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Happy Wednesday all.

A sad goodbye to Toronto’s Craft Alert
This amazing project which kept crafty Torontonians connected and up to date is packing it in.  Thank you’s and congratulations go out to the creators and the contributors who have kept this sight going for years.  It has helped to create and stimulate our local craft community.  It will be missed and remembered as being in a class of it’s own. The facebook page for Craft Alert will still be in action, so high and dry we will not be left.
I came upon this sad news while posting to the Craft Alert Forum in the help wanted section.  The Knit Cafe is looking for a Crochet Instructor.  If this could be you or someone you know you can see the details by continuing to the Continue Reading…

Craftily Yours
Kristin

me-ow!

I am so excited.
This yarn feels like kittens!

I believe we are the first yarn store in Canada to have this yarn.
It is a hand-dyed brand called Anzula.  This variety (the first to arrive) is called Cloud.  You are looking at Au Natural, Maple, Persimmon, Teal, Shitake, Country Green, Black and Ducky!  These are so beautiful I wish I had even more colours.  As I mentioned, they feel like kittens, probably due to the cashmere.
80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon, with 575 yards (525 metres), this is a finer sock weight yarn (sometimes called baby weight). If you are wondering what is to be done with this (besides pet it) look to this ↓
Perfect Fit Socks from The Purl Bee, but with such perfect spring colours I can only imagine this as a new shawl or scarf for the next season.

If you are yet to make a sock, the Knit Cafe’s Sock Class is coming up.
Monday March 5, 12, 19, 7-9pm, $72, materials not included.
Call to register 416 533 5648

Craftily yours
Kristin

otto’s pullover

Since it is the selfish season, I put needles to work on this project.
My ottoman was sadly stained and well…sad.  It needed a sweater.

Project Notes:
Made with Cascade Ecological and a tight gauge (4.5mm)
I started at the middle of the top working outward in rounds with 4 double increases every other round to make the square top.  Cast off with a crochet bind off for stretchiness. Then, when I picked up stitches to make the sides, I picked up looking at the wrong side so the seam wound have it’s bulk on the outside.  I hoped this would make it a better fit and it seams (hee, hee) to have done the trick.

I picked up the stitches for each side separately so that I wouldn’t have to work so much heft all at once.  Also, I had a plan.  I would seam all the sides together with crocheted seaming (the bulk to the outside). The sides were worked on a knit 3, purl 1 rib.

I didn’t have enough of all the same colour.  I was trying to make the good-use of the left-overs – hence the stripes. I’m still not sure about the gold on the bottom and have not woven in my ends in case I change my mind one day.
What do you think? Rainbow striped bottom? Hot pink?

The bind off on the bottom of the rib was also a stretchy one.  Seamed together with crochet using the yarn colour from the top and Voila!!

Craftily Yours
Kristin

Happy hockey day in Canada!

I have been a fan of Le chandail de hockey ever since I read it in French Class in high school.  This very Canadian tale by Roch Carrier of a boy denied the hockey sweater of his choice and forced to wear a sweater not to his liking has charmingly tragic proportions.  When I first saw these chapeaux, knit by Iwona, I was immediately smitten. I think (in part) due to my love of this sweater- story.  If you would like to investigate this bit of Canadiana further check out this beautiful animated version of the story by Sheldon Cohen.

For Christmas Iwona whipped up this patriotic project; a duo of head-warmers for her family.  I could not resist copying her and making one for my Leaf-loving pal.  I promised the details  and here they are:

TEAM SPIRIT HAT

The main pattern came from a blog called Artemis Adormnments.  It is a freely available hat pattern with a classic snowflake design.  Iwona omitted the snowflake and replaced it with the blue maple leaf.  The chart for the leaf was found here.  Both Iwona and I were impressed by the extra stretchy ribbing on the bottom of the hat.  Knitting through the back loop makes for a springiness and sturdiness that gives this hat a traditional toque-iness.

We used: Madeline Tosh DK in colour Fathom
For the white, Iwona used Berroco Ultra Alpaca , I used  2 strands held together of Dream in Colour Smooshy which makes it a completely superwash hat.

The pattern calls for 4.5mm, but both Iwona and I used a 4mm instead of the 4.5mm recommended.  Both of us are looser knitters, but the pattern’s assertion that the original hat was made for a extra large head made this needle choice an easy one.

Once you pass the ribbing, the white takes up about 25 rows of stocking stitch.  The Maple Leaf pattern is 20 rows, so begin it on the 3rd row of stocking stitch. Pick up again with the blue and start the decreases at about 6″ from ribbing. We made the maple leaf after the hat was done with duplicate stitch, but you could produce it with intarsia (your choice).

Then make a big old pompom if you choose and you are done!

Craftily Yours
Kristin

big red!

So the big-love day is coming up, and although we may not all pay heed to this “holiday”, most days are good days to tell someone you love them.

Four years ago now, I submitted this pattern to the illustrious online knit magazine Knitty. This Canadian institution is a great place to find free and fantastic patterns (but I digress).  Since the publish date of this pattern 559 knitters have made it (ravelry statistic). 
I feel great about this pattern.  Like a hug I sent out to the universe that keeps multiplying as folks make their hearts and then give them away.  I receive notes.  They tell me that hearts have been passed on to heart-transplant recipients, or friends who have had surgery on their tickers, they have been given to friends and lovers too.
If you would like to make a heart and wear it on your sleeve.  The Knit Cafe has a mini version of the heart pattern that would look lovely as a lapel pin.  Find it here

You can never have enough friends.  You could make some new ones or show you’re appreciation to old favorites with this project from the Purl Bee. There, you will find a great tutorial on how to make these Heart Friendship Bracelets

Happy February 14th, no matter how you spend it.
Craftily yours
Kristin

winter blues

Happy February!

The prolific and lovely Iwona has finished her sweater from a Norah Gaughan design called Geordie. Isn’t it great when something knits up just like it’s picture?

This sweater’s appearance on the scene has caused quite a ripple effect here.  Everyone who has seen it has wanted one for themselves.  More Berroco Peruvia wool is on order to make sweater dreams come true. Your favorite colour can be easily procured too.

The booklet where we found this pattern Norah Gaughan volume 9 is full of gems.  Have a look next time you’re in the Cafe.

Craftily Yours
Kristin

go goat!

Cashmere goats in Tibet↑
If you want to produce cashmere you will have to work at it.  Get out the big hairbrush and become a goat-stylist. The softest, warmest, and lightest finds will be under the chin and on the belly.  The rest of the hair is just good for  paint brushes. A good week of brushing should do the trick.  Have fun in the mountains!

Hand dyed 100% cashmere from Handmaiden.  One skein is enough for a hat or a neck warmer.  I made the Jacques Cousteau Hat with a skein, just recently.  The hat needed to be just a”hair” shorter to accommodate the yardage.  How much will depend on your tension.  In my case about a half an inch.  This makes very little difference on a hat with this long a brim.  Or ask us at the Knit Cafe about the Devin’s Toque(pictured here), a pattern by Handmaiden made just for this yarn.

Speaking of shearing; here is something closer to straight off the sheep then we are used to seeing it.  Merino hand dyed fleece from the Fleece Artist can be spun into your own yarn or used in felting projects. Needle felters can separate the colours so one bundle becomes a whole pallet. Or try this↓
A beautiful example of a Thrummed Mitten if I ever saw one.  Which I have.  I made a half dozen of these when I first learned how to knit. This insulated mitten originally haling from Newfoundland is fun to make especially when you have colourful thrum (a fancy term for fleece) to work with. That’s what gets my goat!

Craftily yours
Kristin

crochet park

The whole day has come and gone and I am no good for writing or anything else.  Look upon these pictures and be cheered!

Find more info here

Goodnight and Craftily yours
Kristin 

rug it!

Hello folks,
Coming up real soon, specifically next Monday January 30th and February 6, we are offering The ZigZag Crochet Rug Class.  There are several spectacular things about this class in my opinion.
1. You make your own rug which is pretty amazing when you think about it.

2. You learn how to create a zigzag stitch which can be applied to any ol’thing.  I have collected this fashionable home picture as inspiration for an afghan I would like to make one day.

3. This rug you make is not made with yarn.  It is made with fabric.  You learn a whole other technique of cutting and attaching fabric strips together to make “yarn” for your project.  Recycled fabrics like bed sheets are encouraged as materials.  The resulting rug is extra thick, and extra strong – just what you would like a rug to be.

This kitty-cat-charming picture came from a crafty website called flight of the pook whose auteur has made this lovely rug employing fabric scarps and crochet.  Just goes to show the diversity possible in such a technique.  The cats seem to like it too.
This two evening class is $50 on January 30 and February 6, from 7-9pm at the Knit Cafe, 1050 Queen St. West.  Call 416 533 5648 to register.

Craftily Yours
Kristin

the selfish season

At some time, a while back, I coined an expression I quite liked.  It was in a Knit Cafe Newsletter shortly after Christmas.  It was in this January Newsletter I proclaimed this time of year to be “the Selfish Season” – at least for knitters.
I think after a long period of selflessly knitting for others; thinking of their needs, sizing them up, and picking colours to suit their disposition, it is time to pay a little attention to ones own self.  I’m not talking candlelit bubble baths (although that would be nice). I am thinking that now is a good time to knit one or two things just for you.
I have been taking my own advice.

Here is a very awkward picture of me, trying to get a good shot of the cable detail on my brand new hat.  The pattern came from Brooklyn Tweed.  It is the Rosebud Hat
I thoroughly enjoyed making this hat.  A good combo of thinking and not thinking to achieve it – if you know what I mean. The pattern was clear and easy to follow.  The yarn was a dream.  I am not disclosing, as of yet what I used for the hat.  Let’s just say it was research. The Rosebud  pattern is available here at the Knit Cafe.

Iwona has been taking my advice too

She has been knitting Geordie by Norah Gaughan.  She is blocking it right now in fact, and it is looking gorgeous!  Soon it will be done and I will have a finished picture to show but I just couldn’t wait to share it.  The Geordie pattern was found in Norah Gaughan’s Book Volume 9, which has too many good patterns to mention.  Check it out next time you are in the cafe.  Iwona made this chunky cover-up with Berroco Peruvia Quick, which she has raved about!
I could also not wait to share this↓

I am no slave to fashion, but I have not been immune to how many fantastic sweaters I have been seeing on the movers and shakers around the city.  Fisherman sweaters in all their classic wooly elegance have been admired as they whiz by me on bicycles or saunter by the Knit Cafe window.  I want one! Now that I have found this I feel one is within my grasp.
The Retro Knitting Company, an online retailer of vintage pattern has a slew of such patterns to choose from.  How to choose seems to be the only hurdle.

Happy selfish season everyone!
Craftily yours
Kristin