A Pile of Projects

I've been so busy knitting I forgot to blog!  I'm one of those knitters that has to have at least half a dozen projects going at one time.  It keeps boredom at bay, and it allows my hands a rest when I swap needle sizes frequently.  (That's my story and I'm sticking to it so pay no attention to what my husband says!)

So, for starters I have a custom job a great friend requested for an acrylic shawl.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through it.  It's on size 13 needles so after a while I have to switch to something with a smaller needle and give my hands a rest. 

Then I decided to knit this store model out of the beautiful Cascade Ultra Pima I have in the shop. 

This is Melissa Leapman's Summer Scarf pattern (free on the Cascade yarn website) and I think it shows off the beautiful sheen of the Pima.  It's also an easy but interesting pattern that I'm really enjoying knitting.  Can't wait till it's done and blocked to see how pretty it is!

 

 

And, while I'm working on these things Bailey decided to play with texture and create her own finished object (sans pattern) and she actually wrote down every step so she can recreate it! 

 

Let's see if you see what I see in this piece.  She made it for me... I am so very proud of her design work!  She came up with this idea completely on her own after I was teaching reverse stockinette and talking about textural knitting. Do you know what it is?

 

Hint (it eats a lot of hay)

And then there is sock class - magic loop style - so I'm working on my sock to be ready for Saturday's class when we do the heel (and most importantly the heel turning, which fascinates me no end.  I'm using the lovely multi-colored Cascade Heritage Sock Yarn we sell in the shop (lots of solids and other colors available too). While working on this sock yesterday I got a request from my Georgia friend, Martha, to make her a pair out of the Fruit Salad colorway.  I feel slightly guilty since I still owe my son a pair (but really his feet are sooooooooo big - I'm scared I'll run out of yarn!)

 





And since those multiple projects didn't seem to keep boredom and restlessness at bay, I decided I needed to know how to do Entrelac.  So Monday, on our day off, I started this sweater.  Now I'm addicted to this technique and can't wait to finish it out of the 8 skeins of Noro Silk Garden my dear friend Selma gave me.  Looks complicated, doesn't it?  (It's not!)

 

 

So, forgive me for not posting sooner!  I can't believe it's been a week! Oh, and these projects aren't the only ones... I'm still working on the Malabrigo Holden Shawlette, something special for my new daughter-in-law to be, and a couple other projects that are languishing in a bag somewhere waiting for me to get interested again.  :-)

 

Sorry, gotta run - I have so much knitting to do! See you soon.



I just added inventory to my Etsy Shop

Check out the new additions to the Etsy Store - Bella Luna Knits.  Click on this link to go directly there!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaLunaKnits

Additional items will be added each month so watch the store for new items!  Especially in the custom knits department.

Thank you for your Business and Support!

Kim Sheffield

Charity Knitting and Crochet- a very personal challenge from Bailey

Some of you that know us well know that Bailey, our 11 year old granddaughter, was born with Vater Syndrome, which includes congenital heart disease, only one kidney, and several intestinal anomolies.  She has spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital nearly every year of her life.  In fact, she was born at 27 weeks and the first four months of her life were spent in a neonatal intensive care unit in Fargo, North Dakota.

Upon returning to Florida in 2002, we were referred to the University of Florida Pediatric Congenital Heart Center and there we learned about, and were encouraged to attend, Boggy Creek Camp in Eustis, Florida.

Boggy Creek Camp is a Paul Newman "Hole in the Wall" camp for children with serious illnesses.  Read more about it at www.boggycreek.org.  Our experiences there can barely be described.  The camp is a place for kids with illnesses to be with other kids just like them (all the way down to the chest zippered heart patients playing in the pool).

There is no way to describe how wonderful the Boggy experience is for a sick child and their parents.  You have to experience it to really appreciate it.  Bailey blossomed and grew under the watchful eyes of her family pal and camp counselors.  She learned to dance and express herself through art and other activities at Boggy Creek. She also has a collection of crocheted afghans from her annual visits and they mean so much to her she wants to issue a challenge to each and every "maker out there".

During March and April crochet or knit a blanket, or make a bear if you sew, here's information and a pattern for the bear at this link:  http://www.boggycreek.org/how_to_help/bears_and_blankets.html

If you'd rather drop them off than mail them, we will have a box to collect your donations at Bella Luna Knits during March and April.  Bailey will hand deliver them to Boggy Creek in Eustis, Florida early in May just before the summer camps begin.

In support of Bailey's challenge, I am offering a 20% discount on yarn to anyone who needs yarn to make a blanket to donate to Boggy.  (Otherwise use what you have already!)  I'm working on one now with Luna 100% Peruvian Cotton in the softest colors. Click the link above to find out details about the blanket project.

Will you join us in support of this marvelous camp for kids, started by Paul Newman, supported by General Norman Schwarzkopf  and other philanthropists around the nation? 

There are many ways to donate, volunteer and support this organization.  We hope you will consider one or more of those ways, including making a blanket or bear for a child who needs a little extra care.

 Thank you for considering participating in this very personal challenge. 

Bailey and Kim Sheffield

Hours changing for Spring

OUR HOURS HAVE CHANGED SLIGHTLY
for SPRING (now through May 2013) our hours will be:
Our Hours:
Tue: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thu: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Fri: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm except when we Sit & Knit till 8 p.m.!
Sat: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sun: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Beginning June 1, 2013 we will have extended hours several days a week and will notify you when the schedule has been set!

As always, special event and class hours are most accurately provided on the downloadable calendar at: www.BellaLunaKnitsFL.com under Products and Lessons.

First Graduate of the Learn to Knit Class!

Barbara Mitola, of Gainesville, Florida graduated from the Learn to Knit Class last night at Bella Luna Knits.  Classmate Sylvia Berounsky was ill and will finish the class later in the next few weeks.

Bailey attended class too and here is a shot of the two graduates from last night:

More Learn to Knit classes will be scheduled in the coming months! 

Bailey's Learning Magic Loop Today

Today is our day off but, knitting isn't work! I'm teaching Bailey the Magic Loop method and we are making a pair of baby socks to match this sweater I knitted as a store model in Cascade Luna 100% Peruvian Cotton (squishy and lovely to knit) in Solar Flare colorway. SIGN UP NOW FOR MAGIC LOOP CLASS! FIRST SESSION STARTS FEBRUARY 16TH! Only 8 seats available. Reserve yours now.  (We take Visa, MasterCard and Discover over the phone for reservations.)

MAGIC LOOP SOCKS - $75 fee, plus materials. Adventurous beginners through experienced knitters only please. In three 2 hour sessions you can learn to knit a magic loop sock. Homework necessary between classes. I have awesome ChiaoGoo Red needles on the way for this class. The perfect needle for magic loop. This class is a prerequisite for SOX 2 @ a time-toeup class coming in April!

Malabrigo is on the way soon!

I ordered these four lovely handpainted merino colors in Malabrigo's Sock, a lovely yarn to work with.  I'm doing a shawl now in the colorway Rayon Vert.  They should be in the shop by Mid-March.  I can't wait for my customers to see these!

I also ordered worsted weight wool superwash Rios in seven fabulous colors, several of which are new for 2013!  Take a look at this awesome sock yarn.  Wonderful for other fine weight projects too!  Work from two skeins every few rows since this hand dye varies even within each dye lot. 

Rios

Machine washable, gentle cicle, cold water, dry flat Worsted, 4 play, 210 yards ( 192 m)100 grams, gauge 18.0 to 22.0 sts = 4 inches, Needles US 6 - 8 or 4 - 5mm

In addition, I ordered Rios, in seven colors.  Again you should play to work from two skeins every few rows as this hand dye does vary even within each dye lot.  It's fabulous yarn and I can't wait till it ships!