nyc

We decided to take advantage of a good flight deal and take the kids to New York this week. The last time I was there was 20 years ago. I shouldn`t have waited so long to go back. I love the intensity, the smells, the personalities, the parks, the art and architecture, the street food, the constant exhausting stimulation. A great start to summer.

my happy place

I've been  a bit obsessed with dyeing lately.

I also dyed some sparkly yarn the other day, which was pretty fun.

I didn't think I was a sparkle person but I, apparently, am. I can't wait to see how this yarn knits up.

And I've been seeing so many dyers doing beautiful gradient yarns lately I decided to try it out. I'll show you the result of this once these little mini skeins are dry.

What are your favourite kinds of hand dyed yarns and fibre?

spun socks

Pattern: my own basic top-down socks
Fibre: Malabrigo Nube in 866 'Arco Iris'

I spun this fibre a few months ago and got 532 yds of 2-ply fingering weight, which is a bit more than I usually achieve with 4oz. Then I split it in half and worked each sock from separate balls. They're certainly not twins, but the randomness is what I like about spinning in general and partly why I don't try to control my colour progression with n-plying. I like seeing what mixes and blendings happen when 2 plies are thrown together and the painterly results.

This fibre was lovely to spin and knit up. Very bouncy and soft. If it weren't 30c today I would wear them all day. I totally love spinning for socks. I'm happy there's enough yarn left over from these to make a stripey pair with a solid colour.

spring sale

 

I'm having a sale in the shop until May 25th in celebration of spring and all things green. Yay for free shipping!

something springy

 

 

Pattern: my own
Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label Aran Weight in 'Seabreeze'

I had this idea for a horizontal cabled yoke so I decided to try it out in girl-size first. Luckily I live with a sweet model who is just the right size and who loves bright teal as much as I do.

It's a fairly straightforward construction - the cable is worked first and then stitches are picked up along one edge for the neck and along the other edge for the body and then it's worked in one piece to the bottom. I made 3/4 length sleeves and a 4-button front to give it some lightness and make it a nice transitional weather piece. I added i-cord lines over the stitch increase/decrease areas in the yoke to add interest and mimic the lines of the cables. It's a detail that takes a bit of time, but I'm really pleased with the result. The rest of the sweater is so easy overall, it's not a big deal.

I love Tanis's yarn so much. This colour is a great teal with hints of green and has a good 'sproing' factor. My girl is very fussy about itchy yarns and this one is extremely soft. I think she'll wear it a lot.

shop talk

 I love to spin fibre but I tend to spin much more than I actually knit up, so I decided to start listing handspun yarn in the shop if I have some at hand I don't need for a project. I also have some new superwash merino/nylon fibre. Check them out here.

I hope spring is finally coming to you!

new stuff

The only upside I can see from having a mercilessly cold and extended winter this year is the excuse to knit lots of warm things. I've never been very interested in knitting summer sweaters in cotton and linen and I have a hard time switching gears from the knits I love to knit to the ones I feel I should knit when the temperature rises. So I have mixed emotions this time of year as I'm so glad to see the end of winter but not sure what I'll do to keep my needles busy/sanity intact.

While it's still -20c I'm trying to finish up a few things I've had going:

I made these simple socks for the girl using Manos del Uruguay Alegria ('Carnival'). I really love this yarn. It's soft, comes in wonderful colourways and I can't seem to stop casting on socks with it.

My niece just had a little baby boy who is utterly adorable. I made these for him before I knew he was a him, but this would have been fine for a her, too. The patterns are Antler Cardigan and Antler Hat by Tincanknits and I needed only two skeins of Cascade Longwood (in '20') to make both. The patterns were fun and since I made size 1-2 they were tiny and fast. I figure babies get lots of newborn-sized clothes given to them but fewer when they're a bit older, so he can use this next fall. The yarn is super soft and great for baby or child knits, though it's a loose ply yarn and it splits like crazy while you're working it, so drink heavily if you do.

I made this a few months ago but forgot to post it here. It's Acorn Trail by Amy Herzog using Briggs and Little Regal. I like some things about this sweater but I'll admit I don't love it. I used her custom fit software out of curiosity and chose a medium ease option, and technically it fits but it's a bit more snug than I like. I'll try it again after I've been running for a few weeks and have lost my extra winter weight, because that might be it. The yarn is gorgeous, and the main reason why I made this was to try it out on a sweater. I'll definitely use it again.

I also just updated my shop with lots of lovely laceweight merino and some sock yarn. I think perhaps a fingering weight sweater is what I need to make spring arrive soon.