I've started designing again recently. I never really stopped designing, but I made things that weren't quite right for publishing, and I didn't want to spend the time to make them right. I've also made a crazy number of swatches for YarnSub over the past couple of years, so making actual wearable things has been a slow process for me.
Then, a few weeks ago, Kate at Northern Yarn sent me a skein of her own yarn to try. This yarn has a great story. Kate returned to her Lancashire roots after a spell in London, which is where I had met her, at a knitting group. Once back in the north of England, and with children to look after, she changed career and started an online yarn shop. Looking at her home landscape with fresh eyes, she couldn't help but see the many sheep in her neighbourhood as big balls of yarn with legs and cute faces.
Kate decided to make her own yarn, though she'd never done anything like it before. She even helped with shearing.
The deliciously woolly yarn that she sent me made me want to do more than a couple of swatches and a review. I had a lace pattern and a short row shaping section in mind for a shawl, and amazingly, it all worked out. I enjoyed knitting it more than anything else I've made in a long time.
Then, a few weeks ago, Kate at Northern Yarn sent me a skein of her own yarn to try. This yarn has a great story. Kate returned to her Lancashire roots after a spell in London, which is where I had met her, at a knitting group. Once back in the north of England, and with children to look after, she changed career and started an online yarn shop. Looking at her home landscape with fresh eyes, she couldn't help but see the many sheep in her neighbourhood as big balls of yarn with legs and cute faces.
Kate decided to make her own yarn, though she'd never done anything like it before. She even helped with shearing.
The deliciously woolly yarn that she sent me made me want to do more than a couple of swatches and a review. I had a lace pattern and a short row shaping section in mind for a shawl, and amazingly, it all worked out. I enjoyed knitting it more than anything else I've made in a long time.
Thank you to Laura, another beautiful knitting friend, for modelling.
The pattern's not quite ready; the shawl takes more than 100g of yarn, so I'm going to amend it slightly to incorporate a second colour in the short row section. Since Kate hasn't yet had any of her yarn dyed, I've decided to try a little dying myself. I've wanted to try dyeing for a long time, but it's one of those 'one day' things for me, mostly because I'm scared! Well, 'one day' is going to be tomorrow, it turns out.
In the meantime, I've ordered some chunky-weight yarn from Kate for a hat. I have searched the house from top to bottom and there are no hats to be found, which is mysterious considering the number of them that I've bought and made over the years!
I've swatched, of course. And I intend to fully embrace the pompom trend with this one.
In the meantime, I've ordered some chunky-weight yarn from Kate for a hat. I have searched the house from top to bottom and there are no hats to be found, which is mysterious considering the number of them that I've bought and made over the years!
I've swatched, of course. And I intend to fully embrace the pompom trend with this one.
