MOL knitters

I just wanted to let all you knitters out there know that I just came from a yarn/yard sale that is amazing. A very nice woman and sometime knitting instructor is selling all kinds of yarn at rock-bottom prices. You might be able to control yourselves better than I, but I came home with Noro, Rowan, and (too much) more. 165 Gregory just before Northfield Avenue.

Edited to add: sale continues tomorrow, and possibly Sunday.

EEK! I have to get up there!!!!

Yes, you do! I feel like I now need to enroll in a speed-knitting course. Now I have too many books and too much yarn. . . .

Is this out of her home? Any particular hours? I need some yarn to make a baby blanket!

I need to get yarn and then find someone to teach me how to knit.

@carolanne: me too! anyone want to be my teacher?

You can learn to knit by checking for videos on YouTube... seriously. I did this last summer, and I'm doing pretty well now.

I learned to knit at the Adult School with Michelle Bobrow. She was a great teacher. But I also use YouTube for instructional videos for certain techniques. Thanks for the heads up on yarn... I have a weakness for Rowan.....

Is there still a knitting group that meets in town? I'd be happy to help teach, but you don't want to learn from me. I never learned properly, so I'm a very slow knitter. Considering I've been knitting and reknitting the same shawl for months now, the yarn I bought will last me a good long time (though some of it is chunky and should knit up fast and be a great break from shawl hell). I tend to knit less in the summer so haven't minded, but I'm ready to complete a few projects, too.

Pippi, it's a regular yard sale. I found it through an ad in the MOL classifieds, so check there. I was going to go back with my daughter, who likes to sew, as there were a few sewing notions as well, but I decided that would be obscene. . . .

The woman who owns Stix 'n' Stitches in Montclair gives private lessons, if you ask her about it. Or you could go for their Thursday evening "Sit 'n' Knit" informal gatherings and get some tips from other knitters. I've also noticed that if I go in on a Saturday, usually the owner and her assistant are both sitting at the table knitting, and they are only too happy to help if you go in with a project asking for advice. I wonder if other shop owners are the same? I also noticed a similar atmosphere in a yarn shop in Chester that's no longer there, unfortunately.

I've been considering going into Stix 'n' Stitches for a quick lesson on short rows. I haven't had the nerve to try them yet. But I'm working up to cables any day now.

I'm self taught... it's really not all that hard. When it comes to trickier techniques, I find that classes are helpful (I'm looking at you, intarsia).

Once you master the basics, a stitch dictionary really helps you to master the more complex stitches/techniques.

Yarn sale sounds interesting....someone destashing?

There's a group who meet on Saturdays at KoCafe at 1908 Springfield Ave. We welcome all and are happy to help anyone get started - in fact, we take great pleasure in helping newbies get going. We also help one another figure out more challenging projects and techniques. We have varied ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, but enjoy sharing our fibery passions and chatting about our families, world events, books, movies, and whatever else comes up. Feel free to join us - we usually start arriving close to noon and stay several hours. Occasionally, there are only a couple of us, but usually 4-6. For knitting (or crochet) emergencies, KnitKnack is just a door or two away for replenishing supplies!

The Livingston Community Center has many classes. They are on Hillside in Livingston. The recreation site is: http://livingstonsyls.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Senior-Spotlight-Fall-2011-WEB.pdf

This is the beginner knitting class just starting up.


Learn the Basics of Knitting - Level 1
Did you ever want to know how to knit? Did you want to
learn to knit from your grandmother or mother but never
asked? Knitting may look hard, but with simple instructions,
and a little practice, you can learn how to knit,
create great items and develop a life long skill. Skills
taught in this class will include casting on, knitting,
purling, a combination of stitches and binding off which
will enable you to knit a scarf.
Participants are to bring to class: (1) pair # 9 or 10
straight needles and (1) 7 oz skein of a solid, light colored
worsted weight yarn.
Limit: 12
Instructor: Marilyn Werber
Location: LSCC
Day Time Dates Fee
M 12—1:30PM 9/19—12/12 R: $29.25

I'd be happy to teach the basics to those with a hank-ering (pun intended) to learn. I've been knitting off and on for the better part of 40 years, am overly fond of cable work (I get a little crazy with aran sweaters) and currently have a passion for socks. The one caveat I'll put out there is that I'm a leftie, so we may need to do some mirror-image stuff.

critterlover, carolanne - PM me if you're interested.
peggyc - I can take you through short rows - I find them key to producing socks that really fit

Mergele, I have an unconquerable aversion to the whole idea of knitting socks... and I have no idea why. It would actually be really nice to be able to create socks in colors and fabrics I really LIKE, as opposed to the crappy ones that seem to turn up in stores for the most part. On the other hand, I'd love to be able to use short rows to shape a waist or shoulders in a sweater or shrug.

Maybe we need an MOL Knitters' Circle? Heck, why not throw in crochet and even Tunisian crochet, while we're at it? I've thought about this before, but it comes back into my head every time I realize how many knitters there are on this board...

I stopped by the WO yard sale early this afternoon and it had been picked clean! So of course I had to stop at KnitKnack and pick up some yarn at full price . . . like I need more.

I'd love to get together with other knitters. What time does the group meet at KoCafe?

PeggyC, you can do it! Short rows are fun. Cables are even better. And socks are incredibly satisfying.

Oh, shoot. I tried to get Mr. PeggyC to take me to that yard sale, but apparently word got out much too soon. Dang. And I know what you mean, JR. My stash is already far too big, but I can never resist more, especially if the yarn is gorgeous and the price is right.

Where on Springfield are KoCafe and KnitKnack? I've been thinking about stopping by the yarn store, but I know it would just lead to trouble.

I didn't get back to this thread until 12:45 this afternoon. I ran out the door, knowing there would be very slim pickings and there were. I picked up a couple of skeins - not enough to make anything really -- and some other notions and embellishments. My son is really into crafts and there were beads and buttons and ribbons, so it wasn't a complete waste.

I think KnitKnack is very expensive. I prefer Stix & Stitches.
But to answer your questions, KoCafe is where Dinnersmith was. It's a block away from Prospect, closer to Vauxhall.

I love Stix 'n' Stitches. Good selection, decent prices, nice sale section, and very nice people.

I keep thinking I'll knit a pair of socks one of these years. I knit a pair of hand mitts for my daughter using sock yarn, but that's the closest I've come. Then my wool-obsessed cat chewed them up when we went away for the weekend and left the coat-closet door open (notice how I'm not placing any blame at all on the husband responsible for opening and not closing said door).

I'd like to join the KoCafe knitters one of these Saturdays.

PeggyC said:

I love Stix 'n' Stitches. Good selection, decent prices, nice sale section, and very nice people.

The sale selection is always awesome!

A good part of my most recent additions to the stash came from there. It's one of the reasons why I had to stop having my hair cut in Montclair. The salon was right across the street from the yarn store, so my "haircuts" ended up costing me $200!

I'll have to try Stix 'n' Stitches sometime. I think it's the only yarn store around here that I haven't been to. They can be quirky places. . . .

The KoCafe Group starts gathering around 12:00 on Saturdays. KoCafe has been very accomodating about letting us hang out as long as we want - we all order beverages, and sometimes more, and tip the help!

A couple of us have knit a lot of socks and are happy to help anyone interested in sock-knitting. One of the great things about sock-knitting, aside from the end-product, is that they're such small projects, you can easily carry them anywhere and whip them out anytime you have time to kill, are on-line, are on the train, or on a conference call!

Someone asked where on Springfield Knit Knack and KoCafe are - they're on the North Side of Springfield Ave, between Propect and Indiana - it's the block with Panda Kitchen, and Knit Knack is one door away, I think, from the parking lot where the Farmer's Market is held. KoCafe is another couple of doors closer to Panda Kitchen. Since there's no farmer's market on Saturday there's usually parking in that lot when we're knitting.

We are lucky to have many great yarn stores within half-an-hour - Montclair, Chatham, Madison, Westfield, and of course, right here in Maplewood - and others just a bit further. All have their niche! I've lately been trying to stay out of all of 'em, having accumulated enough yarn to survive the nuclear winter, I'm really making an effort to knit from my stash, but it's SO hard. I'm thinking of trying weaving and whipping up a bunch of scarves and placemats to help move the yarn along. Any weavers on MOL?

Anyhow, for anyone wanting to join us - we'll be there next Saturday (24th), for sure. Judy

BTW, there have been a couple of suggestions about finding knitting info. on-line. For knitting instruction, www.knittinghelp.com is terrific. Also, there's a knitting and crochet site called "Ravelry" (www.ravelry.com) that has a gizillion members with threads and searches for groups, patterns (many are free, others generally cost $5 or $6), yarns - very useful in more ways than I can begin to describe. Also, knitty.com has lots of patterns, many free.

Jude, I'm right there with you in the nuclear winter... But my worst enemy is the Internet. I'm on mailing lists for some terrific yarn stores such as Webs and Jimmy Bean, and when they have good sales, I foam at the mouth. It's a curse. I've also considered trying weaving. If there was a class on that somewhere, I'd definitely be interested. There's an Interweave publication called Knit & Spin, and I buy it even though I don't weave (yet). It's just too tantalizing.

I've been on Ravelry but find it a little hard to navigate and find things. Maybe I just haven't tried hard enough? I find a lot of useful videos on YouTube, believe it or not, and Jimmy Bean has excellent instructional videos on its site, too. I went on YouTube just this morning and found a video on the Veil stitch, which I want to use to knit a three-layered swirl scars. Yum!

I find a lot of the yarn manufacturers have excellent selections of free patterns on their web sites, too, from Berocco to Rowan to Tahki to Blue Heron. Gorgeous stuff.

Oh, the hours I've lost to Ravelry. It's hard to stop browsing through once you start, and I like having a place to post projects with notes.

On the other hand, the hours I've saved by reading about how other people have liked patterns before I start; when others have found glitches, I can adjust accordingly from the outset. If only I'd done that before knitting up the hourglass sweater; I wouldn't have had to frog back the arms and neck. . . .

I do try to check Ravelry for errata before I start a complex pattern. I like to know if I'm getting into hot water. But I don't always remember to look.

Zucca, do you find it easy to find what you're looking for on Ravelry? I tend to get a bit lost... too much stuff, and rather vague organization, I thought. That's why I don't visit it very often.

I love Rav, but it definitely helps to have an idea about what you need or want to do. My favorite feature is the pattern search. For example, say you have x skeins of y yarn -- you can fine-tune the search engine for a pattern for that amount of that weight yarn, or you can look at a gallery of every project ever posted knitted in that yarn, and see the yardage required and how it might look.

I also follow a few discussion groups, including some highly entertaining snarky ones. ;^) I enjoy knit-alongs now and then, and you can often find a group, or use a group's threads to follow along.

Another really useful feature in the pattern section is the ability to see a picture of almost every project in any book, to help you decide whether to buy. It's easier than pulling out the magazine stash, too, if you can't remember which issue a particular pattern appeared in.

And I've added some of my library of magazines, books and patterns to my profile, so I can search what I already have.