Mothersday Giftspiration

Photos: Sally Melville

L'Enveloppe

I've been thinking about this design, L'Enveloppe, for a little while, it's been in the back of my mind since I came across it in a search on Ravelry. Since I discovered it I've been seeing it in the flesh (or fibre, to be accurate). It looks good on everyone, and everyone who makes it is happy with it! That's what I like to hear! It's written with several features:

• 5 sizes: S = 32-34”, M = 36-38”, L = 40-42”, 1X = 44-46”, 2X = 48-50”.
• 4 different stitch gauges available (13, 14, 15, and 16 stitches to 4” /10cm)
• 2 stitch patterns available (seed stitch or easier garter stitch)

The designer, Sally Melville, is extremely experienced, and her directions are always great (she's a wonderful instructor, I love her books). The pattern isn't free, but I think it is very worthwhile, and once people see your Enveloppe you'll be receiving requests for more (a good holiday gift?). I think I will make one for my mom with Noro Tokonatsu  or  Noro Silk Garden Solo, but there are lots of options.

Yarn Ideas

• Berroco Vintage
• Berroco Vintage Chunky
• Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky
• Cascade Avalon (cotton/synthetic)
• Cascade Eco
• Juniper Moon Farm Yearling (cotton & merino wool)
• Madeline Tosh Vintage
• Malabrigo Chunky
• Malabrigo Meccha
• Malabrigo Merino Worsted
• Noro Kureopatora
• Noro Silk Garden
• Noro Silk Garden Solo
• Noro Taiyo
• Noro Tokonatsu (cotton, silk & viscose)
• Quince & Co Kestrel (linen)

Photo: ZeeKnitting

Rikke: Baby Style

Rikke Hat 

I made some quick Rikke Hats for my niece & nephew last fall, but getting pictures of those squirrely kids took substantially longer. Pictured above, Ben has adopted his as an inspiration cap, and wears it during his creative endeavours. 

The hat is very stretchy and elastic, a great garment that has grown with the kids! Also an added benefit, garter stitch is an excellent way to deal with yarns with colourways that pool.

• Cascade 220 Superwash Paints: 1 skein, colour 9916 Blues
• 3.5mm/US4-16" & 4mm/US6-16"circular needles
• 4mm/US6 double pointed needles
• Free Pattern
• Modifications: see our notes
• would also knit up beautifully using Madeline Tosh Vintage: 1 skein

New Store Project: Rikochan

Photo: Knit-O-Matic

Rikochan

Rikochan is a very versatile spring & summer wrap, made for fun knitting and wearing. We made ours with Berroco Maya, an extremely soft, light and airy cotton yarn, perfect for all year wear. We made our Rikochan exactly to directions, used 7 skeins, but had the better part of a whole skein of each colour left over (you could cheat and get away with 5 skeins, it's a generously sized garment).

Materials

• Berroco Maya: 4 skeins in neutral colour (5601), 3 skeins in contrast colour (5652)
• 5mm/US8-29" circular needles (or longer)
• Pattern

Photo: Knit-O-Matic

Photo: Knit-O-Matic

Photos: Quince & Co.

Our Hearts and Yours

We're doing it again! 2015 will be our second Ride for Heart, and I'm super excited. 

We're participating in a BIG fundraising event for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, we will be cycling 50km (31 miles) *up* the Don Valley Parkway (a big highway). Yup, it's uphill, they make us work hard! It takes about 3 and a half to four hours to complete the ride, and about a month and a half to prepare for it (if you don't train for the ride you end up being passed by little girls on pink bikes with streamers and training wheels - true story, and it's more than humiliating). 

Why do we do this, are we masochists? Maybe. While we live to knit and crochet, it is a sedentary activity, and it's really important to take care of our health (so we can continue to knit and crochet). We sweat and hope that we inspire you to sweat. 

Moreover, The Heart and Stroke Foundation funds important research and programs which benefit everyone. The type of work they do is the kind of thing that goes unnoticed until you need it - but when you need it, boy will you appreciate it! Heart disease runs in my family and I've seen the benefits first hand. Last year during the Ride for Heart my father (yeah, we're a father-daughter team) experienced some chest pain, and a few days later he was in the hospital, the recipient of an angioplasty and two shiny new stents in his heart (I don't know if stents are shiny, I just made that up). It can happen to anyone, at any time. 

So, I'm asking you to make a charitable donation on our behalf. The Heart and Stroke Foundation is a large, well established charitable organization. It was founded in 1952, and has since then raised 1.39 billion dollars for heart and stroke research (read more here). Your donation is tax deductible in Canada, and you make it directly to the foundation, none of the money goes to us. If you make your donation online you'll receive your tax receipt e-mailed to you immediately - easy peasy. 

On behalf of Team Knit-O-Matic, thank you! 

~ Haley

Sponsor Us!

New FREE Pattern: Spring Shoulder Shrug

Photo: Knit-o-Matic

Spring Shoulder Shrug

We whipped this little spring accessory up over the weekend. It provides that little extra layer that can be worn over your shoulders or around your neck - perfect for fickle weather! The yarn knits up soft and comfortable, and the colours are stunning Missoni-eque palettes. 

The Spring Shoulder Shrug makes a great gift too (people have already been trying to appropriate our store sample), and it makes a really quick & easy mothers day gift. The pattern is sized from Small to 4XL, and really fits just about any body.

Materials

• Berroco Espresso: 2 to 3 skeins show in colour 7962
• 8mm/US11 circular needles: size 24" & 29" (or 36")
• 3 jumbo locking stitch markers
• on Ravelry

Download the Free Pattern

Photo: Knit-o-Matic

Photo: Knit-o-Matic

Friday Freebie!

Photo: Berroco

Sun Prairie

• FREE Pattern
• Designed by Amy Christoffers
• Berroco Maya: 10+ skeins
• 4.5mm/US7 and 5mm/US8 needles

Spring + Summer Magazines from Interweave

Interweave Knits Spring 2015

• see projects
• buy

Knit.Purl Spring/Summer 2015

• see projects
• buy

Knitscene Summer 2015

• see projects
• buy

Knitting Traditions Spring 2015

• see projects
• buy

Freebie Friday!

Photos: O-Wool

Garden House Baby Blanket

The Free Pattern is written holding 2 strands of fingering weight yarn together, but it can also be made with 1 strand of machine washable worsted weight yarn (1 skein in each of 5 colours), such as:

• Cascade Avalon (cotton & synthetic)
• Berroco Vintage (wool & synthetic)
• Cascade 220 Superwash  (100% Peruvian wool)
• Berroco Maya (pima cotton & alpaca - 2 skeins of each of 5 colours)

You'll also need:

• 4.5mm/US7 needles
• tapestry needle

Don't forget our FLASH SALE also ends on April 11th! Take an Extra 20% off all Cashmere, Angora, and other select yarns, in store and online.

SHOP THE SALE

New Yarn: Cascade Avalon

Cascade Avalon

Cascade Avalon is everything we look for in a staple yarn, and we think you will love it! It's soft, comfortable, affordable, machine wash AND dryable, and of course easy to knit with. It's baby/kid/man/pet friendly, vegan, and allergy free. The colours are clear, bright and saturated. 

• 50% cotton, 50% acrylic
• 100g/160m
• worsted to aran weight
• 4.5mm to 5mm needles (US7 to 8)
• 18 to 16 sts = 4"
• Machine wash, tumble try low
• 5 stars on Ravelry!
• Pattern Ideas

Photo: Jelly Wares

Granny Stripes

• Cascade Avalon: 1 skein in each colour (8+)
• 5mm (H) crochet hook
• FREE Pattern

Photo: Carol J. Sulcoski

Heavenly Heathers

• Cascade Avalon: 5 skeins in main colour, 1 skein in each of 4 contrast colours.
• 8mm/US11 needles (see pattern for details)
• Pattern from 60 Quick Baby Blankets

Photo: Linden Down

Baby + Child Sophisticate

• Cascade Avalon: 2 to 3 skeins
• 5mm/US8 needles (see pattern for details)
• Free version of pattern for sizes 3 to 6 months

Photo: Espace Tricot

Chevron Baby Blanket

• Cascade Avalon: 1 skein in each of 5 colours 
• 5mm/US8 - 29" circular needle
• FREE Pattern

Photo: April Klich

Cuddly Chevron Baby Blanket

• Cascade Avalon: 2 skeins in each of 3 colours 
• 4.5mm/US7 - 29" circular needle
• FREE Pattern

Photo: Kate Jackson

Parallels Sweater

• Cascade Avalon: 6 to 10 skeins
• 4.5mm/US7 needles

Don't forget our FLASH SALE also ends on April 11th! Take an Extra 20% off all Cashmere, Angora, and other select yarns, in store and online.

SHOP THE SALE

Easter Freebie!

Photo: Olya Bagi

Flieder

Pattern is FREE until April 11th, so get it soon!

• SALE Debbie Bliss Rialto DK (2 skeins, white or ecru to get the look in the picture) 
• Shibui Silk Cloud (1 skein)
• circular needles 4mm/US6-16" & 5mm/US8-16" 
• double pointed needles 5mm/US8 
• cable needle
• 4 stitch markers
• Other yarns that can be used in place of the Debbie Bliss Rialto DK: 1 skein of Cascade 220 Superwash, Cascade 220, or Berroco Vintage

Don't forget our FLASH SALE also ends on April 11th! Take an Extra 20% off all Cashmere, Angora, and other select yarns, in store and online.

SHOP THE SALE

Favourite Things: Stashbot App

Photo: Knitbot

Stashbot

My favourite new thing is an awesome little app for iGadgets, the Stashbot app. I came across the Stashbot booklet while ordering from Quince and Co., but they weren't wholesaling them. I was sad, but I moved on. And then this morning, while doing important (boring) yarn store work I stumbled across and even better thing, the Stashbot app! Low and behold, a very easy, comprehensive and efficient app that helps you estimate how much yarn you'll need for several common projects. 

Variety of Projects

• vest/shrug
• cropped sweater, 3/4 sleeves
• average length sweater
• long sweater tunic
• hat
• mitts
• scarf/shawl/infinity scarf
• socks

Full Range of Sizes 

• sweaters: 3 months to 62" bust circumference
• hats: baby to XL adult
• mitts: baby to XL adult
• scarf/shawl/infinity scarf: 11x44", 11x60", 11x90"
• socks: baby to XL adult

Comprehensive Tension/Stitches per Inch 

• range from 3 to 8 stitches per inch
• in increments of 0.25 (3, 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 4 ... etc)

I used to use the Knit Handy App, but always had issues with the tension information - it only offers data for whole numbers (3, 4, 5, 6 .... etc), and as you may know, stitch tensions are often fractions. My new favourite thing!!!