Posts Tagged ‘Jared Flood’

A Hat for a Boy

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

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I have the distinct pleasure to be knitting a few hats and scarves for Christmas presents this year and believe it or not, I’m on the ball! I know this sounds impossible but I’m sure I’ll finish all my HAVE TO knitting and then pick up a few projects that start out as MAYBE THESE WILL GET DONE and become THESE ALSO NEED TO BE DONE AND ITS DECEMBER 24TH items. Anyhow, if you are knitting for a dude I highly recommend the Habitat hat by Jared Flood.

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This pattern is not necessarily for the faint of heart when it comes to cables. There is cabling in this hat. A lot of it. Sometimes every row. It drove me a little nuts at times but it’s so few rows to really worry about and the overall effect is marvelous. I knit this one up in Louet Gems Worsted so it’s nice and washable for an easy care individual. There is definitely still time to bust out more than one of these before the merry deadline.

Leaves of Grass

Saturday, November 12th, 2011

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The latest collection from Jared Flood, Loft, has me thinking about many many yards of fingering weight yarn. I am currently dreaming of fall golds and warm reds (although it snowed at my new house today….) and what should I come across but Leaves of Grass.

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This large shawl/blanket is stunning, it may just be the next long term project I cast on for. I have been meaning to make a circular shawl for some time now but I’ve been pre-occupied with smaller items. I like to have at least 1 project I return to now and again in between design work, gifts, and fashionable knits for me and mine. This blanket has multiple motifs to keep things interesting and the finished project looks like it’s worth the effort!

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This beauty takes a whopping 1375 yards of fingering/sock/28st gauge yarn so come on in and pick up the colour that speaks to you!

Flood-along complete!

Monday, July 11th, 2011

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It was another great time on Friday finishing up our Jared Flood/Brooklyn Tweed knit-a-long! (in case anyone is confused Jared Flood is a designer and he designs/blogs as Brooklyn Tweed). There were some lovely projects knit during the allotted KAL time and Anina and Michael brought some lovely Floodish projects already completed (or nearly so).

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There were more Rock Island’s than anything else. I knit one myself! The pattern is intense with lace on both sides and an interesting construction. It was probably one of the most complicated things I’ve knit, although garments have their own measuring challenges. Iona, Marianella, and I all knit our Rock Island shawls in SweetGeorgia Merino Silk Lace. It’s just irresistible! (Colours are Slate, Riptide, and English Ivy)

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There were 2 Terra shawls, one knit in Cascade 220 and one in Berocco Ultra Alpaca.

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Ashley brought her beautiful Juneberry shawl. It’s also a tricky lace piece with lace on both sides and a different construction. Hers is a stunning blue in the Berocco Ultra Alpaca as well. (Ashley has an awesome blog, you can check it out here)

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Anina brought her Umaro, a lovely thick blanket and Michael brought his Koolhaus hat and Grove mittens.

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So now that the Flood-along is finished it’s time to KAL something new! This Friday we will be casting on for our Ysolda Teague KAL so pick your projects and yarn and join us either in person or on Ravelry!

The New Guy

Friday, July 8th, 2011

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Yet another new face at Urban Yarns, welcome to the New Guy! Michael is the newbie at Urban Yarns but he is no stranger to knitting, that’s for sure. Having recently come across his blog (and I may have spent some time perusing his projects on Ravelry as well) I’m already a fan of his knitterly taste. I have been swept up by the lovely lace and cables! To see for yourself you can check out Michael Knits.

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Michael has been knitting for a few years now and he’s mastered some pretty tough projects. One of my faves fits right in with our theme of the week: Jared Flood! This is Bridgewater from the Brooklyn Tweed book. 2000 yards of lace and just stunning. I think the natural colour is just right for this project because it shows off every gorgeous stitch.

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Michael is hoping to bring the boys to the knitting circle and he will be hosting Men’s knit nights on Tuesdays 6:30-8:30 so boys bring your knits!

Reminder: Flood Night is tomorrow night (Anina and I laughed about the weather fitting right in….) so bring your project finished or not for some tea and cookies!

Party Time

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

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This Friday is the Jared Flood Knit Along party! Come one come all for some tea and cookies and Floodish goodness. I have been mentioning to people all week that I will be attending a Flood party on Friday and they seem to think I’m going to a party with short pants. Non-knitters may not be as familiar with Brooklyn Tweed’s body of work as we knitterly folk are…..

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Since we are all theoretically casting off our BT/JF projects this week (I know a few of you aren’t done, the world won’t end, come party anyways) it must be time for the next KAL! I was chatting with Kynna last week and she said the next KAL just had to be her favorite: Ysolda.

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The greatest thing about an Ysolda KAL is that there are so many different types of patterns to choose from. She has a lot of accessories if you are feeling like something small and very finishable or if you are feeling more ambitious she has some serious sweater patterns too. I’m thinking Coraline…..

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The end date for the Ysolda knit has yet to be determined but it will most definitely be in the last couple of weeks of September, we are giving this one a nice long time for those who are knitting sweaters! Hope to see you Friday and we can all plot our next KAL knits!

This weeks special is:

Araucania Ranco

Solids 30% off was $14.95, now $10.96

Multis 30% off, $16.95, now $11.87

Knitting For the Boys

Friday, June 17th, 2011

I can’t honestly say I personally know very many male knitters. Really only one comes to mind. This is not to say that men couldn’t or shouldn’t knit, they absolutely can and should! I just don’t know that many myself. I think this might be one of the reasons there are so few mens knitting patterns out there. I’ve been brain storming some other reasons, but mostly they are brood generalizations about sweater curses and complaints about a lack of accessorization.

With fathers day around the corner I was trying to come up with some of my favorite mens patterns and books, there may still be time to whip up a toque (for those chilly summer nights). Without further ado:

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Dave by Jane Ellison

1. Jane Ellison’s Queensland Collection Book 9 : I’ve gone to this well several times, making 2 vests and a sweater (that’s my dad modeling it at Christmas a couple of years ago). The patterns are simple and modern (not too bulky), what more could I ask for?

Habitat by Jared Flood

Habitat by Jared Flood

2. Jared Flood patterns: I couldn’t very well choose just one, there are many excellent mens patterns including three great hat patterns: Habitat, Koolhaus, and the Turn a Square hat.

Koolhaus by Jared Flood

Koolhaus by Jared Flood

Turn a Square by Jared Flood

Turn a Square by Jared Flood

3. Perhaps a pair of socks? Leyburn socks are a great pattern for a dude, not too much flair but a lovely simple textured pattern. I think socks are perfect for someone who is not that into wearing knitted items, but enjoys something warm and handmade.

Leyburn Socks

Leyburn Socks

4. If you are looking for something with a little more pizazz you might want to check out Stephen West, his triangular scarves/shawls are a great way to experiment with colour combinations and perhaps a Daybreak is just what dad needs!

Daybreak by Stephen West

Daybreak by Stephen West

Cinder Scarf

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

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It’s snowing on Burnaby mountain and I need a new scarf! I’ve been walking around the mountain trying to convince my child it’s time to come out! I need something long and wrapable, warm, soft, luxurious, and maybe with a little cable….. enter the Cinder Scarf. This is a pretty Jared Flood (Brooklyn Tweed) pattern and one of the features I quite like is that it is reversable. Reversable just makes good sense in a scarf because what are the odds, with all the wrapping and twisting a scarf naturally does that it will be lying exactly the way you want it to? Pretty much nil. With this beauty the ribbing makes it completely reversable so  you don’t have to think twice once you wrap it on.

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The yarn for Cinder is one of our newer favorites, Ariosa by Classic Elite. A super soft single ply yarn made up of merino and a hint of cashmere. The single ply combined with the cashmere make it a really luxurious yarn, perfect for any knitting project really. It’s a nice bulkyish yarn too: 14 stitches per 4 inches, so the scarf will go nice and quick even if it is quite long. The one Amanda knit up in the shop is 6 skeins but it’s a REALLY long scarf so anywhere from 4-6 is great depending on your scarf length preferences.

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If you are as smitten with this yarn as we are and are looking for a larger project there is also a wonderful sweater pattern in Jared’s book ‘Made in Brooklyn’ called Rockaway. It’s absolutely gorgeous! It’s knit in the Ariosa as well and I think it would be great for guy or girl, a nice warm wear for the weather.

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Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow!

Friday, November 26th, 2010

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Tis the season for cold flakes and warm hot chocolate. It’s the stuff knitting dreams are made of! I almost put in It’s a Wonderful Life yesterday I was feeling so festive and cozy, but I decided it was a little early. The heater is broken in my living room so I was bundled under some fleece blankets with a wooly scarf and hat on and knitting away. My hubby even made me some tea to keep warm. It was magic with the snow falling outside. Snow is, of course, only magical if you don’t have to get out and drive the Vancouver streets (particularly the unplowed side streets…..). The morning when I set off to work was a much more stressful and less magical moment! Once I was in for the night though I felt a lot better about the weather!

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This weather definitely has me thinking scarf and I’m even feeling a little cabley lately (I think I made up that word but you know what I mean). I’m currently working on the Honey Cowl (see post below for details) but I had a real tweed hankering as I watched the snow pile up on the patio table. The next knit in line is Dryad from Brooklyn Tweed. This beautiful cabled masterpiece is knit up in Berocco’s Blackstone Tweed. It’s a lovely soft tweedy yarn in some fantastic shades. Blackstone is mostly wool with a little mohair and angora thrown in to make is soft. Come on in to knit night tonight and get one started!

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To make a Dryad of your very own you will need:

Dryad by Jared Flood

4-6 balls of Blackstone Tweed (depending on desired length)

5mm needles

a cable needle

Let the Boxes Keep Coming

Monday, September 13th, 2010

There are just so many new things and large boxes coming into Urban Yarns every day now! It must be fall too because I am totally looking to knit up a scarf in something new. What we haven’t got new, we’ve got new colours. If you want to knit pretty much anything come on down and we can hook you up with something you might not have worked with before.

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A couple of our new yarns are well matched to one of my favorite designers, Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed designs. The first is a return to the lace obsessoin: Juneberry Triangle. It’s knit up in the new St Denis Nordique yarns and we’ve got the pattern in the fantastic new St Denis Nordique books.

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The other pattern/yarn combination I am most excited about is the new Blackstone Tweed from Berocco. This yarn is delicious, it combines the beauty and rusticness of tweed with a super soft combination of wool, mohair, and angora. It’s so yummy. The pattern I am definitely knitting with it is Dryad, from Jared again. It’s a cabley scarf with tons of intricate twists and turns. I picture it at home on the moors of Scotland, bit of an imagination. We’ve got some really beautiful colours in both of these yarns. I’m having a hard time deciding which colour to whip up the Dryad in. This combo will definitely quench my scarf knitting thirst!

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