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:

The felted slipper craze that began last year doesn’t seem like it’s fading away. The Sailor Slippers, often striped knit and felted slippers made with super bulky yarn, because the project of the moment late last year (check out more knit slipper options in this post all about sailor slippers) and they’re still consistently popular with knitters.

Which makes sense because they are fun and fast to knit, and seeing them go from this giant thing to something that actually fits a foot feels a little magical.

I have always loved felting (in fact my first book was about felting knitting) and it’s always fun for me to see people rediscover this technique.

If you’ve knit enough plain slippers to fit all the feet you know, maybe it’s time to stitch up some tabi style slippers instead.

Maymade Knits has designed these cute tabi ballerina slippers, made with bulky yarn and felted. They’re worked flat at first and then in rounds, and are available in 10 EU sizes (the Internet tells me add 31 to your American shoe size to get your EU size). The designer says the slippers are meant to have a close fit and you should choose a size a little smaller than your foot for the ideal fit.

The pattern includes a video tutorial along with the written pattern.

You can grab this pattern on Ravelry. The same designer has her own version of the striped felted slipper as well, called Sarah’s Striped Slippers. These are worked in super bulky yarn and have a contrasting foot and a striped body. These are knit flat and seamed and there are 7 size options available. Check that pattern out here if you’re looking for a more traditional slipper shape. They also look roomier so you can wear them with socks if you like.

[Photo: Maymade Knits]

Next Pattern:

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