Yarn Sale Follow-Up

The One Day Only Huge Yarn Sale was a success! But success is a tricky thing, and for the sweet lady with all the yarn, true success will be won when she no longer has bags of yarn to pack up and take home.

I know we've all been to yard sales and estate sales and even yarn sales where the merchandise was just thrown about and pricing was confused or non-existent and the people working the sale were less than helpful. THIS was NOT one of those times! The yarn was organized and easy to look through (and there was a lot of it!), the prices were clearly marked, fair, and negotiable, and Linda and Amy are two of the nicest ladies you'll ever meet. We came, we shopped, we sat and knit, and it was a lovely experience, dampened only by my own lack of funds to buy MORE yarn! Well, that and the thought of where in the world would I put it all.

We got to talking at the yarn sale and agreed that July is a month for vacation for a lot of folks and maybe, just maybe, more yarnies would be available in another month or two to make it worth setting up the yarn sale for a second go-round. So, for those of you who missed it the first time, and for those of us who would like to set aside a little more $$ for the next time to get more Noro Kureyon (heh, heh), I just wanted to say....STAY TUNED!

The price of yarn is going up at our favorite retail and online sources, so in order to keep the hobby going full steam, whether it be knitting or crochet, we're going to have to get creative. Let's be honest, though, there's only so long that any of us can knit solely from stash.

So watch this blog, check the Facebook page, keep an eye on the South Carolina Knitter's group on Ravelry...and as soon as I know something concrete (like a date, time and place!), I will spread the word!

More Yarn Sale Info...

We are now one week away from The HUGE Yarn Sale!! Linda, the lady holding the sale, sent me a list of most of the yarns that she will be selling, as well as some of the needles available. Because it's so astounding, I wanted to share it with you (because who doesn't want to share an astounding list of yarn??).

The yarn listing starts with #3 and goes through #375. Each number refers to one yarn. Not always one skein, though; #75, for example is 64 skeins of Berroco Sensu Wool, black, dye lot 42. Yes, you read that right--64 skeins. Do you like Cascade 220? There are 15 skeins of Colonial Blue Heather listed at #8. Here are some more random numbers, just to give you an idea:

#26: Jaeger Matchmaker 100% Merino Wool in Cherry, dye lot 0656--10 skeins

#103: Brown Sheep Co. Nature Spun, 100 % wool, Pepper--5 skeins

#216: Schachenmay Nomatta Mohana, 35% Cot 35% Polymide 15% Kid Mo 15% Wool, Maroon-10 skeins

#349: Regia Mini Rengel Color, 75% wool 25% Polyaminde , Green/brown/white--3 skeins

I counted 27 different Noro yarns, averaging 10 skeins per color. There are 20 skeins of Rowan that I'm hoping is a color I love, plus yarns by Sirdar, Manos del Uraguay, Tahki, Mountain Colors, Plymouth, Trekking, Lang, and more.

So what's the big deal? So this lady in St. George has a ton of yarn, so what? Well, my friends, the big deal is this: She wants to get rid of this ton of yarn and she's hoping that you will come help her out. Hence the One Day Only Huge Yarn Sale or ODOHYS, if you prefer.

Pricing? All yarns will be at least 40% off retail prices, with the vast majority 50% off retail. They come from a smoke-free, pet-free home, and they want to come to your home and grow up someday to be something fabulous.

AND DID I MENTION THE NEEDLES???

Crystal Palace, The Noble Needle, Addi, Boye, Inox, Clover....straight, double-pointed, circular....wood, metal, bamboo, Ebony, Rosewood, Birch....US sizes 0 to 17.

Bring cash, 'cause you're gonna want to stock up!!

Time for a Holiday

In observance of the Independence Day holiday, Monday Morning Knitters will NOT meet on July 4, 2011.

Join us the next week, July 11, 2011 and we can talk about possibly carpooling to the huge yarn sale on 16th! We will continue to meet throughout the summer at the Atlanta Bread near CSU from 10-11:30 am on Mondays. It's fun and you don't even have to knit to join us :)

HUGE Yarn Sale!

Private Collection Yarn Sale!!
One day only----> July 16th 10:30am-1:30pm

Sale will be held at Memorial Baptist Church
101 May Street , Saint George, SC 29477
By Linda Shook 843-636-4067

Directions:

From Charleston take I-26 to exit 172-A aprox. 30 miles to

(US 15 South) go 8.3 miles go to 2nd light, turn right, go 1 block to stop sign, turn left. You will see the church.



Sale includes-

All types of yarn, variety of knitting
needles, patterns and books

Over 300 large zip-lock bags of yarn—includes some
handspun and hand dyed by Mountain Colors and
Bovide Farms—Sunsu Wool & Smart Cotton by Berroco—Lots of sock yarn—Kid Mohair

Knitting needles- bamboo, birch,
ebony, metal
Circular, single point and double point

Rockin Sockin Knitting!

Sock Knitting Workshop #1 is now history! It was so much fun. I truly love teaching people to knit, and since socks are one of my favorite things to knit, it was extra special! I had a particularly talented class for my first foray into sock instruction....I think I am now spoiled. If they had half the fun I had, then they had a blast!

All this talk of sock knitting has me thinking about sock yarn and needles. Although there are many ways to knit socks, the class was for a cuff-down sock on double-pointed needles (aka "dpns"). After many years of trial and error in sock knitting, including knitting 2-at-a-time on one long circular needle and knitting one at a time on one very short (9") circular needle, I have decided that my favoritest way is with dpns. And my favoritest dpns are

Hiya Hiya bamboo, preferably at least 6" long. My only regret is that I didn't discover the Hiya Hiyas until after I'd already acquired several sets of Clover bamboo. Nothing wrong with Clover, but Hiya Hiya is my new bff.

There are a million and one sock yarns out there, too, especially when you consider that, technically, you can knit socks with ANY yarn. I have a strong fondness, however, for Regia and Berroco. The Patons Kroy Socks I got from (gasp) the **craft store** was surprisingly nice to work with for such an inexpensive yarn. I have yet to wash it, so I don't know anything about the longevity factor. Yet.

Now I will be knitting...other things....including an exciting knit-along with my daughter and a wonderful friend who supplied all the yarn (don't you love a friend who knits AND supplies you with yarn??), yet another Red Scarf Project scarf (red) and some odds and ends that are going to be Christmas gifts so I can't tell you about them!

And I will be counting down the days till Sock Workshop #2 begins...July 12-14. Details here. Are you in?

Stitch in Public--tomorrow!!

Tomorrow is the official date of World Wide Knit in Public Day. If you're in the area, feel free to join us at the Charleston Museum, details here. Please keep in mind that Cupcake IS within walking distance. You've been warned.

And if you can't join us, find some place, some where to knit in public. Or crochet, or spin or tat or weave, or even sew. Do your bit to bring fiber art out into the open. Don't be that selfish fiber enthusiast who refuses to share what you do and how to do it with others. You know your mama raised you better than that.

This is our chance, on an official date every year, to preserve for posterity what our ancestors took for granted--that the ability to do things with string and fabric would be passed down to the next generation. My casual poll of knitters showed that less than 50% were taught the craft by an older relative. Probably more like 30%. So that means that about 70% of all knitters were taught by someone like you and me; someone who knit and taught that skill to a friend or coworker or colleague. This tells me one important thing: If we don't keep it up, then 70% of all future knitters will never know the joy of taking sticks and string and turning them into something wonderful. Nope. They will no doubt instead be sitting around, years from now, unfulfilled, unhappy and unproductive. And who's fault will it be? Yours and mine, because we did not shoulder our responsibility and pass along to others what we know.

And if you can't do it tomorrow, keep the spirit of Knit in Public Day alive all year. Take your knitting with you when you're out and about. Knit proud, knit boldly and find someone to teach it to. It's your duty as a knitter.

Memorial Day 2011

On Memorial Day we remember those who gave their lives in service to our country. One of the ways to remember, according to usmemorialday.org, is "by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans."

Being an amateur historian as well as a knitter, I look for ways to combine my love of history with my love of knitting whenever I can. The National WWII Museum has a program that does this and does it well. Knit Your Bit provides scarf patterns for knitters (and crocheters) and then distributes the scarves to Veterans Administration Centers nationwide, a tangible, yet small, way to say thank you to those who have served our country.

Knitting Events at the Charleston Museum

The Charleston Museum is sponsoring two great events on World Wide Knit in Public Day. In addition to the group knitting time in the courtyard, 10am-1pm, check these out:

Textile Workshop Series: Mid-19th Century Knitted Mitts

June 11, 2011

9:30-12:30

$30 for members and $35 for non-members

~~and~~

Curator-Led Tour: Knitted and Crocheted Collection

June 11, 2011

11:00 am

Free for museum members and free with admission ($10/adults, $5/kids, under 3 free)

World Wide Knit in Public Day

We are excited to announce that KnitOasis is partnering this year with the Charleston Museum for World Wide Knit in Public Day! The Museum has a day full of fun knitting activities planned, in fact, with more on the horizon to come.

Knit in Public Day details:

Date: June 11, 2011
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: The Charleston Museum
Address: 360 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC

Price: FREE for Museum members and FREE with admission ($10/adults, $5/children, under 3 free)

World Wide Knit in Public Day is celebrated, well, World Wide! Since 2005, knitters (and crocheters) have been finding public areas to congregate and share the fibery fun with each other while taking some of the mystique out of making things with sticks and string. A lot of us knit at home alone much of the time, and this is a great way to get to know other knitters in our communities.

So join us for the largest knitter-run event in the world--you'll make progress on your latest project, get some fresh air (weather permitting!) and make new friends, too.

For more info, email me at knitoasis@gmail.com, click on the links above to the Museum or World Wide Knit in Public Day, or email the Museum at rchesser@charlestonmuseum.org.

What to do when knitting goes wrong...

One of the hardest things I've had to learn to do as a knitter is to fix my mistakes. If you knit for any length of time you'll realize that mistakes in knitting, as in life, happen. Some are harder to fix than others, and some can be left in and called a pattern adjustment. Hey, don't judge.

So what do you do when you find yourself in a knitting pickle and there's no one around to ask for help? Here are a few resources that have saved my knitting and my sanity on more than one occasion:

KnittingHelp.com
When I first started knitting, it was this site that I turned to most for clear, easy to understand videos showing techniques from casting on to binding off and every step in between.

The Knitting Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face: Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask
In this case, go ahead and judge the book by the title!

KnitPicks Tutorials
Love the store, love the site, love the tutorials!

I know knitters who have had great success finding how-to videos on YouTube, and of course you can always Google your problem and see what comes up. Sometimes a knitting friend far away can answer your questions via email or Facebook--or you can always post a question on our Facebook site (KnitOasis) and we'll try to help out anyway we can.

How about you? Have you got a tried and true resource to help you over the rough patches in your knitting?