Yes, I can relate to the concept of beauty and practicality at the same time. The two are actually depending on each other. Beauty always seems to falter if there is no purpose behind it and things that are well used become more beautiful with each day. I always tried to have beautiful things in use. They shouldn't be hidden away. Life is too short to hide beauty. 💫
They’re so interdependent aren’t they ❤️ when we care for something it becomes an extension of us almost, your favourite mug or spoon, they all have meaning because we have such a strong kindred connection. Thank you so much for your kind works ❤️ x
I’m not a spinner…yet… but really enjoy seeing you prepare the wool and spinning it. It must be so satisfying to be able to be so connected to the item you create starting with seeing the creature it came from. I loved the footage of the places from your hikes. The cave and paintings inside -amazing. You’re so lucky to live in such a beautiful space. Thanks for sharing.
Oops forgot to say that I only try to make items that are both useful and beautiful. Loved the pics of Aran, we were there last year, so beautiful and incredibly old. Stay warm and dry, think of us down-under in the hot sun, too hot for knitting!
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement ❤️ the fairy doll sounds so precious, it’s a beautiful thing to be making gifts. Thank you for the stocking recommendations!
I really enjoy your podcasts! Lisa from Soulful Spinning recommended it to us and I'm glad I checked it out. Thank you for mentioning the sock knitting book! I knew Lisa talked about it once, but I couldn't find it again in her videos. Now I wrote it down to not forget it again.
Lovely to see you again. What a beautiful episode, love all your craft and garden projects. Self drafting sewing is such a talent and the fact you know the seehp where your fivre is is so heartfelt. Until next season, take care. J xo
Thank you 🙏🏻 I love how you embrace the rhythm of life. Sari Nordlund has socks with cables, if ever someone really needed a pattern to knit up something similar ! Have a great week.
I have just found you.. YOU have just reminded me why I wanted to learn to spin.. to create my own yarn.. however somewhere along the way I have been lured in my pretty colours, and lovely images on instagram... and now have waaay too much commercially produced yarn. I have just finished spinning some kid mohair.. but thank you x thank you for reminding me why I wanted to learn to spin so much...
I so enjoy all your episodes and projects. They are very moving and have a spirituality about them. Thank you for sharing your making with us. I especially admire your spinning . I also spin with a wheel and spindles. Here in Canada we have several fibre festivals where I can buy fleeces. We also have a spinning guild where I live and I learn a lot there.
Lovely to see you gain Alexandra. Last winter you were so kind and encouraged me to learn to spin. Thank you . I am now a beginner spinner. Working with a fleece is in my dreams. Love your podcast.
Oh this makes my heart so full ❤️ I’m so glad you had the courage to try it! We’re all constantly learning, it’s never too early to try working with a fleece, even if you get yourself a small sample of washed fleece to start out with. Keep me posted on your journey! I’d love to keep in touch x
Thanks for the episode. I love seeing what a fellow spinner is working on, your yarn looks gorgeous. I am currently spinning an East Fresian fleece which I intend to make into socks.
Ah, as a gardener myself (up in the Highlands) I can so relate to the busyness of the season... and feeling extremely ready for the quiet and creative winter!! I've just found your podcast and am really enjoying catching up on your episodes. I'd love it if you could keep us updated on the flax processing, as this is something I've been interested in trying for years. I have an allotment as of this year, so I might finally get a chance to give it a try! Also very interested to see how you get on with knitting tights, which I've also considered doing. I settled for leg warmers this year! Thanks for the very enjoyable episode :)
Lovely to meet a fellow knitting gardener! What a combo. So glad you’ve found me here and share my sentiments of knitting tights! It would be lovely to do, wool layers everywhere to keep up warm 🍁 I’ll definitely keep you updated, currently building the processing equipment with some volunteers! Hoping to have some spun flax by the summer next year!
One of my favourite William Morris quotes is ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful'. I love having lots of beautiful functional things but I also find beauty and have so much gratitude to some of my most basic tools or things I have made that aren’t necessarily traditionally beautiful but that I get so much use or joy out of. It’s so lovely to see Bec’s fleeces. She is such a genuine and lovely person and her sheep are gorgeous. And your skirt is amazing!
I love this quote, it’s such an insightful prompt, I look at the things around me and feel so grateful that I have such beauty surrounding me. I think beautiful is so subjective too, I almost always find that the unconventional is the most moving in it’s beauty. Bec’s fleeces are honestly the best I’ve ever worked with, it’s such a dream ❤️
If you watch the latest episode of Soulful Spinning she shows how she does the pinhole cast on using magic loop crochet to put the stitches on the dpns. Your square looks lovely!
Absolutely love this podcast! It's so rustic and dreamy. I love your gardening, spinning, your sewing and especially your fabulous knitting. I feel more connected to the earth just watching. Thank you for sharing
So glad to have found you. Its a little difficult to find true spinning podcasts. I've been spinning for the sake of spinning recently. I want to spin for specific projects. What's holding me back for that is I have knits I want to get done before I start doing that. I also have a lot of colorful fiber that really when I get down to it is not the yarn I reach for to knit with other than socks.
You have it so right. At least in my opinion. I just started spinning about 6 weeks ago because I wanted to slow my whole making process down to essentials. So seeing you doing just what I am starting to do and doing it so beautifully is a gift. Your vlog is magical to say the least and I absolutely love the garden and hiking segment. Thank you for your lovely episode. I'm going to watch all of them now.
I'm also a full-time gardener! I wear lots of my knits to work. Especially the penny gloves for gardening!! Ideal for keeping cosy in the greenhouse whilst having your fingers free. Highly recommended ❤
I have enough hand spun to knit a blanket over the christmas holidays - simple Lshape peggy square join as you go - grey gotland, chocolate alpacca and lots of bits left over to stripe the L shape squares. Warmth is practical
My afternoon of spinning went by even more enjoyably with your company! I'm spinning some lovely Norfolk Horn sliver into 3ply double knitting at the moment with the intention of naturally dyeing it and making a garment for my husband. I absolutely love knitting with my handspun, even though I've only had my wheel for a couple of months - you inspired me to go for a wheel because I find drop spindling too tiring and I really wanted to get more deeply into the journey from sheep to sweater to shawl. Your work from fleece is so inspiring to me.
Hi loved your podcast. You were speaking about making the pinhole cast on for your afghan. There is a podcast in America called soulful spinning. She speaks with fondness about your delightful podcast. She shows how she starts a pinhole cast on. Love your podcast!!!!
Thank you for such a special video, Alexandra, I really enjoyed it. As I watched it I was sewing a fairy doll for my granddaughter, which is fun but difficult, and reminded me of how my fingers are itching to begin my next spinning /knitting project. I loved hearing about the qualities of your fleeces, we mostly have merino-based options in NZ. Roxanne Richardson has knitted stockings btw. Very best wishes to you
I was just wondering why I hadn't seen you for so long and then, voila! Here you are! I love the artisan approach you seem to take with everything you share. Thank you!
It was such a delight to catch up with you this November afternoon, lovely Alex! Your seasonal videos are always so rich in beauty and wonder. Knowing how to create a hand knit garment or accessory without reference to any external resource, but just the knowledge in your mind and hands is something I so desire as well. I am so inspired by your connection to the entire process of creating~ thank you for sharing with us!! 🤎🦋
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m glad we share similar goals! Every year I get a little bit closer, here’s to deepening our craft! ✨🍂 thank you for sharing such a lovely comment x
I enjoy your videos so much! Such a relief that that are so practical and non-commercial. I am inspired to do some fiber prep after seeing your beautiful spinning
Hello beautiful human! I love your podcasts and your insights into your knitting. Thank you for taking the time to share all your lovely creations. 🥰🤎🤍🤎
Gorgeous episode Alexandra! I love your socks and sweater! They look really lovely! The wool is gorgeous. I wish I could spin!! Maybe someday!! Always nice to see you! Thank you for sharing!
So lovely to see a new podcast from you Alexandra! So curious about the footage on Isle of Arran of all the pages pinned to the wall…what were they about? I have made several attempts at an Eastwind…it’s very challenging to get gauge, and then I’ve tried a few different yarns…it’s a project I will return to…likely in the depths of our Maine winter. Also great to see how you card your rolags. I’ve bought a glorious Coopworth fleece this autumn, so I’m looking forward to messing around with it. I’m a gardener by trade as well…just finishing up for the season…more time for knitting and spinning! ❤ -Karen
I’m so glad to hear from you again! I always remember your comments! The footage is from a place called the forest library, it’s a cabin made from wind fallen trees in a protected woodland that’s been regenerated by a wonderful group of people. The forest is called Eos Mór I believe, it should pop up on Google ✨there’s paper there and people leave poetry, drawings, stories and journal entries and pin them to the wall.
What a lovely episode - I'm so glad to have found you! I completely relate to finding a balance between comfort and practicality, and creating things that are lovely to look at and wear. I'm currently weaving fabric for a skirt from yarn that I've spun recently, combining naturally coloured wool and hand-dyed moody colours. I really enjoy your appreciation for local fibres and their glorious colours!
Oh Hooray! I always love your podcast so I can sink right in for a while and contemplate all things woolly. Spinning in the grease is the best right? Your work is stunning and I'm so inspired!
Thank you so much, Sarah ❤️ it brings me so much joy knowing that I can reciprocate the wonder that your podcast provides me. I’ve adored spinning in the grease, I’d love to experiment further with leaving the lanolin in the yarn after processing too. So much to try and learn. I found your creative practice so inspiring, especially your idea to help curate your yell cardigan through other mediums. I’ve always wanted to make the yell but have never settled on a colour scheme, perhaps I need to ground it in a landscape/feeling/sound etc. Sending so much love to you x
For your pinhole cast on, try looking at Lisa from Soulful Spinning. She has just done a small tutorial showing this cast on using a crochet hook to start. This maybe a help for you.
Hi Alexandra :) I was just wondering where you got your beautiful dress/jumpsuit from - it's so pretty. Can't wait for your next video to see what you've been creating so far this year.
One of the women at my last knit night was wearing some knitted footless leggings, I think she used a 3/4 length pattern and just added length. They were cabled at the front and looked super warm.
Thanks for sharing! I'm totally new to spinning, my partner made me a drop spindle for my birthday and I blended and spun together little cut off scraps of yarn to make a little ball which I then wove into a band which was gorgeous and very exciting. It is so satisfying creating something from scratch, it's such a special feeling. I'm wondering which is your favourite drop spindle to work with? and what's the method to create such neat patterns in the ball of yarn?! Everything you spin looks so beautiful and perfect ✨
Thank you for your kind words! I really appreciate it 🥰 my favourite spindle is a supported one from Kravelli which I featured in my second latest episode. I love the flow I can spin with it. For neat winding I use a basic nostepinne winding method, which keeps it tidy 🥰
First time here. Lovely channel! Btw, I find the pinhole cast-on is a little easier if you lay the needles down on a table and use it to help support everything until you get those first few rows to stabilize everything. 🙂
I'm so glad RU-vid showed me your channel! I've just liked, subscribed, and turned the bell on (which I never do). But I don't want your channel to get lost on me. I have also concluded that I want to create functional and beautiful clothing. Thank you for this channel and for showing me that with time and patience (which I'm not that good at), it can be done. Happy creating 💚🧶💚 I’m now off to check out your show notes and the shops ☺️
Stephen West has a pattern for tights (Marled Mania Leggings). Obviously his colours are a bit out there, but of course you can make them your own. They would be so cosy. Always enjoy your podcasts. 🤎
Thank you for this suggestion! All the recommendations are appreciated, I’ll have a look at that pattern ❤️ I was looking at the Rua tights by di gilpin as well, they looked super cosy!
Thanks for this episode, I relate to your concept of practical and useful garments. That’s why I love wool and linen so much. What historical movies can you recommend seeing?
Seeing your flax was so amazing! I had recently watched a video on how to process flax and it was fascinating. I've been thinking that someday when I get a larger garden space I would like to try growing my own flax and processing it into linen. The idea of growing my own fiber and being able to make a garment from seed to sweater is so enticing. I would love to see what yours turns out like when you process it into fiber. I love watching your podcast I always go away inspired to get out in nature and of course to knit 🙂 thank you for this lovely episode ❤
It’s so dreamy isn’t it, to think of growing fibre from seed and making something from it ❤️ I would love to spin some up and try weaving with it, but also I saw that Josefin Watlin had knitted a linen shawl, which was also lovely!
@@AncestralCraeft weaving the linen would be lovely too. I haven't tried it yet but I want to. I am fascinated by those big floor looms that can make cloth but one would never fit in my tiny apartment lol. Someday.....
Thank you for sharing your Ryder Pullover! I’ve been wanting to knit it, but only hearing negative things. I wasn’t sure that I trusted those opinions, and now I know that I don’t…this pullover was never the style that they were looking to wear. I’m farming and this sweater will fall into my wardrobe perfectly! I’m so excited…can you tell?😁💗😁😁
I really loved knitting this! I think a lot of people don’t like bottom-up, seamed constructions but I really enjoyed it. It was different to other jumpers I’ve made and I love the neckline and it’s oh so practical! Really easy pattern to understand, I’d love to see you make it too! I fell in love with the neckline and it keeps getting better with every wear ❤️
Hi Alexandra, lovely episode. I would love to have some of Bec's fleece but can't import raw fleece into Australia. I know she has prepared fibre as well so maybe one day.... For your leggings have a look at Eli zabeth Zimmemans book Knitters Almanac where she knits 'nether garments'. It's a wonderful book just to read with laugh aloud sections and great encouragment to try anything. She is a treasure!
Thank you for sharing ! You are inspiring…. I would like to learn to spin nice wool as you do…can you make tutorials or refer some good tricks or tutorials on you tube ? Thank you.
I have another question…if I want to spin the most regular wool possible, can I acheive it with hand cards or do I need wool combs to succeed ? Thank you
You can get a lovely woollen spun yarn from hand cards, or if you’re looking for a really smooth worsted yarn you could use dog brushes to flick out the locks 😊
Thank you for the lovely podcast! This is my first viewing and meeting with you and I look forward to your next connection. I have a question….I’m interest in purchasing a sheep skin rug for alongside my bed so I can feel the warmth of real fleece on my bare feet every morning! I see you had one draped over a chair that you stood on while showing your lovely cable socks. I would want to purchase ethically produced skin…do you have any suggestions for me as to where I might shop? Thank ou for direction. I love your kind and gentle spirit and your visions of wearability with wool, linen, etc….. you inspire me to work with my hands even more than I do. Gayle in Minnesota USA
Hello! Thank you for your lovely comments ❤️ the one in the video is a Oussant fleece that’s felted as opposed to being a skin. There are a few makers who produce them and they’re cruelty free and ethical. I made this one and you can find more info on a previous episode 😊
I just found you're channel - and I love it. Now I want to spin. 😍 Also, could I ask what is that beautiful pencil drawing you have in the frame on the wall?
So lovely to see another podcast from you, always so inspiring, maybe i missed you saying it but i was wondering what is the beautiful cardigan called that you’re wearing. Xx
