Announcing the Beach House KAL

Have you had your eye on Beach House?

Now is the time to get your copy, because not only is it on sale from now until Aug 2 at midnight. There's also going to be a KAL for it in August!

This is the perfect hot-weather knit because it's small, fast, and looks great in a cotton/linen yarn. The open mesh is light on your lap and easy on your wrists, and the blocking is pure magic!

The KAL will begin August 10 and run for four weeks. There's fun! There's company! There's PRIZES! Get in on this, cause it's gonna be a good time.

You can head on over to the Holla Knits ravelry group to participate!

Great Northern: Lucy Moran

Today I'd like to share with you a bit about one of my favourite Twin Peaks characters, Lucy Moran.

The show is populated with unusual residents, written to reflect common narrative tropes found in American television. These characters then serve the ultimate purpose of underlining the un-reality of the mythos from which they sprang.

This makes the show fascinating to watch; but that sort of intellectual stimulation seeped in near unrelenting emotional darkness can get to a gal. Characters like Lucy Moran snap the episode back to a space where comedic relief (albeit a dark sort of humour) can occur.

Lucy sounds, acts, and looks like a stereotypical lovable, air-headed blonde (I'm sure her last name is a "moron" pun). She works hard at her job as receptionist at the sheriff's office, fulfilling all types of unusual requests from laying out perfect towers of doughnuts for the men and sorting through files in search of pet bird owners. Every time I knew there was a scene with Lucy in it I felt an emotional sigh of relief, and wondered what sort of disarmingly honest things she would say or do.

Her intimate relationships with two men in Twin Peaks provide the show with romantic narrative foils, and do much in skewering idealized notions of the innocence of young love. She and Andy are one of the only couples who achieve a happy ending, while at the same time being two of the most apparently bumbling and well-meaning characters on the show.

Lucy's character is reflected in her clothing. You'll most often find her with some of the wackiest, most over-sized 90s sweaters the show has to offer. Her clothes tend to overwhelm her, emphasizing her small size, and embracing an over-done replication of that era's "professional wear" for women. Her large clothes, paired with her small, high voice, create a cutting dichotomy in this sweet, benign figure.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Tonesen design
Blog: TonesenDesign
Rav ID: tonesen
Some Great Designs: tonesen's Rav Designer Page

I think this designer's work is best stated by the designer herself! Here's a quote taken from her Designer Page on Ravelry:

"A Norwegian who is very interested in kofter (cardigans) and their history. Because of this interest I started the Norwegian group “Koftegruppa” on Facebook in 2013.
I am huge fan of patterns and typical shapes from decades before the 80’s. That is what inspire me in my designs and my redesigns."

She has seven designs right now on Ravelry, all sweaters with beautiful colourwork. I'm going to show you two.

First up is the pictured Kvistymre. This is her most recently published design, and I think it shows off her vintage and traditional sensibilities quite well.  

Second, I want to point you to Skogstjerner. This is a colourwork yoke sweater, as opposed to an overall colourwork sweater like Kvistymre above. The reason this sweater really caught my attention was her fun choices in yarn colour for the sample. Greens and orange a white!

Head on over to her Ravelry Designer Page to read and see more!

Handmade Fashion Challenge: The Pieces

#HMFC2015

You are a maker. You are passionate. You are up for a challenge.

Want to join the challenge? Check out the details on this post.

Last week I went over  my answers to Jean's Style Guide.
This week, I want to show you the choices I've made!

And sticking to the rules, I'll also post this declaration on Instagram with the hashtag #hmfc2015.

Theme: 1970s Glam

Piece #1
Knit Crop Top

• Check out the bottom right image in that mosaic there. That's a cute crop top I knit for myself right before TNNA this May. I've had dreams of doing up more, and with colourwork, even, so I think this is a great opportunity for that.
• Why does this fit into a) 1970s glam and b) something I want/need for my wardrobe? The 70s were way big on crop tops, don't ya know! (have a looky at my extensive 70s inspired Pinterest board). Also, I've come to realize that I LOVE wearing skirts, but I'm not happy with how most sweaters look with a skirt on me. So, the solution is to get a sweater that ends right where the skirt band starts: the natural waist!

Piece #2
Sewn Crop Top

• See most of the answers to #1 for my reasons. The pic is the top one on the left in the mosaic; that's a crop top I sewed for myself last year.

Piece #3
Sewn 70s Skirt

• Pretty self explanatory. Go 70s skirt go! I have plenty of vintage patterns, two of which you see in the middle left image in the mosaic. So, my question is: which skirt should I sew?

Piece #4
Crocheted Poncho

• Ahhh, the poncho. I decided that my 1970s Glam wardrobe needed one of these because, in all honesty, shrugs/wraps/etc... get a lot of use from me. They're very hand to have at work, as it's pretty heavily air conditioned and can sometimes get chilly. I figure a poncho does the very same thing, especially the one that I have in mind to make.
• You'll notice in the bottom left image there that I already have at least ONE granny square crocheted. This is in keeping with the rules, where you're allowed one WIP. So far I have about 15 squares; I calculate I'll need something like 330. So, yah. Time to get crocheting!

Great Northern: Design Profile #1

When Leah and I started comparing notes and brainstorming cohesive designs for Great Northern, she was a bit surprised that I found inspiration in the character and wardrobe of Norma. I'll be speaking more in a few weeks about why I like Norma so much, but for now I just wanted to touch on one of the patterns I've drawn from her.

The working name for this one is Norma's Henley; she's one of the characters who's often dressed in some classy, vintage threads. One scene in particular caught my eye: she's wearing a great, structured pullover that has the classic lines and shape of a Henley. This type of top was quite popular in the 1970s, an era of fashion that I'm particularly fond of, and remains a basic in many wardrobes today.

I wanted to take the enduring modern tradition of the Henley and remake it for the contemporary knitter. This sweater will be the sort of thing that you'll wear for many years to come, with flattering shaping details for the waist and bust, long set-in sleeves, and delicate neckline detail.

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Indie Designer Day

© E. Cummings

Designer: Katy H. Carroll
Rav ID: Katinka
Some Great Designs: Katinka's Rav Designer Page

There's lovely accessories from this week's designer, each with eye-catching texture.

Here's just three:

The Carver Scarf (pictured) is one of Katinka's most recently published designs. I'm a great proponent of scarves, though I know many people aren't super keen on them. But check out this one! It's got such great surface texture, adding visual interest to a piece that could easily be unisex.

Her Emmeline Wrap is designed with knitting and wearing ease and comfort in mind. Worked from tip-to-tip, there are never too many, cumbersome stitches on the needle. You also get the pleasure of seeing that lace border block out, and turn into gently rolling waves of yarnny texture!

And finally, get a look at her Pollina Cowl. This is a tall, slouchy cowl (one of my favourite types!) in a fingering weight. It uses attractive leaf texture and beading to make this one classy cowl indeed!

Katinka has very kindly offered a coupon for all Canary Knits readers! Now through the end of July you can get 30% off all patterns in her Ravelry store with the coupon code CANARY.

Handmade Fashion Challenge: The Style Guide

#HMFC2015

You are a maker. You are passionate. 

You are up for a challenge.

Want to join the challenge? Check out the details on this post. 

Last week I announced the Handmade Fashion Challenge, hosted by myself and Jean Chung.
One of our motivations in holding the challenge was to encourage people to make things for themselves. Things you'll actually wear.

This sort of mindful making takes time and planning.
Jean wrote up a very interesting Style Guide to help you on your way.

I've filled out mine here. It's been very helpful in refining my ideas and revealing items I actually need and will wear.

Will YOU join the challenge?

Style Guide
1) Go look at your closet and take out everything you wore last week.
Easy! I usually am too lazy to put stuff away until the end of the week anyhow!

2) If your outfits from last week could talk, what would be the 3 words that describe your work, position, authority, personality and style?
feminine, bold, artsy

3) From the last week's wardrobe, which one was your favorite outfit, and why? Which was your least favorite?
I find that I'm happiest when I wear dresses or skirts. 

4) Plan your capsule wardrobe. Capsule wardrobe should be something that would fit into your luggage if you were to live out of a suitcase for a month but still look fashionable and put together. There are several approaches based on your answers from the last 3 questions.

a.  If your last week's outfits are basically shirts and tees in solid/muted colors over black pants a.k.a. "BORING", build your new look around basic items with cardigans or vests so you can layer and change the look. Take a look at the color wheel, and locate the color you frequently wear. Pick the color directly opposite from your "frequently worn" color. Make the new garment in that color.
Hmm, I think I'm the opposite of boring. If anything, I have to tone my shit down. But to be honest, I do think I would find more use out of a few neutral-coloured pieces, especially where skirts are concerned.

b. If you found yourself saying something like, "I have nothing to wear!!!" more than once last week...  Make something really eyecatching: Dresses with bold prints, skirts with embroidery details or lace, flowy blouses.

c. If you realize you have 50+ tops and shirts but only 2 pairs of pants that work with your daily outfit or you have fancy dresses but very little comfortable outfits, make something that would fill the "hole" in your closet.
Oh yes! I have holes in my wardrobe! I could definitely use more neutral skirts/skirts I can wear sweaters with (ie cropped sweaters).

d. If your favorite/least favorite outfits were based on fitting issues, make something well-tailored to your shape. Take correct measurements of your body!
Fitting issues are indeed a concern, and something I hope to get better at through this experience.

e. If your favorite/least favorite outfits were based on practicality such as "it's cold in the office but all I have is thin cardigans and skirts that bare my legs", make shawls or jackets to include in your daily wardrobe.
MOST of my clothes are work clothes. I am also part polar bear. So generally, I need semi-professional stuff that someone working in the arts can wear to the job.

f. Develop a theme around the 3 words you have from Question 2. Do you need more serious outfits? Beachwear for vacation or weekends? Fun, flirty outfits for any upcoming holidays?
I always need more work clothes!

g. If you are still wondering what you should make, make something challenging: Sew a pair of jeans perfectly tailored to your shape; knit elaborate beaded lace piece or cable sweater that will wow your friends; make something from vintage patterns; mix up several patterns you have to create a new look.

Great Northern: Sneak Peeks

I wanted to give you all a behind-the-scenes glimpse at some of the swatches and sketches I've worked up for my designs in Great Northern.

When drawing together these pieces I kept in mind a few key elements: wearability, vintage femininity, versatility, and bit of gently playful absurdity. Twin Peaks itself is more than a little gently absurd, so I wanted that atmosphere of unusual beauty to inform my designs.

I'll be speaking more and more deeply about the different designs in the coming weeks. For now, I wanted to give you a taste of the textures, details, and general aesthetic that these pieces align with.

Interested in keeping up to date with Great Northern? Sign up for the newsletter.

Camptastic

It's no secret: I love me my camping.
I got to get away for the first of a couple such trips this summer about a week ago, and I just wanted to share my camping joy with you all.

Some of the fun tips and tricks I use gathered on my Pinterest board.

I went yet again to one of my favourite places on earth, Algonquin Park. My husband and I stayed for three nights, and you had to pry me away on that 4th day.

It rained only one day, but yikes, those mosquitoes were OUT in full force. I had to buy one of those netted hats to keep them off me face, and spray copious amounts of repellent.

I did get to see a bunch of new birds, which for this bird nerd, is pretty exciting. There was a Loon who liked to paddle past our campsite early in the morning, and a Blue Heron who made me laugh with his goofy antics. Dude actually tripped on something in the river and was all like, "no! Hey! I'm good! Totally meant to do that!"

SO HAPPY with my fireside word search.

We hiked four trails, and I was extra motivated to cover that ground when I discovered you can buy trail badges! Oh holy crap! My inner Girl Guide was super pleased about that. I picked up one badge for each trail I've done, and an currently trying to figure out the best use for them. Blanket? Backpack?

As you can see in a bit of a sneak peek up there, I brought along a wee bit of knitting. Well, it was actually a LOT of knitting, which ended up being a smart choice, as most of Sunday was spent all cozied up in the tent.

On the way back home we had to stop at the delicious Kawartha Dairy. I got two flavours: chocolate peanut butter and raspberry-lemon-lime sherbert. If you can believe it, I actually like the sherbert better.

How about you? Are you going camping this year? Have any Ontario parks you can recommend?

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Melanie Mielinger
Blog: Melanie Strickt
Rav ID: Mellimi
Some Great Designs: Mellimi's Rav Designer Page

This week's designer has a great mix of shawls and sweaters. I'm going to point out three.

First up is Color Bomb (pictured). This is a fun shawl with colour blocking, striping, and the added detail of mesh openwork within the colourful stripes. I really dig this take on the basic shawl!

Second, I want to point out YoHo. This shawl relies on a mix of textures for visual interest. And to add a touch of uniqueness to it, Melanie's included a bobble fringe detail to the edge. Yes! Bobble fringe! I love it!


Finally, there's her Kelli cardigan. This simply shaped, traditional open-front cardigan has a cute lace panel on the back and a pretty, delicate textural detail at the waist.

Check out more of Melanie's patterns on her Rav designer page!

Holla Knits Summer Blog Tour Part Two

The Holla Knits blog tour for the Summer 2015 issue hits Canary Knits again! This time I'm showing you a bit more about my design, Beach House.
It's an oversized crop top, essentially a box shape with a fun pleat detail at the back neckline and easy-to-memorize mesh pattern in a seamless bottom up knit. Some short rows and garter stitch keep you on your toes for an enjoyable knit and FO.

Check out this video to see different ways to wear it, including:

• over a dress
• with a pencil skirt and blouse
• under a sweater with jeans
• over a cami and shorts
• with a crop top and shorts
• over a bikini

And hey, now that I've shown you there are SO MANY ways to wear a crop top, you know you want to win your own copy of Beach House yes? Yes!

Just comment on this post for your chance to win. Tell me how you'd style your Beach House! And please don't forget to leave me a way to contact you, preferably your email address or Rav ID.
A winner will be announced on July 8.
Good luck!

Handmade Fashion Challenge

#HMFC2015

You are a maker. You are passionate. You are up for a challenge.

Use your talents to create for yourself and participate in the Handmade Fashion Challenge.

Jean Chung and I are both dedicated makers who love fashion and the fulfillment and pride a maker feels when wearing their own handcrafted items.

Creating because it brings joy is fantastic; but creating mindfully, with a critical eye to what you actually wear and will find practical use of in your wardrobe is even more powerful.

Here’s the details on the Handmade Fashion Challenge.

WHY: Your clothing should be relevant to your life and impart positive energy into your every day. We want to encourage you to make pieces you’ll actually wear this fall/winter, and share the experience with your fellow crafters on Instagram!

WHAT: Mini collection of your choice of 4 pieces for your wardrobe fall/winter 2015 wardrobe. Anything, any craft, any skill level you want. But definitely something you’ll use.

WHERE: Instagram. The visual format is straightforward and the hashtaging allows everyone to easily share with each other. You can participate by announcing your planned pieces, photograph your progress, your finished items, and anything in between. Just remember to hashtag #hfc2015

WHEN: July 1 - October 31, 2015.

PRIZES: A winner will be drawn from the pool of participants who have completed their challenge.  

HOW: To be eligible for the prize draws, you MUST post finished garment photos of each piece you’ve created by October 31, 2015 with the hashtag #HMFC2015. YOU ARE ALLOWED 1 WIP; the three other items must be new projects.

Winner(s) will be announced on November 3, 2015.

RESOURCES:
Take the HMFC2015 Style Quiz to help you refine your wardrobe!
Instagram: take fun and interesting photos with the free apps Aviary, Fused, Rookie, Instagram Layout, and more!
Thoughtful wardrobes: read more on the helpful Coletterie

Knitting Tool Profile: Stitch Holders

This is the sixth post in a year-long series¹. I'll post a new one on the last Tuesday of every month, with facts, photos, and further resources about twelve knitting tools

Stitch holders are usually necessary. I wish someone would invent some decent ones. Ones that are flexible, that will not snag, on which the stitches will not shrink, and that can be so firmly secured that the stitches will not slip off when you hurriedly jam the work into your bag...

-Maggie Righetti, Knitting in Plain English

Shop: Buttermilk Cottage

© S.Kate for Spindle Cat Studio

Shop: Vintage Curateur

What is it?
Stitch holders are tools that hold live stitches when they not being used by the needles. They are generally (but not always) closed loops of some sort.

Fun Facts

• According to June Hemmons Hiatt, there are four different kinds of holders; small coilless pins, tiny single point needle with spring-held caps that snaps over the tip, double point needles with two caps, and a version for holding a large number of stitches that resembles a "jumper needle"
• this jumper needle's function is replaced by interchangeables
• June Hemmons Hiatt advises using circular needles or a few dpns with tip protectors
• While some people suggest using spare yarn as stitch holders, Maggie Righetti notes that the downsides to this are that the stitches have a tendency to shrink, and the yarn can leave flecks of unwanted fibre behind
• Large safety pins can be used, with the disadvantage of being sharp and thus easy to split your yarn on.

Further Reading
The Principles of Knitting, June Hemmons Hiatt
Knitting in Plain English, Maggie Righetti

Shop
Buttermilk Cottage
Vintage Curateur Shop
Spindlecat Studio
____________
¹ Read the others here.

Great Northern: Moodboards

 Over the coming weeks you're going to see peeks behind-the-scenes for Great Northern.

First, I want to show you all some moodboards that Leah and I put together to begin forming our design ideas. Pinterest has been fantastic for collecting images that we can share privately (except for these partial screen caps, of course!)
 

Above you see images that Leah gathered to share with our graphics designer Laura of Ink Whale Design. The simple, clean-lined, outdoorsy look is something that we think reflects the mood of the show as well as our own aesthetic tastes. We've brought the 90s vibe into the 21st century.

Above is the board we put together to share design ideas, including textures, patterns, yarn, and colours. As you see, we're keeping with the vibe set by that first moodboard, with a general overtone of neutrals with colours that pop.

And this board, well, this board is on my own public Pinterest profile, and it's where I've collected some inspirational images of characters, the town of Twin Peaks (seriously, check out that map!) and a general sense of shapes and textures that will guide my design process.

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Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Christina Werge
Blog: herrlicnkeiten
Rav ID: schneefloeckchen
Some Great Designs: schneefloeckchen's Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: February 17, 2012

When I first profiled this designer over three years ago I noted that her style focuses on fine detail and texture. Here, I'll give you a sampling of some of the patterns she's published since then, all with the same wearable, feminine aesthetic.

She's been published in several magazines; pictured is her contribution to Knitty Spring/Summer 2013, her Daphne Tank. It's got short rows, smocking at the waist, and is knit sideways. Doesn't that sound like a fun knit!?

She's also had her work featured in Clotheshorse. Carousel is an elbow-sleeve-length summery pullover with super cool openwork and a pretty, dramatic dip at the back neckline.

The last piece I'll mention was published in Hitch: Patterns Inspired by the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Her Annie Pullover is inspired by Annie Hayworth, a character from The Birds. The sweater has a mid-century vibe, with a shaped waistline, 3/4 length sleeves, and a delicate, classic boatneck.

Check out more of Christina's work on her Ravelry Designer Page!