Texting mitts and Qiviut Yarn Giveaway for June 2013

This Months gorgeous little selection 226 grams of yarns spun into 2, 3, 4 ply some pure qiviut, some blended and some white pure cashmere.

We have been very busy lately working on qiviut knitwear building stock for the coming Fall season and with lots of my own projects too...... there's just not enough hours in the day !

When out and about on my travels quite a few customers have asked for the Texting mitt pattern with the picot edge and leafy cuff. The mitts take about 45 grams of yarn so this little lot above could make 5 pairs.

Who would you knit them for ?

Leave your entry in the comments section, 1 winner drawn at random.
RUNS FROM 18- JUNE 2013 TO 30 th JUNE 2013.
open to knitters world wide.

The pair shown above is knit from 100% magical qiviut in Raspberry and natural.

I used 2 strands of 2ply held together and our 3ply for the natural leafy border cuff.

Total 44 grams- 260 yards.

To Knit The Texting Mitts You will need:

 any of the 2ply lace yarns shown above,(knit 2 strands tog)

1pair of 3.5mm-US SIZE 4 straight needles,

1 set of 3.5mm- US SIZE 4 D.P.N's

3 st markers.

Wool needle.

TENSION: 7sts = 1'' inch

X

8 rows = 1'' inch

I knit very loose so you may have to go to a 4mm if you consider yourself a tight/firm knitter !

With 3.5mm begin to knit the mitt. 

Cast on 44 sts, join to work in the rnd, pm, and knit 24 rnds.

NEXT MAKE THUMB GUSSET:

1: k19, pm, m1, k1, m1, k1, pm, k to end.

2: and every alt rnds knit without inc. 

3: k19, sm, m1, k3, sm, k to end.

5: k19, sm, m1, k5, m1, sm, k to end.

7: k19, sm, m1, k7, m1, sm, k to end.

cont inc every 2nd rnd until you have 12 st bet markers.

On next rnd, k19, remove marker, slip 12 sts onto waste yarn or st holder, remove 2nd marker, turn work INC 2 sts, turn work back to (RS) and continue to knit around back to 1st marker.

continue knitting in rnds until work measures 6'' inches long from cast on edge.

PICOT EGDE:

k1, *k2tog, yo, k1; rep from *back to beg.

Next rnd knit all sts including yo's and work a further 8 rnds for the turn back of the Picot.

sew picot edge down inside of mitt.

Thumb: with D.P.N's pick up the 12 sts from the waste yarn and 2 edge sts, so you have 14 sts for the thumb. join to work in the rnd and k 12 rnds, bind/cast off all 14sts.

Sew in any loose ends, make a 2nd mitt.

The Leafy Cuff:

 with 3.5mm needles and a 3ply yarn or 2 strands of 4ply held tog k3 pattern repeats as shown below then sew onto the cast on edge of mitt. 

CAST ON 8 STS.

1:(RS) k5, yf, k1, yf, k2.

2: p6, inc in next st, k3.

3: k4, p1, k2, yf, k1, yf, k3.

4: p8, inc in next st, k4.

5: k4, p2, k3, yf, k1, yf, k4.

6: p10, inc in next st, k5.

7: k4, p3, k4, yf, k1, yf, k5.

8: p12, inc in next st, k6.

9: k4, p4, yb, sl1, k1, psso, k7, k2tog, k1.

10: p10, inc in next st, k7.

11: k4, p5, yb, sl1, k1, psso, k5, k2tog, k1.

12: p8, inc in next st, k2, p1, k5.

13: k4, p1, k1, p4, yb, sl1, k1, psso, k3, k2tog, k1.

14: p6, inc in next st, k3, p1, k5.

15: k4, p1, k1, p5, yb, sl1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, k1.

16: p4, inc in next st, k4, p1, k5.

17: k4, p1, k1, p6, yb, sl1, k2tog, psso, k1.

18: p2tog, cast of next 5sts using the p2tog as 1st stitch, k1, p1, k5.

rep these 18 rows another 2 times, then cast off the 8 sts, sew onto cuff with right sides facing together, then make another leafy cuff and you got a pair of lovely open style mitts perfect to gift.....who would you make them for ?

ABBREVIATIONS:

k=knit, sm= slip marker, pm= place marker,

yo= lay yarn over working needle to make a loop st.

 inc= increase by making a stitch, knit into the front and back of the next st to make a new st.

alt= alternate rnds.

(RS) = right side.

k2tog= knit next 2 sts together to form a single st dec.

dec= decrease.

 psso= slip next st from left needle to right needle without working it, then knit next st on left needle, then slip the slipped st over st jus worked.

yb= yarn back to knitting position. 

please let me know of any typo's......Thank you !

Once you haveplaced your entry here...Pop over to my Shetland wool blog. I am hosting a Shetland wool blanket post and need the name for my sampler blanket design......will be adding new blocks to the post over the next few days.... 

www.shetlandwool.blogspot.com 

 

Felted Qiviut Hat - Kit Competition giveaway

                                              Arctic Muskox Floral Hat

The hat and Blog Entry is still undercostruction and when complete will have more flowers, I-cord top with Pandora style Silver beads ! Will post more pic's as i go along.

WE were supposed to have this months competition as part of a promotion for our, 'Arctic Muskox Blend vest' but sadly its not working out. I can't find the pattern but plan to rework it so we will offer it at a later date in late August.....check back for that !

This is the hat complete !
COMPETITION: Tell us What TWO Colors you would like to knit this hat from the selection below. One winner will be drawn at Random. Starts today 2011-07-23 will be drawn the 15th August 2011.
Choose 1 color for the hat and 1 color for the Flowers. You win the pandora style beads, enough yarn to complete an Adult size hat and enough yarn to make the flowers.
 (Felting equipment and embellish knit are not include)
If you dont want to buy the embellish knit and felting items you can always knit the I-cords on D.P.N's and simply sew the flowers inplace as i have done in the past.

Colors: Hunter, slate Blue, Turky red, purple, raven black, mahogany, raspberry, egyptian red, bordeaux, navy blue and wild rose. (wild rose replaces the yarn on the end)      

Onto the Felted hat Kit....... And Oh do i love it ! This ones knit with 2 strands held together of our 3 ply Arctic muskox blend in Raven Black and Wild Rose. The flowers are needle felted to the hat and this makes the hat so much sturdier and thicker and will be really Warm when Winter is Blasting !

I first knit this hat a few years ago from 100% Angora yarn and my daughter and her friends at school wore it out! Even the boys were having a turn of it ! Kyanna, my daughter said, ''its just too soft and warm everyone wants to wear it''.
The Hat is knit first, in the rnd on 4.5mm- 7US circular needle, has a lovely rolled edge. Most of it is knitted in Easy stocking stitch with only a few rows knitted in purl st to make two ridge sections that the flowers are added between. The flowers are I-Cords and the main flower on the top of hat is knit in a really easy petal form then attached or felted to hat. The hat has Easy top shaping so it fits snugly on the head. Fits the average person, has strectch upto 24'' inches. If you want to make this hat for a child simply use a 3.5 to 3.75mm needle size following the instructions as set.
***Pattern Instructions below***

Felting and the Embellish knit. I just adore the Embellish knit......OMG its so fast to make I-Cords......yards and yards in minutes ! Will be using this little treasure a lot more ! Bought this on http://www.ebay.com/ think it cost about $25.00 with shipping. In the picture above you can also see the felting mat and felting needle tool both by http://www.clover.com/. Cant remember where i bought those as i have had them 3 years and this is the 1st time i'm using them......should be able to get these on ebay too !
 Heres the Link to bond america:
www.bond-america.com/products/embellish-knit.html

This is how the inside looks when properly felted......all the fibers are mangled together nicely!

The Pattern instructions:
Tension: 5sts= 1'' inch 7 rows = 1''inch square on 4.5mm- 7us.
                                           The Hat:
Requires about 100 grams total.
With 4.5mm Cast on 88sts, holding 2 strands of yarn together. Join to work in rnd, place marker and knit until work measures 2.5'' inches long.
Next: purl all sts for 4 rnds. Then, knit all sts until work measures 4.5'' inches deep from beg edge.
Next: purl all sts for 4 rnds.
Next: knit 2 rnds and then begin top shaping.
Top Shaping:
1: *k2tog, k6, rep from* to end.
2: and all alternate rnds, k without shaping.
3: *k2tog, k5, rep from *as before
5: *k2tog, k4, rep from* to end.
7: *k2tog, k3, rep from * to end.
9: *k2tog, k2, rep from * to end.
11: *k2tog, k1, rep from * to end.
Next rnd, k2tog all round, break yarn leaving a 10cm tail and draw through rem sts. sew top closed.

                    Flowers:
Daisy cords : make 4. With 2 strands of yarn together and 4.5mm D.P.N's cast on 4 sts,
K the 4 sts, then slide the work back to beg of needle pulling the yarn from behind and knit. Continue until the cord measures 11'' inches long. Break yarn leaving a tail and draw through live sts to secure. Bend 1'' inch of the end of cord like so to form a petal. Each daisy has 5 petals.

SEW through the centre of cord (place only 1 stitch so you can pull out if your not happy with the look of the flower)  secure and then make another loop next to this one sewing the loops inplace as you go until you have 5 loops per flower......it takes a few attempts to get the feel for it and have all your petals quite equal in size.

 Sew through the centre of flower and sew inplace on the hat. If not felting then you will put a couple of sts through each petal so the flower lays flat.

Flower for top of hat:With 3.5mm needles and a single strand of yarn, cast on 2 sts.
Inc 1 sts at the beg of each row until you have 11 sts.
Break yarn leaving stiches inplace on the needle, simply slide the work to end of needle. On the empty needle cast on again as before rep the procedure until you have all 5 points on the same needle.
Next: knit across all 5 points, knit 2 rows.
next: k2tog across, k1.
next: k2tog across row.
next: k2tog across - 7sts rem, pass 6sts (1 at a time over 1st stitch), fasten off.
Needle Felt or sew the flower inplace as shown below.

           I-Cord Top:
As before for daisy, cast on 4 sts and make an I-Cord 18'' inches long. Attach to top and center of flower,add beads on ends and tie a knot in end of cord to prevent bead from falling off.

ABBREVIATIONS:
K=Knit, rnd(s)= round, sts= stitches, beg= begining, D.P.N.= double pointed needles, K2tog= knit next 2 sts together to make 1 stitch=a decrease, rem=remain,

Winter Cherry and Raven Black

This is a hat that i managed to knit and finish in one day......Thanks to the embelish knit gadget and clover felting pad and needles. These hats are really easy to knit and the felting and I-Cords add Fun

And another....just can't stop knitting these hats......i love the natural gray soft-spun Angora with navy blue

Arctic Waves shawlette kit

'Arctic Waves Shawl'

''Arctic waves'' first started out as a scarf, but i found i couldnt stop knitting. The pattern is so Easy and relaxing, even if you think you cant do lace....if you can do a YO, you can do this !

The kit will contain the instructions pattern and 50 Grams of ''shade's of The Tundra'' yarn. The yarn is 60% Qiviut - 20% Milk - 20% Bamboo.

So far the shawl above has 20 repeats X 3'' inches each rep so measures 60'' inches across and 17'' inches deep.Knitted on 4.00mm circular needle. I will continue building/knitting until all the yarn is used up.

 will take the final picture of the completed shawl for the next giveaway/competiton around the 15th June.

To win the Kit you will be asked to submit a color name for the hand painted yarn above: the yarn consists of Berry blue, navy Blue and raven black......all very subtle when blended together..... totally luscious and soft. 

Please note the fibre content change: We decided to make a test batch of this yarn and we replaced the silk with Milk fibre and we like the results !  

The shawlette is long enough infront that you can tie it leaving the ends to drape. It's so light and airy you forget you have it on.....would be easy to loose. A broach would be perfect !

And the winner is 'Suzie'. Suzie please contact us with your details so we can ship you your Arctic waves Kit.....congrats !

qiviut sweaters

Just finished yet another 100% qiviut sweater....this one is sold and now on its way to its new home in Vancouver. I decided to knit this one with rolled edges to get that beautiful qiviut drape going. All edges are double cast off so there's no chance of stitches unraveling. Knit in fine 2 ply its just so yummy and soft as a cloud with that distinctive qiviut halo ! Qiviut is 8 times warmer than sheep wool and is so light and airy the knitwear is very comfortable to wear next to the skin. Available in Adult Sizes: small- $600.00, M-$640.00, L- $680.00, XL-$700.00, XXL-$740.00, XXXL- $770.00+ xpress shipping. Unisex design.

 The ladies sweater (not shown) comes with ( at no extra charge) a lace neck scarf attached to the sweater by way of knitted belt loops. I will post a picture of this when i get around to knitting it in a few days or so. The scarf drapes beautifully and there's no chance of loosing the scarf as it fits snugly through the belt loops. To order a sweater or a custom knit design please contact me at http://www.cottagecraftangora.com/ for more information.

The 2nd sweater I'm working on above is knit with 80% Qiviut-20% super white merino. Knit with 3 strands together = 6 ply on 5.00mm circular needle. I knit the bottom 3'' inches on a 4mm to make the edge stitches firm. Its very Thick and I'm sure it will be very warm. This design is an irregular rib and i think its just what this heavy sweater needs......the rib construction and the merino content will help it keep its shape and drape !
Not sure how much yarn this sucker will take....i dare not count.  I have balled  352 grams, the back and front so far measures 8'' and i need to go to at least 15'' inches up to the armholes. This baby is already sold and when finished will be on its way to Idaho. The customer bought this to keep him warm while riding his horse.

Will post more as the sweater progresses so check back Jim to see your sweater come to life !

So far so good......divided St's for back and front and I'm very happy with the yardage its better than i thought ! The sleeves are set in style and I'm DEC the St's at both ends for the arm hole shaping. The rose wood needles are very smooth (though not as smooth as the Addi turbos http://www.espacetricot.com/

 i knit English style so the knitting is Flying now.....cant wait for it to be done so i can stand back and look at my work, this sweater is gorgeous and I'm sure i will be making many more of this design !

Voila.....complete except for i want to add a hood. I think the hood should be knit in regular plain stitch as this will highlight the overall design of this sweater. One of the great things about an overall rib design is that it really holds its shape well, has gorgeous drape and elasticity to every inch. The sweater looks small but it magically grows on you the moment you get it on ! The rib design feels so comfortable to wear and makes a person look taller and slimmer. Will post the final picture after i add the hood later today.....wish this was mine, Winter is back. Were having Snow and wind again today 'soooo lucky i don't have to travel to work'

So we can say .......its complete. This sweater is sold and now on its way to Jim. To buy this sweater design contact me at the email address above with your size and color choice. Price $1,800.00

HOOD FAIL.........well i tried 3 different hood styles and didn't like any of them on this sweater and i suddenly realised why ? The hood should be all one with the sweater......a continuation of the neck line. For sure next time i knit this i  will suggest to the customer that we add a hood.

The Hat That was A Hood.......all is not lost. I had this rectangle left over.
10'' X 20'' so i turned it into a thick warm hat for hubby.
I stitched closed the seam along the short edge and turned up the brim section sewing it closed and along the length ways edge i gathered the top section on 4 strands of yarn so it would be strong enough to hold up to whatever he puts it through !

 The stitch pattern is: 5mm needles cast on 66 sts * k3, p3, k1, p2, k2, p3, k4, p4, rep from * to end. Row 2: k the k sts and p the p sts.

  30 minutes after this picture was taken he calls me from his Pied (foot) Dr's office and says ''er can i sell this hat''......the Doc wants it.......lets just say I'm not making another hat for him....the butcher might ask for the next one !

Qiviut cabled hat & mitts

Hand Knit from 100% Qiviut, i knit theses with 3 strands of 2 ply together.....they are so soft, thick & warm. This set is sold but i can make more. The set above sells for $260.00usd Or knit them yourself....patterns on our site at www.http://www.cottagecraftangora.com/

Qiviut Lace Cap.......very cute and very easy!

 The Whispering Tundra Lace Cap

 ......so easy and takes only 22 grams of either 100% qiviut or any of our 50% qiviut blends of 2 ply lace weight.

Close fitting and fits the average person.

TENSION:over rib section-8 sts=1''inch on 3.00mm circular needle

You will need:
160 yards of pure qiviut 2 ply lace yarn.

1 - 3.00 mm circular needle -max 40cm long

1 - set of 3.5mm D.P.N

10 stitch markers.

Point protectors.

Begin with Ribbed Brim

Cast on 122 sts, join to work in the rnd, k1, (pm)= place marker st, p1, continue in k1, p1 until work measures 1.5',inches long and make a double dec on last rnd so you have 120 sts.

Next: beg lace pattern, change to 3.5mm 

RNDS 1-4: knit 4 rnds.

RND 5: sm, k1, *(k2tog)twice, (yf,k1) 3 times, yf, (sl1,k1,psso) twice, k1, pm(place a stitch marker), rep from* (adding st markers as you go) back to the beg.

RND 6: knit

***rep the last 2 rnds 3 times more, then rep all 12 rnds until work measures 6.5''inches long from beg or until 3 full pattern repeats are made.

 Top Shaping                           

Next: knit 8 rnds in knit stitch and remove markers as you go (leave the beg st marker inplace)

Dec for top shaping:

1: *k8, k2tog ,rep from* to end.

2: And all alternate rows-knit.

3: *k7, k2tog, rep from * to end.

5: *k6, k2tog, rep from * to end.

7: *k5, k2tog, rep from*to end

9: *K4, k2tog, rep from * to end.(here you may want to change to D.P.N)

11: *K3, k2tog, rep from * to end.

13: *k2, k2tog, rep from * to end.

Break yarn leaving a 10'' inch tail, double up yarn and draw through remaining sts,close and sew in any loose ends, hand wash and lay flat to dry or set Iron to silk setting and lightly steam !

Most of the hats i knit have an  I-cord top sewn inplace and i love to add beads for a finishing touch.