Seven days into a new year, and already I’ve broken my No Working after 7pm and No Working at Weekends rules. Must try harder!
I rearranged the practical corner of my workroom with a wire rack thing that has lots of hooks and clips. I’m looking forward to filling it as the year goes by.
The shop is now open again for threads and fabrics. Threads are disappearing quite quickly (thank you for the recent orders) but I hope to dye some more in the spring.
I am currently unable to post anything to Northern Ireland or Europe. I am truly sorry about this but it’s a consequence of the recent update to GPSR regulations, and as a one-woman cottage industry I just haven’t the means to comply with all the rules.
In happier news, there is a new stitch journal in progress.
It’s the same vintage French cotton/linen sheet I’ve been using for the last three years, but this is the last of it so next year I will have to think again. I had meant to tea-dye the fabric before starting but I never got round to it, so white it is.
Although winter is probably a good time for quilting, I like to knit at this time of year. I’m no expert knitter, but I do enjoy it. I find it’s a very relaxing evening activity.
I recently discovered the brilliant Åsa Tricosa and her ziggurat knits. I was lucky enough to find a reasonably-priced secondhand copy of her book, which I think might be out of print.
Her patterns are for top-down seamless knits with integrated fitted sleeves. Most top-down seamless knits have raglan sleeves or circular yokes, which I find aren’t as flattering and don’t fit as well. Having converted to circular knitting some time ago I no longer knit flat pieces that need sewing up. I love the way a garment comes off circular needles practically ready to wear.
The instructions are very clear but the process is quite complex until you figure out where you’re going: there are lots of short rows and picking up stitches to begin with, but the way it all works out is pure genius. You can also find Åsa’s patterns on Ravelry.
I guess knitting is a kind of stitching too, isn’t it?