on her website for beading your knits, a handy kitchener stitch (with a handy cheat sheet chart to remember steps), circular cast on and sewn bind off too! Plus sessions dealing with using beads in your projects. 

weaving in ends tutorial

No matter how careful…my weaving in ends technique mocks me. Little pesky bits of yarn poking out, shouting to the world “look at me!” I was thrilled when my favorite blog posted up this great tutorialall about getting those ends to stay put. 

nifty shawl cast on step-by-step

Some shawl patterns call for a funny type of cast on with a few stitches, knit several rows then you have to pick up and make a rectangly-shaped-thingy. It can be tricky to figure out from written instructions. Thanks to Westknits we now have a lovely photo tutorial to illustrate it step-by-step. His preferred cast on for many of his shawl patterns is the garter tab cast on.  Now you’ll be able to cast on those top-down shawls no problem!

got gauge?

Ah yes . . . that pesky problem called “gauge” – the road block to beginning a new project right now, this minute, with no delay. As much as we want to dive into a new pattern asap, gauge really is important, especially for garments that need to actually fit.

What is gauge and how to you “get gauge”? Twist Collective published a great tutorial recently: Got Gauge?. Check it out. It’s one of the better explanations I’ve come across. Pictures and tips on how to measure your gauge swatch are included.

Once you’ve done that pop over to this article in same issue: Swatch It! Clara Parkes is a Swatching Queen and I’m always amazed at just how dramatically yarns knit in same pattern can yield such different results.

Now as for myself… I tend towards endless swatching to get gauge but never seem to actually cast a sweater for myself. Someday I will. Until then I will keep swatching away. Or knitting up baby sweaters. Because if I make it a bit bigger they’ll always grow into it, right?

preview of future

Not enough time or space to cram everything into one newsletter but here’s a peek of what’s in the works:

maisieblue’s online bookshop

holiday gifts kits club

new monthly crochet clinics

details in next newsletter…

Take care!

Kim

Current Summer Classes

Just a quick note on upcoming classes:

July 9th: Kids-Learn to Knit 1-2:30pm $20 materials included
July 16: Dreaded DPNs-Dread Them No More $15
July 17: Oops! & Seams: Fixes and Tips $15
July 23: Learn to Knit $15
July 30: Oops! & Seams: Fixes and Tips $15
Aug 6: Learn to Crochet $15
Aug 13: Kids-Learn to Knit *1-2:30 $ 20 materials included
Aug 20: Hats, Hats Hats! $15
Aug 27: Learn to Knit $15

Times are 1-3:30 (unless noted otherwise).
Call or email to reserve a seat. Classes canceled the day before if no signups. 728-8261 or maisieblue@gmail.com