A New Knit Along!

Cabled Bag Knit Along

Join us for an online knitting class without leaving your home! Our Cabled Tote Bag knit along project begins next Monday! You'll learn how to knit in the round, work on circular needles, a cable needle, attach the suede bottom & handles, and finish the bag with a fabric lining.
NO PREVIOUS CABLING EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!

Best of all, it's FREE!

Materials for Cabled Bag Knit Along (KAL)

• 4 balls: Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande or Alpaca Grande Paint yarn
• 1 pair: suede tote handles, available in 8 colors
• 1 suede tote bottom, available in 8 colors
• Size US 10.5 circular 24" needle
• 1 cable needle
• Stitch markers
• Metal tapestry needle that will fit through holes in suede
• 1/2 yard, coordinating fabric for lining (optional)

Happy Friday!

It's a beautiful Fall day. It's friday. We just got in some awesome new projects and yarn colors from Manos featuring their Silk Blend yarn.

Knit a "What's it?" FREE PATTERN

The $11.98 Knitting Project!

Here's a quick and easy pattern from our friends at Crystal Palace. It takes just 2 balls of Kiddo yarn (1 ball each of 2 colors). What is it? It's called a "what's it" because it has so many uses: a shawl, a head wrap, a sash...etc..

Save 25% on Kiddo yarn before September 30. Hurry! Supplies are limited!

more from the Chicks with Sticks - a FREE PATTERN

Hey, it pays to Google yourself!

Look what I found posted on Lifetime,s website. A FREE PATTERN from the Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting.

So here's an easy, FREE PATTERN - Dirty Girl Washcloths. We used a worsted weight cotton. I recommend Manos Cotton Stria or Mission Falls 1824 Cotton because they have a very nice slubbed effect, great for scrubbing.

If you like this pattern, you'll love the whole book! Click on the link to Amazon on the left side of the page.

Another Free Pattern for Be Sweet Yarn

Here's another super easy pattern for a scarf using Magic Ball yarn. This one comes right from Be Sweet.

Magic Scarf FREE Pattern - Shown in color Hot Sundae

• 1 hank: Be Sweet Magic Ball yarn
• Size US 19 or US 35 needles

• Cast on 18 stitches.
• Knit to the end and bind off loosely
• Add tassels, fringe, extra ribbons, doo-dads, or whatever strikes your fancy.
• Have fun and BE SWEET!

Another review!

She didn't love some of our favorite and most popular patterns...hrrmmmf!
But still a very nice review!

Book Review: The Chicks With Sticks Guide to Knitting by Nancy Queen & Mary Ellen O'Connell
Written by Alyse Wax for Blog Critics Magazine

There are lots and lots and lots of “learn to knit” books. Does the marketplace need another entry into this market? If it is as rockin’ as The Chicks With Sticks Guide To Knitting by Nancy Queen and Mary Ellen O’Connell, then yeah, the marketplace needs it.
This book is not for grandmas and it’s not for kids. Written for teens, 20-somethings, and the young at heart, the instructions are straight-forward and breezy without being cheesy or condescending.
It is divided into “lessons”, starting with the very basics, and moving up in difficulty chronologically, ending with seaming and blocking. Overall, it feels as if it is written to be done from cover to cover, as each new chapter, or “lesson,” builds upon the techniques learned in the previous one. Each pattern includes a cheat sheet to the abbreviations that are used in that particular pattern.
Regardless of skill level, there are some genuinely wearable projects in this book. Far too many beginner projects look like beginner projects – big, bulky sweaters with no shaping or ugly little handbags. Just because you are a beginning knitter doesn’t mean you can’t look good while learning.
My favorite project in the book is the Twist & Shout camisole, an intro to cables project that replaces real cables for mock cables, but with beautiful results. The Boyfriend Basket Weave Scarf is a great unisex project that looks far more complicated than the knits and purls called for. The Town & Country Tee is a simple, flattering shape with seed-stitch edging to make it stand out. The Five Below Sweater is a simple pullover with gentle shaping, a flattering V-neck, and a suggestion of a funky thick-and-thin yarn that makes it more textured and interesting than a standard beginner’s sweater.
There are a couple patterns that miss the mark a bit, like the Artisan Belt – does anyone actually wear knitted belts? – and the Girls’ Night Out Shrug, which could be attractive in a nicer yarn.
However, really nice features, good projects, and concise, friendly writing make this a great beginner’s book.