Author Archives: Knit-O-Matic

Black Friday Weekend Sale! 20% to 50% OFF

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BLACK FRIDAY SALE!

Hi Friends!

It’s that time again …. this year our BLACK FRIDAY SALE is from Thursday Nov 24 at 12pm to Monday Nov 27 11:59pm! You can save up to 20% OFF select regular-priced items and select Clearance items (that comes to up to 50% off some items that are already on sale!).

Curbside Pick-up, shipping & same-day/next-day delivery are available!

*Sale is online AND in-store. Discount is automatically applied at check-out, and can not be combined with any other offers or discount codes (including free shipping, which will not be available on sale items). We will not be able to process any in store returns during the sale (any products that are returned during the sale will be credited at the discounted price). Sale is only on products that are currently in stock, and does not apply to products that are pre-order or special order.

Shopping in Store?

Things are HOPPING in the store at this time of year (especially during a Black Friday sale)! If you’re coming to shop in-person for a project we recommend a few things you can do before leaving the house that will help us elevate your experience and make it as smooth as possible:

  • PICK A PROJECT. Think about what you might like to make …. This REALLY helps us to help you! The best place to browse is an advanced search on Ravelry.com (you can refine your search as you narrow down what you like). You can also browse our Blog – we always list the materials required for our project recommended. If you need support with your skills try a Project that comes with an online video Tutorial. On our website we also have a link for Project Ideas.
  • MATERIALS. Think about your yarn preferences …. What thickness of yarn do you prefer/require? What type of fibre do you prefer? Is machine washability important? Do you need needles or do you already have the right size?
  • PRINT YOUR PATTERN. If you have settled on a project, please bring your pattern printed out (or at the minimum download the file to your phone or tablet). Things to consider: What size do you want to make? What is the yarn your pattern is calling for? How much yarn does your pattern require (in meters or yards)?

Please keep in mind, if you need help making these choices when you come in that it might take a little bit longer than usual.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

~ Haley

SHOP SALE NOW

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Clearance Items

Family Slippers Update

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I’m so sorry the link for the Family Slippers pattern wasn’t connecting last time we posted that … here it is updated!

Family Slippers

How can anyone go wrong with slippers?! I recommend a washable yarn, feet being what they are, and socks generally end up in the machine eventually. These slippers are a simple, fast knit. The pattern is writen for holding 2 strands of yarn together, but with the yarns we’ve suggested you’ll only need a sigle strand.

Materials

GIFT KNITS Go-to Favourites

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Around the store, the go-to favourite knits for gifting are simple, elegant, and affordable. hen under time constraints, I say KISS: Keep It Simple Sister!

Best Hat Hack

My ultimate secret for giving any hat, made with any material a polished finish …. add a Fur or Synthetic Fur Pom-Pom – it makes any hat look like it just strutted off a catwalk!

Need Help?

Check out our CURATED LIST OF TUTORIALS & RESOURCES – we’ve collected the best resources so you don’t have to scour the web when you need help. If you’ve found something you’d like to recommend please contact us or leave a note in our blog comments; we’re always on the lookout for anything that can help people grow!

On the C- Train

On the C Train is one of my favorite go-to gift knits – it’s pretty, simple and looks good on everyone. The pattern calls for a combination of light and fluffy yarns, making it soft and airy. If you want a denser, heavier fabric try one of the yarn alternatives below (I’ve made it with a DK weight yarn & soft alpaca blend). If you want to impress someone with something rally special I made one on 4mm needles holding 2 strands of Fibre Co Road to China Light.

Materials

Alternate Yarn Combinations

You can also combine a DK weight yarn with a thicker brushed alpaca to get a nice density with a bit more weight to it:

On the C Train Cowl

I actually just found this pattern but it looks like a great gift and simple knit. Anyway, it’s going to be a chilly winter … keep warm with this simple cowl. It can be worn double as a cowl or as a cape around your shoulders.

Materials

Long Beanie

The Long Beanie is a great pattern, but especially for newer knitters who don’t already have a lot of equipment. The basic construction also makes it a great first hat! The sample looks a little funny on the model, but it’s just a normal beanie pattern, it fits beautifully on any head. This hat pattern also includes child sizes – I suggest making the largest size for adults, the smallest for toddlers, and the medium for kids.

Yarn Options

Choose one of any of the following yarn options:

Materials

Alternate Yarn Combinations

You can also try combining two yarns to get a consistency you may not otherwise be able to find in a single yarn. For a light, airy, fluffy hat try holding together Drops Air & Drops Brushed Alpaca & Silk (1 skein of each should be enough).

If you want some flouff but need some heft too, try holding together Drops Brushed Alpaca & Silk with a strand of a basic worsted weight yarn like Cascade 220 Superwash, Malabrigo Rios, or Berroco Vintage (1 ball of each is fine).

Chunkeanie

Chunkeanie is my personal favourite hat – it looks great on people with small heads, so I make it for myself and my mom.

Materials

Alternate Yarn Combinations

You can also combine a DK weight yarn with a thicker brushed alpaca to get a nice density with a bit more weight to it:

The World’s Simplest Mittens

My favourite mitten pattern is from Tin Can Knits – you just can’t go wrong with their patterns! The World’s Simplest Mittens is sized for all humans, and it is written for different-sized yarns (today I’ll be suggesting materials for the chunky/bulky weight so you can get your knits done faster).

Yarn Options

You’ll need 64 (73, 110, 136, 173) yards of chunky/bulky weight yarn, so choose one of any of the following yarn options:

Materials

Infinitude Scarf (it’s a cowl)

The Infinitude Scarf (it’s really a cowl) is one of the most popular around the store. It’s fast, simple, looks impressively classic, and is very affordable. We made the smaller size and its just right, but if you like something more ample then you’ll need an extra ball.

Materials

Materials

Getting Warmer

Getting Warmer is a great little cape to keep your neck & shoulders warm. You can wear it as a capelet over a sweater, or tuck it up and in under a coat. Using a super soft, light yarn combo like Drops Air with Drops Kid-Silk keeps it airy yet warm.

Materials

Yarn Alternatives

Family Slippers

How can anyone go wrong with slippers?! I recommend a washable yarn, feet being what they are, and socks generally end up in the machine eventually. These slippers are a simple, fast knit. The pattern is written for holding 2 strands of yarn together, but with the yarns we’ve suggested you’ll only need a single strand.

Materials

PROJECT Strathcona

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Strathcona

Strathcona is a simple, oversized, super-bulky weight sweater knits up VERY quickly and easily on 15mm/US19 needles! We used Cascade SPUNTANEOUS, and incredibly soft, single ply merino wool that plumps up to meet the needs of the big needles. You can find more great quick to knit super-bulky patterns by Tara-Lynn Morrison HERE. Strathcona is a great pullover for newer or less experienced knitters, since it is knit in the round in one piece from the top-down (no finishing), and it knits up FAST for instant gratification! The fit is loose and cozy.

SEE FINISHED PROJECTS WITH CASCADE SPUNTANEOUS

If you want more colour at play in your sweater try Malabrigo RASTA. For something that looks like mohair without any of the itch try Drops MELODY (2 strands together), or for something with the aura of fuzz and the structure of a more normal yarn try Drops MELODY & Drops WISH held together (still zero itch). See below for quantities required.

Size

  • (XXS/XS), S/M, (L/XL), (XXL/XXXL)
  • Approx (48.5 cm / 19”) 53.5 cm / 21” (61cm / 23.75”) (67.5 cm / 26.5”) across chest
  • Approx (46 cm / 17” ) 48.5 cm / 19” (51 cm / 21”) (58.5cm / 23”) in body length
  • our sample is size S/M

Materials

For projects like this that require several lengths of circular needles (if you don’t already have the right sizes) we generally recommend INTERCHANGEABLE needles.

Other Yarn Options

You can also use the following yarn options:

FINISHED PROJECT Sophie Shawl

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Sophie Shawl

Thank you Erica for knitting up this beautiful shawly/scarfy thingy, the Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit. It’s a great design because it’s deeper in the middle, where you need more coverage, but narrower at the edges, where you don’t, making it a really wonderful fall/winter/spring garment! It’s a simple knit, mostly garter stitch with an attached i-cord edge that keeps it looking pretty and elegant (a simple technique, definitely not a dealbreaker if you’ve never done it).

Our sample turned out soft, slightly fuzzy, and cozy! We combined Sandnes Garn DOUBLE SUNDAY for body with a strand of Drops KID-SILK for light, fluffy aura.

I don’t know why I chose the purple … it was a momentary intuitive choice. Am I manifesting a colour trend? If you have any insight, please let me know!

Notes

We made the size medium, but used a bit more yarn than the pattern required and we had to dip into an extra ball of mohair, so if I was to do it over again I’d just level up to a size Large.

Size

Our finished measurements (size M): 82″ (213cm) long from tip to tip, 14.5″ (37cm) deep at the middle):

  • Sizes: S (M) L
  • Length from tip to tip: approx. 170 (210) 240 cm 67 (82¾) 94½ inches
  • Width at center: approx. 28 (34) 38 cm 11 (13½) 15 inches

Materials

Other Yarn Options

If you want a bigger Sophie you could combine Sandnes Garn DOUBLE SUNDAY with a strand of Drops BRUSHED ALPACA AND SILK and you could use up to a 6mm/US10 needle. You could also combine any of the yarns in the Cascade 220 SUPERWASH line (including the hand paints) with Drops KID-SILK (use up to a 6mm/US10 needle).

If all this holding two strands of yarn together is a bit too much, you can also use a single strand of:

HALLOWEEN STORE HOURS

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We’re closing an hour early today for Halloween – our families need us … Happy Halloween!

Halloween Store Hours

Tuesday, Oct 31: 12 pm to 5 pm

Bat Mobile

I thought this was a cute last-minute FREE Pattern project for Halloween! It’s made with a DK weight warn and 4mm needles, but I think you can use any thickness of yarn, your bats will just come out bigger.

Materials

FINISHED PROJECT Biggie Braids Toque

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Biggie Braids

Biggie Braids is a simple cabled hat is a super thick yarn for a FAST and satisfying knit! It takes one skein of yarn, fat needles, and makes for a very satisfying little project. It also makes for an impressive looking holiday gift without a lot of labour.

We used one skein of Malabrigo RASTA, a pillowy-soft, hand-dyed merino wool, but you could also use the same amount of Cascade SPUNTANEOUS (also a super-soft merino wool but not hand-dyed), or LionBrand WOOL EASE THICK & QUICK (a machine washable blend of wool & synthetic).

Many thanks to Erica for taking this project from idea to realization!

Materials

If you don’t already own the right size needles, you can buy fixed circular needles or Interchangeable tips from Knitter’s Pride (be sure to get 3.5″ or 4″ tips – anything longer it too long to make a 16″ needle).

Other Yarn Options

You can also use any of these yarns:

See Finished Projects

FINISHED Algoma Cardigan

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Algoma

I just finished a new store sweater for myself, Algoma by Tara-Lynn Morrison. It’s a roomy retro inspired cardie made with light, fluffy, airy yarn. I used two strands of Drops MELODY held together and 10mm/US15 needles and once I figured out the tension and stuff it FLEW! Its VERY cozy, very light, very soft, and not too hot over a T-shirt (although I haven’t really given it a proper winter wearing, so I can’t really speak to that fully).

I did my swatching, I cast on for the second size, but it was coming out a bit large for my taste (and I was swimming in it), so I ripped it back to the underarms and I went down from the second size to the first size and made a few mods (see notes below, or on Ravelry). As I worked I was feeling a bit shy about the the fuller sleeves, so I opted for the narrower ones and more fitted profile, but now I’m feeling like maybe I would like to try making a second one with a fuller silhouette and see how I enjoy that (ya know, let go and live … it’s just a sweater, after all). I’m also looking at the marled version the designer made (see pictures below and on Ravelry) and thinking that could be cool ….. You know how it goes, one day I’m feeling very charcoal grey, and the next I want Barbie pink.

Size

  • (XXS/XS) S/M (L/XL) (XXL/XXXL)
  • Finished Bust: (19” / 48.5 cm ) 21 / 53.5 cm (22” / 56 cm ) (24 / 61 cm)
  • Body length: (18) 19” / 46.5 cm (20” / 51 cm) (22” / 56 cm ) or desired

Materials

We think Interchangeable needles are a great way to go when a pattern calls for a bunch of sizes you don’t normally use. The Knitter’s Pride tips can be a great value, while the Addi Interchangeables are the premium option and Chiaogoo make excellent sets too!

Modifications
I made a few modifications, and the pattern also offers a few choices along the way, so I took notes …

The size was coming out a bit large, so I ripped it back and I went down from the second to the first size and made a few mods:

  • Collar: cast on 50 sts for collar. Worked in K2P2 rib, slipping the first stitch of each row.
  • After Collar: after switching to larger needles, I worked the K4 garter border edge as ribbing – (WS) Sl1 Pwise, K1, P1, K1 …. K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, and as (RS) Sl1 pwise, K1, P1, K1, P1 ….. P1, K1, P1, K1, P1
  • Before separating for sleeves: worked body as smaller size until I had 23 front sts, 36 sleeve sts, 44 bag sts. measures approx 19″ laying flat.
  • Sleeves, followed instructions for narrower sleeves and decreased until 32 sts, worked until sleeves measured 19” from pickup.

FINISHED PROJECT Weekend Hat

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Weekend Hat

The Weekend Hat by Hiromi Nagasawa is a great little project for fall and winter! It’s a pretty cabled toque that can be worn with the brim turned up like a fisherman cap or turned down to make it slouchy, or knit half a brim for a true beanie.

It’s made holding two strands of yarn: we used Sandnes Garn DOUBLE SUNDAY as our base yarn and Drops KID-SILK to fluff things up and give it a bit of dimension. If you can’t tolerate mohair you can knit the hat with a single strand of worsted weight yarn like Cascade 220 Superwash.

Many thanks to Leslea for making this sample for us! It was her first try with cables and she did it with grace (if you haven’t tried cables yet they aren’t actually hard, they just look fancy).

Notes

  • The top has a fancy finishing technique but we didn’t bother with it. Instead we just decreased to 8 sts, broke the yarn and pulled tail through remaining sts. Easy-peasy!

Size

  • The pattern is one-size and based on our sample it should fit a medium to large size head (23″ to 24″)
  • To make the hat smaller you can either omit the two ribs at each side, or make it with a fingering weight yarn held with the mohair and 3mm/US2.5 & 3.5mm/US4 needles.
  • Length for short brim: 9” / 23 cm
  • Length for folded brim: 11.5” / 29.5 cm length (8.5” / 21.5 cm length with brim folded up)

Materials

Photos by Hiromi Nagasawa

PROJECT On the C Train (another take)

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On the C Train

I think On the C Train has become my default hat pattern for exploring yarn combinations! I’m sorry if you’re getting sick of it, it’s just easy and versatile and free and simple to adapt … and patterns that work make me happy!

This time round I was looking to combine a worsted weight yarn, the new Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS, with a strand of kid-mohair, Drops KID-SILK. Combining the two creates a softer, fuzzier texture, and it can also create a depth of colour not otherwise available in the base yarn. In a hand-painted yarn like Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS it also gives you an opportunity to shift the colours, make them darker or lighter, or bring out certain colours and make them POP! Keep reading below for more about combining, as well as the colours that play well together.

If you love the idea of combining but want a different project, see below for a few recommendations that will work with these yarns. Turmeric and Rooibos are made with a different yarn that’s been discontinued but are still my favourite visions of what can be done when you combine a hand-paint with a coloured kid-mohair.

Modifications

  • I had lots of yarn to work with, so I made the hat with a warm turned-up brim (just knit for an extra 2.5″ to 3″) , but you can make yours like the originl version if you like.
  • I knitted the brim with 4.5mm/US7 needles to make it a bit tighter and a bit warmer, and to keep it more elastic and resilient. You can skip this if you like, it isn’t necessary.
  • You can add a Pom-Pom or go without, it’s all about your own style!
  • To make a larger size cast on an extra 8 sts, to make a child size cast on 80 sts.

Size

  • One Size, comfortably fits a medium (22″) head.
  • To make a larger size cast on an extra 8 sts, to make a child size cast on 80 sts

Let’s Talk About Combining …

In the picture above the mini-sweater on the left was knitted with just Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS and 4.5mm/US7 needles. The mini-sweater on the right was made holding one strand of Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS with one strand of Drops KID-SILK and 5mm/US8 needles.

When you combine a regular yarn with a kid-mohair a few things happen …

  • The tension gets thicker, so you can go up a needle size (usually by 0.5mm for hats or mittens, or 1 mm or more for projects knitted at a regular tension like a sweater or a blanket, or more than 1mm for something looser like a shawl).
  • The colour shifts slightly. If the mohair is a lighter colour the project will look lighter, if it’s brighter it’ll brighten it up, and if it’s darker it’ll have a darker cast.
  • The texture changes and gets a bit softer, fuzzier, and takes on an aura.

For this project I used a neutral greyish-white which blended well with the background undyed colour of the base yarn and mellowed the overall colour out. If I’d wanted to bring out the orange speckles I could have used KID-SILK colour 32 Raspberry, or to make the teal more dominant I would use KID-SILK colour 24 Petrol. You can see my colour recommendations below and on our website for Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS.

Materials

Other Projects

For some great patterns that you can used this yarn combination, check out the following: