A new Field Bag + Elsewhere

A new Field Bag + Elsewhere

First things first: There’s a new Field Bag color launching at 9am CT, very exciting — I’ll update this spot and reveal the photo at that time! YES!, that is a photo of an olive-drab Field Bag alongside the matching olive w/waxed army Town Bag and army green Porter Bin! I would say “it’s back,” but it is the same fabric as the body of the new olive Town Bag, which is slightly different than the original army-green Field Bag we’ve all mourned for years. So it’s all new but every bit as wonderful as the late lamented version! And it’s available now atFringe Supply Co.and through ourstockists. We also have the brand new MDK Field Guide: Wanderlust, and are restocked on our sashiko tool kit and the natural Porter Bin!

Meanwhile, a bit of Elsewhere:

— I absolutely loved the Love to Sew podcast interview with my good friend Alexia Marcelle Abegg about living life as a creative, and plan to listen to the new Brittany J. Jones episode while sewing tomorrow

What type of Fiber Muse are you?

— Great piece: Do we really need any more sustainable fashion brands? (thx, Cara)

“No horizontal stripes” and other plus-size clichés worth breaking (Down with all the edicts, IMO)

Ash finished her epic Logalong blanket!

Style muse

Rachel’s sweater-turned-skirt is astonishing

— and look at Kate Middleton eyeing that Shift cowl! (last image)

Happy weekend, everyone — I’ve a half-done linen skirt to finish and some vest pockets to wrap up. What about you?

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere + Holiday weekend project idea

Elsewhere + Holiday weekend project idea

Elsewhere + Holiday weekend knitting project idea

I woke up to such exciting news yesterday: Kay finished her Logalong sweater! And it’s a beauty. (Back story here.) Which is likely what reminded me that my Log Cabin Mitts pattern is a great holiday-weekend project, whether you need something portable for travel or an addictive little something to get into (and scrounge leftovers for) on a quiet weekend at home.

Here’s a longish Elsewhere for the long weekend—

— Never have so many people sent me the same link: ‘Knitting is coding’ and yarn is programmable in this physics lab (NYT link) (thx, everyone!)

— Makers of color: Have you responded to Jen Hewett’s survey for her upcoming book? Just a few days left …

— Settle in for this one: Anni Albers on How to Be an Artist

I always love reading about the birth of a new yarn

— Obsessed with these scrappy quilted jackets here and here

Great question

Canadian councilwoman calls out gender disparity at city council, one stitch at a time — you can see the disparity better here (thx, DG)

— “So, while it’s #memademay and I cheer at the handmade garments in my feed, I also cheer for the mended, darned, repaired, re-dyed, redesigned, or simply beloved clothes we’ve been tending for years. I celebrate the intention, the mindfulness, the awareness. And remember that we all have different resources in time, money, skill, equipment, and craftsmanship for our clothing. And hope that beauty can be the ecology we tend and support in Slow Fashion.

— “The question is no longer whether it is necessary to improve sustainable business practices, but rather how long it will take before consumers stop buying from brands that do not act responsibly.”⁣

Dream sweater

— And yes to baby animals in sweaters (but they are planning to pay for photos, right?) (thx, Jen)

On a totally different front, I’ll be reading the Wikipedia short history of Memorial Day, which — as with just about everything — is more rich and complicated than I recall knowing. And we’re planning to dust off Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary this weekend, which I’ve only ever seen bits of.

However you’re passing the weekend, wherever you are, I wish you the best — and I’ll see you back here next week!

IN SHOP NEWS: The butterscotch Porter Bin is back in stock, along with the new olive/army Town Bag I’m so thrilled you’re all loving! And all the other lovely goodies, of course.

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

Elsewhere + news to come

Yarny links for your clicking pleasure

It’s May, and I know some of you are wondering about Summer of Basics! My apologies for the cliffhanger — I’ve been thinking about retooling it a little bit for this year and hope to have an announcement about that next week. If you have thoughts on it in between, please do leave a comment below.

And in the meantime, a little Elsewhere—

— Data nerdery in knitted form: The National Parks Tempestry Project is kind of mind-blowing (thx, DG) (photo above left)

— “How sewing improved my mental health — and restored my professional ambitions

Spectacular

I love this profile of textile artist Llane Alexis (previously mentioned here)

How to dye with osage orange (photo above right)

Brilliant refashion

What a treasure!

— and I’m eager to listen to this interview with Imogene+Willie cofounder Matt Eddmenson

Happy weekend, everyone. I’d love to hear what you’re working on!

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PREVIOUSLY in Elsewhere: Wool dogs and whaling wraps

Elsewhere: Wool dogs and whaling wraps

Elsewhere: Wool dogs and whaling wraps

Hi!! I meant to have this ready to post on Friday, but last week was a week of (good) distractions and (non-tragic) complications, so here is it for your Monday enjoyment instead—

— Don’t miss this one: Andrew Sean Greer on the virtues of questionable taste (thx, DG)

Beautiful short video of indigenous Chinese textile artists and a Chinese-American designer attempting to keep these traditions alive (thx, Angela)

Short history of the Coast Salish wool dog, now extinct

After combat, a veteran finds solace in sheep farming

Kate Atherley’s dissertation on increases and their virtues

Make your own tiny woven pouch

Love the idea of colorwork sleeves on a solid cardigan

This is an incredible sweater collection

Nobody will ever crochet stones as beautifully as @resurrectionfern (bottom photo)

— And I’m super into everything about these knitted wraps for the Whaling Museum, from inspiration to execution (top photo)

Hope your week gets off to a great start!

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

Photos © @isobelandcleo and @resurrectionfern, used with permission

Elsewhere

I’m out of town for a bit for a family function but I’m leaving you with some nice meaty links to explore while I’m gone—

— First off, you know I’m gonna love a log cabin blanket made from leftovers of hats knitted for a bounty of friends

— Must-read interview with Whitney Hayward on the economic realities of trying to make a living as a knitting pattern designer— i.e., why knitting patterns should cost more than they do

— There is a really fantastic discussion on Jacqui Cieslak’s post about the implications of the word “handmade”

— “People who would never otherwise talk to you will engage with you about what you’re doing,” she says. “They come to see that the people who are out in the street [knitting] are very nice, and that we are openly talking about race and racism. The group provides a path into the movement that people aren’t even looking for.”

— What happens when you try to give men the obnoxious What not to wear after 50 type of advice? Backlash.

— Have you seen @thegentlemanfelter? (thx, DG)

— Or lucky lady @chakamartinique, whose husband makes all of her clothes? (via Mac)

— And totally off topic, but this is a whole ‘nother level of commitment to one’s craft

Have an amazing weekend, everyone!

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Elsewhere: Sheep, avocado pink, and the unending cleverness of makers

Elsewhere: Sheep, avocado pink, and the unending cleverness of makers

I have an epic stack of links for you this round, so we better get started!

— Please read this one when you have time to sit with it: Navajo shepherds cling to centuries-old tradition in a land where it refuses to rain (thx, Katherine)

— And this: Physicists are decoding math-y secrets of knitting to make bespoke materials (thx, Martha)

— Are you doing the spring 10×10 challenge? This one is co-hosted by @selltradeslowfashion and @buyfrombipoc, hence the extra long hashtag. I’m sitting it out as usual (except the one time) but always love poring over the feed

— Seen Renée Gouin’s Women in Clothes (via @ebonyh) and Liisa Hietanen’s crochet humans? (thx, DG)

— Used Ravelry’s Road Trip Planner?

— “He has the gentle, attentive touch of someone washing a baby. Only with sharp metal blades.” (photo above right)

Ode to avocado pink (photo above left)

Immigrant Yarn Project looks amazing (thx, Carolyn)

— I’m loving all the offers of help for BIPOC trying to break into the industry, like this and this and this — if you’re aware of others, please link them in the comments!

— I’m a little obsessed with all the patchwork #wikstenhaori jackets, such as Edina’s and Arianna’s

— Amy Palmer’s amazing Captain Marvel sweater

This video of screenprinters in India adding layers of color to yardage

— This sentence: “She knows love is often a few rows short of perfection but keeps you warm anyway.”

— and this miniature style muse

If you haven’t seen all the great responses on Wednesday’s Q for You — or haven’t weighed in — don’t miss that, either.

Happy weekend, everyone!

IN SHOP NEWS: For the first time this year, I think, we’ve got all three colors of the Town Bag in stock, all three colors of the waxed canvas Field Bag (camo! plum!) and all four colors of the plain canvas Field Bag. (Although very few of some, so use that Notify Me button if you run into it!)

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

Elsewhere

Elsewhere: Knitting, sewing, slow fashion LINKS list

This is a short but meaty installment of Elsewhere and I hope you’ll spend some quality time with it!

— I love every single thing Mac Housley had to say on the Love to Sew Podcast about why a diverse feed is important and so much more — please take time to listen to that this weekend, if you haven’t already. And see also the Harvard document she mentions, Suggested Norms for Cross-Cultural Dialogue

— I love this piece by my collaborator-friend Jen Hewett (above) on being a creative and a recovering perfectionist. For me, being one too, this bit about her great grandmother is the perfect tiny life lesson: She was a talented cook, but sometimes her cakes didn’t rise properly. “My mother never called those failures,” Auntie Maude said. “She’d slice that cake, pour some cream on top, and call it a ‘pudding.’ And we loved those puddings.”

— And I LOVE Dana Williams-Johnson’s piece about her 164 sweaters, and lol’d at her responses to the questions she receives (did you see the one I got to borrow?)

— Also: this Log Cabin situation

This groovy top

— and peeping what people are doing with that fascinating Junko Bouquet pattern

Happy weekend, everyone. I’ve been on overload lately and am looking forward to some quiet time with my mini Sólbein. Hope to have it to show to you next week! What are you working on?

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

Photo of Jen Hewett © me for Fringe Supply Co.