Vermont Knits

We're dry...and open!

Well, that sure was some storm, Irene. Even without the really high winds, we got such a soaking in Montpelier that there was flooding in the downtown, closing portions of some streets. The river crested last night though, and this morning town feels relatively normal. People are strolling the streets in the sunshine, and while there are signs of people pumping water from basements, it seems to be business as usual.

At The Knitting Studio, we've got some water in the basement that is currently getting cleared away by the sub-pump. None of our inventory was at all effected, and we're open as we would be on any Monday in August. It happens to be a lovely day...hope to see you soon!

Another fun evening!

We had another fun evening at The Knitting Studio. Novelty Night drew a neat mix of knitters to the store and we had a terrific time crafting, conversing and eating! There were a couple of people knitting with Flounce, creating great ruffled scarves. Another was working on a sweater that incorporated ribbon yarn and recycled sari silk into a striped pattern for a really cool effect. Lee was knitting a scarf with Trendsetter's Venus in lovely shades of purple.  And I am working on a skinny, simple lace scarf using two yarns held together, one strand of Rowan's Revive and one of Stacey Charles' Crystal. Love it! The tweedy feel of the Revive downplays the sequins and creates a sophisticated, very Vermont fabric. It's fun to play with texture, mixing yarns that on the surface don't seem to have much in common. Knitting like a mad scientist would...

Look for more events like this one later in the Fall. We plan to keep playing with new yarns, new events, and new ideas! We are never short of inspiration...if only there were more hours in the day.

Novelty Night at the Knitting Studio!

Last Friday evening we hosted our first Novelty Night at the store, and we had a super fun time. A great group of women came to check out the funky yarns, eat some delicious treats, and gather for great conversation and crafting. I would show you a photo or two on this blog but...what happens at Novelty Night, stays at...well, not really. It's just that Lee and I joined in the fun, helped folks with purchases and patterns, and ate our fill. We forgot to document the evening, so you'll just have to imagine the beautiful food, envision the cool projects, and picture the smiles. The good news is that on Friday, August 26th from 6-8 p.m. you can come to the next Novelty Night. Then you can play with Flounce, or knit a scarf in practically one sitting with Tahki's Boulder. Yes, you can. And we look forward to seeing you there!

Create something special...knit or crochet a skirt!

I spent many years wearing nothing but pants...well, I'd top them with a shirt/sweater/jacket as needed, but living in Alaska meant dressing for the weather and environment. So I kept my legs fully covered and went about the task of staying warm and dry. Now, I wear skirts on a regular basis. And I especially enjoy wearing skirts that I've knit. The yarns that I've used have included a wide range of fibers. I knit a short skirt in Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool (a wool, silk, nylon blend) in a gorgeous turquoise that I wore to a September wedding with tall boots. I used Elsebeth Lavold's Hempathy (a hemp, cotton, modal blend) to knit a lavender, calf-length skirt for the Montpelier Fashion Show a few years ago. I knit with Rowan's Revive (a recycled cotton, silk, viscose blend) to make a ribbed skirt with a few inches of lace at the bottom that I wear regularly. And recently I finished a skirt knit with Louet's Euroflax Linen (100% linen). What a treat! It's a dark brown, slim skirt with a lace border. I'm wearing it right now. I can't seem to wear anything else these days.

I typically start knitting at the waist and work my way down. I use gauge to determine how may stitches to cast on and then knit in stockinette (to create a casing for an elastic band) and to give time for some terrific idea to come to me. I like the feeling of discovery when I find a lace pattern that I would like to use or choose to add some ribbing or a ruffled edge. It's fun! We do have some wonderful skirt patterns from Louet, Berroco, Interweave Knits, Kira K and Classic Elite right now...for those who prefer not to use "trial and error" as their guide. Anyway, we are hosting a Skirt Knit/Crochet Along on Thursdays from 11:30 to 1:30 beginning August 11th. There is no charge for this. Hope you can join us!