Adventures with Evie: My European Grand Tour

Hey there human buddies -  I'm just in from a FABULOUS European cruise and a bit breathless, but I know you're all dieing to hear about my latest adventure!

Tracy knit me this incredibly continental Debbie Bliss sweater coat and matching beret. I was SO in style as we left Barcelona on the Norwegian Jade and met new sock friends at the so-fab Bon Voyage party. Their outfits were nowhere near as chic as mine, though.

Sydney, my traveling companion and personal couturier, brought me out on deck to sip my morning coffee. A little caffeine and some brisk morning air really perked up my stuffing before we docked in Monte Carlo. I do think I look a tad bit like Princess Grace here, don't you? Her aura was everywhere and I thought the rakish tilt of the hat over my ear was very, very Grace.

The darling ship crew delivered a clever towel animal to my room every night. Mr.White Elephant, my new sock friends and I attended dinner together. He was such a party animal and quite handsome in his formal whiteness. I, of course, looked ravishing in my lace edged silk chemise.

I aired out on deck then visited Pisa wearing my adorable pink quilted jacket with the heart shaped button. I look so fabulous in pink - it really brings out my button eyes! It was comfortable, yet stylish with my black fleece pants when I went shopping with my friends in Rome the next day. I heard quite a few fluffy whistles from the Italian sock boys! Sydney made me a little purse, too, and I shopped 'til my tail dropped.

Traveling can be exhausting, my sock was stretched to the limit and I wasn't feeling quite in the 'pink'. So I enjoyed relaxing in the cabin with my new towel friend Mr. White Rabbit while I was in Naples. He's a bit bland for my taste, but he was a good friend to lean on.

As the cruise wound down, I 'hung' out on my deck before our last stop at Palma, Mallorca.  I loved my Grand Tour, but really missed my home girls back in Everett. I've made so many friends and my Christmas gift list is now as long as a sock tail! After I rest up, maybe I'll take some classes so I can make gifts. I wonder if there's a staff primate discount?

Best to everyone  ~ Evie

(Evie is a pink sock monkey who lives at our Everett store - when she's not traveling. Sydney is one of Everett's extraordinary quilters, teachers and staff members. Tracy leads the Everett Knitalong, teaches knitting and is rarely found without needles and yarn in her hands.)

Tuesday Tip: Don't be scared to try AGAIN!

As I continue to explore different arts and crafts I have learned a very important rule- Don’t be scared to experiment!

 I was looking for a new knitting project and with the arrival of Fall I decided on the cute little pumpkin in Debbie Bliss’ A Knitter’s Year. I am not a very advanced knitter but I am somewhat fearless when choosing a pattern. If I don’t know how to do a stitch or technique my theory is that I can always learn.

So I bought some Debbie Bliss Rialto and set off knitting. I finished my pumpkin in two evenings and while it was adorable I wasn’t completely satisfied with the result. Since it is knitted and then stuffed, you can see some of the stuffing through the stitches as well as imperfections in the knitting that in other projects would disappear.



Pumpkin Take 1

I still had plenty of yarn left so I decided to try it again- Pumpkin Take 2. This time I used twice the thickness of yarn. My thinking was that maybe this would help fill some of the holes and guess what- it did just that! It also made the pumpkin a bit larger which I guess isn’t a bad thing. In the book it is a pumpkin pincushion but I think a few of them would be fun to have around the house for the season.

The two pumpkins together. Aren't they cute!

The moral of this story is don’t get frustrated when something doesn’t come out just the way you wanted it to. It is an opportunity to try something new and learn how to make it better next time. The trick is to then remember these lessons and apply them to other projects. You never know when your new trick might come in handy!  

Michelle

A Must Have Knitting Project for Fall!

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Tea with Debbie Bliss at the Everett store with my daughter. We both fell in love with the projects she shared and it really inspired me to get back into knitting. I have been knitting for awhile now, knitting mostly scarves, hats and the occasional pair of socks. Debbie’s amazing garments motivated me to broaden my horizons and try knitting a sweater.


I decided that maybe I wasn’t quite ready for a sweater but would try one of Debbie Bliss’ other projects and work up to the sweater. I fell in love with Debbie’s Glen variegated wool yarn and chose a project out of the Glen Book, the Snood (or cowl) which goes right along with the fashion trends for this Fall/Winter season.

The Glen Book by Debbie Bliss

I chose to use the same color as the model in the book, Peat Brown 03, which is a gorgeous taupe/brown. A few nights is front of the TV with my family and I had a finished cowl. I had never done cables before but with the great instructions from the book I had no problem especially after a few repeats! I would definitely recommend this project and I can’t wait to get started on my next Debbie Bliss pattern.

My daughter showing off the finished cowl.

The interesting cables that weave their way across the cowl.

~ Sharon

My Oh MY - A Blissful Night at Safeco Field

Wow!!! What a great time we had at Stitch 'n Pitch on Thursday night. Hope you were there! Debbie Bliss did a fabulous job of throwing out the First Pitch and then spent two hours in our booth greeting her fans and siging books. She and her daughter Nell are both just lovely people and I really enjoyed getting to know them when I attended Tea With Debbie Bliss at our Bellevue store last night. (More about that in a later post!) Here's a few pictures you'll enjoy - click on them to see a larger image.

The line to purchase books and meet Debbie stretched down the concourse for about two and a half hours. A LONG line formed before Debbie even got back from throwing out the First Pitch!

Speaking of First Pitch . . . Debbie knitted her own baseball mitt so she would feel yarnie comfortable throwing out that First Pitch. The Mariners were quite impressed! Sorry my picture's a bit blurry. Guess I got a little excited. :)

The Mariners posted a fabulous backdrop for picture taking with Debbie, which she readily welcomed. This scene was repeated over and over with happy fans. The woman on the right started an incredible Fair Isle project for her Tote Bag Challenge project. You'll see that in an upcoming blog post.

Nell, Debbie's daughter is in the middle of this fun photo sporting one of the "Knitting is Bliss" T-Shirts we wore in the booth. Nell is just charming, has a great sense of humor and was always delighted to answer questions while her mum was signing books. "Do you knit?", we asked her last night after Tea With Debbie Bliss at our Bellevue store. "Oh, no, " she replied. "I let Mum do that!" She does know all about it though and was a great help in the booth as well as at the Teas.

That's it for now, but watch for more posts about our Teas With Debbie, the Tote Bag Challenge participants (oh, my, SOOooo cool) and a bit more about the booth. If you were there, you know how amazingly fun it was - if you missed it, you can enjoy the game and the Tea with me through posts!

~ Annette

Stitch 'n Pitch Update - Let's Play Ball!

Just a few more days until the best baseball game of the year - the 6th Annual Seattle Mariners Stitch 'n Pitch Night at Safeco Field! This year it's the Mariners vs the Rangers on Thursday, August 6th at 7:10pm. Here's a few updates:

• We have just a few Stitch 'n Pitch tickets ($15) and 'purchase with purchase' Goodie Totes ($4.99 + tax) available at our Everett and Outlet on 4th stores. Hurry - this is really your last chance to get tickets and totes from us. You can get tickets at the same price from the Mariners, too, but the opportunity to purchase a Goodie Tote is only available to those who purchase tickets from a Pacific Fabrics store and they will not be available at the game.

• But, once you have your tote, you can collect a cool prize from me when you come to our game night booth and bring me your completed or still on the needles project made from one or more of the items you found in your Goodie Tote. We call it the Tote Bag Challenge and it's very popular every year. I really look forward to seeing your creativity! The prize this year? A ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and a pattern to go with it. Donated of course by Knitting Fever Inc., distributors of Debbie Bliss Yarns. And, if your project is actually done, I'll have an extra gift for you, too!

• Debbie Bliss is VERY excited about coming to the game, signing your books and meeting you! She's bringing about 50 models with her and you'll see some of them at the booth. To see all of Debbie's amazing work and have a chance to hear about how Debbie began, how she designs and ask questions, come to Tea With Debbie Bliss on Friday, August 6th. You can still purchase tickets for our Bellevue or Everett stores online, by phone or in person at the stores.

• The newest Debbie Bliss book, The Knitter's Year will be available at our Stitch 'n Pitch booth and at both of the Teas. We pulled a few 'yarns' to get it here - it's not actually available in the US until September!

• Are you feeling Lucky? On game night, listen for the Mariners Lucky Row announcements and you could win a Pacific Fabrics tote full of cool stuff donated by Martingale Publishers, Debbie Bliss, Lantern Moon, Pagewood Farm, Lion Brand Yarn and more. I just love the generosity of our suppliers. It's great to know we're working with such good people and they really deserve your support!

• The Moose! I've checked with the Mariners and they will be ready to hand out that cool Knitting Moose Bobblehead at a table near our booth when the gates open at 5:10pm. Hurray! The Moose is available only for those who have tickets in the Knitter's Section so be ready to show your ticket and get there early. This is a WHILE SUPPLIES LAST ONLY giveaway.

That's the latest! I.ll keep you posted if more info comes in - see you there!!!

~ Annette

Stitch 'n Pitch Tickets & Totes Are Here!

Hurry into one of our stores this weekend to get your tickets for the 6th Anual Seattle Mariners Stitch 'n Pitch Night ($15 each) and 'purchase with purchase' Goodie Totes ($4.99 each)! They're going fast, so don't delay! What's Stitch 'n Pitch? The biggest, best and most fun event of it's kind in the whole country! Invented by the Seattle Mariners and sponsored by Pacific Fabrics & Crafts, it's a night for knitters, quitlers and stitchers of all kinds right at Safeco Field. You'll love sitting in the Knitter's Section stitching with fellow enthusiasts and shopping the fabulous booths from local yarn shops on the Third Concourse. At the Pacific Fabrics booth (can't miss it, it's the largest one there), you'll find Debbie Bliss ready to greet you and sign your book purchases after she throws out  the First Pitch. Don't miss it, baseball and stitching are a great mix!

When you purchase your ticket at a Pacific Fabrics & Crafts store, you'll have a chance to purchase a tote full of great yarn related tools, books and patterns from our wonderfully generous supporting partners for just the regular price of the tote. Your tote this year contains a Debbie Bliss magazine and Debbie's book Simply Home donated by Knitting Fever Inc, distributors of Debbie Bliss Yarns, Dreamweaver Designs book by Elsebeth Lavold donated by Euro Yarns distributor of Elsebeth Lavold Yarns, a collectible pair of circular Addi Needles donated by Skacel Yarns, a pair of Bamboo Knittting Needles donated by Clover Needlecrafts, a great yarnie tool donated by Boye, a cool Handi-Tool for stitching repairs donated by Susan Bates and a lovely Mariner-y colored skein of Fun Fur donated by Lion Brand Yarn. Pretty cool! Want to say thank you? Look for these brands when you're shopping for your next project and at our game night booth.

You'll also find a great retro Stitch 'n Pitch T-Shirt given to us by the Seattle Mariners and info about our Annual Tote Bag Challenge. Make (or at least start) a project using one or more of the items in your goodie tote, bring it to the booth to show to me and I'll give you another lovely gift from Debbie Bliss. I'll have more info on this for you next week - but I can tell you that you'll love it! And as a gift from Pacific Fabrics - if you're project is actually done, I'll have another gift for you, too. I'll look forward to seeing you at the game!

Don't you just love this adorable Knitting Moose Bobblehead? While supplies last, you can show your Knitter's Section Ticket at the Mariners table near our booth and take this yarn loving guy home with you! Gates open at 5:00 pm and remember the Moose will be available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

~ Annette

Great gifties for new humans (and one for anyone!)

As some of you who know me or read our newsletter may know, I am expecting my first child later this month.  (I am so excited - a little apprehensive, but still really thrilled to meet this little person who's been kicking me for the last few months.)  Steve and I have been taking a seven week birth and childcare class which has three other couples in it, and I've been wanting to make the whole class some little gifts, but as usual, I am low on time and cash, and the last class is this Tuesday, so I came up with three quick, inexpensive little projects - and they came out so cute, I thought it would be lovely to offer them up to you.  I did all three this weekend, and still had time for a slumber party, three loads of laundry, an easy hike and shopping trip with my mom, and lots of zoning out and watching my belly shift from side to side, just to give you a sense of how really quick these are. 

Project 1:  The Fabulous Flannel Burpcloth.
This is so very simple, and as anyone who has ever been around a newborn will tell you - you cannot have too many burpcloths. 

You'll need:
2 fat quarters of flannel in coordinating prints or solids - a half yard of each will give you enough for 2.
Thread
All the usual sewing gear - rotary cutter, mat, scissors, sewing machine, etc.

1. Iron your two flannel FQs and place them right sides together - trim them up so all edges match - I trimmed mine down to 20" by 17".  
2. Stitch them together, using a 1/2" seam allowance and leaving an opening of about 3" on one side for turning them right sides out.

3. Clip away the corners - this will make getting neat square corners really easy.  Turn them right sides out, run a point turner or even a chopstick along all the edges and into the corners, and press nice and flat. 

4. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, topstitch all the way around.

5. Have some ice cream. (That's what I like to do, and since you've finished your burpcloth already, you might as well join me. Pickles, as side dish, not as topping, are totally optional.)

Project 2:  The Microwaveable Heating Pillow -
While I am giving these to help with labor back pains, they are great little quick gifts for almost anyone.  I have family friends who order a few of these every holiday from me, for aching muscles, chills, or even taking with them out to the car on snowy days to ward off the shivers while they wait for the heater to kick in.

You'll need:
Two 10" by 13" pieces of coordinating flannel. ( I picked up two 3/8 yd pieces, which is enough to make four)
Thread
A few pounds of uncooked rice
All that sewing paraphernalia again

1. Place your flannels right sides together, and trim up the edgs so they match nicely.
2. Stitch them together, using a 1/2" seam allowance and leaving an opening of about 3" on one side for turning them right sides out.
3. Clip away the corners - this will make getting neat square corners really easy. Turn them right sides out, run a point turner or even a chopstick along all the edges and into the corners, and press nice and flat.
4. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, topstitch around the three edges that are completely stitched.
5. Fill your bag about 2/3 of the way with rice - using a funnel makes this nice and neat.  Pin the open edges closed.
6. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, topstitch along that last open edge.
7. Stick it in the microwave and test to see about how long it takes to heat, so you can give directions.  Mine heated up in about 3 minutes, 30 seconds, and that was snuggly warm.  Make a little label for the bag to pin on, letting them know approximately how long it will take to heat. 
8. Go take a nap with the toasty warm pillow - you deserve it, after being so sweet as to make everyone presents, and you're done sewing, so what else is there to do?  Unless you like to knit, in which case, its time to get started on:

Project 3: Cozy Quick Baby Socks
These are simple, sweet little socks - if you are a knitter, you could easily make up a half dozen pairs in different colors and put them in a candy box for a shower gift that will be memorable and appreciated.  If you have not attempted socks before, this gives you a chance to try out the basic techniques without starting a major new project - just dip your toes in! 

You'll need:
DK weight yarn - I'm not sure of exact yardage - I used Debbie Bliss's Rialto, which is a wonderful soft 100% Merino and is superwash, which means it can be machine washed without worrying about it, and after three pairs, I still had about a third of a 196 yd ball left - so probably about 50 yards per pair.
Size 3 double pointed needles
A smallish yarn needle to close up the toe and work in ends.

Cast on 24 stitches onto 3 needles. 
Ribbing: Knit 2, Purl 2 - 6 rows
Leg: Knit all the way around, 9 rows
Next row - knit 12 stitches onto one needle, then turn.
Heel flap -
Row 1: Slip one, then purl to the end of row, turn.
Row 2 - Slip one, then knit to the end of row, turn.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 till you have 12 rows on heel flap, finishing with a knit row.
Turning the heel:
Row 1: Slip 1, purl 6, purl next two stitches together, purl one stitch, and turn, leaving last 2 stitches unworked.
Row 2: Sl 1, knit 3, knit next two stitches together, knit one stitch, then turn, leaving last two stitches unworked.
Row 3: Sl 1, Purl 4, purl next two stitches together, purl 1, and turn.
Row 4: Sl 1, Knit 5, knit next two stitches together, knit one, and pick up and knit 7 stitches along the slipped stitch edge. Knit the next 12 stitches onto one needle, then, with another needle,  pick up and knit 7 stitches along the other slipped stitch edge, continuing on to knit the first four stitches off of your first needle.  You should now have 11 stitches on your first needle, 12 on your second, and another 11 on the third. All future rows begin at the first stitch on the first needle.
Decreasing the heel:
Row 1 - Knit to the last three stitches on needle 1, knit next two stitches together, knit last stitch. Knit all stitches on needle 2. Knit first stitch on needle 3, then slip next two stitches, then knit slipped stitches together.  Knit all remaining stitches.
Row 2: Knit all stitches.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until you have only 6 stitches on needle 1 and 3 (24 stitches total). 
Instep: Knit for 6 rows.
Closing the toe:
Row 1: knit to last three stitches on needle 1, knit two stitches together, then knit last stitch on needle 1.  Knit first stitch on needle 2, slip next two stitches, then knit slipped stitches together, knit to the last three stitches on needle 2, knit two together, knit last stitch on needle 2.  Knit first stitch on needle 3, slip next two stitches, then knit slipped stitches together, knit to end of row. 
Row 2 - Knit all stitches.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have 16 stitches altogether. Knit Row 1 one more time, (12 stitches remain) then do final row: Needle 1: Knit 2 together, knit one. Needle 2: Knit one, slip next two then knit slipped stitches together, knit two stitches together, knit one. Needle 3: Knit one, slip two stitches and knit two slipped stitches together. (8 stitches remain.)
Finish closing toe with kitchener stitch, or just do what I call a bellybutton closure - leaving all stitches on needles, run tail of yarn though all stitches twice, remove needles, and pull tight, making a neat little bellybutton at the toe.
Now start over from cast-on instructions, as the vast majority of babies are born with two feet. 

As a new mommy-to-be, I can testify that I would love any or all of these three gifts - try making them for someone you love (or just work with) today!

 - Anna-Beth

A Blissful Announcement

GREAT news for yarnies!!! Knitters and stitchers of all sorts, mark your calendars! Knitting and yarn designer Debbie Bliss will be our special guest at the 6th Annual Seattle Mariners Stitch 'n Pitch Night on Thursday, August 5th at Safeco Field in Seattle. Debbie is flying in from London just to throw out the First Pitch and appear in our game night booth for book signing and chatting. We plan to have her visit a couple of our stores while she's here, too. Stay tuned for details as we get closer to August. We are soooooo excited that Debbie is coming! Watch our email newsletter, our Facebook page and right here to find out when tickets will be available in our stores.
~ Annette