Knits & Peaks

Tag: southwest

  • Revisiting the Cloud Sweater

    After knitting the Cloud Sweater in Hobbii yarn for my trip to White Sands National Park, I couldn’t resist making it again, this time with Juniper Moon’s Moonshine yarn. I really loved the pattern construction from PetiteKnit the first time around, especially the shaping of the shoulders and neckline. This design has been really popular online. I think it’s due to the simple edges (no more 2-3 inches of ribbing), and it has a flattering fit! I figured why not try it with a different yarn?

    In Albuquerque we’re lucky to have access to some great local yarn shops, and one of my favorites is the Yarn Store in Nob Hill. It’s a cozy, welcoming spot, and during a visit, I found Juniper Moon’s Moonshine yarn. This yarn is incredibly soft, with a blend of 40% merino wool, 40% alpaca, and 20% silk. The most difficult part was choosing which color to use, after debating for a long time I went with the color Honeydew, a bright glossy light green.

    As I knit through the sweater again, I could tell the Moonshine was a perfect match for the pattern. The yarn worked up beautifully, creating that a squishy, comfy texture, but with a little more sheen thanks to the alpaca and silk. I love how neat the edges turned out with this yarn. The final product is a soft, light sweater that’s perfect for layering.

    All in all, knitting the Cloud Sweater again was just as satisfying as the first time. It’s a pattern I’ll definitely return to, and the Juniper Moon Moonshine yarn made this second version feel even more special.

  • Taos from Summit to Skein

    A while back we packed up the car and headed north for a quick getaway to Taos. I’d been craving some mountain air, a good hike, and a visit to a few fiber shops. Taos delivered on all fronts.

    We camped near the ski village, just along the stream. Even in summer, the night air up there gets chilly, and I was grateful for my hand-knit layers. After setting up, we roasted marshmallows for s’mores. It was a simple, relaxing way to end the day.

    The next morning, he set out to hike Wheeler Peak, the highest point in New Mexico. The peak is 13,161 feet tall, and the hike is about 14 miles round trip with over 3,000 feet of elevation gain. He described the hike as one of his favorites, with alpine meadows and blooming wildflowers. The was hoping to see some bighorn sheep, but they were nowhere to be found.

    During his hike, I explored Taos. The downtown has a quiet charm with adobe buildings, colorful murals, and lots of local art. I stopped in at Mooncat Fiber, a cozy, welcoming yarn shop tucked just off the plaza. Their selection includes lots of indie-dyed skeins, and I couldn’t resist picking up a skein of hand-spun worsted weight in deep blues, purples. This was spun by Kimberly Darling in color Such A Night, a mix of 80% blue faced leicester and 20% silk. I also stopped at the Taos farmer’s market where I picked up some green chile cheddar muffins.

    On my way to meet him after the hike, I stopped at Taos Wools in Arroyo Seco, a small town just north of Taos on the way to the Ski Village. Their yarns are made with wool from regional flocks, mainly Churro sheep. I picked up a few skeins of their natural black Churro wool, and admired the baskets of wool fleece (some day I’ll learn to spin!). The owners were friendly and full of knowledge about the sheep, which I learned are part of the Navajo-Churro heritage and have been raised in the Southwest for centuries. There’s something really special about yarn that’s so deeply connected to the land and its history.

    To end the trip, we drove to Ojo Caliente for a quiet afternoon at the mineral hot springs, one of the oldest natural health resorts in the country. The pools are filled with different types of mineral water, believed to have various healing properties. After a few packed days of hiking, camping, and exploring, it felt good to soak in the warm water and let our muscles recover. We moved between the pools, relaxed in shaded lounge chairs, and enjoyed the calm pace of the day. I brought my knitting and worked a few rows between soaks, a peaceful way to wind down before heading home.

    We only spent a couple of days in the Taos area, but it was full of camping, hiking Wheeler Peak, exploring town, and making a few fiber stops along the way. A quick getaway, but a good one.

  • Sipping Lavender Lattes at Los Poblanos Farm

    If you’re in Albuquerque, definitely check out Los Poblanos Farm and Restaurant, located in the quiet Los Ranchos area. This part of town has such a laid-back, rural feel, even though it’s just a short distance from the city. It’s right along the Rio Grande, and the nearby Farmers Market is a great spot to pick up fresh, local goods. The farm itself is a beautiful, especially when the lavender fields are in full bloom.

    I couldn’t resist trying the lavender latte at their café, it’s as good as it sounds. It has a background floral flavor that pairs perfectly with the relaxed vibe of the farm. It’s definitely a unique twist on your usual latte.

    After my coffee, we stopped by the farm store, which is full of lavender-infused goods like lotions, soaps, and even sachets. There’s also a great selection of local foods and handmade items. It’s a nice mix of the farm’s own products and other local finds. On the farm there are plenty of animals to visit, some sheep and alpacas grazing too.

    I wore my Field Sweater while I was there, knit with Green Mountain Spinnery’s Sylvan Spirit in Citrine. It’s a blend of wool and tencell, a type of wood pulp, making the yarn more lightweight. The pattern is popular for this yarn on Ravelry, as the yarn knits up the grain stitches so well. The pattern is also well written, with neckline shaping merging seamlessly with the grains. This color felt like a great match for the lavender fields and sunflowers, the perfect piece to explore Los Poblanos.

  • A Little Needle Organization Goes a Long Way

    I finally caved and bought a couple of PetiteKnit accessories: their new project bag and the foldable needle organizer. I’ve been seeing them on their website for a while and figured it was time to stop stuffing everything into random zip pouches and old makeup bags. Honestly, I didn’t expect them to make such a difference, but they really have.

    Before this, my needles were all over the place, some stuck in random WIP bags, some loose in drawers, a few I thought I lost but had actually fallen behind the couch. Now everything lives in one place, and I can actually find what I need. The organizer has just enough structure to keep things neat without being bulky. I sorted everything by size, and I even had space left for some crochet hooks and my tape measure.

    The project bag is also great, simple, sturdy, and big enough to fit a sweater project and all the little extras I always end up carrying around. I’ve taken it to knit night, on a road trip, and it’s holding up really well. It’s simple, works well, and makes keeping my stuff together way easier.

    Also, on a trip to Taos, I stumbled across some adorable project bags at a small shop, Las Comadres Women’s Gallery. The bags are originally meant to be Japanese Rice Pouches, but the designer explained they can be used for many crafts, storage, etc. They had a fun chile pepper pattern and a spooky fall design that immediately caught my eye. Both are smaller than the PetiteKnit bag, so they’re perfect for smaller projects or just keeping notions handy. It’s always fun to find locally made gear that adds a little personality to my knitting setup.

  • Sands, Sun, and Sweaters

    We took this trip in January, both of us on vacation and wanting to see parts of New Mexico we hadn’t explored yet. It felt like the perfect time to get out of town. We started our trip in Albuquerque and drove south through Alamogordo on a sunny winter morning. The scenery changed from high desert to rolling hills as we got closer to White Sands. On the way, we stopped at the famous pistachio farm, yes, the one with the world’s largest pistachio out front. We grabbed some snacks and stretched our legs before heading into the dunes.

    White Sands National Park was incredible. The dunes were bright white and stretched out forever. We hiked part of the Alkali Flat Trail, which took us up and down soft hills of sand. If you hike this trail, most start out on the intended path, and then slowly wander off exploring the dunes. The sun was blinding, the sky was clear, and the contrast between the white sand and blue sky was unreal. It felt like we were walking through a dream, except we were sweating and getting sand in our shoes. Totally worth it.

    I wore my cloud sweater on this trip, and it was perfect for the cooler winter temps. I knit it using the Cloud Sweater pattern by Petite Knit. It’s a top-down construction, first knitting the back flat, then shaping the shoulders and joining in the front. Highlights of this pattern are the shaping with short rows along the back, shoulder, and underarms, combined with a loose and comfortable body. For those who can’t stand knitting 4-5 inches of 1×1 ribbing on the neckline and cuffs, this is the sweater for you! Petiteknit designed a simple edge that rolls inward, making the collar and cuffs super comfy. I used yarn I ordered online from Hobbii, holding Highland Wool in color Dark Moss with Diablo in color Thyme (a soft mohair). It was easy to make and cozy to wear, especially in the cool desert breeze.

    After our time in White Sands, we continued on to Las Cruces and explored Old Mesilla, a small historic district just outside the city. The plaza was quiet and full of charm, lined with adobe buildings and local shops.

    The next morning, we went for a hike on the Dripping Springs Trail in the Organ Mountains. It’s a fairly easy trail with great views and just enough incline. The trail leads to some old stone buildings that used to be part of a tuberculosis sanatorium and resort. We spent some time exploring the ruins, peeking into doorways and reading a few of the signs about what the place used to be. It was quiet and a little eerie, but also really cool to see something with so much history hidden in the mountain.

    On the way back, we made a quick stop in Hatch, New Mexico, known as the “Chile Capital of the World.” It felt like a must-see given the town’s reputation, so we took a stroll through the local shops and grabbed a dried chile ristra for our door. It’s a small town, but it’s one of those places you can’t miss when exploring southern New Mexico.

    The whole trip was a mix of fun stops, amazing landscapes, and the perfect excuse to wear a handmade sweater in the desert.

  • A Winter Hike in Santa Fe

    Earlier this year, we spent New Years Eve in Santa Fe, enjoying the city and lights. That weekend we hiked the Chamisa Trail in Santa Fe National Forest. The trail is about 4 miles long, with around 1,000 feet of elevation gain, and it’s located just outside of Santa Fe on the way up to the ski area. It was a chilly day, but perfect for a winter hike. The trail was peaceful, and we were mostly surrounded by tall pines and some occasional snowy patches. It wasn’t too difficult, but definitely a steady incline. We took our time, enjoying the views and the quiet, which made the hike feel even more rewarding. Plus, I was excited to wear my hand-knit hat and mittens on the trail.

    I knit the mittens using an Icelandic-style pattern by Mittens for Mimi, which was both fun and challenging to make. The design features a traditional colorwork technique that’s great for keeping hands warm in cold weather, and it was my first time trying this style of knitting. The pattern itself is simple, but it has a beautiful, repeating motif that I loved working on. For the yarn, I used a mix from Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair in color Edelweiss and Cascade 220 Superwash Wave in color Wildberry Sorbet. The wool is warm, with just the right amount of loft to make them feel cozy but not too bulky. After completing this pattern, I began to notice the inconsistency of the stitches, which led me to learning about color dominance. I hadn’t realized the importance of consistently holding the main and contrast color. There is a super helpful Brooklyn Tweed Color Dominance 101 video on youtube that I wish I’d watched before knitting this! Overall it was a great learning experience, and the mittens turned out as I hoped.

    For the hat, I used the Main Sea Captain’s Hat pattern and Malabrigo Rios in color Ivy, which is one of my favorite yarns because it’s incredibly soft and warm. What I really love about this pattern is the folded edge. It makes the hat extra cozy on the forehead and avoids that itchy feeling that some hats can give. The fold adds a nice touch of structure, and the yarn has just the right amount of softness to keep it comfortable all day. The whole hat is perfect for keeping warm on cooler hikes.

    On New Year’s Eve, we spent some time exploring Old Town Santa Fe. The weather was freezing, but the lights made up for it, and there was a live music that added a magical touch to the evening. We wandered around the plaza, enjoying the decorations, but definitely had to keep moving to stay warm. Before the celebrations, we went to see the Nosferatu movie at a local theater. It was the perfect way to get into the spooky mood of the evening. The whole night felt like a cozy, cinematic adventure, an unforgettable way to ring in the new year.

  • A Walk in My Riddari Sweater

    Spring in Albuquerque is one of my favorite times of year. The days start out cool but warm up quickly, and the skies are almost always clear and blue. Trees start to bud, flowers pop up, and everything feels more alive after winter. It’s the perfect season to be outside, walking through neighborhoods, visiting farmers markets, or spending time in Old Town. The weather makes it easy to wear my handknits too, like my new Riddari sweater, which was comfortable for a spring day out.

    The Riddari sweater is a classic knitting pattern. With thousands of projects and color combos to visualize on Ravelry, I see why it’s become a popular knit. The pattern is written as a bottom-up design. Personally, I’ve never liked working the body and sleeves first, saving the yoke (the best part) for last. So I decided to rewrite it to be knit top-down instead. This was the first time I rewrote a pattern backwards! I struggled at times to interpret the chart backwards, but SO worth it. The yoke is satisfying to knit with small repeats of colorwork, and neckline is simple with a smooth edge. It was fun to make this Lopapeysa style design while also learning to change the construction myself. The yarn selection was done by my boyfriend, he visited Mooncat fiber while in Taos. By his account he told them “she likes worsted” and came home with some amazing finds. For the main color A I used a Pink Adobe Dyeworks yarn in color Wheeler Peak. For Color B I used Malabrigo Rios in English Rose, Color C is a Ziawoolz blend, and Color D is Malabrigo Rios in Sunset.

    Partway through the body, I realized I was going to run out of my main color. The original yarn was from Mooncat Fiber, but the base color was actually dyed by Pink Adobe Dyeworks. They’re an independent yarn dyer based out of Nevada. I reached out to the dyer, and she couldn’t have been nicer. She offered to dye a new batch just for me and made sure it matched as close as possible. When the yarn arrived, not only was it beautiful and spot on, but she had also included the cutest little New Mexico-themed stitch marker. It was a thoughtful touch and made the whole experience feel really special.

    On one of these spring mornings, we decided to take a walk through Old Town Albuquerque, one of our favorite spots to visit. We stopped by the Tiny Grocer for a coffee and browsed a few shops, including a little bookstore and a pottery shop. I always enjoy the mix of old buildings and local spots.

    It was a great way to spend the day in Old Town while wearing my new Riddari sweater. Knitting this sweater was a journey, from the color choices to the slight hiccup with the yarn, but in the end, it turned out to be a piece I’m truly proud of. I can’t wait to wear it again as the seasons change. Thanks for following along with my little knitting adventure, I hope it inspires you to take a walk, pick up your needles, and create something beautiful of your own!

  • Hello Knitters & Friends

    Hi everyone, Steph here, currently knitting from New Mexico.

    This is my journey knitting through the Southwest of the United States, visiting yarn stores and drawing inspiration from the world around me.

    About myself – I grew up in a small New England town, surrounded by forests, rivers, and lakes. I spent most of my life there, until my career took me to Arizona and New Mexico where I’m now surrounded by mountains, desert, and cactus. The landscapes have changed but I’ve brought my love for knitting with me. Right now most of my time is spent at work, but when I get free time, I’m consumed by my knitting projects. I want to share these projects and the natural beauty around me, with all of you!

    Keep following along as I share some old and new adventures!