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Lam without the 'B'

@lamb.less

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Leaving things behind.
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How to keep the 'para' out of social?

I have been meeting people from the 'net offline since I was around 12 (thanks to a supportive mum). We still kept things private back in those days and often referred to each other by username rather than real name (if we even knew it). In the social media era our hobbies and reach are shared with a much wider group of people, but that doesn't automatically make it a richer experience. People may feel entitled to personal details or feel obliged to share them due to the nature of the platforms.

I personally love supporting the same small businesses and content creators over time. I think of subscribing to a Patreon or buying from a particular one-person business as going to your local corner shop. You might know the person for years but still know very little about them - you still like them and want them to be successful without boundary stomping.

Here are some guidelines I try to follow:
-Do share people's posts to your stories, and comment on their posts when you really like the content.
-Don't overshare, especially when it comes to details of your loved ones who do not or cannot consent to being your content.
-Don't assume. Your knowledge of a person you have never even exchanged messages with is necessarily limited and unnuanced.
-Remember that an Internet personality is closer to your next door neighbour with the nice car than a celebrity. Having followers doesn't change life circumstances and gossip needs to have limits.
-Don't be overfamiliar.
-Do go to events or social activities if possible where you can build offline connections and see the humanity of the person behind the screen.
-Log off or unfollow if you start feeling overinvested.

All this to say I'm very open to chatting with new people and forging longterm connections - I'm much funnier in DMs by the way. Lam, a black British woman, sitting outside on a sunny day. She has a gentle smile and is resting her chin on her hand. She is wearing a mottled green and brown handknit cardigan, white sunglasses and a navy blue t-shirt which says 'Still European'. by @lamb.less

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3 years ago

I've been trying to post these photos all day in commemoration of the lovely sun. Unfortunately it seems I am only allowed to post if I make zero edits which seems fitting. I feel I've been in a holding pattern, trying to finish my residency (exit exams now complete) while parenting quite a hilarious toddler and attempting to have a social life. I've knit very little and I didn't want to post any of the other bits until I got around to finishing this one, which took me over 2 years.

This is the #CenterPointPopover by @toqu.tigu. I love her patterns as they start so small and build so intricately in a technical way I don't see from other designers. You really have to trust the process and I'm glad I saw it through.

I don't know the needle size, I don't know what (if any) changes I made, but I did add a little ribbing to the bottom to lengthen it a little. I haven't even blocked it (gasp) but the recipient promises she will to let the crop drape properly. Thanks to my wonderful model, I hope you love it. A pale skinned woman is sitting cross legged on the green grass. It is a bright sunny day. The light is shining on a textured teal hand knit hoodie with a dramatic hood. Her head is turned away from the camera and hidden by the hood. by @lamb.less

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2 years ago

This just arrived with its owner so I can post earlier than expected - it's always difficult for me when I'm sending a surprise gift as I love to share progress in stories. I think these colours are a nice send off to Summer.

This is the #BabyAostaCardigan by @the_knit_purl_girl in size 6mo. It's a nice pattern for advanced beginners with quite a lot of detail (funnily enough as a more experienced knitter I found the level of written detail confusing at times as there are parts I take for granted to do at this point). I refined the button band a little by knitting 1x1 rib round the entire circumference of the edging for one round before using a sewn cast off rather than casting off purl wise as the pattern calls for.

As you can see, this used up 2 leftover balls from previous projects (almost exactly 150g): my Lucy Blouse and Fluff Bomber. It really tickles me to be able to lay miniature knits against their adult counterparts (more to be posted soon) and I also love revisiting my favourite colourways by @zeezeetextiles ('Malabar in Spring' NSW and 'The Hills' SW here). I have only tiny scraps left of the yarn left now, so I'm feeling very satisfied. A mainly yellow and green handknit baby cardigan with tones of brown, pink and blue variegation lying on a table. It has a slightly textured knit surface and 4 wooden buttons down the front. by @lamb.less

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3 years ago

Something slightly different for my grid. I finally got round to finishing the repairs on my Barbour jacket which I picked up in a vintage shop in Edinburgh years and years ago. I sewed up the holes in the shell and rewaxed it and then completely forgot about it for a year or two. But spring weather makes me want a heavy oversized coat to keep the wind off so I pulled it out again and finally completed the lining.

I found the exact fabric online and was able to match the pattern pretty well (although you can see where I made mistakes if you look closely). I'm so impressed every time I see true invisible mending but this is definitely good enough for this worn and slightly battered (and very much loved) item.

Is there anything you've been putting off on the mending pile? I have plenty to go but I'm still taking this as an achievement. A Barbour wax jacket lying on a wooden floor. The lining is faded and has been patched with newer fabric in a matching pattern. by @lamb.less

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3 years ago

I never thought I would be wearing a ski jacket on a regular basis to get through the winter but this season has been so long and so cold. Every time I thought it might have warmed up, there was another cold snap. This fun hat has been posted off to a friend living up North so hopefully Spring will still see some dreary days that she'll need cheering up with this almost neon glow. It's always a nice change to knit with colours you'd otherwise rarely wear.

This is a free pattern 'Double Layer Reversible Knit Hat' from Crazy Hands Knitting. I used a strand of fingering weight hand dyed yarn by amazing @bbcraftbykai and held with two strands of mohair to roughly make DK weight although it's likely a bit plumper. I knit it a bit shorter than I would have had I kept it but I had to factor in that I have a giant head, so not a 'sample size' model.

My only regret is that I didn't realise how much two strands of mohair would overwhelm the underlying subtleties of the gorgeous hand dyed yarn. So the last pic is also a swatch I made when I got it to show it off. Lam (a black woman with long dark braids) is sitting on a metal bench wearing a dusky purple ski jacket and a neon reversible handknit hat. The brim of the hat is orange and the body purple. by @lamb.less

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4 years ago

Procrastination has been the name of the game with posting this one because it really needs good sunlight to appreciate it and I've only worn it in the winter evening. But I was taking pictures for @zeezeetextiles colourway gallery and thought I'd finally share it.

#MyHoneyVest by @woolandbeyond, (one of?) the most technical knits I've made so far. Honeycomb brioche was a real challenge for me. I'm not used to not being able to fix my mistakes and I never quite got used to what to do when I dropped a stitch. But this beautiful fluff hid my errors and I may have just tied a few errant yarn overs together with spare yarn. Don't tell.

I remember buying this baby suri because I knew it would be stunning and then hoarding it through a few years as I didn't want to waste it. Even though I messed up by not holding it double, the final knit turned out fine, if a little smaller than it might otherwise have been. And bonus: this used minimal yarn. I think the syncopation of the brioche was perfect for this colourway, 'Fog Over the Lake' (paired with 'Clay' and 'Leaf' by wonderful @rowanlanefibres).

Final garment measurement largest size is 150cm/59" bust, I knit size M (100cm). A cropped gently striped handknit vest lies over a white blouse with very large collar. They are hung in the air. Brown ties are tied in the middle. by @lamb.less

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4 years ago

I'm a bit of a Scrooge and this is certainly not my favourite time of year (in contrast to my beloved Autumn), but I've been enjoying the excuses to get together with loved ones and wear as much wool as possible. This year I have enough to layer (almost) absurdly and it's wonderful. I promise those aren't bare legs, I've just found a pretty good nude tone for tights.

This #LucyBlouse by @knitting.deer was my second brioche knit in quick succession and was almost soothing after the stress that was Honeycomb brioche (will post that one soon). There are many variations of brioche as I've found and I'll be exploring those more in the future, as soon as i figure out how to fix mistakes...

I knit it in a single strand of worsted weight yarn rather than kid silk held triple as I thought the pattern would be perfect for this NSW #MalabarInSpring from @zeezeetextiles. I sized down in needles to account for the difference. This pattern is designed to fit up to 50"/125cm bust and I made size 2.

Also pictured, my #HarvestHoodedCowl and #MoonstoneMittens Lam (a black woman) smiling and standing in front of a green shop front, looking off to the side. The green lettering on the window reads 'Give a gift that grows this Christmas). There is a sign to her right which explains the shop sells terrariums. Lam is wearing a mostly green outfit: a green handknit hood, a speckled green and brown handknit jumper, a green dress and socks. She is also wearing grey handknit mittens. by @lamb.less

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4 years ago

I'm back in Blighty after a very lovely holiday in Thailand and ready to settle even deeper into a knitwear project (although I'm keeping the needles relatively clear so when I get the inspiration I'm ready to get stuck in).

This is the #BerryScarf by @sol_of_june which I made two of in quick succession mainly while playing Monster of the Week (a TTRPG). I find knitting keeps my attention on the game really well, just as for Zoom chats.

The pink yarn is some stash acrylic aran weight tweed and the brown is Hellasgården by @zeezeetextiles in DK. I knit one in either size. The 'child' size has 2 fewer repeats but I think my row gauge was off on the darker one as I feel the 'adult' is a bit loose whereas child is very comfy. The larger will be good over a chunky turtleneck though.

These also go very well with my splurge early birthday present (didn't realise I had a cool birthday this year 11/11/22) which has been a staple since it arrived. This bobbled @misha_and_puff jumper goes with everything and I adore it. Lam (a black woman) smiling and leaning against a white wall. She has round black glasses on and is wearing two handknit scarves layered on top of one another (one pink and one brown). by @lamb.less

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4 years ago

It's not Halloween anymore but it still seemed like a good time to finally post this #BubBonnet by @whatlydiamade, a great little stashbuster. I met up with and swapped some yarn with @bbcraftbykai and got this amazing hand dyed by him yarn. Not my usual colours but so fun to knit and perfect variegation. I'd never have thought to combine green and purple like this and Lydia is so colourful it seemed like something by her deserved this special yarn.

I ran out of the main colour so I stopped the body early and used the remainder for some contrast on the horns. I usually have a low bun too so it works with my hairstyles. My horns are a bit wonky but I don't plan on having them on most of the time and you can always put wire in them. I think I knit this in 3mm needles as I don't own 2.75mm.

The horns and i-cord are knit in Inverness by @zeezeetextiles, a colourway that has gone so far for me and is seriously so versatile. Lam (a black woman) smiling and looking off to the side. She is sitting in front of a white wall and wearing a shimmering purple dress and a handknit bonnet with horns and long chinstraps. by @lamb.less

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4 years ago

A quick one. My favourite knits are the functional ones you'll throw on time after time, especially when they only take 50g DK weight yarn. I was missing gloves in my rotation that let me get to my phone without too much fiddling so these arm warmers are perfect. I could also layer mittens over the top if it gets too chilly.

They are knit in leftover 'Pumpkin Spice' Cascade 220 and so is very seasonally appropriate. This is the #OutlanderBriannaFingerlessGloves pattern by @handylittleme, size 1 and it's a free pattern. A dark skinned hand outstretched over the pavement and grass. There are fallen leaves on the ground. The hand is covered by a heathered brown fingerless arm warmer with tones of yellow and red. The wrist has a large blue silk scrunchie on it and a hint of a navy blue jumper cuff. by @lamb.less

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4 years ago

Making hay while the sun shines.

I spent a long time (and I mean years) looking for a good vegan, plastic free yarn for a pair of socks for a friend. Had a few failed attempts that were too ambitious for my skill level at the time. Then while allocating yarn to projects on my stash bust, I came across this yellow yarn, leftover from my The One That I Want crop. It's King Cole Bamboo Cotton in 'Old Gold'. I had nearly the full skein which was more than enough for a pair of DK weight socks.

The pattern is #BlueberryWaffleSocks by Sandy Turner - it's free and can be found on the Wayback Machine via Ravelry. I followed a mod on someone's project page and cast on only 40 stitches for a much tighter leg/foot. They fit me pretty tightly so I hope they'll be okay for my friend.

I've been trying to use free patterns to bring down the stash as much as possible. Even the challenge of finding interesting patterns has been part of the fun. Sunflower petals lie on a yellow textured handknit sock. by @lamb.less

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4 years ago

Time to post the knitting backlog in preparation for the best season of the year. This is my finished #ChampagneCardigan, which I made for my husband. I'm actually quite loathe to 'give it away' but luckily, what's his wardrobe is mine and vice versa. I should have made the buttonholes a little smaller (the pattern does give the option to do this) as the buttons are prone to popping out, but that's easily fixed with a sewn stitch or two.

I'd like to say I enjoyed the double knit button band, but I really didn't. It looks great, though. My tension was tight towards the end but it's not as noticeable after blocking and when worn.

The yarn is Cascade 220, one of my favourite reliable commercial yarns, in 'Natural'. The pattern is by PetiteKnit and is designed to fit with 11"/28cm ease (largest bust circ finished garment is 68"/173cm). This is size L with an ease of approximately 13"/33cm. Lam, a black woman, is wearing a cream oversized handknit cardigan over a faded red shirt dress. She is holding the edges of the cardigan and her face is obscured. by @lamb.less

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4 years ago