hey everybody,
We’re into the hot days of summer here in NC, but the yarny pursuits have not stopped in this household! Many people consider knitting and crocheting to be seasonal activities, but for me they are year round sports.
In the June newsletter, I mentioned that I seem to keep starting new projects. More than halfway through July, that continues to be true. In addition, I’m trying to finish some of my many works in progress along the way. This month’s big project-to-finish was actually writing up a pattern. The knitting happened in 2021(!), but the pattern writing didn’t start until a couple of weeks ago. It’s called Vacation Favorite.
It’s an asymmetrical triangle shawl (based on my Favorite shawl/wrap pattern) that uses a handful of stitch patterns and two colors of DK or worsted weight yarn. Perfect for a special variegated skein of souvenir yarn that you might’ve bought on vacation. We all do that, right? Visit yarn shops on vacation? My souvenir skein is Mountain Colors Twizzle (though I didn't buy it on vacation, technically, it was a gift from John. One year for our wedding anniversary, he hunted down some special treats from places we have visited together. He ordered the Twizzle from The Quarter Stitch in New Orleans, one of my favorite vacation yarn shops in one of our favorite cities). It’s a special colorway called Mardi Gras that Mountain Colors dyed exclusively for the shop. This beautiful yarn inspired the design.
The Vacation Favorite pattern will be available starting Tuesday, July 25th on Ravelry, and newsletter subscribers are invited to use the code VACATIONYARN to get it at a discount through the end of the month.
With so much of my focus on writing this pattern for the last couple of weeks, I’ve been itching to make another one. So last night I started one (another new project to add to my list!), but this time I’m mixing it up a little. My yarn is a combination of fingering weight wools (Koigu KPPPM and Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Socknado), and my plan is to mix up the stitch patterns in a different order. There’s really nothing to see yet, but I’ll post photos in the next newsletter.
something to try
The last section of Vacation Favorite uses a short row stitch pattern that I’m calling Fairy Lights. It uses German short rows with double stitches, but don’t let that scare you away. The technique is not difficult, especially if you can watch somebody do it, so I made a video to demonstrate. Grab a skein of variegated yarn, another of a solid color, some knitting needles, and give it a quick try!
behind the scenes
I’ve posted before about my workspace, the little nest I set up in the room that used to be John’s office. Since he wasn’t actually working from home, he had been using it mainly as a place to keep his books, a printer, and a few woodworking supplies. We moved my yarn into it years ago, and I added a couple of tables here and there where I could keep supplies and work at my computer. Over time, the room has gotten kind of crowded. Give a knitter an inch……..well, you know. Ahem.
Then, during the pandemic, John started working from home out of necessity. Since we thought it would be a fairly short term situation, he set up a desk in the guest room instead of trying to wedge it into his now very full former office. Fast forward 3+ years later, and he is now officially teleworking. We decided it made sense to switch our workspaces, and we threw the whole house into disarray a couple of weeks ago to get it done. Now, John gets a whole room for his office with all of his books and work stuff in one place. And with my yarn nest relocated to the guest room, I have a lot more space than before. Truthfully, it’s really more of a fiber studio that happens to also have a guest bed. While I really did enjoy the nest-like quality of my former yarn nook, it feels rather luxurious to have everything more spread out.
It’s not all quite settled, but I love it, loved it from the very first day. Here’s a photo of my worktable, filled with lots of yarny stuff. As you can see, I’m a big fan of keeping a bunch of things within easy reach, making for a crowded table.
a couple of things you might like
I’ve been hearing about the new book about creativity by music producer Rick Rubin everywhere, it seems, and now I’m going to turn around and share it with you. I’ve only just bought the book, so there’s no firsthand reporting to be done, but the interviews with Rubin on the Broken Record and On Being podcasts might help you decide if you’re interested.
And speaking of podcasts, I’m thoroughly enjoying This Is Jeopardy! It’s all about the history of the show, how things work behind the scenes, the contestant experience, and the cultural phenomenon it’s become. Give it a listen if you want to geek out about all things Jeopardy!
That’s it for today, thanks for reading!
Lisa
PS: Don't forget, the discount code (VACATIONYARN) for The Vacation Favorite is good from Tuesday the 25th through the end of July.
Lisa, as usual you motivate me! Will order pattern tomorrow and hit my favorite yarn shop! Look forward for future motivations💕