What to knit with less than one week till Christmas

It’s true that time is running out but you may still have time to make a few more hand made gifts. Plan right! Choose projects that are small or are made with oversized yarns and the work will go fast!

The Knit Café has just released our latest knitting pattern. This toque can be made in an evening if you are an expert, a few evenings if you are not. We call it Polar Vortex Toque – A Gateway to Brioche Knitting. This is a warm hat made with a bulky yarn.  Our version is so pretty because it is knit with the very lovely hand dyed bulky merino from Lichen and Lace.  The variation in the colour looks great with the squishy brioche stitches.
If you have never tried to knit a brioche project before then this is a good one to try first. The bulky yarn means your stitches are easier to identify and it is only one colour so that makes it a bit easier. In addition our pattern includes some helpful photos that explain the brioche technique.

Look at these Lichen and Lace Bulky skeins! We don’t have all these colours left but we still have a great selection. It takes just one skein to make an adult medium Polar Vortex Toque, a large with dip into a second skein.

Make the Martin Scarf. We love this neck warmer, it is so fun to wear, with its triangular shape and long ties. You can make it really fast because it is knit with a Super Bulky yarn. We especially like to make it with Burly Spun by Brown Sheep. Check out the pattern right HERE

The Knit 101 Headband project is a really fast knit. Choose a bulky yarn or double up your Aran weight yarn to a bulky gauge. That is what we did with the version pictured above. Best of all this pattern is free to try from The Knit Cafe’s Blog right HERE.

Craftily yours
Kristin

Burly is Back!

The fattest yarn in the shop is Burly Spun by Brown Sheep.  It’s 100% wool and knits 2-2.5 stitches per inch.  Get out your broomstick needles, 15mm, 20mm, even 25mm is ok.  You will have your project done in no time.
Come by The Knit Cafe and we can pull out sample after knit sample made from this yarn.  Some of it is knit extra tight like the Chunky Cardi which is knit with a 10mm needle.  Our Martin Scarf pattern is knit with a 15mm needle and our Mondo Neck Cozy pattern uses a 20mm. Apparently we can’t stop knitting with this wool and who can blame us – it knits-up so darn fast!

We have a wonderful autumnal selection of colours now.   Above is Grey Heather, Jack Plum, Spring Bluebell, and Charcoal Heather.

Prairie Fire, Bing Cherry, Sable, Oatmeal, and Oregano

Aztec Turquoise, Cream. Deep Charcoal and Ruby Red.

Chunky Cardi

 
Martin Scarf and Mondo Neck Cozy

You could even use the Burly Spun to make an extra big size stuffy, like an owl in our upcoming Crochet Critter Class.

Our AMIGURUMI CLASS is this Thursday!
Make a Crocheted Owl!
To Register click HERE

Craftily yours,
Kristin

martin scarf update

It was just a tease in the beginning. 
…but now The Martin Scarf is within your grasp.
We first featured this pattern as a Knit Cafe pattern of the month.  This extra bulky triangular shaped neck warmer with pompom finials is a super-fun and fast knit suitable for beginners.  Garter stitch (knitting every row) is employed along with an easy kind of an increase. These along with pom pom or tassel making skills are all the know-how you need to make this guy.

You can find The Martin Scarf for purchase on ravelry.  We hope to have a paper pattern in the store soon.
To make this project even more enticing I am pleased to recount that we have a new shipment of the extra bulky yarn that we used for our Martin Scarf project.  Look at these gorgeous colours of fat and wormy Burly Spun by Brown Sheep.  We have all these hues plus tried and true neutrals: 3 tones of grey, and black, cream and brown.

For a scarf-sublime you may want to substitute one of these yarns to make your project with.  On the left- Spud and Chloe Outer, which is a blend of cotton and wool, and on the right Blue Sky Bulky Alpaca Bulky, 50% alpaca, 50% wool.  Both are dreamy and soft and will make the scarf quite a decadent thing indeed.
That’s all there is for a Wednesday.
Craftily yours
Kristin

Fat and Fast

Burly Spun in the house!
If the fast knitter in you needs a last minute gift use this extra bulky yarn and you will get results from an evenings toil.

To celebrate the fact that this yarn made it through the door before Christmas we will reissue our pattern of the month from last month ie. the Martin Scarf (the triangular beast pictured below) till Christmas Eve.  Come in and grab the pattern. Two skeins of yarn will do it. For the road runner of all gift-making try the Mondo Neck Cozy (also below).  One skein  of Burly spun and you are done!!

Also for last minute gifts!

Hand-printed ruckus totes for yarn and other what-nots.

Or ruckus wee bags! Suitable for a bag of knit notions and goodies or loose change, or lip gloss, or what-have-yous.  The larger ruckus project bags allow you to tow around your half finished socks in a contained kind of way.  Also found to be perfect for storing double pointed needles.

A surprise inside! The backsides and the insides of ruckus bags come all patterned up with fantastic vintage fabrics that make each bag unique.

Hand-stitched cards made with extra bits of printed fabrics are gifts in themselves or great gift companions.

Make a note in your notebooks that the Knit Cafe will be closing early on Christmas Eve at 3:00pm
Closed Christmas and Boxing Day
back to regular hours December 27th.

Happy Holidays tout le monde!

Craftily yours
Kristin

Bandit Scarf is a steal this November

This November we have reinstated the Knit Cafe’s Pattern of the Month.
Come into 1050 Queen St. West and pick up your copy of the Martin Scarf.  There is no charge for this pattern for the whole month of November.

This extra chunky triangular scarf with long ties and pompomed ends is made with 2 skeins of Burly Spun by Brown Sheep and 15mm circular needles.  Need I say that it is a fast knit? It is!

For those who can’t make it into the store I am afraid you are condemned to play the waiting game.  We will have this pattern for sale in our Ravelry store very very soon. Stay tuned.

Until then,
Craftily yours
Kristin