Thursday, March 28, 2024

New Patterns

Cheryl Faust has a new pattern called Iris Loop (purchased on Ravelry).

Iris, with her stunning stranded colorwork, is a moebius cowl that is the epitome of ease, style and comfort all rolled into one. Simply slip it over your head, give it a little fluff, and voila – you’re out the door and on-the-go chic!

Iris loop begins with a provisional cast on and is knit in the round as a tube. After blocking, the tube is twisted once and the live ends are grafted together with Kitchener Stitch to form a continuous twisted loop.

The cowl is knit with 2 colours of fingering weight yarn. Cheryl used Spincycle Dyed in the Wool for her colourful yarn. Crazy Zauberball or Starke 6 would be a good substitute. We are expecting more Crazy Zauberball early next week.





Brian Smith has a new shawl pattern that you can purchase on Ravelry.
Firstly, a triangle is worked top down, then stitches are picked up along one side and a second triangle is worked. This shawl has a generous length, enabling the wearer to wrap two or three times around the neck. 

The shawl is knit with 2 skeins of Hedgehog Sock for the main part of the shawl. You need 44m of the contrast colour. 





I put together a few combinations in Emma’s Practically Perfect Sock with a Practically Perfect Small
Crazy Beautiful February 2024 with Crown Jewel (small)
Crazy Beautiful March 2024 with Tealicious (small)
Happily Ever After with Barbie Girl (small)
Alex is making progress on her Tessellated Sweater. She has split for the armhole and is working on the front. The colours look awesome and Alex is really happy with how it looks so far.
Meet Milo. His mom brought him to the store to show off his Noro coat (Noro Ito). The coat looks great and his mom said he likes wearing it.



It’s time to watch some baseball. Opening Day is finally here.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Granny Squares

Tanis Lavallee’s newest knit and crochet pattern just came out. This is Jethro (pattern purchased on Ravelry).
I am not over Granny squares. My love for them is still full blown. It’s so deeply rooted that granny squares have become my new sock project. The project that is always sitting in a basket beside my knitting nook ready to be grabbed at any moment for a few quick stitches. This cardigan is my ode to my favourite colour palette done up in my current favourite Granny Squares. A match made in heaven.

I need to make this cardigan. Maybe in the fall. My mom loved Granny Squares and she would love this cardigan.




Here are some sizing notes from Tanis
The sizes given are the actual finished full chest measurement of the garment, choose a size that corresponds to 30-43 cm / 12-17” larger than your upper bust measurement or, the size that will give you the amount of ease you like. There are larger than I’m used to jumps between the sizes due to the restrictions imposed by the fixed sizes of the squares and I think that it suits the casual nature of the pattern. It is not intended to be fitted, there is no shoulder shaping, it’s a throw it on and run out the door kinda cardi. Because this is an open front cardigan where the back width is greater than the width of the front (the fronts don’t meet when the cardigan is laid flat, but it can be buttoned which will create a slightly raised front hem) the sizes are based on the back width. I recommend wearing this drop shoulder style with a lot of positive ease. I am wearing the size 3 with close to 43 cm / 17” of positive ease. My daughter is wearing the size 1 with 38 cm / 15” of positive ease. When worn buttoned the circumference is decreased by about 5 cm / 2” as the fronts have to pull together to fasten. Crochet is different from knitting in that it’s denser and heavier, it doesn’t have the same fluid drape that knit fabric can have. Keep this in mind when choosing your size. My vision for the fit is to have a generously proportioned body and the crisp ribbing and slightly slimmer sleeves keep it from looking sloppy.
 
Tanis used DK weight yarn for the cardigan. Don’t forget that 2 strands of fingering weight is equivalent to DK. 

Fred was having fun at work today.

Tonight is a very busy TV night. Survivor, The Amazing Race and Top Chef. I hope to get to the sleeve separation on Calypso Worsted. 

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Knitting for Summer

Kissed by the sun and the sea, waves crashing in, carrying a cooling soft breeze. 

It is worked from the top down, seamlessly, adorned with beautiful lace trimmings. 

Photos © Joji Locatelli


Joji knit the top with a DK weight yarn. One of the test knitters used Rowan Summerlite DK.

We received a brand new Cotton/Linen blend called Allino from BC Garn.

"Allino" - the name sounds light, airy and reminds one of a day at sea. A classic combination of linen and cotton; the mixture of these two natural fibers - one muted, the other with a slightly glossy surface - gives this versatile yarn a lively appearance.

50% Linen, 50% Cotton

Hand wash cool, lay flat to dry.


  • Meters Per Ball: 125 m
  • Yards Per Ball: 136 yds
  • Needle Size/Tension: 3.0-3.5mm | 22sts

Here are the colours that we received. These are not on the website yet - I will try to do it tomorrow. The yarn is $12.50 a ball.








Beth made Easter Bark after dinner. It looks good. Hopefully it will be cooled down before bed.
Icing the lemon loaf.

Boscoe loves cushions. He is a dog that loves comfort. 

Monday, March 25, 2024

Temperature Blanket

Denise sent an email today with her 2024 Temperature Blanket so far. I am so jealous. The colours are coming out amazing. I really want to make a 2024 version because our weather has been all over the place.

Thank you Denise for sharing.
I'm sending you a photo of my 2024 temperature blanket through to almost the end of March.  Please feel free to use it if it will help to make an easy future blog post.

With the very unusual winter we had in midwestern Ontario, the purples started to make an appearance earlier than I had anticipated they would, and the swings back and forth in temperature have made for a very pretty mix of colours.  I'm looking forward to watching the purples become more pinkish as we move through the coming months.

This version of the temperature blanket has been just as engrossing as my first one was.  Who would think that garter stitch could be so interesting?!

Thanks again for a great kit!

Denise is using Rowan Felted Tweed for her blanket. I put together some combinations or you can choose your own colours. 

I was looking for something last night and found an Alpine Bloom hat that I was knitting for the store.

I’m using Madelinetosh Woolcycle in Aura and a Freia Minikin in Wildflower. One Minikin will make any size hat.
Tonight was Lemon Loaf evening. Here is the link to the recipe we use. They claim that the Lemon Loaf is better than Starbucks and it is. Very yummy!!!!

I packed boxes from 8:30 this morning until 1:30. We had a new UPS driver and he was shocked by the number of boxes that we were shipping out. Now it’s time to knit. I finished the colourwork on Calypso Worsted last night. I have a few rows of the body colour to do before separating. 

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Madelinetosh Wool + Cotton

Thanks to everyone who visited today. It was crazy in the store and we had fun. There are going to be a lot of fibre lovers playing with yarn tonight. That includes me. After I hit ‘Publish’ I’m going to relax and knit.
Madelinetosh Wool + Cotton is a beautiful yarn. It is 50% Superwash Wool and 50% Pima Cotton. Because of the fibre content the colours are muted compared to most Madelinetosh colours. Until Tuesday evening it is on sale for $29 a skein

Tanis Lavallee’s Rock it Tee DK (pattern purchased on Ravelry) is a great pattern choice for Wool + Cotton.
I wore my light and airy fingering weight Rock It Tee so much this summer and as soon as the cool fall breezes started coming around I knew that I needed a cooler weather version to tide me over until the warm weather eventually returns. The Rock It Tee DK features all of the same details that I love about the fingering weight version, including eyelets at the raglan increases, I-cord bind offs and a combination of merino, mohair and of course lots of opportunity for customization with stripes. I’ve included instructions for both puff sleeves and slim sleeves so you can really make this sweater your own!




This is the Reset Slipover from Churchmouse Yarns. Both samples are knit in Wool + Cotton.


You can purchase the pattern for the Reset Slipover on the Churchmouse website.

This season-spanning piece is a reinterpretation of the Churchmouse Classics Sleeveless Slipover. The deep, ribbed hem and open side vents give the Reset Slipover a relaxed, easy style. With options for cropped and tunic lengths—and a clever yarn choice—it’s a versatile layering piece that’s great for any season. 

We knit the Reset Slipover in collaboration with Madelinetosh, selecting their brilliant Tosh Wool + Cotton for its year ‘round, easy-care aptitude! This DK-weight yarn is composed of 50% superwash merino wool and 50% Pima cotton, both ethically sourced in Peru. Lightweight, yet nice and substantial, Tosh Wool + Cotton is a great choice for transitional pieces we love to wear in the in-between seasons. It’s nice and resilient—machine-washable on gentle cycle. And then, there’s the palette of Madelinetosh’s gorgeous hand-dyed colors!





SIZES
This slipover is designed with approx. 3-5"/7.5-12.5cm of ease. If you want a looser style, simply choose a larger size. To wear it all on its own, go a little smaller. Details given for smallest size, larger sizes in parenthesis ( ).

Finished bust: 34 (37, 40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55)"/86 (94, 102, 109, 117, 124, 132, 140)cm.

To fit bust: 29-31 (32-34, 35-37, 38-40, 41-43, 44-46, 47-49, 50-52)"/74-79 (81-86, 89-94, 97-102, 104-109, 112-117, 119-124, 127-132)cm with 3-5"/7.55-12.5cm of ease.


FINISHED BODY LENGTHS
Measured from high shoulder (where shoulder meets neck) to hem.

Cropped version: 18 ½ (18 ¾, 19, 19 ¼, 19 ½, 19 ½, 19 ¾, 20)"/46.5 (47.5, 48.5, 49, 49.5, 49.5, 50.5, 51)cm.

Tunic Version: 29 ½ (29 ¾, 30, 30 ¼, 30 ½, 30 ½, 30 ¾, 31)"/75 (75.5, 76.5, 77, 77.5, 77.5, 78.5, 79)cm.

YARN


Cropped: 3 (3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4) skeins Madelinetosh Tosh Wool + Cotton (219 yds/200m each); Or approx. 515 (550, 590, 630, 660, 695, 735, 780) yds/471 (503, 539, 576, 604, 636, 672, 713)m of a DK-weight yarn.

Shown in size 46”/117cm finished size


Tunic: 5 (5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7) skeins Madelinetosh Tosh Wool + Cotton (219 yds/200m each); Or approx. 910 (975, 1045, 1120, 1185, 1240, 1310, 1385) yds/832 (892, 956, 1024, 1084, 1134, 1198, 1266)m of a DK-weight yarn.


NEEDLES
US 4 (3.5mm) 24"/60cm or size required to obtain gauge.
US 3 (3.25mm) 16”/40cm circular needle, or one size smaller than gauge needle.