A Maker's Morning
A morning after our first winter in Sweden, THE morning. The light is back, and I wake up to the sun’s delightful trickery.
A morning after our first winter in Sweden, THE morning. A Scandinavian morning in spring, any morning, every morning, feels like a deep and invigorating breath.
For months I have felt like a mole. Blind, snuffling, disoriented by the lack of color and nuance in the world. Color... As a crochetwear designer colour is my caffeine, really, and my daily fuel consists of the textures I find outside.
But what do to when there is so little light that seeing true hues is impossible? We tried, of course, to give the darkness short shrift with cosy blankets, bright cushions and twinkly lights. Still, there are only so many candle-lit breakfasts at 9 AM (nine!) one can endure before “hygge” can hop it.
No matter though, spring is here, the light is back, and I wake up to the sun’s delightful trickery.
Once the boys have been dispatched to school and work respectively and the breakfast table cleared of detritus, my dance with the morning light begins.
The treasures collected the day before come out (I’m one of those people with perpetually crumby pockets, and it’s not due to my three-year-old’s snacks hiding in there), projects are piled on every surface. Yarn is squeezed, textures are tested, everything is arranged and rearranged.
The big camera comes out. Sometimes the results are good and sometimes (more times), the results are rubbish. It doesn’t matter though; this is a Scandinavian Spring Morning. A breath… it’s all in the process.
As I take pictures my mind stills. It clears: Winter’s dark cloak has been shaken off and with the light the ideas decide to wake up as well. I have to grab a notebook, quick.
Now the day’s work can really start. See? I told you colour was my caffeine. Well. That and real tea.
YARN REVIEW: Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo
The Baby Bamboo line is one of Sirdar's most popular yarns. Find out what it's like to work with, what to use it for, and whether it really is appropriate for baby knits.
What kind of yarn is it?
- Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo consists of 80% bamboo viscose and 20% wool. It's a Double-Knitting (DK) yarn but sits on the fluffy end of the scale, and so best used on 4mm needles/hook (US size 6 needles or a f/5 hook).
- The colour range includes 35 shades, with 4 new colours having been added recently.
Who makes it?
The manufacturer is Sirdar Spinning Ltd., a British yarn company established in 1880.
Plus points?
- Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo is one of the softest, smoothest yarns I've ever worked with. It has a slight gloss to it and doesn't split easily as you knit or crochet.
- Despite its softness it gives great stitch definition, making it suitable for a wide range of items.
- The colour range is impressive and includes vibrant brights, neutrals, and pastels.
Negatives?
This is a 80% bamboo viscose yarn which, put very briefly, means that it is a synthetic product. Although bamboo fibre is used as the base material, to become yarn it has to undergo a lengthy and chemically-intensive process that results in large amounts of hazardous waste. Unless this process took place at an Oeko-Tex certified facility with proper waste processing systems, the bamboo viscose is not ecologically sound, nor any "safer" for babies than standard non-organic cotton.
[Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/bamboo-textiles-no-more-natural-than-rayon-1.938759]
I've emailed Sirdar to ask where they source their bamboo from, but unfortunately I haven't yet received a reply. Untill then, despite its name I personally wouldn't use this yarn for baby and children's knits.
What should I use it for?
- Home accessories such as wall-hangings, cushions, or baskets
- Adult accessories such as hats and scarves
Patterns I have used this yarn in:
Please note this is a completely independent review for which I was not compensated in any way, and any links contained in the post are not affiliated with any company.
A Yarnie's Take on Pantone Colour of the Year 2016
If you've been keeping track of my designs you'll know I'm not really a pastels sort of girl. After some yarn and cup faffery, however, I figured out how to make Pantone's pick for 2016 work for me.
In a first, Pantone has picked not one but two colours as Pantone Colour of the Year for 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity.
If you've been keeping track of my designs you'll know I'm not really a pastels sort of girl. I don't dislike them - I just think their subtlety is a bit lost on me! As with all the colours Pantone picks, however, obviousness is not part of the game. What matters is your own interpretation and it's fascinating to see what designers, stylists and artists across the world come up with (you can keep track of all that on Pantone's dedicated Pinterest board).
To figure out how to make Rose Quartz and Serenity work for me, I decided to just have a play. A hint of yellow, my favourite notebooks...
The yarns pictured are by Vinnis Colours (blue) and MoYa (Pink), both kindly sent to me by Scaapi, and Sirdar (yellow). Although I don't think of these colours as "me", I do really like the softness of the picture and I think the palette would be beautiful for a crochet blanket or a delicate shawl.
Still, more colour faffery was needed (I know, my job is really hard). As I rearranged my cups and yarns it suddenly clicked:
pastels + neutrals + bolder colours = Ombre! Ole!
I really, really like this palette. I'm still thinking about what to make with it - any suggestions? - but whatever it is, it'll be fun. The pink yarn is by MoYa, as above, and the coral yarn is by Nurturing Fibres. The jute rope is one of many rolls I picked up at a gardening store!
How are you approaching Rose Quartz and Serenity?