Twisted

when i first started knitting in earnest, i dove headfirst into the super-chunky-yarn insanity that lures so many new knitters. not that there’s anything wrong with big-needle-knitting, but i haven’t been doing much of it lately. there was quite a trend in the knitting world for a while – knitters all over the world were tripping over each other to get their hands on thick yarn and big ole’ broomstick-looking needles, making thick, gorgeous scarves. i was one of them – i loved chunky knitting, i loved size 17 needles, i loved humongous yarn. then i got slapped across the face with the sock-knitting craze, the shawl craze, the teensy-weensy needle craze.

this most recent swatch has turned me back on to chunky knitting. not as the all-consuming addiction that it once was, but as a welcome respite from cramped hands and microscopic needles. i had forgotten how gratifying practically-instant knitting could be, and i look forward to doing more of it in the near future.

this swatch is knit on debbie bliss donegal tweed chunky, and i’m thinking 2 or 3 skeins will make a fabulous scarf come next winter.

we have been working like mad-crazy fools on the shop, too, and will post about the happenings soon…

portland in the spring can be such a fickle beast. this morning, as the hubby was heading to work, he made a big production out of donning his sunglasses. the air was brisk, the sun was shining, and there was not a cloud in sight. i thought it would be a perfect day for a swatch photo shoot. but, portland being portland, it is now a bit…grey. overcast. decidedly un-sunny. me having been a portlander-in-training for at least a few years, however, i have decided to forge ahead with the photo shoot as previously scheduled.

what’s on the craftastic menu today, you may ask? crewelwork.

there are almost as many fiber arts in the world as there are craftista(o)s, and quite a few (including knitting) have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. i have my theories on the ‘why’ of the rebirth of craft, not the least of which having to do with the chill of our modern computerized society and the globalization of all, leading to a desire to return to the handmade, the real, the tangible. many crafts have undergone a pretty major face-lift and crewel is one of them.

traditionally, crewel is a type of embroidery worked on linen fabric with very thin wool yarn in short lengths. hoops are employed, as are needles. as with many fiber arts, there are no knots allowed in crewel. wool and hoop has come up with some truly fabulous crewel designs, with a 70’s flava’ and a 21st century flair. crewel is easy to do, and can be used as art, embellishment, (think pillow cases and decorative towels), and even as a greeting card for someone truly special.

the lovely crewel, hanging out with complementary-colored carnations that need to get planted in the next few days.

em was over yesterday to pilfer wireless from us (poor thing is still stuck in the internet stone age) and we were busily working on our respective computers, doing research on such exciting items as ‘commercial refrigerators’ and ‘pegboard’ when i heard the mail carrier bound up the steps. this particular mail carrier talks on her phone the entire time she is delivering mail, so you can hear her way before she arrives at your doorstep. the thunk of mail being dropped into the box brought me leaping to my feet, and i ran outside, grateful for a break from the computer screen.i was secretly hoping for something exciting, something grand, frankly, i was hoping for absolutely anything other than bills. boy, was i not disappointed.

we ordered a bunch of sock yarn from the wonderful angelina at zen string, and i had requested a skein or two to be sent early, so we could get a shop sample knitted up. what can i say to dear angelina, except: wowza, girl.

this yarn is to die for. (i wish the lighting was better, but, hey, this is oregon in the spring, and we are lucky it’s not raining, right?)

she sent ’strawberry fields forever,’ and i casted on almost immediately. i really should have taken a photo of it skeined up, cuz it was lovely, but i could NOT help myself. i worked on them all evening, at two different bars, to celebrate the birthday of a good friend, and i have to say, i am in love. (yeah, you know me, i am a huge pushover for soft yarn with a tight ply – how predictable). this yarn is really something special, and i’m so glad we are going to be carrying it in the shop. i see a lot of very happy customers wearing zen string yarn come fall. Serendipity sport (scroll down, there’s info about the yarn) has a fabulous ply – not too tight, but definitely not too loose, and the yarn is soft without being overly so. do i sound wishy-washy? it’s just because it’s one of those perfect sock yarns. if you don’t believe me, take a look at these toes:

we have been meeting with contractors, ordering stock, designing our shop layout, comparison-shopping for commercial-grade appliances, making mad-crazy lists, and generally losing our minds trying to figure out everything that needs to be done in order to open twisted by our target date of may 19. whew. but, luckily, we are opening a knitting and craft shop, so an important item that makes its way onto all of our myriad lists is actual crafting, which means on some occassions, we get to sit back, relax, and make some stuff. obviously, a major focus of twisted is knitting, my favorite craft, so shop swatching must continue, which is what i’m going to talk about today. i have been creweling, too, (what a fun craft THAT one is), but that is the subject of another post: today is a day for socks.

i have already talked trekking here. we are going to have a lot of that. but, have i mentioned some of the other sock yarns we are going to have?

for instance:

cherry tree hill…

and, farmhouse…

both very different sock yarns, each unique in her own way:

the cherry tree hill is soft, people, waaaay soft. (well, the ball band does specify as the fiber “100% luxury merino fingering weight,” after all). the ply is tight and sproingy, and the finished sock has quite a bit of drape. i used addi turbo #1s for everything except the heel and toe, on which i used #1 dpns. the colorways in this sock are ‘turquois’ and ‘champlain sunset.’ ooh, la, la.

the farmhouse is a more basic wool – it even smells wooly, in the best possible way. it isn’t as soft as the cherry tree hill, but makes a thicker, more winter-y sock. i can also imagine a felted bag or scarf in this yarn, or something with cables. check out the photos of the flock of sheep used for the yarns – it’s the mark of a great company when you can actually meet (well, virtually, anyway) the animals that produce the fiber you are knitting with. i used addi turbo #3s for this sock, with lantern moon #2 dpns for the heel and toe. the colorway used here is ‘rose garden,’ which, in the city of roses, is uber-appropriate.

time now to tackle a list emily and i put together yesterday. poor emily had an internet-break-down at her home, so is semi-unplugged for the next few days. let’s all raise a glass of prosecco in her honor today, as she struggles with a throwback to early-2000s life, when the majority of folks did NOT have easy internet access…

the twisted girls being what we are (sock knitters), twisted will be carrying a great deal of sock yarn. which means, at this point in twisted’s life span, sock samples. i have been knitting a few sock samples, out of two of trekking’s most popular colorways, and am in love. i can see why this yarn is so popular. bizarrely enough, this is my first foray into the wonderful world of trekking sock yarn. i have always been drawn to the colors this yarn has to offer, particularly the two i knitted into shop samples, which explains the fact that both of these colors just so happened to reside in my (substantial) sock yarn stash.

without further ado, may i present to you, trekking socks the favorites: