Special Edition Romney Merino DK at The Woolly Thistle
The rest of our Deep Winter collection can only be found at The Woolly Thistle
Read MoreRomney Merino Returns
Discover the beautiful new Deep Winter release tones on Romney Merino DK
Read MoreColorful Spring Pattern Ideas
Discover these recently released patterns just in time to play with spring inspired colors.
Read MoreOff to Rhinebeck!
A booth of goodies awaits at Rhinebeck 2022!
Read MoreChanges to Oysters and Purls
Friends, we’ve been neglectful of this email space—in truth, it’s been on the back burner while we worked out how to continue the Oysters & Purls line after Am’s departure. It’s been almost a year, and we’re ready to show growth and continue Am’s vision for Oysters & Purls to bring sustainable, traceable, and accessible naturally dyed yarn into the world. We’re course-correcting and circling back to tell the story of how this new chapter began. Here are Am’s own words about this transition, from her Instagram post last year:
As you all know, I have poured my heart and soul (and money, time, energy, and everything else you can imagine) into nurturing and growing this business, and this community, over the years. It’s been my baby, and I have grown so much with it along the years, learnt so much through this journey. Same goes for this community. I have made so many lifelong connections here, made friends I would’ve never met otherwise. Honestly, the last 5 years (and especially last year when you all showed up for me during the war) would not have been the same without you. I cherish you all, and I hope very much that we can continue our friendships away from this platform.
While this hasn’t been the easiest decision for me, for obvious reasons, now that I’m on this side of it, I find myself completely at peace. In truth, I’ve been dreaming of a life without the constant noise of social media for some time now, and it feels like a big weight off my shoulders. Very liberating!
Fear not, though! Luckily for you, Oysters and Purls is not going anywhere! In fact, it couldn’t be in better hands. I am so thrilled to share that Mary Jeanne Packer, from Battenkill Fibers, will be taking over for me! As you all know, MJ has been spinning our yarns for years now. It is thanks to her that we’ve been able to carry some of the most beautiful yarns Hudson Valley has to offer. And this will continue to be the case going forward! Similarly, all Oysters and Purls yarns will continue to be botanically dyed Green Matters Dye Company. Same beautiful, locally sourced, naturally dyed yarns as before!
That’s all for the big announcements today! I hope this didn’t come as too much of a shock for some of you. I’ll be back over the next few days with more information as we complete the transition.
If you would like to continue to keep in touch with Am, you can do so via her personal Instagram account (@armenuhik) where you can DM her for an email address.
Oysters & Purls took a back seat for us at Battenkill Fibers while we navigated the pandemic. Now we’re back at it with new yarn colors this Spring, and new yarn bases planned for Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023. Like Am, we’re prioritizing yarns that have a smaller carbon footprint, support local farmers and regional fiber producers, and are naturally dyed at Green Matters Dye Company. You can count on us to uphold these same values.
Natural dye-along day 3
Congratulations, you have made it to day 3 of the natural dye-along!
Today we are finally ready to get our hands dirty in our dye pots! I am so excited to see all the different and beautiful colors you all are going to create from the comfort of your homes.
A few notes on natural color, before we dive in. You can achieve pretty much any color imaginable using natural dyestuff. However, you will quickly notice in your own experiments that some colors are more prevalent than others. The most common color to achieve through natural dyeing is yellow. You can create yellows ranging from bright fluorescent to dark mustards, using flowers, onion skins, citrus peel, and more! Blues and greens, on the other hand, are much harder to achieve. There are two ways to make blue: indigo and woad. Both of these dye plants, however, require a whole different set of steps to those outlined below, so I will save them for another day. As you may have guessed, you can achieve greens by dyeing your fiber/fabric yellow and then overdyeing with indigo or woad. Other ways to achieve green are by shifting the color of your dye bath with a color modifier, such as iron. You may also have some luck making greens using dye plants such as nettle and queen anne’s lace. Black and grey are also usually achieved through the help of iron.
There is plenty of room for experimenting, have as much fun with this process as you can! It may also be helpful to take notes, so you can replicate colors in the future (I am personally really bad at keeping a dye journal).
If you are dyeing with whole dyestuff, you may have already started your color extraction process (as described here). If not, you can always start this process today and dye your fiber/fabric in a few days when your dye bath is ready. Remember, your mordanted goods can be stored wet for up to a week, so just put them aside, work on those dye baths, and then continue with the dyeing.
An important thing to note is that, depending on the dyestuff used, the recipes for different dye baths will vary. Always check and proceed with the directions as specified for the dye materials you are using. Below are some general procedures.
Dyeing (whole dyestuff)
If you do have a dye bath ready, follow the steps outlined below:
Put your wet, pre-mordanted fiber in your dye bath.
Make sure your dye bath has enough liquid to cover your fiber. If not, add more water and stir so the dye bath gets an even consistency.
Bring the dye bath to just below boiling, gently rotating fiber every 10 minutes or so.
Hold fiber at this temperature for an additional 30 mins to an hour.
Turn off heat and let fiber cool in the dye pot. The longer the fiber remains in the dye, the more intense the color will get.
Dyeing (dye extracts)
When using natural dye extracts:
Dissolve a desired amount of dyestuff in hot water.
Fill up a pot with cold water, and mix in the dissolved dye solution. Stir well, until the dye solution has diluted evenly.
Place the scoured, mordanted fiber in the dye bath and slowly bring to the appropriate temperature based on the specific dyestuff used (usually just below boiling), gently rotating fiber every 10 minutes or so.
Hold fiber at this temperature for an additional 30 mins to an hour.
Turn off heat and let fiber cool in the dye pot. The longer the fiber remains in the dye, the more intense the color will get.
You can reuse exhaust dye baths so long as there is still dye left in them.
Here are some resources for an idea on the different dye extracts:
Washing and storing
Once your dye bath has cooled, rinse fiber in similar temperature water until all excess dye has been removed. Alternately, you can leave your fiber in the dye bath for a day before rinsing. You can also let your fiber fully dry and store it for a few days before rinsing and washing with mild (PH neutral) soap. This helps set the color before washing. I also like to soak my wool in a lanolin rich soap after rinsing, to reintroduce some of those natural oils that were removed during the scouring process.
Always store naturally dyed goods away from direct sunlight, and wash in cold water with pH-neutral soap. Hand wash your wool and silks.
Well, friends, these are all the steps involved in the natural dyeing process! While there is always more to share and learn, I don’t want to overwhelm you. So, let’s practice and get comfortable with these steps, and, perhaps, I will add more pieces here and there in the future. For now, You can, of course, continue from here and overdye your fiber/fabric, creating an entirely new and different colors. Or use that exhaust dye bath to dye something else, perhaps? I love using the same dye bath to achieve a gradient, for example!
I hope the process of creating color is bringing moments of joy to your days! Thank you so much for joining in the fun, and I look forward to us dyeing along each other for weeks (and maybe months) to come! Please feel free to send me your questions and comments, I’d be happy to assist you through your dyeing journey as best I can!
Sending you all virtual hugs, until we are able to hug in real life again!
Natural dye-along day 2
Hello, and welcome to day 2 of the dye-along! By now you should have fiber/fabric that’s been scoured and rinsed, ready to be mordanted.
There are two types of natural dyes: adjective and substantive. Adjective dyes require the use of a mordant to achieve the most durable and long-lasting colors. Substantive dyes, most of them rich in tannin, a naturally occurring mordant, bond with a fiber without the use of a mordant.
Mordants are metallic salts that facilitate the bonding of the dyestuff to the fiber. Cellulose fibers also require a tannin in order to bond well.
Mordant
We use aluminum potassium sulfate (alum) as mordant for protein fibers and aluminum acetate for cellulose fibers. Cream of tartar can also be used in addition to alum when mordanting wool. Its purpose is to assist the alum to bond with the wool, and it also keeps wool fibers soft. It is important to note that cream of tartar will shift colors, and in some cases, can inhibit the development of certain shades. In the case of cellulose fibers, you may choose to do a tannin bath prior to mordanting with alum as well, in order to achieve richer, darker colors.
Protein Fibers
For every 100g of dry fiber/fabric, dissolve 15% WOG (1tbsp) alum in hot water.
If using cream of tartar, also add 6% WOG (1 1/4 tsp) for every 100g of fiber.
Fill a pot with enough cold water to cover the fiber. Fiber needs to move freely in water, so as to assure consistent mordanting throughout.
Add the dissolved alum mixture to the pot and stir well.
Add scoured, wet fiber and slowly bring the water to 180°F, rotating the fibers gently every 10 minutes or so.
Hold at this temperature for an additional hour, continuing to rotate the fibers every 10 minutes or so.
Make sure all the fiber remains submerged at all times.
Turn off the heat and allow fiber to cool.
You may leave the fibers in the mordant solution overnight to cool, then remove excess water. Rinse fiber in similar temperature water.
The alum bath can be reused again by adding 5% (1 tsp) of dissolved alum per 100g of fiber.
Cellulose Fibers
If using the tannin and alum process, do the tannin bath first.
Measure the tannin according to its WOG recommendation, and dissolve in hot water.
Fill the pot/bucket with enough hot water 120°F - 140°F to cover the fibers.
Add the dissolved tannin solution to the pot and stir.
Add the scoured, wet fibers to the pot and stir.
Cover and let the bath soak for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Remove the fiber and rinse before proceeding to the alum mordant.
You can also let the fibers steep in the tannin bath for an additional 8-24 hours for deeper colors.
Proceed to alum mordant.
For every 100g of dry fiber/fabric, dissolve 5-10% WOG (1-2tsp) aluminum acetate in hot water.
Fill a pot with enough water to cover the fiber. Fiber needs to move freely in water, so as to assure consistent mordanting throughout. You can either heat the water on the stove or fill the pot with hot water from the tap (approximately 110-120°F). You may also use a clean bucket or container, if not heating on the stove.
Add the dissolved aluminum acetate mixture to the pot and stir well.
Add scoured, wet fiber, and rotate goods occasionally.
Hold for 45 minutes.
You may leave the fibers in the mordant solution overnight to cool, then remove excess water. Rinsing is not necessary.
You may store damp mordanted fibers in a plastic bag and refrigerate up to 7 days. You may also dry and store mordanted fibers for future use; we recommend using cellulose mordanted fibers within 6 months of mordanting.
The aluminum acetate bath can be reused again by adding 50% amount of required mordant.
A few resources for the steps outlined above:
https://botanicalcolors.com/how-to-mordant/
http://www.box19.ca/maiwa/pdf/Guide_To_Natural_Dyes.pdf
https://botanicalcolors.com/botanical-colors-how-tos/how-to-mordant-with-symplocos/
Now that we have completed the first few major steps, we are finally ready to create color! See you tomorrow, and bring along all those beautiful dye baths you’ve been working on the past few days!
P.S. In the spirit of #togetherapart, let’s share pictures and videos of our process on Instagram, and don’t forget to use #naturaldyealong so we can all see them!
Natural dye-along day 1
Welcome to day 1 of the dye-along, I’m so excited to get started!
Since many of you are completely new to natural dyeing, I thought I’d share a little introduction first. Natural dyes are precisely that, dyes we extract from nature: from flowers, fruit skins, herbs, roots, leaves, bark or insects. Natural dyes have a long history, as they were used exclusively for dyeing cloth up until synthetic dyes were discovered.
Natural dyeing is a slow, multi-step process. We always start with weighing and preparing fiber/fabric, scouring, and mordanting, before we get to dyeing. There are also additional steps involved when dyeing with whole dyestuffs (covered below) and when overdyeing to achieve certain colorways. Today we will cover the following steps.
Weigh and prepare
Today we are going to prepare all our fiber and fabric for scouring, the first step in the process of dyeing with plants.
First things first, we need to weigh our fiber/fabric. This step is important, since all subsequent measurements are given in relation to the weight of goods (WOG). If you’re dyeing yarn, you probably know the weight already (from the tag/band). If you don’t know the weight of goods and you don’t have scales on hand, you may have to eyeball this! This is not recommended, especially when dyeing items for sale, as the colors may not properly adhere to the fiber/fabric.
Note: always weigh goods while still dry.
It is also recommended to pre-wet fiber/fabric before proceeding with each step of dyeing. I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t always heed this advice, because I’m not a very patient person. So, if you’re like me, you can just skip this step.
Scour
It is important to scour all fiber/fabric prior to mordanting and dyeing. If too much of the natural lanolin or residue from the manufacturing process is present, the mordant and dye won’t adhere to the material thoroughly and uniformly. Scouring also helps ensure more saturated colors with better colorfastness.
Protein fiber (all fiber that comes from animals, such as wool and silk)
Dissolve 1% of WOG (1g for every 100g of goods) of Orvus paste or mild dishwashing detergent in hot water. If fibers are heavily soiled, like raw wool in the grease, increase this amount.
Fill a pot with enough cold water to cover the fiber. Fiber should move freely.
Pour the dissolved Orvus paste in the pot and stir.
Add the pre-wet fiber, and slowly bring the water to 180°F, rotating the fibers gently every 10 minutes or so.
Make sure all the fiber remains submerged at all times.
Hold at 180°F for 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
If rinsing fiber immediately, rinse in similar temperature water. Otherwise, let fiber cool before transferring.
If the water after scouring is dark yellow or brown, repeat the process until the water is clear.
Make sure all excess scour is rinsed off of the fiber before mordanting.
Extract excess water and proceed to mordanting. You may also dry and store scoured fiber/fabrics until ready to mordant.
Cellulose fiber (all plant fibers, such as cotton, linen, hemp)
Dissolve 2% of WOG (2g for every 100g of goods) of soda ash in hot water.
Fill a pot with enough cold water to cover the fiber. Fiber should move freely.
Pour the dissolved soda ash mixture in the pot and stir.
Add the pre-wet fiber, and slowly bring the water to 180°F, rotating the fibers gently every 10 minutes or so.
Make sure all the fiber remains submerged at all times.
Hold at 180°F for 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
If rinsing fiber immediately, rinse in similar temperature water. Otherwise, let fiber cool before transferring.
If the water after scouring is dark yellow or brown, repeat the process until the water is clear.
Make sure all excess scour is rinsed off of the fiber before mordanting.
Extract excess water and proceed to mordanting. You can also wash cellulose fibers in the washing machine without any detergent to rinse off the scour.
You may also dry and store scoured fiber/fabrics until ready to mordant.
Note: Handle wool with care, as high temperatures, sudden fluctuation in temperatures, and too much handling can cause it to felt.
While your fiber/fabric is scouring, proceed to dye extraction.
Dye extraction
If you are using whole dyestuffs, and in some cases also when using natural dye extracts (walnuts hull extract, for instance), you need to extract the color prior to dyeing. This process itself can take a few days, depending on the dye materials on hand. Therefore, I typically like to do this step in parallel to scouring and mordanting. If you don’t have an additional pot, just wait until your fiber/fabric is done scouring. Note that the steps outlined below are very generalized. Color extraction really varies from dyestuff to dyestuff, so I recommend doing a little bit of research on the materials you’re using.
Fill up a pot with enough water to cover your dye materials.
Use a 1:1 ratio of dyestuff to fiber/fabric for deepest shades (i.e. 100g of dyestuff for every 100g of yarn).
As a rule of thumb, I like to cook whole dyestuff on low heat, letting the bath heat slowly, and simmer for a long time (1hr+).
Let it cool for about an hour, pour off and store the dye liquid.
Using the same dyestuff, repeat this process several times until no more color is extracted.
If you’re using dye extracts, proceed with the next step.
A few resources for the steps outlined above:
These first steps of natural dyeing may not seem very exciting, but I hope that you had fun regardless! Remember, it is meant to be a slow process, don’t try to rush or circumvent these steps. Instead, take comfort in the simplicity and monotony of the tasks, use those stirring moments to take deep breaths, and trust the process.
Thanks for joining me, and I’ll see you tomorrow!
It's dye-along time!
Gather up supplies, it’s dye-along time!
It’s been a few long weeks, friends. I’ve been doing my best to remain positive, trying to look for the joyful moments and the beauty in such a time of chaos… but, time and time again, I come up short.
So, I thought we could all use some color and a bit of nature in our lives!
It was during the first few days of self isolation, in between reading news and feeling utterly hopeless (and useless), that I turned to my dye pots. I had just taken all the dye stuff out of my freezer, and dyeing seemed like the perfect antidote to what’s happening in the world. A meditation of sorts that you can carry throughout your day… and then there’s the magic of creating color! Sometimes predictable, other times completely unexpected, but always extremely satisfying! And then I imagined all of us dyeing along #togetherapart, and how much more amplified that joy could be, as we watch each other experiment and make beautiful things out of our garbage.
In all honesty, I’ve had this idea for a good two years now, but there was always something holding me back. I wanted it to be perfectly organized, with the most beautiful packaging and illustrations, and instructions… alas, a global pandemic calls for impromptu decisions, and making do with what we have...
So, here it is! I hope you can join me, and I look forward to seeing all the colors you create! I really hope that, at least during the moments we spend stirring our dye pots or admiring that avocado dyed yarn, we can forget about the world, even for a brief moment!
Yarn & fabric
My recommendation is that you always use natural fibers. However, there are significant differences even among natural fibers:
Protein: All fiber that comes from animals, such as wool and silk.
Cellulose: All plant fiber, such as cotton, linen, hemp.
Protein based fiber takes dyes much better than cellulose. Therefore, the same amount of dye will result in a darker hue on wool than on cotton, for example. Protein and cellulose fibers are also typically mordanted differently. We will cover mordants during the dye-along, but it might be something to consider when gathering materials.
If you don’t have any undyed yarn or fabric, you can still join in the fun with whatever you can find around the house. Maybe you have some kitchen towels that need a new life, or bed sheets, or curtains, or a white shirt, your baby’s clothes… so long as they’re not synthetic, you’re good to go!
If you happen to have different fiber and fabric on hand, it would also be a lot of fun to experiment and see what the variations in color are!
Tools & supplies
Note that this is neither an exhaustive nor a necessary list of tools. You can probably find most of these items in your kitchen, but don’t fret if you can’t. You can dye and achieve amazing colors without them, I promise.
Pots
Wooden spoons
Measuring spoons
Measuring cup / container
Tongs
Scale
Cheese cloth / sieve
Whisk / old fork
Gloves
Mask
PH strips
If I had to pick two from this list, I’d go with pots (obvious) and tongs (you can use them to stir and to grab). Your pots should ideally be stainless steel. They don’t need to be fancy or expensive. In fact, you should use one you’re not really using in the kitchen anymore. Just note that if you do use pots made of other metals, such as aluminum, they will affect the resulting color (they act as color modifiers).
If you’re using whole dye stuff (actual plants or food scraps vs dye extracts), and you don’t care about precision, you won’t really need scales, measuring spoons/cups, or a whisk.
Dye stuff
Botanical dyeing is a process, with multiple steps involved. In order to achieve the best results, you need to scour and mordant your fiber/fabric before it’s ready for dyeing. However, if you are just dyeing for your own use, or you don’t have some of these ingredients on hand at the moment, don’t worry too much about it. Here’s what you may need:
Orvus paste / soda ash / mild dishwashing detergent
Aluminum potassium sulfate / Aluminum acetate / tannin / iron / copper
Dye extracts / whole dye stuff
Unless you have wool that is very rich in lanolin, any mild dishwashing detergent will do the trick for scouring your fiber. Cellulose fibers are usually scoured using soda ash (not the same as baking soda), but if you don’t have any on hand, just pre-wash your fabric on high heat (you can just boil it in a pot if you don’t have a washing machine at home).
Mordants are what binds the dye to the fiber/fabric. Having said that, some dyes are very colorfast, and will produce vibrant colors that won’t wash off easily, even without a mordant. These are usually the dye stuff rich in tannin, such as oak galls, pomegranate skins, black tea leaves, rhubarb leaves, etc.
If you don’t have a collection of dye extracts already, here are a few plants and food scraps you can use (without having to leave your home):
Onion skins
Avocado skins + pits
Pomegranate skins
Black tea leaves
Citrus peel
Herbs
Carrot tops
Turmeric
You can also try and experiment with plants, flowers, or tree bark that you can easily find around you, you never know the results they might yield! And, who knows, we may all learn about a new dye plant!
Useful resource list
Dye supplies and how-to:
Undyed yarn and dye kits:
Books et al:
The Wild Dyer by Abigail Booth
The Modern Natural Dyer by Kristine Vejar
Natural Color by Sasha Duerr
The Art and Science of Natural Dyes by Joy Boutrup and Catharine Ellis
Wild Color by Jenny Dean
Harvesting Color by Rebecca Burgess
Botanical Color at Your Fingertips by Rebecca Desnos
That’s all for now, friends. Get busy collecting, and we’ll meet here on Wednesday, April 8th for our first official day of the dye-along!
'Tis The Season!
Gift knitting season is upon us!
Every year I resolve to start gift knitting some time in July, and every year I find myself frantically casting on all the things just weeks before Christmas. Nothing’s different this year. Less than a month to go, and I’m just getting started.
When it comes to gift knitting, I like quick and versatile projects. Accessories are usually my go-to! Before I get started, I spend some time browsing through patterns for inspiration. Trying to find the perfect knitted gifts, and looking for matching yarn, is all part of the fun of gift knitting!
So, today I wanted to share some of my favorites, in case you, like me, are behind on your gift knitting!
Head
Hats are great for gift knitting! Everyone needs a nice, warm hat, and you can never have too many. Plus, as a knitter, I don’t have to worry about fit, since hats are very forgiving in size (unless you’re knitting for someone with either a really large or really small head).
Photo by Pom Pom Quarterly
I have been obsessed with Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Alatau ever since I laid eyes on it. I am a sucker for twisted stitches, and this one is absolutely stunning! Plus, it’s inspired and named after the landscape of Ainur’s homeland of Kazakhstan, and that really warms my heart. Alatau came out in the most recent issue of Pom Pom Quarterly, and I plan to cast on in our Romney/Merino in the February colorway!
Photo by Laura Chau
Photo by Laura Chau
Another gorgeous pattern that was just released is the Oleander reversible hat by Laura Chau, featuring all over cables. I would love to knit one in Hudson + West Co’s Forge yarn in the Gold Leaf colorway!
Photo by Mirella Moments
Photo by Jennifer Berg
Headbands also make great gift knitting projects: quick to knit, super cute, and they only use up a third of a skein of yarn! I really like this classic twisted version (free pattern on Ravelry), and it would be so warm and squishy in our Alpaca/Corriedale.
I also love love love this colorwork version by Jennifer Berg. It seems like the perfect colorwork project for a beginner like me, and would be great for using up leftover yarn from other projects!
Neck
I rarely knit neck accessories, and I’m not sure why that is. But there are two designs I’ve been smitten with for some time now:
Photo by Woolfolk
This graphic colorwork cowl by Tina Tse. It’s simple, yet so striking, I love it! I think it would look so good in an indigo dyed blue gradient (but then again, what doesn’t?).
Photo by Denise Bayron
I have also been eyeing Denise Bayron’s Droplet Capelet ever since it came out. It’s such a clever design, so elegant, and I love the fact that it can be worn in a number of different ways. It would look so beautiful in our BFL or Mohair blend, since both these yarns have a natural sheen to them.
Both of these are probably a bit ambitious for gift knitting purposes, at least for me. But they would make such special gifts!
Hands
I have gifted fingerless mitts before, and they were really loved and appreciated, something you definitely hope for in a handmade gift!
Photo by Emily Greene
Photo by Woolfolk
I’m currently in love with these two, the Anticline by Emily Greene and the Velje by Ainur Berkimbayeva. They’re quite similar, both of them featuring twisted ribbing and diagonal cables that wrap around the hand. I would honestly have a hard time deciding which one to make! I think they would both look beautiful in our new Corriedale/Merino blend in Earth or Fire.
If you (or the person you’re knitting for) prefer your mittens finger-full, I have my eyes on this pair by Becky Sorensen. They’re so delicate and pretty, and they would look incredible knit in our Corriedale. Knit them in March or April to add color to a winter outfit or choose more neutral tones from our new collection, like Air or Fire!
Feet
Photo by Dawn Henderson
Ah, here’s where it gets a little tough for me. I love sock knitting in theory but have hated it every time I’ve tried. The Lyne socks by Dawn Henderson might change that! They’re so pretty (can you tell I like twisted rib?), and have a really cute and short cuff, so maybe I won’t get bored as easily. I’ve already put aside a skein of our new Mohair blend in Water for this pair!
Photo by Simone Alexandra
Photo by Kristin Krogh Drysdale
Slippers also make a great gift, and I have gifted a pair of these before. They’re so easy to make, and you could easily customize them by holding yarn double or adding your own embroidery!
And if you’re much better at colorwork than I am, I think these are exquisite, and I wish someone would knit me a pair as a gift!
Kids
Knitting for kids is so much fun, and sometimes the littlest things bring the most joy to them!
Photo by Hunter Hammersen
Photo by Hunter Hammersen
As I write this I am rummaging through my scrap yarn stash to start making these peg doll leaves and capes for the kids! They’re just darling, and I already have peg dolls sitting around waiting to be turned into a little fairy family.
Photo by Claire Garland
This rabbit by Claire Garland! Really, I wish I had the time (and patience) to make all of her patterns, because they are true works of art.
Photo by Dani Sunshine
I also love this crown pattern. I’ve made a dozen of these for my kids and as gifts for others, in all kinds of yarns and weights. It’s quick and fun to knit, and perfect for the kids in your life who love to dress up!
Photo by Jenny Gordy
My kids don’t need any more hats, but I’ve always thought these are super cute, and it would be so adorable if they had matching bonnets. I would probably make a fox version for Alex and a fawn for Anya!
Photo by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas
Our floors get really cold during the winter months, so these would be extra useful!
Photo by Ysolda
And I’ve had my eyes on this cardigan since it came out. How cute would it be paired with a fox bonnet?! I’m pretty sure I have lopi in these exact colorways. Plus, the pattern comes in kid and adult sizes, so matching cardigans for the entire family!
We are promised our first snow today, so I’m hoping to snuggle up on the couch with my family, maybe make some hot cocoa, watch a movie, and work through this list. Wishing you a lovely December 1st wherever you are!