In September 2027, I’ll be heading to Alaska aboard the Discovery Princess for a very special knitting cruise – Dancing Lights: Alaska 2027.
I’ll be teaching knitting workshops, sharing two specially designed projects, and, of course, there will be plenty of knitting, laughter and time spent enjoying Alaska through a designer’s eyes.
The cruise information is now live, and I’m delighted that I can finally share it!
There is so much more to come. Over the next year I’ll be sharing peeks at the projects, yarn, inspiration and some of the preparations happening behind the scenes.
I think about colour a great deal. As a designer, colour is a very important part of my design process. As a person, colour is an even more important part of my life, of your life. Colour is embedded in how we describe experience.
1. Colour is already in our language
We experience a lot of things in colour. Have you thought of how many times we use colour to define the moment? Here are a few familiar ones:
seeing red
caught red-handed
red-letter day
paint the town red
in the pink
tickled pink
feeling blue
out of the blue
once in a blue moon
blue blood
green around the gills
the grass is always greener
green thumb
give the green light
golden opportunity
golden years
heart of gold
black sheep
black mood
black-and-white thinking
white lie
white as a sheet
waving the white flag
grey area
silver lining
born with a silver spoon
purple prose
Do we even notice when we’re doing it? We use colour as shorthand for emotion, character, value, danger and even morality. As knitters, whether we are aware of it or not we are always assessing colour. For example, which shade of red is the correct one for your next sweater project? Christmas Red – which can sometimes be confused with Va Va Voom Red, or Vintage Red, something a little quieter and warmer in the Red family?
I picked Christmas red, which may have been a mistake, not because I don’t like the way the sweater is turning out, but because the association is so strong, people seeing the sweater are calling it a Christmas sweater. Not bad, just unexpected.
2. Colour affects how something feels
Think of the emotional associations in things such as golden-hour sunlight, a storm-blackened sky, new spring green, the grey-blue of a rainy day, the brilliant colour after rain, autumn leaves, candlelight, fresh snow, fog, a spectacular sunset, or the almost artificial colours of the northern lights.
And colour can communicate without words: red warning signs and stop lights; green meaning go; fluorescent safety clothing; white bridal clothing in one cultural context; black mourning clothes; school and team colours; national flags.
Have you noticed how the same colour can produce opposite feelings depending on its companions. Red can be romantic, joyful, dangerous, angry, luxurious or cheap. Blue can be peaceful or melancholy. Green can suggest spring and growth—or illness and decay.
We have a personal colour memory. You can walk into a room painted in the same shade of pink as your grandmothers kitchen or see a garment in a faded shade of brown and be reminded of a place or person that your memory has associated with that colour.
Colours that we associate with something, or someone, in memory remain important to us, and the memories can linger for a very long time. Purple was the colour of choice the first time my parents decorated my bedroom for me. Purple curtains, purple drapes, and Oh God! purple flocked wall paper. Purple (click link to check out that bedroom) as a colour was my favourite then and is still my favourite colour now, as one of my very old blog posts can attest.
3. Colour isn’t decoration in knitting
Right now I am working on “The Sunday Series” an intensive class that is examining colour and how it reacts as it is put beside other colours in a garment.
We started with the Sunday Slouch – a gauge swatch hat. That wasn’t its only purpose; it allowed the students to see how well the colours played with each other. It came about because as I was knitting my sweater I realised that my original colours weren’t working. The first 3 inches of colourwork on my sweater were ripped back and I started again with a couple of new colours and some of my original colours, including my main.
So I designed the Sunday Slouch. A gauge swatch hat that would also allow the students to test out the colours they had selected for their own sweaters. And test them they did.
One student was totally satisfied with her colours. Another only changed one colour, but the others? They had to play a little bit harder to get to where they were happy with their colour choices.
Isn’t this a fabulous collection of colour – and you can see in here two different reds (to continue with the red theme) and how different each hat is – my Christmas Red, cheerful and bright, and then the warmer, more subdued red.
I had AI set up a chart for me with the hats and colours analysed.
Colour creates the pattern, but it also establishes hierarchy and rhythm. Change which colour dominates and the same chart can look remarkably different. Increase the contrast and it becomes graphic; reduce it and the pattern becomes quieter and more textural.
My students discovered this all firsthand. Everyone chose their original colours carefully, but they still needed to shift/change some colours before they started their sweater! The swatch hat did its job.
Colour also creates proportion. We are all working with six colours. If we used them all equally, except perhaps for striping, it could look chaotic. Used properly, the same six colours – one dominant, two supporting and three appearing as highlights – the knitting takes on a control and a sophistication.
The patterning I am using is borderline chaotic as I have been trying to use the bulk of the patterning colours fairly evenly, but spread throughout the garment. I have kept the background very defined to keep the colours under control. Cheerful is how I am thinking of the effect.
When we talk about colour and colour in our knitting there is the “unexpected” colour. The colour that doesn’t seem to fit at first glance, but becomes the colour that makes the other colours sing together and move naturally in the mix. For my sweater the unexpected colour is the light blue. It is the one colour that was both different and important. Its job in my sweater was to cut down any similarity to Christmas, and change the emotional “feel” of my background colour. It does it for me – though not for everyone. Many still call this my Christmas sweater.
So, for fun, the next time you pick a colour, think about why you chose it.
Do you label yourself? What is your view of yourself? Is it defined by your work, your hobby, your family? How do you view the way you interact with the world?
I know that I define myself by what I do now – what I did in the past helped form what I do now but does not define how I see myself now. For example, when my children were younger I defined myself as a mother. That definition is part of me but is not how I define myself now.
I am a Maker first and foremost. I make things.
Mostly, I knit. And when I knit, I design.
Then there is everything else. I love to cook. And bake. And make jam. I particularly love to make jam. I find it very meditative and soothing. I grow herbs in my garden to add to my cooking. Does that qualify as making? It does in my world.
And I sew clothing for myself when I am in the mood.
Crabapple Jelly in the Sunlight.
Everything I do leads to everything else I do. The colour of the jelly leads to me looking for the colour in my stash – couldn’t find it – so I settle for a bright pink. The colour of the gorgeous sunset last night.
In your knitting are you influenced by your environment? Does a walk in the woods or along a lake make you look at the shadows created by sun and leaves and see a lace pattern or watch the waves along the shore and see the classic old shale pattern?
Or are you more influenced by a direct need or want?
For example my latest Fall Intensive Class started with my students. There was a request for a cardigan type of sweater as a major class. Then other requests – I really want to try a shawl collar – could it be fair-isle – I have never tried raglan sleeve shaping – what about a simpler version of the sweater. As I mulled those requests, I was heavily influenced by my interest in a new sweater for myself. In red.
So the base colour for the sweater is red. And a few of my favourite colours for the patterning. Plus I need to make sure that there are a few other skills involved in making the sweater. So let’s do a traditional Fair Isle sweater, that will also include a steek, afterthought pockets, a belt, plus the requests.
AI generated sketch of the pattern based on my notes and actual sweater to date.
So I designed a long Fair Isle cardigan, with a raglan sleeve shaping and a big shawl collar and the fine tuning details I thought needed to be added. Including a simpler style sweater. One that picks up some of the details of the original cardigan, ribbing, v-neck and raglan sleeve shaping.
AI generated sketch of the simpler sweater based on the sweater knitting to date – complete except for the raglan shaping.
Once I started knitting my red sweater I realized I hated my original colour choices. So I ripped out the 4 inches of knitting beyond the ribbing, picked new colours and started the sweater patterning again. Much better colour choices. Umm, my students might have the same problems, so I designed and knit up a gauge swatch hat. Now I have a means for my students to check out their original selections and save them ripping out the sweater itself.
AI generated sketch of gauge swatch hat.
If I could create a flow chart from what I am, a Maker, to how I break down what I do, I wonder what it would look like.
Again, an AI generated sketch of my fall plans and projects.
Projects for Fall Classes
These smaller projects are part of the same circle of making. Each one explores a particular technique or idea that can turn up later in a completely different project.
1.) The Grand Shell Collar – due to the popular response to the pattern I have added it to the Fall schedule of classes.
2.) Mosaic Hat – Mosaic colourwork is a fun alternative to traditional Fair Isle – and “look Mum – no stranding”.
3,) Colouring with Cables – I decided to explore the Beret style hat and this hat was an outgrowth of playing around with top-down beret shaping. Which was a total bust – but it became the happy outcome of a really cute hat with fun cables!
The Beret is such a classic shape I decided to give it a really good look this Fall, which resulted in the last two classes of the Season.
4.) Classic Beret – nothing new here just a clear, classic beret with a few fine details, folded hem, dip stitch detailing and felted pompom to jazz it up.
5.) Fulled (felted) Beret – classic beret shaping knit oversize to felt to size. Beret starts from I-cord to create a more interesting edge detail.
It is July already and I am not quite sure how I got here. How are you feeling? Is time getting faster in your world this year?
I have really been focused on The Blanket Project, Threads of Colour – A Year in Squares for the last six months. And the Renovation. And now the final bit of the last years move – the Organization. In between I try to fit in some life. This last week had a lot of “life” in it.
La Dolce Vita – living a life.
It has been a beautiful Sunny week. With a little bit of rain here and there. We popped up to Fanny Bay Inn to meet some family on Wednesday and had a lovely lunch. it was a gorgeous day and the views were spectacular.
On Saturday we drove down to Victoria to catch some baseball with our Grandson. The afternoon before the game we popped over to Cadboro Bay for lunch and a wander down to the beach. Tom had read about a new Olympic sport being practiced there. It was a combination of running and rowing and then running again – Rowing Beach Sprint. It was being run in timed heats. It showed potential I think.
As for the game – the Harbour Cats won the night and Logan was thrilled.
We stayed the night and made our way leisurely back up Island. We stopped at Goldstream and wandered a bit. Checked out the Farmers market and had lunch with some friends… A very satisfactory week in all.
So I took a few photos over the week as we travelled.
A beautiful view with a perfect Gary Oak at Fanny Bay Inn.Fanny Bay Inn has a lovely little garden.Rain dapple Hydrangea – I love watching how these flowers open up.Roses in the rain.Sun reflecting off the Moon one morning this week.Cadboro Bay – watching a new Olympic sport develop. Running and rowing.Sun dappled new growth at the point of a broken off branch! Such a vivid green.Looking Waayy up at Goldstream Park.More new growth at Goldstream.
Threads of Colour – the July Square and Fancy
I have a new block and a fancy for you today.
For the block I went with the tried and true. One of my favourite Shetland Lace patterns, Old Shale, is always beautiful and always effective. Here it is representing Waves. Reminding me of Summer leisure time, idling away hours at the beach, swimming and reading.
Are you a Summer reader? I read more in the Summer than I do in the winter. Light reading, science fiction, mystery and romances to while away time when I feel too hot to knit. And not so light reading, research for my fall classes and patterns – I love delving into my knitting book collection and playing with ideas!
So this month I took a look at double knitting and decided the technique would create a fun fancy. How about a bookmark to go with the Summing Reading.
This one is light weight, totally revesible and was a really fun, quick knit!
The July block is the start of the second half of our block collection. If you have knit all of the blocks so far you will have 8 blocks completed. I am having fun playing with technique and colour and hope to add a few more colourful, textural options in the next couple of months.
Planning Ahead
If you have been knitting every block you will have 8 blocks completed. I will be knitting 20 blocks for my blanket (maybe 24) so I have to decide which Squares I like best and knit an extra one or two. If you want a more Afghan sized blanket your will need to double up on a few of your squares as well. The 12 or 16 squares I have planned for the year will make more of a lap robe sized blanket.
I have started to play around with how to connect our blocks into an interesting and useful blanket. Of course we could keep it simple with just the basic connections outlined. Those ideas will be covered. As well as a few more unique ideas. More on that in the next blog post.
Happy Knitting
And Happy Canada Day!
Lynette
Our Collection to date. Only the February fancy is not here. It is currently attached to a hat, which is somewhere in my very disorganized yarn room.
I love working with beads in my knitting. I try to add them to lace knitting at every opportunity. These are a few of my favourite pieces. They each have a story.
Some, like the beaded lace hat, Galadriel’s Gift, I have knit multiple times. The painted circular shawl is the Garden Gate Shawl, showing my favourite pictures of one of my painted pieces. The Shetland Fascinator, the little lace shawl, has the prettiest little beaded tassels.
Rhiannon’s Wrap, the purple shawl, is the most beautiful thing that I ever knit, that never won a prize. A story for another day. I never wrote a pattern for this large version. But there is a pattern for a smaller version, the link is attached to the beaded tassel photo in another gallery in this post.
And Covid Be Damned – The Impulsive Shawl – rainbow, bees, butterfly’s and beads – there are so many ways to add beads.
If you want to know more about the pictures below click on the picture. Some of them are linked to patterns.
But when I discovered bead knitting (beads knit into every stitch) I thought that here was a pinnacle of achievement. I have been working towards that pinnacle every since. My inspiration and resolution just got a big boost.
Treasure
I was in Victoria not too long ago, spending some quality granny time looking after my Grandson. As he is in school I had some time to wander around during the day. I visited family, met up with a friend and got myself into trouble of the best kind.
My daughter lives close to a wonderful little second hand store. I have been there a few times but this last time I found something I had never seen in real life, not outside of a museum. I have seen pictures in books or magazine articles – I found a small, exquisite, circular knit, beaded bag!
I did not buy it immediately. I went back to my daughter’s and slept on it, as it was not cheap. It was not useful and I wanted it. So I didn’t do much sleeping! I kept thinking and thinking and in the morning rushed back to the store and looked at it again. Who was I kidding – it was mine!
It is tiny, only 3 inches across and about 2 and 1/2 inches high, maybe three inches high if you include the closure. But it is perfect. A perfect little coin purse.
Kid Leather lined, designed to sit upright on a table, lavender cotton lace top and a beautiful, twisted silk cord… And the BEAD work!
Micro Bead Knit bag with Pink and Yellow and roses, deep green leaves and the bottom is a beautiful spiraling bottom, in a leaf and bud pattern. There is just 1 loose bead, you can see it resting in the center of the bottom of the bag. For its age it is in great shape!
This bag is roughly dated to the 1920’s and 30’s and unlike most beaded bags, which were designed only to hang this bag was designed to sit on the table and hold a few essentials, a bit of “mad” money, a compact perhaps, just the necessities necessary for a evening on the town.
These bags were mostly knit in Europe at this time. I can see a woman in a garret apartment in Paris madly knitting away and creating a bag for her month’s wages. I have knit with beads, a lot. But knitting circularly with such fine thread and micro beads… it boggles the mind.
My other beaded treasure was a gift from a customer, someone who wanted the bag saved and appreciated. I call it the Napier-Hemy bag to reflect the name of the original owners. This bag came to me in pretty rough shape. It is losing beads and had started to fall apart. But it is still beautiful. The work that went into such creations. The beads are smaller in this bag than in my new treasure. That allows for greater detail in the design. The colours are stronger too – less light exposure perhaps.
You might have noticed that I have been creating a few things with a tiny circular cast-on. lately I am playing with a crazy idea – I think I want to try knitting a small bag like this one.
I won’t knit my bag with such tiny beads, I am thinking of size 8/0’s and then of course what kind of pattern do I want to tackle with my beads? It can’t be too complex – I am not totally insane.
So Many Styles of Working with Beads
I am not without some experience in working with beads. I have tried a great many different beading techniques over the years. I have knit quite a few other beaded bags. Or shawls and tassels with beaded details. Beaded bracelets as well. I could incorporate aspects of these into a circular bead knit bag.
Beaded Mesh – Knitting with Beads
The yarn is BC Garn Tussah Tweed Silk
This is the Victorian Beaded Mesh Bag. It is a lot of beads and not quite so much knitting. But is was the start of my fascination with beads and beaded bags in particular.
I also designed a scarf, Victorian Beaded Mesh Scarf to co-ordinate with the bag. It is a little short scarf with beads at both ends. I have just started knitting myself a new version.
Being a small piece, knit in two pieces and grafted – it knits up relatively quickly and gives a great finish! It is also fun to wear!
I am making myself a new version just long enough to tie around my neck. You can see it’s progress in the pictures above.
You can use beads in so many ways in your knits! Below are just a few. Some of these are just pretty pictures of my work (well, I think they are pretty). If you want to know more about the pictures below click on the picture. Some of them are linked to patterns.
Just in case you want to be crazy too! Here is some information on different styles of working with beads in your knitting.
Beading Techniques:
Placed while Knitting – knitting with beads – beads are placed in pattern, but not creating a solid beaded surface
This technique is the most commonly used technique in modern knitting. A bead is carefully placed on a stitch as your knit. It can be placed before or after the stitch has been worked. When you place the bead determines which row it sits on.
The bead is placed with a small crochet hook or beading tool. The size of the hook is determined by the weight of the yarn and the size of the hole in the bead. I have a small collection of hooks from a .60mm to a 1.25mm. I always try to use the biggest hook possible, but some beads, especially the ones with the beautiful finishes have smaller holes.
.60mm hook with 8/0 bead – hook is ready to pick-up the stitchpicking up the stitchbead has been slipped onto the ststitch is ready to be worked
This technique allows you to place beads exactly where you want them as you knit. It requires a very small crochet hook – 0.6mm – 0.75mm most commonly (bead holes can vary, sometimes a bigger hook will work). Pick up a bead with the tip of your crochet hook, use the crochet hook to remove the next stitch from the left hand needle and then slide the bead down the hook and onto the stitch, return the stitch to the left hand needle and then work the stitch.
Beading Techniques: Pre-Strung Beads
Three beading techniques requiring pre-strung beads that I use; beaded long-tail cast-on, beads between purl stitches and knitted in beads. These are all pre-strung beads, easiest in one colour, more complicated with several colours.
Notes on Pre-stringing beads: All three of these techniques require that the beads be strung onto your yarn before you start knitting. The first time that you try knitting a pattern with beads I recommend that you work a pattern with knitted in beads, keep the pattern simple. A small repeat something that mistakes won’t show as much or will be easily fixed. That way as long as you have enough beads there won’t be any problem with beads not being strung in the right order. This is the simplest way of learning.
After the first time you will be able to decide if you want to knit in a coloured pattern. When working a coloured pattern the beads must be strung in the correct order. In order to do this you string the beads in the reverse order that they are being knit. The first bead knit is the last bead strung. Flip your chart upside down and use the reverse chart for the bead stringing order.
Pre-stringing Fixes: If the beads are out of order you will need to cut your yarn and fix the problem. An extra bead can be crushed with pliers. Work very carefully if crushing a bead the sharp edges can cut the yarn.
Beaded long-tail cast-on – beads are pre-strung and I usually bead every stitch or every other stitch, but for special beads, a different shape or size, the beads might be added less frequently. These beads are on the the tail (the length of yarn over your thumb). Start with your slip knot and immediately pull up 1 bead to rest close to the slip knot. *Cast on 1 (2 ) or desired number of stitches and then pull-up another bead.* Repeat from * to * until you have run out of beads and then finish your cast-on – this should give you the right number of stitches for your cast-on, if you had the right number of beads. Always check your count.
Beads between purl stitches – This is the easiest of the pre-strung beading techniques. The beads are pulled up and placed between your purl stitches The purl stitches hold them in place. This technique does not work well between knit stitches as they will fall to the purl side.
Fretwork mitten cuff – beads on the cast-on and beads between stitches in the ribbing.
Bead Knitting – creates a solid beaded surface
Method and rules: Knitted in Beads –
1) When knitting in your bead you will always knit into the back of the stitch on which you wish to place your bead. The twisting of the stitch by knitting through the back of the loop insures that the bead will be locked into place.
2) When the needle is in place in the back of the stitch, pull up the bead up to approx ¼ of an inch away from your knitting. As you knit the stitch, pull the bead through to rest on the front arm of your stitch.
3) The bead will be furthered anchored when the stitch on top of it is also knitted through the back of the loop. This is done when knitting the next row of beads in place. If beading the next row you will automatically twist the stitch with your current bead. If no bead is being knit into place simply knit into the back of the stitch above the bead to finish the anchoring process.
The beads have been knit in and are sitting on twisted stitches. You can see the twist below the beads. The bead have just been pulled through the stitch and the stitch is about to be removed from the LH needle.
If you are looking for more information on Knitting with Beads or Bead Knitting the Mary Thomas Knitting Book is still one of the best. It was originally published in 1936 and most of the modern writing on the topic references back to this book.
A New Project in the Planning Stage
I have collected so many colours of beads over my years of knitting. More than enough to create a completely bead knit bag. I would work it in Handmaiden Lace Silk. I have a good quantity of that to hand. It would certainly be easier to work with than a linen thread – if I could find some of this thread strong and long enough. The yarn for bead work like this has to be strong and long with no knots if I plan on stringing thousands of beads. And I am. Am I crazy?
So am I crazy? Or what? Are you crazy too?
If you are interested in more – I have just been looking at beads for the background. I usually order from Bead F/X in Toronto when I need a larger quantity of beads. They offer design size pkg of beads – approx 9000 beads per 250 grs of 8/0’s. These are the three possible colours that I am considering. Maybe you might want to check our some options for beading your knits.
Crystal AbSparkle PewterLight Steel Blue
I will probably only order two colours, but first I have to decide on my pattern colours and then pick the background! This may require some swatching. I dusted off my swatch instructions for bead knitting. If you are interested in giving it a try, this swatch is a fairly inoffensive way to begin.
It has been very foggy around here for the last few days. It does create a very different world when it surrounds and softens our world. Even as it lifts in the morning it leaves behind traces of singular beauty.
The Frost this morning was amazing! It gives of the sparkle of diamonds in the sunlight and rims each petal and leaf in lace.
Today is Wednesday, the middle of the work week and my day off. To rest, grocery shop and work on my knitting, patterns and blog! Maybe to nap as well. LOL!
Now it is Thursday – yesterday got interrupted by some serious knitting. I am almost ready to place the thumb stitches on my glove onto some waste yarn!
The Qing Fibre is so pretty.
My project/sample knitting is going along swimmingly while my pattern is writing lagging behind my knitting. Which is normal because I would rather knit than write! I am much better at the knitting and struggle with the writing. I blog because it does in improve my writing abilities and it fools me into thinking my pattern will write themselves, so far, this has been proven to be a fallacy. LOL!
As a knitter and as a designer I love texture and colour. Slip stitch knitting offers so many opportunities to combine both! Slip stitch knitting is very similar to Mosaic knitting in that you are never working with more than one colour at a time. The other colour in the round is slipped as you come to it. The Jelly Bean is a good example of slip stitch knitting.
I have been working on the pattern for the Jelly Bean Hat. It is just about ready for release. The charts are done and the pictures. It just needs some fine tuning.
The yarn is Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino in 4 colours. But it could just as easily be worked in 2 colours or every stripe of “jellybeans” could be a different colour. Knitters choice 🙂
My remainder of the samples for the Winter/Spring classes are coming along. I really only have two samples left to knit.
It is getting bigger. I am just a little ways away from dividing off for the underarms.
The Puffy Vest, which will take a while as it basically knitting two vests and then knitting them together. AND…
The Beaded and Twisted Cast-on which won’t take very long even though there are two variations on the same theme.
I am going to use gloves and socks for the samples, Which will keep the sample knitting The beaded and twisted start really could be used on almost any garment or accessory. It’s just that I particularly love it’s effect on smaller items!
The basic gloves for the class will be sampled with one of the versions of the beaded and twisted cast-on. They were started with a long-tail beaded cast-on. The yarn for the glove body is Qing Fibre Sock in the Blackhare colourway, paired with some basic black sock and size 8/0 beads.
Version 1 – gloves started with the beaded long tail cast-on and then twisted.
Version 2 – socks started with the beads randomly spaced on the knitting and then twisted.
The other example will be my Sailors Knots Socks. In this twisted and beaded cast-on the beads are placed randomly as you knit.
Epic Fail
I really struggle with the technological aspects of being a small business person in our modern world of computers. Every improvement in technology requires a new learning curve. Usually it doesn’t involve the blog but…
Yesterday I got a note that one of my posts had an error – there were two different versions, so there was a conflict. I had to pick one version. I picked wrong. SO….
My Granny Blanket post has suffered some kind of calamity and will have to be rewritten. I will work on it this weekend. Apparently it was a “me” problem I jigged when I should have jagged! I mangaged to delete the whole thing. I somehow still have a draft version that was never finished so I will use that as a base.
My Granny Blanket Swatch is building quite quickly though. I will be working less wedges than I thought (originally 16). I am currently thinking that 13 or 14 wedges might make the circle.
I hope that you are having a wonderful week. With lots of knitting and no technological glitches!
My last few posts have all focused around the the Make-A-Blanket project. Getting the first couple of squares up and available, using them to describe some of the possibilities for blanket construction, setting up the start of the design process for all the knitters involved.
Hopefully getting everyone, including myself thinking forward to what they/I want to do with our squares. At the same time as all that it going on …The rest of life keeps on happening!
Now I am focusing on the Winter/Spring Class session. Also my designing. I haven’t felt much like lace knitting lately but I think that is changing. I have a couple of big projects to finish! My Lace Dress and the GreenMan Shawl still need to be finished. Those are going to be done this year!
Projects for the classes at Mad About Ewe are all under construction or ready for the class.
Current projects for the classes, the Twinned Mittens and Socks on Circs are class ready, but not completed yet. That will happen during and after the classes.
I did a swatch to display for the Puffy Vest, and I am currently knitting the first piece. I am really pleased with the way it is knitting up. Right now it looks like a cozy cowl! The thrums make it so bright and colourful!
You can see the swatch for the puffy vest, the Twinned Knit Mitten sample and Socks on Circs at Mad About Ewe, hanging up behind the counter if you want to check things out! All of the classes are up on the website as well!
And there are always future projects!
Like the Chintz Hap I have started knitting.
Last fall I went to the Chintz exhibit at the RBCM and it inspired me in so many ways! The history, the colours and the shapes of some of the motifs really made my sit up and take notice. I want to take those shapes and colours and knit them into one of my favourite shawl shapes – the Shetland Hap! I am working on the center square right now. I am loving the center so far and once the border and edging are complete… In my head it is gorgeous!
I am working with B.C.Garn Loch Lomond Lace! The colours are perfect for this. I may need to add that warm creamy tone, but that is still under consideration.
So life is busy at work, and in my designing and it looks like things are about to get busy around the house as well!
We downsized last year and have been waiting to get the kitchen and few areas around our new home renovated. And it is all about to start! And with my yarn room! Can I say that I am somewhat excited!
The yarn room won’t be big once finished, around 7.5 by 7.5 square feet! But it will be all mine! With shelves and storage and even room for my Grandson to come and visit.
I have it all planned out! The Daybed is for my grandson to sleep on, with a light and small bookcase for his books it will be perfect for me to block my knitting on. It is also right by the window so I can check my yarn colours under the natural light!
One of my resolutions for this year was to be more forward thinking about my classes. So I am already thinking ahead to the Summer Classes. Something light and fun and under the sun in the courtyard. Maybe some beaded fingerless mitts in a really hot colour! What do you think?
Or maybe a light and airy lace scarf in something silky? Any suggestions?
Do you plan your knitting for the year ahead or are you a knit by the moment and yarn you discover?
In the meantime I certainly don’t lack for stuff to do! LOL!
I bet that you have lots of knitting options to as well!
Wednesday in Nanaimo was gorgeous. The sun was shining, the skies were clear and it wasn’t even looking like rain. Rain which had been pretty continuous before Wednesday and again after Wednesday was nowhere in sight. This morning the skies were dark grey and the rain was pounding down and, at times the rain was a little chunky with bits of snow!
So, in this wonderous sunny break my husband and I went for a walk around Buttertubs Marsh and it was beautiful!
We saw basking Painted Turtles, a Grey Heron, well camouflaged by the marsh itself, loads of duck, mostly heard and not fully seen and and the Marsh itself, beautiful in tones of golden brown, deep brown and green with sharp notes of red Hawthorn Berries and soft notes of downy bullrushes. There is something percolating in my brain. There might be a pattern here.
Do you walk in your local parks? What are your favourites? I hope that you get a chance to walk in the sunshine yourself. It is a wonderful way to relax, enjoy your surroundings and be inspired.
This week I also saw the windup of the Winter session of Classes at Mad About Ewe. Last Saturday I taught the second workshop with the feather stitch. This is the Feather Slouch.
The right hand hat was knit with Mecha in the Piedras and Rosalinda. The left hand hat was knit with two shades of Highland Alpaca Chunky.
I also finished up the Top-Down Yoke Intensive. I have to do a little more work on the pattern to make it Ravelry ready. I will let you know when that happens. The pattern is called Ocean Legend.
Ocean Legend was knit with 3 shades of Eco Scandinavian Chunky. A couple of years ago I designed a hat, Legend. I loved the pattern on the hat and always wanted to turn it into a sweater yoke and so Ocean Legend came to be created.
I have got a tentative plan for Winter/Spring Classes and have already started knitting some samples. And if you haven’t heard I am planning a blanket for next year. A square a month club, free from my blog. All you need to do in subscribe below.
Right now I am behind and I will never catch up to my normal Christmas rituals! You know the traditional foods we like to make, or the items we like to create. This is because we (my husband and I) have downsized this year and everything we normally bring out at Christmas is at the back of the storage locker!
This is not a bad thing, in fact, the downsize will lead to a better living environment – smaller, easier to care for home that will be ultimately cozier! But the changes and renovations have been delayed by a few months and most of our Christmas Stuff is in storage. So this Christmas has a few challenges. Maybe we need to rethink our Christmas Rituals. We knew that some things would change, we would be letting go of some things when we eventually emptied the locker. So I guess we are getting a bit of an early start!
Challenge one, my yarn for Christmas Baubles is in storage as are most of the decorations and lights. I really don’t need to make new baubles every year – I just enjoy them.
Challenge two, my current oven is problematical. It bakes, but not evenly. The upper element does not work. So things like homemade shortbread or tarts are not really doable, not easily at any rate. I have found workarounds for roasting and reheating foods but not for baking or any cooking anything that requires an accurate oven temperature!
So we have bought a few things, just enough to feel Christmassy, I bought a tree, small, not real (that was difficult), and a few ornaments. Not too much – very low key. My brother is cooking the Turkey this year. I have cooked the bird for the last 30+ years, not so sure about this! That might be the hardest thing not to do! Maybe this will lead to new traditions next year! But maybe not!
What are your rituals? What do you really need to have to feel like your are celebrating Christmas? Is it the tree? Or the food? Or the friends and family? Do you need all of the above? I think I do. There is just something about Christmas! I would love to hear about your must have rituals.
I am not knitting a lot for Christmas this year. Just a few small gifts. Mittens for Logan, maybe a few hats for friends. I am still constantly knitting, but I am mostly trying to get ahead on next years Classes at Mad About Ewe! So many plans are coming together!
Thrumming, Twined Knitting, Socks on Circs (2 socks at a time) and all of the regular classes. I am also contemplating a couple of other options…. more to follow.
Maybe a good basic glove – with cuff options, like beads or cables?
As I continue to dream up ideas, what would you like to see?
Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Happy Hanukah, Blessings, or however your culture may celebrate or note the passing of the Winter Solstice. I have noted that most of the celebrations involve gifts. So here is my gift to you. For the month of December and until Midnight of Jan 1, 2026, the Arrow Slouch will be available for free on Ravelry.
A beautiful yarn and a simple repeating lace pattern combine to make this soft slouch. The Arrow pattern repeats up the hat to the crown shaping. This creates soft points and folds as the stitches decrease to the optional I-cord Finish. The pattern repeat is small enough to offer a multiple of sizes so you can pick the head circumference and depth that best suits you. The size shown is a X-large on a medium head.
The Arrow Lace pattern grows from a knit3, purl3 ribbing that is deep enough to offer a nice contrast to the lace pattern.
Pattern is both written and charted.
The yarn shown is WOOLFOLK TYND! It is a gorgeously soft merino and just begs to be knit into something soft and Oh so touchable! Just like the Arrow Slouch!
Knit Happy
Lynette
Does your tea need a Seasonal Cozy? Cozy Bells is waiting for you to knit.
