Gradient Kits

The shipment that arrived this week from Prism Yarns included Merino Mia Gradient kits. The yarn is 100% merino. There are 8 skeins in each kit with a total yardage of 1390m/1520 yards. The yarn is a heavy fingering weight - perfect for shawls and scarves.

From Laura Bryant at Prism

Just what you have been waiting for from us: a work horse yarn that is beautifully twisted, soft, easy to knit, has a lovely sheen and takes our vibrant, clear colors extremly well. I am going crazy working architectural knits: modules, miters and more.

The skeins are labelled one through eight so you don't have to worry about getting them in the correct order. Laura thought of everything.

Grays

Taupes

Outline is growing.

Outline in one of the gradient kits would be phenomenal. There are so many different ways that you could work the colours.

• start at one and work to eight
• work one, eight, two, seven...  - the shawl will go from dramatic stripes at one end to subtle stripes at the other
• divide the balls in half - work from one to eight and then eight to one (or eight to one and one to eight)
• randomly use the colours

I need to stop because as I keep thinking of ways to make Outline with a new kit I'm moving closer to rolling skeins into balls :)

There were a few more kits in the box - these are for the Eccentric Chevron Wrap.

Tumbleweed

Iceberg

Big Brother is taping and I need to get back to my knitting. I'm trying to get Outline finished in the next few days. Then I need a small, small project. I'm flying to Myrtle Beach on Wednesday for a few days. I'll be taking my Olympic knitting but can't start until Friday afternoon so I need an in between project.

Shepherd Sock or Scarf or Shawl

Here are all the new colours from Lorna's Laces in Shepherd Sock. Our skeins are 50grams with 196m/215yards. The yarn is 80% superwash wool and 20% nylon and you need two skeins for a pair of socks.

Kate Atherley's February Lady Sock pattern is free on Ravelry.

Imagine picking 3 or more colours and making the Linen Stitch Scarf (we have patterns in the store or you can purchase on Ravelry)

If you aren't familiar with Linen Stitch, here is a great tutorial.

From Churchmouse Yarns

Linen stitch has a way of harmonizing even the most disparate colors. Our friend Mimi Hepler first created this scarf to use up all her precious fingering weight leftovers—18 different colorways! So for our scarf we chose three skeins of fingering weight yarn that combined as many different colors as possible. But it’s equally beautiful in subtle shades. In fact, we haven’t seen a bad combination yet! That’s the magic of linen stitch. Heck, it’s even beautiful on the ‘wrong’ side.

If you aren't interested in socks or a scarf, how about a shawl?

Pattern: Asking for Flowers by Kate Atherley (pattern purchased on Ravelry)
You would need three skeins of Shepherd Sock for a shawl this size.

A sideways shawl with biasing garter stitch makes for a beautiful drape, and a dramatic Shetland lace edging adds interest to the knitting – but not too much! – and to the finished product. Short-row wedges create a nice curved shape.

The colourway, “The Flowers” brings to mind all the joys of a summer garden – wear the shawl in the spring, to hasten the arrival of the season, and in the winter, to remind you of the glories to come.

Suitable for knitters with a little lace experience, but you don’t need to be an expert!

Glasgow

Ms. UPS just brought in a super fun box from Lorna's Laces. New colours of Shepherd Sock and Solemate.

Lorna's Laces has a new dye technique called SplatterShot. The colours are amazing.

 

The pictures from Lorna's Laces website look good but wait until you see them in person. Here are the skeins of Solemate Glasgow. I was very tempted to put them in my bag. The colour is phenomenal.

Our sock yarn Solemate is 55% superwash merino, 15% nylon and 30% Outlast

Outlast is a viscose (rayon) fiber that interacts with your body’s microclimate to moderate temperature from being too hot or too cold.

Magine (a pattern purchased on Ravelry from Ambah O'Brien) would look really good in Glasgow. One skein makes a small scarf version and two skeins make the large shawl.

I need to hit Publish because every time I re-read my post I want Glasgow more. I'm trying to control myself :)

Thunderclap

We received an awesome shipment from Prism Yarns today. These yarns are hand dyed in Florida by Laura Bryant. She puts together the most amazing colour combinations.

Designed to dip gracefully in the back, the Eccentric Chevron Wrap sits comfortably on your shoulders. The graphic interest comes from unbalanced, or eccentric chevrons: one leg is much longer than the other, which skews the fabric off-center. By mirroring the stitches at center back, a dip is formed naturally.

The kit comes with all the Merino Mia yarn you'll need to make the wrap (6 - 190-yard skeins in assorted variegated colors), and the Eccentric Chevron Wrap pattern. Prism Merino Mia is absolutely stunning. This machine-washable, hand-dyed yarn is 100% merino superwash, with a gauge of 6 to 6.5 stitches to the inch.

When I was at TNNA, I asked Laura to make a special colourway for me. I'm taking one kit from the box and there are two more in Thunderclap. This could be my Olympic knitting. If I can wait that long to start.

This afternoon was spent on the golf course. It was my first round since Vegas in January. Beth has Club Championship this weekend so she wanted to get in some practice. I hit some good shots and some not so good shots. It was fun to be outside so I'm not worrying about the score.

Dinner is finished and now it's time to put my feet up. I haven't knit a stitch today and my fingers are itching. It could be that I'm too tired to do anything else :)

What we've knit Wednesday

Cathy has been very busy. Her shawls are awesome!

Pattern: Starry Starry Night (free on Ravelry)
Yarn: One ball of Rowan Kidsilk Haze Stripe and one ball of Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace

It was very hot when we went outside to take pictures so we went as fast as possible. As soon as it cools down we'll get pictures of my friend wearing the shawls different ways.

Pattern: Close to You (free on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Satchel

Pattern: Lilli Pilli (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 3 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Train Case

Pattern: 3 Color Cashmere Cowl (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: fingering weight ends from shawls that Cathy has knit

Pattern: ZickZack (free on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 balls of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock

When Cathy chose balls that were both predominantly green I was afraid that the pattern wouldn't show. I was wrong. The scarf looks great. 

The first sock is finished. Lynn says that if you want a challenge, this is the pattern for you. No TV. No wine. Every needle has a different pattern. But when it's finished the sock looks amazing. 

Pattern: Mingus by Cookie A. (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: One skein of tosh twist light

The plants are in

Mulch on Friday. The neighbours have been peering over the fence to see what's been up.

Now it's time for Big Brother and knitting.

Planting

I try really hard to post every day but last night was spent finishing a newsletter. If you don't receive our email newsletters, you can sign up in the top right hand corner of the blog. Newsletters go out about once a month - we try not to fill your inbox.

Beth's cowl is growing. As long as I wind the skeins for her, she is happy to knit.

Mr. Canpar just brought in a box and we're stocked with Mille Colori Baby again. You need four balls (two of one colour and two of another colour) and 3.5mm needles to make ZickZack (the pattern is free on Ravelry)

Austin is working at our house today. I wanted a garden across the back of the yard and today is the day. The weeds are gone. How come weeds can grow so well with no rain? Then he is putting in grasses and flowers. We're going English Garden.

The plants are here and he'll be planting tomorrow. I can't wait to see it.

Lazy Sunday

The City of Hamilton has asked people to water their trees so I was at the store early this morning to water before it was too hot and sunny. I'm home now for a day of TV and knitting. I'm writing on my iPad today because it was on the counter in front of me. I was setting up Bell Fibe on it. Beth and I are thinking about going to Myrtle for a few days during the Olympics. We aren't sure what TV channels we'll get in Myrtle and what events we'll get to see live. This way we can watch Canadian coverage if there is an event we need to see. Especially if we have a chance to win a medal.

Beth started the Caledonia Cowl. It is super, super soft. I was surprised that the cowl is knit flat and then sewn. But when you think about it, it is easier to knit garter stitch flat. If you work the cowl in the round you need to knit a row and then purl a row. I'd rather knit every row and then do a small seam. 

We were putting last night. Hopefully my tips will help her on the course today.

Beth stopped to see Lucy on the way to the course. Mom and dad were taking her for a car ride. The drug store and then Dairy Queen. Dad's comment was that Lucy needs to get used to the car because she'll be in for a long ride soon to Myrtle Beach. Yup, that was just an excuse. My dad wanted ice cream.

It was a lazy day for a lot of people today.

It was very hard to knit today. Between the Jays, the Canadian Open and the Nascar race I was busy flipping channels. I managed a few and I'm going back to it. 

A new Auburn Wave

There was more fun in the box from Freia Fibers. Shawl ball has arrived.

Meet Neon

The yarn is spun and handpainted in the US.

There are 393m/430 yards on a ball.

Xenon

Krypton

Hellium

I brought a few balls home from TNNA and Diana knit us a shawl. We did the old favourite, Auburn Wave, because I love the pattern. The shawl drapes well and you can knit until you run out of yarn. Two 100gram balls make a great size.

Our sample colour didn't come in this shipment but here are the great colours that we do have.

Here are a few pattern suggestion:
Stephen West's Dotted Rays
Stephen West's Briochevron Wrap. This shawl is really calling my name. And some of these bright colours mixed with a black background would be amazing!

Choose a colorful array of fingering weight yarns and knit this large wrap in two-color brioche. The main color is a black and white marled yarn while bright color pops from Hedgehog Fibres decorate the striped background. Increases and decreases form the graphic chevron lines and the fabric length is customizable.

If you don't want to make a shawl, a really cool scarf would be ZickZack. I've knit the scarf and think it would look awesome in two neon colours. Xenon and Krypton. Wow. Somehow I need to find more hours or more arms or something that lets me knit faster.