Knitscene Fall 2011 Preview

contributed by Shawn

The wonderful fall projects just keep rolling right in!  Check out the new issue of Knitscene Fall 2011.

In keeping with the 'We Love Bulky Yarns' trend for this fall the Grand Palais Shawl by Tanis Gray will be quick knit in Tahki Montana Yarn. This is a simple garter stitch triangular shawl with a knit-on lace edging. Hey what a great way to try lace knitting - with bulky yarn!

We often get asked for advice on top-down and bottom-up knitting patterns in the shop. The Beauty of Seamless article by Amy Palmer discusses top down vs bottom up circular seamless knitting techniques.  She suggests pitfalls that may arise so that you can weigh your options BEFORE you start your project. And she points out that the beauty of knitting sweaters in the round is that you can often try these on in the middle of your knitting process to be sure you get it just right!  Knitting Pure & Simple patterns are some of my favorites for beginner top-down patterns, and Figheadh Fundamentals has some great ones too.

 

For those of you sending off a college-bound guy this fall, there is a great quick bulky knit for him! Take a look at the East Hale Cardigan by Alexis Winslow.  Knit in Cascade EcoWool the yarn offers a range of lovely neutral shades in un-dyed wool.  A quick zippered layer with a shawl collar and garter trim detailed with i-cord edging.

By knitting the lace weight Filatura di Crosa Nirvana Yarn at a sport/dk weight gauge, Debbie O'Neill offers the sophisticated Hawkmoth Pullover. It's perfect for layering over those summer tops on a cool autumn evening.

And just because I LOVE saying the word 'Lepidoptera' I have to point out the Lepidoptera Cardigan by Anne Kuo Lukito.  This is knit in Manos del Uruguay Lace. The patterning is lovely - like scales on a butterfly wing - and the difference in texture is achieved by knitting the lace yarn single stranded for the body and double stranded for the edging panels.

Amy Herzog features two different patterns in this issue that use some of my favorite yarns. The Cooke Cardigan is knit using Fibre Company Canopy Worsted. I think it would be lovely in my favorite color Sarsparilla.

Also catching my eye for this fall is the Pinstripe Pullover knit using Berroco Ultra Alpaca.  We got in some great new shades for fall, and I just have to choose a color first!

Manic-In Monday

We are finally having some gorgeous weather, and our gal is hoping it's here to stay. She's celebrating the official start of summer by baring a bit of skin. This knitted tank is shaped to flatter, and worked in a cool linen & cotton blend. Pattern: Knitting Pure & Simple Tank Top for Women #101 done in Berroco Linsey Yarn
Necklace: Hank of Berroco Origami Yarn

Mukluk! Mukluk!

It's such a funny word! And though these mukluks are not made out of traditional sealskin or reindeer skin, they will still be super warm!

The Knitting Pure & Simple Mukluk Slipper pattern was simple to do. I used two strands of Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Superwash. They knit up in no time. What a great gift idea - maybe everyone who has already gotten a pair of felted slippers needs a pair of mukluks...

Don't forget the buttons!

We've recently finished a couple of samples for kids in the shop. And sometimes it's as much fun picking out the buttons as it is making the sweater!

We made up two new Knitting Pure & Simple patterns that we've just gotten in. (We also have new ones for adults, so check them out!) The first is a Henley Top Down Pullover. It's got a gauge of 4.5 stitches to the inch. We chose a super fun color of Berroco Remix (called Sprig) and knit up a size 4. This yarn is so soft and it's machine washable... another reason we chose it for this kid's sweater. Of course the monster button makes it even more fun! We also made the Knitting Pure & Simple Girl's Cap Sleeve Cardi in a size 6. This is a cute short sleeve sweater that is longer in length. It would look adorable with leggings. We used Classic Elite Sprout in the color Sepia. Who says little girls always have to wear pink or purple? This cotton is a super soft organic cotton. And of course, once again, the buttons totally make the sweater. We don't have any Piggly Wiggly stores here, but we've got the buttons!

Did you know we've got a huge button selection on our website? And when you buy 10 or more buttons (any style, any combination) the button prices are automatically discounted by 20%? Sweet!

Pet Peeve Alert: Mismatched edgings

I just finished this adorable little baby shrug. I used the madelinetosh Tosh DK in the Baltic color. The yarn is so lovely to work with! I now understand the cult following it had. We do have a lot more Tosh on order, but it is about 4-6 weeks out, as they are waiting for fiber to arrive at their facility. So we are waiting patiently...

I used the Knitting Pure & Simple Pattern #288: Little Girl's Shrug. I love the Knitting Pure & Simple patterns, but have always been frustrated at how they recommend a garter ribbing on the button band, and then a ribbing on the neck, cuff and bottom edges. This drives me crazy!!! To make it even worse, in this pattern there is a great option for a lace edging on the bottom, which I decided to do. But then I'd have THREE different edgings: garter, rib and lace. No way! It wasn't going to fly for me.

I do understand why they do this. Because these sweaters are top down, they want you to work the garter edging on the button band AS you work down from the neck. You can't work a vertical rib as you work downward. So I'm thinking they are doing it to make it easier, so you don't have to go back and pick up stitches to work the button bands. BUT, you have to pick up stitches to work the neck edge, so you might as well pick up your button bands and work them so they match the neck edge. Right!?

In my sweater, I did the garter button bands and I did choose the lace edge for the bottom. When I worked my neck and cuff edges, I chose to use garter stitch to mirror the button band. In my opinion, it looks so much better this way.

Just know that you have the option of changing things on any pattern you follow. Just because it's written a certain way, doesn't mean you have to do it that way. It also doesn't always mean it's the BEST way.

First Finished Object 2010

It's washed and blocked. I've completed my first finished object for the year 2010. I find it fitting that I finished knitting this on the last day of January - then it had to wait for a laundry day and button. But here it is, the Knitting Pure and Simple One Button Cardi in size 6.
I knit it with Berroco Vintage so that it would be a washable item since it is destined for a small friend's wardrobe. This is a fun in the round project and I am particularly enamored of the garter stitch border - such a nice way to switch up each long row and a good finishing detail.

Stay tuned for why I've only finished ONE project since the beginning of 2010 :)

River Twist and a completed baby sweater

So Sunday was a total washout here. It was cloudy, super windy, and boy did we have a lot of rain. Too bad my rain barrel wasn't yet installed - I just picked it up today. Isn't it cool? I'm off tomorrow and will work to install it. While it may not have been good weather for outside activities, it was perfect for knitting! I completed the little sweater and booties out of Love It Colors. It is so adorable! Kalen couldn't believe how much better it looked it real life than it did in the pattern. She's already bought some Comfort DK in a fun variegated color and started one. One comment about pattern photos... we all know that EVERYTHING looks better in person than it does in a picture. But sometimes the pictures that pattern designers choose to put on patterns are just dog-ugly! If you are trying to sell something with a picture, wouldn't you take several pictures and be sure you ended up with the best one? I know I would. Anyway, I digress. But thank goodness we take the time to knit up some of these patterns - to show how adorable they really are!

Last week we got our shipment of Mountain Colors River Twist. Now this is a new yarn, and frankly, I don't even remember ordering it. I must have ordered it with my rep AGES ago. As in at least 3-4 months? So of course, I forgot it was coming. We haven't really done much with Mountain Colors recently because of how long it takes to get the yarn (3-4 months). I had heard that the wait was less, but it sort of seems like it's the same amount of time. So the jury's out on the wait time...

But let's talk about the yarn, shall we? The yarn ROCKS. It is gorgeous. Lovely to knit with. As soon as I finished my baby sweater and booties, I cast on for a hat and pair of mittens (a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern). The yardage on the River Twist is 240, so a bit short for this pattern, which calls for 250 yards for the set. So I pulled out a skein of one of my other favorite yarns... Berroco Ultra Alpaca. The colors work beautifully together - and on the hat I am working 1 row of each - so they really blend well.