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What considerations guide your clothing purchases?  In this episode, I share some of my thoughts on this subject and talk about a few places I shop when the “BUY” pinnacle of the purchasing pyramid seems warranted.  Plus, I talk about what’s on my needles and share three poems in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday.

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Yarn Lover at Large

I’ve been working on corespun LED lights and I’ll have them for sale at Hope’s Favorite Things in Richmond PA.  StarString is one-of-a-kind; each strand is made from specially-blended wool, silk and sparkle.  These are fun to decorate with an bring some extra warmth and light to your home during the cold, dark winter season.

in Richmond, PA on Small Business Saturday.  Stop in for a visit, shopping, tea and coffee.  Or bring your wheel and join in the fun at The Wool School.

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A Few Notes on Ethical Fashion

Thank you Suzanne, for the Ravelry post that got me thinking about my #mostlyhandmadewardrobe and what I do when I don’t have the skills or inclination to make my own clothing.  This is a broad topic on which I humbly offer a few of my thoughts.  I think that a good start is to consider “The Buyerarchy of Needs” illustration by Canadian illustrator Sarah Lazarovic.

Here are a few articles: one on the first three levels, and another on the top three levels.

In the segment, I mention the following:

• Good on You App
• Boody
• Girlfriend Collective
• Tradesy
• Bryr Studio
• Unicorn Clean
• Soak — I link specifically to Soak School, with helpful hints to cleaning all kinds of things in your home.

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Off the Shelf

Poetry Foundation’s The Cranberry Cantos — Thanksgiving Poems for Family and Friends

• Bless Their Hearts by Richard Newman
• Onions by William Matthews
• Perhaps the World Ends Here by Joy Harjo

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A farm visit, a friends’ getaway, shopping at Finch, finished projects and jeans making!  This episode is packed with fiber-y goodness.

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#homedecmal

Join in the fun of the Home Dec Make-along, running through the end of December.  Use the hashtag to post on IG and share your making with YAYH listeners by posting on the Ravelry thread.

• Knit Pumpkins by Stacey Liekfeldt
• Foraged by Hunter Hammerson
• linen stitch table runner

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The Back Porch

• 3-ply two ways socks
• mobius saori scarf

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The Front Porch

• Hyldemoer Vest by Yuko Shimizu

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Yarn Lover at Large

• Middle Brook Fiberworks
• Fiber Farm Market (NJ Fibershed event) December 1
• Finch Knitting + Sewing Studio
• The Wine Kitchen
• Ginger Jeans
• Threadbare Fabrics 11 oz. S Denim in Black

 

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It was a beautiful Saturday at the New York Sheep & Wool Festival last weekend.  In this episode, I reminisce about my weekend of fiber, friends, and fun, talk about my shopping, and plan new projects based on the inspiration of Rhinebeck.  I also go into some detail about the making and dyeing of my York Pinafore and read a poem by a new-to-me poet.

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Yarn Lover at Large

The Haul: 1 1/2 yards of locally-sourced and spun yardage from Lily Marsh, yarn from Foster Sheep farm and Hudson + West Co., and the Glynn pullover pattern from Harrisville Designs.

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And Sew Forth

I created full pattern pieces and placed them very carefully on fabric before cutting.

The walnut hulls ended up soaking for two weeks before I actually got around to dyeing my garment.

I strained the dye bath through a metal strainer and a cheesecloth-lined strainer to remove any bits that would get stuck in the fabric.

The York Pinafore before dyeing.  Pockets a little wonky and one strap wider than the other, but oh well.  

I put my fully-dampened garment into the warm dye bath and let it soak until cool, checking occasionally to make sure that the garment stayed fully submerged.

I’m pretty pleased with the finished item.  It’s warm and versatile (great for layering) and I love the size of the pockets even though the piece has a distinctive hand-made quality to it!

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Off the Shelf

“Italian Vacation” by Michelle Brown

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It’s knitting season!  Feeling invigorated by the chill in the air and the changing colors of leaves, I have been finishing projects and have lots of ideas about what to cast on next. In anticipation of the upcoming New York Sheep & Wool Festival, I have talked to some of my favorite vendors and prepared a segment filled with special things to look for this year.

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The Back Porch

Can you believe it’s finished?  I’m still getting my head around it.  Hope was kind enough to snap this photo of me wearing Yell when I visited Hope’s Favorite Things to drop off printed patterns of Forest Floor socks.

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COMING SOON! 

#homedecmal a home dec make-along  November 1 – December 31

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The Back Porch

• Yell by Marie Wallin
• vanilla socks knit with Knit Spin Farm Targhee Sock
• Morning Fog by Yuko Shimizu

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The Front Porch

• handspun 3-ways socks
• Ursa cropped sweater by Jacqueline Cieslak
• Burra cowl by Marie Wallin

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And Sew Forth

• Farrow dress by Grainline Studio
• York Pinafore by Helen’s Closet

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Yarn Lover at Large

Keep your eye on the 2019 Vendor Thread on Ravelry.

• The Yarn Shop at Foster Sheep Farm — Building 31 / Booth 30
• Battenkill Fiber Mill — Area 27 A
  • Karin Kennedy & Ensign Brook Farm
  • Midnight Mercantile
  • Hudson & West Co.
  • Oysters & Purls
  • Wobble Gobble
• The C Word with Cal Patch and Erin Von Holdt — Building 39 / Booth 11

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The Forest Floor sock pattern will be available for purchase on Friday, October 4th.  Check out the beautiful versions of this design knit by my test knitters.

Receive a $2 discount on any of my sock patterns when you use the code “socktober19” at checkout.  I pledge to contribute one dollar from each sock pattern sold in October to SoulFire Farm.

Post-steek try-on of Yell.  You can see from this photo how much weaving in of ends there was to do!

My me-made shower curtain turned out great. For some befores and afters of the bathroom renovation project, check out this IG post. Thank you to everyone who congratulated Samuel and me on our hard work.

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Off the Shelf

“Flan” by Martín Espada

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Upcoming Classes at Hope’s Favorite Things

• Learn to Spin on a Suspended Spindle — October 6th
• Tubular Cast on and Bind Off — November 14th

On the Porch

• Forest Floor socks — pattern coming in October!
• Yell by Marie Wallin
• Morning Fog by Yuko Shimizu
• Common Tater socks

And Sew Forth

Mom gave me some tips on pattern matching for the plaid skirt on my re-drafted, maxi-length Farrow dress. I’m also planning to sew a shower curtain with fabric that will hopefully arrive this week!

Off the Shelf

• “Late Summer Purple” by Robert Pack