Garter Island

I like to think I have been a rather disciplined knitter this summer. I’ve kept my stash growth to a minimum. (I think buying 50 pounds of yarn to dye has suppressed my stashing needs.) I’ve stayed relatively focused on projects. (Until recently.) And I’ve even managed to finish a couple too.

Recently I’ve noticed some serious similarities amongst my projects. Generally I consider myself to be a diverse knitter, using a variety of different colours and stitches with the projects I knit on simultaneously. But apparently this isn’t so..

Exhibit A

Silk Cashmere Lavalette

The Lavalette by  Kristen Kapur.

Through the Loops

The first Lavalette I had made was quite a bit heavier and I really wanted to experience knitting loosely with silk cashmere. I love it so much and I can’t wait until it’s cool enough out to wear it. Knitting with my own hand-dyes has given me a lot more confidence in my dyeing. Seeing the colours knit up is so exciting. And seeing that they don’t pool is even better. Lately I have been experimenting with subtle shifts of colours. You might not be able to see it here, but the grey blue gradually shifts back and forth from a light lavender. I’ve found a lot of pleasure in dyeing greys with little hints of colour. It’s rather magical, I think. There isn’t really anything out there like it, at least not that I have seen. Maybe this is where the obsession started.

Exhibit B

Silk Cashmere Aestlight

The Aestlight Shawl

by Gudrun Johnston

The Shetland Trader

I couldn’t resist starting this unusually constructed shawl. Rather than working with a dense material, I decided to loosen it up a bit and work with a fingering weight on larger needles. I’m almost done the straight garter section and think I might have enough to do a full size. Originally I thought I may have to modify the pattern a bit so that I’d be sure to have enough left

Silk Cashmere Aestlight

to finish the border sections. I was planning on doing less garter and more open lace work, but we shall see.

Doesn’t it have a pretty drape? A brown-grey choice is definitely an unusual one for me. I’ve tried to keep the tonal value of the colours more or less the same, that way one doesn’t end up with the jarring contrast that commonly accompanies variegated colours. There’s something soothing about this knit.

Exhibit C

Top Secret

This project is a secret.

I shouldn’t really be sharing it. But it’s necessary I do to further my point. It’s the first project on my list of Christmas knits. It’s also one of the most important. I wish I could tell you why but there runs a risk of the recipient reading this post and so I will have to save that story for another time. I will however give you a hint. (You could of course look on my Ravelry project page. No secrets there.) Using a very special pattern by Ysolda Teague I will be spending many nights knitting row after row of garter stitch. Yes, more garter stitch. Yes, more grey and blue.

Exhibit D

Garter Stitch Scarf

Somewhere along the way of projects I thought it would be a cool idea to start a garter stitch scarf. I long for Fall. I’ve been eyeing the Mericash at the shop for quite sometime now and I finally gave in.

It’s a beautiful blend of merino and cashmere from Uruguay. Alternating colours every two rows I plan to make a simple striped scarf. I started a couple days ago but it was too loose. And rather then begin again on smaller needles, I became distracted by yet another project.

More garter.

More grey.

Exhibit E

New 100% Silk yarn

I’m excited to be releasing a new 100% silk yarn in the coming weeks. It’s loosely spun and slides through your hands effortlessly.

I like to knit with my yarns before I begin selling them. And so, this project is strictly business, or at least that is what I tell myself..

Look at how it shines in the sun.

I plan to have some ready for sale in time for the Pic-Knit at the Surrey Museum on August 8th. As a result I was in need of a rather quick and simple knit that would show the yarn off beautifully.

The Milkweed Shawl by Laura Chau

Silky Milkweed

The Milkweed Shawl

by Laura Chau

Cosmic Pluto Knits

I absolutely love this. And Laura has done a wonderful job writing out a pattern that everyone can read – giving you the option to read a chart or line by line. It takes a bit of concentration but it’s worth it. The thickness of this yarn helps define the simple garter and makes the streams in between the yarn overs stand out quite beautifully.

It’s official, I’m on Garter Island. And if it had a colour, there’s no doubt in my mind that it would probably be blue and grey. Maybe this sudden obsession for garter and grey and blue has been sparked by my recent infatuation with the projects of some of my favorite knitting guys. I even found a group on Ravelry dedicated to the garter stitch called FLOGS (For the Love of Garter Stitch), I thought it was fitting that I join. I think it’s strange how all of my current projects match in one way or another. But maybe it’s more common than I think.

*waves to mom over on purple island*

-Melissa

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The Joy of Cashmere

There’s nothing better than being amongst 80 skeins of silk cashmere.

It’s pure heaven.

I spent all day Thursday experimenting with my new dyes and the lovely yarn you see above. I  was able to recreate the soft blue-grey violet colour that I am currently knitting my second Lavalette with, along with many new colours. Knitting is truly effortless with this stuff. Check it out below!

Specs:

Name: Silk Cashmere Fingering

Weight: 3ply Light Fingering

Yardage: 366 meters (400 yards)

Texture: Incredibly soft

I plan to dye the remaining 40 skeins on Monday, and then have them listed on etsy and available in store at 88 Stitches by Friday (July 17th).

Enjoy! 🙂

-Melissa

PS

Look what arrived at the shop today!

Zauberball!!!

I can’t wait to start a new project with mine.

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The Sweet Fiber Factory

Dyeing in the summer comes with few obstacles and many advantages. The weather is relatively dry and somewhat warm. And sometimes there’s even a gentle breeze. It’s what I like to call perfect dyeing weather.

Today however is an exception. I awoke to dark, grey skies and spitting rain, finding that the yarn I dyed yesterday is not yet completely dry, or even close. Lately I’ve been wondering what I will do come fall and winter, when the weather makes it too difficult to dye and dry my yarns. Rain I can handle, even high winds, but snow? I’m not so sure..

While at work at the yarn shop today something very special and exciting took place at home.

Not only did my Dad find me an awesome Dye Studio, he had it lifted by crane, transported from South Surrey to Langley AND managed to document it all for me. Aren’t Dads the best?

It's a mini house! Functioning windows, electricity, insuluation. And it's very roomy inside.

Elevating it, one block at a time...

The crane peaking over the fence, driver caught doing a rather triumphant pose.

That's my Grandfather in the left corner, he's always ready to help. The siding is made of concrete - it must weigh a ton.

It's getting pretty high..

And over the fence it goes. You're free little house!

Freedom's over, you're mine now 🙂

"Wide Load"

After several bridge and overpass closures it's here.

Welcome home.

Thank you Grandpa.

"The Sweet Fiber Factory"

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