How adorable are these little chickens?! These hens knit up quickly with about 25m of worsted weight yarn (or two strands of a DK or Sport weight held together – about 50m) and are perfect for creating a cute and festive atmosphere. And when they hide a chocolate egg, it’s even more fun! Or use one to keep your soft-boiled eggies warm? Or just keep them around the house and invite them for a coffee clutch …
Yarn Options
I like the idea of rustic, tweedy-looking chickens using Drops Soft Tweed hold 2 strands together with 5mm/US8 needles).
I can totally see myself getting caught up in making these bows …. either a bunch for myself or give them as little gifts. They’re very charming, kind of semiotically neutral, and essentially a pretty basic knit. The December Bow is worked back and forth in one piece from tip to tip in garter stitch with i-cord edges. The work is folded into a bow and sewn together at the end following the diagram with instructions that can be found at the end of the pattern. The money from the sale of December Bow will go to Save the Children in the time period between the 1st of December 2022 and 1st of December 2023.
Another winter creature, the snowperson is a delight for everyone’s eyes. To help your snowpeople stand tall, try putting some metal washers in their bottoms (you can get them at the hardware store) – it will improve their balance immensely.
Yarn Options
Double knitting weight yarn is perfect for this project – I love a textured yarn like Drops Soft Tweed, but I know some people like the simple grace of a pure merino like Sandnes Garn Double Sunday. If you want to keep things cheap ‘n cheerful go for Berroco Vintage Baby (it comes in 50g balls), or if you want a village of snowpeople you can also opt for Berroco Vintage DK in 100g skeins.
There are a lot of wreath patterns out there, for all seasons and occasions, but I just kind of enjoyed this one because it’s so leafy – I love the idea of using different shades of greens and different textures of yarn to recreate a natural abundance.
This must be one of the easiest patterns goings …. a simple tree ornament. This pattern is great for less experienced knitters … that pattern PDF even has links to video tutorials for the skills.
This adorable little tree is a simple crochet (only chain and single crochet are used), and it comes with a free video tutorial to walk you through it! Make one, make a forest, and decorate them with little beads for ornaments or leave them in their natural state.
Gnomes can be knit mini (ornament) sized with fingering weight yarn, or start upsizing with a thicker yarn and make yours a super-gnome! Whatever you choose will be marvelous …. you’ll never stock gnoming! Go down approximately 1 mm from the recommended needle size to get a tight tension.
I’m needed by my family this weekend for an 80th birthday party, followed by my sister-in-law’s departure for her first academic conference (we’re so proud of her!), so I’m taking an extra day off this Saturday. The last weekend of the summer is not traditionally a busy one in the yarn store, so I don’t think you’ll miss me too, too much. I adore it when you come by, but I also love it when people are out taking advantage of beautiful weather and just enjoying life.
Friday: 12 pm to 6 pm
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: CLOSED
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 12 pm to 6 pm
My current reading suggestion is A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. You can read it on paper, digitally download it, or get it as an audiobook (which is read by the author), so you can knit/crochet/wash dishes/walk/run/get your nails done while you read. It is also accompanied by a chapter-by-chapter podcast with Oprah (stream free online or on any podcast service, including Spotify), so you can test the water and see if it’s for you, and if it is, you can read along with the author, lady-O, and regular people asking really good questions. I feel kind of silly having come so late to the Tolle party (especially after seeing Oprah’s podcast was recorded in early 2019), but I guess I wasn’t ready. Now that I’m here I see exactly why Oprah has been such a fan. Tolle isn’t just talking about spiritual life, he’s talking about LIFE (or to the point, spiritual life IS life).
If you’re at a place where you want to change yourself, your life and our world for the better, this book is a great point of reference to help you level up. Just one caveat – people who are negative and aren’t ready to leave that state won’t get this book (and judging by the reviews online it seems to make them really angry). If you have a negative person in your life, giving them this book won’t ‘fix’ them – they have to be open to healing themselves. People who aren’t quite ready, but are getting there, might read a chapter or two but it won’t stick, it’ll sort of go through them – if this is you or a loved one it’s a good sign, hold on to the book, it’ll be there for you when it’s needed next. Anyway, the best books are always the ones you can read over and over and get something new from each time.
Effortless Cardigan
Get your fall off to a great start with a simple cardie you can wear everywhere, all the time. The Effortless Cardigan is made with a simple worsted weight yarn and ONE pair of 4.5mm – 32″ circular needles. It’s knit from the top-down in one piece (the underside of the sleeves are seamed, but if you prefer you can knit them in the round). The pattern is free, and there are a range of affordable yarn options, so if you end up loving your sweater you can keep making them and fill your wardrobe!
Finished Bust (not including front bands) 34 (38.5, 42, 45.5, 49.5)” in.” or (86.5 (98, 106.5, 115.5, 125.5) cm)
Yarn Options
Berroco Vintage: Super soft, machine washable, blend of wool & synthetic. ($10.47 ea.) – 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls
Drops Air: Cozy and light – super soft baby alpaca blown in an airy nylon core. ($10.97 ea) – 6 (7, 7, 8, 8) balls
Cascade 220 Superwash: Soft, machine washable, 100% Peruvian wool at a very affordable price (go up a size in the pattern). ($13.97 ea.) – 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls
Berroco Summer Sesame: Great for warm climates … light, machine-washable, colourful and slightly textured (go up a size in the pattern). SALE $14.98 (Reg. $19.97) – 3 (4, 4, 5, 5) balls
Cascade 220 Superwash Merino: Super soft, machine washable, 100% Merino wool at a very affordable price (go up a size in the pattern). ($15.97 ea.) – 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls
Malabrigo Rios: Super soft, hand-dyed, machine washable, 100% Merino wool. We suggest alternating skeins to get the best colour distribution. ($23.97 ea) – 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls
Our SUMMER SALEis ending Sept 5th! Select products (including some clearance items and craft kits!) are now 25% OFF. The discount is online and in-store, and it will be automatically be added at check-out, so you don’t have to jump through any extra hoops or remember to put in a discount code (this discount can not be combined with any other offers or discounts – you won’t be able to use another discount code when you check-out).
Normally I post a little pattern for you, but I feel like a national celebration of the birthday of a long-dead Monarch (Queen Victoria) deserves something a little more …. today I share the digitized collection of Victorian Knitting Manuals, gratis the Univerity of Southampton’sKnitting Reference Library & JStor. There are 67 books in the collection, so it should keep you busy.
It just goes to show, you can take the girl out of the library and put her in a store full of yarn, but apparently, you can’t take the library out of the girl!
September 30th is Canada’s first official National Day for TRUTH and Reconciliation, but before it was a federal holiday it was know as Orange Shirt Day. While every day should be Orange Shirt Day, I thought today was a good time to revisit some Canadian Indigenous contributions to knitting.
On a serious note, this is a holiday that recognizes an immense cultural trauma, but not everyone can handle other people’s pain, they’ve got enough of their own to unpack. If you aren’t at a place where you can connect, I suggest following the very wise insights of Resmaa Menakem and work on processing your own cultural guck … after all, on this side of the pond the vast majority of us are immigrants, and from my perspective, nobody moves to Canada for the weather. Plus, why lug around a bag of stuff that makes you unhappy, when you can work towards sending it to the curb? The great thing about the universe is that all energy is recycled, there aren’t any landfills!
But back to the knits ….
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Indigenous Designer: Jessie Mae Martinson
I found some gorgeous patterns by Jessie Mae Martinson, an incredibly talented indigenous designer from the US (I tracked her down through BIPOC in Fiber). She designs pretty little tops & bottoms, great for warm weather. Her patterns are size inclusive and priced on a “choose what you pay” scale.
To make the sweater above choose a fingering weight yarn (Cascade Heritage, Artfil Belle, Fibre Co Amble, Fleece Artist Merino Slim are all perfect, Fibre Co Meadow would also be lovely) as the base and pair it with a fuzzy yarn like Drops Kid Silk. The base yarn will be the dominant colour and the mohair will create a halo effect.
Olsen is non-native, but has spent much of her life living in Tsartlip First Nation, where her children and grandchildren now live. She is also author of the very recently published Unravelling Canada: A Knitting Odyssey (2021) and Working with Wool(2010), which received the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing. She has several knitting patterns available as downloads on Ravelry. I’ve only just discovered Olsen’s work, but if you’ve read her books please let me know what you thought!
If you want to make the cowl above, I suggest using Cascade Heritage in colours 5742 Silver Grey Heather, 5631 Charcoal Heather, and 5672 Black. This pattern also includes a link to a video of Sylvia Olsen demonstrating Intuitive Colourwork (I don’t know what that is either, but it sounds interesting, I might have to buy the pattern to find out).
It would also be GORGEOUS made with Fibre Co Amble in Scaefel Pike (light brown), Fair Hill (medium brown), and Saddleback Slate (dark grey) …. the colours are all heathered, so they keep that ‘sheepy’ look, but they are soft as a puppy, so you can skip the itchy, sheepy feel.
Should you now be feeling inspired to whip up your own Cowichan sweater, consider Canadian designer Jane Richmond’s West Coast Cardigan, whichis not a real Cowichan sweater, but is respectfully inspired by the traditional style of the Cowichan Sweaters of the Coast Salish people. I suggest using Drops Andes, or for a more contemporary look try a blown yarn like Drops Wish.
And if journal articles aren’t your speed, I also found a nice little article in a lifestyle Magazine from Victoria: The Story of the Cowichan Sweaters.
A Canadian Indigenous Knitting Tradition
I also came across an older documentary made in 2000 for the NFB about the Coast Salish Knitters. I like this film, it’s older, but it addresses the complicated and often exploitative history connected with the makers of these sweaters. For us knitting is a leisure activity, but it’s important to keep in mind that for many of the families involved in the production of these sweaters, knitting meant the difference between starving and survival.
Normally around holidays I post a free pattern for a project that’s somewhat related to the holiday, and around Canada Day it’s usually something maple-leafy or involving a beaver or a Canada Goose. Recent events have me thinking about this holiday, and what our country’s birthday means in a broader sense. I wanted to feature designs by Canadian Indigenous designers of knit/crochet patterns, but disappointingly nothing turned up. My research was limited to a day and unfortunately I didn’t have the time to start digging below the surface, so if you know of any please send me a note and I’ll update this blog post and include them.
What I did manage to extract from the interweb follows ….
I found some gorgeous patterns by Jessie Mae Martinson, an incredibly talented indigenous designer from the US (I tracked her down through BIPOC in Fiber). She designs pretty little tops & bottoms, great for warm weather. Her patterns are size inclusive and priced on a “choose what you pay” scale. If you want a summer yarn to make her projects designed in fingering weight yarn, try Quince & Co Sparrow. For the DK weight I’d go for Kelbourne Woolens Mojave(no wool, it’s just super soft cotton and linen in gorgeous colours).
Canadian Indigenous Knitting Tradition
I also came across an older documentary made in 2000 for the NFB about the Coast Salish Knitters. I like this film, it’s older, but it addresses the complicated and often exploitative history connected with the makers of these sweaters. For us knitting is a leisure activity, but it’s important to keep in mind that for many of the families involved in the production of these sweaters, knitting meant the difference between starving and survival.
See the bottom of this page for a couple of articles on the Cowichan Sweaters of the Coast Salish people.
Olsen is non-native, but has spent much of her life living in Tsartlip First Nation, where her children and grandchildren now live. She is also author of the very recently published Unravelling Canada: A Knitting Odyssey (2021) and Working with Wool(2010), which received the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing. She has several knitting patterns available as downloads on Ravelry. I’ve only just discovered Olsen’s work, but if you’ve read her books please let me know what you thought!
If you want to make the cowl above, I suggest using Cascade Heritage in colours 5742 Silver Grey Heather, 5631 Charcoal Heather, and 5672 Black. This pattern also includes a link to a video of Sylvia Olsen demonstrating Intuitive Colourwork (I don’t know what that is either, but it sounds interesting, I might have to buy the pattern to find out).
Should you now be feeling inspired to whip up your own Cowichan sweater, consider Canadian designer Jane Richmond’s West Coast Cardigan, whichis not a real Cowichan sweater, but is respectfully inspired by the traditional style of the Cowichan Sweaters of the Coast Salish people. I suggest using Drops Andes, or for a more contemporary look try a blown yarn like Drops Wish.
And if journal articles aren’t your speed, I also found a nice little article in a lifestyle Magazine from Victoria: The Story of the Cowichan Sweaters.
We’re shifting over to our Summer Store Hours after the Victoria Day long weekend, so please note that we are CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. We go back to the regular store schedule the week of September 13th.
Saturday April 3: 11 am to 5 pm (pick-up & delivery)
Sunday April 4: Closed
Monday April 5: 11 am to 5 pm (pick-up & delivery)
Last Minute Adorable Easter Creatures
New from the Crafty Kit Company, these needle felting kits contain everything you need to create adorable baby animals. You’ll learn how to make the basic shapes, then build them up with felting wool, and finally, add the details that will really bring your creation to life. Each kit comes with all the felting wool you need, a tube with felting needles, a mat to work on, wire pipe cleaner, nesting materials and clear step by step instructions.
Porcupine lace Washcloth by Jennifer Hansen, featuring a mid-Victorian lace pattern
Victoria Day Weekend
Saturday May 18: 11 am to 6pm
Sunday May 19: CLOSED
Monday May 20: CLOSED
Crochet Grocery Bag by Knit-O-Matic
Summer Store Hours: May 22 to Sept 15
We’re shifting over to our Summer Store Hours after the Victoria Day long weekend, so please note that the daytime Sit & Knit moves to MONDAY & SATURDAY, and we are CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. We go back to the regular store schedule the week of September 16th.
I adore this little bird, and little holiday projects are a great way to use up small quantities of leftover yarn. Wouldn’t it make a super special garland you can pull out for decoration every spring?
