Knitting on a Spring Day

Vilma displaying her Reversible Cabled Scarf knit with Cascade 220.

Summer Hours at Knit One North

 Knit One North will be moving to Summer Hours

Starting Friday, May 1st

Tuesday - Friday 11am-3pm

Saturday 10am-4pm

Helmet Liners

Knit One is now collecting Helmet Liners for our military personnel.  They must be made with 100% wool.   Only black, charcoal, brown, tan, gray or combinations of these colors are allowed by our Armed Forces. Find the pattern at http://www.citizensam.org/. 

Spinning at Knit One

This past Saturday was the Free Spinning group at Knit One in Squirrel Hill.  Several women stopped by to watch Nora spin with her spinning wheel and Connie spin on her drop spindle.  Every 3rd Saturday Nora hosts a Spinning group and demonstration starting at noon.  She is available for a class from 1 - 3pm.  Call 412-421-6666  to sign up for her class.

The 2nd Sunday of the month Nora hosts a Free Spinning Group at Knit One North.

Both groups are open to spinners of all levels.  

Today's Quote

Where there is life, there is hope. - Talmud

Happenings at Squirrel Hill

Linda (left) and Dr. Stacey (right), the owner of Knit One, 

relax and sit and knit on a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Flo receives her Race for a Cure garb. 

 Knit One takes all the donated Chemo Cap to the Race for the Cure for women undergoing chemotherapy to pick out a free chemo cap.

Vivian is busy straightening.  

Today's Quote

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.  - Albert Einstein

Knitting New Health Remedy

You always knew knitting helped you.  Now there is scientific research that shows that knitting improves your memory, reduces depression, and lessens stress. Watch the video http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4917058n

New Classes and Group at Knit One North

Saturday Morning Kids Knit with Isobel

Every other Saturday starting April 18, 2009.  (10-11am)

Learn basic knitting skills while working on a project.

Ages 8 -12 years old

$10 per child for one-hour group

Cabled Vest for Beginning Cable Knitters with Heidi

Wednesday, April 15, 2009. (12:30-3:30pm)

This is a quick knit project for yourself or a teenage girl you love.

Skills you will learn:
Using a cable needle, reading a cable chart, reading your knitting, ease, shaping.

Necessary skills for this class:
Comfort with both knitting and purling, provisional cast on, or Judy's Magic Cast-on.

$40 for 3-hour session

Mitered Squares with Connie

Saturday, April 25, 2009 (10am-noon)

Learn to make mitered squares. After you learn to make these you can join them together to make a variety of accessories.

You must know how to cast-on, knit, purl and slip.

Advanced beginners and above.

Materials required:

Size 6 needles, small amounts of 2 -5 colors of worsted weight yarn (a perfect change to use up stash yarn)

$25 for two-hour session

Crocheted Necklace with Connie. 

Saturday, May 16, 2009, (10am-noon)

Crochet a necklace to wear with your summer tops. You need to know how to chain, single crochet and double crochet.

Materials required:

Crochet hook size F. Worsted weight yarn (less than 100 yards) The shop sample was crocheted in Corntastic.

Print a free copy of the pattern off the internet.
http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/ponte_vecchio/ponte_vecchio.html

$25 for two-hour session

Sock Knitting Club

When you've got a fever for sock knitting, the only cure is MORE sock knitting!

Sock knitting is all the rage at Knit One North and we would like to invite you to join us so you can catch the bug as well!

Enjoy 15% off your sock yarn and needles purchase the first time you attend.

Sundays Noon-3:30pm
Tuesdays 10am-noon

Knit One Happenings...

Isobel is offering a Trellis Lace Capelet class at Knit One North. Wednesdays April 15th and April 22nd (1-3pm)

Clare stopped by Knit One North to drop off a bag of knit Chemo Caps.  Thank you, Clare!  Both stores are always accepting Chemo Caps crocheted or knit with very soft yarn.  Adult and children sizes are needed.

Vilma (left) and Darlene (right) joined other knitters at Knit One North this weekend. 

Today's Quote

If you can't get a compliment any other way, pay yourself one.   - Mark Twain

The Jogless Jog

When knitting in the round with more than one color of yarn you will notice that there is a jog in the knitting at the beginning of the round when you change colors.  This happens when doing Fair Isle and Striping.  

To avoid this jog, knit with the first color in the normal fashion.  Knit the first row of the next color.  When you come back around to your stitch marker marking the beginning of the round, one stitch past the stitch marker: 

Insert the right needle into the stitch below.

Lift the stitch from below up onto the left needle.

Knit the two stitches together.

The jog is virtually seamless.

Knit the following rows normal. Then repeat these steps each time you change colors.

The change of colors gets shifted one stitch to the left each time you change colors.  

Today's Quote

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.  Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with  love, grace and gratitude. - Denis Waitley

Tuesday Afternoon Knitting at Knit One North

Mary (left) stops in at Knit One North to get help from Jude (right) with the scarf she is knitting from Mason-Dixon Knitting:  The Curious Knitter's Guide.   

Are you stuck on a knitting project?  Something that will take just a few minutes?  Stop in and we'll be glad to help you.  If it will take more than 10 mintues, we ask that you sign up for a class.

Heather (left) is taking a Beginning Knitting class with Dawne (right), the manager of Knit One North.  She is knitting her first washcloth.

Today's Quote

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.   -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Weekend Knitting...

Koley (right), Connie's neice, is visiting from Minnesota.  She is here for Spring Break.  Welcome Back Koley.  Great to see you again.  You are missed when you are not here.

Kathryn, from the Squirrel Hill store, was helping out at Knit One North this past weekend.  Here she is helping Vilma with her beautiful Sampler Scarf.  Vilma was inspired to learn to knit when she saw her grandson's handknitted baby blanket.  She will be knitting the lace baby blanket in no time.

Jude finished her Noro Striped Scarf, but as you can tell she did not use Noro yarn. Instead she used Cascade Pastaza.  Whether knit with the varigated Noro or solid Pastaza yarn, the scarf comes out lovely.

Today's Quote

Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody is watching. - Mark Twain

Knit One Groups

3rd Saturday Spinning Group

@ Squirrel Hill

Nora, the spinning instructor from Knit One North, is now hosting a Free Spinning group at Squirrel Hill on the 3rd Saturday of the month starting at noon.  She is also offering a spinning class from 1-3pm if you would like to learn to spin with a drop spindle.

Tuesday Afternoon Group @ Knit One North

We had a few new people join our group yesterday. 

 Karen, Heather and Isobel.

New Yarn @ Knit One North

James C. Brett

Marble Chunky Acrylic yarn

341 yards

Austermann Algarve Grande Cotton

Today's Quote

Change always comes bearing gifts.  It is our choice whether or not to accept the gifts.  - Price Pritchett

Spring Cleaning Sale @ Knit One North

25% off Sale on all 100% wool
at Knit One North

March 20th - March 22nd

Friday & Saturday: 10AM - 4PM

Sunday: Noon - 4PM

March is National Crochet Month

Connie crocheted a few items for the Free Crochet class at Knit One North Saturday, March 21st 1-3PM. This lovely kerchief is crocheted with Rowan Cotton Jean.

This necklace is crocheted with Corntastic (100% corn fiber).

The light green necklace is crocheted with Creative Focus Cotton.

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Are you free Tuesday afternoons? 

Come knit or crochet with us. We always welcome all levels of knitter, crocheters and spinners. We start to gather around Noon and knit until Dawne closes the store at 4PM.

Sparkles (Linda), Sandy, Connie and Jude

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Today's Quote

Anything in life worth having is worth working for. - Andrew Carnegie

Free Crochet Class at Knit One North with 

the purchase of yarn and hook.

Join us at Knit One North in Mars 

Saturday, March 21, 2009 1-3PM

for a free crochet class 

and learn to crochet these easy wash cloths.

Six year old Kaitlyn, Rose's grandaughter, joined us at Knit One North to knit.  She is making grand progress on her first scarf.

Lisa, Kaitlyn's mother and Rose's daughter,  works on her crocheted Steeler Afghan.

Rose (not pictured) is always a delight and joy to be around.  If you are at Knit One when Rose is there you will be laughing the entire time.  

Come knit with us any time you like.  Form your own knitting group or join one that is already established.

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Quick & Easy Alfredo

1/2 stick of butter

1 pint of cream

3 cloves of garlic

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in sauce pan. Saute garlic in butter.  Stir in cream.  Heat on low heat stirring constantly.  Stir in cheese.  Continue to stir until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Top cooked pasta with toppings of your choice. For a vegetarian selection, top with steamed broccoli  or top with grilled chicken for a meat selection. Pour alfredo sauce over the noodles and toppings.  

Enjoy!

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Today's Quote:

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

Free Spinning Group at Knit One North

This afternoon was an exiting time with spinners and more spinners.

Mother and daughter Christine (left) and Carol(right) were spinning with their Majacraft Little Gem and Ashford Joy spinning wheels.



Connie (left) spun with her drop spindle spinning lace weight yarn. Nora (right), the host, was spinning with her Louet s75 spinning wheel.

Not pictured: Jude was spinning thick and thin yarn with a drop spindle. Barb was there with her interesting kick spindle.

New Spinning Group forming at Knit One Squirrel Hill

Nora is hosting a new spinning group at the Squirrel Hill store on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Come sit 'n spin with Nora and other spinners this coming Saturday, March 14th from 1 - 3pm.

New Knit One North Knitting Instructor

Knit One North has a new knitting instructor, Heidi. Heidi's Fair Ssle sweater design was published in the Winter '01/'02 issue of Interweave Knits. She will be offering a variety of classes. With one sweater under my belt, I personally am very excited about her Design Your Own Sweater class that she will be offering soon. See the March and April calendars at Knit One North for her class schedule.

Dawne recently completed the Central Park Hoodie but she was not satisfied with the length of her sleeves--they were too long. Heidi gave Dawne a lesson in Steeking. To shorten the sleeves, together they cut off about 5 inches of the sleeve and picked up the stitches so the ribbing can be re-knit.

Yarn & Wine Tasting

Tonight was a fun night at Knit One North in Mars at the Yarn & Wine Tasting.  Brian from Volant Mill Winery talks about his wines.  My favorite was the Volant Red, which is a concord grape wine.  It was absolutely delicious.

Christine is 'tasting' the yarn. Glasses of yarn are on the table for sampling.

Peggy is enjoying 'tasting' the yarn.

Nora (right), the spinning instructor, is 'tasting' or more like fondling the roving, with Jude (left).

Tuesday Afternoon Knitting at Knit One North

The ladies from the Tuesday afternoon knitting group at Knit One North met today to "stitch-n-bitch." Sparkles (Linda) left and Connie right worked on projects from their stash. We all have one--some the size of a LYS, others are just beginning. Sparkles is working on the Palindrome Reversible cable scarf on practice yarn. She has her eye on the Cascade 220 in pink for the 'real thing.' Connie is working on an earflap hat of her own design. She learned to double knit on this project. She demonstrated it to me. It did not seem difficult and I liked the look of the finished product.

Connie (left) is helping Sandy (right) knit her first scarf. Sandy is a lifelong crocheter and only recently took up knitting. Last night she was ready to throw in the towel, but today she got into the groove and knit along easily.

Jude started knitting a round cloth designed by Connie using short rows. She learned to w & t (wrap & turn) with the short rows. Connie teaches a Short Rows class at Knit One North by request. This cloth was knit by Connie and is on display at Knit One North.

Wine and Yarn Tasting at Knit One North

We are thrilled to be sponsoring a yarn and wine tasting with the Volant winery.  It will be on Thursday evening, March 4 from 6:30-8:30 pm at Knit One North.  We will be sampling wines and various new spring and summer yarns like Rowan, Blue Sky Alpaca to name just a few. Bring your friends, spouse, or anybody you like to taste some delicious wine and yarn.  And, the best part is that it is FREE!!!

So, please come.  No RSVP necessary.

And, most importantly, thank you for supporting your local yarn stores.