Wednesday, November 22, 2023, Issue 322: Happy Wednesday....What is on your needles?

• Posted on 21 November 2023
• By Susan Wong-Tsang
• Posted in Fall Knitting, Gift Knitting, KAL, November, November 2023, sweater weather
• 0

There are only 4 weeks until Christmas...4 weeks or 32 days! what do you have on your needles? Do you have a sweater or are you gift knitting?

Small Business Saturday is November 25!

The Local Yarn Store is a place that is pivotal to our making community. It's where some of us have learned how to knit or crochet. It's where we get inspired by how a yarn feels or by the touch of a garment. It’s the place where we have been able to ask questions about a fun (but tricky) project. Most of all, it's a place where we build connections with other makers

Berroco is proud to support the Local Yarn Stores and this year they are offering a gift with purchase on Small Business Saturday! 

Two hat patterns, Crown (knit) and Glory (crochet), both designed by Åsa Bucht in Berroco Vintage will be exclusive to your LYS with the purchase of Berroco yarn.

Today, Wednesday, November 22, is the day! Are you ready for the 6th Annual Sock KAL Challenge with Andrea Mowry? Below is from her email:

WHAT: Twice a year I host quick little knitalong challenges over a long weekend meant to inspire you to learn a new technique or bust out a fun knit (especially great if you've been in a knitting slump!) This year we are knitting the Totally Tessellated Socks. 15% of all sales are going to benefit Sisters United thru the end of the KAL!!

WHEN: We will cast on tonight, Wednesday, Nov 22 anytime after 5 pm EST and try our darndest to whip up a pair of socks to show off before noon EST on Monday, Nov 27. The challenge aspect of the KAL is really just for fun, you can absolutely join in on the fun and just knit at your own pace. My favorite part of these knitalongs is the fast friendships that are made as we all cheer each other on!

WHERE: The KAL is hosted in my Ravelry group where you can head for all of the details, including how to be entered to win one of the prizes! While we wait for the KAL to begin, please come introduce yourself and feel free to post pictures of the yarn you are planning to use. If you are a seasoned sock knitter, please feel free to share your favorite sock tip in the forums as an icebreaker!

If you are not using Ravelry, but still want to join in on the fun, you can also participate on Instagram using the hashtag #TOTALLYTESSELLATEDCHALLENGE! Did you know you can follow a hashtag? That way the posts from everyone participating will show up in your feed as long as we all use the same hashtag! I would love if you tagged me as well (@dreareneeknits) so I can share your posts in my stories. You can use the QR code below to head to the KAL hashtag! There is no need to sign up.

PRIZES: There will be amazing prizes from The Farmer's Daughter Fibers, Spincycle Yarns, and DreaReneeKnits!!

YARN SUGGESTIONS: Schoppel Wolle Zauberball Crazy or Queensland Rainbow Beach, The Fibre Co. Amble or CoopKnits Socks Yeah! and Garnstudio Drops Kid Silk.

Knitvent Trifle Wrap by Helen Stewart is the first of 6 mystery patterns in her Knitvent 2023 Collection.

A trifle is so much more than its name suggests. The writer Oliver Wendell Holmes declared trifle to be “that most wonderful object of domestic art” and went into raptures over its “charming confusion of cream and cake and almonds and jam and jelly and wine and cinnamon and froth.”

The Trifle Wrap takes after its namesake in every way: light and decadent, gorgeously layered, and delightfully over the top. Designed to use 24 twenty gram fingering- weight mini skeins held double with a strand of silk mohair lace yarn, this is a perfect project for your festive yarn set. But as with a real trifle, it can also be made beautifully out of leftovers from your stash: that’s what I used for the sample. Like the cream that mingles trifle’s many ingredients into one transcendent pudding, the fluffy mohair softens and melds even the most random assortment of scraps into one delicious masterpiece.

Size
One Size (adjustable)

Finished Measurements
Approximately 71 cm (28”) x 193cm (76”)

Yarn
Designed to use a set of 24 x 20g minis in fingering weight yarn

Sample used approximately 20g (80m/88yds) of 24 colours of fingering weight yarn or a total of 480g (1920m / 2112yds).

Held double with:
Mohair Silk (70% Super kid mohair, 30%  silk; 210m per 25g) x 9 balls (1890m / 2067yds) such as Garnstudio Drops Kid Silk

Needles
4.5 mm (US 7), 80-120cm (32-50”) long circular needles (or size to obtain gauge)

Gauge
15 sts/36 rows = 10cm (4”) in garter stitch

Exact gauge is not critical but may affect the amount of yarn needed if different.

The Knitvent 2023 collection celebrates the sweetness of the season. Nostalgic candies and cookies and biscuits and cakes, piled high for parties or stashed away as surprises. Glasses that sparkle and fizz. Mugs filled to the brim with warmth and good cheer. Fancy confections that only appear in the shops for a few weeks of the year. Precious recipes handed down through the generations. Indulgence, food and feasting have always been at the heart of the holidays, and this year’s designs are inspired by some of my own favourite seasonal treats.

How does Knitvent work?

Inspired by childhood memories of Advent calendars, hidden parcels, and all the joyful anticipation and surprises of the season, Knitvent is a cross between a holiday countdown calendar and a mystery knit along. Each week, you’ll get a secret knitting pattern (or two!) in your inbox. Expect fun, speedy knits and super-giftable accessories, as well as one grand, irresistible “holiday calendar” design, designed to make the most of 24 mini skeins of yarn or your own colourful stash of scraps.

That’s Knitvent in a nutshell. A Curious Handmade holiday tradition. A way to make holiday gift knitting even more fun, especially if you’ve left it until almost the last minute. Join our busy Knitvent 2023 knitalong for real-time encouragement, camaraderie and lovely prizes, with bustling chat threads on Ravelry and endless inspiration on Instagram with the hashtag #knitvent2023

Purchase the Knitvent 2023 ebook now, and get ready for all the holiday magic to come:

• The collection includes six delightful knitting patterns: one pattern each week for five weeks, except for one special week when two are released together
• The patterns will be delivered automatically to your Ravelry inbox, so opening each message is like peeking behind the window of a holiday calendar to see what’s inside.

Level of pattern difficulty: adventurous beginner to intermediate

Release dates for Knitvent 2023:

Thursday, October 26th: Secret Pattern # 1
Thursday, November 2nd: Secret Pattern # 2
Thursday, November 9th Secret Patterns # 3
Thursday, November 16th: Secret Pattern # 4 & 5
Thursday, November 23rd: Secret Pattern # 6

Suggested Yarn: Koigu Festive 25 Day Kits 

WIPs and FOs

My Growing by Lone Kjeldsen is moving along! The number of stitches across the row means that each row takes some time and I find that I am only knitting about 10 rows a day. While my row gauge is off, I am going to work at least another inch before I start the pockets instead of what the pattern says. 

The pattern has been pretty easy to follow.. The only thing missing is the measurement from the armhole to the top of the pocket. Based on the pattern row gauge the pocket for the shorter cardigan starts at a little more than 4 inches from the armhole while for the longer length the pocket starts at about 6 inches from the armhole.

I love the back ribbing detail!

Reminder that our Growing-Pre-Pay Knit Along Class has been changed from a Wednesday afternoon class to Wednesday nights from 7 until 9 pm starting November 29th for the first 4 week session. Just like all of our classes, we will need at least 4.

This is not a traditional class but a Knit-Along that is also open to everyone to knit along on your own as well. Everyone in the class will be working on the same project where I will be there to guide you along! After this block of weeks, we will continue in monthly blocks until we are finished after which we can choose another great pattern! This one is set for the first 4 classes.

Do you like my Secret Garden Sweater by Elenor Mortensen so far? This is a pattern that I just had to knit as soon as I saw it. The yarn that I am using is what the designer used and is turning into a favourite yarn!

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

Mommy and baby Hunter are at the top and Daddy and baby!!

It is so sweet how Daddy is so enamoured with his adorable daughter. Hunter is wearing the Back Flap Sleeper and Some BUNNY loves you bonnet by Simply Sycamore that I knit for her.

This is one of the photos my daughter took. Hunter is wearing the Open Back Ballerina Onesie by Simply Sycamore that I knit for her.

Giselle (@dramakit2.0) knit this Goldwing by Jennifer Steingass using Cascade 220 Sport.

Sandi (sandima) finished this Love the Winter Hat by Emily Dormier using some of her blue/green hand spun with stash yarn.

Mirna has been gift knitting and finished 2 pairs of Calico Socks by Morgan Panich.

Mirna also finished these 2 pairs of Rowhouse Socks by Bonnie Sennott. Mostly she used Ancient Arts Yarns Socknado.

Debbie (swifty849) has been gift knitting and has finished five Garanatus by Arella Seaton.

Aren’t the mosaic Garanatus by Arella Seaton cowls beautiful?

Anna (@kollar.Annie) knit this Snow Wonder (Children) by Heidi Kirrmaier for one of her daughters using Malabrigo.

Brenda (bmallat42) test knit the Hey Santa Hat by Karysha Clarke @isle.stitch using Malabrigo Rasta! The hat comes in sizes from baby to adult.

Happy Friday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting!