Did this amazingness catch your attention? It got mine. More about it follows.
A couple of Sundays ago I boarded a ferry bright and early to go teach at Altman's Needlearts in Mattituck, NY. I was happy. Any gig that includes ferry travel turns out fabulously, in my experience.
The shop is delightful. It's full of great yarn, interesting materials for other maker/needlarty pursuits, fun displays, tools, patterns and handmade gifts and cards. (Really great cards, among other snobbery, I am a card snob)..... Kate Altman fills her shop well.
She invited my co-author Kirsten Kapur and I to teach, and booksign Drop Dead Easy Knits. The only thing missing was Mary Lou Egan our third partner, who lives way off in Minnesota. (we wave, sadly).
Kirsten taught the Glama Wrap project. I caught part of the class and wish I could have sat through it all. Kirsten brought swatches showing ways to think about modifying the pattern, how it would look in different yarns.....seriously, I have been living with this pattern since we started the book three years ago, you'd think I'd know all this, yet I still saw it in new ways. I love how she teaches.
I taught a 10 Tips for Photographing Your Knits class. This is Rachel, who works at the shop, sitting in as a gorgeous model for us when we did a little shooting. We did the class on our smartphones, allowing me to crunch in some iphone-ography editing tips as well. Totally fun! My only regret (cringing to admit this)--I forgot to turn on the bluetooth in my phone, so my selfie-stick missed the group class shots. Rookie error!
This was my first trip to Mattituck, on the western edge of the North Fork of Long Island. It is so worth a trip to this shop and charming little village--the block with Altmans also has a winetasting room for a vineyard, a cheese shop, a chocolate shop and a really good sandwich and salad deli. There was coffee too. Like...couldn't you just live there? The beach isn't far away so..let's see, yarn, coffee, wine swimming..yeah. I'm good.
Then I noticed these stunning crocheted blankets in the shop.They remind me a bit of the gazillion pieces I've pinned by French artist Sophie Digard..,,but these were different and wholly original. Kate pulled out more and more. They're the work of Evy Leonard, a crochet artist in Brooklyn who really has brilliant color & design instincts and a lot of fingering weight yarn. Let me blow your mind with a few more, OK?
I mean...even if you had a pattern that showed you the motifs for the squares, and suggested the yarns, you still couldn't replicate the blending mixtures of solid, hand dyed, variegated and speckled yarns and scraps she uses to make these. Did I mention they are fingering weight?
I almost overlooked this one, which is more neutrals and duller shades. It might be my favorite.
All of them are a good argument for never throwing away a scrap. And also for buying someone else's handmade brilliance when you find it. (contact Kate at Altman's if you feel the same way).
Sailing home. A brilliant day. My theory about ferry travel gigs held up.
For a son's girfriend, I asked if she'd like a hat, and if she had any preferences. She requested silvery grey and black. She likes it a lot! It even got an "oh wow" from the fairly knit-jaded son himself.
Pattern: Eau Claire Hat by Melissa Schaschwary
Pompom: un-naturally black rabbit fur. All the LYS sold out, as did online sources, what with furry pompoms all the rage. Luckily furry pompom key chains are a thing, too. After ordering one online and de-chaining, it worked out quite nicely.
Notes: I love this pattern. Want one for myself. This was knit in Cascade 128, chosen for its color, softness and twist, and of course, weight. It was such a speedy knit, I swear it took me longer to secure the pompom than to knit it. I could have done one more repeat for a slightly slouchy hat but I was worried I'd run out of yarn. It fits great as is.
Two custom colorwork hats. These are a blast to knit.
Pattern: Headford Hat from Drop Dead Easy Knits is a perfect blank template. Add stripes, or fair isle style graphics, or whatever stitches you want. Well, yeah, of course I am biased, by being co-author of the book, but I swear, it really is an ideal launchpad of a hat. And cute as a simple solid too. I am predicting more of these in my knitting future. Colorwork makes a knit fly for me. I guess I like the immediate gratification of seeing the picture form?
Notes: the owly one is for my bro-in-law who likes a tight fitting beanie style, and requested something quirky or fun this year, when queried for his annual hat. It's in the mail now, crossing my fingers that he'll be happy.
the snowflake one is for Yliana, my unofficial foster daughter who is 21 now and in her own apartment, an all around good egg, that one. She commented that snowflake motifs were appealing to her this winter, so I went with it, and I know she likes these colors. It's actually dark red and a light grey, but it reads as white. Color is so fascinating, isn't it? This hat is slouchier in length from cuff to crown and knit at a slightly looser gauge than the owly hat. (and, yes, I did only shoot it with the jog showing? why??? I do not know!)
All of the motifs are from 150 Scandinavian Motifs by Mary Jane Mucklestone. I page through this book all the time obsessively plotting more hats and yoked sweaters. One of a few brilliant purchases I made toward the end of 2016. (my electric teakettle is another, if you are wondering) (and my dozen remote control votive candles, hyggely as they are)
Azel Pullover and Big Wool Little Hat for Zoe-- adorable factor off the charts, right? Also - intense pink fluffiness off the charts. It's knit in Rowan Brushed Fleece, which is so light and fluffy, to the point it barely holds its shape. The light fluffiness has made it a huge hit with Zoe, so no complaints from me. The design is a rectangle folded over, a tube of mistake rib for the turtleneck and some buttons holding the sides closed below the arm, it actually doesn't have much shape, anyway.
Buttons from Pins and Needles in Princeton NJ. I don't think I could have found a better button for this one! They're mix and match flowers on the hearts. The design is for buttonholes along the edges but given that they aren't functionally necessary, and heart shaped buttons can slip out of bulky button holes easily, I skipped making buttonholes and just sewed them on through both edges.
The whole shebang is a hit. Suits her, doesn't it?
There's one more hat, but it's in the mail and I'll wait to show it. Let's just say you'll be seeing a lot just like it between now and January 21st! My CraftActivism friend, the wonderful Kat Coyle and the Little Knittery are making it happen!
