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We'd love to feature Knitters on the podcast!

10/30/2022

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We’d like to meet some knitters and feature them on our blog and podcast! If you’re interested in being a part of this, we’d REALLY like to hear from you!
Respond to the following questions in a Ravelry form post or email with a picture of yourself knitting and we’ll feature it on our blog!
If you’d like to go a step further and record a sound byte of yourself answering the following questions that would be INCREDIBLE and we would love to include it in our podcast! You can email it to us relentlessknitting at gmail dot com or use the same email to share it with us over google drive.

​Name:
Raverly alias:
Other Social media?
When and how did you first learn to knit?
What was your first project?
What is your biggest knitting disaster?
What are you most proud of as a knitter?
What are you favorite items to knit?
Are you a process knitter or a product knitter?
Do you have any knitting goals? Projects? Techniques?
Why do you keep coming back to knitting?
Do you do any other fiber arts other than knitting?
Do you have any other super powers other than knitting?
Anything else you’d like to tell the world? (shameless self promotion!)



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Local Food Bank Fundraiser

9/25/2022

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I (Karla) work in the Central Okanagan School District and I'm very fortunate that part of my job is teaching kids about Food Systems, Food Security, and Food Sovereignty. At my school, we have a converted shipping container that is a hydroponic farm and we’re able to grow 300+ heads of lettuce per week as well as fresh herbs, kale, and bok choy! Students run the farm and proceeds go back into free meal programs in our school. This program is a grant through Power Full Kids Future Growers.

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The Lake Country Food Bank works with local grocery stores and restaurants to reclaim food that would otherwise end up in the landfill. A group of dedicated volunteers retrieve the food then dry, preserve or freeze the food for distribution within the community and satellite communities who don’t have the facility to store large amounts of food. Kids who have access to nutritious food are happier and more able to learn but not all schools have an amazing program like ours. That’s why I’d like to offer our listeners a discount of 10% on all my patterns to raise money for the Food Bank in time for the holiday season. 
The code is;
RK10
I recommend my Home For the Holidays - A Knitter's Advent because the countdown to Christmas is right around the corner and it’s fun to put a little advent together for yourselves or a knitter friend. 


Half of every pattern sale will go to the Lake Country Food Bank in Winfield, BC & purchasers will be entered in a draw for an advent calendar put together by me on Nov 13.
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The Lake Country Food Bank works with local grocery stores and restaurants to reclaim food that would otherwise end up in the landfill. A group of dedicated volunteers retrieve the food then dry, preserve or freeze the food for distribution within the community and satellite communities who don’t have the facility to store large amounts of food. ​
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Knitter's Notes

12/11/2020

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Tiffanie from @beyond_swatches on Instagram put out the call for a printable organizational sheet for projects and I could not resist. This is not a new idea and there are some good ones already created (pinterest) but after some chatting with Tiffanie and looking at what's already out there we decided to create our own. 

I loved this idea and am trying more and more to lessen the amount of patterns I print. I have been using the free version of knit companion, which is great for keep track of where you are in a pattern, but there's no where to keep notes or do any of the set up maths and prep when starting a new project. So, we came up with this set of printables with the idea to print what you need. 

For example, I just started the Autumn League Pullover by Two of Wands and instead of printing the 10 page paid for version of the pattern, I loaded it into knit companion and only printed the first page and the notes page of the template we built (1 page, back to back). 

Now, I know I could use a notebook for this and that there are some great knitters notebooks out there but, if you're like me and have 20+ wips (no shame), said notebook gets tucked into one of them and then it's not good to you for any of the other 19ish projects because now it's lost. What works better for me is to have all the information necessairy for the project with the project. 

We're loving this idea and proud of what we created and would like to share it with you all!

Download, print, share! 
​~Karla
knitting_notes__3_.pdf
File Size: 335 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Sweater Math 101

2/1/2019

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Size matters. It does! The size of your stitches matter because they are what make up the fabric of the sweater you’ve chosen to knit. How many of that particular size of stitch are the reason your sweater will fit.  But before we get into how they make up fabric, let’s look at sweaters themselves and how they’re suited to different body types.

There are many books and resources to help knitters wade their way through sweater styles and designs that suit different silhouettes. I recommend utilizing your public library for pattern and sweater fit books to research your body shape and sweaters styles that suit it and you.  Creating a style vision board from magazines clippings or on online organizers are helpful in identifying personal style. Also, browsing finished object photos in Ravelry for people with similar body types to yours also helps with imagining how the finished sweater will fit you and what modifications, if any, you can make.
Classic Sweaters
Vintage Sweaters
Casual Sweaters
Once you’ve decided on a sweater style and fit, it’s now time to insure it fits just the way you like. “Ease” is the word used to describe the “looseness” or “tightness” of the sweater. Sweaters with negative to zero ease are tight to your body and hug your curves. Sweaters with positive ease are looser or baggier on your body but not necessarily shapeless. Your own personal style will determine the ease you’re comfortable with. If you’re unsure of where to start I recommend checking your closet. Pick out a few sweaters or shirts you love wearing and measure them. Measure across the bust and compare that measurement to your actual bust measurement.

Another point to consider when thinking about ease is the weight of yarn you intend to use in your sweater. The fabric produced in knitting differs depending on the yarn and gauge. A bulky yarn creates a thicker fabric and thereby consumes some of the ease measurement, a thinner yarn will consume less. This means a bulky weight sweater with 1” positive ease may fit more like a sweater with zero ease because of the thickness of fabric.
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Finally, we all knit differently, there’s no right or wrong way to do it, the fabric you create is a personally expression of who you are and what is currently happening in your life. Gauge reported on a pattern is a mathematical representation of that designer’s time and space. Yours will be different, therefor,  we need to test and collect data by knitting a gauge swatch. There’s really no way around it and, really, it’s just more time spent knitting so enjoy! ​
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​Knit a swatch starting with a needle size two sizes smaller than the one recommended in the pattern. Cast on about 50% to 70% more stitches then the gauge measurement tells you in the pattern. For example, the gauge measurement reported in the pattern is 22 sts in 4 inches, cast on between 11 to 15 extra stitches.  Knit in pattern that the pattern reports, in general this is stockinette stitch, but can sometimes be different. If your sweater is knit in the round then knit the swatch in the round. If your sweater involves colorwork, knit a colorwork swatch. Every 3 to 4 inches of fabric (or more if the row gauge matters to sweater size), increase your needle size until you’ve increased through a total of 5 needle sizes.

Wash and block your swatch as if you were washing the sweater. I recommend for 100% animal fibres, hand wash and lay flat to dry. For linen, cotton and hemp, machine wash and dry. The fibres soften with machine washing. When working with superwash you may want to experiment further with your swatch. Superwash means that the scales on the wool have either been shaved off or glued down. This affects the wool’s elasticity and superwash wools can be more prone to stretching. After drying flat, take an initial gauge measurement. Then hang your swatch on a coat hanger, attaching it with clothes pins. Attach extra clothes pins at the bottom and leave it for 24 hours. Remeasure the gauge. If you love the pattern photos and are substituting yarn it is recommended to use a similar yarn to the pattern to have a better chance of getting the desired sweater.

When your swatch is dry choose the fabric you like best of the differing needle sizes. Measure gauge by placing a locking stitch marker in between to visible knit stitches at the furthest left hand point possible. Using a measuring tape, measure 4 inches across the fabric and place another stitch marker at exactly the 4 inch mark.  Count the stitches between the markers and compare the amount to the gauge stated in the pattern. If there are not enough stitches your sweater will be too big, if there are too many stitches your sweater will be too small.
Picture@what-when-how In Depth Tutorials and Information
In order to ensure a desired fit, and taking into account ease, the key is to find the chest circumference stitch count in the pattern. Using your gauge and the stitch counts found in the pattern you can calculate the actual size the garment will knit up.
For example,
If the fabric you like in a worsted weight yarn is reading at 21.5 stitches in 4 inches and you are a 41 inch bust and would like 4 inches of positive ease, you are looking for a stitch count around the chest to be about 242 stitches.

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When you’re considering sizes in a knitting pattern, please ignore the labels we place on standard sizes. If you are usually a medium sized top from a commercial manufacturer this is not likely the case when knitting up a sweater. Depending on gauge, style and desired ease you may end up following pattern instructions for sizes labelled larger or smaller.

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left: @thehowlingwool Right: @knitskis
If you are looking for more details on sweaters or style, how to swatch, calculate gauge, block, or other content described above please contact your local yarn store for sweater knitting classes. I will be teaching this in more detail at the Okanagan Knitting Retreat in May as well as at Kelowna Yarn and Needlecrafts.
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If I had $2000 Dollars

11/30/2018

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Contest Alert!

We got a sweet little email from the folks at YarnCanada.ca asking us to help them promote a contest they're having. YarnCanada.ca, in partnership with Bernat & Patons Yarn, are offering $2000 worth of yarn to some yarnworthy folk. There are 12 prizes up for grabs and it could be you, or your knit group. The idea is to give to people who give back. So if you or your knit group have a cause that you support and you'd like some yarn support you should consider entering. The contest is open to fellow Canadians and has also been extended to our neighbours to the south. You can find all of the details and fill out the entry form here

Good luck! 
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Yarn Review - REd Heart It's a Wrap

11/22/2018

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I've been meaning to do this for a long time, months in fact. The lovely people over at YarnCanada.ca generously provided us with a hefty ball of Red Heart's it's a wrap and asked us to do a review. Needless to say the fall has been BUSY. The holiday season is almost in full swing so I thought I'd better get down to business!
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​I'll admit that I've got a pretty robust stash and when I do go hunting for a little something, something to add to my collection Red Heart doesn't usually cross my mind. I was skeptical about this review. The 50/50 cotton, acrylic blend had me wondering how this yarn would knit up and what it would feel like. My experience with cotton is limited to dishcloths, and I don't use a lot of acrylic so I was pretty in the dark about how this was going to play out. 
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So even thought life has been crazy busy these past few months, I did do a swatch immediately. The yardage in this ball is ample enough (seriously ample, 1100 yards of ample) to knit up a sweet summer t-shirt so I picked up my 3.5mm needles and swatched for Edie by Isabelle Kraemer. This swatch is AMAZING. It's soft and has drape and is feather light. The yarn is rated as #1 - super fine, and super fine it is. It's classified as a light fingering weight on Raverly and there are lots of patterns that would lend themselves well to this yarn. I picked the Comedy colour way to try to get out of my comfort zone. I am in love with the bright, bold colour combo that this colourway provides. If I hadn't already fallen in love with Edie, the ball band offers a super cute colour blocked shawl called Asymmetrical Knit Shawl. 

So the second I finish my #committoknit2018 (you guys, I'm soooooo close) I'm casting this on, and you should too. Red Heart's it's a wrap is available on YarnCanada.ca for an easy $11.95. Seriously. Buy a few or check out some of the other great yarns available, because after you spend $45 you get free shipping. 
Now, go forth and knit (and shop), relentlessly! 
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New Adventures

8/3/2018

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If you've been listening to the podcast lately you'll know that both Karla and I have been looking into increasing our knowledge by taking a tech editing course for knitting. Karla is looking at trying the course offered by the Knitters Guild Association, and I was looking at doing The Tech Editor Master Class offered by Joeli Kelly.  If you're wondering what a tech editor does check out this explanation.

Well folks, I've taken the plunge and I'm hoping to make a go of it. I have been trying to figure out a way to earn and income in the knitting industry. I thought that designing would be the ticket, but I really just enjoy knitting other peoples designs so much that I never made time to ddesign for myself. What I am good at is math, and knitting. So, I think this will be a good fit. I have a deep rooted love for spreadsheets and I intend to put it to good use.

Starting next week I'll be taking the Joeli Kelly course for 8 weeks! I'm so excited to be embarking on this new adventure that will hopefully allow me to have the flexibility our family needs. If you are a designer who needs tech editor come and check out my website www.emilywakeling.com, or shoot me an email at Emilythetecheditor@gmail.com.  I'd also love to hear about your experiences working as a tech editor or with at tech editor. So hit me up! 

Happy Knitting!

Emily
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Summer Knitting Bingo!

7/1/2018

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You're knitting and vacationing anyway, might as well make a game of it! We were inspired by Andi Satterland's Heatwave Bingo from 2015 and wanted to do it again! Post your dabbed squares on instagram with #summerknittingbingo so we can follow along! If you get a line (or even a black out!) make sure to post photo evidence in the our Ravelry Group! There will be a draw for prizes at the end of summer. Summer knitting bingo runs June 21st to September 22nd! Happy Summer Everyone!!
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Round Mountain Fibers review

5/22/2018

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I was recently given the opportunity to review yarn for Round Mountain Fibers (US Customers use this link) Monica was so generous she sent me three hanks of yarn, so we'll give some away in our ongoing KALS.

First off, the Round Mountain has a super clever way of classifying their colourways; there are ornithology, entomology and botany collections. All of them are spectacular and hand dyed in Vermont. I particularly love the Atlantic Puffin colourway, along with Cecropia Caterpillar and Wild Mustard. All of the colourways come in your choice of 50g or 100g skeins in either fingering or worsted weight so you can pick your poison. Just a heads up, the international site is still priced in USD. The website also has kits and some pretty amazing patterns. Not to mention their Drunk Yarn dyeing kits. You seriously need to take a look. Go on now, I'll wait right here. 

You're back. They are delightful aren't they? I opted to use the fingering weight 100% merino in the Succulents colourway that was sent our way to make my first (but not my last) pair of Rose City Rollers. I did opt to use a contrasting colour with nylon in in it for my heels and toes. The merino has a good twist to it so I felt comfortable enough using it for socks, but I do like to have a little bit of extra strength in the areas that will see more abrasion. I found that the yarn was rougher on my hands than I'm used to while I was working with it. That being said I think it's softened since blocking and wearing.  I've been wearing my socks for about two weeks and they're holding up well. They're comfortable and haven't lost their shape despite multiple wearings between washings.  

Final thoughts, I think Round Mountain Fibers is definitely worth checking out. Monica is friendly and efficient to work with. The colourways are, frankly, spectacular and unique, and did you see the mini skein collections? Besides, if you've been working hard on your #committoknit2018 you're going to need to replenish your stash, right? You can get your stash enhancement on for 50% off right now with the coupon code 'ocanada' at check out. SWEET!

Keep knitting relentlessly, 

Emily
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Shawl Shapes - An Overview of the Construction Elements of Five Different Shawls - Karla Lockwood

5/8/2018

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I'm excited to be facilitating a discussion about shawl shapes at the Ponderosa Spinners, Weavers and Fibre Artists Guild general meeting on May 29th, 2018 at 7pm. Non-guild members are welcome so please join us and find out what the guild is all about!
As many things on earth, shawls come in numerous shapes and sizes. The shape variations are a result of strategically placed increases and/or decreases in a mathematical pattern. The five most common shawl shapes are triangular, crescent, semi circular, side-to-side and asymmetrical.

Most triangular, crescent and semi-circular shawls are knit “top down” or starting with a small number of stitches and increasing out, however some are knit “bottom up” where a large number of stitches are cast on and strategically placed decreases are used to make the shape of the shawl. Asymmetrical and side-to-side shawls are knit point to point width-wise.

The most iconic shawl shape is a top down triangular shawl. This shawl requires four increases every other row to maintain its shape. The increases are placed two at the outer edges and two down the spine of the shawl. These placements of increases make obvious triangular segments that increase in size.  

The most common method of starting a triangular shawl is called a garter tab. This is where a small rectangle is knit and becomes the top border edge of the shawl by picking up and knitting stitches around three of its sides.
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Copyright Relentless Knitting Company
The shawl is knit back and forth, where when working on the right side, you work the four increases and on the wrong side no increases are worked.

Crescent shaped shawls are similar to triangular shawls in that they start with a garter tab but are different because there are more increases placed only at the beginning and end of the rows on both sides of the work. Crescent shaped shawls generally have two increases on either end of the row on the right side of the knitting and one increase on either end of the wrong side of the row. These six increases produce rapid growth in fabric along the edges and the crescent shape. ​
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Copyright Relentless Knitting Company
The edge of the shawl sample above is bound off using a picot bind off. This bind off is very stretchy and provides a polished edge.

Semi circular shawls also start with a garter tab and their increase placement is more geometric, giving the shawl a straight top edge but curved outer edge. In a semi circular shawl there are a four increases evenly placed across the knitting, two at the edges and two that radiate evenly from a single point.  These increases, created by yarn overs, in the picture below are clearly visible. Modification of the type of increase will make them less visible.
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Copyright Relentless Knitting Company
Asymmetrical and Side-to-Side shaped shawls are similar in that they both start at a long edge point with very few cast on stitches. Because they are knit from point to point width-wise instead of center out as in the first three shawls, they don’t require a garter tab.

The side-to-side shawl construction requires one increase every other row. When you’ve reached the desired shawl depth the increase changes to a decrease. ​
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Copyright Relentless Knitting Company
An asymmetrical shawl starts off the same as a side-to-side shawl but, as the name implies, the increases, and thereby the shape, is asymmetrical.

The example below has one increase on the right side of the knitting at the leading edge but on the wrong side of the work has an decrease at the beginning of the row and an increase at the end of the row. These two increases and one decrease over two rows create an increasing triangular shape with a bias.
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Copyright Relentless Knitting Company
Although there are five different shawl shapes covered here there are many others, such as pie shaped which is a full circle starting from the center out or a hap which can be triangular or square where the interior is knit first and a border is applied after. Also, the above shawls have many modifications on their basic mathematics that create new shapes. For example, two triangular shawls attached edge-to-edge create a parallelogram or connected along the top edges to create a rectangle. A more central placement of the right side increase in an asymmetrical shawl creates an arrow shape.

Below are Ravelry links to some good examples of the different shawl shapes that I’ve favorited.

Crescent Shawls - http://ravel.me/K-Rae/cssos

Asymmetrical Shawls - http://ravel.me/K-Rae/assos

Semi-Circular Shawls - http://ravel.me/K-Rae/sssos

Side to Side Shawls - http://ravel.me/K-Rae/stsssos

Triangular Shawls - http://ravel.me/K-Rae/tssos


If you’re interested in further exploring shapes and construction of shawls I recommend this free online course by Aroha Knits. http://www.arohaknits.com/5-shawls-5-days-challenge-sign-in/ Or check the local LYSs for shawl classes.

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    Emily and Karla, we knit relentlessly. 

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