Shopping in Piedmont Yarn & Apparel and Getting 7 balls of yarn

Hello knitters,

Today I went to Piedmont to visit a local store.  It's called Piedmont Yarn and Apparel.  It was a local store with sufficient supply of yarn.

In the front of the store, there were some seats for knitters to try things out.  Then there were display area for the yarn selection and knitting supplies.  The yarn needles were well organized by sizes and located in some basket.  On top of each shelf, there're display that demonstrate the beauty of yarn the the craftsmanship of the staff.  

In the back, there is a small room where a knitting class was being held while I was shopping.  I really don't like to be rushed while I am shopping.  I was pleased that no one disturbed me while I was craving and touching the yarn.  The two sale representatives were both very polite and helpful.  

The prices of the yarn are reasonable, I got 5 balls of Schachenmayr's Leana (in 2 colorways) and 2 balls of Suri Brushed by Frog Tree for a total of $61.30. .   Not bad at all.  It is my first time purchasing these brands of yarn.  Will tell you more about them later.  In sum, Piedmont Yarn and Apparel is a lovely store. If I ever go to Piedmont, I will certainly go to this store again.  It's a matter of transportation.  Piedmont locals, go go go!!!

I tried to upload a "what's in my shopping bag video" and failed.  If interested, you can go to my Instagram account and take a preview.

Anyhow, stay tuned.  I will tell you about my recent project (s)...

HAPPY KNITTING

P.S. Just found out on Ravelry that it's Suri Brushed has been discontinued.

Orange Road ~ Review on Cascade 220

Hi knitters,

As I mentioned in previous blog post, I purchased three skeins of Cascade 220 and made a baby sweater.  Now I have to think about what to make of the their ball of yarn.

Cascade is made of 100 % wool. The yardage is 220 yards each. It's certainly not enough for a scarf or another sweater.  In that case, I will probably make another hat. But this time I would like to challenge myself. With a bucket of ice? No!

It was very lovely yarn, as my cat comments.  I used the left over to make a small blanket for my cat.  She loves it.  Somehow I thinks my cat (one of the three I live with now) is good at valuing the cost of yarn.  She ignored the stuff I made with acrylic yarn and adores this pattern with 100% wool. 

I don't think this wool yarn is very warm.  But it is quite soft to be touched on human skin and cat skin.  I do recommend this yarn to knit for children and pets.  

Anyhow, will share more about yarn and craft.

Happy knitting and crocheting!!!

Yarn spinning service saves all my trouble ~ another visit to Nine Rubies

Hi knitters,

A few days ago I went to San Mateo for some sushi.  Then I walked to the very nice local yarn store, Nine Rubies, to pay a visit.

At that time there were a few ladies crocheting.  They were having so much fun knitting and gossiping.  I browsed around and picked up totally five skeins of yarn.  I knew I hated making yarn ball by myself, but...

The sales representative asked me if I wanted her to make the yarn ball for me.  She said, "it's out of courtesy."  What do you think I would have said?

She placed the first skein of yarn on an umbrella-like stand which was made of wood.  Then she pulled one end of the yarn to the other side.  That is the magical machine that saved all my troubles.  Once the sale representative (oh, I forgot to ask for her name) turn on the button of the machine, It started spinning.

It was fun watching the operation of it.  Totally it took about 18 minutes for making five balls of yarn.

If you wanna know what I bought this time, stay tuned and

HAPPY KNITTING

Long time no blog ~ Free hat pattern Op.18

Dear knitters,

So sorry that I have been occupied by work and homework and couldn't manage to blog and share my long-finished pattern....Op. 18...Why the dinosaur?  er.......... I like the contrast in color....er...

By the way, it's 2014 already.  How're you guys doing?  I hope the warm weather doesn't stop you from knitting.  (Well, it's always cold in SF so I can actually knit throughout the seasons)

Last November  I used some leftover yarns in diverse textures to knit a children's hat.  I would call it uni-sex, so it fits  either boy or girl under 6 years old.

Here is a reward for all your hard work last year: the  Op. 18 toddler's hat pattern.

Please note that the Mochi Plus I used is in rainbow color way.  By chance it is red when I knit Op. 18.  You may want to replace with solid red yarn.  Red does look good in this section though.

Material:

Yarn A ~ Lamb's Pride Worsted ~ Colorway 17 (Heather Grey) ~ 22 yards
Yarn B ~ Mochi Plus ~ Colorway 555 ~ 15 yards
Yarn C ~ Rowan  Felted Tweed Aran ~ Colorway 720 (Pebble) ~ 60 yards
Yarn D ~ Malabrigo Wosted ~ Colorway 27 (Bobby blue) ~ 30 yards

Tools:  US #7 (4.5mm) double-pointed needles
           US #8 (5.0mm) double-pointed needles

Size:  32 (34)cm head size

Gauge:  20 stitches X 27 stitches = 10cm X 10cm

Skills Needed:
Circular knitting, knit, purl, slip with yarn in front, knit 2 together, Bind off

Abbreviation:
K             = Knit
P              = Purl
K...          = Knit for the whole round
K2tog      = Knit 2 together
wyif         = With yarn in front
Slip          = Slip a stitch

************************************************************************
Instruction:

Cast on 60 stitches with Yarn A in round.

Repeat the following  pattern for 5 rounds:

<K2, P2> X15

***********************************
Change to  Yarn B

Repeat the following  pattern for 4 rounds:

<K2, P2> X15

***********************************
Change to Yarn C and start knitting with US #8 double-pointed needles

Repeat the following pattern for 15 rounds:

K...

***********************************
Repeat the following pattern for 2 times:

Round 1: <wyif, sl1, K> X30
Round 2: K...
Round 3: <K, wyif, sl1> X30
Round 4: K...

***********************************
Repeat the following pattern for 7 rounds:

K...

***********************************
Change to Yarn D
Start the decreasing section:

Round 1:    K...
Round 2:    <K2, K2tog, K2, P3, K2, K2tog, K2> X4          
Round 3:    <K5, P3, K5> X4                                                  (52 stitches)
Round 4:    <K5, P3, K5> X4
Round 5:    <K1, K2tog, K2, P3, K2, K2tog, K1> X4          

Round 6:    <K4, P3, K4> X4                                                   (44 stitches)
Round 7:    <K4, P3, K4> X4
Round 8:    <K4, P3, K4> X4
Round 9:    <K4, P3, K4> X4
Round 10:  <K1, K2tog, K1, P3, K1, K2tog, K1>X4

Round 11:  <K3, P3, K3> X4                                                   (36 stitches)
Round 12:  <K3, P3, K3> X4
Round 13:  <K3, P3, K3> X4
Round 14:  <K3, P3, K3> X4
Round 15:  <K2tog, K1, P3, K1, K2tog> X4

Round 16:  <K2, P3, K2> X4                                                    (28 stitches)
Round 17:  <K2, P3, K2> X4
Round 18:  <K2, P3, K2> X4
Round 19:  <K2, P3, K2> X4
Round 20:  <K2tog, P3, K2tog> X4

Round 21:  <K1, P3, K1> X4                                                    (20 stitches)
Round 22:  <K1, P3, K1> X4
Round 23:  <K1, P3, K1> X4
Round 24:  <K1, P3, K1> X4

Bind off all 20 stitches.

*******************************************************************************
I hope you guys like this pattern.

HAPPY KNITTING

Labor Day Yarn Review on Cascade's Longwood

Hi Knitters,

How's your Labor Day weekend?  Mine's quite boring.  Really hope to do something outdoor.  But before I step out of my door,  allow me to make one announcement and review on the yarn Op. 15 is made of.

Labor Day weekend special.  Everything is on sale on both Ravelry and Etsy. Price already changed for you.  No need for coupon.  Hope you find something right for you.

All right, review time.  About the Cascade Longwood.  It's a new release this year.  So soft to touch as it's made of100% superwashed merino.  And the color way #12 was exactly that i was looking for.  Longwood is made in China, and it is not cheap in terms of price.

Inspired by an outfit of Brown Eyed Girl in their MV "Kill Bill,  I originally planned to knit a poncho with four balls of it.  And I casted on two hundred something stitches.  As the label of the yarn suggested, I used US #8 needles.  I guess Longwood just doesn't get along too well with needles in that size.  The gauges doesn't look too good to me.   It should go with smaller needles.   And that's why I later switched to #6 and #7 Cubics while I did Op. 15.  

Moreover, I felt much more comfortable knitting Longwood with bamboo and wooden needles.  Perhaps it's not too slippery on those needles?  

One thing I do like to point out: you'd better not make any mistake while needle with Longwood.  I had undone the would-be-a-poncho and found it quite difficult to knit with the same yarn again.  It's not impossible.  It was just not a pleasant experience.   I always had my needles insert "inside" the yarn.  See the ply....  So loose........I mean it happens to some other yarns too.  It's just a shame: poor manufacturing with very nice material.

Anyhow, I managed to finish Op. 15 with a skein of Cascade's Longwood.  It is wonderful to wear the hat on.  Speaking as the wearer, it's  super comfy.  But Longwood is just not my favorite new yarn of this season.  I have returned the remaining three balls which I didn't use at all to the yarn shop and got some store credit refunded.  Wanna know what I got?  Stay tuned and 

HAPPY KNITTING

Op. 14 Hat Knitting Pattern

Hi Knitter,

I'm so so happy to announced that Op. 14 Hat Knitting Pattern is finally finished.  Though the skills needed for this patterns are not difficult, writing out this complicated pattern made me dizzy...and it would be very easy to make mistake in the pattern.

Well, it does not mean that knitting Op. 14 is difficult at all.  It was the writing,  not the knitting that held me back.  Skills required are in intermediate level: Cast On, Sewing for bind off, Knit, Purl, K2tog, P2tog, Cable knitting, twisted cable knitting.  Nothing difficult.  Just follow the instruction step by step and you will be fine.

And as I mentioned, I did it in Magic Loop style.  It is not a must.  You can always do it with double-pointed needles as the pattern says, or with circular needles.  

I do encourage you to use stitch makers for this pattern.  And put marker wherever I have it "spaced out" in the written pattern.  It helps understand the structure of the pattern.

Material: On Skein of Plymouth Yarn Company 
Encore Colorspun colorway #7750

Tools: US#7 (4.5mm) double-pointed needles
US#8 (5.0mm) double-pointed needles
A cable needle
Stitch Markers (Optional)

Size:         Fits head of 50-55cm circumstances

Gauge: 17 Stitches X 25 Rows = 10cm X 10cm

Unfortunately I didn't take any pic of the yarn before I started working on Op. 14.  My fault.  This lovely yarn is made of 75% acrylic and 25 % wool.  Product of Turkey.  Like other worsted yarn, this Encore Colorspun is a little bit rough, not as soft as Uptown Worsted.  That is probably before there is wool in it.  And as you can see, it's very good for cable knitting.  The colorway is named Lime Frost.  Fresh....

And what did I put beside the left yarn?  That's a tillandsia.  Cute?

Oh, almost forgot to mention.  Op. 14 pattern is now available on both Ravelry and Etsy.  Go for it!!!

Next project will not be a hat.  It will be a project that needs more than one skein of yarn.  Stay tuned and

HAPPY KNITTING

Acrylic Reigns: Review on Uptown Worsted Yarn in Neon Yellow

Hi Knitters,

I'm now done knitting Op. 13 and would like to share with you what I think of the yarn I picked.

A few weeks ago I went to a LYS.  I was looking for something acrylic.  It was ok whether it's 100% acrylic or mix with other material.  Just wannna to be a yarn explorer.  Acrylic yarn is certainly for people with  limited budget.  I then went to have happy hour since I saved some money from buying yarn.  Hurrah!!!

Universal Yarn's Uptown Worsted was one of my pick of that day.  I was debating: should I get the hot magenta or neon yellow (please note that there was bright yellow too)?  Since I had knitted quite a few pink items, neon yellow was my choice.  And then a genius idea just pop up: Neon Yellow is the perfect color for bike riders who don't install any flash light in their bike.  Then putting something on their heads will help people noticing them.   Ride safe!

Now you know I love the color.  How about the touch?  This yarn is called worsted yarn.  And yet it is quite soft to touch.  I would say compared to acrylic + wool, this 100% acrylic yarn somehow resembles the quality of baby yarn.  And the knit is not itchy at all.  This is a good news for wool-sensitive friends.  And the appearance of this yarn is a bit shiny, despite the fact that it is in such SHARP color.  

When knitting, this Uptown Worsted yarn was a bit slippery.  If you are a beginner knitter, I don't recommend knitting with steel or aluminum needles.  Using bamboo needles would be a wiser choice.  When I unfortunately undid some of the stitches, the anti-pilling feature of this yarn helped keep the yarn in shape: you won't need to worry that the needles will frequently insert into the yarn by mistake.  I do love this quality.  To conclude, I am satisfied with Uptown Worsted and I highly recommend this yarn to beginner knitters.  Next time I may pick a mellower color way since there are more than 40 options.  

Here is a peek for the project Op. 13.  You may wonder: What the hey is EatingLemon doing with needles in 2 different sizes?  Stay tuned and your curiosity will be fulfilled. 

HAPPY KNITTING

P.S. Here the link to my fb page.  https://www.facebook.com/Eatinglemonknitknitknitpage
Spread the words!

Happy Independence Day 2013!

Happy July 4th everybody,

I'm so happy to make two announcements:

1)   I bought 3 balls of yarn for only $22.72 yesterday.  Tax included. Wahahahahaha
2)   By typing in "2013JULY4THYEAH" as the coupon code to get any one of my pattern in Etsy,   you will get a 40% off.  Yo ho!!!  Expires on July 5th 2013.

 One of the three balls I got is a ball of intense rainbow color yarn...got powered up by hope instantly.  

Yes, as you can see, this is Mochi Plus yarn from Crystal Palace Yarns. Spun in Taiwan.  But I don't know where the wool came from.   There are also Mochi Mini and Chucky Mochi available in different weights.   By the way, first time dealing with Taiwanese yarn.  

This ball of yarn is made of 80% of Merino Wool and 20% of Nylon.  And knitters are told that the knit made of Mochi Plus is ok with both hand wash and machine wash.    Well, dear knitters, I insist on hand wash.  I consider it in a very reasonable price for its modest softness and stunning sharpness of appearance.  Will tell you more about this yarn once I start working.

With one ball of Mochi Plus, I will probably make a quick baby hat.  Not confirmed yet. 

The "busy" model of these picture is my dear white cat.  Haha, now you know why I have never knitted with black yarn.    And no, she's not Mochi, the follow guest is the real Mochi:

Anyhow, whenever you are not too busy in knitting,  come visit my facebook page for updates and more fun.  

HAPPY KNITTING!!!

Op. 11 Hat Pattern

Yo Ho Knitters,

I'm so kind I finally finish this cute hat with an very interest pattern.  

The one you see in the picture is actually no. 2 of it.  I did something differently with the top, and ended up knitting with 3 balls of yarn.   Still, it was not very satisfying.   So I just kept it subtle and started it all over again.  

If you are a fast knitter, you can probably finish this hat within a day.  Learning from my own experience, I would recommend you to count the number of stitches for every row.  I know it's annoying.  But trust me.  It definitely worth spending the time.  

Skills needed for knitting Op. 11 hat are: knit, purl, psso, M1, k2tog, yo, sl 1, knitting in round, cast on, bind off.  I will soon do a tutorial for psso for your convenience.  

Although this hat knitted with Bobby Blue color, Op. 11 is suitable for both boy and girl.  

Op. 11 hat pattern is now available on Ravelry and Etsy.  

HAPPY KNITTING

Op. 10 Scarf Knitting Pattern

Hi Knitters,

Op. 10 scarf knitting pattern is now available!!! Hurrah!!! Please feel free to check it out on Ravelry and Etsy.

I tried to make a sharp contrast, in terms of the density of the pattern, of this kid-sized scarf: first with intense stitch and the second half with some simple lace patterns.

Op. 10 is good for knitters who wants to challenge themselves to become an intermediate knitters.  Yeah...by learning more techniques, you will have more fun knitting.  Op. 10 is apparently a good choice.  I enjoyed knitting this scarf so much.   Techniques you need to know:  cast on, bind off, knit, purl, yarn over, k2tog, skp, slip stitch.  

 And of course, as I told you before,  I love the Sublime yarn.  Kiss kiss kiss....

Obstacles? Yes.  Posing the scarf for photography was not easy. It gave me headache.  How to make this scarf look good?  How to show this beautiful scarf its best to the public, and make people fall in love with it even though  they cannot touch it at the moment?   And with reference of some knitting pattern collection, I finally got relieved by placing the scarf on a piece of floral cloth in dark background color.  Hope you like it.

HAPPY KNITTING

Encore! Sublime Extrafine Merino yarn in YELLOW!!!!

Hi Knitters,

I'm working on Op. 10 scarf right now.  The first half is made up by Noro Yarn and Patons Yarn. Just finished the first half of it. Wanna preview?

Op. 10, as I promised, knitted with the yarn ball "arranged" from a skein of Noro's Iroha.  Made of 50% of wool, 40% of silk and 10% of Nylon, Iroha in purple gave me a sense of warmth.  But I didn't sweat due to knitting it continuously for 2 hours.   Happy with that during so-called summer time in bay area.    Too bad I only got one skein of it.  I do like the yarn just the way I like other Noro yarn.  

The milky part you can see is made of Patons Moorland Shetland D.K.  Absolutely  yarn for cold weather. 

In the second half of Op. 10 scarf, I will knit with my beloved Sublime yarn.

Just a friendly reminder, I used sublime yarn in pink to knit Op. 8 scarflet.  

This time I will work with yellow color.  Shall I call it mustard? ??

Sublime yarn is just as gorgeous as usual.  So silky and soft to touch; so easy to knit with; so adorable to keep your eyes on....  Magnificent.  It's not only good for kids, adults will love it too....I just adore the colorways of this yarn.  Compared to Noro's Iroha, Sublime is much lighter in weight.  

Op. 10 is coming soon.  Stay in tune and

HAPPY KNITTING

From skein to ball

Hi Knitters,

I bought a skein of Noro yarn a while ago and just decided to make something out of it.  But before the knitting, some pre work needs to be done.

What I'm talking about is the make the skein of yarn become a ball of yarn.  Otherwise, you can't knit.

And this is the way I'm using now.  Find a drawer handle with some wide.  Lucily I have a wardrode from IKEA.   Untie the skein of yarn.  Then slowly, and carefully separete the skein into a big circle.  The place the yarn on the handle.  Be patient please. 

Then find one end of the yarn and use it to wrap on your hand. (either one will do)  I usually only use four fingers and leave the thumb open.   Again, do it slowly and be PATIENT.

After a few rounds you can pull out your hand and wrap the few rounds of yarn (it doesn't look like a ball, not yet)  Keep wrapping.  Then you will see the shape of a round yarn ball coming out.  

Though it is not the only way to make yarn ball, nor is it the perfect method, it is one 'survival skill' for knitter when nobody is around you to help.  Please let me know your creative method for making yarn ball.   Oh, what an interesting topic!

HAPPY KNITTING

Logo and BGM

Hi Knitters,

I'm so glad that we finally have a LOGO.

This logo is designed from a friend from Japan.  Don't you like it?  It totally fits our title..A sharp and smart LEMON and two needles for KNITTING. Look at that 'sexy' body of the lemon.  Doesn't it remind you a ball of yarn? Gorgeous work!  Thank you my friend!

Also, another friend who composed the background music for our YouTube Tutorial just uploaded some music in her SoundCloud account. 

Feel free to listen to her music.  As my friend mentioned, she has  made some alternation for the BGM.  It's very possible that I may used some of her music in the future for my YouTube videos.  

Anyway, I'm still working on the new tutorial....see you guys soon!

HAPPY KNITTING