Archive for August, 2013

Texture Three Ways

Tuesday, August 27th, 2013

Amongst the slew of incoming new yarns for the Fall and Winter seasons, I found these three gems. Each of these yarns is from a different, but very well known company. We have Luxurious Aran Tweed from Sublime, Obi from Noro, and finally Milano from Debbie Bliss. As you may have gathered by now, I’m a bit of a texture geek. Colour is great and all, but I knit because it’s so tactile! Anyway, I felt that these yarns make for a bit on balance and contrast as a group.

First up, Luxurious Aran Tweed. This is a 40% cotton, 40% wool, 20% llama aran weight yarn. It is surprisingly light and lofty given it’s fibre content, and does boast some truly fantastic tweediness, which is always a good thing. I would like to see it done up in a big Ships and Seaside style cowl.

Sublime_Luxurious_Tweed_Aran

Next, Noro Obi. At 14st/4″, this is the heaviest out of the group. With 55% wool, 35% silk and 10% mohair, it carries on the unique tradition of Noro with an entirely unpredictable range of colours, and a decidedly rustic hand. Now I often have trouble getting on the Noro bandwagon, but I do think that Obi would be brilliant as a bulky, autumnal vest.

Noro_Obi

Finally, we come to Milano, from Debbie Bliss. I would say that this is the least expected of the bunch, as I tend to picture most Debbie Bliss offerings as quite sedate, and comfortable (and maybe a little boring). Well, I really like the Milano! It’s got a very quirky texture, with a multi-coloured unspun core wrapped in a a secondary strand. I’m not sure which parts of the construction are composed of the 40% wool, 28% polyamide, 18% silk, 8% polyester, 6% acrylic, but it has an almost recycled feel to it. As an aran weight yarn, there are boundless possibilities, but it will be a delicate balance to keep the colour and texture in check, whatever the project…

DebbieBliss_Milano

And partly because side by side comparisons are handy, and partly because I really just felt like stacking some yarn… here’s a group shot. See you in September, folks!

Aug27_group

So Hot Right Now

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

As a child of the 90’s I am stoked that neon is back! I picked out neon back-to-school (or to-school as the case may be) clothes and accessories for Hunter and now she needs some knits to match!

Schachenmayr Bravo Big fits the bill. At a whopping 2 stitches per inch it’s a chunky yarn with zingy colours to choose from. Neon Lime anyone? Perhaps a dash of Day Glo Yellow? A pom pom of Electric Pink? Perfect!

This yarn is a great match for the ever popular border hat. Often whipped up on the chairlift, these hats have become iconic on the slopes. They are bright and fun, with simple ribbing or quick single or double crochet. Earflaps and pompoms, stripes big and small, they are a simple canvas for whatever fun you want to add. Whip up one for the slopes in a night!

Fall is in the Air

Tuesday, August 20th, 2013

Promise not to run me out of town, but I think we’re into the slow slide out of summer in Vancouver now. There are still plenty of lovely days to be had, but there are some telltale signs: the odd cool day, earlier sunsets, chilly evenings, and the steady piling up of boxes in the store. So while we may choose to lament the loss of the sun, new yarn season approacheth!

First up is a slew of colours of Lett-Lopi, classic Icelandic woollyness.
Lettlopi

The first of two offerings from Rowan is Alpaca Colour, a DK weight baby alpaca option, soft and subtle.
AlpacaColour

And also from Rowan is Angora Haze. Fingering weight angora/nylon/wool blend, which should be very pleasant, if you like angora!
AngoraHaze

On the super bulky side of things, we have Catena, by Sandnes Garn. Alpaca/merino blend should knit up like a house on fire on the suggested 12mm needles.
Catena

Finally, Alpakka Strompegarn, also from Sandnes. Dk weight alpaca/nylon blend, which actually feels quite nice, I think it should be a hit!
Strompegarn

Magazines and Books for Fall!

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

So as many of you have probably realized by now, I like Fall. And Autumn. I like them both quite a lot. I also like books (and magazines) a great deal. As such, it should be no small surprise that the annual end of summer pattern launch gets me all kinds of excited.

fullspread

Bam. You’re welcome. We have Interweave and Vogue Early Fall 2013, Knitbot Essentials, Knitbot Linen, Hill Country Weavers Prairie Bliss, Rowan Autumn Knits, Gudrun Johnston Knit With Me, Interweave Knitting Traditions Lace (Finally!!!), and more copies of last years WestKnits Book 4: Made for Movement.

Interweave is classy as always, my faves are the Concord Jacket, and surprisingly, the Bryn Mawr Dress.

vogue-interweave

Vogue Early Fall actually has some nice patterns in it this time around. Sideways Cowl and Wolf Boatneck are the standouts.

You may recall from earlier posts that I am a fan of designer Hannah Fettig. I also have an incredibly soft and mushy spot for Quince and Co. yarns (which… we cannot get in Canada so far). So, seeing these two come together, really made my day. Rather than pick favourites, I would just like to say that I want to knit them all. All of them. Every Single One.

knitbot

Rowan rewards us yet again with sumptuous cables and tactile, tweedy designs. I will take Monyash, Ilam and Hope. Hell, I’ll take two.

prairiebliss-rowanautumn

From Hill Country Weavers, Prairie Bliss Book 1 has some enchantingly elegant designs. Check out Enchanted Rock, Limestone Landscape, and Rockabilly Soft.

Gudrun Johnston hasn’t hit all my buttons in Knit With Me, but I do love the looks of Empire.

kntiwithme

Obviously my most anticipated publication is the continuation of Interweave’s Knitting Traditions series. Only 8 patterns in this lace collection, but absolute stunners, half of them! An Elegant Beaded Stole, Lacy Afternoon Tea Blouse, Osprey Stole, and The Lacy Triangular Stole have my vote. Oh, and Knitting Traditions continues to be one of the few magazines that I do actually buy for the articles!

knittingtraditions-lace

Now, go forth and knit!

New From Blue Sky

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

There is something great about kiddie knitting in the summer. It makes me feel accomplished, even if my knitting time is down, because a wee version often knits up in no time. Without further adieu here are 3 new kiddie patterns from Blue Sky!

First up is the Cameron Hoodie. This little cutie is done in the Worsted Cotton, my very favorite of all the cottons. You can do a shorter hoody/vest or with a little added length it becomes an adorable dress over tights.

Next up is the Harriet Dress in skinny cotton. There is a wide range of colors in skinny cotton so you can take a subdued mauve route or go with bold pinks and teals. This yarn is super hard wearing so your little one can go nuts in this dress! Weather you are rolling around on the beach or taking a walk through the woods, she will look fabulous.

Lastly, my personal fave: Beatrice. Also done in skinny cotton, this top is an excellent wardrobe addition, perfect to throw on over a dress or jeans for the cooler nights that late summer brings. Which little cutie will you be knitting?