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December 2012

2002-2012: A Retrospective

Ten years have passed since I began these year-end retrospectives. In that decade, our world has changed significantly—our knitting world and the world at large. Hindsight is a beautiful, decadent thing. It allows us a greater perspective, helps us see the bigger picture that is often

December 20, 2012

ChiaoGoo Twist and Spin Interchangeable Needles

My house is full of knitting needles, yet I never seem to find the exact size and configuration I need. It's been a lifelong challenge, and I know I'm not alone. For those who enjoy working with circular knitting needles, interchangeable sets offer hope—the illusion of hope, that

November 28, 2012

Windy Valley Muskox Qiviut Royal Blend

Consider the Arctic muskox, a majestic mammal that lives in extreme conditions. To stay warm in the dead of winter, it produces one of the finest fibers grown by a living animal: qiviut. Softer than cashmere and eight times warmer than wool, qiviut is also

October 18, 2012

Jill Draper Makes Stuff Empire

A few years ago, Jill Draper escaped New York City to pursue a quieter, more fiber-filled life. She chose the Hudson Valley partly because of its proximity to Rhinebeck, a charming town she'd discovered through years of attending the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. Jill

October 11, 2012

Baa Ram Ewe Titus

The UK has a vibrant textiles history. Most argue that the fortunes of the British empire were, in fact, based on the wool trade. Somewhere along the line, between globalization and our quest for softness, this trade faltered. Today, Britain's wool manufacturing industry is hurting, as

October 4, 2012

Schoolhouse Press Un-Spun Icelandic

In the 1960s, Meg Swansen spent a month in Reykjavik and fell in love with unusual "plates" of unspun Icelandic wool—which literally translate as "plötulopi." Instead of being spun, the fibers were simply carded together, peeled away into fine strips, and then wound onto cake-like

September 12, 2012

Alafoss Lopi

Lopi and I go way back. Growing up, I was always clothed in thick, rugged Icelandic sweaters knit by my maternal grandma. The sweaters (in the Lopapeysa style) were bulky yet surprisingly light, and they always kept me warm. They were all knit from Iceland's distinct "Lopi"

September 6, 2012

Dreaming in Color: An Autobiography by Kaffe Fassett

We have few royals in the knitting world. Elizabeth Zimmermann, Barbara Walker, and Mary Walker Phillips are generally considered the trinity. There's a fourth member of our royalty, though. He is a prolific artist whose work, when translated into yarn, has been commissioned by the

August 23, 2012

TNNA Summer 2012 Show

Twice a year, knitting industry folks get together to network, take classes, and do business at a show called TNNA. They bring the latest and greatest samples and prototypes and skeins so freshly dyed they're still slightly wet to the touch. Some authors see their book for

Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted

Shepherd Worsted has all the elements of a perfect comfort food. It's soft and easy, comes in large servings, and always satisfies. The Shepherd label actually spans four weights: Shepherd Bulky, Shepherd Worsted (reviewed here), Shepherd Sport, and Shepherd Sock. All contain 100% superwash Merino except

Tales from Maryland: The 2012 Show

Last weekend at the Howard County Fairgrounds, tens of thousands of people converged for the 39th annual Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Report from Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival West Friendship, MD May 5-6, 2012 Companies mentioned (in order of appearance): Spirit Trail Fiberworks Fiber Optic Yarns The Verdant Gryphon Still River

Briar Rose Robusta

If you're a knitter, you already know that we do strange things when admiring a new skein of yarn. We might squeeze it, rub it against our neck, perhaps pull it to our face and give it a good sniff. When it's an especially big

Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted Merino

Most yarn companies like to launch with a full fleet of products in varying weights and textures. Ewe Ewe Yarns took the complete opposite approach. It launched in 2011 with just one yarn: Wooly Worsted Merino. It's like opening a bakery with only one kind

Tahki Donegal Tweed

Few yarns have been around long enough to be considered landmarks, and Tahki's Donegal Tweed is certainly one of them. This earthy yarn is still spun in the very county for which the yarn was named—County Donegal in Ireland. Donegal Tweed is both a style of

How to Block Lace

Blocking is one of those intensely personal things, like swatching and even knitting itself. Some of us have a laissez-faire, spritz-and-stretch attitude that suits us just fine—while others are not content until they have pinned and starched and ironed every yarn-over into total submission. Here's