February update – I'm actually doing some crafts!

Hallo everyone. I've tried to film a couple of times previously but have been thwarted by a noisy baby. But here we are! Some time in my studio to show you few yarny bits and pieces, as well as a tiny bit of garden and cooking

My current knitting projects, spinning progress, and a knit design in Laine's 52 Weeks of Sweaters

Hello hello! I'm back, this time with a mum bun to chat craft projects, gardening and cooking. Here's a quick run-through of what I've been up to, but the full video update is available to Patreon and YouTube members only.

If you’d like to keep in touch and see what I'm up to whilst I'm on maternity leave, Patreon will be the best place to find me over the next few months. I'm planning on sharing the occasional video when I have a scrap of time around the bab, but there is also a large back catalogue of videos there, so you can catch up on my previous crafty endeavours whilst you wait.

So yeah - if you're not, but would like to join me on Patreon, you can do so just here. 

I'm wearing my giant scrappy cardigan

I finally finished my incredibly cosy, scrappy cardigan - or coatigan, as I’m calling it. I showed this in my last podcast (Episode 77), so you'll have to check that out for the full details of this giant scrappy knitting project I'm wearing throughout the video

I made some handknit mittens for my husband

I also made some mittens, which I shared on our Discord channel. If you’re a Patreon member and haven’t joined the server yet, it’s easy to get started - you can find all the info on how to join just here.

Years ago, I made my husband handknit convertible mittens from handspun yarn, but they have been unravelling all over the place and were in dire need of replacements. So I knit him some new ones. 

I mashed together a few of my own knit designs to create these using Baa Ram Ewe Skipper 5Ply Guernsey, which is kind of like a sport-weight yarn. The yarn is lovely and I, and (arguably most importantly), my husband, love the mittens. 

I'm also knitting for baby

I’m also knitting a little hoody for the bab in a beautiful fuzzy alpaca/Bluefaced Leicester yarn, very kindly gifted by Wild Alpacaway. It's a bit of an improvised knitting project using the cable pattern from my Beechmast Jumper and when I pick up stitches for the buttonband and hood edging, I’m considering adding some short rows around the hood to bring it forward a bit more for head warmth.

I really want a brown hand-knit cardigan

I’ve been sorely tempted to knit myself a dark brown cardigan inspired by my Quickbeam design with my chocolatey brown Zwartbles DK yarn because I love it so much, but my other yarn option is a giant cone of alpaca held double. I would love to know what knitting project you think I should go with once you've watched the video!

There's been some spinning progress

I’ve finished the first skein of my fleece/flax blend I have been working on for quite some time now. I've spoken about this long-standing craft project quite a lot and have been documenting the whole process in a series on YouTube. I will be counting the number of metres I have soon, which will be recorded for the next video installment that I will share when I’m back to work in September.

I have a knitting pattern in Laine's 52 Weeks of Sweaters

52 Weeks of Sweaters arrived at my door, and I've got a vest knitting pattern in it. It’s a chunky knit vest with cable details called Crenata, knit in Baa Ram Ewe Natural Meadow Chunky. It’s simple, knits up fairly quickly, and has lovely ridgey edges around the armholes that remind me of hand-rolled empanadas!

I think it's a very, very lovely knitting book, so please do check it out.

Finally, I've been spending time in the garden and cooking pasta

Do tune into the video if you would like some garden and cooking updates. Garden chat starts at around 25 minutes, and cooking chat starts at around 27:30. Plus, if you stay until the end, you'll see me make pasta which is something I love to do for me. It's a thing used to enjoy when I had more time on my hands, and it feels awesome to do it again. 

I hope to see you again next month with more updates, but that’s all I have for the moment. If you'd love to hang out in the meantime, you'll be able to find me on Discord. 

Bye bye for now!

Stay connected with all things Marina Skua

If you’d like to keep up with everything I’m working on between podcast episodes, please do subscribe to my newsletter. It’s the best way to stay in the loop about events I’ll be attending, shop updates, new product releases, publications, and additions to the website. You also get a 10% discount code with your next order.

I’ve also recently added an events page to the website, where you can see all the upcoming places I’ll be. Whether it’s events I’m attending, talks I’m giving, or markets where you can come and squish some hand-dyed British wool yarns or just have a chat in person.

For more casual life and crafting updates, you can follow me on Instagram, where I’ve been posting a bit more frequently, or join me on Facebook if that’s your preference.

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See you next time.