Free Ysolda Teague hat pattern!

I love starting my Monday morning with some surprises, like this free Ysolda pattern over at Knitting Daily. The pattern is called Lee, and besides being both retro and glamorous, how fun does that construction look? Download the free pattern here; the Ravelry project page is here, and of course, Ysolda’s blog is here.

Happy Knitting! ~J

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little red in the city…

…is now ready for pre-order!  When you order, you’ll get an information sheet for each pattern – that way, you can gather your supplies and be ready to knit once the patterns are released.  How thoughtful! 

Click here to pre-order. ~J

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Little Red in the City…

Ysolda’s blog has been awfully quiet as of late, no doubt because she is wrapping up last-minute details of her newest book of patterns – Little Red in the City.  It should be released sometime this month… aren’t you excited to see what she’s come up with?

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Ysolda’s knitting patterns are on sale!

In honor of her 25th Birthday, Ysolda is sweetly offering 25% off all of the patterns in her Ravelry shop.  I went ahead and splurged on the pattern for the Ishbel scarf she’s wearing in the photo above – which was £2.25GPB, or $3.45.

The sale is today only, so don’t dilly-dally.

Happy Birthday, Ysolda!  ~J

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coraline or tea leaves?

{left: Coraline Sweater; right: Tea Leaves Cardigan}

I’m not even finished with my pleated top yet, and I’m already trying to decide which sweater to cast on next.  I’ve narrowed it down to Coraline by Ysolda Teague and the Tea Leaves cardigan by Madeline Tosh .  I think the Coraline would look gorgeous knit in a deep Christmas red, and the the Tea Leaves in a very subtly-variegated green.

Let me know what do you think…and have a great weekend! ~J

{pattern links: Coraline, Tea Leaves}

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pretty wraps for rainy days…

Cedar leaf Shawlette, by Alana Dakos

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Damson, by Ysolda Teague

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Juneberry Triangle, by Jared Flood

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Springtime Bandit, by Kelbourne Woolens

It has been damp, cold and rainy around here over the past couple of days, and these cozy shawls are calling my name.  I want to knit them all!

Ravelry Links for Patterns:

Cedar Leaf Shawlette, Damson, Juneberry Triangle, Springtime Bandit (free!)

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2009 Holiday Gift Guide – Knitting Edition.

Can you believe it’s December 1st already?  Hopefully you are well into your holiday shopping, but in case you are stuck on what to get for your favorite knitter, we went ahead and put together some gift ideas for your fiber-loving friends and family.  These gifts may not be handmade, but they sure will be appreciated by the knitters in your life, plus, it’s all under $50.  Here we go!

{1} Knit Picks Palette Yarn – (For the indecisive knitter) At around $2 a ball, and with over 80 color choices, this fingering-weight wool is a stash-builder’s dream come true. {$1.99 – 2.19 per 50 g. ball}

{2} Knitterella Gift Tags – (For the humble knitter) Let them know that the scarf they just opened was handmade by you!  These gift tags will add an extra personal touch to your hand-knitted gifts this year.  {$5.95 for a pack of 12}

{3} Knittin’ Kitten Stash Bank – (For the knitter who’s always broke) Know someone saving up for some cashmere yarn?  Give them this retro coin bank to store their pennies and dimes.  {$9.99 at modcloth.com}

{4} Porcelain Sweater Candles – (For the knitters who need to relax) With scents like Moss & Leather, Balsam & Cedar, and Cypress & Fir, knitters will love smelling these as they work on their stress-free post-holiday projects. {$20 – $32 each at anthropologie.com}

{5} Lilac Stitch Markers – (For knitters who like shiny things)  Made especially for Clapotis knitters, these pale lilac beads, with their snag-proof golden rings, are lovely enough to use on any project.  {$13.50 for a set of 20 at the VelvetHippo Etsy Shop}

{6} Guys Knit Magnet – (For men who are proud of their stitches) We dig men who knit!  They can put this proudly on their fridge for all macho-male friends to see.  {$4 at cafepress.com}

{7} Sew-On Knitting Appliques – (For the sweater knitter) These sew-on labels will turn those hand-knitted items into instant heirlooms. {$2.29 for set of 3 at knitting-warehouse.com}

{8} Lantern Moon Needles – (For the knitter who likes a little luxury) I got these last year for Christmas, and they are truly special. A big step up from craft-store bamboo needles, these make knitting even more of a joy than it already is. {$23 – $32 at purlsoho.com}

{9} Where My Stitches At? T-Shirt – (For the knitter who hangs out on Ravelry, which is basically all of us.) Ravelers will love wearing this classic tee to their local knitting groups. We love Bob! {$15 at ravelry.com}

{10} Merry Knit-Mas Ornament – (For the Christmas-loving knitter) This vintage-looking ornamnet will certainly add a little style to anyone’s tree. {$12 at cafepress.com}

{11} Whimsical Little Knits 2 – (For the knitter who appreciates beautiful, thoughtful patterns) I dare you to find someone who doesn’t like Ysolda’s knits. With gorgeous patterns like Damson, Veyla, and Ripley, this little booklet is worth every penny. {£14/$23 at ysolda.com}

{12} Circular Needle Case – (For the knitter who needs some serious needle organization) This pretty silk case stores multiple circulars neatly, and each pocket is labeled with both the US and metric measurements – no more guessing! {$48 at dellaq.com}

{13} Lobster Pot 2-Ply Cashmere Yarn – (For the knitter who obsessively stalks expensive yarns, but never buys them…) When you want to give something very extravagant, this is the yarn. Hand dyed in Cape Cod, this subtly variegated cashmere yarn comes in 18 swoon-worthy colors. {$46 for 400 very generous yards, exclusively at purlsoho.com}

Happy Shopping, knitters!   ~Jenny

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a year of knitting.

October marks my One Year Knitting Anniversary.

{2008-2009 projects}

According to Ravelry, I have knit a total of 38 projects since that very first cast-on.  It was Jaime who patiently taught me how to cast on and how to do the knit stitch.  It was last October, and our Mom in the hospital and was very, very sick; we were spending 8-10 hours a day just sitting in her room waiting for her to get better.   One morning Jaime showed up with some bright blue yarn and a pair of size 8 bamboo knitting needles.

{the crazy turquiose yarn}

She patiently showed me how to do a long-tail cast-on and the simple knit stitch.  She thought knitting would be a good way to pass the time, but it ended up being so much more than that.  Slowly, the conversations shifted from heart illnesses and transplants to dropped stitches and Mom’s stories about how she used to crochet growing up.  It was therapeutic and uplifting for all of us, I think, as we sat and giggled about the hideous blue monster growing on my needles…

By the time Mom was released, I had really gotten the hang of knitting and purling.  Jaime and I decided to visit a local yarn store called Stitches with Style.  When I walked in, I felt amazingly at home – there was so much yarn in so many different textures and colors – it was like being a kid in a candy store, a feeling I still get whenever I walk in there.

{my wonderful little yarn shop}

After walking around for at least an hour, touching the skeins and looking at the beautiful work displayed around the shop, I finally settled on some Lanaloft Wool in a reddish-pink colorway.   It was with this yarn that I knit my first real scarf.   While admiring my finished creation, I noticed that the first half of the scarf looked slightly different from the second half – I made the rookie mistake of not checking the dye lots.  I still buy my all of my yarn from that little shop.  They are always so helpful and nice and happily, they are just down the block!

{My first real project}

Since that first real scarf, there have been lots of other ‘firsts’ – the first baby hat:

{Sunshine Baby Hat}

The first lace and sweater:

{Shaped Lace Camisole}

The first cables:

{Eyeglass holder}

The first knitting in the round:

{Baby Beanie Hat}

What a joyous moment that was – no purling!  There was the first charity knitting, for Lucinda and her Cooper:

{A sweet little blue bird}

My first original pattern:

{Perla's Cloche}

It would be impossible to list all of them.  Each project has been a learning experience, and each mistake has been invaluable in helping me become a better knitter.

Knitting sometimes conjures up images of little old ladies sitting in rocking chairs, so I was completely surprised by the huge, amazingly talented community of young knitters that are out there.

{Clockwise from top left: Ysolda, Jared, Wenlan, Susan}

Ysolda Teague, Jared Flood, Susan Anderson, Wenlan Chia – they are all classic and edgy and vibrant, and continue to be a true source of inspiration.   There is never a day when I am not browsing the amazing knitting on Ravelry – the creativity that is out there is simply astounding.

I am so excited about this next year of knitting and for all of the new ‘firsts’ I’ll get to experience.   And I will forever be thankful to my sister for giving me this wonderful gift.

Have a great weekend! ~Jenny

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May I present…

Knitters, this is by far the most fun I’ve ever had knitting.  This pattern has it all – cables, eyelet lace, and more.  Ysolda Teague is a genius pattern writer, as she provides you two options for following along – a beautifully written out, line-by-line pattern as well as an easy-to-read chart.

{from the back}

It was so hard to put down because each line was different and the rose simply grew before your eyes.  I just wanted to keep knitting to see how the pattern was working.

{close-up of the cleverly cabled band}

{a beautiful rose}

The Sandnes Garn Alpaka has a beautiful drape, which is great if you are looking for a decent slouch-factor, and it has just enough fuzziness to add a little character without hiding the beautiful details.

{the petals}

I would love to knit an entire garden of these roses!  Here are the details:

• Pattern: Rose Red by Ysolda Teague
• Source: Ysolda Store
• Yarn: Sandnes Garn Alpakka in Red
• Needles: Size US 6 dpns. and Size US 6, 16″ circulars
• Size made: Medium

My head measures 22″ and this feels a teeny-tiny bit loose around the band, but other than that, it fits the rest of my head beautifully.  Here are a few more angles:

{color on right is the truer shade}

I just cannot say enough good things about this pattern – even if you are a beginner, it is so exquisitely well-written, that is is definitely worth trying out.  Happy knitting!

~Jenny

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