Seed stitch hat and scarf

For the past couple of weeks, I've been working on the seed stitch hat and seed stitch scarf from Alison Barlow's Fashionable Projects for the New Knitter.  I got the hat finished in time for Christmas but had barely cast on the scarf by the 25th.  (I was working on it after I recovered from the holiday meal-induced food coma.)  I won't include the pattern here, so as to not undercut the author copyright and income source.  She - Alison Barlow - has some patterns on Ravelry.com, though I didn't check to see if she has any free patterns available there.

My first attempt at the hat didn’t quite work out.

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I've forgotton how to magic loop!

I have bizarrely forgotten how to magic loop. I've been working on tiny things lately, mittens for small hands and slippers, and have consequently been using double pointed needles. I didn't realized I'd been so very focused on DPNs until I tried to make something a bit larger just recently (Kitty/ Devil hat from Stitch and Bitch Nation) and found I didn't remember how to do it!

After reviewing the videos I understand that I wasn't pulling the right (as in correct) needle through. I split the stitches onto the two separate needles but then I guess I didn't push the knit-from needle all the way through; I couldn't figure out how to do it. Couldn't remember how to do it, since I've done it successfully before. So, new attempts. No success yet.

Useful videos

Stitches

• Cast on (Google)
  
• Magic Cast On (YouTube)
  
• Magic Loop Knitting (KnittingHelp.com)
  
• Knitted Cast On (VidoeMo)
  

Resource Sites

• KnittingHelp.com
  
• KnitPicks.com how-to channel on YouTube
  
  

Gotham Fine Yarn

Gotham Fine Yarn
148 Orchard Street Between Rivington & Stanton Sts
Tel: 646.863.3504

Knitting and wine Thursdays and Fridays, I believe. I've never made it to the store when there was still wine to be had. The yarn is lovely, chosen for texture as much as color it seems, by someone who likes to play with the yarn. Large, once long table for a work surface, dedicated on class nights for attendees. Otherwise, table and chairs available for dumping your stuff on while you prowl this small, well organized space. Recent purchase of Tosh sock yarn was priced competitively to Knitty City, as was Brown Sheep Co's Lamb's Pride Bulky.

Hours:
Mon - Sunday: 1-8 PM

Smiley's Yarns

Smiley's Yarns
92-06 Jamaica Ave Between Woodhaven Blvd. and 92nd St (Queens)
(718) 849-9873

Ridiculous Hours:
Mon - Tuesday: 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday: Closed
Thu - Saturday: 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday: Closed

I am allergic to acrylic.  Stepping in to Smiley's, I took my life in to my hands.  I was looking for two specific things: Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride Bulky and a pair of size 8 DPNs.  I asked the woman seated behind the counter (who I'd seen a week or so before at their once-annual Smiley's Hotel Sale in Manhattan; look for the link in the bottom right of the homepage).  I thought I could get in and out quickly enough to avoid the worst of the acrylic-induced eye itchies and sneezies.  Not so much.  The woman behind the counter didn't greet me on entry; I didn't realize I'd become used to that at the Manhattan stores until the lack of greeting slapped me in the face.  I wandered around for a few minutes, found nothing but acrylic and none of the needles I was looking for, I approached the counter.  And was grunted at.  They barely had anything without acrylic in it, meaning barely had anything in the store that I could work with.  Fine.  No needles, no DPNs at all, evidently.  As per the grunting woman.  Fine, done, I'm gone.  I'd rather pay the prices as AC Moore's, Michael's, and even the Manhattan stores rather than deal with that crap.  Times are tough, my money is good, show some respect or it and I will be out the damn door.

Purl SoHo

Purl
137 Sullivan Street Between W. Houston and Prince Sts.
212-420-8796

Small, staffed with happy shiny Stepford people. Okay, they're universally cheerful. This is New York! It's creepy. On a recent excursion, the chick with the long hair was speaking so fast, in such a happy tone, in such a chirpy voice, I wanted to smack her.

The place is popular, so you can end up waiting a while for the staff's attention, and may have to chase them a bit for their attention.

The store is always brightly lit, making it easier for color matching. A little on the expensive side compared to Knitty City, but then, it's SoHo. Not a lot of needles/ other tools available. Haven't yet tried their sister store up Sullivan, the one with all the fabric notions.

Hours:
Mon - Friday 12-7 PM
Sat - Sunday 12-6 PM

Yarntopia

Yarntopia
974 Amsterdam Ave SW Corner of W. 108th St
(212) 316-9276

This is what I always imagined a yarn shop would look like: small, not brilliantly lit, packed with lovely hued yarn, a little messy but the good, lived-in, kind of messy. It reminds me of some of my favorite cafes, the kind with the chunky, mismatches sofas, whose cups never matched the saucers (when there were saucers).

The needle and book area is small-ish and directly back from the door, perfect for the shopper who needs just that one more thing to finish a project, though they're actually open late enough for me to get there after work and do a little browsing!

There are random sales and always something on discount, usually to be found around the counter. There's a big, comfy sofa just inside the door, opposite the counter, and the owner is happy to have people come and sit and knit and chat. She's a lot of fun to talk to, too.

Not cheap, about on a par with Knitty City and then say +10%, but the discounted bits can make up for it. I've found I'll only do better than Knitty City on the internet, or if I catch a particular sale.

Hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 12-9 PM
Wednesday: 12-7 PM
Thursday: 12-9 PM
Fri - Sunday: 12-7 PM