Open through Easter and Passover

We are Open our regular hours through Easter and Passover and host an extra Stitch 'N Bitch on Easter Friday. By the way, our Spring sale ends after Easter, some come and get the savings while you can!

Passover Hours
Monday March 29  11am to 6pm
Tuesday March 30  11am to 6pm (regular Stitch 'n Bitch, 12-4pm)

Easter Hours
Friday April 2     11am to 5pm (special Stith 'n Bitch, 1pm to 5pm)
Sunday April 4    12pm to 5pm (regular Stitch 'n Bitch, 1pm to 5pm)
Monday April 5  11 am to 6pm

March Yarn Swap is Coming!

March Yarn Swap is Coming!

Come on down to our March yarn swap!  You know the deal: leave a yarn, take a yarn, and all the remainders go to charity.

March is a great time to start spring cleaning your stash. It's time to get rid of the skeins you are never going to use and make room for things that will bring some joy into your life!  I'm still purging my collection so I *guarantee* that there will be something worth checking out in the bin.

Plus, as an added incentive, you'll receive 10% off your purchase of yarn when you donate at our swap! (discount does not apply to Studioloo or Manspun yarns)

When:   Sunday March 28, 2010: 1pm to 5pm
Where:  Knit-o-Matic, 1378 Bathurst St, Toronto On

See ya later kniterator!

P.S.
If I have time I'll make some home-made gluten free cookies (from scratch, which means I baked them up myself from a recipe, not that they come from the espresso bar down the block named 'Scratch', which also has very, very yummy cookies)

Simple Spring Shawletter Pattern is Now Available

The pattern for the Simple Spring Shawlette (the one I made in Noro Furin) is now available for FREE through Ravelry.  If you don't already have an account you can use the store's:

login: knitomatic2
password: knitomatic

This pattern is a quick and simple little project to whip up for the season or to take on vacation. It is knit from the top down, centre out, and features an eyelet border.  If you've never done the M1L or M1R increase please don't be daunted, it is very easy and I've included a link to easy to understand explanations, illustrated and on video.

Size
S(M, L, XL)  (sizes should follow general commercial garment sizes, for example, your T-shirt or sweater size)
Approx Neck length: 21(23.5, 26, 28.5) cm or 8.25(9.25, 10.25, 11.25) inches
Bottom edge length is variable and depends on your knitting tension, how much yarn you use and how many times you increase.  The length of my sample in size small is 220cm (88 inches).

Materials
3 (4, 5, 6) skeins Noro Furin, colour 4 (aran weight yarn, 50g/110 metres: cotton, silk, wool, rayon & nylon)
5.5mm/36" circular needles
8 (10, 12, 14) Stitch Markers

Gauge
14 sts & 21 rows = 4"/10cm in stocking stitch

Techniques
M1R
Illustrated Explanation
http://www.knittingdaily.com/glossary/make-one-right.aspx

Video Explanation
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/increases

M1L
http://www.knittingdaily.com/glossary/make-one-left.aspx

Video Explanation
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/increases

Abbreviations
BO         bind off/cast off
CO         cast on
K            knit
M1L       make one left - a left slanting, lifted stitch increase. see techniques for more    
              information.
M1R       make one right - a right slanting, lifted stitch increase. see techniques for more                  information.
P            purl
PM         place marker on the needle
R           row
Slm        slip the marker from left needle to right needle
St/s       stitch/es
YO         yarn over: bring the yarn between the needle to the front and drape it over the right
              needle, then proceed with instructions as written.

Keep the Kidlets Occupied with Dye!

Check out this article on dyeing easter eggs with Kool-Aid (via Craft zine)!

We have the full raibow selection of Wilton's concentrated icing colour paste, which is great for dyeing yarn, but are also wonderful at keeping kids occupied dyeing eggs.  One container is 28g and costs $4. After dyeing the eggs you can get the kids to dye yarn too - it has to be an animal fibre, and you can do it the same way you would with kool-aid, just add 1/4 cup if vinegar.

March 2010 Newsletter

Check out our March newsletter HERE!

New Spring Yarn Manos Serena

Manos del Uruguay Serena $14.50/$15.50

• 50g/155m
• 3.5mm to 4mm
• 22-26 sts = 4"/10cm
• no people were exploited in the making of this yarn

Manos Serena is also a newbie, but just a lovely as it's colleagues. Summer yarns aren't usually petting yarns, but Serena's alpaca/cotton blend is as soft and pretty as a kitten. It comes in both kettle dyed semi-solids and hand dyed multi-colours. Additionally, Manos is a World Fair Trade Organization, which means that it is a non-profit organization that assembles artisans to bring them economic and social opportunities. The name of the artisan and her location are even written on the tags of the hand painted yarns! The yarn is versatile, I'm queing it up to make a little spring cardie, but it also has the drape for lace/shawl knititng. It's a sport/Dk weight, so you can use it for just about any pattern that calls for either of those weight of yarns.

To see the colous click HERE, there are some pretty ones suitable for babies.

New Spring Yarn: Noro Furin

Pattern above is "Amy" from Jane Ellison Noro #9 (Noro for Kids)

Noro Furin $10.50
Yay! A new Noro yarn for spring & summer! Furin is kind of like Noro Silk garden, except it's a summer yarn with a base of cotton. There is a binding thread wrapped around the strand to keep the single ply of cotton in place but never fear, it's pretty my dear! The yarn knits up fast and easily and looks great in a variety of stitches (stockingette, moss, garter, etc). I just started working on something for the store in it this weekend, more on that to follow.

• 52% Cotton, 17% silk, 17% wool, 9% rayon, 5% nylon
  
• 50g/110m
• 16 sts & 22rows = 4"/10cm
• 5mm to 6mm needles

Color #4 - Lime, Coral, Lilac

Color #1 - Greens, Grey, Brown

Color #10 - Purples, Blues, Greens

Color #11 - Coral, Greens, Turquoise

New Book: Tea Cozies 2 (electric boogaloo)

Tea Cozies 2  $19.50
The first tea Cozies was snapped up quickly, so I know this one will interest you too! My faves include:

• Simple cozy in a msitake rib in Noro Silk Garden
• School Tweed cozy
• Washday cozy (on book cover)
• Fondant bon-bon candy cozy
• Cat & Mouse cozy

Publisher's Description

The first Tea Cozies book (a charming introduction to knitted, crocheted, or sewn covers that keep a teapot warm) was so popular that we needed to create another! This new collection features a fantastic range of motifs, including a cheerful Sunflower Garden with tiny bees, classic blue-and-white Cornish Ware pattern, and adorable Little Black Dress for the well-dressed teapot to wear. A techniques section explains the basic skills, and the original designs—all created by readers of Knitting magazine—are as easy to make as they are colorful and imaginative.

New Book: Knitwear Design Workshop by...

 Knitwear Design Workshop: A Comprehensive Gide to Handknits,  by Shirley Paden $47.95
WOW! This is the book knitters interested in design have been waiting for. They say that this book is a comprehensive guide, and they aren't kidding! It's a text book on how to design knitwear for hand-knitting and it goes into every detail!

• how to choose the right yarn
• how to make sleeves and sleeve caps that fit, how to design single tapered, double tapered and reverse tapered garments
• how to best use a stitch pattern
• how to modify commercial pattern instructions for your perfect garment
• how to improve your attention to detail with a swatch
• body and garment measurements

The  book is broken down into chapter on planning your design, selecting the yarn, making a classic pullover, alternate pullovers, cardigans, skirts & dresses, alternate armhole shaping, sleeves & cuffs, necklines, neckbands, collars and lapels, finishing techniques, and a final chapter with 4 projects by the author.  The appendix includes a design process checklist, CYCA measurement charts, shaping formula variations, and a bibliography. 

All of the math you need to know is outlined clearly and easily, techniques are illustrated clearly, tips are highlighted. The instructions are clear and are broken down into easy to follow steps that are illustrated (where appropriate) with charts, tables, and any other form of guidance you could possibly need. The only thing missing is the author standing over your shoulder, observing your progress!