Hello! I hope you had a fantastic summer. Kids are back to school (yay!) and I’m excited to get back in the studio.
I have a new collection, ELIXIR, coming to the shop very soon. Available in 3 colors (from L-R): peach cream salon, ocean libations, and cactus libations:
This collection is only available in the smaller, 1 skein bag.
As always, there is a zippered pocket in the back for your notions.
Limited quantities, available while supplies last.
I can’t say enough good things about this project. From the colors of the yarn to the stitch pattern, knitting it was therapeutic and soothing. I love the hints of speckles that emerge every time a flower is completed.
I ended up getting a new needle with the longest cord possible – 60″ – just so I can lay the shawl out and admire it in all its glory! The photo above was taken just before I started binding off. If I were to knit this again, I would add a couple of inches of garter border in the main color. I saw several shawls with that mod and I love how it looks. My concern was the shawl would be too big for me after blocking.
Ryan took me to see Cirque Du Soleil, Kurious for Mother’s Day and we took some photos after the show:
A belated International Women’s Day post celebrating the phenomenal women behind this dream combo. Pattern and yarn are both from fellow Filipinas 🇵🇭 and I couldn’t be more proud.
I’ve been dreaming to knit with Akara Yarns ‘Ube’ colorway for some time now and was excited when Jessie Mae released Cozy Classic Raglan. I knew I found the perfect pattern for it.
Ube (pronounced OO-BAE) is a purple yam/sweet potato that is common in the Philippines and other Asian countries, and is on every Titas’s (auntie’s) dessert table.
I have many fond memories growing up eating ube cake. Back then, you can only find it as a traditional cake like the photo above or as a roll. Nowadays, you can find ube in almost everything from donuts, to brownies.
If you’re local in the GTA, you have to try the Ube Mochi Cupcake by Tri Pas Bakes:
And! If you happen to be in SoCal, you must indulge in the most delicious ube cheesecake by TheMissingPieceOC:
My mouth is watering just looking at these photos.
What were we talking about again? Oh, that’s right, yarn!
Let’s get back to the knitting 🙂
The pattern calls for DK weight or fingering + mohair.
At first, I held ube with the silver mohair together, but eventually wound the two in a single ball.
It’s best to alternate skeins when knitting with hand-dyed yarn, and managing 2 instead of 4 cakes per row made the process smoother.
I love the simplicity of a raglan sweater and the fact that top-down construction lets me try it on as I go.
I knit a matching pair of socks to go with my sweater using Ube by itself:
I used Sugar Frost socks, a free pattern by Marianne Heikkinen. I find socks with a minimal texture more comfortable to wear than a plain stockinette stitch.
Some of my go-to patterns are: Blueberry Waffle socks and Hermoine’s Everyday socks. Both are free on Ravelry. A new one I recently finished and adding to my rotation is Andrea Mowry’s DRK Everyday socks. The heel construction is perfect for self-striping yarn.
Recent events in our community regarding bullying and intimidation have been challenging to process. I’ve spent the past week listening and reading about many heartbreaking experiences.
Bullying is painful and humiliating. No one deserves to be treated this way.
As a mother, this is my biggest fear, to send my children out into the world only to have someone make them feel unwanted and unworthy. A few years ago, my daughter was bullied to a point where she would come home crying every day.
I do not tolerate this behavior as I’ve seen firsthand the impact it leaves behind.
I have spoken with Vincent expressing my feelings about the situation and how disappointed I am. I have cancelled immediate collaborations with Les Garçons.
I hope Vincent continues to seek the help he needs to heal.
