May 20
In March and April I managed to carve out some time to visit a few New England yarn shops. Andra, the area’s sales rep, and I traveled with a trunk show of sweaters in a variety of sizes and encouraged knitters to try them all on. It’s a fun, party-like atmosphere with sweaters and compliments flying freely from knitter to knitter. We’ve done this a bit in the past, and there are always surprises. Read more
One of my first design projects was a tank top knit with a beautiful blue bamboo yarn. I happily planned out the design, then knitted it. Once it was finally finished, I could hardly wait to try it on, but when I took a look in the mirror, I noticed that the armholes went down almost to my waist!
Remember what it was like before you learned how to read? Every time I wanted to know what something said, I’d have to ask my mom or dad. Letters looked like weird scribbles, and I was always in awe of older kids and their almost magical ability to decipher writing.
What I’m about to say may shock you. Before I started here at Berroco, I didn’t know much about Norah. Sure, I had heard her name and even queued a few of her designs on Ravelry, but I was mostly a crocheter and I didn’t pay much attention to those kinds of things. Looking back now, I’m grateful for my knitting industry ignorance. I would have been way too nervous starting a new job with “THE NORAH GAUGHAN” as my boss!
If you’ve been to our Facebook page lately, you might have guessed that we like Halloween. I had a feeling some of you might also like Halloween and might have some fun patterns to share. But I had no idea how spooky or creative your designs would be.
Mar 19
Inspired by the Knitting in Film and Television Awards hosted by I Knit, our office had a lengthy chat today about our favorite knitted moments in the media. We’re all mad for movies and television, mostly on DVD or Hulu…long marathons, the better to knit by, my dear!! We’ve also become fans of the blog Reel Knitting which is a perfect hybrid of our hobbies.
Most of us agree that mindless knits in yummy yarns are the best for knitting along in front of a flickering screen. A few of our free patterns come to mind: Rectangela knit in Peruvia (lots of stockinette and it eventually doubles as a lap blanket), Radius in sparkly Metallic Sox (knit in the round) and Alpine, knit in chunky Cuzco, which you could probably finish during a double feature!
I flipped the first time I saw this hilarious Yoplait ad with a wooly punchline. I also love that a knitter in the Humira ad is working with bamboo circulars. Points for realism! I absolutely adore Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep, in part for its’ homemade charm (no computer generated special effects here) and in part because of scenes like this that seem to glorify crafting:
Norah has a fondness for Morticia Adams’ multi-sleeved sweaters. She also enjoys knitting animals, Gromit the knitting dog from Wallace and Gromit and Maysie the knitting hen from Chicken Run.
Donna and I traded stories about excellent knitwear in children’s fantasy films. We love everything in the Harry Potter films, as well as the Bucket Family is working on or wearing in Tim Burton’s remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Donna spotted lots of yarny goodness in City of Ember while I happen to love the sweaters in City of Lost Children.
This was a good distraction from the craziness of this week…we’re totally surrounded by yarn! We’re practically re-enacting a certain iconic scene…
What are your favorite movie/TV knits?
CR
Feb 22
It’s time, once again, to showcase you fantastic knitters out there – our customers. Here are five sweaters designed by me and interpreted by Ravelers to fit their individual tastes and needs.
KallieKY's Assemblage
KallieKY’s assemblage is knit in Inca Gold. The pattern calls for Pure Merino dk , but as you can clearly see Inca Gold works very well. Here’s the link to our original photo.
TrafficKnitter's cabled coat
This pattern is in the Fall 2007 edition of Vogue Knitting. Traffic Knitter whipped up the Pure Merino pieces very quickly and suffered angst about sewing it together perfectly. She’s posted a great side view on her blog and described her sewing solution.
gauge's linear
Gauge let her creative instincts free with her interpretation of Linear from NGV3. In her hands a more austere monochromatic Inca Gold cardigan is infused with steampunk prettiness.
cadburyskeeper's chantal
Cadburyskeeper expressed the wish that she had taken a better photo of her Chantal, but I love the boldness of the red cardigan against the black and white curtain and the odd feeling that she is taking a photo of us as we gaze on. Oh, and yes, she’s used the yarns called for Ultra Alpaca and Ultra Alpaca Light (which come dyed to match).
meegiemoo's alpine
I think that meegiemoo’s Alpine suits her perfectly. Here’s the link to the free pattern . Check out her blog to see ”The Cutest Shoes in the World”, completing the the look (scroll down). For more pictures of Alpine knit in Cuzco – click here.
More ravelers’ sweaters in my previous post.
Thanks for all the great Knitting!
Norah
Dec 17
Icy tree in Peterborough, NH
The ice storm in New England missed Berroco altogether, but affected my home town of Peterborough NH quite significantly. This reinforced several things I already knew:
1 – Headlamps are an essential knitting tool. …and it’s such a great look for me 
2 – Layers of knits are lovely when there is no source of heat in the house.
Norah knits by headlamp - photo, John Ranta
