Knitting, Sewing & the Joys of Handcrafts

For the Love of Handcrafted Fiber Arts

2012-01-25T16:57:00.001-05:00

It is the new year now, and we are in the heart of winter. Last year was a good year for KnittenKaboodle: we grew our place at Tait's Harvest Shop here in Center County and added a new venue at the holidays with Gasper's Home and Garden. Sales continue to grow and repeat customers are looking for our items! Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

What do you Love for Valentines Day?

At this time of year, I turn my energies to studying the marketplace, learning new techniques, and planning the business for the year to follow. I love spending time with my knitting friends, and we recently went to the Vogue Knitting Live show in New York City, where I bought lots of books and viewed many shops and vendor booths. I now am officially a collector of 'stitchonaries' - visual dictionaries of stitch patterns. I love learning more and refining my skills, so I am taking some 'serial' classes where we study the teachings and techniques of knitting masters Elizabeth Zimmerman and Nicky Epstein. Many of these concepts will find their way into new knitted items for next fall and winter. I love sharing my passion for knitting, so I am teaching a few classes in lace shawls at my local yarn shop, Stitch Your Art Out, later this spring.

I love making aprons, which I hope brightens hearts and kitchens. Fabrics are carefully selected from high quality materials, and coordinated to fit into modern households and lifestyles. I started with holiday aprons, which were successful, and was asked to create aprons for Mother's Day. Then I added autumn motif aprons. And now, for the first time ever, I made aprons for Valentines Day! I had a blast playing with the cheerful colors and adding contrasting black & white motifs to the set. Stop by Tait's (814-466-3411) to see them!

Take a break to dream of Paris or have a cuppa

Cheerful colors to ward off winter gloom

Fresh crop of little zip bags, and the interiors are fun, too!

As winter isn't over yet, we still have some lovely knits available, including exciting pieces from participating fiber artisans on our website . At Tait's I just added some new fleece scarves and a few new items.

Merino wool, wool alternative blends and soft fleece scarves at Tait's

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T11:11:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a Peaceful and Prosperous 2012.

Holiday Season So Far

2011-11-29T11:27:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I'm so glad to be into the swing of the holiday season. I start gathering fabrics and planning for the season in the summer, so it is great to finally be here. It has been a busy and fun season so.

KnittenKaboodle kicked off the season at Tait's Open House in early November, and is going strong -- I just dropped off another batch of 'spice trivets'. The knits have been selling well, but the really hot items are the aprons. I added some child-sized aprons this year, and they are already all gone!

Right before Thanksgiving, KnittenKaboodle went to Gasper's Garden Showplace for two evenings of special events. Thanks so much for all the help from Misty Ledbetter and my wonderful friends in Doylestown who came out to support me (and let us stay with you!) What an interesting experience, taking my gallery on the road! It was a busy weekend Ladies Night Out at Gasper Showplace, Nov 19, 2011 . Business was good and it was a great adventure, taking the show on the road!

Misty Ledbetter hard at work on an original crochet design, in between customers

Featuring Glass Ornaments from Kerry Kaylegian and knits from Betsy Salomon

A quilted shopper tote: our contribution to the charity raffle baskets

The latest from Tait's:

Aprons right at the door!

The Scarves are selling well, but plenty of variety still available

Only these two remain in the back room!

The winter motif apron says holiday in an understated way

KnittenKaboodle Goes On the Road!!

2011-11-16T13:47:00.001-05:00

As you know, KnittenKaboodle is primarily an eBoutique, but I also sell locally through the wonderful Tait Farm Harvest Shop . Recently I was offered the opportunity to participate in some special holiday shopping events at a lovely Bucks County landscape, home and garden center, Gasper Garden Center. As a former resident of Bucks County and with many, many wonderful friends there, I decided to branch out and accept the offer.

So, I am about to head out on the road along with the help of my friend and fellow knitter/crocheter/quilter (she does it all well!) Misty . I will have the items on my website, plus extras that have not found their way to the online shop. As I discuss in the 'About Us' section of the KnittenKaboodle website, the shop carries one-of-a kind or very small production hand crafted works (mostly wearable!) from primarily myself, but also from some fellow artisans that have trusted me to offer their works. Previous issues of this blog featured many of these lovely people, so please browse through back issues to learn more about them. We have contributors from Bucks County, PA; Hilton Head Island, SC; and Davis, CA in addition to selected works Misty will bring with her special for this show.

Friday November 18: 3PM - 8PM

Saturday November 19: 4PM - 8PM

If you are in the area, please stop by. Gasper's is in Richboro. PA at 316 Tanyard Road, 18954; Phone: 215-364-2400.

View Larger Map

From the catalog/mailer sent out by Gaspers in late October

Some more information on the event formats and participants!

It is difficult for me to believe that the holiday season is just around the corner. In one sense I seem to think it was just summer yesterday and on the other hand I started shopping for holiday fabrics in July (I knit through the whole year - so that's completely a blur). Here is a fancy apron I created for Cynthia and Kim at my local yarn and quilt shop Stitch Your Art Out, Pine Grove Mills, PA . This year I've added some Mother/Daughter apron combos to my line up, both in this show and at Tait's.

If you are in the area, please stop by to say hi!!

A Tale of Two Wraps

2011-10-16T00:00:00.002-04:00

Here in the Northeast, Autumn is in full force and as the mercury drops, staying warm and comfortable becomes a priority. So, I am very excited about two new styles of wrap-up warmth: a casual fleece and flannel wrap and a lovely over shoulders luxury wrap of alpaca and silky mohair!

The Fall Foliage Passes Quickly!

The County Wrap:

This idea came to me on a particularly damp and drafty day -- comfortable fleece on one side and flannel on the other, which is reversible. I have a wonderful fleece cape that I bought in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA and was very expensive. It is a reversible fleece and I love it for its flexibility and ease -- just throw it over what ever you are wearing and ready to go! But I find the knee length of it less than perfect for the car, adding bulk to wrap into the seat belt and to sit upon. So I designed this wrap to be a bit shorter in the front, yet will dip enough in the back to cover up and keep everything warm. The length is perfect for sitting or walking or wearing in the car, and it can be worn open or closed using the two oversized accent buttons.

Fleece and Flannel team up for lots of warmth without added weight and bulk

Black fleece with classic blue, green, red and yellow plaid flannel

Grey fleece with traditional green, cream and grey flannel plaid

The City Wrap:

This wonderful wrap is the design of the wonderful Yan Qian at Forever Yarn, and embodies warmth, style and luxury all is one great piece. My interpretation knits it in soft and warm alpaca combined with mohair-silk yarn. It can be gathered in a matching pin and worn asymmetrically or centered, or simply opened up. The beauty of this design is the ability to cross from casual (jeans and shirt) to dressy (over the shoulder with a party dress). It could even be worn over a leather jacket for extra warmth, without a lot of extra bulk.

City Wrap in Neutrals 100% Baby Alpaca with Silk-Mohair and a touch of lux for a little shine

City Wrap in Grey and Neutral 100% Baby Alpaca with Silk and Mohair

More information is available on these cozy covers at our eBoutique KnittenKaboodle

Newest Fall Aprons at Tait's!

2011-10-15T16:23:00.002-04:00

This week we added a few new aprons at Tait's Harvest Shop ! Stop by when you are in Happy Valley or in town for a Penn State football game! We are very proud to be part of their artist line up.

Manager, Deb models her personal choice! Thanks for your support and encouragement

Leaves and a little flair

Full Fall Foliage

Butterflies!

New! A Sampler of Items Hot Off the Sewing Machine and Knitting Needles

2011-09-23T17:58:00.000-04:00

Lots of new items coming up for our various venues: the KnittenKaboodle website, Tait's Harvest Shop and (a new addition!) Gasper's in Richboro. Here is a small sampling:

Posh Aprons for the fashion forward!

A series of new zip bags, including some new sizes in addition to the 6" x 9" and 5" x 14"; 5" x 10" and

7.5" x 8.5" .

From the wonderful Betty Sebastian we have a line of adorbable 100% cotton wash cloth sets in charming color combinations!

And looking forward to the holiday season, I'm already deep into cutting mode for much in demand spice trivets and aprons. These are just a few of the new fabrics and color schemes for this season.

And last, but certainly not least, a few new aprons for late fall!

Neck Warmers and Heavy Manufacturing

2011-09-19T15:18:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time I used to work for a very large (Fortune 5) multinational corporation, with the primary mission to manufacture and sell high volume, large scale durable goods. I accepted the position upon my graduation from my MBA program, because I wanted to learn and work in manufacturing, a discipline completely foreign me at that time. As I learend the business and rotated through different assignments, I came to love the amazing (and extremely complicated) process of converting materials and labor into a product that we all need and use every day, and for years and years.

Hooray for me, but what does this have to do with neck warmers? Well, today I sit in my little workshop with pretty much one of kind hand craft items and it could not possibly be a more different business enterprise except for my favorite part -- convertng raw materials into something amazing.

Take for example a neck warmer I recently completed. I wanted to use this wonderful yarn that has been in my stash (knitter terminology for what manufacturing types call raw materials!) from Shaefer Yarn Company http://www.schaeferyarn.com/yrn_about.html , producers of lovely artisan yarns. It is a soft 'handpainted' wool, utilizing a specialized dying technique that produces truly a lovely and unique variegated yarn, which is spun with a touch of poly thread that produces a very smooth-to-the skin and refined wrapped texture in yarn. The combination of the texture and rich colors really challenged me to come up with a design that highlights the properties of the yarn and works into the line of smart and upscale knitwear I am developing for fall. I chose what is called a linen stitch, which produces a woven appearance to the fabric. Button selection came together easily, which isn't always the case, ending up with a perfectly blended matte purple button. Happy with progress so far I had only the edging trim yarn to further consider.

Finding the perfect yarn for the border is the last decision in the creative process, and I considered a number of different types of yarn as well as colors of yarns before I settled on this lovely and soft linen/rayon yarn from Classic Elite Yarns, known as Firefly http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/product_page_detail.php?category_id=1&item_id=77 . In addition to the softness, it has a slight sheen that lends some elegance and brightness to dark motif it surrounds. Design process complete!

The result: conversion of balls of fiber and a button into a one-of-a-kind piece of wearable art! Not nearly as complicated as heavy industrial manufacturing, but a lot more comfortable under a coat and easily affordable as gift or something fresh for the cool weather accessory wardrobe.

Working on Autumn -- Ready Soon!

2011-08-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

Hi to All,

Time really flies by and autumn is nearly upon us. Here in Happy Valley, the sure signs of autumn are the return of the Penn State students and the revving up for the upcoming football season. At KnittenKaboodle, it means a whole new assortment of fabrics and designs.

This is a quick posting as I am deeply in the middle of autumn production, both sewing and knitting. I have a few samples on the sewing side to share today, with quite a bit more on the cutting table. The first deliveries will be ready for Tait's Harvest Shop next week! I will post more at that time.

Three Aprons, three styles. There will be assorted styles and decorative touches!

Lavender 'trivets': Release the light essence with a warm teapot or serving dish, or just through handling.

More trivets under construction

I will have more news on the knitting side of the business very soon!

True Blue

2011-08-07T13:09:00.000-04:00

We are so excited to have a new creation from contributing artist Betty Sebastian! Drawing her inspiration from the lovely surroundings and warm climate of South Carolina, Betty focuses on using highest quality alternative fibers, which especially appeal to people with allergies to wool and wool blends.

She has crafted a take-anywhere wrap that is as sturdy as it is pretty, and sports a wonderful sheen indicative of silk (but without the special care concerns!). A great way to ward against overly chilly air conditioning or to throw on once those evenings begin to cool off.

The stitch work is so pretty, yet contemporary it works well with anything from sundresses to denim.

Crochet is not just afghans and granny squares and I invite you to indulge in Betty's lovely wrap. http://knittenkaboodle.com/handknits.htm

I will write more about crochet in future blogs, as I am continually impressed by the depth and variety of stitches and uses for this particular craft form. For me personally, I am far less experienced in this craft and am proud to offer works from other fine artists. To learn more about crochet, please check out http://www.crochetyourway.com/ by Misty Ledbetter.

A final note today: a small journey to South Carolina!

Deck chair view

Low Country View

Sunrise on another lovely day

New Items at Tait's

2011-07-28T12:19:00.000-04:00

Happily I needed to deliver a new group of summer aprons to Tait's Harvest Shop! As we are deep in the 'dog days of summer', the aprons feature prints of strong colors. The fabrics are rich and lovely and sure to brighten any kitchen or make a lovely gift. The trivets are from coordinating fabrics and are full of wonderful dried lavender from Taits' own harvest last fall.

As I continue to make aprons, I've been adding some new features:

- More variety in shapes and body coverage
- Dual neckties for more flexibility

All aprons are preshrunk (including any featuring knit trims) and made from fine cottons. Occasionally blends are used when the fabric is exceptional and meets design and color needs and quality. I shop all over for fabrics and strongly support (and advocate) small business. Locally, I find many of my fabrics at Stitch Your Art Out in Pine Grove Mills http://www.stitchyourartout.com/ .

My 'classic' design

A more traditional 'butcher style' apron with pocket and 'D' ring tie closure

Lavender infused trivets. Set anything on them to get a lovely waft of scent.

A new style featuring horizontal panels of colors.

Finally! Little zip bags are back in stock. Look inside: all bags prints are as pretty inside as outside.

New prints just added.

All that was left from the first two shipments!

Still to come: Although it is still deep summer, I am already planning for autumn and holiday. An I am working away (while sitting in the comfort of air conditioning!) on more of our wonderful scarves and knit items for the cold season.

Back in the Swing of Things

2011-06-28T10:50:00.000-04:00

I've had a bit of a hiatus due to a very busy schedule at the home front and some travel, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been working away on new items!

Recently I was lucky enough to visit lovely Portland, OR -- complete with good weather. While out there I went to the seashore, wineries and downtown Portland. The lovely seashore colors inspired a new scarf, which I created mostly during the graduation ceremony for the Lincoln High School class of 2011 -- Congrats to all of you!

This scarf is destined for the fall/winter KnittenKaboodle collection.

A simple scarf of luxury silk and mohair - feathery light and soft. The light and dark tones create a new heather color that reminds me of the colors of the rocks and sand in the photos below.

Beautiful blues and sandy tans are calm and inviting

Sea Stacks at Oceanside, OR

Spring Arrives! KnittenKaboodle at Tait's Harvest Shop Open House!

2011-04-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

New Spring Items: KnittenKaboodle at Tait's

Lavender Infused Trivets:

Incorporating dried lavender from Tait's own harvest, we've come together to create a new seasonal variation of the very popular spiced trivets of the holiday and cold seasons. The lavender is harvested and dried at Tait's, then incorporated by me in these inviting trivets. Perfect for setting warm teapots or dishes hot from the oven, or just give a little crush to get a waft of that wonderful lavender scent.

From the wide selection of prints, there is bound to be one or two perfect for your table or inclusion in a gift basket of goodies.

Find them at Tait's Harvest Shop, located on US 322, just east of State College (Penn State University)

http://www.taitfarmfoods.com/harvest.html

Fresh spring prints are the inspiration for new items for the season; the first items now available include aprons and special herbal infused trivets.

I couldn't resist adding these butterflies!

Aprons:

Spring has finally arrived in Central Pennsylvania and we are celebrating the arrival of green grass, early flowers, budding trees and bright skies. Those influences translate into fresh prints for the special aprons we make for Tait's Harvest Shop. If you are in the area, stop in and check them out!

These butcher-style aprons feature two neckties for flexible sizing, good coverage, 100% cotton fabric (pre-washed and pre-shrunk), pocket and pretty details such as contrasting fabrics and designs

Inspiration from Life and Travels

2011-04-11T15:18:00.000-04:00

Back home again, leaving behind spring for only the promise of spring ... but a change of scenery and location always helps to inspire me. Going from temperatures in the 40's to temps in the 80's really got me into gear for readying our boutique for the warmer temperatures. New items will be added over the weeks to come, and quite a few projects are underway.

Where do the ideas come from? If you ask 10 different people you will get 10 different answers. For me, I have to give the stock answer we were taught back in business school: 'it depends'. Sometimes the yarn or fabric calls out to be made into something in particular, sometimes I see an outfit that I think would really look great with a particular accessory, or sometimes nature or scenery inspires me.

While in South Carolina, sitting poolside (which is also ocean side) my imagination was caught by the wonderful colors of the shimmering pool. It was warm and I happily knit and listened to an audiobook (a guilty pleasure). The warm glow of spring and scenery gave birth to a soft and flowing accent scarf, knit from a fabulous yarn of silk and bamboo -- which will hold a lovely drape without unwanted bulk and warmth. It is easy to imagine being here!

Westin Resort at Port Royal Plantation, Hilton Head Island

Westin Resort, Hilton Head Island

Silk-Bamboo South Carolina Scarf

This scarf will be available very soon under 'Hand Knits' at http://www.knittenkaboodle.com/ .

Spring Break at KnittenKaboodle

2011-03-14T21:02:00.000-04:00

It is that time of year when we take a little break from the wind and roller coaster thermometer -- yes, Spring Break! No, I'n not talking about partying in Fort Lauderdale with the college students, but we are heading South to the lovely South Carolina coast for sun, warmth and ocean breezes.

Also, we'll be scouring the yarn and fabric shops all over the region, searching for new inspiration and materials. I'm looking forward to using new materials and sharing what I find there as I get the warm season items ready for you. Expect lovely accent scarves of fibers such as silk, bamboo, and cotton; easy to wear wraps to throw over bare shoulders; and bright summer-time prints for aprons and table top accents. KnittenKaboodle will also have seasonal items at Tait's Farm Harvest Shop (Route 322 east of Penn State Univesity) in time their Mother's Day Open House!

Visions of North and South:

"Quacker" anticipates the arrival of Spring

South Carolina ocean front - spring is already here

Cheers!

Not Spring Yet!

2011-02-23T10:20:00.001-05:00

Although some parts of the country may be experiencing the first touches of Spring, here in the Northeast, we are still feeling the cold grip of winter. Surely Spring is on the way, but until then we still need to bundle up and wrap up as we shovel, chip, and slog across windy and frozen parking lots.

This time of year we see the emergence of the pussy willows, full of little fuzzies. They remind me mohair, which is wonderful for this time of year -- warm, soft, and feathery lightweight. A mohair piece will go with you easily from winter to first thaw and chilly mornings in early Spring (I can't wait!!). Please check the wonderful pieces still available at the KnittenKaboodle eBoutique. Here are just a few:

Neutrals that work well with outerwear or indoors

Elegant blocks of white, black and burgundy for day or evening

Color, warmth and softness anticipating the return of color

http://www.knittenkaboodle.com/

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T11:54:00.000-05:00

Betsy Salomon's Felted Heart Bag
Learn more about Betsy and her lovely and colorful works in earlier posts and by visiting KnittenKaboodle.com!

The Creative Process Continues - Back from NYC

2011-01-29T12:11:00.000-05:00

Back at the workshop, returned from a great trip to Vogue Knitting Live in NYC. There is a lot of snow out there and I'm happily back in the workshop brimming with ideas and inspiration. I was able to take two very different workshops from two very different, but enormously talented people.

The wonderful and bubbly Judy Pascale http://www.judypascale.com/index.htm taught a day-long seminar in the art of Japanese water-felting, called Nuno Felting. This painstaking process of imbuing wool and silk fibers into a silk (or other fine woven natural fabric) base yields an amazing new fabric, which is soft and strong and lovely. I am not so sure about my first attempt, although kind people close to me say it is lovely. Over the months to come I plan to work a lot more on Nuno felting, and hope to have some lovely offerings in the future.

My first Nuno project - 'Mountain Trees'

From Vogue Knitting Fall 2010

The second workshop I was lucky enough to get into, was with the talented Brooke Nico of Kirkwood Knittery in St. Louis http://www.kirkwoodknittery.com/ . She is an avid lace knitter with many published designs in knitting magazines, who shared her knowledge on how to design and document lace shawls and scarves. Although KnittenKaboodle will not ever create and sell these patterns, they are inspiration for future original ideas and projects and beautiful examples of what is possible in the world of couture knitting for the intrepid knitter!

From Knitters Magazine Fall 2010

Evolution of the Craft and Keeping Up

2011-01-18T13:33:00.000-05:00

Often I spend time on 'behind the scenes' in the workshop, talking about and showing what goes into creating handmade items, but today I want talk a bit about 'behind the craft' and what goes into the knowledge and skill development of the craft.

Hand knitting is no longer about your Grandmother's afghans and the 'knobbly sweaters' knit by Mrs. Weasley for her children. Knit designers have been getting more and more adventurous and gaining followings, as the Internet has made access available to all. Knitting magazines have been around for years (Vogue Knitting celebrated 25 years) and have evolved into wonderful fashion and technical guides. But now there are also Internet powerhouses, such as Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/ (with over a million subscribers), that connect knitters all around the globe. Knitters can share experiences, sell patterns, swap excess yarn, and join forums to discuss their interests.

Furthermore, more and more yarns are becoming available and again Internet access to small farm and specialty dyers all across the globe fuels the growing passion and demand from hand knitters. Fashion, design, technique and style are all parts of the process for the hand knitter!

From Vogue Knitting

Knitting was once a quiet pastime handed down from Mothers and Grandmothers to children if interested. Now, Local Yarn Shops, have become havens for knitters and often an important social nucleus for many. Ideas and help flow and sympathy is widely offered when mistakes have to be corrected.

I learned to knit in such an environment, at Forever Yarn http://www.foreveryarn.com/ in Doylestown, PA. Now, several years later, I live in Central Pennsylvania and continue to study my craft at our local yarn shop Stitch Your Art Out http://www.stitchyourartout.com/. For me, this year is dedicated to technical advancement and I am taking all sorts of classes on the the techniques and teaching of master knitter Elizabeth Zimmermann http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Zimmermann . At the same time, I am teaching my first classes this year, which is truly challenging, but exciting.

The biggest event so far this year is that I am taking some fabulous classes at the first ever conference sponsored by Vogue Knitting! http://www.vogueknitting.com/ . I will report more on that event upon my return.

And what does this mean to you? Over the course of the next year, expect to see new original designs from me and plenty of new ideas making fantastic knit items for you.

Happy New Year! Stay Warm Wrapped Up in a Great Scarf!

2011-01-03T14:09:00.000-05:00

Everybody needs a nice warm scarf made from wonderfully soft and warm fibers! There is a lot of winter left and finding some bright colors to add cheer, or extra softness from mohair or alpaca is the perfect tonic to help make it through to spring.

Soft and Luxurious Scarf in Silk and Merino

Triangle Scarf in Silk, Cashmere, Merino, Cotton, and a touch of Sequins

Thick, warm, soft soft soft! Silk and Mohair in feet and feet of sumptuous wrap.

Find these and many other wonderful items at our e-boutique: http://www.knittenkaboodle.com/

Happy New Year! We look forward to bringing you many new and wonderful hand knit and sewn items over the course of the year.

Peace on Earth - A Christmas Wish

2010-12-23T11:25:00.000-05:00

May you all find peace and love in the hoilday season!

Welcome to Newest Artist Contributor - Betsy Salomon!

2010-12-08T10:46:00.003-05:00

Betsy brings a wonderful addtion to our Gallery, with many varied pieces such as scarves and felted bags and bowls. Her style is rich and expansive, featuring deep colors, mixed yarns and fibers, bold stitches and just a touch of whimsy.

Betsy joins us from Davis, CA where she knits whenever she can! She is a fourth-generation Californian, taught to knit by her great-aunt when she was 8 (and named one of her daughters for her, as a thank-you). She has won over a dozen ribbons and awards for her knitting (including the Good Fellows doll-dressing contest at Comerica Bank) and has knit more than 60 pairs of socks!

Please check out Betsy's collection http://knittenkaboodle.com/index.htm , featuring new items in all categories and think about adding something wonderful to your holiday shopping list!

You can always get more information about our pieces and artists by emailing me at info@knittenkaboodle.com

KnittenKaboodle debuts at Tait's Harvest Shop and Greenhouse!

2010-11-18T10:22:00.000-05:00

The leaves are now gone for another season, wrapping up a truly lovely autumn and our thoughts are starting to turn to the upcoming holidays. Here in the Nittany Valley, Tait's Farm and Harvest Shop is the premiere destination for finding that perfect gift of distinction. I am very excited to say that I have joined their featured local artisans, proving scarves, neck warmers, tote bags, aprons and spice trivets and coasters! If in the area, or driving past on US322 just east of State College, please stop in and check out all the wonderful offerings.

http://www.taitfarmfoods.com/harvest.html

Fabrics from many sources: Locally: Stitch Your Art in Pine Grove Mills www.stitchyourartout.com ; Other: Pennington Quilt Works, Pennington, NJ; Sew Smart, Doylestown, PA Yarns: Forever Yarn www.foreveryarn.com , Doylestown, PA; Stitch Your Art Out, Pine Grove Mills, PA;

An assortment of Holiday Aprons

Aprons

Toille Tote

Assortment of Scarves and neck warmers (the silk-mohair scarves are already gone!)

Spice filled trivets made specially for Taits - lovely aroma with warm teapot on them

Fear Not "Handle with Care"

2010-10-22T09:26:00.000-04:00

How do we care for and clean our fine woolens? I've heard fellow shoppers say they won't buy woolens they can't put in the washer and dryer, which means they are basically restricted to acrylics and some superwash yarns, such as sock yarns. Now there is nothing wrong with this approach, however it does eliminate whole classes of animal fibers such as cashmere, mohair, merino, alpaca, silk, and plant fibers such as bamboo to name a few. Machine washing involves agitation, which causes fibers to stick together essentially closing off the spaces between each fiber. The result is often called 'felting' or 'fulling' or just plain 'shrinking'. Intentional felting is very beautiful, strong and interesting, but is rarely the desired result when washing your lovely alpaca neck warmer.

So what to do? Hand laundering requires a small bit of patience, but is completely worth it when considering the preservation of your precious hand knits. Here are the basic steps, thanks to Jacqueline Sava (inventor of 'Soak' wool wash)1:

1. Use plenty of water in the basin, never HOT

2. Use cool or cold water

3. Use a low suds/no rinse formulation wool wash.

4. Drain or empty excess water from basin before removing the item.
Carefully squeeze excess water out by pressing it against the basin
DO NOT LIFT the wet item from the basin when it is full or water -- this will stretch and distort

5. Place the item on a clean towel and gently fold the sides over the item.
Roll the item in the towel to remove excess water - GENTLY to avoid distortion

6. Resist all temptations to WRING and TWIST .

7. Lay flat to dry, reshaping as needed -- it will stay the way it dries. Choose a place that allows air circulation but not in direct sunlight or on a heat register/radiator.
TIP: Flip the piece over and change the towel if damp halfway through the drying process

8. Protect your precious fibers from moths during the off season by cleaning them before storage and storing in a protective environment with cedar or other deterrents.

1 Knit Simple, Holiday 2008, pp. 20

Note: I've had good success for interim cleanings using the 'dry clean' products for your dryer. But if you choose this route, follow the manufactures instructions carefully and watch the HEAT temperature, as heat is the enemy of precious fibers.

Please feel free to email or call us with specific care instructions for any item you purchase from KnittenKaboodle. We keep the labels from the yarn wrappers and can specifically address the content of your particular item.

For more information in interpreting the international care symbols, see this helpful link from Trendsetter Yarns http://www.trendsetteryarns.com/symbols.htm .

Meet A New Contributor!

2010-10-09T14:51:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our newest contributing artisan, Betty Sebastian! Betty joins us from lovely Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Betty lived in Ohio where she worked as a bookkeeper, before retiring to HHI. She has been sewing and enjoying fiber arts for many years. She says that crochet is her strongest preference and a wonderful way to relax.

Our first item from Betty is this lovely lap throw blanket! It is rich in color and thick and warm -- perfect to throw over your shoulders or keep on the lap, a great way to ward off the first chills of autumn. Find this little lovely on our website:

http://knittenkaboodle.com/handknits.htm

Lovely Hilton Head Island at sunrise

Classic Toille Totes!

2010-09-10T12:00:00.003-04:00

The newest totes in the collection!

These are sturdy totes, simple design and styling makes them easy to carry and use. They are great for carrying the knitting or needlework projects, with deep and roomy interiors with pockets. Not a knitter? They are handy for shopping, carrying with errands or as a casual purse/tote.

For more info and product details, check them out at http://www.knittenkaboodle.com/

Summer Days are Waning

2010-08-24T14:59:00.000-04:00

Late Summer in the PA Mountains (Bedford Springs)

Although it has been quite a few years since I went 'back to school', as these late days of August fade into September, I still can't help looking forward to autumn. Living in the northeast, in a college town, this is reinforced as students fill the campus and town and band practice sounds bounce off the mountains. As a knitter, this time of year also means getting out the sticks and wools and gearing up for the seasons to come.

I am working on a lovely v-neck cable sweater from the Schulana #23 for myself (which I stashed back in the fall of 2008!). But for KnittenKaboodle, I have some lovely new felted bags almost ready, as well as some new neck warmers and plenty of silk-mohair coming up. Some new work is on the way from returning artists and a new artist is joining us with a lovely lap-throw blanket for openers.

As always, we are committed to fabulous fibers, good design and lovely works of wearable art. Why not separate from the masses and crowds and enjoy a hand made item -- crafted by people who love what they do?

For knitters, I've just completed a new batch of my classic 'needle zip'. These popular little bags go into the knitting tote (or anywhere) and hold the items you need for day-to-day project work, including those straight needles that don't fit anywhere well. This set features cheerful blues, greens, and yellows from wonderful fabrics by Amy Butler and Kathy Davis and a great lightly coated treated cotton from Westminster Fabrics. Zip pull embellishments add some fun. More colors from fall and winter colorways coming soon.

Scarf Sticks!

2010-07-15T09:59:00.000-04:00

I recently finished a neckwarmer and started searching for the perfect closures. I really could not settle on any buttons that suited the piece and wished I had a small shawl pin set (most are rather large to accommodate larger stitches and pieces). A stick pin would be perfect, but I wasn't about to donate one of mine to the project. I decided to fiddle with wood sticks, beads, stain and the dreaded glue gun to see what I could cook up. The result was surprisingly rewarding and worked perfectly with the neck scarf. I've made several more since and will continue to refine and create more over the next few months. Some will be incorporated into original designs and some will offered directly for sale. Check back on the website in the weeks to come!

The neckwarmer is from a wonderfully soft and lovely yarn from Manos del Uraguay http://manosdeluruguay.co.uk/silkblend.html and trimmed with a mohair yarn from Habu Textiles. http://www.habutextiles.com/ . Neckwarmers and other cool weather wearable art items will be available in late August. If interested before then, please write to me at info@knittenkaboodle.com.

New Products in Development!

2010-07-03T13:42:00.002-04:00

have written in the past about my passion for Rowan's Kidsilk Haze and recently found the wonderful book Silky Little Knits by Alison Crowther-Smith (called Little Luxury Knits in the UK http://www.knitrowan.com/patterns/rowan/little-luxury-knits.aspx). It is chock full of lovely patterns and more importantly, inspiration! I recently began exploring the addition of beads into my knitting and this book frequently merges both concepts. This piece isn't for sale, but is my first exploration inspired by her concepts. These techniques require some practice and I can't wait to make more!

Little neckwarmer in Kidsilk Haze - two colors of mohair-silk with glass bead embellishments and small button closures.

Summer in Full Swing here in Central PA!

2010-06-30T11:26:00.000-04:00

Lovely Summer Days!

What am I working on these days? A number of varied things in preparation for the cool weather season that will be upon us: mitts, hats, scarves... also --

Working on a wonderful airy wrap dotted with beads. This is to wear with a new dress at a wedding at the end of the month. More on that in my next posting.

Recent Projects - Summer

2010-06-11T14:18:00.000-04:00

A very pretty summer shrug made from a wonderful limited edition yarn from Autumn House Farm: contains linen, cotton and rayon (golden highlights yarn).

A very pretty shawl made from Hand Maiden Casbah and Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn edging. Accents are made in glass seed beads.

Fresh summer looks, blending classic prints in fresh combinations! Fabrics by Laura Ashley and Waverly.

Aprons Completed!

2010-05-15T14:34:00.001-04:00

We've been following this pair of aprons through their process, and they are now complete! I started with a general plan for each apron and then as I worked on them, letting the creative process follow its own course. At the outset, the general shapes and fabrics were selected for each apron. I had a perfect, deep blue cotton yarn that worked so well with the blue prints, I had to make a border for that apron. The pocket details were worked to play off the strength of the patterns, turning directons and adding contrast prints. For the red tones aprons, I really had fun adding buttons and hand made bias trim. More photos and details are available at our eBoutique http://www.knittenkaboodle.com/

The aprons are fully washable. Yarn and other decorations are colorfast and washable without needing to remove them.

Enjoy!!

Making Aprons! Part 2

2010-04-26T14:22:00.001-04:00

These aprons are coming along very nicely. The pink tone apron is shaping up well, using bias binding of the accent trim and contrast prints of stripes and checks. It will have a lively shape and a slightly flirty, definitely cheerful look.

A mother/daughter combo? There is a junior apron of matching fabric on the website in the 'Handsewn & Other' tab of http://www.knittenkaboodle.com/:

The blue tones alternate prints with coordinating pockets. I've created a knit trim that will add a lacey border to the bottom and will show well on either side. The merger of the knitting and sewing has met a warm reception from customers.) The knitting washes beautifully with apron and does not bleed color. What a great way to add whimsy and interest, and create a unique apron worthy of gift giving.

Lace border ready to apply to apron!

Making Aprons!

2010-04-24T15:56:00.000-04:00

It is time to make some new aprons. There are so many wonderful new fabrics out there and I have some new apron ideas to try out. Mixing and matching prints is fun for to create and yields cheery and interesting aprons. I am also experimenting with treated fabrics for a water-resistant apron, good for the garden as well as the kitchen. Stay tuned for progress on these projects. Of course I'd love to hear ideas and thoughts on apron styles.

Stand Apart Accent Accessories

2010-04-18T13:28:00.000-04:00

Now that we are into the spring season and warm weather is ahead, our interest in knitted items shifts light weight wraps and pretty accent scarves, just to name a few ideas. Knitters love creating for this time of year because we can use very special yarn, such as silk and other special concoctions. Most of these yarns are hand dyed in small lots and far too costly to turn into large projects such as sweaters and dresses. But, that makes them perfect for the accent scarf that turns a tee and khakis into a polished look all your own. We are featuring two very special pieces, knit in great summer hues of silks and beaded silks from the wonderful Tilli Tomas http://www.tillitomas.com/. These scarves are clean, polished and deceptively simple. Find them and more information on our main website http://www.knittenkaboodle.com/ .

Subtle Stripes

2010-04-14T13:20:00.000-04:00

I've been having wonderful fun working with yarns designed to stripe as they are knit, but with a twist -- combining different yarns in texture and colorway. As the piece develops, the colors unfold in marvelous patterns, yielding rich and warm variations -- but evolving gently. These particular scarves use a rich sock yarn of silk and merino wool and a contrasting yarn of silk, cotton, merino and a little sparkle of poly here and there. The yarns are soft and washable, and continue to soften over wearing. No two are the same!! I feel as if I'm painting with yarn as I create these wonderful pieces. Many thanks to the wonderful Yan Qian for the inspiration and design concept. For detailed choices and examples, see more under 'Hand Knits' at KnittenKaboodle.com.

2010-04-12T12:26:00.000-04:00

It is finally Spring here in the Mid-Atlantic! There have been some changes going 0n here at KnittenKaboodle, including a relocation to Central Pennsylvania. So pardon our hiatus from blogging, but we are back and gearing up for the warm weather ahead! Happy Spring from all of us at KnittenKaboodle!

Finished the Mohair Wrap!

2010-02-09T14:07:00.000-05:00

I wrote earlier about my current obsession with the silk mohair, and since then I've completed my Wooly Bear Wrap and several scarves as gifts. The result is a one of life's little luxuries. Bad day? Crummy weather? Long winter nights? Just a little whimsy and fluff can add something nice in a small way.

Thanks to Em for showing off the wrap. For pattern information, write to info@knittenkaboodle.com

A trip to the 'Frog Pond'

2010-01-11T10:42:00.000-05:00

In the knitters' world, there inevitably comes a time when she or he must go to the Frog Pond. Let me explain to you non-knitters out there. When a knit or crochet piece has to be reworked, then the stitches are (usually) rather easily pulled out, or 'ripped back' -- rippit. Silly, I know, but it helps take the sting out of the loss of hours of work and the prospect of more hours re-doing something.

But rework is an essential element of the creative process, and an indication of the knitters' dedication to get the piece just right, whether in size, shape, color or texture. Sometime once the piece starts growing, it may become clear that project concept and execution aren't coming together as desired. Sometimes the shape or fit isn't working, or sometimes mistakes are made. There are many reasons, but the result is a better piece and more satisfaction in the finished product.

One reason that hand knits are so special is the the thought and care (and many, many) hours that goes into their creation, including rework. In the hand-created world, corrections and adjustments along the creative path add to the richness of the final result.

2010-01-01T23:07:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!

Best wishes for a Peaceful and Prosperous 2010.

Joan and all the folks at KnittenKaboodle.com

2009-12-21T06:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays from at KnittenKaboodle.com!

It is very exciting that this project has come to life over the course of the past 12 months. It was slow to take off, mostly because I was working two long-running assignments in my other life as a management consultant.

This is a time of year to give thanks and reflect on the many family and friends that form the fabric of life -- and I would like to take a few minutes to do just that:

Thanks to Yan and all my friends back at Forever Yarn http://www.foreveryarn.com/ who kept after me to get the project going, and gave input on projects and never ever ever thought I was buying too much yarn. Yan also provides a wonderful backdrop for many of the photos and some occassional modeling! Also thanks are due to Nancy and my friends at Sew Smart Fabrics http://www.sewsmartfab.com/, who encouraged my ideas of melding together knitting and sewing, and even display one of my aprons in their shop window.

Thanks have to go to my able and willing assistants, my niece Meghan and friend Emily. The brave first artisans to contribute content include Cindy, Maxine, and Peggy. A few more people are working on projects that will become available in the new year. Some very interesting things to come!

Thanks go to Pam and Jack at Mikula Web Solutions http://www.mikulawebsolutions.com/. They made the shop come to life, and Pam got the the look right in one.

Finally, last but far from least, thanks go to my customers. I can only hope that you enjoy your new hand crafted items as much as we all enjoyed creating them!

Very best wishes for a joyful and peaceful New Year!

Joan and the crew at KnittenKaboodle

2009-12-08T04:59:00.000-05:00

One of the most useful shapes a scarf can take is the basic triangle. Aesthetics and practicality come together in this three-sided wonder. There are many ways to knit triangles, and no limit to the materials, colors, size and overall dimensions from accent scarves to ponchos and wraps.

How do people like to wear the triangle scarf?? There are no wrong ways and your imagination is the limit. This season, many people are choosing to wear the scarves with the point in the front, which provides a lot of color and interest while serving the function of blocking out cold. Indoors, scarves brighten up jackets, denim shirts, turtleneck sweaters -- anything.

It is amazing that a simple concept, the triangle, can yield so many different looks! A small sampling of this versatility can be seen in some of the triangle scarves presently available on the KnitteKaboodle.com website:

Some styles such as the Painted Desert Scarf (linen) and the Jewel Tone Accent Scarf (silk, wool, rayon) are created in open lacework patterns, while the Wildflower Triangle (merino with cotton trim) and Burnished Metals Accent Scarf (linen and poly) are of a more closed stitch composition.

Different artists turn the various yarns into unique looks that add color, texture, interest, and fun into a wardrobe. Adding one to your collection will garner compliments for years to come!

The scarf shown here is the Painted Desert Scarf created by Peggy.
http://www.KnittenKaboodle.com

About Fine Fibers & Yarns - Part 1: Mohair

2009-12-04T10:20:00.000-05:00

When I was little, I thought yarn came in two general varities: scratchy wool and acrylic which was typically not scratchy. As an adult now wandering through the world of knitting yarns, I've learned about many different varieties of yarns and fibers. There is such a thing as wool that is not rough and scratchy. And there is such a thing as yarn that is so soft and luxurious you want to wrap up in it and never take it off!

One of the most amazing discoveries has been mohair and mohair blended with silk. Of course there are many different yarn companies that produce this wonderful material, which comes from the fine hairs of young angora goats. I recently sold a lovely collar scarf made from Habu silk-mohair http://www.habutextiles.com/. Now I am working on two different pieces from Rowan kidsilk haze http://www.knitrowan.com/ . The yarn is light and fluffy and yields remarkable warmth at the same time. Natural fibers give the benefit of breathing, keeping them drier and warmer. Some knitters claim that they are addicted to this yarn --they can't stop coming up with projects and uses for it!

I am early in the creative process with this oversized scarf pictured above. I couldn't decide on only one color, so I ended up choosing five colors and am working a stripescape that will evolve into color blocks. I will update this posting when I'm finished, so you can see the final result.

2009-11-20T14:34:00.000-05:00

In honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I thought I would depart from usual topics and address the time honored tradition of Pumpkin Pie! Our family recipe has passed through several generations now and is still a winner with the next generations. We have made a concession to modern times and switched to using canned pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie MIX). If you want to cut up, cook down and puree your Halloween pumpkin, that works just as well.

This recipe is very simple, but it does take a long time to bake. We typically make the pies the day before so there isn't a crisis with oven capacity and turkey cooking times.

Moms' (and Nanas') Pumpkin Pie

1 Pie shell (I used unbaked, but a 5-10 prebake will give a crisper shell if desired)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1-2/3 cups milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

dash allspice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Mix together: sugar, salt, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice)

2. Beat in eggs to mixture above; add sugar and spices to eggs

3. Beat in milk

4. Add pumpkin

5. Add pie mixture to shell

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees for duration of baking time, which can be anywhere from 35 - 60 minutes, depending on the custard and oven properties. A pie in 'done' when a knife inserted into the middle of the pie comes out clean (meaning no custard residue sticks to the knife). Tip: Whipped cream topping hides any unsightly knife scars on the surface of the pie. :-)

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-16T11:50:00.000-05:00

Last year I made a 'fun' scarf for my Mother, using a combination of lovely textured yarn and a novelty yarn. These interesting yarns made a large impact in past years, although you see less of them around these days. That said, an accent yarn used judiciously can create an impactful wearable art piece. My Mother and I were driving south to a Carolina beach vacation, and twice, when we were at stops en route, she received offers to sell the scarf on the spot!

2009-11-07T10:09:00.000-05:00

Today I am thinking about cowls and neckwarmers -- a very big trend this year and a wonderful knitting project and gift idea. They offer warmth and luxury, but a great alternative to a traditional scarf when you don't want the extra bulk of the scarf under your coat. Although warmwear, a cowl can incorporate into an outfit, making it a truly versatile accessory. I've just finished one for myself and sold out of all my existing neckwarmer-cowl items. So we're working on some more projects and expect them to be ready shortly!

This project is baby alpaca, a luxury fiber in a rich wine colors.

2009-11-05T12:33:00.000-05:00

Hello and Welcome to the KnittenKaboodle BLOG! Shortly this BLOG will be linked to the www.knittenkaboodle.com website.

The website is a new venture that seemed to flow rather organically as a next step once a I was bitten by the knitting bug and began getting very productive. By day I am an financial manager-executive/accounting type and spend a large part of my life working, working, and more working. All work and no play, and all that. Then I wandered into a lovely yarn shop in my town (Forever Yarn in Doylestown, PA) and was amazed at all the wonderful items on display and the soft and lovely yarns. I signed up for a beginner knitting class and made two scarves and then made a coat. Nothing like jumping in with both feet! The classic over-achiever takes on a hobby!

The other thing I discovered was the community of others in town that also share the fun and camaraderie at the shop. And let me tell you, some of these people are amazing in their ability to create!

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll continue to add more as the days and weeks go on. I'd love to hear any of your 'first knitting' stories.