People are all over little scarves or ascots these days, is that what you call a trend ? More in my next Wooly News series I’ll be filming in a week or two 😺
When Pia Trans from Fiftyfabulous on Instagram, YouTube and Ravelry released her Heatwave Scarf pattern, I immediately feel in love with it and casted one on. My initial plan was to use this acrylic with a bit of wool giant yarn balls my mother gave me. I have almost 1kg of yarn there !
Last year I knitted two scarves a a beanie for my three son’s Christmas presents, and realised that the care for theses very nice wools was a bit of a burden, so I had a run with the mostly. acrylic white balls of yarn. Turns out I did not like the outcome with the Heatwave Scarf pattern. I choose another one which suits the yarn much better and am now only second scarf.
Welcome back to Wooly News ! After some complicated life events, I decided not to place too much writing, filming and editing weight on myself and place the Wooly News series on hold. I think I can manage to plan an episode a month, would that be okay with you all ? So for today, here is what has caught my eyes and attention in the wool and fibre community.
Patterns
We are still in Summer with warmer weather (although much less warm than during the previous weeks), we are still in tee-shirt weather. Nonetheless, I start to look at more Fall or wintery sweater patterns, even though my queue on that subject is well filled. The Erdene Sweater by Valentina Bogdanova has an interesting stitch pattern at positions where you usually knit plain stockinette.
The effect is very interesting, with beautiful lace on the shoulders, the sleeves and the sides. The sample is knitted with sport weight yarn, perfect for my new acquisition from Laines À l’Ouest !
Not one pattern in particular, but a whole series ! Estelle Yarns has loads of free patterns of their own to choose from, mostly accessories. You can find a few sweater patterns though. Of course, being a yarn store in Canada, they feature yarn from their area, but not only. Have a look at their free patterns pages as they also list other creators and producers (this is how I found them).
Trends
People have been on a small scarfs trend. Several YouTube Channels have mentioned them, knitted them, or published patterns for them. Two main examples come to mind :
Pia from Fiftyfabulous Strik just released a small scarf pattern, the HeatWave Scarf. She published it a bit earlier than anticipated because Caitlin and Jackie started the trend. Her pattern is a bit different and reminiscent of the scarves she was using during her childhood, with a hole to slip one end in and make it hold in place without bulk :
To be honest, I had a couple patterns in my library that I had sorta planned to use to finish some left overs of mohair.
I did go with Pia’s pattern to knit trendy little scarves with mohair I had in my stash. Airy, light warm and perfect to cover my chest ! With a little dent into my stash, which is always good.
I also started knitting Christmas presents for the young ladies in my life, my beloved SIL, my son’s and nephew’s girlfriends. I used some of this huge white sports weight and somewhat hairy ball of yarn my mother gave me. No fuss for them to take care of as it is 88% acrylic and 12% wool. A spin in the washer and go ! I used Pia’s pattern for the one on the left but do not like the end result with that yarn (I love it with lace mohair as recommended in the pattern). I already have two Sweet Li’l Scarfette by Ambah O’Brien.
Had a break with the other patterns as I had ideas of my own and am currently testing them out. More to come with a complete creation, stay tuned !
Funny how trends go round and round, some of these free patterns are over 10 years old and I have had such a silk scarf in my closet for over 30 years 😺
Stephen West 2022 MKAL
That is such a big event ! Each year, can I say thousands of people gather to follow the now set in stone Stephen West MKAL. An institution all by itself. A pattern that perfectly matches Stephen and Penelope yarn, a huge following, a success example in the industry. This year’s theme is Twists & Turns, not completely new to SW’s patterns, but a bit newer for the big 3-colour yearly one 😺
I won’t play along, as I won’t have enough time to keep up, as I am into projects I love, and as I prefer to see what the Twist & Turn theme will deliver. I think I’ll like it. We’ll see !
For now there are two main colours, Tweedy and Tweedy Noir. There also is a limites edition in collaboration with Madelinetosh, Dreaming in Light and Future Reflections. A nice initiative I would also dream for if I was on there American continent !
Once again I’ll pass. I’m not much into advent calendars now that my sons have grown and I do not buy the chocolate ones any longer. You most probably have seen the first ones popping up this summer, a trend and excitation I feel far away from. I kinda think of my leftovers as mini skeins I do not need to buy. The influence of my yarn no-buy year may be ?
I usually cannot make it for their live sessions and watch afterwards, while I knit ! They are very productive, do a lot of test knits and samples for other creators and stores, including the Little Red Mitten yarn shop that also has a YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/c/LittleRedMitten.
Lots of good ideas, a bit too much yarn for me as I easily get tempted, friendly talks and visits, family news, a bit of butta, all the good stuff !
funky music
I love happy music that gives me bright feelings, as far as feelings can have colours or visual tones.
I love them so much I have 5 CDs ! The Bamboos is an Australian funk group from Melbourne. I like all of their productions I have listen to. Knitting in the morning, in the evening, driving the car to go to work, uplifting vibes and mood. Give them a try 💛
The goats are incredibly friendly and kind, they come for scratches behind the ears and they do not hit you with their heads. These goats do not do that !
They are good mothers and not aggressive. The lady keeps the males for yarn, after being neutered, she has one (or more, I do not recall) for reproduction and cross breeding with other flocks. Even the male fleece is soft and long.
She made her store so beautiful in a barn, with nice wood floors, stone walls, hight ceiling showing the marvellous wooden work of the roof. She shares the shop with her mum who sells china from the area.
I did splurge a bit, and got a sweater quantity to knit colour work. Yes, with mohair !
They try to revive a local sheep breed that went almost extinct. They produce a very rustic yarn and now offer these 1kg cones that caught my eyes online. Their shop is just fabulous !
Laines à l’Ouest – Lessay
They also host pieces from local artists, poteries etc.
So I got two 1kg cones from this undyed yarn, one in the beigy creamy whitish colour from the clear fleeces and one from the greyish browny kind from all the fleeces, from white to black with all the grey and browns in between.
Laines à l’Ouest – Lessay
Laines à l’Ouest – Lessay
In both places, I also got 2 skeins to swap with an Australian online friend (the greenish blue mohair and the two smaller skeins above). I hope she likes them !
The Heatwave Scarf by Pia Trans was a bit of an impulse cat-on after I saw her video where she presented it. She sorta released this pattern early as everyone is knitting small scarves and ascots ! What I liked about her patters is the vaporous aspect of the scarf, the long ends that will keep a chest warm and the ability to tuck one end into the other to avoid having a bulky knot in the neck. This one I am swatching with yarn from my stash to knit Christmas presents.
August and Year Summary
All in all, I spend way more than anticipated this August (and all summer tbh) : €373.53 for a gran total of €1091.12, so €136.39 per month. More than I had planned for ? Yes. Am I feeling bad about it ? No. Good ? Yes. I have beautiful yarn in my stash that I will use up to my next summer vacation 💛
I’ve been thinking about Christmas and gathering my thoughts and ideas for fuss free presents.
Last year I made beautiful scarves and beanie for my sons, with beautiful yarn that requires to be carefully taken care of. A bit of a poisonous present for young adults as my sons. So I decided that I would be knitting care-free gifts this year.
I’ll be talking about that later, everyone is head over heels for little scarves or ascots this year. I tested two patterns with this giant ball of mostly acrylic yarn my mother gave me : the Heatwave Scarf by Pia Trans and the Sweet Li’l Scarfette by Ambah O’Brien
The Heatwave Scarf on the left is not well served by this sports weight yarn. The samples were knitted with lace mohair and I think I’ll test another one with this orange lace mohair from my stash. I’m sure the overall FO will be much much better looking !
The Sweet Li’l Scarfette on the right is fine with the yearn. I still need to knit the last pointy end and I already like it.
So I may knit several others for my sons girlfriends, my SIL and my nephews girlfriends. I’ll also be testing other patterns, stay tuned !
Knit Now 