Jul
Come craft with us
Posted by Emily in classes, eventsWord on the street is that ya’all want to learn to knit on the weekdays as well as on the weekends. Well, ask and ye shall receive. So, in addition to the class on Saturdays, we’re having a learn to knit class on Thursdays, August 9, 16, 23 from 6pm to 8pm. Yeah! We know it’s starting a little soon, so tell all your friends and family to go ahead and sign up post-haste.
Also, August brings us to the start of our open crafting nights on Tuesdays and TV/movie nights on Fridays. The Tuesday extravaganzas will begin ’round about 6pm and go until we close at 8pm. The Neurotransknitters from up on Pill Hill have already promised to join us, so if there are any acute health crises during the evening, we’ll all be in good hands!
On Fridays, for TV and movie night, we’re going with a monsters theme in honor of our new monster-sized 37″ flat screen LCD TV! This means fun monster-themed movies on first and third Fridays (not scary ones, though: Emily is not not not a fan of horror movies, so no actually scary movies will be viewed on premises lest she have to go and hide in the back room or stick her fingers in her ears and say nanananana all night long). Second and fourth Fridays will be the best fun monster TV show in recent years, Supernatural. We do love those boys.
Come craft with us!
Jul
Class updates
Posted by Emily in classesDue to popular demand we’ve made a few changes to our class offerings for August and September. Also, we’ve fixed a typo or two, so check out our class page, or click here to download the revised schedule. Remember, when you sign up for a class, all the supplies you need for it are 10% off. Also, classes count toward your frequent shopper total - when you reach $500 you get a $25 gift certificate! We track it for you free - no membership fees, no time limit, no cards to punch or stamp or forget to bring. Easy like cheesy as my college roommate used to say.
- Learn to Knit: Kids Class
We’re offering a just for kids learn to knit class before summer is out. We’re suggesting ages 7 and up, but a highly motivated younger learner could work, too. Parents get a free cup of tea to enjoy some solo knitting time while the little crafting prodigy has class.
Newbie
Saturdays, August 4, 11, 18, 25. 11:00 am – 12:00 pm - Toe-up is the new white
Wowie zowie, the toe-up on two circular needles sock class wins the award for most popular class. So, we’re changing the cuff-down class to be toe-up as well. It’s a fantastic way to knit socks. Benefits of toe-up: maximize the cuff length you can get from lower yardage brands by leaving that ’till last, easy to try on as you’re knitting them for improved fit, no kitchener stitch at the end. Benefits of using two circular needles: no more losing stitches off your DPNs, faster since you’re switching needles half as often and using Addi Turbos (you are using Addi Turbos, right?). Benefits of class instructor Chrissy Gardiner: her snowflake sock pattern is appearing in the new issue of Interweave Knits! Congrats, Chrissy!
Advanced Beginner
Wednesdays, August 22 and 29 and September 5. 6:00 – 8:00 pm (only 1 spot left!)
Wednesdays, September 19 & 26, October 3. 6:00 – 8:00 pm (new class) - Knitted what?!
We’ve changed the dates for the Knitted Lingerie series based on the Knitting Lingerie Style book by Joan McGowan-Michael. All three projects are insanely gorgeous, and all three are things you’ll actually wear. (As much as we like to admire the lingerie in the book, we’re suggesting that the construction of actual unmentionables take place in the privacy of your own home… and so we’re sticking with what the cover terms “basic and lingerie-inspired” patterns.)
Intermediate
$180 + 20% discount on class supplies for the 3-class series or $60 each class
with Brooke Krawetz
Knitted Lingerie #1: Halter Top and Boy Short
Sexy yet practical… just like knitting.
Thursdays, September 6, 13, 20. 6:00 – 8:00 pmKnitted Lingerie #2: Fit-N-Flare Trumpet Skirt
Learn to knit with beads for the delicate accents in this project.
Thursdays, October 4, 11, 18. 6:00 – 8:00 pmKnitted Lingerie #3: Bed Jacket
A gorgeous, slightly lacy cardigan sweater.
Thursdays, November 1, 8, 15. 6:00 – 8:00 pm - Just the one, please
We’ve settled on a third project for the class series from the book OneSkein by Leigh Radford.
Beginner
$120 + 20% discount on class supplies for the 3-class series or $40 each class
with Laurie Ann Greenberg
OneSkein #1: Felted Bowls
Once you make one you won’t be able to stop!
Fridays, August 17, 24. 11:00 am – 1:00 pmOneSkein #2: Felted Clutch
Put your new knitting skills to use with this fashionable and easy-to-make wee lil’ purse-let.
Fridays, August 31 and September 7. 11:00 am – 1:00 pmOneSkein #3: Candy Wrapper Sachets
Fridays, September 14 and 21. 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Jul
how to shrink your knitting
Posted by Shannon in the shop, classes, feltingfelting has been hot for a while, and it doesn’t seem likely to cool down anytime soon. and with good reason - felting is fun, fast, and freakishly fabulous. great for new knitters still trying to perfect their technique, and for seasoned vets looking for a quick-and-easy project, felting pretty much rocks. it can also be as easy or as difficult as the knitter or crocheter wants it to be - fair isle, intarsia, short-rows, i-cord, all can be a part of a felted finished object.
a new shipment of interweave knits’ felting special just arrived. this issue is broken down into 3 parts: felted knitting, wet felting, and needle felting. and, true to interweave’s form, the projects are all to die for. our ella rae classic or araucania nature wool and nature wool chunky are the perfect accompaniments to the felted knitting projects in this mag.
ella rae’s felted bags pattern book is divine. great for any skill level, all style sensibilities, and pretty much any knitter under the sun, this is a must-have book for the felter in you. we have almost 50 colors of ella rae’s classic wool, so whether you are a hot-pink-and-chartreuse wearing maven or a sedate-and-classical brown and grey type of gal (or guy), we’ve got your felting needs covered
and, did we mention our felting classes? here’s the 4-1-1 (please note that the 3rd class in the OneSkein series is NOT a felting class):
ONE SKEIN SERIES
Three projects from the book OneSkein by Leigh Radford
Beginner
$120 + 20% discount on class supplies for the 3-class series or $40 each class
with Laurie Ann Greenberg
Practice knitting with these adorable little felted bowls. Once you make one you won’t be able to stop! Sign up for this class and the other 2 OneSkein classes to receive 20% of the necessary book and materials.Fridays, August 17, 24. 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Class needs: a copy of OneSkein, bulky-weight non-superwash wool, 1 24” circular size US 15 needle, set of 4 or 5 double-pointed needles, size 15, stitch markers, tapestry needle.
OneSkein #2: Felted Clutch
Put your new knitting skills to use with this fashionable and easy-to-make felted clutch. Sign up for this class and the other OneSkein classes to receive 20% of the necessary book and materials.Fridays, August 31 and September 7. 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Class needs: a copy of OneSkein, bulky-weight non-superwash wool, 1 24” circular size US 15 needle, buttons for embellishment.
OneSkein #3: Candy Wrapper Sachets
Fridays, September 14 and 21. 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Class needs: a copy of OneSkein, one skein Debbie Bliss Pure Silk, size US 3 DPNs.
Felted Bags
Flex those new knitting muscles with a large and functional felted bag. Warning: highly addictive!
Beginner
Sundays, August 19 and 26 and September 9 (no class will be held over the holiday weekend)
Julie Nelligan
$60
Class needs: the instructor will contact you with class needs.
If you are interested in registering for these, or any other, classes, please give us a call at 503.922.1150.
Jul
we’ve got yer loose patterns right here, baby
Posted by Shannon in the shop, patternswe have received some fabulous single patterns here at twisted, and wanted to share the info with ya’ll. you’ve heard of cookie a, haven’t you? the sock-pattern goddess? she of pomatomous fame, the designer of the hedera? we have the whole collection of her published patterns for sale here at twisted. this woman is amazing. if you are ready to flex your sock knitting skillz, come on by and snag a cookie a pattern for yourself.
if you want to knit socks, we also have chrissy gardiner’s line of sock patterns. she’s a fab designer, and with pattern names like “lobster pot” and “autumn in oregon,” you can’t go wrong. chrissy is also teaching sock classes and techniques workshops here in the shop, so if you are interested in becoming a sock-knitting addict, or want to expand your socktastic horizons, her classes are for you.
we just received a smattering of knitting pure and simple patterns, including the top-down sweater parna is going to teach in september. all of the patterns are neck-down, easy, fun, and contain very little seaming. yeee-haww. plus, they’re just plain good looking sweaters, and complement many of the amazing sweater yarns we have here in the shop.
if you are a lacey kind of knitter, we have you covered, too. we have a nice selection of the ever-popular fiber trends scarf and shawl patterns, including the geographically-appropriate pacific northwest shawl.
we have hat patterns by local designer carolyn little, and cute baby hats by fiber trends. we have dog sweater patterns, and felted sheep and alpaca. you know those felted clogs everyone and their mother seems to be making? yeah, we’ve got that pattern right here at twisted. we’ve got bags and purses, both felted and not, and more are en route right now (the stylish and fun black sheep bags).
did we ever mention that we have a ballwinder and swift? we are happy to wind up any yarn you purchase here, and we even have a house-elf whose primary job is to wind our yarn (hee, hee just kidding - this is one of our absolute favorite little guys, and whose mother is becoming quite an accomplished sock knitter):
Jul
twisted classes are here
Posted by Shannon in the shop, classes, eventsthe schedule for twisted classes and events has been posted, and we are stoked. we have fabulous teachers, exciting techniques, and fun events. please check out the classes and events page, and register soon!
Jul
housekeeping and new stuff continued
Posted by Shannon in the shop, yarn, socks, books6. in the next month, keep your eyes peeled for more great indie sock yarns to arrive at twisted. we have placed orders with three exciting women, and expect to continue to add to our sock-yarn stash. we have also ordered more of our regulars: yarntini, zen string, dream in color, and woolarina, so check back frequently.
7. more alpaca with a twist just arrived. we’ve expanded our selection of fino, their lovely lace-weight alpaca-silk blend, and have even more colors on backorder. some industrious and talented twisted customers are using this soft, gorgeous laceweight for the mystery stole, and one is using it for the ever-lovely shetland triangle shawl from interweave’s wrap style (one of my favorite triangular shawl patterns). we also have some bulky-weight alpaca, and a fabulous, limited-availability alpaca-silk worsted-weight barberpole-y yarn, great for a soft, lovely, simple scarf or hat. emily is working on a neck-cowl out of the landscapes, which i am sure we will be fighting over come the winter months. it’s so soft and lofty and warm.
8. twisted has enough kureyon to make a killer lizard ridge. thanks to alexa, who has inspired us to begin a lizard ridge afghan to keep twisted warm in the winter months.
9. we just received some fantastic new books, including yarnplay by lisa shobhana mason, fitted knits by stefanie japel, and domiKNITrix by jennifer stafford. these three are all written by bloggers who have crossed over from the electronic to the paper worlds.
10. we now have gift certificates. come on in and grab one for your favorite crafty lady or gent.
Jul
twisted housekeeping and some new stuff
Posted by Shannon in the shop, yarn, socks, bagsa random list of random twisted updates, to be continued tomorrow…
1. we are pleased to announce that we are getting closer and closer to finalizing our class schedule, and should be sending an email out in the next few days.
2. we have just received some amazing handmade bags by laurie ann of white lotus projects. laurie ann is one of those women who can do anything, and who does absolutely everything well. beautiful handmade notion purses made from recycled upholstery fabric and lined with raw silk. great for all your knitting tools or to use as an elegant evening clutch.
form + fashion = perfection.
(i couldn’t quite capture the inside of these bags - raw silk in complementary, and, in many cases, eye-poppingly bright and beautiful colors, so come on in to check them out in person).
3. more trekking color #100. this stuff went fast these past few weeks, but we have just received a shipment, so get it while it’s hot, people.
4. remember to sign up for our newsletter, and enter the july twisted contest - come on, crafty peeps - explore your inner poet(ess)!
5. we have free wi-fi here at twisted! great for the non-knitting partners you bring in, as well as for doing that all-so-important internet recon for your next fab project.
Jul
heaven, we’re in heaven
Posted by Shannon in the shop, yarn, socks
we just received a shipment of a new-to-us indie-sock-yarn, karen’s heavenly creations. karen told us to don our sunglasses before opening the box, and, boy, are we glad we did! these colors are gorgeous: bright, super-saturated, rich, yummy. in other words, just plain fantabulosa. we heart karen.
the base yarn is a soft fingering weight superwash merino from australia, and karen’s colors are to ‘dye’ for. (sorry about that, folks - i couldn’t help myself). one skein will make a nice-sized pair of socks, and we are thinking a simple stockinette sock or maybe even some ribbing on the cuff would complement the colors nicely.
so come on in, have an ice-cold and uber-refreshing columbia gorge organic juice, grab a skein of karen’s heavenly creations (we’ll even wind it for you) and a sock bag (we’ve got a few great ones to choose from), take a seat on our couch, and knit in our air-conditioned space.
oh, and by the way, there is a community garage sale in the sullivan’s gulch neighborhood this weekend, and we’ll have maps of the participating houses here in the shop.
Jul
knitting on the road
Posted by Shannon in the shop, bags
about a month ago, my hubbie and i met some friends for mini-burgers and beer at pause, and i met the most talented, amazing woman. stacy is a newbie sock knitter (but we can see the mania beginning in her eyes), and an uber-crafty chick. she had her first complete sock ever in the cutest little bag you ever did see, and, as i fondled her sock, i drooled, just a bit, over her bag. i asked her if she would be into selling them in this new knitting/craft shop thing i was getting ready to do, and she got all excited, and may have drooled her own darned self. emily and i met with her the next week, and the samples she had worked up were so super-fabulous, emily ended up drooling a little bit, too. (good thing these bags are water-resistant) after we all discreetly wiped our mouths we got down to business. stacy went home, worked with her wonderful man on a logo, and got to sewing. a few days before opening, they came by and dropped off a bag of bags, and, let me tell you, these bags have been a hit.
as sock knitters all over the universe know, socks are the bestest knitting projects ever, because, once you get the hang of them, they are fairly easy, even memorizable (although, for those of us looking for a challenge, they can be made much more difficult, fairly easily), and best of all, they are extremely transportable. but, and i know i am not the only one out there who does this, what seems to work best when shoving them into one’s purse is a plain old, ugly, ziplock bag. that’s until stacy the yarn traveler came along, with her stellar craftsmanship, her take-anywhere (read: oil cloth) sensibilities, and most of all, her amazing prints. emily and i each snagged our own - emily got a sock monkey one, and i grabbed a sweet marimekko one. we love them. and so, without further ado, some photos:
remember, we have these and more in-shop - there are sock-sized bags and smaller ones for needles and notions. or, as an alternative use, one of our non-knitting friend remarked that they would make the greatest little travel bags for makeup and other essentials.
Jul
the visitors
Posted by Shannon in the shop, blogging
we have this great function on our website that gives us all kinds of stats and information, and i must say, i have become a bit obsessed with it. seeing where folk are coming from is awesome, and if someone links to us, we know it. in fact, today, we are going to link BACK to those that have linked TO us. you can then read what kind of first impression twisted gave to bloggers around the city.
sharon from chickenlips knitting was in here, and seems to have dug the shop (in fact, i believe her exact words included the phrase “off tha’ hook,” one of my personal favorites
we had a mention in daph’s blog, and the fact that she referred to twisted as “uber hip” made us giggle with glee
tammy and her daughter stopped by the other day, and she gave us some props on her bloggie-blog (oh, and, tammy? we may just be more evil than you think - mwahh-hahhh-haaahhh!)
siri, who has not even BEEN here yet, gave us a plug on her beautiful blog (come on out here, siri - we are saving a comfy spot on the couch just for you!)
and, last, but certainly not least, our own little neuroknitter, who used to be a blog-mate of ours, came by and wrote us up at our old home, we heart yarn. it was so great to see you, nk!