On Sunday, I didn’t set foot outside my house. It’s not unusual for me to stick close to home on a day off, but not venturing outside at all was novel. And while I did have plenty of bookkeeping and website work to do, it was also a nice opportunity to curl up and work on a few projects. The Washington Smoke Blog has backed away from earlier projections of relief from the smoky conditions, and perhaps this is practice for the winter months when most of us spend more time on indoor pursuits.

If you’re ready for a new project, stop by! And while the new e-commerce options aren’t live just yet, I’m always happy to help via email, messaging, or phone if you’re trying to minimize your exposure to unhealthy conditions—we can provide curbside pick up or mail service any time.

Current open hours are Monday - Friday, 7am-3:30pm, and Saturdays, 9am-1pm. In-store shopping: mask covering nose and mouth required for the duration of your visit; two to four customers at a time; avoid any wait by scheduling at yarnfolk.com/scheduling. And we’re always open at yarnfolk.com/shop!

…to learn (and do)

CURRENT CLASSES & EVENTS

Social Stitching via Zoom

Wednesday, September 16, 12:00-1:00pm https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88351111252?pwd=WFpkR2pLaEx4d1dMSFI3OXl4dWJ5Zz09 OR open Zoom and enter 883-5111-1252 for the meeting ID

Thursday, September 17, 4:00-6:00pm https://us04web.zoom.us/j/981942707?pwd=TExyQlRPWnB3OW40QkFZRCs5aVRtQT09 OR open Zoom and enter 981-942-707 for the meeting ID

Friday, September 18, 12:00-1:00pm https://us04web.zoom.us/j/741980568?pwd=bXp1ellFUHNqS0lUaFYvS1ord3Fndz09 OR open Zoom and enter 741-980-568 for the meeting ID FELIX KAL INCLUDED HERE!

PASSWORD FOR ALL MEETINGS IS 330044.

...to anticipate

Many of designer Andrea Mowry’s patterns call for Spincycle yarns, which, while lovely, are available to a limited number of shops and reflect a price point that reflects the hand-dyeing and small scale spinning that goes into their production.

I recently ordered some Schoppel Edition 3 as a more affordable alternative. If you’re logged in to Ravelry, you can see a wide variety of projects that combine Drea Renee Knits patterns with Edition 3 yarns here—you’ll find dozens of interpretations of The Shift cowl and the Shiftalong hat, but you’ll also spot some nice sweater projects. I’ve got my eyes on the new pattern, Junction (but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a little out over my skis when it comes to projects I’m eager to start vs. time available to work on them!).

…to inspire

I was looking for something fun to share this week, and was thinking about wool socks—along with not venturing outside yesterday, I also wore a pair of handknit socks all day. (These, specifically.) While I knit my pair cuff-down, the Yorkville pattern is written for either cuff-down or toe-up knitting. And looking through my saved links, I came across Lori’s Twisty Bind Off for a stretchy bind-off that doesn’t flare too much at the top. There are videos for working it continental style or English style, and this tutorial adds the option of using a double pointed needle on the right hand side.

Give it a try, and see what you think! It may also be a useful option for a top down sweater—sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of extra give at the hem.

...to stitch