Faire Isle February 2018

Hello Everyone!

February is the shortest month, one of of love, freezing cold, and colorwork!! Our theme for this month is Faire Isle February where Caitlin Hunter of Boyland Knitworks, www.boylandknitworks.com,  is our featured designer.

Caitlin Hunter, the designer and creator of Boyland Knitworks is originally from Alaska, and now lives in the Oregon forest with her husband, their three little boys, and an assorted group of all male animals. Being the only female among all the males, she named business "Boyland"! A bit about Caitlin - she has a degree in apparel design and manufacturing and worked in manufacturing as a designer before making the transition to become an independent knitwear designer. Caitlin’s training and experience show in her designs, which are individually colorful and sophisticated. Her designs include hats, scarves, with a range of sweaters, and our KAL for this month, the Ninilchik Swoncho, a perfect combination between a sweater and a poncho. Caitlin’s designs are both stylish and practical. Case in point is the Swoncho, which is loose and easy, but the sleeves keep it in place. Caitlin believes that knitting is an antidote to our instant-gratification world, and she loves designing garments and accessories that can be treasured for a lifetime and longer. And that is very lucky for us because her designs are amazing and fits nicely with our philosophy of making beautiful things with your hands and all the wonderful benefits derived from that. Caitlin’s philosophy is for all of us to slow down, knit some beautiful things and appreciate what we can do with our own hands! Caitlin reminds us that knitting is like any challenges in life - just take it one row at a time and you will be surprised at what you can accomplish! And we couldn’t agree more!

Aim True Hat

Oulu Mitts

In addition to our KAL, our classes this month feature two more designs by Caitlin Hunter, the Aim True Hat and the Oulu Mitts. Each project is quick, portable, and let’s us explore colorwork. Our previously mentioned KAL, the Ninilchik Swoncho, is designed to maximize the beauty colorwork in a larger project while delving into shaping via

Ninilchik Swoncho

short rows and making sleeves. The patterns calls for DK weight yarn and US4 and US6 needles. The pattern has two garment sizes to pick from and here’s where you can play with yarn weight and needle size to adjust the sizing. I decided on the larger size with some tweaks. For colors, I picked a New England Fall palette of olive green, rust, honey, and plum in a rustic sport weight. Linda helped me with needle size, using US3 and US5 instead so I will be able to make my Swoncho smaller than the larger size, but roomier than the smaller size. So far, the combination is working. Linda can guide you through any deviations to your Swoncho. Aside from sizing, picking your colors is both fun and creative. Check out the color combinations on pattern on Ravelry under “About this pattern” to get ideas of your own color palette. And, as always, Linda can help you with color combination ideas. And please checkout the Sunset Highway sweater, knitted by Linda, that is displayed in the store. Caitlin Hunter’s pattern resulted in a truly striking and very wearable sweater that just continues to catch your eye.

Sunset Highway

We want to brighten this short month with color, beauty, and practical style. Come join us as we knit these wonderful projects byour featured designer, Caitlin Hunter of Boyland Knitworks. Happy Faire Isle February, stay warm and…

Knit On!!  Lisa

January 2018 This Year's Theme is Peace and Serenity

Hello Everyone!

The New Year is upon us and the theme for this year is peace and serenity. The world around us is very fast paced, and although this can be exciting, the pressure it causes finds its way into everything we do, even our stitching.  Our stitching is supposed to be fun, perhaps a new learning opportunity, or even relaxing.  Yet, sometimes more than not, there are too many things vying for our attention (like the end of year holiday activities) that we find ourselves putting our knitting or crochet projects in a time out.  But now is the time to pick up those projects that are suffering from separation anxiety and fall in love with them again.  Finishing one project in your WIP stash can have very positive effects; a sense of accomplishment, and yes, a wave of peace and serenity that your project is ready for prime time! That's why we are holding Sit & Stitch Night every Thursday during the month of January before we start new projects with new skills. From a personal note, recently finishing two large projects like "What the Fade?!" and "Speckle & Pop" shawls, was a close to euphoric moment. My Mom fell in love with the colors of my "What the Fade?!" shawl as I was knitting it each time I visited her and my Dad.  Being able to surprise her with this finished gift for her 88th birthday in December was special for both of us (that’s her in the attached picture). 

I will finish the "Speckle & Pop" shawl during January and as I hold it in my hands I realize that I have much less to go towards finishing it and a great deal of knitting has already been done.  For me, keeping my WIPs organized saved the day when I returned to more regularly knitting them.  Although I may have some WIPs at the end of January, I will look forward to new projects in February because I know at least one (or more!!) project will be finished, as in woven in ends and blocked finished!

We think you will find that our peace and serenity theme is reflected in our store update.  With shades of ocean blue and white with warm sand, we want your LYS experience to be fun, light, peaceful and serene.  We appreciate your positive feedback on our new look and we are looking forward to this year of creativity.

My Husband (Linda’s Dad) and I spent the “warmer” holidays with our Alabama Family.  I was also able to spend time in the store with wonderful stitchers and thoroughly enjoyed our conversations.  One of the discussions was about the positive benefits of knitting and crocheting on a person’s health and well-being. I will be exploring this topic in the coming months.  We also had a great time working with Linda, our Son-in-Law Michael, and Grandson Stephen in helping to make Linda’s vision of the store’s new look update a reality.  Our visit came to an end too quickly, but just in time to come home to sub zero temperatures and snow cyclone storms.  My knitting projects enjoyed quite a bit of attention during the foot plus of snow that fell throughout New England. 

We all wish you a new year of peace and serenity as we enjoy getting back in touch with our projects during January and look forward to sharing new projects and new skills throughout the coming year. 

 Knit, Crochet, and Stitch On!!

Lisa

Cables for Christmas! December 2017

Hello Everyone!

It's December! This year of stitching wouldn't be complete without cables! Cables provide interest and warmth to knitting projects. According to dummies.com, the simple technique of cabling (crossing one group of stitches over another) lends itself to many interpretations in knitting. It’s easy to do; you can make all kinds of interesting and imaginative cable patterns. All it takes is a little patience and practice. But where did cables in knitting come from and when did it start?

 According to National Geographic, History and Heritage Abound in Traditional Irish Knits by Lisa Bosley, cable knitting was born out of economics. According to this article, “For centuries the beautiful and unique artwork of intertwined knots has featured in Irish culture.  By the late 1800s, these intricate patterns were being knit into sweaters across Ireland’s numerous fishing villages. Knitters of the Aran Islands, an archipelago of craggy islands in Galway Bay on Ireland’s West Coast, developed a plethora of delicate patterns full of symbolism. These knits share the history and values of the native people of these rugged islands.” Of the intricate patterns, knitting cables were born. “Cable stitches represent fishing ropes, the tools of a hard worker, and come in many variations. Braided cable stitches evoke close family ties. In the early 1900s, industrious Aran women began knitting more sweaters to sell year-round and supplement the islands’ fishing economy. The textured wool sweaters of the Aran Islands have become “as tenacious an international symbol of Ireland as the harp and Shamrock,” says historian Dierdre McQuillan.” Although cables can be found in hats, mittens, scarves, and home goods, it looks like the first cables were knitted into those traditional off-white Aran sweaters to keep hard working fishermen warm and to contribute to family economics.

Of course, to be fair, there is a less romantic story regarding the beginning of cable knitting. According to Kelborne Woolens, “There is a long and confusing history behind cable knitting. Many say that it originated long ago on the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. This wind-swept, craggy string of rocks in the Atlantic Ocean is the perfect romantic setting for a thick woolen knit to take shape. Waterproof and knit tight as armor, densely knit extra thick sweaters were woven through with distinctive patterning developed over the generations by the women of the family. The story goes that the Aran cable patterns were specific to each family so that the bodies of the men lost at sea could be identified when washed ashore. A more likely, and less romantic, tale of the origins of Aran knitting is that the sweaters were developed for tourist trade sometime at the beginning of the 20th century. In any case, the intricate and intertwining patterns are certainly reminiscent of the Celtic knots so recognizable in traditional Irish imagery. These sweaters are beautiful works of art steeped in a long knitting tradition, whatever their beginning. Most likely, these richly patterned sweaters developed simultaneously, through co-development occurring due to the migration and travel of fisherman all over the British Isles, Ireland, Scandinavia, and France. The similarity between fisherman’s sweaters of these areas is plain to see. Regional styles prevailed, through use of wool type and color, style and complexity, but in many cases the overlaps in design are too commonplace to be able to label any one style of sweater strictly of one place. In Britain and France, closer to large cities knitters may have had better access to dyestuffs, or even later on, commercial dyehouses.  In other more isolated areas, natural undyed wool colors were more common. Surely, some version of what we call an "Aran Sweater" existed before they were commercially popularized in the 1950's and 60's, but most likely they had more in common with the traditional fisherman's Gansey than today's richly patterned Aran designs. A Gansey is a distinctive woolen sweater, originally designed to provide protection for fishermen from wind and water but which is ideal for all outdoor activity. The yarn used was commonly referred to as ‘Seamen’s Iron’. In the 1950's, what we now refer to as Aran knitting was popularized in the US by a design in a 1958 Vogue Pattern Book. This sweater, knit - but not designed by - Elizabeth Zimmerman, started a craze for this style of sweater. The Irish Government, recognizing an opportunity to develop a very rural part of their country with a tourist trade, sent knitters and designers to the outlying islands to work with the local knitters to help them produce garments of high quality and using standard sizing methods.” These beautiful sweaters are still popular today and may be commonly referred to as Fisherman Knit sweaters, although the use of the word Aran is finding its way into the sweater’s description, perhaps due to Ireland’s marketing. While both of these accounts differ in their romanticism of cable knitting, the foundation for both is the beauty of knitted cables and economics in supporting one’s family. 

For our December’s projects, we have three knitted cable kits, a hat with pom pom, a shawl, and a poncho. The traditional beauty of cables is coupled with great modern twists. Our kits are available in the store for sale. And since it is the holiday season, we have several ornaments to knit as well. We have elves, a swirl ball, and baskets and baubles all waiting to be crafted and hung on your tree or wreath, or wherever you want! ‘Tis the Season!!!

We wish you all the Happiest of Holidays and many hours of knitting, crocheting, and stitching!

Knit On! Lisa

No Theme November 2017

Hello Everyone!
There are so many things going on in November, Veterans Day, the end of Daylight Savings Time, Small Business Saturday, and of course, Thanksgiving. So in keeping with the various goings on, we decided to have a "No Theme November". 
This is the first year we sold hand crafted Advent Trees. No two were truly alike and your enthusiasm for these trees made us very happy that we could offer these unique trees. We want to thank the "Jolly Man Up North" and you for making our Advent Trees offering very special.
Knit Night has been a staple on most Thursdays for our store, bringing together friends, yarn, needles, and conversation. We noticed that needlecrafts have something in common, the joy of making something with your hands. We wanted our crocheters and  our cross stitchers too, to feel that they are also part of our handcrafting family. And although we love knitting, we love the camaraderie that comes with needlecrafts. And so, our Knit Night is now Sit and Stitch where hand-made rules!
Veterans Day is very important to us at Yarns by HPF. Many of our family members have served or are serving in our Military. Linda and I are Air Force Veterans. We personally appreciate that you support our Veterans. It means more than we can say.
Yarns by HPF had a Store Sample Sale with a Community Twist. As part of selling the hand knitted store samples, we collected donations to support two local animal shelters. Your generosity knew no bounds as we were able to donate hundreds of pounds of food and cat litter, and much needed cleaning supplies. Thank you so much!!
Of course we had two knitting projects, Slipper Knit and Bulky Brioche Poncho, just in time for the cooler weather. We also had a Project Amnesty Day - more on that in the following paragraphs.
Thank you for supporting Small Business Saturday. We so appreciate your patronage. Small Business Saturday is held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, first celebrated in 2010 in the US and then in the UK in 2013. Buying small and local supports "mom-and-pop" shops and small businesses. Everyone benefits, especially our neighborhoods where small businesses live, work, employ, and shop. #shopsmall

And now let's talk about Project Amnesty Day. We all have them, Works in Progress (WiPs), more than one project going at a time. How can we resist when the projects, yarn, and results are so wonderful?! And working on one project at a time from start to finish just can't be the answer. Sound familiar? I can say from personal experience that having more than one project going at a time fuels my creativity and excitement. I don't want to miss out on a new and different project, regardless of size or complexity. I also want to finish my projects without getting lost along the way. We recently had two big projects, What the Fade?! and Speckle & Pop! Shawls. They are large projects that are only alike in that they are shawls. I knitted both of them, at the same time, like most of you. The key to pursuing multiple projects is organization. Separating the projects from each other helps, be it in project bags, plastic containers, or in the ever-reliable Zip-loc bags. Using interchangeable needles with their handy end stoppers will keep the project on its cord until you are ready to return to it. Perhaps one of the most important organizing tips for me is to write down where I am on a pattern. This helps me go back to where I left off. I write down where I am on the pattern, the date I started and left off, the date I returned to the project, and the date of completion. Breaking up the projects in this way makes the whole process manageable and fun. I can handle multiple projects and not get lost along the way. When I need help, I know where I left off. We all have new projects in the future while still working on our WiPs. Being organized makes our projects more fun and we knit, crochet, and craft because it's fun! 

Finally, we hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving. We are thankful that you are on this creative journey with us. We're looking forward to December's Cables for Christmas! We have wonderful projects planned for this magical time of year.
Knit, Crochet, & Stitch On!
Lisa
   

Happy Fall Y'All!!! October 2017

Hello Everyone!

In keeping with our theme for October, Happy Fall Y’All!!! As many of you may know, the term “y’all” is not something you hear too often in New England. But, half my Family says y’all without missing a beat, as well as many of my former work colleagues. Hearing y’all makes me think these of amazing people in my life and that always makes me smile (big time!!). Since Fall is such an incredible time of year, full of color and beauty, and all things pumpkin spice, and the happiness this time of year brings, y’all fits just perfectly!

As we make our way fully into Fall, we are continuing with another Mystery Knit Along, Speckle & Pop, by the one and only Stephen West. I think I have successfully branched out into brighter colors from my experience with the “What the Fade?!” MKAL. Having to choose three main colors and five pop colors could sell the great iPhone alone. Thankfully, Linda helped me choose my colors and even she was surprised I picked the brightest of the gorgeous choices. Although one of my three main colors for Speckle & Pop contains my all-time favorite dark neutral shade, one of my colors is a combination of the darker neutral with the brighter shade that is my third shade. The names are really a lot of fun, too. I am using Hedgehog Skinny Singles in Potluck (bright and light oranges and pinks with speckles of purple and turquoise), Madeline Tosh Tosh Merino Light in Dirty Harry (!!) (dark charcoal with medium and light orange with speckles of purple and red), and Mrs. Crosby Plays Satchel in Frank (a shaded dark neutral in charcoal). My pop colors are from Wonderland Yarns Cheshire Cat in turquoise, purple, red, light plum, and pink. I look at combinations of colors so differently now since I have learned how to fade. And anything that breaks me out of my dark neutrals but still lets me keep some of them is great all around! And I love my yarn, because as you recall, for larger projects especially, you have to love the yarn!!

We all have different ways of approaching a project that has multiple changes of color and specific placement of markers. While the stitches themselves are not difficult, the mastery in using their simplicity in intricate ways is the sheer creativity of Stephen West. Who would have thought my years of planning at work would be so helpful in retirement where knitting is a daily activity. In fact, one of our very resourceful knitters created a spreadsheet (love this!!) to keep track of the rows and color changes. I am using the spreadsheet along with positioning my yarn much like the last MKAL, with my different color pens, and notebook at the ready. I have my assortment of markers waiting. I was more than a little excited to use my WeeOnes Hedgehog markers. What else could I use with Hedgehog yarn??!

While knitting through Clue 1, I highly recommend viewing Stephen West’s embedded video. He offers great instruction and tips (my favorite - folding your yarn to decrease ends to weave in) in a highly entertaining way. As I knit Clue 1, I can see the beautiful lacy effect fingering weight yarn with yarn overs have on size 4 needles. Although each of my yarns is the same weight, their textures are different. I think this adds to the tactile delight of knitting in addition to the yarn’s visual stimulus as the clue itself and future clues unfold.

Here are my yarn selections and my progress, so far. I am looking forward to Clue 2. I am also finishing my What the Fade?! Shawl so our living room has been taken over by my knitting projects. I have a feeling that I am not alone in this!!

Enjoy everything this season brings and Happy Fall Y’All!!!

Knit On! Lisa