Woolercoaster's Wonderful World of Knitting: Augst 19-25

Thanks for joining me this week.  I really enjoy researching what's new in the knitting world and I hope you find it interesting too.  Let's get to it:

Pattern Deals:
Is there a baby knit in your future?  Look no further than Little French Knits.   Florence Merlin is the designer behind these sweet patterns.  Check them out here.  If you visit the Knitionary blog, a discount code is provided for 50% off these designs, until the end of August.

On the Yarn Radar:
I am in love with this new Gauge Dyeworks colourway.  Isn't it gorgeous?  You can see it knit up in different patterns here.  I especially like this shawl.  If you like it as much as me, head on over to sign up for the Gauge Dyeworks newsletter so that you will be alerted as to when it is available for purchase.

Hot Patterns:
1.  I have a soft spot for Canadian designers and Sylvia McFadden of Softsweater knits is one of my favourites.  I have knit two of her patterns (Lanterns and The Elder Tree Shawl) and, of course, there is the very popular Waiting For Rain shawl that is in my queue.  Her newest collection, published this week, is called Eclipse consisting of three gorgeous pi shawls.

The Sun
©Sylvia McFadden

The Moon
©Sylvia McFadden

Late August
©Sylvia McFadden

2. Have you seen a very popular pattern called Sunset Highway by Caitlin Hunter?  This fingering weight colourwork sweater is unique because the sample is knit with indie dyed speckled yarn.  Check out some of the completed projects to see the many gorgeous colour combinations that have been completed.

3.  Spice, a  new collection by Quince and Co. has been published this week as well.  I am a big fan of  Quince and Co. yarn and I admire their commitment to publishing new designs.  This newest collection contains two sweaters, two shawls and a cardigan, by such designers as Michele Wang, Leah B. Thibault and Elizabeth Smith.

Dal by Leah B. Thibault
©Quince & Co.

Masala Shawl by Michele Wang
©Quince & Co.

Massaman by Elizabeth Smith
©Quince & Co.

4.  And finally, as soon as I get my current socks off the needles, I am casting on the NoShow Socks stashbusting pattern by La Maison Rililie blogged about here.  These socks are designed to be lower cut, and therefore, perfect for hiding under a pair of shoes. I am really looking forward to knitting this unique design.

Tip of the Week:
If you have the time, a great habit is to check Ravelry daily as often designers offer a new pattern either at a discount, or for free for a window of time.  I have been able to pick up many patterns this way.  There are plenty of patterns that are also offered free for an unlimited time.  For example, check out Island Wildflower, a beautiful crochet blanket.  It would be a great stashbuster.  I also loved Ninni  (a fingering weight lace cardigan) and Tiliana a huge fingering weight shawl by Hannah Maciejewska designer of the popular Moyen Age. 

That ends my round up for this week.  Did I miss anything that caught your attention?  I encourage you to add your favourites from the week to the comment section below.  Have a great week.

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?

July Favourites

July flew by so quickly and here we are at the beginning of August.  I thought it would be fun to look back and pick out some of my favourites from the month:

Favourite Blog Post:   Karen Templer, author of the Fringe Association Blog is one of my favourite bloggers. If you haven't read her blog before I highly recommend it.  Karen is hosting a Top down Knitalong running from August 15- September 30. She is challenging knitters to knit a sweater without using a pattern.  Of course there will be lots of support from fellow knitters, tutorials, etc.  For example here is one of the blog entries where she guides KAL members.  Although I would love to join in, I know that I unfortunately do not have the time to commit to it.  However, I will enjoy reading up on all the participants' progress.  How fun!

Favourite Yarn Store Visit:  If you are a regular reader of my blog you know what I am going to write:  Tolt Yarn & Wool.  I think about this store often as it was such a lovely place to visit. The store had such a great variety of yarn, many of which I had never seen in person.  It was extremely well stocked and everything was so thoughtfully displayed.  Can you imagine having Tolt Yarn & Wool as your local yarn store?

Favourite Yarn:  To be honest there is too many to pick from!  However, Andrea Hungerer of Blueberry Hill Crafting, another favourite blogger of mine, gifted me a skein of Camellia Fiber Co. CFC Flax DK which was incredibly kind!  This yarn is a unique blend of 50% alpaca , 25% linen and 25% silk.  One skein is 270 yards (247m) so I am trying to decide which pattern I could use to help show off its beauty.  I love this kind of challenge : )

Camellia Fiber Co.

Favourite Unfinished Object
I started Joji Locatelli's Madewell cardigan at the beginning of July.  It was the perfect travel knitting project as it is a very basic cardigan. The yarn I chose to use is my long coveted Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label fingering yarn in the colourway Painted Jeans.  This colourway is an incredible mix of colours, from browns, greys, purples, blues...very challenging for me to photograph correctly. I think this pattern is a good match for variegated yarn as it's simplicity really lets the yarn colour be the focus. However, I forgot how long a fingering weight cardigan takes to knit!   I am almost finished the second sleeve and I hope to finish the whole cardigan this week and hopefully can show you it soon.

Favourite Finished Object
My favourite F.O. would have to be my Elder Tree Shawl by softsweater in the yarn by Clara Parkes called Clara Yarn CVM/Romeldale 2.0.  This was the first pattern I knit by softsweater (a fellow Canadian) and I thought the pattern was well written.   After knitting with this yarn I am really interested in trying more natural yarns.

The Elder Tree Shawl by softsweater

Patterns that I want to knit
There are so many gorgeous patterns out there that I want to knit immediately. I find it really difficult to narrow it down.  But after visiting 88 Stitches and seeing softsweater's collection of shawls I know that Lanterns is definitely high in my queue.  I think this pattern suits a  natural yarn and I want to make sure I pick the perfect one.

Lanterns by softsweater

But in the meantime, after knitting a fingering weight sweater for the last few weeks, I am in the mood to knit something with somewhat thicker yarn. Digging deep in my stash I found these beauties.  I am trying to figure out a perfect pattern that uses several colourways.  Although it is great that there are so many patterns to choose from on Ravelry sometimes it is overwhelming, isn't it?

Shalimar Yarns, Madelinetosh, Sweet Fiber Yarns, & Cephalopod Yarns

Favourite Video Blog:  Have you checked out Michele Wang's podcast?  As you all know she is a wonderful designer, creating patterns for Brooklyn Tweed, Woolfolk, and Manos del Uruguay to name a few.  Her blog is informative and offers good insight into the knitting world.

Favourite Yarn Related Instagram Photo:

Tolt Yarn and Wool

This is a display of Elemental Affects Shelter Fingering that I took at Tolt Yarn & Wool. What a perfect way to display the yarn.  Sigh.

Favourite Non-Yarn Related Instagram Post

I know, I know...who posts a picture of carrots?  Well I do!  I was so impressed with the way the fruit and vegetable stands at the Granville Market displayed their food.  It is one of my favourite places to visit in Vancouver.  I also find that now that I post on Instagram I am being more observant about what would make an interesting photo...and carrots won that day.  

Granville Market, Vancouver

That about sums it up for my top picks.  Happy August everyone!!

F.O. The Elder Tree Shawl

I mentioned to you a few posts ago that I had purchased a skein of Clara Parkes yarn called CVM/Romeldale 2.0 in the Aborio colourway, and that I was on a hunt to find the perfect pattern that would showcase and utilize each inch of this beautiful skein. The pattern I settled on was The Elder Tree Shawl by softsweater, a Vancouver based designer who has many beautiful patterns on Ravelry. 

After swatching on several different sized needles I decided to go with 4.0 mm. The pattern itself was a joy to knit. It can be adapted for any weight  and amount of yarn you want to use.  The pattern was simple to knit but not boring at all.  Any knitting mistakes I made were quickly evident and easy to correct.

The yarn itself was so lovely to knit with that I took my time knitting this pattern, wishing that I had another skein, to make a larger shawl.  First of all the yarn smelled delightfully sheepy.  It was quite lofty, hardly weighing anything, and it seemed to be quite hardy, as it didn't seem bothered whenever I had to rip out a few rows and reknit.

My favourite part of knitting a lacy shawl is blocking it.  The shawl was quite tiny (40.5 x 15")  prior to blocking and thankfully grew (54 x23") to a perfect sized shawlette.  Here are the before and after shots.  

L-Pre blocking   R-After Blocking

Pre-blocking

I am so happy with how the lace opened up and the yarn itself softened up considerably.  This is the second yarn I have tried by Clara Parkes.(See my blog entry reviewing the first one I knit with).  Each yarn she creates is so different and I can hardly wait to see what she comes out with next. 

After Blocking

When I was on my holiday last week, driving back to Vancouver from Seattle, I did a quick stop at 88 Stitches in Langley.  On display, to my delight, were a collection of softsweater's knitted shawls.  Her designs Waiting for Rain and   The Rain Outside are very popular right now, but these earlier shawls are worth checking out too.  When viewed in person these shawls are just stunning.  I asked if I could take a couple pictures to remind myself of what I needed to add to my queue.  I have linked the shawls to Ravelry.

L to R :  Grateful Moments, Fossil & Bone, Authenticity

L to R:  Salt Water, Solarium, Grateful Moments

L to R:  Lanterns,  A Certain Darkness, Lonely Tree Shawl

Lanterns

I don't know if my pictures do them justice, but trust me when I say, if you are looking for a shawl pattern to knit you might want to try one of these.  You won't be sorry.  I, myself, love the look of Lanterns and Fossil & Bone....hmm let's not forget about Authenticity.   Actually I could knit any of these and be extremely happy.

So thank you Clara Parkes and softsweater...you made my knitting experience very enjoyable.