Wooly News ⎮#23

Patterns

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Harrisville_Designs_Jurek_Pullover_007_small2.JPG
© Jurek Pullover by Ainur Berkimbayeva

One Youtube subscriber, Linda, reminded me of a patterns I had in my favorites, the Astragal Sweater by Ainur Berkimbayeva. I looked at Ainur’s patterns and they are all so beautiful (I admit I have not precisely looked at the kids patterns). The Jurek pullover caught my eye because it looks like a hybrid between the Fishbone Chunky Sweater by Nerunga Ruke and Perennial by Norah Gaughan in the Worsted Book by Aimée Gille from La Bien Aimée. Nice ribbing with elongated sides

Free Patterns Highlights

© Seeing Spots Vest by Afifa Sayeed
© Seeing Spots Vest by Afifa Sayeed

For some time now, vests have been trendy. You can find many new patterns and a whole set of free ones. The Seeing Spots Vest by Afifa Sayeed is a newer good basis, as many other ones you will tell me. Not only for being very size inclusive, for having a dotted colour work that is quite trendy too, and also for being a good graded basic pattern that can be used to adjust for gauge, yarn, other colour work, ie customisation.

The steven west 2022 shawl mkal

© Twists & Turns: Westknits MKAL 2022 by Stephen West

Steven West’s yearly MKAL has gained iconic and trend status, at least into my own little book. I’m not joining as I usually have not enough time this time of year and I have other projects on my needles. I could have organised, I know, and be ready for this KAL. That would not have given me the time though. Maybe some other time in the future if it is still a thing 🙂

I’m not going to ruin it for you if you have not seen pics of the first clue (the only one out as I write) or if you have not started it yet. I have to say I like what I have seen so far ! It may end up in my shawl collection if I continue to like what I see, the same way Slipstravaganza made it almost two years later ^^

Yarn Companies and Stores

De rerum Natura

De Rerum Natura just turn 10, and present over 28,600 projects using their yarn in Ravelry. This success is well deserved and understandable, considering the quality of their yarns. Some of their greens and pinkish, more autumn feeling, colour ways are back in stock, on most of their bases.

Books, Magazines, Articles And Creators

Amirisu COSMOLOGY DARUMA Collection 2022

© Amirisu COSMOLOGY DARUMA Collection
© Amirisu COSMOLOGY DARUMA Collection

I’m waiting for it for sure and I’ll get it once it hits resellers in France. This collection is to dream for, in particular that sweater with different numbers of mohair strands and transparency factor. Had you already seen that ? The beret, the cowl that can wrap around you as a shawl, the hooded sweater, this issue is full of inventively and originality. I already have one Amirisu book I still need to knit the patterns from .. Anyway, I like books, and I cannot pass on this one, even given I’m in a no-buy and have already bought patterns this month 😺

Meret Buetzberger

Do you remember my beautiful s’Krägli (the Collar) that I probdly wear each time possible ? Well, Meret is granting me a wish : she is working on a sweater with this amazing yoke ! Waiting on her next release then, I was almost going to knit one at some point. Once you have the collar, it should not be too difficult to knit down a body and sleeves. Better if you have a written pattern where the designer has done the math for you 😻

Famous Events

Many events this season :

  • PEI Fiber Festival Sept 23-25, 2022, was cancelled due to the hurricane Fiona
  • Knit Eat in Lyon, was on Oct 1-2, 2022
  • Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, Oct. 15-16, 2022
  • Many more in Canada that Canadian YouTubers report on

Who Am I Knitting With ?

Supernatural : A TV Series I Had never Heard Of !

And I am quite hooked on .. I do not have a TV. When kids were at home we had one for the Xbox, and that’s it. I do not watch TV, mainly because I cannot stand commercials and do not want my brain and eyes polluted with violent images or useless adds. I watch a bit of public TV on my computer, and listen to public radio so that I am in the loop of the main news, but that’s it. I read newspapers I can trust, and follow them on social media.

So I had totally missed the Supernatural series that started in 2005, until Amazon Prime recommended it to me. My rule (as on YouTube) is to add things on my watch list for later. On Prime, I select shows or movies that have an IMDB rating over 6. I can drop top 5 if my watchlist is empty, or listen to music rather than watching poor quality (imho) content.

Supernatural has all the good stuff for me, and mostly references to music or movies from the 70’s to 90’s and I really like these little nudges that you may miss if you do not know. I love them, even if I miss a lot. I love the name the two brothers use when they come from musicians or groups from the 70’s and 80’s. I love the quotes from lyrics. I love the individual episodes titles from rock albums. And I love the story, not too gory (but if you avoid certain images or feeling, you may prefer not to check on it), not too frightening, with a storytelling that makes me want to see more and know what happens. I like some little standalone episodes, borrowing from many different styles and inspirations, the bigger main story, the side stories, the recurring characters, the time stories, the families stories, the links with books and most of all, the way the relationship between the two brothers evolve.

I currently am on Season 5, ep 18, and have access to the whole 15 seasons shebang. The series ended in 2020, I am not reading about it because I do not want to ruin my experience with spoilers, so I won’t give you any !

Please have a look for yourself if it is available to you and tell me what you think 😺

Talking a bout good 70’s music, if you do like it, please give an ear or two to The Sheepdogs, a Canadian blues band. A very good one. You may even go see them as they are touring and their live performances are really good. Even better than studio albums imho, but I am biased, I like live music. Please listen to Live at Lee’s, I do on a regular basis. Not too agressive, not too mellow, the perfect level when you need your mood to be lifted up, to ride you car on a long lonesome road trip.. But I digress 😀

Please, once again, tell me what you think !

Companion YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/edLAMXvPzRk

Wooly News ⎮#22

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.

© Sweater by Valentina Bogdanova
© Sweater by Valentina Bogdanova

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 !

Free Patterns Highlights

© Estelle Yarns

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).

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 :

Cady Jax Knit are all about the Sophie Scarf by PetiteKnit in a recent video, and started a hashtag on Instagram #howdoyouascot :

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.

© Hold Me Tight by Ariel Kim

Hold Me Tight by Ariel Kim which is paid for, such as the Sophie and the HeatWave Scarves that I would have knitted plain, without the coulourwork.

© MissMarple Scarf by SusanneS-vV
© Sweet Li’l Scarfette by Ambah O’Brien
© Friday by Vyvyan Neel

MissMarple Scarf by SusanneS-vV, Sweet Li’l Scarfette by Ambah O’Brien and Friday by Vyvyan Neel which are all free.

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 !

Yarn Companies and Stores

hedgehog fibers recycle program

© Hedgehog Fibers
© Hedgehog Fibers

You know I love La bien Aimée’s Corrie Confetti made from recycling yarn from her studios on her worsted Corrie base. If you live in the US, Hedgehog Fibres also has a recycling program that works a bit differently. They will recycle all the yarn you send them and will produce the Tweedy DK line. You’ll get a discount depending on the amount of yarn you send to recycle : 10% for 200g or more, 20% for 500g or more and 30% for 1kg or more.

© Dreaming in Light – Hedgehog Fibers
© Future Reflections – Hedgehog Fibers

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 !

On that note, La Bien Aimée will release Corrie Confetti in Ochre, third edition, on September 9th at 4pm (Paris time). Plenty to buy from on each sides of the big ponds !

Yarn Advent calendars

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 ?

Books

a Bien Aimée – New Book in the works

I have not pics to show, La Bien Aimée is going to publish a second book with Laine Publishing, I will most probably buy it, as I enjoy her first one so much. This should be an “eclectic collection”, whatever that means !

Who Am I Knitting With ?

© Knits n Pieces

A channel I enjoy all of their uploads is Knits n Pieces : https://www.youtube.com/c/KnitsnPieces

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.

© The Bamboos – Discog

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 💛

Companion YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/gFeNkDxFPO4