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Thankfulness

Image of Autumn leaves with berries, a candle and the words give thanks

It is just a few days until Thanksgiving. This is a holiday for family and friends. A time to share our homes and table with those who are an important part of our everyday world. Beyond the table laden with turkey, potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie, this is the time of the year when we set our hearts and minds to being Thankful.

When I consider being Thankful, I think of my family. My husband of  44 years who is supportive of all my hair brained schemes in silent resignation.  My children who have grown into amazing adults with kids of thier own. My grandchildren who are beautiful and amazing, of course, and who are growing far too fast. My mind is drawn to those we love and have lost and to those who are far away but near and dear to our hearts nonetheless.

If you are reading this then you successfully navigated one of the most difficult times in modern history. If you became ill, I wish you a speedy and full recovery. If you came out of the pandemic no worse for wear, then you are amazing and deserve the best. There are those who have been deeply affected by the upheaval of our world and to you I say, you can do this. You are strong and capable and you’ll find your way to the other side. We are all here for you and ready to be a shoulder to lean on, a listening ear, and a loving heart.

I am thankful also for those people who have supported my business efforts and given me encouragement over the years. Thank you for your patience and support.

Have a wonderful holiday-

Debbie

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Toasty Toes

Petty Harbour Sock pattern Blue in color
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Navy Blue Merino/Cashmere

We woke up to 27-degree temperatures recently! It really will turn cold soon. I don’t know about you but if my feet are warm, then the rest of me is warmer too. That’s why I love hand-knit socks. I have a drawer full of them and usually have one or two on the needles at all times. The colder weather got me searching for a new sock pattern. While looking through patterns on Ravelry, I came to a halt when I saw these socks. They are called the Petty Harbour socks by Rayna Curtis. I admit the color caught my eye but I really like the sleek look of the stitch pattern. I think this pattern really needs a subtle colorway that doesn’t take away from the pattern. The pattern itself is a 4-row repeat of knit and purl stitches but it is done in such a sleek way. I think I’ll choose the very tonal Navy Blue in Merino/Cashmere/Nylon that has a wonderful softness but the strength of the nylon. Perfect for a pair of socks.

 Hermonies Everyday Socks

If we are talking about a go-to sock pattern, I have to say that mine is the Hermoine’s Every Day Sock. This is another free top-down sock pattern on Ravlery designed by Erica Lueder. It’s such a simple pattern that gives the finished sock texture on the leg and top of the foot but leaves the sole and heel is a more comfortable simple stockinette stitch. I’ve probably made 5 or 6 socks with this pattern because its so easy to memorize the pattern, 4 row repeat, and it is easy to see where you are in the pattern to keep the spiral look of the purl stitches.

Can’t Help Falling In Love

The yarn I think I’ll choose for this one is perfect for the fall called “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. This colorway includes orange, brown, and teal in a heavily variegated yarn. I think with will be great for the Hermoines’ everyday sock.

The busy season will be here before we know it. You are probably thinking about preparation for the holidays too. Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks and then Christmas right after. Normally I would be crafting my fingers off but I decided this year that I wouldn’t try to make dozens of knitted or crocheted gifts. There’s just too much else going on.

Good luck with all your holiday preparations.

Debbie

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Future Projects 2021-22

Last week I shared a couple of projects I was considering working on. One is the Eyeblink Shawl by Heidi Alander.  This is a free pattern available on Ravelry. The other is a cowl called the Orchid Cowl by Jo Strong. This is also a free pattern.

LOSY Hat

One more pattern that I am considering is a hat called LOSY Hat by Barb Engelking. It’s a clever pattern that calls for Left Over Sock Yarn. Begin the hat with two fingering weight strands held together and when one ball runs out, just add another.  Every hat will be unique! It’s an opportunity to use all the bits and bobs of yarn you have left in your stash.  And as the designer mentions…an excuse to buy more yarn!

Odyssey Shawl

The other pattern that I am looking at is a shawl from our beloved Joji Locatelli called the Odyssey Shawl. It’s a 3 color, DK weight crescent-shaped shawl. Joji says on the listing for this shawl in Ravelry that she is so grateful for the continued support of the crafting community that she is offering this pattern as a free gift. She is so sweet! The finished length of the shawl is 76 3/4 inches so it is nice and big. There are over 3,000 finished examples of this pattern on Rav to look at. The color combinations are amazing.

While attending our last fiber show in Michigan in early October, a woman approached me who said she was a designer and then proclaimed, “This is what you need…” and then noted that to draw people to my booth I would need to have at least 2 shawls, a cowl and hat, and a sweater on display made in Passion Yarns my indie dyeing company. A little miffed I explained that I work a full-time job as well as run this part-time business and another that I was beginning so it would be difficult to get that much knitting done in a short time. But as I thought about what she said, I had to admit that she was right. Especially after watching customer after customer approach her friend’s booth because of the lovely finished projects she had on display.
I would love to be a designer. But let’s face it, I probably have ADD since I can’t follow through on one thought in one sitting!! My mind is rushing all the time. It’s exhausting!  Having the time and level of concentration that I imagine designing a garment to require is out of the question until I retire!  So I thought I’d use these free patterns on Ravelry (check out the last post here) to display my yarns in a completed project to perhaps enhance my sales while attending fiber shows. Well, I have until May 2020  before the next show so I’ll give it a shot.
I hope you enjoy the patterns.
See you in the next one,
Debbie
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Winter is Coming

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We all know that winter will be rearing its ugly head very soon. As I thought about the weather changing, I  thought about cuddling with a soft hand made blanket, snuggled on the couch with a hot beverage enjoying the great indoors. Ok… so that’s my dream but the reality is that I’ll have to be outside in the harsh weather at some point so I need to think about handmade items that are warm and stylish. So I head out to my favorite place to find patterns for those beautiful cozy warmness…Ravelry!

In my queue I placed some free patterns that I think will be great projects for the cooler months. Here’s the first one:

It’s a shawl call Eyeblink by Heidi Alander. The size is adjustable. It uses between 437-656 yards of fingering weight yarn on size 7 (4.5 mm) needles. The pattern instructs to knit the body of the shawl from 7 cast on stitches to 274 in total. Then the lace is charted with two seperate charts and this is where the size can be adjusted. Knit rows 1-12 of chart A  as much as you’d like and when it is the desired size, work Rows 1-8 of chart B. It really looks so beautiful. Isn’t that a lovely pattern? And I have just the yarn for it.

This yarn is called “Inspiring” which is a lovely, tonal purple with lighter shades of purple that gives it depth and interest.

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Orchid Cowl

Another pattern that I thought would be great for the winter is the Orchid Cowl. The pattern uses 400 yards of fingering weight yarn on a size 7 (4.5 mm) needle. I really like that the cowl has a mixture of stitches: garter, stockinette, and lace. It gives the completed project a beautiful finish but also adds some interest while knitting. It calls for a 3 needle bind off which is a great finish for an invisible seam and learning a new skill if you haven’t done this kind of bind-off before.

For the yarn, I thought that “The One I Love” would be a good choice for this cowl. It is a beautiful variegated yarn with short repeats of each color. It will give a lovely speckled finish to the cowl.

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So these are my planned projects. I’ll post when they are completed. Now, this could take some time, but it’s good to have a plan. These may be New Year cast-ons and it’s good to plan ahead to be prepared for your New Year’s day start.

In-Person Fiber Events 2021

We were so pleased to be able to vend at two in-person fiber events this fall. The first was in Ohio at the Young’s Wool Gathering in September. We had a great time and met so many really nice people. The weather was sunny and hot so we spent the day chasing the shade but still it was awesome. I came home with a new electric spinner which is amazing.

Wool Gathering.
Fall Fiber Expo

The second event was in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the Fall Fiber Expo at the Washtenaw Farm Council building. The weather was perfect and we had the largest booth set up so far. The folk who run the event are great and the customers were so happy to be able to touch and enjoy all the fiber goodness.

Thanks for spending some time with me today. See you again soon!!

Debbie

Passion Yarns

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Getting Ready For Spring Part 2
Logo

I live in northern Illinois and the last few days have been bone-chilling cold! We woke up yesterday to -2!! That is crazy! So thinking about and preparing for spring seems a little silly but we know that weather can change in an instant (hopefully), time marches on, and being ready for a season change can take some time. Besides, it’s much nicer to think about warm weather, sunshine, and blue skies!

This week I found some light shawls and scarfs that I thought would not only work for the spring but also in keeping with my focus on lace. If you are intimidated by lace, give it a try. It’s really not very hard and most of the time a pattern will make complete sense once you have done a repeat or two. The end result is totally worth it.
White lace shawl hanging on a black hanger.

This shawl is beautiful in white but is also amazing in any deep jewel-toned yarn. It’s knit in 2 skeins of fingering weight yarn on size 3 needles. Fine enough for this lovely lace pattern, but not so small that it would be a long-time commitment. Think of a bridal shawl or a prayer shawl for mom or grandma.

This is a very easy knit using 275 yards of DK weight yarn and size 6 needles. Perfect for that DK single skein you’ve been holding onto. The size makes it just the right amount of coverage on your neck for a cool spring day.

Remember that at Passion Yarns we carry fingering and DK weight yarns in a variety of colorways and solids. All yarn is $26 per skein and you’ll get an everyday discount of 20% on the purchase of 3 or more skeins, mix or match. And as always, free, fast shipping.
Shop Here

2023 Live Events

We are very excited to announce the events that we will be attending in 2023. We’ll be in lots of different places so we hope to see you there!

** Yarn Con April 1-2**

Plummer’s Hall 1350 W Washington Blvd Chicago, IL www.yarncon.com

** Greencastle Wool Show April 14-15**

Putnam County Fairgrounds 191 N US 231 Greencastle, IN Facebook Group

**Shepherd’s Harvest May 13-14**

Washington County Fairgrounds 12300 N 40th St Lake Elmo, MN

Website Facebook

**Illiana Fiber Festival May 20-21**

Lake County Fairgrounds 889 S Court St Crown Point IN Website

**Hoosier Hills June 2-3**

Johnson County 4-H Fairgrounds 250 Fairground St Franklin IN Website

**CNY Fiber Arts Festival June 10-11**

Butternut Hills Campground 6893 US Route 20 Bouckville, NY Website

**Houston Fiber Fest June 23-25**

The Berry Center 8877 Barker Cypress Cypress TX Website

**Stitches Boutique-Minnesota Aug 3-6**

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis 1300 Nicollet Mall MN Website

**Fall Fiber Expo October October 8-9**

Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds 5055 Ann Arbor Saline Rd Ann Arbor MI Website