I couldn’t help myself

This happened. I was making kits for The Shift and decided that I really need to make one. I’m not happy with any of my projects right now so a bit of colour will make me happy. My colours are Melancholia, Neveruary and Midsommar.

I should have had knitting to show you but there was a small issue with my ball winder. It is electric and wouldn’t turn on. I was about to hand wind the balls when it decided to work. I have no problem hand winding yarn. I do it all the time but I wanted these in cakes so you can see the colour progressions and how the yarn will stripe.

Manos del Uruguay has two patterns coming out for LYS Day. We will have yarn and patterns available at the store. I understand that not everyone is able to attend so I will make these available online after LYS Day.

Anthias, a stunning Fino fade-out wrap, pairs a new Fino Mini-Skein Kit created to showcase the center-out design: a gradual fade from Iight to dark lends itself well to this interesting construction!

This shawl is knit with two mini skein kits that are the same colour.

Opalite is a study in color illusion: the colors of Fino Mini Skein Kit Willa, are hand-picked to step up and down in color value. The result? A gorgeous wrap that appears as if it's rippling in the breeze, thanks to the light-to-dark color palette. Opalite is knit on the bias with changing colors, so it's a project that will keep you engaged from beginning to end!

This shawl is knit with one full skein of Fino and a mini skein kit.

This was on Andrea Mowry’s Instagram page tonight. The pattern is coming out September 10. It is knit in Le Petit Lambswool and Dyed in the Wool. I will put together combinations early next week.

Now some hockey and knitting.

Thank You!!

Beth and Boscoe took all the food and money to the Food Drive this morning. $1500. Thank you to everyone who donated. The $1500 will purchase over 3000 lbs of food. Mrs. Lucas was one of Beth's teachers in high school and has been on the executive of the Food Drive since the first year. She was in tears when Beth dropped the money and food off. She even made Beth take pictures with the mayor. 

Lynn and I did not draw the name of the winner. We were busy in the store today and didn't remember until closing time. I want someone other than Lynn and I to draw the winning ticket. We will do it first thing Monday morning.

There are new colours of Manos del Uruguay Alegria.

Alegria is an easy-care blend of ultra-soft superwash merino with durable polyamide.  Its “hand” is remarkably soft and resilient, and the bright, playful colorways would make exciting baby projects as well as socks.

Mr. UPS arrived at closing time last night with more Kidsilk Haze Fade Kits.

Dinner is finished and the kitchen is clean. Now I'm going to do some work on my sewing room. I have the urge to do some quilting but it looks like a tornado has gone through the room. Once it has been tidied I can bring out my sewing machine.

A day at the beach

Photos ©Stephen West

This triangular shawl begins with a tiny triangle at the center of the shawl. Parallelograms are stacked on the three sides of the triangle hence the name Trianglegram. Each parallelogram shape is knit one at a time while being attached to the previous sections for an entirely seamless project. Repeat the stripes until you are ready to bind off. The small size features four colors of West Wool Bicycle and the large multi-color size features a variety of fingering weight yarns and some fluffy suri alpaca accents. Relaxing garter stitch makes this pattern easy to knit and striking to wear.

You can purchase the individual pattern or you can purchase the ebook that will have at least 8 patterns.

The Westknits Winter e-book contains 8 new knitting accessories and sweaters. Each Friday during December and January, you will receive pattern updates in your Ravelry library as the entire collection is revealed. 

The designs range from colorful hats and cowls to large shawls and fun-to-knit sweaters. 

The e-book is available for a discounted price of 25 EUR until the end of 2019. In 2020, the e-book will be 30 EUR. 

Five 100g skeins of yarn is enough to knit the large size or dive into your stash for a fun scrappy version! 

Multi-color Version You can use as many colors as you like if you prefer to knit a more scrappy multi-color version. I used mostly fingering weight yarn, but some of my stripes are sport weight suri or merino yarns. Try holding a strand of lace weight mohair together with a fingering weight yarn for a fuzzy accent stripe.

This is a great project for over the holidays. Bring out your stash and play with colours.

We have new gradient kits from Manos del Uruguay and this time they are worsted weight. Yay! Bigger needles.

Bocados, Spanish for "little bites," celebrates the fun of colorwork knitting! These 25g mini-skeins of Alegria Grande are perfect for projects that need a bit of colour, or a small amount of many colours. 

75% Superwash Merino, 25% Polyamide  

You can buy these in a kit with 10 skeins for $80 or you can purchase individual skeins for $8.

These fingerless mitts take 3 skeins and the pattern is free on Ravelry.

When your heart says “Spring” but the thermometer says “ugh”, turn to these cute little mitts. They knit up quickly with 3 Alegria Grande Bocados, with frequent color changes to keep you entertained. When they’re done, you’ll have warm hands and a cheerful reminder of warmer days ahead.

Rainbow Road (a free pattern) is knit with 6 Bocados.

Everyone knows the Road of Life is neither a straight line nor a simple arc. It zigs and zags, it swerves and meanders. Sometimes all that keeps us going is wanting to see the next color coming around the bend. For times like that (or anytime you need a quick and cheerful project), we recommend this Rainbow Road cowl.

We have another new yarn in the store - Alpaca Merino Chunky from Estelle Designs.

I love Ravelry but I have one complaint. When you are looking at yarn thickness they go from Aran to Bulky. In my world (I know not everyone lives in it😘) Bulky would be called Chunky.

This yarn is perfect for patterns asking for Bulky. Hats, mitts, scarves, cowls and sweaters.

Boscoe went to the beach yesterday. There were a lot of sticks to play with.

Coming Soon

I love looking at Design Seeds for colour inspiration. Putting together colours for a shawl. Decorating a room. Just to look at pretty colours.

Alex came in today wearing a new hat. There is a story behind the hat but I need to save that for a few days. It was procrastination knitting because another project went wrong and it's too soon to talk about it.

The Oslo Hat

The Oslo Hat is knit from the bottom up in stockinette stitch with the yarn held double. The first part of the hat is worked on a short circular needle (3.5 mm / 40 cm), while the crown is worked on DPNs or on a longer circular needle using the Magic Loop technique to work a small circumference.

Alex used one skein of tosh merino light and one skein of Garnstories Singles.

I know it is only the beginning of June but we are ordering yarn, needles, books and accessories for fall and some will be arriving very soon. It's a very exciting time of the year.

Our first shipment of Shawl Cuffs is almost sold out. There are 7 left. Another order has been placed and I hope to see them next week.

Speaking of Shawl Cuffs, I saw this shawl on the Knox Mountain Knit Co Instagram feed. The shawl is called Jade Bay and you can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

Check out the rest of Knox Mountain's patterns.

Tucked into the shores of Kalamalka Lake, Jade Bay is one of the lake’s many great beaches. Named for the Okanagan chief that occupied it’s shores, Kalamalka Lake is one of only a handful of ‘marl lakes’ that display the reaction of limestone deposits to temperature change. In summer these deposits crystallize, giving the lake its blue-green hue. 

Jade Bay is a top down, triangle shawl consisting of squishy garter stitch and a simple lace border. Designed for your favorite solid colour, two complimentary colours, or a main colour and a mini kit.

You need 380 yards of a main colour and 60 yards each of five contrasting colours. Perfect for a mini skein kit and we have many mini skein kits in stock.

Speaking of mini skein kits, we will have 4 brand new colourways of Manos Fino mini skein kits coming tomorrow.

Fino mini skein kits are a world of fun! Gorgeous colour combinations in a luxurious blend of 75% Extrafine Merino, 30% Silk. 

We have three new colours of Noro Ito on the way to us. I think we should see them on Tuesday or Wednesday. There will be eight new colours for fall but only three are available now.

I see another Ito Nightshift in my future.

Maud and Ophelia

I love all my Stephen West knits. This is Chevron Shenanigans. I hope you have some of Stephen's patterns in your queue because he is having a sale on his patterns.

To get you started with your spring shawls (or autumn shawls for my Southern Hemisphere friends) use the promo code springshawlsale for 15% off all my shawl patterns from today until midnight on Friday. 

Add any of my shawl patterns to your cart and enter the promo code at check out to receive your discount. 

See all Stephen's patterns

Kerstin's Chevron Shenanigans

I have knit many of his patterns and they are extremely well written.

Building Blocks could be my favourite Stephen West knit. I love the size and shape of the shawl.

We will have new mini skein kits from Manos next week. Above is Maud and below is Ophelia.

One mini skein kit will make the Shadow Cowl. Download the free pattern...

Alex just finished Andrea Mowry's Ghost Ranch. I totally forgot to ask Alex which yarn she used. I am going to guess she used tosh merino light and Dyed in the Wool but I will confirm tomorrow.

I was a little tired today. I stayed up and watched the Golden Knights lose last night. I did get the first sleeve seam sewn on my Throwback tonight during Survivor. We started The Amazing Race but it will have to wait until tomorrow. Now it is bed time!!!

Joy

We have new colours of Alegria from Manos.

Alegría means "joy" in Spanish, and that's just what this hand-painted yarn is, a true color celebration!  

Easy-care with a rich, cushy hand, Alegria is perfect for socks, baby gear, or fun accessories.

Everyone who knits with Alegria comments on how soft it is and how great it is to work with.

There was another fun yarn in the box. Uneek Worsted from Urth Yarns.

100% Extrafine Merino
200m/220 yards in a 100 gram skein
machine washable

Beth scooped a skein and cast on a hat last night. She said the yarn is super soft and is very nice to knit with.

I am excited about something very little on the new website. (Sorry - I know you are hearing a lot about this lately but it is exciting. I like new and shiny and that's how the website is going to look.) Companies like madelinetosh, Hedgehog, GarnStories, LITLG and most companies who hand dye yarn don't add numbers to their colours. It is just names. For the old website we had to assign numbers. Back when we started adding tosh we didn't put the colours in alphabetical order and when I realized our mistake it was too late. That won't be the case on the new site. All tosh colours will be in alphabetical order. It will be so much easier for ordering.

When I arrived at work this morning it was cold in the store. My furnace wasn't working properly. It's 5:30 and I'm still here waiting for a repairman. The store isn't as cold now but I don't want to leave it overnight. Thankfully he arrived just after 6.

Did you watch the Masked Singer last night? I knew who the Unicorn was from the moment we were given the first clue on the first episode. Beth and I have a list of our guesses. I have two correct. Beth doesn't have one yet.

I'm home now. We had a quick dinner, the fireplace is on and we are both knitting. It'll be an early evening. Dad arrives home from Honduras late tomorrow night.