SIMPLY HANDMADE-along | Baa-ble Love!

Are you ready for a new Simply Handmade-along project? Do you like sheep? I hope the answer is an enthusiastic "YES" to both!

Since February is the month of love with Valentine's Day, it seems fitting to knit a project that I think everyone will love - say "hello" to Baa-ble!

FEBRUARY | BAA-BLE HAT BY DONNA SMITH | THROUGH MARCH 7TH

© Donna Smith

It seems that everyone fell in love with these wee sheep hats last year and they're still going strong. Donna's original version is knit in an aran (heavy worsted) weight yarn at a dense gauge of 23 sts/4", so a slightly lighter weight yarn can easily be substituted. I previously shared that I fell head-over-heels in love with this version Courtney Kelley of Kelbourne Woolens knit up in Cumbria and that had me not only casting on in October...

but, it also had me assembling Baa-ble Hat Kits for the shop. Have you ever made kits? They're a lot of work. Like, A LOT. But these are very much worth the effort and they've been getting gobbled up. Maybe you have a kit from the shop and haven't knit it yet... here's the perfect incentive!

Are you new to colorwork? Colorwork is a lot of fun and very addictive, but it can be intimidating. This project would definitely be easier if you're familiar with colorwork, but if you're feeling courageous, just dive on in - after all, it's only yarn. Also, there is time, so if you want to baby-step into this, we use (and love) the Clayoquot Toque for our beginning colorwork class at the shop and the Tin Can Knits ladies have a great blog post here with some helpful colorwork tips.

After knitting the first version above for our shop sample and kit model, I was anxious to try a different, and less traditional, color combination. So, this last weekend, I cast on with some new colors... 

Again, this is Cumbria and the new combo uses Cowberry and Buttermere - I'm loving knitting this one! This is another for Firefly Fibers (I'm still on the fence about adding the pom this time around) and I'll share FO pics when it's off the needles and had a good bath. 

So, what do you think? Is this a project that you'd like to knit? Like I said, I love the worsted weight yarn for a slightly less dense hat - no matter what yarn you choose, just check your gauge.

What do you need? The pattern is available for free via Shetland Wool Week right here, and you'll need 4 colors of yarn... if you want to stash dive, a safe estimate is 50gr of each main color, 30gr for the sheep body and about 10gr for the sheep legs/faces (this includes the pom and allows for plenty of wiggle room). 

I hope you'll join the fun this month and if you have questions about or haven't signed up for the Simply Handmade-along, you can do that right here!

Cheers!

On the Needles | All about Jane...

It's a happy Sunday in our home - the boys are lounging, hubby is assembling his new office chair and I'm writing out a new recipe for trial later today. We're having tacos for supper (yeah, tacos are kind of the best) and I've wanted to make homemade refried beans for a long time, so we'll see how it goes. Fingers. Are. Crossed. Of course I could just use an existing recipe, but that's just not how I roll. *wink*

Before the evening events get underway - supper prep, podcast prep, podcast recording, supper eating, settling in to watch TV - I'm going to get back at some knitting from last weekend. We talked about these projects in last week's podcast and I'm here to share a few more details... 

This is what happened last weekend and I'm getting back to work on all of these lovelies this weekend - it was only after all were cast on that I realized all 3 new projects were Jane Richmond designs. LOL! I still have a sweater that's in the naughty corner, but the sleeves are slowly getting knit (again), so I hope to show that off soon. In the meantime, I needed a wee bit of a knitting pick-me-up and this was my answer. Really, one naughty project justifies casting on 3 new ones - right?!

First up are those super-amazing-spectacular socks... the pattern is Climb (by Jane) and the yarn is Spun Right Round 80/20 SW Sport in Renee's classic Graffiti colorway - it's a fresh arrival at Firefly Fibers and this month's featured yarn for the Sock of the Month Club, so I had to cast on. This is the 4th time I've knit Climb and this pair is raveled as Sporty Climb. 

If you haven't tried Spun Right Round, you really should! We carry SW Sock and SW Sport Sock at the store, but it sells so fast and each skein is so unique that it's not currently available in our online shop. If you can't visit Firefly to see this gorgeous yarn in person, Renee has an Etsy shop that is sure to make you drool (a lot). 

The second project is the Clarke Pullover (also by Jane)... 

This is a sweater that is going to get a lot of use. We got a huge order of Tosh DK a few weeks back and I couldn't resist casting on Clarke. My color choices are similar to Jane's with Dirty Panther and Antler and it will be endlessly wearable, but a friend also cast one on and is using a rich purple that I can't wait to see knit up. Honestly, I'm already planning at least one more Clarke, but for now, this one is raveled as Classic B &W Clarke.

For project success when striping... pre-wash dark colors with a wool wash and a couple tablespoons of white vinegar before casting on to avoid them bleeding onto lighter colors. Trust me, it's worth the extra time and effort. 

Last up is Arbutus (again, Jane.  I swear I'm not a stalker)... this is the January project for our Simply Handmade-along and there's still time to join (check out the Arbutus Love post for details and the discount code on Tosh DK through Monday 1/25)! This is my 3rd Arbutus and for this one I'm using Tosh DK - raveled as Arbutus the Third (Arbutus the second sadly didn't make it onto ravelry)... 

This is a fun and interesting knit with short rows and the project resembling an alien mouth (in my mind, anyway) while in progress.

If you enjoy a bit of knitting geekery... I'm using my preferred short row method - wrapless short rows - for Arbutus. Ysolda has a fabulous video for the wrapless short row method on her Technique Thursday page - be sure to check this page out, her tutorials are great! 

So, there you have it. This is the rest of my weekend and I think it looks pretty awesome!

Are you knitting this weekend? Do you have a favorite short row technique?

Cheers!

SIMPLY HANDMADE-along | Arbutus Love!

Hello, New Year! After 12 full months of Simple Knits and many requests for a repeat (thank you so very much), I think you'll like what's in store for you in 2016!

Say "hello" to the SIMPLY HANDMADE-along! I wanted us to have a similar 'along', but something a wee bit different this year. We'll still be mostly knitting with our focus on building skills, trying different fibers and designers, but we'll also mix things up from time-to-time with other handmade techniques. What will they be? Well... that's kind of up to you! When you sign up here for our SIMPLY HANDMADE-along, you can tell me what you'd like to see. Of course, I have ideas (I always do), but I want your input before I pull ideas from my brainstorm list (and, oh boy, do I have a list!). I want this 'along' to be the best ever - I hope you're on board and ready to have some fun! Here we go... 

 

JANUARY | Arbutus by Jane Richmond | through February 8th

Mr. Yarnista and I opened Firefly Fibers almost 6 years ago *gulp* and it's been a roller coaster of amazing since the beginning. I work with amazing fiber and designers each and every day and I've had the opportunity to watch some of them grow, just as the shop has grown. Over the years, there are a handful of designers that have had a constant presence...  

One of those designers is Jane Richmond. According to Huffpost Canada, Jane has built an "empire" and I'm happy to have followed along her journey to building her empire.  Her first book, ISLAND, is amazing and I've knit every design at least once - our first 'along' project is from this fabulous book. 

Meet Arbutus... 

© Nicholas Kupiak

This structural cowl with its unique construction, uses short rows and subtle shaping to create the illusion of volume with just one skein of yarn. Knit in the round from the top down, these three tiers create a stacked effect mimicking the look of a double wrapped cowl. A slightly looser gauge creates a light and springy fabric that is easy to wear and perfect for any season. 

I currently have an Arbutus on the needles for our 'along' in our gorgeous Tosh DK and it's stunning. Truth be told... this will be my 3rd Arbutus since ISLAND was released and it's just as much fun this time around! 

I decided on Cousteau and it's knitting up beautifully - the two other Jane Richmond projects on my needles are also knitting up beautifully and I'll share those later this week.

Need yarn? To launch our 'along', Firefly Fibers is offering 10% OFF a skein of Tosh DK for your very own Arbutus through Monday, January 25th (11:59PM CST) in our online shop, just use code 'HandmadeAlong' when checking out or visit us in person at the shop and mention the Simply Handmade-along to us when you're checking out and we'll discount your skein of Tosh DK for you. 

So, are you in? Just sign up here (we'll have some giveaways throughout the year) and get your yarn ready. 

Want to hear more about Jane and Firefly Fibers? Check out our podcast! This week's episode is mostly about Jane and my accidental design stalking and Mr. Yarnista talks a wee bit about wanting to hug some baby goats. True story... I can't make this stuff up. 

CHEERS!