Knitting

Knit Camp Adieu

October 3, 2026 annbh3562 Comments

All through my retirement years, pattern designer, author, and Knit Camp leader, Marie Greene, has helped guide my knitting journey. She recently announced a slow shut down of Knit Camp. The small business model is no longer viable in today’s economy. While this transition will occur over the next 10-months, I am already wondering who will be my new “go-to” resource. So many choices to investigate.

Some Knit Camp activities, including the weekly conference calls, have already ended, while other benefits will continue. For the rest of my membership, I will receive a free pattern each month. Her well-designed patterns are technically edited and test-knit before release. Over the years, her designs have ranged from mittens and shawls to holiday decorations and sweaters.

Marie’s annual fall Mystery Knit-A-Long (MKAL) launched on October 1 as planned and the three-color, triangular shawl is already on my needles. As with any MKAL, the “clues,” that is the different segments of the pattern, will be released over a set time. The pattern notes describe the Popcorn Catamaran shawl as “an ode to creativity and whimsy while featuring subtle layers of color.” Having cast on the first clue, I already know there will be mini bobbles with clues coming once a week to my in-box.

I fully enjoyed this summer’s virtual Knit Camp Retreat at the Coast. This fifth annual online learning experience featured sessions taught by Marie, as well as a talented roster of guests instructors. There are no plans to offer this event in the future. However, the Olive Knit Tours to Scotland this fall and Ireland next spring will occur as planned. I just will not be flying to those misty isles to see the sheep in the heather.

I will miss the friendly, safe online environment, where Campers shared their Works-in Progress (WIPs) on Wednesdays and Finished Objects on Friday. Where the focus was on fiber and not political divisions. Where the biggest worries might be a day of yarn-chicken or managing time zones for an online book discussion from Oregon to Minnesota to England, Australia, and Japan.

Thank you Marie Greene and fellow Knit Campers! Happy knitting!

Graphic credit: © Marie Greene, Olive Knits.

Knitting

Arsenic and Old Lace

July 31, 2026 annbh3561 Comment

close up of knitting stitches in blue and cream lace shawl

I enjoy my Agatha Christie as visual experiences rather than words on the page, whether it is the cinematic classic, Witness for the Persecution, (1957 with Marlene Dietrich, Tyrone Power, and Charles Laughton) or the new streaming adaptations of Hercule Poirot starring and directed by Kenneth Brautigan.

While I know Marie Greene best as a knitting designer, instructor, and the author of six knitting books, she has a passion for mysteries. Currently she is expanding her repertoire while writing her first mystery.

Two of her fall mystery knit-alongs (MKAL) paid homage to her favorite author, Agatha Christie, with The Tuesday Night Wrap in 2023 and, most recently, last October, with Arsenic and Old Lace. As my attention was focused on unpacking and hanging art at Solstice Place, I cast on after the pattern was fully revealed. No mystery during my project.

Arsenic and Old Lace is a two-color shawl that begins by casting on five stitches and then, through a series of increases along the side edges and the center midline, grows into a lacy triangular shawl. This version artfully combines two skeins of fingering weight yarn. The pale blue is from my days as member of Sew Happy Jane’s Handdyed Yarn Club and the creamy variegated was a souvenir skein purchased during our great-niece’s destination wedding weekend in Tennessee. It is always rewarding to stash dive and transform yards and yards of yarn into wearable art.

Happy Knitting!

Knitting

Mystery Knit-Along: Postcard from the Edge

June 2, 2025June 2, 2025 annbh3562 Comments

handknit shawl in purple, green, and peach colors on a white background

close up detail of a handknit shawl in purple, green, and peach colors on a white background

My in-house “colorist” helped select the lovely hues for the Spring String mystery knit-along. I am so pleased with the result that I am keeping the Postcard from the Edge shawl for personal use. When making my initial yarn selection, I identified several pairings from among my stash that looked good but I was stumped when moving beyond two complimentary skeins. However, the pattern required a third selection – a main color, a contrasting color and an accent. I will admit I was hesitant when Richard chose Farmers Market (MC), Macrame (CC), and Pumpkin Spice, a variegated accent skein as I could not envision the outcome. (Note to self – Trust the artist in the house!)

Knitting began when the first of five mystery clues was revealed on April 1 and continued quickly with the release of a new clue each Tuesday; all while learning several new stitches. The hand-dyed organic Merino from Heather Best at Sew Happy Jane had a lovely feel, flowing through my fingers. The Knit Camp pattern from Marie Greene offered clear, tech-edited directions and even provided stitch counts as the shawl grew by four stitches every other row – from just five stitches at cast-on to 419 at bind-off. The end result a triangular shawl featuring lacy scallops and slipped stitches drawn into flowery bursts.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

No fool’n…

April 1, 2025 annbh3563 Comments

…it is time for Knit Camp’s 2025 Spring String Mystery Knit-along (MKAL).

The first clue dropped today without any April Fools tomfoolery. The remainder of the pattern will be revealed over the next four weeks. Just like a well-written dust jacket blurb that offers story hints without giving away the plot, the pattern’s pre-release notes provided an overview sufficient to know this will be a triangular shawl, in three colors using fingering weight yarn.

three skeins of yarn with colors (left to right) purple, varigated coral, and green — Colors: Farmers Market, Pumpkin Spice & Macrame

The yarn for Postcard from the Edge is a lovely selection of hand-dyed, organic Merino from Heather Best at Sew Happy Jane. And, with a move to a new house always on the fringe of my consciousness, there will be three fewer skeins to pack and move as I did a “stash dive” for this project.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

Seashell Shawlette

December 14, 2024 annbh3561 Comment

handknit shawl with rows of lace stitches in lavendar and green hues on a wooden hanger — Seashell Shawlette

close up detail of handknit shawl with rows of lace stitches in lavendar and green hues on a wooden hanger — Seashell Shawlette

With an observant eye, whether on a sandy stretch of coastline along the Gulf or walking on a rocky Lake Superior shore, a beachcomber can always discover rock and shell treasures. While this winter we will stay cozy and close to home, we will enjoy vicariously the sun of warmer climes through our friends’ travels and as depicted through knitted imagery.

Designer Shaina Bilow describes the Seashell Shawlette this way: “The lace stripes are inspired by the repeating patterns on seashells and the soft, expanding, curled shape is also a nod to these lovely natural formations.” I knit this version using a wonderful blend of Merino and silk yarn dyed in subtle colors (reminiscent of the iridescent hues of mother of pearl buttons) that will drape elegantly across one’s shoulders.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

Mystery Knit-a-Long: Bubble Wand Shawl

December 3, 2024March 22, 2025 annbh3563 Comments

Only the barest details were revealed before the start of the fall Knit Camp mystery knit-a-long (MKAL).

The title: Bubble Wand Shawl – inspired by the whimsy of bubbles flowing gently through a wand.
The yarn: Fingering weight in five contrasting colors. Ahead of time, designer Marie Greene, shared recommendations for fiber content, including the brand and colors she chose for her initial sample. Sleuthing knitters were welcome to make their own choices. I opted to match the Knit Camp sample rather than resorting to the color wheel to find complimentary and contrasting colors that, when put together, played well.
The schedule: Five clues released, one per week in October. MKAL participants graciously kept undercover the developing design by posting progress pictures only after a new clue was revealed. As my early October schedule included hosting visiting Swiss cousins this led to my late start so I benefited from seeing my fellow Knit Campers’ progress reports.

The Bubble Wand Shawl began with a five-stitch cast-on. A four-stitch increase on every right-side row – one stitch added at the beginning of the row, two along a central axis, one at the end of the row – provided the shape and size. From that simple cast-on, the stitch count grew through the final lacy edge and a bind-off of 389 stitches. The Stroll Fingering blend of 75% merino wool and 25% nylon, knit using a larger than recommended needle size resulted in an airy fabric with a lovely drape that wraps nicely around the neck and shoulders. Now, I just need a lucky recipient.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

Knit Camp at the Coast

September 13, 2024 annbh3563 Comments

My head is swimming with the possibilities of newly learned techniques, and I am only at the mid-point of the 2024 Knit Camp at the Coast Retreat. This annual online event, hosted by Marie Greene, features 11 guest instructors this year, as well as a marketplace (with discounted products) and time for socializing.

As shawls are my jam – that is, my favorite item to knit, the first class highlighting different shaped shawls – bias rectangles, chevrons, and asymmetrical triangles – was the best kick off for these three days. The instructor shared intricate color designs within repeated 45° angles and created by the artful pairing of increases and decreases to achieve the desired shape.

The retreat topics range from the practical such as sewing perfect seams which provide structure to knitted items to acts of kindness as we learned how Loose Ends “aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with projects people have left undone due to death or disability.”

The quality of the content has always been of high caliber, but things have changed since 2020 and the Covid days when the technology befuddled everyone. This year’s prerecorded classes ensure the systematic presentation of information in an environment with controlled lighting, refined camera angles, and good sound. Gone are the days of dropped microphones, disruptive background noises, and stitch demonstrations that were sometimes out of focus or out of frame. During years 1-4, the retreat was a two-day event plus an opening evening reception. For this fifth anniversary year, the content fills three days. And I can review the sessions anytime during the next 45 days. So don’t call or text until Sunday as I am busy with Knit Camp at the Coast!

Happy Knitting!

Knitting

Ready for autumn days

August 29, 2024 annbh3564 Comments

handknit reddish brown shawl with lacy eyelets and bobbles

The Skipping Stones Wrap is just off my needles and, without an intended recipient, becomes another on-hand donation for the next silent auction fundraiser. Bobbles grace each end and construction offered double the fun as this piece was worked as two mirrored halves and then grafted seamlessly in the middle. While I like the whimsey of bobbles, a quick inventory of over 250 projects reveals this design element in only seven items (one hat, one cowl, two sweaters, and now, three shawls.)

Rows of differing sized lacy eyelets flow through the body. And, just as the name suggests, the wearer can almost hear the gentle plop, plop, plop as a stone leaves the hand and skims across the smooth lake surface. The fingering weight blend of merino wool and silk, knit in a reddish foxy brown, will be perfect for cool autumn days.

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!