A Great Easy Project

This three-button wrap is a great, very simple project. It is just a large rectangle with one buttonhole and three buttons. You can wear it in any number of ways. I photographed two. You can just pull it over your shoulders like a shawl when you are chilly. Fasten the bottom button to show off all three. Like this:Or, toss it over a shoulder and button it like this:

Just look at what a beautiful neckline that makes.

Mary knit this in Plymouth's Alpaca Boucle. My photography doesn't do the yarn justice- it is a gorgeous heathered green with a tight looped boucle. Like all alpaca, it is very soft and very warm but lightweight even though it is a little bit chunky. It is a fairly quick knit for any fast knitters still looking for a holiday gift to knit.

'Tis the Season

Join us

Saturday, Dec. 6

for a

Holiday Celebration and Sale
25% off all yarns

10% off needles and books

and Refreshments!

Oh no, another project!

We just got in the new Ella Rae book today.
I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.

These are my three favorite sweaters:

I need to start one of these sweaters but I need an excuse. So, does anyone want to start a knit-along? Pick a sweater and let's knit it together! As always for our knit-alongs, we are offering 20% off the yarn for the project.

For Men Only

We just got this great cashmere scarf kit in from Jade Sapphire designed especially for men. With seven patterns and a choice of seven manly colors with names such as GQ Green, Burly Blue, Five O'Clock Shadow, each scarf will be one he'll be proud to wear. This is a great holiday gift- both as a knit scarf for a non-knitter or as a kit for a knitter.
And by the way, I don't actually think these need to be limited to men only.

Doggie Knits Book Event

A very big thanks to Corinne Niessner, author of Doggie Knits, Sweaters and Accessories for Your Best Friend. She was in on Saturday helping our customers learn to measure their dogs for a perfect fitting knit sweater. She also brought in samples from her book for the dogs to try on. We had a great time. I even got a couple of pictures of the dogs trying on some samples. What wonderful models! I can't believe how patient they were while being dressed. Don't they look adorable?

Above: Dobby is trying on a work in progress.

Below: Camille and Dobby are modeling some samples.

Sidewalk Sale- Saturday and Sunday, August 23 and 24

It's SIDEWALK SALE time again. This time we are going to stay inside. But we are still going to have tons of great deals. Come in and see what we have in our $2 bins. Stop by early for the best selection.

Fall Colors

Although I am way past school age, every Fall I still get that "shopping for school clothes" excitement. I love the rich, dark colors of Fall. I just love the way the yarns look on the shelf. The picture above is of old favorites Silk Garden and Kureyon by Noro. As always, Noro outdid themselves with colors in interesting, wonderful combinations this season. Below I have pictured "The Chunkies"-- Twinkle's Soft Chunky (new for us!) and Gedifra's Highland Alpaca. Chunky knits are huge for Fall. There are books that feature both yarns with very fashion-foward patterns. The patterns using chunky yarns have become much more interesting than seasons past. Once again, the only problem is how to decide on a manageable number of projects to work on!

New Yarns Are Starting to Arrive!

The Fall yarns are starting to come in and they are wonderful. Pictured above is Rowan's British Sheep Breeds wool. It is un-dyed and comes in 5 colors that are from 5 different sheep breeds. There is a great pattern book that goes along with the yarn. There are several good men's patterns in it which I find can be hard to come by.
The other new yarn that came that we are excited about is Colourscape Chunky by Kaffe Fassett. It is a gorgeous striping yarn in color ways that are classic Kaffe. There is also a pattern book for this yarn. Several people have already started the side to side knit vest. Hurry in for the best color selection- this yarn is selling fast!

Finish Your Projects!!

Okay- it is time to finish up what you are working on because the Fall is starting to come in and it looks like it is going to be a great knitting season. To kick the season off, we just got in Rowan #44 and it is beautiful. Most of the yarn isn't in just yet but it is on the way. So get knitting and be ready to start something new!

SUMMER SALE!!!!!!!

Our SUMMER SALE starts today. All summer yarns are 40% off. Now is the time to come in and get that project you've been thinking about. The sale goes through Sunday, July 13th.

Just In!

We got a new shipment of Art Yarns Silk Rhapsody Glitter today. It is so beautiful. It is a blend of 50% silk and 50% kid mohair with a metallic running through. Just look at these hand-painted colors:

We Are Excited To Show Off Some Finished Projects!

We have been quite productive lately. Mary, of course, more than most. She has recently finished two very cute projects from the new summer books. The first (right) is a tunic from Sublime, made from their Soya Cotton. The yarn is really nice to work with. It makes a fabric with a great drape and the color is beautiful. It is a simple pattern and is good for those of you who want to make something easy for the summer.

Mary finished the second project (left) in an impressive amount of time. It is a dress from Louisa Harding's Summer Classics. It is done out a Mariposa, a viscose/cotton blend with a slight sheen. This is slightly more complicated since it is a lace pattern for those who want a bit of a challenge.

And finally, I want to show off my finished project, even though it took me nearly 3 years to finish and it is a discontinued yarn. It is a beaded sweater from an old Rowan. I am really pleased with it. I just love the color which was called Klein (as in Yves Klein which I think is why I love it so much- it's the art history major in me!).

Check back soon- I'll show you what we're working on.

Addi Lace Needles

We just got in a shipment of Addi Lace needles. These needle are perfect for lace for several reasons.
Here's a quick list:
1) The tip is just the exact right amount of pointy.
2)The red cable makes it easier to see your stitches.
3)The needles are coated to create a small amount of drag so that the needle isn't quite as slippery as the regular Addi's.

Everyone who has tried these needles, loves them. These are a must have for avid lace knitters. Read the review of these needles on Knitter's Review. http://www.knittersreview.com/article_tool.asp?article=/review/product/070215_a.asp .

Rosalie Knit Along

We have finally set the date for the Rosalie Knit Along. We are starting Saturday, May 17th at 2 p.m. I'm not quite sure how many people are participating, but we definitely have room for more. There is still time to join in. Remember- there is a 20% discount on the yarn for the project (just in case you need a little more incentive!). Also- if you are not into the idea of a knitted skirt, the pattern also can be made into a cape which is just as beautiful.

I'm Ready for the Farmer's Market, Are You?

This summer I promise that I am going to the Farmer's Market more often. I think that this market bag will inspire me to do so. It is such a bright happy color. Plus, it is really big and stretchy, so I know it will hold A LOT. It was a very quick and easy knit. If you start now, you can be ready for the markets, too. Hurry, the Green City Market starts on Wednesday! Stop in this weekend, the pattern is free.

Also- here's a quick Fall preview:

I know Summer hasn't even here, but we are already starting to buy yarn for Fall. Opal sock yarn has a new Harry Potter line coming out around the same time as the movie. So all of you Harry Potter fans, get ready! There will some fun promotional events happening with the launch of the yarn. I'll keep you posted as we learn more.

There are other exciting things coming for Fall, but I let you know more later. After all, we still have Summer coming and I don't want to get too far ahead of it!

Rosalie KAL Sample Is Finished!

Mary finished Rosalie so that the KAL group could see one in person before we officially start. It really is beautiful. Come in and see it, you might just be inspired to participate in the KAL.

We Are Tired But Still Have More Celebrating To Do

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Bobmas Eve party. We had a great time. I'm really terrible about photographing events, but I did bring my camera. These are the only two pictures I took. I apologize as they are not very good. You can find better ones on Ravelry.

I also took some pictures of the new store for those of you who can't make it in soon. (Yammyknits? Are you reading this? I'm talking about you!)

Don't forget to come in this weekend for our official Grand Opening. We are giving away free tote bags with every purchase while they last. The weather is supposed to be bad, so sitting at the table knitting is a great way to spend the weekend. I think we will start the Knit-Along for Rosalie from Louisa Harding's Dauphine book. If you are interested in participating, we are offering 20% off the yarn for the project.

Party Tonight!

We hope you can all come to our Ravelry Bobmas Eve party tonight. We have been working hard on the new store and are very excited to be hosting a party. There will be food and prizes and of course, it will be tons of fun. The weather is nasty but it is warm and dry in here.
If you are not a member of Ravelry, come anyway. You can talk to members and find out what it is all about. It is such a great way to see what everyone else is working on as well as to show off your favorite projects. You might just decide to join.

Our Current Obsession

Yesterday we opened the new Louisa Harding. This is one of her mid-season books, Dauphine. It is so beautiful. There are many things in there we want to make but the one that really got us excited was this skirt knit out of Impressions and Kimono Ribbon Pure doubled. The only problem is that a color choice needs to be made. Knit-along anyone?

Details, Details, Details

There are so many things to update you on-- where should we start? The opening of our new store took a little longer than expected because there are always those last minute details that need to be taken care of- phone, lights... the kind of things that we can't do without and of course never happen right the first time. So we have pushed back the opening a few days to Wednesday, April 9th. We promise, promise, PROMISE that is the day. We have been working so hard on the new store and are really proud of it. We think it was worth the wait and hope you will, too.

And of course, what would a Grand Re-Opening be without some festivities? We are excited to be hosting a party on Thursday, April 10th for Bobmas Eve, the celebration of Ravelry's first year. We will have wine, cheese, and prizes. If you are a member of Ravelry, you are invited to join our Ravelry group, Friends of the Knitting Workshop. Not only is it another way to for us to keep you updated but also for you to connect with other Knitting Workshop customers. Share your projects, get ideas for yarn in your stash, be inspired and inspire others. If you are not a member of Ravelry, try it out, it's lots of fun.

On Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13, we will be having our own celebration for our Grand Opening. There will be food and fun all weekend. We will be giving out Knitting Workshop tote bags with purchase while they last.

And of course, we had to end with a little taste of our new Spring yarns. Green is hot and natural is the way to go. This season, there are several choices. We have organic cottons form Rowan and Sublime. And these two yarns here:

Sublime Soya Cotton- 50% Soy and 50% Cotton, dk weight in soft, spring-like colors. We got in great pattern books to go with it.

Mermaid by Fibranatura- 42% cotton, 35% merino superwash, 12% silk and 11% seacell in an array of jewel tones. This yarn feels great.

See you all soon in our new location. We hope you can make to our celebrations.

The Final Week

This is the last week of The Knitting Workshop Lincoln Park. We feel a little sad to be leaving since we've been here for so long. But we are so excited about our new location. We are busy coming up with ideas for the new store. It is already starting to come together (just a little!) and it looks great. The new neighborhood is fantastic (which is going to be trouble for those of us who like to shop). And of course, we are frantically knitting so we have something to wear for our opening celebration. We will keep you posted on all of the details.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, don't forget there is still time left for some HUGE bargains. Our sale continues until Saturday, March 22.

MOVING SALE!!!!

As you have probably heard by now, we are moving to Bucktown in April. To make our move a little easier, we are having a HUGE sale until March 22. We have some great deals going. Here's a quick list: Anny Blatt and Maggi's Knits are 75% off; Regia sock yarn is 70% off; Gedrifa, Manos del Uruguay, Fiesta and Tahki/Stacy Charles are 50% off; Noro and Rowan are 40% off, Debbie Bliss and Louisa Harding are 35% off. Things are going fast, so hurry in while we still have yarn left.