Monday, December 30, 2013

New Happenings in the New Year

As the year comes to a close, all of us at Knit & Knot have been busy planning new patterns, classes and events. First though, I'd like to introduce a couple of new patterns that are now available. The first is a free download for a quick knitted ornament.


Warm Woolen Mittens, FREE pattern.
Sample knit with Lanaloft, in the Roasted Pepper colorway.
This pattern can be downloaded directly from the sidebar to the right, or from my Ravelry Pattern Store. It can be knit in about an hour, so if you get started now, you could add them to all your Christmas presents next year!

The second pattern that I've recently published is the Pekin Watch Cap. This pattern is for a simple, sophisticated "ear-flap" hat, that can be knit with less than one skein of Malabrigo Worsted.  The "ear-flaps" are created by adding short rows.

Pekin Watch Cap
Sample Knit with Malabrigo Worsted, in the Vaa Colorway

Short rows are used to make the back
 ofthe hat longer than the front.
The Pekin Watch Cap can be purchased through my Ravelry Pattern Store or in print at Knit & Knot.

I also have several classes coming up. I will be teaching a two part, Two-at-a-Time Sock Class on January 25 and February 8th.  On February 22nd, I will be teaching a class on short rows using the Pekin Watch Cap pattern. The details are at the top of this page. You can register by calling Knit & Knot at (563) 332-7378. You can find all of the classes offered at Knit and Knot by visiting their Classes page or calling the store.

Starting January 14th, I will be working at Knit & Knot on Tuesday evenings from 5pm to 8pm. Stop by to sit and knit with me. That would also be a great time to schedule a lesson, if you have been thinking about it!

So grab your knitting project, enjoy these last days of 2013, and have a very happy New Year!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Knit & Knot: Fall Retreat Details!

The retreat will soon be here! Below are some of the details. If you are thinking about joining us, sign up soon! The registration deadline is this Friday!!

Dates: November 1st-3rd, 2013.

Time: Friday, 4:00 PM - Sunday, 2 PM. First meal will be served at 6:30 PM on Friday.

Location: Camp Wyoming
9106 42nd Avenue
Wyoming, IA 52362

Payment: Total cost for the retreat is $175. Down payment to hold your spot is $50. Payment can be cash or check made out to Joy. Final payment is due November 1st (the first day of the retreat).

Food: Meals are provided (Friday Dinner through Sunday Lunch). You make bring any snacks you’d like. There is a full kitchen at our disposal.

Lodging: The lodge has 15 rooms with two twin beds. If all rooms are not filled at the time of the conference, you may spread out and claim a room all to yourself!

Accomodations: All linens and towels are provided. The kitchen is fully stocked with dishes.

Transportation: The store will not be providing organized transportation. However, if you’d like to carpool with other attendees, we will gather phone numbers and emails to share. Please call, email or stop by the store, if you’d like to share this information.

Knit & Knot
(563) 332-7378
3359 Devils Glen Road
Bettendorf, IA 52722

Registration Deadline: The deadline for registration is FRIDAY OCTOBER 18th. We need to provide head counts for food at the end of the day. You may register by dropping off your down payment at Knit & Knot (see contact infomation above).

Hope to see you there

Friday, August 23, 2013

Fall Knitting Retreat!


I have  some more exciting new to share today. Knit & Knot is hosting a knitting retreat this November! It is being planned by yours truly and my friend Joy, who happens to be the owner of Knit & Knot :). 

Here are the important details:
Dates: Friday Afternoon, November 1st through Sunday Afternoon, November 3rd, 2013
Location: Camp Wyoming, Wyoming, IA. The Owls Nest Lodge, to be exact.
Cost: $175. There is a $50 deposit to hold your place.
Accomodations: The cost includes a single bed in a double occupancy room and six meals (Friday dinner through Sunday lunch.) There will also be a goody bag with a couple of make and take projects provided!

We are planning several events, but the major goal of the weekend is to relax and do whatever you feel like doing. Very low-key. All events are optional, but we hope you decide to participate in a few!

The events we are currently planning are:

Block Party!
Learn the ins and outs of blocking your finished items. Laura and Joy will demonstrate various techniques. Bring a finished item to block, if you like!


Last Chance KAL or CAL.
Have you started one of our Knit or Crochet –A-Longs but never finished? Well here is your chance! Finish one of our KAL or CAL projects during the retreat and be entered for a chance to win a Knit&Knot gift certificate!


Make and Take Needle Felted Ornament.
This quick project will leave you dreaming up more ways to create charming needle felted projects. All materials provided!


Make and Take Knitted Ornament.
Get into the holiday spirit with a quick knitted ornament project. All materials provided!

Show and Tell.
Bring something you are especially proud of or maybe even something that you need a little encouragement to finish.


Knit Doctor.
Laura and Joy will be available throughout the weekend to answer your knitting and crochet questions.

 

To reserve your spot, stop by Knit & Knot (3359 Devils Glen Rd., Bettendorf, IA) to place your deposit of $50. Payment may be cash or check payable to Joy Povich. You may cancel before October 15th for a refund. If you have any questions, please call 563-332-7378. Hope to see you there!




Monday, August 19, 2013

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

At least in the St. Louis household, it is. I have been working on developing an intarsia Christmas stocking pattern for the last few weeks. I'm very excited, because on Saturday, I will be debuting this pattern to a full(!) class of future stocking knitters at Knit & Knot! Here are some photos of this work-in-progress:


Snømann Stocking prototype and chart.
Yarn is Brown Sheep Co. Lanaloft.

Intarsia complete!
The trees will be added later, with duplicate stitch embroidery.

Stay tuned for future class dates and the pattern release!

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Flours and Fibers Enters a New Era

After years of casually blogging about my knitting adventures (and some of Emily's baking adventures), I've started a new chapter of the Flours and Fibers story. I now have some knitting patterns available for sale on both Ravelry and Etsy. Both stores offer instant download of the PDF patterns, although Ravelry has the added bonus of adding the pattern to your Ravelry Library.

The patterns currently available are the previously mentioned Dragonfly Lace Dishcloth and the Sweetheart Trivet. Both of these patterns were developed to be used in my knitting classes at Knit & Knot.

The Sweetheart Trivet utilizes the technique of double knitting to create a thick trivet or hotpad. I used Bartlettyarns, worsted weight, in Peach Heather and Oatmeal for the sample.
Sweetheart Trivet - Double Knit in Bartlettyarns Worsted
 
The colorwork in double knitting is reversed on opposite sides.

The Dragonfly Lace Dishcloth sample was knit in Peaches and Cream Cotton (worsted) in Bright Aqua.

Dragonfly Lace Dishcloth

In addition to the patterns for sale, I also have a very beginner pattern available for free download, Roll Brim Hat - Intro to Knitting.

Roll Brim Hat

The updates also extend to this site. Links to the patterns discussed above can be found on the sidebar to the right. I will continue to update the sidebar as additional patterns become available. I also added a Classes page to the site. Here you can see a calendar with all of my currently planned classes. I usually teach at least two classes a month at Knit & Knot. And finally, you can now reach this site by typing www.floursandfibers.com as well as the old BlogSpot address. We are growing up!!
 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

It's official! First pattern release: Dragonfly Lace!

I've joined the ranks of "real" pattern designers, as I've published my first pattern availabe for sale and instant download on Ravelry!

Dragonfly Lace Dishcloth

In my teaching gig at Knit and  Knot, I frequently design short(ish) projects to demonstrate techniques during classes. The Dragonfly Lace Dishcloth  was designed as an introduction to lace, yarnovers, bobbles and cables.  The pattern includes a chart and explanations for each technique used.

I was surprised at how easy it was to set up a pattern shop on Ravelry. Kind of makes me wonder why I didn't do this sooner! I have a few more patterns in the works, so hopefully the shop will grow soon!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Distraction

I should be doing housework, but I keep thinking about making more of these:


Last summer on vacation, I picked up a Harrisville Designs Potholder Loom. I had a plastic loom when I was a kid, but this one is made out of metal and is a lot sturdier. The loom also comes with cotton loops. I love the fact that the potholders are 100% cotton, but the cotton loops are a little trickier to work with than the stretchy, nylon kind. This summer, I found more of the cotton loops in Madison at Capitol Kids, and inspiration struck!


I've had a lot of fun experimenting with different patterns. I thought it would be easier to find patterns online but mostly I found pictures of completed potholders and did my best to recreate them.

 
These are the new additions to our kitchen. Watch out friends and relatives, I think I know what you are getting for Christmas!