Duetta's done!

Is it just us? We get an amazing idea and we think we'll just make it happen and then we realize what everyone else has already figured out ... Good Stuff Takes Time. It's always such a surprise to us!

paper pieced chevron yoke on the left, appliquéd hearts on the right

However today we're pleased to announce that the pattern for Duetta, that super sweet baby sweater that we talked about before, is finally ready. We knitted and quilted it. Three times. :) And wrote up the pattern. And then we had our trusty pattern testers knit and quilt it. Thank you to Kate and Annette and Maria!!! And then we tweaked the pattern. And then we knitted and quilted it in a larger size. And then we sent that off to see how it fit. And it was just about perfect!! And then we had the pattern proofread. Thank you to Stephanie! (How many patterns get proofread by someone with degrees in journalism AND education??) Thank you also to Stephanie for the gorgeous baby photography.

So, today, we are confident the pattern's finally ready. We listed it for sale at Craftsy. $5.00 for a .PDF that you can download immediately ... even if it's in the middle of the night and you just have to knit/quilt!!  Here's the link: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/knitting/Clothing/Duetta/13336

9-12 months size  with short sleeves - acrylic yarn - crazy quilted yoke

The pattern now has 3 sizes - 9-12 months, 2 years and 3 years and offers short or long-sleeve variations. It includes full-size templates for the quilted yoke and instructions for making that yoke in appliqué or by paper piecing. A fat quarter and some scraps will be plenty of fabric. 100gr of fingering weight yarn will make the 9-12 month size OR the 2 year size. 100 gr. of DK weight yarn will make the 3 year size.

slightly fuzzy photo of busy 3-year-old! (3/4 length sleeves) - our own simple yoke

It's a small project which goes quickly and makes a great gift.

Today, we're linking up with the Needle and Thread Network for the WIP feature although this is technically not in progress any longer. It's done!! :) Why not click on over and see what other Canadian needleworkers are up to. Every week, we have more and more participants.

A Valentine for Mr. Coco

CoCoMan Socks Copyright © Cheryl Coville 2012

We suppose we could have chosen flowers or candy....or even cookies....but in the end, there's nothing like a good pair of wool socks to keep a man happy. These socks have been in the works for a while now and Mr. Coco's had his eye on them all this time. For one thing, they're grey and that's pretty close to his favourite colour (which is black!). He's the original Mr. Conservative that way. For another thing, the pattern  stitch is very classic ....not lacey or froofroo at all. (We're not actually sure that's the correct spelling of "froofroo" but we think everyone will understand.)

Just look at that patterned heel!

From our point of view, these socks were very fun to knit. There's a mock cable thing going on that keeps the knitting going. And the heel flap!!! Oh, the heel flap. It's not boring at all. It showcases that fancy stitch pattern all the way down to the ground.

Here they are as we headed toward the heel of the second sock.

We used Lang Jawoll Magic Superwash and once again had tremendous luck with the stripes matching from one sock to the other. It's a really lovely wool to knit with and we have one more ball in our stash. It's beige to browns so that will be another pair of great socks to look forward to.

We want to thank our friend Kate for test knitting this pattern.

If you'd like to knit your man (or maybe yourself!) a pair of CoCoMan socks for Valentine's Day or any other occasion, we've loaded the pattern into our Ravelry store where it's available for immediate download for only a toonie! (That's two dollars for all you non-residents of the Kingdom of Coco.)

CoCoMan Socks Pattern

$2.00   

~ Happy Valentine's Day!

PS...Only one more sleep until we unveil our new project!!

Heat Wave Coping Strategies




A fan. A seat. A quiet activity. Headphones and podcasts. Beverages with ice. A furry friend.

We continue to knit on the Open Twisted Rib Scarf. That Knit Picks Aloft laceweight is very choice. Did we mention that it's 75% mohair and 25% silk? There are 246 yards of it in a 25 grm. ball. We have 2 of them. They're the Celestial colourway. (We also have 2 in the Cranberry colourway.) The silk doesn't take the dye the same as the mohair so it makes a very attractive mottled yarn.

We found the stitch pattern in an old book of knitting stitches. It's a multiple of 5 stitches plus 3 and shown worked flat. However, we've also worked it in the round for the cuff of socks. It's a simple one to figure out for working in the round.

We are chart lovers. We think you're either someone who appreciates charts or you're not. We do. We've therefore tried to chart this stitch pattern and we offer that here, for anyone who might like it. (We haven't had much experience making charts so if you find an error, we'd be grateful if you'd please let us know.) For this chart, we've marked EVERY row. So, start with 1 and work to the left. Then, for the 2nd row, read the chart to from left to right. Simple.  To print the chart, left click on the image and it should enlarge for you to print it successfully.

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We talk back!


To Kate: Not sure if you're a chart lover but if you are, we hope this helps. We'd love to see your finished scarf when you're done.

To Sophie: You are very young to have picked up the fine art of sucking up so well. However, we were thinking something red for you for Christmas. :)

To Stephanie: Glad to know you are already exposing little Sophie to the finer things in life....like art/knitting/quilting blogs!! :)  It's never too early to start indoctrinating the next generation of craftsmen.

Odd Ball Mittens

Is it surprising that we're still in a mitten state of mind? We've been thinking about mittens all winter. We like to make mittens for Afghans for Afghans and, being frugal, we like to use up every little bit of wool. In truth some of the sweetest little mittens are hodge-podges of many different leftover yarns but sometimes those old stripes get a little monotonous. The Odd Ball Mitten is just what the doctor ordered.

This mitten pattern is great for using up those odd balls of leftover yarn to make beautiful mittens without resorting to plain, old stripes.  However, these mittens are not just odd. They are special. And they are special (as in, my mother says I’m “special”) for another reason. They are created in a very unique way. They are modular mittens. Simple, really….just different. Best of all? No grafting. No Kitchener stitch. No, really!!

Rounded mitten tip

The modular approach results in a lovely curving mitten tip that surrounds the palm and when you use 2 different colours for the palm and the edging, you’ll end up with a beautiful decorative detail where the 2 colours meet. But why stop at 2 colours? These are great for using up leftovers. All the palm/back-of-hand inserts can be different. The edging can be a different yarn and then the cuffs can be striped. Or, you can make them all from one ball of yarn. It’s your choice.

Adult Size with Cabled Edging for a dressy look

The pattern includes 2 sizes....Adult and Child. It includes several variations so you won't get bored....garter stitch palms, seed stitch palms, stockinette edging and a cabled edging.

 

Odd Ball Mittens are made from worsted weight wool like Cascade 220, or Patons Classic Wool or Elann Highland Wool or you can even use up leftover sock yarn by knitting with 2 strands at a time.

Because we know it's a long drive for most of you to come to us in the Kingdom of Coco, we've opened a Ravelry store. Through one  click of the "Buy Now" button in the side bar, you can be transported to our store....Beam me up, Scottie!..... where you can buy the pattern with Paypal and then get immediate download of the .PDF at any hour of the day or night.

We hope you're not yet tired of mittens because we're not! But that, as they say, is a story for another day.