HRYC

Strange coincidence that shortly after having blogged about my first ever knit garment, Thermal, we've got more stock of the same yarn I used for it - Naturally Haven. 

Why did I choose it? Because it was soft, had a beautiful hand, and was machine washable. It's safe to say that after 5 years of wear, it still looks fantastic. 

In the same line, we also now have Naturally's Waikiwi on the shelves. The best thing about Waikiwi? It's PERFECT for socks. A mix of NZ merino, possum, nylon and silk mean it is designed for the wear and tear socks are subjected to. It almost seems a shame just to put it on your feet, though. Wouldn't it also make a glorious Thermal? I think so. 

I'm trying to force myself to finish knitting my second  Rocky Coast before casting on anything new...but with all this exciting stock arriving, it's proving a challenge! Knitting and daydreaming about future projects will have to do for now.

I'm having a weird old weird day. If you're having one as well, or simply feel like getting out of the house, it's knit night tonight (Thursday). Come on by for some yarn squishing, knitting and tea. And toffee pops. And whatever else I can rummage up for you. We'll be here, knitting, from 7pm - 9pm.

xx Tash

Is it 'woollen' or 'woolen'? I don't know. Either way, it's definitely time to be wearing them. I've never been much of mitten knitter. I'm not sure why. 

So I asked on Facebook for some pattern suggestions, and here's what was suggested:

Susie Rogers Reading Mitts by Susie Rogers (free!)

Birdies Mitts by Julia Davies (free pattern!)

Rainbow Kid Mittens by Emilie Williams (free pattern!)

Snap Dragon Flip-top Mitts by Ysolda Teague

And one person requested an image of kittens in mittens, so how about kittens on mittens?

Meow Mitts by Tiny Owl Knits

Happy knitting!

xx Tash

It's been a bit stormy around here lately. And following the storm, a lot of rain (and snow for some parts). Lots of people were without power, and our flat lost a skylight. Having a hole in the roof makes life a bit chilly! From where i'm sitting right now I can see a patch of blue sky, and the rest of the week is meant to be sunny but cold. 

When it's this cold I immediately turn to my favourite wearable hug - and the first garment I ever knit. The pattern is Thermal by Laura Chau from the Winter Knitty way back in 2006. It's warm and makes me happy whenever i'm wearing it.

Knitting Thermal was a big deal. Choosing out the yarn I had two options: cheap or expensive. As my first garment, I was worried about if it would turn out ok. Concerned that I would finish it, hate it and never wear it. Out of the two yarn options, neither had the colour I wanted. In the shop, tossing up between the two, it was either scratchy (cheap) or soft (expensive).

I weighed up the options. I could spend twice as much on the yarn and have something warm and snuggly. Or I could save money and knit with something not-so-nice. A 4ply jersey is a big time commitment, and I figured that even if I didn't love the end result, I could just wear it around the house. 

I spent the extra, and five years later I rejoice the moment it gets cold enough to wear it again. The yarn has stood the test of time, and I thank my past-self for selecting the better quality option. 

At Holland Road we only stock great yarn. I learned my lesson early on that investing in great yarn for projects is absolutely worth it. 

Anyway: I need another one. Or, rather, I need a pullover / jersey / sweater that is light, long sleeved, and just big enough that it will go over a top but under a coat. 

Hunting through Ravelry I have so many options!

Stasis by Leila Raabe  /  Bayside Pullover by Hannah Fettig

/ Challow by Jeni Hewlett

Raindrops by Tincan Knits  /  Framed pullover by Hannah Fettig

I think i'm leaning towards Stasis in Zealana Rimu Fingering, or Raindrops in Spud & Chloe Fine. Or maybe Knitsch Sock. Hmmm! Or both patterns? There's no such thing a too many hand knit jerseys, after all...

Oh, and when I finished Thermal - I wasn't in love with it. I was super judgey about how it fit, and all my old hang-ups about awful hand knit garments came to the surface. I forced myself to wear it anyway, and stopped caring about if it was flattering or not. Wearing something that made me happy and warm was the most important thing.

Image from They All Hate Us via Pinterest

Have a warm and happy and knitty weekend!

xx Tash

It's back! There's a new colour list the length of my arm that I want to get stuck into...and this is your chance to get your hands on them three weeks before anyone else. This yarn club is a little different to most in that we send out all the yarn in one go, and you get to choose your colours. Brand new, shiny exciting colours that you get to play with first. 

Yarn Club on sale 10am Friday 21 June

The details:

Strictly limited to 20 places

Purchasing a place will cost NZ $54 plus shipping ($4 NZ, $7 Australia, $10 ROW)

What you get:

4 x Knitsch Sock 100% merino 4ply

One week prior to shipping, you will receive an email containing images of brand new Knitsch Sock colourways. From these, you can select as many or as few skeins of each colour as you wish. 

If your yarn selection total is more than 4 x 50g skeins, we will email your final cost for payment prior to dispatch.

Yarn will be shipped all in one parcel on 18 July, 2013

As usual, your parcel will contain sweet treats!

Lucky place-getters will not only see the brand colours before anyone else, you will touch them too! 

Simple, simple, easy peasy! 

Yarn Club on sale 10am Friday 21 June

The pdf pattern is now available. 

After having a surprisingly tricky time finding a basic sock pattern for new sock knitters, we’ve written up our own. Knit from the cuff down, with no fussy details, this is a great sock for beginners and experienced sock knitters alike. The sample in the photos was striped – we used 2 skeins of Knitsch Sock ‘Caboose’ and one of ‘Plain & Simple’. Caboose was used for the cuff, heel and toe, and striped every 2 rows in the body of the sock with Plain & Simple. The pattern uses a short row heel – so don’t fret when it comes to the heel turn and you aren’t knitting across all of the stitches. By the end of this pattern section all stitches will be taken care of. You can find a pdf of the pattern and extra patterns notes on Ravelry. 

Yarn: 2 skeins of Knitsch Sock or 100g of sock yarn

Needles: 2.50mm 80cm fixed circular, or 2.50mm double pointed needles

Sizes: Small (medium, large, X-large)

Gauge: 30 sts x 44 rows = 10cm

Abbreviations:

CO - cast on
K – knit
p – purl
ssk – slip, slip, knit
k2tog – knit two stitches together
p2tog – purl two stitches together
sl – slip the stitch from the left hand needle to the right needle without knitting

Pattern:

CO 60 (64, 68, 72) stitches Set up row: k2, p2, repeat until end next row: k2, p2, repeat until end. Join in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a marker to mark the beginning of the round. Split the number or stitches evenly across 2 needles (the magic loop using the circular needle) or 4 needles (if using double pointed needles).

Next row: k2, p2, repeat until end repeat rib pattern until cuff measures 2.5cm

Next row: knit Work in stocking stitch until leg measures approx 17cm or is desired length.

Heel flap: This section is worked flat over 30 (32, 34, 36) stiches. The other half of the stitches are held on the cable of your circular needle or on two dpns and are not knit at all until the heel section is completed. You will be turning your work as this part is knit flat rather than in the round.

Next row starting from marker: *sl1, k1, repeat from * 14 (15, 16, 17) more times 30 (32, 34, 36) stitches have been worked

Next row: turn work, *sl1, p to end

Next row: sl1, k2, *sl1, k1, repeat from * to end

Next row: sl1, p to end

Repeat these four rows 6 (7, 8, 9) more times, or until heel flap is length required. End on a purl row.

Heel turn: The heel turn is the bit that gets most people unstuck. As long as you follow the instructions word for word, and don’t worry about the stitches you aren’t knitting, it’ll make sense in the end.

Row 1: (right side of work) sl1, k16 (18, 18, 20), ssk, k1, turn work row 2: (wrong side of work) sl1, p5 (7, 5, 7), p2tog, p1, turn row 3: sl1, k to 1 st before gap, ssk (1 st from each side of gap), k1, turn work row 4: sl1, p to 1 st before gap, p2tog (1 st from each side of gap), p1, turn

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all stitches have been worked. 18 (20, 20, 22) sts remain.

Knit back along the heel stitches, on the right side of your work. 

Gusset: In this section the stitches along the side of the heel flap are picked up and knit, the top of the foot is now knit, the stitches down the other side of the heel flap are picked up and knit, and the sole of the foot is also worked.

Next row: Pick up and knit 14 (15, 17, 19) stitches along the heel flap, knit 30 (32, 34, 36), pick up and knit 14 (15, 17, 19) stitches along the heel flap, k9 (10, 10, 11), place new beginning of round marker.

Row 1: 23 (25, 27, 30) sts, k2tog, k30 (32, 34, 36), ssk, k to end of round Row 2: knit all sts

Repeat these two rows, knitting 1 less stitch before each k2tog on each repeat of row 1. Continue until 60 (64, 68, 72) stitches remain.

Knit in the round until the foot section reaches where your toes start (what I fondly refer to as ‘toe cleavage’).

Toe decreases: Making a space for your toes!

Row 1: k12 (13, 14, 15), k2tog, k1, place marker, k1, ssk, k24 (26, 28. 30) k2tog, k1, place marker, k1, ssk, k to end Row 2: knit Row 3: k to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, knit to end.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 four more times.

Repeat row 3 until 30 (32, 34, 36) stitches remain. The beginning of round marker should be in the centre of the sole stitches. Break yarn and seam live stitches together using kitchener stitch.

If you like, you can wash and block your socks by laying them flat to dry. I’m usually much too impatient for this and put them on immediately. Enjoy! If you have any questions, please email tash@knitschyarns.co.nz.