29 April 04 - 09:41Pate Conaway
Biggie Knits
I know ya'll have seen the chunky knitting craze, but artist Pate Conaway has outdone it all with his large-scale knitting. I met Pate at the TKGA Conference in Atlanta, where he was creating a massive washcloth. Pate works on 4-foot long needles that he made himself, and uses 1-inch thick upholstry cording as yarn; and his results are fun and amazing!
In the image above, Pate is working on a gargantuan pair of mittens (for our very own Vulcan, perhaps?), complete with a cable motif. Wow! He said this pair took a month to create.
Another fun thing about this large scale technique is the ingenious method Pate employs to carry it around, his own take on the carpet bag. Using a medium sized floor rug, he created a larger than life knitting bag to hold his supplies. I really enjoyed meeting this inventive artist on my trip; it encouraged me to keep looking at my work in new ways. Take inspiration from Pate's exploration of the endless possibilities of our craft...try a new stitch pattern, add some color, use unusual structure techniques....and don't forget to have FUN!
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26 April 04 - 18:22
New Goodies!
I couldn't wait until tomorrow to post!
Here are some updates on a few new items that have arrived over the past week, beginning with Interweave Knits Magazine. We will be regularly stocking this along with Vogue Knitting (Spring issue currently in stock). We have a few copies of the current issue-
-which features a great cabled sweater by Debbie Bliss on the front cover. This sweater is worked up in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky. There are also several lovely sleeveless and warm-weather designs. The May summer issue will be arriving within a few weeks; if you'd like to reserve a copy, just give us a call.
We have a few issues of the Winter 2003 issue, which features a great pattern from Melanie Falick's Weekend Knitting, the Reverse Bloom Flower Washcloth pattern. This is worked with a single skein of Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille, which we stock in several colors. This pattern would create a great handmade gift; wrap it with some luxury soap for a thoughful present.
We have finally begun to recieve the much-awaited Noro Kureyon-
This yarn is spun with dozens of colors in each ball, it self-stripes and creates wonderful optical patterns when used with creative knitting techniques such as mitered squares or entrelac (more info on entrelac coming in future entries!). Simple patterns like garter stitch look amazingly complex because of this yarn's unique color structure. I've discovered a great simple pattern which showcases Kureyon, Karen Baumer's fabulous Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf pattern. It looks much more complicated than it actually is to knit. This pattern is free with the purchase of three balls of Kureyon. For beginners, this pattern will increase your knitting skills with an intro into increasing & decreasing!
Kureyon also felts into amazingly patterned bags, hats, mittens, anything you can imagine! Use it in a basic felting pattern and wow your knitting friends!
Also in from Noro is Blossom, a wool/kid mohair/silk blend. It has a thick & thin boucle texture, and is incredibly soft. This would make a stunning scarf.
Also in is a new shipment of Muench Yarns' Sari Silk. This silk is handspun in Nepal from scraps remaining from Sari production. Because of the political upheaval in Nepal, we may have a difficult time keeping this yarn in stock, so get it while you can! This new shipment has much more color variation than previous shipments, so each ball is truly unique!
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26 April 04 - 09:25May Classes
May Classes have been updated on the site, just click the "classes & events" button and scroll down for updated listings.
I just got back from the Knitters' Guild of America Conference in Atlanta; while I was there I picked up a couple of new techniques and saw some interesting products. My favorite vendor was Habu Textiles, a New York company that imports amazing Japanese yarns and fabrics. I visited their booth daily while I was there; and bought some interesting linen and cotton paper yarns to experiment with.
Would you like to see these exotic yarns at Knit Nouveau? We are considering carrying them, but would like our customers' opinions. Please let us know what you think about these very different products from Habu after you visit their site. Also available from Habu are fine gauge novelty yarns to knit along with other fibers, stainless steel/silk yarns that allow you to scrunch and shape finished fabric into shape, bamboo yarns and fine silks.
Join me at our next Stitch & Bitch, this Thursday, April 29th for news from this trip. Stitch & Bitch meets between 6 and 8:30pm, come early for the best seating.
Store Product Info Update is coming tomorrow!
PS- We love feedback! Leave us your comments using the "comments" link at the bottom of this entry. Thanks!
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20 April 04 - 08:44New Patterns
We have two new summer patterns available at the shop, first is the Araucania Nature Cotton Tank you've seen me working on:
It's sized S,M,L, and is suitable for an intermediate or adventurous advanced beginner knitter.
Our other fun summer pattern is for a cute, stylish wrap:
This is knit flat in a simple net lace pattern, then sewn together in one seam, with crochet trim. For Beginners ready to take a step past scarves, this would make a great choice. The wrap above was knit in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky (buttery soft yarn!), but any chunky weight yarn will work, or use two strands of a light worsted weight held together. This pattern is perfect as a cover-up for bare arms and shoulders in chilly air-conditioning or on cool nights.
Our May class schedule will be posted soon, check back on the website or check your e-mail if you're on our mailing list.
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11 April 04 - 23:57
There's a Stitch & Bitch coming up this week so come on out! We hang out and knit, snack and generally just try our best to have fun. As always, the store will remain open later (8:30pm) so come on by! Be sure to check the Classes and Events page to get the dates for future sessions.
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08 April 04 - 11:24in the works
Here are a couple pics of my Araucania Nature Cotton tank that I'm working on:
It's going to tie on both sides of the neck; I'm just waiting for it to dry completely, then two seams, and it's done! Thick cotton takes a long time to dry in this climate, so it'll probably be another day or two 'til completion. This was a fun yarn to work with, soft, and textured stitch patterns look great with it. I'm already thinking of another project with Nature Cotton; I think it would make a gorgeous cabled cardigan.
Here's the purse for our beginner knitter's bag class. New knitters will learn to Cast on, knit, purl, and bind off on this "wallet & keys" size purse. Check our "classes & events" age for times and dates on the next session.
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