Handspun Wurm

I am especially fond of handspun yarn. I love the squish of the yarn and that it has interest when it is not entirely consistent and uniform. The color combinations and graduations are gorgeous. I found a seller on Etsy whose handspun yarn is fabulous: Bockstarkknits.

Have you seen any handspun sellers that you would recommend?

 

I recently picked up some of Bockstarkknit's gorgeous yarn - a 2ply sock weight merino/firestar yarn - which I had fully intended to be a pair of socks. That is until I started unwinding the skein and rolling it into a ball... I then decided that it was too pretty to be hidden in a pair of shoes. It would be better suited for a hat.

 

The hat pattern that I selected was Wurm by Katharina Nopp, a free download on Ravelry. The yarn colorway was aptly named Bohemia, and for me, the Wurm hat also has an unconventional vibe that would work well with this gradient yarn.

   

If you have visited this blog a few years ago you may recall that I have made the wurm hat before. It is one of my favorite hats, and a really fun knit. Previously I had used 2 separate yarns for the knit rounds and the purl ridges. This time I worked from either end of my ball of gradient handspun yarn, so that it had a bold blast of color pop through between the purl ridges. I think it would have been equally effective if I had just knit from one side of the yarn, and you'd really see the gradient yarn play out.

 

So there you have it - a fun project for a gradient yarn, and a delightful knit to boot!

Apologies for my absence here.
Wishing you all good things for 2017.
Love,
Sam xxx

Halloween Prepping

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a talk by Denyse Schmidt at Fancy Tiger crafts. It was fascinating to hear how her crafting story unfolded, and also the business decisions she had made along the way. I love her quilts and fabrics and thoroughly enjoyed listening to her creative process.



While I was at Fancy Tiger I did a little window shopping. Which turned into actual shopping, when these beauties came home with me.  I'd been looking on Pinterest for a trick or treat tote to make for Naomi, and these fabrics are just the ticket! Loving the ouchy tooth image. Naomi got a kick out of that too!



The pattern I used is the Pocket Tote, Library Bag from Sugar Bee Crafts.  It is a great pattern - well written with clear supporting photographs (her selection of fabric is adorable too!).  I like that this is kid-sized and has some structure to it.  Naomi thinks the tote is awesome, so we have a winner!





In addition to this sewing project I've been working on a little capelet cardigan for Naomi in the fun Madeline Tosh yarn that has the 'rainbow paint splats' on it.  I am winging this one, so hoping that it works out nicely.



And of course continuing to plug away on the lace section of the rosewater shawl.  This is such a fun color for Halloween... not sure if it will be finished in time though.



Hope you are having a great weekend,
Sam
xxx

Travels

Apologies for the absence. I had the good fortune to take an extended work trip to 2 places that I have been on my wish list - China and Japan.

Shanghai was my first destination and although I spent most of my time in meeting rooms, I got to experience local food and culture and this amazing skyline:





Over the weekend I was able to visit the Yu Garden area in Shanghai, which is an interesting mix of older architecture and commerce.  I enjoyed wandering around this area and seeing some craftsmen at work.





The next destination was Tokyo, and I was able to see the Meiji Jingu Shrine, the Imperial Palace, Harajuku, and one craft area in a local department store (bonus!)







I was on a high after this trip, feeling extremely lucky to have had a taste of these great cities, and I hope to return to both places in the future.

Long flights also means I have a little craft update too with lots of plane knitting time! Shortly before the trip I had received a recommended post in my facebook feed for a new-to-me designer: Janina Kallio. I really liked the airy shawl designs, and selected one of these for the trip - Rosewater shawl. I had the perfect yarn for it too - some handspun that I had found on Etsy a few years ago, in a gorgeous purple. The beginning garter stitch section was good simple knitting for a travel project.





Have you had a fun summer?

I hope that you are all well.
Best wishes,
Sam xxx

Fun Girly Poncho

Are you having a great weekend? Have you been watching, and enjoying, the start of the Olympics? We watched the opening ceremony on Friday, and then watched the swimming qualifiers, table tennis, women's soccer and the men's gymnastics yesterday.  Yes, I love watching the Olympics, and Naomi is also getting hooked... she is particularly fond of the gymnastics.  (We can't wait to see Simone Biles... and are watching the uneven bar qualifiers right now).

During the opening ceremony I was able to cast on, and finish this fun girly poncho:


The yarn is Knit Collage Gypsy Garden, in Shooting Star color way.  It is a bulky thick/thin wool and mohair yarn that has 'flair' spun into it -- glittery ribbons and colorful threads, little ribbon roses and flowers.  It really is a fun yarn!  My very thoughtful sister bought a skein for me when she was visiting the Purl Soho store in New York.  I picked up a 2nd skein on Ravelry destash to ensure that I'd have enough yardage for a project (each skein is 32 yards).


This didn't start out as a poncho,  It was intended to be a cowl.  For me.  I searched on Ravelry for a pattern that used a super bulky yarn, with less that 150 yards, and picked the Marian cowl pattern by Jane Richmond designs, which is a free Ravelry download.

At first I knit as instructed in the pattern, using a seed stitch.  However there was too much going on for my taste with the 'flair' plus the seed stitch pattern.  So I frogged and worked the cowl instructions in a simple stocking stitch.  That worked much better - you could really see the thick and thin yarn, and all the sparkles and embellishments.


I asked Naomi to model the cowl for blog photos for me, and when she tried it on it fell over her shoulders like a poncho.  She fell in love with it!  So there you have it - Momma's cowl, became a fun girly poncho for Naomi!

Wishing you a good rest of your weekend.
Love,
Sam
xxx

Rockies Sockies

Last night was Star Wars night at Coor's Field. While I'm not a big sports fan, or Star Wars fan for that matter, I do like a good event and last night was a great one! We took a pedicab to the baseball field, which is always a fun way to get to the park quickly. The folks that operate the pedicabs are a delightful bunch and yesterday's experience was no exception - once we reached our destination, the driver had Naomi squealing in delight as he treated her to her very own 'figure of eight' fairground style turns! I love this shot we were able to snap - the Colorado shirt with the iconic Union Station in the background. Aah gott a love Colorado.

There were lots of cool details at the ball park last night: A Star Wars costume parade around the field. Dinger, the mascot, donned in a Jedi cloak and carrying a light saber. I also enjoyed that each time a player was announced on the board, he had been assigned a Star Wars character. Naturally the Rockies represented the good guys, and the opposing team were all Stormtroopers! My favourite was the bearded Charlie Blackmon as Chewy!

As we were at a Rockies game it seemed only right that I dug out my Rockies sock yarn to knit on. Isn't this colorway perfect! I always get a few funny looks when knitting at a game - but this is a few hours of sitting time... a perfect time to knit! Does anyone else knit at sporting events? I know there used to be annual stitch and pitch events where knitters would gather and craft at the game. Soo much fun!


Plus the Rockies colorway beats the boring black man sock that I also have on the needles right now.

Hope you have had a fun weekend too.
Love,
Sam

Handspun socks

I hope that you are well and enjoying summer. I've been absent due to work and family travels. It's been a great few weeks. Of course travel time means lots of craft time, which has resulted in a pair of handspun socks.

A few weeks back I picked up this wonderful yarn from BockStark knits on Etsy. I am really fond of handspun and these colours are very soothing.

There is no pattern for these - just a plain old vanilla sock.  I thought that best with all the interest from the yarn.

These kept me company on our travels to, and within, the UK. Plane knitting, train knitting etc... We had such a great time with family in the UK, and were able to get out and about - walking the Roman walls in Chester, visiting historic buildings, checking out Wimbledon, walks along the beach front...





One crafty highlight from the trip: There is a factory that prints Liberty fabric not too far from where my family live. Adjacent to the factory is a factory shop!!! My sister took to me the factory store one weekend, and I picked up a few bags of Liberty scraps as well as some pre-cut bundles. We had such a great time, and came home with fabulous loot, that I was able to tempt my Mum to take me back there the following week. It would be dangerous if this was on my doorstep!





Back in Colorado now, and hiding indoors from this crazy heat.
Stay cool friends.
Love,
Sam
xxx

Rainbow socks

These little beauties have been keeping me intermittent company since June last year, when I picked up the yarn back in the UK. They have spent time with me travelling in England, Scotland, Delaware and California. Nice, simple, vanilla sock knitting for plane and train travel.



The yarn is from Zauberball and gradually changes through the colors of the rainbow. I like to knit from either side of the ball to make stripes. If you haven't used it before, the Zauberball is a great sock yarn. I have used it a couple of times now and have been really pleased with how well it holds up with plenty of wear and washes. But most of all I just love how bright and happy these colors are. 





Speaking of bright and happy, Naomi finished Kindergarten last week. It blows my mind how fast the time is flying by... how is it possible that these wee ones grow so fast? I really like the school she attends and she has some lovely teachers. And of course, end of year = teacher appreciation time. I kept it simple this year, opting for Starbucks gift cards for each of her teachers. But I couldn't completely skip the handmade element, and so quickly assembled these cards (thanks to some free printables from Bren Did).



The first couple of years in daycare and preschool I had actually made gifts for the teachers. It's hard to know how handmade gifts are received. To me, there is something special about an item that has been lovingly handcrafted, but I also recognize that it is not to everyone's taste. Now starbucks gift cards on the other hand, while arguably lacking in originality, has to be a hit, right? Always hard to know, and likely depends upon each individual recipient. (Well, there was a little side ramble :)

Hope you are having a great holiday weekend with loved ones,
Sam
xxx

Pretty in Pink Baby Cardigan

I cant even begin to tell you how much I love this project! It started with the yarn...  this pigeonroof studios gradient yarn is soo beautiful.  I had an idea in my mind of what I was aiming for, and used my 'go to' pattern for baby girl sweaters - Elizabeth Zimmerman February Baby Sweater - as the basis for the project.  It turned out exactly as I had envisioned... don't you love it when that happens!



Here are the modifications that I made to EZ's pattern:

• EZ calls out a number of stitches to cast on.  Instead of casting on this amount, cast on the number that it recommends that you should have after the first round of increases.  
• Follow the pattern for the garter stitch neck band and spacing of buttons
• Instead of using the lace pattern that EZ recommends, knit a simple stocking stitch, retaining the garter stitch edging and button spacing.  (I love the lace pattern, but really wanted the color gradient to stand out with a simpler stitch pattern)
• When starting a new color mini skein, work the first row as *Knit 1, Slip 1* repeated across the stocking stitch portion of the pattern - this results in a subtle zigzag between the 2 colors (vs a hard line shift from one color to the next)
• For the sleeves, work 4 ridges of garter stitch and cast off.

It's very simple, but I think quite effective as a result of the beautiful yarn.



The final touch was to add buttons.  These are a simple transparent, pale pink, gem-like bead from Joanns Fabrics.  Aside from being a gorgeous button, I liked that the transparency picked up on the color of the yarn that it was placed on.



All in all, it was a really enjoyable knit, and I am excited to gift it next month.  Ooh and who doesnt love buying dresses for little girls?  I found this super cute ballet pump design dress which picks up on some of the pinks in the cardigan.

I hope you are having a great weekend.  It finally turned into summer here, so I've been enjoying time outdoors.  Take care,

Love,
Sam
xxx

Clapo-Ktus

Do you have a favourite knit project? You know, something you have made, fell in love with, and wear all the time?

For me, one of my favourite, and most-worn projects, is my Clapotis.  This scarf has been worn a lot. It is my 'go to' scarf for plane travel (I naturally seem to run cold and therefore love this big scarf to snuggle in), but works well with my winter jacket, and as a shawl when the air conditioning is blasting in the office.

As well as the scarf is holding up, I felt that having a backup would be in order.  Enter Clapo-Ktus:



Clapo-Ktus is free pattern (yay!) and is a cross between the popular Clapotis and Baktus designs. It is a straightforward knit, suitable for an advanced beginner. And for anyone who is a lover of sock yarn, this is a great way to use one of your beloved colorways. The yarn I selected is a Skein Top Drawer sock in colourway Envy. This yarn is deliciously soft, so perfect for the project. And the colorway is divine! I was really pleased with how the fabric worked up and that there was no pooling.





The pattern mentions that you can use a single skein of sock yarn to make the shawl, which is a fun way to use those single skeins.  I wanted something that was going to be a little bigger for that snuggle factor, and elected to use 2 skeins. The end result is that I have a decent size shawl to wrap up in.



I look forward to testing this one out on an upcoming trip.

And what post would be complete without a little yarn love? These beauties made their way into my stash this week:

A handspun sock yarn from Bockstark knits on Etsy.  There is something so very special about handspun yarn, and this skein is absolutely gorgeous.  And anyone that knows me, knows that I enjoy thoughtful details...  just look at this cute stitch marker that shipped with the yarn!  Yep, I see repeat purchases in my future.






I also picked up 2 skeins of sock yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Every now and again the Blue Moon team offer mystery grab bags for sale, and these were my mystery skeins - aren't they gorgeous! I love how they work together, but also on their own. I see some fall knitting with these colours!





Thats all from me. If the rain holds off I am hoping to spend time in the garden today.
Wishing you a lovely day ahead,
Love,
Sam xxx