By Tara, on July 30th, 2010%
Welcome to the first installment of Talking to Yarn-Lovers. Each week I’ll have an interview with a different yarn-lover (maker, knitter, crocheter). If you want to share your yarn-love, sign up here and I’ll email you some questions!
Today I’m talking to Kim Werker, writer, editor, celebrator of ugly, and all-around-crafty-gal.
How long have you been knitting or crocheting? I’ve been knitting for seven years and crocheting for six. Where do you find handmade yarn? Do you have any favorites?
I find handmade yarn online, in local yarn shops, and at fibre festivals.
I’m absolutely in love with Felicia Lo’s Sweetgeorgia Yarns, which are hand-dyed here in Vancouver. I’m currently crocheting a shawl out of hand-dyed silk yarn from Indigo Moon, which also happens to be a local-ish yarn – she dyes off the coast on Gabriola Island.
What have you made with handspun yarn?
I made . . . → Read More: Talking to Yarn-Lovers: Kim Werker
By Tara, on July 8th, 2010%
I’ve been thinking a lot about working with handmade, eco-friendly yarn ever since I posted the list of over 40 patterns for handspun and handdyed yarn.
I’m knitting this shawl out of my banana yarn:
And this shawl out of UrbanGypz’s handdyed seasilk yarn (delicious!)
How do YOU work with handmade or eco-friendly yarn?
I’d love to collect your stories, opinions and tips and create a resource for all of us.
If you’d like to talk about handmade or eco-friendly yarn and how it fits into your crafting, just let me know by filling this out. I want to hear from EVERYone: new knitters, old crocheters, yarn professionals, average joes!
Each week, I’ll share your stories here, so we can all learn from each other!
PS. If you know someone who would like to talk about their own crafting, send them . . . → Read More: I want YOU (for fame and glory)
By Tara, on June 24th, 2010%
“What can I make with this yarn?“
Over the years I’ve compiled scads of ideas (and posts) on what to make with handspun yarn, banana yarn, hemp yarn, even handspun organic cotton (which I keep selling out of, but look for a few more colors tomorrow morning!).
After almost 4 years of this yarny adventure it’s time for a the Mother Of All Lists.
Let’s do it!
Patterns for Banana yarn Patterns for Hemp Laceweight Patterns for Handspun Organic Cotton Patterns for 1 skein of handspun yarn Part 1 Patterns for 1 skein of handspun yarn Part 2 Knitting patterns for handspun yarn (for boys) Knit gift patterns Knitting patterns worth buying Granny Square patterns Crochet Patterns for handspun yarn Sweater patterns for handspun yarn
If I’m missing YOUR favorite patterns, share them in the comments!
PS. Want the yarn and the pattern . . . → Read More: 40+ Patterns for Handmade Yarn
By Tara, on May 6th, 2010%
I just put a new color of hemp laceweight in the shop and I thought I’d take the chance to answer the perrenial question:
What can I do with this?
Well, with 625 yards in 2 oz, there is a LOT of very fine yarn to work with.
What Customers Have Made
The most popular project (from customers of A Novel Yarn), has been the ultra-simple Stockinette Scarf.
This one, knit in Pomegranate, was made by Jodi (who also makes the BEST cream cheese pound cake) and it is looong. Over 6ft long!
The pattern is super simle: Cast on 30 sts on US10.5 needles. Work in St st. Bind off when you have just a bit of yarn left.
. . . → Read More: What Can I do with Hemp Laceweight?
By Tara, on March 25th, 2010%
Next month I’m teaching a lace class at my yarn shop and I’m trying to pick a good lace pattern.
I want something with charts, with paired increases and decreases, and plenty of challenge.
You can see my current picks here.
Which one do you prefer? Should I pick one from this list or would you start with something else?
(let me know in the comments of right here and not on A Novel Yarn, because I don’t want us to skew the voting over there!)
By Tara, on March 10th, 2010%
I’m honoring National Craft Month by posting something crafty that catches my eye every weekday. Share your favorite crafty finds in the comments!
I love Crochet By Faye‘s idea for celebrating National Craft Month – adopt a designer!
You can read all the details in her post. The general idea is to pick a designer every day for the rest of the month and do something to help them succeed: blog about them, recommend them, buy a pattern!
I love this idea and will be incorporating here my already-planned National Craft Month blogging. I’m also going to spend the month looking for more designers to feature in my bricks+mortar shop, A Novel Yarn.
If you know of a designer (especially one that works with handspun or handdyed yarn), let me know in the comments!
By Tara, on August 25th, 2009%
Not sure what to do with that delicious handspun Organic Cotton? Here are some ideas! . . . → Read More: Handspun Organic Cotton Yarn – Free Patterns & Tips
By Tara, on April 30th, 2009%
By Tara, on February 12th, 2009%
What can you knit with Banana yarn? A few suggestions. . . . → Read More: Ask Tara – Free Knitting Patterns for Bananaiére
By Tara, on November 12th, 2008%
As the holiday season approaches, I’m beginning to ponder the inevitable Christmas Gift List. Despite my best efforts to avoid it, I always feel the pull of handknitting gifts for my very dearests. The trickiest people on that list are also the smallest.I have two, sweet little brothers, ages 8 and 9. Although adorable and irresistible they have one ginormous flaw: they have extremely specific ideas of what constitutes “cool” handknits. They love knowing I knit something for them, but they are very particular about what they’ll wear.
Here are just a few things I know they’d love:
Stegosaurus Hat Ok, this one is a cheat: I designed it two years ago as a Christmas gift. Actually, D helped me design it: he drew a picture of his ideal hat and this is how it turned out!
Fingerless gloves Both the boys want a set of fingerless gloves for . . . → Read More: 6 free kntiting patterns for boys
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