Sock Yarn

We have two new sock yarns from Regia. Both are self-patterning.

The third edition of the popular Design Line by Arne & Carlos for Regia is now available. The two designers were inspired by colorful "Beltestakk" –Traditional Waistbands from southern Norway for the new unique effect in 6 different color combinations. A colorful highlight for your feet that will make even the darkest winter days bright!

These are Regia's Colorito Color. 75% wool and 25% nylon. You can machine wash and dry socks made with Regia.

Jilly with Cashmere (from Dream in Color) is one of Beth's favourite yarns. Every time she knits with it she comments on how soft it is and how well is slides on her needles. There are 5 new colours coming on Monday.

These are a limited edition - when they are gone we won't be able to get anymore. The colours from left to right are Blues Highway, Windy City, Big Easy, Graceland, and Deep Delta.

Jilly with Cashmere is luxuriously sumptuous and soft! The colors come to life. Every stitch knitted with Jilly with Cashmere is a dream, making only the most magnificent of accessories and garments.

70% superwash merino wool, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
440 yds.
7- 8 sts. per inch
U.S. 1 to 2 needles

What can you make with the yarn? One skein will make the That Nice Stitch cowl. We suggest adding on 6-10 stitches. You have lots of yarn.

I'm using two skeins to make Auburn Wave.

Dinner was ready when I got home and now it's time to knit. I think there might be an NCIS marathon this evening.

Swatching

Mr. Canada Post brought in a box from Lynda this afternoon. Two new samples for the store.

Pattern: Scaflock (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 skeins of tosh dk (we used Aura)

Scaflock was inspired by one of my favorite literary adventures: Robin Hood. The fetching lace pattern is reminiscent of arrowheads, while the slipped stitches and textures emulate arrow shafts and fletching. A picked-up lace edging detail represents the leaves of the Greenwood Tree that sheltered the outlaws. Perfect for your inner rogue!

We have a new poncho. I dressed my friend with the point to the side here.

Pattern: Twice Reversible Ribbed Poncho from Churchmouse (you can purchase in the store or on Ravelry)
Yarn: 6 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Steamer Trunk - we used Squid Ink

This time I have the point to the front. Churchmouse has other options on how to wear the poncho.

We’ve finessed the details of this longtime favorite style to make it ‘twice reversible’: both the fabric and the shape can be flipped. We chose a stitch pattern that has two ‘right sides’ and added a nifty hybrid graft/seam for true reversibility. You can wear your poncho point-in-front for relaxed ‘boho’ style or point-in-back for a little more polish. Options upon options!

This poncho shape doesn’t follow the usual conventions of sizing (bust/waist/hips)—it’s more about scale. We designed this poncho in two sizes so your result will be comfortable and flattering. The two keys to the fit are the neckline and the back/arm length. The width of the rectangle determines where it hits—we like just at the bent elbow, which is also just above the waist.

Swatching is a 4 letter word. We all hate doing it but it is important.

I started my shawl last night. I didn't swatch and I didn't have a pattern. I just cast on stitches and started knitting. WRONG! It is way too wide. If I continue on with this number of stitches I will need four String Quintet kits. I'm going to take it out and start again with half as many stitches.

If I had cast on 20 stitches and knit some rows I could have figured out the right number of stitches to cast on. A bit of work ahead of time saves agony later.

Rowan Magazine #59 should arrive late this afternoon. I can't wait to see it.

Magazine 59 is here and there are two stories for the Spring/Summer 2016 collection, 'Coastal' and 'Kyoto'. Coastal is a collection of wearable designs for both men and women, whereas Kyoto is an elegant collection of womenswear, inspired by all things Japanese.

The Coastal collection features simple pieces as well as cables and textures inspired by Coastal knitting such as fishermens ganseys but with a modern twist.

Kyoto offers stunning lace and colourwork in bright shades as well as crochet pieces.

My shawl has been ripped out and I'm ready to cast on again. The TV is on CNN and I'm watching the weather in the US. Charlotte, NC has more snow on the ground than we do in Ancaster.

Finally Starting

We received a shipment of Malabrigo Rasta today with some colours that we haven't carried before.
-Coronilla
-Stitch Red
-Oxido

One skein will make a great cowl.

I'm finally ready to start knitting with my String Quintet kits. I'm using two kits (Marimba and Trumpet) to make a large shawl. It will be striped and knit on the bias - the stripes will go diagonally by increasing at the beginning and decreasing at the end of every right side row.

I cast on for a different shawl in the pink that is rolled into a ball but after a few rows and rereading the pattern I realized that it was going to be hard to make sure that all colours were used or that I didn't run out of yarn. This way I can knit until I run out of yarn. Top Chef is on tonight - hopefully I can get through a lot of the purple ball.

New Store Sample

There is a new sample in the store.

Pattern: Kaersta Shawl (pattern purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Mountain Colors Twizzlefoot - the sample is two skeins of Summerdale and one skein of Poppy Trail.
Needles: 4.5mm

Worked from the small tip to the wide fan the Kaersta shawl makes use of the wonderful colors of Twizzlefoot yarn from Mountain Colors.
This shawl can be knit in 1-3 colors.
You may use a single color with 2 skeins of the same color of Twizzlefoot, or the pictured 2 color version with 2 skeins of 1 color and 1 skein of a contrasting color, or 3 different colors using 1 skein of each color.

Twizzlefoot is 53% superwash merino, 17% domestic wool, 17% silk and 13% nylon. There are 410m (450 yards) on a skein.

We are out of the Summerdale but more has been ordered and should be here by the end of the month. We have skeins of pretty colours in the store right now.

The yarn is great for socks too. 

The String Quintet kits are arriving late this afternoon.

The kit contains 5 mini skeins of Shepherd Sock with a total of 489m (535 yards) in the package. The kits will sell for $52.50.

We have copies of the pattern for Isn't It Romantic. These patterns are not available online, only with the purchase of the yarn.

Now it's time to work on a newsletter. It's been a while.

Hush

Kim Hargreaves' latest magazine, Hush, arrived today.

The Hush collection is the latest from Kim Hargreaves. It features 21 designs from tunic length cosy sweaters, fashionable mini skirts and fringes, neat cardigans and intricate cables it offers something for all knitters.

The yarns used in the magazine are Brushed Fleece, Kidsilk Haze, Big Wool Silk, Cotton Lustre, Cocoon, Felted Tweed Aran, Kid Classic, Lima, Alpaca Merino DK and Fur.

In yesterday's post I mentioned a TV show that we are watching. I wrote the wrong name. It should be Billions. The second episode didn't disappoint. It's too bad we have to wait for Sunday to see the next episode.

My day wasn't very good - I had to visit my dentist again. The freezing is coming out of my mouth and I'm not happy. I'm moving to the knitting chair for the evening. Maybe if I sit quietly and knit I'll feel better.

Mark your calendar

 

The planning has started for our booth. Knitters are busy making samples and orders have been placed to make sure that we have enough yarn. We'll share more information as the show approaches but I wanted to make sure you marked your calendar.

Great news - Rowan Magazine #59 is on the way to us.

This shawl is called Mora. It was designed by Miriam Felton for Mrs. Crosby's new laceweight yarn Reticule. 100% superwash merino wool. 770m (840 yards) on a 100gram skein.

The pattern hasn't been released yet but should be available on Ravelry at the end of the month.

Mrs. Crosby has dyed our Reticule and it should arrive in the store very soon. Maybe on Wednesday.

Now to watch the second episode of Billionaire. After watching last night I would recommend the series. We'll see how the next one goes. We're watching on CraveTV. I think it's also on Showtime.

The 12-episode series "is a complex and contemporary drama about power politics in the New York world of high finance."

The series stars Damian Lewis, who plays a hedge fund titan Bobby "Axe"Axelrod, and Paul Giamatti, who plays US Attorney Chuck Rhoades.

Spring

I didn't do much knitting while away. Not that I really thought I was going to knit in Vegas. I'm happy with how the colour looks. There is a football game and many hockey games on right now so hopefully I can get a few rows knit.

Most of the tosh shipment has been added to the website. The colour chips for the new shades aren't there yet but hopefully this week.

Here are the new spring yarns from Sirdar.

Amalfi DK has been inspired by the gorgeous Amalfi coast in Italy and has a beautiful cotton blend making it wonderfully soft. Amalfi DK comes in a palette of 8 shades, each with a colourful nep running through them. It is a machine washable, standard double knitting yarn and will knit to all Sirdar double knitting patterns.

75% Cotton 25% Viscose
50g
110m / 120y
4mm
22 stitches, 28 rows to 4 inches / 10 cm on 4mm needles

Jolly DK is a scrumptiously textured yarn that is great for babies and children alike. It comes in a range of vibrant colour effect shades that kids are sure to love! It is a fantastic all season yarn and has plenty of stylish designs for children aged between 2 to 13 years. Jolly DK is machine washable on a wool cycle.

51% Bamboo sourced viscose 37% Acrylic 12% Nylon
50g
165m / 180y
4mm
22 stitches, 30 rows to 4 inches/10cm on 4mm needles

Sirdar Cotton Prints DK is from the same stable as our much-loved Cotton 4 Ply and Cotton DK yarns. It is made using 100% mercerised cotton, this creates a yarn with a subtle sheen and the most incredible stitch definition, perfect for both knit and crochet designs. Cotton Prints DK comes in a range of tonal shades, including both modern brights and softer hues too. It is a machine washable, standard double knitting yarn and will knit to all Sirdar double knitting patterns.
100% Cotton
100g
212m / 232y
4mm
22 stitches, 28 rows to 4 inches / 10 cm on 4mm needles

Now to my needles. I've spent way too much time in front of a computer today.