Inspiration
A Fave: Megan Ingman of Lichen and Lace
We are bonkers for Lichen and Lace, and we have carried it in the Shop since early days.
There have been moments in the recent past where the entire MDK Headquarters has been festooned with skeins of this splendid stuff. A shipment hailing from eastern Canada is cause for us to stop, drop, and dream. We’d just spread it out all over the place, a quiet riot of colors taken straight from nature.
We have not yet had the good luck to find ourselves in Sackville, New Brunswick to meet Megan Ingman, but she is in our heads all the time. As we considered what yarns to bring in for MDK Field Guide No. 11: Wanderlust, Megan’s yarn was an easy and obvious decision. I’m working my way through these colors for the sock drawer of my dreams—Teal Tide and Citron? Done. Next up? Only five choices left. At the rate I’m going, I may not need to pick and choose.
Megan is a woman who speaks through her yarns, but we caught up with her for a minute. Gaze upon these colors along the way. These yarns are perfect mates for the textured stitch patterns found in MDK Field Guide No. 11.
Megan, with a pile of goodness.
How long have you been dyeing yarn?
I first started hand dyeing around 2006 when I owned a knitting shop in Toronto called Lettuce Knit. I set up a dye studio in the basement where we dyed yarn to sell in the shop, and we taught hand dyeing lessons too.
Linen: the palate cleanser for your sock palette.
What led you to explore the art of dyeing?
I’ve tried pretty much every aspect of the fibre arts—that’s just who I am!
Clover: Where the color shifts like light on a field of flowers.
From where do you draw your inspiration for colorways?
In the dye pot—the art of dyeing really scratches my itch for spontaneity and improvisation—so almost all of the colourways we have were created by mistake!
Shrub: possibly my favorite. but i say that about EVERY green.
Beach Glass: SOFT, TRANSLUCENT, A DREAM.
Follow Megan on Instagram (@lichenandlace). It’s one of the loveliest places on the internet.
Coral: So 2019. Yet also 1920.
What a cute pullover Megan’s wearing in the photos! Please tell me it’s an available pattern.
I second that question.
Taku by Nora Gaughan.
Thanks!
Gorgeous colors! Please, please, I spotted Megan’s pullover first off! Is it a pattern.?
Ditto
Is it possible to subscribe to your field guides?
These colours are so gorgeous! And the pattern just has to be Norah Vaughan. Somebody will know what it’s called, I’m sure.
Darn autofill. Norah Gaughan, of course!
Yes, please, please, please find out the name of the pattern!!
It looks like Taku, from Norah Gaughan Volume 10. I spent several happy minutes scrolling through her pattern store on Ravelry. She’s a designing genius.
Beach Glass and Linen. Say no more.
Lichen and Lace is what introduced me to MDK, actually! I got a skein of her single in Marsh Lily as a gift, was searching Ravelry for ideas, and came across MDK and the Wild Yarns Field Guide. And I love my Colorwash scarf!
The pattern is indeed from collection 10, but it’s Kaver which is shorter than Taku
I first became familiar with Lichen and Lace when I did a mystery swap through one of the forums on Ravelry. My “swap” partner was from the Sackville area and included a skein of Lichen and Lace in my package. It’s beautiful and I can’t wait to buy more:)
What is that nifty sweater she is wearing in the photo??
Love your Saturday essays. You two are the best.
Love Shrub, Beach Glass and Coral together. But alas I have too much yarn. Maybe in a year or two?