Category: Uncategorized

It has been a while! Happy 2022!

I love having simple pieces in my wardrobe that I can pull out and use the majority of the year. This is a great layering piece as well as a transition to the hotter/colder months.

This is a guided, virtual knit-along, not a class. There will be guidance during the Zoom meetings as well as instructional videos available for the tricky bits (nothing is really tricky with this knit, just a lot of fun steps.)
This is a great pattern for advanced beginners through advanced knitters.

February 11, 18, 25, March 4 + 11
6 – 7 pm CST

Join me in knitting this super versatile piece using either heavy DK or worsted weight yarn. It doesn’t take much yarn, so it’s a great stash buster or a chance to try a yarn you’ve had your eye on.

Layering pieces are my favorite to wear and knit. And Alanis is just that – a cozy sweater tee/vest that’s perfect for layering is an easy knit yet still features a few fun details, such as an icord edge split hem and an inset pocket (with contrasting color pocket lining!).

PATTERN DETAILS: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/alanis-3

Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL) (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X)

Finished Circumference:
40.5 (44.5, 48, 52, 56.5) (60.5, 64, 68, 72.5)”/
103 (113, 122, 132, 144) (154, 163, 173, 184) cm

To Fit Bust Size:
28-30 (32-34, 36-38, 40-42, 44-46) (48-50, 52-54, 56- 58, 60-62)”/
71-81 (81-86, 91-97, 102-107, 112-117) (122-127, 132-137, 142-147, 152-157) cm

Shown in size S, being worn with approx 11”/28 cm of positive ease (it is meant to be worn with approx 10-12”/25-30 cm of positive ease). For a similar fit, refer to “To Fit Bust Size” to pick your size.

Gauge:
19 sts & 30 rnds = 4”/10 cm in St st in the round

Yarn:
• Approx 796 (894, 1008, 1128, 1264) (1396, 1520, 1650, 1766) yds of worsted-weight yarn for body (MC), shown in Owl by Quince & Co (50% Wool, 50% Alpaca; 50g/120 yds), 7 (8, 9, 10, 11) (12, 13, 14, 15) skeins, Cinnamon.
• Approx 30 yds of worsted-weight for pocket lining (CC), also shown in Quince & Co Owl, 1 skein, Tawny.

A few yarn substitution ideas:

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter
Berroco Ultra Alpaca
Manos del Uruguay Alegria Grande
Malabrigo Rios
Berroco Remix
Lion Brand Wool Ease
Cascade 220 Superwash
316 Dye Studio DK

We have had a very productive two weeks here in Apache Junction, Arizona house hunting. Thankfully the second house we saw fit most of our needs and we immediately put an offer in. It was accepted the next day and we’ve been on pins and needles waiting for inspections to be done and negotiations to begin.
We fly home to Kansas this coming Friday, Nov 6th, and we will start the packing/clearing out process to leave that house in the capable hands of our youngest son to take care of.

We are 99% sure all will go through with this house, but with the housing market the way it is there could be a hiccup along the way somewhere.
Thankfully, my parents are here and able to handle anything in person that may need to be done for us.

What this means for my business through the end of the year; I will finish out the currently running classes, of course, and start the Beginning Socks class on Nov 12th, you can register below.
My goal is to have a couple of 4-hour workshops before the holidays are in full swing, one on beginning steeking and one for Fair Isle Christmas Baubles (ornaments). I know with social distancing and Covid-19 cases on the rise we won’t be attending or hosting many holiday functions and having a few holiday classes to attend with friends will be something to look forward to.

I would also like to host a virtual winter KAL soon, I will determine the dates once the move is finalized.

The Moonwake Cowl by Andrea Mowry is such a snuggly and pretty colorwork piece and it would be a fun, simple KAL with a few tricks to learn along the way. It’s a great way to get social time in the winter when we have a tendency to be a bit more shut-in. (IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE??)

After the New Year, the calendar will be filled up with all levels of classes with offerings for weekdays, evenings, and Saturdays. I plan on offering open knit-help times for a small fee, as well as having all of my patterns listed in the Shop for sale with a direct download link on Ravelry so you can add it to your library.

It feels like the new year cannot get here soon enough with all of the uncertainty and upheaval 2020 has dealt us.
For our peace of mind, hands, and souls I say we keep on knitting, as Elizabeth Zimmermann says, with confidence and hope through all crises.

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Don’t forget that you can visit the SHOP for in-stock needles + notions!

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Beginning Socks Class

$45.00
Add to cart

1K Instagram Followers Giveaway!!  As a huge thank you to all my followers I wanted to throw some goodies your way! (See photo above and down at the bottom of the page.)   +Handspun yarn by me, 212 yards of Polwarth in a 🌈 gradient, fiber from @neighborhoodfiberco + Stitch markers from @jennamaymade + Lots of fun notions + goodies   To enter on Instagram: 1. Follow @firebrunette (obvi) 2. Follow @firebrunetteknits  3. Tag a friend   Each comment earns an additional entry   Not on Instagram?  Head over to my Facebook Page, like, comment on the Giveaway post, and share my page or the post to your feed for multiple entries.   Copyright © 2020 Chauntel Ensey, All rights reserved.

Only 6 spots left open! Don’t miss out, we always put on a fabulous weekend of fiber-Y goodness.

https://www.facebook.com/events/366731387137723/?ti=as

Due to weather, the sale will open at 10am today, Saturday April 7th.

There will be hot coffee and tea, come SHOP, sit and socialize!

I have switched blog hosts and am awaiting the transfer of all my articles from Blogharbor over here to WordPress/Pressharbor.
When the opportunity arose to try out WordPress while still keeping a tether to my previous host Blogharbor I thought I would give it a try. Thus, the use of Pressharbor.
I am feeling a bit melancholy about the move, I have been on Blogharbor since I first started to blog over 4 years ago. But, the change may be a good thing. I am sure if I beg I can always move back over to Blogharbor.
It will take a bit of getting used to, the changes in posting, the changes in editing, the changes in categorizing my articles and pictures. I may find that I can’t do as much in depth, behind scenes things as I could do with Blogharbor. I may be okay with that or I may not. I will just have to try it out and see.
I am very happy to have my own domain name, www.firebrunetteknitting.com. That’s freakin’ cool!
While I wait for the transfer of all my articles and such, I will probably not be posting again. I am sure it will go smoothly and quickly.

I just wanted to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas! My mom painted me this Santa painting a few years ago. I know my favorite time of the year is here when I get to take it out and hang it in the living room. The joy and love in his face makes me oh so happy!

I hope everyone out there has had a wonderful holiday season with their loved ones!

And, of course, I hope you all got what you asked for from Santa!

I have another little package to send out tomorrow for my sp. It’s the socks that I finished

And here they are all packaged, I just need to slap the to & from labels on!

I love how it’s see through! I am just hoping it doesn’t come across some sock-horder that decides their feet are cold! I think they’ll be fine! It’s just too bad that she doesn’t post pics on her blog at all, oh well.

On another note; the manresa legwarmers from knitty are a pain in the butt! Once you get to the larger calf part you realize that there is ZERO shaping for the leg so the yarn floats on the inside have to be really, really stretched out to make room for the calf. That just doesn’t work for me. So I am ripping them out & starting over at the end of the rib/start of the leg and adding in an extra 6 sts that will be decreased as the calf shape decreases down the leg. Duh. I will do pictures to show my alterations/changes to the pattern with better instructions for anyone else that might be interested in making them. I even tried to hunt down the author of the pattern & the one link knitty has does not work. I wanted to know what she did to the floats around the inside to keep them from being super loosey-goosey when not being worn. Seriously, the stitches are so loose and large because the floats are being pulled extra long so that they stretch an extra 3 inches. And they could easily cut a toe off while trying to put them on! Ridiculous to me. I wanted the authors ideas for fixing that problem. I wanted the solution to be something that I said “why didn’t I think of that??” So I will do what I have come up with & it will work marvelously I am sure!