HRYC
New stock and a good cardigan.
As the weather has slowly moved towards winter, i've been gradually pulling out my cardigans and sweaters and adding them back into rotation. Yesterday was Manu's turn: and I remembered how much I love it as a cardigan. It's simple enough to wear with anything, but has those interesting little design features that make it magic. The pleats around the neckline, the puffed out sleeves at the cuff, the i-cord bind-off. I used Cascade 220 Superwash Sport in Lake Chelan Heather for mine, and it's worn beautifully over the last two years. Do excuse the terrible (old) selfie to illustrate, and speaking of terrible selfies, here's what else I wore yesterday:
If you come along to Handmade next weekend, you'll find us wearing our new shop tees so it's a bit easier to tell who is working and who isn't. We also have some extras for sale, in case you want to share the love.
Anyway, The real purpose of this post is to let you know about all the new stuff that's arrived this week. We have a huge amount of Knit Pro again (hooray!). Fresh stock of Fyberspates arrived, along with more of our new machine washable 8ply, Urban. We've also got copies of the latest issue of Pom Pom in both shops and online, and a great big order of Spud & Chloe and Blue Sky Alpacas turned up.
Finished object: Ravello
Or, not quite Ravello as i've named it in my Ravelry projects. Inspired by a customer, Barbara, and her amazing version, Ravello was one of those 'I must cast on as soon as possible' projects. Slouchy, simple, stripy, all my favourite things right now. I figured it would be the perfect shop and knit night knitting, and so it was.
Pattern: Ravello Size: M Yarn: Knitsch Sock in Silver Lining, Yellow Brick Road and Tennant
Except, my approach to knitting it was so relaxed that I missed a crucial step. Which worked out well, in the end.
1. I forgot to cast on the extra stitches under the arms
2. I knit an 5th stripe at the bust (there's only meant to be 4)
3. Because of 1, my FO is a little more snug than the pattern intends
4. Because of said snug-ness, I went for elbow length sleeves to result in more of a top than a jersey
5. I like the unfinished neckline, so left it, well, unfinished
6. I moved the beginning of round marker so it was close to one of the sleeves rather than in the centre back to better hide the join for the stripes.
I was worried that because of the extra stripe at the bust, it would cut me off in a bad place. The photos show that line at it's worst, not helped by my not standing up terribly straight. It actually sits just fine, and I can see myself wearing this forever. A really great knit that sped along super fast (helped by my wanting to wear it pretty much immediately). I know lots of stocking stitch can get a bit tedious, but I think this pattern is worth it. A great project to haul around and keep you busy at times that might otherwise be boring. Or you're too busy chatting to pay real attention to what you're doing (like me).
P.S The hat pictured is a new design i'll be releasing in the next couple of days - the Flat Hat.
Pattern Round Up: what to knit next?
I had a blog post mostly written and IT DISAPPEARED. Ah, the joys the of technology. The blog post was really great. This one...probably not as great. Feel free to just look at the pretty pictures.
I've finished Ravello, and Pumpkin Ale (both of which need blog posts of their own, to come later). Little bits and pieces that have been languishing in the 'to-finish' pile are slowly being finished. So what to knit next?
Watson by Amy Miller
Back details will always grab my attention. I love love love designs which look simple from the front, but have surprises waiting on the back. I'm not 100% on the pleat but I suspect if you wanted to skip it, you could.
Grace Kelly Sleek Pullover by Susanna IC
Back detail: tick. Knitted tee: tick. It's taken awhile for me to come round to the idea of knitting tees, but they are on my radar in a big way for the upcoming summer....which seems like a distant future right now.
Cassandre Cowl by Julia Barrowcliffe
So many things to love about the Cassandre cowl - the graphic leaf pattern, the edging, the yarn. Knit with Zealana Kiwi, I could cast this on immediately. Instead, I think i'll keep mulling over what I really, really want to knit. And continue finishing off all the little things. Speaking of finishing, we've got a special event in the planning, which i'll be announcing soon. Happy knitting!
Handmade 2014: Double Day Pass Giveaway!
The awesome people at Handmade have give us two Day Passes to give away! Hooray!
All week i've been struggling to decide what sort of challenge I should set for you to enter the draw. I started thinking about learning new things and the challenges we face when attempting to learn a new skill or improve on our ability to make stuff.
I find my most interesting stories come from my failures. I'll point out my mistakes to illustrate how it can be done better, share the imperfections to demonstrate that you shouldn't do it the way I did.
The reason i'm giving away two passes, is so there's one for you and you can drag a friend along and share a fun day of learning. Of course you don't have to tell me if you decide to use both for yourself and make an indulgent weekend of it. A day pass gets you into 4 whole classes so you can really squish in some fun.
So, the deal is:
1. Leave a comment telling me about your worst craft disaster. Or, if not your worst, at least your funniest.
2. Comment by 5pm Wednesday 21 May
3. Draw will be made at 10am Thursday 22 May, and winner will be advised by email
Good luck! And if you need some class-choosing inspiration, i've put together a couple of posts as food for thought.
Ts & Cs: You may choose any classes you like as long as there are spots available and within the terms of the Day Pass, sorry folks no staff or staff families can enter, comments required by 5pm Wednesday 21 May, one entry per person, winners must arrange own way to Wellington.
Handmade 2014: Our class picks version two
Going through the classes for our blog post last week, I mentally made another list of classes I really love the sound of. So! Class picks round two!
Everything in Free Range
Top of my list in the Free Range stream is absolutely Bridget McKendry's 3D printing class. I'm super curious about this way of making objects, it's so complimentary to everyday life. Bridget's also teaching how to add LEDs to paper objects - which is pretty much the most fun you can have with electronics.
Second is Colleen Pugh's Illustration for Beginners. Colleen is best known for the cult hit tea towels, Dishes I'd Rather Be Doing (including one featuring our favourite, Ryan Gosling). Learn how to put together simple shapes for fun little illustrations. Oh, and checkout Colleen's latest inspiring project, The AntiSocial Club.
I could keep going, but really check out the whole lot. All classes look super excellent.
Hoop Wall Art with Heleen Webb
Heleen is an amazing textile artist who produces absolutely beautiful modern embroidery and fabric designs. Her class covers basic embroidery stitches, plus some more interesting and creative ones.
Everything in the Taste stream
As per usual, the dumplings class sold out super fast, but here I am drooling over Maestro de Masa, More, More Cheese and Feast of the Southern Wild. Uh, YUM.
Keep your eyes on the blog tomorrow as we'll be launching our Handmade 2014 giveaway - you could be in to win a pass for you AND a friend. Hooray!
