Goodbye 2009!

We are at the dawn of a new year and so we've taken a moment to reflect on some of our previous knitted objects from 2009. Some of them caused us great stress and frustration as we knitted them while learning a new technique. But being at the yarn garage we've always had the knowledge that Steven would be there to help us with finishings, casting on, jogless stripes and other things. So, from your knitters of 2009 and previous years, we say a huge thanks to Steven, a true knitting guru.




Even though Christmas is over and our garments having been wrapped and tucked neatly under the tree for their intended, winter is still upon us. From what I've heard, winter is cold and filled with snow. Which means we still have a whole season of cold before us to knit for.



Steven has an array of wools and patterns in the shop. With any luck when your head stops whirring with the sight of all the yarn goodness you might be able to find one pattern to start knitting. I suggest finding something that heralds in a wonderful new year and make it a benchmark in time for a new knitting year.

Christmas on the way!

Christmas is in the air and it smells like Namaste bags and machine washable yarn...and cookies. There was plenty of new things in the store and we showed them off last night. Like the new chic Namaste bags in red. Vibrant and beautiful, they'll hold your projects and catch compliments.

We also had a sampling of hors d'oeuvres and cookies. Deb brought in stuffed mushrooms and generously handed out the recipe. They were delicious and fresh and looked beautiful.


Amidst of all the hub bub and food, was yarn piled on yarn and then insulated of fresh unopened bags of yarn. Machine washable yarn from Plymouth.

Plymouth Select
100% Superwash Merino Wool
5sts=1" on #7 needle
100 gms/ 218 yards

Mary also brought in a new dress she made for a little girl. This cute dress is made with all the cute details any jumper needs.

Pockets in seed stitch and accents of gold, red and white garter stitch sewn on the front.


An adorable hem in garter and seed stitch. Done in stockinette stitch, it comes together as a beautiful heirloom piece and warm for the winter. There's so many little details she put into this dress that just shows how much care one can put into a knitted garment for someone they love.

The Glitter Knitter Gang delivers Charity Knitting to Mary Jo Copeland's Sharing and Caring Hands.

We had a blast taking the gifts to Mary Jo Copeland's Sharing and Caring Hands. I wish all of you who so selflessly gave of your time and the wonderful Yarn Companies who donated the yarn could have been with us.

Thanks to all.

Hey!!! I am working with Meghan on some new exciting projects

There is a diversity of artistic expression going on at StevenBe. We celebrate music, fine arts and of course, Fashion Design. Meghan has come from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She graced us one of the warm sunny days of November with her runway show. We gave her a StevenBe Project Runway type challenge. She is creating a dress for StevenBe. Check out her progress on her blog.

We welcome all of you to bring in your joy and creativity. See you at StevenBe or The Yarn Garage.

Snow Day

With yesterday's weather, it's no surprise some of us couldn't make it to the knitting class. Those who stayed home felt the storm was in fact proof of a higher power...who wanted us to stay home in our pajamas and knit...preferably by a fire with cookies and hot chocolate. So, we're going to revisit some things from past classes that we didn't get a chance to talk about.


We all know of Steven's ingenious design ability and his knack for making something chic and innovative with few materials. His new design is revolved around Fiber Welding. A neat art form that takes wool roving and a felting needle to make a design. Add this to clothes, bags, shoes, hats and scarves to fancy anything up. Steven has been pondering on making this a class. If you're interested, drop him a line and let him know!

Also to note in the travel guide, Fiber and Fabric Mania, Steven has two ads offered for his Shops. One strictly for Steven Be and one for both Steven Be and the Yarn Garage. So if you're reading this and are out of town and want to stop by, Steven will be sure to be at either store. Drop by and say hello...but be sure to bring your needles.

Wall to wall knitting

This week was so packed with knitters that seats were few and far between. Steven had so many people there that we only showed a few samples of new yarn. There were many new faces which is great to see. Just to give you an idea of how packed it was..here's a shot of the store.. Can you find Steven?


We did watch Steven do a great lesson on how to create jogless stripping. When working in two or more colors in the round, you often have a "step" from one color to the next that gives the impression of a seam in your work. This is annoying to most people, so Steven showed the novices as well as the knitters of experience a simple way to avoid this.


Also, those of you who want to do some charity knitting, Mary is in need of hats, mittens and scarves. Sizes should be for 5 and under. They're going to children of need in Northern Wisconsin. So, if you're interested you can drop them off at the Yarn Garage by December 16th.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Fiber Friends of the Yarn Garage and Steven Be!

Today, we're going to take a break from our usual broadcast of knitterly things to sit with family, eat some pie and click our needles together.

If you haven't heard there's a "Holiday Alert" on the Yarn Garage Website. Here's the run down...

• Closed Thursday Nov. 26th at both locations

• Nov. 27th open regular Friday hours in both locations Take advantage of our B.B.F.F. B.S. (Big Blowout Fiber Frenzy Bag Sale)

• Sunday Nov. 29th is our After Thanksgiving Knitting, Felting & Spinning Get-A-Way at StevenBe! The B.B.F.F.B.S. will explode with additional shipments. Casual "brunch & munch" catering by Turtle Bread.

• Thursday Dec. 3rd at StevenBe! Member and friends day.

• Sunday Dec. 6th Holiday Fiber Festival for all at StevenBe's.

...Please see the website for more information.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and we'll be back with more fiber related things next week!

Pixie Purls

As the last week before Thanksgiving creeps up on us knitters, we started turning our thoughts to that next holiday that seems to turn our thoughts from ourselves to others. Many of us have our minds set on charity knitting for those in need this year for Christmas. Others have someone special in mind and a to do list of knitting geared towards them.


Brenda finally finished her hooded scarf and showed it off for us. We all discussed how she could bring her pockets in. Deb suggested crocheting them in where I thought a button might do it. We decided to ask Steven what he thought. He merely replied, "Crochet them in and then add a button." Deb and I realized we both work well together.


Mary's hat made it to her recipient, a darling little recipient, that wears it very well. Mary had enough yarn left to whip up this adorable pixie-like hat for this little girl who's mom brought it with for a professional photograph. She's 9 months old and already walking!

There's also some new yarn in this week.

Colinette: Art
79% wool/ 21% Bamboo
173 meters/100 g
5mm Needles

Knitterly Details

We had so many finished objects this week, we spent a good portion of the class showing it off to everyone. Everyone donned their newest creations or passed it around for everyone to inspect and admire. Mittens, shrugs, blankets, all projects had their 15 minutes of fame.


A new dress made by Mary for a special little girl. Metallic silver yarn with a Poinsettia flower coordinating with burgundy trim. A holiday dress for sure and an heirloom to be treasured.


Here's a close up of the detail. (Click on picture for a larger image. Believe me, it's worth it for this beautiful dress!)


Deb showed off her newest creation. She had a fur vest laying around that she felt needed a bit of sprucing up. Her and I both agreed on wearing fur vests just don't seem the same as a fur coat. So, she knitted sleeves in matching colors and sewed them onto her vest. (Would it surprise you that she knit them in seed stitch?)


Also, our new item this week is Delightful. No, really, it's called Delightful. Soft and light, it has a wonderful halo that adds a bit of whimsy to any project.

Kollage: Delightful
68% Kid Mohair, 22% Viscose, 10% Acrylic
100 yards
4 sts = 1" on #8 needles

Knitting Vangaurd

We at the Yarn Garage know how important it is to fill the need of each and every knitter. We offer so much variety at the store, it's difficult to show it all. So, we have Steven select a few pieces for us, allowing us to oh and ah over it while we knit. I think this equates to dinner and a show for us.

New into the store is Haiku Knits by Tanya Alpert. There are 25 patterns inside, modern and classy, with a Japanese twist. There are knits for all levels of knitters offered in it. From cables to straight forward knit stitch, this book has a wonderful array of choices.

A popular addition to the store is Addi Click interchangeable needles. With 10 different needle tips sizes (3.5mm, 3.75mm, 4.0mm, 4.5mm, 5.0mm, 5.5mm, 6.0mm, 8.0mm, 9.0mm, and 10.0mm) and three different lengths of cord (24", 32" and 40"). Anyone who has knit with addi turbo can attest to it's speed, durability and pleasure to knit with. The wonderful thing about this luxurious needle set, it requires no tools to change the needles. Simply insert the cord, twist and enjoy!

Mr. Noro

With yarn abound and seemingly holding up the ceiling of the store, you'd think we knitters don't get very excited over anything new. Truth is, we love it. Call it wool, call it fiber, call it yarn, but what ever you do, don't call it string. It's more, and you won't know it until you can indulge in the connoisseur side of the knitting world.


This week, the store got in a very large and very much loved shipment of Noro. Sarah, in the above picture, is modeling a wonderful shawl-like sweater. With lovely drape and gorgeous color play, it contrasts nicely with the black. Made completely from Noro, the self striping yarn allows for color change with out the hassle of adding new yarn.


Here is a close up of some of the much coveted yarn. As you can see, the coloring of each skein is vibrant and varying in many complimentary hues. Some of the skeins contrast sharply between colors only create a wonderful variant spectrum. Come in and see all the colors the store offers!

Hats and Lessons

This Wednesday night was warm inside, despite the cold rainy weather outside. It had been raining and cold all day, with promises of more dismal weather ahead, we sat insulated by the woolen yarn around us.

There we all shared our projects. Cheryl showing off her first knit garment. She's quite happy with the results as you can see, hopefully we'll see more garments from her.


Jesse modeled a hat and sweater jacket duo. The hat is actually two hats knit into one large connecting tube for added warmth. Just what is needed here in Minnesota winters.


When not modeling sweaters and hats, she has time to teach new students the craft of knitting. It's hard not to become inspired when surrounded by so much yarn. If you have some time and a desire to create, come in and ask for some lessons, Jesse is a diligent and patient teacher.

Steven is doing a wonderful seminar for the Minnesota Knitters Guild, Northern Lights Affiliate at Fitger's Inn, Duluth today. Note the worlds largest fiber color wheel. This is the core of Steven's super stashbuster which all in attendance will understand when the day is done.

Cozy Up and Cast On

With Autumn in full bloom already and mutterings of an early snow, now would be great moment to take advantage of the cold weather and unwind with a skein of wool. Socks, mittens, hats and scarves, the choices are boundless and tempting.

In the store, there's some handy 9" needles from Clover. These are excellent for smaller projects like mittens, specially those fair isle Norwegian mittens that are so beautiful. They're made from bamboo, which offers enough stick for your yarn to ensure it won't slip but slick enough to make your projects fly.


Melissa also taught a class on lace knitting and here's a scarf made by one of the people who attended. It's made from Rain by Bee Sweet. A bamboo blend that feels so soft to the skin but warm enough to act as a great substitute to wool for those with allergies or who want variety in their warm weather wear. It also has a gradient from a darker color to a lighter shade, giving it a rain washed look.

At Winter's Door

With Autumn on our door step and Winter making it's way up the road behind it there's much buzz going on about what to knit next. People made their way in to the store that hadn't knit in over a year and loaded baskets with warm wool with varied hues. Not sure what would be knit with it, but knowing that it must be warm, pretty and knit by hand.

The "New Twist On The Block" cowl is a huge hit. An easy and quick knit this works up fast. With an added "twist" it settles in nicely on the neck and allows you to wear it with any ensemble.

Here's the finished bag that we saw a few weeks ago, finally felted and dried. All stitches are invisible and hidden allowing the colors to meld perfectly into each other. Would it surprise you she's making another...with a hat to match?

Also, check out this blog's podcast.

We're mentioned here on Crafty Pod.

Elegant Day at StevenBe

What an elegant opening day!!! Jazz playing live, multiple demos, brand new products, a fantastic Fiber Artist Disneyland and the Glitter Knitter was in the house, in fact, his house. (He lives upstairs.) If you have not been there, you are out of the creative fiber artist loop.

Don't hesitate to get on the email list and find out when you can next visit StevenBe's