Mulberry Silk Merino Wool Yarn

Mulberry Silk Merino Wool gets designer approval

knitshop.co.uk’s popular Mulberry Silk Merino Wool range of yarns has been given a great write-up by well-known knitting designer Jeanette Sloan. The DK weight yarn was used by Jeanette in the beaded pyjama case design that appeared in Knitting magazine.

knitshop.co.uk Mulberry Silk Merino Wool is a DK weight yarn with a rich, lustrous appearance. Designer Jeannette Sloan used Mulberry Silk Merino Wool
for the pyjama case pattern that appeared in March 2011’s Knitting Magazine issue 87. As well as remarking on its “rich, lustrous appearance”, Jeannette said she found the yarn “has almost no twist and is beautifully soft to knit with”. Watch out for the pattern, it will be available to download from knitshop.co.uk.

The yarn is available in a choice of 24 shades and knits up on 3-4mm needles. It comes in 300m hanks. The all-natural yarn combines the warmth of merino wool with the strength and sheen of silk.

Both patterned knits and plain ones created using Mulberry Silk Merino Wool look great as the yarn has lovely stitch definition. It’s ideal for crochet as well as knitting. Vintage fans will love the muted blues and greens, which contrast with the strong reds, browns and purples found in other shades in the range.

If you’re looking for ideas of what to make with this gorgeous yarn, you’ll find it ideal for knitting the Silk Merino Vest or Lacet Wrist Warmer patterns offered as pdf downloads in the patterns section of the knitshop.co.uk website.

knitshop.co.uk Mulberry Silk Merino Wool yarn is available through the online shop or at the Lee Green boutique store. The yarn costs £11.95 for a 100g, 300m hank.

customer feedback
"I made Ringwood Gloves (from Knitty) with the merino and mulberry yarn. The yarn is very lovely to knit with and they look great"

Links to this blog

knitshop.co.uk Mulberry Silk Merino Wool
Mulberry Silk Merino Wool

Pyjama Case on ravelry.com:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pyjama-case

knitshop.co.uk bamboo knitting needles
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/278-bamboo-single-point

knitshop.co.uk bamboo crochet hooks
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/290-bamboo-crochet-hook

Knitting designer Jeanette Sloan’s website
www.jeanettesloandesign.com

Knitting magazine
http://www.thegmcgroup.com/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=704

Sumptuous Silk Merino Vest Pattern

Have we got a treat for you! The latest pdf pattern addition to the knitshop.co.uk library is a stunning sleeveless top knitted in incredibly soft Mulberry Silk Merino Wool Yarn.

Created especially for knitshop.co.uk by knitwear designer Jeanette Osterried, this two-tone top is ideal for layering over a long-sleeved t-shirt – precisely what the unpredictable early Spring weather calls for. When things finally warm up, you’ll be able to wear it with a regular t-shirt. Either way, it looks great paired with jeans.

The top makes the most of both the vibrant colours and the lovely texture of our Mulberry Silk Merino Wool. The yarn consists of 50 percent merino wool – a particularly soft and luxurious yarn – and 50 percent mulberry silk. The two types of fibre combine softness and strength, with the added advantage that mulberry silk is completely hypoallergenic. This yarn is also popular for scarves, gloves and tops as it is very snug without being bulky and feels lovely next to the skin.

Remember Julietas's Lacet Wrist Warmer pattern, which was featured in one of the popular knitting magazines, here is the blog about the Lacet Wrist Warmer.

knitshop.co.uk offers Mulberry Silk Merino Wool Yarn in a choice of 24 colours. Go for a strong shade plus a more muted one for a retro look, two bright shades – or even clashing ones – for maximum up-to-the-minute impact. The shades we used when writing the pattern are Peacock for the main colour and Silver-Green for the accent colour. Or alternatively use purple and antique gold.

The yarn usually knits to a DK tension on 4mm needles, but for this pattern Jeanette used 6mm needles for the main body. You will need a 100cm long 3.5mm circular needle for the collar. Using just three hanks of this sumptuous yarn, you’ll soon see the deep v-necked top take shape.

The pattern for this lovely sleeveless top is mainly based on stocking stitch. The colourwork uses intarsia and stranding techniques. The pattern clearly states where you need to switch colours. You also need to know to how increase and decrease for the shaping. Because of this, we recommend this pattern for intermediate knitters.

If you aren’t confident about colourwork, there are plenty of online video tutorials on knitting techniques. Alternatively, you could treat yourself to knitshop.co.uk’s workshop on Intarsia Knitting on 3 May.

Watch this space, the next blog will be about knitshop's Mulberry Silk / Merino Wool Yarn with a yarn review and pattern recommendation by a named hand knitting designer.

Links to this blog:

Mulberry Silk Merino Yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/29-silk-wool-blend

6mm bamboo needles, 3.5mm bamboo circular needles (100cm) and 3.5mm bamboo circular needles (40cm):http://www.knitshop.co.uk/282-bamboo-circular

knitshop.co.uk pattern library: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/161-knitshop-pattern

Intarsia Knitting workshop: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2743-intarsia-knitting.html

April activities and workshops

Looking to move on from hats and scarves? knitshop.co.uk has a great range of knitting and crochet workshops for you to try this spring.

First off are two colour workshops based on the popular intarsia and fairisle techniques. Intarsia knitting is the term used for working in blocks of colour, swapping colours for each block.

Intarsia is a great technique to learn and offers a fairly simple introduction to colourwork. knitshop.co.uk’s two-hour workshop shows you all you need to know about working with multiple strands of yarn and how to prevent them tangling. You’ll also learn how to ensure you maintain tension and prevent your work bunching up where you work the colour changes. Armed with the knowledge gleaned from your two-hour workshop you’ll be able to make all sorts of striped items.

Fair Isle is slightly less straightforward form of colourwork as you change colours through rows of knitting. However, once you learn to read a chart showing where the colour changes occur, you will be well on your way.

As with the intarsia workshop, you’ll be shown everything you need to know about maintaining tension and keeping your work even. A wrist warmer or small bag are ideal first Fair Isle projects. We’ll even provide you with the patterns to make them and help you start knitting them.
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2742-fair-isle-knittig.html

Let's Get Hooked, youngsters can learn to get hooking on Saturday 6 April or Friday 12 April. Swing The Needles, knitting for kids will be running on Friday 5 April and Saturday 13 April.

Crochet fans are also well-catered-for in April. We start the month with a beginners class on Saturday 6 April.

Once you know how to turn chains, the next step is to crochet your first square.
Learn to crochet a square and you’re well on your way to creating homewares such as cushions and throws. The classic Granny square can also be used to make retro headbands, scarves and more.

One of the most satisfying aspects of being able to crochet is that you can quickly create fantastic-looking lacework. Our workshop on 27 April offers a two-hour introduction to this wonderful technique

We will also be offering our Crochet A Flower workshop on Saturday 20 April. Using knitshop.co.uk’s fine crochet cotton, you’ll learn how to use double and treble crochet to make a pretty flower corsage that can be pinned to a jacket, hat or bag.

knitshop.co.uk workshops cost £15 each and are taught in small groups in our Lee Green Boutique Outlet (where you’ll be surrounded by our fantastic selection of all-natural yarns). Classes for under-16s cost £10.

All equipment is included, as is phone and email support to help you complete the project taught during your kntishop.co.uk workshop. Refreshments are supplied.

knitshop.co.uk will also be at the Stitch and Creative Craft Show in Shepton Mallet from 25 - 28 April 2013. Julieta will be teaching workshops and exhibit exciting knitshop.co.uk products. For more details watch out for the blog about the show coming soon.

So plenty for you to choose from, all classes can be booked online and for more details of our April workshop schedule see http://www.knitshop.co.uk/244-april

Links to this blog

April workshop schedule: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/244-april

Beginners’ Knitting Workshop
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2729-beginners-knitting-workshop.html

Kids’ Knitting and Crochet: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2735-lets-get-hooked.html

Crochet a Granny Square Workshop
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2736-crochet-a-square.html

Crochet A Flower Workshop
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2737-crochet-flower.html

Fairisle Knitting Workshop
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2742-fair-isle-knittig.html

Intarsia Knitting Workshop
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2741-colour-knitting.html

Lace Crochet Workshop
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2738-lace-crochet.html

Product of the Month

Crochet Easter Eggs
brighten up your home for the Easter Holidays

Fancy something a bit different this Easter? Something crafty and crocheted? knitshop.co.uk has a great new Easter egg pattern for you to try.

Decorated eggs are a tradition in many countries. The most famous are Russia’s Faberge eggs. Although decorated eggs are often displayed at Easter, they aren’t only associated with Christianity and the end of Lent (in Mediaeval times eggs were off the menu during Lent). Since they symbolise fertility and rebirth, eggs are often given to newly-married couples or passed between families to share good fortune at new year. As a result, you’ll see lots of different styles of egg decoration when traveling the world. 

 

Crochet Easter Eggs are much more robust than the delicately blown painted and dyed eggs you may have seen before. In Germany, brightly-coloured eggs are hung up around the home during Easter time, often in groups for maximum impact. If you prefer, you can place several eggs in a bowl or basket. Add some scrunched up crepe paper to create the effect of a nest. You could even use the eggs for a Easter Egg Hunt.

knitshop.co.uk’s pretty Easter Egg pattern is based on the colourful designs found in Germany, where knitshop.co.uk founder Julieta Brandao hails from. The eggs are crocheted using Cotton DK Yarn and a 3.5mm crochet hook. You will also need some soft toy stuffing for the middle of each egg, we recommend Eider Wool Tops. 

 

There are nine shades in the knitshop.co.uk Cotton DK Yarn range, all of which are bright and cheerful. The yarns come in 100g skeins and are 80m long. This means you’ll have enough to make several eggs – or use the remainder for making lightweight springtime knits.

The Easter Egg pattern suggests you use three or four different colours of yarn to create your egg. If you prefer you can stick to a smart two-tone stripe.

The eggs are made using double crochet chains, so the pattern is suitable for even novice crocheters. You also need to be able to crochet two double chains together in order to work the decreases to shape your egg. The eggs are crocheted in rounds, so it’s easy to change yarn colour. The Crochet Easter Egg pattern clearly indicates where you should switch to a new colour.

 

If you’ve yet to learn how to crochet, knitshop.co.uk holds regular workshops on Fridays and Saturdays. There are classes for youngsters as well as adults.

Links to this blog

Easter Egg crochet pattern

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/2733-easter-egg.html

knitshop.co.uk Cotton DK Yarn

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/92-dk-cotton

3.5mm crochet hook

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/metal-crochet-hook/1761-35mm-metal-hook.html

Eider Wool Tops - stuffing
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/natural-fleeces/666-natural-white-eider.html

Crochet workshop schedule

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/255-crochet-workshops

Kids’ knitting and crochet classes

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/319--kids

Fair Isle Wrist Warmer

Fair Isle Wrist Warmer – striking two-tone pattern to download

The cold snap has certainly arrived but you can’t hibernate all winter. Sooner or later you need to venture outside. Whatever you do, make sure you’re properly covered up, including your extremities. It’s a frozen world out there. (We’ve even found it cold enough indoors at the moment to merit pulling on a pair of fingerless gloves and our Ugg boots while we tap away at our laptops.)

The silver lining to all this cold weather is that it’s the perfect time to knit cosy jumpers, hats, scarves and gloves. We’re particularly fond of gloves as they are quick to knit, can be as plain or as fancy as you like and are inexpensive to make. This means we don’t feel quite so guilty purchasing even more yarn.

To be fair, we don’t need much of an excuse to snaffle a couple of balls of knitshop.co.uk Simply Wool. It comes in some amazing colours, including purple, turquoise, tomato red and a cheerful yellow. It’s also 100 percent natural wool and costs just £5.90 for a 100g ball.

This lovely yarn is used as the basis of these Fairisle Wrist Warmers. The pattern is knitted in the round using 4mm or 5mm double-pointed needles. As well as written instructions, there is a helpful chart to work from so you can see exactly what your knitting should look like.

To make the Fair Isle Wrist Warmers you’ll need two, different coloured, balls of Simply Wool. We’ve used purple and teal in our example, but there’s a choice of 15 shades. Choose a combination to match your winter coat or favourite jacket. Each ball of yarn is 200m long, so you’ll have plenty left over for other projects – a headband to keep your ears warm, perhaps?

If you need some tips on how to knit in the round or how to alternate colours, there’s a helpful list of instructions for different types of stitch here: www.knitshop.co.uk/stitch.

You might also find it handy to try one of knitshop.co.uk’s excellent classes. We even have one specifically on Knitting In The Round: http://knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2674-knitting-in-the-round.html.

Links to this blog:

Pattern: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/2732-fair-isle.html

Simply Wool (DK 100 percent wool yarn): http://knitshop.co.uk/126-simply-wool-yarn

Double-pointed needles: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/275-bamboo-dpn

Knitting workshop: http://knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2671-knitting-in-the-round.html

New knitting classes in March

knitshop.co.uk has some brand-new classes in March to help bolster your knitting and crochet skills.

First up are our two-part sock knitting classes. Most socks are knitted from the cuff down. These workshops cover the less-straightforward toe-up knitting technique. The first part of the course shows you how to cast on and shape the toe, while the second part looks at turning a heel.

Sock knitting can be daunting, but many people find they really enjoy the process once they get started. Sign up here and find out whether you’re destined to become a sock addict.

Toe Up Sock Knitting Part I is on Friday 8 or Saturday 9 March. Part II is on Friday 15 or Saturday 16 March. 

 

We’ve got another new class likely to be of interest to those who already know the basics of knitting. On Saturday 22 March we are running a class on Finishing Techniques and Fixing Mistakes. If your seams tend to be lumpy or you often drop or make stitches, this class is the one for you.

Crochet fans can explore new chain options in our 23 March class on Crocheting A Corsage. Simple stitches and luxurious yarn are used to stunning effect.

We’re always keen to encourage new knitters, of course. We’re offering lessons in how to learn to knit on 30 March. The £15 class will show you how to hold your needles, create your first stitches and create rows of knitting. Using these skills you’ll soon be able to make your first mittens or scarf.

Alongside the Beginners’ Knitting Class, we’ll be running a kids’ class. Swing The Needles introduces under-16s to needlecraft and shows them the basics of either knitting or crochet, depending on their preference. 

 

We’ll also be running our popular Knitting In The Round class on Saturday 29 March. Using this technique you can create seam-free items such as gloves and hats.

knitshop.co.uk’s adult classes are £15, while kids’ classes are £10 each. Check our regularly updated workshop schedule for details of classes and events, as well as special discounts on particular workshops.

Links to this blog

Toe Up Sock Knitting part I (Friday 8 March)

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2706-sock-knitting.html

Toe Up Sock Knitting part I (Saturday 9 March)

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2708-sock-knitting.html

Toe Up Socking Knitting part II (Friday 15 March)

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2709-sock-knitting.html

Toe Up Socking Knitting part II (Saturday 16 March)

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2709-sock-knitting.html

Beginners’ Knitting Class http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2712-beginners-knitting-workshop.html

Swing The Needles knitting or crochet for kids

Crochet A Corsage http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2714-crochet-corsage.html

Knitting In The Round http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2711-knitting-in-the-round.html