Happy Mother's Day and Suggestions on How To Spend a Day of Leisure

Happy Mother's Day!

Hopefully you will find time to relax this weekend whether you are a mother or not.  May I humbly offer a few suggestions to help fill your day?

While sipping on your morning coffee/tea, how about reading a few blogs?

Inspiring Blogs
The Fringe Association
Knitted Bliss
The Gift of Knitting
Purl Soho
The Blue Brick
Blueberry Hill Crafting

Pick up a knitting/crocheting project and watch some vlogs to keep you entertained:

Favourite Vlogs
Along the Lanes
Legacy Knitz
Casey Neistat
Fun for Louis

Of course checking out the newest patterns on Ravelry is a must.  Brooklyn Tweed is coming out with a new pattern collection May 11th, which I am sure many of you are looking forward to checking out.

Craftsy Tutorials
How about picking a Craftsy Class and learn something new?  There are so many classes to choose from in a variety of the arts.  Recently I bought My First Toe Up Socks by Susan B. Anderson.  I have been working on a pair of striped socks using Scrumptiouspurl Stripe Me Up yarn that I purchased at the Knitter Frolic's show in Toronto last weekend from Shall We Knit, a yarn store located in Waterloo.

Scrumptiouspurl Yarn

This class was the perfect cure to a hectic week.  I followed along listening to Susan's calming and encouraging voice and before I knew it I had knit my first pair of striped toe up socks.  It was the perfect balance to my crazy week. This is the fifth pair of socks I have ever knit but my first pair of toe up socks, using the afterthought heel and Russian bind off.  I am so pleased with my socks because Susan's instructions on gauge and fit are extremely helpful and have led to the first pair I have knit that truly fit.  

Essential Techniques Every Knitter Should Know  by Sally Melville is another Craftsy video that I recommend to all my knitting friends. I love this kind of platform for learning.  You can return to your video time and time again and even ask questions if you get stuck. Let's face it some of the videos on Youtube teaching knitting are not the best.  Craftsy gives you a chance to learn from an expert instructor who teaches knitting for a living.

Awaiting the afterthought heel

Books & Magazines
There are so many knitting books and magazines available.  Have you had a look at these?
Swoon
Knitlandia
Knit-Wear Magazine

And for a non-knitting favourite, here is a fantastic cookbook that comes highly recommended to me by a friend who is a cooking expert.
The Yellow Table 

I am looking forward to doing a few of these suggestions today while I enjoy some knitting time.  Those socks are awaiting the after thought heels and I will finish them up today.

And lastly, how about checking out some Instagram feeds. (Don't forget about mine:  woolercoaster :) There are so many fantastic ones out there.  Here are a few yarn stores Instagram feeds that I love, some of which I have had the good fortune to visit.

Instagram 
La Bien Aimée-a yarn store in France
Do Ewe Knit-a New Jersey yarn store with the best yarn photos
Fibre Space-a yarn store in Alexandria, Virginia
Loop London-another fabulous yarn store in London

Happy Mother's Day!

Have a wonderful day!

A Look Back: 2015

2015 saw me immerse myself in knitting more than ever. I continue to enjoy learning about it and am constantly impressed with the variety of yarns, patterns, books, blogs and videos, etc. dedicated to this craft.  It's a great time to be a knitter and I still have so much to learn.  In honour of all things knitting I present you with my second annual list of Knitting Favourites of 2015.

Best Yarn Shop:  I had the pleasure of visiting 88 Stitches this past spring and I liked everything about it.  88 Stitches is located in Langley, B.C. and is the perfect size for a yarn shop, carrying a great variety of yarn including my favourite, Sweet Fiber Yarns. In fact Melissa Thomson's mother owns this shop. It was bright and sunny in the store and the owner was so friendly.  I truly wish this was my neighbourhood store as I would love to visit frequently.

Best Shawl: Of the seven shawls I knit this year I would have to say that Cladonia, by Kirsten Kapur is my favourite of the year.  Knit in Sweet Fiber Yarn Super Sweet Sock in Chartreuse and String Theory Caper Sock Yarn in Java, it is a beautiful combination of colour and pattern. The shape of the shawl makes it easy to wear and the cashmere in Caper Sock Yarn makes it so soft.

Cladonia by Kirsten Kapur

Best Sweater/Cardigan:  This was a hard choice for me to make as I knit four cardigans and three sweaters, all of which I absolutely love.  However, I am choosing Japan Sleeves, a sweater by Joji Locatelli because of its unique and fun construction.  I enjoyed every second of knitting this sweater.  The  lace inserts in the sleeves were knit first, and if you look at the photos below, you can see how the body of the sweater was constructed.  It was such a unique way to knit a sweater.  I hadn't had as much fun knitting a sweater since I knit Hitofude last year.  I also liked the colour combination of Madelinetosh's Molly Ringwald and Teddy Bear, creating a perfect spring sweater.

Lace panels were knit first and then the sleeve construction began

Once the sleeves were done knitting the body was knit in the round

Knit in Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light:  Teddy Bear and Molly Ringwald

Best Knitted Accesssory:  2015 is the year I knit my first pair of socks so I must choose my Wildflower Socks knit in Sweet Fiber Yarns Super Sweet Sock. I followed Susan B. Anderson's How I Knit My Socks, a great basic pattern for newbies like me.  I have to say I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed knitting them.   But to me, the best part of sock knitting is wearing the socks.   They are so much better than store bought ones.  I definitely see more knitted socks in my future.

Sweet Fiber Yarns Super Sweet Sock:  Wildflowers

Best Yarn Brand:  My choice from last year was Canada's own Melissa Thomson of Sweet Fiber Yarns.  Her eye for colour is beautiful. But if I had to pick a new yarn brand for this year I would have to choose Woolfolk yarn. I had the opportunity to knit the pattern Pure Worsted with Woolfolk Far that I purchased at Purl Soho in New York.  It is a 100% merino with a chainette construction having a micron count of 17.5 (instead of the usual 35 which most wool products have).  I can't say enough good things about this yarn.  It is so soft that knitting and wearing an item knit in this yarn is pure bliss.

Best Yarn Colour:  This year I have continued becoming more passionate about photographing yarn and I have hundreds of photos to prove it.  There are so many gorgeous colourways available.   However, I would say that my favourite colourway of the year would be Monarch in Sweet Fiber Yarns Super Sweet Sock.  This yarn was part of Sweet Fiber's 2015 Sock Club and this is a skein that needs to be admired for a while before being knitted with.

Yarn That Surprised Me:  I tried Plucky Knitter Scholar for the first time this year, not knowing what to expect.  When you buy yarn online, without seeing it in person, it is always a risk.  However, I was not disappointed.  This worsted weight yarn is a 25% cashmere 75% wool blend.  I chose to knit Mailin by Isabell Kraemer with it.  This yarn gives you the perfect level of warmth but is not overly heavy or scratchy in the slightest.  I would love to knit a cardigan out of it but I will have to wait for the Canadian dollar to bounce back.

Mailin by Isabell Kraemer

Best Lookbook:  Although Brooklyn Tweed is still my favourite I think this year I would choose the Plucky Knitter Fall Collection Lookbook.  The Plucky Knitter has continued to make great strides this year to provide beautiful, highly wearable patterns and their lookbook shares their fun attitude toward knitting.  The use of bright colours and beautiful scenery in the Lookbook makes you want to knit every pattern that is in it.

Best Knitting Book:  I bought several knitting books this year but the one that stands out is Home and Away:  Knits for Everyday Adventures by Hannah Fettig. Often I buy knitting books that are beautiful to look at but only contain one or two patterns that I would ever knit.  However, I would love to knit each item in this book.  Another great feature of the book is that each pattern consists of directions for knitting a seamed or non-seamed sweater, depending on your preference.

Best Knitting Blog:   My choice is, without a doubt Fringe Association written by Karen Templer of Fringe Supply Co. If you haven't read this blog yet I can't recommend it enough.  Karen writes about knitting and sewing in an unique way.  For example, this year she hosted a Fringe and Friends Knitalong where she chose a sweater to knit and invited famous knitwear designers to knit the same sweater, and share their modifications and experiences.  It's a great way to learn about ways to modify and the reasons to do so.  She also has a year long hat knitalong and offered free hat patterns to knit.  I always learn a lot from this blog and the content is so varied, it is never boring.

Best Knitting Vlog/Podcast:  I enjoyed knitting while listening to podcasts as well as watching video blogs (vlogs) this year.  The one I found the most entertaining is Along the Lanes by Vero (thatcanadiangirl on Ravelry).
Born in Ottawa, Canada, Vero now resides in the United Kingdom. Although Vero only began her vlog this year her enthusiasm and expertise are evident. The vlog really stand out as being unique, creative and fun to watch, you never know what to expect.  For example, in one episode she takes the viewers along with her on a London yarn crawl.  It's a ton of fun...you should really check her out.

Most Helpful Video:  A great crafting website that I turn to for help is Craftsy. The variety and level of expertise offered through this website is impressive. The Craftsy video that I have turned to the most this year is Essential Techniques Every Knitter Should Know by Sally Melville.  Even the most experienced knitter will get tips from this Craftsy class. The best part is you can return to it again and again.

Best Knitting Accessory:  I am smitten with these lovely screen printed bags created by Jenna Rose, an artisan from Ontario, Canada.  They are just so pretty and unique.

So there you have my round up of my 2015 favourites.  Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to read and comment on my blog this year.  It really means the world to me.  The knitting and yarn world is an exciting one to be a part of.  I look forward to knitting along with everyone in 2016. Happy New Year and all the best in the coming year! Thanks for stopping by.

F.O. Mailin in Plucky Knitter Scholar

Did you ever knit a pattern where every moment spent on it was so relaxing and it simply made you happy?  That's what happened when I was knitting this beautiful sweater by Isabell Kraemer called Mailin.  The pattern was well written and easy to follow, and the combination of pattern and yarn just worked out beautifully.  The yarn I chose for this project was the colourway Twill in Plucky Knitter Scholar, a lovely combination of merino (75%) and cashmere (25%). 

Plucky Knitter:  Scholar

Although I had other projects on the go, including two other sweaters, it was this project that I wanted to knit the most.  This pattern was straight forward, which I really appreciated, as my work life was extremely hectic during the time I knit it. Scholar was lovely to work with and I have found that a sweater knit up in this yarn is soft, lofty and warm. Knitting in a worsted weight yarn is so satisfying as you feel like you are making quick progress.  



I used three circular needles to knit the sleeves instead of the suggested dpns. I find that when using dpns my gauge gets much tighter and I have to adjust either the stitches and/or the needle size.  But using three circular needles completely solves the problem and I knit in a gauge that is consistent with the rest of the sweater.

Using circular needles on my sleeves

Instead of using the suggested M1R/M1L increases in the sleeve area I choose to use lifted increases as recommended in the Craftsy video:  Essential Techniques You Should Know by knitting expert Sally Melville.  It is Sally's preferred increase. This video is an excellent resource that I highly recommend…I use it over and over again and I think even the most experienced knitter would discover some helpful tips.

Anyway here is the finished product...I am so pleased with it.  This is one of these sweaters that I am looking forward to snuggling into as the days get cooler.  And I will always remember how knitting this sweater, during one of my busiest times at work, really helped me relax after a long day.  Knitting is magical, don't you agree?

FO: Caroline

Ta-dah! I finished my Caroline and it fits! When I knit a sweater and try it on for the first time I feel a bit of fear that all those hours knitting were wasted.  I am still at the stage of knitting where I am surprised when I knit a sweater that actually fits me properly.  I am very happy with the fit of this one.  I guess swatching does work!

This sweater was knit for the MadMay KAL, an annual knit-a-long, where during the month of May knitters sign up to make something with the very popular Madelinetosh yarn.  Sweaters are just one of the many categories.  Here are some other sweaters that were completed.  

Cables go up the sides both in the back and front

Caroline, is a seamed sweater, by Amy Miller, knit in fingering weight yarn.  I chose Robin Egg, a newly discontinued colour in Madelinetosh Merino Light. The colour is hard to capture on camera but it reminds me of candy floss. This sweater pattern was a very simple pattern to follow and made for a relaxing knit. However, the main reason I chose it was to practice my seaming skills. The front and back and sleeves were all knit separately.  Before attempting to seam this sweater I rewatched Sally Melville's Craftsy video called Essential Techniques Every Knitter Should Know. This video has helped me so many times with many different knitting techniques.  I highly recommend it.  I am always surprised at how long it takes to seam a sweater. You can do a beautiful job knitting all the pieces of a sweater but it's those last couple hours seaming that are the most important. I definitely want to practice more.

Caroline by Amy Miller

The only modification I made to this sweater was to knit the body in stockinette, instead of the reverse stockinette suggested in the pattern.

 
I enjoyed the process but I think I need to knit with thicker yarns for a bit before I go onto Lake Effect which will be my next fingering weight cardigan project.  I seem to gravitate to fingering weight sweater/cardigan patterns but knitting them is a slow process.  I need some instant gratification that a thicker yarn can provide.  So the pattern hunt begins!  

Olivia: Amy Miller & the Joy of Craftsy

When I am choosing something to knit I often try to pick a pattern which has an interesting element/stitch/technique/construction that I have not used before.  I am always on a quest to improve my knitting skills.  Isn't that the great thing about knitting?  There is always something new to learn.

I just completed Olivia by Amy Miller, using a new to me stitch, called knit one below (k1b) which creates a rib like pattern.  While knitting Olivia I soon learned that this stitch is very difficult to fix if an error is made, and at the time I unable to find a video to show me how to correct it, and I ended up ripping out quite a bit.  It was only after I finished knitting the pattern that I found a good one made by Bristol Ivy here. This was a fun pattern to knit and I really like how it turned out.  I had to modify it (see my notes) as the pattern seemed to consume a ton of yarn and three skeins of Tanis Fiber Arts Orange Label Yarn that I had on hand was not enough. Orange Label, a merino, cashmere and silk blend is so cozy to wear that I have had this scarf on quite a bit since I made it. I would love to knit a sweater with Orange Label.

Olivia by Amy Miller

Tanis Fiber Arts Orange Label:  Painted Jeans

Tanis Fiber Arts Orange Label

Another great resource I use frequently to help improve my skills is Craftsy, a website which has many how to videos on not only knitting, but a variety of other crafts as well.  The beauty of Craftsy is that you can learn from experts around the world about your favourite craft, and once you pay for the class you have access to the video forever, to refer to when needed.  

One such video that I have found to be very helpful is Patty Lyons Improve Your Knitting that teaches about the kinds of knitting styles.  I am an English style knitter and I have used her video to not only improve my English style knitting skills but also to experiment with other styles as well.  I feel that my speed has increased since I followed Patty Lyon's tutorial on how to purl Portuguese style. When knitting Japan Sleeves there are extremely long rows of purling and by using Portuguese knitting style I found the purling went much faster.  I can't tell you what a difference it made when knitting this sweater.

Another tutorial that I have found particularly useful is Sally Melville's  Essential Techniques Which Every Knitter Should Know which goes beyond the basics of knitting and purling and teaches you how to do increases, decreases, seaming, etc.  It has been extremely helpful to me with various patterns.  I have had the pleasure of attending one of Sally Melville's classes before and I can say that her Craftsy class was just as great except it can be replayed as often as I want!

Then of course there are the videos by Anne Hanson call the Ins and Outs of Grafting (it's free!) as well as Button Bands and Buttonholes.  Again both are well done and I refer to them often.  

Craftsy is a great place to help boost your knitting skills and confidence.  There are so many other great videos that I didn't even mention.  Have a look!

Have a great week everyone.