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Mark your calendars!

Lots of stuff happening – the third Tapas Club kit will be launched on Friday, February 24th, 6ish. Come and meet the designer and the dyer of this beautiful kit – our most lavish to date! (Yummy Yarn Studio alpaca/silk/cashmere AND beads and a gorgeous design – need I say more?). We have sold out both of our previous Tapas Club kits, which is so exciting.

Sivia Harding will be here, teaching classes March 3rd and 4th; and we will have a party to welcome her to Calgary on Friday evening, March 2nd – also starting around 6. If you haven’t yet registered for one of Sivia’s classes, you should!

We will have special trunk shows of Yummy Yarn Studio yarns at both these events, so you can acquire more beautiful yarn to add to your yarn collection even if you can’t indulge in the kit or a class.

And we will launch the fourth and final of our Tapas Club kits – designed by the dyer of Yummy Yarn Studio herself – on Friday, March 30. It too is very special, and I’m pretty sure you’ll love it.

We will be open holiday hours on holiday Monday – noon to 4pm. We will also have the last of the penguin kits available this weekend – you can call to reserve yours so that after you see the penguins at the Calgary Zoo, you can swing by M1 and get your own to knit!

And we are going to be featured in Avenue Magazine in May as one of the best places in Bridgeland! I’m very honoured!

So exited!!

Sivia is coming in Friday, March 2nd, and we’ll have a little soiree Friday evening to welcome her – starting about 6ish, shall we say? I am so thrilled, and Sivia is such a charmer, in addition to being a stellar designer – I know you’ll enjoy meeting her!

The Fill a Triangle with Lace class is getting close to cut off – a few spots left for this full day class on Saturday.

The two half day classes, to be held on Sunday, will be Aquitaine Beaded Cuffs in the morning and Harmonia’s Rings for the afternoon. Here is the info:

Aquitaine Beaded Cuffs
This class is a virtual cornucopia of beading techniques in knitting. The Aquitaine Cuff is an elegant piece with a heavily beaded hand covering that includes ruffles, lace and twisted stitches, and a slim, ribbed cuff that can be wrist or elbow length. The overall effect is Victorian charm. Up to four different beads are used and many design options are given from simple to complex. Students are encouraged to make their own modifications for a completely unique work of art! (And we will have kits available for you in your choice of colourway from Yummy Yarn Studio! AND a trunk show from Yummy Yarn on Saturday, too!).

Harmonia’s Rings
The Harmonia’s Rings cowl, which uses Cat Bordhi’s Moebius cast on to achieve the mysterious spiral neck shape, features an easy and addictive self-pleating knit and purl stitch pattern that creates concentric rings reminiscent of ancient architecture. This class includes many techniques: the Moebius cast on, beaded picot bind off, knitting the texture pattern in the round, shaping within the Moebius structure, and ways to customize the pattern to fit any body type.

This is going to be a terrific weekend! Come join us and register now!

So, let’s see -

we have eight Knit Your Own Penguin kits left; there will only be twenty more in February and that’s all. The kits include the yarn to make your own penguin of a superwash wool (so that it can be loved and go into the washer and the dryer as needed), the instructions, the stuffing, and a locally handmade project bag and a locally produced stitch marker. As always here at M1, we want to support local artisans and are very happy to have Terri (for the bags) and Leslie (for the stitch markers) on board to help with this project. We are delighted to have had this chance to work with the Zoo! And of course, $10 of the purchase price goes to the Calgary Zoo to support the penguin habitat. If you call, we can reserve a kit for you.

As you know, we had a trunk show on Saturday from Ancient Arts, and it was so much fun! Caroline brought all her wonderful spinning fibres and we launched her Aran weight sweater yarns. I really think this is the most gorgeous yarn for sweaters I have ever seen – she’s found an organic Merino which has the most amazing lustre (yes, a Merino yarn with lustre!). It’s breaking my heart to put my favourite colourway, which is called Cranberry Bog, out to sell, but I know it will go to a good home, as will the other colourways, including Forever in Blue Jeans and Enchanted Forest and more… We also have some of this base in sock yarn – perfect for a special shawl or a special pair of socks! Come get it quick before it’s all gone!

Speaking of lovely yarn and special projects, our next Tapas Club kit will be launched next Friday, February 3rd. All of our Tapas Club kits are done with the lovely yarns of Yummy Yarn Studio, and this base is one of my favourites - alpaca/silk/cashmere – so luxurious! And the colour! Wow! And of course the project itself is very special and is different from the previous two kits, so I can say it is not socks or a shawl… But you’ll have to wait and see what! As with the other kits, we include a project bag and a stitch marker that match the theme of the project. Please join us at 6 pm on the 3rd for the launch!

Every Wednesday afternoon since December we have been having a Mum & Tots and Knits afternoon at M1, and all are welcome to join us. It’s a chance for you to get out of the house with the little ones, and if there’s time, do a little knitting and meet other folks with little ones at home. Do join us if you can – it usually runs from about 1 to about 4! We’re always happy to help you with a knitting question, of course!

We are always updating our class list – please check the website for the big list. Thursday evening, the 26th, we have a needlefelting class – come and make a penguin in felt! Lace 101 starts on Sunday and there are still a couple of spots left; we have Felted Flowers on Saturday, February 4th, which will be fun. And we do private lessons anytime the schedule works for you and the instructor – call us to reserve a spot in any class, or to arrange a private lesson.

And Knit Night is every Tuesday evening from 7-9 pm – do join us!

See you soon!

There’s a lot to tell you about this week!

First of all – are you on our Ravelry group? (Are you on Ravelry? If not, you should be – it is a great, free website for knitters, handspinners, and crocheters; there are thousands of free (and pay) patterns, yarn reviews, groups to discuss your projects in… And you can post your own pictures of your projects and often talk directly to the designer of the project you’re working on. We recommend it to everybody – it’s so useful! There are over a million members worldwide – it’s at Ravelry.com). If you are, you’ve seen the postings about some of the new classes we are offering, and the specifics about the Fit Your Knits class, which is filling up fast.

Also on offer are (these are the teachers’ own descriptions):

Saturday, January 21, 1-3pm, Finishing Techniques -You too can make gorgeous finished objects from patterns that are knit in pieces. We will cover grafting, seaming using mattress stitch to make beautiful seams, picking up stitches evenly, weaving in ends, setting in sleeves and other curved shapes, blocking, and ways to alter patterns slightly to make finishing your garments satisfying instead of frustrating! Bring a few old swatches and some contrasting yarn to practice with.

Saturday, Jan. 28, 1-3 pm: Short rows! Short rows are used in making sock heels, shaping sideways knit projects, bust shaping and more. Come and learn how to do them and think through shaping using short rows, and at least four (maybe more) ways of hiding the holes that develop when you short row.

This is all the info you need about that great Fit Your Knits class:

Sundays, Feb. 5, 19, and 26, 12-4 pm: Fitting Your Knits. This extensive class on making sweaters that will fit YOU will include: making a custom dressmaker’s dummy to use in fitting, taking a complete set of reference measurements of yourself to use in knitting, choosing the correct size to knit, learning how to read the pattern and schematic to make alterations, calculating custom waist shaping, how to make bust darts, and adjust for changes in gauge. Please contact M1 for a list of materials needed for the dummy making on Feb. 5.

And also:

For two Sundays, Jan. 22 & 29, 1-4 p.m. will be the Lace 101 class. Through a series of swatches, you will be introduced to a variety of lace techniques including: cast-ons, cast-offs, increasing with yarnovers, decreases, charted designs,blocking, beading and nupps and other tips for successful lace knitting. Students need to bring yarn in the weight they are most comfortable working with and needles as size or two larger than usually used for that weight of yarn.

On Sunday, February 12 will be the “Start Your First Shawl” class. This class will include a discussion to shawl shapes and constructions, and other considerations in starting a shawl.

And – always wanted to make something risque or something that makes you feel sexy or romantic but home is too distracting for such a project? Join Mary & Liz on Sundays at the shop from January 15 to February 12 as they work on projects leading up to Valentine’s Day Feb. 14 for the Naughty Knits Knitalong. The project doesn’t have to be ‘naughty’ but can be anything frilly and charming – like a pretty cami or slip!

We are also offering two needlefelting classes – One for felted penguins on Thursday, January 26, 6-9pm, and one to make adorable felted sheep on Saturday, February 25, 10-1. Both are with local artist, Jill Nuckle, and we do have Jill’s kits on hand as well!

A Felted Flower class will take place on Saturday, February 4 – this short class will show you how to make a pretty decoration for a hat or bag!

As always, if you don’t see a class offered that covers something you are anxious to learn, we can arrange a private lesson for you! Just call us!

On to other news – our Wednesday afternoon (1-4pm) Mums & Tots time is booming – hope you can join us for a change of place here at M1 and bring your little ones. We’ll help you will your knitting questions and provide a craft space for the tots. Makes a nice break!

Friday evening, we’re having an impromptus Knit-In at Madison’s in the Beddington Safeway mall, starting at 6pm – they have truffle chips!

This Saturday is our monthly Spin-In – bring your wheel or spindle and join us, or just come if you are curious and want to know what the fuss about spinning your own is all about!

We have 10 more Penguin kits available now – these are the last before the very last kits (only 20 more) which will be available for the February launch of the Penguin Plunge exhibit at the Calgary Zoo – knit your own penguin and donate money to support the exhibit at the same time! Please call to reserve your kit – they go so fast!

And of course, we’re always getting new yarns and needles and other supplies in – never a dull moment!

See you soon!

Well, my goodness, another new year, all shiny and full of hope and promise – and may everything this year be just as you wish!

Our classes are listed on the website, and are (as usual) filling up fast. Both January and February Knitting 101s are full, and we are booking in the March 101 now. Our Fit Your Knits class is going to be a sell-out, and so if you are interested in this wonderful class, you’d better class soon! It will change your knitting life! More classes are pending as well – Caroline and I are in the process of finalizing the advanced handspinning classes we will have on offer from her; and we have a couple of special classes – such as crocheted, felted flowers – to add to our list. And of course another class or two on needlefelting from local artist, Jill Nuckle – this time, sheep, and a penguin! Do check out the list and remember – we do private lessons, so if something you’d like to try is not on our list, we can set something up with you – and we do group private lessons as well!

Speaking of penguins, the first two installments of our Calgary Zoo Knit Your Own Penguin kits are sold out, and we are taking names for the last twenty now – and the list is getting full. We are hoping to have a further twenty available when the exhibit at the Zoo is opened, but that will be all we will have for a while. We are offering a class if you are having any problems with your little guy, and we will have the yarn kit available in February as well – this will just be the yarn and the pattern.

Our next Tapas club will launch on Friday, January 27th at 6 pm. I have had a sneak peek and I know you will love it – and of course, these kits are hard to resist when you see the gorgeous Yummy Yarn Studio yarn – and then get a look at the lovely pattern – this time, designed by local designer Kathleen Long. (I can tell you this project is beaded!). Only 30 kits will be available. The Sangria Socks have sold out, and there are only three left of the delicious Escalope shawl.

And a new event at M1 is our Wednesday afternoon Mum & Tots social – everyone is welcome, and bring your little ones and meet other knitting mums! If you need help with a project, we’re here for you!

And we are here for you anytime M1 is open – you’re always welcome to come down with a project and sit and knit with us!

All the best, and see you soon!

Hope you have a wonderful evening, celebrating as you like best, (but safely, of course!). 2012 promises to be a wonderful year for everybody – and let’s just get out there and do our best and enjoy it! May all your hopes and dreams come true!

Happy New Year!

We had such fun at our Open House on Saturday – and as always, remarkable food! So glad you could come – and we missed you if you couldn’t!

I hope you are getting your planning and shopping and sorting and all done in good time and without stress! And I hope you’ll have time to join us Saturday (the 17th) during the day for our annual Holiday Open House and Potluck here at M1. We’ll have goodies and treats and lots of chatter and good company (as we always seem to!).

We should have the winter classes up on the website this week – we are offering Knitting and Handspinning 101 every month and there will of course be classes such as Socks 101, Socks 2 at a Time, Lace 101, Entrelac, Colourwork, Twined Knitting, and Crochet 101. Other offerings will include another dyeing class from Sam of Yummy Yarn Studio as well as a double knitting class; we’ll also be offering Fitting Your Knits again and several knit-a-longs – stay tuned!

More penguin kits will be available this week; we’ve had an amazing response to these little guys! We also have needlefelting kits for you that include monsters and penguins. I also have a source now for the perfect needlefelting roving as well as very good needles – come and see!

And we always hope to see you out for Knit Night – it’s always such fun!