Archives for January 2016

Occasionally I go on spinning binges. A day or two of manic spinning typically results in hundreds of yards of the sort of yarn I love to to stare at. Yarn that makes me dream of possibilities. Earlier this month, during one of these binges I spun a massive hank of mixed fiber using 3 bags of Funky Carolina Scrappies. Scrappies are small bits of different colorways and bases that Carrie, of the now defunct Funky Carolina, used to put together in bags of 10 or more. I arranged the fiber into two piles of roughly equal size, and organized each pile by color. I spun the singles so that similar colors would fall together when plied.

The resulting yarn is not quite a gradient, but to my eye creates a lovely blend of colors that flow from one to the next in a pleasing way. Isn’t it pretty when caked?

My favorite projects for handspun usually involve lots of mindless stockinette, and with a hank this size something large was in order. A simple pair of mittens or beanie wouldn’t consume enough of this beauty. The minute the spinning was complete I knew just what I wanted this to become, this yarn was perfectly suited to a nice long stocking cap. So when I was looking for a mindless stockinette project to tote around during VK Live’s many social knitting opportunities, this was the yarn I grabbed.

I cast on 96 stitches (one of my favorite numbers for hats), worked some ribbing and then knit, and knit until I thought I had about the right amount left to work the decreases (I totally guessed here). From there I decreased 8 sts every 16 rows to give the hat a nice long tail. I got lucky and my estimates were pretty accurate. After working the decreases and making a pompom I had barely 5 yards left.

I love my funky new stocking cap. In a city where everyone wears nothing but black this hat is my rebellion. It was my hat of choice when ARK, IJK, and I took a walk through the carless NYC streets during last weekend’s snow storm.

IJK may look a little concerned about mom’s hat, but she was having a good time. Honest. I humbly submit proof in this photo of the two of them cavorting in the snow.

I’m working on a small collection that I hope to have ready to release sometime next month. April will mark 10 years since I wrote my first blog post on Through the Loops, and this collection will celebrate what, for me, feels like a pretty big milestone.

Here’s a sneak peek of one of the designs from the collection — a pair of worsted weight socks. So cozy for this time of year. I’m trying to keep them pristine to use as a sample, but now that it’s finally gotten cold out I really, really want to wear them. I guess I’ll have to make a second pair for just for me. I will reveal more of the patterns in the collection as the publication date draws nearer.

Who’s going to VK Live this weekend? I’ll be there, checking out the Marketplace, and visiting with friends.

As I’m sure you can imagine I’ve done a lot of knitting since I last posted to my old blog way back in April. Most of that knitting has been the usual new design sort. But once in a while I find a little time to knit something that someone else designed. I love these opportunities to go on autopilot and knit. No note taking, no pattern writing, no pressure to get it done asap, no need to think. Just me, a bit of yarn and my needles. Bliss.

I’ve been obsessed with Mary Jane Mucklestone’s designs for years. What’s not to love with offerings like the December Lights Tam, Super Soul Cardigan, and the sweet and simple Muckle Mitts. Mary Jane’s color work motif books, 200 Fair Isle Motifs and 150 Scandinavian Motifs are an indispensable part of my knitting library. Being the fan that I am, when Mary Jane published Stopover I was done for. I spent a few months obsessing before I finally broke down, ordered the yarn and binge knit the darn thing. I’m calling it my “Long Weekend” Stopover because I cast on the first stitch on a Thursday and bound off the last stitch that Sunday. That’s four days from yarn to finished sweater. (And a gorgeous sweater at that!) Your results may vary, but this really is a very quick knit, with concise easy to follow instructions.

Sofie modeled it for me in these photos, but this one is actually my size. One of the things I love about this design is how great it looks on a variety of sizes. Sofie is wearing it with about 6″ of ease. I wear it with about 1″ of ease, and it works equally well on both of us. Sorry, I don’t have any photos of Stopover on me. I’m always the one behind the camera. . .

You can find my project page on Ravelry if you want the details on colors, etc. And while you’re there, click through to the pattern and show Mary Jane some love.