Glam little wrap

I tried to capture the beautiful sparkle that these yarns have, but my camera seems inadequate for the task. They are gorgeous though - come by the shop and see each one.

Even Paula, who doesn't go in for sparkles too much likes this one

Here's my favorite

Our FABULOUS Hospice tree

Sunday morning, Robinette, Laura, Martha, and I gathered at the Jaycee Hall in Waldorf to decorate our Charles County Hospice tree. We pulled out all the little sheep that we'd knitted at the Sunday sessions last month and tied tiny ribbons around their little necks to make them look festive.

Then we made bows out of the tartan ribbon and wired them to the branches too.

A little more glitz was required, so Martha wired some gold eucalyptus in and strung some gold eyelash yarn - who'd have thought it would be so perfect!

But what to do for a topper? The trees that the garden clubs, florists, and various other semi-professionals were just amazing. We pondered this for quite a while. An angel sheep? A giant bagpipe? What would be appropriate? Then Martha had a brain flash and rolled up the golden I-cord into a giant ball of yarn. Robinette held it in place while we wired it to the top of the tree.

and voila!

Thank you to the fabulous Crazy for Ewe Hospice Tree Team. I'm really delighted with the way this tree turned out. It's warm without being too homespun looking, professional without looking too commercial, and really representative of the shop.

And thank you to Martha, for everything you do to make La Plata so fabulous!

Would you Snood?

Yesterday evening a lovely woman came in to the La Plata shop with a project for which she'd purchased two skeins of Silky Wool the week before. I asked her what she was working on, and she showed me this beautiful piece of knitting in the round from Elsebeth Lavold's accessory book. It was a snood. A snood? Back in the day, a snood was what we wore under our riding helmet to hold our hair in place at horse shows. Now, a snood is more of an extended cowl that you can wear bunched up at the neck like this

or pulled up over your head and ears like this.

To be precise, this garment is more appropriately called a "wimple", which is a piece of medieval finery that women, expecially nuns, wore to cover their hair. Apparently, it was either too sexy or otherwise unseemly for a woman to show her hair. My my.

Anyway, snoods, along with cowls, (and soon, I predict, wimples) are all the rage. Truly, one of the most exquisite snood patterns I've ever seen is this one from Knitty. Worked with just a single skein of a luxurious blend of super kid mohair and silk, it is absolutely a work of art.

If you think you'd like to have a snood (whether to hide your sexy hair, or simply keep your ears warm) come by and let us help you get started. You can work either of these snoods for under$20 - how cool is that!

Art imitates life

If I had a dollar for every person who's asked me if I've read The Friday Night Knitting Club, I would be a rich woman. Not sure why, but I have never read this book. It's not been one of my book club selections (not that I've been able to read those either), and I have just never made a point of seeking it out. It's not like I have tons of free time to spend reading - I have stuff to knit, you know?

Right after the book came out, the publisher sent LYSOs a teaser with a chapter or so in it to try and get the book in yarn shops. I read the first chapter and decided it just wasn't my kind of book. I decided it was Steel Magnolia's set in a yarn shop. Definitely a chick book.

Then Sunday, as I was walking out of church, my friend Helen Harrington handed me a copy. Now if you don't know Helen, she is a brilliant woman - sober as, well, a judge. Not at all one for drivel. So I was surprised that she had read this book - and liked it.

I was even more surprised that by Sunday afternoon, I was a third of the way through, and Monday I couldn't wait to get back to see what was happening with Georgia and the gang. Is it a chick book? Definitely, but not in the sappy way you would think. It's appealing in the same way it's appealing to sit at the table at Crazy for Ewe. We don't always know each other when we sit down at the table, but before long, we're sharing our knitting and our lives.

Maybe The Friday Night Knitting Club is a bit like a soap opera, but the characters are developed and more engaging. And when I am not at my own knitting club, I'm happy to be at theirs.

Pikenaze as worn

Amy was exceedingly glamorous Saturday when she wore her Pikenaze wrap to the shop with a beautiful cashmere sweater and smart wool trousers. It was a great look. Fabulous, darling.

Two strands are better than one

Last Thursday, Lynne, Martha and I were eyeballing sock yarn at the shop. My friend Dixie, who owns Yellow Dog Knitting, made a fabulous skirt from three strands of sock yarn plus a bit of super kid mohair. I've been coveting that skirt for quite a while. Then when it was time for the twenty four seven, I tried out a couple of variegated yarns held together. I never got to that one because someone liked my swatch so much they bought my second variegated yarn. Note to self: It's a yarn store, not my giant personal stash. Anyway, Ginni and I and then Amy and I spent a couple of hours swatching the most radical color combinations we could find.

There was some sparkly aqua, purple, and teal left over from my Fusion jacket that we swatched with teal, fuchsia, and blue Noro Silk Garden Sock. This was a great combination.

Then we tried it with a lime, purple and navy Berroco Sox yarn. Good.

With a mauve, pink and brown Berroco Sox, I think it would work, in a garment, but there was a little too much pooling in the small swatch.

The gray and teal Silk Garden Sock gave a nice effect overall - very subtle and understated.

That same grey Silk Garden Sock with the purple, lime and navy Berroco Sox was a big surprise to all of us. We thought it would be horrible, but it was really lovely.

The brown and mauve Sox was fabulous with a really vibrant Silk Garden Sock. It was an amazing marriage. I don't love the Noro sock yarns by themselves - too earthy to want to wear on my feet, but but in combination with other fibers, they lend an amazingly rustic quality to the super-smooth Sox.

After we swatched these weird combos, we pulled lots of obvious combinations. Having the experience of the weird ones, we could intuitively see what was going to be fabulous. For example, we understood how browns, blacks, and creams in this Noro would mute these super bright pink and purples.

The sheen and subtle hand-dyed colors of this Ellyn Cooper will give life to the fairly drab browns in the Sox yarn.

The photos really don't capture the beauty of these combinations - you'll have to come by the shop and see for yourself.

How now knit cowl

Cowls are the new scarf. No fussy tying maneuvers, no worrying about whether it's long enough or too long - just pull it on over your head and go. There have been many offerings from lots of sources; some are nice, others not so much. while I was surfing Ravelry this morning, I came across this cowl pattern that I think is utterly fabulous. Worked on a size 8 needle, it would be perfect in Elsebeth Lavold's super-soft Baby Llama. Llama's produce a hollow fiber, so it is both lighter and warmer than wool. Another benefit of llama fiber is that it contains no lanolin, so it's excellent for anyone sensitive to wool.

This is a free pattern available here. Come pick out 5 skeins Baby Llama and we'll help you get started.

Mirasol Cardigan

I didn't pay too much attention to this cardigan when I first saw the picture in the book. It's nice, but
this is really what caught my eye. The scarf, that is. ;-)

When the model garment arrived, I couldn't believe how cute it was. Shelly and Ginni were in the shop, and we all just loved it. It somehow manages to be cozy and sexy and chic all at once. It looks great on our mannequin,

but it's especially attractive on a real person, like the lovely Robinette.


It's really flattering on everyone, and it just so snuggle to wear. It's easy as pie, and it knits on a size 10 needle, so it's really quick to make. We're having a free project class the first week of December - join us.

Like many of you, there have to be at least three patterns in a book before I'll buy it. In this one, there's the cardigan, the guy scarf above, and this one. I may never knit this sweater, but I sure will enjoy studying the pattern!

Phyllis' pottery open house

Phyllis has been knitting with us in La Plata since we opened. One Wednesday evening she brought some goodies in on an absolutely gorgeous platter. I asked her about it, and she said that she had made it. WHAT? It was incredible. It was painted with a brush that must have been thinner than a hair. The colors were just beautiful.

Here's a tiny vase that Phyllis did. Isn't it beautiful!


Can you see the tiny bees on the base and in the bowl? Phyllis's stuff sells for big bucks at the Greenbrier and other chic boutiques, but you can get it for much less right here in beautiful Southern Maryland. Phyllis is hosting a lovely open house Saturday and Sunday, November 21st and 22nd at her home. The address is 8285 Verne Place, which is just off Rt. 6 in La Plata. Click on the invitation below for more detailed directions and info. Better get there early - at least before I do!

Leonardtown beautification

It was a mess on the square yesterday, as they layed asphalt right in front of the shop. It was noisy, bumpy, and nearly impossible to get in or out. It's much better today - promise. If you come by (and I hope you will) the best way out is down Fenwick Street. Then you can go north or south on Route 5.

This will all be finished eventually, and Leonardtown will be even nicer. If you've never been all the way down Washington Street to the newly renovated wharf area, take a few minutes and drive or walk down there. It's just beautiful. Here's a shot from a recent event on the water.

I really do love this town.

Bleaklow Cabled Vest

our upcoming Knit and Finish Class...

Isn't this a beauty! I've started mine in a beautiful aqua shade of the Thistle. Paula, Amy, and I all commented on how much we love the Thistle - it's nice in the skein, but when you knit it up, it's so much more lovely and soft--just a joy to work with.

Several customers said that they would prefer a slightly rounded neckline on this garment, so in the class, we'll be show each student a modification to the neckline. In the photo, the armholes seem a bit small for the model, so we'll be looking at how to ensure that the armhole depth is correct for each of us. Also, if you would like to make a size larger than the sizes given in the pattern, we'll help you make that adjustment as well.

This is a great class for beginners, as you can opt out of the cable and just make the vest in plain pattern. It reminds me very much of the vest that was my first project when I started knitting 25 years ago! I bet you can't guess what color it is!

The class begins this Saturday in La Plata at 1:30. In Leonardtown, we'll begin the class next Tuesday, the 10th at 2:00. Three sessions is $60

Thistle lace wrap

Here's my start on the Pikenaze wrap we're doing as a class this Thursday afternoon in La Plata. The fabric feels a little scrunched up while you're knitting it, but you can see how a bit of blocking stretches out the yarn-overs and really shows off the pattern. For someone new to lace, the design looks complicated, but it's actually quite easy - just a 6-row repeat. I'm finding it very addictive, and I seem to choose to work the lace when I need a stress reliever. Somehow focusing on a pattern in which each stitch takes a bit more of my attention seems to get me into a happy zone. The magnet board helps a great deal as well.

This little gem keeps the pattern upright and magnifies the row I'm working so that I never lose track of where I am. I'm also finding it to be very helpful on the Bleaklow cabled vest we're doing for our next Knit and Finish.

My pink self

Here is a rare photo of the ever-elegant Paula wearing, gasp, a tie-dyed t-shirt,

and me wearing an attractive middle school gym uniform t-shirt. Good heavens, what has gotten in to us? Or should I say, on to us? Well, duct tape, to be precise.

We were giving the body-form-making effort a trial run. First you cross your heart - just like an 18-hour commercial. Then round and round and round and round...

until finally, viola! I am a shiny pink mummy.

Paula cut the whole thing off me, and it's already amazingly sturdy - even without the stuffing. This was a great chance to work out some of the kinks (no pun intended) before we do the class next month. We'll have another go at it next week I get to wrap Paula in duct tape and make her a shiny pink mummy too.

If you would like to make your own dress form with us next month, call the La Plata shop at 240-349-2583. The class is Saturday, November 21st in the afternoon.

Della Q is in

We just received our order of beautiful silk bags and accessories from Della Q. In addition to these gorgeous totes, we have matching needle cases, notions bags, and beautiful silk project bags. Treat yourself to a little luxury.

Tweedy goodness

These two models arrived from the beautiful new book from the Queensland Collection - you know, the one with the fabulous tweed waistcoat in it. Here are two more reasons to love this book! This first one is in the Kathmandu Aran Tweed.

This one is in the chunky tweed. Both are just gorgeous and look even better on a person than on the mannequin. They're living in La Plata right now, so come see them. I've also just re-ordered the pattern book (again).

Trick or Treat Saturday

We had tons of trick-or-treaters on the square yesterday. They had feared a rain-out and had officially canceled the event, but the word never got out to the masses, so we went through 5 bags of candy. I suspect there will be another host trick-or-treaters next week too, so we're ready for them too!

Inside the shop, Karen brought in the gorgeous Aran sweater she'd knit for her son. Excellent work, Karen.
In the afternoon, Nicole finished up the three-session sock class, and Janice (isn't she lovely) had her first knitting lesson with Amy. Janice has chosen a beautiful shade of Texas Bighorn to knit a Faith Jacket. I am looking forward to posting photos of her progress.

The Waistcoats are coming...

We had the last of our classes on the beautiful tweed waistcoats Saturday. Barbara, Conni, Donna, and Judy had all finished the knitting and were working on seaming the shoulders and picking up stitches. The instructions say to pick up the stitches for the fronts bands and collar before seaming the shoulder, but I find that you have a neater pick-up when you've already established the shoulder line. Here's a photo of mine which I've already enjoyed wearing!

Better than Ice Cream

How much do I love Berroco's Sundae yarn? Well, the title of this post should tell you, because I never met a flavor of ice cream that I didn't love. What makes it so wonderful? Well, for one, it's hard to argue with a yarn that knits up on a size 15 needle. As one knitter said, "Just add water and stir - the thing practically knits itself". Not exactly, but as far as return on time knitted, it's pretty hard to beat. This Rayanne cardigan took only about two days worth of actual knitting time, and was very easy to do. The pattern has sizing from 32"-52"and is very flattering. I knit the 36" size which took just 8 skeins.

The second reason I love Sundae is the colors. Each colorway is a subtle blend of several coordinating shades. For instance, the burgundy I used has shades of rose and brown and red. There is even a very beautiful blue and green one that reminds me of Black Watch plaid. Here's a close-up of the colors. You can see that the yarn has a really nice sheen as well.


Berroco's pattern book for Sundae has several of great designs for quick-knit jackets as well as fun hats, scarves, and cowls. Come by the shop and treat yourself to a calorie-free Sundae.

Fun Friday Extra

I hope you all checked your email today and found out about our little promotion of 10 % off Noro and a free patten when you buy Silk Garden.

We'll be doing these from time to time when we run across something that we think you'll enjoy. I had planned something different for today, but I realized that I can't release that one until next Friday, so we'll have another goodie for you then. In the mean time, come in and get to know Noro.