All posts tagged: knitting

have you heard? westknits’ mystery knit-along launched today

Published by fairfaxhill

Not too long ago I mentioned how much I love Stephen West’s colorful shawls, and this year I have decided I absolutely need one in my closet. So, this morning, just a little after 7 a.m. San Francisco time, I joined the 2022 MKAL and selected my yarn. Now I’ll sit here patiently and wait until my kit crosses the Atlantic and reaches my mailbox all the way from beautiful Amsterdam.  Last year, the MKAL (short for mystery knit along) was a pattern called Shawlography, which might be my favorite @westknits design – so far! I love all the different textures and colors. I have been dreaming of making one exactly like the one Stephen West is holding in this photo, but this morning I ran into this one by Domic, and well, I might need both! photo credit: @westknits It makes me wonder what this year’s pattern will look like. It’s called the twists & turns shawl and there is a cable needle included in the kit, so I guess there will be some …

week 50 – a holiday cowl pattern, balaclavas, babka buns, and Tucci’s memoir

Published by fairfaxhill

New Holiday Cowl Pattern Hello! I’ve finished a new cowl. Every winter, I crave something red to go with my black sweaters, especially during the holidays. So, in an attempt to feel like a real knitwear designer (#goals), I decided to get some yarn (Highland Duo alpaca merino wool blend from Cascade Yarns), chose a stitch pattern I liked and tried something on my own. I cast on 50 stitches and knit until the cowl was about 11 inches deep. This yarn will forever be my favorite for things that are close to my neck. It is so soft! I made a blue cowl with it a few years ago. Interested in the pattern? Check out my new Etsy store (a work in progress). After trying the cowl on, I realized it was snug enough to pull over my head like a cap. This got me thinking about the balaclava craze that’s going on in the knitting world. Have you noticed? I first saw one on Petite Knit’s Instagram account and thought they were adorable …

two knit swatches

knitting during quarantine

Published by fairfaxhill

Hi! I’ve been working away on the Arne and Carlos Quarantine Knitting project. So far I’ve managed to knit up the first two clues. I really loved the first one — both the pattern and the blue I found in the basket full of yarn I have in the studio. It looks nice with the white. I would like to try knitting the design with a thicker yarn. The yarn I’m using is a sport weight, so my “squares” are turning out to be rectangles. But I figured, if I just keep using the same yarn, they should all at least be the same size in the end. That is if that even matters! We have no idea what we’re making and that’s what makes this project so interesting! I’ve also been getting new ideas on how I might use these designs in the future. I was thinking of some cushions for our TV room. We need some color in there. But first, I want to figure out how to make these into true squares. …

an open laptop

joining the arne & carlos mystery knit-along

Published by fairfaxhill

It was announced this afternoon that Marin County residents will need to shelter-in-place starting at midnight tonight until at least April 7. (That’s a long time inside our homes!) Thankfully, we have creative people in the world to help us through this stressful time with projects to help reduce our anxiety. Today, Arne & Carlos have surprised knitters by launching the Quarantine Mystery Knitalong. If you’ve never heard of Arne & Carlos, then you really should check them out. They are two pretty well-known Scandinavian knit designers who have published books like “Norwegian Knits with a Twist” and “Knit-and-Crochet Garden” (which seems to be out of print, unfortunately). I first learned about Arne & Carlos on YouTube some years ago. Of course, I was interested in their Scandinavian point of view and aesthetic and I really liked how they successfully made traditional motifs feel new and fresh. Their shows are funny. Carlos does most of the talking, while Arne, who doesn’t speak English as well, seems to be the faster knitter of the two. It’s …