A Full Service Yarn and Needlepoint Store on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Canvases!
More Charlie Harper
Male Voodoo Doll
Finished Objects.
Joann finished a sweater!
Cindy finished a few as well.
Judy finished an entrelac poncho.
Lots of finishing came back last week, but it went right out to eagerly waiting needlepointers so fast that we didn’t get many pictures. Here are a few for you, though.
It’s been a few weeks since we’ve had an update. That’s because we have been very busy around here. We’ve been doing a little tidying up and moving of stuff. Come in and see the changes.
The thread room looks a little different as well.
Now for the stuff you need to know.
We have some yarn on sale and it’s not just the clearance stuff. For the month of August both Provence and Silky Wool are 25% off.
Provence
Silky Wool
Knitting Books are also 50% off.
Classes
Crochet 101. August 16 & 30. $50 for two sessions — includes materials.
Learn the basics of how to crochet, starting at the very beginning. In this class you will learn how to: make a slip knot, crochet a chain, make a slip stitch, single crochet, Half Double Crochet stitch, and Double Crochet Stitch.
You will choose from cotton to make a washcloth or wool to make a scarf.
Knitting 101. August 23 & September 6. $50 for two sessions — includes materials.
This will be a great class to invite a friend to. It will be two sessions and we will cover the basics of knitting. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to learn to knit, this is it.
Toe-up Socks (two at a time, if you like). September 20 & October 4. $65 for two sessions — includes materials.
Learn Judy’s Magic Cast On and a short-row heel. The sock on the right is knit toe-up with a short-row heel. You can choose to do one or two at time.
We’ve got new stuff!!
Um… Madelinetosh!!!!
For Needlepointers
Finished Objects
… but now we are back.
We are Alive and Well.
We have heard from a few concerned customers that they have heard we are closing. Let me assure everyone that we are open and excited.
Welcome Michelle.
Next up, we would like to welcome Michelle to our team here at The French Knot. She is a very accomplished knitter, crocheter and cross-stitcher.. Welcome aboard, Michelle.
Classes Will be Resuming.
We are planning some classes for next month.
Crochet 101. August 16 & 30. $50 for two sessions — includes materials.
Learn the basics of how to crochet, starting at the very beginning. In this class you will learn how to: make a slip knot, crochet a chain, make a slip stitch, single crochet, Half Double Crochet stitch, and Double Crochet Stitch.
You will choose from cotton to make a washcloth or wool to make a scarf.
Knitting 101. August 23 & September 6. $50 for two sessions — includes materials.
This will be a great class to invite a friend to. It will be two sessions and we will cover the basics of knitting. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to learn to knit, this is it.
Speaking of classes, we have had an interest in Tuesday night classes. What do you think? Would you like to see some evening classes? Leave your opinion in the comments.
New Canvases
Here are a few new canvases. Also, Meg & Hunter will be going to Market in August, so now is the time to make your wishes known…
Tour of the Sale Room
We’ve been moving stuff around. So far, we’ve put all the sale yarn in the back room. I think you’ll like it. Come check it out.
Speaking of sales… Halloween canvases are 30% off through the end of July. We have also put books, patterns, and a bunch of canvases on sale to make room for whatever Meg finds at Market.
Finished Objects
Once there was a store, with friends far and wide,
That was invited to go on the road,
So they packed their wares in a great big truck,
It was an impressive large, heavy load.
The walls left behind, were a little bit sad,
And we’re sorry to those caught off guard,
By the shock of seeing the needlepoint gone,
When their day of shopping was marred.
We arrived at the show, and the hard work began,
To set up for our new friends to shop,
Their kindness and praise made it all worthwhile,
And the next three days went by non-stop.
Now we are home and somewhat recovered,
Still unpacking and setting things straight,
We are looking forward to what comes up next,
So keep checking in, it’ll be worth the wait.
Currently in the shop…
These awesome canvases will be in the shop for the rest of this week. Then we will take them to Baton Rouge next week and they will back in the shop from June 17- June 21.
Speaking of Baton Rouge… in case you haven’t heard, we are taking the needlepoint half of the shop to the Louisiana Lagniappe Chapter of the EGA next week. Don’t worry, yarnies, you can still come in to get something great for that new project or to strengthen your stash.
And as if a Melissa Shirley Trunk show wasn’t enough, the Jude Trunk Show starts on June 17.
Felting, or boiled wool, is the process of converting your knitted wool into something solid. Sometimes we want to felt our knitting. Other times, well… then it’s a tragedy. When done intentionally it is a great affect. When unintended, it becomes a doll sweater.
Wool felts so well because when wetted and agitated, the scales on the wool swell, rub against each other and bind together. This results in a denser, smaller fabric. Remember to check the label carefully since you do not want to use superwash wool. Superwash wool is treated either by a soak in an acid bath that removes its scales or it is coated with a polymer or resin and thus coated to prevent felting. Additionally, yarn with less than 60% wool will not easily felt.
Of course, as with all things knitting, there are multiple ways to accomplish your goals. An upright washing machine with an agitator and hot water is probably the easiest method, though it is possible to hand-felt certain items with lukewarm water. Some people add boiled water to assure that the water in the machine is good and hot. A zippered pillowcase will protect the item (and your washing machine) add jeans, tennis balls, towels or other bulky items to help with agitation. Check on it about 10 minutes into the washing process.
Since part of the felting process is shrinkage, it is important to consider how large you should knit your item. A good rule of thumb is 50% shrinkage in height and 30% in width, and swatching is recommended for garments. If you swatch, you won’t be surprised. Often, a felted project doesn’t have to be an exact fit. If the final dimensions are important, you should knit and felt a swatch.
24.5 inches before felting
21.5 after felting
Stop in and see some examples of felted knitting.
And now… finished objects.
Remember our Storewide Sale.
Canvases and most yarns 20% off.
…Announcing…
A Summer Sale
Ends on Saturday, June 7.
20% off canvases and most yarns.
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Finished Objects
We love to share your finished objects with everyone. If you have something you’d like to share bring it in or send us a picture. Click “info” (on the right) for a few more details.
Welcome to the May 15, 2014 edition of The French Knot Blog. We are so happy you’ve taken the time to see what we have to share with you this week. If you’re lucky, it will be very informative and slightly entertaining… but I can make no promises.
First up this week we have some fun stuff to show you.
Gumbo Pot Ornaments available exclusively from us!
Remember way back when… we received a bunch of fair trade baskets from Africa? They were quite popular and went fast. We have more. There is a nice variety of sizes and styles. Prices range from $30 – $70. Hurry up and get yours before they are gone.
We’ve also put together some Knitted Throw Kits. Lots of color combinations to choose from. The kits are $160.
New Kreinik colors!! Aren’t they pretty? We have these colors in #8, #12 and #16.
Good News About the Sale Wall! All Cascade 220 and all the Noro yarns (except sock) are now 50% off. Speaking of our Sale Wall… we have started listing our sale yarns on eBay. Now you can easily see what we are clearing out and of course ordering from eBay is super easy. Of course, you can still call us if you prefer.
The French Knot is going to take a little trip. The Louisiana Lagniappe Chapter of EGA has invited us to their 2014 Seminar. We will be the Seminar’s Boutique. We are excited about this opportunity even though it will mean moving a significant portion of our inventory to Baton Rouge for a few days.
Two Needlepoint Reminders…
Leona does amazing stitch guides. If you are stumped about what stitches would look good on a canvas, just ask. If you decide to have her do a stitch guide for your canvas, you will need to leave it with her for a few days. The cost for stitch guides depends on the complexity of the canvas.
Designer pillows
, large stand-ups &
kissing balls
Halloween… July 31
Thanksgiving/Hanukkah… August 27
Christmas… September 3
Christmas stockings & non-designer pillows (you choose the fabric)… September 20
Small ornaments & stand-ups… October 23
Speaking of Finishing…
Enjoy some stuff our friends have finished.
Start them stitching young,
They’ll be very glad you did,
When they are grown up.
Knitting is heathy,
For your mental well being,
So start something new.
Pull out that project,
Languishing in your closet,
Or come for new stuff.
Things are progressing nicely here with our new Point of Sale system. We continue to learn as we go, but we can now use it for sales. So now we plan to get back to our regular blog update schedule.
Some stuff you need to know…
Finishing deadlines.
Puffy ornaments, designer pillows, kissing balls, large stand-ups, vases, card boxes, purses (not including Julie Pishke Bags).
Halloween…July 31
Thanksgiving…August 27
Christmas…September 3
Stockings and non-designer pillows…September 20
Small ornaments & stand-ups… October 23
Upcoming Class
May 3 — Reading Your Knitting
Do you know how to tell if the stitch you are looking at is a knit stitch or a purl stitch? What about a k2tog versus an SSK? How do you tell why you ran out of stitches before finishing a part of your pattern? And what if you need to tink (that’s knit spelled backwards) a row to fix a mistake? We will cover techniques that will give you tools to fix mistakes in your knitting.
Finished Objects