My annual explosion of creativity
Warm Fuzzies has come and gone. The customs list is closed for the year. All the stocking stuffers are finished and shipped, and there are a few things left in the shop. Do you hear that sound? That’s the sound of free yarn time… Indeed, playing with yarn has never felt so glorious as when there are no deadlines to meet, no parameters, no expectations. Just creativity. Just art.
Every year, I look forward to having free time to create for myself and my family. Rows and Roses always closes down for December, and this year, December came a week early! From now until the start of 2020, I will be spinning, dying, knitting, crocheting, and weaving all of things I’ve been thinking about all year long. In addition to all of these items that will hopefully be falling off my hook and needles and loom, I will also be writing a pattern or two, and making big plans for the Grand Reopen 2020. Wanna see some of the things I’m working on?
Playing with yarn, Felici style!
If you are familiar with Knit Pick’s Felici, then you know this yarn is not to be trifled with. A special reserve self-striping sock yarn, Felici is only stocked twice a year, and it FLIES off the shelves! Felici hoarders are known as a special breed of yarnie: we stalk the website when it’s supposed to stock, and then it’s a free for all, grabbing all we can. Once we receive our packages of the stripy string, we tend to be too afraid to use it, worrying that no pattern will do it justice. So we just take it out and pet it, impatiently waiting for the next stocking 6 months later.
Not this little hooker! I decided to dive deep into my Felici stash and came out with Soft Serve, to go with my more newly acquired Coffee Break. I’m holding the two together to create a crocheted marled scarf of my original design. Although, the yardage may actually turn this into a cowl instead. We shall see! So far, I am absolutely loving the way this looks.
The Neverending Sweater
Way back in….. June? Maybe? I bought a value pack of Hawthorne called Dark Mood. It came with 6 skeins of yarn in dark burgundy, red, greys, and black. All very pretty individually, but together… WOWZA! I had to have it. Of course, I had no idea what I was going to use it for. As I was browsing on Ravelry, I came across a knit sweater pattern called Ink. This sweater, as I recall, seemed to me to be an absolute marvel. A cabled monstrosity! Ink would be difficult, possibly a trial and tribulation, that would either send me home crying or greatly raise my skill level. You know me, I had to at least try. Furthermore, I had to put my own spin on it by making the fade sequence exactly what I wanted in a sweater. Here is my progress so far ——>
I’m not gonna lie, it’s tedious and tiresome at times. Boy I am really learning a lot from it though, and I can’t wait to wear it! So I’m trudging along, eating this elephant one bite at a time….. I sure hope it’s finished by next fall.
Weaverly Marsh is back at it!
Sometimes, I just have to get off the couch, drop the hook and needles, and do something else. Weaverly Marsh, my new(ish) rigid heddle loom, saves the day! After my Blue Willow kitchen set came off, Isaiah and I decided that playing with the new Dishie colors was the perfect thing to do next.
We settled on the new Flower Girl multi, along with Jalapeno and Swan. I am seriously loving how these colors are playing together. I am a slow weaver as all the standing hurts my back, so I have to do it in short bursts. Headway is being made, however! I’m convinced that Weaverly Marsh is just what R&R needed, and I can see weaving becoming a staple here at Rows and Roses for a long time to come.
And the playing with yarn continues...
Besides everything I’ve shared here, there are so many more things going on! Like my daughter’s crocheted blanket I’m trying to finish up for Christmas, and the crazy folded hat pattern I found. Not to mention my son’s socks that he asked for, and all of the planning for the coming year. And did I tell you about all the bare yarn and new dyes I got? Or the hand-dyed pencil roving that’s coming from Kim Dye’s Yarn? Hang out with me this winter, here and in the facebook group, and you’ll see it all! What are you working on this winter? Leave a comment and let me know! And as always, if you found value in this post, please share. Every action you take helps my little yarn business grow ♥
