We are happy to bring you the incomparable Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton!!  This accomplished designer, teacher and author will be at Kirkwood Knittery on March 1st.  Sign up now for her workshop Reflections (from 2-5pm, $65 including her book of patterns of the same name).

Cornelia describes the workshop:  With every new book that I do I try to include new techniques for my knitting audience… this one is no
exception with five distinct stitch patterns used in six ways to explore!
During this workshop you will learn the methods for zigzag shortrowing, an allover buttonhole stitch,
two different patterns with chevrons, surface weaving, slip stitching for texture and lattice cabling. We
will be looking at the garments from the book and swatching the techniques.
A basic understanding of knit and purl is all you need to know.

Can’t join us for the workshop?  Don’t worry, Cornelia will be sticking around that evening to sign copies of the book, and for an informal Q&A reception from 6-8pm.

P.S.  Shh, don’t tell anyone, but it’s Brooke’s birthday also – there may be cake!

Our newest pattern added to the Products page:  Noctilucent Pearls cocktail sweater, featured in the Winter 2012/2013 VogueKnitting Magazine.

Kirkwood Knittery and Peabody Opera House have teamed up to bring you a theater & fiber experience!  Flashdance The Musical will run at the Peabody from January 8-13th.  All the music you loved from the movie will be onstage, plus 16 more songs to get your feet moving with the music.

And to keep those muscles warm, we’re having a Legwarmers Contest.  Prizes will be awarded for every entry received, including a discount on tickets to see the show. Grand Prizes will be awarded for Best Legwarmers, and for Best FlashYarnBomb Photo.

All handmade legwarmers are eligible for the grand prize:  knit, crochet, weave, quilt or sew your legwarmers, in any size from doll to giant.    Purchased garments are welcome for donation to our mitten tree project, and will receive the entry prize package.

(The heroine of the show is in the construction business.  That has no bearing on this contest, except that we’re still under construction, too!  The opportunity to bring this to you all came up just last week, but we didn’t want to take away any more time from your knitting while we finalized all the tiny details.  We’ll post additional details, prizes and information here, on Facebook and on Ravelry as they develop.)

Pin legwarmers together, and label with your name, phone number, and email address.  Add the word “donate” to the label if you wish to include your entry in our mitten tree project benefiting Crisis Nursery.  Drop off legwarmers at Kirkwood Knittery by 5pm January 2, 2013.

Email or upload your FlashYarnBomb  photo to Robyn@kirkwoodknittery.com.  Please include the location of the photo and the date taken, along with your name, phone number and email address.   Deadline is 5pm January 2, 2013.

Enter as many times as you wish.  For each entry you will receive a 20-25% discount coupon for tickets to see Flashdance The Musical, 25% off your next purchase at Kirkwood Knittery, and 20% off your next haircut at Hair Theatre.  Additional prizes may be added, so check our Facebook page for updates!

Grand prize package includes tickets for 4 people to see the show, and a backstage Meet & Greet with the cast, along with some fabulous yarn from the Skacel Collection (used to create our sample pair), a free haircut from Hair Theatre,   Show off your flashy feet, maniac mullet, and steely stitching along with fellow theater-goers!

Grand Prize Winners will be notified on January 5, 2013.  By entering this contest, you give permission to share your name, and a photo of your entry with Peabody Opera House, Flashdance the Musical, Kirkwood Knittery, and other partners for promotional use in print, video and electronic media.

Kirkwood Knittery Hosting Community Networking Night

PLEASE NOTE:  THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.  WE’LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE NEW DATE IS SCHEDULED FOR THIS POPULAR EVENT.

 The first networking event resulted from casual conversations the owners kept hearing around their large community table, where people sit and work on their projects. Co-owner Brooke Nico remembers, “We noticed that our customers would often make connections while sitting at our table, and opportunities developed between them. We decided to create an evening all about fostering mutually-beneficial relationships.”The cash register is closed for the evening – this event is all about friends, old and new.

Community members—knitters and non-knitters–are encouraged to drop in to the after-hours event, bring their resumes, small business brochures and recommendations (handyman, babysitter, accountant, etc.). “Throughout the evening we’ll have people move to different tables so everyone has time to get to know each other and share their expertise and their needs. A couple of people who attended our first event landed jobs through the initial contacts they made that night,” said Nico.

“Kirkwood Knittery is a place where people can explore, shop, learn, and create,” adds co-owner Robyn Schrager. “We’re a community.”  Bring your knitting, crocheting, sewing, and enjoy mingling while stitching.  “We’ll have some nibbles, but if you have a cool recipe to share, we’re always up for that kind of networking too!”

October 12th is I Love Yarn Day.  But you know we’re never ones to completely follow the rules, so we’ve expanded this event to become I Love Brooke’s Yarn Month.  Brooke’s husband Jason conspired with me to clean out her stash while Brooke is teaching at STITCHES East.  (Of course, I’ve got stash of my own and my hubby Doug probably wants in on this deal too!)  But Brooke is gone and she’ll never know…!

So here’s your opportunity.  During October bring in something you’ve knitted or crocheted during the past year.  Allow us to photograph it and post it on our website, facebook page, or ravelry group (no, you don’t have to be in the picture if you don’t want to be), and you may select one skein of yarn from the stash.

Need some ideas for using your stash enhancement?  Visit www.iloveyarnday.com for ideas.

Frost is in the air – don’t let it nip your nose, fingers or ears!  We have new classes forming now to knit hats (Circles), scarves (Squares), and mittens (Mittens, Mitts). 

Don’t you often wish you could hold the back of your sweater to your own back to see how it fits?  Or really know if your cardigan fronts are the same length from your shoulders?  Or even if that wrap truly is long enough to wrap around?

We have the perfect workshop planned for you and a friend to solve these problems!  Sign up now for our special evening to make your own Duct Tape Dress Form.  We’ll supply the basic materials and the know-how to create your own body double – you supply the stuffing and the labor.  Here are the details:

October 1st, 7-10pm

Fee:  $45, materials included (You will need to bring materials for stuffing the inside of the dress form, such as recycled plastic bags or newspapers).

Wear a close-fitting tee shirt.    Your partner will be up-close and personal, so make sure it is someone with whom your feel comfortable!  If you don’t have a partner, we’ll match you up with staff or another single participant.

Call 314-822-7222 now to reserve your spot – this workshop is limited to 20 people.

We have the solution for you!  Join in our cables weekend on September 15 and 16, from 1-4pm.  Each class is designed to help you understand and master this showy, yet simple, knitting technique.  Only a few spots remain, so sign up today.

When Gauge & Yarn Meet – a Fibery Fable! There’s still a few spots left in this weekend’s classes at Kirkwood Knittery. Saturday we’ll explore gauge: what is it, how to get it, and why it’s important. Sunday is all about yarn: properties of various fibers, colors, substitutions, and care of your finished objects.

These classes are for both knitters and crocheters.  Call us at 314-822-7222 to register.

Though the leaves are falling early, the Fall yarns are beginning to arrive, right on schedule!  We have some new yarns from Trendsetter including Waikiwi (a lovely lace – fingering weight superwash yarn) which is perfect for socks or shawls, Geisha with its spun-in fans of color (see scarf) and a bulky weight 100% wool.  Mmm, I see a felted project bag in the future….