Some things I wish I hadn't thrown away

Sile's Brigitta is finally finished

Laura's version of the baby surprise

Beginning Spinners @ work


Vero concentrates on her spinning


Warning: The pictures above have nothing to do with the post.

On Thursday I took the day off and spent some of the time with my good friend Nancy F . We ate lunch at Dopo on Piedmont---very yummy indeed and then went into a new and fabulous little clothing store at the top of Piedmont. It is called McMullen and is owned by Sherri who has a great eye for clothing with fabulous little details. I tried on a nifty little knit top/ t-shirt type thing that had little zippers here and there creating lots of different looks and of course giving ease in places where one (read me!) might need a little give. Fortunately for my bank account---but unfortunately for my spirits---- it was a little snug on the shoulder ---I have those big swimmer's shoulders don't you know. The store is bright, airy and spacious and Sherri is very welcoming and warm.

After our visit to McMullen, Nancy and I walked back to her house. There she produced a big box which housed her late mother's knitting needle collection. What joy. (Nancy has kindly donated these to knit-one-one) Many had the original packing with price tags---all the needles seemed to cost a mere 39 cents. A little paper ruler had the saying: "Knitting happiness is making a gauge swatch". Kira wants me to have that blown up and emblazoned on the studio walls! Watch this space. Nancy was bemoaning the fact that her late parents never threw anything out and that lead to some thoughts about things I wish I had kept.

But first, a little background.

When I was growing, up my mother made all of my clothes----skirts, dresses, socks, hats, gloves, jumpers, and pinafores (the latter 2 words in Am. English would read---sweaters and jumpers!) I was picky at an early stage about color and fit but nonetheless would huff and puff when my mother wanted me to try things on to make sure that the item fit. (It's a wonder she didn't impale me with a needle!) When Janyce and I met to talk about the upcoming sewing classes at knit-one-one I was very nostalgic for my mother's sewing which I think she enjoyed more than knitting.

But back to the things I wish I had kept:

---a multicolored tweed jumper with a deep U front

---a lemon yellow sweater with big collar and embroidered daisies on the front

--- a from fitting, pink, check, viyella dress with cut- in shoulders

---a straight kelly green dress with a knit top and sleeves

And I am sure that after I have posted this, I will think of many more!

the knit-one-one studio on adeline street

Here are some pics of the finished studio. They were taken by my friend and classmate, Chris. Chris and I met at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center where we took a class in Business Planning. As you can see, he is a great photographer. He specializes in taking photos of spaces and doing portraits of people---he and I meet and exchange tales centering on the joys and vicissitudes of owning your own business!

When we have a big class, we use the studio in the larger layout. When the class is smaller, we swing the bookcase around to divide it into two----it works really well in both configurations.

In a few weeks we are hosting a knitting shower for Vero and Nate who are getting married in Venezuela in May. Nate is my studio mate. He is a structural engineer and works in the loft aerie space weekdays when we are not having classes. We met Vero when she took a class at knit-one-one. When I was looking for a studio mate, she mentioned Nate. Don't you love how the world of connections and connecting work.

But back to the party. Everyone who comes to the shower will knit a square for a blanket which Kate, Carrie and I will then put together. For the beginners we will cast on the stitches and then teach them to knit a garter stitch square. Vero and Nate chose the colors for the blanket---blues, greys and a dash of orange! Guests who knit will arrive with their own needles but we will lend them to the beginners. Of course eating and drinking will take place too. I think the studio will make a fabulous space for this event. And we will remember to take pics so you can see the fun. (Mmmmmm...maybe we should invite Chris-----just kidding!

The studio was alive with cocoknits admirers and samples

PS I found more pics!


Last weekend was very busy at the studio---lots of knitting, eating, drinking, trying on samples etc.

On Saturday we had the last of the Sawtooth Skirt Class and look at those fabulous skirts. Kira K's design is not only terrific looking but also very comfortable to wear . (And I should mention that Kira is a great teacher too) I was so taken with the skirt that I rushed over to Artfibers yesterday and bought myself the makings for the skirt. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

On Sunday the studio was filled with Cocoknits designs and people trying on her sweaters. I am sorry I didn't get a lot of photos---I was so busy giving my opinions to people as they tried on her great creations that I forgot my photographing duties. (I know it will come as a surprise to many of you that I was giving opinions!) Julie gave a demo of her great knitter's blocks and some very wise people decided to buy them after seeing how they helped in the blocking process---- which for most of us is not our favourite part of knitting. (but with the knitter's blocks it is infinitely more palatable!)

Julie has created a line of desk accessories which were given their first public outing on Sunday. Our friend Ricardo was so taken with them that he bought the pattern in order to make a tray for dice---he's a gamer don't you know---gamer in the positive sense!

Others at the event signed up for Cocoknits Classbeginning this coming Sunday. For this class, you can choose any of Julie's designs and work on them with the designer herself. Some complained that the class should go on for months since they wanted to make everything! Mmmmm.....maybe not a bad idea. What about it Julie---ha!

Queen of Cables: Kate

Our Kate has many talents---I mean her first nickname was Project a Day Kate. This was replaced by Speedy Needle Freeman and in the last few weeks I have been dubbing her the Queen of Cables. And the reason is___________oh you are so smart to have guessed it already.

In December the queen created her own pattern and called it the Hella Cable Scarf. (There are many people in the immediate BAy Area who received a Hella as a Christmas gift---it was so showy fun and fast to knit). Last Friday for our Magical Mystery Knitting Party she created a Java Jacket using_____you have got it. But the thing is that she spent ages playing around with cables to see which would look good sideways---the way a cup wears it. And she concluded that the honeycomb cable was best---and the Magical Mystery goers agreed. (Rumor has it that they have become hooked on cables themselves)

So with all this cabling in the air I remembered that , the knit-one-one crochet expert
Susan, had requested a cable class---a long time ago, mind you--- (Sorry Susan!). Therefore it seemed so apt to create a
Cable Mania class and to let the queen just go wild teaching all she has learned about cables. Now I have to admit that I myself am a big fan of cables---they are so showy, so mysterious and just plain fun. And fun is a good thing people!