NEW!

With Spring rapidly approaching and the start of a new month, it is fitting that today I am welcoming Alana Dakos as this month's blog and podcast sponsor! Today is an especially good day because it sees the long awaited release of Alana's latest Collection, 'Botanical Knits 2'!

'Forest Foliage', (c) Alana Dakos

Here's a teaser for those of you who can't wait:

'Continue to embrace the beauty of nature with Botanical Knits 2. In this follow up collection, traveling cables, organic textured stitches, and lacy stitch patterns make a reappearance, along with easy to read charts and written pattern instructions. From the cables of a heavy sweater coat to the delicate stitches of a lace shawl, the essence of plant life is worked into each of the 4 sweaters and 8 accessories included in this book'.

'Bare Branches', (c) Alana Dakos

Botanical Knits 2 is available as an ebook ($18) or to pre-order in print ($22 plus shipping). Everyone who pre-orders the book in print will receive a complimentary ebook to download right away. Those who pre-order will a;sp receive a botanically inspired gauge measuring bookmark as well as a new complimentary knitting pattern designed by Alana Dakos with their book shipment in June. To get your preorder, simply click on the button in the side bar. 

The Botanical Knits Ravelry Group has KALS for each of the designs which you can find here. 

'Thicket', (c) Alana Dakos

Want to find out more? I'll be featuring the latest Collection in the next podcast and you can win a copy. So join me on 16th March 2014 to celebrate Botanical Knits 2. I can't wait to share it with you!

Big Love

So how are you feeling today? Are you feeling the love? 

Over in the Playful Group, we've been sharing some gorgeous stories about selfish knitting, unselfish knitting, knitting memories, crochet dreams and spinning to die for. Why? Because we're all about the Big Love Along I'm currently hosting. There's even prizes just for entering!

Rules are simple:

1. Kick off when the Ravellenics end
2. WIPS and double dipping allowed.
3. You have to be a group member
4. You have to tell us your BIG LOVE story.

So what will it be? A skein you’ve loved for a long time? A technique you adore? Fibre you’ve lovingly spun for a friend? Something loving for YOURSELF?

Tell us!

We have some gorgeous skeins donated from Whimzy yarns who collaborated with our sponsor this month, Inspiration Knits, to bring fabulous kits to Unravel. You can read all about the patterns Louise recommends Whimzy for here. On the left is Sokkusu O, (O for Original), a 100% Superwash Merino base in the 'Summer Storm' colourway. On the right is 'Johanna' on Silkie Merino, another fingering weight yarn but this time 50% Superwash Merino, 50% Silk. To lucky winners will get a skein each, drawn at random from the FO thread. 

Another Way (c) Inspiration Knits

Then whether you have a hankering for 'Another Way' or a different design of Louise's, you can choose a pattern if you're the 3rd lucky winner in this solidarity along! 

The along has already started and I think I'll close the FO thread at the end of March so come on over and join in the chatter!

Slow Burning

A discussion picked up on Twitter the other day about the pleasure in a slow and steady knit. It was quite apt given the garment I just finished and FINALLY took pictures of but I'll talk about that a bit more in a minute.

What we agreed was that while wearing knits was wonderful, it's always with slight sorrow that we bind off. I find myself eager to get to that finishing point, to have my hat, to wear my shawl, to share it with other knitters who will 'ooohhhh' and 'ahhhhhhh' along with me at the clever pattern features and gorgeous yarn. However, I always feel slightly bereft at the point of cast off. I wish I was at the beginning again with all that fresh promise. I love the first few sessions of knitting on a new project. It's like making a new friend.

It's often when you're at the end that you've really hit your stride and can do the pattern repeat instinctively and of course, that's when it all speeds up and you're suddenly almost at the Bind Off. To be fair, there's also been projects that I've cast off and thought 'Oh thank God, I'm never knitting that again!' As a general rule though, slow meditative steps in our knitting should be celebrated as much as the 'quick knit' and the instant gratification that it promises. There's lots of workshops out there for you to speed up your knitting. I know I'm slow but I love every piece just as much.

If hats are fast and dirty, sweaters and socks are slow burners for me. I just don't knit that fast. It irked me when I first learned to knit as I wanted all my sweaters to be handmade and never to have to buy socks again. This is absolutely ridiculous at the rate I knit and even this far into knitting, with a back catalogue under my belt, I'd not make such a silly pledge.

It was rather lovely though to photograph these two slow burning projects at long last because I took them at a very steady pace which means I adore wearing them all the more.

Julissa in Miss Babs Yowza!

The first is my Girl Crush Sweater. I settled for photographing it on my sister (oh she had a lot of modelling to do that weekend) so this doesn't quite show it's full glory, but still, a special sweater all the same.This sweater saw me through the discovery that I was pregnant, the big move from North to South London, settling into a home full of some pretty enormous DIY projects, the arrival of my daughter and then finally settling into Motherhood and feeling I had run a marathon! Each stitch has a story and I smile each time I reach for this sweater. I will always think of the many moments I retreated into its' comforting lace and cables when there was some huge changes going on in my life.

Pyrite Socks in JFA Buffy Toughie

Then, finally, there is the Pyrite Socks and I adore them. I bought the yarn after a visit to Asti's farm and each time I look at the beautiful colours I think of that magical countryside holiday with close friends and our family. Meeting Asti was the icing on the cake and we've formed a friendship that I treasure.

So I am now slightly lost and a little perturbed about my next knitting plans. The Ravellenics always unsettles me, making me feel that I should run to keep up and then, as is so often the case, I shrug and retreat into my slow, plodding knitting and remember that I'm just not that way inclined. I prefer to be the person coaching the team; I'm better suited to enjoying other people's glory than my own. I won't even model my own sweater for goodness sake!

x

Sunshine

OH this weather! Yes, I've kicked off a blog post talking about weather. I'm so British right now but do you know what? This wet weather is getting me down. Layers, miserable walks, no freedom for toddlers and absolutely no decent light with which to celebrate FOs. 

Luckily I had a skein of this wonderful stuff. It's Vivacious DK in the 'Sunshine' colourway and it has cheered some really miserable days let me assure you. I worked on two hats, ripping one back because I couldn't find a rhythm and starting afresh on the Evernia. It was the right decision because a) it had lace and b) POM POMS!

The yarn held up really well to so much pulling back so I'm hopefully it will wear well. The hat is a little slouchier than I'd ideally like as I cast on with the wrong needle size but a brim that can be pulled over your ears in this weather is no bad thing let me assure you. It looks even slouchier in these pictures because it's worn by my sister who is a dot of a thing in comparison to me. She was a good sport to let me snap pics on a sleepy Sunday morning after the Playful Tot had kept her awake all night. Ahem. 

Tori has written a fab pattern with multiple options. There's charting and writing instructions and everything is crystal clear and WORKS. I actually feel quite addicted to hat knitting right now. A designer I know proposes that a hat is the perfect medium for trying things out and practising technique. She's absolutely right as I got my Lace fix with the instant gratification of a hat rather than the sobbing that would have gone with full on Lace shawl. 

Oh and the variation in colour between pictures? Yeah that would be the lack of light and need to photoshop it to oblivion in order to see any stitches. urgh. Roll on Spring. 

In the meantime? More hats!

Traipsing Vines Wrap/ Shawl

A little while ago a pattern appeared in my Ravelry library with a lovely note. I was in one of my frantic rushes to meet a deadline and I believe there was some teething too so I forgot to share it. Luckily, I had said 'please remind me if I forget....' So here is the post I should have shared a little while ago. 

(c) Three Irish Girls

The pattern is the Traipsing Vines Wrap/ Shawl by Arlin Chondro-Halim of the Lost Geek podcast. It's a really beautiful design that I instantly liked but even more so when I read the kind notes attached the gift pattern. 100% of sales of this pattern during the month of January and February 2014 will go to relief efforts of Manado flash flood, Jakarta flood, and Mt. Sinabung eruption. Funds will be directed to local Red Cross and local evacuation sites. 

It's a beautiful pattern for a great cause. It's also brilliant because it solves the problem I always have of wraps etc slipping off. Hidden half-length sleeves keep the wrap in place without distracting from the overall look. From the front, the shawl can look like a long cardigan if you let it down, or it can look like a regular shawl if you wrap it around your arms. Isn't that clever?

Please do go and take a look and download a copy. I'm currently pondering what DK yarn I might purchase at Unravel to work it up in.... And what fancy occasion I should showcase it at. 

Thanks for the pattern Arlin and I wish you luck wit your fundraising efforts!

Block Party

Blocking is not my greatest love. There, I said it.

I love its' magic don't get me wrong. The way good blocking can take a crumpled mess of yarn and transform it into smooth stitches and perfect shapes. I'm just so so impatient and actually, I realise, not very good at it. I get impatient with the wires and halfway through I kind of lose momentum and ponder if the shawl really needs to be that shape (it does).

So when I say I had a blocking party, what I actually mean was a slightly irritable morning pinning shawls to my futon while muttering that I should make more hats.

The results were kind of ok though....

The first shawl is Knit Night by Louise Zass-Bangham and is worked up in Fyberspates Twizzle Silk, their Merino: Silk singles base. It was my first time using a single and I'm very taken with it. I am pondering if this might be my version of all those halo/ fluffy yarns that I can't wear or use due to my asthma going wild each time I do. It's not fluffy but certainly not crisp either. I like! You can see my project page here.

The second is Nangou by Melanie Berg who I have fallen madly in love with for her chic simple style and I want to be just like her when I grow up. The shawl used up the long term stash Wollmeise and a donated sampling of TUT Posh Fingering too. A very grown up and yummy project. I'll talk some more about the outcome of blocking this shawl in the podcast this weekend. For now, the project page is here.

What have you been blocking lately?

Handspun Heaven

Right before Christmas, I received a package that can only be described as an early Christmas present. Nestled amongst samples of Lo-Lo hand balms, David's teas and some pretty yummy chocolates were these two fabulous skeins. Let me tell you, pictures in the current monsoon weather we're enjoying, do NOT do them justice.

This has left me with two dilemmas. First, what on earth should I knit with them? I adore handspun but thus far it's all gone into the 'Golden Stash', the collection of skeins too precious to pick the perfect project for. I do not want this to happen but yet.... they're perfection itself. Any ideas?

The second problem is the issue of how does one reciprocate? I want something so amazingly mind blowing that the person knows how much I understand the value of handspun.

I wonder how much Benedict Cumberbatch is going for these days?

Resolving not to Resolve

It's that time of year isn't it? New year, new start, new resolutions. I'm dire at them. Really. I once achieved a fantastic year of knitting when I challenged myself to learn all these new things like sweaters and cables and socks and I had a sort of sponsor via a knit friend. We rewarded each other with amazing packages whenever we accomplished a goal we'd set out. You can see the list here on my project page. It was ace. I've achieved absolutely nothing like it ever since.

When it comes to my knitting intentions in 2014, I have so much good stash and so many good intentions. I've got knits crushes galore and I just want to knit all the things. Oh but I have a Playful Tot and work from home without childcare. Tricky.

So rather than make a mountain of goals I just thought about what it is that I might like to achieve this year. Stash enjoyment is high on the agenda once more because I've really got some good stuff in there! I want to work with it and if I do eventually get my much covetted spinning wheel, I want to feel there's room for fibre in the stash and that I have knit lots of things that I've always wanted to make before I start splitting my already precious time further still. There will always be new patterns I want but I hold this mental list of favourites that could really do with some working on now. Do you do the same?

So I spent a joyful hour queueing a ridiculous amount of projects. Chances of knitting all of them? Pretty slim but I did tag them with stash I have, stash I could overdye, stash I could add to in order to complete them and stash to splurge on as a treat. I'm attending a few events this year and I'm going to try to only invite yarn for the 'splurge' section into my stash so it has an intended purpose and the correct yardage (a major failing of my stash I've realised). The yarn that I'm not sure about can be gifted or overdyed. Yes, I'm crazy enough to try to dye over some pretty fancy yarn. If it's something I keep hovering over because it's just not exactly the shade I had hoped, I should play and try to improve it. I used to love dyeing so it's time I got the dye pot out again and started relearning what I once enjoyed so much. It's just trapped potential in those skeins otherwise and I have some patterns that I really want on (and off) my needles!

So stash curating and dyeing. What else? Photography. Urgh, I missed my camera so much in 2013 and when I take more pictures, I blog better and I'm more creative I've noticed. It's time to dig out that SLR and relearn the settings (there's a theme here have you noticed?). It also will spur me to block and photograph some finished objects. I can't believe I still haven't shared my Girl Crush Sweater for example. To be fair, the light has been dire thanks to the typhoon we've been enjoying. Yuck.

So I guess my theme is consolidation and making what I have work. I don't get much slack so I should refocus on what I already have.

Oh and did I mention that sewing machine in my loft room? Yeah..... that needs to happen this year too. Time travel anyone?

A Little Stocking Filler

Just in time for Christmas I received a lovely email from Clare Devine, the designer behind Sock Anatomy which I mentioned in the previous podcast. She would like to offer a discount code to all Playful listeners and readers. How festively generous!

'Flexor', (c) Clare Devine

To claim 20% off the cover price, enter the code 'aplayfulday1' when making your purchase on Ravelry. The code is valid through till 14th January 2014. 

'Planum', (c) Clare Devine

Happy Holidays!

Journey Blog Tour

It seems fitting that I'm breaking my blog/recording silence to indulge in this particular blog post. Deadlineageddon very nearly sucked anything playful out of me this month and I feared I might never find my way back to here, my little corner of the internet where I get to talk about fun knitting things, recipes and occasionally muse about life in general. 

Welcome to my leg of the Journey Blog tour. 'Journey' is a collaboration of hand knits from Jane Richmond and Shannon Cook (of Love in the Mommyhood fame) and is inspired by the journey of self-discovery, independence and the path back to yourself. This really resonates with me right now and I felt an immediate affection for this book. In planning my post for the blog tour, I started a thought process that went something like this:

Oh! Self discovery....... a journey.... Vancouver Island.... I should knit something out of my holiday yarn that I bought when I visited the West Coast ...... I should share how I taught my friend to knit while we travelled near the island...... and tie it in and....


You get the idea. 

I was just running away with myself, thrilled to be thinking about knitting one of the wonderful patterns from this book till I sat and made myself re read the words Shannon and Jane start the book with. Before you even launch into the fabulous collection that includes two garment patterns, a shawl pattern, a sock pattern and two accessory patterns, there is foreword that shares the sentiment that drove the publication of this book. Shannon and Jane worked together on Jane's previous publication 'Island' which I was very lucky to review last year. That friendship has taken them both to unexpected places in their creative journeys as they worked worked together to make all their differences and shared interests into this wonderful publication put out by the publishing company they have now established. 

No publishing journey is easy and to do so as friends is incredible. The warmth from the friendship seems to ooze off the pages that are filled with stunning photography by Nicholas Kupiak  (he also did the photography for Island). It made me stop, think, and gather myself. Why would I add a deadline to this? The book is beautiful and makes me want to curl up with it and a mug of something warm and delicous and read it from cover-to-cover. Yep, even the knitting patterns because they are so thoughtfully written and laid out so you just know it's going to be a pleasure to create. 

Spate by Jane Rochmond, (c) Nicholas Kupiak

So instead of frantically casting on, I partook in some imaginary knitting. Wanna know what I made first? I made Spate, the wonderful textured fingerless mitts that Jane Richmond designed for the book. I worked them up in something yummy from my stash that's been marinating for a while and I was so thrilled to find a stitch pattern that showcased such subtle variegation. I knit these mitts to wear while I walked with my little girl and needed my fingers free to help feed the ducks, retie the strap on her shoe or pocket one of the many leaves she hands to me to look at as we walk along. In my journey of self discovery, it has been the balance of finding time to be the person I used to be and a mother. Working out how I reconcile the amount of time and commitment it takes to raise such a sturdy young thing with the knit addict whose every waking hour used to be spent with needles in hand or writing about knitting journeys, is a tricky one indeed. 

Antrorse by Shannon Cook, (c) Nicholas Kupiak

I then got really flamboyant and cast on Antrorse, Shannon's amazingly snuggly looking sweater design for the book. The clean and simple lines to this sweater are just wonderful but the pattern is repeated enough throughout the body of the sweater that it won't be dull to knit. There's also buttons and every good crafter has a beloved button box. I have buttons hoarded and collected from all over the world, from my mother's stash and even from the Giant's mother's stash. They are precious and perfect for browsing over on a rainy afternoon while you consider your choices. 

I WILL cast on from this book and I will sample some vintage stash to do so because Jane and Shannon have reminded me of the pleasure that can be found in knitting when you just slow down and stop to look at the pictures.

You can find other wonderful posts about Journey from other bloggers and podcasters:

MONDAY || CELTIC CAST ON

TUESDAY || TRULY MYRTLE and THE YARNIAD

WEDNESDAY || TANIS FIBER ARTS

THURSDAY || HEY PORKCHOP, NOODLEHEAD and SKIRT AS TOP

FRIDAY || MISO CRAFTY KNITS, IN COLOR ORDER 

SATURDAY || SINGLEHANDED KNITS

A huge thank you to Shannon and Jane for inviting me to be part of the Journey tour. The fun doesn't stop with this post as there will be more details of the patterns on the podcast next week (yes, next week. I'm committed to that). To purchase your copy of Journey, please either visit Ravelry or Marian Rae Publications. 

Finish or Frenzy?

I'm in something of a dilemma with my knitting. Thanks to a high number of WIPs recently, I've been flitting between different stages of knitting and nibbling at things here and there. The result is the near end of a couple of projects and nothing suitable for just cruising on when circumstances demand I just plain knit or not at all.

This leaves me with a dilemma: face the satisfaction of finishing or cast on maniacally to ensure I have plenty to work on? The finishing will be satisfying yet inevitably fiddly but the cast on requires winding yarn, finding needles and bags. Not to mention settling into the rhythm of a whole new project.

I'm also not blessed with a great deal of time at the moment. I have deadlines rapidly approaching and blocking anything just seems like a step too far quite frankly. One of the projects I want to cast on involves frogging an entire sweater!!!!

Quite the dilemma.

A little progress check to help me take stock:

- Tiny Tread socks: one sock complete, another needing a heel and possibly another scrap of yarn (I ran out, shocking).

- Girl Crush Sweater: cast off. Needs blocking and ends woven in. See above for thoughts on blocking.

- Knit Night: just needs eyelet border but it involves a purl row of P2TOG and YOs on singles yarn. Not to be completed in the half dark while settling a fractious babe.

- Pyrite socks of Juno awesome: stalled due to not quite automatic enough knitting down the foot.

- New and very bright yellow hat: lace detail that thrills me but again, needs some lighting and a little more than my half attention.

Best get cracking on SOMETHING I guess!

Among Stones

Welcome to the last stop on the Among Stones Blog Tour! I've been eagerly waiting to write this review up since Carol sent through my copy a few months ago. Having interviewed Carol Feller, the designer behind the label 'Stolen Stitches' some time ago on the podcast, I have a great fondness for her work. She creates with a passion and commitment to quality knitting patterns and knitwear and is really rather lovely to boot. 

As my part in this tour, I have been secretly working on a project both inspired by a theme of Carol's work as well as an actual pattern. I'll explain as we get going....

The Collection:

Among Stones contains nine patterns - four women’s sweaters, one child sweater, a beaded scarf, a shawl, socks (in adult and child sizes), and a hat and mitten set - all photographed in locations in Ireland and Scotland. In the designer’s words: 

“This book is filled with some of my favourite kinds of knits: simple, interesting, wearable. All 

photographed in some of my favourite kinds of places: secret, beautiful, tranquil. I hope you 

enjoy them as much as I do.”

The Inspiration:

Carol's work is often photographed in wonderful locations that have a special meaning to her so I started thinking about my own knitting stories that I've not yet shared here on the blog. The most obvious was that Carol lives not far from much of my maternal side of the family in Southern Ireland and I recognise much of the landscape in which she creates. 

(c) Buffy Toughie in 'Messenger'

However, an experience this Summer kept springing to mind that I wanted to share. I had the pleasure of visiting Asti, the founder and master dyer at Juno Fibre Arts this summer while staying with very close friends. The combination of a wonderful afternoon talking about knitting and dyeing with Asti, in the company of a close friend and the Playful Baby clucking along happily is an extremely pleasurable one for me and I wanted to knit something that reminded me of my own personal knitting geography. I chose Buffy Toughie, one of Asti's wonderful sock bases to work with. I'll be talking in a little more detail about this visit and yarn in my next podcast but Carol's commitment to sharing her favourite places through her knitting was such an inspiration that I couldn't resist adding this element to my post. It's something I think I would like to do more of in the future: commemorating and marking the special stories we create thanks to our knitting community. I owe a big thank you to Carol for making me smile every time I reach for my project. 

(c) Buffy Toughie in 'Messenger'

The pattern:

Such a variegated yarn demanded a very particular pattern and luckily, with Carol, you're in safe hands. I chose Pyrite, a sock that is worked from the top down in a subtle slip stitch pattern, It's an ideal way to smoothly blend a variegated yarn or just add a little textural interest to your sock. I've tried a few slip stitch sock patterns now to break up a variegated and either found them lacking in enough rhythm to memorise or just bored me to tears. Somehow, Carol has got it just right with this pattern. I just want to sit and work on it all the time, (time however, is quite a barrier these days). 

(c) Joseph Feller

As I would expect from Carol, there are multiple sizing options, clear instructions and explanations of techniques where necessary. There are multiple pictures of the project too so I have a clear idea of what my final socks will look like. Carol is an experienced pattern writer now having published two previous books, (Contemporary Irish Knits and Scrumptious Knits) as well as being widely published in books and magazines, such as Twist Collective, Interweave Knits,  and Knitty among others. She has also taught at numerous international events and for Craftsy.com so there is something reassuring about Carol's pattern writing. There's no hidden surprises and you can navigate around the patterns and pattern notes easily do to the intuitive layout. 

I will be knitting many more of these socks!

To find out more about Carol and her wonderful new publication, tune into the next podcast where I'll be talking about the other 8 patterns or visit Carol's website to pick up your copy.  Carol can also be found on Twitter (@stolenstitches), and Facebook. 

A heartfelt thank you to Carol for letting me review the book, the inspiration and the many socks I will be knitting. 

Amongst Stones

RRP: €17, £15, US$22
ISBN:978-0-9571212-2-5 (print) 978-0-9571212-3-2 (digital) 

Direct Customers: Order from www.stolenstitches.com 

US Wholesale: Deep South Fibers http://www.deepsouthfibers.com/among-stones/

Europe Wholesale: Contact carol@stolenstitches.com

Scrappy Challenge For a Fabulous Cause

We'd all like to do more to help out others whether it's fundraising, donating hours of our time or making something that helps to make someone else's life that little bit better. I received an invite to a group recently that I thought was so thoughtful and ideal for time poor knitters that I wanted to share it here. 

The ever so talented Dani from Lioness Arts is leading the charge on creating a Handdyed Beekeepers Quilt to raise money for Great Ormond Street and MSF. Some of you will recognise MSF as the charity supported strongly by the knitting community for years thanks to strong advocate, the Yarn Harlot. Meanwhile, over 150,000 children are treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital every year and it does fantastic research into groundbreaking medical treatment that transforms lives of children around the world who present with complicated medical needs. I've seen the support they give families first hand and believe me, they are everyday heroes each and every person who works there (and attends). 

The plan is to create a double bed sized Hand-dyed Beekeepers quilt. The entire quilt will measure approximately 7ft x 6ft and will be made up of about 750 hexipuffs! Once enough hexipuffs have been collected Dani will join them all together and there will be a Live Prize Draw (at a venue to be confirmed). In the meantime you can donate to the challenge and at the same time enter the raffle for the quilt by donating to the dedicated Virgin Giving page!

For more information and to lend your support, please visit the group page here and get involved! Blog and tweet about it too- let's get this fundraiser heard about because knitters are amazing and have achieved wonderful things to help people in the past. I know we can do it again. 

Best Laid Plans

While writing a new blog post, I realised that I never hit publish on this one! So today I will, despite being out of date because I took pictures and everything! 

It's been that kind of month where I keep making silly mistakes like this.

So I wrote a little while about my knitting intentions. I queued, I read up on notes, I organised stash and needles. Did I cast on anything I'd originally intended?

Well....

In my obsession with using up stash (and thus getting the count down on Ravelry entries- one of my favourite games), I cast on some mini socks with the Trailing Clouds leftovers. Stripy mini socks are just so cute. I have NO idea if I will have enough but I figure with this colourway I could just add some scrap and it would just add to the big colour adventure right?

The pattern I'm using is from 'Tiny Treads' by Joeli. This book is chock full of mini people patterns for mini feet that I just think are great. What I particularly like is that you base your knitting on the gauge you're getting but the maths isn't confusing unlike lots of other similarly written patterns. If you're in the habit of swatching you could even check if you were going to run out of sock yarn or not. Did I swatch? Ahem......

I also cast on Knit Night which I DID intend to do. Ha! This is part of the KAL I'm helping to host in the Fyberspates group and I'm really enjoying. I haven't joined in or participated in a KAL in ages and I doubt I'll get this finished but the knitting is soothing enough that I'm not stressed by it and the yarn?

Twizzle Silk by Fyberspates

Yum.

I've never worked with singles before and I wasn't sure if I would enjoy them. It does slightly take away the autopilot nature of the knitting as the finer feel to the yarn means I have to look at my knitting more often than I normally would in garter stitch but when you're looking at something this lovely, who cares right?

I have new baby knitting plans but I'll talk about those when I actually cast on or figure out which direction they're going in- I'm designing on the fly again. Oh and this?

I'll talk more about this soon....

Currently Obsessing About

I've had quite a week. I think I mentioned that already so let's not dwell on it. I mention it because when I'm struggling to find time to knit and I'm stressed, there is always a new collection out that catches my eye and makes me want to KNIT ALL THE THINGS. That happened this week. Twice. 

First, while scrolling through my social media feed, I noticed this wonderful scarf kept showing up. It's like Autumn in a scarf isn't it? This scarf just IS autumn. 

Redcedar by Tincanknits (c) KnitSocial

So I dug around and lo! There's more yumminess. 

Yes. 

Britannia by Tincanknits (c) Knit Socil

The collection is another fab publication from Cooperative Press and is called Cascadia. It is, quite frankly, amazing. From the publishers, through designers, yarnies and out to even the photographer and curator, this book is awesome. When I read the blurb, I did a little happy dance and decided I need to just hermit up somewhere with this book and knit everything, in all the yarns, while looking at the pictures. I'll show you why:

"Natives to the region, Amanda Milne and Fiona McLean have imbued their knit-centric events company, Knit Social, with a warm and creative atmosphere that is wholly infectious. Now they share the warmth and creativity of their home with you in their first book, Cascadia. They have gathered from the region’s abundant design talent, to bring you gorgeous sweaters, shawls, hats, socks, and other fun-to-knit, beautiful-to-wear garments.

Contributing designers are Jane Richmond, Tin Can Knits, Emily Wessel, Alexa Ludeman, Megan Goodacre, Judy Marples, Holli Yeoh, Melissa Thomson, Amanda Kaffka, and Amanda Milne.

With breathtaking photography by Alexa Ludeman and foreword by Kim Werker."

It's like namedropping central and it's all people I think are so wonderfully talented. Yum. 

Just as I was settling down from this excitement, this project then caught my eye from The Simple Collection, also released by Tincanknits:

Rye by Tincanknits (c)

I seem to have fallen down a Tincanknits related rabbit hole. I might be some time. 

Many

I went to bed last night in a really good mood and felt like all was right with the world. I'd had the kind of week that had quite a few wins, good surprises and just felt a lot of satisfaction from interactions I'd had. I'm plodding through some nice work with some fabulous designers and yarnies, I'm writing, I'm knitting a little, and all is right in the world. 

Let me show you. 

Firstly, I had an article that I wrote about The Ricefield Collective published. I adore this project and think it's a really good model for future fashion initiatives. I happen to know Anna Maltz, one of the designers and key players in the development of RC so I feel like I've watched this grow for quite some time. If you want to check out the article, it's in Issue 63, out now. 

Then I finished some magical socks. Yup

These are Afterthought Heel Socks in  Trailing Clouds 'Mind The Gap' colourway. I'm a sucker for self striping yarn and this was one of the few skeins I've bought and just cast straight on. I generally save skeins in some kind of Gollum fashion but I'm trying to get better about releasing their potential into the wild. 

These are wild aren't they? As a London girl, I found myself trying to name all the stations on each tube line as I knit! I also won the gamble of going down to 2mms to see if I can get a really firm, stretchy fabric as my gauge has changed. So far, I'm winning in that they fit. Let's see if these wear a little better as a result. 

So then I was sad as I had no socks on the needle right?

WRONG. 

As if Asti sensed I was ending a WIP, a magical skein of Juno Fibre Art's Buffy Toughie arrived just in time for me to cast on a special sock that I will be blogging about next month. I can't get over how much I love the variegation in this skein. 

You'd think this would be enough right? No! There's more! I then saw that an article I wrote, possibly my most favourite ever, published in this issue of Knit Edge magazine. It's about knitting and gender stereotypes and politics. I mean, you can't get more me than that right? I tried to work in gin, I swear but I think we can all agree that nothing should be THAT perfect. 

Knitting Love

Oh I have some wonders to tell you about. When yarns and great designers collide, magic happens, it really does. I FINALLY finished up some items, including blocking, weaving in ends and photographing, which almost never happens around here lately. So it's high time I waxed lyrical about a few things I've been working on. 

First there was the Uncommon Thread wonder yarn, Lush Worsted in 'Bois', 231 yards of MCN heaven. I bought this for a specific project way back in October when I pictured long knitting times as I started my maternity leave and waited for our baby's arrival. I chose Dryad by my knit crush, Jared Flood. Yum. Delicious cables, intricate details and wonderful bouncy yarn to work it up in. It was a challenge but that was ok. I was going to be impatient for an arrival, I'd be thankful for the distraction. Right?

Wrong.

It went to the frog pond 4 months after Playful Baby's arrival as I just admitted defeat. Cables and charts were not my friend when I barely had time to knit so I ripped it out and chose Setzer instead. It was still Jared, but a lot simpler and 'kinder on a frazzled mind' looking. Silly me forgot my deep seated loathing of wrap and turns but I'm quite pleased with the end result and know The Giant (its recipient) is too. You can see my Ravelry project notes here. 

I also finally, finally finished my long love affair with Plume by Lisa Mutch. I adore Lisa's designs as they are just so ME. I want to knit them, wear them and talk about them. They are simple, stylish and interesting enough to keep me happy while not being so mind bendingly complicated that I can only work on them in total silence for 15 minutes at a time. Lisa likes thoughtful construction that leads to effective results. I love that. 

I took two very beautiful yarns out of my stash for this knit. More Uncommon Thread, this time both fingering weights. The main body was knit in Posh Fingering in the 'Nimbostratus' colourway, and between the delicate grey and the lustrous silk and cashmere content in this yarn, I immediately loved this shawl. Once I added a bright Cerulean blue in Silky Merino Fingering, I knew that I was creating one of my all time favourite shawls. These yarns are exquisite and I think Ce is possibly a genius. 

It took nearly a year to knit and block but my god, I love it. I worked a few modifications that you can read about here to make the most of the yarn and make it my biggest shawl to date. I can't wait to wear this around me this autumn. I've barely taken pictures of it but I'm sharing already because I'm impatient and waiting 2 more days to take better pictures just might just kill me. 

Featuring: BomBella

Many months ago I was working on some words for a website and got chatting to Ella Austin, the designer behind BomBella. It turned out that she too was expecting a baby and we swapped stories and I learned about her fab knit kits. She offered one up for review to which I winced and admitted, 'I can't knit toys, my RSI can't take the tight gauge . Unfazed, I received a package of beautiful patterns and a ready made owl from Ella that now sits wisely in Playful Baby's nursery. I adore these fuzzy friends and have been looking forward to sharing this delightful designer. 

(c) Ella Austin

Ella designs kits with an amazing eye for beautiful features and details. She enlists the best of British providers such as Fyberspates and Skein Queen to bring exclusive kits to create her charming designs. By working with yarnies, Ella is able to ensure quality kits that match her gorgeous patterns. When I received my sample of patterns I was blown away by the quality of print and layout, not just the gorgeous pieces. 

Ella currently has three popular kits available via Etsy, with plans to launch more very soon. Tawny Owl, as shown above is my personal favourite with the cute little fuzz body from gorgeous Fyberspates Faery Wings yarn in a soft brown palette that highlights the delicate motifs across the body. I think I actually squealed with delight when I open this one up!

(c) Ella Austin

Then there's 'Intrepid Fox', a rather charming chap who calls for Skein Queen's merino 4ply. I think the leg detail is just perfect and am slightly sad my wrists wouldn't hold up to this. I would love to make the fox as it looks like a really satisfying knit. Finally, there's the Bunty Mitts, a retro wallpaper influenced kits, also making use of Skein Queen yarn. 

(c) Ella Austin

I think this is what I enjoy the most about Ella's designs: detail. She just has an ability for taking a motif to a whole other level in a way I haven't seen before. I love the designs and the idea of a kit ready to go is very appealing. I keep pondering who I could gift some too! 

Since receiving my lovely gift for the baby, Ella released another stunning design, 'Leighton House Handwarmers'. As always the patterns are available on Ravelry and the kits are on both her Etsy store as well as the yarn provider, Fyberspates. The inspiration was initially from the damask or brocade style of heavy curtain fabrics that might belong in lavish traditionally decorated mansions. Leighton House was the home and studio of one of Ella's favourite artists, Lord Frederick Leighton so again you can really see Ella drawing on delicious and enticing details. 

(c) Ella Austin

Like what you see? Well, leave a comment below telling me which kit you love best to be in with a chance of winning the kit of your choice. Be sure to enter by 25th Jul 2012 to be in with a chance of winning. Good luck!