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Afterparty

I’m excited to share with you, at long last, my afterparty sweater!

I fell in love with it the moment I first saw the design and dreamt of making it ever since.

It feels so good to have it finished!

// Afterparty by Astrid Troland //

It was back in September 2018 when I picked up issue #6 of Laine Magazine from my local yarn store, The Knitting Loft. I’m pretty mindful of the books I bring home and as much as I would love to have their complete collection, #6 caught my eye with Afterparty.

Almost a year goes by before I cast it on but I always had it in the back of my mind. I remember feeling as if I had just won the lottery when I found out that my LYS, The Knitting Loft were carrying the yarn.

It was meant to be!

I used the exact colors used in the pattern: Biches et Buches – Le Cashmere & Lambswool in Dark Grey for the main color and Grey Brown for the contrast.

I’ve heard of some knitters starting with the sleeves first and I’ve always wanted to give it a try so I went for it. At the time, I was busy with show prep for Knit City Montreal, so I thought it was a great idea to knit something (almost) mindlessly other than a sock for a change.

Even though it’s also knit from the bottom up, I managed to avoid the same mistake I ran into with Citrine of knitting the sleeves too long because 1) it’s knit in the round so no two at a time action and 2) I could easily try it on.

I pretty much stopped as soon as I reached my armpits 🙂

As you can see, I skipped the colorwork on the bottom hem of the sleeves and body. I like how it looks on others, but I prefer a more minimal aesthetic so I opted out.

I highly recommend this pattern if you ever wanted to try colorwork. The chart is very simple to follow, and you only have to alternate between 2 colors!

There is a tiny bit of seaming to do at the end but trust me, it’s totally fine! The sleeves are attached to the body by grafting a small number of stitches. That’s it!

I always put on this video as a refresher whenever I have to do Kitchener stitch and as long as you can have a quiet room for a few minutes, you’ll have the sleeves attached to the body in no time.

It’s my first sweater made out of Cashmere and I’m so happy to have treated myself to it! It’s been an interesting, humbling past year to say the least and I’m so thankful to be a knitter more than ever nowadays.

I wanted this to be a timeless piece so I knit it fairly long to make sure it covers my bum properly so I can wear it with leggings.

What do you think of it paired with faux leather leggings?

I love it, but my son, Ry, who took these photos of me btw, wasn’t a fan. I like it and that’s all that matters anyway, right?

(Also in the photo: my Sweet Pie socks )

I’m over the moon with how it turned out!

Citrine

I might just be the biggest procrastinator when it comes to finishing a seamed knitted garment.

But you know what?

I’m ok with it!

Between all the housework that comes with being a full-time mom and running a small business, those precious moments I get to knit have been limited. I’m finding myself setting aside the project if it requires anything other than knitting. This includes blocking and weaving in ends, too!

You’d think this would stop me from picking patterns that require seaming, but it doesn’t. If I really like the design, I’ll still cast it on regardless of how it’s constructed. I’ve come to accept that it’ll just take me longer to have the finished object in my hands.

From the moment I first saw this sweater, I knew I had to have it.

Boxy? Check.

Geometric? Check.

Split hem too? Bonus!

(Wait, was that included or did I add that myself? I can’t remember! It’s been too long but either way… check, check, check!!!)

I love Emily Greene‘s aesthetic and Citrine was an absolute pleasure to knit.

My favorite part is the simple detail of the twisted rib carried up on both sides of the body. Combined with just a hint of lace at the top of the sleeves is genius!

Citrine was a simple, fun knit. The pattern is easy to follow and I finished knitting all 4 pieces in no time at all. It just took me a year to put it all together! Full disclosure, I did make an error that contributed in the amount of time this languished…

I thought I was being smart by knitting the sleeves two at a time, but I ended up miscalculating the length all because I was too lazy to separate and measure.

I have to be in the right frame of mind to seam and it was only during the pinning part that I discovered I had knit the sleeves too long. Of course, by this time, I forgot that the sweater was knit from the bottom up, and when I realized this was the case, I set it aside again because what I thought would be a quick fix of re-knitting the ribbing was actually incorrect.

Another month goes by before I pick it up again. It was around February, when Knit City Montreal was just around the corner, and I really wanted to wear this by then.

I remember laughing at myself after it clicked that what I had to do was a lot simpler than I thought! I shortened the sleeves by ripping back from the bind off edge about an inch, and binding off. I didn’t even have to knit! I seamed the sweater that same afternoon.

Of course, I didn’t block it for another couple of weeks but the important thing was I finished it!

And I love it so much!

// Pattern: Citrine Pullover//

// Designer: Emily Greene//

// Yarn: De Rerum Natura – Gilliatt – in Fauve //

Pearadise Island x Les Garcons

Pearadise Island x Les garcons

I’m excited to share with you today this special collaboration with Maxim Cyr of Les garcons! Max is an artist extraordinaire – a knitwear designer, author, and illustrator and I’m honored for the opportunity to create a special project bag with his art!

You may recognize the bear is wearing Vincent’s The Montrealer and the fox wearing Max’s For Fox Sake sweater. Isn’t it adorable?

Pearadise Island x Les garcons

The bag is made of organic cotton canvas in Olive and I screen printed the design using Permaset Aqua‘s white ink.

This bag is customized with the Les garcons logo screen printed on the back.

The pocket, lining, and top casing are also made with organic cotton canvas in black. The zipper and drawstring cords are in white to match the ink.

These bags will be available, exclusively at https://boutiquelesgarcons.com tomorrow, March 28, 2020, at 10 am EST.

Photo by Maxim Cyr

Check it out!

Max and Vincent of Les garcons are fellow Canadians from Montreal, Quebec. I’ve been admiring their work in knitwear design and beautiful hand-dyed yarn from afar and I’m so grateful to have worked with such inspiring artists. Thank you!

J’adore mon tricot / La vie en tricot

// J’adore mon tricot / La vie en tricot //

I’m a little behind in updating the blog so if you’re a newsletter subscriber or follow me on Instagram, you would have already seen these.

As you know, I was supposed to vend at the inaugural Knit City Montreal at the end of this week but the show is postponed until July due to Covid-19 and sadly, I’m not able to attend on the new dates. Aside from the new “Make” and Olive bags, these were supposed to debut at the show. I thought it would be fun to make some limited edition French bags for my neighbors in Quebec. Oui?

I chose to keep these simple so I can offer it at a different price point. There are no pockets for either style and the tote is left open on top. I did put a longer handle so it can be worn over the shoulder if preferred.

Pictured here beside the regular tote bag for scale.

15 Knitted Ornament Patterns

15 Knitted Ornament Patterns

I had so much fun knitting these tiny sweaters and hats to decorate the kids’ mini tree! I plan to make a bunch more throughout the year so we can fill it up by next Christmas and have put together a list of 15 ornaments I’d like to make. All photos below are either mine or used with permission.

The patterns for the sweater and hat above are:

  1. Tiny Sweaters by Miriam Felton
  2. Stocking Cap Ornament by Carolyn Kinghorn.

Both are free patterns and calls for Fingering weight yarn. For reference, the sweater is about 5g and each hat was about 3g including the pom pom.

Here are some more knitted ornament patterns that I’d love to make throughout 2020:

// TINY HATS //

IMAGE VIA THE PETITE KNITTER

3. Petite Hats by The Petite Knitter – (DK)

IMAGE VIA JODI BROWN

4. Hat Vent 2019 by Jodi Brown – (Fingering)

IMAGE VIA SAY LITTLE HEN

5. Mini Elf Hat Ornament by Say Little Hen – (Fingering)

6. Elf or Nisse by Anna Hjorth Nielsen – (Bulky)

// TINY SWEATERS //

7. Little Long Johns by Susan B. Anderson – (Fingering)

8. Mini Sweater Ornament with Cables By Emily5446 – Free pattern – (Fingering)

// OTHER MISC TINY ORNAMENTS //

IMAGE VIA AMALIA SAMIOS

9. Christmas Lights by Amalia Samios – (DK)

10. Tiny Trees by Lily/Sugar ‘n cream – Free pattern – (Worsted)

11. Mitten Ornaments by Red Heart Design – Free pattern – (Aran)

12. Stocking Ornament by Created by Carlin – Free pattern – (Fingering) weight

13. Holiday Charm Set by Susan B. Anderson – (Fingering)

IMAGE VIA ELIZABETH RAVENWOOD

14. Crystal Nebula Snowflake by Elizabeth Ravenwood – (Any gauge)

15. Scintillation by Hunter Hammersen – (Any gauge)

// ACCESSORIES //

The Tiny Sweater pattern by Miriam Felton comes with instructions to make your own tiny hanger but I chose to hang mine using twine. I did find these shops that carry pre-made tiny hangers:

A needle runs through it on Etsy

Barrett Wool Co.

Our mini tree – 2019. Can’t wait to fill it up for next year!

Let’s get plaid!

Pearadise Island - Plaid Tote Bags - Limited Edition

// Holiday 19 – Limited Edition //

It’s been a while since I did a limited edition! If you’re new here and didn’t know, every so often I like to switch things up and make something completely different for the shop. Think of it as a palette cleanser!

I’ve had this fabric for over a year now – but never got around to cutting and sewing until now! The good thing is, plaid is a timeless pattern that will never go out of style.

I will have a small amount of these plaid tote bags in the shop tomorrow and newsletter subscribers are always first in line to my limited edition updates. It’s a small way to show my appreciation! They’ve already been notified what time these will go live but it isn’t too late if you wanted to join us! Click here to sign up and you’ll get a notification when they go live.

I couldn’t decide between the dark/light leather zipper pull to use because I love both! Which one do you prefer? I think it’ll be fun to have an option to pick, don’t you?

These tote bags can fit 3-4 skeins with a WIP comfortably! I absolutely love them and have already kept one for myself :)))

I hope you like them and you’ll stop by the shop tomorrow!

Ardenwald

I was getting ready for another road trip back to Toronto when I received an invitation from Brooklyn Tweed to preview knit once again. This time, for their Holiday’19 collection.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I needed a project to keep me company for the 5+ hours of travel. I got to choose from 4 different accessories and surprise, surprise, I ended up picking the one described as “cabled beenie” 🙂

To me, cables in hats are so satisfying. It’s just enough to keep me engaged without dragging on forever. I really enjoy knitting it!

Ardenwald is nothing like I’ve knit or seen before in a cabled hat.  I got a modern Celtic vibe to the design and together with the name, made me think of Arwen from LOTR…

(Google Arwen, or her chambers in Rivendell and you’ll see what I mean!)

The pattern came with instructions for both DK and Worsted weight yarn which I appreciated. I like having options! I’m the kind of girl who will buy the same shirt in 3 colors if I really liked it. I’ve made the Blueberry Waffle Socks at least 3 times now because it’s easy to memorize and fits well. I definitely see myself making more Ardendwald hats in the future.

I had some leftover Brooklyn Tweed Arbor yarn in my stash in the colorway Sashiko which is what I hoped to use for my hat. Since the pattern calls for 2 skeins, I knew I was taking a risk in purchasing just one. I didn’t know if the dye lots were a thing to think about with BT so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I checked my LYS, Wabi-Sabi but they didn’t have the color in stock so I checked Rosehaven Yarn Shop in Picton, ON.

Turns out they had it so I just went for it! I pre-paid for the yarn over the phone and asked them to cake it up so it’s ready to knit. I was leaving for Toronto the following day and Picton was on the way!

My plan was to cast on and knit the ribbing as soon as we hit the road and hope that I had enough yarn to last me the time to travel from Ottawa to Picton which was about 2 hours. If the dye lots weren’t an issue, I would have the ribbing done at least and my next ball was ready to go. If there was a variance in the color, I decided I’ll just pick up 2 skeins of another color.  I didn’t mind having Sashiko back in my stash since it’s one of my favorites!

This was the best photo I could take on the road. As you can see, it’s a perfect match! The smaller cake to the left was purchased 2 years ago from The Knit Cafe and the one to the right was the new one.

While we were in Toronto, I stopped by my old LYS, The Knitting Loft to pick up a Lovafur Pom Pom. I didn’t see any on their website but I knew they carried this brand so I called to see if they still had some. Turns out they just received a new shipment in! It was my lucky day 🙂

I had navy in mind but I fell in love with this dark bluish grey!

No mods except for going up a needle size. I’ve noticed making this adjustment to most patterns lately so I went ahead and cast on with a size larger than what was called for on the pattern for DK. I finished the hat in 3 days and I am so happy with how it turned out!  I didn’t bother with alternating skeins and I also skipped the soak bath. I just sprayed it with a few bursts of steam to smooth it out.

// Pattern: Ardenwald Hat by Jared Flood //

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// Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Arbor in Sashiko //

Love it!!!

Thanks so much, Brooklyn Tweed for having me! xo

Diaphanous

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I’ve been waiting for a special occasion to wear my new sweater – the Diaphanous Raglan designed by Jessie Mae Martinson and this past weekend, I was finally able to!

We spent a couple of days in Toronto to celebrate my son’s 20th birthday. First, some one-on-one time with me and Radley in downtown Toronto. We met him at the Cineplex VIP to watch Parasite then we met up with the rest of the family for dinner at Scaddabush.

IMG_7131Ever since I saw this design, I knew I had to make it. I was intrigued by the fact that I only needed 1 skein of fingering weight yarn to knit this sweater. I’ve collected so many single skeins over the years without a project in mind for them and I was excited to finally be able to use one up.

ACS_0805I knew I wanted the sleeves to be navy which was my jumping-off point. I picked up 2 skeins of Isager Silk Mohair (color 100) from my LYS, The Knitting Loft then narrowed it down to 2 skeins from my stash that best matched the mohair. If you’re following me on Instagram and participated in the poll I did, thank you for your input!

IMG_5857I chose Undercover Otter Singularity in the color Akkaris which I purchased from Stephen and Penelope during my visit to Amsterdam last year. ACS_0796

DI-APH-A-NOUS
adjective
(especially of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent.

6925D059-9AB6-421A-907F-B2F710399A5D

It’s my first time knitting with mohair and I enjoyed it so much! I also really liked that this pattern came with a few different options for sleeves that you can choose from. I knit the Bishop sleeve for mine. I used the main needle size for a slimmer version and omitted the underarm increases – which were all noted in the pattern.

I did end up getting a third ball of mohair as I only had 1 gram left after knitting the first sleeve. (The pattern does call for at least 550 yards but I wanted to wait to get the third ball in case I changed my mind on the sleeve).

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Also, if you are super petite like me (4’9″) and wanted to know, I had about 26 grams of fingering weight left at this point as well.

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I love the feminine shaping of the v-neckline for both the front and back of the sweater.

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// Pattern: Diaphanous Raglan by Jessie Mae Martinson //

Diaphanous-3

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