Frogged!

I was excited to start this project using the Misti Alpaca Qolla.  I played with colours for awhile on Saturday  and  decided to use a Casscade 220 in soft green as the 2nd colour.  Tuesday night I cast on the 200 plus stitches and knit about 2 inches.

 The Misti Alpaca was completely lost in the design.  The green was too bright and this was not working.  Wednesday I frogged (rippit, rippit) all the previous nights work.

I cast on the stitches again and last night I reknit the pattern.  The Misti Alpaca now is the predominant colour and the green is a lovely contrast.  

Sometimes it takes a few tries to get what you want!

What else am I working on:  A little boy sweater that has ripped back once, and may spend a bit of time in the basket until I decide whether to finish it or frog it too!  Then there are 6 inches of a sleeve to finish on a sweater for myself.  (Maybe that will get done this weekend!)

In just 2 weeks it is Bowmanville's Apple Festival and Craft Sale.   We plan to have tables with clearance yarn and a 'sample' sale.  There is quite a selection of lovely samples that need to find a new home.  

Lots to do..

See you Soon.

FO's and WIP's

I love it when customers bring in 'show and tell'. I usually take a picture. Here are some:

Baby Bunting, Crochet into a squishy blanket, don't ask me how she did it!

Berroco Comfort Dk, and a Sirdar Pattern.  Cute as a button, with cute buttons!

Hemlock Ring Blanket using Nature Wool took under 4 skeins  and a quick  knit!

This is Lori, she knits 6 inch squares for the 'One square at a time ' project.  In fact she has made so many squares there are several blankets that contain only her work.

That's just a few of the many things created by friends of the shop.  It is always nice to see everyone's projects.

The 'brisk' weather has made the shop cooler and busier and some are thinking about those Gifts that need to be made!  

This week there was a call from the nice Ladies at Fleece Artist and the first half of the order is being shipped early next week.  A lovely addition to our 'precious' yarn display, with the Malabrigo, Noro, Koigu and Manos!

See You Soon!

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Misti Alpaca

Late again!  This week's yarn post is the whole company, or at least the yarns I choose from this company.

Misti Alpaca is one of those lovely small companies that create beautiful yarns using natural fibres.  In this case each yarn features Alpaca, a lovely soft fibre that is light and warm.  When blended with wool and nylon it creates a soft and warm sock yarn, but it really is too nice for most sock patterns.  

 I was inspired by the Linen stitch scarf pattern to try a 'one colour' version.  The dyed to the stitch colourways are very good for this design.  The texture is lovely and one ball makes a nice scarf.  If you knit for knitting's sake then this  is a great patten for you.

If however you like quick projects this cowl is just the trick.  Using Misti Alpaca Handpaint Chunky it works up quick and soft. Looks great over a sweater and under a jacket.

 New to the shop is Qolla a worsted weight, Alpaca and Merino blend. The colours are amazing.

I am surprised that I have not taken a skein home to 'test'.

Also new this week is another order from Koigu, 12 new colours...Linen stitch scarf anyone!

See you Soon.

Go Big or Go Home

Monday's new Yarn post is a day late, today  you will get 2 new yarns in one post.

Thanks to Frances for doing up this sample for the shop.  Ropes Cowl, designed by Kristina Larson for Gina  Brown's Yarn in Calgary.  Such a cute pattern, just I-cord loops in increasing lengths, made from Malabrigos' Rasta.  You will find that we have 3 colourways in this Super Bulky Yarn.  It takes only one 150 gram skein to make this pattern.

 I made this cowl in 2 evenings. Using 12 mm needles,  Provisionally  cast on 25 stitches and knit until you have enough left to cast off.  Ideally you would do a graft/Kitchener stitch  to join the 2 ends but I choose a 3 needle bind off.

 It's big and bulky, but you will thank me in January when you need that big scarf around your neck.

 Both patterns are easy beginner designs and would make great gifts!

The shop is becoming very full with a whole bunch of new yarn.  Today a bit of Noro arrived and 2 new yarns from Sirdar, they had lovely samples!

Happy Knitting everyone!
See you Soon

Deadlines!

I love deadlines, they force you to get things done. Most projects I start will get finished in pretty good time. Then the odd time a project, especially a big project will seem to spend a  lot of time in the WIP (work in progress) pile.  These projects need a deadline, a real deadline. I began this project just after Kay Gardiner published the pattern to raise funds to support Mercy Corps, they were raising funds to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan in early 2011.

After beginning the afghan in March I decided to have it done in time to enter into the Orono Fair's Cultural Expressions Class. I completed 11 squares of the 12 I had planned and then the unthinkable happened, I ran out of yarn!  Silly shop wouldn't have any more until after the deadline.  I set the whole thing aside and then it happened, time passed and it now was a few weeks until my next established deadline: Orono Fair 2012.  I did decide, since I had to purchase 10 balls of the background yarn to finish the blanket, I should really make 4 more squares. The squares were easy, putting the whole thing together meant it no longer was a portable project. The deadline became closer and life was getting in the way.  The entries had to be into the hands of the judges by 10 am Thursday morning.  I was knitting the last few inches of the border after Wednesday's Knitt'n Night.

 I have to say I do love this blanket.  Every stitch was a knit stitch, no purls in this project.  It used up a whole bunch of odd balls of Noro Silk Garden. Garter stitch and Noro in the same project!

Oh yes, I won first prize, it had more to do with the design than the knitting. (The pattern is called Mitered Crosses Blanket for Japan, so far the pattern sales have generated more than $18,000)

 Entering the Fair is like eating potato chips, you can't just enter one thing, you may as well enter a bunch.
It always surprises me to see what the Judges like, especially when they are mine.

I guess I should look through my pile of unfinished objects (UFO's) and see what I could enter next year.

Mille Colori Socks & Lace

 New colours of this lovely yarn arrived a couple of weeks ago.  A fingering weight yarn, with a soft superwash wool and nylon blend with a long colour run, which means it is perfect for entrelac and making Wingspan.

This is mine, hanging on my new non knitting 'toy"!

A tiny box arrived this week from a new supplier:  buttons and shawl pins, I was surprised how few I purchased and how much I spent, but aren't they adorable.  I have trouble finding 'cute' buttons for boys, the sailboats are just perfect.

Regular store hours return:

  Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm.  (other times by appointment)

Knitt'n Nights begin again! September 5th and 19th.  

Technique Tuesdays (10:30 - 12:00)

 and

 Sock it to me Thursdays (1:00 - 2:30) 

will run for September and October.  (see sidebar for details)