Easing into it...

Did you check the calendar? How is September seriously only 3 days away?! That snuck up fast on me, I'm not going to lie. :) Are you ready for a new routine? I only sort of am. We had such a lovely summer! I know Owen had a lot of fun, and we were able to have a lot of family time, which is so important, as often my hubby has to be gone for much of the time.

But it is what it is, and we have to start preparing for the fall. Of course, I love the fall. And I'm really quite looking forward to roasted butternut squash soups, warm mugs of tea, and heaps of knitting!

Market season will be here before we know it. In fact a lot of venues have already put out their applications? I've applied to two. Fingers crossed that I'll be in! I'll know by September 10.

How about you? Have you embraced the change that's about to come? Are you excitedly preparing for fall and winter? Are your needles clicking away. or are you clinging on to summer, and partially in denial that school is about to start up again.

I'm a bit of both. :)

Wishing you a fantastic Monday! I hope you have a lovely week!

xoxo becca.

New Shop!

I know I've been extremely quiet on this blog as of late, but I promise you, I've been a very busy bee. 

I'm beyond excited to have opened up a new shop! Nook will still be running as I always have been, offering private lessons and sample knitting... but I've also branched out to own Goodnight Baby By Nook! 

 Over the years I've often posted about work knitting, though I've never mentioned more than that. What I had been doing was knitting for Goodnight Mouse Baby Knits. I've had the joy of knitting for Jessica, and I've made such a great friend in her. As life would have it, Jessica has also become a successful photographer, and has a business doing so. Painted Barn Photography.  As you can see from the photos above, she's very talented! And so, as life with 3 boys keeps her on her toes, running both businesses just wasn't in the cards. And so I've taken the opportunity to take on the knitting shop. I am so excited to continue on in this venture and to keep knitting high quality, beautiful baby items for you all. I am looking forward to adding new items and designs to accompany these classic staples. 


This is an extremely exciting adventure, and I hope you'll come on by my new facebook page and etsy shop! As I mentioned before, Nook will still remain very much the same. That facebook page will still include fun knitterly thoughts and advice, as well as an update on any upcoming events (ahem christmas markets already!?!?), Goodnight Baby is simply an extension :) 

Thank you all so much for your support over the years! It gives me confidence to continue on with my dreams :) I'm so happy to be able to share this one with you. 

Facebook | Etsy 

xo - becca

Happy Rainbows

A good rainbow'd knit is just the ticket some days :)

This shawl happened a little while ago, and it's now in the loving arms of it's new owner :) I honestly loved knitting it. It was a very quick, potato ship knit. 

And the yarn? Caterpillargreen never disappoints, even her seconds skeins, which this one is. I basically wanted to create a crescent shawl in garter. Though I wanted to be sure that the color changes remained crisp and clean, so whenever there was a color change, I simply did that row in stockinette. It created a lovely, squishy shawl! 

The pattern I based this on is TGV ( High Speed Knitting) by Susan Ashcroft. It's such a fantastic pattern! I highly recommend. I didn't do the ribbed edging as I didn't want to draw away from the yarn, however I think the next time I knit this shawl, I'll try it as written, and with a single color) just for kicks. That being said, I've seen it with self striping yarns, and it looks fantastic! So you know, maybe I'll make a few more. ;) Also, I used a 3.75mm/US 5 needle. It ended up being a pretty massive shawl! 

This ended up being a shawl that was paid partially in trades. I scored a beautiful terrarium, and a much needed lesson on painting. I had never painted any rooms before, and I wanted to do Owen's room for him. I learned lots of great tips, and I'll definitely feel more confident and excited for my next painting adventure! 

Tell me, what's on your needles? xo

In love with Rompers

Oh look, another baby gift. :) This one, I LOVE. Truthfully, I think that the old fashioned romper is just the cutest! 

Because the pattern is just a classic, basic pattern, I wanted to yarn to be rustic. I chose Loops & Threads undyed wool. This colourway is "natural", naturally. :) Even though it's 100% wool, it's really not scratchy or anything. And I know it will keep baby warm. 

The pattern is Small Things Romper, and Small Things Bonnet by Carina Spencer.  The patterns were very well written, and were a joy to knit. I love the simple details like around the brim of the bonnet. Just so pretty! There are several adaptations you can make to the patterns too, which Carina covers in full length. Just fantastic! And you also have a couple of options with the bonnet too.. meaning, if you wanted to, you could make it a pixie. I know I will definitely make this outfit again sometime. It's just so adorable! 

I chose to do the 6 month size, because I like the idea of baby actually getting some use out of it. As for the buttons, I just dove into my stash jar, and this is what I came up with :) 

I just love the whole look, put together :) The gift was very well received.. Baby was brand new when I gifted it though, so it will be a little while yet before I get to see any pictures of him in it :)

Sometimes bringing patterns & wool back to basics is just the perfect reminder of how lovely and resourceful knitting has always been. xo

still knitting! :)

I can't believe it's been a month (almost) since I last blogged. Well no, that's not true. I can. Honestly, with the hours in the day that I spend knitting, or now spring cleaning & purging, and everything else life has me doing, I seem to not make it on here too much. But you know what? I kind of like that this space is always just waiting for me to come on here whenever I can, and put out whatever I want. yeah. I like it. And if not many people read it anymore, well okay. I can hardly expect readers to keep checking in when I'm rarely here these days. I understand. :) And maybe one day I'll get back to blogging more regularly, but until then... this will work for me.

However I have been a busy bee knitting. There have been some babies being born, so adorable baby knits needed to be made. So I knit up another Milo vest. And a pair of booties. Because they are just too adorable. This gift was for another one of Owen's teachers. And she loved it. I knit up the 6 month size, so that baby could get more rather than less wear out of it. They grow so stinking fast, that I find that doing the larger sizes are a good idea. :)

I really, really like this pattern. It's such a quick, satisfying knit. And there is just so much you can do with the pattern. You have endless options with color work, or texture. I opted for a basic thick & thin stripe sequence. I feel like this is such an adorable little man vest.

And those matching booties! gah! They really are just so cute!  As per the last time I knit this set, I used Mineville wool project merino DK. And I'm still so sad that it's discontinued. It's just so very lovely to knit with! xo

I like the style of the booties because they're meant to actually stay on the foot. the contrast color actually rolls up to give a longer leg if needed. Bonus, it will keep baby's leg warm too! So practical :)

If you are ever in a jam for a quick and adorable baby knit, then I highly suggest this gem! xo

Purple Basil

This shawl has actually been done for quite some time now. I know, I'm terrible at actually getting the photos taken, and then writing about it. But I can assure you, I have been really enjoying it! I grab for it often, and get several compliments :)

This is another line break by Veera Valimaki.  I knit my first line break back in 2014. My sister loved it, so she and I traded for it :) I snagged a pretty shawl that she knitted! :)

At any rate, I had some leftover tosh merino light in charcoal, that I wanted to use in my second line break. I also had planned to use every last bit of the  two skeins of purple basil. ..... and I'm SO glad I did! I love the outcome! And the bonus is that I used up ALL of the yarn! horray!

One thing that I was incredibly nervous about is the amount of bleeding from this yarn when I blocked it. It didn't bleed on me while I was knitting, so that's a good start. However, having friends who also dye yarn and have a few tricks up their sleeve on how to help from keeping the purple basil bleeding into the charcoal comes in handy too. Here's lookin' at you, Chantel!

I ended up using color blockers. Four sheets of them actually! These look just like dryer sheets, but you throw them in the tub (or sink) along with your knitting, and they grab hold of the dye.  The link sends  you to amazon, but I believe you can get them in places like London Drugs as well. Just look for them in the laundry aisle. I am certainly happy I did this, because there was SO much purple in the water. The color blockers did a fantastic job though! -- The charocal does have hints of pink to it now, but I don't mind it at all, and it makes for a very pretty shawl. :)

So here's the breakdown:

pattern: Line Break by Veera Valimaki
needle: US 3/3.25mm fixed circular Signature needles.
yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light - 2x skeins purple basil, (840yds) & only 30grams of the charcoal.

This pattern really is a pleasure to knit. There's not much thought required to keep track, but it's still interesting enough to keep you from being bored of knitting for over 800 yds :) Of course, I'm certain this won't be the last time I knit anything from Veera.

My photos aren't the greatest, and I find this colour impossible to capture.. But I also have to admit that I don't tend to spend enough time on photos... probably because I'd rather be knitting :) Trust me though, it's a very pretty shawl. xo

What do you have on your needles? xo

sample knit! - Alluvial Plains

I had the pleasure not too long ago, to help mudpunch finish a sample. The fact that we had a very similar gauge with this shawl made this such an easy project to pick up and finish quite quickly. 

That and the most divine yarn. :) Chantel aka mudpunch also has a knack for pairing the most perfect patterns with her yarns. Alluvial plains by Karen MaCall is no exception! 

This pattern is a fantastic match for her speckles and bits set. Don't you agree?

The only mod made with this pattern is the needle size. Chantel opted for a 4mm/US 7. The pattern calls for a 5mm./US 8.  Though this resulted in a smaller shawl , the drape was not sacrificed at all with the smaller needle. Honestly, this yarn is so smooth! 

This pattern is very well written, and has clear instructions throughout. There are lots of "checkpoints" so you can be sure you're on track. The new yarns added are added on both sides, so this really makes for a reversible shawl. You can't tell between the right and wrong sides at all. 

I also really love the picot edging to it. It creates a nice, dainty finish. 

The yarn used in this sample is Mudpunch Vibrant Fingering.  If you remember the Quicksilver sample I knit up for her, you'll also remember just how much I love this yarn. The set used is the blue eyed hex. I totally love this colour combo! It makes me think of summer. LOVE!  I believe Chantel knit up probably half of the shawl, maybe just over, and I finished it up for her. To be honest, I loved knitting this so much that I was a little sad that it was over so quickly! LOL. 

I highly recommend knitting this pattern. It was interesting enough not to bore at all. And the short rows made for quick colour changes. All in all, I used 581 yds. See my Ravelry page for specifics on each colour. 

I don't think I'll ever grow tired of knitting shawls. I love them so much! Want to snag a set of these yarns for yourself?? Check out Chantel's online shop.  

Do you have a favourite shawl pattern on the needles? Do share!! xo

On a cloud.

Hiya!

It's spring!! And I've been busily knitting away. No surprise there :) I've been able to open up my knitting schedule to accept more sample & test knitting, and I'm really enjoying switching up the pace a little!

My husband's schedule is proving to be very busy over the unforeseeable future, and so I'm planning on diving into my very well loved stash to work away on some luxury knits! That should help pass the time, don't you think?

However, I've actually completed several knits that I haven't blogged about, and only barely taken pictures of. Yesterday I decided to snap a few pics and be warned, they're not great. Photo taking really  isn't my strong point. I much prefer to be curled up knitting ;)

First up, the cloud cowl! This has been done a while now, I'd like to say at least a month, maybe two? I can't even remember.
I ended up snagging 3x skeins of Drops Cloud while most likely searching for something else. I just couldn't stop touching it, it's really so so soft! It's a "blown" yarn made from alpaca, merino wool & nylon. The write up for the yarn in ravelry says that  "Its construction is unique, based on the newest yarn technologies, where instead of spinning, the fibres of baby alpaca and merino wool are air blown into a tube, which makes the garments made in this yarn about 30-35% lighter than those made with conventional spun yarns of the same thickness."

I have to tell you, it's SO light! I knew I wanted it around my neck. This was going to be a super quick & satisfying knit, as when I bought the yarn, my LYS (the beehive here in Victoria) gave me the pattern for free! It's a basic, simple pattern, and I love the outcome. The pattern isn't listed in Ravelry anywhere, but I can tell you it was a simple repeat . And I used 8mm needles for my cowl.

I've worn it many times since, and it keeps me so warm! Though it looks enormous for a cowl, it never gets in the way. I love it!

This would make a fantastic gift, or of course instant gratification knit for yourself! Knit with this yarn. You won't be disappointed.  xo 

elephants make me happy

Of course it's been an entire month since I've blogged last. Of course. Whelp, that's the way February went, I suppose! This doesn't mean I haven't been busy knitting, because you know THAT can't be true!

It seems there are many babies about to be born. One to Owen's grade 1 teacher. He had such fun last year in her class, and so a hand knit had to be made :)

This has been done for quite some time, but as we only just recently gifted it, I didn't want photos floating around before that happened. Now it's safe!

This is the first time I've knit the MILO vest. And it certainly won't be the last! What a fantastic construction! I had such a good time knitting it. It's very quick, and allows for so many different variations. As the gender of this baby was going to be a surprise, I knew I didn't want to do the traditional yellow or whatever. Actually, I don't think people do the pastel yellow or purple or greens anymore... do they?

Anyways, I had some Mineville Wool stashed away for the perfect knit, and this was going to be it :) I sadly wish that I had scooped up more of this yarn while I had the chance as I'm pretty sure this base is no longer available. It's 100% merino, machine washable (which is perfect for a tired parent) and is a DK. I suppose this being a coveted yarn in my stash  makes this gift that much more special. :)

So the details:
Milo by Georgie Nicholson (I knit the 9 mos size)
Yarn: Mineville Wool Project dk in Cauldron & Bright Moss
Needles: US 4/3.5mm & US 5/3.75mm

I love it! Like I said, it allows for so many different variations once the yoke is completed. For this particular vest, I took advantage of the blank slate, and decided to put in elephants. How cute! This teacher loves the colour green, so I knew I wanted to incorporate a bit into it. Apparently she also grows big babies, so I decided to knit up the 9 month size. This way babe will surely have some time to wear it.  (I've decided that newborn handknits, though absolutely adorable, get so little wear out of them.. and you can't be sure that the baby born will be small enough... so if I'm gifting a handknit, particularly a garment,  I'd like to see some use out of it..  that nixes the nb size).

The pattern is very clear, with so many different sizes to choose from. I do suggest you highlight the size you are working on, just to make those numbers stand out. And I did take the designer's advice in going down in needle size for the garter yoke. I like to know that the vest will fit snugly, and garter has a lot of give, so this worked out just perfect in sizing.

The bottom row of elephants ended up puckering just ever so slightly, which kind of bothered me. I must have just tugged on the CC a little bit. So that would be something I'd look out for in the future. Of course, this won't be noticeable once babe is wearing it.

And can we just take a little minute to ohh and aaah over these adorable booties? I know you've seen them before, because I blogged about them in my last post. But surely they deserve another squeal of cuteness!


Have you knit the Milo vest before? Do you have a go-to for baby booties? 
I thoroughly enjoyed this gift knit, which is definitely a good thing, as it seems there are many friends having babies! It's a good time to be a knitter. xo

sample knitting!

I finished a sample knit a little while ago..  I loved knitting it so much, I think I will make another, for me.

This is Quicksilver by Melanie Berg.
I knit this sample for Mudpunch Yarns. Chantel chose the colours, and I have to say (though it's probably very obvious), her colour choices are just perfect!

The pattern is very straightforward. Very easy to put down and pick up. I love that even though it's basic knitting, the results are rather stunning!
Here's the "knitty gritty"
Pattern: Quicksilver by Melanie Berg
needle: US5 / 3.75mm fixed signature circular needles
Yarn: Mudpunch Vibrant Fingering in (A) shadow (B) newsprint & (C) life aquatic

It's a massive shawl, using over 800yds. But I would't have it any other way, the drape is amazing! This is much to do with the yarn too...

So let's talk about the yarn. This is knit with mudpunch vibrant fingering. Guys, it's such NICE yarn! It's a mix of 70% merino wool, 20% cashmere goat, and 10% nylon. The cashmere with the merino makes the yarn feel so incredibly smooth! Knitting with it was heaven! It gives incredible drape, and blocks really nicely.

The colours didn't bleed a bit. Chantel makes absolutely sure that her colour sticks, and I had nothing to worry about even with these contrasts.

*for more photos of this sample, & exact yarn usages, check out my ravelry page. *

If you've never knit with mudpunch yarns, I highly suggest you do! You won't be disappointed! Be sure to check our her self-striping yarns too!

Check out her website for all info mudpunch. Her Instagram is always brimming with yarn photos too.

Website | Ravelry | Instagram | Facebook

As for the Quicksilver pattern? Knit it. Just do it. It's so lovely, and stunning! I have a feeling that I'll be knitting a lot of Melanie Berg's patterns. xo

22.5 degrees & love

Goodness it's been a while, hey? Did you miss me? haha it's ok if you didn't. ;) I can hardly believe we are just about to embark into June! Where on earth has the time gone? The last few months have been full for us and we are preparing for a busy summer. The Mr. is going away on course for 5 months, and we'll have to say our goodbye's half way through summer. And so we are planning on some important family time in the meantime.

Speaking of family, my amazing OMA has traveled across Canada for a visit! say what?! I'm very glad that long-life genetics are on my side! Oma is 97 and still enjoying every bit of life. So amazing.

She has so many stories to tell, her memories are full. It's lovely! I will be spending much of the weekend with her, and I'm really looking forward to it!

Oma actually was one of the first people in my life to teach me to knit. Up until last year, she was still knitting! Remember this beautiful blanket she made for one of her great grandchildren? Such a special gift.

So of course, I really couldn't let her go home from this amazing visit without a knitterly gift. Oma is loving the variegated yarns, as they are still new to her. I let her choose from some of my favorites in my stash, and she settled on Miss Babs Tarte. The colorway is Berlin.

Gorgeous, isn't it?  I ended up deciding on knitting up Martina Behm's 22.5 degree shawl. I am so glad I did! I absolutely loved knitting this up! In fact, I enjoyed every stitch so much that I'm feeling I'll need to order more Miss Babs! I used a 3.25mm for this project.

I really love the construction of this shawl. So incredibly simple and soothing. Like much of Martina's patterns, I imagine! I was able to use up the entire skein, thanks to Martina's formulas for adapting different yardages to her patterns. Love it!

From start to finish, this only took me a week. I still managed to knit up work knitting as well! It was such a lovely knit, I hardly noticed the extra hours of knitting time put in.

This yarn also drapes like a dream. I so, so love it! The scallop edge is a nice, dainty little feature. Really so sweet! When I saw Oma last week, I was wearing my hitchhiker. She kept commenting on the variegated yarn, and just loving it in the garter stitch. I knew I couldn't go wrong with another pattern from Martina. I had chosen 22.5 degrees so that Oma would have the option of wrapping it around her shoulders like a more traditional way of wearing a shawl, should she choose to.

I certainly plan on ordering more yarn to make one for myself!  I'm looking forward to giving this to her tonight. xo

Do you follow me on Instagram, Ravelry or Facebook? If you don't yet and you'd like to see what I'm up to a little more often than when I post on the blog, please come and follow me! Be sure to say hi! I'd love to follow you too! xo

Self Striping Love...

So last year for knit city, I made up a sample for Caterpillargreen yarns. I am sure you already know but it bears repeating that these gorgeous self striping yarns that Catherine creates, really practically knit themselves.

I become obsessed with seeing the next color change, and I just can't put the work down!

This, of course, helps in knitting up a shawlette in a very speedy fashion. :) In this case, the pattern I used is the Simple Yet Effective Shawl by Laura Chau.

The yarn is  Caterpillargreen MCN Fingering. Colorway: Concrete And Tulips. I used my 3.5mm fixed signature needles for this project.

This really is a speedy, and delightful knit. I highly recommend this yarn... if you haven't heard of it before, please, go check out Catherine's website. You'll be able to keep on top of when the next shop update will be. You'll have to know what you want though, because these yarns sell fast!

To find all things Caterpillargreen check out these popular sites:

Website | Ravelry | Instagram  | Pinterest

I think the next self striping shawl I knit up will have to be for me though :) xo Tell me, what's on your needles this week? xo

hitchhiker love!

Ok. So if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this gorgeous skein in my feed...

Do you remember it?  I actually started this lovely project just before I got really sick. And I knew it was meant to be a hitchhiker. Especially after I cast on. lol!

Anyways, talk about another addictive knit!! Even though Wollmeise offers such massive skeins, (like are talking 574 yards here!) this project knit up pretty quickly.... I love that I never had an overwhelming amount of stitches on the needles, even though it produced a fairly large shawl!

I am seriously in love!

I do have a confession to make though..... this is actually the VERY first time I've knit with Wollmeise, AND this is my first time knitting a Martina Behm pattern!!!

Say what!!??!! She's actually been at the top of my ravelry queue for years, and many of her patterns are in my favorites... I really can't believe it's taken me this long to dive in! But I'm sure glad I did.

I definitely love that the hitchhiker works so well with hand dyed variegated yarns.
Here are the little details:

Yarn: Wollmeise We're different Pure. Colorway Libelle  (I think!! the sticker was covering it up, so if I'm wrong, please let me know.)
Needles: signatures (fixed) 3.25mm    (sadly, the fixed are no longer made..) 
Pattern: Hitchhiker by Martina Behm.

I absolutely LOVED knitting this! I definitely recommend both the designer and the yarn to anyone.

I realize I'm on a shawl kick... and I really don't see it stopping anytime soon ;) so tell me, what's on your needles?!

still knitting!

Really, you all know I never stop knitting. But sometimes, I wonder if YOU wonder what I'm up to, as I don't always have a chance to post what I'm working on....


Well, wonder no more... A week ago, this gorgeous skein fell into my hands...

Cat, of Caterpillargreenyarns is seriously mega talented! Not only does she do the most amazing self striping sock yarns, but shawls too! eeeks!!  Ok. I'm a HUGE fan of this. But really, who isn't? Especially since the yarn harlot became a fan too, we ALL know about Cat's amazing yarns!!! See her posts about Cat's yarns here and here. (yeah, she was mentioned twice!!!)

So really now you have to be speedy to get in on the shop updates, because her yarns are quickly snatched up! To get more info on Caterpillargreen shop updates, check out the website.

Ok. BUT LOOK at this NEW colourway!!!

I love it. oh i LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Not only do I love grey's but the striping is like a gradient self striping grey until POW! yellow. swoon... Want to see more pics of this in progress? Follow me on instagram.

I only wish I could keep this one. ;)

* swoon. * Luckily I do have another skein on hand that I am so looking forward to knit up. It's this one...

So what about you?? What's on your needles? Do tell! xo

POW!

Time to celebrate! I usually am pretty quick with having things on and off my needles. I like to not have too many WIPS ... I think I've always been this way, but especially so with work knitting.

These socks must be the exception though, as I had cast on for them last JULY. I always enjoyed knitting them, it's just that my selfish knitting took a back seat for a long time, so there would be weeks (and months) at a time that I wouldn't even look at this lovely project...

But the wait was totally worth it. Totally. I even love how they so perfectly don't match up ;)

I knew as soon as I saw this yarn in my hot little hands that they were going to be socks. I wanted them to be as long as I could make them as I really didn't want to waste any of the yarn.  I also knew I wanted the yarn to be the focal point of these socks, not the pattern. So vanilla socks it was! 

The little details are:

pattern: Gusset Heel Basic Socks by Wendy D. Johnson  -- I have the book Socks From The Toe Up, and I couldn't recommend it enough. I've used it often, and there are several patterns in the book that I want to knit! 

yarn: Regia Fluormania Color  no. 07184 neon beach

needles: US 0 / 2.0mm hiya hiya sharps

I am a big fan of the magic loop, so that's how I always knit my socks. These ones are toe up. (best way for me to use up the yarn). I have to say, it's the first time I have used both the hiya hiya sharps and the Regia yarn. I am a HUGE fan of both! The needles are so light, and I feel like a faster knitter when I use them. The Regia yarn you can bet I'll be using again for socks. It's not as soft as a lot of sock yarns out there, but I like that. I am hard wearing on my socks, so knowing these are tough and have a 10 year guarantee seals the deal for me! 

I am so pleased with these socks! I'm sure they will get heaps of wear! 

Now to quickly cast on another pair! I think having a pair of socks on the go at all times (no matter how long they take) is a fantastic knitterly plan. ;) 

Tell me, what are your favorite sock patterns, yarn & needles? Do tell! xo