End of April

Sock Club   The first quarterly HOY Sock Club was a great success!  18 people received a $70 value for $40…unique yarn, two patterns, and other great goodies in a special Hank of Yarn bag!  Sign up now for the next quarter’s Sock Club offering:  Special sock yarn and 2 patterns (one for socks, one for something else made with fingering weight yarn), but everything else different and fun!  We already have some spaces reserved, and remember, only 18 can take part!         Scarf Knit-Along Contest Winner!   Congratulations to Shay Carter for winning the Classic Elite scarf knitalong contest!  Shay won a Lantern Moon basket full of yarns, patterns, a knitting bag, and scarf pin.  Thanks to all who participated in the contest, and watch for another one soon.         REMEMBER to check www.memphisknittingguild.org for information about the Sally Melville workshops in October.  Sign up now…space is limited.             Hanne Falkenberg Kits   If you have been looking at knitting magazines lately, and of course you have, you may have noticed a beautiful red vest designed by Danish designer Hanne Falkenberg.  Her patterns are unique and simple, yet elegant to the nth degree but she only sells her kits, and not her designs.  Not for the faint-hearted, these kits cost more than most, but are worth it. Because of several people asking about the vest, I have ordered three of her Duet vest kits, in reds, blues, and a black/beige.    Ask to see her other designs, and if you’d like, we can order them for you.         May Yarn of the Month   Beginning tomorrow, we will showcase the May Yarns of the Month.  Two bulky cotton yarns, Antuco and Tabali will be on sale for “buy two, get one free” during the month of May.  Several samples are available for inspiration.         101 Top Knitting Tips, continued from KnitSimple   16.  We can’t stress this one enough: Always make a gauge swatch.  This step may take a little extra time, but it is well worth the aggravation you’ll save down the line. 17.  Compare your actual row gauge to the one stated in the instructions.  Most knitters know stitch gauge is essential to achieving the correct width but tend to ignore the row gauge figuring they can compensate by adding or subtracting rows.  But as Laura Bryant points out, “Do this and you run the risk of running out of yarn,” because the more rows it takes to meet the pattern requirements, the more yarn you’ll need to get there.  If the row gauge on your swatch comes up short, purchase an extra skein to cover the difference. 18.  As a rule, garter stitch (knit every row) usually has twice as many rows per inch as it does stitches per inch.

© 2010 Hank of Yarn

Advertisement