How do you feel about afterthought heels for socks? I like the neat way it avoids disrupting self striping or variegated yarns. It can be a bit precarious to snip the yarn but also kind of cool to have done it and triumphed. Yarn by @woolensandnosh.bsky.social photo by @sinceresheep.bsky.social

I love being part of this group of crafty indie businesses!

What a great time at Windrush Farm Saturday! Some very fun people came, both long time fiber friends and new ones. Rancher Mimi introduced us to Corriedale and Shetland sheep, milk goats, alpacas, and an angora rabbit. She pulled out some fleece for us to fondle, and answered all sorts of questions.

Thank you @cpurl17.bsky.social for these awesome photos of me with a sweetheart of a lamb at Meridian Jacobs.

🐑Weekend Fun🐏 On Saturday I spent a lovely day with friends at a knitting & crochet workshop led by @kirakdesigns.bsky.social The workshop was held at a working farm, Meridian Jacobs, and we were lucky to arrive during lambing season. I even got to cuddle a baby lamb!

Another lovely day at Meridian Jacobs with Robin and the sheep. We got to cuddle some lambs, check in with Sparky the bottle baby, shop in the farm store, and craft together. I loved seeing all the color combinations for Dappled Light Cowls. My last retreat this spring is May 17 at Windrush Farm.

Please welcome the Dappled Light Bandana Cowl. Embrace texture with this fun asymmetric bandana cowl, perfect for popping over your head for a little extra warmth. Whether you’re doing farm chores or walking on the beach, it’s a pocket-size accessory that does an impressive job keeping you cozy.

I had a wonderful day hosting a retreat at Meridian Jacobs yesterday. It was an especially fun and friendly group of people. Highlights were snuggling lambs and feeding lunch to bottle baby Sparky, but we also petted Jade, looked at fleece, asked Robin questions, and crafted to sheepy sounds.

Finished the shawl version too 🌸🪻 (7/n) MC: handspun (a combo spin of two Nest Fiber braids) CC: Gilliat in baleine bleue #bayshorebandanacowl #crochet #handspun @kirakdesigns.bsky.social

Behind the scenes photo shoot of an upcoming pattern. Yarn by @knittedwit.bsky.social

Freshly spun fingering weight yarn, one ply mixed wool with a little bamboo, one ply BFL wool/silk with a few mohair locks and cashmere yarn snips mixed in. I made the rolags on a blending board and spun them long draw, except when I micro managed trapping those snips of yarn.

I’ve started spinning the rolags I made during the blending board class with Clemes & Clemes at @fibercirclestudio.bsky.social on Friday. I have plans to ply these two colors together to get two ounces of laceweight or perhaps light fingering weight yarn

Yesterday I took a Blending Board Basics class with Henry and Roy Clemes in the beautiful @fibercirclestudio.bsky.social classroom. As a teacher, I think it’s important to be a student sometimes, and it’s interesting to see how others approach teaching hands on skills.

A special project and the leftover yarn is ready to ship for photography! This was a fun three way collaboration with Jacey @plymagazine and Brooke @sinceresheep for a series of related articles in the autumn issue of Ply.

I love the moment when a new pattern comes together. After a couple starts and small adjustments, this has hit the sweet place where it’s easy to knit and so satisfying to watch grow. Yarn by Meridian Jacobs.

Crafty travel tips! The latch for the tray table works great to hold a magazine open and upright so you can craft while reading! Aisle seats have a latch underneath the arm that allows you to flip it up for more elbow room (or just more body space). Mind your elbow when the cart rolls past!

I love talking with crafty folks and am excited to join the Thursday Lunch Chat with Hands On Knitting Center owner Molly. Tune in to hear about my crafting history, design process, and whatever else comes up in conversation. Be sure to register ahead to be eligible for the giveaways!

I love how so many people are immediately starting another one of these! Also a shawl version may be in the future…

I know you all like to see what I’m bringing home from fiber festivals, and here are my treasures from New England Farm and Fiber Festival last weekend. Most came in the vendor goodie bag, which was quite generous! I bought some embroidery kits and gift earrings (not pictured since already gifted!)

I’m honored to be part of this awesome collaboration between Bay Area designers, dyers, and yarn shops.

🧵 Do I look like somebody who learned how to hybrid crochet to be able to knit Kira’s bay area yarn cowl while waiting and then cast on on the day of the pattern release? Because I am. I’m using my own handspun as MC! (1/n) #crochet #tunisiancrochet #bayareayarncrawl #bayshorebandanacowl

I'm so excited for my new Bayshore Bandana Cowl pattern and the Bay Area Yarn Crawl Make-Along. Three designers created a two-color cowl in a different craft. This is a nice introduction to Hybrid Crochet in a fun quick project. Use the code BAYCrawl for 20% off through Sunday night.

Here’s a funny little skein of yarn I made yesterday. The rainbow wool was spun during a MDSW Winterfest class, and I plied it with random grey singles of unknown origin. It’s 60 yards of DK weight yarn and will likely end up in my tapestry weaving class supplies.

I’ve had a busy weekend with Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival Winterfest! In addition to teaching Visible Mending, Short Row Survey, and my Belle Époque Shawl, I attended the keynote and a spinning class. If your guild, LYS, or other group is looking for virtual classes, please get in touch!

This chilly weather is perfect for layering woollies. Today it’s a handspun Cedar Lake Shawl over a handspun Spoke Cardigan.

My latest handspun yarn, 4oz of BFL top from Three Waters Farm in Autumn Splendor. Half spindle spun while traveling using narrow strips of fiber, half spun on my wheel with a wide strip. 432 yards fractal two ply fingering weight, plus 68 yards regular two ply from leftover spindle spun singles.

On a break between classes, I’m crocheting with Jasper, the shop dog at Aranea Craft Studio in Hayward. He’s very chill for a large puppy and happy to snuggle while I crochet a Bayshore Bandana Cowl, my upcoming pattern. I’ll have some of my kits here for the Bay Area Yarn Crawl March 14-23.

Hello! I’m a knitting and crochet pattern designer, fiber arts teacher, and crafty event host based in Oakland, CA. I’m a lifelong crafter starting by crocheting at age 3, and gradually adding knitting, embroidery, sewing, spinning, felting, and weaving. I love teaching people how to make stuff!