Thoughts on swatching
As designers and yarn dyers, much of our knitting time is spent swatching rather than working on projects. In fact we have boxes of swatches!
Many knitters avoid swatching and I admit that I used to be one of those knitters. I was always impatient to get to the good part of starting a project instead of wasting time swatching. "I'm usually close enough to gauge, right? I'm sure it will be fine."
Marché des Possibles
Earlier this spring I got an email from Pop Montreal with a call-out for vendors for the Marché des Possibles, which they organize on summer weekends in the Mile End neighbourhood. I happened to mention to my wonderful dye studio interns that I would love to do it but didn't think I had time to deal with organizing it. "We'll do it!" they said, and so I booked us a booth for the weekend of July 16 and 17.
Book Review: Modern Baby Knits
In the most recent batch of books that we were sent for review from Interweave was a copy of Modern Baby Knits by Tanis Gray. I jumped on this one because I seem to have a lot of friends expecting little ones these days, and was in the market for some fresh ideas for baby gifts. The introduction promises designs that are "easy to knit and have fuss-free finishing, bright colors, easy-care fibers, and modern silhouettes" and the patterns following it definitely live up to this statement.
Recipe: Honeybiscus Cooler
Frolic Report 2016
Book review: The Beginner's Guide to Writing Knitting Patterns
When I was given the opportunity to review “The Beginner's Guide to Writing Knitting Patterns” by Kate Atherley I jumped at the chance.
Kate Atherley is a renowned knitting teacher, author, and technical editor. She’s currently the Managing Technical Editor for knitty.com, regularly teaches at yarn stores in Toronto, and frequently travels to teach and speak at events across North America.
Recipe: Pear Ginger Muffins
These muffins are a great way to use up pears if you find yourself with extra, or if they ripen a bit too much before you get to eating them. They also work well with apples if you don't happen to have pears around.
Shawl Club 2016 – Designers and Artists
One of the best parts about running Sweet Paprika is the chance to make friends with other designers, artists, and small-business owners both locally and globally.
Let me introduce you to all the people who have helped make the 2016 Sweet Paprika Shawl Club happen: Kira Dulany, Fancy That - Creations by Francine, Puretea, Jennifer Wood and Tudor Parau.
Refined Knits: book review and yarn give-away
Refined Knits: Sophisticated Lace, Cable, and Aran Lace Knitwear is a new book by Jennifer Wood, which includes our Messa di Voce as the suggested yarn for one of the sweater projects. It's a beautifully put-together book, full of knitting inspiration.
Contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated, and congratulations to our winner, Mary, who will be receiving three skeins of Cardamom as her prize!
Shawl Club 2016 - Little Luxuries
Elizabeth and I have been working since last spring on putting together our very first Sweet Paprika Shawl Club, and we're super excited to finally get to share it with the rest of the world. Sign-ups are now open, and but spots are limited!
What is a Shawl Club?
A shawl club can be many things, but usually it consists of either several shawl patterns, or patterns matched with yarn, that are released exclusively to members over a given period of time. There are some great ones out there, and we were inspired to put together a club of our own that includes not only exclusive patterns and the yarn to knit them with, but some other little treats to enjoy.