Posts Tagged ‘Gift’

December 11th – Something for baby

Sunday, December 11th, 2011

The nice thing about knitting for babies at Christmas time is that you can pull off A WHOLE SWEATER with only a couple of weeks to go. That’s pretty amazing. If I started a sweater for a grown up right now I would be panicking and possibly running around the house pulling my hair out (we can’t all have the  amazing productivity of the Yarn Harlot, even if I do sometimes try). So without further adieu I give you 3 worsted weight sweaters. Why worsted you ask? I said it was possible to knock out a baby sweater but let’s not get nuts! Leave the fingering weight for January my friends.

Beyond Puerperium by Kelly Brooker
Beyond Puerperium by Kelly Brooker

Owlet by Kate Davies
Owlet by Kate Davies

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Gramps from 9 Months of Knitting

 

Toasty Warm

Saturday, November 26th, 2011

There is something wonderful about a pair of handknit socks. Something pretty, functional, and warm, a little of everything. The only thing better than a pair of socks you have knit for yourself is the gift of a pair at winter time.

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Something cozy by the fire with thoughts of tradition and family and friends. Picture toasty wool enveloping your feet as you sit by the fire and sip delicious dark chocolate cocoa with marshmallows floating lazily (in my case I have to put down the cocoa to knit a few rows every once in a while).

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I’m not sure if it’s mostly the photography of these socks but as soon as I saw them I had to have them. I’ve got my favorite rosewood DPN’s and a skein of Indigo Moon sock yarn with Paper Moon Socks written all over them!

For the Sock Knitter

Monday, December 6th, 2010

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For the sock knitter in your life, there are just so many options. So many types of fibers (although I think most people still look for a washable sock yarn), types of needles, and types of socks! While I still stand by the traditional double pointed needles and top down socks, there are all kinds of options for those more adventurous. There are socks on 2 circular needles, socks from the toe up, and socks 2 at a time for a start. We’ve got books for all of these types of sock knitting if you are buying for the sock knitter looking for the next level. I also really like Cookie A’s book, (she’s kind of the queen of socks). It’s got a lot of good information and tips as well as some cool patterns.

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When people come in looking for some sock yarn I immediately point them in the direction of the ‘wall of sock’. It’s a wonderful colourful wall full of all kinds of sock yarn. I really love a hand dye in a sock yarn, and I enjoy some crazier colour schemes than I might for a hat or a scarf.  It’s like my own little secret when I wear a pair of colourful crazy socks. Of course we have some more subdued yarns as well, bright yellow socks aren’t for all I understand.

Needles are really a preference thing. For circulars I would definitely go with an Addi Lace, for the finer sock yarns. If you are really looking to spoil a knitter we’ve also got the Addi Lace interchangable sets, a dream come true under the tree….but I digress a bit. The treasures in my own personal stash definitely include my Lantern Moon needles. I have double points in US 1 and 2, which is pretty much all I use for socks and they are a dream. They are strong rosewood needles which don’t bend as easily as bamboo, I love them and we just received a shipment of Lantern moon so pick up some needles for the sock knitter in your life!

This weeks sale yarn is Louisa Harding Shingle and Glisten. Glisten is a sparkly yarn while Shingle is a be-sequened yarn perfect for a seasonal project for the fabulous individuals you know!

What to get for the Lace Knitter

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

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It’s certainly that time of year again and everyone is wondering what to get for the knitter in their life. Or perhaps you are the knitter wondering how to tactfully suggest some items that would fit in a Christmas stocking or under the tree. Well, here are a few of my suggestions for a special type of knitter: the lace knitter, perhaps you could pass on the post if you are subtly hinting to family or friends ;-)

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While knitters are rarely only one type, we  all know knitting can come in waves, perhaps you were a sock knitter last year, an accessories knitter the year before, or the brave sweater knitter the year before that, but if you are a lace knitter this year you probably have a few lace specific knitting traits. You probably have pretty good attention to detail and enjoy the process of knitting (as opposed to being more product oriented) because boy do those yards of yarn start to go slowly by the final few rows of a shawl! You probably enjoy working in some finer fibers and are currently digging some lighter, airier knits.

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My favorite yarn to knit up some lace has to be SweetGeorgia. Subtle hand dyes make any shawl just that much more beautiful and both the more vibrant colours and the more subdued look stunning in the skein and knit up. There are 2 choices in SG for lace: Cashsilk (my personal indulgent fave) and Merino Silk Lace. The Cashsilk is about 400 yards and has that cashmere softness to it. Perfect for a smaller shawl or scarf size. The Merino Silk Lace has that silky shine and is a very generous 765 yards. You could knit anything up with that kind of yardage!

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If you have a newer lace knitter on your hands perhaps some sock weight yarn would be nice. It’s a little thicker than the lace but remains light enough to do the job. I’ve knit up a couple of Ishbel shawls from Ysolda Teague in sock weight and I just love it. There is lots of sock yarn to choose from (we call it the sock wall) so you can come on in and pick your colours.

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Shawl patterns aren’t particularly hard to come across in the shop but I have to say, in my wild summer shawl-a-thon, one of my favorite patterns had to be Emily Wessel’s Photosynthesis. This pattern is hugely popular on Ravelry and around the shop. It goes rather well with a skein of SweetGeorgia, hint hint hubby!