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Summer Top Makealong, 2023!

Thanks to an overwhelming response on our recent poll, the YU Summer Top Knitalong is back for a third year!⁠
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To participate, you need to pick one (or more!) patterns to make. The criteria is simple: if the yarn is 40% plant fibre or more, any top or dress in an adult size counts. If it’s less than 40%, then the item must have sleeves above the elbow.⁠
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The Knitty Gritty Details:⁠
⁠1. KAL begins on Wednesday, June 1st and ends on August 31st, 2022.⁠
(This means you can’t cast on for your first top until 12:01 in the morning on June 1st, but you can absolutely swatch in advance)⁠
2. Official KAL hashtag: #YUsummertopMAL2023⁠
3. Some of the yarn used in your project must be or have been purchased at Yarns Untangled, at some point (not necessarily during the MAL).⁠
4. Your pattern must meet the criteria above.⁠
5. In order to be entered, crafters must announce their chosen yarn and project on either the Discord server (link in bio) or on Instagram using the official hashtag #YUsummertopMAL2023. Once finished, you must share at least one picture on either the Discord server or on Instagram. Don’t forget the hashtag or we can’t find you! If you’re not able to use either Discord or Instagram, just let us know and we’ll share your project on your behalf.⁠⁠

Prizes:
Most tops made. This was a prize in real contention last year as we had quite a few folks who made more than 2-3 tops, so impressive! This year, the maker who knits, hooks, and/or weaves the most tops will receive 5000 in Stash Cash ($50 value) and their choice of a Knitted Bliss embroidery kit!

Most different fibres used, total. this is a fun one since there are so many different fibres to choose from (cotton, linen, hemp, silk, wool, bamboo, nylon, etc). Show off your creativity by combining different yarns. Hold two or more together for a thicker fabric, or try striping different plant fibres for some fun texture. The winner of this prize will receive 2500 in Stash Cash ($25 value) and a felting kit of their choice from the Crafty Kits line. 

Best lesson learned: Makealongs are always a great opportunity to try out a new skill or test yourself with a challenging pattern. This prize will be given to the crafter who tackles the biggest hurdle or recovers from the most significant craft-disaster. Never crocheted before? Now is your chance! Spooked of seaming? Lots of great patterns to help you try it! This winner will receive 2000 in Stash Cash ($20 value) and free access to their choice of any class in our summer or fall term.

Most pictures shared: A favourite prize, practice your inner influencer and share your progress! The crafter who shares the most different photos either via Instagram, Facebook or on our Discord server will win 2000 in Stash Cash ($20 value) and a pack of YU Fold Over Tags to perfect your FOs.

Random winner: chosen from all of the entered projects, this winner will receive 1500 in Stash Cash ($15 value) and a YU project bag.

That’s it! If you have any questions, post in the FAQ or help Discord channels, shoot us an email at info @ yarnsuntangled.com or give us a call at (416) 603-2338.

Makealong: Summer Tops, 2022!

Summer is finally back, so we’re bringing back our popular makelong: Summer Tops!

If you’ve never done a makelong (knitalong, crochetalong, weavalong, what have you), then this is an excellent place to start. Our Summer Top MAL is a wide open topic. All you need to do to participate is start making a top for summer weather! That means it needs to meet our twofold criteria: that your top has a short sleeve (above the elbow) or no sleeve at all, and as always, your project needs to be using at least some yarn that was purchased from Yarns Untangled. That’s it! (For those scoring at home, this criteria is just slightly different from last year to make it a bit more broad and easy to understand.)

Here are some examples of summer tops that would be eligibile: a worsted weight wool tank top, a cotton/wool blend half-sleeve henley, a hemp sleeveless bathing suit coverup, etc. The possibilities are endless. And this year, we have a larger plant-based yarn lineup then we’ve ever had before, so this is a perfect opportunity to explore it!

(The pattern seen in the picture here is Baigneuses by Ateliere Emilie, and it can be purchased from their online store here! It would be a great choice for this MAL!)

We had a lot of fun during last year’s summer top MAL on the Yarns Untangled Discord server, so we will be active there again this year. You can participate by sharing your project journey with us there, or on Instagram. If you’re not set up with either, not to worry! We can help by sharing your project on our Instagram account!

The Knitty Gritty Details

  1. KAL begins on Wednesday, June 1st and ends on August 31st, 2022.
    (This means you can’t cast on for your first top until 12:01 in the morning on June 1st, but you can absolutely swatch in advance)
  2. Official KAL hashtag: #YUsummertopMAL2022
  3. Some of the yarn used in your project must be or have been purchased at Yarns Untangled, at some point (not necessarily during the KAL).
  4. In order to be entered, crafters must announce their chosen yarn and project on either the Discord server or on Instagram using the official hashtag #YUsummertopMAL2022 (if your account is private, please make sure we’re able to follow you so we can see your posts). Once finished, you must share at least one picture on either the Discord server or on Instagram. Don’t forget the hashtag or we can’t find you! If you’re not able to use either Discord or Instagram, just let us know and we’ll share your project on your behalf.

Discord: If you aren’t yet on our Discord server, join us now! It has been a quiet space for a few months, but it’ll soon be flooded with summer top talk. Here’s how to join:

  1. First, set up your account with Discord. There is an app you can download to your computer or phone, or if you prefer, you can simply use it in a browser. 
  2. Once your account is up an running, click here to join the YU Discord Server. There you will see our different text channels dedicated to WIPs, FOs, questions, and pattern support as well as the general channel for broad chatter, and the FAQs!

The Prizes!
Most tops made: an always fascinating category, it is really remarkable to see how many tops some of you can crank out in three months. The maker who knits, hooks, and/or weaves the most tops will receive a 15% off coupon for Yarns Untangled and a full year of membership with Digits and Threads, Canada’s premiere (and only!) fibre and textile arts and crafts online magazine!

Most different fibres used, total: as there are so many fibres that fit our criteria, this category is meant to inspire you to stretch your creativity and explore combinations of different fibres: cotton, linen, bamboo, hemp, silk, wool, nylon, and more are all eligible so show us what you got! The winner of this prize will receive a 2500 in Stash Cash ($25 value), a Soak Eco Wash Bag and a bottle of Soak Wash to help them care for all their FOs!

Most pictures shared: you can make just one top and still win this prize! Blow up our discord or your instagram feed (or both, it all counts!) with beautiful pics of your in-progress and finished tops. Every pic shared brings you closer to winning a 2000 in Stash Cash ($20 value) and a back issue of Pom Pom Quarterly*.

Random winner: chosen from all of the entered projects, this winner will receive 2000 in Stash Cash ($20 value) and a YU mug and tote bag.

That’s it! If you have any questions, post in the FAQ or help Discord channels, shoot us an email at info @ yarnsuntangled.com or give us a call at (416) 603-2338.

*For this prize, we’ll narrow it down to a large handful of issues and then you can choose between them.

Knitalong: Summer Tops!

How long has it been since we hosted a knitalong? Too long, let’s not count.

Welcome to Yarns Untangled’s latest knitalong: SUMMER TOPS!

It’s already gotten hot here in Toronto, so it’s time to bust out your favourite plant fibres and that queue of short-sleeves or sleeveless tops you’ve been wanting to make. This is a wide-range topic; our criteria is that the sleeve must fall above the elbow, and that the fibre should be plant or a plant-blend OR no thicker than a DK weight. Basically, if it’s plant based, it can be as thick as you want. If it’s 100% wool, wool/nylon, wool/silk etc, then it’s got to be DK or thinner.

If you are not sure if your pattern or yarn meets the requirements, just ask! We will have lots of pattern suggestions that we’ll be sharing in the coming weeks, and we encourage you to share your inspiration as well. The more discussion, the better! As always, crochet AND knitting are both encouraged for this event.

The Knitty Gritty Details

  1. KAL begins on June 1st and ends on August 15th, 2021.
    (This means you can’t cast on until June 1st. However, you can swatch in advance and we encourage you to do so)
  2. Official KAL hashtag: #YUsummertopKAL
  3. Yarn must be or have been purchased at Yarns Untangled, at some point (not necessarily during the KAL).
  4. All of our classes are 10% off for anyone participating in the KAL, using the code: YUsummertopKAL10CLASS
  5. In order to be entered, crafters must announce their chosen yarn and project on either the Discord server or on Instagram using the official hashtag #YUsummertopKAL (if your account is private, please make sure we’re able to follow you so we can see your posts). Once finished, you must share at least one picture on either the Discord server or on Instagram. If you don’t use the hashtag, we can’t guarantee we’ll find your pattern and you may not be entered to win our awesome prizes.

Discord: If this is a new thing for you, don’t panic. We’re here to walk you through it should you wish to join us here, and you should because that’s where all the community elements of this KAL will be.

Up until now, we have used Ravelry to host our KALs. We are no longer able to do so as their update in 2020 rendered the site inaccessible to some users (for more information on this, please check out this helpful article from Kathleen Sperling). For this KAL, we’re trying out Discord for the more in-depth discussions, help, cheering-on, pattern support, and general KAL excitement.

  1. Discord is a very fabulous tool used for group discussion, sharing, games, etc. It can be accessed through either its app or directly through a web browser. Once you have set up your Discord account, you can join the Yarns Untangled Discord server. There we have several different text channels dedicated to WIPs, FOs, questions and pattern support, FAQs, and general mayhem and merriment.

Should you choose not to use Discord, then Instagram is still available. Just post your WIP and FO pics there using the hashtag, make sure we can see your account, and you’ll be counted. If you aren’t set up with Instagram or Discord and do not wish to be but do still want to participate in the KAL, please reach out to us directly at info@yarnsuntangled.com, and we will share your photos on your behalf.

The Prizes!
Most tops made: you have all summer! June, July, and half of August! Make ALL THE TOPS. The winner of this prize will receive a 15% off coupon for YU and a back issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine*.

Most different fibres used, total: there are quite a few fibres that fall into this KAL. Cotton, linen, bamboo, nylon, silk, wool, etc. Note that while the project needs to use yarn purchased from us, it doesn’t have to use ALL yarn purchased from us, so mix and match with your stash! The winner of this prize will receive a 10% off coupon for YU and a Gleener to take care of all of their FOs!

Random winner: chosen from all of the entered projects, this winner will receive a $10 gift card from Yarns Untangled and a Cocoknits Kraft Caddy.

That’s it! If you have any questions, post in the FAQ or help Discord channels, shoot us an email at info @ yarnsuntangled.com or give us a call at (416) 603-2338.

*For this prize, we’ll narrow it down to a few issues and then you can choose between them.

YU Project: Colourful Wedges Baby Blanket in Trailhead Appalachian Trail

Made in: April, 2021
Craft: knitting
Pattern: Colorful Wedges Baby Blanket by Purl Soho
Yarn: Trailhead Yarns Crews and Appalachian Trail
Size: one size = 70x76cm
Needles: 3.75mm/US 5
Gauge: 24 sts per 10cm/4″ in garter stitch

Our notes: the Appalachian Trail Crews are such fun little boxes of joy, and we were really excited to stumble across a pattern that works just perfectly for them. We used one full skein of Appalachian Trail combined with one Crews set – our colourways are Unicorn Tears and Carny Crew.

The pattern calls for a yarn that is a bit thicker than this one, so we didn’t actually need a second full skein even though the instructions say we will. As long as you get the gauge we got, you should be just fine with one full skein.

Location: this is a store sample and can be seen on the mannequin in the front window!

YU Project: Velvet Morning in Topsy Farms 2ply Worsted

Made in: 2016
Craft: knitting
Pattern: Velvet Morning from knitty.com by Julie Crawford
Yarn: Topsy Farms 2ply Worsted
Size: 40″ bust
Needles: 4.50mm/US 7
Gauge: 20 stitches x 22 rows = 10cm/4″ in stocking stitch

Our notes: We love Topsy Farms yarn, especially for outerwear and big snuggly sweaters. This was a fun knit, although we did tweak the chart a bit as it appears that this pattern was steeked but then rewritten to be knit flat. It means that you end up with extra ends to weave in unless you double up some of the rows, so we don’t recommend this for your first colourwork sweater. If you’re looking for something similar, don’t hesitate to reach out, we can help you find other options as well!

We used five different colours here. The MC (main colour) was “Natural Brown” and then we used less than half a skein of red, orange, teal and yellow.

Location: this is a store sample and can be seen on the mannequin in the front window!

YU Project: Options Cardigan in Estelle Eco Andean DK

Craft: knitting
Pattern: Striped (or not) Cardigan Option by Amy Herzog
Yarn: Estelle Eco Andean DK in three colourways, see notes
Size: 38.25″ bust
Needles: 4.00mm/US 6 for main, 3.75mm/US 5 and 3.50mm/US 4 for edges
Gauge: 23 stitches x 32 rows = 10cm/4″ in stocking stitch
Notions: coconut buttons

Our notes: You can’t go wrong with Amy Herzog, the sweater architect. This pattern is available for free on Ravelry but we aren’t linking to them anymore, so you’ll have to look it up yourself 😉 This is a great pattern for a first time cardigan (or pullover in the corresponding pattern) as she holds your hand the whole way through.

We knit this as part of a Yarns Untangled KAL. Colours used are:
7 Light Grey (2 skeins)
5 Molasses (1 skein)
8 Chocolate Brown (1 skein)
This yarn is a great option for any pullover – lofty and long, each skein is 350m which is incredible for something knitting at this gauge. And the price makes it extra appealing!

Changes made to pattern: We used a striping pattern of our own with this, but it’s not technically a change as the pattern is designed for you to customize.

Location: this is a store sample and can be visited in-shop (when we’re open)

YU Project: Devils Backbone in Lichen & Lace 1ply Superwash Merino Fingering

Made in 2016
Craft: knitting
Pattern: Devil’s Backbone by Nicole Tavares (YU alum!)
Yarn: Lichen & Lace 1ply SW Merino Fingering in “Lichen”
Size: n/a
Needles: 4.00mm/US 6
Gauge: 20 stitches x 30 rows = 10cm/4″ garter stitch

Our notes: such a great one-skein project. We love that it just stays on your shoulders without having to be fussed with. Would work beautifully for bridal outfits!

Changes made to pattern: none.

Location: this is a store sample and can be visited in-shop (when we’re open)

YU Project: Wonder Woman Wrap in Lichen & Lace 80/20 Sock

Made in summer, 2017
Craft: knitting
Pattern: Wonder Woman Wrap by Carissa Browning
Yarn: Lichen & Lace 80/20 Sock in “Beet Root” and “Amber”
Size: “wondrous”
Needles: 4.00mm/US 6
Gauge: 17 stitches x 33 rows = 10cm/4″

Our notes: this will always be a favourite. A great way to practice your short rows and works great in Wonder Woman colours or whatever colours speak to you and make you feel powerful!

Changes made to pattern: none.

Location: this is a store sample and can be visited in-shop (when we’re open)

YU Project: Notched Hem Tank Top in Juniper Moon Zooey

Made in April, 2017
Craft: knitting
Pattern: Notched Hem Tank by Purl Soho
Yarn: Juniper Moon Zooey in “Rigging”
Size: 38″ bust
Needles: 3.50mm/US 4
Gauge: 21 stitches x 28 rows = 10cm/4″

Our notes: a nice easy knit that keeps you paying just enough attention. This gets a lot of wear as it’s incredibly comfortable in the hottest of heatwaves. The light linen/cotton blend breathes beautifully and the texture takes the colour in a really interesting way.

Changes made to pattern: none.

Location: this is a store sample and can be visited in-shop (when we’re open)

YU Project: Nightshift in Painted Sky

Made in September, 2020
Craft: knitting
Pattern: Nightshift by Andrea Mowry
Yarn: Painted Sky in several different colourways, see notes
Size: n/a
Needles: 5.00mm/US 8
Gauge: 20 stitches x 28 rows = 10cm/4″

Our notes: The ever-present Nightshift. Andrea Mowry has gotten a lot of mileage out of this stitch pattern, and she’s very clever with it. This is (I think) the OG version of the shifting colour stitch, and while lots of folks have had luck making it with solid colours, it is designed to work with a yarn that slowly changes colours. So not a variegated or gradient yarn, but one that “shifts” from colour to colour in a slower manner. It gives the effect of your having used many many different colours. The yarn she wrote it for is a little pricy for some budgets, and we really liked making it with Knitting Fever’s Painted Sky. It’s a nice squishy worsted weight that comes in tons of lovely colours. We used one ball each of:
Pinot Noir (A)
Rose Sorbet (B)
Victorian Mosaic (C)
Amazonas (D)

Changes made to pattern: we didn’t exactly follow as written. 
– did the increases as a backwards loop instead of a M1. This is a great substitute for shawls knit in this way because an increase that uses the yarn from the previous row pulls the increase-edge in and causes it to buckle and curl.

Sections went as follows:
AB
AC
AD
BA
BC
BD
CA
CB
CD
AD
Cast off

I did run out of colourway C before finishing the CD section, so I just added the remainder of colour A in place of colour C when I ran out. I then kept going with the AD section until I started to run low, and then cast off. Finished with a 1×1 mosaic instead of the 2×2 as a result. Shawl is quite large enough.

Location: this is a store sample and can be visited in-shop (when we’re open)

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