The Siren song of the Crafts

Lately the fabric has been calling to me and I've been daydreaming about sewing.

There are times when the craft supplies, whether they be the fabric stash or the yarns, call to you and pulls you in like a Siren song. This past couple of weeks I have been finding myself longingly staring at the fabric stash and dreaming of projects to turn those gorgeous pieces of cloth into. My skills are limited but my dreams are big.

The lure to craft is not unlike the effect of a Siren song upon a weary sailor. When the materials are special, the call is entrancing and irresistible like the mythical lullaby of the Sirens. When I feel the pull towards the fabric I find my brain is taken over by thoughts of projects and the colours and prints upon the cloth. It draws me in until I find myself working at my sewing station cutting and pressing and stitching away.

One of the Wiksten tanks that's I've made of late.

I feel like the pull to craft is not only something mystical it is some kind of subconscious push towards some tap out, therapeutic craft time. Like the weather-worn sailor I find myself in a season of busyness and stress and my ability to juggle everything is failing more often than I'd like. Mentally I'm feeling the strain and though I am tired and in a bit of a funk I cannot resist the urge to make something.

I've written before about how I find making and crafting very therapeutic; a path to mindfulness. Again I write here to reiterate it. Undeniably there are times when certain yarns or fabrics sing to you and you just know it is asking to be made into something beautiful. The process of making leads one to put aside the stresses and 'to do lists' of life for a while and the joy of a product made with love lifts the spirits.

A friend of mine was recently sharing of her struggle with depression and then excitedly took me down to her workshop where she has been making a table top with recycled wood. She spoke with such delight when she explained where each piece of wood originally came from and how she was almost finished with the varnish. Her work is beautiful and I marvel at her talent but more so her ability to find a positive mental space when she is feeling the blues.

More things cut out ready to sew up.

Sometimes we do not realise that we need to be involved in this process of making. Our heart and mind suddenly crave to make something and all stemming from a need to nourish the mind and soul with some positive energy. Initially, the pull may feel like a dangerous Siren song because of all those tasks that need to be ticked off and jobs to be done, but once we immerse ourselves into the making and take a breath we realise that craft time was exactly what we needed.

I believe it is alright to allow yourself a little bit of tap out time to do the thing that you love. The Siren song of Craft is not a bad thing, but instead a chance to experience a moment of mindful peace.

What do you like to make or do when you take the time to tap out from life's stresses? Does it nourish your mind and soul and feel like it was exactly what you needed to do? Share your thoughts.

About the time I went to Bendigo for the Sheep and Wool show...

What I came home with from "Bendi Spendi" this year.

Hello my sad neglected blog...I'm back with a post that is weeks overdue. This is my round up of the Annual Australian Sheep and Wool show that was held in Bendigo back in mid July.

For woolcrafters in this neck of the woods this once yearly sheep and wool show is one of the most exciting weekends of the year. It is this event that will prompt the migration of knitters, crocheters, spinners, felters and all fibre lovers into this lovely regional city each year. They come in their little gaggles donning their handmade woollies and find a fibre heaven in the woolcraft market sheds.

This year instead of dragging the family up with me I did the day trip with some knitty girlfriends. We piled into the car with the largest boot and headed off even before my littlies had woken up (such a rarity, and of course it happens on the day that I'm not able to sleep in.). As much as I love having my family with me on such adventures, doing the show with friends who are on the same page when it comes to fibre was such a nicer experience than having to put up with the complaints of Sir S who declares, "I don't like sheep." 

My "Women of Wool". Love you girls!

I confess, I went quite crazy last year at the show because it was my first and I'm going to blame it on the wool fumes. This year I prepped myself to be restrained and to be the supportive enabler for my friends instead. To help me, I was prepared to stick to my woolly wool filter and continue to avoid purchasing any superwashed fibres even if the colours sung to me. My one must buy item was a knitted dinosaur softie because last year that was the one thing at the show that Sir S took an interest in and I told him that if I had money at the end of the day I would buy him one. Well, I'm sure you can guess that I ran out of money last year.

The show did not disappoint this year. The selection of beautiful yarns, fleeces, knitting accessories and bits and bobs were all marvellous. I love seeing the number of independent hand dyers who are around these days and discovering new people who I were not familiar with before. I love seeing how Nan Bray's White Gum Wool is becoming quite a popular base for hand dyers to use and that makes my heart sing because I am a huge fan of her principles and practices. It excites me to see Aussie hand dyers using her bases because it means that I can still buy from indie dyers and support their small businesses.

Here are some of my stand out favourites from the show this year:

1. Alpaca Allure

At this stall I met a family who run their own alpaca farm and a mini mill out in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria. They had all this lovely undyed yarns in gorgeous natural alpaca fleece colours. The thing that really got me was on each of their labels they listed the names of the animals that the fibre came from as a dye lot. So, I bought a skein of their 8ply that came from Rose and Leo in 2016. It is so so soft and I love the natural sandy grey colour.

2. Dyed by Hand

I bought some yarn from her last year and I was happily a return customer this year. It was the super luscious camel/ silk lace weight yarn that got me this year. Knitting with lace weight yarn is a bit of a scary prospect but getting to work with this beautiful yarn will motivate me to give it a go.

Impossible to resist touching this fleece.

3. Bellevue Park Wool

A family run Australian farm that is growing some beautifully crimpy and superfine merino. They had this raw fleece on the table and I could not keep my hands away from it. What can I say, crimp excites me.

4. Wool2Yarn

I had a lovely conversation with the man behind this mill, Alasdair while I pawed over and sniffed his skeins of Gotland wool. He too runs an alpaca farm and mini mill in regional Victoria and he had some really exciting blends of Gotland with fibres like silk and recycled wool or cashmere. I am so impressed to find a small industry of fibre milling and production just on my doorstep in Victoria. I am filing away this information for future fibre dreams.

I came away with a couple more business cards and flyers of things that caught my eye but I restrained myself from buying. If I get the chance to follow up on those yarns and fibres in the future I'll tell you about them.

It was such a fun day amongst the wool fumes and the tactile heaven of fibre. Did you make it to Bendi this year? What caught your eye or should I say hand as you fondled through the stalls?

BTW, I did buy the dinosaur for Sir S this year and redeemed myself (and wool) in his eyes.

It was clear I had a bit of a colour theme this year.

Tips for problem free travel knitting

This little notions kit of mine takes care of all my knitting needs while on the go.

Recently when we were preparing for an overseas family holiday a few well meaning friends who were aware of my knitting addiction expressed concern for the likelihood of being able to get my knitting needles through airport security. Having travelled before, both internationally and domestically with my knitting I did not share their doubts. There was not a single bat of the eye when my bags went through the x-ray for scanning and I didn't even feel the need to preempt the security officers to the fact that there was knitting in my bag this time round.  By all means I'm not trying to set myself up as an expert on this topic but I thought it might be useful to share my tips so that other knitters can enjoy their knitting abroad too.

Beyond the purpose of getting through airport security I also have some general tips for keeping your knitting portable for crafting on the go.

1. Use circular knitting needles.

I use circular knitting needles all the time even when working flat because I find them more comfortable because the weight of the work sits more centrally in front of me and doesn't give me as much shoulder strain. I also like using them because I am a chronic public knitter and circulars are easier to tuck into a project bag and not stick out like straight needles do. 

2. Use wooden or bamboo tips.

The debate is still on with whether you can get through the security screen with metal tips so to avoid any issues I just stick to using wooden or bamboo needles.

3. Have yarn on the needles already cast on.

I do this so that it is more convincing to the security officers that I am a legitimate knitter and that I'm not planning on using my needles as weapons.

4. Bring a Clover yarn cutter pendant.

If you think you must cut your yarn then this nifty little yarn cutter works a treat and is not a problem through security. I just had it in my notions pouch with all my other little nick nacks and there were no issues.

5. Knit smaller projects.

Hauling around a large sweater project is just not practical when travelling so knit something small like an accessory or socks. If you must knit a sweater then try just doing the sleeves while you are on the go.

6. Bring enough yarn to last the whole trip and factor in the possibility for delays.

It happened to me once, on the way to Sydney our flight got cancelled and we were stuck a the airport. Initially I didn't mind because i had my knitting and then I ran out of yarn. The delay quickly became unbearable and it also meant that I didn't have anything to knit on the way home too. Now, I make sure I wind up all I need for the whole project and also bring more than one thing to work on.

7. Knit with yarn appropriate to the destination climate.

We were holidaying in Singapore and I knew that working a thick woolly project was a ridiculous thing to do. Hence I brought along nice little lace weight project and knit away happily by the pool as my children played.

8. Keep digital copies of the patterns.

I load a copy of the pattern onto all of our devices so that I still have access to the pattern even when my kids are monopolising the iPad.

9. Choose an easy pattern.

My preference is for a fairly plain knit that won't require too much brain work, I am on holidays after all. Travelling with children often involves sitting in the dark hotel room waiting for a child to fall asleep and knitting st st is what I can manage in those circumstances. I'm sure more experienced knitters will be more advanced than me when it comes to knitting in the dark but I like to keep it simple.

10. Bring a self addressed prepaid postage satchel.

If you are nervous about getting your knitting needles through security then bring a prepaid satchel so that you can post the project to yourself. Aim to head through security early so that if there was an issue you will have enough time to put your knitting in the post satchel and find a post box before trying again with security. If you still hope to work on the project while away then I recommend using interchangeable tips on your circular needles so that if you did encounter a problem you only need to post the tips back to yourself. Then when you get to your destination you have the fun of finding a LYS to pick up some new tips and some new yarn too. However, with this tip, please keep in mind that when leaving a foreign country for the homeward journey you will need to investigate what their local postage options are before heading to the airport.

There you go, nicely rounded out to 10 tips. I'm sure all you seasoned travel knitters out there have many other tips that I haven' even considered. Please leave a comment and share your wisdom.

Finished object file: Puntilla Sweater | Skein Merino Cashmere Fingering

This is the kind of pose you end up with when your 6YO gives the directions. He thought that I could best show off the lace by holding my hands this way.

Here's another finished object for a couple of months ago but I have been wearing it so much since I finished it and it is certainly one of my current wardrobe favs. I'm talking about the Puntilla sweater designed by Joji Locatelli that I knit for the recent Skein Sweater KAL that Kristen hosted through her Ravelry group.

When Kristen first announced that she was going to offer a preorder sale for sweater lots of her yarn I was immediately hooked. I started obsessing over her colour ways and bases and dreaming of the different sweaters I could make. Then Kristen announced that she was also going to host a sweater KAL starting in May just around the time the preorders were due to be sent out. This totally sent me down the Ravelry rabbit hole. I ummed and ahhed over two patterns initially but every time I logged onto Ravelry I started adding more patterns to my short (long) list.

'Milk Glass' is a beautiful colour way but it was not quite what I expected.

Finally, I decided to make Joji Locatelli's Puntilla sweater from her recently released Authentic Collection. From the Skein update I ordered 4 skeins of MCN Sock in the 'Milk Glass' colour way on a whim because the photo of the colour looked like a soft neutral with subtle splashes of pastel purple and bluey grey. When the skeins actually arrived and I started swatching with the yarn I realised that the colour way was much deeper and variegated then I had expected. I kept looking at my swatch and I kept thinking, "I love these colours, it looks amazing." However, something still nagged at me in the back of my mind about the colour and only after I had cast on and started knitting the shoulders did I finally admit to myself that I just didn't love the colour way when I was knitting it in st st. I was troubled by just how variegated it was and I didn't feel comfortable wearing that blend of colours in a sweater that was predominately knit in st st. Luckily, I had some Skein Merino Cashmere (MC) Fingering in 'Graphite' in my stash and so I frogged what I had knit with the 'Milk Glass' and started all over again. 

The knit went fairly quickly after I got past the shoulders and the short row shaping for the neckline. I had never knit a Joji pattern before and her shoulder construction method was a style that I had never tried before either. But all credit to Joji for writing such clear instructions, because it was not tricky at all and I was surprised that in a relatively short amount of time I had a neck hole and a pair of shoulders.

It's hard taking photos in the yard without the dogs getting in the way.

Those dogs are still there in the background.

Once I had the arms holes done and had joined the work in the round I buzzed through the st st body. I knit the sleeves on short circulars, which has become my favourite method of small circumference knitting (BTW, I use 20cm Addi turbos for that) and then I finished the neck ribbing with an invisible ribbed bind off to give it a bit more stretch. Bang, the main body of the sweater was done and I was onto the lace trims. 

Here is where the 'Milk Glass' came back into play. I decided that though I didn't like the colour way in st st I was going to love it knit in lace. So I picked up the the stitches around the ribbed ends of the sweater and knit the easy to memorise lace in the beautiful 'Milk Glass' colour. I adore the little touches of mauve and bluey grey that peak through in the lace trim. I love how the lace sits at the end of my sleeves and at the bottom of the sweater giving it a touch of femininity to an otherwise boxy and androgynous garment.

I like this pattern over Joji's very popular Boxy sweaters because it is not as wide in the body and the added lace trims just gives it something a little special for the everyday. Hence this top has been my favourite one to wear as our weather has turned colder and colder in Melbourne. The MC Fingering is just so soft and cuddly, so when the weather wasn't so cold I would wear a singlet underneath and the yarn was so divine against the skin. Now that it is colder the generous boxy style of the jumper means that I can still wear it comfortably over my layers.

Thanks to Kristen from Skein for hosting such a fantastic KAL and for the awesome prize.

And, as an added bonus I won a prize from the KAL. Kristen announced me as one of the winners at the end of the KAL and she awarded me a Kimi Silks project bag. I am extra chuffed that on top of having a gorgeous new sweater to wear I won something in the KAL. Who would have thought I'd be so lucky?

Finished object file: Agate sweater | Quince & Co. Tern

Again, food was used to coerce the child to cooperate.

This one I finished a while back in March for my girl's birthday. Miss L turned 3 and this has been the perfect layering piece for her this season.

Agate is from Quince & Co.'s Lost Coast collection, a collection of children's patterns designed by Ashley Hurst. Inspired by California's Lost Coast the collection is made up of warm and cosy looking pieces that would keep the little ones snug.

I knit the pattern with the called for yarn, Tern from Q&C because I loved it when I used it from the Immie Tee that I knit for Miss L when she was a bub. The yarn is a wool and tussah silk blend and though it is a fingering weight (4ply) yarn it knits up pretty quickly. I love the muted tones that it dyes up in which gives in my opinion gives the kids' knits a bit of a sophistication. For this knit I used the terracotta colourway because I was so drawn to the sample pictures and I knew that it would be a colour that would go well with jeans and with the pinks and reds in Miss L's wardrobe.

It knit up so quickly and I had it done well before Miss L's birthday. The lace panel was easy to memorise and since the front was just stockinette stitch knit in the round I just buzzed through it. However, it was not until I finished did I realise that the lace panel didn't finish correctly. I analysed my knitting and I am pretty certain that I knit it exactly as the chart instructions but the eyelets don't line up properly. I was tempted to frog the bottom of the jumper and to reknit it. I thought about it over and over but in the end I told myself to embrace the mistake; also, I had some other knits that I was keen to get started on so I let that one go.

I tried to contact the designer and to point out my suspected errata but I have yet to hear back from her. Since I have moved on from this knit I haven't been too overly hung up about it. However, in case you decide to knit the pattern I would end knitting the main lace panel after rnd 4 and then continue knitting the panel end chart.

Ultimately, Miss L doesn't know any different and she loves it. Since her birthday I have put her in it a lot because it was a handy layer to throw on during the cooler Autumn mornings.

Making with bravery, not perfection

*This is a follow up to my previous post where I shared some thoughts on how mistakes are often a normal part of the making process. Thanks to those who read the last post and shared some encouraging thoughts in response.

A few months ago I came across Reshma Saujani's TED talk, "Teach girls bravery, not perfection" and I was blown away. From the title it would seem like a simple enough concept but as I listened to her talk, all the points she brought up had me nodding in agreement. She believes that girls are socialised to be perfect and the "fear of not getting it right, of not being perfect" is stopping girls and women from being brave and taking risks.

Reshma's talk spoke about this need for bravery in the context of careers and academic excellence which are of course areas where girls should be encouraged to exhibit bravery but I want to apply her ideas in the context of making.

So often, I struggle with the belief that I can make some thing beautiful let alone wearable. I look at some patterns and just put it into the too hard for me basket. When I make mistakes I mull over them and never hesitate to point them out rather than relishing in the joy of the finished object. I keep pinning sewing patterns and pining over a handmade wardrobe but I don't dare to make that first cut into the fabric because I am afraid since my sewing skills are at such a novice level.

I want to challenge myself to "undo the socialisation of perfection" in myself. If I took Reshma's ideas and applied them to my making I believe that I would ultimately learn more and grow more as a maker. If I were to make with bravery rather than seeking perfection I would be more motivated to try bigger challenges. If I were brave enough to cut into that cloth I would achieve my goal of having a handmade wardrobe one day.

Such yummy balls of The Fibre Company Canopy Worsted

Now, when I look at all the balls of frogged yarn from the Maeve shrug project I don't see my failure I see the potential that this yarn be something else great. I also loved frogging it. It was so much fun pulling all those stitches out and making these bright yellow balls with it. I actually took it on our road trip to Port Macquarie and during the night when the Hubs was driving I frogged away because I realised it was easier to frog in the dark than to knit. Feeling this yarn in my hands again made me fall in love with it again and I do want to wear something knitted in its dreamy softness one day.

So, let's see how I go with this. I hope that as I make with bravery I will ultimately learn more and become a better maker. Will you join with me in being a brave maker too?

**The "Teach girls bravery, not perfection" TED talk can be found here. 

Mistakes are normal

This is a post that I have been planning in my head for quite a while now. For so long, I have wanted to write a post about making mistakes and rather than rushing in to half formed thoughts I have let myself take the time to ruminate over it for longer. I'm not saying that I have it all worked out yet either, but feel the need to break the blog silence and get some thoughts down before I forget them.

So, I feel like my creative journey has kind of exploded in the last couple of years. I really only re-found knitting when I was expecting my second and the bug bit me hard. Not only am I relishing in my making but I am hungry to learn more skills and develop into a better maker. As you can imagine mistakes are inevitable in this journey.

I find it funny how adults can be so hard on themselves when they make mistakes but we are always encouraging children to accept that mistakes are okay and that it is through out mistakes that we learn. I find that the hang up over mistakes can be rife in the crafting and making community too. When I receive compliments over something that I have made I am always quick to point out where I messed up and fudged something. 

Last year I attempted to make a Maeve shrug for myself and I had been so excited about the project. I think I even blogged about swatching for this project and how I really wanted to get it right. Well, I finished it and I didn't get it right. In fact I've had it in a bag since last September because I knew I had completely stuffed it up. 

I had thought I was being clever by knitting a nice selvedge stitch edge through the back section of the shrug when it wasn't called for in the pattern. When it came time for me to pick up stitches for the garter stitch collar I realised that I had made a big mistake and that my stitch count for the collar was terribly off. I knit the collar anyway with the number of stitches that I had and was in complete denial about my big stuff up. When I finished the shrug and tried it on the collar was much too tight and didn't have the drape that it was meant to have. It was so tight that at the back the piece didn't even sit flat, but kept rolling up. It was horrible and I was so disappointed with myself for not getting it right.

This week I pulled out the sad crumpled mess and decided that it was time to frog it. I have just started and have a long way to go but I am actually at peace over it. In the time since I finished the knit till now, I have been grappling with the idea of what I should do. Initially I thought maybe all I needed to do was frog the collar and reknit it with increases to get to the stitch count that matched the pattern. Then I thought I needed to reknit the whole thing because I know that my gauge has changed since I worked on that project and if I only redo half of it then the fit might be funny. I have also been tossing back and forth the idea that having a very brightly yellow shrug is a bit "full on" and maybe after all the hard work I won't even end up wearing it because of the colour.

My decision in the end is to frog the whole thing and to use the yarn for a pullover. One day I will come back to this pattern and I will knit it in a neutral colour because I still really want this shrug in my wardrobe and I know now that I should make it in a colour that will work with most of the stuff that I own.

Now that it's settled in my head I am beginning the task of ripping it apart. I had been so fearful of the task ahead of my and had been putting it off, but now that I am actually doing it I am excited again about the yarn and the potential new project that I could make with it. I had lost my love of the yarn because it was all wrapped up in this "failed" project and really, that is such a shame.

The journey that this particular project and the mistakes that I have made have grown me as a maker. I have learnt that I should think and plan better if I want to deviate from a pattern and I have learnt that frogging something is not a totally tragic thing to do because only then will the yarn be freed up to become something else.

Mistakes are a normal part of the making process. We should not let ourselves remain stuck over a mistake. There is always a way forward and sometimes that can still result in a fabulous finished object but sometimes what progress we have made may need to be undone and the whole thing started again. And, when that happens we can be hopeful that the next time round it will be an improvement from the last.

What are your thoughts? How do you deal with mistakes in your making?

The best kind of mail

There is always a bit of a buzz when mail arrives and there is even greater joy when that parcel is a gift or a prize as opposed to the stream of packages that arrive from online shopping. I received such a parcel yesterday and I definitely gave out a squee of delight when I got it.

A couple of weeks ago I won one of the prizes from Bonnie Sennott of Blue Peninsula's selfish KAL. She was giving away a skein of Elemental Affects Cormo; a set of Lavender Hill Knits stitch markers; and a Ravelry “sheep mistake” pouch (A collector’s item! These are sold out - the new ones will have the word “Romeldale” spelled correctly.) I submitted my Sawmill River Hat that I knit in Brooklyn Tweed Loft and by random number generator selection I won the skein of yarn.

The yarn is a 100% Cormo wool fingering weight yarn and the skein is a generous 550 yards. The colour is a lovely mustardy greeny yellow and the long staple of the Cormo fibre gives it a naturally beautiful lustre. The fibre is soft and squishy to touch but still has an essence to it that shows that it hasn't been overly processed. I love how this skein is able to be both a shiny, soft wool while retaining it's rustic woolliness.

I am already dreaming up projects that I can knit with it. Since it is a generous 550 yards I can definitely get a substantial single skein project out of it. I am leaning towards another one of Bonnie's patterns; the Hop Brook scarf, but then I thought maybe I could pair it with one of the single skeins of Ton of Wool Cormo that I purchased when Kylie Gussett was closing out her business. I'm not 100% sure about the pairing of the cooler blue-grey tones of the Ton of Wool skein with the clearly autumnal tones of the Elemental Affects Cormo. Pictured together they are not too bad but I will definitely have to swatch to see how they sit together in knitted fabric.

Please share your suggestions on what to knit, especially if you have worked with Cormo before and have noticed any specific peculiarities of this fibre.

I always want to express my immense gratitude to Bonnie for hosting such a fabulous KAL and for the amazing prized. Thank you!

Finished object file: Campside Shawl | Nunnaba Artisan Yarn Gradient

One of the great knitting moments in life are when you finish a project and it becomes an immediate favourite wardrobe item. My recently finished Campside Shawl designed by Alicia Plummer is one of those items. I have been wearing this shawl a lot and it's just a delight.

The pattern for this shawl was offered as a free pattern on the Pom pom Magazine blog about a year ago and you can access it here. The post also shares Alicia's story of what inspired her in the design for this shawl. Campside is reminiscent of her childhood summers spent at a family cabin. For her the pattern connects with her memories of comfort, warmth and shelter. It is a deeply personal story but one that resonates with all and when I wear my Campside I feel wrapped in soft comforting wool and it warms my heart.

The pattern has a few issues making it challenging to follow but nothing that an experienced knitter can't work out. It only has charts for the eyelet lace pattern and sometimes the lack of written instructions can leave you making some deductive leaps with the knitting. Basically there are some points in the charts where you could deduce that an extra eyelet and decrease is missing but you can also knit it as charted too and it doesn't really affect the overall look of the shawl. I figured at the end of the day, this was offered as a free pattern, I shouldn't get too uppety about errors. 

For this great wardrobe staple I used some deliciously soft high micron merino from White Gum Wool that had been hand dyed by Nunnaba Artisan Yarn into a gradient colourway called 'Blue Jay'. When I ordered this yarn I requested that the gradient colours be spread over the 300g as a long gradient. I didn't want to receive 3 skeins of standard gradient dyed yarn because that would make a bigger project slightly more challenging. 

When a gradient comes in a single skein all the colour transitions are contained in that single length of yarn. This poses the challenge of finding the perfect pattern to match with the yarn; where all colours will be utilized. If you find a small project that requires approximately the same yardage as one skein of the yarn then perfect, you'll get all the colours and no leftovers. However, when you do this you might find yourself limited to small projects like kids garments or hats because you won't have enough yardage to make anything bigger. 

Over time I have figured out a few ways to work larger projects with gradients, so here are my suggestions. One way is to alternate skeins of the gradient and depending of how many skeins you are prepared to juggle you can double, triple, (or even more) your yardage. 

Another idea is to add on skeins of the trim colour. The trim when a dyer offers a semi solid colourway that is the same as the outside colour of the gradient skein. When knitting, you get to the end of the gradient but need more yardage you can continue knitting in the trim colour so that the colour transition is not interrupted. 

If the trim option is not available you can just use the gradient as a feature and then finish off the pattern with a neutral colour. For example Kelly Brooker's Conscious pattern is designed with gradients in mind. The yoke can be knit out of a gradient and then the rest of the pullover is finished off with something else.

Then lastly, there is what I did with my Campside project; specifically ordering a long gradient so that the colours were spread across the whole 300g of yarn. It made knitting this shawl so much easier because I had one large cake of yarn to knit through that needed no alternating or changing of colours. 

There is so much to love about this shawl and I must say the result is exactly what I wanted. What I have achieved here has helped me be less afraid of working with gradients and given me many ideas for how to tackle similar projects in the future.

What experience do you have with knitting with gradient yarns? Have you tackled the challenges differently? Do share your thoughts and tips.

Finished object file: Sawmill River Hat | Brooklyn Tweed Loft

I finished this hat about a week ago but with the busyness of kids at home on summer holidays I haven't had much time to think about blogging.

This Sawmill River Hat by Bonnie Sennott was a spot of selfish knitting that gave me the opportunity to have a play with Brooklyn Tweed's Loft (fingering weight) yarn. Just before Christmas, Yarn + Co., a LYS in Melbourne got in a shipment of BT and to my knowledge they are the only Australian stockists of this much sought after yarn. I was quite beside myself with excitement and didn't hesitate to pick up a few skeins as a Christmas present for myself.

When it came to picking a pattern for this gorgeous yarn I wanted a single skein project and something with cables. Bonnie Sennott's hat pattern fit the bill exactly I even went with the sample colour, Hayloft.

When swatching with the loft the yarn broken as I was casting on with the long tail method. I had read that this yarn due to it's woollen spun nature was very delicate and this break just confirmed that. So my first few rows were knit quite gingerly for fear of breaking the yarn again. Once I got going I was more confident and familiar with the feel of the yarn in my hand so that nervousness disappated.

In my hand the yarn felt rustic but not itchy. It is a lovely tweedy yarn spun from  American grown Targhee-Columbia wool. I don't know much about this breed but I must say the wool is a delight to wear against the skin. At first touch it may not feel very appealing especially to knitters who are mostly merino users. It does not have that same squishiness of merino wool but when you look closely at the strand it is clear that it is undoubtedly soft, lofty and delicate. 

Shortly after I cast on this project I was browsing around Bonnie's Ravelry group page and noticed that she was hosting a 'Selfish knitting KAL'. My project met the requirements of the KAL; being a new project cast on in the new year, it was one of Bonnie's patterns and I was knitting it for myself. I joined in the chatter and was quite excited that I was ticking off my goal of attempting more KALs this year. I finished well ahead of the cut off date and I just enjoy watching and commenting on my fellow knitters' progress now. There is also a pretty good prize on offer but I don't think my chances of winning it are pretty high.

Such well defined cables from the BT Loft.

I did make a few modifications to the pattern and you can read my project notes from my Ravelry page here.

I liked knitting with the BT Loft and I really enjoyed the cables of the pattern. I am happy that I have another soft and snuggly hat ready for me in the winter and now that I've experienced this highly talked about yarn, I'm dreaming of more projects that I can make with it.

2016, another year of making

New projects in the new year. I cast on a Sawmill River Hat with some yummy Brooklyn Tweed Loft that I have been so keen to try for so long.

Now that we have flipped over to the new year I wanted to share my making goals for 2016. I'm not going to be as specific as last year's post that listed what I aimed to make each month over the course of the year. I do have similar goals this year based on when the birthdays of family members fall but I think there's no need to write them out again.

My general making goals for 2016 are:

• To stash less and to knit my stash.
• To continue to try new things especially more colourwork. 
• To continue to build my handmade wardrobe and the kids' wardrobes.
• To participate in more KALs and even try a MKAL*.
• To always have a pair of socks in progress because socks make good travel knitting.

Stash less

I have been thinking about this goal a lot and I have come up with a plan to help me stash less. My aim is to select the yarn that I wish to work with and to cast on the project that I had set it aside for. I have usually been a person who finds a pattern and then tries to match yarn for it and often I feel like the yarn in my stash is not suitable because I have either already intended it for something else or I don't think it is the right yarn for the project. Then I start looking for some new yarn and of course we know how the story goes. Therefore, by committing myself to knit the beautiful fibres that I already own I get to not only stash bust but also to make those patterns that I have been queueing for so long.

New techniques

As a maker there are always new things to learn and I am still such a newbie at knitting and sewing. Everything that I attempt with the sewing is new for me so in this area I won't find it hard to broaded my skill set. With knitting I want to try more colourwork, especially stranded colourwork techniques and possibly attempt a fair isle styled project. I will also hopefully develop more confidence with pairing colours together to make pleasing and attractive garments.

Handmade wardrobe

This will involve attempting to make those jumpers that I have been dreaming of, not only for myself but also for my children and husband. I have also been building a bit of a fabric stash so I really need to get onto the sewing machine and smash out some tops, dresses and shorts for myself and the kids. The new machine that my darling Hubs gave me for Christmas will definitely help with achieving this goal. Such gifts show me that I am truly blessed to be known and loved.

KALs and MKALs

There is such a buzz when you are making something socially. There is the joy of chatting about pattern and yarn selection and the kudos you get when you actually finish the object and post it in the forums. I'd like to try a mystery knit too because it sounds like a fun and interesting challenge to take on.

Socks

I have already cast on a pair of toe up socks and I'm knitting two at a time on magic loop. There are surprisingly so many aspects to sock knitting and so many different techniques and styles. Just working on socks will be helping me to learn new things and they make great projects to take along everywhere.

I predict that throughout the year I will be making for my family and friends as usual but I hope that there will also be a fair bit more 'me' knitting in the months to come.

What are your goals for the year? Wishing you all a happy new year and I look forward to seeing your making in the year to come.

*MKAL = Mystery Knit a long.