Fennel love

I did another quick test knit just a little while ago. And I LOVE them!

This is Fennel by my dear friend Liisa Nieminen aka Fluffandhustle.

I used up some of my leftovers of plucky fingering yarn (you really don't need very much , the pattern calls for only 110 yds/100m for the largest size.. which is the one with the thumb hole). I am already trying to decide what other colors I'd like to knit them up with.

These would make FANTASTIC last minute gifts, and it's such a great way to help use up your leftover fingering yarn! It's a win all around :)

I definitely recommend it. Go and grab your free copy of the pattern here and knit a few pairs up! xo

Forever Valentine

This FO has actually been done for some time now. I seem to seriously procrastinate when it comes to picture taking. lol!

So let's get right down to it, shall we?

The pattern is Be My Valentine Socks, by The Cozy Knitter. 

I used Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Strawberry Lemonade and US0/2mm needle. -- I seriously LOVE this colour, and I found it so hard to capture. So I'm really hoping you have a chance to see this yarn in person and maybe grab a skein, it's so lovely! 

This pattern is really well written, and very easy to follow. I absolutely LOVE the x&o detail!! It was also a quick one to knit up! The cable work broke up the stockinette just perfectly, and before I knew it, it was heel time! 

Usually I tend to pick toe up sock patterns, because I like to use up all the yarn. But that really makes for incredibly long socks. These are still toe up, BUT i decided to go for a shorter sock. It's still perfect. .... AND I have some leftovers for any little doodad. 

This was the first time I've ever knit a fish lips kiss heel. Goodness do I ever feel super clever! haha. The instructions for the fish lips heel are very detailed, and just fantastic. Grab them here. 

Overall, I love these socks! Now I'd better hurry and cast on a new pair of socks! 

What are your favorite heels to work? Yarns? Come chat! tea's on. xo

now available in Spanish :)

Although I know that for some of us, it's hard to admit that the countdown until Christmas has begun, it has... 

Many of us are busy with holiday market prep, and beginning our adventurous handmade gifts for the holidays! kudos to those of you who can manage to pump out gifts for everyone! 

I know that we're always looking for quick gift ideas, and I wanted to take the time to remind you of two of my free patterns! One is the ever popular mug hug. These are perfect stocking stuffers, or a quick added gift for your child's teacher.

Add a starbucks gift card, and a few chocolates (or a bottle of wine) and you're set! ;)

 I get so excited to see all of your versions of the mug hug, and there are many!!

The other pattern is my Jardain coasters! These are crochet, but I promise you, they're an easy peasy pattern! 

I am so excited to let you know that the Jardain pattern is now available in Spanish! Find the link here.

Here are the quick links to the patterns :)

Mug Hugs | Jardain Coasters

I have been busy clicking away, and watching my product grow for the market, and I have to say I'm getting pretty excited!! I promise to have a little update on the new items added soon!

What quick holiday knits (or crochet patterns) do you have in your bag of tricks? Come share! xo

smitten

today is a holiday for us in canada. it's so nice to have the hubby home an extra day... and hopefully this means i'll get more work done! lol.  so hard though when such fantastic patterns keep popping up!

i'm specifically talking about sweet jane by amy miller. have you seen it? here...

photo from ravelry.

ok. now you've seen it! i love the shape of this sweater!! oh how i love it. the drape is just fantastic, and the sweater itself is nice and light... knit with fingering weight yarn though, it would take a wee bit of time. :)

it's no big surprise i'm such a fan of amy's designs. i still constantly reach for my pendulum. and many of my queued items, as well as my favourited items include several of her designs.

clearly though, i'm smitten! i'm a little surprised at the amount of yardage i would need though! in fingering weight, i would need 5x skeins! that's heaps! usually with fingering weight yarns, i am good with 3 skeins..

hmmmm anyways... i sadly can't cast on for this right this minute.. (boo!) as work knitting keeps calling my name.. and my gift knitting somehow needs to get done too.. hahah.. but once i have my schedule all sorted out, including knitting for my winter market (say what?!) i will squeeze in a sweater for me....

tell me, what new patterns are popping up in your ravelry page? which have caught your eye? let's chat knitting! it's a perfect day for it, and i have my needles at the ready. xo

jardain is finally on ravelry!

a few years ago i designed some coasters which were featured on versus. as well as a mention in molly makes!!! .. i call the pattern jardain. it's been received well, and that makes me kinda proud. you can find the free tutorial here. and i'm happy to say jardain is now finally on ravelry! wahoo!

and now i have some news....   i'm working on another pattern! i really hope you like it... i kinda do! it actually came about me doing a custom for someone, and i ended up just making my own pattern along the way. so i've decided to put it to paper... it's not quite ready yet, though i may be looking for some testers, as i don't really know any tech editors that also cover crochet.... of course i'd appreciate all feedback i can get!!

have a happy day! xo

line break!

woah. has it really been a week since i've blogged?? eeks. so sorry!! with soccer season now over, tball season has begun, and we're almost through our swimming lessons. kung fu is our constant, and so far owen continues to love it and wants to go often. :)

such is life. and sometimes that means the blog is a bit quieter. but whateves. because then some times you pop by and see this!!

i had this shawl on my needles for quite some time... and i'm soooo glad that it's ready for me to wear! i love it! can you believe it's the very first grey shawl i own?
crazypants.

this is of course none other than line break by veera valimaki.

i decided to go down a needle size, just as my friend liisa did. and really her shawl is the reason i cast on for this one. i was kind of obsessed. she actually claims this to be one of her most favourite shawls to knit. and honestly, this girl knows knitting... if she has a fave, i want to knit it. i know i won't be disappointed....
liisa actually wrote an awesome post about her line break and how it was almost gone forever! eeks. many tears. go and read it. you'll be glad you did... i promise it has a happy ending.

i do love this yarn. i used madelinetosh merino light, in the charcoal colourway. i love the depth of this yarn! seriously, it's high time i had a grey shawl in my hot little hands. and i want more!!

i've done my best with the photos... what with my hubby having pneumonia, i just tried the "selfie" route this time around. ;)

have you knit any of veera's patterns? which is your fave? what do you have on your needles? it's shawl and sock season here! xo

yarn goodness...

it's the last day of march! huzzah!
i feel like this has been a harsh winter for so many! i know that here in victoria, bc we've had some springy weather lately (sorry!) but i feel for the rest of the country! i just hope things thaw out for you soon. xoxoxo

and so to look forward to spring, i think we should look at some pretty yarn, no?? that always makes me feel better :)

as i had mentioned before, seattle was such a fun trip for me! and of course, i indulged a bit :)

one of the things i had promised myself this year was to knit more socks. and though i'm not really on the biggest roll with them, i am trying to always have one on my needles.... so when i had the opportunity to buy some socks that rock yarn, i was stoked! i snagged these two lovely skeins.

and i'm hoping to be working with them this summer.... i'd also like to be knitting more shawls. i just like them, so i figure i need more of them. that's probably why my stash is mostly single skeins of fingering weight :) lol!
that being said... i do think a girl needs a good camping wrap! so look what i got just for that purpose!!!

when em aka. emmaknits decided to close her yarn dying doors, i was uber sad. though i did snag some lovelies to have in my stash! these colours just make me smile! and with any of her designs coming out, i've got some lovely yarn to work with!! xo

do you have some special skeins of yarn staring at you what are you hoping to have on your needles this spring? let's chat. tea's on... and i plan on getting some tulips this week ;) xo

the huntress

i have another f.o for you!!! 

this one, i know most of you recognize. it's the huntress vest. more commonly referred to as the katniss cowl. 

i've actually never seen the second movie.. where she's wearing this fabulous vest/cowl that EVERYBODY in the knitting, fibre arts, crochet community just HAD to have. i heard you could tell who the knitters were in the theatre, because they all gasped when they saw it. ha.

i know there are a lot of variations out there on this pattern. i have to say, i'm pretty pleased with this one. 

i love the detail of the chunky stitches...

it's a combination of knitting and crochet. most of the pieces are crocheted.... and you actually use a single crochet stitch to seam everything together. genius and speedy!!! 

most of you probably know that i tend to be most productive under pressure. i seem to thrive on overfilling my plate, and just keep adding things to it. i don't really know why, because i'm often wishing for "free time" to sit and knit. wait. i'm always knitting.... bahahahah i clearly just want more hours in my day, not because i feel overwhelmed, but because there's so much more i want to do!

hahaha. anyways, back to the point. 

productive under pressure.. yah. (i might have pushed this one out in 3 days... and it wasn't the only thing on my needles in that timeframe)

deets:

pattern: huntress vest by alexendra tavel

needles: 15mm/US 19 

hook: 17mm & 8mm

yarn: lion brand thick & quick in grey marble 3.5 skeins

i had to go up a hook size to get better gauge. and really, i like the look of the stitches more in the fatter hook. with the herringbone stitch, i ended up casting on 34 stitches, to get the proper size of the finished garment.

other than that, i really didn't make any other modifications. 

if you are into uber chunky projects, check out alexandra's designer's page on ravelry! very cute stuff there!

as i mentioned before, it's a quick project! i love it heaps! (too bad this one isn't for me).... it's incredibly warm, and would totally put on an edgy style in the cooler months! 

i'll definitely be making more!! now where did i put my bow? xo

LINDEN mitts! take two.

a lot of you knitters who are big followers of jane richmond were probably aware of her linden mitts KAL that was going on. 

it has been a little while since i've knit one of her patterns, so i had made promises to myself and to jane that i would totally participate... but the start date flew past me and i was no way near ready to cast on, as other deadlines had to be met... no worries... i knew i was going to seattle and would have plenty of time to knit during vogue knitting live... (ummmm yah, not so much knitting happened... more yarn shopping than knitting for sure) hahah ok no worries... so i still had a week left. i can do this. no big deal... 

and then it was friday, and i hadn't even cast on. what the heck!? 

so i'm stubborn. and i totally took on the challenge that i would still be able to eek out a pair of mitts in a couple of days... in fingering weight. 

honestly, it's the very easy to follow pattern, and the self striping yarn that makes these such a quick knit! 

wait... does this style look familiar to you? well it should! about a year ago i knit up my first pair! 

pros of being a close friend to the designer.. you get sneak peeks of patterns before they are released! hee hee.... 

and so now i have two pairs. and i'm pretty sure i won't stop there. i really do love these mitts! they are just as addictive as sock knitting. easy to tote around, and before you know it, they're done! 

the deets of this pattern:

linden mittens by: jane richmond

yarn: knit picks felici, fingering weight, aquarium (1 skein)

        knit picks felici, fingering weight,  sunny day (1 skein) - this is the original pair that i had knit

needle: 2.25mm /US 1

for details of the first pair, check out this post.

i had heaps of fun participating in this KAL. a lot of people even eeked out two pairs! well done!!! this was a blast. and such a quick (surprisingly) and gratifying knit! thanks jane! xo

new pattern!!

if you follow me on etsy or on facebook, you would have seen that i was sneaky last night, and published a new pattern! 

may i introduce the long tail pixie... this one is a favourite of mine. i think it's just so darn adorable! it's a very easy knit, and super quick too!

and since this winter seems to be hanging on for many.... i think this makes a perfect addition to baby's wardrobe, no?

you can find this pattern on

etsy | ravelry

i hope you like it! 

happy knitting! xo

still knitting...

that. was by FAR the most fun i've had at a market! the owl designer fair was amazing! i barely had time to look around the marketplace to see the other vendors, but i'm so glad i made sure to check them out. such amazing talent!
i am blown away by the calibre of this market. from what i could tell, everyone had such an amazing time! and i was so pleased with the new look of my booth. i was very glad to have chosen to have gone with a 4' table rather than a 6'. it really created a cozy little "nook". :)

huge thanks to my dear friend quiltedontherock for snapping this pic

i'll be starting the restocking of my booth in the new year already, in preparation for next year's market. i definitely want to be ready! for those of you who inquired about custom orders, i can definitely work in creating for you in the new year.  because ohmygoodnes, is it really only about 2 weeks until Christmas? yikes. i'm pretty sure my little man has requested socks... i know he wants to pick the yarn, so it won't be a big surprise for him, but it will make him happy whenever he sees me working on them :)
i'm testing a fantastic little pattern for them. i'm so excited! and i can't wait to share it with you.

and so there is no rest for the knitter this time of year... i'm still having to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to accommodate the special knits this year. but it will all be worth it.

do you have a favourite holiday market? how is your gift knitting coming along? come chat! i've missed you all so much! xo

new pattern!

who doesn't love adding last minute gifts to their knitting list? the vintage bonnet is really that. a very quick, perfect gift to sneak in under the wire.

with this being our coldest winter in a while (it's still cold here in victoria, even if we don't have any snow... yet)... you can be sure these sweet babies will be snug and warm in these adorable bonnets. 

This bonnet is classic, yet modern with the bulky look. It knits up in a flash, and uses only 40g of yarn, making it a great pattern for using up the small amounts of bulky yarn you may have in your stash.

This bonnet is designed to fit a newborn. 

purchase your copy of the pattern on:

 ravelry | etsy

i so enjoyed the design of this pattern. and i know you will enjoy knitting it. quick projects with adorable results! i'd say that's perfect for the amount of knitting we're all trying to sneak in these days, don't you?

quick gift knitting!

I get so excited when I see someone's f.o of a pattern that I designed! especially this one...

photo by mamatronic

michelle aka. mamatronic is amazing with her mad knitting skills, and coupling with beautiful photography her ravelry project page is just stunning!

when I saw her blog post about this project yesterday, it put the biggest smile on my face. wahoo!! serious happy dance!

and the recent response to these boot cuffs have gotten me inspired to publish more patterns. i'm typing up something as we speak (haha I didn't mean this post, but I suppose I am doing that too.)

these make excellent Christmas gifts. they are practical and beautiful! and relatively quick to knit up.
find the pattern here:

ravelry | etsy

 

thank you michelle for your fantastic photography and knitting skills. :)

 

have you started compiling a list of quick knits for holiday gift giving? which patterns have made the cut? wishing my American friends a lovely thanksgiving! xo



Are you climbing? I am.

i'm sure you've all heard the buzz about journey. a beautiful new knitting book written and designed by two of my besties, Jane Richmond and Shannon Cook.

if any of you are looking for Christmas ideas for your knitterly pals, this would be a perfect gift! i am happy to tell you that i was able to test one of the patterns and so i can speak firsthand, that climb is an excellent project! if you've never knit socks before and would love to try, this would be the perfect pattern to dip your toes into sock knitting with! .. haha did you get that? dip your toes in? ha. (bear with me, I've had little sleep, and i'm easily guzzling my third cup of joe right now)...

i used knit picks stroll tonal yarn, (the grey is stroll fingering) and a size 2.5mm needle.
these are easily the fastest socks i have ever knit, and i can not wait to knit more! I've honestly stocked up on more yarn just for this purpose. my hubby is excited too because he'll most certainly get a pair or two ;)

when you're knitting them it will seem as though your foot must be uber long but trust the pattern. jane totally knows what she's doing. and you'll absolutely love the result!

best part is that this pattern allows for so many different colour combinations! i'm already thinking of a green and pumpkin combo. yes that will be awesome!

get more info on all of the patterns (there are 6 gorgeous ones, including 2 sweaters!) here. and believe you me. you'll love this book. the pictures are stunning, and i for sure want to knit everything! if you loved island, you'll adore journey.

do you have a copy already? tell me what colour combos will you use for climb? xo have a happy weekend friends! full of knitting, of course. xoxo

swoon

so i'm pretty much smitten with a sweater pattern.....

cochenille's version on ravelry

and I might have even talked about it before today... I can't even remember, this is what happens when i'm completely sidetracked with a pattern... mrs. garter. by ankestrick ...so so smitten. I can just picture myself wrapped up in this with a good book and a cup of tea, in front of the Christmas tree. yes. perfect. though I highly doubt I could have it done in time for this Christmas, (I don't even have the yarn yet.. hah) i'm pretty determined to knit it .



lilalu's version on ravelry

the big question now is which colour-ways I want to knit the sweater in. i'm certain I want to knit the shorter version (as you see in both examples). i'm also partial to both of these combos. either a grey and darker grey, or a grey and yellow...

as for which yarn i'll use? i'm totally going to get a custom dye by the amazing sandara of duck duck wool! and i'm pretty excited about it!!

i'm also kind of surprised that this pattern has only been entered 60 times on ravelry. all of the comments are that the pattern is amazing, so well written, and the sweater is a quick fave staple of the knitter. at any rate i'm super excited to make this one a staple in my wardrobe .
but honestly, what do you guys think regarding the colour choices? any input?

do you have a sweater that is just calling your name? which is it? come chat. it's the perfect day for it, really. xo

cascadia love

I'm sure a lot of you have seen, or heard about the buzz around about Cascadia. A new knitting book just recently released by the fab duo behind knit social. Amanda Milne & Fiona McLean have worked their magic (as best business partners do) and created a knitting book that showcases a beautiful love for the west coast. The patterns are stunning, and all by designers from the region, as well as local yarns that were used!



photo from ravelry

I am thrilled to tell you that I also played a small part in the making of this book, as a sample knitter! I so enjoyed knitting Redcedar. The fact that it made front cover just makes me uber happy! I had the pleasure of knitting with yarn by everything old, and it was amazing! Designer Emily Wessel, of tincanknits has such a talent and eye for lace. I loved loved this pattern! I promise you will too.

There are so many more to knit!! And what perfect timing of this book to be released! Just in time for Christmas gift knitting! (or selfish knitting).

have you checked out the book yet? what's first on your list of patterns to knit? xo

what's one more?

i've mentioned in the past that my ravelry queue is a little out of control. i'm not here to tell you that i've got it organized or under control or anything, because i haven't... it's into the 7th page!!.(and there's nothing wrong with that) all that's been happening lately is that it's growing... fast, and with serious determaination to overtake my subconcious. it's working too... because i can't stop thinking about my latest addition to the queue....

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i have to knit this tank. have to! it's the tank i would be looking for in stores. perfect fit, right amount of coverage, and just so me.
hilary smith callis has done it again. it's just awesome!
i want to knit it. right now. i can't but i really want to.

and guys, the possibilities for colour combos are endless. it would also look just as amazing in one colour too.

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

the pattern recommends the yarn be sweet bamboo. i've never knit with that before. i bet it's divine! though any bamboo or cotton yarn would be suitable for this project. meaning i bet knit picks cotLin would be a very affordable option if you want say 3 or 4 of these tanks. .... what? that's totally a possibility!

anyways, i've clearly been sidetracked from being productive this morning... because those pretty blues, and that gorgeous tank would be perfect for me. perfect.

tell me. you really want to knit this too... don't you? what colour combos would you do?? any yarns off the top of your head that you think would be perfect? 
**(disclaimer... i was not approached to post about this pattern. i simply am in love with it. i could i not be?)**

... and then i did the math....

most of you who know me also know that i tend to set the bar pretty high for myself. it's just what i do. haha. so when i thought that for the "pour moi" kal i would knit up pendulum i thought, sure! no biggie... shawl knitting is fun... and quick... (wha?) haha. i probably hadn't had my morning coffee yet.

anyhoo, i've been loving the process of knitting the pendulum. and i look forward to each colour change. my plan was just go ahead and knit until i ran out of yarn... then i did the math.

the pattern calls for about 570 yds of yarn. and guess how much i have? 860yds. ummm that's a lot more! a lot!!! and i've been telling myself i could still have it done by the deadline... which is june 7th, people. on 3.5mm needles at that...

i know what you're thinking.... and you can just stop laughing at me. no. go ahead. it's deserved. haha. i'm nutso. but the shawl is soooo pretty. and bigger is better, right?
or should i just make some socks with the leftovers. (short ones). what do you think?

honestly. i'd love to know :) xo

have you had lofty goals in a way you thought were really just no big deal? and then you wake up one morning and actually do the math? lol.. tell me i'm not the only one, please! xoxo

thinking ahead....

lately, i've been involved in knit alongs, and it's been really good for my selfish knitting :) because i have to complete so much other knitting, it's important to have something for me, or a special something for someone on the needles as well as work. you know? ...(yes this is the sock for my hubby... i am farther than what you see in the pic, but i must say, i'm grateful that he's being so patient)

if you've been following this blog for a while, you've probably seen my latest f.o from the tttkal with luvinthemommyhood. i completed the work + shelter tee. and i love it!

 i'm also active in the pour moi kal hosted by projectstashEL, and i have to say... i'm really trying to book it to finish my pendulum in time for the deadline... eeks! shawls can get pretty big, and of course, i'm hoping to use up all of my yarn. i have a ways to go yet, and only just over a week to complete it in!

i'm already planning my next project for the next kal! haha the summer sweater knit along is one of my fave kals. hosted by luvinthemommyhood, it's one of the biggest kals, and oh so active!
though i'd love to be as ambitious as others and complete multiple projects, it's just not realistic for me, what with other deadlines... so i have to pick carefully.

last year i completed georgia, by jane richmond... and i love LOVE it. (i kind of want more than one!)
there are a few contenders this year.
one being boxy by joji locatelli. i'm sure you've seen it, as it's been very popular in ravelry. i just love the comfort factor in this sweater! for sure one i'll wear often, i know it.

 

this is joji's pic

i've always been in love with redy by ankestrick.  it's totally my style, and i can see myself reaching for this one often.

rav link here

i also love the tea leaves cardi (do you remember that?) by melissa labarre. only i saw one person who modified it into a pullover, and i looooooooooove it! check out her project page here.

there are also many by amy christoffers, like the bailey cardigan, the maxfield cardigan, and the pomme de pin cardigan. see? oh so many!!

all photos from ravelry. see links above.

yeah, and i'm absolutely certain that if i spent even 2 minutes longer, i'd find at least 10 more sweater and cardis that i'd want to add to this list. hahah so i clearly have some work cut out for me, in terms of what my decision will be.

but i like this part. it's so fun to pick patterns, to drool over yarns, and to dream. and this is just sweaters! i haven't even chatted about socks or accessories!!

what's big on your queue these days? come chat, it's a rainy day here in beautiful british columbia. perfect for knitting, sipping tea, and planning our next projects :) xo