Happy Halloween

Our pumpkins are ready. We are setting up a table at the end of the driveway where we will lay out goodie bags for the kids. Dad has some construction lights (which will be decorated with caution table) because he thinks the end of driveway is dark. He doesn’t want kids tripping. Dad and Beth are dressing up like construction workers and I will be in the house with the dogs. There could be some knitting time.

Last year we had well over 100 kids. It will be interesting to see how many we have this year.

Xanthe Wrap is an invitation to play. Choose a trio of colours to express your style, the varations are endless; stripe two neutrals and add a lace colour pop, or keep it neutral for a classic look. Use your wildest speckle yarn striped with a solid and co-ordinating lace colour for something as fun to knit as it is to wear. The stretches of garter stitch make this a perfect project for travel or mindless knitting while beautiful lace keeps it interesting.  

Xanthe is knit on the bias which results in a rhomboid shape; it is easy to wear and will fast become a wardrobe staple.

I was pulling skeins of tosh merino light for a customer this morning when I realized that we had all the colours back in stock that I used for Xanthe. I took my friend outside and we did a small photo shoot.

You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry. I love Ambah O’Brien’s patterns. They are easy to follow and she has charts for the lace sections as well as writing the pattern out line by line. I knit this is just over a month in 2017. 

What are my colours?

-Cactus Flower

-Medieval

-Prairie Fire

This is Ambah’s shawl.

We have a beautiful fireplace in our house but it stopped working early in the spring. We didn’t need it during the summer but it’s getting to be fireplace weather. I changed the batteries in the remote but that didn’t work. I opened up the front of the fireplace and started playing with things. Maybe not a good idea. Then I asked my friends at google and after watching two different videos it is working again. There are batteries inside the fireplace as well - who knew? I know you aren’t supposed to be proud of yourself but I am a little bit. 

Happy Friday

Jenn Steingass (knit.love.wool) has another new sweater. What a great fall to be a knitter. There are so many new patterns.

Slowing down and appreciating the simple things has been important this year, so I decided to design something representative of my surroundings close to home. Just down the street, there is a beautiful house with wrought iron cresting along the roof, and Alden is my knitted rendition of it. The name Alden means wise friend.

This pullover starts from the top down and is worked seamlessly and in the round. Options for a ribbed or simple, slightly rolled neckline are included. Short rows are worked to shape the neckline, then the colorwork yoke is worked. Options and instructions for a 2 or 3 color yoke are provided. The body and sleeves are separated and worked from the top down and colorwork cuffs are finished with an applied icord. Alden is suitable for either fingering or sport weight yarn.

You can purchase the pattern for Alden on Ravelry. 

Jenn’s patterns are well written and are size inclusive.

You have many, many choices. 

Fingering weight yarns

Sport weight yarns

Take a look at this Alden on Ravelry. The knitter used Dyed in the Wool for the colourwork. The colour is Verba Volant and it is gorgeous. Verba Volant has never been on my radar but after seeing it knit up it is now a colour I would use.

Here are some more pictures of the Maker’s Roll Top coming at the end of November.

I’m not a green person but this colour is talking to me. When I can travel again (2022??) it will be great for carrying my knitting on the plane.

The kettle has boiled and it’s time for a few rows of knitting and tea before bed.

New Patterns

Tanis Lavallee just introduced the Rock It Tee DK. You can knit the sweater in a single strand of DK weight yarn or if you want a bit of fluff then use a strand of fingering weight with a strand of kidsilk. The sweater Tanis is wearing was knit with a fingering and a mohair.

I wore my light and airy fingering weight Rock It Tee so much this summer and as soon as the cool fall breezes started coming around I knew that I needed a cooler weather version to tide me over until the warm weather eventually returns. The Rock It Tee DK features all of the same details that I love about the fingering weight version, including eyelets at the raglan increases, I-cord bind offs and a combination of merino, mohair and of course lots of opportunity for customization with stripes. I’ve included instructions for both puff sleeves and slim sleeves so you can really make this sweater your own!

You can purchase the pattern on Tanis’ website.

Tanis’ patterns are well written and easy to follow. They are also size inclusive.

Tanis had fun and did a striped version in DK weight. Take a look at the sleeves. They are narrower at the cuff. Both sleeve versions are in the pattern.

Brian Smith has a new shawl pattern as well.

You can purchase the the pattern for Promise on Ravelry. Brian used 3 skeins of Hedgehog Fibres Skinny Singles - Monarch, Coral and Pinky Swear.

Worked sideways, this pretty shawl blends three shades using a garter rib pattern.

Coral and pink together - what a combination.

I saw my dad in the Tim’s drive through when I was coming home. I called and he was grabbing the guys coffee - they were pouring concrete today. That always makes my dad happy. He has been bugging me to stop by the job so I did. It’s just a big hole right now.

Now some knitting and TV. We have Big Brother and the Amazing Race from last night to watch.

Binding Off

I’m working on Spark tonight. 

The body is finished on Skylights and I need to bind off. Tanis asks for a tubular bind off. I haven’t done this before so I think it should be an afternoon, I’m wide awake chore.

I’ve read over Tanis’ instructions quickly and it reminds of grafting. I don’t think it is going to be hard but I dread the phone ringing when I’m halfway through and losing my place.

Here is Very Pink’s video for the tubular bind off.

Laura Aylor has a new pattern called Annie’s Song and you can purchase it on Ravelry.

There are 21 color bands in the throw and 14 in the baby blanket. For the throw, each band takes about 110 yards; for the baby blanket each band takes about 80 yards. The first band takes slightly more yardage - about 5%.

I first became aware of hand-knitting when I noticed a beautiful afghan that my mother had knit before I was born. It’s probably the reason I asked her to teach me how to knit and I’ve always been drawn to similar stitch patterns. I had a bin full of single skeins of worsted-weight yarn begging to be knit into an afghan, so I reverse engineered my Mom’s (since I could never find the pattern), made a couple of small adjustments, and Annie’s Song is the result. I loved knitting this. It’s mostly just stockinette and it was so much fun playing with colors. I hope you’ll enjoy it too! (Mom kept hers in a jelly roll on the couch. I had no idea until I found it in a closet recently that it was 10 feet long! I wish I’d discovered this while she was still around to ask about it!)

Laura used Cascade 220 but any worsted weight yarn will work. 

Earlier this week I showed you pictures of new bags coming in November. Here are a few more pictures of the Backpack.

When I described the bags to Lynn her eyes lit up. I forwarded the email to Beth and she has picked her bag. 

I’m not a patient person - I want my bag/bags now! 😘

Someone is having their hair cut on Friday. No more fluffy puppy.

Happy Hump Day

From now until Friday October 30th at noon (Ancaster time) we have a great deal on sock yarn. These are Mystery Bags of self striping and self patterning, commercially dyed yarns. There will not be any hand dyed yarns in the bags.

We have divided the bags into colour themes

-fall leaves (oranges, reds, yellows, golds and greens) - something like the top left picture

-pink/purple - something like the top right picture

-brights - something like the bottom picture

-blue/teal/brown

There are 3 balls in the bag and one ball will make a pair of socks. The yarn would regularly sell for $60 and we are offering the bags for $40. They bags are a mystery and we don’t know what balls we’ve put in each bag.

Purchase a bag.

Mystery Bags of Sock yarn are on sale for $40 from now until Friday October 30th at noon. You can order online for curbside pick up or mail order.

All sales final. No returns. No requesting colours.

Teal

The Mindful Collection is new from Knitter’s Pride.

With respect to our customer's knowledge and devotion to the craft, we decided to create a new collection that met their creative needs and encouraged them in the practice of mindfulness.

We chose the color Teal because of its soothing blue-green tone and its undertones of grey and jade. These are colors of tranquility and renewal, and they blend well with a variety of other shades.

The circular figure visible on the Mindful Collection is an ancient symbol, representing the universe and ongoing life. Often seen in yoga or meditation circles, it represents the search for completeness and unity.

We are waiting for the needles to arrive. Hopefully in time for Christmas.

The new Knitter’s Pride cords have arrived.

The Mindful Collection Swivel Cords work with all types of Knitter's Pride needles. They are stainless steel cores coated with nylon so they have zero memory. That means no kinks or twists while allowing your stitches to slide easily. They are also marked at one inch intervals so you'll never have to worry about forgetting your tape measure! Mindfully brilliant is what we call them. 

Please Note: Size listed is the size the cord makes with needle tips attached. The 360 degree swivel means your cables will not twist while knitting.

Lynn is using the Swivel Cords right now with her Zing Interchangeable set. She is in love. She has one size and the others are on her Christmas list.

We also have the cords fixed so they won’t swivel but Lynn suggests you try the swivel.

We have new Knit Blockers as well.

Easy to use, the Knit Blockers speed up the blocking process in an ingenious way.

The mesmerizing gradient effect of shades of Teal color helps in blocking unusual shapes.

The charming floral design on each blocker complements the rest of the collection.

Sturdy, rust resistant stainless steel pins anchor knitting for easy blocking.

Color coordinated and packaged in their own teal colored case.

No yarn arrived today but we did get a skid of shipping boxes.

If you live in Southern Ontario and need boxes (or any shipping supplies) I suggest you visit Whitebird.ca. I ordered boxes yesterday afternoon and they were delivered this morning. They are always on time, polite and the order is always correct.

My knitting is growing. I tried the sweater on last night and love the fit. Tonight I am starting the ribbing.