Countdown to Knitmas: Day 14

Here are some handy tools that help well you are choosing your yarns for those last few projects in these last few days before the 25th. These tools will likely be useful as you plan your projects for the New Year and beyond as well.

This calculator will help you to figure out what to change if your gauge doesn't match the pattern's gauge.



This detailed worksheet will help you plan for the exact amount of yarn you need to make a sweater to certain dimensions.

Happy Needling,
Anne

Countdown to Knitmas - Day 13

With the big day getting closer and closer, I thought I'd share with you all some ideas I found on Pinterest for gifty or decorative things you can make with your big stash of yarn (I know you have one!) that aren't necessarily knitted or crocheted!

Make a Surprise Ball!

A cute (and slightly annoying!) way to wrap little items! Instructions here.

Yarn Wrapped Ombre Monogrammed Letter:

Pick out a couple colors of yarn that go together and wrap them around a big wooden letter (you can find these at most craft shops). Get the DIY here.

Pom Pom Flower Arrangement:

I think this is so cute! You all probably know how I feel about Pom Poms, and this is such a cute excuse to make some up. Here's the tutorial.

Braided Yarn Scarf

For a quick gift, braid up this adorable circular scarf! It's sure to be a stashbuster. Tutorial here.

No-Knit Scarf:

I think this is a pretty cool idea; you cut yarn in the length you want your scarf to be, and run it through your sewing machine at different intervals to stitch it together. Fast and easy! Click here to see how it's done.

Pom Pom Pens:

MORE POM POMS! Wrap some yarn around a pen and top it with a pom pom, cute and quick stocking stuffers! Learn more here.

Yarn Wrapped Pipe Cleaners:

Create some wall art by wrapping leftover bits of yarn around pipe cleaners. Tutorial here.

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 12

 As we make gifts for our loved ones, choosing the right color can be a great challenge. It is nice to have some guideline. I like to default to declarations made by Pantone.

The Pantone color of the year for 2015 is Marsala (PANTONE 18-1438). It is a lovely burgundy that leans toward the purple/brown side of that hue. I am thrilled because that is a great color for me (and I think many others). It is a color that can appear rich and feminine as well as refined and masculine.

Color of the Year 2015

Color Forecast for 2015

I left this selection of colors in the Marsala family on the table in the shop. Coe see for your self or share your interpretations of this color.

If you want to read more about this color choice - 

1. Pantone Color of the Year - page 1, page 2, and page 3

2. A closer examination 

3. Some pretty fashion items to go with your knits

4. A Dissenting Voice

Happy Needling,
Anne

Countdown to Knitmas - Day 11

For any of your who missed out Holiday Party this past weekend, I want to share with you some fun pictures from our Handmade Ornament Exchange!

We also raised over $400 for Foodshare thanks to your help, and Anacapa Fine Yarns will be matching that donation. Thank you so much to everyone who donated canned goods too!

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 10

We are all rushing to finish our holiday knits as the days fly by. With speed, problems can arise. We love the chance to set a yarn problem straight. Sometimes, you bring us easy problems that we quickly fix. Sometimes, you bring us problems that take a little head scratching and strategy making. Sometimes, you bring us problems that we recommend you look away while we conduct knitting surgery.

I had an instance while knitting my Hitofude Sweater that required some intensive knitting surgery. I had knitted to where the yarn was so thin that it was certain to break any second, and, then, I didn't notice that perilous state until I was about six rows above it. I tried a couple of things before admitting that I need to drop down those six rows, break the yarn at the thin spot, and reknit the effected stitches with some good yarn. I executed this surgery in a quiet spot with no one around, my full attention available to this fix. It went swimmingly; the ends from the thin spot dangled and the new yarn lengthy reworked back into the stitch pattern. All four ends were woven in safe and sound and no one would know if I were not revealing this happening to you now.

The broken yarn

The stitches post drop and reknit with new yarn

Healed, no scars

If you wold like to know more about serious knitting surgery, you can learn more From Romi Hil at her beautiful blog in this post.

Happy Needling,

Anne

Countdown to Knitmas - Day 9

Today I want to share with you all a few hats that our brave leader Lois knit this Holiday season. They turned out so nice, and I'm sure any guy (or girl) on your gift list would be happy to receive one!

The pattern is called "Antler" and it's designed by one of my favorite designers, Tin Can Knits. Lois knit her two hats in Madelinetosh Vintage, a beautiful squishy merino wool hand-dyed in the most gorgeous colorways! I love these hats and want to make one for myself! If you want to make one, swing by the shop and we will get you all set up, and I want to see a picture when it is finished.

Happy Gift Knitting!

-Kaity

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 8

Instant Gratification. We all enjoy this experience when we can find it. I want to share some knitted Instant Gratification with you.

Dana Gervais has a hit hat pattern by that name winning the hearts and needles of knitters on Ravelry. This quick hat is the perfect pattern to whip out finished objects in delicious soft yarns like my favorite Misti Alpaca Chunky. You can purchase this pattern in the store when you come in to pick your yarn or you can buy it directly from Ravelry. Either way, it gets beamed right into your Ravelry library. (If you are not sure how that all works, Kaity is teaching Ravelry 101 on Saturday, Dec. 13 @ 4pm.)

Instant Gratification could be that go to quick, gift pattern of 2014.

 



Here are two other fun patterns that looked like good gifts when I searched by this pattern's name.
1. Instant Gratification Scarf by Cyn
2. Instant gratification Laptop Cozy by Carmen Ferrerra

Happy Needling,
Anne