Club - January 2012

Flying in formation
The 2012 edition of the TFA Year in Colour Club has officially launched! The first installment of Club kits have all gone out and (I think) all been received! We have a lot more members this year then last, but I managed to get all the kits out on schedule thanks to lots of help from mom. We kicked off the year with something a little bit different for me, a brown colourway I've called Truffle. I think that most people associate TFA with bright colours, lots of blue, so doing something a bit more subdued and earthy hopefully surprised (and delighted!) a few members. Don't worry, there will surely be some brights and probably even a blue colourway sent out sometime this year, but for January, I chose to do something different. 

Flying in formation
The accompanying pattern, designed by Hannah Fettig, is the Flying in Formation scarf. Simple and beautiful with a nice dose of texture, exactly what we've come to expect from Hannah. This first shipment also included a bonus tote bag which I'm quite excited about. I'll share a photo in a separate blog post, today it's all about the yarn and pattern!

Truffle colourway
This photo doesn't quite capture the true colour of the skein, it's darker and more purple/less red in real life.

It's not too late to sign up for the Club! Sign up now and receive your January Club kit with the next shipment in March. 

Stripes

striped vesty

For a while now I've had this idea for a little layering piece I'd like to knit. I had been planning on doing it in a solid, but then I got the urge to cast on immediately, didn't have enough of the colourway I wanted in stock and would have to dye more. Because I'm impatient and couldn't wait for the yarn to be dyed and dried before casting on, and since this whole thing happened hot off of the heels of my new awesome srappy socks, I decided to do it in stripes! This time I was more deliberate with my choice of colours. I still tried to keep it random-ish, but also balanced.

The thing that I always find when knitting gorgeous stripes like this is that the wrong side of the fabric looks just as good as the right side. I'm always tempted to throw a wrench into the whole operation and go ahead and call the inside the outside. This time I actually did it! FO photo's coming soon, as well as the pattern for this "little layering number". I'm obsessed. 

TFA Tuesday: PikaCatnip Socks


 Pattern: Catnip Socks

TFA Yarn and Colourway: Blue Label Fingering Weight in 'Sunset'

Top Tier Knitter: Jen (Ravelry ID, blog)

Totally Awesome Because: You know, I sometimes feel a little sorry for non knitters. Non knitters don't know how awesome it is to have lace socks. Especially handmade lace socks that are done up in a gorgeous colour like Sunset. Jen's socks are awesome- they are really what great hand knit socks should be- a work of art! Her project page with lots more photos can be found here.

Perfect Lazy Sunday

Perfect Lazy Sunday

Every once in a while it's really nice to take a day and completely tune out. Sure, I've popped in to write a quick blog post, but other than this I'll be spending the day curled up on the sofa with my pup, reading a book from start to finish. Weekends are so often spent running errands and doing projects that you're too busy to do during the week, taking a day off from everything is such a sweet luxury. Chris is drawing, I'm reading, Stella is enjoying having some company on the sofa, life is good. 

Hope you all set a little time aside to be lazy today!

Business Casual KAL Socks

Business Casual Socks

I'm a little bit behind on my January KAL projects. I had wanted to knit a pair of socks and a Sunnyside Baby sweater. The socks are finished, but the sweater hasn't even been cast on yet. I've still got a week left, I think I can do it! I'm still smitten with this pattern, sure there are a lot of crossed cables, but the resulting diamond shape relief is worth it. 

Business Casual Socks

Considering this is my own pattern you'd think I'd be able to get it right... the socks are the same size, but I centered the heel 8 sts over on the second sock and ended up with the diamonds lining up differently on the toe. Oops! Nobody would really notice, I sometimes like little mistakes like this that remind me that these cherished knitted items really are one of a kind!

Knit in TFA Purple Label Cashmere sock yarn in Deep Sea. Ravelry project page


TFA Tuesday: Snowstorm



Pattern: Driven

TFA Yarn and Colourway: Green Label Aran weight in 'Sand'

Top Tier Knitter: Tammy (Ravelry ID)

Totally Awesome Because: Classic, timeless cardigans like this deserve a classic, timeless colour like Sand, which is the perfect balance between grey and cream and pretty much goes with everything. I love everything Tammy chose to do with this knit- the effortless styling just looks so perfect when you've got a gorgeous, comfy cardigan like this to wear during the chilly months. I want one now, too! Her project page can be found here.

Backyard Studio

TFA Studio - our little backyard workshop

I haven't blogged much about our backyard studio. I'm really eager to share it with you all, but it's just not quite ready yet. I'm learning that a lot of renovation projects seem to work this way, you get 99% of the project done on time, and then linger for weeks or even months over the last 1%. Our studio is just missing a few final touches and then it will be ready for us to move in. I'm really looking forward to it.


Terracotta Pattern

covershot
You've been getting sneak peek's of this sweater for months now. I knit this sample while on vacation this summer, and ever since the weather started cooling off in the fall I've been wearing it. I don't know what made me wait so long to finally release the pattern, I've just been busy I guess! 

backshot
The idea for this luscious, cowl neck pullover came to me last year, around the time that I was planning my I Heart Aran sweater. In fact, I even swatched the cable cast off on the same little swatch that I worked out my cable pattern for I Heart Aran, funny! Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE a good turtleneck. I live in them as soon as it gets cold enough. I wanted a big, draping neckline and I wanted it to have a cool, cable cast off to make it extra special. Because I envisioned the cowl to be the star I kept the rest of the details simple, incorporating the cable into the ribbing and the raglan decreases for an added hit of knitterly fun. 

hems
My mom test knit the pattern for me (thanks mom!) Her version looks gorgeous and I'll be posting photo's of it here soon. She's been wearing it almost very time I've seen her in the past couple of weeks, which I take as a very good sign. 

details
This sweater is knit in the round from the bottom up. There is a bit of waist shaping but it meant to fit comfortably and casually, not too fitted. 


profile

$6.00 CAD

Details: 
Size: 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 44, 48, 52)" at bust.
Yarn: 5 (5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9) skeins Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label DK Weight yarn (100% superwash merino; 115g = 260yds) sample shown in Brick colourway.
Needles: 3.75 mm 24" circular needle and set of 4 dpn's
              4 mm 24" circular needle and set of 4 dpn's 
              Or size needed to obtain gauge and length that is comfortable for you.
Gauge: 22 sts and 28 rows in 4" in stockinette st on larger needle.
Additional Tools and Materials: stitch marker, waste yarn or stitch holders, tapestry needle.

Ravelry Pattern Page here.

January KAL- the First Wave of FOs!

The Tanis Fiber Arts January KAL is in full swing, and the groups have lots ofFOs already under their belts! check out these amazing knits:

BlueberryHill's Nepal Wrap:


marysel's Winter Four Seasons Hat:


barbn77's Walnut Grove:

tvknits Cusp Socks, Business Casual Socks, and Buttons Cowl:


pfong001's Guppy Skirt:



Tanisfiberarts Business Casual Socks

YarnandYarns' A Thousand Splendid Moons Cowl:

Kiara08's Autumn Winter Hat:

rdtebby's Lava Cowl:

GreenBeanString's Buttons Cowl and Earmwarmer:

 MaryKnits7's Aquarium Socks:

trimblair's Shadow in Shadow:
 It's so impressive to see all these beautiful knits already! I've got to get mine finished as well today is the halfway point, only two more weeks to go!

TFA Tuesday: Cria


Pattern: Cria

TFA Yarn and Colourway: Yellow Label DK Weight, in 'Shadow'

Top Tier Knitter: Yvonne ( Ravelry ID)

Totally Awesome Because: I love everything about this sweater- the fit is great, the colours are gorgeous, and the sleeve detail is flawless- look at those perfect buttons, like little moons on the sleeve. This sweater makes me fall in love with the Shadow colourway all over again!  Details on her project can be found here.

Possibly the world greatest socks

DK Scrappy Sock party

Yup, these socks are pretty awesome. I am really glad I got the urge to drop everything and knit these last week. Sure, there were a lot of ends to weave in, but I don't mind sewing in ends, it's just another type of needlework that I get to enjoy. And in the case of these socks, it was deffinitely worth the effort. 

DK Scrappy Sock party

Knit in TFA Yellow Label DK, these knit up really quickly on 3.25mm dpn's. I knit them top down, I cast on 56 sts, and then decreased down to 48 for the foot because though I am fine with a slightly slouchy leg, I wanted a snug fit throughout the foot. I knit in stripes and super simple fair isle motifs as the mood struck me. I had no rules, I just tried to use as many colours as possible and make the second sock as bright and fun as the first. 

DK Scrappy Sock party

These socks are probably too big to wear with my winter boots on a daily basis, but I'm sure they would come in handy if I were to spend the day outdoors tobogganing or cross country skiing. For now I'm just wearing them around the house and am very, very happy everytime look down at my feet and see these colourful gems.

Crazy DK socks

Sometimes I just get an urge to cast on for something awesome and crazy right this second. I have other WIP's that are also awesome, but for some reason last weekend I was overcome with the desire to knit myself a pair of crazy, funky, slouchy, cozy heavy socks. I'm using every colour I have in my leftover dk scraps bin, and I'm knitting whatever pattern I feel like. Sometimes just stripes, sometimes a little simple fair isle if the mood strikes. This sock makes me very happy. 

Happy Friday! I hope to have a pair of crazy mismatched socks by Monday. :)