MINI TASSELS

Are these not the cutest little embellishments to add to your CELEBRATIONS SHAWL?  Not only do they have a fun Moroccan element to them, they also represent a fabulous display of colour in a miniature fireworks show!


Here is the tutorial to make your own MINI TASSELS-


Materials:
2 double point needles 5 mm/ US 8
1 double point needle 3 mm/ US 2.5
Darning needle
Scissors
Peppino by Rhichard Devrieze Yarns fingering weight merino in assorted colours

1. Thread approx. 36 in/ 91 cm length of yarn onto darning needle and insert under two bars along shawl edge. [Wrap yarn vertically around all three needles held in position and under two bars at edge] Repeat nine times.   

2. Cut yarn ends slightly longer than tassel length. 

3. Cut a length of yarn approx. 12 in/ 30.5 cm and thread onto darning needle.  Wrap three times horizontally around tassel between smaller and larger needle.  Tie ends together at back of tassel and thread through tied section to bury ends. 

4. Remove all three needles.  Cut through all loops at end of tassel. 

5. Trim ends to neaten tassel. 

6. Space each tassel ten stitches apart along cast on edge in desired colour sequence to create eleven tassels in all.  Repeat along cast off edge to match.  



MARCH - A - LONG

The first robin has been sighted and its all uphill from here!!  Spring is officially within grasp.  To keep our spirits soaring and our fingers busy, we have a few fun things planned for the month of MARCH.


First up... our MARCH - A - LONG !!


We have chosen a great project...

S U N S H I N E ~ C O A S T

by Heidi Kirrmaier 

The pattern is available here to purchase on Ravelry or in store.  This stunning A-line pullover is knit top down with NO seams!  There are many ways to customize the style to suit your liking.  Short sleeves or long sleeves... stripes or gradient....ribbed borders or moss stitch edging.... whatever you choose. Here are just a few ideas from fellow knitters to inspire you. 


If you would like to join, just head on over to our EVENTS page and follow along here where we will post weekly updates with hints and tips to get you from start to finish. We will also host an in store KAL every Friday in March from 1 to 3 pm. You are welcome to join in either in person or follow along at home. 


Here comes the BONUS... Receive 20% off your yarn purchase for this KAL... just mention the code: Sunshine Coast

SUMMER ROAD TRIP MKAL

Big news for fans of the Yours Truly, Summer MKAL..... the sequel is due out on July 1st!!
This time we are taking a S U M M E R   R O A D   T R I P  across
C A N A D A  starting at the Pacific Coast and ending at the Atlantic Coast.

Kick back and relax..... breath in the fresh air... enjoy the view as we wind our way from coast to coast taking in four thousand miles of stunning scenery in celebration of
C A N A D A  150

This crescent-shaped shawl will be knit with the wonderful yarns of Rhichard Devrieze, and depending on your preference may or may not be color specific.  Five colors are required for this project, one skein of each in Peppino fingering weight merino. There will be at least 10g remaining after completion of each CLUE.

We will host an in store Knit A Long on Friday afternoons from 1 to 3 pm throughout the summer!  Please feel to join in or follow along at home.  There are many colors to choose from at the shop or through mail order.  Please contact us by phone or email and we are more than happy to help customize your color selection.

Suggested colors (shown above)-
Seabreeze (blue variegated)
Honey On The Go (gold stippled)
O Canada (red solid)
When I Think Of You (green stippled)
Twyla Brae (multi-color stippled)

Step outside the box when choosing your colors, as stipples, variegated and solids will all work well together.  If you prefer to swap out some of your colors along the way.... go for it!  Its your road trip!

ONE clue will be released every TWO weeks for a total of FIVE clues.  The FIRST clue will be FREE in honor of Canada's big day on July 1st!  Following clues will be 1.50 each.

Clue 1 - July 1st
Clue 2 - July 15th
Clue 3 - July 29th
Clue 4 - August 12th
Clue 5 - August 26th

Hop on and enjoy the ride!

September KAL

This month as the early mornings remind us that cooler days are on the way, we are getting back to our KAL.  For September, we have picked out a cosy vest project, to knit in a brand new chunky yarn from Sirdar.  Harrop Tweed Chunky is a machine washable wool blend- speckled and fabulous, reminiscent of British heritage tweeds.  The vest design is a flattering a-line shape with an interesting array of cables and texture.

Join in the fun as our KAL group meets every Saturday at 1 pm in the shop or follow along at home.  We have posted a KAL page with updates on Facebook here.  Kits for this project are available by mail order or in store.

APRIL SHOWERS KAL

The birds are chirping, and the first blooms of Spring are starting to appear!  But there are still a few rainy spells to get through before we can finally get outside and enjoy the outdoors.  You know what that means.... time for another Knit A Long!

Are you looking for a new project, something you can really sink your needles into? Why not join our
APRIL SHOWERS KAL!

Our project of choice is B L Y - a long and lean cardigan knit from the top down (yay! no seams).  A  great everyday style, this design is casual and comfortable, yet not too heavy, not too light, just the right choice for every season.  The simplicity of the pattern will give you an opportunity to add your own design elements, change the length, and try new techniques.    

This design features three quarter sleeves, a flattering V neck front with button closure, and side vents.  Choose from a variety of worsted weight yarns in cotton or merino (10% discount applied on any yarn purchased for this KAL).   Pattern is available to download here for free on Ravelry.

Join our Saturday KAL group in the shop from 1- 2:30 pm during the month of April or follow along at home.  Submit a photo of your finished project by the end of April and you will receive an entry ballot for our KAL draw.    

HELLO SPRING! KAL

At this time of year, aren't you more than r-e-a-d-y for any glimpse of SPRING.  It could be the first robin sighting, or the tiniest green bud appearing on a tree branch.  What better way to urge on the arrival of SPRING than by knitting a new project, something light and airy with a little shimmer to it.

This month we are hosting a KAL!

H E L L O  S P R I N G!

'Open Spaces' is a brand NEW shawl design that was inspired by the fluid motion of spring, a season of fresh air, streaming sunlight, and wide open spaces to roam in. This shawl can be worn as a neck accessory or wrapped around the shoulders for a cover up. It requires four solid shades in Mirasol NUNA, a soft lightweight blend of merino, silk and bamboo. There will be a 10% discount off the yarn (please be sure to mention that you are participating in the HELLO SPRING! KAL).

To join in the fun, simply choose your four colours, we have a great selection available in-store or by mail order.  There will be a 10% discount off the yarn (please be sure to mention that you are participating in the HELLO SPRING! KAL). We cast on March 5th and have a group that meets at the store from 1-2:30 pm and many others who will follow along at home.

Each week helpful tips will be posted right here to walk you through the pattern.  Upon completion of your project, submit a photo or drop by the store to show it ff.  You will receive an entry ballot for our end of month prize draw! 

FEBRUARY KAL UPDATE 4

It has been a really fun month of counting sheep, and sadly it is coming to a close soon.  Our KALers have commented on how much they have enjoyed learning new techniques and experimenting with colour combinations to create an array of these imaginative little hats.


Keep sending in your pics of finished Baa-ble Hats, each project that you complete counts as one entry into our month end draw.  The winner will be announced on March 1st.  There will be a second draw for most creative hat, so put your thinking cap on, there is still plenty of knitting time left.   


This week we focus on the perfect fluffy pom pom, to top off your Baa-ble Hat.  It is as simple as winding yarn around four fingers. 


Here is our step by step guide-


Step 1: Choose one, two, three or all four colours used in your Baa-ble Hat, line the balls up side by side. 

Step 2: Holding your chosen strands together, start wrapping the yarn around four fingers, not too tight.  Make sure you can still wiggle your fingers. 

Step 3: Wind the yarn until your fingers are full and the yarn thickness is well-cushioned.  If you are making two identical pom poms for a project be sure to count out the number of wraps to keep the sizing equal. 

Step 4: Cut the yarn strands.  Have a helper standing by for this part, it will be a whole lot easier.  Using a separate strand of yarn (make sure it passes the strength test), approx. twenty inches long, tie around centre of bundle VERY TIGHTLY!  This is important to ensure your pom pom does not fall apart. 

Step 5: Now that your pom pom resembles a bow tie, take a pair of sharp scissors and cut through the loops on each side of the centre tie. 

Step 6: Trim the ends to give your pom pom a nice rounded shape, making sure to leave the tied ends at centre untouched.  These will be used to tie the pom pom to top of hat.  Be careful not to over trim, it won't grow back!

Step 7: To make your pom pom extra fluffy, plug in a kettle and tie your pom pom loosely to the end of a wooden spoon.  Wait for the steam action to begin.  Dangle the pom pom over the steam from a safe distance for a minute or so.  This will give your pom pom a fuller appearance.  Roll in between your hands to soften the ends.  Attach to top of hat with one end through centre top stitch and one end pulled through approx. two stitches over.  Tie tightly to secure in position.

Did you know?

Australia, New Zealand and Scotland

have more sheep than people

FEBRUARY KAL UPDATE 2

A warm and woolly welcome to all our fellow Baa-blers who have joined the flock for the February KAL.  We have knitters casting on in Nova Scotia, Florida, southern Ontario and all around Muskoka.

Already a few Baa-ble hats have been completed during the first week and (no surprise) because it is such a fun project, second ones are now in progress!!

Remember to email or post a pic of your finished Baa-ble hat(s) on our facebook page in order to be entered in our end of month draw for a chance to win one of two prizes.  You may enter as many times as you wish, each finished hat equals one entry ballot.  Prize One will be a random draw.  Prize Two will be for most creative Baa-ble hat.  We will try to post as many pics as possible of entries.  

 In-store KAL gets underway with the February flock 

Week Two is about beginning the fair isle work on the charted portion of the pattern.

Read through our list of helpful hints and tips below-

Tip No. 1: Sticky notes make excellent line minders, use them as shown in the image above to mark your place on the chart.


Tip No. 2: When stranding colours, the rule of thumb is no more than three stitches should be knit without catching and knitting in the 'floats' (yarn being carried across back of work).  Most of the background design on this Chart can be knit without catching the floats due to the short pattern repeats.  Beginning with the legs and throughout the body of the sheep, knitting in the floats will be required.

Tip No. 3:  This project is a great opportunity to try two-handed knitting, with one colour held in the left hand Continental-style and one colour held in the right hand English-style as shown in this video.

Tip No. 4:  Jogless Rounds!  This is a sweet little trick to avoid the unsightly steps that occur at the end of  a round when switching to a new colour on the next round.  See technique here.

Did you know?

The fleece from just one sheep can be spun 

into a 200 km long strand of wool. 

That is the distance from  

Muskoka Yarn Connection 

to the  

Toronto CN Tower 

FEBRUARY KAL UPDATE 1

If you have taken the leap onto the Baa-ble baa-nd wagon, you are in good company as we get ready to cast on for a fun month of knitting! This week is all about getting your stitches on the needles, working through the ribbing and planning the perfect colour scheme.  As you are sure to find out like so many others have, this pattern is highly addictive and will likely inspire more than one version.

Read through a list of helpful hints and tips below-  

Tip No. 1: Many Baa-ble knitters have stated that this hat fits quite big when knit on the suggested needles. For that reason, switch to 3.75 mm for the Ribbing and 4 mm for the Main Hat Section.

Tip No. 2:  If you choose to knit this hat for a child (shown in our purple/fuchsia sample posted below) cast on 80 stitches for Ribbing and increase to 90 stitches for Main Hat Section.  This will eliminate one repeat on the chart.  After Row 25 of the chart have been completed, jump to Row 30 to begin top shaping.   

Tip No. 3: When casting on with circular needles it is important to check before joining in the round to make sure no stitches have twisted over the needle.

Tip No. 4: To eliminate the opening that occurs between the first and last cast on stitch, you can sew the tail end across to smooth it out or try this handy little trick- Cast on one extra stitch, before joining in the round, slip the first stitch from left needle onto right needle, pass the extra stitch over this first stitch and slip it back to left needle. Tighten both yarn ends and proceed.

Stay tuned for our next update on Monday February 8th for tips on stranding, reading charts, and jogless rounds.  We have set up an EVENT page on Facebook here.  Feel free to check in and post your progress pics. 

Did You Know?  

Sheep can distinguish between the faces of up to 

fifty other sheep and remember them for 2 years, 

plus they have been known to 
recognize human faces.  

Always be kind to a sheep!  

FEBRUARY KAL DRAW WINNERS

It has been a really fun month, yes it was a chilly one but with our FEBRUARY LADY Knit A Long in full swing we had more important things to focus on.  Congratulations to everyone who took on the challenge of learning the ins and outs of knitting from the top down, and devoted so much time to working on their project.  We will certainly be hosting another KAL in the future, if you have any ideas for an interesting design that would appeal to most knitters please do let me know. 


In the meantime......drumroll please ..........


CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR THREE LUCKY WINNERS who have each won a themed bag of goodies!!


Annette McDermott - 'BIG Stuff'


Evelyn Hoolans - 'Socktopia'


Brenda Cooper - 'Shawl We Knit?'