Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Andrea Mowry

Thank you Andrea for letting me share pictures of your amazing patterns. These pictures are all ©Andrea Mowry.
Meet Nightshift - the pattern is purchased on Ravelry.
I had so much fun knitting The Shift cowl, that when the Spinsters told me they were coming out with a new worsted weight yarn, Dream State, I knew I had to make a Shift Shawl! This super fun shawl has an even larger canvas for color play! This pattern includes a recipe, to make it all your own, or row by row directions for those who want to play it safe!
I just checked UPS and it says that my box of Dream State should be arriving on Tuesday. We won't have all the colours that Andrea used (4 should be in the box and the other two will be coming in December) but the colours coming will make a great shawl. I will put together combinations when the box is opened.

I think this might be a project for Alex 😀


At the Woodstock Fleece Festival Sarah and Wannietta (with a little help from Lynn) decided what we are going to wear at the Knitters' Frolic in Toronto. (The show is the last Saturday in April but it's always good to plan ahead).

We're making Throwback - pattern purchased on Ravelry. I have a real love for Andrea Mowry patterns right now.
This sweater was inspired by my childhood and weekends spent in northern Michigan on the sand dunes. It is my favorite cardigan for layering and keeping warm all Autumn and Winter long! This sweater is worked flat from the top down, seamlessly, except for the sleeves which are knit in the round.
For the main body we are using Woolstok and then 3 colours of Dream State for the yoke. Wannietta is ready to go. Sarah is waiting on one colour for the yoke. Lynn and I haven't chosen colours yet.


Here is a bit about Andrea from her Ravelry page.
I am a work-at-home mama and knitwear designer who has a hard time ever putting down the needles. I love all this amazing craft has to offer- from needles, fibers and patterns to the amazing community that holds it so dear. I am always looking to meet others who share a love for knitting and crafting so please feel free to drop by and join my group DreaReneeKnits!! 
I would love to see your finished projects here and on Instagram! You can share them in my Dreareneeknits Ravelry Group!
The Andrea Mowry patterns that I have knit
Find Your Fade x 3
Free Your Fade
Comfort Fade Cardi

The Andrea Mowry patterns hanging in the store
The Shift
So Faded x 2

Yes, I'm a fan.

Happy Halloween

Beth has been standing on the front porch for an hour and a half. She's seen at least 200 kids. I am sure that they've come in by bus. We have a lot of kids in our neighbourhood but not that many.
Beth's latest decoration is very fitting. Her nickname is Boo.

We've closed up shop for the night and are getting ready to watch Survivor. I'm going to work on Free Your Fade. Thanks Andrea for the great patterns.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Comfortable??

I spent time today finishing a newsletter that will be going out in the morning. I'm kind of at a loss for a blog post.

Our order from Spincycle is leaving tomorrow. I should be able to start tracking it on Thursday. We are receiving more colours of Dream State than I thought.

We should be receiving
-Devilish Grin
-Heart Sigh
-Pussy Willow
-Deep Bump
-Stay Ready
-Robin's Egg
-Rusted Rainbow
-Shades of the Earth
-The Family Jewels
-Neveruary
-Melancholia


We hope to see Nostalgia, Mississippi Marsala and Salty Dog in December.

Wrist Rulers are on the way as well. The tracking won't be updated until they reach Canada Customs.

Here are a few pictures of the new Namaste Backpack that should be arriving in December.

Our Knitter's Backpack was mindfully designed for those who are on the constantly on the run. With plenty of room for your laptop or tablet, your latest reading book or planner, and several knitting projects, the Backpack is ideal for those who want to have all their tools at their fingertips. Crafted from vegan leather and including knitting specific features like our Lotus Yarn Feeder (turns your handbag into a yarn bowl), a key leash (doubles as a tape-measure), and a decorative tassel (equipped with an emergency stitch marker), the Namaste Knitter's Backpack is designed to help you find Knitting Nirvana wherever you are.

KNITTER'S BACKPACK DETAILS:
  • Designed Specifically for Knitters - Sturdy Vegan Leather - Lots of Pockets - BPA & PVC-Free
  • Comfortably fits the Namaste Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large Oh Snap Pouch (not included)
  • A padded laptop pocket, 2 interior water bottle pockets, 1 zippered pocket, and places to keep your pens, notions, phone, and wallet organized
  • 3 exterior front zippered pockets to also keep your odds and ends secured, 2 exterior water bottle pockets
  • Adjustable Backpack straps and a carrying handle
  • Contains a luggage strap across the back to wrap around your rolling luggage handle as you walk through the airport

KNITTING FEATURES: All Namaste bags come with an eco-friendly dust bag, a darning needle, a mini Knitter's Dot Journal (for keeping track of rows, pattern notes, etc.), an 8 inch tape measure/key leash, our patent pending Lotus Yarn Feeder, and a removable tassel with a Lotus Stitch Marker.





Laura is shipping me a Backpack in Teal so that I can try it out before the shipment arrives. I can't wait.

Beth got out her Halloween light this afternoon. I was taking pictures and couldn't figure out what was wrong. The flash kept going off. 
No flash worked much better.
Mr. Roko got himself comfortable on the couch. Beth can't say the same thing. She is half on and half off the couch.

This is enough writing for today. A few rows of knitting and then bed. I stayed up way too late last night watching the football game. It was interesting for a while and I got sucked in.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Knit...Purl...Breathe...Repeat

I needed an easy, take with me project so I'm knitting Free Your Fade with Rockshelter Rock.
This shawl was created to be your favorite shawl pattern! Really relaxing garter stitch with engaging eyelet rows and endless color possibilities. It would be gorgeous knit up in one color, but you can just as easily use 20! I’ve extended the color melt sections for an even more cohesive fade, with easy instructions to add as many fade sections as you would like! The shawl is light weight and perfect year round when knit up in fingering weight yarn, but don’t let that stop you from knitting it up in any yarn weight you prefer to the size of your choosing!
Rockshelter Sock is a handpainted sock yarn by Meadowcroft Dyeworks. This 100% Superwash Merino Wool yarn is very soft and the firm twist gives it strength. This yarn would be a great choice for accessories or a lightweight pullover.
I knit Find Your Fade with Rockshelter Sock and really enjoyed working with it. Meadowcroft Dyeworks is a father/son team and their colours are amazing.

Knit...Purl...Breathe...Repeat

We will have another order arriving from Namaste next week which will include the Interchangeable Buddy Case. This is bigger than the Buddy Case that we already have in stock.
Formerly known as the Bigga' Buddy Case, Namaste is back with the new and improved Knitter's Interchangeable Buddy Case. A larger version of the Knitter's Buddy Case, made of animal-friendly faux leather, this amazing case keeps your metal items in place with its inner magnetized walls. Perfect for keeping your notions in one place, the improved Knitter's Interchangeable Buddy Case has significantly more powerful magnets to keep your notions in place, a stronger and more durable frame, and higher quality materials. Its spacious interior accommodates all kinds of notions and accessories, even crochet hooks and double point needles! This needle/notions case also includes a removable interior divider with attached elastic for holding interchangeable cords and needle tips. Committed to more sustainable packaging, the Knitter's Interchangeable Buddy Case also come in a re-useable gift box.  
 4.5"W x 7"H x 2.5"D
Laura from Namaste (and JBW) is back to tell you about some of the cool features of the bags from the newest "incarnation" of Namaste!



We hope to see the new Namaste Bags in December.

Here is a sneak peek at the Crossbody Bag that Laura was holding in the video.

 This Crossbody Bag is full and Laura laid out everything that she had in the bag.
Our Knitter's Crossbody Bag was mindfully designed for those who travel light. With plenty of room for your phone, wallet, notions, and a small knitting project, the Crossbody is ideal for grabbing a few moments of peace on the way to dinner. Crafted from vegan leather and including knitting specific features like our Lotus Yarn Feeder (turns your handbag into a yarn bowl), a key leash (doubles as a tape-measure), and a decorative tassel (equipped with an emergency stitch marker), the Namaste Knitter's Crossbody Bag is designed to help you find Knitting Nirvana wherever you are.

KNITTER'S CROSSBODY BAG DETAILS:

  • Designed Specifically for Knitters - Sturdy Vegan Leather - Lots of Pockets - BPA & PVC-Free
  • Comfortably fits the Namaste Small or Medium Oh Snap Pouch (not included)
  • Five interior pockets (2 zippered, 3 open) keep your wallet and notions organized
  • A zippered exterior pocket ensures that your phone is both secure & handy
  • Top flap rolls up and stays open with cleverly placed magnets for easy access knitting
  • Our Signature 4-Lotus Lining is PVC-free, wipeable, and cleans easily
  • Outfitted with hardware in a sleek Gunmetal color
  • Five metal feet on the bottom provide stability and protection

KNITTING FEATURES: All Namaste bags come with an eco-friendly dust bag, a darning needle, a mini Knitter's Dot Journal (for keeping track of rows, pattern notes, etc.), an 8 inch tape measure/key leash, our patent pending Lotus Yarn Feeder, and a removable tassel with a Lotus Stitch Marker.








I spent time at home this afternoon working on accounting. It's HST time. I finished (and it's paid) so now it's time to knit. I looked at a computer screen for too many hours today.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

More Mini Skeins

Cathy used a new Mini Skein 8 Pack and a skein of Mary-Ann to make Lamina (pattern purchased on Ravelry). She had enough yarn to add a few extra pattern repeats.

Let Lamina Wrap be a strata formation of all your oddment end balls in your stash, revealing the past in the form of projects knit and loved. Also perfect for mini skeins and unicorn tails.  
Alternately Lamina can also be worked in a single colour, gradient or full skeins of your favourite colour and contrast – so many possibilities. 
Lamina includes both written and charted instructions for the lace.
When 5 Mini-skeins just aren't enough, we now have a selection of 8-Packs for all your larger or mix-and-match project needs!
Mary Ann sock: 118 yards per 1 oz. skein, 944 yards total 




I used 2 Cheshire Cat mini skein kits and 2 skeins of Cheshire Cat to make Lamina.
I like Cathy's random stripes. I might need to revisit the pattern. It was fun to knit. Ambah writes a great pattern that is easy to follow.
My first sleeve is finished and I'm knitting the cuff on the second one.
We still have irises in the back yard. It's hard to believe with the cold weather. We woke up to a bit of snow on our cars this morning.

The baseball game is about to start and I need to get back to my cardigan. My goal is to be working on the yoke by the end of the week.

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Spincycle

I spoke with the lovely ladies at Spincycle yesterday and we should see more yarn in two weeks. I'm having them ship it by UPS so that it gets here quicker. We will have lots of Dyed in the Wool coming to make The Shift. There should be 17 colours in the box.
This cowl is the perfect all-the-time accessory! And the answer for all of those knitters out there who love to knit shawls, but have a hard time styling them. A fun and engaging knit with shifting colors, that looks like an asymmetrical triangle shawl, and it only takes a fiddle-free second to throw it on as the finish to every outfit!
Robin's Egg
All of our wool is grown, processed, dyed and spun in the USA. Our superwashed wool blend consists of Rambouillet, Targhee and Merino breeds, raised primarily in South Dakota and Wyoming. 
The sheep that supply us with our wool are 100% non-mulsed. 
The color transitions are slow and dramatic, and each skein is unique. When planning larger projects requiring more than one skein, allow for nuance. 
sport weight // 100% superwashed American Wool // 200 yards per skein // hand wash or machine wash cold, lay flat to dry // suggested gauge: 8-5 sts per inch on US #2-7 // MADE IN THE USA FROM SHEEP TO SKEIN
Rusted Rainbow
Wallflower
The Family Jewels
The Saddest Place
Neveruary
Overpasses

We should also be receiving
Tell-Tale Heart
Verba Volant
Stay Ready
Ruination
Nostalgia
Mississippi Marsala
Melancholia
Idle Nights
Frosty Night
Burning Sensation

These are ready to go but we are waiting on Dream State.
Dream State is the thicker version of Dyed in the Wool that we used for the contrast in Tensho.

We should be receiving
Devilish Grin
Salty Dog
Heart Sigh
Pussy Willow
Stay Ready
Robin's Egg
The Family Jewels
Nostalgia
Neveruary

In late December we should be receiving
Deep Bump
Rusted Rainbow
Shades of the Earth
Nostalgia
Mississippi Marsala
Melancholia

My sleeve is growing. A few more inches and then the next fade. The baseball game is about to start so I have a few hours of knitting ahead of me. I didn't make it to the end of the game last night. It ended late - actually early this morning. I hope that tonight's game is only 9 innings or I won't see the end.