OH NO / November Days

Hello all! I wrote up this post about a month ago and (thought I) uploaded it from my phone, but apparently it only saved as a draft. So, I'll share it now before I start posting Christmas-y updates!

I cannot believe it's the middle of November already. The days have grown much colder, and the snow line is creeping ever closer down the mountains. 

I have been very busy indeed. Between my day job, christmas knitting, and the usual family/friend togetherness, I hardly have the time to do much of anything! 

I'm still slowly plugging away at my own designs and though I won't reach my goal of releasing three more patterns before year's end, I do hope to get them out as soon as possible because I've got a whooooole load of ideas for a couple series of patterns. If my first paid patterns go over well, I will maybe put each series into an e-book!

Here's a peek at what I've been up to! 

There's so much more I'd like to share but don't want to give away any gifts before they're given! I hope you're all enjoying the beauty of the season and staying toasty warm. Come by again soon for more crafty updates! xo

Come back for tea again later this week and I'll fill you in on everything from Christmas baking, to (some) WIPs and FOs, and more.

Autumn Ways and Holidays

Hello lovelies!

It's hard to believe just how quickly summer slipped away. Only a week ago, one of our largest local mountains was bare of snow, and in the last couple days its peak has turned a soft white again. How excited I am for sweater weather, hockey season, cozy nights in, and all the other awesome things that come with shorter, colder days. I had to put the heat on for the first time this past weekend, and happily got out my box of warm, woolly accessories. Hooray!

First I must show off a few shots from my little vacation to Vancouver. I had a great visit with my brother and dad. It was so much fun, and I hope to go again next summer (or sooner if I can). How cute is the little felt heart? I was walking near Commercial and Broadway and it caught my eye.

Some of (my) most enjoyable outings were visiting Science World, and checking out the delicious 216 flavours at La Casa Gelato. (Some are a little weird, but they were fun to taste.) We did lots of walking, dining out, window shopping, real shopping.... I spent most of my money at Three Bags Full and at Baaad Anna's. Both yarn shops are well stocked with beautiful products, and have lovely, helpful staff. I was invited to attend their Wednesday night Stitch n Bitch, but was unable to go. Maybe next time!

Now, the highlight of my trip, and the main reason I went to Vancouver in the first place, was to stand beside one of my best friends as a bridesmaid at her wedding. It was such a beautiful, sunny day and everything went off without a hitch. I am so honoured to have been a part of her special day! We are still waiting for the professional photos, so I only have a couple of my own to share...

Heritage Hall on Main Street - historic venue where the ceremony and reception were held. 

Photo booth fun with one of my favourite ladies! <3

Now that I'm back home, I've resumed work on my keyhole/loop-through scarf order for my aunt. Four out of nine are done, but I must step up production to get them finished and mailed by early November and still have time to write up patterns for my latest designs (and block them so I can take nice photos and publish them here).

On Sunday evening I attended a "we survived inventory" tea with some coworker friends and had a great time. Our hostess Nellie put on her own version of a high tea spread, complete with adorable cupcake stands, pretty china, and an amazing assortment of teas and sweets. We had so much fun that we've all decided to try and do something similar each month. Next time we're having our own wine tasting party!

  

Next time I hope to share some more knitting (WIPS and FOs), and maybe another yummy recipe. Hope you're all staying toasty as we enter this lovely cool season! ♥

Autumn is Coming

Hello my dear figs!

This week has been a hectic one at the cottage! Lots of cleaning, visiting with family from Newfoundland, a couple crafty ventures, and this lady has had a rather full week of work. As of today, I am on holidays for two weeks and am really looking forward to some serious relaxation. My dad and I are driving to Vancouver for a holiday to visit my brother, and also for me to take part in a close friend's wedding as one of the bridesmaids!

Here's a few snaps of what I've been up to this past week!

Another of the loop-through/keyhole scarves, this time in moss stitch. I've had this Sublime Angora Merino for ages and thought it would nice made into a wee scarf. Will likely be casting off tomorrow once we hit the road.

A bit of new woolly excitement... a girlfriend (and fellow knitter/yarn addict) let me borrow her drop spindle to try out hand-spinning my own yarn. I don't know the maker or brand of it, but it's a top whorl spindle, not too heavy, and was nice to use. I feel like I got the hang of using it rather quickly, and was able to spin up a mini skein of worsted(ish) weight yarn. I could tell there was too much twist in the yarn because when I took it off the spindle it still twisted up on itself. A warm bath helped relax the fibres a bit, and I hung it to dry with a big can of beans weighing down the hanging loop. Next morning it was dry and more manageable. I then twisted it up into the wee stubby skein you see below :)

There has been a big change in our weather recently, too. AUTUMN IS COMING! That precious summer sunshine has been replaced with grey skies and cooler temperatures. Autumn is my favourite season and I'm so excited for sweater weather, cozy blankets, hot cocoa, and pumpkin (spice) everything. Just the other night I was craving something sweet to have with a cup of tea and saw a picture of these bars on Tumblr. 

Clicking the link was a bad (or very good) idea and I had to make them. I give you SOFT AND GOOEY LOADED S'MORES BARS, from the gorgeous blog Averie Cooks. If you've got a sweet tooth, be sure to click through and see all her other drool-inducing recipes. Here's my finished batch after cooling.

So that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by! I'm not sure if I'll get a change to post whilst on holiday but will definitely try! I plan on hitting up a few great knitting shops while in the Vancouver area, and will probably be too excited NOT to share photos with you all! Happy Friday! ♥

Latest WIP

After a few weeks of helping out with charity crafting (of which I regrettably have no photos) I have finally returned to my own projects and designs!

I have completed a practice run of one design and will be writing the pattern with aim to release it here and on Ravelry before Halloween. In addition I also cast on this little beauty with some extra Cascade 220 and think I may write a pattern for it too! 

Today was also super exciting, as my aunt who is visiting from Newfoundland has commissioned me to make scarves as Christmas gifts for all the other aunts on my mom's side of the family! She also bought a couple hats that I've made. I'm so excited! I don't normally take orders/requests for knitting but I know it's a big help to her and then each aunt will have the same lovely, handmade item (albeit in different colours).

Here's a snap of the first one I finished just yesterday!

I'm now winding down for the evening with a big mug of tea, and watching The Hobbit. Happy Sunday! ♥

Midweek at the Cottage

Hello lovely figs! I am slacking a bit this week and for that I apologize. Today I'm amalgamating my usual Tuesday and Wednesday posts into one delicious, pretty post. Here we go!

This week, after finishing my plush heart and babouska rose square, I decided to have a go at a different knitting pattern called Ten Stitch Zigzag by Frankie Brown. It was a bit fiddly at first, getting used to a new technique but the pattern is rather easy and well written. Primarily worked in garter stitch, the nice thing about this pattern is that it looks equally pretty in solid or variegated yarn, and there's a neat little stockinette edge that separates each zigzag strip. Here's a shot of my progress so far. I have an idea for a future design that will incorporate this technique, and will be sure to share my progress.

As a detour from the knitting, I got out my cross stitch supplies this week and have been working on this little piece. It will be a rather lumpy character from one of my favourite animated shows. Can you guess which one? :) Totally improvised, I'm not working from a pattern. I just sketched the shape right onto the fabric with light pencil lines and filled in the shape. The purple fill is almost done, and then I will outline and add the face/other features.

OK! Now on to the tasty part. Today I'm sharing what is probably the easiest cookie recipe EVAR. Super fast to make, and does not require (oven) baking. I've been making these for years and they're a nice option when you want something sweet but don't want to spend 30+ minutes in the kitchen. Darling figs, I give you.....

3 MINUTE NO BAKE COOKIES!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3 cups quick oats

Instructions

• In a medium/large saucepan, combine the butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa.
• Stirring frequently, bring mix to a boil over medium heat. Allow to bubble for a couple minutes.
• (Keep a close watch on it, once it starts bubbling you'll need to keep stirring so it doesn't burn.)
• Remove from heat and stir in oats.
• Drop by tablespoons onto wax or parchment paper.
• Let stand until firm. (You can put them in the fridge to help them set more quickly.)

 And that's it! Have a great day! ♥

Show + Tell: Off the Needles

Yesterday's Find was a beautiful crochet project (the Babouska Blanket from Sewing Daises), and I was so excited about the discovery that I cast on a square of my own. It's now finished and, though I didn't have the same yarn/colours, it came out beautifully! It's been a long while since I've crocheted anything using a chart so it took about an hour just for this one square. It is very easy, however, and I can see myself making more at some point.

Over the past few days I have also cast off a couple knitting projects. The first is the Last Minute Slouch by Madelinetosh. The pattern calls for two of her yarns, Eyre and Tosh Sock (worsted and sock) but I don't have either so I substituted Cascade 220 and Patons Kroy Socks, and used a 6mm needle. It came out great! I haven't decided whether to keep it or save it for gift giving later in the year.

The second FO is a lovely, anatomically correct Heart by Kristin Ledgett. The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn but I wanted a bigger heart so I used Cascade 220 and 4mm needles to get a finished measurement of 6x8 inches. I love it! And hope to make a really BIG one to use as a cushion on my bed.

That's all from the Cottage today. Have a great weekend! ♥

Kitimat Toque Pattern

Hello my dears! Today is the day! I was hoping to have shared this pattern yesterday but my test knits weren't quite finished. This is my first (blog) published knit pattern ever, and I'm hoping it receives the same enthusiastic response as last week's Little Stars crochet pattern/tutorial.

This toque was inspired by the climate of British Columbia's north coast, a region that experiences long winters and receives a great deal of rain each year. The original colours used were white and grey, to represent the chilly weather, but I thought it would be fun (while test knitting) to swap the grey for some more cheerful colours. Don't they look lovely!

"Kitimat" toques, in size small, large, extra large.

Knit in the round and employing simple stranding colourwork, Kitimat includes instructions for FOUR sizes, to fit most heads in any family. Small will likely be too big for infants, but if you roll up the brim it may work! Otherwise, small is for toddlers. Medium should fit most children, or teens with small heads. Large will fit an average adult head. And extra large will fit well on.... well, extra large noggins (like mine)!

To view, download or print the pattern please click HERE!

EDIT: I've gotten messages from a couple people stating that they were unable to view the PDF. I have added the pattern here, please see below for written instructions.

Materials
Patons Classic Wool Worsted, 1 skein each of colours 202 Aran (A) / 224 Grey Mix (B)
4mm and 4.5mm circulars (40cm) or DPNs
Stitch marker, tapestry needle

Size
Small (Medium, Large, Extra Large)

Gauge
20 stitches = 10cm/4 inches, on 4.5mm needles

Abbreviations

K knit  \  P purl  \  st(s) stitch(es)  \  M1 make one (with L needle, lift bar between sts from the front and knit through back loop)  \  k2tog  knit two together  \  [  ]  repeat to the end of round

Special notes
The largest size requires no more than half a skein of each colour so full skeins aren’t necessary, but do take care to ensure you have enough if using scrap yarn! If using Patons Classic, you should be able to make two XL hats and have a bit of each colour left over. For the stranded body of the hat, the instructions indicate how many stitches to knit in a given colour. Example: [K1B, K3A]. This means knit one in colour B, knit 3 in colour A, and repeat to the end of the round.

Instructions
With 4mm needle and colour A, cast on 72 (80, 88, 96) stitches using the long tail method. Join to work in the round, placing stitch marker at the start of the round. Knit 9 (10, 11, 12) rounds of 1x1 ribbing. Switch to 4.5mm needle.

Increase round: Knit  9 (10, 11, 12), M1. Repeat to the end of the round. 80 (88, 96, 104) stitches on the needle.

Work 3 (4, 5, 5) rounds of stockinette stitch, then follow the steps below to complete the stranded portion of the hat.

BODY 1.  [K1B, K3A] 2.  Knit 4 rounds in A 3.  K2A [K1B, K3A] K1A 4.  Knit 3 rounds in A 5.  [K1B, K3A] 6.  Knit 2 rounds in A 7.  K2A [K1B, K3A] K1A 8.  Knit 1 round in A 9.  [K1B, K3A] 10.  Slip 1 purlwise, K1B, K1A [K3B, K1A] K1B 11.  Knit 1 round in B 12.  [K1A, K3B] 13.  Knit 2 rounds in B 14.  K2B, K1A [K3B, K1A] K1B 15.  Knit 3 rounds in B 16.  [K1A, K3B] 17.  Knit 4 rounds in B 18.  K2B, K1A [K3B, K1A] K1B

Crown Cut the yarn for colour A only, leaving a tail to weave in. You’ll now be working strictly with colour B. Small (Medium, Large, Extra Large) = begin decreases with step 4 (3, 2, 1) Knit one round then: 1.  [K11, k2tog]  (96) 2.  [K10, k2tog]  (88) 3.  [K9, k2tog]  (80) 4.  [K8, k2tog]  (72) 5.  [K7, k2tog]  (64) 6.  [K6, k2tog]  (56) 7.  [K5, k2tog]  (48) 8.  [K4, k2tog]  (40) 9.  [K3, k2tog]  (32) 10.  [K2, k2tog]  (24) 11.  [K1, k2tog]  (16)

Finishing
Cut yarn, leaving a tail, and draw it through the remaining stitches. Pull the tail gently to close up the top of your hat. Weave in all ends. If desired, block to relax the fabric and smooth out any ripples.

The pompom is optional, but it does add a nice touch! Make one in any size you wish, fluff it up, trim any stray/long bits, and use the tails from tying it together to attach to the finished hat with a simple knot. Weave in the tails and wear! ♥

I'd love to see your finished hat, please share a photo or two with me if you make one for yourself! ♥

WIP: New Hat Sneak Peek

Hello dear figs! I've been anxiously waiting to show you this week's WIP, a new toque design that I started over the weekend, and am quite happily making good progress on it despite a short interruption from the local internet fix-it fairy today. This lovely head topper will be finished tonight, and I'll be blocking it tomorrow to open up those swooshy, curvy cables a bit. I just love cables, how about you?

I have a few name ideas for this one, all inspired by certain families/locations from the Game of Thrones series. The completed pattern will be available for this toque soon(ish), so be sure to pop back in within the next couple weeks to check it out! ♥

Show + Tell: Header and Knit Design

I have been knitting since 2008 but, sadly, in the past I didn't take the time to prepare patterns for any of my own designs. I'm happy to say that I am working to remedy that lack of pattern-y goodness, because I want to share my work and love of knitting with others. Starting now (let's call it a belated resolution), I have vowed to myself that I will keep good notes and draft up proper patterns as I create new knits. In time, all of my patterns will be available here on the Fig Cottage blog, and on Ravelry as well.

Now! On to the show and tell part!

First, the pretty new header/banner that graces the top of this blog. I wanted to keep it neat and simple, so there wasn't too much going on to clash with the floral wallpaper, and (I think) I accomplished that. The font was a lucky find, and the branches/pine cones seemed appropriate to represent where I live. In the future I may revise the banner but for now it's pretty great!

Second, I'm so happy to share this recent knit design. I'm still making a couple little tweaks to my notes but this lovely toque is one of my favourite FOs of recent months. I'll be publishing the pattern here next weekend. (So excited!) ♥

Friday Finds: Fandom Knit Pattern

Hello dears, happy Friday!

I'm very excited because I've been waiting to share this week's Friday Find, and the day is finally here! Now, seeing as I've somehow** wound up with a magical theme this week, this particular find is quite fitting. It's a lovely Harry Potter fandom knit and, though it's not a new pattern (online since December 2011), it is new to me. I was visiting Ravelry on Tuesday, found it, had a fantastic fangirl/geek out moment, and added it to my queue straight away. Dear figs, I give you... The Ron Weasley Blanket.

Lovingly researched and recreated by pattern author Jackie Wierzbicki, this is an amazing patchwork quilt type of knit, constructed with beautifully coloured squares of garter stitch. Jackie used screen captures from the movies Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, and Order of the Phoenix, as well as pictures taken of the blanket on display in Harry Potter: The Exhibition to construct this pattern. 

I am so thrilled that someone took the time to prepare this pattern, and I can't wait to cast on my first square. This is something that will take a long time (for me) to knit, because I want to get the colours as close as possible to what's seen in the movies. This may mean it'll take as long as a year, maybe more, but I won't be deterred. I hope you won't either! ♥

**It was totally intentional.

Sneak Peek

Hello my dears! I'm so happy to show you a little bit of a new knit design I've got in the works.

I finished the concept piece and wrote up the pattern last night. Today I began test knits, one in each of the different sizes, to make sure the pattern is free of errors. I hope to have the finished pattern ready soon, and am looking forward to more wintery weather so I can wear more woollen goodies!

Lazy Little Fig

I admit it. I am a naughty, lazy, little fig. I had a wonderful, whirlwind 10 day holiday with my mom and brother out in Halifax, and have been (mostly) resting since! Our holiday was not long enough but, of course, they never are. I'll prepare some photos for my next post!

We had our first snow on October 25. I was hoping it would wait until after Halloween, but in this neck of the woods that doesn't often happen. Two days later, we had an earthquake! It was a 7.7 magnitude quake that lasted for about one minute, and had our house swaying like a tree in a wind storm. It was my first quake experience, and one that I don't hope to experience again anytime soon. Scary!

The same night (Oct 27), I had offered to help out friends by working the door at their Halloween rock show. I dressed up as an Ewok (a handmade costume of course), had a great time, got to see some fantastic costumes, and saw some old friends from high school as well. It was good fun!

Unfortunately I had a little TOO much fun that night, and woke up very 'under the weather' on Sunday. Then, miraculously, my hangover faded away and left in its wake.... a lovely cold, complete with sinus infection! Woohoo! So, I've been mostly confined to bed/couch for the past week and am taking my sorry sinuses to the doctor tomorrow.

As lazy as this past week has been, I have managed some productivity and began compiling ideas for new knitting designs based on some of the wonderful things and places I saw on the east coast! I also whipped up some more knitted coffee cup sleeves. I really enjoy those quick, small projects... and the near-instant gratification of them! :) I think they'll make great little gifts this year for local family and friends, especially with Tim Horton's opening here next month.

This week I hope to get some (knit) designs down on paper, and maybe even start writing out the patterns for a couple hats I designed earlier this year. Hoping to be well again soon so I can get back to a normal routine. Cross your fingers for me! ♥

Sneak Peek

Phew! The last couple days have been very busy, full of shopping and other holiday preparations. I have also been organizing a couple boxes of my mom's old belongings, and will be packing as much as I can into my luggage to take over for her.

As mentioned the other day, I've been working away on a certain crafty project. It's still a work in progress but nearly done. May have to take it along for my flight!