Thursday, February 23, 2012

Sweaters for Hens

For those of you who enjoyed the six sigma reality of penguin sweaters, here's a website that has sweaters for hens. Apparently these fine folks are rescuing hens, and some of the more nervous creatures loose their feathers. It isn't good to be a bald chicken.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Lily Chin in Town

Yarning for Ewe will be hosting Lily Chin for classes the second weekend of March. This is a great opportunity to take classes with a dynamic, nationally-known instructor. The classes are inventive and full of unusual techniques. Here are the descriptions from the website with more information here:

Phoney Cables:
We love cables but we sometimes don’t like the interruption of actually doing a cable.  Learn several ways of achieving a cable look without having to actually re-arrange the stitches.  Try out several easier alternatives, including a two-color faux cable and a trim.  These are guaranteed to be unique and often much faster with similar results.

Weaving Techniques as Applied to Knits:
By combining another yarn to your knitting via methods borrowed from weaving, many aesthetic possibilities become apparent, certain problems may be solved, and a new technique is added to your oeuvre.  Textures are easily obtainable, colors may be taken more advantage of, and patterning is more accessible. Novelty yarns are handled better, less yarn might be used, gorgeous but uncomfortable fibers need not touch your skin, and stretching can be minimized.

Bias Knitting Without Prejudice:
Learn this diverse method of knitting that creates different, dynamic, directional lines easily and its applications.  Get the angle on your pieces, try various colors and textures for head-turning work.  Mix and match several effects simultaneously.  Ideas for trims, accents, and even whole garments will be discussed.  Go from easy panels to larger projects.  You head will be spinning with new ideas, all without a pattern.

Tips & Tricks:
Learn all the little secrets to make knitting life easier and better.  Find out how to cast on in 2-tail method without running out of the second tail.  Join a new skein of yarn or a new color without losing that first stitch.  See ways of attaching buttons as you work.  Create invisible circular bind offs on a neck where the beginning and end are absolutely imperceptible.  Weave in those little ends that are too short to put through a darning needle.  Take away lots of small “fix-its” and improve those details.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Feza Trunk Show

Just a reminder that the Feza Trunk Show is at Needle Nook through next Wednesday the 15th. These are fun art yarns and are often knit up quickly on large needles. The trunk show is a great chance to get ideas about how to use these tempting yarns.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

February Show and Tell

Our February meeting included a wonderful presentation by Susan Dingle on "edible" stitches -- things like brioche, raspberry, or wheat ears. Many of these stitches are interesting to make and produce unexpected textures that enliven your work, especially if you have grown too accustomed to stockinette, seed, and garter stitches. Pat O'Grady was working on a beautiful double-brioche project that was very appropriate to our presentation.

But ya'all are here for the show and tell. My apologies for not getting better photographs, but your humble blogger's camera battery decided to cut out.

Dr. Who Scarf -- inspired by last month's Tardis Socks.
Lacy grey cardigan

Red shawl that wraps in a lovely way.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Embellishments

AKG was very pleased and privileged to host Charles Gandy for a workshop on embellished knitting. Charles had two winning socks in the Think Outside the Sox contest. His book The Embellished Sock: Knitted Art for the Foot should be out later this spring.

This was our first workshop at the SEFAA Center. This is a nice space with very good lighting and plenty of parking. SEFAA's decorated buck was in one corner of the room, and a four-shaft floor loom was in another corner. In March there will be a pin-up show of assorted 12-inch by 12-inch blocks of fiber art. Already you can see this will be a good gathering space for the Atlanta area fiber community.

Charles is a delightful teacher. He is a Southern gentleman with down-home charm. He was able to show us many, many socks that will be in his book. All of them are whimsical works with witty names. In the course of three hours, Charles taught us several techniques. Some included embellishments that you make up first and then knit in as you go. Others you add on later. He showed us a beautiful picot cuff. And at the end of class, he taught us how to make finger cords, which are a fast and sturdy alternative to I-cords. Slick! We are lucky that Charles lives here in Georgia, as we hope to see more of him again. And we certainly expect to see some zany inventive knitting inspired from this workshop.