We will be closed on Sunday & Monday October 9th & 10 for the Thanksgiving Holiday, but we'll see you after!

New Yarns from Abuelita! And Some Frills Too!

Abuelita Thick & Thin $16.50

Abuelita Thick & Thin is a deliciously soft, textured yarn.  It has all of the interesting texture of Malabrigo Gruesa and Aquarella, but also has the soft, squishiness of Malabrigo Worsted.  It also comes in some super pretty colours, hand painted, blended heathers and solid dyes.

• 100g/125m
• 5mm to 6mm needles
• perfect for anything close to your skin or toys
• eco and animal friendly

Abuelita Mysterious Blend Bulky $16

First off, does this yarn have the funniest name ever? I think something was lost in translation (reminds me of cafeteria mystery meat) because there is nothing untoward about this sublime blend of Merino Wool and Silk. It is a soft, squishy single ply - so visualize a texture similar to Malabrigo Worsted with the tension of Malabrigo Chunky. It also fills in the colour gaps left by Malabrigo Chunky, including black, heathered greys, variegated greys, and solid colours for men.

• 100g/125m
• 6mm to 8mm needles
• perfect for anything close to your skin or toys
• great for projects for men!
• eco and animal friendly

Abuelita Worsted $16

Abuelita Worsted is a super soft, single ply merino wool. It is squishy and adorable, very similar to Malabrigo Worsted and Manos Maxima. It has lots and lots of yardage, and comes in hand painted colours, blended heathers and solid dyes (especially an assortment of greys that are missing from the Malabrigo spectrum!). It's a pleasure to knit with and to wear!

• 100g/200m
• 4.5mm needles
• perfect for anything close to your skin, or toys
• eco and animal friendly

Frill Seeker $15

This season we are also carrying a selection of Estelle Frill Seeker and Frill Seeker Precious Metal! One skein makes a very fancy, very frilly scarf. Frill Seeker is a great yarn for people who want instant gratification and BIG effect. It is also very easy to make the scarf, you only needle to know the knit stitch!

• Here's a how to video to help you knit with Frill Seeker
• This is a basic pattern for Frill Seeker

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

NEW Free Pattern - Blink Cowl

FREE Blink Cowl

by Haley Waxberg

This is our most recent freebie, the Blink Cowl. It is made with a single skein of Berroco Link, and knits up in about a half hour.  It makes a great last minute gift, and the super-super bulky yarn is a very contemporary look. The styling is simple, wide ribs to give the cowl structure and show off the great big stitches. 

See HERE for a little photo essay on Jumbo Knits, and if you really love oversize knitwear check out Giles Deacon's Fall 2007 show.

As always you can find us at knitomatic.com!

More Fall Shuffle! 25% off MORE!

We are doing the big fall shuffle, reorienting and reorganizing all of the yarn, and as we go some things will be shuffling off to the sale section!

Handmaiden Casbah

25% Off, now $20.50

• Peridot
• Safari
• Artichoke
• Apricot

  Noro Silk Garden Sock
   25% off, now $15.40

• S304
• S276

  Fleece Artist Trail Socks 

   25% Off - now $13.50

• Artichoke
• Safari
• Cezanne

   Malabrigo Sock 
    25% Off - now $20.25

• Rayon Vert
• Stonechat 173
• Turner 851
• Archangel 850
• Velvet Grapes 204

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

SALE Fall Shuffle 25% Off

We are doing the big fall shuffle, reorienting and reorganizing all of the yarn, and as we go some things will be shuffling off to the sale section!

   Malabrigo Sock 
    25% Off - now $20.25

• Rayon Vert
• Stonechat 173
• Turner 851
• Archangel 850
• Velvet Grapes 204

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New Free Patterns for Simple Cowls

Brand spankin' new from us, 2 patterns for simple, easy, elegant cowls using Berroco Boboli, a new yarn for Fall 2011. The yarn is beautiful, prismatic, and does most of the work for you. The rest of the pattern is in the beginner skill spectrum. It's also a non-thinker, a great project for those times when brain no work good. And of course, both patterns are Free!

This sweet little thing is the Boboli Cowl Worsted Version. It's a beautiful weight for fall, moving into  winter, and early spring. It's a straightforward knit and made with 2 skeins of Boboli and 4.5mm circular needles. The yarn knits quickly, and you'll be done before you know it! I made this version second and had no idea I would love it's delicate drape so much!

Here's the Boboli Cowl Bulky Version.  It's made on larger, 7mm needles, holding 2 strands together. Besides creating  a faster knit, it's also a thicker fabric, perfect for when the weather starts getting chill and carrying you into real winter.  It also has more body than the worsted version, and the colour takes on a tweedy quality that transcends the yarn's inherent variegation.


By the way, don't forget to follow the instructions and block your cowl in a bath of white vinegar and Eucalan - it softens up beautifully!

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!  

New Crop of Fall Books!

Wendy Knits Lace ~ $25.99

With 20 original patterns for gorgeous lace shawls, sweaters, hats, gloves and of course socks, popular blogger and author Wendy D. Johnson provides thorough instruction on the best lace techniques for aspiring, experienced and advanced knitters. Many knitters are intimidated by lace, but with a little guidance anyone can create beautiful pieces. As she did for the toe-up sock technique, Wendy demystifies lace knitting by thoroughly explaining the basics and offering the best techniques to create the most intricate-looking patterns. She shares a wealth of tips that will help new lace knitters avoid any frustration. Twenty projects for beginners through to advanced knitters include scarves, shawls, afghans, accessories and sweaters. Ranging from a lightweight seashell camisole for summer to a thick cowl for winter, Wendy presents projects that are surprisingly easy and fun to create and great to wear year-round.

Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi ~ $22.99

Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi features more than 40 patterns for itty-bitty knitted toys to make, to share, and even to wear! From Tiny Monkeys to Tiny Computer and Tiny Forest, most of these projects take about an hour to make and are perfect for using up yarn scraps. Recommended for intermediate knitters.

Interweave Knits 2012 Wall Calendar ~ $14.95

Explore sweater constructions, fabrics, and details with the editors of Interweave Knits in this beautiful 12-month wall calendar. Inspirational photos, expert advice, how-to diagrams and sketches, and collages of our favorite designs in the last four years encourage you to make a modification, try out a new technique, or discover a new to you shape—all year long. This calendar is a visual feast for any knitter!

Vogue Knitting Knitopedia: The Ultimate A to Z for Knitters ~ $41.95

The most comprehensive knitting reference book ever published, Knitopedia is organized as an A to Z encyclopedia with numerous cross-references that make it easy to find information. This remarkable resource contains over 400 individual articles and is lavishly illustrated and beautifully designed, with hundreds of color photos, technical illustrations, charts and maps. Knitopedia will be a joy for all knitters to give or receive. Here’s a small sampling of the contents: • explanations of all commonly used abbreviations

• explanations and illustrations of all important knitting techniques, such as casting on, binding off, shaping and picking up stitches

• historical and cultural background information on all ethnic knitting traditions

• articles on the design process, fit and ease and other design-related topics

• overviews of today’s knitting world (the Internet, blogs, magazines, podcasts)

• over 100 basic stitch patterns, with photos and charts

My Grandmother's Knitting  ~ $25.50

When most people think of their grandmother’s knitting, they might not immediately see the connection to a modern knitter’s life. But in My Grandmother’s Knitting, Larissa Brown shows us that nothing could be further from the truth. Many of today’s hippest and most popular knitters found their passion for knitting under the tutelage of their grandmother or another revered family member, and in this book, they share stories and patterns inspired by their memories and their gratitude. Among the 26 contributors to My Grandmother’s Knitting are STC Craft authors Wendy Bernard (Custom Knits series), Teva Durham (Loop-d-Loop series), Norah Gaughan (Knitting Nature), Joan McGowan-Michael (Knitting Lingerie Style), and Leigh Radford (AlterKnits series and One More Skein) as well as many other popular designers such as Jared Flood, Cookie A., Ysolda Teague, Anne Hanson, Kay Gardiner, and Meg Swansen.

Loop-d-Loop Lace ~ $35.95

Loop-d-Loop Lace is the third volume in the groundbreaking Loop-d-Loop series by Teva Durham. In this installment, Durham shatters the idea that lace is old-fashioned by presenting more than 30 cutting-edge knitting designs that are as up-to-the-minute style-wise as they are thoroughly steeped in lace tradition. The projects cover a wide spectrum, from classic shawls and camisoles that utilize traditional laceweight yarns and revered stitch patterns, to ultramodern pullovers and accessories in bold colors and chunky yarns that showcase lace at a larger scale. Projects range from easy to advanced. Detailed swatch photos throughout illuminate the stitchwork, while color fashion photos show off the finished garments with the series' signature modern, romantic appeal.

Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Class Schedule!

Our Fall 2011 and Winter 2012 class schedule is up and ready!  Check out all the details HERE.  Below are a selection of our new offerings, although there are lots of the tried & true still being served up.

new  crocheted swirl jacket

Skill level: moderate beginner. Instructor: Liane

Monday Oct 24 & 31

Here by popular demand, this ingeniously designed sweater will illustrate just how much a crocheted circle can offer. In this workshop you will learn everything you need to know in order to create a concentric swirl jacket in wool and mohair that can be worn in at least 3 different ways: a flowing cardigan, a generously collared shrug, and an elegant hoodie. This pattern is unique to Knit-o-Matic and this class, and can not be purchased elsewhere.

You must know how to work single and double crochet stitches, and being able to crochet in the round is and asset.

• Class consists of 2 sessions over 2 weeks
• $160 + tax (materials included)
  
  

new entrelac for beginners

Skill level: moderate beginner. Instructor: Liane

Tuesday Oct 4 & 11, 6-8pm

Tuesday Feb 7 & 21, 6-8pm

With a choice between a long, sumptuous cowl and a beautiful decorator pillow-case, this class will equip you with all you need to know for any future entrelac projects. Not only will you learn how to orchestrate all of the necessary tiers, but also how to see long colour-way yarn in a totally different light! These patterns are unique to Knit-o-Matic and this class, and can not be purchased elsewhere.

• Class consists of 2 sessions over 2 weeks
• $95 + tax (includes materials)
  
  

new learning lace workshop

Skill level: moderate beginner. Instructor: Liane

Monday Oct 10 & 17, 6-8pm

This workshop offers a choice between two projects: a beautiful, chunky headband with leaf-lace detail or (slightly more challenging) wrist warmers with eyelet lace ribs. With both, you will learn the necessary basics of lace making and how to shape by using increases and decreases; and, with the wristlets, you will also learn how to knit with double pointed needles and how to form a thumb gusset. Either way, you’ll discover how fun and easy lace making can be.

• Class consists of 2 sessions over 2 weeks
• $85 + tax (includes materials)

new easy baby cardigan

Skill level: moderate beginner. Instructor: Liane

Monday Jan 30 and Feb 6, 6-8pm

Whether you need baby steps to get you over the sweater hump or you need a present for your favourite munchkin, this is the class for you! While making this adorable shawl-collared baby jacket, you will learn how to read a pattern, how to shape sleeves, how to pick up stitches, make a shawl collar, and how to finish it all off.

• Class Consists of 2 sessions over 2 weeks
• $100 + tax (includes materials)

 

new slip-stitch colour work hat

Skill level: intermediate. Instructor: Liane

Monday Nov 7 & 14, 6-8pm

Don’t shy away from colour work any longer! With this basic introduction to slip-stitch patterning, you will learn to how to make a hat of many colours in 2 easy lessons. Knowing how to knit in the round and how to use double pointed needles is an asset. This pattern is unique to Knit-o-Matic and this class, and can not be purchased elsewhere.

• Class Consists of 2 sessions over 2 weeks
• $90 + tax (materials included)

new  fair isle legwarmers

Skill level: intermediate. Instructor: Liane

Tuesday Nov 29 and Dec 6, 6-8pm

Learn the basics of fair isle colour work with this fun and easy project! Here we will use three colours, work a variety of charts in the round, and learn how to strand a pucker-free fabric—all while making a great pair of legwarmers for yourself or that special someone.

Knowing how to knit in the round is an asset. This pattern is unique to Knit-o-Matic and this class, and can not be purchased elsewhere.

• Class Consists of 2 sessions over 2 weeks
• $95 + tax (includes materials)

new  intermediate cardigan

Skill level: intermediate

Tuesday Jan 17, 24, & 31

This is a perfect second cardigan—a uniquely shaped wrap that makes the most of its lace details. Here you will add lace increases, mitering, multi-directional shaping, and basic finishing techniques to your sweater making repertoire. This pattern is unique to Knit-o-Matic and this class, and can not be purchased elsewhere.

• Class Consists of 3 sessions over 3 weeks
• $175 + tax (includes materials)

new  learn tunisian crochet

Skill level: beginner (after beg. crochet). Instructor: Liane

Tuesday: Oct 18 & 25, 6:30-8pm

Tunisian Crochet (aka Afghan Crochet) is a great marriage of knitting and crochet, and so quick and easy to master that you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it sooner. In this class, we will make a great chunky headband that will have you maneuvering forward and backward passes and increasing and decreasing like a pro. This pattern is unique to Knit-o-Matic and this class, and can not be purchased elsewhere.

• Consists of 2 sessions over 2 weeks
• $80 + tax (materials included)

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!