Millicent’s News

December 2005

 

Millicent’s Yarns & More

27 N. Centre Street, Cumberland, MD 21502

Shop Hours:  Tues – Sat, 10 –5,
Wed & Thurs open late until 9, Sun 2 –5

 

Well, we’re nearing the last month of the year.  We can look forward to Thanksgiving in a few days and Christmas and Hanukkah in a short five weeks!!  If you are planning to do holiday knitting, the time is NOW!! To help you out,

 MILLICENT’S IS OPEN

WEDNESDAYS UNTIL 9 PM and SUNDAY FROM 2 – 5. 

 

WE WILL ALSO BE OPEN

THE THURSDAYS OF DECEMBER BEFORE CHRISTMAS UNTIL 9

ALONG WITH OTHER DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES

 

There will be no classes in December other than our Mixed Bag Class on Tuesday mornings and the Kids Knit on Tuesday afternoons.  Please feel free to ask for lessons or help with any project you are working on during the above shop hours.  We will announce our January classes in the upcoming newsletter (arriving by December 15 – we hope!)

 

A direct appeal for knitted goods from Donna McGranahan, a yarn representative who visits my shop two or three times a year.  Donna spent a month in Mississippi with the Red Cross following Hurricane Katrina.  She tells me that the situation is much worse than the TV reporters can even begin to describe.  The first words out of her mouth when I saw her this month was to ask our local knitters to assist the hospitals in the area where she was posted – one is barely operational, one won’t be able to open for several months, and one won’t reopen for several years.  And yet patients still have needs.  Premature babies are still being born and need head-coverings to help maintain body warmth. Cancer patients continue to undergo therapy and need soft hats to protect their heads following hair loss.  The knitters of Mississippi are no longer able to provide these items, but the need still remains. 

 

I will accept all donations at Millicent’s and get them to Donna.  She will be able to send them directly to the hospitals that need them.  It is unusual to have such a direct link to people in need.  Your work will not be lost in a big bureaucratic rats nest.   A pattern for a premie hat a source for chemo caps is at the end of this newsletter.  Please inquire at the shop for a one-ball Chinchilla hat (the softest and most soothing hat for sensitive skin)

 

The need will not go away soon – if you are unable to give knitting time in December, rest assured that donated items in January through July will be heartfelt.

 

Join Our Knitting Community  Need a little help from your friends to get your holiday knitting done?  A little encouragement?  Seek support from those of us who know your plight?  For those of you who enjoy the exchange of ideas sharing your knitting time, please join us for our regular Knit Ins at Millicent’s, every Wednesday from noon to 2:00 and every Friday from 1:00 to 3:00, as well as for our Hook Ups on Wednesdays, from 3:30 to 5:30.  These are drop in social gatherings – you can stay for the entire two hours or for a shorter time as your schedule allows.  Fees are $2.00 per session. 

 

The Karen Phillips-Shwallon Ribbon Embroidery Workshop in October was very successful and Karen will be returning on January 21 and March 18, 2006, to continue with students.  She is designing a Heart Sampler on Wool just for these classes.  We have room for ten students.  If you are interested, please sign up SOON.  It is not necessary for you to have attended the October workshop to enjoy the 2006 events.  Class fees will be $45 with additional fees for patterns and materials (we were able to keep this cost at $17 for this last class).

 

The Introduction to Weaving on a Triangular Loom Workshop was a lot of fun for the folk who attended and those of us who got to watch.  It was intriguing to see how self-striping yarn displayed itself on the triangular loom.  Shirley Carnahan is a calm teacher who is excellent at problem solving for beginners.  We will have more triangular loom workshops in the new year.  These are definitely a great new direction for those of you who like to work with yarns and are good at conceptualizing a whole made of smaller pieces.  Perhaps we will need to start a Three Corner Weave In to gather weavers together!

 

An Introduction to Weaving on a Rigid-Heddle Loom, which is the easiest of the “harness” looms to use, will begin on January 21, continue for three weeks.  Our class is limited to four students and will last four to six hours each.  Millicent’s is bringing in four 24-inch looms for class use, rental, and purchase.  Rigid Heddle Looms are tabletop or lap looms and can produce small woven objects such as scarves, place mats, table runners, etc.  It is also possible to create garments using woven work on the rigid heddle loom.  Shirley will follow this introduction to rigid heddle looms with two “project” workshops in February and March, and will give another three-week introductory class at the end of March through the beginning of April.  Please contact Mel at 301-722-8100 to indicate your interest.  Specifics as to costs and times will be available in January newsletter.

Beth Brown-Reinsel Workshops will take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 25 and 26.  Beth is a nationally recognized teacher and designer who gave a workshop on Gansey Sweaters for us last year.  The enthusiasm over her last workshop brought us to invite her to return to offer two workshops:  Aran Sweaters (stitch pattern work) and Latvian Mittens (color work).  The cost of one workshop is $125; the cost of both workshops is $220.  Please register for these with a $25 downpayment for one and a $50 downpayment for two workshops.  Beth’s workshops are of the highest quality and are a real treat.  They may be a good Christmas present to ask for!

 

Authentic Knitting Boards have become a real hit at Millicent’s.  Used by both children and adults, they produce a double-knitted piece in stockinette stitch.  Only the most skills are needed.  One teen has already learned to do ribbing on her loom.  I can’t wait to see what will come next from her efforts.  The popularity of the Authentic Knitting Boards took us by surprise and we completely sold out of the looms earlier this month.  But, not to worry, we will have a 14 more new ones in this week!  As a high quality craft item and priced at a low $33.50 for the children's version, the Authentic Knitting Boards make a nice gift for a child or non-knitter in your life.

 

Beads!!   From Swallow Hill Creations, we now have kits for knitted and beaded necklaces or bracelets, shawls, and little purses.  These are a challenge for an advanced beginner or intermediate knitter the first time around, but fun, and after your first accomplishment, you are ready for more!  We also have a variety of glass, polymer, porcelain and wooden beads that can be incorporated in simple knits.  Some of these beads are bagged, some are stranded, some are separate and can be selected one at a time.  Our beaded fringed scarf, necklace, and knitted toboggan give you a good idea of how you can incorporate beading into your knitted work. 

 

Looking for Presents for Other Knitters?  Look no farther than Millicent’s!  We have boxed notecards, with four sets of patterns.  We have three calendars, one our much beloved resource 365 Stitches In A Year, one called Kool Stuff to Know About The Knitting Lifestyle, and the third, a beautiful wall calendar.  We also have several of the Little Box of . . . series:  Scarves I and Scarves II, Crocheted Hats and Scarves, Throws, and Sweaters. And in a similar boxed set but a smaller format, we have Knitting To Go: 25 Chic and Easy Patterns which includes scarves, sweaters, baby items.  It is a good resource of basic patterns.  And don’t forget about the Circular Needle ID Tags that help you identify the size of your needles once the stamped sizing wears off!

 

And from Zecca, the maker of the wild and wonderful polymer buttons, come two new items:  1)  Tag Holders (otherwise known as Zingers) to attach to your bag or waistband and keep your scissors handy at all times.  2)  Also Zecca Hat Pinz, which really make great shawl pins.  Both these items make terrific presents for yourself or your favorite knitter.

 

“All I want for Christmas is . . . .”   We continue to make our “gift registry” available to you.   Your page in our registry lists the yarns, or books, or accessories, or kits that you might like to receive as presents – then you point your husband, family members, and best friends to Millicent’s.  Gift certificates are also available.

 

My New Favorite Knitting Book   Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush, gives a history of knitting as well as an historic review of basic sock knitting techniques including several types of heels and toes (claimed as a favorite by several nationalities).  All sock patterns in the book come from the late 19th and early 20th century ladies’ magazine, “Weldon’s Practical Needlework.”  Each has been modernized for today’s knitter.   This is a great book for the sock knitter who is tired of knitting round and round creating automatic striping patterns and would like more of a challenge.

 

New News   For those who love Pursenalities, which gives one fabulous knitted and felted purse pattern after another, you’ll be happy to learn that a second volume of by the same author is coming out soon. 

 

Congratulations!  We have three winners for our Winter Scarf Contest.  Debbie Williamson won first prize, Teresa Wilmes second prize, and Marsha Mason third prize.  Congratulations to all of you!

 

My Holiday Gift To You

This is my holiday present to all of you: a thought about why we knit and the value many of us derive from it.  This passage is from In Praise of Slowness (2004) by Carl Honore,

excerpted from the chapter entitled “Leisure:  the Importance of Being At Rest.” 

 

“In living rooms, college dorms and company cafeterias across North America, women join knitting circles, where they build friendships as they stitch.  The sweaters, hats and scarves they produce offer an alternative to the fleeting pleasures of modern consumerism.  While manufactured goods can be functional, durable, beautiful, even inspiring, the very fact that they are mass-produced makes them disposable.  In its uniqueness, its quirks and imperfections, a handmade item such as a knitted shawl carries the imprint of its creator.  We sense the time and care that went into the making --- and feel a deeper attachment to it as a result.”

            [Author Carl Honore then quotes Bernadette Murphy who wrote Zen and the Art of Knitting.]   “In the modern world, where it is so easy, so cheap, so quick to buy things, the things that we buy have lost their worth.  What value does an object have when you can buy ten more exactly the same in an instant?  .... When something is handmade, it means that someone has invested time in it, and that imbues it with real value.”

            Knitting is by nature Slow.  You cannot push a button, turn a dial or flick a switch to knit more quickly.  The real joy of knitting lies in the doing, rather than in reaching the finish line.  Studies show that the rhythmic, repetitive dance of the needles can lower heart rate and blood pressure, lulling the knitter into a peaceful, almost meditative state. 

“The best thing about knitting is its slowness (says Murphy).  It is so slow that we see the beauty inherent in every tiny act that makes up a sweater.  So slow that we know the project is not going to get finished today—it may not get finished for many months or longer—and that allows us to make our peace with the unresolved nature of life.  We slow down as we knit.

            Many knitters use their hobby as an antidote to the stress and hurry of modern life.  They knit before and after big meetings, during conference calls or at the end of a tough day.  Some claim the calming effect continues after they put down the needles, helping them keep their cool in the fast-moving workplace.  “I can actually feel the active part of my brain shutting down, and that helps to straighten out the tangled knot of my thoughts.

            Will the twenty-first century knitting boom eventually turn to bust?  It is hard to say.  Fashion is notoriously fickle.  Knitwear may be trendy now, but what happens when chunky sweaters and funky scarves stop appearing on the cover of Vogue?  Some knitters will probably hang up their needles and move on to the next fad.  But many will carry on.  In a fast-paced, high-tech world, a low-tech hobby that helps people decelerate is bound to last.

 

Just think of how many of us are arriving at these conclusions!!

Yours, Mel

 

Premie Hat Pattern

With DK or sport weight yarn and a size 4 needle, CO 60 sts, join in the round

Work in 2x2 rib (k2, p2) for 6 inches.

K2tog, P2tog for 30 sts.

Work 2x2 for next row.

K2tog, p2tog to 15 sts.

K1, p1 for one row.

Then draw yarn through the remaining 15 sts to cinch circle closed.

If you do not work in the round, you can follow this same pattern in the flat and sew up back seam to finish.

 

For Chemo Caps, try chemocap.org for patterns.


 

HAPPY KNITTING

FROM

        MILLICENT'S YARNS & MORE

 

 

 

  

back to top

Great Yarns • Personal Service • Mountain Air

about us | contact | products | classes | virtual tour | gallery
special events | gift certificates


Millicent's Knits and Yarns • 49 North Centre Street • Cumberland, Maryland 21502
phone 301-722-8100 • mel@millicentsyarns.com