lots of things happening at the same time
Where to begin? The excitement of the Knits About Winter KAL that just wrapped up, the uncertainty and concern caused by Covid 19, the change of season, or my knitting. I’m going to do my best to roll all of this stuff into one blog post.
This Eastwind Jacket was nearly finished by the KAL deadline (only the buttons remained). So close!
Pom Pom Press and I hosted a Knits About Winter KAL that ended on March 31st. I was blown away by the inspiring and imaginative selection of projects that came to life during the knit-a-long as well as the number of people who participated. Thanks to all who joined in! The chatter thread is still up and ‘sticky’ in Pom Pom Mag’s Ravelry group, so keep on sharing your knitting progress if you can. I really do not like choosing ‘winners’ and in the end made my selections with a little eeny meenie minie moe maneuver. Without getting too sappy on you, I want to say that I wish everyone cold have won a yarn-y prize but I do hope that you enjoyed participating in the KAL as much as I did. And you can take a peek at the FO (finished objects) thread here for even more inspiration.
During the KAL, I knit countless pairs of Favourite Socks (it’s an actual addiction, but I’m okay with that), a Skyhill Hat and an Eastwind Jacket. I may have knit more, but I’ve lost track to be honest. It’s been over two years since the release of Knits About Winter and I still feel as though each pattern is calling out for more exploration. I’m curious about changing up yarn weight, fibre, colour and even texture in many of the patterns as well as making little changes in construction and detail. Participating in this KAL provided the time to work these ideas through in my mind. It also allowed me to realize that I have achieved a goal that I set for myself at the beginning of the Knits About Winter project; for each pattern to be completely useful, comfortable, versatile and adaptable to each knitter’s preferences. I hope that the projects you knit from Knits About Winter are ones that you want to wear for many years to come. The original samples are one of an endless array of ways that each design could be knit and worn, and I hope that you feel inspired to explore a wide variety of options as you plan and swatch and knit these designs.
At times I feel pressure to move onto new design ideas. In this fast-paced world, producing lots and lots of…anything seems to be the goal. I have struggled with this concept forever, not only because it contributes to our racing minds and drive to consume more and more, but also because I think it leaves little space for creativity and exploration. After almost 10 years I am still enthralled with knitting the same plain pair of socks. And that’s because I’m just not finished contemplating the placement and combinations of colours within their shape. I have no idea how many different Barn Sweaters I have planned (at least 6), but I don’t see myself growing tired of Barn variations either. I am not advocating that everyone should want to knit the same patterns forever (and they certainly do not need to be my patterns). What I am trying to say, is that I am learning more and more that my favourite thing about knitting is exploring all the possible options and variations that I can create within the parameters of any pattern that I love. And it is the plain and simple patterns that really stand out to me because of their versatility and usefulness, both in my wardrobe and my life.
Wrapping up my KAL knits helped me to realize that the patterns I created for Knits About Winter are just that to me; simple and endlessly variable. Watching the modifications, colour choices and finished styles of the KAL projects emerge proved that point completely. While I have an unyielding, at times overwhelming, stream of ideas for new knitting patterns, I would like to continue to hold my focus on these special designs for a while longer. I think there is more magic in them that has yet to be revealed.
One that note, I finished my Eastwind Jacket! This was a marathon of a knit, but I truly loved every moment. I made some adjustments to the pattern, which I will explain below. I waffled on whether or not to knit this exactly as written and decided that I want to love and wear this jacket for as long as possible and I may as well make it exactly how I want it! I imagined some changes before I cast on, and others evolved as I knit and thought each detail through more thoroughly…enough jabbering. Here it is!
I’ve worn it every day since I bound off the collar (for the last time). Even as the weather is warming and such a heavy knit has become precarious, I’m just wearing for the cool mornings and evenings and it makes me very happy. And here are the changes that I made to my own design…
the lower sleeves are knit using the larger needle (pattern suggests going down to a smaller needle, but I found that it caused too much bunching in the upper sleeve) I ripped out my first attempt and reknit on 4.5mm for these results. The smooth line down the arms is much more what I had hoped for.
for the collar, I bound off the neck stitches with the last row of bind off stitches for the body pieces. I sewed up the neck opening about another 1.25 inches on either side. I did this while seaming the front and back pieces together. Then, using the smaller needle, I picked up stitches around the entire neck opening and knit about 2.5 inches in 1x1 rib.
the cuffs and collar are all bound off with a tubular bind off.
the button loops are worked using crochet chain instead of the technique recommended in the pattern. This time around, I found that the ‘blanket stitch’ used in the original loops was snagging and becoming really messy. My crochet chain was a simple and tidy alternative. I crocheted into a couple of stitches on the wrong side of the buttons band before working a chain and pulling it through at the point where I wanted my loop to appear. I then fed the loop back through the same point and crocheted into a couple more stitches on the other side of the space the loop had passed through.
I knit my Eastwind using John Arbon Textiles Zwartbles DK in the lightest shade & VIOLA Mohair Lace in Cygnet held double. My contrasts were JAT Zwartbles in the medium shade with VIOLA Mohair Lace in Midnight. Unknown quantities of each of these yarns (sorry!) because I cannot keep track of that sort of stuff no matter how hard I try!
If you have any questions about my modifications, or Eastwind in general just give me a shout.
At nearly one month into isolation for many of us (certainly myself and those close to me here in Canada), little more needs to be said about our global feelings of confusion, anxiety and stress. As a devoted introvert, isolation is pretty much my dream life and so concern for vulnerable people, first responders and those in essential services has been my main source of stress. I don’t have anything to say that has not already been said, but I do hope that we are able to take care of and support one another throughout this journey. It feels like a great opportunity for humanity to really slow down and consider the impact of our lifestyles on ourselves, each other and the planet.
Here at VIOLA, we are all isolating. We are very fortunate to live in a rural area with plenty of outdoor space, fresh air and birdsongs (that can really be heard this spring, more so than usual). Because it is just me (Emily) who has access to the dye studio and is continuing to work, all of our process will be significantly slowed down for the foreseeable future. I plan to continue to work away at dyeing yarn and sharing my world with you, but I also intend to listen to the signs that are asking us to slow down and reflect. For me right now, that means doing a little bit less and doing everything more slowly and with focus. I hope that the satisfaction that came from completing my Eastwind Jacket is a taste of how a more quiet and focused lifestyle could feel.
What this means for the next shop update is that I can’t say just yet when it will be. I’ve been working on some really lovely new colours and we have THREE NEW YARNS in store for you too! When it does happen, the next shop update is going to be doozy! As always, I will send out a newsletter, providing lots of notice, when the next update is scheduled. I’ve also been dyeing up some lovely colours on our new yarns and will share previews as soon as I can. If you’ve been exploring our website, you might also have seen them here. Another way that you can check in with what we’re up to is our calendar, which I do my best to keep up to date. Covid has certainly cleared the calendar for 2020, which was shaping up to be a very busy year at its onset. I’ve left the events as they are for now, but as new plans materialize I will be combing through the year of cancellations and rescheduled activities to give you a clearer picture of what we are up to here at VIOLA.
In the mean time, and most importantly, I hope that you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy.
Emily xo