Et Cetera A Newsletter for Knitting Etc. Triphammer Mall вЂў 2255 N. Triphammer Rd вЂў Ithaca NY 14850 Issue 18 (607) 277-1164 вЂў www.KnittingEtcIthaca.com November 2007 вЂњKnit Your Ornaments!вЂќ Contest With the holiday season fast approaching, I have been looking for ideas for decorating our house and the shop. One day last week at the breakfast table, Steven was flipping through the latest issue of Yarn Market News, a trade magazine for yarn shops and said, вЂњWhat about knitted ornaments for Christmas?вЂќ What a brilliant idea! Not only are they unique and unbelievably cute, these tiny knitted projects are also tons of fun to make! Imagine knitting multiple sweaters, knitted flowers, Santa hats in one afternoon! You can make up your own patterns, or if you need inspirations, check out Nicky EpsteinвЂ™s Knitted Flowers and Crocheted Flowers (pictured right), the egg cozies from Melanie FalickвЂ™s Weekend Knitting (pictured above), Noni flower patterns, and various Christmas stockings patterns and books we have in the shop. For this holiday season, Knitting Etc. will be holding a вЂњKnit Your Ornaments!вЂќ contest. Spend an afternoon or two making ornaments, Christmas stockings, knitted dreidels and menorahs. Bring your entry to the shop before Saturday, December 15. From December 15 to 24, all entries will be displayed in the shop and everyone can vote for their favorite ornament. The top three entries will receive a $50 gift certificate. Holiday Closings Knitting Etc. will be closed on Thursday, November 22 for Thanksgiving, Tuesday, December 25 for Christmas, and Tuesday, January 1 for New Years Day. Upcoming Classes Knitting Basics: Felted Bag with Debbie ing I-cord, and kitchner stitch. In this five-week class, new and returning knitters will learn the required skills for most simple projects and complete the felted bag from the April 2006 newsletter! Wednesdays, Nov 28, Dec 5, 19, Jan 2, 9 , $50 + tax & supplies Christmas Stocking with Ashlee Plus: Get 15% off in-stock purchases while your class is in session! You will learn the basics: casting on, binding off, knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, picking up stitches, makNovember 2007 Wednesday, Nov 28, Dec 5, 12, 19, 6 to 8 pm, $50 + tax & materials Knit a Christmas stocking from Knitting Pure and Simple Continues on Page 2 B-a-a-a-h Notes on yarn, wool, and the knitting life By The Opinionated Sheep theopinionatedsheep.blogspot.com I now know what itвЂ™s like to be part of a flock. A few weeks ago, several of us Ithaca knitters traveled to Rhinebeck, New York for the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. We converged on our friend, Julibeth, who lives in Rhinebeck and had offered the fatal words, вЂњSure, you can all stay with us.вЂќ I brought two knitters (and I am sure all of you reading this can imagine what we talked about during the four hour drive) and we arrived about noon. Then I lost count. People were coming and going at all times of the day and night. Julibeth was often found in her driveway waving cars over here, over there like a parking lot valet at a high-end restaurant. Soon, there was a pile of sleeping bags, pillows, towels, blow-up mattresses, backpacks, and shoes layering her living room floor. It looked like the first day of summer camp. I have no idea how many people were actually staying a JulibethвЂ™s (do we count the two people sleeping in a van in the back?) but somehow this crowd managed to eat, sleep, and use the bathroom in good cheer. And thatвЂ™s because we were knitters on a missionвЂ”to get to the festival and buy yarn. But itвЂ™s more than that. Knitting is a social craft. Sure, knitters are happy to knit on their own, but there is also something wonderful about being with your own kind. And so the idea of a weekend devoted to yarn and surrounded by other knitters is pure heaven. We are, indeed, a flock. P.S. I am writing a book about knitting called Wound Up (coming Spring В© 2007 Knitting Etc. вЂў www.KnittingEtcIthaca.com Continues on Page 2 Page Upcoming Classes Continued from Page 1 Easy Christmas Stocking Pattern, and learn to embellish with duplicate stitch, loopy fur stitch, embroidery, stripes, snowflake motifsвЂ¦. Whatever your ideas are, Ashlee can help you make a very special stocking for a very special person. Socks on DPNs with Laura Tuesday nights, Jan 22, 29, Feb 5, 6:30 вЂ“ 8:30 pm, $35 + tax & supplies Learn all about socks: their construction, techniques for knitting in the round on double pointed needles, how to work a heel, and how to graft the toe. Mobius Basket with Sharon Saturday, Jan 12, 1 вЂ“ 5 pm, $30 + tax & materials Bored with knitting in the round? Sign up for the Mobius basket, where youвЂ™ll learn the Mobius cast-on featured in Cat BordhiвЂ™s A Treasury of Magical Knitting, and A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting. This technique will bring a new (and magical!) perspective that you can apply to knitting вЂњhats with endless beginnings, scarves from the inside out and boots with no inside or outsideвЂ¦.вЂќ Sharon will show you how to make the Mobius edge on the top of the basket on one Saturday afternoon, so you can finish the rest! A Treasury of Magical Knitting is a required text for this class. Central Park Hoodie with Hickory Monday nights, Jan 14, 28, Feb 11, 25, Mar 3, 17, 2008, 6 вЂ“ 8 pm, $60 + tax & materials All right! I give in! This is by far the most popular sweater class, and IвЂ™m ready to offer the class for the sixth time! It is appropriate for intermediate knitters who may have done a sweater or two, or who feel they are ready to tackle it! Make a cute casual sweater in 12 weeks this winter! In this class I will show you the construction of a basic sweater, as well as how to knit each piece and put them togethNovember 2007 er: sewing seams, making button holes, and knitting cables. This class meets every other week over 12 weeks making the вЂњCentral Park HoodieвЂќ from the Fall 2006 issue of Knitscene magazine. I can also help you make yours without the hood if you wish. B-a-a-a-h Mitered Baby Sweater in Karaoke with Melanie Join us for this social knitting time, meet some new people, re-connect with others, and just hang out. WeвЂ™ll chat, knit, gossip, stitch, wind down after the long work week, and shop this monthвЂ™s Happy Hour Sale! We will not be offering any knitting instructions or help, just a knitting visitвЂ¦. The event is free. First come first serve. We have seats for approximately 15 people. The details for DecemberвЂ™s Happy Hour Sale will be announced a week before the Happy Hour on our web site: Monday, Jan 14, 21, 28, 6 - 8 pm $35 + tax Learn to make modules, pretty squares of knitting that you do one at a time and build one upon another so that you donвЂ™t have any sewing to do at the end. This is a wonderful little sweater made in two colors of self-striping yarn such as SWTC Karaoke (50% wool, 50% soysilk). 8 modules make up the body of the sweater. Sleeves and a simple garter trim are then added. This is a great introduction to miters and self-striping yarn. Baby Surprise Jacket with Susan Wednesday, Jan 16, 23, 30, Feb 13, 6 - 8 pm $50 + tax Make Elizabeth ZimmermanвЂ™s Baby Surprise Jacket. This is possibly one of the cutest patterns ever! These little jackets are really fun, one piece, with only little shoulder seams, so oddly puzzleshaped youвЂ™d never think it could be a sweater. Warm and squishy soft in garter stitch with very clever and easy shaping. These have been making the perfect shower gifts for generations now. If you havenвЂ™t tried one, now is the time. Continued from Page 1 вЂ�09 from Algonquin Books). I am trying to get an idea of how many knitting groups there are in Ithaca, so if you knit with others, would you drop me a line at theopinionatedsheep@ gmail.com? Thanks. Happy Hour & Sale Come to the next Happy Hour on Friday, December 7, 5 to 7 pm http://KnittingEtcIthaca.com/ HappyHour Et Cetera Submission Guidelines We accept submissions of patterns or writings on knitting-related topics for our newsletter. If we use your work, you will have your fame and receive a $50 gift certificate! 1. It must be your original design or writing that has not been accepted for publication elsewhere. 2. By making your submission, you give Knitting Etc permissions to publish your work and distribute it in our newsletter and on our web site. 3. Please include a couple of sentences about yourself to be published with your pattern or writing. 4. E-mail all submissions in plain text or Microsoft Word format to: [email protected]. 5. Pattern Submissions: a. Please specify the yarn used and gauge. b. If you have a digital camera, please submit color photographs of the finished product with your pattern. If you donвЂ™t have a digital camera, we might ask to take pictures of the finished product if your pattern is selected for publication. Copyrights and Reprints Copyright В© 2007 Knitting Etc. Permissions are given to reprint this newsletter in its entirety. E-mail hickory@knittingetcithaca. com for republications of articles. В© 2007 Knitting Etc. вЂў www.KnittingEtcIthaca.com Page