My Happy Holidays

2013 is gone and the new year is upon us. My December holidays have finished up; I spent some quality time with family celebrating Christmas and Boxing Day, but New Years Eve found me sick at home with a cold. I have more exciting events lined up over the next few weeks, but right now I feel refreshed and ready to tackle this new year!

I travelled up north to visit my wonderful in-laws for Christmas. We have had a new addition to the family in the last few weeks, and it was wonderful getting to meet my new niece as well seeing how much my nephew has grown.

My husband and I treated my mother-in-law to a pair of 'Christmas stockings' (aka - we filled my husband's hiking socks up with presents)... we gave her of toys and hand-spun (of course)!

We brought up presents for the kids too - my favourite gift was the giant circus tent we set up in the living room!

Cameron worked on some of his own hobbies while I knitted. He paints miniature gaming figures and models in his spare time, and he finished up an 'army' of steampunk ladies while we were on holiday... you can check out his blog if you would like to see more!

My visits up north always include a lot of snow, shortbread and time to knit. I usually have a few goals planned I wish to achieve while I am on 'Christmas Break', and this year I got a few new projects finished and started.

I FINALLY finished the Goat Coat! I seamed it Christmas Day and blocked it the next morning. It felt terrific to be to share the final moments of creation of this project with my father-in-law, who tracked me down the original mountain goat hide I used in this project. I don't have any final photos yet - this project will be getting it's very own blog post in the near future - but you can check out my last work-in-progress photo below...

I also worked on a few new patterns that have been simmering in the back of my mind the last few months. I shouldn't be giving away any details yet, but I think you should be able to expect two hats and a cowl in the near future! One of the hats is knit with one skein of SweetGeorgia Yarns Superwash Worsted yarn which I completed while riding on my mother-in-law's stationary bike - I needed to work off some of those molasses cookies!

The other two projects are made with some beautiful alpaca and shetland wool that I have been graciously supplied with from an independent company in the states. I just love working with this material... I really forward to finally finishing up these designs!

The last project I was able to start was another sweater in my own hand-spun. On my second day dyeing at SweetGeorgia, I accidentally dyed an entire pound of Merino Bamboo Silk a little too blotchy. However, I feel in love with the incorrect dye job and bought the whole lot of roving. I spun the entire pound spun it as a sport weight two ply yarn a few months ago, and I finally had the chance to turn it into the garment I wanted. I cast on a Talamh cardigan on Christmas Day, and I finished the body on New Years Eve. I am hoping it will only take a few days to finish off the sleeves...? More photos will be coming soon!

Happy New Year everyone! I will be hitting the spinning wheel again very shortly and I can't wait to start off 2014 with a look into some new fibres...

Cheers!
- Grace

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Wow, it has been a long time since I have had a chance to post something! Life lately has been very busy, but also very productive! I have been left with very limited time to jump onto a computer...

I have managed to ply up all my Spinzilla yarn! I am very, very happy with the results. I chain-plied most of the bobbins so I could keep some nice stripes in my final yarn. There were two bobbins of very similar colourways that decided to blend together... it made a very busy but funky kinda yarn!

I am working five days a week now at SweetGeorgia, and I am having a blast. Lately I have been diving into some 'media' related tasks as well as my regular dyeing and packaging duties. I am teaching classes two evenings a week to a terrific group of gals, and although I am having a great time, I now know that I should not book myself so full next year. Speaking of which, I am going to work out my new teaching schedules for 2014 soon - I will keep you posted with details as soon as I have them!

SweetGeorgia had a booth at KnitCity this year, and that was a whirlwind of excitement too. It was fantastic seeing old friends, catching up with students and talking to customers. You can check out more details here on the SweetGeorgia blog (Liisa wrote an excellent recap of the event!)

And finally... what have I been doing at home lately? Sampling, sampling, sampling and getting together class material. I learn a lot from this process, but it is also very time consuming and doesn't give me much exciting stuff to post about!

The Goat Coat has returned to my knitting bag. I had to hit the 'pause' button on it for a while because I has made some serious counting errors, and the idea of restarting a project that requires a cast-on edge of 600 stitches made me a sad little girl. But I finally frogged the old project and now it's back on the needles - mistake free (for now). Maybe I will get it done by Christmas...?!

What's next? I desperately need to update my Raverly pages. It's been months since I have properly documented my spinning and knitting projects, so that is high on my list of things to do. Then I have a few half-finished bobbins I would like to clean up. I have the beginnings of a hat design on my needles that I would like to published early next year too! But for now, all of this must come after preparing for my current set of classes and finishing up Christmas presents.

I will post again sooner next time - I promise! I think life is going to slow down a bit over the next few weeks, which should give me more time for photography, spinning and working on the computer.

Cheers!
- Grace

Busy At Sweetgeorgia...

Hello all! I have been a busy gal lately, and I have a lot of little updates!

I have been started a new job this year working in the Sweetgeorgia Yarns studio, and I love it! I have been getting to dip my fingers in dyes, pet pretty wool, and surround myself with fantastic co-workers and inspiration every day! Amazing!

I wrote short series of articles for Felicia's blog that launched yesterday called the "Spinning Sessions". Before TNNA this year I spun and knit samples of every yarn base Sweetgeorgia offers, and being the uber-nerd I am, I just had to take photos and notes of the entire process! Check out the first of the posts here!

Also, Felicia and I collaborated on a matching wrist-warmer and cowl set! This pattern was for sale as a sample at TNNA this year, but last night it was posted on Ravelry and is now available to everyone for purchase!  Check it more information on the set on Felicia's Blog, or purchase the pattern on Raverly!

And finally, I will be teaching BEGINNER SPINNING CLASSES at the Sweetgeorgia studio this summer! Yippee! Classes will run on Tuesdays nights in August from 6-8pm, and we will cover the basics for getting started to create your OWN yarn! I am SO stoked to be teaching this class - I have been busy creating samples, preparing handouts, drumming up equipment... I am so excited to get a chance to share one of my biggest passions with some brand new faces! There is only 6 spots available for this introduction class, and there are 4 wheels available to loan on a first come, first serve basis (details on the Sweetgeorgia website). If you are interested in coming out and learning the basics of spinning, please check out the Sweetgeorgia website!

And yes, I have been working on my own personal projects, and I will upload pics of a new shawl design and my current spinning project shortly!

I hope you all are having a great summer!
Cheers!
- Grace

Busy Weekend!

I have had a busy busy weekend! But productive too, that's for sure!

I spun almost one bobbin's worth of mountain goat fibre (after I plied 3 bobbin's worth to free up space!)

I started knitting up a sampler from my first skein of mountain goat fibre. This will test of the qualities of yarn as well as a new pattern I designed. Can you see the mountains in my texture!?

Also! A new toy arrived in the mail! After a lively discussion on Russian drop spindles, I was convinced to buy one from Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts.  I can't wait to give it a try... I have some camel in my stash from just such an occasion. Now I just need to finish up my OTHER projects... but this one is alllll ready to start!

Later today - baking muffins, knitting a baby blanket, and cooking dinner: a gloriously domestic Sunday afternoon! Right on.

Cheers!
-Grace

East Van Doc Toppers

I have another new FREE pattern to release! My East Van Doc Toppers - they look like a full pair of socks, but they aren't! These thin little leg-warmers are a great way to tackle some of those single skeins of sock yarn you have in your stash... 

From the pattern notes:

"I created these leg-warmers as an easy way to add a splash of colour to my wardrobe; I had three-quarters of a skein left over from a sweater project, and I wanted to make some easy, feminine matching leg-warmers. Don’t even have THAT much yarn? Just make them shorter! After all, they are just supposed to poke out the top of your boots! They will look like nice long socks, but with a fraction of the knitting time!"

You can download the pattern here!

Or nab it in my Raverly Store.

I hope you enjoy!

Cheers!

-Grace     

Terminal And Main - Cowl and Hat Pattern

Today I have released my first paid pattern: Terminal and Main, a pattern for a slouchy hat or cowl.

From the pattern notes:

"This pattern is designed to finesse our intermediate knitting skills while creating a fun and funky cowl or hat. By the time this project is completed, the knitter will be well-practised in multiple varieties of increases and decreases, working in the round, and creating textured patterns involving simple lace and seed stitch. This pattern can be easily adjusted as well; with a little math, it can be made larger or smaller, or completed with a different weight of yarn."

This pattern can be made larger or smaller by adjusting the amount of stitches cast on in multiples of 4 or knit in a different weight of yarn.

This is the pattern I teach how to complete in my Knitting 202: Beyond the Scarf class at Bird On A Wire! Want to learn in person? Check out more info on here.

This pattern can be purchased here for a special introductory price of $2.99 (Canadian) until March 31st 2013. As of April 1st, it will be available for $4.99, so scoop up your copy soon!

And please check out my other patterns in my Ravelry Pattern Store.

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers!
-Grace

Knitting 202!

I will be teaching an intermediate knitting class next month at Bird On A Wire!

I will be teaching an intermediate knitting class next month at Bird On A Wire! Spaces still available!

Knitting 202: Beyond the Scarf

Ready to knit more than a square? In this intermediate level class, we will explore knitting in the round, ribbing, yarn-overs, increases and decreases while creating a textured slouchy hat or cowl.

Dates: check the website for the most up-to-date information.
Time: Friday Nights 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Cost: $70 + HST (does not include materials)
Materials: 100 grams of worsted weight yarn and...
If creating a hat: US size 6 / 4 mm double pointed needles OR 16" circular needles.
If creating a cowl: US size 6 / 4 mm circular needles (approx. 24" long).
Materials can be purchased before class.
Project: Slouchy hat/Neck warmer, original pattern by Grace Verhagen.
Required Skills: Ability to knit, purl, cast on and bind off.

Sara's Saltspring Hat

Today I am publishing a new free pattern: Sara's Saltsping Slouchy Hat.  Based off my original Saltspring hat design, I have used the same short rows and purl ridges to create a lighter, slouchier hat.

You can download the pattern here:

Or nab it from my Ravelry Store!

From the pattern notes:

"Every artist needs a muse, and I have been lucky enough to have acquired more than my fair share in the various facets of my life, including members of my family, mentors from the local spinning guild, and my good buddies at work. Sara is among the latter; she is a beautiful spirit who knows what she likes, and isn’t afraid to let you know. Her personal taste for design and fashion is what inspired me to create a variation of my “Saltspring” hat to fit into her unique style. This hat is softer, slouchier, and is intended to be a fashion accessory rather than a keep-your-ears-warm worsted weight toque. Thanks again Sara!"

This pattern requires knowledge of short rows: an excellent tutorial can be found here, courtesy of the Purl Bee: http://www.purlbee.com/short-row-tutorial

I hope you enjoy! Please send along any feedback, and I would love to see your work!

Cheers!
-Grace

Teaching!!!

Yes! I am going to give teaching a try!

Starting in February this year, I will be teaching a beginners knitting class at Bird On A Wire Creations in Vancouver. We will learn how to knit and purl, the differences between stockinette and garter stitch, and how to make a pair of funky wrist warmers with that knowledge!

I am still working on the course outline and putting together my own unique pattern just for students of the class; and I am TOTALLY stoked. I have never taught a large group before, and I can't wait to get started. I will admit, I'm pretty nervous, but I think once I get talking about yarn and needles I will start to feel right at home!

Classes are currently scheduled for Friday nights from 6:30 - 8:30pm on February 8th and 15th. I will also be teaching an intermediate class in March - more info on that coming soon!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at graceverhagen@gmail.com or Bird On A Wire directly!

Cheers!
-Grace

Saltspring Slouchy Hat

Today I have published my "Saltspring" slouchy hat! A fun, big slouchy hat knit from worsted weight yarn that requires some knowledge of short rows (I have not included directions for the theory of short rows themselves - there was many wonderful tutorials on for free on the internet that explain them much better than I! My favorite is from the Purl Bee - http://www.purlbee.com/short-row-tutorial/).

Please download the pattern here!

or check it out in my Ravelry Store with my other patterns!

From the pattern notes:

"Anyone who has travelled to this small island off Vancouver Island’s coast can tell you how beautiful and unique Saltspring is. Home to an unlimited amount of crafty talent, robust little farms, and the welcoming community of Ganges, this area is one of the highlights of our province. It has its own laid-back style, and I tried to capture that charm in this slouchy hat. This long toque uses short rows to create a fun and funky shape, and its simple pattern really emphasizes the use of any colourful or textured yarn. Try it with worsted weight handspun, or with a special handpainted yarn. "

As always, please send along your feedback if you knit this pattern, and I just LOVE seeing photos of finished objects too!

Cheers!
-Grace

Manning Park Hat

Today I have published my Manning Park Hat! This is a SUPER simple hat, ideal with quick Christmas gifts with out of any worsted weight yarn.  I have seen many of these hats completed out of handspun and they are just beautiful! I will try to post some photos of those soon (as soon as I get permission!).

You can download the pattern here, or check it out in my Raverly store!

From the pattern notes...

"This hat is my default “Man Hat.” It looks good on every guy, and the stretchy rib accommodates most head sizes. It is easily adjusted for any weight of yarn, and you can use a nice bouncy wool or a drapey alpaca and still get a pleasing result. It is ideal for showing off those unique 100g skeins of handspun that spinners always have lurking in the back of their stash, and is an easy enough project that you work on it while enjoying a movie or sharing a cup of tea with friends. Choose between the long and short sizes: the long size can be rolled up to give the hat a nice brim, and short version has a trim clean look to its length."

Even though I've stated above that it's a good hat for men, it really is a unisex pattern: I wear this hat myself under my bike helmet now that the weather is getting cooler!

As always, if you knit this pattern please let me know what you think! And I would LOVE to see some photos of your finished projects!

Cheers!
-Grace

Penticton Penny Hat

Today I have published my Penticton Penny Hat! I designed this hat for my friend Tyler when he got married this summer - I wanted to make him something fun and original, and I thought putting a good luck charm in the brim would be a neat idea.

You can download the pattern here, or check it out in my Ravelry store!

It's a beanie-style toque requiring just under one skein of worsted weight yarn.  There is a little hole in the brim designed to accommodate a penny (or any other special coin or charm) for a personalized touch.

As always, let me know how your projects work out - I appreciate all your feedback!

And I would like to give a big shout-out to my buddy Kris for modeling it for these photos!

Cheers!

-Grace

September Knit Night!

This September we had a wonderful 'Knit Night' at my friend Jo Anne's place... the joys of a 'knit night' with my fellow members of a spinning and weaving guild is that every craft get represented!
Here are a few photos from our evening... Jo Anne and I were knitting sweaters, Barbara was spinning on her beautiful little castle wheel, and the Griffiths sisters were hemming their latest weaving projects.

Ruth's piece with the dragons is made from handspun, and Janice's multiple tea towels each represent sometime from her family.  So cool!

Jo Anne has also recently finished her lately handspun project - a BEAUTIFUL shawl, check out more info and pics here on Raverly!

Can't wait til next month!
PS - we missed you April!
Cheers!
-Grace