Knit Stars | August 1, 2023
🧶Making peace with your yarn
BY SHELLEY BRANDER
“Wispy Haze” shawl in custom colorway “Cayanne’s Wedding”
This week I finished one of the most joyful projects I’ve ever made…
But it didn’t start out that way.
My niece Cayanne was married this weekend in the Bahamas.
I wasn’t there, but I can imagine how stunning she looked walking along that Bahamian blue water, wrapping herself up in a shawl that’s a color somewhere between the ocean and her eyes.
About six months ago, when I received the invite to Cayanne + Cory’s wedding, I was simultaneously overjoyed and very sad…
Because unbeknownst to the happy couple, my husband and I had decided to divorce. And even though I so longed to be there to celebrate this niece who I had babysat from infancy…who in turn had babysat my own children…who had been a flower girl in my own wedding…I knew the right thing to do was to bow out of the invitation and allow my soon-to-be-ex the space to attend on his own.
My nieces from left to right: Cayanne, Carly and Hilary
Still, I was truly so thrilled that Cayanne found her perfect match and wanted to mark the occasion. So as a replacement for my own attendance, I started on the *first* wedding shawl for Cayanne…
But from the start, something felt wrong.
There wasn’t anything wrong with the pattern or the yarn…yet I found myself picking it up less and less. Finding excuses to do something else – anything else – besides knitting.
And then one day as I stitched along on it, I realized I was feeling…
Resentment.
I resented the project. I resented the yarn. And underneath was something else…I realized I was imbuing that first shawl with unresolved emotions – over my divorce, how other family members reacted, over lots of things that had nothing to do with a wedding.
It was a cathartic realization. So I put that first shawl aside, allowing myself some time to heal and work through things. And eventually, I found a new pattern, had a special yarn kit dyed up called “Cayanne’s Wedding,” and cast on anew.
Each time I picked up the project, I made sure my heart was in the right place…
And this week I shipped the finished project to Cayanne with a full heart, knowing every single stitch is saturated only in love.
I share this with you this week because it’s quite possible you have a resentment project of your own on the needles…
Maybe you’re just tired of it but slogging away. Maybe it’s holding some not-so-great emotions you’ve been feeling lately. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself less than thrilled to pick it up, consider this permission to just put it down. Start something new. You can always return to it later, with a fresh new sense of purpose.
Our lives live in our stitches. Our creative spirit dwells in our yarn. To echo my friend Lisa Borgnes Giramonti from Knit Start, let us try to put Peace In Every Stitch.
xoxo,
Shelley
P.S. In my humble opinion this little project is the perfect wedding shawlette. We have it in multiple colors, some in stock and some for quick pre-order, here.
Photo courtesy of Aimée Gille via Ravelry
It’s baaaaaaack!
The Hot Loops Wall featuring La Bien Aimée yarns that sold out, has been restocked.
And there are some new yarns, too!
We got the Felix and Komo yarns in “Fluoromorganite” that Aimée used to make her adorable, classic Helix Cardigan by Marianne Munier. This is going straight onto my needles…maybe yours, too?
Want to try out a La Bien Aimée yarn on a one-skein project? How about “Lone Skein Shawl” by Joji Locatelli? Just pick your favorite skein of LBA Cashmerino, Allure, Merino Singles or Merino SuperSock.
Shop the entire La Bien Aimée restock here, while it lasts.
Easiest Ever Homemade Pizza Dough
Sure, buying refrigerated pizza dough or pre-made crusts is easy (and pizza delivery is even easier!), but if you’ve ever made your own dough, you know it’s a serious game-changer. This week I ran across the easiest pizza dough recipe I’ve ever made from Suzanne Lenzer in New York Times Cooking – so easy that I’m finally convinced to only made homemade. It took about 3 minutes to mix up, and it tasted divine.
INGREDIENTS
- 2Âľ cups/390 grams bread flour (I used all-purpose)
- 2½ teaspoons/7 grams active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ÂĽ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup warm water
PREPARATION
Make the Dough
Step 1
Put the flour, yeast and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube, then add the water in a slow, steady stream. Continue to process for 2 to 3 minutes (the dough should form a rough ball and ride around in the processor). The finished dough should be soft, slightly sticky and elastic. If too dry, add a bit more water; if too wet, a tablespoon or so more flour.
Step 2
Lay a 12-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on a clean work surface. Work the dough into a rectangle on the plastic, about 8 inches long and 6 inches wide. Press your fingers into the top of the dough all over, making indentations as though it were a focaccia. Fold the left third of the dough over (as you would a letter) and repeat the indentations. Fold the right third over and make the indentations again. Cover the folded dough with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.
Step 3
Cut the dough in half, form each piece into a neat ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer. The morning before you want to make pizza, transfer the dough to the refrigerator to thaw. (Note: We used ours right away and the full recipe was just enough for one 14-inch pizza). Roll, stretch and toss to shape, top with toppings and follow your favorite recipe’s baking instructions.
