Hi, Knitters,
I am starting off today by continuing my list of favorite podcasts both audio and video:
There are more I'm sure. My sincerest thank you to all of these podcasters. I love spending time with them.
One more quick thing, my clogs that are in the photos I share with my handknit socks, are wool Birkenstocks in the Bern style. Click here to see them and to order a pair if you like! I am getting so many emails, comments and messages asking about these clogs. I have linked and talked about the style and brand many times on the blog. I hope you can understand that I am not going to be able to personally answer any more emails or messages or comments about the wool Birkenstock Bern clogs. If you do a google search lots of different places to purchase will pop up for you. You'll love them if you do get a pair.
I can't believe it's almost the weekend once again. These busy weeks with my family and work simply fly by. This weekend, when I'm not at a swim meet or teaching at VK Live in Chicago, I plan on spending time with these two new beautiful knitting books.
The Yarn Whisperer, by Clara Parkes, has been in my hands for awhile now. I received a review copy from STC, the publisher. I love the cover. I messaged Clara when she previewed the cover to tell her how much I love it. It looks 3-D, like you could feel the yarn wrapped around the book. Basically, Clara is a wonderful writer and storyteller. The Yarn Whisperer is a book of essays about Clara's life and relationships with others and yarn and knitting. She takes you along with her as she talks candidly about her life while weaving knitterly metaphors into the pages at the same time. It is an enjoyable read and Clara, as always, is clever and entertaining. I love and respect her work so much. What a great gift for a knitter for the upcoming holidays.
Click here for The Knitter's Review! (Clara's website and newsletter ~ I subscribe!)
Now for the other book, Ann Hood's Knitting Yarns, Writers on Knitting. I have been waiting on pins and needles for this book to come out. I purchased it myself. I have met Ann Hood and she is lovely. If you want to read a fun blast from the past that involves Ann Hood, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Stefanie Japel, my friend Dianne, and me, click right here. If you do, be sure to read the comments that include both Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and Stefanie Japel. They are funny.
Ann's book, The Knitting Circle, holds a spot in my heart so of course I couldn't be more excited to read the new collection of essays in Knitting Yarns by some of our great writers. The writers included are Elizabeth Berg, Sue Grafton, Barbara Kingsolver, Ann Patchett, Ann Shayne and Anita Shrieve to name a few. There are many more but these are the ones that jump out at me most. And who knew that these talented writers are knitters? I didn't. I can't wait to read this book! Ahhhh!
Today it is rainy and chilly so maybe I'll curl up with a hot chocolate and read a bit tonight. Sounds good?
As for the spinning, I shared the singles and the fiber in the last post. It is now plied, washed, and dried. I think it is about the best hank of yarn around. Spinning is just like the knitting, when you finish something you really like you want to start on the next project right away. That's how I feel after finishing this Falkland braid.
This beautiful yarn is a worsted weight or so. It was spun from Friends in Fiber Falkland, 4 oz., in the colorway Number 6. I used the Double Marl technique to create 208 yards. This is one of my favorite spinning techniques. I get really great yarn every time I use it and I love the way it distributes the color. This works well with highly contrasting multi-color braids, too.
So I am a BIG fan of spinning Falkland. This hank of handspun is airy, squishy and downright gorgeous. I see Friends in Fiber has a lot of Falkland available right now in their Etsy shop, even in this same colorway, and it is so reasonably priced. I may have ordered some more....
My next braid is called, Pumpkin Patch, and it is more Falkland by Friends in Fiber. I am going to use the same technique, Double Marl, to spin this one. I'll share once I get it going.
I'll be at a swim meet all day on Saturday and then I am teaching all day on Sunday at Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago so really I don't know how much I'll get done over the next couple of days. The only sweater I have on the needles for me right now is Hiro by Julia Farwell-Clay. I am using up some Cascade 220 from my stash. I might work on this in the car on both Saturday and Sunday but then there are always those socks calling my name......
The Red Riding Hood bag is from Little Skein. I love it.
I'll be back soon with more. I hope you all have a great weekend. Get some knitting done for me!
best, susie
p.s. I am obsessed with this cardigan right now in these same colors. What do you think? I think I'd like to wear this one a lot. All winter long. In Quince & Co. Chickadee in Nasturtium, Egret and Crow. Yes, that's what I'm thinking about.