With a little help…
When we started to think about a paper planner for knitters, we immediately knew we needed support from the knitting community: dyers who had become friends, yarn companies that we like to work with, people who we like and and admire and whose products and projects we love. When I showed our first drafts of a planner that is designed to help knitters find more time for their hobby, many liked it and wanted to be a part of it. Now a number of wonderful dyers, yarn shop owners, accessory producers, retreat organizers, yarn companies, artists and yarn importers are supporting Strickplaner by having ads in the weekly spreads, banner ads or full-color ads in the back of the book, although some of them said they usually do not sponsor anything because they are fully booked or sold out most of the time anyway. But they thought Strickplaner was a project worth supporting, and now here we are! Now I feel that Strickplaner is not just a new product, but a joint project of the knitting community, by people who feel connected through their love of yarn and knitting. We do think that’s pretty cool!
For you as a knitter and user of Strickplaner this means that in a couple of weekly spreads, the knitting inspiration will be from a sponsor, e. g. pointing towards knitting events, handdyed yarns and knitting accessories (which you might be delighted to hear about if you haven’t yet!). In the other weekly spreads, you will find inspirational quotes and our “My 3” prompts that will ask you to think about which knitting projects you like best, who you love to knit for and who your favorite designers are. We think it’s an awesome mix and we hope you will find that, too!
We thank all the lovely sponsors who have helped Strickplaner come to life!
Amanoyarns.com
Alpaca Yarns from Peru
Acknitwear.co.uk
Knitting Patterns, Books & Kits
Aschaffenburgerwolltraeume.blogspot.de
Small Fiber Festival in Southern Germany
Craftcruises.com
Knitting & Crafting Cruises
Das-mondschaf.de
Handdyed Yarn
Dyeforyarn.com
Handdyed Yarn
Edinyarnfest.com
Fiber Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland
Gemachtmitliebe.de
Blog + Online Store
Ggh-garn.de
Yarn from Hamburg, Germany
Herr-u.de
Yarn Shops in Berlin, Germany
Handherzseele.de
Creative Retreats
Missbabs.com
Handdyed Yarn
Naturesluxury.com
Handdyed Yarn
Rosygreenwool.de
Certified Organic Merino Yarns
Schmeichelgarne.de
Beautiful Yarn from all over the world
Schoppel-wolle.de
Colorful Yarn made in Germany
Stolenstitches.com
Patterns and Yarn by Carol Feller
symposipress.etsy.com
Knitting Stickers Julie Levesque
Succaplokki.fi
Knitting Accessories
Zauberwiese.com
Handdyed Yarn
Our new Organic Project Bags
You probably know that I lived through my puberty in the 80s which made me an eco-conscious hippie in disguise. And (this is more obvious) I love pink. Plus (less obvious) I try to keep a tidy house (ahem), starting with myself by putting my knitting away when I am not working on it, and that’s where a project bag comes in handy which will hold my yarn, needles, pattern and stitch markers. So – you guessed it – I really needed a pink project bag made of organic cotton, big enough to hold my own patterns printed on A5 leaflets.
So I asked the lovely gals at Manomama in southern Germany if they could make project bags like these for me. At Manomama, people who have difficulties finding a job otherwise will find employment and fair pay. It was great working with them, and the bags turned out just the way I imagined. I am really happy that we were able to send them out to our Strickmich! Club members as gifts, and also that we are offering them now to everyone in Strickmich! Shop.
Our project bag is 24 cm (9.5 inches) wide, 26 cm (10.4 inches) long and has a diameter of 15 cm (6 inches). It’s perfect to hold your current project and accessories and closes with a double loop of cord. 4-color Strickmich! label in the side seam, 100% organic cotton, sewn in Germany by Manomana in Augsburg.
Available in Strickmich! Shop (shipping worldwide).
Toranja
Something soft and sugary will surely sweeten up any season for you: “Toranja” is Portuguese for grapefruit, and that was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this yarn. And I love pink grapefruits! I think they are not only the prettiest of fruits, but they also make a yummy drink if you mix them with (alcohol-free) beer or aloe vera juice (add vodka if you fancy). And they are a good source for vitamin C, which never hurts – especially during winter!
Toranja starts with a provisional cast-on, is knit on the bias and has those cute little stockinette squares that make the sweet colors pool just a little bit. Interesting to knit, but not really complicated – and it is guaranteed to make your friends wonder how on earth you did it! 120 grams of colorful yarn make a generously sized cowl. If you have more yarn, you can make a wider loop, or cast on more stitches to make it longer.
Find the pattern printed and downloadable in Strickmich! Shop. We also carry a limited number of kits with the exclusive club color. And, as always, the pattern is available on Ravelry.
Summer Mojo
Sometimes, I just sit on the couch, while my current knitting project sits on the coffee table next to me. There it is, the beautiful yarn, the nice sharp needles and the pretty shawl that I am really looking forward to wearing. And nevertheless, I prefer to let it sit there. My hands want a break. My brain wants to talk to my husband or read some fun stuff on Twitter. That probably passes very quickly, and the next night me and my knitting are happily re-joined. However, a couple of weeks ago – it almost pains me to write this – I did not feel like knitting for a couple of days in a row. My knitting mojo had disappeared. There was nothing that could tempt me: No colorful socks, no intricate shawls, no comfy sweaters (although I have been planning to knit one for a long time). I started to worry. But then I remembered that this had happened before: During my second pregnancy I felt sick at the pure thought of long strings of wool. And there was the time when I would rather try to sew leather bags than knit. Or search for spinning wheels and learn how to spin.
And suddenly it occurred to me what would bring my knitting mojo back: I just had to let myself be creative in other ways, maybe learn something new, get inspired. It does not really matter what I do, as long as it challenges my brain in other ways than knitting does. When your knitting mojo disappears, you can try to learn a few words in Spanish by listening to a podcast, make plans for your flower beds, decorate a cake for your friend’s birthday or learn some new chords on the guitar. Meet a couple of old friends, have some ice-cream with your grandmother or go for a swim with your little niece – summer offers endless possibilities. And then, out of the blue, you will see that color combination that you will want to knit into a shawl immediately, that sock yarn that has been sitting in your shelf will suddenly know what kind of socks they want to become, and in an old knitting magazine you will find the perfect sweater for fall. This is what happened to me. I picked up some yarn I had in my shelf for quite some time, and suddenly I knew what I wanted to knit with it. Hello, knitting mojo, old friend – here you are. What a pleasant surprise!
What does help you to get your knitting mojo back?
P. S.: The project bag in the pic is available in Strickmich! Shop.
Wolkig
Please find my new pattern “Wolkig” in Knitty Magazine!
… and the lovely yarn “Manos del Uruguay Fino” in Strickmich! Shop.
Green Light Shawl
Green and light – that means green lights for everyone who would like to knit their very first lace project! It starts with simple garter stitch on the bias, the lace border is knit on last. The result is a classically elegant cres- cent shaped symmetric shawl, light as a feather and warm and comfy at the same time, in a fascinating exotic yarn. The shape is achieved by stacking two geometric shapes onto one another, all in garter stitch to keep it simple. The attractive lace edging is attached perpendicularly as the final step.
A nice project to start at home and take on vacation: Work on the mindless and relaxing garter stitch part while still at home and working, and save the slight- ly more complicated lace part for when you have arrived at your destination, are relaxed and have lots of time to knit the lace border in your deck chair.
Less than one skein of an ultralight blend of yak and silk results in a shawl that will fit women of all sizes. If you would like to make it even bigger, go ahead and use up your entire skein (instructions on how to do that are given in the pattern).
Shawl in the pictures:
Length: 230 cm (92 inches)
Depth: 33 cm (13 inches)
57 grams of yarn used
Colorway: Apfel
The pattern and the yarn for this project is available in Strickmich! Shop, the pattern can also be found on Ravelry.
About Black Holes
I have been knitting on this big lace shawl for weeks, but there still is no end in sight, no matter how many hours I spend with it… There is only one explanation: It’s a Black Hole on my needles. A knitting project that seams to eat time and apparently consists of anti-matter, such that it will secretly un-knit itself when resting in its basket… I have certainly wished to be able to switch on a “knitting turbo” more than once! Of course you can learn how to knit faster. Most knitters in Germany use the “continental” method or “picking”: They carry the yarn in their left hand and use the right-hand needle to “pick” the yarn through the stitches. This method is said to be on average faster than “throwing”, where knitters carry yarn in their right hands and “throw” it around the needle to bring it trough the stitch. There are several Craftsy Classes teaching you to “Knit faster with continental knitting”, so for the average knitter, this might be a faster way to knit.
But that’s just the average, as the fastest knitters (there are actually competitions to determine this!) are throwers. Apparently, if you secure one needle under your arm or otherwise, it makes your knitting very fast.
I have been a continental knitter all my life, and I doubt that I will ever reach the speed I have now if I learn a completely new method. I am not keen on breaking any record either. But I have discovered that there are two things that will help me to finish a project more quickly:
a) Always carry my knitting with me and knit whenever possible – instead of taking out my smartphone.
b) Choose projects that have parts, stripes or other milestones. It’s immensely motivating if you can always “knit to the next stripe” or “to the next loop”.
So no, unfortunately there are no real tricks here. But maybe a thought that fits very well into summer: Speed may not be what matters most in knitting. Having a good time and enjoying it is probably more important. What do you think? Take your Black Hole outside, expose it to sunlight and spend a few more hours with it in your deckchair. I am sure it will turn into a shining star and you will finish it just in time for fall.
Pretty Sharp!
A couple of weeks ago I held a little refresher knitting class for the women of our village. Some brought their own knitting needles, others borrowed some of mine. One experienced knitter who had already made a Hitchhiker before I even moved here, wanted to try lace knitting for the very first time. After a couple of rows she was determined that she was just “not talented enough” for this kind of project because she just could not manage the decreases. Imagine her surprise when I handed her a pair of my needles that were slightly sharper than hers, and suddenly the rows were just flying. After a while, she had a beautifully perfect little piece of knitting in her hands and just could not believe it. What we learn from this episode is: It’s not you, it’s your tools. Ever tried to cut a piece of wood with a bread knife? Or tried to drill a hole in a brick wall with a corkscrew? Right. You need a proper saw and a good drill. Those do cost money, yes. Nice sharp knitting needles may be a little more expensive than the bargain ones, but for some projects the plain ones just will not do. A simple “knit 3 together” is usually too much for blunt needles. Moreover, most simple circular needles are kinked – so if you are trying to knit a pair of socks using the “Magic Loop” technique with those, you are probably going to be quite frustrated, blaming either the technique or yourself and experience the opposite of the pleasant experience knitting is supposed to be. All because of a tool that is not fit for the job!
These are rather blunt…
So in my view, it is totally worth it to go on a search for the right needles. They should not only be technically appropriate for the type of project you are planning – more importantly, the knitter (you!) should like them. They must feel good when you hold them in your hands, and ideally they should also please the eye. There are ones made of bamboo, square ones, acrylic ones with glitter or beautifully colored wooden ones. There are lots of choices and it’s awesome when you have found the needles that make knitting fun for you. I personally like non-kinked nickel-plated circulars with sharp points. They are my go-to needles for everyday knitting. When I need bigger needles, I prefer those made of wood, but also with fairly sharp tips. I would not use thin wooden needles because I tend to be rough on them and I fear they might break. And for socks I use circulars made of stainless steel because they come in very small sizes and do not bend. Depending on the project I can choose whether I would like some sleek metal circulars or warm wooden needles. For air travel I usually pack very simple metal needles that I would be fine to part with if security decides I have to, or wooden interchangeables that are usually not a problem because they look like pencils in the x-ray machines. My knitting toolbox contains a number of qualities in all sizes so I am prepared for whatever project crosses my way – and I hope that many will!
Knitting Company
Here’s a confession: I love to be alone. Just love it! When I am on my own, I do what I feel like, I knit, I sit down with my notepad and make sketches, I look at pictures of pretty things on the internet. Sometimes I play the piano or my guitar and sing, as loudly and as out of tune as I please. No one is there to criticize me or to suggest I should rather be cleaning the house or working on something. No one is fighting with his little sister, wants something to eat or my general attention. Solitude is really my favorite state of being – at least for a couple of hours a day, especially when I have time to knit. After that I will enjoy company and be ready for talking and discussions and entertainment. But a couple of hours without other human beings around me are essential for my happiness – and progress on my knitting.
I would dare to say that the more complex of my shawlettes would never have been completed if I had not been able to knit on them in solitude. It’s not really helpful when you are knitting on something that requires counting stitches when someone goes “Twenty-eight! Forty-seven! Seventy-nine!” in a loud, amused voice while you are desperately trying to find out how many stitches you are currently having on your needles. And what comes out of my mouth when I realize I forgot two yarn overs and a k2tog in the previous row is not really for the ears of my family members. Ever tried to read a lace chart while your husband wants to discuss next week’s dinner plan and the kids are throwing stuffed animals at each other? Doesn’t work that well, trust me.
Sometimes you need a little support when knitting a lace shawl…
On the other hand, it will work just fine with a knitting friend (preferably a lace fanatic) sitting beside me and a big mug of coffee in front of me. Sometimes the secret to a successful knitting project is not absolute silence but encouragement and help when something went wrong. And a second pair of eyes on the chart, because frankly, I sometimes do not see what is right in front of me. If we are joined by a couple of more lovely ladies, and conversation topics move from ssk and twisted stitches to blocking wires, spinning wheels, knitting podcasts and the general situation of the planet, my lace knitting time is usually over. Because I find my knitting friends and their topics are very often more entertaining than a lace chart. The only things I can successfully knit while chatting are garter-stitch shawlettes and simple children’s socks – and they have gone wrong many times too when I knit on them on knit night. But that’s fine, more than fine, because that’s the reason I go to knit night: I want to meet great, interesting people, totally diverse but miraculously unified by their love of fiber and related crafts.
By the way: My lace knitting is totally okay with being crammed into its bag on such occasions. Because the two of us will have a date tomorrow. Just us.