Knitting on Block Island & some recent updates!
In recent, I've been feeling bad about the surge of recipes, little bit of talk, and no knitting. Part of the problem was Florida. I went to meet family & have a vacation for the first time in a long time. I was very, all too tempted to bring knitting on the plane but decided that I wouldn't give the TSA any reason not to let me or my belongings on the plane. However I did do some yarn shopping and brought back a few items, including a recycled yarn that I'm hoping to write a pattern for and start as soon as I finish this horrendously long post. But now, back to knitting & Block Island!
For such a small island, there's two major knitting resources: North Light Fibers & the off-season knitting group on Tuesday nights. Block Island has 1,000 off-season residents, which grows to 15,000 come summer, but for such a small off-season population, it's hard to find someone who doesn't knit or crochet. Living on an island comes with it's conundrums and constant problems, particularly when winds reach a certain speed, shutting off the only two ways to get off island. To me, living here isn't about a job or a person, it's about the island. Block Island has been rated one of the top 10 "wonders of the world" by The Nature Conservancy, for the same reasons as to why I moved here, the unaltered view into nature. From the incredible birding migrations in the fall, to the seals in late winter/early spring, to the vegetation & incredible views, you can't help but stare out every now and then to consider just how lucky you are to be here. The summer free time gets taken up with the endless jobs & work responsibilities, while winter brings a particularly lonely, empty time of year. During the off-season, all of those activities folks normally would partake in through out the year, hiking, pot luck dinners, crafting, cooking, reading, are finally enjoyed as free-time starts to reappear. As a result the winter becomes more and more vibrant as folks share the different crafts & activities free time normally provides for.
Tuesday night knitting group came about for this reason many, many years ago. Currently, about a dozen women (although men are always encouraged and welcome) gather at the library to knit their hearts out and talk about the week. We enjoy some popcorn and coffee, occasionally some sweet treats as well over conversations of winter trials and tribulations, as well as our recent knitting conundrums. For someone like me, this space has become crucial in my week. It's very productive, positive & different from most of the other activities that I can enjoy during the winter. For one, there's not a bar involved. And secondly, it helps encourage me to knit more and more complicated projects and has provided hands on resources for the moments I wish I never started certain projects. This was where I learned about Ravelry.com, KnitPicks, Smileys, Webs and so many other great vendors and online resources and is also where I'll go for help when I start some socks on magic loop! The women know so much about knitting, the island and gardening, among many other subjects, all of which is shared with each other frequently. I look forward to my Tuesday nights each week, knitting group being one of the few activities I refuse to miss.
Going shopping for yarn brings about a particularly warm, fuzzy feeling for me, particularly while feeling all sorts of yarn and finished products. Shopping online for yarn is rarely acceptable and not nearly the same as shopping in an actual store for yarn, particularly when the yarn matters for whatever project I'm thinking of. When I first got started knitting once more, I had no idea where to start to shop for yarn. The only thing that made sense was taking a visit to the island's fiber mill, North Light Fibers. Where I shop and the goals and mission behind the companies I support is very important to me. I heard about North Light Fibers and after visiting a few times I dived into their website, searching every nook and cranny to learn more about the mill. What I really appreciated aaas their mission as an island company:
"to produce and market the highest quality exotic yarns, garments, crafts and home décor items. North Light Fibers is Block Island Made: hand knit, hand woven, hand made. Additionally, our mission is to create a viable and growing year round manufacturing business on Block Island." (www.northlightfibers.com/our-goals)
A common plague on island is not finding year round employment or sustainable employment. What I liked about North Light Fibers is the valued commitment to their employees and customers. The company is focused on the most important part of any enterprise: the people. From looking to sustainable sources & using high quality raw materials to providing a comfortable and enjoyable place to work, North Light Fibers has become, in my mind, a valued island company. Their focus on hand made goods was also something that I truly valued, they looked to using what nature gave us, our hands, instead of bringing in heavy machinery. It means each piece is unique, made with care and has a story. The fiber mill started out as one couples way to move to the island full-year and has received quite a bit of attention since it's birth. The island previously did not permit "light industry" or manufacturing. As a result the zoning code had to be changed in order to run North Light Fibers. According to their website, it took the Risom's 12 public hearings to get the change they needed, providing a place of work for year round residents that wasn't government, education or service industry-related. (http://www.northlightfibers.com/our-goals) The variety in employment (and enjoyment) was a necessary addition for many full-timers, like myself, aiding economic growth on island. Something I'm looking forward to this year, are the weaving and knitting retreats. I'm hoping the EMT class & future employment don't keep me from either events, however doubtful that is, as both will provide me with a necessary education opportunity into knitting and weaving. And honestly, I'll be in a room for three whole days in April & May with people who get how much yarn stores excite me as a result. During the summer, the mill also provides kids classes, which can be found on their website, as well as adult classes in felting, knitting and weaving. And most recently, the mill will be part of the Great Rhody Yarn Crawl which I'm quite excited about & cannot wait to see folks on island for! I'm hoping this will help the mill bring in more off island business & some truly deserved publicity.
But onto the truly exciting part about North Light Fibers: the yarn. My favorite color yarn was produced by this company, a green color that has a tiny bit of blue & I believe purple woven in. It made a great head band and a baby hat, from just one skien and I still have more left. The yarn is super, super soft, durable & warm. Although I do recommend hand washing all of their 100% alpaca yarns, my least favorite chore is certainly made worth it with their fantastic colors & fantastic quality yarn. One of my favorite things, that I can't wait to purchase once I have extra yarn money in the bank, is the magical ball of yarn. I cannot wait to try super bulky knitting with it, nor lace knitting with their lace yarns made from baby alpaca, which is incredibly soft... Visiting the yarn mill is always a blast, from walking up through the Abrams Farm, where the mill is located, & being greeted by the Risoms dogs, to the great conversation with any of the employees, and looking over all of the newly handmade items.
I love writing, I love writing about knitting, yarn and all things Block Island but this Rowan Revived yarn is simply calling me from the depths of the yarn. So I will leave you all with this post to think about; for all of you Rhode Island knitters out there I hope to see you in April for the yarn crawl!! Message me if you plan on coming out, we can have a knit-a-thon at a bar one night or go for a stroll on the beach while knitting!
