Knits & Peaks

Category: New England

  • Fernlys Sweater

    I finished the Fernlys Sweater by Liv Ulven this past spring and wanted to share a project recap. I used yarn I found at Rhinebeck from Shenandoah Fiber Company and the pairing ended up working really well.

    The pattern is a top-down circular yoke, with shaping around the neckline. It has an Estonian braided detail across the chest, shoulders, and cuffs, which adds some subtle texture to the sweater. In addition, to some simple color work with usually 3-4 repeats, making the color work come together easily. It’s mostly simple stockinette once you get past the yoke, which made for a low-effort knit.

    This was my first time knitting with Shenandoah Fiber Company’s yarn. I bought it at their booth at the New York Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck. I had been walking through their booth and noticed these skeins for how soft they were, it really stood out from all the rest. They explained that this wool came from their Alpaca’s Marzipan and Ziva. I loved the little cards telling us more about the alpacas! I grabbed one skein of the green and four of the light blue. In retrospect, these colors looked beautiful next to each other as skeins, but overlapped quite a bit. If you knit this pattern, I suggest getting two colors with more contrast to make the color work stand out.

    The yarn held up well while knitting, and it blocked out nicely. It’s soft but still has enough structure to show the yoke pattern clearly. I didn’t make any major modifications to the pattern, just followed the size I normally knit and aimed for gauge.

    If you’re looking for a simple sweater that has a bit of detail, Fernlys is a good option. It’s great for knitters getting into color work or learning new techniques. And if you come across Shenandoah Fiber Company at a festival, their yarn is definitely worth checking out!

  • A Fall Adventure in Rhinebeck

    Last October, when visiting home in New England, my mom and I took a trip to the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival, and we couldn’t have picked a better time to visit. The Hudson River Valley was absolutely breathtaking, with the trees in full autumn colors. We stayed at the Tarrytown House Estate in Sleepy Hollow, which was in the perfect location. The property was beautiful, with its historic buildings and peaceful grounds, and it made a great home base for our trip. One of the highlights was visiting Lyndhurst Mansion at night for a ghost tour. The mansion, with its old architecture and spooky history, had an eerie vibe as we explored its rooms for the tour. It really added to the fall magic of the whole trip!

    I made sure to bring my Pumpkin Patch Sweater for the trip. It’s knit top down in the round with shaping around the neckline. I used Berroco Alpaca Wool for the body and pumpkins and added some leftover Malabrigo Rios for the accents. It was the perfect sweater for Rhinebeck. Funny enough, I actually saw someone at the festival wearing the exact same sweater pattern! It was a fun moment, and I ended up chatting with them and taking a picture.

    Of course, the main event of the trip was the Rhinebeck Yarn Festival, which was huge! The festival was packed with booths selling every type of yarn imaginable, and there were tons of sheep too! From hand-dyed skeins to unique fibers, there was so much to see and touch. While I was at Rhinebeck, I picked out some yarn from the Shenandoah Fiber Company. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, there were a ton of people buying the same yarn. The yarn was from a specific sheep that must’ve been the softer than the rest. I ended up using it for the Fernlys Sweater pattern, and it’s become one of my favorite knits. The yarn was perfect for this pattern, a top down knit in the round with a slipstitch detail and Estonian braid.

    Overall, Rhinebeck was everything I hoped for and more. The festival, scenery, and the fall vibes was the perfect mix of everything that makes autumn so special. I’m already thinking about going back this year, maybe with a longer shopping list and definitely with more time to explore.

  • Visiting Green Mountain Spinnery

    While visiting back home in Connecticut, my mom and I make a trip up to the Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont. It was such a fun experience! The spinnery is tucked away in the Vermont countryside, it feels cozy and full of character. The whole space had that wonderful woolly smell, with shelves stacked high with their products.

    We got to look around the spinnery and hear about their process of turning raw wool into the soft, colorful yarns they’re known for. It was fascinating to see the machines in action and hear about how they work with local farms to source their wool. They have a commitment to sustainability, which made the visit even more special. Of course, we couldn’t leave without picking up a few skeins of yarn. We spent some time chatting with the staff, who were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and it was clear how much care and passion goes into every skein they produce. Below our pup Archie makes an appearance!

    The first project I worked on using yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery was the Alpine Sweater, which I made for my dad. He specifically requested his favorite green and blue colors, so I chose a combination of their Mountain Mohair and Weekend Wool that would give the sweater a bit of depth and texture. The yarn’s softness and warmth were perfect for the cozy sweater, and I love how the green and blue blend together in the colorwork. I used colors Blueberry, Peacock, Edelweiss in Mountain Mohair and color Spruce in the Weekend Wool for the body and arms. I had been so excited to knit the Alpine Sweater pattern by ViolentCatLady, especially since I’d been following her on TikTok for a while. Watching her create and sell this pattern made me even more eager to try it out myself. The sweater turned out perfectly, and the combination of Green Mountain Spinnery’s Mountain Mohair and wool gave it just the right balance.

    One of my current projects using Green Mountain Spinnery yarn is the Inge Sweater by Le Knit, which I’m also knitting with their Mountain Mohair. The colors I’ve chosen are Edelweiss, Grey Birch, and Blueberry. I’ve only completed the yoke so far, but I’m already in love with how it’s coming together. The sweater is a raglan design with shaping, and I’m especially excited about the stark diamond patterns throughout. There was some talk online of this pattern being oddly fitted in the yolk, with the lack of front neck shaping, so I’m hoping this sweater will block out nicely. Regardless, I’m looking forward to having this sweater in my wardrobe. I’m picturing myself wearing this while skiing this winter in Santa Fe!

    The visit to the spinnery was a great day with my mom, and if you’re ever in the area and love yarn, I highly recommend stopping by. It’s the perfect place to get inspired and learn more about the process behind the yarn we all love to knit with.