HRYC

Maybe it's the change in Northern Hemisphere season, maybe it's some other reason, but there are so many fantastic patterns being released right now. Here's a few just from my quick glance at Ravelry this morning:

Cable Guy Sweater by Anna & Heidi Pickles

No Parking! by Alison Ziegler

Mereki by Ambah O'Brien

Wirra by Ambah O'Brien

Are there any new patterns that have caught your eye recently? I'm trying to make myself finish off a bunch of things before i'm allowed to cast on anything new...

It isn't terribly often we have trunk shows. So here's some exciting news! We have an extra special one organised for next week. Yep, next week. 

Hannah of Red Riding Hood Yarns is celebrating her third business birthday, so we decided to nab her for a one night only special. And what goes better with yarn than a very talented pattern designer? Julia Stanfield of Just One WIP is on board too. Hooray! 

What sort of things might you expect to see, exactly?

Delightful hand-dyed yarns...

and inspiring patterns for kids and adults, including lots of samples for you to nosy at.

I'm all excited about having a different kind of knit night. One where we have special visitors and you get to hang out and browse something different and knit and eat cake and drink tea. Come along! It's sure to be loads of fun. xx Tash

A few weeks ago Wei Siew of the Kiwiyarns blog sent me an exciting email - a sock pattern designed with Knitsch Sock! It also contained a special request for a fresh batch of West Janney. 

The Droplet Socks pattern is exquisite. I adore the texture and the directional pattern design. I'm a sucker for anything that stands out against a reverse stocking stitch background. And the best part of all? It's free! Hooray! 

Image thanks to Wei Siew

Thanks so much for choosing Knitsch for your pattern Wei Siew! I can't wait to knit my own pair. If you fancy knitting your own lichen-inspired socks, West Janney is now back in stock (along with lots of other colours, hooray!).

After struggling my way through Rocky Coast the Second, my knitting mojo went out the door. A pair of simple socks were also on the needles, and knitting wasn't feeling all that inspiring. I sternly told myself that nothing new could be cast on until Rocky Coast was done. 

At long last it was done, a mental hurdle conquered. I'll post a pic once I get around to weaving in the ends and blocking it, which of course i'm also procrastinating on.

To tell the truth, casting on something new didn't fill me with excitement. But cast on I did:

Stasis.

In Zealana Rimu Fingering, a gorgeous mix of NZ merino and possum. Rib isn't terribly exciting. Slowly getting closer to the colour work, the nerves kicked in. Colour work isn't my strong point. And then something magic happened...

I enjoyed it. Suddenly there's a project in my hands that requires focus, and concentration, and real awareness of what's going on with each stitch. Checking to make sure floats aren't too tight, following a colour pattern, untangling balls of yarn. 

Isn't it interesting how a challenge can be just what is needed to get excited again? 

And this yarn! Oh my. 

Zealana Rimu Fingering is 60% merino, 40% possum. The possum gives it just enough fluffiness to create a nice halo, but not so much that your knitting looks like a hairball. It's on the heavy side of 4ply, and i'm inclined to call it more of a sport weight than a standard fingering weight yarn.

It feels lovely to knit with, but the magic is in the fabric. Smooth, perfectly squishable rows of stocking stitch are making me weak at the knees. If a 4 ply jersey is what you're after, it may as well be a treat. This absolutely will be. I'm anticipating wearing this so much that the elbows will wear through and patches added. See me in ten years' time and no doubt i'll still be pulling this one on when the day is chilly. 

I am fudging the sizing a little bit, but that's part of the joy of a simple stocking stitch body - there is room to make sneaky size amendments. I may even felt it slightly for an even cosier finish. 

What's on your needles at the moment? Do you knit with thoughts of how you'll feel when you wear the finished product, or is that just me?

Is it 'woollen' or 'woolen'? I don't know. Either way, it's definitely time to be wearing them. I've never been much of mitten knitter. I'm not sure why. 

So I asked on Facebook for some pattern suggestions, and here's what was suggested:

Susie Rogers Reading Mitts by Susie Rogers (free!)

Birdies Mitts by Julia Davies (free pattern!)

Rainbow Kid Mittens by Emilie Williams (free pattern!)

Snap Dragon Flip-top Mitts by Ysolda Teague

And one person requested an image of kittens in mittens, so how about kittens on mittens?

Meow Mitts by Tiny Owl Knits

Happy knitting!

xx Tash