Triangulate this!

I finished these mittens this week.

Designed by me, on account of this scarf ↓.  I needed a go-with for it.
I decided I wanted to pick up on the triangle motif without directly copying it.  The yarn came from left-overs.  Odds and sods of soft Manos del Uruguay Maxima and Malabrigo Worsted, both are 1 ply merino wool, and the very same yarn that comes in all those fun, neon colours I spoke of last time.

A ribbed cuff followed by the easy fairisle pattern does the trick for keeping the chilly winds out.  There were a lot of ends to darn in which I seemed to do gladly, but you can minimize this by choosing 2 colours only.  Yes- I am giving you the pattern.  Right here! Right now! Here we go…..

Good news is fit for sharing!

I have some very exciting news to share.
The Knit Cafe is adding a new member to the team, and you will all love her.
Please give warm wooly welcomes to Natalie Selles when you meet her.
Natalie is a very accomplished knitter and we are very lucky to have her.  She will be an excellent resource for all of us. I am looking forward to picking her brain on a topic or two. She is a self proclaimed Knitter with a capital K ! Natalie is a knitwear designer and you can peruse her patterns on ravelry here.  Natalie is also a blogger and you can follow her blog here.

I would also like to share with you the pattern for these knit Matroyska Dolls.
They were the stars of the Knit Cafe’s Nuit Blanche exhibition this past Saturday/Sunday.
They are pretty fun to make and easy to make them your own.  This is evident by all the unique characters that grace our current window display.
Here are a few↓

Inspired? Time to make your own version.  The pattern is after the jump.
Craftily yours
Kristin

Spring decorating!

Hello spring-lovers!
For those who are lucky enough to have a garden.  Check out this idea from The Fiber Farm.  It’s for bird nests! Start saving up those yarn bits.  Wouldn’t we all like to look up and see one of our coloured scraps decorating a birdie house?

If you are not quite as lucky in the garden department.  You could leave the nest make-overs to the birds and still show your bird-devotion by making this ↑
It’s an oldie but a goodie! A free Knit Cafe pattern that you can find right after the break.

Tweet, tweet, all!
Craftily yours
Kristin

at a snail’s pace

For the spring season we created this menagerie for our window: little molluscs making their way up yarn stems to fuzzy flower tops

here’s a close-up.

and some more views

This fine specimen (above) was created with the pattern by the genius knitter Hansi Singh who wrote the book Amigurumi Knits.  This book is one of my favorites with glorious examples of all sorts of knit creatures from snails to lobsters to jackalopes. 
The other snails are my own creation.  It’s a simpler, quicker knit snail!  The pattern is here after the jump. 
Enjoy!

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

Soho Scarf

A pattern for you.
In commemoration of my trip to Purl Soho last May, where I got the yarn to make this triangular scarf I am calling this pattern Soho Scarf.

The scarf is made from MadelineTosh Merino Light which we have a pretty collection of in the store.  This is a a beauuuuuutiful yarn to work with.  So soft!  It is a one ply which makes it quite a unique fingering weight yarn, very delicate and subtle and so perfect for shawls and scarves.
See pattern after the jump

the case of the unexpected socks

I bet you weren’t expecting that!  Socks for chairs!
You might be thinking that chair socks is crafting taken one step too far, but I would argue the chair socks, though cute as cute can be, are primarily appealing for their practical purposes.
Recently my kind friend  gave me some sturdy stools for my kitchen.  I was excited when they came home to roost, but I noticed something right away.  The bottoms of these stools were lethal weapons and they were aimed at my floors. Since I own my floors now I was very perturbed.
The idea came to me in an instant.  Iwona had some time ago made adorable little chair socks for our chairs at the Knit Cafe. I decided to steal this idea to protect my floors from my new furnishings.  I went to work with crochet hook in hand and within a few hours I had 8 new wee socks ready to swaddle my stool’s feet. Amazing! Crisis averted! Floors saved!

This is how I made them.
I used left over sock yarn (we all have some of that).  A good choice cause most sock yarn is sturdy and washable.  I used a 3mm crochet hook.
I started with a slip ring and made 6 single crochets into the ring.
Next round I made 2 single crochets into each single crochet for a total of 12.
Then I just single crocheted in rounds till the sock reached the desired length. On the last round I decreased by a couple of stitches for a snug fit.
You could easily adjust these instructions to fit your own chair legs, increasing more or less on the bottom to make a different circumference.  Note that the crocheted bottom spreads out a little after your last decrease round so err on the side of too small,  Crochet is a great way to make these as it is easy to try them on as you go and ensure the fit is right but if you don’t know how to crochet or prefer to knit here is Iwona’s knit recipe for chair socks:

Needles: 2.5mm
Yarn: fingering weight (leftover from making socks will do here)
Gauge: 7sts/1inch, knit in stocking st in rounds.

Measure the circumference of your chair leg in inches. Multiply that number by 7 (gauge). If you end up with a decimal number round it down to a nearest whole number. This is going to be number of sts to co.
Example: 2.25” (circumference of chair leg) x 7(gauge)= 15.75 – .75= 15sts.

Knit your socks in ribbed st pattern. They will hug the legs of your chair better and they will not roll down. Depending on the number of sts you cast on, you can choose different rib pattern. My socks turned out to be 15sts, so I knit k3, p2 rib. I could have also done k2, p1.

If you have an even number of sts you can do k1, p1 rib. If your even number is multiple of 4 sts you can knit k2, p2 or k3, p1 rib.

Once you establish your pattern cast on your sts loosely. I use long tail method over 2 needles, but you could also use cable cast on over bigger needle (4mm or slightly bigger).

Divide sts between 3 needles; join into round being careful not to twist the cast on edge.

K in pattern till desired length. Next, k2 together till 4 or 5 sts remain. Break yarn, leaving about 6″ tail, using darning needle thread the remaining sts through yarn, pull tight and weave in all ends.

Now go to it!
Craftily yours
Kristin 

I heart my bike

Over the past couple of weeks I have been staring at a fruit bowl beside my bed, full of odds and ends of pretty yarns. I have been collecting them for a blanket I’m working on.
Because its summer and  I always feel like crocheting this time of the year I decided to make use of some of these colourful ends and make myself a new bike lock cosy. This was a really quick and fun movie watching project.
Here is the pattern:

stripes

 One of big trends I am noticing in 2011 is stripes and chevrons. I see it everywhere- clothing, home furnishing, curtains, rugs wallpapers and the list goes on and on.
Inspired by this graphic look I decided to create couple of projects for spring.
One of the projects is French Nautical Striped Scarf made with striking lace weight Misty Alpaca. I have to be honest here; the scarf took a long time to make, but after casting off and blocking I was rewarded with a beautifully draping, soft hipster scarf. What I liked about knitting this project was being able to knit while watching movies or during our busy Stitch & Bitch group. We all need a break from intense patterns once in a while. I found this scarf to be very mindless and relaxing as it is knit in simple stocking stitch and for some excitement changing colour every few rows.Here is the pattern:

lickity-split fingerless mitts

This is one of the fastest things you ever will make.  It is a pattern we teach in our Knit 101 class, so it is not too tricky.  These mitts are made with Aran weight yarn, and shown here in Manos Del Uruguay in Juniper #43.

Lickity Split fingerless Mitts

Materials: 1 skein Mano Del Uruguay, 6mm dpns

Gauge: 4sts and 5 rows per inch

CO 24 sts

Join into round, being careful not to twist stitches

K2 P2 ribbing for 2.5 inches

Stocking Stitch for 2.5 inches

Turn (so you are looking at the purl side)

Purl 1 row

Turn

Knit 1 row

Continue back and forth in stocking stitch to make thumb opening 2 inches

Rejoin in a round on your next knit row

Continue with K2, P2 ribbing for 1.5 inches

BO in K2 P2.