Knitalongs
The Throwback & The Throwover Knitalong!
Or choose The Throwover, Andrea's pullover version...
Which one will you choose?
When you join our KAL, we'll provide a suggested timeline to help keep you on track, tips for knitting colorwork (including rounds with 3 colors), and plenty more.
If you want to give steeking a try on the cardigan, we'll share step-by-step instructions for adding steek stitches, along with a walk-through on how to steek/cut your knitting once you're ready to knit the front bands. We'll be using the needle felted steek method and we have kits available here.
There's also sure to be plenty of discussion of sweaterly things along the way!
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How to sign up and join?
Read over the details and required supplies below and the sign up form to join is here - the majority of our KAL will be hosted virtually.
Then, keep an eye on your email - we'll be sending more details (including a link to our KAL group) a few days before the KAL kicks off so you can chatter and ask questions before casting on October 18th.
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| Patterns :: The Throwback (cardigan) or The Throwover (pullover) by Andrea Mowry - all patterns are available for purchase on Ravelry or Andrea's website.
| Cast On Date :: Friday, October 18th (no worries if you cast on a bit later)
| Finish Date :: Friday, December 6th
| Firefly Fibers Supplies:: Worsted - Aran weight yarn in quantity for your size of sweater. You're welcome to use any of the yarns from our shop for our KAL (new or previously purchased stash yarns), but we have a few suggestions from our tried and true favorites:
Recommended yarn options...
- The Throwback (pattern gauge = 18.5sts/4") or The Throwover (pattern gauge = 16.25sts/4"):
- Brooklyn Tweed Shelter or Tones
- Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair
- Harrisville Highland, daylights or nightshades
- Hudson + West Forge
- Julie Asselin Journey Worsted
- Julie Asselin Nurtured
- Lettlopi
- The Throwover note... due to a slightly looser gauge, an additional yarn option for the pullover version is Peace Fleece Worsted (heavy worsted/aran weight).
- Recommended gauge for this yarn is 16sts/4" and will likely be too heavy for The Throwback (cardigan), but is an option if you're comfortable doing sweater math.
Our full selection of worsted weight yarn is here.
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We put a lot of time and effort into our knitalongs, so we do ask that (at least) the majority of your sweater uses yarn purchased from our shop - either as a new purchase or stash yarn from a previous Firefly Fibers purchase.
Happy Sweater Making!
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Our goal with this KAL is to bring our fiber community together, grow your knitting skills, build confidence, and (of course) to have fun while making a sweater you'll love for years to come!
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*Please note... this is a virtual event hosted online, but we're hoping to offer the option for our locals to get together to knit together during the KAL if there's enough interest.
Top-Down Pullover | Worsted Sweater Knitalong
Our new Worsted Sweater Knitalong features 3 top-down pullover options that we hope you'll love knitting AND wearing!
Choose from 3 sweater options by 2 fantastic designers:
Honey Vodka Lemonade by Thea Colman/BabyCocktails
Camp Pullover by Savory Knitting/Amy Christoffers
Felix Pullover by Savory Knitting/Amy Christoffers
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All 3 sweater options feature positive ease for a cozy fit and eyelet yoke increases for a lovely design element. Which one will you choose?
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| Pattern | Felix Pullover or Camp Pullover by Amy Christoffers, OR Honey Vodka Lemonade by Thea Colman - all patterns are available for purchase on Ravelry.
| Cast On Date :: Friday, October 27th
| Finish Date :: Friday, December 15th
| Firefly Fibers Supplies | Worsted - Aran weight yarn in quantity for your size of sweater. You're welcome to use any of our shop yarns for our KAL, but we have a few suggestions from our tried and true favorites:
Recommended yarn options...
- Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, Tones or Imbue
- Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair
- Harrisville Highland (an exciting NEW arrival)
- Julie Asselin Nurtured
- Lettlopi
- Camp Pullover note... due to a slightly tighter gauge, an additional yarn option for the Camp Pullover is Berroro Lanas (and one that Amy suggests for her design), but we don't recommend this for Felix or Honey Vodka Lemonade because of the looser gauge, however you could use Lanas with a strand of mohair.
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KAL Included w/project yarn purchase: When you purchase a sweater quantity (or more) of one of our shop yarns for our KAL, just add your preferred Knitalong option to your cart (online or local/online*) and you'll receive an invite to join our group where we'll be hosting the KAL on (or before) Friday, October 20th.
Our discussion space will open a week before our cast on date so we can prep together and share plenty of tips over the 7 weeks of our KAL, and then cheer each other along. We'll also include a suggested timeline for our group, as well as tips for each step of the along the way.
If you've recently purchased a sweater quantity from our shop and would like to knit along with one of our 3 sweater designs, please add your preferred option (online or local/online) to your cart and leave us a note with your order number or approximate date of purchase and we'll get you added!
Happy Sweater Making!
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Our goal with this KAL is to bring our fiber community together, grow your knitting skills, build confidence, and (of course) to have fun while making a sweater you'll love for years to come!
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*Please note... this is a virtual only event hosted on our private social network group, but we're hoping to offer the option for our locals to get together to knit at the shop during the KAL if there's enough interest.
Lunenburg Pullover | Knitalong in Finull
We're excited about our new Knitalong featuring the Lunenburg Pullover by Amy Christoffers of Savory Knitting!
Lunenburg has been on our "to knit" list for far too long, and perhaps it's been on your list, as well. So, let's have a knitalong!!!
Our upcoming KAL launches on February 17th and we'd love to have you join us...
Lunenburg Pullover by Amy Christoffers in Rauma Finull
"Lunenburg Pullover is worked from the top down in the round with a ‘Bohus-ish’ stranded yoke. The fit on this garment is easily adapted to suit your taste- choose +/- ease to suit your style. Finished measurements are actual measurement around chest/hip after blocking. The length is slightly cropped- if you wish to add additional length to the body please plan your yarn purchases accordingly and be sure to have a little extra of your MC yarn."
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YARN | Rauma Finull 6 (6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9) balls of Main Color* and 1 each of 4 Contrast Colors
FINISHED SIZES | Bust – 35 (38, 42, 46, 50 1/2, 54, 58, 62)”
Length – 21 (21½, 22, 22 23, 23½, 24, 24)“ (down center back)
Shown in size 38” with approximately 2” of ease.
Looking for color inspiration? See the Lunenburg projects in Finull on Ravelry here.
*Our yarn yardage estimates are based on the yarn used in the original design, so we're erring on the side of caution since Finull is slightly less yardage.
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So, what do you need to do to get ready?
Just purchase your Finull and any other supplies and, once you've done that, read over the details and sign up for one of our KAL options right here.
If you want the original Lunenburg Pullover colors, the colors of Finull we've chosen beautifully mimic Amy's lovely selection. And... to make things easy for you, we've created this kit with the contrast colors that we're using for our shop project (you can see it peeking out below), along with a coordinating faux suede Firefly Fibers tag (for the collar, hem, or cuff), and a Firefly Fibers stitch marker.
You'll just need to add the main color in the quantity for your size (see notes on sizes above), gather needles, and purchase the pattern from Ravelry.
| Pattern | Lunenburg Pullover by Amy Christoffers - available on Ravelry
| Cast On Date :: Friday, February 17th
| Finish Date :: TBD (mid April'ish)
| Firefly Fibers Supplies | Rauma Finull for your size (6 or more for MC and 1 ball each of 4 colors CC or our Lunenburg CC kit) See all our Rauma options here.
Our goal with this KAL is to bring our fiber community together, grow your knitting skills, build confidence, and (of course) to have fun while making a sweater you'll love for years to come!
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*If you want to use stash or different yarn, you can still knit along, socialize, and build your skills by purchasing the KAL option separately for $25 and you'll be invited to join the group!
Either way, we'd love to have you join us!
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*Please note... this is a virtual only event hosted on our private social network group, but we're hoping to offer the option for our locals to get together to knit at the shop during the KAL if there's enough interest.
Mokum Cowl Knitalong
We're excited about our new Knitalong featuring the Mokum Cowl by Mieka John of Salt & Stone Knits!
The Mokum Cowl is part KAL and part skill-building with live Zoom sessions and tips along the way and we'd love to have you join us!
You'll need to know how to knit in the round and experience with colorwork is helpful, but if you're ready to dive in, go for it!
The techniques that we'll be sharing via Zoom and other online resources are:
•Crochet provisional cast on to create a folded hem.
•Colorwork tips and tricks - including catching floats and carrying floats across the front of your work.
•Picking up stitches in reverse stockinette and kitchener stitch to bind off and finish your cowl.
The yarn, you ask?
In choosing a yarn for Mokum, we wanted something 'next-to-the-skin' soft and a beautiful array of colors, and Julie's Melange n.1 is perfect.
We chose Brownstone for the main color and Natural Gris for the contrast, but there are so many combinations and we can't wait to see yours!
Mokum Cowl by Mieka John - available on Ravelry
| Cast On Date :: Tuesday, October 12th |
| Finish Date :: Tuesday, November 2nd (or a few days later) |
| LIVE Zoom Dates :: Tuesdays 7-7:30pm - Oct 12th & 19th and Nov 2nd |
| Firefly Fibers Supplies | 3 skeins Melange by Julie Asselin
(2 skeins MC & 1 skein CC)*
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When you purchase 3 skeins of Melange for Mokum, just add the Mokum Cowl Knitalong option here in our online shop to your cart and a coupon will be automatically applied to discount the KAL add-on to free when you checkout.
Then... you'll receive an invite within 72 hours to join our Mighty Networks group where we'll be hosting the KAL with live Zoom sessions, plenty of tips and talk and yarny goodness along the way!
*If you want to use stash or different yarn, you can still knit along, socialize, and build your skills by purchasing the KAL option separately for $15 and you'll be invited to join the group!
Either way, we'd love to have you join us!
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Please note... this is a virtual only event. We'd love to help you shop for colors in person at our brick-and-mortar shop, but we're not yet able to host in-person KAL knitting time or over-the-counter project assistance due to COVID-19.
Knitalong | Moonwake Cowl
"I love a moebius cowl as it is perfect for when you don’t want to have to weave in lots of ends from colorwork! Not to mention - it happens to be my favorite style of cowl to wear - double win!
Andrea's pattern includes everything you need, including a detailed overview of the design construction, easy to follow charts for the colorwork, video tutorials for the provisional cast on and kitchener stitch with illustrations showing how to join your finished cowl.
The yarn, you ask? The announcement for this Knitalong has been waiting for our restock of Julie's Melange N.1 as her new Yak blend is a great fit and we're excited to share that we currently have all colors in stock, and 2 new Melange colors for you!
We're happy to help select your perfect color combination via email (we love sending photos) or you can schedule a Virtual Shopping Appointment via Zoom and we can pick out colors together!
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| Cast On Date :: Friday, Aug 14th |
| Finish Date :: Friday, September 25th |
| Firefly Fibers Supplies | DK - Worsted weight yarn of your choice in 4 colors (minimum of 125yds/color). If you’ve previously purchased yarn from the shop and want to use that to knit along, we’d love to have you join us!
We'll also be doing a couple gift card giveaways on Instagram, so if you'd like to get in on that fun, stay tuned!
Knitalong | Weekender in Shelter
Knitalong | Teroldego by Boyland Knitworks in Leizu Fingering Simple
Winter of Colorwork Knitalong with Brooklyn Tweed
Firefly Fibers is joining Brooklyn Tweed's Winter of Colorwork Knitalong and we hope you'll join the fun, too!
WINTER OF COLORWORK BLOG SCHEDULE
KAL Introduction
January 9 — Selecting Colors for Stranded Colorwork Knitting
January 16 — Pattern Selection, Fit and Swatching with Your Colors
January 23 — Cast-On and Knitting Pascal: Beginning the Sleeves
January 30 — Knitting Pascal: Beginning the Body
February 6 — Knitting Pascal: Joining the Sleeves to the Body
February 13 — Knitting Pascal: Steeking
February 20 — Knitting Pascal: Finishing
February 27 — Winter of Colorwork KAL Wrap-Up*
What do you need to do to participate in the KAL with us here at the shop?
Knit a colorwork project in Brooklyn Tweed yarn that was purchased from Firefly Fibers.Of course you can get shiny new yarn the Knitalong, but you're welcome to use previously purchased BT yarn from the shop for your colorwork project - just let us know when you purchase yarn that it's for the Knitalong or send us an email with the yarn you you'll be using from a previous purchase.
The pattern can be from Brooklyn Tweed or another designer, the project type is up to you, as long as it's colorwork and in BT yarn, it counts!
To participate online, follow along in the Brooklyn Tweed Fan Club Ravelry Group. The Brooklyn Tweed team is there for you to ask questions and it's a great place to share and learn, and see what the other knitters are working on. The Winter of Colorwork Pre-Chatter Thread is full of inspiration and resources from the the BT team and you're sure to find a project and amazing color advice there.
We're also available at the shop to help you pick a final project help with color selection - we stock Brooklyn Tweed yarns in all bases and colors and we're happy to put combinations together for you in person or via email! We will have more yarn coming before the cast on date of January 23rd, so just check with us if the color you want is low or out of stock and we can confirm if it will be available.
Are you local and want to socialize and knit on your project at the shop?
In addition to our regular Open Knitting, we'll be hosting a Knitalong event during the KAL (date coming soon) and we'll also be adding a steeking session to the Winter Class Schedule (date also coming soon) and our KAL participants will have first chance to register for that.
How do I choose a project?
Visit the Brooklyn Tweed Ravelry Group for inspiration - some of our favorite BT team members have great suggestions for you and they're happy to help with color choices. Of course, we're here at the shop for all of this too, but this is a great chance to get input directly from the folks at Brooklyn Tweed!
Summer Knitalong | Bayou in Kestrel by Quince & Co
"With its textured lace motif reminiscent of cicadas, Bayou announces the steamy days and cool nights of summer in a big way, especially when paired with airy linen Kestrel. Using one of her favorite ways to construct a shawl—sideways, starting and ending with one stitch—Leila Raabe designed this piece to be a satisfying and quick knit."
Pattern available in Print or Ravelry PDF (available as In-Store purchase).
To join the Bayou Knitalong, purchase your yarn from Firefly Fibers by Saturday, August 18th (see below * on how to purchase Kestrel and let us know you’d like to “knit along” when you’re checking out) and you'll receive an incentive when our next KAL launches.
*Quince & Co. does not permit retailers to sell their yarns in online shops but we can set up a mail order - just email us with the color and number of skeins you want and we're happy to set it up for you! We stock all colors of both Quince linens and you can view the full color line for Kestrel here (used in the KAL) and Sparrow here (their fingering weight linen).
BONUS… show us your FO in our Ravelry group by 9/15/18 for a chance to win a Quince & Co canvas bag!
Spring Knitalong | Jodi in Leizu DK!
