Two alpaca knits to share with you! This is Gudrun Johnston’s Sylkie knit in Berroco Ultra Alpaca. The slipped stitch pattern is worked without a cable needle, which was quite nice once I got the hang of it and trusted that I wouldn’t drop the stitch! It’s knit lengthwise and grafted together at the end so you could easily knit it as long as you like.

And this is Amy Christoffers’ Norfolk Hat. This was a very exciting project for me – my first using the tubular cast on technique. I’m in love. Seriously. It results in such a neat, flexible edge. I used these two tutorials.

Now for more projects using tubular cast on…

[Second photo courtesy of Christopher]

[Ravelled: Sylkie + Norfolk Hat]

This project is another one going way back in terms of the history of my Ravelry queue. All the way back to September 2008! I used the last 3/4 skein of Cascade Yarns Eco Duo from my Estelle Pullover to make a pair of Leslie Friend’s Toast Mitts for my dear friend Lara. I gifted them to her in February when it was still plenty wintry. My favourite thing about these mitts is that the self-striping yarn makes them a mismatched pair.

I’m sharing this completed wooden carp puzzle because it’s almost the same vintage as the Toast pattern! Phil and Aggie sent it to me for my birthday in 2009 if I remember correctly. When we visited them in Melbourne two years ago they took us to the Japanese restaurant where they bought it. We ate delicious octopus balls, among other things, and they asked me if I had finished the puzzle. I hadn’t. So I cracked it out a little while ago and was very pleased with myself when the carp was finally in one piece. It now sits watching over our sprouting seedlings.

I hope you’re enjoying the last of the weekend. I’m off to make some Sunday soup!

[First photo courtesy of Christopher]

[Ravelled]

This may very well be the last of my seemingly never-ending supply of Malabrigo Sock in Eggplant. The pattern is Gudrun Johnston’s Aestlight Shawl, and it’s knit using a traditional Shetland construction — increasing from the point outwards. A fair bit of garter stitch goodness here! You knit the garter section first, and then pick up stitches along either edge of the triangle for the lace and edging. The Bird’s Eye Lace seemed to take me forever to complete, as did the triangle edging. I’ve had this pattern in my queue for almost as long as I’ve been a Ravelry member so I’m glad I finally got around to trying it!

Chris took these photos at the Toronto Zoo over Easter weekend. As you can see, spring is not quite here yet… I highly recommend the zoo though – the Canadian Domain was pretty amazing. More like a park than a zoo. The bison had so much room to roam!

[Photos courtesy of Christopher]

[Ravelled]

This amazing Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere 8-ply was originally intended for Mel Clark’s Diagonal Ribbed Cowl. My mom requested a chunky snood for her birthday and I thought the combination of super soft cashmere and simple design would be just the ticket. After some hemming and hawing over modifications to the cowl pattern I decided to design a new snood especially for my mom. I’m knitting up a version that is chunkier still and will share the pattern once it’s ready to go. I love this yarn but the price is in line with its luxurious qualities! The new version will be less heart attack-inducing in terms of material costs. I had originally thought that the three skeins I picked up from Rose Haven Farm Store would be enough but ended up needing to pick up two more that I found at Lettuce Knit. Lucky or unlucky!

[Photos courtesy of Christopher]

[Ravelled]

It’s starting to feel a lot like spring here in Toronto. What better way to kick it off than with a couple of light, lace knits. I mistakenly bought a skein of lace-weight Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Lace at Knit-O-Matic a while back, when I was obsessed with Hand Paint Suri & Silk. Since I was expecting a dk-weight and didn’t realize my mistake until I got home, it just sat in the back of my cabinet for the past two years. Then I saw Kristen Finlay’s free pattern for Wave, a shawlette worked in alternating sections of Turkish Lace and garter stitch. So pretty and simple, and I loved her samples knit up in variegated yarns.

My second piece of spring lace is another free pattern, The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief by Orange Flower. The pattern calls for dk-weight yarn so I went down two needle sizes and did an extra repeat of the alternating stockinette and eyelet sections. I was a bit stressed over the tightness of the loosest bind off I could manage with Wave (decrease bind off), so with this one I went up two needle sizes for a regular bind off. In the end, I didn’t need to fuss over either – they both blocked quite nicely and I didn’t run into any tight-BO issues.

Oh, and you may notice that my bag in the background of the top photo fits with the knits. Alpacas! Jane showed me this alpaca Baggu a while back and while I was at Good Egg in Kensington Market yesterday they just happened to have one! Mika, the owner, pointed out that the pattern looks like houndstooth from a distance but close up… all alpacas.

[Photos courtesy of Christopher]

[Ravelled: Wave and The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief]

This pullover is apparently my first sweater since 2010! I looked back at my archive thinking it had been a while… It languished unfinished on top of my yarn cabinet for a full year. Reading one of Rachel’s recent posts struck a chord — I was only a quarter-sleeve short. That’s a lot of time to get around to very little knitting! The yarn was a gift from Chris’ parents — Cascade Yarns Eco Duo – and they picked it up at Needles & Knits in Aurora. The owner, Tove, is fantastic. If you can believe it, she dropped off an extra skein of Eco Duo at my house when I found myself one skein short. I almost felt like I was back living in a small town again. Amazing!

I knit Linden Down’s Estelle Pullover pattern exactly as written. When I tried it on again in February I found myself regretting the waist shaping. I was in the mood for something less fitted with more breathing room. After much hemming and hawing I decided to just finish it already. So here it is! I’ve enjoyed wearing it – I really like the variation in the self-striping on the sleeves and body.

[Photos courtesy of Christopher]

[Ravelled]

Magic gnomes for a gnome impersonator. These colourwork mittens have been specially outfitted with conductive thread at the tips for touch-screen navigation. Jensen, the gnome impersonator below, received an iPad for Christmas this year and so far has no fewer than 10 fart apps installed. This is serious business.

Courtesy of my cousin, Paul

After I had finished and blocked the mitts, Chris shared some of his conductive thread with me. I made the first attempt and duplicate stitched conductive eyes on the gnomes at the tip of each mitten where the index fingers would be. I failed. It sporadically worked when I tested it on an iPad. Chris offered his expertise in functional fabrics and I ripped out my duplicate stitching. The trick turned out to be having enough conductive thread on both the inside and the outside of the mitten. Inside, it’s almost like a small button that you can feel with your index finger and put pressure on for touch-screen use.

Warning: This video contains gnomes, bacon and a high tech whoopee cushion

The pattern is spillyjane’s Gnome Mittens pattern and I used the yarn called for – seven different shades of Knit Picks Palette. Here’s a detail so you can see what the conductive eyes look like.

Courtesy of my cousin, Paul

[Photos #1, 3 and 4, and video courtesy of Christopher]

[Ravelled]

This set was a combination Christmas and birthday gift for my dad. I searched for a suitable fingerless glove pattern for a while and finally settled on this one – Kurt Fausset’s Beer Gloves from Son of Stitch ‘n Bitch. Natalie Selles’ Lomo Mittens were a close second. Either would be a good fit for sport/ dk-weight yarn. I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in Salt & Pepper leftover from the matching scarf.

The only modification I made was to work the gloves entirely in reverse stockinette stitch, rather than incorporating the cable chart and seed stitch palms. I wanted something simple and textured that would be a good match for the reversible cables in the scarf.

Chris took this awesome photo of my dad in my parents’ backyard in Powell River while we were there over the holidays. You can really tell that we’re in a rainforest! Everything was so damp and lichen-covered. I think it’s safe to say that my dad was very happy with his new scarf – I’ve seen plenty of photographic evidence since! The pattern is from Bruce Weinstein’s controversial Knits Men Want. I didn’t pay any attention to the “rules every woman should know before knitting for a man,” but I did enjoy the pattern… Library special!

[Photo #3 courtesy of Christopher]

[Ravelled: Beer Gloves and Reversible Cable Scarf]

I had to laugh when I read Kate Davies’ description of this fantastic project: A “skater’s muff.” I’ve skated once since childhood – over Christmas holidays last year – and I can’t imagine having my hands anywhere else but straight in front of me like some kind of zombie ice skater. But I am willing to accept that not everyone shares these challenges so here’s one for them!

Chris’ mom loved the last muff I made her so much that she put in a request for another. As soon as Kate blogged her Mucklemuff pattern I knew this one would be it. It uses a motif from Mary-Jane Mucklestone’s 200 Fair Isle Motifs, and a neat I-cord finish and wrist-loop. Handy if you need to make a quick stop while skating!

I used Lima by Diamond Yarn for the first time – a single-ply 100% wool aran-weight yarn – and would definitely use it again. I think it worked beautifully for colourwork.

[Photos courtesy of Christopher]

[Ravelled]

rams and yowes by Kate Davies (left) and Hansel by Gudrun Johnston

My brother had some good news for me this weekend – he and his wife are expecting a baby and I’m going to be an aunt. I started thinking pretty much immediately about a special knit that I could make them. So here’s where I would appreciate some decision-making help. These are four of my favourite baby blanket patterns: Kate Davies’ rams and yowes, Gudrun Johnston’s Hansel Hap Shawl, and Anne Hanson’s Cradle Me and Honey Baby.

Cradle Me (left) and Honey Baby both by Anne Hanson

I’m leaning towards either the Hansel Hap Shawl or rams and yowes. I think either would be lovely in undyed shades of Shetland wool. rams and yowes involves steeking, which is a technique used in circular knitting where you knit a tube and then cut the finished piece to allow for openings like the front of a cardigan, armholes or necklines. I’ve never steeked before but would love to try it!

Which one do you like the best? What are some of your favourite knits for special babies?

[Photos courtesy of, from top left, Kate Davies, Gudrun Johnston, Anne Hanson]