Mountain Colors

Mr. Canada Post brought in a box from Mountain Colors this morning. Lots of new, fun colours of Twizzlefoot.

53% superwash merino
17% domestic wool
17% silk
13% nylon

411m/450 yards in a 100 gram skein.

We used 3 skeins of Twizzlefoot for this amazing shawl.

Pattern: Kaersta (purchased on Ravelry)

Lynn used the leftovers from the shawl to make a great pair of socks.

There were new Perspective Kits in the box as well.

Crazyfoot (fingering weight)
5 mini skeins
80m/90 yards each

One kit will make the Circular Perspectives Cowl (pattern purchased on Ravelry)

Twizzle (worsted weight)
5 mini skeins
40m/45 yards each

One kit will make the Perspectives Cowl (pattern purchased on Ravelry)

I'm going to get pictures of the new kits at home tonight. I've taken a bunch in the store and outside but they aren't doing the colours justice.

It's a day of good and bad. The good news - our box arrived from Mountain Colors. The bad - our boxes from Blue Sky Fibers are somewhere in the Canada Post system. Hopefully the strike/lock out doesn't last long and the boxes arrive soon.

We are getting sod on the front yard of our house. We've had possession for 15 months so it's about time. That is the good. The bad. I have been coming to work early for a few weeks and watering the garden every morning. With the hot weather and no rain the plants were suffering. I have them growing nicely and my daylillies were about to bloom. There were beautiful blooms coming on a few hostas as well. Deer came through last night and ate all the blooms. All of them. I was so sad.

The store will be closed tomorrow for Canada Day but I'll be back on Saturday from 10-4. Enjoy the day!

Meadowside

My Meadowside shawl isn't growing so Diana knit us one to hang in the store.

This top down shawl uses two different coloured balls of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock yarn. Starting with a garter tab cast on, striped garter stitch sections seperate a simple eyelet pattern.

Pattern: Meadowside (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 balls of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock
Colours: 3 New Orleans and 6 Wilderness

The self-striping yarn makes you want to knit faster. What colour is coming next? The great thing about this shawl is that you and your knitting group can all make the same shawl with the same colours and each one will be different. It just depends on where the colours start on your ball.

I'll get back to mine once Annisa is finished. It's a great looking shawl!

Improvising

Classic Elite's weekly Web-Letter just arrived. They are combining Santorini and Bella Lino (two yarns that I really like working with) for a Summer Sleeveless Turtleneck (download the free pattern)

Two strands held together make the knitting of this top, worked from the top down in one piece, extra quick. Short rows are worked to shape the neck. Santorini and Bella Lino, both multicolored, blend and mingle adding texture and depth of color.

The top is knit on 5.5mm needles which makes it a quick knit.

I'm working away on my shawl and hit a small issue. I thought that I did something wrong on Saturday and it turns out that I did. For the lace row I'm supposed to start with K2 but then the lace doesn't work at the vein. I am now doing K3. I have the correct number of stitches. The vein is looking good. Sometimes you need to improvise because ripping back doesn't sound like a good idea.

Blackbird

I first showed this shawl last fall and came across it again today.

Pattern: Blackbird Shawl (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Fingering weight

 

Get out those mini skeins! The Blackbird shawl features easy shaping and a simple feather and fan lace pattern at the bottom edge. Use a vivid set of mini skeins to create contrasting bands of color. As subtle and elegant as a raven’s wing, Blackbird is a pleasure to knit and to wear.

You’ll need about 415 yds of the Main Color, and about 55 yds of each of the 5 Contrasting Colors.

A great shawl to play with mini skeins. And as you know I'm a bit addicted to them right now. Here is a link to all the kits that we have in stock...

For the main colour there are many, many options
-tosh merino light
-tosh sock
-Tough Love Sock from Sweetgeorgia
-Cheshire Cat from Frabjous Fibers

I had a visitor for a while this morning.

She cried a bit when she got here because her mom and dad left her. We had snuggles (she's very good at them) and then she had a nap on the couch. 

Her nap was short because she is very nosy. She wants to know what is going on so every time she hears a noise she lifts her head.

She had her first visit to the vets tonight. On Thursday the vet visited the breeder and Lucy was 13 lbs. She is just over 8 weeks and now weighs 18 lbs.

We totally forgot about Big Brother last night so it's time to watch and knit. My shawl is growing. I'm about half way through the lace section - pictures tomorrow from the store.

Annisa is growing

For some reason the lace section seems to be going faster than the striped section which is impossible because 7 of the 8 rows are exactly the same.

I'd like to introduce you to Lucy. No, it didn't take long for her to be up on the couch.

She likes the toy that we bought her. Right now it is bigger than her but it won't be for long. Right now she weighs 13 lbs but the breeder says that she could end up at 180 lbs.

An email came this week from Skacel - the distributor of Addi Turbo needles in North America.

Supporting your local yarn shop with both your presence and purchasing, is vital in securing its status as a shared source of inspiration and community. As a thank you to all LYS supporters, skacel would like to give back a little something special. When you purchase three addi® Rocket circular needles at your LYS, skacel will send you one free addi® Rocket circular in your choice of size/length. There is no limit to the number of free needles you can earn, so start building your collection today! This promotion is limited to in-store purchases only, through your authorized skacel addi® dealer.

For every three addi® Rocket fixed circular needles you purchase inside a North American LYS, you will receive one FREE addi® Rocket fixed circular needle of your choice by mail.
The three addi® Rocket circulars may be obtained at different times and through different brick and mortar shops (online purchases excluded), but must be purchased between June 15th, 2016 and November 15th, 2016 to qualify. All requests are to be postmarked by November 30th, 2016.
The original, shop-generated sales receipt/s clearly itemizing your addi® Rocket purchases and prices paid, must be submitted for each of the three needles – a single receipt containing multiple needles is acceptable.

What a great deal. I'm knitting with the Rockets right now and really like them. They are quite a bit sharper than the original Addis.

Meet the addi® Rockets, a line of circular needles that combines the best of addi®. Styled after our popular addi Turbo® Lace, these extra-pointy tips feature the same great nickel-plating that gives the classic addi Turbo® its incomparable zip.

Here is the link to the form that needs to be mailed with your receipts...

Now it's time to relax. Pizza is being delivered and I'm putting my feet up. Of course there will be some knitting tonight :)

Starting the Lace

It might be hot outside but when you are sitting in an office or in a restaurant it can be cold with the air conditioning. Classic Elite has a solution for that. A simple to knit and simple to wear poncho.

Simple stockinette stitch is elegant and drapey in Bella Lino's sophisticated colorways. Easy to knit and to wear, this is the perfect project for mindless summer knitting.

Knit in pieces and sewn together, you’ll want wear this light as air poncho all summer long.

Pattern: Summer Poncho (free from Classic Elite)
Yarn: Bella Lino

We have new Color Sticks from Bonnie Bishoff.

Why does this stick pin look so short ? A tricky new design creates an extra snug to your simple stick pin. The top curls around to hook onto the layer of fabric that you have held together with the stick pin.

The Shawl Pins and Stick Pins are designed and handmade by Bonnie Bishoff and her husband J.M. Syron. They feature colorful inlays of polymer clay in white bronze and lead free pewter settings. Some of the polymer based pins encase metal armatures in their structures. The hooks are made in the USA, of nickel silver, exclusively for her designs.

The pin is perfect for my new shawl. I guess one is coming home with me :)

I've been working away on my Annisa Wrap. I thought that I had made it to the end of stripes and was ready for the lace section. Not.

I had the correct number of stitches on my needle but I needed to do 8 more rows. You are supposed to have a certain number of stitches before and after the vein that is running up the shawl. I had too few stitches before and too many after. By doing the 8 extra rows I am correct and have started working on the lace section.

The Caledonia Cowl

Blue Sky Fibers is running a KAL on Ravelry.

Our summer KAL begins today!
Join us as we knit the Caledonia Cowl in our Organic Cotton Worsted. Made of 100% Organic Cotton, this environmentally friendly yarn is naturally soft and makes for a great summer knit. Quick to knit and beginner friendly, you simply cast on with two strands and join the fun in this KAL. Easy color changes give Calendonia a modern marled look.

Our cowl is made using 3 hanks of No. 614 Drift, 1 hank of No. 625 Graphite, 1 hank of No. 626 Stone and 1 hank of No. 639 Wasabi. With 40 amazing colors available, your options are endless.

Once you finish your cowl, post a photo here in this thread to be entered in our grand prize drawing for a project kit to make the Endless Wrap. This kit includes the pattern and 9 hanks of our new 50 gram Woolstok yarn (or 3 hanks of 150 gram Woolstok). Shown below in color No.1302 Gravel Road, the lucky winner can select any one of our 21 great color options.

Win this prize!

This KAL runs from June 21 through August 31st, 2016. Knit as many cowls as you wish in our Blue Sky Fibers Organic Cotton Worsted yarns because the more finished projects you post in this thread, the better your chances of winning this fabulous prize!
We are also offering a 50% discount on your Ravelry PDF purchase of the Calendonia Cowl pattern through August 31st, 2016. Just enter “COWL” in the coupon code section at checkout.

Purchase the pattern on Ravelry (don't forget the coupon code)...

Contest details:
• Must be a member of Friends of Blue Sky Fibers (formerly Blue Sky Alpacas) group to be eligible.
• Must post a photo of your finished Caledonia Cowl project using Blue Sky Fibers yarns in this thread by midnight CST on August 31, 2016.
• We will randomly select our winner to be announced on Thursday, September 1, 2016.

I just spoke with Blue Sky and Canadians can enter.

Head over to Ravelry to post pictures when your cowl is finished.

I saw the finished cowl at TNNA.

The colours for this version are 80, 643, 635 and 628.

I really like it and think that I need to cast one on. I'm waiting a week or so because new colours are on the way.

 645 Iceburg

 646 Buttermint

 647 Blue Fin

 648 Plum Dusk

 649 Spiceberry

650 Bay Leaf

I might try it with Blue Fin as the main colour. Everyone needs a denim coloured cowl. But I really like Buttermint too. Plum Dusk, Spiceberry and Bay Leaf will play well together. Oh no. This is going to be a problem. :)

A little note about Caledonia. I live not far from Caledonia Ontario (my dad's office is in Caledonia) and one of my favourite golf courses in Myrtle Beach is the Caledonia Golf and Fish Club. I guess I need a Caledonia Cowl.

Harmony

Last night Aunt Rene sent an email with a very interesting picture.

Meet Harmony. My mom gave her to my dad as a wedding gift. Yup, that's me. My dad said that Harmony would put her head on this table when I was eating and would try to take my food. I would swat her in the face to get her to move away. She was an awesome dog and we're hoping Lucy has the same temperament. We'll know soon - she's coming home on Saturday.

Want to play with a gradient kit?

Pattern: Allira from Ambah O'Brien (purchased on Ravelry)

You need one, 100gram skein of fingering weight yarn for the body of the shawl and there are so many options for the gradient edging.

A String Quintet kit from Lorna's Laces

A Cheshire Cat kit from Frabjous Fibers

I need to learn to knit faster. There are so many amazing patterns available now and I can't get to them all.

New Shawl Pins

We have two new colours of Liberty from Classic Elite

78122 Wave

78123 Paradiso

Many of you know that Liberty is one of my favourite yarns. A self-striping yarn always makes you knit faster :) You need to see what the next colour is going to be.

Liberty Wool is a super-soft, washable wool available in solid and printed colors. This yarn's balanced twist will make all stitch combinations pop.
With all the great qualities of wool and the ease of machine washability, Liberty Wool knits at a gauge that suits many designs and is ideal for children's pieces as well as those for adults.

It's not too early to start your fall knitting. Here are two of our favourite sweaters knit in Liberty.

Simple Sweater with Pockets (purchase on Ravelry)

One sweater concept designed with two simple options: cardigan or pullover. Each raglan sweater has garter stitch trim, front pockets and ¾ length sleeves, and is worked from the bottom up.

The Magic Carpet Pullover (pattern purchased on Ravelry)

A relaxed fit pullover with buttons closing the garter stitch side panels and cuffs.

More JUL shawl pins arrived this morning.

The Marrakech Shawl pin exploits a new one-piece concept that eliminates parts that can get lost.  The ornamental tail underneath goes down through the layers of knitwear / crochetwear and back up, capturing fabric and fiber, which is then held in place by the snug relationship between the ornamental fan on top and the end of the gorgeous tail.  This amazing piece has ornament on every side and from every angle, inspired by the fabulous architecture of Marrakech.

White bronze is a warm white metal, with just the barest blush of gold.  Over time it will patina like silver will but may be kept bright with a polishing cloth.  String of Silver Beads was meant to evoke cascades of water droplets created by waves breaking, as you see in Japanese seascape paintings.

The last few colours of Hedgehog.

Zephyr

Salty Tales

Bramble

Graphite

Shiver

Oracle

Typewriter

The weather is beautiful today - there could be some knitting on the back deck tonight.