MaryKate Alsvig is an attempt to combine all of my hobbies, joys, and labors into one business. The project began back in art school when I discovered a profound love of weaving and dyeing which was inspired by a lifestyle surrounded entirely by art. When I made the abrupt and perhaps wild decision to split off and earn a Master’s in counseling, I left my artistic side for nearly three years. While I was learning and growing as a Catholic at a school that I love, as well as becoming mentally stronger, and learning to love and serve others, still I felt an internal drought when I walked by my empty loom. Here is my attempt to regain the habit of creating and sharing my stories with people who are interested. I hope that it can be inspiring the way that I have been inspired.
Thank you so much, I learn so much from you! The math is so hard for me to understand and yet, you explained what I needed to know. The stockings will be a heirloom for sure! May the Lord keep blessing you with peace ❤
Hello MaryKate, so good to see you planning a new weaving project! An Max is helping, that´s good! About sewing, I have nerver made Christmas Stockings but I sew most of my clothes and have been doing that for a couple of years now, making my own pattens because nothing will fit me and my advice is - as with everything - be confident about it, make a sketch and a mockup (which can be used as the lining), staystitch your bias edges and curves (!) and you will be just fine.
@@marykatealsvig They will. I am absolutely sure about that. Oh, and if possible, do the staystitching on the handwoven cloth before you cut it. It makes cutting easier and safer. You will be just fine. Trust yourself.
I've never made a sourdough starter either but I also don't make bread but I want to. Is your husband in the Navy and is he enlisted or an officer? I was in the Navy many years ago!!❤❤
He's actually army, an officer. I love to meet others who are familiar with the military way of life! It's a different breed and I'm still getting used to it.
Thank you for making a video showing you can make a sourdough starter without a kitchen scale. I’ve been hesitant to make my starter because I don’t have a scale but I think I will just go for it!😊
I have stubbornly refused to use a scale for sourdough for no real reason other than that I don't want to. I've made sourdough for about 4 years without it, so just wing it and you'll figure it out without.
Hi MaryKate, whole wheat is not because it has barley in it, barley is a different type of grain. Whole wheat means that it is not white, it has at least some of the natural fibre with it, which makes it brown. All the best with your sour dough starter!
Monday mornings are so much better with news from you! I am glad to see you have a place to call home (and a very nice one, too!) When I saw your loom I said: Oh, there she is, and looking fine, That´s good! Please take your time to do all the things that need to be done. Take time to be happy and enjoy, I know you like and need things to be clean but sometimes happy and relaxed is more important You will be fine. All the best, Su/Pinguinpullover
You're so kind! I am trying to take it day by day with everything to get done. I have some areas of "to deal with later" and right now that's just gonna be fine.
My base house in Washington had that same microwave and beeping hahahaha. It drove me nuts. Go easy on yourself!! Make sure you get out with your son to go to the parks and meet some other moms! There may be a mops group or a bible study or a book club to join too! There is so much available for military moms if you look! ALSO!! Don’t be afraid to apply for WIC, that helped us pay for a lot of our fresh produce and other items for a long time. 💗💗
Thank you for so vulnerably sharing your thoughts and process! It brings comfort to those of us who are also just “human”. I’m guessing you’re a military wife. I am too, it asks a lot of us and I think it requires a special kind of strength to pick up and start a new life and do a lot of it on your own. Sending prayers 💗💗
So, finally, you made it, I am glad. My wishes for you and your family are, that the time and experiences there will make up for the hardship of getting there. And if it´s no good, it´s just three short years in a place most of us will never get the chance to see Happy times, All the best, Su
What a beautiful, heartfelt video - thank you for this! I am sending you the biggest hug with lots of love and peaceful wishes dear one❤ I am looking forward seeing your new adventures in life. Take care sweet one!
Come to think of it, the attraction with granny squares is that they are small increments of sometimes large projects and one gets tiny bits of "yay, i am done" over and over, the feeling of achievement without the project itself being completed but while one makes the squares, they are the projects. A bit like knitting Fair Isle Patterns, where the next row, the next pattern, the next colour is the goal, not the finished sweater. Small increments instead of a mountain of work. Ramblin´ philosopher.. And a bit of nudging the algorithm, of course. be safe, be happy Su
I love this! It's a little dopamine hit with each completion, like checking an item off a to-do list. I've never knit Fair Isle, but now I want to give it a shot even more to see if it has the same positive experience.
@@marykatealsvig do try it, once you get past the awkward beginnings and get comfortable with holding / working with two colors (there is no wrong way, whichever way feels right for you is the right way to do it) you will probably fall in love with it. But, be warned, if you like it, you´ll be hooked. And if you do not like it, at least you gave it a shot. But my guess is you´ll love it.
Oh i love your granny squares, the colours are a bit like my south england coast theme. And there´s SO many of them, too! I sometimes knit without needles and yarn, just in my head, it is soothing and helps me think - or fall asleep, whichever is appropriate at the time. And I can relate to the travelling part, i was a military spouse as well and you do learn to travel light! I hope the move goes smoothly and nothing gets lost on the way. Thank you for spending time with us! All the best, Su
I was happy to see a new video pop up and the cloth looks marvellous, it´s a bit like a time capsule, don´t you think? Seing you packing up your loom made me a bit sad, it feels like you just unpacked it the other day! But you seem to be be confident about the new location, so that´s good. Thank you so much for keeping us updated, it´s always such a pleasure to be a guest in your life. Be safe, Su / Pinguinpullover
I was pretty sad to pack the loom, I'll be honest. It's always hard going without a project to work on. Right now i'm really focusing on my cross stitch, which is so good because I've neglected it, but I miss weaving!
Hello MaryKate, I love to watch one of your videos in the morning when i have my coffee an tea and very slowly prepare myself for the day (it takes me almost two hours to be ready to leave the house, that is just how i work). Perfect pumpkin, so very pretty! Thank you for the tutorial ;-) I needle felted some small balls yesterday evening, just for practice, to see how this works and -of course - poked myself nicely, which is surprisingly easy with these needles. So, lessons learned: Felting is loads of fun, the needles are rather sharp, so be focused and don´t rush. It´s wool, after all and wool is slow stuff by nature. Just look some sheep in the face :) Autumn and crisp mornings and Gilmore Girls I love, scary stuff I don´t so I am all there with you. For books I always like to suggest Terry Pratchett. So sad he is no longer with us, he was a genius. So deep, so funny, so on the spot. Fantasy at it´s best. Of course, Neil Gayman and Stephen Fry, but we all read their books, right? Hope you are allright, be safe, thank you for being Su / Pinguinpullover
The needles really will get you good if you're not paying attention! I usually watch videos while I craft and sometimes I have to slow down and be far more careful when I'm felting. I actually haven't read Stephen Fry, ai'll have to give him a look!
For me, the video was very interesting as well as inspirational, just as the ones before. Thank you so much for taking the time to film and explain (and edit!) I hope all goes well with moving, All the best, Su / Pinguinpullover
I finally got the warp wrapping, it´s five strands every time and you change the position of the one in the middle.. so simple once I got my mind to scoot over and give uneven numbers some space.. Learning is so much fun! And you are a gem. Wishing you all the best for the move, it´s never easy and I admire you so, finding time for filming and editing while taking care of your family and moving. Chapeau!
I'm so glad you got it! I find it's easiest with the uneven numbers, but really you can use as many or as few warp threads as you want. I just love how it looks like a little mini braid
Hello Mary Kate, lovely lace indeed, i will try some of those - after i watched your video a few more times - in slow motion ;) the warp wrapping was somewhat confusing to me. The Medaillions might be called danish medaillions @MargeryErickson has a video on them on her channel, only yours look much more intricate. Thank you for sharing! All the best, have a wonderful new week, Su / Pinguinpullover
Slowing down a demo definitely helps! Lace is so intricate like that. I think you're right they're danish medallions. I know there are many ways to do them, but the name sounds familiar
I came back to watch this again, the painted warp looks so lovely. when i am done with the diamonds, i will try my luck with a cornish coast colours inspired painted warp. so there will be all kinds of blue for sky and sea and some really bright yellow for lichen and greens and some dark grey for the grass and the rocks. In my head it looks good.
Me again, just here to thank you again for sharing your craft, you made me try new things and made me confident about little mishaps, they are good. They teach me things. Also, from the bottom of my heart thank you for not playing music while you explain things. Being blessed with APD, I very much appreciate that. Have a wonderful day and a smooth move. Greets from across the water, you are a gem! Su / Pinguinpullover
I'm so happy to hear this! Also I totally agree, I can't stand when music is played over something I'm trying to listen to well enough to understand. I'll do my best to keep that up!
Hahaha yeah, I'm pretty sure it is backwards. I put it on front-facing and it made this obnoxious thumping noise every time I moved it, so i just switched it around. I'm going to take some time to figure out what's going on with that as well as the sticking shafts before I start my next warp. But honestly it works just as well backwards, so I'm not going to stress it.
