More yarn

Briggs & Little Woolen Mills, Harvey NB

A visit to Briggs & Little in Harvey NB, Spinrite Outlet in Listowel ON, lots of swatching, another submission to Twist Collective ……  that’s been the last 2 months….. my stash has increased!

It’s been very hot and wool on the needles for a big project just didn’t seem like a good idea anyway. As a result I have tens of swatches, some washed, some waiting and a notebook bursting with ideas — pattern writing here we come!

Briggs & Little: a small but oh so well-stocked yarn room which also contains a bin of “seconds” – on my visit I managed to get some lovely Regal for $2 a skein. I have yet to rewind the skeins so I’m not sure yet what classifies them as seconds.

Excitement is building re: the pattern being published in the Fall 2010 issue of Twist Collective. I’ve just received my first Designer Revision copy to go over. They’ve done a super job of editing my at-times rambling wordiness into a concise pattern. Thanks!

On a ho-hum note, my submission for the Winter 2010 issue of TC was not accepted — did make the short list, so that made me feel good. However, receiving a rejection notice from the TC folks really doesn’t make you feel sad — they are sooooo nice.

Visit to Gaspereau Valley Fibres :)

May 2010 Yarn from Gaspereau Valley Fibres

It had been a while since we were up Wolfville way so I was very happy to be able to stop by Gaspereau Valley Fibres Farm Wool Shop again; so much fibre to pet and extremely friendly service — what’s not to love?

I had a list (I’m all about being prepared) – there were a number of yarns I wanted to sample for some projects that are in the planning stages.

So, after a happy half-hour of filling my list and another happy half-hour of browsing, these ended up in my shopping bag for the ride home (front from left to right):

1) Fleece Artist’s Nyoni (65% merino, 20% kid, 10% nylon, 5% silk)

2)Hemp for Knitting’s “Hempton” (AllHemp6) “Foggy 10″

3) O-Wool’s Balance (50% cert. organic cotton, 50% cert. organic merino)

4) Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca (50% alpaca, 50% wool) “black 6245″

5) Brown Sheep’s Cotton Fleece (80% cotton, 20% merino) “Putty”

and at the back (left to right)

6) Crystal Palace’s Mochi Plus (80% merino, 20% nylon) “colour 558″

7) Briggs & Little’s Regal (100% wool) “Blue BW”

Sigh — there were so many other nice yarns that just couldn’t come home with me. Good thing I had a list!

Hmmmm, I see a very blue / neutral theme – wonder how that happened?

Bayshore and Drumlin Scarves

2 for the price of one!

One very quick-knit and the other requires a little more concentration.

Lots more information on the South Mountain ~ Naturally patterns page.

This downloadable pattern pdf is available through Ravelry.com for $3.95USD

Briar Hill Cowl published

Briar Hill Cowl in Briggs & Little Heritage

The Briar Hill Cowl

Newest Hand-knitting pattern from South Mountain ~ Naturally

see South Mountain ~ NaturallyPatterns page for more info

Stitch patterns are both charted and written.

3 yarn/needle options included in the pattern to provide the 3 different sized cowls

Read here what Clara Parkes (Knitter’s Review) has to say about Patons Classic Wool.

Briar Hill cowl in Patons Classic Wool

Briar Hill Cowl in Mission Falls 136 Superwash Merino

Cowls blocking

Just to show you I have been busy

Here’s a picture of the newest South Mountain ~ Naturally design that’s “in the works”: a set of cowls — all the same pattern but using different yarns to create the various sizes.

They are happily blocking

Yarns:

Mission Falls 136 superwash wool (colour: 536 Aster)

Patons Classic Wool (colour: Grey Mix)

Briggs & Little Heritage (colour: Dark Green)

The pattern will hopefully be published with 2 weeks.

New PS pattern – Cridhe Irish Heartbeat Baby Blanket

Whether you’re looking for a cable baby blanket or a lap rug/lapghan to knit, check out this pattern on the PurpleSage Knitting Patterns page.

The border pattern is adapted from the Reversible Horizontal Rib pattern by Annie Maloney, Knitter’s Guide to Stitch Design (2006).