December at LYS


There are so many cliche things to say about the holidays & how quickly they come up--how busy we are & how much knitting there is left to do before Christmas--& it turns out, most of those cliches are true. I just can't believe it's December 11th. Where does the time go?
We have been busy at LYS! We have a fun & very active page on Facebook. Check out our link along the sidebar. I've been posting a weekly event reminding folks about our Thursday knitting group. This week was a real highlight for our knitters. We buckled down & completely ignored our personal holiday knitting. For nearly 2 1/2 hours, we pretended we had all the time in the world to complete those pesky socks, hats, sweaters & scarves we've been working on and instead we broke out some BIG needles & some crazy stash yarn. We are working on an...installation...of some...knitted graffiti. Have you seen or heard of knittaplease? http://www.knittaplease.com/ will link you to a blog about this international knitting sensation. We're excited to 'wrap up' our project & get some photographs in for consideration for a book scheduled to come out Fall 2010.
Next week, December 17th, we'll celebrate the holidays with another evening of indifferent knitting! Please join us for a potluck supper between 5 & 8 pm at LYS. Word on the street is that Eric is bringing clam chowder! RSVP to lancasteryarnshop@gmail.com so we can get a handle on how many to expect--we'd love to make you welcome! Bring your knitting!
Kitchen Kettle Village http://www.kitchenkettle.com/ is all decked out for the holidays! December is a great time to visit . Every Friday between Thanksgiving & Christmas the whole village is open until 9:00 PM. Special events including carolling, s'mores making, & complimentary hot chocolate. Dinner with Mrs. Clause at the Kling House rounds out the fun. Saturdays feature regular hours and lots of holiday fun--this week there will be music, hot apple cider samples & cookie baking in the bakery.
There really is still time to get some projects ready in time for the holidays--well, since Hanukkah starts tomorrow, you'd better find some small projects for that! But we've got two weeks til Christmas, so if you need help with ideas, yarn or inspiration, stop in any time. We're happy to help! Holiday hours are posted on the website & January/February classes will be added soon! www.lancasteryarnshop.com
All the best to you and yours this chilly December!
Happy Knitting!
Wendy

Impromptu Yarn Review--Swizzle from The Alpaca Yarn Company


I'm at the shop today. It is raining, cold & generally speaking, a very November-ish day. Since a rainy day often means it is a little quiet around here, I am doing some pretty productive knitting. I've just finished the first of a pair of Fingerless Mitts from an Ann Budd pattern in Weekend Knitting. This is one of my favorite knitting books--the patterns are various, the photos are appealing & the projects are realistic. A nice recipe for a knitting book. The fingerless gloves are a simple, and it turns out, quick project. Garter stitch knit end to end with clever short row shaping, there's not much to them technically, but they make a cozy mitt & my fingers are cold!

Here's the impromptu yarn review: I am knitting these fingerless mitts with a new yarn from the Alpaca Yarn Company called Swizzle. Here are the specs: the put up is in 100 g skeins measuring about 215 yards. It is 100% Superfine Alpaca, spun in Peru & hand dyed right here in Central PA. The gauge on a US#7 needle is 5 st = 1". Care instructions, dry clean or handwash.
Now, technical specs & a picture (thanks, Beth & Tasha for letting us grab your image!) can only tell a knitter so much. There is nothing like wandering into a nice LYS, breathing in that first woolie breath & letting your fingers find their way through the yarns.
Swizzle is a beautiful yarn. The 6 colors are lovely, rich & tonal. Twisted into a smooshy skein, this yarn is soft, warm, & pretty. The generous yardage means one skein will make up into a great hat, or a pair or mittens. I've been looking at and selling this yarn for a few months, but I'm just now knitting up my first skein. I'm knitting the purple colorway 'Plum Perfection,' & it is lovely. I made a ribbed beanie (96 st on size 6 needles) and the striping effect was perfect. I had enough left over to cast on for the fingerless mitts, and I may be able to get both of them made out of just this one skein.
I recently knit a very coarse or 'rustic' yarn for a felted bag. The contrast between the corriedale wool and the Superfine Alpaca could hardly be more pronounced! The alpaca knitted fabric is soft and drapey with just the right amount of bounce when knit in rib or garter stitch.

Knitters Knitting Knits!

So much knitting to talk about! Nearly every day brings new knitters & crocheters & lots and lots of quilters/knitters through the doors at LYS. Our little shop on Old Philadelphia Pike really is a crossroads of the world tucked away in Lancaster County. So, it's hello & happy knitting to Torie who was visiting Intercourse & was suddenly stricken with a need to learn to knit! You were a quick study, Torie & I hope you've started your first sweater!


A big hello to Vanessa & Corrine from Queens. These gals came into the area for a weekend in October. Vanessa bought a big skein of Burly Spun from Brown Sheep company, and stopped in the next day to show us the cool mobius she had crocheted. Vanessa owns a boutique in Queens, NY called Stella Gialla.

If you're visiting the area and your trip includes a Thursday overnight, won't you join us for our Thursday knitting group? We've entertained and been entertained by knitters from all over the place, and we'd love a chance to make you feel right at home at LYS.


Keep an eye on our Facebook page for special events, holiday hours & an occasional sweet deal or giveaway! We tweet as www.twitter.com/lancyarnshop. Thanks and hello to Lisa at Kitchen Kettle Village who recently blogged about LYS on http://www.kettletalk.com/. See you around the knitting shop!


Wendy

Mistake Rib Scarf

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Free Pattern from Lancaster Yarn Shop

This cozy scarf knits up quickly with one skein of super soft Snuggle in a bulky weight. At 3 stitches per inch on a US size 11 needle, Mistake Rib is a bouncy, fun stitch pattern.






Size Information
Length: 31 in. (79 cm)
Width: 4"-6" (10-15cm)

Requirements
Yarn & Notions
* 1 x 100g (104 yds) hank Alpaca Yarn Company SNUGGLE (pictured in shade 6873)

Needles & Equipment
*8 mm needles (US #11)

Tension/Gauge
Not important for this project, but approximately 3 st=1" over rib pattern


Instructions
CO 23 stitches.
*Knit two, purl two across, ending with knit two, purl one.*
Repeat this row for pattern.
Continue knitting until you nearly run out of yarn.
Bind off in pattern with tension to match cast on.

pattern copyright Wendy Ellis 2009
http://www.lancasteryarnshop.com/