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

Sunday Knitting

December 11, 2016, 3:57 pm
$
0
0
It took longer than I thought but I finally finished. It'll be blocked this week and then the ends need to be tackled. There are quite a few.

Pattern: Building Blocks (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: 4 skeins of tosh merino light

The cast off isn't a regular cast off but the I-Cord Bind Off.
BO all sts using an I-cord BO as follows, *k2, k2tog tbl, slip 3 sts onto left needle, repeat from * until all sts are bound off.
There were 568 stitches on my needle. It takes a really, really long time to I-Cord Bind Off that many stitches.

I pulled out The Endless Wrap to work on this evening. I'm at the halfway point.
Pattern: Endless Wrap (purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok

A shipment is on the way from Blue Sky and we'll have all colours back in stock.
 
There are new colours of Lang sock yarn in the store. 75% superwash wool and 25% nylon. We have used this yarn for many pairs of socks and don't look after them. They go in the washing machine and in the dryer. The interesting thing about Lang Self-Striping yarns is that they include heel re-inforcement yarn to strengthen the heels and toes which will lengthen the life of your sock.


We are well stocked in Magic Tweed from Lang.
Beautiful soft tweed superwash yarn. 62% Virgin Wool Superwash, 18% Nylon, 10% Viscose, 10% Acrylic.
Perfect for the person in your life who doesn't want wild socks.

↧
Search

poms and dots

December 12, 2016, 4:25 pm
$
0
0
Beth decided she needed a fast project. The Big Hat (pattern free on Ravelry) fits the bill. She knit it on Friday night. One skein of tosh ASAP and 10mm needles.

We added a 13cm faux fur pom pom. It is so cute!

Her next project is a bit more work but she's enjoying the cables.
Pattern: Valanar (purchased on Ravelry)
The pattern is 50% off till Dec 15th, 2016. No code is necessary, the price will be adjusted automatically at the checkout.
Happy Holidays! 
Yarn: 1 skein of tosh vintage in the colour Electric Rainbow

There are super pretty stitch markers on the way to us from jennyanydots. They should be in the store on Wednesday morning.
jennyanydots stitch markers come as a set of 10 snag and dangle-free markers - 9 matching markers and 1 contrasting marker (for marking the start of rounds, for example).
We will be receiving
-small dots (up to 4mm) $6
-medium dots (up to 6mm) $6
-large dots (up to 10mm) $6
-triangle dots (up to 4.5mm) $8
-locking dots $9

There will be an assortment of colours and I don't know what they will be until we open the box. I just asked for pretty :)

Now it's time for some Christmas baking.
↧
↧

Franklin Habit and Lorna's Laces

December 13, 2016, 11:13 am
$
0
0
The Christmas baking last night was a lot of work. :)

You still have time to join the KAL for the Marley Blanket hosted by Franklin Habit and Lorna's Laces.
Lorna's Laces did not kit the red/yellow version that is pictured in the finished throw but they can make you a kit in it's likeness if that is the colourway you want. The throw pictured is the XLarge size.

We are going to be doing the Cloudgate kits - these will make the bulky version. The colours available are
Cam (the colour that I am doing)
Ernie
Pedro
Rosamond
Samwise

There are 4 sizes on the blanket pattern. The pattern is not included in the kit - you need to purchase it on Ravelry.
The finished blanket measures approximately 27 (36, 48, 58)” wide by 36 (49, 70, 83)” long, but will vary based upon finished gauge and blocking. 
Small - takes 1 kit
Medium - takes 2 kits
Large - takes 3 kits
XLarge - takes 4 kits

Each kit is $125.

Order your kit/kits now to make sure they are in stock before the end of December.

Dad took Lucy to the dog park and then in for a visit. She was very well behaved - she didn't touch a ball of yarn (or our lunch).
↧

Hedgehog

December 14, 2016, 7:43 am
$
0
0
We just received a shipment from Hedgehog Fibres.

We are now carrying Sock - there are 26 awesome colours in the box.
Fingering weight yarn, 90% Merino wool, 10% nylon, superwash. 21.5 micron Merino wool, softly spun, non-scratchy yarn. This is our most popular and famous yarn base, and for good reason. The perfect balance of soft and durable, the dye takes especially beautifully on this base. The ideal yarn for accessories, especially Stephen West designs for fingering weight yarns. It is fantastic for for shawls, scarves, baby items, hats and more! It can also be held double for a DK project which makes a soft, supple fabric with even more variegation.

If you are looking for a durable yarn for sock knitting, we would recommend our Twist Sock base.


And we have Sock Minis.
A mini version of our Sock Yarn! Little cuties are 20g/80m.
Fingering weight yarn, 90% Merino wool, 10% nylon, superwash. 21.5 micron Merino wool, softly spun, non-scratchy yarn.
These are great for a pop of colour, a contrast edging, hem or a border. Or stripes, colourwork, granny squares, baby socks, hexipuffs, yarn swaps, and so much more!
There are 30 different colours of minis.
Pattern: Born Trippy (free from Hedgehog)
Just one skein of Hedgehog Fibres Sock Yarn together with four Sock Minis will knit up into this cute little chevron scarf. Use your prized favourite speckle-tastic skein! Add a few pops of colour with the Minis, or use a second full skein for a slightly longer scarf. Speckles work well with a matching or a contrasting semi-solid.

There are also 19 colours of Skinny Singles and 4 colours of Twist Sock. Stock up before it's gone.
↧

Find Your Fade

December 15, 2016, 11:45 am
$
0
0
There is a great new pattern on Ravelry called Find Your Fade.
Starting at a single point and growing, shifting and fading into a piece that begs to be wrapped up in. is asymmetrical triangle shawl uses some clever increasing and decreasing, combined with relaxing garter stitch and simple lace so that you have a fun-to-knit canvas to play with mixing colors on! is shawl is all about making it your own. Let your creativity shine!!
Get creative - this is YOUR shawl! Use only 1 color, or 3, or 10. Need help with color selections? I highly recommend diving into your stash (or the shelves of your LYS) and untwisting the skeins and then laying them next to each other. Look for nuances that can be seen from one color to the next - if your first color has some gold (like mine), why not snag an awesome speckled skein that also has some gold and another color you love (ahem - pink), so that after the speckled skein you can start stitching up that favorite pink skein you have been hoarding! And so on and so forth! 
I took four sets of colours home last night and this is the one that I'm going to use. From left to right
Sorry not Sorry
Pheasant
Copper Penny
Monarch
Genie
Villain
Pollen (mini skein)
I put together some other combinations.
Ferrum
Raven
Velvet
Ghost
Petrol
Dragonfly
Wish 
Swamp
Envy
Villain
Pinky Swear
Genie
Monarch
Copper Penny
Sorry not Sorry
Jelly
Villain
Pinky Swear
Genie
Monarch
Copper Penny

It's been a few days of unpacking.

Lots of Woolstok from Blue Sky.

A shipment from Prism. I'm going to blog about the amazing colours tomorrow.

More Caracol from Malabrigo.

Party of Five kits from SweetGeorgia.

I'm blogging early today because it's my dad's company Christmas party later this afternoon. This way I know my work for today is finished.
↧
↧

Gradients

December 16, 2016, 5:18 pm
$
0
0
We received a box of beautiful yarn from Prism yesterday. This is the Gradient Wrap knit with one Gradient Pack.
Designed to dip gracefully in the back, this subtly shaped shawl will fit comfortably on your shoulders.
Since each row is cut and tied to the next to create fringe as you work, there is very little finishing involved.
Our Gradient Packs come with one skein each of eight shades from light to dark.

The eccentric chevron pattern adds just enough interest to keep the knitting engaging, and the softly moving colors speak in waves. Twisted cord fringe adds a finishing touch.
 

Bayleaf
With eight subtle shades ranging from the barest tint to deep strength, our versatile Gradient Packs contain eight 2 oz skeins of Merino Mia for 1520 yards of fine merino wool.
Gray
Blue
Taupe
 
Grape

We have a new shawl in the store. The Evolution Kit from Wendy comes with two patterns - one knit and one crocheted. The knit version turned out great.


Scarf/shawl kit in a box. Super soft, hand knotted colour changing yarn (the colour change is produced by dyeing each colour separately and then hand tying set lengths of yarn together), packaged to work straight from the box. Our Evolution designs are precisely written to require one 150 gram ball.

50% cotton/50% acrylic
I couldn't help myself and started my Find Your Fade this morning. The first section (garter stitch) is finished and I'm onto the lace section. 12 more rows and I get to add in the next colour. It's time to knit. I should be doing other work but I need to have pictures for tomorrow's blog post - I can justify anything.
↧

Outside the Box

December 17, 2016, 5:28 pm
$
0
0
I made it to the second colour. These aren't colours that I normally work with but sometimes you need to get out of the comfortable box and try something new.

The pattern is well written and easy to follow.

There could be lots more knitting tonight. It will depend on the football and hockey games. If they aren't exciting then it might be bed. I was up very early shoveling our driveway and cleaning the cars. The roads weren't great on my drive to work and when I got the store the parking lot hadn't been cleared. I spent time shoveling until the plow arrived. I'm a bit tired tonight.

Find your Fade (pattern purchased on Ravelry)

There is a KAL for the shawl on Ravelry. The designer says that it's okay to start early so I am. I don't think it's possible but I'd love to have the shawl finished when I go to TNNA at the end of January.

I put together another combination today. This is Dandelion from madelinetosh. From top to bottom
Flycatcher Blue
Aura
Court & Spark
Whiskers
Silver Leaf
Undergrowth
Chicory

A bit subdued compared to what I am doing :) I think it will be beautiful.

As I'm writing, I received a text from my mom. Lucy is lying on the landing going upstairs.
I guess she can keep an eye on everyone from here. 

Football is about to start and my knitting is calling.
↧

Finished Projects

December 18, 2016, 5:26 pm
$
0
0
Lynn finished a very pretty pair of socks. The pattern is called Embossed Leaves (purchased on Ravelry). It is one of her favourite patterns. She used one skein of Twist Sock from Hedgehog. A sad story about her second sock. She was almost finished when she found a mistake so she ripped out the whole sock and started again. The good part of her sad story. She commented that when the yarn was rolled back into the ball you couldn't tell that it had already been knit. Sometimes the yarn is kinky. Not Twist Sock.

The socks are a very good example about why you should block. The lace pattern lies flat. It makes a big difference.

Beth finished Valanar (pattern purchased on Ravelry) with one skein of tosh vintage. We were worried that the cables wouldn't show up in this colour (Electric Rainbow) but they do.

Six more rows of lace and then I'm onto the garter section. That means the next colour gets to play.
↧
Search

Potluck

December 19, 2016, 6:09 pm
$
0
0
I made it to the third colour tonight.
Yes, I'm a bit obsessed. You need to pay a bit of attention in the lace sections but then you get a chunk of garter stitch. Perfect for watching TV.

I was talking with the good folks at Hedgehog Fibres today and our next order is being dyed right now. There will be 4 potluck colours in the shipment. 2 in Sock and 2 in Skinny Singles.
'Potluck' colourways are one of a kind dyelots that will not be repeated. Their style is the dyers choice, and can be fun and experimental!
I can't wait to see them. I have a feeling that a few might make it into another Find Your Fade.
The designs from Rowan Magazine 61 look amazing. Hithe reminds me of sweaters we saw from Kim Hargreaves and Annabel Fox in the early days of Rowan. I think I'm going to need this sweater.

Just a reminder of our hours for the next few weeks

Holiday Hours
Friday December 23 10-7
Saturday December 24 10-2
Sunday December 25 Closed
Monday December 26 Closed
Tuesday December 27 10-5:30
Wednesday December 28 10-5:30
Thursday December 29 10-5:30
Friday December 30 12-7
Saturday December 31 10-1
Sunday January 1 Closed
Monday January 2 10-5:30

It's that time. Tea. Knitting. Property Brothers.
↧
↧

Clip??

December 20, 2016, 5:21 pm
$
0
0
Lynda is going to be busy during the holidays. She is making the Library Vest from Churchmouse Yarns for us. The yarn is Zara from Filatura di Crosa.
Here is a picture of this project in the beginning stages.  Gauge swatch blocked to exactly 6"

When I reviewed the pattern, I was a little nervous about the "Clip and turn". I simply followed the directions and was very pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.  Churchmouse patterns are really well written.
Lynda had me a bit freaked out with her email. Why is she cutting?

I just read through the pattern and "Clip and turn" has nothing to do with scissors. It is an interesting way to do a wrap and turn. Whew.

With simple styling that lends itself to the classroom, workplace or weekend, this vest is so classic, so quintessential, it could become your uniform. The jumper length has a certain schoolgirl chic. The abridged, hip-length version is a flattering layer without the bulk of a sweater. Either way, it’s a nice little primer of techniques you’ll use again and again.
↧

Boxing Week

December 21, 2016, 11:58 am
$
0
0
We're getting the store ready for Boxing Week. There will be bright pink and yellow signs though out the store showing the yarns that are on sale. The sale will run from Tuesday December 27 until Saturday December 31.

We are offering 25% off on

-Select Rowan Yarns
-Charly from Filatura di Crosa
-Sportwool from Filatura di Crosa
-Loyal 8ply from Naturally
-Self-patterning, commercially dyed sock yarns
-Camelot from Classic Elite
-all Noro yarns
-Sublime Luxurious Tweed DK
-all Zen Yarn Garden yarns

There are still a few days so this list could be getting longer.

If you purchase 10 balls of the same yarn (it doesn't have to be the same colour) then we will give you an extra 10% off.

No returns. No exchanges. No holds. All Sales Final.

Gale (pattern purchased on Ravelry) is knit with Charly and takes 12 balls for the small. That means 35% off.
The Easy Fold Poncho (pattern purchased on Ravelry) is knit in Sportwool. The poncho with the collar takes 8 balls.

You can also use this pattern with Loyal or Sublime Tweed DK.

The Camelot Ridged Cowl (free pattern on Ravelry) takes two balls of Camelot.

There hasn't been a lot of knitting happening. Beth and I are hosting Boxing Day dinner so we need to get the house in order. There is also Christmas shopping to be done. I still have a few days :)
↧

Boxing Day

December 21, 2016, 4:33 pm
$
0
0
Rosa Rosae is knit with one Party of Five Tough Love Sock kit from SweetGeorgia.

For December 26 only we will have the following yarns on sale on the website.
  
Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock 20% off
tosh sock 20% off
SweetGeorgia Party of Five kits 20% off
Spud & Chloe Sweater 20% off

The discount will be taken when you check out. No returns. No exchanges. All sales final.

If you live in the area, complete the purchase online noting that you will pick up the order in the store. Pay for your purchase online and we will refund the shipping when you pick up your yarn.

Here are some pattern suggestions
Hitchhiker knit with one Party of Five kit on 3.75mm needles.
Meadowside knit with 2 colours (1 ball each) of Rialto Luxury sock.
 Zickzack knit in Rialto Luxury Sock. 2 colours - 1 ball each.
The Puddle Jumper Poncho is knit in Spud & Chloe Sweater.
The Candy Stripe Jacket is knit in Spud & Chloe Sweater.

Spud & Chloe Sweater is worsted weight and the other three yarns are fingering weight. There are many, many (and even more) pattern options on Ravelry for all the yarns.
↧

Dotted Rays - Speckled Fade

December 22, 2016, 6:41 pm
$
0
0
Stephen West has a new pattern. Dotted Rays - Speckled Fade (purchased on Ravelry).
This top-down shawl is a colorful variation of the original Dotted Rays design. Choose 5 or 6 colors and create your own gradient by striping the colors together using the Speckled Fade color technique. Westknits shortcut rows with yarn over holes form the long curved shape. Select between the multiple border options and knit a large or super large sized shawl.

The main difference between this variation and the original is the chevron border option.

This shawl excites me. My shawl will have the chevron edging. I think it finishes off the shawl really well.

Our next shipment from Hedgehog Fibres has been packed and delivered to the post office in Ireland. We should see it the first week of January. I wasn't thinking - I should have asked them to take pictures of our Potluck colours and send them to me.  I don't know if I can wait :)
I'm having fun knitting Find Your Fade. I hope to get to the next colour tomorrow but realistically it will be Saturday.

Don't forget that we're in the store tomorrow from 10-7 and then 10-2 on Saturday. Don't get caught with time off of work and no knitting.
↧
↧

Two More Sleeps

December 23, 2016, 5:35 pm
$
0
0
The big day is almost here. The store will be open tomorrow from 10-2. Then we're closed until Tuesday.

This is the Plank Stole (pattern purchased on Ravelry) knit in 2 skeins of Serenity Glitter Sock.

All Zen Yarn Garden yarns are 25% off next week. Here are a few patterns that will look great knit in any of the sock yarns from Zen.

Caliadne (pattern purchased on Ravelry) knit with 2 skeins of Serenity Glitter Sock.

Castalia (pattern purchased on Ravelry) knit in 2 skeins of Serenity Glitter Sock.


Mr. Fed Ex brought us a box from Blue Sky Fibers this afternoon. We are well stocked on all colours of Woolstok.
The Trimont Snood (pattern purchased on Ravelry) 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 made it to the fourth colour of Find Your Fade. I'm going to knit a few rows and relax with a cup of tea. Then bed. I need to be rested for tomorrow - the last minute shoppers and the knitters who need a project for the holidays.
↧

One More Sleep

December 24, 2016, 6:56 pm
$
0
0
I've reached the fourth colour and the shape of the shawl is starting to change. Until now there was increasing at the beginning and end of every row. Now the increasing is done on one edge.

Dad and Lucy went to the dog park and then came to visit. She likes coming to the store because it means a visit to Tims. Two dog cookies. The ladies were having so much visiting with her that they forgot to give dad my tea.
I'm pretty sure this is how she looks at Tims.

It's been a quiet evening at my house. Beth and I were getting things ready for Monday's dinner. Now a bit of knitting and then bed. I want to make sure that I'm asleep when Santa arrives.
↧
Search

Go Cowboys

December 26, 2016, 5:41 pm
$
0
0
I hope everyone had a safe and Merry Christmas.

It's been a busy few days in my house which means not a lot of knitting. We hosted 10 for an early dinner tonight. The dishes are in the dishwasher and the house has been tidied. After I finish my post I'm going to sit down with a cup of tea and my knitting.
This is the piece that Beth and I gave each other for Christmas. It looks small in the picture but it is 4 feet long and 2 feet tall.
When we saw it at One of a Kind we knew that it was coming home with us.

Here is my Find Your Fade so far. 12 more rows of lace and then I get to join the next colour.
There is a very pressing matter this evening. Beth and I are playing for the championship in our Fantasy Football league. Right now we are losing but if it goes right tonight we will win. Go Cowboys!
↧

Lemongrass

December 27, 2016, 5:00 pm
$
0
0
Wannietta came for a visit today and brought a new sample. We still need to add the buttons (in the side seams) but I wanted to show the picture right away.
Pattern: Lemongrass (pattern purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Cascade Eco - 2 skeins of Turtle
Size: Medium

Lynn tried on the sweater and was raving about it. I asked her to do a short review.
Cascade Eco + is incredibly soft, I had a short sleeve t-shirt on under the sweater and it felt great. I love the stitch definition and the cables look amazing. I am definitely adding Lemongrass to my Ravelry queue. Now the problem is which colour to choose.

While Wannietta was here another of my knitters came in. I didn't get to talk to her because it was crazy busy. Sorry Lynda. You've read her name many times and now you can put a face to the name.

If you didn't make it into the store today, don't worry. We still have lots of great yarns on sale. Don't forget that if you buy 10 balls of the same SALE yarn (it doesn't have to be the same colour) we will give you an extra 10% off.
↧
↧

Changing my Mind

December 28, 2016, 4:47 pm
$
0
0
Now that I'm into the fourth colour of Find Your Fade I think I need to change my last three colours.
Originally I was going to end with the pink, pink/rust then rust but the fourth colour is knitting up more turquoise than I thought it would.
I'm going to end with turquoise/teal tones. I think.

Glacier
The next shipment from Hedgehog should be arriving soon. It's left Heathrow and we're waiting for it to clear customs. One or two of the potluck colours might work in my shawl. If one of them doesn't work then Glacier could be the next colour. Or I could go in a totally different direction.

I have a few other projects at home so I can let this one sit for a week :)

And in very happy news. We won our Fantasy Football. It's the first time in all our years of playing.


↧

Pattern Sale

December 29, 2016, 1:44 pm
$
0
0
A newsletter came from Ambah O'Brien this morning.
I feel quite pleased when I look back at the 20 patterns I released in 2016. Mostly shawls, including 8 that were a part of the Chroma Collection. 2016 has been a highly satisfying journey.

I have collated a bundle over in my Ravelry store of the twenty patterns, these all automatically have a 20% discount through to January 2nd, So if you missed the discount when a pattern was first released here is your chance now.
Yemaya Shawl - knit in fingering weight.

This is Alinda. We have the shawl hanging in the store knit in Mrs. Crosby Reticule.
 

Ambah's Lamina and mine knit in Cheshire Cat.
See the patterns that are included in the 20% off sale...

Don't miss out on a chance to add these great patterns to your Ravelry library.
↧

Leftovers

December 30, 2016, 2:12 pm
$
0
0
A few customers have shown interest in making Find Your Fade but the number of skeins in the pattern is a concern to them. You will have a lot of yarn left over.

If your skeins are 400 yards then you will start with 2800 yards. The shawl needs approximately 1540 yards.

Color A - 80yd
Color B - 160yd
Color C - 240yd
Color D - 260yd
Color E - 280yd
Color F - 320yd
Color G - 200yd

That will leave you about 1260 yards.
That is enough to make Outline.

A customer came in this morning with 4 skeins of stash yarn and we added 3 skeins of tosh sock. She has an amazing combination for Find Your Fade. Take a look at what you have hiding at home.

Wannietta is working on Born Trippy. She is using one skein of Hedgehog Sock with 4 Hedgehog Sock Minis.
You can use all your leftovers from Find Your Fade to make the scarf.

It sounds like a lot of yarn but you will enough to make two amazing shawls. Join the fun!
↧
Viewing all 4079 articles
Browse latest View live
Search