Yarntender

UPDATED…………………………………………………………September 25, 2012

I recently heard a knitter say, “The more stressed out I am, the more furiously I knit!” Here are some classes to help you accelerate your knitting skills: KnitWitz classes require advance registration and payment of the class fee, and materials purchased at the shop. For individual attention, class sizes are limited and class fees are nonrefundable. Please register in advance. A surcharge of $5 will be added to class fees for registration on the day of the class, if space permits. Materials fees vary depending on yarn choices.

We have classes by appointment for beginners, and a class schedule for the slightly-more-advanced to advanced. NOTE: For most of our scheduled classes, you need only be fluent with knit and purl – we’ll teach you what you need!

KnitWitz also provides finishing and repair services for an hourly fee. Please call the shop or come by for an estimate.

KNIT-INS! Just come in, no reservation required, no fee… just have fun and be knitting, crocheting, or spinning. The groups are great fun and welcome newcomers. A Knit-In is held every Friday evening, from 5pm-8pm.

CLASSES BY APPOINTMENT & Workshops:

BEGINNING KNITTING: Lessons are available by appointment, with individual instruction, although small groups are welcome. These sessions are 2 hours in length and $35 + Materials per person. Please call the shop to schedule your class!

BEGINNING CROCHET: Learn the basics of crochet in this class, including how to make a chain and build the basic stitches – single, double, and treble crochet – upon it. Use crochet to supplement your knitting skills. This class is designed for the very beginner! This class is 2 hours in length and $35 + Materials per person. By appointment, just call the shop to schedule your class.

SOCK CLINIC:  Learn how to sock your needles, the traditional way with double point needles, the magic loop way, or the two circular needles method. Toe up or top down, one or two at a time. You choose the method you’d like to learn, and choose three of the dates during which to learn it! This flexible, three-part class covers the basics of how to make socks – YOUR WAY. Class Fee: $45 (includes pattern) + Materials. This Saturday class will be held on every 2nd and 4th Saturday, from 10am-12pm (pick any three sessions).

SPINNING WORKSHOPS: Take the mystery out of making yarn – and enhance your knitting or crochet with new skills. Learn the basics of hand spinning on a drop spindle and wheel. Or take your spinning to the next level with advance drawing and plying techniques. Classes for small groups are available, please call. Class fee: $70 per 7 hours of instruction.

• Beginning Class 1 of 2: Saturday, October 6, 1pm-4:30pm
• Beginning Class 2 of 2: Saturday, October 20, 1pm-4:30pm
• SPINNING FOR SOCKS Class 1 of 2: Saturday, November 3, 1pm-4:30pm
• SPINNING FOR SOCKS Class 2 of 2: Saturday, December 1, 1pm-4:30pm

KnitWitz can also arrange for any of our scheduled classes to be yours by appointment. Simply call the shop to arrange a time!

CLASS SCHEDULE:

Saturday, September 29, 2012

• 1pm-4pm – Dragonspine Scarf – This scarf features a reversible cable and is knit in chunky alpaca.  This makes the perfect gift you’ll want to keep!  Class Fee: $40.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

• 9am-noon – April Beaded Scarf – This class comes with everything you need for this eye-catching scarf.  Or is it jewelry?  However you decide to wear it, you’ll love this project.  Class Fee: $55, includes kit for necklace (bring bamboo US3 straight needles).

• 1pm-4:30pm – Beginning Spinning, Class 1 of 2, see class description above.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

• 10am-noon – Sock Clinic
• 9am-11am – Lexington Waves Beaded Necklace, This little necklace is on display in the shop, and makes a wonderful present!  Class Fee: $45.  This class is also offered on December 8.

• 9am-11am – Crocheted Baby Surprise Jacket! – You might be familiar with the very famous knitted baby sweater called the Surprise Jacket, but there is a crocheted version that is super cute as well!  Join us for this class and hook your own.  Class Fee: $45, includes book.

• 1pm-3pm – Crocheted Cap – Front post double crochet might sound daunting, but this cap is anything but!  If you’re a crocheter who wants a VERY COOL HAT, which is comfy stretchy, this is the beanie class for you.  Class Fee: $35.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

• 10am-noon – Great American Afghan Class, Square 16, Class Fee: $20.
• 1pm-4:30pm – Beginning Spinning, Class 2 of 2, see class description above.
• Saturday, October 27, 2012

• 10am-noon – Sock Clinic
• 1pm-4pm – Cake Cover

Saturday, November 3, 2012

• 9am-noon – Crocheted Teapot - If you’re a crocheter, you’ve got to make this for the little one in your life!  The entire set is shown in the photo below and is on display in the shop.  Class Fee: $55, includes book.

• 1pm-4:30 – Spinning for Socks Workshop, Class 1 of 2, see description above.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

• 10am-noon – Sock Clinic
• 2pm-4:30pm – Baby Aviatrix – Knit and purl are all you need to create this HAT FOR THE BABY PILOT in your life!  Class Fee: $35.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

• 10am-noon – Great American Afghan Class, Square 13, Class Fee: $20.
• 1pm-3pm – Crocheted Slouchy Hat – Take the well-loved granny square to the next, modern level of cool!  Class Fee: $45, includes book.

• 1pm-4pm – Guinevere Entrelac Infinity Shawl – Much admired in the shop, make your own shawl or scarf!  “Infinitely Guinevere” is an Entrelac scarf in three colors, with a knitted lace edge. Class Fee: $45, includes pattern.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

• SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY – Exclusively for American Express Cardholders.  Stay tuned on the details for this AMEX buy local deal!
• There are no classes scheduled for this day.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

• 10am-noon – Kathleen Cardigan, Class 1 of 4, This year’s sweater class!  Kathleen is a cozy cardi, with a generous hood and pockets.  Come see the shop model (in progress!).  This no-sew, bottom up pattern calls for worsted weight yarn on a US8 needle.  Class Fee: $90, includes book.  Classes 2-4 will be at the same time, on the first Saturdays of January, February, and March, 2013.
• 1pm-4:30 – Spinning for Socks Workshop, Class 2 of 2, see description above

Saturday, December 8, 2012

• 10am-noon – Sock Clinic
• 2pm-4:30pm – Lexington Waves Beaded Necklace, This little necklace is on display in the shop, and makes a wonderful present!  Class Fee: $45.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

• 10am-noon – Great American Afghan Class, Square 13, Class Fee: $20.
• 12pm-4pm – Ka’ana Shawlette – Come see our scarf version of this crescent-shaped shoulder hugger and make your own.  Ours is in a beautiful alpaca blend!  Fee: $45.
• 1pm-4pm – Louise - Are you tired of knitting blankets for new babies?  Try your hand at this lovely little vest instead – the model is on display in the shop – it takes just one ball of yarn!  Two-part class, this is the first meeting.  Fee: $45.

DON’T SEE YOUR CLASS? – Let us know what YOU are interested in learning next, and we’ll arrange a class or private lesson!

We just got in an assortment of the Misti Alpaca Handpainted Chunky, and the chunky in Misti’s natural dyes as well. They are so pretty! Nobody does alpaca quite like Misti. They make alpaca FUN.

UPDATED…………………………………………………………April 1, 2012

I recently heard a knitter say, “The more stressed out I am, the more furiously I knit!” Here are some classes to help you accelerate your knitting skills: KnitWitz classes require advance registration and payment of the class fee, and materials purchased at the shop. For individual attention, class sizes are limited and class fees are nonrefundable. Please register in advance. A surcharge of $5 will be added to class fees for registration on the day of the class, if space permits. Materials fees vary depending on yarn choices.

We have classes by appointment for beginners, and a class schedule for the slightly-more-advanced to advanced. NOTE: For most of our scheduled classes, you need only be fluent with knit and purl – we’ll teach you what you need!

KnitWitz also provides finishing and repair services for an hourly fee. Please call the shop or come by for an estimate.

EVENTS:

KNIT-INS! Just come in, no reservation required, no fee… just have fun and be knitting, crocheting, or spinning. The groups are great fun and welcome newcomers. A Knit-Ins is held each Wednesday and Friday evening, from 5pm-8pm.

MIDNIGHT KNIT IN: YARN TASTING! Please join us for this yarn introduction evening – get a TASTE for our new yarns and old favorites. Try them out in a small project, and take home the must-haves for your spring and summer knitting! When? April 28. Fee? $20. Time? 5pm-Midnight.

CLASSES BY APPOINTMENT:

BEGINNING KNITTING: Lessons are available by appointment, with individual instruction, although small groups are welcome. These sessions are 2 hours in length and $25 + Materials per person. Please call the shop to schedule your class!

BEGINNING CROCHET: Learn the basics of crochet in this class, including how to make a chain and build the basic stitches – single, double, and treble crochet – upon it. Use crochet to supplement your knitting skills. This class is designed for the very beginner! This class is 2 hours in length and $35 + Materials per person. By appointment, just call the shop to schedule your class.

SPINNING CLINIC: Take the mystery out of making yarn – and enhance your knitting or crochet with new skills. Learn the basics of hand spinning on a drop spindle and wheel. Or take your spinning to the next level with advance drawing and plying techniques. Classes for small groups are available, please call. Class fee: $70 per 8 hours of instruction. Dates & Times: By appointment. Please note there is a scheduled offering of Spinning Clinic in April.

KnitWitz can also arrange for any of our scheduled classes to be yours by appointment. Simply call the shop to arrange a time!

CLASS SCHEDULE:

Sunday, March 18, 2012

• 11am-5pm – DYEING WORKSHOP: Hand-Painted Self-Striping Sock Yarn, $65 + materials

Saturday, March 24, 2012

• 10am-Noon – Sock Clinic
• 9am-11am – Sweet Garter Stitch Baby Cardigan (2 of 2)
• 1pm-4pm – Gossamer Square Shawl (2 of 2)

Sunday, March 25, 2012

• Noon-4pm – Knitting 911
• Noon-4pm – Butterfly Faroese Shawl (1 of 2)

Saturday, March 31, 2012

• 1pm-4pm – Felted Caribbean Bag (2 of 2)

APRIL, 2012

Sunday, April 1, 2012

• Noon-4pm – Beginning Spinning (1 of 2)

Saturday, April 7, 2012

• 9am-Noon – Knitting 911

Saturday, April 14, 2012

• 10am-Noon – Sock Clinic
• 1pm-4pm – Appalachian Gathering Basket (1 of 2)
• 1pm-4pm – Tunisian Crocheted Entrelac Shawl (1 of 2), $45 + materials&book

Sunday, April 15, 2012

• Noon-4pm – Stashbusting 101 – We’ll take a look at various projects for getting that stash out of the closet and into use! Bring your stash, or representatives from it.
• Noon-4pm – Spinning Class (2 of 2)

Saturday, April 21, 2012

• 1pm-4pm – Traveling Woman Shawl (3 of 3)

Sunday, April 22, 2012

• 11am-5pm – DYEING WORKSHOP: Hand-Painted Self-Striping Sock Yarn, $65 + materials

Saturday, April 28, 2012

• 9am-Noon – Tech Square Afghan
• 10am-Noon – Sock Clinic
• 1pm-4pm – Appalachian Gathering Basket (2 of 2)
• 1pm-4pm – Tunisian Crocheted Entrelac Shawl (2 of 2)

Sunday, April 29, 2012

• Noon-4pm – Knitting 911
• Noon-4pm – Butterfly Faroese Shawl (2 of 2)

CLASSES BY DESCRIPTION:

SOCK CLINIC. Learn how to sock your needles, the traditional way with double point needles, the magic loop way, or the two circular needles method. Toe up or top down, one or two at a time. You choose the method you’d like to learn, and choose three of the dates during which to learn it! This flexible, three-part class covers the basics of how to make socks – YOUR WAY. Class Fee: $45 (includes pattern) + Materials. This Saturday class will be held on every 2nd and 4th Saturday, from 10am-12pm (pick any three sessions).

TECH SQUARE! “Build your knitting skills one square at a time!” Are you a beginner? Want to graduate from scarves? Feel like you can’t do anything big? You may want to give this class a try. We’ll be meeting once a month to learn a little at a time – one square at a time. At the end, you’ll have a completed afghan AND a lot more confidence about your knitting skills. Take the whole class, or just the squares you want. Space is limited, please sign up early. Class fee: $20 per month + Materials. The Tech Square Afghan book will be needed order to take these classes. Dates & Times: Every third Saturday of the month, EXCEPT APRIL, 9am-12am. All classes include the crocheted provisional cast-on technique and will be held in the following order: · These classes started in June, but you can join in at any time throughout the rest of the scheduled classes. Arrange through the shop to do the other squares by appointment ($20 per square + Materials). Already covered are: Appliquéd Rose embellishment on a stockinette background, Decreases, Increases, and Pockets.

• April 28th will feature Fair Isle, including creating, knitting, and cutting a steek, the backward loop cast-on, charting, 2-handed stranded knitting in the round, and a double hem with 3-needle join.
• May 19th will feature the Monogram Square, including knit and purl patterning, picking up stitches, and duplicate stitch.

BEGINNING LACE SCARFLET. Join the ranks of the asymmetrical and confound your knitting friends with this 2-part class. An easy lace pattern provides the basis for bias shaping, and a scalloped border adds charm. You are done in a flash, simply knot up a corner and you’re on your way – or use a beautiful button closure for a different style. This is beaded, too! Class fee: $45 (includes pattern and beads) + Materials. Class dates & times: TBD.

SILVER STREAK COWL. Worked in an alpaca/cashmere/silk blended yarn, this 2-session project from the CowlGirls book is lace for intermediate level knitters. Lovely lace covers the head then cascades down the neck. Tuck it into your coat or wrap it around and secure it with a brooch or glittery button for a different look. Class fee: $55 (includes book) + Materials. Class date & time: TBD.

INFINITY SCARF. MANY of you have admired the scarf in the shop – one of Jane’s creations. She’s teaching it in this class! Infinity scarves are BIG this season, and you’ll want one of your own – or as a present for someone special. “Infinitely Guinevere” is an Entrelac scarf in three colors, with a knitted lace edge. Space is limited, so please sign up early! Class fee: $65 + Materials. Dates & Times: TBD.

SCALLOPED FINGERLESS MITTENS. A necessary Florida accessory. These scalloped cuff fingerless mittens feature a unique edging and slipped stitch pattern. Class fee: $25 (includes pattern) + Materials. Date & Time: TBD.

BROOMSTICK LACE SHAWL. Join us in this class to create your own lovely lace shawl. If you’ve never crocheted before, you can still take this class – it does use a knitting needle, too! You will need an H crochet hook for this class. Class Fee: $45, includes pattern and knitting needle necessary for project. Date & Time: Saturday, March 17, 1pm-4pm.

DON’T SEE YOUR CLASS? – Let us know what YOU are interested in learning next, and we’ll arrange a class or private lesson!

Wow, resolutions really don’t work!  I had thought to finish a sweater every month this year.  Not *start* one, but just *finish* one.  Those of you who are familiar with the knitting-only-backs-of-sweaters phenomena can empathize with my goal.  And unless you count the little sweater I made for Trudy the Bear…

Actually, if you counted bear sweaters, I might be one up on the resolution.  Trudy is a mohair bear with a girly bear attitude and a slowly growling wardrobe.  She’s ready for her close up, Mr. D!

Enough with silly scene-stealing bears!  I’ll get back to the sweater making momentarily.  If I can avoid distractions. Which is really tough to do, given that they are all around.  Here’s a fish:

It’s actually a little purse.  It rescued me from the front of a pullover.  I say “rescue” because… stockinette, size 5 needles… 16 inches… you understand. He is knit from our newest yarn: Mini Mochi (MO-chee) from Crystal Palace Yarns, held double.  It’s a super soft sock yarn, but makes a much better fish purse.  This yarn has been so popular for CPY that we can’t get it in again until MAY!  But we’re already on the waiting list.  We’re featuring this yarn in our upcoming shawl class.  There are still spaces available, but it’s getting close to filling up – so if you’d like a shawl that looks like the Lizard Ridge throw, described as “insanely gorgeous” from Knitty Magazine, then give me a call!

Despite the sweater resolution, I caught the felting bug again.  This is the A Little Bird Told Me pattern from the latest issue of Knitty.  I decorated it with my very own sheep farm.  A girl can dream, no?  I did the pattern exactly the way it was written, *except* for the handle.  I knit it after all the other pieces, and cast on 12 stitches, which I worked in 1×1 rib until the yarn was gone.  It makes a nice flat strap.  I sewed the strap on after felting to the base of each side, after threading it through the drawstrings, also at the sides.  The sheep and tractor buttons are from KnitWitz.

Hey, thanks for making it to the end of this post.  I have great news!  KnitWitz is now on FACEBOOK!  Patrons and guests are invited to join our group (search for KnitWitz in groups) and hear about the latest goings-on, contribute photos of your own knitting.  Get help after hours (because, wow, Facebook is addictive AND 24/7), and share your knitting goals and ways to stay on track with knitting resolutions!

Here’s to the end of 2008, a year of incredible change and transition in so many ways.  Looking back, I didn’t get nearly enough knitting done.  But a lot of projects did get themselves finished somehow and they count for a lot – of community and fun times and learning new things – and moving on to new heights.  Because at the end of the day it isn’t about how many stitches sifted from needle to needle, it’s about what was going on around you while you did it.  I met so many wonderful people this year, and laughed with people not so new but dearer.

A lot of us were really surprised that KnitWitz was picked to host a visit from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee – I remember getting the email and having to pull over!  We were able to meet someone we really admire, and give to a cause that is also admirable.  Thank you to everyone who contributed to the latter, and had fun at the former!  The customers of KnitWitz contributed to total donations of $1,315 going to Doctors Without Borders.  Because of your thoughtfulness and goodwill, this amazing organization will be able to bring more medical care to those without any hope of it and change lives for the better.

Thank you to all the people who helped to celebrate KnitWitz’s 4 years in November by eating cake.

Thanks to all the people who’ve brought back what they made with KnitWitz yarn.  I don’t usually get to see the end result, so I’m always tickled when I do – and you get to ring the bell!  Okay, as incentives go, the bell’s not that big of one.  But come at the right time, and you’ll get cheered as well.  In fact, please put your hands together for these first socks (we had much bell ringing and cheering for them):

What got done on my knitting front in 2008?  I collected some pictures.  Here they are…most all the projects that I actually completed this year, both knit AND crochet!

The ones that took waaaaay too long, but are for all that my favorites…

Thank you for all the baked goods (I ate it all, except for the pumpkin bread – which I received today!), and the cute sheep (sheep do better in flocks and mine sure is growing!), and the supercool mug and the support.  So on this last day of 2008, I wish for your 2009 to be a year filled with optimism and accomplishment.  May it be one stuffed with fortune and helping hands, and the best this world has to offer.  I hope you are surrounded by positive, kind people.  Let the good you do echo out into the world and come back to you tenfold.  On the first day of the new year, be sure to eat all your blackeyed peas, ham and greens, for peace, health and prosperity to touch your life.  And may you knit, and enjoy it, and see what your hands are capable of creating.  Happy New Year!