By Popular Request: Heirloom Baby Bonnet in Multiple Sizes

Back in 2010, I received a rather charming design commission: to create a pattern from a well-loved baby bonnet.

I did it, sized to match the original bonnet, which was about a 3-month size.

Since then, I've received many requests to grade the pattern to multiple sizes... and this summer, I've finally had a chance to do it. It now has five sizes: 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year and 2 years. If you've already purchased the pattern through Ravelry or Patternfish, you'll receive the new version automatically.

If you bought a physical copy, email me at kate at wisehildaknits dot com.

And if you had been holding off buying it because it didn't have the size you need: now's the time! Ravelry & Patternfish.

I've got a baby shower to attend next weekend: I think I know what I'll be making...

(Thanks to Keri W. for the pictures of her lovely J, who is now somewhat more grown-up, but remains just as cute.)

Perhaps the next chance I get I'll grade this up to adult sizes... I've heard they are forecasting a bad winter... this might be just the thing I need.

Teaching Schedule for Fall/Winter

Most Tuesdays and Thursdays you can find me at Lettuce Knit.
Most Wednesdays and Saturdays (and the odd Sunday) you can find me at The Purple Purl.

September 18-21, Bayview Wildwood Resort, Ontario

Needle Emporium Knitting Camp

October 4-5, Vancouver B.C.

Knit City 2014
Classes are Custom Fit Socks, Pattern Writing, Finishing and the Pi Shawl.

October 18th, Burlington Ontario

Spun Fibre Arts: classes TBA.

November 15 & 16, Waterloo Ontario

Shall We Knit: Toe Up Socks, Finishing, Fixing Mistakes and the Pi Shawl

December 13, Port Credit, Ontario

Linda's Craftique: classes TBA.

January 16-18, New York, NY

Vogue Knitting Live: classes TBA.

April 16-19, 2015: Loveland, CO

Interweave Yarn Fest: classes TBA.

Introducing: Rosetta Tharpe

I'd like to introduce to you to Rosetta Tharpe.

Ms. Tharpe is not well known, but those who do know her call her the Godmother of Rock & Roll. Born in 1915, she was a gospel performer of great sophistication and skill, but also had rather a way with a guitar.

You can read more about her here.

This shawl is like Ms. Tharpe – classic in origin and inspiration, drawing on simple elements, but coming together in way that’s both elegant and bad-ass at the same time.

It’s based on the Pi shaping: starts at the center with nine stitches, with an increase round to double the stitch count every so often. The edging stitch pattern is flexible: work until you’ve run out of yarn, or the shawl is the size you want, or you just can’t take it anymore and want to wear the thing.

The project requires only basic lace knitting skills, and being worked in the round, there’s none (well, ok, very little) of that pesky purling. The only tricky bit is the start: you begin with a small round, but that’s over quickly.

I used indigodragonfly's amazing Uber MerGoat Sport merino/cashmere/nylon blend for any easy-care, weighty piece that knits up faster (and more spectacularly) than laceweight; and the weight of the yarn gives wonderful drape to the piece. The colorway is "Cumberbacchanal. Of course.

The pattern is available on Ravelry now, and as of Saturday, Kim will be making kits available starting 11am, Saturday August 16th. Order here! There will be two choices of yarn - the Uber MerGoat Sport, if you've got a bit of money saved up, and a more budget-friendly option, SuperBaa DK.

We'll also be hosting a Knit-Along in Kim's Ravelry group.

Never made a Pi shawl? This pattern is a great place to start.

Wear Ms. Tharpe folded over your shoulders like a triangle,

...or fully open for more drama and coverage. The fabric is weighty enough and the piece big enough that it stays very nicely in place.

A million thanks to Gillian Martin for her amazing photography.

Fair Isle Workshop at WEBS

A couple of weeks ago I made a trip on a tiny plane (seriously tiny... 18 seats)...

Tiny plane is tiny.

to Northhampton Massachusetts, to WEBS.

WEBS is a crafter's mecca. It's a giant warehouse-sized yarn shop. They cater to knitters and crocheters and weavers and spinners and they have everything. They cater to projects - and pocketbooks - large and small.

It's about 2 1/2 hours west of Boston, about three hours north of NYC, and absolutely a destination.

And I nearly fell off my chair when they emailed me out of the blue to ask me to go and teach. It turns out that they like my first book - a lot! they recommend it in many of their classes! -  and they wanted to meet me in person.

Of course I went.

Readers, I was so overwhelmed that I utterly failed you on the photos front. I took precisely one photo of the shop, and it's terrible.

Terrible photo is terrible.

However, it should give you a sense of the size of the place. That's just ONE CORNER of the main shop. There's an even larger warehousey area in the back, with sale yarns and all sorts of goodies.

I taught three classes - including my favourite Finishing - and had a fantastic time. The students were smart and fun and engaged and wonderful people.

But I think I had the most fun in the Fair Isle workshop... a full day, all about Fair Isle design and technique, which provides students the tools, skills and techniques to design their own Fair Isle sampler mitts.

I give a little bit of history.

We practice techniques.

And then we play with patterns.

Student Eileen F. designed and finished this one, in record time:

I also had a lovely time in Northampton. I made some new friends, and enjoyed all sorts of foodie fun in a pretty New England college town.

These guys know their stuff.

Delicious, although sadly the promised "Kate the Great" Russian Imperial Stout was unavailable.

And it's close enough to NYC to be able to find these... 

Thanks to Amy & the rest of the WEBS team for taking such good care of me!

I'm looking forward to a possible return visit, next year... Stay tuned...