Lil' Peanut Family

Hi, All.

We have some cuteness that you may have noticed frolicking next to the register all summer - the Lil' Peanut Family. They are little dolls whose shapes are blank slates for your imagination or the imagination of a child you love.

You can make a whole family of them in different shades and sizes. All of my kids from 12 to 2 love playing with them. If you can make it to class, I have one of my favorite tales to share about the first time that my 5 year old played with one as an infant.

This toy class is starting tomorrow, Tuesday, August 6...so, much fun in store. (2 session class, Aug. 6 and 20, 6-8pm)

Happy Needling and playtime,
Anne

Barndom (Shawl) Raised!

I just put up my sample of Steven West's Barndom.
Are you enjoying a staycation this summer? Are you looking for an engaging retreat? Then, knit this shawl. Join us starting this Friday, July 26 @ 6:00pm (and Aug. 9, 23, & Sept. 6). Two or three colors of fingering weight yarn and the company of other great knitters; sounds like a perfect series of evenings.

Traveling Knitter Works Out the Clues

I did miss posting last week as I was in the midst of a 15 hour drive to the Oregon coast when I would have normally been composing my paragraphs. (This story is a true cover for the fact that I still had 2 repeats of Clue 4's chart C when we departed.)

I was very happy, after the 48 rows included in clue 4, to enjoy the simplicity of the 12 rows in clue 5's chart D.

As for Clue 6, be sure that you have the most updated version of chart E (emailed on Monday morning). Are you having any trouble deciding if you should do E and F or just F? Later in the week I will update you on how to figure the percent of yarn that you have to the percentage of shawl completed or left to do. Basically, you add up the total stitches of the completed rows and the completed shawl and compare what percentage of the whole total of stitches in the shawl. I have 39g of yarn left before choosing an edging. If I wanted to do both charts, then I would have to have completed 61% of the total stitches and have 39% (or less) of that total ahead of me.

Here we are at the very cloudy shore line of Lincoln City, Oregon. The children squished Kevin's sand castles 

This beach is the sunny offering from the Coos Bay area. I still had 3 rows of the last repeat of chart C to do.

Finally, finished with all of the repeats of chart C and the easy work of chart D.

Above and below, I am still celebrating having caught up on all of the published clues to that point.

Happy Needling,

Anne

Quick Projects for the Fourth of July!

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, one of my favorite holidays! I thought it would be fun to share with you guys a few cute and FAST patterns that you can knit and crochet up before tomorrow! I search around on Ravelry and here's what I found!

For you crocheters:

The "Americana Summer Scarf" - how cute is this? I bet it crochets up SUPER quick, and it would look so cute over your patriotic flag tee!

Another crocheted one for you:

These "Folk Art Americana Appliques" are so cute and small, you could whip up a bunch, decorate the whole family!

If it gets chilly during your celebration:

The "4th of July Hat" is perfect! I love the way the decreases on the crown form a little star!

For your little super hero:

The "Captain America!" crocheted helmet is awesome! Who's more patriotic than Capt America?? If you want to get crazy, you could make the sheild, too!

I hope you all have a fun and safe 4th of July!

Yarnbombing for Charity

Hey everyone! We here at Anacapa Fine Yarns were recently contacted by an organization called "Knitting in Recovery", who are asking for help with a project for the upcoming Ventura ArtWalk, July 20th and 21st. Turning Point Foundation. Below is a quote from One Stitch at a Time - Knitting in Recovery's Facebook Page:

What they are doing is taking 12"x12" knit or crocheted squares, and decorating a fence with them in any and all bright colors. After the artwalk, the squares will be taken down, washed, and joined together into blankets that will be donated the the

"CALLING ALL KNITTERS and CROCHETERS in VENTURA COUNTY for COMMUNITY ART PROJECT, BENEFITING our HOMELESS!

Michele Chapin of Stoneworks Studio and Gallery has invited us to decorate and "YarnBomb" the outside of her venue for the upcoming Ventura ArtWalk July 20 and 21......for a Purpose!

We need 12x12 inch knitted and crocheted squares in bright colors. Deadline for finished squares is Friday July 12th. We will be doing the Art Installment Monday July15th.
After the ArtWalk is over we will take down the squares and crochet them together for blankets we donate to the homeless in our community through Turning Point Foundation.

Please continue to visit our Page "One Stitch at Time - Knitting in Recovery" for continuous information on this project and for different locations to drop off the squares."

If you are a knitter or crocheter and are interested in joining in on this great projects, please visit the "One Stitch at a Time" Facebook Page.You can drop of donation squares here at Anacapa Fine Yarns before Friday, July 12th.

More Mystery Has Been Solved

This shawl pattern is the place for building your visual stitch literacy. The 6 row and 6 stitch repeat with their shift following each repeat are a great place to keep your eyes peeled for how things are supposed to line up. That shift does make using markers in this pattern challenging. Thanks to fellow knitter, Jenn Almy (who is fully up to date and fin with clue 3),  I placed markers to mark the edge and the center stitches. I decided not to place them for the 6 st. repeats, but you could place them as you work row 1 and then remove them as you work row 6.

For the sake of full disclosure, I am only half way done with this clue. I believe that Lois is in about the same place. Terry says she is just a row or two away from finishing off. If you see Karin at the store this weekend, ask her how she is doing.

Lydia Hawley rocked this week and fully finished the clue 3 work.

Lynn Olson showed me her progress as of Sunday morning, less than 24 hours since the clue was released. I am in love with the yarn protector that a midwife employs, a sweet little newborn cap.

And, here is mine, late Friday afternoon, the first moment this week that I had time to take a look at the work ahead. Before I began the new section, I placed a lifeline and continued to place them following every repeat of 6 rows, making it easier to keep count of the 8 repeats of chart B.

Happy Needling,

Anne

P.S. Please feel free to share you progress pics here in the comments or email them to us to share on your behalf. Thanks!

So, The Mystery Unfolds

We received a beautiful new yarn from Kelbourne Woolen, Meadow. They are introducing this lace weight yarn to the world through a mystery shawl KAL. It only takes one skein of this beauty. The pattern is $3.50 during the time period that the clues are being released. You can buy the pattern directly on Ravelry or in the store when you come in to pick your yarn. The first clue was released last Saturday, June 15. It was super quick. So, you can easily catch up this weekend, armed with both clue 1 and clue 2.

Many of us swatched to make sure that we were on gauge. Starting with the largest swatch  and going clockwise, you are seeing Lois, mine, Terry, and Karin.

This swatch and seedling are Terry's beginnings. She chose Bergamot.

Fellow knitter, Jenn Almy, finished on last Saturday, hours after the clue was released. She chose Larkspur.

My clue 1 work was finished on Monday morning. I, too, chose Larkspur.

This shawl beginning belongs to the excellent knitter, Marsha Meeker. She chose Genetian Violet (so did Karin).

We have lots of knitters participating in this knit along. If you are doing it, please post a pic in the comments section here, email us your pics, or post it on our Ravelry thread. If you can stand doing all three, then please do!!! Keep checking back as we share this experience. Tips and opinions are sure to flow readily.

Happy Needling,

Anne