Lanesplitter

We made a Lansesplitter Skirt! It is a free pattern online from knitty.com. We used 2 skeins of Noro Taiyo in shade 21. I think it looks great, and it feels great too! Liane made one for herself and has been wearing it ever since. Very, very pleased. :-)

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Camp-Out Mitts

Shona Tova to my Jewish and Jewish literate friends! I should be unpacking and organizing my kitchen today (just shacked up with my boyfriend and I have to try and integrate some of his stuff).  Should. I glutened myself yesterday and don't feel like doing much of anything. My compromise is writing to you. :-)

Ok, so lets get down to brass tacks!  Above is a finished object, Camp-Out Mitts. They only used 1 skein of Noro Silk Garden. I'd say the skill level was around moderate to adept-beginner, but they were really quite simple. I know that sounds like a paradox; the pattern employed a bunch of different skills, but did it in an simple way.  Actually, they would be a good project for a class: skills included 3 needle bind off (or grafting if you want to get technical), knitting on double pointed needles, picking up stitches, casting on in the middle of a row, placing markers, special kinds of decreases. If I've inspired you, you can sign up for one of our Project Workshops and make them as your project. (Sorry, when I started writing I did not set out to plug our classes, but writing is a process and it just seemed like a good idea). 

Anyway, I really like my new mitts and will probably make another pair. :-)

As always, you can kind us at Knitomatic.com!

Simple Gauntlets in Noro

Above: size Medium in Noro Odori colour 8

Simple Gauntlets

Read more about it on Ravelry

Download for FREE at http://www.knitomatic.com

This is one of the Patterns I've been working away on for you's guys ....  These gauntlets turned out wonderfully!  The yarn, Noro Odori, is soft and the texture is interesting and nice to work with. 

If you want an exactly matching pair you should probably get 2 skeins of yarn, otherwise your mitts will be deliciously randomly matched. If you are ok with them being matchy, but not exactly the same, I think the following colourways will probably work better:

8 (purple/blue, 1st picture - see my pair)
1 (black/brown/lt. grey)
7 (red/pink/rust).

Other colours will turn out less matchy:

11 (blue/pink/black/teal/green)
8 (rainbow)

I don’t know about the other colours.

Above: size Large and Extra Large, both in Noro Odori colour 11.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Finished! Bermuda Shawl

Here's a finished object I am very, very happy with!  It is the Bermuda Scarf by Ilga Leja. I used 2.25 skeins of Noro Silk Garden Sock, but I think it would look equally good made with 2 skeins of Noro Taiyo Sock. I've also seen some gorgeous versions on Ravelry using 2 skeins of Schoppel Wolle Zauberball.

The pattern was a very nice  summer knit. The shawl is light and airy, so not too heavy to lug around or work on. The pattern is a low-brainer, probably suitable for an intermediate to advanced-beginner. knitter. I say that because the design is based on short rows and it might overwhelm someone in the beginner range. The pattern is long but not complex. Just about everything is written out for you. You might  want to have on hand a row counter, a pencil, and some locking stitch markers (to mark your wrapped stitches). The only hitch you might have is blocking - this thing's got quite the wingspan and I had to use 2 boxes of Knit Picks blocking pads for full coverage. That said, you might not feel like being a stickler for blocking and just stretch it out on the floor. 

As for the finished product, it's a really comfortable shape!  the Back isn't too deep, and while the sides look long, they actually wrap around your shoulders extremely comfortably.  Bermuda makes are really great shoulder wrap, and I'm looking forward to wearing it (when it isn't 30 Celsius outside). 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Noro Tunisian Blanket Experiment No.1

Hi, my name is Haley and I LOVE Tunisian Crochet! Following on the heels of the Stitch Diva Online Class I took, my experiments continue and I made a blanket in Tunisian Simple Stitch. I used one colourway of Noro Odori (colour 1), but employed the 3 colour technique and 3 balls, all started in different parts of the colourway. 

I started with 90 sts and am using a 12mm tunisian crochet hook. This colourway has a lot of black in it and I've been breaking the yarn and playing with colour to avoid pooling. I started by weaving in the ends, but on an off chance I tried a spit felt and it held! 

Things I LOVE:

1. Tunisian goes soooo fast!  I've made almost half a blanket in one week!  And that's just off and on work, I haven't been going at it aggressively.
2. It looks really impressive. The texture is really cool, it looks woven.
3. It's so easy and incredibly mindless. I don't have to think about anything except which colour I want where. 

The  Noro Odori is nothing to sneeze at either. It's really soft, has a nice single ply texture, and is easy to work with.  In fact, I'm so happy with this project that when it is done I am going to make another with the same yarn, but I'll play with 3 different colourways. 


Addenda:
I wrote the above blog post a week ago. I finished the blanket yesterday, brought it home for photography, and tried it out. It's is super comfortable and looks great on my sofa, so it is staying here.  


BTW, the fabric is very elastic, which is nice when sharing in front of the TV. 

As always, you can find  us at Knitomatic.com!

Finito! Silk Moon Crescent Shawl/ette

Well this one was quick little piece of sunshine! It's the Silk Moon Crescent Shawl/ette (the pattern has 2 sizes) and it looks great!  

We used 5.5mm needles and 2 skeins of Noro Taiyo (colour 40). We didn't get to the end of the pattern, a third skein would have been required, and it's already larger than the pattern's finished size (probably because the Taiyo is blooming on the 5.5mm needles). Anyway, we worked to row 99 and cast off.  

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Under Construction: Bermuda Scarf

I'm making progress on my Bermuda Shawl, although I had to slow down prior to the DKC Knitters Frolic (where I happened to have seen several of them in various colourways).  

I still maintain that it's a simple knit, it just requires a little attention. In addition to my trusty row counter,  I also have a pencil at the ready and do lots of checking off rows in the margins. The pattern is very straight-forward, but sometimes it says too repeat a couple of rows a bunch more times, and in order to keep track I write those out in the margins and check them off.  The pattern would definitely be a really good introduction to knitting short rows.

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

New Free Pattern - Frolic Shawl

New Pattern - Frolic Shawl

We introduced this pattern at the DKC Knitter's Frolic last weekend and now we are making it available for everyone! It's a quick & satisfying little spring knit, and only uses  2 skeins of yarn: 1 Noro Taiyo and 1 Berroco Remix. 

To see the projects go to the Ravelry Page, or download it directly from our website.

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Bermuda Bound

Last week I started a Bermuda Scarf with Noro Silk Garden Sock. The pattern is not hard, but you need to pay attention and keep track of where you are. It also helps to have some experience with short rows.

This is my Bermuda. It is not very Caribbean looking, but that's ok by me.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Mohair Magic

I am so pleased to report that this was a very satisfying finished object!  It is a Prism Wrap made with Noro Silk Garden and Debbie Bliss Angel (held double).  It only used 2 skeins of each yarn, and was a great use of a muted (ie. blah) Noro colourway. Plus the kid mohair adds a light, airiness which feels delicious. It also lends it a soft aura that  is snuggly and pretty, without being wintry. The pattern is a no brainer, and the size comes out just right for spring warmth. Me likey - I'm glad I thought of it!  :-)

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Project Round-Up!

I finished my Ombre Cowl! Love it, it's light, airy, and pretty. I'm soooooo into both ombres (colour gradations) and kid mohair (mohair but thin and not particularly itchy) right now. 

Over the weekend I started another prismy wrap. I'm going to keep at it until I get it right! I don't think I'll have to die trying, this one is looking great. I'm using Noro Silk Garden and Debbie Bliss Angel (holding the mohair double). This type of project makes especially good use of the more muted (dowdy) Noro colourways.

BTW, the Prism wrap is the greatest mindless knitting. Simple and effective. And it certainly moves along much faster when you use worsted weight yarn!

I finished the last prismy wrap, but am unsatisfied with my colour choices. The yarn choice worked well, the Berroco Remix can play either a lead or supporting role. 

Finally, we're working on a new project for the store, a little hoodie pattern called Arshile knit with Berroco Remix.  We've decreased our needle size, but it doesn't have anything to do with the pattern, Liane's tension on straight metal needles (they are her very favourite) is a bit looser than the suggested tension.  So far so good, I think it'll make a really cute year-round kid sweater.  

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Prism in Progress

This one is a store project. It is a Prism Wrap (it's really a shawl, free pattern on Ravelry) made with worsted weight yarns: Noro Taiyo and Berroco Remix as a contrast colour. When i chose the colours I was sure the teal blue would make a great contrast with this interesting shade of Noro, but now I don't know. I think the cream or even the oatmeal colour might have worked better. Otherwise, it is working up really nice, and I think 2 skeins of each yarn will make it a really nice sized shawl. 

Everyone poo-poos this colourway of the Noro, but I think it has potential, I just have to figure out how to bring it out. Perhaps the purple needs to be omitted? 

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Prism Shawl

Finito! Here's the Prism Shawl I made with Noro Silk Garden Sock. It only took one skein of each colour, so two balls, and knitted up fairly quickly, considering it's a sock yarn.  I'm not sure, but I think the off-white colourway (269) is discontinued, so if you want to make this it's a good idea to pick up a skein before they all disappear. I  think we have 4 or 5 left at the store. 


My only caveat about the pattern is that what they call a 'M1' increase is actually a backwards loop cast on. They give you a link in the pattern, I advise following it to confirm the technique. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Projects in Progress Update

I didn't think I'd get a chance to blog today, but so far it's pretty quiet, so it'll be a stealth post today!  Above is my Prism Shawl I'm making with Noro Silk Garden Sock.  It looks amazing and it's stupidly easy. The only caveat is that in the pattern they tell you to use an "M1" increase, which they give you a web address for instructions. The caveat is that it is not actually an "M1" increase they want you to do - if you follow the link you'll see that they want you to make a backwards loop cast on!  Otherwise, easy peasy. 

I don't know if I've shown you this one yet. This is a Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket we're making for the store with Cascade 220 Superwash.  Another easy peasy project!

A always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

An Un-update that's Actually an Update

I have been working away at organizing the upcoming Stitch 'N Pitch in Toronto, so today will be a "look at all the cool projects" update. Also,  it is overcast today, so the the light is bad for photography. And I haven't finished anything lately - except my Crochet Log Cabin Blanket, but I don't recall if I already told you about that. 

Looks pretty good!  I am very happy with it. 

By the way, the plans for Stitch 'N Pitch are coming along swimmingly! This year there are 28 retailers across Ontario selling tickets!  Additionally, I sent out the request for prizes this morning and received 3 positive responses withing an hour!  Not bad for a Friday in the summer. 

So I guess I did have a blog posting after all! :-)

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

A Prism Pour Moi

I finished my Crochet Log Cabin Blanket (on display in store until I need it at home) and found myself missing the Noro Silk Garden Sock. It must be the influence of Aunt Tallulah, because I cast on a kerchief shaped shawl named Prism (I initially saw the Silk Kerchief, but the pattern is no longer available). I'm using colour 269 as the base colour shade and 322 as the contast. So far, soooooo good!

I don't know if the project is actually for me, it's more about keeping my hands singing. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Almost Finished! Crochet Log Cabin Blanket

La, la, la, la la!  It's almost finished!  My Crochet Log Cabin Blanket is almost DONE!  It is also sewn up, and now all that is left to be done is a border. I actually started the border last night, but I don't think you can see it yet, I've only accomplished one round. I'll try and take a great picture when it's done, I just need a day off when I'm at home in the afternoon when the light is good. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Blankie Update

I've been fumbling around a bit over the last week or two. The yarns are inspiring, but the projects have been fizzling out. So I went back to the Crochet Log Cabin Blanket I started last summer, which is need of some finishing.  I don't know why I always put it off, it always goes so fast once I'm going. Anyway, I've sewn the squares into strips, then I'll sew the strips into a blanket, then I'll pick up and crochet the edge. 


Currently, the blanket is 5 squares by 4 squares, each 14 inches, so approx 70" x 56".  Buuuuut .... now I want it larger. ;-)  I'm going to start by adding 5 more blocks, which should bring it closer to a Queen size (depending on the sizing, duvets seem to vary in size).  So lets talk math: if I add a 3" border, that gets me to 76"x76". That should be good for a bed cover, or a 2 person snuggle?

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Blanket in Progress

Thought you might like to see the progress on my Crochet Log Cabin Blanket in Noro Silk Garden Sock.  Can`t say enough good stuff about using this yarn for the blanket, it`s just too beautiful and too easy - makes me happy. 

Silly me, I blocked all of the blocks and found out I have one more square to make!  Why do I do that?! The blocks are each 14 x 14 inches, and I'll have 20 of them, making the blanket before edging 70 x 56 inches. The fabric is not heavy, so it might make a nice bedspread, and if  it pleases me I might expand it to 70 x 70 inches (pre- border).

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Ripple Wrap

Oh curse you transitional weather!  My attention span has been all over the place lately. Some days I'm gung ho on making another sweater, the next a wrap is a moral imperative, new yarn comes in and it needs to become a blanket, the weekend beckons socks, and the next week I want a whole new accessory set for spring. 

Above is a simple crochet wrap I'm winging in Noro Silk Garden. This colourway is so beautiful, I've been sitting across from it all winter and I finally relented and allowed myself to remove some from the shelf. The colours are especially nice because they have a low contrast and blend - except for a bit of black that stood out too much and has hence been removed.  If I really like this wrap I'll consider making a Lady Eleanor with Noro Silk Garden. 

• Red: Colour no. 84 looks nice, but I suspect that it is not really my colour. 
• White: My old favourite colour no. 269 is another good option and a serious contender. On the upside, it is completely neutral, on the downside, I would match my brother's afghan. It would match my black coat, possibly my red coat, probably not my purple coat. Additionally, I currently have enough left on the shelf, but I don't know if the colour has been discontinued (aka - if you are smitten with the idea of something in this colour, you'd better pop over here and pick it up0.
• Rust: Colour no. 221 is a maybe. It would match my purple coat, but probably not the red. 
• Bronze: Colour no. 279 might work with the red and the purple coats, as long as it looks good on me.
•  Noro Kochoran in colour no. 75 might also be elegant, and it would knit up faster :-)

I'm having a very hard time chosing. I've been browsing through the finished Noro Eleanors on Ravelry, but so many colours have been discontinued over the years. :-(  

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!