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Season Series: Crystal Icicles
We have a new bracelet kit, the second in our Season Series! I am really pleased to announce Crystal Icicles -- simple and elegant and oh-how-it-catches-the-light!
Earthfaire Wonder Bags!
Come play with us! We have put together some marvelous Mystery Wonder Bags of yarn and beads -- your choice of lace weight with 8/0 beads or fingering weight with 6/0s. What fun! A great chance to get high quality yarn plus great beads to combine in a glorious surprise package. Big smiles....
Seed Bead Sizing Explained
The sizing in sead beeds are all the approximate number of beads that will fit in an inch. So if you lay 5 of the 5/0 beads in a row (hole side up), it'll be about an inch. Keep in mind that this image isn't to scale, and bead sizing does vary from batch to batch and company to company. I hope you find this a good rule of thumb. -- Dan
Knitters Gallery
This Gallery shows the personal interpretations of our knitters. Each person puts a little bit of themselves in the finished product. If you'd like your creation included, please let us know via the contact us page. Also, be sure to check out our Ravelry group. Caryl had her own vision of what she wanted as her Moonrise Necklace. She worked with me on what colors she wanted for the beads and after a bit of back and forth we came up with the perfect mix. Tah dah! Then she created this beauty. View Product Page Carol wrote to me, "I got the pattern this morning, fi...more
New (well, new-ish) Website
You probably noticed something different about our website.   It had to be re-vamped, re-developed, re-styled so that it would work well on Mobile Media devices.  But we did try to keep it as close to our original website as possible.  I know I personally hate it when my favorite "old" websites change, or go through major renovations, so this was something we tried not to do.   We kept most of our familiar settings and added a few great new features too.  And you will find it is a much better site for viewing on cell phones and tablets and the like...more
New Shawl: Isn't It Romatic?
Just perfect for Valentine's Day. Take a look at this new Isn't It Romantic? shawl, design by by Stephannie Tallent, yarn by Lorna's Laces.  Whoosh!  I am blown away!
Unboxing Video
Barbara shows off her wonderful BitterBlue shawl, and unboxes the yarn and beads for her next project. We can wait to see!
Fringe With Benefits: Back in Stock!
These originally sold out amazingly fast and I had promised to bring them back in.  Well, here they are!  Fringe With Benefits, in three Gradiance colorways from The Unique Sheep.   (Whoosh!  Two colorways sold out already; one still in stock.) I am really pleased.  This is a tremedously fun project, in great yarn and lots of beads.  Big smiles here....
Bead Speak
Terms you might be curious about. Sometimes it's not always clear what all the abbreviations and descriptions mean with beads. AB = Aurora Borealis. The name for the faint rainbow finish on some beads. This can change the color of the bead in subtle ways so it is something to pay attention to. For example, Silver Lined Ruby is a rich brilliant red, Silver Lined Ruby AB has a definite rosy cast. Ceylon = pearl-like. Obviously these beads are not pearl; they are manufactured of glass but those labeled Ceylon definitely have a pearl-ish look, an opalescent tone to them. Silver Lin...more
Wonder Bags Back In Lace Weight!
Great news! We can now again offer our fun Wonder Bags in lace weight yarn (+ beads in 8/0 size).  The yarn is high quality yarn; the beads as well, and they come together into glorious surprise package. Plus we almost always add a litte extra special something... So now you have a choice of Fingering weight or Lace weight.  What a great way to treat yourself to a terrific gift! **** And now more good news!  As of today (2/12/2016) we are able to also offer these great mystery surprises with DK Weight or Worsted Weight yarns!
New MKAL with The Unique Sheep!
This is always super-exciting! We are in the midst of the planning for a great new Mystery Knit Along, that we working on with The Unique Sheep.   Starting May 20th, this one is a lovely beaded lace shawl, triangular in shape, designed by Janine Le Cras.  It is based loosely on the children's book Heidi.  You can make your selections of yarn and colorways here -- just know that the absolute last day to order is April 20th!  (Laura is having a baby!) :-)  
Kalliope's Shawl is back!
We couldn't resist.  We brought in more of the stunning Marina yarn in Petrol, spefically for this beautiful piece: Kalliope's Shawl by Kristi Holaas.  Truly a dramatic and gorgeous shawl.
Gathering Autumn's Splendor -- Pre-Orders Open!
Gathering Autumn's Splendor has proven to be our most sought after kit -- the colors are stupendous, the pattern is great fun,and the finished piece truly breath-taking.  So now for the fifth time (!) we are again opening up a web page to take pre-orders.  We will have to limit the number of orders taken at this time to 30.   If you place your order now for the exact section of the colorway that you want and it will be dyed specially for you.  Then I will combine the yarn with beads to form a wondrous set and send them on.   Just be aware that this all tak...more
Little Green Dragon MKAL
Anne-Lise Maigraad of Little Green Dragon is hosting a Green Gables Mystery KAL beginning next week.  We still have some great kits available  that will be perfect for this -- yarn plus beads, of the highest quality.  Fun fun fun fun!
New Beauties!
I am very excited about some wonderful new kits we have to offer and just had to tell you.... Ambah O'Brien has released her next shawl in her Chroma Collection -- a marvelously simple and elegant piece called Myndie that we have kitted up in some amazing colorways from Freia.  Big smiles on this one!  Perfect for summertime knitting.  And Sivia Harding's Mystery KAL has completed and is no longer a mystery!  Take a look at her gorgeous Layer Cake Shawl -- we have kits, plus some new ones coming, that will make this a delight to knit! Too many more to name ...more
One Week in Iceland! Special Code for Free Shipping!
Well, my DH and I are off to Iceland today! We are really excited.  It means, of course, that things will be a bit quiet at EarthFaire.  Our sons and partners will be here and can help with any questions, especially if you run into any difficulties with the computer programming aspect of the website.  And I will be checking emails occasionally (but only occasionally). Any orders placed from late today through next weekend, however, will have to wait until the last week of June to ship -- so if you are in no rush and don't mind waiting, we want to offer you some...more
Inner Smile (MKAL) Beaded Shawl Kits
A wonderful Mystery Knit-A-Long will be running soon at the Anima Knitting Club on Ravelry. By Kristina Vilimaite, this beauty will be quite an interesting knit, including beaded knitting, and making a strikingly lovely shawl.   The MKAL starts July 15th.  We are offering some beautiful kits for this here, yarn plus beads, enough to make the oversized version of this most lovely piece. 
Gathering Autumn's Splendor: In Stock Kits and Pre-Orders
Great news! We have a limited number of kits in stock and ready to ship of the fantastic Gathering Autumn's Splendor.   These kits have been amazingly popular -- the finished "thingie", designed by Mindy Ross, is truly a gorgeous piece. ****  Plus!  Today (July 15th) we have re-opened the page for Pre-Orders.  So if you have your heart set on a particular part of this color wheel, it is again possible. 
Fins and Teeth!
Mindy Ross, amazing designer that she is, has just come out with two new patterns.  Take a look at Teeth and Fins! Great fun....
Beaded Knitting: Using A Crochet Hook
This is a great beaded knitting technique for adding beads as you go along. (à la minute, as the French would say). This technique doesn’t require planning ahead, but since the fiber will now pass doubled through each bead you’re slightly limited in the beads and yarn weights you can use. This technique is great for: Size 8/0s - lace weight Size 6/0s (or equivalent) - lace, fingering, and occasionally heavier yarns Size 5/0s (both round and triangle) - up to light worsted Size 3/0 and 2/0 - these are even larger and can be used on heavier yarns   ...more
Beaded Knitting: Pre-Stringing
This is a tutorial to show you beaded knitting using the pre-stringing method. There are two essential techniques to beaded knitting. You can either pre-string the beads, or you can use a small hook to add beads to your project as you go along (see our tutorial for that method here). Each designer may subtly vary how pre-stringed beads are added to get a particular look. Don’t worry though - most of these adjustments are tiny and give you a wonderful variety of looks to add to your knitting. This method works great with: Size 8/0 - lace and fingering weight Size 6/0 (or equ...more
Beaded Knitting: The "Verna-X" Beadle Needle
The Verna-X adds beads for beaded knitting in basically the same method as the crochet hook. It has a hook at the end, not a notch as with other Beadle Needles. One major advantage of the Verna-X is the longer needle lets you have lots of beads at the ready. It also comes with two stoppers to keep all the beads in place. This technique is great for: Size 8/0s - lace weight Size 6/0s (or equivalent) - lace, fingering, and occasionally heavier yarns Size 5/0s (both round and triangle) - up to light worsted Size 3/0 and 2/0 - these are even larger and can be used on heavier yarns ...more
New MKAL with TUS!
A wonderful new Mystery Knit Along with scrumptous yarns from The Unique Sheep.  Designed by Janine LeCras, this will be a crescent-shaped shawl.   And with glorious beads from us here at Earth Faire as well!  :-)  Based loosely on the children's book, The Velveteen Rabbit, all the data can be found on our web page here.  Come join in!
Gradiance Colorways Exclusive to EarthFaire
This web page is presented to tell you about our special colorways that we have developed with the fantastic help of the dyers of The Unique Sheep. We have a number more that are in the works -- great fun! The best place to go to see these is the Flickr site for our Earth Faire Signature Colors that Kelly and Laura set up for us -- as they finish dyeing a set, they usually put it up so its look is saved. There are lots of different yarn bases available.  Contact us and we can talk about your needs and wants.  **** We have worked with Kelly and Laura of The Unique Shee...more
EarthBound Misfit: New Club Offering!
We are delighted to announce our 8th Club offering:  a gorgeous crescent shawl, quite heavily beaded, by Barbara Benson. There are three brand-new TUS colorways to choose from and each comes with its own specially created mix of 6/0 beads. We are going to be taking a limited number of orders now, all pre-orders to be dyed to order and delivered in the middle to late November. The web page has all the details. Fun and beautiful! 
2016 Sheep and Wool Festival
Llamas on parade. Some wonderful musicians. My DH and son. Alpacas! A surreal, and not quite kid friendly, performance. :) Me and sheep. So pretty. Such lovely goats. There was even a blacksmith demo. $( document ).ready( function () { $(".royalSlider").royalSlider({ // options go here // as an example, enable keyboard arrows nav // general options go gere addActiveClass: true, autoScaleSlider: true, loop: true, control...more
Gathering Autumn's Splendor -- Yet Again!
Gathering Autumn's Splendor has proven to be our most sought after kit -- the colors are stupendous, the pattern is great fun,and the finished piece truly breath-taking.  So now for the sixth time (!) we are again opening up a web page to take pre-orders.  We will have to limit the number of orders taken at this time so don't wait too long.  If you place your order now for the exact section of the colorway that you want and it will be dyed specially for you.  Then I will combine the yarn with beads to form a wondrous set and send them on.   Just be awa...more
Exclusive Kits!
Through the last few years we have featured some stunning shawls that had been especially designed for us at EarthFaire by some awesome designers using yarns from The Unique Sheep.   Plus!  Some are now available in two brand-new yarn bases -- delicious fibers to add even more beauty.  So we are thrilled!  If you check out our Clubs section you will find some real beauties, any of which can be pre-ordered.  Just be aware that they are dyed to order and will take about 4 to 6 weeks to be ready -- need I say that they are definitely worth the wait?
Treat Yourself to Coda!
It is just about time to put away those holiday knits and bring out the needles to make something special for yourself.   Shibui Knits offers a gorgeous free pattern, called Coda, or arm warmers knit from one skein of Cima and Silk Cloud held together.   And we have just these yarns in stock for you:  you can get your kit here.  These yarns are absolutely delicious!  What a marvelous treat!
In Stock Kits: EarthBound Misfit + Gathering Autumn's Splendor
Some of the most lovely of the shawls that we carry are knit in specially dyed yarns from The Unique Sheep.  And the only downside is that, as they are mostly dyed-to-order, it can take a while to get the yarn and beads to with which to create your own beautiful piece.  On occasion Kelly (of The Unique Sheep) and I are able to work out her dyeing a few extras of the specially popular sets.   And so....  Great news! Right now we have a limited number of kits in stock and ready to ship of the fantastic Gathering Autumn's Splendor.   Plus! We have a cou...more
Winnie The Pooh Mystery KAL!
This is always super-exciting! Announcing a great new Mystery Knit Along, that we working on with The Unique Sheep.   The KAL itself will be starting March 24th, this one is a lovely beaded rectangular shawl, of fingering weight yarn, based loosely on the wonderful book Winnie The Pooh! We are taking orders now -- these are pre-orders that will be specially and individually dyes to your specific order.   You can make your selections of yarn and colorways here .  This will be great fun!
Waiting for Rain + EarthBound Misfit Kits In Stock
Back in stock, though in very limited amounts! We have some of the gorgeous Waiting for Rain kit in the Shadow Fire colorway. And a couple of new kits for the EarthBound Misfits Shawl in Arda+ Vulcan plus one in Sylph + Persephone in stock and ready to ship right away! Yum!
President's Day Sale!
For three days only, through Wednesday midnight, 20% off on anything you find in our Yarn section, even those items which are already discounted.  One thing though:  You must must must use the coupon code Presidential when checking out for the discount to be automatically taken off the total. 
Birthstone Bracelet: Aquamarines of March
We continue our series of Birthstone Bracelets with this beauty:  Aquamarines of March.  Easy to knit and lovely to wear (or to give) these colors are just wonderful.  And we still have a number of our Amethysts of February in stock, our first Birthstone Bracelet and quite a beauty (if I do say so myself). 
Great Kits With Yarn From The Unique Sheep: In Stock!
The Unique Sheep's yarns are absolute stunners, the only downside being that they are usually dyed to order and take time to come.  Well, right now we have a goodly amount of gorgeous kits in stock and ready to go off to new homes.  Take a look here for kits in stock complete with yarn sets from TUS!
Pay It Forward!
There is nothing that feels quite as good as doing something nice for another. We are continuing our pay-it-forward game -- you can consider it on-going, now and forever, until further notice. Any order you place of $50 or more will be eligible for a yarn gift. My choice on the yarn and the colorway but know it will be brand-new and high quality. It doesn't mean you have to knit for charity or use that yarn for someone else -- it just means that as you got something nice, so you also do something nice for someone else. All I need from you with your minimum $50 order i...more
La Belle et La Bete: New MKAL!
Our next Mystery Knit Along is inspired by the classic story of La Belle et La Bête-- the original story of the beauty and the beast. Designed by Janine le Cras, this shawl is worked in lace weight yarn and can be knit in any of the lace weight yarn bases offered by The Unique Sheep, including a new (for this MKAL only) Sea Silk. You choose your colorway -- either one of our exclusive EarthFaire signature colorways or any of those from The Unique Sheep -- and it will be dyed to your specifications. Fun! Plus the design looks great with or without beads.  ...more
Hunters Hat
I just finished one of those simple knits that we do so often for people we really love. We live in a rather unusual part of NJ -- would you believe woods and streams and wild animals even?  And every autumn, the hunters come; some with bow-and-arrow looking for small game, some loaded with shotguns and hunting for deer and bear. Now my youngest son is not a hunter but he is a runner and though he rarely runs in the woods, he definitely runs near them.  So as we approach that time of year, our thoughts turned to basic safety in the forested areas.  And warmth as well. S...more
Limited Quantities and Oh-So-Lovely!
Some striking handcrafted pins -- these are gorgeous!   We have a sheep (very reminiscent of the logo of our friends at The Unique Sheep), a dragonfly (just because he makes me smile), and a wondrous heart. Perfect for using as a closure for that stunning shawl you just knit, don't you think? 
Middle Son Hat
So I am continuing on my hat trend and made one for my middle son. His wife loves the color purple but she doesn't like to wear hats. Well, he loves her, so he asked me to make him a purple hat. Whatta guy! I used Tin Can Knits' free pattern for their Antler Hat. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/antler-hat From The Fibre Company, I had some of their Cumbria in a gorgeous purple called Purple Moor Grass. I am so pleased and hope he will love it! It feels delicious.  
In Stock Kits With TUS Yarns!
We have some stunning kits back in stock, in yarns specially dyed by Kelly of The Unique Sheep (TUS).  Some were originally part of our exclusive Club offerings, and some are repeats of some very popular kits we had before. Awesome kits for BitterBlue (in both colorways) are here! Plus we have the Thirteenth Moon's kit in the colorway called Once in a Blue Moon.  Wow! Hazy Daze has a couple of kits left, ready to ship right away too. And Aliseda in the lovely copper-to-rose colorway. In EarthBound Misfits, we have a couple of kits in stock dyed in the striking C...more
Lykke Interchangeable Needle Sets
Back in stock! These are solid birch needle sets from Lyke -- the needles have a 3.5” tip (which will work for 16” circulars!) and come in sizes US 3 to US 10 ½, with one 16” cord, one 20” cord, and one 24” cord, as well as four keys, two cord connectors, and eight stoppers.
Reminder! Pay It Forward! :-)
Especially as the holiday season approaches, I want to make sure you know about how we "pay it forward". You know, there is nothing that feels quite as good as doing something nice for another. We are continuing our pay-it-forward game -- you can consider it on-going, now and forever, until further notice. Any order you place of $50 or more will be eligible for a yarn gift. It will be our choice on the yarn and the colorway but know it will be brand-new and high quality. And you, in return, do something nice for someone else.  It doesn't mean you...more
T'is The Season of Sales!
T'is the season of twinkling lights and joyful voices lifted in song! And to special sales and discounts as well.  As the month continues,  we will be putting more kits and other goodies up in our Specials section.  Some will be at a special price through to the end of the month,  some for a few weeks, and some only for a day or two. Come and take advantage of some glorious pieces and some great prices! And here's hoping you have a wonderful wonderful holiday time!
EarthFaire Special Offers!
We want to remind you of a few great offers we have here at EarthFaire. *** There is our pay-it-forward game -- it is an on-going project, to help spread the joy of giving, year-round.  Any order you place of $50 or more will be eligible for a yarn gift. My choice on the yarn and the colorway but know it will be brand-new and high quality. It doesn't mean you have to knit for charity or use that yarn for someone else -- it just means that as you got something nice, so you also do something nice for someone else. All I need from you with your minimum $50 order ...more
What I'm Knitting: Ute Nawratil
One of my favorite designers is Ute Nawratil. I love the way she thinks outside the box (to coin a phrase) and comes up with really intriguing designs and clear directions so others can follow in her footsteps. Recently she has been knitting designs that combine two of my current favorites: double knitting and brioche. For my personal knitting, these photos show my beginning of her pattern called A Touch of Magic -- you will notice that there are two sides, both of which look "right" though with reversed colors. There is going to be a third color added (the gray yarn you see in...more
Kieran Foley
I am truly enamored with Kieran Foley's  designs.  His use of color is awesome and I  particularly love his work with stacked  centers quadruple decreases.  Plus I had some  yarn I've been wanting to try out as well,  Wunderkleckse (from Schoppel) which is  created by splotch-dyeing a pre-knit piece  and then wound into a ball.  I wanted to see  how it would show up in Kieran's Jasper Lace,  hoping for intriguing color pooling. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jasper-lace https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/s...more
The Unique Sheep - Fingering Weight Yarns
The Unique Sheep carries a number of fingering weight yarns and there are a few additional ones which are Earth Faire exclusives. Any of these can be ordered through us.  1. Verve2 is 100% Superwash Merino Wool with a 100g set = 400 yards. Can be seen in these kits: Earthbound Misfit Gathering Autumn's Splendor 2. Tinsel Toes is 50% Superwash Merino, 50% Tencel. A 100 gram set = 368 yards. Can be seen in this kit: Earthbound Misfit 3. Sushi Socks is 60% Superwash Merino, 30% Bamboo, 10% Nylon and again 100g = 368 yards. 4. Pashmi is a bit more expensive as it is 80...more
Custom Bracelets
I am really pleased when a crafter asks me if I can make some modifications to an already-existing design. Well, heck, playing with colors is my very favorite thing. :-) Recently, Robin wanted to get our Whale Road bracelet but preferred a silver tone clasp. While that would have been an easy substitution, I decided that the bead mix needed to be slightly altered in order to lessen the gold-based beads and add more cool silver-based ones. You can see that these two bracelets look very very similar indeed. I am thrilled at how it all came together; Robin's colors look very "right...more
Snow and snow again - Newsletter, December 3, 2019
We had our first snowfall of the season --- the white gloriousness making everything look clean and fresh.   I love walking as it falls, watching for pawprints in the whiteness and listening to the seasons quiet. Of course, I have been known to occasionally belt out a song or two on my way. This time of year "White Christmas" is often heard by the chipmunks. ...more
Tips and Tricks: Bead Soup Bracelets
There you are, stringing beads for one of the Bead Soup or Bead Stew bracelets, and trying hard to thread them on randomly. Then you start to knit and discover to your dismay that somehow colors or shapes or sizes are lining up in a very un-random fashion and it just looks wrong. What to do? I have heard stories about knitters taking out the whole thing and starting again and I want to tell you there is usually no need. It is fine to skip beading a stitch -- that might rearrange the order of the beads enough to break it up well. It is also fine to double-up a bead on a stit...more
Tip and Tricks: Add Beads To Your Knitting With Pre-Threading
So you would like to add beads to your knitting. If you are lucky, you find a pattern that sings to you where the designer has already planned for beads and tells you where and how to add them. But what if you find a design that you love but want to add that extra bit of bling to it. How can you do that? There are many ways to add beads to knitwear. I'd like to explore these a bit with you starting with Pre-Threading as an option. ++++++++++ Pre-threading beads onto yarn (or thread as for example when knitting any of our Jewelry Creations can seem like a long and boring task be...more
Beaded Knitting: Useful Links
Here are some inks that I refer to often about knitting with beads: http://www.marblehead.net/amy/shiny/ISSUEspring06/FEATseducedbybeads.html A great write-up by Sivia Harding which covers ways of adding beads to your knitting. This one is a classic. http://rosemarygoround.blogspot.com/2007/08/tutorials-r-us.html From Romi (Rosemary Hill):  what to do if you want to add beads to your knitting and the hole is too small to use the crochet-hook-method. Very useful indeed. http://rosemarygoround.blogspot.com/2010/07/and-she-was.html And yet another blog post from Romi on a method ...more
Brioche Knitting: Useful Links
Brioche knitting has become my favorite type of knitting lately. Recently I was asked to describe why and I had to think about it. Well, Brioche has a lovely rhythm to it but then, most knitting has a lovely rhythm to it.  Brioche is reversible which is really nice -- great for shawls and wraps, wonderful for scarves. Often the two sides mirror each other though not always; the colors are always reversed though. Having no right-side or wrong-side and a choice of predominant color depending on mood and clothing is a major plus.  I love giving a brioche hat as a gift and ca...more
Art Nouveau, Gustav Klimt, and Brioche Knitting
Anyone who has taken an art history course in school is away of the many changing enthusiasms in the art world. From traditional realism to modernism with a lot of interesting side journeys in between. One style that really appeals to me personally is the Art Nouveau school of the late 19th century and early 20th century. An ornamental style, it was characterized by its use of long organic lines reminiscent of stems and blossoms of plants. Flowing contours were emphasized over color, which was often muted. Indeed the idea of this art movement was to elevate craft-based decorative arts to th...more
Unexpected Colors - Newsletter, 12/7/21
  Walking quietly in the wood -- or as quiet as a carpet of crinkly leaves will allow.  The trees are mostly bare; the undergrowth has died down as well. And then, all of a sudden, a pop of almost-fluorescent green! As if the moss has a special mission to remind us of color all through the gray months. Sometimes you have to really look to see colors and sometimes they just jump out at you.  ...more
The Purples of Dusk - Newsletter, December 14, 2021
As the days are getting shorter and shorter, it seems to me that colors are also shifting towards the shorter end of the spectrum as well. Call it maybe an ambiance of purples..? The overall look of colors to my eye seem to be veering cooler in an unexpected match to the weather. And the longer twilights are especially striking.   ...more
Baby, it's cold outside...! - Newsletter, January 25, 2022
I have been going for my morning walks with three scarves -- one around my neck and face and two in my pockets to replace that one when it gets too icy. My little corner of the universe has the nickname of "The Icebox of New Jersey" and when my son came to visit from a town just a short distance away he was amazed at the amount of snow we had gotten.  The world is a snowy fantasy land!  And I am so so so very thankful for all the delicious scarves and hats that I have made for myself and my loved ones over the years.... ...more
Thoughts on Color Contrast (or not)
My default patterns for summer knitting are hats, almost always done in brioche style. They are small, easily portable, and do not add heat to my lap as I work on them. Plus the brioche makes them reversible and double-layered so they are amazingly squishy and quite warm come the cold weather.  I find it is easy to find very happy recipients once they are done! So for the last week or so I've been working on Katrin Schubert's Mood of March, , using some extra skeins Arroyo and Ella Rae that are almost the same as we have in our kit for Brioche Woodgrain Scarf .  I ha...more
Color of the Month: August
I found out recently that Pantone, the famous color people, partnered with Colorstrology, a well-known astrology site, to create a "color-of-the-month."  I thought it could be fun to explore these. August's color is Sun Orange, which makes sense in all kind of ways.   Orange itself tends to be stimulating and energizing.  More specifically, golden orange, because of its obvious connection with gold, is a color that represents wisdom, wealth and prestige.  Of course, we also have this month right smack in the middle of summer so warmth as an attribut...more
Another Passion
I recently have been really enamored of baking, particularly sourdough baking. Some years ago, one of my sons gave me as a birthday gift, a class at the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY, and I chose one having to do with baking breadI. It was marvelous! As a special thing,at the end, the instructor gave anyone who was interested a bit of sourdough starter that had been alive and passed down for over one hundred years. Well, needless to say, I was interested and I have been feeding and caring for this starter ever since.  To be honest, the idea ...more
Color of the Month: October
Colorstrology, in partnership with Pantone, Inc, has created a color palette for every month and every date within the month. I expected October's to be one of what we call "autumn colors", perhaps an orange or a brass or a rust even. Turns out October's color is Cerulean blue. Which when you think about it, makes marvelous sense. I love the clear blue skies of Autumn!  Looking up at that glorious expanse above brings peace and serenity, a feeling of beauty and balance...
What I'm Knitting: Exoskeleton Cowl by Shanna S. Cohen
I am currently knitting the rather simple but very intriguing Exoskeleton Cowl by Shanna S. Cohen: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/exoskeleton-cowl I have a wonderful friend who just finished going through the nightmare of chemotherapy.  And though her hair is starting to grow back, it is still very short and her head gets very cold. She hates wearing hats. So! This is a most ingenious cowl which uses short-rows to create a combination cowl and hood -- a cowl for warmer days, to be pulled up into a hood shape when the winds get a bit more nippy. It mixes two wei...more
What I'm Knitting: Decide in Noro's Miyabi
I am continuing my streak of simple projects, great for gifting and for working on when chatting with friends or watching The Great British Baking Show. This is a design by the amazing folks of Woolly Thoughts who create rather unique pieces, often based on mathematics. This design is simply called Decide and gives many variations that one can knit easily with one skein (maybe 2) of a dk yarn. I chose Noro's Miyabi, for its delicious feel and its long color runs. I chose the colorway #26 and am happily surprised by all the colors that are revealed as I knit it.
What I'm Knitting: Zuzu's Petals by Carina Spencer
Continuing my trend of small yet interesting knits. I love creating hats and cowls and scarves and mittens -- I find they are great for learning new techniques, playing with new yarns, and simply having a fairly quick result that can be easily "gifted." This is Zuzu's Petals by Carina Spencer. I wanted to try out a delicious yarn from Noro, called Okunoshima, colorway #19, that is a blend of silk and wool and angora and mohair. The angora makes it absolutely a dream to feel and I am enjoying it tremendously so far. The colors change very gradually while staying wi...more
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