Little Sprout Baby Blanket

While we usually save new Rosie Knits for the newsletter debut, we decided to sneak in an extra pattern anyways. We noticed that Rosie Knits didn't have a house baby blanket pattern and we designed a knit version and a crocheted version. The knit blanket was finished first, mainly due to needle size & gauge, and now we present to you the Little Sprout Baby Blanket!  

It's a (you guessed it!) baby blanket using 6 skeins of Classic Elite Sprout, shown in 4321 Limeade, and is available right now.

Sprout is a great yarn not just for blankets, but for other baby items as well as a light summer top for us not-so-baby folks, like Emmaline from Knitty.com. It's 100% organic cotton, knits up at 3.5 stitches per inch and it's washable. This means that not only will you be finished rather quickly, but, should you knit it for someone else, caring for it will be easy as well. Designed by a member of the Rosie's design team, it's knit from corner to corner and has cables all around the sides as accents to the reverse stockinette stitch background. It is classified as "easy" but if you run into any problems, we're here to help and are more than ready to do so. We have Sprout in the store if you're interested in stopping by to take a look at the color selection. If you don't live close by, we have made it available to purchase Sprout from the website here and you can click here to visit the pattern page to download the instructions.

Happy Knitting!

The Other April Project of the Month

Just on the off chance that yesterday's project doesn't cry your name in quite the way you'd like, here's a more demure (but equally lovely) pattern. The Articulation Scarf is a beginner-level lace project made from one skein of Louet Mooi, a luscious bison/bamboo/cashmere blend.

It features a simple two-row repeat, the double-ladder look being achieved by working yarnovers on both right & wrong sides.

Articulation is available for free download here on our Rosie Knits Pattern page. Happy April!

March Project of the Month

The March Project of the Month is Jacky's Hat:

This is Clyde.

Designed with earflaps, soft ties (to keep those adorable baby ears cozy, and -- maybe more importantly -- so the hat stays on!) and a cute little elf point, it is knit from the top down for a customizable fit and length.

It's a great use for a skein of Koigu Kersti (so soft, and such wonderful colors). Use Kersti for the optional contrast color as well, or double KPM (if you should happen, by some chance, to have any remnants or mill ends in your stash). Instructions for 0-9 months and 12-18 months.

Click the image below to be taken to the Free pattern page!

February Project of the Month: Pebble Lace Crocheted Tam

As we were planning ahead (and looking back at the past year) and thinking of design ideas for Rosie's Projects of The Month, it quickly became very clear that crochet has not received its fair share of face time!

So, this month, Jen designed a totally awesome beret for you to crochet. The project is designed in two sizes (less or more slouch depending on your tastes) and features a classic Rosie's favorite, Nashua Creative Focus Worsted (available in every color in the shop)!

For die-hard crocheters, there is a ribbed crochet brim, or for knitters looking for a crossover project -- or those adept at both needle and hook -- there is also a traditional K1 x P1 brim option (shown above in the Larger size).

Click the link above to be taken to the pattern page. Then, come into Rosie's, pick out your favorite color and whip up this super cute beret. If a project like this appeals to you and you have the basics down but you are a little daunted by the pattern, don't worry! We offer a crochet drop in on the 4th Monday of each month. If you can't wait until then, give us a call at 215.977.9276 and sign up for a private lesson with the designer herself!

My Hands are Cold!

Last night on Weather Underground they predicted something called "Ice Pellets" in our zip code. I don't know if that is something other than what is commonly referred to as sleet, but whatever it is, it sounds like today is a day for mittens. A few weeks ago we had a thrummed mitten class, which was a lot of fun and a big success. What is a thrummed mitten you ask? Basically, it is a simple mitten which has bits of roving fluff knit into some of the stitches, generally in a symmetrical pattern, with the fluff ends to the inside of the mitten to create a fuzzy warm interior. Here's some things that you can use:


From the top we have roving that has been prepared for spinning, then wool batt, pencil roving and a single ply yarn. The top two are what are traditionally used for thrumming, but you could use pencil roving or any bulky singles yarn as well, not traditional, no, but we're talking about getting your hands warm FAST!

Many people would say that unless you are using roving or fleece you are not actually making a thrummed mitten. While I tend to agree with the traditionalists on most things, necessity is the mother of invention (and loose interpretation) and if I have cold hands I am going to thrum mittens with whatever I have laying around the house--even cotton balls if I were desperate and hours away from being sent on an arctic voyage.

Also, I don't own a whole lot of roving as I am merely a tourist in the world of spinning and the bit of roving I do have I covet. It just seemed wrong to make thrummed mittens with my Socks that Rock Sheep 2 Shoe Kit.

Here is what a basic thrummed mitten, done properly with roving, looks like on the outside:


The above mitten was knit with Manos Clasica and some Black Bunny Fibers Wensleydale roving I had in my stash. It was the first roving I ever purchased and I learned to spin with it. I ended up (unintentionally) destroying it and create this mitten with the remnants. Curious to thrum more things, I swatched using Manos Clasica for thrums to see how it would look:


Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. I just cut 6" pieces of Manos and held two together to create each thrumm. Here is a photo from class of one of the students knitting her thrum into the mitten:

No matter what you use to make your thrums, the technique is essentially the same; you knit to a stitch you want to thrum, insert the tip of your right hand needle into the stitch, fold your thrum in half and wrap the center of your thrum material around the right hand needle with the material's ends facing the inside of your mitten, wrap the yarn around the needle as if to knit and pull both the thrum and the stitch through the stitch on the left hand needle and slide the new stitch off. Thrum complete! Now, on the next round you knit into the back of the thrummed stitch, twisting it, and this makes the thrum pop, or sit up straight on the ground of the fabric. Without knitting into the back of this stitch you won't get that nice "fair-isle" look to your mitten. Your thrummed "v" stitches will fall into the fabric and look messy and get lost.

To work with washed, unprepared fleece or from wool batt pull off a piece of fleece that is about 1-2 cm thick and about 4-6' long. Leave 'tails' of equal length to the inside of the mitten as you work the thrum.

Working with sliver, or fleece that has been commercially prepared for spinning, is perhaps the easiest. To work this method simply work as above for working with fleece, pulling off bits, or slices, of fleece from the sliver to create thrums.

Working with single ply wool yarn or pencil roving is worked basically the same way, just cut 4-6" lengths of pencil roving or yarn and hold 2-3 strands together for each thrum. Here's what the inside of a mitten done in this way would look like:

You can also work 2 strands of yarn together by pulling from the center and outside of a center pull ball. On first thrum, leave a 6" tail, insert tip of right hand needle into next stitch, wrap the double strand around the right hand needle counter clockwise or the "wrong way," wrap the yarn (the main working yarn) around the stitch clockwise or the "right way," and slip both off the left hand needle. Leave a loop about 4-6" in total length and work the next thrum the same way, without cutting the yarn.

So, get out your dpns and cast on! It's cold out there, what are you waiting for?

Thrummed Mittens
Materials:
One skein of Manos Clasica
2 oz of roving OR 150 yds of pencil roving OR a contrast color of Manos Clasica for the thrums.
#10 dpns or size to obtain gauge.
2 ring markers

Gauge: 4 sts per inch in stockinette stitch

Size: Adult Small (Medium, Large). You can increase or decrease the size by adding or subtracting a multiple of 4. Each multiple of 4 will add or subtract about one inch.
Cast on 32 (36, 40) sts. Divide onto 4 dpns.
Join and work in k2, p2 rib for 10 (10, 12) rounds.

Pattern:
1-3: Knit
4: *thrum 1, k3; rep from * to end of round.
On row after thrums are placed knit through the back of the stitch.
These 4 rows form your pattern.

Work 2 repeats of pattern.
Work row 1.
On next row 1 place thumb by knitting 6 (6, 8) sts and placing on holder.

Knit to end of round. On round 2 of pattern cast on 6 (6, 8) sts over 6 (6, 8) sts on holder.

Continue mitten in pattern until it measures 7, 8, 9" from beginning.
Shape top:
Keep thrum pattern as set.
1. *k6, k2tog; rep from * to end.
2. K
3. *k5, k2tog; rep from * to end.
4. K
5. *k4, k2tog; rep from * to end.
6. *k3, k2tog; rep from * to end.
7. *k2, k2tog; rep from * to end.
8. *k1, k2tog; rep from * to end.
Cut yarn, leaving a 10" tail. Thread end through live stitches and fasten off.

Thumb:
Place thumb sts from holder evenly onto 2 dpns. Pick up and knit 6 (6, 8) sts from cast on stitches onto 2 dpns. Knit around on these 12 (16, 20) sts as follows:
1-3: knit
4: thrum 1, k2 (3).
Work rows 1-4 3 (4) times and then work rows 1-2 once more.
Decrease by k2tog around all sts and fasten off as for top.
Cut yarn, leaving a 10" tail.
Thread through live stitches and pull closed.

Weave in ends.


Enjoy!

Dayquil = Inability to do basic arithmetic

So....I was overcome with a mini plague last week that rendered me non-functional unless heavily phisically and mentailly modified withthe help of Dayquil. Along with feeling better, when under the influence of the little orange-candy flavored muse, I lost all ability to do basic arithmetic. As a result -- and even though Jen handed me an error free pattern to format -- a few errors were made in Dahlia when I was typing it up. As of today, October 21st at 11 am, the corrected version is available here.

So sorry about this!!

Dahlia

A few weeks ago we got Ella Rae Lace Merino in at the shop in 4 saturated and varied colors. Jen immediately dove for "Primarys" -- a skein containing every rainbow color under the sun. Armed with her very bright skein, she set forth with the task of coming up with a pattern that highlighted the sproing, drape, twist and saturation of the yarn.

The end result is a beauty. The openwork pattern really shows off the colors without looking too "clowny". The entire scarf only requires one skein, making it a perfect present or affordable fall treat for yourself.

Variegated yarns can look beautiful in the skein, but lose something when knit up -- the colors don't play well, or pool in an undesirable way. Jen's pattern paired with the Ella Rae Lace Merino is an exception to this in every way and the end result really works!

If you would like to knit Dahlia, click to download the pattern below. As an extra incentive, Ella Rae Lace Merino is the featured Yarn of the Week and a steal at only $20/skein. If you purchase the yarn online, we will include the pattern for free, or stop in the shop and grab a skein in person!

October Project of the Month!

There are a few well known things about me. One, I really really love (read: am obsessed with) my dogs. Two, I am always cold. And three, I love to design vintage and classic inspired knits with a modern twist.

A few years ago, I was given a double knit navy and white (reversible) wall hanging with traditional Selbu motifs on it. It has floated around in our house, sometimes hanging, sometimes covering the back of a chair, but never really finding a place in our home. (What do you all do with your 3' x 4' double knit motif based wall hangings?) Randomly, one day, I looked at the wall hanging and was immediately inspired

And so I began to knit!

The end result is Selbu Modern, a traditionally inspired beret with a modern twist. And whats best, it is perfect for keeping my head warm while walking the dogs. A trifecta of happiness!

The beret is knit with 2 skeins of Koigu KPM, (one each of the MC and CC) and the end result is super soft and sproingy. Any solid fingering weight yarn will do, though! Download the free pattern below and come in and pick out your favorite modern color combination!

Ravel it!

Driven to Distraction

When you are overwhelmed with work, finding yourself taking one step forward to be kicked two steps back isn't it nice to feel like you've accomplished something? Like a scarf, a garter stitch scarf, on #13 needles? We just finished knitting a maddening number of sweaters on deadline only to be faced with doing it all over again, the Rowan order in all of it's 14 box glory arrived, the October Project of the Month is on the 3rd re-knit, the website is drowning me in code-of-doom, Clyde is cutting his first tooth AND he learned how to move his little body around the room (and occasionally into other rooms) by scootching. It's been quite a week.
On Wednesday last I worked at the store with Kate and a woman came in and described a scarf she had seen on a TV show. It had two leaves at the bottom, one end went into a slot on the other side. We noodled around for patterns, found a little choker type thing in Classic Elite's Make it Modern, and finally settled on Dorlynn's Koigu Neck Cozy, which is essentially what she wanted but it was in Koigu, not a quick knit and more of a...well, neck cozy than a scarf.
After work I found myself at Macy's, which is unusual for me but we had to get a watch resized. While wandering around listening to the closing notes of the Wanamaker Organ I saw the scarf! It had occured to me when the woman was in the store that this would be a pattern worth writing, and now it was kismet. When I got to work the next day I wound yarn and got out my notebook and cast on. Just a few days later I was weaving in the ends! Ah, the sweet smell of a finished project.
The pattern uses 2 skeins of Manos del Uruguay yarn held double in color #46 and a #13 needle for a gauge of about 2.5 sts per inch.
Cast on 2 sts.
k1, m1, k1
k--3 sts
k1, m1, k1, m1, k1
k--5 sts
k2, m1, k1, m1, k2
k--7 sts
k2, m1, k3, m1, k2
k--9 sts
Continue in pattern as set until:
k2, m1, k17, m1, k2
k23
Now work decreases back as follows:
k2, ssk, k15, k2tog, k2
k21
k2, ssk, k13, k2tog, k2
k19
Continue in pattern as set until:
k2, ssk, k1, k2tog, k2
k7
Work keyhole:
k2, sl1 to a holder, k1, sl1 to a holder, k2
Work in garter on the 5 sts remaining on your needle for 8 rows.
Break yarn and place sts on a second holder.
Rejoin yarn to the 2 sts on holder and inc 1 in each st--4 sts.
K 8 rows in garter on these 4 sts.
Rejoin sts from holder:
*K1 from holder, k1 from needle; rep 4 times ending with k1 from holder--9 sts.
k1, *m1, k1; rep from * to end--17 sts.
Work in garter on these 17 sts for 120 rows.
Work second leaf backwards as follows:
k1, (k2tog) 8 times--9 sts.
Work keyhole:
*k1, sl1 to a holder; 4 times ending k1.
K 8 rows in garter on these 5 sts, break yarn and place on holder.
Rejoin yarn to the 4 sts on holder and k 8 rows in garter.
K2 tog twice--2 sts.
Rejoin:
k2 from holder, k1 from needle, k1 from holder, k1 from needle, k2 from holder--7 sts.
k2, m1, k3, m1, k2
k9 sts
k2, m1, k5, m1, k2
k11
Continue in pattern as set until:
k2, m1, k17, m1, k2
k23.
Now work decreases:
k2, ssk, k15, k2tog, k2
k21
k2, ssk, k13, k2tog, k2
k19
Continue in pattern as set until you have:
k2, ssk, k1, k2tog, k2
k7
Now:
k1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1
k1, sl1, k2tog, psso, k1
k3
k2tog, k1
Bind off 2.
Weave in ends and block. To give it a little extra length I wet it and squeezed it out then hung it over the shower rail in my bathroom. When it was almost dry I smoothed the leaves out to shape on my bed and let them dry completely. I think this scarf would also be great in Misti Alpaca Chunky, held single. It's sooo soft. If you do it in this I would skip the hanging to dry part. Alpaca is pretty heavy and it might get too long.
I hope that the woman who was looking for this pattern reads the blog!
Ravel it!

On Yarn, Names and a Freebie.

In the past few months, the color striping geniuses at Noro have come up with 2 new yarns, Kureyon Sock and Silk Garden Sock.

Kureyon sock is a 70% wool and 30% nylon blend and Silk Garden Sock is a luxurious blend of 40% wool, 25% silk, 25% nylon & 10% mohair. Although of a slightly different fiber percentage and blend than the other yarns in the Silk Garden line, the hand and appearance are pretty much the same. Like the other Kureyon and Silk Garden yarns, both are singles -- there is 1 ply per strand. The colors for each yarn currently represent the best selling yarns from their respective lines.

So, lets talk about that name. Kureyon Sock was the first to hit the shelves in the spring and immediately got an undeserved bad rap due to its behavior when knit -- especially when in the hands of "tight" knitters. Silk Garden Sock is brand new this fall, and seems to be a bit stronger and more consistent in spin than the Kureyon Sock, which has an ever so slight variation in weight in the strand. The nylon in both yarns adds strength to the protein fibers and the properties of the singles and lighter weight makes the yarns wonderful for fine accessories, shawls and sweaters, but -- although we have seen many a beautiful finished pair on the internet -- not ideal for socks. (And in the case of the Silk Garden, not a "sock yarn". Period). Instead, lets forget the name "Sock" for a minute and focus on the actual yarn qualities.

Kureyon Sock comes in beautiful striping colors, exhibits wonderful drape when knit slightly looser than the recommended 30 sts/4" and is great for textured stitches. Due to its fiber content, it has a little more stretch and give. Silk Garden Sock is heavier than the Kureyon Sock -- after swatching a few different stitches on size 3s, 1s and 0s I believe it is ideal at 5.5-6.5 sts/inch -- has lots of texture in the singles due to fiber content and spin and is very soft. It also, again due to fiber content, has very little stretch but beautiful drape and hand.

When Kureyon arrived at the store, Jen immediately cast on for a pair of socks. (She knits socks. It is called Kureyon Sock. Perfect). This made sense but didn't quite work out. Instead, using some knitters intuition she let the yarn do what the yarn wanted to do. She paired a classic pattern with the modern yarn and produced a beautiful small version of the Landscape Shawl.

The shawl only took 1 ball of the Kureyon Sock and is an interesting play on the construction -- the horizontally knit diagonal eyelets and textured "V" segments are broken up by the color stripes in a really neat way.

I, too, was hit by Noro Fever when the Silk Garden Sock arrived a few weeks ago and immediately cast on for a Fair Isle beret. This also made sense. I knew the Silk Garden Sock wouldn't work for me as a pair of socks. I love berets. I love Fair Isle. My vision was a contemporary take on a classic design -- my favorite way to knit. Perfect. One very long week, a numb hand, and some beautiful yet way-too tight and completely non-functional corrugated rib on size 0s later, I changed gears and let the characteristics of the yarn speak for themselves. I went up a few needles sizes, turned to garter and let the yarn do what the yarn wanted to do: drape.

The end result is a simple, yet effective, triangular kerchief (not quite "shawl" sized) in alternating stripes of two highly contrasting colorways. The increases are placed in a way -- as opposed to Jen's Landscape Shawl -- that creates a diagonal stripe as you go. In sharp contrast to my rock-hard corrugated rib, when washed, the yarn bloomed and grew and has really beautiful drape. (I am still determined to Fair Isle the yarn -- I am not sure what it will be, maybe an epic sweater, a hat on the right needles, or mittens, but I am sure there will be no corrugated rib or a size 0 in sight).

At Rosie's we spend a lot of our time helping customers finding the right yarn for the project at hand. It is always exciting when the match between pattern, personal taste, desired characteristics and end product comes together with the perfect yarn. Many variables come into play and it is important not just to look at recommended gauge, or name, and really look at the yarn itself, its behavior when knit and the properties that make it stand out as the right match for your needs. Everyone is different; if knitting socks out of either of these two yarns worked for you, then you have found the right match. If not, don't immediately dismiss either of them as vehicles for potentially beautiful handknits.

If you would like to knit the Landscape Shawl, come into Rosie's and we'll set you up. It is a classic, fail-safe and wonderful shawl pattern that is highly customizable to your desired finished measurements and yarn gauge and suitable for both beginner and highly experienced knitters. If you would like to knit my Silk Kerchief, you may download the free pattern below:


Enjoy!

Kate's Edelweiss Mittens

Ever since traveling to Switzerland last spring, I have had a little obsession with all things Edelweiss. I was able to quench my thirst a bit last winter with a bright red jacket adorned with Edelweiss ribbon. Without the perfect pair of matching mittens, though, the outfit was woefully incomplete.

Enter a few skeins of O-Wool, some quality time with Excel, every Latvian, Estonian and Folk book we carry in the store (well, not every -- I couldn't carry over 25 books home on the train!) for inspiration and the end result are the Edelweiss Mittens. Knit with an extra long cuff, they are a perfect armwarmer and mitten combination. If a shorter mitt is what you're after, the length is easily customizable to your knitting preference.

The mittens employ 2 and 3 color Fair Isle techniques, knitting, purling, the ability to read charts, increasing and decreasing. The perfect summer project, they are portable, soft, small enough to fit into a beach bag or purse.

If you, too, would like some Edelweiss in your life, download the free pattern here:

The Edelweiss mitten pattern features O-Wool Classic 2-ply. It is a wonderful yarn that comes in an array of gorgeous "off" tones and is certifiably organically grown. The fingering weight feels slightly "in the grease", yet still incredibly soft to the touch in the skein and blooms and softens even more when washed. The tightly spun 2-ply construction gives it strength and stitch definition -- perfect for Fair Isle work -- and would also work well as heirloom baby gifts or other projects made to be worn next to the skin. It comes highly recommended by us at the shop, but is not the only yarn that would work for these mittens. We have at least 14 other yarns that you could use as a substitute. (14!)

If softness is what you want, why not try Pear Tree 4 ply Merino? Or, if you are looking for a more traditional yarn we have Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift or Rowan Scottish Tweed 4-Ply, both a little more rustic and tweedier with a slightly looser twist. If a classic yarn is what you're after but you want a solid color, Baby Ull would work like a charm. New to Rosies (and something we are super excited about!) is Rauma Wool - Gammelserie, Finnullgarn and Lammullgarn. (More on those asap!)

If you are looking for a more modern yarn, we carry Louet Gems, Rowan 4-ply soft, Rowan Cashsoft 4ply and Reynolds Soft Sea Wool. All four yarns come in a wide array of solid colors enabling you to create a bold or subtle combination, depending on your preference. Nature's Palette Fingering, Arucania Ranco and Koigu KPM are all great hand and kettle dyed yarns with subtle shading that would add an additional pop to your work.

Would you hold a hot beverage while wearing wool mittens in the summer?

Come on in, pick out your perfect color combination and knit away! Enjoy! - Kate