I always love this time of the year. It's cool outside and the garden is sleeping. The leaves are cleared, the bushes are trimmed and fragile plants are bedded down with straw for the winter. Even the frenetic build‐up to the holiday season has ended and everyone is feeling well‐fed and ready for a change of pace.
And I find, year after year, that this is the time I turn my attention to dyeing and spinning. It just seems to come naturally with the change to the New Year. And I'm not alone, for across many countries today is celebrated as a special day for spinners. It's called Roc Day or St Distaff's Day and happens the day after Twelfth Night.
Back in the day when spinning was a long and arduous daily toil for many women, it would be understandable if they might have a bit reluctant to return to their tasks. However, it was made considerably more pleasant by celebrating with other villagers for one final day of merriment before the real work started again.
If you fancy celebrating Roc Day this year, then check your local paper as a number of local spinning groups have events planned for the weekend. And even if you're not a spinner you can join in the fun by knitting a project using hand‐spun yarn from your local yarn store or Farmers' Market.
And I find, year after year, that this is the time I turn my attention to dyeing and spinning. It just seems to come naturally with the change to the New Year. And I'm not alone, for across many countries today is celebrated as a special day for spinners. It's called Roc Day or St Distaff's Day and happens the day after Twelfth Night.
Back in the day when spinning was a long and arduous daily toil for many women, it would be understandable if they might have a bit reluctant to return to their tasks. However, it was made considerably more pleasant by celebrating with other villagers for one final day of merriment before the real work started again.
If you fancy celebrating Roc Day this year, then check your local paper as a number of local spinning groups have events planned for the weekend. And even if you're not a spinner you can join in the fun by knitting a project using hand‐spun yarn from your local yarn store or Farmers' Market.
You can use hand-spun yarn for any project which is worked in wool, but it does tend to work best for patterns which already have a lot of texture and/or colour changes, as they will embrace the natural colour and textural changes that are inherent in a hand-spun yarn. For example, here are some projects which can be worked with either a commercial yarn or with hand-spun:
At the top left there's the Henley Blanket in a two‐tone blue and purple combination. This has a beautiful waffle texture which would work well with hand-spun yarns.
Then the photo at the top right shows a scarf, the Sawston Infinity Scarf, which is worked in a soft Blue‐Faced Leicester yarn. You can read a little more about this here. If you have never tried this fibre before, then see if you can find some soon – it may be the softest wool you have ever worked with.
The centre photos show the Rare Earth Rug and Rare Earth Cushions which use natural coloured yarns. And lastly, the Ocean Currents Blanket that I featured in my last blogpost is shown alongside a co‐ordinating rug, the Ocean Currents Rug. Those four patterns really embrace yarns which might have thick and thin sections or slight variations in colour, so would be perfect to try out with your hand-spun wool.
It’s always fun to try something new for the New Year so I hope you enjoy experimenting with hand-spun for your next project!
Until next time – Happy Knitting!
Moira
At the top left there's the Henley Blanket in a two‐tone blue and purple combination. This has a beautiful waffle texture which would work well with hand-spun yarns.
Then the photo at the top right shows a scarf, the Sawston Infinity Scarf, which is worked in a soft Blue‐Faced Leicester yarn. You can read a little more about this here. If you have never tried this fibre before, then see if you can find some soon – it may be the softest wool you have ever worked with.
The centre photos show the Rare Earth Rug and Rare Earth Cushions which use natural coloured yarns. And lastly, the Ocean Currents Blanket that I featured in my last blogpost is shown alongside a co‐ordinating rug, the Ocean Currents Rug. Those four patterns really embrace yarns which might have thick and thin sections or slight variations in colour, so would be perfect to try out with your hand-spun wool.
It’s always fun to try something new for the New Year so I hope you enjoy experimenting with hand-spun for your next project!
Until next time – Happy Knitting!
Moira
 | Last Blogpost: Keep warm this winter Next Up: Without the Ocean Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com |
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