Sugar And Spice Ginger Silk Top

Sugar And Spice and all things nice. That’s what little girls are made of, but women love luxurious goodies too. This fantastically flattering top is wonderful to wear and feels great against the skin since it’s made from 100 percent hypo-allergenic mulberry silk yarn. It also looks amazing, due to the figure-hugging curves knitwear designer Susie Johns has included.

Knitted using knitshop.co.uk’s Mulberry Silk Twist Yarn, this beautiful top involves some simple shaping and rib stitch. So if you can knit and purl and know how to increase and decrease, you should have no trouble recreating Susie’s lovely design. 

The pattern, written for knitshop.co.uk by noted knitwear designer and author Susie Johns, featured as the cover design on Let’s Knit magazine. For this project, the top was knitted in bright red – hence it being christened Sugar and Spice. You can choose whichever colour you like.

Mulberry Silk Twist Yarn comes in a choice of 10 bold or subtle shades, from the zingy orange that gives the pattern its name, to the more muted pale pink, white, silver-grey and ice blue. These show off the double-stranded texture of the natural silk yarn. The yarn is made from nothing but mulberry silk and comes in generous 250m hanks. http://knitshop.co.uk/31-mulberry-silk-twist

You’ll need just three hanks of this luxurious yarn to create the Sugar And Spice Ginger Silk Top. Its stretchiness helps ensure a perfect fit. The top knits up on 3.25mm and 4mm needles. The yarn has a tension of 12 stitches x 20 rows to make a 10cm square using 4mm needles. The top is knitted as two pieces, so there’s not much sewing up, either. Instructions for a pretty crochet finish to the armholes are included, but these are optional. You can also omit the drawstring round the neck edge if you prefer. This cap-sleeve top also looks great with knitted edging.

If you’re after a vintage feel you could choose the antique gold. In the March 2013 issue of Yarn Today, knitshop.co.uk is one of their recommended vintage yarns. They state: “antiques gold is the ideal shade for vintage-inspired garments and accessories”.

We’d love to see your finished Sugar and Spice Ginger Silk Top. Email us a photo we can post on our Facebook page or tweet us a photo.

Click here for other knitshop.co.uk patterns. 

Links to this blog:

Sugar And Spice Ginger Silk Top: http://knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/2725-sugar-spice-ginger.html

Mulberry Silk Twist yarn: http://knitshop.co.uk/31-mulberry-silk-twist

4mm bamboo needles: http://knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/1696-bamboo-knitting-needles-4mm.html

3.25mm bamboo needles: [not listed on site]

3.5mm crochet hook: http://knitshop.co.uk/metal-crochet-hook/1761-35mm-metal-hook.html

Knitshop.co.uk patterns: http://knitshop.co.uk/161-knitshop-pattern

Let’s Knit magazine: http://www.letsknit.co.uk/

Susie Johns Ravelry page: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/susie-johns

Knit Today magazine: www.knit-today.com

Knitshop.co.uk Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knitshop/82318014483

Knitshop.co.uk Twitter page: https://twitter.com/Knitshop

Product of the Month April

Product of the month: Merino Wool Tops

knitshop.co.uk has a treat in store for fans of our Merino Wool Tops: we’ve got nine new shades for you to choose from. Feast your eyes on Cobalt Yellow, Pumpkin Orange, Green-Yellow, Asparagus Green, Dark Grass Green, Sepia Brown, Dark Chocolate Brown, Light Wisteria and Plum Purple.

The new colours take the total number of Merino Wool Tops options to 34. All the new shades are 25 micron wool tops. knitshop.co.uk’s Merino Wool Tops come in either 21 or 25 micron versions and are sold in 50g bags.
Merino Wool Tops are fantastic for a number of creative projects. Yarn lovers can spin their own luxurious skeins using a single bag of wool tops or combine shades for a unique effect. Drop spindles cost from £20, so it’s an inexpensive way of extending your love of all things woolly.

Merino Wool Tops are also perfect for felting. There are three main felting techniques. Fulling involves knitting an item and then washing it on a hot enough setting to allow the stitches to matt together and create a cohesive fabric. So you could spin your own yarn, knit a hat and then felt it in the washing machine.
However, Merino Wool Tops also lend themselves a much more straightforward felting option. Needle-felting and wet felting both involve working on the wool tops themselves. The fibres are pressed into shape using tiny needles or by manipulating them when damp.

knitshop.co.uk's Needle Felting Kit is using Merino Wool Tops. Back in April 2011 the Needle Felting Kit was reviewed by one of the knitting magazines, here is the blog about it. The Needle Felting Instruction is also available to download from the knitshop.co.uk website for free!

Hats, bags and toys are all easily made using needle-felting, wet-felting or fulling techniques. All you need is a pattern to work with and one or more colours of knitshop.co.uk Merino Wool Tops. For needle-felting, you need a special felting needle and a punch pad so you don’t ruin the surface you’re working on. The advantage of these felting techniques over fulling is that you don’t first need to knit your fabric.

If you’re going to be felting large quantities of fibre, it makes sense to use a felting handle. This holds up to five felting needles at once, so you can make five needle impressions every time you press down on the fibres.
If you like the idea of creating felted items, knitshop.co.uk sells several kits containing wool tops, felting needs, instructions and a punch pad.
Once you’ve mastered the art of wet felting or needle felting, we’re sure you’ll be browsing our growing selection of Merino Wool Tops and pondering your next felted creation. We sell several books on felting to get you started. There are also some great ideas to pique your interest over at KnittingDaily.com.

A necklace made from Merino Wool Tops - watch out for the necklace felting kit being a available very shortly!

Links to this blog:

Merino Wool Tops: http://knitshop.co.uk/24-merino-tops

Felting accessories: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/63-felting-accessories

Felting handle: http://knitshop.co.uk/felting-accessories/660-5needle-felting-handle.html

Felting kits: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/143-felting-kits
Noni knitting and felting books: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/144-noni

Knitting Daily felting patterns: http://www.knittingdaily.com/media/p/51523.aspx

Needle Felting Kit blog from April 2011 http://knitshopcouk.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/needle-felting-kit-review-by-knit-today.html

Shepton Mallet Stitch & Creative Craft Show

knitshop.co.uk comes to Shepton Mallet

The Creative Crafts Show is coming to Shepton Mallet and knitshop.co.uk will be in attendance on all three days.

The SCC Creative Crafts Show Shepton Mallet takes place at the Bath and West Showground from 25 to 28 April and offers plenty of interest for the knitting, crochet and needle craft fan. By way of temptation, we’ve even got five pairs of tickets to the show to give away.

As well as our stall showcasing our all-natural yarns, knitshop.co.uk will be teaching workshops on how to knit, crochet or create felted jewellery.

knitshop.co.uk’s founder and designer Julieta Brandao will be running three workshops a day during the event. The first class of the day is for anyone who would like to learn crochet. Attendees learn how to make double and treble crochet stitches and how to use these techniques to make a granny square. The hour-long class starts at 11am and is suitable for beginners.

From 12.30 till 1.30pm Julieta will teach knitting in the round. You’ll learn how to distribute your yarn across three or four double-pointed needles and join them up to create your first ‘round’. Knitting in the round allows you to make seam-free three-dimensional items such as socks, mittens, toys and hats. Imagine, no more boring seams to sew!

Our felting class runs from 2pm to3pm each day. Discover how to felt items and then apply small pieces of felt to baubles to create felted beads. Unlike some forms of felting, you don’t first have to knit your item in order to felt it. Instead, you work with merino wool tops or merino silk tops. Having mastered wet-felting you’ll be able to make unique necklaces, bracelets and decorations.

Each class at the Shepton Mallet show lasts an hour and costs £5. The crochet class is from 11am to noon;the knitting in the round workshop is from 12.30 until 1.30pm, and the felted beads class is from 2pm to 3pm.

Sessions can be booked through knitshop.co.uk, or you can book a slot (if places are still available) at the show.

Entry to the SCC Creative Crafts Show, Shepton Mallet costs £7.95 per day, or £6.95 for concessions. The show is open from 10am to 5pm on Thursday 25 to Saturday 27 April and 10am to 4pm on Sunday 28 April.

To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets (to be used on any day), simply email info@knitshop.co.uk by 5pm on Friday 19 April. We will email you to let you know whether you’ve won.

The knitshop.co.uk boutique in LeeGreen, south-east London, will be open as usual during the show. Classes on offer at our boutique include Fair Isle Knitting and LaceCrochet.

Feedback from Braintree Stitch and Creative Craft Show:

"Thank you so much for your patience and time at the early workshop on the first day of the Braintree show. I came away with some very useful advice – aswell as needles and yarn! I hope the rest of the show went well for you."

 Pictures of Shows knitshop.co.uk attended:  

 

 

 

 

Links to this blog:

SCC Creative Crafts Show Shepton Mallet: http://www.sccshows.co.uk/13sm_proceed.html

knitshop.co.uk Merino Wool Tops:http://knitshop.co.uk/24-merino-tops

knitshop.co.uk Merino Silk Tops:http://knitshop.co.uk/25-merino-silk-tops

Fair Isle Knitting workshop:http://knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2742-fair-isle-knittig.html

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

Workshop schedule at knitshop.co.uk:http://www.knitshop.co.uk/156-workshops

Football World Cup Scarf

Football World Cup Scarf Pattern – show your team support

Calling all sports fans: knitshop.co.uk has designed a scarf just for you. Just knit it in your team’s colours (or put in a request from your favourite knitter for a Football Scarf and be sure to remind them which team is yours).

Even if you don’t follow a particular team, it’s impossible not to appreciate the two-tone design of the Football Scarf pattern – its hexagons look just like those on a match ball.

Knitted from knitshop.co.uk’s Thick and Easy Wool Yarn and Natural Wool Tweed Yarn the incredibly cosy Football World Cup Scarf is made from pure wool and knits up on 7mm needles. There’s a choice of 23 colours, so you’re bound to find one in your team colours. You’ll need 100g. For the white sections of the scarf, you’ll need 200g of Natural Wool yarn or white Alpaca Quito Yarn.

The Football World Cup Scarf uses stocking stitch throughout, so you simply need to know how to knit and purl. The clearly written instructions indicate exactly where you need to change from the main colour to the shade you’ve chosen for the ball. And since this is a scarf, you don’t need to worry about tension. The scarf should end up around 190cm long – plenty for wrapping round your neck and tucking into your jacket. If it ends up a little longer or a little shorter, it won’t really matter.

Wrap the Football Scarf around your neck as you sit on the terraces waiting for your team to score and you’ll barely notice the icy winds. When the ball hits the back of the net, no one will be in any doubt which team you support.

Armchair football fans, this pattern’s for you, too. You can be knitting away while Hanson and Motty provide their half-time match analysis or while the mid-fielders are wasting time passing the ball to each other. If you’re a fast knitter, this extra-chunky scarf might even be knitted by the end of extra time!

Look out for some delicious new colours of Wool Tweed Yarn being listed at the knitshop.co.uk from 10 April!

Links to this blog:

Knitshop.co.uk Football Scarf pattern
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/1669-world-cup-scarf.html

knitshop.co.uk Thick & Easy Yarn
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/106-thick-easy-yarn

knitshop.co.uk white Natural Wool Yarn
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/natural-wool/1831-white-natural-wool.html

knitshop.co.uk white Alpaca Quito Yarn
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/alpaca-yarn/78-white-quito.html

7mm Bamboo Needles
http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/1605-bamboo-knitting-needles-7mm.html