Knit The Wave

It is Week Four in our Countdown to Christmas and my cupboard is still barren of handknit gifts for family and friends. Have you started to knit any gifts up this month?

Here is the newest additon to our growing display of projects that take only ONE SKEIN to make ONE GIFT.

Knit The Wave is a lace weight scarf in an interesting stitch that carries the knitter along row after row with subtle colour changes and an incredible silky feel that slips and slides over the needles with ease.

Scarf-

3.75 mm needles

1 skein Lace Merino by Ella Rae

Cast on 46 sts. K 5 rows.

Next Row- *K6, YO, K1, YO(two times), K1, YO(three times), K1, YO(two times), K1, YO*, rep *to*, end with, K6

Next Row- K each st, dropping all YOs off needle

Next Row- K

Next Row- K

Next Row- K1, *YO, K1, YO(two times), K1, YO(three times), K1, YO(two times), K1, YO, K6*, rep *to*, end with, YO, K1, YO(two times), K1, YO(three times), K1, YO(two times), K1, YO, K1

Next Row- K each st, dropping all YOs off needle

Next Row- K

Next Row- K

Rep these 8 rows for Pattern. When Scarf measures 60 in. ending with Row 8, knit a further 2 rows. Cast off.

New Knit Cardi Vest

Question: What can you knit in under 8 hours?

Answer: A chunky cardi vest with cap sleeves.

This new sample was truly effortless to knit up on size 6.50 mm needles. The colour changes were amazing to watch as they graduated from a mixed colour to a solid, in shades of plum, purple, and raspberry. There was no consistent repeats of colourways from one ball to the next, which I prefer, as it gives the finished piece much more of a hand dyed quality. Other colourways available in this Chunky weight yarn are Ocean Blue/Peacock, Neutral Beige/Soft Denim, and Mauve/Lilac Heather, all equally as pretty and definitely fitting one's Fall and Winter wardrobe. Now I just have to put together kits in a range of sizes and colours and have it on display for the coming week.

Unpacking Autumn Inspiration

This morning I unpacked these mouthwatering skeins-

handpainted merinos and silks in an array of Autumn colourways. It wasn't a difficult decision between letting the skeins lie in their packaged state, twisted and contorted, or unfurl each skein into a long loop of silken strands, hanging on a wooden rod to show off the full spectrum of colour.

Now that many yarn companies package yarn in skeins rather than balls, a knitter has the task of winding the skeins before starting a project. A wool winder is a lightweight contraption that attaches easily to the edge of a table or shelf. By manually turning a crank style handle, a skein is transformed into a cake style ball with a hollow centre. Knitters generally prefer pulling yarn from the centre of a ball, the tension is much more consistent and the ball sits in one place, without rolling away.

There is still the old fashioned method of winding skeins, it takes two people, one to hold the skein with both arms, and the other to swiftly roll it into a ball. When the room is suddenly empty, with no offers to help, a dining chair works well as a skein holder. I have a tall director's chair at work which I use, or while travelling in the car, I loop a skein around my knees and wind easily with two free hands. What helpful hints do you have for winding skeins?

Here we are at Week Three in the Countdown to Christmas. One Skein One Gift features a pair of Wrist Warmers, perfect for beginner knitters who want to learn how to cable.

Wrist Warmers

Size: Womens Medium

Yarn: 100g Lopi

Needles: 5.00 and 6.00 mm

Left Wrist Warmer:

*Cast on 30 sts with smaller needles. Work in K2/P2 ribbing for 3". Change to larger needles, and cont in Pattern as follows-*

Row 1- K4, P2, K6, P2, K16

Row 2- P16, K2, P6, K2, P4

Row 3- K4, P2, C6B (slip 3 sts onto cable needle, hold at back, K 3 sts from left needle, K 3 sts from cable needle), P2, K16

Row 4- as Row 2

Row 5- as Row 1

Row 6- as Row 2

Rep these 6 rows 3 more times, then Rep Rows 1-4 once more. Cont in K2/P2 ribbing for 4 rows. Cast off.

Right Wrist Warmer-

Work *to* as above, then cont in Pattern as follows-

Row 1- K16, P2, K6, P2, K4

Row 2- P4, K2, P6, K2, P16

Row 3- K16, P2, C6B, P2, K4

Row 4- as Row 2

Row 5- as Row 1

Row 6- as Row 2

Rep these 6 rows 3 more times, then Rep Rows 1-4 once more. Cont in K2/P2 ribbing for 4 rows. Cast off.

Sew side seams leaving thumb opening approx. 3" from top edge.

Countdown-Week Two

I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving Weekend, whether it was rainy, sunny, windy or snowy. Muskoka seemed to have a mix of everything all at once, typical for this time of year.

On Sunday and Monday, I enjoyed a cycling and driving tour in Wellington County, from Guelph through to Elora and Fergus. The leaves were a little paler than up here, but every once in a while there was a brilliant shot of crimson.

Mennonite farmers were busy working in the fields, chopping down cornstalks by hand, loading them onto horse-drawn wagons. It was quite a contrast watching this in one field, and then two farms over, a modern day farmer zipping through his field in a giant green machine.

These horses were waiting patiently in their parking spots in Elora until owners were finished shopping or working for the day.

It is already well into Week Two of the Twelve Weeks of Christmas. The newest sample on display in our One Skein One Gift program is a Knitted Necktie. If you are seeing socks in your sleep, then it might be time for a change. This simple project takes only 100g of self-striping sock yarn and would make a great gift for a man

or woman on your list.

ONE SKEIN TIE

2.75 mm needles

100g Self-Striping Sock Yarn (fingering weight)

Cast on 21 sts.

Work in Moss St for 17 in.

Next Row- K1, K2tog, Pattern to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1

Cont in Pattern St, dec in this manner, on every 20th row until 13 sts remain.

Cont without further shaping until work measures 58 in. Cast off.

Turn side edges, 3 sts inwards, slip stitch in position on wrong side of work.

On the Needles

On the needles...........and great for tucking away in my knitting bag- a new colourway in Supersocke Candy. It has all the shades of Fall fashion rolled up neatly in one ball.

Newbie sock knitters quite often ask about ladders and how to get rid of them. This is the annoying space that develops between two needles when working in the round. No matter how much a knitter may tug away at the yarn, it still shows up round after round. Tight knitters see this happen much more often than loose knitters. It can be corrected quite easily. Ladders are caused by not letting the yarn relax when transitioning from one needle to the next.

Here are two solutions-

~ Simply let the first stitch loosen up a bit, then tighten up the second stitch only

~ Change the arrangement of stitches on the needles every two or three rounds, this blurs the ladder line and it becomes less noticeable.

After a few washings the ladders will be next to invisible.

Twelve Weeks of Christmas

Hold onto your sock needles, its that time of year, the grand old countdown to Christmas. This year we kick off the tradition with a special feature-Twelve Weeks Of Christmas- One Skein One Gift. Each week a new item will appear on display, knit with only one skein of yarn. Kits will be available in an assortment of colours with a free pattern included, a total of twelve quick and easy gift ideas for your friends and family.



Lets get started- Week One features an old pattern revisited in a delicious, buttery yarn, Mulberry and Merino. This yarn is available in Teal as shown, Russet, Oyster, Taupe, Pale Lilac, Grape, Camel, and Burnt Orange.

Classic Bowtie Neck Scarf

Size: Womens

Yarn: 1 skein Mulberry and Merino

Needles: 4.50 mm

Cast on 3 sts.

Next Row- K2, YO, K to end. Rep this row until 24 sts on needle.

Next Row- K2, YO, K2tog, K to end. Rep this row 18 more times.

Slot Opening:

Next Row- *K1 st onto right needle, SL1 st onto stitch holder and hold at back of work*, rep *to*. Cont on 12 sts only in K1/P1 rib for 16 rows. Cut yarn. Rejoin yarn to stitch holder and work 16 rows in K1/P1 ribbing.

Slot Closing:

Next Row- *with needles side by side, K1 st from front and back needle together*, rep *to* = 12 sts.

Next Row- *K2, inc 1 st into loop from back st*, rep *to*, end with, K2 = 17 sts

Cont to K each row until 12" from Slot Closing (slightly stretched).

Next Row-*K1, K2tog*, rep *to*, end, K2 = 12 sts.

Cont in K1/P1 ribbing for 16 rows.

Next Row- K into front and back of each st = 24 sts.

Next Row- K2, YO, K2tog, K to end. Rep this row 18 more times.

Next Row- K1, K2tog, YO, K2tog, K to end. Rep this row until 5 sts remain.

Next Row- K1, SL1, K2tog, PSSO, K1 = 3 sts

Cast off rem sts.

Enjoy your first project of the season!