Mr. Jones reports our first frost.

Knitting season is officially here.

Seriously folks, Blue Sky Alpacas is only 37 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. This is our backyard!

Katie

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO71fU-Lfhg&feature=youtu.be)

How has your mother (or grandmother) influenced your love of crafting? Are you “in it” with her?

Is she your partner in crime? Does she help to make anything possible? Do you think courage comes from her or do you give one another courage?

Happy Mother’s Day Blue Sky Friends.

Just keep knitting, knitting, knitting…together

Katie

Do you ever wonder why finishing projects always seems so awful? For every project, it seems like an afterthought. No matter the project though, this chore must be completed.

Perhaps, much like in our projects themselves, we are taught weaving in ends as an afterthought.

Sometimes at knitting classes, especially with time constraints, the whole topic is glossed over.

Even in the best technical books and patterns, it often simply says: “Weave ends away” without ever describing how to execute that procedure.

Or even worse, the crafter wandering about with tails dangling off their newly finished scarf or tails simply cut to the end, a little bump sticking out; just waiting for that loose end to work itself free and unravel the whole thing.

Surely, weaving in ends wouldn’t seem like an ordeal, if we all knew how to do it a bit better. If we were able to execute it easily and simply. The best teachers don’t gloss over this critical element of success.

The link to the video is here.

I’ve been knitting for a very long time and I found this video extremely useful. I hope that you do too! Be sure to share it with your knitting friends, we would like for all of Blue Sky’s Friends to be pros at weaving in ends.

Just keep knitting, knitting, knitting…

Katie

Handmade Portraits: Xenobia Bailey from Etsy on Vimeo.

A thought provoking video on artist Xenobia Bailey.

It’s intriguing that she thinks of her mandalas as color exercises. Just like an athlete does exercises to strengthen muscles. So must the artist perform exercises to stay on top of their game.

Perhaps, we need to stop loathing swatches and think of them as knitting exercises. Especially since they do help us to make better finished objects. A simple change in perspective.

As a knitter or crocheter, what is your signature style? Do you have a visual icon that time and time again you turn to as a source of inspiration?

Ms. Bailey’s reference to her family, the type of household she was raised in and her culture as defining her personal signature is a compelling discussion.

How much of what you like is simply based on your family?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Just keep knitting, knitting, knitting…

Katie