Late September in the midst of dyeing skeins for the upcoming New York Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, I pause for reflection and a latte. The seasonal shift at the autumnal equinox reminds me that courtship time for rams and ewes is nearing, and there’s lots to think about in preparation for my flock’s breeding program. I get to play wooly matchmaker, deciding which dams and which rams. READ FULL ARTICLE

While I do know a thing or two about fitting sweaters to the body, I’m not exactly an expert on round yoke sweaters. And perhaps, if I’m being perfectly technical, you can’t call the yokes in my designs Come Together (Twist Collective, Fall ’08) and Vaganova (in this issue) proper round yokes at all. My new favorite yoke isn’t constructed like the traditional Icelandic sweaters. True, it follows the classic cone shape from underarm to neck, but. . . READ FULL ARTICLE

The Problem ladies help out three knitters in need:

Living the Dream - finding acceptance of the knitting lifestyle

How to Stretch a Skein of Yarn - Knitting through the recession

Philosophy of Stash - Kay and Ann weigh in on if stash weighs you down.

Watching clouds drift over the surface of a perfectly round pond, stumbling upon the quietly crumbling bricks of an old hut or chancing on a curiously fashioned iron railing are the sorts of scenic moments you commonly experience walking in the English countryside. If you knit outdoors, you may take up your knitting for a moment and complete a few rows while taking in the splendid sights. What you may not have noticed before, however, are the connections between the yarn in your fingers and the shape and feel of those surroundings. READ FULL ARTICLE