tin can knits

#specklesaresohotrightnow

Hey, Stephen West has been saying it for years, and he couldn’t be wrong, right?! And thousands of knitters on Instagram agree…

We’ve been loving the speckles lately, how about you? Do you have a sweet stash of speckled yarns calling out for just the right project? Let’s take a look at the joyful spattering of contrast and serendipity you find in speckled yarns, and look at a few ways you might put those precious skeins to work!

I worked one of the segments of the Slice shawl in a great speckle colourway called ‘monarch’ by Hedgehog Fibres. More details on Slice here.

Alexa recently made a modified Flax pullover for Hunter in a @houseofalamode speckle colourway called ‘Tinsel’. She blogged all about it here.

I made some tiny mittens for Max in a semi solid + a speckle colourway by Joma Yarns. All the details about this project (and the excellent free pattern!) here.

knitty gritty speckled details!

First, grab a yarn that you love! I’ve got a few really lovely speckles in my stash just waiting to be enjoyed; lets look at these beauties in detail!

Speckles vs. semi solids or hand paints? It’s a sliding scale.

Left Column, then right column; top to bottom:

Hedgehog Fibres Skinny Singles in ‘Monarch’
Colinette Jitterbug (discontinued, this is vintage stash – it was actually one of the few skeins I brought with me from Canada when I originally moved my life to the UK in two suitcases… I love it THAT much); in ‘Blue Parrot’
La Bien Aimee Merino Singles in ‘Aimee’s Sweater’
Baerenwolle BAERfoot Sock in ‘Turquoise’
Sparkleduck Solo in ‘Here be Dragons’
Baerenwolle BAERfoot Sock in ‘One of a BAER’

What do you think? I’d say the Sparkleduck and the Colinette fall a bit more into the category of ‘handpaint’ or ‘variegated’ or ‘multi’ colourways, as opposed to what folk are calling ‘speckle’ these days, which typically refers to shorter shots and dots of colour overlaid on a natural or tonal base colour. But the tips for working with speckles apply to variegated or handpaint colourways too.

Another one I’m working with right now is a LUSCIOUS colourway called ‘Turbillion’ in The Uncommon Thread BFL Fingering. Words cannot properly describe how much I adore this yarn; it’s a deep grey overlaid with speckles of gold, blue, and red. Colour genius!

This is a little sneak peek of something new coming soon!

choosing a project; a few tips for your speckled lovelies

There are a few things that tend to work out well. One technique is to pair a speckle or variegated yarn with a semi solid, to break up the crazy a little bit, and frame it.

Alexa knit a little Prism hat for Bodhi in single row stripes of turquoise and speckle.

You can do the same with a fair-isle pattern by using a speckle, semi-solid, or variegated as a contrast colour, as long as there is a strong contrast between this CC and the main colour.

This little fair-isle prototype pairs a multi-colour hand paint with cream. It is successful because all of the colours in the variegated yarn contrast strongly with the main colour.

One of the best things to do? KISS … Keep It Simple (with) Speckles!

Some of the best projects I’ve seen speckles worked into were the simplest ones! Our Simple Collection is a great place to start, with 10 simple and free designs that are perfect to get that speckle out of the stash and onto the needles!

Project credits: Harvest by CountessAblaze, Barley by jrjinaustin, Bounce by katjn66, Barley by leftfootdaisy, Flax by thecleverclove,

Who dyed your speckle? We always love to hear a good yarn recommendation! Let us know in the comments, or share your photos and tips on your favourite social spot #specklesaresohotrightnow

Simple TCK designs that work well with a speckle:

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It is a common misconception that all of Canada is very snowy. Here in Vancouver it is usually very rainy, usually not so cold, and very seldom snowy (this year being one of the crazier exceptions in my lifetime). We do not deal with the well below freezing temperatures of the prairies! We have the ocean to temper things, and the mountains to insulate things. Why the geography lesson you ask? Because 1999 is the perfect sweater for such a climate! Warm worsted weight for the chill, but an open lace so you don’t over heat. It’s the Goldilocks sweater, juuuuuuuuust right!

One of my favorite shots from the book Mad Colour, the lace looks delicious and you can see the lovely drape of the SweetGeorgia Trinity Worsted

I’ve been thinking a bit lately about sweater wardrobes and the 1999 hits a lot of the key points for me. It is a quick knit (as sweaters go), with a simple construction, and some lacy interest to keep me going. A perfect sweater to throw on with jeans and a tank top, one of my favorite uniforms. I may have to cast one on to wear at Knit City this year!

We used the scrumptious SweetGeorgia Trinity Worsted for the originals. It has an amazing drape to it, and the silk gives it a lovely shine. The layering possibilities for this sweater are great, you can see the difference above when Natalie is modeling with a black tank top vs. a pink one.

Forest forager in his rustic 1999

Emily and I have each knit a 1999 since Mad Colour, one for Hunter and one for Max. Hunter’s is in Rainbow Heirloom Sweater in ‘princess rockstar’, it was her sweater for her very first day of Kindergarten. Max’s version uses a more rustic yarn Emily bought at a fall fair, a mulespun 100% canadian wool that’s hand-dyed a great subtle grey-blue.

That face says ‘stop taking my picture already!’. But she was wrapped up in Mamas love for her first day as a ‘kindy’

I’m excited to cast on a 1999 for me, but I also have a few more baby sweaters to knit before the year is out so a wee one might have to go on the needles too!

More lacey sweaters from TCK:

So I guess we’re biased.

Sometimes people ask why we’ve gone so ‘all in’ with the baby knits. Or they think that Tin Can Knits only designs for babies and children.

To be honest, it surprises me that some people see our work in that way! But then I look at our Instagram feed (currently full of babies and baby knits) and I get it.

I guess we’re biased.

This (adorable) bias in our work really has a lot to do with timing, and our personal lives. I think that in general, creative people’s work is heavily influenced by their personal lives, and in this Alexa and I are no exception!

The Dogwood Blanket, featuring a teeny tiny Hunter, the first of our babies!

We started designing together as Tin Can Knits when we were 26 and 28 years old. We released our first collection, 9 Months of Knitting, in 2011, when Alexa’s first baby Hunter was 9 months old. As we developed the designs for our second book, Pacific Knits, Alexa was pregnant again, and suggested that we size all of the designs from baby all the way up through adult, because she was a new mom, obsessed with baby knits and in love with the idea of matching baby and mama sweaters. So began the baby-to-big sizing which became our way of design.

Campfire Pullover from Pacific Knits

Truthfully, although I was on board with the baby-to-big concept, at that time I wasn’t much interested in knitting for babies, not having any of my own, and not being terribly interested in other peoples’ either for that matter! When I put together Handmade in the UK in 2013, my focus was really on adult garments and lace pieces, although Alexa couldn’t help but knit some tiny versions for Hunter!

My favourite design from Handmade in the UK, this is the Lush Cardigan.

But in that book, there were the seeds of change that would come soon in my life… The Vivid blanket was a design that hinted at my future hopes for babies.

Newborn Max sleeping on the Vivid Blanket, wearing a tiny Flax Light sweater too!

Since my son Max was born in 2014, we’ve done another ‘baby book’; Max & Bodhi’s Wardrobe, and two more ‘whole family’ collections; Road Trip and Mad Colour. While every garment we design is sized up to adult, the fact of the matter is that those little tiny knits just seem to pop off the needles so much more often than adult knits do!

Most recently released is our collaborative Heart On My Sleeve charity ebook, in which we convinced some of your other fav designers to size the patterns they donated from baby to big too!

So now, with our children aged 5, 4, 2, 2, and nearly 1, I suppose it is true, we’ve gone all-in with the baby (and kid) knits.

So it’s a hazard… the Tin Can Knits Instagram feed can get a little baby-saturated at times. But you’ll have to forgive us as our work tends to reflect our life, and life right now is pretty baby-saturated! While our designs are sized to fit us too, the knits that end up coming off the needles at a much more rapid pace are sized to fit little ones. They’re so quick to knit, and are an ideal way to prototype ideas for future designs. And in our defense, we get a LOT of pleasure watching our darlings romp around in woollies.

No More Monkeys Jumping On The Bed!

Make it for ME… planning for Me Made May

While our recent output has been seriously biased toward the little knits, this year I am highly motivated to enhance my own sweater wardrobe. As I begin to learn how to spin, I expect there will be some accessories for me, worked in my new handspun yarns too!

My latest handspun yarn, hot off the wheel! Can you tell I’m VERY VERY excited about this?! I’m hoping that it might work for an Antler hat for me.

Recently off my needles is this new bulky beauty, a prototype which may or may not be developed into a pattern some day.

This crazy colourful pullover is the most recent addition to my sweater wardrobe!

Also, my group of knit friends are currently enjoying a personal KAL, each of us making an Enchanted Mesa sweater by Stephen West. I’m working with scraps and bits and bobs of lovely yarns, held together for fabulous marled effects. I can’t wait to wear it!

The marled yoke of my Enchanted Mesa combines some old handspun with a bunch of other beautiful bits.

Tom, myself, Rosie and Nina from Rainbow Heirloom are all making versions of this fabulous design!

Plus, as I’m not planning any new babies (2 is enough!) I can now wear a good number of my old sweaters and samples, and my aim is to develop my wardrobe in ways that really make these knits shine!

My drawer of hand knit sweaters includes an Antler, two Lush cardigans, and a Harvest cardigan.

Do you knit for baby or big?

Everyone knits for their own reasons, and our motivations have changed as our lives changed and our families grew! How about you? When Me Made May comes around this year, and you share photos of your handmade items, will they be modeled by you, by lucky friends, or beloved little ones? Or do you knit for charity?

Last May, in the first month of my daughter Neve’s life, I dressed her in so many teeny tiny sweaters – you can check them out in our post about MiniMeMadeMay. This May, tiny knits for her will likely be my main focus, but this time she’ll be a year old, still my baby, but a bigger baby now.

One of my recent knits for Neve is the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Who are you knitting for? Share your knit story with us!

Cute on both little ones and the ladies:

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My son Max currently loves his hand-knit sweaters (but only has one or two that fit) and always chooses this one. It was time to add to his sweater collection, and with Max’s love of mad colours (and my own) in mind, I decided to make him a Crazyheart sweater as part of the Heart On My Sleeve KAL.

I really loved knitting this sweater! The designer Tanis Lavallée has such a talent for creating clean details and delicious knits, and I was excited to experiment with colour at the yoke…and triangles are so hot right now, right?! Tanis knit a Crazyheart sweater for each of her family members, check them out here!

I worked the 132 st body size (following the stitch counts for size 2-4 years), but since I did it in slightly heavier weight yarn, on 4.5mm needles, the finished body circumference of the garment came out to 28” around at the chest, which is near the finished chest measurement of the 6-8 year size. With that in mind, I made body and sleeves 12-13” long, which corresponded with 4-6 or 6-8 year sizes. So while the sweater is really long on him now (he’s nearly 3), it will probably fit until he’s 6, or so I’m hoping!

Max’s new Crazyheart sweater is way too long (even with the cuffs rolled way up). But little ones look adorable in knits and grow so quickly. This way I can enjoy watching him wear it for years!

For the ‘heart on my sleeve’ I used the little heart motif designed by Mary Jane Mucklestone – I worked it 3 times, for a long section of hearts.

If you haven’t already checked out the Heart On My Sleeve collection, you give it a look now! The ebook includes 8 yoke designs by 9 designers, and all proceeds from the sale of this ebook are donated to the Against Malaria Foundation. Designs were donated by Shannon Cook, Romi Hill, Bristol Ivy, Tanis Lavallée, Joji Locatelli, Jane Richmond, Ysolda Teague, and Alexa and I at Tin Can Knits. We’ve already donated over $40,000 USD, which buys 16,178 nets, which will protect 29,000 people (the entire population of 50-60 villages). Why malaria? Well it’s preventable (no one need die), yet it kills half a million people every year, and 70% of those who die are children under 5. Learn more here.

choosing colours

My colour vision for this Crazyheart sweater was inspired by one of the Prism hats that I made while working on Mad Colour. I love the way teals, reds, and oranges interact with each other, in fact it’s one of my favourite colour combos.

This Prism hat, knit in various colours of Rainbow Heirloom Sweater, was the inspiration for the colour palette I chose for Max’s new sweater.

With the body knit in a rich variegated red in Malabrigo Rios, I pulled out my stash of scraps of Rainbow Heirloom Sweater yarn in a wide variety of colours, grouping together the ones I thought might work for the yoke pattern.

First I determined that I wanted the red / MC tone to flow through the yoke, and that I wanted to use teal blues in contrast. I coloured a few options in to see what might work.

Planning can take you only so far, so I got started, and knit the yoke. I didn’t get it quite right on the first try, but with a small adjustment, I ended up with a sweater I love!

While my first attempt was pretty, I knew I wanted to have another try; the dark blue just seemed a little harsh and the peachy orange a little brighter than I was looking for in combination with the other colours.

I adjusted by ripping out the last 2 sets of triangles. This time I stuck with lighter blues, and used purple and red again, rather than introducing orange. While the result is a little more subdued, the bright purple pops quite nicely and there’s a continuity in the relationship between the colours. Success!

Crazyheart

KAL roundup … and Prize Winners!

Have you knit a Heart On My Sleeve sweater? Learn more about the project at www.heartonmysleeveknits.com, and browse the lovely finished KAL knits on the Ravelry Group.

Click to view slideshow.

Perhaps you’re one of the lucky KAL participants to have won the epic prizes? Chosen by random number generator from among the 160+ entries:

trixieterrible won the Fringe Supply Company Woolelujah tote
jorunnellen won the Pom Pom Magazine Take Heart gift pack
PlanetAnnaKnits won a sweater amount of Dovestone DK donated by Baa Ram Ewe
sls8201 won 5 skeins of WYS Fleece DK in ‘ecru’ donated by The Loveliest Yarn Company
sarahjg2 won the TFA palette donated by Tanis Fiber Arts
OldEnglishRose won 7 skeins of YOTH Big Sister in ‘raw honey’ + 1 skein of YOTH Big Sister ‘blue raspberry’ donated by YOTH yarns
RavelJ won a SweetGeorgia party of five gradient + 2 skeins Superwash DK donated by SweetGeorgia Yarns

AND, because we always like to give away a little bit extra, Alexa and I are donating an ebook of her choice to RoHart, who knit not one but TWO lovely adult size sweaters for herself, and Paperdaisy1 who made the most adorable set of Easter sweaters for her 4 boys, including 2 sweaters from Heart On My Sleeve.

There were so many exquisite KAL entries! Each had knit at least one sweater, and many have already knit more than one from the Heart On My Sleeve collection. I’ve included a sampling of some of our favourites below, but do browse the FO thread to see them all!

More lacy TCK sweaters you might like this spring:

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My drawer of hand knit sweaters

As part of our year of thoughtful knitting we have been thinking a fair bit about knitwear after it has been created. How to keep your knits looking good so they can enjoy the longevity they deserve. Our knits (especially kid knits) get a lot of love over the winter so spring seems the perfect time to do a bit of an overhaul. At the end of a long winter, your hard working woolies need a bit of love and attention, and some items will be stored away until next winter. So, collect up all of your knits, and let’s give them a good clean!

Now, there is much debate on the care of knits, depending on the yarn you use, how much you use them etc. Personally, I always hand wash my woollies, even those in superwash yarns. It really doesn’t take long and it keeps them looking great (and there’s no chance of meeting some Velcro or a snaggy zipper in the wash!).

Materials:

To give your knits a deep cleaning you will need:

wool wash
a pill shaver of some kind
blocking mats or a large piece of cardboard
a few towels
lavender or cedar balls or sealed plastic bins for storage
If you have a lot of colourwork knits you may need a bit of vinegar
if you have any lace you might want blocking wires and pins.

For each of these supplies there are many brands and types, but for those who want to know: I am currently using Wool Soap from Twig and Horn, I have the Gleener (and I’m quite pleased with it) to get rid of pills, my blocking mats are kiddie play mats from Canadian Tire, and I have a few lavender sachets and cedar balls for my yarn bins.

Assess your knits:

Once you have collected up your woollies you can decide:

which ones only need a good wash (probably all of them)
which ones should be stored away for Winter (for me that’s the mittens, there’s not much call for those around here after May)
is there anything that needs mending (is that sweater missing a button? are there any snags or holes in your knits?)
is there anything that’s too small or that isn’t being used?

Washing your hand knits:

To wash your knits simply fill a clean sink with cool water and a little wool wash, submerge a few items of like colours and leave them for about 15-20 minutes (note the section on colourwork knits below). Give them a good swish around and then drain the sink. Press the water out of the items (don’t wring them), and roll them in a towel. Stomp out any excess water and then lay your knits flat on your blocking boards or cardboard to dry.

While it is tempting to leave your knits outside on a warm day, just keep in mind that there are birds overhead (a perfectly lovely baby sweater I had just finished was blocking outside and lets just say I’m going to have to dye it black, because a little bird poop permanently stained it). Also know that some yarns will fade with a few hours of direct sunlight. We suggest you keep them under cover or inside.

Note on colourwork knits or any knits you suspect the colour might run with: wash these knits separately, adding a few tablespoons of vinegar into the sink with them. Don’t leave them soaking for much longer than 15 minutes, or the vivid colours may bleed into whites or lighter colours.

Bodhi’s little Antler needs a button sewn back on

A little extra love: most of the sweaters in my house get regular washings and are laid flat to dry, but all the knits need a little extra love once a year. Perhaps Hunter’s sweater needs de-pilling, or Bodhi’s sweater needs a button sewn back on. I found a great little mending tutorial from Martha Steward here, in case you find any holes in your knits. Lace shawls get a fresh block (here’s how to block a lace shawl), if a sweater is well loved it gets a fresh block (here’s how to block a sweater), and anything else that has worked it’s way out of shape gets a re-block too (blocking basics here). Knits that will be stored over the summer should be washed in advance of storage, as oils and grime from use are attract moths.

Hunter’s new Lush is getting the full blocking treatment

Now would be a good moment to consider knits that you haven’t used in a long time, or knits that are too small. While it is always hard to give away something handmade, I find a great sense of satisfaction in knowing someone else will get some use out of it. I pass along anything that is too small for Bodhi to my nephew Ellis.

Storing your knits:

If your knits are well used you are probably sorting through them regularly and keeping moths at bay through exposure to light air and movement. At the end of the winter you may have some knits that won’t be use again for some time. I store mine in a bin and throw in a few cedar balls to help keep moths at bay. While the kids use hats and cowls when we camp or on cooler spring evenings, their mittens are cleaned and stored away, as they are strictly a winter fare around here.

My mittens get put away for the summer months

What’s next?

Once your knits are all in order, washed and blocked, free from pills, time to go to the stash! Tune in tomorrow for the annual tossing of the stash!

Some fresh springtime knits to consider:

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Max is taking a bit of a stroll through Emily’s stash!

While we know some of you are diligent monogamous knitters, working on one project at a time, there is a segment of the knitting population who have amassed a stash… some beyond life expectancy!

As professional knitters Em and I each have a stash and constantly work to keep it inspiring and under control. Every year when Em comes to visit me from Edinburgh she shops my curated collection, finding new inspiration from skeins I had put aside. I often find myself re-inspired as well, seeing old things as new again! So, now that our woollies have been cleaned, stored, and cared for (all about Spring cleaning the knits here), it is time to set upon the stash!

For further reading I loved Hannah Fettig of Knitbot’s article about stashing yarn here.

My stash bins. Some have knit samples, most have yarn, and a couple have fabric in them.

There are so many reasons to give the stash a good toss every year, or every few months. It’s good to know what you’ve got, to gather some new inspiration for what to cast on next and of course, to keep moths at bay! While I have not seen a moth in my yarn bins, I know they are out there, lurking, waiting. The very best way to keep moths away is to go through your yarn often, moving it around and exposing it to light and air. I keep cedar balls or lavender in each of my bins as well. Keeping your yarn in sealed bins is a good idea if you have moth concerns.

Inside my bins I have yarn grouped in various ways. This particular bin has all of my lovely Sweet Fiber yarns in it.

The biggest debate I have is how to organize the stash. Some methods considered are:

By brand: I currently my yarn more or less binned by brand (with a few bins of ‘miscellaneous’); because this helps me to remember exactly which yarn is which and which colourway it is etc. but there are many ways.
By weight: weight is a good one, especially if you are the kind of knitter who finds a pattern first, then heads to the stash to see what’s there in the right quantity.
By colour: If you prefer to choose yarn first, project second, you might prefer to sort by colour, so you know what you’ve got in a blue at a quick glance.
By project: our lovely model Emily Read has her stash arranged by project. Each project has it’s own bag in her sealed bins, and I think she even has a sticky note with the pattern name with some of them. When she is ready for her next project she can head to the stash, simply pull a bag and she’s ready to roll!

Once you’ve tossed the stash and organized however you like best, it’s time to cast on! I mean, you just spent a bunch of time organizing, so it’s time to reward yourself in a knitterly way. Is there a skein of worsted calling out to be a new hat? Is it time to turn that SQ (sweater quantity) into an actual wearable sweater?

If you just went through your knits you may have noticed some gaps in the wardrobe. For example I know Bodhi’s mittens won’t fit next year, so I can cast on a pair for her for next winter right now. If you have a lot of those 1/4 balls lying around (as I have found I do), as well as a few lovely skeins, maybe a stash busting Marley blanket is just the thing to keep the stash manageable and create something beautiful for your home at the same time.

So tell us, how do you organize your stash?

TCK Knits to cast on immediately:

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Some of my special stash of single ply sock weight yarns, from a range of hand-dyers including Madelinetosh, Hedgehog Fibres, Rainbow Heirloom, and La Bien Aimee

We’ve been talking all about spring cleaning this week, about caring for and storing your knits, and about spring cleaning your stash too!

One of the things I have learned, after a few stash purges, is that I love to buy single skeins, but there is a danger they’ll hang about not being used unless they find their way into multi-coloured projects. With that in mind, I’ve recently found it useful to collect single skeins in a couple of my most loved yarn types; these skeins are similar enough to be combined across yarn brands to make multi-coloured projects.

Burnished looks great in 2 or 3 colours; go crazy and mix & match your odd balls!

single-ply sock weight yarns

One of my stash boxes holds a pretty fabulous rainbow of sock weight single-ply yarns. I don’t hesitate to add to this collection because these types of yarns are so easy to use together. Most of the really popular hand-dyers and nearly all of the smaller companies dye on this type of base, so finding colours that work together on similar bases is very easy, and very useful for designs like the Burnished shawl, Slice shawl, or a cute I Heart Rainbows colourwork yoke.

Mini-skein gradients are often dyed on this type of base; these are two lovely speckle sets by EasyKnits and they’ll find yarn friends in my stash of single-ply semi-solids

Slice uses bold blocks of colour and simple geometric lace

plied sock weight yarns

If you’re partial to more hard-wearing plied sock yarns, they are another type to collect for mixing and matching. Some sweater designs, like raindrops, you can make a baby or toddler size out of a single skein, and for other designs, like Playdate or Flax Light, you can always stripe 2 skeins together, which would give you sufficient yardage to make up to a 6 year old size.

I’m currently obsessed with this colour combo I swatched a couple weeks ago, neon yellow and teal! I think it needs to become a tiny Flax Light for Neve… but when will I find the time?!

Last year I made this little striped Playdate for Max out of 2 single skeins that were crying out to be combined!

Nina made Neve a tiny Flax Light (without the garter on the sleeves) in Rainbow Heirloom Merino Light in ‘killer flamingo’ and ‘kermit smiled’. Such a fantastic combo!

hand-dyed DK or sport weight yarns

The most extensive collection of mix-able yarns that I hoard is DK (and sport) weight hand-dyed yarn, like Madelinetosh Tosh DK, SweetGeorgia DK, Rainbow Heirloom Sweater, and other various lovelies. These rainbow brights are just crying out to be used together, and work well in multi-colour projects like Fly Away, Bumble beanie, Peanut vest, Clayoquot cardigan, Vivid blanket … the list goes on, and you can check out all our colourwork projects here.

This is probably the yarn type Alexa and I design in most often, especially for colourwork; so you’ll see a lot of projects that can be started (or completed) with a good dig through this category of your stash! Many of the accessories in Mad Colour are worked in this type of yarn, using scraps and odds and ends.

I pulled out the entire rainbow of stash scraps for this Prism hat!

The Undertone cowl is a perfect opportunity to use leftovers as you can change colours every few rounds, or stick with a 2-colour combination!

Do you have a strategy for collecting similar sorts of yarns? What does your stash look like? Share your stash… we like to hashtag ours #yarnporn!

One more rainbow for you… because we just can’t resist!

Scraptastic projects from TCK:

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Today Is the First Day Of… Me Made May and #minimemademay too!

Last May my littlest baby Neve was oh so new, and after feeding, nappy changes and loads of sleep my one work task of the day was to take a photo of her in her extensive knit wardrobe! Thus our Instagram feed was overloaded with adorable baby knits (have a browse here and here). Well, May is here and we’re excited to do it all over again! Join along with us on your favourite social spot, using the hashtag #minimemademay for the minis or #memademay for you!

Bodhi rocking a prototype of a sweater we have been working on!

Alexa and I have been working on a bundle of new knits for the little ones and some for ourselves too! We’re very excited to share all of the things with you this month! Last week we talked all about spring cleaning your knits, organizing your stash, and how to stash in similar yarn bases for easy combinations. Now our woollies are in great shape for wearing and sharing, and our most beloved stash is crying out to be knit!

Trusting Elizabeth Zimmermann

Elizabeth Zimmermann has long been a knit design idol of mine, with her straightforward, seamless and eminently knit-able designs. And I have had the Baby Surprise Jacket on my list since I discovered it…when I first started knitting! But, I must be honest, I’ve held back for years and years because I looked at the photos and I didn’t get it. Finally, this year I let go, put my trust in EZ, and just cast on and *gasp* followed the instructions. JOY. That’s all I really need to say; this was a joyous process and one of my favourite knit items of all time now that it’s done.

baby surprise jacket

Of course! It’s a surprise… the genius of this construction didn’t become obvious to me until I’d nearly finished knitting it!

baby surprise jacket

I wasn’t really sure what size it would come out, but I knew I wanted to knit using these two lovely yarns from my stash, and 4.0mm needles would do the trick. I decided that I’d just cast on and go for it, and not worry too much about the size, because if it didn’t fit Neve there would surely be another baby along soon who it would be perfect for! As luck would have it, it came out just the perfect size for her, especially for springtime, when a shorter-sleeved cardi is warm enough.

baby surprise jacket

One of the things that really ‘made’ this knit for me was the yarn. I striped Shilasdair Luxury DK in ‘fleece cloud’ with Noro Kibou in ’22’. I absolutely LOVE this Noro yarn, it’s such a subtle, tweedy and classy self-striping bundle of joy, and the halo of the angora in the Shilasdair yarn makes for a soft and cuddly fabric.

Finishing Touches

Because I wanted a nice MC line around the neckline, rather than the raw edge of the garter stitch, I left the button band and hem stitches on the needles, and worked the shoulder seams first.

The single crochet seam creates a nice crisp raised line where front meets back

I used a single-crochet seam at the shoulders for a crisp raised detail. With wrong sides together, and the front of the jumper facing, insert the hook through both layers, draw through a loop of MC yarn from the WS, then *insert hook again through both layers, draw another loop through to the RS, then yarn over and draw this third loop through the previous 2, leaving a single loop on the hook. Repeat from * until the seam is complete from cuff to neckline. Then I did the same working from neckline to cuff down the other side, so that the seam was still worked with the front of the sweater facing.

After the shoulder seams were complete, I finished the neckline by picking up and knitting stitches (with RS facing) along the right side of the neckline, the back neck, then the left side of the neckline. Then I turned the work (WS facing) and knit one final row. Lastly I bound off all stitches. This created a lovely consistent MC finish at all edges of the work.

baby surprise jacket

Choosing buttons was another joyful part of the process! Purple-blue mother-of-purl won the day.

Neve says YAY!

Before I knit my BSJ, I did some VERY EXTENSIVE surfing on Ravelry, and these were my favourite versions of the design, for your surfing pleasure! I’m hoping to make another soon, perhaps with some handspun?

Other TCK knits you’ll probably see this #minimemademay:

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With a bit of creativity, a sad old WIP became a beloved knit for Max!

This exquisite bit of knitting had been languishing unloved for YEARS

This year I am on the warpath to minimize my WIPS and take responsibility for both my stash and my projects. Alexa is in the same mood lately (read her ‘Spring Cleaning‘ post to learn more). Part of my KonMari household organizing process has been to excavate all the unfinished projects that were sadly crammed into shopping bags and stuffed into the back of the closet. Those poor lonely knits which got to a point, and then went no further! As a designer, I am lucky enough to work almost exclusively in beautiful yarns, so it’s even more depressing that projects in luxury fibres were languishing until a day when pigs knit and they would miraculously be finished.

This little technicolour number began when I was first running Rainbow Heirloom yarns (now owned and run by my talented friend Nina Davies). After knitting this rainbow vivid blanket, I had many odds and ends of the rainbow of yarns used to create it, so I thought I’d knit up a simple, textured scarf in a basket stitch, simply changing colours when I reached the end of each colour. So about 1/4 of a scarf was knit, then the project was abandoned.

The checked stitch pattern goes like this, it’s an 8-row repeat:
Rows 1 & 3 (RS): [k2, p2] to last 2 sts, k2
Row 2 & 4 (WS): [p2, k2] to last 2 sts, p2
Rows 5 & 7 (RS): [p2, k2] to last 2 sts, p2
Row 6 & 8 (WS): [k2, p2] to last 2 sts, k2

The pattern is worked on a multiple of 4 + 2 stitches. I had 42 stitches on the needles, and the final piece measures 7.5” across, which means that the gauge is close to 5.5 sts / inch or 22 sts / 4” in pattern. I would have knit this on 4.0mm needles.

Max and John out on the town one winter weekend. Max is wearing his usual uniform: North Shore sweater, this colourful cowl, and his Lowlands hat.

And so a perfectly lovely bit of knitting was saved from back-of-the-closet obscurity! Do you have some knits that you could dust off and polish of to similar satisfactory effect? Sometimes a bit of knit fabric doesn’t need to become what it was initially started to be… a square of fabric could be a doll blanket, or a short cowl, or a bottom-up sweater cuff, or the body of a baby sweater… there are quite a few possibilities!

Of course, this cowl is now Max’s favourite, he calls it his ‘scarf’. He’s 2.5 puts it on himself, and hasn’t lost it in 6 months of nearly constant use. That’s a success in toddler knitting if ever I’ve seen one!

But how big should it be?

A good rule-of-thumb for short cowls (that only go around once) is that they should be about the same circumference as the wearer’s head. So a similar number of cast-on stitches as a hat would have, plus maybe a few extra. In my case, as I was using a bit of a scarf, I ripped back the knitting to the right length, and then put both ends back on needles, and used Kitchener stitch to graft the two ends of knitting together make create a tube about 18″ around.

Pull out your (knit) skeletons!

Do you have a shameful back-of-the-closet work in progress? Or do you have many?! We’d encourage you to pull them out, air them, and either unravel to liberate that yarn for a new project, or re-imagine what the bit of lovely fabric might become, if it’s not going to be finished as-is! Share the results with us on your favourite social spot!

Cute on both little ones and the ladies:

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So I was loving Max’s little red trousers… but then a friend commented that red trousers are associated with upper crusties, here in the UK anyways, as extensively documented by LAMFRT… so now I’m conflicted!

It’s May, and #memademay and #minimemademay have inspired me to share some of the non-knitting things that I’ve enjoyed making, wearing, and watching my kids romp around in.

I was inspired to make this jacket by Purl Soho’s lovely little Felted Wool Baby Jacket, which I’d come across ages ago. However, I wanted a more ‘grown up’ jacket with a zipper for Max, so I roughly copied a pattern off one of his commercial jackets; making 2 pattern pieces, front (same as the back) and a sleeve.

My ‘self drafted’ pattern is pretty low tech!

The collar I just made out of a strip, folded over, which I cut to correct length after sewing it to the neckline. I may have stuck some fusible interfacing inside too, but I don’t really remember. I cut the lining using the same pattern pieces, but made the sleeves 2″ longer, so that they could fold over and be hand-sewed down on the outside for the lovely little cuff detail.

Little exposed cuff details allow the lining fabric to shine through! I paired a Liberty of London Tana Lawn print with the wool.

Wool Jacket

This is quite a delicious stack… and I may just have a few more squirrelled away!

I love wool tweeds and tartans… And this love, since moving to Scotland, has meant I’ve amassed a not-insignificant stash. On the whole, I don’t allow shame to enter into how I feel about my crafting supplies (design and craft is my day job, right?!). But with the precious and expensive woolen yardage mounting up, well, I admit to feeling a little anxiety and guilt that I own this beautiful stack although I’m really not a very prolific sewer. I guess the answer to that is to get out the scissors and get started!

This was the first version of this jacket that I made. I loved it to bits, and was very sad when he grew out of it. But it gave me the opportunity to make him another!

And now that it’s springtime, Neve will need a little wool jacket (or two?!). I’ve pulled out these two outer/lining combinations. What do you think?

A grey herringbone tweed with 3 possible prints for the lining… I’m leaning toward the rainbow floral at the bottom.

A soft tartan in a 70’s colour combination, with a mustard cotton lining… MMMmmm I’ve got a yellow zipper that would pull this all together perfectly!

Do you branch out and practice other crafts, or do you stick to knitting? I find that exploring other media really inspires me and brings new ideas to my knit design. I’m also working on a By Hand London Victoria blazer, and planning to make some trousers out of some of the woolens in the stack above. I think they’ll pair nicely with my hand knits this spring and next fall.

Wool Jacket

Are you sharing your ‘mini’ makes this May with us using the hashtag #minimemademay? Join in! It’s fun and easy, just tag your photos on Instagram or Twitter, and you can surf the tags for even more inspiration!

Cute knits for the Minis from TCK:

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We have expounded upon our love of speckles recently (all about that here), but I think my speckled love has gone from ‘ooh, pretty’ to ‘I NEED TO KNIT EVERYTHING IN SPECKLES RIGHT NOW’. It’s gotten a bit ‘full on’ as they say. Reminds me of my hand paint fever of the mid-2000s…

I knit Hunter a modified Flax sweater all in speckles over the winter break and loved it. The yarn was House of a la Mode in ‘Tinsel’ and it was just so much fun to knit. The pattern is simple (even with my mods) but as the yarn runs through your fingers the colours change, sometimes stitch by stitch! An adventure for sure.

A few weeks ago I combined my speckle obsession with my current need to constantly knit sweaters for my kids. They have pretty good sweater wardrobes already (except Jones, but I’m working on it), and little sweaters are quick (well, okay, they are quicker than knitting myself a sweater). Knitting for the kids also satisfies my desire to cast on certain patterns immediately (I’m looking at you So Faded Pint Sized), and the three of them wear their sweaters all the time! Is there anything more satisfying to a crafter than seeing their work out in the world, being used and loved? Nope.

Check those buttons, are they pink? Are they purple? Whatever shade of awesome, Hunter adores them!

And so, on a trip to Knit Night at Black Sheep Yarns I couldn’t resist the Hedgehog Fibers Merino DK in ‘fly’ and by the time I went to bed I had a lace band blocking for a new Lush sweater. I normally choose a size with a bit of positive ease for the kids knits (+2-3″) to maximize wear, but with this design, the lace looks really good when stretched a bit, so I went with only about 1/2″ of positive ease for this one.

lush project details:

Pattern: Lush
Yarn: Hedgehog Fibers Merino DK in ‘fly’
Size: 7-8 years (27″ chest)

Hunter is loving it! She wore it before the ends were even woven in and she especially loved the pinky purple buttons I found at Button Button. The yarn was a delight to knit with, an adventure in every stitch, and the whole project was rather successful if I do say so myself. So successful, I MIGHT have cast on another speckled project immediately….in spite of all the other WIPs on the needles!

So, what do you like to knit for the littles? Do you stick to accessories? Are you as sweater crazy as we are?

More sweaters ready for speckles by TCK:

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It looks like I’ve been sharing a lot of sewing projects this May, because I’ve been so inspired by #memademay and #minimemademay. But hey, as a designer I’ve gotta play!

Neve Triangle Quilt

This quilt was a long time coming. When I was pregnant with Neve, I was obsessing over triangle quilts (to avoid a similar fate, don’t surf this hashtag). I read the tutorial for the Purl Bee Modular Blocks quilt and thought… holy shit, triangles are so EASY… what am I waiting for?! So what felt like a few minutes later I found myself in a fabric shop and bought my first ‘charm pack’ in an amazing rainbow of textured solids. Let me say, for a beginner quilter like me these pre-cut 5” squares are THE BOMB. I got to skip what I find one of the more boring steps (cutting out) and get straight to the goods!

I chose a coordinating yellow for the MC, rather than white or grey which are my go-to main colours, especially when working with a rainbow. I had heard colour genius Kaffe Fassett speak, and he explained how he liked to pair colours, rather than setting them against white or black, because of the way the colours interact and intensify each other. So I went for yellow to see what would happen. I cut as many squares of the MC as I had of CC (42), then paired them up, always one CC with one yellow MC). Then I made them all into triangle blocks, chain piecing them which made it go really quickly. Then I was on to the most fun part; choosing a layout! During a kid (and cat) free moment I laid out a few options.

While I was strongly drawn to the random one, I decided that this quilt wanted to be a bit more simple, clear, and geometric, so I went with the one that looks a bit like flying geese. I guess it’s a little like the Fly Away blanket which I designed shortly after Max was born.

Add it to the pile! I made the quilt on the left when Max was born, and the Tunisian crochet blanket last year. The kids’ room is getting pretty cozy!

Happy Birthday Darling! I also made Neve’s onesie from of a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt that I found at a thrift shop. I used this free pattern by Shwin & Shwin.

I had intending to make this quilt before Neve was born, but you know how these things go! A couple weeks before her first birthday I was wondering what gift John and I could give her (she’s 1, she doesn’t care). I decided that a deadline was what I needed, and pulled out the supplies for this quilt. I finished it up and even hand-stitched her name on it, all in time for her to open it on the day! This is a pretty impressive feat, as I’m infamous for wrapping up half-finished things (and then, ahem, sometimes NEVER finishing them…). I can’t be the only one, right?!

I chose a lovely batik which I had been saving for years as the backing fabric. I took the top and backing down to the fabric store to select the perfect edge colour. Then I used this tutorial to make the double fold binding, which was time-consuming but made an exquisite finish.

This quilt currently lives on the floor in the dining room, where she has her milk in the mornings and afternoons these days

#trianglesaresohotrightnow

Obviously Alexa and I have been on a bit of a triangle binge these days. And you know it’s not just us; triangles are taking the design world by storm! Check out some of my favourite triangle designs and projects on Ravelry.

More TCK triangles:

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Em and I, out on the town in our knits

There is a lot of talk in the knitting world about being a process knitter vs. a product knitter. Do you knit because you love to knit or do you knit because you love the knitted item you have created? I see no reason to choose between the two, I love the finished knit because I loved knitting it! I especially love seeing my knits, that I so enjoyed making, adorning my loved ones. Friends and family who have a warmer head, toasty hands, or a cozy sweater to wear.

My most worn piece, a simple Grain shawl in luxurious Sweet Fiber Cashmere Aran. Photo cred to the wonderful Softsweater!

In my zeal of knitting though, I don’t always consider whether or not I will wear something. I knit bright pink cowl because that colour looked great in the skein and I was itching to cast on a cowl! Will it go with the orange vest I wear all the time? Nope. Didn’t stop to consider that at all…..

While I have no regrets (I loved knitting that cowl, and it will look great on whoever I gift it to), I thought I might take a stab at creating a knit wardrobe that coordinates with my actual wardrobe. That isn’t to say I won’t design an outfit around a knit, I mean, that makes a lot of sense to me, but I want to focus on knitting things for myself that I will get a lot of wear out of. This is particularly true of sweaters.

My most successful sweater I’ve knit for myself, a Flax in a lovely mustard yellow, Plucky Knitter Plucky Sweater in ‘princess phone’

I am a limited wardrobe kind of girl. I wear a lot of black, almost exclusively wear leggings or jeans, love plaid, and my grey hoodie collection is solid. So, I’m on a mission to create some knitwear for myself that goes with some of those things.

Natalie’s beautiful Antler was the inspiration for my own. She knit it in Cestari and the combination of cables and tweed are fabulous!

This idea started last year as I knit up my lovely warm brown Antler cardigan. I was inspired by my friend Natalie (@eastvanjam) and her beautiful Antler cardigan to create a tweedy one of my very own. I picked up some Brooklyn Tweed Shelter on a trip to the Beehive in ‘pumpernickel’ with a specific outfit in mind. I wanted to wear it with jeans and either a t-shirt or maybe a plaid shirt. I wanted to knit something that fit in my wardrobe!

I finished the Antler and immediately saw the error of my ways. The Antler has a more open neckline…..but I don’t want to wear it that way. I wear my sweaters a little snugger around the collar. So the button bands came off, the ribbing and the cabled decreases came out. I added 2 repeats of the cable before the decreases and decreased an extra 8 sts just before the ribbing.

Voila! A sweater that is just what I want it to be! It may be just a boring brown sweater, but to me it is perfect. Each yard of yarn flowed through my hands, each stitch was created by me. It is a sweater that will last and that will always look good with a pair of jeans. A realistic wardrobe staple!

More cabled knits from TCK:

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Danny, Morag, Donna, Charlie, and Carmen… a Quintet of Dollies!

One of the most pleasing things that I’ve ever made for the kids are these dolls. This last Christmas I made five for Max and Neve and their cousins. This was a BIG project, but they turned out so adorably that for me it was worth every late night, regardless of anything that the kids think!

Morag is a bit of a fiery drama queen!

I created this pattern outline to make my dolls (it’s an 11×17 sheet, so you’ll have to print it in parts and tape it together). I sewed bits of cloth together for trousers and body, then cut a front and back from these pre-sewed pieces. To make the hair, I applied some wool to the front and back of the head, tacking it down with a zig zag stitch within the selvedge. Then with right sides together I sewed all around, leaving about an inch and a half open at one side of the body. Once I turned the dolls right-side out, I stuffed them with some stuffing and hand-sewed the sides up.

Morag, Carmen and Donna have improvised sweaters; sewn together from swatches and fingerless mittens. Half knit socks would probably work as a starting point too!

After the doll bodies were complete, it was time for sweaters! I had made a prototype doll the previous year, so the red sweater for Danny Dolly was already complete. But I needed sweaters for the other 4 dolls. Morag got a sleeveless number made from swatches from this design. Carmen of the fabulous side-ponytail got a sweater made from a fingerless mitten which I cut up to become a sweater body. I knit the sleeves then joined them with the mitten cuff to work a bottom-up sweater. My daughter Neve’s ‘Donna Dolly’ was the last one to be completed (and let me tell you, it was REALLY LATE at night on Christmas Eve when all this was occurring), so I just stuck an odd fingerless mitten on her, and called it a night!

Danny Dolly is about 14″ tall, and his chest measures about 6.25″ around.

A Tiny Sweater Recipe: The little red sweater uses the same construction method as our free Flax pullover. If you are unfamiliar with knitting garments top-down, check out our tutorial here. The basic doll sweater recipe is as follows: Use 4.5mm needles and DK or Worsted weight yarn, or whatever you need to achieve a gauge of about 5 to 5.5 sts / inch. Cast on 30 sts, work 3-4 ribbing rounds. Mark the 10th, 14th, 26th and 30th (last) stitch. Increase 1 stitch each side of the four marked stitches (8 stitches increased) every second round. Continue in this manner until there are a total of 70 sts on the needles. Place sleeve stitches (and marked stitches, a total of 16 each side) on hold on waste yarn. Work body stitches (38 sts) in the round for about 3” or as long as desired. Work sleeves in the round for about 2”, or as long as desired. I included a little colourwork pattern on the body of Danny Dolly’s sweater for fun!

Dolls

Max named his little fellow ‘Danny Dolly’. He sometimes needs to have Danny Dolly in order to go to sleep, and one night he woke, crying and demanding that we find Danny Dolly for him before he would go back to sleep. Neve is a bit more ambivalent! She’s not all that interested in toys, unless they happen to be the toy that Max is playing with, in which case she really wants it, will try to grab it and tears are the inevitable result!

Neve is wearing a Prairie Fire sweater and Donna Dolly is looking stylish in a fingerless mitten!

Donna Dolly has some pretty serious hair; I imagine as Max and Neve get older there will be some hours spent braiding and styling and re-braiding…

Do you make handmade gifts?

Alexa is totally into gift knitting but I give gift knits relatively seldom. I usually feel like the time commitment required in knits is a bit too much for gifts. This project, while it was very time consuming, was a big win for me! It was a challenge, but both the process and products were a pleasure. I loved every bit.., except maybe embroidering the faces on at 2am Christmas morning…! But c’est la vie, perhaps I’ll have Christmas presents ready a few days earlier next year.

I’m a complete newbie to embroidery, so the dolls faces are somewhat… shall we say basic?

TCK patterns perfect for gift knitting:

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Bodhi is wearing her Hearthstone sweater from Heart on my Sleeve

It was a big day in our house this past weekend, our little Bodhi turned 3! I know, I hear we millennials like to over-celebrate the little things, but folks, the littlest turning 3 is big around here. 3 means she dresses herself in the morning (often to hilarious effect). 3 means she can go to swimming lessons with just her and the instructor, no parents in the pool. 3 means if she is thirsty, she just goes and gets herself a cup of water. 3 means this year I will teach her to crack an egg by herself and she can carry her own backpack when we go for a hike. 3 means major independence!

Bodhi has been in knitwear since the day she was born, I brought her home in this colourful Vivid blanket! I thought she would get the fewest knits made just for her, but I was completely wrong. As the littlest she gets the most ‘prototype’ knits, and she has maximum hand-me-downs. Poor Jonesy-in-the-middle ends up with the fewest knits (but I’m working on it)!

When Bodhi was only a few weeks old we took her camping in the Rocky Mountains to photograph Road Trip. She travelled like a champ and I even whipped up a little Prairie Fire for her! Only a few months later she would be 1/2 the inspiration for Max & Bodhi’s Wardrobe.

There is something so lovely about seeing my little ones growing up all wrapped in hand knits! Bodhi is such a wonderful little girl, smart as a whip, quick to laugh, and always with just a hint of sass in everything she does. She has always wanted to keep up with her siblings so she comes to things quickly through sheer force of will. Cheers to you on your big day my baby!

Bodhi is wearing: 1999, Prism, The World’s Simplest Mittens, Flax Light, Bowline, and Precipitation

More knits I have planned for Bobo

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We have long been fans of Pom Pom Quarterly. From the very first issue I bought I was hooked. It was issue 5 and the photo theme was Boho camping, I couldn’t resist! I not only enjoy the knits, the styling, and the fabulous photos by Juju Vail, I also love the interesting articles, and the recipes! If you haven’t listened to the Pomcast yet, I highly recommend it. You can even hear Tin Can Knits in episode 5. Pom Pom just celebrated their 5 year anniversary and it just so happens that Tin Can Knits has had 5 patterns in 5 different issues!

The latest Anniversary Issue includes a new design from us, the Rave shawl. Rave has a heavy does of garter stitch with a braided cable (my current obsession) offering maximum texture. The simplicity of the single cable makes this a relaxing knit, perfect for summer vacation knitting, ready to wear when the evenings cool again. I’m personally planning a speckled version next!

Our very first Pom Pom pattern was the Ammolite cowl, another cabled favourite of mine! We later included that one in Road Trip, with the crossing cables mimicking the branches in the forest.

Next was the Winterberry blanket, another garter heavy project (what can I say, I love that squish!). While I am normally not so into bobbles, this blanket is a clear exception, I love the way they evoke hanging winterberries! We later included Winterberry in our wintry book, Great White North.

We have had 2 sweaters included in Pom Pom through the years, the first was Wenlock (look familiar? That’s right, we included that one in Mad Colour). I adore this sweater with an ombre in the yoke. This design came way back when Emily first started Rainbow Heirloom and was immersed in a world of colour! Rainbow Heirloom is now run by Nina, who also loves a good ombre, this is her Wenlock sweater in the pinks:

When Pom Pom decided they wanted to include a few men’s patterns in Issue 14: The Wool Issue we jumped at the chance! We designed Hitchcock, a casual unisex henley that works for everyone. It is a quick knit in worsted weight with line details and lots of texture.

And so, congratulations on 5 great years Pom Pom! We can’t wait to see what comes next!

More cables and garter from Tin Can Knits:

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back to black. and white. and grey. and all the shades in between!

Don’t let the name put you off! If bright bold and crazy colours aren’t your jam, you will probably still love some of the projects in Mad Colour!

For many of the designs, we’ve worked a more sedate or monochrome version which shows just how versatile these designs are. Even if you’re not into colour, the texture patterns and graphic designs, worked in a monochrome palette, might be just the right next pattern for you!

Calming and crisp, the waves of the Bounce Blanket are beautiful in greys.

The Chromatic sweater is perfectly classic in black and white stripes!

Undertone is crisply minimal in grey and black.

And the Bumble sweater can be subtle rather than crazy when worked in neutrals.

Try an ombre! We used a white MC throughout the Awash scarf, with an ombre of CCs from black to lightest grey. This created a subtly beautiful fabric.

Do you struggle with colour? Perhaps it just doesn’t fit into your wardrobe? Try working in neutrals and see if your knits get a little more play.

I love going to Ravelry for pattern inspiration! Using the advanced pattern browser, you can search for projects using specific colour combination. Check out the exquisite results of my search for projects in black & white!

On the other hand, if you love ALL the colours, then use them all and get a little crazy!

Hunter, Emily and Jordan in almost ALL of the Mad Colour knits! And yes, it was the hottest summertime when we took this photo!

What are you working on now? Share your knit story with us!

Monochrome lovelies from Tin Can Knits:

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We are so happy to announce that we are part of Knit Stars 2.0! Last year’s summit was so exciting (Hannah Fettig, Westknits, Julie Asselin and more!), and this year we’re excited to join in!

What is Knit Stars?

Knit Stars is an online summit, with instruction taught through video lessons. Each instructor (Michelle Wang, Nancy Marchant, Beata Jezek of Hedgehog Fibers, and Andrea Mowry of ‘Find your Fade’ fame just to name a few!) has put together videos to guide you through different knitting techniques, tips, and tricks! You’ll learn from designers, dyers, and instructors all about their specialities and get a peek inside their work spaces too.

I had the chance to get in front of the camera for a change, recording some of my knitting secrets to help you tackle your next project and keep your needles flying!

Enrolling in Knit Stars

Early Bird Enrollment for Knit Stars 2.0 is open (but only for 8 days)! It’s all online, with instruction from 10 amazing pros from all around the world – and you don’t need to leave your home. The Knit Stars 2.0 online summit is happening in October, and this is your chance to get in at a special earlybird rate and get access to the exclusive Knit Stars yarns. Click here for all the information and to enroll!

If you decide to join us, we’ll guide you in designing your own Fair Isle yoke sweater – we’re including two exciting new TCK patterns with your Knit Stars enrollment. Alexa shares tips on getting started, two-handed knitting, choosing a colour palette, and skipping the swatch by making a hat or cowl instead!

Plus, you can join in on the chat, support and inspiration of the Knitstars private Facebook group, ask us all your questions during the live Q&A sessions, and learn a TON of new skills from the 9 other Knit Stars. I personally can’t wait to learn more about brioche from Nancy Marchant, get an eye into Michelle Wang’s design genius, learn about flattering fit from Amy Herzog, and expand my lace skills with Laura Nelkin. There is so much to learn in this one exciting event!

A little hint from of what’s to come from TCK:

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once in a blue moon (or a hot summer) we have a sweet sale, and it’s happening now darlings!

From now till next Sunday, all of our patterns and ebooks are on sale; buy one and get one free.

Yup, our ebooks are included too… So you could buy two ebooks (up to 30 patterns) for only $18 USD + tax.

SWEET SALE DETAILS:

This sweet sale is running from July 7th to July 16, so pick your faves today!
To get one pattern or ebook free, simply add 2 patterns or ebooks to your cart at once before checking out. The sale is not limited, so you can purchase more than one pair!
All designs and ebooks published by Tin Can Knits are included. The following items are NOT included: print books, Heart on my Sleeve Knits, Ironheart, Tenderheart, Light and Shadow, Crossed Cardigan, Pont Neuf, Sword Fern Hat, Elwha, Twisp, Hitchcock, Rave, and Tulips. Because these are published by other companies or for charity we don’t have the right to offer discounts.

But I’m preaching to the choir: you folks know that TCK patterns are already a great deal!

So go on… Treat yourself!

The real question is: what are you hankering to cast on for yourself?! It’s time to follow your desire, to relax and begin that perfect piece for your fall wardrobe. We invite you to pull out your sweetest skeins, and savour them with the clarity and simplicity of one of our classic patterns.

Will it be lusciously cozy everyday hat and mittens? That ‘wear with everything’ sweater for the start of school? A statement shawl that matches your eyes and meshes seamlessly with your personal style?

Jones, Lodestar, Wenlock, Lush, Sunflower, Apple Pie, Old Growth, 1999, Stovetop, Sitka Spruce, Chrysanthemum, Gather, North Shore, Undertone, Bumble, Grayling, Precipitation, Raindrops

Or maybe this is the moment to add to your library of pattern ebooks? Shop ebooks here.

We’ve also got a brand spanking new pattern launched yesterday that you can get in the sale! The Bowline sweater is sized baby-to-big and includes instructions for men’s sizing too! We’ll share more about this new design soon.

Whatever you choose, make it with pleasure! Remember, we’ve got tutorials to help you through, and we’re always here to answer your questions too; you can email us directly!

Share the Sweetness! be sure to click the sharing buttons below so family, friends and your fabulous knit groups can take advantage of our sweet summer sale!

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It’s hard to know where to start. I have always wanted to travel north, so when Dotty from The Net Loft said I should come see her lovely shop and meet all the lovely knitters in her town, I said ‘yes please!’. Last week Gary and I dropped the kids off with the family and got on a plane for Cordova, Alaska. We knew it would be a fun adventure, but the trip was so amazing, it surpassed all expectations.

Sunset over Cordova on our first day

I suppose I should start with Dotty, the owner of the Net Loft. We met a couple of years ago when I designed the Bowline hat for her big Fisher Folk retreat. I was immediately intrigued by the shop and her passion for the Cordova Gansey Project, a promotion of hard wearing knits for hard working people. As I was working on the hat I knew I wasn’t finished with that rib pattern and really wanted to design a gansey style sweater, and this year we released the Bowline sweater.

the Bowline sweater

Dotty is an absolute force of nature. She never stops working, thinking up new ideas for the shop, being a wife and mum, knitting, caring about all of the people around her… the list is really endless. She is a pillar of her community and so many people commented to me over the week how important she and her shop were to them. One lovely shop regular said ‘I don’t feel at home at Church or the bar, so I have the Net Loft’, and I know that Dotty is a big part of why that is so.

Dottie, checking out the view

Which brings me to her shop! The Net Loft is an amazing shop, full to the brim with not just supplies for all of your knitting needs, but for any artistic or crafty endeavor you might have! It was that moment on the trip when I thought, ‘Hunter would love this’! There were supplies for cross stitch and embroidery, felting and card making, painting and sketching, you name it. There were treasures everywhere and I haven’t even mentioned the yarn. Each craft had it’s own little section, which they called ‘coves’ and I could have spent the entire weekend finding endless inspirations and intriguing supplies.

The Net Loft has so many yarns with a story behind them. Colourways from local dyers, colourways based on local paintings and photographs, skeins the colours of seine and gill nets, mini skein sets of Cordovan berry inspiration. It seemed like each skein had a story. The lovely Anna of Skeins in the Stacks (who is also a librarian in Cordova) dyes yarns based on books she loves! The Net Loft also had hard working yarns for the popular Gansey sweaters (it seemed like everyone was knitting one). There was so much to choose from!

This pretty skein (and a couple more) from Skeins in the Stacks came home with me courtesy of Anna.

Beautiful berry shades of ‘Cordova Jam’ from Three Irish Girls

For the workshop I taught on designing your own fair isle yoked sweater there were boxes and boxes of beautiful yarn, dyed just for the occasion by Three Irish Girls. There were gradients dyed in the colours of local berries that were just so delicious!

It was such a treat to meet Dotty in person, and to visit the amazing shop, that means so much to so many knitters! More on my Alaskan adventures to come next week!

Knits fit for an Alaskan Adventure: