I looked at the other yarn brands LoveKnitting carries, took some mental notes, and went stash diving. I surfaced with a skein of Lorna’s Laces in the Cinnamon Kane colourway I’d received in a Soak kit quite a while ago. I thought they would pair beautifully together, held double, in Hunter Hammerson’s hat pattern Constellate. And they did not disappoint! The halo of the W&L Plume blended so nicely with the browns of the Lorna’s laces giving the hat muted, veiled look, that I feel works so well with the pattern. LoveKnitting also has an extensive library of patterns that you can purchase through their website. ​

I received two skeins of their house brand Willow and Lark Woodland. It’s a sturdy two ply light worsted and it comes in 25 different colours. I Picked their Honeycomb and Marmalade colourways to make the Mood of March hat by Katrin Schubert. When it arrived, it was in a cute mesh bag that I promptly put to use as a project bag, and the ball bands hold all of the typical information plus a fun fact to keep you entertained. I learnt all about why mint is paired with lamb.  The colours were bang on to what I thought they would be based on the website. It’s a bit tweedy which gives it a bit of a rustic appearance but the 50/25/25 Merino, alpaca, viscose has a great hand to work with. ​

The hat knit up about as fast as you would expect two colour brioche to knit up but the yarn made it easy to come back to. Despite being lightly plyed, I didn’t find the yarn to be splitty at all. It knit up with ease and was nice to work with. I did find that it shed a bit while it was knitting up. I’ve since finished and blocked the hat. Woodland stayed true to its form and didn’t change much with blocking. Finished, it has a slight halo but not enough to retract from the brioche pattern. My hat is beautiful and keeps me nice and warm. It’s going to be a staple in my wardrobe for a long time to come.

​

Recently, we were lucky enough to be contacted by Yarn Canada to do a review of Red Heart's Scrubby Cotton yarn, and review we did! 

We each picked out 3 colours to work with (you can see their colour selection here) and got to work making some dish cloths. 

 There is a pattern on the inside of the ball band so I figured I would give that a go. It's a crochet pattern and I'm not a particularly accomplished crocheter so I found even this basic pattern a wee bit challenging, but with good light and some determination I prevailed. I ended up crocheting 4 or 5 dish cloths and I only knit one. The texture of the yarn does make it somewhat challenging to work with, and difficult to frog (ask me how I know) but I think the end product is worth the learning curve associated with working with this textured yarn. I think I can crochet 3 dishcloths from each ball and at $5.95 per ball, I think that's pretty good value. 

I couldn't wait to try these out. I usually use a knit hemp washcloth and I have a separate plastic scrubby, and lucky me, our sink backed up so after 4 days of waiting for a plumber I had a spectacular pile of dishes to wash. I have to say these dishcloths worked like a charm. They have a good amount of scrub to them so I can toss my old scrubbers. They do a decent job of cleaning my cast iron pans too, no small feat. I am pretty sure that this will be my go to yarn for dishcloths from here on out. 

Final thoughts - Red Heart's Scrubby Cotton yarn can be difficult to work with at the beginning, but with a little perseverance they produce excellent, reasonably priced dish cloths with just the right amount of texture to get the job done. 
~Emily

I was also very excited to give this yarn a try! I love my knitted dishcloths and the criteria for a good dishcloth are; can it scrub the grub off, can it absorb the spills and how does it wash up?

Red Heart Scrubby Cotton from Yarn Canada checked all these boxes! My husband was very impressed by how much liquid the material soaks up and the added surface area from the boucle spun yarn did an excellent job of scrubbing away the dried on toddler food from the table. That being said, this yarn is not abrasive and will not scratch a surface. I've crocheted two dishcloths with it and my next project for it will be a shower mitt. The yarn is soft and would be a lovely exfoliating cloth to have in the shower. 

I washed and dried my cloth with my other linens and the colours stayed true. There may have been minor shrinkage from eyeballin' it but I can't say for sure because I did not measure the initial cloth. 

Because of the ply structure on the yarn it does make it challenging to work with but as soon as you get in a groove it's great. I crochet two dishcloths in an evening and was very impressed with how quickly they work up. The end product from the yarn far out weighs the short learning curve to get the yarn flowing smoothly through your fingers. 

These cloths will definitely be used in the regular kitchen chores rotation and I would also recommended it for bathing. Cloths and shower mitts make great hostess gifts and are quick to work up with this yarn. 

Lately on the podcast I've been talking about my motivation, or rather lack of motivation. I know that motivation for my craft often waxes and wanes depending on the season, or what's on the needles, or if I just bought some spectacular new yarn.

I've been in a funk now for nearly 3 months. I'm hoping that the end is in sight. I know where my motivation went, and I've been keeping from you. I am excited to announce that my little family is going to get just a wee bit bigger this year.

I've been struggling these past few months with a serious lack of energy that doesn't even allow me to wrap string around sticks. Combined with being a pseudo-single mom, exhausted barely begins to describe how I feel. I am hoping that my second trimester brings me more than just an insatiable craving for chocolate. I'm hoping that it brings me my energy back. I'm going to need it if I expect this tiny human to be properly wrapped in wool. 

​Happy Knitting! 

Are you ready for 2017?! We are and we're welcoming it with a year long KAL!

I (Karla) have recently become overwhelmed with my stash and my 2017 goal is to knit from stash until Knit City 2017 (September 30th to October 1st). That's no stash acquisions for 10 months! Lofty goal? That's why I need your support and to do that I've come up with a KAL. 

The KAL will begin January 1st 2017 and run until December 31st 2017. We will have quarterly entry threads in the ravelry group for your FOs and prizes to give away (more on those in a bit)! There is also a year long thread to keep track of all your gifts knits and there will be prizes for most gifts knit in 2017!

Thank you to the following prize sponsors!

Denise of Sock Ruler
Brenda of Two Sticks and Ewe
Sara of Riv Creative
Sally of Yarn Friendly
Joanne who is @porthardy1 on instagram
Caitlyn Ffrench
Okanagan Knit Co
Chantal of Mudpunch
Jess of Haven Fiber Arts
Jocelyn who is @jocelyn_shuman
Sylvia of Softsweater Knits

It's not too late if you would like to sponsor a prize! Just drop as a line and we'd be happy to have you on board. All sponsors will be mentioned in each episode of 2017!

Ok! Here are THE RULES!

1. Any and all gift knits will be accepted, there's no minimum yardage, if it's a gift it counts. 
2. Gifts knit from yarn acquired in 2016 or before get two entries, so post those FOs twice for more chances to win. (Please be honest, there's no way for me to actually track this so I'm holding out on good knitting karma that there will be no cheating). If you knit a gift from yarn from 2017, you get one entry.
3. Entries are quarterly, Jan - Mar, Apr - Jun, Jul - Sept, Oct - Dec. You cannot enter something finished in March in the July quarter etc. 
4. Year long FO thread is where you will open one post and keep a running tally of ALL the gifts knit in the year. Go back and edit this post as many times as you need to include all gifts. 
5. This really should be rule #1 but HAVE FUN! Post pictures of what you're knitting on instagram with the hashtag #stashtogiftknit2017 so we can see all your projects!

All prizes will be drawn with random number generator except the full year thread winner will be the one with the most gifts knit. 

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions! I can't wait to knit with you!

We've all had that time where we have a knitting emergency when the yarn shops are closed and all of our knitting friends are disposed. What do you do then? The internet is a great resource for knitting help but sometimes it can be hard to sift through it all and find what you really need. 

Since we have definitely been in this position we have a few resources that we would like to share with you as our go to places for knit emergencies. 

KnittingHelp.com is a great place to go if you're learning to knit or you need a refresher on an technique that you are trying to master this website is full of videos, patterns and even a help forum.

Knitty.com has a great section called Techniques with Theresa where they have tutorials on everything from cast ons to bind offs. They are great picture tutorials if you prefer static images to video. 

Knit Witch - I stumbled upon these YouTube videos a while back and they are one of my go to resources. I didn't realize that she also does crochet videos. She has them all listed on her website. 

Cat Bordhi is not only an amazing knitter, but she has amazing resources. Some of her videos are more advanced and offer some insight into the techniques and why she does things the way she does. She often offers improvements to old techniques that are not quite mainstream yet. 

Do you have a knitting resource that you just can't live without? 

There are two apps that I am unwilling to live without. One of them is brand new and shiny, the other one an oldie but a goodie.

First, lets talk about StashBot by Hannah Fettig. Have you ever walked into a store and found yarn that you absolutely love but you don't have a pattern in mind? StashBot helps you out by estimating the amount of yarn you would need for your project. You select the item (hat, mitts, sweater), the gauge (check the ball band for a rough estimate) and the size you would make and viola! StashBot gives you a yardage. This $4.99 app will save you from under or over buying yarn when you're out shopping. The downside to this app is that it is only currently available in the Apple App Store. They do have an Android version in the works but I'm not sure of its launch date. 

The second app I want to talk about is Knit Companion. I have been using this app for a while now but clearly I didn't read the fine print. Up until recently I was simply using the app as a pattern reader. I finally decided to check out their short tutorial video after a podcaster raved about the app. I have discovered that you can use the app not only to track your progress on a pattern with a nice line, but it has several built in row counters too. There is a highlight function so you can mark the size you're working on And the whole thing is easy to use. I will no longer need to print out my patterns or charts, I can simply launch my pattern in Knit Companion and keep track of my progress there. If you upgrade the app you can merge multiple charts and add a legend. You can also do more customization of your projects. The downside to this app is that it is only available on Apple devices and you can't sync projects between devices. For a free app this one is a beauty!

Are there any apps that you can't live without?

If you've been knitting for any amount of time, we hope that you've discovered Ravelry. It's the most glorious place for knitters to go on the internet. It is a free website that has a multitude of tools to help keep you inspired in your knitting. 

Beyond a huge pattern resource, Ravelry has all sorts of tools to make your life better. 

Projects - this is pretty basic. It allows you to keep track of all of your projects. You can track the pattern, yarn, and needles you used and you can also make notes of anything you loved or didn't love about the project. 

Stash - This is also a pretty basic feature but it is a great resource. When you have your yarn stashed in Ravelry then it can be used to suggest yarns when you're looking at patterns. You can also see how to best enhance your stash. You can tell if you have more of one weight of yarn than others, or if you tend to buy lots of one colour of yarn and perhaps you are a little shy of another colour. You can also stash fibre and hand spun yarns. Really it's just nice to see all of your squishy goodness in one place!

Your pattern highlights - This is a great feature found on the right hand side of the patterns tab. Ravelry keeps track of the projects you knit, and the things you 'favourite' and suggests other patterns you may like. It is a great tool to see what new patterns are available that you might like without spending time searching. 

Sales & Promo Thread - This is another great place to keep an eye out on Ravelry. It is in the Pattern forums. Often designers will offer their patterns for free or at a discount when they first come out. Many of them post in this thread. If you monitor it daily it only takes a minute to go through and you can often get a free pattern out of the deal. 

What are some of your favourite features on Ravelry?

So now that you've decided that you are going to do some Christmas knitting. It's due time to give yourself a timeline to ensure that you will get it all done. 

First things first, kiss your 'you' knitting goodbye. You'll have to put that cozy wrap or shawl you really wanted for winter on hold until you have all your gifts knit. Use that special project that you want to knit for yourself as the carrot on the stick. Once all the holiday knitting is done you can cast on all the things!!

Second, you'll want to pick your projects. Since it is already getting late in the season you need to make your knitting quantity reasonable. You will not be able to knit a sweater for every member of your family before the big day. Don't even try. Stick to small projects with big yarn, it will make your life much, much easier!

Next, make a timeline and be realistic. A pair of socks usually takes me a good 3 weeks to complete depending how complicated they are and how big they are. A shawl can take me 2 months if its intricate. This year I'm sticking to hats and headbands as my gifts. I am also planning on making a few small sweaters for the special tiny humans in my life. I'm going to give myself one week for each hat, and 2 weeks for each sweater. I'm going to update my queue on Ravelry and set a date for each item to be completed. Sometimes I even set myself some mini deadlines to stay motivated.

Last, its time to do what knitters do best. Knit! Make sure you utilize all of your knitting time. I try to have some small knitting with me just in case I have to wait somewhere. No sense in just sitting around doing nothing. If you're struggling with knitting time you can always schedule it in by attending Knit Night! 

With our bellies all stuffed with turkey and gratitude we've officially started thinking about the holiday season. Many new knitters are so enthusiastic about their new found talent that they want to share it with their loved ones in the form of hand knits. We know we were! However, although we encourage knitting all the things, we also caution knitting for other people. Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding on a gift and recipient. 

1. First and foremost, are they knit worthy? A knit worthy person is someone you truly love. Knitting takes a lot of time and effort, it should be shared with those who are near and dear to you. 

2. Will they truly appreciate it? It is absolutely heartbreaking to pour your heart into a gift that isn't appreciated. If you've spent hours pouring over patters, and yarns to ensure it is the perfect gift and the recipient is minimally impressed to receive it, it is very, very disheartening. 

3. Will it get used? This goes hand and hand with appreciation. When you spend time making a gift, you want it to get used! There is nothing worse than a hand knit that sits in the corner collecting dust or, GASP, moths!

Now, we're not saying don't share your talent with others, by all means, spread the love of knitting. However, we do suggest really thinking about who you knit for. There is nothing more gratifying than to give a hand knit to someone who meets the above criteria. It will make your heart swell, and ultimately, that's a gift for yourself too!

As teachers, both Karla and I love books. We have been talking for a while now about writing a post of our favourite knitting books for everyone to check out. Here goes!



One of my favourite books for new knitters is Fearless Knitting Workbook by Jennifer Seiffert. I love this book because it has small projects of increasing difficulty with clear instructions. You can make a minimal investment in some cotton yarn, or even hemp, and turn each of these projects into a dishcloth. You learn techniques from knits and purls, to following a chart, to basic lace. I think that this book is a great investment for any knitter!

Another book that I love, love, love is Knit. Sock. Love by Cookie A. Most of you know that I love sock knitting and that Cookie A. is one of my favourite sock designers. Her socks are intricate, unique and beautiful They are not for the faint of heart but offer a new challenge to a knitter who has mastered the basic sock pattern. 

Lastly, I think that every knitter needs a good reference book for their library. The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt is a great resource for my library. It explains the basics and the complex and has clear illustrations along the way. I know that there is lots of reference materials available online, but it is nice to be able to have reliable information at your fingertips just in case your wifi decides to stop cooperating!