Moving and merriness and whatnot

So unsurprisingly, because I'm so bad at blogging and keeping up, a lot of stuff has happened since the last time I blogged. This is a theme - raise your hand if you noticed :P
We've moved again - this time to Hamilton, ON - and we're back into the urban lifestyle, to some extent. This does put on hold a lot of stuff I was hoping for with my yarn business (i.e. my own fibre herd) but I'm hopeful about continuing with dyeing and patterns.
HOWEVER.
I think it's important to judge one's pace and inspiration in a business that's heavily dictated by both, and I've found it incredibly challenging to be inspired lately. I haven't managed to find a job, or even hear back about any of the roles I've applied for, and all I can feel is the stress and pressure of not having a job. I assumed I would move and already have a job (I started applying a month and a half before we moved) and still having nothing is so distressing I'm having trouble thinking of fun things like yarncraft and what I want to design. I'm sure once I find something it'll all change again...but in the meantime, it's unlikely you'll see much from me unless the great lightning bolt of inspiration strikes over here. I can't even seem to dedicate myself to garter stitch very well, so I'm just going to step back and wait for the tide to come back in.
It's not a very merry note to end on, but that's what my holiday looks like right now. I have a million projects on the go so I'm hopeful if I put in a few rows a day, I'll at least keep from falling off yarncraft altogether. We're taking the dog out for long trail walks every few days (she hates traffic so she does her best walking away from residential areas) and I'm fully engaged in the library, which is just a few blocks from us, so I haven't completely lost it yet. Just changing my pace.
Before we moved, I also took part in the fawn + cub Christmas market in Morden MB (my hometown). I was so thankful to be accepted as a vendor, and it was certainly a very informative experience! I'm not sure that open craft markets are a good fit for me - being a very specific craft supply vendor, and not as much a finished object vendor - but it was a good learning experience and there were a lot of amazing vendors; I was glad to be placed next to an old friend of mine so the hours passed very quickly! I doubt I'll try a craft market again, especially one so large, but I'm grateful I was chosen in the first place, and the fawn + cub folks put a TON of work into making the market go smoothly, so big props to them for their hard work and effective management.
For now, it's holiday time which at our place means: craft beer, dog walks, homemade cookies, reading, spree-watching (I'm watching a Vietnam War documentary and we're watching Vikings together), and maybe my first love, art. Happy holidays, merry Christmas, happy new year; may all the things you celebrate be wonderful and full of tasty things :D Thank you for your support in 2018, and may we all have a truly inspirational 2019!

New patterns, new FOs, new everythings!

Witness my fabulous selfie
with the Forager set

Happy November everyone! If you've been following me on Insta, you'll (hopefully) have caught my post today about a new pattern :D It's called Forager mittens, and they're designed to match my Forager toque, published last year. They're super simple, and they make great use of chunky/bulky yarn scraps to keep your hands warm, and to match your Forager toque ;) All winter (until 20 April 2019), the mittens will be 50% off when you buy both patterns together, and if you've already got the toque, the discount will work too! Handy dandy.

So other than that exciting bit, I've been accepted as a vendor at the fawn + cub Christmas Market in Morden, MB; I'm so pumped to get in on this market! It's my hometown and it's got a HUGE artisan scene, so this is a talented crew and I'm very thankful to be included :D The market is 2 December (yup a Sunday) at the Access Centre, and it's got LOADS of different types of vendors, so there will definitely be something for everyone! It also means that I'm dyeing up chunky yarn in some glorious holiday colourways, so stay tuned for some shots of those beauties!

And I'm on a sweater binge - I'm just about to weave in the ends on my Fading Lines cardigan (pattern by Joji Locatelli) and I'm really pleased with how it looks; it has this lovely retro afghan vibe because of the zigzag collar and warm colours, and I can't wait to wear it! I'm also into the first bit of the Seaboard Sweater by Tanis Lavallee (Tanis Fibre Arts) with some of my own yarns and I love the way it's shaping up. Lots of beautiful pieces to see me into the chilly weather...my only issue now is making room in my drawers :P

The snow's been going all day (melting, but still falling) so I guess it's that time of year now. Get your boots out - and don't forget your mittens ;) Have a great weekend!

Post-mortem: Manitoba Fibre Festival 2018!

So it's been a week and I've finally managed to snag some chill time, which means I now get to share about how MB Fibre Fest went! Buckle up.

For those of you who don't know, I started There and Back Yarn in November 2017. I have always been a creative person, and I learned how to crochet when I was young, but in the UK I really came into my skills as a knitter, and wanted to do more: pattern design and yarn dyeing, specifically. Once I knew we were moving back to Manitoba, my main business goal was to get into Manitoba Fibre Festival, an event I loved before we moved, and knew had absolutely exploded; so much so, that they moved too, from St. Norbert (a lovely but small venue) to the Red River Exhibition grounds, and their fair hall there. So that was my Big Thing. When they accepted me as a vendor I was so stoked, but also so nervous. The fibrecraft community in Manitoba (and surrounding provinces) has become more and more visible, and likely grown a great deal in the recent past as people get more excited about all the beautiful local goodies, and the amazing yarns and fibres you can get your hands on at Fibre Fest and other festivals and shops. I finished dyeing my last skeins a month before Fibre Fest and then tried to turn my focus to the wood working aspect - I sell a few handmade wooden sundries like nostepinnes and crochet hooks - but I am definitely a novice wood-turner so having my father in-law (who's an award-winning wood carver and MAD skilled) handy to step in when I need help was key for me. Buuuuut he is also a farmer so as most of you know, that means a bonkers schedule in the fall, and though we did manage to find some time, I didn't get to do quite as much wood work as I wanted. No big though, because what we put together is so beautiful and I'm starting to get a much better feel for it on my own!

Enough with the lead-up! How did it go?

I was so pleased with my booth display overall - my parents in-law randomly had a pegboard that was perfect! - and I am so thankful to my volunteer help: my mom, my husband, and of course, Bernice! Having the Metalstitch duo to rock a festival is pretty much the best. I couldn't have done it without my volunteers, and certainly I couldn't carry all that stuff myself :P The Festival itself was mostly well-organised, I felt: I was disappointed our booth was in a corner that got little traffic compared to some of the other areas (I know my neighbours felt the same), but we did get folks down to squish and admire - and buy! - the yarns so we weren't too hidden. The Festival volunteers were super helpful too, and even jumped the queue to bring us lunch on Saturday :D

I loved the energy and the excitement of the shoppers; everyone was so happy to be in amongst all the beautiful things, and I had a lot of good chats with people who stopped by. I was so thankful to be included in the Festival and I hope I get to come back next year!

Now that I've got my first taste of festival, I'm hoping to do more - I'd love to do another one before Christmas so stay tuned :) Once the yardwork winds down, I'll be able to finally turn back to some more pattern design; I've had LOTS of ideas and no time to put them down so I can't wait to start writing up some of the things in my head, especially the design for the sweater I was wearing Friday of Fibre Fest: honeycomb cables and long cuffs, hooray!

School's In: Metalstitch's guide to next level crochet

I hope you all had a great summer! I got to cap mine off with a week of holidays and hitting up an Alice Cooper show with friends - including my Metalstitch partner!

What a great way to say farewell to the summer. Now: time for fall mode, which means tons and tons of indoorsy stuff and yarn craft!

So if you're finding a little more time for your crochet these days, I wanted to pass on some handy tips I've picked up on the internet over the years that have really helped me improve my craft!

1. Chainless foundation stitches. Learning these stitches is handy for a few reasons. First, you no longer have to make long chains that you then need to be careful not to twist. Second, it has a more attractive look than crocheting into the chains. And third, when you work into a chain, that first row won't have the same elasticity as the rest of your work. The chain is just maxed out! Chainless foundation stitches are nice and stretchy, making them a great choice for all types of garment work. 

2. Chainless Starting Double Crochet. If you've ever been unhappy with the way chaining three at the start a row of double crochet causes a gappy look at the beginning of your row, this little trick will really help you out. I use this method exclusively to start my double crochet rows - you can't beat the nice clean look of it!

3. The Invisible Fasten Off. This simple trick allows you to fasten off your work without any unsightly bumps or knots. It makes your final row to look perfect and seamless - a definite benefit for a more professional looking finished product!

BONUS TIP: Double crocheting two rows at a time?!?! Full disclosure: I came across this recently and haven't tried it yet. But the idea of cranking out two rows at a time is super intriguing to me! If you figure it out and give it a try, I'd love to hear about it! It's too cool, I had to share it even though I can't testify personally to it's excellence. 

Alright! Next weekend is the weekend all Manitoba yarnies look forward to all year: Fiber Fest on Friday AND Saturday! I'll be shopping up a storm and helping out Kaeleigh at her There and Back Yarn booth as well. Can't wait!

The most wonderful time of the year!

Happy Friday all! Out here it's grey-blue and gloomy and I love it so hard. Autumn is when I really feel in tune with the weather - I love summer, don't get me wrong, but if my soul has a season, it's autumn. The smell of decaying leaves, the colours all shifting, the beautiful cloudplay, the possibility of being outside all day and not coming in with second-degree sunburns...I'm here for ALL OF IT.
You don't need me to ramble on about how busy summer has been, because obviously we've done that all before, so consider it said. Now that we're into harvest (and believe you me, my canner has been getting SUCH a workout), things are starting to wind down around the yard, but they've never been at a higher pitch for MARKET PREP! Manitoba Fibre Festival 2018 is already NEXT WEEKEND and holy moly I am pumped up! I'm excited for a few reasons actually:

1. It's my first market, duh. That's a pretty big deal for me. This was a major business goal for me and I'm nervous and excited to see how things go.
2. I haven't been to MBFF in four years - since before we moved to England - and I've never seen it in its new glorious venue, so I can't wait to see how things have changed!
3. Vendors, vendors, vendors! There are going to be so many gorgeous things to look at...and maybe buy ;) Buttons, bags, shawl pins, YARN....ah. I love it.

As you might recall, I threw my (metaphorical) hat in the ring for a Make-Along for the Festival this year: my Snowy Path cowl was one of the eligible designs. Well what fun is a MAL if you just do your own design? My husband saw the Wheat City toque (that's a hat for you non-Canadians) and needed to have one, so off I went! We got great mileage out of our Devil's Punch Bowl toques from last year's pattern collection and you can never have too many toques. 

It might be a touch too warm for it now, but you better believe I still found a reason to wear my FO :D

I'm scrambling like a madwoman for the next week (and this week was already bonkers - have I mentioned I hate printers AND desktop computers lately?!) but come MBFF, you can find me cool, calm, and collected at my booth - with yarn, patterns (in a fancy new format!), project bags, and a few handmade wooden goodies. And afterwards we'll have a big ol' gush post about how everything went and all the things we loved, and Bernice and I will share our loot too!

Summer hours

-- I wrote this blog entry a week ago, and then wasn't sure I wanted to publish it. I hedge about "serious" topics, knowing most people would rather read a blog with upbeat, fun, happy tones instead of anything that might hint at other flavours. That being said, I greatly admire bloggers and posters who can channel any of their feelings into eloquent and articulate posts, and reading Kate Davies' blog post this morning about vulnerability (and then watching her TedX talk, which was amazing) reminded me that there is always room to put down what you want to, and share what you want to, in your own space, so that people who follow your content can get a sense of who you are in your own words. This is why we share ANYthing, really; following along with talented designers and crafters is about inspiration in all things, not just fibre craft. --

So it's only taken me five days to actually put down some words in this blog window. Good grief.
When I talk about summer hours, I don't mean less work. I mean WAY MORE work. Knitting and yarncraft has been simmering on the backburner as I bounce between the library (my day job) and my yard, trying to keep up with the produce and the weeds in turn. And while I've been trying to find time to pick up my knitting, I've been feeling a definite apathy toward it all, even though I've loved my projects. The heat? The long to-do lists? Whatever it's been, I've been knitting the least since I picked it up five years ago.
But.
The weather finally broke a little while ago after a long hot stretch, and the cooler weather turned my thoughts to autumn and Manitoba Fibre Fest, where I'll be setting up shop September 14-15 (the full Metalstitch team out in force, in fact!! :D). With the cooler weather, and dare I say, better sleep, my yarncraft enthusiasm has flowed back and I've been able to budget my time a bit better. I've been back in the dye pots and generating some beauties that I can't wait to showcase next month, and I'm finally working on a pattern that's been sitting idle for AGES.
So what do we do as crafters when the desire to craft ebbs, and we look at our projects with a decided lack of enthusiasm? It's always alright to just step away from our crafts - after all, you're supposed to enjoy your hobbies, and what's the point if it's not enjoyable?! I don't seem to have a great strategy; has anyone else come up with a tried-and-true method of getting back to projects with excitement and interest in a hurry, instead of just waiting?
Now that's not to say I'd fallen out of love with yarncraft! There's been so much good stuff going on in the last few months, and my single project was another test-knit for Tin Can Knits that's a beautiful FO I can't wait to share once the pattern is out. I've been surrounded by amazing inspiration and I love that our community is so talented and willing to share their talents with others. Sometimes the best encouragement for me is just looking at everyone else's projects and creativity. And now I'm ready to pick up the needles again, and get going :)

New lookbook! Yarnspirations: Picknit

Holy moly, we're almost half way through June! So let's talk about the gorgeous summer weather and how awesome it is to be outside and not get frostbite :D Yarnspirations has noted this, and released a new lookbook full of patterns to picnic with. There's some lovely bright colours and quick projects, and this time, I actually feel like the knit and crochet projects are much more balanced in terms of skill. It's much less "complicated fine-weight knit pullover" and then "quick and easy chunky crochet pullover," and much more "here's some knits, and here's some crochet" and they're about the same skill level. This is a bugbear of mine and Bernice's, so I'm quite pleased to see this! And now, onto the patterns!

Knit bucket tote

I'm always skeptical of yarncrafted bags that aren't solidly woven, only because I'm worried they'll sag and stretch. This one looks decently firm, though I don't like the pooling effect.

Pastoral lace knit shawl

I didn't think I was into shawls, but I've slowly been amassing a collection. That being said, this one looks like it'd be beautiful in a variegated yarn or something with speckles - the plain green isn't quite enough to bring out the lace.

Knit for the road blanket

I like the way this blanket rolls up for storage/carrying, though knit blankets do take AGES to make. Bring your most patient yarncrafting - or do this one on a road trip.

Crochet convertible blanket bag

Pretty handy that this wee blanket ropes up to carry, and I do like the starburst motif. I'd probably make the handles shorter; in the photo, the bag hangs down pretty low (yeah, I know the kid is also pretty short, haha), so it might drag quite a bit otherwise.

Lil' leaf crochet play mat and ladybug toy

Just a pretty cute and probably pretty quick project. I've never worked with Bernat Blanket but I'd be inclined to either line the bottom of this mat with fabric, or do a duplicate bottom with cotton or Super Saver - a workhorse yarn that could stand up to being in the grass. Though if Blanket is hardy enough, it should be fine.

Handy square knit cushion

Love the pattern on this one, especially with the variegated yarn. I'd question the use of cream - grass stains! - but I do think these colours are great together. Plus, cushion!

Cute crochet carry-all

Once again, yarncrafted bag. I imagine putting my solid brick of a laptop in there and watching it just sag out. You'd have to do this with a tight gauge to combat the weight.

Spiral crochet pillow

I like the low-key stitch pattern on these pillows, and I bet they work up pretty quick. Again with the cream, but whatever, that's easy enough to change. 

Gingham crochet picnic blanket

Love. I'm a huge fan of the gingham look in both knit and crochet, so this blanket is probably my fave.

Crochet pic-a-nic basket

This is a pretty cute basket, and would easily accessorize inside as well. Plus, you could probably use it for anything in the house, not just picnic things, so the versatility and simplicity of it is great.

Cheerful ripple knit blanket

This is a bit much for me, with all the colours, all the patterns, and all the poms. I'd probably do it with a main colour and one or two accents, or a palette of similar shades to calm it down a bit, and do maybe one pompom each in the corners, or better yet, tassels.

Kaeleigh's stand out patterns:
Favourite pattern: Gingham crochet picnic blanket
Gotta make it for myself: Gingham crochet picnic blanket - yep, two votes for this one!
Makes me wish I did more crochet: Spiral crochet pillow
No thank you, please: Cute crochet carry-all - hard pass on bags!

Bernice's stand out patterns:
Favourite pattern: Knit for the Road Blanket. I was admiring blankets just like this at Chapters the other day. This inspires me to work out a crochet version for myself...knit would take a me a million years!
Gotta make it for myself: Gingham crochet picnic blanket - in classic red and white for me!
Makes me wish I did more knitting: Knit bucket tote. I actually love how the pooling looks on this! I've been doing a little knitting myself these days, and I bet I could probably successfully make this. 
No thank you, please: Cheerful Ripple Knit Blanket. Whoa, a lot going on there. Like, too much.