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There’s so much to tell you!

First, I’d like to wish you a Warm and Happy Holiday Season, beginning this week with Hanukkah. The newsletters will begin to come more frequently to keep you apprised of additions, announcements and changes, with lots of info to share.

On the heels of the last newsletter, I received the latest edition of Knitter’s magazine. In it is the gorgeous Mummy Swirl skirt from our very own Festival headliner: Candace Eisner Strick. I have the pattern and yarn for the Sasha skirt from Louet that was published 6 years ago and never did get around to making it, but this one is more my style, so it may end up in my closet by next summer! Candace has been kind enough to share a free pattern for us all this month: see end of this newsletter.

With each upcoming newsletter, we’ll highlight our new exhibitors, coming from as far away as Colorado, North and South Carolina, Texas, Rhode Island, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and, of course, our local favorites, too! Check them out here and see if you can identify how many new vendors we have coming.

And on a sad note: I received word last week that Carole Klein passed away. She and her husband, Stanley, have been exhibitors at the Festival as Rainbow Mills, but they have been sharing their work and passion through other venues for many years. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=carole-lynn-klein-lubove&pid=161113558&fhid=17241.

With Warm Regards,

Barbara Grossman

Come see the magic of Mochimochi at our Friday night reception

Photo: Anna Hrachovec

Anna Hrachovec makes her Festival debut in a big way: We’re displaying TWO of her Mochimochi-themed installations, which have previously only been seen at such events as Vogue Knitting Live and at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio: Mochimochimochimochimochi and Mochimochi Land (pictured).

Anna herself will be on hand to talk about the demos and with her books throughout the weekend. She’ll also give a brief presentation at the Friday evening Knit the Bridge kick-off party. We’re covering it all, from the teeny tiny Mochimochis to the grand Knit the Bridge project!

Please be sure to RSVP for our Friday evening party. More details are here.

Book Review AND December Sweepstakes: Knitting from the Center Out

Along with this year’s Festival Headliner, Candace Eisner Strick, Daniel Yuhas was one of my first teachers at the first Bedford Knittreat. It was also Daniel’s teaching debut. He joined us afterward to teach at the Festival, and became a quick favorite with his unusual and mathematically challenging classes and projects.

Knitting from the Center Out: An Introduction to Revolutionary Knitting with 28 Modern Projects is Daniel’s first book. He sent one to me with a lovely inscription and thank you for believing in him! He sent another autographed copy for one lucky winner in this month’s sweepstakes. We miss not having him at the Festival as a teacher, but his recent move to Oregon prevents him from attending. Here’s my review:

As the title implies, Daniel’s book is a collection of patterns that start from the center and work out. Is it revolutionary? Not in the sense that it’s breaking new ground: Knitting out from the center has been around for ages, from antique bonnet caps to center-out lace blankets from the Azores Islands. Rather, Daniel uses the term “revolutionary” in a different sense: Each spin around the needles is one revolution, so, “center out knitting is quite simply, revolutionary.”

The patterns in this book range from easy to challenging. He explains how-to in every chapter, making it easy to learn for all levels. Once you understand the logic and the rhythm to knitting this way, the possibilities are endless. You might even find yourself creating your own circular designs.

With I cord, tubes, cones, domes, circles and ruffles, Daniel has covered all the bases. There are project patterns that include hats, mittens, toys, blankets, shawls, floor mats and sweaters, with a variety of different stitches used, a project for every age.

The book is well illustrated, and shows various figures within each finished project: hexagons, polygons, octagons, pentagons… he even includes an explanation of the numerical sequencing.

Don’t be intimidated by all of the mathematical references, though. Daniel breaks it all down and makes it as easy as one, two, three. My favorite is the Dahlia Blanket. Congratulations, Daniel! An A+ on your first book.

To enter our Book Giveaway sweepstakes, please send an email to pghknitandcrochet@gmail.com by Dec. 15, 2012, with the subject line of “Daniel Yuhas.” Please include your name and a phone number where you can be reached.

November Sweepstakes winners

Janice Reeping of Somerset, PA, is the winner of the bag of Louet Gems Sportweight yarn, in the Crabapple colorway.

Carla Lowers of Leechburg, PA, is the winner of Easy How-to Techniques for Simply Stylish 18″ Dolls by Andra Knight-Bowman.

Congratulations, Ladies!

Free pattern, courtesy of Festival Headliner Candace Eisner Strick

In the spirit of the holidays, we want to share with our readers a free pattern … and Candace has just the one! She’s generously shared her Pretty Picot Shoulder Scarf directions with us. This dainty little shoulder scarf has a subtle hint of sparkle in the pretty picot border.

MATERIALS

2 skeins (20 gms of 2nd skein is used) Strickwear.com Fingering Weight Yarn (each skein 175 yds/50 gms)
One #6 (4 mm) circular needle (24″)
One set #1 (2.25mm) needles
200 #6 beads
One 1.25 mm crochet hook

GAUGE: 20 sts and 45 rows= 4″ in garter stitch on #6 needles

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS: Center Back Length: 9 1/2″

ABBREVIATIONS

YO = yarn over
PB = place bead.
Insert the crochet hook through the hole of the bead; remove the stitch from the needle, using the hook pull the stitch through the hole of the bead. Replace st on LH needle.

SCARF NOTES

The last st of each row is the second YO from the previous row, and is not really a true stitch. Work into the back of this loop to twist it into a real stitch.
There will always be 6 sts between the markers. Sometimes the yo’s on each side try to jump the markers. Do not let them!! Stitch count is given with the 6 sts in the middle and the number of stitches on each side of the center. The same number of sts on each side will only happen after an odd numbered row is completed. The row before will have 2 sts less on one side. The two yo’s at the beginning of the odd numbered row will add the 2 needed sts.

SCARF

With #1 needles, cast on 6 sts. Work the following 4 rows:

Row 1 (WS): Knit 6.
Row 2 (RS): (Yo) 2x, knit 6–8 sts
Row 3: (Yo) 2x, knit to end of row–10 sts
Row 4: (Yo) 2x, k2, yo, place marker, k6, place marker, yo, knit to end of row–5 + 6 + 3 sts (14 sts)

Work the following 5 rows once:

Row 1 (WS): (Yo) 2x, knit to marker, p6 (these are the center sts between the markers), knit to end of row–5 + 6 + 5 sts (16 sts)
Change to #6 needles.
Row 2 (RS): (Yo) 2x, knit to marker, yo, k2, slip 2 sts purlwise with yarn in back, k2, yo, knit to end of row–20 sts. 8+ 6 + 6
Row 3: (Yo) 2x, knit to marker, p2, slip 2 sts purlwise with yarn in front, p2, knit to end of row–8 + 6 + 8 sts (22 sts)
Row 4: (Yo) 2x, knit to marker, yo, slip 2 sts purlwise to RH needle, drop next st and let it hang in front, sl the 2 sts purlwise from the RH needle back to the LH needle, pick up the hanging st and place it on the LH needle. PB on this stitch, then knit it. Knit the next 2 sts. Drop the next st from LH needle and let it hang in front, slip the next 2 sts purlwise to the RH needle. Pick up the hanging st and place it in on the LH needle. Slip the 2 sts purlwise from the RH needle back to the LH needle. Knit 2, PB on next st, then knit it; yo, knit to end of row–26 sts. 11 + 6 + 9
Row 5: (Yo) 2x, knit to marker, p6, knit to end of row–11 + 6 + 11 sts (28 sts)
Note: 6 sts are increased every 2 rows. NOTE: The middle 6 sts always stay constant.

Repeat rows 2-5 seventeen times, then rows 2-4.

Work the following row:
(WS): (Yo) 2x, knit to end of row– 119 + 6 + 119

Break yarn.

EDGING

String 131 beads. With RS of scarf facing, attach yarn with the strung beads

Bind off in picot as follows:
*Cast on 2 sts, bind off 4 sts as follows:
place right needle into first st on left needle as if to knit (the last one you just cast on), pull up one bead and place it tight against the back of the work, finish working st; knit 1 st, bind off 1 st, bind off 3 more sts without placing a bead, sl knitwise remaining st on RH needle to LH needle* , repeat between *s.

TIE

String 25 beads. Cast on 50 sts. Knit 2 rows. Bind off in picot as for edging.

Visit Strickwear.com for more of Candace’s gorgeous designs!

FYI: Festival & Yarn Information

Info about submitting books or products for review is here.

Info about Festival teaching, sponsorship or exhibiting is here.

Info about Festival attendance is here.

Info about our Knittreat is here.

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