Merryweather Knitting Podcast ep56 🕊 Bifurca vest, a bonnet, botanical dying, and a yarn dilemma!

[@sandrabrooke5900]

I love your podcast. You are so excited by the simple things in life. I am 80 years old and you are so like I was when I was young. I have experimented with dying, crocheting, knitting, quilting, embroidering, and more in the most bohemian ways. I still do. A lot of people think I am strange but I love it.

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

Oh Sandra, I am so touched by your kind words thank you! I so admire your adventurous spirit when it comes to all things creative and hand making ~ I definitely aspire to do the same and explore all of those fun and beautiful art forms. 🥰🤍🦋

[@lauriejarboe6087]

Lucy's Bonnet (and you could name the pattern just that!!) is darling. I hope if you release a human size bonnet pattern you include the sizing for a doll!!

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

Thank you so much!! 🥰 I love that idea 😍

[@beateervin1772]

I love your excitement for natural dying. It is so much fun to experiment. I did some acid dying this weekend. I’m very much looking forward to your next shawl pattern. I’ve been wearing my Calville shawl so much lately. And, Lucy’s bonnet is adorable. My mother made me and my dolls matching outfits and I thought is was the most special thing ever.

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

Oh what a treasure that your mother made you and your dolls matching outfits, Beate!! I think doll and little girl matching is the sweetest, loveliest thing. 💖 And thank you for your kind words!! It really is so much fun to experiment- your acid dying sounds like fun 😍 I will have to check on Instagram to see if you shared, I think the freedom and possibilities with dying ones own yarn is just glorious. ✨ Wishing you a wonderful start to your week and so much happy knitting!

[@erayeda.t]

Another wonderful cozy episode 🥰 I worked on a second sock while joining. Your authentic joy and curiosity are so contagious ☺️ Your channel has been one of a few that have inspired me to start building my own online space for my fiber projects. This platform is my favorite, it's so fun to see people express themselves and see how everyone has something beautiful and unique to share with the community 💕🧶 Looking forward to more fun vlogs from you, too, Gabriella! 😁

[@moniquebaumann6847]

I was also working on a second sock 😊

[@erayeda.t]

@@moniquebaumann6847 How nice!! What pattern (if any)?

[@moniquebaumann6847]

@@erayeda.t no special pattern, just normal socks for my husband, he only owns one pair so far! However, I'm using a gorgeous hand-dyed yarn which is very colorful and gives them a special touch. What about yours?

[@erayeda.t]

@@moniquebaumann6847 How lovely, sounds like he will have a very special addition to his wardrobe ☺️ I am knitting a shorty sock with a frilly cuff designed by Summer Lee. My boyfriend requested a pair of socks not long ago, so I'll be happy to cast those on after I finish these 😸 What method of sock knitting do you prefer? I am doing DPNs, but I want to try other techniques.

[@moniquebaumann6847]

@@erayeda.t sounds great! Knitting socks for loved ones is so much fun, I hope to do more of it. I also use DPN, my mum taught me how to knit socks and I'm a creature of habit, so I always use the same method 😅. I might try something else in the future though. I'm not such an advanced knitter, so I always stick with the stuff that works for me 😊

[@tamk2653]

Lovely podcast! I didn't realize that you have a newsletter. I signed up. As someone already said, your enthusiasm is contagious; I get excited, too.

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

What a compliment, thank you so very much! 🤍🦋 I am so glad to have you join the newsletter list, I have so much fun making it every month and so I hope you do enjoy it🥰 Wishing you a wonderful week full of making!

[@rociochon2033]

I would use the light colored yarn for the modular parts. Love your podcast!

[@alexandrah535]

Aaah!! I so wish I had more of that yarn - or at least more access to the materials to make you some! 😢 I could tell you what I used if you wanted to try dyeing it yourself!

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

Alexandra you are too sweet!!! 😭 Actually that would be amazing if you are willing to share- even just the yarn makeup if you remember? This yarn is just so glorious I feel silly for miscalculating, but I also love how the project is turning out so have 0 regrets 😁💖

[@jessicad697]

Your vest is turning out lovely! Could you reach out to the duet of the yarn you’re using on a website or social media to see if you could purchase more or the same/similar yarn? Greatly enjoyed this video and seeing how your natural dying experiments turn out!

[@MsMasomo]

❤

[@Bookupied]

You could try Sunday and marl what you have left of your MC for part of the body and then do a solid for the hem?

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

Ohhh marling is a brilliant idea, I think that would tie it all together. Thank you so much! 🥰

[@polarnattStrikker]

Dear Gabriella Oh, I feel you with your Bifurca Vest yarn issue! My Cosmo sweater I started a while ago (with a yarn I can‘t get here), is in a similar state 🙈 I know I am never gonna have enough yarn and I have no idea what to do about it. I unfortunately don‘t really have a tip for you, but I am curious to see what you are gonna do in the end. Personally, I am procrastinating on the problem, since I am still very busy with my MKAL anyway 😂 I love love love your eco printing, this looks so gorgeous!!!😍😍😍 who needs perfect prints, they are adorable exactly the way they are😊 and I really love the idea of upcycling clothes by dyeing them. And what a fun thing to overdye fabrics again and again and creating a special history for the garments by doing so. Really great idea 👏🏻 I wish you a nice start into November 😊🍁🎃🦔

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

Thank you so very much, lovely!! I am sooo sorry to hear about your cosmo sweater 😥 but thats the best, to have an exciting project as a little distraction 😉 i am sure the solution will appear to you just when you need it!! 🥰☁️✨🦋

[@heatherr9201]

What about going with a totally different complimentary color and use the rest of the yarn you have for some colorwork elsewhere on it to connect them? And different yarns can look really good… try the sandnes garn or any wool of similar weight… I think it’s the color choice that will matter…. Maybe a copper or go blue?

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

That is such a good idea. Maybe even better than trying to "match" using online pictures. I love the idea of blue to tie in the indigo 😍

[@carolearchambault7560]

You are so gifted ❤ I bought your beautiful shawl pattern last year so so beautiful but unfortunately to hard for me to knit , maybe your next project will be a bit more simple 😊

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

That is so kind of you, thank you so much! My next pattern will definitely be more simple. If you would like to try to Calville shawl again and there is any way that I can support you in the knitting process, please do get in touch. I'd love to help!! 🤍🦋🤍

[@carolearchambault7560]

Thank you 🙏 the most beautiful shawl I have seen .

[@lilluna5416]

Loved your episode! Sorry about the vest :( I looked on ravelry if anyone was selling that shade but no avail. Double Sunday in the shade croissant might be a good match? Will be happy to see the progress! ❤

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

Oooh i think your right! And what a lovely colorway name 😍 thank you!

[@rebeccabowen7027]

About your Bifurca vest--I would try to find a local bare yarn wholesaler close to you and order the amount of bare skeins you need from them. Here in the states, they offer "sample skeins" of undyed yarn that they sell individually. You could ask Alexandra what the base was--Peruvian Highland wool, or just a generic non-superwash, and try to match the makeup. I think the bare cream color would look nice, but you could try to replicate the method Alexandra used, purposefully making the skeins more or less saturated to be contrasting rather than a too-close-but-not-quite match. That's what I would try to do, anyway, but I know circumstances are different in Europe vs. the US. Whatever you choose, I'm sure it will be lovely! :) I'm slightly intimidated by natural dyeing, but I enjoy watching other people explore the art and may one day get bold enough to try myself.

[@MerryweatherKnitting]

This is such fantastic advice, thank you so much!! I think there must be wholesalers, ill just have to do some digging, and I think knitting with bare natural yarn (or maybe dying some ;) ) would be a seamless way to finish the project. Thank you!!! 🥰🤍🦋