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Welcome To The Knitting Studio!

Here you will find updates on what is happening in both machine knitting and personal hand knitting projects.  In the past two years, my knitting studio has grown from an general creative space to an honest to goodness knitting studio where ideas are born and designs are carried out. Custom order clients are welcome to visit to look, feel and touch materials.   
 

My Love For Knitting

As far back as I can remember I have had a love of teaching myself fiber arts.  As a kid I would spend hours with a crochet hook or pair of needles working and working at it until something was made.  Whether it was a small bracelet or a lopsided scarf, I always had yarn nearby. Three years ago, my husband and I decided on a simpler life and moved to the mountains of northeast Georgia.  I retired from full time nursing and found myself with the space and time to get back in touch with my creative side.  In the time between then and now, I have developed a passion for vintage flat bed knitting machines. These amazing machines that our grandmothers knit on allow me to produce quality handmade products, in my own unique designs, slow enough to be enjoyed and fast enough to make available for small production scale.

 Fair Isle Hand Knitting

 As they say, “if I’m sitting, I’m knitting” and if there is something on my needles it’s most likely being knitted in the Fair Isle tradition.  I specifically use the term tradition because as any knitting purist will tell you, it’s only fair isle if it’s made on Fair Isle using only wool produced on the island.  Having said all that, I love knitting fair isle.  It is a type of stranded color knitting using repeating patterns and not more than two colors in any row. The yarns used are produced in the Shetland Islands and have a texture that lends itself to this type of knitting. Traditionally, fair isle knitting is done almost completely in the round meaning it is knit in a spiral of continuing circles. The texture of the yarn allows the knitter to cut arm holes and openings without the knitting coming apart or unraveling.  I started by knitting the patterns of others and now I am beginning to create my own designs.  The color pallette of these yarns is gorgeous and I have gotten over my fear of color planning.  Hand knitted fair isle keps and beanies are available in the store as they are made….one at a time, by hand.

Flat Bed Knitting Machines

Flat bed knitting machines are mechanical marvels.  They allow the user to produce a truly handmade product in a time efficient manner.  Rather than two needles, one in each hand, there are 200 needles, each holding a loop of yarn that is waiting to be pulled through another loop of yarn.  These are manual machines that require a pass of the carriage, by hand, for each row.  Knitting on a machine is not an automated process.  The user must create a design, cast on, change colors, plan a variety of stitches and cast off by hand.  The difference is that those processes can be handled 200 stitches at a time instead of one at a time.  It is definitely not a factory type machine. It takes a strong arm and infinite patience.
 My production business consists mainly of hats, gloves and other cold weather accessories. Hand knit fair isle sweater and yoke style sweaters are available from time to time and may be commissioned at any time. If you don't see it in the store, hit the contact button above! I am happy to carry out your vision.   

Visit the shop to see my handmade winter knits.