HRYC

Happy New Year wonderful people! Welcome to 2015! 

We are straight back into planning and getting stuck into projects. First up: our third annual Focus on Finishing. A knit / crochet-along, the aim is to transform all those unfinished objects into finished items so you can move on. There's nothing quite like casting off the final stitches of a project. Particularly one that has been languishing in the naughty corner, and crossing it off the list of things bothering you. 

Over the last two years people have used Focus on Finishing as motivation to finish shawls, socks, cardigans, toys, dresses, blankets....

Tentacles' Colosseo Cowl

aitchbee's Cloud Illusions

 
JoNZ's NOT a buggy blanket

This year, we're going to do some extra work to help you stick to your finishing goals:

• A weekly email to ask how you're going
• Extra challenges along the way (they won't be hard, promise!)
• Lots of cheerleading in our Ravelry group 
• A special badge for all those who achieve their finishing goals
• The chance to win prizes! Hooray!

What do you need to do? Join us by filling in the form below - easy as that! Sign ups are open for the duration of the challenge, which ends on the 31st of March. You don't need to be local to Holland Road Yarn Co to take part - feel free to sign up from anywhere around the world!

Another new series of blog posts! Hooray! A wee chat about shop samples, what we made them from and where you can find the pattern.

Anders in Road to China Light

I actually knit this up way back in March, but as usually happens, it's been in want of buttons ever since. What is it with buttons that are such a stumbling block on the way to finishing? They always, always get me. Anyway, it now has buttons, and is about the most adorable jersey ever. 

 Anders by Soren Kerr, knit in Road to China Light 

The only reason I knit this was because I needed an excuse to knit with Road to China Light, and I'm a bit over knitting hats and scarves for shop samples. It is a luxury yarn and I made the yarn choice not expecting anyone else to follow suit. Alpaca, silk, cashmere and camel makes for an amazing fabric but perhaps not the best idea for a toddler. Having said that, after all the work put into making it, this would come under heirloom knitting for sure. 

There is about zero surprise in the colours I went for, either. Topaz and Grey Pearl. 

Anders is a really simple pattern and great for trying our fair isle knitting if you haven't had a go yet. If you don't want to commit to a high end yarn, something like Cascade 220 Superwash Sport would be absolutely perfect for this project. 

Details:

Pattern: Anders by Soren Kerr

Size made: 12-18 months

Needle size: 3.75mm and 4mm

Yarn: Road to China Light in Grey Pearl (2 skeins) and Topaz (half a skein)

Shop sample: in Grand Arcade, Willis St

We can sell you this pattern in-store as a pdf, if you fancy it.  

Sale stuff! Hooray! I fancy a bit of a clear out and so you get some pretty super deals if I do say so myself. 

There's 20% off all Addi needles, Zealana Willow, Cascade Sport (non superwash), Twilley's Echo Cotton (in-store only) and a bunch of other stuff. Oh, and Blonde Chicken Yarn is down from $24 a skein to $14.40. 

All are absolutely beautiful products, but we need to make space for summer stock and some new treats that the second store will allow us to introduce to our ranges.

In other news, it's my birthday this weekend! Eeep! And yeah, it's a milestone. Numbers don't bother me, but I find it interesting to reflect on my twenties. Who would have guessed that taking up knitting as a rebellion against crocheting colleagues when I was 23 could lead to opening a yarn store? Not me!

Anyway, to celebrate, tonight is the last Knit Night of the year, so there is a fancy-pants raspberry chocolate cake, Six Barrel Soda Co sodas, and bubbles. Plus a whole lot of knitting and giving thanks for surviving another year. Couldn't come at a better time, really, considering it is, actually, thanksgiving in the States today. 

Happy thanksgiving! Hopefully see you at the shop tonight from 7 - 9pm!

xx Tash

Maybe it's the change in Northern Hemisphere season, maybe it's some other reason, but there are so many fantastic patterns being released right now. Here's a few just from my quick glance at Ravelry this morning:

Cable Guy Sweater by Anna & Heidi Pickles

No Parking! by Alison Ziegler

Mereki by Ambah O'Brien

Wirra by Ambah O'Brien

Are there any new patterns that have caught your eye recently? I'm trying to make myself finish off a bunch of things before i'm allowed to cast on anything new...

Not all knitting needles are created equal. One recurring question we get in the shop is 'what needle should I use?' I almost always reply with a question (annoying, aren't I?!), something along the lines of 'what yarn are you knitting with?' or 'do you have a preference for nickel or wood?' or 'what are you knitting?'

I'm not trying to be annoying with those questions. It's usually to figure out the best knitting needle to recommend, and there is a whole host of information I draw on to make a suggestion. About time it all got written down!

Circular or Straight?

Circular. Every time. They are better for your hands as your work sits between the needles, rather than on either side. Transferring project weight from one side of your body to the other pulls your wrists down in a way that can cause RSI and muscle pain. The weight resting on your lap (or whatever you are sitting in front of) means you can keep your hands and wrists in a comfortable, natural position. 

Don't be confused by the word 'circular'. I only ever knit on circs, no matter the project. Knitting something flat? Imagine that you are knitting with two straight needles, they just happen to be joined together so you don't lose one or the other. Your work is turned the same way as you would with straights, and of course the magic of circulars is: knitting in the round! Hooray! It saves lots of seaming and allows shapes to be formed which would otherwise be difficult on straights. Because they're straight. Not bendy and curvy. Bodies are bendy and curvy so circulars make a whole lot of sense for knitting garments. 

The only time i'll recommend straight needles is if someone is a beginner knitter, or tucks their needle under one arm when they knit. Otherwise, circulars all the way. 

Wood

Be it bamboo, laminated wood, birch, or some unknown tree that went into the making of the needle, wood is tops. It's warm, flexible, and very kind to your hands. Yes, it tends to cost a little more than some other needle types, but it's worth it. 

Wood needles tend to have good grip on stitches, which makes them excellent for:

• slippery yarns (such as silk, alpaca and machine washable yarns)

• cables (especially cables worked without a cable needle)

• beginner knitters

I usually opt for wood needles when making large projects - cardigans, jerseys etc - as they are kinder on my hands when things get a bit heavy and i'm doing a lot of knitting. 

Other things to be aware of: they break. Particularly the smaller sizes, which are fragile and need to be handled with a bit of care. If you're a super tight knitter this can be problematic. It's also best not to leave them in places they may get stepped on. 

Metal

Rule number one: don't go anywhere near steel, or plastic with steel inner needles. They are cold, hard and unforgiving. Your hands will hate you for it, and life is too short for working with such awful tools. 

At Holland Road Yarn Co we stock Knit Pro Nova and Addi Clicks. They are both hollow brass (read: light and forgiving) and nickel plated (read: warm, smooth and fast). Obviously this proves problematic for those with nickel allergies, which is a shame. Lucky we have other options!

Because of the above comment about steel needles, I used to look at nickel plated needles with scorn. And then I tried them. 

Nickel plated needles are smooth, which makes them excellent for:

• Grippy yarns (such as non-machine washable yarns, tweedy fibres) (don't you just love my technical language?)

• Lace knitting

• Socks

• Speedy knitters 

My first set of Knit Pro needles were the Harmony wood, so most of my collection is made up of them. However, i'll opt for nickel wherever I can as I tend to be a speedy gonzales knitter. With nickel, stitches fly from one tip to the other. As mentioned before, I don't like nickel for large, heavy projects as I do get hand fatigue much faster than with wood. 

Plastic

Good old plastic fantastic. The best things about plastic? It's super flexible and cheap. Knit Pro produce acrylic tips, which are nice and bendy so extra good for sensitive bones. They are more forgiving than wood, but thanks to this forgiveness, they do have a greater tendency to break. Plastic is perfect for new knitters, as they aren't as much of an investment as wood or nickel.

When I started writing this post I didn't realise just how much I had to say on the topic of knitting needles. Apparently I could go on and on forever, but I won't. Basically, there's a whole lot of factors to take into account when choosing the right tools for your knitting projects. At the end of the day personal preference will override any advice I give you. Try out a few different kinds, talk to your friends, come into the shop and ask us lots of questions. Keep in mind that good quality tools are worth it: they contribute to your enjoyment of the process, and have an affect on the wellbeing of your hands. 

Happy knitting!