Fiber Fests, Knitting Nest and Spinning Wheels

Well, I survived the Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival. It was exhilarating. It was exhausting. It was really really hard on my checkbook.

And I signed up to go to another one. Am I crazy?

Don’t answer that!

I did manage to score quite a bit of knitting time as well as spinning time. What handy little tool did I choose to hold my knitting, yarn and accessories while I was knitting? The Knitter’s Nest by Circular Solutions. Very heavy duty canvas, with 4 divided pockets. Also trimmed in a very cool purple! And… this is the grabber… it has a handle! People! Seriously! A Handle! I could pick it up and deposit it into my festival tote with no problems. I could pick it up and take it out of my festival tote with no problems. Very very portable, but.. if it’s not quite portable enough for you…..

Ta..dah…..Circular Solution’s Port A Pocket. Same durable canvas, same ultra cool purple trim, and this one has a velcro attached strap to hang from a belt, belt loop or wrist, it’s also big enough for a ball of yarn and has pockets on the outside for your ‘ccessories.

Too cool!

Now I know people knit while riding, walking, and waiting, but I wanna hear from someone who knits while they are on the treadmill, because that one, well, that one didn’t really end all that well!

On the WIP front, Sunrise Circle is done, well the knitting is done anyway, just have to block it, and sew it together. My current project is Jane Thornley’s Feather and Fan KAL in the Mossy Roving’s variety. I love it!

Gotta go knit…..

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

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