While up on a roof, checking out a potential building in downtown Millvale, Amy McCall saw this scene. She sent me this intriguing photograph. I asked if she be guest blogger today and she consented.
What’s the story? Write a caption for this photo- up on the roof. There’s definitely a story here.
You’ve met Amy and her yarn store, McWalker Yarns, on the blog before .
Friday night McWalker Yarns hosts a Sip and Stitch Zoom meeting. A great way to connect during the Pandemic. While we were knitting and chatting, we started talking Halloween. One of our participants lives in Australia, so our evening meeting is her morning coffee time. Gayle was saying it will already be Halloween for her at next Friday Night’s Sip and Stitch Zoom meeting. I thought, wait I will don the mask that is on my dining room table. I sewed this costume for my son Mark in the early 80s.
So here I am sporting the ET mask and Gayle in Australia photographed me and sent it. With her gracious permission I am sharing her photo of me.
I “met” Gayle through the Woolswap program she runs, as well as many other knitters around the world, sharing fiber, creativity and inspiration with one another.
It’s me. You can see my knitted shawl peeking.
My sister sent me this photo from the Farmers’ Market New York City.
Such gorgeous colors.
Makes me want to knit.
Wednesday afternoon, Amy at McWalker Yarns in Millvale PA, unboxed several Pittsburgh designs and also Rainbow Sock Blanks created exclusively for McWalker Yarns by Yarn over New York.
“A sock blank is a long, rectangular piece of knitted fabric created by a knitting machine and then dyed or stamped with color. The edge of the sock blank isn’t bound off — it’s loose so that you can knit from it, pulling the stitches out as you go. The basic idea behind the sock blank is that you’ll get an amazing yet unpredictable colorway when you knit with it. “
My sister Mary embroidered this Bert and Ernie pillow when Mark was little. So at least forty some years ago. I found it while going through a big basket of pillows on the third floor. Their faces make me think of Rubber Ducky and Doing the Pigeon.
I’m partial to Ernie. Do you have a favorite? I’ve a knitting pattern for an Ernie sweater but who would wear it?
“Their names are believed to have been drawn from those of two minor characters in the Frank Capra film It’s A Wonderful Life.
According to A&E’s Biography, Bert and Ernie were… the only Muppets to appear in the Sesame Street pilot episode,screen tested to a number of families in July 1969.” -Wikipedia
So you’ve always wanted to knit a sock? or not. If not, I hope you’ll return to the blog tomorrow.
A math teacher friend and former colleague is preparing to knit her first pair of socks. She inspired this hand knit sock post. My friend in Florida who is finishing a pair of socks she started knitting for her son about five years ago and now she has the time to knit the second sock. I think she is on the toe already.
When I first thought of knitting a pair of socks, I thought it looked too difficult. Now I average a pair a month. My friends say” it’s too much trouble” but the way I see it, I’d be in trouble if I didn’t have sock knitting in my life. Especially now as we are staying at home.
A blog post by knitter, author and designer Susan B. Anderson describes in detail How I Make My Socks and is a great start. There are patterns on Ravelry and videos on YouTube.
These striped socks are knit with some very smart yarn that knows how to stripe all by itself, it’s the way the yarn is dyed. Looks complicated, doesn’t it? The following 4 pairs of socks are knit in West Yorkshire Spinners Signature Yarn from UK bought at McWalker Yarns in Millvale PA. Although their physical store is closed you can still order online. (and if you are out of work you can apply for a $50 mini-grant for yarn to knit a project during isolation due to COVID-19 click name of store to get details or order knitting supplies, sock or otherwise)
This first pair is knit by a friend and neighbor who just started knitting in December. Her first pair of socks. She knit them on 2- 16″ circulars, one at a time. She is a very tidy knitter. I helped her along the way and she watched a couple of videos but she is now finishing her third pair. Every once in awhile she needs reassurance she is doing the knitting correctly but she’s got it all by herself now. I am proud of my excellent student and I think her socks look great!
All West Yorkshire Spinners Signature Yarn
You have a smart phone? a smart TV? Here’s some other smart yarn. And you can wash these socks in the washing machine. There is a handwash setting on my machine I air dry mine.
There is Regia Yarn by Schachenmayr and cotton yarn Tutti Fruiti II,Regia Design Line or Regia Pairfect by ARNE & CARLOS 4-ply (fingering weight). 75% Virgin Wool and 25% Polyamide. I finished both pairs that are shown completed. Kid socks (in the middle photos)_are fun to knit and take less time.
If you’re a blog follower, you might remember my poem The Satisfaction of Sock Knitting on an April post four years ago.
A Handknit Sock There’s a math to it. The cast on. Count the multiples of four. Last year it was hats and cowls. This year, socks. I want to try the fish lips kiss heel. It’s a simple thing. How a sock is knit. You start with yarn. Needles as slim as toothpicks. Terms like toe and gusset and cuff. My friend says, "it’s too much work." There’s a rhythm in the repetition. The making. Clockwise circles. Some throw, some pick. Row after row after row. In time you get length and warmth. There’s the calm you long for, around and around and around. Turn heel for a path to Zen. You think of those you love. The grandmother who taught you. The wet squeezed out, pairs hang to dry. Later fold their softness, admire the colors, ignore imperfections. Find comfort, hidden in shoes. My squishy hand knit socks.
or my page on the Comparative Analysis of Knitting Socks when I started six pairs before Christmas using all different methods- two at a time on a long corded (32″) single circular needle – Magic Loop, there was a single sock on an 8″ circular (that took a few inches to master) a single sock on two 16″ circulars, the set of sharp double point needles- one at a time, and then wooden and metal needles to add to the mix. Toe up, cuff down. Fish Lips Kiss Heel, Flap and Gusset, Afterthought Heel and Eye of Partridge.
Maybe someone reading this blog post will get some needles and sock yarn and give it a go. If you decide to try it, please share your photos and experience as you start knitting socks.
Remember when I traveled to Norway for the Arne and Carlos Knitting Cruise in September 2018? That’s where I met Arne and Carlos, who are well known knitwear designers and authors of creative books. During these difficult and anxious times of COVID-19, they are videoing daily from their home Quarantine Knitting with Arne and Carlos. It’s on their YouTube Channel
Even if you aren’t a knitter or crocheter they are entertaining and fun to listen to. They are generous and kind. There will some cooking on the episodes, too. Their neighbors will deliver the ingredients to their porch. Because they had just travelled out of the country, they are in quarantine in their home.
We are all having to “shelter in place” as the brave nurses, doctors and medical workers have to go to help others. Grocery and pharmacy workers and other essential services are at risk as they continue to work with the public every day. Challenging is an understatement.
Join their public Facebook Group Quarantine Knitting with Arne and Carlos They are welcoming dialogue, comments and engagement from viewers. Joining in can help you feel less isolated and anxious. They are encouraging knitters and crocheters to continue to support their local yarn stores during this shutdown of small businesses. Because social distancing is necessary and the physical stores in Pittsburgh are closed, McWalker Yarns in Millvale is offering creative options for yarn delivery and Yarns by Design in Oakmont is offering Free Shipping through Apr 15th. Knitting groups and classes are cancelled but they’re even trying to have a virtual knitting circle, stay tuned.
Here are the links to Episodes one and two
Saturday afternoon the November sweater knitters gathered in Millvale Pennsylvania. McWalker Yarns was the place to celebrate participation in the National Knit a Sweater in a Month Challenge. 50,000 Stitches, cast on just after midnight on November first. The sweater was to be completed (ends woven in and blocked) by midnight November 30th.
If you follow me on IG you know my sweater was 24 hours and 15 minutes over the cut off.
Here is Clarissa, the Grand Prize Winner of NaKniSweMo 2019 holding her prizes- a generous gift card to McWalker Yarns to buy yarn for the NEXT sweater and a very cool magnet/bottle opener.
Trove by designer Emma Durcher. Yarn is BC Garn Semilla Melange Sport Weight
Detail below of Trove. PomPom Magazine Autumn 2019
Jes sporting her very fine knitting SC1 by Allison Brookbanks design Yarn Neighborhood Fiber Co Loft
Robin designed her sweater. The design name is Hauplande Yarn Loch Lomond by BC Garn worsted weight. I think she has 150,000 stitches in her design. WOW!
Jes photographed me wearing The Purl Code Sweater Designer Isabell Kraemer. Yarn- Baa Ram Ewe Winterburn DK weight in Rhubarb colorway, Using the Morse Code Alphabet provided in the pattern there are phrases, words, place names, favorite movies and books, song lyrics and people I love, knit right into the sweater.
Christine is holding a gift bag with the sweater she crocheted as a surprise gift.
Her sweater (which she translated into Crochet from Knitting) will be added after the holiday season. Christine brought cheese ball and crackers and spinach dip to round out the party fare. McWalker Yarns Shop owner Amy McCall baked a delicious and moist chocolate cake with sweater decoration.
Below see Shop Owner, Hostess, Sponsor and Chief of Inspiration for the NaKniSweMo 2019 Challenge, Amy McCall. Making the Local Yarn Store a welcoming community for all.
Spruce Point Pullover designer Amy Herzog Baa Ram Ewe Winterburn yarn
Feistywoman Knit Hanefjed Sweater click for details
BC Garn Loch Lomond Bio GOTS certified and Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/feistywoman/hanefjed-womens-version
One week to go in the NaKniSweMo challenge. Sponsored by McWalker Yarns of Millvale PA.
At least 50,000 stitches total in your completed sweater- Bound off, blocked, all ends woven in. Cast on was November first to be finished by midnight November 30th. The sweater party will be held at McWalker Yarns Saturday December 7th at 2PM.
You can check out last year’s sweater fashion show here
I’m a little behind this year. A lot behind.
An inch of ribbing and two sleeves. My arms are pretty long. I’d better stop blogging and knit.
With houseguests, touring the city and travel to Ohio I didn’t knit the past five days. Uh-oh.
Rhubarb colorway of Winterburn Yarn by Baa Ram Ewe spun and dyed in Yorkshire. The pattern is Purl Code Sweater by favorite knitwear designer Isabell Kraemer.
I’ve knit lots of words into my sweater using Morse Code alphabet.
No names of aristocrats for the guillotine, as the memorable character Madame DeFarge knits in Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities. We had to read it in high school but fifty years later I still remember.
The knitted messages I knit into the sweater are the people I love, place names, favorite lyrics and favorite books from childhood.
All you need is love.
In Greek mythology (and later Roman mythology), Arachne (/əˈrækniː/; from Greek: ἀράχνη “spider”, cognate with Latin araneus) was a talented mortal weaver who challenged Athena, goddess of wisdom and crafts, to a weaving contest; this hubris resulted in her being transformed into a spider.” Wikipedia
Sunday afternoon you can get together and work on holiday (or other projects). The stitch circle is open to all. It’s a lively and creative group, talented, too. I dropped by to get some help on achieving gauge for a sweater project. I knew it was off. Proper gauge is important, (just ask my friend Deb in this Previous blog post illustrating the multiple factors that affect gauge)
After being advised by Jes and another master knitter, it was clear that even after the second opinion, I needed to rip out and start again. It was barely an inch of knitting I had on the needles. Perhaps an hour’s work. After reluctant deliberation and a bit of consternation I ripped out the one inch I’d started Saturday night. Jes had advised me to make the next size or it would be a form fitting tube on me which is never a good look on my body.
Here is Jes. If she is not teaching Choral Music or Band, you could find her working out at the gym or working at McWalker Yarns in Millvale. She is a prolific knitter of garments. Perhaps you saw the hat I knit with hearts last winter? Love Actually Hat. Jes taught that Knit Along (KAL)
Jes is wearing her recently completed Arachne Sweater by Untangling Knots.
Lauren knit an identical sweater and was on McWalker Yarns Facebook post here
The yarn Jes used is BC Garn Semilla.
See below Jes’ photo for information on NaKniSweMo
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SWEATER IN a MONTH FASHION SHOW FROM LAST YEAR’S BLOG POST
November is National Knit-a-Sweater-In-A-Month NaKniSweMo 2019
An Excerpt from McWalker Yarns Latest Newsletter by Amy – Are you ready for NaKniSweMo?
As I mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we are going to do another NaKniSweMo challenge at the shop. We had so much fun last year, we’d love to have more of you join us. As a reminder, NaKniSweMo is a challenge to knit or crochet a sweater of at least 50,000 stitches in November. You can cast on no earlier than 12:01 a.m. on November 1, 2018 and must be completely done (including weaving in ends, sewing on buttons, etc.) by midnight, November 30, 2019. To be eligible for prizes here at the shop, you must be stitching using yarns from McWalker Yarns.
We are meeting here at the shop on Saturdays in November (except Small Business Saturday, 11/30) from 2-4 p.m. to work on our projects. Those who are participating and attend each Saturday will be eligible for weekly prizes drawn at random from those who attend. Those who complete their sweater within the parameters will be eligible for grand prizes, including a $50 gift certificate to McWalker Yarns, to be drawn at random from those who complete the challenge. Official national rules are here: https://www.ravelry.com/groups/nakniswemo-kal/pages/NaKniSweMo-Rules-FAQ. If you can come on November 2nd at 2 p.m., then you can sign up in person. If not, just shoot an e-mail to yarns@mcwalker.us with the subject “NaKniSweMo” letting me know you are participating
There’s still time to stop in the shop to purchase yarns, supplies or finalize your plans so you are ready to go on the 1st! #MYnakniswemo2019
And don’t forget to tune in and watch the 1990 film Arachnophobia