Tag: worsted

Knitting · Spirituality

Red Hat Resilience

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blue house with snow, Minnesota flag and wintery morning sun

In August 2024, I bought a Minnesota state flag to hang on our Kutzky Park front porch.  It was a point of pride that my Governor was a vice-presidential candidate.  I unfurled the flag again on that frigid Saturday last month, the day of the first of reoccurring ICE out of Minnesota NOW! marches.  This time the flag on our front porch is a subtle sign of protest on a quiet street in a new neighborhood but also a sign of resilience; proud that Minnesota residents will not be bullied.

Like you, I am experiencing the challenge of how to watch the news and yet stay sane.  How to be aware of the life and death actions happening in our community and just a few miles up the road, and around the country, as well as celebrate how good people are coming together.  Since it is easy to get caught up in the onslaught of news, I am trying to avoid the trap of doomscrolling.  As you know, that is tough when the most basic of American tenants are dismantled before our eyes.  When those principles – literally written in stone – “Give me your tired and your poor…” are discarded. 

I limit my morning routine to checking several reliable news sources but then shift to the arts – knitting sometime during each day and a daily dose of poetry, a gentle salve for a bruised soul.  Simple words on paper (or a screen) that capture the complexity of modern emotions.  There are times when the Poetry Foundation’s Poem for the Day is a good fit while other days, I dig a little deeper often returning to the words of former poet laureates Joy Harjo, Ted Kooser, or Amanda Gorman. 

Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet, an award-winning author, a banned book author, is an accomplished writer who captured our angst within hours of the murder of Renee Nicole Good and again after the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti.  Her words honoring Renee Good reminded us:

Change is only possible,
& all the greater,
When the labour
& bitter anger of our neighbors 
Is moved by the love
& better angels of our nature.

Some mornings, I listen as her lyrical voice recites poignant words that go with the quiet flow of fiber through my fingers; a meditative quality of one stitch after another, moving from skein to project to finished item which, at the moment, are red Melt the ICE hats.

I am an early participant in today’s red hat phenomenon.  You may have heard how the owner of a small yarn store in St. Louis Park wanted to re-create the visual impact of the sea of pink hats seen worldwide at rallies in 2016.  The design draws on Minnesota’s Norwegian heritage and that country’s resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II

The Norwegian Resistance Museum in Lillehammer has on display red beanies from that era and copies of the Nazi alert forbidding anyone, under threat of punishment, from possessing a red hat, regardless of age.  Red hats have become a worldwide statement.  Over 100,000 copies of the pattern have been sold to crafters in 43-countries and over $650,000 has been distributed to metro area non-profits supporting immigrants.

Today, whether we march, or sing, or knit, let’s follow Bruce Springsteen’s call to “take a stand for this land and the stranger in our midst.”  Words that universally resonate and are making this new anthem a number one song in countries around the world. May love unfurl and lead us wherever we go:  into the streets, into caucuses or voting booths, at public meetings or any place where love creates community, justice, art – and into a practice that makes the fibers of our hope into something strong enough to give us warmth, shelter, and resilience – much like red Melt the ICE beanies.

Knitting

Kumi Cardigan

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Having seen his shadow earlier this morning, Punxsutawney Phil predicted our frosty weather will continue making this the perfect time to begin the annual Knit Camp winter sweater workshop. With pine needle green yarn in hand, my swatch knit to gauge, and an entire library of online tutorials just a click away, I am ready to cast on. Marie Greene describes the Kumi Cardigan as:

small moss covered Japanese pagoda in a lush green garden
A richly textured cardigan inspired by Japanese Kumihimo. Kumihimo are traditional Japanese braided cords (usually made with silk or other fiber), historically used for armor, kimonos, and samurai swords, but now popular for jewelry, accessories, and crafts using tools like braiding disks. The name Kumihimo means "coming together of threads," resulting in decorative and functional cords that can be round, flat, or square, with intricate patterns. This sweater design features Japanese cables that are inspired by the use of these decorative cords.

My yarn is Peruvian merino wool in light worsted/DK-weight that I have used before and know it offers wonderful stitch definition. This will ensure the Kumi textures “pop.”  The pine needle colorway has an almost heathered quality with subtle variations, not just plain green, but reminiscent of sunshine on tall swaying white pine trees.

Happy knitting!

Knitting

Melt the ICE: Knit for Justice

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red, handknitted beanie with straight sides, pointed top and a braided tassle

With a nod to Minnesota’s Norwegian heritage and honoring that country’s historic resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II, needle & skein, in St. Louis Park, is promoting a Melt the ICE Hat. Designed with versatility in mind, the beanie can be knit using fingering, DK, or worsted weight yarn. A crochet pattern is also available. A quick check of Ravelry projects reveals that since the pattern was released on January 16 thousands of fiber artists have already cast on this unique design.

The yarn store website describes the reason behind the flat, pointy, tasseled design this way: “In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute.”

For those a little less familiar with Minnesota geography, St. Louis Park is a close-in Twin Cities suburb just west of Minneapolis. Some of the news footage you have seen recently may be from those very streets. The yarn store has promised that “the proceeds from the sale of the pattern will go to the LynLake community of businesses who will distribute the funds to those impacted by the actions of ICE.”

Using a stashed skein of Kelbourne Woolens Germantown in a Persian Red, I finished the first of five (or maybe more) Melt the ICE Hats. As friends seek something rational to grasp onto after a nightmare week that revealed the best of Minnesotans who rallied in peaceful protest by the tens of thousands in sub-zero temperatures and the worst of America with the executions of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, I will use my knitting needles to proclaim:

Do justice. 
Love kindness. 
Abolish ICE.
Knitting

Swiss Miss Knits

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hand knit cowl with white background and blue and teal dashes of color displayed on a wooden hanger

This year’s virtual Traveler’s Club: A Knitter’s Journey has moved from Switzerland to Germany. But before leaving the alpine meadows and glacial lakes of my grandparents, I finished two of the three Swiss inspired patterns. (The February knit-along project, Kleine Sweater, is still on my needles.)

Marie Greene developed these new designs after spending time in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps.

  • The Interlacken Headband features a clever mosaic technique that creates a textured fabric in two colors without actually carrying multiple strands. The 17-stitch width in worsted weight wool knit up quickly and will surely keep ears warm on nippy mornings.
  • Like its namesake, the Lake Stroll Cowl, was inspired by walks along the shores of Lakes Brienz and Thun while Marie visited Interlaken and features slipped stitches interspersed with garter stitch pops of color.

Happy Knitting! Or, more appropriately, Viel Spaß beim Stricken!

Knitting · Travel

Swiss Holiday Mail and Fiber Arts Inspiration

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handpainted holiday images on card and envelope with Swiss postage stamps

Mail arrived from Switzerland just as Knit Camp’s virtual Traveler’s Club begins its three-month (January – March) exploration of Swiss fiber arts. The beautiful, handcrafted card offered family news, as well as memories from the summer of 2023 and time spent with Kuster cousins. This holiday greeting will serve as inspiration when I stash dive for yarn to knit this month’s themed pattern, the Interlaken Headband which features interlocking two-color mosaic stitches, just like the lakes for which the design is named.

Plus, the hand painted Christmas imagery also qualifies for this month’s geometric squares with BeckyB!

Happy Knitting! Or, more appropriately, Viel Spaß beim Stricken!

Knitting

Autumnal Knitting

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a selection of six hand knit beanies in various colors on a wood floor

Unlike Shel Silverstein’s Mr. Smeds who had twenty-one hats, and none of them were the same, I knit only eight beanies for this year’s Halloween hat drive sponsored by Hawthorne Helps.  Momma joined the giving with a donation of two knit scarves.  At nearly 101, she may be their oldest donor and HH will feature her picture on their October 29th distribution poster.

Hawthorne Helps is a community partnership between Rochester Public Schools Hawthorne Education Center and the First Unitarian Universalist Church.  The program also receives support from local faith, service, and business groups.  Twice a month, HH volunteers distribute essential items that are not eligible purchases using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, such as deodorant, dish soap, or toothpaste.  Each fall, the selection of items available to the adult learners includes wintery weather gear – hats, mittens, and scarves – which are especially useful for new immigrants arriving from warmer climates.

Knitting

Red Gems

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small handknit red blanket on a blue tweed chair

Just in time for Valentine’s Day!  Although these diamonds are not of the shimmery carbon variety but a well-planned placement of textured knit and purl stitches that create the illusion of repeating geometric shapes.  The designer offered three graduated sizes: baby blanket, lapghan, and full-sized afghan.  My version of the Little Gem Blanket is baby-sized, 32-inches square; just right to provide a bit of warmth on a sedentary evening of streaming videos. 

What we designate as our TV room can be chilly on a frigid winter evening depending on wind direction.  This room has only had cosmetic improvements – new windows and the refinishing of the original maple flooring.  We have no idea as to the energy efficiency of the insulation.  Slumped vermiculite? Or, it may even be the stitched newspaper–tarpaper variety we discovered when we remodeled the 1940s bump-out bathroom addition.  Hence the need for wool warmth.

This small blanket project also channeled the best ideals of stash management.  The 650-yards of superwash wool were remnant skeins remaining after the completion of the 2022 Vivi workshop sweater. That pattern was designed in the style of boxy Danish “night” sweaters which, coincidently, displayed an elegant collection of cabled diamonds.

Knitting · Reading

2022 Highlighted in Knitting & Books

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Taking an inventory of the old year is by no means a unique task.  It is, however, not something I have done previously in this blog.  So here are a few highlights of my 22 knitting projects (some of which you will have already seen) and my titles read – 82 – although to be honest, I indulged in a number of quick read YA fantasies and enjoyed a variety of easy-listening titles while driving to-and-from Eau Claire and hours spent gardening last summer in order to reach this quantity.

handknit blue silk scarf with beaded zigzag edge
Hitchhiker Shawl
gray knit afgan on blue leather chair
Gansey Afghan
January – March
handknit shawl using rustic silk in muted creams and lavenders
Buds & Bumbles Shawl
blue green sweater with cable stitched yoke
Little Gansey Sweater
April – June
handknit cardigan in light sage with navy blue accents
Coastal Grandma Sweater
bronze medallion marking Boston Freedom Trail set in sidewalk with the tips of two black leather shoes on bottom edge
Massachusetts Pilgrimage
handknit teal shawl with cables and red porcelain bowl holding yarn in upper left corner
Mallory Shawl
July – September
handknit blue shawl with contracting cream colored bands and lace edge
Apple Cart Shawl
hand knit cable scarf and beanie in magenta tweed yarn
Whitethorn Beanie & Scarf
October – December
Knitting

Solstice Mittens

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blue-brown knit mittens
Slightly wonky but very warm fulled mittens

With winter storm warnings blinking on my computer tool bar and anticipated temperatures hovering below zero all day, it seemed the perfect time to wear my first ever fulled wool mittens. 

The timeline from knitting to fulling to wearing spans nearly a decade.  These mittens were knit between February – March 2013 during a course at a local fabric store no longer in business.  But the class only provided the pattern and a knitting circle on two evenings.  I took my new project home and worried about how to actually create the thick mittens without ruining my work.  I finally deduced that whether I ruined the mittens during the hot water agitated washing or if they simply continued to sit at the bottom of a wicker yarn basket, they were equally unwearable.  A Covid Finishing Fest hosted by Northfield Yarns in May 2020 gave me the impetus to watch several how-to videos and violà mittens!  Not needed with springtime temps, I tucked them away to be forgotten, thought lost, then found, and worn today for the first time.   

Happy winter solstice!

Note:  The distinction between fulling and felting is one of timing.  In the textile world, felting is a done with fibers, not with woven cloth while fulling describes the act of wet finishing the woven cloth or knitted item with water, temperature and agitation.