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photo by D White/@knotsowooly
Sweater Knitting: Vintersol KAL
Sweater knitting is a perfect way to take favorite knitting techniques and use them at a grand scale. If you love fair isle knitting like we do, you may wish to join our KAL in September as we knit Jennifer Steingass’ “Vintersol” sweater.
The Vintersol sweater is described this way by the designer: ‘This sweater is a top down hybrid. It starts with a provisional cast on with waste yarn using a simple long tail cast on. Several rounds are worked with the waste yarn and then the main color is joined. The stranded yoke is worked and the neckline is finished… then the body and sleeves are worked from the provisional cast on edge. You can try it on as you go: the yoke, body, and sleeve lengths are all adjustable, as well as the neckline circumference, if desired. This sweater is worked seamlessly and in the round.’
Check out the pattern and the 400+ projects posted HERE on Ravelry and get inspired! Maybe this will be the sweater you wear all winter!
photo D White/@knotsowooly
We’ll kick off our Knit Along with an evening Cast-On Party on September 4th. Meet the knitter who made the sample in the shop and workshop the pattern as we cast on and/or swatch for our sweaters! We will offer help determining what size sweater to make, help with gauge and needle choices, and swatching and color selection advice.
More information about the KAL here.
RSVP for the KAL Cast On Party (717) 768-8007
Join the Fun! BEEKEEPER Cardigan 4 Day KAL: July 2018
CAST ON PARTY!
MONDAY, JULY 2, 2018 6:00 -8:00 PM
Olive Knits (designer Marie Greene) has created a summer KAL featuring a 4 day sweater! She's also made it so that anyone can play along, and the rules are somewhat arbitrary, so you are encouraged to make it work for YOU!
Lancaster Yarn Shop has great ideas for yarn for this KAL! We’ve swatched with Simplicity DK from HIKOO yarns, Pima 100 from Berroco, and Prairie Spun DK from Brown Sheep Company. Stop in now to choose your colors and get your swatching under way!
The official KAL begins July 1st and runs through July 15th with a sliding timeline for different sizes (up to 8 days). Pick and choose your days (they don’t have to be consecutive). You can participate on your own time frame, with the LYS KAL group, or try the challenge on your own. If you love the friendship and energy of doing it with a group, you are invited to join us! There is also a cheerful, highly engaged FB group where the designer will offer fun, help and prizes along the way!
The Beekeeper Cardigan has simple, all-over texture. No lace, no cables. Top-down, seamless construction. 3/4 sleeves with an option for long sleeves. Suitable for advanced beginners and beyond, and if it's your first sweater, we'll share knitting tips to help you succeed!
You will need to know:
- How to read a pattern
- How to use stitch markers
- How to work M1R and M1L increases
- How to work a kfb increase
- How to knit/purl
- Basic top-down, seamless sweater construction
- How to cast on with basic methods
Sizes: 32” (34, 36, 38, 40, 44, 48, 52”) bust
Note: 2-3 inches positive ease included for a comfortable fit
Approximate Yardage: 1150 (1250, 1375, 1485, 1605, 1735, 1875, 1980) yards - yardage may be updated prior to pattern release. If in doubt, round up to be safe. And, for goodness sake: SWATCH!
Swatching is critical!
The best thing about the 4 Day Sweater is that it doesn’t LOOK like a sweater you could knit in 4 days.
Pattern is available for pre-order NOW. The pre-order will include:
- An overview of the KAL
- Timeline of events
- Links to all of last year’s helpful tips on prepping for a super-fast sweater KAL
- Gauge and swatching information, including the stitch pattern for the sweater that will allow you to measure gauge accurately.
If you are participating, please be sure to set up your Ravelry project page using the tags: #4daykal2018 and #oliveknits so we can find you, and if you share on social media, please use these hashtags as well. We’ve added a hashtag of our own, too! #beekeeperlys
Scilicet--Musings About A New Scarf Pattern
True Confession: I love to knit. I love complicated patterns, easy patterns, old patterns, and new patterns. I love to knit in the morning, midday, and evening. I often stay up later than I mean to--you know, just knitting 'one more row.'
I love designing as I knit, too. I published a pattern today inspired by a new color from our own Kettle Dyed Yarns and in anticipation of a road trip. Scilicet combines a shape that is easy to wear with a pattern that is fun and interesting to knit but not too difficult. Perfect car knitting. Or morning knitting. Or late-night knitting.
Scilicet is a funny word from the Latin meaning, "you may know, you may be sure, it is certain." A contraction of sciō (meaning know) and licet (meaning it is permitted) its literal meaning is “it is permitted to know.” It is an adverb, but the layered meanings appeal to me, as does the word itself. I like the way the word looks and sounds, and it refers neatly to the simplicity of the isosceles triangle and the easily memorized staggered eyelets in this appealing little scarf.
Scilicet is designed to use 100 grams of fingering weight yarn. It’s a good pattern for hand painted, variegated or self-striping yarns because the pattern is simple and won’t be diminished or obscured by color changes. The color I chose, ‘Porphyra,’ is a vibrant red-purple with tonal variations.
'Porphyra' from Kettle Dyed Sock
Pima 100 Cotton from Berocco
Pima 100 from Berocco is a worsted weight and machine washable cotton yarn. I'm imagining Pima 100 for baby clothes, warm-weather accessories (shawls!), three season sweaters, and blankets.
What makes Pima cotton special? Pima cotton is a type of extra-long staple cotton which means that the individual fibers are at least one and three-eighths inches in length. Longer cotton fibers result in a finished yarns and fabrics that are softer, stronger, and longer-lasting than those made with short staple cotton.
Pima cotton originated in Peru but earned its name from the Pima tribe of American Indians who cultivated this superior strain of cotton in the south-west United States. Today, Pima is grown in Peru, Australia, and the United States. Pima cotton is silky and smooth and resists pilling. Notably, garments made with Pima cotton hold their shape beautifully. Unmercerized Pima cotton is the strongest of all cottons and is especially absorbent.
Pima 100 will even make crocheted or knitted dishcloths that are durable and long-lasting.
Skein Information: 3.5 oz / 100 g & 219 yds / 200 m
Knitting Gauge: 7 (US) / 4.5 mm 5 sts = 1" & 20 sts x 28 rows = 4" (10cm)
Crochet Gauge: G (US) /4 mm 4.5 sc = 1" & 18 sc x 21 rows = 4" (10cm)
Yarn Wash Info: Machine Wash in cold water, delicate cycle. Lay flat to dry.
Plain Yarn -- exceptional wool for exceptional knitting and crochet
Three years ago, I knit a perfect shawl. I still love the pattern and the designer and the yarn. That's how I know it's perfect. We have the yarn back in the shop this week; you’ve probably heard us talk about Plain Yarn—it’s a shop favorite.
This morning, we took a ride through the rolling hills of the Welsh Mountains and across the valley to an Amish farm to pick up a box of yarn. The sheep were sheared in the spring, and we are always happy to have Plain Yarn in the shop.
Two skeins Plain Yarn: Romney Kerchief designed by Jared Flood
"The Boss" a Romney ram provides us with the grey wool for Plain Yarn
We have three colors in stock, all undyed naturals—white, grey and brown. The yarn is a two-ply, light worsted weight measuring about two hundred yards in one hundred grams. We recommend a gauge of about 5-6 stitches to an inch for garments, a slightly larger gauge of 4-5 stitches and inch for shawls—or as you please.
You can shop online for Plain Yarn, or stop in to see our samples and pet the yarn. Limited availability means when it’s gone, it’s gone!