Botanical Shawl

Now I need to start a new project.

Photos © Stephen West

This triangular shawl is knit sideways starting with a tiny corner increasing to the border. Stripes and slipped stitches decorate the linear lines of the fabric. One solid yarn combined with one self-striping yarn produce an exciting project that’s easy to knit and fascinating to watch the colors unfold. This pattern is a great beginner shawl project with simple stitches. You can stop early for a smaller shawl or knit more repeats for a larger shawl. 

The pattern is called the Botanical Shawl and you can purchase it on Ravelry. Stephen isn’t exaggerating when he says it is a great beginner shawl. I purchased the pattern and read through it. It is perfect summer knitting.

Stephen uses a solid fingering weight yarn with Zauberball Crazy.

Zauberball^® has been kicked up a notch, as two strands of the main ply have been dyed individually and then twisted together for a crazy combination! The end result is a self-striping multi-colored pattern, with a bold variegated design!

I am thinking about using Dyed in the Wool instead of Zauberball. The yarn is in a bag for now - I really need to finish something first but.....

We are sad to say that we can no longer get Namaste bags and accessories. They are being discontinued but don’t worry because they are bringing out something for the fall that you will love!

I carry my Backpack every day.

Our Maker's Backpack was mindfully designed for those who are on the constantly on the run. With plenty of room for your laptop or tablet, your latest reading book or planner, and several knitting projects, the Backpack is ideal for those who want to have all their tools at their fingertips. Crafted from vegan leather and including knitting specific features like our Lotus Yarn Feeder (turns your handbag into a yarn bowl), a key leash (doubles as a tape-measure), and a decorative tassel (equipped with an emergency stitch marker), the Namaste Maker's Backpack is designed to help you find Crafting Nirvana wherever you are.

KNITTER'S BACKPACK DETAILS:

•   Designed Specifically for Makers - Sturdy Vegan Leather - Lots of Pockets - BPA & PVC-Free
•   Comfortably fits the Namaste Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large Oh Snap Pouch (not included)
•   A padded laptop pocket, 2 interior water bottle pockets, 1 zippered pocket, and places to keep your pens, notions, phone, and wallet organized
•   3 exterior front zippered pockets to also keep your odds and ends secured, 2 exterior water bottle pockets
•   Adjustable Backpack straps and a carrying handle
•   Contains a luggage strap across the back to wrap around your rolling luggage handle as you walk through the airport

All Namaste products are on sale for 20% off. The discount is automatic on the website.

Boscoe is always helping around the house.

Log Cabin Fun

There is a new Kim Hargreaves book on the way to us.

RAVISH is a stylish ensemble of fourteen monochrome designs created using a range of Rowan classic summer yarns.

I finished my square this afternoon (bright turquoise on the left) and then decided to pull out the rest of my squares. I found two more squares on needles so I’m working on those now.

One thing that is very important when putting the squares together is to make sure they are all going in the same direction. I have the tail top left.

Some people want to start putting squares together before knitting them all. I suggest that you wait. Then you can lay out all your squares and make sure that the colours are balanced. You can see that I have three with a lot of turquoise/green. I want these to be separated more than they are. You also want to make sure that you don’t have one corner that is all bright and one corner that is all dark.

You can see that Cathy spent some time playing with her squares before joining them.

Boscoe had fun at work today. Beth said it was snowing in the board room. Boscoe was not kind to his stuffed animal.

I couldn’t help it.

Jenn Steingass has a new pattern out. Meet Celosisa (pattern purchased on Ravelry)

The Celosias sweater is a quick and easy top down and seamless project featuring a stranded yoke, split hi-lo hem and options for short or long sleeves. With a simple yoke design and quick DK or worsted weight yarn, this is a very approachable stranded yoke sweater pattern for beginners. Use any type of wool or wool blend DK yarn. Calling for just 2 colors, you might already have just the yarn for this project in your stash!

There are so many options for double knitting weight yarn.

A few test knitters used Tosh DK. We have a few more colours coming in our next order.

Elizabeth Taylor
Onyx
Joshua Tree
Paper

Star Scatter/Solid

I was looking on Instagram and Atenti bags showed this picture.

I love their Backsac. I don’t have one in my collection and it might be time to rectify that problem.

The Atenti backpack is a knitter’s delight: a combination of the Hope basket and a Tall caddy set into an incredible functional backpack. Double adjustable ultra-suede straps allow the backpack to be worn as a backpack, a shoulder bag or on the wrist while knitting on the go. A combination of a loop and an internal magnetic, allows the correct amount of closure. Roomy with an oval base 11” x 5.5” and a height of 13” and fully lined in water resistant taffeta. Inside are a zippered pocket and a divided pocket with a cell phone slot.

Mr. Canada Post picked up Wannietta’s box. It should arrive over the weekend and she can get knitting.

I couldn’t help it.

I had to start another square for my Log Cabin Afghan. This is 448 - a brand new colour.

Our fence looks great. I can’t show the rest of the garden because Boscoe likes to run through it and has hurt one or two or a few more plants. One day he might understand that he isn’t supposed to be in there.

Best Friends

Wannietta texted me pictures this morning. She is blocking my Passeggiata Wrap. My goodness it is beautiful!!! (My post was finished and I was about to hit ‘Publish’ when it hit me that my shawl looked short. I just sent a text to Wannietta and it is doubled over to block)

I am in love.

I have another kit hidden at home and Wannietta agreed to knit the shawl again.

I talked to Tina at Friea Fibers this afternoon and she should have our kits ready within the next two weeks. We should see them sometime in July. I can’t wait.

Helen finished another So Faded Sweater. This time she used Hedgehog Sock and Skinny Singles. It’s gorgeous and she’s ready to start another fade with grey.

It’s funny that Helen and Wannietta are sharing a post. They are best friends.

Yesterday I showed Melanie Berg’s new shawl Together Again. She used Tosh Merino Light in the colour Copper Pink Solid. It has been added to my Tosh order and we should see it in 3-4 weeks.

I also added some Unicorn Tails to the order.

Last week I talked about a new needle coming from Addi. We could have them in the store on Friday.

I can’t wait to receive these. I have finished the body on my Hinterland and need to start the sleeves.

Why struggle with short tipped circular needles when you can use EasyKnits Rockets! These 10” circular needles feature one long Rocket tip and one short Turbo tip to help you comfortably grasp the needle while knitting! This innovative product is sure to turn your small project into a big success!

Together Apart

This is Melanie Berg’s shawl Together Apart (pattern purchased on Ravelry). All photos © Melanie Berg.

Connecting with our loved ones over the phone and through video calls just isn’t the same as giving them a hug in person. 

I came up with Together Apart as a lovely way to reach out to your BFF, because even if you can’t be together, you can knit a “hug” and send it to them to show how much you care. 

Together Apart is an asymmetrical triangle shawl knit with a garter stitch body and interspaced with sections of lace. One shawl takes two skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light for the main color and a few grams of one of a different color for the contrast stripes. 

Grab four skeins, knit two shawls in inverted colorways and send one to your friend! The intertwined colors are a reminder that even when we’re apart, we’re still a part of each other’s lives.

You only need 15m of the contrast colour. I think we all have some leftover fingering in our stash that would work.

I love Melanie’s designs. I haven’t completed one of her shawls but am half way through one. Everything is explained very well.

While I was in the store this morning I counted our skeins of Madelinetosh Unicorn Tails and added them back to the website. Unicorn Tails are mini skeins of Tosh Merino Light.

One Unicorn Tail is enough yarn for the contrast colour of Together Apart.

We are running low on Tosh Merino Light but more is coming soon. I spoke with the great people at Madelinetosh today and our order should start dying this week. That means approximately 4 weeks until we see it. What’s coming in merino light?

• Translation

• Star Scatter Solid
• Saffron
• Scout
• Onyx
• Night in Chile

• Glazed Pecan
• Flycatcher Blue

• Eleven Dark
• Elizabeth Taylor
• Charcoal
• Citrus
• Celadon
• Aura

One of my favourite shawls to wear is called Quicksilver by Melanie Berg. It is knit with 3 skeins of Tosh merino light.

Diana knit this for me. I might need another one when the Tosh shipment arrives!

Best friends.