Greetings fellow knitters! This is my last blog posting from West Virginia! But not to worry...I'll keep you informed from sunny Florida. Yay!

It's almost November...you know what that means...only NINE more weeks to get your holiday knitting finished. But have no fear, The Nest had you and your hectic holiday schedule in mind when planning the class schedule for November and December. Check it out!

The first thing in our holiday line-up is a great three-project set you could make for one REALLY lucky recipient, or three!

Project #1: Anthro-Inspired Scarflet

A one-class project

November

Tuesday, November 2nd @ 11 a.m.

Wednesday, November 17th @ 4:30 p.m.

December

Friday, December 10th @ 11 a.m.

Project #2: All-Day Beret

A two-class project

November

Tuesdays, Nevember 16th & 23rd @ 4:30 p.m.

December

Tuesdays, December 14th & 21st @ 4:30 p.m.

Project #3: Fetching Fingerless Gloves

A two-class project

November

Fridays, November 5th & 12th @ 11 a.m.

Tuesday, November 30th @ 4:30 p.m.

December

Tuesday, December 7th @ 4:30 p.m.

If you are looking for a scarf with a little more length that the Anthro-Inspired Scarflet, but you don't want a traditional ribbed scarf, try out the Braided Scarf. This scarf combines ribbing with I-cord braids to give this scarf all the umph a person could want. This project will be taught in one class...we ALL have time for one class!

Tuesday, November 2nd @ 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 30th @ 11 a.m.

Dress up your wine bottles (literally) with this adorable Wine Garb set. Make a hat and scarf for your wine bottle, then make a set for your favorite wine-loving friend. (And throw in a great bottle of wine to wear it!) This project is easy and quick, and requires only one class.

November

Wednesday, November 3rd @ 4:30 p.m.

Friday, November 19th @ 11 a.m.

December

Tuesday, December 7th @ 11 a.m.

For the beer lovers in your life, help them dress up their beverage of choice with this fun little Beer Sweater! This is another quick 'n' easy project for busy gift givers.

Friday, December 3rd @ 11 a.m.

For the special guy (or guys) in your life, make Jared Flood's Turn A Square hat. This hat is so beautiful, you may even want to make one for yourself! This is a two-class project, so be sure to sign up before the first one starts so you don't miss out! (This is a Jarrod Flood photo...kudos for your great pics Jared!)

November

Fridays, November 12th & 19th @ 11 a.m.

Tuesdays, November 16th & 23rd @ 4:30 p.m.

December

Thursdays, December 9th & 16th @ 11 a.m.

For all you Black Friday shoppers out there (you know who you are), The Nest is having a BLACK Friday surprise, so pop in on November 26th, and find out what's up...or down!

Lastly, The Nest is offering FREE help on all your Nest projects that need last-minute fixes or finishing. Bring in your UFO's...er, UFG's (unfinished gifts) for any last-minute help you may need or want!

Happy Holidays to my my knitting friends! Knit on!

Mwah! xxx

PS - If you aren't already our friend, check us out on facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bridgeport-WV/The-Nest/148832395137209

Abby's done it again!!

Just look at this absolutely beautiful, AND very practical sweater! The Creature Comfort Sweater was knitted with Cascade 220 Washable, and both the pattern and the yarn are available...you guessed it, at The Nest! If anyone's interested in knitting this gorgeous sweater in a class, let us know. I've been dying to teach a sweater class, and this one is the perfect combination of easy and challenging.

Greetings to all you happy knitters!


The cooler weather's here, and it sure does motivate me to kick my knitting into high gear. Currently, I have three active WIP's, with four projects waiting to jump on my needles!


Now, I hate to nag (sort of), but we have only 86 days remaining to gift knit! Wait a sec, that sounds like a lot, so let me put it in a way that sounds scary...we have just under three months to finish...er, start AND finish our holiday knitting! YIKES!


No worries, though! The Nest has quite a few quick-knit gift ideas this month, along with some more detailed projects, so find some you like, and register for the classes.


Let's take a look at what's going on this month at your favorite LYS!



We're kicking things off with some simple knitting. If you like mindless, stressless projects, we've got just the thing for you! Bring your easy projects, and knit among friends every Tuesday this month. And if you need an idea for an easy project, who better to help, than the ladies of The Nest! Join us at 11:00 a.m. and knit your stress away! Ahhhhhhhh.

The Oscilloscope Scarf/Shawl is back for three weeks only, so don't wait to register for the 6:00 class with Krista A.

Tuesdays, October 19th & 26th

Tuesday, November 2nd

Next up, we've got a darling little sweater ornament that pulls double duty. Knit these babies up to use as gift tags that the recipient will hang on his or her tree for years and years. Or make several of them to add warmth to your own holiday tree!

Wednesdays, October 6th & 20th at 4:30 p.m.

For our sock lovers, we've not forgotten about you! Tawnya's found a great pair of socks for the Sock Group to knit...The Skew Socks!

Thursdays, October 21st & 28th, and November 4th at 5:30 p.m.

Back by popular demand...or because we just need a little more time to finish, we're having two more Crayon Box Jacket classes this month. If you have yarn in your stash that you absolutely love, but have no idea what to do with it, let Diana show you how to make an incredible, one-of-a-kind jacket! You'll wow everyone you know, shoot, you'll wow yourself with this one!

Fridays, October 1st and 22nd at 11:00 a.m.

If you are looking for a quick, stylish alternative to a scarf, look no further! We've got the answer at The Nest: The Ribbed Collar! This project knits up in just a few hours, and with the classy combination of seed stitch and 1x2 ribbing, even the shortest attention spans won't get bored. The hardest part about this project is choosing which buttons you like best!

Friday the 8th at 11:00 a.m. and Saturday the 16th at 3:00 p.m.

(Don't I look warm?! I am...and you could be too, you know!)

This kicky little beret is both cute and cozy...and it's the perfect gift for anyone with a head. Not to mention that fact that it's FAST! Make one for your favorite sports fan using team colors, or perhaps for your sister using her children's birthstone colors, the options for the Zig-Zag Beret are limitless!

Fridays, October 15th & 29th at 11:00 a.m.

And to finish off the weeks of October, Beth is back with another exciting felted bag! She's breaking it down into three weeks of classes, so you'll have plenty of time to knit each part of the gorgeous May Bouquet Bag.

Saturday, October 2nd at 10:30 a.m.: Kitchner Stitch (Okay, okay...this is for the felted shoulder bag, but it's really quite helpful for loads of other things as well, i.e. socks, hoods, stuffed owls (specifically the one in Knit Simple's Holiday 2010 issue...conveniently available at The Nest!), and many other things.

Saturday, October 2nd at 11:00 a.m.: Callalilly for the May Bouquet Bag

Saturday, October 9th at 11:00 a.m.: Roses for the May Bouquet Bag

Saturday, Octovber 23rd at 11:00 a.m.: The May Bouquet Bag

That's all for me at this time, but have no fear, I will be back to bring you more exciting things from The Nest, so stay tuned, and remember, there's always something you have to have at The Nest!

Go forth and knit!!

xxx

Greetings fellow knitters!
Krista here, taking liberties with The Nest's blog as Abby gets settled in Chicago. For those of you who don't know me, I'm the girl you'll see in The Nest on Saturdays who isn't Diana. I'm crazy about knitting, and the color pink, and I'll be happy to help you find the right yarn, fix a problem (or rip it out for you), or teach you something new...even if it's new to me as well. So sit back and relax as I tell you what's going on this fall at The Nest.

Fall is just around the corner, and we all know what that means...it's time to start knitting our Christmas gifts! I've made a promise to myself this year:
I, Krista Book, WILL NOT wait until the LAST minute to start my gift knitting!
With The Nest's fall line-up of classes, we will all be prepared when it's time to wrap up our gifts! And with all the time I'll have by getting my gifts done early, I may even knit the bows to tie around my packages...

This fall, we'll be knitting stuff for the beginner, the more advanced beginner, and the intermediate knittiners, so there's a project (or two, or three) here for everyone!

To kick off our fall line-up, The Nest will be knitting the Felted Christmas Stocking. These stocking will teach you the basics of sock knitting, and the result is a beautiful hand-made stocking you and your loved ones with treasure forever! See for yourself...

Classes for the Felted Christmas Stocking will be Wednesdays, September 8th, 15th, and 22nd at 4:30 pm. Come knit a traditional or door-sized stocking to add to this year's holiday decor.

Next up, we have the Felted Potholders. On Thursdays, September 9th and 16th at 11:00 am, we will be knitting, and then felting, potholers...both a mitt and a traditional square potholder. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to crank these babies out like Mable did with the Chemo Caps! Check it out!

Aren't we all dying to make these for our favorite chef??

Third on our calendar is the Advanced Entrelac class. In this class, we'll be kicking it up a notch, and adding cables to our already gorgeous entrelac projects. This class will be held on Fridays, September 10th and 17th at 11:00 am.

*Basic Entrelac is a prerequisite for this class.

To keep in the spirit of felting, The Nest's favorite felter, Beth Cliffton, will be teaching us how to knit this adorable shoulder bag!

Now, I was working the day Beth bought the yarn for this bag, and all I know is when I walked in two Saturdays later, this is what I saw. Can you say "Super cute, super QUICK gift!"? I know I can! So come knit one with Beth on Saturday, September 11th at 11:00 am.

Here's something we can all use...Finishing School! It's no secret, we ALL have UFO's in our closets, under our beds, in bags hanging on door knobs, in the trunks of our cars, and if you're like I am, in our over-sized purses. Krista A. is going to help rectify this, uh, problem, and teach us how to FINISH! Off the top of my head, I can think of six, no, SEVEN, UFO's I have lying around my house, so Krista, you have your work cut out for you! Join us for The Nest's Finishing School on Tuesdays, September 14th, 21st, and 28th at 4:30 pm, and get those UFO's out of hiding and around your neck, on your head, on your back...you get the idea.

Now that we're into the middle of the month, it's likely the weather will start cooling off, and we're going to need something to keep our shoulders warm. Well, once again, it's The Nest to the rescue! On Tuesdays, September 14th, 21st and 28th at 6:00 pm (after Finishing School), Krista A. will help us make the stunning Oscilloscope shawl.

While knitting this shawl, we'll learn to make easy lace with worsted weight yarn...just think of the possibilities!!!

Okay, if you're looking for something whimsical, yet quite practical, come knit these flip flops with me on Saturdays, September 18th and 25th at 11:00 am.



Because these are knit on such large needles, they work up fairly quickly, and with the short rows and I-cords, they keep your attention. No worries if you've never done a short row, or if you've no idea what an I-cord is...I'll show you! And once you've finished these, your entire family is going to be begging for a pair!


If you're looking to double your pleasure, stick around after the Felted Flip Flops class on Saturday, September 18th, because at 3:00 pm, I'll be knitting the Xenocryst hat. This little beauty is going to be a fun knit. We're going to learn the Estonian cast-on, and Braid stitch! Yay us!

To finish up the month, Diana is going to teach you how to use your stash...that's right...YOUR STASH to knit an amazing jacket using miter stitch. You can be as crazy or conservative as you want with this jacket, and no matter what you choose to do, no one else will have one exactly like it. This jacket is unique to you! So go through your stash (and you know you have one...probably a BIG one), and get down to The Nest on Friday, September 24th at 11:00 am so Diana can help you turn your "what am I going to do with this?" yarn into an "I MADE THIS!!" jacket!

Well, that's all from me for now. I look forward to seeing all of you, and your projects, at The Nest. Happy Knitting!

Cheers!

2010 Knit For Life Photos

Hi everyone!

First, let us start off by sending out a BIG virtual thank you to all the knitters who participated in our 3rd annual Knit for Life event on Saturday, June 12, 2010! We had a great turnout, and a wonderful time knitting for such an amazing cause.

The event was a huge success! 43 knitters showed up to knit and show support. We collected 103 knitted hats!! And we raised over $600 for the American Cancer Society.

We are so proud of all of our friends and customers for helping out in such a big way.

We would like to send a special thank you 'shout out' to Mabel Somerville, who knit a whopping 50 chemo caps! Here is a great photo of Mabel modeling some of her lovely work!

Our goal was to knit 200 chemo caps this year, so we still need knitters to donate their time and talent to the cause! Also, we'd love to raise some more money, so if you're interested in donating or knitting a cap, call us at The Nest (304-848-2444)!

Last but not least, we would also like to thank our generous sponsors and donors:

Yost Paving

Gerardo, Jennifer, and Julia Lopez

Rachel Romano

Clarksburg Columbian Club

MCM Business Systems

And the donors of our lovely door prizes

Thanks again to everyone who made our 3rd annual Knit for Life a success!

~Diana and y

our friends at The Nest

P.S. Check out our photo slideshow at the top of the page for more photos from the day!

Meet and Greet with Shem & Zeke :)

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying this beautiful spring weather! I have a very exciting announcement:

Meg Wheeler, owner of Adonai's Way Farm, will be at The Nest with Shem and Zeke, two of her alpacas, on Saturday, May 1st!

Meg will also be bringing 20 lovely colors of her natural alpaca yarn with her for a trunk show! Her yarn, which is grown and processed in West Virginia, will be available for purchase during the event. We hope you'll join us for a fun day full of fiber, food, and furry friends!!!

Here are the details for the day's events:

Alpaca Meet & Greet

Saturday, May 1st

10:00am - 12:00pm

Cost: $12, which includes a boxed lunch

Please RSVP at 304.848.2444 in advance.

Trunk Show

Saturday, May 1st

10:00am - 5:00pm

Some of you may remember that my Mom knit me a beautiful entrelac afghan out of Adonai's Way Farm yarns. I don't have a photo of the blanket to share with you, but I do have a couple photos of her adorable alpacas! How could you not love these guys?

Beautiful Spring Socks

Happy Spring! In celebration of all the beautiful spring colors that are popping up everywhere, I would like to show off my newest pair of socks. These are, hands down, the most beautiful socks I've ever knit. The pattern is Xanthophyll by Hunter Hammerson. The yarn is Prism Saki, in the Highlands Colorway. I knit the leg on US 2's, and the foot on US 1's. Because of the slipped stitch pattern, the sock is less stretchy than most socks I've knitted. That, combined with my freakishly high arches, led me to knit the leg on US 2's.

Prism Saki is a fabulous sock yarn, and is officially my favorite. The colorways are stunning, and the yarn is so soft. Because it has nylon in it, the yarn holds up well, and I haven't had any problems with it being mashine washed (cold). The Nest just received a brand new shipment of Saki, so get it while it's hot!!!

And here's a close-up of the stitch pattern. The yarn was absolutely perfect for this design. The variegation shows up so nicely!

FINALLY!!!

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all enjoying the early spring weather! Just in time, I finally finished my Mondo Cable Cardi! I had it mostly done back in November, but I didn't like the way the collar looked. Last weekend, I mustered the courage to riiiiiiiiiiip the collar and reknit it with some minor modifications. I'm very happy with the results, and am so excited to share it with you!

Here are the deets:

Pattern: Mondo Cable Cardi by Bonne Marie Burns of Chic Knits

Yarn: Noro Cash Iroha, colorway 92. I used a little less than 8 skeins (792 yards) on my cap-sleeve version of the cardi.

Needles: I ended up using US 5's, US 6's and US 8's for this project.

Okay, now time for photos!!

Moderne Log Cabin Fun

Hi y'all,

It's been a while since I've posted! I spent most of February traveling for graduate school interviews, so I had no time to knit or blog :( How sad! However, I intend to make up for it now that things are calming down. This week, I've settled into my couch and enjoyed watching the Olympics with my knitting in hand - so relaxing!

I wanted to post a quick finished project for you. It's a baby blanket that I knit with Cascade 220 Superwash for a dear friend who had a baby recently. The pattern is the Moderne Baby Blanket, originally included in Mason Dixon Knitting, a fabulous book by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne. Lucky for us, the baby blanket pattern is available for free, but the mitered border is not included on the PDF link. I did a simple 4-stitch I-cord border, and I think it looks great.

The blanket took a little less than 2 skeins of each of 4 colorways of Cascade 220 Superwash (so 8 skeins of yarn). I knit it on very long US 10 circular needles. I excluded Block 9, because this bad boy was getting huge, but if you knit it in a lighter weight yarn (such as Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino), it would probably be perfectly-sized.

All in all, it was a very easy knit. Really, the only skills you need to knit this blanket are the knit stitch, CO, BO, and picking up stitches. It was a great road trip project, and much of this blanket was knit in the car (and NO, I was not driving!)

Here are some photos! Enjoy!

New Class Schedule

Hi everyone!

As promised, here is the class schedule for February and March! Please see previous post for photos and details. Call The Nest at 304.848.2444 today to sign up!

Fearless Knitting Workshops:

Take your knitting to the next level! Start with fixing mistakes, move on to cables, chart reading, lace, and beyond! The workshops are free when materials are purchased from The Nest and with regular attendance commitment.

Prerequisites: must be able to knit, purl, bind off and cast on with fluency.

Tuesdays, 11:00am: 1/26, 2/9, 2/23, 3/9, and 3/23

Wednesdays, 4:30pm: 1/27, 2/10, 2/24, 3/10, and 3/24

Saturdays, 10:00am: 1/30, 2.13, 2/27, 3/13, and 3/27

Snowman Hat from Itty Bitty Hats:

Two 1-hour sessions

Class fee: $20

Tuesdays, 1:00pm: 1/26 and 2/2

Fridays, 2:00pm: 2/12 and 2/19

Tuesdays, 5:00pm: 2/23 and 3/2

Baby Surprise Jacket:

Three 1-hour session

Class fee: $30

Thursdays, 11:00am: 2/4, 2/11, and 2/18

Cozy Cowl:

One 1-hour session

Class fee: $10

Friday, 1/29 at 1:00pm

Infinity Scarf:

One 1-hour session

Class fee: $10

Friday, 1/29 at 2:30pm

French Press Slippers:

Two 1-hour sessions

Class fee: $20

Fridays, 11:00am: 1/29 and 2/12

Saturdays, 3:00pm: 1/30 and 2/13

Saturdays, 3:00pm: 2/20 and 2/27

Tuesdays, 5:00pm: 3/23 amd 3/30

Burberry Cowl:

Intermediate Class (learn provisional CO, cables, and kitchener stitch - how exciting!)

Three 1-hour sessions

Class fee: $30

Tuesdays, 5:00pm: 2/2, 2/9, and 2/16

Fridays, 11:00am: 3/5, 3/12, and 3/19

Faux Isle Hat:

Advanced Beginner Class (learn 2-color stranding!)

Two 1-hour sessions

Class fee: $20

Fridays, 11:00am: 2/19 and 2/26

Golden Gate Scarf

Anthroplogie-inspired knitted trellis with felted flowers

Two 1-hour sessions

Class fee: $20

Saturdays, 10:00am: 2/20 and 2/26

Upside Down Daisy Hat from Itty Bitty Hats

Two 1-hour sessions

Class fee: $20

Thursdays, 11:00am: 3/4 and 3/11

Tuesdays, 5:00pm: 3/9 and 3/16

Bunny Beanie:

Two 1-hour sessions

Class fee: $20

Thursdays, 10:00am: 3/18 and 3/25

Saturdays, 3:00pm: 3/20 and 3/27

Felted Bunny Slippers:

Two 1-hour sessions

Class fee: $20

Thursdays, 11:30am: 3/18 and 3/25

Saturdays, 4:30pm: 3/20 and 3/27

Felted Flip-Flops (Child or Adult):

Who's ready for summer? :)

Two 1-hour sessions

Class fee: $20

Saturdays, 3:00pm: 3/6 and 3/13

ANNOUNCEMENT: Because of the busy upcoming class schedule, drop-in FREE HELP will now be available every Friday evening from 4:30-6:00pm.

PHEW - That is quite a schedule! We hope that you'll join us for some of these awesome upcoming classes! Happy Knitting from The Nest!

January/February Projects & Classes!

Hi Everyone!

There are a few updates to post today, so this will be a long post! We have decided which classes will be offered during January & February, but we won't be setting the schedule until the weather agrees to cooperate. In the meantime, you can find class descriptions and photos below. We will send out an email and post the schedule on here once it is set in stone.

BUT FIRST.... I wanted to talk about the FEARLESS KNITTER groups forming now at The Nest. Through the winter, we will be taking our knitting to the next level using Stitch n' Bitch and the Fearless Knitting Workbook. We will begin with basic construction, learn how to fix mistakes, and be introduced to cables and lace knitting! Registration is free when supplies and books are purchased at The Nest. For all others, cost will be $10 per hour. Stay tuned for more information as we iron the details out.

Okay, on to classes and pretty photos.

Infinity Scarf (aka Gary's Snood)

This modern scarf pattern provides lots of practice knitting and purling in the round. It is buttery soft (knit out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran) and very stylish. This scarf is knitted as a moebius, so it's perfect for those of you that love a good puzzle!

Snowman Hat

This adorable pattern, from Itty Bitty Hats, is just too charming for words. You'll learn tons of new knitting techniques with this project, and end up with the perfect gift!

Baby Surprise Jacket

This classic baby sweater pattern, by none other than Elizabeth Zimmermna, is simple and adaptable to many sizes. Because of the unique shaping, it is the perfect project for trying out creative color combinations and striping. If you don't want to take the class with the group, we have the class DVD with detailed instructions available at The Nest.

Cozy Cowl

This project is perfect for beginning knitters. Learn to knit in the round with big yarn on big circulars. Can be worn as a cowl or pull the hood up when the wind blows... just what we need with this weather!

Felted Slippers

Aren't these just adorable?! These lovelies are worn by Krista when she is working at The Nest. This is an easy project, that will teach you how to increase and decrease, and introduce you to felting!