Bradley's Art! I love it!

Taking a moment today to brag on Brad, our VP of Everything here at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop! Check out some of his beautiful artwork...

Riley Boy











St Helens







Just One Day





Frog Song











Emma

Arb hits the Banfield

More to come!

Dreaming of Selfish Knitting Month...

I'm at the shop today, happily knitting on Brad, Cory and Nicholas' Christmas Gifts; and at the same time (don't you love that sentence, knitters?) I'm dreaming of Selfish Knitting Month. I have all sorts of projects in the queue for January...for ME!!!

Stay tuned for details on how The Naked Sheep Knit Shop is planning on celebrating this month of Knitting For Me (and You, too; of course)!

Here's a sneak peek of one of the projects on my list. Stay tuned for more info on Selfish Knitting Month!

The Most Delicious Cranberries!

This recipe comes from our good friend, Garland. A must-make during the holidays!

12 oz package of fresh cranberries

2 TBSP orange juice concentrate

1 cup sugar

Zest of an orange

Combine ingredients, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cool, and then add 1/4-1/2 cup Grand Marnier. Nummy!

Join us for our Holiday Party at The Naked Sheep on Thursday, December 22; and you'll get to taste it!

The Best Pulled Pork Ever!!!

I made one of my favorite dinners this week...Pulled Pork Sandwiches with homemade Coleslaw. A friend first made this Pulled Pork recipe for game night. Our theme was Crock*Pot*Luck. Everything (including dessert) had to be made in the crockpot. It was fun!

Anyway, that's where I first discovered this delicious, sweet and spicy, recipe for Bourbon-Mango Pulled Pork. I love Fall for many reasons; one of them is I use my crockpot a lot more! So nice to throw all the ingredients together in the morning, and magically come home to a delicious meal. And it makes the house smell so nummy! And it gives me more time to knit ;-)

Also, I have a great recipe for a spicy coleslaw that goes wonderfully with the pulled pork. Stop by The Naked Sheep Knit Shop and I'll share the recipe with you!

Bryn Mawr Skirt Knit-A-Long

Our current Knit-A-Long project is The Bryn Mawr Skirt from the Fall 2011 Interweave Knits. Such a darling skirt, and so much fun to knit!

Most of us are using Cascade 128, but there are many options available. Come see me at the shop, and I'll show you just how nice this skirt is. I'm knitting mine using 128 Superwash in a lovely shade of Blue. I'm thinking that Riley will definitely need a matching sweater!

We meet every Saturday from 1-4pm through October. Hope you can join us!

Win a Bag of Yarn!!!

Stop by The Naked Sheep Knit Shop this Thursday through Sunday (September 29-October 2) for your chance to WIN a whole bag of Rialto DK or Rialto Aran...your choice of any color we have in stock! These are Brand New yarns for us from Debbie Bliss, and they are lovely!

While you're in the shop, check out all the other wonderful new yarns we've received this fall! See you soon!

Late Summer and Fall Knit-A-Longs at The Naked Sheep

Our Late Summer Knit-A-Long at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop is the Leaflet Cardigan. This darling pattern is available in the First Fall 2011 Knitty; which has many other lovely designs. All FREE!

Join us on Saturday afternoons from 1-4pm as we Knit-A-Long this great cardigan. It's fun to see all the different yarns people have chosen for this project. All working up so differently, and yet all so beautiful!

We'll be making our final decision on the Fall Knit-A-Long project soon. If you have any ideas or suggestions, let us know.

We are strongly considering the Bryn Mawr Skirt from the Fall 2011 Interweave KNITS magazine. This skirt uses Cascade 128, and I've already chosen my colorway...just in case!

The Fall Knit-A-Long will start on Saturday afternoon, September 17. Hope to see you Saturday!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

A Great Big THANK YOU to all our vendors who donated doorprizes for our Big 6th Annual Anniversary SALE and CELEBRATION! We have a TON of wonderful things to give away thanks to their generosity!

Aslan Trends

Bar-Maids

Bryson Distributing

Cascade Yarns

Elsebeth Lavold (Euro Yarns)

Knit Purl Sew What?!

Lantern Moon

Universal Yarn

WoolPets

And Super Duper Big THANK YOUs to our Neighboring Businesses who donated the most excellent doorprizes!

Atomic Pizza

Beaterville

Blooming Moon Wellness Spa

Di Prima Dolci Italian Bakery

Greeley Avenue Bar and Grill

Hop and Vine

La Bonita

NoPo Paws

Palace of Industry

You are all AWESOME!!! The Naked Sheep Knit Shop LOVES YA!!!

What's in your knitting bag?

The sun is shining, and I'm in the mood to get my knitting projects organized; starting with the pink Naked Sheep Tote that I have with me at the shop today.

Alright...let's see what's in here...

Palatine Stole. A delightful (and free) pattern from Stitch Jones that I'm making with this amazing Superwash Merino Wool, Greenland, by Cascade Yarns.

A baby blanket I'm designing for a book I'm working on. This has been a project in the works for quite awhile, and I'm committed to completing it (the book) by the end of summer!

And my Swirl Skirt; our current Knit-A-Long project at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop. This is a super fun project! Join us on Saturday afternoons at the shop as we knit it up together! I'm using Poems and Pima Silk for this project.

Well, that's all the projects in this knitting bag. It's all organized, and all the projects are well on their way to being finished.

Tomorrow, I'll tackle another bag. Until then...Happy Knitting and Enjoy Your Organizing!

June Educator Special!

During the month of June, the businesses at Overlook Corner are teaming up to offer special discounts to Educators!

Get a 10% discount on non-food purchases at NoPo Paws, the newest addition to our building! Find the perfect toy or treat for your special friend.

Get a 10% discount on non-alcohol sales prior to 5pm at Atomic Pizza.

And coming soon to Atomic Pizza...Ice Cream!!!

Get a 10% discount on all food, drink and retail purchases at Palace of Industry. This fun little space is part watering hole and part vintage treasure trove...check it out!

And last, but certainly not least...Get a 10% discount on all purchases (except gift certificates and classes) at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop. We'll keep you busy summer!

Yay Teachers!!! Just show your ID Badge to be eligible for all these great discounts :)

Kenton Street Fair 2011

Come to the Kenton Street Fair 2011 this Sunday, May 22, from 10-7pm. The Naked Sheep Knit Shop will be there! Bring a lawn chair, your knitting and grab some snacks from the food vendors and sit and knit a bit with me!

The fair will be on North Denver Ave between North Schofield and North Willis. Enjoy two stages of live music, food, children's activities, local vendors and much more!!! We'll be located in front of Insulated Windows.

We'll be giving away discount coupons, stickers and temporary tattoos; and we'll be having a drawing at the end of the day for "Any Class with Cheri"...a $55 value!

Hope to see you there!!!

Senior Texting Codes

Got an e-mail recently containing some very important information that I wanted to share with you!

Now that texting is more popular than talking, this is some important information. The kids have all their little codes...like BFF, WTF, LOL, etc. So here are some codes for seniors that we should all start learning:

Senior Texting Codes (STC)

ATD - At the Doctor's
BFF - Best Friend's Funeral
BTW - Bring the Wheelchair
BYOT - Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM - Covered by Medicare
CUATSC - See You at the Senior Center
DWI - Driving While Incontinent
FWBB - Friend with Beta Blockers
FWIW - Forgot Where I Was
FYI - Found Your Insulin
GGPBL - Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low
GHA - Got Heartburn Again
HGBM - Had Good Bowel Movement
IMHO - Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO - Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL - Living on Lipitor
OMMR - On My Massage Recliner
OMSG - Oh My! Sorry, Gas
ROFL...CGU - Rolling on the Floor Laughing...Can't get Up!
TTYL - Talk to You Louder
WAITT - Who Am I Talking To?
WTFA - Wet the Furniture Again
WTP - Where's the Prunes
WWNO - Walker Wheels Need Oil
GGLKI - Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking in!

Hope I made you smile :)

Spring Knitting

Unlike some, I am a huge fan of cotton yarns. I especially like blends such as Sierra (80% Cotton/20% Wool), Pima Tencel (50% Peruvian Pima Cotton/50% Tencel) and Pima Silk (85% Peruvian Pima Cotton/15% Silk). I've made garments with all of these Cascade Yarns; and I enjoy both knitting with them and wearing them. They wear well, and they're easy to take care of.

I'm currently working on a fun, springy sweater from Dolce Handknits called Capri. I'm using Pima Tencel in this happy shade of blue that Cascade calls Sapphire (#9364). I'm just finishing up the back. Dolce Handknits are well written patterns, and I can order any of these designs for you. Just let me know.

We have lots of nice springtime yarns at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop. Stop by and get inspired to knit or crochet yourself a lightweight garment for Portland's cooler spring evenings. Hope to see you soon!

Saroyan

I've had several customers come to The Naked Sheep lately to buy yarn for the Saroyan. I fell in love the first time I saw it! This lovely shawl/scarf uses worsted weight yarn; and would make an excellent first lace project.

I'm using Jewel from Cascade Yarns. It's a fun to knit pattern; I'm especially enjoying the leaf edging detail.

Stop by and see it in person; it's really stunning.

Spring Knit-A-Long

We've chosen a smaller project for our Spring Knit-A-Long at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop. But don't let the size fool you. These mitts are full of fun and interesting techniques! Check out A Kaleidoscope of Color: Latvian Fingerless Mitts, featured in Interweave's Knitting Traditions Magazine. Let's meet on Saturday afternoons this month, and work through these lovely mitts together. We'll gather from about 1-4pm. Please feel free to bring something to drink and/or snack on.

And if you buy the Knitting Traditions Magazine and your yarn at The Naked Sheep, you'll get the magazine for 50% OFF! I'm going to use the Cascade 220 Sport. We have a bunch of great colors, with more new colors coming soon! And at just $3.75 a skein, it's a very economical project.

Hope to see you!

Yay for Supportland!

Yes, That's Big Paul Knitting!

Just in case you haven't heard...We are now a part of Supportland! One single rewards card that's good at over 85 locally-owned Portland businesses; and more are joining the Supportland network all the time! It's a great way to support local businesses, while earning points toward terrific rewards.

In addition to being a rewards/punch card for many of these local businesses, it also offers fantastic incentives for buying local.

The Supportland Card will take the place of our Pink Naked Sheep Rewards Card. But never fear! Your existing rewards card is transferable to the new Supportland Card. Stop by The Naked Sheep Knit Shop, get your Supportland card and start earning your rewards! It's Fun, Easy and Free!

Knitting/Crocheting for Charity in 2011

Recently I've been thinking about what kind of knitting I'd like to do for charity this year. In the past, we've collected items at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop for various groups such as Project Linus, Preemie Hats for Girls Scouts, Hats and Scarves for the Homeless, Helmet Liners for Soldiers and so on. You were extremely generous in all of these endeavors...Thanks!

I would love your ideas on different groups we can knit or crochet for this year. Please leave a comment here and let me know what you're thinking!

The One-Row Buttonhole

This is such an excellent buttonhole! It allows you to make the exact size opening you need to accommodate your buttons. When worked in the body of regular knitting, it will be horizontal. When worked in a band that has been picked up, it will be vertical.

To determine the size of your buttonhole, lay your button on the knitted fabric and count the number of stitches it lays across. If the button you’re using is 4 stitches wide, make a 3-stitch buttonhole. If your button is 5 stitches wide, make a 4-stitch buttonhole, etc.

Here are the instructions. Give it a try!

1. Work desired number of stitches before buttonhole.
2. With yarn in back, slip one stitch as if to knit through the back loop.
3. Slip another stitch as if to knit through the back loop. Pass the previous stitch over this one. (One stitch is bound-off.) Repeat Step 3 until the desired number of stitches has been bound-off for the buttonhole.
4. Slip the last stitch on the right needle to the left needle. Turn work. Move yarn to the back of work.
5. Using Cable Cast-On Method, cast-on the number of stitches bound off, plus one. Before placing the last cast on loop on the left needle, bring the yarn to the front of the work between the needles. Now put the last stitch on the left needle. Turn work.
6. Slip the first stitch on the right needle to the left needle. Knit 2 together firmly. (This counts as the first stitch worked between buttonholes.)

Remember, buttonholes are on the right side for women and the left side for men. I usually begin my buttonholes 2-3 stitches into the band and allow for another 2-3 stitches after the last buttonhole.

It's Time to Get Fit!

You may know that I joined a gym last April, Northwest Women's Fitness Club. I've been enjoying all the great classes they have to offer...Zumba, Nia, Step 'n Strength, Women on Weights, Yoga and Flirty Girl Fitness...just to name a few! I've also been meeting with a Personal Trainer, Alissa, who is fantastic! She's helping me to make sense of all the equipment in the weight room.

Well...I twisted my ankle about 2 weeks ago, and had to take a break from most of these activities. I was doing the treadmill, and some weights; but for the most part was pretty inactive.

Today I was finally able to get back to my classes. I went to Step 'n Strength with Laurie this morning, followed by Women on Weights. I cannot tell you how happy I was, and how GOOD I felt afterward.

I am now addicted to how movement makes me feel. During the past 2 weeks when my activities were limited, I started feeling sluggish and lethargic; even fuzzy in the brain. I made poor food choices, as well. I'm so excited to be back on track!

Thanks for helping to keep me accountable! I've been so inspired by several friends here at The Naked Sheep who've lost significant amounts of weight. I've lost a total of 18 pounds so far, and am positive that I'll reach my final goal!

If you're interested in visiting the gym with me, just let me know. You can get a free pass to participate in classes and use all the workout equipment for a week. It's such an awesome place!

All Buttoned Up!

I wanted to make a hat that was a little different using some of our soft and colorful chunky yarns. All Buttoned Up is a fun approach to knitting a hat; and it knits up quickly!

I used Los Andes from Aslan Trends as the main color and 128 Superwash from Cascade Yarns as the contrast color. We have 7 new colors of the Los Andes coming soon! And remember, I can order ANY color of this yarn, as well as the 128 Superwash for you. Just give me a call at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop.
(503) 283-2004

The body of the hat was knit on size 11 and the trim was knit on size 10. The gauge for the body of the hat should be 2.5 stitches to the inch, so adjust your needles accordingly depending on your actual gauge. Yes, I do expect you to knit a swatch!

Using CC and size 10 needles, cast on 54 stitches.

Row 1: Knit 1, purl 1; repeat to end.
Row 2: Purl 1, knit 1; repeat to end.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 three more times.

Change to MC and size 11 needles and work the following rows:

Row 1: Knit to last 6 stitches; k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1.
Row 2: P1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1; purl to end.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 5.25" from cast on.

Begin decrease rows:
Row 1: Knit 4, k2tog; repeat to last 6 stitches; k1, p1, k1, p1, k2tog.
Row 2: K1, p1, k1, p1, k1; purl to end.
Row 3: Knit 3, k2tog; repeat to last 5 stitches; k1, p1, k1, p2tog.
Row 4: P1, k1, p1, k1; purl to end.
Row 5: Knit 2, k2tog; repeat to last 4 stitches; k1, p1, k2tog.
Row 6: K1, p1, k1; purl to end.
Row 7: K1, k2tog; repeat to last 3 stitches; k1, p2tog.
Row 8: P1, k1; purl to end.
Row 9: K2tog; repeat to end.
Row 10: P2tog; repeat to end.
Cut yarn, thread through tapestry needle. Run tapestry needle through the remaining stitches, pull and weave in end.

Using CC and smaller needle, pick and knit 21 stitches along stockinette edge.

Row 1: K1, p1; repeat to last stitch, k1.
Repeat row 1 two more times.

Next row: K1, p1, yo, p2tog, k1, p1, k1, yo, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, yo, p2tog, k1, p1, k1, yo, k2tog, p1, k1.
Repeat row 1 three more times. Bind off in pattern. Sew buttons on seed stitch border opposite the buttonholes.