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Happy July 4th “Splash”

Posted in knitting, Shopping on July 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Hi all!

I’ve “been away” for a bit which I will explain in another post…..but for now I want to share/announce that I have two yarns on sales online through Jul 5. The prices for Brown Sheep’s Cotton Fleece and Maggi’s Linen are marked down by 50%. The online price reflects that markdown….no need to apply coupons, etc.

There is a glitch online in the color card re availability for Brown Sheep so for now I will available colors here.

4 – CW865 October Leaf
6 – CS625 Terracotta
2 – CW650 Tangerine Cream
2 – CW620 Banana
1 – CW310 Wild Orange
2 – CW240 Pink-A-Boo
1 – CW210 Tea Rose
3 – CW640 Spryte
4 – CW105 Putty
10- CW100 Cotton Ball
3 – CW365 Peridot
7 – CW690 Alpine
4 – CW760 Emperor’s Robe
3 – CW 590 Lapis
2 – CW560 My Blue Heaven
4 -CW810 Cherry Moon

Have fun shopping and wishing you a happy July 4th.

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May Basket 25% off Sale

Posted in knitting on May 1, 2016| Leave a Comment »

MaggiKnits Basket Let’s jump right into this May Basket of MaggiKnits linen – 25% off 1-week sale, May 2 – 9.

Linen wash cloth stole

This lovely cotton/linen blend yarn can be used in so many projects. A personal favorite of mine is the stole that I knit using the Bathing Beauties Washcloth Fiber Trends pattern and converting it into a stole.

Another of our FMK (Friday Morning Knit) knitters, Karen H., knit the Maggi Alaca linen stole. Karen - Beautiful in her Alaca Stole

Here is a list of colors and quantities available. You can go to Skeinlane.com, select your color (solid and multi-color choices) and quantity that you want, and use MayBasket at checkout to receive your 25% discount ($7.40 or so).

Have fun!

# 07 Cream: 46
# 10 Red  : 10
# 14 Turquoise: 9
# 17 Light Navy: 12
# 19 Grey: 8
# 25 Pale Denim: 6
# 27 Mid Chocolate: 8
# 28 Camel: 7
# 29 Teal: 17
# 30 Grape: 31
# 31 Green: 15
# 102 Brown/Orange: 16
# 103 Deep Pink/Dark Lemon: 10
# 106 Pale Grey/Natural/Pale Peach: 34

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Irish Cottage Knitting

Posted in knitting, Knitting Videos, tagged Avenue Yarns, Irish Cottage Knitting, Knitting Classes, Skein Lane on April 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Years ago….and I do mean years (I was 10) I learned to shuttle knit. Somewhere over the years of knitting I heard that it was the Scottish Shuttle but don’t recall where I read that. Today the Irish Cottage Knitting is exactly the way I knit. It’s the method I prefer because I can knit faster and I also think my stitches are more consistent than other methods that I might use.

If you are wanting to learn more about this, you just might want sign up for the class that I will be teaching at Avenue Yarns. You can see an earlier video of me knitting on the Skein Lane website.

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Brown Bag Lunch – Speaker’s Forum

Posted in Creativity, knitting, Quilting, Treasures, Water Color, tagged Albany CA library, Albany YMCA, art, BAMPFA, Creativity, friendship, knitting, Needlepoint, Painting, Russia, Skein Lane, Speaker's Series on April 12, 2016| Leave a Comment »

My recent retirement from my UC day-time admin job of nearly 8 years has been such a blessing. While I’ve never really left the knitting community, I am now diving back into it and the wonderful community that is part of me.

Some of you may not know that before my Skein Lane retail chapter, I was an employee of the YMCA for about 18 months and went onto become a Board Member after I accepted a position in the software industry……most importantly I was an active user of the YMCA programs….in particular exercise. I stepped away from this wonderful resource about 10 years ago for a variety of reasons…..mostly my schedule and illnesses in my family.

One of my first missions upon retirement was to get back into a regular exercise program. I walked into the Albany YMCA….immediately reconnected with Gail, the Director, and Mary, Exercise and Program Instructor. I was back home! I’ve been enjoying Mary’s creative exercise classes since mid-January. Not only do I feel better but I have lost some weight…yeah! There is another most wonderful benefit….reconnecting not only with Y folks but knitters who are in the Y community.

I quickly learned about the (free) Brown Bag Speakers Forum, presented on the 2nd Monday of every month sponsored by the “Y” and Albany Library.. This month’s speaker was Lawrence Rinder, Director of BAMPFA (UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive). His presentation was so informative about the history of BAMPFA leading up to its new location.

2-barbara Last month’s Brown Bag speaker was Barbara Hazard.….a former Skein Lane customer who spoke about her art work and time spent in Russia. Not only is Barbara an artist with paints but she is obsessed “self-described” with needlepoint. I recall how many lovely pieces she brought to Skein Lane to have finished into pillows. I do wish I had taken photos back then….maybe I did but that was before I had an iPhone camera with all its storage capabilities. But wait….Barbara has posted some of her needlepoint work on her site. I am delighted that we are in the midst of planning when we can catch up over coffee before her next upcoming trip to Russia mid-May.

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Yoked Cardi for Baby

Posted in knitting, tagged Avenue Yarns, Baby, Gifts, knitting, Malabrigo Yarns, Ravelery, Valley Yarns, Yoked Cardi on April 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Karen H has just completed this wonderful baby sweater and hat for a special baby person. Both the Yoked Cardigan pattern (available on Ravelry) and the yarn – 100% Extra Fine Merino Valley Superwash were purchased at Stitches West.

The complete “package”

The cardi

The buttons

As it turns out this same cardi has been knit in Malabrigo Worsted by Karen K of our LYS – Avenue Yarns. Each cardi is wonderful and has its own uniqueness of yarn choice and buttons. The buttons on Karen H’s cardi were found at Stone Mountain & Daughter – a go to place for a lot of us searching that right button.

If you are looking for a quick and lovely baby sweater, this just might be the ticket. You can see a model of the sweater in person at Avenue Yarns.

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Brickless -Shawl

Posted in Creativity, knitting, knitting techniques, tagged 100% Superwash Merino Wool, Brickless Shawl, knitting, Light worsted weight yarn, Miss Babs, Miss Babs Yowza on March 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »

No more shawls for me I’ve been to known to say……until I see another beauty. This time it was Jan’s newly purchased “Miss Babs Yowza – Whatta Skein!” yarn to knit the Brickless shawl designed by Martina Behm. Earlier I saw someone else walking the Stitches floor wearing a beautiful shawl and I captured the name of the pattern….Brickless. It’s a popular one. Yes…..I “accosted” many walking the Stitches West floor wearing knitted garments that appealed to me. (It was easy for me to do as I was working/retailing in MaggiKnits booth #314.) In total I collected the names of over 30 shawls.

I was going to wait a bit to start Brickless, but decided to forge ahead because one of our Friday knitting group (not Jan) came to the knitting table with questions last Friday. Deb and I also met briefly this past Monday morning to review/find a mistake in her knitting.

Now I have some tips that I’d like to share with any of you who embark on this knitting journey.

Do a gauge swatch. I know it’s a shawl and one would think….”oh, no worries – I get gauge”. In this case the label on the yarn says 4.5 st – 5.5st/in US 608. The pattern says 4mm (which is US 6) or size to produce gauge of 4 sts to inch. I thought the fabric that I saw need on 4mm was a little more dense than I would like for this shawl. Thus, I swatched on both size 7 and 8 needles. Swatching on size 8 produced the gauge of 4 st/in which is what pattern specifies and has a soft drape.

There are 3 pattern sets – Lace, Garter and Rib – in each repeat. My mind is such that it wanders when I knit and relax which means I do a terrible job of keeping track of the number of rows (in my head) and the “benchmark” stitches at the end of each set. Notice my green cheat notes. I mark off each row and count the number of stitches so that I know the increases are happening sequentially. I like the idea of adding the expected number of stitches at the end of each pattern set – benchmark. This system also allows to more easily help anyone in our knitting circle.

Now onto the next repeats (5 more of 1st 3 pattern sets) before finishing with one lace set.

Happy knitting!

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Top-Down Custom Fit Sock Class

Posted in knitting, knitting techniques, socks, classes, tagged knitting, Knitting Classes, Top Down Socks on February 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Sock

This basic sock is being taught in 3 2-hr sessions (over 6 weeks) starting at noon on Saturday, February 27. With the top-down basic sock pattern, the skills that you will acquire or build upon include: the long-tail cast on, joining the round, knitting in the round, the heel, short rows to turn the heel, gussets, and the kitchner stitch. You will learn to custom fit the sock. Once you’ve made a sock, you will want to make more and more! Join us for this fun class.

Materials: sock-weight yarn and size 2 double point needles or worsted weight yarn and size 5 double point needles.

Day/Date/Time/Location

Learn how to knit this basic sock in this 3-wk sesson spread out over 6 weeks. Then you can move onto The Socks Forever Club

Date: Feb 27, Mar 12 and Mar 26

Noon – 2pm

First sesson: foot measurement, custom-fit, cast on, join and begin the cuff. Homework: Knit 6″ or desired lengthcuff

Second session: Heel flap, turn the heel, gusset. Homework: knit the foot

Third Session: Complete the toe! And now you will have a sock!

Fee

$65.00

Here is the link to sign up.

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Quilt Exhibits in Oakland

Posted in Creativity, Events, Friendship, knitting, Quilting, tagged Cultural History, Oakland City Hall, Oakland Museum, Quilting Exhibits, Yo-Yo & Half Squares on February 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Time to let go of the temporary writer’s block…..let’s start with the trip that Jan and I took this afternoon to Oakland City Hall and the Oakland Museum to see two quilt exhibits.

The quilt exhibit at the Oakland City Hall “Visions of Oakland, Made of Cloth” was recently featured in the Art & Design section of The New York Times: Quilts With a Sense of Place, Stitched in Oakland. We saw some beautiful quilts depicting several Oakland scenes and history…..however, the ones that were featured in the news article were not on display. Maybe the young man who directed us didn’t tell us where they were all displayed….or maybe they have been returned to their owners. Here is what we did see. I particularly liked the quilt (bottom right) from the North Oakland Senior Center because of its words. “Our lives are like quilts – bits and pieces – this and that – stitched with love.”

Beautiful marble staircase

China Town

Oakland Parks

North Oakland Senior Center

Next stop was the exhibit of “Yo-Yos & Half Squares: Contemporary California Quilts”” at the Oakland Museum. We just happened to arrive at the same time as a local quilting group led by instructor Barbara Rydlander. Jan and I both benefited from hearing the guided tour while hanging on the edge of this group. We also learned once again what a small world it is – I immediately saw quilter and knitter friend of Skein Lane Studio – Debbie G. Shortly Jan saw one of her friends. Yep….a small world!

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Dorothy – A 100th Birthday Celebration

Posted in knitting on January 15, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Three years later: Dorothy just celebrated her 103rd birthday today with some of her family in her home where she has lived for as long as I have known her….which is now like forever. We met when I was 11 or 12 yrs old…..depending whether you count church or when I became one of her students in Jr High School. Her family is planning a larger birthday celebration for this coming Sunday, January 17. Happy Birthday to Dorothy!

Skein Lane - IN THE LOOP

Invitation to celebrate Dorothy’s 100th birthday!

Dorothy Cross Smith Brown is celebrating her 100th birthday today.

I spoke with her a couple of days before Christmas as I chose not to attend because we have family illness here in the Bay Area of California. So many of my school friends and family will be there. Dorothy said, ” I understand. Come in the spring and spend a weekend with me.” I will.

I love and admire Dorothy!

Dorothy Smith – photo from early 60’s yearbook.

Who is Dorothy? In the spring of my 12th year my family (parents, sister and I) moved to my dad’s hometown – Stratton, CO. It soon became one of my home towns….I have three – Stratton, CO; The Bay Area of Northern California and Geelong, Australia. I met Dorothy at church but it was later in the fall when I actually turned 12…

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“tis the Season – Saturday Knit Group

Posted in Celebrations, Christmas, Creativity, Friendship, knitting, tagged celebrations, friendship, knitting, Recipes on December 31, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The Saturday morning group had their second celebration on Dec 19th….the first one was a joint birthday celebration which was followed up with this ‘tis the season gathering.

There were so many wonderful happenings. Susanne came down from Chico (she and her husband retired there last year). The cooking theme was desserts….there were many wonderful choices. Maurie couldn’t join us because she was sick but she still sent her GF (gluten-free) cookies. We had so much on the table including champagne, cookies (many made by Diane and Maurie), cakes, egg dishes, baked brie with homemade cranberry sauce, cheeses, and fruit….I fear I may have missed some of the dishes. Here are two recipes from the dishes on the table. The Biscotti was made by PJ using her friend’s recipe which is posted on Channeling Nonna’s blog. I loved this cookie and will be making it soon. Another dish (also prepared by PJ) that many of us “loved” was the Bacon Onion Marmalade.

We even found time to knit when we weren’t eating. The latest showings were worn by PJ and Susanne. PJ’s stunning red cowl was inspired by the pattern for Oliva Cowl from Swan Islands…the yarn was of the same name.

Susanne’s Wallaby Hoody Sweater (pattern from Vogue Knitting) was a beautifully knit garment and fit her perfectly. You may recall my posting from a while back when the sweater was in its infancy stage.