Sarah Jane’s Yarn Shoppe

At some point in everyknitters life they have a project that needs to be done tomorrow.  Here are just a few project at the shoppe that I recommend.

Polarknit is a chunky weight, machine washable yarn.  All the patterns are free downloads from their website.  Check out polarknit.com

Marshmallow yarn is fun to knit with and you can complet a scarf in two hours!

The pattern calls for Berocco Peruvia, but you could use your stash to whip up these adorable snowmen.  This would make a wonderful hostess gift!

It only takes a single skein of Brown Sheep Burly to make this Boa.  I added some Plymouth Whisper to give it a little glitz.

We have many different fingerless mitt patterns in the shoppe.  My personal favorite is the IU glove, but sadly, I also have a Purdue pattern available.

Time passes so quickly, it is hard to believe that the girls are back for another sleepover at the Yarn Shoppe.  I always refer to these as “yarnovers”.  As always the store samples are a big hit, it’s not hard to put lots of wool on in August,  you know Sally likes the shoppe really cold!

When I saw the shawl on the front of Vogue Knitting’s Summer issue I thought it was very pretty, but when I looked at the pattern I knew I had to make it.

The shawl is made in a complete circle and yesterday I finished the inner circle of the pattern.  The pattern had a mistake, but for the most part was pretty straight forward.

I’m making mine out of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, it’s great to work with and I’m right on with my gauge.  Hopefully today I will start on the next part so I can work on it at the Knit In on Friday.

Last week I had the opportunity to go see Earth Wind & Fire in Mississippi.  This isn’t a picture from the concert I was at, but it is definitely the same feel.  I just want to encourage everyone to throw on the band’s greatest hits while you are knitting – I guarantee your fingers will start moving faster!

Like most knitters, I have a lot of yarn.  I hoard it like gold, but I’m not really sure why.  When I went through some of my yarn last week, I realized that I save everything – no leftover amount of yarn is too small, no strange ugly acrylic that someone’s grandma gave me is worthy of getting rid of, no unfinished project with actual hate knit in every stitch leaves my stash.

This week two great things happened to me.  First of all I took the first of the Puppets class at the shop.  I learned some wonderful tricks and was amazed at Elisa’s creativity in using up scrap yarn.  Secondly, someone brought in a few of the projects that the Bermese refugees are knitting.  They have been using donated yarns to create some really nice items that they are selling.

The next time I go through my piles of yarn in ziplock bags I will have a little different perspective.  I am anxious to go crazy with the puppet making, and I pray that I can pry my fingers off the rest of it and start donating.

This past Friday night was the Knit In at the shop.  I was feeling a big crowd, so I set up an additional table.  Good thing I did, 48 people showed up!  We had a knitter come in from Ohio, as well as a couple of lovely ladies from Huntington.

It certainly looks like Jodi was having a good time.  I can’t believe she stood up, those are the most comfortable seats, she surely wouldn’t want to give it up.

The people who sit by the fireplace are always the one’s who stay the longest, I think it is because I can sleep on the couch next to them.  Notice I replaced the “Princess Table” with the “Penguin Tea Party Table” in the baby hat area.  Don’t dispair if you are a fan of the “Princess Table”, I moved it to the front of the store.

These people like to sit near the front so they can be closer to the snacks, obviously that is where my seat is!

Thanks to one and all who came.  Next month we are moving the Knit In to the third Friday, because the second is Good Friday.  I think I have devised a plan to add more seating, so please bring a friend!

Yesterday my son, Max, had to stay home from school because he was sick.  In case anyone is worried about his health, please refer to the picture below.  He seems to have stuggled through the day, and needless to say, he is at school today!

Last week I was in El Paso, Texas visiting my sister.  While I was there we went and visited Rocketbuster Boots. 

Originally we went there to see the worlds largest pair of cowboy boots.  The boots are five feet tall and beautifully made.  Go to their website site and check out the story of the boots, rocketbuster.com

The real story at Rocketbuster is the custom boots they make.  Each pair is made by hand specifically to fit a person’s foot.  While we were there they were working on a pair of boots for someone who had an average size ankle, but a pretty big calf.  I know we have had several people making socks who had the same problem!  My sister and I not only had a chance to meet with the owner, who was lovely, but also with a couple of the other creaters of these spectacular boots.

Taylor and Gabe were placing real crystals onto a pair of boots while we were there, the boots cost somewhere around $3500. You can also see Taylor’s boots off the the left, they are handpainted.  Once again I encourage you to check out their website, the boots are unbelievable works of art, rocketbuster.com.  Wouldn’t it be great to have a custom pair of boots made with a sparkling ball of yarn on them, or maybe a skein of handpainted yarn!

A couple of weeks ago I decided to make matching hats for my husband and his three friends to wear on their annual ski trip.  While deciding what to make a lovely customer named Star came in and showed me her Rasta Hat that she saw on an episode of Knitty Gritty.  I fell in love with the hat and decided to make one for all the boys.  Over the next week the hats evolved and became even better.  I have already made one for my daughter as well.

For both of these hats I used Mirasol Sulka for the brim, because it is warm but not itchy at all.  On Flemming’s dreadlocks I combined Loft self striping yarn with some Mountain Colors Mohair, they have a very definite dreadlock look.  Sophie’s top looks a little more like a mop, it is made from Nikki, a thick and thin yarn from Cascade.  The hats were fun to make, and a big hit on the ski slopes!!

The boys said they had a lot of comments while swooshing through New York.  I used Noro Niji held with a strand of Ella Rae worsted for the hats beside’s Flemming’s.

Many of you know that my husband and I went to Cabo for our fifteenth aniversary a couple of weeks ago.  We left the kids behind with their wonderful grandparents, we also left Fort Wayne and the yarn shop without a single knitting needle, crochet hook, or skein of yarn.  Instead of hooking yarn, we hooked fish! 

This is a picture of the fish I caught.  No, that is not my husband, it is Pilo, the captain of our boat.

As soon as we got off the boat, we walked across the dock to this restaurant.  They cooked the fish for us for lunch – that is what I call “Fresh Catch”.  Sometimes it is good to leave the needles behind, I came back ready to get serious about my Christmas knitting.  Stop into the shop to get some ideas for quick knit projects for the holidays, but hurry because my tan is fading fast!