Shale Baby Blanket

So about two months ago, I started this the Shale Baby Blanket (available at the shop) by Jared Flood for my mom’s new place (and as her birthday gift.) Her birthday, unfortunately, is only a week after Christmas. Last night I realized that I had about ten rows done and that this wasn’t a realistic project. Then last week Jared Flood posted a new pattern on his site! It is done in a super bulky yarn and Mirasol Ushya is just begging to be used for this project. The Ushya is so light and airy. It would really make a nice warm blanket without the heaviness of most yarns at this gauge….I think I can get this one done…I hope I can. It takes 10 hanks of Ushya and is worked on US#15 needles. Seems reasonable, right? Course I am not looking at yardage. I am only saving about 100 yards of knitting by doing the larger blanket, but let’s not talk about that. It will turn out larger with less work, so that is all that counts, right? And I will feel like I have accomplished more with each row on US#15 needles, so this might make it more likely to be completed. Or maybe mom will get a box with a photo in it…she will understand, right?

Umaro Blanket

Photos by Jared Flood

Thank you to everyone who donated tiny sweaters for our holiday window. The tiny little dudes are all over the trees in our front window. We got so many amazing and unique designs as well! Today the staff will figure out our “most unique” prize. Niya won our random drawing! She will get a $50 gift certificate for the shop.
read more >>

Meet the hatskarfenmitten!

It’s a hat. It’s a mitten. It’s a scarf! Never lose your hat or mitten…or lose them all at once, I suppose. This is the newest design from our dear Daphne, available as a download on Ravelry or free in the shop with the purchase of supplies for the project. Thank you to Becky for the amazing modeling job. You might have a future in the industry.

So how did this piece of genius come to be? When we first checked out the Loop-d-Loop Tundra at the trade show, Kel, Veronica and I thought that this yarn needed a pattern that would do it justice. We had the idea of a hilariously named (Ikea-esque) object that combined a hat, a scarf and a pair of mittens all into one piece. Last week we gave Daphne some yarn and our vision and she delivered!

The version shown here features an extra long scarf for you to wrap around the neck but you can shorten it as well. Come in and try ours out! You can use:

2-3 hanks Mirasol Ushya – soft and lightweight option

7-9 balls of Loop-d-Loop Tundra – the softest superbulky yarn in the shop!

5-6 balls Loop-d-loop Granite – unique texture will make this yarn interesting to use.

So you won’t be coldbitten. You can danke me later.

Ribbed hat worn slouchy

I am still on a roll with little projects and so are my staff! I finished up a hat for my father’s birthday done in his racing colors. He does this and is a driver (not jockey…we don’t have those in the this racing industry). Anyway, I whipped this up in Pear Tree 8 ply merino. Oh my gosh I have to make myself a hat in this stuff! It is amazing. This project is a simply ribbed hat:

Cast on 112 sts with US #7 16″ circular needles, and join to work in the round

Work in K4, P4 ribbing for 10,” changing colors as you see fit. (I did a random mix of three colors for this hat but it could easily be done in one or more colors. It will take a total of two hanks, if you decide to use only one color.)

Shape crown:

Row 1: K4, p2tog, p2; repeat from around.

Ribbed hat worn "traditionally"

Row 2: K4, P3; repeat around

Row 3: K4, p2tog, P1; repeat from around.

Row 4: K4, P2; repeat around

Row 5: K4, p2tog; repeat around

Row 6: K3, k2tog; repeat around

Row 7: K2, K2tog; repeat around

Row 8: K1, K2tog; repeat around

Row 9: K2tog; repeat around

Break yarn and draw through remaining stitches. Weave in all tails. Block lightly (or not…honestly, I didn’t block this at all)

Other small finished things: the Opera Scarf from Blue Sky Alpacas! This pattern uses 2 skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca Silk. It is a fast and easy stitch pattern and makes a lovely light accessory. You can get the pattern here.

This is only a few hours to complete. If you are on deadlines for the holidays, start to look at projects by the yardage. If you know that it takes you two hours to knit 200 yards, you can start to figure out the amount of time that each project will take. This is a 250-300 yard project.

Kel took home some Loop-d-Loop Tundra yarn on Friday and managed to whip up this awesome cowl/shrug/capelet thing over the weekend. Since the yarn is ENORMOUS, and it is knitted on US19 needles, it didn’t take her very long at all. How adorable is this thing?! The pattern is available from Interweave Knits here. Here is the best part: this project is only 175 yards!

Balustrade cowl pattern in Pear Tree Merino (1.5 skeins)

I did manage to get my Balustrade cowl finished last week during the four day long cold bug. I managed to mess up the pattern and skipped several rows of the lace in the first and last panels. Since I did this twice, the cowl turned out perfectly balanced, so I will call it a design change rather than a total screw up.

I used about a skein and a half of the Pear Tree Merino. Having a bit of yarn leftover, I decided to make a pair of matching mittens. I chose the Give a Hoot pattern, which is a class here at the shop as well, for those who want to learn to make mittens. They have a cute cable motif that makes little owls. The Pear Tree is supposed to be DK weight but it is working up very well on US#8 needles for the owl mitts. I think I will pick up some beads from the Potomac Bead Company for the eyes.

Give a Hoot pattern in Pear Tree Merino

Accessories, oh how satisfying it is to knit something under 500 yards. I have been so busy cranking out sweaters that I had forgotten how nice it is to be able to finish something in just a few days. Last week I finished up this Woodsmoke Scarf by Jared Flood which is from Brave New Knits. (the restock of this book is in the mail to us and will be here this week). The project gave me a chance to work with Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd’s Wool in fingering weight, which is newer to the shop. It is quite dreamy..very soft. Has little sections where the yarn is a little thicker and has a tuft of fibre. Because the yarn is dyed in the wool, it has a gorgeous heathered finish. I really really enjoyed working with it.

Once this was finished, I focused on finishing up another Springtime Bandit, which I had started during my last lace shawl class. I chose the Sugar colorway from Miss Babs in Yummy 2-ply, since my other Springtime Bandit is done in the worsted weight that the pattern calls for. I decided it would be different enough in fingering weight to warrant owning another one. The dusty rose colorway is also one of the hot colors this season (so says those color people) and since my pale pale skin doesn’t like dusty rose, a shawl in the color seemed like a good way to have just a touch of it in the wardrobe. The shawl is blocking, and I will post photos this week. So given that two small projects were knocked out, of course I started another one. I have been really wanting to work with the new Pear Tree merino (read all about it here), and I went looking for a cowl project for it. Again, I selected a color that is on the hot list this season, their “Duck egg” colorway.

The pattern that I decided to use is the Balustrade Cowl by Adrienne Krey. It is a great lace sampler, using three different lace patterns. It is working up very quickly (uses US#8 and 10.5) and uses just two hanks. I have to say that I am finding the Pear Tree to be more of a worsted weight, instead of the DK that the label indicates. I think I will start to hunt down good worsted weight sweater projects for it. I also think that I might have enough yarn leftover for a pair of matching fingerless mitts…I will know for sure tomorrow. But really, do any of us have matching knitted things? I know I don’t.

So if you haven’t knitted with this stuff yet…I would really encourage it. We probably have some hanging around that you could play with. Just to get a taste, wander into our fibre room and squeeze on the roving. I want a pillow made from the stuff. I can’t wait to have a cowl of it hanging around my neck! I promise that I will try really really hard to put this thing on a mannequin so that you all can see and play with it. It will be hard to part with it for the season, but I will try…

Our coral reef window display has gone away. [sad] It is being picked up this evening by the Smithsonian. If you have pieces that you want sent along, please bring them in today. If you made a critter for the window, please stop by the shop to pick him up. They are only taking coral and some of these critters are rather amazing, so they should really go back to their owners!

Our new window is creepy…that’s all there is to it. I came in this morning and I should have grabbed coffee. If you thought that the mannequin was creepy before, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

And the window needs BATS! Since I simply can not knit enough bats for the window, I am sending out a call for bats.  I can’t promise that these will be on display at the Smithsonian but I can entice you with a contest. Make a bat that has a 4 inch or wider wingspan and be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate. Bats must be submitted before Thursday, September 16th at 9 pm. (that is little over a week!) Bats may be knitted, crocheted or felted and you may enter more than once. Make ten bats and be entered ten times. Bats will be returned to their owners the first week of November. Here are some bats to inspire you:

UPDATE: Daphne has created an adorable free pattern available here or on Ravelry here.

Flippy the bat seen here in Mochi Plus

Boo the Bat pattern available for download from Mochimochi Land (be sure to check out the other amazing things on her site or stop by to see her new book, which is available at the shop!)

Photo courtesy of Mochimochi land

Vladimir, the Bat from Deliciouscrochet and available as a download from her Etsy shop.

Photo courtesy of Deliciouscrochet

Felted Halloween Bat by Lion Brand yarn – free download from their site, although you will need to register to use their site.

Photo courtesy of Lion Brand Yarn

Bat and Jack O’ Lantern patterns from Barbara Prime and available here. If you don’t know about Barbara’s Fuzzymitten collection of adorable toys, check it out.

Photo courtesy of Barbara Prime

The bag contest for summer travel has ended and I have on more post of photos to put on the site before voting begins. We will open another travel contest starting now that will end after the New Year, to include all of your holiday travels. So take your fibre space tote on your travels and send us your photos!

as Veronica would say…Couldn’t you just eat this color up?!

As you might have guessed, I had another sweater on needles before I even had the buttons sewn onto the last one. It took a lot of searching to find something suitable for this new Rock Creek Park colorway from Neighborhood Fiber Company. It is the most amazing jewel green color (you really have to see it in person). After much debating, I decided to knit the Lauren pattern from Ann Weaver. The pattern is a $6 download on Ravelry. Because it is a raglan, I am modifying it to a top down yoke construction. Raglans and my shoulders just don’t work.  I am also knitting off gauge.

Photo courtesy of weaverknits

So..there was a lot of math here. Luckily it appears to have worked. If anyone wants to modify this as well, come in and chat with me. I can help you change it up. I did use the Wendy Bernard Custom Knits book for guidance on the percentages to increase in the yoke and at what point. If customizing this project scares you, just use an aran weight yarn and knit it as its written! This is a wonderfully written pattern.  You will need to get 16st to four inches for gauge. Malabrigo worsted, twist, Cascade Eco Wool, Louisa Harding Aran and a few others will work nicely. I am hoping to knock this out quickly before the yarn for my next project arrives in the mail…which is going to be any day now.

I think this little guy is my favorite!

Tonight is our regular Thursday night Stitch in Space. Stop by and hang out with us! Our crochet coral reef is continuing through out the month of August. We have several amazing pieces in the shop already and the window display should be done any day now (ahem, Kel!) If you haven’t started a piece of coral yet, do come in on Thursday nights and we will get you started. It is amazing simple and has been a wonderful way to get the knitters started on crochet.

The Callie Bib Tee is complete. You can see that there are several modifications. First, I added waist shaping and extended the overall length of the project. I also knitted the lace sections in a complimentary second color and increased the length of the sleeve and body lace sections. I am super happy with how it turned out, despite it being yet another brown sweater. (aren’t you all supposed to keep me from knitting in brown?)

There was quite a bit of finishing to this project. It is worked in pieces (two front lace panels, one front, one back, and two sleeves.) As I was sewing away, Phillip asked me what I was doing. I explained that I had to seam everything together but that I hated finishing. He said that maybe he would learn to do finishing so that I wouldn’t have to do it but that he didn’t want to be called a “finisher.” He wants to be called “the closer” instead. My husband is hilarious. I have no delusions that he will learn to seam sweaters together. None whatsoever.

Photo courtesy of Connie Chang Chinchio

read more >>

Veronica lives off King Street in a second story apartment and was informed by her landlord (after signing the lease) that she would be responsible for getting a mother duck and her hatchlings from their second story balcony / patio to the river every year. Since ducks are rather dumb, a mother duck has been hatching eggs on their roof deck for years, and the residents of the apartment have been responsible for boxing up the ducklings and getting them down a flight of stairs and to the street, where they then have to make a five or six block trek down King street, over several roads, to get to the river. This morning was duck hatching time. So if you saw some crazy person herding ducks down the hill on Prince Street to the river, it was Veronica.

read more >>

On Friday, I finally seamed up the sleeve of my March sweater (third for this year…). Here is the finished sweater and its details:

Pattern: February Fitted Pullover by Amy Herzog

Available: free online here as a free Ravelry download

Yarn: Neighborhood Fiber Company Studio Worsted in Truxton Circle colorway

My Hempathy sweater is now done! I am so excited to have completed something from Olga’s newest collection: Ori Ami knits. Olga’s brain works in mysterious ways. The sweater is worked from the bottom up, with the pocket openings being knitting in scrap yarn that is later pulled out to reveal live stitches for working the pockets. Once the A-line decreases have ended, a provisional cast on at each underarm starts the sleeves. Then, instead of binding off at the beginning of several rows to create the sloping tops of the sleeves, Olga has you work short rows instead and then graft the tops of the sleeves from the front with the tops from the back, creating a seamless sweater, essentially. If none of that made any sense, I won’t hold it against you. It was kinda like following a series of clues for a treasure hunt, not knowing where I was going to end up in the end. Now that I have done it, it is just brilliant! I chose to add pewter buttons around the neckline, like the pattern suggests. Here are the details:

The pockets:

Pattern: Trapezium Pullover

Available: Part of the Ori Ami knits collection available for download here

Yarn: Elsbeth Lavold Hempathy (gauge was 24sts instead of 22 sts, so I worked a larger size) and Louisa Harding Mulberry silk for the pocket and neckline accents. The shine of the silk against the flat Hempathy is wonderful!

Mo Rocca learns to knit from a ten year old and Debbie Stoller (of Stitch n Bitch fame)
If you didn’t catch this story on CBS Sunday, here it is:

In other news, I have finished something…and it isn’t my March sweater or the Easter basket. This is the In the Land of Oz scarf, a straightforward scarflette that starts out super simple and ends with a feather and fan pattern. I blocked it last night and am super excited to finally have a “pointy” scarf. Phillip saw it this morning and asked “So how long did it take you to knit that?” Ladies, beware of this question. What this means is that this person is contemplating you making this project again…Phil thinks that his mother would really like the scarf because it looks “bat-like” and she is very very into Halloween.  So now I think I am commissioned to make it in black. Project number one on the list for holiday knitting. Have you all started your holiday knitting yet?

Anyways, the yarn is known as “unobtainium” or Wollmeise, which can be bought online from Germany or LoopyEwe or purchased from nice people who have it already and are willing to sell it to you.  This color is stunning and really can’t be captured on film.

I have been itching to knit with the Hempathy since it arrived last month.  The yarn is all animal free and natural – 34% hemp, 41% cotton and 25% modal.  It is much softer than your average hemp yarn. I think that my “March sweater” will be finished up tonight so I am allowing myself to take home the hempathy for my next project. I did a bit of research on my options. Here are some finds. The first two are by Heidi Kirrmaier.

Vesper – This roomy little top really got me with the contrasting stitching on the neckline and pocket!

Photo by PiPiBird

Buttercup – I love the neckline on this one. It is one of the few raglan constructed sweaters that I would wear because the raglan lines are so vertical.

Photo by PiPiBird

The Razor cami by Katy Marcus looks like a great way to dress up one of the 20 or so tank tops that I have in my closet. I might have gone a little crazy at a Banana Republic sale a couple of years ago. I own a lot of tank tops. With this cami, I could probably get away with wearing them to the shop. The hempathy would give it more structure, although the Sirdar baby bamboo that it calls for would also be lovely.

Photo from Oh My Stars!

And lastly, Connie’s (is Connie famous enough to go by just her first name?) amazing Apres Surf Hoodie, which as been on my list since it first appeared in Interweave Knits. The pattern is now available as a download.

Photo by Interweave Knits

So what did I decide to knit? Well…something from our dear Olga from her new Ori Ami Knits collection. I couldn’t resist. I fell in love with this top when the trunk show was here. It is the Trapezium pullover. We have the most amazing pewter buttons in the shop for the top of it…The collection is currently available online and will be in print soon. We hope to have it in the shop as soon as it is available in print form.

Photo by Ori Ami Knits

I am using a nice contrasting color in the Louisa Harding mulberry (100% silk) for the neckline and the pockets. I think it is going to be awesome! Now I just need to finish this other sweater…

The Cosette Wrap by Alana Dakos

It’s brand new! Only one project but it looks like great TV knitting and a wonderful accessory.

Photo by Alana Dakos

Materials: 500 yards worsted weight yarn in one or two colors. We recommend Madeline Tosh Worsted (now renamed “DK”), Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted, Miss Babs Yowza (only one hank!) or Neighborhood Fiber Co Studio Worsted.

$5 download on Ravelry.

I thought I might start a new feature on the blog – Found on Rav. There are so many patterns on Ravelry but sometimes you trip across one that is just really amazing. Today’s “find” was submitted by Beth and is a great sweater option for the upcoming warmer spring months. It has a great name as well!

The Saucy Librarian

Photo by bluebettyknits

Yarn options

Worked up in Mirasol Tupa, silk and merino blend. This is available at the store. Other yarn options include Sublime Baby Bamboo and Malabrigo Silk Merino.

Availability

On Ravelry only as a $5.50 download from designer Amanda Jensen.