Baby has arrived!

This is Patricia Sofia Quintanilla! She was born Thursday night at 11:53. She weighed 6 lbs 11 oz.

She's a bundle of joy!

Summer Hemp Skirt

I just can't stay away from skirts. For the summer I am doing a black Hemp skirt with a shell lace edging. I cast on 196 stitches and knitted the lace edging an I am knitting on size 7 needles Now I have to knit  up until 16 inches  then I can decrease. I will let you know how it goes.
I am going to the Knitting Pipeline Retreat in Peoria this weekend  and I am so looking forward to it!
The skirt will not be ready for that event, but I will keep you posted!

Brigitte's A-Line Skirt

This Skirt was  a lot of knitting, but it was great Television knitting.

I made it for me, this means, that I have a size 14 waist and the A-line Skirt is created by
4 increases. This waistband was knitted in size 3 and I knitted until it fit me. Then I divided
it by four, which made the increases. Pattern see below. I really loved making the skirt, it
was very nice to have it on my lap during the winter.
Pattern:
Cast on 42 stitches and knit on size US  3  in 1 x 1 rib. I cast on  152 stitches  and set my markers
at 38 stitches and then put marker for the decreases. The increases  are: kfb before and after the marker.
Increases happen every 6  (6 x) rows, then every 10th row (5  x) .  At the required length   I used
Kid Silk Haze and continued knitting for  1 1/2 iches in st stitch. Voila ! All done! The Yarn was a DK yarn, which we used for the reconstituted Green Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Now I have a " Kostuem."
I totally love it.  

Pink and Red Sale

Enjoy 15% off all pink and red yarns on Saturday February 9th

On and off my needles

 This fall has been very busy, but I'm still finding time to knit! My current work in progress is this cute green skirt. The pattern's really easy, too:

Cast on 42 stitches for the waistband and knit in 1 by 1 ribbing until it fits you. Then, pick up stitches along one side. Divide the number of stitches you have (I had 260) by 4 and mark 4 increase points. Increase every 6 rows three times, then every tenth row until the skirt is done. I'm about 20 inches from being done. It's slow but steady knitting, and I can't wait to have my finished skirt to wear!




I've been working on some other fun projects, too. This pretty purple shawl is in a lovely yarn - Hemp 6 - with a lot of drape. Edda crocheted a flower to add a little extra charm.

I'm especially excited about this last shawl - it's for my future daughter-in-law! My son is getting married at the end of December and they asked me to make something to help keep the beautiful bride warm. I wound up asking Betsy to help me with the edging, and she did a great job. It's Kidsilk Haze on size 9 needles. The pattern is called Purity.

Pumpkins and Stephen West!

Fall is in full swing at Klose Knit! Want to knit something for Halloween? Check out Edda's fantastic pumpkin pattern (free in the shop!). Make a little pumpkin patch of your own for some festive decorations.

Want to knit something other than pumpkins? Here are some more fun (and free!) Halloween patterns! Click the images to see the patterns in Ravelry.

All this talk of Halloween and pumpkins is making us hungry for pumpkin recipies, too! We can't wait to try out these Iced Pumpkin Cookies from allrecipes.com.

 

Yummy!

Thanks to everyone who came to meet Stephen and take his class. We had a great time! We're also extra excited about Westknits, Book 4, which will be arriving on Thursday!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Stephen West at Klose Knit on October 8!

We are so excited to announce that local knitting celebrity Stephen West of

westknits.com will be at Klose Knit on Monday, October 8!

Stephen has been a longtime friend of the shop, and we are very happy to help him celebrate the release of his third book, Westknits Book 3.

We'll start with a trunk show to display samples of Stephen's amazing work.

At 4:00, come for a meet and greet and book signing. Show off your Westknits projects or get inspired to start a new one!

From 5:30-8:00, join us for a fantastic top-down shawl workshop! In this workshop Stephen West uses his popular shawl designs to talk about shape, construction, and drape. Students will knit a small triangular swatch while he discusses topics such as cast ons, increases, bin offs, and blocking. Special emphasis will be focused on different shaping techniques. You will also learn some of Stephen's favorite tips and tricks.

• Materials: scrap yarn and needles of choice for a swatch (worsted weight recommended).
• Homework: Familiarize yourself with Make One Left and Make One Right increases if you have never encountered them before.
• Cost: $50

Want to learn more about Stephen? Stop by the shop to see his books, or take a tour of his website. He even has some free patterns to give you a taste of his style. Need to practice those make-one increases? Try the Boneyard Shawl for an easy introduction to paired increases: http://westknits.com/index.php/pattern/shawls/boneyard-shawl/  

We look forward to seeing you - and Stephen! - in the shop soon! Until then, happy knitting!

September Wrapup

Our anniversary party was a huge success! Thank you all for coming to support the
shop. The yarn bombing also turned out great. Stop by to see your handiwork on our
handrail! 

The yarn bombing has created a mystery that we really want to solve, though. This
beautiful crochet flower turned up, and we have no idea who donated it! If this 
is your work please let us know so we can thank you properly! 

If you enjoyed this yarn bombing, we have another one coming up! Downtown Urbana
will be celebrating trees on Saturday, October 13. Donate your old, unloved handknit
sweaters to help us decorate Klose Knit's trees. With your help we will really be
able to put something special together! 

Brigitte has just finished her sample of the lovely Firefly Shrug. You can get this
pattern for free when you buy two skeins of Pashm by Kate Wright Designs. This is
the most wonderful, squishy, soft and bouncy yarn we've come across yet, and it 
comes in amazing colorways to boot! Come check out our sample and the yarn, you 
won't be sorry you did. 

We have beautiful new samples from the Little Book of Little Sweaters. If you like
the look of these sweaters, sized for American Girl or other 18" dolls, come sign
up for one of the classes! There are patterns for all skill levels, including knitters
who have never made a sweater before. 

If you'd rather knit a sweater for a teddy bear than a doll, you're in luck - Brigitte
has just finished a new Teddy Bear Sweater pattern, which you can get free at the
shop! We even have bears for sale! Buy one of these sweet teddies and dress him 
in lovely sweaters made from your leftover yarns in any color you like. 

Come see our newest amazing yarn: Beaded Silk Sequins Light by Artyarns. It's silk
with tiny sequins and Murano glass beads. The sparkle on this yarn is incredible!
And it comes in many different shades, sure to appeal to anyone who likes a little
glamor in their knitting. 

We look forward to seeing you in the shop soon! Don't forget to check out the new
Malabrigo! Until then, happy knitting!

It is done!

It was a simple sweater . but a lot of knitting.
I also would NOT take a semisolids for this project.
To avoid pooling by using two balls for the sleeves.

Saint Patrick's Day, Maybe?

I almost finished the left arm! Two more inches to go. What is driving me crazy is alternating skeins of yarn. That is no fun. I'll check back when I'm on the second sleeve.

Slow Progress

Shucks! I'm still on the sleeves! I had to rip one out and start over to fix some pooling and a sizing problem. Now I'm alternating balls two balls of yarn and making great progress. I think it'll take two more weeks before I'm done. Maybe a red St. Patrick's Day sweater!

(Almost) Valentine's Day Sweater

The ribbing is done! On the bottom I used size US 7 needles (200 stitches). The ribbing on the to I used size US 5 needles, took the recommended number of stitches and added a short row in the back. It fits perfectly now!

But the downside is that the Valentine’s Sweater needs a little more time. I needed to get ready for other things, and just did not have the time for my beloved almost Valentine’s Sweater. Next week I hope!

Valentine's Day Sweater Again!

Seven more rows and I'm ready to do the ribbing! More later.

The Valentine's Day Sweater Grows

I am still knitting around and around. More news when I get to the sleeves!

Valentine's Day Sweater

VHi Everybody!
I had this wonderful Lorna's Laces Gree Line left over and it just called out to me Valentin's Day
Sweater. But I also wanted to make this into a class, were people who have always wanted to
make a sweater, really can do a very chick sweater.
This sweater is from Knitting Pure and Simple , and you will learn about how to fit a sweater,
put short rows where the are needed and to feel really on top of things.

More knitting tomorrow...

Class by the way is on March 6, 13, and 20th.
'

Balaclava for Kids

This balaclava is sized for kids, and helps keep the chill off their neck, ears, and head.

Designed by: Melynda Pomeroy

Materials

16” circular US 7 needles

Approximately 110 yards worsted weight yarn

Stitch Marker

Tapestry needle

Instructions

Cast on 72 stitches and join in the round, being careful not to twist. Mark the beginning of round.

Knit 2, purl 2 around, then continue this rib pattern until work measures 6”

Face Opening:

Round 1: Maintain rib for 24 stitches, then bind off 24 stitches, rib the remaining 24 stitches.

Round 2: Maintain rib for 24 stitches, cast on 24 stitches, rib remaining 24 stitches.

Maintain established rib (ribbing the newly cast on stitches above the face opening as well) for 3-3½” or as long as needed to fit the intended wearer.

Decrease:

Knit 7, knit 2 together around

Knit 6, Knit 2 together around

Continue in this manner, knitting one less stitch before the decrease every round. When you have 6 stitches remaining, break yarn and pull through live stitches.

Weave in ends.

Ribbed Brim Baby Hat

This simple baby hat is perfect to keep the little ones in your life warm

this winter. It knits up quickly in DK weight yarn, and can easily be adjusted to work with other weights of yarn, or for larger or smaller heads.

Designed by: Anne Martin

Materials:

US 6 16” circular needle

1 skein DK weight yarn (150 yds or so)

Stitch marker

Tapestry needle

Instructions:

Cast on 80 stitches and join in the round, being careful not to twist. Mark beginning of round.

Work in a Knit 2, Purl 2 rib for 2.5”

Switch to stockinette stitch and knit for another 3”. Hat should measure approximately 5.5” from cast on.

Decreases:

Round 1: Knit 8, K2tog

Round 2 (and every even numbered round): Knit

Round 3: Knit 7, K2tog

Round 5: Knit 6, K2tog

Continue in this manner, knitting one less stitch before the K2tog, until only 8 stitches remain.

Cut yarn and thread through stitches.

Weave in ends.

Notes:

Gauge is not critical for this hat. If you would like it larger or smaller, use a heavier or lighter weight yarn and appropriate needles. Alternatively, you can add or subtract stitches in multiples of 10.

Ripple Crochet Scarf

It's been a while since a Klose Knit blog post, so we thought we'd break the silence to share this wonderful crochet scarf pattern with you! Crochet is the hot thing this summer, and we're really excited to have some new patterns in the shop. This one was written by our own Edda, and once again she has done great work!

Ripple Crochet Scarf

Materials:
Heavier sock weight yarn, approx. 250 yards
G-hook

Abbreviations:
ch- chain
dc- double crochet
dc3tog- 3 double crochet decrease
yo- yarn over hook

Special stitch-
dc3tog- to work a dc3tog, yo and insert the hook into next stitch, yo and draw a loop through, yo and draw through the first two looks on the hook, then do the same in each of the next two stitches. You now have 4 loops on the hook. Yo and draw a loop through all 4 loops on the hook.

Instructions:
Chain 36
Foundation Row:
Work one double crochet in the 4th chain from the hook, make one dc in each of the next 3 chains, *dc3tog in the next three chains, dc in each of the next 3 chains, 3 dc in the next chain, dc in each of the next 3 chains*
Repeat once more between *, then do a dc3tog and a dc in each of the net 5 chains. Chain 3 and turn.

Row 1
From now on work in the back loop of each dc.
Work 1 dc in the next 4 dc, *dc3tog in the next 3 dc, dc in each of the next 3 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in each of the next 3 dc*. Repeat once more, then do a dc3tog in the next three double crochet stitches, dc in the next 3 dc, 2 dc in to the turning chain. Repeat this row until the end of the scarf, or until you run out of yarn.

Hint: Make sure you have chan 3 and 4dc at the beginning of each row and 5 dc at the end

Mohair Madness Cowl

Hannele's Mohair Madness Cowl and Headwarmer

This cowl is extra warm and just right for temperatures in the 20s.
Better even, it can be made with just 2 hours to spare. It is excellent
tube knitting while you watch a good DVD. The pattern comes
from Hannele, who came to visit from Finland. Believe me, she
knows cold! Both of us fell in love with the Mohair possibilities and just
tried yarns and patterns, the best so far is the cowl which is just a lightweight dream.

Mohair Madness Cowl

Materials:
1 skein of Mohair yarn
( Ours was made with Drifting Gardens from Plymouth, but any bulky weight mohair yarn will work.)
Size US11, 16 inch circular needle
2 hours of your time

Instructions:
Cast on 53 stitches, join in the round (careful not to twist!) and work in garter stitch (knit one round, purl one round) to the end of the ball. Leave enough yarn to cast off loosely. Weave in ends.

Voila! A beautiful one of a kind cowl!

Shawl Cowl

I am happy to report that while playing with my Cascade Lana Grande, I created this beautiful Shawl Cowl. I think shawl collars are so very flattering and after bending the fabric a bit the cowl emerged. I added two simple Plymouth wooden buttons and attached them with i-cord loops.
Voila - it was done. A very simple and good looking cowl. I am ready for the winter.

Here is the Shawl Cowl pattern:

Materials:
Take two skeins of Cascade Lana Grande or Rowan Big Wool or Rowan Drift
Size US 15 needle (straight or circular as you please)

Cast on 26 stitches and knit in garter Stitch for 60 ridges or 120 rows
(it takes almost two balls)
(27" long and 11" wide)
Fold one edge over so that 3.5" overlaps to create the shawl collar look.
Sew on two buttons 1.75" from each edge.
Create two I-cord loops about 3" long (make larger loops if you are using larger buttons). On the end opposite the buttons, attach the loops on the long end 1.75" and 3.5" from the corner. These loops will be attached on the side that is not folded down to create the collar.
Voila, your Shawl Cowl is done! Great last minute knitted gift!

(Need help with I-Cord? Check out this video!)