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My Whirwind Weekend with the Yarn Harlot

May 7, 2013 by Sarah White

yarn harlot and meOver the weekend I had the extreme pleasure of getting to take part in a knitting retreat with the Yarn Harlot, aka Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. There were 18 of us who got to learn from her, knit with her and laugh with her, and each other along the way.

We took three classes over the weekend, including knitting for speed and efficiency (in which she attempted to teach us to knit with one needle under our arms), grok the sock (where we learned how to knit a sock for ourselves without a tape measure) and knitting with silk hankies. That one was particularly fun because we got to take the silk cocoons and make hankies out of them, then turned others into a knittable substance. I’ve had some of these in my closet for a while and am glad to know how to use them — and what goes into making them.

There was also a more public lecture about the wonderful things knitting does to our brains, and a book signing at which the picture above was taken. knitting by the fire

There was also snow, in May, for the second time in recorded history in Arkansas (the first was the day before). So there was knitting by the fire.

That project is a gigantic wool cowl (or, if I decide it’s too wide to be a cowl, it will probably become a pillow) made out of the Clara Yarn I told you about. It’s really lovely stuff, and was the perfect antidote to unseasonably cold weather.

I know we don’t all have the opportunity or the means to have such an extravagant getaway, but if you ever find yourself in the position to run away and knit for a weekend, I highly recommend you do it!

Next Pattern:

  • Book Review - Weekend: Simple, Modern Knits
  • How Do You Put Yarn in a Yarn Holder?
  • Is Providing Yarn Substitutions the Designer's Job?
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Comments

  1. Eddie says

    May 8, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    Sounds like a fun weekend. I wish it was me 🙂
    I’m intrigued by the knitting from silk hankies part.
    Eddie

    Eddie’s Room on Facebook come over for some crafty ideas and conversation.

Have you read?

Fun Tank Top Knitting Patterns

It seems like every summer there’s a new crop of tank top knitting patterns, and what I noticed about a lot of the new releases this year is that they have fun little details that make them a little more interesting both to knit and to wear. 

Like the Sailoress Top from Joji Locatelli, which has a pretty cable worked up the center from and back, with shorter sections of cable work on the shoulders. It uses DK weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes up to a bust circumference of 72 inches/ 158 cm. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

Combine lace and cables in an allover pattern on the Mountain Laurel Top from Andrea Gaughan. This sport weight pattern is worked from the bottom up in the count and has 10 sizes. It’s available on Ravelry.

The Vienna Textured Tank Top by Sarah Hatton has wide ribs broken up by eyelets. There’s very little shaping so it’s a pretty easy knit worked in fingering weight yarn. There are nine sizes available and it’s a free download on Ravelry.

Make a tank with a boho vibe perfect for festival season with Mary Beth Temple’s Tropical Sunset Tank Top. Worked in worsted weight cotton yarn, it’s knit from the bottom up in pieces to make it more stable. The coloring changing yarn is perfect for this one, or you can make it solid or work in your own stripes. You can get the XS size free on her blog, and other sizes are available on Ravelry.

Looking for a cropped lacy V-neck top to knit for summer? Jessie Maed Designs has the Sundae Swirl Tank, worked in DK weight yarn in the round with a fun combination of lace and cables. The ribbing under the arms helps give it a great fit. There are six sizes up to a chest measurement of 62 inches/157.5 cm. You can find this one on Ravelry.

How about a tank top with buttons? The Ridge Tank Button Down from Bluebird Pine Shop could double as a vest in cooler weather. This one is made with light fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Grab a copy on Ravelry.

An otherwise simple top can be made a little more interesting with the addition of a fun edging, like on Sarah Opie’s Seashell Tank. Worked in fingering weight yarn, it has a whopping 24 sizes and lots of customization options for making it fit the way you want. The edging is crocheted. Learn more on Ravelry.

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