New Pattern : Reconfort Shawl

Reconfort is live on Ravelry!

One year ago in September, I remember I was feeling a bit down. The pandemic was in full swing, the kids were back at school with all the uncertainties and worries associated with letting them go back there… I was craving something to soothe my spirit and help me go through it all. Something simple and comforting. That’s how I cast on for Réconfort. Think of it as a big woolly hug, as comforting to knit as it is to wear.

KAL Réconfort

• From October 3rd to December 31st

• On Instagram with #KALReconfort

• On Ravelry in the Tricot & Stitch Ravelry Group, in the dedicated discussion thread

• A 50€ gift card will be randomly awarded to one entry

• To enter, post a picture of your finished Reconfort shawl by December 31st on Instagram and/or Ravelry

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - October 2021

Hello and welcome to the tenth installment of the the Sock Knitter’s Almanach: October!

For the new kids on the block, the Sock Knitter’s Almanac is Tricot & Stitch’s informal monthly yarn club. Each month you’ll discover a new colorway inspired by the month theme and a suggested sock pattern to knit, to expend your sock knitter’s experience and have fun!

The colour of the month is inspired by Halloween. Celebrations on that day have only recently taken place in France but Halloween has been one of my favorite day of the year since many mony moons! Here’s the month moodboard:

And here’s “Fais-moi peur!” (French for “spook me!”):

“Fais-moi peur'!” starts with a light gray base on which I layered generous dashes of neon purple, pink and orange, some chartreuse and lots of black. And speckles. Lots of speckles!

“Fais-moi peur!” will be available on five bases, first at the Knit.Eat Festival in Lyon on October 2nd and 3rd, then in the shop from October 6th. The bases are: BFL Fingering, Stellina Fingering, Lurex Fingering, Extrafine Fingering and Tweed Fingering.

Evil Eye Socks by HellsKitsch on Ravelry

The pattern I choose to pair with “Fais-moi peur!” are the “Hat Heel” socks by Kathleen Sperling. The construction is mind blowing but what really got me was the projects knitted out of this pattern on Ravelry: the “Evil Eye” or “Halloween Eyeball” socks knitted by HellsKitsch. To knit the same, you will need some sock yarn leftovers in three colours: one dark for the pupil, one for the iris and some white/undyed for the white of the eye.

Check out my latest podcast episode, Inspirations S3 Ep4, for a peek at “Fais-moi peur!” as well as the Hat Heel Socks. You will be able to order your skein from the Etsy shop on October 6th.

Happy knitting!

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - September 2021

Hello and welcome to the eigth installment of the the Sock Knitter’s Almanach: September!

For the new kids on the block, the Sock Knitter’s Almanac is Tricot & Stitch’s informal monthly yarn club. Each month you’ll discover a new colorway inspired by the month theme and a suggested sock pattern to knit, to expend your sock knitter’s experience and have fun!

Cakes got me inspired this month! Pies prepared with fresh blueberries, clafoutis with freshly picked cherries, blackberries breakfast cakes… Summer is almost over and fall will be here soon: the timing is perfect to start baking, especially when your little ones are back to school! This month’s moodboard is an invitation to join me in my baking daydreams:

Here’s “Clafoucake”, a yummy colorway full of little surprises:

The recipe for “Clafoucake” is simple: start with the dough, with browns and tans and swirls of honey. Mix in the raspberries, blueberries and fig and sprinkle generously with rainbow speckles!

“Clafoucake” is again this month available on a eight bases this month: BFL Fingering (short preorder), Stellina Fingering, Extrafine Sock 3ply, MCN Fingering, Lurex Fingering, Extrafine Fingering HT (short preorder), Polwarth Fingering and Extrafine Fingering.

The pattern I choose to pair with “Clafoucake” are the “Monkey Socks” by Cookie A. It’s an absolute classic of sock knitting and is one of the most knitted patterns on Ravelry! It was first published in Knitty in 2006 and is still available as a free pattern.

Check out my latest podcast episode, Inspirations S3 Ep1, for a peek at “Clafoucake” as well as the Monkey Socks. You can order your skein in the Etsy shop below, in the '“Almanach” section.

Happy knitting!

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - August 2021

Hello and welcome to the eigth installment of the the Sock Knitter’s Almanach: August!

For the new kids on the block, the Sock Knitter’s Almanac is Tricot & Stitch’s informal monthly yarn club. Each month you’ll discover a new colorway inspired by the month theme and a suggested sock pattern to knit, to expend your sock knitter’s experience and have fun!

Would you care to join me for a drink (in moderation or virgin) ? Well, the closest thing to a drink, knitting style, is what I tried to achieve with this month colorway! Think bright colours, umbrella in your glass, ice cubes, fruits and the sea in the background… This month’s moodboard is garanteed to make you thirsty!

Here’s “Mai Tai Bleu”, inspired by summer cocktails!

“Mai Tai Bleu” starts with an explosion of yellows, ranging from warm to very bright and neon! Then comes on top two other colours, intense turquoise and neon pink, both in liquid dye and speckles. The mixing effect are magical and yields gorgeous greens and oranges.

“Mai Tai Bleu” is available on a whooping eight bases this month: BFL Fingering, Stellina Fingering, Extrafine Sock 3ply, MCN Fingering, Lurex Fingering, Extrafine Fingering HT, Polwarth Fingering and finally back in the shop, Extrafine Fingering.

The pattern I choose to pair with “Mai Tai Bleu” are the “Lyne Socks” by Dawn Henderson. Those short socks are adorable, with a textured cuff and twisted stitches, perfect to showcase the delicate touch of colours of “Mai Tai Bleu”. The heel is reinforced and the pattern is very well written. Cherry on the cake: it’s available as a free pattern on Ravelry!

Check out my latest podcast episode, Inspirations S2 Ep28, to have a peek at '“Mai Tai Bleu” as well as the Lyne Socks. You can check it here and order your skein in the Etsy shop below, in the '“Almanach” section.

Happy knitting!

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - July 2021

Hello and welcome to the sixth installment of the the Sock Knitter’s Almanach: July!

For the new kids on the block, the Sock Knitter’s Almanac is Tricot & Stitch’s informal monthly yarn club. Each month you’ll discover a new colorway inspired by the month theme and a suggested sock pattern to knit, to expend your sock knitter’s experience and have fun!

This month, inspiration came from childhood memories. On my mother’s side, my family is from Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. My grand-mother flew to France with my mother in the mid-70’s. When she was living in Mauritius, she used to collect conch shells she harvested herself or found on the beach. One souvenir she took with her when she left the island was her collection, which I have always known to have a prominent place in her flat. Her conch shells fascinated me: big, beautiful and you could even hear the sound of the waves when you put one to your ear. They look even more beautiful in their natural habitat. The moodboard this month will have you craving for a stroll bare feet on the beach. Here’s a peak:

The colorway I created based on this inspiration is “Beach Treasure”:

“Beach Treasure” starts as a very pale yellow with streaks of pale pink and brown, on which I added different colours ranging from warm browns to peaches and pinks for depth, with a touch of yellow, like a the caress of the sun on the conch shell. I then added a layer of speckles for a bit of texture.

“Beach Treasure” is available across seven sock bases this month, two of which are new to the shop. The usual first five are BFL Fingering, Stellina Fingering, Extrafine Sock 3ply, MCN Fingering & Lurex Fingering. The new bases are Extrafine Fingering HT and Polwarth Fingering.

The pattern I choose to pair with “Beach Treasure” is the “Guethary Socks” pattern by Inky Atelier. I selected this pattern because of its innovative and lovely heel design, which was created to improve the fit around the heel section of the feet. It’s roomier and avoids the stretched stitches one can observe usually on the front of the foot, especially with short row heels. Another arrow in your Sock Knitter’s quiver!

In my latest podcast episode, Inspirations S2 Ep23, I’m presenting the '“Beach Treasure” colorway as well as the pattern of the month in more details. You can check it here and order your skein in the Etsy shop below, in the '“Almanach” section.

Happy knitting!

2021 Jimmy KAL

Welcome to the 2021 Jimmy Shawl KAL!

It’s the second year in a row that I’m hosting this KAL and I’m so happy and excited to knit another Jimmy with you! Below you’ll find all the useful information about the KAL: what do we knit, how do you participate, what’s to win, etc. Looking forward to knitting with you!

What is this KAL about?

In this KAL we knit the Jimmy shawl, the pattern you received as a gift when you subscribe to the Tricot & Stitch newsletter. Not a subscriber yet? Click here and join us!

When does it start / finish?

The KAL will run as an Instagram challenge from Wednesday, June 6th to July 31st, 2021. You will then have two more months to complete your shawl: the deadline to post a picture of your FO is September 30th, 2021 (midnight Paris time).

Where does it take place?

- There will be a super fun, bilingual Cast On Party on Zoom on Wednesday, June 16th at 5:00 pm Paris time. If you’d like to join but have not received the number in the newsletter, please reach out by email here.

- On Instagram with the hashtag #KALJimmy2021. Here are the weekly prompts to post your pictures and spead the joy of knitting your Jimmy shawl!

This year, we’ll pretend Jimmy is your sidekick, your little knitted pal that’s sharing a lot of activities with you as you go along your merry way. Coffee break, apéro, movie night, a stroll, tea time… you name it, Jimmy’s will be with you and we’d like you to share! Unleash your creativity and have fun!

To participate, you just have to add the #kaljimmy2021 hashtag to your publications on Instagram. You can also tag me @tricot_et_stitch if you want to make sure I see your posts. Please turn your account to public otherwise I won’t be able to see your beautiful pictures!

Last, make sure you subscribe to the #kaljimmy2021 hashtag to see the posts by the other participants.

- On Ravelry: the KAL is primarily hosted on Instagram but you can also post a picture of your finished Jimmy Shawl in the no chatter FO thread before the final deadline of September 30th, Paris time.

How do I get the pattern?

If you’re already a newsletter subscriber, grab your pattern and join the fun! If you misplaced your pattern, send me a message and I will send it again to you. In the last three newsletters, I shared a code for you to add Jimmy to your Ravelry library. Please do so as the pattern update is coming tomorrow!

If you’re not a subscriber yet and want to be, click here and join us!

If you want to join but do not want to subscribe, you can purchase the pattern on Ravelry and join as well!

Do I need to knit Tricot & Stitch yarn to join?

I prepared beautiful kits for the Jimmy shawl, some are still available as ready to ship listings and some are on pre-order. However you can join using the yarn of your choice!

Prizes

There will be prizes - more on that in a bit!

Read-along, anyone?

Because a KAL is even better when you have an accompanying read-along, I thought we could enjoy "Mud, Muck & Dead Things", the first book in the Campbell & Carter Mystery series by Ann Granger. For those willing to join, there is a hashtag on Instagram as well: #RALJimmy2021

Planning

Again this year, I prepared a planning to help you stay on track if you wish to finish your Jimmy by July 31st.

• Week 1 - Knit until row 60

• Week 2 - Knit until row 96

• Week 3 - Knit until row 124

• Week 4 - Knit until row 146

• Week 5 - Knit until row 160

• Week 6 - Knit until 170 and work a third of the edging repeats

• Week 7 - Finish the shawl

Must read before you cast on!

• The shawl uses two skeins of fingering weight yarn and the contrasting color (black in my original version) was completely used up. Plan for success and make sure you have enough or prepare a plan B if you loose at yarn chicken.

• Reason would have me tell you variegated yarn would work only for the main color, bla bla bla. But as I've hacked my own pattern and knit the lace border in stripes and variegated yarn, I won't. Explore options & have fun!

• In need of inspiration? Check the Jimmy projects on Ravelry and the #jimmyshawl hashtag or the #kaljimmy2020 on Instagram to see some FOs with different color combinations and pattern hacks (longer border, no edging, lace pattern with a rest row...).

• I presented the 2021 edition of the Jimmy Shawl KAL in my episode 21 of my Inspirations podcast here!

Again this year, I am super happy to organize this KAL and super itchy to get started on my Jimmy. I hope you'll join and knit with me!

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - June 2021

Hello and welcome to the sixth installment of the the Sock Knitter’s Almanach: June!

For the new kids on the block, the Sock Knitter’s Almanac is Tricot & Stitch informal monthly yarn club. Each month you’ll discover a new colorway inspired by the month theme and a suggested sock pattern to knit, to expend your sock knitter’s experience and have fun!

The theme for June is, like for May, floral. Don’t act surprised, you were told! ^-^ This month I was inspired by the beautiful shades of irises and lilacs. I’m actually an irises paparazzi, always stopping to take pictures of a beautiful specimen, fascinated by the shades, depth of colours and shapes… I dream of having my own irises garden one day, with all the colors in existence. The moodboard is absolutely gorgeous, if I may be so bold #Ilovemywork! Here’s a peak:

The colorway I created based on this inspiration is “Garden Prince”:

“Garden Prince” starts as a very pale blue and purple base, on which I layered different shades of intense purple, mauve, fuschia and blue, with a touch of orange. I then added a generous layer of speckles of what I feel like is every shade of purple in my studio + a bit my signature neon speckles.

“Garden Prince” is available across my usual five sock bases both as ready to ship and as short pre-orders when the ready to ship stock has sold out (1 to 2 weeks turnaround) : from right to left, BFL Fingering, Stellina Fingering, Extrafine Sock 3ply, MCN Fingering & Lurex Fingering.

The pattern I choose to pair with “Garden Prince” is the “Faded Princess Socks” by Claire Jackson (Perfectly Knotted). It seemed fit to pair a Prince and a Princess - ha ha. But what really decided me to select this pattern is the fact that the sole is knitted using reverse stockinette stitch, so that the sole of your feet lies on the knit side of the stockinette, not the purl side. According to the designer, this adds even more comfort to your knitted socks, and after trying them for myself, I can only concur! Fit for princess’ feet!

Again this month, the June pair of socks is already knitted up, thanks to my friend Laetitia! Thank you dear friend.

In my latest podcast episode, Inspirations S2 Ep19, I’m presenting the '“Garden Prince” colorway as well as the pattern of the month in more details. You can check it here and order your skeins in the Etsy shop below, in the '“Almanach” section.

Happy knitting!

Ravelry Crushes - May 10th, 2021

So many gorgeous new patterns lately! So little time and so few arms! I furiously want to cast on absolutely everything in this post! Send help, exclamation marks are taking over this post !!!

Gioia socks by Rebekka Mauser

Innovative construction? Designed to use leftovers? Stripes and colorblocks? If it’s not sock perfection, it’s very close to it IMHO (+ super large range of sizes!)

‘Onipa’a by Leila Raven

Leila designs the most beautiful shawls, simple yet brilliantly constructed. I’ve been an admirer of her work for quite some time now! Add to this the fingering + mohair association the ‘Onipa’a pattern calls for and that’s me undone, itching to cast on!

D’Aisi by Natasja Hornby

Lovely. Just lovely. As everything Natasja designs. Now which version to choose? Short or long sleeves?

Aurelia Tee by Anna Strandberg

The kind of sweet little tee pattern that you want in every color (it would look lovely in one colour too, wouldn’t it?) and that I see myself wearing a lot!

Overgrown by Anna Johanna

Wow factor activated on this pattern! Such a cute colourwork cardigan!

Stay Cozy House Socks by Tif Neilan

Cozyness at its peak! With butter soft suri thrown in, I just want to slip my feet in those socks, curl up on the couch and Knitflix!

The Shawl Society 5 by Helen Stewart

After one year of pause, Helen Stewart is bringing her shawl design club back! YAY! [cue confettis, trumpets and overall joy!]

Do not hesitate to get in touch with me via Etsy should you need advice for choosing the perfect yarn / colour combination for your projects!

New pattern: Litha Socks

I’m immensely proud to share with you my new pattern, the Litha Socks, published in Laine Magazine #11. (Actually, the magazine came in today’s post and after jumping all around with joy, I shed a little tear of joy + pride. Yep, I’m that happy about this!)

To me the scent of ripe wheat ready for harvesting will always be the scent of summer. My parents’ home is surrounded by wheatfields, and long summer evenings in the Normandy countryside were also the inspiration for my Litha socks. The wheat ear pattern is part lace part texture. Easy to memorize, it climbs up the feet and leg and is repeated once at the back of the leg.

To me, attention to details is very important. The short row heel is a special technique I invented, which has two lines of slipped stitches elegantely travel up each side of the heel. I called this technique the “Talon Souligné'“. Both lines then continue to travel up the leg and meet for a final repeat of the wheat ear pattern.

To knit my Litha socks, I created a special colorway I called “Sunrise Lounge”, that you can find in my Etsy shop today. It’s a pale semi-solid yellow with just a slight dusting of lovely speckles.

Sunrise Lounge on Extrafine Fingering

Using the same dye technique as “Sunrise Lounge”, I developed a palette of colours to knit the Litha Socks in a selection of semi-solid, slighly muted colours with just a dusting of speckles. All are available in the shop today.

You can order your copy of Laine Magazine here. Issue 11 will be out this Friday. You can shop the yarn in my Etsy shop from today, you will find the Litha colorways in the “Litha” section of the shop!

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - May 2021

Hello Knitters!

And like this, it’s May! I’m very excited to reveal this month’s colorway so here we go!

The theme for May is floral. I was inspired by the beautiful flowers blossoming around us at this time of year. All the flowers that inspired me have not blossomed yet but that colour association of flamboyant oranges, delicate pinks and peach and intense purple is one of my favorite ever. The colorway this month is very personal, both in terms of colours and inspiration. The moodboard is a total explosion of colours! From Snapdragon Azaleas that give the colorway its name, to tulips, renunculus and anemones… the most beautiful colours are definitely the ones Nature keeps giving us each spring.

Here’s a peak at the moodboard:

The colorway I created based on this inspiration is “Snapdragon”:

“Snapdragon” starts as a peachy base with swirls of orange and warm yellow, on which I layered different shades of intense purple, pink, orange and yellow. I then went a bit wild on the speckles in the same family of colours, with a final dusting of green to spice things up! My signature fluo yellow and pink are also part of the fiesta, although this time around they’re quite at home and blend in beautifully.

“Snapdragon” is available across my usual five sock bases both as ready to ship and as short pre-orders when the ready to ship stock has sold out (1 to 2 weeks turnaround) : from right to left, BFL Fingering, Stellina Fingering, Extrafine Fingering, MCN Fingering & Lurex Fingering.

The pattern I choose to pair with “Snapdragon” is the “Sostre” socks by Lucienne Tricote. Elise aka Lucienne Tricote is a very talented French designer and her latest sock pattern is sheer perfection: the mock cables allover pattern and fleegle heel with centered increases makes this toe up sock an enjoyable knit and a match made in heaven for Snapdragon.

This time, the May pair of socks is already knitted up, thanks to my friend Laetitia! She offered to sample knit the Almanach socks for me and I gladly accepted as I was despairing to be able to knit myself a complete pair of socks in the space of a month. Now I can lay back and enjoy whatever I’m knitting on without pressure! THANK YOU LAETITIA! And last but legit not least, you get to see the result of the yarn knitted up and how the pattern I chose looks in it. Just peachy!

In my latest podcast episode, Inspirations S2 Ep15, I’m presenting the '“Snapdragon” colorway as well as the pattern of the month in more details. You can check it here and order your skeins in the Etsy shop below, in the '“Almanach” section.

Happy knitting!

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - April 2021

Hello Knitters!

Welcome to the April edition of the Sock Knitter’s Almanac! This month is just yummy.

The theme for April is the yummy treats we bake and eat for Easter. So many scrumptious delicacies to choose from! This month’s moodboard on Pinterest is all about pastel colours, cakes, biscuits and of course, chocolate. Serious inspiration for your Easter menu & table decoration is just a click away!

Here’s a peak at the moodboard:

The colorway I created based on this inspiration is “Gourmandises”:

“Gourmandises” starts as a creamy vanilla base on which I delicately layered different shades of pastel colours. I then applied some speckles of the same colours before ending with a generous speckling of chocolate. Fluo yellow and pink are the finishing touch as usual, applied with a very light hand.

“Lucky” is available across five different bases as a short preorder (1 to 2 weeks turnaround) : from left to right, BFL Fingering, Stellina Fingering, Extrafine Fingering, MCN Fingering & Lurex Fingering.

“Gourmandises” on BFL Fingering with the coordinated stitch markers for April

The pattern I choose to pair with “Gourmandises” is the “Edwardian Boating Socks” by Emma Grundy Haigh. It’s a free pattern published back in 2009 that’s just perfect to showcase the beauty of variegated yarn. It’s been sitting in my queue for approximately 12 years! The heel is your classic reinforced heel flap with a twist: instead of slipped stitches on the heel flap, it’s the same woven stitch that’s used throughout the sock. It gives them a very harmonious and nicely finished look that I love.

I was very eager to start knitting, so here are the first rounds. Aren’t they lovely? I choose to knit mine with the BFL Fingering base.

In my latest podcast episode, Inspirations S2 Ep10, I’m presenting the '“Gourmandises” colorway as well as the pattern of the month in more details. You can check it here and order your skeins in the Etsy shop below, in the '“Almanach” section.

Happy knitting!

Colour associations

While updating the shop today, I was struck by how well the colorways I dyed over the last week were playing with each others - this is partly due to them being overflows of preorders that my wonderful customers requested. So I shot a few pictures of different colour associations, to share my inspirations with you!

I know now that I’m always attracted to the same association of colours: that’s litteraly any shade of green paired with any shade of pink or purple. Like Hallow and Sous-Bois here, or some mint Green + raspberry for instance. Ivy Confetti (blue green) and Gloria (deep magenta) is another huge favorite. I’m trying hard to broaden my colour association game but that specific pairing keeps jumping at me again and again, catching me by surprise until I realize “Hmmm that’s actually some kind of green and some kind of pink or purple. Again. Darn!”

Neutral pairings are also a (lesser) favorite, that I will often choose for larger garments such as sweaters or cardigans. I like my shawls bright and colorful but for actual clothes, I’m very neutral.

Do you have a colour association that you keep coming back to?

If something strikes your fancy, all the above has been listed in the shop here. If a colourway appears sold out or if you just can’t find it, know that I will happily dye it for you! Just drop me an email in the shop. Last, if you wish to see those yarny babies as close to real life as it gets, check out season 2 episode 7 of my Inspirations podcast over on Youtube!

Have a lovely week friend!

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - March 2021

Hello Knitters!

It’s beginning of March and high time to introduce the Sock Knitter’s Almanach theme and colorway for March!

The theme for March is Saint Patrick’s Day and Irish Folklore. Clovers, beautiful shades of green, gorgeous hills and ancient castles, leprechauns, fiddle, party, rainbows and pots of gold… and to have an even more immersive experience, check out this free radio!

You can visit the moodboard I prepared on Pinterest to illustrate this theme and have a peak at a selection of photos below:

The colorway I created based on this inspiration is “Lucky”:

“Lucky” starts with a beige base, on which luscious and vibrant shades of green, yellow-green and yellow are layered. A full on party of rainbow speckles completes the scene, with my signature odd fluo speckles for good measure (can’t help it).

“Lucky” is available across five different bases as a short preorder (1 to 2 weeks turnaround) : Extrafine Fingering, Tweed Fingering, BFL Fingering, Stellina & Lurex.

The pattern I choose to pair with “Lucky” for the Almanach is “Amberwings” by Summer Lee. This pattern was published in February and jumped directly in my queue. It’s a gorgeous pattern with an interesting feature: it uses the Rosimine inlay technique, which creates beautiful embroidery-like decorations on your knitting.

As this pattern calls for a contrasting color, I dyed another colorway for the almanac this month: “Paddy”, the most lovely and vibrant of greens. “Paddy” is available in the shop as a short preorder on Extrafine Fingering mini (20g) and full skein (100g).

In my latest podcast episode, Inspirations S2 Ep6, I’m presenting the '“Lucky”and “Paddy” colorways as well as the pattern of the month in more details. You can check it here and order your skeins in the Etsy shop below, in the '“Almanach” section.

Happy knitting!

Ravelry Crushes - February 8th, 2021

Hi lovely Crafters! So I decided to not call this blog post series “Weekly” because, let’s be honest, it’s anything but. So let’s call this simply “Ravelry Crushes”, forget all notion of periodicity and live in the moment!

So this time around, many many things got me very excited and I’m trying with all my might not to add two or three new WIPs to my already very long list of ongoing projects. You know what saves me? Some of those awesome projects are MKALs or events that do not start until a few days/weeks. So lots of time ahead to make some room for them on my needles!

Inspiration Socks MKAL by Solene Leroux

If you do not know Solène yet, this will be the perfect occasion to meet her! Between February 18th and 24th, she invites us to a free live online knitting + meditation experience. Let’s rest and meditate and knit some socks together!

Caladenia Shawl MKAL by Ambah O’Brien

Another MKAL, this time for a shawl, by the talented Ambah! Her shawls are gorgeous and it’s without any hesitation that I will participate to her MKAL! I will also offer some kits in the shop. Stay tuned!

Squirrel Nest Socks by Woolen Tales

These socks are so cute! And bam! In my queue. And why not choose them for the September issue of the Sock Knitter’s Almanac? They’d be perfect!

Sunday Feeling Socks by Stone Knits

Another super cute pattern by Stone Knits. The number of sock patterns in my queue is now beyond my life expectancy.

Namaste Shawl by Matinee Maya Imchum

I rarely do crochet but sometimes I stumble upon a golden nugget, like this one, that makes me want to cast on immediately!

Sock Madness 2021

The 2021 edition of Sock Madness is just around the corner! Subscriptions are open until February 28th. Will I join? Yeah! Will I win? Mmmm probably not. But I want to feel the madness!

Goldenfern by Jennifer Steinglass

Can we pause for a minute in our hectic-paced daily rhythms to admire the latest of Jennifer Steinglass’ series of stranded jumpers? I want to knit them all… that’s after my Queen of Stranded Knitting coronation takes place, of course. I’m working on it. I’ll keep you posted!

Do not hesitate to get in touch with me via Etsy should you need advice for choosing the perfect yarn / colour combination for your projects!

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - February 2021

Hello Knitters!

It’s February 1st already! Incredible how time does fly. Well, it’s time for the big reveal of the Sock Knitter’s Almanach theme and colorway for February!

The theme for February is Candlemas. In France, it’s called “Chandeleur” and is not a holiday per se, just a special day on which we eat crêpes. Do you know what crêpes are? It’s like a pancake, if a pancake was squished and flattened to the size of a dining plate and to the width of a heavy paper sheet. You can eat crêpes as a whole meal, starting with a filing of ham, cheese and eggs and follow with toppings like nutella, sugar or honey for desert. It’s delicious. But… it’s not related to the month’s colorway. ^-^

No, the theme for this month is more about the root of the word: candle. Celebrated on February 2nd, Candlemas is of pagan origin and is considered the very last day of the Christmas period. The day after Candlemas is usually the day on which you ought to remove all Christmas decoration from the house. It's also a day on which all the candles in the house should be burning (under close watch of course). To me, it’s a day that represents hygge and cozyness, a time for self care at home and enjoying the moment.

You can visit the moodboard I prepared on Pinterest to illustrate the Candlemas theme and have a peak at a selection of photos below:

The colorway I created based on this inspiration is “Lueur”:

“Lueur” is a tonal, multi-layered colorway that starts with a grey-beige undertone, like old polished stone in an ancient hearth. Hints of dark grey, brown, mauve and blue add some depth to the colour and a dash of golden yellow shines like the flamme of a candle. A light layer of speckles brings in points of light and shade to the colorway, adding visual interest upclose. From afar, “Lueur” is a beautiful neutral with a touch of gold.

I dyed “Lueur” on Extrafine Fingering, Tweed Fingering and MCN Fingering. Stellina & Lurex will be added as soon as my shipment clears the British/French customs. More on that very soon I hope!

The pattern I choose to pair with “Lueur” for the Almanach is “Mile Forward” by Mara Licole Knits. Mara Licole designs the most beautiful patterns and her universe is both poetic and romantic. I’m a big fan of her work. Her shawl patterns are gorgeous.

Mile Forward is a toe up sock pattern with a beautiful lace motif on the front and a Fleegle heel, which is new to me. I can’t wait to start knitting on these beauties!

In my latest podcast episode, Inspirations S2 Ep3 “Castonitis”, I’m presenting the '“Lueur” colorway and the pattern of the month in more details. You can check it here and order your skein of “Lueur” in the Etsy shop below, in the '“Almanach” section.

Happy knitting!

Weekly Ravelry Crushes - January 18th, 2021

Hi and welcome to the first Weekly Ravelry Crushes of 2021! Today, I’m inviting you to take a dive into “knitting with a French twist”! A lot of beautiful patterns by Francophone designers were released over the past weeks, here’s a selection of my favorite ones . Enjoy!

Cameleon by Hello Tricot

A triangular shawl, garter stitch, waving lace pattern and picot edging. Perfection made shawl! English version available soon.

Little FangFang by Xiaowei Designs

An adorable cardigan on an adorable model. Adult size coming soon!

Neolio by Bérangère Caillau

A lovely stockinette hat with a brioche brim

Centaurée by Même les Anges Tricotent

A gorgeous two-colour shawl using a fingering yarn and a suri & silk blend

Into the Woods by Melody Hoffmann

Simple and poetic, a lovely jumper with a colorwork yoke evocative of pine trees

Quand tombe la neige de Marie C Tremblay

The perfect pattern to knit by the fire when snow’s falling outside

Guêtres Sherpa by Le Style Knitting

Ribbing, stockinette and embroidered flowers for a lovely pair of legwarmers - and a free pattern too!

Do not hesitate to get in touch with me via Etsy should you need advice for choosing the perfect yarn / colour combination for your projects!

The Sock Knitter's Almanach - January 2021

Hello Knitters!

I’m super happy to introduce you my first year-long event: the Tricot & Stitch Sock Knitter’s Almanach!

The idea of associating sock knitting to an almanach set up has been brewing in my mind for some time. Inspired by Elizabeth Zimmermann’s “Knitter’s Almanach”, it’s been a project on which I’ve worked for several years now. It went through several stages, took several forms, before I decided it was time to make it happen!

So this is how it’s going to work: each month I will offer a new colorway in my shop, inspired by a theme related to the ongoing month. For instance, January 2021 theme is “Winter Night in the Great North”.

You can check out the Pinterest moodboard I prepared to illustrate the month theme. Here’s an selection of pictures:

This board inspired January 2021 colorway, “Nuit d’Hiver” or “Winter Night” in English.

I chose to dye the first batch of this colorway on my Lurex Fingering base, to add a sparkly touch to its deep nuances. I wanted to evocate the colour palette of a beautiful winter sky at night, overlooking a snow-covered landscape, such as can be found in the Great North. “Nuit d’Hiver” is also available in my shop as a preorder across all my sock bases.

But the Sock Knitter’s Almanach is not just about yarn though. Each month I will pair the colorway I created to a carefully selected sock pattern, to shed light on some sock knitting “classics” and favorites amongst sock knitters! My objective is to come as close as possible to the perfect match between yarn and pattern, but also to experience new techniques and broaden our sock knitting knowlege!

This month, I want to shed some light on “Vanilla is the New Black” by Anneh Fletcher.

I’ve been wanting to knit this beautiful pattern for ages! The striking feature of those socks is their elegant and innovative heel. I had never tried that heel technique before and it’s awesome - I cast on a pair to show you how the “Nuit d’Hiver” colorway looks knitted up and how it pairs with the pattern. Suffice to say I am NOT disappointed! The pattern is a breeze, all stockinette apart from the heel. It showcases the nuances of the yarn perfectly. And the best part is that it’s completely reversible!

You can buy or preorder “Nuit d’Hiver” in my Etsy shop, in the “Almanach” section!

Weekly Ravelry Crushes - Nov 30th, 2020

Hi and welcome to the Weekly Ravelry Crushes blog post! Browsing Ravelry is part of my morning routine and I thought it would be a good inspiration source to keep track of the beauties spotted there in a weekly recap. Enjoy!

Knitted Lights by Leila Raven

Knitted poetry!

Calotropis de Sydney Rakotoarivelo

I love Sydney’s patterns and yarns. With this new sweater pattern, she outdid herself, it’s gorgeous!

Hearten Mitts by Helen Stewart

The last pattern in the Knitvent 2020 collection and coordinated with the Hearten Cowl. Those adorable mitts are perfect for micro skeins or leftovers!

Calan Mai Hat by Voolenvine

Quick and precious - the perfect gift?

Advent Mystery Knitalong 2020 by Sofia Kammeborn

To experience the advent the Swedish way, in the hygge universe of the Kammebornia podcast

Interpretations Vol. 7 by Joji Locatelli and Veera Rain

A beautiful collection of 12 patterns celebrating the friendship between two talented designers

Wake + Wave by Carissa Browning

A gorgeous and fun pattern to play around with textures, shapes and colours!

Do not hesitate to get in touch with me via Etsy should you need advice for choosing the perfect yarn / colour combination for your projects!

New pattern: Cozy Socks

I’m very happy to share that I published a new pattern: the Cozy Socks! Created in collaboration with Céline from the Sur Un Fil LYS in Orsay, this pattern celebrates everything cozy and the joy of living in the moment, surrounded by your loved ones and your most precious treasures.

The pattern will be released in English beginning of January 2021. I am currently looking for testers for the English version. If you’d like to participate in the test, please email me!

Weekly Ravelry Crushes - Nov 23rd, 2020

Hi and welcome to the Weekly Ravelry Crushes blog post! Browsing Ravelry is part of my morning routine and I thought it would be a good inspiration source to keep track of the beauties spotted there in a weekly recap. The past week has been full of knitting eye candies, worth ranting about that additional pair of arms thing. Please enjoy!

Thicksgiving socks by Summer Lee

Three patterns in one for beautiful worsted marled socks

The 24 Days of Christmas Sock Ornaments MKAL 3 by Christy Houghton

An idea for the advent: knit a mini mystery sock each day while waiting for Christmas. So Cozy!

Deco Angel by Julia Decker

“It’s all about the lines” writes Julia

A gorgeous shawl using brioche to create a flattering fabric with bold graphic lines

Sonoran by Makenzie Alvarez

A large stole using lace and stripes sections in succession, perfect for your most treasured skeins of hand dyed yarn

Corella Wrap by Julie Knits in Paris

Lovely Julie strikes again with yet another ab-so-lu-te-ly gorgeous stole, this time in her ballet-inspired series of patterns. Big crush.

Maja Cardigan d’Helène Magnusson

Beaufiful colourwork cardigan of icelandic inspiration

Broadleaf by Wool & Pine

Just. Stunning. The design, the picture, the colours, every thing is perfect to and makes me want to cast on immediately!

Do not hesitate to get in touch with me via Etsy should you need advice for choosing the perfect yarn / colour combination for your projects!