Patterns
This pattern is not available unless you have subscribed to the Westknits Yarn A Long 2022, which is now closed as it has started on May 06 (there will be three patterns release on May, June and July 06, 2022). The patterns won’t be available to the public for 6 months and the first one, Striped Vortex Shawl, will be release on November 2022. It has really got me and I do have yarn from Holst Garn that I will reserve for casting in on. Breeze, Silver Grey and Slate Grey are the perfect colour matches from the original sample one.
In addition, it perfectly fits the stripes “sorta trend” that I see about everywhere but never really reported as a trend as it is a timeless motif.
Free Patterns Highlights
The free pattern for this episode I had liste some time ago, and decided to include it now as it does echo the Striped Vortex Shawl quite surprisingly.
This pattern comes with a drawback, it is offered up to size Large only. Not quite in the line of what I am usually reporting or choose for myself, but I like it a lot.
Anyway, the Moss pullover by Jana Kadlecová offers stripes in a chevron type of inspiration, in very similar colours from the Stripped Vortex Shawl, a nice coincidence. If I have yarn left from my other projects, I will most probably give it a go.
Yarn Companies and Stores
De rerum natura
De Rerum Natura has created a new yarn base, Robinson, a 70 % Organic Merinos from Arles and 30 % recycled cotton recyclé (that contain 2% of other recycled fibres due to the recycling process, made in France). A fresh base for summer knits, offered in lots of delicate colours. A very good news to see one of my favorite yarn producer creating a new line after the last two difficult years.
I am currently going through all my cotton stash, most of it coming from my mother, in all these colours I do not usually wear. Make a self mental note to knit through all of it as quick-kly as possible to be able to use Robinson for the beautiful Sommerloch tee-shirt from Hinterm Stein.
la bien aimée & mYak
Paola from mYak has invited Aimée from La Bien Aimée on her Youtube channel to talk about Aimée’s “Worsted” yellow book and the kits mYak has put together for the patterns. Side note, Aimée just received her French citizenship, congratulations ! Another enjoyable hour and forty minutes where they talk about their own stories and how it all started, about another LBA book that is going to be published in 2023 and so many other subjects. “Worsted” third edition in English will be available soon (you already know there will be French and Japanese versions, right ?). Paola shows her beautiful yarns that I will buy one day. She offers mYak alternatives to Corrie Worsted for every pattern from the book. You get to see them one more time, including the samples demonstrated by Aimée. Grab your knitting project and watch them 😺
Books, Magazines, Articles And Creators
Another stunning creation by QuaintMarie, all about horses, she never ends to amaze me ! She has had quite a few recent productions about horses and other animals. I am drooling all over the pictures 🙂
Who Am I Knitting With ?
Among the _huge_ number of YouTube videos I am watching (I have no TV, trading one screen time for another !) I would like to highlight three channels by people either from Ukraine or having family in or from Ukraine. Another little way to support them and send good vibes.
Knit My Way Home is a mother/daughter channel. They live in the arctic wilderness in Yukon and share their knitting and other activities such as hiking, cooking etc. A very different experience from my Normandy, a very different food availability for example, and yet I feel quite close to all they are saying and discussing. May be because I like what they knit, their yarn choices and their special views on life and nature. They recently resumed uploading videos after a 9 months break. Enjoying every second !
Jana, Finnish Knitting Stories on YouTube, lives in Finland and own a yarn shop. She is from Ukraine, some of her family are in still in Ukraine. She has been documenting her journey since the beginning of the Russian invasion and helps a lot of Ukrainian refugees. She is a very talented knitter who uses Northern European wools, all that I like. She has patterns on Ravelry. Lots of inspiration and food for thoughts. She recently undertook knitting an old and very busy colour work sweater, an amazing piece !
Teti Lutzak is a former botanist from Ukraine and living in the Netherlands. She designs intricate and delicate nature inspired patterns, in earthy colours. Her Youtube channel is the same, delicate and, once again, very inspirational. A very productive designer and a perfect company to knit with.
These last two weeks I have been cycling through all my Air CDs, and I have quite a few ! My youngest son (the musician who quickly recorded the music for my YouTube channel, and still intends to make another more polished one..) has offered me the first two CDs from them, Moon Safari and 10 000 Hz (I recently bought the enhanced Legend version). A very cool and downtempo ambiance, I would recommend Moon Safari to start with. I have been listening to them on a regular basis for a few years now, in particular when knitting.
They created Le Voyage Dans La Lune to go with a recent 2011 restoration of the silent, black and white original movie from Georges Méliès. I have the movie that came with the Air CD, my kids really enjoyed it when they were young.
Companion YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/JZv-0NF0kbg
Knit Now 