Both cats love to snuggle when I’m making.
Shadow’s helped me stay warm while I knit a pair Happy Fuzzy Yarn socks. Buddy’s been very helpful in making sure I focus on finishing a long-overdue crochet design in Anzula Milkyway.
I’m still actively participating in the year of making project (though I’m pretty bad about tagging properly in flickr, so I suggest following my instagram account). Today I thought I’d round up some of the items I knit and crocheted since returning from Indianapolis and TNNA.
Last week I finished a lovely sample knit (colourwork mittens), Iðunn’s Garden by Shannon Okey. The book is available for pre-order as PDF download or hard copy. The yarn is the lovely Kashmir by Fiber Optic Yarns, using both a paintbox and a regular skein (there are leftovers). I look forward to the release of this book, the mittens I’ve seen are beautiful. Here’s a preview with the motif slightly obfuscated until the patterns are released:
After lots of snuggle knitting, I finished a shawl, Brickless by Martina Behm. This was knit in less than one ball of Corrie Sock (75% Superwash Corriedale wool/25% nylon) in new colour Tundra. I bound off on Sunday (while crossing the Bear Mountain Bridge), but have yet to block it! There will be better photos once it’s been completely finished.
A good friend’s daughter was born a bit early this week, so I knitted a quick little beret for her. She and her mum and dad are doing well and I hope to hear she outgrows it soon in health and happiness.
I’m also finally past whatever block was delaying a crochet design. Now I’m trying to find extra moments in the day to work on it. The yarn is the very lovely Milky Way from Anzula Luxury Fibers (received at TNNA in 2013!).
Despite my love of Tom Bihn products, I wasn’t that into my Yarn Stuff Sacks, preferring box bags. Since the arrival of my Little Swift, I’ve been using them more frequently (mostly because the projects residing in my box bags are being ignored). I can say that I now like them for smaller quick projects and storing the extra yarn for larger projects. I see more YSS and possibly a TSS or two in my future. Though one day I hope to finally decide on a new box bag.
afghans for Afghans is specifically collecting wool baby hats and socks for ages newborn to one year during the month of June. Questions? Please visit their site. Note: please do not send preemie hats.
Tomorrow, Friday 11 October, 2013 is I Love Yarn Day.
Yes, I love yarn!
How can you show your appreciation of yarn this Friday and every day? There are many ways. Below, I’ve identified two that I feel help share the greatest amount of yarn love.
Knit or crochet for charity.
Lion Brand Yarn Studio is collecting handmade hats, gloves, scarves, and socks to donate to Hats for the Homeless.
Webs is collecting hats for the Ravelry Podcaster Throwdown to donate to Halos of Hope.
Or you could tweet/post on facebook using hash tag #caribouknits, and for each one, Caribou Coffee will machine-knit an inch of scarf for charity. Still not convinced? Annie Modesitt explains more.
You can also send children’s hats to Pat Pats Hats. Looking for a pattern? There’s always my littlerest preemie hat pattern in a soft sport-weight cotton.
Looking for even more places to donate? Lion Brand has compiled an extensive (and international) database resource, Charity Connection.
Help support a small business.
Many of my friends run small businesses that are in some way related to yarn. I’d love to mention them all. That would be a very long, link heavy post. Here are three, because well, A, B, C…
Anzula is looking for contributions to their indiegogo campaign to make their yarn factory even cooler. How do I mean? Dye pots are hot. They’d really love to invest in a proper HVAC system to keep their employees safe and cool.
Disclaimer: Anzula is incredibly supportive of indie designers. They provided even me with yarn support after I met with them this summer at TNNA. I’m finalizing those designs and hope to release them soon, below is a preview of one in their beautiful Haiku. Their yarns are divine and I enjoy working with such wonderful yarns and people.
Baah Yarn also has incredible colourways. I’m working on a commissioned piece in La Jolla and it’s also splendid to work with. You can look for Baah Yarns at a yarn store near you.
Cooperative Press has a growing catalog of titles helpful for all skill levels. It is difficult to chose a few to highlight. Over the past few months, I find myself thumbing most through: Andi Smith‘s Big Foot Knits, Anna Dalvi‘s Shaping Shawls, Kate Atherley‘s Beyond Knit & Purl, and all the issues of Knit Edge Magazine. Disclaimer: Cooperative Press is a client and one of my designs is in a book they published. I’d be recommending their books even without this disclaimer.
What are your I Love Yarn! Day plans?
I plan to work on editing several designs that are close to release, if the weather cooperates I hope to photograph new handknit items for sale, and I’m still working on the sleeves of E’s Sweater — with luck maybe I’ll teach him to knit a stitch or two.
