Tag: knitting

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Farm Chicks Yarn Affair

It’s time for our Farm Chicks Open Studio. We’re calling it Yarn Affair this time and our theme is Hygge. I’ve written about this previously in the blog. We will be open 10am to 3pm on January 16th….this Saturday. We will be having a Zoom Happy Hour from 4-5pm EDT. I will be sending out the zoom link in my email blast tomorrow. So be sure to sign up for my mailing list to get the info.

Each month we pick a photo as an inspiration for the 3 of us: Flying Goat Farm, Dancing Leaf Dyeworks and Avalon Springs Farm. This month we picked the above photo of a cozy reading or knitting space.

This month I decided to make a mini-skein pack. I wanted to have all of these beautiful colors. I wanted them separate and not on the same skein. So I will have the mini-skein packs ready for sale this weekend and also on the website by Sunday. Each pack as five 100-yard mini skeins ($40). They are ~500 yards per pack. The yarn is my Corrie Sock Yarn which is a superwash Corriedale wool with nylon blend. This yarn is one of my work horses. It is great for socks, but equally wonderful for a shawl, scarf or hat. It is a fingering weight yarn with nice drapablity.

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Time to Take Extra Care

Colder weather is here. We’ve had some snow. We’ve had some ice. We’ve had some dreary, dreary days.  I am feeling like I want more tea and hot cocoa. I want to be cozy and cook cozy meals like stew and soup. I feel like spinning and knitting my locavore sweater. What I am wanting more right now is “hygge”. Have you heard of hygge (pronounced hoo-ga and rhymes with sugar)?

Hygge is a Danish word that cannot be directly translated.  Hygge is the embodiment of coziness along with enjoying good times with great people.  It means to take the time to experience your life. It means to slow down and pay attention. Sharing a latte with friends on Zoom is Hygge. Knitting is hygge. Filling your home with candlelight and earthy stews and soups is hygge. Taking time to read a book or listen to one of your favorite podcasts is hygge. Many people think that hygge is what makes Danish people the “happiest” people on earth. 

But why am I writing about hygge now? It is a strange time. We have so many hopes and dreams all bundled up into 2021.  We have some hope about the vaccine being given out. But at the same time, we are in bigger and bigger surges. Bill and I have been isolating and masking and washing and all of that, for so, so long. And I know that we will need to keep in this semi-isolated state for several more months. So for me, thinking about practicing Hygge is just what I need right now. I believe that it will make me feel like I’m taking care of myself. It will make me feel more present in my life.  So if you feel like I do, make some hot cocoa and read a good book….Oh and knit some wonderfully hand dyed Flying Goat Farm yarn. 

You will find me here!!

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Helping Pick Out Yarn Combos

I’ve been missing helping people put yarn combos together. It’s part of what I love about in person festivals and now my open studio days. And there are some of you who are just not close. But last week, I had the fun and pleasure of helping Kathleen pick out some yarn from afar. She wanted to use my Cacao mohair yarn and to pair it with my synergy yarn for a pop of color. Here’s how it started:

Cacao Mohair and Synergy yarns

Then we narrowed it down to these 2:

Cacao Mohair with Majesty Synergy
Cacao Mohair and Carribean Synergy

And finally she picked out the Carribean and Majesty Synergy yarns for a shawl. It’s funny how you don’t know what will really tickle your fancy until it just hits you!! That was so fun. We did this in Facebook Messenger. But you can also set up a personal shopping session on Facetime or Zoom. Just shoot me an email and we can start from there!!

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A Different Kind of Virtual

This week Camp Yarnsie is taking place. Yarnsie is a community based group. They offer a myriad of classes and groups for all kinds of textile crafts including weaving, spinning, knitting, and crochet. They have open rooms nearly around the clock, so you may meet other crafters from a whole different part of the world. It’s a great place to see and be seen.

maryland shawl
Maryland, My Maryland Shawl Kit

So on Tuesday, there is a virtual marketplace that is also a little different. There are featured artists each day. You can interact with new vendor friends as well as dear vendor friends. The “camp” takes place from 11/17 through 11/30.

Our “day” is this coming Thursday. There will be videos of our animals. I will also be walking viewers through all our yarn bases and wonderful garments you can make with them. I will also have a presentation highlighting gift ideas for your crafty friends…or for yourself too. There will be a social hour where you can share your sweaters and a free felted soap class. All these events are free but you must register. Click here to find out more.

I hope to see you there!!

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New Podcast: Natural Colored and Naturally Dyed Yarn

I’ve been talking about Fibershed. And in that light, I know that I need to relearn all about natural dyeing again. I’ve done it a lot. I’ve taken a lot of classes. But I’ve never done it in a production with reproducibility in mind. I will have to really pay attention to water and temperature and weight. And still I know there will be variability….that’s just the nature of natural dyeing.

Corstorphine Sweater made with Cacao and Puck

As many of you know I do have a few naturally colored yarns in my line up already. They are more rustic yarns. They are not as soft as my Livily or Trasna yarns. They are just a little more hardy. And still, there are many items to make with these yarns. They are great for outwear. They are long wearing and will last a long time.

So in that vein, I’m now knitting a truly local sweater. I’m making a Shifty sweater. And I’ve had to do a lot of math and fanageling because I am using my own yarn that is bigger than the pattern calls for. And I don’t want a pullover style. So I added a steek area and so I’ll have a cardigan at the end. The back ground yarn is my Puck which is charcoal wool, mohair and alpaca. And the contrast yarns are mohair yarn that is naturally dyed. In fact this yarn has been hanging around for a long time since I dyed it. And now I have a project for it.

So if you would like to hear about fibershed and color. Tune into Episode 12 here. Or you can subscribe to it on itunes.

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Holiday Knitting Part 3: Cowls

Cowls are a perfect gift. You don’t have to worry if it will fit. They always fit.

Lacy Cowl made with 1 skein of Zephyrette

And they are really quick.

Interlaken cowl made with 1 skein of Zephyrette

And typically they take just one skein. And some can come as a set.

Yseulte Cowl, hat and mitts made with Trasna or Livily

Some take mini’s.

Weaverly Cowl Kit made with mini-mini Zephyrette

Unless they are a little bit bigger or a two-color cowl.

suburban warrior cowl flying goat farm yarn
Suburban Warrior Cowl made with Livily or Trasna
knitting in the wild
Birch cowl made wit a skein of Livily and a skein of Synergy
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Holiday Knitting Part 1: Knits for your hands

Well, I do think it’s time to get started with those holiday gifts. I’ve got some great yarns that will make fantastic gloves, mittens and fingerless mitts.

Our Livily Cormo yarn is a worsted weight yarn that will make wonderful knits for your hands. It’s sister, Trasna, is just a little thinner….as a heavy DK.

I have a mitten pattern available as well. You just pick the color and I’ll add the pattern (just mention mitts in the comment section of your order) and you can get a head start on at least one gift. You can find the pattern here on Ravelry.

Woven Cable Mittens

I also have some quick fingerless mitt kits available. These kits contain the pattern and a skein of mohair yarn. There are 4 colors available for you to choose from.

Fingerless Mitt Kitts

Let’s get knitting!!

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FO Friday–Rhinebeck Style

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!!

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WIP Wednesday–No Rhinebeck Sweater

Iounn Sweater from Knitting

Well the knitting is done. Now on to the blocking and then the steeking. I will block this afternoon and it will take some time to dry. It’s a pretty dense fabric. I got some grosgrain ribbon and you all voted on the leather buttons. Well not all of you…but the consensus was the leather buttons. I have 4 of them. I intend to just put them on the top half of the sweater. I’m leaning towards the brick red ribbon. I have 10 days until Saturday…. I think I can…I think I CAN!!