MILLICENT’S NEWS
MARCH 2005
Find links to free pattern at the end of our newsletter!
It’s Gotta’ Go Sale
Continuing through February, this sale gives you a great chance to build your stash. There are yarns from all sections of the store – novelty through super-bulky through worsted. There’s something for everyone. And because the yarns have “gotta go” to help make space for our new yarns, the prices are right! Don’t miss this one!
The Gansey Workshop:
Snowed out on our scheduled weekend, our Gansey Workshop with Beth Brown-Reinsel took place January 28 and 29. (How lucky we were that Beth had the next weekend free – her other open dates in 2005 were in June and December!! One in-demand knitting teacher!)
Beth is a spunky, fun, knowledgeable teacher whose lessons are delivered with such clarity that all workshop participants learned a great deal and were able to knit their little mini-Gansey sweaters with success.
Half of the workshop participants were local folk; the other half came from Romney, Morgantown, even as far away as Lusby, MD. Beth took us through our paces: in the nine hour workshop we learned about a decorative cast-on method, how to overlap vents, knitting in the traditional identifying initial, creating a definition ridge, knitting three kinds of cables without a cable needle, underarm gussets, knitted shoulder straps, even “inverted triangular neck gussets”! All of this in a sweater big enough to fit a GI Joe or some other superhero figure with an appropriately small head. Don’t let all this jargon scare you – we had advanced beginner knitters as well as experienced knitters knitting away, happy as larks and chattering all the while (except for Carolyn who moaned loudly over the double pointed needles. But then, we know what magic she can wrought when she’s not struggling with double points!))
Beth Brown-Reinsel returns in 2006
We were so pleased with this workshop experience that we have invited Beth back next year to offer two workshops over one weekend. Saturday, March 24, 2006, Beth will teach “Aran Pullovers” which are knit from the top-down. Then on Sunday, March 25, 2006, Beth will teach about knitting Latvian Mittens, with multicolored decorative designs and long but wide colorful cuffs.
Mark your calendars for March 25 and 26, 2006 and give me your names early with a down payment of $25 for the one workshop and $50 for the two. We will be limiting the next workshop to 13 participants – all the bodies our little shop can contain!
The fee for one 6-hour workshop is $125, which will include materials, pattern, lunch, late afternoon snack, and superb instruction from one of the nation’s most renowned knitting teachers. The fee for both workshops is $220 (a savings of $30) and will include the same as above but twice over.
Sound like a lot of money? Well, I figure if we begin saving $2.40 per week during the year, you’ll have enough for a single workshop. And if you save $4.25 per week, you’ll have enough for both workshops. But, whatever you wish to take, sign up for these workshops soon – they will fill quickly.
Millicent’s Superbowl Sunday Party
We had such fun at our (anti) Superbowl Sunday Party. Everyone brought CHOCOLATE – brownies, no-bakes, chocolate chip – we were happy as we left! Lots of laughing, some show and tell, and a great chance to get to the GOTTA GO SALE first!
Shall we meet one Sunday afternoon a month? Let me know your desires!
ARTFUL BAGS AND SUCH: handbags, totes and other accessories in expected and unexpected mediums
I’m happy to announce that the April Bag Show at Millicent’s is now being joined by the 4A’s and 60 N. Centre Gallery. The new title (above) opens our show to new mediums as well as stretching the definition of the show to include “accessories”.
The opening of the show has been moved forward to April 16 to coincide with Artswalk in Cumberland and will close May 15. Applications will be available shortly.
Now, my dear knitters and crocheters, I’m going to let you in on a secret I learned from the last show Millicent’s and friends were involved with. These art show are for selling!!! We knitters tend to hang onto items, or give them as gifts. And of course you may show work with a Not For Sale sign on it. But should you choose, you can knit or crochet bags, totes, and accessories to sell while your work is being hung at the Gallery or at Millicent’s. There will be no prizes, no entry fee, but all sales have a 25% commission tagged on them.
All items are screened for appropriateness before being included in the show.
So – bring out your best. Experiment some. Be creative. And bring in your work between April 1–5.
Applications for exhibitors (that means you) will be available by the end of February.
Knitting is taking off in Western Maryland!
Many of you have seen that knitting is being taught at Allegany College this semester. Minou Shelton, whom many of you have met in classes at Millicent’s, is teaching two full classes for beginning knitters. In the meantime Millicent’s is offering both 6-hour and 2 ½ hour beginning classes. So many people have signed up for these that we have had to double our 6-hour classes in February and begun a waiting list for classes in March. The 2 ½ hours Beginners’ Short Courses will be repeated again later in the year. Moreover, many more experienced knitters are coming in to get supplies for their own new knitting students. We at Millicent’s are so pleased to see this interest growing. Bravo to all you new teachers!! Be sure to make a tour of Millicent’s Knits & Yarns a part of your class curriculum!
Gems Topaz Merino has taken a place at Millicent’s
You’ll notice a new display of Merino wool in the back room of Millicent’s. It is filled with some of the softest Merino wool we have yet found – soft, and machine washable and dryable! Great for your fine knits as well as baby items. This same great yarn is also available in fingering weight at Millicent’s. We tried a small selection of Topaz colors this fall and had rave reviews about it. Try it – you’ll like it!
Also back in full color range is Shelridge Farms Soft Touch Wool from Canada. This 100% wool is a hand-dyed yarn with soft striations of color moving through each skein. And it is machine washable!
Top Ten Reasons to Knit with Wool
10. A natural product
9. Selection of yarn styles have never been better
8. We have soft, non-scratchy wools available
7. Heirloom quality finished garments
6. Yes, all wool can be washed! Hand washed, that is. Wash it like a baby, in the words of Elizabeth Zimmerman.
5. Warmth
4. Yes, some wools can be machine-washed and machine dried (on air-dry). Imagine that!
3. Sheep need the work
2. Compared to acrylic brands, the yarn styles, colors, and feel of wool are just incredible.
1. Do you really want to wear plastic???
New Books at Millicent’s
Shadow Knitting by Vivan Hoxbro. “Shadow knitting is very simple in principle. It uses just two stitch patterns, garter stitch and stockinette stitch and the patterning is minimalist. If you look at a show-knit garment directly from the front, it is difficult to see the pattern, but when the person wearing the garment moves, the pattern become visible. It almost seems like magic.” (from the introduction to Shadow Knitting). You can find a spectacular range of projects, small and large, to try this new technique. Anticipate some Shadow Knitting classes at Millicent’s in the fall.
NORO Books by Debbie Bliss and other designers. Our selection of the Japanese yarn NORO in Silk Garden now has many color selections. Many designs have been created for this yarn that knits up in rich color blocks or stripes. Check out the variety and come to see our newly finished entralac scarf that so attractively uses Silk Garden as well as the child’s sweater nearing completion. You’ll want to try this yarn when you see these products.
Knitting on the Edge by Nicky Epstein. This is a reference book that gives you recipes for “icing on the cake”, well – edgings on knit work that can transform a nice sweater into a “showstopper”. The author uses many textures and weights of yarns to show how the same edging can look in a variety of designs. Chapters are called Texture, Ribs, Ruffles, and Lace.
Coming in March from XRX (who brings us Knitters Magazine), Ponchos & Wraps – A Knitter’s Dozen. Part of a series that included Bags – A Knitter’s Dozen (now available at Millicent’s), this small format book will bring you some of the best patterns from Knitter’s over the last ten years.
We also have several new books on knitting for children, which is where our new model of Silk Garden from NORO comes from.
LOOKING FORWARD TO NEW SUMMER YARNS
I know, I know, that little rodent up in Pennsylvania says we are going to have another 6 weeks of winter, but summer will be coming sooner than that to Millicent’s.
We are especially excited about the linen yarn, or Euroflax, that we will introduce this summer from Louet yarns. Linen is a plant-derived fiber that provides a crisp drape, is absorbent, and has little elasticity. Although it feels stiff in the skein, it softens while worked and can be both machine-washed and dried!! Any stretching that takes place during wear springs right back into shape when machine dried. A garment or bag or scarf make of linen will make you proud. We have great patterns and will have samples available soon.
The wonderful Mission Falls 1824 Cotton is no longer being produced (something about the mill closing). We will sell what we have, still perfect amounts for the multi-colored sweaters shown in many of the Mission Falls books.
However, we will be doubling our selection of Cotton Stria from Manos del Uruguay. Cotton Stria, like Mission Falls, is a spiral yarn with one thick strand spun with a thin strand. It also has the thick-thin quality of hand-spun yarns, but this is not exaggerated as in novelty yarns. Cotton Stria is named so because of the color striations in the yarn – again, not exaggerated or striped, but a subtle flow of a single color intensity. Cotton Stria is also accompanied with some great patterns.
And thirdly, we are bringing in a fun color run from Crystal Palace yarns, summer fun in Splash, Deco Ribbon and others! Look on the www.straw.com website for Crystal Palace for an endless supply of patterns!
Approximate Yardage Required for Long Sleeve Pullover
Adult Women
Chest Sport Worsted Bulky
32”-34” 1300 1050 900
36”-38” 1400 1150 1000
40”-42” 1600 1250 1100
44”-46” 1800 1450 1200
48”-50” 2000 1700 1400
Don’t be caught short!
ALWAYS BUY AT LEAST ONE EXTRA SKEIN OF YARN FOR YOUR PROJECTS
MARCH CLASSES See our website classes page for upcoming classes.
THANKS to Dawn Persinger who has organized our growing pattern collection and color-coded the pattern notebooks so you can easily find what you are looking for:
green = accessories,
pink = women’s patterns,
yellow = infant’s patterns,
yellow with a blue stripe = children’s patterns,
blue = men’s patterns,
yellow, pink, and blue = patterns with children’s, women’s and men’s sweaters all together.
THANKS too to Sarah Johnson, Debbie Williamson, Roberta Miller and Robert Godfrey who have answered my call for help ! at the shop. And do I need it!! There is no such thing as a “slow day” at Millicent’s any more! Are you interested but haven’t spoken to me yet – don’t be shy. I can always use more help and of course the advantage to you is that your work hours get translated into dollars that can be spent at Millicent’s for yarns, books, patterns, accessories, etc. Let’s help each other!
Links to Free Patterns
Faery Crafty has done it again. It has long lists of free patterns in categories of bags, scarves and shawls, sweaters, summer shells, etc, etc. Some links go directly to the free patterns offered by yarn companies (which are probably well tested). Other links are to individual sites and you take your chances whether they will come out as promised. Still, go to www.faerycrafty.blogdrive.com to be delighted and inspired. There are great ideas for making bags for the April Bag Show!
Happy Knitting
From
Mel and Dick
at
Millicent’s Knits & Yarns
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Millicent's Knits and Yarns • 49 North Centre Street • Cumberland, Maryland 21502
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