Archives for September 2014

I am always amazed when knitters don't get around to blocking. The second that I bind off the last stitch I am itching to get my latest WIP onto the blocking board. Then I'm as antsy as a kindergartner waiting for recess until I can unpin and see the finished piece in it's full glory. For me that is pure magic. 

(Pictured above, a new design knit with Jill Draper Makes Stuff Mohonk in Moss and Straw Into Gold.)

Visiting Trillium Yarns is like going home for me. It is owned by Beverly, one of my dearest friends, and is close to the town where I lived and raised my kids for 21 years. Even without the personal connection there are the piles and piles of spectacular yarn, books, magazines, and knitting supplies. It's easy to understand why Trillium Yarns is one of my favorite places to hang out. Earlier this month Beverly moved the store into a charming downtown location in an old building in Morristown, New Jersey. I love this new location for several reasons: the new space has rustic brick walls and a beautiful front window, I can easily walk there from the Morristown train station (yay no driving and worrying about the traffic at the Holland Tunnel), the new location is a few doors down from a fabulous cafe where we can grab a tasty lunch, and there is a beautiful garden out back where knitters can gather in nice weather. 

I went to the grand re-opening party on Saturday and snapped a few pics of the new spot. If you are every in the area be sure to stop in and support this wonderful LYS.

As I sit here typing I await the arrival of my good friend, Laura Nelkin. She is coming to NYC this weekend to celebrate the publication of her new book, Knockout Knits. She'll be teaching classes and signing books all weekend. The fun begins tonight at Lion Brand Yarn Studio where she will be signing books beginning at 6:00 pm. Then tomorrow and Sunday she's teaching several classes at LBYS. I happen to have it on very good authority that Laura is an EXCELLENT teacher. So if you're anywhere near NYC, sign up for one of the several classes she's teaching.

But that's not all that Laura has planned for the weekend. On Saturday she's heading out to Morristown, New Jersey to teach a beaded jewelry class from 1-4pm at Trillium Yarns' new location at 4 Cattano Ave. Next, starting at 4pm on Saturday there will be a Grand Reopening Party at Trillium, where you will find Laura signing books, and me drooling over Trillium's fabulous yarns.

Since this is going to be the weekend of Ms Nelkin, I thought I'd cast on one of the patterns in her new book. Fingerless mitts are very popular in my family, we can never have too many pairs, so I decided to cast on Prolix Mitts. This pattern is shown in an elegant shade of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the book, and I really adore them in that color, but I have a basket of yarn sitting around that I dyed at last week, and it's filled with variegated yarns. Since the elongated stitches that Laura features in these mitts really show off variegated yarns beautifully, I decided to dive into my basket and cast on. These mitts will be extra special since the design is Laura's and the yarn was dyed with the help of Ellen Mason in her fabulous dye tent at Fiber College. These are truly friendship mitts.

I should tell you more about the book — which is excellent and as you'd expect is filled with new techniques taught in Laura's easy-going and very effective style — but I've gone on and on already, and I have to tidy up the house so that Laura doesn't know what a slob I really am. However you should  go pour over the designs from the book on Ravelry. Then queue and favorite them to your heart's content, and buy the book!

If you come to one of Laura's book events this weekend, please do say hello! I'll be the one merrily knitting away on a pair of bold green mitts.