Friday, January 6, 2023, Issue 278: Happy Friday....What is on your needles??

• Posted on 2 January 2023
• By Susan Wong-Tsang
• Posted in cozy knits, January 2023, new year, sweater weather, winter knitting
• 0

It is a brand new year so Happy New Year to you all! As January begins, are you longing to cozy up at home with a hot cup of tea and a new WIP? What do you have on your needles?

Stay cozy with these sheep mittens!

Ovis Mitts by thepetiteknitter is a woolly project for sheep lovers with its sheep motifs that also has a matching socks and pullover pattern available.

The mitts are knitted bottom-up and in the round, featuring a stranded colourwork motif throughout. The thumbs are knitted using the afterthought thumb technique. You can choose to “mismatch” your mitts as shown in the photos or knit two identical mitts.

Hand Circumference
cm- 18 (19) 20
inches - 7 (7½) 8

Hand Length
cm- 15 (16.5) 18
inches - 6 (6½) 7¼

Cuff Circumference
cm- 16.5 (18) 19
inches - 6½ (7) 7½

Yarn
Istex Einband (or fingering weight yarn) held double with mohair such as Garnstudio Drops Kid Silk

Colour a - 9076 // Dune (Almond)
Colour b - 1026 // Natural (Ash)
Colour c - black fingering yarn from stash

Yardage
Yardage is calculated based on mistmatched pair and is listed for each colour. For example, if you are knitting the smallest size, you will need 84 meters of colour a in einband and 84 meters of colour a in fae. The same applies for colour b.

Colour a - einband & mohair
metres - 50 (65) 80
yards - 55 (70) 88

Colour b - einband & mohair
metres - 50 (65) 80
yards - 55 (70) 88

Colour c - any black fingering weight yarn
metres - 5 (8) 12
yards - 6 (9) 13

Le Scarf by Dina Mor of The Knitting Place in Port Washington, New York is a little accessory to keep your neck warm.You can choose to wear the tails can be worn in the front or turn them to the back.

While she used fingering weight yarn held double, feel free to use any yarn to achieve gauge.

Make it in two colors, high contrast or low, knit it in one color, edge it with texture, you do you!

The Mineral Hat by Lotta H Lothgren (elkmarketyarn) features a simple, overall colourwork.

It’s worked bottom up in the round and has a flat crown shaping for a snug fit. The length is easily adjustable by adding more repeats of the main pattern, giving the hat a more slouchy fit.

I love the look of the crown shaping of the Mineral Hat with the pattern that swirls towards the middle.

Sizes: 1 (2, 3) to fit Adult S (M, L)

Yarn: Worsted

Yardage: 110 (140, 160) m / 114 (153, 174) yds of MC, 20 (30, 35) m / 21 (32, 38) yds of CC1 and CC2 respectively

Gauge: 26 sts x 30 rnds on 10 cm / 4” in pattern after blocking

Needles: 3.0 mm for ribbing, 3.25 mm for main fabric

Recommended ease: 5-10 cm / 2-4” of negative ease

Finished measurements:
Head circumference: 43 (46, 52.5) cm / 17 (18, 20.75)”
Total height: 19 cm / 7.5”

Suggested Yarn: Malabrigo Rios, Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Worsted

FOs and WIPs

Last week, while working on my Pressed Flowers Cardigan by Amy Christoffers, I discovered that I needed to remove the buttons, front bands and shoulder seams. Now I have added the extra 16 rows for the row of flowers from the chart that I missed the first time, sewn the new shoulders together and re-knit the front bands!

This time I didn't stop to sew in my ends or sew on my buttons yet but here is a close up of the inside of my front bands.

My other WIPS are still WIPS! I haven't touched either my Gnome-Made Gifts MKAL or my Solid Stitch Lines WIP in a few weeks!

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

The Caitlin Hunter (Boyland Knitworks) KAL and the Knit Any Project: our everlasting knit-along to encourage and support you to knit finished on December 31st.

Congratulations to Jeannie (@jeanniegalt) for winning the #sue2knitscaitlinhunterkal draw.

Congratulations to Kathy (@chantrykathy) for winning the Knit Any Project KAL draw.

Beverley has ventured outside of knitting socks with this Beginner Diagonal Shawl by Nancy Queen and the Noble Knits Blog. Yarn is her favourite Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 held double with all her leftover Cascade Heritage Silk Peruvian Tones. In the photo at the top, she has used a Song Bird Shawl Pin crafted and handmade in Hanover, Ontario by Gary Fleischauer of Nature's Wonder.

Sandi (sandima) finished this sparkly pair of Grinning Cheshire Cat Socks by Clair Wyvern.

Patti (@patnelann) finished two pairs of socks. This is DK Weight Vanilla Socks by Kay Litton, thecrazysocklady. Yarn is Lichen and Lack 80/20 Sock and Drops Kid Silk.

These are Patti (@patnelann)’s second pair of socks using the same pattern. Yarn is Cascade Waves Sock and Drops Kid Silk.

Patti (@patnelann) hasn’t been knitting quite as much because she has made 3 of these quilts using her embroidery machine.

Jan (mrsjanknits) knit socks for her daughter Jane, the Myra Cowl by Knox Mountain Knit Co. for her daughter Karen and Autumn Comes scarf by Lisa Hannes for her daughter-in-law Kristi.

Anna (@kollar.annie) knit this lovely Moonberry Hat by Yarnia Designs for a friend.

Jen (zjewell) decided to knit some Gnomes with Dianne! This is her first gnome, All Work, Gnome Play by Sarah Schira!

Here’s Jen (zjewell)’s second Gnome, Oh, Gnome, You Didn’t by Sarah Schira. Yarn for both is leftover stash including Lichen and Lace 80/20 Sock and SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock.

Here is Dianne (DianneJL)’s first Gnome, All Work, Gnome Play by Sarah Schira.

Here is the photo Sarah Schira of @imagined_landscapes posted showing all 12 of her #YearofGnomes in all their gnomey glory. She definitely knit more than 12!

CLASSES - WINTER 2023

Both classes that are starting tomorrow - the Colourwork Cowl Class - Quiet Thicket and the Magnolia Chunky Cardigan Class!! We have enoug registered to run the classes but it isn't too late, if you want to sign up. Our maximum is 6.

Our Colourwork and Steeking Class where we knit Kate Davies Sheep Carousel starts February 11th and includes extra knitting time between classes. This jolly tea cosy features a carousel of Shetland sheep and offers a small sampler of many of my favourite hand-knitting techniques: stranded colourwork, steeks, vikkel braids, corrugated ribbing, i-cord and centred double decreases. Practice on your teapot before trying these things out on a sweater!

Our Heart Warmer Cowl Knit Sampler Class also starts February 11th. We will cover knitting in the round, reading a chart, and all techniques included in the pattern. With its combination of pretty stitch patterns resulting in an ornamental cowl. We will use just one skein of The Fibre Co. Meadow, Heart Warmer is meant to be your go-to neck piece this winter and spring.

In our introductory Weaving Workshop, you will weave your own scarf!! No experience necessary and we supply the loom for you to use and the warp and weft yarn. Choose from 2 dates:

Sunday, January 15 - 10 am to 4 pm or Sunday, February 5 - 10 am to 4 pm

Happy Friday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting! Keep calm and keep on knitting and making!