Passion project

I've been working quietly behind the scenes on a bit of a passion project for nearly 2 years,  and I'm now so excited to tell you that my new venture - Whisky Bay Woollens - has gone LIVE today!

I was looking for a new creative outlet and whilst knitting other people's patterns and designs is awesome; I wanted more.  It came at a time when I was really investigating my environment and the organic conclusion was to combine the two elements and turn my hand to knitwear pattern designs.

Over my years of knitting, I have worked with so many different variances of yarn but when it comes down to it, I have realised I love woolly wool.  The rustic, rugged textures combined with it's properties of tactile properties make my heart sing.

I have also always loved texture in knitting, and have often spent days just playing with different stitch pattern combinations just to see what they look like.

'Oceanside' is the first of what I hope will be quarterly releases of collections of knitting patterns.  It's the summation of how I have been influenced by the environment I have submersed myself in for the last decade and a half, and my growth as a knitter over that same time.  It's wild and woolly and beautiful, and i think it has a colour palette that is an expression of natural harmony.

Squeaky Beach fingerless mitts

The first collection includes three accessory patterns - a cowl, a pair of fingerless mitts, and a close-fitting beanie.  All three are named after beaches that have influenced me in one way or another, and are close to my heart.

Balnarring textured cowl

I've aimed to use a variety of yarns that create a tactile response from the knitter, an awareness of how the combination of yarn and textural stitches plays a big part in the pleasure of knitting handmade items..

Woolamai chevron beanie

All three patterns are now available for sale via Ravelry, and full details can be found both there and on the website.

I'm so thrilled to share them with you, and hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed their creation.

with bated breath..

I'm always nervous about the first blocking of a garment, but never more so that when there is alpaca involved.

Alpaca fleece makes a beautiful, luscious yarn with lovely drape and a buttery handle.  It also lacks the "memory" of wool, and is well-known for it's tendency to stretch and sag...not ideal when knitting a garment and unless you're aware and make allowances, you're more likely to end up with a knitted dress than a jumper.

My Daelyn came off the needles this afternoon and has just come out of it's first bath.  I used Berocco Ultra Alpaca worsted for this project which is a 50/50 wool-alpaca blend, hence my nerves. I was as careful as I could be during the whole process and it now is carefully laid flat to dry. 

It fit beautifully across the shoulders and chest when I tried it on before dunking it.  The sleeves and body were a little on the short side, which was deliberate on my behalf to accommodate for the drop of the alpaca.  I'm remaining ever hopeful that the combination of shortening the length and the inclusion of 50% wool in the yarn will be enough to balance the finished proportions.

Until it dries though, I will just have to hold my breath and hope. 

(and I think this is the closest to accurate colour as I'm ever going to get with this jumper!)

so close redux

So, you may have been expecting some sunny, picturesque holiday shots, hey?  

I was *this close* to making it to Bali, but unfortunately Mt Ruang had other ideas.  The volcanic ash cloud that had grounded flights the week before shifted closer to Denpasar airport and on Thursday, it shut down the airport altogether.

You may have seen on the news stories of all the stranded people who's holidays have extended not in the best way; sleeping at the airport, running out of money, medication, annual leave...

As I was packing on Friday (for a 9am Saturday flight) and trying to remain optimistic, the email I'd been dreading came through.  The organisers of the yoga retreat I was going to were stuck in Melbourne after their flights were cancelled and with no way of getting on another flight.  They advised they had made the tough decision to cancel the retreat.

I just closed my suitcase and stared at it, numb.  This trip was the first one I'd ever made solo and it was my "take-a-risk" trip, planned with the intent of trying to shake me out of my comfort zone and reclaim my independence, self-confidence and positivity after what has been a tough 9 months.

Once the initial shock passed I actually surprised myself with how well I took it.  Yes, there was disappointment - of course.  Who wouldn't be disappointed when at the eleventh hour a trip you've planned for, saved for, and finally got excited for, is cancelled?  I had already begun to feel the warm tropical air on my skin and was looking forward to meeting new people and being immersed for a short time in another world.

The thought did pass through my mind "Why me?  Why can't I get something good for once, for something to just go right?"

But I had an epiphany that came through so strong and clear, it actually floored me.

This didn't happen to me, it happened,  There's a difference.  This wasn't the Universe trying to punish me, it was just an incident of nature and in that instant; I was at peace with it.  I immediately began to see all the other things that could open up for me by not going to Bali.

Thankfully, I have good insurance and it does cover natural disasters.  I've been in touch with them and apart from a $250 excess, I think I'm covered.  The retreat organiser have been amazing and helpful too.  They immediately let us know they'd be refunding the workshop costs, but initially they didn't think they were going to be able to get the accommodation costs refunded and were advising us to add it to our insurance claim, however later in the day they sent another email advising they had been able to negotiate a nearly-full refund from the resort. Legends!

Garuda are giving full refunds on flights cancelled due to the ash cloud, so that's covered, and my return flight with Jetstar will be covered by insurance.   So all in all, I really won't be out of pocket significantly, and the way I look at it I now have a healthy looking holiday fund, ready for the next trip.

Which I've decided will be Byron Bay in October, to help a dear friend celebrate her 40th.  A week of hanging with a few women I simply adore, surfing, eating, drinking and relaxing.  I might even squeeze in a bit of yoga.

Life.  It ain't all bad.

Nothing new under the sun

Recently I knit a pair of socks for myself, without the aid of any pattern other than my own understanding and acquired knowledge of how a sock is knit.  This is nothing ground-breaking or particularly clever of course. It's just simply a by-product, an accumulation, of the construction of the hundreds of patterns I have knit over the years and held within my mind and hands. Regardless of all that, it does still give one a pleasant sense of achievement, knowing it can be done.

The motivation came as I unexpectedly finished the project I'd brought into work that morning, so at lunchtime I grabbed a skein of Colinette Jitterbug in Vatican Pie (oh, that saturated red!) and some needles and cast on ready for the train commute home.

Granny's Lucky Red Longjohns
Colinette Jitterbug - colourway: Vatican Pie

To alleviate boredom I added a 1x1 garter stitch rib, which pleasantly formed a lovely snug sock that fits my foot beautifully.  It's also rather warm as garter stitch rib has a waffle-y texture similar to that used in thermal underwear amongst other things.  

I took a calculated risk and cast on many less stitches than I would normally for socks - 54 on 2.5mm needles, instead of my usual 64.  This decision was influenced by my experience of Jitterbug as a "hefty" sock yarn and the anticipation of stretch in the ribbed stitch pattern.  Turns out it was a great decision - go me!  

As I finished the first sock and started the second, I thought to myself "these are such great socks, how could it be possible that nobody else has ever written it up before?"  They are simple enough to knit whilst other things are happening like conversations, meetings, TV-watching, and I discovered they are also an excellent choice for gift knitting as the rib pattern is very accommodating when you are working with unknown foot and leg dimensions.  

Knowing that there was an excellent chance there probably was this very pattern out there, I had what I thought was quite a thorough look on Ravelry and was surprised that I couldn't find one that was quite the same. There are many patterns utilising this stitch pattern, socks included, but none in the specific combination of 1x1, gauge and yarn weight that I could see. 

a gift pair, for Mum (photo credit: Mum!)
Colinette Jitterbug - colourway: Caramel

So I got excited to share. I wrote down my notes into a more coherent format, made a couple more pairs, and was just about to upload them as a free pattern....when I started reading my copy of Sock Architecture which was given to me by a friend recently.

And lo and behold; there they were!  Strie socks, by Lara Neel.

Photo credit: Lara Neel

Reading through the patterns they are not exactly the same, but close enough to make me laugh out loud right then and there. 

As the saying goes - there's nothing new under the sun! 

For the love of Faux-isle

Arne and Carlos for Regia; colourway "Summer Night" 

If you follow knit-bloggers or are active on Instagram, you'll probably be feeling like these Arne and Carlos sock yarns are just everywhere at the moment.  I've seen dozens of posts featuring the beautiful self-patterning fair-isle in gorgeous Scandy-colourways and was pretty keen to get my hands on some to try for myself.  

Although not normally a fan of faux-isle yarn, I must admit I adore everything about this yarn for a number of reasons. Regia has always been a favourite sock yarn of mine.  It's got a sturdy fibre content with the inclusion of 25% nylon, knits to a decent mid-size gauge, and is good on price point too.

The self-patterning yarns do give you maximum impact for minimum effort too.  I had many converations on the train with people fascinated by how the pattern was emerging, and almost disbelief when I told them it was no knitting magic skill but just the yarn.  The most I did towards the patterning was to wind a bit off before starting the second sock so I could manage to get them matchy-matchy.  Still, impressive apparently so who am I to argue?

I worked them toe-up, starting with a Turkish cast-on and then following on from my pledge to keep trying new things, I decided to try the Fish Lips Kiss Heel.   I had been wondering about this heel method for sometime, as it had been mentioned of several of the podcasts I follow and people were singing it's praises.  

It is very simple to work - don't let the 16 pages of pattern notes put you off - and it fits my heel rather well.  I have rather skinny heels and ankles (as can be seen in the first photo!) and to date I haven't had good results with the fit of short row heels in the way I find a heel flap fits me.  This heel still struggles a little to address this, however the detailed instruction within the pattern notes on how to determine when to place the heel has resulted in a more accurate foot measurement, and that has definitely helped in this instance.

I will be interested to see how these wear in comparison to a slipped stitch heel flap, as my feeling is the stocking stitch heels may not be as sturdy along the "seam"?  As mentioned the yarn is true sock yarn, so I think it has been given the best chance possible and I remain hopeful. This is a limited edition colourway, so I am keen to have these socks last.

The sock drawer is looking decidedly healthy again now, but they are such good projects for the train so I think I'm just going to keep knitting them and start a little stockpile for gifts.  There is no shortage of sock yarn in the stash, and there are only so many socks and shawls one person needs, right? 

Do you ever have a quandary of the need for knits and the need to knit?  I'd love to hear all your methods of managing it, if you do?

Toe-up Socks

Handmaker's Factory workshop - April 18th

The way one knits socks is a topic that often polarises knitters - people tend to be very passionate about their preferred methods!   

Many stick with the method they first learned, often through familiarity and sentimentality, which is perfectly fine.  However there is a lot to be said for utilising specific methods for specific results, rather than one–size-fits-all approach.

Both techniques can be knit using your preferred method - dpn’s, two circulars, or magic looping, and both have a vast array of variations to employ to customise to your preferences. 

Toe-up socks have some specific benefits that often make them very appealing to many sock knitters, if for nothing else but the fact that you can try them on as you go and make adjustments as required to ensure perfect fit.

Om Shanti from Socktopus by Alice Yu

There is also the benefit of “maximising your yardage”, something very close to the canny knitter’s heart.  Sock yarns can be expensive, and many people like to either use every last scrap or use up smaller skeins of yarn.  With toe-up socks, you can simply divide your yarn and knit each sock until you run out, instead of guesstimating how much is left as you approach the toes, as with the cuff-down method.

Climb from Journey, by Jane Richmond

Knitting socks from the toe-up is also a seamless method, requiring no Kitchener or “grafting” of stitches (unless you use an afterthought heel, of course!).  you often find the colour sequencing is kept in order better with this method too, which is especially appealing when working with self-striping or patterned yarns.

 I'm teaching a workshop this Saturday at the Handmaker's Factory in Melbourne, where we will be learning all sorts of lovely techniques and tips for making your socks toe-up, including Turkish cast-on, a short row heel that minimises the "gap", and a super-stretchy cast-off.  We'll also be working with the "Magic Loop" technique, a great one to have up your sleeve for not just socks but all sorts of things...including sleeves!

There are a few spots still available for this Saturday's workshop (April 18 - 10am-4.30pm), so if you're keen to have a go, head over to Handmaker's Factory to book in - we'd love to see you there!

All about the marle

The Summer of the Single Skein is rocking along nicely, thanks to everyone who's jumped on board!  There's an enthusiastic lot of discussions going on over in the Ravelry group with people posting their plans, WIP's and FO's.  It's always so exciting to see not only what others are making but also their gusto as they embrace a new project or concept.  Feel free to come and join the discussion!

I'm really enjoying getting some things on (and off) the needles, and finally using up some of my special skeins.  It's funny too - what's "special" to me.  It might not look like anything out of the ordinary to others, but to me there is something about that yarn that has kept it in the must-find-perfect-project section of the stash.

This fortnight, I've really gravitated towards my collection of marled skeins which, again, have been too precious to use for some time now.

Within this group, I had two balls of Zara Chine which is your fairly standard 8ply merino I guess, so what makes it special?  This particular shade reminded me of composition notebooks from the minute I saw it, and I had big plans to make chunky slouchy socks with it but could never bring myself to cast on.  Truth be told, I'm not really a great fan of DK weight socks and I didn't want to waste my precious skeins. 

In the end, I made a squishy ribbed beanie in the style of Sons of Anarchy's Opie (oh how I miss that tall drink of water).  

It was a good decision.  I absolutely loved the way the wool knitted up into a subtle marle fabric, and the resulting beanie is exactly the type I like to wear.

The pattern was a freebie found here.  For a simple beanie, it was well written with a nice variation on the crown shaping and a good amount of slouch.  It's one size only and I'd say it's a men's but I have a head on the larger side of women's standard sizing so combined with the 2x2 ribbing, it fits me really well. 

Adding to the marled knits this week was some more socks, using Lang Jawoll that I specially ordered last year from England.  Then promptly put into the Precious Stash Section.

The colourway is Baker's Twine and I fell in love with it from the get go.  It's one of those perfect blends of blue and white that makes me think of vast oceans and coastal skies.  

As a sock yarn, this one is on the lightweight side (think Opal) which does make them good for Summer, however I think if I use the other skeins I have of it for more socks, I will most likely go up in stitch count and down in needle size though.  The fabric is almost too loosely knit as I have done it, and I do worry about how they might stand up to wear?

Because I was keen to let the the marle stand on it's own, I decided to use my standard 60sts/2.5mm pattern base in a 3x1 rib.  To avoid too much purling, I knit the leg cuff 3 knit, 1 purl then when I got to the heel flap I flipped it inside out so the previously purl stitches became knit stitch spines.  Once I hit the foot, there were only the top stitches to purl so it really wasn't any more painful than knitting any other stitch pattern on socks.

Again, I really like the marled fabric this wool created.  It makes me so happy to see those flecky stitches coming together, and got me thinking about all the other skeins in my stash that I could probably combine to create the same effect.  Possibilities abound.

It's one of my favourite parts of the creative process, those moments when one thought or experiment begets another and so on and so on.  I need to remember to look for it more often and take notice when it unexpectedly pops up, one of my goals for 2015.

What's exciting you this week, and getting your creative flow going?

Well, that was unexpected

So, if anyone is even still reading this blog, apparently I took a little leave of absence for a month!

I kept meaning to post, I swear, but you know those times in life when you really just need to take some time out and stare at your navel?  Well, yeah - November was that for me.

I am slowly coming out of my contemplative, introverted state (fog?) although I would hesitate to say refreshed or with significant clarity...yet.  I know myself, and I can tell there is still more to be processed and I will just have to ride this path to the conclusion.  No point rushing things as from experience that just leads to a bigger crash further down the road. But for now at least, the black dog is sitting with his head patiently resting on my lap, requiring the occasional pat but otherwise being undemanding.  That my friends, is a significant improvement.

I have been turning to knitting for respite, although it's not always the comfort one would imagine.  Many days I find it brings me no joy, or at least not the satisfaction I had anticipated.  I'm reading a lot, and doing an inordinate amount of yoga which seems to be the helpful activity I need to occasionally quiet my thoughts.

I did manage to finish my Year of Sweaters by Season though, through determination and a little leniency!

My Fieldwork cardigan is the final in the series.

I started strong with this one,  working through the back quite quickly.  There were some issues with the pattern, be warned, and the errata actually further confused the issue.  I love pompom magazine patterns but I do think there is room for them to have more resolve and finishing.  This is the second (both lace, to note) pattern that I've noticed some fudgy areas in.  Experience in knitting lace and garment construction will help with the Fieldwork pattern, once the knitter is aware though.

I seamed up the pieces I had and decided not to do bands as I liked the drapey feel of the lace as is.  I also could not be arsed picking up stitches and knitting rows and rows of garter stitch, let's be honest!  When you're done, you're done, and there was little chance I was ever going to be convinced to do anything more once it became a feasibly wearable garment!

I modified to knit the back all in one piece, to eliminate the graft down the centre back, but left the seam along the top of the sleeves.  You might remember my partner-in-KAL decided to do the alternate - eliminate the seam; keep the graft.  Reflecting, I think if I had my chance to do-over I would probably eliminate the graft AND the seam if I could.

To do a final wrap-up of the project, these are the collective sweaters from the challenge

1. Autumn - Peasy

2. Winter - Beeline

3. Spring - Miette

4. Another shot of Fieldwork, to show I do still remember how to smile ;)

I switched out a cropped cardigan I had planned for the Summer project, and added Beeline in to become the Winter project.  Both good decisions, especially the Beeline which got significant wear this Winter.  It's like a big cosy hug of a sweater, and a great weight for Melbourne in Winter.

I really did enjoy this year-long project. Along with a lot of other things, I've ended the year with 4 beautiful, wearable sweaters. I'm thinking of doing something along the same lines next year, though probably with a different overall theme to keep it fresh for both me and you.  

Right now I'm pushing to finish an Aranami shawl for Mum for her Christmas gift.  I've used Bomulin, a cotton/linen blend from Isager and I'm eager to see how it softens once washed and blocked.  The anticipation is it will be a sublime dream (no pressure).

Other than that, there are a few small projects on the go.  A hat to add to another gift, some socks for a friend...

Right now it's the perfect amount of not a lot, and that's the right place to be.

Hope to see you in the New Year; stay safe and happy and love yourselves xx

Woodland Hoodlet

Right in time for the hot weather, I've finished Lily's Woodland Hoodlet.

I felt overheated just watching her wear it while we got photos today.

Made in Rowan Big Wool, and covered in cables and bobbles - this really is a season-specific knit (and this ain't the season in my neck of the woods).  My kid has the patience of a saint when it comes to photographs and knitwear, I gotta say.

The pattern, for those who missed my first post, is from Tiny Owl Knits' lovely book - "Woodland Knits".  It's called Woodland Hoodlet, and for possibly the first time ever, I knit in the specified wool and the pictured colourway.  Unheard of, but that was her request and who am I to argue?

I had no issues with the pattern, once I *cough* realised my own errors and I will concede the big needles/bulky wool did knit up quickly.

That said, this pattern is a fair way off what I usually gravitate towards, and as a result I think really cemented a few things in my knitting brain whilst working on this piece.

#1 I definitely prefer smaller gauge projects over bulky knits.  Wrangling the bulky wool on 10mm needles was, in short; hideous.  My tension got shot to pieces as a result and overall I wouldn't say I'm greatly pleased with the finished look of the fabric.  I also have concerns about the way it's going to wear as it feels quite loose for the soft, loosely plied yarn...

#2 I don't hate cables as much as I remembered (but on bulky wool/needles, I still hate. Oh, how I hate).  I think there may be (small) cables in my near future

#3 There is nothing like making something for the one you love the most 

of Llamas and other such stories

Many years ago, I borrowed this book from my local library, captivated by the beautiful patterns based on traditional folk knits - mainly bags - of the Andes region.   Admiration however, was about all I could offer. I was completely intimidated by the technique and skills required for many of the projects.  I remember the feeling of inability well; I couldn't even make sense of the instructions.

On a recent trip to the library, I spotted this book and picked it up again, mostly just to admire , but to my surprise I found myself with a brand new perspective both of the projects within and my skillset. Instead of being intimidated, I found myself assessing construction methods with a nod of comprehension, and noting the simplicity of much of the colourwork.

I am surprised at the leaps I've taken with my knitting, I have to say.  If you'd asked me, I would have agreed my finishing and attention to the finer details had certainly improved, but I doubt I would ventured to say my knitting proficiency had changed in any significant way.  It was a nice moment, to be able to acknowledge the growth.

Armed with this newfound confidence, I checked out the book and cast on this sweet little Llama bag using some of my recent Bendigo purchases - 100g of Karoa Fibre.

(It seems I must be a sucker for small, fiddly novelty knits)

The construction of this little bag is something that first time around, I would have been totally bamboozled by.  The legs are worked similarly to afterthough heels on socks, something I'd never even encountered all those years ago and there is absolutely no sewing up - all the little pieces like the face, ears, tail are knit either from live stitches or by picking up stitches directly in place.  

The legs of this bag are actually unas, small pouches traditionally used by market stallholders for things like sorting change by denomination, storing talismans' or keys, amongst other things. 
As well as being visually beautiful, the book is also a lovely read as the author goes into good detail on the history and purpose of the bags in traditional cultures of the Andean region, as well as providing background on fibres and the roles animals such as llamas play within the communities.

I just love those ears!!

What would you say are your shifts in perception over the years of working creatively?  Do you forget to reassess yourself and your talents every now and then, allowing that things change so subtly over time that they sneak up on you too, like this?