Poppy’s Garden

Sally Melville has a new pattern. What a stunning garment!!

I am still enjoying explorations of crochet + knit. Again, the crochet does the colourful and intricate work, while knitting does the work of filling in spaces between hexagons plus the entire back, sleeves, and edgings. 

While this piece looks challenging (and it was a challenge to draft), I have tried to limit its challenges in execution. The crochet work is pretty straightforward. And for the knitting, you only need follow the instructions while working either garter, or reverse stockinette, or the simple knit-and-purl stitch pattern. German short rows are used (and explained), and the proportions required for picking up and knitting or for seaming are offered in detail. In addition, lots of photos support the instructions.

You can purchase the pattern for Poppy’s Garden on Ravelry.

Sally used DK weight cotton. Here are some options that we carry.

• Summerlite DK
• Double strand Summerlite 4ply
• Mode at Rowan Cotton DK
• Allino
• Anchor Bay

I cast on Night Lights tonight. This is the setup. I have 8 more rows and then I start the increasing pattern repeat. I sat at the island to start. It’s easier to read the pattern on a table than on your lap. Once I get into the increasing I will move to my knitting chair. That is if I can get Boscoe out of it. It’s his favourite place to lay.

Pouring Concrete

Mr. UPS brought in two boxes this afternoon. One from Emma’s and the second from Atenti. We have a few new bags.

The Daphne Hope Basket and Caddy. These aren’t online yet - tomorrow.

The Roseto Caddy.

Here are some pictures from today’s concrete pour. These are the people that we were baking for. Dad was out of the house before 5am - pour day is his favourite day. Everyone tells Beth and I that we need to make him retire. He would go stir crazy. Working makes him happy.

I made it to the fourth colour on What the Fade?! It’s time to knit a few more rows and watch The Price is Right. Then early to bed.

Bold

Deidre picked up yarn this morning to start on Night Lights. I went bold for the store sample.

Estelle Superwash Merino - 325

Edition 3 - 2298

I sent extra yarn so Deidre can make it a bit bigger. The great thing about the shawl is you can make it as large or as small as you wish. When you get halfway through your yarn you start the decreases.

Le Lambswool Soft Gold

Dream State Something Wicked

This could be the colours I use for my shawl.

In case you missed last night’s post - here is Night Lights. Photo © Andrea Mowry. Pattern purchased on Ravelry.

Kits are available online and in the store for the shawl.

Then I made some kits using Noro Ito and Cascade 220 Superwash Merino. These are available online and in the store.

I’m fading away. 

Tonight is going to be an early night. Dad wants to be on the road to Peterborough at 5am. It’s pour day. We have cookies, muffins, brownies and banana bread for the guys. They’ll walk off the job if dad shows up empty handed. Thankfully it will be much cooler tomorrow for them.

Night Lights

Andrea Mowry released a new shawl pattern today.

Wrap yourself in color and texture with this striking shawl pattern based on the Night & Day Cowl. Designed with dynamic colors and a playful stitch motif, this project is as fun to knit as it is to wear. Perfect for adventurous beginners and seasoned knitters alike, this shawl is a bold statement piece full of texture! This shawl is knit sideways, increasing up to the widest part of the triangle and then decreasing back down.

You can purchase the pattern for Night Lights on Ravelry. 

Andrea used a DK weight yarn with Spincycle Dream State. You have many, many options. 

Malabrigo Rios would make an amazing shawl. Deidre needs knitting and I might send Rios to her this week. Edition 3 with Estelle Superwash DK would make a beautiful shawl.

I will play with colours over the next few days.

Photos © Andrea Mowry

When I was looking at the website I realized that I forgot to add Eleventh Hour Dream State. It’s there now. This would look amazing in the shawl. I would pair it with Le Lambswool Black for a great contrast. 

The dogs and I had a good day. Fred is in a cone for a week. He has a bit of a skin infection on his stomach. It’s from being in the water at the cottage. Jackson goes to the vet tomorrow for the same thing. They have too much hair on their stomach and their stomach stays wet. Then they lick at it and it gets a bit infected. Nothing bad but we need to get them cleared up.

I was able to get some knitting accomplished today. The third colour has been faded in and now it’s time for 10 rows of it on its own. The further I get the more I like the colours. I want to knit a bit more before another picture. 

Flight

Stephen West has a new pattern coming later this week. Here is the link to Ravelry where you will be able to purchase it.

This pattern launches 26 June 2025 at 16:00 Amsterdam time! Make sure you’re signed up to the Westknits newsletter at www.westknits.com to get special introductory pattern discounts and sneak peeks of new knit alongs and designs

This colorful stashbuster is knitted with fingering weight yarn for light and flowy fabric. I held coordinating shades of lace weight mohair together with my fingering weight yarns for an optional fluffy halo in the fabric. The shawl begins with garter stitch parallelograms and short row wedges in the center of the shawl. Once the long color blocked strip is created, triangles fill in the negative space with a seamless modular technique. Each section is picked up or knitted together with the previous section for a bold quilt-inspired effect. The center of the shawl continues with tiny bobbles and brioche stitch with playful color pops decorating the textured stitches. Once the top section of the shawl is complete, stitches are picked up for a brioche chevron section followed by wavy stripes. This eclectic design is inspired by the colorful houses of Reykjavik, capturing that cozy feeling of cafe knitting and warm woolly walks to the local pool.

Photos © Stephen West

I’m excited about these new needles coming from Lykke. I believe we should have them sometime in August.

Dad and Beth have started 1923 and I’m going to join them when my post is finished. Wow, another crazy hot day.

I’m home with the dogs tomorrow while dad and Beth go to Peterborough for a meeting. We’ll be inside and hopefully I can get some knitting done.

Lazy Sunday

“Smalliday Sets” are Emma's version of Advent sets. She calls them “Smallidays” because the idea is you open one “Small” a day during the holidays! 

Each mini skein is individually wrapped and meant to be kept secret until the first color is opened on December 1, and another each day after for 24 days total. 
Makes the perfect holiday gift for any fiber artist!

Hint: the color theme for this year’s Smalliday Set is “WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE”

Available in Practically Perfect Sock and Simply Spectacular DK bases

Sets include (24) individually wrapped and numbered Smalls in brand new colorways exclusive to the set, a Little Bee Lip Balm, and a new “Emma’s Yarn” sticker. A list of suggested patterns will also be provided in each set.

Preorders will open this week.

It was a lazy day at my house. Wow it was hot out. I did a bit of cleaning (Jackson hair and Jackson slobber) and spent a good piece of the day knitting. The third colour of my garter fade was just added. 

Now back to my knitting and TV. We’re binge watching 1923.

Symphony Shawl

This is the Symphony Shawl from SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Fifteen hues in rich jewel tones are enough to delight anyone, but the added blend of lace and easy colourwork takes it over the top. Knitters of every level will find pure joy in working this asymmetrical triangular shawl.

SweetGeorgia made up three colourways for the shawl.

All three are available online and in the store.

Tonight we had smash burgers on the Blackstone. Dinner was good but there is definitely a learning curve. Dad is making bacon and eggs on Sunday morning - that is his specialty.

Dad has learned about binge watching TV. We watch one episode of 1883 and he declares it is too early to go to bed so we watch another. Then he wants another. He could never understand when Beth and I would talk about watching TV until 4am. Now he’s getting it!!