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.

Tolt Yarn and Wool: Part Two

Visiting Tolt Yarn and Wool Shop was such a joyful experience for me. Yesterday I took you on a general tour of the store.  Today, I thought you might be interested in seeing some of the yarn available at Tolt.  Whoever is responsible for designing this space and displaying the yarn should be congratulated. Every item in the store is thoughtfully presented, and the store is spacious making it the perfect size to showcase the wonderful variety of yarns available.  It was so thrilling for me to actually see and touch yarn that I have only ever read about. 

Although Tolt Yarn and Wool carries brands like Madelinetosh and Malabrigo a lot of the yarn sold here is very sheepy, minimally processed and much of it is American sourced.  Below is just a small fraction of what is available.  I provided links to Ravelry for each of  the yarns pictured below although I highly recommend you visit their gorgeous online store to get further information.

Brooklyn Tweed:  Loft, Shelter, Plains & Quarry

Brooklyn Tweed (left) and Imperial Yarn:  Columbia (right)

Imperial Yarn:  Erin 

Woolfolk:  Tynd & Sno

Isager:  Silk Mohair, Alpaca 1 & Spinni

Fancy Tiger:  Heirloom Romney

The Fibre Company:  Road to China, Cumbria & Acadia

Quince & Co.  Chickadee, Owl & Lark

Quince & Co. Chickadee and Owl

Yoth Yarn: Big Sister

Cestari Traditional 2 Ply, Swans Island, & Green Mountain Spinnery Mewesic

Elemental Affects Shetland Fingering

Spincycle Dyed in the Wool

When it came to picking out skeins I wanted to buy I have to be honest and say that it was overwhelming.  There were so many choices.

Of course, I finally made up my mind and here a few of the beauties I bought:

Even the packaging is pretty

Baa Ram Ewe:  Dovestone DK:  Yorkstone

Peace Fleece:  Marigold

Green Mountain Spinnery:  Mewesic

Cestari Traditional Collection

Imperial Yarn:  Columbia

I wish that all of you yarn lovers get the opportunity to visit Tolt Yarn and Wool.  You will love it.

Tolt Yarn and Wool: Part One

I never thought I would have the chance to visit Tolt Yarn and Wool Shop, but my dream came true when I was on holiday in Vancouver.  My husband and I decided to drive and visit Seattle.  After a two day visit we drove to Carnation, Washington, in the Snoqualmie Valley.  It is about a 45 minute drive east from Seattle, through the countryside, and is located on a one street town. (Luckily there is a Starbucks around the corner for husbands or non-knitters).  Once I entered this store I was in knitter's heaven.  With a focus on more natural yarn from thoughtfully sourced companies this is a knitter's mecca.  From the way the store was displayed, to the variety of yarn, I literally could have spent hours there looking through every nook and cranny. 
         
Today I am going to take you on a general tour of Tolt Yarn and Wool.  Since I have so many photos I will post another blog with specific pictures of the yarn tomorrow.

Tolt Mitts

Camp Tolt Collection

Bandera

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Banff Hat in Peace Fleece Worsted

Long table for classes

Spincycle Yarns

Quill by Jared Flood in Natural Affects Natural Shetland Fingering

Sounds of Life in Cestari Traditional Collection 2 ply

Huge selection of books

The lovely woman working at the store could not have been nicer.  She welcomed me to take as many pictures as I wanted, asked me if I needed help, but then left me alone to wander in peace and even invited me to stand behind the counter to take a picture with the infamous Tolt sign behind me.  Of course I jumped at the chance being the fangirl I am.

I have had the opportunity to visit many yarn stores and I have to say, hands down, that this store was the most beautifully laid out and had the biggest variety and quantity of yarn, books, and notions that I have ever seen.  With a giant table at the back and cozy chairs throughout the store I didn't want to leave.

Tomorrow:  The tour continues!