Knits & Peaks

Tag: wool

  • 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.

  • 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.