Birkenwasser knits

I had my first attempt at painting a sock blank a couple of months ago at Kässäkerho Pom Pom Super Weekend. Obviously, I was anxious to get the sock blank on the needles. I painted the sock blank with a fade in mind, thinking that I would knit two socks at the same time, unravelling the sock blank from both ends.


I soon learned that this would not happen, as the blank only unravels from the top down and not from bottom up. I had to rip the whole blank and cake it before I could continue. This took a bit of the fun of knitting a sock blank, but it was still nice to wait for the next color to appear.
By the time I got to the second color, I was getting bored with the basic socks. I started thinking about what pattern I could start with the foot almost done, and then I remembered Vanilla is the New Black socks. I quickly learned that it's a cuff-to-toes design, and I was working toe-up. Luckily, there is also a Vanilla Reversed pattern, which is basically the same design, but worked toe-up.

Taito magazine issue 3/2018 includes my Kaiku wrap pattern, among all the other lovely crafts ideas, instructions and articles. Kaiku wrap is an easy introduction to lace, with simple eyelet rows and eyelet mesh creating a striking end result. This wrap is easy to knit, but it will keep you interested with its unusual construction. It’s that relaxing project you want to pick up after a long day at work, comforting you on the couch with its simple, repetitive knitting. Kaiku wrap has a rectangular shape. It is worked from both ends towards the center. Once both sides have reached the center they are joined by knitting the remaining triangles outward from the center.




This project is a collaboration with Lanitium ex Machina. When Sonja from Taito asked if I could design a shawl for Taito using a Finnish indie dyer's yarns, I already had this design in mind, and I knew that Lanitium ex Machina's Alpaca Silk Linen (50%/25%/25%) would be a perfect base for it. Lanitium's Nea agreed to participate in this project, and she dyed this special colorway just for Kaiku.

Ephemeris was my third project from Pom Pom Quarterly Vivid Winter issue. It is an asymmetric triangle with mosaic details in two colors. Perfect opportunity to use two precious Lanitium ex Machina Merino Tussah skeins. These skeins have been in my stash since the first Kässäkerho Pom Pom Super Weekend in 2016, waiting for the perfect project. I think this turned out to be a perfect project for those lovely yarns!




I have only tried mosaic knitting in socks before (Tour-de-Sock 2017 and 2016), so this was nice practice before taking the mosaic shawl design class with Melanie Berg this summer at Jyväskylä Summer Knit Festival. Maybe you will see my own mosaic design in the future...


It's RUMS day!