Friday, February 7, 2020, Issue 133: What is on your needles?

Jen, Linda, Jean and Heidi in the order of the photo decided they wanted to knit Marin Melchior (@marinjaknits on Instagram)'s Butterfly / Papillon Shawl.

Jen’s Papillon WIP before blocking!

Here’s Heidi’s Papillon before blocking!

Linda’s Papillon blocking!

Part of our Wednesday Nightshift Shawl - Learn Mosaic Knitting Knit-Along class with their beautiful WIPs on their needles! The Nightshift Shawl by Andrea Mowry has been a super popular pattern to knit.

This one is Marilyn’s Nightshift for our Wednesday afternoon KAL. She is using Noro Ito and Berroco Ultra Alpaca.

Bev is knitting her Nightshift using two shades of Noro Ito.

If you liked Nightshift, Andrea Mowry’s Shifty is her yoked sweater with the slipped stitch mosaic knitting! This sweater is all about being playful and having fun with color! One colorway is used consistently as the “background” while 3 contrasting colors make up the textured colorwork using the Mosaic knitting method!

It requires sport weight yarn in a main colour and 3 contrasting colours. There are 8 sizes but it is recommended to size down instead of up if you are between sizes so that the yoke fits properly. Recommended ease is -2 to +2”/-5 to +5 cm. The suggested needle size is 3.5 mm (US 4) for the main body and 2.75 mm (US 2) needles for the ribbing. Gauge is 30.5 sts & 48 rows = 4”/10 cm on the larger needles measured over the stitch pattern in the round after blocking.

She also has Shiftalong, a mosaic knitting hat!

Andrea Mowry’s Fade Névé is another of her fabulous designs! Top down with a circular yoke that fades from one colour to the next with rounds of nupps! This is knit using DK weight yarn for a gauge of 20 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch in the round with the larger needles, blocked. The suggested needles are 3.5 mm (US 4) and 4.0 mm (US 6) needles.

Espace Tricot has done it again with this simple and lovely design called Paloma - a free Ravelry download pattern! Knit in the round from the top down featuring twisted rib at the neck, sleeves, cuffs, and hem, Paloma is a straightforward raglan-style sweater with a boxy, slightly cropped silhouette. This modern shape is easy to wear over dresses and tunics or with high-waisted skirts and pants. I would love to knit this one using Lichen and Lace 80/20 Sock and Marsh Mohair held double! The pattern is designed for a fingering weight yarn to be held double with a lace weight mohair silk yarn. Gauge is 21 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette with both yarns, after blocking using 4.5 mm (US 7) needles or as required to get gauge and 4.0 mm (US 6) needles for the ribbing.

WIP's and FO's

I still have several projects on my needles but they have not progressed too far! My new WIP...

I have Rug by Junko Okamoto (free Ravelry download) started on my needles! Istex Alafosslopi is now in the shop in more colours than what I used for the Christmas tree skirt!

Sometimes I steam block before I take a photo of a WIP...not this time!

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

The current Knit-Alongs are the Butterfly / Papillon KAL and the Knit Any Shawl KAL and the Knit Your Project: the everlasting knit-along to encourage and support you to knit is running from January 1 until March 31st. Don't forget to post your finished projects so that you will be included in our quarterly draw!

Our Nightshift KAL has begun with six people signed up for the Wednesday afternoon Nightshift Shawl - Learn Mosaic Knitting Pre-Pay KAL. Andrea Mowry's Nightshift or The Shift is what we started with. After that everyone signed up will help choose what project to do next, another mosaic knitting shawl such as the Cascadial Wrap, Lunae or Mosaic Mania.

Diane is loving her new Ashford loom...this is her third scarf! She purchased one of the Complete Weaving Kits that I brought in at Christmas.

Rita’s FO this week was her Asheville, a free Ravelry download pattern by The Noble Thread.

Lise (Mattedcat) has this WIP on her needles - Sea Grass by Janina Kallio

Gloria is getting close to finishing her ZickZack Scarf by Christy Kamm using Lang Yarns Mille Colori Baby and only one colour instead of two colours.

Ann (annvanwagner) just finished this Myra Hat by Knox Mountain Knit Co. using Malabrigo Rios. Gorgeous twisted rib and trestle-inspired texture! Knox Mountain is the company who makes the one of a kind, upcycled leather Original Shawl and Cowl Cuffs.

Upcoming Classes and KAL...

Once again, we will be be running our Boy or Girl Bunny Class with Kathy. It is definitely a favourite class but I think this will be the last time we will run it! The upcoming class will run Saturdays, Feb 22, 29, Mar 14 & 28th – 1:00 to 3:00 pm so register soon! It is a great one to knit before Easter!

Get a jump on summer! Join us for our next Pre-Pay KAL - Summer Commitment bag by Espace Tricot! It is the perfect bag for strolling around town, going to market, or a day at the beach! This will run every Wednesday in March.

Sue2Knits will be joining in for Malabrigo Yarns first ever Knit-Along this April! The pattern that Malabrigo has chosen for the KAL is the Odyssey Shawl by Joji Locatelli (a free Ravelry download) and it is to be knit using Malabrigo Dos Tierras. It will be open to everyone but we will also have a Pre-Pay KAL with Kathy for those who wish instruction and help while you knit the project every Wednesday afternoon in April. The class itself will be limited to 6 but I will also add it to our Ravelry group with the links as well.

Signing up

For Malabrigo's KAL, they will need either a Facebook Name, an IG account or Ravelry ID because they would like to see the progress of the winners posted on their social media so that they can share across their social media channels as well. All the information will be confidential and will not be used for any other purpose except for the KAL communication. The link below is Malabrigo's sign up form so their KAL is an added bonus for anyone interested in our KAL class.

Sign up form link

Join us for our Cocoknits Cardigan Class! We will knit Antonia / Antonio by Julie Weisenberger of Cocoknits using her English Tailoring method for this classic, seamless top down cardigan. There will be five 2 hour classes running Saturdays, Mar 14, 21, 28, Apr 18 & 25 – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

We are adding another (our third) Learning the Magic Loop Sock Class with Jen! This one will run Saturday afternoons starting March 28th!

Happy Friday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting!