Completed!

 

If you've been following Wednesday Night Show n' Tell, you may have noticed periodic pictures of a navy sweater knit by Lynn. Well, Lynn showed up Wednesday to show off her finished garment! Knit if Vintage by Berroco with asymmetrical (yes, asymmetrical) sleeve stripes and hood, Lynn strutted down an impromptu runway to show off her stuff! Lynn's sweater is just one of the many great projects coming from the Holley's gang. Sarah showed off her gorgeous Entrelac shawl, and Mary is still working on her Wednesday-night scarf!

A favorite topic of conversation on Wednesday night is what books everyone is reading. Read on for some of our favorite books at Holley's:

Hail to the Chief (Knitter)!

We're so proud of our own Suziko! As the new Madame President of the Dallas Hand Knitters Guild, Suziko presided over her first meeting with guest speaker Emanda Johnson. Emanda gave an interesting lecture about color for textile artists. Although she is a quilter, Emanda had some great lessons and tips about how to use color that can be applied to any craft medium. Especially fascinating was Emanda's "color mashing" technique-using the program "Paint" to identify your favorite colors from a picture! You can find out more about Emanda on her blog.

September Classes

Swathe by Rowan in Drift

Mondays

Swathe by Rowan in Drift w/Susan

A short sleeved cardigan perfect for late fall layering, knit in a chunky yarn the project will be complete and ready to wear as our weather cools off.

Monday 12:00-1:30pm

September 12, 19, Oct 3 and 17

Cost: $60 + supplies

Throw Pillows w/Susan

Learn and practice the technique of color work by making an 18x18 square throw pillow, choose from several geometric designs by Kaffe Fassett, patterns are available from Rowan Online. 

Throw Pillow

Mondays 12:00-1:30pm

September 26, Oct 10 and 24

Cost: $45 + supplies

Eternalism Vest w/Susan

A perfect transition piece for fall. Knit this beautiful vest in a chunky self-striping yarn.

Mondays 10:30-12:00pm

September 12, 19, 26 and Oct 3

Cost: $60 + supplies

Eternalism Vest

Tuesdays

Big Lacy Scarf  w/Suzuko

A big chunky scarf knit in an easy to remember lace pattern is a great first lace project and will make a wonderful holiday gift.

Tuesday 1:00-2:30pm

September 13 and 27

Cost: $30 + supplies

The Unoriginal Hat w/Suzuko

Learn to knit cables on Stephanie Pearl-McFee’s one skein Unoriginal Hat  knit in chunky yarn on big needles.

Tuesdays 1:00-2:30pm

Big Lacy Scarf

September 6 and 20

Cost: $30 + supplies

Wednesdays

Beginner Knitting w/Susan

Want to learn? Need a refresher course? Know how to knit and want to move on to purling?

Every Wednesday 1:00-2:30pm

Cost: $20 per session + supplies

Open Enrollment, any Wednesday

Drop-In Help Class w/Susan

Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Perl-McFee

Already have the basics down but still need some guidance? Have a project you want to start and need a little help along the way? Stuck in the middle of a project and need someone to guide you along? This is the class for you!

Every Wednesday 2:30-4:00pm

Cost: $20 per session + supplies

Open enrollment, any Wednesday

Open enrollment, any Wednesday

Thursdays

Dreaming of Spring Fingerless Gloves

Dreaming of Spring FingerlessGloves w/Suzuko

Knit these hip fingerless gloves from More Last Minute Knitted Gifts for fall or start your holiday gift knitting early.

Thursdays 1:00-2:30pm

September 8, 15, 22 and 29

Cost: $60 + supplies

Fridays

Citron Shawl from Knittyw/Susan

Choose a wool blend to make this warm and softly feminine shawl.

Fridays 11:30am-1:00pm

Citron Shawl

September 9, 16 and 30

Cost: $45 + supplies

Saturdays

Entrelac Workshop  w/Suzuko

Saturdays 10:15-11:45am

September 10, 18, 24

Entrelac

Cost: $45 + supplies

JeanGreenhowe’s Nativity w/Susan

Get an early start on this family heirloom set. Every 2^nd and 4^th Saturday of the month.

Saturdays 1:00-2:30pm

September 10

September 24

Cost: $20 per session + supplies

Sock Workshop w/Susan

Learn to knit socks or get help finishing the pair already started in this drop in workshop. 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.

Sock Workshop

Saturdays 1:00-2:30pm

September 3

September 17

Cost: $20 per session + supplies

                                     

Saturday Crochet w/Adrianne

This Month’s Featured Project: Baby Cozy

All skill levels welcome! Want to learn? Need a refresher course? Have a project in mind and want someone to guide you along?

Every Saturday 10:30am-12:00pm

Cost: $30 + supplies (for 2 sessions)

Open enrollment, any 2 Saturdays

Jean Greenhowe's Nativity

Remember you get 10% off supplies when you register for class(es).

Call or come in to register. (972) 503-5648.

The Reader's Digest Condensed Version of Knitting: Baby Knits

It seems impossible to imagine, but at one point or another, you will burn out on knitting. For example: You have spent forever on your cabled cardigan and your queen-sized afgan throw is going no where. You have gone too long without that rush of endorphins that comes with binding off a finished product. You throw down your needles (well, not throw down, but put down with feeling), wondering why you have wasted so much time on projects that are never done. Even a beanie hat seems like a gargantuan task. You need something a project that can be finished within 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy, not a whole season of Buffy. But who would wear a garment that small? Answer: Babies.

The light dawns, you begin knitting with a new zeal! You search through your family tree and Facebook friends and find out that (insert name of friend and/or distant relation) is expecting/just gave birth. With a target in mind, you start turning out baby clothes by the closet-full.

Knitting for babies is the perfect solution to huge-project syndrome. You can try out new techniques on a smaller scale that are more quickly finished. The best part- babies won't refuse your sweater, booties, bunny-eared hate, etc. The very definition of a captive audience.

But there are some considerations to take into account when knitting for babies. Here is a list of do's and don'ts of baby knitting. Feel free to leave a comment and add to the list!

Do-make your garment machine-washable. Babies are cute, adorable, and require constant cleanup. And that's not even including strained peas and mashed sweet potatoes.

Don't-stalk new mothers through playgrounds, the grocery store, maternity wards, etc. waiting for the perfect opportunity to gift them with a complete layette set. They have to get up for 2 a.m. feedings and are probably not in the most receptive mood for your thoughtful present.

Do-donate your finished projects. Places like Genesis Women's Shelter are in need of donations of baby items just like the one you finished.

Don't-use an itchy yarn. Make a swatch of the proposed yarn, and then rub it against your neck. If you think its itchy, then so will a baby. An itchy baby is a screaming baby. And a screaming baby has irritated parents who will not return your calls.

Do-try out new techniques. A baby sweater is a perfect place to try out things like fair isle or intarsia. The baby won't really care if the colorwork in the back is a little messed up, as long as it has two arms and a neck hole.

Don't-be afraid to use colors other than pink and blue. Try other color combinations, like red and yellow, that are fun yet still unisex.

An Ode to Acrylic

           Amid your stash of wool, alpaca, cashmere and silk, sits a dark secret. When you artfully display your collection of yarn (as one does), you hide it under the cotton and bamboo blends. I refer to, of course, acrylic yarns. Yes, acrylic, the gateway yarn to the knitting world. Perhaps you picked up some aluminum needles and a skein of Red Heart left over from the 70’s, or you grabbed a few colors of Caron’s Simply Soft so your friend could teach you her new hobby of “knitting.” However you were introduced, chances are you first struggled with two sticks and a strand of acrylic.

But now you have mastered the knit stitch (and you routinely purl with only a minimum of tears). You are exploring the world of silk and cotton, of cashmere blends. But when you need a quick fix of fiber, you grab for acrylic. And you are not alone. Ravelry shows that some of the most popular yarns being used are synthetics. There’s the perennial favorite, Red Heart Super Saver, with all the itchiness of wool and the convenience of being machine-washable. You’ve gifted projects made from Lion Brand Homespun to your civilian friends, and passed it off as a very exclusive type of yarn. And Vanna White’s picture is printed on so many of your skeins, that under other circumstances, you might be considered a stalker.

 So while 100% virgin cashmere yarn spun by blind nuns in the Himalayas is the softest fiber you have ever come across, don't forget your old friend acrylic. While you can afford to knit up a handkerchief in cashmere, you could instead knit an entire lap blanket out of acrylic. It may not be handmade by a vision-impaired ascetic, but acrylic is a versatile fiber that has endless possibilities.

In Case of Emergency, Carry Yarn at All Times

It happens to everyone. And now it has happened to you. Your driver's license expired. Or maybe it was your passport. Or perhaps you were caught going 72 mph down Royal Lane (you needed one more skein of Rowan Kidsilk Haze!-the officer did not understand). Whatever the reason, you find yourself in a beige-painted room, sitting in a hard plastic chair, with a TV showing a re-run of Maury. You are clutching a small piece of paper marked "93" like it was your ticket to the last lifeboat on the Titanic. A voice finally calls, "Now serving number thirty-one." Yes, you have found yourself in the limbo of a government building. But don't panic, there is another option to slipping into a catatonic state. Before your higher brain functions start to shut down, reach into your bag a pull out your latest project! Whether it is a pair of socks, or that delicate shawl that needed  just one more skein of Kidsilk Haze, your project will help you through this exercise of mental endurance. Stitch by stitch, your project will make the minutes and hours go by, and before you know it, that disembodied voice will be calling out, "Now serving number ninety-three." Your mood will be bordering on cheerful as you jump up from your plastic chair of torture, and you might even greet the government clerk at the window with a bright, "Good afternoon!" True, the clerk might be shocked, even a bit nervous, at encountering such a good-humored attitude, but don't let that stop you. And when you emerge from that structure called a government building (and you will emerge, eventually) you can raise your arms in triumph, for you have survived a brush with bureaucracy. You have survived, and you have also completed another five inches on your Kidsilk shawl. An accomplishment no matter how you look on it.

Extra, Extra: The Advocate comes to Holley's!

Those of us knitting last night were snapped in action by The Advocate, a paper dedicated to local news. We can't wait until the issue comes out! Though we were very excited, we kept working on our individual projects. Take a look at Karen, Mary and Jennifer. Even though they're all working on the same baby jacket, each project is unique!

And Annie is working on a hat for her husband with some beautiful Manos yarn:

 

DD is working on a kimono cardigan, her first time working with a pattern, so good luck to DD!

Peanut is casting on her first shrug, with a great colorway:

 

While Lynn is taking a short break from her epic sweater to work on a pair of hand-warmers!

Check back next week for updates on these projects and more, and don't forget to watch for us in the Advocate!

Get Ready for Fall with knitsimple!

Have you seen the new issue of knitsimple? The fall 2011 issue is now out and available at Holley's! It has some great projects in it, along with products to take your knitting to the next level. (Personal fav: knit-knotes that tell your lucky recipient how to care for their knitted gift and special instructions like, "I made this. You better wear it.") You can pick up your copy and the yarn needed for projects like the men's hoodie or textured cardigan all in one stop. And if you're feeling frustrated with your never-ending fair-isle sweater of doom, take a quick break with the fingerless mitts that are quick and easy!

(Photo from: knitsimplemag.com)

Knitting in Action!

If you find yourself sitting at a red light at Mockingbird Lane and Matilda Street, take a look at Stonewall Jackson Elementary School. Looks like some students are learning about yarn bombing! Pom-poms hang from branches, and a few trees have had their trunks covered. Not to mention the speed limit sign! Here are just a few photos of what these students can do!

 

Finished (And Almost Finished) Projects

Last night we had several people show off their finished projects, and a couple show off their almost-finished projects!

Liz showed off her seed-stitch vest, made with Noro yarn-

 

And Isabella finished her cellphone holder, her first project!

 

And in the latest installment of the saga that is Lynn's first sweater, we have almost two completed sleeves! And yes, the stripes are suppose to look like that-

More pictures as the journey unfolds...

Get a Jump on Christmas!

While it may be sweltering outside, its time to start thinking about warm sweaters and scarves! We've just gotten in a new shipment of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande in some great new colorways.

 

Not only do we have new colors, we have favorite colors that now shine-literally!  The Alpaca Grande Glow  line has a thread of sparkle in the yarn. It would make a great shawl or sweater for a holiday party!

But don't forget that our summer cotton sale is still on! Every skein that is cotton or a cotton blend is included!

Sale at Holley's

Hi Folks!
Our new Fall yarns making their way into the Shoppe and we need to make room for more!
We are giving our Blogspot, Ravelry Group, and Facebook Group followers advance notice of our July Sale!
Now until the end of the month ALL Cotton and Cotton Blend Yarns are 25% off!

Hurry in for the best selection! No winding on sale yarn, in stock only.

Imperial is Here!!

As posted earlier, Imperial Stock-Ranch yarn has finally come to Holley's! Imperial is an all-American company, with an emphasis on quality and sustainability. Currently, Holley's stocks the sport-weight Tracie yarn, and the pencil roving bulky two strand. Susan is working up a model of the Ribbon Scarf (pictured below),and it should be on display soon!

 

And here's a pic of  the Tracie yarn, which is used to make the Rustic Shawl, a simple but beautiful project. Worked up in Peach Blossom here, the Rustic Shawl would be an orange-sherbet-antidote to a bad day!

Our selection of Imperial is on display right in front, so come on in and make Imperial your next project!

Happy Birthday to Susan!

Today is Susan's Birthday! We all celebrated Wednesday night with cakeballs-Yum!

(Great job Suziko and Mary!)

We also have a budding photographer in our midst- our Peanut captured Lynn in her new avant-garde sweater: (Ok, so her sweater is just half-finished, but it still looks great!)

Read on for some more great projects!

Free Project: Avery's Pom-Pom Rope Scarf

Who doesn't love i-cords? Whether you use a whirling machine, or good-ole' double points, the magic of i-cords is impossible to resist. Check out this pattern created by our own Avery and Susan, its a new take on the i-cord. Plus, it uses big size 19 needles, so it knits up really fast! Here's a pic of Avery herself wearing her own creation:

 

 This skinny scarf makes a great summer knit! Here's how:

You'll need:

1 skein Riviera Yarn 

1 skein Lana Grossa Felpa

1 skein Lana Grossa Soft Kid

1 skein Trendsetter Perla

1 skein Plymouth Drifting Gardens

Size 19 double-pointed needles

Here's what you do:

Cast on 3 sts.

Row 1: knit 1, yo, knit 1, yo, knit 1. Slide stitches like you would any other i-cord.

Row 2: knit 1, drop yo, make yo, knit 1, drop yo, make yo, knit 1

Repeat Row 2 until your scarf is approx. 72 in. The best part? There's enough yarn for two scarfs!

Avery used a blue-green palette for her scarf, but take a look at some other color combinations:

 

Try it out, and let us know how your project goes!

Hand-dyed Yarn and Cookies!

Wednesday brought in some interesting projects-

Look at some of our customer's results of using Kool Aid to dye their own yarn!

Some other projects included Liz, still working on her dress

And Leslie is almost finished with her lovely scarf!

Click 'Read More' for more photos of hand-dyed yarn, and a recipe for Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies!

Dye-ing for Kool Aid!

Can you never find the perfect color for your project? Try creating it yourself! Kool Aid is a great and inexpensive way to dye your own yarn. Just take a look at this half pound ball of yarn one of our customers brought in:

 

And here's a link to an article on knitty.com about how to use Kool Aid to make your own unique skeins!
Dyed in the Wool

Summer is the perfect time to stock up and try out all sorts of different Kool Aid combinations.
Let us know how your experiments went and we hope everyone had a fun and safe Fourth!