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March Knitalong: The Moto Vest

March 3, 2015

Each month we host a knitalong, something that can be completed in a month’s time and features a special small farm yarn.

I have been anticipating this knitalong for a couple months now and although I wanted to start early, I held off so I could knit it along with all of you. This pattern, the Moto Vest designed by Shelli Westcott, is the perfect layering piece, versatile in both design and material. I’ll be knitting mine with an alpaca blend from Radius Yarns, though I already have plans for another in a lighter weight yarn as well. When I was visiting Knitterly, the yarn shop that Shelli owns and operates in Petaluma, I kept eyeing different variations of this pattern and was surprised how simple it was to alter and knit up. I asked Shelli to share a little about this pattern, her Radius yarn and the alterations you can make to the pattern to fit your needs and likes. I hope you’ll join us! Visit our Ravelry group to share your progress and ask any questions…

moto vest shelli westcott


I was inspired to design this pattern with the Radius Lopi bulky, a yarn I just fell in love with but felt it really was too big and too heavy to make a sweater out of that would work in the Bay Area climate. I wanted to create a project that would be simple and any level of knitter could make it…whether it be your second or fiftieth project. Because I was using this bulky weight, I wanted to keep it small. The bulky yarns have less yardage and are heavier, so again, something versatile was key. I designed the Moto Vest, the perfect layering companion, for under a jacket or over a flannel shirt. The collar can act as a scarf, keeping you warm, and lays outside of your jacket, but the body keeps your torso and spine warm, where you can lose a lot of heat. The pattern was really well received so I began using all thicknesses of yarns I found in the shop, from light worsted on a size 10.5 needle, to bulky on a size 13, and knit several different lengths, from your waist to below your front pockets. Of all the one’s knit, the long vests are the most popular. Another fun thing to do is adjust the number of stitches cast on for the scarf and the back, resulting in either a thicker or thinner scarf and back.

Here are some fun combinations we’ve made up, all with yarn you can get from shop.knitterly.com

Radius Light Worsted
3 skeins – size 8-10 needle
Cast on 58 for scarf,
46″ long (scarf)
Cast on 30 for back,

11″ long (back)

Radius Bulky
3 skeins – size 13-15 needles
45″ long (scarf)
12″ wide (scarf)
12″ wide (back)

Woolfolk Far
5-6 skeins – 8 to 11 size needles
50″ long (scarf)
13″ wide (scarf)
13″ wide (back)

Plymouth Colca Canyon (nice thin alpaca)
5 skeins – size 15 needles
Cast on 30 for scarf,
58″ long (scarf)
Cast on 26 for back,
15″ long (back)

Twirl Petals (held double)
4 skeins – size 10-10.5 needles
Cast on 30 for scarf,

52″ long (scarf)
Cast on 20 for back,

20″ long (back)

moto vest shelli westcott

Knitting Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 10: Maryanne Moodie & Woolcrush – Falling into fiber arts, Natural dyeing, Dedication and Building communities

February 3, 2015

I’m very excited to share the 10th episode of the Woolful podcast. Today we get to meet two fiber folk who are such an inspiration and both in their own unique ways, Maryanne Moodie and Amy Higgins Stambaugh of Woolcrush.

knitterly-logo

Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Knitterly, a very special yarn shop created by Shelli Westcott, based in Petaluma California and online at shop.knitterly.com. I am always so amazed at the well curated selection of yarns, fibers and classes Shelli works so hard to provide all us fiber enthusiasts. Make sure to visit when in Petaluma and online at shop.knitterly.com

knitterly

Fiber folk 1: Amy is an amazing natural dyer living on her farm in Columbia, Missouri, where she recently built a beautiful natural dye studio. You can find her at woolcrush.com and on Instagram @woolcrush.

ammyhigginsstambaugh

Man on the Street: Did fiber arts run in your family or did you just happen to “fall into” your fiber art?”. We had some amazing replies from Jennifer @jaykay_knits, Beatrice @threadandladle, Carlene @carlenergy, Emily @alafrench and Amber @dapperewe.

Fiber folk 2: I first came across our next guests work awhile back via the Design Sponge blog and was immediately enamored with her use of color in her weavings, adventurous designs and excitement around building community. Maryanne didn’t come from a legacy of weavers, but she’s working hard to leave one with this beautiful fiber community. You can find her at maryannemoodie.com and on Instagram @maryannemoodie.

maryanne

Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaway, is Tina Charlotte! You’ve won a $25 gift certificate to Fringe Supply Company. Congratulations!

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Southern Textiles, a wonderful farm and natural dye studio in Tennessee. We’re giving away a naturally dyed mini skein kit, perfect for weaving, knitting or crochet. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below.

southerntextiles

 

 

Music by Jónsi.

Transcription coming soon!

Knitting Making Podcast Woolful Podcast

Episode 9: Karen Templer & Felicia Semple – Handmade wardrobes, Intentional making, Stashes and Talent

January 27, 2015

I’m very excited to share the 9th episode of the Woolful podcast, I really am this excited every week, trust me ;). Today we get to meet two women whom I’ve come to greatly admire, each from opposite sides of the world. Both Karen Templer of Fringe Association and Felicia Semple of The Craft Sessions, focus on intentional making and creating a handmade wardrobe, and that doing so doesn’t take talent, but a willingness to learn.

stashbot

Sponsor: This week’s episode is sponsored by StashBot. Buy yarn smarter with Hannah Fettig’s new iOS app StashBot. If you find a yarn you can’t live without, StashBot will help you determine how much you should buy. It will pay for itself again and again as it saves you from purchasing more skeins of yarn than you need. Just as importantly it will keep your stash useful as you will be sure to have enough yarn to knit the projects you would like.  StashBot will soon be available for Android and is also available in print.  For more information head to www.knitbot.com/stashbot.

knitbot

Fiber folk 1: Karen joins us to share her journey from designer to proprietress and her passion for a handmade wardrobe made of things created with intention. You can find her at both fringeassociation.com and fringesupplyco.com as well as on Instagram at @karentempler and @fringesupplyco.

karentempler

Man on the Street: For this week’s “Man on the Street” I asked a handful of fiber enthusiasts to answer the following question, “Share a little about your stash and the goals you have for it this year…”. We had some amazing replies from, Andrea @dreareneeknits,  Jennifer @jaykay_knits, and Maria @ninja.chickens.

Fiber folk 2: I was first introduced to our next guest via Instagram through a friend nearly two years ago and I remember being amazed by her thoughtfulness in what she made for herself and her family, as well as for a community she was building in Australia, The Craft Sessions. Felicia has been on incredible journey, one that has led her to some amazing discoveries in mindful making. You can find her at thecraftsessions.com and on Instagram @thecraftsessions.

felicia semple

Giveaway: The winner of last week’s giveaway, is @dawnincali! You’ve won a skein of both Moeke Yarns Elena and Stela. Congratulations!

This week we’re giving away a $25 gift certificate to our first guests shop, Fringe Supply Co. Karen has put together such a beautiful collection of tools and supplies, that I can only imagine it will be hard to pick just what to get! To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below.

fringe supply co

Next week we’ll be starting our February Woolful knit-along, the Little Woolens Prairie Grass Hat. You can find kits that include both the knit along pattern and Cormo yarn at woolfulmercantile.com, or you are always welcome to use your own favorite yarn and grab the pattern on Ravelry. You can find more information on this knit along in our Woolful Ravelry group.

prairie grass hat little woolens

 

Music by Jónsi.

Transcription coming shortly!