Knitting

Midsomer Mystery

July 20, 2024August 29, 2024 annbh3561 Comment

The May mystery knit-along (MKAL) with Solène Le Roux evolved from an acknowledgment of Beltane, the Gaelic May Day, into my very own midsummer celebration sans the numerous murders of the British TV drama. I cast-on with the other knitters as the MKAL began May 1 but changed plans not once but twice. I switched from a tweedy, deep forest yarn which proved too dark to reveal the delicate cables and then changed needles for a different gauge. (Note to self – The time “ saved” by not swatching is definitely not saved!)

blue handknit shawl draped on a wooden hanger — Kala Mae MKAL Shawl

close up of knit stitches on a handknit blue shawl showing lace and cables — Kala Mae MKAL Shawl

The crescent shawl showcases a soft single ply Merino in Stockholm blue, hand-dyed in Hastings at Muse2320. The cables along the top edge mimic two embedded I-cords and the central design reveals left and right leaning 2-over-2 twists that frame the braided central cable. I discovered too late that 40 grams of yarn remaining from the starting weight of 200g (approximately 874 yards) was insufficient for bottom border as designed, so I modified the pattern (something I rarely do) and exchanged the ribbed border for a lacy edge.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

Celebrating May

May 13, 2024July 15, 2024 annbh3561 Comment

I discovered French knitting designer, Solène Le Roux, in 2018. Her designs offered me a glimpse into the Parisian world of haute couture through a blend of simple elegance paired with stitches that are technically challenging enough to keep me alert and learning. In the early days of Covid, I joined her for a bilingual virtual retreat and then followed her move from Paris to the Château de Parançay in southwest France where she hosts knitting classes and fiber adventures.

At the moment, I have a larger than normal number of items on my needles (two scarfs, a pair of socks, a twelve-month afghan, and a summer shawl). It feels quite frivolous to start another project, especially a mystery knit-along (MKAL) but then Solène is offering an “online knitting + meditation experience to celebrate Beltane and the month of May.” Since Clue #1 promised a variety of cables (my favorite design element) I cast on my Kala Mae mystery shawl using a rich tonal blue yarn, hand-dyed just up the river in Hastings at Muse2320.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

An Alpaca, Goat & Yarn Adventure

April 23, 2022March 21, 2025 annbh3561 Comment

Not everything is simply knit and purl stitches. Sometimes the fiber arts includes a field trip with friends on a rainy spring day.

After reading Vanishing Fleece: Adventures in American Wool by Clara Parkes, I had an ever so slight understanding of the intricate transformation required to place a skein in my hand. Yesterday’s visit to Rach-Al-Paca Fiber Processing in Hastings moved Parkes’s words from paper into real life. Our exploration began in the barn where I handfed corralled alpacas (no spitting allowed.) We ooh-ed and aah-ed at the herd of goats and kids and then moved into the plant for a discussion of practical tasks like washing, before viewing the mechanical processes of carding, spinning and plying (all requiring lots of math, as well as physics.) We did eventually reach the shop where, yes, we bought yarn.

And, our fiber adventure was only half-begun as after lunch we visited MUSE2320 Fiber Co. and met Sara, an entrepreneurial color artist extraordinaire with ties to northern Wisconsin. Even though she was in the midst of dyeing hundreds of special order skeins following last week’s Minnesota Yarn Shop Hop, we chatted about color, yarn, the river, and the naming of her shop: muse – a source of inspiration and 2,320 – the approximate length of the Mississippi River. I am enamored of the MUSE2320 palate. This shop will definitely become a regular source of beautiful yarn.

Happy knitting!