Newest Knitting Classes

Here are the new classes starting in the next few weeks.

Beginning Knitting
Monday AM 10 - 12
August 9, 16, 23 and 30
$125 includes supplies

Intermediate Knitting
If you've been wanting to improve your knitting skills and knowledge this is the class for you.  Topics to be covered include cables, short rows, kitchener stitch, lace and mattress stitch.  You will be learning these special topics and possibly others rather than working on a specific project.
Thursday PM 6:30 - 8-30
August 12, 19, 26 and Sept 2
$125 includes supplies

Also, there is still one spot left in the Sock Class beginning on Monday evening August 2nd.  4 sessions for $85.  Includes your pattern but no other supplies.

We need a minimum of 3 participants for each class and the max is 5 for most classes. 

I'll be sending out info in the next few days about the crochet classes and also a couple of special events coming up!  Think technology....

Please call or email to register or if you have any questions.

Next Sock Class to Start on August 2nd

There are still a couple of places left in the Sock Class starting on Monday, August 2nd at 6:30.  The cost is $85 and it will run for 4 weeks.  You get your pattern but no other supplies. 

Here is a picture of some incentive.  This is the new Malabrigo Sock Yarn in my favorite color, Archangel.  If this doesn't make you want to knit socks... well, really!  Three boxes came from Malabrigo yesterday and inside were Rasta, the new chunky and Twist.   Each color is wonderful and perfect in that special way that Malabrigo is. 

The Chic Knits patterns came in too.  Several of her patterns would be perfect in Twist or Rasta.  Namely, Super Cupcake and Maximus.  ChicKnits  These are perfect for holiday gifts.  Hannukah begins in 128 days and Christmas is in 150 days so now would be a good time to start those gifts, just sayin'.

I will be posting info on the Beginning Knitting Class in a couple of days.  At the moment I have several people interested in a Monday morning class.  If you'd like to sign up, please email me info@knit1chgo.com or call the shop 773-244-1646.

Knit 1 Belly Button Hat

You will need:

• A few hundred yards of any weight yarn for your hat (amount varies depending on weight)
• Waste yarn in the same weight as your main yarn
• DPNs in appropriate size
• 16” circular needle in same size as DPNs
• Locking stitch marker
• Darning needle 

Abbreviations:
KFB - knit into front and back of same stitch (increase)
St or sts - stitch or stitches
K - knit
DPNs - double pointed needles


Cast on 4 sts with waste yarn on DPN.  Work an inch or so of I-cord. http://www.purlbee.com/i-cord-tutorial/  This is a good tutorial if you don’t know how to do I-cord there are You Tube videos as well.

Next row: increase into each stitch using KFB = 8 sts.
Place 4 of these stitches on a second DPN and switch to main color. Using 3rd DPN knit 4.  With newly freed DPN knit 4 from other DPN.  You have just knit 1 round. Place marker to indicate beginning of round.

Next round: KFB into each stitch on both needles = 16 sts

Next round: knit all stitches on both needles (plain round)

Next round: *KFB, k1* rpt from * = 24 sts (increased by 8 sts)

Next round: knit all stitches on both needles (plain round)

Next round: *KFB, k2* rpt from * = 32 sts (increased by 8 sts)

Next round: knit all stitches on both needles (plain round)

Now you have enough stitches to move them on to 3 DPNs and continue knitting rounds, increasing every other round until you have enough stitches to measure 6.5” - 7”

Arrange stitches as follows: needle 1- 12 sts; needle 2- 8 sts; needle 3- 12 sts.

Next round:

      needle 1- *KFB, k3* rpt to end of needle = 15sts;

      needle 2- *KFB, k3* rpt to end of needle = 10 sts;

      needle 3- *KFB, k3* rpt to end of needle = 15.

40 sts at end of round (increased by 8) Notice that every needle begins with a KFB, this remains constant and is a good way to make sure you are increasing in the right place.

Next round: knit all stitches on all needles (plain round)

Continue to increase every other round adding one more stitch between the increases.  You will notice a pattern made by your increases: little purl bumps that look like spokes in a wheel.  It is very helpful to learn to read your knitting at this point.  If you can see where your increases should be you won’t have to rely on counting which can get confusing.  Typically the stitch into which you increase looks a tad bit bigger and it is the stitch right before the purl bump from the previous increase row.  As soon as you can you may want to switch to your circular needle.  Move your marker up every few rounds to mark the start of the round. When the diameter of your hat measures 6.5” - 7” you will stop increasing and knit plain until you have 6” from the start of your main color.  Knit 1.5 inches in 2x2 ribbing and bind off in pattern.

Now, to complete the top of your hat or the part that Tech Knitter refers to as the belly button-- unravel your waste yarn or cut it out until you have live stitches of your main yarn which you will carefully catch onto the darning needle threaded with the tail of your main hat yarn.  Catch each stitch and draw the stitches to close the opening.  You can close it tightly or leave a bit of a decorative hole.  Don’t wind the yarn through repeatedly or you will get a bump; once through all the stitches, weave your end in and you have a basic hat.

Some variations:

• After completing increases rib all the way to the bottom.

• Any ribbing that is a multiple of 2, 4 or 8 will work.

• Add more ribbing for rim that folds up.

• Add a Fair Isle pattern that is a multiple of 2, 4 or 8 to the body of the hat.

• Jogless stripes http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/jogless-stripes.html

Belly Button Hat part 1

I gave a presentation to the Windy City Knitting Guild last night.  I told them about the trends that I saw at TNNA (The National Needle Arts show).  One of the shifts is toward top down garments; no one wants to do any finishing!  I get that!  When you construct a garment from the top down it's knitted in one piece: no sleeves to sew in and no seams to sew.  Garments can also be constructed this way from the bottom up.  It's all very clever and there are many exquisitely talented people out there doing some wonderful design work.  We are teaching a Top Down class at the store right now.  Each person is knitting a baby or child's sweater to learn the construction and will then have the skills to design a sweater for themselves.  Each of the little sweaters is unique and wonderful.  I will post pictures of them when they're finished in a couple of weeks.  I'm so excited about this method I wanted to share it with the Guild but realized that to distill it into a half hour or 45 minute presentation doesn't really do the subject justice, so instead I explained how to knit a top down hat.  I used the Belly Button Method of starting knitting in the round -- hence the title of this post.  This method was in(un)vented by TechKnitter, one of my personal heroes.  Here is the link to her post on this topic http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2009/09/knitting-from-center-belly-buttons-and.html

Look for the hat pattern later today or tomorrow.