August 2024
I love the summer time! My astrological sign is ruled by the Sun, so that’s no surprise—plus summers are pretty mild here on the west coast. Our old house doesn’t have air-conditioning and rarely ever needs it. I’ve been knitting away on some simple projects, trying to use yarn from my stash. It’s a far cry from my complex Fair Isle project days, but I seem to have needed the ease of following someone else’s patterns for a while. No shame: All knitting is good knitting! I hope you have found some time to relax this season.
Our Scotland, Shetland, & Skye tour in September 2025—is open for registration! Jillian and I are so excited about this itinerary: several days in Edinburgh to start and end the trip; four days in Shetland; a scenic drive to Skye, where we spend 3 nights; and another scenic leisurely drive to Edinburgh! We’ve arranged classes with Di Gilpin, Elizabeth Johnston, Janette Budge, and TJ Frog, along with visits to farms, yarn shops, mills, and studios. Plus excellent food and very nice accommodations! Here’s the registration form.
Our trip to Yorkshire, Cumbria & the Lake District in May was beyond fantastic! A great group of travelers, a beautiful landscape, friendly people, and lots of sheep. Jillian Moreno and are now planning a return in May 2025, repeating some parts of the trip and adding a couple of days–it felt way too short!! ❤️❤️❤️
Travel is, for most of us, a real luxury and for most of my life out of range for my budget. But we can travel deeply in place—pausing to really study and appreciate where we are is transformative. I read that, if we were to take a one-yard piece of string, tie it in a loop, and place it on the ground we could spend a lifetime examining what we find inside that circle!!! I recommend Conscious Creativity by Philippa Stanton if you’d like some prompts. All that creativity and engagement need is an open mind and a willingness to be amazed.
love,
Janine ❤️
News and Not-Quite-News but perhaps of interest…..
Kate Davies and Felix Ford have produced a beautiful book: Colour at Work! I can’t begin to summarize the wide variety of essays in this impressive collection—please read more about it on Kate’s website. (Pssst—a short essay of mine is included!)
Are you new to Fair Isle knitting? Let me recommend my two patterns geared to beginners: Dryas Octopetala, a slouchy hat, and the Beginner’s Fair Isle Cap, a small, close-filling cap. Both these patterns include motifs that build in complexity, giving you a chance to build your confidence in carrying two colors at a time.
My approach to Fair Isle knitting is modern and very personal; my goal is to share my deep appreciation for this type of knitting and to help you develop the confidence to plunge into this world of color and pattern.
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