Finished Items for Sale

Sometimes, even with the greatest intentions you just can't knit something for everyone before Christmas. Or you just want a luxury knit item that you don't spend a fortune on. With these two things in mind, we brought in a few lovely finished items that are for purchase just in time for the holidays.

Each one makes a lovely gift and has that hand knit touch while saving your hands the feverish, last-minute knitting. Come on in and take a look. It might be the perfect gift for the one person.

Get To Knitting!!!

19 days, just 19 days until old Saint Nick is supposed to come down the chimney and this means that if you are still planning on knitting a little something for someone it needs to be a quick project. We have put together a list of easy, fast projects to whip up on the fly.

Each of these projects either uses worsted or bulky yarn and the yardage is between 87-300 yards. Not much needed in order to keep your time and money investment low.

Project: Barley

Designer: Tin Can Knits

Project: Thorpe

Designer: Kirsten Kapur

Project: Garter Gaiter

Designer: Purl Soho

Project: Fields of Wheat

Designer: Varant Ekmekjian

Project: Warmest Mitts

Desinger: Kris Percival

Project: Optimistic Mitts

Designer: Devin Joesting

Project: The Alex Infinity Cowl

Designer: Ryan-Ashley Anderson

Project: Extra

Designer: Janka Colombo

So there you have it, if you were stuck before you should be all set now. Bust out those needles and get to work!

A New Twist On An Old Favorite

As we all know and love Chalet by Classic Elite Yarns (70% baby alpaca, 30% bamboo viscose) with its billowy body, soft texture, and gorgeous natural coloring, you will be happy to hear that they now make this lovely yarn in colors. The colored Chalet will be called Chateau and it has the same fiber content and wonderful feel.  

Chateau

 

 

 

 

 

Chateau

We have three colors in the shop right now, as you can see, and hope to get more in soon. Come on in and get some set ups in this lovely yarn for those who like a little more color in their lives.

Winter Colors

These are the Pantone colors for fall and I'm sure they'll carry on long into Winter. As you can see, we have quite a few options at the shop in this color pallet. I'm telling you, even if you threw them all into one funky scarf, it would be interesting, warm and on trend. So come on in if you're looking to fit in this season......or if you just see a color you like. :)

New Scarf Set Up

I think you might remember the Starry Night Shawl that we've had displayed at the shop. It's a gorgeous, elegant shawl that incorporates three very special yarns. If you are looking for something for a night out or to make as a special gift then look no further.

Now we know it's gorgeous in the blue but the whole point of me bringing up this shawl again is that we received new colors for it yesterday. Behold:

We move from the cool tones to the warm and we're loving it. If you wanted to make this shawl as more of an everyday piece then this should do the trick. This yarn doesn't just have to be used for this shawl as well, you can think of some new lovies to incorporate these wonderful yarns.

The shawl pattern is available with purchase of the yarn. Come on in and give it another look.

Shawl, Scarf or Something In Between?

It’s that time, there is a little nip in the air in the evening and you’re looking to your FOs for a little warmth. The nip isn’t quite enough to solicit a sweater and you happen to be having a fantastic hair day so a hat is out, what’s left? A scarf, a shawl? Why not both?

Sometimes you wish your scarf was large enough to wrap around your shoulders when the temperature decides to plummet or you wish your shawl was small enough to wrap around your neck or tuck into your jacket when you want to be hands free or smother yourself in fine wool. The solution is a sharf, a scarf/shawl.  It’s an inbetweener and a perfect fit, also a lot of fun to make.

We have three fantastic options that you can Goldilocks your way through:

Option 1, Small:

 Pattern: Mezquita Shawl

Designer: Roxanna Yeun

Option 2, Medium:

Pattern: Color Affection

Designer: Veera Valimaki

Option 3, Large:

Pattern: Color Block Bias Wrap

Designer: Suzanne Shaw

Whichever way you go, these are great solutions for the chillier weather and will look fantastic with any outfit. :)

Knitting Spots

Do you have that perfect knitting/crochet spot? You know, the one you sit in whenever you're working on a project. The one that is surrounded with yarn baskets and project bags. This is YOUR spot and it's where you do all of your creating.

These spots are where we feel most comfortable and relaxed and ready to play with some wool. Once in a while though, it might be a good idea to create elsewhere. Maybe take up the comfy chair at a coffee shop or a spot under a shady tree at the park or even a nice cozy seat at your local yarn shop.

We have plenty of seats here for you to snuggle up on and lots of yarn to surround yourself with to make sure you are at your best when creating those lovely projects.  So if you're feeling like getting out but still want a spot that feels comfortable for you, come check us out. :)

Your Signiture Color

We all have that one color that we gravitate to when we're in the yarn shop. It may not even be "our" color but we have tubs and tubs of it. Some may feel guilty about this but others accept their color weakness with open arms.

What I wonder is should we branch out? Now you may be sitting there thinking, I branch out, I branch out all the time. Let me go ahead and say that colors you pick up for projects intended for people other than yourself don't count. Nice try. I'm talking about the project yarn that you have just for you.

Here is what I propose, go for it, get that yarn but maybe throw in an 'every third' rule. Every third purchase or every third project, branch out. Go for that odd color you never grab or one that compliments your favorite color.  This allows you to satisfy your need for that certain color while developing a well rounded FO stash, and if it all fits together then wahoo, you win everything. So go ahead, give it a whirl.

The Men

This post is for the men in our fiber filled lives. Those men that put up with quite a bit that we may be too wool laden to see. Think about it, do your projects tend to explode all over your living room? There is usually limited seating or coffee table space for others and it may look something like this:

This one's for you bro.

Or what about the yarn stashing? You know what I'm talking about, every little crevice is hiding your latest purchase. They open a drawer expecting a notepad and some pens and they get a lace shawl setup instead. The poor guy can't even turn on a light without finding some yarn peaking out from somewhere.

What the?

Poor guy can't even have a clear corner.

And what about the benefits they should be receiving from being with a knitter? A few nice, hand made objects right? But time and again they fall victim to the overzealous knitter who forgets to measure:

It can double as a sleeping bag

Don't worry man, we may miss it time and again but we appreciate your patience and your ability to nod your head when we go off about loosely plied cotton or for looking the other way when we purchase our 18th sweater set-up to be stored for later. You are a gem in your own right.

Knitting Jewelry

Sometimes you just need to represent that you are a die-hard knitter or maybe when you can't tote around a project for whatever reason you still want to be able to show that you know your way around a couple of needles, either way, knitting themed jewelry is quite fun and is what will be shown today.

First up, earrings. These studs offer a minimal jewelry choice that gives not only a pop of color but a fun way to represent your love for the craft.

Designer: NeatEats on Etsy

Price: $22.47

Next, an interesting ring that literally lets you wear your tools. This knitting needle ring is unique and quite the conversation starter. 

Designer: YellowBearWares on Etsy

Price: $18.16

If you want something a little more classic and toned down, this pendant is an excellent choice. It gets the point across that you are a knitter while adding some style to your outfit.

Designer: The Pendantry on Etsy

Price: $13.80

And last but not least, our most provocative option, a belly-button ring. Now this may not be an obvious option but for those of you who took the plunge at the turn of the century and stuck a needle through your tummy then this is for you. I mean a true knitter isn't scared of a needle right? Also, these may be hard to find when you want to show some knitterly love when you bare your midriff.

Designer: BitsOffTheBeach on Etsy

Price: $12

Maybe this was helpful for gift ideas or maybe now you're all set to add to your wardrobe a few fun jewelry pieces that express your crafty side, either way, we hope you enjoyed.

Location

Now whenever people call for directions we say, "We're located in the Rocky Ridge Town Center" and when there's silence we ask, "Do you know where Macaroni Grill is?" This usually does the trick and people know right where to find us.

I just thought I would write a little blurb about what else is in the Rocky Ridge Town Center for you to enjoy when you stop by the Goat. The next big name is BevMo, if you're throwing a party, this is the place to go. Come Friday this place has quite a few hosts dropping in for their evening's drinks.

Food, we all love food and there are some nice little shops to indulge yourself. Starbucks, Noah's Bagels, Dos Coyotes and Jamba Juice. There are more but these seems to be the ones customers and ourselves frequent the most.

Last but not least are Petroglyph, Learning Express and the Bead Shop. If you're looking for activities then why not paint your very own bowl or mug? They do parties and it's a super fun weekend activity. We have so many people come in with Learning Express bags who have picked up a gift for their niece/nephew or grandchild that rave about Learning Express. Seems to be the place to go for children's toys.

And of course the Bead Shop!!! What knitter/crocheter doesn't like to dabble in some beads? They're colorful, shiny and small. There are tons of lovely patterns that require beads that can encompass a love of both fiber and beads.

Hope this helps to entice you to another visit to Got Your Goat now that you know of a couple other places to throw into your time here. 

Who will win?

Cindy vs. Cori, who will win in the battle of the sweater knitting???

In one corner we have Cindy, the sassy owner of Got Your Goat Yarn Studio who somehow finds time in her busy schedule to bust out multiple projects.

In the other corner we have Cori, the teacher, who can sit and knit for 8 hours straight no problem, who too holds down multiple jobs.

Both have the skills necessary to leave the other in their dust but only one can win.

This sweater battle consists of two sweaters.

Sweater 1:

 Pattern: Bergen

Designer: Tonia Berry

Sweater 2:

Pattern: Worsted Boxy

Designer: Joji Locatelli

Place your bets ladies and gents as the competition has already begun!

Independence Day 2014

All of us at the Goat wanted to wish you a fun, safe 4th of July. Thank you to all of those who have fought and sacrificed for our country's freedom. So whether you're just enjoying a day off, lounging by the water, eating barbeque, hanging with family or friends or just sticking inside with your favorite yarn working away on your project, we hope you have a good one. :)

Busy Hands

You may not necessarily be an anxious person but there is something about repetitive movement that helps calm your nerves and relax you. Muscle memory can store these movements in order to make the motions low key for your brain. Less thinking and more zoning out equals quite the relaxed state.

You can achieve this state through other means, meditation, yoga, breathing, etc. But my thinking is why not choose a form of relaxation that can also give you a sweater. Right? Who doesn't want to walk away less stressed and have a beautiful/useful scarf to show for it?

If you are interested in a few more details of the benefits of knitting take a look at this site or do a little research of your own and store up these facts for yourself and for the next person who says they're stressed. It helps that you get to play with gorgeous yarn too. So come on in and relax with us.

Knitting Mojo

   So we all know we can get into those grooves where you find knitting everywhere, and I mean everywhere. You walk into your office and there are piles of patterns with notes scribbled all over them and small remnants of yarn attached that are waiting to be entered into your ravelry account. Your bedside table has skeins of yarn that you have been contemplating, the kitchen table may have a project or two being blocked and your couch.....oh your couch, it is covered in every knitting tool you own along with all your current W.I.P. Sound familiar?

I must say that I have been guilty of this a time or two and it just means that my knitting mojo is in full swing but during the summer months it can tend to fade. How do we keep it up and essentially beat the heat? Change to cooler feeling materials, cotton, linen, acrylics or blends of all of the above. Keep inspiration high, browse through project pages or LYS shops or even completed projects. Dig through your stash and fall in love all over again with those beautiful skeins. 

Either way, use a little effort to rekindle your love for knitting, trust me, it doesn't take much to get the fire burning again. :)