WIPs:
1. Granny Square Blanket, crocheted with an E/4 hook from random sock-weight scraps.
2. "Hermaness Hat," by Gudrun Johnston. Knit in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, "Almanac" colorway. Knit on US2/2.75mm Knitter's Pride Karbonz, 16" circular.
3. "Featherweight Cardigan," by Hannah Fettig. Knit in KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud, "Beth" colorway. Knit on US6/4.00mm HiyaHiya Sharps, 32" circular.
4. Vanilla socks. Knit in KnitPicks Felici in the "Baker Street" colorway. Knit on US1/2.25mm HiyaHiya Sharps DPNs.
5. "The Doodler," by Stephen West (2015 WestKnits MKAL). Knit in The Wool Barn Luxury Sock, "Butterfly" colorway; Dream in Color Jilly, "Basalt" colorway; and Manos del Uruguay Fino, "Ivory Letter Opener" colorway. Knit on US4/3.5mm HiyaHiya Sharps, 32" circular.
Book:
1. Muse and Reverie: A Newford Collection, by Charles de Lint. (I also mentioned his novel The Onion Girl.)
Other Miscellaneous Mentions:
1. The Post-Christmas Blues KAL will be taking place in January and February 2016! Get your blue yarn ready; more details will be forthcoming in the next episode.
2. I was wearing my Reyna shawl, knit from Miss Babs Yummy 2-Ply in "Coffee Break."
Welcome to episode seventeen of "Stitching Between Pages"! I hope you enjoy watching, and thank you for checking it out.
I filmed this episode before hearing the news about Paris. To any and all of my viewers in France, please know that my thoughts are with you and your country.
WIPs: 1. "The Doodler," by Stephen West (2015 WestKnits MKAL). Knit in The Wool Barn Luxury Sock, "Butterfly" colorway; Dream in Color Jilly, "Basalt" colorway; and Manos del Uruguay Fino, "Ivory Letter Opener" colorway. Knit on US4/3.5mm HiyaHiya Sharps, 32" circular.
2. "Featherweight Cardigan," by Hannah Fettig. Knit in KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud, "Beth" colorway. Knit on US6/4.00mm HiyaHiya Sharps, 32" circular.
3. Granny Square Blanket, crocheted with an E/4 hook from random sock-weight scraps.
Book: 1. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman.
Other Miscellaneous Mentions: 1. I mentioned one of the hats I've knit previously, the Druidess Beret (I got the name wrong!), and my Endpaper Mitts.
2. I mentioned Ysolda Teague's pattern, Blank Canvas, which I have not knit but would love to, and also her new fair isle pattern.
2. The Post-Christmas Blues KAL will be taking place in January and February 2016! Get your blue yarn ready, and more details will be forthcoming in early December. There's going to be some fun prizes, and I can't wait to share them with you all!
FO: Vanilla socks. Knit in Fibernymph Dyeworks in the "Rainbow Riot" colorway. Knit on US1/2.25mm HiyaHiya Sharps DPNs.
WIPs: 1. "Hermaness Hat," by Gudrun Johnston. Knit in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, "Almanac" colorway. Knit on US2/2.75mm Knitter's Pride Karbonz, 16" circular.
2. "Reversible Mug Mat," by The River Knitter. Knit in Brooklyn Tweed Loft on US1.5/2.5mm ChiaoGoo needles, 36" circular. 3. "Featherweight Cardigan," by Hannah Fettig. Knit in KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud, "Beth" colorway. Knit on US6/4.00mm HiyaHiya Sharps, 32" circular. 4. Granny Square Blanket, crocheted with an E/4 hook from random sock-weight scraps.
Spinning: 1. I've made a bit more progress on my YarnRescue Polwarth braid in the "Eggplant" colorway. It's a 4.2oz braid, 100% Polwarth. I'm spinning it on my Schacht Hi-Lo spindle.
Pretty New Yarn & Fiber: 1. Lovely mini-skein swap from Celine (CirceBellesB on Ravelry and Instagram). She included a skein of Regia Nuance Color and a skein of Rowan 4-Ply Soft. Plus, the amazing woodland friends bag from JibbyRoo Sews!
2. Pencil Roving Tarts in the "Harvest Festival" colorway, 100% merino, 2oz., from Narwhal Needlework. (She has beautiful yarn, too!)
Books!:
1. Regeneration, by Pat Barker.
2. Up the Line to Death: The War Poets, 1914-1918, edited/anthologized by Brian Gardner. 3. I, Claudius, by Robert Graves (briefly mentioned).
4. All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque (briefly mentioned).
5. If you are looking for other war novels to read around Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day (11 November), I've got a few other recommendations that I didn't mention that are not WWI-related. The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, is the classic collection of Vietnam War short stories. Last year's National Book Award winner was Redeployment, a collection of short stories by Phil Klay about the war in Iraq (I have a lot of complicated feelings about this anthology, but I do recommend it). For a book set during wartime but not about soldiers, if you have not read All The Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, it was shortlisted for last year's National Book Award and is set during WWII. It's incredible. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein is a fantastic young adult novel about two young women and their friendship during WWII.
Other Miscellaneous Mentions: 1. Mentioned Knitting Expat and Fluffy Fibers podcasts, both on YouTube.
2. I mentioned my Parson mittens which I knit out of Brooklyn Tweed Loft. Here's a link to my project page on Ravelry, which includes a link to the pattern. They are great mittens!
3. I also mentioned my Beltane shawl, which I was wearing this episode. That link goes to my Ravelry project page.
4. Here, from the Poetry Foundation, are a selection of WWI poems organized by the year that they were written, so you can trace the change in tone as the war dragged on. Among the most well-known war poems are "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen; "Anthem for Doomed Youth" also by Wilfred Owen; "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon (with the famous lines: "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: / Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. / At the going down of the sun and in the morning / We will remember them."); and "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae. The poem I read was "The Dug-Out" by Siegfried Sassoon.
5. If you'd like to listen to some amazing readings of these powerful poems, here are a few. Christopher Eccleston's reading of "Dulce et Decorum Est." Dame Helen Mirren reading Siegfried Sassoon's "Attack." Gemma Arterton also read "Attack" -- it's always interesting to see what two readers do differently. I'm certain Tom Hiddleston has read some WWI poetry, but wasn't able to find it (alas, alas). If you only listen to one of these links, Christopher Eccleston's reading of "Dulce et Decorum Est" is absolutely haunting and devastating.
6. What do you all think about a "Post-Christmas Blues" KAL? The idea would be to knit something with blue yarn (more than 50% blue, anything larger than a blanket square or tiny tiny project -- hat, socks, shawl, etc.).
FO: "Strand Hill Cardigan," by Keya Kuhn. Knit in KnitPicks Stroll, "Dogwood Heather" colorway. Knit on US8/5.00mm ChiaoGoo Premium Stainless Steel, 32" circular.
WIPs: 1. "Hermaness Hat," by Gudrun Johnston. Knit in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, "Almanac" colorway. Knit on US2/2.75mm Knitter's Pride Karbonz, 16" circular. 2. Granny Square Blanket, crocheted with an E/4 hook from random sock-weight scraps.
Upcoming Projects:
1. "Featherweight Cardigan," by Hannah Fettig (KnitBot). Will be knit from KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud, "Beth" colorway. 2. 2015 Westknits MKAL, "The Doodler," by Stephen West. Will be knit from The Wool Barn Luxury Sock, "Butterflies" colorway; Dreams in Color Jilly, "Basalt" colorway; and Manos del Uruguay Fino, "Ivory Letter Opener" colorway.
Spinning: 1. I've made some more progress on my YarnRescue Polwarth braid in the "Eggplant" colorway. It's a 4.2oz braid, 100% Polwarth. I'm spinning it on my Schacht Hi-Lo spindle.
Other Miscellaneous Mentions: 1. I mentioned previous years of Stephen West MKALs. Here's the link to my Color Craving, the 2013 MKAL. I used Fyberspates Vivacious, HazelKnits, and madelinetosh sock. 2. I also mentioned the Color Affection shawl; if you're not familiar with it, it's a hugely popular Veera Valimaki pattern.
3. The UK Tea & Infusions Association has a good history of tea (and also a funny little counter that shows the number of cups of tea consumed in the UK today!), and here's a fun timeline of tea (did you know that the teabag was invented in 1908 in New York? I did not!).
4. For the curious, a popular language resource is the free mobile app DuoLingo is very popular. I also keep up my French reading skills in a fun way with the Une Vie Toute Simple blog; Sylvie knits lovely things, has a lovely cat, and her blog is bilingual (French/English)! As I mentioned, I think the best way to learn and keep up a language is to speak with other people, and Meetup.com is a great way to find (or start!) groups in your area for a variety of hobbies. I'd also recommend checking out a community college for classes or to find a language tutor! 5. If you're even a little bit interested in Shakespeare's "Original Pronunciation," check out this video to start with -- David and Ben Crystal share a bit about their work, and share some Shakespeare in OP. There's an article/interview on NPR if you'd prefer to read before listening. Here's the video with the Prologue of Romeo & Juliet where the audience shares what accents OP reminds them of -- it's fascinating.
6. Shoutouts to Knitting Expat and Pen Hook & Needles podcasts, both on YouTube!
Bankhead Hat, by Susie Gourlay. Knit in my first-ever handspun yarn, Cephalopod Yarns Bugga! fiber in the "Ursula" colorway. Knit on KnitPicks US9 needles, 16" circular and DPNs.
WIPs: 1. Vanilla socks. Knit in Fibernymph Dyeworks in the "Rainbow Riot" colorway. Knit on US1/2.25mm HiyaHiya Sharps DPNs.
2. "Strand Hill Cardigan," by Keya Kuhn. Knit in KnitPicks Stroll, "Dogwood Heather" colorway. Knit on US8/5.00mm ChiaoGoo Premium Stainless Steel, 32" circular.
3. "Hermaness Hat," by Gudrun Johnston. Knit in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, "Almanac" colorway. Knit on US2/2.75mm Knitter's Pride Karbonz, 16" circular.
Spinning: 1. I've made some progress on my YarnRescue Polwarth braid in the gorgeous "Eggplant" colorway. It's a 4.2oz braid, 100% Polwarth. I'm spinning it on my Schacht Hi-Lo spindle.
Pretty New Yarn:
1. Not yarn, but I got 6 beautiful 1940s glass vintage buttons from Dusty's Vintage Buttons at VKL.
2. Studio Donegal Soft Donegal, unnamed creamy neutral colorway
3. Cedar House Yarns Sapling Sock,"Fog" colorway
4. Oink Pigments Sport, "Wine Not Cabernet Sauvingyarn" colorway
5. Leading Men Fiber Arts Improv Sock Blank, "Chip on His Shoulder" colorway
Books: 1. Ale, Beer, and Brewsters: Women's Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600, by Judith M. Bennett
2. I mentioned a couple of patterns that I might knit soon, including Fantoosh! by Kate Davies and the Summertide MKAL from Curious Handmade, and the Bluebird of Happiness by Sara Elizabeth Kellner.
3. If you're interested in learning a bit about the resistance to sewing machines that Deb brought up in her question, check out this article from the Smithsonian.
Welcome to episode thirteen of "Stitching Between Pages"! I hope you enjoy watching, and thank you for checking it out.
Please get in touch!
Ravelry Group: Stitching Between Pages Podcast
Ravelry: halfpass92
Twitter: @medievalisting
Instagram: medievalisting
WIPs:
1. "Strand Hill Cardigan," by Keya Kuhn. Knit in KnitPicks Stroll, "Dogwood Heather" colorway. Knit on US8/5.00mm ChiaoGoo Premium Stainless Steel, 32" circular.
2. Vanilla socks. Knit in Fibernymph Dyeworks in the "Rainbow Riot" colorway. Knit on US1/2.25mm HiyaHiya Sharps DPNs.
Books:
1. Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women, by Caroline Walker Bynum
Other Miscellaneous Mentions:
1. Here's the Wikipedia page for Old Occitan (OOc). (It's not as closely related to French as I implied; it's in the Romance family, but that's about it.)
2. If you're interested in female humanists during the Renaissance, my two favorites are Isotta Nogarola and Laura Cereta.
3. Hildegard of Bingen is certainly among my favorite medieval women. There's a good brief biography of her over at Fordham's online medieval sourcebook. The illumination I mentioned, from her first visionary work, the Scivias (from "Scito Vias Domini," Know the Ways of the Lord), can be viewed here (I was mistaken; the tongues of flame, representing God, actually go to her eyes and ears, not eyes and mouth). She did indeed found two monasteries, one at Rupertsburg and one at Eibingen. Here's one of her songs about St. Ursula -- she wrote more songs about St. Ursula than about any other saint besides Mary. If anyone's interested in the story of St. Ursula, she was martyred with her band of 11,000 virgins. Her relics were located during Hildegard's life, and another mystic, Elisabeth of Schonau, had a vision that confirmed that these were, indeed, the relics of St. Ursula. Interestingly, Hildegard and Elisabeth exchanged letters, a handful of which survive.
4. I also mentioned the Fish Lips Kiss heel, designed by SoxTherapist and available for $1 on Ravelry.
Welcome to episode twelve of "Stitching Between Pages"! I hope you enjoy watching, and thank you for checking it out.
Please get in touch!
Ravelry Group: Stitching Between Pages Podcast
Ravelry: halfpass92
Twitter: @medievalisting
Instagram: medievalisting
FO:
1. Vanilla socks. Knit in West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-Ply in the "Blue Tit" colorway. Knit on US1/2.25mm HiyaHiya Sharps DPNs.
WIPs:
1. Vanilla socks. Knit in Fibernymph Dyeworks in the "Rainbow Riot" colorway. Knit on US1/2.25mm HiyaHiya Sharps DPNs.
2. "Strand Hill Cardigan," by Keya Kuhn. Knit in KnitPicks Stroll, "Dogwood Heather" colorway. Knit on US8/5.00mm ChiaoGoo Premium Stainless Steel, 32" circular.
3. "Campside" shawl, by Alicia Plummer. Knit in Loop Studio in the "Charcoal" colorway. Knit on US7/4.5mm Knitters Pride Karbonz.
Spinning:
No spinning this time... sad!
Pretty New Yarn:
1. Patons Kroy Socks in the "Ragg Shades" colorway
Books:
1. The Knowledgeable Knitter, by Margaret Radcliffe
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell: A Novel, by Susanna Clarke
In My Notions Pouch:
1. Notions pouch is a cute little bag from Mabel + Bird (not on Etsy, but BigCartel).
2. My crane scissors were purchased at Darn It & Stitch, a lovely haberdashery shop in Oxford on Blue Boar Street right in the city centre.
3. My Herdy tape measure is super cute and handy. Check out the website, they have all kinds of nifty stuff with that cute sheep logo!
4. My John James Pebble is amazing. They have different Pebbles with other sorts of needles, too -- sewing and embroidery, etc.
5. Stitch markers, including Clover brand, an unknown brand with the marble-y pattern, and some from Dani's Etsy shop, Little Bobbins.
6. Spare DPNs, ChiaoGoo US1/2.25mm.
7. Susan Bates E4/3.50mm crochet hook.
8. Clover Gold Eye Embroidery Needles (no. 3-9).
Other Miscellaneous Mentions: 1. The embroidery project I'm working on is from I Heart Stitch Art on Etsy. I'm sewing it on some linen blend fabric using DMC floss. The name I was trying to come up with for the thing over the back fender is "rat trap."
2. Crafty Bastards is a really cool annual (September-time) craft fair in Washington, DC. It used to be held up in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, but recently moved to the Union Market in NoMa. If you're in the area, I definitely recommend going! Kismet Fiber Works was there last year, and there are always so many cool makers and people and stuff.
