SIMPLY HANDMADE-along | April

It's April, already. I'm ready for spring - we woke up to snow and ice again this morning - and I'm busy dreaming of warm weather knits and this could be why I'm about to cast on a new linen sweater, even though I still have 2 on the needles from last summer.

When thinking of the perfect warm weather accessory, I think of open fabric with drape and Janina Kallio is one of my favorite designers for shawls and scarves. Janina has an amazing selection of one-skein projects and keeping with our theme of something simple and quick'ish... for our April Simply Handmade-along project, we'll be knitting Orbit - a dk-weight scarf. 

APRIL | ORBIT BY JANINA KALLIO | THROUGH APRIL 30

© JaninaKallio

"Sweet and simple scarf with just one skein of DK weight yarn. So fun & quick to knit you may find yourself making one for everyone you know." ~ Janina Kallio

© JaninaKallio

Isn't Orbit lovely? If you're new to lace knitting or want a quick'ish knit with a special skein of dk yarn, here ya go!

As you know, I love Julie Asselin's yarn and her Leizu DK is not only gorgeous, but wears really well, making it extra perfect for Orbit as a warm weather accessory and I have my eye on a skein of Birch for my version...

So, you want to join the Simply Handmade-along fun this month? We'll be having a wee giveaway later (details coming soon), so be sure you're "officially" signed up and you could win a goodie later this month. 

The pattern for Oribit is available here on Ravelry and a new delivery of Leizu DK just arrived at Firefly Fibers (including several skeins of that lovely Birch), but it would also be lovely in Tosh DK or another dk weight yarn. I really don't think you can go wrong. 

You can find Janina WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | RAVELRY

CHEERS!

Simple Knits | November Elves

With the holidays coming up, little 'somethings' really come in handy (and are very much appreciated), so that's just what I've got for us for our November Simple Knits project... say hello to the Jolly Wee Elf by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas!

Aren't they totally adorable? Each elf measures about 3-1/2" tall and is knit in fingering weight yarn - if you use 3 colors of Rowan's Fine Tweed (this is what Churchmouse knit theirs with and what I'll be using for mine), the 3 colors will knit up into 5 elves with extra left in the contrasting colors, so you can pick a couple main colors and for a gaggle of elves!

One of the things I love about these little ones, is they can be used year after year - if you're gifting, add a loop to the top of your Wee Elf and you've got an ornament that doubles as a personalized touch to a wrapped gift. 

The Jolly Wee Elf is simple to knit and has some fun techniques wrapped up in the small package. The base is knit flat, then stitches are picked up around the edges to knit the body in the round - no fumbling with double-points with a super-small circumference. There's also a bit of brilliance with weighting down the bottom with a washer so it weighs the base down nicely so your elves will stand upright and sit nice and flat. 

So, pop on over to Ravelry for more details and click on over to ravelry to purchase the pattern from Churchmouse Yarns & Teas. If you want to use Rowan's Fine Tweed for a rustic elf, visit Firefly Fibers in person or can order from our online shop -20% OFF in-store and online through the holiday season! 

And... don't forget to share your progress in our Ravelry thread - these should be quick knit (especially after the first one), so be sure to add individual posts for each finished elf for more chances to win a Simple Knits Knitalong prize. 

Happy Jolly Wee Elf Knitting!

Cheers, Alisa

All photos © Churchmouse Yarns & Teas

Simple Knits | July Simplicity

July is here and we're settling back into our routine after vacation (more to come on my vacation later this week - basically, it was really nice). Now that I'm mostly recovered, I'm excited to get back into the swing of things. To get started, how about the July Simple Knits project?

I've been drooling over cabinfour's designs for months and I pretty much want to knit each and every single one of them. I love Deneise's clean and simple aesthetic - not only are her designs gorgeous, but her patterns are relaxing to knit and classically styled so they'll be 'in style' for many years to come.  

Meet our July project from cabinfour, Wandering... 

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These mitts are so incredibly simple and quick that I knit a pair yesterday on the way to a family gathering - very easily a weekend project. They are also great for leftover yarn because they are cast on at the finger edge and worked up the arm from there - just divide your yarn in half and knit each mitt until you have enough to bind off... 

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But, Wandering isn't where I started or what I originally had planned for us... I frequently get questions on what the next Firefly Fibers or Simple Knits Knitalong project will be. If you've asked, you'll know that I'm pretty hush-hush about future projects and this is why - I know there's a fair chance that I'll change my mind (even when it's not in my best interest).

Before vacation I decided that I was going to knit something special for myself, so I cast on Pure | Aran by cabinfour and quite simply fell in love - just as I expected. Then, as I was knitting, I thought... "hey, I bet the Firefly knitters would love this project, too." So, I changed the Firefly Fibers Summer Knitalong plan (it had only been written on the calendar since before the New Year) and quickly cast on the shop sample of Pure | Aran. This is exactly why I'm so secretive about the KAL's - I can be fickle at times and this isn't the first time I've changed my mind with only a couple weeks to go. I guess I like to keep myself on my toes.

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Pure | Aran was so much fun to knit, and even more so with Blue Sky Alpacas Extra. As I was knitting and doing math in my head, the math told me I'd have 80-100 yards left and I thought, "hey, that's the perfect amount to use for a Simple Knits project." So - also at the last minute - I decided to change it up for our Simple Knits Knitalong. And... here we are.

My personal yarn recommendation, hands down, for both projects is Extra. Of course, you can use any heavier worsted weight yarn for Wandering (or the shawl, for that matter), but I can't recommend Extra enough. If you select a different yarn (or can't wear alpaca), look for a worsted weight with a lot of bounce and twist for good stitch definition. 

The shop Pure | Aran sample and the mitts I knit yesterday are drying on the blocking boards and I'll get photos soon. Since I used leftovers for my first pair of mitts, they are a wee bit shorter - I had about 80gr of Extra left (basically half a skein) and my finished mitts measure 8" in length, so they're a few inches shorter than the pattern calls for, but still a very wearable and nice length. If you're new to knitting in the round, Wandering is also perfect for you! They're cast on and knit flat until just past the thumb opening, so they're good for building your DPN or Magic Loop skills. 

Now that the shop sample is finished, I'm excited to pick up my own Pure | Aran again and use those leftovers for a matching Wandering. Many thanks to Deneise for permission to use her lovely cabinfour photos and for her enthusiasm for our knitalongs. 

I hope you like this month's project. You can find the free pattern for Wandering here on Ravelry and Extra at Firefly Fibers in our brick-and-mortar shop or our online shop, but I also can't wait to see what other yarns you decide to use! You're also welcome to double-dip if you want to join the Firefly Fibers Summer Knitalong. ;)

Cheers!