Mandarine's episode 8: Sourcing local yarn & meeting virtual friends.

So, if you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that a new Mandarine's episode is available. In this week's episode I talk about the upcoming knitting wokshop that I'll be attending, sourcing local yarn, knitting a baby sweater and meeting virtual friends.

To watch the episode, you can simply click on "homepage", scroll down and click on "podcast".

I'm so looking forward to learning new techniques next week during the workshop. I'm planning to bring my Latvian mitten bible, and ask as many questions as I can, so then I'll be able to knit any Latvian mitten pattern. I'm so thrilled about it, and I cannot wait for next week's class. As the workshop is free of charge, we ought to bring our own wool. And I'm so stocked about it. I selected the three skeins above for the workshop, and I think that the color palette is absolutely lovely. The yarn that I'll be using is a Latvian brand, but the wool actually comes from New-Zealand. The white yarn will be used as the main color and the salmon & purple will make a very nice contrast. I grabbed the first skein in one of my local yarn shop while walking in town with Dottie Angel and Meg. These two ladies were the cherries on top of my fantastic week. They were such a joy, and it was absolutely fantastic to meet them. And the bottom skein is one that I have naturally dyed a couple of weeks ago.

I wish you a wonderful end of your week, and I will keep you updated on my worshop ventures!

Thank you so much for your kind words about the new website design, I really love the way it turned out, and I'm so pleased to have created a place that I love even more than before.

Saturday cast-on. Not with this one though. Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

2015 yarn-related goals

Last year I decided to set a very simple list of goals that were all knitting-related. It was nothing hard to accomplish by any matter, but still, I enjoy it as a little victory. I learned so much in a year, that I decided to renew the experience, and set more goals for this year. I'll see where it will bring me!

1. Keep working on pattern designing. 
At the moment I have two designs on the needles. The first one is a shawl, and I hope to be able to publish it by the end of the month/beginning of next month. The idea of creating my own pattern came out right after I completed my first one. I wore it everywhere with everything, and I'm totally convinced that it was my favourite knit of the year.
The second pattern that I'm working on is a totally different story. I started working on it back in October, making little progress on it, since I knew that i wanted it to be published during the fall of 2015. But something very similar has been published recently, so I has to re-think the whole thing out. My ideas for that pattern have totally shifted ever since, and as soon as I'm done with the shawl, I'll give it another try.
2. Focus on buying more yarn from small farms/ independent dyers (natural fleeces or natural dyeing)
3. There's so many different fibers out there! I want to learn more about breed specific wool; what qualities the different fibers have, and see how they knit up. And my first wooly purchase of the year goes in that direction. The first skein on the picture is an organic wensleydale, and the two other ones are Westcountry Tweed yarn, which is a limited edition made from a blend of lustrous Teeswater Crossbred wool from the Mendip Hills and matt Black Welsh Mountain wool from Devon. Just in case you were wondering, I got these two at Blacker yarns which sells British wool exclusively.
4. Keep working on my natural dyeing endeavours.
5. As always learn new techniques.

Do you have any crafty goal this year? Or patterns that you know you WILL knit this year?

A knitter's natural wishlist

Here's what I have in mind these days.

1.I'm still dreaming of natural fibers, and these Kelbourne woolens, Road to China yarns are absolutely stunning. I wouldn't be able to choose among them. 2. This little basket is adorable, and I could easily use it for my stash or to carry my groceries at the farmers market. 3. Natural soap for woolies. 4&7. I like to keep a tiny piece of soap or a little pouch filled with dry thyme & lavander in my projects bags. It does not only make my wips smell fantastic but it also keeps clothes moth away. 5. Since I'm at my parents home, I'm constantly using their essential oils diffuser, I wish I could bring it back to Latvia with me. 6. More linen, yes!