KNITTING WITH JACKIE

Hiya! It has been a while since I have blogged and I can't use the pandemic as an excuse.  As with everyone in the country, I have been shut-in for weeks.  My husband and/or I have ventured out, amongst people, only several times in the last 9 weeks.  We have tried to take a walk 3/4 times a week, just to get out of the house. It is during this time, that I am grateful for my love of knitting and reading.  Since the pandemic, I have successfully completed items that have been waiting for seaming and blocking.  In addition, it has given me the energy to tackle a shawl that I frogged a few months ago - Andra Mowry's Briochealuscious. This is a large and impressive shawl that is super entertaining to knit.   It is broken up in sections that contain stripes, short rows, speckles, and brioche.   I started knitted to the broader and decided that I did not like the color combination. Since I have a great deal of time on my hands, I decided to pick ...

Hiya, As you know, I was determined to continue knitting from my stash.  As part of my "Make 2020", I am knitting Caitlin Hunter's Tecumseh.   The base green color a discontinued yarn from Classic Elite Yarns, Inca Alpaca.  This yarn is 100% baby alpaca.  It is soft, sturdy, and gives a nice luster with a hint of yellow.  For the ribbing, I used LeFibre Nobil Mambo in the green colorway.  Both of these yarns are have been in my stash for more than 15 years. To complement this greenish-yellow yarn, purchased recently the  Acadia from the Fiber Company in Roseby and a hand-dyed merino yarn from 29 Bridges in the colorway called Seal.   This is my first stranded color-work, top-down garment.  Soon the body was done and then the sleeves.  I was a little concerned about reaching them because of the needle choices.  I started knitting them with 9" circular and found that it was such a joy and way less fiddly than w...

Hiya, I am moving right along with my Make 2020 list.  I have just finished a comfortable hat using yarn from my stash.   The pattern repeat was easy to remember and required only 1 skein of yarn (150 yards). UnBlocked You will notice that this hat was originally designed for cancer patients recovering from chemotherapy.  Therefore, it would be a perfect project for groups and/or guilds to knit and donate to a local hospital or cancer center.  Since too very little time to know, I will be reaching out to my local facilities and see if they would be interested in receiving a small quantity.  Enjoy Knitting Each Day! Jackie

Hiya, As you know, I was determined to do more knitting from my stash in 2019 and I will continue to do so in the new year as well.   To that end, I had a single skein of mohair yarn in various colors.  I didn't know what to do with them; but, I knew that I did not want to discard them all. I found a pattern a free pattern by Beata Jezek called Outline .  It is a simple construction and a very easy knit.  The pattern was enjoyable knit and provided a wonderful knitting rhythm.  Although it is suggested to use yarns of similar weight, I decided to use the mohair from my stash. In addition, I did not follow the pattern suggested color sequence. I think it turned out pretty good. Enjoy Knitting Each Day! Jackie

Hiya, For 2019, I was determined to do more knitting from my stash.   To that end, I have found several cowl patterns that looked interesting and I knew that I could use the yarn I had in my craft room. The first cowl was a design from Alexandra Davidoff .  This design was given to Vogue Knitting Live NY Attendees (some years ago).  It was apart of a gift bag to those who attended the gala dinner.  It included a single ball of yarn by DMC (100% Baby Pure Merino Wool).  The pattern reminded me of the Joji Locatelli's Odyssey Shawl.  I added tassels instead of pompoms. The second cowl is a design by Bristol Ivy, Persimmon .  For this cowl, I used three different off-white merino wool yarn (Debbie Bliss, Katia & MilliaMia).  I faded the three yarns from bottom to top.  It looks great.  No one notices the difference unless I point it out to them.  The blossom (or whatever you want to call them) stitch expands on ...

Hiya, It's time again to knit for Elena.  At age 2, she is now in Toddler-wear.    After much research, I found this beautiful baby cardigan with a lovely vintage feel and look about it. The designer is Anne Dresow over at Nordic Baby Knits. Anne has written a great knitting pattern with instructions for how to knit this cardigan in 4 different sizes. The sizes included in the knitting pattern are 3 to 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and finally, 3 to 4 years.   There is a circular yoke and some assemble olf the cardigan; such as the seaming the sleeves and sewing on the buttons. I recently found Kelbourne Woolens , which is a local company located in the Philadelphia area.  Founded in 2008, Courtney Kelley and Kate Gagnon Osborn, Kelbourne Woolens provided quality, affordable and classic yarns for knitters by knitters.  They also distribute yarns and products from BC Garn, Soak Wash and Navia, a line of yarns. I purchased a skein of Perennial which i...

Hiya, Joji Locatelli is one of my favorite knitwear designers; therefore, I have a number of her designs on my list to knit.  The Odyssey Shawl is a crescent-shaped shawl that I knitted in 3 medium-weight yarn.   I purchased yarn at The Knitter's Day Out in Summerton, PA, from Mulberry Hill Farm .  This farm has a flock of Romney/Border Leicester cross sheep.  Mulberry Hill Farm sells Distelfink Fiber Co natural and hand-dyed yarns, farm-raised roving, hand-dyed wool, wool applique patterns, and kits, punch needle patterns, kits, and supplies, and offers classes in the fiber arts. The Shop at Mulberry Hill located on our farm in Carlisle PA and will host farm tours and retreats focusing on the "farm to needle"journey that wool takes from sheep to skein. The yarn is fabulous to work and the results are awesome. I am looking forward to displaying this shawl in the very near future. Enjoy Knitting Each Day! Jackie ...