My Chambered Nautilus Tam (a pattern by Elizabeth Zimmermann) is done. It was easy… once I knew what I was doing. Here is how mine turned out, what I think of this pattern, and a few helpful tips for anyone interested in making their own.
Continue reading The Chambered Nautilus Tam – a pattern review with helpful tips!
Not much of a post for today. I’d apologize but… I’m not feeling very sorry about it. After too many days of only knitting a little here and a little there, I’m back at it with gusto and I don’t want to stop. Not even for my much-loved blog!
Today I’m chain plying some of my handspun yarn. If all you have done so far is the traditional plying from two or more bobbins then you will love this. With chain ply, you can to turn a spun single, from just one bobbin, into a three ply yarn.
Medieval, Regency, Victorian Age sailors were experts with in all forms of needlework. Historians, amateur and professional alike, seem to recognize that as fact. By the 1700’s sailors were probably knitting, but there isn’t much in the way of evidence to support it. They had to be. But I can’t find any historical evidence to support it. When it comes to sailors and their needlework, historians seem to only be interested in the tradition of sailors’ embroidery.
And I can see why. British maritime woolworks, aka “woolies” are amazing. That may look like a painting but its not. Its embroidery (probably on a piece of old sail).
Continue reading A Sea of Stitches – Sailors who took their stitching with them
A crafter can never have too much yarn, too many patterns, or too many websites on which to waste hours and hours thinking about yarn and patterns. Which is why we have online stitch libraries. These are collections of patterns, motifs really, that have been organized by helpful souls and available for free.
It’s been a tough two weeks for me as you may have been able to tell from the rambling and chaotic direction of my recent posts. If that didn’t tip you off, the lack of any progress whatsoever on my projects probably did! But I’m back on track and I have the pictures to prove it.
Love Noro. In my not-so-humble opinion, no one does color like Noro. Of all the yarns they make, Taiyo is my favorite in Colorway No 1.
Its nice right? Right. But its twisty. As you stitch with it it doubles back on itself and that can be a pain. If you’ve worked with Noro you’ve encountered this. All their singles are overspun. A more generous soul would call them energized singles. I’m not that generous and I want it to stop twisting. So I take the time to “finish” my Noro yarn with steam.
Continue reading Taking Some Twist Out of The Noro (and other yarns!)
Knitters, and weavers, and crocheters will use yarn in all different weights. Yarn weight is an indication of its thickness, not how much it weighs. The confusion doesn’t end there as I’m sure everyone who reads this blog already knows. You can go into any yarn store, pick up three different sport weight yarns, and find three different thicknesses.
What’s going on here?
The sewing in of ends can put a powerful frown on a knitter’s face. Any sewing of any sort seems to be might unpopular among knitters. While I haven’t yet heard of a way to make those sweater pieces graft themselves together (if I do I’ll run straight here to you!) I can share a way of weaving in those ends as you knit. Maybe that will relieve the knitting community of some of its terrible, tapestry needle inflicted burden!
Continue reading Sunday Stitch – Weaving In Ends As You Knit (no sewing!)
A crafter’s choice of tools reveals their soul! Like a palm reader sitting behind a cloud of patchouli incense, I can divine all sorts of things about you from your favorite stitching tools.
Continue reading What are your Needles and Hooks Saying About You?
Roving Crafters 