Daantje

“I’ve always been very creative, and have been sewing with my mom’s old machine since I was 12. She (my mother) also used to knit a lot when she was younger, and so when the lockdowns started and I was 16 and bored out of my mind, she tried to teach me. I say tried, because I refused to listen to her, did it my own way (wrong) and then just looked it up on youtube. She has since picked up knitting again inspired by my endless projects, and now she asks me how to do things, and so the cycle of mother-daughter bonding is complete.”

When did you start knitting?

Around the start of the covid lockdowns

What technique did you use for your regional wool project?

My main focus was on hand dyeing the yarn with plants. Because of my colours I am also using different colourwork methods for knitting like intarsia and stranded knitting.

Did you try out a new technique while making your project? And would you use it again?

I dyed my own yarn for the first time. It was super fun and I see myself doing it again, although it is incredibly labour intensive, so I don’t see myself doing it for every project

Can you write a short summary of your project?

A blue cardigan with yellow flowers on the sleeves, dyed with red cabbage (blue) and carrot tops (yellow).

What was the inspiration for your project?

The only yarn I had was white, and because I am a very colourful person I could not abide by this. Karin Waag and her beautiful dye plant garden then inspired and taught me to dye my own yarn

What did you discover from  using regional wool in your project?

The different beautiful colours you can get just from steeping plants in water, and how well they can stay on wool

What were the trial and error of the project?

Learning to dye yarn with plants, knitting in colourwork

What does knitting do for you personally?

It calms my brain, and gives me rest in busy times

Do you have any tips for people who want to work with wool in their own projects? And why would you recommend it?

It’s an extremely low-entry hobby, so if you’re interested, just try! It’s not hard, but it does take super super long, so give it time