Brand-new Natural Angora Soft yarn

knitshop.co.uk is delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new yarn. NaturalAngora Soft Yarn is made from 100% ethically-sourced angora wool, handspun in Germany. Angora wool is one of the softest, finest yarns thanks to the exceptionally long fibres of the angora rabbit’s fur. As with sheep, the wool needs to be shorn or clipped for the animal’s comfort. The wool is ethically produced by a family-run business that rears the rabbits considerately. The fur is gently brushed and shorn, causing the rabbits no distress.

"Forever" - she looks like a cloud, is soft and simply sweet!

The angora rabbit farm is run by the aunt of knitshop.co.uk founder Julieta Brandao, so we can be absolutely confident of how well the rabbits are looked after. "Forever" and her friends are very well looked after and you can purchase Natural Angora Soft with confidence and a good feeling!

Natural Angora Soft Yarn -
pure white Angora yarn ideal for knitted and crochet accessories.

Each rabbit produces only a small amount of yarn per year, making angora wool very expensive to produce. The super-soft yarn is highly prized, but its costliness means it’s often mixed with other natural fibres such as merino wool or cashmere to create a soft but strong yarn. Angora wool is very warm, so it’s perfect for keep your hands or neck snug.

knitshop.co.uk’s Natural Angora Soft yarn is made from nothing but angora wool. The pure white angora wool is carded and spun into skeins of around 50 metres. The yarn knits up on 3.25mm needles and is perfect for gloves, mittens and neck warmers. You’ll need two or three skeins of our angora yarn to make a pair of gloves or a child’s hat.

Knitted sample square of Natural Angora Soft Yarn.

Our Natural Angora Soft yarn knits to a tension of 22 stitches and 34 rows. This means it’s a similar weight to a 4ply yarn and you should be able to make a range of luxurious knits using 4ply patterns such as this aptly-named Exquisite Angora Cowl. Just search the pattern libraries on the Ravelry and Craftsy websites for patterns.

Natural Angora Soft yarn is on offer at knitshop.co.uk this month for a special introductory offer price of £16.11 online per 20g skein. That’s a generous 10 percent discount.

Natural Angora Soft is available online and
at the Boutique Outlet in Lee Green.

Because knitshop.co.uk Natural Angora Soft yarn is a pure wool, it’s an obvious choice if you’d like knit or crochet a garment for a special occasion – bootees to greet the birth of a new family member, elegant gloves for a going away present or a pretty bonnet to wear for a baby to wear at their Christening. These Candy Floss Baby Booties would make a wonderful gift.

Exclusive pattern for Natural Angora Soft coming soon. You could even make an incredibly glamorous angora bolero like the one Kate Middleton wore at her wedding to Prince William.




Links to this blog:

knitshop.co.uk: http://www.knitshop.co.uk

knitshop.co.uk Natural Angora Soft yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/angora-yarn/3137-angora-soft.html

Angora Reading Mitts pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/susie-rogers-reading-mitts

Angora Shrug pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-royal-wedding-shrug-angora-bolero

Candy Floss Baby Bootees pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/candy-floss-baby-bootees

Craftsy: www.craftsy.com

Exquisite Angora Cowl pattern: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/knitting/accessory/exquisite-angora-cowl/47513

3.25mm bamboo needles: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/1703-bamboo-knitting-needles-325mm.html

3.25mm circular needles: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/2966-325mm-100cm-bamboo-circulars.html

Ravelry knitting library: www.ravelry.com

Vintage Women’s Angora Mittens pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/womens-angora-mittens

November workshops

Make your own Christmas gifts with knitshop.co.uk

There’s no denying the inevitable march towards Christmas, but there’s no need to panic about what to buy everyone: knitshop.co.uk has devised a great set of workshops in which you can make your very own Christmas gifts.

On November 15th we’ll be learning how to Crochet a Flower Corsage – a lovely adornment to a hat, jacket or bag. You need only basic crochet skills to attempt this project (in fact, we don’t mind showing you the basics of crochet) and we’ll give you a choice of at half a dozen shades of crochet yarn to use. By the end of the two-hour class you’ll be able to work double and single crochets and may well have completed your first corsage. 

Crochet a Christmas Flower on 15th November @knitshop Lee Green.

Saturday 22nd November sees us focus on that crochet classic, the granny square. A building block for crocheted bags, scarves and other fast-to-make items, our Crochet A Granny Square class uses foundation chains, single, double and half-double crochets, along with other staple crochet stitches. We’ll also look at how to read both European and US crochet patterns – an important skill if you want to start work on other crochet patterns.

Once you’ve got the hang of making granny squares just sew or crochet two together and add a fabric liner to make a neat gift bag or purse. Link 10 to 15 squares together to make a striking crochet scarf that’s sure to delight the vintage fan in your family. 

Do you want to learn how to make a Christmas Tree Tea Cosy?
Join us on Friday's or Saturday's at 11am to learn how!

Socks are another Christmas staple. Why not surprise someone special with a hand-knitted pair? We’re running a two-part Sock Knitting workshop on Friday 14th and Friday 21st November showing you how to make knee-length socks. You’ll have a choice of eight shades from knitshop’s Sock Yarn range. Techniques you’ll learn include knitting in the round, grafting and turning a heel. If you prefer, we can also show you how to make ankle or calf-length socks. 

If you’re new to knitting or crochet but fancy the idea of making handmade gifts, why not sign up to our Beginners’ Knitting class on 7 November or Beginners’ Crochet class on 8 November? We’ll start with the absolute basics of how to how your needles or crochet hook, how to cast on and create your first stitches. The skills you learn will be ideal for making your first scarf or cowl. 

Socks - or mini stockings, you choose!

All knitshop.co.uk workshops are two hours long and take place in our boutique outlet at 356 Lee High Road, London SE13 5PJ from 11am to 1pm. Materials, instructions and refreshments are all included.

To book, please follow the links below and choose self-pickup at checkout. Workshops are £15 per session, except kids’ classes which are £10 per child. A parent or guardian also needs to be present.

Links to this blog:

November workshops list: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/251-november

Beginner’s Crochet class: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2287-23-july-crochet.html

Beginners’ Knitting class: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3096-beginners-knitting-workshop.html

Crochet A Flower Corsage: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3111-crochet-corsage.html

Crochet A Granny Square: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3112-12-jan-granny-squares-crochet.html

knitshop.co.uk Crochet Cotton: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/237-crochet-cotton-thread

knitshop.co,uk Sock Yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/165-socks-yarn

Sock Knitting workshop part I: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3097-sock-knitting.html

Sock Knitting workshop part II: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3098-sock-knitting.html

Swing The Needles kids’ knitting class: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3106-swing-the-needles.html