Have you heard of snow washing? A Nordic and cold climate practice since at least the 9th century, snow washing is excellent for your cashmere and other wool fibers. Read on and I'll tell you why plus I'll share my experience snow washing my cashmere and camel items for the first time. I'm in love! Snow washing benefits Snow washing is an efficient, eco-friendly method of cleaning that relies on the snow and cold rather than chemicals, soap, or water to clean woolen goods. The benefits of snow washing to clean your woolens are many. •Easier than hand washing. There's no dripping wet anything involved in snow washing. Snow and cold are used to scrub and sanitize the fiber. Items...
Fundamentals of knitting We can thank Barbara G. Walker for fundamentals of modern knitting that were groundbreaking in her day. In December 2025, knitting pioneer Barbara Walker passed away at the age of 95. Her contributions to knitting are used by knitters every day. Read on to learn what those contributions are. Amy's personal stitch dictionary collection Stitch dictionaries You already know I love swatching. I wrote about it here: Swatching: Not just for getting gauge. Intrinsically linked to my love of swatching is my ever-growing collection of stitch dictionaries. Some of my knit swatches to test stitch patterns I think if I could do one knitting task over and over, it would be to knit swatches of a multitude...
It’s early November, and “out there,” the Christmas season has already arrived. Commercials depict an idyllic holiday of perfect gift-giving, and big stores are stacked with piles of merchandise. Emails from your favorite shops shout, “Your holiday gift guide is here!” Everywhere you turn, the message is clear: join the frenzy, buy more, do more, HURRY! Don’t get me wrong — I really like giving gifts, especially when finding the perfect gift for someone I love. I also understand that businesses rely on the income from the estimated $1 trillion (yes, trillion!) that U.S. shoppers are expected to spend this holiday season. Most importantly, I know that there are far too many who can't afford or whose situation will not bring the...
Why does purchasing ethically produced, high quality cashmere yarn and finished goods matter?
Supporting an ethical and transparent supply chain for cashmere says that producing goods in a way that honors, values, and protects people, animal, and land matters. It means we reject fast, throw-away fashion that dominates today's clothing industry and instead, purchase items that do good and last, that we can wear and use over and over. Read on to learn about the ethical production of finished cashmere (and camel) goods you can purchase.
Swatching isn't the chore that impedes your start of a knitting project; it's what leads to garment fit, technique mastery, colorwork, skill-building, confidence, and more!
