NEW PATTERN: Mauzy DK

Some of my favourite days are the foggy, misty ones. When the sky hangs heavy with the a condensation that seeps into your bones and makes the air feel fuzzy. In Newfoundland, this happens when a gentle breeze ushers in the fog from the sea. The word mauzy (pronounced: “maw-zee”) is traditionally used to describe this weather, when there is high humidity, light rain, fog, and the world feels saturated by the sea.

This is my inspiration for my newest pattern release: Mauzy DK. Inspired by foggy mornings and damp cheeks, this large cowl uses extra soft merino wool held together with extra-fine kid silk mohair. The halo of mohair that wraps around each stitch is the knitted version of fog— soft, encompassing, and completely magic.

Mauzy DK is worked seamlessly in the round on large needles, using simple all-over lace to create a delicate texture that drapes beautifully. A picot edge cast-on and i-cord bind-off keeps the cowl from being too tight, and in some cases allows for it to be pulled across the shoulders like a mini poncho. Mauzy DK can be worn around the neck as an oversized cowl or scarf, or pulled over the head as a hood. The heaviness of the DK-weight yarn means the hood stays up without much fuss.

I am so excited to finally publish this pattern so I can share it with you all. Mauzy DK has been my most worn accessory this fall and I hope that if you choose to make one, you will love it as much as I do. Not only is it a joy to wear, but it is also so lovely to knit because of the loose gauge and the gentle pattern repeat that is easy to memorize. What makes Mauzy DK shine is the yarn - choose something really special and this project will be a favourite for years to come.

Purchase the pattern on Ravelry

To celebrate, I am offering a 20% discount on this pattern until September 30, 2018. Use the coupon code: Mauzy20 to save!

Bakeapple: a knit design in progress

It is just a few short days until we reach the official start of autumn, but you wouldn’t know it around these parts. Calgary has been uncharacteristically cool, dreary, and wet and reminds me much more of living on the East Coast than nestled beside The Rockies. While so many folks around me groan about the chilly weather, I am thrilled about it because as a knitter, this is my time to shine! I love being able to layer all of my clothing, especially when so much of that clothing is me-made.

This weather also has me thinking about designing and making new things. While I have a pattern that is just about ready to be released on Ravelry (watch this space, friends!), I also have a new hat pattern in the works that has got me all heart eyes and I am excited to share some progress with you!

In the foreground, Lichen and Lace Matte Sock in the Orchid colourway.

First, let me tell you about the yarn. I have had this skein of Lichen and Lace Matte Sock in Orchid in my stash for well over a year. I had intended to use it for a shawl at one point but it ended up getting frogged and was tucked away until I could figure something else to do with it. When I got the idea to work up a hat in mohair and fingering weight yarn, I knew that the subtle pink speckling of this mostly cream yarn would pair so nicely with the hot pink silk mohair from Rico Designs.

Rico Designs Mohair Silk in a brilliant hot fuchsia.

This silk mohair is so lovely. I highly recommend it for these kinds of projects not only because of the quality (it is SOO soft) but also the price point. In Canada, this yarn is a fraction of what other indie dyed silk mohairs can be. Plus, the yardage is pretty generous at 219 yards per 25 grams and it is available in a wide range of colours.

When this mohair is held together with the lovely hand dyed fingering weight from Lichen and Lace, the fabric is almost too much for me to handle! The mohair tends to take over, giving the fabric a overall pinkness that totally makes my heart sing. Plus, the halo. Oh, Lord! The halo mohair will give any and every project can make the dullest project feel super luxurious!

Bakeapple in progress - I mean, just look at that squish!

Speaking of fabric, I decided that this toque needed to full of texture. I was flipping through a few of my stitch dictionaries and settled on this all-over alternating welt pattern that is deceptively easy to execute. As I was working it, I couldn’t help myself from constantly squishing the fabric with my hand, my fingers fitting perfectly into each little dimple that makes the resulting hat super slouchy and warm. While I think the pattern could be worked without mohair and still have a great effect, that fuzziness just adds something super special and I am obsessed.

I mean really. LOOK AT THIS.

And here is the “wrong” side, which seems all sorts of right to me!

The really cool thing about this stitch pattern is that it creates a highly textured surface on both sides of the fabric. The inside (or “wrong” side) shown above has an almost honeycomb appearance and is just as lovely as those welts on the right side. This means, in theory, the hat is completely reversible and will give you two completely different looks. Have two hats with the effort of knitting one - brilliant!

Now maybe you’re wondering about why I chose the name Bakeapple for this pattern. Bakeapples are a type of berry found in Newfoundland, as well as other northern parts of the world. They also go by other names like bog berry, or its most common name: cloudberry. These berries kind of look like a very large raspberry but they taste a little like an apricot dipped in honey. Bakeapples are pretty common where I grew up and foodstuff with bakeapples in them were also super common. Bakeapple tea. Bakeapple wine. Bakeapple tarts. Bakeapple jam. I have many childhood memories of seeing folks selling bakeapple jam on the side of the road, mason jars lining the hood of a parked car as the golden berries glowed in the sun.

The texture of this knit reminds me so much of a bakeapple - those welts and dimples. And given that all my knitting patterns are inspired by my childhood in Newfoundland, it seemed quite fitting to name this unusual hat after an equally unusual berry.

I am currently working up some more samples of this pattern, experimenting with colour choice and different textures of fingering weight yarn. You can expect more from Bakeapple real soon!

Radical Craftivism & Other Forms of Subversive Stitching: A reading list

This week there has been a lot of chatter on social media about politicizing craft, specifically in the knitting community. In my own social feeds, I have seen the comments from other knitters criticizing the intersection of personal politics and craft, suggesting that the online knitting world should remain a reprieve from the angst and general What-the-Fuck-ery of current world events. "I didn't come here for politics, I came for the knitting," is a sentiment I have read far too often and it leaves me scratching my head every time because isn't the very act of crafting, of making something with your hands, a subversive and ultimately political action?

Don't get me wrong, knitting can provide a much needed outlet for self-care but that does not mean it is devoid of critical thought. In her essay, Rebellious Doilies and Subversive Stitches, Kirsty Robertson cites Rozsika Parker, suggesting "that although the position of the needleworker -- head bowed, shoulders hunched -- appears to be one of submission, it also contains within it a hint of autonomy and self-containment at odds with complete subjugation". In other words, knitting is anything but mindless.

So, in response to recent events I thought I would do the typical librarian thing and write a reading list of books, articles, and other stuff that investigate knitting and other traditional feminine crafts as social, subversive, and radical political activities. My hope is to provide some resources to inspire some critical discourse and self-reflection on how our knitting practices express much more than skilled craftsmanship--it reflects our values too. 

For a longer read...

Cover image from Amazon.ca

The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine by Rozsika Parker

Originally published in 1984, this comprehensive study traces the history of embroidery through a feminist lens. Considered by many to be a classic, Parker's examination of the relationship between embroidery and the feminine was pretty groundbreaking, and has helped inform the foundations of our radical crafting communities today. Re-published in 2010, it includes an updated introduction that helps contextualize Parker's work in light of fine art and craftivist practices.  

Cover image from Amazon.ca

No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting by Anne L. MacDonald

This is a must-read classic for any knitter looking to contextualize their practice in the history of knitting. Originally published in 1988, MacDonald guides the reader through a well-researched history of knitting in North America, and includes a spattering of visual documentation of vintage patterns and social commentary of the time. I read this book from cover-to-cover during my undergraduate degree and it completely changed the way I looked at knitting. For a while, this book was out of print but a quick search on Amazon shows that you can now purchase this book in a full spectrum of formats, including audiobook!

Cover image from Amazon.ca

Extra/Ordinary: Craft and Contemporary Art, edited by Maria Elena Buszer

You cannot really talk about activism, politics, and craft without jumping into art theory. Some of the best essays I have come across talking about the subversive power of craft comes from the art world, and this collection edited by Maria Elena Buszer is a great introduction for those who may not necessarily spend all their time reading art theory. The contributors cover a huge range of craft discourse, including an entire section on Craftivism that looks not only at yarn bombing but how other types of craft can be used to subvert the status quo and fight for social justice. Oh, and this book also includes full-colour illustrations and is printed on that kind of glossy paper that makes writing in the margins with a ballpoint pen a definite guilty pleasure. 

Cover image from Amazon.ca

Craftivism: The Art and Craft of Activism by Betsy Greer

Now this book is amongst the newest titles on my list and is probably the most accessible read. Betsy Greer is the name most associated with the term "Craftivism", a deceptively quiet form of activism through craft. Greer pulled together experts, activists, artists, writers, and academics to survey different ways in which craft is being used for political activism throughout the world. I think that is probably the best part of this book, how it is much more inclusive of art, craft, and activist stories from around the world and not taking a purely Western viewpoint. There are tons of colour images and lots to be inspired by as contributors talk about craftivism from their own experiences. 

For those who want a shorter read...

• Craft's Long History in Radical Protest Movements by Jessica Bateman
• Knitting is Soft and Crafty -- and Subversive, Chaotic, and Political by Haley Mlotek
• Stitch by stitch, a brief history of knitting and activism by Corine Segal
• Some of the Most Provocative Political Art is Made with Fibers by Leslie Camhi
• Sarah Corbett: Activism needs Introverts - TEDx Talk (13 mins)
• Swatch of the Month: The Politics of Knitting - A blog post and knitting pattern by Jess Schreibstein

#LIBRARYWIN: Celebrating Library Wizardry!

A while back, I started exclaiming LIBRARY WIN! whenever we achieved something amazing at work. It began with celebrating challenging readers' advisory interactions - like that time a 10 year-old kid wanted to read "that book about a chicken" she "couldn't remember the title of but the cover was red" (Note: It was The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone). When we found the book on the shelf, I said to her that whenever we find what we are looking for, we have to pump our arms in the air and chant, "Library Win! Library Win! Library Win!". Ha! 

Now, the #librarywin has evolved beyond readers' advisory to include remarkable feats of library facilitation. For those that work in the public library world, I don't think it is a secret that traditional reference work has transformed to be extraordinarily multifaceted. You won't find a librarian behind an information desk anymore - they are in the stacks, on the floor, meeting library patrons at their point of need. Not only can a library staff help you find a book, but they can walk through academic databases, find the answer to 12 down in the New York Times crossword puzzle, lead a conversation club with English Language learners, help you figure out your eReader, and troubleshoot Xerox machines (plus like a million other things because librarians and library staff are freaking wizards).

In the realm of children's services, this work has become even more important and varied. In addition to providing excellent book recommendations and information literacy instruction, library staff are literally on the floor playing with children. There have been more than a few times where I have found myself roped into a game of hide and seek in the stacks, or judging paper airplane competitions, or leaping around the library in a tutu with aspiring young dancers -- all while assisting early childhood professionals search for materials "about diversity" that are suitable for toddlers. (Did I mention library staff are freaking wizards?) 

There is a bit of a running gag in the library community that the only consistency in library work is how quickly things change. Librarians have to be flexible, adaptable, and responsive, but that isn't easy when maintaining the status quo of traditional librarianship feels so comfortable and safe. Positive and meaningful experiences are not created from the status quo, rather it requires a vulnerability that can be difficult to muster in a profession that has traditionally attracted the more controlling parts of our personalities. And as public libraries all over Canada shift toward community-led service models, and adopt facilitation techniques from museums and inquiry-based instruction from schools, our jobs are beginning to look quite different from what the stereotype suggests. Public librarianship is not book-centered, it is people-centered, and that requires a completely different set of competencies that totally butt against the stereotype of the librarian that so many of us still operate within.  

Now I can go on another rant about the myth of librarianship but I think I'm going to save that for another post. My point today is that we should all recognize how challenging our jobs are and celebrate those moments when we go beyond the status quo and experience something great!

So, starting this week I am endeavouring to regularly share my own #librarywin here on the blog and I encourage those in Library Land to do the same. Let's celebrate the amazing work we do, share our experiences, learn from each other, and ultimately lift each other up! Leave your #librarywin in the comments below, share it on social media with the tag #librarywin, and let's get this conversation started! 

What kind of library wizardry did you facilitate today?

BOOK TALK: Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

I have this vivid childhood memory of playing in my neighbour's backyard in the middle of winter. The snow had that smooth, icy crust over it that would shatter under foot. It wasn't snowball quality, or even good enough to dig a fort, but it was perfect for a mermaid.

The neighbours had kids about the same age as my brother and me, and I would often play with the daughter. On that particular winter day, we had constructed an elaborate story about being mermaids and we would drag ourselves along the surface of the snow as if we were pulling ourselves out of the water. See, we had to get completely out of the water before our fins would magically transform into human feet. I remember hoisting myself up on my hands, straightening my forearms to get my torso upright like Ariel, my legs not in metallic purple snow pants but transformed into a shiny purple tail. 

As a teenager I would go swimming once a week with a girlfriend who shared the same fascination with mermaids and we would spend all our time in the deep end of the pool, diving as deep as we could and spinning in the water. During class, we would pass notes back and forth but she would usually just draw mermaids instead of writing words. I am pretty sure I still have a few of those drawings saved in one of my teenaged diaries. 

Now an adult, that love of mermaids is still pretty strong (I have the tattoos to prove it!), which was the initial reason I was drawn to this picture book.  

Excerpt from Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. Julian and his abuela journey to see the mermaids.

Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. 

Julian is a young Latinx child who sees two beautiful mermaids on the subway ride home with his Abuela. Captivated, Julian imagines himself transforming into a mermaid: his hair grows and his legs become a graceful fishtail. When they arrive home, Julian decides to make this fantasy a reality and uses found materials in Abuela's apartment to complete his transformation. As he fastens the sheer curtains around his waist as a tail, Abuela interrupts him with a frown. There is a moment of suspense when Julian is unsure how Abuela will react, making the reader pause for just a second. Yet, nothing bad happens. Instead, Abuela embraces Julian for who he is and the story ends with a very full heart. 

With gorgeous illustrations drawn on brown kraft paper, Julian is a Mermaid is visually rich. Love's use of colour creates images that feel as if they have been wetted by a tide, supple and full of magic. The sparse use of text throughout the book supports the complex visuals which makes this book wonderful for dialogic reading. 

What I love most about this book is how it examines the fluidity of gender norms in children in a way that is not necessarily teachy-preachy or prescriptive, rather it feels much more like a celebration. Jessica Love describes it as being a "big, beautiful welcome home party" for any child who has ever seen themselves as being other, like opening a secret door to a world they never knew existed (Kirkus Review).

Want to know more? Check out this great interview with Jessica Love over at Kirkus Review