F.O. Winston Pullover #3 by Jane Richmond

Pattern:    Winston Pullover

Designer:  Jane Richmond

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Solids (80% Acrylic, 20% Wool)

Colourway: Wheat and Charcoal

Yarn: Rowan Big Wool (100% Merino)

Colourway:  Pine Needle

Yarn:  Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool (100% Wool)

Colourway:  Beige

Yarn:  Estelle Yarns Gladstone Chunky (50% Merino, 50% Acrylic)

Colourway:  421

Needles: 12mm & 8mm

Size:  38

Ravelry:  see further notes

Added Notes:

1.  Last winter I made two Winston Pullovers, one for me (read about it here), 

and one for my daughter: 

Mine got quite a bit of wear ...it's such a perfect sweater to throw on during those chilly days.  I love it so much that I thought it would be great to knit a cropped version.  I had leftover yarn from the two Winston pullovers taking up space in my stash.  Also, I had picked up three skeins of Rowan Big Wool on sale in my favourite colour green and was ready to get it on the needles.

2.  Modifications:  Using my original Winston Pullover as a guide, I counted the number of rows I would need to knit in order to get my desired length.  The magic number for me was 11 rows for each of the five coloured stripes.  My sweater hits my waist, making it the perfect length to work well with skirts and high waisted pants.  The body measures 12 inches from the underarm.

4.  I needed yarn for the fourth stripe as I didn't have any super bulky yarn in my stash that would work.  After a few false starts I combined two strands of Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool with one strand of Estelle Yarns Gladstone Chunky, in order to equal the thickness of the other yarns I used.  There are flecks of black, green, brown and a bit of blue in the Gladstone Chunky.  I am still wondering if I should have gone with a different colour for that stripe.  However, the feeling of using up deep stash is very satisfying.  Luckily all the yarns in this sweater, although from different companies, played well together and created a consistent gauge.

5.  I am not a fan of acrylic yarns but there is something about the Lion Brand Wool-Ease that I quite like.  It feels warm and cozy to wear and the price is so reasonable.  If you have never tried this yarn before it's worth a look.

6.  I am a huge fan of Jane Richmond and I love every one of her patterns that I have knit.  You would think that a super bulky sweater may not be the most flattering, but Jane seems to know how to design a sweater that looks great on everyone.  I am eagerly waiting the release of a man's sweater that she is currently designing and keeps hinting about on Instagram.

7.  If I haven't convinced you yet to knit this sweater here is my last point.  Super bulky yarn knits up super fast. You could easily knit this sweater in a week.  What are you waiting for?  Look in your stash...you might have exactly what you need and don't be scared to combine yarns.  Just knit a sample swatch and experiment with your yarn.  Happy knitting!

F.O. Winston Pullover by Jane Richmond

I have always been a huge fan of Jane Richmond and her beautiful patterns.  I was so excited to have the opportunity to test knit a sweater for her, and was super happy with the result.  Let me fill you in on the details, and I guarantee that you will want to knit one for yourself!

Pattern:  Winston Pullover

Winston Pullover

Designer:  Jane Richmond

Yarn:  Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Solids (80% Acrylic 20% Wool)

Colourway: Wheat (4.6 skeins)

Needles:  12mm for the body, 8mm for the ribbing

Ravelry:  see notes here

Added Notes:  
1.  This sweater has a top down construction knit in super bulky yarn.   I had never knit a sweater in this weight before, and I finished it in five days.  Five days!!!!  It can take me four to six weeks to complete a fingering weight sweater, so to me this short time frame is astounding.  It is a super simple sweater that any beginner could easily complete. 

2.  Now for the yarn.  It is a combination of 80% Acrylic and 20% Wool.  I bought it from Michaels Craft Store and the whole sweater cost under $50.  I admit that I am a yarn snob and have never knit a sweater with yarn bought from Michaels, or yarn that contains acrylic, so I was so interested to see what my thoughts were after the knit was complete.  And I have to tell you my thoughts are super positive...I was pleasantly surprised.  The yarn was easy to work with on 12mm needles.  I have worn this sweater quite a bit outside on cool days and it kept me warm.  I posed for the photo on a day that was -16 degrees Celcius (3 degrees Fahrenheit) and I was not cold at all.  I have also worn it around the house and it is so cozy that I didn't want to take it off.  The yarn comes in many different colours and for the price I am considering making another one. (Jane is currently knitting this pattern in seed stitch...I might try that).  The sweater doesn't feel too heavy to wear either.  And you can pop it in the washer and drier without a worry.  I think having the 20% wool content is what makes the garment feel so great.

3.  I was worried that making a super bulky sweater would make me look bigger than I am.  But here, too, I was pleasantly surprised.  Jane created a design that is super cozy but somehow doesn't look super bulky on.  She worked her magic with the design so that sweater is shaped to compliment the person wearing it.  You can read more about this sweater over on Jane's blog. 

4.  I would like to add how happy I am to see that Jane is back to designing after her nasty fall, and resulting concussion earlier this year.  I always look forward to seeing and knitting her new designs, and hopefully she will publish more in 2019.  She has such a beautiful library of patterns that you can wear over and over again. Plus many of her patterns are knit in yarn that is budget friendly which is a bonus.  I have personally knit eight of her patterns.  Three of my favourites are the Clarke Pullover (I have knit three versions of this sweater), Grace and the Entwine Scarf.  I wear these sweaters quite a bit.

Clarke Pullover

Entwine Scarf

Grace

Have I convinced you yet to knit this pattern?  I am thinking of knitting another version in Rowan Big Wool (100% merino) which I would think would work beautifully with this pattern.  I have three skeins of this yarn in the colourway Pine Needle (077) and I am on the hunt for three more.  I am finding it hard to locate so if anyone knows where I can get this colourway please let me know.  If you are considering this sweater Jane Richmond is offering 20% off this pattern through to December 31st.  So what are you waiting for?

Happy knitting!

F.O. Scrappy Clarke Pullover

I have been spending some time lately going through my cupboards trying to organize and purge.  I came across the first garment I knit in hand dyed yarn six years ago, called the Honeytree Vest.  Yarn and pattern are both by Tanis Fiber Arts.  When I knit this vest I was very inspired by Tanis' original colour choices, and still to this day love the colour combination.  However, the vest was not something I wore, and I decided that this yarn was too special not to repurpose.

Front of Honeytree Vest

Back of Honeytree Vest

I ripped out the vest and ended up with a lot of very curly yarn. 

Pre-soaking

I soaked the yarn for a long time and then hung it out to dry.   I ended up with a lot of mini balls in the various colours.

After soaking and hanging the yarn to dry

I decided to knit a short sleeve Clarke Pullover.  I have knit two versions of this pattern previously (see here and here) as it is a foolproof pattern, that is easily adaptable.  

And so today I proudly present my finished sweater:

Clarke Pullover

Pattern:  Clarke Pullover

Designer:  Jane Richmond

Yarn:  Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label Aran Weight (100% merino)

Colourway:  Various quantities of Midnight, Mallard, Sand, Lemongrass, Olive, Chestnut, and Buttercup

Needles:  4.5mm

Ravelry: see notes

Added Notes:
1.  My goal was to stick to the original colours, using up as much of the scrappy bits, supplemented by some partial skeins that I had in my stash. I had no specific striping pattern in mind, I just added different coloured stripes as I knit.

2.  With this many stripes comes a ton of ends to sew in.  But sewing ends in doesn't bother me.  It took me about two hours to sew them all in.

3.  The only modifications I made to the pattern was to knit shorter sleeves, and of course, to add my random stripes of colour.  

4.  As always I am super impressed with Tanis Fiber Arts yarn.  The colours are beautifully dyed and the quality of the yarn is excellent.  If you haven't knit with this yarn before I highly recommend it.

I have to admit that I am super happy that I decided to knit this sweater.  Since the yarn was aran weight, the sweater knit up very quickly, and now I have a new fall sweater to wear in my cupboard.

This sweater was a break from my many works in progress.  I will report on those items soon.  I am trying very hard not to cast on anything else.  However, there seems to be a tempting number of new patterns that have been published recently.  It's a fun time of year to be a knitter!  Don't you agree?

F.O. Clarke #2 by Jane Richmond

Pattern:  Clarke Pullover

Designer:  Jane Richmond

Yarn: Julie Asselin Hektos (75% merino, 15% cashmere, 10% silk)
Colourway:   Brume:  7skeins (two colours in one skein)
Romance:  1 skein (for ribbing on cuffs, hem and neckline)

Julie Asselin Hektos

Colourway:  Brume

Colourway:  Romance

Needles: 4.0mm & 4.5mm

Ravelry: my notes

Clarke Pullover

Added Notes:  
When I visited the Julie Asselin both at Knit City, my eyes were instantly drawn to the Brume colourway.  Somehow I missed the fact that I was purchasing two separate colourways, that were joined together, to look like one skein.  When I got home and opened the skeins, I saw to my surprise, two colourways.  Luckily, I didn't mind at all, as these two colourways were gorgeous.  However, I had to rethink my choice of pattern for this yarn.

Surprise!  Two colourways!

I immediately thought of the Clarke Pullover.  Of the many sweaters I have knit, the Clarke Pullover is one of my most frequently worn.  I knew that it would work well with two colourways, producing a much more subtle stripe than the original one I knit.  Also, the cashmere and silk content would produce a very different fabric.  (You can read about that sweater here). 

Clarke Pullover #1

I cast on Clarke for a second time.  The original pattern calls for ten rows of the main colour and four of the contrasting colour.  Having only bought seven skeins I knew I would not have enough of the main colour.  Instead, I knit ten rows of the main colour, followed by six rows of the contrast colour. That turned out to be a good decision, as I only had a tiny amount left of the main colour when it was finished.  I used a third colour (Romance) for the hem, neckband, and ribbing on the sleeves.  I am very happy with the result, and I can see myself wearing this sweater quite a bit. The yarn was a dream to knit with and creates a luxurious fabric, one that I can't wait to wear.

This is my first F.O. of 2018. Have I convinced you to knit the Clarke Pullover yet?  It is an easy knit and it produces a sweater that you will wear again and again.  It works well with any worsted weight yarn in stripes or a solid colour. What are you waiting for?

Happy Knitting!

Christmas Wrap Up

How did you do with your Christmas/gift knitting?  I ended up knitting right up to the last minute.  I wish I had time to knit a few more gifts, but I was
very happy with how the items I completed turned out.  Have a look:

Jolly Wee Elf

Pattern: Jolly Wee Elf
Designer:  Churchmouse Yarns and Tees
Yarn: Scraps of fingering weight yarn

Needles:   2.5mm

Ravelry:  my notes are here

Added Notes:  I actually knit these elves on Boxing Day for myself and I think it will be my new holiday tradition.  I absolutely loved making these elves, and I will definitely make a lot more in various sizes next year.  As expected the Churchmouse pattern is very well written.  These couldn't be easier to knit, and by investing a small amount of time, it is well worth the effort I think.

My Boyfriend Set

Pattern:  My Boyfriend Set  (free hat and scarf pattern)
Designer: Stephanie Boomsma

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Orange Label Cashmere/Silk Worsted (75%merino 15% cashmere 10% silk)
Colourway:  Aurora

Needles:   4.0mm

Ravelry:  my notes are here

Added Notes:  I had to make my husband something for Christmas, as he is so supportive of my yarn obsession.  This is an easy, quick pattern that is foolproof to knit. Tanis Fiber Arts Orange Label yarn is a lovely combination of fibers, perfect for a hat.  And how about this colourway?  Gorgeous!  I would have loved to make the scarf as well, but I ran out of time. 

On the C Train

My two sisters modelling their new hat

Pattern:  On the C Train
Designer: Espace Tricot
Yarn: Woolfolk Fär (100% merino)

Colourway: 00
Yarn:  Shibui Knits Silk Cloud
Colourway:  Ivory

My daughter modelling the back view

Needles:  5.0mm 

Ravelry: my notes are here

Added Notes:  I have now knit this pattern three times and I am sure I will knit another in the future.  It is simple to follow and creates a hat that looks great on everyone.  The combination of Woolfolk Fär and Shibui Silk Cloud is so luxurious. Woolfolk Fär is incredibly soft just like cashmere, and Shibui Silk Cloud creates a beautiful halo.  One of my sisters is very sensitive to wool and this yarn combination does not bother her in the slightest.

Entwine Scarf

Pattern:  Entwine Scarf
Designer: Jane Richmond

Yarn:  Cascade Yarns Magnum (100% wool) Super Bulky weight:  2 skeins
Colourway:  8505 (white)

Needles:   12.75mm

Ravelry:  my notes are here 

Added Notes:   This is the kind of scarf that I want to bundle into on those very cold winter days.  Jane Richmond paired the perfect yarn with her pattern.  Knitting with such big needles in a super chunky yarn resulted in a quickly knitted scarf, perfect for holiday knitting.  I loved this pattern so much this is the second time I knit it.  I made this scarf last year withPurl Soho Super Soft Merino which created a completely different feeling scarf. 

Saku

Pattern:  Saku
Designer: Olga Buraya-Kefelian
Yarn: Woolfolk Fär

Colourway:  5

Needles:   4.5mm

Ravelry:  my notes are here
Added Notes:  This is my third time knitting this hat too.  Be warned that it does take more than one skein if you want the brim to fold up.  But you know that when you knit with Woolfolk, your recipient will wear it all the time, so it's well worth the investment.

So that's it for my holiday knitting.  I don't often knit the same pattern more than once but I really wanted to knit items that would be well received and worn frequently. I know that these items will be worn time and time again.

Don't forget to check out my blog in a few days as I will do my annual favourites of the year.  Happy knitting everyone!

Knit City 2017 Vancouver

I finally found time to look at my photos from my visit to Vancouver and Knit City a few weeks ago.  Sorry for the delay!  I had an incredible time and I highly recommend going next year if you have the chance.  If you asked me to describe Knit City with just one word I would choose fun.  Everything about this well run event was terrific. The booths in the venue were roomy and never felt overcrowded. The attendees of the yarn show were enthusiastic and everyone seemed to be having a great time.  The designers and dyers were very friendly, and the quality of Canadian talent was evident.  I heard Stephen West speak and he was so funny, and at the same time inspiring.  Although I did not take a class, there were a variety of talented instructors and classes scheduled, which were well received.

Here are just a few photos of the event to give you an idea of what was available.  I will let the photos speak for themselves.  I have included links to each of these companies.

Yarn Ink

Sweet Fiber Yarns

Ancient Arts Yarn

Gauge Dyeworks

Colourway:  All Together Now

Fibre Art Studio

Designers
Jane Richmond and Shannon Cook

West Coast Cardigan by Jane Richmond

Beacon Hill Cardigan by Jane Richmond

Shannon Cook's shawls on display

Tin Can Knits

Clayoquot cardigan

Triptych mittens and Prism Hat

Sylvia McFadden

Gentle Armour by Sylvia McFadden

Shawls by Sylvia McFadden

Lanterns knit in fingering
see my version of Lanterns knit in Sweet Fiber DK cashmere

Of course I did not go away empty handed!  I have been posting some of my purchases on my Instagram feed.  If you want to have a look check it out here.  Stephen West said in his talk on the Friday night that instead of the word "stash" he prefers to think of it as, "We are curators of collections." That works for me.  And after that weekend my collection is growing.   : )