Ep 140: Knit Accessories, Essentials and Variations

Today there is a review of Knit Accessories: Essentials and variations as well as some DK pattern ideas for sweaters and some random chat. I have found my way back to my knitting this week. This may have been due to admitting I was struggling with finding the mojo for the knitting. I realised part of the problem was that knitting, for me, is a way of ordering my thoughts. This became apparent when the thoughts immediately began to race upon picking up the needles. I decided to sit with the feeling and luckily, it appears to have abated and I can knit again. Love for Podcasting I am really enjoying being back behind the mic on a more regular basis. It seems that podcasting is a form of reaching out for me. When I started the show, I lived in rural Limpopo in South Africa and was quite isolated. It was hot, not many people knitted and the knitters that were in SA were a long way away in Joburg or Cape Town. I feel like this recent inspiration is connected to that – once again, I am physically isolated, despite being at home and near friends. I love that it is a running joke about how I know someone wherever we travel. These friends are – more often than not – as a result of the podcast or knitting. I also love how I can 'be' with people all over the world via the podcast. Just this week, I've been on an oil rig in the North Sea! Audio is a conversation and I love the idea of keeping you company. DK Weight Pattern Ideas Feedback I have just brought back a sweater quantity of Nurturing Fibres Supertwist DK in the colourway Sapphire from South Africa. I have found that there weren't many patterns that were appealing to me on Ravelry. I asked the lovely listeners of the show for some suggestions for patterns. Laura Stephens suggested to look at patterns by Libby of Truly Myrtle. Lori Hathaway suggested to look at the patterns by Kim Hargreaves. Then there was a big confusion about Kim Hargreaves (knitwear designer) versus Kim Catterall (bird on Sex in the City). Oops! There also was some chat about Rowan Kidsilk Haze which surely must have reached the stage of being knitting nostalgia now. I have settled for now on one of two patterns for this yarn. The choice is between Cloudburst, which was originally part of the Drift Collection for Eden Cottage Yarns. The other option is Orchidaceae, which is by Susan Crawford and is part of her new collection, Evolution, which is available now. I was intending to buy this collection anyway, so I was pleased to be reminded about this. Habitation Throw Is knitting anything like a garment beyond you right now? If so, Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade has just made her Habitation Throw free for the month of April 2020. The pattern is still for sale and all proceeds from sales of this pattern will be donated to the UN Refugee Agency. Yoga Don't compete with other people or yourself is the main feedback for yoga. If you fancy something different for the kids, they can try Cosmic Kids Yoga. Sammy's Calamities I have great ambitions of writing a series of childrens' books based entirely on the calamities of Sam. These are all true stories of actual perils experienced. Podcast Recommendations We Fix Space junk Diary of a Space Archivist Review of Knit Accessories, Essentials and Variations by Kate Atherley This book was originally published in 2012 and was re-released last week. I offered to review this as I am getting a lot of requests for suggestions of how to get into knitting at the moment. This book is ideal for that purpose. The book begins with a section on 'before you start'. I know that when I got back into knitting, it was lead entirely by some somewhat dodgy yarn found in Poundstretcher. I like how the recommended yarns include indie and commercial yarns, hitting all the budgets. It also has a section on substituting the yarns for non-wool yarns and different fibres. Swatching is covered in a decent amount of detail. This is a subject that ca often be skimmed over in beginner-suitable books. Let's face it, swatching isn't fun and you can usually get away without it for accessories. The necessity of the activity is explained and there are instructions for how to alter your needles if your gauge is off. The side notes that accompany the patterns are solid and really help to draw attention to the important points. My favourite aspect of the book is the addition of the 'design your own' element for each group of patterns. This takes all the maths out of making alterations to your projects, particularly for yarn changes. The book contains lots of examples of projects knitted in different weights and dye styles of yarn. In summary: Pros Design Your Own sections in each group of patterns Cheat tables for the yarns and lengths Cons Would love to see some DK in the patterns Links to videos or tutorials for the techniques would be great additions Full Shownotes at www.shinybees.com/140