Rowan Fine Art…

has arrived! It’s gorgeous – come see!!

Designed for socks, shawls and other accessories, Rowan Fine Art is a blend of merino wool, kid mohair, mulberry silk and polyamide to make it suitable and durable for all projects. In addition to the exquisite fiber content, Fine Art is beautifully hand painted and arrives with significant pattern support. Rowan quality and colour sense bundled up in a unique package!

Yarn Ball Weight: 100g
Yarn Meterage/Yardage: 400/437
Tension/Gauge: 32 stitches / 42 rows per 4″

- Melissa

Free Pattern Friday

Marly Scarf by Jane Stanley

(Photos: Jane Stanley)

Marly Scarf by Jane Stanley is a lovely warm-weather scarf / shawl knit holding two different coloured strands of Habu Textiles Tsumugi Silk together to create a unique marled look. The pattern provides two sizes and makes for an easy summer project – great for long-weekend car and cottage knitting! The Big Marly (Shawl) is 16 inches wide by 74 inches long and requires two cones per color of Habu Tsumugi Silk (~1800 yards total) while the Little Marly (Scarf) measures 8 inches wide by 74 inches long and requires only one cone per color (~900 yards total).

We have most colours of Habu Tsumugi Silk in stock right now (picture below right shows the blending effect of two strands held together in our free Ombre Tank pattern).

- Melissa

Summer 2013 Knit-Along!

Viajante by Martina Behm

(Photos: Martina Behm)

Our Summer Knit-Along project is Viajante by Martina Behm!

Martina writes: “Viajante is basically a very long and narrow triangular tube. Used flat, you can wrap it around your neck several times or put it on your shoulders as you would with a shawl. Open it up at the lace border and pull it over your head, and it will keep your entire upper body warm. If you wish, you can use it to add a dramatic asymmetrical silhouette to your wardrobe. Best thing: If you forgot your hat, you can just pull the narrow garter stitch part over your head and hide your ears from the cold. It is so versatile you will not want to leave the house without it! Viajante has a clean, classic look in stockinette stitch that is particularly pretty in a slightly variegated, very light yarn. The lace mesh border is really easy to knit (even for beginners) but can be replaced by a more complicated lace pattern or a simple ruffle if you prefer. It is a long, relaxing knit without any purl stitches that yields a spectacular result.”

Viajante has been an extremely popular knit since being published to Ravelry in February – more than 1000 users have already posted their finished projects! Although the pattern calls for a lace weight yarn, I just finished a fingering weight version in Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light for a cozier more casual look (see photos below). Because of the heavier yarn choice, I modified the decrease rate slightly to reduce bulk at the neck and produce a wider tube (mods are listed on our Ravery project page here). Lisa has just cast on a laceweight version using SweetGeorgia Yarns CashSilk Lace – yum!

This was a much faster knit than anticipated and took about two weeks to complete knitting mostly in the evenings with longer stretches on the weekends. The fact that it is worked in the round (no purling!) helps it move along quickly. Everyone’s time available for knitting being different, though, we’re giving you lots of time to work on this one – the Knit-Along begins June 15th and runs two months, ending on August 15th.

To join, simply click here to visit the Summer KAL thread in the Espace Tricot Ravelry Group and introduce yourself.

You can jump into the Knit-Along any time – if you post a picture of your finished Viajante to the thread by August 15th, we’ll enter your name into a draw for a $25 Espace Tricot Gift Card! You can also submit your finished project by sending us a photo via e-mail or stopping by the store.

Viajante can be purchased for $5.00 on Ravelry here.

Hope you’ll join us!

- Melissa

Recent store samples…

Lisa finished two new store samples last week and today there was finally enough sunlight in my house to photograph them (summer, where are you?). These will be back in the shop first thing tomorrow so come have a look!

Pine Forest Blanket

The Pine Forest Baby Blanket by Ingrid Aartun Bøe is a simple modern lace pattern perfect for a beautifully textured mini-afghan. The pattern is easy to follow and the basic 3-row repeat creates a nice steady rhythm as you knit. Easy to modify with the addition of repeats. Our store sample is knit with Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label in the stunning Lemongrass colourway.

Click here for more photos and project details on our Ravelry page.

Striped Study Shawl

Another version of Veera’s Valimaki’s popular asymmetrical triangle shawl. We’re loving the subtle striping with the variegated yarn in this one. Knit with Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Plaid Blanket and Glazed Pecan.

Click here for more photos and project details on our Ravelry page.

- Melissa

Interweave Crochet – Summer 2013…

has arrived!

Click here to preview.

- Melissa

Free pattern Friday

First of all, our apologies for the slow blogging week! What with 3 days of inventory, busy catch-up days in the store with our customers, and all sorts of other “life” stuff going on, things got away from Mona and I here over the last few days.  I think we’re back on track now.  First up, this week’s free pattern – Nae (see details below).

For those who have been asking about our June KAL (another casualty of this week’s schedule), we finally got round to making a decision about the project last night and will announce it first thing next week. Please note, the next KAL will run 2 months (mid-June thru mid-August) so don’t worry, there will be plenty of time to finish!

Nae by Anat Rodan

(Photos: AnatRodanDesigns)

Nae, by Anat Rodan, is a beautifully simple shawl that lets the your yarn choice be the star of the show. The clean lines and reversible nature of this shawl make it a perfect choice for those coveted skeins of hand-dyed yarn you’ve been stashing.  The pattern calls for Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light which is stunning but we also think that for those wanting something a little cooler for the summer Handmaiden Sea Silk would make a gorgeous choice. Our SandnesGarn Mandarin Petit fingering weight cotton also has a beautiful sheen and provides a more economical option.  We have lots of all three of these yarns in stock at the moment so come on in and have a look!

Note: Anat has also made a matching hat pattern, Kozue, available to use any leftover yarn.

- Melissa

Free Pattern Friday Bonus! New from Espace Tricot…

Split Personality

I know it’s 31 degrees out there. Still, this just came off my needles and I posted our free pattern to Ravelry this morning so consider it a bonus! Knit with Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light (100% merino) and Filatura di Crosa Superior (70% Cashmere / 30% Silk), our Split Personality scarf is worked as a simple tube from end to end beginning and ending with 2×2 ribbing. The combination of Tosh Light and Superior and the use of larger needles makes this incredibly light yet cozy and, because it’s knit in the round, there’s no “wrong” side! A great project to have on the go for social knitting or as a respite from more challenging patterns. With more than 72 colours of Tosh Light in stock along with a full range of Superior, at least half the fun will be in creating your own split personality combo.

Click here to view project details and access our free pattern

- Melissa

Free pattern Friday – Pocket Ted(dy)

(Photos: Rosemily)

Too much sweetness! We found Pocket Ted by Frankie Brown on Ravelry this week and I’m pretty sure Mona, Lisa, and I all let out slightly undignified squeals of delight. In fact, I’m pretty sure Mona has already cast this little guy on. You all need to find an Altoids tin and a little person to make little Ted for straight away – we are convinced that he will be treasured always and forever by whoever is lucky enough to receive him.

- Melissa

Back to Basics – Stitch Mount

I don’t know how to mount a horse but I do know my stitch mount! Do you?

Are you aware of the correct stitch mount? Well, having asked that, it all depends on your style of knitting. In this case let’s assume we all either throw or pick and knit and purl the common way. Which in return means your stitches are mounted all the same. They have to be to follow instructions like k2tog and ssk successfully – and not get some mangled result not knowing why it doesn’t look like anything in the picture.

You probably wonder how can it happen that some stitches are not mounted the correct way? Imagine you made a mistake and you take the knitting off your needle, rip to the mistake and then pick up the stitches again – that is when some of backwards mounting happens. I do it, too. Especially when I don’t take care and just want to get the stitches back on the needle quickly because I don’t want them to drop down any further. Or you ‘tink’ (heh, that’s ‘knit’ backwards, and that is exactly what you do) stitch by stitch and it just so happens that some of them are now backwards on the needle. No biggie, we can fix that!

First up: The correct stitch mount. You know the stitches are mounted correctly when you insert your needle as if to knit and the stitch can be opened up wide – just like in the second picture.

Now: The incorrect stitch mount. When you insert your needle knitwise and try to open the stitch, nothing much happens. See the twisted legs of the stitch? You do not want that.

If you knit that stitch anyways, this is what happens. Look at the second stitch from the left on the right hand needle. It looks like the stitch has crossed its legs, they look definitely different than the rest.

You can fix it by either knitting directly into the back loop, or, if you are not comfortable with that, move the stitch to the right hand needle as shown and then back to the left hand needle by inserting it in the back also and it is mounted correctly.

I am lazy, so all I do is knit it into the back loop – UNLESS I have to do fancy things like k2tog or ssk, for these you want to make sure the stitches sit on the needle perfectly all looking in the same (or rather: proper!) direction.

Happy knitting, as ever!

- Mona

Coming soon…Quince & Co.!

Espace Tricot is thrilled to announce that beginning mid-summer we’ll be carrying yarns from Quince & Co.! We’ve long been fans of this company that sources and spins all of its yarns in the US using wool from Merino, Rambouillet, and Columbia-based sheep from Montana and Wyoming. In addition to producing beautiful, quality products, Quince strives to minimize its carbon footprint and ensure that the animals used are raised humanely in a way that sustains the earth. Quince also provides stunning pattern support with collections that are sure to meet knitters at all skill levels. Popular designers such as Pam Allen, Carrie Bostick Hodge, Hannah Fettig, Cecily Glowik-MacDonald, Cookie A., and many others have created a broad assortment of projects ranging from the “utilitarian and friendly” to the “precious, labor-of-love” endeavour.

As Quince & Co’s only flagship store in Canada, we are happy to finally make these incredible products easily available north of the border (and yes, we’re happy to ship!).

Here’s an overview of the yarns we’ll be retailing along with some of the patterns available for each. Please visit the Quince & Co. site directly to  learn more about the company and to see the full range of colourways and projects!

Note: All photos and descriptions below are from the Quince & Co. website.

Chickadee

“Chickadee is a little darling—soft, plump, springy, and eager to loop into intricate color patterns or delicate textures. Its three plies, spun from softest American wool, are twisted together firmly enough to be sturdy, yet gently enough to be soft and cushiony.”

100% American Wool
181 yds [166 m] / 50g
6.5 sts /inch on size US 3 needles
6 sts / inch on size US 5 needles

Tern

“Soft and skinny is our wispy Tern, a blend of wool and tussah silk. The yarn’s muted palette — think vintage painted photographs — results from the way in which the different fibers absorb dye. The wool portion colors thoroughly, but the silk is barely tinted. It’s good for socks, scarves, mitts, hats, and any sweater that loves a little drape.”

75% American Wool, 25% Silk
221 yd [202 m] / 50g
9 sts /inch on size US 1 needles
7 sts / inch on size US 3 needles

Lark

“Lark is a smooth, round, wool yarn, designed to showcase all manner of stitch patterns. Its firm 4-ply structure yields etched twisted stitches, fluid cables, and chiseled allover small textures. Lark is great, too, when you want a good yarn for well-defined color patterns.”

100% American Wool
134 yds [123 m] / 50g
5 sts /inch on size US 6 needles
4.5 sts / inch on size US 8 needles

Osprey

“Osprey is a cushy, comfy, 3-ply Aran-weight yarn spun from fluffy wool fleece. Its relaxed twist gives knits a soft, fluid hand. Texture patterns knitted in Osprey are lofty, light, and easy to work. Color patterns are bold and eye-catching.”

100% Wool
170 yds [155 m] / 100g
4 sts /inch on size US 9 needles
3.5 sts / inch on size US 11 needles

Puffin

“Puffin is a plump, chunky, single-ply yarn spun from sturdy American wool fleece. Its felted texture knits up into garments with a soft halo and a broken-in feel. Puffin is great for quick accessories or cozy, wear-all-the-time sweaters.”

100% American Wool
112 yds [102 m] / 100g
3 sts / inch on size US 10.5 needles
2.5 sts / inch on size US 13 needles

- Melissa