Small Projects

As knitting trends constantly change, so do the seasons. On the last day of September, Fall brings us indoors, the furnace kicks in, and its time to think of new projects, Christmas gifts to make for family and friends. With paper and pen in hand, the list begins..........

What knitter has not had that unforgettable night before Christmas experience where months of planning still led up to one stressful, mad rush to finish the last sleeve on Uncle Jim's Aran sweater. Sometimes good intentions lead us astray, and that UFO (unfinished object) is sitting under the tree on Christmas morning, wrapped in shiny paper waiting to be opened, while the humble knitter sits patiently, smiling meekly, ready to explain why the left sleeve is hiding under the sweater, and still on the needles.

An average adult sweater takes a minimum of forty hours in real knitting time. That does not include driving time to the store to find and purchase the yarn and pattern, the time it takes to rip out a mistake and redo it, or the finishing and blocking. A sweater is a work of love and patience, each stitch representing moments in a knitter's life.

For those of us who do not have forty hours to devote to each knitted gift, think on a smaller scale. A pair of warm, cosy socks or mittens would make a special someone's eyes sparkle with appreciation. A luscious alpaca scarf to keep the chills away, or a luxurious, bulky throw for the couch would bring hours of comfort and warmth.

Small projects are at the forefront of the knitting world, they are budget friendly, portable, requre less concentration and produce a quick feeling of satisfaction. With that in mind, this year MYC will feature 12 weeks of Christmas- one skein one gift. Starting in the second week of October, a new project will be highlighted weekly, requiring only one skein of yarn. This will give knitters 12 great ideas for Christmas gift giving! It is also a chance for knitters to branch out, learn a different stitch or technique. Keep checking in at: A Fresh Yarn for the 12 projects as they appear. Think small, knit more!

It was our Studio Tour this weekend, an annual event which draws thousands of visitors to the area. Artisans opened up their spaces to the public, with a warm inviting atmosphere, demonstrations and seasonal displays of colourful mums, pumpkins and picture worthy scarecrows.

Just like an artist needs the right paintbrush or chisel to work with, knitters also require specific tools, to make the stitches flow with simplicity and speed. Its a personal choice for knitters, whether they prefer wood to steel, circular to straight, all types of needles have benefits and a certain feel which makes them comfortable.

Wood and bamboo needles are extremely light, soft, and warm to the touch. They are friendly to the environment, recyclable, and have a little bit more grip for a new knitter who finds stitches slide too quickly. Doctors advise arthritic patients to try wood, as metal and steel draws heat away from sensitive fingers. Bamboo can dry out and splinter over time, so a hardwood such as Birch is the more durable type of needle. Steel circular needles are popular for those knitters who like to travel with small projects and prefer stitches to move at the speed of a jaguar. They have a very flexible wire and are easy to use in cramped areas, like a bus or train.

Having a good reference book will be helpful to a knitter in correcting mistakes and understanding knitting terms. The two most popular ones are- Knitters Companion by Vicki Square and Tips For Knitters by Debbie Bliss. Both are spiral bound, compact, and include wonderful diagrams on knitting and finishing techniques.

Knitters are fascinated with new gadgets, just as carpenters are drawn to Home Depot to browse the tool aisle. The hottest gadget in the knitting world is The Knit Kit. It resembles a swiss army knife and includes seven tools- a retractable tape measure, thread cutter, row counter, folding scissors, markers, point protectors, and a crochet hook for dropped stitches. These compact little kits, roughly the size of a cd, have been selling like hotcakes since the beginning of summer. Many knitters buy one for themselves and another as a gift for a friend or relative. For anyone who travels or is just starting their journey as a new knitter, its a must-have. Inspiring a new knitter with a tool that you have found to be helpful can make a world of difference.

chunky cowl

We are enjoying another balmy week of late summer weather in Muskoka. Today is a little overcast and drizzly, but I did manage to catch this image of cattails swaying in the breeze yesterday between the raindrops.

It may a little hard to think of the cold blustery days ahead, when todays's temperature is hovering around 20 degrees celsius, but knitters like to have a head start on the coming season.

Chunky Cowls are all the rage on the runway, bigger and bulkier than ever before. They can be worn over a coat as a buffer against the wind, and pulled up over the head if needed, or tucked inside a collar, like a thick, cosy scarf. In a cold and drafty workplace, they can be worn over a lightweight sweater or turtleneck, much like a moebius, that stays neatly in place.

This new design is knit up quickly with very little effort, on 10.00 mmm circular needles, using two strands of yarn held together to achieve a bulky effect.

Chunky Cowl-

Finished Size: 36 in x 18 in

Needles: 10.00 mm- 80 cm circular

Yarn: 5 balls Flama by Katia

Using two strands together, cast on 72 sts. Join in round. Work in K2/P2 ribbing until 18 in. Cast off loosely.

This just might be the perfect gift for a daughter away at University, quick and easy to throw on as she walks around campus this winter, or for a niece working in the big city, as she makes her way to and from work on a damp and windy day.......

New Sample Cardigan

Finally! Tweedie is complete and on display. This is a chunky yarn by Sirdar, a mixture of wool, alpaca and acrylic, surprisingly lightweight but with the feel of a pure fibre. Unfortunately, a picture never quite does justice to the real colour of the yarn.

Sometimes a knitter's eyes are too big, and that is what happened with this project. I put the cardigan aside for just a bit and found smaller projects that were inspiring me. Its hard to get back into the rhythm of the original knitting when too much time passes.

Today, the hardest decision was which button to finish it off with. I chose a handmade wooden button in tiger oak, it picks up the golden hued tweed nubbies in the yarn. Some of these buttons would have worked just as nicely.

teaching children to knit

While in Chicago this past weekend, I toured an Artisan Fair and came across a booth with a group of children learning to knit. It was part of the Waldorf School, which has a program using knitting as a learning tool, great for dexterity, spacial recognition, math, and understanding natural fibres. The Waldorf program uses only wooden needles which are soft and natural to the touch, and do not slip easily in smaller hands. Pure wool is the yarn of choice, it has much more body than synthetics and fits in well with the School philosophy.

They also use a lovely little rhyme to teach children the basic knit stitch-

In through the front door

Around the back

Out through the window

And off jumps Jack

Shawl Pins

As we knit up the newest wraps, vests and cardigans for the Fall, there are many creative options to choose as closures. Long gone are the days when our only decision was betweeen buttons or a zipper.

A large wooden or hand painted ceramic button makes a fashion statement, and can be added easily after the fact with a quick crocheted button loop. Just chain approximately seven stitches in the matching yarn and attach to the front edge. Sew your button to the opposite side to correspond. Ribbon is another simple way to dress up a cardigan, either threaded through an empire waistband to tie in the front or just attached at the neckline to tie loosely in a bow.

Shawl pins have been very popular for the last couple of seasons, they are extremely versatile, adding a piece of jewelry to a knit garment. Here is a sampling of some handmade wooden ones by a local artisan, he features a tri-selection of woods in each design. These have been selling well especially as gift items.

A brand new selection of shawl pins, handcrafted from coconut shells, has a natural sheen, in a black/brown colouring. Each one has a gentle curve which would make it a perfect choice for a shoulder closure.

Sweater sticks are wonderful options too, as they are quick and simple to use on shawls, vests and cardigans. Just lately, smaller neckwarmers have taken over in popularity from the long scarves of winters past, they fit nicely under a bulky coat and can be worn inside or outside on a cold day as a mini shawl. Picture one of these new sticks as a closure on a nice chunky cabled neckwarmer.........mmh......Christmas gift ideas anyone??

Tweedie by Sirdar

Yes, it was a glorious weekend of blue skies, warm breezes, and backyard aromas wafting from the grill. The perfect ending to another summer vacation for teachers and students before the early morning trek back to school today. I hope everyone was able to enjoy themselves with family and friends, whether it was relaxing in the city or at the lake.

My weekend plans took me kayaking down a lazy river, exploring little canals, and turtle watching, then a trip to Santa's Village with my nephew for the last few hours until the elves closed the gates with a giant wave, "see you next year".

Today, its back to reality, and a new sample to knit for the store. It is a chunky yarn with a rustic, woodsy feel, Tweedie by Sirdar, available in mossy green, soft grey, and natural beige. The sample is knitting up quickly on 6.50 mm needles, a Fall jacket with a staghorn cable in the centre panel flanked by single cables at each side, and a large ribbed yoke with one button.

Back To Sweaters

We are enjoying a week of endless sunshine here in Muskoka, a wonderful prelude into Labour Day Weekend. There is a stillness in the air, after the hustle and bustle of July and August. The kids are getting geared up for the start of school, and traffic is winding down to a quiet hum. Its a great time of year to really get out and experience Muskoka as a tourist. Thats what I plan to do over the long weekend.

This Saturday is our annual Back To Sweaters Sale. Now that the new Fall yarns are in stock, sample sweaters are being knitted up and the discontinued ones are taken down. They are discounted at 50% off only once a year and it is this Saturday, September 5th from 9:30 to 5:00. There will also be a good selection of children's sweaters, and accessories such as hats, and scarves.

End Of Summer Scarf

Sit in the sun with a cool refreshing breeze, and enjoy the last days of summer with a small project to knit on- a shimmery linen scarf in Louise Harding Merletto. It takes only 3 balls and has an interesting pattern on both sides, right and wrong. The yarn is available in the honey beige as shown in our sample scarf, a medium blue, soft aqua, and a kiwi green.

Here is the pattern-

Merletto Scarf

3 balls Merletto

4.50 mm needles

Cast on 47 sts. K 2 rows.

Cont in pattern St as follows-

Row 1- K2, YO, *K3, P2, P3tog, P2, K3, YRN, P2, YO*, rep *to* twice, end with K3, P2, P3tog, P2, K3, YO, K2

Row 2- K2, *P4, K5, P4, K2*, rep *to*

Row 3- K2, YO, *K4, P1, P3tog, P1, K4, YRN, P2, YO*, rep *to* twice, end with K4, P1, P3tog, P1, K4, YO, K2

Row 4- K2, *P5, K3, P5, K2*, rep *to*

Row 5- K2, YO, *K5, P3tog, K5, YRN, P2, YO*, rep *to* twice, end with, K5, P3tog, K5, YO, K2

Row 6- K2, *P6, K1, P6, K2*, rep *to*

Rep these 6 rows until work measures 59" ending with Row 6. K 2 rows. Cast off all sts.

Another option is using the same pattern to make a shawl, just add another 30 sts to the original cast on no. and it will double the width. Remember it will take twice as much yarn also.

Happy Knitting!