Christmas Window

This was my wonderful Christmas window at the shop. It was a whole community event! We held some knit-along dates where we had the customers come in & knit the bears together. It was a lot of fun, and brought the community together. One of my suppliers supplied us with yarn to knit up the bears. Once the bears came out of our store window, they were donated to a local women’s shelter, where they will be distributed to little kids who come to the shelter, to bring smiles to their faces. This is the window I talked about in this post back in November 2015.

 

Eula

 

This past spring I knit up Eula, a pattern by Amy Christoffers. I fell in love with the top as soon as I saw it in Berroco #358, Berroco Modern Cotton™ Women. I used the yarn it called for, Berroco Modern Cotton™. It’s got a beautiful feather and fan lace section along the back neckline. Eula is truly a sophisticated summer t-shirt. I knit up the 38” bust size using US 7 - 4.5 mm needles. I did a single crochet around neck instead of picking up stitches & binding off. I liked the look of it, and to be honest, I hate picking stitches on a neckline. I also added 3” of length to the top as I like my tops longer. I am very happy with the results of this project. It was a quick knit that I finished just in time to wear out for my birthday in June.

 

Habs Hats

Recently Mackenzie asked me to knit him up a Habs hat. The first one I knit up, didn’t fit Mackenzie, so I gave it to Quentin so then I had to knit another one for Mackenize as the hat was his request. I actually managed to get 2 hats out of the 3 balls of yarn that I used. I used a generic hat pattern from my memory to cast on the first hat, and adjusted for Mackenzie’s head for the second hat, adding stitches and rows. I used both US 10½ - 6.5 mm and US 11 - 8.0 mm needles for both hats. That hats were both very quick knits and I used colors 331, 301 and 351 in Schachenmayr Merino Extrafine 40. You can view the details of Mack’s hat here, and the details of Quentin’s hat here.

Polar Bears

Today I was in the West Island section (page 23) of the Montreal Gazette. I was called by the Gazette last Thursday and they tried to come out on Thursday evening to my knit-a-long that I hosted at the shop, but they couldn’t get a photographer. They were able to get one for the next day, during my 4th knit-a-long at the shop for this project. The whole idea was that we were going to get the community together to knit these bears, I would have them on display in my shop for a brief period of time, and then we will donate them to charity. The West Island Women’s Shelter will be taking a large portion of them, and then the rest, we will either try to find another charity to donate them to, or I’ve had requests to sell them, and then give the proceeds to charity. I will see how many are leftover after the shelter takes them. My goal is to have 100 bears. I have given out over 120+ kits with the pattern (which we adapted from another free pattern we found, but I made some changes to it to look more bear like) and gave enough yarn (in either white or off white, some of which one of my suppliers donated (to fill the first 70 kits), the rest (about 50 kits now), I donated from either my personal yarn stash and some from the shop too). From the over 120+ kits that I handed out, I have already received just over 50 bears back, completed. They are all so cute, and each have their own personality! Here are some that I have made:

These two above, are little ones I made, to test out the pattern. The first one, on the left, was made using the original pattern that I found for free online. I wasn’t 100% happy with the face, so I made the one on the right, which was test number 2.

Above, is teenage bear. I used some very thick yarn (Bravo Big by SMC) on 10mm needles to knit this guy up.

And this is Mama bear. I used SMC Bravo Big with the yarn held doubled on 15 mm needles to knit her up. She is awesome. I just love her. You can see below, how much bigger she is from the teenage bear. You can also see in the image at the top of this post, that was in the newspaper today, her size compared to the little baby bears.

I really hope this project brings smiles to children’s faces. That was the plan from the beginning, when I decided to launch this project. I cannot wait to see the entire project finished. I have 2 more bears that need to be completed, I have been playing around with different textures of white yarn to create the bears. I will definitely post a picture of the display once all the bears are up.

Easy Fingerless Mitts

 

I needed a project to work on while I was in the Dominican Republic this past September. Something that was easy and that I could work on while on the beach sipping fruity beverages. I had been wanting to make myself a pair of fingerless mitts for work, so I thought this would be the best time to knit them up. The pattern is Easy Fingerless Mitts by Roxanne Richardson. I used some leftover Project B Worsted Superwash that I had in my stash from a previous project. It was a quick knit indeed, on 5mm needles. This project used just under 100 yards of yarn. And now, my hands will be warm this winter in my office, and I’ll think about my trip to Punta Cana while wearing them. (I’ll blog about my trip very soon).   

Top This!

 

This summer we got in a shipment of DMC Top This! hat kits and they flew off the shelves. We have re-ordered a few times and they keep flying out the doors! They’re so cute, it’s no wonder. I made a soccer ball kit as a store sample and when Quentin saw it he wanted one too. The store sample (left hand top image), I made in newborn size. Quentin’s hat was knit up in an adult small. Mackenzie asked me for one too, then changed his mind, after I started knitting it, but now wants me to finish it, so once I am finished a few other projects I have going on, I am going to get back to Mack’s soccer ball hat. I’ll have to add rows on the adult small pattern to fit Mackenzie’s 7 & and a half year old head. I also knit up a cat kit for a gift for a someone’s daughter. The ball band comes with the smallest (newborn) and the largest (adult small) on the ball band, however additional in-between sizes can be found online here. Also, a crochet version of the hat is now currently available here. These hats are a quick knit on 5.5mm needles are a lot of fun to make. You can view all the available hats kits here.

Baseballtastic

 

I started this Gaptastic at the beginning of my son’s baseball season and worked on it here & there throughout the summer at games, between other projects. I finally cast off yesterday. This is my go-to project when I want to socialize and knit. You can view the details on ravelry here. I knit my Gaptastics to 10” wide instead of 15” as I do not like it to be too bulky around my neck. 10” is a perfect width. This colorway is nice but unfortunately it’s been discontinued by James C. Brett. I can’t have too many Gaptastics for my next fall/winter wardrobe. This is actually the 6th one I’ve knit for my fall wardrobe. I have 2 or 3 other colors I want to make it in too…

Vivacious KIDS :: Review & Giveaway!

 

I got the opportunity to review Vivacious KIDS, an eBook with 7 kids patterns in it for children aged 2 & 10 designed by both Ella Austin & Rachel Coopey. The patterns are all shown in Fibrespates Vivacious DK an 4 ply yarns. (Unfortunately I do not own any Fibrespates yarn). The eBook features 2 hats, 2 sweaters (one cardigan & one pullover), a pair of socks, a jumper and a pair of mittens).

 

Right away I was drawn to the Swashbuckle hoody pattern. I also really like the Jack-be-nimble hat as it uses sock yarn, and boy do I have plenty of that in my stash. With 3 young boys who are growing fast, I’m always on the look-out for nice knitting patterns for them. All these patterns would look great using handdyed yarn. They look like classic designs, and I definitely like ageless pieces. Some styles are great for hand-me-downs, especially when you have 3 children of the same sex. What I like is that any of these patterns (except the little dress of course), could be knit for a boy or girl. This is a well rounded book with lots of extra information, such as help with sizing guidance, gauge, techniques and very useful links to tutorials online. I always love great pictures in pattern books, and the photography by Jesse Wild is wonderful.

Jeni at Fyberspates has kindly given me the opportunity to host a giveaway of this eBook.  I am offering one of my lucky readers the chance to win and in order to do so, I am asking you to leave a comment on this post and let me know which one is your favourite pattern from this collection. Let me know which one and why! You can view all the patterns here. Also, please either leave your Ravelry ID or your email address if you are not on Ravelry so that the eBook can be sent to you. I'll pick the winner Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 at 10pm (EST).

If you cannot wait to see if you’ve won and must purchase this awesome eBook now, you can purchase Vivacious Kids on Ravelry using an exclusive discount code I have to offer you. Use the code: KnitPurlMama to receive 25% off the book or any of the single patterns from now until Sunday, August 9th, 2015. If you do win the collection and you did buy the collection, Fyberspates will reimburse you.

Do let me know if you knit any of these lovely patterns, I’d love to see how they turn out!

Note: I was gifted a copy of Viviacious Kids Pattern Book to review however all opinions in this review are my own.

On the Gaptastic Wagon

After finishing my black/grey Gaptastic I had to start one in this beige tone! Marble Chunky by James C. Brett is awesome for this project. Ever since I knit up one as a sample for my shop, I’ve wanted a bunch for my wardrobe. I’ll be ready for next fall with an entire collection of them, I hope. I love wearing infinity scarves, so these will be a perfect addition to my wardrobe. I am knitting mine to 10” instead of the 15" that the pattern is written for. 15” is too chunky/wide for me as an infinity scarf. Used the same 9 mm needle as all the others, and didn’t alter anything else in the pattern except for the width it was knitted to. On to the next one…

The Start of a Collection

After knitting a Gaptastic for my friend Melissa in this exact colorway, I had to knit one for myself too. I just love it. It’s neutral and goes with everything. I used just under 70% of the 200g of Marble Chunky (my project weighs 136g) and I knit it to 10” instead of the 15” that the pattern calls for. I find the 15” too chunky/wide. I didn’t want it to be too heavy and I find that 10” is a perfect gaptastic length for me. I love this infinity scarf so much that I have already cast on another neutral color one, and I have plans to make a bunch more in other colors that I’ve had my eye on. I adore wearing infinity scarves all winter, and we have long winters here in Montreal. I hope to knit them over the summer to have them all ready for my fall wardrobe. For sure I am making one in a purple, in a blue-green and I think there is a green one too that I want. The one I just started after finishing this one is beige. I love this project because it’s a great project to work on while talking to others… at my son’s hockey or baseball games, out with friends, at a family member’s house, at a knitting guild meeting, etc…

Have you knit a Gaptastic? If so, how many have you knit?

Knits for Boys Winner

 

And the winner of Katie Oates’ book Knits for Boys is….

Comment number 7 - KERRY!
CONGRATS!

Kerry, please email me your full mailing address so that I can get the publisher to get your prize out to you!

I Believe in the Impossible

This yarn by Fab Funky Fibres on Etsy is way cool. I saw it on Instagram and had to get a skein for myself. The colorway is called I believe in the impossible. I have to say, the service from this seller in the UK was quick and I recommend her. I wanted something bright & cheerful for spring ad this was just perfect. I should be working on other socks but I had to cast on these and I kept knitting to see what color (of 23 colors) came next! These are awesome. I added in black for the heel & toe as I find it makes the rest pop. Also, this allows me to make the skein stretch further. After weighing my leftovers, I have 50g left, enough to make another pair. I can’t believe I finished these in exactly 2 weeks. The last time I made a pair of socks (for hubby) it took almost 4 years. I had a bad case of second sock syndrome.

 

I made sure to start the 2nd sock in the exact same spot as the 1st sock, so they’re an identical match! I’m debating making the 2nd pair from this skein matching or mis-matched. And I’m thinking about doing it with a hot pink heel & toe…

Knits for Boys by Kate Oates

 
I got the chance to review a book called Knits for Boys by Katie Oates, which features adorable and stylish knits. There are sweaters, tops, vests, hoodies, mittens, hats, which are designed especially for boys and sized from 4-12. When I got asked to review this book, I told the woman who contacted me that I was the perfect person to review this book seeing as I have 3 boys of my very own. The book also features reference sections on how to knit for kids, choosing colors and styles, sizing, how to make a sweater grow with your child, how to find a comfortable fit, and even tutorials on simple additions to patterns such as hoods and zippers.

The theme of the book is “Grow with me”. This is fantastic because my boys seem to outgrow the things that I knit for them quite quickly. Katie is a mom of FOUR boys, so she is the perfect person to write a book on boys garments. The tips in this book are fantastic and I learned some interesting things on how to get more use out of children’s knitted garments.

My favorite pattern in this book has got to be the T-Rex Graphic Pullover. I wonder if any of my boys would wear it if I made it.

If you have any boys in your life, then you definitely need this book! Some of the patterns can be modified with girl colors to daughters too, by playing with color or texture. If you are interested in this book, you can purchase your autographed copy here or on Amazon.

You can preview what’s in the book here.

If you are a US Resident, you can enter to win a copy of this book. Sorry to my Canadian & International readers, unfortunately Stoackpole will only ship to a US resident.

To enter, leave me a comment on this post to let me know which pattern from the book would you knit first. Click here to view all the patterns in the book.

Giveaway entries close at 11:59PM EST on April 1st, 2015.

Jumbo :: A new yarn weight

The Craft Yarn Council is amending their standard yarn weight classifications to include a new, larger category (#7) of extremely bulky yarn :: called Jumbo! This seems to be in response to new larger-than-bulky yarns that are coming on the market. This addition also resulted in slight gauge adjustments to its Super Bulky category #6. The goal with this change is to make it easier for crocheters and knitters to understand the type of fabric these Jumbo yarns create and the range of hooks and needles generally required. These yarns, many used for arm knitting, did not fit the gauge guidelines in the Council’s Standard Yarn Weight System.

Knubbelchen

I changed the store window at the beginning of March and this window is sponsored by Regia. I knit up baby socks (below in the image) a few months ago for this window and I finally got around to finishing up my Knubbelchen doll. The doll used up 36g total of My First Regia sock yarn. I knit up the doll using a 2.75mm needle. Ain’

Neutral Gaptastic

My friend Melissa asked me to make her a neutral colored Gaptastic as she loves her purple one I made her for her 40th birthday. Same thing like her purple one, I knit to only 10” instead of the 15” the pattern calls for. I used Marble Chunky color MC11 for her scarf, and I just love the way it came out. So does she! I want one for myself now, in this color. Actually, I’d love a Gaptastic in a few different Marble Chunky colors. I love wearing infinity scarves around my neck all fall, winter & spring. The only time I’m not wearing an infinity scarf is summer. I think I will end up making myself a bunch of 10” gaptastics to add to my wardrobe. It’s a fun, easy, quick knit. Great mindless knitting for hockey game knitting or at stitch ‘n bitch. Stay tuned, I’m sure you’ll see this pattern again as finished objects this year.

Three times a Rikke

This was a great knit. First I made one in green, then in teal, and then I had to have one in grey. Now I think I want to make it again, in black. Cuz black matches everything too, right? The pattern is Rikke by Sarah Young and I did make some modifications. I cast on 96 sts instead of 104 sts for a tighter fit as I did for all 3 hats, and I also knitted to 8” instead of 9” before starting the crown shaping. What a fabulous easy pattern. All 3 hats are made using Berroco Vintage DK on a 3.5mm needle for the band and then 4.5mm needle for the rest of the hat. Each hat used up 60g/172.8 yards.

Snowman Knitted Ornament

This was an adorable quick knit and the pattern is Snowman Knitted Ornament by Gigi Hooper! I picked up 1.75” Styrofoam ball from Dollarama (pack of 10 balls for 1$). This uses very little yarn. I used leftovers that I had in my stash. The white is Uptown worsted, the orange is Diamond collection Merino Lux and the black is Malabrigo Worsted. I used French knots for both the mouth & eyes, I think it looks nicer than the duplicate stitch. These are hanging on our Christmas tree, and they look fabulous. The entire snowman weighs just over 6g without the Styrofoam ball. You can see my two snowman project information pages here & here on Ravelry.

Maya’s Sunny Stripes Hat

My next door neighbor Maya is extremely petite and needed a new hat this winter. She out grew last year’s hat, plus it didn’t match her new winter jacket. She doesn’t like bows, so that threw out the idea of doing the bow hat that I’ve made several of. So I did some searching and found Sunny Stripes Hat by Gretchen Tracy. I used Uptown Worsted on 4.5mm needles. She absolutely loves her hat. Stay tuned for another post in a couple of days with the mittens that I made to go with this hat.