b r o o k l y n t w e e d
3.18.2010
Pattern Store Update, and Splitting the Country
I've been scurrying around the US so much in the last few weeks that I completely forgot to mention that I have two patterns that are now available as PDF downloads in my store, both on Brooklyn Tweed and on Ravelry.
The Alberta vest was published last year in Wild Fibers Magazine and can now be purchased as a stand-alone pattern.
Upon request I've also made the Wool Leaves Baby Blanket available as well, for any of you who were interested in making one too! There are links below to both Ravelry as well as BT.
* * * * * *
A L B E R T A
on Ravelry | on BrooklynTweed
W O O L L E A V E S
on Ravelry | on BrooklynTweed
* * * * * *
As for me, I'm currently having that frantic moment before a long trip when you have to decide what (oh, what) knitting to bring. I tend to always overcompensate and bring too much, so I'm trying to be reasonable. I won't finish 3 lace shawls on vacation. I know that. And I can exercise control to be away from said shawls for a week... in theory.
I'll be back at the end of the month. Until then, I'll be knitting (and eating) in Italy. Have a wonderful week!
¶ 10:11 PM 23 comments
3.17.2010
A Spin-aissance
The organization of yarn inevitably meant the organization of projects (major bonus), which meant that I've been stricken by that wonderful feeling of falling-in-love-all-over-again (or what I like to call Knitter's Christmas). When a project that we once fell out-of-love with comes rushing back into our lives and we see it with fresh eyes as we once did. One previously stalled project of mine gave me the familiar rush and has been welcomed back onto the regular roster of nightly knitting with open arms.
My thick-and-thin handspun corriedale lace blanket dates back to circa Spring of 2008, as best as I can tell, and is just the type of project I've been craving lately. It's already large enough that I can use it as a lap blanket as I work. I consider this a major plus.
The construction is almost identical to the Bridgewater Shawl from Made in Brooklyn, and in fact when I was starting work on the book I still had this piece knocking around in my head. Aside from the obvious difference in materials and a simpler knitted-on edging, there is virtually no difference between how the two pieces are constructed. Which is yet another example of my favorite part about lace -- the same piece can be completely different with decidedly different materials. Each more delicious than the other!
¶ 1:14 PM 27 comments
I originally put this project aside because I ran out of yarn and didn't feel up to spinning more right away... which in turn meant that this fluffy cloud of handspun got inadvertantly buried and has been lying dormant ever since.
The construction is almost identical to the Bridgewater Shawl from Made in Brooklyn, and in fact when I was starting work on the book I still had this piece knocking around in my head. Aside from the obvious difference in materials and a simpler knitted-on edging, there is virtually no difference between how the two pieces are constructed. Which is yet another example of my favorite part about lace -- the same piece can be completely different with decidedly different materials. Each more delicious than the other!
So, yes -- I've fallen for it again, which leads me to my next admission: I've been having a love session with my Spinning wheel this week. I went back to spin up the remaining Corriedale fiber so I could finish my blanket... but when the yarn came off the wheel and was ready to knit, I didn't feel like stopping. So I consulted my humble fiber stash and just kept spinning.
And I've been spinning all week! It feels fresh and relaxing and is the perfect activity for sitting next to the window and enjoying the wonderful sunlight (after endless days of monsoon rain) that reminds me Spring is almost here.
I've spent the last few days spinning up a some beautiful, smokey Romney that a friend had given me last Summer. The wool is a perfect warm-grey heather and light as a feather while being very warm (my favorite combo.)
I've spun up about 300 yards of dk-weight 2-ply, lightly plied and can barely wait for it to dry so I can get it on my needles and start making fabric. In a few days I'll be leaving for a ... wait for it... VACATION (I can hardly believe it myself) and I think this handspun will be my treat for mindless vacation knitting.
As for the lace blanket -- I'm closing in on her. I have a little less than half the edging to finish, although I'm worried I might run out of yarn (again) just before the end.
But you know what? I'm happy to spin more right now... just in case.
3.08.2010
Full Power
After days and days of honest (and sometimes tortured) sorting, I feel like I've been through a gauntlet and come out on the other side amazed at what was lurking in the depths. When you commit to giving your stash a deep-cleaning you expect to feel organized afterwards... but what I wasn't expecting was how inspired my own stash has made me. Assessing the whole scope of it caused me to start making connections between yarns that have probably never even been in the same room with one another.
Aside from being organized, I'm now living amongst a beautiful palette of wools that has my head spinning with ideas.
Aside from being organized, I'm now living amongst a beautiful palette of wools that has my head spinning with ideas.
I was lucky enough to be able to find grateful hands for all the yarns that were jettisoned, which is probably the reason for the sense of lightness that I now feel, and ended up donating a small amount of yarn to a local charity. All that remains are yarns that I'm absolutely itching to work with - oh what a feeling!
The crown jewel of them all: I rounded up all my Shetland yarns and put them together in color groups (shown above) -- what a thing of beauty! I couldn't resist taking photo after photo of these amazing colors all lined up together. A kid in a candy store comes to mind.
Better than a box of truffles
It looks like there's nothing left to do but start nibbling...
¶ 11:43 AM 68 comments
