Swatches diary: Little birds stitch

I'm introducing another category for the blog. In the "Swatches diary", I will share some swatches that I had made for a pattern that I have knit or designed, some interesting stitches that I have found along the way, or some yarns that I wanted to test out and see how they would knit up. I don't have so many to share yet, as I'm pretty new to the swatching world, but I'm already working on building a small collection. When I first started knitting, I usually skipped this -oh so important step, as I thought that this step wasn't  so important.

Things have changed a little bit since then. I do swatch. And I do find pleasure in swatching. I don't only do it because "I have to', but also because I do love collectiing these little colorwful squares in my diary, look back at them from time to time, and get inspired once more by the yarn, the color or the texture.

This very first one has been knit in Peace Fleece/PYHO MИPA which is a blend of Native/Non-Native American fine wool and Texas mohair. I knit this little swatch while I was waiting for the yarn that I had ordered for my Praline cardigan to arrive. I practiced the stitch that was used in the cardigan a little bit with this yarn, which also allowed me to see how this yarn would knit up. Then I used this same yarn to knit the Laurel hat.

Do you also keep your swatches? Do you look back at them from time to time to find inspiration?

We're supposed to be getting more snow this weekend, and I couldn't be more happy about it. In the meanwhile I'm trying to get this little guy finished , so I will be ready to welcome the snowflakes back! Happy weekend!

Fibre Crush {The Fibre Company, Road to China Light}

Have you ever wanted to own the whole collection of one particular type of yarn, and knit with it over and over?
Ever since my eyes first spotted and then my hands touched it, I've been having a fiber crush on The Fibre Company, Road to China Light. I couldn't say if I'm more attracted to the subtle shades within one skein or if it's the softness of the fiber itself that really pleases me.  But since I completed my first project with that particular yarn, it had hardly left my shoulders, and the three precious skeins that I had acquired a few weeks back kept luring me out everytime that I passed by. Whether it's the shawl that I had knit, or the skeins that sleep in my stash, I cannot help myself but (hang on, I'm going to get my shawl), put the fiber under natural light and see how the color changes and then place it against my skin and say one more time "Oh, that's very soft", as if it was the first time that I got in "touch" with that yarn. I've only tried two colorways so far, but I really cannot wait to discover the other ones.

The Fibre Company Road to China Light { 65% baby alpaca, 15% silk, 10% camel + 10% cashmere}

“Road to China Light is a 3-ply strong, soft, shiny and drapey yarn with a lot of body perfect for luxurious, soft and warm items. The unique blend of fibers are spun into a smooth yarn and then kettle dyed, and the different way the fibers absorb the dye creates a beautiful depth of color with subtle heathered tones.”

Do you have any fiber crush?

Here's a little teaser of something that I've been working on. I had a wonderful photo session this morning in the woods despite the cold, and I'm very excited to sharing this work very soon.

We had our first snow! It didn't last very long, but I enjoyed it immensely. It's funny because the day before the first snowflakes appear, I could "feel" that it was coming -that's the Lorelai Gilmore inside of me who's speaking. So the day before the snow, I took my little basket on my elbow and headed out straight to the woods, aiming to gather some branches and pinecones to decorate the house. I came back home with the basket full, certain that it would be enough to decorate every door frame, window frame and window sill in the house. Right now there's a bit of pine branches here and there, but I'm definitely far from the little forest that I wanted to recreate indoors. So I will probably go back on Sunday to gather some more, whislt I'll be hunting for my Christmas tree. Are you a Christmas fanatic too? I always love to put the Christmas tree on the 1st of December, and keep it until mid-January.

Even though I won't be celebrating Christmas in Latvia this year I really want the house to be decorated.
As I was spending some time on Pinterest I realised that I’ve been quite inspired by Scandinavian & traditional homesteading decorations that I would describe as inexpensive, simple and natural. So I have a few ideas in my mind already and I’ll be finding some time next week to work on these. As I said on the podcast I want to make corn stash decorations for the Christmas tree with cookie cutters (I struggled a bit to find this word!). It’s very inexpensive, and I’m sure it will be a lot of fun to make. I’ve also been advised to sprinkle a bit of ground cinnamon to make them smell.
I’ve also made quite a few paper snowflakes that are hanging on my kitchen window. The fun part about them is that I never know what I’m going to end up with as I’m cutting randomly. I made different sizes using the bits and pieces of paper that I could find and the leftovers from the already-cut snowflakes. I’ll be working on some more for sure.
The other idea that I have in mind is to make mini-Weasley sweaters. At the moment I only want to make two of them: one for my sweetheart and one for myself. And the next time that we will be host for Christmas I would make some for each family member that will join us.

Are you planning to make any decorations yourself?

Ps: Thank you so much for your kind messages regarding the launch of my video journal. I have decided to record several times during the month instead of podcasting every week. I don't want to put unnecessary pressure on my shoulders, and only share when I feel like it, and want there's content to be shared.

A knitter's natural Christmas wishlist

Skeins: O-Wool, Local in the Porcupine, Fringe Tree and Wild Geranium colorways | Book: Madder Anthology 1 | Candle: Big Deeper 100% bee wax candle | Acorn needle gauge | Jenna Rose project bag.

Christmas is not so far away anymore, so I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the things that are on my Christmas wishlist this year. And I think that these would make perfect gifts for knitters too.

I'm having a really hard time keeping my eyes away from these soft and delicate Local yarns colors. I don't know what I would knit with them, but I wouldn't mind keeping them preciously in my little stash.
This book. Well, it's not exactly on my wishlist anymore, because my dad has been teasing me the other day, telling me that the book that I have ordered will be under the Christmas tree.
Beewax candles. I'm obsessed with candles. I burn them everywhere, the whole day long. But what I love about bee wax candles is that they smell very nice, they don't contain nasty things (parafine), and they last forever.
Acorn gauge. This one is absolutely adorable. Not that I need another gauge but I could definitely hang this one on the wall.
Project bag. Jenna Rose has recently released her new collection, and I've been so thrilled. I absolutely love her work, and this bag is among my favourites.

What's on your wihslist this year?