Nautical Yarn: Blog

Gwen's Classes

Nautical Yarn — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:29:08 GMT

We are preparing for our annual big PARTY (Fash N Stash Bash) scheduled for Friday, July 20 from 5 to 9 PM. We are so excited!

Gwen Bortner, our honored guest teacher, is coming to Michigan from California on a RED-EYE flight and I will pick her up in GR Friday morning. She's a real trouper. After a few hours rest, she will be Up and At 'Em at our Fash N Stash Bash party.

We still have seats in most of Gwen's classes. The Basic Entrelac class is the class with the fewest seats left, so if you are considering Gwen's Entrelac class, please sign up soon. We don't want anyone to miss the opportunity to take a class with such a knowledgeable, well-known teacher.

The Sale prices are in the computer and will become active at 10:00 Friday morning and remain in effect until we close on Sunday. Come in for some fantastic sales on yarn, patterns, buttons, etc. MerryTime Academy graduates, remember your graduation discounts give you the discount associated with your rank (for example, 20% discount for the rank of Admiral) on everything in the store. Your graduation discount is also applied to sale merchandise! Don't miss our annual Fash N Stash Bash sale!

Fash N Stash Bash Weekend

Nautical Yarn — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:28:08 GMT

It's hard to believe, but our 2012 Fash N Stash Bash Weekend is almost here.

Next Friday, July 20, is our big annual party and you are invited. On Saturday and Sunday, take classes from our 2012 guest teacher, Gwen Bortner, internationally known author and pattern designer. Save $$$ at our annual sale on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

FASH N STASH BASH, Friday July 20 from 5 PM - 9 PM
MerryTime Academy Graduation Ceremony beginning at 6:00 PM
FASH 'N Style Show - If you would like to participate in the fashion show,
please bring your ONE Best item to model or display
STASH BASH Yarn Exchange - A Stash Table is available to exchange items in yourSTASH for another knitter's stash.
Friday Evening RECEPTION Honoring Guest Teacher Gwen Bortner
Friday, July 20 - Meet our guest teacher, Gwen Bortner.
Have her sign your book or pattern, enjoy food, fashion and FUN!.
GIFTS and AWARDS and RAFFLE - Nautical Yarn and our vendors have contributed hundreds of items for awards, gifts, and raffle prizes!
GOODIES & FUN, FUN, FUN!!! - Sally Reed will cater this evening extravaganza, so you know the food will be delicious.

Saturday and Sunday CLASSES with Gwen Bortner, author of Entree to Entrelac & owner of Knitability patterns
Saturday, July 21
Entrelac Basics 9 AM - Noon
Two Right Sides (Double Knitting) 2-5 PM
Sunday, July 22
The Perfect Skirt for Any Body 9 AM-Noon
Making Money from Your Hobby 2-5 PM

Please RSVP by July 16th (231-845-9866 or info@nauticalyarn.com)
Please park in City or Bank Lots just South of Nautical Yarn. Friday Night LIVE is
scheduled for July 20th and parking spaces will be hard to find. Studio Doors will open at 5:00 PM. Come early and knit with others.
We hope you join us for some or all of the festivities!

Save the Dates!

Nautical Yarn — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:11:11 GMT

SAVE THE DATES!
Friday, July 20, 2012
          Fash N Stash BASH and MerryTime Academy Graduation Ceremony. Join us from 6 PM until 9 PM for this hilarious, educational, and FUN event!

Saturday and Sunday, July 21 & 22, 2012
          Two days of classes with our 2012 guest teacher, GWEN BORTNER. Gwen is the author of Entree to Entrelac and the Knitability Skill-Builder pattern series. More information about class topics and times will be posted soon.

Saturday and Sunday, August 11 & 12, 2012
          Join us on our 3rd annual bus trip to STITCHES Midwest. Three seats remain on the small bus, but we will take names on a waiting list and rent a larger bus, if necessary.
        Please call Nautical Yarn at 231-845-9868 to register.

Saturday and Sunday, August 18 & 19, 2012
          Join the fun at Michigan Fiber Festival!

Leap Into Savings at Nautical Yarn

Nautical Yarn — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:24:46 GMT

CelebrateLeap Day at Nautical Yarn - Leap into Savings!

Leap Day is special! It only comes around once every 4 years, so wedecided to celebrate with a "Leap Into Savings" sale at Nautical Yarnon Leap Day, February 29, 2012.

The Specials are good for ONE DAY ONLY beginning at 8:00 AM on 2/29/12and ending at 6:00 PM. If it is yourbirthday, show us your ID and you will receive an additional 10% discount forbeing a Leap Year baby!

We will happily apply your Nautical Yarn Reward Points for purchases ofsale items. However, due to the alreadydeep discounts on sale prices, Nautical Yarn Reward Points may not be used forsale items.

Fit Knitters are getting fit

Nautical Yarn — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:01:05 GMT

We have had many inquires lately regarding our Fit Knitters Race for the Cure team. Here are some answers to the most frequent questions.

We will have Fit Knitter meetings with Kathy Tooman on the following Mondays at 6:00 PM : August 22nd, September 5th and September 19th. The Race for the Cure is Saturday, September 24th in Grand Rapids.

How do I join the Fit Knitters Team?

Contact Nautical Yarn at 231-845-9868 or email fitknitters@nauticalyarn.com.
Come to our next meeting on the 2nd and 4th Mondays from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM from now until September 19th.
Nautical Yarn, 108 South Rath, Ludington MI 49431

You must also join our Race for the Cure team at the KomenWestMichigan.org Web site.

Click on Komen Race for the Cure tab on menu
Click on Register
Click on Join A Team (on right-hand side of screen)
Enter team name "Fit Knitters" or select "Nautical Yarn" from Team Company list.
Click on Search for a Team button.
Click on Join Fit Knitters button and register.

How do I Donate to the Fit Knitters Team?

You may donate to the Fit Knitters team online at the KomenWestMichigan.org Web site.

Click on Make a Donation tab on menu
Click on Race for the Cure
Click on Donate to a Participant or Team (on right-hand side of screen)
Select Search for a Team
Enter team name "Fit Knitters"
Click on Search for a Team button.
Click on Donate button and complete online donation form.

Of course, you may make donations at the shop. We also have two specials that result in donations to our Fit Knitters Team for the Race for the Cure.

If you purchase a Nautical Yarn back pack project bag for $11.95, $3.00 will be donated to the Fit Knitters Team for the Race for the Cure.
If you purchase the book, MaidenShawl, by Jane Jibson for $4.99 the entire purchase price will be donated to the Fit Knitters Team for the Race for the Cure. Thanks to Jane Jibson for donating this great book available for such a good cause

Fash 'N Stash Bash & Buckle Raffle

Nautical Yarn — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:43:05 GMT

This Friday night, June 24th, we will have our annual FASH & STASH BASH and MerryTime Academy Graduation Ceremonies. The evening goes something like this. We will begin promptly at 6 PM.
6:00 PM - about 7:00 PM
During this Say YES! to Michigan event, we recognize our guest teachers from MICHIGAN, Lorilee Beltman and Chris de Longpre'.
We recognize our graduates (who have achieved ranks of Admiral, Captain, Lieutenant, Ensign, and Plebe depending on credits earned for classes taken and charitable donations made) and have a VERY brief graduation ceremony. Each graduate who attends will receive a special graduation gift from Nautical Yarn. Throughout the evening, people will be enjoying great food and drink.

We have a few announcements regarding upcoming events, including classes, patterns and book signing, the charities we support, and Bucket Raffle instructions.

7:00 PM
Now the fashion show begins. Fashion show is too formal a description, but people show off their beautiful work.

8:15-ish - 9:00

This is first for us. We have had lots of door prizes in the past, but this year we are asking our guests to purchase raffle tickets ($1 each or 7 for $5). You then will drop your ticket(s) into an envelope (bucket) attached to each prize. We have over 40 gift bags this year and each is worth $50 to $500 dollars (that you can win for $1, if you are the lucky winner).
All proceeds from the Bucket Raffle are being contributed to our Race for the Cure team - Fit Knitters - to help us meet our goal of $1,200 before the Susan G. Komen event in Grand Rapids on September 24th.

Here are a few of the Bucket Raffle prizes.

Fit Knitters

Nautical Yarn — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:58:52 GMT

We had a "meeting" of people interested in the Fit Knitters team last night at Nautical Yarn. We talked about:
Goals
Practice Schedule
Meeting Dates

We have scheduled our next get together for May 10th at 6:30 PM in the Nautical Yarn Studio. If the weather cooperates, anyone interested may take a walk after assessment and discussion.

Stitches Midwest - 2011

Nautical Yarn — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:59:22 GMT

I just received an email containing information about Stitches Midwest - 2011. Remember, we are planning a bus trip to Stitches Midwest from Ludington on FRIDAY, August 26, 2011 returning SATURDAY, August 27, 2011.
Here is a synopsis of the information received so far.

Download Stitches Midwest 2011 Brochure
Online information and Registration about Stitches (Be aware that certain classes fill up quickly, so if you are interested in taking a class, register soon.
Conference Center and Hotel information
(The Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL)

If you have any questions about the trip, please contact Carole at 231-845-9868 OR read details HERE.

Sweet Lacy Summer Shrug

Nautical Yarn — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:37:04 GMT

I used Sublime Baby Silk and Bamboo DK for this simple little summer shrug. I used the LK-150 Knitting Machine to knit a rectangular piece of lace fabric. Then, the 4 1/2 seams were sewn under each arm and VOILE! the shrug was done in no time at all.

Hannah's Dress

Nautical Yarn — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:27:42 GMT

I had a lot of fun making a little dress for baby Hannah to wear this spring. I used SMILEY STRIPES for the skirt of the dress and Merino Kind for the hot pink and green ruffle, straps and pinafore top.

Hannah is just one-year old and I think she will look adorable in this little dress.

I adjusted the pattern and added a little, floucy ruffle at the bottom. I bound off using the Picot bind-off method (it took a long time).

Master Knitter's

Nautical Yarn — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:50:08 GMT

We had our second "Support Group" meeting on Saturday morning, March 12th. We critiqued each other's swatches and discussed techniques for improvement and sources and references we had found.

Everyone agreed that we are all learning a great deal as we CAREFULLY examine our swatches. Some of us found that our purl stitches are too loose. Some found that the second knit stitch in a k2, p2 rib is looser than the first knit stitch. Some of us had a few "holes" in our seed stitch swatches. We discussed the pros and cons of different methods for increasing in the last row of ribbing.

We all were using the same yarn (Cascade 220) and either size 7 or 8 needles, but both the size of the swatches and the tension were different for each knitter.

Even though this time spent together might not seem interesting to a non-knitter, we all had a very enjoyable morning!

Here are a couple of files for your review. Remember, these are just examples. Please customize for your own use.

Spring 2011 - Pantone

Nautical Yarn — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:27:43 GMT

Here are some HOT colors for Spring 2011.
Source: Joanne Cole

My First Machine Knit Project

Nautical Yarn — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 07:48:00 GMT

I finished my first project using the knitting machine. It is a sweater for Bob that incorporates a mathematical progression of numbers called the "Fibonacci Sequence". 0:1:1:2:3:5:8:13:21:34:55... Since Bob was a Professor of Mathematics for most of this adult life, I thought that adding stripes in the Fibonacci Sequence would be interesting for him and good practice changing colors on the knitting machine for me.

Using 4 colors of AslanTrends Alpaca/Merino yarn called EcoLana, I knit one row of color A (light beige), 1 row of color B (tan), 2 rows of color C (main color-marl), 3 rows of color D (dark brown), 5 rows of color A (light beige), 8 rows of B (tan) - well, you get the idea. You can see the color changes better in the photo that shows a closeup of the neckline and shoulder.

Several people have asked how long it took to knit the sweater. Remember that I am just learning so I frequently had to go to the manual or Leslye Solomon's wonderful book, "The Uncomplicated Knitting Machine Book". Even with the time spent refreshing my memory, the sweater took 5-6 hours to knit and 6 hours to finish by hand. The back took a little more than one hour, the front took a little less than 1 hour plus another hour contemplating the neck decreases (the sweater was knit from the bottom up), the sleeves took 3/4 hour each. I hand-knit the cuffs, neckband, and bottom ribbing and sewed the seams by hand. Less than 12 hours to knit a man's size large sweater.

LK 150 Knitting Machine

Reminder: Come to our Knitting Machine Demo scheduled for Saturday, February 26th from 10 AM until noon.

Knit in the New Year!

Nautical Yarn — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:27:28 GMT

We have such a good time. We had 16 people attend throughout the evening, plus one fellow who wandered in and liked the food. About 11:30 we went to the ball drop. The evening was practically balmy with temperatures in the 50's.

We will have to do this again next year!

December 31, 2010
Knit in the New Year! and Ball Drop

On New Year's Eve, Nautical Yarn will be having a New Year's Eve "Knit In the New Year" Party. We will knit and have yummy treats. Near midnight we will walk to the 2nd Annual Lakeshore Ball Drop!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Caps for Good Baby Hat Campaign

Nautical Yarn — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:23:29 GMT

We were able to send more than 30 caps to the Save the Children / Caps for Good campaign. Thanks to all of you who donated to this worthy cause.

January 1, 2011
Caps for Good Baby Hat Donation

Your handmade cap can help save a life. Baby caps are a simple and effective tool that can keep babies warm and ultimately contribute to reducing newborn deaths in the developing world.
The Save the Children and Caps for Good organizations are sponsoring this drive to collect baby caps. More information is available at http://www.goodgoes.org/caps. This website contains patterns and information about the Caps for Good program.
You may ship your caps directly to the organization, or, if you deliver your caps to Nautical Yarn by January 1st, we will ship all we receive.

Please ship to:
Nautical Yarn
108 South Rath Avenue
Ludington, MI 49431

Master Knitter's Q & A Session

Nautical Yarn — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:19:56 GMT

December 11, 2010
Q & A Session for TKGA Master Knitter Level 1 Program from 10 AM until Noon

You may remember that we mentioned the The Knitting Guild of America (TKGA) Master Knitter program in our Fall 2010 newsletter.
For more information visit read the TKGA FAQs at their website (http://www.tkga.com/mastersprogram.shtm).
We have enough interest to proceed with a Master Knitter Level 1 KAL (Knit Along).
On December 11th from 10 until noon we will discuss the program and answer your questions. This may help you decide if you wish to participate in the TKGA Master Knitter Level 1 program. If you are unable to attend, please email Carole at info@nauticalyarn.com and let me know that you are interested in the Master Knitter KAL. I will reply with more information, starting dates, online KAL info, etc. after our December 11th meeting.