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Wind Powered Fiber Mill

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After all the rushing and traveling for the out-of-state baby shower, I finally found time to catch up on my magazine reading. I am a poor traveler and could not focus while in the plane. (Read – not in control of my bus while flying). So, I picked up my copy of [tag]Vogue Knitting[/tag] [tag]Knit 1[/tag] and started to read the [tag]Green Issue[/tag].

I wonder how many people noticed the sidebar article on Hope Spinnery? From the Home page “Hope Spinnery is a wind-powered fiber processing mill nestled in the hills a few miles inland from the coast of Maine.

Our fiber comes from local farms, we are committed to chemical-free processing methods and use only natural dyes to create our beautiful and striking yarn, knit wear, and other products.“

How unusual, a single 80-foot tower standing atop a hill harnessing enough energy to power all the machinery to produce yarn with sometime additional power available to handle machinery in other parts of the building!

The article mentions that the yarn mill provides hope for the future of viable alternative energies. The owner started as a school teacher and now is into fiber arts. The mill started processing raw fibers, but also now manufactures its own yarn.

In keeping with ecology in mind the business is run with the same ethics that are applied to the owners life. Earth friendly soap is used for scouring, natural dyes (Indigo, Madder, Cochineal, Osage Orange, Native Flowers, etc.) for dying yarns and there is Low-Waste — the by-products of the processing is used for other purposes.

Hope yarn can be purchased at a few yarn shops in Maine, as well as from [tag]Hope Spinnery[/tag].

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Knitting Patterns for Pride

It seems like every year there are more rainbow colored (and other flag hued) knitting projects out there to celebrate Pride. Whether you celebrate at a local event or just want to add some more color to your wardrobe, these Pride knitting patterns are a great place to start.

See also these Pride knitting patterns, tiny Pride flags, and more rainbow projects if you need more inspiration.

These Pride socks from Birger Berge are a free pattern on Ravelry. They feature a rainbow flag on the heel and toe, plus stripes on the cuff with the word Pride and a heart worked in. 

Or you can Put Some Pride in Your Step with these allover colorful socks from Oriahna WhimsyStitch. Using a self-striping fingering weight yarn, they have a spiral rib on the legs and come in three sizes. The pattern has suggestions for if you don’t have self-striping yarn to use. You can find it on Ravelry.

Amy Snell’s Pride Like the Wind is a triangular shawl that uses slipped stitches to add texture to the multicolored stripes. The pattern was made with a large skein of rainbow colored yarn and mini skeins in rainbow colors, but you can use stash or whatever you can find in theose colors for a different look. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

Pride and Elegance is a pretty pair of rainbow striped arm warmers made by martaschmarta. They call for fingering weight yarn and have sparkly beads incorporated at each end for extra flair. This pattern is also on Ravelry. 

Pride in Parallelograms by Treena Evans is a mobius knit cowl worked in a multicolored ombre yarn. It calls for DK weight yarn and is a free pattern on Ravelry.

Stephen G. Krueger has designed a lovely kippah/yarmulke pattern that can be worked in the colors of any Pride flag you like. The pattern is free on Ravelry and uses fingering weight yarn.

And if you want to make a full progress flag in knitting, you’ll need the modular progressive Pride flag pattern from Kim Smith for Alterknit Universe. The pattern comes in two sizes using different weights of yarn to suit your needs, and the modular style of the project makes it seamless. You can purchase this pattern on Ravelry.

If you want to add a touch of Pride to a sweater, wall hanging or other project, the abstract waves chart from Hits Knit Patterns is a great place to start. It uses the colors of the lesbian flag, but you could change it to whatever colors you like (there are six colors used and the chart is 49 stitches by 80 rows).