I just picked up the Rain Shadow Shawl from my test knitter Jana. And I am so thrilled with how it turned out.
Rain Shadow Shawl was entirely inspired by the new to me stitch I chose for the April Square. I loved the way the stitches moved. It immediately inspired this triangular shawl.
Look for the pattern to be released at the same time as the June Square. There may be a discount code attached to the Square pattern… just saying.
I haven’t had much time for writing this month. I have been emptying the storage locker and that job is almost complete. There is maybe 3 or 4 loads left. Some to Restore, some to the dump and some home. My challenge, and the biggest job, has been fitting everything into our new, smaller space..
I have a couple of quiet corners in the house, but most still hold boxes of “bits” looking for a home. My tea shelf is organized. But my book shelves are overflowing and the yarn room… the less said the better. I have more yarn than I thought. Maybe I have more yarn than I wanted to think. That might be more accurate. It will take a little while to organize that area.
I am having fun working on the square and fancy for June. How you started a new square recently? I am really looking forward to seeing how everything comes together for us all.
Happy Knitting
Lynette
A very busy bee indeed. Look at the colour of that Rhododendron. I love watching my plants bloom. Especially now, in a new garden.
Flowers play a big part in my love of colour. Vivid colour, mixed colour and glorious abandon to colour.
One of the exciting things of a new home is watching the garden come to life. This garden is more minimal than my last. That will change as the season progresses and I get to work on my landscaping plans.
I have discovered that I have a Lilac bush. It is small right now, but the blooms are mighty. These blooms are fragrant and they are purple, lilac purple. They are glorious!
Does anyone know the name of this Lilac? The colour is so beautiful.
How is your garden progressing? What are your favourite Spring Flowers? I am looking for suggestions for my Landscaping projects – any and all ideas are welcome.
May Blanket Squares
Like the blooms this month brought on a lot of inspiration. So there is the May Square, Little Puff Leaves. And the May Bonus Square, Indian Twist Stitch Square. I really played with colour when creating them and you can see that the bonus square pulled the Lilac purple out of my stash!
The wonderful thing about sampler patterns is that you can try out new stitches without a major commitment. The little puff leaves remind me of all the greenery that is showing up on the bushes and trees as we walk through the local parks right now!
Now the Indian Twist Stitch is pretty cool. This stitch pattern has fascinated me for years! I decided that a sampler blanket was the perfect place to try it out!
This pattern looks a little tricky, but is really quite easy. Only two of the rows involve patterning and while slow to work they do pay you back by filling in a great deal of space. This is the simple version in that the twisted sts all line up. I am going to work another version were the rows of twisted sts offset each other. There is a photo tutorial included in the pattern.
This square can be worked in the two colours as shown, but is also effective in a single colour!
Last fall a friend gave me a couple of Lavender Sachets. The lavender was fresh from her garden and the scent is fabulous. I decided that this month’s Fancy is going to be a Sachet, in my case a Lavender Sachet, but you can fill it it with anything you like.
I did not use the worsted weight yarns for this fancy. I am using a light fingering weight. But you can use any yarn you like, just up the needle size to 1 size smaller than the recommended size for the yarn.
The renos on the Great Room, Main bathroom and Laundry Closet – I can’t really call it a room – are complete.
The laundry closet is a perfect gem – stacked washer and dryer on one side and a stainless laundry tub on the other side, complete with a drop down counter and handing space for the delicates to hang dry!
It started out with a washer and dryer on each side of the door with small cupboards above each. It didn’t work hard enough. And as I really believe in a large laundry tub I figured out a way to add one. It so useful to have an oversize sink somewhere in the house.
It is a pretty swank laundry tub. A Costco special.
The counter is a salvaged flooring sample with a piano hinge. It is the perfect size.
The Wool Room is rumoured to be complete today. Which only leaves the outside jobs, siding on the Wool Room, replacing the rotten boards on the deck (almost done) and then painting the deck and the final cleanup. All to be finished soon!
I will do a photo shoot on the Great Room once it has been tidied up. Which will be after the Wool Room is complete. There is stuff everywhere!
This technique is for experienced or adventurous knitters. You will need to understand the basics of socks and also how socks fit on your feet. But mostly you will need to read carefully and be willing to pull out your knitting if at first you don’t succeed. I love learning something new. I hope that you will too!
This is an alternative to traditional heels or toe box shaping. It eliminates gusset shaping and can speed up your sock knitting. I don’t really recommend this style of heel if you have a high arch, which I do. I find it a little tight. If I do use it for myself, as I did in the Koigu Entrelac Socks above. I will add short rows to the heel box, in-between the short rows themselves, And/or make the box over more than half of the stitches.
What I do like about these short row boxes is the Japanese style of Short Rows. The extra wraps create a solid seam that is stronger than most short-rows. Also this heel can be added to a highly patterned sock without interrupting the pattern repeats themselves. As in the Entrelac sock above.
I love using the technique to create the toes for Toe-up socks. The look and the strength of the short rows makes for a strong well defined toe.
Video of the start of the heel shaping. It shows the making of the double sts with YFs and YBs at each side of the heel box.
Once the heel is shaped to the tip, the heels need to be shaped and joined, working down to the full stitch count. The extra loops are worked in as you go with K3tog’s and P3tog’s tbl.
YB – take the yarn back between the needles
YF – bring the yarn forward between the needles
Stitch mount – the way the stitch sits on the needle
P2tog tbl – purl 3 sts together through the back of the loops
Starting the RS with a close up of the “pairs” created by the YB before working the stitch.ready to knit the other half. RS facing, with the sts and pairs separated off in order to identify everything more easily.ready to knit the other half. WS facing, with sides and top separated.
This technique can be substituted into any sock pattern. I have included a few standard numbers to use for the heels. Remember that there is no gusset shaping. So your sock would go something like this – ribbing, leg, heel, foot, and toe.
If you decide to try out the technique, please let me know what you think! If you have problems please also let me know. What are your favourite styles of sock making? Do you have a heel shaping or toe tip to share? What are your challenges in sock making?
Firstly, I have finally updated the Granny Blanket pattern. So if you have been waiting to start, now is the time. I am starting the blanket itself today! The stitches will need to be doubled from the pillow cast-on and the yardage needed per wedge, tripled. This will be a lot of work. But so worthwhile in the end. It is a good accompaniment to the long term Blanket Squares Project that I have going on as well. It will break up the boring knitting with the blanket squares and fancies!
I am so excited to be starting. I want to get a few wedges knit before it gets too hot! Who is starting with me?!
Secondly, the main part of the house is completely done. I still need to do more organizing and it is an ongoing process. I change things around trying to find the best possible spot. The pictures are the hardest. I have so many. My mothers needlework, family pictures, and art I have collected over the years.
I have put up pictures and then moved them. And then moved them again. I can see this may take a while. These few are in their final place. I hope!
Thirdly, the yarn room is about to be started. It got delayed as it needed more work than expected. Which meant the plans had to change etc. But it sounds like it is going ahead, starting midweek.
Getting the yarn room done will help with my organization project as well! More room available, but with more stuff coming out of storage. This will be the start of the final cull. I am sure that this will be both challenging and rewarding. I may be looking or some second opinions.
Walking in the Canyon
Last weekend we went for a walk on an absolutely glorious Sunday. We went to my favourite place on Nanaimo River. The canyon by Cassidy. It has great swimming in the Summer and great walking all year round. You can see that others enjoy the walk as well.
Everything is starting to bud. The fawn (or curly) lilies are in full blown and carpeting the underbrush. Did you know it takes 7 years before even 1 flower comes from the root? Amazing. How long it must have taken to create this display.
A few weeks ago I started with Odd Bunch vegetable delivery. A box is delivered once a week, or less. You decide how often you want the box. The box varies in price with the size. I get the small plus box. It is $26.00 per week plus delivery and it comes right to the door. Below is last weeks box.
It has been very interesting and I think it has proven to be a good value. It has been challenging to cook some of things I wasn’t totally familiar with. I gave the butternut squash to my daughter. Maybe I need a new cookbook! LOL! The quality has been good. Only 1 item in one box was disappointing. Strawberries – just a little to close to the edge. I should have noticed and used them sooner.
It is April first and I was scrambling last night to finish the Fancy for this month! Where ever did March go? Though I am rather pleased with both the fancy and the square for this month.
The Square
The stitch pattern for the square was new to me. I found a picture on Pinterest and turned it into a pattern! As a bonus the stitch pattern is reversible. So I designed a shawl to be knit with the same pattern. Yarn and pattern went off to Jana (my test knitter) on Monday! I am very excited to see if my idea works out.
The shawl will be a traditional top down triangle. It will be reversible and have a pointy edging. Stay tuned for updates. I haven’t had any feedback from Jana yet. So everything must be working out. Right!?
I must admit that I had way too much fun designing and then knitting the fancy.
This months Fancy is a mending kit, something that can travel with you. It holds all the necessary tools. It includes a pocket for scissors and mending threads. There is also a little yarn for darning. A sheet for various styles of needles is provided. On the back, a few buttons are sewn, ready for a “button” emergency.
The fancy with knit with non-superwash wool. I embellished a couple of the pieces with small beaded and knit flowers. I also added just a little bit of embroidery for the leaves. Then I fulled the pieces for extra strenght and durability. It was fun because I used my hands to rough up the pieces in the hot water. It was also very therapeutic.
This month will most likely be just as busy. I am working on designs for the next series of classes. And I have this idea of how I want to put my blocks together… More on that later this month.
Kitchen Reno
The kitchen is done. The wool room has been delayed a couple of weeks. I will share before and after pictures this weekend. I will have three days and time to share all the kitchen wonders with you!
I have been living though a major renovation and the cold of the year over the last month. The cold, though as aspects of it linger, is finally moving on. The cough is the pits and surprises at the most annoying times.
The renovation is now in its final stages, except for the Wool Room! Finding that the small room needed a new roof was a bit of a setback. The rest of the kitchen is coming together though.
The main room has been painted. It currently looks like a store backroom. Everything is piled up and covered in drop cloth. You can see that the new flooring has been covered with heavy cardboard to protect it from all of the activity!
Cabinets are being installedI found it interesting seeing how the uppers are being supported.We have countertops.And lighting, and appliances. The new dishwasher has been delayed and the new microwave needs to be installed!.
Knitting
The laundry room is finally back in action and I got to felting the Granny Blanket Swatch!
My machine is newer stacking Samsung front loader and it did the job well. I threw the swatch in with a few small napkins. I dialed the heat up to the highest and added the detergent. It took a while – approx 2 hours but it worked beautifully. My swatch shrank at approximately 30 percent. It has become a lovely soft and cozy fabric. So the Estelle Eco Shetland Worsted is a great felting yarn.
The center weave and seam felted well. You can’t see the weave or the seam as separate from the fabric. Each segment also shrank to the same size. Something I had been worried about. Sometimes the dyes can affect the felting of the yarn. But this turned out perfectly.
Before FeltingAfter Felting
The swirl shrank from approx 37 inches to about 28 inches.
Before Felting.After Felting.
Next steps, decide how wide I want my blanket to be and start the knitting. I will also need to update the pattern download. You can expect the updated version to be available next weekend.
I was originally gong to fold the swatch and turn it into a half circle pillow. But now…. maybe I should keep it a full circle. I love the effect!
You can have a lot of fun with AI. I love this version of my original sketch. But I am thinking about changing…
Of course I have kept on knitting, not as much as I normally would in this time frame. I was sick or recovering for much of that time.
I am thinking a fall class and new sweater for myself.Two new projects, one for me and class and another a new baby/toddler pattern.
Spring is Springing
I have discovered that I have a Forsythia in the garden. it is small bush, but it wil grow.
I didn’t know it last spring because we moved in too late to see the blooms. The bright yellow flowers add so much cheer to the grey surrounding us right now. These are so fabulous for Spring colour. I did not have any in my last garden. My neighbour had a huge bush so I got to enjoy it fully every Spring.
I love watch the birds darting around right now. There are so many showing up, Robins, Sparrows, Finches, they are so much fun to watch! Everything is waking up.
I hope that you have a great week! I know I will. The kitchen and main room should be fully finished. The main bath and laundry should be finished. And maybe the Wool Room started!
I have often wondered if the opposite is true. I should pay more attention. Right now March is coming in like a Lamb. It is beautiful out there today in my neck of the woods. So clear, and a little warmer, it is really feeling like Spring.
The March square consists of bold cables that are offset each other to create a very textured surface. The garter stitch background helps highlight the texture. The cables are wide and round and all twist the same way. One cable is traditional the other cable has a lace faggoting center. It looks complicated but is very easy to knit.
The March Fancy is a tassel. Not an ordinary tassel but a dressed tassel. Tassels as embellishments have been around for a long time. They can be very simple, or not so simple. Why create a tassel that is covered like this? It keeps the tassels neater for the long hall. Wouldn’t it look great on our Blanket, or maybe a a cushion.
This is going to be a short post. I am not sure when the dry walling team are arriving. Most of the tradesmen arrive around 8:00 am – which is when I like to work on the computer.
The work on the house is progressing. They are about to drywall the kitchen and bathroom. After that paint, then cabinets and finishing. I am told that things are progressing quite well. The possible finishing date is March 7th or 8th.
My yarn room has hit a snag, they are sorting it. But nothing to report there as yet! There are always glitches when doing a renovation. On the other hand…
Now for the Knitting news. No glitch here.
Isn’t it looking great! I am loving the colours and texture. I wonder what fulling will do to the garter st texture?
… the Granny Blanket swatch is almost done. The swatch and blanket are going to be built with 13 wedges. That is official. The swatch is just about there. I will finish it tonight (or maybe tomorrow night!) LOL!. I won’t be able to full the piece for the next 3 weeks. It will take that long before I get a laundry back!
And how beautiful is the world we live in.
Sunday was glorious so we took the opportunity to get out. We went for a walk at Piper’s Lagoon.
LOOK! at the texture. It all started with a wood bug, add time, water and then weather. A somber kind of beauty is the result. Could I recreate it somehow?
I hope that you get the opportunity to go for a walk wherever you live. It is good for anything that ails you, including a renovation.
We moved in to our new place last May. We downsized from our home of 30 years to something a little less than half the size. But it had potential. Including extra space to turn into yarn storage and a very small bedroom for our grandson.
We bought it for the main room. A large living area that covered the living, kitchen, dining and entry way, a Great Room. But the kitchen area needs major work. I am pretty sure that it is original to the home and about 50 years old. It is going to get a complete renovation. From the walls out.
This is before it all started. You can see that I am not the tidiest of cooks. So I need a little space to play in. I can hardly wait.
There will be a large pantry and a central Island with seating. A big fridge as I like to cook. And I work a lot with fresh fruit and vegetables. My last home had three fridges, main, beer and dads suite fridge. And I could and did use them all in a pinch. Especially around Christmas.
Flooring, backsplash, counters and cupboards. Very neutral, because everything else is so colourful!
And – this is so exciting for me – an induction stove – a new to me toy! Plus all the rest of the bells and whistles of a modern kitchen. Is a kitchen important to you? Or do you have other interests? I have to admit cooking and knitting sometimes vie for my attention. This happens when my focus is on one and not the other! There is only so much time in the day!
We have been waiting for our contractors of choice, the MJ Chaley Construction Group. Their latest project had been taking longer than expected. They are finally free and the reno has started. The Chaley’s had done a lot of work on our old home. We trust them to do the job right!
Tomorrow the kitchen will be demolished. I should have a new, usable kitchen in early March. So says the Calendar sheets with the timeline! We will be camping out in the dining room and eating out a lot!
When I left Wednesday morning.When I got home.
The kitchen area has a large skylight! Something that I love about this home. But it needs a little TLC. Which it is about to get. And luckily not as much as we thought it would need. Whew!
Behind this new door, which is off of the office or back bedroom, something is brewing. This will be my new “Wool Room”. Right now it is an 8 foot x 8 foot shell of a former shed. It is waiting to be transformed with new walls, paint, flooring, and shelving! It will also have a platform bed for my Grandson with more storage underneath. I am so excited!
I am not sure which I am more excited about the Wool room or my Kitchen! LOL!
Please note the many mentions of wool storage. This is going to be a knitters home.
The platform bed will double as a blocking board. The shelving will be almost all wool. The shelves may also contain a few knitting books.
Under Construction
My home is under construction, and so are my many knitting projects. The knitting helps me deal with the stress of the reno’s. No matter how much we want them you know there will be glitches!
The next Blanket Square was just released this morning. The Hearts Ease Square. I have started knitting the March Square pattern and have ideas for the April and May Squares. I feel temporarily on top of that project.
And the Granny Blanket pillow swatch is coming along. I believe it will take 12 or 13 wedges to make the circle. It won’t take the 16 I originally thought. This is wonderfully easy knitting, perfect for the evening or any tv watching. Because of this it is moving along faster than my other projects.
I have also started a new project, one that has given me an idea for a new pattern.
I am making some quick hats for the construction crew. Big needles and big yarn. It is an opportunity to play and I think something interesting has come out of it! A new pattern floating around my head. More to come later.
Because of these projects, the knitting for the class projects has slowed down a wee bit. I hope to get back on track this week. There is another project, but I am not quite ready to share.
Happy Knitting All! I hope that your blanket projects are progressing well. And if not knitting a blanket – then knitting of any style is better than not knitting at all! LOL!
February is the month we celebrate Valentines. It calls for hearts and flowers and all things romantic.
So I went looking for a heart pattern. I found a stitch pattern called Hearts Ease. I thought it would be perfect for the February Square. Mostly because I could use the stitch pattern to create rows of multiple hearts. Also, because the name of the pattern had special meaning for me.
Hearts Ease, also known as Viola, are my favourite flower. Johnny Jump Ups is another name for them. That is what my mother-in-law called them. They are closely related to Pansy flowers, of all varieties, all of which were derived from Hearts Ease. My Wedding bouquet consisted of Daisies and Pansies. My friend baked my Wedding cake and collected and dried Pansies. She then used them to decorate my Wedding cake.
This pattern is a knit and purl textured pattern of repeating heart motifs. Each heart is centered in a square shaped textured outline
I am going to call the little extra download a “Fancy”. I intend to add something small and unique each month. This addition is something that we could choose to use to embellish our blanket. Perhaps on the corners or along the sides. Or maybe as extra embellishments on the squares themselves, like the Sea Star from last month.
For those who can crochet, here is an extra link. It’s a pattern from Knit and Crochet Daily. It features a pretty little crocheted Pansy. A few of these might be a fun addition to our blankets.
Happy Blanket Knitting
Lynette
If you are as fond of hearts as I am, check out my heart inspired patterns on Ravelry or Etsy.
