THE ART OF KNITTING - Transcending Yarn

I'm excited to announce that I will be presenting at the Toronto Knitters Guild meeting on Wednesday, June 17th.

The Art of Knitting - Transcending Yarn

The presentation will provide an inspirational look at the popularity of knitting and how the current knitting craze has impacted our pop culture and the art world with a focus on art installations and urban street art.

Date

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Time

7:30 - 9:30 pm

Venue

Innis Town Hall

2 Sussex Avenue

Toronto, ON M5S 1J5

Click here for additional information.

ALPACA FARM AT EIGHTH & MUD

Alpaca is one of my favourite yarns to knit with because it:

• is a natural fiber
• has a silky, soft hand
• has a natural sheen
• is hypo-allergenic which means that people with wool sensitivities can wear it
• is resistant to pilling
• has excellent insulative qualities (great for our winter climate)

Our knitting group decided that a trip to the Alpaca Farm at Eighth and Mud in Stoney Creek would be a great way to spend a Saturday morning giving us an opportunity to see the alpacas, purchase some wonderful yarn and perhaps get a glimpse of the mill. 

Don and Sharon were such welcoming hosts and greeted us when we arrived at the farm. They gave us a tour of the mill and explained the various processes that happen right from the shearing of the alpaca until we begin knitting from a skein of yarn. It is quite a fascinating process and I especially enjoyed watching the process of blending different fibers and colours. 

I purchased some lovely yarn and will be showing off my knits in the coming months. 

We were able to see the alpaca before they are sheared on Saturday, May 30th. This picture shows a few of the females and the different colour variations.

STAGHORN CABLE

STITCH OF THE MONTH - May 2015

The Staghorn Cable is a dramatic stitch pattern that is easy to produce. It's a wide pattern that is worked over 16 stitches against a reverse stockinette stitch background. 

It is important to check the gauge as cable patterns tend to pull the work in so the stitch gauge will change as cable patterns are added to the fabric.

The pattern can also be reversed which will result in an upside down Staghorn Cable pattern.   

STAGHORN CABLE
(Worked over 16 sts)
Row 1 (WS) and every WS row:  Purl
Row 2:  K4, C4B, C4F, k4
Row 4:  K2, C4B, k4, C4F, k2
Row 6:  C4B, k8, C4F
These 6 rows form the Staghorn Cable.

Reversed Staghorn Cable
Row 1 (WS) and every WS row: Purl
Row 2:  C4F, k8, C4B
Row 4:  K2, C4F, k4, C4B, k2
Row 6:  K4, C4F, C4B, k4
These 6 rows form the Staghorn Cable.

Abbreviations
C4B - Cable over 4 stitches to the back. This is worked by sliding 2 stitches from the left needle onto a cable needle. Move the cable needle to behind the left needle. Knit the next 2 stitches from the left needle and then knit the 2 stitches from the cable needle.
C4F - Cable over 4 stitches to the front. This is worked by sliding 2 stitches from the left needle onto a cable needle. Move the cable needle in front of the left needle. Knit the next 2 stitches from the left needle and then knit the 2 stitches from the cable needle.
WS - Wrong side.