at home with Lara's wheels, spindles, looms & dye pots
How does Ontario’s own Stone Spindle Farm do alpaca? The short answer is: superbly. In order of my growing admiration since 2021: full marks for the farm’s name; Beth’s warm Instagram account; the raw locks; the rolags & finally, the mill-prepped alpaca top. The raw locks They had me at featuring spindles in a farm […]
Read MoreFinally, a break! But for a single appointment in a few days we have the week off together. Last month was full of highs (someone is double digits!) and the lows of this new wave in the pandemic. Just about everything that is heightened can be summed up as: There I was sipping my coffee […]
Read MoreEarlier this week a TKK reader, Rita P., asked: Is there any more word on your Southdown adventures? I’m especially interested in whether the yarn turned into the lilac undertone that you had imagined. I’m anxious to try some of this yarn on my CSM (circular knitting machine). Olivia’s babydoll southdown fleece, and her flock’s […]
Read MoreThis is the first post on a brand new topic, ‘Spinnerside Chat.’ This will be a longer look at parts of my spinning practice that are under construction. Cotton is a fibre that fascinates me. Spinning cotton in the forms that I have explored was always a challenge to begin with, and can be still […]
Read MoreThe extreme left spindle is featured in this post. It is a Bosworth ‘skinny midi’ in Blue Mahoe that weighs 22 g/ 0.77 oz. I had just cleared a 27 g ball, and was continuing the spin of 8 oz of Targhee wool from Sheepy Time Knits Hobbit Club, “The Water.” You can’t see it […]
Read MoreA weight has been lifted from the blog! It took me long enough but writing last week was the push I needed to complete the task of finding a new theme for The Knit Knack. This post does not include any affiliate links. As of the time of writing, TKK is not monetized. If this […]
Read MoreThe 6 towels that I beamed on my Mighty Wolf loom at the end of October, 2020 are hemmed as of yesterday. At first taking space to breathe felt strange. It was not a choice exactly. Wanting to weave with a loose aim of the holidays meant starting, working around the tough regular school-at-home pace. […]
Read MoreA year ago, yesterday, we brought this guy home. Spark was a little damp & a lot bouncy back then. It was an inspired decision helped by my Mom (thanks, Mom). The main pros for this Double Doodle dandy were correctly plotted. Ancillary pros (size of the Best Bud, whoa shedding) were slightly incorrect. We […]
Read MoreWe are fresh off a happy-go-lucky Canada Day weekend, and thoughts are finally coming together for the Brussels Grand Départ. The Tour de Fleece is a great container for new approaches to stash & tool. This year Le Tour rides from this Saturday, July 6th – 28th, and celebrates its first century. In terms of […]
Read MoreFresh out of the blocking pins is my Lacymmetry shawl reveal. It’s come through an antique flax wheel, madder dye bath, and knitting with 4 posts here on the Knit Knack, phew! Wireless headphones on during Ty’s ‘quiet time,’ and I was smiling along to Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn’s music. More solid FO pictures […]
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