I just picked up the Rain Shadow Shawl from my test knitter Jana. And I am so thrilled with how it turned out.
Rain Shadow Shawl was entirely inspired by the new to me stitch I chose for the April Square. I loved the way the stitches moved. It immediately inspired this triangular shawl.
Look for the pattern to be released at the same time as the June Square. There may be a discount code attached to the Square pattern… just saying.
I haven’t had much time for writing this month. I have been emptying the storage locker and that job is almost complete. There is maybe 3 or 4 loads left. Some to Restore, some to the dump and some home. My challenge, and the biggest job, has been fitting everything into our new, smaller space..
I have a couple of quiet corners in the house, but most still hold boxes of “bits” looking for a home. My tea shelf is organized. But my book shelves are overflowing and the yarn room… the less said the better. I have more yarn than I thought. Maybe I have more yarn than I wanted to think. That might be more accurate. It will take a little while to organize that area.
I am having fun working on the square and fancy for June. How you started a new square recently? I am really looking forward to seeing how everything comes together for us all.
Happy Knitting
Lynette
A very busy bee indeed. Look at the colour of that Rhododendron. I love watching my plants bloom. Especially now, in a new garden.
I have been living though a major renovation and the cold of the year over the last month. The cold, though as aspects of it linger, is finally moving on. The cough is the pits and surprises at the most annoying times.
The renovation is now in its final stages, except for the Wool Room! Finding that the small room needed a new roof was a bit of a setback. The rest of the kitchen is coming together though.
The main room has been painted. It currently looks like a store backroom. Everything is piled up and covered in drop cloth. You can see that the new flooring has been covered with heavy cardboard to protect it from all of the activity!
Cabinets are being installedI found it interesting seeing how the uppers are being supported.We have countertops.And lighting, and appliances. The new dishwasher has been delayed and the new microwave needs to be installed!.
Knitting
The laundry room is finally back in action and I got to felting the Granny Blanket Swatch!
My machine is newer stacking Samsung front loader and it did the job well. I threw the swatch in with a few small napkins. I dialed the heat up to the highest and added the detergent. It took a while – approx 2 hours but it worked beautifully. My swatch shrank at approximately 30 percent. It has become a lovely soft and cozy fabric. So the Estelle Eco Shetland Worsted is a great felting yarn.
The center weave and seam felted well. You can’t see the weave or the seam as separate from the fabric. Each segment also shrank to the same size. Something I had been worried about. Sometimes the dyes can affect the felting of the yarn. But this turned out perfectly.
Before FeltingAfter Felting
The swirl shrank from approx 37 inches to about 28 inches.
Before Felting.After Felting.
Next steps, decide how wide I want my blanket to be and start the knitting. I will also need to update the pattern download. You can expect the updated version to be available next weekend.
I was originally gong to fold the swatch and turn it into a half circle pillow. But now…. maybe I should keep it a full circle. I love the effect!
You can have a lot of fun with AI. I love this version of my original sketch. But I am thinking about changing…
Of course I have kept on knitting, not as much as I normally would in this time frame. I was sick or recovering for much of that time.
I am thinking a fall class and new sweater for myself.Two new projects, one for me and class and another a new baby/toddler pattern.
Spring is Springing
I have discovered that I have a Forsythia in the garden. it is small bush, but it wil grow.
I didn’t know it last spring because we moved in too late to see the blooms. The bright yellow flowers add so much cheer to the grey surrounding us right now. These are so fabulous for Spring colour. I did not have any in my last garden. My neighbour had a huge bush so I got to enjoy it fully every Spring.
I love watch the birds darting around right now. There are so many showing up, Robins, Sparrows, Finches, they are so much fun to watch! Everything is waking up.
I hope that you have a great week! I know I will. The kitchen and main room should be fully finished. The main bath and laundry should be finished. And maybe the Wool Room started!
I have often wondered if the opposite is true. I should pay more attention. Right now March is coming in like a Lamb. It is beautiful out there today in my neck of the woods. So clear, and a little warmer, it is really feeling like Spring.
The March square consists of bold cables that are offset each other to create a very textured surface. The garter stitch background helps highlight the texture. The cables are wide and round and all twist the same way. One cable is traditional the other cable has a lace faggoting center. It looks complicated but is very easy to knit.
The March Fancy is a tassel. Not an ordinary tassel but a dressed tassel. Tassels as embellishments have been around for a long time. They can be very simple, or not so simple. Why create a tassel that is covered like this? It keeps the tassels neater for the long hall. Wouldn’t it look great on our Blanket, or maybe a a cushion.
Note – if you think you have read this before – you have! I somehow deleted the original post about this afghan. I am trying to replace the post and the basic start to the blanket that was included! It was truly an epic fail.
Do you find learning a new bit of technology a challenge? I certainly do. Anything I have learned I usually do fine with. New things can cause me grief.
How did this happen? I received a message that said I had two versions of the same post in two different locations. I needed to delete one. I chose “poorly”! And lost the good post! The other post was an incomplete draft! So I am finishing the draft to recreate match the post!
So Here we go Again.
Remember the Granny Afghan? Well, after writing about it, I realized how much it means to me. Surprisingly, I had never made an afghan for my grandson Logan. I haven’t even knitted him a baby blanket (a story for another time). I have knit him quite a few things over the years, but not “keeping” or “memory” things!
I felt that needed to change. I needed to create something that Logan to have to remember his Granny.
I have made copies of the crocheted blanket, a few times, for friends or family. Copying it carefully, counting every stitch and crocheting painfully from start to finish. I am not much of a crocheter, but I can work a chain st and a single crochet. This is not me, I am a knitter, not a crocheter. Crochet has never resonated with me in the same way as knitting has. This project had to come from my love of the craft, but…
I wanted to do something similar for Logan. I aimed for something fun and not the squares. The squares are my other blanket project for this year. I wanted to knit him something fun like the Granny Blanket.
Ray, a co-worker, pointed out to me that I could knit a version of it. In fact, I had already done so. ‘What was I thinking about’! Sometimes it just takes someone else to point out the obvious.
I few years ago I knit the Shetland Wheel. It is a laceweight Shetland style lace shawl, with a center of wedges, just like the Granny Afghan. This shawl is soft and fine and I love it, but it is way to delicate for a growing boy.
I want to make the blanket out of wool. It shouldn’t be too heavy. It needs to be strong enough to endure the “careful” handling of a boy to teenager and then to man. Maybe he will keep this blanket as long as I have kept my Grandmothers.
I am going to full (felt) the blanket so that it will be washable. So my swatch is much larger than average and in all the colours. Why?
Not all wools felt evenly. Sometimes the dyes themselves affect the rate of the fulling process. And I like to use my swatches. In fact many of my hat designs were the product of a swatch. Sometimes the best way to know how a yarn will work is to knit it into something.
So lets have a pillow to go with the blanket.
Sequence of events for this project:
Pick your colours – I picked blue
Pick a needle size – in this case 5.0mm – I don’t want a hard felt, just a soft fulling
Second make a swatch – make a large swatch
Third felt the swatch
Fourth figure out how big to make the blanket from the swatch
Fifth cast on the first wedge for the blanket
Sixth turn the swatch into a pillow
Seventh figure how to finish the blanket – right now I am thinking about a knitted fringe
So I have started.
I picked my yarn, Estelle Yarns, Eco Shetland Worsted, in eight colours. Most of them in shades of Blue – Logans current favourite colour. Which has something to do with his favourite teams. The Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Blue Jays!
I picked my needles, a 5mm US #8.
And I cast-on. The journey needs to begin with a cast-on. The knitting will take a little time, but we have that. This is easy knitting, all garter st, with rows that shrink down and then start all over.
Pick your coloursChoose your needle size – 5.0mm in this caseAI finished sketch from my poor attempt at sketching.Knitting has started. This may take awhile. Maybe a gift for his birthday – say September!The knitting is progressing.
So what is the difference between felting and fulling.
1.) Felting traditionally is worked from the fibre itself
2.) Fulling is created when you take a fabric, woven or knitted, and felt it.
Felting is what happens when you take hot water, soap and agitation and ruin your favourite sweater. That is our usual experience, but when you felt with intent, different things can happen.
Fulling occurs when wool has been worked into a woven or knitted fabric. You achieve this when you take hot water, soap, and agitation, and you felt with intent. The resulting fabric is denser, and is often softer and easier to work with. It can be cut without unravelling and will keep its shape much longer.
If you want to join me on the journey, download the instructions below. They provide some “pithy” guidance to work from.
This year is turning into the Year of Blankets, not just the Year of Blanket Squares. These are big projects so nothing is happening in a hurry. There will lots of time for experimentation. These are fun projects, nothing is heavy lifting. So lets just have fun and play a little.
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!
I am working on a year long Blanket Project. It is supposed to comprise of one blanket square per month with tip and advice on how to put the squares together. I think that the project is definitely going to be bigger than I anticipated…
An Extra Square idea came to mind and I just had to try it out!
Greta posted a note on Ravelry about a yarn she was contemplating for her blanket, a pretty tweed, she was working with it in a modular pattern. So my brain went instantly to this blanket and a new square!
Modular, Domino or Mitred knitting is a method of creating square, or other shapes by using interior (usually) decreases to shape the outsides of the square. It was made popular here a few years ago by Vivian Hoxbro and her book Domino Knitting. There are other publications by other designers as well! But I am most familliar with this book! Once learned the technique is incredibly easy and a lot of fun.
Have you ever tried Modular Knitting? It is a technique for creating a fabric that is built piece by piece from a base piece or cast-on. Well, the mitred square that I created for the blanket could also be the base of a whole blanket starting from that square. A project for another day.
Entrelac or Swedish basketweave is a style of modular knitting. The tam below is entrelac and the close up of a glove cuff is also entrelac.
So, new modular square, what do you think?
I think it has a lot of punch. I went with the two most contrasting colours in my blanket, navy and natural. I wonder what it would look like in two close colours? I need to knit a second one anyway. This one is a little on the large size and I made sure to fix that in the pattern below.
Please note – the actual pattern is four ridges shorter than the square shown (just in case you count the stripes). My first attempt was a little big. The fix is already in the pattern.
If you want to try something a little more interesting with modular knitting – The Mitered Modular Cowl is one of my earlier patterns. I was playing with hand-dyed yarns and trying to move colours around differently as I knit. I was really pleased with the effect.
It is knit flat and then is seamed together. It only takes about 400m.
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.
There are many reasons’ for why we knit so crazily at this time of year. For me and perhaps to you, It is simply that this season of the year, what ever and how ever you celebrate always seems to involve gifting and sharing what we have and like you I like to create gifts for those I love and for those in need.
I always try to knit a few quick hats for the unhoused. I give them to a charity to distribute or simply place them where I have seen people congregate. This year things seem more dire than usual and I know that while I can’t make any substantive difference to their lives, I can offer some time to create a few hats. Above is my “go” to pattern. It is a very quick to knit and because of the ribbing will fit almost any head. It is free on Ravelry. But I thought I would make it easy and just put it in my post. Take a bulky weight yarn and knit it single, take 2 chunky weight yarns and knit them together on some 8mm needles. I have just finished my first hat.
Have you ever noticed that your to do list is greater than your time available? How many times have you given gifts on the needle or even just a picture and a promise? I am particularly guilty of the gifts on the needles. And while I am not sure if I will do as much personal knitting this year, I am sure that I won’t be able to resist creating a few little things….
One of the things I have been working and thinking on are next years classes at Mad About Ewe. Which techniques I want to teach and how to best present them as good learning opportunities for my students.
Maybe a unique take on a yoked sweater?Or, how about some Cables and Garter St?Though I am fond of simple stitchery on top of our knitting! So many possibilities!
I am also working on getting my patterns on Etsy. This is a bit of a process and takes a little time. I am also working on my Gosadi Site. I think it is looking pretty good. I still have a long way to go. It is in the testing stage for makers so if you are interested you can look at joining yourself and have your say in helping us create a great working space.
My first gift given for Christmas will be for you! For the last 10 or so years I have released a new pattern on Ravelry as a thank-you for the support thoughout the years. Next Monday, Dec 1, my Christmas pattern will be available here and on Ravelry. It will be free for the month of December. Keep your eyes peeled!
Right now I am working on a few different ideas. A cabled hat, a dress and a shawl (both have been hibernation for too long), a headband, a couple of sweaters, and way too many others projects that need assessment!
I think this one exceeds the sum of its parts! What do you think? More pictures below.
Quickie Update
Well it is obvious that Quickie needs a new name. For starters it really wasn’t that quick and really it doesn’t suit the beauty that this project turned into! It is blocking right now – and I am rushing it along with a few blasts of warm air from the blow dryer so that I can share some pictures.
So lets have a little competition. I am looking for a name for this very pretty, textured, and quite happy shawl. It has beautiful stripes highlighted with waves of lace patterning and is finished with cheerful, bouncy bobbles! I think that it has quite the playful vibe. The winner can pick one of my patterns on Ravelry and I will gift it to you! (You would need to be on Ravelry for this as I would need a rav name to send it to!) So put your thinking caps on and come up with something that you think appropriate.
I cannot say enough great things about the Poema Stripes yarn that I used for this. The colours move beautifully and the merino is very soft and bouncy. It made for a very satisfying knit. This yarn is not cheap, but at 150 grs and 450m, there was value for the cost. It is a non superwash which was important to me as well. Some other things on my knitting list (you know the one – it is never ending), were pushed to the side while I played with this yarn. The way this yarn has been spun is amazing. The average yardage in 300grs of worsted weight wool is approx 600m or 660yds. Poema has 900m, which makes for a very light, but cozy shawl.
Basic Stats: 300 grs, or 900M worsted weight yarn, 5.5mm US#9 long circular needle. The bind-off round took almost 35 -40grs (approx 100 – 120 yds) of yarn. I had only 13 grs left after the bind-off. Bobbles do eat up yardage. The pattern will need to be updated, but that might take a while. It was approx 50 inches by 18 inches before blocking. After a relaxed blocking; it was wet blocked but not pinned or stretched, just smoothed out onto the towels. After a relaxed blocking it was 68 inches long and 22 inches wide. Each lace pattern measures 4inches across.
The bobbles as a closures was a complete fluke! But it looks deliberate! Sometimes in design things just happen!I chose bobbles for the border simply because I think of them as happy and fun and a little playful. Which is how I think of this piece.
Next Year at Mad About Ewe
I have been working on the theme for next years classes at Mad About Ewe Fine Yarns and I think I have come up with a bit of theme. I am going to spend the year looking at socks. I haven’t designed any in a while and there seems to be a renewed interest in knitting the more interesting kinds. So are you interested in socks? Did you try them and go “never again”, or did you become hooked?
When I started knitting socks I think I knit over a hundred pairs of heavy socks to give away, sell and wear. Once I move onto 4-ply socks the knitting slowed down, but I still have over 20 pairs in my sock drawer that are worn in rotation. This way very few of them wear out. I also have a few pairs umm, only half done or some just started – It is the way of socks.
There are sooo many options for socks; different heels, classic, dutch, afterthought, short-rowed and toes, box, blossom, grafted; different ways of construction including top-down and toe-up, with double points, long circs, short circs etc. Tube Socks (perfect for kids), Spiral Socks, Work Socks, Dress Socks, Slip-Stitch Socks and even the lowly basic sock, which takes on a new life in all of the fabulous socks yarns we have today.
I love the Fall, the changing of the leaves, the cooling of the temperatures and even the way the skies darken so much earlier. Even in the Fall the lingering flowers have great beauty. I have been watching the hydrangea in my new place slowly fade as the cold progresses and isn’t it beautiful?
Last Wednesday I was out at Rathtrevor with a friend. It was glorious, the wind was howling, the waves had whitecaps and the clouds were racing across the sky. There were a couple of kite surfers on the water and we watched them for a while. The eagles and gulls were gliding on the winds and the small birds were darting around the tangled rose bushes. It was an amazingly exhilarating walk! It started to rain just as we left. What a day.
Are you a soup person? I have noticed that some people don’t like soups. I love soup. I could easily have soup every day for lunch, even in the Summer. Soup with crackers, soup with bread, soup with croutons – just soup!
I baked a ham earlier in the week so I am currently making a stock with the bone and vegetables and herbs. I will most likely make a pot of split pea soup this evening. Something for lunches this week at work. There should be enough broth for me to freeze so that I can make a pot of split pea soup another weekend. Ham, at the end of the day, is a very economical purchase and now-a-days that is important. It does dinner, breakfast and lunches and then offers up a couple of meals of soup!
Happy Knitting! I am hoping for a few good names to show up!
