The Yarn Exchange

Stitch and Pitch

2008-05-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

August 6, 2008
Chicago White Sox

Stitch N' Pitch brings together two wonderful traditions — baseball and the fiber arts. Come to a ball game and knit, crochet, embroider, cross-stitch or needlepoint. Sit among friends, family, and colleagues and cheer on the Chicago White Sox. Beginners, intermediate and experts are all welcome.

You will need to RSVP and pay for tickets in advance so that we can all sit together. Tickets are $20 and the game is at 7:10pm. We'll be coordinating rides, and participants will be expected to pitch in (pun intended) for gas and parking costs.

See Andrea if you have questions.

NIU Remembers

2008-02-19T12:14:00.001-08:00

Everyone feels like we have so little to offer in the wake of the tragedy at NIU. Knitters can't undo the pain of the families who are suffering. We can't undo the fact that DeKalb is permanently changed. But we can do the thing we do - warm hearts and bodies, wrap them in the work of our hands.

So, here's the plan. If you are so inclined, make an 8X8" square from NIU colors (red, black, white, or gray). It should be made from soft, washable yarn. (Personally, I'm thinking of the Dark Horse Fantasy or the Paton's Decor) and delivered to the store by April 1.

If you would like more information, please contact Kelly Carr at KnittingHelp or by phone at 214-448-0449.

Knitting Lock-In

2008-02-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

Knit 'til you drop.

February 15, 2008 (which should be a Friday)
after the store closes, until the last person with a key is exhausted and makes the rest of you go home!

We'll order pizza, have music, stuff to drink, and just knit until we can't knit anymore. Remember that the staff is "off the clock" and is also just there for the fun, please. We'll all need to pitch in for pizza and pop (or should we call it a potluck?) and we'll need to clean up after ourselves so that the store can open the next morning. Exhausted knitters clutching pizza nuggets, sound asleep in piles of alpaca....well, that could be an unnerving sight to other knitters, if we were discovered in that condition on Saturday morning ;)

Everyone is welcome. Come one, come all.

And for heaven's sake, SOMEONE remember a digital camera. I will try, but I'm pretty clearly hopeless in that department.

Pass the Knitting On

2007-12-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Joan (see the pictures below) has for a while now had an after-school knitting group at the elementary school where she's the librarian. The group is a study in entropy and art, I sometimes think. Amidst what (only seems to be) the chaos, the kids and a few grown-ups learn to knit, make pot holders, felted bags, hats, and whatever else strikes their fancy.

Most of the children can afford to purchase yarn and needles, but some can not. And, like all knitters, all of the children can consume yarn faster than they can purchase it! So Joan gratefully accepts donations for her club. We're extablishing a donation box here at the store where you can leave any needle or yarn donations you'd like to leave for the children. For now, the box is next to the lending library cupboard, but that could change.

Remember that these are children and total beginners. We should probably set them up for success ;) So worsted weight yarn is the best choice in this case. We'll just have to figure out something else to do with our leftover fingering yarn. I'm sure there's something.

Knit Night Pictures

2007-12-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

We all forgot cameras. DUH! But Elizabeth was able to take pictures with her phone. Because of the comparatively low pixel-count, we all look like something out of a Seurat painting ;) That's really how we look. We're just cool that way!

Kristin, Lisa, Penny, Joan, and Carolyn (What are they all looking at? Was someone dancing on the table?)

Carolyn and Joan

Carolyn organizes yarn for us, for which we are abjectly grateful!

Joan and Jo-Anne -That's Joan's third or fourth rendition of The Shawl (capital T; Capital S -it's a big deal!)

Joan, Jo-Anne, and Kris

Kristin, Lisa, and Penny

Lori and Jess -Jess works here and is a sock-maker extraordinaire

Andrea and Lori. You can see better if you wear your glasses, Andrea!

Sock Hop

2007-12-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

In January, we're starting a Ribbed Sock Knit-a-long. If you've never ever made a sock before, this is your chance. It doesn't get easier than a ribbed sock, and I promise to be there for you when the process stops making sense. (At the heel turn, in case you were wondering!) If you've made socks forever, make any ribbed sock that you like -ribbed lace, ribbed cables, whatever.... This is your opportunity to shine.

The "due date" for the newly birthed socks will be Saturday, January 26th. Bring your socks in. We'll label them as yours and display them on the "sock clothesline". You can, of course, reclaim your socks whenever you like, or even choose not to display them. But we're a pretty supportive crowd; displaying your new sock could have some rewards ;) And if it's your very first sock ever, we'll feature you and your sock on this blog.

Come in at any point to choose yarn and needles. We'll have a free pattern for you, or we'll help you choose an appropriate one from our books, magazines and on-line resources. Help with your knitting is available any time the store is open. Help and companionship and moral support are particularly available on Fridays and Saturdays.

Customers with Blogs

2007-12-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

OK, so there's not a lot to say on the store blog. Go knit something, poppets! I'll post a picture. In the meantime, I know there are several customers and staff members with quasi-knitting blogs. Here are the ones I know about.

Elizabeth: Flying Wombat
Kristen: Craft Leftovers
Jess: Jess works here, but doesn't have a blog. Really, girlfriend, take care of this ;)
Andrea: A Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens
Heather: Yarn Liberation Front
Kathy: Get Your Hook On
Anna: Stuck in Illinois

There's a podcast about Kristin's blog at Craft Sanity.

There, that should keep us all occupied for a while. But if you have a knitting blog and I didn't know about it, feel free to tell me. I'll keep this post updated, or add new ones as I ...feel like it.

Saturday news

2007-11-18T11:22:00.001-08:00

We aren't actually stocking Malabrigo lace weight. We're just not sure. What do you think? If we got together and did a test order, would you be interested in some? Come in and look at the color cards. You'll need to prepay for the test order, but it could be all in a good cause. Maybe we'll start stocking it!

Don't forget the Christmas knitting lock-in, December 8. We'll order pizza. Bring any snacks you think you might need for sustenance. Bring your knitting and your enthusiasm -or your desperation, as the case may be. We'll knit 'til we drop!

There seems to be a new Cottage Creations pattern, and those are always big hits. It's called Comfort Gifts for Family and Community and has patterns for prayer shawls, doilies, bibs, and several Christmas-y type things. I'll knit up a store sample soon. (Stop laughing. I WILL!)

Launch Party

2007-11-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

Here's our new blog, just to let you know what's new in the store, what people are knitting, any new events we're hosting....whatever springs to my little mind. Please bookmark this page for updates.

What people are knitting:

The Shawl (capital t; capital s): We started with Connie Delaney's Wraparound Shawl pattern. Bless her heart, she gets all the credit for designing this shawl, and you should absolutely buy her pattern. The thing is... it's more of a recipe than a pattern, and advanced beginner knitters (who have all the skills for making this shawl) have been reduced to tears and anxiety and existential angst. We've just about gotten it written up as an actual pattern, thanks to Kristin, which should make knitting this beautiful shawl more available to newer knitters.

People are knitting this beauty with Catalina's alpaca, with Patons Decor, with cone yarn, and with Brown Sheep sport weight -and that's just lately. Come on in; you'll find something that catches your fancy.

What's new in the store:

Self-striping worsted weight yarn, Wisdom Yarns Inspire. It's all the fun of the self-striping sock yarns in a worsted weight. I'm in the process of knitting up a store sample. Well, truth be told, I'm in the process of thinking about knitting up a store sample.... It will happen.

Ball winders. These make beautiful Christmas gifts for knitters. Advise your family members of this ;)

What's happening at the store:

Christmas Lock-In: We did this last year and had loads of fun. On Saturday, December 8, we'll close the store at 6:00 as usual. Anyone who wants to stay can stay as long as we want (in principle until midnight, but we didn't make it that long last year). We'll finish our Christmas knitting or fall asleep trying! There will be pizza and something to drink and music and fun conversation -and all the free knitting help you need.