Feral Knitter

March 2024

The plum tree outside my office window is blooming so I know that it is truly spring here in northern California! For those still coping with snow or cold rains, all I can say is, Hang on! Your time will come!

With the lengthening days I feel my energy growing–always a relief after the pulling-in dark season. I’m heading off soon for a week in Mexico City—I’ve never been there and I’m excited to explore the vibrant art and culture scenes there! The practice of travel journaling is on my mind so I’m bringing sketching and painting supplies. I’ll be sharing photos on Instagram (@janinebajus) if you’re interested.

Thinking of traveling, our Yorkshire, Cumbria & the Lake District tour in May filled quickly, so we have decided to repeat it in May 2025. Jillian and I are also plotting a Scotland, Shetland, & Skye tour in September 2025—I’m happy to return to my beloved Shetland! You’ll hear about them first in my newsletter.

Sadly, we are not offering a Scotland tour in 2024 as originally planned.

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!)

If you’d like to know more about my work, I recently wrote an essay for Kate Davies’ blog entitled Colour and Feeling. And Felix of Knitsonik interviewed me: A Conversation with Janine Bajus AKA The Feral Knitter.

Because I’m no longer teaching I’ve reduced the price of the large yarn packs yet again— 40% off. Only a very few kits remain! These packs consist of 12 shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift—I’ve created a number of color ways that are especially useful if you aren’t sure about choosing colors or if you don’t have a nearby yarn shop.

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.

My newsletter is where you will get the most current information about teaching and travel and new patterns, so please sign up if you haven’t already!

WHAT IS A FERAL KNITTER?

In 2003 I was setting up a Fair Isle color study sub-group of the Seattle Knitters Guild. A non-knitting friend, overhearing the discussion, asked me, apprehension thick in her voice, “Janine, WHAT is a feral knitter?” The name stuck. A feral knitter is someone who loves color knitting, playing with color combinations and garment shapes, and learning about construction and fit.