Tag: reviews

Knitting I’ve Done in 2022

Knitting projects finished in 2022 and my thoughts on each one.

This year, 2022, has not been an especially good one. Knitting has been a great way to escape and be at peace for a while. Looking at my list here, I’ve done a lot of that! I have not checked off “learning brioche”, but I bought a book. I have not steeked anything, but maybe next year.

In the order in which they were finished knitting, here are all the patterns (two were mostly my own) I used this year. My thoughts and info on each come after the title. Each link goes either to my blog post where I review the pattern, or is a direct link to the pattern download / purchase. I will have a link to the actual pattern (if one exists) on the post pages.

  • Solstice Glow Hat, by Bunnymuff (January) – Love the colorwork hat even though this type of hat doesn’t look good on me. End product is so cute.
  • Two by Two ribbed hat (January) – Quick and FREE. Didn’t like the yarn I used, but the pattern is easy to follow.
  • Wrist Warmers (February) A fun & FREE project to play with colorwork.
  • Meadow Moon, by Jennifer Steingass (February) Excellent designer, fun pattern, great sweater.
  • Slouchy Watchcap in Blue (March), by Churchmouse Yarns – Great hat! Long project that was quite boring to knit, but end product is worth it.
  • Lopi Wool Pullover (May) I created this pullover to use up my wool yarn and use some unique colorwork designs.
  • Hidden Gems shawl (June) A fun & FREE shawl to knit.
  • Bonnie Isle Hat (June) The recent, yearly Shetland hat. Mine is horrible and I don’t look good in this type of hat. Last one for me.
  • Warm Up Sweater, by Espace Tricot (June) Free pattern and worth it – great directions. I used up some Lettlopi yarn.
  • Honey Cowl 3 (July) Knit this simply to use up some yarn. Very easy pattern.
  • Kate’s Poncho (August) Fabulous pattern, loved the yarn. Made as a gift.
  • Cumulus Sweater, (September) Nice pattern, I changed the yarn weight to use up yarn. End product is okay and is probably better using suggested yarn.
  • Bulky Turtleneck (September) – my own creation to use up Alafosslopi.
  • Venlig pullover (October) Beautiful end product pullover, and awesome yarn, but pattern is a bear…!
  • Slouchy Watchcap 2 in Orange (October) Wonderful and versatile hat. Same as blue one above. Wearable for sure.
  • Playdate in Blue (December) Knit for a friend’s grandchild. Second time knitting this fun little baby cardigan – pattern by Tin Can Knits – you can’t go wrong.
Solstice Glow chicken hat
Solstice Glow
Goldenfern
Warm Up sweater knit in Lettlopi
Warm Up
Orange flowers sweater
Lopi Wool Sweater
Bonnie Isle
Hidden Gems shawl knitting
Hidden Gems
Construction of neckline
Cumulus
Blocking poncho to dry
Kate’s Poncho
Re-knitting the body ribbing
Venlig sweater try-on with one sleeve complete
Watchcap finished
Finished October 17th, just in time for Halloween!
Playdate

So how did I remember all this? Of course I didn’t. I went to my Ravelry page that shows my projects in order! I found this info in my “projects” section under “challenge”.

I’m finally getting around to posting this on December 25th. It is very cold here in Florida, and I know it doesn’t compare to many places that are suffering with snow and REAL cold, but for us it’s extreme. The banana trees and other tropical plants can’t easily survive teens and twenties. By next week we will be back to normal with temps in the 60s and 70s. Happy knitting all my fiber loving readers.

Merry Christmas!

More from the blog…

Camel Yarn Weekend Hat Project

A simple ribbed hat pattern with enough brim folds to keep ears warm. The Weekend Hat is a pattern by designer PetiteKnit.

Five Favorite Places to Buy Wool Online

My five favorite online yarn shops to find and buy wool.

I love to use wool when knitting and I must buy my yarn online. I’m sharing my five favorite shops for ordering the wool I like.

Here in Florida I love knitting with wool yarn. It is never cold like up north, so I knit using wool year round. I hate when summer for everyone else comes and all the yarn sellers start pushing their linen and cotton. Summer for me is a great time to knit as the air conditioner is running full time to keep me cool.

No single place offers all the types of wool I like to buy, so it’s good to know who has what, and at what price. I’ve discovered a few favorite places to keep in mind. Most places will let you sign up for e-mail notifications, and it’s worth doing so to keep an eye out for sales.

What I Look For When Shopping For My Favorite Yarns

I look for what most knitters look for: Good prices, big selections, good images, free shipping – or how much I need to spend to get it, yarn winding cost, and ease of use. Fast shipping is a plus, as is the little “thank you” on the receipt. Goodies are a bonus!

When it comes to buying wool, these five places stand out.

1. Dublin Bay

Only recently have I found a nice bargain on wool yarn at Dublin Bay. They are located in Montana and had a nice selection of Soft Donegal tweed yarn. For my first order, I purchased three skeins to knit the Kate’s Poncho. The yarn was priced way below other shops, and I received the yarn in two days!

They have lots of other wool available and I’ve noticed their Spindrift (J&S) is also priced low compared to some other online places. Shipping is free to the US for orders over $35 (at current writing, which is quite low). I will be shopping here again.

Soft Donegal tweed yarn skeins
Tweed wool to knit a poncho
Blocking the poncho to dry
Kate’s Poncho

2. Wool and Company

Most of the time, I order my yarn from Wool and Company. They offer …..free shipping for any amount of purchase, and they will ….. wind yarn for free!

I’ve never found any other online yarn seller who offers those two things!

They carry Rauma, Brooklyn Tweed, Woolfolk, and Lopi, just to name some of their wool selection.

When knitting a large garment, such as a sweater, the cost of yarn can be high. It pays to shop around – or wait for sale notifications – when planning a big knitting project.

yarn store wool and company packaging is polka dots in black and white

3. Fairlight Fibers

Fairlight Fibers is the place I’ve been buying Jamieson & Smith Shetland wool which they usually carry in many colors. They offer free shipping after spending so much, but that amount has gone up to $80 and used to be less. They will send out e-mails with sale and discount information so it’s worth signing up if you like the types of yarn they sell.

wool yarn Jamieson & Smith
Jamieson & Smith yarn

4. Eat, Sleep, Knit

This store has a huge selection of yarn. The website is easy to navigate and the notice of free shipping for orders over $100 is right there to see. Sign up for e-mails and get sale notices. They also send along a little collection of thank-you goodies! This is what I received when I recently purchased some Flette Bulky yarn by Woolfolk, on sale – a very good sale! – at their shop.

My recent order shipped very fast and was safely tucked inside a sturdy box. I’ve only ordered a couple of times, but they are one seller that will remain on my favorites list.

Little gifts that came in my yarn order from Eat, Sleep, Knit yarn shop
Wow, nice collection of goodies from Eat, Sleep, Knit!

5. The Woolly Thistle

When I began knitting, the Woolly Thistle was the first online place I found with lots of pretty wool for sale. The shop location is New Hampshire, my previous home state, which is what drew me in.

I moved away from NH because I couldn’t afford to live there. This yarn shop is pricey, which tends to go along with the whole New England vibe. But, they do have a wide variety of wool and some items that can be hard to find elsewhere here in the US.

At present time, get free shipping in the US for orders over $149. This is high compared to most other online sites.

wool fiber from sheep
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Please Share Your Favorites

I’m sure there are many other online places to find nice wool, good sales, free shipping, and offer yarn winding. If you have any favorite places to buy your wool, please leave a comment and share the info to help the rest of us out. Thanks!

The featured image on this post was taken when I visited Harrisville Designs in New Hampshire.