Knitting, Shawls, Summer, Scarves

New Pattern! The Western Foothills Wrap

Western Foothills Wrap

I’m so happy to share my latest pattern with you! The Western Foothills Wrap is a light and breezy accessory, perfect for wearing (or knitting) as the temperature rises. It uses one of my all-time favorite yarns from Manos del Uruguay called Fino, a lovely blend of merino wool and silk. I cannot praise this yarn enough! I love the way the yarn feels in my hand as I work and the finished fabric is just divine! If you haven’t worked with the yarn before, I highly recommend it.

If you’d like to make your own Western Foothills Wrap, I’ve put together some helpful hints below.

Kits for this project will be available soon!

Materials:

2 skeins Manos del Uruguay Fino (70% merino wool, 30% silk; 490 yards) in color Crystal Goblet. Or 980 yards of fingering weight yarn with lots of drape.

Gauge:

Working gauge: 23 stitches = 4” in stockinette stitch.

Blocked gauge: 17 stitches = 4” in stockinette stitch.

Needles:

US #4 (3.5mm) 40-48” circular needle or size needed to obtain gauge. I’m an incredibly loose knitter, so I would recommend most knitters try a gauge swatch using a US #5 or #6 first.

Other supplies: stitch markers, tapestry needle.

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Pattern Notes:

Gauge & Blocking

  • You may notice there are two gauges listed for this pattern. One is a working gauge and one is the gauge after blocking. It’s very important to block lace knitting, so you can see the pattern you worked so diligently to create. The yarn I used has quite a bit of silk in it, which tends to grow more than other fibers after blocking. You want to be prepared for any growth after blocking by making an accurate gauge swatch beforehand. Don’t worry if you can’t match my working gauge, but do try to match the blocked gauge! I would suggest that most knitters make a gauge swatch on a size US # 5 to start, block it, measure it and go from there. You might have to knit and block a few swatches to find the right needle, but it’s worth it!

Casting on

  • This pattern is knit lengthwise, which means you will be casting on a large number of stitches. I like to put a stitch marker every 20 stitches to make counting easier. If you are worried about running out of yarn for your cast on, try using a second ball of yarn for your long tail, so you wont run out. Once all your stitches have been cast on, simply cut away the extra ball of yarn, leaving a 4” strand to weave in later.

Lace Practice

  • I recommend giving this lace pattern a practice before committing to the full amount of stitches. Cast on 47 stitches and work rows 1-50 of the lace pattern in practice yarn. This way, you can sort out your yarn overs and k2togs without having to rip out super long rows or cast on multiple times. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Sizing & Adjustments

  • I’m a pretty tall person, so this length shall might not work for you. Add or subtract stitches from the original cast on number in multiples of 20 to adjust the length.

    • For a medium length shawl that is about 72” long, cast on 307 stitches (40 stitches less than the original pattern.)

    • For a short shawl that is about 62” long, cast on 267 stitches (80 stitches less than the original pattern.)

  • This pattern also looks great as a scarf using only one skein of yarn instead of two!

Summer, Tops

Cotton-Linen Top Ideas

With the weather warming up in Maine (sort of) my thoughts turn toward summer knitting. In my mind, there are two kinds of summer knitting: the kind you want to wear (or use) in the summer and the kind you want to actually work on in the summer. Lighter weight, small projects are great because they don’t hang in your lap too much and make you hot. Pick a cotton or linen yarn to use and you’ll stay even cooler!

I like the earthy look of Juniper Moon Farm’s Zooey, a soft cotton-linen blend that’s easy to care for.

Below I’ve gathered a handful of summer top patterns from Ravelry that would look great worked up using Zooey. They also happen to fit both styles of summer knitting… something you’d wear and also work on in the heat.

Summer Top Ideas

Click on the links below to find more information about each pattern or to purchase on Ravelry. These patterns all call for 3-5 skeins of Zooey. You usually can’t find exact yardage requirements until you buy the pattern, so if you’re confused about which size to make or how much yarn you need, just send a message to fiberandvine@gmail.com or call (207)-739-2664 and I can help.

Happy knitting!

Kim

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Rift

by Jacqueline Cieslak $8

3-4 skeins

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Aya Tank Top

by Gabrielle Vézina $ 5.99

3-5 skeins

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Forest Weave

by Yumiko Alexander $7

3-6 skeins

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Morning Mist

by Annie Rowden $8

3-5 Skeins

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Kaliko

by Tabetha Hedrick $6

2-5 skeins

It's Rosé Cocktail Time!

It’s May 3, in Maine, and we’ve had two days in a row above 60 degrees. This is cause for celebration, don’t you think?

I drink Rosé all year round, but I reserve the Rosé cocktail for warmer weather. It’s light, refreshing and oh so lovely! I can’t tell you how glad I am to have both warmer weather and a rosé cocktail right now! Did I mention it’s May 3???

You don’t have to be a fancy mixologist to get this right! You don’t even have to measure if you ask me, but I’ll share my proportions for you below. All you need is a bottle of rosé, elderflower syrup, lemon, mint and some seltzer.

I like to use a lighter colored, crisp rosé for this recipe, like Vino or Ana shown. The eldeflower syrup we carry from Austria is delicious, biodynamic and will last for many, many cocktails.

Rosé Cocktail

Muddle two lemon slices and a few small sprigs of mint in a glass.

Add ice, 2oz elderflower syrup, 5oz of your favorite rosé and stir.

Top with a splash of seltzer.

Enjoy!

If your rosé isn’t cold yet, pour a little in a mason jar and stick it in the freezer for a bit. If you’re lucky you’ll get some beautiful frosé ice crystals! Just don’t forget about it in the freezer!

If your rosé isn’t cold yet, pour a little in a mason jar and stick it in the freezer for a bit. If you’re lucky you’ll get some beautiful frosé ice crystals! Just don’t forget about it in the freezer!


Make It!


Carousel Sweater Kit!

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Knitting, Shawls

Breathe and Hope Shawl Pattern by Casapinka

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FREE pattern download when you buy two skeins of yarn!

Join us for a modified Local Yarn Shop Day this weekend with the help of Casapinka. Purchase one of our color kits below, and we’ll email you a coupon code so you can download the “Breathe and Hope” shawl pattern for FREE! Coupon code will work Friday, April 24 at 8am - Sunday, April 26 at midnight and you can only get one by purchasing yarn from a Local Yarn Shop.

View the Breathe and Hope Shawl pattern on Ravelry here.

Pattern requires two skeins of fingering weight yarn, one solid and one variegated. We’ve put together some springy color combinations for you to choose from.

Use the code LYS2020 at checkout for 10% off!


Knitting, NEW Yarn!, Scarves

Gossamer Mohair Scarf

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Gossamer Mohair Scarf
by Kathleen Hawthorne

Kathleen designed this scarf for us years ago with a mohair yarn that is now discontinued. Despite the discontinued yarn, this scarf has remained a popular shop sample, so we’re thankful to finally have some new mohair yarns to fill the void!

This is an easy project, just knitting with an occasional row of yarn overs, but the results are stunning! It’ll make a lovely, light and airy scarf to stave off that stubborn spring chill! Imagine it knit up in one of the muliti colored skeins below! If the fluff of mohair bothers you… try it in Fino or Alma instead!


 

Make it!

 

 
 

Knitting, Shawls, NEW Yarn!

Syringa Shawl

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Syringa Shawl
by Lisa R. Myers

We’ll admit, we haven’t knit this shawl yet, but it’s next in the cue for sure! The Syringa shawl pattern highlights a brand new yarn from Manos del Uruguay, called Alma. Alma is a fingering weight, single ply super wash wool, that comes in an assortment of solids/mulitcolors designed to pair nicely together. Alma is silky soft and airy to knit and you’ll love the yardage…546 yards per skein! Pick two colors and get started today!


 

Make it!

 

 
 

Knitting, Shawls

Drachenfels Shawl

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Drachenfels Shawl
by Melanie Berg

We love the shape and color-play of this shawl pattern, don’t you? If you haven’t knit a Drachenfels shawl yet, it might be time! Wear it over your shoulders, close with a shawl pin or even layer it around your neck like a scarf. When you use a drapey fiber like alpaca, you’ll get plenty of movement and drama in your piece.

This pattern calls for three colors of fingering weight yarn, around 330 yards each. For our shop sample, we used Herriot Fine by Juniper Moon Farm, a blend of baby alpaca and nylon. You’ll want to pick 3 colors that harmonize together, yet also contrast. Check out a few of our color ideas below, or peruse the Herriot Fine and pick your own combo! This pattern would also look amazingly fresh and fun in Fino by Manos del Uruguay!

Deep Plum • Haystack • Pampa Sunrise

Deep Plum • Haystack • Pampa Sunrise

Jadeite • Vila Blanca • Lakeville

Jadeite • Vila Blanca • Lakeville

Graphite • Vila Blanca • Haystack

Graphite • Vila Blanca • Haystack

Pampa Sunrise • Vila Blanca • Jadeite

Pampa Sunrise • Vila Blanca • Jadeite


 

Make it!

 

 
 

Knitting, Shawls

Onete Scarf

Onete Scarf
by Fairmount Fibers Design Team


With one skein of Fino and a set of size 8 needles, you can make this lovely, springy scarf! We've all got a lot on our minds right now, so this simple garter stitch pattern might be just the ticket for some relaxing knitting time. A printed pattern is FREE with yarn purchase!


 

Make it!

 

 
 

Online Knitting Group!

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Join us

Tuesdays 3-5pm

for a virtual knitting group!

Let’s knit together… at home!

Use the link below to register for the meeting. Come to as many meetings as you’s like and stay for as long as you want. Show off what you’re working on, ask questions, say hi, just listen… you know the drill!

We look forward to keeping in touch during this time of home seclusion!

Knitting, Cowls, Fino Mini Skein Sets

Fino Shadow Shawl

Make this colorful cowl with your choice of Fino mini skein set from Manos del Uruguay. The color shown here is Henrietta, but it would look just as lovely in another color combo, don’t you think? This would be a great project for a beginner, or for one of those Netflix and chill nights.

Pattern is free with yarn purchase.


 

Make it!

 

 
 

Knitting

making mistakes.

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What challenges you?

I’ve been a confident knitter for a long time, like over ten years long. I’m not afraid of challenges, in fact, I embrace them as a way to grow and learn. But here I am, working on a shawl with a simple 9 stitch lace pattern repeat and I just keep messing up. It’s not that I don’t know what I’m doing, it’s actually the opposite. I’m so used to just knitting along without thinking that my hands kind of take over. They’ve got a plan of their own, apparently... adding stitches and yarnovers where they aren’t supposed to be.

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After taking out the same row several times, I finally remembered I could use stitch markers to help me. Duh. It’ll be easier to spot a mistake between markers, rather than getting to the end of the round, realizing I’m four stitches short, and having to unknit an entire row, or worse, 5 rows like this morning.

Four hours of “fixing” and I’m finally moving forward again!

Pattern is a PI shawl called Leaves of Grass by Brooklyn Tweed (which I’ve wanted to knit since the day Fiber & Vine opened!)

Yarn is Herriot Fine by Juniper Moon Farm.