Levitate

Diana stopped by as I was closing to drop off another Killer Queen Cowl. I love this one. The kit is called Grain. I wanted a cowl with a light background so you can see how it looks.

I have been waiting for Spincycle to ship this colour of Dyed in the Wool and it might be arriving tomorrow.

Meet Levitate. Be still my heart.

If you’ve knit with Spincycle then you know that the skeins can be very different. I don’t know what’s coming but they could look anything like the following pictures.

I can see mixing three very different skeins for an amazing Shift.

Mr. UPS should be bringing two boxes tomorrow. The box from Spincycle and a box from Emma’s. It’ll feel like my birthday.

Sophie

The wind is bitter here today and it got me thinking that I need a scarf. I want a scarf that wraps around and is warm and cozy. I have many shawls but I want a thicker scarf. This is the Sophie Shawl from PetiteKnit (pattern purchased on Ravelry)

The Sophie Shawl is worked back and forth in one piece, from tip to tip in garter stitch with built-in i-cord edges.

The shawl has three sizes. The small size takes 300m of worsted weight yarn. The medium 450m and the large needles 600m. I would suggest Malabrigo Rios (2, 3, 4 skeins). You could also choose from the 12 new Zodiac colours. The colours are amazing and the yarn is very soft.

Casapinka has a new pattern coming out on December 1. You can purchase the pattern for Anova on Ravelry.

You are JUST purchasing the schematic! Use this to plan your wrap/shawl if you like. 

The pattern will drop Dec. 1 - just in time for our NO EB December KAL in the Casapinka group here. No need to sign up, just come and have fun.  

This is marled and requires no knowledge of stranded knitting and is great for beginning knitters! I’ve shown both sides worn as the front and back (I was in CA and ran out of yarn so just used what I could get hold of if you’re wondering about the speckled yarn in the first pic.)

Note that the wrap is written to be 2” shorter (closer to the belt area) than mine since mine stretched more than I thought it would. 

There are two patterns included with this: 1. A Seamed Wrap (shown at left) and 2. A Rectangular shawl. The shawl was not tested but was made available in case you’d rather do that shape. You can use 2 schematics to plan out the shawl version. 

This was designed so you can use scrap yarn, random minis, an Advent, Hannukah, Halloween, Valentine set etc. Here are some things to consider:

The wrap has 29 stripes. Each stripe takes 5g of a fingering weight contrasting color so if you have a standard 20g/80 yard mini-skein, you can get 4 stripes per mini-skein. So, you can use:

A set of 8/10 minis 
A set of 24 and repeat 5 of them 
29 differing scraps etc.

The shawl uses 46 stripes.

The #GivingTuesday draw should happen tomorrow. I’m waiting on one more person to drop off and then we are good to go. The names have been typed in and I will print them tomorrow. The slips will go in a basket and I will ask a customer to draw the tickets. Thank you to everyone who donated. I will have total numbers tomorrow as well.

Now it’s time for The Amazing Race and Survivor.

Advent Patterns

It’s almost time to open our Advent kits. If you don’t have a kit then you might want to start going through your stash to find yarn. Here are some pattern suggestions that caught my eye.

This is Ambah’s Passiflora Wrap (pattern purchased on Ravelry).

Knit with us in December 2023 for the 7th year of Ambah’s Festive KAL, choose any of Ambah’s Advent/Festive kit inspired designs featured here, including the Euphorbia Wrap. Join us in Ambah’s Ravlery group here for festivities, fine company, lovely prizes and general knitting joy. 

Enjoy 25% off Passiflora Wrap and all of Ambah’s Festive pattern bundlethrough December 4 with the Ravelry code: FESTIVE25 

The Passiflora Wrap was designed with a festive 12- or 24- colour mini skein set in mind. There are so many possibilities - add colours in randomly, arrange your minis in a gradient fade, or use a main colour and alternate with 12 mini skeins. This is also a perfect way to use up all those leftover yarns hiding in your stash. Simple garter stitch keeps this a mindless knit with an eyelet pattern adding chevron interest; some fun shaping and the regular colour changes will keep you wanting to knit on.

Here are a few more Advent suggestions.

This is Flora Daze by Laura Dobratz (Emma’s mom). You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry. I think I might be knitting this pattern with my kit. Think.

Grand Opening is a great looking shawl. I don’t have permission to share the picture but take a look on Ravelry.

Hedgehog Fibres pattern will be coming out on December 1st.

Arne & Carlos are doing a stocking in DK weight yarn. You can download the pattern on Ravelry - it’s free until the end of the year.

This is a Mystery Christmas Stocking in stranded colourwork, with a new chart with six new rounds revealed daily during our Knit Along from December 1- 24, 2023.

You can join in on the fun this year, too, as we will offer the pattern bit by bit for free on our blog. But you must pop in here daily to download your free pattern because once the stocking is completed on December 25th, it will become a paid pattern on our website and all the free charts will be removed. The Knit Along will start on December 1st with the release of the first chart, and the toe of the stocking should be knitted in advance.

I think that you can make the Christmas Stocking in worsted weight (on a slightly larger needle) if you want. Take a look at Cascade 220 Superwash Worsted.

Now it’s knitting time while we watch Holiday Baking.

Time to Deck the Halls

Emma’s Yarns is bringing out a Holiday Collection that should be here in time for Christmas. I never want to say ‘will be’ because things happen and the box could be delayed. We are taking preorders until Sunday evening at 8pm EST and then I will be doing my order.

These would make a great gift for the fibre person in your life (including yourself).

Cooma Cowl - Christmas Sprinkles

Each kit includes:

• 1 Marvelous Mohair
• 5 Practically Perfect Smalls
• Pattern download code (knit version AND crochet version included)

Theme Packs - Practically Perfect Smalls

Each Theme Pack Includes 10 Practically Perfect Smalls

(810 total yards fingering weight)

80% Superwash Merino / 20% Nylon 

Theme Packs Simply Spectacular Smalls

Each Theme Pack includes 10 Simply Spectacular Smalls

(500 yards of DK weight)

75% Superwash Merino / 25% Nylon

Practically Perfect Sock - Dancin’ & Prancin’ and Christmas Sprinkles

A beautiful 2-ply merino and nylon blend that has just the right stretch and is soft against the skin. It’s the perfect thing for shawls, socks, sweaters and garments.

80% Superwash Merino / 20% Nylon

400 yards / 100g skein   Weight: Fingering

Suri Silk - Dancin’ & Prancin’ and Christmas Sprinkles

Our Suri Silk is soft, fluffy, and a great alternative to our Marvelous Mohair for anyone who has alergies or prefers not to work with mohair! Hold a strand of Suri Silk with another Emma's Yarn base for a gorgeously soft halo of texture. 

74% Suri Alpaca / 26% Silk

328 yards / 50g skein 

Here is a link to the collection

Here are the Cozy Slipper Socks from Churchmouse Yarns. You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry or the Churchmouse website. 

These slipper socks knit up quick as a wink! Inspired by our Turkish Bed Socks, we aimed for easy, cozy, and comfy. The heel is nice and neat, while a slip-stitch edging around the ankle finesses the finish! In 2 gauges, 3 widths, and easy-to-customize lengths, you can knit pairs for all your friends and family. 

We knit a version of the Cozy Slipper Socks in aran-weight and another pair in chunky-weight Rowan Brushed Fleece.

The three pictures above are all knit with Rowan Brushed Fleece.

We don’t carry this tweed yarn but any worsted/aran weight (like Cascade 220) will work.

Yesterday was a relaxing day knitting and watching football. Most of today was spent in the store finishing up shipping. Almost all the boxes have gone out and the last few will go on Wednesday. I’m taking tomorrow off. Beth and I are going to One of a Kind. It’s been a few years since we went so I’m excited to see the show.

Destination Unknown

This is the Destination Unknown Cowl from Cheryl Faust. You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

Like the ever-changing direction of our journey through life, the twists and turns of the path are often a mystery. My Destination Unknown Series celebrates this journey and encourages us to find joy in the unexpected, chase our dreams and greet each new day with excitement for the opportunities to explore and create. 

You may also like Destination Unknown Shawl 

Destination Unknown Cowl is a top down, bandana style cowl. Its captivating herringbone stitch pattern is deceptively simple to create using the mosaic knitting technique, working with just one color per row. You’ll begin knitting flat with an I-cord tab cast on. After working multiple pattern repeats flat, you’ll join the ends and begin knitting in the round. This construction method requires no seeming. 

The slow and dramatic color changes of Spincycle’s Dream State capture the essence behind my design inspiration perfectly. Be prepared to experience a delightful surprise as you knit each row/round.

Cheryl used a DK weight yarn for the main colour and Spincycle Dream State for the contrast. I think this would look amazing in Rios. Use a semisolid for the main colour and a multi for the contrast. Take a look at our combinations for the Killer Queen Cowl - I think any of these would work.

If you ordered yarn on Thursday or yesterday morning make sure you check your front porch. Quite a few people had their boxes delivered by UPS today. 

Now it’s time for a bit of knitting.

Shout Out to Beth

Ambah’s Euphorbia Wrap is available on Ravelry. It’s in my library waiting for December 1st to cast on. I have a Smalliday set from Emma’s that I’m going to use to knit this. 

Knit with us in December 2023 for the 7th year of Ambah’s Festive KAL. Join us in Ambah’s Ravlery group here for festivities, fine company, lovely prizes and general knitting joy. 

Enjoy 25% off Euphorbia Wrap and all of Ambah’s Festive pattern bundle through December 4 with the Ravelry code: FESTIVE25 

Euphorbia Wrap has elegantly tapered ends and is worked sideways with decreases forming a central spine. With its chevron shaping and stripes, Euphorbia is an invitation to play with colour and texture. Designed to use a 24-colour DK weight mini skein set, the options are endless; striped, faded, make it scraptastic and use up all those delicious end balls or use colour-changing yarn for a lovely result. Mix up the texture and use a kidsilk or “fluff” yarn in place of one colour. Equally dramatic results can also be enjoyed by simply using two contrasting colours. Euphorbia Wrap is knit tip to tip with shaping which creates interest in this garter stitch project. You’ll find the resulting wrap easy to wear and style. It’s sure to become a wardrobe favourite.

If you don’t have an Advent set you can make your own with leftovers. I know I have enough fingering weight bits that I could make the shawl and I have a feeling that many of you do too. 

Beth came to the store with me this morning to help pack boxes. We had lots when Mr. UPS came at 11am and he came back at 2pm to pick up more. There are going to be a lot of happy people on Monday or Tuesday when the big brown truck pulls up to their house.

It’s been two very long days so I’m going to say goodnight. The store will be open from 9am-4pm tomorrow.

I totally forgot something - we received a few more packages of Cocoknits Maker’s Clips.