Fun pics......

Our friend (who will be knitting Sylvi) came in today wearing her completed scarf and bottom-laced vest.  This was her first attempt at lace - a perfectly knit, flattering and lovely design.  

She said she would be casting on for Sylvi "very soon" and would keep us all updated -- I imagine her knitting skills will fly as her 13 skeins of Briggs & Little Scarlet Atlantic become a sweater-coat.

Last week a bright young couple came into the store looking for hat patterns!  He was a beginning knitter (she had taught him) and he was wearing his very first hand knit project - a gorgeous gold and rust coloured scarf.  She was wearing a beautiful bulky blue/lilac hat that she had knit.  

We have a few male knitters on the island but this one is the first to let us take a photo - bravo!  

His and hers......

Also, Mary came into the shop on Thursday wearing another one of her absolutely exquisite sweaters - a traditional Scottish fair isle (her design) knit with her own handspun, hand dyed Romney/Hogget from Courtney, BC.

Beautiful details!

Today on Quadra Island there is sun (long have we waited) -- it is shining down warmly on us all and I'm thinking that many of the knitters I know will be setting their yarn aside to go plunge their tools and fingers into garden soil.

Happy digging!

Sideways Scarves

I have developed a love of sideways-knit (or lengthwise as it's also known) scarves. You can change the look so easily this way. Knowing how many stitches to cast on can be a bit confusing sometimes, but that adds to the adventure.

My latest sideways scarf was based on a scarf that I saw on someone's Ravelry projects. There was no pattern, but the scarf was a simple combination of garter rows and drop stitch rows, knit lengthways. The scarf I saw was done in Malabrigo and was so gorgeous I knew I had to make one of my own.

I used some left over Sweatermaker Sock Yarn, probably about 350m worth (two skeins' left-overs). I knit on a 4mm (6 US) and randomly added either garter rows or drop stitch rows. Some of the drop stitch rows were single wrap and some were double wrap. I also did a Russian join on this one - a new technique for me.

I am very pleased with the result, although it is a little long ... all part of the adventure :)

Greeting from Fibres West

I am at the Fibres West this weekend. It is a great show and if you are in the Lower Mainland you should stop by. I even want to buy yarn. There is so much to see and do. Here are a few pictures of us setting up and then the booth set up.

Sock KAL

This month we started another knit-along. In keeping with our sock month, we chose a great free sock pattern, Eagle's Flight, which we are using with permission.

It took me a while to decide what sock yarn to use, but I have finally started and am loving this sock.

The yarn I chose is Opal Rainforest, in the Frosch colourway. This yarn is wonderfully soft, and because it is a long colour repeat, it lends itself nicely to the pattern. I'm calling them Eagles over the Water in my Ravelry projects.

We have a nice group of knitters working along on this sock together. Please stop by if you are on Ravelry.

Happy Birthday Kate.....

....and Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Kate is all loveliness today dressed in many shades of green, celebrating her birthday, buying yarn, and eating pizza with Shelley and I (Shelley's treat from Lovin' Oven - truly yum).  Kate is wearing her beautiful green handknit shrug and scarf.  

Wonderful to see you today Kate! 

 

Below is another of Quadra Island's remarkable women (knitter, spinner, weaver) who seems to knit up a handspun sweater every month. Pictured is a beautiful lacey teal pullover.

This bright, beautiful woman is modeling her Noro Silk Garden hat Palindrome and glovelets  Fetchings

I think her tattoos are stunning -- an awesome match for Noro! 

And lastly, a joyous St. Pat's Day pirouette!

The Shawl in Triplicate

As promised, here are the three shawls knit by members of our local knitting group for the Kauni KAL.

We only wish Shelley could have been there for the photo shoot with her shawl!!

(Kate, Rona and Brenda)

What is the most fascinating is that we each knit the shawl out of less than 150g of Kauni. Yet look at the size difference on them ... it's all about tension and gauge!!

This KAL was so much fun, with lots of great knitters.

Now we turn our attention to a sock KAL, starting on March 15th. The details are on Ravelry, at the Fun Knits group.

A couple more fun bits.....

Below is a photo of Shelley's gorgeous Kauni shawl. Stunning work, Shelley!! Can't wait to see Kate's Kauni shawl too, and hear more about the Kauni KAL.


This lovely young woman (who claims to be a beginning knitter) decided to jump into the extreme deep end and bought 13 bright scarlet skeins of Atlantic Briggs & Little to knit herself the absolutely exquisite bloom-filled knockout called "Sylvi," published in Twist Collective Winter 2008. We will definitely keep you posted on her progress with this one!

A pleasant evening to each of you, and many delightful hours of knitting.

Socks, socks, socks

In March we are all about the socks!

We will be featuring lots of sock knitting info on the website, and will share some goodies here as well. To start off, the store has now got Fun Spun Socks kits on the shelf, and they are gorgeous. I'm hoping Deb or Shelley will spin a kit so I can see it ... I'll even knit them the socks afterwards!

This is just one of the gorgeous kits -- to see them all stop in at the store or check them out here on the website.

Stay tuned for more exciting sock news this month - including a sock KAL.