Thinking about classes

I've been thinking about classes that might be interesting to teach at my LYS. The trouble for me right now is that I don't have a lot of time to create a new curriculum. Thoughts?



Jeremy suggested his Shadow Knit Greek Key Scarf.   It's a nice scarf and would be a nice one day class.  He's given permission to use the pattern. 

The Leaf Lace Shawl and Swallowtail Shawl are high on the list. Of course, I have to review the copyright for these patterns. I really want to find a pattern that I could get the students to purchase and have good options for yarns.  I'm trying to use up my sock stash yarn.  I also don't want a class to go on for too long. 

I've been really enjoying listening to Hoxton Handmade Podcast. Have you heard it? I'm enjoying the essays and humor of the magazine reviews.  I'll vlog about my love affair on this a bit later. 

Summer 2010 Interweave Knits Review

This is a rant.
I didn't like the IK Summer 2010. You can find the preview here.
I've been frustrated for several years about the lack of man's patterns that are available in knitting magazines.  I've been noticing the increase of online magazines over the last several years and how print magazines are quickly making patterns available for individual purchases just about a year after they showed up in the magazine.  I find this a bit annoying.  Over the last year I've like only a few patterns from IK.

Notice the Singalong Sweater. Which boy wants 3/4" sleeves? Really?! The sweater looks like it doesn't fit.  Poor kid.

Kudos to Kenny for having another pattern available in IK.  He blogs here.

I'm glad to be finished.  I'll be taking my business to the designers that can be found on Ravelry, knitty and TwistCollective. 



Bye IK. I don't see myself in your magazine.
I need your help. What online resources do you use?

A message from KnitAmy to Jeremy

A quick video from a knitting friend to another knitting friend. Can you feel the love? Last night's knitting was great fun. Much laughter, good food and Yarmando finished on of his mother's day gift socks.

Socks Appeal Boxers & Temptations

Somewhere on the internet I spotted a picture of the Socks Appeal boxers.  Rav Link.

Temptations is one of my LYS located in Dublin, Ohio.  Karen is the owner and offered to call Skacel to order the pattern.  That was very helpful!  They have two more copies of the pattern available. Go pick one up and tell them that Gerald sent you!

The Mystery Sock class is a lot of fun and offers some very nice sock patterns. 

The Gams is from Knitty Spring/Summer 2010.  Please notice the horrid pictures.  It was the picture on this ravelry pattern page that show the boxers off better.  I purchased some Serendipity Tweed for my pair. I ended up getting a total of 4 skeins of yarn.  The colors are better in the video.

full disclosure: I might have been influenced to knit these items because of this project and this project.  I'm certain that if I wear my knitted shorts, I'll be thin (& 100 lbs lighter and 20 years younger :)

Gardening and Maddy

This is a post about my "colorful loops of daily living."
There is NO knitting content in this post. 


The weather in early March was quite pleasant here.  So pleasant that I started working in the yard.  One weekend I spent about 16 hours working on the yard doing the weeding and general upkeep of the flower beds.  Some people say at the end of the growing season they "put the beds to rest." Have you heard that phrase?  Well, I woke up the beds!  I raked, cleared away dirt and such and weeded a lot of day lilies.  I've got nothing against day lilies.  It's just that they take over. (kinda like my yarn stash)

You see in the video on of the beds I cleared. I've toss about a bunch of flower seeds in there.  knitSB & I picked up a couple of packets of flower bed seeds.  I'm excited to see everything growing!  The recent rain really helps. 

Maddy is the latest addition to our family.  Isn't she cute?

Multnomah, Citron and Feeling Good about my Job

Multnomah is an enjoyable pattern from HelloKitty.net.  It's a nice pattern. (and I just realized I've been mispronouncing the name of this shawl. **sigh** It's not a reflection of the pattern.) 

Teal'tron is my ravelry page with limited information about my version of Citron from the Winter 2009 Knitty.  (Rav link)

I've been enjoying listening to the Electric Sheep podcast. It's from Hoxton Handmade.  Have you heard it?

Today was one of those days when I felt that I was good in my job. I've been soaking up a lot of information about improving my communication with people.  I've been able to apply these new skills successfully at work the last couple of days. I'm helping to make a difference.

Grey Garments

This made me roll with laughter.

I learn to knit an Aran Vest

Yarn Harlot and the 2010 Knitting Olympics is a great idea started in 2006.  Also was created is the Ravelympics for those on Ravelry. 

Aran Knitting is quite beautiful. I haven't done Aran knitting before.  Yarmando tells me that it's just cabling and I've done cabling before.  So I cast-on and began this vest.  I'll give the details of the vest in a future blog post. 

While I was working through the twisted cable rib, I was okay with it.  Until I got to the beginning of the cable set-up rows.  I was 6 (or 8) sts off.  What the freak?!  I counted the sts several times.  So I simply added sts.

There are three charts in this vest.  Two repeat every 8 rounds, one repeats every 20 rounds.  I've got it figured out how track the rows.  It was kinda blah when I started the charts. It took more concentration that I expected.  After another two inches, I started to be able to read my knitting and know what was supposed to happen next.  I think that feels nice. 

I'm enjoying the knitting and will be at the armholes soon.  I won't make it to complete in the Knitting Olympics. 

Ram Club 3.2

Spoiler Alert

I share my new shipment for the Ram Club 3. Ram Club 3



The yarn is Verve, a superwash merino yarn that is a light fingering weight yarn.  There are 300 yards to each skein.  Two colors: Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice. The colors of these yarns are incredibly beautiful.  Winter Solstice has a teal to golden brown to raspberry.  Amazing dyeing.  A.maz.ing.  The Summer Solstice is beautiful as well.  Yellows into yellow green and gray.  I need to find a project to work these yarns to work together.
I don't like the yarns in the pattern.  I like the pattern.  I like the yarn.  I don't like the two together. 

I wonder if Akimbo or Daybreak would be nice.


Ram Club 4: Accessories I like knowing that I'm getting socks.  I'm thinking if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

My Package