Estelle Breeze is a deliciously soft chunky, machine washable cotton yarn. Made using one thicker ply and a finer thread combined, the texture makes this yarn perfect for baby items, blankets, slippers, or quick and comfy sweaters! It’s very affordable, and works up relatively quickly on 6mm/US10 needles.
Estelle is a local, family run, Canadian yarn & needles distributor. This yarn is imported directly to Canada from the mill.
Fifty Four Ten Studio makes great blanket patterns, and all their patterns are written for a multiple of sizes, from baby up to adult throws. The patterns linked are great for for Estelle Breeze, try swatching with 6mm/US10 needles.
The kids have been back in school for a month and the temperature is finally starting to feel a little bit more like fall, so it’s time to start thinking about fall and winter accessories!
I whipped up an old standby, the free Gaptastic Cowl, with a couple skeins of a new yarn, Estelle Colour Flair. The Gaptastic Cowl is a super easy knit, very accessible to newer knitters, and it whips up quickly on 8mm/US11 needles. The skills are just casting on in the round, knitting, purling, and binding off. Easy-peasy! If you prefer to make a scarf and you want the long narrow horizontal stripes, you can cast-on without joining in the round and make a scarf lengthwise. We used 2 skeins to make a cowl that’s 9″ deep, but if you want a really big, luxuriously sized scarf or cowl add a third ball.
Colour Flair is a great, soft, bulky to super bulky weight multicoloured wool with a longer colourway, which knits up in stripes. It’s made with 95% non-mulesled wool, so it’s made without hurting the sheep. It’s comes in several bright, pretty colourways, and a few subdued ones too (see pictures below). And at $16.97/ball it’s a very affordable option for a multi-coloured, natural fibre.
Size
9″ deep by 28″ (lying flat)
Materials
Estelle Colour Flair: 2 skeins, shown in colour 43606 (3 skeins if you want it super wide)
Estelle Colour Flair is a multi-coloured super bulky yarn ideal for quick knitting and crochet projects with pops of colour. This thick-and-thin yarn is spun to add texture to your stitches while being lofty and soft. With playful and unique striping colours, Colour Flair is a fun choice for hats, scarves, and blankets. This yarn is made from non-mulesled wool.
The sweater on the mannequin is Algoma, which we made last year with Drops MELODY.
If you’re looking closely and noticing that my edge is looking a bit textured and a little wonky that’s because I tried an alternating cable cast-on – sometimes you gotta try things to see how they work — sometimes you find out why nobody else does it. I didn’t bother ripping back, but I’d also not recommend the fancy cast-on for this project – just do a normal cast-on and you’ll be fine!
Estelle Breeze is a deliciously soft chunky,machine washable cotton yarn. Made using one thicker ply and a finer thread combined, the texture makes this yarn perfect for baby items, blankets, slippers, or quick and comfy sweaters! It’s very affordable, and works up relatively quickly on 6mm/US10 needles.
I’m in the Dominican Republic this week … but I promise I’m still thinking of you! While I’m gone, here’s a popular favourite ….. the four points blanket is a great project all year round. It’s available in both knit and crochet, and you can make it in a baby blanket size or as a throw. It’s a simple composition and can be made in a number of different yarn options. The patterns are free, so you can read them over and see if they work for you without committing. If you want something a bit more jazzy, try the Easy Puzzle Blanket, which uses 6 colours.
MODIFICATIONS
use 3.75mm/US5 to 4mm/US6 needles
for a crib (throw) size cast on approximately 140(204) sitches. You will pick up & knit the same number of stitches.
Berroco Vintage Baby is a new yarn that just cam out this spring. It’s very similar to it’s sibling Vintage DK, but it has a slightly silkier texture and comes in 50g balls. It’s soft, easy to work with, machine washable, reliable and is generally great on both the skin and the wallet. The yarns in the Vintage line are a blend of wool and synthetic, and generally work well for people with sensitive skin. We carry this yarn all year.
KNIT 4 Points Baby: 3 skeins in each of 4 colours ($59.64)
KNIT 4 Points Throw: 5 skeins in each of 4 colours ($99.40)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($79.52)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw: 7 skeins in each of 4 colours ($139.16)
Berroco Vintage DK is a staple around here, we sell tons of it for every kind of project for babies, grown-ups, and everything in-between. It’s soft, easy to work with, machine washable, reliable and is generally great on both the skin and the wallet. The yarns in the Vintage line are a blend of wool and synthetic, and generally work well for people with sensitive skin. We carry this yarn all year.
KNIT 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours ($79.76)
KNIT 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($159.52)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours ($79.76)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($159.52)
For several years Cascade Ultra Pima has been the go-to yarn for these projects. Its silky soft texture is seductive, and it’s ideal for babies as it’s machine washable, allergy-friendly and excellent for warm climates (no animal fibres in it), and comes in a bunch of great colours.
KNIT 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours ($95.76)
KNIT 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($191.52)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours ($95.76)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($191.52)
It’s chilly outside today, which means it is time for me to start reminding about knitting for the holidays. You’ve got about 2 months until Christmas, Kwanzaa and Yule, if you’re Eastern Orthodox you get an extra few weeks, but Hannukah is REALLY early this year (Nov 28th!). I’ll try to keep throwing in the interesting stuff, abut the project suggestions are shifting into small achievable goals. Let the parade of giftable projects roll!
For a few years clients have been telling me they LOVE the soft, airy look and texture of blown yarns like Drops Air, but does it come in something more colourful? Well, this fall one of our distributors introduced something just of the sort, so if you like Drops Air, then Estelle Colour Flow is for you!
Estelle Colour Flow is a super-soft yarn with lots of fun! It’s made with merino wool that is literally blown into a nylon core, making it super light and airy, like knitting with a cloud (without the precipitation). The colour changes all by itself, making it an entertaining and pretty knit. It’s a bulky weight, so it will knit up reasonably quickly on 6mm/US10 needles. Colour Flow is knits really well with other fuzzy yarns (see below for more on this). NOTE: this yarn is feltable, so it must be hand washed.
It gets a bit busy around here in the fall (which is awesome, no complaints), so here’s a pic of our first solo project, a Mobius Cowl. Scarves, cowls and wraps knit LENGTHWISE will look amazing with this yarn, the colour gradation in the yarn will do all the work! The pattern is an oldie – you can’t beat a classic.
Mods
Use 6mm/US10 needles (36″ or longer)
Cast on 174 sts
Reduce each garter section by 1 round for each group (5 rounds becomes 4, 6 rounds becomes 5)
If you are a new knitter and can’t deal with the mobius cast-on, just use a regular cast on and make it without the twist.
Estelle Colour Flow combined with Drops Air: both strands knit together on 9mm/US13 needles
Yarn Combining
Yarn combining has become a ‘thing’, and I’m glad it has, because it makes textiles that much more fun and interesting! I’ve embarked on a little experimentation, and found that Estelle Colour Flow works up beautifully held with other fluffy yarns:
Colour Flow & Drops Air
1 stand of Estelle Colour Flow + 1 strand of Drops Air on 9mm/US13 needles =.12 sts & 16 rows/4″ (10cm). The combination, besides knitting up nice & quick, is deliciously soft and squishy. The fabric is still light, but they have a bit more body than if you worked with them on their own. (colours: Colour Flow 42205 River Rock & Drops Air 05 Brown Mix.
If you’re interested in experimentation I recommend combining it with either Drops Air orDrops Brushed Alpaca & Silkto keep everything super-soft and yummy.
A closeup of Estelle Colour Flow combined with Drops Air: both strands knit together on 9mm/US13 needles
I can’t say I’m in love with the colour combo I chose above (it works, but I find it a little depressing, the brown is sort of stealing the colour’s ‘life’), but I’d like to give it another shot holding the Colour Flow with a light grey, light beige or cream coloured yarn. I’ll try the fun skein below (colour 42204 Pinata) – it became unruly so I threw it on the winder and yowza it looks purty!
Estelle Colour Flowwound up on a machine: colour 42204 PinataBird escaping light-box
I tried getting Gru into the game, but he was having none of it (and I was out of treats). This is what birds look like right before they take-off.
As promised, more inspirations from Amano! If you already caught Part 1 of the Trunk Show Goodies, feel free to ship down to where the pictures begin. If not, you can go back with the magical time-machine that is the link below.
P.S. I am placing an order with the distributor this week, so if you order your kit now it should arrive by the middle of next week.
We received a little trunk show from Amano, and some of the samples are so lovely I thought they merit becoming pre-order kits! A ‘Trunk Show’ is a small selection of samples on loan from a designer for a short period of time. They’re a great opportunity to feel the yarns in action, see how they behave worked up, and actually try on the samples. I often find surprises in trunk-show collections – gems I never would have known about if they hadn’t fallen into my hands – literally.
Amano is Peruvian company and they make gorgeous yarns with the highest quality Alpacas, Pima Cotton, Peruvina Highland Wool, and Silk.
We received A LOT of samples, so I’ll be posting over a few every day or so, and I’ll curate and pick out the best. If you live near the store we are open 7 days a week, from 11 am to 6 pm, and everyone are welcome to come by and check them out! We are only a retail store, so you don’t need to show proof of vaccination, but you have to wear a mask at all times in the store, and we ask that everyone keep their physical distance from each other. The samples will be in store until the 25th of October.
These kits are SPECIAL-ORDERS – we aren’t stocking them in the store on a regular basis, but you have the option to order them at any time (it will be available to purchase as long as the manufacturer makes it available to us). Your kit will ship or be available for pick-up once it arrives, and we will contact you. If you need your kit for a specific date please let us know and we can find out if it’s feasible.
Rafaella Chullo Hat Kit PRE-ORDER
Details
Designed by Isabel Kraemer, this super-soft, super warm, fun hat is a feast of texture! Except for the earflaps, it is worked in the round (besides the earflaps) in the round with a cute pixie style crown shaping.
When you order your kit you’ll receive a link to download the pattern digitally, as well as a printed copy with the yarn.
Yarn
Amano Eco Puna Black Alpaca is a super soft 100% natural baby alpaca. The colour is the natural colour of the coat from pure black alpacas. Eco Puna black represents Amano’s strong desire to preserve this unique beautiful black color. Amano supports the Andean communities in the breeding of alpacas with pure black fibre in an effort to re-establish this population, called the Yanapaco (black alpaca) program, part of the Pacomarca Sustainable Alpaca network.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Size
One size
To fit head circumference 20″ to 22″
From brim to top: 9″ (23cm)
Circumference at brim: 20.5″ (52cm)
Kit Includes:
Amano Eco Puna Black (100% natural baby alpaca): 4 balls
If you want to start making this hat right away and don’t want to wait for your yarn (or you want another colour or a more economical option), you can use any of the following yarns:
I really love the texture and simplicity of these mitts. Designed by Isabel Kraemer, these super-soft, super warm, mittens are all about little luxuries! They are knit from the bottom up in the round, and more length can be added by working more rounds before starting the top shaping. (texture is only on the upper side of hand, the palm side is stocking stitch). Please note, the colour is Pure Black.
When you order your kit you’ll receive a link to download the pattern digitally, as well as a printed copy with the yarn.
Yarn
Amano Eco Puna Black Alpaca is a super soft 100% natural baby alpaca. The colour is the natural colour of the coat from pure black alpacas. Eco Puna black represents Amano’s strong desire to preserve this unique beautiful black color. Amano supports the Andean communities in the breeding of alpacas with pure black fibre in an effort to re-establish this population, called the Yanapaco (black alpaca) program, part of the Pacomarca Sustainable Alpaca network.
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
Size
One size
Length: 11″ (28 cm)
Hand Circumference: 8″ (20.5 cm)
Kit Includes:
Amano Eco Puna Black (100% natural baby alpaca): 3 balls
These kits are a SPECIAL-ORDER – we aren’t stocking them in the store on a regular basis, but you have the option to order them at any time (it will be available to purchase as long as the manufacturer makes it available to us). Your kit will ship or be available for pick-up once it arrives, and we will contact you. If you need your kit for a specific date please let us know and we can find out if it’s feasible.
We received a little trunk show from Amano, and some of the samples are so lovely I thought they merit becoming pre-order kits! A ‘Trunk Show’ is a small selection of samples on loan from a designer for a short period of time. They’re a great opportunity to feel the yarns in action, see how they behave worked up, and actually try on the samples. I often find surprises in trunk-show collections – gems I never would have known about if they hadn’t fallen into my hands – literally.
Amano is Peruvian company and they make gorgeous yarns with the highest quality Alpacas, Pima Cotton, Peruvina Highland Wool, and Silk.
We received A LOT of samples, so I’ll be posting over a few every day or so, and I’ll curate and pick out the best. If you live near the store we are open 7 days a week, from 11 am to 6 pm, and everyone are welcome to come by and check them out! We are only a retail store, so you don’t need to show proof of vaccination, but you have to wear a mask at all times in the store, and we ask that everyone keep their physical distance from each other. The samples will be in store until the 25th of October.
These kits are SPECIAL-ORDERS – we aren’t stocking them in the store on a regular basis, but you have the option to order them at any time (it will be available to purchase as long as the manufacturer makes it available to us). Your kit will ship or be available for pick-up once it arrives, and we will contact you. If you need your kit for a specific date please let us know and we can find out if it’s feasible.
Margarita Cowl Kit PRE-ORDER
Details
Margarita is a pretty lace cowl is worked seamlessly in the round. The lace pattern is both written and charted. When you order your kit you’ll receive a link to download the pattern digitally, as well as a printed copy with the yarn.
Yarn
Amano Apu is a gift from the Inca gods, it is a fiber like no other. This particular type of alpaca is called Imperial because it is the softest alpaca that exists.
If you want to start making these mitts right away and don’t want to wait for your yarn (or you want another colour or a more economical option), you can use any of the following yarns:
The Ariel Bobble Pullover is an adorable sweater for kids 12 months to 6 years. The body and sleeves are worked separately in the round from the bottom up, then they are joined, and the yoke is worked in the round to the neckline.
When you order your kit you’ll receive a link to download the pattern digitally, as well as a printed copy with the yarn.
Yarn
Amano Sami is a buttery soft, 100% Organic Peruvian Pima Cotton(often called the “silk of the south”.) It’s an extremely soft cotton to knit with and wear, with a matte finish that gives garments a cozy, casual look and feel. Sami also somes in somer eally beautiful colours for babies and kids!
If you want to start making these mitts right away and don’t want to wait for your yarn (or you want another colour or a more economical option), you can use any of the following yarns:
The four points blanket is a project we have a lot of clients coming in to get yarn for all year round. It’s available in both knit and crochet (see below), and you can make it in a baby blanket size or as a grown-up throw. The pattern is all knitting in garter stitch, and they provide a video tutorial for the single ‘fancy’ technique, picking up stitches. We’ve got lots of suitable yarns included in our SUMMER SALE, there are lots of options to advantage of for a baby or an adult blanket.
Berroco Remix Light is soft, easy to work with, machine washable, eco-friendly (it’s recycled), allergy friendly and great for warm climates (no animal fibres in it), comes in a bunch of great colours, and is ever so affordable (especially on sale)!
Kelbourne Mojave is soft, easy to work with, machine washable, allergy friendly and great for warm climates (no animal fibres in it), comes in a bunch of stunning colours, especially baby friendly brights, and is a great deal on sale! Use 3.
Quince & Co Sparrow is a linen that turns silky smooth once it’s washed. It’s eco firendly (100% organic linen), machine wash and dryable, allergy friendly and excellent for warm climates (no animal fibres in it), comes in a bunch of great colours, and is a great deal on sale! If you live in a hot climate or are making a blanket for someone who does, this yarn is remarkable, as it has something of a cooling effect. This yarn would make a very special blanket.
Quince & Co Sparrow: 4 Points Blanket CombosQuince & Co Sparrow: 4 Points Blanket CombosQuince & Co Sparrow: 4 Points Blanket Combos
KNIT 4 Points Baby: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $89.82, Reg. $119.76)
KNIT 4 Points Throw: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $179.64, Reg. $239.52)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby: 3 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $134.73, Reg. $179.64)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw: 6 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $269.46, Reg. $359.28)
BC Garn Bio Balance is soft, a pleasure to work with, eco-friendly (it’s GOTS certified organic), and comes in a bunch of great colours. It is NOT machine washable, but would make a stunning throw! It;s unique blend of wool & cotton make it great for temperate climates or people to run a bit warm.
BC Garn Bio Balance: 4 Points Blanket CombosBC Garn Bio Balance: 4 Points Blanket CombosBC Garn Bio Balance: 4 Points Blanket Combos
KNIT 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $77.82, Reg. $103.76)
KNIT 4 Points Throw Blanket: 3 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $116.73, Reg. $155.64)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $77.82, Reg. $103.76)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $155.64, Reg. $207.52)
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!
I kinda love the slouchy, deconstructed quality of this sweater. Texture replaces colourwork in the yoke, evoking a fair-isle sweaters without creating the bulk of layers of yarn. It’s a light, easy to wear spring & summer top. It’s meant to fit oversized, so take that into account when choosing your size.
The body and sleeves of this pullover are worked in the round from the bottom up to the yoke, then the pieces are joined for working the circular yoke. If you haven’t already read about the yarn, BC Garn Bio Balance, (if you have you can skip ahead to the next section … seriously, it’s a copy-cut-paste) it’s soft, light, comfortable, and comes in a great selection of colours. It’s a 100% organic and GOTS certified blend of cotton & wool, and kind of feels the way I’ve always wanted cotton to feel (but doesn’t). And FYI, the GOTS certification is a real THING. It means the product is truly organic and humanely handled from the field to the distributor (once it hits the store shelves it’s an ethical free-for-all, choose your yarn pusher wisely). BTW, there’s a lot of yardage on these little skeins, so PLEASE feel free to ask us to wind it for you before shipping or picking it up.
Size
Circumference at Underarm: 42 (48, 54, 60, 66)“
Pullover shown measures 48”; modeled with 15” of positive ease.
Check your local library’s online resources to see if they offer this magazine digitally
If you were thinking about investing in a set of interchangeable needles this might be a good time. Chiaogoo makes sets that go as small as 2.75mm/US2 (both a Half Set that goes up to 5mm/US8 and a Full Set that goes up to 10mm/US15). If you get the 4″ tips you can use them to make 16″/hat sized needles.
