You know those annoying film franchises where the producers didn’t know when to stop? Like when a single book turns into a trilogy, or a trilogy turns into a quartet, or every character gets a spin-off movie or tv series until all the plot holes are disguised by a thousand hours of backstory? Apparently I …
Designiversary (Is That a Word?)
This week (it might even be this very day) marks the 3-year anniversary of my first design acceptance letter. It’s a big milestone. 3 years is time enough for a lot to happen; in the words of Bilbo Baggins, I’m not the same hobbit I once was. I’ve published 27 patterns to date, with more …
Ever After, Not the End
I’ve finished my Sea Glass Tee by Wool & Pine Designs! This was my impromptu summer memory project; I love it even more than I expected I would. There was more than one “I’m not sure why I thought this was a good idea” moment throughout the process (because neon pink…) but the final result …
Because I Can’t Scrapbook
I’ve had a new personal project going for some time now. It started as a way to burn through some stash. Years of knitting and crocheting have left me with dozens of bits and clumps of yarn, leftover from as many projects. Add that to the budget acquisitions (it was on sale), yarns that didn’t …
Okay, It’s Over Now
And…it’s done! By ‘it’, I mean my Barocco sweater (Ravelry link) by Stella Egidi, my project for the SweetGeorgia Yarns Spring Make-Along. Following up to last week’s post, my knitting needles did come in. Some furious sleeve knitting ensued; but because the process of knitting a sweater is too exciting not to document, I did …
It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over
I wonder at times if the draw of creative pursuits, especially during times of stress (ask all the folks who learned to knit during lockdowns last year), is their apparent capacity to ensure a certain outcome. Do your research. Measure. Swatch. Prewash your yarns (yes, I am that kind of weird). Follow the instructions, learn …
All Rivers Lead to the Sea
These last several months have been a whirlwind. Now that Mélodies is out, I’ve had a chance to take a breath, survey, and hopefully reset. I’m a nostalgic and introspective bird by nature; and the culmination of my first capsule collection, a longtime dream, has set me thinking about my knitting journey and my lace …
What’s Old is New
Some things never get old. Of all the knitting books in my library, Romi Hill’s New Lace Knitting is my absolute favorite; my absolute favorite design from it (and it’s chock-full of beauties) is her Crystal Bay Shawl. I knitted myself one years ago out of some black merino/silk laceweight yarn, playing a white-knuckled game …
Ammonite
When SweetGeorgia Yarns announced their Spring Make-Along, I immediately knew what I wanted to make; at some point I realized that I was the only participant daft enough to try for a sweater (in fingering weight, no less!), but amazingly there was no disaster. (Well, there was—a little bit; read on.) I bound off on …
Need to Know
We must have been at Corrie’s house, in the living room, some evening after supper. She was knitting a baby blanket, her favorite project, on the couch or in an armchair; I still remember the constant motion of her wrist (she knit English style and threw the yarn with her right hand) as she talked. …