Knitting, Fiber Art, and Lofty Thoughts
With all the things going on in the world, I thought it was a good time to redeem my Fairlight Fibers gift card that Bob got for me for Christmas.
My main goal was to get the J&S yarn for the original Peerie Flooers hat colorway (center). I also splurged on some yak (left), tussah silk, and nettle blends (right) because I was curious. She has some great free patterns on her website too!
But right now I’m stitching on my Shetland Tweed Throw because no thinking is required.
Happy Sunday, Blogville! I hope you are all healthy and happy and enjoying your time at home. Are you knitting a lot? I haven’t had much time or energy for knitting, but I did finish my saffron cowl.
I love the look on Henry’s face in the second image.
I can’t say it was a very satisfying knit, but it was simple and it’s warm and comforting to wear. I’m ready to start an equally simple, warm, and comforting hat to match. Mmm… stockinette.
It was a rough week for me, as I’m sure it has been challenging for many. At work, we made the decision to close our stores temporarily. It was the right decision but a stressful one to make. We have remote projects that need to be done, so staff will have work and be paid. We also gave everyone an additional two weeks PTO should they need it.
Quarantine is not a big deal for me as I’m an introvert and work from home all the time anyway.
I did a little sketching today and it served to remind me why I don’t often sketch. I don’t enjoy it and I’m always disappointed with the results. I am trying to reframe my drawing as a process to work out design problems, as I learned at Vogue Knitting. I can apply that to any medium.
Kate Davies is having a design contest for Milarrochy Tweed. This time it is neckware. I would love to submit something, even if it’s just an exercise to design something, make it, and submit it without further expectation. The theme is “My Place”. I thought I could make a cowl version of my Birds of Blendon Hat.
Henry moves into his own place this week with a friend. That leaves Hans at home, and he is with his Dad half the time. They are leaving the nest! They all have birthdays in March but it was pretty low key this year. We did go to Bakersfield for tacos and margs on Harald’s birthday (my oldest.)
Mexican Coke for Hans.
What are you knitting? And what are you watching? We are watching Devs on Hulu — really good — and I started Valhalla Murders on Netflix. I love me some moody Scandi crime dramas. It was a diversion tactic to keep me from watching Shetland a third time.
1. Share an image of a knitting pattern you love but would probably never knit.
2. What is your favorite knitting technique?
3. Yarn: wool, alpaca, cotton, linen, hemp, silk, or acrylic?
4. Needles: wood, bamboo, metal, plastic, or casein?
5. Would you go on a knitting vacation? If yes, which country’s yarn shops would you like to visit?
6. Lace, fingering, sport, DK, worsted, or bulky? (If you had to choose just one)
7. Do you eat while knitting? If so, what?
8. Speckled yarn: yes or no?
9. Favorite knitting slang word?
10. Can you do anything else while knitting? Watching or listening to something doesn’t count.
11. Favorite knitting pattern designer?
12. Favorite yarn brand?
13. Intentional felting: yes or no?
14. Who taught you to knit?
15. What’s your next knit?
Here are my answers:
1. Share an image of a knitting pattern you love but would probably never knit.
Also there is a pattern for his long underwear.
2. What is your favorite knitting technique?
2-color stranded
3. Yarn: wool, alpaca, cotton, linen, hemp, silk, or acrylic?
Wool, of course
4. Needles: wood, bamboo, metal, plastic, or casein?
Wood when I can find them
5. Would you go on a knitting vacation? If yes, which country’s yarn shops would you like to visit?
Yes, please! Probably Shetland is my number 1 but I would also love to go on a Finnish knitting holiday, if there is one. Iceland would be on the short list as well, along with any Scandinavian country.
6. Lace, fingering, sport, DK, worsted, or bulky? (If you had to choose just one)
DK
7. Do you eat while knitting? If so, what?
Rarely because I don’t want to get food on my knitting, but occasionally chocolate
8. Speckled yarn: yes or no?
Hell no
9. Favorite knitting slang word?
Knitty Litter: The knitting related detritus that collects all over the home when one knits (I tend to scatter much knitty litter when I’m deep into a project)
10. Can you do anything else while knitting? Watching or listening to something doesn’t count.
For some time I have been on a mission to learn to read a real book while knitting, but I am not coordinated enough, apparently. I would also like to knit while walking, but same problem. I think someone should teach a knitting yoga class. There’s cat yoga, and even goat yoga. There should be knitting yoga!
11. Favorite knitting pattern designer?
It’s still Kate Davies. There is something about her simple precision and elegance that appeals to me, with just a little quirky fun.
12. Favorite yarn brand?
I have to say, Scout by Kelbourne Woolens is becoming my favorite yarn. But Peace Fleece will probably always be my favorite brand because of their mission. I would love a sweater quantity of Peace Fleece yarn for Christmas.
13. Intentional felting: yes or no?
Slippers yes, but anything else, no. I like drape.
14. Who taught you to knit?
A friend but it didn’t “take” so I took a class a couple of years later. I’m mostly self-taught
15. What’s your next knit?
These slippers for myself in raspberry red
Please answer on your blog, and let us know in the comments if you’re playing along!
Well my week got away from me and I missed my Thankful Thursday post. I am thankful for so much in my life. I am truly lucky.
But today I’d like to express my gratitude for this online knitting community. It has really meant so much to me to get to know each of you via your blog. And there have been some days when it has kept me knitting and making, which brings me joy. So thank you.
I went to my LYS today for an hour or so of Open Stitch. It was well-attended by a lovely group of regulars. I am hoping I might become a regular, too.
Do you have a regular knitting group you attend? I would love to hear about it.
I have been exhausted all week. I don’t know if I’m coming down with something, but other than working, all I really want to do is sleep.
I am still working on this Ohio Star Cowl which may be better suited to a giraffe once I finally get the short rows done on the front. I really want to finish it!
The bad news is… Kate Davies had to put the Knitting Season Club on hold due to health reasons. I’m not sure where that leaves the design contest.
The good news is… my first Ottobre arrived! There are a few things I would like to make, but that means I would have to buy fabric! That wouldn’t be so bad, but I already have sewing projects lined up.
I recently read this article which has me wondering why I always want to turn my hobbies into a job. Granted, when I was home with kids making and teaching and selling my wares at craft fairs, that line of reasoning made sense. But now I have a job, a good job I love, and I seem to be good at it. So why don’t I just let my hobbies be hobbies and enjoy them? I don’t have to justify or monetize them, do I?
I received my first installment of the School of Wool Club from Knitspot.
It’s a skein of sport weight Targhee! How did they know I love the squishy sponginess of Targhee?
Look at this beautiful yarn inspired by the coloring of the female cardinal:
(📷 copyright cornbreadandhoney)
And check out this Harry Potter inspired knitting themed enamel pin!
Did you hear Kate Davies is having another design contest? I want to enter but I have zero ideas at this point.
I’m so glad it’s Friday.
I received my Kate Davies Designs Ard Thìr yarn today. Isn’t it lovely? These colors remind me of Ohio winter. I have no idea what I’m going to make with them.
What do you think I should make with them?
I was good and completed my swatch for The Oa on the smaller sized needle. I haven’t steamed it yet. I also threw in a row of the green for color C to see how it would show up and I’m really glad I did, because it doesn’t! Show up that is. I also tried some knit 2 of A and C before binding off, just to be sure. Someone who has more experience with colorwork probably would have seen this coming. It’s ok, though. I ordered two balls of black and I’m sure that will work.
This week’s Knitting Season assignment was to write every day with the prompt, “Remember when I…” So I wrote about the time I dyed this silk top blue, spun it into yarn, and knit it into this tam. It’s a little beat up now. I wore it and so did some of the kids, which made me happy. It inspires me. I think I might like to save up and get a spinning wheel again.
I also spent some time working on this design for a colorwork Ohio Star Cowl and beanie.
And the original Ohio Star Bandandit is almost done, but I ran out of yarn! I ordered another 2 ounce hank and am looking forward to blocking it and wearing it. I want to knit another one with more texture work in The Fibre Co Arranmore Light in St. Claire, the bobbly tam yarn.
So it has been a productive week. I guess I am slowly but surely getting closer to reaching my goals.
People ask me how I do all of this on top of a full time job and my very part time work with Haven Herbs, and I can say with certainty it’s because Bob does all of the shopping, cooking, and cleaning. And he does it because he likes it. I do my own laundry and dishes, and clean the bathroom sometimes, but that’s really it. So shout out to Bob! ❤️ Also, I only have one kid still in school and he is super low key. ❤️
And I’m a much happier person when I am knitting. ❤️
ETA: I cut a steeeeeeek!
Hit the gauge smack on for The Oa and I love these colors! Now I’m supposed to knit it again in a smaller needle size, and I suppose I should do as I’m told, but you know I want to cast on the sweater now.
I am still making good progress on Celtic Myths. It won’t be long before it’s cabled knotwork time!
It’s Saturday and I don’t have to work and I might knit on the couch in my pjs all day.
ETA: My first version of this post was a little snarky. I felt bad about it so I deleted all that nonsense, but if you subscribe to my posts via email you get the original, unfiltered for snark version. Bob calls this “the real Alissa” and saves these posts for posterity.
It was just me grumbling about Instagram fatigue and how I should have artfully strewn flower petals in my knitting photos.
I made a mistake when I bought this yarn for the Oa Hoodie. I probably could get 6 stitches to an inch with a DK, but would I want to wear that fabric? Stranded colorwork? Nope. I knew better. I can only blame myself.
My hope is to go ahead and purchase the yarn from KDD with my club discount and find something else to do with this lovely DK.
ETA: The yarn this pattern calls for is DK, but the pattern itself calls for sport weight. Very confusing! So maybe it’s a DK yarn knit tight at sport gauge? I tend toward loose knitting, so I’m not sure I would be able to get gauge with that yarn even if I tried.
I will be so glad when January is over. This month has really kicked my arse.
Enjoy some pics from my studio.
