31

Oct

happy halloweeeeeeeen

Posted by Shannon in the shop, yarn, sale

the day has dawned foggy and creepy, the perfect day for halloween in our fair city.

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the biggest and baddest piece of news we have going on here at twisted is that we have put some yarn and needles on a more-or-less permanent sale status. out with the old and in with the new, that’s our motto. so, if you are in the mood for some sale yarns, come on by. and chocolate. today, we have chocolate (trick or treat, remember?) you don’t even have to be dressed in a costume to get a piece. of chocolate.


29

Oct

movie theater mishap. or, why knitting in public can be dangerous.

Posted by Shannon in yarn, knitting

i went the the laurelhurst the other night with my best peeps, the hubbie and the sister. we saw a heavy movie - sad, disturbing, very well-done, and i was working on a simple project with a looming deadline, so i stockinette-d away throughout most of the film. as the credits were rolling, and folks were filing out, a bit dazed, because the movie had no happy ending to speak of, i heard stefan whispering “shan. shan! SHAN!”). i turned around, and realized that i was trailing yarn behind me for, oh, about 30 or 40 feet. yeah. embarrassing. we followed the yarn-trail back into the theater, apologizing all the way, rolling it back up, untangling it from around the feet of fellow movie-goers…boy, was i glad the lights hadn’t yet been raised all the way.
theoffendingyarn.jpg

the lesson to take away from this? no, not the whole ‘maybe you shouldn’t knit in a movie-theater’ thing, but that we should all take a minute, after knitting in public, particularly in poorly-lit public places, to make sure we have the entirety of our project safely tucked away in our big-ass bags before leaving.

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this public service announcement has been brought to you by twisted, who are off today and this half of which is knitting diligently and safely away, ignoring the call of the evil that is house-work.

and, fyi, the yarn is araucania’s nature wool.


27

Oct

back by popular demand: amigurumi

Posted by Shannon in classes, crochet

for those of you who were dying to make super-crazy-cute amigurumi love, it’s baa-aack!

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Amigurumi Workshop
Sunday, Dec 9. 12:00 - 2:00 pm
with Michelle Molis
$20
Materials: worsted-weight or smaller yarn and crochet hook small enough to make quite tight fabric, Amigurumi book ($6), eyes
Included: stuffing

if you really want to make one (or a dozen) of these insanely fun, cute, and addictive things, but don’t have a clue how to actually crochet, well, don’t you worry - we’ve got you covered there, too. take our learn to crochet class:

Learn to Crochet
Sunday, Nov 11, 18, 25.
12:00 – 2:00 pm
with Brooke Krawetz
$60
Materials: 5.0 – 6.0 mm crochet hook, worsted-weight wool (preferably plain-colored and not too dark)


26

Oct

movie night tonight - please note change in movie

Posted by Shannon in events, movie night

tonight is movie night at twisted. we were going to show the ‘classic’ “attack of the crab monster,” but, unbeknownst to us, this movie is not yet on dvd. only video. ya’ll remember video, right? yeah, we have no vhs player. so, “attack of the crab monster” is out, “mad monster party” is in, waaaay in. and, it’s another ‘classic,’ so it will be an enjoyable and campy viewing.

mad-monster-party.jpgfrom imdb: “When Dr Frankenstein decides to retire from the monster-making business, he calls an international roster of monsters to a creepy convention to elect his successor. Everyone is there including Dracula, The Werewolf, The Creature, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and many more. But Frankenstein’s title is not all that is at stake. The famous doctor has also discovered the secret of total destruction that must not fall into the wrong hands!” you can’t go wrong with a 1960s animatronic film, featuring the voices of phyllis diller (yes, she of scooby doo fame - the woman loves to be rendered in cartoon form!) and boris karloff.


25

Oct

lisa, the sweater

Posted by Shannon in yarn, books, knitting

if you’ve been in the shop, and wanted to knit this:

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but wondered about the pattern, well, wonder no more, because we just got this book in:

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with the lovely lisa pattern, and many many more.

oh, and we have oodles of debbie bliss’ cashmerino lines, too - and many more pattern books to go along with ‘em!


22

Oct

done.

Posted by Shannon in yarn, patterns, knitting

this one’s for donee, and chris, and all of the other folks who have been asking and asking, “shannon, when in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks are you going to FINISH that sweater?????” well, let me tell you, my fears of finishing were completely and totally unfounded, because, and brace yourselves, folks, it wasn’t that bad (or difficult).

armed with my trusty copy of ’stitch ‘n bitch,’

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a tapestry needle,

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and my new favorite notions,

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i spent two evenings seaming away, and she is finished.

the donegal tweed chunky was a pleasure to work with - it’s not the softest yarn in the shop, but it shore is purty. working on size 10.5’s ain’t half bad. after primarily knitting socks or shawls for the past two years, handling a big ole needle like that is quite a change, and sure does hurry up the knitting. i tell you, the actual knitting on this puppy was done at least a month ago. washing and blocking this behemoth gave me quite a work-out, not to mention soaking my kitchen floor, and it’s been ‘drying’ since friday night. oh, and she still needs buttons, but for all intents and purposes, she is done.

so, without further ado, let me introduce ya’ll to kilcar, the BIGGGGGGest sweater coat EVA:

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i’m hoping she’ll be completely dry by tomorrow, so she can come in to twisted with me. i’ve tried her on, and she’s big, folks - a big ole, comfy sweater coat perfect for the coming winter.

yaay for finishing!


21

Oct

Sock Heels-o-rama

Posted by Emily in socks, classes

Just wanted to let everyone know that there are still spots open in Chrissy Gardiner’s workshop this Wednesday on Sock Heels. Those of you who have knit a few socks know that you can more or less substitute any heel into any sock pattern. Some heels are prettier, others are faster, still others are better for high insteps, and etc. So take this opportunity to learn a few types of heels to add to your repertoire! Just give us a call to sign up: 503-922-1150.

Short row heel Gusset heel

20

Oct

Ta-da

Posted by Emily in socks, books

Just a little F.O. report here. I have been working on these forever and, well, just got a bit sick of them. I picked them up again and darned if when I measured all I had left to do was the toe! So, a mere hour later I had a finished Traveler’s Stocking from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. In Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Cherry color on two Addi Turbo 2.5mm circular needles.

Knitting on the Road Sock Full Length

I love this sock.
Sock Detail
Here’s the sock with another item in our store that is cherry colored and luscious - a painting by artist and friend Bonita Davis.
Sock and Cherries


19

Oct

Crazy Aunt Purl

Posted by Emily in books

Those of you who read blogs are certainly familiar with Crazy Aunt Purl, a.k.a. Laurie Perry. Laurie has a new book out called Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair: The True-Life Misadventures of a 30-Something Who Learned to Knit After He Split. (Has any book, ever, anywhere had a better title?!)

Well, Laurie is on a book tour and dropped in on lil’ ol’ us at Twisted yesterday morning! This is thanks to Mims and Peggy from the Oregonian’s knitting blog, K2tog, who interviewed her and suggested Twisted as a good place to meet. Check out their blog soon for the interview with this witty and fantastic crafty lady!
Laurie Perry
From left to right: Mims Copeland, Laurie Perry, Peggy McMullen.


18

Oct

the many wonders of crochet

Posted by Shannon in books, classes, crochet

crochet gets a bad rep, and we’re here to tell you, it just ain’t fair! there are many funky things one can do with crochet:

chanelbag.jpg1. create a designer knock-off

hyperbolicplane.jpg2. make a hyperbolic plane

jonnydepp.jpg3. who needs voodoo dolls, when you can make a little depp-love for your very own

pacman.jpg4. recreate your favorite video game characters: pacman, anyone?

6. or, check out this website, which is just plain FAB-YOUUU-LOUSSS, folks, and get a little inspiration

and that’s not even mentioning all of the beautiful, NORMAL things you can create with this wonderful fiber process. we have books like the happy hooker, and crochet me, with gorgeous crocheted garments and accessories.

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so come on in, take a class, learn a new skill, crochet away this winter.

Learn to Crochet
Sunday, Nov 11, 18, 25.
12:00 – 2:00 pm
with Brooke Krawetz
$60
Materials: 5.0 – 6.0 mm crochet hook, worsted-
weight wool (preferably plain-colored and not too
dark)

or, for folks who already know the basics and are ready to delve into the world of super-cute japanese amigurumidom…
Amigurumi Workshop
Sunday, Dec 9. 12:00 - 2:00 pm
with Michelle Molis
$20
Materials: worsted-weight or smaller yarn and
crochet hook small enough to make quite tight fabric,
Amigurumi book ($6), eyes
Included: stuffing

give us a call at 503.922.1150 or stop in to register for these super-fly classes.