Winter/Spring 2020 Class Schedule

January 13, 2020
2 Comments

Thank you all for your patience awaiting this schedule! I am excited to get this out to you; this schedule comprises of many favorites, both old and new. As I have been deep in recovery mode lately, it has afforded me time to not only knit A LOT, but also to ponder what I want to teach and share with you. Without a doubt and probably unsurprisingly, I can affirm that I really, truly love knitting. When things felt really difficult and dark, I was so grateful to have knitting to focus on, bring me joy, and fill the hours. I know knitting brings comfort and solace to many of you, too; my hope is that my classes, groups, and community enrich and extend the joy knitting already brings to your life; I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

After reading through the schedule, including the registration information, please contact me directly to register through email (karyn@knithero.net) or text (801.391.9669). I teach all of the Knit Hero classes listed on this schedule at my location, Knit House. Once you have contacted me to register, I will give you the address of the house and directions to find me. To stay in touch digitally, you can find me most regularly on Instagram (@knit_hero), but also on Ravelry (KnitHero) and Facebook (Knit Hero).

Printable Version of 2020 Winter/Spring Class Schedule

Knitting Support Group (beginning January 14th)

Knitting Support Group is the perfect place to get the help you need while enjoying the support of other knitters in a friendly group atmosphere. I love leading this group, instructing and supporting all knitters–whether it be to help with a specific pattern, answer general or specific knitting questions, rescue knitting emergencies, or provide support while working on a challenging project. All KSGs take place at Knit House.

When: Weekly Tuesdays from 3:00 to 4:30 PM and Thursdays from 8:30 to 10:00 AM (please mark your calendars that there will be no KSG February 13th, May 21st, or 28th)

AND: Every second and fourth Monday evening of each month from 6:30 to 8:00 PM (please mark your calendars that KSG will take place Monday, May 18th instead of May 25th)

Cost: 1 class for $10 or 6–session punch card for $50 (expires six months after first use; all existing punch cards will be extended two months to account for my time off)

Sweater Classes:

Some of my very favorite classes to teach as Knit Hero have definitely been leading various sweater classes. I love having the opportunity to expand knitters’ skills beyond basic top-down construction, simple shaping, and straightforward stitch patterns. Each of the sweaters listed below contains interesting techniques, brilliant design, and will help expand your skills as a sweater knitter. For you as a knitter, committing to knitting a sweater in a group setting is ideal, because having scaffolded class times ensures that you will have support, instruction, camaraderie, accountability, and goals throughout the sweater knitting process to ensure you not only finish your sweater, but also love how it turns out. If you have taken my Essentials of Sweater Knitting class (or can demonstrate the required skills based on my approval), either of these sweater classes could be the perfect second (or third or fourth+!) sweater option for you this winter.

Knit.Love.Wool Colorwork Sweater 

Jennifer Steingass’ colorwork sweaters seem to be all over Ravelry these days. It seems like every sweater she designs is even better than the last, doesn’t it? In this class, you will have the opportunity to choose one of three top-down patterns depending on what yoke pattern you love the most: Darkwater, Hinterland, or New Leaf. If you have completed at least one successful color work project and want to broaden your skills on a larger project, this class is perfect for you. 

When: Saturdays, February 8th & 22nd, March 7th & 21st, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM

Cost: $90

Absolutely Classic Atelier

This brilliantly designed top-down Atelier sweater features interesting construction and lovely details throughout. From i-cord edgings (including i-cord cast ons, bind offs, and vertical edgings), picking up stitches to create the unique shoulder construction, adding garter stitch details, perfect pocket installation, and how to read a more complex pattern, this sweater is a beautiful combination of skills that will engage you while on your needles and delight you once it’s off and part of your wardrobe. 

When: Saturdays, March 14th & 28th, April 18th, and May 2nd, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM

Cost: $90

Just Finish It Already!

Finish your UFOs (unfinished objects) so you can start new projects guilt-free! I cannot even count how often knitters tell me they can’t sign up for any new classes because they “first have to finish their ______ (fill in the blank) project.” Of course, many knitters lack the motivation, time, or skills to finally get that project off the needles and into their wardrobe. I’ve developed this new class for all you knitters out there who need help getting that project (or two or four or six!) DONE. This class is similar to Knitting Support Group in that everyone will be working on different projects, but this class will focus more explicitly on goal setting, learning project-specific skills, helpful finishing techniques, and proper celebrations when it’s all done. 

When: Saturdays, January 25th, February 29th, March 28th, and April 25th, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM

Cost: $65

Laughter & Lace Gathering

Advanced Lace Workshop has a new name! This class is open to all lace knitters who would like to expand their lace knitting skills and have a ball in an incredibly social, supportive group atmosphere. While you do need to have basic lace knitting skills, you do not need to have knit advanced lace before. I will provide an array of traditional and modern pattern choices for a variety of different knitting levels, but you are free and encouraged to choose any lace shawl that excites, inspires, and challenges you as a knitter. I will provide support, guidance, and instruction as needed (and plan to knit my own lace shawl alongside you!).

When: Fridays, February 7th, March 6th, April 10th, and May 1st, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Cost: $65

Bonny Bonnet Workshop

Goodness, this Beloved Bonnet is fun to make. Always interesting, but never too challenging, this is an adorable little project just packed with approachable, useful skills: i-cords, increases, decreases, and short rows. Using just one skein of worsted weight yarn for even the largest size, you may find that you want to make everyone you know one of these bonny bonnets!

When: Saturday, February 22nd, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Cost: $35

Bee Smart Beeswax Hat

Increase your cabling skills as you knit this cabled honeycomb Beeswax Hat that is almost as incredible as the structures bees create. Filled with hundreds of mini two-stitch cables, this hat provides the perfect opportunity to try cabling without a cable needle or try the new-to-me ‘slip and switch’ method.

When: Fridays, February 28th & March 13th, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM

Cost: $45

Sheep, Rams, and a Steek–Oh My!

By popular demand, I’m finally offering this class in which we will knit this quintessentially cute, classic Rams and Yowes Blanket by designer Kate Davies. Knit in a tube using nine shades of jumper weight wool to create the many layers of sheep and rams, we will then cut our steeks, pick up lots of stitches, knit a beautiful garter edging, and finally finish our blankets off with an i-cord detail along the outside edge. This finished blanket promises to be the perfect accent to all of our sheep-loving homes. 

When: Tuesdays, March 3rd & 17th, and April 7th & 21st, from 12:30 to 2:30 PM

Cost: $90

Sweeping Landscape Shawl

I have knit hundreds of shawls. Honestly, though: this is the one I wear almost every day. This gloriously large triangular Landscape Shawl is like a knitted sampler, highlighting the beauty of various knit stitches with growing sections of stockinette, reverse stockinette, garter, seed, and moss stitches with jaunty edge picots. Having knit three of these shawls, I will share lots of tips and tricks for keeping track of all that is simultaneously going on in this shawl, guaranteeing a relaxing, successful experience. 

When: Mondays, March 9th & 23rd, and April 13th, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM 

Cost:  $65

Tweaking the Toe Up Sock Recipe

Got the basic Karyn’s Toe Up Sock Recipe down? Are you ready to play with the pattern a bit, adding a little of this or a little of that to really make your socks special? If you’re curious to know how to incorporate another pattern’s stitch pattern into this recipe, want to fine-tune the fit of your socks, or if you want to know how to make a wider range of sizes beyond the three included in the pattern, this workshop class will help broaden and expand the way in which you can use Karyn’s Toe Up Sock Recipe to make the socks of your dreams. You should already be familiar with the basic pattern and have knit at least one successful sock to get the most out of this class.

When: Saturday, April 25th, from 12:00 to 3:00 PM

Cost: $35

Knit Hero Registration Details

Classes are filled on a first come, first served basis after receiving my approval that the requested class is an appropriate level for you. It is very important to me that my students find classes that will be challenging and interesting, and yet still accessible and enjoyable for them. In order to reserve your spot in a class, payment must be made in full via cash, check, or payment online (via Venmo or Square) before the beginning of the first class. Please contact me directly to sign up: karyn@knithero.net or (801) 391-9669. Payment includes, but is not limited to: all listed sessions for your class, all email and class information, and instructional video links of skills and techniques learned in class. Once class begins, I am sorry that I cannot offer a refund if you miss a class. I work very hard to prepare for the classes I teach and want to be fairly compensated for my time. This also gives students on my waiting list the opportunity to sign up and attend. Classes must have a minimum of three students to run at the above listed rate. Once class begins, I offer make up classes at my private session rate of $30 per hour. Knitting Support Group is also a great space to catch up and get the information you missed in class.

At Needlepoint Joint, I will be teaching:

Essentials of Sweater Knitting 

Are you ready to knit your first sweater or have you knit sweaters that didn’t quite work out? This class will cover sweater-making essentials and focus on getting started right, so you have a successful experience. From choosing the right yarn and making a gauge swatch, to keeping track of your progress in your project and Ramona Cardigan pattern, to finally finishing and blocking, this comprehensive class covers it all. There will be five workshop sessions spread over eight weeks that will take you from the planning of your sweater to the finishing stages. This class also includes a private session with Karyn to get complete, accurate body measurements before starting your sweater and video support on skills and techniques learned in class. 

When: Saturdays, January 18th, 25th, February 8th, 29th, and March 14th, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Cost: $115 (To register for this class, please stop by the shop or give them a call at (801) 394-4355.)

The Utmost Care And Kindness

February 26, 2017
36 Comments

Eagle Poem

BY JOY HARJO

To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can’t see, can’t hear;
Can’t know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren’t always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.

 

It is with great anticipation that I launch this particular Shawl Auction. This week, I am auctioning one of my most intricate, delicate lace shawls to benefit the National Resources Defense Council, which helps protect our very delicate Earth. The NRDC “works to safeguard the earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.” I feel particularly invested in this cause, because if we do not have a sustainable Earth on which to live, it is undeniable that none of the other issues really matter.

 

 

In order to have life, we need pure water, clean air, and protected land. We need to ensure we protect our climate in order to sustain all lives who call Earth home. Protecting our land, water, climate, and air should not be a partisan issue. How is caring for our home a political act? We all live here, love here, die here. Our Earth is vulnerable and we need to do everything we can to ensure its survival.

 

 

The only shawl I have knit worthy of such an important cause is my Fragaria Shawl, designed by Alina Appasova. It is truly delicate, light as a feather, with intricately beautiful stitchwork. I knit it out of Jaggerspun Zephyr, a laceweight 50% Merino/50% Silk in the gorgeous Jade colorway. It is one of the smaller shawls I am auctioning, but it is plenty big to wear in a variety of ways or would look stunning accenting a special room. Because it is so lightweight, it is easy to bring along with you in a purse or bag to throw on when you feel chilled or just want to look and feel fabulous.

 

I can honestly say I love this shawl.

 

 

But I love our Earth more.

 

I am hoping this shawl will go to someone who cares equally for this Earth feels drawn to make a donation to help ensure its protection. In return, I will gratefully pass this shawl along to you.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 7:00 PM MST on Monday, March 6th.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to the NRDC within 48 hours and then forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by March 13th.
  • If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.
  • Once again, 100% of the proceeds of the winning bid will go towards the cause, this time the National Resources Defense Council.
  • In addition, all donations to the NRDC will be matched for a limited time, so the winning bid for this shawl will have twice the impact!

Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!

At Its Essence

February 12, 2017
8 Comments

Knitting may not, on the surface, seem relevant to engines that run the world, but at its essence, it is actually quite vital. For knitting, which can express so many emotions, most often expresses love. And when all else is lost, love is what most often stays with us.

                                                                                              –Melanie Falick

To console someone who has experienced loss, to celebrate a new life, to nurture someone who is ill, I most often turn to knitting. Usually it is when life is at its most intimate and vulnerable that words fail to express how much I care. And so, it is in the act of selecting the project, picking the perfect pattern and yarn, and sitting down to create something for someone that knitting becomes the only thing I can think of to do.

Every single stitch becomes infused with the love I feel for that person. Thousands upon thousands of stitches culminate into one entity. All my disjointed thoughts, worries, intentions, wishes, and love come together into this one thing. In the case of a shawl, this one thing becomes the literal embodiment of a hug.

Reading the news and following the horror that is real for millions of refugees and immigrants around the world, I ache for a way to help. There are millions of people in crisis right now, and I am just one human. What can I do? Fortunately, there are people and organizations in place to provide appropriate, immediate help.

It is my goal with this next auction to offer one shawl to help raise money to benefit the International Rescue Committee, who “helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and regain control of their future.” It is my hope that my small offering will contribute to a greater good, that it will provide tangible assistance to those in crisis.

The current shawl up for bid is the Color Affection shawl by Veera Valimaki. It is knit out of three colors of a spongy-soft merino wool/nylon blend yarn that is hand-dyed by a local Utah artisan, The March Hare. It is bright, squishy, has a lovely drape, and is easy to wear.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 8:00 PM MST on Wednesday, February 15th.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to the IRC within 48 hours and then forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by February 27th.
  • If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.
  • Once again, 100% of the proceeds of the winning bid will go towards the cause, this time the IRC (please click on link to watch video).

Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!

My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.                 

–Desmond Tutu

The Deepest Thing Inside

January 29, 2017
25 Comments

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

–from Kindness, by Naomi Shihab Nye

This week, I have been overwhelmed as I’ve watched and experienced our democracy in action. I have never been a particularly political person and, except for the year I lived overseas, I have never really appreciated or acknowledged what being an American means to me. Very quickly and very clearly, though, I am now recognizing what is at stake.

Instead of hiding behind fear and confusion, I am learning to lean in: I am asking questions when I don’t understand; I am engaging in honest, open dialogue with everyone, even those who disagree; I am marching for what I believe in; I am trying to avoid hyperbole; and always, I side with what is kind and just. I respect others who do the same.

With this focus in mind, I am ready to launch my second shawl auction. For this auction, all proceeds of the winning bid will go to the ACLU. I am also committing to matching the winning bid with my own donation to the ACLU up to $200 (but, of course, I’m open to bidding going higher…). 🙂

This shawl really is one of my very favorite shawls I’ve ever knit. It is the Amulet Shawl, by Helen Stewart. It is knit out of Madelinetosh Merino Light, a 100% merino wool, and I used gold glass beads. It is easy to wear, just the right size, and has lovely drape and just the right amount of lace. It would look equally lovely draped around your shoulders or accenting a favorite armchair.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 6:00 PM MST on Friday, February 3rd.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to the ACLU within 48 hours and then forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by February 14th.
  • If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.

Here’s hoping this idea takes flight… Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!

The lovely Maria, in her new Jujuy Shawl:

Our Call to Share

January 9, 2017
21 Comments

“We are called upon to use our gift, our gift we have to share with the world.”   –Terry Tempest Williams

Here I am, ready to begin this year with renewed focus, an open willingness to take risks, and great optimism about the impact many small actions can have.  As a knitter, I am well-versed in what a million different tiny stitches, created one at a time, can create. I have many sweaters, hats, socks, and shawls to show for it in fact.

As a result, I have found myself in a position of abundance. Quite honestly, I have more shawls than I could ever hope to wear. Creating these gorgeous wings of wool, I’m finding myself feeling weighted down by the sheer number of them. I’m ready to let some of them take flight and find new shoulders to warm, new bodies to embellish.

It is not enough for me to give them away, though, or even just to sell them. As I knit, I feel a deep sense of purpose, clarity, and peace. To sell them for profit negates the beauty of the shawl for me. Instead, I want my knitted shawls to continue creating that peace in this world, carrying with them all that I felt while knitting them to the recipient and even to the broader world.

My idea is this: I will auction off one shawl at a time, committing to auctioning six shawls over the next three months, and all the money will go towards a charity or cause of my choice. Once the winner has been notified and donates the winning bid to that charity, I will pass the shawl along into the hands of the kind winner. If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.

Every shawl I auction will be knit out of the very best yarn, will be free of errors, and filled with good karma.

The first shawl is the Jujuy Shawl. This shawl is knit out of Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere, a gorgeous blend of merino wool, cashmere, and nylon. I knit this shawl along with an amazing group of women in coordination with my first ever Knitalong. Because this shawl embodies the strength, comraderie, and kindness of women, all proceeds of this shawl’s winning bid will go towards Planned Parenthood.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 7:00 PM MST on Monday, January 23rd.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to Planned Parenthood within 24 hours and must forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by February 1st.

Here’s hoping this idea takes flight… Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!

2016 Projects in Review

January 2, 2017
4 Comments

At the end of each year, usually just a few weeks before Christmas, I compile all the photos my family took throughout the year and create a “Best of” Photo Book that we give to our parents and keep one for ourselves. Every year, we seem to have more and more photos, especially since all four of us actively take pictures now on all our phones and our “real” cameras. It’s always a huge undertaking at a very busy time of year, and every year I complain and stress and lament about why I don’t work on it earlier and throughout the year.

And yet, every year, once I’m actually working on our book, I find such joy in reliving our year through the pictures. Trips I had almost forgotten even taking come back to me in full technicolor detail, I revisit people we got to see, and am reminded of beautiful moments which become even more beautiful upon the recollection.

It is only upon actually hunkering down and doing the work that I realize how important it is to take the time to reflect on our lives. I have written before about how busy my family is and how frenetic our lives can be, but upon reflection, I can appreciate all the beauty that was there. It has become an almost sacred act for me to create this book, keep it on our coffee table for a while, and then place it on its shelf next to the ones that came before.

As a knitter, I’ve found it equally fulfilling to look back on my year’s projects and appreciate all that I have created throughout the year. This doesn’t involve anything nearly as laborious as creating a book, but is usually as simple as me going to my Ravelry project page and adding tics to a post-it which I then wander around my house with exclaiming in shock to anyone who will listen to me over how much more I knit than I even thought.

 

Since I have a blog this year, I thought I’d use this space to more publicly exclaim in shock and catalog my finished projects (because I really can’t believe I knit so many things!).

Here’s hoping you care a little more than my fourteen-year-old–and that you don’t think I’m too nutty after I let you look inside my crazy…

Projects Finished in 2016

In total, I knit thirty-three things, I frogged one sweater (of dye-lot-issue-fail-fame) and I have six things that I started this year (or earlier) that I have yet to finish.

Knowing all I have knit this year, I really am shocked (and a little embarrassed). Any sane person would recognize I probably have enough knitwear, right?

And yet, I admit that I can’t wait to cast the next thing on…

With that, I wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with warm wool, successful projects, and lots of opportunities to learn new skills. We all have lots left to learn, don’t we? And that is the very best news of all!

Ode to Blue

October 22, 2016
10 Comments

Apparently, I do not knit with blue much at all. Even when I think I’m knitting with blue, I’m more likely knitting with grey (as explained to me by my daughter and then corroborated by literally every. body. else). It’s strange really, because even though I wouldn’t say blue is my favorite color, I really do like it. I wear a lot of blue and even if I’m not wearing blue, it happens to match nearly every single other color.

Once I realized this fact, I started itching to knit something blue. Ironically, I already had something blue on my needles. It was just something blue I wasn’t actively knitting. Instead of starting something new (which is usually what I would do if I’m being honest), I decided to finish the shawl that was nearly done first.

And, boy, am I glad I did.

I mean, just look at this beautiful thing:

img_3889

It started off simply enough, with a nice repeat with simple yarn overs and decreases that flowed effortlessly and fluidly.

img_3898

But then it amped up with nupp after nupp after nupp…

img_3900

It isn’t like nupps are necessarily hard, but they slow you down, affecting your flow on not only the right-side rows but especially the wrong-side rows. (They are definitely in the “fiddly” category!)

img_3895

But, really, this shawl, draped over a lightweight dress in the summer? Perfection.

img_3906

Although I am thrilled I finished this shawl, it didn’t quite satisfy my itch. I still feel the need to knit with blue.  What to knit, what to buy, what to do? I do have a blue sweater in my UFO bin just waiting for me to pick up again. That would certainly be the responsible thing to do…

But I’m not always responsible when it comes to my knitting. I do work in a yarn store for goodness sake, so temptation is always waiting for me around every bank and inside every new box I open. It’s hard to remain reasonable–and I’m certain every single one of you reading this right now would be of the same mind in my position.

(Right?!)

Pattern: Baltic Blossoms Lace Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark.

Shawl Project Page: Baltic Blossoms in Blue

Grellow

October 14, 2016
4 Comments

After starting this “challenge,” I’ve begun feeling paranoid that posting a picture every day showing something I find beautiful will be misconstrued as me trying to brag or show off how wonderful my life is. I don’t want doing this to ostracize myself from any of you; I don’t want to be perceived as someone who is only showing the best version of myself in order to make everyone else feel badly about themselves. I know this is a common hazard of online perception versus reality and I am (probably overly) aware that doing this getting me dangerously close to that precipice.

With that in mind, I will clarify that my goal in beginning the Thing of Beauty Along is to create a community of us who are choosing to find at least one beautiful thing, one thing that creates joy in our life, one thing that is good in this world each day and share it with each other.

I don’t want to be the only one sharing my beautiful thing! I’m hoping that by doing this together, we can lift one another up. No matter what is going on in the world, in politics, online, in our own personal lives, surely we can each find at least one thing that lifts us up. And by sharing that beautiful thing with others, our discovery can lift others as well.

What I have already found is that by making myself accountable for “having to find one beautiful thing” has completely shifted my mindset. Suddenly, I am seeing beauty everyone. I am finding myself thinking about and looking for beautiful things all day long. And just this act has lifted me up out of the bog of melancholy…mostly!

(Full disclosure: my fourteen year old daughter recently listed our family in order from most to least optimistic, and I came in fifth out of seven. FIFTH! I am behind my dog (the hands-down winner), my oldest daughter, my husband, and one cat. I only lead my fourteen year old and our very grumpy, very picky cat. So, this is mainly to say that I am not the most optimistic person in the world (or even my own family) and definitely need a little brightness, a little joy, a littly optimism right now!)

The easiest way to share your Thing of Beauty is on Instagram by adding #thingofbeautyalong to your post. Then, if you search for #thingofbeautyalong, all the posts from everyone will show up in your feed! (If you are local, I am happy to show you how to do this!) You could also just comment on this blog and share your beauty there (although I’m not sure if you can include a picture). The final idea–that I just thought of right now–is I’m going to create a new topic in our NPJ Shawl Society Ravelry Group. (I’m not quite sure how that will work, but we might as well give it a try, eh?) Just like posting a picture of your project, you can post a picture of your discovery.

——-

Today, my thing of beauty is a recent hat I knit, which I think it ideal for this topic, because although the hat is primarily grey, the yellow dominates the colorwork and the mood of the hat. But at the same time, the yellow needs the grey. The two are more beautiful together. Just like in Keats’ poem that I shared two days ago, “Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways/Made for our searching:/yes, in spite of all,/Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.”

Again, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”

Let’s create some joy.

img_3812

Saudade Hat by Ysolda Teague. Knit with Jamieson & Smith Jumper Weight in the exact same colors as the designer.

Love Affair (Or, How to Block a Triangular Shawl)

August 15, 2016
7 Comments

I have knit a lot of shawls. Many, many shawls I knit because a shawl is the easiest item for me to knit out of the gorgeous skeins of yarn I can’t help myself from buying. There are so many beautiful shawl patterns out there and I love the ease of just matching a pattern to a beautiful skein of yarn and immediately casting on. It doesn’t take as much forethought to begin a shawl as it does a sweater. I generally knit shawls out of fingering or laceweight yarn, and I know what needles work best to get the gauge I want and that will work with my pattern. This allows me to start (and finish) shawls almost continuously.

As a result, I not only have at least one shawl on my needles all the time, I also have over 45 shawls in my shawl bin under my bed that I pull out and wear almost daily. Now, I am aware that this is A LOT of shawls. I don’t think I realized how many shawls I was storing down there until I started pulling them out for my sister, a fellow knitter, to see while she was visiting last spring. It was shocking (and a little embarrassing).

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I don’t think I realized how many shawls I have, because although I’m constantly rotating what shawls I wear, I definitely have my favorites and probably only wear about fifteen of them regularly. Since pulling them out and counting them all, I’ve been trying to figure out why I wear some more than others, and I can’t really put my finger on what makes some shawls my favorites while others end up getting buried in the bowels of the bin.

I can’t tell when I start a shawl if it’s going to be one of my favorites or not. It doesn’t seem to make a difference if the knit was more enjoyable or interesting to knit. I love every shawl while I’m knitting it, because I simply just love to knit. I’m not really thinking of wearing the shawl while I’m knitting. That’s not the important part. I am just enjoying the process of the knit.

When I really fall in love, though, is when I’m blocking the shawl for the first time. Blocking usually takes longer than I think it’s going to, but it is only then when I really see and appreciate the work I’ve done. (It is also when my family actually notices what I’ve been working on for the past month, but that  is perhaps a post for another time.)

Strangely, blocking each shawl kind of feels like a fond farewell. Once it comes off the blocking board, it becomes an article of clothing and no longer “my knitting.” Blocking is when I transform my work into something else entirely, something I will either love to wear or not. By then, though, it doesn’t really matter to me so much.

In the act of blocking each shawl, I am completely smitten. I am in love.IMG_3523Weaving the blocking wire across the top edge of the triangular shawl, I go under each purl ridge and over each knit ridge all the way across the top.
IMG_3522I then pin the wire in place with T-pins.IMG_3525This secures the top into a nice, straight edge before pinning out each point.IMG_3526I then pin each and every point, starting with the center point and moving up evenly along each edge of the shawl, readjusting as necessary as I go. IMG_3530This is the part that always seems to take forever and when I embrace the fact, yet again, that I am too anal for my own good…IMG_3532But, then again, that is also when I am so absolutely taken by the beauty of what I have just finished. I am so in love with every single stitch, every perfect little point, that it all feels worth it. IMG_3539At this point, it just doesn’t matter if I ever wear this shawl. Seeing my work stretched out in its glorious perfection is enough. Every single time I block my shawls, I have a total love affair. I just can’t help myself…
IMG_3549But, in this case, I have a feeling I’m going to wear this particular shawl a lot. All the pieces came together perfectly, and I just love every single thing about it. This one may just find a way to stay near the top of the bin.

(This shawl was knit as part of the Shawl Society Knitalong I’m hosting through Needlepoint Joint. We are attempting to knit all six patterns as part Helen Stewart‘s Shawl Society in six months. This is the Amulet Shawl, the second shawl of the series.)

Damn Fine Sweatshirt

May 21, 2016
4 Comments

Adam wanted me to knit him a sweater, and I am generally quite happy to knit for the guy who never questions the amount of money I spend on yarn. Unfortunately, the sweater he picked out was really nothing more than a glorified sweatshirt. And he wanted it in grey. It was to be a sweatshirt indeed…

Fortunately, this particular sweatshirt was designed by the illustrious Jared Flood, certified genius designer. What could have been a laborious exercise in miles of stockinette stitch (which, don’t get me wrong, has its place in my life) was instead a brilliantly interesting knit filled with new techniques, interesting construction, and crystal clear instructions. I loved every minute of this knit and I love the finished sweater. It’s a damn fine sweatshirt, if I do say so myself!

AdamSweater-2

AdamSweater

Link to pattern page on Ravelry.