Make 9 2019

bringing back the blog for one of my favourite times of year (which in German is so aptly called "between the years") - these slow, reflective days just before the year turns, which I use to look back on this past year, as well as plan and dream for the one ahead.

 Last year for the first time I decided to participate in the Make 9 challenge. At the beginning of the year I picked 9 projects that I wanted to make (in my case, mostly knit) for my handmade wardrobe. In the end, I didn't get even a little bit close to finishing this project. I ended up with 4 finished items for myself (not counting hats and socks) and two of these weren't even on my original Make 9 grid. But what did happen through my participation in this project is that I got waaaaay more intentional about what I was knitting. I knit from my stash, including a few lonely skeins that I was really unsure how to use. Even the two projects that were rather impulsively cast on (my Tegna and Arboreal) were still carefully considered as I had to remove a project from my Make 9 grid each time to accomodate the cast on. The result is that I'm happier with my finished items than I've been in awhile. 

And so it only seemed natural to me to continue on with this format for 2019. I thought through the items that were left on my grid at the end of this year, and picked a few to carry over, while letting go of some others. Then I thought through the current holes in my wardrobe. For me this is summer tops that I love and feel comfortable in, and basic, workhorse sweaters for every day wear. With this in mind, I've created a loose Make 9 for 2019, with more summer knits, basic sweaters and a few shawls just for fun! 

I suppose I should mention that I didn't include any socks here- but that doesn't mean I won't be knitting them! Socks are a HUGE hole in my handmade wardrobe and I've always got a pair or two in the works in the background, I just decided to go ahead and leave them off this list. I've also got a few projects (commissions, samples & gifts mostly) that I'll be working on this year that will take precedence to the Make 9 projects, so we'll see how it goes! But as I said above, I'm honestly not concerned at all about finishing all these items- I'm more concerned about making within the guidelines that they provide and keeping the mindfulness I was able to introduce to my knitting life this past year. 

So here's my Make 9 projects for this year:

1. Weekender Sweater (designed by Andrea Mowry & knit in Homestead, the new base from my own little company, r&s yarn!)

I've already cast this on (this morning actually!) and I'm super excited to have this basic, staple, every day sweater in my wardrobe.

2. Stokur Shawl (designed by Melody Hoffman)

This is a carry-over from last year's Make 9 grid. As much as I love triangle shaped shawls, I tend to wear longer, wrap-style shawls a lot more frequently. I love the simplicity of this design as I think it will make it easy to wear, without of course being plain. I'm thinking of trying out Tukuwool Fingering (which I've been dying to get my hands on) but I'm stuck on a color!

3. Lucinda Pullover (designed by Carrie Hoge, from Madder Anthology 2 and knit in Moeke yarns Elena)

I've just finished the body on this and am about to separate for the sleeves. While in Canada this summer, I decided to purchase a sweater's quantity of Elena for my only stash enhancement and although it's a bit thinner than the yarn the pattern calls for, I really thought they would be a good match. Fingers crossed I can get the fit right on this one!

4. Something from the Making Stories Stripes collection! (pictured here is the Stripur pullover)

This photo is a bit of a placeholder as I've not yet decided which of the designs I'm going to make from this collection first. I plan to make both Stripur, the pullover pictured here as well as the Rayure pullover at some point. Though I'm thinking that I might end up doing Suora or Juova this year (both tops) as that will help me fill out my wardrobe hole a little better. I'll be definitely using Lino Muka linen yarn for either of those tops, and for the pullovers would probably pick the Silke Tweed from Magazin Duett. But again, this is a bit of a wildcard pick so I'm going to have to consider it a bit further.

5. Telja Sweater (by Knit Love Wool, shown here knit by Colleen of Postscript Love in Lettlopi)

While in Iceland I purchased a sweater's quantity of Lettlopi to make this sweater in a very similar color palate to Collen's version pictured above. I'm excited to turn this very special yarn into a sweater that will remind me of our trip, though I don't think I'll be getting to this project for quite a few months yet. 

6. Plumetis Shawl (by Melody Hoffman)

While on the hunt for a project to use up a lonely skein in my stash I stumbled upon this shawl and fell in love! The skein I was hoping to use up is an off-white skein of Manos Del Uruguay Milo, a mix of wool & linen. I think it will pair perfectly with Purl Soho's Linen Quill, which I'd love to get a skein of this spring while in New York. So I can use up my stash as well as add in a skein of souvenir yarn, which feels like a double win.

7. Bobbie (by Pam Allen, knit in Quince & Co Willet)

I've honestly loved this design ever since it was first released a few years ago, but I must admit that I completely forgot about it. I'm mostly drawn to the woollier, cold-weather knits and this pullover just wasn't on my radar. But I'm glad I discovered it while going through my Pinterest boards to create this grid, as I think it's the perfect transitional piece and will help me add another summery top to my wardrobe. I'd really love to knit this in Willet, which is Quince's line of cleaner cotton (most likely in Mast & Windlass or Sail) so hopefully I can get my hands on that somewhere here in Europe!

8. Sauvabelin (by Jessica Gore, knit in r&s Origin)

Another carry-over project from last year's Make 9. I really really want this sweater, so I'm hoping I can carve out some time to knit on it once we get our shipment of Origin 2.0 sometime in 2019. 

9. Solano (by Stella Egidi from BREEZE, knit in Wollen Berlin's Lino Muka Lithuanian Linen yarn)

Ever since I first visited Wollen and saw their linen yarn line, I've wanted to make a sleeveless top. It's just taken me a bit of time to pick which one! I think I've settled on the Solano tunic, but I KNOW I've settled on the colorway Yellow Ochre for my top. I've excited to knit this up hopefully in time to wear all summer long! 

PS: I know there are no links in this post, but all these designs can be easily found through a Ravelry search. Also, if you're curious to see what else I knit in 2019, you can do so here.

Project Planning: what to do with a skein or two of Origin

Wondering what you could do with just one or two skeins of Origin? Personally I think you've got a ton of options- our yarn is a dk weight, and I've found through knitting with it personally that it actually lends itself quite well to a wide range of projects and patterns. Here's a little round up of what I've been knitting (and am planning to knit!) using Origin:

One Skein Projects:

Obviously some of my very VERY favorite projects are the patterns my friends designed specifically for Origin. You may remember the Lahn Hat, designed by Verena of The Wool Club for our shop launch. I absolutely adore my Lahn hat- it's the warmest, coziest hat I've ever knit and I wore it all winter long. You can view and purchase that pattern here.

And then there are of course the Waveform Mittens which were designed by Becky of Soprano Knits. These simple mitts are so cute and functional. They've quickly become a wardrobe staple for me. You can view and purchase that pattern here.

While we're on the subject of mittens, I also think the Moorland Mittens are a great match for Origin. This is a pattern I designed myself a few years ago and then knit up this fall using r&s mill spun yarn dyed with walnuts. It's another simple "workhouse" mitten pattern- just the thing to pair with our yarn.

If you've got children (or are interested in knitting for a friend's little one) I've also seen some really lovely versions of the Naturkinder Cough Shirt and I think our cream color way would be soft enough to make this for a toddler or young child. I've got to get one on the needles for my own little one soon! 

Another good project (one that my friend Simone of Ink & Soil made with her skein of Origin) is the Middle Fork hat, a pattern available in the Tolt Yarn and Wool Ravelry store here.

And finally, something I discovered when working on my Arboreal pullover (pictured above) is that Origin lends itself super well to mixing in with other dk or worsted weight yarn in color work. This is a really great way to use our yarn with something you already have in your stash to create something amazing! (In my sweater I've paired it with Gilliat from one of my favorite yarn companies- De Rerum Natura)

Two or more Skeins:

One project I'd really like to knit out of a skein of Origin is the Winter Morning socks by my friend Jess from Shop La Mercerie. Ever since Jess published this pattern I've been itching to cast it on. I think the cream colorway would be a perfect main color, with a second mini skien naturally dyed for the contrast? (I'll be offering naturally dyed skeins in the shop coming up soon, or you could try your hand at it yourself!)

Personally I am DREAMING of a shawl in Origin. There are several that I think would work really well and one of my very favorite options is the Regen Shawl designed by Shannon Cook. This shawl takes just 3 skeins of dk weight yarn so if you've got a skein or two already, you could consider stopping by our next shop update to get a few more to make the project. 

And finally- sweaters! I'm planning to make both Waldi and I a sweater out of this first run of Origin. Waldi's will be the Fort sweater by Jared Flood in grey (pictured above). For myself I'm dreaming of Sauvabelin (from WOODS) in cream. Can't wait to cast on.

If you've got a skein of Origin (or are thinking about purchasing one in our shop update next Thursday) and are wondering what projects would be good, or just want to chat about what to cast on please do get in touch with me (hello@raincloudandsage.com) I'd love love LOVE to chat project planning with you. 

on slow fashion & handmade wardrobes

 my finished Rosemont (designed by knitbot and made using De Rerum Natural wool)

This post has been a long time coming. For real. Slow fashion and handmade wardrobes popped onto my radar a few years back and I've not been able to shake the idea- planted like a seed in my mind. The truth is, for several years I've felt a bit of a disconnect between my values, ideas, goals and my wardrobe. For several years, I've sat back from this conversation a little, not sure of where I fit or if I have anything of value to add to it. 

And while I am still far from perfect in this area, a few things have happened recently that have really changed things for me.

The first thing is that I discovered mending. Over the summer I started doing a little bit of visible mending, inspired mostly by Sashiko, and the Japanese tradition of Boro, which is mending your clothes using Sashiko embroidery techniques and pieces of other clothes. So far this has mostly been jeans, but I'm working on mending a wool cardigan right now and it's such a blast. I also started altering clothes a little (mostly small things, like cutting the arms off a button down to make it sleeveless and that sort of thing.) 

an example of my visible mending, on my most favorite jeans

This has been HUGE for me. Because I neither own a sewing machine nor have the ability to sew more than a straight line, I always felt that any sort of handmade wardrobe I could have would be rather lopsided (in a word: knitwear). Mending and altering has given me so many more options for using what I have and changing it to fit my needs.

Along with this, I'd say over the past year I've just gathered a little more awareness about what goes into making clothes. This includes "fast fashion" or clothes that are made in a way that is harmful to the planet and our fellow humans but for me it goes so far beyond this. I've learned through starting up my yarn label that even textiles that are ethically produced, with care to the environment, still require so much work and go through quite the process to be transformed into something useable.

I think in the past I would sometimes approach slow fashion practices with a bit of a fast fashion mindset. I'd go to the thrift store and pick something up that I didn't really need and only sort of liked, because it was second hand and well, because it was there. I would knit things without much thought to whether or not the colors or styles would fit in my wardrobe, whether the design was wearable for me, or whether it would stand the test of time and really last. 

a mix of long worn, handmade (by me and by other artisans), second hand, and mended clothing

So I'd say the other big thing that's shifted for me recently is embracing a more mindful approach to the clothing I acquire- including my handmade items. I've started trying to take responsibity for the items I bring into my wardrobe (how long will I be able to use this? what will happen to it when I don't want it anymore?), which includes both what I buy and make. 

How does this affect my knitting life? Well, I guess I'm trying to plan things out a little more- maybe even knit less (dare I say it?) so that I can knit better. I'm trying to identify the holes in both my own wardrobe (and in the wardrobes of my most knitworthy family and friends) and work towards mindfully filling those, by making garments that won't wear out quickly and can be used for a long time.

Of course (OF COURSE) I'm not perfect at this. And I do still think there is room for crazy, not quite utilitarian knitting projects just because they're fun -this is my hobby after all! But in general, I'm super happy about the direction I'm heading.

So onwards- towards mindfulness in making, and confidence in wearing my clothes every day! 



PS: if you're still here, here's a little list of the items I'm hoping to make for my wardrobe this year (this doesn't include socks because honestly? I want to make ALL THE SOCKS right now- I think this little collection has something to do with that!)

1. Sauvabellin sweater using raincloud and sage Origin
2. Little Twigs sweater using De Rerum Natura
3. Shoreline Cardigan using Quince & Co Owl
4. Tegna OR Saco Stripes top using WOLLEN Berlin Lino Muka 
5. Hollows Shawl OR Ludlow scarf using De Rerum Natura 

R&S Yarn Update!

If you follow me over on Instagram, you've probably seen that we are in the final stages of launching Raincloud & Sage Yarn into the world. YAY!! 

Honestly you guys, I can't believe we made it this far. That sounds a little trite to say, but it's the honest truth. I could never have imagined when I started this blog (almost 5 years ago now!) that this is where my path would lead me, but it feels so right and I'm just thrilled to be here. 

Of course, starting this yarn label has come with it's challenges in different shapes and forms. I'm so glad we stuck with it and that I can finally hold the finished product in my hands, but in many ways this is only the beginning. 

As many (all...?) creatives, I have a lot of fears surrounding putting my work (and ultimately myself) out there. Honestly, every time someone purchases a pattern from me my very first feeling is fear- what if they don't like it? what if they find a mistake? Regardless of how much effort and energy and love goes into creating a thing, I think these feelings are somehow always connected with sharing creative work. And I'm sure battling them with this yarn- what if people hate it? what if it's too scratchy for them? Or perhaps even worse- what if nobody even cares...?

My husband recently told me that I need to stop describing our yarn in terms of what it isn't (in other words: it's not soft) and focus on what it IS. Because the truth is, I am incredibly proud of what it is: rustic, sheepy yarn with a story, grown by sheep who are raised with care, spun locally & sustainably with mindfulness for both the materials and the environment, packaged by us with a ton of love and then (hopefully!) sent to knitters everywhere so that they can continue this story we've started. 

I've seen the sheep who grew this wool. I've visited the mill, seen the machines that spun our yarn and the river where it was washed afterwards. To be involved in something like this is nothing short of amazing. 

No it's not soft- and it's not for everyone. It's not even for every knitter. But I'm putting it out there anyways, because I believe this is a story that deserves to be told. 

If you're curious- here are the two colorways all swatched up. I'm calling our first base Origin and it's a 3ply yarn, woolen spun at a light worsted/DK weight. For whatever reason, the grey is scratchier than the cream, which is actually quite soft and would totally work for a hat for someone who's not afraid to wear a little wool. Otherwise I think this yarn would be great for outerwear sweaters, and of course mittens or even a good thick pair of slippers or outerwear socks. 

All further info can be found on our website- raincloudandsage.com // That's also where you'll find the links to our Newsletter and Instagram, both of which will keep you up-to-date on what's happening. Thanks as always for being here. It means so much. 

Autumn Drizzle Shawl

Today I am so super excited to share with you all my latest pattern: the Autumn Drizzle Shawl. 

The Autumn Drizzle Shawl is a small, triangular shaped shawl featuring garter stitch stripes and plenty of squishy texture. It's designed with a shallow fit for easy wear while out enjoying favourite Autumn activities: apple picking, hiking in the woods or crunching through fallen leaves. 

This shawl features plenty of garter stitch, as well as some stripes and a simple chevron stitch pattern to keep things a little interesting. It's perfect cozy evening knitting, with a cup of tea and your favourite Fall movies- Harry Potter of course, or perhaps even a little Gilmore Girls? 

The design itself is actually quite simple but I spent ages trying to get it just right. The final finished object looks quite different (and much better even) than the original idea as it came to me. When I saw these two yarns lying side by side in my stash I just knew they wanted to be together- and boy was I right. 

A little more about the yarn: the speckled yarn is Hedgehog Fibres Skinny Singles in the Urchin colourway and something about the colours and the distribution of the speckles reminds me of fallen Autumn leaves. The beautiful caramel yarn is Madeline Tosh Merino Light in the Glazed Pecan colourway. Personally, it reminds me of caramel drizzle (you know, the kind that you get on Pumpkin Spice Latte, of course) which is where I originally got the name from. 

Several weeks ago on a beautiful sunny late September day I had a photo shoot with my lovely friend Simone (of Ink and Soil). I just love how the photos turned out and am so excited to finally share them all with you.

I am really really proud of this shawl and hope you love it too. The pattern is available on Ravelry as of today, and I am offering a little coupon code as a celebration of it's release. Just use the code autumndrizzle15 when checking out to receive 15% off until this Sunday, October 22. 

Let's Talk About Hats!

After a summer full of fingering weight shawls, I have completely embraced the start of Fall and with it- HATS! 

You guys, hats are awesome. First of all, they are so fast to knit, it's unbelievable. You can just crank those babies out one after another...well, not quite. But that's the feeling I have after all those miles and miles of fingering weight...

I have big plans for hat knitting over the next few weeks and months. The truth is, I haven't had the best of lucks with hats in the past. I've chosen the wrong yarn or the wrong pattern or made the wrong size and I actually have very few hats that I'm completely happy with. So my goal this year is to change that. I've been on the hunt for patterns and have found some gorgeous ones. Today I thought it would be fun to share a little list of those with you all- my hat queue, if you will: 

1. Braddock
This is a super lovely chevron-y hat with a double brim, knit in dk weight and designed by Christina Danaee. I'm seriously in love with the photos- if you haven't seen them yet, you really must check it out. I've got a skein of dk weight in my stash, from Mineville Wool Project that I've been hanging onto for ages, in search of the perfect project. Perhaps this is it...? 

2. Vanilla Fog
This is a two-tone hat, knit in squishy brioche designed by Andrea Mowry. I've been itching to knit more brioche after finishing my shawl and a hat seems like the perfect thing to make next. I love the two tones that the sample is knit up in and actually have the perfect yarn in my stash for this- colorwise but not weight-wise sadly. I'm wondering if I can make a worsted weight version of this pattern...?

3. Picos de Europa 
Designed by Verena Cohrs (of The Wool Club) for the WOODS crowdfunding campaign, this is also a dk weight pattern, with a really lovely woodsy stitch pattern. It's been on my list since the crowdfunding went live, and I'd really like to get it knit up in the next month or two.

4. Mizzin 
So- colorwork. I've not done much of it, but I absolutely fell in love with this hat, designed by Claire Walls and I'm thinking I'm going to have to give it a go. This is knit using fingering weight- and I must say, I don't know that I've ever knit a hat using anything lighter than a dk weight, so I'm excited to try it! 

5. Skiff
This is a bit of an older pattern and I've seen some seriously lovely versions floating around on Instagram and Ravelry. Would love to make one myself, maybe in Quince & Co Lark, since I've got a few skeins in my stash. 

Bonus: Dubliner Hat (pictured above)
So this is my own pattern but I'm sharing it here because I really genuinely love it. I've just finished one for a friend and am thinking that I might need to make another for myself! 


So those are at the top of my queue right now but I also really love this this and this!! What about you guys- any hat patterns to recommend?? 

swatch diaries: Quince & Co Owl

Things have been pretty quiet in these parts lately. My knitting has recently been filling in the cracks of my days, taking a backseat to a few other big projects, most of which I'm not quite ready to share about yet. That being said I've got a few lovely projects on the go (though it's taken me ages to finish any...) and I've been working with really amazing yarns, some of which I've only recently discovered.

And so I thought it might be fun to start a little log- a diary of sorts, detailing some of the yarns (and stitch patterns!) I'm working with in the form of swatches. 

Up first I'm sharing about one of my very favorite yarns- Quince and Co Owl. I love all the Quince yarns I've tried but this is by far my favorite. It's a dreamy blend of 50% American wool and 50% New Zealand Alpaca, shown above in the Abyssinian colorway (undyed) and in the top photo in Canyon, a lovely soft shade of pink.

I adore wool/alpaca blends, they're one of my favorite fiber blends to work with. Alpaca is just so soft and lovely but I find on it's own, it creates a fabric that's a little to dense and heavy for my taste. Pair it with good wool and it's just the perfect mix. 

The swatch (shown in progress) in the photo above is chevron layette stitch, with a few moderations made by your's truly. It was originally intended to be a new pattern design, but I just haven't been able to get my ideas to translate to the needles as I was hoping. 

So I think I'm going to turn this lovely yarn into a pair of mittens (yes- always mittens). I'm thinking either the Woodland Tales mittens by Melody of Mandarine's or maybe I'll save it for a pair of WOODS mittens come late Fall this year.

Caleb's Blanket

Today I’ve got something very special to share with all of you. During the final few months of my pregnancy, I decided to improvise a simple cotton blanket for C, using textured knit stitches and a few basic crochet techniques (for the border). I got a lot of comments on in and even a few questions as to how I made it.

So I've decided to publish the pattern (as a free Ravelry download) in case any of you are interested in knitting it up.

If it's at all possible for a knitting project to accompany one on the journey into motherhood, then this would be the project. It was with me as a WIP in the final few months of pregnancy, it came to the birthing center with us (to use for bringing C home) and it was a constant through those early postpartum days where everything was slightly foggy and I really was just doing my best to grow into a new role that didn't fit quite right yet.

When I look at this blanket I remember all this. We don't use it much anymore, but every once in awhile I pull it out and think about how far we've come in a year. We've watched our baby grow but we've also seen ourselves grow right along with him.

And yes, this is just a blanket- just stitch upon stitch, row after row. But as is so often the case with knitting, I'm finding that these stitches add up to so much more.

You can find the link to the pattern here, if you're inclined to do so. 

Vancouver Yarn Crawl II

I was so blessed to go to Canada not once but TWICE in the past four months. This has never happened, and realistically will probably never happen again and I am so SO grateful to have had this chance. Of course, while there, I got up to plenty of yarn & fibre related activities, including visiting wonderful yarn stores and attending a fibre festival with my mom. It's so much fun to hunt out these special places on my travels and I'm so glad that my mom was willing to trek around with me to each of them. 

So at long last, today I want to share with you all about the yarn-y places I was able to visit on these last two most recent trips to Canada. Obviously, this is just a small number of the amazing places there are to visit in and around my hometown, but I'm very pleased that we managed to make it to so many! I'll start with the yarn stores and then move onto broader, more "fibre arts" related places. 

Of course, I was horrible at getting any photos, so below are some shots of the yarn I walked away with from each of these spots instead...well, some of it at least, haha! I'm planning a post soon on Canadian yarn, which will talk about a bunch of these in more detail, so stay tuned for that! 

Yarn:

Valley Yarn - Surrey
This was such an amazing yarn store- and one I'd never even heard of until my friend Natasha took me there while I was visiting over Christmas. It's tiny but packed (literally) floor to ceiling with delicious yarn. Lots of Madeline Tosh (some of which came home with me!), Hedgehog Fibers, The Fiber Company, Mineville Wool Project, and various other assorted wonders. Worth stopping by if you're anywhere near the area.

88 Stitches - Walnut Grove
I was so happy to return this Spring to 88 Stitches (first wrote about this shop here). My mom and I visited on Customer Appreciation day where there were door prizes and deals galore. They've got a great selection of sock yarn as well as plenty of Canadian hand dyed (hellooo Sweet Fiber!) and even some more rustic woolly wools to choose from. 

Three Bags Full- Vancouver
Stopped by this shop quickly while on Main Street with my sister over Christmas. I'd been to this shop before (and got the yarn for my Tamborine cardigan), and while they do have quite a nice selection, it seemed to me that they've started carrying a lot of the more expensive yarns and I couldn't find anything that was in my price point that really caught my eye. (The Woolfolk yarns are simply stunning though!)

Beehive Wool Shop- Victoria
So SO happy to have made it to this lovely gem of a yarn shop on Vancouver Island. I took Caleb on the ferry with my mom and siblings for a mini road trip to Victoria. We had such fun wandering and of course one of the highlights was stopping in here (pictured above). I just spent ages pondering what of the many MANY lovely yarns was going to come home with me. They've got plenty of rustic, sheepy wool (a weakness of mine...), including all the Brooklyn Tweed. We definitely picked up some of that, as well as some Hinterland Watershed and Ancient Arts sock yarn (yay Canadian yarn!)

Fibre Arts: 

Birkeland Bros. Wool - Abbotsford 
This was such a fun little shop to wander around. It's mostly a spinning store and they had wheels & tools and, of course fibre galore. But the coolest part was the giant carding machine they had in the front of the shop (and I mean GIANT). Although we didn't see it in action, it was so cool to get a peek at it up close and to read about it's history- how it made it to the West Coast and where it all was before that. Also if you DO stop in here, make sure you go to Old Hand coffee right around the corner! 

Maiwa Textiles- Vancouver
One of my favorite spots ever and an absolute gem right in the middle of Granville Island. This is a little fibre arts shop full of natural dyes, fabric, yarn, tools and books. I stop in here every time I'm in the area and always enjoy browsing. Over Christmas I picked up some undyed yarn to maybe try my hand at natural dying- we'll see how that goes!

Fibres West Festival- Cloverdale
My mom and I were so excited to learn that there was a fibre festival while I was in town. We took Caleb for the afternoon and it was a perfect early Spring sunny day. We so enjoyed wandering through the stalls, looking at all the local Canadian wool and fibre and making our thoughtful purchases. Such a highlight of my most recent trip for sure! 

So there you have it- if you're interested, here's a post I did about my first Vancouver Yarn Crawl. And you can also read about the yarn shops I visited in Scotland here and my trip to Tolt Yarn & Wool here. 

a journey into knitting sweaters

I would love to call myself a serious sweater knitter. But the truth is I'm just not there yet.

Throughout my knitting "lifetime" I've knit four sweaters. (For myself- I've also knit a baby sized sweater and cardigan for C, but I won't touch on those today.) It's not a lot, believe me, I know. And it's nowhere near the number I'd planned to be at by now. 

But in looking back at these sweaters, there's a real journey- a story of my growth and improvement as a knitter. I thought I'd share a little bit more about each of those sweaters today: the good and the bad, the mistakes made and lessons learned, the serious successes. 

So without further ado, here are the four sweaters I've knit:

Pattern: Oatmeal sweater by Jane Richmond. 
(see my Ravelry Project Page here)

Yarn: Lion Brand thick & quick in the Oatmeal colorway

date made: December 2013

mistakes made & lessons learned: oh the mistakes I made with this sweater... I did not understand about gauge and the finished sweater (although you can't tell from the above photo) was so SO tight. I also didn't understand about substituting yarn and the yarn that I chose was not the weight that the pattern called for at all. So I learned a lot about the importance of these two elements in a pattern. However, this pattern is clear and concise and really helped me understand the technique to knitting a top down sweater and for that I'm grateful! 

final verdict: I didn't wear this sweater so I frogged it last summer. 

pattern: Lila by Carrie Bostick Hoge 
see my Ravelry project page here

yarn: Drops Lima 

date made: January-February 2015

mistakes made & lessons learned: I really really enjoyed knitting this sweater. I don't think I've ever taken as many WIP photos as I did with this project because I was having such a blast that I wanted to document every stage of the process. This was my first bottom up sweater and again I learned so much about sweater construction while knitting this. This was also my first try with short rows- they turned out quite sloppy actually. As did the neckline and the spots where I joined the sleeves at the armpits. I also didn't do a great job of finishing this and it's quite obvious where I wove in my ends. So I'd say I definitely learned about the importance of finishing. 

final verdict: I actually wear this sweater quite often, despite my sloppy knitting. I did the best I could at the time and am actually quite proud of the result. I wear it mostly with dresses or skirts but occasionally with jeans and a long top. I'd like to reknit this in a different yarn, maybe from the top down and add a bit of length to the body.

pattern: Lesley by Hannah Fetig (from the book Home and Away)
my Ravelry project page here

yarn: aran weight yarn from my Grandmother's stash

date made: July-August 2015

mistakes made & lessons learned: I LOVE this sweater. Not only was it so fun to knit while home over the summer in Canada but the end result is by far my most successful sweater. This was a retry of the top down raglan sweater style and I really hit my stride with this project.

final verdict: Though it's a little bulky I do wear this in both the Fall and early Spring where it's warm enough to go without a jacket but some extra warmth is still nice. I'd like to make a sweater like this again with maybe a dk weight yarn...

pattern: Tamborine by Julia Farwell Clay (from Pompom Issue 12)

see my Ravelry project page here

yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers (colorway Purple Brown)

date made: Winter 2015-2016

mistakes made & lessons learned: This was for sure my most challenging sweater project. A cardigan with embellishments and set-in sleeves, which were totally new to me. I'm very proud of this sweater, though I did make a few mistakes- the seaming on the sleeves isn't great and is quite visible when I don't wear my hair down to cover it, haha. Also I need to re-block this as the button band still rolls and a few of the button holes are missing (I blame pregnancy...) 

final verdict: I knit this in the first few months of pregnancy and by the time I finished there was no way I could button it up so I never sewed on any buttons. Though I do like wearing it open, I think it would be nice to have the option to at least partially button it (from the top or bottom...both sound fine) so I'd really like to get to that. 

Alright. There you have it. It's been over a year since my last sweater and I honestly don't really know why. I will say that I struggle with yarn affordability and access here in Marburg. But I'd really like to make plans to knit a few sweaters coming up. Top of my list is the Rosemont Cardigan (also from Home and Away) and a Fort sweater for Waldi. I'd also like to try Strokkur as my first serious colorwork project and (although it's not exactly a sweater) I'm also loving the Kinton top for Spring. 

a little book called WOODS

(photo courtesy of WOODS)

Today I want to share with you all something very special that I've had the privilege to be involved with. 

You may have seen something about WOODS already floating around on Instagram, your favorite knitting podcast, or elsewhere on the internet. WOODS is an incredibly exciting new knitting book put together by the Making Stories team- Hannah Lisa and Verena. These ladies have a passion for European wool and are putting together the book to showcase just that- natural, breed specific wool, local to us here in Europe. 

It's been interesting to watch the trend over the last few years as more and more knitters start thinking about where their yarn is coming from and how they can be a little more intentional in their purchasing. There are a ton of really wonderful yarn companies based in North America (like Quince & Co and Brooklyn Tweed) that are doing such amazing work. But I think it's important for those of us living here in Europe to be aware of some of the wonderful yarn companies doing just as valuable work over here. 

And that is one of the things WOODS is going to highlight. 

The book includes 11 designs, all using natural, breed specific yarn from around Europe as well as long form tutorials, articles and interviews with creative giants in this fiber art community. Just reading through the crowdfunding page and seeing everything it's going to include has me itching to get my hands on it and look through the pages. If you ask me, this is going to be one of those books that sticks around- it's so much more than a collection of patterns.

I am so so excited and incredibly honored, that I get to be a small part of this project.

My design- the Puzzlewood Mitts (shown in progress above) was selected as one of the patterns for the book. My mittens have been paired with the incredible Black Isle Yarns Gotland and Zwarbles/Mohair blends in two shades of grey. I love love LOVE this yarn. 

And now- for the most exciting part of all. You too can be a part of this project. Hanna Lisa and Verena are currently running a crowdfunding campaign (which you can view here). They've got a ton of reward options that you can choose from, including of course copies of the book, but also goodies such as bonus patterns, tote bags and swag, knitting webinars and even a wooly day with the two of them in Berlin! Make sure you check it out! 

To stay up to date on all things WOODS (and to find out about who else is involved in this project) make sure you follow the Making Stories Instagram account as well! 

knitting in the background

Recently I've been a bit bogged down by my knitting. 

I've been working on some amazingly fun projects. I'm growing as a knitter and a designer and a maker. And while I am so thankful for every opportunity and for the time to let my creativity run wild, at the end of the day I was avoiding my knitting.

And so I cast on a shawl. I've never been much of a shawl knitter. Early in my knitting "career" I made a shawl that was all wrong for me. I chose the wrong yarn for the pattern and the wrong pattern for the knitting season I was in and the finished object was something I never wore. I therefore assumed that I wasn't a shawl knitter and moved on. 

But actually- something about these familiar stitches soothes me, the repetitive motion, the feel of wool & wood. The long stretches of stocking and garter stitch, the calm motion of knitting in the background of whatever else is going on; an early morning conversation with my hubby, a podcast and cuppa during nap time, or sitting on the floor next to C as he plays. 

I've come to realize that I need this- knitting in the background. To ground my day and keep me anchored amidst anxiety, exhaustion, homesickness... There is something healing about this simple craft, something comforting about the very act of creating a beautiful object from nothing but two sticks and some string. 

Just wanted to share these musings with you today. 

yarn crushes: UK Edition

it's been much much too long since I did a yarn crush post (see here and here for previous posts) Recently I've been really into exploring yarns that are local to me here in Europe. I mean, I love Quince and Co as much as the next knitter and will continue to purchase from them for future projects, but while I'm living here, I thought it would be good to try knitting with yarn that comes from a little more close to home. 

I'm in central Germany, but I've decided to start with a list of yarns that are based out of the UK, since I've got them piling up in my stash currently. There will be a post on yarns from elsewhere in Europe (as well as one on Canadian yarn!) soon. But for now, I hope you discover something on this list that you'd be interested in trying too!

Blacker Yarns // Cornwall, England

I am a huge fan of all the yarn I've knit with and purchased from Blacker yarns- I used the Westcountry tweed to make my Moorland Mitts and loved it. And I've got two skeins of the Cornish Tin II (photo at the bottom of this post) sitting in my stash that I can't wait to turn into a lovely shawl.

Hedgehog Fibers // Ireland

So I actually purchased this at Valley Yarn in Surrey, while I was in Canada over Christmas. I've got one skein in the Unicorn colorway, which is lovely and speckled. I'm thinking I'll turn it into a pair of Mashed Potato socks, designed by The Wool Club but for now it's sitting happily atop my yarn basket, patiently waiting it's turn. 

New Lanark Double Knitting // Scotland

This was one of my Edinburgh purchases. I got two skeins in the copper green tweedy colorway, one for me and one for my mom. I think after much deliberation, we're going to make fingerless mitts. This is also the yarn that the Woodland Tales mittens call for, by the way. I'd love to order another skein at some point, maybe in a nice chocolate brown for that project.

West Yorkshire Spinners // Yorkshire, England

Total impulse buy, but I'm glad I went for it. I've got one skein of Blue Faced Leicester, undyed in it's natural neutral glory. I don't have an exact project in mind but I'm thinking maybe (more) mittens. What can I say, I just love mittens! 

Shilasdair yarns // Isle of Skye, Scotland

So, as I mentioned in this post, I've got two skeins of Shilasdair sock yarn dyed with marigold and onion skins. I'm not entirely sure what pattern I'm going to use for them, but I'm thinking something nice and cable-filled. I also picked up a skein of their luxury DK dyed with indigo and tansy (photo at top of post) that I turned into a simple stockingette hat for Waldi- I'm hoping to use the rest and make a matching little hat for C. Better get on that!

Black Isle Yarns // Scottish Highlands

This was a last minute edition to this list, but after swatching extensively with this yarn for my pattern for WOODS, I just had to add it in. It's honestly some of the nicest yarn I've ever worked with, even (dare I say it...) possibly THE nicest. Seriously. I like it that much. Stay tuned for more details of what it becomes! 

so there you have it! a lovely little list. as I've mentioned, stay tuned for more yarn-y related posts coming up soon but for now, I'd love to hear what yarn you've recently been working with and loving!