Knitting for Peace

Hi,
just a quick note to let you all know that I am still planning on Charity Knitting or Knitting for Peace on Friday evening June 1 and during the Band Stand Concerts 6:30 - 8:00 in front of our store. The book Knitting for Peace is in the window of the store. You are welcome to come in and look it over. it has lots of patterns and good caused to knit for.
My plans for a project are still not decided. If we cannot decide we could do squares in wool and acrylic, Acrylic for the Local Red Cross and wool for the Afghans for Afghans. Go to the Warm up America website for instructions on making squares. 7" x 9" knit or crochet. If you have a charity project on your needles bring it along. We need not all be working for the same cause or group.

I hope you all enjoy reading about Major Laura a knitter in Irak, knitting socks in the new issue of Knitting Daily from Interweave Press. If you do not subscribe to this new online news newsletter email me and I will forward the info to you.

Nancy Griffin
724-662-2830
Tues. - Fri. 11 - 6 Sat. 10 - 4
www.ottercreekstore.com

New Bamboo Yarn and patterns.

Knit a sweater of Stella along with us. This soft bamboo yarn has 191 yards . Cost to knit the sweaters in the patterns below is between $36.00-$45.00 Needle size #3. I know that seems small but it is really only as much knitting as two pair of socks.

New Cotton Yarn spilling into baskets.

I need to find more spaces for all the new cotton yarn. We just got in a new shipment of one of our most popular baby yarns.
Knitters love that it is chunky enough to knit up quickly and it is all natural to please most natural fiber lover. As many modern new mothers are.
cottontots is a popolar yarn to knit baby blankets,
100% cotton 171 yds.100gms/3.5oz. $3.40
Gauge 20 sts - 26 rows = 4" (10 cm)
Knitting Needle #7 Crochet Hook 4.50 mm, US - 7
and its completely Machine washable, this is a very affordable soft cotton.



100% cotton yarn from Swedish Yarn Imports. It comes in 50gm balls 88yds knits up on #7 ot 8 ndls. A quality cotton for $3.50 per ball. A great yarn to knit up a quick summer tank top or childs sweater. Come and check out the beautiful bright colors for summer.

The last week of April, socks

Last week was a sock week. Katie M. brought some wonderful knee sock she just finished. A lovely feather fan pattern knit from Clown from Swedish Yarn Imports a soft light weight summer cotton+wool self striping yarn, that we sell at Otter Creek. The other was a beautiful pink sock knit in a cable pattern. She was wearing socks knit from Trekking rainbow colored self striping yarn Thank your Katie for sharing your socks with us.







I finally finished my Step Yarn Green socks knitted toe up. This was a new pattern and i had to rip it out twice to turn the heel knitted in reverse from the toe up.

Not Just Sock Class

Pictures from Margarets Class Not Just Socks

Knitters Fantasy April 14 Warren OH

It is Monday morning. Snow is falling outside. The grass and trees are just covered. This has never happened so late in April here before in the 30 years I have lived in Mercer.
I am so glad it did not snow on Saturday. The 12 Annual Knitters Fantasy workshop day and sale was a huge success. Over 400 knitters came. This is a very well organized event hosted by three knitting guilds in eastern OHIO. This year the Northcoast Knitting Guild was in charge. The guilds rotate the responsibility for hosting the event and I feel this is how they keep from burning out and the show just gets better and better every year.
I taught a class: gauge mysteries revealed. I hope the knitters found my take on knitting gauge and designing a sweater helpful. Please email me if you took my class and have questions.
Otter Creek Store had two tables of yarn for sale. I chose three main yarns to display, Toas and Merino Strioes from Crystal Palace, and Ultra Alpaca from Berrocco. These three yarn were new last fall and were the most popular new yarns in our shop. The booth needs to be simple because the knitters do not have much time to shop between classes. The knitters arrive at 8am, they register and go to their class from 9 - 11:30 and 1:30 -4:00 With Lunch and a Fabulous Fashion Show in the center of the Market during lunch. The market is around the edge of the Vo-Tech School Cafeteria. Our booth was so busy I did not see the fashion show. At one point I tried to direct s shoppers attention to the fashion show so I could see it too. These knitters were serious shoppers and wanted to buy yarn NOW! Pat Jones who always makes a fantastic knit outfit for the show each year said she would email me a picture since I missed seeing her. If any other knitters reading this have photos of the show please email them to me. I feel so bad that I missed seeing the show. I look forward it. I love seeing what everyone has made it is so inspiring. I need to go now. I will post pictures if you folks of knitters fantasy if anyone send me some.

Knit Easter Eggs from Ellen

KNITTED EASTER EGGS 
Materials: Set of #2 double pointed needles Sports wt. Yarn, 3” long, 6 ?” wide plastic eggs
 
Starting at bottom, with blue and double pointed needles,
Cast on 18 sts.
Divide sts 6sts each needle.
Join sts and work in rounds of k1, p1 ribbing until piece measures ?” from      beginning.
Knit next rnd, inc 1 st in each st around. (36sts).
Attach white,yarn, but do not fasten off blue.
Knit next round with white .
Next rnd; *(K1 white, K1 blue) around.
Knit one rnd white,
Pick up blue, knit one round blue.
Next rnd;  (K1 blue, K1 white) around.
Knit one round blue.
Pick up white, knit one round white.
Next rnd; (K1 white, K1 blue) around.
Knit one round white.*  Repeat from * Once.
Drop white, knit one round blue.
Next rnd; K2 tog around – 18sts. 
Insert plastic egg.
K1, p1 around for ? inch.
Cut yarn, leaving a 12-inch-long tail.  Using yarn needle lace through stitches on last round then pull to close end of egg. Fasten off.

Finishing up the UFOs

I have lots and lots of unfinished knitting sitting around the shop. Sometimes I start socks just to let customers see what the yarn will look like. The ones here were started to show how to start a toe up sock. These socks have been on the needles for over a year. So I am finally getting them finished so I will have new socks to wear. These socks are sometimes called two toe socks because the heels are added later and knit the same way you knit a toe. I am not sure what color to make the heels. Black or red?? Blue would work too.
I will check the stash for left over yarn and see what I can find.

Yarn Harlot visits Pittsburgh

Robin send me these pictures taken with her cell phone. Robin with Stephanie and a shot of the crowd while Steph was speaking.


Saturday at the yarn shop was a little slow. It is after all the last day of the month and some retirement checks cannot be cashed till Monday. Business should pick up next week. Being it was one of the first nice days of spring not many knitters were out hunting for yarn today. I expect a lot of knitters were out in their gardens looking at the daffodils and pruning their roses and whatever else you do in the garden in Spring. I would have been happy to be in my garden this afternoon but the store hours must be kept. I did have several knitters and one weaver visit and buy yarn. We also had a friendly group of knitters at the table enjoying knitting at the store and seeing each others creations. Joan stopped by to show off her socks from Margarets Sock class. and another knitter brought in her new finished Crystal Palace Merino Frappe Jacket. Judy needed help choosing yarn for a baby blanket for Kim. Robin and her Mom came by to knit for awhile. The time flew by. I am exhausted.
I could not even think about cooking. I picked up Chinese food on the way home.
I am really wipped, I am just not used to staying up late(2am). Last night Margaret, Robin and I went to Pittsburgh to Joseph-Beth Booksellers at SouthSide Works to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I bought her new book and had her sign it. There were lots and lots, maybe a hundred or more knitters there for the book signing. Her lecture was great. She is very perceptive and funny. It was exciting to be with all the knitters. I forgot my camera but Robin took photos and promised to email them to me . I will post them when I get them. You can read about Stephanie's impressions of Pgh on her blog Yarn Harlot. It is a really cool blogg. Check it out, You will be delighted. Her New Book, Casts Off the Yarn Harlots Guide to the land of knitting, is a hoot. I love her impressions of the knitting world. Enough for tonight. By the time we got out of the booksigning it was after 9 and since we left right after work, everyone was starved so we went to a cool restrauant at SouthSide Works. It is over an hour drive from Mercer to the city so it was very late when I got home. I was so energized from the big night out in the big city, I could not sleep. Now I am the walking dead so goood niiiight. I will try to post more often this next month. I am still learning how to do this.

Otter Creek Calendar for March

I just finished the new calendar of events for the store and I tried to post it. I was hoping it could just copy and post it but I could not. So here are some high lights and you can email me and I will send the PDF version with pictures and calendar.
Margaret Brown Siebert a Not Just Socks Workshop , an inspired class to learn some new skills like: two color knitting, cables and braids in a sock of your own design using a basic sock pattern on #2 ndls. This is a class for folks who all ready know how to knit a basic sock. The class will meet 4 times beginning March 28 at 5PM.
Margaret used to worked for me at the store for 8 years thru High School and college.
Many of you would remember her as the young girl with friendly smile.

Mommy & me knit together Saturday mornings 10- 11:00 With Ellen. Bring your daughter or grand daughter and knit together will resume again in March.

Knitting Appointments with master knitters and a discussion with Kathy Zimmerman at the Pgh. Knit Fest.
Kathy gave me an autographed poster of her Designs for Classic Elite Yarns. We had a great time at Pgh Knit Fest. The hearts were well recieved and I am still selling this pattern at the store.

A wonderful pattern by Annie Modesitt is free to anyone who comes in and asks. You can only get this pattern in
a yarn shop. Annie is trying to help bring business to yarn stores. Thank You Annie!

Friday Knit Club for teens has been meeting at our store after school. A reporter from a local paper came and took pictures and did an interviewed the girls last Friday.

Lots and Lots of new yarn came in on Friday. Louisa Harding yarn with sequins and a ribbon with what looks like frozen rain drop beads on the surface of the yarn, very beautiful. Harding patterns to knit and crochet evening bags, tank tops and shells and dressy accessories. This yarn is very special.
On the other end of the yarn spectrum we also got in affordable afghan yarn A popular acrylic yarn, Patons Canadian at a Sale price during March/ $3.50 for 100gm ball. I have had a few requests for affordable yarn to crochet afghans. So, I ordered some to see if this is really what our customers want. I have always offered this yarn through special orders.

Otter Creek Store Logo

Pictures taken Feb.19 of Otter Creek

Knitting in Winter Wonderland

Its a very snowy winter Sunday. I had a very busy day yesterday at the store. A group of 6 knitters came up from a knitting retreat camp weekend that they were attending about 25 miles south of Mercer. They came to visit my store as part of their weekend. It was fun to meet them and watch then enjoy seeing all the yarn and being at the store. They also bought a lot of the yarn I had on sale. I am clearing out my Rowan Felted tweed at $5.00 a ball and MarLa from Classic Elite at $6.50. They could not resist the sale. My total for the day was over $800. Who would believe that on a cold snow winter day this would happen. I needed this to make up for loosing two days $$ last week because of the snow. The shop was packed with knitters all afternoon. We had 6 regulars around the table for Sat. afternoon knitters support meet up from 2-4. The store filled up around noon and I did not clear everyone out till 5:00. I was supposed to close at 4:00.
Last week we had some really slow days. I did not even bother to go up town to open the store on Feb.14, Wed due to the snow and cold. I usually do really well with gifts on Valentines Day. Our schools and Courthouse was closed. I went up around 3:00 and stayed and unpacked yarn I took to the show in PGH. Thursday and Friday I continued to unpacked and rearranged the store. I moved yarn and shelves and free standing displays. The store looks so much better. I will post some pictures.
Their are several knitters that volunteer time to help me at the store. Some teach classes, some just hang out and help customers with their knitting, some watch the store when I cannot, one designs and changes my store front window displays, they unpack boxes and tidy up the store putting yarn back on the shelves after customers leave, they listen to my problems and help choose yarn. None of them want to buy the store but they all want to keep it going. They are part of a very loyal community that has grown around the store. Without their support I could not continue to run the store by myself. Just this week , Marlene showed up on Thursday with homemade lazania for me to take home for supper. Abigail came in on Friday to buy some yarn around 11:30 and stayed all day and helped unpack and move yarn. My customers are so good to me. I really do have a good life. I will post pictures of the store. It looks great. I have to go to the Penns Woods Craft Festival and help with the Chinese Auction this afternoon.

Knit Your Heart Out

Materials: Dish cloth = #8 ndls
Worsted weight Cotton: Rowan All seasons cotton,
Cotton Rich by Cascade, Sugar and Cream
Felted HEART = Cascade 220 Needles #10.5 . - #11 needles

Cast on 10 sts Loosly
.
Row 1: k across 4 sts, Increase one stitch (kf&b =knitting into the front and back of the stitch, You will continue increase this way through out the pattern) of the 5th stitch, PM (pass marker), Increase one stitch knit kf&b of the 6th stitch, knit till 2 sts remain , wyif (with yarn in front of work)
slip these two stitches as if to purl turn.
(you are creating an Icord edge on the heart by slipping the last two stitches and wraping the yarn around these two stitches as you knit them back)

Next 4 rows: Rows 2 - 5: k2, k1, yo. knit across to the stitch before the marker kf&b, PM, kf&b, k across till 4 stitches remain and k1, yo k1, wyif slip last 2 stitches as if to purl, turn. (you will have 28 - 30 sts)

Next 10 rows: Rows 6 - 15: k across to the stitch before the marker kf&b, PM, kf&b, knit across until 2 stitches remain wyif slip last two stitches as if to purl, turn.

Next 3 rows: Rows 16 - 18: K2, k2tog(slip knit pass over), k across to the stitch before the marker kf&b, PM, kf&b, knit across until 4 stitches remain k2tog(ssk) wyif slip last two stitches as if to purl, turn.

Next 3 rows: Rows 19 - 21: k2, k2tog (slip knit pass over) twice ,k across to the stitch before the marker kf&b, PM, kf&b, knit across until 6 stitches remain (k2tog/ssktwice, wyif slip last two stitches as if to purl, turn.

Finish: Bind off loosely. With a tapestry needle work in the tails.
Optional pattern stitches for your hearts: try alternating 4 - 5 rows seed stitch with
4 - 5 rows Stockinett, finish with 3 rows garter stitch.

Ellens Sweater

Ellen knit this beautiful sweater for the Store It is knit from Dream an wonderful yarn
that is a blend of microfibers and angora.

My Burly Spun Felt bag with Noni Flowers

YarnOtterCreek

Its September and the knitting season has begun. Knitters are excited, the new fall colors and yarns are inspiring.
Knitters are moving on from scarves to hats and felt bags. Self striping yarns have inspired knitters to knit hats to match the scarves they gave as gifts last year for the holidays.