A New Pattern: Humber Mittens

The Humber Star was a popular feature on some of the ganseys worn on the inland waterways of England in the nineteenth century. I wanted to include this iconic motif in these mittens, using the classic Norwegian Selbu Mittens as a template. Rather than using two colors, as Norwegian mittens are traditionally worked, this mitten uses knits and purls to create a textured design. The pattern is written for three sizes and full charts are given for each size.

A New Pattern: Mallaig Socks

Recently released is my pattern, Mallaig Socks: a worsted weight boot sock pattern in three sizes.  The cuff is made of a herringbone motif while diamonds decorate the back and front of the socks.  It comes in three sizes: Woman’s Medium (Woman’s Large/Man’s Small, Man’s Large).

Many New Patterns are Coming!

When I wrote the second edition of Knitting Gansey, I designed six accessories to be included in the book.  Due to an unfortunate lack of space, they were cut from the book.  Interweave made a PDF of these designs to sell, but as F&W Media went into bankruptcy, this PDF disappeared.  I wrote, and I […]

Life in the New Reality

Spring is arriving here in Vermont.  The maple tree outside my window is leafing out, and the grass is turning green.  And yet, most of us are still indoors, trying to cope, and stay busy.  I think knitters have a definite advantage during this time.  We can all dive into our stashes to make something soothing, beautiful, or useful.

Goodbye 2019! Happy New Year!

Here it is–the year 2020!  One of the things the New Year causes me to do is to look back at the year just completed.  It was a doozy!  Besides a few personal goals attained, I traveled to teach in some remarkable places. In May, I flew to Shanghai, China and taught several of my […]

Summer is Winding Down…

Around mid-August, I notice that the crickets chirping at night are louder and more numerous.  To me, this is the sign that autumn is on the way.  I am looking forward to the crisp evenings and cooler days ahead. The really ambitious deciduous trees are just beginning to fade, showing a hint of red or yellow along the I-91 corridor, while the conifers remain steadfast in their dark green.  New England is the place to be at this time of year!

The Vermont Retreat, June 20-23, Maine Mittens!

Students will learn about Maine mitten construction by knitting a substantial part of several mittens (and a glove if desired) in two or more colors, circularly on double pointed needles, and dealing with many possible pattern repeats, individualized thumb gusset increasing, and tip shaping.  (If you prefer, you can use the magic loop or two circulars if […]

Let’s have a Knit-Along!

Hey everybody!  I would love to host a KAL in November.  We can start with selecting yarns and swatching.   I’ll post my photos and explanations here in my blog. But I’d love to hear your opinion. Do you think everyone should choose a gansey of their choice from my book, or should we all work on ONE design from my book–or from the Gansey Accessories PDF?

On my way to Shetland and beyond!

I am leaving tomorrow for Shetland where I will be teaching the Cowichan-Inspired Pullover (because a Shetland woman figures into its history), Traditional Cast-Ons, and Gansey Techniques. I am still packing and tying up loose ends (like my newsletter…) and wondering how I can fit everything into one suitcase, a carry-on, and a small backpack. My clothes aren’t the issue, my teaching stuff is. That actually will exceed the small plane guidelines and one suitcase may be left behind to go on another plane the next day.

A Lecture and Workshop on Ganseys!

I am looking forward to September 14-15, when I will hold a slide show and lecture on the British Gansey Friday night, and teach my workshop “Gansey Techniques” on Saturday at Sheep and Shawl in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Call 413-397-3680 to register.

A Short Video on My New Book, Knitting Ganseys!

The folks at Interweave Press filmed this video about my new book, Knitting Ganseys, Revised and Expanded, at YarnFest this year. It shows some of the pages inside, and some of the history and garments that are featured as well. I hope you enjoy it! You can pre-order the book here. It will be released at the end of July 2018.

Knit For Peace

While in Albuquerque in October, I met Christina Campbell, the woman behind World Wide Knit-In For Peace Day, which is December 21 this year. Project Peace is a knit-along from December 1-21 and Christina will supplement this with daily blog posts about peace.

Norway: Oslo (Part 1)

I took a red eye home from Oregon after teaching for the Black Sheep Gathering in June, and that gave me a little more than 24 hours to prepare for my trip to Norway. I was exhausted! But all the same, I’m happy to report that the trip itself was great and I took a lot of pictures!