Mapes Shawl from Lovin' Knit - Done! Also: WIN FREE YARN & BOOKS

Wow and WOW!

Wow, does blocking make a difference in this shawl!  While I do tend to like my shawls bigger than this one, there is something to be said for a smaller one that can just cover the shoulders.  

I wore it with a brown turtleneck and a spiffy shawl pin--more like a scarf than a shawl--and received many compliments.  All in all, a very satisfying project.  Thanks for a intriguing knitting experience, Lovin’ Knit and Barbara Benson.

Now, listen up, because WOW, I’ve got some special news to share:  my fabulous publisher Love Inspired Books has teamed up with the folks at Lion Brand Yarn (I’ve featured their studio in one of my NYC adventures) for a holiday sweepstakes you won’t want to miss!  To enter, upload a photo of something you’ve knitted (or crocheted) out of love for someone else.  Your entry could win you this splendid collection of Lion Brand fiber goodies, not to mention some great reading. 

What’s not to love?  Click here to get all the details and don’t delay--the contest ends on November 29.

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - DONE

It's complete!  

And it's killing me that it is too warm in Chicago right now to wear this lovely scarf, even lacy as it is.  Every knitter loves fall for just that reason--it's time to break out all the lush, fluffy stuff.


I'm very pleased.  It's shorter than many of my other scarves, but I think it suits the airy nature of the piece.  It's a smart little thing, an accent rather than a drape.  Just itching for a lovely pin or a clever knot, don't you think?  

Well done, Lion Brand.  You've designed in impressive scarf that even a novice could attempt with confidence.  And you already know how I feel about the yummy yarn.  My photos just don't do the color justice.

I'm going to treat you to another goodie today, DestiKNITters.  

If you've not encountered the lovely little accessory called a yarn bowl, allow me to introduce you.  Pottery lovers, here's a chance to combine your passions.  This piece was given to me by my brother, one of Virginia artisan Brian Lacy's works.  I love that his business card says "functional, handmade pottery to enhance the culture of living."  Thanks, Brian I really do feel enhanced.  I feel artistic.  

I feel like my yarn won't roll off the table next time.  See that clever little slit?  You drop your ball of yarn in the bowl (this one's a nice size to accommodate any number of yarn weights), feed the yarn through the slot, and knit away.  Unlike some of the other yarn holders which feed the yarn through a closed hole, you can insert and remove the yarn from this holder at will.  That's good, because you really don't want to tote pottery around.  Still, while you're stitching in the comfort of your own home, this is an artful addition to your yarn gadget collection.

Speaking of artful, wait until you see the fabulously artistic nature of our next project from Loopy Mango.  See you soon!

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 5

What comes after the bind off?

Some patterns you can slip the project right on and go.  Heaven knows I’ve done my share of finishing a piece hours (okay, sometimes even minutes) before I planned to wear it.  Not so with lacework.  It’s okay when it’s done, but it’s never really a work of art until you’ve blocked it.

Can’t you just press it with an iron?

Almost never.  Blocking requires soaking--or as the famous opinionated knitter Elizabeth Zimmermann calls it “giving it a bath.”  I love the tender touch that term implies.  And it’s the perfect visual for the task.  I let my babies soak for about ten minutes (as long as it takes me to set up the blocking board I use on my dining room table) in Dawn Blue dishwashing liquid and tepid water.  After a careful rinse in similar temperature water, I pin them to the board.  A striped beach towel is especially useful for pieces involving straight lines like this scarf, because you’ve got your guidelines ready to go.

What does blocking accomplish?

In even simple lacework like this scarf, blocking opens up the stitches, helps things lay flat, and gives the work an even feel.  I think blocking makes any knitted piece feel “airier,” if I can manufacture a word.  Scientifically, it allows the fibers to relax and line up nicely next to each other.  After all, everyone--from small children to dogs to romance author knitters--behaves more nicely after a bath.

Give it a day or so to dry, and I’ll come back to show you the final product.

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 4

What is it about periwinkle?

There’s something about this color.  I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I find it entrancing.  This is a lovely pattern--elegant in its simplicity--but it’s the color that catches my heart.  I just don’t think this scarf would be the same in a more ordinary color.  It’s like I’m knitting sky, I suppose.  Or a perfect pre-dust summer evening.  I’d drool if a man with eyes this color stared at me.  I just keep staring at it.  Do you have a color that does that to you?

Um...a little help here?

I’ve made more than my share of goof-ups on this simple pattern.  Most of them stem from letting my mind wander (not a new problem for yours truly, believe me) and loosing my place in the pattern.  The good news is that I’ve managed to save myself each time.  The scarf is divided into perfect vertical quarters, so you’re only a dozen stitches or so into a row before you realize something isn’t lining up the way it ought to. I like that in a pattern.  It’s okay to be complicated, just build in a few ways to save myself from myself.

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 2

Pretty, shiny, fuzzy, soft

So...would you ever knit wire?

I can’t ever envision myself knitting wire to make jewelry.  I know it’s done, I can appreciate the craft of it, but knitting is all about the tactile sensation for me.  I love the finished objects, but how I get there is as much of the satisfaction as anything else.  The fiber and the needles must give me pleasure in holding them, manipulating them, twisting, touching.  Wire wouldn’t do that.  I suspect if I talked to a passionate baker, she’d tell me the same thing about kneading bread and call me a lunatic for out-sourceing to a bread-making machine.  It’s personal.

Are tools or outcomes more important?

The combination of a mildly intricate pattern, sumptuous angora merino yarn, and high-quality Signature needles is perfection in this project.  I’ll love this scarf not because it’s especially stunning--although the color and texture are quite nice--but because it was such a pleasure to make.  Swap out for plastic needles and rough hemp, and I’d drop this so fast it would make your head spin.  Same pattern, same basic outcome, completely different experience.  The best part about it is that YOU can combine YOUR favorite elements to create an experience most lovable for you.  

Does it always work this way?

Not always.  The dynamic changes for me when the project is a gift.  I’m about to knit some hats and scarves for my nieces.  The needles and fibers are secondary, and I won’t pay much attention to how much I love the process because the payoff for me is those two girls in warm goodies from Aunt Allie.  So you’ve probably already figured out that no one is getting their hands on this charming little scarf but me.  True!

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 1

Love at first row...

Some patterns you know you’ll love after the first four rows.  This Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio is one of them.  Granted, some of that affection may have to do with the totally pet-worthy texture of this yarn.  Just touching it makes me happy, and the periwinkle color makes me smile.  I’m at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference this weekend, and if you see some six foot woman grinning foolishly from the back of any of the educational sessions, it’s probably me.  

Like my experience in hospitals, some of these conference scenarios can make you jumpy, and knitting something as soothing as this LB Collection Angora Merino is just the antidote.  Soft and fuzzy in a lush color.  I sigh just thinking about it.  Simply put: I learn better if I’m knitting.  Most of my colleagues already know this about me, and they ignore my knitting as just “that thing Allie does.”  It’s wonderful to be known and loved.

The five-row repeat is a perfect balance between interesting and taxing--just right for conference knitting.  After 25 inches of leg-warmer stockinette, I’m happy for the diversion.  Knitting’s diversity is one of its greatest gifts, and why it will continue to be a life-long passion for me. Will this pattern get tiresome after a foot or two?  Only time will tell, but a professional conference is the perfect place to keep at it. I’m done all my teaching for the event, and now I get to sit back, listen, and learn, so I should make a good dent in the scarf before the weekend is through.  Add a good cup of coffee, the fellowship of friends and colleagues, and life looks just about perfect.

The fact that I got to re-visit all the stores from my past St. Louis episode?  Well that was just icing on the cake.

NEW YORK CITY, ROUND 2 Day 2 - Downtown

Treats galore...

That’s the beauty of New York City--in seven subway stops you can be in a whole new world.  Uptown has got class, downtown’s got style, it’s all good.

Being an author, I’m partial to great bookstores.  Lucky for us, today’s wanderings bring us to one of the all-time greats:  

Strand Book Store

828 Broadway (at 12th Street)

New York, NY  10003

212-473-1452

strandbooks.com

Run by the Bass family since 1927, this literary monument is the only surviving establishment from New York’s legendary 19th century Book Row.  The sign says the three jam-packed floors house eighteen miles of books, and I believe them. It’s nothing less than a book-geek’s dream. Wander as long as you like, but don’t miss the astounding 3rd floor rare book collection.  I spent my time there with my mouth hanging open, both in awe of a rare volume of 15th century French poetry and inhaling the soul-feeding scent of real, honest-to-goodness unKindle-ized literature.

Just up the block on 13th Street waits our caffeine for the day:

Joe The Art of Coffee

9 East 13th Street

New York, NY 10011

212-924-7400

joetheartofcoffee.com

With more of a clean industrial look than the standard funky java joint, this place prides itself rightly on straight-up good coffee.  Urban, clean, functional, this shop feels like it tailors to the serious coffee fiend.  It takes a lot to impress me with a chai--it’s tea, after all--but the chai latte I had here ranks up in one of the best of my travels.

Up and over a bit on 15th street, our fiber fix awaits:

Lion Brand Yarn Studio

34W 15th Street

New York, NY  10011

212-243-9070

lionbrandyarnstudio.com

As we crossed the street toward this yarn icon, my friend gasped, “I feel like I’m going to Mecca.”  Indeed, you can’t have been knitting for more than two weeks and not know Lion Brand.  Their logo reminds you the company has been the passion of the Blumenthal family since 1878, but this new studio opened in 2008 as the hands-on retail embodiment of one of fiber’s most recognized brands.  

Manager Patty Lyons says “It’s a ‘studio,’ not a ‘store’ because of the entire experience goes so much farther than a single purchase.”  She’s right. How can you not love a store with a “sampling wall”--spools of yarn and needles just begging you to come play?  Nearly five thousand students think she’s right, too--the studio’s three classrooms host over 90 specialty workshops, from beginning courses to university-level teaching.  If you can’t find something that appeals to you in the nearly 4,000 patterns available through the Lion’s carefully tended on-line offerings, you need more help that I can give.  

It’s an artful mix of the e- and catalogue presence we all love from Lion with the hands on touch-the-stuff experience we crave.  The uber-friendly staff know their fiber arts.  I loved that they double-checked the dye lot of my purchase before they rang me up--it’s always nice to have someone looking out for me like that.

If you’re like me, you’ll drool over the South Bay Shawlette (pattern #90489AD) even if you don’t crochet.  Done up in LB Collection Silk Mohair, this piece was almost enough to make me consider taking up crochet.  It’s hard to find a summer-friendly shawl, and this fits the bill, especially in such a striking color.

Another summer find is the hip Tiger Lilly Tank (pattern #L0191), a gem to whip up for just over $20 worth of yarn!  Knit up in LB Cotton Bamboo, the tailored look, artful details, and crossed back straps pack a lot of style into a simple piece.

You can never have enough good scarves, and our Knit Along from Lion Brand is a delightful Angora Lace Scarf (#L0306)  done up in the exclusive LB Collection Angora Merino.   Like all the LBCollection yarns, the store is the only place you can get your mitts on this truly luscious fiber (you could have heard my sighs clear to New Jersey!).  A nearly seasonless scarf that hugs your neck with that level of lushness is a treasure indeed.

Each of these projects is taken from Lion’s free on-line pattern collection, by the way, so you owe it to yourself to click on over and opt-in to their pattern registry.

As you leave, don’t forget to enjoy their often-stunning front window display, and give a salute to the Lion in the second floor window.  That cat’s a legend.

Take a breath and loosen your waistband, now, I’m about to introduce you to the most amazing treat I’ve had so far this year:

City Bakery

3 W. 18th Street #1

New York, NY  10011

212-366-1414

thecitybakery.com

To quote Monopoly, “Do not stop, do not pass Go, do not collect $200” until you head straight into this place and order the hot chocolate and pretzel croissant.  Seriously.  It looks magical even before you sip--they ladle it out of a crock that looks like something from Harry Potter.  And then, well, beverage bliss on a higher plane of consciousness comes close to describing the experience. My friends and I sighed so loud people stared.  Ah, but then we did the ultimate.  Pop the top off of that paper cup, dunk the odd-looking pretzel croissant into the hot chocolate, bring it to your mouth...and just about die of happiness.  Hands down the best goodie of the year.  

And a perfect way to end an afternoon of adventure.