Albuquerque, NM - Village Wools

Tuesday, June 28th:

We spend almost all day at Village Wools in Albuquerque, NM. All that I can say is: "O-M-G!" when I entered into this yarn store. It is not only HUGE with lots of different rooms (weaving room, spinning room, dying room, two classrooms, etc.) but it is extremely well organized with tons of different yarns.


My most favorite yarn was the locally NM produced yarn where the photo and the name of the sheep is attached to the wool hank that it produced. The yarn is called Fibretales. 


The sheep live in the East Mountain area and in the four corners region of the southwest. The colorways are beautiful -- both hand-dyed and natural. Each skein is labeled with the name of the sheep who produced the yarn. including Merlin, Charlotte, Snow, Alice and Nate. The store currently has tweedy colors in purple, rose, indigo, green, mulberry, cranberry, grey, charcoal.


When we entered the store, we found an area set up for me to meet with knitters, introduce my patterns, give knitting tips, etc.

Isn't this a pretty welcoming display! Pictures of Cascade Yarn Patterns that I have had the honor to design and decorated with some lovely Cascade Yarns. :)

Yarns for Weaving

Bookstore Area

Play Area so Moms get to Yarn Shop in Peace

Lots of Yarn!

2000 square feet of YARN!!!

Aside from 2000 square feet of yarn, a beautiful library/book store, what blew me away were the weaving room, the classrooms and the yarn dying room!

Weaving Classroom

The store has two classrooms that can be combined into one or separated:

I got to meet all these lovely ladies -
Village Wools is going to hold a class that uses my "Lacy Butterflies Cowl" Pattern

Dying Room 

Okay, so I was blown away by the classrooms, weaving room and dying room (not to forget the spinning that goes on at Village Wools) ---- BUT my most FAVORITE place was actually the Baaaathroom:

Village Wools BAAAAthroom - one of the walls

Village Wools BAAAthroom

My favorite one:

"George! I TOLD you not to take a HOT BATH!"

While at Village Wools, I met a lady who also designs the most lovely lace shawls. Her name is Claudia Donnelly and she is mrsdonnelly on Ravelry.

You need to check out her pattern: Tameron on Ravelry or via Esty: Tameron

(c) MrsDonnelly Designs

Claudia is part of a group of very talented knitters who get together every Tuesday evening at Jason's Deli from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. We meant to join them, but by time we found a hotel to stay at, we were so exhausted that we just went to sleep for the night. But if you are in ABQ and can go to their knitting group, they are a welcoming group of fun knitters and crocheters!


Our afternoon yarn store visit to White Rock, NM was canceled because the wild fire evacuations in that town. Our most positive thoughts and prayers go out to all those who had to leave their homes.

Flagstaff, AZ Knitters

Monday evening, June 27th:


There is a super nice group of ladies in Flagstaff, AZ who get together on Wednesday evenings for knitting. However, since we were passing through Flagstaff on Monday, they met up with us outside of their regular meeting time.

We met at the Aquaplax in Flagstaff and enjoyed the great view of the mountains and pine trees while chatting and knitting. These ladies were great fun and we were sorry to have to leave because we still had to drive another 330 miles to Albuquerque, NM that evening.

Flagstaff, AZ - Purl in the Pines

Monday afternoon - June 27th:

We drove from Kingman, AZ to Flagstaff, AZ in the afternoon and had a chance to stop by Purl in the Pines, the only yarn store in the Flagstaff area.

Unfortunately, I was not able to connect with the yarn store owner in time to organize a workshop, thanks to SPAM mail folders (apparently that is where my emails had ended up).

Purls in the Pines is a really nice store with a wonderful selection of a great variety of yarns. The store carries a large selection of Cascade Yarns. I am not partial at all, I swear! :) But it was cool to see all the Cascade yarns that I have designed patterns for.

Some of my favorite Cascade yarns is the Ultra Pima yarn, for which I designed: The Miami Beach Shawl, The Rose Garden Shawl, and the Love Lace Leaf Yoke T-Shirt.

Another favorite Cascade yarn of mine that the store carries is Sierra, for which I designed the Sierra Summer Lace Wrap Cardigan.

And, not to forget the Venezia Yarn, which I used to design the Not Your Boyfriend's Sweater and the Top-Down Lace Panel T-Shirt.

In addition, the store has a great selection of Berroco yarn of which I really like the Remix Yarn because it is great yarn for men's sweaters. Also, the store has a nice section of Merino Lace Yarns that include Malabrigo and Lacey Lamb.

The store also carries lots of knitting bags, needles and accessories - of which one of my favorite were these dice stitch markers:

Kingman, AZ - The Spinster (continued)

Monday, June 27, 2011:

Our visit to The Spinster yarn shop, the owner and knitters we got to meet were awesome! The store is located in historic downtown Kingman within one mile of Interstate 40. 


We were greeted by Robin, the store owner, a really nice and welcoming lady, who is not only an expert knitter, but know about crochet, dying, spinning and weaving! When talking to her, you can hear the passion for fiber arts. The store has a really nice selection of varied yarns for any budget and a great selection of yarn related books. One of the things that really impressed me, aside from the Louet Euroflax selection (see previous blog entry), was the selection of lace yarn, especially the ones made of  silk and linen.  

For the Lacy Butterlies Cowl workshop, about 20 knitters came. These ladies are regulars at the shop which also has a nice knitting and teaching area in the back of the store. 

  
I really liked the ladies who came to the workshop. They were funny, friendly, amusing, and warm. I cannot wait to see the finished cowls! 

For anybody driving through Kingman, AZ on Interstate 40, this store is a MUST-STOP! 

White Rock, New Mexico

It is my understanding that White Rock has been evacuated because of a wild fire, which means that we cannot meet up with other knitters at Katie's wonderful yarn store, Warm Hands, Warm Hearts


We have booked a hotel in downtown ABQ for Tuesday night  and are going to visit some yarn stores in Santa Fe and/or ABQ in the afternoon.

If there are any knitters who would like to get together on Tuesday evening in ABQ or in Santa Fe, please let me know. We are free for knitting! :)

My email is sunfunliving@yahoo.com

Kingman, AZ - The Spinster

Monday, June 27th:

Yesterday afternoon, we arrived in Kingman, AZ. When I say we, I mean my friend Pia, my daughter Mishell and my little dog Buddy. Aside from Buddy, Pia and Mishell are avid knitters as well. 

We checked into the Ramblin Rose Motel (what a name!) and knit for a few hours, waiting for cooler evening temperatures. In the evening, we went to eat at a Mexican restaurant in downtown, but not before finding The Spinster yarn store where we will visit at 10 a.m. today. 

The store looks really nice from the outside. It looks like a lot of spinning and weaving takes place at The Spinster, in addition to knitting and crocheting. I could see a large selection of Louet Euroflax yarns through the window! 

Also, I was able to see the price tags and the prices of the yarn is $4 less than its commonly charged price in Los Angeles yarn stores. What a pleasant surprise! I am in love with this yarn. I have three patterns that can be knit in Euroflax and I have made one top in this yarn. Because it is linen, it feels like twine in your hands before it is knit. If you are a wool knitter and only want the wool texture, then you might have a difficult time adjusting to work with this 100% linen yarn. But, if you can "hang in there" and deal with the different texture, I promise you, the result will be soooo worth it! Once the garment has been washed, the 100% linen fabric is a dream! It has the most wonderful drape and it becomes soft! 

Above is a photo of the Sabrina A-Line Pullover (sleeveless version) that can be knit in the Euroflax yarn.

I want to knit another Hollywood Flair Tunic (sleeveless version) in the Euroflax yarn. 

Both are knit from the top down (love knitting that way), the difference is that the Hollywood Flair Tunic has a rounded neckline whereas the Sabrina A-Line Pullover has a v-neck shaping. Decisions, decisions.... 

As we were peeking into The Spinster's shop window, I also saw another yarn that I have been wanting to work with. So far, I have only been able to pet it in one of the Los Angeles yarn stores. It is the Louet MerLin Sport Weight yarn. It is 60% Linen and 40% Merino Wool yarn, so it is softer on the hands when you knit it. 

I cannot wait for it to be 10:00 a.m. (It is 6:00 a.m. right now.)

I will post shop photos and an update this evening.... :)

Kingman, AZ

We are in Kingman, AZ now after a short stop in Las Vegas, NV to see my daughter play her basketball game.

Here is a photo of my daughter in Vegas. I know this is not knitting related, but I am so proud of my baby girl!

Yarn Store Tour - Next Week!

I am so excited! I will be going on a yarn store tour next week! Maybe I will see one of you there?

I will be launching one of my coolest, newest patterns: Lacy Butterflies Cowl 
$5.50 (secure download & purchase through Paypal)

The lace pattern is double sided, which means that the pattern looks beautiful on both sides of the knitted fabric.

The cowl is knit in the round with a simple lace pattern that is even suitable for an advanced beginning knitter.

This gorgeous cowl will surely become one of your favorite accessory pieces!

Finished Measurements: 
Circumference – 56” & Height – 11”

The lace pattern is provided in chart and written out format.

Materials: Worsted or Aran Weight Yarn – 400 yards

1 set of US # 8 (5 mm) –32” circular needle or needle size to obtain gauge 
1 set of US #10 (6 mm) – straight, DPN or circular needle to bind off sts 
10 Stitch Markers
Tapestry Needle

Gauge: 16 sts/4” in stockinette stitch

Yarn Store Visit Schedule 

Monday, June 27th @ 10 a.m.

The Spinster

116 N 4th Street

Kingman, AZ         

www.spinsterinkingman.com

Tuesday, June 28th @ 10:00 a.m.


Village Wools
5916 Anaheim Ave NE
Albuquerque, NM
www.villagewools.com


Tuesday, June 28th @ 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Warm Hands, Warm Hearts

13 Sherwood Blvd

White Rock, NM

www.warmheartsyarn.com

Wednesday, June 29th @ 2 p.m.

The Yarn Store at Nob Hill

120 Amherst Drive NE

Albuquerque, NM 

www.theyarnstoreatnobhill.com/

Thursday, June 30th @ 2 p.m.

Fanciwerks

21810 Highway 18, Unit 2

Apple Valley, CA

www.fanciwerks.com

CAP LACE TANK TOP

The pattern is available now for $3.50 
(Secure transaction via Pay Pal)

This pattern is inspired by the summer tank top that was featured on 

Crazy Aunt Purl's Blog.

This tank top is a very fast knit with pretty results!

Sizes:

XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL)

32 (36, 38, 40, 44, 48)” finished garment chest measurement

Materials:

Gedifra – Amara (109 yards/skein) – 4 (4, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Berroco – Seduce (100 yards/skein) – 4 (4, 4, 5, 6, 7)

U.S. 10 (6 mm)  24” or 32” circular needle or size needle to get gauge

Stitch Marker

Tapestry Needle

Gauge:

16 sts = 4” in stockinette st.

12 sts = 4” in pattern

More photos:

Sabrina - A-Line Tunic/Pullover

The pattern is live now and available:  Sabrina A-Line Pullover is now live.
It has V-neck shaping, an sleeveless and sleeved option and an option to make a more dramatic A-line or a gradual A-line. I still need to get better photos...

 $5.50 (secure transaction through Paypal)


Sleeveless Option with gradual A-Line Increase:


Yarn: Euroflax Sport (100% Linen)

Sleeve Option with more dramatic A-Line Increase:


Yarn: Rowan Panama (Linen mix)

Sizes:

 XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL)

32 (36, 38, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56)” finished garment chest measurement

Materials:

Linen, Linen/Cotton/ Cotton-Acrylic, Cotton-Silk, Bamboo-blends Sport or DK Weight Yarn – 700 (750; 800; 850; 900; 1,000; 1,100; 1,200) yards

1 set of US #6 (4 mm) – 16” circular needles or needle size to obtain gauge

1 set of US #6 (4 mm) – 32” circular needles or needle size to obtain gauge

1 set of US # 7 (4.5 mm) – 16” circular needles or needle size to obtain gauge

1 set of US # 7 (4.5 mm) –32” circular needles or needle size to obtain gauge

Tapestry needle

Removable stitch marker (3 in color A, 3 in color B)

Stitch markers 

Scrap yarn for holding stitches or 2 spare circular needles for holding stitches

Gauge:

16 sts/4” & 22 rows/4” blocked

When working at a looser gauge, it is important to block the swatch.

Pattern Notes:

This tunic is worked from the top down in seamless construction. Two pattern options are provided, one with sleeves and one without sleeves. The sleeves are knit onto the armhole edging.

The pattern provides instructions two types of A-line increases. The first one provides a steady increase, the second one provides a more dramatic increase.

Lacy Tank Top Update

I am about half-finished with the Crazy Aunt Purl's Lace Tank Top... I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the photo... but I wanted to show some of the progress.

Swatching for the Summer Tank

I have started swatching for the Summer Tank that was featured on Crazy Aunt Purl's Blog.

www.crazyauntpurl.com

I have been playing with different yarns for a few days now and think that I have found a perfect yarn for this top. 

Berroco Seduce:  100 yards (91 meters) per skein

(47% Rayon, 25% Linen, 17% Silk, 11% Nylon)

published gauge - 20 sts/4" 

I am able to get a gauge of 11 sts/4" on size U.S. 10 (6mm) needles. 

Crazy Aunt Purl's Summer Sweater - Photos

Here is the sweater & a link to purchase the pattern:

This pattern is available for $5.50 USD

(Purchase is secure via PayPal)

This pattern includes two sets of instructions, one for top-down, seamless construction and the second for bottom-up, seamed construction - you choose which way you would like to knit this summer sweater.

Yarn Note: This sweater is worked in Sport or DK weight yarn at a looser gauge than the yarn calls for. This creates a nice and sheer fabric which is perfect for summer. Many different yarns can work for this sweater, but for best results use a yarn that has some silk, hemp, linen or acrylic with cotton.

Please feel free to join the Knit Along Group here on Ravelry:

Crazy Aunt Purl’s Summer Sweater KAL

Sizes:

XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL)

32 (36, 38, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56)” finished garment chest measurement

Materials:

Linen/Cotton/ Cotton-Acrylic, Cotton-Silk, Bamboo-blends Sport or DK Weight Yarn – 700 (750; 800; 850; 900; 1,000; 1,100; 1,200) yards

Needle Size: U.S. 6 (4 mm) or needles to get gauge

Gauge: 16 sts/4"

Version #1: Top-Down Seamless Construction

This sweater is worked from the top down in seamless construction, with set-in sleeves that are knit onto the armhole edging.

Version #2: Traditional Bottom-up Seamed Construction

This construction follows the conventional construction of knitting the sweater’s back, then knitting the front and the two sleeves separately from the bottom up. Once all four pieces are knit, they are sewn together to make the sweater.

Neckline: The sweater looks cute with an unfinished neckline, however instructions are included how to knit a neckline ribbing finish.

Here are some photos of the finished sweater: 

 Keep in mind that I am using a “mannequin” that is a size S and I knit a XL, so the V-Neck looks a bit larger than it will look like in "real life". 

I left my sweater’s neckline unfinished. I am thinking about crocheting a slip stitch around the neckline because I like this look or I might just leave it unfinished.

Me wearing the sweater this morning: