Quantcast
Channel: A Really Good Yarn
Viewing all 4079 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Annisa is growing

June 25, 2016, 2:48 pm
$
0
0
For some reason the lace section seems to be going faster than the striped section which is impossible because 7 of the 8 rows are exactly the same.

I'd like to introduce you to Lucy. No, it didn't take long for her to be up on the couch.
She likes the toy that we bought her. Right now it is bigger than her but it won't be for long. Right now she weighs 13 lbs but the breeder says that she could end up at 180 lbs.

An email came this week from Skacel - the distributor of Addi Turbo needles in North America.

Supporting your local yarn shop with both your presence and purchasing, is vital in securing its status as a shared source of inspiration and community. As a thank you to all LYS supporters, skacel would like to give back a little something special. When you purchase three addi® Rocket circular needles at your LYS, skacel will send you one free addi® Rocket circular in your choice of size/length. There is no limit to the number of free needles you can earn, so start building your collection today! This promotion is limited to in-store purchases only, through your authorized skacel addi® dealer.

For every three addi® Rocket fixed circular needles you purchase inside a North American LYS, you will receive one FREE addi® Rocket fixed circular needle of your choice by mail.
The three addi® Rocket circulars may be obtained at different times and through different brick and mortar shops (online purchases excluded), but must be purchased between June 15th, 2016 and November 15th, 2016 to qualify. All requests are to be postmarked by November 30th, 2016.
The original, shop-generated sales receipt/s clearly itemizing your addi® Rocket purchases and prices paid, must be submitted for each of the three needles – a single receipt containing multiple needles is acceptable.
What a great deal. I'm knitting with the Rockets right now and really like them. They are quite a bit sharper than the original Addis.
Meet the addi® Rockets, a line of circular needles that combines the best of addi®. Styled after our popular addi Turbo® Lace, these extra-pointy tips feature the same great nickel-plating that gives the classic addi Turbo® its incomparable zip.

Here is the link to the form that needs to be mailed with your receipts...

Now it's time to relax. Pizza is being delivered and I'm putting my feet up. Of course there will be some knitting tonight :)
↧
Search

Blackbird

June 27, 2016, 5:28 pm
$
0
0
I first showed this shawl last fall and came across it again today.
Pattern: Blackbird Shawl (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Fingering weight
 
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.
A great shawl to play with mini skeins. And as you know I'm a bit addicted to them right now. Here is a link to all the kits that we have in stock...

For the main colour there are many, many options
-tosh merino light
-tosh sock
-Tough Love Sock from Sweetgeorgia
-Cheshire Cat from Frabjous Fibers

I had a visitor for a while this morning.
She cried a bit when she got here because her mom and dad left her. We had snuggles (she's very good at them) and then she had a nap on the couch. 

Her nap was short because she is very nosy. She wants to know what is going on so every time she hears a noise she lifts her head.

She had her first visit to the vets tonight. On Thursday the vet visited the breeder and Lucy was 13 lbs. She is just over 8 weeks and now weighs 18 lbs.

We totally forgot about Big Brother last night so it's time to watch and knit. My shawl is growing. I'm about half way through the lace section - pictures tomorrow from the store.
↧
↧

Improvising

June 28, 2016, 1:46 pm
$
0
0
Classic Elite's weekly Web-Letter just arrived. They are combining Santorini and Bella Lino (two yarns that I really like working with) for a Summer Sleeveless Turtleneck (download the free pattern)
Two strands held together make the knitting of this top, worked from the top down in one piece, extra quick. Short rows are worked to shape the neck. Santorini and Bella Lino, both multicolored, blend and mingle adding texture and depth of color.
The top is knit on 5.5mm needles which makes it a quick knit.


I'm working away on my shawl and hit a small issue. I thought that I did something wrong on Saturday and it turns out that I did. For the lace row I'm supposed to start with K2 but then the lace doesn't work at the vein. I am now doing K3. I have the correct number of stitches. The vein is looking good. Sometimes you need to improvise because ripping back doesn't sound like a good idea.
↧

Meadowside

June 29, 2016, 6:13 pm
$
0
0
My Meadowside shawl isn't growing so Diana knit us one to hang in the store.
This top down shawl uses two different coloured balls of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock yarn. Starting with a garter tab cast on, striped garter stitch sections seperate a simple eyelet pattern.
Pattern: Meadowside (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 2 balls of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock
Colours: 3 New Orleans and 6 Wilderness

The self-striping yarn makes you want to knit faster. What colour is coming next? The great thing about this shawl is that you and your knitting group can all make the same shawl with the same colours and each one will be different. It just depends on where the colours start on your ball.
I'll get back to mine once Annisa is finished. It's a great looking shawl!
↧

Mountain Colors

June 30, 2016, 9:33 am
$
0
0
Mr. Canada Post brought in a box from Mountain Colors this morning. Lots of new, fun colours of Twizzlefoot.

53% superwash merino
17% domestic wool
17% silk
13% nylon

411m/450 yards in a 100 gram skein.
We used 3 skeins of Twizzlefoot for this amazing shawl.

Pattern: Kaersta (purchased on Ravelry)


Lynn used the leftovers from the shawl to make a great pair of socks.

There were new Perspective Kits in the box as well.

Crazyfoot (fingering weight)
5 mini skeins
80m/90 yards each
One kit will make the Circular Perspectives Cowl (pattern purchased on Ravelry)

Twizzle (worsted weight)
5 mini skeins
40m/45 yards each

One kit will make the Perspectives Cowl (pattern purchased on Ravelry)

I'm going to get pictures of the new kits at home tonight. I've taken a bunch in the store and outside but they aren't doing the colours justice.

It's a day of good and bad. The good news - our box arrived from Mountain Colors. The bad - our boxes from Blue Sky Fibers are somewhere in the Canada Post system. Hopefully the strike/lock out doesn't last long and the boxes arrive soon.

We are getting sod on the front yard of our house. We've had possession for 15 months so it's about time. That is the good. The bad. I have been coming to work early for a few weeks and watering the garden every morning. With the hot weather and no rain the plants were suffering. I have them growing nicely and my daylillies were about to bloom. There were beautiful blooms coming on a few hostas as well. Deer came through last night and ate all the blooms. All of them. I was so sad.

The store will be closed tomorrow for Canada Day but I'll be back on Saturday from 10-4. Enjoy the day!
↧
↧

Happy Canada Day

July 1, 2016, 9:25 am
$
0
0
I hope you and your family are enjoying Canada Day.
It's raining here in Ancaster which makes me very happy. Our new sod is loving it. Beth isn't - she is supposed to be golfing in a few hours.

Go subtle or go bold with this fun shawl. Opt for gentle stripes for a neutral shawl, perfect for any occasion, then knit another in your favourite brights, neons, gradient or speckled hues teamed with a strong solid for a show-stopping accessory.
Kallara features a slightly asymmetrical, shallow triangular shape with long tapered ends. Sitting comfortably on the shoulders without too much bulk, it’s adaptable enough to be worn as a wrap, shawl, or scarf.
Ambah has a new pattern - Kallara (purchased on Ravelry)



It's a restful day for me. My Annisa Wrap is growing and I want it to grow further. If I can knit fast enough it should be finished by the end of the weekend.
↧

Almost Finished

July 2, 2016, 3:46 pm
$
0
0
You'd think that if you watched a baseball game for 6 hours you would progress further on your knitting. This is all I accomplished yesterday. There were many phone calls between my dad and myself. Have the Jays heard of something called a bunt? Seriously. It was 6 hours of frustration!
Roko and Melo aren't really enamoured with Lucy right now. Beth dropped them for a visit while she went grocery shopping. Things are getting a bit better with every visit. Roko and Melo need to watch out - Lucy is going to be bigger than them.
Dad weighed her last night and she is up to 20lbs. She looks like a little angel lying here. Don't let the picture fool you :)
↧

Done

July 3, 2016, 7:10 pm
$
0
0
Well, almost done. The knitting is complete. Now I need to block my shawl.

There is a small problem with that though. I had a big piece of styrofoam that I lay my work out on for blocking. Last Sunday Beth took that piece of styrofoam and cut it up to make steps for my parent's back yard. Lucy couldn't get from the grass up on the deck. By Tuesday she was hopping up no problem. Hopefully dad can find me a new piece this week. I want to get the shawl blocked so that I can wear it.

Now I'm back to my Meadowside Shawl.
Back at it until Tuesday when I get to work. There could be another Ambah O'Brien project in the near future.
↧
Search

Hedgehog Fibres

July 4, 2016, 2:40 pm
$
0
0
I've decided that I'm not starting anything new quite yet. I'm waiting for our order from Hedgehog Fibres and then I'm going to start Outline (the pattern is free)
Do you hoard beautiful, one of a kind, hand dyed skeins of soft sock weight yarn? I do too. This is the perfect design to use up all of your crazy, colourful yarns, remnants, bits and bobs, leftover yarns, and all of your prized special skeins too.
Simple in construction, this wrap lets your yarns shine and your mind rest. It’s a very easy, enjoyable knit, with a great knitting rhythm.
Easily adaptable, in terms of length, width and colours. Try using yarns that are of similar weight for best results.
 
Picking four colours is going to be hard - I think I'll want to play with more.
Shockwaves is another free pattern.
Shockwaves is a light and airy wrap of generous proportions. Pleasant and easy knit, great for showcasing all your cherished speckled skeins. You’ll need 4 colours of Hedgehog Fibres Skinny Singles yarn. Simple construction will let your yarns shine. You can either opt for a nice contrasting colours (Electric blue version), or go for all speckle look (Fool’s Gold gray version). No need to cut your yarn for the stripes, carry it inside the i-cord edge!

Yarn: Skinny Singles 4 skeins, 4 different colourways
Yardage: around 340m of each colour used, around 1360m in total.

Gauge: 23 stitches and 26 rows is 10cm in garter stitch after light blocking.

Needle: 4mm, circular or straight, the garment is knitted flat. If you are a tight knitter use 4.25mm needle.
I can't wait to get back to the store tomorrow. Today has been a whirl wind and I'm tired. It's much more relaxing to go to work than to spend a day running errands.
↧
↧

Woolstok is here

July 5, 2016, 5:56 pm
$
0
0
Mr. Canada Post brought in two huge boxes from Blue Sky Fibers this morning. Woolstok is here. The patterns are in the next set of boxes but you can purchase them on Ravelry if you need to start right away :)
Pattern: Endless Wrap (purchase on Ravelry)
Wrap yourself in yards of cozy Woolstok. Fun to knit, fun to wear, the Endless Wrap is a long swath of lofty, textural knitted fabric. Panels of knit/purl and yarn over patterns make this a good next step project for a beginner knitter.
 

Pattern: Cromwell (purchased on Ravelry)
Cromwell is the new favorite sweater. With longer sleeves, a roomy neckline, 3x1 ribbing and a relaxed fit, it gives a modern look to the traditional raglan-sleeve pullover. Knit in one piece from the top down with springy worsted weight Woolstok. it’s a great advanced beginner piece.
Pattern: Trimont Snood (purchase on Ravelry)
The Trimont Snood can be worn three ways; as a cowl, a capelet or a hood. Knit in the round from the bottom up in lustrous Woolstok, with decreases providing a touch of shaping, so it’s wider at the shoulders and narrower at the top. The seed stitch panel adds visual interest

I didn't really want to knit with it :)

Here is the start of my Endless Wrap. 16 rows in. The pattern asks for 8mm needles but I knit a bit on the loose side so I'm using 7mm. It is a very long scarf so adjusting the length is no problem. Just stop whenever you want. And the pattern is very easy. 8 rows. The stitches used are - knit, purl, k2tog, yo, slip 1 knit 1 psso. That's it.

My colour is called Cast Iron and I love it.

Now I'm a bit obsessed.The yarn is very, very nice to knit with. It's time for The Amazing Race Canada and some more knitting.
↧

Great Stitch Definition

July 6, 2016, 5:07 pm
$
0
0
I was looking at Rowan's website and they have a very pretty new pattern. It is a paid download that isn't available on Ravelry yet. You can purchase through Rowan's website - I went through the steps and it was painless.

Purchase Tottori...
This deep V neck cardigan is now available as a paid pattern download. Designed by Sarah Hatton it has short row shaping and lace patterning at the hem making it suitable for the knitter with some experience.

Yarn Information
Tetra Cotton 50g
 
Sizes Available
32-34 to 48-50 "

Balls needed
6 to 9

Finished Width Dimension
42.5 [48:54:60:67]cm/161/2 [19:211/2:231/2:261/2]in

Needle Size
3.25mm, 4mm and 4.5mm needles
This is knit out of Tetra cotton which has been discontinued but we have lots of stock and it's on sale for 20% off.

My shawl is growing and I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying the yarn. A customer looked at it today and commented on how good the stitch definition is. I'll get some more rows finished tonight - Master Chef and Big Brother are taping.
↧

Unique Heels

July 7, 2016, 1:35 pm
$
0
0
I was so happy to find my flowers finally blooming this morning. There are a few left that the deer didn't get.

Pattern: Smooth Operator Socks (purchased on Ravelry)

From the designer, Susan B. Anderson
I love knitting top-down socks and I love self-striping and patterning sock yarn. I also love it when the patterning in the yarn doesn’t get broken up or rearranged on the front of the sock. This often happens when you are knitting the heel section of the sock. To avoid this problem I started exploring the afterthought heel, where the heel stitches are placed on waste yarn and saved for later. With a little variation of my own, I’ve found that this heel is a clever and perfect solution for your striping sock yarn woes.

What’s different about the Smooth Operator Socks you might ask? The pattern is written for four different sizes and includes instructions for both double-pointed needles and Magic Loop. The tutorial pattern is written in conversational style with tips and tricks along the way. The pattern includes step-by-step tutorials with photos but also has a quick read version at the end for those who don’t need the tutorial or want to have a printed version. The quick version is 3-pages long without photos.

I have a modified twist for placing the heel waste yarn that makes it much easier to remove later. Also, I’ve never loved the look of the bars of stitches in between the decreases that run along both sides of the heel and toe. I’ve found a sleeker decrease sequence to eliminate those bars so the sock looks almost completely seamless and so smooth. I like to complete the afterthought heel before the foot of the sock is finished so taking accurate measurements for the foot length is much easier.

I hope you enjoy knitting the Smooth Operator Socks as much as I do. This is now my go-to sock for self-striping or patterning yarn although it will work for variegated, solid or tonal yarns just as well. Best of all, the fit is perfect!
I saw these socks on Ravelry and sent a message to Susan right away asking if I could use her pictures in a blog post. Her technique looks intriguing. 
 

I should have been putting yarn away today. I should have updated the website. I should have swept the floor. I didn't do any of these. I knit instead.
↧

Auburn Wave

July 8, 2016, 2:36 pm
$
0
0
Summer is a fun time in the store because we get a lot of out of town visitors. People are on vacation and it's great weather for driving. We have yarns that their local yarn shop might not carry. When you walk in the door you walk into the room of fingering weight yarns. The colours grab you but you might not know what you want to knit. This is always my first suggestion.
My all time favourite shawl - Auburn Wave (pattern purchased on Ravelry). It is simple to make and you have so many yarn choices. You can also make the shawl as big as you want. We keep knitting until we run out of yarn (I don't like leftovers) but you can stop when the size is right for you.

The turquoise shawl is knit with 2 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Train Case on 4mm needles.
Cathy made hers with 2 skeins of tosh merino light.
This is one of the many that I have made. (There are a few at home half way finished as well). 2 skeins of Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Silk Single on 4mm needles.
This version is 2 balls of Freia Fingering on 4.5mm needles.
 

I wanted a really big version so this is 3 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Hat Box on 4.5mm needles.

The shawl is perfect for summer knitting. All you need to know is knit, purl, knit 2 together, yarn over and knit into the front and back of a stitch.
I went crazy and knit Auburn Wave in ASAP from madelinetosh. The shawl took 3 skeins and I knit it on 15mm needles.

I know that I have a few on the needles but there could be another one started when the Hedgehog gets here. The yarn has been shipped and is currently at Heathrow. Hopefully it won't be too much longer. These two colours are talking to me but I have a feeling this could change once the box is opened.
Boombox
Genie
↧
↧

All Nighter

July 9, 2016, 2:21 pm
$
0
0
The ends are sewn in. Now I need to block it.
Pattern: Annisa Wrap (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 3 skeins of Mrs. Crosby Train Case
I knit the shawl on a 4mm needle.
Last night Beth and I watched an episode of The Good Wife and then I was going to bed. But my knitting was growing and I was in a groove. Two more episodes and then I called it quits. I wanted to keep going but knew that I had to work today. When I was younger there were many Friday nights that I knit from when I closed the store until I opened on Saturday morning. When you're feeling it you don't want to stop.
Dad brought me lunch today and someone came along for the ride. She loves going for rides.
She's back at home with Beth and the boys. They are Lucy sitting while mom and dad go to a wedding. She looks huge in this picture. 

It's quiet at home so I'm going to sit with a tea and do a few more rows on my wrap.
↧

Ravellenics

July 11, 2016, 5:02 pm
$
0
0
It's time to start thinking about the knitting that you are going to do during the Olympics. The Yarn Harlot started this years ago and now you can join on Ravelry.
What will be a stretch for you? It could be a new technique, that first sweater or pair of socks, something massive, something delicate, or maybe finishing that monster in the closet. The goal of the Ravellenic Games is to support you in expanding your knitting/crocheting horizons.
You cast on during the Opening Ceremonies and need to be finished before the end of the Closing Ceremonies. There are many categories and groups to join.

For all the information about the 2016 Ravellenic Games...

This was my sweater for 2012.
And 2014.

Now I need to figure out what I'll do for 2016.
A couple of things are talking to me.

Stephen West's Briochevron Wrap
This is a lot of knitting and I'm not sure that I can get it finished.

Outline from Hedgehog Fibres. Again a lot of knitting but both projects are so awesome.

There are still a few weeks to decide. Challenge yourself and join the fun!
↧
Search

Hedgehog Fibres

July 12, 2016, 6:00 pm
$
0
0
It's here!!!
The colours are amazing. 
I haven't had time to play with colours yet. That could be sad but it's also a good thing. If I put together colours then I would be making balls tonight to cast something on.
We received 2 yarns.

Skinny Single
Single ply fingering weight yarn, 100% Merino wool, superwash. Squishy and soft, with just the right amount of twist! Absolutely non-scratchy yarn with an internal glow. Will work for any shawl pattern, especially Stephen West designs for fingering weight yarns. Divine to have next to your skin. The dye takes especially beautifully on this base and has a lustrous sheen. The ideal yarn for that special, luxurious project!

Sold in approx. 100g skeins/366m. Gentle machine wash, delicate cycle. For best results and to prolong wear, we recommend hand-washing your projects that use this single ply base. 
Here is a link to my posts showing all the colours we have...

The other yarn is Twist Sock
80% Blue Faced Leicester wool and 20% nylon, superwash. Hard-wearing fingering weight yarn with a high twist in the ply. Great stitch definition, best suited for sock knitting. That tight twist will keep precious hand knit socks in shape wash after wash after wash. Soft, yet durable and machine washable. Best of both worlds!
Sold in approx. 100g skeins/365m. Machine wash, 30°C. 
The colours coming in Twist Sock are
-Boombox
-Bramble
-Genie
-Shiver
-Villian

The yarn has been added to the website...
↧

Flowers

July 13, 2016, 5:40 pm
$
0
0
We had many fun shipments yesterday including the new colours from Mrs. Crosby
 
This season Mrs. Crosby has named her new colours after flowers. I had to take a picture of them in the garden. 

Mrs. Crosby was kind enough to share some free patterns on Ravelry
Pattern: Parnu Bay Scarf (free on Ravelry)
Knit in one skein of Reticule. 
Pattern: Eridanus the River (free on Ravelry)
Knit in one skein of Train Case

Here are the colours with their names.






The new colours have been added to the website...

There should be some knitting accomplished over the next few days. The British Open is on - golf from Royal Troon in Scotland. TV coverage starts at 1:30am tomorrow but that might be a bit early. The 'big boys' tee off at 4am so I'll probably be setting my alarm for then.

Big Brother is on and then bed. I'll get a few more rows done on my shawl. I just started the 5th skein of 9.
↧
↧

Outline

July 14, 2016, 6:41 pm
$
0
0
I played with colours and these came home with me last night.
From the top
Naive
Zephyr
Boombox
Ghost
Shiver
I cast on the stitches for Outline (a free pattern) this morning while watching golf. Starting a new project at 5am might not be the best idea - I'm going to start again now that I'm in the store.


As I was leaving this morning Beth yelled "Don't forget my scarf. You haven't blogged about it yet." Her latest scarf is knit with a thicker Zauberball - this one is a double knitting weight. She used two balls and 4mm needles. We have a few colours in stock and more should be arriving very soon.

Don't forget to mark your calendar for this years Knitters' Fair. We will be there along with a lot of great vendors selling yarn, needles, kits, patterns and accessories.
Here is a link to the Fair website which has all the information you need...

Big Brother is about to start so I need to hurry. The Skinny Single yarn is really nice to knit with.

We had a bit of a run on it today and our stock is low. There will be another shipment coming in August. The out of stock colours will be in the box along with some new ones.

She looks like an angel here but don't let it fool you. She is an 11 week old puppy. There is a lot of energy!
↧

You still have time

July 15, 2016, 5:05 pm
$
0
0
A shawl for the Goddesses of the sea, the Nereids. Perfect for a Sea Nymph or as a wonderful trans-seasonal shawl for us mere mortals.
The Nereid Shawl is knit from side to side, with simple short rows forming a shallow crescent shape. Its comfortable proportions are perfect for wrapping around the neck scarf-style or wearing around the shoulders. Showcase your favourite yarn: go crazy with your leftover yarn stash and knit each segment in adifferent colour, use a gradient or variegated yarn, or go with your favourite solid colour combination.
Ambah released a new pattern today. Nereid (purchase on Ravelry)
You still have time to join our KAL. Here are the details...

Take a look in our Ravelry group for inspiration... There are great finished projects that I hope will inspire you to join.
↧

First Trip to the Yarn Store

July 16, 2016, 7:23 pm
$
0
0
My Endless Wrap is growing. Four skeins knit. Five to go. I'm loving the yarn more and more as I work with it.

Cathy was coming into town this morning so dad brought Lucy over for the two to meet. It was Lucy's first visit to the store. Yarn is very appealing to a puppy.
Yup. A nice skein from Zen Yarn Garden.
And then she lies down and you think she's an angel.
↧
Viewing all 4079 articles
Browse latest View live
Search