It’s October here in Toronto, and properly cold enough that I can see my breath on my morning walk. This can only mean one thing—huzzah!—it’s time to put boots and sweaters back into the wardrobe rotation.
For me, the cooler mornings, falling leaves, and shorter days also usher in a season of renewal: a time to refresh, repair, plan, and learn.
This month’s editorial celebrates that spirit of renewal by taking a deep dive into our Digits & Threads archives to bring you resources that will hopefully inspire your autumn experience.
Refresh
Are your sweaters a little musty after months packed away? Have you worn them a few times already and they could use a wash? Are you looking to clean and store summer knits? Check out Kate Atherley’s article about how to wash your woollies. And while you’re at it, take a deeper dive into the subject with Sandi Wiseheart’s essay about protecting your stash from the winged scourge, a.k.a., moths <shudders>.
Repair
I love getting back into my beloved Blundstone boots…but inevitably that means opening the sock drawer and realizing that the worn—or outright holey—socks that were triaged to the mending pile last spring are still right where I left them. Time to set aside a rainy afternoon to make some repairs! Fortunately, Holli Yeoh has all your darning needs covered with her sock mending series that covers Swiss darning, stocking darning, and Scottish darning. She can also guide you on replacing heel flaps and working with repairs to gussetless socks.
If gadgets are your thing, check out Holli’s guide to darning looms—super handy, and not just for socks!
And since we understand that (despite our phones) the digital world isn’t always the most convenient thing to pack into a project bag, you can find Holli’s collected sock-mending advice in this gorgeous little pocket Sock Mending Guide from Nine Ten Publications.
Plan
Once upon a time, some poor, overambitious knitter played time chicken (the lesser-known cousin of yarn chicken) with a knitted gift—and lost. So, they came up with the handy superstition that receiving a gift with the needles still attached is good luck. Now, that’s what I call crafty!
Maybe you’ve been working on holiday gift makes since the end of last year and you just need some finishing touches, or maybe you’re looking for something fast because, despite your very best intentions, you left your plans too late. Not to worry. We’ve got you covered with something for everyone!
Want something straightforward? Try the Willow Cardigan from Stephanie Erin. Or maybe you’re looking to be a little bit *extra* with that pair of mittens or sweater you just finished and need a guide to embellishing knits.
From socks to tiny tapestries, appliqué to hand sewing, we’ve got gift giving solutions for everyone—even if the recipient is you!
Learn
Nothing says fall more than sitting down with your favourite pen and a fresh notebook to write down all your plans and deepest musings (or maybe you simply need to keep track of which gifts still have needles in them). All your plans are guaranteed* to work out perfectly if you write them down in a notebook you made yourself!
Learn how to make your very own notebook with these bookbinding tutorials from Suzan Lee, which take you step-by-step through both Coptic binding and Japanese stab-binding techniques.
However you celebrate the changing seasons, we hope your autumn is warmed by friends, family, and fibre!
*Plans not actually guaranteed. But we’re rooting for you!
