Thursday, May 30, 2024

New Colours

Mr. UPS brought the first box from Hedgehog this afternoon and the second box should be coming tomorrow. We received Twist Sock, Alpaca Boucle, Oh So Fine, Kidsilk Lace and Hedgehog Sock Minis. The colours are amazing. I didn’t take anything home but there was a lot of temptation.

Superbloom
Seahorse
Avo
Crocus
Peachy Keen
Monsoon
Pond Life

When I got to the store today the phone was out. I didn’t have the energy to deal with Bell today so I’ll do it in the morning.
We are changing our hours for the rest of the summer. This will give me time to help get dad to his speech therapy in the morning. Closing an hour earlier on Saturday lets me get on my way to the cottage.

Now back to updating the website. Have a great evening!!

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Super Silky

Our next shipment from Emma’s should be arriving tomorrow and we are adding a new yarn to our inventory. This is Super Silky. You may be familiar with the yarn because we had LYS Day kits using it. Now you can purchase individual skeins

A 2-ply silky luxury with gorgeous drape and an elegant sheen. It is our most popular choice for wraps and shawls. 

80% Superwash Merino / 20% Silk

400 yards / 100g skein      Weight: Fingering

Every month we will be adding more colours. I need to find somewhere to put the yarn so I couldn’t add too many colours on our first order.
The 2024 Smalliday kits from Emma’s are available on the website to preorder. These will be in the store late September/early October. I enjoyed using my 2023 kit and will definitely be knitting something with the 2024 kit.

24 individually wrapped Smalls (our mini skeins)- perfect for treating yourself or a loved one to a small-a-day for 24 days! The colors are specially developed for this set - each a beautiful and colorful surprise intended to be unwrapped each day of December through Christmas Day!

There are 2 kits available.

  1. Fingering weight - Practically Perfect Sock Smalls (80% Superwash Merino / 20% Nylon - 2,025 total yards) 
  2. Double Knitting weight - Simply Spectacular DK Smalls (75% Superwash Merino / 25% Nylon - 1,250 total yards)

This afternoon I started adding the new Hedgehog colours to the website. This isn’t a quick project and the website is working against me tonight. 👿. I’m giving up for now and will finish tomorrow. 

The Price is Right is on. This is very important family time so I’m going to say goodnight. Wish me better website luck tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Quirky

This is the Quirky Quintet Shawl - Stephen West’s newest pattern. You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

Choose five contrasting colors of fingering weight yarn to knit this large semi-circular shawl. The fabric is filled with fun stripes and slip stitches that form the geometric columns, checks, and triangles. Simple textures like ribbing, seed stitch, and garter stitch provide lots of relaxing rows to enjoy as you anticipate each new colorful stripe. The constantly shifting colors and textures make this project very addicting to knit. I used high contrast semi-solid and lightly speckled colors from Mominoki yarn for my shawl to emphasize the crisp architectural lines. Splashy speckles would also look really fun in this design for a more painterly effect.

I love the border on the shawl. I have it on a few of Stephen’s shawls that I have knit. 

Photos © Stephen West





I didn’t make it to the store today. This morning I did errands and this afternoon I was at the dentist for a cleaning. Now I need to work. Mr. UPS should be bringing lots of boxes on Thursday - Hedgehog (2), Malabrigo (2) and Emma’s. There are colours to be added to the website.
We were all sitting outside after dinner and there was thunder. Someone is afraid of thunder and fireworks. He is trying to hide (in Beth’s chair).

Dad got great news this afternoon. Beth took him for an appointment with the doctor who did his radiation last summer. His numbers are very low which is amazing. We will celebrate after The Price is Right with some pie.

Monday, May 27, 2024

Hedgehog is on the way

I received notification from UPS that Hedgehog has shipped our yarn. We might see the new colours (and a restock) by the end of the week but more than likely it will be next week.




It was one year ago today that we received information on the Smalliday Sets from Emma’s. Here is the shawl that I knit with mine called Flora Daze (pattern purchased on Ravelry). I’m hoping that we will receive information soon for the 2024 set. 



What is a Smallilday Set? 

25 individually wrapped Smalls (our mini skeins)- perfect for treating yourself or a loved one to a small-a-day for 25 days! The colors are specially developed for this set - each a beautiful and colorful surprise intended to be unwrapped each day of December through Christmas Day! These are available in both our Practically Perfect Sock Smalls (80% Superwash Merino / 20% Nylon - 2,025 total yards) and Simply Spectacular DK Smalls (75% Superwash Merino / 25% Nylon - 1,250 total yards). 

I was in the store very early this morning to pack boxes. Unfortunately I was there much longer than expected. I needed boxes from the shed and the rain was coming down sideways. I waited until I could run and get just a bit wet, not totally soaked. The rain then started coming down in buckets again. I was in the store for a while longer until it slowed so I could stop at Canada Post and the UPS store. There will be lots of happy fibre people tomorrow. Thankfully I wasn’t too wet. By the time I got home the sun was out. 

All 3 dogs decided to visit dad. I think there is room for at least one more 😀.

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Happy Saturday

This is the Ship Shape Cardigan from Heidi Kirrmaier. You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

How it’s knit:
This cardigan is worked seamlessly from the top down, beginning with the 2 shoulder gussets. Stitches for the body are picked up along their edges and knit straight, until sleeve stitches are picked up and worked with the body stitches while shaping the armholes. The body is knit flat, and front edges are finished with a slipped stitch edge and buttonholes at the same time as the front pieces are knit. The sleeves are knit in the round. Collar stitches are picked up and knit at the end.
 

Fit:
The finished circumference measurements (when buttoned up) are given above. Suggested ease is approximately 4 - 7 inches, which means selecting a size that measures 4 - 7 inches more than your actual chest circumference. But you can choose whatever fit you prefer!

Body length from underarm is about 12-13 inches (30-33 cm) depending on size. If you want to change the length, the yarn required may be impacted.

Heidi suggests Rowan Felted Tweed as a yarn that you can use to knit the cardigan. Any DK weight yarn will also work but I suggest you do a tension swatch. Heidi is asking for 22 stitches to measure 4” but she is using a 3.5mm needle. Normally a DK weight uses 4mm needles.



What a crazy weather day. It poured at the store for most of the day. Then we had fog for a while and now it’s sunny.

It’s almost time for hockey. Have a great evening!

Friday, May 24, 2024

Relaxing to Knit

This is Eyelets in the Stream - a new pattern from Susan Ashcroft that you can purchase on Ravelry.

A silly name (from a Dolly Parton fan) for a fun knit.

  • Relaxing to knit - garter rows alternate with easy to work and easy to remember eyelet pattern.

  • Works with different types of yarn : striping, gradient, handspun, hand-dyed, variegated… the simple stitch will allow your yarn to shine

  • Easy to wear boomerang shape - can be worn as a scarf or draped over the shoulders.

Allow 300-400m (330-440yds).

Knitters on Ravelry used yarns from fingering to worsted. There is a gorgeous shawl knit in Malabrigo Rios. I haven’t purchased the pattern but by looking at samples I think you can knit the shawl as big or as small as you want. When it’s your size you cast off. 



Here are some more kits for Ambah O’Brien’s This or That MKAL. There are 25 combinations available on the website. 
I will be joining. I’m going to knit the wrap. 
Knitting time difference between clues for Shawl or Wrap?
The wrap maintains a stitch count and the clues will be fairly even knitting time.
The shawl increases the stitch count and the first couple of clues will be somewhat less knitting time, with a little more toward the end.
Are you going to join along and have some fun?
The newest Hope Baskets from Atenti have arrived. They are gorgeous. 

Price is Right at Night is on (we taped it earlier in the week). I need to go and beat my family!!

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Pizza Thursday

Lynn’s Calypso Worsted is finished and it looks amazing!!! I was briefly in the store this morning to ship a box and get Lynn started for the day. I had to run so we didn’t get outside pictures. I was so excited that the sweater was finished that I asked Lynn to put it on for quick photos. Then I spent the afternoon at home.

Pattern: Calypso Worsted (purchased on Ravelry)

Yarn: Le Lambswool (light grey) and Dream State (On The Low)

Size: 3



Mr. UPS brought two large boxes from Rowan. Alex was in with Lynn this afternoon and they unpacked all the Felted Tweed and Kidsilk Haze. Then they straightened the Kidsilk Haze. Lynn sent me this picture. This shelf is all the full bags. It will be much easier to find the extra stock - they put the bags in numerical order. Tomorrow I will be updating the website.
I was home because we were having our barbecue professionally cleaned. Dad, Beth and I did it last summer and it took forever. We had a huge mess and I hate to admit that we did a really poor job.
It was Pizza Thursday. Dad’s first pizza in over 5 weeks and he ate it all.