Club - March 2014

I think that many of us would agree that this has been possibly the longest and coldest winter of all time. In the past I've featured a more springy green colourway for March and have always mentioned something about "the promise of spring being just around the corner". This year, not so much. Spring is nowhere in sight. So, to totally rebel against the chill we've cooked up a fiery hot Fiesta orange shade for this months Club shipment. And added a dash of sparkle no less! Nothing can keep us down!

In classically awesome Julie style she's designed two patterns to make the very most of every last yard of 1 skein of TFA Cosmic Blue Label yarn. The Causerie Hat and Mitts set feature a beautiful ribbed cable. The fingerless mitts feature a really cool knitted on cuff (see how the cables go around the cuff? awesome right?) and in case you've never tried that particular technique before, Julie has made a great little video to walk you through it step by step.  

Club memberships are available all year long, it's never too late to sign up! Join now and you'll receive your January skein and March skein along with the next shipment of Club yarns in May. And don't forget! This year we're offering a "patterns only" option. So if you'd like to knit yourself the Causerie Hat and Mitts set with stash yarn, you totally can! 

Club - November 2013

Can we just take a moment to admire how gorgeous this photo is? The autumn light, the coat with those knits and Julie's hair colour... gorgeous! 

This month's Club shipment officially wraps up the 2013 Year In Colour Club - and what a year it's been! I think a proper Club wrap up post is in order, but for today let's focus on November's awesome yarn/pattern combo shall we? The Pemba Mitts and Headband designed by Julie Crawford to use every last yard of the November Club Colourway Saffron. We featured Yellow Label DK Weight yarn this month, lots of yardage, lots of potential for perfect cozy accessories. 

This month was exciting for me for two reasons:

#1: yellow's are always challenging for me - but I LOVE this Saffron colourway. 

#2: Julie surprised me with not one, but TWO designs for this lovely skein. I mean this in the best possible way - Julie is thrifty. Not cheap, just not wasteful. I love that about her. I think that it would really irk her to design a pattern that only takes 60% of the skein - that's 40% of the yarn gone un-used! So she went the extra mile and gave us a coordinating headband so no yard of yarn gets left behind!

We really hope that you've enjoyed the Club this year. We've got lots of exciting things planned for next year already, here's hoping you can join us for another year full of colour!

Nashira Stole

Sigh, is our week of Stella Collection blog posts already over? I'm sad to see them go, this has been such a fun project to work on with Julie. Maybe the first of many collaborations?

We close out the e-book with the Nashira Stole by Julie Crawford. This elegant pattern is kicked up a notch done in the luxurious Silver Label Mulberry Silk yarn. Julie has kept the motif simple by using a graphic geometric design for the body of the stole and adding flair and impact with the gorgeous petal shapes that cap off the ends. I love the balance of simple modern lines combined with feminine lacy details. This is definitely one of those perfect accessories to take you from day to night, casually-chic to evening-elegant!

Details: 

Size: 11” wide and 55” long after blocking.

Yarn: 1 skein of Tanis Fiber Arts Silver Label Mulberry Silk, 100% mulberry silk 115g (4oz) = 500m (550yds) sample shown in Dove.

Needles: 3.25 mm (US 3) straight or circular.

Gauge: 23 stitches and 22 rows of main body (rows 1 and 2) on 3.25mm needles = 4” squareafter blocking.

Additional Tools and Materials: Tapestry needle.

Ravelry Pattern Page here.

The Stella Collection Details Page here. 

Solaria Cowl

The Solaria Cowl, designed by Julie Crawford, is the second pattern in our Stella Collection e-book. Julie designed this cowl to feature lots of texture and a really cool round lace motif. It's strikingly original and my favourite thing about it is the unique caplet shape which makes it a very versatile wardrobe piece.  It can be worn pulled down over the shoulders like in the photo above, or draped casually around your neck like in the photo below. Either way, the incredibly soft Purple Label Cashmere Sock yarn and awesome lacy texture of this cowl are just the thing to dress up any outfit.

Details: 

Yarn: 1 skein of Tanis Fiber Arts Purple Label Cashmere Sock, 70% merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon 115g (4oz) = 365m (400yds) sample shown in Gold.

Needles:  3.5 mm (US 5) 24” circular needle. 

Gauge: 24 sts and 30 rows = 4” in star cluster pattern after blocking.

Additional Tools and Materials: One stitch marker, tapestry needle.

Ravelry Pattern Page here.

The Stella Collection Details Page here.

Julie's Wildflower Tank

Our very own Julie has a pattern in the most recent issue of Interweave Knits (Spring 2012). She designed this gorgeous light weight tank, complete with drawstring detail and lace placket insert knit in TFA Silver Label Mulberry Silk yarn. Ravelry pattern page for the Wildflower Tank can be found here. 

Julie is known for her awesome modeled FO shots. I happened to have the privilege of visiting her and her husband at their family cottage last summer when they did the shoot for this tank, I loved seeing them in action. 

Yay Julie!

Strada Headband & a question

I test knit Julie's Strada Headband pattern, and clearly this is the worlds cutest headband. I'm crazy for the bow! It's just such a perfect, quintessential bow shape. The next time I need a bow to adorn a project (and I'm starting to think that it's a mistake that more of my projects don't have bows) I'm going to be using this pattern. 

I knit mine with just under half a skein of TFA Yellow Label DK Weight yarn in the Atlantic colourway. This was a really quick and effective knit, great for leftover yarn and the perfect knitted gift. Yay Julie!

Ravelry project page here.

On another note, I spent an afternoon dyeing one of a kind colourways for the Etsy shop last week. Most were snatched up over the weekend, but there are still a few of my personal faves available. 

What yarn weight/bases are you guys mostly looking for in the One of a Kind Etsy shop? A little bit of everything? Mostly sock yarns? Sweater quantities of Aran and DK? I really enjoyed my afternoon of dyeing without any rules and plan on doing it more often, but I'd love to hear what you all think!