Harlot in the Hood

If you haven't already heard the very LOUD buzz, the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee will be in town tomorrow as part of the Free Library of Philadelphia's Book Festival

From the Library's website:

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee | Things I Learned from Knitting (Whether I Wanted To or Not)
Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 12:00PM
Citibank Main Stage

The irreverent spokeswoman for today’s knitting revival, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee—a.k.a. the Yarn Harlot—is the author of several books on knitting, as well as keeper of the popular blog, www.yarnharlot.com. In Things I Learned from Knitting, she examines age-old aphorisms—e.g., “hope springs eternal”—with respect to knitting, casting them in a punchy, upbeat light.

Stop by the shop, we're open from 12-5 - we have copies of her book, and I wouldn't be shocked at all if she stoked your yarn addiction just a teensy bit - and of course, we got yarn!

Sea Silk Has Arrived

Sea Silk from Handmaiden arrived today in eight great new colors.
In my (not so humble) opinion our camera has washed them out a bit, they are lovely and vibrant. Really rich colors that shine! If you didn't make the Montego Bay Scarf from Interweave, now is your chance. It's a great summer knitting project, particularly with the yarn it is intended to be knit in. Seacell, which is a seaweed derived fiber, is cool and lightweight and it is thematically appropriate for beach knitting.

We also got in Mini Maiden, which is a single ply fineweight silk blend in these lovely colors
Stop on in and check it out!

Sheep and Wool

Maryland Sheep and Wool was a success.  Everyone came, they bought Koigu, they got on the buses, we didn't forget anyone, we shopped, we ate, we came home, again not forgetting anyone, I got a horrible sinus infection and have been in bed ever since.

But I got some great yarn, so it's all worth it. 

I hope you all had a great time.  Rosie's Knitting Circle is hosting a Wine and Wind (as in winding yarn, not as in the wind blowing) party tomorrow night for you all to show off your goods.  I hope everyone can come out, mostly because I'm noosey (pron. news-ie, a philly-ism not a misspelling) and want to see what you all got!  Clyde and I will be there with our purchases and some snacks.  Wendy, can you bring a corkscrew?

We have some spaces left!

Guess what folks?

WE'VE GOT SPACES FOR SHEEP & WOOL!

We've had about 10 spaces open up. Call us at the shop to reserve a seat. It's also worthwhile stopping by if you're in the neighborhood in the morning. Buses pull of at 7:30am & seats are first come, first serve, so hurry!

Interweave Summer Is Here

The new issue of Interweave Knits arrived yesterday. Everyone knows that summer is a slow knitting season. It's funny, I think we are busy all year round, it just changes in the summer. We still get the folks who stop in to get their cotton yarn for their summer shell or tank, but those customers are few and far between these days. More often, the scarf knitters stop coming in until it gets chilly again and we are left with the real die-hards. And, in my experience, the die-hards don't stop knitting their fair isle cardigans or Manos afghans just because of a little thing like 85 degree weather! Probably they will pick up another little project, like a lace shawl or some socks for beach knitting.
The summer issue of Interweave Knits really reflects our customers projects. There is lots of lace, and we had what we call around here "The Summer of Lace" last year when everyone knit shawls, and this winter we were selling sweater projects left and right as our customer base expanded their knitting horizons and now this summer we are seeing lots of lace sweaters!

Leaf Kimono Top by Sarah Barbour
Louet Euroflax Sport Weight (avail. in the shop)

Apres Surf Hoodie by Connie Chang Chinchio
RYC Cashcotton 4-Ply
This one is already in my Ravelry queue!

This issue also has a great article celebrating the 50th anniversary of Schoolhouse Press! Learn the history of the conception of the great Press that was the brainchild of knitter Elizabeth Zimmerman. No one would publish her books after the publication of Knitting Without Tears and Knitter's Almanac so she, very successfully, took matters into her own hands and Schoolhouse Press was born. Also included is the pattern for her popular Maltese Hats, reprinted with additional notes and color chart by Meg Swansen. I think I know what Clyde is getting for his 6 month birthday!

Maltese Hats--Reconsidered
14 sts/10 cm for baby size (try it in Rapture!)
11 sts/10 cm for others (try it in Rowan Country! avail. in the shop)

And to round out your summer knitting experience there's a great pair of socks in a simple colorwork pattern. A good colorwork project if you are hoping to one day make a fair isle sweater as it includes some charted shaping for the gusset. This is a nice manageable beach project and would be a good use for some Koigu mill ends mixed with a nice bright solid to balance out the multis.

Windowpane Socks by Chrissy Gardiner
Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock (avail. in the shop)

So that's my Interweave update for summer. You can always view more and score some free patterns from the Interweave website.

Get There Early...

Or it might just be too late.

I hate to do this to you, I know that you'll all be rising early on Saturday to get the bus.

However, we thought it would be worth it. The shop will officially open at 6:30 am on Saturday. I ask that you arrive on time and act in an orderly fashion. You are all also responsible for caffeinating yourselves and getting on the buses in time for the 7:30 departure.

The Koigu people send their regards, and apologize for not being able to attend the MSW Fest this year.

And they've sent us their mill ends.

Come and get 'em Saturday morning.

The fine print:

Mill ends will be on sale starting at 6:30 am until the buses leave. It is your responsibility to get yourself on the bus in time for departure. We will then reopen at 10 am. Mill ends will be on sale during regular business hours, 10-6 so if you aren't going to Maryland don't worry! You can come in and buy them all day (and the next day or the next and so on). If you can't get to Rosie's early you can also purchase mill ends or anything else you need when the buses get back. Don't worry, we have lots of them. Mill ends are $0.15 per gm ($7.50 per 50 gms, regular koigu price $12 per 50 gms). After Saturday the mill ends go up to their regular price of $0.24 per gram.

Questions? Call us at 215-977-YARN (9276)

Crochet Tonight

Just a quick reminder that tonight from 5-7 is our once monthly Crochet Drop-In. Whether you need help on a pattern or need to learn how to crochet from scratch we've got you covered.
$20 per person for the 2 hours.
Hope to see you there!

--If you can, RSVP in comments or call the shop at 215-977-YARN

Galina Khmeleva Scarf in Piecework

The new issue of Piecework arrived today.  

The pattern on the cover is by Galina Khmeleva, Orenberg lace expert and author of Gossamer Webs Design Collection.  It is a relatively easy pattern utilizing the techniques used in Russian Orenberg lace shawls.  Knit this project using 2 skeins of Jade Sapphire 2-Ply Cashmere, available in the shop in these colors:

Silver Fern

Smokey Mountains

Little Girl Pink (yes, it's really called that!)

Mahogany

Stop in to see the pattern and pet the yarn!

Cutest Bags Ever!

We were lucky the day Wendy wandered into a shop in town and found a great knitting bag. How so, you ask? Well, Wendy is persistent and she found out who made the tote bag she got. A few phone calls later I had the pleasure of meeting a woman in town who makes these gorgeous bags. Her company is called Hanna and she makes bags of all sizes from kimono fabrics. She is from Japan and brings fabric back to the States with her every year when she goes home to visit. She made these great notions bags for us and she is bringing more after Maryland Sheep and Wool, along with some new shapes and sizes, and maybe some totes. I was so thrilled to find someone local making such exquisite bags. I love being able to support local craftspeople. Everyone should be able to work doing what they love!

And on another note, Happy Earth Day everyone and don't forget to vote!

Koigu Mori Shawl

I couldn't resist, I took home 3 skeins of the new Koigu Mori last night to play with and I'm hooked. After swatching a few different things I came up with this It's a simple stitch and shows the varigation well. You all know I am a sucker for yarn over patterns, just look at Maude and Geyl. This is truly a pleasure to knit with, the yarn is silky and cool in the hand, which I need today! and the drape is unbelievable.

You can see in the picture below that when blocked, or allowed to stretch out the "ribs" of the k2togs line up nicely and the yarn overs create a nice ladder effect. But when the fabric is allowed to collapse on itself its got an effect that reminds me of the surface of choppy water. The pattern is worked on both sides and the yarn overs are stacked on one another which makes the vertical of the yarn overs have very little structure, which is what causes the pattern to collapse on itself. The yarn overs all slant to the right, which gives the look of a bias stitch pattern when the fabric is allowed to relax.

I think that once this is wrapped around my neck it's really going to look great because of the complexity of the fabric structure, the drape, and the stretch. The pattern is available at Rosie's and is free with the purchase of the yarn. I think (I've worked through one ball of the Mori so far) that 4 skeins is going to be just right, which makes it a nice even $100 project. The finished measurements are working out to be about 12" wide by 50" long, but given the nature of the fabric it is much wider when stretched, and I don't know quite how this yarn is going to block out (I think it isn't going to hold a block due to the drape), and that once it is worn it is going to grow in length due to the collapse of the fabric. I'll keep you posted!

Mori

It's here! I know we made you wait a little longer for it, but it's going to be worth the wait. There are top secret boxes in the back labelled "Do Not Open Until Sheep and Wool!" which is making the staff a bit twitchy. In the meantime, I think we can keep ourselves busy with Mori. New from Koigu, it's a 50% merino and 50% Mulberry silk blend at a slightly finer gauge (you were right Wendy) than the KPPM. It's 185 yds per 50 gms instead of the 175 yds per 50 gms. Here is a sampling of the colors

We're going to be winding up a ball, come on in and take it for a test drive!

Rosie's Band Wagon

And the race begins...to complete Rowan Studio 9, Girly 2 by Sarah Hatton. Three of the Rosie's staff members have embarked on the quest of making this super cute, totally adorable cropped sweater. No doubt Kate will be altering this one. Stacy and D.C. worked on the swatches yesterday (yes, we swatch SERIOUSLY) and have casted on, long-tail, of course. We like those elastic hems. Stacy's using the Pure Wool in some really sumptuous colors, I have to say. D.C. is using the Classic Elite Classic One-Fifty and Kate is definitely using something beautiful. If you want to join us we'll be happy to help you get started. If you would like to stay true to form we carry all four colors of the Rowan Calmer that the pattern calls for. We so look forward to our "girly" photo shoot!

New Silk and Wool Koigu?

One of the amazing things we found at TNNA in January was that Koigu was bringing out a new yarn. It's the same KPPPM we love, but 50% merino and 50% silk. Wow! The silk gives the yarn a sheen that is out of sight, the colors are rich and vibrant, it is silky but the spin of the wool that gives it that characteristic "bounce" keeps the silk from getting too drapey. This one's a keeper. We got the call from them that the yarn is on it's way this week and we are on pins and needles awaiting it's arrival.

And, as we all know, Koigu and their mill ends will sadly not be at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival but the silk will be here before May 3rd, so that's some consolation. They also promised to tuck a little (no, a lot) of something in with the silk/wool to make it up to you all. Can't say anything about it yet, but if you're taking the bus you may want to get here early...

An Education

Last week Joan McGowan Michael came and taught a special class for the Rosie's staff on fit. It was and all day workshop where we all made a "block," which is a schematic of one's exact body shape. We used t-shirts instead of muslin, which is more typically used in fashion, because it would mimic the stretch that a hand knit would have. There was lots of pinning and stapling, Stacy even nearly stapled Kate's t-shirt to Kate's torso,

and by the end of the day we all had front/back and sleeve true to life schematics of us! It was really amazing. We learned things like how to add darts, create short rows to compensate for a bust or belly or bum so that the hemlines on sweaters will fall evenly and how to take REALLY good measurements. Jen is now wondering how to continue knitting the three or four sweaters she has on needles knowing what she knows now, to rip or not to rip? I feel similarly.

Friday Joan did a class for customers, which was less intensive, but designed to teach folks how to adjust patterns to their needs. Whether patterns aren't written for your size at all or if your top is a 4 and your bottom a 16, you can knit sweaters that fit if you just take the time to adjust the patterns. I think everyone really got the knowledge and confidence to knit the things they really want to wear. Fear not the short row, it is your friend.

We are also happy to discover that Joan wholesales her White Lies Designs patterns, which are not available as PDFs online. Her philosophy is that a knitting pattern should be a real tangible thing, on nice firm paper with a great photograph. A good pattern is worth the wait, and I have to agree. The attention to detail in her patterns is really lovely. Stop in and take a look at them and get a little help from our staff creating your own perfect fit!

Ohh...yummy!

We got just the thing to cheer us up when we arrived to work this morning sopping wet. Seriously, my clogs FILLED with water while I ran from the coffee shop to Rosie's. Ew! This great new yarn filled a void in our lace weight inventory. It was my TNNA homework from Lisa. My task? Find a yarn suitable for lace shawls that isn't as thin as, say Misti Alpaca Lace (875 yards to 100 gms) and not as heavy as something like Koigu (350 yds to 100 gms). And this is what I found. Hand Jive Nature's Palette Lace Weight Silk and Wool. The same natural dyes we came to love in Nature's Palette but in a lighter weight (655 yds to 100 gms) and with 30% silk. The colors are lovely, bright and scream spring. The natural dyes are rich and subtly shaded, although I wouldn't say it's a variegated yarn.





We also got some nice patterns which you could use for the Nature's Palette Fingering including these Cafe du Monde Glovesand this Spanish Lace Shawl would be great in either the Fingering or the Lace Weight. The pattern on this is very similar to Parthenope so I couldn't resist getting it.

Just in from UPS

New yarn arrived on Friday from Lorna's Laces, it's the new Green Line DK.  An organic yarn that is also naturally dyed, for now.  

Natural dyes are a great thing.  They are just that, natural, not chemical.  I have to applaud Lorna's Laces for doing the right thing, though.  They are discovering that the resources they are using to dye the yarn naturally is more detrimental to the earth than just using traditional dyes.  They are having to use a mordant, which all natural dyes need to make the dye colorfast.  A mordant can be different things and changes the color outcome of your dye.  Iron, urea, chromium and copper are an example of a few.  Some mordants have the problem of being toxic in and of themselves.  Because they were using a mordant there was an extra step in the dye process which used twice as much water as their traditional method of dyeing.  And the natural dyes required extra rinses to remove all the dye, using more water still.   So, this batch of the Green Line DK we have is naturally dyed, but in the future it won't be.  The wool is still organic, that won't change.  And isn't it technically MORE green without the natural dyes?  I applaud Lorna's Laces for being honest about their use of resources and deciding that they were really going to go green, and not just a facade of being green.  It would be great if more companies, across the consumer board, would do this.  Selling green and buying green isn't always greener.  

On another green note, Wendy finished knitting her Tangled Yoke Cardigan in Felted Tweed (color 154 Pickle) on Saturday.  We had a great time picking buttons and fudging the pick up count on the button bands.  

Looks great!

New Yarn From the Fibre Company, Canopy

Canopy Sport is new this season from The Fibre Company.  50% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool and 20% bamboo. 

Don't let the name fool you, this isn't a true sport weight yarn, it's knitting at about 7-9 sts/1" as is evident in Jen's traveling stitch sock, detail below.  Try it out for your own socks, bamboo will give it strength while the alpaca gives it warmth and buttery softness.  Bear in mind these won't be every day wear kind of socks, the alpaca is to tender for that.  But on a chilly night or while cuddling up with your favorite reality tv show, these will really do the trick.  

And at 200 yds per 50 gms it is a totally reasonable yarn for a lace shawl.  Spring is HERE and it's almost time for my favorite fashion moment, the tank top and lace shawl.  Once blocked I think this yarn will have a lovely halo which will give it some added warmth, without getting heavy.  The bamboo gives it a deep sheen that gives the color a subtle varigation that increases the color's depth.  It's hard to convey online but if you've seen how the Road to China sometimes takes dye then you know what I mean.  

BJWMSE

So we've got the pattern of the month up and running, and soon all of our Rosie Knits patterns will be available to download from our website! There's nothing like immediate pattern gratification. And although The Baby Jacket With Moss Stitch Edges will still be The Baby Jacket With Moss Stitch Edges, we'll be abbreviating it wherever necessary with Emily's suggestion of BJWMSE. So much more consise, and Kate will always be able to find the file on the computer in the office. Thanks for playing the name game with me!

Check it out!

Shibori Knitted Felt

Shibori is a resist dye technique from Asia. It is usually indigo dyed fabric and the resist (like tie-dye) is created by first folding or pleating (for more geometric designs), stitching items into the fabric (like little seeds for a dotted effect) or scrunching or wrapping the fabric before submerging the fabric into your dyebath. It creates beautiful designs that are one of a kind and naturally elegant.

So when Shibori Knitted Felt by Alison Crowther-Smith arrived on the UPS truck the other day I was suprised and curious. It's not Shibori like above, which is indigo dyed, but the knitted fabric is manipulated to create textural pattern, instead of dyed pattern. There are some really lovely artistic pieces in this book like

this beaded and felted scarf. Felting with yarns that shrink and yarns that don't in the same piece is a technique that she is using, almost like a knitted seersucker. Also, tying beads into the fabric before felting creates new textures. There is an example from a knitter in New Zealand here, to give you the idea. If you are a knitter who loves to felt, or who is looking for some new techniques to add to your repetoire this is the book for you. It's got great patterns and ideas for taking your felting to a whole new place! Check out a preview of the book below and then stop into Rosie's to take a closer look.

http://www.interweave.com/knit/books/Shibori_Knitted_Felt/preview.asp

Whip Your Knits Into Shape!

On April 11th Joan Michael McGowan, author of Knitting Lingerie Style and owner of White Lies Designs, will be teaching at Rosie's.  Check out the details here.  Joan is a maven of shaping and we couldn't be hosting her at a better time. Here's why:

Remember the scarf craze? I do. I remember talks with Lisa over coffee in the morning before the shop opened that went something like this (but those of you who know us know that I am leaving a lot out):

"What happens when the scarf craze is over?"

"Well, we'll lose some customers but I bet the ones who stay will become really excellent knitters."

This was around the same time that Wendy and Christina were in a beginner's class and

Lisa predictions have held true. The knitters we have kept as customers are some of the best knitters in the area. Creative and technically proficient and not afraid to take on a challenge. Last summer was definitely the Summer of Lace, and the winter has been focused a lot on colorwork. I've been thinking a lot lately about what comes next and I've figured it out. It's what I always wanted...we've become sweater knitters again.

I remember when I first started working in knitting shops in 1997. Everyone made sweaters. Customers would come in and say, "I need 11 skeins of Galway for this sweater [pointing in big hardcover Starmore book]." And all I did was pull colors and get yarn from the backstock. They were the days of Kristin Nicholas intarsia sweaters and Alice Starmore's cables. It was great. I cast on a lot of sweaters in those days, admittedly many of which are still on needles in tupperware. I should have seen it when we sold our weight in Felted Tweed this fall for the Tangled Yoke Cardigan. I should've known when the books we were ordering stopped being titled things like "Learn to knit! Ohmigod!" or "Super Funky Kooky Knitting" and became "Selbuvotter" and "Knitting Lingerie Style" or "Fitted Knits". These were real knitting books that didn't assume you were an idiot. They had complicated patterns and were confident you could follow the patterns or intuit what was being done and making your own alterations. Wonderful. And now we are going to take you all one step further. Lisa has wanted to do a class with Joan Michael McGowan for YEARS! She got in touch with her 3 or 4 years ago and asked her about coming to Philly to teach a group of knitters who could really keep up with her. Being on the west coast, Joan doesn't make it out our way often so the plans to have her come out kept being put on hold. A couple months ago she got in touch and said she would be out our way on business and would love to come and do a workshop. We were totally psyched. Those of you familiar with Joan's work know she is a shaping genius. She comes from a fashion design background and has devised great methods for applying design room fitting techniques to knitting. This class is going to be great for all of us who have been knitting sweaters and wishing we could modify them for our bodies. She says she is "...dedicated to the concept that large is just as lovely as little, and there are many styles that show off your shape..." no matter if that shape is flat-chested or ample. For instance, I know that I am very short waisted and when I do a pattern with waist shaping I always have to do lots of math to adjust the shaping so that it's actually happening at my waist, and not around my hips. Some of us are constantly adjusting shoulder shaping or wondering if we need to add some short rows at the bottom edge of the back of a sweater for fitting, um...the, ahem, derriere. Maybe patterns you love never seem to be sized for you on either end of the size chart, or one part of you is a medium and another part of you is an extra large. Whatever your body type, you should be able to enjoy knitting yourself sweaters that fit and look great. Joan Michael-McGowan is going to help us do this. Get out your tape measure ladies and gents, we're going to whip our knits into shape!