Image by Brian Cragun from Pixabay
Needlework Monday Live Chat
Needlework Monday's first Live Chat took place on Monday, 6 September 2021. Four of us met together in Discord to work out how to see and hear each other and then, enjoy an hour of needlework related chat (also some architecture, but it's allowed). Thank you to @phoenixwren, @neumannsalva and @akipponn who joined me.
I had been talking to @crosheille and @marblely for a little while about a get together for members of the needlework community. We discussed various different ideas including sew-a-longs (or the equivalent for crochet and knitting) or tutorials, but my favourite by far was to have an hour where we could sit and chat and get to know each other. You can make while you chat, or just enjoy the conversation.
The next Live Chat will be Monday 4 October 2021 at 7pm (BST) - more information in this post. You can find the link to the Live Chat pinned in the #general channel of the Needlework Monday Discord. Everyone is welcome, please join us!
The Sales
I love going to the sales, especially for yarns. They usually take place twice a year here, winter sales in January and summer sales in July. You get variations - some places seem to have permanent sales - but these are two that I like to save my pennies for. Generally, I'm looking for yarns that I would love to buy at a discounted price.
This year there was a bonus as, in one store, all the discounted yarn had been thrown in a big square rummage box that you could root through, looking for what you wanted. I was quite late getting to the sales this year, so by the time I arrived, quite a few other people had gone through the stock and created a massive bird's nest of tangled yarn.
I can't help it, and it was quite hard to see how much there was of any yarn (my excuse), but I started unravelling the great bird's nest, re-winding yarn as I went and placing each re-wound ball or skein in its own little pile. Most of the colours were dark, with one or two lighter colours, so it was quite a job and I was completely absorbed. The only problem was that I kept getting interrupted by other customers who thought I worked there (couldn't they see I was an eccentric)?
Anyway, I ended up with various piles of chunky, double knit, speciality baby wool and three x 100g John Lewis cotton double knitting in black (and so very black), and four x 25g Rowan alpaca classic in Purple Rain (so very soft and fluffy). One was half-price and the other about 40% off. I was really proud that I only came away with two small sets of yarn, neither of which I had tried before. I piled all the worthy but dull other yarns back in the rummage box, pleased with my haul and half an hour's satisfying sorting out.
The alpaca classic is a beautiful colour, a deep, rich marl, and has an interesting construction. It is 57% alpaca and 43% cotton: the yarn is constructed from cotton net and filled with super-fine alpaca fibres creating a super-soft, lightweight yarn. I wondered what I was going to make with 480m of beautiful yarn (I usually need two and half times that amount for a jersey or cardigan).
Back in the summer, I had found a lace top in a charity shop and had bought it to experiment with. I'd seen some beautiful crocheted lightweight layering pieces through the summer and I have always been enthralled by these chiffon toppers by Karina Trinidad. I usually prefer layers that open at the front, but this was a chance to try a pullover style. I've had a lot of fun through the summer trying it over dresses and skirts and tops (I was surprised how much warmth that additional flimsy layer provided).
While I was browsing patterns, I came across this over-sized v-neck, which is constructed by using needles which are too large for it - I'm using 9mm for knit rows and 5mm for purl rows. What a great idea, I thought, to make a small amount of yarn go further! About the same time, I watched this video by Cinzia DuBois and was introduced to the world of Dark Academia. That helped me select my pattern shape - I'm going for a v-neck loosely knitted sleeveless pullover, which I discover is bang on trend for this winter! It was interesting how ideas and inspiration from different sources came together for a "perfect" item for me. I'm really enjoying the process of knitting them - it's very soothing and the yarn feels lovely in your hands.
Two Dark Academia sleeveless pullovers or vests in the making - both using sale yarn and based on a charity shop find.
Saturday Savers Club
I run a savings club every Saturday over on the @eddie-earner account. We're aiming to save £670 ($800) by the end of the year using the 365 day savings challenge. You can join any time of the year and set your own goals and plans (some people are saving Hive, others Bitcoin, some their local currency). We share savings tips and there's a free giveaway every week.
Wednesday Wellbeing Club
I'm hosting a Wellbeing Club on Wednesdays from 11 August until 24 November 2021 in the Natural Medicine community. It's for anyone who wants to make a lifestyle change. We have a weekly check-in and share wellbeing tips, and a weekly giveaway. Here's the back story and the launch post with more information. Everyone is welcome.
First Monday - NeedleWorkMonday Community
Every First Monday of the month, I host a Live Chat for an hour from 7pm for the Needlework Monday Community. Bring your knitting, sewing, crochet (or nothing, that's okay, too), a nice cup of something, and join us for a relaxing hour of chat. Find out more in this post
Three things newbies should do in their first week and, for most things, forever afterwards!
