Chard

Last week we received a large order from Rowan which included a restock of Rowan Creative Linen. This got me thinking about the Rowan design Chard. You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

A open lace stitch is used to create this sweater's unique breezy fabric. With exaggerated side panels, puffed sleeves and vents at the hips this striking sweater is designed by Lisa Richardson. Featuring a boat neck, this garment is worked in the deliciously cool Creative Linen, and is the perfect Summer cover-up.

A customer knit Chard and wore it into the store. It is beautiful. If you are looking for an elegant spring/fall sweater this is a great choice. 

 

With a crisp look but a soft feel, Creative Linen is a winner for spring and summer knits. Great stitch definition means that lace or texture patterns really shine in this yarn, which comes in a fresh colour palette of brights and tonals. With a mixture of 50% linen and 50% cotton, Creative Linen will wear and wash beautifully, making it an essential choice for warmer days.

I pulled out another project to finish. This is the Traveler Shawl knit with Dream State. I’m using the colour Overboard. It is going much quicker now that I’m on the second part which has decreases. I thought about taking it outside for pictures but it was way too cold (and tomorrow is going to be worse).

I was at home with the dogs today. Dad had a meeting near Peterborough and Beth has left us for the week. She is on a cruise. I was supposed to sew the sleeves into Framed but I got busy working and napping. Now back to my knitting.  

Musselburgh Part 2

Deidre finished another Musselburgh Hat (pattern purchased on Ravelry).

For this hat we used Emma’s Practically Perfect Halves. I’ve put together kits and they are available online and in the store.

I love this hat. If you are looking for mindless knitting this is the perfect project. You can have fun with your leftover yarns. Dive into your stash. Someone on Ravelry used all their ends of Dyed in the Wool and has the best looking hat! Deidre is making one more and this one is for Beth. 

Emma’s has rephotographed all her yarn on her Super Silky base. These show the colours off better. The only thing to keep in mind is that the Silky makes the colours look a bit brighter than how the colours look on Practically Perfect Sock.

I’m behind on my Temperature Blanket and was hoping to catch up today. I’m two days behind. The next stripe will be the blue/green and then a stripe of green. I think today will be green as well. Then I’m going to have a patch of very light blue/green. It’s supposed to get really cold for the next few days.

Christmas Belle

Isabell Kraemer has a new design called Christmas Belle (pattern purchased on Ravelry).

Christmas Belle is worked seamlessly from the top down.  

First some short rows are worked back and forth to create a higher back neck and then the yoke is worked in the round with a beautiful “merry and bright” colorwork to sleeve separation.  

Some last short rows are worked to finish the yoke shaping right before sleeve stitches are placed on hold. The body is then worked in rounds down to the hem. Sleeves are worked top down to the cuffs last. No finishing required. 

The sweater is knit in fingering weight yarn so the possibilities are endless. For the body a few knitters have used Le Petit Lambswool. For the colourwork you can use Crazy Zauberball or Dyed in the Wool for a yarn that changes colour. 

We have a new sock yarn coming next week. Evolution Silk Sock from Estelle. It is available on the website for preorder.

Evolution Silk Sock is a luxurious blend of 50% cotton, 28% Superwash Merino wool, 10% silk, and 12% nylon. Each ball contains 400 metres of pure heaven; perfect for breezy summer tops, shawls that shine, and, of course, socks. A versatile yarn, Evolution Silk Sock is sure to capture the hearts of knitters and crocheters this spring and summer.

My sweater is blocked. A soak in Soak does wonders.

Unpacking

Another new pattern for 2025. This is the Keep Dreaming Cardi (pattern purchased on Ravelry) from Boho Chic Fiber Co.

Life can be tough; please don’t give up hope, hang in there and keep dreaming! The Keep Dreaming Cardi was inspired by this sentiment, and my Keep Dreaming Shawl and Cowl patterns. The Body features two different lace motifs and V-neckline shaping. The sleeves feature the same lace pattern as the top of the body and cinch in at the cuff. The boxy, easy fit makes for easy knitting and comfortable layering. Knit up in Flora Adora Fibers naturally dyed chunky weight yarn, this cardigan knits up surprisingly quickly.

Annie suggests a bulky weight yarn for the cardigan. I haven’t swatched but here are a few yarns that I think would work

-Cascade 220 Superwash Grande

-Cascade 220 Superwash Merino held double strand

-Cascade Eco plus a strand of Mohair/Silk

It was a day of unpacking boxes. 

• 2 boxes from Biches & Buches. We received Le Petit Lambswool, Le Lambswool and Le Petit Silk and Mohair
• 2 boxes from Cascade - Cascade 220 Heathers and Cascade 220 Superwash Merino
• 1 box of needles - KnitPro (Knitter’s Pride) and Lantern Moon

I’ve been knitting and then it hit me that I forgot to post. It’s a quick one - Price is Right at Night is starting soon.

Moon Mint

Andrea Mowry’s first pattern for 2025 is called Moon Mint.

You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

A love letter to my favorite minty blues, this textured pullover uses slipped stitches to create a plaid effect that is perfect for playing with color palettes. Go high or low contrast, or pick a monochromatic duo like mine! This sweater is worked in the round from the bottom up. The shoulders are shaped with short rows and finished using the 3 needle bind off. The sleeves & collar are then picked up from the body and knit.

Photos © Andrea Mowry

The sweater is knit in fingering weight yarn. One test knitter used Le Petit Lambswool. A few test knitters used Dyed in the Wool for their contrast colour.

I met with our mover this morning. The dates are booked. Now we need to start packing.

I finished my knitting last night and this afternoon I soaked my sweater.

It’s wrapped in towels and I will pin out (if I can find my pins) on Styrofoam tonight.

Almost blocking

My second sleeve is almost finished - 13 rows to go. Then it’s time for blocking. My sleeve looks short but it’s the correct length. The sweater has dropped shoulders and the sleeves are supposed to hang above the wrist. 

I always use Soak when I’m blocking. Here are Soak’s instructions for handwashing that I follow when blocking my garments.

1. Soak  

Pour a capful of Soak into a gallon of cool water. Make sure there’s enough room for the water to move around and cover the item. Soak it for 15 minutes (longer is okay).

2. Squeeze

Gently squeeze out the water- there’s no need to rinse. Some colour may bleed into the water, but don’t worry, this won’t harm your garment. (But it’s always a good idea to test for colour-fastness before washing.)

3. Dry

Roll the item in a dry towel* and squeeze out moisture. Lay flat to dry.

*If your item (like an underwire bra) should not be rolled, just use a towel to press out any extra moisture before lying flat to dry.

I’ll be washing with Yuzu.

Yuzu: Clean with a peel.  Pucker up and give your laundry some love with a kiss of tart citrus + crushed eucalyptus—adored for its invigorating, zesty charm. 

Did you know that you can use Soak in the washing machine? 

We use Soak in the machine for all our favourite dresses, dress shirts, wool socks, store-bought sweaters, winter hats and mittens...you name it!

1. Load

Throw whatever you want to wash in the machine. For delicates, use the Soak Eco Wash Bag for extra protection: simply zip it closed and secure the zipper pull under the tab. Pour Soak into the soap dispenser – add one teaspoon per gallon of your machine’s capacity.

2. Wash

Wash the load in cool water on the delicate cycle. Depending on what you’re washing, you may want to skip the rinse cycle (Soak is a no-rinse formulation, after all) and save water.

3. Dry

Lay knits and lingerie flat to dry. Line-dry other items to save energy, or use the dryer when needed. Delicate items that can go in the dryer can stay in the Eco Wash Bag for extra protection.

Pro tips

→Soak works in both regular and high-efficiency (HE) machines, and is great in top-loaders and front-loaders. Use it the same way you would a liquid laundry detergent, and run the machine on the delicate cycle. You can use the rinse cycle or skip it – depends on what you’re washing.

→ Soak is great for machine-washable delicates: it combines the efficiency of machine-washing with the gentle formulation of Soak. For extra protection, wash items inside your Eco Wash Bag.

→ Use Soak for bulky items like washable winter coats, duvets and quilts – anything that isn’t practical to hand wash but could benefit from the gentle formulation.

→ We love washing sheets, blankets and pillows with Soak. The light fragrance that lingers after laundry day makes it a pleasure to make the bed – and drift off into deliciously-scented dreams. 

I packed boxes this morning, stopped by the UPS store and then came home to do some paperwork. We’ve finished dinner and I’m off to knit. Tomorrow I’m working from home and will Soak my sweater.

Ready to cast off

This is Stephen West’s Welted Incline Shawl.

Gather three contrasting colors of fingering weight yarn to knit this beautiful textured shawl. The architectural shape begins with garter stitch short rows and color pop welts. Then, stitches are picked up to form additional short row wedges that expand the wingspan length of the shawl. Tiny bobbles decorate the angular lines with playful texture. A final slip stitch border is added at the end of the project, framed with crisp I-cord edges. Enjoy all the textured accents of this three-color shawl as you learn fun new techniques

This pattern was originally published as part of the Westknits Yarn A Long 2024.

You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

Photos © Stephen West

I’m caught up on my Temperature Blanket. I think I’m going to be stuck in the blue/green for another few weeks when I look at the long range forecast. 

We’re watching football and golf (with a hockey game starting soon) and I have been knitting. When I’m finished my post I will be casting off the first sleeve of Framed.