Happy 2008!

Here's the Clark Clan on Christmas Eve. We had a nice celebration at my parent's house with food, family and lot's of fun. The boys are wearing the sweaters that I made them for Christmas.

Cory, on the left, is wearing the Striped Sweater from Kristin Spurkland's newest book, The Knitting Man(ual). I changed it a bit, and used 3 colors instead of 2 for the stripes. It's knit with Silky Flamme from Elsebeth Lavold, a very delicious blend of alpaca, wool and silk.

Nick's sweater is the High-Top Hoodie from Son of Stitch 'n Bitch. It's knit, minus the hood, using Cascade 220 in 3 shades of gray. I had forgotten how nicely the 220 knits as a garment, I've used it so much for felting lately!

I really enjoyed knitting up both of these sweaters, and they both fit perfectly!

Tip - What's my Sweater Size?

People are often confused when it comes to knowing which size to make in a particular pattern. Often people will look at the small (medium, large) sizing options and just assume that since they usually wear a medium, that’s the size they should make. This is definitely not the way to choose your size. It’s very important to look at the Finished Measurements listed for the garments.

Patterns will always give a Finished Measurement, and often a suggested “To Fit” Measurement. The one you really want to pay close attention to is the Finished Measurement.

First of all, you should measure your chest/bust. Next, decide how you want your sweater to fit. This will determine how much “ease” you need to build into the sizing.

If you want a very-close fitting garment, you would take your chest/bust measurement and add zero inches, or possibly subtract a couple of inches. This would give you “negative ease”, and result in a body hugging garment.

If you want a close fitting garment, you would add 0-2 inches to your chest/bust measurement.

If you want a standard fitting garment, you would add 2-4 inches to your chest/bust measurement.

If you want a loose fitting garment, you would add 4-6 inches to your chest/bust measurement.

Choose the Finished Measurement offered that is closest to the measurement you come up with.

Another way to approach choosing a size is to measure the chest/bust of a garment that you already own and love the fit of, and just go with that number.

Questions??? Please stop by The Naked Sheep Knit Shop and ask! We're here for you!

For more information on sizing/standard body measurements and other helpful things, check out this cool website: http://www.yarnstandards.com/sizing.html

Tip - Design Your Own Scarf

Knitting scarves is popular this time of year. Whether you’re knitting for yourself or for holiday gifts, here are some simple tips to help you design your own unique patterns.

First, choose a yarn. Something soft and sumptuous, or something warm and wooly. Pick a fiber and a color that suits the recipient.

Second, choose a stitch pattern. Borrow a stitch design from a favorite sweater pattern, or browse through knitting books for ideas. The 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Perpetual Calendar is perfect for this. It’s full of possibilities!

Next, knit a swatch using your chosen yarn and stitch pattern. Cast on about 4 inches worth of stitches using the needle size recommended on your yarn’s ball band. Work the stitch pattern for about 4 inches. Evaluate your swatch. Do you like the way the pattern works up in the yarn you’ve chosen? Do you like the drape of the fabric? Adjust your needles at this point to create a looser, or firmer, fabric.

Next, check your gauge. Determine how many stitches to the inch you are getting. Decide how wide you want the scarf, and multiply your desired width by your stitch gauge. This will give you the number of stitches to cast on. For example, you would like a scarf that is 6 inches wide, and you are getting 5 stitches to the inch. You will cast on about 30 stitches. This number may have to change a little depending on the stitch pattern you’ve chosen. If you are working a pattern that is an 8 stitch repeat, you will need to bump up the number to 32 stitches. If you want to add a selvedge edge, you’ll have to add that to the mix.

Next, how do you know how much yarn to purchase? Here’s a rough guide for stockinette stitch. Multiply the desired length and width of your scarf. Multiply this number by your stitch gauge. Then divide that number by 6. This is the estimated yardage you will need to complete your scarf. Depending on the stitch pattern you choose, you might need a bit more. Better to error on the side of having too much, than to run out and not be able to get more.

Try this out; and as always, we are here to help! Please feel free to stop by The Naked Sheep for help choosing your yarns, finding a stitch pattern, and checking your gauge swatch. We're here for you!

Ravelry

I received my invitation to join Ravelry well over a month ago now, and I just sat down today to really check it out. For those of you who don't know about Ravelry, it's a very cool site to help you connect with other knitters, organize your "stash", show off your works in progress and completed projects, get inspired; and basically spend hours upon hours thinking about your knitting possibilities!

There's a list of people waiting to be invited to join, and I encourage you to get your name on it! It's worth the wait. Now I just have to carve out some time to get myself set-up so I can post pictures, etc.

What a beautiful fall weekend

Last weekend The Naked Sheep Cycle Team enjoyed a super fun and sunny weekend at McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove. There were daily bike rides, knitting, movies, knitting, games, knitting, live music, knitting, eating, knitting, drinking, knitting and general merriment! I had 4 days off IN A ROW! That was the best! Thanks to my wonderful employee, Kristin, for filling in for me while I was gone.

Here I am in my cute little beetle on a country road with Brad. We drove the route that they had biked the day before, so he could get some pictures of the beautiful scenery. He was very inspired by all the fall colors, and wants to do some painting. It was lovely, but there were some KILLER hills!

Things are busy and wonderful at The Naked Sheep. I love my job, and I love my life!

Time Flies When...

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last posted. Time sure flies when you're running The Naked Sheep Knit Shop, being a mom to a son with big problems, being a mom to a son with no big problems, being a wife to the cutest and most wonderful man in the world, trying to spend time each day exercising so that I can do the above things better (and longer!), and let's not forget lots of quality time spent knitting!

It may sound funny, but knitting is like the glue that holds my life together. It helps to calm me. It makes me happy. It makes me feel productive. It's "me" time. It's not so much about the end result; although I am enjoying working on Christmas gifts for family and friends, and thinking about those special people as I knit for them. Knitting is more about the process. Slowing down...thinking...relaxing...knitting.

Too Cute!

Are these shoes just too cute, or what?! Thanks to my sweetie-pie, I finally got a pair!
A friend of mine saw them at Fred Meyer, and I immediately started the search for my size. I even had a friend who has connections with Converse trying to get me a pair; but no luck.

Then my sweetie-pie waltzes into Fred Meyer and finds a pair...in my size...on sale, even!

I love pink. I love sheep. I love these shoes!