A knitting pattern by Jodi Brown of the Grocery Girls for Nomadic Knits knitting magazine; herrington hat knit with indie dyed yarn and topped with a pom pom

Love Letters KAL

Hi everyone!

We’re really excited to spill the details of the Nomadic Knits Love Letters Knit-along!

When Becky and I ran our first knitalong – the Beach Hair Don’t Care KAL – we were a bit overwhelmed and vowed to never host one again. Fast forward from August of 2018 to just a few months ago when we ran the issue five KAL this past March, and we had so much fun! Being the swag junkies that we are, we reached out to our awesome cartoonist to help us design limited edition vinyl stickers for every knitalong from now on. They’re freaking adorable, unique to each KAL, and we’re sending them out to every KAL finisher, even our international friends.

Bridge Road KAL stickers

In this time of social distance and quarantine, participating in knitalongs has made me feel a lot closer to other knitters, pushing away some of that feeling of isolation. There’s something magical that happens when we’re all working on the same project, each with our own individual artistic spin. Until recently, I’ve been very much a project knitter, not really caring about a knit being enjoyable, just about how much I liked the finished object after binding off. Lately, though, I’ve come to be more of a process knitter, appreciating the fun of knitting itself; the joy of the stitches I create as the yarn runs through my fingers. It only took 20 years and a recent but particularly memorable and now-abandoned design attempt using 100% linen and a tightly – gauged stitch texture. Hand. Murder.

Which one are you: a project knitter or a process knitter?

Okay Melissa, we love your sidebar stories, but this was supposed to be about a knitalong…

So here goes:

Introducing the Nomadic Knits Love Letters Knitalong!

What: A knitalong with any issue six design, or any previous Nomadic Knits design using fingering and mohair (or Suri alpaca) held together. Be creative! 

Where: Nomadic Knits : Knit the World Facebook group.

When: July 10th – August 31st. You can absolutely knit with us even if you don’t think you’ll finish “on time.”

Why: To have fun and feel connected; to further a sense of community and friendship.

How: Cast on an eligible project between July 10th and August 31st, tagging it with #loveletterskal on Instagram or in our Facebook group.

KAL Guidelines (“rules” seems so strict, and we just want to have some fun!):

  1. Cast on any Nomadic Knits design using fingering and mohair held together, or any design from issue six. 
  2. Tag your pictures with #loveletterskal.
  3. Bind off by August 31st (no worries if you don’t finish; you’ll still be eligible for prizes, just not the sticker).
  4. Post a picture of your finished project by August 31st with #loveletterskalfo to earn your sticker. Our administrator, Elisa, will find finishers using this hashtag and will reach out to collect your addresses at the end of the KAL.
  5. Have fun and be kind to one another. This is the most important rule, and will hopefully not need to be enforced.

We’ll be drawing random prizes from photos tagged with #loveletterskal and additional prizes for #loveletterskalfo. Everyone who tags their finished projects* with #loveletterskalfo will get one of our awesome stickers, even our international knitters! Once the KAL is over, they’ll be gone forever.

*One sticker per knitter, but you can knit all the things for more chances to win prizes!

I’ve been in quarantine for so long that I’ve used up my stash!”

– no knitter ever.

We’re all missing our local yarn shops by now, especially that personal touch of other knitters in the shop chiming in on color choices and personal experiences with your chosen yarn or pattern. To help with that yearning for yarn shopping, we’ve put together our most beautiful kit yet, with luxurious skeins from one of our favorite indie yarn dyers, Long Dog Yarn, gorgeous exclusive bags from Whimzee Stitches, and fluffy faux fur pom poms. Every kit comes with a Nomadic Knits Love Letters KAL sticker, whether or not you participate in the knitalong.

We’re making this kit incredibly versatile – you choose how many skeins of each yarn that you’d like and then which (if any) color pom pom

Just look at these project bags!!! Becky and I spent hours pouring over thousands of fabric choices online and, by some sort of pre-quarantine miracle, our final decision turned out spectacularly. These bags are reversible, which is perfect, since we can’t decide which color we like best. We only have 30 bags, so if you’re in love, don’t wait!

      

So what can I knit with this amazing kit?

That’s the best part: these kits are so flexible that you have a ton of choices, including the following knitting patterns!

 

Sugared Violets
Will O’ The Wisp in Secret Garden

              Will O’ The Wisp

Many of you will probably recognize the adorable shrug featured on the cover of issue six, and we have the original colorways, plus this gorgeous Secret Garden combination. Not sure how many skeins you’ll need for your size? Email [email protected] and we‘ll figure it out together.

 

 

Herrington Hats in Secret Garden (left) and Sugared Violets (right)

Herrington Hat

Jodi Brown of the Grocery Girls knit it out of the park with this hat design. Becky and I have each knit one, and we love the pattern! For this one, you’ll be holding a fingering and mohair together for the softest hat ever, without losing the definition of the beautiful cabled stitches. We’ve picked a few pom pom colors that go great with each colorway choice. One skein of each will give you enough yardage to make two hats!

 

 

 

Women wearing knit hat with no pom pom while holding a mushroom outside
Beautifully Basic Hat with no pom pom from issue two

Beautifully Basic Hat

The beauty of this pattern from issue two is that it includes directions for any size, in any gauge. Holding a strand of fingering with a strand of mohair, or using just the fingering, you can knit from newborn to Sasquatch. Use the basic pattern as a blank slate for your own design ideas! And then the age-old question; to pom or not to pom (or is it pom pom? or pompom? can pom even be a verb?…)

 

 

Green Mountain Mitts from issue five

Green Mountain Mitts

These mitts from issue five will be divine when you use mohair and MCN held together. They’ll be so cozy you’ll never take them off! Not into mohair? Use Suri Alpaca, or just one skein of fingering! Chicken not included.

 

 

Blackrock Boot Toppers from issue four

Blackrock Boot Toppers

Using fingering weight alone, held double, or held with mohair, these boot toppers are a favorite gift for knitworthy teenagers. Similar to the Beautifully Basic Hat, this pattern includes directions for multiple yarn weights and sizes. 

 

Twelve Days of Knitmas 2019

 

Twelve Days of Knitmas 2019

Get a little creative with your stash and pick two complementary minis to accompany your kit choice to knit this fun pattern from last year’s MKAL.

 

 

 

Serling from issue two

Serling Shrug

Go off-book and use the kit for a Serling Shrug – the MCN makes a great main color, and hold it with the mohair for the contrast. It’s okay; the designer (me) says the substitution will work.

 

 


We’d like to take a moment to introduce you to our wonderful collaborators.

 

Rick of Whimzee Stitches

Whimzee Stitches

Rick Najdzion dyes yarn and sews project bags full time from his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he is incredibly lucky to be able to explore the delicious culinary scene. Becky had lots of experience eating her way through NOLA – be sure to read her article in issue six! (Warning: you may experience severe drooling and tummy growling.) Rick’s richly saturated colorway on his luscious Merino – Cashmere – Nylon base was a great match for the playful lace stitches in Donna Estin’s timeless Lafayette Tee.

 

 

 

Long Dog Yarn

Brandy Velten recently relocated from California to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she dyes yarn full time. Fun fact: Brandy was an extra in The Hunger Games, playing one of the Capitol stylists! Long Dog’s delicately-dyed mohair adds an ethereal touch to any knitting project, and her Merino – Cashmere – Nylon base is wonderfully luxurious. 

Long Dog Secret Garden Combo
Long Dog Sugared Violets Combo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


I’m in! What’s next?

Alright friends, here’s your assignment for the next few weeks: drool over our kits, dig through your stash, choose a pattern (or two!), and we’ll meet in our Facebook group to see your plans!

xo

Melissa and Becky

Beach Hair Don’t Care from issue one

 

PS: Be sure to check out our latest issue, Michigan, and sign up for a knitting magazine subscription or pick out a beautiful pom pom for your next hat!

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