Pur Genius
I was going through the pictures on my phone and realized that I hadn’t shared this one with you. I think this is the perfect match of pattern and yarn. The yarn she used is Schoppel Wolle Pur, which we have raved about before. The pattern is the Prismatic Scarf which you can find on Ravelry. I love the designer’s description about how she came up with the design and all the experiments gone wrong along the way.
I’m really embarrassed because I can’t remember who made this, but I’m hoping that you read the blog and will let me know so I can give you the credit you deserve.
Ta Dah!
Look at the baby shrug that Kathleen made in her knitting class with Lindsay. Beautiful! She used the Knitting Pure and Simple pattern #288, which is made from the top down with no seams. Instead of making it in stockinette stitch she twisted her stitches on the knit rows. I love how the stitch pattern works with the hand painted yarn (String Theory DK).
True Confession: Kathleen didn’t realize that she was twisting her stitches, but we liked the effect so much, we encouraged her to continue. Then we showed her how not to twist her stitches, in case she wanted to knit something in plain old stockinette in the future.
Crystal Socklets
This is a shot from Lindsay’s Crystal Socklet class. Everyone has chosen to use Cascade Fixation which is mostly cotton with a little elastic. The socks are made from the toe up, starting with Lindsay’s new favorite toe: the Bosnian Square Toe.
The pattern calls for using US size 1 and size 3 needles, but because Fixation is a little thicker than regular sock yarn and a little stretchy, size 3 needles work well for the entire sock.
I love all the different color combinations!
Yarn Bombing Glen Ellyn Style
On April 1 2012, an anonymous group called Knitters for Peace “bombed” downtown Glen Ellyn, IL with about 80 knitted birds. The birds placed on bike racks and benches disappeared pretty quickly, but many merchants brought their birds inside for safe keeping. You can read more about it here.
Thank you Knitters for Peace. We LOVED it!
Guerrilla Knitting started as a clandestine project to beautify public space without getting caught for defacing property. Now, in some places it is being recognized as an art form, like this installation in Seattle by Suzanne Tidwell.
There are still many who prefer the anonymity like the person who knit all the Olympic events and installed them on Saltburn Pier in the UK. Take a look.
Cute Baby Alert!
Look what Ellen made for her granddaughter. Adorable!
Petite Facile from the Winter 2011 issue of Interweave Knits. Ellen used Spud & Chloe Sweater, a machine washable blend of organic cotton and wool.
And boots to match. The Splish Splash Splosh Baby Shoes pattern can be purchased here.
If you have pictures of projects you’ve just finished, send them to info(at)stringtheoryyarncompany(dot)com. We want to see what you’ve been knitting!
Note: All organic cottons (like Spud & Chloe Sweater) will be 20% off this Sunday, April 22. Happy Earth Day!
Ribbit, Ribbit
Have you seen “Ribbit” by Susan B. Anderson? He (she?) is made out of Spud & Chloe Sweater ( our favorite washable blend of organic cotton and wool) and a little Fixation for the scarf.
Ellen made several of these for some very lucky boys. How long do you think before they discover that there is a tennis ball hidden inside?
Get the free pattern here.
Golden Needle Awards 2012
Just in case you missed our Golden Needle Awards, we got a slideshow for you:
Congratulations to the following winners:
Jan Jones won “best in show” for her Beech Leaf Vest
Bonnie Spark won “most colorful” for her Oakland Shawl.
Tobi Davis won “most creative” for her Austin Lace Neckwarmer
Julie Ashley won “best use of sock yarn” for her Kudzu Shawlette
Jody Oxley won “most likely to be seen on the red carpet” for her Rock Island Shawl
Jeanne Enright won “best baby/child item” for her Anthropologie Inspired Capelet
Julie Ashley tied herself for the “Personal Favorite (the “I’m going to make this next” category)” for her Warren 2 Way Jacket and her Sarah James Entrelac Jacket
Thank you to everyone who participated. Every entry was fabulous!
Oh Nellie!
Sam made this adorable sweater for her newest granddaughter. Congratulations Sam! The pattern is Nellie by Heirloom Stitches (download a pdf or stop in for a hard copy).
I love the button detail.
And the hat that Sam improvised to match the sweater. What could be cuter?
Fair Enough Progress Report
Lindsay has been teaching her Fair Enough Cardigan class and her students are almost finished.
Here is how Wendy Bernard (pattern designer) describes this sweater : Fair Enough features just enough fair isle color work to keep things interesting but it won’t overpower your knit with too much fuss….Knit in one piece from the bottom up a la the typical round yoke sweater format many of you have knit before, you’ll knit and purl and use just a little bit of fair isle patterning using two colors at one time. The body is knit in one piece up to the armpits, then the two sleeves are knit in the round from the bottom up. When they’re complete, you’ll join the sleeves to the body and work even yoke decreases up to the neck. Buttonhole and button bands are added last, then all you have to do is weave in your ends, choose some snazzy buttons, throw on your new sweater and get down with your bad self.
Sue is making her sweater out of O-wool Balance, a 50/50 blend of organic cotton and wool. Beautiful! All she has left is the button band. She has picked out perfect buttons that reflect the pale yellow and blue.
Carol is making hers out of Spud and Chloe Sweater, which she loves. We warned her that black is beautiful, but really hard to knit. She obviously is having no trouble at all. Gorgeous!
Miracle on Main Street
Once upon a time, there was an 8 year old named Bradley who needed a vest. His grandmother had never knit before, but a friend convinced her that this project would be easy. So they came to String Theory and bought some yarn, a pattern and some needles and started in. Bradley’s grandmother stopped in regularly, asking questions, getting help, taking out stitches and re-knitting. Both staff and customers fielded questions and offered suggestions. As word got around that this was her first knitting project, Bradley’s grandmother became a bit of a legend. Everyone else they knew had learned to knit with a scarf, or a washcloth or maybe fingerless mitts. As Christmas approached, the pressure was on to finish. But as you can see from the photo, everyone lived happily after.
