Donavan's Kayak Paddle Scarf

Here's a quick and easy pattern that Naked Sheep customer, Donavan, whipped up with just one skein of Rustic from Casacde Yarns.


Pattern Stitches
Seed Stitch:
All Rows - (Knit 1, purl 1) repeat to the last stitch, knit 1.

5x5 Rib:
Row 1 - Knit 5, purl 5, knit 5, purl 5, knit 5.
Row 2 - Purl 5, knit 5, purl 5, knit 5, purl 5.
Repeat rows 1 and 2.

Using size 8 needles, cast on 25 stitches.

Work in seed stitch for about 14".

Work in 5x5 rib for about 14", or desired length.

Work in seed stitch for about 14".

Bind-off and weave in ends! Thanks Donavan!!!

Calling All Book Group Groupies!

September’s book was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It’s an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. It will cause readers to ponder the implications of being at war and all the emotions that come into play.

As taken from the Publisher's Review:
"It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. Set during World War II in Germany, Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist…books!! With the help of her accordion-playing foster-father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. The narrator is Death himself, a companionable if sarcastic fellow, who travels the globe 'handing souls to the conveyor belt of eternity.' "

Everyone present at book group gave a great big Baaaaaaa!
(Remember, Baa = good/Bleat = not so good)

October’s book selection is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. We’ll be meeting at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop on Friday, October 23rd from 6:30-8:30pm. Want to read ahead? November's book is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and December's book is My Life in France by Julia Child.

I Love Knitting with Wire and Beads!

I took the Beaded Bracelet Class with LaVon last Monday...so much fun!!! And look at the fun and sparkly bracelet I made...I love it! And I just love knitting with wire and beads!

We had a full class...8 chatty and enthusiastic students! I want to take another class with these same women; we had such a great time knitting, laughing, drinking wine and spilling beads on the floor. (Thanks for vacumming up our mess, Judy!)

I ended up buying all my supplies at Beads Forever on 35th and Hawthorne...what a great shop! I received excellent customer service there, after a not-so-great experience at a bead shop nearer to my neighborhood.

We'll definitely be offering this class again at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop, and you should definitely sign up for it. Thanks, LaVon, for teaching me something new!

Cheri's Checkboard Scarf

I knit this scarf using Datura Fiber Arts Superwash Merino Wool in this lovely pumpkin color. So soft and yummy!!! I used a size 7 needle and got about 4.5 stitches to the inch.

Cast on 36 stitches. Knit 6 rows.

Next row: Knit 9, purl 6, knit 6, purl 6, knit 9.
Next row: Knit 3, purl 6, knit 6, purl 6, knit 6, purl 6, knit 3.
Repeat last 2 rows 3 more times.

Next row: Knit 3, purl 6, knit 6, purl 6, knit 6, purl 6, knit 3.
Next row: Knit 9, purl 6, knit 6, purl 6, knit 9.
Repeat last 2 rows 3 more times.

Repeat the last 16 rows to desired length of scarf. Knit 6 rows. Bind off.

Ta-Da!

Last Tuesday, LaVon had a new Learn to Knit class. To encourage her new students, she wrote on the top of the dry-erase board in the classroom:

You are the BOSS of your knitting!

Today is the second week for the Learn to Knit students. During the past week, several creative customers and employees here at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop added comments under Lavon's original sentence. Here is what her students will see on the board tonight:

You are the BOSS of your knitting!
You are the knit of your bossing!
You are the bliss of your knotting!
You are naughty and bossy!
I love all my knotty knitters!
Knitter’s love my naughty boss!

This makes me smile...

New Yarns!!!

Yippee!!! Our friendly UPS driver, Dave, just delievered 4 big ol' boxes from Universal Yarn! Let me tell you about the 3 new yarns in those boxes...

Mermaid is a lovely blend of pima cotton, seacell, silk and superwash merino that knits up at 4-5 stitches to the inch. We have all 8 gorgeous colors! I'm going to knit the Ti Amo Wing Shawl using the pink...stop by and check it out!

Classic Chunky Tweed is a machine washable blend of wool, viscose and acrylic that knits up at 3-3.75 stitches to the inch. We have all 9 rich and tweedy colors! This would make a nice winter sweater for Brad...

Classic Worsted Tweed is the same washable blend as the chunky, but it knits up at 4-5 stitches to the inch. It comes in the same great 9 colors, and will make a nice matching sweater for Riley!

Thanks Dave!

In remembrance of Gayle Nybakken

Many of you knew Gayle Nybakken, who was a constant fixture here at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop for several years. Gayle came to us as a very new knitter, and her skills improved dramatically during her time spent here.

We loved Gayle's quick wit, her interesting stories (what a life she led!) and her honesty. At times we had to remind her that not everyone felt exactly as she did on every subject, but she was one who could take it just as well as she could dish it out!

Earlier this year, Gayle was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma; which was attacking her bones. In her words, her bones were turning to sponges. It was a sad day when she could no longer knit. Gayle's daughter, Lisa, said that her mom "loved going to the knit shop - it was her favorite thing to do".

When we found out about Gayle's cancer, we decided to knit up 9 x 9 squares to assemble into a lap blanket for her. We chose a merino wool and cashmere blend, and the result is the beautiful shawl she is wearing in the photo. Thanks to everyone who contributed. Her daughter Lisa said that the shawl never left her mom's shoulders!

Gayle died peacefully on Tuesday, September 1 at 3am. There will be a memorial service on Wednesday, September 16 around 6pm. Exact details to follow; which Lisa has asked me to share with everyone at the knit shop. She also mentioned that the shawl we made with love for Gayle has been a great comfort to her since her mom's passing.

Please feel free to post your thoughts, a funny story or whatever you'd like under comments. Let's share our memories of Gayle...