Our Madelinetosh Order is Here!

I know some of you have been waiting and waiting for this, but the wait is over. We have just received our latest order from the infamous hand dyers – Madelinetosh.

Madelinetosh Vintage! This is a worsted weight yarn comprised of 100% superwash merino, it is a terrific yarn for just about anything! Colours in clockwise order from top left: Georgia O’Keefe, Modern Fair Isle, Smokestack, Cousteau, Beach Bonfire, Lepidoptra, Mare, Composition Book Grey, Tart, Dr. Zhivago’s Sky, Odyssey, Paper, Fragrant, Jade, Candlewick, Firewood, Celadon.

Also represented is Madelinetosh Paririe. It’s a lace weight yarn, so it is good timing for light weight spring and summer knitting projects. Also great news for those of you who like to make The Knit Cafe’s project Sashiko which takes a skein of Prairie blended with Shibui Silk Cloud which we also have in shop.
Prairie is spun from 100% superwash merino. Colours in clockwise order from top left: Nebula, Grasshopper, Cactus Flower, Robin Red Breast, Dutchess, Ink, Celadon, Antler, Tern, Mourning Dove.

 If history repeats itself the Madelinetosh is here for a good time not a long time so make sure to come in promptly to get your pick of the litter.

Craftily yours
Kristin

Madelinetosh and Malabrigo

We got M&M!
That’s Madelinetosh, and Malabrigo yarns! Both are hand dyed goodies, that really make you itch for some knitting time.

Check out these colours of Madelinetosh Vintage (worsted weight)

And for quick knits we got Madelinetosh ASAP!

Even bigger, and faster to knit is lovely Malabrigo Rasta!

These are some of my favourites from this batch ↓

Madelinetosh Vintage in new colour called Court and Spark

Madelinetosh ASAP in Spectrum

Malabrigo Rasta in Archangel

Madelinetosh ASAP and the Rasta will be put to good use in our upcoming

Learn to Knit Headband Class
Thursday December 10, 17, 7-9pm
Register HERE

If you already know how to knit you can find the free pattern for the Headband. HERE and HERE. They are both free!

Craftily yours
Kristin

 

 

New Madelinetosh! New Colours Too!

We have a new crop of Madelinetosh brightening up the shop. This 100% superwash, merino yarn in a worsted weight is much coveted for it’s sublime, hand dyed colour ways. Each time we order we like to experiment and get some colours we’ve never seen before. Madelinetosh also releases new colours each season – you will see a few of them here.

Firewood

Daffodil

Badlands

Fir Wreath

Raspberry Cordial

Plunge

Odyssey

Deep

A collection of our favourite not-quite-neutrals, clockwise from top left- Mare, Composition Book Grey, Paper, Smokestack. These are the colours we chose for our Fishin Cowl.

We are also enamoured with these spatter dyed colours – top is Cosmic Wonder Dust. middle is Optic, and bottom is Holi Festival

…and not to be underestimated…
Top – Maple Key, bottom left – Cousteau, bottom right – Mineral

…and last but not least by all means…
Clockwise from top left – Coquette, Fragrant, Georgia O’Keefe, Tart.

All of them are beauties and waiting to be knit into something lovable.
Craftily yours
Kristin

Going Fishin’ – Another New Knit Café Pattern

 

We are really happy to introduce you to this new Knit Café Pattern.
Start it now and you’ll have it ready to wear for the Fall, although I could have used it this morning,….brrrrrr…..

The Fishin Cowl gets its namesake from the deliciously cushy stitch known as the Fisherman’s Rib. This is not your standard rib but a variation that incorporates more elasticity, drape and extra warmth that is perfect for our Canadian winters.

This is an excellent project for anyone tired of plain knit and purl and wants to experiment with something different.

This pattern contains instructions for the single wrap cowl and the double wrap cowl pictured.

The two colour striping is particularly striking in this design. Each side of the cowl has a slightly different look, but both are equally appealing.
We used Madelinetosh Vintage for this project, which is a hand dyed worsted weight yarn.
The subtlety in the colour variation adds extra dimension to the fabric. This lovely merino wool is truly comfortable to wear
on the neck.

You can find the Fishin Cowl Pattern on Ravelry HERE.

The Fishin Cowl is available as a Knit Café Knit Kit with the yarn and pattern together HERE.

Craftily yours
Kristin

Cure for rainy day blues – Madelinetosh!

Having a look at all these sunny colours has got to make you feel a bit better on such a glum day. I must say this generous influx of colour is a dramatic contrast to the scene outside. Outside – Rain! Blah!

Inside ↓

This glorious specimen is a delightful colourway called Violas, in a brand new yarn from Madelinetosh called Merino Twist Light.  A sock weight yarn blended with nylon for extra strength, it seems natural to make socks from these sweet skeins, but touch it and feel the butter softness and you might change your mind – maybe a spring shawl.

Madelinetosh Twist Light
75% merino superwash, 25% nylon, 384m/420yds
26-30sts per 10cm/4″

top row: pool, cosmic wonder dust, fragrant
2nd row: wicked, tern, firewood
3rd row: holi festival, rhubarb, Edison bulb
bottom row: nebula, optic, Georgia O’Keefe

Also in the house ↓

Madelinetosh Merino Light
100% superwash merino, 384m/420yds
26-30sts per 10cm/4″

tippy-top: mandala
top row: vermillion, purple basil, grasshopper
2nd row: candlewick, smokestack, stovepipe
3rd row: weathered frame, Courbet’s green, esoteric
last but not least: forestry

With the influx of Merino Light we have been able to update our colour selection for the Soho Scarf. Have a look at our new offerings HERE

There’s still more Madtosh  ↓

Madelinetosh Merino DK
100% superwash merino, 205m/225yds
20-22sts per 10cm/4″

tippy-top: tomato
top row: silver fox, ink, cove
2nd row: winter wheat, duchess, scarlet
3rd row: rain water, jade, Cousteau
last but not least: clematis

Believe it or not, there is even more Madelinetosh then what you see here. We also have some fine skeins of worsted weight, Vintage Madelinetosh, and lovely lace weight Madelinetosh Prairie too.

Come visit us soon for the best selection. We are taking it to The Knitters Frolic at the end of the month.

Craftily yours
Kristin

Easter Treats for The Knit Cafe

Just in time for this hippity hoppity weekend we have a new selection of yarns. Come on over and have your own Easter Egg Hunt. You can find such treats like this Rowan Pure Wool Superwash. It is practically egg shaped. I love this shelf full of Easter inspired colours but we have lots more colours besides.

If you follow us on Twitter you may already know we received our first box from Madelinetosh. We have quite a large order coming in, so we expect the rest to follow over the next week, but for now we have a gorgeous selection of Vintage which is Madelinetosh worsted weight. All hand dyed on merino wool and Superwash to boot, this is some knitters most coveted yarn.

The Madelinetosh is pictured on the shelves to the right. On the left we have fluffy cottons from Blue Sky Alpaca. This is one of our favourite cottons, so thick and so soft, it knits up light and cushy. We used it to make our sample of The Knit Cafe’s Baby Blanket project – the one we make in our baby blanket class. Still a few spots left in that class which is this Monday night!

.
Baby Blanket Workshop
Monday April 13
6:30-9pm
To register
Call: 416 533 5648
Or register online HERE

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We are open this Easter Weekend!
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Craftily yours
Kristin

 

 

Keep warm with a little bit of Madelinetosh!

It’s true! We have some more Madelinetosh on premises.  Some Tosh Sock, Pashmina, Prairie, and Vintage are all snug and cozy on shelves. See the yummy splattered colour ways – Optic, Cosmic Wonderdust, Holy Festival, Modern Fairisle in the Tosh Sock weight in the picture below.
We’re expecting to get some Merino Light in real soon too, I’ll let ya know when it arrives.

Every once in a while we are the happy recipient of some hand spun yarns from Jana Falls, like the punchy purple skein pictured below.  Each skein is made by hand with hand dyed fleece on a spinning wheel.  Each skein is unique.  A hand spun skein of yarn is like no other animal.  Come in soon to admire them.
If you would like to learn how to spin your own yarns (literally speaking) now is your chance.  The Knit Café has a beginner spinning class starting this Sunday! It’s the last one till our next schedule in Spring/Summer.
It might take some practice to be as profession as Jana but the practicing is addictive.

Introduction to Spinning (Drop Spindle Class)

Sunday January 11, 18, 25, 12:30-2:30
3 sessions, $76, materials not included.

To register online go HERE,
or call us at 416 533 5648

Craftily yours
Kristin

What’s Up With Madelinetosh?

Why is it so talked about? So pined for? So worth the wait? Because you always have to wait a bit for this yarn.  The answer to these questions are below in picture form.  For more evidence come into the cafe and give the yarn a squeeze.  For further research on the subject – take some home and knit or crochet with it, but don’t do this if you do not want to join ranks with the Madelinetosh addicts!

We just received an enormous shipment containing:
Pashmina (sport weight) 75% merino, 15% silk, 10% cashmere, 329m, $37
Vintage (worsted weight) 100% superwash merino, 182m, $24.50
Chunky (aran weight) 100% superwash merino, 151m, $24.50
ASAP (extra bulky weight) 100% superwash merino, 82m, $24.50

Colours are order from left top clockwise
Pashmina in Citrus, Sunrose, Tart, Nutmeg, Candlewick, and Leaf.

Pashmina in Georgia O’Keefe, Celadon, Antique Lace, Tern

Vintage in Gilded, Bloomsbury, Maple Leaf, Cousteau

Vintage in Mare, Paper, Ember, Composition Book Grey

Vintage in Fragrant, Scarlet, Smokestack, Coquette, Flashdance.

Chunky in Tern, Jade, Mineral, Betty Draper Blue, Fathom

Chunky in Vintage Sari, William Morris, Calligraphy, Victorian Gothic

Chunky in Citrus, Candlewick and Torchere

Check out these new splattered colours. We love them! This one is  Cosmic Wonder. It’s Chunky weight.

Optic in Chunky

Holi Festival in Chunky

Modern Fair Isle in Chunky

ASAP in Pop Rocks, Courbet’s Green, Coquette, Edison Bulb, Citrus

ASAP in Flashdance, Fig, Cousteau, Leaf

ASAP in Well Water, Silver Fox, Fog. Composition Book Grey, Dirty Panther

Sigh!
Craftily yours
Kristin

Beach Baby

Some of you might relate to this; I want to knit my baby the world!!! He is finally starting to sleep better, which means I have a few ME hours during the evening. Naturally I start think about him and how to make his life more beautiful and special. Knitting is one way to show some love. What more can a 10 month old ask for, then being hugged by a cozy sweater that was lovingly knit by his mommy.  Beach Baby by Christine H. Wilkins was one of the many patterns that was waiting to be knit in my Ravelry faves. This pretty sweater has everything; top down construction, fair-isle colour-work and minimal finishing. I was so excited that I knit it in less then 48 hours, only to find out it didn’t fit exactly the way I wanted it to. Sleeves seams were too wide and the body was too narrow for my liking. I ripped it back to the yoke and made a few adjustments. Here are my notes:

Yarn used: MadelineTosh Vintage in Tern and Bloomsbury, Cascade 220 Superwash colour #817.
Size made: 1-2 years.
I knit the pattern as is till  Divide for Body and Sleeves. This is where my adjustment comes in. I took 8 sts away from each sleeve and added it to the body as follows:
K 28 sts, slip the next 38 sts to a long piece of scrap yarn for sleeve, join and K 56 sts, slip next 38 sts to a long piece of scrap yarn for sleeve, join and K 28 sts. The rest of the body is knit the same as in the pattern.
I also picked up and knit 2 sts at armpits, once I began knitting sleeves.

Here is my little one in his sweater.

I can’t speak for all sizes in this pattern, but my friend Ellen just finished knitting the smallest size and the sleeves also look wider then they should be. For anyone interested in knitting 0-1 year size, taking away 6 sts from each sleeve and adding to the body should do the trick.

Here is a close up of the colour-work on Ellen’s sweater.
She used Anzula’s For Better or Worsted in Denim, and Madelinetosh Vintage in Butter and Creme de Menthe

This is a free pattern and a fun one to knit! You can find it HERE

Happy knitting!!!
Iwona

Hooray for Maple Leaf!

Maple Leaf, the hand dyed colour from Madelinetosh that is. ↓

It a beauty, eh?

This gorgeous colour of Madelinetosh Vintage (which is a worsted weight, superwash, merino yarn) came with friends.  They just arrived on Friday!

On top: Bloomsbury
Middle left: Leaf, middle right: Nutmeg
Bottom left: Candlewick, bottom right: Maple Leaf again!

Top left: Fragrant, top right: Tart
Bottom left: Manor,bottom middle: Thunderstorm, bottom right: Dr Zhivago’s Sky

and a close up of Fragrant.

More friendlies came in the form of Madelinetosh Merino Light!

Top left: Ink, top middle: Tern, top right: Graphite
Bottom left: Baltic,bottom middle: Nebula, bottom right: Courbet’s Green

Top left: Weathered Frame, top middle: Antique Lace, top right: Molly Ringwald
Bottom left: Sequoia,bottom middle: Vermillion, bottom right: Pop Rocks!

On top: Cove
Bottom right: Opaline, Smokey Orchid

and Fathom and Candlewick too!

This awesome sweater was knit by Carla, who graciously let me take pictures.  We spent a lot of time picking out the colours and I think a pat on the back is in order.  This is the Madelinetosh Merino Light in colours Antique Lace and Pop Rocks.

The pattern is Stasis by Brooklyn Tweed.

It’s a good time to start making your spring sweater in this light weight yarn! Spring will come one day!

Other Knit Cafe projects made with the Merino Light are the Big Wrap↓………………………………………….. and the Soho Scarf↓

So many possibilities…

Craftily yours
Kristin