The call of Outlaw Queen Bee was much too enticing to resist, and I always seemed to be knitting it on days when the sun was hiding. So here we have the Golden Days blanket - if you sat down and focussed, you could knit it up in a couple of evenings. Big needles, chunky yarn, a super smooshy blanket.

I held the cable stitches on my fingers as it was the quickest and easiest way with such big stitches.

25mm needles

6 skeins Outlaw Queen Bee in colour Arabella

Finished size: 117cm wide x 131cm tall (approx)
Gauge: 10 sts and 13.5 rows = 30cm

CO 48 stitches

Row one: K6, p10, k16, p10, k6
Row two: Knit

Repeat these two rows twice more

Work cable row, then continue in pattern.

Repeat cable row every 14th row until 6 cables completed..

Cable row: k6, c10b, k16, c10f, k6

Work in pattern for 5 more rows

Cast off loosely and weave in ends.

Abbreviations:

k - knit
p - purl
c5b - slip 5 sts onto cable needle, hold to back, k5 sts, k sts from cable needle
c5f - slip 5 sts onto cable needle, hold to front, k5 sts, k sts from cable needle

© Tash Barneveld 2017 for personal use only

A variation on our much-loved Jackson Blanket, we're pleased to bring you the Jackson Scarf! 

Yarn: 1 ball of Outlaw Yarn Bohemia Sport in Tarnished, Absinthe, Gaslight, Fog and Old Beau

Needles: 3.50mm

Blocked measurements: 26cm wide, 1.9m long (approx)

Cast on 79 stitches

Set up rows:

Row 1 (pattern row): k2, *k2tog, k10, m1r, k1, m1l, k10, ssk, repeat from * to

           last 2 sts, k2

Row 2 (wrong side): knit

Repeat rows 1 and 2 twice more

Main body rows:

Row 1 (right side): work pattern row as above

Row 2 (wrong side): k2, p to last 2 sts, k2

Repeat rows 1 & 2 11 more times (24 rows total)

Change colour

Repeat main body row instructions 18 more times - four stripes per colour.

Final colour: work main body rows 9 times, then work set up row instructions 3 times.

Cast off, weave in ends and block.

Abbreviations:

k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit two together
ssk - slip ,slip, knit two slipped stitches together
m1r - insert left-hand needle, back to front, under strand of yarn between stitch just worked and next stitch on the left-hand needle. knit through the front loop
m1l - insert left-hand needle, front to back, under strand of yarn between stitch just worked and next stitch on the left-hand needle, knit through the back loop

© Tash Barneveld 2017 for personal use only

Over the weekend I was despairing at the state of the world, and decided we can do something to help those close at home, together.

Little Sprouts put together boxes of baby gear for those in need - packs go to:
- Families with premature or unwell babies,
- Women escaping from domestic violence,
- Refugees starting a new life in New Zealand,
- Young parents without support networks,
- Families living in an ongoing cycle of poverty and more.

Little Sprouts have crafters in need of supplies to make knitted items for these boxes. So we're putting out the call!

Drop your left over yarn, or yarn you think could go to a better home, in to us. We'll pass it on for you.

It needs to be 100% wool or cotton (or a high wool content) and machine washable. Minimum of 20g if it's a leftover, please. 8ply and 4ply yarns are great for hats, cardigans and booties, so if you have odd ands ends from your projects in these weights, they'd be perfect. 

Over the next few weeks we'll also start a KAL for hand knits to donate as well. 

Together we can do our part to enable Little Sprouts to bring joy and a an extra hand to those in our communities who need it most. 

From Monday 8 August: Basement, Grand Arcade, 16 Willis Street

Yes, we're at it again. Moving. It is a tale of woe, but with a good ending. Which is the best kind of ending, really. And it only works out better for us and you, our wonderful customers.

If you've been into the shop in the last 4 weeks, you'll have noticed we have a new wall. The wall was a very long time coming, but then happened in a great big hurry (the timing was terrible, it was stressful, it's done now). It meant losing our classroom space, and most of our regular hang-out-and-knit space. 

I'd been keeping an eye out for a solution to that problem for a while, but hadn't been in any rush as progress was so slow getting the wall sorted. So when the gym moved in upstairs, with their weights room inconveniently and distressingly located right above our heads, we were lucky enough to have an alternative space lined up. 

The gym issue has been huge for us - the constant banging, shaking and noise has been awful for everyone - us and you. There is simply no way we can stay where we are now. 

So! The solution!

We are moving!

But not very far!

From Monday 8 August we will be in the basement of the very same building we're in now. 

Instead of going up the escalator the first floor, you will instead go down the escalator (the one right next to Fix, on the street). Or, if you accidentally go to the first floor, you'll simply need to turn around, jump in the lift and go to the basement. 

Where we will have: 

Loads of wall space, much better for displaying lots of yarn!

A dedicated classroom once again!

A wonderful couch area and toys for entertaining the kids with!

A brand new staff member looking after you on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Needless to say, having to organise and carry out a shop move while 8 months pregnant was not part of my 2016 plan. I'm incredibly lucky to have a band of merry friends who will help paint and tidy and put up pegboard and shift the entire shop. Bear with us while we try to make things happen as smoothly as possible. The shop will operate as per usual and we'll do our best to make sure there is virtually no disruption to your shopping experience.

xx Tash