BOOM!!!

There is a new shawl pattern from Classic Elite called Wavelength - you can purchase it on Ravelry...

This crescent shawl has a center wedge of lace flanked by garter stitch wings and is finished with a lower lace border.

I have shown the version knit in Bella Lino. You can also make a slightly smaller version in fingering weight yarn.

I just got a really fuzzy phone call from my parents. They are in Glacier Bay today. Beth and I loved that day on the ship. We were up early to see us enter the bay. I mean early - about 5am which isn't that early because the sun comes up at 4am. I think we took hundreds of pictures that day. Seeing the glaciers calve was amazing.

Look what Canada Post brought me. A little treat from SweetGeorgia yarns.

Of course the first skein is rolled into a ball and the pattern is printed. I'm going to start Magmatic Boom tonight.

15 rows are complete. I love the yarn. The pattern is very well written. I'm not sure why but right now I find it easier to read the written words than follow a chart. Most of my life I swore by charts but I think that wearing glasses has changed me. Now it's time to get back to it. A holiday tomorrow means that I can sleep in.

Spud & Chloe Baby

We have new patterns from Spud & Chloe for the little ones in your life.

The Honeybear Hoodie knit in Outer and Sweetie Socks knit in Stripey Fine.

The Bundle Me Blanket in Outer. The pattern also includes the instructions for the Sweetie Socks in Stripey Fine.

The Roundabout Romper in Fine and Sweetie Socks in Stripey Fine.

Rowan Magazine #58 is just a month away. Fingers crossed the ocean currents are in our favour and the ship carrying the fall Rowan gets to the US quicker than expected.

My parents are in Juneau today (speaking of ocean currents). Unfortunately it is pouring rain and foggy. My dad's dog sledding adventure was cancelled and he isn't happy. I think they are going to wait for the rain to slow down and then walk around town.

Now I need to work on the website. I could be without the Internet in the store for the next few days. My Internet provider and I have had a bit of a falling out and I will be shopping for a new provider tomorrow.

Greyhound Shawl

That was some storm last night. The rain would not stop. We know that our sump pump works. It went off many times during the evening. I guess they won't be doing our front yard this week :) What a mess.

Today was the first day that the fireplace has been on. There was a touch of a chill in the house but I didn't want to put the heat on.

I'm by myself this week. Beth and the dogs are at mom and dad's with their dog because my parents are on their annual Alaskan cruise. My mom got an email in the fall that there was another quilt cruise and my dad had has his credit card out so fast your head would spin.

We're tracking the ship online. Very cool.  Tomorrow is Juneau. I'm not sure what mom is doing but dad is helicoptering up to a glacier and going dog sledding. Beth and I did this and it is so cool!

My shawl is progressing.

A day of rain is always good for knitting. Now it's time to hit publish. Big Brother is about to start. I can't decide yet who I like. It is going to be an interesting season.

The Learn-To-Knit Companion

We just received a new collection of patterns from Churchmouse Yarns. These are perfect for the new knitter but they are also great for those of us who have knit for a long time and have some bad habits.

The Learn-To-Knit Companion is a 16-page booklet that uses more than 120 instructional photos that will turn you into an accomplished knitter. Just follow the steps! With The Companion by your side, you can even begin one of the First Projects patterns in the Churchmouse Classroom collection.

PHOTO TUTORIALS IN THIS PATTERN: • Choosing and preparing your yarn. • Two ways to cast on • The knit stitch and purl stitch for both  'pickers' and 'throwers' • Changing from knit to purl within the same row • Getting a dropped stitch back on the needle • Binding off • Blocking • Weaving in tails

Garter Stitch Scarf and Sideways Handwarmers

This Churchmouse Classroom First Projects pattern is about as simple as it gets—just knit, knit, knit. When you turn garter stitch on its side, the little ridges create a ribbed effect that is nice and stretchy, making the handwarmers easy to fit, with just a wee bit of seaming around the thumbs. Handsome on men and women alike, these easy pieces make great gifts. From you, the knitter!

PHOTO TUTORIALS IN THIS PATTERN: • The anatomy of garter stitch. • Mattress-stitch seaming in garter stitch, end-to-end.

Stockinette Stitch Cowl and Handwarmers

This Churchmouse Classroom First Projects pattern will teach you how to knit soft and elegant stockinette stitch. You'll work stockinette back and forth (knit a row, purl a row) for the handwarmers. For the cowl, you'll be delighted when you knit in the round: the knit side is always facing you, so you just knit, knit, knit. Once you’ve tried it both ways, it’ll make sense—you’ll see!

PHOTO TUTORIALS IN THIS PATTERN: • Joining in the round. • Make-one increases. • Slipped bind-off for thumb opening. • Mattress-stitch seaming in stockinette stitch, side-to-side.

Stitch-Sampler Handwarmers and Ribbed Scarf

This Churchmouse Classroom First Projects pattern will teach you three essential stitch patterns. For the scarf, you’ll simply alternate two knits and two purls to create handsome vertical ribs. In the handwarmers you'll knit a ridged garter-stitch cuff, a smooth stockinette-stitch hand, and a bit of springy K2/P2 ribbing at the finger edge to echo the scarf. It's easy! The pattern shows you how.

PHOTO TUTORIALS IN THIS PATTERN: • Changing balls in ribbing. • Mattress-stitch seaming in garter stitch and stockinette stitch.

Ribbed Beanie and Handwarmers

This Churchmouse Classroom First Projects pattern will teach you to work in the round using two different methods. For the beanie, you’ll begin with a short circular needle. As you begin to decrease for the crown, you will need to change to double-point needles—great practice for the stylish handwarmers! Ribbing is very stretchy, so sizing your beanie is quite forgiving.

PHOTO TUTORIALS IN THIS PATTERN: • Decreasing a stitch. • Joining in the round. • ‘Buttonhole’ thumb opening.

The patterns are for beginners and include great tutorials but they are also stylish. You don't have to be a beginner to knit them.

Magmatic Boom

This fall we are going to be doing a lot in the store with mini skeins of sock yarn. They are coming from a few different companies in different fibers and colours.

These are pictures from SweetGeorgia's booth at TNNA. The kits will be here in time for the Knitters Fair in September.

This shawl lends beautifully to mini skeins and I asked Felicia at SweetGeorgia the name of the pattern. It is called Magmatic Boom by Laura Nelkin. You can purchase it on Ravelry...

This pattern was designed to use either a skein of gradient yarn or a self-made magic ball and make the most of it by using almost the entire skein.

Here are some pictures from the designer.

 

A magic ball of yarn? Take left over bits of sock yarn and make your own skein of gradient yarn. Think about having a 'Magic Ball' party. Invite your knitting friends, bring your left over sock (fingering weight) yarn and share.

This will also work great with
-Freia Fingering. The yarn does all the colour changing for you

-tosh unicorn tails. These are in stock so you can start right away. I checked on Ravelry and there is a great Boom knit with five colours of unicorn tails - take a look. The knitter even gave the order that she used the colours.

-Mountain Colors Crazyfoot Perspective Kits (in stock now)

These kits have 5 mini skeins of Crazyfoot sock yarn that are 90yards each. You have a total of 450 yards.

-FiberStory Gradient Kits (coming in September)

I think there might be more than one Magmatic Boom in our booth in Kitchener in September.

More information on the Knitters' Fair will be coming closer to the date but get Saturday, September 12 marked on your calendar.

Absolutely Fabulous

We just received a shipment of Ab Fab kits from Colinette.

These kits contain 11 skeins of yarn that are hand dyed in Wales. Cotton. Mohair. Ribbon. Great fibers and the colours will make you drool. The finished throws are awesome! We have three on display in the store.

For all the available colourways...

We found the ball winder and swift tonight so that Beth could wind a ball of yarn. Unfortunately the ball winder doesn't want to work - it's electric and must have been knocked around in the move. Beth had to wind the ball by hand and I will have to play electrician/mechanic tomorrow to try and fix it. 

tosh merino in shire. I'll show you tomorrow what she is making. It's been a long day and I'm not sure that I can write anything that makes sense.

Tomorrow I'll have some knitting to show. From both of us. :)

Unicorn Stripes

The latest Wool People patterns from Brooklyn Tweed came out today. Check them out on Ravelry. I've already packed up a box to go to Lynda.

Pattern: Gyre (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 3 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Satchel in the colour Wild Huckleberry

Inspired by a line of poetry from William Butler Yeats, this modern honeycomb lace stole is distinguished by rays of stockinette bursting from one corner.

Bristol Ivy is known for garments and accessories with innovative, geometric forms, such as Thorn (Wool People 4), Svalbard (Wool People 6), and Keel (Wool People 8). Now she gives us an inversion of the positive and negative space relationships often found in asymmetric shawls.

Gyre is worked entirely from charts in three skeins of Loft; choose a bright, fresh hue for the perfect summer accessory. The pattern includes a photo tutorial on the Russian Join, a technique that joins a new ball of yarn with no weaving of ends and without the thickening and stiffness of a spit splice.

And it is perfect timing because a box just arrived from Lynda. Unicorn Stripes (pattern purchased on Ravelry) is done.

You can knit the pattern as a scarf or you can join the ends to make a cowl. It takes 30 skeins (one each of every colour) of Unicorn Tails.

 

I'm kind of jealous of Lynda - she got to play with all the fun colours. If you don't like a colour or two, you can take them out and double up on ones that you really like.

Beth just walked in from golf with subs and then it's TV time. Master Chef and Big Brother. Happy knitting time.

Cote d'Azure

Zen Yarn Garden is taking preorders for their next Art Walk Series but you don't have to wait. We have this colour in Serenity 20, Serenity Silk Single and Serenity Glitter Sock.

The nineteenth offering in our new ART WALK Series features a painting by Pablo Picasso entitled "Cote d'Azure". From one medium to the next, artists express their use of colour. Inspired by Picasso, our dyer has successfully captured the excitement and complexity of the painting.

Not sure what you can knit with this? Take a look on Ravelry at Reyna. The pattern is free and takes one skein of fingering weight yarn.

Wow was that a storm last night. It wasn't a good night at our house. The back fields were lighting up with the crazy lightening. Melo was upset and we finally got him settled down around 5am. Even his jacket couldn't console him.

A sneak peak from Rowan #58.

Hurry and finish your current projects because Rowan has many amazing garments and yarns this fall. They should be in the store on August 1.

I'm declaring it knitting time. I haven't progressed on my Greyhound Shawl. I'm heading to Myrtle for a few days in July. Maybe I can have it finished by then. It is super hot there now - heat warnings - 109 during the day with the humidity. When it's this hot they make the restaurants so cold. You need something to throw over your shoulders.

Very Bright!

Today I'm working at home. So far four boxes have been unpacked, a load of laundry done, organized the guest bathroom and bills paid. And it's just after 12:30.

With the golf on yesterday there was a lot of knitting accomplished. This shawl is going to be bright :)

My empty closet. It is being completed today by California Closets. I can't wait to have a proper walk in closet. Lots of room for shoes and sweaters.

 

It's later in the day and the closet is finished. Even my dad was impressed by it. The designer asked me if I wanted a drawer for jewelry. I don't have a lot of jewelry but then she mentioned glasses. 

Of course I started with shoes.

We are taking my dad out for dinner tonight. Boston Pizza and he is very happy. He wasn't leaving his TV last night. He watched the golf from start to finish.

Public Service Announcement - do not download AlphaBetty on your phone or iPad. I did that this afternoon and can't stop.