Favorite Colors Sans Zipper

This is Will modeling a sweater I recently knit using his favorite colors ( purple, red and green). The pattern is "Will" out of Rowan Junior. I modified it somewhat and originally had a zipper all the way down the front. Will didn't like the zipper, however, so I removed it, picked up along one edge ,knit 2 rows of garter in green, 2 rows of red in stockinette and 2 rows of green in garter. The result is a faux zipper, which he approves of.

Stripes

This striped top is our original pattern that we will be giving away for the Chicago Area Yarn Crawl starting this Friday. I was inspired by all the cute striped tops I have been seeing this past year as well as the many tops I have seen in this shape over the summer. It is done in lace weight mohair so it is light, airy and super-soft to wear. It has a keyhole on one side that can be worn either in the front or back. And look, even Dylan, our part-time helper, approves!

Trendspotting: Capes

I have noticed that capes and ponchos are making a comeback for Fall. But unlike the sloppy, hippie-ish ponchos of the last go-round with this style, the ones making an appearance this season are more modern. The cape above is from Rowan 50. With a sleeker, more fitted take on the trend,it is almost like a cardigan. And the armholes make it much more wearable. Below is an example of one from Vogue Knitting. The belt gives it some shape, making a much nicer silhouette.

Very Easy Baby Booties

These are the perfect baby booties for a beginner knitter. They are simply a square sewn together. Incredibly easy to make and very cute when you add a bow! I knit these out of the Baby Milk by Laines du Nord, a super soft blend of merino wool, milk fiber and cashmere.

Summer Dress

One of my favorite things about summer is the dresses. And yes, you can even knit summer dresses! This one from Knit Simple, Spring/Summer '09 is a perfect example. Mary knit it out of Amy Butler's Belle Organic Aran. Because it is a wool/cotton blend, the yarn is light enough for most summer days yet the gauge is big enough that it doesn't take too long to knit.

Pretty in Pink

Here is another wonderful customer's project. It is knit out of the Rowan Pure Wool Aran. So cute for a little girl for in Spring! Can you believe she knit this in two days?

A Small Change Makes a Big Difference

Here is another wonderful customer project. It is Olive from Ella Rae Book 13, knit out of Ella Rae Classic (one of our favorites- both the yarn AND the book!). But what makes it so special is that she changed the pattern from the plain stockinette stitch to this pretty stitch pattern. The yarn really brings out the stitch pattern. Beautiful.

Spring Hoody

Mary knit this hoody out of Ella Rae Amity- a washable, self-striping yarn that is great for kids AND inexpensive. Theo really likes it! There is still plenty of cool weather for your favorite little one to wear this (if you starting knitting it soon. If not, there is always Fall!).

Adorable Baby Dress

A customer just finished this adorable baby dress. Isn't it too cute with the flower at the waist? I love knit sleeveless dresses for baby girls because they are so versatile. They can be worn year-round, just add a shirt and tights for winter. And as the baby grows into a toddler, add pants or leggings and the dress becomes a top.

Trendspotting

I recently got the March Anthropologie catalog. I see that hand-knits are still a big presence for Spring. This tank would be a great piece for this season and such a quick knit. I am going to get to work on my version. I will let you know when it is finished!

Knit Yourself a Turban

I hate to do this, really I do. I never wanted to put a picture of myself up here. But I just knit this awesome turban and I had to share it. It doesn't look very good photographed flat and I couldn't fit it on our display head (curses to my small head!). So there you have it- a picture of me in my new (very warm) turban. I had some Dream in Color classy left over from a sweater and I loved the color so much I wanted to knit a hat out of it. But I wanted a new shape- I did the slouchy beret thing but it was never really for me. I have always been more of a cloche girl (fancy myself a flapper) but knitted ones are tricky. So I got my mind set on a turban (how vintage movie star!). One quick search on Ravelry and I found this pattern- you can find it here.
p.s. Just last night I saw a fashion headline online- "Change your sunhat to a turban this Spring".

Thomas the Tank Engine

If you have a little boy in your life (or maybe a little girl), chances are you are familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine. And you probably also know that some little boys really, REALLY like Thomas. So I am sure you will understand why it was so important that I get this pillow done and under the tree on Christmas morning for a cetain little boy who is very special to me.


The funny thing is, it wasn't the intarsia that took so much time, it was all those darn one row stripes! What a mess of yarn that was to knit! Ahhh, the things we do for love!

Lovely

Mary is wearing this today. It is Thoughtful from Louisa Harding's Dream Catcher knit in the Rossetti. It looks so cute on her!

Pretty Capelet

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! I just wanted to share this pretty picture of another Louisa Harding capelet. Isn't the color great?

Another Gift Idea

These Louisa Harding fingerless gloves are knit out of Hand-Dyed Grace, a beautiful wool/silk blend. These are a quick knit, although not quite as quick as the scarf below. You can most likely get these done in a couple of evenings.

Quick Gift Idea

This yarn came in yesterday. I knit this scarf today. With only 11 stitches on size 19 needles, it is a very quick knit. This would be a fun gift. We didn't get large quantities so hurry in if you are interested.

Winter White

Mary has finished another beautiful project. This is Sorrel from Sublime's Wool Merino Tweed. I love the cabled collar. Somehow it gives the vest a cozy, winter look.

Fall Jacket

Mary knit this jacket for her granddaughter out of Balder- a self-striping, 3 sts. to the inch, WASHABLE and yet still super soft merino wool. Adorable! We have it in a variety of colors, good for kids and adults.

Two Finished Rowan Pieces

Mary recently finished two Rowan projects. This first one is out of Renew from the Purelife Autumn book. I have included a detail of the stitch pattern, it is gorgeous.

Next is an older project. It was on the cover of last year's Rowan magazine. It is knit in Cocoon. How cozy for a cold winter day!

Some Amy Butler Projects

We have been excited about Amy Butler yarns and her book, Midwest Modern since it came in mid-Spring. And sure, we had samples from the company that are wonderful. But the garments are always much more satisfying to see when we knit them! Here are two examples of recently finished Amy Butler patterns:



This one I finished recently. It is shaped with short-rows so the construction is a little bit different than your average sweater. I can't wait to wear it!



This is the fabulous striped tunic which I desperately wanted to knit but was unable to narrow it down to two colors (they are all so pretty!). A customer beat me to it. It looks great. This piece is so versatile, I think she is going to wear this all the time.