-where ever two or three are gathered, a pattern can be read...(KnittyKitty)
Hello Everyone! Happy Belated New Year! February is here @ Off The Beaten Path Yarnhouse. Find us @ 215 Femrite Drive in Monona WI 53716; call us @ 608.221.0219 or visit us online @ knitmeone.com
Do not adjust the screen... you are not imagining things: this is a different format & lots of changes are afoot! We have a new Newsletter Editor (KnittyKitty) beginning in February; hence, no Newsletter in January. We look forward to lots of hilarity & fun! We deeply appreciate your patience in waiting for this issue & welcome your contributions, tips, gripes & advice. KnittyKitty's mailbox is KnittyKitty dot news at gmail dot com (replace word dot & at with actual symbols...this method thwarts those annoying spam bots).
In the spirit of this New Year of hope, we will feature some new topics. We will always speak to our Mission & how it knits the fabric of our lives together with you & our environment.
In the spirit of this New Year of hope, we will feature some new topics. We will always speak to our Mission & how it knits the fabric of our lives together with you & our environment.
Meet Rachel... Friday, October 13, 2006 was our lucky day; & Rachel's first day on the job. She has been knitting for 8 years now & is quite accomplished! Just take a gander at the beautiful blue vest she knit up in Yin (Garden Room). Wheat stitch cables adorn the entire piece and she painstakingly made sure it was perfect! Just try the wheat stitch cable yourself & you will see... or better yet; take a cable class with Rachel. Her smile and kind demeanor have been serving folks here for over 2 years now! Wow. She is one of a kind! Rachel says "I find knitting to be very helpful in other aspects of my life. It teaches me perseverance, patience & how to be less of a perfectionist & sometimes even more of a perfectionist...it's a two-sided sword. I am obsessed with color now & I love to find out which colors work & sometimes surprise myself with ones I didn't think would work. You can't just wear blue everyday!" Meet Janelle, Joylnn, Karen & Rexie in upcoming issues...Mission: Service, Community, Stewardship & Serenity. Service is our heart; it has brought us together with an awesome community of knitters, designers & growers who are caring, concerned, activist & commited to making this a better fiber world for all. Together we are learning more every day about how stewardship affects our markets, our yarns, our farms, our community & our minds. Its is our eco-responsibility. Each day we choose to support each other lovingly. The result is Serenity. As we co-create together, the endorphins help heal, sustain & encourage: we live co-mingled as knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers, growers & other fiber artists; remembering, sharing & most importantly, enjoying.
Customer Corner
Keep smiling... Janelle, Jolynn, Karen, Rachel & Rexie are always on hand to help. We have shared the gift of knitting with so many
wonderful people over the last 4 winters & learned so much from you in turn; like, the 'cheater cast-on;' very cool for the tops of button-holes & better than a back-loop cast-on for collars! How's it going Anne? 
Meet Karen C with her first project, a Moebius shawl (see right). Karen & Freddie came in & brought the sunshine with them. Anyone can learn to knit for free; probably in just under ten minutes. Karen C has now moved on to fingerless mittens on double points! Yes! And, Freddie is a joy. Most folks are on a mission when they come in & we love finding the perfect fiber for 'the' project. On a good day, we can usually find a comparable yarn in wt & yardage. Gauges are all important & can be knit in the kitchen from any yarn of choice. There are many leftovers from most of our demos & it is a fun way to try our new yarns as well. Sometimes two yarns might seem to go together; but, when you actually try them, it is a different story! Since KnittyKitty has much karma to live down (knitting in big box stores), it only seems right to share the experience.
BBQ Knit Nite
'Come on Down' for Community on Friday, February 20th. We will be knitting 'Legwarmers' from 4-6:30pm. There will be three styles, with a fourth called Legwarmer-a-la-Karen. As usual, we will be enjoying a potluck between 5-5:30pm. A main dish, salad, coffee, tea & lemonade will be provided. Bring a dish to pass & $10 for 2 hours of fun & instruction. One of our patterns has lacy stitches; so, what better time to practice than BBQ Knit Nite - a little patch of summer in the winter!
We now have gorgeous black shiny dishes to admire our food & eat our mostly organic dinner from, allowing us to steward (reassign) our resources even during BBQ Knit Nite. Gary, the hubby cook, hasn't breathed a word of the special Main Dish so far; so, stay tuned for mini-updates! See you there! RSVP greatly desired, but not necessary. Come, even if you don't have a dish to pass...
Freebies
Vicki Howell's Mesh Beanie is on tap for the month of February. It uses one ball of 'Craft,' a fine cotton/milk blend (which we just happen to have) & size US 6 16" circular & double point needles. It would also be beautiful knit up in 'Love,' another Vicki Howell yarn. Just the hat to bring Spring on! Free to you this month only; just ask @ the checkout.
'Come on Down' for Community on Friday, February 20th. We will be knitting 'Legwarmers' from 4-6:30pm. There will be three styles, with a fourth called Legwarmer-a-la-Karen. As usual, we will be enjoying a potluck between 5-5:30pm. A main dish, salad, coffee, tea & lemonade will be provided. Bring a dish to pass & $10 for 2 hours of fun & instruction. One of our patterns has lacy stitches; so, what better time to practice than BBQ Knit Nite - a little patch of summer in the winter! We now have gorgeous black shiny dishes to admire our food & eat our mostly organic dinner from, allowing us to steward (reassign) our resources even during BBQ Knit Nite. Gary, the hubby cook, hasn't breathed a word of the special Main Dish so far; so, stay tuned for mini-updates! See you there! RSVP greatly desired, but not necessary. Come, even if you don't have a dish to pass...
Freebies
Vicki Howell's Mesh Beanie is on tap for the month of February. It uses one ball of 'Craft,' a fine cotton/milk blend (which we just happen to have) & size US 6 16" circular & double point needles. It would also be beautiful knit up in 'Love,' another Vicki Howell yarn. Just the hat to bring Spring on! Free to you this month only; just ask @ the checkout. Donations for Dinah
...introducing Dinah! She is our new pet dinosaur! Yes, she will be accepting 
donations for coffee, tea & condiments for those who wish to contribute. She is located on the front desk @ checkout. We are responding to, & really appreciate, all of you who have offered to help support & share the cost of our daily refreshments! A wonderful serenity & ambiance has wafted through the building almost daily as we become a part of your knitting stories, tips & tribulations. Your numbers keep growing; so, Thanks! for making Community & Stewardship mean something. Speaking of donations, see Preemie Hat Project below.
News We Can Use
It's Red Scarf time again & Janelle is knitting one up as we speak, or after we speak... It is one of a kind & one of our special
$10 Pscarves by Carol Anderson. What's that? A Pscarf is 110-150 sts on a US 10.5 needle. Knit back & forth. We have prepared basketloads of yarns & they coordinate in three colorways: blues; red/black/whites & oranges. Yes, for $10 you too can knit up a Pscarf on-site with house needles. When it's done you get to take it home; or, if it's red, you might choose to donate it! We understand you may be unable to part with it... that's ok. Choose a colorway or mix & match. It's up to you - come see what we've made already!
Yarn O'the Month
We are pleased to announce the addition of Circle Studio's roving & yarns from Gwen's
beautiful flock of angora goats. They are reportedly allowed to sleep indoors on below-zero nites (swampland in Arizona anyone?). Seriously, Gwen is the best mommy to all of them & her two daughters too (Katie & Mariana, an exchange student)! In fact, some of the yarns are spun by home-girl Katie, a must see. All the curly-haired goats have names, so you will know who you are knitting. Perhaps Gwen will bring in the photo album again someday for a week of viewing. How about it Gwen? Hats & a scarf are on display for you to feel. More items coming...
donations for coffee, tea & condiments for those who wish to contribute. She is located on the front desk @ checkout. We are responding to, & really appreciate, all of you who have offered to help support & share the cost of our daily refreshments! A wonderful serenity & ambiance has wafted through the building almost daily as we become a part of your knitting stories, tips & tribulations. Your numbers keep growing; so, Thanks! for making Community & Stewardship mean something. Speaking of donations, see Preemie Hat Project below. News We Can Use
It's Red Scarf time again & Janelle is knitting one up as we speak, or after we speak... It is one of a kind & one of our special
$10 Pscarves by Carol Anderson. What's that? A Pscarf is 110-150 sts on a US 10.5 needle. Knit back & forth. We have prepared basketloads of yarns & they coordinate in three colorways: blues; red/black/whites & oranges. Yes, for $10 you too can knit up a Pscarf on-site with house needles. When it's done you get to take it home; or, if it's red, you might choose to donate it! We understand you may be unable to part with it... that's ok. Choose a colorway or mix & match. It's up to you - come see what we've made already! Yarn O'the Month
We are pleased to announce the addition of Circle Studio's roving & yarns from Gwen's
beautiful flock of angora goats. They are reportedly allowed to sleep indoors on below-zero nites (swampland in Arizona anyone?). Seriously, Gwen is the best mommy to all of them & her two daughters too (Katie & Mariana, an exchange student)! In fact, some of the yarns are spun by home-girl Katie, a must see. All the curly-haired goats have names, so you will know who you are knitting. Perhaps Gwen will bring in the photo album again someday for a week of viewing. How about it Gwen? Hats & a scarf are on display for you to feel. More items coming...Master Knitter Class 
Class met the first alternate Wednesday in January (01/14) with Kathy Digman. We found the Master Knitting Program has changed a bit over the years. The first three requirements are the same, but it diverges from there; 16 pages worth! Membership in the Knitting Guild of America (TKGA.com) is required to participate in the Level I Master Hand Knitting Program. Cost: $90. Knitting Guild of America membership is an additional $29; with $20 going toward the cost of 'Cast On' magazine. KnittyKitty just got hers yesterday and it has some cool stuff in it ! ! ! The entire package is $119 & I consider it a worthy price for instruction & judging. There are three levels. We are underway with Level I; however, anyone in any level program may join the class at anytime. Knitters have a year to complete Level I & this class hopes to be of service along these lines. Please join us as we work toward knitting perfection! There is no fee for the Masters Class on alternate Wednesdays (see Calendar). There is a $5 Drop-in fee for the First alternate Wednesday of each month, when Kathy Digman, Master Knitter, will be there to help us do our best. Chin up, chest out, needles clicking!
Preemie Hat Project
Class met the first alternate Wednesday in January (01/14) with Kathy Digman. We found the Master Knitting Program has changed a bit over the years. The first three requirements are the same, but it diverges from there; 16 pages worth! Membership in the Knitting Guild of America (TKGA.com) is required to participate in the Level I Master Hand Knitting Program. Cost: $90. Knitting Guild of America membership is an additional $29; with $20 going toward the cost of 'Cast On' magazine. KnittyKitty just got hers yesterday and it has some cool stuff in it ! ! ! The entire package is $119 & I consider it a worthy price for instruction & judging. There are three levels. We are underway with Level I; however, anyone in any level program may join the class at anytime. Knitters have a year to complete Level I & this class hopes to be of service along these lines. Please join us as we work toward knitting perfection! There is no fee for the Masters Class on alternate Wednesdays (see Calendar). There is a $5 Drop-in fee for the First alternate Wednesday of each month, when Kathy Digman, Master Knitter, will be there to help us do our best. Chin up, chest out, needles clicking!
Preemie Hat Project
The Preemie Hat Project sent its first batch of hats to Madison Meriter's Preemie Ward. Thank you for your service to the small ones who will receive them. There are a couple of hats "in process," are they yours? They have been here a while; & if you would like, we can finish them up and send them in. Just let us know... If they are unattended for too long we will feel you have given up or forgotten... Just let KnittyKitty know. Thanks.
New Classes: Wet Felt, Applied Felt & Needle Felt
Wow, do we have a terrific selection of Wet, Applied & Needle Felting classes available with Gale. Roving is laid out & prepared to a specific size & then soap & water are used to make your base wet felt. Gale has perfected an assortment of fibers in packages ready to go for you. Her years of expertise will guide the fun. It is easy once you know the technique & what to expect from the fibers. New books on Wet Felting & Needle Felting will be arriving in time for February classes. There are two classes for learning Wet Felt; one class for Applied Felt; and, one class for Needle Felt each month thru March 31, 2009. Take them all progressively or the ones that suit your particular needs. Cost: $36 for three wonderful hours of fun. Gale was here in late November & entranced us all with the process. We all wanted to try it & were thrilled to see that we had the skill level to do it, even as novices. Gale took suggestions & put together samples with our input. They are all here for you to look at. Yummy!
Celia's Supported Spindle Class was a hit; so much so, OTBP staff will be taking t
he class at two special times. Celia's next class for new students will be on Saturday, February 28th; 10-4:00pm. Cost: $46 for class; $35 for supplies; Lunch included. 608-221-0219. One student is on the waiting list & five more spots are available. Keep an eye on the Calendar! Tentatively, we are looking at a couple of Mondays for staff (heads-up ya'll). Spindle Kits are available in-store now.
Celia's Supported Spindle Class was a hit; so much so, OTBP staff will be taking t
he class at two special times. Celia's next class for new students will be on Saturday, February 28th; 10-4:00pm. Cost: $46 for class; $35 for supplies; Lunch included. 608-221-0219. One student is on the waiting list & five more spots are available. Keep an eye on the Calendar! Tentatively, we are looking at a couple of Mondays for staff (heads-up ya'll). Spindle Kits are available in-store now. What's In & What's Out
Creative Knitting Magazine, March 2009. Buy the current issue & receive a back issue for 20% off; web special only. New 'Note Cards' from New Creation Art are here; some are hysterical & unmentionable. Very popular; as singles ($1.50) or five-packs ($7.50); mix & match.
Frabjous fair-traded notion bags & needle cases are here. Chiao Goo needles are in! Get 'em while they are hot... they're flyin'!
Tofutsies in bold Stripes! Brand New, hot off the mill... and guess what, Jolynn's knittin' up a Vicki Howell design with tofutsies as a scarf!! -Adapted from a pillow pattern, in red: a must see.
Hmmm, Tofutsies... Note to self: Yarn Market News says "A loosely-spun blend, it has rightfully gained a following for its glossy sheen, subtle stripes and alleged prevention of stinky feet." YES! EWE BET!
...from Soysilk.com (Tofutsies) website: 50% Superwash Wool; 25% SOYSILK brand fiber; 22.5% Cotton; 2.5% Chitin (made from shrimp & crab shells!) 8 sts = 1" on US 2 (2.75mm): 425m per 100g ball; machine wash & dry. YUP-YUP-YUP-YUP-YUP ...Get those muppets outta here, will ya...
...from Soysilk.com (Tofutsies) website: 50% Superwash Wool; 25% SOYSILK brand fiber; 22.5% Cotton; 2.5% Chitin (made from shrimp & crab shells!) 8 sts = 1" on US 2 (2.75mm): 425m per 100g ball; machine wash & dry. YUP-YUP-YUP-YUP-YUP ...Get those muppets outta here, will ya...
A brand new batch of Parsons Precious Earth Bags have arrived, hand-made by Pam Parson in small/medium ($15) & large ($20). Check out the gorgeous new spring colors; completely washable. Some with knitting pockets!
We were out of a very soft yarn that was very popular a while back... we can't breath a word... some was found while doing inventory... a very special price...Aauugghhh, KnittyKitty has already said too much, fur real!
We are getting low on our buy-1; get-1 half-off Sale on mohair & baby loop; but we will bring in a new line of mohair soon. Also - a new worsted, stranded cotton is on its way; along with worsted wt sock yarn & sock books. Hey Hey!
We have historically been very low on crochet patterns but now have new patterns. Guess what? The Madison Crochet Guild meets here the first Saturday of every month from 2-4pm. Friday, February 7 is coming right up! You don't want to miss it; everyone is welcome, even newcomers! No Dues. They are going to help us expand even more with great new patterns & books.
New never ends, it seems: we now have new toy patterns! Fiber Trends, cute, nuf said...
And finally,
Words to Consider
Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers and quietly building new structures. -John F. Kennedy
Today let me do one thing to eliminate a conflict.
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Have a Fabulous February!!!
knittykitty dot news at gmail dot com
