Kids, Cookies & Carvings

Yesterday, there were bat and ghost cookies to make:




Pumpkins to carve:



Power tools to hold:



A grandpa to help:



A big brother who makes us laugh:



And bikes to ride off into the sunset:



Such a beautiful day!

Wishing all much fun in preparing for and celebrating Halloween!

Scarf Soup

Sometimes the answer to "what's for dinner?" is "scarf soup". Or "hat soup", or "wrap soup", or ... you get the idea! This delicious cowl is knit from one skein of hand-dyed Kidlin, a linen/mohair blend that is surprisingly soft.
The pattern, "Myra" by Louet, falls in the lace category and while it is not a difficult pattern, it's hard to gain speed. This is most likely due to the width of it and the eyelet work. So it's best to sit back with this one and loving create every stitch, appreciating the gorgeous texture and depth of color. I finished and steam blocked it yesterday morning and when I put it around my neck for the first time, I thought: Uh oh, everyone is going to be sick to death of seeing me in this because I Love It! If neutral colors aren't your thing, we have a beautiful selection of jewel tones. Shoot, as I think about them, I just know I'm going to have to knit one in color now (despite my obligation to knit shop samples)! Probably the raspberry & orange one! Darn this blog and my roaming thoughts.

Introducing Grinning Cat Yarns

We are so thrilled to introduce Grinning Cat Yarns, hand-dyed here in San Diego by our very own Joni Schulz. I hardly ever come across a yarn enthusiast (in every day life) who actually loves yarn more than I do. Joni is one such person. Man, it doesn't take her long to learn anything! Her byline is "curiouser and curiouser" and that is Joni personified. Not content to just knit, she started spinning a few months ago...not content to just spin, she started hand-dying weeks ago! And the results of her recent forage into the world of color is truly extraordinary. A perfect way to try out her sock yarns is to take the Quilted Lattice Mitts class with Joni on Saturdays, Nov. 12th and 19th, from 1-3 p.m. at the Grove. Please click on our calendar (above right) for further details.

Contagious Relaxation!

Knitting can be contagiously relaxing...especially when you're knitting with hand-painted Chunky by Misti Alpaca. It's dreamy!

Knitivity

We just received "Knitivity, Create Your Own Christmas Scene" by Fiona Goble. Every critter and every human is irresistible. I'm not big on knitting little things because it's impossible to build up momentum, but I just had to knit baby Jesus! There he is posing right in front of the baby Jesus on the cover.

Once he is relieved of his swaddling, he is free to wave his arms and legs around without dislodging his diapers. (Luckily, they don't have to be changed because that would be a deal breaker.)

Now I don't know how far I'm going to go with this project, but I have finished Mary's robe. That's all I have to say on the matter.

Hand-Crafted Yarn Bowls from the 'Hood'

How I love this neighborhood! When Vogue published a page of incredible yarn bowls, we immediately thought of Plum Pottery, the pottery studio around the corner from us. Let's have 'em made right here in the hood, we said! And Brandy Noon, an accomplished ceramicist, was gracious enough to create a special line of them just for Grove customers! They are as practical as they are pretty and they frame our exquisite hand-dyeds beautifully. When you are knitting from a hand-wound ball or the outside yarn on a pre-wound ball, the ingenious design holds the ball in place while you pull freely as you knit. These are must haves, and I'm not kidding. And it's also a good for your soul to support a local artisan.

Goody Gumdrops!

YUM!!! The fall yarns have begun to arrive and it is a mouth-watering experience. The latest arrival is a delicious yarn called "Cortina" which are those beautiful gum drop balls on the top. I'm always looking for light-weight bulkies which hold their shape, are reasonably priced, and have good colors. Cortina is one such yarn! It has a nylon core wrapped in merino so it is light as a feather and soft as down. It retails for $9.95. At 2.5 sts. per inch on a #17, this yarn knits up ever-so-quickly.

Another huge yarn in color and texture, is Pagewood Farm's Rustic Spun yarn which is hanging on the sides of the shelves. It's hand-dyed (of course) and one skein knits up a luxurious scarf, long enough to wrap around your neck. Since it's a thick/thin yarn, garter stitch emphasizes the slubs to the max. It is a textural, color-drenched wonder.

And from Misti Alpaca, Baby Me Boo, has arrived. It is a blend of alpaca, merino and bamboo and it is as soft as a baby's cheek. We haven't gotten all the colors in yet, but we're off to a great start with ivory, red, green, and charcoal with more on their way. One skein makes a wonderful mobius cowl (which you'll see on our November class schedule).

Last but not least, on the bottom shelf, is our best-selling Chunky, by Misti Alpaca. Beware. You cannot touch this and put it back down without buying it. It should have a warning label on it!

So c'mon by and check out our new finds!