Warm and Cozy Knitwear from Branda

I am entirely obsessed with these knit bucket hats—I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like them, but I am definitely adding one to my holiday wish list this year. I think one would be just the thing to keep my head warm through a long Iowa winter. Let's here from the ladies behind the darling hat, which is just one type of knitwear that they make. Read on!

Tell me a little bit about yourselves.

We are Mariana and Paula, two sisters who work together and love to do it. We live in Buenos Aires, Argentina and we make hand knitted accessories we sell in our store Branda. There you can find different kind of scarves (from thin to wide, simple to aran cabled), neck warmers, bucket hats and berets, laced cuff and funny fingerless gloves.

 

Is there significance to the name of your shop?

We called our store Branda as a tribute to our grandmother who taught us how to knit 2 needles when we were just two little kids.

Is this your full time work?
Yes, we dedicate all the time to making crafts, specially knitting.

  What do you think makes your work unique?

Well, at first because it was made for us, not for other person, and we dedicate to do it a time, where we can be feeling and living different situations. Every person leave in a craft a different seal, a different way which is unique.

What do you love about knitting?

We love the variety. Just with a thread and a pair of nails it can be done infinite patterns and garments. Stitch by stitch, just with a different gesture or movement you can create things totally different. Something that is nothing more than a skein of thread becomes a fabric just with a flick of the needles.

 How does knitting make you feel, or what is it about the craft that inspires you so?

We feel we are producing something valuable. All the time we are using garments mass produced, so when we are making or finish a scarf we feel we have produce something special that will be part of the live of someone.

New Knitting EBook from Allyson of Sweatshot of Love

Allyson from the Sweatshop of Love (please check out her site for a solid dose of energizing color!) sent over some info on her new ebook that I just had to share.

This ebook includes easy to read and super clear instructions for 10 fun summer knits and some helpful how-tos to get you through this summer knitting season. Projects include a few sweaters, legwarmers, headbands and bags.

 Let's take a peak at some of them:

Man I love those legwarmers and know that all of you proficient knitters out there would have a lot of fun making these designs. And actually, I'm finding this surprisingly motivating—maybe I need to pull out my neglected knitting needles soon!

Knit Necklace/Scarves by Ohsomilla

 

I am in love with these merino wool necklace/scarves from Camilla Bourbon of Ohsomilla.

Here's how she got the idea for her line (which also includes some earrings and purses):

“OhSoMilla” was born as I was going through some of my 106-year-old grandmother’s things. I was admiring her vintage purses, which are so well made and immaculately kept, but which needed something to bring them up to date and I thought “Why not add a modern touch to them?” This process not only brought back my childhood joy of decorating practical items but it also allowed me to practice what I believe in as a designer by not contributing to the wasteful consumer culture, which throws things aside once they are out of style. OhSoMilla’s mission is to promote reinvention and re-use, combined with the magical artist’s touch.

 

I think it's sometimes hard to rethink what we're all used to making, but this new take on a scarf is seriously inspiring.

Crocheted Lovlies from Namolio

I came across these pincushions earlier this week and they are so intricate that I am suddenly more curious about crocheting. That might be the technique I try to learn next, but in the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy the work of other people!

These are made by Namolio on etsy, who is a maker in the UK. She is a photographer and graphic designer by day and an artisan by night. Take a look at some of her other works that look just perfect for the approaching winter.

Thin crocheted scarves which are just an example of the types of scarves she makes. She has some wider ones and also some, including a lovely gray one, that are shawls.

Hair pins, ponytail holders and brooches with delightful little flowers.

She also knits scarves, like this one in lovely autumnal colors. To see more of her work, check out some of her crocheted blankets on Real Simple's Simply Stated blog.

Instant Heirloom: Hand-Dyed Yarn by Kitchen Sink Dyeworks

With the surprise knitted hat earlier this week and my renewed interest in knitting (thank you cold weather!), I'm delighted to share a fantastic resource for hand dyed yarns. I love the variations in Mercedes work and am pretty sure I'm going to have to treat myself to a skein or two in the very near future

Name: Merecedes Tarasovich-Clark, Kitchen Sink Dyeworks
Find me: kitchensinkdyeworks.etsy.com, kitchensinkdyeworks.com
Facebook page, twitter.com/kitchensinkdye
Location: Birmingham, AL

Tell me a little bit about what you make.
I start with blank skeins of wool and wool-blend yarn, spinning fibers or sometimes, coned yarns that I skein up. After a preliminary soak, the yarns are carefully painted with colorfast dyes for protein based fibers, heat-set, cooled, then washed in biodegradable detergent, rinsed and dried. We then re-skein them, which gives knitters and crocheters a better view of how the colors will look together, and they’re ready to go to happy new homes! I’m super-fussy about how I lay colors down on the yarn; it really is painting, which results in a very balanced palette of colors in the finished skein, no big blobs of one color taking over the finished product.

How and when did you learned to work with dyes?
I majored in fibers and textiles with a focus on dyeing, specifically silk fabrics, in art school. Once I graduated, I began to focus on knitting, crochet, and handspinning as a hobby; dyeing fibers for handspinners and teaching dyeing workshops in the Birmingham area. I soon came to work in the knitting industry as a retail yarn shop owner and freelance knitwear designer. I dyed yarn and fiber here and there for myself and friends, but the business of running the shop kept me pretty busy. I love working with hand dyed yarns, though, so eventually I found my way back to the dye kitchen, and started wondering, with the advent of all these new indie dyers popping up on the scene if there could be a market for my yarns and fibers, too.

Would you call your process traditional- as in is this how fibers have been traditionally dyed or are you doing something innovative in terms of process?
I think it's a little looser and less scientific than some dyers, but more structured than others.

Where do you source your fibers from?
A variety of yarn mills and distributors around the country, I try to pick and choose yarns and fibers that are less commonly seen from other indie dyers, and ones that I'd love to work with, too.


Where do you do your work?
True to the name of the business, I really am working out of a kitchen in an outbuilding on my property.

How long does a batch take and what volume are you dying at one time?
Depending on the complexity of the colorways, I can dye up to 120 skeins in a day, usually in batches of 3 or 4 skeins each.

Do you knit as well?
Yes, I'm an experienced knitter and knitwear designer. My pattern, Girl Friday, is in the current issue of Knitty, shown in two of my worsted weight yarns. I also love to crochet, check out my free Spokes cuff bracelet pattern on our blog, www.kitchensinkdyeworks.com

Where do you find your inspiration?
There are so many unexpected sources of inspiration and creative ideas. A cool sweater on the woman in the supermarket line in front of me, a beautiful flower arrangement, a bright palette on a billboard; I never know where I might find a great idea. I always keep my camera and sketchbook handy. And I have a little flickr addiction problem, I'm always exploring other's photo pools for striking colors.

What are some of your current favorite products/colorways that you're selling?
I'm head over heels in love with our Luxe yarn base, a super-soft cashmere and merino blend that takes the dye in a slightly subtler way than some of the other bases. I'm also really enjoying crocheting with the Blue Faced Lace fingering weight, its tight twist really shows off crocheted lace. My current colorway favorites (this week anyway!) are Trafford, a rich autumnal gold, and Edgar, a deep inky blue-black that reminds me of fountain pen ink.

Is this your fulltime work?
Yes, I run KSD and work on my freelance knitwear design fulltime (and often overtime!)

What do you hope customers experience when they buy your yarn?
I hope they experience a connection with the color, and enjoy the subtle changes that really show off their work. I really enjoy when people see the yarns in person and have that "ooh!" moment where they gravitate straight towards a color that really connects with them.


What's the best part of your day?
There’s nothing as satisfying as pulling skeins out of the steamer and seeing all of that glorious color. I know I’ve hit the mark with a new color when I don’t want to let it leave my hands!

Hand Cable Knit Hat, Best Mailbox Surprise

Last night I came home to this tucked into my little mailbox. I was shocked and surprised and am very curious as to who left it for me since it didn't come with a card.

I am guessing it was my lovely neighbor, who I spotted knitting last week on her living room couch, but still, for someone I hardly know, I am amazed at the generosity. Plus, it matches my new Urban Posture scarf perfectly! (Note to self: you seriously need to learn to knit in the round so you can start making hats.)