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Happy New Year!
Name: Kathérine (en français !)
Date: January 10
Current Location: Montreal, Canada
Happy 2026, everyone!
I hope you all had an amazing holiday season, full of happiness and spent with loved ones!
I spent the holidays in NH and DC with family and friends, but now I’m back up in Montreal, knitting away, picking up new fiber crafts, and desperately trying to learn French!
I took an embroidery class at a local makerspace called Les Affutés, which was so fun and calming! I’ve had a “learn to embroider” kit for a while, but learning the basic stitches from a live person and having other folks to chat with while we stitched was way more fun.
Current WIPs:
Squishy Cowl
In the interest of saving space in my suitcase, I didn’t bring this one with me back to Canada. I almost immediately regretted it.
Jaunty Skirt
This is my new mindless knit, as I have 30+ repeats of an increase row every 6 rows. …It’ll be a while.
Everywear Sweater
I need to find shorter circulars to use for this, or get DPNs (*weeps quietly*) so I can finish the sleeves.
Wedding Blanket (mystery pattern!)
Chugging along on the blanket that will go to my friends upon the day of their most joyous union! …it is SO much larger than I’d anticipated it would be. o.O
Up Next:
I’ll be here in the frozen north for another month or so, then back to DC and NH for March. After that? Wait and see 😉
❤
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Crossing Borders
Name: Katie
Date: December 10
Current Location: Montreal, Canada / Laconia, NH
Hello Again!
I went on a minor cross-border adventure over the Thanksgiving holidays to visit my family in New Hampshire, a mere 4-hour drive from Montreal. Crossing into the US was the more exciting bit – I’ve never had my trunk searched trying to get into my own country. This is all very normal. Nothing to see here.
Driving through the White Mountains was beautiful! I wish I had photos, but I’m not very comfortable behind the wheel on the best of days, so I didn’t want to try taking a photo while driving.
Thanksgiving with my family was fun! I hid out at my sister-in-law’s house and didn’t tell my parents I was coming, so I got to surprise them on Thanksgiving day. They were very happy to see me 🙂
I also got to see a LYS called Lamb’s Ear Yarns, which is tragically closing Dec 31. I got some lovely yarns there that I plan to use to make a cowl and some fingerless mitts where I can practice brioche knitting and cables.
Current WIPs:
Squishy Cowl
No progress made here, because I’m frantically working on Christmas gifts for others.
Jaunty Skirt
Technically there’s been a little progress here, but it’s hard to tell with the dark yarn. I have finished the waistband and reached the top of the skirt itself, again, difficult to tell with such dark yarn.
Vortex “Shawl” (read: “blanket”)
DONE AND BLOCKED!! The recipient of this blanket doesn’t have social media, so I’m not worried about her seeing this before she gets it. My blocking clearly needs some work…
Everywear Sweater
The body is done, and I’m working my way down the sleeves!
Wedding Blanket (mystery pattern!)
I’ve started a mosaic blanket, which is going to be a wedding gift for a friend who DOES read my blog posts, so no photos of this one.
Up Next:
Heading south again for the year-end holidays to NH and DC, and then back to my beloved Montreal for a few more months!
I’m enjoying all of the snow up here in the frozen north. I hope you all are enjoying the weather in your own parts of the world! ❤
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The Great White North!
Name: Kaitlyn
Date: November 10
Current Location: Montreal, Canada
Howdy all!
Greetings from my FAVORITE city!!! I haven’t visited in a few years, but I LOVE Montreal! I’ve spent the last several years in locales that don’t get very “wintry” winters, so I was determined to get snow and cold this year. And boy howdy did Canada deliver!
My friends and family all think I’m crazy, but I’m so happy up here!
Being a more northerly locale, Montreal and Canada have their own knitting traditions. I’ve investigated a few of the yarn shops here in the city, and I’m very pleased with the quality and selection I’ve found.
Les Laines Biscottes
I was familiar with Les Laines Biscottes, as I purchased their advent calendar several years ago. It was a really good one, and I loved their sock yarn and colorways. They have several locations in Montreal, but I went to the one downtown in Mile End. It’s a cozy, beautiful space with lots of light-colored wood, yarn spilling off of every shelf, and every gadget and notion a crafter could ask for!
La Bobineuse
This is a sweet little space on Avenue Mont Royal. The proprietress is a kind woman who cheerfully answered my questions and helped me find what I was looking for.
Current WIPs:
Squishy Cowl
Still trucking along. Not currently a priority, with the holidays coming up, but little by little, I’m working my way through this one.
Christmas Shawl
It’s DONE! …almost. I don’t have the tools to block it while I’m on the road. Hopefully I’ll be able to do so while I’m at my parents’ home over Christmas and show off the beautiful eyelets. In the meantime, here’s the un-blocked, squashy version, which is still lovely in its own way!
Jaunty Skirt
This is a skirt from Ririko. I’ll admit, it’s chafing my pride to be knitting a size “2XL”, but this is a Japanese designer, so the sizes run much smaller than those from Western designers. I’m super excited for this, especially as I’ll be spending the next few months in a cold climate. Here’s hoping I’m able to finish it before spring (😭)
Vortex “Shawl” (read: “blanket”)
This is technically a shawl pattern, but I’m using sportweight cotton to make it a blanket for a friend who lives in the swampy south! It gets chilly and damp during her winter, but not truly “cold”, so she definitely doesn’t need a blanket made from wool or animal fibers. This color-changing cotton Twister yarn from Hobbii was just the thing!
Everywear Sweater
This delightful pattern from Blue Sheep Knitwear is my first attempt at the drop-shoulder construction. I have some squishy acrylic yarn I got from Joann’s (RIP 😭)
Up Next:
I’m up here in the frozen north for a while longer, but I’ll be heading “south” again for the holiday season.
Stay warm, and keep stitching my lovelies! ❤
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Back to the States
Name: Kaitlyn
Date: Sept 25
Current Location: Portsmouth, NH
Hey folks!
Between travel and a family wedding, it’s been longer than I’d expected. I tragically got incredibly sick in Portugal, so I saw very little outside of my hotel room. I’ll have to make another trip back to the country later to check out their yarn as it didn’t work out this time.
I’m now back in NH celebrating my brother’s wedding and hanging out with family for a few weeks. I’m ducking down to DC for a brief visit before I head to Montreal for a few months.
It’s always a strange feeling, coming back to my hometown. The bittersweet sensation of familiarity mixed with permanent loss is a struggle to deal with. I try to focus on meeting up with friends, who I’m always happy to see. I also try to visit my town the way a tourist might, so I can appreciate it for what it is now, rather than focusing on how it’s changed.
One of those changes? THERE’S A NEW LOCAL YARN STORE IN MY HOMETOWN!!!!!
…but it’s closed for the next few weeks and isn’t opening until after I leave…
C’est la vie.
Current WIPs:
Squishy Cowl
Trucking along on this one. It’s soft and squishy, which is the main point. It’s my go-to project for when I’m in meetings or classes and want to keep my fingers busy but don’t have the attention to spare for a more in-depth pattern.
Christmas Shawl
I’m taking another stab at the Whippoorwill Shawl from Carina Spencer. My first one came out incredibly small, as I didn’t swatch or make any attempt at matching the recommended gauge. Will I learn anything from this? Absolutely not!
I’m using red and green Alpakka yarn from Sandnes Garn, also picked up in Sweden.
Aztecana – BebaBlanket
I can FINALLY show off my Aztecana blanket, designed by the amazingly talented BebaBlanket. I had to keep this one under wraps, as it was a gift for my brother and sister-in-law for their wedding. It’s finally been delivered, so now you get to see it, too!
Up Next:
I’ll be spending the winter in Montreal, so I’m very excited for snow, yarn, and some seasonal excitement!
See you all next time! ❤
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Estonia – Land of the Haapsalu
Name: Kaitlyn
Date: August 10
Current Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn, Estonia has a beautiful old town. It’s the perfect place for a stroll, wandering in and out of shops. And many of those shops had yarn!
Most of the stores asked me not to take photo or video, so please enjoy some lovely, scenic views from Tallinn and the surrounding countryside!
Eesti Käsitöö Maja
These are a local chain of Estonian handicrafts. Filled with beautiful souvenirs and gorgeous Estonian sweaters, they also have several small shelves of Estonian wool yarn. I picked up some Haapsalu lace yarn here in classic white, as well as a multi-color pack.
Domus Linum
A tiny shop tucked away along the tragically-closed Knit Market, this tiny souvenir shop has an entire wall dedicated to lace weight wool. I picked up some more lace yarn here.
Wool & Woollen
A classic little yarn store with a wide range of lace weight yarns available. I picked up a fabulous, sparkly lace yarn here that I’m excited to turn into an evening shawl.
Karnalucks OÜ
An absolute MUST for any fibercrafters or sewists visiting Tallin, Karnalucks is a veritable warehouse of sewing supplies and yarn. The entire first floor is dedicated to fabric, patterns, and sewing notions. A small landing up the stairs contains a sewing machine repair shop, and the then yarn takes up the entirety of the second floor. Aisle after aisle of yarn, boxes and bag of it piled up on every surface. I could have visited this store alone and been well-satisfied with my trip to Tallin!
Current WIPs:
Squishy Cowl
My own “design” if we’re being generous. I’m using a broad shaker rib (AKA – lazy brioche) to create a wide, squishy scarf that I will attach at the ends and make into a cowl. I’m using the beautifully soft Alpakka Silke from Sandnes Garn (it’s blue, I promise, even if the lighting in the photos doesn’t agree!). I’d originally intended to use it for a lacy scarf, but really didn’t like how that was turning out. I’m also much happier and more relaxed working on the simply 4-stitch repeat of the cowl.
Up Next:
I’m off to Lisbon, Portugal for a real vacation, although I certainly intend to duck into some of the local yarn shops while I’m there J
See you all next time! ❤
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Farewell, Stockholm!
Name: Katie
Date: July 28
Current Location: Stockholm, Sweden
I’m headed off for a new country today. It’s always exciting, but I’m also sad to say goodbye to one of my favorite cities. I would move to Stockholm in a heartbeat if it made sense, but it’s a very expensive city, and getting residency in Sweden is a beast.
Litet Nystan
Officially my favorite yarn store in Stockholm, Litet Nystan is located in Södermalm. A knit rainbow flag hangs over the door, and the floor-to-ceiling shelves are stuffed with yarn. There’s a spacious feel to the store, despite it being crammed with shelves and displays of yarn and notions. I picked up some more yarn here – my first taste of Sandnes Garn!
Fingerborg
Just a few blocks from Litet Nystan, Fingerborg is a tiny little yarn shop whose proprietress can always be found behind the counter knitting away on one project or another. A smaller selection due to size constraints, but you can find many high-quality yarns here for your next project!
Makeri 14
Located in Stockholm’s famous Gamla Stan neighborhood, Makeri 14 is a little yarn shop down one of the many winding, narrow streets. A small but beautifully curated selection of yarn awaits!
Søstrene Grene
A homegoods store that I never would have stopped into if it hadn’t been for a post from Kutovakika. The store is floor-to-ceiling wood with a very rustic, homey feel to it. They have a small selection of yarn and notions available, beautifully displayed in baskets, shelves, and cubbies.
Current WIPs:
Advent Scarf
On the last mini skein (day 8), so this will soon be put on hold and then I need to decide if I want to knit a cowl or a tank top for my next project…
Up Next:
I’m off to Tallinn, Estonia, land of the Haapsalu shawls, for a few weeks. We’ll see what kind of fiber-related shenanigans I can get up to there 🙂
See you all next time! ❤
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Greetings from Finland!
Name: Katie
Date: July 20
Current Location: Helsinki, Finland
I decided to spend a long weekend in Finland. The weather was beautiful, and I had access to AC for the first time in over a month, which was a nice change.
I also made my first ever video, which you can watch HERE. Who says elderly millennials can’t learn the hip new technology?
Helsinki is a clean, quiet city, with lots of restaurants, shops, and parks. Ice cream carts are on nearly every corner, and there are some particularly aggressive seagulls at the piers. Tragically, I lost a cone of delicious raspberry sorbet to the winged thieves!
Helsinki also had loads of yarn available, as knitting is a deeply ingrained local tradition. I stopped at a number of local yarn stores, and was delighted with the range and variety available at all price points.
Sunday Knitting Club
My first stop as it was just a few blocks from my hotel. A cool, quiet space with clean white shelves and large windows. They have little tables and booths set up where you can settle in to work on a project and chat with others. I particularly liked their rack of several dozen sample knits, each clearly labeled with the yarn and pattern used. I also appreciated the number of books available for purchase.
Snurre
Easily my favorite stop in Helsinki, Snurre has lovely, large windows and floor-to-ceiling shelves full of yarn! I visited twice and purchased yarn here – I’ll finally be trying out a Knitting for Olive yarn (Pure Silk) and will see what all the fuss is about!
FiinaNeule
Right around the corner from Snurre, this tiny little shop is overflowing with yarn! It’s quiet, cozy, and makes you want to dive face first into all of the beautiful yarn!
Villi Solmu
A handicraft store in Porvoo, just an hour from Helsinki, I was impressed with the range of yarns available in this tiny shop. There were also a large number of handknit items for sale, created in-shop by the owner herself!
Local Grocery and Department Stores
Finland is the first country I’ve visited where the grocery stores have yarn available. Gotta say, I really love it!
Current WIPs:
Advent Scarf
Nearly through all the mini skeins I brought with me, so it will soon go on hold until I can get back to the States to get the rest of the yarn.
Completed Projects
Drops Summer Halo Tee (Attempt #2!)
Finished!! I’m very pleased with how this came out, but I have come to the conclusion that any wool or alpaca projects must be designed to have a layer under them. Even this super soft alpaca yarn is very itchy to me.
Up Next:
I’m headed back to Stockholm for a bit before I head to Tallinn, Estonia for a few weeks and then Lisbon, Portugal. Catch you soon!
Do you have any suggestions for yarn- and fiber-related stops I should make in any of these cities? Let me know!
See you all next time! ❤
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Happy Midsommer!
Name: Katie
Date: June 20
Current Location: Stockholm, Sweden
And here I thought I wouldn’t have such a long gap between updates. *facepalm*
So, my life and changed a great deal in the last few months. I’ve given up my apartment in the US and I’ve decided to do the digital nomad life full-time, with my first stop in Sweden! I arrived two weeks ago and have been buried in an intensive Swedish language course for that entire time. In other news, I can now eavesdrop on approximately 15% of what I hear on the bus!
With the language class taking up most of my day and then the evenings spent working my day job, I haven’t had a ton of time to play tourist yet. I have, however, had time to check out a couple of the local yarn stores!
Wincent Rowan
Just a block away from the Odenplan metro station, this shop is all elegant, dark wood paneling and cubbies of yarn stacked to the ceiling! Truly a beautiful little shop. They also have several hundred colors of embroidery floss for those looking for a different fiber hobby.
Slöjd-Detaljer
The first store I stopped at on my very first day in the city! It’s definitely a general crafts store rather than yarn-specific, but they still had an entire wall of yarn options available.
Klara Tyg & Garn
A cozy little gem tucked away down a side street, this is my favorite shop I’ve visited so far. It has that crowded, cluttered, comfy feeling, with yarn and hooks and needles and notions. It’s the sort of place where you walk in and think, “I would like one of everything, please and thank you!”
This is also where I made my first Sweden yarn purchase – Creative Cotton Dégradé from Rico Design. I was enamored with the beautiful color changes, and I plan to knit a shawl with this!
Current Projects:
The Aztecana Blanket from BebaBlanket
Still in progress – I just need to finish the border. I’m refraining from sharing more photos at this time as it’s a gift for someone who may very well read this blog, so you’ll have to wait with bated breath until it’s gifted later this year, but it looks VERY nice 😊 (please take my word for it 😭)
Advent Scarf
Still slowly but surely working my way through this one! I brought a few of the mini skeins with me, so it’s going to get longer while I’m here in Sweden.
Drops Summer Halo Tee (Attempt #2!)
While I liked the first one I made, it ended up much more cropped than I’d anticipated. I blame my lack of swatching and general inexperience with creating sized clothing items. I had a bunch of Cloudborn Alpaca fingering weight yarn and I decided to give it another go and see what happened. Learning nothing from my first attempt, I also did not swatch this time.
After futzing around with the neckline for longer than I’d like to admit, I’ve made it through the lace in just a few days and I’m plowing my way through the yoke and towards the sleeves. Go me!
It’s a little difficult to see this color against such a light background, but the lace is looking good! Up Next:
I’m here in Stockholm for the next month and a half, and there are at least three more yarn shops I want to check out in the area. I also have weekends planned in Helsinki and Tallinn, with a short list of yarn shops to check out in both!
Do you have any suggestions for yarn- and fiber-related stops I should make in any of these cities? Let me know!
See you all next time! ❤
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Long Time, No See!
Name: Katie
Date: March 6
Current Location: Bethesda, MD
Hey folks!
It’s been a while! Between the holidays and the US ripping itself apart, I haven’t been in a writing mood for the last few months.
But it’s my birthday today, and I do enjoy sharing my progress on my fun and fuzzy fiber projects. So, if you are still interested, I am still writing!
My major focus right now is trying to complete all of my WIPs so I can either store or gift them before I head overseas and reduce my stash. …we’ll see how well that goes.
Finished Projects
Christmas Gifts
Now that December is behind us, I can share the final results of my frantic Christmas Crochet Marathon.
Behold! The many beautiful blankets that were distributed to my friends for the holidays.
Current Projects:
The Aztecana Blanket from BebaBlanket
This one’s really coming along! I’m super excited to see it when it’s finished!
Temperature Blanket 2024
Finally finished the main body! …and it’s not a rectangle o.O
I need to go back and review the pattern I used, because theoretically, this should have been a rectangle and not a wonky 6-sided rhombus.
I do, however, quite like it, despite its unexpected shape! I’ll be doing a black border around this one, which will hopefully let me cover up a bunch of the ends so I don’t have to weave in ALL OF THEM (T.T)
A cute advent scarf! I got two dozen beautiful mini skeins of sock yarn that coordinate beautifully with each other, and I’m (slowly) working my way through this sampler pattern. It’s taking longer than expected, as I keep making mistakes learning the new stitches, but I’m making prodigious use of lifelines and am slowly but surely getting through it.
Casablanca Afghan from Annie’s Kit Clubs
Trucking right along on this crochet kit blanket. I’m having such a good time working on it – there’s so many ideas and stitch techniques that even I, as a 20-year crochet veteran, am learning something new with every kit!
Up Next:
So, I am seriously considering fleeing the country. At the very least, I’ll be spending time in Sweden this summer. I’ll likely be in the DC area for the next few months, though, frantically crafting up a storm!
See you all next time! ❤
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Master Weaver – Check!
Name: Katie
Date: October 18
Current Location: Greenfield, MA
Hey folks!
Ok, so I’m not actually a Master Weaver, but I’ve completed my weaving immersion and have had SUCH a great time! I’ve learned so much and been able to try out all kinds of different patterns and techniques! It was also just wonderful to take a few months to dedicate myself to a craft, squirreled away from daily life in a lovely old farmhouse in the woods. It was incredibly peaceful, and I am so grateful I was able to participate!
Check out all the cool things I made!
Finished Projects
Green/Purple Granny Square and Pink/Brown Granny Square
My obsession with Granny Squares continues…
Current Projects:
The Aztecana Blanket from BebaBlanket
Cruising right along, although it may end up with a different recipient than originally intended…
Another Granny Square – Gray/Purple
Would you believe me if I told you I didn’t actually like Granny Squares all that much?
Up Next:
I’m hoping in a car and taking off for a New England road trip before I head back south to DC. Stay tuned for some fall foliage pics!
See you all next time! ❤
Have Yarn, Will Travel 