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!