Wooly Words

Stunning!

2011-08-24T14:39:00.000-04:00

Vogue Knitting Fall 2011, photo by Paul Amato

This fabulous vest from the newest issue of Vogue Knitting is knit from Aslan Trends Royal Alpaca. I always suspected that this yarn would be amazing in color work - and here is the proof.

Click here to see and hear more about the vest and all the other great projects in this issue.

August 2011

2011-08-13T08:24:00.003-04:00

I just finished the scarf-of-the-month which I had expanded to a wrap. I chose one of the shell shawl pins from Wooly Minded and it looks wonderful! I also finished the KAL cardi and sent it off to the Florida granddaughter. Now my daughter wants one, too. Just when I think my knitting list has shortened, more things are added! (And secretly, I love it!) I've also finished a hooded cardi for a grandson and I'm waiting for a yarn order to do a Mickey Mouse cardi for his brother. Looks like I've been busy during the month of July and its not going to let up for August either. :)

It's Not Too Late

2011-07-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

It's not too late to get in on the fun of an impromtu KAL at Wooly Minded. A bunch of folks are knitting the Bulky Shrug (#286) by Knitting Pure & Simple. The pattern uses really bulky yarn and knits up super quick and easy.

(Edit from Jean: I think we need to work on our styling!)

Mystery Scarf of the Month - July

2011-07-16T16:57:00.000-04:00

Just take a look at this happy, talented bunch:

They have just got going on the Mystery Scarf of Month, which this month was this:

The Indian Cross Stitch Scarf knitted in Cascade's Venezia, a rather fabulous blend of Merino and Silk.
Don't you wish you had been here?

Anyone for Crochet?

2011-07-14T16:31:00.000-04:00

In my efforts to get a little more comfortable with crochet I have set myself the task of working alongside the good folks at Lion Brand in their latest Crochet Along (CAL). I've not often been drawn to crocheted garments, but this top kind of took my fancy - anyone else agree? The free pattern is rated as Intermediate Advanced, and as I can make a successful Granny Square I'm sure I fit this category! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

So at the weekend I selected my yarn - Tweedy Pima from Galler Yarns. Although the pattern calls for a worsted weight, this DK seemed to work just fine - and it's super soft. I even went so far as to check that I picked one of 'my' colours. Hard to see from the picture, but it's actually a kind of plummy purple. Our regular crowd can't fail to know that I am a 'Dark Autumn' and having paid for the colour analysis, boy am I going to use it!

Then, I even did a gauge swatch. Good thing too, as I needed to go down a hook size to get to the right stitch gauge.

So there I was, thinking I was all ready to go, waiting impatiently for the next installment of the the CAL to come along so I could learn from everyone else's mistakes before I made my own. Only to discover that many others had also had to change hook sizes but that was leading them into trouble with the row gauge.
"The what?"
I hadn't even thought to measure that. So I will now make another swatch, measure in both directions, and with any luck get going before I get completely left behind!

Wish me luck - or better still, join in.

Just in Time for Summer Knitting

2011-07-12T15:07:00.000-04:00

New at the shop is the book, Sock Knitting - Master Class by Ann Budd. Ann has put together a selectionof somewhat challenging sock patterns from various designers including, Cookie A, Anne Hanson Anna Zilborg, Cat Bordhi, and others. You must see the whimsical socks by Kathryn Alexander (page 123) or the beautiful rose lace socks by Evelyn A. Clark (page 81). Any of these socks would be great additions to your summer knitting project list.

Ann has announced via Knittingdaily.com that she will be working her way through all the patterns in the book - anyone want to join her?

Connie

From There to Here

2011-07-09T14:55:00.000-04:00

Cast your minds back to November of last year.

Somehow we got from this:

to this:

Want to see how it happened?

Come See the Miracle Yarn!

2011-07-07T17:44:00.009-04:00

Hey all, come see the new fancy yarn from Italy called Damasco. This yarn has the ability to make any yarn feel soft against the skin while adding a little bling. Jean made up a simple scarf using the Damasco and Poems and created a project that is cute, quick, affordable, a little blingy, and the SOFTEST thing ever. Now we can use up the scratchy yarn we didn't know how to use. Check it out!

Knit in Public 2011

2011-07-07T12:44:00.001-04:00

Anne trying her hand at knitting with world's largest knitting needles.

Patty teaching a new knitter.

Yours truly seriously knitting as always.

Knit in Public 2011

2011-07-07T12:05:00.000-04:00

Hello all,
It's been about a year since the last post, but we're back and better than ever. Since the last post, we've moved to 91 E. Market St., and have a great new space. Just recently, we hosted another knit in public week with a final celebration at Centerway Square. Local knitters donated knitted items to raffle, and $86 was donated to the Southern Tier Food Pantry. I will try to post some pics.

Is it Art? We think so!

2010-07-14T16:49:00.000-04:00

Should it stay?

We Have a Winner!

2010-07-03T11:55:00.000-04:00

Well we did it - the Classic Elite Knit-along is all done and dusted for us here at Wooly Minded. Eight started out in March and seven made it through with a finished garment by the end of June. The whole thing was a great learning experience for all of us. Either in figuring CEY's patterns (which all came out to be fabulous) or learning new techniques - both with the knitting and all this new fangled technology!

But what you really want to know is who is the lucky winner. Well I can announce that it is Jackie with her lovely beret.

This is obviously not Jackie modelling for us - too shy! So congratulations to you Jackie - I can't wait to see what is in your prize basket.

And here some more of the finished projects for you all to drool over:

Connie's Cardi

Wendy's Shawl Wrap

Peggy's Fringed Scarf

Terri's Strappy Tank

The Garden of Eden

2010-06-18T17:17:00.000-04:00

Finally I have finished something that has been hanging around for far too long. I don't know why, because when I did pick it up I enjoyed working on it. Who can fathom the workings of a knitter's mind? So here it is - The Eden Shawl.

I really really like it. I made it from Zitron's Samoa, a silky mercerised DK cotton. Lovely!

But the pattern also has directions for fingering and worsted weights, and there's even another pattern using the same lace design for a chunky weight blanket. Those folks at Cabin Fever have thought of everything!

And can you see, peeping out from behind our lovely model, our tomato plants? Only 12" tall and already we have 7 tomatoes. Tiny but tomatoes all the same. They'll be ready for their close up soon.

Aaahh!

2010-06-12T14:18:00.000-04:00

How can anyone not love a new baby cardigan?

This took next to no time to cook (much less than an actual baby), and only 3 balls of the fabulously soft and cushy Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. The pattern is here.

It's Nearly Here!

2010-06-09T11:21:00.002-04:00

It's nearly here!

What is?

World Wide Knit in Public Day, of course!

We here in Corning are not content with just one day to Knit in Public. Oh no! We have a whole week of festivities lined up for you.

Monday, June 14, 10 - noon:
Crystal City Bakery, Corning (special guests: seniors)

Tuesday, June 15, 3:30 - 5:30 pm:
Soulful Cup, Market St. Corning (special guests: teens)

Wednesday, June 16, 3:30 - 5:30 pm:
Southeast Steuben County Library (special guests: children)

Thursday, June 17, 5 - 7 pm:
Wooly Minded, 103 W. Market St., Corning

Friday, June 18, 11 am - 1 pm:
Market Street Brewing Company, Market St. Corning

And the grand finale:

Saturday, June 19, 1 - 4 pm:
Centerway Square, Corning with prizes and refreshments

So don't be shy. Bring your knitting projects . . . bring a friend! Stay for hours, or pop in and out . . . it’s all part of a community celebration of knitting. We’ll have raffles, prizes, refreshments, and we’ll work on projects to benefit local charities (supplies available if you need them).

See you there.

For Joey!

2010-06-05T16:45:00.000-04:00

So it's that time of year when you're torn between gardening and knitting. Which do you do, which one wins the fight for your precious time?! And what do you do when all you really want to do is get out in the garden, but the weather won't co-operate? Here's my solution: you knit your own garden produce. This tomato (from Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh) took no time at all to make. The tomato plant, sitting with its partner on shop balcony, came from Muddy Fingers Farm as part of my first CSA share of the season. We will need a little more time before we can harvest that crop!

Is it Spring Yet?

2010-03-13T13:01:00.000-05:00

Well is it, or isn't it? Who's to know when it's warm & sunny one day, wet and windy the next. But I guess that's what Spring is all about! So here's a flock of bluebirds made in our needle felting class to help you get in the mood. Aren't they cool?

What we do know here at Wooly Minded is that even if Spring is not quite with us, we have a birthday coming up. Yes it's true - Wooly Minded is 3 on March 17th! And to thank you all for being such great customers over the last 3 years, all next week, 16th - 20th we have a storewide discount of 25%. So whatever the weather is doing, please come on up and help us celebrate.

From Chaos to Calm

2010-02-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

The snow may be coming down outside, but inside Wooly Minded we are definitely cozy. Following our Baby Sale we have filled the holes with a HUGE delivery of new yarns and books from Debbie Bliss and Sirdar.

This may not look like much but each box weighed close on 50lb. Our UPS man certainly gets his workout carrying them up our stairs!

So how do we get from 3 nice tidy boxes to a shop full of tidy shelves? And how does it look as we make this impressive change? Warning: it's not always pretty!

First step - bring in the laundry baskets and scatter yarn all over the store.

Next, as if by magic, order is achieved.

How luscious does that all look - pretty mouthwatering I think.

Bumper Baby Sale

2010-02-10T16:44:00.001-05:00

So here is a selection of what we are offering to you at a total STEAL of a price. All in-stock baby yarn and patterns are now 60% OFF. Have we gone completely mad? Yes, probably, but it has to be done to make way for some new and exciting yarns that we have lined up for you. Can't (or won't!) tell you any more yet, but be prepared - we think you'll like it. In the meantime, come and stock up on what is left of our already fabulous collection for baby projects.

Why is a 'baby yarn' a 'baby yarn'? Because it is soft and gentle to the touch. My mum is going through chemo at the moment, so I think a couple of these balls have her name on them for hats. Of course, if you don't have a baby or a bald mother in your future, there is no reason at all why you can't treat yourself to something soft and pastelly (?) for the spring. I really do believe I have persuaded myself (and you, of course) that there is something for everyone here!

Baaaaaaaaaa

Free Stuff!

2010-01-21T15:46:00.000-05:00

At the shop and at home I am signed up for a number of e-newsletters and blogs from all sorts of places. Some I mostly just delete, others I read from top to bottom. The ones I really like are the ones that lead me to Free Stuff - like this link to a beautiful new scarf pattern from Classic Elite made from the soft and lovely Fresco: http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/pdf/FrescoSnowdropScarf.pdf . Among our shelves you will find Fresco along with other Classic Elite yarns. As with all our suppliers you can link into their website directly from WoolyMinded.com. Many of them have e-letters you can sign up for as well as free patterns available for their yarns. So go and check them out - they are a great resource just waiting to be found.

New Year, New Blog

2010-01-06T14:56:00.005-05:00

This is it, the great unveiling of the Wooly Minded blog. You must be gentle with us - mastering technology is not our greatest skill. Afterall, we're knitters not techno-geeks. There will certainly be many hiccups on the way, but let's face it, we knew nothing about running a yarn store 2 years ago, and look at us now!

So what do we hope to do here? We hope to keep you all up to date with whatever is going on in the store: new yarns, new patterns, classes, groups. We hope that you will want to join in and share with us what you are working on, your successes, your failures. Especially the failures 'cos that makes us all feel better! We will certainly be more than willing to display our most spectacular disasters. (I wish I had kept the whole family of mittens that felted themselves to each other one Christmas - it was not a pretty sight. But I think the recipients got much more fun out of the nose warmers that I whipped up instead.)http://www.knitty.com/issuewinter02/PATTnosewarmer.html

We are always open to your suggestions. If our open groups of Wilma's Woolies who meet up on Thursday evenings and Tuesday afternoons are anything to go by, there are plenty of ideas just waiting to be implemented. And we want to try them all!!

So please bookmark us and come back often to see what we are up to here at Wooly Minded.