One of the most frequent question I hear around the shop is "what are you working on this week?" With that in mind, here is a running commentary of what is on our needles. I say "ours" because it might be a project I'm working on, or one that an instructor is working up for a class, or something I see during Knit Night that I think deserves the attention! And to go along with that...whatever I highlight will be 20% off that week! So be sure to check out this page each week, or come by the shop to see what is on the needles! I also hope that this history of projects can serve as inspiration when you're looking for a new project!

Baskets of Yarn

yarn | patterns | tools | instruction

Yes, I feel that I am channeling my inner Cher with this one. I am not sure why Cher is who I think of when I look at this, but I am in love with the tassels and with the beads!

As I was getting ready to start on the newsletter Linda brought the completed project in and she is allowing us to display it in the shop for a while before she gives it to Payton this spring…so for at least the next week or two look for Linda's beautiful version when you stop by.

Here I have the first strip made and the second strip started. There are only 3 strip patterns but you make two of them twice, giving you 5 total strips that are then joined together for this awesome look. The pattern repeats are easy, once you have done them one or two times, so you can carry your one ball and one strip around with you everywhere!

The entire scarf takes only 4 skeins of Universal Eden Silk. We have the Oatmeal and Steel colors in stock, but also some fabulous other colors for you to branch out with! Best of all, the CAL is FREE! You will need the pattern book "Warm Earth Book 2" and 4 skeins of Universal Eden Silk (2 each of 2 colors). We will meet 3 Saturdays for those who need it, and I will go over each strip pattern for anyone needing help. This is going to be a really fast and fun project! We will meet from 2 – 3 p.m. on March 2, March 9 and March 16. We will plan a "photo shoot" for March 23 so that we are all inspired to finish!

Progress can be posted on Ravelry and we will have a special thread devoted to the CAL. There are only two projects on Ravelry, so we can really blow it out and OWN this pattern on Ravelry. What fun!

The Zen Cowl is all knit and purl stitches, no increases or decreases, and knit in the round. Periodic garter stitch rows interrupt the stockinette pattern and create a nice textural effect. We have posted a link to the pattern on the Baskets of Yarn Ravelry Page and would appreciate anyone who would like to test out the pattern to give us some feedback.

I used 2 skeins of Manos del Uruguay Maxima for this pattern, but it would look great in a solid or striping yarn too.

Zen Slouchy Hat: Believe it or not, the second in the series is already on the needles! I had just enough Maxima left over that I decided to go with a slouchy hat that would match the Cowl. This one will be a little more complex than the cowl but not too bad. We will put it out for testing when I finish it!

Here are some of the fun results from our Scrumbling session this weekend! I am just sorry the camera's battery was dead and I didn't get pictures of everyone's scrumbles!

Sorry for the cell phone picture!

On the Hook: This week I started on the first pillow for the Unexpected Pillows class. This pattern, found in Robyn Chachula's Unexpected Afghan book, is called Elan Waves. I needed 6 colors and was excited to choose mine from the new Ewe & Ewe Yarn pallet! I have started on my color repeats, so you can see all 6 already!

On the Cricket: Gary got back from Chicago and wanted to know why my Noro scarf was still on the Cricket Loom. So here I tell him "see above two items!" I did take it home and made about 10 inches of progress in an hour and a half, so, I guess he does have a point!

Of course, I am sure that Betsey Macholz will tell you that when I learned to knit I often said I was perfectly happy to make scarves for the rest of my life…

Gary's first woven scarf just off the loom and mine just started!

Schacht "Cricket" Looms are available at Baskets of Yarn by special order! Stop by for a free introduction!

One of the fun things to do at TNNA is the "Sample It!" night. This year there were 99 vendors who were offering new products and designs for us to buy in a single package to try. This is great for us as retailers, because a lot of times, to try something new requires that we actually invest in enough yarn to meet wholesaler minimums, etc. I immediately jumped on the new lace weight Euroflax linen by Louet and started this Tunisian scarf. As you know, Louet Euroflax linen is very stiff while you are knitting with it, but it gets softer with every project wash. If you haven't tried it before, you should give it a shot!

The lace weight linen actually comes in spools, so I am including that in the picture.The pattern for this scarf is from one of the signed books that I got at the show called "Crochet Scarves."

I have already started on mine and here is my beginning of my first triangle:

I am doing my first triangle using the Portuguese method Knit stitch. I plan to do the second triangle using Portuguese but with all Purl stitches! A wrap like this is a great way to practice a knitting method if you need to!

This crocheted entrelac bag is made out of Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street collection Gerbera Print.  I think I am going to make it reversible as well, putting one Gerbera Print on one side and another color on the other side. 

When Heidi Sunday came and did our yarn tasting of Plymouth yarns last month, I pulled it out as an example. I realized that it had become uncooperative because I was using wood needles and a 32" circular cable that was just a wee bit too short, so I grabbed a pair of Addi (regular, not lace) in the correct size and with a 40" cord. WHAT a difference! Kudo's cotton/rayon/silk blend makes it knit like cotton, which we all know can be a little sticky on wooden needles. I had really loved the crochet project I had made with Kudo and just did not realize that I needed to switch to some super slippery needles to make this project a favorite again!

There has been a lot on the "hooks" this week with the rainbow afghan adventure. But I am still diligently working on my Yin Yang (aka Lola) Shawl. It just keeps getting better and better. The yarn is delightful and the stitch definition is to die for. The pattern is a dream and so Zen like. Here is an updated picture:

We are definitely putting this on the teaching rotation as well! LOVE IT!

On the BoY Boy's needles - Do you think we can talk Gary into a weekly project for on the needles? This week he picked up a Mission Falls "Wee Knits" book from the 50% off rack and started on a baby sweater for Ian. I love the colors he picked and they will go perfectly with Ian's colors. He is fearless!

Patty's "Yin Yang Wrap"

I don't usually name my knitting, but this one just named itself. This is actually the Lola Hexagon Wrap out of Grignasco Yarn from "Knitting an Italian Day". The yarn is a pleasure to work with and the pattern will quickly put you in a Zen Knitting state. I am knitting English style on the right side and Portuguese style on the wrong side. This is a GREAT learning tool for beginners who are ready to move on to "intentionally" making a hole in your work, so, let us know if you're interested, and we will put this on the calendar as a class once I get through the next lace section.

Angie's Honey Cowl

I asked the GAL's to work on a project while they were here at the store. This beautiful creation is Angie's Honey Cowl out of one of the beautiful colors of Berroco Boboli. The pattern is a free download on Ravelry.

Nancy's "Do It Diagonal" Scarf

Nancy is working on this great scarf out of Noro Kogarashi. This is one of the few tweed yarns that Noro makes and it works up beautifully in this pattern. Kogarashi is rated as a Bulky yarn and is 51% silk and 49% wool. This pattern is also a free Ravelry download.

Not one but two Knit Swirl! jackets were blocking at the store this week! Nancy finished hers using the fabulous Mountain Colors yarns selected specifically for this project and Joy Upchurch's was made with Malabrigo Rios in Purpuras. So beautiful on the blocking boards, I can't wait to see them on the knitters!

Nancy's Knit Swirl!


Joy's Knit Swirl! in Malabrigo Rios

Patty's 2012 Sampler Scarf - I was not only trying out the cool woven pattern featured in two of the patterns in the Rowan 51 book, I was also testing out the difference between what the pattern looked like in a solid color, coordinating stripe colors and in highly contrasting colors.  The theory is that the first two should make you see the pattern of the stitch and the last one (with the pink) should be more about the color and you would be distracted too much by the color to really see the pattern.  What do you think?

On the needles this week we have a "what not to do" lesson.  When wearing your partly finished project, and knitting on it in the store, do NOT wear it (with needles swinging loose) into Gary's Jeep when you go out for lunch.  This is what it looks like when you close the door on your Addi needles.  By the way, the project is the Mountaintop Patchwork Scarf out of Purelife Revive, one of our current KAL's.

Don't let this happen to you!

Here's an update on two past projects:  The Vogue Knitted Hat is done!  I finished it on Christmas Day while enjoying the peace and quiet at Mom's house after all the brothers, in-laws, nieces and nephews left.  What an excellent present for myself!  I am totally amazed that I created this! We have several copies remaining of the issue containing the pattern plus lots of color choices!

I made significant progress on the Mountaintop Patchwork Scarf for the KAL as well.  I did most of the seed stitch border among the craziness and activity times over the holidays and then the ruffle while enjoying a warm fire and good company with Lynne and Nevan Little at their mountain retreat. If anyone is having issues, let me know on Ravelry and we will address them or have a mini-class!

Here are two hats that Mom and I whipped up this week for Ian's (grand-godson) baby pictures. Since our first attempt was WAY too big, we decided Daddy needed a hat to match Ian's and converted it into a hat for Peter!

I spent 3 days this week in continuing education classes for my CPA license and it was the perfect opportunity to work on the cowl portion of my Elizabeth sweater, made out of Liberty Wool. I was able to work using the Portuguese method for most of the 8 hours each day. Now I am not going to tell you that I wasn't a little sore at the end of the day, especially my shoulders, but the hands were able to hold out! Here is a picture of the progress so far and the perfect opportunity for you to try out one of my favorite yarns! 20% off all solid or striping Liberty Wool yarn this week!

I put a new Entrelac scarf on the needles during the show. I must say, as easy as it is to do Entrelac, it is not something you should attempt while talking to people. Glenda kept saying "Isn't that where you were yesterday?" It is one of their new colors, so I really want to get it done. Here is how much was accomplished at the show, pretty sad considering I started it on the first day!

Editor's Note - I couldn't find Patty's scarf. It's not where she told me she left it.
Patty's out of town the week and I'm late getting the newsletter out anyway, so
below is a picture of a entrelac scarf Nancy completed this year - Gary.

It would almost be easier to tell you what HASN'T been on the needles this week than to tell you what has! At the Southern Christmas Show the huge seller has to go to Universal Yarn's Marina, Marina Glitz, Tundra and Tundra Glitz. We had these on the needles constantly and were amazing knitters and non-knitters alike with how easy it is to knit these fun scarves.

Nancy teaching a SCS Exhibitor how to knit with Marina!

Many thanks to the folks at Universal Yarn for not once, but twice, expediting orders so Gary could drive up and pick them up to re-stock the show.

We also had LOTS of interest and comments on the Entrelac method, Lang's Milli Colori Big and Chunky Marble yarn. Are you surprised?

We have a little extra of all of these left and will put them on sale for the week we re-open (November 29^th)

I couldn't resist giving you an updated picture of the inside AND the outside of last week's on the needles project. I am only 5 rows from the decrease part of the hat, so it will be done soon! Many thanks to ANDREA WONG for introducing me to Portuguese knitting, which really makes the colorwork easier and faster! Gary and I both have just been watching in amazement as this hat develops.

Friday night I cast on to make the Fair Isle Hat from a pattern by Mary Ann Stephens in the Vogue Knitting Fall 2011 issue. I finally decided that I had enough practice using the Portuguese method of knitting to attempt this hat. I AM IN NIRVANA. The Portuguese method makes it SO easy. You just strand one color on each shoulder, tension the yarn as usual and GO! The yarn naturally stays where it is supposed to be, no worrying about over/under, wrapping correctly or anything! Also, because it is so much easier to purl with this method, you actually work the hat inside out, purling every row rather than knitting every row. This solves the ever present tension issue in stranded knitting.

This pattern uses two balls of Cascade 220 Sport (one of each color), making the cost of this hat at full retail, less than $8! This week all Cascade 220 yarns and the remaining Vogue Knitting Fall 2011 magazines will be on sale for 20% off.

On Our Needles this week is a wee little block of yarn. This is the beginning of my idea for a holiday ornament for the shop/show. I am using Marathon Socks "North Pole" yarn, and I just love the sparkly blue!

I started this on the way to SAFF on Sunday morning. We were in the Jeep and I was testing out a new needle from HiyaHiya, their "Sharp" line. They aren't lying about the sharp part (think stabbing yourself with tapestry needles) and bumpy road knitting with sock yarn and size 1's don't really mix, but I made myself get this much done so we could share it with you! I am trying to make an Origami Box out of this. I'm thinking I will wrap it around cardboard to look like a present and then use all sorts of odds and ends from the novelty yarn box to decorate it!

A new record for smallest "on the needles"!

This week take 20% off Marathon Sock Yarn, OR anything you can convince me you are using to make your ornaments for our contest! ALSO, since I am busting out a ball of the blue and I know I won't even use 10% of it, I will designate one of each color that we have for "sale by the yard". If you need just a little to make one or two ornaments, we can measure it out for you and just sell you that much!

We have so much sale stuff going on during the crawl, that putting one yarn 20% off is redundant this week, so no sale yarn, but I did want to show you some great pictures of samples we are working on.

First up - Cascade Magnum! This is almost like knitting with roving, but BIG yarn is in this year on the fashion runways! This is great too because it is such a fast knit! Magnum is 100% pure wool and each skein has 123 yards. It is perfect for all the bulky yarn, one skein project that are so popular right now.

Magnum on size 15's!


Cascade Magnum colors

Next - We are (well, I should say Nancy is) knitting strips from each color of Poems that we have in the store. The colors are so great! Here is what we have so far, plus take a look at the beautiful vest that Nancy made and that Patty will get to wear!

Poems Yarn, look at those color changes!


Nancy's Poems Vest!

Plymouth Kudo will be on sale at 20% off this week until we start with all the yarn crawl specials on Friday! So get into the store and clean us out of Kudo! (might be a little hard, I REALLY like Kudo)

On the blocking boards this week is a beautiful shawl that Sarah Bechton finished while knitting in the shop this week.

The pattern, Windsbraut-Sommerwind, is by Monika Eckert and is available as a free download on Ravelry.  Sarah made hers with Rowan RYC Siena, a 100% cotton yarn, that provided the wonderful stitch definition to show off this beautiful pattern.

You will notice that this one has a TON of pins that I used when blocking! This particular flower design was very curly when I got done. I thought you would get a kick out of seeing it with all the pins!

This week's "on the needles" is a vest from the KnitSimple Fall 2011 issue, appropriately named "Mom's Vest" because Nancy is making it.  The pattern calls for Cascade 128 Superwash yarn, which is great because this yummy yarn is SO soft to the touch and we have an amazing array of colors in the shop.  Mom wanted to use her favorite Marble Chunky to make it so you can see a picture of it made in a solid color in the magazine or a multi-color yarn here on Mom's needles.  She is almost finished with it but here is a picture of it "in progress":

Patty has many new ideas from TNNA, here is one of them that she was anxious to start!

“I made this much progress just on Saturday night, after the store closed! This pattern, Summer Flies by Donna Griffin, is available on Ravelry as a free download for personal use. It will end up being a shawl that is great for a light cover-up or worn backwards as a great cowl. If you look closely, you can see the butterflies in the second section.” 

This version is being made with Sirdar Juicy DK (Oh My! How soft!) and should only take 4 balls of this 80% Bamboo, 20% Cotton summer weight yarn.

On the needles this week we have Swatches! Many of you hate to swatch but if you are making a garment that is fitted, this is an essential step. Why spend countless hours making something in the wrong size when 30 minutes up front could have saved you the trouble? Speaking from EXPERIENCE (!) it is definitely worth the effort!  Shown here are my swatches for the Elizabeth Liberty Wool Sweater and the Amelia Hoodie from Interweave Knits Summer 2011. The Elizabeth is already on the schedule and I am testing the Amelia out for a potential class.  The Amelia is made out of Malabrigo Organic Cotton and I have not used that yarn before. You can also see the panels I have already completed for the bottom of the sweater. These panels were what intrigued me about the sweater and each is made with a different textural stitch. They are attached together at the bottom of the sweater and you can add an extra row of panels if you want the sweater to be longer (a real PLUS for this tall girl!).

This week we are featuring an Entrelac scarf made by Nancy in 4 different colors of Boku. As you will notice, it is not actually “on” the needles because it is really hard to catch Nancy with an unfinished project!

Watch the calendar for classes on Entrelac as we have had many requests for this fun and easy to learn technique! Nancy’s scarf was worked from end to end, making it a really quick knit!

On the needles this week is a summer sweater made with Kudo yarn from Plymouth. I have long been a lover of this yarn and we have 7 different colorways in the store for you to choose from. Kudo is a worsted weight yarn with 198 yards in each 100g skein and is made from 55% Cotton, 40% Rayon and 5% Silk. It is a dream to knit with and a nice cool yarn for the summer. We also have this pattern available in the store and it is a great, top down, EASY knit.
 

On our needles this week is a sock that Gary is working on using Indulgence.  This yarn is made for Knitting Fever in Italy with Extrafine Merino Wool with 25% Polyamide added in for elasticity.  It's wonderful for socks, gloves, caps and other items that will benefit from its stretch and beautiful patterns.  We have Indulgence in all 10 of its colorways.

On my needles this week is a filet crochet method using Vizions from Plymouth Yarns.  This wonderful self-striping yarn is new this year and we have all 6 colors.  It is a perfect yarn for spring and summer knitting, made with 68% rayon, 29% linen and 3% nylon.  It is also a dream to work with and I am looking forward to completing this summer scarf. 

Berroco's KnitBits newsletter this week gave me "baby blanket on the brain", so I started playing with the baby sock yarns.  This delicious baby sock yarn is made by Cascade and is called Fixation.  It is mostly cotton but has just a little bit of elastic to help it bounce back.  It even comes in cute little baby size balls for baby socks!  I am making a blanket out of all the colors we have in stock and making blocks of solid and stripes that I will put together.  Here is the first one!

On our needles this week is a version of Betsey's "Ribs and Ruffles Scarf" pattern by Leslie House!  Leslie is making her scarf in a light solid color to highlight the natural beauty of the pattern.  

pic

Betsey's original could be recreated in any chunky self-striping yarn.  Leslie is using Cascade 128 Superwash, which as she expected, shows off the fine pattern details nicely.

It's amazing what you can do in just a little time!  Everyone probably knows that Patty is a CPA and that this time of year she is working 16+ hours per day, mostly at the computer.  Patty's computer has a program that measures her key strokes, mouse clicks and travel, etc. and prompts her to take breaks to help ward off repetitive stress disorders.  During these 8 minute breaks Patty has been working on a new crochet project and she's gotten quite a bit done in just a few days!

This pattern, called “The Motivated Heretic” for unkown reasons, is a Tunisian Entrelac design and Patty is using Noro’s Kureyon yarn.  The pattern comes from a new book we have in the shop, “Get Hooked on Tunisian Crochet!” by Sheryl Thies.  Patty is planning on teaching a class this summer from this book.

On our needles this week is a baby blanket that Glenda Tennis is working on.

Glenda has modified Betsey's "Ribs & Ruffles" pattern and is using Universal Classic Chucky and Classic Chunky LP (Long Print) to produce some great pattern and color effects.  These two yarns together produce a beautiful project that is machine washable and still soft to the touch, perfect for a baby!

On our needles this week is a striped romper that Margaret King is making.  The pattern is available at the store in one of our many Berroco booklets, which along with the Berroco Sox yarn will be 20% off this week!

On the needles (oops, hooks!) this week are a few of the finished mosaics from the Moorish Mosaic Afghan that we rolled out as a class at the retreat!  Mine are the brown and Mom’s is the Pink! 

I have been teasing all the crocheters with this class since October, and now that the retreat is done, we’ll be offering it at the store!  We will roll out the class in May (sorry, still busy with Tax Season!) and here’s the deal for this week/month!

 If you buy your yarn for the class between now and April 15, I’ll give you 10% off the yarn and the discounted class price will be $20.  You must select from the yarn we have in the store, but we have the best selection of afghan “appropriate” yarns ever!  35 different colors of Ella Rae, lots of Berroco Vintage, Cascade 220 Superwash and Plymouth Encore.  You need 5 balls of your main color and 2 ball each of 5 coordinating colors. 

On the needles this week is one of the mosaics for the Moorish Mosaic Afghan.  This fabulous project uses 6 different colors of yarn and two basic crochet patterns.  I am teaching this at the retreat and will offer it again in April as a class and then as a Crochet-a-long.  I know we will all need encouragement as we work through this project so the Crochet-a-long will keep us on track.

I am using Berroco Vintage yarn for this project and we currently have LOTS of colors because we custom ordered for the retreat!  This is already a very cost effective yarn, but if you get it this week, we’ll give you an extra 20% off!  Remember you only have Tuesday and Wednesday to get this special deal!

On the needles, or hooks in this case, this week you can see the completed “Calm Cowl” by Patty (pink of course) and the “in process” project by Juliet Laughlin.  Juliet brought the pattern in, thinking it was a seed stitch.  When we realized it was crochet, I decided to make it and I LOVE it!  I used Plymouth Superwash Merrino and it is very warm.  Juliet is using Nautika, a new yarn in the store that is a Microfiber from Knit One Crochet Too.  It has lots of nice, neutral colors that look great!  The pattern is really fast and I may make one in every color.  You can wear it like a long infinity scarf or doubled as a cowl.  The pattern is a free Ravelry download, search for “Calm Cowl”.

This week on the needles we have a pair of mittens that Glenda is making using Waterlily by Classic Elite and a Jared Flood pattern from the CEY book “Made in Brooklyn”. 

For all the Jared Flood fans out there, this week we will offer this yarn and the book at 20% off!

On Glenda's needles this week is a Fair Isle sample that she worked up with Kollage Fantastic yarn from Kollage's January "Feed Your Creativity" kit for the Fair Isle Hat.  Since we can’t discount the current project from Kollage we will be offering 20% off any of the prior month’s projects that we have in the store!  Come on in and Feed That Creativity!

This week we have on the needles a pair of socks being made by Nancy.  This is the second pair that she has made for Gary since Christmas and I am beginning to get jealous!  This pair is made out of Hacho yarn by Mirasol and it is to die for.  I am giving 20% of the Hacho yarn this week, but we don’t have a lot, and you may have to beat me to it!

I saw this great afghan on “Knit and Crochet Now”, a beautiful stained glass pattern.  It is a great pattern for beginners and simple to make, I started my version just from listening to the program.  I was just thinking about making a scarf, but I might end up making the whole afghan! 

I used Plymouth Encore Worsted.  I love this yarn, especially for afghans.  It has so many colors to choose from and I know exactly how it will behave.  This week, any of the Encore that is in the store will be 20% off!  Look for this as an upcoming class or knit-a-long as well.  It is a great stash-buster and easy carry project.  Garter stitch and single crochet is all you need to know to make this beautiful but easy afghan.

I decided to try out the patterns that were on the label since it included a knit and crochet pattern for a hat and scarf that could be made out of one skein.  So here is the picture!  I did the crochet hat really fast and am working on the knit scarf.

Giant Skeins!  Patty has started on one of the Handpainted Giant Skeins and is making a tunic out of our pattern book.  She has also found several other cardigan and shawl patterns that would work great with a giant skein.  Knit along with her in January on Tuesday nights!  If you sign up for the knit-a-long and buy a giant skein this week, they will be 30% off!  Previously purchased skeins can join the knit a long in January as well.  All giant skeins qualify:  Handpainted, Karabella, Collinette!

December 2010 - What’s on our needles?  Wool socks knitted in Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn!  These socks were made by Nancy Strider, knitter extraordinaire, for the poor cold feet of Patty Frame!  These were a real hit at the store on re-opening day!  This week, all Noro Sock Yarn will be 20% off.  Make someone you love a pair of warm socks for Christmas with this beautiful yarn.  Watch out for what is on our needles next week…it glitters!

October 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...the 28 Row Scarf knit by Glenda using 2 skeins of Kudo! Yes, only 28 rows...knit long-ways of course! This is a fun scarf to make for gift giving. The colors of Kudo are fantastic and the pattern fun to knit! Kudo is a self-striping, cotton blend yarn from Plymouth with great yardage!

October 2010-On the needles this week you will find...the Dog Walking Mittens from Kollage Yarns (knit by Jenny!)  The mittens are the cool "flip top" style so you can have all of your fingers covered and cozy or pop out your fingers to get to you keys! The kit includes the pattern for mittens, hat and a scarf. There is enough yarn in the kit to make either the mittens or the hat and we can order more for you if you would like to make the entire set.

October 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...the Saroyan Wrap! The GALs (Glenda, Angie & Leslie) are all working on this project. Glenda is using Waterlily and Leslie and Angie are using Lima (in the picture above). Lima and Waterlily - both are perfect for this wrap and it only takes about 3 or 4 balls of each yarn to complete the project!

October 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...this awsome side ruffle scarf from Classic Elite!! Angie is making this one using Colora from Lang and it is beautiful!

On my needles this week...Cabled Cravat! This is a great quick knit scarf using Baby Alpaca Grande from Plymouth. It has just enough cables and ribbing to make it interesting and fun, but still simple enough to make in just a few hours! Using bulky yarn and big needles this just may be my 2010 gift scarf - easy to duplicate, great yarn colors, affodable and quick to make!

On my needles this week...the Cassandra Cowl! Glenda is working on this project as a sample for the Feed Your Creativity program from Kollage. The Cassandra Cowl is the September project and kits are arriving this week! Come by the shop to pick up your kit which includes the pattern, yarn and a great project bag!

September 2010 - On my needles this week...Waterlily cabled socks! I have not made soack in a while and when I saw this pattern for cabled socks on #9 needles using the beautiful Waterlily yarn I was inspired! The socks take 3 balls of Waterlily and they are a pretty quick knit since the yarn is worsted weight and you are using bigger needles! The colors of this yarn are amazing. I think this will be my favorite pair of cozy socks for the winter!

August 2010 - On my needles this week...you will find a Hemlock blanket that I am making for Maisie's 3rd birthday! She wanted a green knitted blanket for her bed, so I decided to make most of it green but with a yellow center and a hot pink flower. The pattern is written to use one yarn throughout the blanket so I had to do some intarsia in the round to create a flower that popped! It was a challenge but definitely worth it to acheive the look I was going for! Now if I can just get it finished for her birthday this week!!!

August 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...Hey, Teach! This is a great cardigan that has been all over Ravelry. I will be teaching it at our Fall Fiber Retreat September 24-26, so if you are interested in the class, you can join in on the retreat fun too. The sweater is knit from the bottom up and has a nice leaf lace pattern on the top. I am using Vintage by Berroco which is a washable wool. The colors are great and the yarn feels really good.

August 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...the Cable Ribbed Hat that Leslie has been working on! It is a pattern from Kollage and uses Glisten yarn. It is a great pattern to take you from a simple hat to one with simple 2x2 cables. It takes a little more than one skein to make the hat and with the remaining yarn there is a cowl pattern included as well. This is the first pattern in a year long program from Kollage. Each month we will have a new pattern and featured yarn from Kollage.

August 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...Maisie's 3rd Birthday dress! She requested a purple dress, with no holes(no lace), flowers and ruffles. It has a seed stitch ruffle around the bottom and a seed stitch top with a full stockinette stitch skirt.  I am adding a few of the new Raffia Flower buttons to the dress too for decoration. The pattern is inspired by a baby dress pattern in the Summer Debbie Bliss magazine. It is a simple pattern and it is turning out to be a beautiful little girl dress.

July 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...JUICY patterns in JUICY yarn from THE JUICY BOOK! Both Diane and Leslie are currently working on "Design B" the Women's 3/4 sleeve cardie with lace border. This yarn is beautiful and the patterns knit up very nice too!

July 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...fun summer sun hats for children! These hats are quick and easy to make using a worsted weight cotton yarn and #7 needles. I have made about 5 of them over the past two weeks and I just can't stop making them! Each one is different and cuter than the last one. I have used Chacabuco, Cottontail and Cable Cotton. Mixing up the colors makes cute stripes and ties.

Glenda's Eco Wool     Margaret's Marble Chunky

June 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...the Hemlock being knitted by Glenda (and now Margaret too)! The Baskets of Yarn GALs (Glenda, Angie and Leslie) are starting a summer Knit-A-Long (KAL) using the Hemlock pattern by Jared Flood. It is a free download and you can use a variety of yarns. We are featuring Eco Wool by Cascade, Cuzco, and Marble Chunky as our 20% off yarns this week at the shop. Join us for this fun summer KAL every Thursday evening at the shop. You don't have to come every week, but stop in often to get started, get help and just share your knitting experiences as you make this beautiful pattern.

           Started this week...              Finished blanlets by Glenda & Diane

June 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...a Pinwheel Baby Blanket! This pattern is so much fun and you can be very creaative with the outcome depending on the yarn you choose!  It is a great  project using double pointed needles and then transition to circulars. You will also learn how to make a decorative edging by doing a picot cast-off. It is great out of any yarn! The multicolot one above is Tofutsies, the pink blanket is Comfort Chunky and Tango and the green blanket is Encore.

Raglan Baby Cardigan                         Market Bag
May 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...two different two skein projects featuring Fantasy Naturale by Plymouth! The first is a Baby Cardigan knit raglan style from the top down. This is a cute, easy and fun project - perfect for baby shower gift giving! My girls have been wearing the one I made for Maisie for two years now and it does not wear out. Wash after wash it still looks great! The second project I am working on is the Market Bag/Beach Tote also using two skeins of Fantasy Naturale. This is also a quick knit and it makes a great teacher gift, or hostess gift for the summer if you will be visiting someon at their beach or lake house. Load it up with groceries or water toys and you will be set!

May 2010 - On the needles this week...the Citron Wrap by Glenda! It is gorgeous! Knitted with a doublestrand of Jojoland Harmony. Glenda will be teaching this class at the Summer Camp Retreat! This wrap can be made with any lace weight yarn.

May 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...The Lion-Neck Cardigan
 from Custom Knits! This is a fun and easy top-down, raglan style cardigan on #11 needles with chunky yarn! It knits up so quick!! I am using Kathmandu Chunky and it will take about 6 or 7 balls for the large. The pattern is well written and easy to follow. You can finish this sweater in a week or so! I took it to Florida with us on vacation last week and I just about have it finished!

April 2010 - On the needles this week you will find...The Summer Dress! This dress is a re-make of the Christening dress I made for the girls. For this version I have altered the pattern slightly to use a cotton yarn on #6 needles. I have also made this version short sleeved and a knee length dress - perfect for summertime! The dress is knitted from the bottom of the skirt up and from the raglan top down, then joined together with a three needle bind-off at the waist. I used 5 balls of Reynold's Kids Cottontail to make the 3T version for Maisie. We have lots of great color choices in the shop. You can also substitute the Reynold's Kids Wool if you would like to make a warmer version for winter.

On the needles this week you will find...Angie's project...Bamboo & Pearls Cardigan by Sublime! This is a beautiful drapey open cardigan made with the very soft Bamboo & Pearls yarn. She is making it with the cream color, but the yarn comes in other bright solid colors as well.

April 2010 - On my needles this week you will find...Easter dresses for the girls! I am using a pattern from Louisa Harding's book Bizoo Bizu and knitting with Sirdar's Baby Bamboo yarn. Maisie's dress will be pink and Liza's is blue and they will both have the same Berroco Zen Ribbon accents. The dresses are turning out to be very cute and fast to knit in the round! Thank goodness since Easter is almost here!!! PS - I finished them just in time for Easter Sunday!

March 2010 - On Glenda's needles this week you will find...PINK...from the book Custom Knits! She is knitting it using the Creative Focus Linen by Nashua. This yarn is great! Fantastic color selection, great yardage and a great drape to the yarn! I am working on finishing my Transverse Cardigan this week out of a winter yarn, but most of the people in my class have selected the Creative Focus Linen to make their cardigans. So, it is definitely our favorite yarn at Baskets of Yarn this week!

March 2010 - Spring yarns are coming in and my new favorite is Purelife Revive by Rowan. There is an entire book of fantastic patterns dedicated to this yarn and the colors are so yummy! The yarn is recycled fibers - silk, cotton and viscose - and the colors and texture are beautiful. I am working on Shallot, it is an openwork stitch pattern creating a great summer cardigan.

March 2010 - Well, just barely off my needles is the Cable Ruana I created for the Winter Retreat! It was so fun to knit and is so cozy to wear! Knitted on #11 needles using 12 skeins of Cuzco from Berroco.

March 2010 - The new Interweave Knits Spring 2010 came in and I just had to start the Transverse Cardigan immediately!  It is a side to side knit cardigan and it is really easy and quick to make. My picture shows just one evening of knitting and one ball of yarn completed. This pattern will work for a variety of yarns as it is knit on #8 needles.

February 2010 - Well, my needles are full of my Cable Ruana for the Winter Retreat coming up next week! But, Glenda has shared her ChaCha wrap with us this week. This is a great pattern and yarn "kit" from Claudia Handpainted Yarns. Mixing two beautiful yarns into a feather and fan pattern creates this gorgeous shawl.

Feb 2010 - I love these great little baby cozy blankies! Made with two colors of Cocoon or Poppin. One skein for the base color and part of a second skein for the trim. I have made several in the past few weeks for baby showers - brown and cream, lavender and cream, brown and blue, black and gold, the one pictured above was made by Margaret! Each a little different, but all taking less than three hours to complete and under $20!

Feb 2010 - I am working on the"Audrey Hepburn" sweater from Custom Knits. I love this top down sweater! It is a quick knit and fun to work on. I have changed it a little by using two different yarns, one for the trim and one for the body.

November 16, 2009 - This week I am working on the "Anthropologie Inspired Shrug" from Ravelry! One of our customers came in looking for yarn for this shrug a few weeks ago, so I also was inspired and decided to try it too! I am using Rowan Pure Wool DK doublestranded and it is working up very quick on #11 needles! It is a top down raglan with short sleeves and cropped at the waist (or you could always make it longer too!).  I have not finished it yet, but I believe it will take 4 skeins to complete it.

November 9, 2009 - Popcorn Merino Wrap

October 28, 2009 - Big Wool Neck Cozy

Baskets of Yarn

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