As some of my long-term readers know, I dabble in quilting. I’m not being humble when I say that I dabble; I usually opt for quilt patterns with simple shapes or do improvisational quilting by sewing scraps or odd pieces together. My technique is far from perfect and my pieces don’t always square up. But I love working with color…
Author: Carol
A new pattern: Syrenka!
During the past seven years of turmoil and change, I haven’t had much of a chance to design. I’ve been looking forward to the luxury of putting out some of my own patterns at my own pace. No deadlines, using the yarn I want to use, having a chance to noodle around if things don’t come out as I envisioned.…
The Duty of Memory
Three thousands miles away, in a small French village called Edern, a two-day memorial is taking place this weekend. A stele, a wide stone slab, will be unveiled in western Brittany to honor the day in January 1943 that a B-17 bomber named SUSFU was shot out of the sky after a heated battle with the Luftwaffe. Longtime readers may…
No-Bull Book Review: Knit Fold Pleat Repeat, by Norah Gaughan
I have a class in my repertoire (although I haven’t taught it in a while) where we play around with pleats, ruching, and ruffles. At the time I created it, there weren’t that many resources about what I thought were very interesting structural techniques. Now there’s a new book to help fill the gap. Let’s take a look at Knit…
Supporting Our Own
There are some kick-ass Ukrainian designers out there. If you’re in the mood for pattern shopping, check them out. Here’s a few that I found if you’re looking for a way to support fellow knitters from Ukraine. Irina Dmitrieva has had designs published by Twist Collective and Brooklyn Tweed. She sells her lovely cabled patterns on her website or via…
With Love From A Grandma With A Blog
Haha, no, of course I’m not a grandma. But when it comes to caricatures of knitters, the “knitting granny,” with or without blog, is right up there at the top. And while I’m no more of a business bro than I am a granny, I do know a little about the knitting world. Recently two guys announced that they were…
Re-inventing “Inventing Anna”
One of Netflix’s most popular shows this week is “Inventing Anna.” Shonda Rimes developed this nine-part series for Netflix (no shade on Shonda, she is awesomely talented), based on a real woman who called herself “Anna Delvey.” Anna showed up in New York one day and told everyone she was a German heiress with a megamillion trust fund. Then she…
Hot Off The Press: Icelandic Mittens
The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but that’s not gonna stop me from making some New Year’s resolutions of my own. One of those resolutions is to blog a bit more (I know, I know). So here we go with a brand-new book review of a brand-new book to start the year. Icelandic Mittens: 25 Traditional…
Smacznego!
One of my on-going projects (as in over a dozen years, maybe more) has been tracing my family’s ancestors. Genealogy has gotten easier over the years because many more resources are on line. DNA testing, while problematic in some respects, also can give hints that help blast through the brick walls that all genealogists eventually face. When I started doing…