It is no secret that I love to knit lace, the more complex the better. I love to design the lace first and then dive in and explore what I think the design should do.
I have knitterly friends who love to aid me in my process. Anne is one of those friends. We really got to know one another about 10 years ago at one of Mad About Ewe’s Retreats and have talked a few times over the years. She came in recently and asked If I was interested in working with some Gossamer Cashmere yarn from Heirloom knitting. She came back a few days later with the yarn and some vintage knitting books! Such a wonderful gift.
And of course, I am interested!
I received the yarn on Monday. This beautiful yarn, a 2-ply cashmere that weighs in at 25 grs with 1230 yds in the ball is going to be a challenge!
Monday evening I was swatching. I felt a little like Goldilocks, it took three tries before I decided on the correct needle size to get the look and feel I wanted. I am going with a 1.75mm and I am using the beautiful lace needles from Heirloom Knitting. They have such smooth joins and a great cord.
Right now I am pouring over my Shetland Lace Books. Looking at the patterns and thinking about the shape – I am pretty sure that I am looking at a half or three quarters circle – but I might also need more yardage. So I have things to consider.
Another knitterly friend gave me her copy of the Sarah Don’s The Art of Shetland Lace. It has a lovely inscription from Jeanie and I treasure the book.
The Art of Shetland Lace was published in 1980 and includes photographs of some of the amazing lace work from the the (Lerwick) Shetland Museum and Archives. It was an amazing book for its time. It is notorious for all of the pattern mistakes. But it was for a long time the only source of Shetland Lace Patterns. It was last reprinted by Lacis in 1991.
At the same time as I was contemplating this new project I was also getting messages on instagram that a new Shetland Lace book was coming and will be available at the beginning of April –Shetland Fine Lace Knitting. This is book is written by Carol Christianson. It was written to assess and chronicle the Shetland Museums Lace Collection and will have pictures, swatches, charts and some of the history of lace knitting, most from the Museum. I am so excited!
Shetland Museum and Archives
Just a note on the price of knitting books. This new book is just under $50 and is over 200 pages. The Sarah Don book still has the original price ticket. It was $26.95 and has 100 pages. The current buying power of $26.95 from 1980 today is $100.00. Sobering thought. Books are not really that expensive today if you look at it in this manner.
So I have started the set-up for the shawl, but is going on hold until the new book is here. I might knit just a little bit more, because I can always add to the design!
So the Three Skein Project is almost complete – just patterns to complete for it.
So where to next?
Well, I have lots of samples that need patterns – it could be that my computer and I will become best buddies. That is very real. I completed one pattern and started two more this weekend!
Well the classes are coming up;
I am thinking and doing a Double Knitting Class – lovely little cozy cuffs or wristers. They are totally reversible and quite easy to knit. There is no shaping so the only technique to learn is basic double knitting.
And the other class will be some kind of specialized colourwork – entrelac maybe or intarsia in the round.
Do you want see a beading class? A finishing class? A cable class? Our options are so wide and varied – sometimes it is hard to choose.
Now is the time to make a suggestion!
I have started to plan a Spring KAL for the store and I am looking for ideas. It would start in the Spring – after Easter. A shawl, a vest, some kind of relaxed garment I think.
I am starting another sweater style garment for myself – have I finished the last one – well no – but you know – this yarn is calling. I blame it all on Darlene. She just finished a lovely scarf in the same yarn! And another shawl. I really like the way the shape is building up. There is never an end to inspiration!
So how is your knitting year starting? Are you happy with your choices or looking to scrap it all and start anew? Are finishing one before you start another? Darlene has to finish two items before she starts a new project! We both wonder how long that will last! LOL!
It has been a stressful few months these last few weeks and I have been knitting up a storm – or at least starting up a multitude of projects and even finishing a few.
I started the Three Skein Project last year and finished it up just last week. What to do with left over yarn when you want to knit just one three colour hat!
What could We make with just 3 skeins of yarn? As a designer and yarn shop employee I am always taking home yarn, a real hardship, right?! Well, sometimes it does leave me with a problem, what to do with the excess yarn. Because, you know, I couldn’t just make a plain hat in just one colour so you could handle the yarn, see how it knits and how good it looks. Oh no, I had to make a hat with striped ribbing and a tri-coloured pompom. So, what to do with the leftovers – I usually label the yarn and pop it in a bin, but I really liked the yarn. So, the Three Skein project was born. And is the Sports Edition because of all of the stipes. I think that it makes the knits look sporty!
The yarn is Haynes Creek Heather Aran by Gathering Yarn, an Aran weight 100% non-superwash wool. You could use any worsted to aran weight yarn in the pattern. These skeins added up to 600 yds in total. I ended up with 6 inches leftover of the marled yarn, and then 10 grs each of the red and white yarns leftover, approx. 20 yds each. There are 5 projects;
The Classic toque – a little slouchy, starting with a striped rib and topped with a great pompom.
The Court beanie – just covers the ears and shaped with classic cables and twisted sts, and I love the striped rib.
The Round mittens – again with the stripped ribbing and simple shaping with an afterthought thumb.
The Slalom cowl – look at those zig-zags and again with the stripes. An easy repetitive lace pattern in the round.
The Drive-in mitts – short, striped, mitts that cover the palm and back of the hand but leave the fingers and thumb free for driving, painting, typing, anything where touch is really useful.
What’s with the Stripes?! Stripes are a great way to monitor your yarn usage. It allows us to gauge what we have left and judge what we can use it for, and just how far we can push our results.
I am quite pleased with mine.
The first two patterns are now up on Ravelry. The rest will follow over the next few weeks.
Where to go next? My life has pretty much been on hold or in chaos for the last few months. I haven’t had the energy or time to do more than touch at the edges of any of my projects. But I think that is changing…
I still need to tidy my workroom – the chaos there really does mirror my mind. So today I am going to work around the edges and make a start. I am trying to convince myself that it not really as bad as it looks.
My main desk – computer and printer and lots of little bits!
So…. what does your workroom look like? Do you have a workroom? Or a corner on the couch? Do you work best in Chaos? Or are you a neat and tidy person, everything needs to be in place or your mind is distracted?
I know I work best in chaos! But not this much! Here I don’t know where anything or everything is! So time to fix it all!
Desk area beforeDesk area – getting there
So yesterday I made the start. I was wrong, it really is as bad as it looks. Today I worked a little more. In the pictures it really doesn’t look like a lot of improvement. But I can see and feel the difference. Books are on the shelves, samples are separated from stash and I can see what needs to be shifted and maybe even where it may be shifted to!
By next weekend it will be a new room! I must admit I am cheating a little, some of the stash has found a new location, but most of it is just going back to where it belongs.
Cupboard area – beforeCupboard area – getting there.
I am working on a new stitch pattern. Something a little different, a drawn stitch pattern, one that pulls yarn through stitches already knit to create a new pattern on top of the stockinette stitches. I am calling this stitch “Feathers”. I have seen something like this or maybe even this stitch online. The technique is familiar to me as I have worked drawn stitches before. My patterns Big Leaf Maple and Jacobean are both worked with drawn stitches.
Drawn stitches are a fabulous way to embellish your knitting. They can be worked on any weight of yarn and use up those bits of left over yarn that we collect as we finish bigger projects. The basic pattern will be written for Fingering weight, Worsted weight and Chunky weight yarns. I am going to create a great basic pattern that will create hats for the whole family!
Did I mention that beads might be a possibility!?
I umm, also fell in love with a baby bonnet idea I had and it has sort of high jacked the basic knitting until it is done – but it is going to be OH so cute!
Yesterday was my fathers Celebration of Life. A few weeks before that my father passed. Life had suddenly changed, and I have been struggling with what to do with my hands, how to focus on the mundane when a big part of my life was suddenly gone. My Knitting mojo too was gone.
A week or so ago I started this blog post. I think it still works.
If you are a knitter (read your favourite craft here) you have most likely made something for someone you love. It is what we do. What can be more personal than a gift made with special someone in mind. Loving thoughts go into every stitch, every small detail and every minute that you spend knitting that gift. Some gifts last longer than others. Some gifts are made better by time.
Three weeks ago I lost my father. He was ninety. He passed away peacefully in his sleep after four weeks in the hospital. He had lived a good life and had few regrets. We will miss him. We do miss him.
He had lived with us for the last 6 years of his life and was very much a part of our daily lives. The last 6 months of his life were pretty much lost to dementia as he struggled to find the words to communicate and the everyday actions to look after himself that a few months before had been there. He was stubborn and believed that he did not need the help we wanted to give him.
I made it to ninety making my own decisions and I will keep on doing so.
He lived a good life and believed in himself the whole of it.
Love you Dad.
We have been cleaning up his space, a suite in the basement, opening drawers, going into the closets and sorting the stuff of dads life that he brought when he moved into the house.
On a hanger in the back of the closet I found a wool sweater that I had knit for him over 35 years ago. It brought both memories and tears. I didn’t know he still had it. I had not seen him wear it in a long time. He found it too warm. He had never worn it while in the suite.. But he kept it. It was dirty, but intact – no moths.
When I knit it for him, so long ago – it was quite the job – I had not knit many sweaters yet, certainly not designed any from scratch in this way.
He was very specific about what he wanted. I think that he was recreating something he had had once. It had to be wool, and not to heavy – no problem – I preferred wool. It had to be red, but just the right shade of red. I went back and forth to the yarn store a few times to find the right “red”! And it had to be wool! It had to be a cardigan, plainly knit – no patterning. (those who know me would know how hard that one detail would be for me) And it had to be wool. Then it had to have pockets and it had to have a V-neck. And it had to be wool. And it had to have silver toned buttons! And it had to be wool. Once I found THE wool, as it had to be wool – not too heavy and just the right shade of red, we struck a bargain.
I would knit him a Red Wool cardigan with silver toned buttons, pockets and V-neck and it would be plain knit. Except for the button bands and pocket tops, they would have a small pattern. Something that said it was hand-knit just for him by me. And so the bargain was made.
So I took measurements and went away to knit him his sweater. About 6 months later I gave him his sweater. He was thrilled and put it on right away! It fit! And took it off right away – it was too hot! This was in June! So it was a success, knit with a great deal of love.
Thirty-five years later I found it in the back of his closet.
I knew he loved it and I knew he wore it – the food on the sweater said so! But I didn’t know he still had it! That was a gift!
From me to him and then from him to me.
So I washed it – soaked it in Eucalan for a number of hours and then rolled it in a towel and reblocked it. So it is now my sweater, a true grandfather sweater!
I needed to start knitting again. My hands were restless. I had a couple of sweaters on the go for myself, but they weren’t holding me. So I did one of my favourite things. I picked some yarn and found a new stitch to play with and knit a hat, instant gratification and maybe a new pattern. I am going to knit another version and see if it works again.
The yarn is Mecha by Malabrigo. It is a gorgeous hand dyed Chunky Merino. I chose the Piedras colourway for the background and the Rosalinda colourway for the “feathers”. I think that I will call the pattern Feathers if it works.
*Juniper Moon Yarns released 8 shawls onto Ravelry that I had designed for them over the last few months. Each one is a different. Knit with different fibres, different weights of yarn and different shapes. Below are the covers of each pattern.
My personal favourites – the ones I would have in my wardrobe and wear over and over are Tradition. I may have to reknit that one for myself. Dewey – just so pretty with the beaded edge and Grand Pennant – simple and elegant!
So yesterday was an exciting day – to see the patterns professionally done and available to all!
I hope that you have a fabulous day today!
Be well and knit happy!
Lynette
PS – header is a detail from Tradition. It is fully reversible with flowers on one side and stripes on the other! Definitely my favourite!
Cats in the Cradle – baby blanket or shawl with coordinating beanies.
Funky Brimmed Hat with Bad-dana Cowl – Hat modelled by Glorious Gertrude
Caahh…shmere with beads swatch – lusious lace tank in the future.
Cashmere beaded Fingerless Mitts – The Bee’s Knees!
Cable Cool Balaklava and Mitts
Cable Cool vest.
For fun times in the future – beautiful handmade glass buttons.
Ada made the beautiful buttons – Ada Babys Beads on Facebook – and I made her this hat with her favourite hearts! I finished the hat with one of her buttons.
Well, I got the first box from the Beyond Merino Club (hosted by The Small Bird Workshop and Sweet Paprika. It contained 2 hanks of gorgeous, soft Corriedale sheeps wool from the Falkland Islands, one a natural grey and the other a beautiful deep Lagoon blue. Sweet Paprika did the dyeing. I made a half hap shawl. I finished it with I-cord edging and a couple of big, fat tassels. It will be part of the Happiness Hap pattern – coming soon!
We are planning the next session of classes for Mad About Ewe Fine Yarns. I am planning to teach Mosaic Knitting. The first sample is done – a funky little Cloche – finished with a little tassel. I do love tassels. It is knit with Fleece Artist BFL DK and some Drops Kid-Silk.
For myself – I am working on a sweater. I just started it last night. And like most sweaters for myself it will most likely get stalled along the way! You never know! I might surprise myself! LOL!
It is pretty. Some soft mohair from Fleece Artist and a just a few little beads for show!
Be well and knit Happy!
I am trying to stay mellow and keep with the flow that comes with knitting. I hope that works for you too!
Last week we had one of the most colourful sunrises ever! My husband dragged me out and we raced down to Departure Bay Beach to capture the colours and light before the show ended! I hope that it is a promise of things to come!
2023 is already shaping up to be an interesting year.
I have signed up for the Sweet Paprika / SmallBird WorkshopYarn Box Club. This is a continuation of my own exploration into breed specific yarns as each box contains yarn, natural and dyed, from a specific sheep breed. Information about the yarn, breed, source, best uses etc. plus there will be zoom meetings about each box. I decided to join just as they ran out of the first run of boxes – of course! But this week they added some more subscriptions so I am in – I am very stoked about this.
Every two months there will be a new box with the first one arriving mid-February! Six new yarns, and new ideas always come with new yarns. Today is the last day to sign up for the full shot!
As well, Tom and I are going on a very small cruise – as in small boat, local waters exploration! The trip is around the end of May and we going to see and do things that we have never tried before.
MotherShip Adventures specialize in Kayak Cruises (I am not a kayaker – a little too up close and personal), but they also do a couple of smaller cruises for history / photography buffs. We are going on one of these. The history and geography of Discovery Islands, Bute Inlet and Desolation Sound will be the focus of our tour. Hiking, zodiak trips and small island adventures await us. Hopefully lots of whale viewing and other wild life encounters! This will be a unique opportunity for us to discover more about our environment and enjoy a very up close and personal journey into the maritime history of B.C.
The boat is the Columbia III and was originally a hospital ship that serviced the small communities that dotted the rugged coast of B.C. It was totally renovated and restored to become the tour boat that it is today!
Of course there is always knitting and designing. That will never stop. More patterns, more yarns, ie – the yarn boxes offer intriguing opportunities. I am developing some designs for Gathering Yarns. This is an exciting new opportunity for me, new yarns, working with a Canadian Co. I am the first designer that they have worked with and I hope that we both have a great experience.
Below are th new patterns that I will be releasing over the next few weeks! Multiple hats, a new Salish Sea Sweater Pattern – this one the Great Bear! and a new shawl, complete with a lovely wide beaded edging!
We will also be starting classes up again at Mad About Ewe! I do love teaching people to see the amazing possibilities that can be created by yarn and needles. So, as always, knitting will be the focus and creative outlet of the year ahead!
I hope that your Year ahead is happy and healthy and full of the things that make you happy!
Last Fall I was approached by Susan Gibbs of Juniper Moon Farm Yarns to designs a collection of hats and accessories for this Winter 22/23 Season. So began an epic knitting journey. I created 16 patterns, many with coordinating accessories to be released this fall.
I don’t think that I have ever created so many patterns in such a short period of time. The yarns made it easy and the support was great. I hope that you see something that you like.
Many of them will be in your local yarn stores if they carry Juniper Moon. Some are already up on Ravelry with the rest to follow as Juniper Moon has time to put them up. I have linked up the patterns that are on Ravelry, just click on them and you will be wisked away to the pattern. The patterns currently on Ravelry include Cherry, Dimity, Dubloons, Helm, Smoosh and Arabesque and Cricket.
What is Wovember you might ask? It is a celebration of all things wool related! It is a month of prompts on Instagram with #wovember and #Ilovewovember. I tried to participate last year but life got too busy! It may again this year but maybe not – I won’t know until I try! If you are interested check here or here for more information.
