Fall is in the air

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So it is almost October but the weather still feels summery.  The trees are starting to change and it is getting dark so early now.  Now is the time to get started back knitting or crocheting ( for those of you who don’t knit in the summer).  There are great yarns out there just waiting to be made into something great.  Sirdar has a new yarn that comes with a matching pompom.  There is enough yarn in the ball to make a hat and the pattern comes on the back of the ball band.  You don’t have to make it into a hat though – you could make a scarf and put the pompoms on the ends instead of a fringe.

pompomscarf

Chunky yarn is big still so there are some great chunky yarns out that knit up so quickly.  Try the new Berroco yarn Mojo to make a chunky hat or cowl.  Big, and I mean big, chunky yarns have been shown on the fashion runways made up into nice comfy sweaters.  Instead of spending the thousands of dollars for the designer version, knit up your own super chunky sweater.  The nice part is you get to use big needles so it will be done in no time

.chunkyknit sweater

Now is the time to get started on those Christmas knits so you can relax and enjoy the season instead of knitting right up until Christmas eve.  You can still knit Christmas Eve, you can enjoy it and not be stressed whether you will finish in time or whether you run out of yarn before the stores close.

 

 

Travel knitting

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Do you spend more time deciding what knitting project to pack or what clothes to pack when you go away?  For me it is easier to choose what knitting to bring than what else to pack.  I usually take socks for knitting in the car or on the plane and something more complicated for when I feel like knitting and yarn that I have been wanting to make something with.  I usually take more than I could possible need but I don’t want to run out of things to knit.  I like to buy yarn as a souvenir of where I have travelled so end up with more than I left with.  Yarn is squishy and doesn’t weigh that much so it is easy to pack making it a great souvenir. It also means you get to go check out other yarn stores so that makes it an even better reason to make yarn your souvenir of your travels

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Knitting on the Road – Sock Patterns for the Traveling Knitter  by Nancy Bush is a great little book to take along on your travels.  There are 17 sock patterns representing different places around the world.  There is even a Canada sock pattern. Some are lace some have cables and some are colour work  so there is something for all your knitting fancies.

Summer is here!

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Well I think summer has finally arrived.  I spent the weekend gardening and pulling lots of weeds.  Boy when we get good weather (finally!), things sure grow fast.  I have my plants all planted and my veggie garden in so now I just have to keep up on the watering and weeding.  I hope that means I will have more time for knitting.

Berroco has a pattern for a great tee knit in their new Modern Cotton and it only takes 3 or 4 skeins.  There is a little bit of lace detail around the neck and it is knit in the round up to the armholes.  Looks like a great summer knitting project.admit_lrg

June also means it is Knitting in Public day where we get to knit in public and not feel guilty.  I knit in public all the time and don’t feel guilty but some do.  I feel guiltier not doing something when I am sitting waiting somewhere.  Rose’s is hosting a Knitting in Public event on Saturday June 14 from 11:00 to ?. We will be outisde on the patio enjoying the warm weather after a long winter and knitting or crocheting.  Hope you will drop in and join us.

 

Spring and Summer Yarns

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Many people think that summer is not a good time for knitting.  They are missing out on some great yarns and patterns.  Summer yarns include cotton, linen, bamboo and silks.  The cottons are often blended with other fibres to give them some elasticity.

One of the new yarns from Berroco is Folio which is a  blend of alpaca and rayon.  It is so soft and light.  It would make a great shawl for a cool summer evening but would also be great as a winter scarf.

Summer is a great time for knitting small projects like socks, baby items and shawls.  There are so many great sock yarns and socks are the perfect project for travelling as they are so small.  I always like to buy a ball of sock yarn as a souvenir of my travels.  If you don’t want to make a pair of socks with it you can always make a shawl or scarf.  One ball is all you need, but who can choose just one when  they come in so many beautiful colours?  A ball of yarn is much easier to put in your suiutcase than some of the other things you might buy as a souvenir and it is some much more useful.

Summer is a great time to try out some lace patterns.  It doesn’t have to be anything complicated.  There are some simple lace patterns that are so beautiful.  Age of Brass and Steam is available as a free ravelry download at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchief.

ageofbrassandsteam

There are some nice tees and cardigans that can be knit in cotton or cotton blends.  The new Sirdar Cotton DK book has some great summer patterns        sidarcotton.

For those of you are who are organized and thinking ahead, summer is a great time to start knitting presents for Christmas.  Maybe everyone is getting a hat or pair of socks for Christmas, starting early takes the pressure off the lead up to Christmas.  Maybe there is a mitten pattern you have always admired but have been too busy to try.  Now when things are a little more relaxed is good time to give it a try. Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to try and figure out what you are going to buy for everyone at the last minute?

Summer is when I tend to take on bigger projects as I have a bit more  time to work on them.  I often work on an afghan in the summer.  It helps to have a deadline so I actually finish my project.

Whatever you are thinking of knitting, come in check out our new spring and summer yarns. You are sure to find something that will inspire you.

Afternoon Knitting Group

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Starting Tuesday March 11, 2014 we will be hosting a Tuesday afternoon knitting group from 1:00 to 3:00.  Everyone is invited to come and knit or crochet.  There will be tea and coffee available.  Come drop in and meet other knitters and crochets and check out our newly reopened rooms.

Exciting new happenings

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Well here at Rose’s we are starting off 2014 with some exciting new additions to our store.  We are opening the back two rooms of the store up again and wiil have one room that will be our sale room and the back room will be a class room/ meeting room ( with yarn in it of course!).  Having this back room will enable us to have room to host a knitting group.  Starting March 11, 2014 on Tuesday afternoons from 1:00 -3:00 we will have a knitting group where anyone can drop in and knit.  Come in and have a coffee or tea and chat with other knitters. Get inspired by seeing what others are knitting or crocheting.

Speaking of crocheting, we are holding our first crochet classes starting March 12th.  We are pleased to have Charles Voth teaching our crochet classes.  Charles is a freelance technical editor for knitting and crochet publications.  He has done work for magazines including  Interweave Crochet and Vogue Crochet.  The first class is a beginner crochet class.  The second is a project class but is suitable for beginner crocheters.  We will also be holding a sock knitting class and a beginner knitting class.  Check  the class section of the website for more information on dates and times.

There are more exciting things in the works here at Rose’s but I will let you know about them in a future post. Hope to see you soon!