Spring Fling Shawl

 Hey! Long time no write....I know, I know. I always have the busy excuse. Well, in April I did have a two week work trip to Colorado to vend at Makerfest so I was a bit busy! But I have a new shawl pattern out! 

Spring Fling is my latest shawl pattern and it has lace, bobbles, garter, and some ribbing! I wanted to cover all my bases and add a little bit of everything. 

Spring Fling is similar to Playground in only that it uses multiple stitch patterns and has a check off list so you don't get lost. Other than that, Spring Fling highlights mini skeins wonderfully and keeps you interested by switching up stitch patterns. 

The yarn, Yummy 2-Ply a 100% Superwash Merino, was provided by Miss Babs Yarns but I definitely have purchased this base before and I love working with it! It definitely feels like it has some cashmere in it but it's only wool. The website has lots of options with gorgeous colors! 

If purchasing yarn isn't in your budget then mini skeins from stash or two colors of fingering weight should work! The original sample uses just under 800 yards so a two color version would be great! 

Two of a Kind Shawl

Hey Knitters! We have 6 days of sunshine coming up this week and I am SO EXCITED! Spring is on the way and the colorway for my newest shawl is perfect! 

Two of a Kind Shawl is uses the same stitch pattern as my Two of a Kind Cowl using the slip stitches as well as an i-cord! Two of a Kind is the perfect shawl to show off two coordinating skeins of yarn that highlight each other as well as contrast. I think the i-cord helps frame the shawl and give it a bit more structure around the edges. 

I used two skeins of Yummy 2-Ply provided by Miss Babs yarn; this yarn is wonderful to knit with! Yummy 2-Ply is a plump multi-ply 100% merino yarn that is a staple in my stash. It has such great stitch definition and the most amazing array of tonal and variegated yarn. 

I think Two of a Kind Shawl could really be knit with whatever yarn you want to knit it in. You could use a gradient for one color and pair it with a solid, a mini skein set would work fabulous as well! Or you could follow as my original sample and just use two colors. A knitting friend thought that this pattern looks like veins of a leaf and want to knit it in greens, I can't wait to see! 

Dark Color Happy Scrappy

I usually knit my patterns once, I love the adventure of a new knit so I rarely reknit my own designs. But! Sometimes it can be hard for a knitter to see a design and relate to it if it's not in a color palette they use! I tend to knit my scrappy projects with a lighter color base but I decided to mix it up and knit Happy Scrappy for a second time and use a dark color base for the knitters who prefer a darker color palette. 

Happy Scrappy is my bottom up triangle shawl that uses drop stitches to make fringe...which means there's no ends to weave in! Instead of using scraps for both the dark color and the light color I used a full skein of grey yarn from my stash and leftovers for the other colors. Just a fun way you can coordinate your yarn to knit the patterns you want! 

Stitch & Pitch with the Home team socks!

Have you ever been to a Stitch & Pitch? Have you ever even heard of one? A Stitch & Pitch is a ball game (baseball, football, soccer) that encourage needle artists to bring their projects and come and stitch at the game! 

In fall of 2023 my mom and I went to our first Stitch & Pitch game for a major league team, we went and saw the Mariners play! 100% honest I have no loyalty to any baseball team and was a terrible softball player but I do enjoy the atmosphere at games and thoroughly enjoyed my time at AT&T Stadium watching the Mariner win! 

This was a stitch & pitch game so there were quilters, knitters, crocheters, and other stitchers all seated in the same sections together! We had a great time getting to talk about the projects that were going on around us and then visiting the small market place...say what? Yes! There was some yarn and fiber shopping! I've joined the list for vending for 2024 with the Mariners to maybe you'll see my booth set up! 

The pattern I used for my Home Team socks is my Saddle Socks pattern, a simple garter embellishment on a stockinette background. I really like the difference in the color placement between the stockinette and the garter. 

Sock Round up for 2023

Why am I telling you about socks I finished the second half of 2023? Because I really fell behind on my blogging/photography when I was in California. 

I usually use socks as my purse and babysitting project, something that is small, easy, and won't get messed up if I pick it up and put it down at random times. 

The first to talk about it my 'Summer Socks' which is a colorway from White Birch Fiber Arts that is named Study in Peach Mint. These were fun and bright to knit during the summer. I added the heel color which has a bit of sparkle to them! 

The second two talk about it is a pair of DK weight socks with Fangirl Fibers! The yarn was gifted to me by my friend Brittaney who is great friends with the dyer. She wanted me to try out her yarn and see how great it was, and it totally is! The base was wonderful and knitting these during the fall was the perfect colorway. 

The third pair is a self striping yarn from Nomadic Yarns called Squad Gourds, like squad goals! I loved the colorway but the name just sealed it for me. Just like my peach/mint socks I added a contrast color heel flat because I like my stripes to stay in order going down the sock. If you use the original yarn as the heel then the stripes get messed up. 

Last but not least I have my Halloween socks! This is a colorway from a Halloween countdown I purchased a few years ago, I loved working with the yarn and thought the colors were great for Halloween time. Unfortunately the dyer isn't in business anymore. I used my Hemmenway pattern to knit these ones and also added a contrast heel. 

All socks were knit using a US 1.5 on a 9 inch circular. I never use anything else! Do you also use socks as a take-along project or a palette cleanser between different knits? 

Yarn Stash Tips

Hey Knitters! I know some of you are super fabulous and only buy yarn for 1 or 2 projects at a time and don't have a large stash, love ya'll but this blog post isn't for you! This is a post of the knitters who need help/want help with organizing their yarn stash so they can utilizing it easily! 

Here are 5 tips for your yarn stash! 

1. Sort your stash by Weight: Now I have my stash set up in shelving in my studio but you can do this with baskets, tubs, or bags too! Sorting by weight means that it's easier to see what yarn you have that will work for a certain design or project. No more digging around to find the right weight if they are all together. 

2. Sort by Color: It is so much easier to pair colors or see what you have an abundance of if you curate your stash holders by color. I find that I can pull different yarns together for projects when the colors are near each other. 

3. Keep a List: Make your life easier (and don't try to remember) what yarn you have in your stash by having a running list of your yarns, that list weight and color family. Keep it in a place you can take with you so when you're at a festival or a yarn shop you have a record with you. This makes it easier to buy for certain patterns you're interested in and pair new yarns with what you already have. Keep this list in a notebook, note apps on your phone or on Ravelry! 

4. Bag/Tie Yarn Together: What? When you purchase yarns you plan to knit in the same project, bag them together with the pattern so you don't forget what you had planned to knit. It will make it so much easier and relaxing to start a project when everything is already pulled together for you. 

5. Have a bug deterrent: Use some form of bug deterrent in your stash. Bags of lavender, cedar pieces, or moth traps. Keep all that lovely yarn safe and take preventative measures to keep everything just the way you want. 

I hope this post helps you love your stash even more! 

Game Plan for a Yarn Show

I visit lots of shops and yarn shows each year. Most of my experience is as a shopper and now I'm learning as a vendor. So here is a short guide to visiting a yarn show so you can have a great time! 

1. I like to do a bit of research beforehand. I want to know which vendors are going to be present at the show and what they sell. Along with researching beforehand I print out a map of the venue/vendor booths and mark which ones I really wanted to see and a small note on why. 

2. Wear good walking shoes! Most yarn shows are at convention centers or fairgrounds and the ground is unstable or concrete. Save your feet and knees and wear good shoes. 

3. Food at shows can be pricey and not all that great. Save your money for more yarn and bring your own lunch, snacks, and water, your wallet will thank you. 

4. Going into so many different booths can be so overwhelming, I like to print the first page of my pattern that tells me yardage and weight and have that with me. I know what I wanted to make and can look for yarn specifically for that pattern and know I have enough yardage to make it instead of guessing. 

5. If you're on a budget, bring cash! 

6. If you are a new, old, or aspiring yarny business, bring business cards! Shows are a great way to get your name out there and get information for collaborations. (Almost all the businesses in my quarterly knitting subscription I met and mingled with at FlockFiber in 2022.) 

Hope these tips help you have a great yarn show experience!