Wednesday, May 8, 2024, Issue 346: Happy Wednesday! What is on your needles?

• Posted on 8 May 2024
• By Susan Wong-Tsang
• Posted in knitting inspiration, May 2024, spring knit, summer tee
• 0

It was chilly this morning but it has warmed up and the sun is shining! It makes me want to cast on a new summer project but I still have WIPs that I want finish first! What about you?

Lichen and Lace knitters have been waiting for this shawl release for almost 3 years!

The Mae Flower Shawl by Jessica Weindl is now available on Ravelry and it is free right now! The Mae Flower Shawl was designed with Lichen and Lace 1 Ply Superwash fingering which I don't carry but I do carry the Lichen and Lace 80/20 Sock. It a crescent shaped shawl designed to use one skein of fingering weight yarn and is shown in the Pressed Flower colourway.

There are two sections, one is a garter and flower stitch section of the body and the other is the lace border. The lace border includes one row of a similar but smaller flower stitch than the body.

This shawl is named after her mother, whose middle name was Mae. The flowers in the design represent hope, that life blooms again and her mother’s story isn’t over. We all face pain and loss in this life and in some small way she hopes this shawl can help you also find peace and healing in whatever you are facing.

There are so many lightweight summer top patterns...some new and some that are favourites. One of my favourite sweaters for the summer is the ever popular Ranunculus by Midori Hirose which I want to knit again with Quince & Co Kestrel like this one knit by Espace Tricot.

The original pattern was one size but now it includes 11 sizes and over 23,300 have knit it. I myself have knit 3 plus one baby sized one!

Ranunculus is a top-down round yoke pullover with lace and textured stitches. She has designed the yoke pattern to look like wearing layers of necklace. There are short rows between the neck ribbing and yoke pattern not only on back bit also on front, so that neckline has a boat neck shape and the yoke pattern has necklace look. The round yoke has ample depth and finished pullover has cropped length so that you can lay it over dresses or high-waisted skirts and pants. If crops aren’t your style, you can adjust to body to your favorite length.

You can choose from smaller or wider neckline,
and short sleeves or long puff sleeves with/without diagonal cuff line.

SIZES:
1 (2, 3, 4)(5, 6, 7)(8, 9, 10, 11)

Finished bust circumference: 117 (123, 129, 134) (140, 146, 151)(157, 166, 174, 180) cm / 46 (48.5, 50.75, 52.75)(55, 57.5, 59.5)(61.75, 65.25, 68.5, 70.75)”

YARN:
You can use lace, light fingering to worsted weight yarn.

long sleeve: 520 (530, 560, 600)(620, 680, 710)(780, 820, 850, 860) m / 569 (580, 612, 656)(678, 744, 776)(853, 897, 930, 941) yds.

Short sleeve: 370(390, 400, 440)(470, 510, 540)(590, 620, 650, 660) m / 405(427, 437, 481)(514, 558, 591)(645, 678, 711, 722) yds.

NEEDLES:
6.0 mm (US 10) circular needle as main needle. 5.0 mm (US 8) needle for hem ribbing and finishing sleeve. Adjust needle size if necessary to get gauge.

GAUGE:
14 sts x 20 rows = 10 cm 4“, with main needle in stockinette stitch after wet blocking.

I knit my great niece a mini Ranunculus by Midori Hirose for her first birthday using just 2 balls of Garnstudio Drops Belle!

Gentle Rain by Stephanie Lotven is 60% off until June 5th.

The Gentle Rain tee is a celebration of spring! As summer approaches in the Midwest and the temperatures rise, every rain cloud feels like a gift. Every time a breeze carries in soft clouds, the cool temperatures that accompany rainfall give us the chance to pull on a hand-knit sweater. The Gentle Rain tee is a quick knit for all seasons! Worked seamlessly from the top down, the Gentle Rain tee is a puddle-popping playground for color. Using four colors and uncomplicated (rain-shaped) stranded colorwork, this sweater never requires you to catch a float. Grab your knitting needles, bring an umbrella, and enjoy the bounty of spring with the Gentle Rain tee!

This sweater is knit seamlessly from the top down in four colors. This pattern includes instructions for modifying the circumference of your sleeves, and for changing the length of your yoke to fit your gauge. BONUS: Use the coloring page included in the pattern to plan your tee!

SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

This sweater is designed to fit with 2-6” (5-15cm) of positive ease at the bust.

The samples are shown in a cropped size 3 with 4” (10 cm) of positive ease at the bust and a full length size 7 with 6” (15 cm) of positive ease at the bust.

YARN
DK weight yarn

CROPPED TEE YARDAGE RECOMMENDATIONS
MC (light pink): 305 (340, 410, 450, 485, 530, 565, 665, 705, 750) yards / 279 (311, 375, 411, 443, 485, 517, 608, 645, 686) meters
C1 (purple): 155 (170, 190, 235, 250, 280, 345, 380, 400, 510) yards / 142 (155, 174, 215, 229, 256, 315, 347, 366, 466) meters
C2 (light blue): 115 (130, 145, 155, 170, 185, 200, 225, 235, 255) yards / 105 (119, 133, 142, 155, 169, 183, 206, 215, 233) meters
C3 (green): 200 (225, 245, 270, 290, 315, 340, 375, 395, 420) yards / 183 (206, 224, 247, 265, 288, 311, 343, 361, 384) meters

FULL LENGTH TEE YARDAGE RECOMMENDATIONS
MC (light peach): 388 (436, 515, 567, 611, 668, 712, 824, 873, 930) yards / 355 (399, 471, 518, 559, 611, 651, 754, 798, 850) meters
C1 (light blue): 161 (179, 199, 244, 262, 292, 357, 392, 415, 525) yards / 147 (164, 182, 223, 240, 267, 327, 359, 380, 480) meters
C2 (coral): 121 (139, 154, 164, 182, 197, 212, 237, 250, 270) yards / 111 (127, 141, 150, 167, 180, 194, 217, 229, 247) meters
C3 (dark blue): 200 (225, 245, 270, 290, 315, 340, 375, 395, 420) yards / 183 (206, 224, 247, 265, 288, 311, 343, 361, 384) meters

FINISHED DIMENSIONS
Bust Circumference: 32 (36.25, 40, 44.25, 48, 52.25, 56, 60.25, 64, 68.25) inches / 81.5 (92.5, 102, 113, 122, 133, 142, 153.5, 162.5, 174) cm

NEEDLES
US 4 (3.5mm) or as required to meet gauge 16” (40cm) & 32” (80cm) circular needles for neck & body and DPNs in the same size for sleeves

US 3 (3.25mm) 16” (40cm) & 32” (80cm) circular needles for neck & body ribbing and DPNs in the same size for sleeve ribbing

GAUGE
22 sts & 24 rounds = 4 inches 10cm in stockinette in the round after blocking on LARGER needles

22 sts & 24 rounds = 4 inches 10cm in colorwork motif in the round after blocking on LARGER needles

YARN SUGGESTION: Quince & Co Chickadee, Rowan Felted Tweed

FOs and WIPs

Once again, I worked mainly on my Renaissance Sweater by Elenor Mortensen. I am in love with this wonderful, intricate pattern! Last Sunday, I finished my second sleeve. now it’s time to knit the rest of the body length.

I have 5 rows of the 15 rounds of 1x1 rib I plan to work before binding off. I should be able to finish it this week...

I haven't worked any more on my Ariana by Amy Christoffers. It has been on hold while I play with my new antique Legare 400 sock machine. I am still very much a novice on it so I have been practicing when I can.

ANNOUNCEMENT

This is Mother's Day weekend and I apologize but the store will be CLOSED this coming Saturday, May 11th for in-store shopping. I will be participating with some friends at this year's SOC 2024 Ingersoll Crankin (Southern Ontario Crankin) with my sock machine. Wish me luck that I can keep up with everyone.

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

Debbie (@love.knit.spin.weave) who has moved away and we all miss, was visiting. She finished her The Miller's Daughter by Melanie Berg.

Debbie knit hers using 3 colourways of Malabrigo Silkpaca that she bought on LYS Day 2023.

Debbie (@love.knit.spin.weave) finished this Sea Stars by Martin Storey last October using Rowan Summerlite DK.

Kay (83krobbins) knit Veronique by Chloe Thurlow from Rowan Magazine 73 (sold out in the store).

Debbie (swifty849) is a monogamous knitter! She just finished her Westbound by Elizabeth Doherty.

Debbie knit it using Queensland Collection Dungarees Paint.

Jocelyne (jocblais) is wearing her Dingley Dell by Isabell Kraemer knit using Berroco Remix Light.

Connie (knitnut246) is wearing her single skein Heaven and Space by Martina Behm knit using the discontinued Rowan Fine Art which I used to carry.

Krystyna has the Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Weight kits for the Magic of Spring Mitts by Monika Anna but knit this pair out of wool free Hikoo Cobasi.

Krystyna also finished this They Love Me Hat by Fiona Ellis using Garnstudio Drops Lima.

Debbie (debsnubs) finished knitting a new pair of beautiful No Purl Monkeys by Cookie A, a free pattern from Knitty, Winter 2006!

Just look at half of the pairs of socks Jen (zjewell) knit on her Legare 400 sock machine! She will be driving our group to the SOC 2024 Ingersoll Crankin on Saturday.

Happy Wednesday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting!