A Knitting Community, Hats, and Catnip Tea

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“Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.” —

James Herriot

I Finally Found a Specialty Yarn Shop!

I’ve been pretty obsessed with knitting this season! Since learning how to sew, my love for knitting has been invigorated. It has truly changed my game by helping me better understand garment shaping, and giving me more confidence when it comes to fixing and flipping my older knits.

But, if there’s one thing I’ve been disappointed about since leaving New York City, it has been the lack of specialty yarn shops. I’ve been pretty limited to JoAnn in my new home. There’s nothing wrong with shopping at JoAnn—I just wish it wasn’t the only game in town. The quality and varieties of yarn there are good, and they are accessible and economical, but not stellar. With the exception of Lionbrand Yarn, I typically hold my breath and order my yarn online.

To my absolute joy, however, I found a local yarn shop that sells precisely the kind of yarn I want: 100% natural fibers. It opened recently, and I was so happy with the selection! It also operates as a space that advocates for women’s reproductive health, a hot spot for charities, an anchor for local small businesses, and a meeting hub for the neighborhood book club! Unfortunately, I am not sharing the precise location for privacy reasons, but I do want to express how ecstatic I am that it exists.

Sweet Fiber Goodness

My preference is to knit with wool, alpaca, and cotton. These natural fibers are breathable, last longer, and don’t pill as readily as synthetic fibers. Natural yarns also feel more comfortable against the skin and carry color differently, resulting in a stunning finish with texture and depth.

These yarns definitely require an investment, but I enjoy saving my money and carefully planning and selecting my yarn for beautiful, cozy, and artistic pieces. It’s like painting a portrait using quality paint, and watching your work come to life. I am as much a process knitter as much as a knitter eager to see the finished look.

Knit Hat Marathon

I went through my stash of hats and identified the styles I’ve outgrown, and the hats I need to retire because they’ve seen better days. I’ve owned most of my hats for at least twenty years, with the younger hats being ten years old. I can hardly believe it myself! My, does time fly!

I self-drafted/free handed these four hats. Thankfully, I kept track of what I did, so I will eventually write some patterns for these pieces.

I made two of the “Blusher Slouchy Beanies”, one made using Kelbourne Woolens Scout in Autumn Heather and Berroco Aerial in Poppy, and another in Kelbourne Woolens Scout in Ocean Heather and Berroco Aerial in Cherry. I got super inspired by some color recommendations made by my specialty yarn shop. They chose colors I wouldn’t normally pick myself, and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcomes.

The “Obsidian Ribbed Beanie” was made from the Knit Picks City Tweed Aran/HW in Obsidian. Unfortunately, the yarn is going to be discontinued, but any worsted weight tweed can be substituted.

The “Diamond Dust Beanie” was inspired by the Brooch Pom Beanie Toque Winter Hat originally from Torrid. The hat is sold out and discontinued, but I figured I could make my own. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Yarn in Black, then purchased rhinestones and five brooches separately. The 5″ Black Faux Fur Pom & Loop by K+C is from JoAnn.

Catnip Tea

I love a quiet morning of knitting with a hot mug of tea. When fall came to a close, I harvested my catnip leaves and created a tea featuring it.

This tea also has chamomile, butterfly pea flowers, and Greek mountain mint. Sweetened with honey, this tea is pleasantly smooth and relaxing. Cleo was obsessed with it, too! Will have the recipe soon.

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