Journal

This week, our pattern spotlight is the Balloon Cardigan by Petite Knit.  We chose this design to highlight our newest addition, Curly, which is a DK-weight bouclé yarn.  The Balloon Cardigan is perfect for this base because it's knit using a simple stockinette stitch that allows the highly textured yarn to shine!

The cardigan is knit top-down with the neck and front bands being knit as you go (yay!).  The two main features are the deep v neck and the oversized, balloon sleeves.  I have cast on for this design using our new Curly base, and I can already tell it's going to look amazing when it's done. Here's where I'm up to:

I'm using the colourway Mustard, but there are a ton of colours to choose from!

The original design uses two yarns held together, which make a DK weight; however, you only need to use one strand of Curly.  Here's the yardages you will need for this design.

Sizes: XS (S) M (L) XL

Bust circumference: 100 (106) 111 (116) 123 cm

Yardage: 5 (6) 6 (6) 7 skeins Curly

You can find the Balloon Cardigan by PetiteKnit on Ravelry and our new Curly DK can be found here.

Happy Knitting xx

Caitlin Hunter is well known for her amazing colourwork designs and, when Soldotna Crop was released in 2019, it was an instant hit.  Since then, the Soldotna Crop appears regularly in the 'Hot Right Now' patterns on Ravelry. Many people have knit this design (including me!) and intend on knitting again (ditto!).

The most appealing thing about this pattern is the speed in which it knits up.  It is a cropped top which obviously helps, but apart from that the colourwork is easy and intuitive and it becomes rather addictive seeing the colours knit up to form the colourwork motifs.  The yardage required is also very appealing; you don't need many skeins to knit this cute crop top!

The Soldotna Crop is perfect for our Cushy DK.  We have just topped up the shop with lots of colours, and have curated a few colour combinations for this fabulous design.  Here they are:

1(2,3,4,5,6){7,8,9,10} 

Finished circumference at bust: 
32.75 (36.5, 40, 44.5, 48, 52.5) {56, 59.75, 64, 67.75} ” 
83 (92.5, 101.5, 113, 122, 133.5) {142, 152, 162.5, 172} cm 

Finished sleeve circumference at upper arm: 
11 (11, 11.75, 13, 14.5, 16) {18.25, 19.75, 20.5, 21}” 
28 (28, 30, 33, 37, 40.5) {46.5, 50, 51.5, 53.5} cm

This sweater is designed to fit with 1-4.5” 2.5-11.5 cm of positive ease at the bust and 1” 2.5 cm of positive ease at the upper arm. 

Sample pictured is a size 3 on a model with a 36” 91.5 cm bust, worn with 4” 10 cm of positive ease.

YARDAGE
C1: 1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2) {2, 2, 2, 2} skeins Cushy DK
C2: 2 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2) {2, 2, 2, 2} skeins Cushy DK
C3: 1 (1, 1 1, 1, 1) {1, 1, 1, 1} skeins Cushy DK
C4: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {1, 1, 1, 1} skeins Cushy DK

You can find the Soldotna Crop by Caitlin Hunter on Ravelry and our Cushy DK yarns can be found here.

Happy Knitting xx

This week, we are spotlighting Rift by Jacqueline Cieslak.  There are so many things to love about this pattern: the biggest one is the amount of options you are given to modify this tee to suit both your body and your taste.  There are options for bust darts, bicep adjustments, four neck types and a long and short-sleeve option.  It really is a fabulous pattern, one that can be made numerous ways, numerous times over.

Our yarn base this week is Sportlicious which is perfect for this design.  Below are a few options; however, you can find all the colours on our Sportlicious page.  We also dye this base to order if you would like to choose something else!

SIZES
Sizes by finished bust circumference
In inches: (40, 44, 48) [52, 56, 60] {64, 68, 72} inches
In cm: (102, 112, 122) [132, 142, 152] {163, 173, 183} cm

To choose your size, measure the circumference around the fullest part of your bust, then add 6-12” (depending on how much ease you want) and choose the closest size.

Designers note about ease: This tee is designed to be worn with 6-12” of ease; however, to get the fit represented in the pattern sizes, folks at the smaller end of the size range may prefer less ease (6-9”) and folks at the higher end may prefer more ease (9-12”).

YARDAGE
Short Sleeve Version
(2, 2, 3) [3, 3, 3] {3, 4, 4} skeins Sportlicious

Long Sleeve Version
(2, 3, 3) [3, 3, 4] {4, 4, 4} skeins Sportlicious 

Rift by Jacqueline Cieslak can be found via Ravelry.

Happy Knitting! xx

With spring just around the corner, we thought it was a good time to start thinking about warm-weather knits.  The Outline Tee by Jessie Maed has been featured many times in our emails and, when we think about spring, tees are one of the first projects that come to mind.

What we love about the Outline Tee is the dropped-stitch details, which adds a lovely feature to an otherwise simple silhouette.  Looking over on Ravelry at the 600 plus projects, you can see how wearable this little top is: it can be layered over dresses or tank tops, or worn as is paired with skirts or jeans.  It's one of those tops that will see you right through to Autumn.

The Outline Tee is a perfect match for our All Rounder yarn base that we have just topped up with new colours.  Here's a few ideas, and remember, you can always custom order this yarn if you have your heart set on another colour.

SIZES
XS (S, M, L, 1X){2X, 3X, 4X, 5X} to fit chest measurement of:
28-30 (32-34, 36-38, 40-42, 44-46){48-50, 52-54, 56-58, 60-62}”
71-76 (81-86, 91.5-96.5, 101.5-106.5, 111.5-117){122-127, 132-137, 142-147, 152-158}cm

Actual measurement of finished garment at full chest:
40 (44, 48, 52, 56){60, 64, 68, 72}“
101.5 (112, 122, 132, 142){152.5, 162.5, 172.5, 183}cm

YARDAGE
2 (2, 2, 3, 3) {3, 4, 4, 4} skeins of All Rounder.

Our in stock All Rounder is here and  the pattern Outline Tee by Jessie Maed can be found via Ravelry.

This week's pattern spotlight is the beautiful Elah by Isabell Kraemer.  This lovely cardigan is knit top down in one piece; even the front bands are knitted at the same time, so there is no extra finishing and you can try it on as you knit.  We absolutely love lace knit in chunkier yarns, so this pattern really speaks to us, and it's a cardigan: who doesn't love a cardigan?! 

Even though the pattern uses a worsted yarn, our Cushy DK is on the heavier side and would make a perfect substitute.  Here are the colours we have added this week.

SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4, 5)(6, 7, 8, 9)
finished bust circumference:
43 (47.5, 49.5, 53.75, 55.5)(60, 61.75, 66.25, 70.75)“
107.5 (119, 123, 134.5, 139)(150, 154.5, 165.5, 176.5) cm
Recommended ease: 10 - 12” (25.5 - 30.5 cm)
Sample is worn with approximately 11” (28 cm) of positive ease at bust

YARDAGE
5 (5, 5, 6, 6) (6, 7, 7, 7) skeins of Cushy DK

Our in stock Cushy DK can be found here; we also custom dye Cushy DK which can be ordered here.  The pattern Elah by Isabell Kraemer can be found via Ravelry.

Happy Knitting!

This week, we are spotlighting Joji Locatelli's newest design, Lace & Fade Boxy.  This beautiful sweater features bands of lace that are knit using mohair silk lace and bands of garter stitch, using a sport-weight yarn in a five-colour fade.  The boxy silhouette is a trade mark of Joji's and, speaking from experience, it's so comfortable to wear.  We loved this pattern so much that on release day we developed three kits.  These kits have been so popular we decided to dye up all the colours and offer them as an update.  Here they are!

We are selling the yarns individually, so you will need to put together your own kits.  To do this, you first need to select your size.

SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). To fit bust circumference 30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66)“ 75/80 (85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145/150, 155/160, 165/170) cm. Shown in size 3 on a 36” bust.

This sweater has a lot of positive ease built in. This means that the finished product will be much bigger than your bust measurement. However, not all the sizes have the same amount of ease built in, as larger sizes don’t need the sweater to be so oversized.
Choose a size according to your bust measurement in the list of sizes above: if your bust circumference is 40” 100 cm, choose size 4.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Body circumference: 59 (62½, 66, 66, 73, 73, 73, 76½, 76½, 76½)“ 148 (157, 165, 165, 183, 183, 183, 191, 191, 191) cm.
Sleeve circumference at elbow: 8¾ (9¼, 9½, 10¾, 11½, 12, 13¼, 13½, 14¼, 15¼)” 22 (23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 33, 34, 36, 38) cm.

TIME TO PUT TOGETHER YOUR KIT!  YARNS CAN BE FOUND HERE.

PEACHY FADE

Sizes 1-4: You will need 5 skeins of Sportlicious in the colourways Golden Peach, Papaya, Ginger, Caramel and Toffee PLUS 1 skein Mohair Silk Lace in the Golden Peach colourway.

Sizes 5-7: You will need all the yarns above plus an extra skein of Golden Peach Sportlicious.

Sizes 8-10: You will need all the yarns listed for sizes 5-7 PLUS an extra skein of Mohair Silk Lace

ROSE FADE

Sizes 1-4: You will need 5 skeins of Sportlicious in the colourways Stone, Rocky Road, Rouge, Apple Blossom and Saloon PLUS 1 skein Mohair Silk Lace in the Stone colourway.

Sizes 5-7: You will need all the yarns above plus an extra skein of Stone Sportlicious.

Sizes 8-10:You will need all the yarns listed for sizes 5-7 PLUS an extra skein of Mohair Silk Lace

NATURAL FADE

Sizes 1-4: You will need 5 skeins of Sportlicious in the colourways Tequila, Sesame, Antique Brass, Eclipse and Char PLUS 1 skein Mohair Silk Lace in the Tequila colourway.

Sizes 5-7: You will need all the yarns above plus an extra skein of Tequila Sportlicious.

Sizes 8-10: You will need all the yarns listed for sizes 5-7 PLUS an extra skein of Mohair Silk Lace.

ONE COLOUR VERSION

You can also knit this pattern using just one colour for the sport and one for the mohair silk lace.  For this you will need 3 (4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7) skeins of Sportlicious PLUS 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2) skeins of Mohair Silk Lace.

If you need any help with sizing or colours, feel free to contact us!  Also be aware that we custom dye Sportlicious and Mohair Silk Lace, so if a colourway has sold out or you would like to put your own colours together, you can do so here!

The Lace & Fade Boxy pattern by Joji Locatelli can be purchased via Ravelry. 

Happy Knitting!

This week's pattern spotlight features a design that has been in our queues for a very long time: The Throwback by Andrea Mowry.

This gorgeous colourwok cardigan is perfect for our Winter Worsted yarn, so we decided to put together a few colour combinations using this week's colourways.  The pattern requires a main colour and three contrasting colours.  Our suggestions below are pictured with the main colour at the top; however, you could choose any colour in each combo to be the main colour and arrange the contrast colours as you like. 

SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4)(5, 6, 7)
Sample shown is Size 2, worn on a 34” bust with 5” positive ease.

FINISHED BUST CIRCUMFERENCE
35 (39, 43, 47)(51, 55, 59)”
89 (99, 109, 119.5)(129.5, 140, 150) cm
This sweater is intended to be worn with approximately 5”/13 cm positive ease. There are notes in the pattern to help with picking the size best suited for you!

YARDAGE
Color A (Main Color) - 6 (6, 7, 8)(8, 9, 10) skeins Winter Worsted
Contrast Colors B, C & D - 1 skein each.

We also dye this yarn to order, so if you would like to put your own colours together we can dye them up for you!

The Throwback pattern is available on Ravelry.

If you prefer sweaters, Andrea has also put out a sweater version of this design called The Throwover.

Happy Knitting!

We didn't plan to shine the spotlight on the same pattern twice, BUT, we've had so many colour-idea requests for the Easy V sweater that we decided to do a second write up for this pattern.  Plus, I thought I could offer a few tips since I have just finished mine!

The Easy V is Caitlin Hunter's most recent pattern.  It's a top-down, circular-yoke sweater that features a colourwork chevron pattern across the yoke and sleeves.  It's oversized and comfy to wear, plus it's super easy (and quick!) to knit. 

I knit mine using our Cushy DK in the colourways Sushi, Cinder, Ginger and Persimmon.  I didn't add the colourwork to the sleeves, which was just a personal preference, but apart from that I knit the sweater exactly as written.  If you are interested in seeing all my project notes, take a look at my Ravelry project page.

This week, we have added more Cushy DK to the shop.  I know there are quite a few of you who are interested in making this sweater, so we have put together more colour combos using this week's colours.  If you are interested in seeing our last post about this sweater, check it out here.  Here are our colours:

 
MC Sushi, CC1 Ginger, CC2 Cinder, CC3 Persimmon

MC Mustard, CC1 Stone, CC2 Caramel, CC3 Iroko

MC Stone, CC1 Caramel, CC2 Apple Blossom, CC3 Rocky Road

MC Soft Blush, CC1 Char, CC2 Atlantis, CC3 Stone

MC Iroko, CC1 Stone, CC2 Mustard CC3 Steam Punk

Sizing: 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) {7, 8, 9, 10}

Recommended ease: 6-8" [15.5-20.5 cm] of positive ease at the bust.
Finished bust circumference: 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56) {60, 64, 68, 72}" [91.5 (101.5, 112, 122, 132, 142) {152.5, 162.5, 172.5, 183} cm]

Yardage:

The Yardages below have been calculated for our Cushy DK.

MC: 4 (4, 4, 4, 5, 5) {5, 6, 6, 6} skeins
CC1: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {1, 1, 2, 2} skeins
CC2: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {2, 2, 2, 2} skeins
CC3: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1 ) {1, 1, 2, 2} skeins

All of these yarns are now in stock and ready to ship.  If we do sell out, we now offer dyed to order!  You can see all the dyed-to-order colours here. 

The Easy V by Caitlin Hunter can be purchased via Ravelry. 

Hope you enjoy and happy knitting!  xxx

Sweater-knitting season is in full swing here in Australia, so we thought it was a great time to talk about different methods used to alternate skeins during a project.  For this post, we are talking about alternating skeins of hand-dyed yarn that are from the same colourway.  When it comes to hand-dyed yarns, it is highly recommended that, for larger projects like tops and sweaters, you alternate skeins (see our post 'Should I Alternate Skeins? Yes, And Here's Why...').  When you alternate skeins, you are blending two skeins together which evens out any variation in colour between the yarns, breaks up colour pooling and evenly distributes the colour across the fabric.

You don't need to alternate skeins right from the start: it's totally fine to work a few rows of your pattern using one skein.  If you are knitting a top-down sweater that has short row shaping across the neck or shoulders, make sure you work all the short rows first before attaching the second skein.  It's impossible to alternate skeins while working short rows.  I usually knit the neck/neck band or, if it’s a bottom-up sweater, the hem, then the short rows and then I start alternating skeins.  If you are knitting flat, simply start the next row using your second yarn.  If you are knitting in the round, follow the steps shown in the video below.

Attaching The Second Skein In The Round

Now you are ready to to alternate skeins!  Below are a few of our favourite methods. 

Basic method for alternating skeins when knitting flat and in the round

This is a great 'all purpose' method that can be used for lace, cabled, textured, stockinette, garter and slipped-stitch patterns.  The only downside is some potential tension issues that can occur if you pull the yarn up too tightly from the back of the work.  Don’t worry, this will improve with practice!  The video below walks you through alternating yarns while knitting flat and in the round, and has has a few tips on how to prevent tension issues from happening. 

Alternating skeins in the round using the 'yarn forward' technique.

This method works best when the last stitch of skein one, and the first stitch of skein two are knit stitches (this will make more sense after you watch the video).  Now is a good time to mention that you can begin to alternate yarns anywhere in the row.  So for this method, if you are working a cable, lace or textured stitch pattern, make sure you begin alternating yarns where there are two knit stitches that are always together.  If you are working stockinette stitch, it won’t matter at all.  The benefit of using this method is that it's seamless (no visible seam on the wrong side) and it prevents tension issues that can occur when you swap yarns using the method above. 

Jogless or Helical Knitting

This our favourite method when working stockinette in the round.  It's seamless, easy to do and blends yarn beautifully.  The big downside is that its almost impossible to do when working any stitch pattern other than stockinette.  You can, if you are more experienced, tweak this method by slipping a few less/more stitches to make it work for your stitch pattern (we’ve done this for ribbed hems).

We hope you've found this guide useful, and we would love to hear what your thoughts on alternating skeins are.  Do you alternate skeins, if so what is your preferred method?  Let us know in the comments below.

Happy knitting xxx

Our pattern spotlight for the month of June is the gorgeous Easy V by Caitlin Hunter.  If you've never attempted colourwork before but are keen to try it, then this pattern will be perfect for you.  Of course, more experienced colourwork knitters will find this a very relaxing project. Easy V is knit top down, beginning with a subtle v-neck that transitions into the colourwork yoke.  From there, it's just easy stockinette.  If you are more experienced you could easily shorten the sleeves into a 3/4 length, or even make it into a tee.

Our Cushy DK would be perfect for this sweater.  We have put together a few colour combo ideas.  See below for sizing and yardage requirements.

MC Char, CC1 Tequila, CC2 Cocoa Bean, CC3 Orchid

MC Tequila, CC1 Sushi, CC2 Char, CC3 Gum Leaf

MC Sushi, CC1 Ginger, CC2 Cinder, CC3 Persimmon

MC Java, CC1 Soft Blush, CC2 Orchid, CC3 Hyssop

MC Soft Blush, CC1 Black Pearl, CC2 Sea Glass, CC3 Char

MC Antique Brass, CC1 Soft Blush, CC2 Toffee, CC3 Java

Sizing: 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) {7, 8, 9, 10}

Recommended ease: 6-8" [15.5-20.5 cm] of positive ease at the bust.
Finished bust circumference: 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56) {60, 64, 68, 72}" [91.5 (101.5, 112, 122, 132, 142) {152.5, 162.5, 172.5, 183} cm]

Yardage:

The Yardages below have been calculated for our Cushy DK.

MC: 4 (4, 4, 4, 5, 5) {5, 6, 6, 6} skeins
CC1: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {1, 1, 2, 2} skeins
CC2: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {2, 2, 2, 2} skeins
CC3: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1 ) {1, 1, 2, 2} skeins

All of these yarns are now in stock and ready to ship.  If we do sell out, we now offer dyed to order!  You can see all the dyed to order colours here. 

The Easy V by Caitlin Hunter can be purchased via Ravelry. 

Hope you enjoy our very first pattern spotlight and happy knitting!  xxx

This week's featured design is the very popular As If Tee by Shay Johnson.  It is so much fun to knit and looks fabulous on everybody.  It has a modern aesthetic that is very wearable and, as knitting patterns go, it is quite unique. The design calls for around 3-4 skeins of worsted (I only used 2 skeins for the small size) and one skein of Mohair Silk Lace.  Be warned, it is addictive and you'll want to make more than one!  For mine, I used Apple Blossom for the worsted, and Blush for the Mohair Silk Lace.

This week we will be topping up the shop with lots of our Winter worsted and Mohair Silk Lace.  Each yarn will be listed separately, but here are a few colour combinations to get you started:

From the top:

• Fiord and Oyster
• Apple Blossom and Blush
• Henna Blush and Mulled Wine
• Pixelated and Oyster
• Silver Eucalyptus and Oyster
• French Lavender and Mulled Wine
• Cocoa and Mulled Wine
• Mulled Wine and Fiord
• Linseed and Fiord
• Mineral and Henna Blush

There will be many more colourways available in the shop this Friday 16th August.  In the meantime, head on over to Ravelry to grab your copy of the As If Tee by Shay Johnson via Ravelry.

Hope to see you Friday!

Kristen xx

The popularity of mohair has recently risen to great heights due to an explosion of new patterns that use mohair silk lace, either held together with another yarn or on its own.  There are currently close to 31,000 designs on Ravelry that use a mohair-blended yarn, some of the top patterns include Ranunculus by Midori Hirose and the No Frills Sweater by Petite Knits.  So what do you know about mohair?  To be honest I didn't know a lot, but I did a little research and it turns out to be quite an interesting fibre.  So let's take a closer look.

Firstly, mohair fibre comes from Angora goats.  This can often be confusing as there are also Angora rabbits from which angora fibre is produced.  Angora goats and rabbits share the same name due to their place of origin: 'Angora', that is, Ankara, the capital city of Turkey.

Mohair fibres contain microscopic scales that are thinner, smoother and larger than those found on wool.  These scales give mohair its beautiful shine, prevents the fibre from felting and provides resistance from dirt and water (as both easily slip off the smooth surface).  Mohair is also flame resistant and warmer than wool. However, it is much less durable than wool and will lose its lustre and turn brittle and yellow if washed in hot water over 60 °C (140 ° F), which is important to know if dyeing it or preparing fleeces for spinning.

Mohair fibre is classed from fine to coarse, the finest being 'superfine kid' and the coarsest is 'adult'.  Adult mohair fibre is very coarse and mainly used for upholstery and carpets. Yarns spun for hand knitters and crocheters use either superfine or kid, and are usually blended with another fibre like merino or silk. This is due to the fact that mohair fibre has lots of stretch, but unlike wool does not return to its unscratched state; in other words, it has no memory. Superfine mohair comes from the very first shearing, when the goat (or kid) is six-months old.  It feels so soft, just like cashmere.  Kid mohair comes from the second and subsequent shearings, and is less soft than superfine.  So if you are looking for an ultra-soft mohair (soft as cashmere), read the label and make sure it is classified as 'superfine'. 

Kitting with mohair is a delight, especially when holding it double with another yarn.  The colour effects that occur when knitting mohair together with a different coloured yarn can be magical.  I'm currently knitting the Love Note Sweater by Tin Can Knits (see above), and I am loving both the feel of the fabric and the way the two colours are knitting together (I'm holding it with our Top Draw Sock base).  I did however have to rip back a few stitches and my love for mohair might have waned a little.  Mohair is notoriously troublesome when ripping back.  The long fibres catch and wrap together, making it very difficult to undo!  The only advice I can give is take it very slowly.  I have also heard that putting your project in the freezer can help make ripping back easier.  Apart from this, mohair yarns are a joy to knit with and the resulting item is warm, soft  and cosy to wear.  If you haven't tried knitting with a mohair yarn I highly recommend you do.

Are you a fan of Mohair?  What do you love or hate about it?  What patterns do you suggest to knit with yarns blended from this fibre?  I would love to hear your thoughts, please post in the comments below.

xx