Tempting Tidbits - October 12, 2018
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A Note From Karen
Knitting Temptations is a busy place this fall!
Building Blocks
is underway, as well as the
Knit Purl Hunter KAL
. Both of these offer great learning tools for knitters. Time slots are filling for the
10,000 New Knitters
event on November 10. I hope you will join us to share your love of knitting!
As you work toward your rewards, many of you are returning your “passport cards” to the shop and receiving your luggage stamps. It’s such fun to watch the progress. I’m looking forward to photographing completed projects and sharing them.
It’s not too late to join in the fun!
The
June Cashmere Trunk Show
will open at 10am on October 26 and will continue through 4pm on October 27. Preparations are in full swing. You won’t want to miss this event that features 1 to 2 skein projects as well as stunning garments. Also, Amy Swanson will be here on Saturday to share the unique story of June Cashmere and its mission.
Finally, be sure to check out the helpful article on
S
teps to Create Successful Projects Using More than One Color of Yarn.
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Knitting Temptations has a new path to assist our artists reach the holidays with opportunities to learn, socialize, share talents and be inspired. Our travelers will arrive at their destination with a trunk full of holiday gifts while earning souvenirs and prizes for themselves.
- Your first stop: Arrive at the shop to register and pick up your suitcase. We packed your bag with a passport and 12 tickets to the 2018 holidays. You determine your own itinerary and the stations you visit along the way.
- After passing through a station, bring a ticket to be punched and receive a passport sticker. If your station involves completing a project, be sure to show it to the shop's ticket master. With your okay, we'd love to photograph and share your work with other travelers on this journey.
- For every 3 passport stickers earned, you will receive a "souvenir."
- Once you earn 12 stickers, you will visit our Grand Central Station and select your own "grand prize."
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Passport Stops
Stations Along Your Journey
- Take a Class at Knitting Temptations
- Attend a Knitting Temptations $5 Passport Technique Stop
- Purchase a $30 Knitting Temptations Gift Card to be used in 2019
- Attend the June Cashmere Trunk Show on Friday or Saturday, October 26 or 27 at Knitting Temptations
- Bring a friend who wants to learn how to knit to 10,000 New Knitters Day on November 10
- Purchase $30 in Stocking Stuffers from Knitting Temptations. Items include: needles, notions, bags, yarn bowls, books. etc.
- Purchase Knitting Temptations’ yarn to complete any of the following:
- Stash-buster project
- Project that requires Learning a "New-to-You" technique
- Two or more color project
- Project using selected Chunky or Super Bulky yarn
- Project that combines two different weights of yarn
- Project using an in-house pattern
- Project that incorporates a Knitting Temptations Button and Knitting Temptations yarn
Note: Some exceptions apply including, but not limited to. sale yarn, unicorn tails
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Passport Technique Classes
Technique Stops to Enhance Your Journey
Travelers may participate in a Technique Stop. Call or visit the shop to register for these $5 sessions.
1.
Understanding Charts
-- Saturday, October 20 -- 9-11am
More and more patterns provide only a chart. Why miss the opportunity to knit a favorite pattern? Learn to read charts! Participants bring worsted weight yarn and US size 7 or 8 needle.
2.
Why, When & How to Block Your Work
-- Saturday, November
17 -- 9-11am
Uneven stitches, lumpy rows, the finished project is a bit too small. Learn how to block projects and resolve these issues and more.
3.
Make a Pompom
-- Saturday, December 1 -- 9-11am
Pompoms are the rage! Save money and learn to make them! Participants bring or purchase a pair of small, sharp scissors, tapestry needle and yarn for practicing. Pompom maker provided for the class.
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Mystery Knit Purl Hunter KAL!
I hope that everyone is knitting along on their poncho from the Knit Purl Hunter KAL!
Knitting Temptations friend, Jane, has shared her progress with us. Beautiful!
Check out knitpurlhunter.com if you would like to know more about this stylish garment.
In response to some KALers who were feeling like they were behind schedule, Michelle encourages by saying, "Each stitch puts the craft you love in your hands as you create a thing of beauty. One stitch a day or 1,000 a day is a gift we all share."
Thursdays October 4, 11, 18 and November 1, Elaine Sparks will be in the classroom supporting the Knit Purl Hunter KAL knitters from 2-4pm and in the evening, from 6-8pm, Karen Wilkins will be in the shop to do the same. We look forward to seeing KAL knitters!
*
Please note that there is no charge.
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June Cashmere Trunk Show
October 26 and 27
10am-4pm
Former Worthington resident, Sy Belohlavek, founded June Cashmere in 2016 with the goal of improving economic conditions for shepherd families in remote areas of
Kyrgyzstan
by producing high-quality cashmere yarn spun from the fiber of select native goats. By merging time-honored methods (seasonal grazing, flock management and combing rather than shearing fiber) with globalization tools (technology, outside fiber processors and world markets), June Cashmere delivers hand knitting and weaving yarns to an international market. The result is the recognition of Kyrgyzstan as a producer of world-class cashmere and the preservation of the traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle of Kyrgyz shepherds. Sy, his wife and five children now live in
Kyrgyzstan.
June Cashmere believes that when a business deliberately aims to benefit everyone involved amazing things happen. They have lived out this mission by
installing heating systems in multiple schools, and even a village government building. In these mountainous villages of Central Asia, winter is 6 months long and very cold, so having a heating system means that children are able to go to school and continue their education in winter.
This is more than just yarn!
Intertwined into each skein of yarn is a shepherd family living in Kyrgyzstan.
Come share in the story.
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10,000 New Knitters
NOVEMBER 10
LEARN TO KNIT EVENT
AT KNITTING TEMPTATIONS
Are you an established knitter who would love to share your passion? Or, are you admiring all the wonderful things your friends, family and co-workers are creating?
Fabulous! Skacel, our source for many wonderful yarns, needles, and publisher of Knit Purl Hunter's
Building
series books, is challenging the knitting community to create
10,000 New Knitters
in one day! In partnership with Local Yarn Shops (LYS) and knitting mentors, Skacel is providing FREE kits to new knitters to make a pair of fingerless mitts.
Knitting Temptations will have 50 free KNIT KITS, one for each NEW knitter, while supplies last.
We are scheduling 1.5 hour time slots for a maximum of 10 new knitters and their mentors per time slot. As a mentor or new knitter, you may reserve seats, one for yourself and another for your companion. Each mentor may be accompanied by more than one new knitter. Kits will be distributed on November 10 at the beginning of your time slot.
The time slots, reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis, are as follows:
- 9:30am
- 11:00am
- 12:30pm
- 2:00pm
- 3:30pm
Don't have a knitting mentor who can help you? Please join us on November 10 to get your free KNIT KIT and receive help from the Knitting Temptations staff and our knitting community.
Please call us to reserve your seat(s). Time slots are filling up!
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What is the Project?
New knitters will create a pair of fingerless mitts,as they learn the two most important stitches in knitting, Knit and Purl.
To learn more about the Skacel
10,000 New Knitters
effort, please visit:
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Building with Lace
Coming in early 2019!
This ten-class series focuses on lace techniques that will delight both the novice and experienced lace knitter. The project is a gorgeous sampler shawl worked in Rylie by HiKoo. This luxuriously soft yarn is the perfect choice to showcase the high impact stitches. The shawl is knit in one continuous piece (no seaming!) and measures approximately 22" x 72". As with Michelle Hunter's previous series (
Building Blocks
and
Building in Color
), each month of the course will focus on skills and stitches to build your lace knitting skills. The techniques include advanced decreases and increases, Japanese stitches, beading, expert edges, original stitch patterns, classic lace techniques, and so much more.
This would be a great gift to receive or to give!
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Creating Friends
Tuesdays - 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Fridays - 10am-Noon
Knitting Temptations offers two opportunities for friends to gather and create together. We welcome all fiber artists, including knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers, felters and others of all skill levels. Bring your project and join your creative friends for support and advice.
A member of the staff will be available to answer questions and offer limited guidance. Problems requiring more assistance may be scheduled for a later time.
*Please note that
Creating Friends
is canceled Friday, October 26.
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Laine Magazine
Issues 1,2,5 and 6 are on the way! Reserve your copy!
Laine is a high-quality Nordic knit & Nordic lifestyle magazine. The folks at Laine cherish natural fibers, slow living, local craftsmanship and a beautiful, uncomplicated and peaceful lifestyle. Their intention is to inspire us to gather and share, to be part of a community of like-minded knitters, makers and thinkers from near and far. Knitting is more than just knit, knit, purl. It is a feeling.
Laine includes patterns from the leading knitwear designers; insightful, long-format stories from the world of wool; interviews, exciting travel articles, seasonal recipes and strong, visual storytelling.
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STEPS TO CREATE SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
USING MORE THAN ONE COLOR OF YARN
We are sick to see beautiful work marred by colors running together. Please pay attention to this message!
I love all the wonderful colors and their combinations in the yarns we use. However, we see more and more instances with rich, deeply saturated colors “bleeding” or “running” into lighter colored yarns. A ball or skein may have one or more vibrate colors. You might want to combine different colors within the same project. Yarns with deep red, blue, green, purple and yellow are likely to cause problems. Look carefully at your yarn. Do you see any intense colors? If so, you may want to test a swatch or consider the following suggestions.
These guidelines are useful for swatches, completed projects, individual hanks and commercially processed & dyed yarns.
- If your yarn is in a hank or skein keep the existing ties in place and open the skein onto a flat surface. It should form a tidy circle or oval. To prevent creating a tangled mess, you will need to add additional ties. Using white cotton thread or yarn, cut 4” to 6” lengths. While the yarn is still flat, tie these pieces every 6-8” around the yarn.
- If your yarn is in a ball or cake, you will need to create a hank and tie it as described above.
- Fill a large sink or container with cold water. Add ½ cup of white vinegar and 2-3 Shout Color Catchers. Submerge your yarn in the water and weight it down with 2 or 3 nonmetallic bowls. It is important to saturate the yarn with your solution of vinegar & water. During the first 2 hours, check your yarn frequently. If you see the water changing color, drain the container and rinse your yarn or swatch thoroughly in cold water. Repeat the complete process until the water in the container remains clear. The swatch or hank of yarn can remain in the vinegar bath up to 8 hours.
When you are convinced the color will not fade, drain the water and carefully roll the skein on to a large dry towel. To remove as much moisture as possible, squeeze the rolled towel. When most of the water is out of the yarn, place your skein on another clean towel to dry.
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Classes
You may register for classes in person or by calling the shop at (614) 734-0618 during regular business hours. We ask that you make payment in full when registering.
It is our policy that unless we specify otherwise, students in our classes MUST purchase their yarn and other class supplies at Knitting Temptations.
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BEGINNING KNITTING 101
Class fee: $30 - yarn and needles provided
One 2-hour class
Instructors: Meghan Kizer and Elaine Sparks
Skill level: Beginner Knit
As the name implies, Knitting 101 is for the complete beginner! In this single class, learn the knitting basics of how to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off. We supply the needles and yarn to learn and practice in class. By the end, you will have knit a small swatch to take home and our staff will be on hand to help you select yarn and needles to make a beginner-appropriate project.
Meghan's Sessions:
Kid's Knitting, ages 6-14
- Saturday, October 20, 12:30-2:30pm
Saturday, December 15, 10:30am-12:30pm
Elaine's Sessions:
Thursday, November 8, 2-4pm
Thursday, November 22, 2-4pm
BEGINNING CROCHET 101
Class fee: $30 - yarn provided; hook extra
One 2-hour class
Instructors: Meghan Kizer and Elaine Sparks
Skill level: Beginner Crochet
Learn chain stitches, half double and double crochet, and triple crochet.
Note: Crochet is an incredibly useful skill for knitters - consider bringing the power of the crochet hook to your knitting projects!
We provide the yarn. Students need to bring/purchase a crochet hook size US G (4mm) or US H (5mm).
Meghan's Sessions:
Thursday, December 20, 6-8pm
Elaine's Sessions
Thursday, November 1, 2-4pm
Thursday, November 15, 2-4pm
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KNITTING 102
Class fee: $80 - yarn provided; other supplies extra
Three 2-hour classes
Instructor: Meghan Kizer
Skill level: Easy Knit
This class is designed to expand on the knitting fundamentals learned in Beginning Knitting 101. Successful participants need to be able to execute on their own the knitting fundamentals:
- gauge
- knit and purl stitches
- long-tail and/or knitted cast on
- standard bind-off
To expand on these fundamentals, you will learn new concepts including gauging techniques, new stitch types, stitch patterns, choosing yarn and needles for projects, basic shaping stitches, and finally, a brief introduction to circular knitting.
Between class sessions, you will work on homework swatches and small items to reinforce concepts learned in class.
Yarn is provided. Students need to bring/purchase 24″ circular needles in sizes US 6 (4mm) and US 8 (5mm).
There is no pre-work for this class, but there is homework between classes, so please plan accordingly.
Tuesdays, November 20, December 4, and December 18, 6-8pm
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FIXING MISTAKES
Class fee: $30 - yarn provided; other supplies extra
One 2-hour class
Instructor: Meghan Kizer
Skill level: Easy Knit
Join Meghan in this class to learn more about the most common mistakes knitters make, how to fix and better yet, PREVENT them!
Students make swatches and purposely create mistakes to learn how they happen and how to fix them. Also, discussed is using lifelines, how to "tink" (unknitting stitches), and ripping back rows.
Yarn is provided for this class
. Supplies needed:
- Size US 8 (5mm) needles
- 4" Handi Tool (or D-F crochet hook)
- Tapestry needle
Thursday, November 15, 6-8pm
Saturday, December 8, 10:30am-12:30pm
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BEGINNING SOCK
Class fee: $75 - supplies extra
Pattern: $6.00 + tax
Three 2-hour classes
Instructor: Meghan Kizer
Skill level: Easy Knit
Learn to make a classic top down sock in the round using the Magic Loop method.
Build the foundation needed to progress your sock-knitting skills to work on more complex sock designs!
Students must be comfortable knitting and purling. Learn numerous sock techniques including: magic loop, classic heel, left and right leaning decreases, and kitchener stitch. Each of these skills is applicable to many other knitting projects.
Supplies needed:
- Yarn: approximately 400 yards of fingering-weight. Note on selecting yarn: Sock stitches are small and show up best in LIGHT colors.
- Needles: 32" circular in size US 1 (2.25mm)
- Tapestry needle
Please purchase your supplies prior to coming to the first class. There is no pre-work for this class, but there is homework between classes, so please plan accordingly.
Wednesdays, November 14, November 28, December 12 - 6-8pm
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Toe-Up, Two-At-A-Time Socks
Class fee: $50 - supplies extra
Pattern: $6.00 + tax
Two 2-hour classes
Instructor: Meghan Kizer
Skill level: Intermediate Knit
Cure yourself of the Second Sock Syndrome! In this class you’ll learn how to cast-on two socks at once, as well as learning the technique for toe-up socks.
Toe-up socks are all the rage! Why toe-up? By starting at the toe, no grafting is required! Also, there is no need to fret over yardage since the leg is knit from the bottom up until the yarn is gone! Students MUST HAVE previous magic loop and sock experience. This class is a perfect follow up to our Beginning Sock class. During the first class, students learn a special cast on for the toe and begin knitting a simple, classic design for the foot. In the second class, students learn a classic wrap & turn short-row heel technique.
Supplies needed:
- Yarn: 400-450 yards fingering-weight. Note on choosing yarn: Pattern and stitches show up best in SOLID, LIGHT colors.
- Needle: 40″ circular in US 1
- Tapestry needle
- Split or “safety pin” style stitch marker or coil-less safety pin
Please purchase your supplies prior to coming to the first class. There is no pre-work for this class, but there is homework between classes, so please plan accordingly.
Tuesdays, October 16 and October 30, 6-8pm
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ENTRELAC SCARF
$30 - pattern included; supplies extra
One 2-hour class
Instructor: Meghan Kizer
Skill level: Easy Knit
The Entrelac technique is used to create a textured diamond pattern. The resulting fabric looks like woven knitted strips, but is actually knitted in one piece. The technique looks more difficult than it is to knit.
This class is suited for knitters comfortable with casting on, knit and purl stitches. Students will learn various decreases and a time-saving technique of knitting BACKWARDS that makes the Entrelac technique a snap!
Supplies needed:
- Yarn: Approximately 440 yards of long-repeat, variegated worsted-weight
- Needle: 24" circular or straights US 7 or US 8
- Tapestry needle
Shop sample is knit with 4 skeins of Noro Silk Garden.
Please purchase your supplies prior to class day. There is no pre-work for this class.
Wednesday, October 17, 6-8pm
Tuesday, November 27, 6-8pm
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BRIOCHE SCARF
$45 - pattern included; supplies extra
One 2-hour class
Instructor: Meghan Kizer
Skill level: Intermediate Knit
Brioche knitting is a unique technique that involves knitting yarn overs with slipped stitches from the prior row. It creates a completely reversible fabric and very eye-catching designs, especially when knit with two colors.
This scarf is an introduction Brioche knitting. In class, students will start the scarf, practice the stitches, review how brioche knitting works. They will leave class with the skills and knowledge to finish the scarf at home.
Supplies needed:
- Yarn: Approximately 900+ yards; two skeins of fingering weight yarn, one each in two contrasting colors
- Needle: 24" circular in size US 6 (4mm)
Shop sample knit with two colors of Manos del Uruguay Fino.
Please purchase your supplies prior to class day. There is no pre-work for this class.
Thursday, November 8, 6-9pm
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TOBIAS SHAWL
Class fee: $35 - pattern included; supplies extra
One 2-hour class
Instructor: Meghan Kizer
Skill level: Intermediate Crochet
This stunning shawl will rival the drape and elegance of any knit shawl, but it’s crochet! Using simple stitches, this shawl features growing squares that create a fun geometric pattern. See the
Tobias Ravelry page
for pictures of how to wear this dramatic, yet simple, design.
This pattern uses basic crochet stitches throughout. However, it is a great opportunity to learn more about chart reading, the importance of gauge, keeping your stitches consistent, and using lace weight yarn with small hooks.
Supplies needed:
- Yarn: 3 skeins of lace-weight, at least 2520 yards
- Hook: Size US B (2.5mm) or whatever size hook you need to obtain gauge
Shop sample worked with 3 skeins of Madelinetosh Prairie in colorway Arctic which Madelinetosh "retired."
Please purchase your supplies prior to class day. There is pre-work for this class.
Class pre-work:
Check gauge! **NOTE: The gauge is critically important in this pattern. The sample used every inch of 2520 yards (assuming a 5-6 inch tail when beginning and ending each skein). There was nothing left over!**
Gauge: 31 stitches and 16 rows = 4 inches in double crochet
Start the shawl. Ch 212
Row 1: Double crochet in the 4th ch from the hook, double crochet in each chain across.
Saturday, October 20, 10am-12noon
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Knitting Fun Fact
FROG is a verb meaning to rip out.
So if someone is frogging their knitting, they are ripping out their work.
“Rip it” sounds a lot like "ribbit,” the sound a frog makes.
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Knitting Temptations
Exquisite Yarn, Expert Instruction
Mon-Thurs: 10:00am - 5:30pm
Fri-Sat: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday CLOSED
November 21 and 22 - CLOSED for the Thanksgiving Holiday
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