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Showing posts with label SilkWorm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SilkWorm. Show all posts
KAM snap removal
If you like any of the pads in the background, please visit our shop.
Blog update
We have opened up a new section of the store called green living supplies.
Please take a look around.
Please take a look around.
I have a lot of new fiber in stock. Why! Addiction is such as ugly word don't you think. But I do have a motive. There is a Fall Festival Sept 26 that I will be spinning at. I will have the booth and the whole works out.
BUT, but the new fiber is fantastic. Each time I buy fiber, I try a a little something different. This time I couldnt' decide between Finn and Falkland. I used Falkland in a class I took in June and it was nice. But I had heard that Finn was even softer. So I got both. On my last order, I got BFL, so this time I got Dark BFL. :)
So..So far I have in stock
Off-White alpaca
BFL (Blue Faced Leicester)
Dark BFL
Finn
Falkland
Shetland
White Coopworth
Lt Brown Coopworth
Soy Silk Natural
Tencel
I still do not have a drum carder but I hope to get one by the end of summer.
BUT, but the new fiber is fantastic. Each time I buy fiber, I try a a little something different. This time I couldnt' decide between Finn and Falkland. I used Falkland in a class I took in June and it was nice. But I had heard that Finn was even softer. So I got both. On my last order, I got BFL, so this time I got Dark BFL. :)
So..So far I have in stock
Off-White alpaca
BFL (Blue Faced Leicester)
Dark BFL
Finn
Falkland
Shetland
White Coopworth
Lt Brown Coopworth
Soy Silk Natural
Tencel
I still do not have a drum carder but I hope to get one by the end of summer.
Rovings and slivers - Oh My
Well, My rovings have come in.
Well... Not exactly rovings. It is a mix of rovings and slivers and a bit of tops.
WOW, I had no idea it would be so fantastic. I thought it would be shorter pieces. But NO, it is longer pieces and some very fine wool.
I will update this later with the weights of these.
spinning supplies
Spinning supplies. Yea, they are here. Slowly building up the stock. I just do not know what all of YOU want. So tell me what you are looking for.
I have a great book called Spindling: The Basics (A treatise on how to spin on a top-whorl spindle with advice for the avid spindler) by Amelia Garripoli This is $8.00 if you are interested. I is a GREAT book for beginners.
I have a few spindles, Louet and Babe brand. I have pencil roving that is a blend of blues and greens with a touch of yellow. I have some VERY nice cream Merino. I have many colors of superwash wool roving.
I can order just about anything Louet - including all of your spinning wheels and supplies and a nice discount.
Why spindles and spinning. Well, I got started because I wanted to learn. The cost of a spinning wheel is a lot for the average beginner. ESPECIALLY, if you do not know if you will be able to learn or even like it if you do. So I started with a drop spindle and some cheap roving. And I love it! I am present trying to get a used spinning wheel to start on before I move up to an expensive model and slowly building the store stash of rovings.
Call me if you have questions. And remember, if this is long distance for you, please use the call me button at the top of the website.
270-505-4869
I have a great book called Spindling: The Basics (A treatise on how to spin on a top-whorl spindle with advice for the avid spindler) by Amelia Garripoli This is $8.00 if you are interested. I is a GREAT book for beginners.
I have a few spindles, Louet and Babe brand. I have pencil roving that is a blend of blues and greens with a touch of yellow. I have some VERY nice cream Merino. I have many colors of superwash wool roving.
I can order just about anything Louet - including all of your spinning wheels and supplies and a nice discount.
Why spindles and spinning. Well, I got started because I wanted to learn. The cost of a spinning wheel is a lot for the average beginner. ESPECIALLY, if you do not know if you will be able to learn or even like it if you do. So I started with a drop spindle and some cheap roving. And I love it! I am present trying to get a used spinning wheel to start on before I move up to an expensive model and slowly building the store stash of rovings.
Call me if you have questions. And remember, if this is long distance for you, please use the call me button at the top of the website.
270-505-4869
Process VS Production
I recently had a discussion with a new knitter about process knitting versus production knitting. If you have never heard of these terms, do not feel bad - neither had I until recently. Oh, we both know what they are in practice, but the terms are new.
Production knitting/crocheting is where a crafter feels best when they are completing items. The yarn does not matter, the pattern does not matter. It is the overall number of items produced that makes them feel good. Just his week, I had someone tell me "I have made about 300 scarves so far". That is classic production.
Process knitting/crocheting is where it doesn't matter if a crafter completes anything - ever. It is the process that calms and make a person feel good. So the yarn choice and the pattern choice are usually chosen with more care. The item may never get completed, but it is nice to work at a leasurly pace on something to calm the mind. Sometimes a process crafter will have 4 or 5 items OTN (on the needles), different yarns and patterns for different moods.
Most crafters fall somewhere in between the two extremes. They want to complete items, but they choose yarns and patterns that will mean make them feel good while being completed.
Personally, I am a process knitter and a production crocheter. When I knit, I have yarns that are nice to touch, easier patterns that I can work on while listening to a book or watching tv. I rarely make ane one item twice. It doesn't mattern when I complete the item, it is just there to knit on when needed.
When I crochet, it is usually because I need something or am trying a new pattern. I need to complete the pattern to see if it all works out right or I am obligated to make a new item for a class. I like crochet, but I do not enjoy it the way I enjoy knitting. I mostly crochet with threads, not yarns. Thread just do not have the same feel and sensuality that a good alpaca or silk blend yarn has. While this is my own preference, it does lessen my enjoyment of crochet.
Lace knitting
I would love to preface this blog entry by stating that I am NOT a lace knitter.
Lace knitters are a breed that I am not related to. My mother could sit and
knit an entire sweater in lace. Angelika can knit shawls on tiny tiny needles
with an ever changing pattern. I on the other hand knit for 10 minutes here
and there and up forgetting the pattern in between knitting sessions. While
I own and have used a set of size 000 circular Abby Turbos, the thought of
knitting an entire garment on them gives me the hives. But can I knit lace. Yes! I, as well as many other knitters, forget that lace is simply a pattern like any
other. There are hard patterns and there are easy patterns. Take for example
a hat pattern. You can knit a hat on size 2 needles, using a complicated fair aisle pattern or
an Aran pattern with lots of traveling stitches OR you can knit a hat that fits
exactly the same, but it is knitted on size 7 needles in a solid color. The result is the same, a nice
warm hat that fits nice. So in designing a class for relatively new knitters who want to try lace, I went in
search of patterns. I had several qualifications for the pattern. A) It had to have a simple repeat. New knitters, like oh so forgetful me, may get lost
in 7 lines of pattern. New knitters will also have trouble recognizing mistakes in a complicated pattern. B) It had to use the most basic of lace knitting stitches. K2tog, YO and SSK. C) It had to look good in a variety of yarns. Many lace patterns looks good in
lace weight yarn, but when knit is a worsted weight yarn, it looks crowded. Patterns
that look good in a heavier yarn will often look plain. I came up with Turvid's one row scarf pattern. Lots of pictures proved that it
looks good in everything from lace weight to bulky. Simple to do, easy to remember and can easily be adjusted to any width from a small scarf to a wide wrap. After I finished to scarf, I wanted a wrap. So I took the basics of the Turvid
scarf and decided I wanted a change. I wanted a resting row. Every other row would be knit only. I also wanted fewer holes. After all, in a bulky yarn as a
wrap, fewer holes make for a warmer garment. So I tried knitting 4 stitches in
between the holes instead of 2 to make the holes less frequent. However, I didn't like the
look of horizontal holes going the length of the wrap. What was I to do. I wanted
an easy pattern. So I started graphing. I came up with a diagonal pattern that maintains the 5
stitch repeat but the beginning and the ending of each row changes by one stitch.
A little more complicated, but if a new knitter completed the Turvid scarf, they should be able
to handle the pattern easily enough. So I came up with 2 classes. One super easy for the new knitter, and a second is
great for someone who has more knitting experience or who wants a slightly harder project than the first scarf. Classes will begin in January. http://www.ravelry.com/shops/bookworm-silkworm
Lace knitters are a breed that I am not related to. My mother could sit and
knit an entire sweater in lace. Angelika can knit shawls on tiny tiny needles
with an ever changing pattern. I on the other hand knit for 10 minutes here
and there and up forgetting the pattern in between knitting sessions. While
I own and have used a set of size 000 circular Abby Turbos, the thought of
knitting an entire garment on them gives me the hives. But can I knit lace. Yes! I, as well as many other knitters, forget that lace is simply a pattern like any
other. There are hard patterns and there are easy patterns. Take for example
a hat pattern. You can knit a hat on size 2 needles, using a complicated fair aisle pattern or
an Aran pattern with lots of traveling stitches OR you can knit a hat that fits
exactly the same, but it is knitted on size 7 needles in a solid color. The result is the same, a nice
warm hat that fits nice. So in designing a class for relatively new knitters who want to try lace, I went in
search of patterns. I had several qualifications for the pattern. A) It had to have a simple repeat. New knitters, like oh so forgetful me, may get lost
in 7 lines of pattern. New knitters will also have trouble recognizing mistakes in a complicated pattern. B) It had to use the most basic of lace knitting stitches. K2tog, YO and SSK. C) It had to look good in a variety of yarns. Many lace patterns looks good in
lace weight yarn, but when knit is a worsted weight yarn, it looks crowded. Patterns
that look good in a heavier yarn will often look plain. I came up with Turvid's one row scarf pattern. Lots of pictures proved that it
looks good in everything from lace weight to bulky. Simple to do, easy to remember and can easily be adjusted to any width from a small scarf to a wide wrap. After I finished to scarf, I wanted a wrap. So I took the basics of the Turvid
scarf and decided I wanted a change. I wanted a resting row. Every other row would be knit only. I also wanted fewer holes. After all, in a bulky yarn as a
wrap, fewer holes make for a warmer garment. So I tried knitting 4 stitches in
between the holes instead of 2 to make the holes less frequent. However, I didn't like the
look of horizontal holes going the length of the wrap. What was I to do. I wanted
an easy pattern. So I started graphing. I came up with a diagonal pattern that maintains the 5
stitch repeat but the beginning and the ending of each row changes by one stitch.
A little more complicated, but if a new knitter completed the Turvid scarf, they should be able
to handle the pattern easily enough. So I came up with 2 classes. One super easy for the new knitter, and a second is
great for someone who has more knitting experience or who wants a slightly harder project than the first scarf. Classes will begin in January. http://www.ravelry.com/shops/bookworm-silkworm
New yarns in - Just take a look at these colors!
You have to check out my new yarns. 
I have re-plenished the Brownsheep bulky and the Brownsheep worsted weights.
I have also got in some cotton blends.
These are Brownsheep Cotton Fleece- 80% cotton and 20% wool. This is a yarn light enough for summer with just a little warmth 
for spring and fall. It also has a little bit of give in it that 100% cotton does not.
for spring and fall. It also has a little bit of give in it that 100% cotton does not.
Cotton and Wool and Linen - on my!
I have new yarns!
- I have cottons in several bold and bright colors in worsted weight - a total of 79 skeins!
- I have wools and wool/acrylics in fall colors.
- I have a bag of baby wool/acrylic blend - 10 balls all together.
- I have several new sock yarns - 2 skeins of sockotta and 2 skeins of 100% bamboo and several skeins of heart and sole.
- I have several balls of fancy yarns. Blues and reds mostly. Only enough for a few scarves.
If you are interested, I can order in ball winders and yarn swifts at reasonable prices. I can also order Louet drop spindles and several fancy rovings such as soy silk and alpaca.
I have a complete list in store. I will soon have a page on the website with pictures of prices of what I can order.
Also planning for fall classes. If you are looking for a class, contact me at 270-351-6777.
What to knit and crochet in summer
OK, Summer is hot.So you need something cool to work on. Something small enough not to lay in you lap, something that is portable for taking to the movies or ball games or to the pool with the kids.
Socks are a great thing to knit in the summer. Small, portable, usually only needing one skein to carry and small needles to make portability easy.
Not quit up to socks yet? What about shawls? They range from easy enough for the bare beginner to do, to lace patterns that will interest the jaded crafter. They can be made with one skein to a dozen. Almost any yarn can eventually become a shawl. And they a GREAT for cool restaurants and theaters after the warm outside.
Starting in August is a Shawl workshop. Two hours of classes that cover the basic of shawl making for the beginner knitter and crocheter.
Socks are a great thing to knit in the summer. Small, portable, usually only needing one skein to carry and small needles to make portability easy.
Not quit up to socks yet? What about shawls? They range from easy enough for the bare beginner to do, to lace patterns that will interest the jaded crafter. They can be made with one skein to a dozen. Almost any yarn can eventually become a shawl. And they a GREAT for cool restaurants and theaters after the warm outside.
Starting in August is a Shawl workshop. Two hours of classes that cover the basic of shawl making for the beginner knitter and crocheter.
Knitting Class - Learn to knit by knitting a hat
For more information about various classes, please check out http://docs.google.com/Edit?tab=view&docid=d469cpn_21hsskvfcm
Scarves are fine. They are functional, flirty - and boring to knit.
Personally, I get about 1/3 of the way thru a scarf and loose steam. It is just so much repetition with the knowledge that there is a lot more left to do. Scarves just never seem to be done.
The solution? A Hat. A hat is short and sweet. Where a scarf can take several balls of yarn, a hat is usually done in 1 ball or a little more.
Where a scarf just teaches you to cast on and knit and cast off, a hat can teach you so much more.
You learn casting on, knitting, circular knitting, decrease and casting off. Optional is color work, knitting with novelty yarns and the purl stitch.
Just so much more to do on a hat.
So what does it cost? $30.00
Included in the class cost is 1 ball of yarn and 2 sets of needles. The first class teaches casting on, the knit stitch and casting on the hat. The second class teaches decrease and finishing the hat.
A book is not included in the cost of the class, but buying one as a reference is a good idea. It is not needed for the class but it shows all of the techniques used in the class, provides excellent pictures and is useful as a general reference.
Roxann
Scarves are fine. They are functional, flirty - and boring to knit.
Personally, I get about 1/3 of the way thru a scarf and loose steam. It is just so much repetition with the knowledge that there is a lot more left to do. Scarves just never seem to be done.
The solution? A Hat. A hat is short and sweet. Where a scarf can take several balls of yarn, a hat is usually done in 1 ball or a little more.
Where a scarf just teaches you to cast on and knit and cast off, a hat can teach you so much more.
You learn casting on, knitting, circular knitting, decrease and casting off. Optional is color work, knitting with novelty yarns and the purl stitch.
Just so much more to do on a hat.
So what does it cost? $30.00
Included in the class cost is 1 ball of yarn and 2 sets of needles. The first class teaches casting on, the knit stitch and casting on the hat. The second class teaches decrease and finishing the hat.
A book is not included in the cost of the class, but buying one as a reference is a good idea. It is not needed for the class but it shows all of the techniques used in the class, provides excellent pictures and is useful as a general reference.
Roxann
pictures of my knitting area
This is my new knitting area and reading area. The couch will be covered by colorful throws. The shelves will eventually be filled will lots of wool, cotton and other fun things to touch. The bottom rows will be books and assorted flyers. Will probably move out the large white thing....later. Boy is it heavy.
But is is almost ready.
Free Class Schedule
SilkWorm Presents
The first of our free classes and demos.
These classes will either be free or “bring your own” materials. They will be short and to the point.
For beginning to experienced knitters to crocheters only.
These are not to learn how to knit or crochet.
Please watch our calendar to when these and more classes are scheduled.
UFO DAY: Your Unfinished Object Day. The first Saturday in the month. 10:30 – Noon Bring you unfinished objects and work on them with us.
Free Lesson Schedule:
Knitting -- Picking up dropped stitches in both garter and stockinette stitch
Knitting – How to figure gauge. Is gauge important?
Crochet – The basic granny square
Knitting – What is a rescue line and how to use it!
Knitting and Crochet – How to join yarns together and weave in ends
If you have ideas for classes or demos you want to see, email me at the link on the top left.
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