Friday, March 27 2020, Issue 141: What is on your needles?
- Posted on
- By Susan Wong-Tsang
- Posted in COVID-19 changes, knitting inspiration, March 2020, spring
- 0
In these uncertain and unusual times, I hope everyone is keeping well and in good spirits. We are very lucky that we as knitters, crocheters and makers have something to keep us sane and grounded. With our having to self-isolate , I hope that you are finding some cheer and knitting inspiration among all the stress. In case you are wondering amid the COVID-19 changes, I am open for online orders only with curbside pickup and of course shipping by Canada Post.
Every year there is a new hat pattern released when they announce the Wool Week Patron for the year. This year’s Wool Week Patron is Wilma Malcolmson. The official 2020 Shetland Wool Week’s annual hat knitting pattern Katie’s Kep has just been released and can be downloaded for free. Knit the hat in any of the suggested colour variations, or come up with your own colour scheme. A special Katie’s Kep Knit-A-Long group has been created on Facebook this year.
The popular Baa-ble Hat by Donna Smith was the official pattern for Shetland Wool Week 2015. Each year’s pattern is free the year it is released so this one is no longer free. It is knitted in an aran weight yarn at a fairly tight gauge making a warm and cosy hat, good for keeping your ears warm! It is a quick knit and it makes an ideal introduction to fairisle / colourwork knitting.
Land O’ Cakes by Kate Davies is a cardi with a steeked front opening and corrugated colourwork throughout the yoke. This steeked cardigan is knitted in the round from the bottom up, all in one piece. The body is completed first, followed by two sleeves, before joining together and working the colourwork yoke from a chart. After the garment is completed, steeks are cut, and the front bands added last.
I admit that once you start stranded colourwork it is an addictive technique and you almost always want to knit another!
City Limits by Tanis Lavallee is free until April 1st! It is a sweatshirt style pullover knit written for a worsted weight gauge! Tanis knit hers holding two strands of fingering weight throughout in 5 different colours to create a marled fade - Rowan’s sample features a single show stopping speckled colourway of worsted weight yarn. Tanis' sample is shown with the purl side side out and icord instead of ribbing while Rowan's is knit with the stockinette side out and ribbing.
WIP's and FO's
Spring has been making sporadic appearances and I saw a few post that they were able to knit for a bit outside! Me, I haven't ventured out to do any outdoor knitting but I did make a lot of progress on my Sirius by Camilla Vad WIP. As you can see from the photo above, I have already separated the sleeves and the body! The colours in Lichen and Lace Rustic Heather Sport I chose are muted and there isn't a lot of contrast but I am loving how they work together. Sirius is an elegant and soft sweater with a relaxed fit, round yoke and colorwork with 4 colors. Sirius is worked seamlessly in the round in one piece top down with an a-line body. I modified the pattern to add steek stitches to the front so that I will have a cardigan and not a pullover.
I also separated the sleeves and body of my Antonia/ Antonio Cardigan by Cocoknits!- knit using Berroco Elba. This is a basic topdown cardigan pattern using Julie's English tailoring method that is as she describes it - a blank slate. I am not 100% decided as to how I am going to modify it but I am leaning towards lace instead of ribbing for the hem and sleeve cuffs!
Last week, I mentioned that I had messed up the last few rows of the first Lace section of my Odyseey Shawl by Joji sample for the Malabrigo KAL...I frogged all the way back and am now two rows in to the second Lace section again!
MALABRIGO KNIT-ALONG
Sign up for the Malabrigo KAL! It starts April 1 using Malabrigo Dos Tierras. Are you in? Order your yarn to join in!
This is Malabrigo's schedule for the KAL:
April 1, 2020: Cast on Party! (Make sure that everyone is working at the KAL Suggested Gauge of 17.5 sts per 4 inches!)
Week One:
April 1-12, 2020: Work to the end of Lace Band 1
Week Two:
April 13-19, 2020: Work to the end of Lace Band 2.
Week Three:
April 20-27: Work to the end of Lace Band 3.
Week Four:
April 28: Picot Bind Off
April 29-30: Wash and Block Party!
May 5: Big Prize Winner Announced
Just a reminder, in order to be elegible for prizes and giveaways participants have to sign up on our form. Please remind them to do it or if you can you are welcome to do it for them.
Click here for the sign up form
KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY
The current Knit-Alongs are the Butterfly / Papillon KAL and the Knit Any Shawl KAL and the Knit Your Project: the everlasting knit-along to encourage and support you to knit is running from January 1 until March 31st. Don't forget to post your finished projects so that you will be included in our quarterly draw! March 31st is coming up quickly!
Heidi finished the Orenburg Rhapsody Shawl by Caroline Sommerfield using Ancient Arts Socknado in Bee’s Knees from LYS Day 2019. She was able to snag the last kit that I had!
Jen finished her I Am Dragon III by Alexandra Davidoff knit using Ancient Arts Passion 8. Heidi knit one too but I don't have a photo yet!
Diane (boujeeknits) finished her Soxx No. 19 by Kerstin Balke (stineundstitch)
Connie (knitnut246) knit these cute Rose City Rollers by Mara Catherine Bryner using the leftover yarn from a full size pair of socks! Yarn is Timber Yarns Twin Socks in Oh Canada.
Connie (maltesecross) finished her Daniza shawl by Pariser Landluft
Lise (Mattedcat) knit this test knit cowl using Estelle Worsted
Kathy (knotty64) knit this sweet Bunny Hat...
Kathy also knit this Diaper Cover too!!
Kathy (knotty64)’s test knit
This is Karen’s Tilly by This.Bird.Knits WIP using Hikoo Rylie
Rosemary’s Lounging Top by Joji Locatelli WIP using Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light
VIRTUAL SOCIAL KNITTING
Virtual social knitting using Zoom app! It was a great way to knit together through social distancing! Tuesday afternoon, we had our first afternoon virtual knit. Thursday evening, we had our second virtual knit! Join in with us either Tuesday afternoon from 2 - 4 pm or Thursday nights from 7 - 9 pm.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/4891
Meeting ID: 489 138 5481
Happy Friday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting! Keep calm and stay safe!
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