{Saturday Coffee & Net Talk}

These days I stumbled across a knitter stranded on Sleeve Island in my Instagram feed and took a relieved look at my freshly cast off Zipper Slipover. This one, after all - as the name suggests - has no sleeves. The next moment, however, I thought I was stranded on Zipper Island. Haha! The sewing of the zipper I had hidden until this point... Now the good piece (without zipper for now) dries on the mats and I dedicate myself meanwhile to a small addition to my knitting list, of which I share some parts here with you today.

So a wonderful good morning to the Saturday coffee! I send Sophia at this point instead of a coffee a virtual cold tee. Of course, freshly brewed in our Maschenfein Saturday coffee cup. I'm also toasting with Franzi Klee and her team (also virtually) to our freshly launched sales slot - more on that below.

Zipper Island - or how the Zipper Slipover ended up on my needles

Today, only a few weeks later, I proudly examine the drying project. Only the sewing of the zipper still delays the wearing experience. I will report!

The slipover is knitted seamlessly top down. Collar and cuffs are worked extremely beautifully in rib pattern. I'm particularly fond of Judys Magic Cast-On, you'll just have to try it. I'm not sure if I've ever used it before, at least it would have been quite a while ago. At Mette's you can also find a video about it and I could imagine to use it in one of our next patterns for you.

Franzi Klee x Maschenfein

Many of you have been eagerly awaiting it: our new sales slot with Franzi Klee. I can understand it so well. Our collection has now grown to six knitted accessories and we use them all ourselves. Just like Franzi's own ongoing collection, our bags and purses are lovingly handmade with the highest quality materials and each one is a guaranteed favorite.

Up to and including March 5, we have opened our door to the Franzi-Klee-Maschenfein shelf wide for you again. There you will find our project bag Mona, which I have in blue and cognac alternately and constantly with me, our needle bag Mara, in which you (like me) can store interchangeble needles of your choice and the small bag Mila, which creates space for auxiliary needles, scissors & Co.

The flap case Maja accommodates far too many cables for the needle system with me as well as short circular needles for knitting sleeves. Stitch markers find their place in the smart case Maki and our latest addition is the double pointed needles bag Mira.

Franzi and her team make our collection in their Leipzig studio from pure vegetable tanned leather. You can constantly find insights in the lovingly managed Instagram channel, especially the really original reels I always love very much. I can say we are both incredibly proud of this very special collaboration and even beyond that I enjoy our rare but precious phone calls.

The slot closes on March 5, please note the longer delivery time as all products will be made for you one by one.

Snanoe sweater mohair free

Room for a new spring cardigan

Matching the basic black sweater, a colorful spring cardigan is buzzing around in my head.

Since the largest daughter child has stolen my bright blue cardigan No. 4 stealthily and it honestly suits her significantly better than me, a place has become free on the cardigan side of my closet. I had knitted Cardigan No. 4 a few years ago from the highly recommended combination of Willet by Quince & Co and Kidsilk Haze by Rowan. This combination of cotton, mohair and silk is grippy and cool and still makes me weak today, I don't even remember how I came up with it, it must have been a flash of inspiration. Or just the insanely beautiful blue of the two yarns. Kidsilk Haze is currently unfortunately too little in stock in this color, but we order it of course.

By the way, the cardigan is knitted top down in half brioche. The button bands (with me without buttons, evil tongues could call it Button Island ) are knitted directly with it. I like the sleeves very much and also love the cut (even more on my daughter than on me).

But since I've never knitted a project twice (not even a sock, *laughs*), I'm thinking about alternatives. For example, a Snanoe Cardigan.... no, you haven't missed it, it doesn't exist yet. But we could think....

I also stumbled across the Auguste Cardigan from Johanna aka Kolibri:

Auguste is knitted with Raglanzunahmen top down and in rows - the cable pattern is here over the whole body as well as the sleeves and even the button band is knitted directly to the cardigan. You can find it in the kit with us from the beautiful LAMANA Como Premia variation, in copper it would be a little dream. Or curry. Or b-l-u-e?

Como Grande Tweed

What you could knit from it? Everything we have put together for you in the store from Como Grande will of course also work in Como Grande Tweed. You can find all the matching kits here at a glance.

My personal three favorites are: First, the plain, boxy stitch sweater in a lace pattern from a pattern by Paula strickt. Second, the balloon jacket I dearly love, which I actually knitted one and a half times "for reasons". It is knitted in our Lamana knitting kit with one strand of Como Grande and one strand of Premia. You can replace Como Grande with Como Grande Tweed. And third, the Hack-it-Sweater by Rilleruth, which is actually not a sweater at all, but a basic framework for a completely customized sweater.

How much Como Grande Tweed you need you can easily look up in the respective Como Grande Kit. You will find the Como Grande Tweed in all desired colors here.

The end of February is... very close to Mother's Day at Maschenfein!

Psssttt.... in my basket next to the sofa is already a freshly cast on Mother's Day shawl, which I let rest there until we're starting our Knit Along in April. This year's design was already created in the depths of winter and I'll tell you that this time we have combined two manufacturers that have not yet been on our needles for Mother's Day. Also the shape and pattern are once again quite different than before.

In about three weeks, the finished model shawls will arrive at my house, so I can share the first little glimpses with you, which is a particularly exciting moment every year. You can already note the most important dates in the calendar:

• March 24: Sales start for Mother's Day shawl knitting kit
• April 7: Cast On Day. Knit Along Start
• May 14: Mother's Day

Maschenfein Knitting round

Very busy knitting is in our Maschenfein knitting round, I share almost daily your pictures and stories on Instagram, so feel always free ti link us and use the hashtags #maschenfein #maschenfeinstrickrunde or #maschenfeinshop, so we find you.

Wildkatzerl knits the April Cardigan by Petite Knit from Piura and Premia. You can even find an in-progress picture in her feed. Sabine knitted the Great Love Cardigan by ANKESTRiCK from reborn Wool recycled by Kremke in the color Blue Melange. Lisa cast on the Abby Genser, knitted from Sandnes Sunday and Tynn Silk Mohair. Stripes are known to be a completion guarantor... "just one more stripe", who's been there?

Claudia knits the Agnete Cardigan by Petite Knit from Tynn Peer Gynt and Tynn Silk Mohair. She just couldn't get past the color and Kristin knits the Twist Loop Sweater in Merino, Soft Silk Mohair and Piura, which I also wear very often. Mareike knits the Comma Cocoon in Heavy Merino.

Now I wish you a wonderful, hopefully virus-free weekend with lots of knitting time!