Challenging ourselves.

The Knitting Olympics are more than halfway over (can you feel the pressure mounting?), but we refuse to be overwhelmed... yet.  Lindsay and I are making merry progress (as you shall soon see) and, well, everyone else are being very nice by not mocking.  Sandy Kay is almost participating in that she's trying to knit up a Skif sweater in record time (don't ask) and has been going a little swatching crazy.

Now, normally, we wouldn't share swatches (who'd care, right?), but these are special little squares of handknit curiosity.  They're each an experiment in the field of yarn chemistry.  If you, like so many of us, have been intrigued by assemblage's beauteous Thursday vest and Paper Crane cardigan patterns, this next bit might just interest you. 

Skif Swatches All together	Punta Yarns Montoya Beach Held single, knit on 4mm/ US 6's
Habu XS-55 Linen & A-177 Merino One strand each, knit on 5mm/ US 8's	Habu XS-55 Linen & N-76 Tsumugi Silk One strand each, knit on 5mm/ US 8's
Habu XS-55 Linen (double) Knit on 5mm/ US 8's	Habu XS-55 Linen (single) Knit on 5mm/ US 8's

If you want to drop by the store and feel them, we'll have them (and many more Habu swatches) on hand for fondling.  Not in Portland?  Well, each photo has a mini review attached.  Just click on it for more information!

Next, on our list of staff doings, we have Eva's cashmere/ silk mitts:

(or, well, mitt)

Yarn?  The delicious and decadent Swiss Mountain Cashmere & Silk by Handmaiden, in the color "Ocean".  Eva is following the Ayanna Mitts pattern but (be warned) had to go down two needle sizes (to US 1's) to get gauge - this yarn has got bounce.  It'll be worth it, though, as the finished mitts are going to be gorgeous. 

Now, onto the Olympian knitting!  While Lindsay and I might be the only staffers crazy enough to attempt the Games, we're at least making progress.  Lindsay's Vintage Baby Cardigan is actually starting to look like a cardigan!

She's certain that she'll be able to finish be the Feb 28th deadline and still manage to make a set of matching booties (Ysolda's Tiny Shoes) as well.  It's gonna be awesome.

I, myself, am not quite so far ahead as Lindsay, but am dutifully trucking along.  My Gansey Vest (self-designed pattern, sorry) is coming along:

Though I am not to the half-way point as I would like.  Soon, though.  This might turn into a slightly different project to make my deadline.  It was going to have a hood, but that's looking less likely right now...

And while I am on the subject of my Knitting Olympics project, I simply must share with you the best cable needle EVAH:

Lantern Moon's rosewood (or ebony) cable needle set.  I, in all honesty, didn't did not like using cable needles and would just go needle-less - until I tried these.  They are just perfect.  Smooth but not slippery.  And, to hold your stitches in place, there are these clever little grooves in the middle that make sure the cable needle doesn't slip out, even if it's smaller than the working needle.  They are just AWESOME and easily win a 10 out of 10 from me.

I had to share that.  Surely there are many knitters out there who have suffered from escapee cable needles (shudder) or from ones that are too sticky and stretch out your knitting (grr) and are either: a) constantly trying new cable needles and being disappointed or, b) trying to go needle-less (which doesn't really work when you get to cabling more than 2 sts).  These Lantern Moon cable needles are the solution and everyone should try them.

In other Knitting Olympics, or would it be Olympic Knitting?, news - have you seen this?  The Peruvian Alpine Skiing uniform:

 

Which features traditional knitting motifs (including Llamas!) in honor of Peru's rich knitting tradition.  Read the article (and see the close-up!) here.

Lastly, we have some Store News to share...

• Wanted: Sample Knitters.  See here for details.
• Finishing 101 is tomorrow night.  Taught by me.  I'll be covering picking up stitches along a straight seem (along both garter stitch and stockinette edges) and a curved seam.  Swatches are required.  See the class description for details.  It's only $15 and you get to learn several new techniques!

 And that is everything.  Check back on Thursday for another fantabulous issue of Fashionknitsta!

The things we do for yarn.

To most knitters there's nothing more glamorous than working at a knitting store (except, perhaps, owning a knitting store) and, most of the time, LYS employees will agree.

Most of the time. Last Friday, however, all I heard from my coworkers were complaints as we did a quick photoshoot for the weekend's eCard.

You may remember it?

And, really, what a bunch of whiners. It couldn't have been more than five minutes (ten on the outside) that we were, ah, posing...

(From left to right: Me, Jaia, Marjorie, Lindsay, and Sandy Kay)

... against a brick wall, and they started kvetching about how cold it was or that their fingers were going numb or how their shoulders had frozen in place. Sheesh. Consider the importance of the project, my coworkers! If we don't stop to illuminate the world about exciting new mitten and wristlet patterns, who will? It is our duty, nay, privilege, to model shop samples in strange and interesting ways!

Let this be a lesson to current/ future/ hopeful LYS employees - working at a knitting shop isn't all knitting cashmere.

Anyway. Thought I'd share the latest behind-the-scenes look at Knit Purl.

Moving on. We have some fantastic new accessories in. My favorite are the Classic Shawl Pins, distributed by Lantern Moon. Sleek and simple, these polished metal pretties are just what I want in a shawl pin:



Well made, beautiful and modest enough not to detract from the shawl it's pinning closed. Since I mostly wear handknit shawls (or would like to), I'd rather the shawl be the focus and not the pin. But, if you're into the bling (and there's nothing wrong with that!), Lantern Moon has also released these Textured Metal Shawl Pins:




Which, I have to say, are quite lovely. They make me think of Moroccan jewelry - with all the granulation in different sizes and concentric circles. It's very pretty and quite attractive and would probably work really well with a sweeping shawl or cloak. Can't you just imagine it?

Both shawl pins were designed by Jim Knopf, who seems to have an awesome collection of buttons and other accents across the pond, in Germany. Interestingly enough, knopf means "button" in German. Isn't that a fun fact?

We're still waiting on some of his newest button collections and some more shawl pins - all distributed by Lantern Moon. Be sure to watch the website for updates.

And, last but certainly not least, we just received several copies of the eagerly anticipated book, Itty-Bitty Toys:

Written by Susan B. Anderson, the same author of Itty-Bitty Nursery and Itty-Bitty Hats, this collection is so much more than you'd expect. With toys that range from traditional Sock Monkeys and Teddy Bears, there are also Koalas and a Giraffe and a ducky family!

I grabbed some sample photos from Susan's ravelry journal, just so you can see how unbelievably cute this book is:

Koala Mama & Baby	Mama Duck & Ducklings
Giraffe	Christmas Set

Sweet, right? We just love it. I think my favorite is the Mama Duck & Ducklings, followed closely by the Giraffe. Check out the book on ravelry, it's too cute to resist! Be sure to look at least one of the reversibles - toys that can change from one animal into another! Like the Lion & Elephant. If you saw them in a toy box, you'd never guess they were handknit, would you?

And I think that's quite enough awesomeness to share this week. Check back next week for a book full of wool, the joys of shipping out a Sock Club installment (don't worry, I'll get photos!), and proof of my incurable Start-itis (you may want to read this from a distance, it may just be contagious).

Until then, enjoy the liquid sunshine out there!