Finished Projects

I finished two projects yesterday. The seams are sewn and the ends are put in. Totally finished and the count is growing for projects that I have completed. 

Both are the Traveler Cowl by Andrea Mowry (pattern purchased on Ravelry).

Yarn: Dream State (3 skeins of Valley Girl)

Needles: 4.5mm

Yarn: Dyed in the Wool (3 skeins of Sea Spray)

Needles: 3.75mm

I wore my cowl in the store today and it is weightless. You don’t know that you are wearing it.

The next time Lynn is in I will get pictures of her wearing the cowls. I didn’t have time to take a mannequin outside today.

Stephen West has a new shawl called Stripeometry (pattern purchased on Ravelry).

Choose three colors of fingering weight yarn to knit the geometric striped shawl. This shawl is knitted with short rows and increases and decreases to form the angular shapes. Each section is knitted individually with different sized stripes while you pick up stitches from a previous section for an entirely seamless process. Go bold with a high contrast color combo or play with more similar shades for a shadow effect. This shawl works well with all kinds of yarn from solid and semi-solids to speckles and self-striping yarns. Dive into the easy garter stitch rows and experience the playful Stripeometry Shawl!

Photos © Stephen West

This is Grapevine by Brian Smith (pattern purchased on Ravelry).

This boomerang shaped shawl uses a ten skein mini skein pack from Emma’s yarns. The colors shift from root to fruit, with an overall bobble pattern on stocking stitch.

We have Emma’s Theme Packs in stock and there will be two new colourways coming next week.

These are available online to preorder.

This is Zauberball Crazy Cotton Starke 4. The yarn should be arriving early next week and I think it would be perfect for a summer weight Traveler Cowl.

Experience the coolness of 100% Long-staple Greek Cotton, spun into shifting, marled color combinations. Created using a new water-based environmentally friendly technology, Zauberball® Crazy Cotton Starke 4 is gentle on the skin, lightweight, and the perfect choice for your next project!

There are 459 yards in a 100gram ball. 

The suggested needles are 2mm - 3.5mm.

Another new yarn coming is Alb Zauber Extra. If you’re looking to knit heavier socks this yarn will work. 

Virgin Wool combined with eco-friendly Biodegradable Nylon for a worsted weight yarn spun with Schoppel’s keen eye for a kaleidoscope of colors in a 50g ball.

75% Virgin Wool

25% Biodegradable Nylon

126 yards in a 50gram ball

4mm-5mm needles (worsted weight)

I wrote a very long post today to make up for the lack of post yesterday. Dad and Fred came for pancake breakfast. Then they were back in the afternoon to help make lasagna for Easter Dinner. 28 are coming so we’ll have a full house. After they left I put my feet up and knit. And knit.

I’ve divided for the armholes on my Calypso Worsted and now I’m working around and around on the body. I will try and lay it out at home for pictures - I forgot to bring it to work today.

Tonight is Pizza Saturday and then we need to tidy for tomorrow. The yarn around my knitting chair is spreading and I need to get it under control 🙂

New Patterns

Cheryl Faust has a new pattern called Iris Loop (purchased on Ravelry).

Iris, with her stunning stranded colorwork, is a moebius cowl that is the epitome of ease, style and comfort all rolled into one. Simply slip it over your head, give it a little fluff, and voila – you’re out the door and on-the-go chic!

Iris loop begins with a provisional cast on and is knit in the round as a tube. After blocking, the tube is twisted once and the live ends are grafted together with Kitchener Stitch to form a continuous twisted loop.

The cowl is knit with 2 colours of fingering weight yarn. Cheryl used Spincycle Dyed in the Wool for her colourful yarn. Crazy Zauberball or Starke 6 would be a good substitute. We are expecting more Crazy Zauberball early next week.

Brian Smith has a new shawl pattern that you can purchase on Ravelry.

Firstly, a triangle is worked top down, then stitches are picked up along one side and a second triangle is worked. This shawl has a generous length, enabling the wearer to wrap two or three times around the neck. 

The shawl is knit with 2 skeins of Hedgehog Sock for the main part of the shawl. You need 44m of the contrast colour. 

I put together a few combinations in Emma’s Practically Perfect Sock with a Practically Perfect Small

Crazy Beautiful February 2024 with Crown Jewel (small)

Crazy Beautiful March 2024 with Tealicious (small)

Happily Ever After with Barbie Girl (small)

Alex is making progress on her Tessellated Sweater. She has split for the armhole and is working on the front. The colours look awesome and Alex is really happy with how it looks so far.

Meet Milo. His mom brought him to the store to show off his Noro coat (Noro Ito). The coat looks great and his mom said he likes wearing it.

It’s time to watch some baseball. Opening Day is finally here.

Granny Squares

Tanis Lavallee’s newest knit and crochet pattern just came out. This is Jethro (pattern purchased on Ravelry).

I am not over Granny squares. My love for them is still full blown. It’s so deeply rooted that granny squares have become my new sock project. The project that is always sitting in a basket beside my knitting nook ready to be grabbed at any moment for a few quick stitches. This cardigan is my ode to my favourite colour palette done up in my current favourite Granny Squares. A match made in heaven.

I need to make this cardigan. Maybe in the fall. My mom loved Granny Squares and she would love this cardigan.

Here are some sizing notes from Tanis

The sizes given are the actual finished full chest measurement of the garment, choose a size that corresponds to 30-43 cm / 12-17” larger than your upper bust measurement or, the size that will give you the amount of ease you like. There are larger than I’m used to jumps between the sizes due to the restrictions imposed by the fixed sizes of the squares and I think that it suits the casual nature of the pattern. It is not intended to be fitted, there is no shoulder shaping, it’s a throw it on and run out the door kinda cardi. Because this is an open front cardigan where the back width is greater than the width of the front (the fronts don’t meet when the cardigan is laid flat, but it can be buttoned which will create a slightly raised front hem) the sizes are based on the back width. I recommend wearing this drop shoulder style with a lot of positive ease. I am wearing the size 3 with close to 43 cm / 17” of positive ease. My daughter is wearing the size 1 with 38 cm / 15” of positive ease. When worn buttoned the circumference is decreased by about 5 cm / 2” as the fronts have to pull together to fasten. Crochet is different from knitting in that it’s denser and heavier, it doesn’t have the same fluid drape that knit fabric can have. Keep this in mind when choosing your size. My vision for the fit is to have a generously proportioned body and the crisp ribbing and slightly slimmer sleeves keep it from looking sloppy.

 

Tanis used DK weight yarn for the cardigan. Don’t forget that 2 strands of fingering weight is equivalent to DK. 

Fred was having fun at work today.

Tonight is a very busy TV night. Survivor, The Amazing Race and Top Chef. I hope to get to the sleeve separation on Calypso Worsted.