Woolercoaster's Wonderful World of Wool August 12-18

Things were a little quieter on the knitting front this week.  But there were a few new items that caught my attention.

1.  Birds of a Feather shawl pattern by Andrea Mowry, originally published in Laine Magazine, Issue 2, is now available for individual purchase.  This shawl is a gorgeous knit using two skeins of yarn.  In the sample, Hedgehog Skinny Singles is combined with Hedgehog Fibres Kidsilk Lace, a luscious 70% mohair 30% silk yarn blend.  Check out the finished projects on Ravelry as there are already so many beautiful versions.  This shawl is definitely going into my knitting queue.

An Isabell Kraemer sweater from this same publication is also available for purchase.  Sibeal, a light fingering weight sweater knit from the top down is one of those comfortable sweater patterns we expect from this designer.

2.  I don't know about you, but I watch more podcasts on YouTube these days than I do t.v.  I especially love watching knitting podcasts as there are so many excellent ones to choose from.  One of the newer ones I love is the Yarn Pimp Podcast, hosted by owner Karen Posniak of Do Ewe Knit? a yarn store in New Jersey.  She is joined by the bubbly Danielle Guinta.  Past podcasts include a visit to the Hedgehog Fibres headquarters, and interviews with guests such as Stephen West, kristyglassknits, and Kristen Lehrer of Voolenvine Knits.  The latest episode is here.  Karen Posniak is a big supporter of indie dyers and carries a variety of brands.

Another one of my favourite podcasts is  the Grocery Girls, two Canadian knitters from Edmonton, Alberta. If you haven't had the pleasure of watching them yet check out their latest episode here.

3.  I love a sale and here is a good one:  designer Ambah O'Brien is taking 50% off one her patterns for 24 hours each day this month.  Check out her Instagram feed daily to see the design that is being discounted.  Her patterns are well written and very wearable.  I was so happy to be able to buy the Xandra Wrap, her newest publication at the reduced price. 

Here's another deal:  Hilary Smith Callis has just published Aeque, a very pretty gradient cowl pattern, that blends together five colours of fingering weight yarn. Perfect for those leftovers.   The deal is that if you purchase this pattern you can also buy any of her shawl or cowl patterns for 50% off.  Hurry, this offer ends midnight August 19th (Pacific time).

I am adding another new feature this week to my blog:

Tip of the Week:

Random stripe generator:  I  am currently working on a baby blanket using four different colours of yarn.  I was trying to decide how to effectively place the stripes when I remembered this website which generates a striping pattern for your selected colours.  I decided on this pattern:

My stripe pattern

The neat thing about this website is if you don't like the suggested combination of stripes you can refresh the page until you are happy.  

The pattern I am knitting with this combination of stripes is called the Chevron Baby Blanket, a free pattern by Espace Tricot.  This is my first time knitting with Blue Sky Fibers Worsted Cotton.  I am not a huge fan of knitting with cotton but I have to admit that I am happy with how this blanket is turning out.

Chevron Baby Blanket

I hope you enjoyed this new addition to Woolercoaster's Wonderful World of Wool. (My son thought of that title and I am going with it.  LOL)   Here's hoping you have a happy and relaxing weekend.

On the Needles: Blue Brick Yarn, Camellia Fiber Company, & Sweet Fiber Yarns

After getting Madewell off my needles I was very happy to pick a few smaller projects to work on over the next few weeks.  I focused on three yarns I was excited to get on the needles, and after perusing Ravelry in search of that perfect pattern match, I decided on the following:

The first skein that was calling my name was Blue Brick Killarney Sock , an ombré yarn in the colourway Labradorite, an 80% merino and 20% nylon blend.

Blue Brick Killarney Sock

After seeing Julie Crawford's version of Starshower  I decided that I had to get this pattern out of my queue and onto my needles. This lacey cowl, designed by Hilary Smith Callis, is knit back and forth until it is long enough to be joined in the round.  Here's my progress so far.

Starshower by Alicia Plummer

Another skein I have  been excited to cast on is Camellia Fiber Company CFC Flax DK  in Rose Quartz that I have previously showed you.  I only have one skein of this yarn and I really wanted to pick a pattern to showcase this unique blend of fibers (50% alpaca, 25% flax, 25% silk).  I wish you could feel how soft this yarn is.  I have never knit with anything like it before.  After looking at many patterns I decided on Antiquity by Alicia Plummer, a beautiful set of mitts. I love the eyelets and I am so happy with how it's turning out.

Camellia Fiber Flax DK in Rose Quartz

And finally, the third pattern I started is a shawl that I have seen in person, when I was in Vancouver last month.  As mentioned previously in this blog I was quite taken by the display of softsweater's shawls that I saw on display at the yarn store 88 Stitches.  I really think the photos on Ravelry don't do them justice.  A fingering weight shawl called Lanterns was one I knew I definitely had to knit. However, instead of fingering yarn I decided to go with a DK yarn I had in stash called Sweet Fiber Yarns Cashmere DK in Spiced Pumpkin.  I have 800 m of this gorgeous yarn, and I feel that it is going to create a luxurious shawl, that will show off the beautiful stitches in this pattern very well.

Sweet Fiber Yarns Cashmere DK in Spiced Pumpkin

Lanterns

So there you have it, my friends.  That is my knitting plan for the immediate future.  What's on your needles?

Vacation Knitting

When I visited New York City a couple weekends ago I knew that it would be a whirlwind trip and only brought my Indigo Dreams Sweet Fiber Yarns socks to work on.  That was the right move as I barely had time or the energy to knit. But every now and then I get to go on a holiday where I know there will be plenty of time for knitting.  My husband and I are taking such a trip.  We are venturing out to Vancouver and taking a driving trip to tour around the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Yes a driving trip means lots of knitting time.  Yippee!  But as every obsessed knitter knows the real question is what should I bring to knit?  I always like to work on more than one project at a time and I definitely don't want to run out of yarn.  However, I don't want to take up too much space in my suitcase with yarn.  So here is what I am thinking:

Pure Worsted by cabinfour 

I want to knit the simple shawl with Woolfolk Far that I picked up at Purl Soho. I cannot tell you how incredible this yarn feels and luxurious it would feel around your neck.  It is made up of ultimate merino and is a chainette construction. You can read about Woolfolk here and a yarn review here.  I think this combination of yarn and pattern will be amazing.

Woolfolk Far

Next on my list is a shawl I have been slowly working on that deserves some attention, Sidere, a lace weight shawl by Hilary Smith Callis.  For this pattern I am finally using my Merletto yarn by Julie Asselin, a gorgeous blend of 75% merino, 15% cashmere, and 10% silk in the colourway Coraline. 

Julie Asselin Merletto:  Coraline

Now if I want to go a little crazy I could bring yarn to start my next sweater project.  Here are the two patterns that have made it to the top of my queue.

Lake Effect by Amy Miller is a pattern that I have written about on my blog before.  This lacy cardigan would be perfect with my Sweet Fiber Yarns Super Sweet Sock Yarn in Chartreuse.  However, knitting a lace pattern always takes a lot of concentration on my part.  Maybe I could just get it started?

Lake Effect gauge swatch

Sweet Fiber Super Sweet Sock

The other pattern that I am all set to knit is Mailin by Isabell Kraemer.  I have been wanting to knit a pattern by this designer for some time.  I have found the perfect yarn to knit it in:  Plucky Knitter Scholar, a 75% Merino 25% Cashmere worsted weight yarn, in the colourway Twill.  This pattern is much easier than Lake Effect but it uses heavier yarn and I know the temperature in the Okanagan is quite hot.

Plucky Knitter Scholar:  Twill

I am not sure what I will decide to bring but hopefully I can show you some progress when I return.  I find it hilarious that I am spending all this time planning my knitting but no time on what I am packing to wear!  But I know you knitters totally understand.

I hope you all find yourself with some holiday knitting time.  Happy knitting everyone!

Off the Needles

I really am in a purple state of mind...if you read my last couple of blogs ( here and here)I had recently purchased some purple yarn.  Well here is a shawl that I just finished that is purple too!  It is a new pattern by Hilary Smith Callis called Shadow and Glow.  I really like the way she wears the shawl in several different ways.  I always find that a bit of a challenge...figuring out how to wear a shawl comfortably.

It is a very relaxing knit using two colours of yarn.  I choose Malabrigo sock in violeta african and Madelinetosh Eyre Light in Jacaranda Bloom.  This was the first time I used Eyre Light, a merino, silk and alpaca blend and it was an absolute delight to work with.  Incredibly soft to touch.  Here are my notes about the pattern.