Life LackaDaisiCal

My Harvest Cowl - double it up and it's nice and cosy! or wear it as a long loop! With double textures - basket weave and garter stitch....it is reversible! So it doesn't matter how you wear it, just use your favourite luscious yarn! I knit my Harvest Cowl in Rowan's Select Soffili Yak yarn in this gorgeous Jewel shade! Other suggested yarns would be Hemp Tweed, Kid Classic or Felted Tweed and Kidsilk Haze knit together! Knit it all one shade as per my sample....or knit each section in a different shade! Finished cowl measures 24 cm deep and 110 cm round.  I used ALL of the 330m (360 yards) of Soffili Yak! You can adjust the depth of your cowl depending on how much yarn you have! I've written up this simple pattern for you to knit up your own Harvest Cowl! I'd love to see a few in different yarns! You can find the pattern on Ravelry here ! Happy Knitting! Anne (with Lackie and Daisy at her feet, all tuckered ...

Soffili Yak and Kidsilk Haze Vintage collections! Rowan Selects yarns should start popping up in yarn stores here in Canada and the USA soon! (If you see any in your LYS, let me know!) There are two scheduled for late October that I want to tell you about.  Kidsilk Haze Vintage - The same Kidsilk Haze that you love, with sort of a marl feel, this version of Kidsilk Haze has a white core. This gives the yarn a depth of colour, it sort of shimmers!!! The other is Soffili Yak! This yarn is similar to Brushed Fleece, it's light and airy and I have to say it is a dream to knit with! I sort of love it! The photos above are sneaky peaks of the designs that have been created for these two Select "limited edition" yarns! Designs by Lisa Richardson, Sarah Hatton, Marie Wallin! When you purchase the Selects yarn, your yarn shop should have a hard copy of these designs for you free with purchase ! But never fear, they are available free f...

Nagano, by Vibe Ulrik +Rowan Yarns   Pure Linen This is a unique construction - each half of the sweater, so the right front and back, are knit as one. The left piece is one of those lovely lace stitches that Vibe does....with knit 2 together through the back loop on the right side and purl 2 together through the back loop on the wrong side. I did swatch it, but I have to tell you, I love the rustic look of this yarn in plain old vanilla stocking stitch...so I decided to do both sides the same. I love the way it grows diagonally from the centre seam! The pattern calls for the sleeves to be knit and then sewn onto the body pieces. I chose to pick up stitches and decrease down to the size of sleeve called for in the pattern, then knit top down following the pattern instructions! It worked just fine! I love the feel of this top - it is light and airy and flowy and it is the perfect length!!! As with all of my Pure Linen sweaters, I do wear a camisole und...

It is September already! When kids go back to school, they are sometimes asked to write a report on what they did on their summer vacation....this is my report! The summer lingers but evenings are cooler. The garden is winding down...the Echinaceas are past prime, and the last Hostas are blooming! This is my favourite time of year for many reasons....Before we settle in for the knit season....I wanted to give you an update of what's been happening here this summer! So, i t's been HOT! Hotter than any summer I can recall! Hubby and I cancelled our June trip (a combination of circumstances) and this gave me a great excuse to spend my summer vacation (dollars) visiting yarns shops (both new and familiar ones). Recently I read an article from the perspective of a yarn shop owner....about "customers" who come in, look around, do research, maybe ask a question or two, finger some yarn, then turn around and order from an on-line source (because it is chea...

Indie dyers are known for their special edition shades or bases. Fans will queue up for hours for that one skein of Rhinebeck colourway....or subscribe to yarn clubs to get their hands on luxurious bases.....all limited editions! Rowan is bringing the limited edition concept to their retailers and knitters with the Rowan "Selects" program. "Selects" will be yarns available in limited quantities....once the production is gone......it's gone! These yarns will be supported by a collection of patterns designed specifically for each Select yarn. These collections will be available free with purchase at your yarn retailer! I believe that there might also be additional free patterns available on the Rowan web site. Right now, I only see one retailer offering their Select yarns on a pre-order basis! This is in the UK. Here in Canada (and North America) I haven't seen any Selects offered yet. So if any of these yarns interest you....do your sleuthi...

Rowan has decided to focus on a select "Core" group of yarns. 20 of them! This core group includes all the classic Rowan yarns, like Kidsilk Haze, Felted Tweed, Cotton Glacé, Denim, Handknit Cotton, Kid Classic and Big Wool... and the best of the newer yarns.....Baby Merino Silk DK (not just for babies), Fine Lace, Hemp Tweed and the Summerlite cottons (4 ply and DK). Colour ranges have been streamlined also.....creating a classic, sophisticated palette of shades. The cull wasn't easy to do (per David MacLeod, Rowan's Design Manager) but this bold move will allow the design team to focus their support on the yarns that we all love! There have been so many new yarns introduced in the last few years, that even a hard core Rowan officionado like me couldn't keep up. Yarns were introduced, then just as quickly discontinued. This was rather annoying for us knitters....and I can't imaging how the retailers coped! Of course, there are fa...

Rowan Yarns has been producing their seasonal magazines for 30 years! Imagine that! All of the magazine covers were displayed in the Rowan offices in the Green Lane Mill... wonder where they are now? (In case you didn't know, Rowan moved out of the Green Lane Mill building this year, to new digs at Brookes Mill in Huddersfield.) I started buying Rowan Magazines with number 11 - see it in the above photo - second row, second one from the left! Confession...I NEVER knit anything from a Rowan magazine....like for years! I was too intimidated by the fabulous designs and my startitis condition. You know what I'm talking about...start a project, start a project, see something new, start a project...never finish a project. It was YEARS of collecting (the magazines and yarn too) before I actually finished anything. A Rowan Club at my LYS really got me focussed on the actual knitting of the Rowan Designs that I loved so much. Magazine 1 was published in 198...