New Tricks

Want to learn something new this year? Why not trying learning to knit in the round? That may sound silly to those of you who have been doing it for years but there is more than one way to do it and the Goat is offering classes for three different methods this month.

Class 1: Knitting in the round on a circular needle - This is the easiest way to knit in the round but it is limited on the circumferences that you can work on. You will need to need to stay within a few inches of your pattern's final circumference. This is great for hats, cowls or pullover sweaters. We are offering this class on January 7, 2014.

Class 2: Knitting in the round with DPNs - DPN stands for double point needle and this method is great for small circumferences that get a bit cumbersome on circular needles. Using multiple sticks may look intimidating but it's easy to get the hang of and a great tool to have. We are offering this class on January 14, 2014.

Class 3: Knitting in the round, Magic Loop Method - Magic Loop uses an extra long circular needle to knit any circumferences. You can make a hat without ever having to change your method of in-the-round knitting. This is particularly helpful with small circumferences like the fingers of a glove so as to avoid using multiple needles with the DPN method. We are offering this class on January 21, 2014.

For class times or to sign up please call us for more information at 916-899-5416. Hope to see you soon.

New Years Party

Yes, I am aware that it's Christmas Eve but since we are closed for Christmas I thought I would talk about the next holiday we will be celebrating with you guys, New Year's Day!!!!!!!!

We will be living it up at the yarn shop. There will be yummy treats, good company and lovely fiber. Come and surround yourself with fellow knitters and crocheters and bring in the New Year the right way. We will be open at 10am as usual and closing at 5pm.

We hope to see your lovely faces there to celebrate!

Get Yours

Feeling a little stressed as we move into the last week before Christmas? Trying to get all of your knitting/crocheting done before you have to wrap it up and give it away? Wanting to run away and have a mini vacation? Well, I know we've all heard that knitting/crocheting relieves stress but what happens when your deadline for crafting is what's creating the stress? I suggest keeping personal crafting in the mix.

Yes, you have lots to make for others and you can't be thinking about pulling out your gorgeous shawl or top-down sweater to work on, but why not? We need to keep our sanity during this time of year and a few rows for yourself can't hurt. So go ahead, GYG gives you permission to pull out your personal project and give it a little love before you put it aside again to work on stuff for your loved ones.

Have fun relaxing and enjoying this lovely time of year amongst all the chaos.

Is It A Crime?

So when I buy nice yarn, if it doesn't already have a plan, I take forever trying to pick out the perfect pattern to use it to its fullest potential. I want it to last, to look it's best, and to be visible to everyone. With this in mind, it rules out certain categories for nice yarn.

I mean it would be a crime to use 100% cashmere for socks......or would it? Think about it, hand knitting anything is already taking that item to a new level of luxury, which to many seems a bit excessive and unnecessary but to us knitters seems special and timeless. So, why not kick it up a notch? Knit a washcloth out of pima cotton or a bookmark out of silk or make those socks out of the cashmere.

Maybe it's the holiday spirit or the fact that I have this lovely skein of luxury yarn that I happen to want to turn into something "ordinary," whatever it is, I don't think we should have limits for our yarn. It's not like it will be your last time working with alpaca or cashmere or silk, so live it up once and a while and turn mundane items into luxury items.

We Were Gypped

I don't know if you've noticed, but this year we have one less week of Christmas celebration! Yes, yes, we still have the 24 days of December before Christmas but we all know that the celebration begins once the turkey has been cleared from the Thanksgiving table and this year that happens a week later than usual.

This means that we need to get our butts in gear. I'm not the only one who puts things off until it's "Christmas time." Start on those scarfs, hats, mittens, pot-holders, wash clothes and amigurumis now! You'll have to play it cool when you see your recipients on Thursday but I think it can be easy to distract them with stuffing or pumpkin pie. Mmmm.

So, to sum up, you've been warned.

A Chill In The Air

Fall is in full swing and that means it's prime knitting time. Dig out those needles, or hooks, and let the fire burn and the hot cocoa steam. If you're at a loss for what to knit or are bored of working on what you are working on, here are a few suggestions (all free):

Garments:

Pattern: Plain and Simple Pullover

Designer: Veera Valimaki

A nice quick knit. Something to throw over a long sleeve tee or a simple dress. The collar is fun and can be dressed up with some fancy buttons.

Pattern: Sequoia

Designer: Alegria DaSilva

This vest is also a quick knit and can be worn with so many things. Keep it plain by just throwing it over a simple shirt or make it out of festive yarn or with some mohair and have a classy piece. 

Accessories:

Pattern: Autumn in Garrison

Designer: Kate Gagnon Osborn

Who doesn't like some subtle leaves? This would make a great gift or even a little present to yourself for the holidays. Since you only need a small amount of yardage you can pamper yourself with a cashmere blend or some alpaca.

Pattern: Maize

Designer: tincanknits

These mitts come in several sizes, from toddler to Adult, are unisex, and can be made into mittens. This is a great pattern with a great payoff. Have the whole family match Christmas day with some lovely mitts or just make a couple pairs for a day out in the snow.

Home:

Pattern: Leafy Washcloth

Designer: Megan Goodacre

Now this is a nice gift. Make a couple and bundle them together under the tree with a nice ribbon. It's a great way to wash your face or even enjoy in the tub with some bubbles. They'll work up fast and you can use your scrap cotton lying around.

Pattern: Handspun Cushion

Designer: Wovenflame (Marlene)

What a great way to decorate your house for the holidays, with a festive colored pillow on the couch. It's great for snuggling or for an afternoon nap by the fire. Should whip up in no time and you'll have fun picking out matching buttons to dress it up. 

As always, we have some lovely yarn options at the shop for these patterns and the needles to go with. Hope these suggestions helped and that you can get some lovely projects done before the big man in red comes along.

Boo!

Happy Halloween everyone. We hope you're having a screamin' good time. As you wait for little ones to come around to collect their candy, you can easily add a couple more rows onto your projects. Let's choose something that's easy to pick up and put down but lets not neglect our holiday knitting just because sweet treats are the main event for the evening.

We hope everyone is safe and has fun stories to share about costumes and ghost and the like. :)