Monthly Archives: September 2014

What’s in Store for Q4!

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Q3 only has a few more days left?? Weren’t we just creating that crossword puzzle and going through our queues? We loved seeing all the interaction and teamwork on the forums. Whether it be for the greater good of the team or out of the kindness of your hearts, your willingness to help one another seriously shined through this quarter! Well, here we are almost 12 weeks later, and, boy, do we have some exciting seeds to plant in your wonderful knitting brains…

There has been a little buzz and a lot of guesses as to what Q4 has in store. We’ve heard some of you guess another photo challenge because of the t-shirt sale – you guys really do pay attention! You’ll get the full scoop on the challenge when we officially release the Q4 rules but here’s your KAL preview. We wouldn’t want you to feel rushed when planning and purchasing! The Q4 KAL is designer-specific and we chose none other than the fabulous Stephen West! His spirit and excitement fits perfectly into the ESK attitude and have you seen his pattern designs? They are A-MAZING and you can choose any pattern you would like. As per usual, all yarn must be from Eat.Sleep.Knit. in order to be eligible for prizes and the 200 yard minimum stands.

Need yarn? We’ve got a special offer for you – place your knit-a-long order between now and October 10th and specify in the comments field which yarn is for your project, and we’ll take 10% off for that yarn. This discount excludes already discounted yarns. Adjustments will have to be made manually so this discount won’t show up at checkout, but we will e-mail you to confirm.

 

Tiny Owl Knits

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Stephanie Dosen of Tiny Owl Knits must have magic fairy dust which she sprinkles on all of her patterns to make them a-stinkin-dorable! We adore the woodland creatures and and quirky details that make Tiny Owl Knits a whimsical wonder. The magic of these patterns must come from their ability to transform you. You can turn yourself into a little fox with tickly whiskers or a hippity-hoppity bunny just by knitting! But it can be hard to pick out the perfect yarn and colorway for, say, Rapunzel’s hair when knitting Free Rapunzel so let us help! If you share in our Tiny Owl Knits obsession, read on! You can find all of the below patterns and more from Tiny Owl Knits here!

The Beekeeper’s Quilt and Hexipuffs are super addictive! You may have seen baskets filled with these squishy little puffs waiting to be sewn together and wanted to try some! Any sock weight would work well but here are our yarn suggestions to get you started:

Where is Thumper? We ask because you will turn into the cutest deer in the woods when you knit this hat! Slouchy deer ears with tiny antlers are the perfect details for this hinterland hat. Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica Solids in Reindeer and Malabrigo Worsted Merino in Pralines or Chestnut would knit up the perfect little fawn.

Free Rapunzel from her tower orrr leave her up there so she can spin in peace! Either way, this hat is awesome! A pattern for just the hat with ear flaps would have been wonderful by itself but the addition of these two Rapunzel braids take this hat to another magical level. Imagine wearing this bad boy to a local beer festival or Oktoberfest of sorts – let the compliments and high fives begin! When picking yarn, the bulkier the better! We chose Madelinetosh ASAP, Spud & Chloe Outer, Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky, and Malabrigo Rasta or Chunky Merino.

Let Hopsalot put a little pep in your step when you are lazing around the house! Felted and form fitted, these slippers would look darling beside your bed or would charm the pants off a friend as a gift. However intended, how sweet are the floppy ears and white pom-pom tail? We even thought to create a permanent fold in the tip of one of the bunny’s ears by adding a small stitch. Or what about adding two small bows to one of the bunny’s ears so you have one girl and one boy bunny! You just can’t go wrong with Hopsalot! Use any DK weight yarn held doubled for the slippers and ears.

You get more fox for your buck when you purchase this pattern! Mr. Fox Stole My Heart can be knit as a larger stole or a mini collar. For the larger, use bulky yarn and for the mini, use 4-ply or fingering held together throughout. When it comes to picking the perfect fox color, we have become quite the experts. The popularity of this and other fox patterns have shot through the roof! We now know the best coppery colors to make your fox foxy! We strongly suggest swatching in order to get your needle size/fabric combination perfect as to not show any stuffing!

Mr. Fox Stole

  • DIC Groovy – Cinnamon Girl or Gold Expereince
  • Madelinetosh ASAP – Ember (customer top pick)
  • Malabrigo Chunky – Glazed Carrot, Rhodesian (customer top pick), or Red Java

Mini Fox

  • Madelinetosh Sock (try Dandelion for a more rustic fox) – Ember or Nutmeg
  • Claudia Handpainted Addiction – Brick House Music Co (for a redder fox)
  • Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock – Cayenne or Pumpkin
  • Spud & Chloe Fine – Orangutan

baby lamb cuffs

Little pink ears and a wind-blown bow are what make these cuffs an ESK favorite! Baby Lamb Cuffs can be knit in 4 sizes and would be adorable peaking out from the sleeve of your black pea-coat this winter. The cuffs are worked flat using stranded intarsia and the pattern includes 2 charts to follow so the lambs face each other in order to chat…or bleat, whichever! Embroider on the salmon-color ears and nose, a few eyes, a bow, and you’re done! Cute baby lamb cuffs complete! Use TML, Malabrigo Silky Merino, Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk, or Shibui Knits Staccato Sock.

Add a little enchantment to your knitting and try one or many of the Tiny Owl Knits patterns!

One Skein Projects to Rest With

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Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the tedious sweaters and month-long lace projects so your mind and your hands can rest. While you are “resting,” why not knit a quick one-skein project? We never completely stop knitting, right? These patterns can be quite simple so they won’t be hard on the hands but result in some great FOs! These could easily be given to family, friends, or co-workers as priceless gifts. Handmade items are so special and last a lifetime especially when there is love and sentiment knit into every stitch.

2014-08-19_11.52.50Our new favorite one skein project is Piccadilly! You may have seen this on our Instagram or Twitter as Erin knit a shop sample, but it really is fantastic enough to mention again! One skein of Madelinetosh Chunky (or any Chunky) and you’re all set – pom-poms and cord included! This is the perfect project for the Madelinetosh splatter-like colorways that we love but don’t exactly know how to use! Optic, Holi Festival, Modern Fair Isle, and Cosmic Wonder Dust (pictured) would all work wonderfully for this cowl/hat combo!

Cozy Posy Ear Warmer by Heather Turpinmug_hug_pattern_medium2Have a lot of nieces, sisters, or women in your life? Are you a member of a women’s choir or book club? With the holidays right around the corner, it’s nice to have a few “bulk gifts,” if you will, on hand. Cozy Posy Ear Warmer Headband is super cute and would make the perfect quick knit gift. One skein of Bulky yarn makes 3 headbands. Can’t beat that! It is knit in seed stitch which can be very relaxing when the end result is quickly accomplished! Another “bulk gift” idea is Mug Hug! These coffee or tea mug cozies can be knit striped or solid in any Aran weight. They require very little yarn so this would be a great way to use the scrap yarn you have from other projects to make handmade gifts! Why not knit a bunch in all different colors and let your co-workers pick their favorite for an easy holiday gift exchange? Done and done! Oh, and both of these patterns are free on Ravelry!

Fairy Snowcap by Rosemary (Romi) HillFairy SnowCap puts the pretty in pom-pom. This top down hat has the perfect balance of lace to keep you looking pretty and ribbing to keep you very warm. You can follow the pattern exactly or find some inspiration from fellow Ravelers – some made enormous pom-poms while other omitted the pom-pom altogether. Some were short on yarn so they opted for a tassel. If you follow the pattern, we think the finished hat has a very classic 1960’s look but be careful when choosing yarn. Variegated yarn with highly contrasting colors tends to distract from or even lose the pattern. A solid or more heathered variegated yarn would work best.

Drop Stitch Cowl by Abi GregorioAs Abi Gregorio said about her Drop Stitch Cowl pattern, “Grab your size 15 circs, a ball of super bulky yarn and cast on! In no time at all you’ll have a stylish accessory that will quickly become one of your most treasured possessions.” Her pattern page features a ton of color options which should show you how easy it is to knit this cowl. Once you memorize your rows, it’s smooth knitting from there!

Not-so-tiny slippers by Ysolda TeagueWhile you are resting, your feet sure could use a big wool hug. Ysolda Teague’s Not-so-tiny Slippers would look great on your bare feet or over your favorite pair of knit socks. Once you finish knitting, you get to complete your project with picking buttons! These adorable slippers have a functional button closure that allows you to really personalize them. Seriously, who doesn’t like buttons? Garter stitch + chunky yarn = quick cozy slippers!

There are tons of patterns for “rest” knitting and Ravelry makes it very easy to narrow them down. Here is the basic search we used to find these patterns but you can filter based on your preferences using the categories on the left sidebar. We actually had too many patterns to choose from so here are some we could not feature: Camp Out Fingerless Mitts (perfect with Noro), Red Rasta Cowl, Sandoval Hat, Pippi (the necklace version is great), Waiting for Winter Mittens, Calorimetry, Barley (for you tincanknits lovers), and Mira’s Cowl. If you really feel like taking a break from knitting, why not make some pom-poms or block past projects? Take it easy – your lacework will thank you!

Trivia This Week – S Is For Stash (Q3 #8)

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Last week we asked you to tell us how many yarn bases we currently carry that start with the letter “S.” I know, more counting!

The answer, of course, was 28, not counting the hotly debated Numma Numma yarn, “The Special.” The Special is tricky since alphabetically, it would surely fall in the “S” section, but we (and the dyer!) feel that “The” is an integral part of its name, so, a “T” it is.

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Some of our very favorite yarns start with “S,” like the buttery soft Smooshy with Cashmere, or Shepherd Worsted, my go-to for sweaters. Staccato Sock, with its silky sheen! Springvale DK, which I continue to believe is so soft it may not even be real.

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But at 28 out of 135, that means that a full 20% of all of our yarns start with just one letter of the alphabet. Maybe I’m too much of a nerd, but I think that’s an interesting tidbit. Similarly, most weeks. more than 75% of the trivia respondents names begin with one of six letters, something I find endlessly fascinating. Also, people with first names in the beginning of the alphabet are more likely to be Octopurls, and those with K, L, or M are more likely to be Fiber Monkeys. I don’t know why, but it’s true! (I am also endlessly fascinated by your zip codes and countries of origin, is this indicative of a syndrome?)

Everyone who submitted the correct answer has been credited and e-mailed to confirm. If you believe you submitted the correct answer and did not receive an e-mail, please let us know so we can take care of you. Look for a new trivia question for this week on Twitter!