I had such a wonderful time at the annual Knitter’s Frolic that was held on Saturday, April 27th. As I arrived at the Japanese Cultural Centre in Toronto where the event was held, I was instantly mesmerized by the kaleidoscope of colour and the smell of the yarn that tends to send us knitters into a bit of a frenzy.
I was happily swept away with the crowd and quickly found myself caressing skeins of cashmere, mohair and alpaca – wonderfully luxurious yarns available in an array of beautiful colours. There were about 60 vendors with something for everyone who loves knit, crochet and spin. It was definitely a day to indulge in yarn and everything ‘knitting’.
There was such a sense of camaraderie and everyone I met excitedly shared stories of the wonderful yarns they had purchased, workshops they attended and new techniques they learned. There was also a great deal of discussion about how to deal with the growing ‘stash’ at home although the consensus seemed to be that there is no such thing as too much yarn just a need for creative ideas about how to store (and in some cases hide) the stash.
I loved the display booth for Sheppard Handmade. Laura had some beautiful pottery with really interesting texture and unique designs. I picked up a piece to hold my DPNs which I will proudly keep out on display (they're usually tucked away in a coffee can). I also bought some buttons that will add some character and beauty to a sweater.
Simply a wonderful day...only 363 more sleeps!
STITCH OF THE MONTH – April 2013
The Brick Stitch pattern adds unique texture and contour to a knitted fabric with purl rows and elongated slip stitches against a stockinette stitch background. This stitch pattern works well for use in home décor items such as pillows, blankets and wash cloths. The knitted fabric does not have a lot of drape due the texture of the stitch pattern.
Brick Stitch
(Multiples of 4 stitches + 1 stitch)
Row 1 (RS) K4, *k1 winding yarn twice around needle, k3; repeat from * to last st, k1
Row 2 P4, *sl1 purlwise dropping extra loop, p3; repeat from * to last st, p1
Row 3 K4, *sl1 purlwise, k3; repeat from * to last st, k1
Row 4 K4, *yf, sl1 purlwise, yb, k3; rep from * to last st, k1
Row 5 K2, *k1 winding yarn twice around the needle, k3; repeat from * to last 3 sts, k1 winding twice around needle, k2
Row 6 P2, *sl1 purlwise dropping extra loop, p3; rep from * to last 3 sts, sl1 purlwise, p2
Row 7 K2, *sl1 purlwise, k3; rep from * to last 3 sts, sl1 purlwise, k2
Row 8 K2, *yf, sl1 purlwise, yb, k3; rep from * to last 3 sts, yf, sl1 purlwise, yb, k2
These 8 rows form the Brick Stitch
