A Look Back: 2017

Like so many of you, I have continued my obsession with knitting and yarn.  I think there has to be some kind of Ravelry record set this year for the number of patterns published.  It seemed like everyday new patterns were popping up on the Ravelry Pattern page.  It was hard to keep up.  I have enjoyed checking out all the new patterns and yarn throughout the year and the size of my queue is ridiculous.  There are just so many patterns I want to knit.  I think we can all agree that 2017 will be remembered as the Year of the Fade thanks to Andrea Mowry.

I present to you my annual round up of favourites for 2017.

Best Yarn Shop:  Haus of Yarn, Nashville, Tennessee
The variety of yarn, the size and warmth of the store, and quantity of knitted samples was impressive.  I would highly recommend this store to anyone visiting the Nashville area.  You can read about my visit here. 

Just a sample of what Haus of Yarn carries (Wool & Boon and Old Rusted Chair)

Feyre Shawl by Shannon Cook:  one of the many samples at the store

Best Sweater/Cardigan:  Camira by Carol Feller. 
I love this cardigan's unique construction and how well it fits.  It is a sweater I wear on a weekly basis, and I think it would look great knit in many different yarns.  

Camira by Carol Feller

Best Yarn Brand:  Woolfolk
I have knit a number of accessories in this yarn and love everything about it.  It is incredible to wear, and my dream would be to knit a cardigan in this yarn.  I would never take it off.

On the C Train knit in Woolfolk Fär

Best Yarn Colour:  Maize by Tanis Fiber Arts (Purple Label)
One of my favourite things to do is to photograph yarn.  When you have a colourway that looks like this, it is an absolute joy.  Tanis outdid herself when she created this colourway specifically for Knit City 2017.  

Tanis Fiber Arts Purple Label:  Maize colourway

Best Knitted Accessory:   Deep Woods Toque by Kiyomi Burgin. 
My favourite accessory was a hat I knit for my daughter, using Tanis Fiber Arts' Purple Label Yarn, combined with Sweet Fiber Yarns Super Sweet Sock.  I love everything about this hat.  The colour combination and finished product makes me so happy.

Deep Woods Toque

Yarn That Impressed Me:   Gauge Dyeworks Merino Twist Classic (colourway All Together Now) 
I knit Martina Behm's very popular Hitchhiker using this beautiful colourway.  I love how the yarn colour switches back and forth.  I think the dyer behind this yarn is super talented.  Just have a look at the shawl below to see what I mean.

Gauge Dyework Merino Twist Classic

Hitchhiker Shawl

Best Knitting Instagram Feed:  1. Clara Parkes (Instagram stories)
If you haven't checked out Clara Parkes Instagram stories you definitely should.  She is so witty and her stories always make me laugh.
2. Instagram Photos:   As for Instagram pictures this is an impossible choice.  The amount of talent on Instagram is incredible and inspiring (and a bit overwhelming trying to keep up to be completely honest).  Some of my favourites are:  espacetricot, quinceandco, boylandknitworks, happycactusdesigns, soveryshannon and mysocalledhandmadelife.

Best Knitting Magazine:  Laine Magazine
This Nordic knitwear magazine showcases impressive patterns by talented designers, as well as interesting articles.  It is an enjoyable read and totally worth every cent.  If you haven't had a chance to look at a copy yet, you can check out the patterns from the magazine on Ravelry.  

A few of my favourite publications

Best Knitting Vlog/Podcast:  Melissa and Lisa of Espace Tricot wins hands down for me this year. 
This definitely was the year of the podcast. There are so many talented vloggers out there, but the owners of Espace Tricot (a Montreal yarn store) are consistently enjoyable to watch.  Each time I watch their podcast I always learn something new, and end up adding patterns to my queue.  I find them so entertaining and talented.  

Favourite Designer:  Andrea Mowry  
I have yet to fade anything, but I admire Andrea's talent and prolific designing.  I have many of her patterns in my queue and will definitely knit a few of her designs in 2018.  Here is one of Andrea's patterns called Goldfinch that I knit this year.

Goldfinch by Andrea Mowry
knit in O-Wash O-Wool Sport

I am also super impressed with Caitlin Hunter and her unique designs.  I am excited to see her new designs in 2018.

Best Yarn Show:  Knit City in Vancouver
I have to be honest and admit that I only went to one show this year, but wow, it was a great one!  Everyone involved in Knit City was super friendly.  There was so many talented designers and dyers, as well as amazing classes by talented teachers. Vancouver is my favourite Canadian city to visit too. If you can only go to one show next year this is the show you need to get to.

Designs by Sylvia McFadden

I think it was a great year in the knitting world.  I am excited to see what new designers emerge in 2018 and what's hot.  What were some of your favourites?

Simple Woolfolk Hats

Sometime simple is better.  If you take a basic pattern and combine it with some luxurious yarn, such as Woolfolk, you can create something very special. Take for example the last two hats I knit.  I am so happy with how they turned out. They were an easy knit and  are wonderfully soft, warm and I can guarantee you, will get a tremendous amount of wear. 

For extra notes on these hats check out my Ravelry page.

Pattern:   On the C Train:  my Ravelry page
Designer:  Espace Tricot

Yarn:  Woolfolk Får 
100% ovis 21 Ultimate Merino

Colourway:  02
paired with 
Yarn:  Shibui Knits Silk Cloud
60% Mohair 40% Silk
Colourway:  Ash

Needles: 4.5 mm and 5 mm

Notes:  This is a free pattern by Espace Tricot, a yarn store I have on my bucket list to visit.  Thanks to Espace Tricot I am now hooked on knitting patterns combining mohair and merino yarn.  I tried this technique with a pair of mittens designed by Tin Can Knits and I was thrilled with the result.

Next I knit a hat for my husband:

Pattern:  Saku Hat:  my Ravelry project page

Designer:  Olga Buraya-Kefelian

Yarn:  Woolfolk Får 
100% ovis 21 Ultimate Merino

Colourway: 11

Needles: 4.5 mm 

Notes:  I knit this hat longer than written in the pattern so that my husband could fold the brim.  

And, then, since my husband loves his Saku Hat so much I started one more as a gift for my brother-in-law:

Woolkfolk Får:  Colourway 4

Pattern:  Saku Hat:  my Ravelry project page

Designer:  Olga Buraya-Kefelian

Yarn:  Woolfolk Får 
100% ovis 21 Ultimate Merino

Colourway: 04

Needles: 4.5 mm

I am such a big fan of Woolfolk Yarn.  If you haven't had the chance to try it I highly recommend it.  Trust me when I say you will love every minute of knitting with it, and your finished project will be so incredible you won't want to take it off. If only I could invest in a sweater's quantity.  I need to start buying lottery tickets! But for now these small projects bring me a lot of joy.

Knitting Bags

When I first started knitting all I needed was a skein of yarn and a set of knitting needles.  It was simple.  However, as my knitting expertise grew, so did my desire for other products.  From knitting needles to notions, to yarn, the options available for knitters are endless.

One accessory I don't mind investing in is a good knitting bag, and there are so many gorgeous ones to choose from.  I love the bags I have collected over the years, and I enjoy using each one.  Here are a few of my favourites:

1.  This Della Q bag is great for carrying socks or other small projects in.  The handles are the perfect size to put over your arm and knit as you go.  

Currently it's holding my Saku Hat by Olga Buraya-Kefelian that I am knitting in Woolfolk Far.

Saku Hat in Woolfolk Far

2.  Every knitter needs a waterproof bag (don't they?) and I bought this one (made by Decodelire) because I loved the size and the fun print. This came from the Needle Emporium and can hold a sweater quantity of yarn.  

3.  Then there is my collection of linen bags by a Canadian printmaker named Jenna Rose. They are well made, can be used for many purposes, and come in a variety of sizes.

Fits one skein of yarn

Fits 2-3 skeins of yarn

Fits 2-3 skeins

Fits 2-3 skeins

This is a big bag that can hold  around 15 skeins of yarn.  I store all my yarn for projects in my queue.

4.  Who doesn't love a Fringe Supply Bag?  My husband was sweet enough to give me one for Christmas from Purl Soho.  I just love how vibrant the colour is. It is so well made and contains lots of interior pockets that are so useful.

5.  Finally my latest purchase...a Hedgehog Fibres Invisible Project Bag available from Espace Tricot.  It's amazing how many skeins of yarn it can hold, and I will never forget what I put in it.  

This bag fits at least 7 skeins!

I am constantly impressed with the variety and quality of bags available.  Do you have any favourite sources or brands?

Fibre Space: Alexandria, Virginia

Fibre Space.  I have been a fan of this store's blog for some time, admiring all the yarn lines they carry and knitting ideas shared each week.  Imagine how happy I was when I figured out that Fibre Space, in Alexandria, Virginia was actually a few subway stops away from where I was staying in Washington, D.C. (Get off at the King Street/Old Town station).   Of course my trip would not have been complete without a visit to this store.

Fibre Space was incredible.  I liked everything about it.  In addition to all the varied yarn lines it is roomy enough to hold classes/knit nights.  It is so well stocked with knitting needles, yarns, fiber, patterns, and yarn bags.  Just about everything you can imagine.   The staff were sweet and so helpful.  But seriously, the yarn...

Highland Handmade Sugar Maple Sock

Jill Draper Makes Stuff

Everywhere I looked were more special skeins.

Shepherd's Wool

The Fibre Company Terra

Woolfolk

Hazel Kits, Crave Yarn & Hedgehog Fibres

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio DK

Crave Yarn

Sweet Georgia

And then there was the most beautiful table of Hedgehog Fibres Merino DK

There were so many gorgeous knitted samples too.  Seriously, it was knitting heaven.

Knock Out Round Shawl (free pattern on their website):  Neighbourhood Fiber Co. Studio

Bonnie Banks Shawl in Dovestone DK

Braidsmaid (by Martina Behm) in Sweet Fiber Yarns DK

I was completely mesmerized by this store.  I just kept walking around the store looking at all the incredible yarn.  How I wish this yarn store was near my house. If it was I would just hang out there all the time.  I would volunteer to work there for free!  The really great thing was that Looped Yarn Works which I visited in Washington D.C. earlier in the week had a different variety of beautiful yarn....so between the two stores the choices are unbelieveable.

And right around the corner from this store was an antique store with the most incredible selection of vintage buttons (so many tubs of them). The owner told me that he gets so many knitters coming in.  It is definitely worth a visit too.

It was so hard to choose what to buy.  Here a few skeins I picked:

Crave Yarn Summit Fingering, Hazel Kits Entice Fingering & Hedgehog Fibres Sock Yarn

I loved every moment of my time in this store.  If you ever have the chance to Fibre Space I strongly urge you to go!  Can I come with you? ;o)

Gray Rose: by Thea Colman

I just made the sweetest little hat called Gray Rose by Thea Colman.  Although I had intended to knit this pattern for myself, it didn't quite go as planned. For some reason I chose to knit the hat in the smallest size.  I have to admit that I didn't bother knitting a swatch with the yarn and I ignored my inner voice telling me that the pattern was turning out too small for an adult sized head.  But I was enjoying knitting this adorable pattern so much that I decided to just finish it and put it away in my bottom drawer, as a future gift for someone special.  I definitely want to knit it again in an adult size at some future date.  Ravelled here.

Gray Rose

I loved knitting with the West Yorkshire Spinners DK yarn that I had bought in Scotland a couple summers ago.  It is a Bluefaced Leicester yarn and I find myself gravitating more often toward knitting more with sheepy yarns and less with superwash yarns.  When I was buying this yarn I thought that one could only find this yarn in Scotland or England but I soon discovered it in a Canadian yarn shop on a trip to Vancouver. 88 Stitches in Langley, British Columbia has a great selection of it both in DK and Aran weight.

WYS Bluefaced Leicester Yarn

I used my leftover Woolfolk yarn for the flowers and it worked perfectly with the WYS yarn.  I added some Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label Yarn in Tidal for that punch of colour.

woolfolk far

After knitting Gray Rose I knew that I wanted to use the rest of my West Yorkshire Spinners BFL to knit a cozy sweater.  I decided on Georgetown by Hannah Fettig in her published book Home & Away.  Each pattern in this book provides you with the option to knit a seamed or seamless sweater.  Although I haven't had much luck with seaming sweaters recently I am determined to master my skills, so I have jumped right in and chose the seamed option.

I can hardly wait until it's done.  

Gotta go...must get back to knitting. Have a great week!