Falling into Fall, Anyone?

Where'd August get to? And most of September for that matter? Ok, who threw the clock to make time fly?? 

All joking aside, Autumn has returned to the Northern Hemisphere this weekend. And thankfully cooler nights and days are back too. I don't know about you but it's a step in my sleeping better. I'm still not sleeping great, mind you, but that's down to having nerves and a spine that are actively trying to cause me as much pain as they possibly can. I don't think they're onto my knowing what they're doing though so I'm just biding my time ;)

I still need to do the photos for my full double-knitting tutorial. I got sidetracked, which is unfortunately a byproduct of both interrupted sleep patterns, and chronic pain, by a few things. Like actually presenting my double-knitting workshop to a private group in August which was super fun and I've had some lovely feedback from some of the participants. So yay!

I told you last post that the sample for The Butterfly would be going on my needles soon, and it has! Here's a little progress photo to tease you:

I'm further along than this; ever so many more beads have been added lol. I'm so glad I chose the Windwept Fibres Best Kind sock as the yarn. It's an absolute dream to knit with, and the lace is coming out soooo pretty. 

I'm currently doing a workshop with designer Julie Robinson called the Sweater Design Challenge. It's been really interesting, and we're into the sizing/grading portion now, which is super excellent information. I've got two knit garments that I'm really excited to get through the whole process eventually. Admittedly, one I don't have the yarn for yet so my swatching and number play has been a wee bit theoretical so far. But that one's also the easier one in terms of shaping, so the numbers shouldn't be too bad once I have a real gauge and set of measurements to play with. To come in 2025? Maybe?? Most likely not considering my current timeline for things.

Oh! Speaking of timelines! Guess what's returning for its fifth year ;) It happens in the late fall and early winter, involves a lot of knitters and crocheters, and independent designers of patterns for those crafts. And I talk about it. A lot! Any guesses?

The Fasten Off Yarn Along for 2024 is being organized as I type, fiber friends! You can find the website, with our current calendar, links to previous years' designer and pattern databases, and links to sign up for our newsletters, right here: https://www.fastenoffyal.com 

Ok, my friends it's 4:22am here in Newfoundland on a Sunday morning, and while I won't be sleeping anytime soon, I need to step away from the screen and rest my eyes a bit. Don't worry, I have knitting in hand lol

What are your crafting plans for the next month or so? Canadians crafters, are you thinking of Thanksgiving/harvest? Or are you jumping right to knitting pumpkins and/or crocheting black cats for Halloween? I'd love to hear what you're working on and/or planning. I have a Treble Reel Toque🔗 (link stays within this site) for a friend's birthday on my personal needles, along with a Jeri cardigan🔗 (designed by Kat Riddell; link goes to her Payhip shop). There are more WIPs than those lol They're my active ones that aren't design samples.

Yours in yarn and a crisp night/morning,

Síle

 

A Quick Rundown

Hello! How are you doing?

I hope your late summer/early fall (or late winter/early spring depending where you call home) projects are progressing nicely. A few of the test/beta knitters have finished their Four Hand Reel totes now, which is exciting! They look very cool. 

I've been plugging away at the sea of moss stitch that my Countess Cathleen was feeling like and I see land in sight! I'm finally at the row where the knotwork motifs start :) So excited to see how it looks all together!

Hurricane Franklin will be buzzing by my island home over the next couple of days bringing us lots of rain. Thankfully it's staying well away from land, although one of the maps shown earlier today by our local meteorologist showed it approaching Iceland later in the week. Mother Nature is certainly showing her strength with everything going on this year! 

What about you? Anything interesting on your needles? Are you making a list of fall cast-ons? I noticed several podcasts/vlogs on Youtube have episodes on their must knits for fall. It can be interesting to see what other knitters are leaning towards. I want Countess Cathleen and at least one of my personal projects off the needles soon so that I can cast-on something new. I need to get the lining done for my Four Hand Reel too. And then I need to not knit anymore bags that need linings for a while! lol I'm so not a seamstress. 

That's all I've got this evening. 

Yours in yarn and rapidly increasing humidity,

Síle

Autumnal Weather

Are you in the swing of sweater weather? I know I want to cast-on all the warm and woolly cozy things with the return of cooler temperatures :) It's truly a thing I think most knitters and crocheters experience, this need to keep ourselves and our loved ones warm when the mercury starts to dip.

It's a cloudy dreary day here today. At least the leaves are bright specks :) My current project is definitely a bright spot. Not warm and woolly but it will definitely chase away any dreariness! I'm at work on my Four Hand Reel tote bag and as you can see from this progress pic, it's not exactly subtle in the colors I've chosen:

Is it just me or does the orange seem to glow?

I'm nearly to the top of the first side, which is when I'll be able to stop joining the strip and work the strap. Which means I'm nearing 2/5 of the way through this section :) My goal is to finish the tote this month. Hopefully that goes as planned!!

I'm hoping to get to work on a few other ideas soon and finish off some others (coughHornpipe Bagcough) before the end of the year. That's my hope anyway. This year really hasn't gone as I'd planned as far as my designing/knitting of samples has gone, that is for sure!

Sadly that means at least one personal project has been waylaid. I had planned on knitting myself a sweater this year. I have the patterns and yarn for two gorgeous cable knits: Twist Again, a pullover by Robynn Weldon, and Morning Ramble, a cardigan by Geoffrey Hunnicutt (The link for Twist Again goes to the pattern page in Robynn's Payhip shop, while Morning Ramble takes you to the pattern page on Knit Picks). But alas while I did swatch for Twist Again in January, it somehow never made it onto my needles. Maybe I can get one of these beauties onto my needles this fall/winter. A gal can dream anyway!

What about you? Any project(s) you wanted to get to by this stage in the year that just didn't quite get there? Did a sticky/sweaty summer derail you too? I think I need to make a concerted effort to get big items done before say April and then only have little quick things to work on in the heat and humidity. That or hit a lotto and move into a house with properly fitting windows and air conditioning lol!! ;) 

I hope you're well, dear crafter. I hope cooler temps have reached you and you're able to settle in and work on something you love for someone you love (and yes it totally counts if you're making for yourself! Love yourself, you deserve it!). 

Yours in yarn and a cloudy day,

Síle

Treble Jig Legwarmers Update

I'm happy to say, I've added a size to the TJL. The pattern, as written, now covers calf measurements of 9-22"/22.5-55 cm. Just in time for autumn weather! You can find the pattern page here.

Of course it's 29°C (84.2°F) with the humidity here today, so not exactly autumnal. Ma Nature, would ya cool it off a bit?!

You may have noticed a difference at the top of the site. I'll wait while you scroll up ;) I've wanted to add a logo for quite awhile and finally came up with a little something. What do you think? 

That's it for today! I'll be writing a post about Ravelry's latest announcement in a day or two. I'm letting everything sit for a bit rather than flying off the handle; I do that a little too easily sometimes.

Yours in yarn and fan-blown air,

Síle

Helpers

 Many of us live with helpers. They often have four legs and fur, and aren't quite as helpful as their title implies. I posted this collage a few places this weekend:

I wanted to take a progress picture of my Harvest sweater. Then Silver, the older of my furry nieces, decided this was a good time to be helpful. As you can see, out of nine photos only 1 shows the entire sweater back. (The cardigan is knit topdown in one piece. I find the back view easier to see progress, so usually take my photos from that view.) And even that one is photobombed by a pair of furry gray legs. She's quite a help!

I did get two other photos last night after using the last bit of the first ball of yarn. (I'm knitting with Lion Brand Mandala which has 590yds in a 150g skein! Talk about value!) No Silver help with these ones; sorry ;)

I started working one of the sleeves today so it should go quick. I'm toying with the idea of adding pockets and making it a bit longer than the pattern. It's such a lovely basic sweater that little bits of customization just adds to it. It's from Tin Can Knits if you're not familiar with the pattern.

My goal is to finish it soon and then bring my focus back to my own designs. Normally having a few of my own designs plus a "me" project or two going at once doesn't faze me but this year... I think we can all agree this year is just something else altogether! I have a worrisome health appointment coming next month and I want to wear my new sweater, a kind of talisman that all goes well. While not traditional autumn colors, it'll certainly be a bright spot.

Yours in yarn and glowing colors,

Síle

Fall, Nature & Music

Yesterday was the first day of Fall so working on my Harvest cardigan seems seasonally appropriate. I have the sleeves and body separated now:

This is a very relaxing knit, which is good for a day when a former hurricane is making its presence felt nearby. Around 9:30am NDT today, Teddy made landfall in Nova Scotia. I've seen some video from near Port aux Basques, NL showing the winds and waves they were starting to get about an hour ago. Nature is truly awe inspiring; it can destroy as quickly as it can renew. A sobering reminder of how fragile we are. 

I made some more progress on the Hornpipe Bag yesterday; almost to the halfway mark of the knotwork motif:

My roommate and I were listening to my itunes while I was knitting, which was interesting to say the least. Do you ever do that? Just hit shuffle instead of a specific playlist, I mean. I think it's revealing to hear so many different parts of my personality and/or interests placed next to each other. The Andrews Sisters followed by Bon Jovi followed by a set of slow jigs followed by Allan Sherman, ... You get the idea. I'm more than a little eclectic in my musical tastes, to say the least. Give it a try sometime; you might be surprised by what gems you have hiding in your collection. And you might find some interesting combinations of songs that you otherwise wouldn't have found too.

Yours in yarn and BNL's "Pinch Me" (current song playing),

Síle

September? Already?

Happy to report all of my current patterns can be found on my pattern tab now. I got the last few set up this morning. I'll be rearranging them a bit (that single column just doesn't use space very well) but they're all ready for browsing. I'm also going to be adding to the yarn information for a few of them; not as consistent as I'd like that information to be, especially with my earlier patterns. 

We're experiencing the lovely sunny warm days of late summer here, mixed in with the cooler and colder nights. Frost warnings made a come back the last few so windows were closed for the first time in quite awhile. Time to start thinking of wool sweaters and possibly hats and mitties. Mmmm, knitting season is on its way! :)

I don't know about you, but fall has become my favourite of seasons. Warm sunny days, cool but not bitter nights. The leaves changing. Fall is a very cozy season. Just cool enough for a shawl or cardigan, usually pretty dry so getting out and enjoying the outdoors is possible. Cooler nights are perfect for curling up with a mug of tea and your knitting, and/or a good book.

This year has seemed to go both too slow and too fast all at the same time. I can be ok with fall lingering a bit. What about you?

Yours in yarn and woolly plans,

Síle