Monday, October 08, 2007

Booksigning at Yarn Company

Ya'll don't forget! Booksigning this Friday, Oct 12, 2007 at Yarn Company in Cookeville. Come and visit Ruth Rhea, Diane, Cindy me from 4-6 PM. There will be books, there will be yarn. We'll party. Yeee hah!

Yarn Company
380 S Lowe #E1
Cookeville,TN 38501
931-528-8822

A New Thinking Knitter


Here's proof that one doesn't need be born a thinking knitter. Anne from "Nashville Knit In" below sent me a picture of her completed sweater. But don't take my word for it...take Anne's. Here's her story. Way to go Anne!


"As I said at last month’s Knitting at the Library, I’ve always been a pattern knitter. My granddaughter picked out the pattern, the yarn and the buttons for a sweater to wear riding this winter. When I finished her sweater, which should have been a child’s size 7, it fit an adult woman. Gauge was not the problem, the pattern was totally incorrect.

As luck would have it, I had just gotten a copy of
The Twisted Sisters Knit Sweaters A Knit-to-Fit Workshop, and with some encouragement from my knitting group, decided to reknit the sweater using the form and ideas outlined in your book. I changed the size of the diamonds to be more in proportion with the smaller size, knit the front and back sections as one from the bottom up ( eliminating the side seams) and knit in the raglan sleeves (eliminating that seam also). Allie kept trying on the sweater as we proceeded, but all of your suggestions and the form in the book worked perfectly. I especially liked your suggestion that completing all of the calculations on the form at the start is not necessary. Just a couple are required to begin, and the rest will follow.

Allie loves her custom fitted sweater and can’t wait for colder weather to wear it for her riding lessons.

I’m now working on a sweater from Vicki Square’s Knit Kimono, but this time as a thinking knitter, no longer blindly following a pattern.

Thanks so much…Anne"

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio


Many of you know that Lori Lawson of Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio in Southern California and I collaborated on two of the sweaters in the gallery of Twisted Sisters Knit Sweaters. Lori has been selling her handpainted yarn and rovings for a while now, but has only had a sporadic web presence. I am really happy to say that she is finally getting serious about offering her work online, so if you aren't familiar with her gorgeous stuff, please check it out. Not only does she have some of the most beautiful yarn and fiber around, she also offers pattern support.
Especially cool is the yarn she spun from a recent trade of ours. The trade came about when I accidently dyed some merino/cashmere/angora to spin thinking it was merino/tussah. Sheesh. I'm allergic to unspun angora and cashmere...what was I thinking? So we traded. Here's a taste of what I'm doing with my yarn from our fiber trade.