See what I think about things I’ve worked with.
After plugging away at this background project for a while, I found myself unexpectedly in a position of having a completed black sweater just in time for Holy Week. Staging a photo shoot with three children and a tripod has a few challenges, but we did our best. One-piece yoked sweaters work on the principle … More Holy Week Sweater
MiniMighty’s quilt is done! This quilt is nominally much simpler than Stringbean’s or Dooner’s. But I really struggled with procrastination in putting it together. The very simplicity of it was unmotivating, somehow, although it was meant to make it a more reachable achievement. When the quilt top was finished, I was certainly very happy with … More Big Mighty Hexies
What signs of spring do you see out your window? Daffodils or crocuses? Do you live in the southern hemisphere – and if so, what is your fall like right now? My signs of spring are rather different than those I grew up with. Freezing rain, blizzards, muck boots, lichen, ice fishing, skidoo and 4-wheeler … More A Sign of Spring
Making these three sweaters was a special work of love for three special girls at a sweet time of life. I was going to make this blog post about the sweaters, but you know what? I just want to talk about the kids. Stringbean is in Grade 1, and she is so six. I love … More Wee Saxifrage
It’s no secret that we’re big Daniel Tiger fans in our house. Recently, N has glommed on to an episode on the holiday DVD whose key song says, “Making something is one way to say ‘I love you’!” For N, this means cards. This is easily the most rewarding result of our hobbyist homeschooling. She’s … More One Way to Say I Love You
Have you ever noticed that big projects tend to wrap up around the same time? In that vein, I finished a sweater last week. Remember the Blendlings? My blazing re-entry into the spinning world in January and February of this year? (First post here, last post here) These wee skeins mean a lot to me, … More Made of Blendlings and Learnings
On a mid-December day in 2002, a few friends and I went to an opening-day showing of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. But we didn’t just go: we really went. We’d spent the previous several months deciding on characters, making costumes, buying accessories. It was the first and almost-only time I cosplayed. … More Reflections in the Mirror of Galadriel
One day, N is going to figure out that I will knit her absolutely anything she asks me for. On that day, I will be in trouble. The girls literally call the multiple balls of mohair, from the Mitered Majesty, my “fuzzies.” They ask to hold them, and under my nervous gaze, they parade around … More Fuzzies in Flight
So, having reflected on these bakers-dozen of old socks, what have I learned? Next time I go to buy sock yarn, what should I look for? What are heads-up, warnings-off, and all that? Really, it comes down to sturdiness. Socks get the hardest wear out of any item of knitwear, unless you knit sneakers or … More What I’m Looking for in Sock Yarn
A daily mini-series in which I give an updated review of some sock yarns I have used, having given the socks some wear. For first post and longer explanation, click here. Pattern link below is to my original review of the yarn when the socks were completed; yarn link goes to Ravelry. Patterns: “Canada” from Knitting on … More Sock Yarn Longevity: Shelridge Farm
