Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: begining knitting, classes, hutchinson, knitting, knitting classes, ks, newsletter, projects, yarn
it’s the much anticipated august newsletter.
don’t wait! open it right now! there is a class….
this class
its starts tomorrow and i want you to have a chance to take it. seriously…look at how awesome that vest is.
also…august means that the state fair is right around the corner so we should start have some very serious conversations about projects. i will find you, and we will have these conversations. so get prepared.
cheers….shannon
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: begining knitting, classes, hutchinson, knitting, knitting classes, ks, yarn, yarn sale
which would be impossible to do without the july newsletter. there are some exciting classes coming up, plus some new teachers, and keep in touch here to learn about the special sales we will be running all through the month!
click here to read the july newsletter
cheers…shannon
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: begining knitting, classes, hutchinson, knitting, knitting classes, projects, yarn
click here to read the june newsletter
and how pretty are these projects?
cheers y’all…..shannon
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: biking across america, hutchinson, knitting, knitting socks, kris griffith, yarn, yarn bowls
kris griffith is an amazing artist who just happens to also knit socks. currently she is engaged in a bike ride across america and stopped by the shop to stock up sock yarn. she’s got a blog where you can follow her journey…click here to read it. some of the pictures that she has posted are literally breathtaking. please be sure to comment and cheer her on!
before she left, kris dropped off some of her latest creations…remember how i mentioned she’s an artist? check these out.
we’re going to be offering these and more like them at the shop so stop by.
keep your eyes peeled for the june newsletter, it’ll be coming out soon.
cheers….shannon
Filed under: Uncategorized
Andrea, here.
First, I must congratulate Shannon on the completion of her first lace project (see yesterday’s post). I love that she’s dipped her toe in the decadent waters of lace and I admire that she took the project on even though she didn’t think she was the frilly type. Trust me girls, we all have an inner bombshell and Shannon was rocking hers yesterday when she was wearing her scarf. Good on you, Shannon!
Shannon mentioned trust in her post. It’s not always easy to trust that our projects will turn out “right” (whatever that is) when we’re in the middle of an act of creation. Maybe we haven’t used this technique, or this yarn or needle, or a pattern by this designer before. Sometimes, all the unfamiliar things bunch together during the process and we get scared that we’ve screwed something up. Big time. We’re going to have to rip the whole thing out and start over. It’s ruined (or will be some time very soon)!
If your Inner Critic has ever said that to you, it’s time to tell that little voice to sit down and shut up. Seriously, if you ever met someone who actually said to your face what your Inner Critic says in your head, you would know they were just plain wrong and probably crazy. Your Inner Critic is both. Stop listening to it!
If you find yourself at this point, breathe. Trust your pattern, your instructor, and/or yourself. Debbie and I had the trust conversation (more than once) while she was knitting the Drop Mesh Tee from the Spring 2011 issue of Interweave Knits. It’s adorable! Debbie asked me to read the pattern for her because she was SURE it was wrong.
“You’re only supposed to knit six inches after you finish the armholes. That can’t be right,” she said.
“Trust the pattern,” I said.
“But won’t the sweater be too short?”
“Listen. I know that some patterns have errors. But this is an unusual technique. The pattern writers are going to double and triple check their instructions to make sure they’re right. Trust the pattern.”
She did. Look what happened – - -
First, this – - -
Then this – - -
And finally THIS!
Debbie took a chance and I think you can see that her trust paid off in spades. You can see the finished triumph/product here at yarn. If we have enough requests, we’ll probably be teaching this as a class in the future. And, as with any class or project, we’ll even hold your hand and help fend off the Inner Critic if it shows up. Trust us.
(Now if we could just get Debbie to trust us to not to put amusing pictures of her on the blog.)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: classes, hutchinson, knitting, knitting classes, ks, newsletter, projects, yarn
i have a confession to make….i am not a delicate person. (shocker) and lace has never really appealed to me. i mean i appreciate the beauty of lace and i have a healthy fear/respect for the difficulty. i suppose i enjoy the idea of being able to knit something that complicated…but…really…when the hell would i ever use it? i’m just not a lacey girl.
except…there was this yarn…which i loved…and i didn’t want to make socks…so i took a chance on a lace pattern. a ridiculously easy lace pattern (seriously there are sections that were knit on more than one beer) for a shawl that didn’t look extra girly and delicate. and honestly…i’m glad i did.
this is lace made out of sock yarn…its well-built…in that i can take it anywhere, drop it in the wash, stuff it in a ruck sack, use it as an impromptu picnic blanket, give it to children sturdy. but at the same time its light…i’m wearing it today (90+ degrees) and i don’t feel like i’m melting.
it was quick to knit…it took me a month…me…i knit like once a week y’all…if that.
and i got schooled in the benefits of wet blocking (thanks carol…also you were totally right andrea) i was afraid it would be all curly and wrong….andrea told me to shut up and keep knitting….that blocking would work miracles…she was right..trust the master.
anyway…this is a class this month and you should take it, because not all of us are uberlacey, but we all deserve the experience that lace can bring.
hipster shawl….saturday may 14 & 28..10 til noon….$25+ supplies
also…look at this hat….make this hat…you’ll be sad if you don’t.
tuesday may 17 thru 31……6:30-8:30pm….$35 + supplies
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: classes, hutchinson, knitting, knitting classes, newsletter, projects, yarn
and i meant it.
schwaan…..thurs. may 26-june 16th…6:30-8:30pm
$55 + supplies
the linsey sweater…may 14 thru 28…1-3pm
$35 + supplies
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: crochet, hutchinson, knitting, ks, manos lace, manos silk blend, yarn
Recently, we had the good fortune of visiting family and my sister-in-law, Lisa, took me to some the favorite LYS’ in her area. I love being on fiber safari but have a few personal shopping rules:
1. If I’m a tourist at another LYS, I don’t buy anything I know that I can get at my local LYS. I like to support the hometown merchants.
2. I have a lot of yarn already, so I don’t buy something unless it really speaks to me. If I think that 24 hours from that moment in time I’ll be kicking myself because I didn’t buy it, then I usually give in and add it to my stash – even if I don’t have a project in mind.
3. I have a couple of yarn companies that I’ve had some bad experiences with – product and/or service. I avoid them on principle.
Lisa’s got some great shops in her area and it was at our last stop that some yarn almost leaped off the display into my hands. I fell completely under the spell of Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend. It satisfied all three of my rules! Lisa affirmed my choice and I walked out with two skeins.
I was not disappointed. The yarn was colorful, soft, easy to knit with and I quickly worked it into a Helix scarf that I can’t wait to wrap around my neck come cooler weather. Not only was I impressed with the product but just looking at it gives me joy. I wanted more!
Given that background, you can imagine how excited I was when one of the yarn representatives pulled out the Manos del Uruguay case when we were placing our orders for spring/summer yarn. Shannon is our designated gatekeeper when it comes to choosing new lines (we tend to get carried away by the colors, swatches, and our own imaginations) and even She Of The Practical Eye said, “Oooh – pretty!”
I’m happy to report that we’ve added three of the Manos yarns for our customers to work into their own amazing creations – Silk Blend (Silk, Merino extra fine wool), Lace (Baby Alpaca, Silk, and Cashmere), and Serena (3 ply Baby Alpaca and Pima Cotton). Each skein is hand dyed in large kettles and no two skeins are exactly alike. Take my word, it’s all amazing stuff.
Then there’s the cherry on my sundae – I’m really excited about the company that produces this yarn. Manos del Uruguay is a nonprofit organization that brings together over 400 artisans in cooperatives throughout rural Uruguay. Every label states that the aim of the organization is to bring economic and social opportunities to rural women. They have been admitted as full members to the World Fair Trade Organization and work on a business model that is inclusive, transparent, and sustainable. Working with Manos gives me an extra warm fuzzy feeling because I know the artisans are engaged in the process and appropriately compensated for the work they produce. Everybody wins.
We hope you’ll stop in and see our latest addition to our selection of quality products for the knitter and crocheter. I have a feeling you might become as enamored with Manos as we have.
See you soon,
Andrea
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: begining knitting, classes, hutchinson, knitting, knitting classes, ks, newsletter, projects, store, yarn
because i care
click here to read the april newsletter
build a blanket: tuesday april 5 thru 26….1-3pm
echo: thrusday april 7 & 21……………………6:30-8:30pm
helix: tuesday april 19 & 26…………………….6:30-8:30pm
