2 month photos, the phone is for scale

There are man baby bootie patterns out there. I mean MANY. Some are cute little button up items, a nice wardrobe addition but for miss Hunter I wanted a substantial bootie to keep her feet warm. Socks have been an issue, but in a different way than most. Hunter’s little friend Sofia is always losing her socks because they are too big for her teeny tiny feet. Hunter is always loosing her socks because they are too small for her large feet. Why no just purchase some bigger socks you might ask? Because her ankles are still very small so they fall off! You can see why she needs some nice wool booties to ward off the cold.

My very faves are these bad boys from Elizabeth Zimmerman. The patten calls for a fingering weight (AKA socks weight or 28 stitches per 4 inches) but Hunter has some enormous baby feet (skis) so I knit mine in a DK weight. They are a little bigger but they will fit longer, always a good thing. They are really just little sacks for her feet that stay on with ties. I was supposed to secure the ties to the bootie but apparently I enjoy searching the house for longish pieces of i-cord instead…..

The construction of these booties is amazing. I wasn’t sure I would really end up with actual booties in the end because they are knit all in one sort of square piece (you’ll know what I mean if you knit a pair) that needs only one little seam. This is a good project for a beginner with some faith because there are only increases and decreases, no heel turns.

It’s hard to find baby socks in darker colours. There is a lot of pink and blue, a little yellow and that’s about it. Hunter needs to be stylin’ though and she needs black socks! I settled for a very dark purple but I’ll be making a few more pairs of these for sure, so black is still on the list!

It’s that time again and Urban Yarns is ready as usual! Last year Jan, Anina, and the team were wildly successful in raising money to fund cancer research and they are up for the challenge again this year. They will be hosting a fundraiser next Thursday, April 28th from 7-9 at 1537 Marpole Ave. You can give in 2 ways at this shindig. The first is by purchasing some beautiful jewelry from Silpada Sterling Silver Jewelry. There will be samples to check out and try on and 10% of all sales will be donated to the UY Ride Team. The second is by bringing $20 and a bottle of wine worth approximately the same. For every 10 bottles brought there will be a draw and some lucky winner will win all 10 bottles. The event is sure to be a fun evening for a good cause. Please RSVP to Jan at jleard@telus.net ASAP.

We are also excited for some great upcoming workshops. First up is Margaret Radcliffe, knitter, designer, and the author of the Knitting Answer Book and The Essential Guide to Colour Knitting Techniques. Margaret is coming to UY in May and will be teaching both Two-Handed Two-Colour Knitting Techniques and Perfect your Circular Knitting. Give us a ring at the shop to sign up for either or both! There will also be a book signing Friday May 27th from 7-9 so we will see you there!

Two Handed Two Colour Knitting

Wednesday May 25th from 7-8:30 pm

Cost $35

Perfect Your Circular Knitting

Thursday May 26th from 1-2:30 pm

$35

It’s Easter coming up this weekend and I’m enjoying some excellent Easter themed knitting. I realize that wee Hunter will not remember this occasion but I’m still looking forward to knitting her up a little bunny and photographing her to death surrounded by colourful eggs. I haven’t started my bunny yet, but I’m confident I can pull this off in 4 days. The pattern is a free one from Spud and Chloe’s blog (I recommend you check it out, there are quite a few nice free patterns there). It’s a cute little guy knit in Spud and Chloe Sweater in the colour Ice Cream and stuffed with a tennis ball. This is a pic from the pattern, since mine is a work in progress.

When I went searching for a charming little knit for the coming event I found many cute patterns out there! Easter is a perfect time to pick up those pastels you’ve been coveting but not sure what to do with too. One of my faves is this little combination of pastels, fair isle, and eggs. You will need a variety of sock yarns in an eastery pallet for these little joys. They won’t go bad and you don’t have to dye these ones up!

These little chickadees are also a quick knit and a good introduction to toy knitting. They don’t have too many fussy parts but they have enough shaping to pose a small challenge to the beginner knitter. I’m knitting mine up in Spud and Chloe but any aran weight (18 stitch gauge) will do. I’m going to put a cat toy with a bell in it inside the chickadees for a little added fun.

Last but not least are some pretty little fuzzy chicks. I’m thinking Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri of course, although I’ll be knittng mine in white and blue instead of yellow. A fuzzy Peter Rabbit would also make some adorable chicks. Just choose a needle 2 sizes smaller than the one recommended on the ball band to knit with. This will make a nice tight fabric so your fill won’t show through between your stitches.

Enjoy some fun seasonal knits!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, knitting is art. There are many who would agree (and some who would not) but I firmly believe that the use of fibers to create a unique item, whether it be a garment, a household item, or just a pretty piece of knitting is definitely art.

On the CBC As it Happens they recently aired a piece on a small group of knitters in the UK. They were inspired by famous works of art and created masterpieces in their preferred medium: yarn. Some of the re-imagined masterpieces were creating using quilting, needle point, knitting or crochet.

You can check out a little about the CBC piece here and there is also a facebook page with more examples of inspired fiber art here. There is also a pretty fantastic pattern for a Marilyn Monroe illusion knitted wall hanging here on Ravelry if you are in the mood to re-interpret some art with a pattern. I find this kind of work inspiring, knitting solely for the sake of art, without the practical element of useful knitwear. Knit up something just for the fun of it!

Spud and Chloe have long been a fave of mine around the shop. It comes in 3 weights (sock, aran, and bulky), fabulous colours, and it’s machine washable. I still don’t usually put my knitting through the wash, but it’s nice to know nothing terrible will become of it if I do. There are a lot of great things to be done with Spud and Chloe and now they have their own book!

Toy knitting is all the rage (I’ve even cast on some Easter wonders, more on that next week….) and this Spud and Chloe book really fits the bill. The book is a series of toy animals you might find on a farm. It kind of reminds me of childhood days on my grandparents farm. I was in charge of collecting eggs when we visited.

The thing about toy knitting is its addictiveness. They are quick to knit up and toys always somehow look lonely on their own. It sounds silly but it’s true! I heard a rumor that Anina was working her way through the whole barnyard, I’m sure she’ll have it done in no time. Pick up some double pointed needles, a couple of skeins of Sweater and At the Farm today!