Alright….last blog was mittens and gloves and fingerless mitts. Today it’s hats. That’s right, hats. They are cute. They are SUPER fast. You can have one, or you can one that matches every outfit. You can have a slouchy hat. You can have a ponytail hat. You can have a tight hat too.
This hat pattern is pretty simple but it is striking with it’s cables. The Livily yarn makes these cables pop. And there are many, many colors to choose from. The pattern is available on Ravelry here.
Our Synergy yarn makes a great hat. Shown below in Hunter Hammersen’s Correlation hat. I love they feel of this yarn on my head. I also love the gradients that this yarn naturally has.
And finally there’s Wormwood’s Rhinebeck hat. This is made with 2 skeins of Trasna. This is our super squish cormo X BFL yarn, that is a DK weight. It comes in tons of colors and makes such a fun slouchy hat.
So yes! This is the fastest sweater I’ve ever knitted. And I owed it to all the accountability partners that I had. But sharing my progress on my Facebook Live Thursday shows (1pm), really helped. I had to show you progress. That means I had to make progress. So you know what? It got done.
Iounn Pattern from Knitty. Made with handspun handdyed 3 ply lambswool yarn
I’m ready to cast on another one!! I’ll be swatching with some naturally colored yarns and the Shifty sweater pattern. I want to steek it and of course my yarns are thicker than what is called for… I simply can not do something by the actual recipe. I’m looking forward to more accountability too.
Do you need an accountability partner? Call on me. I’ll show up for you!!
I know I’m always asking this question: Is it too early to start thinking about the holidays and gift giving? It’s 72 days until Christmas and it’s only 57 days until Hanukkah. That isn’t much time at all. It’s Amazon Prime day today and I just saw an executive from Walmart talking about how they are going to handle Black Friday deals. (hint: it will be rolling deals starting really soon).
So NO! It’s not too early to think about holiday gift giving. I know that I’ve already started my list. All of my family is out of state, so I have to think about mailing gifts. But these days, mailing gifts might be what most people do.
I always include a hand made gift. I enjoy making presents for my family members. I enjoy thinking about what would be appreciated by them as well.
So this year, I will be making some hand painted dishtowels and felted soaps.
I have lots of quick gifts and quick kits in the store. First up I have kits for mohair handwarmers. They are available in 5 colorways.
I have kits for cowls made with Zephyrette for that relative that will appreciate the softness and luxury of this yarn.
If you are local, you can come and do your shopping here. I have hand dyed silk scarves. I have lovely dyed napkins and dish towels. And of course for that yarn lover, how about some fun yarn to add to their collection.
If you don’t know what to get your special person, you can get a gift certificate and let them pick out their own kit or yarn.
I’ve written here before that I happen to be the slowest knitter in the world. And part of that is because I try things that are over my head. And then I have to take things out and redo. But even with that, I just finished another sweater that is still drying from the blocking process. So this sweater is not on the stack for obvious reasons.
This Friday, I wanted to celebrate….celebrate something, especially now when the world is upside down and small businesses like mine are being squeezed by the travel and festival closures.
Cables, lace and simply stockinette sweaters I knit all by myself
So here is my pile of sweaters….these sweaters were knit by me. I have many sweaters that I commissioned. Those should be celebrated as well, and I will do that in the future, I promise. Today is about the skill of my own hands, dye pots, and animals.
Pile O Sweaters
What does your sweater pile look like? Are you knitting them yet? Do you want to knit one now? Reply to this post and let me know!
I may be too late or I may be too early, but nevertheless, I’m working on my holiday gift list. And at this time of year, I think back to all the wonderful childhood Christmas gifts that I received over the years. I remember the anticipation to see what Santa brought for me. I remember the ritual of opening presents…not all at once, but one at a time around the family circle. And I remember the gifts that I made for my aunts and grandparents, mom and dad. Sometimes I cringe when I think back to those homemade gifts made by my small hands. But at the same time there was a nice exchange involving the whole family.
My first presents for adults were pot holders. My mom had taught me to use the sewing machine and I think that I made these when I was 10 or so. I used leftover fabric from clothes mom had made for us. And I stuffed them with old worn out towels. They were cute and functional and I could replace them year after year.
When I was in high school and knew how to type, I made a salad cookbook. I used carbon paper to make the multiple copies and so you know that it was less than neat…. I had gelatin salads and tuna salad and egg salad all the favorite salads that my family liked to make and eat.
One of my favorite presents each year was the dress that my mom sewed for me. I don’t remember being mortified by handsewn clothes as some people talk about. I loved these outfits. My mom was really good at keeping these hidden and so they were really a surprise.
Do you make handmade gifts? A tin of cookies or a knitted hat? Or do you shop for special items at a free trade store or a small business? I have 2 suggestions for you. First, if you are local you should come out for our Fiber Art Studio Holiday Tour on December 7th and 8th from 10-5. At each stop we will have indie yarn of course and we will have many finished goods ready to be wrapped and labeled for gifts, such as jewelry, felted figurines for your mantle or your tree, hand dyed scarves, napkins and tea towels, hand knit hats and shawls and many other fun items. At each stop there will be a free pattern for a small item to make for a gift. So come out and get in the holiday mood with us.
Secondly, if you are busy that weekend or live far away, you can get a quick cowl kit to make with zephyrette yarn. My Lacy Cowl is a really quick knit. By making it with Zephyrette, you will have a luxurious gift for a special friend or family member.
What am I making? I’m going to do some shibori tea towels dyed with indigo and/or walnuts that I’ve found around here. I also found some awesome handmade necklaces made by a fellow fiber farmer and I snagged a few of those for presents as well. What will you be making?
Where to find us
We are located in Frederick MD. You can stop by during our open studios. Or buy online and stop by to pick up…I’ll run your purchases out to you in your car.
Open by Appointment!!
Monday through Friday 11-3
Closed Saturday and Sunday (Except Open Studio days)
Open Studios with Fiber Art Studio Tour
November 30…. Small Business Saturday open 11-4pm
December 6-8….. Along with CountrySide Artisans… open 10-5pm
