Cultured Purl

2011-07-15T15:08:00.003-04:00

Temis...

This yarn is WONDERFUL!! Soft, textured, lovely... :) Found this shawl on Ravelry...It's on my list....

2011-05-04T14:41:00.004-04:00

Mama's got a brand new bag...

Jordanna Paige Trunk Show

The Trunk show kick off party is

Saturday May 7th 12-4

Summer of Socks

2011-03-23T12:46:00.003-04:00

Summer Of Socks

Ok, we know it is not yet summer ...but now is the time to sign up for our
Spectacular Summer of Socks.

You will receive:

3 spectacular sock yarns,
3 patterns
Some great gifts
And coupons!!
Featuring beautiful hand dyed yarn from Space Cadet; Lovely sock yarn from Sweet Georgia, and a glitzy sterling silver blend from Kraemer Yarns.

We will have an optional knit-along the second Saturday of June, July, and August 10:30-12:00
Class Fee: $100
A 50% deposit is due by May 28th. The balance will due by June 11.
Space is limited so sign up now

Back to the loom...

2011-03-23T12:37:00.004-04:00

These into this......

Tunisian Crochet

2011-03-23T12:32:00.002-04:00

Tunisian Crochet Workshop
Saturday April 9th 10:30-2:30

Learn the art of Tunisian Crochet with our guest teacher Janette Higgins. Tunisian crochet is sometimes considered a mix of knitting and crocheting. In this class you will be using a large extended hook to make this beautiful wrap. No crochet experience needed.
The workshop fee is $60 and includes the hook and the book. The yarn used for this wrap is about 500 yds of a combination of knit-along yarns to heavy worsted. Feel free to bring some stash yarns. We will also have some yarns that would be appropriate.

Show and Tell...

2011-03-23T11:55:00.005-04:00

Keep you projects coming!! We love to see you finished creations...

The Queen of Hats!!

2011-03-23T10:26:00.002-04:00

Most of you know our friend Rita...She has been VERY busy knitting hats! She has knit over 50 hats since December!!!! All with her stash!

What's New

2011-03-09T09:46:00.005-05:00

New colors in the Nashua's cotton linen blend.

Marina! The newest version of the ruffle scarf.

Locally made, BEAUTIFUL knitting bowls

Temis, a cotton, acrylic nylon blend. The thick and thin spin gives great texture.

Perfect for a summer shell or sweater.

Betty's Back!!

2011-02-15T14:40:00.002-05:00

Betty will be teaching a class on this beautiful felted bag on:
March 5, 19 and 26 11:00-12:00

Knit and Crochet Show

2011-02-15T14:26:00.003-05:00

Cultured Purl on the road at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Show...

Thanks Grandma!!!

2011-01-13T11:46:00.002-05:00

Gotta love hand knit knee socks!

getting better....

2011-01-07T16:42:00.001-05:00

More Weaving

2011-01-07T10:53:00.001-05:00

My first attempt at "looming"

2011-01-03T10:47:00.003-05:00

Leo: " Mommy, are you Looming something for me?"

Ok... it is not perfect, edges are crazy, a bit wobbly, but I LOVE WEAVING!!!!! I love mixing all the colors and textures...It is making me look at my stash in a whole new way!

Looms!?!?!?!?!

2011-01-03T10:41:00.003-05:00

I am proud to say we are now distributors of Ashford Looms!!! Stop by and see my Knitters Loom...it's portable!!!!!

Hurry...knit faster

2010-12-08T12:45:00.007-05:00

This is the time of year for quick knits, here are a few we have been working on...

Estimated knit time (EKT) 2hrs

This is an easy one, the yarn does all the work:

US 17 needle

Cast on 10

Knit every row

EKT: 4hrs

A customer came in the other day with a very cute I-cord braided scarf....this is how I made mine:

size 15 DPNS

Cast on 5 stitch with three different balls of yarn (15 st total)

Knit your i-cords until desired length...

braid the three i-cords..tie each end...done

Hat EKT: 2hrs

Cowl EKT: 4hrs

The pattern for the hat can be found here, and the cowl here.

New sock kits!

2010-12-08T12:42:00.001-05:00

Not only are these socks cute, your purchase will support Ovarian Cancer Research!!

Christmas is coming....

2010-12-03T15:40:00.003-05:00

I have finished Leo's stocking....now I have to whip up Stuies!!...got to go knit ;)

Buttons!!!

2010-11-10T14:42:00.001-05:00

We are lucky to have a Dimension Art Button truck show here at the Cultured Purl!! It is here until Monday so stop by and see these one of a kind works of art!!!

2010-10-19T16:36:00.001-04:00

Upcoming Classes at the Cultured Purl

Mitten Madness October 30 and November 6 1:00-3:00

Toe up Socks October 31, and November 7 12:00-1:30

Yoga for Knitters November 6 10:00- 11:30

2 Socks-2 Circs November 14, 21 and December 5 12-1:30

Ornaments November 13 1:00- 3:00

Fall Sweater Knit-along Starts October 23 10:00-12:00

2010-10-08T12:49:00.002-04:00

3

Ok...I am down to these three sweaters for my knit-along project! What do you think? What are you thinking about knitting

Want to knit this....

2010-09-29T17:54:00.003-04:00

or this????

Which one should I knit in the fall sweater knit-along? What would you knit?

Our newest employee :)

2010-09-28T10:33:00.002-04:00

Check this out from The Erie Reader.....

Dino....

2010-09-20T10:34:00.003-04:00

This is Leo's Dino hat...a work in progress. He has big ideas for his hat... First I was going to make a hat to match his brothers hat....

Leo: "no mommy, that is just not colorful enough for me."
Ok...so I made him a colorful hat out of Cobble Stone yarn (Lovely yarn!!!)...

Leo: "It's just a little boring....I think it needs dinosaur spikes. Lot of dinosaur spikes."
Ok...So now it has spikes...and it will have a tail that has "two pointy triangles on the ends with spikes going all the way down "

This boy needs to start knitting his own designs!!! :)

Noro?

2010-09-20T10:30:00.004-04:00

A scarf made with Noro.....Yes Noro...this beautiful yarn has subtle color changes.

New Hat

2010-09-05T16:56:00.002-04:00

Betty's Bag Class

2010-08-18T13:39:00.002-04:00

Learn how to make these beautiful felted bags in Betty Rossiter 's class

September 22 and October 6.

Call for details.

Betty's bags can be found for at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center gift shop and Glass Growers Gallery

2010-08-13T14:20:00.001-04:00

Happy 6th Birthday Cultured Purl

Check out our birthday sales!!!

Friday 11-9

Saturday 10-4

It's done!!

2010-06-30T14:02:00.001-04:00

My tee-shirt I knit during the knit along is done!! Just in time for summer... I LOVE IT!!

Lot of events!!!

2010-06-30T13:40:00.004-04:00

We were lucky to have to very talented women from New England come and teach some classes last weekend
Rose Ann Hunter taught a wool bead class. Creativity was flowing. Not only did people make great jewelry, here is a cute purse handle.
Leslie Wind brought along her hammer and metal and taught us how to make our own shawl pins. She had lots of her amazing work on display..shawl pins, cable needle necklaces, and other gorgeous jewelry.

Don't worry, if you missed these wonderful women they may be back in the fall. Keep you posted!

Schaefer Yarn Party was a Blast!! All that beautiful hand dyed yarn...who could want for more...

It's Craft Time!!

2010-06-17T13:06:00.004-04:00

Adult Craft Class #1...You will be making your own version of these beautiful glasses...Wine, Margarita, and Martini (not shown)... Tuesday June 22 6:30-8:30

Adult Craft Class # 2: Beaded Serving ware...Bring your own serving ware to decorate!! These make fantastic holiday gifts!! Tuesday June 29th 6:30-8:30

Thanks Grandma.. I love my new sweater!

2010-05-05T11:13:00.000-04:00

Knitting Dangerously

2010-04-21T11:23:00.004-04:00

Call me a rebel, call me a renegade, or just call me lazy (or crazy)...
This is how some of my knitting friends found my knitting and knitting bag...no stitch holders ..lots of ends...and a big tangled mess!!!!

2010-04-06T13:58:00.001-04:00

Cultured Purl’s
Summer Craft Club
Ages 10 and up
Join us for some Craft fun!
Tie-dye
Decoupage
Fabric baskets and more!!
Instructor:
Amy Shamburg is a 6th grade Language Arts teacher at Wilson Middle School. She is the Queen of Crafting!! Her favorite craft is knitting.
When:
Wednesday June 16th, 23rd, 30th, July 7th, 14th, and 21st
9:00a.m.– noon
All 6 classes- $120 OR
Choose 3 classes- $75
Call to register for an exciting start to your summer!!
836-7875
Cultured Purl 3141 west 26th st. Erie, Pa 16506

Kids Knitting class info coming soon!!

New Noro...

2010-03-23T16:11:00.002-04:00

New Noro Lace Wt (yes I said Noro lace wt ;) yarn will be in the shop on Friday!!!! I will post a photo soon.....

Summer time here I come!!!!

2010-03-22T10:40:00.002-04:00

I am going to do a Spring knit along. People can choose what they want to knit...
I am having a hard time deciding... I've narrowed it down to these three. What do you think?

Noni

2010-03-19T11:12:00.005-04:00

While at the knit and crochet show I had the opportunity to meet the designer and owner of the Noni Pattern Company. Nora is not only a very talented designer/knitter, but a lovely person as well. After seeing all of her beautiful bags I came home with lots of loot!! There are tons of handles and patterns to choose from. You can either make the bags felted or not...

I made mine with this yarn (non-felted), Once it is lined I will take a picture....

It's been a looooooong time!!

2010-03-08T12:46:00.003-05:00

Spring is here....New yarns...New patterns...New SALES!!!
We are Spring Cleaning. Come in and see what deals you can find...

Thank you!!!

2009-12-09T14:38:00.003-05:00

Thank you for all your wonderful donations!!!! We received over 50 hats and 30 scarves (not to mention a few mittens). They were very appreciated at the Refuge... thank you for your generosity and your fabulous knitting skills!!

Yarn Dying Class

2009-11-04T13:33:00.002-05:00

Make sure you sign up for this great class soon...
Saturday November 14th 2-4
$30 includes all materials (you will dye 2 skeins of sock yarn, enough to make 2 pair of socks)

Pumpkin Parade

2009-11-04T13:28:00.001-05:00

Thanks for everyone who brought in their pumpkins!!

Sock Club Yarn Dyeing

2009-09-30T14:16:00.002-04:00

This month in sock club we dyed our very own yarn. What a blast!!! Stay tuned for pictures of the beautiful yarn all knit up.

We had so much fun with Hillary (yarn dyer extraordinaire!!) We hope to have her back for a yarn dying class!! We will also be selling some of her beautiful hand dyed sock yarn.

What are you knitting?

2009-09-30T14:12:00.003-04:00

Chris Jones designed and knitted this cute little number!! What are you knitting? We would love to share your projects. Bring them in. :)

Pumpkin Crazy!!

2009-09-23T14:52:00.003-04:00

The Great Knitted Pumpkin Raffle

WHAT: Win a fabulous fall basket filled with knitting and non knitting goodies
HOW: Knit a pumpkin. Bring in your knitted pumpkin for a photo and receive a raffle ticket.
The winning ticket will be drawn Saturday October 31st

Don’t have a pumpkin? Buy a ticket $2.00 for each or 3 for $5.00 (all ticket money will go towards Relay for Life)

Shine a Light

2009-09-11T17:12:00.001-04:00

We have been nominated for the Shine a Light program!!!! Read our nomination here!!
Please nominate us!!!!!

Happy Bithday Sue!!

2009-09-08T11:07:00.003-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUE!!

The 34th anniversary of Sue's 30th Birthday Sale!!

;)

Happy Birthday to my mom!!
To celebrate her birth selected items in the store will be 30% off Wednesday -Saturday

Martin's sweater

2009-08-27T11:39:00.007-04:00

I've got a long way to go... No this is not Martin...Martin is cuter ;)

I had to get a head start on my men's sweater knit along because I have decided to do this as a knit along too! (dates to come)

Click here for more photos of this beautiful shawl... (no this is not me either :)

Workshops

2009-08-27T11:04:00.004-04:00

We had great time with Leslie and Rose Ann...

Alison working on her Shawl pin and Leslie holding up Jennifer's beautiful Cashmere Shawl!! (Stay tuned...we will be getting this beautiful lace weight yarn for your special lace project!!)

Ellen's shawl pin!!

Rose Ann's class, The Confetti bag.

Don't worry, if you missed these workshops we hope to have them back soon!!!

Special Guests

2009-08-13T10:18:00.005-04:00

Rose Ann Hunter and Leslie Wind will both be doing afternoon workshops on Saturday August 22nd. You may remember them from the Knit and Crochet festival in Pittsburg. Leslie will also be bringing her lovely shawl pins, cable needle necklace (as seen in Vogue Knitting), and beautiful handmade darning needles.

Rose Ann specializes in Heirloom rugs and she has taken those techniques to make modern day projects like this purse...

Rose Ann is teaching a quick technique class for the Confetti bag. The Class will be 30min to 1 hr long and the cost is $20. Bring US size 7 needles she will supply the fabric.

Leslie will be doing a work shop on how to make a simple shawl pin. It is 30min long and the cost is $20

Space is limited for both of there workshops so call now!!

Relay for Life

2009-07-21T22:24:00.003-04:00

We had a great relay. Thanks to every ones hard work we raised over $14,000.00 for cancer research!!!

2009-05-10T17:39:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

Another Fair Isle Bag

2009-04-13T15:01:00.002-04:00

We wrapped up another Fair Isle Bag class today and here's one of the finished projects!!! Soooo proud of you N------------!!!!! (There, see? You SHALL remain nameless!!!!) Love your knitting! AND the knitter of course :-)

Can't wait to see how everybody else's bags turn out...

Yours in 2-stranded knitting,
Claire

~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~

Sent with my Treo 755p smartphone & Chattermail

SRS SALE!!

2009-04-03T13:55:00.004-04:00

Stuart Reginald Straker

Born March 31st
8lbs 4 oz

21 in

To celebrate the newest member of the Purl family everything in the store will be 25% off now until Friday April 10th.
Sale does not include special orders or lay a way items.

Please join us for birthday cake at Happy Hour tonight (4/3)!

Leo LOVES being a big brother!

Meet the newest member of the Cultured Purl Family!!!!

2009-03-31T18:18:00.000-04:00

Meet Stuart Reginald Straker, born about 10 this morning, at 8lbs 4oz. Shirani, looking tired but beautiful, is doing great. And little baby Stuart looks a lot like big brother Leo! Congratulations Shirani, Martin, and Leo.

Lots of love and hugs,
Claire

Knitting at the Cultured ppurl

2009-03-25T18:15:00.001-04:00

I stopped by the shop today and was once again struck by what a warm and friendly place Sue and Shirani have created. Passing an hour with the friends I've made there, convinces me that maybe the best of part of knitting, and the reason the craft has endured such a long and colorful history, isn't its beauty or function, but more the comraderie it has inspired and friendships it has sparked as knitters have circled together round the globe these last centuries...creating garments for those they love while sharing their stories and lives with like-minded women (and the occasional man)!

(ohmygod what a run-on!!!!!!)

thanks, ladies, for a nice afternoon

yours in merino lace,
Claire

~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~

Sent with my Treo 755p smartphone & Chattermail

A New Design

2009-03-16T15:39:00.003-04:00

I've got something new on the needles!!!! This is the gorgeous Skacel Merino Lace and

I'm working on a little evening shrug design. I decided to go with a simple top down garter raglan, with the complexity of the pattern being reserved for the sleeves and the edging detail.

I'm playing around with the idea of a to-the-elbow bell sleeve and maybe a knit-on edging along the cropped lower edge. Still working it out in my head!
The garter doesn't look like much right now...but after blocking I have high hopes for it. And this color is a very interesting grey with a lot of depth - thinking of it for over the top of a little black dress! Shirani has this yarn in lots of really pretty colors, and the skein has such enormous yardage, you'll get something nice out of just one skein :-)

Yours in lace,
Claire

The Fair Isle Hat Class

2009-03-16T13:43:00.000-04:00

I had the best time today with my A+ fair isle knitters!!!! Aren't their hats turning out great! Thanks for being such great students :-)

yours in two-stranded knitting,
Claire

The Sock Thingy...

2009-03-02T13:56:00.007-05:00

Thanks Stacy, for your comment and question about the needle holder for socks. I get that question a lot. It's a little wooden gadget, designed for sock-sized double pointed needles. They're handmade right here in PA especially for Cultured Purl and they come sized for both 5 inch and 6 inch needles. One end pops off and you slip the needles inside, cap the end again so the needles won't fall out and then the work (socks or mittens or whatever other little thing you might have going) hangs out the slit along the side. I actually wrap the sock around the needle holder and it makes a tidy little package that I can tuck in my pocket or purse without having to worry about the stitches slipping off or the needles breaking in half.

I'm glad you like the shawls. I LOVE lace!!!!! It's funny that I haven't met you yet but see your husband all the time! Despite seeing WAY too much of him lately, I do adore my car and wouldn't think of driving anything but a Volvo: sooooooo good in snow. Champion takes very good care of its customers, so for anyone in the market for a car, I highly recommend them.

I haven't had much time for knitting these last few weeks, although I've just started a couple of Fair Isle Hats w/ear flaps classes: and we're having a lot of fun! Instead of getting any personal knitting done, I've been busy paining set pieces for the Walnut Creek Middle School production of Seussical the Musical, which opens this weekend. Here are a couple of the 16 feet x 6 feet book covers I've done which will act as wings on the sides of the stage.

There are 4 in total, so I'm heading back over to school right now to get a few more hours in!

Don't be afraid of tackling socks - next to lace, they're my favorite thing to knit. Laura, the sock teacher at Cultured Purl, is wonderful. Think about signing up for one of her classes and you'll be addicted before you know it!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

Meet Oliver & Ruby

2009-02-21T11:49:00.003-05:00

These teeny tiny Ragamuffin kittens are only 27 days old, but they'll be coming to join our family on May 1st. Since we lost beloved Bailey this past summer, I've been pining for something cuddly...

There's something cozy about kittens and yarn, and it got me thinking in general about pets and knitting. I'm wondering what funny stories readers have about pets getting themselves in the way of knitting projects.

The one that comes to mind for me happened about 8 years ago when Bailey was still a puppy...

Bailey was a major chewer,and it drove my husband and kids crazy,because she'd chew anything within reach which was usually my husband's gloves or one of the kids' toys. I was always sticking up for Bailey, pushing her positives, defending her chewing habit as being the most natural and innocent of puppy traits. Until she got a hold of the RED SWEATER...

I had, years before, found the most gorgeous red silky wool at a store in England...I'd carefully brought it home, tucked safely in my carry-on, lovingly watched over it for a long, long, long time - waiting for the perfect project to knit it into something wonderful. Finally I found just the project: a complex lace, dropped sleeve sweater... The front and back and one sleeve were done and the pieces felt like butter against my skin...The second sleeve was on the needles when the unthinkable happened...I'd left my knitting on top of my open knitting bag after working late into the night. In the morning, I discovered, to my horror, that Bailey had slept on the project and at some point during the wee morning hours it must have caught in her puppy nails, where it had snagged and become a really really fun chew-toy.. The work was shredded...as were the three extra skeins tucked in the bottom of the bag, Bailey had left no skein intact. It was hopeless. And yet...as my vet friend pointed out,she had slept there because my scent was on the sweater and she loved me best....How can you argue with that?

And so, 8 years later, I'm bringing two kitties into the house: Eight paws with nails itching to catch my knitting...but look at those little faces! I'll let you know how it goes...

Yours in yarn,
Claire

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T10:42:00.003-05:00

Sue and Shirani are at the yarn show in Pittsburgh, but Bob is holding the fort down at Cultured Purl so the shop is open today. Thanks Bob!!!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day,
Claire

Polishing the silver

2009-01-25T10:41:00.002-05:00

Today I polished the silver and it got me thinking about how some things seem meant to be. Years ago, I was strolling through a dirty, dark, antique shop somewhere in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, when I spied a filthy, tarnished, cobweb-covered
tea service. Most people wouldn't have, understandably, given it a second glance, but something about it spoke to me and after some good natured back and forth with the shop owner, it left the shop with me and made the long journey back to Pennsylvania. And now we come to the point of the story...I quickly set about polishing (thank God for Goddard's silver paste) and as that lovely silvery sheen emerged from under years of black tarnish, I was shocked to see that a finely engraved "B", previously hidden under the weathered layers of age and time, now graced each piece of the tea set. A "B" for my last name: as if it were meant for me all along...

Sort of the way it seems that I was meant to find the Cultured Purl, and Sue and Shirani, my wonderful friends, and all the customers who I enjoy so much. It makes me smile to think of all the little twists and turns my life has taken through the years for me to have happened into their shop one sunny August day. As if it were always meant to be!

Well the silver is gleaming, and I am heading back to my super chunky neck warmer: a new design I've been playing around with. And, no Amy, I never made it to 12: New Year's Day saw me at 11 and 1/3. Although, technically, the single socks I had done through the year really did push me past the dozen I had set as a goal, but since they weren't pairs I'm not going to count them!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

ps, the thing that got me in the mood to polish silver this morning is the book I'm reading: An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear, her most recent title in the wonderful Maisie Dobbs series - set in 1920s England, Maisie is a psychologist/war veteren (nurse) who solves some very interesting mysteries as Winspear explores the journey of an independent woman trying to make her own way in life in the aftermath of WWI. A good weekend read.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Sent with my Treo 755p smartphone & Chattermail

Baby Surprise!!

2009-01-23T17:46:00.004-05:00

I love this pattern...it is a bit like origami...When you finish knitting the fabric you fold it this way and that way and Viola an adorable baby sweater.

These are Daren McCullough's Baby Surprise Sweaters...TOO CUTE! Hard to believe this was all stash yarn.
The finished one is one ball of sock yarn.
Can't wait to see the pink one finished!
If you would like to bring your stash and join us for the class there is still room...call the shop for info.
Thanks for sharing Daren. :)
~Shirani

Number 11 and counting

2008-12-14T12:51:00.009-05:00

Here's the 11th set of socks this year. They're knit from the top down and done in the wonderful Austermann Step with Aloe. I'm in love with the stripes and the repeat was frequent enough that it wasn't hard to match the striping on second sock

I tried something different with the toe: I modified the Round Toe and ended with the kitchener stitch. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE LOOK OF THIS TOE!!!!!! It has a lovely curve and using the kitchener avoids the funny little elf point one so often gets with the regular Round Toe.

SO...one more sock to go. The stress of getting it done for Christmas was getting to me, what with everything else going on. Then it occurred to me that the year doesn't end till the 31st! SO it doesn't look like there'll be a knitted gift under the tree for my husband this year...

That takes a bit of pressure off. There's still so much holiday work - haven't wrapped a thing, still have to decide on the Chrismas Carols we're singing next week so we can learn them all, there are parcels to mail, fruitcake to make (a pale apricot pistachio this year) and the Christmas cards aren't quite finished - looks like England won't get theirs till the week of New Year's at this point...My parents are visiting and Mum took care of the baking-of-the-cookies-with-the-kids this year. (There was a wee bit of stress when my mother realized that my husband had accidentally poured the Wheat Flour into the All Purpose Flour tin, resulting a cookie dough was unbelievably soft and difficult for the kids to roll out, but Mum was a trooper and made the best of it.)

We did make the annual trek out into the woods of Edinboro to cut down our Christmas tree this morning. On a sad note, it was the first year in recent memory that Bailey wasn't with us, bounding around, getting her leach tangled in the trees, and occasionally knocking one or the other of us into deep snow in her exuberance (she never really did lose her puppy mentality). Her absence was especially noticeable because it seemed like EVERYONE IN ERIE COUNTY was at the tree farm WITH THEIR DOG this year...but I think in general fun was had by all.

Here are the kids modeling their knit hats...I love that they love the things I make them!

And thanks Amy and Linda for your kind comments about Bird in Hand Designs, I'm having a really good time with it.

For now it's back to #12. I'll feel better if it's at least on the needles,

Yours in Trekking,
Claire

I've got news!

2008-12-13T10:46:00.004-05:00

I'm starting a pattern business! Bird in Hand Designs

Printed copies of my patterns will always be available at Cultured Purl (thank you Sue and Shirani!), but once BirdinHandDesigns.com is up and running, you'll also be able to find me online at Ravelry and Etsy. Toward that end, I have started a blog here at BirdinHandDesigns.com so feel free to stop by and let me know what you think. There is a TON of set up involved: I'm hoping to be officially open for business in February. In the meantime I'd love your thoughts and comments.

I just got designer status at Ravelry.com and I have a couple of free patterns that you can download here and here.

Take a peek and let me know what you think!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

Another toe-up sock completed!

2008-12-01T10:39:00.003-05:00

My younger daughter is getting a pair of socks for Christmas, and here they are - my second pair of toe-ups done in the gorgeous but sadly discontinued Trekking 100. For this pair I used the new square needles Shirani and Sue just gone in. They're nicely fast, being metal, and the point is a joy for getting through the tiny wraps at the short row heel, but I have to say my tension is not as even as it is with wood, and I found the shortness of the needles caused a bit of cramping in my hands. But, they are definitely worth a try, if for no other reason than to throw a little novelty into your knitting! They come in sets of 5, which is nice for the toe-up technique, and I believe Shirani has them in 0,1,2,& 3s.

My younger daughter is also a dancer, and although her arch is not quite as high as her sister's, it's high enough to warrant the addition of two 6 stitch gussets at the turn of the heel. (See the detail of the gusset in the photo below.) Also, her point shoes have a wider box to accommodate the width of her toes (making pointe a lot less painful!) so to account for her specific foot shape, I made a much wider toe by beginning the cast-on with 24 stitches.

These small changes to the basic toe-up pattern, made better fitted socks for both girls (although they won't know it till Christmas morning!) For my son's pair, and that's number 11 if you're keeping count, I'm going back to my old friend the top-down sock. I'll let you know how it goes,

yours in yarn,
Claire

Manos del Uruguay

2008-11-12T08:13:00.002-05:00

Check out this new yarn Shirani just got in: Manos Silk Blend - a lusciously soft blend of Silk and Merino Wool. Silky soft beyond belief and the colors! Well, these are the three colorways Cultured Purl has in stock right now and I'm in love with all of them. It's hand dyed by the "hands of Uruguay", a non profit organization with over 400 artisans in cooperatives scattered all over the countryside of Uruguay. Its goal is to bring economic and social opportunities to rural women.

This yarn would make a beautiful hat, pair of mittens, or dare I say it, a shawl...
Stop by the store and take a look!

yours in yarn,
Claire

18 Hours of Musical Theatre...

2008-11-09T12:13:00.004-05:00

(the same 3 hours over and over and over again! only a Mother's love...)

I had planned to get SO MUCH knitting done, but it turns out that trying to sneak in a few rounds on black yarn in a darkened theatre simply does not pay. I ended up dropping stitches and ripping back so frequently I just didn't get anywhere fast on this hat for my brother-in-law. (Sorry it printed sideways!)

Shirani got me hooked on this awesome Brooklyn Tweed pattern, found here and I have to say I adore this project! It's simple and very intuitive, and I am absolutely enthralled with the yarn I'm using: Nimbus and O Wool, both organic, and a joy to knit with. Each skein of O Wool (made in Middlebury Vermont), uses half an acre of organic land. WE NEED MORE YARNS LIKE THIS IN THE WORLD!!!!

I love this fibre so much I'm ready to get started on a second hat (my husband's birthday is a few short days away and I now he'll love the feeling of this wool - it's very soft and not at all itchy.) I'm going to cast on right now, and then do my best to put it aside for today's 3 hour afternoon show!!

yours in organic wool,
Claire

PS, Next year's sock club is almost full. If you'd like to sign up, stop by or call the Cultured Purl.

Jill's Baby Blanket

2008-11-07T08:26:00.000-05:00

This blanket is just gorgeous...in fact I almost hesitated to post this picture because the colors aren't anywhere near as vibrant and beautiful as the real thing. But when Jill stopped by to show us the finished project the only camera I had was the one in my phone.

She did a lovely job! Her color choice was inspired and the garter stitch was spot on! Love the red border Jill!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

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Sent with my Treo 755p smartphone & Chattermail

And then there were two...

2008-10-31T07:15:00.003-04:00

The fit on the first sock was just shy of perfect, so I cast on 4 more stitches at the start to make the toe a bit less pointy. I also began the gusset 6 rows earlier to create some negative ease. And after the short rows were done, I picked up 2 extra stitches at each corner to eliminate a messy looking gap at the top of the heel. This second sock fits like a glove. And Robin, yes I did finish the socks in about 2 days, but ankle socks take a lot less time! The ribbed cuff is my least favorite part of sock construction - all that back and forth with the yarn on size 0s is tough on ones wrist. For the girls, I only do 8 rows of ribbing and it's a breeze.

To keep my momentum going, I cast on immediately for a second pair (my younger daughter picked this lovely Trekking yarn out of my sock stash) and I have to say I'm loving the vibrancy of the colors. Thanks Amy for your kind comments. My younger daughter is also a dancer although her feet are slightly less arched so I'll make some modifications to these toe-ups to better fit her wider but equally beautiful foot. This time I began with a lot more stitches at the cast-on to create a flatter, more subtly rounded toe.

Well it's back to the double points for me...my deadline is looming closer!
yours in yarn,
Claire

Toe-Up Socks and "Nice" Feet

2008-10-27T15:18:00.006-04:00

Archy feet are lovely on Pointe, but a pain in the butt when it comes to getting a good fit in a toe-up sock. The short row heel doesn't seem to be as elastic as the flap construction of a top-down sock which makes slipping the sock over the ankle and heel difficult for those of us with high arches. After trolling around online yesterday, I decided to add a gusset to my daughter's ankle sock.

When the foot was about an inch shorter than where I wanted to begin the heel, I began increasing one stitch at each side of the instep. I alternated the increase round with a plain knit round, and added 6 stitches to each side, taking my total stitch count from 56 to 68 - allowing a little ease at the widest part of my daughter's lovely ballerina feet. Once the heel was complete, I quickly narrowed the ankle area, by decreasing every round 6 times to remove the extra 12 stitches. The decreasing can be done more quickly because the anatomy of the ankle narrows at a faster rate than along the curve of the arch.

I'll have her try the sock on tonight, but it fits me just fine and while my arches aren't as 'nice' as hers, she did inherit hers from me, so I'm optimistic that the fit will be tailored right to her!

On to the other one,
yours in Opal sock yarn,
Claire

The End of the Year is Coming Fast

2008-10-26T12:14:00.002-04:00

I've had to put aside the Silk Garden blanket for a bit so I can get to work completing my goal of 12 pairs of socks this year. For this pair for my daughter, I've decided to cross party lines so-to-speak and give the toe-up a try.

I thought I'd custom fit it to her particular foot shape, so I cast on only 16 stitches to create a pointier toe. After testing several cast-ons, I settled on the Figure 8 method. It nicely mirrors the look of the grafted toe on the top-down sock although the cast-on stitches looked a little loose and sloppy at first. After knitting a few rounds, I used my crochet hook to pull the slack over to the side with the tail so it looks neater. For the second sock, I may try the Eastern Cast-on to see if that gives a neater appearance.

After watching Shirani rip hers out several times because the increases weren't nicely matched, I decided to use the Lifted Increase, my favorite, which is nearly invisible, leaves no hole, and has an almost perfectly symmetrical slant depending on which stitch the increase is worked into.

By the by, here's a photo of the double pointed needle holders that readers asked about. (Hmmm, it posted upside down...)

They are great to use when knitting socks: the needles fit inside the tube and the sock in progress can be wrapped around the outside. Hand made for Cultured Purl by a wonderful Pennsylvania woodworker, they are beautifully constructed out of various woods and come in two sizes to hold either 5 inch or 6 inch needles. They are perfect for protecting your precious wooden double points and keeping your work in progress from slipping off the needles. I have several. Cultured Purl just got a bunch in - they make a great Christmas gift!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

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Sent with my Treo 755p smartphone & Chattermail

A hint on the Rambling Rows Blanket

2008-10-11T08:19:00.007-04:00

I'm continuing to make progress on the afghan. It's mildly annoying to look at all those ends dangling from the back of the blocks (but that's NOTHING compared to how annoying it would be to have to SEAM TOGETHER all those blocks, so I'm not complaining...) so I thought I'd stop for a bit and weave some of those ends in. A mistake.

Those ends are really the simplest way to tell front from back. Really, this blanket is so beautifully designed, the joins blend right in rather "seamlessly"! So, if you do decided to stop by Cultured Purl and pick up this pattern and some Noro Silk Garden, resist the urge to take care of all the tails as you go.

By the By, we had a WONDERFUL time in Stockbridge. Turns out the bar has a late night menu with the MOST DELICIOUS chicken nachos ever, so missing dinner didn't matter much. The weather was beautiful, crispy cool and clear: a perfect New England FAll weekend. The Red Lion Inn is amazing.

The rooms are filled with gorgeous antiques from the collections of the various people who have owned the inn since it was begun as a stagecoach stop between Boston and Albany in (around) 1773.

The porch is quintessential New England: a charming spot to sit in the late afternoon with a cup of tea or a cocktail before dinner. Just inside the doors is a room with a roaring fire and lots of old rocking chairs perfect for doing a little knitting.

Almost upon entering the inn, one seems to relax into the nostalgia of another time and place. Even those of us with type A personalities can stop and smell the flowers!!

Keep this magical place in mind if you're ever looking for a weekend getaway.
Yours in knitting,
Claire

On the Road Again

2008-10-03T18:13:00.000-04:00

We FINALLY headed out...3 hours later than I had hoped, 1 hour past the point of no return for making our dinner reservation, 30 minutes to0 late to eat dinner at the Inn at all because the kitchen closes at 9...what is up with that I ask. Luckily they have a bar...deep in the bowels of the basement of this 216 old bit of historical New England heaven. A bar appropriately named "The Lion's Den" which I'm guessing will at least have some chex mix or peanuts...

(she sighs as she snaps the photo of the highway sign confirming that even considering remotely the possibility of making it for a little nibble of kitchen left overs is beyond ridiculous.)

but here we are, somewhere in New York State, listening to a Billy Collins poetry reading on a CD I burned last night. I drove for awhile because my husband worked most of the night and, as I knew would happen, he was snoring before we hit Harborcreek. For awhile the pager kept going off, followed by the usual phone calls checking in, till we either crossed an invisible line of unspoken acceptability for leaving behind responsibility and entering
vacation mode, or we got out of the pager's range!

Either way here we are in that comfortable, easy silence earned after years of togetherness -the kind you have to experience to really appreciate. Billy Collins is talking about (ironically) the virtues of staying at home, and I am knitting on my husband's sock-he has no clue...

Enjoy the weekend,
Yours in knitting,
Claire

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Sent with my Treo 755p smartphone & Chattermail

Seamless mitered blocks

2008-10-01T22:55:00.000-04:00

Thank you Sarah for your kind words about the blog. We're so glad that people enjoy it! I'm having a wonderful time working on this blanket. The geometry of it is beautiful and I just love knitting with Silk Garden. I have found this Noro yarn to be very soft after washing and I think my son will find the scrunchy garter fabric very snuggly. He's getting a kick out of watching me knit it, and I have to say that his reaction to my progress is really pushing me along. Sometimes it's the complexity of the pattern or the beauty of the stitches that attracts me to a project, but in this case it's knowing I'm giving a part of myself to someone I love who, in his own little 10-year-old way actually appreciates handknits, that makes it very very special.

After knitting the fair isle hat and having your sister love it, you must get a sense of that also. And by the by, fair isle isn't easy...you're already knitting beautiful things!!

Stop by the shop soon. I'd love to see what you're working on!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

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Sent with my Treo 755p smartphone & Chattermail

The Rambling Rose Afghan

2008-09-27T10:35:00.002-04:00

I love this blanket!!!!!!

Noro's Silk Garden is such a lovely yarn to work with. This pattern is all about picking up stitches for the different blocks meaning there's no seaming involved! Also, it's done in garter stitch which yields a beautifully thick fabric - prefectly for a child's cuddly blanket!

I was a bit worried that I'd find the pattern boring, but between keeping track of the decreases, and anticipating what each new geometric shape will look like in the self-striping yarn, I'm finding this project to be extremely interesting and a delight to work on.

Yours in knitting,
Claire

It Was a Day Like Any Other...

2008-09-25T11:36:00.001-04:00

I got the kids off to school, ran a few errands, stopped by Cultured Purl to drop off the new shawl, then somehow CAME HOME WITH 20 SKEINS OF SILK GARDEN and a pattern for a mosaic afghan for my son. OHMYGOD...i did the only thing that seemed sensible-i quickly ran it down to the basement and dumped the whole load of new yarn into one of my big rubber bins, sealed it up tight, then went upstairs and had a cup of coffee. THEN, I found the right needles, read through the new pattern and, realizing happily that I could finally make use of some of my stash, went back down to the basement, grabbed a couple of skeins of the silk garden, and got started on the project :)

yours in yards and yards of yarn,
Claire

I just finished the new shawl...

2008-09-23T15:41:00.002-04:00

It's blocked out on wires and is in the process of drying right now. This is the part that seems to d r a g g g g o n s o o o o oo long...waiting for it to dry to see if it really is as pretty and lacy as I hoped it would be. One never really knows, with a new yarn, how it will work as lace.

This is done in Noro's Silk Garden sock yarn. There's a lot of thick and thin going on, but I think it adds to the organic feeling of this shawl. It reminded me, as I was knitting it, of a butterfly, so I had given some thought to naming it "The Butterfly Shawl". Then I decided that I'm not sure there are any striped butterflies actually in nature, so I was going to call it the "Old Shale Shawl" after the lace pattern. But then today at the shop, Rita commented on how much it looked like a butterfly....so I don't know. What if, for instance, a year from now, I come up with a design that actually resembles a real butterfly pattern? Then I would have wasted the name on a non-existent striped butterfly....

Here, by the way, is my left-it-in-mistake. (If you've taken one of my classes you probably already know that I tend to always leave one mistake in a project as a reminder that no one's perfect and this is a hand knit item after all.) I messed up a couple of yarn overs down the middle seam. However, I don't think it's that obvious!

The shawl should be dry by the morning. If you're looking for a new lace project, stop by the shop and take a peek!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

I'm happiest when...

2008-08-21T16:34:00.003-04:00

I'm happiest (knittingwise at least) when I'm designing lace. Anything out of lace, but especially a shawl. I've just started one in the new Noro Silk Garden sock yarn. I ADORE the colorways!! This is going to be a top down, triangle shawl in the Old Shale pattern. I'm hoping the Noro will make an interesting striped "V". We'll see...

Then, on a sad note....
Our beloved Bailey passed away two weeks ago. Just before we went camping actually, but I couldn't talk about it then. I can't even really now, but I did want to post a picture and give her a moment of rememberance in the World Wide Web. She was a sweet thing...

And then,

to end on with something more positive...

We spent a lovely evening at Beach 6 last night - Presque Isle was beautiful, the water was clear, it was breezy and cool, and the children had a blast playing in the sand after a picnic dinner with their cousins from New York. Hard to believe it's the end of summer and that school starts next week.

I love having the kids home, and it's always a bit too quite come the last week of August. But I have to admit, the promise of cooler weather gets me back in the mood for working in wool!
I know a lot of people tend to be cool weather knitters and while I do knit year-round, I nearly always aim for projects done in cotton, silk, or linen in the summer months. Of course there's always a sock or two going - woolly or not, their too tiny to throw much heat! But with school around the corner, the brisk Autumn days aren't far behind and I'm getting ready to pull out some merino!! Why don't you join me!

Yours in yarn,
Claire

Out of woods...

2008-08-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

Well, we've packed up and left the campground- in the POURing rain no less. (We had one sunny day.)

All in all in was fun. Let's see, what highlights did I miss telling you about. Oh, my husband falling into the river was noteworthy. Completely submerged-hat glasses, New England Patriots swetshirt, wallet...all drenched....we did have access to a laundry at the campground, so he threw the sweatshirt into the dryer. (I don't have the heart to tell him it smells like riverwater in the car now-water from a "dead" river to boot.)

So, I am Not done with the shawl but the end is in sight. I resisted the urge to undo a whole row after someone worked on it. Everyone thinks it best to leave it as is-it's the thought that counts more than the expertise of craft.

I will mention though, if you do use the Noro sock yarn, whether for this prayer shawl, a pair of socks, or any other project, I recommend pullin from the outside of the skein. The inside pull is easy enough to find, however the character of the yarn causes it to knot and tangle too easily. I think I've spent as much time untangling knots as I have knitting the shawl!

Yours in beautiful striped Noro,
Claire
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Sent with my Treo 700p smartphone & Chattermail

wool and moths

2008-08-06T11:11:00.000-04:00

Every knitter's nightmare...finding moths in the stash...one of the reasons camping and knitting really don't mesh too well.

I've always been afraid of moths...something about them getting stuck in my hair. Anyway, so far they've been fluttering around the camper lights and the fire but they've stayed away from my knitting.

In general I love nature. For instance, it's been really pleasant feeding hotdog buns to the family of ducks that swim around the river running by our campsite. I find it interesting that the mother duck hangs back, letting her children have their fill before she takes any.

So I would say definitely feeding the ducks has been one of the highlights this week, except for the part where my daughter's cell phone slipped out of her sweatshirt pocket and fell PLOP into the river. It's now drying out in a bag of rice. (Campers are such a resourceful bunch-a solution for just about every kind of crisis)

I can't really say I was loving nature last night when I discovered some kind of creature rustling around in our bag of snacks. (i don't know what sort of creature it was because I tossed the bag far far far away out into the night.)

But...the ducks make it all quite charming and nice. And the prayer shawl is 2/3rds done. I highly recommend the combination of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino & Noro sock yarn.

Yours in knitting,
Claire

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Sent with my Treo 700p smartphone & Chattermail

A nice slipped edge

2008-08-05T20:57:00.000-04:00

I am making some headway on the prayer shawl. This picture is meant to showcase the slipped selvedge edge I decided to use. It makes a very neat and tidy, flat edge.

All you have to do is slip the first stitch as if to purl WITH THE YARN IN FRONT. By this I mean, before slipping the stitch, pull the yarn toward you so it is in the purl position. After slipping the stitch purlwise, move the yarn BETWEEN THE TWO NEEDLES to the back of the work. Continue knitting normally.

I am about halfway through the shawl. It has not rained today - a 1st since we got here. Something else wonderful happened today - I was able to take a HOT shower. My other showers were cold - as in ICE. Really. The first time, I thought 'how awful can a cold shower be?' I do swim in pools afterall. Well it turned out to be so awful I cried. The second time I was at least prepared for the horror of the icy cold water pelting out of the strange sprayer contraption one finds in a rental camper shower, but it was still pretty awful. So, as you might imagine, my hot shower today felt like heaven.

The monster spider has, we think, decided to relocate because it got tired of dodging the heat of my father's blowtorch. Either that or it drowned under the pails of dirty dish water my mother poured over its bush. (My mother doesn't like plum-sized spiders any more than I do-particularly ones living five feet from her camper.)

Well, there's still a bit of daylight left before the bats come out-so I'm going to do a few more rows.

Yours in knitting,
Claire

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Sent with my Treo 700p smartphone & Chattermail

the morning fire

2008-08-04T10:36:00.001-04:00

happens to be the ONLY part of camping I enjoy. And this might be the only one we have this week as the forecast is for rain showers, rain, rain, rain, and thunderstorms. We are camping about 10 feet from the Dead River. I don't really like to think about why it's called "Dead" - the ducks seem to like it well enough though. I am taking the Flash Flood warnings in stride though. I'm only marginally concerned that I will wake up in the night floating down the river in our rental camper. My husband is not at all concerned so I am taking strength from him at this point.

The prayer shawl is coming along nicely. The mix of baby cashmerino and Noro sock yarn is subtle and soothing and surpringly soft. Okay that alliteration is in reference to last night's campfire conversation about snakes in Maine that like to nest under rental campers. I don't really mind snakes. But the spiders...OHMYGOD...there is a big black spider with a body as big as a plum ( I am not even exagerating a tiny bit here) living in the bush at my parents' sight. My father, the great outdoorsman that he is, keeps trying to blowtorch it to death but it continues to elude him.

But I was talking about that shawl...everyone (all non-knitters) is very interested in the concept and is eager to do a few stitches. The only trouble I am having with it is fighting the urge to undo their work because it's so mindbogglingly tight - I am, as many of you know, the loosest knitter on the planet...

But back to it...
Yours in soggy, rained on wool,
Claire

Into the Woods...

2008-08-01T15:41:00.001-04:00

We are on our way to our annual pilgrimage into the deep woods of Maine...just passed Little Falls NY, its claim to fame being the town with the hotel closest to noisy (beyond belief) train tracks - but that's a whole different story...

Here you see my prayer shawl on my lap. I also packed my new triangle shawl design AND my daughter's sock to finish. Feeling VERY ambitious!!

Yours in yarn,
Claire

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Sent with my Treo 700p smartphone & Chattermail

It's that time again...

2008-07-28T08:32:00.004-04:00

yes, Fall classes are just around the corner, and I need some ideas. My plans include:

the Lace Table Runner,

the Fair Isle Bag

the Peasant Shawl (the one that's done in sock weight yarn)

Another fair isle hat, this time with the option of ear flaps,

Mittens, with the option of adding a pretty edging to the cuff,

the Sock it 2 Me class - a sock with heel and toe variations,

and something else Shirani and I are thinking about:

a series of pillow classes, with different stitch patterns or techniques, take as many classes in the series as you'd like.

design your own intarsia - maybe one of the pillow classes.

If there's a class of mine you'd like me to offer again this fall let me know. Or, if there's something you've been wanting to learn, mention it and I'll try to put a class together. I'd like to have my schedule set by the middle of August. It's looking like Tuesday will the be weekday I can teach evening classes this year, but that's not definite.

Yours in knitting,
Claire

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...

2008-07-21T08:04:00.003-04:00

I've been consumed with kid things, and summer things, and dog things - but that's a story for another day.

Thanks Shirani and Sue for a lovely birthday surprise!!! The ice cream cake was what just what I needed to cool off after our walk around the hot track. And it was great to see so many Cultured Purl friends out supporting the Relay for Life this weekend. Cultured Purl raised more than $9,000, (mostly from the sale of the lovely crystal bracelets), for the fight against cancer.

I am about half way through my summer sock. It's done in Austermann with aloe and it is one of the true striped colorways - red and grey, a very interesting combination. I'll post a photo soon. It's very slow going though because I'm also spending as much free time as I can working on another passion of mine: genealogy.

I've traced lines going back to 1600s France, England, Germany. But I'm a little stuck (strangely enough) on the American part...

dear Elsie Mae, I should have picked your brain more when I had the chance.

Grammie was the first person I remember talking to about knitting: I sat in the rocking chair in her living room as she walked down memory lane and shared with me the story of how her mother had helped her knit a beautiful pale blue dress for a party. It took her FOREVER, but when she was done, she was SO proud, and she thought to herself that she'd never looked more beautiful. She never made much time for knitting once she married, but she always remembered the feeling of wearing the soft blue dress she'd knit herself. Remembering that story, kind of makes me wonder what I'll be telling my grandchildren someday; what will be the thing I loved knitting the most?

Well, this has motivated me to get moving on the red and grey sock...

yours in knitting,
Claire

Progress Update on my sock-a-month-for-a-year goal...

2008-05-30T15:14:00.004-04:00

I started with these in January....

Here's where I experimented with nylon reinforcement thread, which really worked out well given how my son insists on dancing around the house while wearing these.

Then after that, it's kind of a blur, but these came next

There's another pair I sneaked in during the month of March, but I can't find the picture right now.... SO....that brings me to a grand total of 7 and it's only the end of May, so I'm feeling like I'm in good shape for making my goal. How's everybody else doing????

Yours in too much sock yarn (but luckily they always wear out, so can one every really have too much of the stuff?)
Claire

I need to vent...

2008-05-25T20:58:00.003-04:00

I've been RIPPING my house apart today, and it wasn't about Spring Cleaning. It was about not being able to find the Altoids tin box containing about a bajillion pretty glass bead place markers that I've spent years accumulating.... yes, while others in my family spent the day outside frolicking in the sunshine, I was NOT getting a lot of knitting done. NOT as in NONE. I have this sort of sick feeling because I kind of, sort of, maybe remember tossing an old almost empty box of Altoids away a few weeks ago when I was cleaning out a bag - but wouldn't it have occurred to me to check inside???? I'm going to choose to believe that memory is more imagination caused by panic and worry than fact, and that one of these days I WILL come across that box.

What I did manage to find in my hunt was an embarrassing number of project on needles. (I was just saying to Rita at the shop yesterday that I can never find the right needle size when starting a new project.) Well it's pretty much because they're all holding projects I just don't want to work on anymore. For a variety of reasons: can't handle the wool on hot days; can't remember where I am in the pattern and don't want to think about it right now; can't imagine what ever possessed me to want to do the project in the first place...reasons like that.

So for those of you out there feeling bad about those unfinished projects you just can't seem to finish, don't feel bad. I've got more. Waaaaayyyyyyyyyy more. There are the 2 Lucy bags, at least 4 socks (mostly all still in the bloody ribbing part), that cute little Ella Rae bag Rita did in turquoise, the sideways sweater that I just know Shirani is working on right now and I might as well forget ever catching up to her, a triangle lace shawl, a peasant shawl, a tank top in silk, my lizard ridge afghan, George's mitered square blanket that is never-going-to-happen-so-I-should-just-recycle-the-yarn, that really funky cotton noro sleeveless cardigan, a floral intarsia bag I started for a class 2 years ago, a noro ribbed scarf that can justifiably wait till fall. I feel like there's something big I'm overlooking but this will at least give you a sense of just how deep of a hole I'm in.

And having said all that, I did come across a small supply of those little plastic markers which will do in a pinch because I've just cast on for another lace design!!!

Yours in way too much yarn-on-the-needles,
Claire

The Fair Isle bag

2008-05-20T13:17:00.004-04:00

I'm on a roll....

Here's the completed Annie Meadows Bag, done in Debbie Bliss Cathay yarn.

The first series of classes for this bag is just about finished and a new session will be starting July 16th (Wednesday's 11-1) for anyone interested in giving two-stranded knitting a try - no prior experience required, just a knowledge of both knit and purl stitches and a willingness to try something a little outside the box!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

The Chatelaine Table Runner

2008-05-19T09:42:00.003-04:00

It dried overnight...

it never ceases to amaze me - that

something which starts out looking like this

and this,

turns into

something like

this

and

this,

with just the help of some water and a few pins, and of course the patience to leave the thing alone until it's thoroughly dry!

I LOVE LACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yours in crochet cotton yarn,

Claire

It's midnight

2008-05-19T00:11:00.001-04:00

and I've just finished pinning out the lace table runner. I had to tell someone!! It's soaking wet (love that Citris Soak) and it's grown quite a bit. Let's see...went from 16x23 to 19x38. A nice size for my small gateleg table. I'm way tooooo tired for mental math, but as I'd hoped, it's grown in length not width even though it's garter based. Did you know the earliest British lace was always knit? The stockinette (or as the Brits call it "stocking") stitch was an after thought in knitting's evolutionary timeline.

SO, I have the fan BLASTING in the guestroom where the runner is pinned out on the carpet and if the fiber gods are smiling it will be dry by morning!

I'll post pictures tomorrow - or actually later today...

Yours in lacy slumber,
Claire

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Beading for the Relay for Life

2008-05-10T23:21:00.001-04:00

Th Cultured Purl is putting together a team for this summer's Relay for Life and the girls have been busy making bracelets which will help raise funds for the American Cancer Society. Here's a shot of Rita stringing some beads together: they've already made a bunch and the orders just keep coming in. The bracelets are made from colored crystals representing various cancers. If you're interested in walking for the Cultured Purl team, give Sue & Shirani a call.

Yours in knitting,
Claire

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Sent with my Treo 755p smartphone & Chattermail

Something wonderful happened today

2008-04-30T21:32:00.003-04:00

I stopped by Cultured Purl today and bought this yarn (even though I need another project like I need a hole in the head...) but seeing Barb's lovely asymmetric shawl made me realize I couldn't let another second pass without starting one for myself. For any one interested, I'm giving it a go with the new Noro sock yarn...

Anyhow...the really wonderful thing was this - I only stopped by for a second, but Barb was there, and Chris and Susan, Maria, and Rita and of course Shirani, so I sat down for a brief minute borrowed from my insanely busy day (which everyone there knows about but I'm not going to share with you here because it will give you anxiety...) Well my minute turned into an hour, and here's the wonderful part, by the time I left I was TOTALLY, UNBELIEVABLY, 100% stress-free because I felt such a warmth and comraderie in that room. All women I have only recently been lucky enough to get to know through one common link- a love of knitting, and the homey, welcoming atmosphere of our local yarn shop! Thank you Sue and Shirani for created such a cozy space and sense of community in which so many interesting and spirited women have come to feel a part of. And thank you ladies for helping me pause for a breath today!

The rest of my day was just as hectic and busy as I thought it would be, but as I rushed from place to place, I had my new Noro yarn and cherished ebony needles close at hand, and every stitch I could sneak in was a reminder of the lovely afternoon spend in the company of the nicest kind of kindred spirits - my fellow Cultured Purl knitters!

Thanks so much ladies!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~�~

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The Annie Meadows Bag

2008-04-24T14:39:00.002-04:00

Last night's Fair Isle bag class was the most fun I've had in ages. Ann, Amy, Julie and Robin - you're such a nice group to spend an evening with!

Here's a snapshot of my bag for you to use as a reference as you go. See you next week!

Yours in two-stranded knitting,
Claire

Goings On at the Purl...

2008-04-13T15:41:00.006-04:00

First of all, I cannot let another second pass without sharing this photo of Daren and her Peasant Shawl...didn't she do a LOVELY job!!!! I love that this is done in sock yarn. But most of all, I love the easy repetition of the leaves and the way the edging emerges out of nowhere (practically) and makes the shawl into something more than just rows of lace - it becomes something lovely and ethereal: equally pretty over jammies in the morning, a black strappy dress at night, or just a pair of faded jeans and a favorite old t-shirt.

Good job Daren!!!!!!!!

Also,
I got a chance to stop by First Friday last week, and there was

quite

a

lively

crowd...

Chris was hunkered down in the back working on her very pretty toe-up sock design...

I believe she's calling it

"Wysteria"

And that's about it for Cultured Purl photos. I haven't done a lot of knitting lately. The design for the Fair Isle back is coming along slowly. Not the kind of thing that I can work on in a noisy chaos or surrounded by children, or while worrying about

THIS...

Yup. My pathetically pained puppers had her spleen removed. And it probably goes without saying that a 75lb moaning, hot-nosed, furry creature and two-stranded knitting just don't mix.

But she's a bit better now: sans staples and cone and eating like a trooper again. SO it's back to the bag for me.

Yours in knitting,
Claire

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T08:35:00.000-04:00

Kind of a random, catch-all sort of post....

2008-03-18T09:34:00.004-04:00

My sunroom is DONE!!! I've waited until the furniture arrived (or was relocated from other places in the house) to publish this picture. You can't tell from the photo, but the stone floor warms up to heat the room. It's tumbled soft but still retains it's organic, natural imperfections and feels wonderfully cozy to walk on. I love to sit out here in the mornings with my coffee and the paper. Now, if I just had woods and a babbling brook in the backyard, life would be perfect!

I finished my socks in the knick of time and my husband LOVED THEM!! The pointed toe fits the shape of his foot perfectedly and the Fortissima is soft and comfortable to wear.

I am making NO progress on the sweater project I'm working on with Shirani in the lovely Noro Kochoran, but I have been knitting socks LIKE CRAZY! and I am well on my way to meeting my goal of 12 pairs in 12 months. My next yarn review will be what I used for these: (and I promise when I do the review I will remember the exact name of the yarn I used...)My notes are over in my knitting bag by the sofa :)

I stopped by Cultured Purl Saturday and took some pictures of the Sock Club, hard at work on the St Patrick's Day sock. I love the color of the yarn!! Look for pictures later this week...

Well it's our spring break this week. Not exactly Spring outside but at least it's not FREEZING! I'm off to get the children organized for an outing to the movies.

Yours in knitting,
Claire

A Minor Bump in the Road

2008-03-09T12:59:00.000-04:00

That mess of yarn in the picture is the disaster I just had to rip out - hours of work done late last night (it really doesn't pay to knit when tired...)

I picked up the second sock this morning, well passed the gusset and midway down the foot, only to discover I had dropped a stitch off the end of my in-step needle TWENTY EIGHT rows ago...OHMYGOD...

I always keep a crochet hook nearby so I calmly began picking up the stitches. I'd have to say the first 8 rows were easy; the next 10 were tricky but managable; the last 10, however strained the boundaries of reason and sense. I did manage to get that last loop back onto my needle without breaking the yarn-how I don't know- but the result was impossibly tight, hideously ugly, and promised to be too uncomfortable to wear. So.........

Out it all came...plus and extra few rows because my frustration caused me to rip out with such abandon I couldn't quite stop where I had planned to.

Lesson learned- avoid knitting when bleary eyed; stop and admire your work frequently; and accept the fact that, at least with sock yarn, picking up a dropped stitch that's run down more than a dozen rows or so, is probably not going to look good enough to warrant the trouble. Sometimes ripping back is the only choice!

Yours in a mess of tangles,
Claire

I'm halfway there!

2008-03-08T09:14:00.002-05:00

Well, actually MORE than halfway because I had started the ribbing for the second sock on another set of needles. I'm Sooooo glad I did that because now I'm facing only a couple inches of wrist breaking ribbing instead of 8...

I decided to try the Pointed Toe as I think it might be a better fit for my person's long toes. So here it is- a modified pointed toe, adapted from the very wonderful Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. It's worked over slightly more rows than the Basic Sock toe, otherwise known as the classic French toe. Also, it does not call for the Kitchener, so if you don't especially like grafting you might want to have a go at this technique!

Well it's back to ribbing for me.

Yours in knitting,
Claire

The Worst Thing About Socks...

2008-03-06T07:24:00.001-05:00

For me at least, the worst thing about socks isn't that after all the work of knitting one you've still got another one to do. It's the thought of all that bloody ribbing.

I decided on a whim two days ago, to knit someone a pair of socks by next Saturday. Yup, 30,000 stitches in 10 days. I knit EVERYWHERE!!
In PTA meetings, in the car waiting for the kids dance classes to end, sitting in the exam chair at the eye doctors, begging to not have my eyes dialated because I'll lose an hour of knitting time... I even had the sock in the car yesterday morning when I drove the girls to school- prompting my daughter to roll her eyes and wonder aloud what I possibly thought I'd get done on it in the 5 minutes it takes to get there and back. But, it was a snowy, icy mess outside and I knew if I ended up in a ditch I'd be really really calm because I could get another inch out of the way while I waited for a tow truck!

However....the wrist strain is starting to kick in. 11,000 stitches of 2x2 ribbing. The Only Time I Regret Being a THROWER and NOT the time to convert to picking.

I had originally thought to start the ribbing on both socks so when I finished the first I wouldn't be so overwhelmed confronting that other 8 inches of cuff. BUT, my wrist pain makes it so going.

So at this point, I've got about 2 inches of that second cuff and I'm focusing instead on the pleasant ease and monotony of the stockinette foot, enjoying the BEST part of knitting socks- thinking with much love and affection of the person they're intended for!

Wish me speed,
Yours in knitting,
Claire

Ellen's Shawl

2008-03-03T11:48:00.004-05:00

Didn't Ellen do an AMAZING job with the Lace Triangle Shawl!!!!!!!!

This is by far my most advanced design and Ellen's finished project is absolutely gorgeous - pictures just don't do Zephyr justice. You have to feel it to really appreciate its ethereal beauty. Her stitch work is lovely!

Although not the first of my students to finish this shawl, Ellen is the first to stop by the Purl so we could see the finished work!. I'm hoping to see the rest of the class soon!!

Great job Ellen!!!!

Yours in yarn,
Claire