This blog post introduces four areas where you can change a pattern to meet your needs: Fabric density/gauge, stitch pattern or color, fit, swapping elements. While each of these areas warrants entire lessons, the purpose of this post is to introduce you to the notion that you have the freedom to make any pattern your own.
A couple of weeks ago, I brought together the founders of three small textile companies for an online panel discussion at the Textile Society of America’s 2024 Symposium. The theme of the symposium encouraged participants to reflect on textile histories and “envision and create collective, equitable, sustainable, and emancipatory futures.” The symposium is one that appeals to academics, museum curators, artists, or anyone working in textiles. When I read the symposium’s call for proposals, I felt strongly the importance of hearing from the founders of small textile companies who established their businesses with the symposium’s theme as their foundation. I was thrilled when the organization accepted my proposal. On the panel were company founders Sy Belohlavek of June Cashmere; Preston...
How to choose colors for colorwork knitting Colorwork knitting stumps many knitters because it can feel daunting to pick colors. Mosaic or slip stitch knitting in 2 colors is great for building color picking confidence, and our new pattern, Shed some light cowl (see the muse behind the name in our last blog post), offers you a project to show off that confidence. Shed some light cowl - Scarlet and Black Cherry Color theory? I'm going to share a secret. I read the words, 'color theory' and I pretty much freak out. Yes, I've tried the classes, read the tutorials, bought the books. And yes, I get it - there are primary colors - red, blue, yellow - that you can't achieve...
There's a new cowl pattern in the house! The shed some light cowl offers mosaic colorwork knitting in the round What's behind the design I designed the Shed some light cowl as an ode to weaving and to the weavers' cottages in Yorkshire, England, the region where our yarn is milled and dyed. Many significant historic events have centered around textiles, including the first Industrial Revolution (mid 18th C - 1830) that shaped the landscape of northern England. Manchester became the world's first industrial city and the region spawned many villages in the Yorkshire region and beyond for textile production. The weavers' cottage Weavers' Cottage at the Delph station crossroads When my sister and I visited our mill and dye...
While 2023 offered a tentative return to in-person festivals - fiber or otherwise, 2024 has unapologetically gone full in - festivals, concerts, retreats, family reunions, travel abroad, you name it. We included four fiber festivals in our summer/fall plan this year: Great Lakes Fiber Show in Wooster, OH; Handweavers Guild of America: Convergence in Wichita, KS; Flock Fiber Festival in Seattle, WA; and SAFF outside of Asheville, NC (happening in October). The schedule has led us to various parts of the country to tell the story of why we exist, show the incredible garments and accessories to be made from our cashmere, and offer our exquisite yarn for sale. All summer long, we have been met with genuine interest and generous support and we are THANKFUL! For...
