Cast-on Mania February!
I bet you all knew there would be a story behind this, didn’t you? I’m so predictable.
So last year, our good friend Felicia participated in something call Cast-on Mania February with another group. The purpose was to combat the general doldrums of February by doing something we knitters all love to do every day….cast on something new.
Sure, it was crazy. And we generally all poked a lot of fun at the level of crazy that this plan was. But then a strange thing started happening around mid-February….ENVY! “I wanna cast-on something new,” was heard throughout the store making the crazy contagious. Since then, I’ve thought it might be fun to just jump in this February and do it ourselves….complete with a big ole prize!
So here are the rules:
- Post a list here of what you plan to cast on everyday. Lists do not have to be complete and can be amended.
- Post pictures if you can….especially when you finish something in the midst of all the starting!
- Parts of projects count (this may be specific for a big cheater like me….but I don’t want you exclusive sweater knitters to lose your minds). A sleeve can be one day, and the left front another day.
How do you win the prize? You get points….and each point is like a raffle entry. I’ll tally them up at the end of February and little (not little) Aja will pull the winner.
You can get points just for making your list -
Post your partial list – 1 point
Post your complete list – 3 points
Post your complete list with links to patterns (always good to reward your designers with a little linky!) – 5 points
You’ll get another point for every picture you take and post here. And 2 bonus points for every FO you manage to churn out in the mania…you’ll need to share it with the group so we know and can keep track.
Like knitting, you might notice its about the process and you’ll still have all your points even if you miss a day or two (of course, you’ll have more if you don’t).
And for those who manage to cast-on every day – 10 more points at the end of February. 
Yeah…it might be too complicated, the main point is do your best! And have fun forgetting that February exists!
And the prize? I’m putting together a big gift basket with hand-dyed yarns, reclaimed cashmere, and pattern books for the winner (minimum value of $200)! Those of you who have seen the baskets in the past know I like to make it worth it!
It’s a great way to clear out your queue…try all those things you have been meaning to try for ages. And if you don’t finish a couple…who cares? You could still end up with 20+ FO’s and/or an awesome prize!
Ready, set…start your planning!
Open today!
Yes, we’ll be open today, regular hours – 12 to 5. I only live a mile away and have all wheel drive….if you come out…PLEASE be careful! It’s a prime knitting day!!
Open Today!
Yes, we are open today! Regular hours – 12 – 8:30. And I’m hauling in lots of new stuff today! 2 new colors of Chesterfield, more sunburst and cobblestone Sol, 4 colors of Noki, a new limited wool/raw silk called Denim in 5 colors and for the spinners…a super luscious hand-dyed Camel Silk roving! And if you missed the news last week, there were 30 new Combo Balls and a box of Malabrigo! Lots of yarny fun happening…hope to see you!
January Pattern of the month! Baabaa Bento!
Baabaa Bento!
I’m pretty dedicated to not making New Year’s Resolutions. Having never kept a single one, I know now that resolution is a direct translation for “there’s no way you are going to do this for more than 5 days.” But somehow, with all the gluttony and mayhem that comes with the holidays, I still have secret, non-resolution desires…to be more organized….more healthy…you know they main ones.
This pattern of the month has been percolating for a long time, but then I thought January may be the BEST month for it. Instead of spending another month eating my weight in pizza because I have forgotten lunch, I’m trying to pack lunches and there is no more fun of a way than with Bentos! If you aren’t familiar, Bentos are little Japanese lunch boxes, usually multi-layered and/or with compartments. Packing them is really fun and there’s almost no way that they don’t end up being healthier than the slab of pizza.
So this month brings you? A felted tote perfect to carry your bento (or any lunch ) in!
Yuh know what that says on the front? It says lunch in Japanese! Heehee! Many thanks to my 2 sources who helped me figure that out because I was having no luck without them! There are two sizes available in the pattern…the lighter one is more the size of your typical brown bag and the other gives you a bit more space for a water bottle…or a second bento if you work really long hours.
Also, because I haven’t found a local place to get the bentos I like, I ordered a few to have in the store. They are super cute and will be $13.95 if you are interested in going all out!
This pattern requires just one ball of Noro Kureyon (now see how thematic that is!) and 1 ball of Cascade 220 and you will get the pattern for free through January with purchase of those!
If you want to check out some fun bento sites, here are a few:
http://happylittlebento.blogspot.com/
http://justbento.com/
and a flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/396900@N24/pool/
Last Day! Don’t miss out!
It may be only the second day of the year, but it is the last day for lots of things! It’s the last day to sign up for the Emiline Club (http://islandyarncompany.bigcartel.com/product/emiline-club) and the Hand-dyed Cowl Club (http://islandyarncompany.bigcartel.com/product/hand-dyed-cowl-club) and it is the last day to get the FIVE December patterns of the month for free (http://islandyarncompany.com/2011/12/01/extra-crazy-land-brings-you-five-december-patterns-of-the-month/) !
Holiday Hours – Just a wee change
Monday, December 26th: 12 – 8:30
Wednesday, December 28th thru Saturday December 31st: 12 – 5
Monday, January 2nd: Blissfully back to regular hours and normal-ish life
Also for you club watchers…I’ll be away in NY, but some wonderful friends are covering for me the 28th thru the 31st. I didn’t want to make them deal with too much extra stuff so the deadline for the Hand-dyed Cowl Club and the Emiline Club is extended to Monday January 2nd by closing time at 8:30. So please do me a favor and either sign up by the end of the day on the 26th or wait til January 2nd. I don’t want my buddies tearing their hair out with special instructions!
Hand-dyed Cowl Club!
We all love cowls, don’t we? They are quick and fun to knit, immensely useful, and can be absolutely gorgeous and pleasurable to wear.
With Cowl Club membership, each month, from January to May, you will receive a kit with a brand new cowl pattern and the Island Yarn hand-dyed yarn to make it with. They’ll range from lacey and delicate to warm and squishy.
You can also buy a club membership for anyone as a gift – just let us know in the purchase email that it’s a gift and we will send a certificate to that person letting them know that they have lots of luscious knitting coming over the next 5 months!
Please include 3 or so color preferences in your order…just as a guideline. The colors will be a surprise, but we want to know we’re sending the yarns to the happiest, loving homes.
Deadline to join the club is Saturday, December 30th. Kits will be mailed, every month, starting in January between the 8th and the 11th.
PLEASE NOTE that the cowls in the picture are all previous patterns and available on Ravelry. They are meant to be an example of cowl love only…the cowl patterns you will get will be brand new!
Emiline Club!
Emiline is our new little friend at Island Yarn. She stands a whopping 7″ high and is looking forward to quite a wardrobe.
With the Emiline Club, you’ll get 5 kits over the January to May of 2012. The first will be pattern and all materials to make Emiline and her first outfit! The following 4 kits will contain patterns and materials for an additional outfit! By summer time, you’ll have a well dressed doll with a better wardrobe than most of us full size people! It’s great for kids and knitters who love to make tiny, quick things!
Club members will get these kits before anyone online or in the store in addition to a great discount…join the club and you’ll be getting these kits at over 25% off the regular price!
You can also buy a club membership for anyone as a gift – just let us know in the purchase email that it’s a gift and we will send a certificate to that person letting them know that they have lots of fun coming over the next 5 months!
Deadline to join the club is Saturday, December 31st. Kits will be mailed, every month, starting in January between the 5th and the 8th.
Holiday Fun! Tuesday, December 20th!
Mark your calendars! We’re going to have a special holiday get together at the store on Tuesday, December 20th from 6 – 8:30. There will be goodies, and knitting, and few extra special people who will have gorgeous handmade items for sale if you just don’t think your going to finish everything you set out to do. Also some great things to top your gifts off in an extra special way….shawl pins, stitch markers, and much more! By now, you know it is a rarity to see an open sign in my window on Tuesday…meaning this is a special, special event!
Extra-crazy land brings you FIVE December patterns of the month!
5 December patterns!
It’s officially holiday knitting time! And this month, to help out with your gifty plans, I’ve got FIVE patterns of the month to share with you! Get one…get all five! Each is free with the purchase of suggested yarn through the end of December and each is a fairly quick to knit gift for some lucky recipient in your life (or for you, if you are one of those smart, selfish knitters).
Elizabeth’s Scarf
First up – Elizabeth’s Scarf. This is, by far, the quickest of all of them. Made with 1 hank of Trendsetter Improv, this quick keyhole scarfy/cowl can easily be done in one evening. Totally unique…and a new spin on all the ruffles in the land.
Tween Set
Not just for your notoriously hard-to-please tweens, this pattern gives instructions for a child, tween, or adult for both this super cute pixie ear-flap hat and wristies. The Tween set pattern also includes a variation for regular decreases in case your adults might want earflaps without having to dip into pixie land. This set uses 2 hanks (alternate colors, but you can go solid if you want) of Cascade 128 Superwash.
Flaming skirt
Ever since I released Bellflower, bigger kids (including adults) have been been saying, “But I want one in my size!” The Flaming Skirt is your answer! Everything is written out for up to a 32” waist, but I’ve included details in the pattern notes so that you can make it any size, with any gauge yarn as the base. This pattern calls for varying amounts of Cascade 220 (superwash is best, but you do what you gotta do) and 1 ball of Katia Triana.
Double Cuff Mittens
These Double Cuff Mittens are brought to you by childhood trauma of ice bits and freezing wind getting into the sleeves of my coats. If I had these mitts then, I might be normal (ha!). An inner cuff, knitted out of fingering weight wool tucks under the cuff of your coat, while the main mitten goes over the cuff of your coat leaving NO ENTRANCE for ICE and SNOW (or wind)! So very warm! The mitts use one hank of Noro Odori and about 100 yards of fingering weight wool…I’m guessing you all have bits of leftover sock yarn, so this pattern is free with the purchase of just one hank of Noro Odori.
Capas Cowl
And last, but definitely not least because it is my absolute favorite of the 5….Capas Cowl. The Capas cowl is made in two layers…the inner layer being ribbed so it snuggles right around your neck and makes you about as warm and happy as can be. It’s made with just one hank of our new Noki which is a supremely delightful merino/silk fingering weight yarn. Seriously…you’ll be sad it’s just a one-skein project because you won’t want to stop knitting with it.
And there they are….ready, set……ding-a-ling….falala…or something like that!
