What’s Lisa Knitting Now? Baby Poonam
Sometimes a pattern design just calls out to a knitter. Lisa heard the call of Baby Poonam, a baby pullover designed by Norah Gaughan, because it combines two Aran knitting motifs: cables and gansey stitches. She’s knitting it out of Spud and Chloe Sweater, which is worsted weight. (More on changing gauge in the next post.)
 |
Where’s Dahlia? Chapter 7
Here is Lisa’s latest chapter in the Dahlia story. Note there is still only one sleeve, since Lisa is waiting for her class to demonstrate the “after thought” sleeve.
Here’s Janet (great smile) modeling Dahlia (great drape) in the store. And …
Here’s the back view. To quote visitors to Dahlia at the store: ”Wow. That’s beautiful.”
I (Lisa) think that’s a great reason to knit Dahlia, besides the fact that it’s fun to make and wear: how many times do you hear “Wow, that’s beautiful” about your back view? (Eat your heart out, J-Lo.)
 |
Evening Project #4: Spa Cloth
Step one: Pick one of the fabulous colors of Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Cotton
Step two: Pick one of the fabulous scents of Happy Hoppers’ Soap.
Step three: Knit this easy, reversible square.
Step four: Wrap them together and go.
Great for teachers, neighbors, friends, new mothers, your mother, or to have on hand at all times for the person you forgot…
Free pattern available with yarn purchase.
 |
Evening Project #3: Blueridge Hat
Rowan Alpaca Chunky: 76 yards on a US size 13 needle. You know you can knit that up in an evening.
Try the Blueridge Hat by Bluegirl Knits made from one skein of Rowan Alpaca Chunky. This is a new yarn for Rowan. It is like Lima (a chained yarn) only extra thick. Cozy, soft and springy.
If you look closely you’ll see that I twisted the cables more often than the pattern calls for. Some might say I didn’t pay close enough attention to the pattern instructions, but I say as long as I consistently make the same mistake, it becomes a design feature. I purposely made the hat a little longer, so it would really cover my ears.
Making cables is a lot of fun and so easy, but if you haven’t done it before, you might not want to take this on when you have a deadline looming. Wait and sign up for Maureen’s class in January
Chunky Cable Hat:
Wednesday Mornings 9:30 – 11:00am Jan 18, Jan 25
Got kids who are off school next week, with nothing to do? Give them two skeins and size 15 needles. Cast on 14 stitches and knit and knit. They’ll have a scarf for Dad by Christmas.
 |
Evening Project #2: Mermaid
So, you know, if a skein has 106 yards and the project uses less than one skein, you can probably knit it in an evening. I even added extra repeats to make mine a little longer and I still finished in one evening. Don't look too closely because one side has an extra repeat. I decided it didn't matter.
I made this Mermaid by Anne Kuo Lukito out of O-wool Balance Bulky, a lovely combination of organic wool and cotton. I soaked my in Eucalan and then dried it in the dryer until it was just a little damp to bring out the softness of the cotton. Then I laid it out with the "tail" fanned out to dry completely. It would also be wonderful in Misti Alpaca Chunky or Spud and Chloe Outer.
It's a very clever design. You start with a provisional cast on, so that each side is knit starting at the back of the neck. I love the cable twists on the edge and the way that the "tails" fan out.
We have the single patterns available at the store. Or if you have a copy of the Luxury Yarn 101 One Skein Wonders, you'll find the pattern in there.
So find a comfortable chair, queue up your favorite podcast and start knitting.
 |
Make it in an Evening | Chickadee Cowl by Kirsten Kapur
In case there are any procrastinators out there (or maybe some of you are completely prepared for the holidays and looking for something else to do) I’m going to give you ideas this week for gifts you can make in an evening.
Today’s pick is the Chickadee Cowl designed by Kirsten Kapur. Find it here (scroll down) or on Ravelry.com.
Several years ago, Karen found this pattern to knit for a Sunday project. It takes one skein of Misti Chunky Alpaca. Everyone loved it! Lately, I’ve been recommending this pattern a lot, so I decided I better get one on display.
I made mine out of the Macbeth colorway with size 11 needles. I love the way the colors subtly swirl. I purled the bind off, which gave it almost a picot effect.
If you’d like a longer loop that you can wrap twice around your neck, just buy two skeins and cast on 157 stitches.
TIP: for those of you looking for a favorite Christmas special to knit by check out the Christmas TV schedule here.
 |
Life is Good | Jeannette Cashmere
I finished my triangle neck wrap in Mountain Colors Jeannette (a cashmere/silk blend) and I LOVE it. I’m knitting one for my mom now and then I may have to make another one for me. I’ve put the free pattern here.
I loved the knitting process – the calming effect of garter stitch and the luxury of cashmere threading through my fingers. But, I have to say that I love wearing it even more – soooo soft and warm.
For my next one, I’m going to experiment with making the keyhole a little smaller. I don’t think it really has to be 10 stitches wide.
 |
More Mountain Colors
I first saw the combination of Mountains Colors’ Half Crepe and Winter Silk in Chris Bylsma’s In the Swing jacket. The two yarns together are soft and cushy and light.
I loved it, but I wasn’t sure that everyone would be willing to make the investment in a jacket, so I started to look around for something that would take just one skein of Half Crepe and one skein of Winter Silk Jr.
I found the Oscilloscope Shawl by Kate Gagnon Osborn (published in Knitscene Fall 2010 or The Best of Knitscene). It is an easy triangle, knit corner to corner with a little lace, some garter stitch and a nice edge. The finished Shawl is big enough to wrap around your shoulders and drapey enough to where as a scarf around your neck.
We just got a new box of both yarns, so there are lots of wonderful combinations to choose from.
 |
Collecting Scarves | String Theory Yarn Co 630-469-6085
3rd Annual Scarf Project
Friday November 25 – Friday December 30
Every year during the holiday season, we sell handmade scarves to raise money for a different local charity. This year all proceeds will go to the People’s Resource Center, which provides food, clothing, job assistance and more to residents of DuPage County. Because the scarves have been made and donated by our talented customers, we are able to turn over every dollar raised.
Beautiful scarves are coming in every day, but we can certainly use more. If you would like to contribute, drop off your scarf before Sunday, November 20.
Last year we were able to raise $7000 because you told your non-knitting friends that String Theory is a great place to shop for the holidays. Please help us spread the word again this year.
 |
New Yarn: Mendocino
One of the new yarns we got in this fall is Mendocino from Crystal Palace. It is a self-striping, machine washable wool, making it perfect for kids. Beth whipped up this baby hat just to see what the yarn could do and everyone has been asking for the pattern. So here it is.
If you know someone a little older who would appreciate some stripes, here are some free patterns for an adult hat and fingerless gloves.
 |