A Little Knitty

If you missed our Pumpkin Makin' Party, it's not too late to make some adorable pumpkins of your own!!!  Find Rasta by Malabrigo in-store or online HERE Find the pattern on Ravelry for $2  HERE Or stop into the shop and purchase the yarn and get the pattern printed free! 

The countdown is ON!!!!!!! Sock Madness 2023 goes on sale at 9am PST this Wednesday, November 2nd. If you are curious about what this journey is all about, please watch the video below!! We have THREE OPTIONS (at first I only had 2 options, but it turned into 3 options when all was said and done) Option #1 - SOCK MADNESS 2023 IN PERSON . This is the full meal deal with everything listed below, but only 12 spots available. The in person meetings are structured as a social stitching time for those enrolled in Sock Madness 2023 where you can come together with other people knitting the same thing, discuss any bumps in the road, celebrate victories and at the end of the year you will have TWELVE pairs of socks!!! Of course I will be here for any questions you may have, but this isn't a structured class with a lecture portion. After the kick-off party, every meeting will be chatting about the sock we made that month, answer any questions that came up, and read through the pattern for th...

I recently test knit a new pattern by Jamie Lomax of Pacific Knit Design and yet again, she designed such a fun knit! We have some kits in the shop, or you can pick any DK weight yarn and knit one up! You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry or purchase it when you are in the shop!

We just received some new colors of Heritage...and they are PERFECT for a bright pop of color! I recently used this yarn (IN BLACK) to knit a sweater and I'm completely smitten with this yarn! I will mention that because of it's INSANE softness, it did pill a bit in the high friction areas (read: my underarm area where my arms rubbed on my sweater as I walked around NY Sheep & Wool Festival) I would highly recommend buying a gleener ! This sweater is the Quill Tee by Tif Neilan and it was really fun to knit! I also used one ball of Perth by Queensland for the colorwork. You can find this yarn in-store or online HERE

Here is a link to our latest newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/86a96213a4ae/october-26th-2022-a-little-knitty-yarn-shop-newsletter

Quilcene Fiber Festival "From Sheep to Shawl" Saturday, November 5, 2022: 10am-4pm at Worthington Park Quilcene Please join us and make history in Worthington Park Quilcene for the First Annual Fiber Festival: From Sheep to Shawl. “The Quilcene Historical Museum is excited to partner with Fiber and Clay in hosting our first fiber festival – celebrating the extraordinarily diverse talents in our region. We will for the first time utilize every aspect of Worthington Park – the newly restored Victorian mansion, museum, outdoor theatre, historic barn and ten beautiful acres. There will truly be something here for everyone. Come explore!” shares Brian Cullin, Quilcene Historical Museum In the Park: See sheep shearing at the foot of the historic 1915 barn, alpacas on leads in the meadow, and a wonderful wool waulking performance and demonstration of an old Gaelic tradition of fulling woven cloth. Visit farm vendors and learn wool processing, fleece cleaning, carding, spinning and d...

We recently received a reorder of some of our favorite cat-rinkles cat stitch markers and right side wrong side markers .... But as I shopped, I found a few things the shop just couldn't live without!! Aren't these sweater stitch marker sets just so adorable? We also received more "Thanks I Made It" pins and new wooden tags that say "Made in Washington"

If you stopped into the shop recently, you saw our new amigurumi spot! Local crochet artist, Huckberry Hollow has put together their favorite things for creating cute animals, like kits, cotton, small hooks and safety eyes! Her dream was to make it a one-stop-shop and I feel like she has done a GREAT job!! We are working on some really cute books for this area too...stay tuned!!

Christmas Is A Coming! Fall is in the air and as the days get shorter and the leaves begin to fall I can’t help but think about starting some holiday knitting projects. Each year I love to make a few gifts and sometimes some Christmas décor for the house. This year, I’m including these adorable miniature Christmas sweaters and stockings on my list. Each one is only about three inches high. They make a perfect ornament for the tree or decoration on a swag. I’m using tiny clothespins to attach mine to a cord and hanging it in my entry to welcome visitors. They would even be sweet on top of a special present. If knitting a full-size sweater or stocking seems daunting, this might be the perfect beginner’s project. You will master the same skills in quick miniature form and not much yarn is needed. So dig through your stash or check out some of the yummy new yarns Jen has stocked up on for the holidays and get to it. This particular pattern is “Sweater and Stocking Ornaments” by Karen DiTom...

We had to update a few of our terms & conditions for classes, please read over them! - Classes & Private Lessons reservations must be made 24 hours before the class/lesson. This allows our teachers to prepare for the necessary number of students, or in the case of private lessons, if there are no private lessons 24 hours before the lesson time, the teacher won't need to come into the shop. There is no same-day or drop-in availability for classes or lessons. - Payment is required to secure your place in the class.  - If you must cancel, and do so at least 48 hours in advance, your fees may be applied to a future class/private lesson. - Cancellations fewer than 48 hours in advance will not be eligible for a refund. PLEASE call if you cannot come, this allows us to fill your spot with someone else who has been waiting for the class/private lesson. - By signing up for a class, you are agreeing to the terms & conditions listed above. - For all classes that begin at the same...

It's that time of year...when the shop classroom gets a little chilly. Unfortunately, the cement floors and the wall of glass next to the classroom/sit-n-stitch area keeps it colder than any other part of the shop...plus the fact that you are sitting still. In order to get it toasty in the classroom, the front of the shop has to be the temperature of the middle of the sun...and that is NO fun for anyone who works here.  Here are some tips... - Knit some cozy thick socks and wear them with your thickest boots - Dress in layers, it's Washington after all! - Make a nose warmer ( Knit or Crochet ) - Grab a sample and wrap up - Ask around the table and ask who else is cold and start a game of 'Duck, Duck, Goose' We do have a small heater too! If you need it, just ask!

Here is a link to our latest newsletter  https://mailchi.mp/9f0d3cbb5495/october-19th-2022-a-little-knitty-yarn-shop-newsletter

I admit, I pack my knitting before I pack my clothes...and probably put more planning and thought into my knitting projects!  I have finally developed the perfect knitting set up for travel! I had a project that used 1 ball of 100g yarn and 5 mini skeins. Before I left, I caked them all up and put them in a yarn cozy and put the mini skeins in nylons. The made them secure and so they wouldn't fall apart in my bag and get tangled.  I selected a pattern that was super easy to knit in the round and not pay attention to counting or anything! I knit a new version of one of my designs using mini-skeins and I'll share some pics when I finish it!! I also love knitting the co-pilot cowl when I travel! We have kits in the shop for knitting this. It's a remix of a f ree pattern I found on Ravelry. Some other tips... I cast on the project at home so that I wouldn't have to do that while traveling (and count my stitches a million times) I used interchangeable needles JUST in case T...

It's almost here!!! Can you feel it in the air??  SWEATER WEATHER!!! I LOVE sweater weather. If I could knit sweaters as fast as I knit shawls, I would knit sweaters all the time! Ostinato by Laura Aylor , for $7 on Ravelry, is a cute little open-front cardigan perfect for layering. I love the textures going on in it. I think it's adorable!  It is made with sport weight yarn - in the shop, we have United by Queensland or Sonata by Noro ...both would be lovely! One sweater I have wanted to knit for a while is one by Laura Nelkin called Poca . It's $12 on Ravelry. It's such a casual-looking cardigan and is made with an interesting construction as it is knit side to side. And it has POCKETS!!! I saw someone wearing it once and I loved it more seeing it in person (things always look better when you see them in real life, don't you think?) It uses DK weight yarn and here in the shop I think Queensland Recycled Tweed would be such a great yarn for this one! I hope you ...

Here is a link to our latest newsletter  https://mailchi.mp/74e1b3b53725/october-12th-2022-a-little-knitty-yarn-shop-newsletter

I'm pretty darn excited for this week...because this Saturday a dream of mine is coming true!!!!! Yup! I'm traveling to New York to attend the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival (also known as Rhinebeck!!!!!) I have watched others attend for years, and this year I'm making it HAPPEN!!!!! Be sure to follow me (and the owners of Black Sheep Yarn Boutique and Rainy Day Yarns) and all of the Rhinebeck shenanigans (I'll post on Instagram & Facebook) I know...I know...Don't rub it in, right?? If you want to get out of the house this weekend and do a little social stitching but don't want to go all the way to Rhinebeck, NY...check out our special Sit-n-Stitches! Saturday Special Sit-n-Stitch 10am to 1pm Sunday Special Sit-n-Stitch Noon to 2pm I will leave some treats for each person that attends this special sit-n-stitch!

I seem to get the same questions…Why so many blankets, Kris?  Don’t you get tired of knitting them? The answers are simple for me. Nope, since as long as there are babies, they will need blankets, and no, amazingly, I don’t get tired of making them.     Somehow the feel of the soft yarn in my hands, the increasing warmth on my lap as the blanket grows and the the relaxing rhythm of my needles clicking away fills my heart as I think about the babies that might be comforted by my work.  Some of these blankets I give to friends, such as my niece in the pic below and some I donate to comfort a new mom and baby that could use a “welcome to the world” gift. I tend to choose the easy patterns, making it the perfect no-brainer project to move my hands and quiet my mind.  I stash various “blankets in progress” in favorite locations to have at the ready if I’m waiting at an airport, delayed at a doctors appointment, watching my favorite Dodger baseball games or...

So the perspective of this photo makes this little ghosty look huge, but in reality, he is a cute little thing. We recently received some fun new yarn that is perfect for crochet amigurumi called Ricorumi Solids .  The pattern is a free crochet pattern I found on Ravelry, called Little Ghost  I plan to make a little bow like the photo the designer posted And how cute is this little knit frankenstien that Hilde recently knit? He was knit using a couple colors of Teenie Weenie Wool (sorry this yarn isn't sold online) Pattern can be found HERE on Ravelry ($4.00 for the pattern) Can you tell we have been having a lot of fun with Halloween decor??

Here is the link to our latest newsletter:  https://mailchi.mp/19ecfe0a236a/october-5th-2022-a-little-knitty-yarn-shop-newsletter

I Love Yarn Day is celebrated on the second Saturday in October — falling on October 8 this year — by yarn enthusiasts and craft lovers all over the world. On this day, we celebrate all the talented DIY yarn crafters, crocheters, and knitters, who create incredible things from yarn, from scarfs to art to blankets. On I Love Yarn Day, yarn crafters around the world share their love of yarn as well as some of their favorite creations. Yarn crafters prove to us every day that the only limit to what you can create is your imagination — and the amount of yarn you have left. I Love Yarn Day is a day to encourage others to share their love of yarn and raise awareness about fiber crafts. You can read more about this history of yarn and this holiday HERE We will be celebrating by having a trunk show with Apple Fiber Studio, giving away yummy treats and more! Every transaction over $50 will get a free token to our gumball machine!!!

Today was a SUPER exciting day!!!!  We delivered 518 handmade hats to Mark Twain Elementary school in Federal Way School District.  Next year we would love to donate to a school in the Auburn School District! If you know of a principal, please let me know! Unloading my very full car The amazing staff at Mark Twain who rolled all those hats into the office! If you don't know why we are distributing blue hats....here is a little more info! #HATNOTHATE is an anti-bullying campaign. We ask knitters, crocheters, and loomers to make handmade blue hats and donate them to our cause. In October, National Bullying Prevention Month, we distribute the hats to schools across the country for students to wear, empowering them to stand up to bullying. We are so thrilled to be a drop off location and you can drop off ANY time and we will save them up for next year!  Our pie in the sky goal for this year was 500 and you guys DELIVERED!!!!!! We were able to gift 518 hats! I wonder how many ...

We are so excited for a new addition to Downtown Auburn!!  Their first day open is TODAY!!! Check them out! ROSES MAKERS MARKET BOUTIQUE is a market that features local makers,  artists and craftspeople and boutique vendors. We offer you the best artisan products all-year round! Shopping hours:  Monday - Closed Tue - Fri 10am to 6pm Sat 10am to 5pm Sun 12pm to 4pm Visit us at 226 E Main Street, Auburn WA 98002. https://www.rosesmakersmarket.com/

Last time I wrote about shawls. Even an ode!  Ok - honestly, that ode wasn't all me. I wrote the words and Jen thought it seemed like an ode. I would hope if I were to write an actual ode, I would do better! Ha ha! So this week I will attempt such a thing, but start smaller. I give you... A Haiku to Hats! Needles move quickly Work with sheep's soft, fluffy wool Soft warmth on my head Well, hmmm....that's more like a haiku to knitting. Oh well! Back to hats! I'm better at knitting anyway.... The other day I saw this hat I thought was so pretty and it's free on Ravelry!  It's Peachy Tea hat by Debbie Ford. It has a little lace and a nice turned up brim (I like brims on my hats) and a cute pom can be added. It can be made from any fingering weight yarn. The pattern uses a bit of fluffy yarn with suri alpaca. We have some in the shop by Universal Yarns called Penna . It would be perfect to pair with a pretty fingering weight.  Two hats I've had in my favorites,...

There are some designers that write patterns that just speak to my soul....Joji Locatelli is one of those designers. I have knit so many of her patterns and not only are the finished projects stunning (if I do say so myself) the pattern is so perfectly written that the process is just effortless! Today I saw on Instagram that Joji dropped a new pattern and it was FREE!!!!! I ran to my computer and downloaded it instantly!  Here is more about the pattern in Joji's words... Knit Free. This is a Thank You. Knitting is my love language, and I get to knit to earn my living and support my family, thanks to your continued support. Every now and then I like to publish patterns that are free for everyone to enjoy as a way to permanently thank the knitting community for this opportunity. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for allowing me to live a full and happy life. Knit Free  is also an invitation to use your imagination and free yourself from the burden of spending much when kn...