Upcoming Event: indie.knits at Knit Fit 2016!

Hi friends! I mentioned it briefly a while back, but I just wanted to make a post again officially -

indie.knits will be at this year's Knit Fit market, coming right up this weekend! I'll have printed patterns and samples galore, many of which feature yarn companies who will also be at the event - including Blissful Knits, Spincycle Yarns, Three Fates Yarn, YOTH Yarns, and Hazel Knits - so you can go squish their beautiful wares in person, and maybe get into a little bit of yarn trouble while you're at it ;)

I'll also have some special goodies ready just in time for the event, available on Ravelry so everybody can join in the fun!

Want to drop by?

Knit Fit! market hours are:

Saturday, November 12, 8:30 am-6 pm

Sunday, November 13, 10 am-4 pm

at the Ballard Community Center

6020 28th Ave. NW in Seattle

The market is free to visit, and chock full of amazing indie dyers and other awesome yarn and design-minded folks. I'd love to see you there!

FO: Uncommon Vasa

   

This past June, while on working holiday with Mr Blake, I took a stroll down Camden Passage to visit the famous Loop London. He was in company meetings all day, so after sleeping off my jetlag and devouring a ham croissant in the lobby of the hotel, I set off on the train to check out the sights. It had rained the day before on my visit to the V&A, but the sky hadn't been too threatening that morning, so I skipped the umbrella and went on my merry way to Islington.

Loop, as promised, was like a fairy cottage stuffed with wool. I spent over an hour there, growing a little collection of yarn that I carried around like a puppy in my arms. (Gift yarn for friends! Gift yarn for me! When in London, amirite?!) Then, as I poked around in the laceweight section downstairs, an afternoon rainstorm rolled in, and I had to stay a little longer than I had planned. So I stood there with an armload of yarn as the rain tapped its knuckles across the glass, and I breathed in the smell of wool and wet cobblestone from the open door and thought: this must be what heaven feels like.

When the rain finally let up, I left, carrying two precious skeins of Viola Merino Fingering in Speckled Mist (a special colorway just for Loop's 10th anniversary) and a skein of The Uncommon Thread Tough Sock, all part of the devious plan that was a-brewin' in my noggin:

My friend Sara and I had been kicking around the idea of a little seasonal sweater knitalong, as a way to keep accountable on our sweater knitting and have some fun along the way. Vasa was our first pattern choice: a drapey, universally flattering top, designed by Dianna Walla, a talented designer and delightful human to boot.

The only problem with the whole thing was my lack of suitable yarn, which is hilarious considering how much yarn I actually own. (Hint: it's a lot.) But then, with a well-timed trip to Loop, and the exciting possibilities of knitting with gorgeous UK (and hard-to-find Canadian) yarns, my problem was solved!

A month or so later, I cast on, and it became my at-home movie knitting until recently, when I finally bound off and blocked the darn thing.

Did I make it in time for the season, friends? I did not. Did I end up with a beautiful and wearable garment that will always remind me of walking around London on a rainy afternoon? Yes indeed.

     

Good enough for me.

All the details, including my modifications, are on Ravelry here.

Happy Wednesday, friends.

<3

Cory

 

Moar Teaching, and an FO Too: Lelia Mitts!

A quick note for Seattle-local folks - I'll be teaching the Lelia Mitts workshop locally, this upcoming Sunday at The Fiber Gallery! This workshop will be two weekend sessions, October 16th and 23rd, from 3-5 pm.

Interested in joining? Give the shop a call to sign up.

Materials requirements are listed on the Lelia Mitts Ravelry page; needles, Spincycle-y goodness and print copies of the pattern are all available at the shop. Hope to see some of y'all there! <3

 - and now, onto the post!

  

Oh hai there, friends! It's been a while, hasn't it? The fall season has arrived - and with it, a plethora of fiber festivals, classes, and other flagrant knit-wearing opportunities. I have to admit that my brain is a little scrambled from all the fun, as well as with preparations for this year's Knit Fit!, where I'll be a vendor.

I'm hoping to come back to the blog a bit more than I have for the last six months - I've really been missing it, and you all!

In the meantime, here's my most recent pair of Lelia Mitts. I've been jamming hard on orange and turquoise lately, and these mitts are a prime example of that.

I worked them up in three yarns: Swans' Island All-American Collection Sport, a delightfully crunchy domestically-produced Rambouillet yarn, as my main color; and a skein of Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool - which was a special edition color, and a little skinnier than its usual sport weight - held double with Jade Sapphire 2-ply Cashmere, as my contrast color.

Dreamy, right?

More details are on my project page on Ravelry, over hmeah.

Happy fall, friends, and happy Tuesday!

<3
Cory

Special Event: Lelia Mitts & Lupine Shawl Classes at Starlight Knitting Society

Friends, I'm excited to announce that I'll be teaching two project-based classes at Starlight Knitting Society this fall!

I found Starlight about six months ago, at the recommendation of several of my Issaquah Tinker friends who stopped by and discovered this little gem of a store. With a fun, friendly vibe, and a fabulous stock of Fibre Company, Spincycle Yarns, O-Wool, and more, Starlight has quickly become my favorite yarn shop to visit when I'm down in Portland! They have a cozy layout for sitting and chatting, and a jewelbox display of yarns everywhere you look.

This fall, they'll be celebrating their 1-year anniversary with a fab party on Friday, September 16th, from 5-9 pm, and I'm excited to come celebrate with them on Friday - then teach a couple of fun classes on Saturday, as part of the festivities!

  

I'll be teaching two classes based on my designs - the Lelia Mitts, and the Lupine shawl - both on Saturday, September 17th.

If you're in the Portland area - or you're in the Pacific Northwest and would love an excuse to go on a yarny field trip! - pop over to the class section of Starlight's website or call the shop to sign up.

Okay - onto the details! (Follow the links for full details on materials and skills.)

 

Lupine shawl
$40
September 17th, 10 am -12 pm

New to lace? Have no fear! We’ll start with the basics - practicing increases, simple lace, and even a scalloped edging technique in a swatch before jumping into your project. Along the way, I’ll talk about troubleshooting lace projects, and how to easily customize the size of your shawl.

 

Lelia Mitts
$40
September 17th, 1-3 pm.

Inspired by vintage dishware, the Lelia Mitts are a fun introduction to two-color knitting! We’ll talk about choosing colors and practice techniques to create beautiful, even stranded colorwork and stripes. In the process, I’ll share some of my favorite little tweaks to make your knitting shine.

I'm sending out samples of both projects to Starlight this afternoon, so you can head on over to the shop and pet them in person before class starts! :D 

It should be a really fun weekend event - I hope to see you there!

<3

Cory