Knitting

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Going on a Knitting Adventure

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clara yarnI’m super-excited to report that I’m spending this weekend at Mount Magazine, the highest point in Arkansas, at a knitting retreat with about 20 other ladies and the Yarn Harlot.

Awesome, right?

Except I still really have no idea what knitting to bring.

It’s unseasonably cold (there may even be snow. Today. In Arkansas.) and I’m wishing I had time to finish that alpaca sweater I started a few months ago and abandoned because I thought this time, for sure, it was really, really spring. But I’m probably taking a sock. And maybe a shawl. I kind of abandoned the fingerless gloves I expected to be working on because of a math error.

What do you knit in front of a knitting superstar?

I don’t know.

I am, for sure, taking this. It’s the first run of Clara Yarn, made by Clara Parkes. It’s beautiful and warm and fluffy and I can’t wait to dive in.

(Incidentally, if you want to follow the hijinks of my weekend I’m going to try to post updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.)

Comments

  1. I go to Mount Magazine in October for a quilting weekend-well it is really 4 days of quilting. I love the place! Great food, great scenery and accommodations are top notch. Have a wonderful time. Make sure your walk up to the highest point-great hike!

  2. sounds like you’ll have a great time.She(Yarn Harlet) is really fun. I have been able to go see her two times now, and would love to be able to do a retreat with her!! Sound like so much fun!!

  4. How fun! I take mindless project to knit retreats- vanilla socks or a garter stitch project.

Have you read?

Add Mushrooms to Your Knits with these Fun Knitting Patterns

A few years ago I wrote a post that was full of patterns for knit mushrooms, but I don’t think I ever did a post that was knitting patterns with mushrooms on them, so today’s the day. 

I love the Fungi Beanie from Jacki Bean, which calls for worsted weight yarn and uses duplicate stitch to add the mushrooms and other details. I think the colors she used for the design are tonal/multicolor so it doesn’t use as many colors as it looks like, but you can use whatever red, green, brown and white yarn you have in your stash for those details. 

How about some mushroom socks? The Magic Toadstool sock form Stone Knits includes a ring of mushrooms around the leg, contrasting heel and toe and a little more colorwork at the toe for extra cuteness. As shown it uses four colors and comes in three sizes. 

Or there’s the Fairy Ring Socks from Katie Green, which have mushrooms of two sizes on the legs, plus a bit of wavy grass. They have a contrasting cuff, heel and toe and some colorwork flecks in the body of the sock as well. This one is available in eight sizes to fit everyone from a baby to an XL adult. 

This trippy cowl from Hunt Hand Knits looks like a lot of fun to knit. The Fungus Among Us Cowl is shown using four colors of DK weight yarn, though you can do it with as few as two if you’d rather. 

Stitch some mushroom mittens with this cute pattern from Holly C Watson. This design uses three colors, and it’s shown with a self-striping yarn on the mushroom caps, which makes the colors change without you having to do any work. The pattern is charted but it’s a pretty easy repeat. The mittens are one size. 

If you don’t feel like knitting mushrooms but still want to give your project a touch of the forest, the Toadstools Cardigan from Julie Taylor may be what you’re looking for. It’s stitched as a plain cardigan worked in DK weight yarn and sized for newborns up to 4 years old. The mushrooms are added with embroidery and the pattern includes the design, which you can trace onto water soluble stabilizer to stitch the mushrooms onto your sweater. Or anything else you want. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.