It's Knit A Long Time

It's time to talk about our store Knit A Longs (KAL). We are going to have two.

KAL # 1
The Doodler - pattern purchased on Ravelry

The schedule for clues is
Clue 1 - Friday, November 6
Clue 2 - Friday, November 13
Clue 3 - Friday, November 20
Clue 4 - Friday, November 27

If you are new to a mystery KAL, every week you will receive the next part of the pattern in your Ravelry library. It looks like there is no way that you will be able to keep up and knit a shawl in a month but you will surprise yourself.

The final day of our KAL will be December 31, 2015. That should give you lots of time.

Finish the shawl and send me a picture (or pictures) to share on the blog and we will give you one entry into the draw for prizes.

If the yarn is purchased from The Needle Emporium and you finish the shawl we will give you two entries.

We are going to have another KAL for the many people who
a) aren't in love with Stephen West patterns
b) aren't in love with a mystery

KAL #2
The shawl of your choice.  You have until December 31, 2015 to finish.

Here are a few of the shawls that are hanging in the store

Ley Lines

Exploration Station - this was the last mystery KAL from Stephen West

Auburn Wave

Quicksilver

Derecho

Follow Your Arrow

Lilli Pilli

Magmatic Boom

These are just a few of my favourites. You have many, many options. I looked at the hot right now shawls on Ravelry - take a look... 

Finish the shawl and send me a picture (or pictures) to share on the blog and we will give you one entry into the draw for prizes.

If the yarn is purchased from The Needle Emporium and you finish the shawl we will give you two entries.

Ravelry
We will start a thread in our Ravelry group. Please post pictures. I like lots of pictures :) Show off your yarn before you start and as you are progressing.

Prizes
Of course we will have prizes. Everyone can participate but we can only mail prizes within Canada.

Here are the first two and more will be added.

There are two knitting kits from Rowan. Each kit has two skeins of Rowan Fine Art and a pattern for a great looking scarf.

Blackbird Shawl

Toby Roxane Barna has a new pattern out. The minute I saw it I sent her an email to ask permission to use her beautiful pictures.

Get out those mini skeins! The Blackbird shawl features easy shaping and a simple feather and fan lace pattern at the bottom edge. Use a vivid set of mini skeins to create contrasting bands of color. As subtle and elegant as a raven’s wing, Blackbird is a pleasure to knit and to wear.

You’ll need about 415 yds of the Main Color, and about 55 yds of each of the 5 Contrasting Colors.

Purchase the pattern on Ravelry...

 

A Party of Five kit from SweetGeorgia would work great for this shawl. And guess what, with our next set of kits, we will be bringing in Tough Love Sock. Can't wait, mix a kit with tosh sock (new colours just arrived) or Fave Sock from Fiberstory. 

Or how about a Perspectives Kit from Mountain Colors? 

Crazyfoot: 5 mini skeins, 90 yds each, 450 yds total 

 This is the Crazyfoot Black Cherry kit with a skein of tosh sock in opaline.

The Pale Sage/Moss Blue Perspectives kit with a skein of penumbra tosh sock.

Brights

 Blue/Turquoise

 Red/Pinks

Silver/Purple

The possibilities. Watch the blog because there will be a post later today or tomorrow about our next store KAL. This shawl would be an awesome choice.

Lots of New

Part of the tosh shipment is in the store. So far we have brought over some twist light, sock and merino light.

twist light
75% superwash merino wool / 25% nylon
fingering weight - 420 yrds / 384 meters
knit / 26 - 30 sts = 4in or 10cm / US 1 - 2 or 2.25 - 2.75mm

tosh sock
100% superwash merino wool
fingering weight - 395 yrds / 361 meters
knit / 26 - 30 sts = 4in or 10cm / US 1 - 2 or 2.25 - 2.75mm

Here are a few more colour combinations for the new Stephen West mystery KAL.

Mrs. Crosby Satchel in
-barn swallow
-vintage port
-boston fern

Tosh merino light in
-chicory
-court and spark
-well water

Last night I took a trip to Urban Barn in Oakville to see the dining table that we are thinking about. The Hamilton and Burlington stores don't have the table yet and I'm not the most patient person. I want it now :)

The Distillery collection is a juxtaposition of materials and textures. Constructed from solid wood and metal each piece has a raw beauty. This rugged collection with its variety of wood grains will add natural character to any dining room.

 

This is the matching chair. It is surprisingly comfortable. The last two pieces we need to see are the dining bench and the sideboard. Remember the not too patient person? We might be placing the order without seeing them.

One great thing (or it can be a bad thing) about blogging every day is that my parents know what is happening in Ancaster while they are in Myrtle Beach.

Now I need to sign off and get ready for the baseball game. I hope that the Jays put in a much better effort than they did yesterday or they will be on the golf course this weekend.

The Doodler

There is a new Stephen West KAL starting in November.

My head is swimming. There are so many options for this. Dream in Color Jilly with Cashmere. Madelinetosh merino light. Mrs. Crosby Train Case. Tosh twist light.
Tosh sock.

From the KAL group on Ravelry...

Yarn: Fingering weight

Yardage: Color A - 355yds / 325m
Color B - 285yds / 261m
Color C - 395yds / 361m

CHOOSING YARN
This year’s mystery KAL uses 3 colors. I recommend using solid, semi-solid, or speckled yarn like the beautiful colors from Hedgehog Fibres.

Color A
Think about color A as the main color, the leading role in the shawl. This could be a speckled or multi-color yarn or a beautiful neutral. It has space to shine. If you want to use a self-striping yarn then I recommend using it as color A. Color A needs a buddy so along comes color B.

Color B
Color B is an accent color. It needs to offer some contrast to color A. Think about a pop of color or something brighter or darker than color A.

Color C
Color C joins the party fashionably late. It’s a color that demands to be featured. This could be a bold sassy color or something dark and dramatic.

Try to avoid 3 colors that look very similar like 3 shades of light blue or 3 busy multi-colors. If the colors are very similar they will blend together. Instead, choose a light, medium, and dark color for your trio or 3 colors that offer different personalities.

I started to play with some colour combinations.

Jilly with Cashmere
-Cabaret
-Hot Pants
-Singing in the Rain

Malabrigo Mechita
-Lotus
-Pegaso
-Sheri

Tosh sock
-mandala
-plunge
-medieval

So while I was playing with tosh sock
-plunge
-medieval
-filigree

I could show more but I really need to get back to work. If you want to join but are afraid of picking colours, come in and see me in the store. I will find a combination that will inspire you.

Today I'm rehanging garments throughout the store. Wow. We took a lot of garments to Woodstock.

I will be announcing our next store KAL this week.

We have another huge shipment of madelinetosh arriving this week

Sock
-mill pond
-flycatcher blue
-neon red
-penumbra
-spicewood
-dustweaver
-cloud dweller
-coal seam
-court and spark
-prairie fire
-silver fix
-molly ringwald
-grasshopper
-celadon
-cousteau
-nassau blue
-seasalt
-button jar blue
-red phoenix
-log cabin brown
-black walnut
-raspberry cordial
-neon peach
-cosmic wonder dust
-dahlia
-charcoal
-worn denim
-night bloom
-coquette
-el greco
-blue nile
-holi festival
-well water
-norway spruce
-onyx
-dr zhivago's sky
-whiskey barrel
-paper
-great grey owl
-mica

twist light
-mill pond
-flycatcher blue
-neon red
-penumbra
-spicewood
-dustweaver
-cloud dweller
-coal seam
-court and spark
-prairie fire
-amber trinket
-dr zhivago's sky
-worn denim
-raspberry cordial
-cosmic wonderdust
-holi festival
-mandala
-charcoal
-coquette (new colour)
-spectrum
-tart
-fallen cloud
-leopard
-cousteau
-hosta blue

merino dk
-court and spark
-spicewood
-prairie fire
-neon red
-flycatcher blue
-silver fox
-well water
-coquette (new colour)
-chicory
-rain water
-whiskey barrel
-weathered frame
-button jar blue

silk/merino
-silver fox
-esoteric
-coquette (new colour)

vintage
-flashdance
-tart
-hosta blue
-flycatcher blue
-logwood

merino light
-odyessey
-moonstone
-kitten
-astrid grey
-fog
-chicory
-black walnut
-court and spark
-prairie fire
-clematis
-tern
-calligraphy
-robin red breast
-paper
-button jar blue
-mourning dove
-raspberry cordial
-molly ringwald

pashmina
-fallen cloud
-well water
-baltic

Evening Shadow

It's Monday. It's cold. Here is something to cheer you up. Free patterns.

What a beautiful cabled jacket from Debbie Bliss.
Download the pattern...

And another pattern from Debbie knit in Noro Kureyon.
Download the pattern...

A new yarn has arrived from Mrs. Crosby - this is what she has to say about it.

One of the great joys of constant travel is discovery; the other is sharing what you discover with those at home.
 
I am simply over the moon to announce the first in what I intend to be an ongoing series of such discoveries: a limited edition of a fascinating yarn, available nowhere else and never to be repeated.
 
May I present, please: Ombra della Sera. Evening Shadow.
 
This intriguing, luxurious chain-ply was milled in Prato, Italy from 90% cashmere and 10% nylon for a dashing combination of softness and durability. On needles US 6-7 (4-5mm) it knits at a gauge of approximately 4.5-5 stitches to the inch. The put-up is 50 grams (approximately 110 yards) per hank.

The colours we received
-Fiore
-Hollywood cerise
-Zaffiro
-Mandarino
-Red king radish
-Roasted chestnut
-Wild huckleberry 

I am a few rows from finishing a cowl (Via Toscana Collar) in this amazing yarn. It is super soft and is a dream to knit with.

It was painting day at the store today. Our railings are shiny black and we have a purple door. 

It's sign off time - I need to get myself in the proper mind set for the baseball game tonight. Go Jays Go!! 

We're home

We had a great day at the Woodstock Fleece Festival yesterday.

Thank you to Sarah, Lynn and Wannietta for all of their help. I couldn't do the shows without these three. Thank you to Cathy who worked in the store. And a huge thank you to Beth. She helped me pack, set up and take down.

Thank you to the Woodstock Fleece Festival and all of their volunteers for another fabulous day. Every year I'm dreading doing the show. We've had a very busy September with the Knitters' Fair and Camp. Then packing again for another show makes me want to cry. We arrive in Woodstock and their volunteers are waiting and help us unload our vehicles which is so helpful. Saturday morning before the show opens they feed us pancakes. Woodstock always feels more relaxed and then I realize why I keep signing up for the show.

Our neighbours were Sericin Silkworks. I should have blogged these pictures from their booth on Friday evening to make sure you stopped in to see Taby but I'm kind of glad that I didn't.

You might have found these four skeins of yarn that came home with me. I looked at them all day and somehow they made it into my bag - 50% silk and 50% yak. YUMMY!!

I planned on blogging last night but there were a few more important things. Beth informed me before leaving Woodstock that Roko had a mark on his side. She thought it might be a hot spot. We got home and I freaked. It looked awful. I made her take him to the emergency vets. Yes, it's a hot spot and he wants to lick it. This is what he looks like.

The awful cone. He isn't liking it but is also playing it up to get cookies and snuggles.

Today is a day for resting and knitting. The big decision - which project to work on.