let's party

July 27, 2015, 12:29 pm

It's nice when you plan a party, do all that work, and next day you consider it a success. Both my husband and I love to throw (and attend!) parties and I feel that over the years we've developed a very casual, easy-does-it style. My decorations are always simple and my food is always easy and, for the most part, do ahead. Just this weekend we had a dinner for 14, including some of the women from my knitting group and their spouses.

When planning a party, big or small, I like a theme to get me started on my decor and menu. This could be a color, or a country's traditional cuisine, something growing in my garden, or even a disaster! Once I was planning a party that happened to fall on the same night as the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. I recreated as best I could the last meal served in first class the night before the disaster. We must take our inspirations where they come!

On the Thursday before the Saturday night party I sat outside with a stack of cookbooks hoping for inspiration. One of the first cookbooks I thumbed through was Ojai's Table, my current favorite. I found this quote below the recipe for an olive oil cake I'd been wanting to make: "Sun, stone, drought, silence and solitude: these are the five ingredients that according to Italian folk traditions, create the ideal habitat for the olive tree." I looked upat one of our own olive treesand I had to agree--she was looking magnificent even with our year's long drought. She's thriving; no, she's flourishing.

The olive tree quote got me to thinking; I would celebrate the olive: olive branches to decorate the house and olives in as many menu items as possible. And add to that: corn, summer squash, tomatoes, oranges, lemons; all things fresh and local from my own backyard.

Frittata Bites

Rumaki

Honey Marinated Pork with Orange Gremolata from Ojai's Table

Ina's Vegetable Tian

Ina's Corn Salad
Sliced Tomatoes

Wedge Salad

Pecan Orange Olive Oil Cake from Ojai's Table
with Lemon Curd

Can you guess what flower this is? Nope, not Queen Anne's Lace. It's carrot! I let a small patch of carrots go to seed, and was rewarded with these beautiful flowers that smell like CARROT!

We've enjoyed our homemade pear vodka and eau de vie de poire all summer. We have a few more pears growing in bottles again this year.

eau de vie de poire

My husband and his buddies like simgle malts so we always set out a few. However, it turned out that martinis were really popular at this gathering. One of our friends mixed a batch of them, and they were so popular, he had to mix a few more batches!

I received this from my mother for my birthday. The Napa wine country is Giants country!

My blue and white platters are enormous and work so well for a buffet. With all these platters and the food that goes on them, you can imagine it's quite a lot of work. I do all the set-up and cooking on my own, but when it comes to the serving and clean-up, I surrender! I have a rule: more than 10 guests and I hire help. I have a young woman who lives a few blocks away who will come over for the evening and help. I've developed a relationship with her over the years, she knows my style and knows her way around my kitchen. That extra expense is worth it--I get to spend time with my guests and enjoy the party, and don't have to face a mess before bed! That is the one gift I give myself as a hostess, and my husband appreciates it too.

I picked little sprigs of herbs to place around the house. Very fragrant.

We serve the food buffet style and everyone will come to the table with their plate and wine glass. We put salt and pepper on the tables, a few bottles of wine and a jug of water, then it's serve-yourself style.

The harvest on party day.

Ina's corn salad was a bit hit! This is going into my party recipe rotation!

The pork loins were marinated in orange juice and honey and served with gremolata, also a huge hit. The gremolata was made with Italian parsley, mint, garlic, olive oil, plus the zests of a few lemons and oranges. I felt it was a bit too strong so I added some Parmesan cheese to mellow it out. It was a winner that is going into the party recipe rotation too. In fact, all these recipes are. This recipe, the corn salad and the dessert were all new to me. It may sound risky to do that, but I've had pretty good success. More often, like this dinner, I'll find recipes I'll want to make again and again. I really do recommend Ojai's Table.

Wedge salads are back! They look beautiful on the buffet table and everyone loves them.

A selection of hand knitted shawls to pass out when the sun goes down and the weather gets cool.

"Sun, stone, drought, silence and solitude: these are the five ingredients that create the ideal habitat for the olive tree."

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Rowan Loves Again

July 30, 2015, 4:21 pm

≫ Next: Wee Gingersnap in a new size

≪ Previous: let's party

Volume 3 of Rowan Loves is almost out, this time with designs from Martin Storey. All the designs can be knit with either Pure Wool Worsted or Creative Focus Worsted and most designs can be knit as either a cardigan or a pullover. The new Rowan Loves series has stolen my heart. I've been knitting a few garments from each one, and will again with this book. First up for me will be the striped Bellerose and then must make the scarf and hat. Gorge. My lys is having a 20% off sale this Friday and Saturday. Good timing! Rowan Loves has not hit the shops yet, but expect to see it in the next few weeks. Ravelry has the complete yarn requirements if you'd like to get a headstart and order the yarn before hand.

Yikes, over the moon in love with stripes, and love gray and white together with bright pops of color. Bellerose above can be made in cardigan or pullover. Oh dear, which one to make first?

Skyland below uses only 3 skeins of either PWW or Creative Focus. Love the pompoms and always love the look of garter stitch.

The Union Slouch takes only one skein. Best hat.

Bergen Raglan above and Rockette below, for stylish weekend wear.

Astoria above and Driscoll below can be knit long or cropped.

Who loves grandpa cardigans? Me! Corona can be knit as a cardi above, or pullover, below.

I think I saved the best for last! Boxy Haven can be either a pullover above or a cardigan below, but what it really wants to be is a poncho! I especially love the flared back on the cardigan.

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Wee Gingersnap in a new size

August 4, 2015, 11:48 pm

≫ Next: Kim and Kristen

≪ Previous: Rowan Loves Again

Thank you for your kind comments on my baby cardi pattern, Gingersnap. Knitters have asked for different sizes, and yes, I'll be getting around to it--soonish--I know babies of all sizes get chilly, not just one year olds! In the meantime, I did a little experiment and knit the sweater pattern exactly as written, but in DK weight yarn instead of worsted weight yarn. Just by changing the gauge I was able to size down the sweater to fit a 6 month old.

The original Gingersnap is knit in worsted weight yarn with a gauge of 19 sts. by 28 rows per 4 inches which made a sweater that was chest 23" and length 12", the average one year size. The sweater above was knit in DK weight yarn with a gauge of 21 sts. by 30 rows per 4 inches and made a sweater that was chest 21" and length 10.5" which is an average 6 mos. size.

Here's what I did: I followed the pattern exactly except substituted DK weight yarn. I used one skein each of Rowan Pure Wool DK in colors Anthracite, Cypress, and Snow. Since I used every bit of the teal with only a few yards to spare, I made the collar in the Anthracite.

Rowan Pure Wool DK is discontinued and has been replaced with Pure Wool Superwash DK. It is similar in almost every way and is an easy sub. You can compare the two yarns here: Pure Wool DK and Pure Wool Superwash DK. Both are soft and machine washable and perfect for family knitting.

I do think I'll put baby knits aside for the moment as I've got some other projects I'd like to get to. Just for fun I have an American Girl doll version of Gingersnap in the works. Stayed tuned for that pattern. I've started Reed for my 14 year old granddaughter who is entering high school this year. It's a very fast and easy knit, and the Cotton Lustre is wonderful to work with. I have a few of Martin Storey's patterns from Easy DK Knits that I've also begun; Greenwich, Soho, and Holborn. I'm loving his new Rowan Loves (out very soon) and imagine I'll be starting Bellerose and Skyland. For these I'll be using some new Fall/Winter yarns and some stash yarns. I just bought some Imperial Yarn for Two Harbors for my daughter for Christmas. I've recently finished Langsett by Sarah Hatton and just need pics. It's fantastic.

Phew! If you think my project choices look too ambitious, it's not really, this kind of knitting frenzy is pretty normal for me. I plan my projects in advance and always have at least a half dozen of them going on at once, all in different stages of completion, and they do get finished eventually. I'm fickle when it comes to knitting!

If you don't have the original Gingersnap pattern, it's free, and you can download it here.

This project's Rav page.

Do you like to needlepoint? I have an Elizabeth Bradley giveaway coming up next week!

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Kim and Kristen

August 7, 2015, 9:52 am

≫ Next: Opa!

≪ Previous: Wee Gingersnap in a new size

Happy day for knitters!

Kim Hargreaves new book is out.

My love affair with Kim's designs go way back. When I first discovered her she was a house designer for Rowan. After years with Rowan, and after becoming their head designer, she became an independent. As much as I like Kim's simple and elegant designs, I am just as interested in the yarns she's chosen. Then and now she exclusively uses Rowan yarns, which is my favorite yarn too, and she loves what I love: Kidsilk Haze, All-Seasons Cotton, and Kid Classic. Last winter she designed a coat using Rowan Brushed Fleece; I made it quickly, wore it constantly, loved it immensely--then promptly went out and bought another bag of the stuff, this time in red. I held on to it for a year, because I thought, I'll bet Kim has fallen for Brushed Fleece too and will come out with another coat--I'll just hold tight. My wait was rewarded yesterday, because I was right, she apparently does love Brushed Fleece because she designed two coats this season with it. Gina and Cedar below use the fairisle technique using Cedar and Peat. Both have crochet trim. Both are stunning.

Below is Kristen. Yep, my namesake. Look at that simple shape. Sigh. And it's knit using Kidsilk Haze. Perfect. And see the pretty boat neck? This is kismet. ALL are elements I love, so I am declaring that Kim named this in my honor. I've always wanted a rose, or a tomato, or a sweater named after me! Wish granted! :) And when the book arrives, I'm dropping everything, I mean everything, and knitting this.

Below are some of my favorites. As for the yarn she's chosen, besides using Brushed Fleece and Kidsilk Haze, you'll find other favorites too: Kid Classic, Lima, Cotton Lustre and Mohair Haze. Kim also used the new Big Wool Silk, Alpaca Merino DK and the Super Fine Merino. The book will be out in the shops soon, but you can order directly from Kim's website where you'll see all the designs. Swoon.

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Opa!

August 9, 2015, 6:56 pm

≫ Next: Elizabeth Bradley giveaway

≪ Previous: Kim and Kristen

Our summer gourmet group party had a Greek theme: OPA! Our hosts, Carole and Bill, borrowed the colors of the Greek flag to decorate the tables and bar which blended beautifully with their backdrop of white roses. There were 12 of us, and two tables of six were set up in the garden. We can rely that our California weather will be outdoor-perfect all summer long, and last night didn't disappoint; we barely needed a shawl at the end of the evening. I have to add, that while we expect perfect weather, we are very, very appreciative and grateful. California, you know I love you, but bring on the rain this winter! Please.

I'm confident that if you wanted to recreate this dinner party dish by dish, you'll have very happy guests! The soup was light and lemony, the moussaka was the best I've tasted, and the baklava (my contribution) was hands down the best baklava any of us had ever had. I'm glad I was able to make the baklava as I have friends who keep bees and give me honey whenever I ask!

We run our gourmet group (going on 30 plus years) this way: There are six couples and we take turns hosting. We try to meet 4 times a year, which is usually one dinner a season. The host couple chooses the theme and menu, selecting the recipes and keeping the main course for themselves. The recipes for the appetizers, first course, sides and dessert are given to the rest of us. We do most of the prep at home. Each couple brings a bottle of wine to compliment their recipe. Some hosts hire help to serve and clean, some don't.

If you've ever thought of getting a group together, you should. We have a lot of fun, eat really well, try new foods and cooking techniques, and over the years have never repeated a recipe. All 12 of us agree that this dinner party is always a highlight and NO ONE ever, ever misses it!

Menu

Dried Fig Souvlaki

Goat Cheese with Olives, Lemon and Thyme

with Crisp Rosemary Flatbread

Avgolemono Soup

Moussaka

Romaine Hearts with Lemon Vanaigrette & Shaved Parmesan

Spiced Fresh Orange and Honey Sorbet

Baklava

I love party favors! We were asked to take home the herb centerpieces and as many backyard lemons that we thought we could use. Nice!

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Elizabeth Bradley giveaway

August 14, 2015, 1:57 pm

≫ Next: Lydia's Champagne Tea

≪ Previous: Opa!

Needlepoint is an art form, hobby, profession, and industry to millions of people world-wide. While it's difficult to know exactly when needlepoint began, we do know that during the Victorian era, Berlin work, a type of needlepoint, came into popularity. Berlin work is often characterized by brilliant colors and combinations of geometric and floral designs. Needlepoint became popular again in the late twenties, and continues to increase in popularity with a renewed interest in handicrafts. Elizabeth Bradley has reproduced many designs from this era. Founded in 1986, Elizabeth Bradley has been designing and manufacturing quality tapestry kits and continues to add new designs each year. With a desire to provide needle workers with quality heirloom designs combined with an inspiration of historical needlework, the kits are crafted to provide hours of stitching enjoyment and delight in your finished work. With tapestry work, you are making history by continuing a beautiful tradition.

I've loved Elizabeth Bradley's designs since I discovered her in the 80s. The kits themselves are works of art, and include a printed canvas, 100% wool spun and dyed in the UK, comprehensive instructions, and needles. If you are new to needlepoint, I have to warn you: needlepoint can turn into an obsession; a lovely, relaxing, productive obsession. Needlepoint projects are most often small enough to tuck into a purse for a quick on-the-go or travel project. For the last 40 years, I've almost never had a time when I wasn't working on some sort of needlepoint.

I'd like to thank Elizabeth Bradley for offering a giveaway to my readers. The cute mini-pansy kit shown below, valued at $84, is complete with detailed instructions, printed canvas, fine British wool, and a needle and will be given to one of my readers. Don't worry if you are new to needlepoint, this is a perfect project for all skill levels. To enter, go to Elizabeth Bradley's website, and after you browse around a bit, sign up for her newsletter here, then come back here and comment below. If you are new to commenting on blogs, go to the end of this post. You will comment at the end of the comments section. Make your comment, then at the dropdown menu that says "comment as...", select your profile. If you do not have a profile, just select "anonymous". It's very easy, but if you have a problem, you can always email me using the sidebar "contact" button, which is a little envelope button. Make sure that your comment contains your contact info, very important! Elizabeth Bradley sends out a few emails a month and will not share email addresses with a third party. This giveaway is open all, including my international readers. The winner will be selected on Friday, August 21. Good luck!

While you're poking around the site promise me you'll check out my favorites: the adorable Alphabet Rug, the gorgeous collection of Victorian Animals, the floral Botanical Garden Collection, and the Christmas kit collection. xo Kristen

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Lydia's Champagne Tea

August 18, 2015, 12:01 pm

≫ Next: Wee Gingersnap

≪ Previous: Elizabeth Bradley giveaway

While cleaning out my photo files I found some nice photos of several parties that never became actual blog posts. I think for this party I might have been thinking I'll add some recipes and then forgot and never got around to it. So no recipes today, but I'll tell you how my friends and I throw showers. We've got it down to a science. For the most part, when hosting a shower, we like to have several hostesses go in together to share ideas, resources, the work, and share the expenses. Four of us gave this wedding shower for a young woman who attends our church and whom we have known since she was a little girl. She is marrying a young man whom all four of us have also known since he was a little boy. All four parents are good friends to the four of us. It was only natural that we would throw a shower. If you are new to shower giving, I'm not, and below is my fool-proof advice on how to throw a great shower:

After choosing the the date and location, and since it would be at my house, I asked the bride to send me a list of her guests, plus their email addresses as we had decided to send e-vites. I asked her where she was registered, and while it seems OK to put registry info on the actual invitation these days, I'm just old-fashioned enough to hesitate. On the e-vite, there was a place where guests can click to get "more information", and that's where I added the registry info. I felt that was a nice compromise. As for registries, I am a firm believer in them and rarely, perhaps never, shop off-registry. I think it's an American thing. I also asked the bride her wedding colors so I could incorporate them into my decorations. As for decorations, I prefer to keep everything simple. I make sure my house is spotless and then I'll add fresh flowers and call it decorated. Lydia's colors were bright sherbets: pinks, oranges and corals, perfect for my home. While you're talking to the bride, don't forget to ask if she has any food allergies!

The size of the guest list will determine what type of shower I'll give. I'll tell the bride how many I can handle in my home; that's important for her to know. If it's a small group it can be a sit-down lunch or an afternoon tea, but if it's a larger group, it has to be a tea--I just don't have enough tables and chairs for a sit-down lunch for a large group without renting, and that's often not an option. You have to know the space in your home and how it works. Most showers tend to be larger and a tea is more practical for me. It's a girl thing I know, but I have never met a female who doesn't love to circle around a pretty tea table with a little plate in her hand, taking a bit of this and a bit of that. I do not make hot tea, it's too much work, and instead serve champagne, and plenty of it, and iced tea. I like teas to begin at 2, and usually everyone is gone by 5ish. Beforehand I ask the bride to invite her young man to stop by at the end to say hi to everyone. Sometimes he'll bring his best man or father. The young men are a little baffled by the whole shower thing, but it's very charming and the women love it.

The four hostesses got together for coffee the week before to choose the menu items. We decided to each make two savories and one sweet. That would be eight savory items and four sweet items which seemed like a perfect tea offering for a group of 20. Important: all the food is prepared ahead of time--at home! Since the helping hostesses will bring their prepared food to my house ready-to-serve, they only have to arrive 15 minutes early. I like to use my own trays and platters for continuity on the table and it takes just minutes to transfer the tidbits and put them on the table. We limited savories that had to go into the oven to two. With four hostesses, there is always someone to welcome guests and take the coats, pour champagne, keep the food flowing and tidy up here and there. We like to hire a helper, but my regular helper was out of town so we opted to go it alone and it was fine. I don't like to use paper anything! I prefer silver, glass and linen; I've been married a long time and have a lot of things. I do use paper cocktail napkins.

We had a short half-hour cocktail time, no one wants to drink too much in the day. We then invited the guest of honor to the tea table first, and everyone followed. In advance I show the bride where she will sit, and invite the mothers and grandmothers to sit next to her. I had extra chairs set around, and people perched where they could and the younger women don't mind sitting on the floor if they have to, thank goodness. After we eat, we passed a few trays for seconds, poured more champagne, started to clear plates, and asked the bride to open her presents. Her bridal attendants help out by handing her the gifts, writing down what she received from whom, secreting the trash away, and crafting the ribbons into a paper plate bouquet for her rehearsal. I rarely bother with shower games, but during the cocktail hour, I asked 3 young women if they would eat first and then help me out with a project. While everyone was eating, I put each woman in a back bedroom with a roll of toilet paper, a roll of scotch tape, and a handful of safety pins. They each had one helper and ten minutes to fashion a bridal gown of TP for a fashion show, and each team had their own room for creativity's sake. It was hilarious to see what they came up with and was a highlight of the shower. And now I know why I was waiting to post this--pictures of the TP gowns! Oh well, you'll have to trust me, it was funny.

For party favors we gave out giant home-made hand-sized cookies. The cookie cutter has an imprint of a heart and I use royal icing to affix a giant rock candy diamond on the ring fingers. The tip of each finger gets a pretty pink nail made of royal icing. The cookies are a tradition around here and just wouldn't be a wedding shower without them! Here's the recipe, I've made them for years and it's the best.

After everyone said goodbye, it took no time for four women to clean up. I was going out of town the next day, so all the leftover food and flowers were given to guests and hosts who could use them. One friend was having out-of-town guests arrive that evening so we loaded her up! We then divided the cost of the champagne, flowers, iced tea, paper goods, (and a helper if any), four ways. I think the grand total came out to $40 per hostess; very inexpensive for such a nice afternoon. I hope you won't shy away from hosting a shower if the occasion comes up. They are so fun, and if you have helping hostesses like my friends and I like to do, it will be a lot more fun and a lot easier too! Remember my motto: Keep It Simple!

Have you entered my Elizabeth Bradley giveaway? You should! One of my readers will receive the cute mini pansy kit shown below, valued at $84, complete with printed canvas, detailed instructions, fine British wool, and a needle. Go to this post to enter. Good luck!

shown below, valued at $84, is complete with detailed instructions, printed canvas, fine British wool, and a needle and will be given to one of my readers. Don't worry if you are new to needlepoint, this is a perfect project for all skill levels. - See more at: http://knitionary.blogspot.ca/#sthash.YFr04Dqy.dpuf

The cute mini-pansy kit shown below, valued at $84, is complete with detailed instructions, printed canvas, fine British wool, and a needle and will be given to one of my readers. Don't worry if you are new to needlepoint, this is a perfect project for all skill levels. - See more at: http://knitionary.blogspot.ca/#sthash.YFr04Dqy.dpuf

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Wee Gingersnap

August 21, 2015, 11:05 am

≫ Next: there's a winner!

≪ Previous: Lydia's Champagne Tea

Wee Gingersnap is a teensy, dolly-sized replica of my color-block baby cardigan pattern, Gingersnap. Get your doll back-to-school ready with these easy-to-knit pieces. The entire doll ensemble, including sweater, hat and skirt can be made with one skein of Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted for the main color and scraps for the contrasting stripes.

The Links

Download Wee Gingersnap, it's free!

Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted

Gingersnap pattern for baby, it's free too.

Get the free skirt and hat pattern here.

Bye for now! Stay warm!

You have one last day to enter the Elizabeth Bradley giveaway!

I'll be selecting the winner tonight and post it tomorrow.

Go here to enter!

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there's a winner!

August 23, 2015, 9:45 pm

≫ Next: Langestt dress

≪ Previous: Wee Gingersnap

Thank you all for entering my Elizabeth Bradley giveaway. The winner is Virginia Sattler-Reimer. I know she is a knitter, but now I think she's going to be a needlepointer as well! Congratulations, I'm contacting you right now and as soon as you send me your mailing address, I'll pop it in the mail.

Today my little blog scored big time. My adorable 15 year old neighbor came over today and modeled a half dozen knits I've had here for ages, just waiting to be modeled and photographed. Just wait until you see, the pictures are beautiful! I've got a dress, some cowls, and a few cardigans and pullovers. She looks so beautiful in them, I wanted to hand them all over! However, I'm hating my computer right now, it's so dang slow. It's got to go to computer hospital, so if you don't hear from me for awhile, it's because my computer is horribly sick.

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Langestt dress

August 24, 2015, 11:10 am

≫ Next: Splash

≪ Previous: there's a winner!

Today I'm sharing the most beautiful, wearable, and flattering garment I've possibly ever made: Langestt by Sarah Hatton from her Winterscapes book. I've been searching for the perfect dress to knit for years, and if you've ever thought of knitting a dress, search no more, this is it. The most flattering feature of this dress, besides the wide boat neck that I always love, is the shaped side ridges (simple purl rows every 4th row). The waist decreases and increases are made just inside the ridges (see close-up above) and makes a beautiful hourglass shape. I made the smallest size as is, except for lengthening the sleeves and adding a few more waist decreases and at a quicker rate. The featured yarn is a new one from Rowan this year called Alpaca Merino DK, which is very lovely; I've knit a swatch and have some on order for another project in the book. I'll review that yarn soon, but in the meantime I did have some stash that I had my eye on: Kidsilk Haze in Hurricane combined with Rowan Fine Art in #325, a bright mid-blue that might have been an unreleased shade as I can't find it anywhere and received directly from Rowan. It has just a little bit of tonal color changes that gives the knitted fabric a bit of life. KSH is a lace weight and FA is somewhere in between a lace weight and fingering weight. When I swatched the two together, they made a perfect DK weight yarn and the most gorgeous, soft and subtly fuzzy fabric. That combo is pure pleasure to knit and pure pleasure to wear. Both yarns would be considered luxury and not inexpensive, but both have excellent yardage, with FA at 437 yds. and KSH with 230 yds. For my size, the dress cost was just over $100, which is a bargain for a dress like this. I have all the links at the end.

Now about my model, you're probably wondering, who is this beautiful girl? This is Jessica, a junior in high school, and my 15 year old across-the-street neighbor. You'll be seeing a lot of her. I had just finished a skirt for my 14 year old granddaughter, and before I mailed it off to her, I asked Jessica if she would mind popping over and modeling it for me so I could blog about it. She looked so cute in the skirt, I asked her if she would model a cowl, then a cardigan, and well, in an hour she had modeled 10 garments, all pieces I've made over the last year that hadn't been blogged about, just waiting for the perfect pictures! Any blogger in her 60s will tell you, pictures take blood, sweat, and tears. But that's all changed here at Knitionary! We had so much fun and I'll be sharing more about our time together in future posts. And did she love this dress? Yes, she did! She ran home to get her hat and boots so the photos would be perfect! She swirled around and hugged herself and said it was so soft! So adorable--I love teenagers.

To say that Jessica looked beautiful in everything I put on her is a monumental understatement. And please don't ask me how how someone 5'9" can wear the same garment that was made for someone 5'2". I really don't want to think too much about that. To keep my posts real, I'll also put up a picture or two of me modeling the same thing. I'm 64 and believe it's still possible to wear a mini sometimes, but in the winter, it's best for me to add boots and tights. I'm from that generation that invented minis, and it's a hard habit to break! Below is me in front of the computer, grainy yes, but at least you can see the fit. I love it so much and can't wait for cold weather to arrive!

I highly recommend Sarah's book, there are so many beautiful designs--I reviewed it here. You already know how much I love KSH and FA. I often knit traditional set-in sleeves with a new(ish) top-down technique and did so for this sweater. If you'd like to learn that easy, perfect-fit technique, please read this post. My Rav page has the yardage and needle details.

Winterscapes by Sarah Hatton

my Ravelry project page

Rowan Fine Art

Rowan Kidsilk Haze

learn how to make a perfect fit: sleeves

Now that I've got so many great pictures, I'll be making regular FO posts! Just wait until you see what I have to share! However, my computer has slowed down to a snail's pace, so it's going to the hospital today and may not be back for a few days. If you comment and I don't respond here or on FB, you'll know why. Have a great week, and happy knitting! xo, K

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Splash

August 26, 2015, 11:59 am

≫ Next: Phebe

≪ Previous: Langestt dress

Today's sweater is Splash, designed by Kim Hargreaves from her summer book, Echos. Splash is a simple, boxy, stockinette pullover with rolled stockinette hem and cuff. It is knit flat and has raglan sleeves. The original neck was also left unfinished but it would not stay on my shoulders. I picked up stitches all around, and with a circular needle, knit a few rows of K2P2 rib. Also, I cast on 5 fewer stitches per side to make it two inches smaller. I also added some length. I wear it with jeans or a skirt, and look how great it looks with shorts! The sweater is a perfect summer companion for me, and is in one of my favorite colors.

The yarn was a new one for me, Rowan Creative Linen in Phlox. I knit the smallest size and even with my added length, I used barely 5 skeins, not 6 as the pattern suggested. Creative Linen is 50/50 linen/cotton. The ball band says to hand wash and dry flat, and while I think that is what you should do, I will tell you that I machine washed mine (inside out, in a sweater bag, cool water and gentle cycle) and tumble dried on low and it was perfect. If it had shrinkage, I couldn't tell. Creative Linen is a hearty summer yarn, and can easily extend from spring to fall. It was easy to knit and had great stitch definition before and after washing. I will definitely use it again. I imagine Creative Linen would be perfect for cables and lace as it was very easy to maneuver. The colors are happy and bright and it takes the dye really well.

I told you on Monday about my model, my young neighbor, Jessica, an aspiring model. Did she like this sweater? Yes, she did! She bounced out of the dressing room with a big smile, saying she loved the color, loved the 3/4 length sleeves, the boxy shape, the wide neck! Now, to keep things real around here, and since this is knit for me, I've also included a few grainy computer pictures of me wearing it. I wear it tucked in with my jeans and use a belt with my skirt and like it both ways. It's been a fun summer sweater in such a happy color. You know by now I like a simple sweater, but I think simple is best and is almost always the most flattering look on me.

I have sooo many cute garments finished and Jessica has modeled them all for me! I can't wait to share the entire bunch!

Splash from Echos by Kim Hargreaves

Rowan Creative Linen

my Ravelry project page

In my photo it looks like it's wrinkled, but it's not. I don't know why, but where my computer sits, and how the sun comes in, it creates shadows that look like wrinkles.

↧

Phebe

August 28, 2015, 10:06 am

≫ Next: California Sunrise and my dinner with Kaffe

≪ Previous: Splash

Hi! Here's my third FO in a series of ten that my young neighbor, Jessica, modeled for me. Phebe was a test knit way back in spring. The designer, Sara Elizabeth Schmidt had designed a popular pattern sized for children called Loren Revisited. I posted the pretty pattern link on my Knitionary Facebook page and it was crazy popular. Many readers asked if the designer could scale it up for an adult, so I asked her. She said she was busy for a few months, but had wanted to do that for a while and she would get to it soon, she promised. I told her I'd test knit it when she had the pattern finished. A few months later she sent the pattern to me and I dropped everything to knit it. I had some ancient Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran in a lovely watery blue/green that was the perfect match. Knitting garter stitch with an earthy tweed is like peas and carrots--perfect partners! The pattern, as you can imagine, is very easy to knit and the resulting cardigan is more like a coatigan; bulky-thick, cozy and warm. I absolutely love it's stylish simplicity. It turned out to be my grab-and-go cardigan; in Northern California the weather is fickle and even in the summer, when the sun begins to set or if we drive to the mountains or to the coast, it can chilly quickly, so for that reason, I almost never leave the house without a sweater.

Did Jessica like it? Yes, she did! She was all smiles when she came out to model, saying, "Oh, I love this so much. I feel like I'm Kate Middleton!" Yes, I could see Princess Kate (or is she a Duchess, I don't really know!) wearing this--it seems like her style. I asked Jessica if she would wear it a lot, and she said, "All the time!" So now it lives with Jessica, and because I loved knitting it, I will make another for me.

After Jessica modeled so beautifully for me, we went into my bedroom and opened my super-large sweater wardrobe and had a fun fashion show. I was absolutely delighted to see how gorgeous she looked in everything. You all know what a prolific knitter I am, and I couldn't possibly wear all the sweaters I've knit. I love to hand out sweaters to my daughter and granddaughter, plus I have a few friends who wear my size. Jessica ended up scoring and going home with a hefty bag of sweaters. She emailed me and told me that on the first day of school she wore one of my Kim Hargreave's peplum pullovers knit in white cotton. Of the sweaters I gave her, every one but two can be machine washed. I recommended she get a sweater bag, and when washing, turn the sweater inside-out, put it in the sweater bag and wash in cool water on gentle cycle. Tumble dry on low until almost dry. While still damp, lay flat and pat to shape to finish drying. This sweater above and another sweater, a Kidsilk Haze sweater, cannot be machine washed. I told her when it was time to wash them, bring them over and I'll show her how I hand wash sweaters. It's an art, right? There's lots more beauties coming up, so stay tuned!

Phebe knitting pattern by Sara Elizabeth Schmidt.

The children's version of this sweater, Loren Revisited.

Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran is discontinued,
but an excellent tweedy sub would be Felted Tweed Aran.

I made a few mods for fit, read them on my Ravelry Project Page for Phebe.

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California Sunrise and my dinner with Kaffe

August 31, 2015, 7:20 am

≫ Next: Reed

≪ Previous: Phebe

Hello! I started this as a travel knit over a year ago, finished it in no time, then promptly forgot to blog about it. The pattern is Isabel Kramer's versatile Ravello, a top-down pattern that is the end-all, be-all of top-downs. There is a little bit of short-row shaping in the back for a perfect fit, you can add more or less, then it's just knitting on down in-the-round until you're done. I pretty much use this pattern as a template for all my top-downs.

Who better to model this than my sweet and pretty California girl neighbor, Jessica. Did she like it? Yes, she did! She came out of the dressing room with her arms wrapped around herself and said, "Oh my gosh, I feel like I'm wearing a cloud!" I had to laugh because that is how I describe Kidsilk Haze: feather-light and cloud-soft. I asked her if she liked the color, and she said, "Yes, it's so pretty it looks like a sunrise!", which made me laugh again! The colorway was made by the master colorist himself, Kaffe Fassett, and is called California Sunrise. It's a mix of the prettiest colors splashed on my favorite yarn and using one of my favorite patterns, this is a winner!

Below is a picture of another California girl, me, wearing the same sweater. The picture below that is from earlier this year, when Brandon Mabley and Kaffe Fassett came to town. Brandon taught a class at my local yarn store, and of course I took it! He was traveling with Kaffe, and after class my lys owner, Stephanie, asked me to join them for dinner. I was beyond excited, but I guess you can imagine that! Brandon and Kaffe are so charming, funny, and down-to-earth. While Brandon was teaching the day-long class, Kaffe spent the day walking around our little town and stopped for lunch with his sister and nephew (the owners of Nepenthe of Big Sur, where Kaffe grew up) who had come to visit for the day. Over dinner, I asked Kaffe if he could walk around our town unnoticed or did people recognize him? He said, "Oh no, not really, I don't get noticed very often." I said, well how about bigger cities, like San Francisco or London? Again, modestly he said, "No, not so much." Then in a big stage whisper Brandon said, "Oh yes he gets noticed--all the time! He is so tall and handsome, people stare at him all the time. And of course they all know who he is!" I had to laugh, and agree, Kaffe is tall, and extremely handsome, and has that distinguished, sexy look that mature men often get, that make us mature women think, "Hey, why don't we ever get that look?" We had so much fun. Brandon is funny and bubbly, Kaffe is warm and charming, and it was a wonderful evening.

Kaffe complimented my sweater, asked me if I'd knit it and said it was a pretty color. I smiled and told him it was one of his colors from the Kidsilk Haze Stripe collection, and he said, "Oh yes, I remember doing that! That was fun!" He said he was becoming more interested in quilting than needlepoint and knitting and how his interests have changed over the years. They were pretty excited about their home fragrance line which at the time was in the works but is now available. He talked about his early association with Rowan and asked me about my Rowan Ambassadorship. We talked a bit about how much they love to travel; it seems like they are on the road and often travel to exotic places, combining work with pleasure. We also talked about Big Sur and what it was like to grow up there. He said he tries to visit once a year and that's about how often we get there too, and always have lunch at Nepenthe, the restaurant his family still owns. If you ever come to this part of the world, a visit to Big Sur and Nepenthe should be at the top of your list. Kaffe and Brandon were completely charming and I'll leave you with this little nugget: Kaffe does not own a computer or cell phone and does not know how to use either! I kid you not!

From left to right is my friend Leah of the Yarn Stylist blog, me, Brandon Mabley, Kaffe Fassett, and Stephanie, owner of Uncommon Threads of Los Altos. You can see I wore my California Sunrise sweater! Too bad Kaffe is blinking!

Ravello, the pattern

Rowan Kidsik Haze Stripe yarn

My Ravelry project page for California Sunrise

My lys, Uncommon Threads of Los Altos

Leah's Yarn Stylist blog

Big Sur

Nepenthe

Kaffe Fassett

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Reed

September 2, 2015, 10:30 am

≫ Next: my bridal registry day

≪ Previous: California Sunrise and my dinner with Kaffe

Aren't these pictures gorgeous? My model looked beautiful in every picture, so I'm sharing all of them as it was impossible to edit any out! I made this Kim Hargreaves skirt for my granddaughter, Annie, who started high school this year. (I know, time flies, right?) Before I mailed it off I asked my across-the-street neighbor, Jessica, if she would pop over and model it for me. Jessica was such a natural in front of the camera, I asked if she would mind modeling a few more, then a few more, and then before I knew it, an hour had passed and she had modeled ten of my knits that were finished but in need of blogging!

Did Jessica like this skirt? YES, she did! She fell in love with it! I wasn't going to mail it until Tuesday and I told her she could wear it to school on Monday. She said she got so many compliments and people could not believe it was hand knit. You and I know that the most beautiful knits are hand knitted, but not everyone knows that little fact!

The yarn is new this summer: Rowan Cotton Lustre, a tape yarn with a content of cotton, modal and linen. It has beautiful drape and a wonderfully soft hand while knitting and I fell in love with it. It's very well-behaved, easy to knit and creates an even fabric. I don't remember it being needle fussy and I used my Clover round-tipped bamboo straights and they were perfect for the job. The fabric care is hand wash and dry flat, and that is what I'll recommend to Annie. I do think Cotton Lustre would be lightweight and cool against the skin for a summer sweater. I'm sorry I discovered it so close to the end of the season as I'm already planning my winter knitting, but Cotton Lustre will be a yarn I use again next year to knit a summer something for me. However, I did notice in Kim's new winter book, Embrace, she uses Cotton Lustre in a few of the designs, so I guess Kim likes it for year-round. As far as subbing yarn for this project, I'm not so sure that is a good idea. I'm for subbing yarn when it works, but I'm not familiar with another yarn with the appropriate characteristics to pull off this skirt as well as the Cotton Lustre.

This skirt pattern, Reed, is from Kim Hargreaves' Echoes book. This skirt is the first pattern that caught my eye. Annie was visiting and when I showed it to her she said, "Yes! Please knit if for me, it's so cute!" She says this olive green is very hip right now. The texture is created with some purl rows and eyelet rows on a stockinette background, very easy. To give the fringe stability, it's knitted in, then unraveled at the end. It's true this is a very young looking knit, but I wondered, if with tights and boots, could this 64 year old pull it off? So, hmmm, my answer is, I'm not really sure. I tried it on and liked it, but I think it depends on how adventurous you are, and certainly you could add length. If you have a young woman in your life, knit this, she will love you for it.

The book Echoes is at your Rowan stockist, or you can buy it here.

My Ravelry project page for Reed

Rowan Cotton Lustre

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my bridal registry day

September 8, 2015, 10:09 am

≫ Next: Kate

≪ Previous: Reed

My late summer flower arrangements have almost never varied: faded hydrangeas and faded roses. I love late summer--in the morning there's a tiny hint of fall's crispness, even though the day might be hot as blazes. We took stock of the garden yesterday; it's given it's all, and it's clearly pooped out. Shorter days means less growing time and smaller veggies and flowers, plus the drought means everything looks pretty pathetic anyway. The squirrels are going crazy looking for food and water. They beat us to most of the pears and apples and all of the pumpkins. We battled all summer over the tomatoes and summer squash. I think it was a tie. Tonight's dinner party was after a game of couples golf. When you all walk in the door at 6 PM, hungry and thirsty, dinner has to be quick and simple, and for the most part, prepared in advance. With a nod to a late summer bounty, we managed a pretty nice menu. A friend offered to bring an appetizer, another dessert, and with that and the menu below, plus a few bottles of wine and beer, we were all set for an easy-going dinner.

Goat Cheese with Lemon and Pistachios

Roasted Tomato Soup

Tri Tip Roast with Roasted Peppers

Fresh Corn Salad
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

Summer Cobbler

I probably don't need to tell you this, but setting a table is a creative outlet for me. As for the table setting above, the napkins and tablecloth were made from remnants and discontinued designer samples. We've had the flatware, 18th Century from Reed and Barton for 42 years. I picked the pattern as part of my bridal registry when I was a proper 21 year old bride intent on setting a grand table. Of all the things I chose on that fateful day this flatware has been the most practical. My china selection is long gone and my stemware, a pattern from Lalique, is so expensive, that when I break one, and if I were to replace it (which I don't), I'd have to shell out $400 per stem. They were way less back then, but still expensive, so what on earth was I thinking, and why-oh-why did the sales lady ever encourage me to put it on my registry? But I smile as I write this, because I'm secretly thankful for the folly of my youth, those glasses are simply gorgeous, and I absolutely love them. I've posted about them a few times, here, here and here. The glasses I use most often now are the more practical Connoisseur Stemware from Cost Plus. I use the larger Bordeaux for waters, and the smaller Chardonnays for wine. They are so inexpensive, I don't mind breaking one, but so sturdy, I haven't, and so pretty, I use them often!

Back to that bridal registry, I remember it like it was yesterday! My mom couldn't come with me, and if I asked my then fiance to come with me, he must have said no thanks. I made an appointment, took a day off work and went alone. It was 1973, and while Levi's were my standard apparel du jour, a girl knows when it's important to play dress-up. I would be going to a fancy department store on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills after all. I even washed my car as I suspected I might have to use a valet! I made a white eyelet two-piece suit for the occasion with a skirt that was so short-short-short, I blush now when I think about it. I was just following the trend for all young women in Southern California at the time. We would look in the mirror and make sure our bottoms were covered. Was it? Yes. OK then, it's perfect. I completed the ensemble with lime green high-heeled sling-back sandals and a matching purse. I thought I looked fantastic. When I arrived, my bridal consultant floated out to me and with a very business-like manner, offered her hand. She was stunning: angular and thin with grey hair to match her perfectly fitted grey suit, which was calf length, because after all, she was a much older woman. She was probably 38, geesh. Her perfection made me shudder a bit and I was so intimidated by her I had to rethink my decision to come alone. She started peppering me with questions, but it soon became apparent to both of us that I had NONE clue as to how I wanted my future home to look. She then sailed me through the silver and china department while I listened carefully to her instructions. I was to choose 12 place settings of fine china, silver flatware and stemware. The china and the flatware settings would each include five pieces, but I could get away with only a water and one wine for the stemware, champagnes could come later, perhaps as an anniversary gift. She assured me that she, of course, would not let me make a mistake. After an exhausting hour we were done, and she handed me an envelope that contained a half dozen cards with the store's name and address, the words, Fine Bridal Registry, with my name printed underneath, Miss Kristen Hansen. But under no circumstances could I tell anyone where I had registered, this was not done. Oddly though, my mother could--you see, the cards were for her, plus one for my future mother-in-law, my grandmother and a favorite aunt or two. THEY could tell people where I had registered. I kid you not. To this day I'm still a bit shy about asking a bride where she is registered, but surely that advice I received is considered out of date! I sure hope so!

Knitionary

↧

Kate

September 14, 2015, 9:03 am

≫ Next: bud and big wool silk

≪ Previous: my bridal registry day

Today I have Kate by Sarah Hatton to share. I just have to smile when I look at these pictures. My neighbor, 15 year old Jessica, modeled so beautifully for me. Kate is from the book,Rowan Loves Kidsilk Haze and Felted Tweed, the first Rowan Loves book. This is the first book in a series of three that has been extremely popular. Each pattern has several options for yarn and design features to vary the sweater style from sporty to formal or something in-between. Expect more Rowan Loves in the future. As for my somewhat sporty Kate, (I've used Felted Tweed and Kidsilk Haze) she is patiently waiting for fall and then I imagine she will be worn frequently. In Sarah's book, each garment can be knit with either FT or KSH knit single or double. In my Kate, I knit the body in Felted Tweed, Mineral--I needed something yellow in my wardrobe--and the trim in Kidsilk Haze, the dark charcoal, Anthracite. The combination is simply beautiful--the Felted Tweed's earthy tweediness is just delicate enough to compliment and not overpower the elegant KSH. I made no modifications to the pattern.

Did my model Jessica like it? Yes, she did! She thought the tweed was pretty and liked that the fabric was lightweight. She also liked that it came to just above the hip. We decided we liked it closed with the skirt, and with pants it would probably look best open. Kate is a very cool cardigan and I'm very happy with it.

Kate from Rowan Loves

Rowan Felted Tweed DK

Rowan Kidsilk Haze

my Ravelry project page for Kate

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bud and big wool silk

September 16, 2015, 8:19 am

≫ Next: a perfect sweatshirt and what I wear

≪ Previous: Kate

I have a new yarn to tell you about: Rowan Big Wool Silk. I received two skeins to play with and review, but then quickly ran out to purchase one more so I could make this capelet. It took just under 3 skeins and only a few hours to knit up. Big Wool Silk, like it's older brother, Big Wool, knits up quickly and makes gorgeous cables with a stretchy, cushy fabric with great stitch detail. The fiber content is 70/30, wool/silk. The silk gives the matte Big Wool a lustrous but subtle, natural sheen. I imagine lovers of Big Wool--and I know there are many out there--will adore Big Wool Silk. Many of you love big needles, say hello to needle sizes 13 and 15! Yep, big. I'm generally a small-needle knitter, it's just my preference, but I couldn't help but love how fast the knitting went. I'm going to love wearing this and wish I had it on today for my son's BD--a lovely 75 degrees outside and our restaurant had the AC cranked up to frostbite--I hate that so much!

I'm mad for capelets and ponchos! This capelet is Bud by Gemma Atkinson, from the knit generation, a book of knitted accessories using a variety of yarns and techniques from a half dozen young designers.

There is a fantastic new accessories pattern book to support Big Wool Silk and I'm sharing my favorites below. Big Wool Silk is interchangeable with Big Wool with the same yardage and gauge, so any vintage Big Wool pattern can be used.

Rowan Big Wool Silk

the knit generation

Autumn Accessories

My Rav project page for BUD

If anything could seduce me to pick up big needles again, it would be this Clove Loop. Love.

I think this Cassia Wrap would be fun to wear.

Clove Scarf

The nifty little Coriander collar takes only two skeins.

Licorice makes some beautiful cables.

I saw the Sesame Wrap in person. It's big and beautiful and shows off the gorgeous sheen of the silk.

Turmeric Wrap

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a perfect sweatshirt and what I wear

September 22, 2015, 8:43 am

≫ Next: Weekend

≪ Previous: bud and big wool silk

A few years ago I took stock of my knitted sweaters and nailed down what I like to wear. No, not really so much what I like to wear, but more, what I actually do wear. Because I think I like to wear little lightweight cardigans with frills and lace, but my everyday life tells me something else. Poking around my sweater closet I had to be honest with myself. What gets the most attention? What sweaters are worn most often? I had to admit, simple and slouchy won, hands down. No contest. So while I will never ever never ever stop knitting the beautiful, delicate, fitted, negative ease, Kidsilk Haze and Mohair Haze sweaters that I love to knit and love to wear, the truth is, my everyday sweaters are something quite different--more like sweatshirts. So knowing that, and knowing that Rowan came out with some super nice superwash yarns this year, I decided to make a few sweatshirts--sweatshirts that can take a lot of wear and can go in and out of the washer and dryer without a whimper.

This is Clayton by Martin Storey from the Easy Aran Knits book. I used the suggested yarn, Super Fine Merino Aran made with 100% superwash wool. This was my first time using it and I love it. It was lively on the needles, and with just a little flick of needle action, the stitch snapped into place. The yarn itself feels round in the hand, and like it was made of rubber coated with velvet. It is so completely soft I think even those with the wool itchies will approve. Super Fine comes in three weights, a fingering weight, a DK weight and this Aran weight. I played with all three and really did love them all. The yarn is multi-plied and round and was not needle fussy, but as I like to touch-knit stockinette, I found I did need to use bamboo needles to slow it down a bit. If I lost a stitch while not looking, it was easily picked up on the next row. This soft yarn is also machine washable. Rowan claims this to be a great "core" yarn, and I would agree. Super Fine is an easy to knit, elegant yarn that can take some hard wear.

While the ball band will tell you to dry flat, I will tell you what I did with great results: Step one: turn inside-out. Step two: put in a sweater bag. Three: Wash on gentle cycle with cool water. Four: Still inside-out, remove from sweater bag and tumble dry on LOW until almost dry. Five: Turn rightside-out, lay flat and pat to shape to finish drying. Rowan does not recommend the above, but I just wanted to share what I did with success. So there you go. I do want to say, that even though a sweater may be machine washable, it is still a hand-knit, and I respect that. I make sure that I don't wash it very often. I find I can get some distance between washes if I hand wash the cuffs only or dab out a spot. I don't throw it into the wash basket willy-nilly.

I took the last two pictures so you could see the fabric close up. One was taken before the wash and one was taken after, but I don't know which is which. I just did it to compare the fabric and there was no change. It did not shrink.

See you soon with many more finished knits!

Easy Aran Knits

Super Fine Merino Aran

my Ravlery project page

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Weekend

September 28, 2015, 1:30 am

≫ Next: shine

≪ Previous: a perfect sweatshirt and what I wear

Weekend is a new book from my friend Jen Geigley that features simple, modern knits you can whip up in a weekend to wear all weekend. Jen is a busy mother of two littles, and lives in the cold mid-west, so her knits, using chunky and bulky weight yarns, are meant to fly fast off the needles and keep you warm. This is a great gift book for a young, beginner knitter, and for anyone who wants to wear something stylish in a flash. My favorite is the kimono!

Purchase Weekend here

Pattern details on Ravelry

The yarns used:

Cascade Yarns Magnum

Ashland Bay Merino Tussah Roving

Wool and the Gang Crazy Sexy Wool

Rowan Big Wool

Spud and Chloe Outer

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shine

October 1, 2015, 12:30 am

≫ Next: Christmas jumpers you'll actually wear

≪ Previous: Weekend

I've been waiting for months to post this and so happy I can share it today. About a year ago I heard a whisper of a hint that Rowan Yarns might be talking to Swarovski about a possible collaboration. My heart almost skipped a beat when I imagined how fantastic it would be for hand knitters to knit fine jewels into fine yarn. In spring I went to the needlearts trade show, bee-lined to the Rowan booth and glimpsed what was in our future! I'm writing this post remotely and in September, and using my schedule option, so at this time of writing I don't have the links yet from Ravelry and Rowan. However, today is the release day and all the patterns and shine products are up on the knitrowan site and Ravelry. The Rowan front page will have all the Shine info for you, and I'll bet Rav has been updated today too. Fiberwild has done an awesome job gathering the Swarovski/Rowan Shine products in one spot .

Here's what you need to look out for...

The pattern books

Swarovski Daytime

Swarovski Evening

There are several free patterns too.

The designers

Jennie Atkinson

Martin Storey

Lisa Richardson

Marie Wallin

Sarah Hatton

Lois Daykin

Theresa Venning

Fiberwild has done an awesome job gathering the
Swarovski/Rowan Shine products in one spot .

You can view the collection overview here.

Only the finest yarns will do!

Rowan Shine Yarn
Rowan Kidsilk Haze

Rowan Finest

Kid Classic

Fine Lace

Truesilk
View all the yarns here.

Swarovski Crystals Bead Sets

Fiberwild has done an awesome job gathering the
Swarovski/Rowan Shine products in one spot .

You can view the collection overview here.

You'll see in all of the designs below, ways that you can embellish your favorite patterns with crystals. The sky is the limit, and a little goes a long way. Just a bit of sparkle around the neckline, or a tiny bit on a cuff could speak volumes. My lys, Uncommon Threads is going to carry much of it. I hope your local Rowan Stockist does too, but if not, this is worth a road trip to a store that does. I'm sure you'll be able to find many online stores that will carry it too, and Fiberwild is leading the pack!

Betty has two versions, both using Rowan Finest and incorporating faux pearls and teardrop crystals.

Marie Wallin, Daytime. The flowers are very similar to what Chanel has shown in her recent collections.


With Chanel and other designers loving embellished flowers, this is right on trend. Crocheted Delicate Scarf from the Daytime Collection by Martin Storey using Kid Classic with crystal beads and faux pearls.

Frilly Collar from Evening by Jennie Atkinson uses Fine Lace and black diamond crystals.

I saw this at the show and blurted out loud, "knitting this!"

Ribbed Cardigan from Daytime is by Jennie Atkinson

and uses Rowan Finest and small topaz crystal beads.

A classic fitted peplum jacket from Jennie Atkinson uses Rowan Finest and

small black crystal beads. From the Evening collection.

Above and below, an elegant evening sweater from Jennie Atkinson.

Rowan Finest and Kidsilk Haze are used in this gorgeous sweater,

along with over 1,000 tiny crystals. Swoon.


Waterfall Cardigan by Jennie Atkinson from Evening uses Kid Classic and three different crystals: clear classic, black diamond, and topaz.

Jennie Atkinson uses lustrous Truesilk in her Diamond Vest from the Daytime Collection.

Sarah Hatton designed this flattering pullover for Daytime using Rowan Finest

and two colors of faux pearls, cream and rose gold, plus small crystals.

Two pretty bags by Lisa Richardson using Kid Classic and pretty pearls and crystals. Daytime.

And then there is a wedding dress! I saw this in person, it's breathtaking!

Kidsilk Haze and crystals galore. Fiberwild put together a wedding dress kit.

I love this beaded bag so much.

Gorgeous ruffled collar.

A poncho made of Kid Classic! Swoon!

There are several brooches too.

There are several lovely Rowan yarns the pattern books are using to showcase the crystals, but the most obvious choice was Kidsilk Haze, a blend of kid mohair and silk. Shine above and below, is created by plying three strands of Kidsilk Haze and one strand of fine cotton, and to top it all off, Swarovski crystal beads are added about every four inches. Add a touch of Swarovski crystal elegance to your next knitting or crocheting project!

You can purchase the crystals in different colors and sizes. They come packaged in sets as above

and come in a dozen colors, shapes and sizes. Here's just a tiny peek of some of what they offer:

Knitionary

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