Wednesday, November 28, 2012

For Your Review: The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns


Do you want to knit a sweater with some of our fabulous yarn, but just can't find the perfect pattern? It's Ann Budd to the rescue with this wonderful book.

Sizes range from a child's 26-inch chest to an adult 54-inch sweater, with 13 sizes in-between, so you're bound to find one that works for you (or your lucky sweater recipient.) Yarns range from chunky to fingering-weight, for every basic pattern, so you can use pretty much whatever you want!

Sweater styles would work for both men and women, and include drop-shoulder, modified drop-shoulder, set-in sleeve, saddle-shoulder, raglan and seamless yoke sweaters. For the knitter who wants a little more guidance, each style also has a few "copycat" patterns. For, say, a fabulous zip-front jacket.

You choose your yarn, needles, and gauge - Ann does all of the math for you!

Happy Knitting!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Show and Tell, Guinevere Socks


ladybugaloo on Ravelry knit a beautiful pair of Guinevere socks (from the Anastasia Socks pattern by MintyFresh) out of one skein of Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock.



Here’s what she had to say about them:

Favourite part : learning how to do toe-up socks, it was my first time and I really liked it.

Advice : I don’t think I really have any advice, it was a really straight forward pattern and the chart was easy to memorize. I’d say, make sure you read through the pattern first so you know how the chart works…once you hit the leg, you don’t need the entire chart.

Thanks, ladybugaloo! Your socks look so pretty and warm. The photo is used from her Ravelry page, with permission.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

WWSD...What Would Steven Do....

On Small Business Saturday?

He would start his day with a visit to May Day Cafe and get his morning coffee and a chocolate croissant. 


Or perhaps the GIGANTIC cinnamon roll. 

Then,  he would swing over to Opitz Outlet for a leisurely shopping experience. 

Who knows what designer deals he will discover!

After that, he would refuel at Urban Bean.  You know how Steven loves his coffee!!

Then, he would have his hair cut and colored at East 42nd St Salon.

I am sure he would need to eat at some point, so off to Wilde Roast Cafe!

He would have the Roxy with cheese and take some cake home for dessert!  YUM!!

Now, we ALL know he isn't ACTUALLY doing this today.  He is work at StevenBe to spread knitting cheer to all on this most important shopping day.  Whether you visit one of our stores or another small business, please think of all your favorite small businesses!  Without your support, we wouldn't be here!  

What will you be doing on Small Business Saturday? 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Best in the Twin Cities!

We were named THE BEST ARTS AND CRAFTS shop in Minneapolis/StPaulMagazine.com's Best of the Twin Cities edition!  Allison Kaplan named us one of the best of the best!!  Thank you to everyone who has made us the best!

Monday, November 19, 2012

This is how WE PONCHINI!!

Check out this AMAZING post about our Charity Hat Knitting day and Steven's beautiful ponchini!


Show and Tell, Trillian Shawl


ingabean on Ravelry made a fantastic Trillian Shawl using two skiens of Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock.



This is what she had to say about it:

I had two favorite parts about knitting this project. The first was watching the beautiful variegation playing out in the pattern. The second was how quickly the pattern seemed to go.

If a friend was thinking about knitting it too, I would say DO IT! The pattern is clear, easily memorizable, unique, and quick.

Lovely knitting, ingabean! Thanks for sharing. (The photo is from her Ravelry page, used with her permission.)

If you are on Ravelry, you can see more about ingabean here.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.



Friday, November 16, 2012

CALLING ALL Fiberistas! - More November Classes at StevenBe




Designer Class w/ Steven!
Fiber Fusion Design
A Premier "After Work" Class
3 Session Class
Tuesdays, Nov. 27th, Dec. 4th, and 18th -
5:30 to 8:00PM
StevenBe in Minneapolis

This is a unique approach to original garment design. It is inspiration to knitters and crocheters with an artistic and a fashionista perspective. Students are encouraged to bring unusual and unique elements in addition to a selection of fibers. This fiber fusion approach uses paper pattern templates and freeform needlework with an array of fibers and textures. Trend and fashion research is encouraged prior to class as well as a personal consultation with StevenBe via phone or email.

SPACE IS LIMITED

Class Fee: $48

REGISTER NOW


Finish your Knits w/ Style!

Block, Seam, and Succeed Class
With Nancy Wynn
Wednesday, November 28th
4:00PM to 7:00PM
StevenBe in Minneapolis

Have a shawl that's supposed to a triangle and looks more like a curly Q?
Have a hat that was meant for an adult but looks more fit for a toddler?
Think that Kitchener sounds more like an appliance than a technique?  
This is the day for you! Nancy and Steven have put together a workshop to answer these questions, share the tips, and take you through the techniques to finish your hand knits with style.

Class Fee: $48

REGISTER NOW



 
Check it before you Wreck It!
Gauge Class w/ Nancy Wynn
Friday, November 30th
4:00 to 7:00PM
StevenBe in Minneapolis

Master the math of gauge and break free of the written pattern. When you understand gauge and how yarn works, you can knit your size, master your pattern and take control of your yarn destiny.
Nancy is your guide to this project changing workshop.

Bring your UFO's or New Projects to class to inspect and perfect how gauge works for you.

Learn how to check your gauge in multiple stitch patterns including ribbing and the basics.

Discover yarn requirements for the top knit projects and never have to ask "Is this enough to make a scarf?" again

Learn the difference between yarn weights so you can translate the yarn you want to the project you love.

Master the math of gauge with Nancy's Hottest tips and tricks.

Class Fee: $48

REGISTER NOW


Take a Sneak Peek into December by checking out our new classes. They are added weekly to our online calendar.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

SHOP SMALL - SHOP LOCAL - SAVE BIG - WIN BIG


Save the Dates!



Friday, November 23rd - Saturday, November 24th - Sunday, November 25th

SHOP SMALL - SHOP LOCAL - SAVE BIG - WIN BIG

The Best Shopping of the Season is at StevenBe and the Yarn Garage next weekend. We have rolled out the red carpet and the BIG DEALS for this celebration of shopping small and supporting local!

MAKE YOUR WEEKEND MAGICAL:

1. Take 15% OFF any purchase of $50 or MORE!
2. Take an additional 5% OFF when you pay with CASH or CHECK and use your own shopping bag.
3. Receive a FREE GIFT with every qualifying purchase. (Cute and Collectable buttons)
4. Free Exclusive Pattern when you collect 3 FREE GIFTS!
5. Daily Door Prizes worth over $25

(Discounts cannot be combined with other offers or coupons. Discount not available on Gift Certifcates, Signature Needles, Addi Needles, or Handmade products. Other exclusions may apply. No Special Orders. In-Stock Merchandise ONLY)

SHOP LOCAL BONUS!

Get 1 entry into our ULTIMATE GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY for every $40 you spend at another qualifying local business over the holiday weekend...
Show us your receipts from other local businesses and we will give you 1 entry for every $40 spent into our Grand Prize Giveaway that includes a full serivce fiber party at StevenBe or the Yarn Garage for you and up to 12 friends.
Details available in store. A qualifying local business is defined as owned and operated within a 30 mile radius, operating no more than 2 store fronts. Online retailers are not applicable.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

CALLING ALL CHARITY KNITTERS


Help us make a difference in our community this Holiday Season!

Charity Knitting Day and Collection Drive at StevenBe in Minneapolis.

Saturday, November 17th - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.



We're just like you. We're teachers, business executives, parents, retirees, students...you name it. But the one thing we all have in common is our dedication to those in need. Join us at StevenBe for this day where we combine our Passion, our Neighbors, and our Community in the ultimate acts of charity. Barb Melom and Joan Gilbertson head up this charity knitting day bringing groups and individuals from all over the city to support Hats for the Homeless and the StevenBe Creative Community Foundation.

Let us know you are attending. 


Your Passion
Knitting for charity allows you to follow your fiber passion while contributing to a cause that's important to all of us.

Your Neighbors
We're all in this together. And volunteering is a great way to meet and get to know others in your fiber community and beyond.

Your Community
Your contributions will be distributed to local organizations recognized by hats for the homeless.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Show and Tell: Vintage Capelet

BrattyDuke on Ravelry (she prefers to keep her “real” name private) knit the Vintage Capelet by StevenBe in 2011.




Here’s what she had to say about it:

Best part of knitting this project: this capelet was a wedding present for my best friend's now wife. It was the first time I did a bespoke item for a bride and it was really fun working with her to pick a pattern and yarn that would fit her aesthetic. She's also a knitter, which added another level of bonding and excitement to the experience.

Advice: do NOT skip the ribbon finish around the top! I'm a notorious last-minute knitter and didn't finish until the night before the wedding, so there was no time to sew in the ribbon I'd forgotten to bring anyway. As the day wore on, the capelet got looser and looser until it was almost impossible to keep on.

Thanks for the tip, BrattyDuke! It’s a lovely capelet. (The photo is from her Ravelry page, used with her permission.)

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Show and Tell, Marin Shawl


Monica Polomsky, known as Monikita on Ravelry, made a gorgeous Marin shawl from one skein of Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino Sock.



Here’s what she had to say about it:

My favorite part of knitting this project was the garter stitch as it made for perfect TV knitting. I also loved knitting with this yarn because it is so soft and squishy.



Advice for this pattern: Trust the pattern and follow the instructions line-by-line! Post-it notes really help in keeping track of where you are at in the beginning.

You can read more about Monica on her blog, monikita.livejournal.com.

Thanks for sharing, Monica! It’s a lovely shawl. (The photos are from her Ravelry page, used with her permission.)

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Minnesota Mittens - Thrummed Mitten Class w/ Nancy Wynn Starting This Friday!


When
3 class meetings:
Friday November 9, 2012 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM CST
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM CST
Friday November 16, 2012 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM CST

Where
StevenBe
3448 Chicago Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55407



The temperature is dropping but here at StevenBe we have the perfect class to warm up your chilly fingers--thrummed Minnesota Mittens! Lined with fluffy strips of roving, these mittens are warm, puffy and fun to knit!



Thrumming is all the rage--recently featured in Knitting Daily, editor Kathleen Cubley raved about the effect:

"On a recent outing to my local yarn shop, I tried on a lovely pair of mittens. They were so cute, knitted in stranded colorwork (I thought) with little white stitches dotting the dark blue background. Very simple. Then I put my hand in one of the mittens, looked up, and said 'What the . . .?' It felt like I had put my hand into a cloud!"

With an all-new spread of kits in glorious colors and a highly skilled teacher like Nancy Wynn, you can have the warmest and most stylish hands on the block!

More Information
Register Now!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

One Night Only: Tunisian Crochet Cowl with Carol






Contact
Steven Berg
Yarn Garage
651-423-2590

When
Wednesday November 7, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM CST

Where
Yarn Garage
2980 145th St W
Rosemount, MN 55068

Only $18 for this single-session class.

Wednesday, November 7th at Yarn Garage from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

An ancient technique resembling woven fabric, you will use a large hook with a cable extension to create this amazing cowl!

Supplies:

- Size P, Q, R, S, T, U, or Z Tunisian hook (depending on your yarn choice)

- 100 yards of solid colored yarn (suggested SMC Highland Alpaca)

- 100 yards of variegated or striping yarn (suggested Misti Alpaca Handdyed)

SUPPLIES MUST BE PURCHASED AT YARN GARAGE OR STEVENBE.

CLASSES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE AND NON-TRANSFERABLE. IF YOU CHOOSE THE PAY BY CHECK OPTION, YOU MUST PAY IN STORE WITHIN 3 DAYS TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT IN CLASS.

Register Now! 

Monday, November 5, 2012

Show and Tell: PB&J Cowl

Today, our show-and-tell chat is with Lara Neel, who stopped by to see us in June!

Jessie: What inspired you to tackle this project?

Lara: When I saw the Hello Purl batts lined up in a neat little cubby at StevenBe, I thought of my mother immediately. Like my mom, these batts had a lot of interesting elements and a little sparkle, too. So, even though I was just a beginning spinner, I took a chance and brought one home. My mom’s favorite color is purple, so I chose the PB&J batt.

The batt, split up and ready to spin.


Jessie: How long had you been spinning at that time?

Lara: About 3 months! I should have been nervous, I guess, but the batt was made so beautifully, I had no trouble at all. It spun up really easily. I just tore off strips from the batt, predrafted them a little, and spun them. I designed the cowl to knit out of it because I wanted to really show off the yarn, but also make something that wasn’t too boring. I made a cowl and called it the PB&J cowl, after the batt.

Singles.


Jessie: How did you end up with your design in the Ennea Collective?

Lara: I had been reading The Ennea Collective blog for a little while, and I had emailed them about design submissions. They answered that they liked distributing knitting designs, but they LOVED them if they also included handspun yarn. I had already knit up the cowl, and had written a pattern, so I photographed it and sent them a submission.

I was so excited when they said they wanted to publish the pattern! I think it’s a really fun one that could work in a lot of different yarns, and is easy (but doesn’t look TOO easy).



Jessie:
Well, I think it’s really cute! Can people still buy the pattern?

Lara: Yes. You can buy it from the Ennea Collective or on Ravelry.






Thanks for that, Lara! It’s really lovely work.

We still have a few batts, but, if you don’t have the time or patience to spin, any yarn that knits up at 4 stitches per inch on #10 needles will work for the cowl. You only need about 141 yards (128 meters) of worsted or heavy worsted weight yarn.

Cascade 128 Superwash would work well. It comes in tons of colors, too. Plus, it's machine-washable! You might be able to squeeze a cowl out of just one skein, but it would be safer if you had two skeins.

Malabrigo Rios could work, although your cowl would probably end up being slightly more narrow, because the gauge on it is closer to 4.5 stitches per inch.

Or, you could use three skeins of Freia OmbrƩ Sport, held three strands together. Freia Flux Sport is a multicolored, handpainted, striping yarn of 100% wool. Each ball starts and ends with the same color. The long color changes would probably produce some really fun shifts as you knit the cowl.

For a slightly larger version, you could use Misti Alpaca Chunky or Hand Paint Chunky. You might need two skeins to get a good-sized cowl, but the baby alpaca would be so cushy!

Lara produces a blog and podcast at journalgazette.net/craftyliving and you can find her on Ravelry as math4knitters. Her podcast is called Math4Knitters, Crafty Living, and you can get it, for free, on iTunes. All photos in this post are hers.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Last Chance: Cowboy Cowl Class

Two spots have opened up for the Cowboy Cowl class at StevenBe, which starts tomorrow! Sign up now to lasso some new skills with cowgirl knitters extraordinaire, Nancy Wynn!



More Information

Register Now!