So I told you awhile back about my mother learning to knit. Her first project? A vest! Seriously…and she actually finished it. I am really really proud of her and her new found knitting skills. She didn’t even whine about how long it took vs crochet. (She feels crochet is superior because it is faster). Here is her vest in all its glory:

Shawl Collar Vest from Blue Sky Alpacas worked in Ianthe

She then moved right into lace. Lace? Yes, lace. I guess my drive and ambition comes from my mother. Someone had left a skein of Malabrigo Lace in the back room for staff to take, and she wanted desperately to knit with it. She chose the Emily Shawl pattern from the Best of Knitscene book. She then proceeded to learn about brackets in a pattern and that they indicate section repeats; she learned to read charts and work lace increases and decreases…all while actually knitting the shawl. Whenever she didn’t have any boxes to unpack or shelves to restock, my mom was sitting in our classroom space working on her shawl and asking random questions of the staff who happened to walk buy. It didn’t take her long to knit this thing…rather amazing really. I don’t know what she is plotting next. Perhaps intarsia?

Do you knit holiday gifts for your co-workers? Do you feel like it’s a chore you have to do or have you found a way to make it fun?

At customer Trish’s office they have a Santa hat contest every year so that one of her lucky co-workers can win a handknitted hat!

They play games like “race to wrap a present”, “pin the pom-pom on Santa’s hat”, “complete the Christmas song lyrics”, and Christmas trivia to pick the winners.

Wrap faster!

Here are a few determined competitors in the “draw a Christmas tree & ornaments with the paper on your head” contest!

How does my tree look?

Want to make your own Santa hats for your officemates?

Lucky winners!

The two hats here are (on the left) Penny’s Santa Hat, knit in aran weight on US 9 needles and (on the right) our very own Whimsical Holiday Hat which knits up SUPER fast on US 17 needles!

Happy knitting to all! Eat a bunch of Christmas cookies, have some eggnog, and don’t work too hard!

Burnham mittens by Leila Raabe - pattern at shop

When I knit things to keep my appendages warm. (well, correction. It is the time of year that I START to knit things that keep my appendages warm. I don’t seem to finish too many). I am currently adding classes like crazy to the winter schedule so part of my project selection is based on what I intend to teach this winter. I am feeling the need for a rather pretty pair of fair isle mittens and the edition of Brooklyn Tweed LOFT to the shop has really made the temptation even worse. I am thinking Burnham by Brooklyn Tweed, worked in one skein of the color Hayloft and one skein of Plume. I like the two fair isle motifs (front and back) on the mittens and the braid of color around the cuff. It was a lot of fun picking from all 32 colors of Loft too! Now to sort out which color to make dominant and which to make the background…

I am headed to the tree lighting ceremony tonight and we have to be there super early! So of course, I will take a project with me. I should take my husband’s Christmas socks but it is entirely too tempting to take these mittens. I already printed the pattern…so yeah, I am kinda screwed on this one.

The Foxhall Glove pattern by Sally Rainey

Sally Rainey of the Rainey sisters just sent me an amazing new glove pattern that she designed in Brooklyn Tweed Loft as well. It is a download on Ravelry. So awesome!!

Don’t ask me how my Loft sweater is coming along.

Brooklyn Tweed Loft - Plume

Brooklyn Tweed Loft - Hayloft

Bethany submitted this report from her first trip to Rhinebeck this year:

Culinary Institute

When I found my way back to knitting in 2010, whenever I was around knitters I kept hearing one word spoken with reverence:  Rhinebeck.  I soon learned that this was knitter speak for the annual New York Sheep & Wool Festival held at the Duchess County Fair Grounds in Rhinebeck, NY.  About the same time when I was cruising the 746.432 shelves of my local library (aka knitting wonderland) I stumbled on a book by Joanne Seif.  Her book, Fiber Gathering: Knit, Crochet, Spin, and Dye More than 25 Projects Inspired by America’s Festivals, is simply amazing.  The pictures and details about the festivals will make you want to attend each one.  When a friend mentioned she wanted to go to Rhinebeck too, a plan was born.

Many knitters are veteran attendees and have tried and true techniques for getting the most out of the festival.  We had no such plan of attack.  We secured a reservation at a hotel in Poughkeepsie in February and then counted down the months until it was finally October 14.  The six hour drive to  Rhinbeck, NY went smoothly.  Too early to check in to our hotel, we headed to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.  I had read a post by Anne Hanson where she blogged about the Apple Café which does not require reservations.  We decided to go check it out.  We had a 45 minute wait in line before getting into the café to place our orders.  A staffer offered a tip that it was best to come early as the café is open from 11 a.m. – 5p.m, or later. Of course we had arrived in the middle of the rush.  Other than the food, the most incredible thing was the lavender growing at the four corners of the courtyard in front of the main building where butterflies fluttered lazily.  Even an i-phone got a National Geographic worthy picture.

Saturday morning, naively thinking that all fiber festivals open at the same time (as we were seasoned Maryland Sheep and Wool attendees), we left Poughkeepskie at 7:30 a.m. and headed for the fair grounds.  There was no backed up traffic, the lights stayed green, and we got an amazing parking spot on a fairly empty hill. This is when we realized something was wrong.  As we stepped out of the car, we learned the festival opened at 9 a.m. At the same time, I heard my name called.  There was Cindy and her sister – a fibre space™ welcome in the middle of Rhinebeck, NY!

I bumped into Cindy, her sister and several others that I knew from Ravelry, once again standing in line to enter a particularly hot booth.  The line was already about 20 people deep waiting for the festival’s official opening.  At 9 a.m., a swarm of knitters invaded the small booth and then the truly crazy line began – the payment line.  One woman’s husband stood in line for two hours while she enjoyed the festival.  Talk about enabling a yarn addict love!

I saw my first fuzz ball angora rabbit and met Nike, the alpaca who was one of a group of alpacas who stood around for petting.  He was the alpha male of the group and had the coarsest fiber.  There were sheep being groomed for the judges, blue ribbon sheared sheep and Corriedale sheep who also had the best marketing (see below).

Angora Bunny

Nike the Alpaca

Corriedale has the best marketing

I’ve heard it’s a Rhinebeck tradition to wear a finished sweater but space in my suitcase was limited so I wore my Springtime Bandit instead (which I finished recently using one skein of Neighborhood Fiber Company Worsted). It did a great job of keeping the chill at bay and got a lot of compliments throughout the day.  I was just as busy giving out compliments as I was completely surrounded by mind boggling knit wear.  Mitts, sweaters, shawls, hats, and skirts like Knitty’s Lane Splitter. I saw five and they all looked fantastic even though their creators were different heights and sizes.

I lost count of all the vendors that I visited and the food I tried because there were so many choices.  The lamb vendors were located in a group downhill from the cider donuts.  The fried artichokes were across from the main food vendors where spaghetti on a stick was selling well.  On Sunday to counter some of the festival food indulgences I walked  across the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world known as the Walkway over the Hudson.  Check out some of the breathtaking views here.

Having survived my first Rhinebeck, I am looking forward to attending next May’s Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  If you’ve never been to a fiber festival before it would be a shame to miss it!

Amazing things were spotted in space today at Stitch in Space!

Here’s Katie in her lovely Lucette pullover – this great Amy Herzog design includes instructions for modifying the pattern for the perfect fit.

Katie in "Lucette"

Love the beaded neckline and hem, so pretty! This is knit in DK weight so it’s great for summer. Louisa Harding Ianthe or Berroco Pure Pima would be nice…

Someone “modeled” her Juneberry Triangle for us…

Mysterious Person in "Juneberry Triangle"

We have this beautiful Brooklyn Tweed shawl pattern in the shop – you can knit it in sport to worsted weight so there are plenty of yarns to choose from.

There were lots of works in progress too!

Stitch in Space!

Thanks for sharing your projects with us, everyone!

I’ll bet you’ve never knitted while riding in a Humvee or an F16, while wearing a gas mask or cleaning a gun.

Lieutenant Commander Jenn Almy, Combat Knitter and Family Physician on the NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit, has done all of these and more in her course of training and between caring for patients in Kandahar, in the south of Afghanistan.

This is the story of Jenn Almy and the Kandahar Combat Knitters.

Jenn has been knitting for about 3 1/2 years. She took up knitting as occupational therapy for her wrist, and to create a baby blanket for her sister’s new baby. Jenn grew into a “second family” during knitting classes at Yarning for You in San Marcos, CA. The knitters there made items for deployed soldiers, and gave her a warrior hat when they learned she would be deployed. Before leaving, Jenn lined up 6 months’ worth of knitting projects for her mom to send to her overseas.

During her course of field training prior to deployment at Fort Dix in New Jersey, Jenn’s CO, Captain Michael McCarten, noticed her knitting during down time. As McCarten’s wife, Kathleen, is also an avid knitter, he knew to ask Jenn if she was a Ravelry member. She was – and so he got them in touch with each other. Between them, they began to organize what became the Combat Knitters. Kathleen is also a member of the Knitting in Alexandria group on Ravelry – more on that in a moment.

En route to Kandahar, Jenn’s knitting began to attract more attention. Her colleagues were asking if she’d teach them to knit once they were all settled in. Even though she’d never taught before and considered herself a newbie, she agreed.

Jenn began to dream up a collaborative project to help teach new knitters and represent the military serving in Afghanistan. Her search led her to the  idea of an American flag made of blocks – each one representing a state, military service, or star. The state blocks were designed by Rhonda White, the wife of a marine serving in Okinawa.

Jenn says: “Each square used an average size needle and its finished dimension of 8.5inch by 8.5 inch was a reasonable size. I thought this would be an excellent learning block for the future combat knitters. I would teach them to cast on, knit, purl, bind off and how to read a pattern. They would then finish a square and contribute to the overall project. They could complete this fairly quickly (well some faster than others) and then I could get them started on project for themselves (scarf, hat, etc).”

Jenn was still in touch with Kathleen here in Alexandria. Kathleen began to organize the yarn, needles, and patterns necessary to create Jenn’s American Flag afghan. She called on our help here at fibre space™ to contribute yarn to create the project.

Jenn ended up teaching about 20 people to knit in private lessons, setting up individual times between shifts. She says she tried to get men to learn, but “no takers.” She also created a Combat Knitter’s patch, which you can see her wearing below.

Staff members in Jenn’s hospital serve on the front lines of casualty care in Kandahar, the Taliban capital. They treat many types of patients, from American soldiers to Afghans burned in oil stove accidents, pregnant women, and children with devastating war-related injuries. Jenn helps these post-operative patients recover prior to evacuation. We all know that knitting is valuable for stress relief, and for the combat knitters this is even more true. Knitting has helped give the Combat Knitters a hobby during their infrequent down time, and something other than trauma to think and talk about after a day’s work at the hospital.

While Jenn’s deployment is ending, the Combat Knitters are still knitting, passing on what Jenn has taught them and planning new projects.

Here’s a look at the American Flag afghan – almost finished!

Jenn says: “The [afghan] is almost finished but it was more the journey of the project that was the most worthwhile aspect. Is the project perfect? No. There are mistakes. Does every block have the same gauge? No. The project though in my eyes is perfect because despite dealing with never ending traumas and patients, the combat knitters wanted to leave something behind. The project ended up larger in size than initially thought of. We have decided instead of one Afghan we are going to divide the Afghan into 4 parts and hopefully have someone mount it on a frame/board and then be able to hang in the NATO Role 3.”

We’d like to give a big thank-you to Jenn and the Combat Knitters for contributing these photos and telling their story. Also a big thank-you to the Knitting in Alexandria group (and others) who have generously supported the Combat Knitters and other service members. Jenn and other members of the Combat Knitters will be returning home and are looking forward to getting to their LYS. We are hoping to see some of them wearing their patches in our hood as well!

Where you wear your heart?

I don’t care if it’s totally cliche. If there’s any time to pull together a collection of heart patterns, it’s now. Knit and crochet designers – if not knitters and crocheters themselves – apparently love patterns with hearts, because there’s approximately a zillion of them on Ravelry. Lesley and I teamed up to bring you a few favorites, new and old, from some of our closest valentines and other cool designers we admire.

So where do you wear your heart? Here we go, from head to toe….

Right on top is Kate Gagnon Osborn’s Setesdal Love Hat, published in the Winter/Spring 2011 issue of Knitscene. By now you know I have a major soft spot for colorwork, but I’ve held my enthusiasm down to one project. This is it! Knit in the Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, it will be warm and soft.

image courtesy Interweave Knits

The La-La-Love-You Cowl, a free download from Popknits, is a subtle way to get a little love and snuggly warmth in. This neckwarmer is a quick knit in Malabrigo Worsted.

image courtesy Popknits

Susan and Sally, the Rainey Sisters, have posted their Sweetheart Glovelets pattern again. It’s a free and easy fingerless glove pattern with a heart motif on the back, perfect for something soft and luxurious, perhaps Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Sport?

Finally, there’s Wendy Johnson’s Heart to Heart Socks, from the book Toe Up Socks for Every Body. Did you follow my advice and get a skein of honeysuckle pink sock yarn last week, and now don’t know what to do with it, and are secretly cursing me?  I’m sure it will work great here.

Heart to Heart socks courtesy Wendy Johnson

Or perhaps you’d rather carry your heart. These wee cuties from Anna Hrachovec at Mochimochi Land (home of all things adorable – seriously, go look) are just the thing if you’d like to give away a tiny heart at the last moment. Great to use up leftovers!

"Hearts" courtesy Mochimochi Land

For more Valentine’s Day cuteness from Anna, you must look at her Coo and Coy lovebirds pattern. She even made up free valentines that you can download and print (one of them says “I want to knit you things” … awww!)

Too cutesy for you? I suppose you could be a bit more anatomically minded. Then the Heart pattern by Kristin Ledgett, published in Knitty, is for you. Science!

"Heart" image courtesy knitty.com

And, finally, Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you. Becky sent me an adorable Valentine in the mail, which was so nice! Have a good one and don’t eat too many conversation hearts.

PS. I’ve been working on a little lovey something myself… stay tuned for more!

Customer Danielle was in today working on her amazing Legend of Zelda crochet blanket  – she made the pattern herself!

We love seeing your projects – bring them on in! (Check out our new retro leather sofa and chair while you’re here!)

Have you seen the amazing Color Changing Cotton from Wolle’s Yarn Creations yet? It’s new to us, but we had some customers come in today for who it’s an old favorite – they were really excited to see it here in space!

This is a fingering weight cotton with long color shifts that create beautiful effects – at 480 yards per ball you can quickly complete an entire shawlette in knit or crochet.

Teantae showed us her gorgeous Flurry that she is currently working on – she says this is a nice simple lace pattern that takes just one skein to complete.

Her mom has also done a beautiful Citron in this yarn that she showed us her photos of – stunning!

Other patterns that we think would be great for this yarn: Multnomah, Undine, Sweet Jazz, Wings of the Valkyrie (crochet).

Dana Barnes has been making over-sized rugs and floor cushions from felted granny squares.. and ruining washing machines while she’s at it! Read the full story on the New York Times.

Photo Courtesy of the NY Times

lovely ladies in Liesls!

Today we had not one, not two, but THREE lovely customers come into the store wearing their Liesl sweaters! I love how each lady has put her own personal spin on the pattern.

This is a great project for spring that knits up fast on big needles in a worsted to chunky weight yarn – we have lots of beautiful cottons and blends in right now that would be perfect for this as well as wool.

The pattern has variations for neckline, sleeves, and length so you can create your own personalized version too!

The Spring Spud and Chloe trunk show is here for your viewing pleasure! We have 10 garments scattered throughout the store in Spud and Chloe Outer, Sweater and Fine. All of the patterns are available at the shop.

Maiah was in last night and shared with us her Buttony project, which she has modified to include a lace panel.  She is almost done!  It is worked in Malabrigo Worsted and is gorgeous!!

The best part of the project is the button that she has selected, found on Etsy. They are made by Buttered Parsnips, and they are the best fit for this project.

Check out this CNN article featuring the guerrilla knitting movement, a reaction to street art machismo. The article features photos of “knitted graffiti” on buildings, trees, vehicles and more.