Cosmic Connections

Thank you to everyone who visited and shopped online yesterday and today. We’ve had a great few days celebrating our birthday with more days to go.

It’s almost time for Lisa K. Ross’s MKAL.

“Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 

Are you ready to take your knitting experience out of this world?! We are headed over the moon with this mystery knit that was designed to be unlike anything you’ve found on Earth! This opulent wrap takes inspiration from stars, galaxies, outer space, and everything else the universe has to offer. The knitalong fun will take place on Ravelry and Instagram. Click here to share your colors, ask your questions, and connect with other knitters all over the world. It’s time to reach for the stars! 

What to expect:

• unique construction
• lace
• bias knitting
• cables
• slipped stitches
• color changes

All techniques with charts will also include written instructions. I’ve created tutorial videos to guide you through any new techniques. There will NOT be any stranded colorwork or brioche. This design is intended for intermediate knitters, but my patterns and tutorials are designed to guide adventurous beginner skills to the next level. The best part of a KAL… there will be lots of helpful knitters to keep you from getting lost in space! 

Finished dimensions:
??? (See my previous MKAL wraps to get an idea of the general size and shape it could be: Garden Variety, Just Beachy, Mountain Musings, Secret Forest, and Wings of Wonder)

Here are the important dates you'll need for this MKAL:
September 3 - 1st clue released 
September 10 - 2nd clue released 
September 17 - 3rd clue released 
September 24 - 4th clue released 
October 1 - 5th clue released 
October 8 - 6th clue released 

October 22 - final day of MKAL; post finished object photos in the Ravelry group 

You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry. 

Use code LIFTOFF to pre-order this pattern for 50% OFF through August 18 (EDT)! Join the Cosmic Connections MKAL in my Ravelry group!

Want to see the (no longer a mystery) wraps from the previous years? Use code WRAPITUP for 25% OFF each of my previous MKAL wraps. Click here to see them all!

Emma’s has put kits together. These are available online for preorder. They will arrive at the end of August. We will do our best to get them to you for the September 3rd cast on but we could be a day or two late depending on where you live.

Each includes two skeins of the main color in Practically Perfect Sock and one Practically Perfect Half in each of the seven coordinating colors.

The family is having a good time at the cottage. I had a nice nap after work and now I’m going to sit and knit for a bit.

Cinnabar

I put together kits for Andrea Mowry’s Cinnabar. The shawl is knit with Spincycle Versus (now discontinued but I had stock) and Dyed in the Wool. All the kits are one of a kind and you will receive the skeins that are pictured. 

Garter and brioche will always be my go-to ingredients for creating my favorite shawls to knit and wear! This shawl plays with two-color Garter and Brioche with the increases offset to create an asymmetrical shawl that wants to be wrapped right around you! This shawl turns up the volume on texture by using DK weight yarn in one color and Sport weight yarn in the other color! 

DETAILS
This shawl is knit top down with asymmetrical shaping and encased in a garter stitch border. One half of the shawl is 2 color brioche and the other half is 2 color garter stitch.

Cinnabar was my first real brioche project. I was afraid but Andrea writes a great pattern.

Kits are available online and in the store.

The kits are marked down and if you order during our Birthday sale you will receive an extra discount.

SURPRISE

It’s our 38th birthday and we are having a surprise sale. I woke up early this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. When I looked at my calendar I realized it was a special day so I put the wheels in motion to have a surprise party. Two newsletters have been written. The discounts are set up online. The website has been updated so that the sale information will show up on every page. It’s been a busy morning.

• The sale will start at noon on Thursday August 14th and run until 8pm on Tuesday August 19th.

• 15% off everything in the store and online. The discount is automatic - you don’t need to put in any codes.

• The discount will be applied to regular priced and sale items that are online and in the store.

• No points will be earned during the sale.

• Please don’t use your points during the sale - this will cancel the automatic discount. Save them to use at a later date.

Thank you for celebrating with us.

CraSy

Addi CraSy-Snake Lace double pointed needles should be arriving next week

Secure hold for loose stitches. The ergonomic shape fits comfortably in the hand - ideal for longer knitting sessions.

Whether you want to knit elegant socks or fine cable patterns. With the wavy needles addiSnake, knitting has never been so pleasant! The structure ensures that stitches stay securely on the needle - without losing any stitches. Beginners and loose knitters in particular benefit from the control. An innovative development with CraSy - Sylvie Rasch.

• The wavy shape ensures a firm grip
• The needles do not slip out of the stitches – even with a particularly loose stitch pattern
• Fine lace tips are perfect for demanding knitting techniques
• Solid metal needles are robust and durable

Of course, Made in Germany.

For the perfect grip

The uniquely shaped needles of the addiCraSySnake Double-pointed needles surprise with a particularly secure hold in the hand. The wavy shape of the needles guarantees that the snakes won't slip out of your knitting - even if you are knitting particularly loosely.

The wave shape is also easy to grip and hold, as the waves give the fingers a secure support to hold the needles in the hand. This makes the Double-pointed needles particularly interesting for beginners who are switching to double-pointed needles for the first time and for people with handicaps that make gripping difficult.

An innovative shape with added value

Wavy needles can only be used for cable patterns? Not at all! The wavy shape not only holds cable stitches but also the stitches of Double-pointed needles. Who hasn't had the experience of Double-pointed needles slipping out unintentionally and disappearing into the crack of the couch? This won't happen with the 15 cm long addiCraSySnake. Due to their special shape, these needles neither roll away nor slip out of the stitches.

It takes some getting used to at first, but after trying it out for the first time it's simply brilliant!

Fine lace tips for easy piercing and knitting

The fine lace tips enable easy knitting of fine patterns and multiple insertions in stitches. This makes it particularly easy to knit increases and detailed intricate patterns.

The solid aluminium tips are also particularly dimensionally stable and robust. This keeps the knitting needles in perfect shape. Thanks to their anodised surface, they glide wonderfully through the stitches 

I will get these online when they arrive. I can’t wait to try them. 

The family is off to the cottage tomorrow. Beth’s plan is to come home on Sunday so I’ll have a few days by myself. I hope to get back to my knitting. It has been sitting beside my chair for a few days because I’ve had other things that needed to be done.

Bambara Wrap

This is Ambah O’Brien’s Bambara Wrap. You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

Bambara wrap was inspired by a walk in my local bush. The greens of the landscape and dappled light through the leaves.  

Bambara is a generously-sized wrap, knit on the bias with simple shaping and alternating sections of lace and garter. The colours and patterns weave together like the layers of a melody, calling to mind the iconic sound of The Cure’s A Forest. It’s the perfect opportunity to play with colour – use a 3-skein gradient with a coordinating contrast colour, mix speckles and solids in 4 different colours for a fun, bold look, or keep it subtle with neutral solids.

This is a sample we had knit for the store a few years ago. The yarn is discontinued but I wanted to show it so you could see a different colourway.

This is the Bambara that I knit. I would highly recommend the shawl. It was a fun knit. There is just enough to keep you interested without it being a complicated knit.

I put together kits and they are available online and in the store. You need 4 skeins of fingering weight yarn. I can also make a custom kit.

I had my eyes checked today and ordered a new pair of glasses. Krysten and the staff at Hanley’s were awesome as usual. Krysten and Stephanie picked out my new frames and you’ll never guess what colour!

When I got home dad was having a nap. Fred and Boscoe were in bed with him.

Jackson loves to lay outside the powder room.

Now it’s time for the Jays and some knitting. There hasn’t been much of that because I’ve had other chores but my fingers are itching. It’s time to split for my sleeves.

The Shift

I was in the store this morning packing orders and answering emails. When I’m sitting at the front table I look at our display for The Shift. Our kits needed a refresh. We’ve received new colours that haven’t been used yet.

There are 8 new kits online and in the store. These kits are one of a kind. The skeins photographed are the skeins that you receive. 

I’ve knit the Shift 4 times and would definitely make it again. The pattern is easy to follow and the colour changes make it an interesting knit. I like wearing the cowl as well. 

This cowl is the perfect all-the-time accessory! And the answer for all of those knitters out there who love to knit shawls, but have a hard time styling them. A fun and engaging knit with shifting colors, that looks like an asymmetrical triangle shawl, and it only takes a fiddle-free second to throw it on as the finish to every outfit!

I put together a few more kits this morning that I will share tomorrow. They aren’t online yet and it’s getting late. 

Pastoral, Lyrical and Rhapsody

We were one of the first stores to carry SweetGeorgia’s Symphony Shawl kits. Now we have pictures of all three colourways knit up.

Three specially curated yarn sets, each featuring fifteen colourways in an array of hand-dyed hues, are sure to delight. Knitters of all skill levels will find joy in creating the Symphony Shawl — an asymmetrical triangular shawl with its touches of lace and easy colourwork. 

Each set contains fifteen 52 yard / 47 m micro-skeins of SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock fingering-weight yarn (80% Superwash merino, 20% Nylon).

This is Pastoral.

This is Lyrical.

This is Rhapsody.

The kits are available in the store and online.

The shed has been restocked with shipping boxes. I was looking for a certain size box last week and realized we were running low on many sizes. I’m ready to ship any size order.

Someone had a hair cut yesterday. Fred looks like a totally different dog. He’s ready to head back to the cottage but that won’t be happening for a few weeks. It is crazy hot up there again. Between dad and Jackson we need to be careful with the heat and humidity. 

It’s almost time for the baseball game and a bit of knitting.