Crocodile

Mr. Canada Post brought in a box from JUL this morning. We have new shawl cuffs and shawl pins.

Handmade in the USA in the JUL Studio

Genuine Crocodile-Embossed Italian Cow Leather

Shawl Cuff length - 6.5 inches

This gorgeous and lightweight cuff is made from neutral and subtly metallic, highly textured and hand-painted Italian cow leather. Hand cut from hides embossed to imitate crocodile skin, each cuff is unique in color and pattern with antique nickel snaps.

Laura does amazing work!!

All cuffs and pins are available in the store and online.

We have a new yarn from Estelle Designs.

Estelle's Alpaca Merino Bulky is oh-so soft, knits like a dream, and is composed of 60% Superfine Alpaca, and 40% Merino Wool. Wow, our minds are blown! This yarn has great twist, beautiful colour selection, and would be ideal for home accessories like throws and blankets, or an oh-so cozy cardigan! Winner Winner!!!

See all the shades...

Two skeins make the hat and cowl - a free pattern from Estelle.

A super bulky, super quick knit to keep you warm on the coldest of days. If you weave in your ends neatly, both items will be completely reversible – offering two different textures!

We found a home for Rasta.

Rios is nicely on the shelf as well. While we were putting the yarn away I started seeing something. Six colours that look great together. How about another Nightshift??

I left a little early this afternoon to work on the website. The wifi is much faster at home. Almost everything from yesterday and today's deliveries are online. My eyes are tired from staring at the computer so the rest of the evening will be spent knitting. I only did a few rows on my Rasta scarf last night.

Boxes of yarn everywhere

There were a lot of boxes delivered today - nine in total. I got a few unpacked but there is yarn everywhere.

We received our first shipment of yarn from BC Garn.

BC Garn is a family run company established in 1972 that has maintained a high standard of quality for over forty years. BC Garnproducts are always made of natural fibres, often organic, and many are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified.

A typical British Tweed Yarn. Loch Lomond is woolen spun, that means it has a nice volume and at the same time a good long yardage. This results in very light garments. The rustique look with the typical tweed nups inspires you for warm cardigans, real men's sweaters but also for very warm shawls. And last but not least: It is GOTS certfified, that means from sheep to dye stuff, from production to stock keeping and packing, each step is inspected carefully and in line with very strict organic and social standards.

This won't be available online until tomorrow or Friday.

Malabrigo arrived this morning and at the same time a box came in with more pompoms.

Eggplant, Piggy and Hot Pink pompoms. I'm going to make a scarf with the Valentina Rasta and add pompoms to the ends. I think Eggplant but we'll see when I have the scarf finished.

Survivor is on and I need/want to knit. More yarn pictures tomorrow.

Gift Packs

We unpacked a big box from Soak this morning. New gift packs are here. They are so adorable. The zipper matches the scent.

The box is small enough that it will fit in a stocking.

What is it: The perfect gift to give or to get. This gift set includes one bottle of Soak travel size stylishly matched to our Eco Wash Bag in the Slim - 16” circle format. 

The Eco Wash Bag is made from 100% RPET, post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, and each wash bag diverts 8+ plastic bottles from oceans and landfills. Soak has been bottled in 100% post-consumer resin bottles since 2012, saving 15.6 tons of C02 emissions per year.

How it works:

• Soak is the modern way to clean and refresh the laundry you love.
• The Eco Wash Bag is designed to keep all your Soakworthy items safe during machine washing. Protect your lingerie, swimwear, active wear, scarves, sports bras, baby socks, knitwear, and embellished garments.
• Place your favorite delicate items inside the Eco Wash Bag. Zip and secure zipper pull under tab. Wash in cool water on the delicate cycle with Soak. Lay knits and lingerie flat to dry. The Eco Wash Bag is ideal for top and front loading machines, including HE. Also dryer safe.
• Flight friendly.

I was supposed to finish my newsletter today. Supposed to are the important words in that sentence. Tomorrow.

We have another order on the way from Spincycle. Meet Versus.

Versus is a DK weight marled yarn. The concept? Our favorite natural grey wool blend, plus a dyed in the wool solid, spun separately and then plied together.We're in love. We hope you'll join us. 

100% fine wool blend 

DK weight 

200 yards per skein 

made in the USA 

hand wash cold, lay flat to dry

There will a few more colours of Dyed in the Wool.

Tomorrow is a big day of shipments. Mr. UPS is bringing boxes from Malabrigo and Meadowcroft Dyeworks. We will have the Donegal Cottage Tweeds Sock that Wannietta used for Carlina. She used Frosty Nights Dyed in the Wool for the colourwork and that is already in the store.

Beth is busy baking cookies and I'm going to watch Love it or List it Vancouver from last night. I hope she hurries - I'm hungry.

Kathy was styling today!

Kathy visited today wearing two gorgeous hand knit items. She knit The Throwback in Cascade 220. I love her colours. Now I want to make another one.

It doesn't show well in the pictures but her glasses are purple and match her outfit.

I love what Kathy did with her scarf. The pompoms are awesome. Beth designed this scarf and she loves the pompoms. She asked/told me to add pompoms to one of her scarves that is hanging in the store. I was going to write about the scarf today because we received another shipment of Crazy Zauberball. Perfect timing by Kathy.

You need two balls of Crazy to make the scarf. I suggest picking two very different colours so that the striping shows.

I was supposed to finish my newsletter today but I've put that on tomorrow's list. Now it's time for a few rows of knitting while I watch the start of the football game.

Stockings

“Start a creative tradition!” 

In three sizes: Wee, Medium and Jolly Big. And in any length you like. Use these simple shapes and add your own personal touches. We’ve given you a few ideas to get you started, but the possibilities are limitless. They’re sure to prompt a hearty “Ho! Ho! Ho!” from St. Nick.

This is the Basic Christmas Stockings pattern from Churchmouse Yarns. You can purchase the pattern in the store or on Ravelry.

Churchmouse used worsted weight yarn for all their stockings. I suggest Cascade 220 and Cascade 220 Heathers. The colour range is huge.

I made this stocking last year. The yarn is Cascade Magnum and I finished the stocking in two evenings.

You need a 12mm, 40cm circular and 12mm double pointed needles.

The pattern is called Knit Before Christmas Stocking and it is free on Ravelry. There are a few rows of Short Rows in the heel. They are super simple - please don't let this stop you from making the stocking.

I used 50 yards of the Ecru and 25 yards of the Poinsettia. There is enough left from the skeins to make another stocking like this and then one more reversing the colours.  

I used the same pattern to make stockings for our mantel. The outside stockings are knit with Freia Bulky. For the middle stocking I used two strands of Prism Plume. This isn't on the website but we have the yarn in the store.

We just received two new colours of Freia Bulky.

Our shipment of Malabrigo is supposed to arrive on Wednesday. There are great colours of Rasta coming. I know that there will be at least one colour in the shipment that I will make a few more stockings with. Lucy and Boscoe need stockings too.

Whole Grain

Arequita. These two look like they might work with our colours but I will wait until they arrive. Photos are always a bit different than the actual skeins.

I cast off my Nightshift after dinner. This one is really bright. It is Noro Ito 16 & 17.

Miss Lucy spent last night with us. Dad had to work - they were doing repair work in Milton and couldn't start until 5pm. He left Milton at 1am and we decided it was better for him to get home to sleep.

Lucy laid on the landing most of the evening waiting for dad to pick her up. Then she moved to my bed and stayed all night. Boy does she give off a lot of heat.

We took her back this morning and she was so happy to see her dad.

It's Official

Do you need a quick gift? How about Snap? The hat is knit with 4 strands of fingering weight yarn on 6.5mm needles. This hat is a great way to use up your leftover fingering weight yarn. How about the mini skein kit you purchased and haven't used?

Break out your stash of odds and ends, and bust out this marvellous marled beanie! A couple hours and some deliciously simple knitting later, you’ll be looking chic and cozy and will be hoping for a cold snap!

The pattern is from Tin Can Knits and you can purchase it on Ravelry.

The pattern is sized for baby, toddler, child, adult s/m and adult large.

Dad and Beth left early this morning and they chose Boscoe. Beth says he is full of devilment. My dad said 'he is a bugger'. Perfect. The family who came in after dad and Beth (parents and 4 kids) had also been watching puppy cam and Boscoe was their choice as well. They chose the black and white girl.

The white puppy who is sleeping was our second choice. Beth said he is so quiet.

Boscoe goes to boot camp on December 7th and we get him New Years Day. Life is going to change around here.

One of a Kind

Bab's Diamonds (pattern purchased on Ravelry) is a great cowl pattern that can be knit in many thicknesses of yarn - fingering, sport, dk and worsted. Lynne Sosnowski is the designer.

Lynne mentioned the pattern to me because she knit a version in Malabrigo Rios and we should see Rios by the end of next week.

A reversible - though not identical - diamond pattern allows this cowl to look attractive regardless of what side is showing. 

Bab’s Diamonds is worked circularly in a seam-free pattern geared to looking great in almost any yarn - solid or variegated - in any weight from fingering to worsted, and in either a neck warmer size or a more lush infinity cowl. 

Bab’s Diamonds are more visible ash the “wrong” side of the fabric as knitted. Sew yarn ends in carefully so you have a completely reversible item.

A customer was in today to purchase yarn for these awesome slippers - California Comfortable. Another great pattern by Andrea Mowry (photos are ©Andrea Mowry). Cascade Magnum will make thick, warm slippers.

I find slippers to be necessary no matter the climate. They are the definition of cozy. Of Saturday mornings spent at home making pancakes and then curling up on the couch with a good book (or even better - some yarn and needles.) These knit up quick and cushy at 3 stitches per inch, while keeping you stylish (despite your bed heads best efforts.)

I have found that utilizing lifelines makes Afterthought Heels even easier! Check out this tutorial for a visual! 

These slippers are worked from the top down with an afterthought heel. You will knit in some smooth waste yarn where the heel will be placed and then continue knitting the foot, trying it on as you go to measure where to start your toe shaping. After you are finished with the main body of the slipper, you will go back and remove that waste yarn, exposing live stitches to knit the heel. 

Do you have a favourite sweater but you don't wear it because it looks old? It's fuzzy with lots of pills? Try a Gleener.

Restore clothing and upholstery with the Gleener® Ultimate Fuzz Remover™. This patented and award winning fabric shaver and lint brush safely removes fuzz balls, lint and pet hair from virtually all fabrics. 3 fabric-safe edges eliminate pilling while a built-in lint brush finishes up the job.

Rasta and Rios are on the website and we are ready for the yarn to arrive. It was loaded onto a UPS truck today.

The website is ready for the next shipment of pompoms. We should see these by the beginning of December, if not sooner. These raccoon pompoms snap onto your hat so you can remove them if you are caught in the rain or snow. You can easily change the colour of pompom on your hat.

Late this afternoon I had an idea. We have odd balls of Rowan Felted Tweed. We put 10 different colours together. These grab bags are perfect for a Kaffe Fassett project from the new Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guide No. 13. There are 4 different grab bags and we priced them at $100 (regular $169.50). These are one of a kind so don't miss out.

I was up really early this morning and was working on a newsletter by 7am. It's just not right so I need to do a bit of tweaking. It should be going out Monday morning.

Dad and Beth are going to be on the road at 7:30 in the morning so I'm making them a batch of muffins. Then it's off to bed. I will make sure Beth gets lots of pictures.