Off the Needles
Remember this from the last newsletter?
Yarn: Rowan Savannah – a heavy worsted blend of cotton with a silk thread wrap.
Pattern: Amy’s Scarf ($3.50 on Ravelry)
Modifications: The pattern is written for laceweight yarn, so I used a size 10 needle and cast on only 44 stitches. I just followed the charts without the repeat – couldn’t be easier.
I finished it! I am so happy with the way this turned out. Four skeins made the scarf about 6 feet long. I could have blocked it with points and waves, but I decided the more casual style went better with the uneven texture of the yarn.
The lace pattern is called Frost Flowers. If you type that in for a pattern search on Ravelry, you will come up with shawls and sweaters and socks and scarves that incorporate this lace. Thanks Susan for the inspiration.
Now that I’ve finished my scarf I get to start this out of Fibre Co Acadia. ( I try to have only one “must pay attention” project and one “mindless” project going at a time.)
What are you working on?
Color my World
It is time for some color. I’m ready for leaves and flowers and green grass. So when my son needed an item for his Youth Group auction, I seized the opportunity to work with color. I picked the Baktus pattern because it is easy meditative knitting which fit my schedule these past couple of weeks. Then I chose the yarn: Misti Pimasilk. This soft combination of cotton and silk is perfect for spring and it comes in luscious handpainted colors. And since I couldn’t decide, I chose two different ones and alternated them, using two rows of one and two rows of the other.
I only used half of each skein and the scarf is perfectly long. With the rest of the yarn, I could make Churchmouse’s Linen Stitch Scarf or the Ruffle Scarf. I’ve seen both work beautifully in this yarn.
Want to try one? After a long wait we just received 41 pounds of Pimasilk in new colors and old favorites. Spring must be just around the corner.
New Yarn: Mendocino
One of the new yarns we got in this fall is Mendocino from Crystal Palace. It is a self-striping, machine washable wool, making it perfect for kids. Beth whipped up this baby hat just to see what the yarn could do and everyone has been asking for the pattern. So here it is.
If you know someone a little older who would appreciate some stripes, here are some free patterns for an adult hat and fingerless gloves.
Rainbow Hat | Free Pattern
As you may know, all our “bumpy” cottons (1824 Cotton, Cottonade and Stria) were discontinued last year. When researching a replacement, I discovered Florafil, made by a family run business in Pennsylvania. The yarn comes in some solid colors, and a pastel multi, but the rainbow is my favorite. I was given a small sample and instead of knitting a flat swatch, I turned it into this newborn hat. The yarn is so soft, has a beautiful sheen and knits quickly at four stitches to the inch.
People have been asking me for the pattern, so I finally wrote it up. Click here for a copy. One skein will make several hats.
If you don’t want to make your own felted balls, stop in. We sell them already made.
Announcing Baby Me Boo
With so much going on this summer, I think I forgot to mention the arrival of Baby Me Boo, a SOFT thick and thin combination of merino, alpaca and bamboo from Misti Alpaca. One skein has 174 yards which is perfect for a scarf, a cowl or a hat. With all the texture and Misti’s fabulous handpainted colors, you want to make something simple.
For my scarf, I wanted to emphasize the texture, so I chose the natural color, but we also have a beautiful red (oscar night), greys (ceniza), camel and more variegated colors as well. For the pattern I used “Dyed by the Stitch Scarf”, a free pattern that Lisa Kartus designed for Misti. It was originally designed for one skein of their Chunky Alpaca, but works beautifully with Baby Me Boo if you use a size 9 needle and cast on 23 stitches. I added some fringe, which is a combination of Baby Me Boo and Tahki Rio.
For a cowl, I’d try the Easy Mobius Cowl (single stranded) by Haley Waxberg or the Convertible Scarf (which is simply a knitted tube) or live a little and use two skeins for the Purl Ridge Scarf by Stephen West.
Try it and let me know what you think.
While Supplies Last…
Bijou Basin Ranch, the makers of the luxurious Bijou Bliss yarn have decided not to distribute their yarn through stores anymore. So if you’ve been thinking that you want to try this amazing combination of Yak and Cormo Wool, now is the time to get it. We’ve got about 25 skeins left.
What is so special about Yak and Cormo? Clara Parkes of Knitters Review describes Cormo wool as “a springy wool fiber comparable to merino in softness but with more of a succulent feel, even after processing. (Cormo is the result of cross-breeding Corriedale and Merino sheep, hence the similarity with Merino.)” Combine that with the softness and warmth of Yak and the dyeing expertise of Lorna’s Laces and you get a spectacular result.
I’ve always wanted to make the atabi cowl or the Tremblant mittens but these projects take two 150 yard skeins at $30 each, so you might be thinking a one skein project is more appropriate. Lindsay used the deep red color to make the Foliage Hat from Knitty. The yarn looks beautiful in this simple lace. Stephen West’s Windschief hat would also be perfect. Or try this beautiful cowl (it’s free on Ravelry). Or look how cute these fingerless mitts would be.
Whatever you decide, don’t wait. You’ll love knitting with the yarn and you’ll love wearing whatever you make.
Isn’t it Beautiful?
Jody’s making the Big Herringbone Cowl out of Schoppel-Wolle Baby Alpaka Naturbellasen (also know as “Baby Alpaka with a K”). This alpaca/wool blend looks a little unusual in the skein because it is steamed rather than plied. Nevertheless, it knits up with great stitch definition, softness and drape. Perfect for this project.
For the cowl, Jody cast on 260 stitches on a size 15 needle. After a false start (yes, even knitting instructors will occasionally twist their stitches when joining in the round) it is looking beautiful.
Stop by to see the Brambles hat that Lisa made with Baby Alpaka and the Hallett’s Ledge cable sweater that Kristen made. Try it, you’ll like it!
Projects to tempt you
It is going to be relatively warm this week and though our brains know that winter in Chicago can last until May, our heart sings SPRING! This is a great time to start a project with a wool and cotton blend (Spud and Chloe Sweater and Amy Butler Belle Organic DK and our longtime favorite O-wool Balance).
Have you seen these new patterns from O-wool? Jocelyn Tunney is giving O-wool a new look and I like it. The Aethercopter scarf pictured above is made from four skeins of O-wool Balance, a 50/50 organic cotton and wool blend. The cotton in Balance adds drape and the wool adds body and lightness. Perfect for Spring. You can download the pattern ($4) here. And some tips here.
I also like the lines of this sweater, also in Balance. You can download Parseval ($4) here.
I find lately that I’m loving patterns in PDF format. I load them onto my iPad and then I have all my patterns at my fingertips. What is your preference?
Matisse Sock
This particular skein of Matisse sock yarn from Abstract Fiber has been calling my name since October. I love the Laurelhurst color and the shine. Matisse is 100% SuperWash Blue Faced Leicster 3 ply tight twist 420 yds per 100g skein. Abstract Fiber recommends that we machine wash and dry so the project will bloom. Although the colors are spectacular, there has been debate amongst customers about whether it was too skinny for socks. I was curious too.
So last weekend I cast on for a sock. I LOVE this yarn. It is perfect for socks. The colors sparkle, no pooling, it is soft and springy…. You won’t be seeing these socks on display at the store, because I will be wearing them.
In addition to a new yarn, I tried a new technique. I’ve been listening to the Knitmore Girls podcast, which I love, and they rave about the afterthought heel. Instead of starting a heel flap you knit half your stitches with scrap yarn and then reknit them with your working yarn. This allows you to come back, take out the scrap yarn, and work the heel like another toe. You might think that your heel is not shaped like your toes, but it really fits just fine. If you would like to see how it is done, check here for a tutorial.
The size one needles got me 8 stitches per inch, which is what I wanted, but I don’t think I needed the extra 8 stitches, so I’ll be back to 64 for my next sock. And I made these just a tad too short, so I might just rip them out and start again. Which will be a pleasure, because I LOVE this yarn.
Rowan Lima
We are finally getting our new fall yarns and I have to say it has been worth the wait. First, we have an alpaca blend from Rowan called Lima. This is what Jason Flood of Brooklyntweed fame had to say about it: “At TNNA, back in Ohio, I stowed away with a few choice balls of new yarn for Fall and this one got me really excited. Now – I’m not a big alpaca head – but this yarn commands some attention! It’s a new worsted alpaca from Rowan called “Lima.” Aside from the beautiful palette of colors and great heathered blending that’s happening, the construction of the yarn I think is notable as utilizing some of alpacas best qualities and ditching some of its worst. The yarn is basically a miniature 2-stitch I-Cord which, most importantly, traps a lot of air in the yarn – keeping it LIGHT – while at the same time maintaining great elasticity. Elasticity and lightness are words I don’t often use to describe alpaca so I really think this yarn was designed well. Now all there is left to do is appreciate the lofty, butter-soft jewel-tones, which I will proceed to do now.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. We have the Lima Collection book with patterns to make this:
and this:
and more. While I’m seriously considering the turtleneck – I can’t imagine anything nicer in the cold winter months – I think most people will find it the perfect yarn for a guy’s scarf. Come in and see.
