Etsy Update!
It’s been a while since I last updated my Etsy shop! Since my yarn dying is currently a rather small scale operation, I have been having trouble keeping up with orders from AnySpunThread and Urban Yarns. I finally managed to order yarn blanks in a more appropriate number and dye some up for my Etsy shop. I’ve also got 2 new colourways: Highbury Blossoms and Vancouver Sky.
The inspiration for Vancouver sky is obvious, those grey days by the water. The pair in the photo are my friend Robin and her son Jaden. They thoroughly enjoyed their outing, grey skies or not. This yarn is a pale grey with streaks of darker grey and black.
Cherry blossoms abound on Highbury street in Vancouver. Every spring the sidewalks are completely pink. This yarn is dyed a pale pink but with shots of dark brown to represent the branches.
Check out my Etsy shop for the latest batch of Gourmet Crafter Yarn!
Tiny Tea Leaves
I think this might officially be the fastest sweater I have ever knit. Not so much in actual knitting time, but in dedication. I knit it up in 1 week and 1 day. It’s sized for a 2 year old but at the rate she’s going, Hunter will fit it in no time!
The yarn (Swan’s Island Organic Merino) and pattern (Tiny Tea Leaves) were a gift from the darling Sheryl of AnySpunThread. Up until she was born I intended to call my baby, whether it was a boy or girl, Hunter Sunshine. For some reason, that I cannot fully understand now, I decided in the hospital to give her the family name of Ann. She will, however, always be my little Sunshine. Sheryl picked the yarn for a little Sunshine girl with cute vintage buttons to match, does she know me or what? The pattern is so nice I’m knitting the grown up sized Tea Leaves for my mom out of the SweetGeorgia Superwash Worsted in the colour Cypress. Such a nice thoughtful gift, thanks Sheryl!
Quick Knit
I’m not sure I really need another bulky cowl but the colour and softness of Twinkle is just too hard to resist. I saw the colour 2 weeks ago and it was one of those situations in which I did not purchase the skein on the spot and instead chose to stew about it all week. I picked it up last friday and I still wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with it, I only knew it must be mine! I searched around and I found a pattern that was pretty close to what I wanted in a free Lion Brand Basic Cowl pattern but I changed the gauge, needles, and stitches cast on to match my yarn and sizing desires.
The ribbing makes it a nice fit around the neck and the stockinette stitch means you can knit this puppy up during a hockey game. I wrote out the pattern, since everyone likes a nice easy PDF! The finished measurements are 10 inches high and 24 inches around. You will need 1 skein of Twinkly and 12mm 16″ circular needles. You can download the pattern for the Little Star Cowl.
An Anniversary Scarf
Scarves seem to be one of the major staples of knitting. That being said, there are really not that many scarf patterns to be had. It’s easy enough to make up your own pattern, there is a little math involved but nothing too serious. It’s a scarf so gauge is not critical and if it winds up 6.5 inches instead of 6, no big deal. That might be why scarves are so popular with the knitting crowd, the possibilities are endless.
Despite these endless possibilities I am knitting an incredibly dull scarf. The weird thing is I am loving it. I am loving knitting it and I am loving the final product even more! The yarn has a certain special meaning to me. I bought this yarn on my honeymoon almost 4 years ago when we were road tripping through the Maritimes. We got to pet the alpacas the yarn came from, which was pretty neat. Hubby must have been quite smitten with his new wife because he let me stop at many a yarn shop, he seems less keen now…. It doesn’t speak very highly of the stash that I am knitting yarn from 4 years ago but at least I’m getting to it now right?
The Source
The yarn is even kind of boring in colour but the simplicity of the twisted rib and the versatility of the black and grey are working together to make a very useable and pretty scarf. The twisted rib is so delightfully mindless as well. I don’t have to look at my knitting very often as it is but I’ve knit this scarf almost entirely without looking. We even watched a movie in the dark the other night and I didn’t miss a stitch. I may grow weary of this type of knitting before the yarn is gone but I’m riding the wave for now!
