Millicent’s News

February 2008

 

Millicent’s Yarns & More

27 N. Centre Street, Cumberland, MD 21502

 Shop Hours: Tues - Sat 10 - 5, Wed 10 - 8 and
Sunday 1 - 4 (closed last Sunday of every month)

301-722-8100 or www.millicentsyarns.com

 

Cash in on your Bonus Dollars 

Thank you so much for your patronage of Millicent’s Yarns & More.  We keep track of your expenditures and, at year’s end, give you between 1% and 2.5% of your total as a gift.  We happily pass on your Bonus Dollar gift in appreciation of your shopping and learning with us.

 

 

Penny Stracker Trunk Show

Last fall we brought in Penny Stracker patterns.  These are classics:  well written, easy to follow, terrific instructions on seaming and embellishments, interesting notes on yarn types, plus a guide to measuring for size, and important step-by-step washing instructions for woolens.  Like many classic yarn patterns, Penny Straker patterns are written for lighter weight wools in sport or DK weight (5.5 to 6 stitches per inch).  Some are written even for fingering weight yarns.  But this is the direction knitting is taking.  So many knitters have gone past the stages of knitting scarves or knitting sweaters in a flash in bulky weight yarns.  The truly refined, well fitting, and elegant sweaters are usually knitted on lighter weight  yarns to remove the bulk.  This is, in part, why our Sport and DK Yarns section has grown so in the last several years.

 

There will be some 28 garments for you to view between January 16 and 30.  Please take time over these two weeks to examine the garments, look at the seams and buttonholes, check out the stitch patterns, and imagine yourself in one of them!

 

 

Bears Sweaters for New Orleans – Please read! Knit quickly!

We have a church group going to New Orleans the week of February 18 - 22 to help where help is needed.  They have purchased lots and lots of teddy bears to give to children, and now they need sweaters!   They are simple and fast . . . perhaps you can make a couple.

 

Materials:  2 – 3 oz worsted weight yarn, US 8 needle

Back:  CO 44 sts.  Work 5 rows in K1P1 rib.  Work even in stockinette for 24 rows or 5” from beginning. BO

Front:  Same as back

Sleeves:  (make 2) CO 30 sts.  Work 3 rows in K1P1 rib.  Work even in St St for 8 rows.  BO

Finishing:  Weave in yarn ends.  Sew front and back pieces together at shoulders, leaving 3.5 “ gap for neck.  Pin top of sleeves to side edges so that the center of the sleeve lines up with the shoulder seam.  Sew into place.  Sew side and sleeve seams.

Multi-colored sweaters are welcome!

 

Please bring your bear sweater to Millicent’s.

 

 

Winter/Spring Class Themes: Color and Socks

 

COLOR: There are a number of ways to introduce a variety of color in your knitting.

STRIPES:  The easiest is striping.  Stripes simply consist of knitting two or more rows in Color A, then two or more rows in Color B, C, D, etc.  I love the effect of the ABAB pattern, especially on children’s clothing (kind of like prison stripes!).  You can also knit single-row stripes by knitting with color A, pushing the knitting back to the starting point for the knit row, knitting with color B, then purling with A, pushing the purl row back to the starting point for the purl row, and then purling with B.  Got that?  Minnowknits has some cute patterns using single row stripes.  You can try out stripes in our Knit Your First Sweater Class, Thurs., Feb 7 – 28.

 

SLIP STITCH: The great thing about Slip-Stitch Patterns is that they look very complicated, but are, in fact, as easy as pie.  Slip-Stitch Patterns are good to use with self-striping or novelty yarn, as they are toned down.  How to do this?  Choose two colors (or more), with A becoming the primary or main color.  Work two rows with Color A.  By working a pattern (let’s say knit 1, slip 1) with Color B, you bring color A up into that new row and, in this way introduce a second color into the new row with a slipped – and stretched stitch.  Intrigued?  We have two completed slip-stitch hats in the shop to examine.  You can see by our samples that color work in Slip Stitch Patterns can look quite complex.  What an easy way to show off!  We are offering a Slip-Stitch Hat Class on Thursday evenings starting Jan.17 – if you can’t make the 17th, join us for the 24th.

 

FAIR ISLE OR STRANDED COLOR WORK:  This method has the knitter carrying two colors of yarn, one in the right hand and one in the left hand.  The color not being knitted is stranded behind the worked yarn until it is in use again.  This requires some getting used to, and there are a number of tricks to learn.  Tension is key, as is the choice of colors.  Stranded Color Work is used on traditional Norwegian and Icelandic sweaters.  Because of the stranding, it creates a doubly thick fabric which I’m sure make those Norwegians and Icelanders happy.  We are offering a class on this method in March – and while it is called a Xmas Stocking Class, you are welcome to try any object as you learn.

 

INTARSIA:  Intarsia is a method of introducing large areas of color.  I think of it as painting with yarn, because you can “paint” leaves, flowers, dogs, cats, or abstract shapes that create argyle, for instance.  Yarns are carried on bobbins and colors are interlocked at the borders of the color change, so nothing unravels.  The challenge with intarsia is having many color changes, because each field of color needs to have its own bobbin.  (Think the legs of a dog – you’d need a bobbin for each leg, plus a bobbin for each field of background color between the legs).  Ah, but it’s worth it!  We are offering an Intarsia Class on Sunday, Feb. 10, 17, 24.

 

SOCKS:  No matter how socks are knit, they all do the same job.  The fun is in the knitting!  And in joining the widely popular trend for knitting socks!

 

SOCKS ON DOUBLE-POINTED NEEDLES:  This is the traditional method for knitting, although Americans put the sock fabric on three needles to knit around a triangle and Europeans put the sock fabric on four needles to knit around a square.  Calm yourself and concentrate on the needles directly in front of you, and the spider legs of needles pointing in all directions won’t be so intimidating.  The one problem with this method?  If you lose one needle (as I did on an airplane – it fell between the seat the and the fuselage), you are cooked! 

 

KNITTING SOCKS FROM THE TOE-UP:  This is the method that Central Europeans use to knit socks and it is becoming increasing popular in the US.  While it is traditional in Western Europe and the US to knit socks from the top-down (starting at the cuff), by starting at the toe, you are able to fit the sock to your foot more precisely and can measure more precisely how high you want the sock on the leg.  We are offering a workshop on this method on Sunday, Feb. 3 and Wednesday, Feb. 6 during the sock of the month meetings.

 

SOCKS ON TWO CIRCULAR NEEDLES:  This method of knitting socks removes the intimidation of knitting with multiple needles and the problem of losing needles.  One half of the sock stitches are placed on one circular needle and the other half are placed on the second.  In this way, you are actually knitting in a circle, rather than a triangle or square.  The problem with this method?  If you don’t have the best of the best needles, you will be fighting with the yarn going over the join between cable and needle more times than you’d ever want.  We are offering a class on this method beginning Feb.5.

 

TWO SOCKS ON TWO CIRCULAR NEEDLES:  This is the method for those of us who regret that we have more than one foot.  The first sock is always a challenge and a joy as we watch the yarn self-stripe or the lace pattern begin to unfold.  But the darned second sock . . . .  We will be offering a class on this method beginning March 5.

 

 

Up-Coming Classes:

FEBRUARY: Intarsia, Knitting Socks from the toe-up, Socks on 2 Circular Needles, a Noni Bag Feast, Knit Your First Sweater, a Workshop on reversible Cables, and three choices of times for the Introductory Class  (See Classes Page on our website for details)

 

MARCH: Needle-Felting Embellishment on Felted Items, Fair-Isle Knitting (want to start your Christmas Stockings early – or a pillow case, or try a bag, or sweater!), Knitting 2 Socks on 2 Circular Needles, Knitting a Basic Tank, and three choices of times for the Introductory Class

 

APRIL: Knitting a Basic T, Knitting a Child’s Lace Dress, Knitting a Lace Shell, Fix It Returns, and a two-week Knitting Basics Class, Crochet Classes in April and May (we hope!)

 

Volunteers needed for Tea Set Project

We laughed and laughed when we saw the crocheted/knitted Cupcake and Tea Set in received Itty-Bitty Nursery that we received last month.  Who would ever take the time to knit such a thing?  Boy, they must have a lot of free time on their hands!  Ha Ha Ha.    But then we began to ponder the possibilities:  wouldn’t that look absolutely darling for a Valentine’s Day window display.  We’d do it in red and white, or pink and white.  Ha Ha on us!!  And now, of course, we need some volunteers. Would you like to knit a cupcake for us?  A teapot?  A sugar bowl?  We’ll supply the yarn, you supply the size 3 needle.  Want to knit a couple of sugar cubes? A saucer?  It will be fun!!!  We’re shooting for a display in the window by February 10.   Let’s see if we can make it!  

 

Sock of the Month Club Meeting Schedule

February:  Sunday, Feb 3 and/or Wednesday, Feb 6 – Toe-Up Month

March:  Sunday, Mar 2 and/or Wednesday, Mar 5 – 2 Socks on 2 Circs Month

April:  Wednesday, Apr 2 and/or Sunday, Apr 6 – Lace Sock Month

 

Knitting for Kids and Teens  Kids Knit meets Tuesdays after school and Teens Knit on Thursdays.

 

  

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