Done and not-so-done... :)

Hi folks,

I'm plugging away at a beautiful raglan cardi knit out of Noro Cash Iroha. I can't wait to 1) finish it, and 2) show it off to you! I'm so in love with it. I have a long road trip ahead of me, and hope to be finished by the time I pull back into Nashville.

BUT, in the meantime, here's another quick project, perfect for holiday gifting. The pattern is Foliage, featured in the Fall 2007 issue of Knitty. I knit it with 1.3 skeins (exactly!) of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. This yarn is so, so soft, making it perfect for hats and other objects worn close to the skin. Here are some photos...

Malabrigo Slippers

Hi folks,

Look - a correctly-timed FO Friday ;) Today, I'm showing off an adorable pair of slippers that I made a while back using Malabrigo Worsted, which is a beautiful, kettle-dyed, buttery-soft yarn available at The Nest. Just try this yarn, you'll officially be in love.

Anyway, back to the slippers. The pattern is the Plain or Flowery Slippers Pattern by Sarah Hughes. The pattern is very simple, and very quick. I knit these for a dear friend who went through a rough illness recently. I used the Pearl Ten (gray) and Calypso (pink) colorways of Malabrigo Worsted on US 7 needles. My gauge was off, and the pattern technically calls for bulky yarn, so make sure you knit a gauge swatch!

Aren't they adorable??

Until next time - happy knitting!

Abby

The Nest Featured in WV Living Magazine!!

We have another exciting announcement! WV Living Magazine is including a wonderful article about Nicky Epstein's recent visit to The Nest in their Fall issue. There are some amazing photos of the shop and the knitters who participated in the day's events (by Clarksburg native Michelle Waters of Michelle Waters Photography). The article was written by Bridgeport's very own Katherine Frederick Hanlon. We are so very excited about this, and hope that you will check out the Fall issue of WV Living Magazine. We are now selling them at The Nest, so stop by to pick one up!

Finished Objects!

Okay, so it's not Friday yet, but I will not be able to post a finished object tomorrow, and I feel so guilty for not sharing an F.O. Friday in so long!! :) So I'm going to post a couple of things I've finished recently, in an effort to make up for it! I've got some really cool projects in the works right now (including a baby blanket made out of Cascade 220 superwash, a gorgeous cardigan out of Noro Cash Iroha, and a shawl made with Silk Garden Sock.) So don't worry, they'll be showing up on here soon...

In the meantime -

These socks are one of my all-time favorite pairs that I've knitted. The pattern is Herringbone Ribbed Socks, from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Carol Sulcoski. This book is chock-full of creative patterns and educational instructions on how to prevent the dreaded pooling and flashing that you sometimes get when knitting with handpainted sock yarns. The yarn used in this project was Cascade Heritage Handpaints, in color #9872, and they were knit on size US 2 needles. I knit these for my husband, and he adores them. He is now begging for more pairs of handknit socks! Here are some photos:

Not too shabby, eh? The pattern is great, and very well written. The yarn was wonderful to work with, and gets softer with each washing. Both the yarn and the book are available at The Nest.

The second project I'm going to feature is a fun, easy, "quickie" of a project. PERFECT for holiday gift knitting, if I do say so myself. This funky, chunky cowl is the Cherry Garcia pattern by Adrian Bizilia. I knit it with 1 skein of Noro Yoroi (color #5), and was so happy with the finished product! This yarn is just plain awesome! The colors are so vivid and the yarn texture is so unique. I won't be able to describe it, you have to feel it to understand :) I started and finished this cowl during a 4 hour road-trip, it doesn't get any better than that, folks!

Here's a photo - it's not the best quality photo ever, but I'll be sending this cowl to The Nest, and it will be featured as a shop model for a while. The Nest has a wide variety of colors of Noro Yoroi available, so feel free to stop in and check this stuff out!

Phew, that was a lot of information! I hope you enjoyed today's projects! Until next time... happy knitting!

Abby

Since we haven't had a FO Friday in forever, here's a little treat for you, even though today is Monday ;) Isn't it just adorable??? The pattern is the Marley hat, from Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson, who is an amazingly creative designer. Itty Bitty Hats is available for purchase at The Nest. The Marley Hat kits are now available at The Nest as well. We are using Takhi Cotton Classic, which comes in a wide variety of colors, to knit this cutie-patootie topper.

Marley Hat Classes are starting next week! Cost is $20 for 2 one-hour sessions.

Tuesdays, September 15th and 22nd, 11:00am

and

Tuesdays, September 15th and 22nd, 5:00pm

Operation Helmetliners!

We are so very pleased to announce that The Nest is participating in the CitizenSAM Operation Helmetliners Project! We will officially launch the campaign on Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 10:00am to 2:00pm with knitting and refreshments on our breezy porch. Please join us at 10:00 for a free helmetliner class. The campaign will run until October 31, 2009. A free helmetliner class will be held every Saturday morning at 10:00am. Please call The Nest at 304.848.2444 to register.

The helmetliners must be knit out of 100% wool (preferably superwash) in black, charcoal, tan, or brown (tan is preferred). We recommend using Cascade 220 or Cascade 220 Superwash, both of which we carry at The Nest. For more information about the need for helmet liners, check out these websites:

USMC Museum - Support our Marines

CitizenSAM

Here's a photo of a handknit Helmetliner: