Cabled sweater for kids

Another sample for the trade show. This one is only a size 2 children's sweater. It is going quickly in Vamsegarn, a worsted weight yarn. Good thing, we leave in one week for the show and this is supposed to be in the display! I have the body done and one sleeve started now but haven't been able to get photos yet.

I had some problems along the way. No, make that lots of problems along the way. Probably because I am trying to get this done quickly. After doing seed stitch for so long on the Window Pane sweater I totally missed the instructions where it said to do the side panels in double moss stitch. I had been working merrily along for about 3 inches above the ribbing when I discovered it! The second picture is of the side panel after I reknit it plus a couple more inches.

I decided that I really didn't want to reknit the whole thing so I took the stitches for that whole panel off the needles -- gasp! -- I know, I know, for some of you that would be a major trauma but the stitches weren't going anywhere . . . yet . . . this is very sticky yarn so the stitches would just sit and wait for me to do something with them.

Now, fast forward a bit. I managed to cross one of the cables the wrong direction later in the sweater. I was telling my hubby how I had to reknit the side panels and now I needed to do the same thing to this cable. He suggested that I take pictures so I could post a how-to about it.

I am working on the how-to. Red is really hard to photograph well by the way! So bear with me. It will be up soon I hope. In the meantime there is lots of preparation underway for the show.

Window Pane Sweater is done!

It is finished and ready to go to the show! I think I looks great. I will be a very warm sweater for my hubby next winter too.

Here are the details:
Rauma pattern 2064
Vamsegarn 1100grams of 5 different colors
Needles sizes 4 & 4.5 mm - US 6 & 7

I would usually use a larger needle with Vamsegarn This was all done as knit 1, purl 1 which is always a looser gauge for me than stockinette.

This is an easy sweater to make, it just looks harder than it is.

We Signed a New Lease!

We are staying at the First National Bank location for at least another six months. Arnhild's Knitting Studio & Fiber Arts School is planning for some new classes and Denise's Needleworks will continue to provide the on-site Rauma yarn shop.

We will be going to TNNA, the big needle arts trade show in Ohio, in a couple of weeks. When we return we will be rearranging the school and store and getting ready for some new activities and classes. Keep an eye on the classes pages at either my web site or Arnhild's for all the new developments.

So come by and see what's new!

A bit of crochet

I love to create things in crochet! I find it easy to "see" how to get the shapes I want in crochet. I am not sure why I don't do more of it? Too many other things to do I supppose, like taking care of my family, homeschooling, running kids to activities, working with Arnhild and running my own business. I guess you would say that my days are a little busy! HA!

I made up this little purse before the TNNA trade show last summer. I wanted something that would hold just the necessities but be small enough to tuck into my knitting bag when I needed to carry it too. The strap is long enough to put over my head to the opposite shoulder. I don't have to worry about it falling off the shoulder or giving me a crick in the neck.

I used River Jeans yarn, a cotton yarn with a denim look. It is beautiful, soft yarn for a cotton. Other cottons make my hands hurt when I work with it but not this one. Lovely stuff! I lined it with white so you can see the lace rows better.

As you maybe can see here, I have been using it lately to carry the Bunad stocking that I am working on. It makes a great sock project bag too!

If I can find the time I will try to write up the pattern! I have so many patterns which are only notes or worse yet, just in my head yet!

Sneak Peek

Do you like knee-hi socks? Cables, lace, ribs, stranded 2-color designs like the Norwegain star or even entrelac? You will love this book!

We are working on the translation and samples for a new book to be released at the TNNA trade show in June. Those who came to the Arnhild's Knitting Studio February retreat have already had a chance to see the book.

This is the 4th book in the LVS series. Bunad Strømper og Luer. Strømper is stocking and luer is hat. Bunad is the traditional national costumes of the different regions of Norway. There are 37 patterns in this book from all over Norway. Most are stockings but there are some interesting hats as well. And just so you know, most of these stockings say "Herre" which means they are for the men, not that we ladies will let that stop us from knitting them for ourselves!

The stocking I am making is #3 from Sogn. It has an all-over cable design. Click on the picture for a closer look if you like. This one is made with Rauma 2-ply Gammelserie.

The smaller ball in the top picture is a 1-ply Spælsaugarn from Rauma which we will be carrying. It will be used in the heels and toes along with the Gammelserie for reinforcement.

We will have lots of other new patterns available at the TNNA show too. I will have them for sale on my web site as soon after the show as I can.

The other LVS books and many other beautiful Norwegian patterns and yarns to go with them are all available at my web site www.denisesneedleworks.com

Window Pane Sweater

My current knitting is getting rather boring. I think it is because this is such a big project and is pretty much the same throughout.

This sweater went with me to Texas for spring break in March. There wasn't much to see along the way.

It is growing steadily and hopefully will be finished soon. I have taken it to all of the classes we have been teaching. The students all look over eagerly when I pull out my knitting to see what I am working on. Recently, the reaction has been, "Oh, you still aren't done with that one?"

Sorry, I am almost done with the back now -- but I have one more sleeve to go.

The pattern is Rauma 2064 Window Pane Sweater. The yarn is Vamsegarn, our worsted weight yarn. It will be on display at the TNNA trade show in Ohio the second week of June.

Arnhild's Fiber Arts School & Denise's Needleworks store

I wanted to share some pictures of our school and store. We have 2 small rooms in the basement of the First National Bank on Lincoln Way in Ames, Iowa. One of the rooms is set up for classes and has lots of projects displayed. The other room is my store.

We currently have 2 classes going: Basic Knitting and Norwegian Knitting. The classes are running one night a week for 8 weeks. We cover a lot of information in that time. The classes are individually tailored so the students can work on the project which they are most interested in. Many of the students from our first 8 week session decided to sign up for another session so they could continue to learn as they work through larger projects.

There is more information here at my web site or at Arnhild.com

Here is the store. We have a small selection of Rauma yarns.
And of course, needles and notions for your projects and a catalog of the Arnhild and Rauma patterns.

We have displayed many of the projects made up from the patterns that we carry so our students have lots of inspiration! On the left of this picture is a stand which holds the samples of every color of yarn available which we are happy to bring from the warehouse if someone wants them. Lots to choose from!