Announcing our Summer KAL.

That's right, a knit-along! We've chosen Shallows , a lovely cowl or scarf, designed by Bonnie Sennott, also known as Blue Peninsula.

The pattern is available for in-store purchase (or on Ravelry) and calls for 350 yards of a light fingering weight yarn on size 4 needles. The sample shown was knit with Swans Island Organic Merino/Alpaca and it's stunning. Of course there are loads of other options and we especially like blends that include silk, bamboo and/or alpaca to ensure drape. The Fibre Company's Canopy Fingering (you'd need two skeins) and Shibui's Staccato (also two skeins) would be perfect. The Canopy Fingering is a blend of merino, alpaca and bamboo and Staccato is a blend of merino and silk.

I'm going to play around a bit more with mine. That's one of the great thing about knitting cowls and scarves - they don't have to fit!

I've chosen Shibui's Cima and Silk Cloud, which mixes to a sport weight (a little heavier than what the pattern suggests). I'm thinking I'll use size 6 needles so it will drape. I have two skeins of each which gives me just over 650 yards; that would be more than enough to knit the pattern as written. I'll probably add stitches to get more width and I'll see how it goes to determine if I add rows for more length. Stay tuned...

The KAL officially kicks off this Friday, July 25. We'll be casting on at the shop that afternoon. If you can't be there in person, we hope you'll join us virtually. You can share questions, comments, and - of course! - project photos in our Ravelry group or on Facebook.

Please join us!

Guess Who's on Instagram Now?

...yep! We finally (!?) took the plunge. You can follow us using the button at the top of the sidebar or just search for "castoncottage" in the Explore tab on Instagram.

We look forward to sharing glimpses of what's fun and new at the shop - and hope you'll enjoy the virtual visits. We are also really excited about seeing what you share...stash, WIPs, FOs, needlepoint, inspiration, puppies... Please feel free to tag us (@castoncottage) to be sure we see your posts.

The Finished Poncho.

Which is really the story of how this

became this!

I finished the knitting on Sunday night (stockinette is great for World Cup matches!) I had a big rectangle of linen that looked kind of like a mess (that's the top photo above).

Monday morning I wove in the ends - there were just a couple that happened mid-row. I always join yarn mid-row if the edge will show. It's so much easier to hide the ends that way. I split the linen into 3 pieces and threaded each piece onto a sharp needle and buried that end into the wrong-side purl bumps.

Then I gave the piece a soak in cool water for about 30 minutes, patted out some of the water and proceeded to block it. I threaded wires through all four sides of the piece, stretched it into a rectangle and pinned the wires to hold it all in place.

I was delighted that the stitches really did even out!

It took just a few hours to dry. Then onto the seaming. For once I wasn't putting that part off - it is only 13 inches! I laid the piece out with the cast-on edge to my right and the bind-off edge to my left. I used a one-stitch seam allowance on the right edge and a 1-1/2 stitch allowance on the left edge.

See how the V's line up!

I had a few more ends to bury in the seam and then it was done. I am thrilled with the finished piece! The linen is so light and airy it's almost transparent.

And the drape is perfect.

Note that I didn't use that fifth skein and I had about half of the fourth leftover. For more details, check out my project page on Ravelry.

A Linen Poncho.

Yep, a poncho. In linen. I'm convinced it's going to be my go-to accessory for the summer. At the shop, we've been huge fans of the Churchmouse Easy Folded Poncho pattern since it came out way back in 2011. I finally knit my first one last summer and it was a great transitional piece for the fall and spring. So great that I think I need two more - one for winter (probably in the suggested Rowan Felted Tweed) and one for summer. I'd been planning the summer one in Rowan's Revive, but then I saw the new Pure Linen and it stole my heart.

work in progress...

As you might guess from its name, Pure Linen is 100% natural linen; it knits up to create a lightweight fabric that drapes beautifully. The eight colors are natural and muted ... perfect for year-round wear; I chose Sahara (a golden straw color) for my poncho.

If you're familiar with the pattern, you know it's a stockinette rectangle, knit at a slightly loose gauge. The pattern calls for a DK weight yarn, which would typically knit up at 22 stitches to 4 inches, knit at 20 stitches to 4 inches (or about 10% fewer stitches per inch). The simple shape makes this pattern super-easy to substitute yarns. All you need to do is adjust the number of stitches you cast on. If you use a heavier yarn, you'll cast on fewer stitches; conversely, you'd cast on more stitches if you use a lighter weight yarn.

The Pure Linen ball band suggests 17 stitches/28 rows to 4 inches on a size 7 needle. The finished pieces that I've seen are plenty loose and drapey so I planned to try for that gauge. I multiplied the cast-on stitches in the pattern by (17/20 - my looser gauge divided by the pattern gauge) and cast on with the size 7 needle.

You read that right. I didn't swatch! ... and after knitting about 2 inches, I realized my gauge was closer to 14 stitches to 4 inches - my poncho was going to be huge! (and ugly - the knitting was way too loose and wonky!)

So I ripped. And swatched. This time I went down to a size 6 needle. I knit a decent sized piece, soaked it, dried it and then measured. My gauge is still looser than the ball band suggests, but the fabric is nice and I think it's going to be perfect for the poncho.

note that the blocked stitches look a lot better!

For my second cast-on, I multiplied the pattern stitches by 16/20 (my 4 inch gauge divided by the pattern's 4 inch gauge). For a big stockinette rectangle, fewer stitches isn't a bad thing, is it?!

Note that determining the amount of yarn you'll need when you substitute is a bit tricky. I figured I'd need about 17/20 (my gauge divided by the pattern's gauge) of the pattern's suggested 840 yards. That worked out to 5.02 balls. I'm nearly through the third ball (I'd say I've used about 400 yards of yarn) and the piece measures about 38 inches. I bought five balls and I think that will be plenty.

I'll report back once the piece is finished; hopefully very soon - I can't wait to wear it! I'm picturing it over a chambray shirt with white jeans

Poncho Inspiration by mere2007 

...or a white t-shirt and dark denim? How would you wear it?

Stay tuned to this week's newsletter for more summer-weight yarn ideas to pair with this pattern.

A(nother) Mystery KAL.

Has anyone else noticed the growing popularity of mystery KALs on Ravelry? A few of us are six weeks into Rowan's Mystery Afghan KAL, featuring their new Pure Wool Worsted (it's not too late to join, click here for all the details)...and a few of us are gearing up for this summer's hottest mystery shawl, hosted by Through the Loops and Kirsten Kapur .

Here's what Kirsten says about the design:

This year’s shawl will be a shallow triangle. I love this shape for its ease of wear. Since the point is not nearly as deep or pronounced as on a traditional triangle it can be tossed casually around the neck much like a scarf. With its triangular shape it still works well worn across the back as a shawl to show off the lovely patterning. For this design I recommend a solid, semi-solid, or gradient yarn. 

Her sample used 500 yards of fingering-weight yarn and she suggests a size 6 needle. She also says that complete swatching information will be available as part of the first clue that comes out on June 1. The remaining four clues will be released on the next four Sundays, hopefully by midnight Eastern time. If you stick to the schedule, you could be sporting a new summer shawl for the July 4th weekend! Please note that the pattern is available (on Ravelry or in-store) for half-price until June 1.

Kathy and I had fun yesterday picking out yarn. Here are a few of our suggestions.

First up, Fibre Company Meadow. This is a heavy lace-weight blend of merino, llama, silk and linen. One 545 yard skein should be enough (if you get gauge!). I used this yarn to knit Meadowsweet last summer (another Mystery KAL) and love the finished piece.

Meadow in Bergamot

Kathy and Sue have chosen Isager's Alpaca Merino 2, a fingering weight blend of ... alpaca and merino. You would need two skeins of a single color, but we think the gradient is stunning.

Alpaca Merino 2 in colorways 30, 4, 2 and 0 (top to bottom) 

 And last but not least, because we love how it looks knit up in lace, Quince&Co Sparrow. This is a fingering weight linen and comes in 168 yard skeins. Choose four of a single color...or a gradient.

Sparrow in colorways Sans, Little Fern, Citron and Fen (left to right)

I'd planned to use that skein of Meadow myself, but once I saw the Sparrow (and how pretty it looks knitted in lace), I changed my mind.

my choice - Sparrow in Paprika

Don't forget to join the Fans of Through the Loops group on Ravelry and introduce yourself on the mystery thread. The virtual community is a lot of fun for mystery KALs!

Quince & Co Linen | Project Inspiration.

Just in time for - our admittedly a bit belated! - Spring - we are so very pleased that our first shipment of Quince & Company linen has arrived! We are now stocking both Sparrow and Kestrel...in all the colors (of course!)

Both yarns are 100% organic linen, and like your favorite woven linen garments, they'll get softer and drapier with wear. Sparrow is a multi-ply sport-weight (recommending 6 stitches per inch on a size 3 needle), similar to Euroflax and Claudia's Hand-painted Linen. But the color palette is softer and more...organic.

Sparrow in Juniper and Birch

Kestrel is a flattened, chain-stitch tube that knits up to an aran to chunky gauge (recommending 4 to 3.75 stitches per inch on a size 9 to 10-1/2 needle). It reminds me of Shibui Linen, but bigger (much bigger!)

Kestrel in Rosehip and Senza

Quince & Company has plenty of pattern support for Sparrow, including Hannah Fettig's Knitbot Linen from last spring. This yarn is also suggested for two of our newest favorite designs - Bristol Ivy's Linum Tee (from Spring 2014 Interweave Knits) and Jamie Thomas' Meander (just released last week).

Kestrel is new this season and Quince & Company has released a five-pattern collection of simple sweaters and a cowl. But if you'd like to dip your toes into a smaller project, how about the Churchmouse Diagonal Lace Scarf & Wrap . I cast on the wrap-sized version  myself Sunday evening and I'm thrilled with the quick progress I'm getting with 42 stitches on size 11 needles!

A few inches into the 2nd ball...it's already more than 16" long!

And stay tuned for a tutorial on how to turn this project into the perfect social knit...once you know how to read your knitting, it's a piece of cake!

Rowan Afghan Mystery KAL | Week One.

We got off to a great start with Week One. The clue came out a few days early to give all the anxious knitters an opportunity to knit over the holiday weekend. A group of us gathered at the shop Friday afternoon to get started (well, a few of us couldn't wait that long and arrived with a few squares already completed).

showing off our progress!

I decided not to swatch (??!! right??!!) and knit my first square on size 7 needles as the pattern suggested. Whoa. It turned out huge (as in 9-3/4" x 8-3/4" instead of approximately 8" square). I knit a second square on size 6's. It's still a little big (9" x 8-1/2"), but I like the fabric.  And that square used only 28 grams of the 100g ball, so I can knit three squares at that gauge and have enough yarn. I still need to block the square and I'm hoping I can "square it up" a bit then. To block, I'll pin it into shape and then spritz it (with plain tap water) to get it wet. When it dries, it should hold the pinned out shape.

my two completed squares - the first (bigger) one I knit is on the bottom to give you an idea how much bigger it is!

I think I'm the only one from our shop doing a 17-color afghan. I've mapped Martin's original color recommendations to my yarn so it's really easy for me to simply follow his suggestions to know which colors to use each week. For this first clue, he suggested Redcurrent (120) and Grasshopper (130). I have the Grasshopper and instead of Redcurrent, I have Rich Red (124). Folks knitting five or nine color afghans have to decide... regardless, you need to knit six squares.

It's not too late to join in. The next clue comes out a week from today, on Monday, April 28. You still have a whole week to knit the first six squares! You can find all the details in the Rowan forum on Ravelry (here). We also have a thread in our Ravelry group if the volume of posts in the Rowan thread scares you! If you want to be eligible for prizes at the end, you do need to 

1. use the Pure Wool Worsted;
2. finish (and post photos on Ravelry), I think by sometime in mid-to-late July; and
3. write one post in the Rowan forum (thread linked above) to "sign up".

It's really not hard... if you need help, just let us know!

A Dispatch from the Yellow Table.

Sometimes I overthink this whole blogging thing, especially when it's been a long time since I posted*. I want to share something "perfect"...and I get so caught up in all that...that I just can't seem to get it done. So I decided this morning that I'd take a different approach. Something simple. Y'all let me know what you think.

This is the first in what I hope to make a recurring feature here, sharing a bit of what's going on around our Yellow Table.

First up, we're excited about the latest issues of Knit.Wear and Knitscene, especially these four tops, perfect for the warmer weather:

Folded Lace Tank - Pretty pleats and lace knit in Manos' Serena.

(c) Interweave Knits

Bokeh Tank - Another pretty top with lace accents, knit with Shibui Linen and Silk Cloud held together. The Silk Cloud adds just a touch of soft halo to the Linen's structure. There's a sample swatch in the shop if you want to see and feel for yourself.

(c) Knitscene/Harper Point

Linum Tee - ...and Another! This one is knit with Quince & Co's Sparrow...which should be in the shop any day now. That's right! We're going to be carrying Sparrow! This tee requires only five or six skeins for most sizes; it's a great project to try the yarn.

(c) Knitscene/Harper Point

Morro Tank - Asymmetrical color blocks knit in Shibui Staccato. What's not to love!

(c) Knitscene/Harper Point

We're still talking about - and a few of us are knitting! - Shibui. Sandy's Mix workshops last weekend were a lot of fun. Nothing like a few dozen garments in a trunk show to get everyone excited about a new project...or three! Right, that might me! (you can read about my queue derailment on my personal blog -> here)

Mix swatches - that top one is Pebble & Linen and maybe my new favorite

And last but not least, an upcoming Mystery KAL.

(c) Rowan Yarns, 2014

This one is hosted by Rowan and features an afghan designed by Martin Storey to highlight their new (washable) Pure Wool Worsted. You can read more details on the pattern page in Ravelry (here) or come into the shop. We've got all fifty colors in stock; you can use one of their suggested palettes, or create your own. Here's mine:

I started with the suggested 17-color palette and swapped out a few colors to make my unique palette. I've done a few Mystery KALs, but never one for an afghan. I think the format of this KAL might be just the thing to keep me excited about all that knitting!

So - that's it - of course there's a lot more going on in the shop... yarn, patterns, works-in-progress... if you have an hour or two, we'd love to have you stop by. Take a seat at the Yellow Table. Share what you're working on...and soak up inspiration. It's one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon!

*Whoa, February 20 seems like ages ago...and it was in a way. It was winter and we were digging out from snow and knitting all the warm things. And now it's spring. The weather forecast is sunshine and low 70's. A new season is always an inspiration, isn't it?!

Mixing It Up.

It's no secret I'm a huge fan of Shibui's yarns. According to Ravelry, I've completed ten projects with their yarns, including Heichi (worsted weight raw silk), Staccato (fingering weight super wash merino and silk blend), Silk Cloud (lace weight mohair and silk blend), Linen, Merino Alpaca (worsted weight merino and alpaca blend) and - most recently - Pebble (a lace weight silk, merino and cashmere blend).

Four of these projects feature "mixes" - holding together multiple strands of one or more yarns. Admittedly I've become slightly obsessed with the whole idea of blending the different fibers and textures to create the perfect "yarn" for a project. One of my favorite mix-ins is Silk Cloud. I added it to Heichi for Garance (project details here) and to Staccato and then Merino Alpaca for two Mix No. 9's (project details here and here). Something about that silky mohair, with its fine halo and shimmery core, takes a beautiful yarn and makes it truly stunning. It also plumps up…so instead of knitting with a fingering weight, it's DK, or instead of worsted, it's aran. And that means fewer stitches per inch, resulting in quicker projects.

my Mix No. 9 - Staccato and Silk Cloud

I knit Mix No. 9 for the first time last winter as part of our knit-along. I followed the pattern as written, holding together one strand each of Staccato and Silk Cloud (to make a DK gauge). I'm not gonna lie…it was a lot of knitting (nearly 900 yards on size 7 needles). But it was most definitely worth it. The finished piece is beautiful, wearable, warm (it's gotten lots of use this year!) and stylish. My daughter has borrowed it multiple times, but when I offered to knit one for her but she said "no". She wants to knit it for herself … someday (yes, it's a lot of knitting!)!!

can you see the halo and the shine from the Silk Cloud?

Ah…but she needs the cowl now! So I tweaked the pattern a bit and used a chunkier mix (Merino Alpaca and Silk Cloud, which knits up at an aran gauge), bigger needles (size 10), fewer stitches and a lot less knitting! I was delighted with the project (you can see all the details on my Ravelry page here); and she loves it, too!

her Mix No. 9 - Merino Alpaca and Silk Cloud

Heichi and Silk Cloud would be perfect for another chunky version. I'd suggest size 9 needles and a few more stitches. But if you don't mind all the knitting, I think Pebble and Silk Cloud would be stunning. That mix knits up to a DK weight (which is what the pattern suggests), but I'd still go up a needle size to an 8, and reduce the stitches just a bit.

In summary, here are suggested alternate mixes, skeins, needle and stitch counts. Follow the pattern as written except for these changes (and feel free to ask if you have questions!)

• Merino Alpaca (4 skeins) and Silk Cloud (2 skeins) - size 10 needle; 52 stitches.
• Heichi (5 skeins) and Silk Cloud (2 skeins) - size 9 needle; 56 stitches
• Pebble (4 skeins) and Silk Cloud (3 skeins) - size 8 needle; 64 stitches

Have you tried mixing it up? Which mixes are your favorites? and which ones do you want to try?

Beaubourg | Done.

Yep, it's done! finished. seamed. blocked. gifted. and (very poorly! so sorry, Katie!) photographed.

You can see the details on sizing, needles and yarn requirements on my Ravelry project page (here).

I followed the pattern exactly, except for the collar which I picked up and knitted directly onto the neck edge (instead of knitting it separately and then seaming). And it came together beautifully. I especially love the yarn over short rows to shape the shoulders and front neckline. I did think to take photos as I worked them and created a short pictorial to walk you through the technique.

A few other finishing notes:

• I buried all my ends on the knit side (which is the wrong side of the finished piece) before I started seaming. Note that I joined all the new balls a few stitches in from the sides so my side seams would be smooth. Heichi separates into three strands; I buried each of those strands separately with a sharp needle. 
• I used Silk & Ivory (from the needlepoint side of the shop) to sew the seams. That thread is sturdy and smooth and made seaming the Heichi almost easy.
• I worked all the seams in mattress stitch, treating the knit side like the right side. That put my seams on the outside once I turned the garment purl side out. (and yes, that means I had to do a very careful job with them because it's like wearing a garment inside out!)
• I first seamed both shoulders and then I knit the collar.
• For the collar, I picked up a multiple of 4 stitches (so I could work the K2/P2 ribbing in the round) beginning at one shoulder. I knit the collar with the knit side facing - just like a regular collar on a stockinette sweater. I bound off in pattern, loosely. I didn't work any special bind off, just loose - but even - tension on the stitches. The collar used a full skein of yarn to be exactly the 6" the pattern suggested.
• And then I seamed the sides, wove in the last few ends (this sounds quick but it took four hours!) and gave it good 30 minute soak (in the bathroom sink).
• I smoothed it into place and let it dry. Note that I took this photo early in the drying process. I subsequently unfolded the collar so it wouldn't dry with any kind of crease. (note that Katie isn't wearing the collar folded in the photo above).

And now - the pictorial on working the short rows. We've added a new section to the sidebar to store tutorials like this…hopefully over time we'll have a real catalog. If there are ones you'd like to see added soon, please let us know.

I think that's all I have to say about Beaubourg - except - I wish it were mine! The finished piece feels great and you know silk is one of my favorite fibers. Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope you'll consider knitting this one for yourself!

Sundry | Tips to Begin.

Three of us cast on our Sundry shawls at the shop last Friday and I know there are a few more out there! Please do share your progress in our Ravelry group; we'd love to cheer y'all on!

I've used about one-third of my main color yarn, so that means I'm half-way through the main color solid garter section. There are 69 stitches on the needles, but the rows are getting noticeably longer; I'm not sure how many stitches I'll be able to increase before I start the houndstooth section.

The only tip I have to share so far is to mark the right edge of the right side (RS) rows. I'm using a locking stitch marker and I move it up every few inches so I can see it easily. When I start a row at that edge, I know I'm knitting a right side row (with an increase at the beginning). Conversely, when I start a row at the other edge, I know I'll be decreasing at the beginning and increasing at the end.

I am nearly certain I've messed up those increases and decreases somewhere along the 100+ rows I've worked. But I'm completely positive it doesn't matter! I am just weighing my yarn and counting my stitches every few inches so I'll know when to start the houndstooth section.

Isn't that bias edge pretty? (it's the left edge of the RS rows.)

If you have any questions about your Sundry please post them here or on Ravelry. And please - share photos!!

…and now I'm off to start swatching the latest from Shibui.

yep, I do love my job!

Sundry KAL.

Over the weekend, I started a thread on Ravelry announcing our next KAL (here). And I did get a one "love" response…but nothing else. I can only hope that means y'all are so busy watching the weather forecasts you aren't thinking about knitting?! Of course I don't know about the rest of you, but if I'm facing a forced day or two at home, the only thing I'm thinking about is "what am I going to knit?" (once I've made sure I have ample milk, coffee, popcorn and wine in the house!)

So let's just forget about the winter weather advisory for a bit and start thinking about Sundry. Click here to ooh and ahh over the project gallery . The pattern is available for in-store purchase (or on Ravelry).

Jennifer Dassau, the designer, describes it like this:

An elongated, asymmetrical wrap that combines the warmth and style of a shawl with the wearability of a scarf; Sundry means various or diverse, and this wrap features two colors, two stitch patterns and endless styling options. Cast on at the long, pointed end, Sundry has shaping at each end of rows that grow ever wider. Two colors contrast yet harmonize in solid garter stitch and houndstooth slipstitch sections; the slipstitch is easily worked using just one color per row. A simple picot bind off finishes the long straight end.

She suggests a sport-weight yarn, about 380 yards each of two colors, on a size 7 needle. The finished piece measures approximately 24" deep and 112" wide (measured along the longest edge of the triangle).

The nice thing about a shawl is that you really can knit it out of anything; your finished piece and yarn/needle requirements will just…be different.

Here is Kathy modeling her Sundry. It's big and cozy, knit at a DK-ish gauge. The brown she used is the Lotus Mimi…100% mink!…doubled. And she really does love it… even though I failed to capture her smiling! (sorry, Kathy!)

I mean the details…what's not to love?

Here it is blocking to give you a better idea on the size and the shape (I think that's a queen-sized bed).

This piece is all about COLOR! We really love contrasting solids: black (or navy) and white with a pop of red or yellow; charcoal or lavendar and cream. This one, by stormyk9 is a gorgeous example (and she's written detailed notes about how she did it on her Ravelry project page). Shibui Staccato, Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, Spud & Chloe Fine and Marion Foale are all great choices for solid colors in a fingering weight. Mirasol Nuna and Shibui Cima doubled would be lovely in a sport weight. Contrasting tonals work, too. I've chosen Malabrigo Sock in Eggplant and Turner for mine (that combination has been a favorite since Stephen West's Lakedale Shawl way back in Malabrigo Book 3).

If you want to use a variegated colorway (Claudia Handpaints fingering or Sweet Georgia Tough Love) - and those yarns make the houndstooth section look like a mosaic - just be sure to choose a contrasting solid or semi-solid for the second color. The key is contrast. You want the two colors to really pop in that houndstooth section; don't choose yarns that share colors - you'll get mud in the middle.

Adjust your needle size up or down depending on your yarn's weight - and your personal preferences. I know I like Malabrigo Sock knitted on a size 6, so I'm going to start there. If I don't like the way it looks after a few inches, I can always rip it out and start over! (in other words, I'm considering the first couple of inches my "swatch"  :-)

For yardage, we don't suggest less than about 350 yards of a fingering or sport weight (unless you want a much smaller piece). The designer has included notes that describe how to get the most out of the yarn you have. We do have a lot of experience with this shawl, so if you have any questions, just ask!

The official cast-on is this Friday afternoon (January 31, 2014). We hope you'll join us in person or virtually. If you do join virtually, please share your project with our Ravelry group…and post photos. We can't wait to see!

...and now the snow is falling…I'm off to another pot of coffee and some knitting. stay warm, y'all!