shetland ~ hand dyed wool

hello! it's another spectacular day in the shetland isles! today our field trip is taking us to hoswick, a small hamlet in sandwick, about twenty minutes from lerwick...

where we gathered to try our hand at wool dyeing

with the fantastically talented and charming niela nell! 

while niela described the technique we'd be using, we also learned about where her inspiration comes from. here in shetland, (it is everywhere)

hard at work. we were each given a large undyed white double knit sock blank to design any way we wanted

and play ~ we may have enjoyed a bit of sherry, cheers! (photo by pat philbin) (look at all the beautiful colors!)

more wonderful designs

more inspiration

my attempt at a speckled effect (top left), meant to conjure images of a meadow of wildflowers found everywhere here

  (photo by pat philbin)

the latest in dye wear :)

next we went to niela's studio! 

lovely niela nell in her beautiful shop

just walking through hoswick with my hansel hap shawl...

(photo by kathy cadigan)

our finished sock blanks

looking very different after it was dry!

back at home, began the long process of separation. next i soaked the hanks and hung them with weights to smooth out the kinks, after drying, the last step before knitting was to wind the wool into cakes

finally, it's on the needles!

and then, finished! this is simmer dim, the shawl our group decided to make with our hand dyed blanks, a wonderful pattern by gudrun

 favorite souvenirs!

photographed here with my croft house cushion designed and knit by the extraordinarily talented ella gordon. i had hoped to find one of her cushions on this trip and was thrilled to discover one!

more favorite souvenirs!

ella and her cushions in the shetland textiles book

and a few more journal (iphone) photos to share, this is the cover i embroidered

and the back. so thrilled to find that we went to all these places i stitched. the area we stayed is not 

on here, i think i might add it. burrastow was located on the west side, across from lerwick

it looks a bit different now, it's a little scruffier and a lot fuller. 

thank you for coming along, your interest and kind comments are SO appreciated.

xxx lori

ANTHOLOGY 1 by MADDER

 a new book!

the most beautiful collection of knitting patterns i think i've ever seen. 

this is

Anthology 1 by carrie bostick hoge

 all photos by carrie bostick hoge

all photos by carrie bostick hoge

over twenty patterns, each one prettier than the next.

 i made the first sweater in this group, the pinkish clay colored one. the wool was 

tern from quince & company. carrie's patterns are so well written, truly a joy.

Anthology 1 is available for pre-order starting today

there is a choice of print book or ebook or ebook + print book package

this is a book that would be a welcome addition to any knitters library. 

for more information or to order, visit carrie at maddermade

p.s. did you know carrie's daughter immie, shown in the last photo, darling wee girl, is about 

to become a big sister?!

p.p.s. congratulations carrie, this is an amazing achievement, really a thing of

 beauty and something to treasure. i can't wait for my book!

xxx lori

uncommonness

'what is this honey?  i asked, peering down at the tiny, lump of dirt, moss and spines on our porch...

chuck had been working around the yard, and when he got to cleaning out the eaves, he found a tiny garden growing. two teensy cactus nestled in a bed of moss. he gently scooped (rescued) the wayward plants out and brought them inside, for me. thank you little birds for dropping your seeds, thank you cactus for persevering (we don't have cactus here!) and thank you husband for knowing i would LOVE this.

X   X   X

i've done very little shopping to get ready for my trip (i'm going to the shetland islands if you are new here ((welcome!)). next week!!) but today, i bought a top, this summery lace inset lovely from 'odd molly'. and, at home, i couldn't resist any longer and had to cut this rose growing in my garden...

to enjoy inside, all these blossoms on one stem! 

this is the business end of the rose. the thorns had to be removed before i could hold the stem for photos. i think they look like little shark fins ;)

and it seems my knitting looks like a baby sting ray! maybe spending too much time at the beach and pool, hee hee. but grateful for and enjoying these summer days. i hope you are too! (unless you are having winter, then i hope you are enjoying that!)

 xxx lori

hazel

this is shwook. still in need of a soak and a block, it's a free fair isle hat pattern from hazel tindall. 'hazel, who has twice held the world's fastest knitter title, will be patron of 2014 shetland wool week. hazel grew up in shetland and learned to knit before she can even remember. her knitting has been the subject of many articles and book chapters, and her own patterns are eagerly sought by knitters all around the world. hazel has a real passion for knitting, patterns and shetland wool and having delivered a number of classes in past years, is an ideal patron for wool week 2014. she will design a special wool week pattern which will be made available prior to the event.'  this is the one.

although i won't be attending wool week in october, our group going to shetland will be lucky enough to meet hazel on our grand adventure this month. this pattern she's designed and shared was really fun to knit, and so easy to personalize. it requires five colors, and you have a choice using of three dark, two light or two dark, three light. i have read that when choosing colors for fair isle it helps to view them in black and white, easier to see the contrast, and to tell if they'll work. i love how this pattern is written, so easy to follow. a really really lovely design. i can't wait to visit jamieson & smith in shetland, to choose more colors for more shwooks! raverly notes here

i'm reading all about puffins in the book above, it's all i can concentrate on at the moment (two weeks to go!)

joining with ginny (again, finally! hi ginny!) and all the lovely yarn alongers.
xxx lori