Magical Mystery Knitting Party

Last night there was much laughter here at knit-one-one as Ms Kate, ably assisted by Ms Elaine, led the magical mystery knitting party. So here is how it works. People arrive, they are served drinks and tasty morsels and then Kate starts issuing "orders" ----Last night it was---"cast on 24 stitches" That is when the real fun began as everyone furiously guessed what they might be knitting. Some of the guesses: A jacket for a bat, a hat for a cat, a coffee mug cover and many others that I can't remember at the minute.

Janice came very close ---she guessed a blowfish but Laurie got the prize----a jellyfish! We were using a pattern created by
Stephen Hartley of Luscious Gracious. Stephen not only very graciously allowed us to use his pattern but he offered us some tips too. Thank you Stephen!

a great beginning to the fall season at knit-one-one

We had a great w/e full of "showy" knitting and crocheting. First of all Susan M led the class in a rousing beginning crocheting class. Then she was joined by Emily J and between them they explained the intricacies of bobbles and whatnot. It was so much fun listening to the "knitters" as they struggled with using just ONE needle. However, they mastered it in no time and the Mss Susan and Emily were mesmerized by how quickly their chickadees caught on. They got their bases done plus one whole row of bobbles. A pic of the bobbles is above----I will post more next week. (Oh and there is a nice photo of Susan which I tried to post last week but it kept coming out upside down. The aforementioned Emily fixed it. Question? Is there anything that that woman can't do?) Oh and you will see a little bit of the Mitts with Moxie ---class begins tomorrow.

On Sunday we had another "showy" class with Kate teaching entrelac. Sorry we only have one pic because the writer of this blog was also trying to entrelac and forgot her photography duties! But it is so incredibly cool once you get the hang of it.

a first for knit-one-one

I am just back from a fabulous weekend up at Emandal, an organic farm on the Eel River. The weekend was organized by our friend Peggy V---great food, wonderful swimming and terrific company. And of course there was plenty of knitting. What more could you ask for!

But I digress a little. This coming weekend we are having our very first crochet class. Crochet I tell you. Since we are called knit-one-one, clearly a little history is called for. Many of you have met the knit-one-one web designer
Emily J . She who told us that she was a "beginning knitter" Ha......absoulutely not so---just look at her blog if you don't believe me. This is a story about Emily J and Susan M.

A while ago Emily was browsing in SF in one of our newer upscale department stores when she espied a wonderfully cute, attractive, little bag. It cost a gazillion dollars --- a slight deterrent to our heroine Emily. But she wanted that bag. So she snaps a pic, hops on BART, teaches herself to crochet, whips out her pad and paper, designs the bag you see before you and then makes it! For those of you whose jaws are dropping I tell you.......this is a true story.

We finally persuaded her to teach the rest of us how to make this great little number but Emily wanted to have a co-teacher. Ever eager to please Ms Emily, I agreed with alacrity. Now enter our next heroine Susan M.

Susan has been a crocheter for many many years and can whip up a crocheted item in what seems like a few minutes. She also happens to be a great teacher. But our Susan is one busy woman so it was with my heart in my mouth that I asked her if she would teach with Ms Emily. The wonderful Susan agreed with alacrity much to the relief of Emily and so the two of them have been trading stitches, patterns and god knows what all, in preparation for this class. This summer Susan went to Ireland with her sister and a friend and here she is in the pic outside a nice red pub with her name---or almost her name---plastered in big gold letters. What a perfect way to introduce Susan to you!

And PS: Project-a-day Kate is teaching entrelacthis w/e too. It looks so impressive, doesn't it? What excitement at knit-one-one

in praise of beginning knitters!

Here at knit-one-one we have had 2 series of beginning knitting classes and we are about to start a new series the week after next.

When Project -a-day Kate and I talked about the classes, Kate was very adamant that she would like knitters to be able to walk away from the class having mastered casting on/off, knitting/purling, increasing and decreasing, knitting in the round and working on those pesky double pointed needles! In other words she wanted to launch them into the world able to confidently knit a variety of projects. But learning all of this takes time, and I worried that the would-be knitters might not commit to 4 weeks of class. However, I really agreed with Kate's thinking and so the beginning knitting classes here at knit-one-one are 4 weeks (8 hours). Kate was right---she is right about everything! (And I have learned to listen to her)

Take Kevin W for example.He took beginning knitting in May and is signed up for a sweater class in the Fall. And then there is left handed Lisa W----she adores purling would you believe and is delighted to be able to join the knitting crowd. Nancy B so took to knitting that all of the babies in her life have adorable hand knit outfits. Jennifer L is about to have some major surgery and is busy planning what projects she will knit in her recovery stages. And Ainate Y just finished the most divine lace scarf and is fearless in her choice of projects. When swimmers saw a hat created by Susan G, it was so expertly done that she had offers to buy it!

Kate wanted her "ducklings" as she has taken to calling them, to move beyond the garter stitch scarf and boy have they ever
surpassed her expectations.

Way to go knit-one-one beginners!