Adrienne just knit up this gorgeous SWERVE for us using one of the Fleece Artist/Handmaiden Halo Bundles. The shawl is a delicate combination of fingering weight merino alternated with a fine kid-mohair, making it light, feminine, but also interesting. The yarn bundles are dyed together, so you don’t have to worry about combing or matching your yarns, and they’re also very reasonably priced at $43.97 each. Plus, the pattern knits up on 5.5mm/US9 needles, so it won’t take *forever* to work up!
Fleece Artist-Handmaiden Halo bundles are combo of two yarns hand-dyed together. Fleece Artist Merino Slim fingering weight merino and Handmaiden Angel Hair fingering weight mohair join forces to create gorgeous textural combos scarf, wrap, shawl and sweater patterns. You can hold the two strands together at the same time (like Love Note by Tin Can Knits), or alternate yarns (like Birds of a Featherby Andrea Mowry). Because they are dyed together the colours always match – no guess work!
I’m so sorry you haven’t heard from me a few days, you guys have been keeping me very busy in the store! I did manage to get a quickie off the needles this week – check out my Mega Rib! I managed to knit up this beanie in a single night – does that make it a one night stand? It;s definitely last-minute-giftable! It was quick & easy, I used one skein of Fleece Artist Merino Stream and 8mm/US11 needles. This yarn was a bit thinner than the one specified in the pattern, but I think it still works. The hat would also look good made according to the pattern’s directions with Cascade Spuntaneous (a super soft, single ply merino wool). Oh, and I forgot, the pattern is a freebie!
Modifications
I used 8mm/US11 needles and the tension was comfortable a bit loose for a Canadian winter. Use 7mm/US10.75 needles for a denser tension.
I cast on 48 stitches, it fits an Adult medium. For an adult large cast on 51 sts, for a small cast on 45 sts.
When you cast on with a different number of stitches, a different stitch pattern or a different size needle this changes the tension and the colours may pool differently.
A client came in last night who wanted to make some granny slippers, and it occurred to me that I’ve NEVER made a pair, and maybe I should step outside my box and try a pair. I’m happy to report that they were SUPER EASY, beginner friendly (like after scarves), fast, and don’t use a ton of yarn, and are super cosy and warm! I whipped up a pair in one evening, so they’re definitely doable for holiday gifts. They aren’t fancy, but they are definitely cosy, warm, and fast!
I decided I wanted a funkier pair and used one skein of hand dyed Fleece Artist Back Country, but another great (less pricey) yarn would be Berroco Vintage Chunky. The yarn was lovely (as always), soft and smooth. If you want a pair of fuzzy slippers you could hold together 1 strand of Cascade 220 Superwash and 1 strand of Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk (1 ball of each should be enough. The pattern, Easy Steps by Drops, is a freebie, and was fairly easy to follow. Please read below for our modifications and notes.
Modifications & Pattern Notes
A. I used 5mm/US8 needles, and it made the tension a bit tighter, 15 sts = 4″ (10cm). My feet are narrow, so this didn’t make a big difference in size, but if you are knitting for wider feet I would add a couple of stitches to the pattern.
B. The pattern, which was not originally written in english, has one phrase that novices might find confusing. It says “K sts tog 2 by 2”. What they want you to do is K2tog across the row (so knit 2 stitches together, and keep doing this to the end of the row. For beginners, the pattern website also has a how-to video on how to knit 2 stitches together.
C. For beginners who do not know how to seam (or for more experienced knitters who may not know how to do this particular seaming prettily), the pattern website offers some handy how-to videos to get you through the project. To make a tidy seam at the back of the foot (because it is a cast-on edge) this may be a helpful video.
D. Please see our Hack below for suggestions on making sure the colour distribution of hand painted, variegated yarns is the same for both your slippers! If you’re using a solid, heathered or semi-solid yarn you don’t need to worry about this, but you might find it interesting and useful information for the future.
And now for the hack! It’s a universal knitting truth that variegated yarns have a tendency for the colours to pool in ways we can’t anticipate. Sometimes it’s fun, funky, and enhances the project, and sometimes we don’t really care for it. It’s random, it happens, and we learn to accept it. You can usually play around with this effect by varying the needle size, the number of stitches you put on, and the stitch pattern you choose. But while knitting these slippers I found out something new – the place in the colourway that you cast on (where you place your slip knot or first stitch), can have an effect.
Option A) Asymmetrical Pooling Approximately half of the colourway in this particular skein is dark, and the other half was colourful (lets say it starts with the dark blue, the moves into a second part, the brighter warm colours). In the picture above, I made the slip knot around where the colour is changing between the two. The colours pooled kind of randomly, and I thought it worked with the skippers once they were seamed – they’re kinda funky.
Option B) Symmetrical Pooling In this picture, I made the slip knot around the centre of the dark part of the colourway (so about 1/4 of the way through the colour repeat). The colours ended up pooling completely symmetrically! All the Blues stacked up on the right and the reds lined up on the left. It was super cool. It also didn’t suit my sensibilities for this project, although I kind of want to make a neckwarmer this way.
Caveat Emptor: every skein of hand-dyed yarn is different, so this isn’t a rule. so much as a factor. Like I said at the start, the number of stitches, the tension and the stitch pattern also have an effect on the colour distribution. But if you are making your own slippers with hand-dyed, variegated yarn, be sure to cast on in the same place in the colourway to get a similar colour distribution.
So there you go, you learn something new every day! For more information on colour distribution in variegated yarns, I highly recommend the book Artful Color, Mindful Knits.
I stumbled across these cool slippers and thought they’d make AMAZING holiday gifts! There are lots of yarn options, and they just look gorgeous. Cascade Eco has amazing yardage, and 1 skein makes a pair of slippers with lots left over. Berroco Vintage Chunky is soft, affordable and easy to both wear and care for (it’s totlly machine washable and is a blend of wool and synthetic, so it’s sturdier than a 100% wool yarn). Fleece Artist Back Country is a super soft, hand-dyed merino wool that would knit up some unforgettably super funky slippers.
One note: this pattern is for intermediate to experienced knitters. Techniques include German Short Rows (full instructions included in pattern), working in the round (magic loop technique is suggested), picking up stitches, crochet chained border (full instructions included in pattern). It also uses a double knit stitch for the sole, which is not hard but a neat new thing to try out (note, this stitch is NOT the same as the technique of “double knitting”, nor does it have anything to do with the yarn thickness of “Double Knit”).
Oh, and if these slippers aren’t your thing but you’re interested in slippers, the same designer, Bekah Knits, has some other really pretty slipper designs that are worth checking out.
Size
S (M, L, XL, XXL) to fit US shoe size: W’s 5-6 (W’s 7-8, W’s 9-10, W’s 11/M’s 9-10.5, M’s 11-12.5)
Cascade Eco: 1 skein per colour (or 1 skein if you make them a solid colour)
Berroco Vintage Chunky: Colour no. 1 (uppers/cream): 2 skeins, Colour no. 2 (bottoms/oatmeal: 1 skein. To make similar slippers, I would use colours 6101 and 6105 in this yarn.
Fleece Artist Back Country: 2(3, 3, 3, 3, 3) skeins for a pair of slippers in a single colour, otherwise Colour no. 1 (uppers): 2 skeins, Colour no. 2 (bottoms): 1 skein.
As a run-up to the holidays, I’ll be sharing lots of smaller projects that make great handmade gifts. Liane whipped up this cute beanie (which is a free pattern) on 9mm/US13 needles in like a day, and I think it turned out great! We used Fleece Artist Merino Stream, a super soft, super bulky weight single ply merino wool that hails from Nova Scotia.
The pattern is the Amelia Slouch Beanie, and it’s a freebie, which is always sweet. We made some modifications because it just feels wrong to cut corners. If you aren’t already familiar with the ins & outs of ribbing, 2×2 ribbing (k2, p2) is looser than stocking stitch and is usually worked on a needle 1mm smaller than normal.
Mods
We cast on 44 sts on 8mm/US11 needles and worked ribbing according to the pattern.
We increased 1 stitch after the ribbing (for a total of45 sts) and went up to a 9mm/US13 needles.
Fleece Artist’s Thrummed Mitten Kits are back, just in time to whip up a pair in time winter (the Farmer’s Almanac has forecast a cold winter for Canada). These mitts are SERIOUSLY warm and cosy, and are a must-have for anyone who spends time outside (like dog owners and the person in the house who does the shovelling).
Thrumming is a very old technique that is seriously fun and functional. Small tufts of roving (wool that hasn’t been spun into yarn yet) are knit into the garment creating a fuzzy warm layer on the inside and irresistible dots of colour the outside. As you wear them, the thrummed roving felts down, keeping your hands warm and cozy (take note dog owners, these are ideal winter dog walking mitts). The mittens will be the colour of the yarn and the thrums (roving) will peek through. This kit can also be used to make Thrummed Socks (great as house-socks or slippers)! Each kit is individually hand-dyed, no two will be exactly alike. Kit does not include needles: 3.5mm/US4 double pointed needles are required.
Kit Includes
Pattern & instructions (or you can download them free HERE)
Yarn: Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester Aran, 125g (100% wool)
Roving: 60g (100% wool)
Sizes included: Child, Adult Small, Adult Medium, and Adult Large.
Restocked for the Fall season, Fleece Artist Merino Stream is perfect for all the cuddly clothes you want to knit fast and snuggle into. It’s a bulky weight (knits on 9mm/US13 needles), stunningly super soft single ply, hand dyed merino wool that’s great for anything you want to touch skin. One skein makes a hat, neckwarmer or pair of mitts (see our Burly Mitts project), two are enough for a scarf or infinity scarf, 4 to 5 for a shawl or wrap, 6+ for a sweater, 10 for a throw blanket. Plus, Fleece Artist Merino Stream is made right here in Canada!
New this fall is Fleece Artist Back Country, a gorgeous, super-soft, hand-dyed merino yarn. It’s a bulky weight so it won’t take forever to knit, and it’s machine washable, so it’s a great choice for babies and kids. The super soft merino texture means it’s especially lovely for anything that touches your skin. One skein makes a cowl or hat, two make a scarf or infinity scarf, and 4 are enough for a baby blanket. Plus, it’s made right here in Canada – you can’t go wrong!
I just finished this little neck-a-ma-thing, and it turned out really well! The pattern is Annabella’s Cowl, and the yarn is Fleece Artist Back Country, a super soft, machine washable merino wool made right here on Canada’s East coast. The yarn wasn’t exactly like the ones they called for in the pattern, so I used a larger needle and cast on fewer stitches (you can find all of our modifications in our project notes on Ravelry).
The project only took one skein of Fleece Artist Back Country, and I’m happy with the size – not too big, not too tight. The pattern was extremely easy, it’s definitely beginner friendly (probably a good project for a novice once they’ve learned knit and purl. It’s a great knit in front of the TV kind of project, especially if you need to whip up a gift in a rush.
More Yarn Options
The pattern was originally designed with a yarn like Handmaiden Maiden Hair, which would knit up beautifully on 5mm/US8-16″ circular needles (only 1 skein required). It would also be yummy made with Drops Brushed Alpaca Silk (use a single strand and 5mm/US8 needles (two skeins) for a light, airy version, or two strands held together and 6mm/US10 needles (4 skeins) for a thicker, cozier neckwarmer). If you want a yarn option that’s a little less precious try Berroco Vintage Chunky (1 skein) with 6mm/US10 needles.
In honour of Canada’s 150th Birthday, Fleece Artist has curated a collection in their Merino Slim yarn, highlighting 13 of Canada’s National Parks, one for each province and territory. Fleece Artist Merino Slim is a super soft, single ply yarn in a superwash Merino. It has a subtle, natural sheen and is great for shawls, sweaters, and accessories. Please note, the National Parks collection is a limited run, so get it while it’s available!
