Photo by Stephen Jessup
Charm from Three Graces book by Louisa Harding

I said I had also been planning to knit Charm! Lisette was thinking of using shades of pink or blue. I had already selected a rich, blue colorway for mine.

My Grace Hand Dyed and Grace Hand Beaded.
Don’t you love the shine?

Then I thought, “Well if two’s company then three is a knit along,” and I thought I’d see if anyone else had this set of pretty fingerless mitts on their to-knit list.

If you’ve been putting it off, now is the time to bump them up the list! Add Charm to your Ravelry queue.

Photo by Stephen Jessup
Charm from Three Graces book by Louisa Harding

The Charm pattern will be good for an experienced knitter or someone ready to challenge themselves. There are cables and lace, but they are knit flat so you don’t have to worry about knitting in the round.

Charm by Midwest Yarn, a local yarn store in Wisconsin.

This version is at Midwest Yarn, a local yarn store in Wisconsin.

The pattern uses 2 hanks of Grace Hand Dyed for the multicolored version OR 2 hanks of Grace Wool and Silk for the solid color version. Both versions also take 1 hank of Grace Hand Beaded in a coordinating color for the trim.

Such rich colors!

Locate stores near you that carry Louisa Harding’s yarns and pattern by using the “find a store” feature on our main website and filtering by zip code and brand.

You have time to get your supplies. I have a few works in progress (WIPs) to finish up before I can start mine.

I’m planning to cast on June 1!

Charm will be a great project to work on as the weather warms up because they are small and portable. They’ll probably work up quickly, too!

This Ravelry user has a nice review of the pattern and yarn in her project notes.

They will come in handy (haha) when the air conditioning fires up later in the summer. I love wearing fingerless mitts while I type because they keep my hands warm but leave my fingers free.

Yes! They keep my fingers warm as well. I think it has something to do with your hands being warm so warm blood is circulating.

Three Graces Book Giveaway!

Photo by Stephen Jessup
Three Graces cover

To kick things off, I get to give away 5 copies of the Three Graces book! (US Residents only. Void where prohibited.)

Lisette is planning to knit her Charm for a gift. I’m planning to knit them for myself (I live in a cold area!).

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post between now and midnight on Tuesday, May 21. Five winners will be selected randomly.

Tell me if you would knit them for yourself or someone else. Or why you like the pattern.

The Three Graces is full of pretty sweaters and accessories featuring the three Grace yarns: Wool & Silk, Hand Dyed, and Hand Beaded.

Photo by Stephen Jessup
Sweetness Cardi from Three Graces book by Louisa Harding

The Sweetness Cardi is another of my favorites from the book.

Photo by Stephen Jessup.
Grace bag from Three Graces book by Louisa Harding

The Grace bag is also adorable. It takes just one skein of Grace Hand Beaded. Wouldn’t it make a lovely gift or lavender sachet for your lingerie drawer?

Leave a comment to enter the giveaway! Winners will be selected and notified on Wednesday, May 22. When the comment system asked you to sign in make sure you use a real email address that you check regularly so I can contact you if you win.

To leave a comment, scroll down a little further and look for the box that says “leave a message”. It should be under the blue links and above the other comments people have already left. If you can see more than one blog post, look for the little blue “comment” link just a little bit down and to the right.

Our employee Cherry knit her mom a mini-me!

Cherry’s mini-me doll

Cherry is one of our sales reps in the North West part of the country. She visits independently owned yarn stores in AK, ID, KS, MT, NE, OR, UT, WA, and WY. She tells the owner about new yarns and patterns coming out and carries color cards and samples of yarn as examples.

Being a sales rep involves a lot of travel!

Here is her story about her doll based on the Arne & Carlos (Ravelry link) Knitted Dolls book.

My doll is a Mini-me, done for my mom for her Mother’s Day gift.

My doll and her outfits are done entirely in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. I added a little Angel into to the hair to achieve my characteristic silver streaked bun (complete with the tortoise clips, of course).

And the shoes are knitted with Cashmerino Aran.

So far, I’ve just tipped the iceberg– it’s addictive planning a complete wardrobe once you get going. But I just remember all the Barbie outfits my mom knitted for me (yes it’s been more than a few years).

I knitted a T-shirt and tights as part of the doll’s body. But she also has a skirt to match the T-shirt and a pair of black cropped pants for starters. Wardrobe additions to follow!

Cherry & her mom & their new friend

My mom loves having a mini-me around since we don’t get to spend as much time together when I’m out on the road so much of the time. It’s all great fun! Who knew….

Inspired by Cherry’s idea?

There is a Molly the Doll in Ella Rae’s Knitting At Home book. You can buy the doll pattern by herself on the Vogue Knitting website.

If you are a crocheter, FreshStitches just released an ebook with customizable crocheted dolls that use Ella Rae Classic Wool.

Photo by Paul Amato
Semi-Circle Shawl by Tabetha Hedrick

If a store stocks Noro yarns and patterns, they will probably have the magazine, too. You can use the “find a store” feature to locate local yarn stores near you that stock Noro.

(If you aren’t in the USA, check for international distributors on this page, then check for stockists on that website.)

As with the premier issue, independently owned yarn stores are first in line to stock the magazine so it might be hard to find in book stores.

I thought I’d get all that business out of the way up front, since once you preview the magazine you’ll totally want a copy!

Technically, the release date is June 4, but I’ve been seeing stores posting on Facebook about having it in stock.

Full of Pretty

This issue has 34 patterns. There are garments and accessories for women, and garments and stuffed animals for babies.

Six of the patterns are crocheted.

Photo by Paul Amato
Capelet by Yoko Hatta

Most of the patterns are sized from small to XL, with a few reaching to 2X.

There are patterns by Mari Lynn Patrick, Lori Steinberg, Galina Carroll, Tabetha Hedrick, Angela Tong, Kathy North, Debbie O’Neill, Wilma Peers, Irina Poludnenko, Theresa Schabes, Mari Tobita, Carol Sulcoski, Andrea Babb, Cheryl Murray, Holli Yeoh, Grace Akhrem, Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby, Annabelle Speer, Yoko Hatta, Lauren Waterfield, and Christina Behnke.

phew!

You’ll recognize many of those names from the premier issue, as well as Vogue Knitting, Knit Simple, Crochet Today….well, the list just goes on and includes books and self-published patterns!

You are in good hands with these designers.

In addition to the beautiful and creative projects, there is an interesting article about “The Cult of Noro” and an interview with designer Jane Ellison.

But enough of this chatter, let’s take a look at some patterns!

Project Highlights

As I said, there are 34 patterns, so I won’t include them all here. I will highlight some of my favorites and you can preview the others on the Noro Magazine website.

Photo by Rose Callahan
Banded Dress by Mari Lynn Patrick

The patterns start with a number of charming dresses. The hemlines range from mid-calf to knee length.

I like the Banded Dress by Mai Lynn Patrick. There are a lot of interesting textures in this dress from the different pattern stitches used. It looks like it would be fun to knit.

This dress features Noro Ayatori and Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarns.

Ayatori is a 60% Wool, 40% Silk blend with 146 yards per ball. There are eight new colors this season for a total of 16.

Cashmerino Aran is a 55% Merino Wool, 33% Microfiber Acrylic, 12% Cashmere blend with 99 yards per ball. The magazine makes use of the solid colors of this soft yarn to accent the vibrant colors of the Noro. With 46 colors available, you’ll have options for creating your own masterpiece!

The next section features four pretty shawl patterns.

Photo by Paul Amato
Semi-Circle Shawl by Tabetha Hedrick

This pretty Semi-Circle Shawl by Tabetha Hedrick graces the cover of the magazine. It has been popular with people on Facebook.

I like the lace stitch used in this shawl, as well as the detail of the picot bind-off (which you can’t see in the itty-bitty picture!).

This shawl is knit using Taiyo Sock yarn, a fingering weight 50% Cotton, 17% Wool, 17% Nylon, 16% Silk blend that has 462 yards per ball. There are eight new colors this season for a total of 26 colors.

All the pictures in the shawl section remind me of the artist Frida Kahlo. Don’t you agree?

The next section is “String Theory”. It features eight adorable tops. I think I love them all!

Photo by Rose Callahan
Short Row Colorblock by Wilma Peers

This Short Row Colorblock top by Wilma Peers is so cool! I love the zigzag design. It also has a neat asymmetrical hemline. The description in the magazine says:

The triangular stripe sequence slims the figure, while a hemmed fold-over collar draws the eye upward.

Doesn’t that sound fabulous?

This top is knit using the wonderful Silk Garden Lite yarn, a 45% Silk, 45% Mohair, 10% Lambswool blend, which is available in 24 colors.

Did you know that Silk Garden Lite was discontinued a few years ago but was brought back due to popular demand? That is a well loved yarn!

Photo by Rose Callahan
Hourglass Top by Theresa Schabes

This Hourglass Top by Theresa Schabes is very interesting. The design is a result of the front being narrower than the back. You’ll have to be careful with your seaming since it’s a design element!

This top is knit using the popular Silk Garden Sock, a 40% Wool, 25% Silk, 25% Nylon, 10% Mohair blend yarn. There are six new colors this season for a total of 14.

Photo by Rose Callahan
Multidirectional Cap Sleeve Top by Irina Poludnenko

I love the thin stripes on the front of Irina Poludnenko’s Multidirectional Cap Sleep Top. The sides are knit out from the center panel and the sleeves are created through short row shaping.

This top will be a lot of fun to knit!

It is knit using Noro Koromo. This new, worsted weight yarn is a 39% Cotton, 35% Wool, 26% Silk blend with 137 yards per ball and is available in six colorways.

And there are plenty of other cute tops in this section!

In the “Coral” section, this Trellis Lace Duster by Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby is a stand out.

Photo by Rose Callahan
Trellis Lace Duster by Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby

The duster is knit in one piece to the bust using Noro Ayatori yarn in a textured stitch. The bodice is knit in plain stockinette stitch using Debbie Bliss Bella yarn.

Bella is a yummy, 85% Cotton, 10% Silk, 5% Cashmere blend with 105 yards per ball. It is available in 25 colors, so if coral isn’t your thing it should be easy to select a different color to highlight in your Ayatori.

This sweater will make you look forward to walking the dogs on a chilly morning since it will be another chance to wear it.

The crochet section shows variations on themes. Take one pattern and change an element to get another pattern.

The blue capelet at the top of this post morphs into a sweater.

Photo by Paul Amato
Round Yoke Pullover by Yoko Hatta

They are both worked in Silk Garden Lite.

I suppose, if you were feeling wild, you could crochet them both and wear the capelet as a cowl on the sweater.

The shell stitch used gives me the impression these pieces will work up quickly. But speed is one of the appeals of crochet anyway, isn’t it?

Photo by Jack Deutsch
Cardigan and hat by Christina Behnke. Sheep by Susan B Anderson

The baby garments are a pair of cardigans and hats for either a boy or a girl. The girl cardigan (above) is shown with a pair of cute sheep toys, while the boy’s cardigan is shown with a fat teddy bear that looks very huggable.

All the projects are knit using Noro Shiraito yarn.

Shiraito is a melt-in-your mouth blend of 45% Cashmere, 45% Angora, 10% Wool with 198 yards per hank. It is available in 17 colors ranging from vibrant to earthy.

The magazine says you can get two sheep out of one hank! It’s practically a flock. The teddy bear is also a one hank project.

You can start knitting now for fall babies send them home wrapped in love.

Preview the rest of the issue on the Noro Magazine website. Which pattern is your favorite?

Photo by WEBS
Don’t you want to touch it?

Huasco from Araucania is a 100% Extra Fine Merino wool yarn.

This fingering weight yarn (7.5 sts/inch) has 450 yards per 100 gram hank. That’s a lot of yarn to play with!

I am a “tight twist” person, and this yarn has a nice firm twist that shows stitch definition beautifully.–A Ravelry user

There are eight new colors of this hand dyed yarn this season, for a total of 16. You can see them all here.

But what to make with this pretty, pretty yarn?

Well, there are 260 projects on Ravelry to help inspire you. Also, when you’re on the yarn page on our website, you’ll see project ideas on the left hand side.

I’ve been seeing a lot of Huasco shawlettes on Facebook lately. It makes sense, spring usually still has a chill in the air that you might want a little extra warmth. Also, they can be small projects, which are good for warm weather since they don’t cover you up.

Just got a small shawl off the needles and really enjoyed working with this yarn…..nice twist, soft hand–it will feel nice against the skin.–A Ravelry User

Photo by Lighthouse Fibers
Dusk on the Bluff by Kendra Yerian

Lighthouse Fibers, a local yarn store in Michigan, sent us pictures of their “Dusk on the Bluff” shawl knit using Huasco. Love that dark purple color! It’s #14 – Fuschia, Violet.

Two stores are working on the popular Hitchhiker pattern using Huasco.

Photo by Elly’s Sheared Sheep Yarn & Fabric Shop
Hitchhiker by Martina Behm

Elly’s Sheared Sheep Yarn & Fabric Shop (Facebook page),  a local yarn store in Wisconsin, is using #11 – Fuschia, Orange, Grey.

Photo by Knitters Nook Columbus
Hitchhiker by Martina Behm

Knitters Nook Columbus, a local yarn store in Indiana, is using #15 – Lime, Green.

Don’t they both look great?

Free Patterns

Free pattern on our website

Speaking of shawls, we have a free pattern for a wrap and wrist warmer set using Huasco on our website. Download the pattern. Add this pattern to your Ravelry queue.

The wrap takes three balls and the wrist warmers take one ball. The wrist warmers would be a great way to test out this new yarn before you knit a larger project. Or make several pairs and throw them in your gift giving box!

Free pattern on our website

This cute cropped cardigan is another free Huasco pattern on our website. Download the pattern. Add it to your Ravelry queue.

It uses from two to five balls, depending on the size you make. The pattern has six sizes from 28″ to 50″ bust and is meant to be worn with 2″ of positive ease. Raglan sleeves and an eyelet rib will make this an interesting knit.

Have you met Huasco in person? What have you knit with this pretty yarn? Share a picture with us on Facebook. We love seeing what people make with our yarn!

After all, who could resist a yarn that is a 40% Wool, 40% Alpaca, 20% Silk blend with approximately 197 yards per 100g? Not me, that’s for sure!

Doesn’t it look glossy and mysterious?

It’s available in 16 colors and has a suggested gauge of 4.5-5 sts per inch on a US 7 needle. Tempted yet?

Ravelry users gave in to the temptation and landed Moonshine in the #1 spot on the Popluar New Yarns list for a good part of the month of April.

Moonshine was #1 on Ravelry’s Popular New Yarn list!

It has been used in 58 projects, with hats and shawls leading the pack.

Amalthea Cowl

The Moonshine book features 14 projects that are a mix of sweaters and accessories.

With a trip coming up, I wanted something portable and relatively simple to work on.

Photo by Susan Gibbs
Amalthea Cowl

The Amalthea cowl fit the bill. It’s knit in the round with a repeating pattern that doesn’t require charts and tons of concentration. The book includes a one skein and a two skein version, making this a great option for your gift box.

Doesn’t it look yummy?

It took me about a week to knit the one skein version. You can add this project to your Ravelry queue here.

The cowl is soft and squishy!

Although I knit it in April, I actually got to wear it a few times before the weather really warmed up. I think I’ll get a lot of use out of it next winter!

Just one skein makes it a great gift option.

XS to 3X

An exciting thing about the sweater patterns in the book (aside from how beautiful they are) is that they all range from XS (about a 30″ bust) to 3X (about a 54″ bust)!

In addition to the wide range of sizes, a variety of styles is includes to cover a wide range of tastes.

Photo by Susan Gibbs.
Calista Top

One of the eye catching ones, and a great option for the warm weather, is the Calista Top. Add it to your Ravelry queue.

Worked in the round from the bottom up, this pretty tank top will be a quick knit. Without seams to sew you’ll be able to weave in the ends and wear it right away.

For something with a little more coverage (hehe), consider the Dione Top.

Photo by Susan Gibbs
Dione Top

Add Dione to your Ravelry queue. I like the textured yoke and clean lines of this raglan sweater.

It is worked top-down in the round and includes some waist shaping for a flattering fit. Once again, minimum finishing means a short amount time between it coming off your needles and going onto your body!

The last sweater I’m going to highlight (and I could keep going!) is the Carme Sweater. Add Carme to your Ravelry queue.

Photo by Susan Gibbs
Carme Sweater

It’s easy to understand why this pretty sweater has 103 favorites on Ravelry. In addition to be attractive, Carme would be a fun knit.

The upper body is knit sideways and then the lower body is picked up and knit down in the round. Once again, no seams to sew!

Now the three sweaters I’ve highlighted are knit in the round, but don’t be shocked when you get the book and some of the sweaters are worked flat and seamed.

In any case, Moonshine is so soft and lovely to work with that you won’t mind spending the extra time with it that seaming will require.

You can read more about Moonshine and the book designer on the Juniper Moon Farm blog. You can preview the other patterns in the book here.

You can locate local and online stores that carry the Moonshine yarn and book (and other Juniper Moon Farm yarns!) by using the “find a store” feature on our main website. Search by zip code and filter by brand to narrow down the results.

Which pattern from the book is your favorite?

This 45%Wool, 35%Silk, 20%Nylon blend has a suggested gauge of 5.5 sts per inch, so you can finish projects in a timely manner, but not be weighed down by a bulky yarn.

The fiber blend and relatively light weight make it a good yarn for wearing in most of the seasons.

It doesn’t hurt that it’s available in a wide range of colors, too.

A great option if you don’t want to fuss with a big scarf.

The Asta Neckwarmer is from The Small Things Matter Collection.

In the book it is a set along with wrist warmers, a cell phone pouch, and an eyeglass case. I made only the neck warmer, but might double back to the wrist warmers later on.

I like the little sawtooth edging.

You can make the entire set with one skein of Silky Wool! Or you can make multiples of one of the items and get a jump on your gift knitting.

The neckwarmer is considered an intermediate project because of the shaping involved. Oh, sure it looks like mild manner cowl in my pictures, but it actually hugs the top of your shoulders.

The shaping helps give it a nice fit.

Isn’t that clever?

As you can see, it’s mostly garter stitch, which made this a good travel project. I just had to stay alert for the saw tooth edging and by the time I had to work the button holes I was done.

It doesn’t look like much when it’s first finished.

In fact, because of the small size, this was a pretty quick project to knit. However it took me forever to sew on the buttons. When I finally did settle down to do the buttons it only took me half an hour. I can’t decide whether or not that was a long time. Either way I realized I shouldn’t have dragged my feet so long.

Asparagus Shawl

Having finished the Asta Neckwarmer I jumped right in to knitting the Asparagus Shawl from The Garden Delight Collection.

Asparagus shawl from The Garden Delight Collection.

There is a three skein version and a five skein version. I’m working on the smaller one.

Asparagus is a triangular shawl that has some shaping around the neck and shoulders. I’m looking forward to seeing the pattern develop.

Local Yarn Store Projects

I’m not the only one who loves Silky Wool. I’ve recently seen many pretty projects float by on Facebook.

Here’s a little round up for you to enjoy and be inspired by!

A great poncho at Port Hadlock Yarns, a local yarn store in Washington state.

A customer at Port Hadlock Yarns made this great “Easy Folded Poncho”. Contact the store for more details. Find the pattern on Ravelry.

A poncho at Apple Yarns, a local yarn store in Washington state.

Apple Yarns did a wonderful striped version of the same poncho. Contact the store for more details about the colors. Stripes are a great option if you can select just one color to use!

Autumn Walking Scarf at The Colonial Yarn Shop, a local yarn store in Pennsylvania.

Speaking of a great use of color, this Autumn Walking Scarf by a Colonial Yarn Shop customer is just stunning! Contact the store for more details. Find the pattern on Ravelry.

They’ve been doing a class for this pattern so there are many pretty version on their Facebook page.

Zuzu’s Petals at The Ball & Skein, a local yarn store in Pennsylvania.

Zuzu’s Petals has been in my Ravelry favorites for a while. This lovely version from The Ball & Skein just makes me like it more. From what I understand, this is actually a cowl with a pointed edge. It looks like you’re wearing an artfully wrapped shawl, but you don’t have to fuss with it!

A great beaded cardigan at Needlework Unlimited, a local yarn store in Minnesota.

If neckwear isn’t your style, check out this great beaded cardigan from Needlework Unlimited. The beads are a nice way to highlight the simple lace pattern. Contact the store for more details.

What have you made with this beautiful yarn?

They see it as a waste of time and yarn. Swatching delays their ability to get to the good part of actually starting a project.

There is often little the pro-swatching crowd can say to change their minds, but it doesn’t stop us from trying!

Swatching is usually done to ensure you’re knitting at the recommended pattern gauge. If your gauge is correct your finished project will be the correct size.

However, swatching can have other uses, such as testing out an unfamiliar technique or learning a new stitch pattern.

In this example, I used swatting to test out the colors I’m using for a striped top.

Meet Billy

Photo by Stephen Jessup.
Louisa Harding book #127, Mila

Billy is one of the patterns in Louisa Harding’s new Mila book. (Add Billy to your Ravelry queue.)

Mila is a new cotton blend yarn (91% Cotton, 9% Polyester Metallic). It comes in 109 yard (50 g) balls and has a recommended gauge of 4.5 sts on a US8 needle. You can see all 12 colors here. You can preview the rest of the book here.

When it was time to select my spring projects I knew I wanted to make something with Mila since cotton has a reputation of being hard to work with. Many people find it fatigues their hands.

I have not found that to be the case with Mila. The yarn’s chainette construction gives it spring and allows for smooth stitching.

When I was selecting my colors I’d only glanced through the book, but hadn’t settled on a project. I remembered many of the projects had striped versions and that seemed fun for the summer.

Louisa Harding Mila #9 – Venice

I started with blue, because it is one of my favorite colors. (You can really see the shiny bits in the blue ball.)

Louisa Harding Mila #1 – White

Then I selected white, because it goes with everything.

Louisa Harding Mila #6 – Tomato

Then I took orange, because I was feeling frisky that day and orange and blue are paired on the color wheel.

As you can see, Louisa shows Billy in two colorways.

Photo by Stephen Jessup.
Louisa Harding book #127, Mila

The red version has long sleeves, while the green and yellow version has short sleeves. (I’m making the short sleeved version.)

I would say the options shown in the book are gradient.

My three colors are far from gradient!

If I’d been buying the yarn at my local yarn store with the book in hand I probably would have followed the example in the book and made a gradient version. Probably in blue. As it was I had to get creative.

But getting creative is one of the best parts of knitting and crocheting! We can make our projects in the colors we want!

Balancing Stripes

Go team!

I remembered that dark colors are suppose to minimize the area they cover so blue would go at the bottom around my hips. White in the middle with orange at the top seemed logical, but I wasn’t sure.

I fished out my trusty copy of Maggie Rhigettie’s “Sweater Design in Plain English” and reread the section about colors influencing how we view a garment.

She says dark colors minimize and light colors draw the eye. Suddenly I wasn’t sure about having white around my waist!

The only way to be sure (and avoid knitting a sweater with which I wouldn’t be happy) was to swatch. I knit abbreviated versions of the stripe sequence to get an idea of how the colors would look together.

I started with orange in the middle, since it was the option I was most unsure about.

I don’t like it. Some people might prefer it (and that’s OK! ), but to me it a little too “sports team.”

Just right.

Happily, the white in the middle was in line with my vision of the sweater.

It was safe for me to proceed.

The other thing all the swatching confirmed was that my gauge was correct. I was very surprised when my first swatch with the suggested needle size was spot on. Usually I have to go down a needle size!

Side by side.

Have you worked a swatch for a reason other than to check your gauge?

Taunting Spring by continuing to knit winter projects finally worked!

Why yes, that is a Color Affection I’m wearing.

The Monika hat is from the Elsebeth Lavold book “The Small Things Matter Collection“.

In the book the hat is knit using shades of blue and purple, but I decided it mix it up and use autumnal colors.

Monika set from Elsebeth Lavold The Small Things Matter Collection

The pattern calls for original Silky Wool yarn held doubled, but I was able to get gauge with Silky Wool XL.

I used colors #17 – Dark Chocolate, #18 – Sap Green, #20 – Toffee, #11 – Purple, and #16 – Tomato Red.

Short rows makes this side taller.

This was a fun and relatively quick knit. When I started it I was rotating it with other projects (as you do) but then I reached a point where I focused on it and it just flew along.

I posted a picture of it on Facebook and people were saying they’d made similar striped hats, but they couldn’t see the interesting shaping involved.

This hat is worked flat. Most knitters cringe at the thought of hats worked flat. It’s much easier to work it in the round and be done when you’re done rather than needing to seam it at the end.

As I was facing the prospect of seaming the hat I was considering how to convert it to knitting in the round. However, I realized the seam is a design element that shouldn’t be skipped.

On the side away from the seam (photo above) there are short rows to give that side of the hat height.

When you sew the seam you pull it tight to gather that side and make it shorter.

The seam gathers this side to make it shorter.

My short side can be shorter. When I was seaming the hat I thought I would be clever and use the tails from the colors changes to sew it shut, but that meant I couldn’t gather it as tightly as I probably should have.

I’m vaguely considering undoing it and sewing a new seam with a single strand of yarn so I can pull it snug.

The hat should probably also be blocked to smooth it out.

This is a good example of why you should read a pattern through completely before you start making changes. If I had converted it to working in the round then read the finishing directions I would have been pretty annoyed to realize what I’d done!

There might be a second, modified Monika hat in my future.

After I had seamed it, but before I attached the side band, my husband found it on the dining room table and started wearing it around the house. It fit him nicely and looked pretty good.

But it’s safely on my side of the coat rack now. We both agreed the side band makes it too feminine for him to borrow it!

In case you’re wondering…that is my Color Affection scarf I’m wearing. I used Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn. You can read more about it in this blog post.

“Save our sweaters!”

The purpose of the Lilly Brush is to remove pills and fuzz from fabrics made of natural fibers, such as wool, cotton, cashmere, and alpaca.

Do those fibers sound familiar? Of course they do, they are used in some of your favorite yarns.

Now, as knitters and crocheters we’ve all realized the despair of having a garment we made develop those annoying little balls of fuzz that make a perfectly good item look ratty.

According to “The Knitter’s Book of Yarn” by Clara Parkes:

Pills are caused by the tiny ends of fiber that don’t get completely tucked in during the spinning. With normal friction, these tiny ends begin to work their way loose from the fabric.

The more ends you have, the more likely you are to get pills.

Unfortunately, some of the softest, most delicious yarns to knit –merino, cashmere, and angora–have short fibers. In our quest to use soft yarns that feel so good to work with and wear, we’re stuck having to choose between knitting and crocheting with soft yarn and dealing with pills, or eschewing them in a vain attempt to be pill free.

Personally, I choose the soft yarns!

While picking pills off your sleeve is a great way to pass the time during a boring conference call, it’s not very effective. A more efficient method is needed for our busy lives.

When the opportunity for a new pill buster was presented I said, “Send one on over!”

I was told the Lilly Brush was compact enough to keep in my purse or knitting bag, which made me wonder whether it would be too small to use comfortably.

Watch out pills, I’m coming for you!

I’m happy to report it’s both a good size to hold and also carry in your project bag. It’s not very heavy, either.

Of course, it can be as cute as it wants, but that won’t matter if it doesn’t remove pills!

Take THAT pills!

At the risk of sounding disingenuous, I had a little trouble finding a pilly project to test it on. I guess I take good care of my knitwear!

Then I remembered the hot water bottle cover I knit using Debbie Bliss Andes yarn, a delicious alpaca & silk blend. (Because my toes deserve the very best!)

(By the way, Andes is being discontinued. If you like it you should snap it up if you see it at a local yarn store.)

Keeping feet warm is a rough job.

I knit the hot water bottle cover in 2011. Then promptly exiled it to the foot of our bed, where it was destined to be kicked around between sheets. Especially flannel sheets in the winter.

If that isn’t a recipe for pills I don’t know what is!

It’s beautiful!

A few quick passes with the Lilly Brush and the cover was as good as new.

I mean, I knew it was looking beat up, but I didn’t realize how bad it had become until I cleaned it up.

Look at all that fluff!

Dog fur be gone!

After seeing how well it worked on the hot water bottle cover I started roaming around the house looking for other things to test it on.

The website says it’s good for removing pet hair as well, like a regular lint brush.

Well, I have two golden retrievers. They are 80 pound lap dogs. When I sit on the couch to knit, they sit on me.

That means my blankets take a bit of a hit.

Dogs and fleece are a bad mix.

Even after a trip through the washer and dryer this fleece blanket still tends to be furry. I should probably just give it up and sacrifice it to the dogs, but it’s one of my favorites.

It’s a dramatic improvement in person.

The Lilly Brush might be a solution! Perhaps the pictures don’t look like much, but trust me it was a pretty dramatic difference in person. I’m going to try washing it to remove the loose fur and then give it a whack with the brush to see what happens.

Giveaway!

You’re now thinking of the hand knit and crocheted sweaters you’ve sadly exiled to the bottom of the pile because of pills. You’re thinking you want to try out the Lilly Brush for yourself.

Lilly Brush has been making contacts will local yarns stores so you might see them there soon. Or you can buy one off the Lilly Brush website.

Or, if you have a Facebook account and you’re a US resident, you can try your hand at the instant win game that is running until May 15, 2013.

They’re giving away 100 brushes!

Click this link to access the contest. It will take you to Facebook. You’ll have to be logged in and you’ll have to “like” the Lilly Brush page. Then enter your email address and click the green “try to win” button.

Good luck!

Still, I know the weather will warm up eventually and I want to be prepared to greet it with a new top.

With that goal in mind I cast on the Jenna Top from Elsebeth Lavold’s “The Lazy Day Collection” book earlier in the month.

Jenna Top in the Lazy Days Collection book.

This top has enchanted me since the book first came out. I love how the pretty lace at the collar and sleeves contrast with the simple stockinette stitch body.

That combination means it will be good TV knitting, but still have interesting parts to challenge my knitter’s brain.

There are actually two versions in the book. The short sleeved Jenna version and a long sleeved Jemma version.

Jemma is the long sleeved version.

I like the Jemma version, too, but for the summer I want a faster knit.

Both version use ViSilk yarn, a 90% Viscose, 10% Silk blend available in 18 colors.

ViSilk #13 – Gray Cyan

While I like both colors shown in the book, I decided to go with this nice icy blue since that is more in keeping with my wardrobe.

This yarn is so lovely to knit with!

It is silky soft flowing through my fingers and the fabric has lovely shine and drape.

The texture of the yarn shines in stockinette stitch.

As you can see, the yarn has intentional slubby bit of raw silk throughout. This adds extra interest to the simple stockinette stitch body, but doesn’t interfere with the lace.

I started my top just before I went on vacation so I had lots of time to knit in the car and in the evenings. I’m making great progress and am already above the armhole shaping on the back. I was happy to discover the is some waist shaping, which always makes a sweater more flattering when it has a lot of drape.

There is lace at the collar and on the sleeves

I must confess, I started with the lace inset at the collar! Sometimes it’s fun to start with the interesting parts.

You can see my swatch on the right in this picture. I missed with the US 6 needle recommended in the pattern, but I was spot on with a US 7 needle.

The loopy section in the middle of my swatch is a drop stitch row when I changed needle size. The slack from the elongated stitches helps keep the two sections from pulling on each other so you get a more accurate measurement. It’s easier than starting over with a new ball of yarn!

Even though there were snow flurries this morning the winter can’t last forever! This sweater isn’t going to knit itself so I’d better get back to stitching.

I hope you’re having a lovely (and maybe warm?) yarn-filled weekend.