make it today – do not delay!

brrrr…
That’s what I said to my self this morning on the way to work.  This exclamation of “brrrrr “was followed swiftly by an “I wish I had….”.
I used to have a pair of very useful, not warm at all but elegantly stylish gloves.  They were excellent on the bike on slightly brisk mornings like this one was.  Alas, I lost one of said gloves and am now without this useful accessory. I have always felt that when one thing leaves your life it leaves room for another thing to fill it’s place.  So after a quick mourning period for the glove I bravely looked forward to making myself a light weight pair of mittens. I am constantly mooning over fair isle patterns in jolly colour combos made with fingering weight yarn.  I could have chosen any one of them and made a lovely new pair of hand warmers, but did I? I did not, or at least haven’t yet and now- well – brrrrr – I wish I had knit them in July.  Note to self to repost these realizations next July, and perhaps we will all benefit. Still it is not too late.  There are still months ahead to wear such things, and there is next year too, assuming I don’t loose them by then.


Clockwise from top left: Arrowhead by Brooklyn Tweed, Swedish Forrest by Josefine Martinsson,  Straggo by Brooklyn Tweed and Chrysanthemum by Heather Desserud.

By the way, I also wish that back in July I had made myself a light weight colourful scarf.  I could have worn it this morning. One of these ↓ might do.

On top is Color Affection by Veera Välimäki, below right is Ulmus Rectangle by Kirsten Kapur and below left is Winnowing by Brooklyn Tweed.
All these Brooklyn Tweed patterns are also available in the cafe so you can come in and peruse them at your leisure.

Did you know that the Knit Cafe has it’s very own coffee mugs? These are NOT your plastic, mass produced, corporate swag types but handcrafted porcelain.  Each is painted with a unique skein of yarn and says the knit cafe.  They are made by local artisans Thomas Aikens and Kate Hyde and are $45 each We just got a new batch in.

Inside there are polka-dots!

I was in the Toronto High Park Zoo on Monday and met this charming fellow →

I love a friendly llama!
Craftily yours
Kristin

mittens for everyone (part 2 of the 6 weeks of Xmas)

Hello all.  Welcome to installment two of the 6 weeks of Xmas.  This week – week 5, we are  featuring mitten patterns.  Mittens are (I think) one of the most fun things to knit.  Fun to receive as gifts too. What says “I love you” more than a soft and cozy pair-o-mitts?  Don’t know how to make mittens? No problem- our Mitten Class still has a few spaces left.

Mitten Class
Mon Nov 21, 28, 7-9pm
Call to register- 416 533 5648

These mittens have no thumbs! This is not a design defect.  Although babies have thumbs, they don’t find it necessary to have a separate compartment in their mitts for them.  Go figure! This makes it all even easier for you (the knitter). No fuss, no muss, no thumbs! The Stay Put Mittens has a dense ribbed cuff and draw strings so that (as the name implies) the mittens stay on the hands where they belong.  There is even a cord connector so no mitten will be left behind. This is a beginnerish-intermediate, free of charge pattern found here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stay-put-baby-mitts

The Confetti Mitts are just about the easiest colour-work pattern you will ever do.  The stitches are slipped instead of carrying the yarn so you are only using one colour at a time. Really! Use 2 colours of Noro like we did here for amazing results, or choose 2 yarns without colour variation for more classic results.  There is a tutorial on how to line a mitten that goes along with these mitts, you can find it here.  The lining however is purely optional. Sized for children and women’s and men’s sizes too!
This pattern is a Knit Café pattern.  You can get it at the store or here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/confetti-mitts
   for $5.  It is for intermediate knitters.

The Snapdragon Mitten by Ysolda Teagues have flip-tops! You can get this pattern at the Knit Café sold on its own for $6 or as part of the designer’s book Whimsical Little Knits Two.  There is a matching tam in this book and a bunch more things you will have trouble resisting knitting immediately (if not sooner) – a hedgehog, a slouchy hat, and some pretty wrist warmers, to name a few. This is a more advanced pattern.

Two patterns from one of my favorite designers: Brooklyn Tweed.  Strago are some beautiful colour worked mittens in a Fair Isle technique.  As you can see they suit men as well as the ladies and are sized accordingly too.
Also from Brooklyn Tweed and just-arrived, are the Flint Mittens.  We got some amazing sweater patterns this week too, so look for them in our pattern binders. These lovely cabled mittens have an interesting braided trim.  Mens and womens sizes too
Both of these patterns are intermediate/advanced and are available at the Knit Café for $6.50 and $8.50 respectively.

For more advanced colour work mittens you could do no better than these Chrysanthemums Mittens.  Find them here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chrysanthemums-2
 for free!

If you are running short of time try the Bella Mitts.  Yes – that Bella! The series Twilight, if nothing else, has brought us a lovely mitten pattern. They are made with chunky wool.  So they knit up pretty darn quick. Extra-long cuffs are nice too.  Find this intermediate pattern for free here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bellas-mittens

That’s all for mittens but to make them.
Craftily yours
Kristin

not just for socks

Hand dyed sock yarns by Lorna’s Laces in solid colour ways.  It takes a while to get Lorna’s Laces. From ordering to delivery it is usually about 4 months.  It is always worth the wait.  The last time we got a shipment of solid dyed colours our supplies depleted rapidly.  Lorna has her fans.  Her sock yarn is wonderful to knit with and wears like iron thanks to the 20% nylon mixed in with the washable merino.
The name “Shepherd Sock” may imply socks is what this yarn is good for and although this is true, I am thinking mittens.  Fair Isle mittens are one of my favorite things and I enjoy inventing colour combinations that I might adopt to this purpose. Here are a few ↓Left: Grand Street Ink with Chagrin.
Top: Firefly with Charcoal.
Bottom right: Natural with Patina

And here are a few patterns that peak my interest↓

Clockwise from top left: Polska, Swedish Fish, Warm Woolen Mittens, Squirrel Sampler Mittens, Chrysanthemum, Latvian Mittens.

Just need to pick some colours
Craftily yours
Kristin