Leonard Cohen language runs through my mind, the deep resonance of well-chosen words. I sit thrumming mittens to Cohen’s ageless musical beats; “I had the invitation that a sinner can’t refuse, it’s almost like the blues”.

I carefully pull the chosen wool from the roving, lightly twist the 4” of wool between my fingers, then wrap it around the right-hand needle that sits waiting, pointing through the space between the stitches. I knit the next stitch pulling the thrum in place.

The gusset for the mitten has been formed and sits waiting on the safety pin to be connected to the thumb. “You looked so good I didn’t care what side you were fighting for”.

I am 10,000 stitches deep. Socks, mittens, scarves, vest, sweater, all lay in their project bags, partially finished. I hop from yarn to yarn, pattern to pattern falling into the peace of endless stitches on different needles.

Dark afternoons and mornings make the nights seem deliciously long. Knitting thrives in the dark for it is then that I give myself permission to sit in the lamp light and allow the outside world to fall away. Tonight I dip cheesy nachos in refried beans and salsa, listen to Leonard Cohen, and thrum. I am one with the couch and a rich soulful quiet expands in me, I’m 10,000 stitches deep.

Enjoy the dark,
Kathleen.

I wrote these words years ago and this morning once again in the winter dark I realize that I am now Millions of stitches deep. Mittens continue to attract, hats abound, sweaters lay unfinished in their special bags, blankets hang on the couch, shawls, cowls and even tea cozies have been knitted.

Yesterday as I unpacked another box of Opal Sock Yarn I realized that hundreds of balls of sock yarn flow through our store. The sock yarn that I buy for the store is 100% wool with 25%-30% nylon depending on the brand. Sometimes it is superwash and sometimes not.

There is Malabrigo hand-dyed, Regia, Opal, Lang computer-dyed, Smithe and Ewe, Not Just Sock Yarn, hand-dyed, Pro Lana, Urth, to name just a few. They are all beautiful and inspiring and as I organized the new yarn into our shelves I marveled at the constant exploration of colour that is available. There is 3ply, 4ply, 6ply, and 8ply yarn. From very fine to worsted. Many of these yarns stripe themselves so as you knit a wonderful pattern unfolds.

When you knit a sock you are tapping into ancient art. The structure of the sock is a constant for it must fit the foot, what you knit with and with how you create it, is at the whim of the creator. Top-down, toe-up, flat, in the round, with double point needles, magic loop, and with any stitch variation, you can imagine. The art of the sock is a journey and each time you pick the needles up you can have an adventure.

To support and encourage that journey in the month of January 2022 when you buy 2 balls of sock yarn at the regular price we will throw in a free ball of sock yarn from our back stock. In store or online.

Over the Christmas Holidays, I once again dipped into the writings of Elizabeth Zimmerman. The Opinionated Knitter is one of my favourites. You can order it from School House Press. Her closing line on her newsletters was “Knit on, with confidence and hope through all crises”

What fun it is to explore her patterns and approach to knitting. The very epitome of adventure.

I am a 1,000,000 stitches deep and feel ever so excited to continue to explore this amazing fibre art. As Leonard Cohen says “I had the invitation that a sinner can’t refuse, it’s almost like the blues”.

All the very best for an Amazing Year 2022
Kathleen