Make some towels that are so beautiful you’ll never want to use them! That’s ok, some things you use until they’re shredded, and some you keep out to please the eye. Both have their roles in our lives. The pattern is a FREEBIE, and makes for some simple, elegant summer knitting.
Quince & Co Sparrowis my favourite yarn for this project, I love how this linen looks, the silky feels after being washed, and also how resilient it is (it gets better going through the wash) . My second personal choice would be
Kelbourne Mojave – their colours make me so happy, and the I love the the subtle texture of the fibre.
Berroco Remix Light is the budget friendly, earth friendly, use-friendly option – it has so much yardage, two skeins of the main colour will make 3 towels, and 3 skeins will make 5. Plus it’s recycled, has a neat texture, is easy to knit with and wash.
Cascade Ultra Pima is the last on the list, but not the least. This silky smooth pima cotton is a staple, and is always a joy to knit with and wear. If you like a plain, flat aesthetic, this is your yarn of choice.
Last time was crochet, so today I’m looking at knitted bags that make me happy. Knitted bags can be simple and elegant, and make great totes and carryalls. They’re also a nice, smallish summer project – great for taking up to the cottage, your back-yard or the local park. They benefit from working with plant based fibres, which are perfect for the summer because they don’t hold humidity like most animal fibres do (wool, alpaca, camel, mohair, cashmere … basically everything except silk).
I kind of love the simple spiral design on this bag, it’s elegant but has some interest, it’s a great design feature! Instructions are included for three sizes. It’s worked in the round, cast on using Judy’s Magic Cast-On and worked from the bottom up. Straps are then worked back and forth and grafted together at the top.
Simplicity is also key wit this tote! You make this bag by first knitting the base flat, then picking up around the Base and knitting the Body of the bag in the round.
Graphic stripes and simple designs make me extremely happy! This bag is knit flat in one piece in garter stitch to form a rectangle that is then folded and sewn on two sides to create the bag shape. If preferred, you can carry the yarns up the edge of the piece when working the “Thin and Thick Stripe Pattern” sections.
Sizes
Sizes: 1 (2, 3)
Finished width at base: 28 (35, 42) cm / 11 (13¾, 16½)”
Finished height: 28 (35, 42) cm / 11 (13¾, 16½)”
Before sewing, flat piece measures 20 (25, 30) cm / 8 (10, 12)” x 60 (75, 90) cm / 24 (30, 35½)”
People have been asking a lot about market bags this summer, so I’ve put together a little bit of inspiration for you. I prefer crochet for market bags, the stitch reinforces the strength. Plus crochet is fun in the summer, it’s an extremely comfortable way to work with plant fibres. A basic crochet bag (like the second below) is also a great next level project for new or inexperienced crocheters.
I designed this little bag many, many moons ago and it’s still one of my favourites. My favourite version were the ones I made a few years ago with some Quince & Co Sparrow Linen – they’re sturdy, light, and put away up nicely!
Hi guys! I’m sorry I’ve been away so long, I am very well, just busy in the store …. you’ve been very graciously keeping me on my toes! I’ve been arranging orders for pick-up and shipping, over the phone, email, our online store and even through Facebook messenger! I’m very proud to report that many blankets have been conceived in the last week, many colours have been combined, consulted, and recombined. Much yarn has been wound.
I have a few minutes before the phone rings and my email is quiet, so I thought I’d show you my very small project. I saw the Baker’s Twine Pot Holder on Ravelry and it kind of appealed … plus it’s a small, easy project not requiring too much bandwidth.
I’m test-driving a new yarn, Borgo de’ Pazzi Amore Cotton. It’s a very affordable bulky weight, recycled cotton that’s made in Italy. It comes in marled colours and I thought it would make a good craft yarn for dish cloths and such. I think one skein is going to be enough for my square pot-holder, it’s 10″ wide and I’m knitting it tight on small needles. Unfortunately, I haven’t has the time to photograph all the colours, but they’re pretty straightforward (pink & white is what you’d imagine … pink & white).
The little aqua ring is made with Kelbourne Woolens Mojave … I love their bright colours and the lovely texture. Mojave is a blend of cotton and linen and it’s just a lovely combo. The ring was actually kind of interesting, it’s constructed in the round first and then you knit the fabric around it.
Hacks
Use slippery metal needles. The tight tension made things harder on wood needles.
I book-ended my slip-stitch sections with stitch markers. The dual-colour system you see in the picture isn’t actually necessary, I think I had a bit of ‘pandemic brain-fog’ when I started and I was getting disoriented. Now that I’m better seated in this transitional period I look at the markers and I’m like “What? Why did you think that was a complicated concept?” Still, while it was ultimately unnecessary, I’m impressed with my little system.
If you want a smaller piece you can omit one pattern repeat (12 sts) and it should come out around 7.75″ to 8″ wide.
Just a quick Haley update … I’m here in the store and I’m well. I’ve been paying a lot of attention to caring for myself, both physically and mentally. I’ve been making a point of exercising and eating properly to buttress my immune system. Mentally, I’ve made a point to slow down and let myself adjust to the experience. I’ve also expanded my meditation practice. As for mindfulness, I’m trying to lean into the experience, let myself really go into it, absorb and process all I can get from it.
Not that that’s an easygoing thing. Life has been “Go!Go!Go!STOP”, which is both exhilarating and a bit taxing. Adapting to this pandemic has been like going through the stages of grief – I think I’m mostly in acceptance (or I could be completely in denial, but I don’t think so).
Several people have suggested I host events on Zoom or host online classes, but I am being pulled inwards now more than ever. My need to connect with myself and ground myself is strong. I know a lot of people are struggling with feeling disconnected and are looking to connect with others through digital media. For what it’s worth, that isn’t my calling. I can’t connect with others if I’m not connected with myself, I can’t love others if I don’t love myself. I view this as a period of transition, and I’m letting the currents make their changes and transform me. We all get the experiences we need to grow.
Anyway, I’m still here for you, and those of you who need me are definitely reaching out. But I’m letting the way I’m here evolve and recalibrate naturally.
So good news … spring is coming! More good news … I got a present! This little shrug was a gift from Berroco yarns, so we didn’t actually make it … but we totally could have! Very easily, in fact! Its a nice little cotton shrug for spring & summer, knit on big-ish needles (6mm/US10). The fit is easy and the construction isn’t too involved. Wear it over a dress, a shirt, a tank or a cami, with jeans, a skirt, a romper, knickers … you name it, it goes with it! Plus, it makes a great little ‘office sweater’ when the weather gets warmer and the office temperature gets colder.
I especially love the yarn, Berroco Estiva, a bulky weight cotton tape that’s really lovely to knit with and to wear. I’ve used it before for our Beach Wrap, a Deschain Pullover, and a new pattern I designed that’s coming out soon. It knits up in a slow monochrome gradient, giving the colour some interest without making you look like you’re wearing Joseph’s Technicolor Dream-coat. Plus, we have some gorgeous new colours this year (see pictures below), so you’ve got even more inspiration to choose from!
The sides, including sleeves and yoke of this garment are worked in one piece from sleeve cuff to center back. The sides are joined at center back using a 3-needle bind off. The lower ribbing is then picked up and worked down.
To ensure gradient pattern is similar to the sample shown, work from the cakes as follows for sizes 36–52″: Start at the beginning (dark-coloured) part of a new cake for each sleeve, using remaining yarn to knit the lower section and neckband. For sizes 56″ and 60″, 2 cakes of yarn are used through out. Alternate cakes
Make some towels that are so beautiful you’ll never want to use them! That’s ok, some things you use until they’re shredded, and some you keep out to please the eye. Both have their roles in our lives.
Berroco Estiva is a bulky weight, 100% cotton ribbon yarn, so it’s super soft, easy to knit with, and works up FAST! Plus, it has scads of yardage, so you can make a smaller size of Deschain with two skeins, or a shawl/wrap with one. The ball-band calls for 6.5mm/US105 to 8mm/US11 needles, so there’s lots of flexibility to play around. The yarn is made in Italy (personally, I’m always pleased to see milling happening in Italy, they do it beautifully there), and it is MACHINE WASHABLE (a good thing for summer garments)!
100% Cotton
150g/306m (336yds)
Knitting Gauge: 3.5 to 4 sts = 1″ (2.5cm) on 6.5mm/US10.5 to 8mm/US11 needles. 14 to 16sts = 4″ (10cm)
When I ran across these projects on Ravelry I knew we had to make one! The pattern, Deschain, was designed a few years ago by Quince & Co for their organic linen yarn, Kestrel (which is also stunning and I love and we sell and makes me very happy). But the pattern looks equally awesome made with a new bulky weight cotton yarn, Berroco Estiva.
Note: you might need to work extra pattern repeats to get your sweater long enough. While you are working, hold it up to your body as you go (for a size small you might need to knit extra length to get good coverage).
I don’t know if you caught this pattern on Ravelry a few weeks ago, but I filed it away somewhere in the middle of my mind. It’s made with BC Garn Bio Balance, a gorgeous spring/summer weight yarn made from a blend of organic wool & cotton. We’ve worked up a sample shawl with it and it was delightful to work with and wear. When you work with it, it kind of moves like a soft wool with a bit of texture and grab to it, you don’t really feel the cotton. But when its knitted, the fabric doesn’t feel like wool at all, it feels like a blended plant fibre you’d find in a commercial garment. It’s interesting, and really nice!
Anyway, I love the combination of texture and oversized ease in this sweater. It’ll be extremely comfortable and breathable, perfect for slouching around the cottage, the house and the city. I don’t love the colour they chose, I don’t know about you but I have a hard time visualizing myself in a dark green summer sweater! Good thing BC Garn Bio Balance comes in a bunch of pretty colours for warmer seasons (they have a medium green that is beautiful). If you want to cast on right away, here are your best bets (if you have your heart set on another colour that we don’t have in stock let us know and we can get that for you):
Needle Hack: Interchangeables ROCK!
The body and sleeves are worked in the round from the bottom up to the yoke, then the pieces are joined for working the circular yoke. If skipped ahead to the materials, you’ll notice that the pattern calls for a bunch of needles in different lengths – if you have been thinking about buying yourself a set of interchangeable needles this might be a good opportunity. If not, I’d buy individual interchangeable tips and cords: for the circulars I’d get Knitter’s Pride Interchangeable Tips 3.5mm-4.5″, 3.5mm-3.5″, and 3mm-4.5″ (to sub for the 2.75mm), and corresponding Knitter’s Pride Interchangeable Cords/Cables in 16″, 24″ and 40″. For the double pointed needles you can get them in 3mm & 3.5mm, or use your 40″ cord for the magic loop technique.
If you already have an interchangeable set check to see if it comes with the 3mm tips – most do not, but Knitter’s Pride makes them as individual pairs in the metal “nova platina” (chrome plated brass).
Pattern Hack: Libraries ROCK!
We no longer carry Interweave Knits, but you can still find the paper edition in grocery stores, drug stores, and online as an e-publication through Interweave. But there is a fourth option: the public library! Check your public library to see if they provide digital magazines. Interweave Knits is available from the Toronto Public Library though the RB Digital service, which is a FREE service – all you need is a library card (also FREE) and a digital device (smart phone, tablet or computer). If you don’t have a device you can go to the library and use one of their computers and printers – you can even ask the librarian for help if you are having trouble, helping people access information is their calling. You can also ask a librarian for help if you have a portable device but you don’t know how to use the digital system to access the magazine. Librarians ROCK!
These are screenshots of the magazine, that I downloaded to my i-Phone through my public library’s website.
Size
42 (48, 54, 60, 66)“ circumference at underarm.
Pullover shown measures 48”; modeled with 15” of positive ease.
We’re clearing out some summer yarns that we aren’t bringing back, so grab it on sale before it’s gone!
CLEARANCE 30% OFF DMC Natura XL
DMC Natura XL is a bulky weight, machine washable 100% cotton yarn, and is especially great for baby & kid projects, fast sweaters, blankets pillows and afghans, as well as crocheted baskets and other home decor projects.
We just finished a VERY quick & satisfying summer quickie, our Instant Gratification Cardi! We used a thick & quick cotton, DMC Natura XL, and 8mm/US11 needles – can’t go wrong with big needles! Also, because the yarn is thicker than the one the pattern was originally conceived with, we went down about 4″ in size (we made the 34″ size and got a 38″ size). If you want the sleeves longer, definitely buy an extra skein of yarn.
I think my client Adrienne just introduced me to my soul mate, Big Mike. Big Mike hails from Huge & Huggable Mochimochi, and we’re going to have to continue to get to know each other better before we commit (I have to acquire the book), but I really feel like he’s the ‘one’. It;s no surprise that I’d fall hard for him, I’ve always felt pretty sentimental about Claes Oldenberg’s ‘Floor Burger’, it’s one of my must-sees on every visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario. I’ll probably use Berroco Vintage Chunky, it’s the right tension and it wears well, and that’s important because this dude is gonna received a LOT of hugs!
