*click here for February 2012 Class Schedule

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9th day of December

10th day of December

11th day of December

12th day of December

I am not actually missing, but I have been missing all of you very much!  And hopefully you have been missing the blog updates…because there have not been any recent ones for a while now, for that I am writing to apologize!

I know you will all understand when I say, life just got in the way!  It is no secret that life has it’s ups and downs, bumps and bruises.  But sometimes life can just come out of nowhere and blindside you!  Well that is what happened to me, I thought I was getting a handle on everything and just as there was light at the end of the tunnel KA-BAM!!!  Whole truck load of garbage (and by garbage I mean excrement!) got dumped in my lap!

You have probably all heard a version of the idea/saying/quote from a CEO of Coca-Cola talking about work – life balance, it begins “Imagine that you have five balls some are made of rubber and others are made of glass, you must at all times keep these balls in the air.  He goes on to explain that the rubber ones can be allowed to bounce now and then, while the glass ones cannot.  I’m going to have to let the FNYC blog bounce a few more times before I can pick it up again…just too many glass balls with cracks right now, but I will be back, making you laugh as always as soon as I can!  Thank you for your patience!

All of my love and Happy Knitting!
~Jill

The cascade of new and everflowing yarn certainly does not hurt eithr that’s for sure, but no matter what I always feel welcome when arriving at the shop. I always feel like I am among friends when I am at the shop, and most recently when I brought my visiting family in with me for Friday night knitting, I felt right at home and my family was made to feel just as welcome, and at home. And maybe it is just that knitters in general are a welcoming bunch, but for this instance I would like to give credit to FNYCo. I believe it’s the environment that Kay and Annie have fostered over the years. There is no other yarn shop that I have ever visited that has had ample space for knitters to come sit, knit, chat, and just be home away from home. To be in a place where people understand you, understand your frustrations (ripping back), and understand your passions (NEW YARN!!).

I can’t tell you how many times I have been at the table knitting and a new customer will come in, wander around starry eyed for a while, make a purchase, and then when someone says to them, are you going to stay and knit? The new person looks absolutely flabbergasted that a) They, a random stranger would be invited into the fold, and b) It is okay any time, day or evening to come and knit. Nine times out of ten that person will turn right around, buy some needles plop her or himself down, and begin ther project right there. In that instant they have become a regular.

While the sense of belonging and understanding, is the essential piece of what makes FNYCo. so special it goes even deeper then that, in that everyone is welcome, not just a special few, but everyone all of the time. To me FNYCo is not just a yarn shop (and yes I know I am stretching a bit here and maybe even getting a little too emotional, but it’s how I feel and this post is all about feeeings right?)….ummm I forgot where I was…Oh yes! Far North is not just a yarn shop, it’s everything that is right in the world we live in today. With everything moving so fast, social networking on-line, oil spills, greed, natural disasters, and everything we have to deal with and survive each day. FNYCo. is the one place in the world where things are done at a regular pace, where you get to chat face to face with a group of real live people, where we laugh with wreckless abandon, where all of your yarn worries and woes can be put to rest. Thank you Kay and Annie for creating my favorite place, and thank you Mary, and Atta, and everyone else for making my mother feel like she also belonged. You are all the best!

This weeks knitting tip:
Make someone feel special today…even if that person is you!

Happy knitting!
~Jill

I have been knitting diligently on this sweater for a few weeks now.  I had knitted a gauge swatch, have been checking my gauge regularly while knitting, and had measured the piece in sections while it was still on the needles, all with perfect results, I was starting to get a very nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I was seven inches into the project and I just didn’t think I could go any further without really checking to see where I was as far as fit and checking the measurements of the garment off the needles.

So I took a deep breath (then another), the saying “Ignorance is bliss” really is true, at 7 inches into the project if I found out now that it was too small or too big ripping it out and starting all over would be my only option, but I rationalized that continuing to knit and not knowing would be much worse, time and time again I have learned to trust that gnawing feeling deep in my stomach, so I decided to take the time to listen. I put all of my stitches on a piece of waste yarn and began to measure, so far so good.  Then I tried it on and fastened it with clips for the ultimate test.  Low and behold, math really is my friend (well this time anyway)!

The red is my wast yarn.

My gauge is still spot on!

The measurements are on target and …

So far it fits!  A one inch button band bill be added during the finishing process, so the gaping holes in the front closure don’t have me all that worried.

I am so excited to wear this sweater this spring, and rest assured that when I do actually finish the sweater and wear it out and about I will change out of my pajamas, teeheheee!  Until then there is no luxury greater than laying in bed, watching a movie, and knitting!

This weeks knitting tip:
Its all about gauge, I can’t stress enough how important it is to continually check your gauge throughout the knitting process, especially if it is a fitted garment.  I have had to rip out so many stitch over the years because I only checked my gauge at the beginning and didn’t bother to keep tabs on it, especially if the pattern calls for a needle size change.

Happy Knitting!
~Jill

I found this great pattern for a cabled cardigan, that was, as Annie would say “D-lish!” It is the Acer Cardigan by Amy Christoffers (Ravelry link).  I love everything about this pattern and I knew the exact yarn and color at FNYC that I would use to make it, Rowan Felted Tweed.  The first opportunity I got (after pay day) I went to the shop prepared to purchase the yarn and dig into this luscious pattern.  Unfortunately there was a small issue, the yarn in the color that I wanted to use was DK weight, the pattern of course was written for worsted weight….bummer!  Annie offered to sit down and do the math to see if we could make it work, but really I was much more interested in pouting than doing anything constructive, so that is exactly what I did.

I spent the next few weeks alternately looking for patterns to fit the yarn, looking for yarn to match the pattern, and of course pouting.   Last Monday I had the day off and spent a good chunk of it at the shop, I was tired of pouting, and I was bound and determined to leave the shop with yarn to make a sweater.  I went through all of the Rowan books and magazines looking for patterns written exclusively for the yarn, nothing fit what i was after!  Kay and I toured all of the worsted weight yarn in the shop, but nothing was as perfect for the sweater as the Rowan Felted Tweed.

Finally, Atta had had enough of my indecision and no doubt the pouting was getting irritating to say the least!  She collected a pen, pad of paper, a calculator and we called the pattern up on Ravelry.  We measured me, and Atta set about doing the math, low and behold it was a pretty simple fix!  All I have to do is make the sweater pattern a few sizes bigger than normal because the yarn is smaller and POOF! Bam! Boozle!  The pattern I wanted with the yarn I had to have!   Crazy I know!  It was there all along, I was just intimidated by the math and the difficulty of making sure I had correct gauge.

I am still knitting the gauge swatch (it’s been a super crazy busy week) but I am knitting a gauge swatch because I will be absolutely crushed if I make a mess of this!  Wish me luck!  Lots and lots of luck!

Knitting tip of the week:
After you knit up a gauge swatch go ahead and wash it or block it as you would once the garment is done so that you will know what the yarn will do wet and dry.  Also yarn swatches make great little coasters!!

Happy Knitting
~Jill

I will admit to taking a few photos and I have been staring at them longingly.  Also, I have to confess to stalking Andes on Ravelry there are so many delicious patterns that call for Andes.    There are numerous fingerless mitten and cowl patterns, some hats, a few shawls, and a hand full of sweaters.  It seems everyone must have at least one skein to tide them over.  I am comforted to know that I am not the only one completely nutty over these too hot to handle skeins!  And really when a yarn has its own book?!?  It’s got to be good!

Behold the glory of Andes, so soft and shimmery Alpaca and Silk you sing to my heart!

This book, full of beautiful pattern written exclusively for Andes, some really amazingly yummy things to knit!

There are so many colors to choose from, each more saturated and rich than the one before, I have no idea how I will chose only one color!  I tell you love is such a burden, a wonderful, wonderful burden!

This week’s knitting tip:
In honor of Valentine’s Day I would just like to say knit every gift with love in your heart for the recipient, even if the recipient is you!

Happy Knitting
~Jill

The sweetest new yarn though is the Ella Rae, Amity Prints.  This yarn is so stinking cute!  Fortunately for us Carolyn Crosby found some during a trip and had this delightful sample for me to share with you.The yarn is self patterning so it knits up in this darling little way, no matter what you knit.  At first I thought this little sweater was a specific pattern designed for the yarn, but come to find out its a pattern that Kay has had in the shop for years, and the yarn is a little bit magic!  The pattern is the Baby Tunic from Knitting Pure and Simple.  Its a neck down pattern and is simple enough for beginners, and with yarn like this in play everyone wins!The brown color in the photo has little bits of pink in it, and it has a very Neapolitan feeling to it, I would love to see this sweater in that color on a little chubby blue eyed baby!  He’d look like a little woolly dish of ice cream!  If some one makes it you have to promise to send in the photo, it would just be too much!

This weeks knitting tip -
It’s a good time to buy yarn!

Happy Knitting
~Jill

Exploring new places, seeing old friends, change in climate, change in daily routine, room service, shows, museums, I love all of it!  As far as I am concerned everything about going on a trip is not only good but wonderful!

What I don’t love is air planes!  I don’t like the food, I really don’t like the smell (air plane fuel in particular really makes me want to gag, and the smell of 300 people all jammed in together like fish in a can isn’t all that appealing either).  I don’t enjoy being cramped in general, but again I really don’t like being cramped and jammed up against a perfect stranger (and quite honestly even people I do know).  The whole process of airports, security, the fish / can thing, the smell, it’s all very much undignified and more than a little annoying.

But, there is one thing that makes it all okay.  One thing that gets me through, one thing that makes up for all of the sweaty cranky people, and that is hours and hours of uninterrupted knitting time.  A layover?  Bring it on!  I love a good layover; there is pizza, coffee, CINNABON, and you guessed it more uninterrupted knitting time!!!  I will even admit to scheduling flights with the longer layover just so I can have one more hour of uninterrupted knitting time.  You can call me sick and twisted, I call it doing exactly what I want, and doing it without guilt.  When you are stuck in an airport, there is no laundry calling your name, there is nothing else that you should be doing, because you are stuck in the airport, your laundry as well as the dishes understand this!

I have a trip coming up and so I have been thinking for a while about the projects that I will take with me on the plane, I thought I would share my knitting / airplane travel tips with you, because while knitting needles ARE allowed on the air plane, I tend to go a little out of my way to ensure that the boys and girls of the TSA don’t feel the need to spend any extra time with me.  Not that I have anything against them, I just don’t want them rubbing anything against me.

**AGAIN THESE ARE MY TIPS NOT ANYTHING THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH TSA OR THE AIRLINES**

1.        I only take wood / bamboo needles with me – This (in my mind) ensures that when my bag is being x-rayed, nothing irregular show up.  Whether true or not remains to be seen.

2.       I carry child’s scissors – they are small, generally have bright plastic handles that make them easy to find, and they have rounded ends.  All of this makes them very airplane friendly.

3.       I only carry plastic darning needles, and in fact remove all metal items from my knitting bag – like the metal needles I figure this helps keep things moving smoothly.

4.       Small projects only.  I never take big sweaters, or other bulky projects they will only get in the way, and serve to irritate the people around you.  Socks, hats, scarves, anything compact with little needles is generally a good choice.

5.       Complexity, during air travel when I know that I am going to have lots of time on my hands I tend to bring challenging projects, without day to day distractions I can concentrate on complex patterns easily.

6.        Also a little yarn bag, or something to keep the yarn in so it does not get away from you and go rolling down the aisle or worse yet, under the chairs getting tangled in feet, luggage, and who knows what else?!?

I hope these tips help you plan your next knitting trip!

Happy Knitting
~Jill

So how do you cope?  How do you take it all in stride?  How do you keep putting one foot in front of the other?

Obviously I’m not a licensed professional or anything even close (although I do have a secret fantasy of being an advice columnist.  Problem being “knit and eat more ice cream” can only solve so many problems….apparently, so far it’s kind of working out pretty good for me!) point being I don’t feel that it would be socially responsible of me to go doling out advise willy nilly, but I will tell you what I do, what Annie does, and probably what most knitters do.  We knit, and for some reason unknown to me it works.

I recently had some trauma in my life, some “excess” stress if you will, I thought I was coping pretty well during the whole mess, but once it was over and my little mini-family was safe and sound again, the time that I should have been happy and relieved, I could only feel drained, and void of all emotions.  It was as if I had used every ounce of my monthly allotted emotions in that three day period.  I couldn’t focus, I wasn’t functioning at full capacity, I was exhausted, and completely spent.  It was during this time that I found myself at the yarn shop staring quite zombie like at a wall of yarn.  It was Noro Silk Garden, and it was all I had left in me.

Lucky for me The Noro Silk Garden Scarf is as beautiful, as it is easy to knit, it is the perfect stress / trauma knitting, it has a calming rhythm of knit 1, purl 1, there is immediate progress, and it heals.  I churned out two of these scarves in less than two weeks; it was my focus, my map back to the living, a band-aid for my heart, and it brought me true happiness when I wrapped up one of the scarves and gave it as a gift.  The recipient hugged me with tears of appreciation in her eyes, and I was a whole person again.

You can find the pattern here and here (Ravelry if you want to add it to your queue).  Thank you, Jared Flood for inspiring such a calming, beautiful combination of yarn, stitch, and color.

Happy knitting (literally!)
~Jill