Let's Get Going!
Consider this a Public Service Announcement from My Sister Knits! The holidays are upon us and it’s time to start the gift projects you’ve been considering. Let’s make some decisions and get our needles out!
If you’re like a few of us in the shop, you haven’t quite realized that we have only several weeks left to finish those gifts! With the weather as nice and warm as it has been, it isn’t easy to get into the mindset of gift knitting. It is now time to face reality and My Sister Knits is here to help!
What weight of yarn will fit your time constraints?
Look at your schedule and see how much time you can carve out to knit for your loved ones. Do you have time to make a fingering weight project or would it be better if you created an aran or bulky weight project? Do you mind giving someone a project that needs some finishing? This is meant to be fun so let’s keep it easy on ourselves!
Toward that end, making hats, cowls, and fingerless mitts or mittens are some of the small projects that will do nicely. We have an abundance of these on display to start your creative juices flowing!
Upper left is the Val cowl, designed by Antonia Shankland. Crunching Leaves Cowl, designed by Casapinka is on the right. The bottom one is Torrey, designed by Tayler Harris.
First up, cowls. Have any of you noticed that non-knitters don’t know what you’re talking about when you mention a cowl? It always surprises me. Cowls are lovely in that 99% of the time there is no sizing. You just cast on, get into the rhythm of the pattern, and almost go on autopilot. Two bulky yarns that will make luxuriously soft and yummy cowls (or hats) are Blue Sky Fibers Techno and Shibui Murmur.
The top ones are the Eryn Lasgalen Glovelettes designed by Maria Hytti. The next ones down are the Beaded Loop Fringe mittens, designed by Fort Collins’ Cecelia Gubbins. The red ones are Fingerless Gloves “Leaves”, designed by Valentina Fezova-Georgieva. The bottom ones are Windbound Mitts from the Salt and Timber book by Lindsey Fowler.
Next, we have fingerless mitts and mittens. These are a bit more fiddly because of the thumbs and the small diameter but they’re also quick, quicker than a shawl! If you’re looking for an exquisite gift, consider the Eryn Lasgalen Glovelettes. Ours are knit with Shibui Billow and are much longer than the ones in the pattern. Try ours on and don’t be put off by the seemingly small size. They open up when they’re on and they will be treasured by the recipient! We have a good variety of mitts for you to choose from and there are more on Ravelry! You’ll be sure to find what you want!
From left to right: the Artin Hat designed by our own Alexandra Epstein, Trail Point designed by Ruth Boelkins, and the Elliot 2x2 Rib Beanie designed by Rastus Hsu.
Last, we have hats. Everyone can use a new hat and they’re so satisfying to make! Our collection is extensive and varied. Short on time? We have bulky hats! Want to try something new? We have colorwork and cabled hats! Have a few odd scraps that you’d like to use? Why not combine them with some new yarn and make a striped hat? Or you could choose a soothing stockinette or ribbed hat to calm your holiday-frazzled mind!
If you’d like to join our Christmas Stocking KAL, there’s still time!
Be sure to join us on Friday, November 18th from 10 - 4 for our monthly Knitting Day. This month our theme is Make a Gift! It will be a nice chance to get some uninterrupted knitting/crocheting time!
© Patty Lyons
As you are swatching for your upcoming projects, I’d like to bring your attention to Patty Lyons’ way of casting on and binding off for a gauge swatch. I just made one and forgot about using her cast on but I did use her bind off. It was a great chance to see how each affected the fabric and I could definitely tell a difference. It makes swatching easier with more accurate results. Give it a try!
We’d like to give you an update on our Socktober sock drive. Our aim was to collect more than the 300 pairs of socks from last year. Thanks to your generosity we collected just over 500 pairs of socks! Thank you!
Happy knitting,
