emily myatt

she/her

Spinning - Knitting - Natural Dyeing

Minneapolis, MN

Instagram: TheBotanicalKnitter

YouTube: TheBotanicalKnitter

Ravelry: BotanicalKnitter

From Sheep to Shawl Project

For my sheep to shawl project, I plan to process the fiber, spin, naturally dye, and knit.

I have selected the ‘‘IRL’ Shawl by Kacey Herlihy for this project.

This is a squishy triangle shawl worked from center top down, with increases, garter stitch, ribbing, and eyelets. The pattern is written to work for any gauge, making it idea for handspun. The texture of the shawl pattern works nicely with the unique thick and thin parts of handspun.

 
 

I first learned how to knit in 2009 after being diagnosed with cancer. My aunt, who also knits, thought knitting would be the perfect hobby to learn to keep my hands (and mind) busy. Knitting didn’t stick around very long, but that skill was there waiting for me. In January 2020, I decided to take a class through the city of Minneapolis on how to knit a hat in the round. I didn’t finish that hat until November 2020, but after a COVID-safe visit to Yarn Harbor in December, I had the ‘I get it” moment. I haven’t stopped knitting since. I also spin, naturally dye, sew, embroider, and play the violin.

My favorite thing about knitting and all things fiber is the community. I have found Instagram to be such a wonderful way to connect with makers near and far. I also am so grateful for our community here in Minnesota. Area shepherds have not only taught me so much about animals, the wool industry, and taking care of the land, but have also become friends. As a TRF Maker, I want to continue to build this community, connect other makers to locally sourced wool, and share the sheep to shawl process (it’s so accessible!) with others in hopes that it will inspire them to do the same.

The Project

 

The Fiber

 

Sheep Breed - BFL - Bluefaced Leicester
Sourced from - Theresa Bentz - Get Bentz Farm. Northfield, MN. Sheep was raised by a local shepherd/shearer (Joe)

BFL locks are springy, slim, and can be slippery. This fleece has a long staple length and the fiber is bouncy and has a beautiful luster. The luster of the BFL means it should take the dye color clearly and well. The drape and luster, along with the softness, will make for a beautiful finished object.

The fiber is a beautiful gray. It ranges from silver to charcoal. The shawl uses two colors; yarn A will be the natural wool color and yarn B will be naturally dyed.

Processing

I first skirted and scoured my wool.

Fiber was processed through a mix of combing and carding. Combing was taking a very long time so switched to carding. I first flicked open the locks and hand-carded out any short pieces that survived skirting and then ran the fiber through a hand-driven drum carder to make beautiful, airy batts. I was surprised by all the waste fiber that is generated from the carding process - I’m glad I purchased extra fleece.

The fiber was and then dyed afterwards to avoid felting the wool. The changing season and marigolds growing in my natural dye garden inspired me to dye my yarn with marigolds. I used a variety of marigolds and used 85% of my yarn weight.

The pattern allows for the knitter to play around with needle size and multiple colors. I’m enjoying the flexibility given to me as the maker.

 

Bluefaced Leicester locks
photo by Emily Myatt

 

BFL - Bluefaced Leicester Fleece
photo by Emily Myatt

Yarn dyed with marigold
photo by Emily Myatt

Full fleece being washed
photo by Emily Myatt

Natural colored yarn and yarn dyed with marigold
photo by Emily Myatt

Drying fleece
photo by Emily Myatt

Natural colored yarn and yarn dyed with marigold
photo by Emily Myatt

Fleece after combing
photo by Emily Myatt

Shawl in process of being knit
photo by Emily Myatt

 

The Pattern

 

IRL (in real life) Shawl by Kacey Herlihy

From Emily:

“IRL (in real life) Shawl by Kacey Herlihy is a celebration of meeting up with close friends in real life, whether it’s for the first time or one of many. Perfect for social knitting, IRL is a simple, customizable pattern that results in a beautiful and super wearable shawl. So many folks in the Fibershed community are virtual friends I don't get to see that often, so this shawl made me think of the happiness that comes with occasional meetups.

This squishy triangle shawl is worked from the center top down, with increases worked on the outer edges and along the center spine to form the classic triangle shape. Simple garter stitch, ribbing, and eyelets repeat to form a subtle but graphic pattern.

This pattern is written to work at any gauge, which made it perfect for handspun yarn.

I had originally planed on knitting a colorwork shawl, but after swatching, quickly realized the pattern wasn't the right fit for this specific handspun. At first, I felt like I needed to stick with the original pattern selection, but because of all of the hours gone into the project, I wanted to enjoy the knitting process and love my finished object. It's important to stay flexible with our project plans and to enjoy the process - making shouldn't be a chore!

I am so happy with my updated choice. The pattern texture is so nice with my handspun. The customizable pattern let me play around with the color combos.”