Mill Ends Giveaway For December 2014

100% pure Magical Qiviut Bobbin ends.....LUSH !

Finally got most of our Christmas RUSH orders sent off, been making lots of pure qiviut sweaters in the light worsted weight 3ply Magical Qiviut...... I tried one of the sweaters on. They are VERY SOFT BUT VERY' VERY WARM, TOO WARM FOR ME !

   I may have more time to work on the blogs & finally make some items for myself !

This month its more mill ends. This lush lot (shown at the top of the page) is mostly 2 ply lace weight yarn in their Natural state

but i could hand dye them for whoever should win to any of these colours below:

 Colours are (Clockwise) Bordeaux, Burnt Orange, Raven Black, Arctic Red, Slate blue, Arctic cherry, Turquoise green, Arctic Blue, Purple, Turquoise.

Now because the yarns are from several batches there will be a shade difference in the finished dyed yarn, some will be dark & some will be a lighter shade ! To enlarge any image just click on it.

To enter the December giveaway tell me what you would knit with the yarn & What colour you would choose - Natural as they are or hand dyed !

Open to everyone, runs from December 1 st to December 31st 2014

One winner drawn at Random.

Merry Christmas♥

100% pure qiviut mill ends giveaway for January 2014

 2014-mill ends !

We made it through the Ice Storm but lost our connection due to the ice destroying the internet tower ! Without the internet connection I found I was less distracted. This gave me chance to catch up on more orders & get them mailed out ASAP.

                    Have not had time though to work on the special post I planned for January

The pillow knit from ''The Little Prince Batch of Yarn'' will have to wait until February after I finish all my qiviut sweater orders.

The yarns above are what I found laying around on bobbins. Skeined & washed. A gorgeous lot of 2ply & 3 ply magical qiviut shown here:www.cottagecraftangora.com/musk-ox-yarns/4521339631  These yarns will knit some lovely texting mitts.....more than 1 pair. Different shades from about 4 different batches of yarns but all PURE LUSH QIVIUT !

                   This month we will draw at random 4 winners, YES 4. This gives more people a chance to experience just how FANTASTIC Qiviut yarns & Knitwear are.

I will be updating this post & add my texting mitt pattern later in the week.

 To Enter: Simply tell us that you would love to knit the text mitts above & your entered !

Open to knitters world wide.
Only one entry per person.
Runs from: January 5th TO  31st January 2014

The Pattern:

you will need, a total of 40 grams of yarn for each pair.

1 set of 3.00mm D.P.N's

1 pair of straight needles 3.5mm

3 st marker (2 same colour) 

wool needle.

The leafy cuff is knit lengthways then the lace cuff is stitched to the cast on edge of the mitt. Mitts are circular knit with a Picot edge to finish.
Use a single strand of 3ply yarn for the leafy cuff & for the main part of mitt use 2 strands of lace qiviut held together.

Tension: 7sts = 1''inch X 9 Rows = 1''inch 

These mitts fit the average person. You will need to adjust your needle size to get the correct tension.

To Begin, with D.P.N's cast on 42 sts, divide sts thus 14-14-14, join to work in rnd, pm & knit every rnd until work measures 8 cm.

Begin Thumb Inc's:

Thumb shaping is knit on needle #2

1: k18 sts, pm, m1, k1, m1, k1, pm, k to end of rnd.

2: & all alt rnds, k without shaping.

3: k18, sm, m1, k3, m1, sm, k to end

5: k18, sm, m1, k5, m1, sm, k to end

7: k18, sm, m1, k7, m1, sm, k to end

9: k18, sm, m1, k9, m1, sm, k to end.

11: k18, sm, m1, k11, m1, sm, k to end.

Next rnd, k18, remove marker, put 12 sts onto a holder or waste yarn, remove other thumb marker. make/inc 2 sts & continue knitting across closing the gap.

Continue working in plain k rnds until work reaches just past your knuckles.

Picot Edge:

At beg of rnd, * k1, yo, k2tog, rep from * to marker.
Next, k 6 rnds then bind/cast off all 42 sts. Turn the edge to inside & sew inplace catching the purl side loops & using only light tension on the yarn so the sts are even & neat !

Make another cuff. 

Leafy cuff pattern- make 2

Cast on 8 sts on with 3.5mm straights 

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

2: p6, inc in next by knitting into front & back of it, 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, 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, sl1, psso, k5, k2tog, k1.

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

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

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

15: k4, p1, k1, p5, yb, sl1, 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 off 5 sts using p2tog as first of these sts(1st is on right needle), k1, p1, k5.

Rep these 18 rows another 2 times then bind/cast off all 8 sts.

with 2 right sides facing sew lace cuff to edge of mitt cuff. 

Knit Thumb: Pick up the 12 sts from waste yarn, join to work in rnd & knit 8 rnds.

Cast/bind off the 12 sts. 

This is the 4 lots. I tried to match them up as best as i could with a shade difference between the cuff
& mitt part. To work with this odd yarn you will need to Divide all your 2ply lace weight yarn into 2 lots knitting in a sequence & repeat for the other text mitt......if i have time i will divide them for you & bag the yarns for left & right mitt in 2 small bags & most likely ball them for you too so you can start knitting the moment you open the little package !

This a pair I'm working on knit from Qiviut-Queen yarn in Raven Black. (70% Merino-10% qiviut-10%cashmere-10%silk) Even with only 10% qiviut in the yarn blend you can feel the difference in the warmth & softness, the blend has just the right amount of Elasticity too to make great socks that are quite Durable ! 

   

Mill end giveaway for October 2013

330 grams of Mill Ends

Not the post i intended to write for October but i am totally bogged down with mill work & knitwear orders so this will have to be short & sweet !

All natural bobbin ends in 100% qiviut(small amount) with some 2 - 3- 4 ply blends in there too for a total of 330 grams in scrumptious cashmere, qiviut, merino, silk.

Tell Us What would you knit ?

1 winner drawn at random.

Open to knitters world wide.

Please only 1 entry per person.

From: 12 th October to 31 st October 2013....best of Luck !

Qiviut-Queen-Shrug giveaway September 2013

The-Qiviut-Queen-Shrug giveaway.

Its nearly fall, time to haul out the sweaters full of yarny soft goodness and because its that time of year i Love to have a Shrug handy just incase i'm feeling chilled !

What could be more simple. A Provisional cast on, knit a rectangle(side to side construction), make some increases for body, then some decreases, then pickup and knit all the inside edge rows to form a lovely soft rib, finish sleeve edges with a cute stitch design, sew up seam and your done

Have decided to add some 100% Magical qiviut in our Natural 3ply to the edge of sleeves just to make it a bit more special !

  As you can see this one is nearly finished. Just need to pick up inside sts for rib.

For mine i'm using 'Arctic Lights' colourway but you got options go here:www.cottagecraftangora.com/qiviut-queen-merino/4557554607

to see my updated page of qiviut-queen-colours and choose what colour you would like your shrug to be knit from. At the end of the month 1 winner will be drawn at random and i will send you a shrug in your colour choice and size.....ready to gift or keep for yourself !

 Sewing up seams,

 I used to work for a knitwear designer back in the 80's and my job was to sew up all the garment seams. I developed my own method that i follow so that every time i work by hand the seams are so perfect.
My Method:
*I always use a sharp wool needle so the stitch goes exactly where i want it to go.
*I always use the same tension throughout.
*I always place the both sides of knitted fabric between my thumb and index finger to make a straight line that has the edge protruding a 1/4'' inch.
*I work only 1'' inch at a time and Always put in the same equal amount of sts per inch.... Voila perfect seams !

RUNS FROM: 2nd September TO 30th September 2013
To Enter This months giveaway simply tell us in the comment section what your colour choice would be and what size you require. 1 winner will be drawn at random. Please only 1 entry per person. Open to everyone world wide.

SIZES:
S/M, L/XL. This is a close fitting garment.
17 colours to choose from.

Best of Luck♥

August giveaway, more mill ends & another Smokering pattern

The Chevron Smokering

Last months post was about smokerings and again this month. The smokerings i knit last month are now in Germany....my daughter Kyanna went to visit friends for 2 weeks and needed a few gifts to take along....the friends father got qiviut socks, the mother received my best smokering and johanna a lovely Bordeaux lace smokering which is why i'm knitting more smokerings again this month. 

They are the perfect gift.

August is the month that i start my Christmas knitting.

When do you start ?

I love how the wavy edge looks in this Tundra Green I want to do this one a little different from the 2 smokerings i knit last month. As you can see its almost finished. Imagine the cast on edge(wavy end) as the part that frames your face and the end on the needles is going to have eyelets to thread an I-cord through and attached to the ends of the I-cord  lovely fuzzy Pom-pon's ....all from 1 skein of qiviut-queen-merino yarn

This pattern will look stunning knit from mill ends. Mill ends in similar natural shades.

Here is the little basket of mill ends for this month. 212 grams total.. I hope the Lucky winner will get 2 smokerings out of it, one for you and one for a friend.
The two lighter coloured yarns could go to make the pom-pons, the darker shade of pure qiviut could be the cast on edge(the edge that frames the face)-very soft against the skin, with the medium tones as the garter ridges.....or maybe you have other ideas !
 I will wash the yarns so they are all soft and relaxed and ready to knit when you take them out of the bag.

Pattern notes:

This stitch style pulls in the work and combined with my naturally loose knitting gauge you may need to knit with a larger size needle to get the drape required. I used a 5mm-US size 8, you may need a 6mm- Us size 9.

You will need:

5 or 6mm circular needle.

2 D.P.N's needles.

Wool needle
pompom maker.

Cast on 110 sts follow the directions below.
RNDS 1-3-5 purl.
RNDS 2-4 knit.
RND 6: *k2tog,  k2, kmit into front and back of each of next 2 sts, k3, sl1, k1, psso, rep from * to end.
RND 7: Purl.
Rep last 2 rnds twice more. Work 6th rnd again. Then begin at rnd 1 again, rep all until 9 full patterns are complete.
Next knit 2 rnds then make eyelets to thread I-cord through.
Eyelet rnd: *k5, yo, k2tog, rep from * to beg.
Knit another 2 rnds then cast off all sts.


I-Cord.  with 4mm-us size 6 DPN's, cast on 3sts leaving a 8'' inch tail.
 knit 3sts (do not turn work) simply slide the 3 sts to the opposite end of the needle bringing the yarn from behind, putting extra tension on the yarn and knitting the 3sts again. soon the cord will be 24'' inches long. Break yarn leaving a long enough tail to sew pompom to the end and gather up the 3 sts to finish I-cord.

Pompoms. I used a 2'' inch pompom maker and leftover sock yarn in natural color.
Thread the I-cord in-n-out the eyelets then attach pompoms and your done.
Gently wash and block.

To enter August Giveaway tell us in the comments section  

When do you start your Christmas knitting ?

Winner will be drawn at Random,

Open to knitters worldwide.....best of Luck !

From: August 4th To August 31st

Qiviut-Queen yarn contains- 10% qiviut-10%silk-10%cashmere-70% merino.

With only 10% qiviut in the yarn you can really feel the difference in softness. This is a lovely everyday yarn that makes wonderful socks, hats mittens, gloves, sweaters and shawls. 

Qiviut-Queen-yarn has a new price. NOW $26.00 PER SKEIN.

SOLD HERE:www.cottagecraftangora.com/qiviut-queen-merino/4557554607

March giveaway- mill ends in colour

The two winners drawn at randon from the february draw are:
Jiminator and Bernie Holberg.....pls contact me so i can mail you your lovely qiviut yarn kits !

I thought i would offer something a little different this month.

Mill ends in your colour choice....

It's time for another clean out. In the basket below are wonderful soft yummie yarns in pure qiviut, qiviut/silk, qiviut/cashmere, qiviut/angora, qiviut/merino all in 2ply, 3ply and 4 ply's - 347 grams total !

I thought you could choose (if you are the winner) 1 colour from the yarns below and i will dye the whole batch in your colour choice. It will be fun to see the various shades of the same colour all in different hue's and tones...... the dye will make an wonderful colour variation throughout the batch.....you could make a unique artsy shawl with 347 grams !

Colour selections below.....select only 1colour !

 To biggy any picture just click on it

1: Hunter green,

2: slate blue,

3: Egyptian red,

4: Purple,

5: Raven black,

6: Mahogany,

7: Raspberry,

8: Turkey red,

9: Bordeaux,

10: Navy blue,

11: Azalea.

 

To Enter: simply tell us what colour you would choose. 

If you are the winner then i will dye all 347 grams for you in your colour choice.

Open to all worldwide.

Only one entry per person.

No anonymous entries......they will be deleted !

RUNS FROM: 02 March 2013 TO 31st March 2013.

Best of Luck to you all !

January 2013-Tundra fern kit giveaway

 

The Tundra Fern scarf kit

 

Happy new year.....

Just a quick blog entry as i'm in the middle of knitting qiviut sweaters and the deadline has come and gone.

This months giveaway is for a scarf kit shown above....looks crappy because its not blocked and i'm just test knitting it on scraps of pure qiviut yarn, the kits i mail out will be so much better and contain New yarns from the same batch and the New pattern !

here's the yarn colour choice below

 

To enter just tell us what colour you would like to knit this scarf in :
1: natural-not shown,
2: hunter green,
3: slate,
4: turkey red,
5: purple,
6: raven black,
7: mahogany,
8: raspberry,
9: egyptian red,
10: bordeaux,
11: navy blue,
12: NOT AVAILABLE...... as the qiviut we are working on is too grey and does not take that light azalea colour.

2 winners chosen at random. 
From january 2nd TO 31st January 2013
best of Luck to you all !  

And here is the finished scarf !

March & April yarn giveaway-Buffalo yarn

♥♥♥Cute Face ♥♥♥

Did you know Bison or buffalo yarns are almost as soft and warm as pure qiviut yarns. Not only are they a beautiful natural rich chocolate brown color that complements many skin tones but they have a Down Micron count of 12-14 which makes them very very soft and warm. Bison yarns can also be dyed to Navy blue or Raven black and unlike 100% qiviut, buffalo has SOME memory, developes a small Halo with age and becomes softer with age, is also non-allergic too. And some say they can be machine washed....though i would'nt want to try that !

This is a new fresh batch of 3 ply light(similar to a DK weight) buffalo yarns....gorgeous natural brown and just waiting to be knit up into something special .......such as a shawl !
Tension: 5mm-US8 18sts=4'' 100 grams = 420 yards 'ish'

What you have to do:

we want you to design a Triangular shawl pattern that will knit to our 3ply yarn. Using the yarn tension above as a guide design the ''perfect buffalo shawl''. It can be plain, Lacey, very open or closed stitch, a knit and purl pattern, use any size needle you want, possibly have a button closure inplace of the usual shawl pin, have a seperate knitted border.... whatever ......the only knitting rule is you must stay within a 200 to 250 gram weight limit with about 840 yards ish !

To Enter: write in comment section describing the shawl you would like to knit; type of stitch used in the design, size needles used etc,



COMPETITION RULES: Please read and understand !
By entering you are giving us permission to post your pattern design on this blog and/or our website should your entry be the winning entry. Your name will be posted as the designer.

Entering means that you will, should you be the winner, knit your design using the buffalo yarns we send you and that you will email us the pictures of the cast on and finished item so we can post them to this blog entry.

You must be the owner of the design you are submitting.

open to all knitters world wide.

one winner, so please be sure to post a real name or blog name and NOT anonymous as this entry will be deleted.

Deadline: 2012-03-08 TO 2012 -04- 30

Have Fun !

Buffalo shawl update below:

will post the pattern soon !

Oddments of yarn giveaway - February 2012

Qiviut colors.....well here they are for a total of 654 grams. Yardage not known as they are a mix of 2 ply lace, 3 and 4 ply. Colors: natural qiviut, natural buffalo, lime, navy blue, red's, raspberry, mahogany, qiviut McKinley, bijoux blue, Bordeaux, all leftovers and in need of a home...
The yarns are 100% qiviut, 100% Buffalo, 50% qiviut/merino, 50% angora/qiviut, Angora 80% and a bit of a UFO there too knit from 4ply Tundra pearl.

What would you knit/crochet with this lot ?
1 winner picked at random - from 2012-02-02 TO 2012-02-29 

Oddments of yarn.......January 2012 yarn giveaway

Once again i cleaned out another basket....its a shame to have all that lovely yarn just sitting there doing nothing ! Someone is going to be sent this lot pictured above !
This is 330 grams (11.7 oz) mostly 4 ply, a blend of 70% qiviut-30%merino and some yarns are 35% qiviut with bamboo and merino in all natural colors.

To win this little lot simply tell us what you would make using this yarn......winner will be drawn at random, winner will announced february 1st 2012.
Happy knitting !

qiviut-queen-superwash yarn December Yarn/competition Giveaway

                                         Qiviut-queen-superwash yarn above shown in natural.

                                                     And grape juice above here.
Love how this yarn feels, its soft and very spongy and has lots of memory. The yarn hugs the bamboo needles. So far i have knit socks, a hat and i'm working on a garter slip stitch scarf and have plans for a knitted throw made up of different pattern blocs cables and Texture sts etc. This yarn will be available in 20 ish Lush colors.

This is the little pair of sockettes knit from the yarn in rain forest colorway. Took only 45 grams.

.........And a hat in the same colorway........ i ♥ this color !

Garter Slip st scarf in Natural, Raspberry and Mahogany......scroll down page for pattern !


The Competition: 5 winners will be drawn at Random and each will win 1 - 100 gram skein of qiviut-queen-superwash yarn. (sorry no color choice) but we have these in handpainted and solid Jewel colors.

Tell us: what you love most about Qiviut Fibers and Yarns.
Open to all, end date 31-12-2011. Winners will be Drawn January 1st 2012

 

Textured scarf is knit widthways requires a 100 gram skein. Finished scarf measures 6'' X 72''

Really easy Garter slip stitch that makes for a lovely sturdy stich design that is very comfortable to wear.

The 1st and last 6 sts are always knit on every row to form the edges of the scarf

You will need: 100 grams of yarn either solid or differnt colors, 

US4 - 3.5mm straights or circular needle, 

2 stitch markers, 

wool needle.

The pattern:

Please note: scarf above is worked in 1 row in each color A,B and C throughout.

A=Natural, B= Mahogany, C= Raspberry

With 3.5mm - US4, cast on 401 sts and begin with 6 Foundation rows in Natural, then change to contrast color and begin pattern below.

Row 1: knit ( k6 place marker, knit across and place marker for last 6 sts to form the edge)

Row 2: knit

Row 3: k6-sm= slip marker, k1, * sl1 purlwise, k1; rep from * to marker, k last 6 sts.

Row 4: k6-sm,  k1, *yf sl 1 purlwise, yb, k1; rep from * to marker, k last 6  sts.

Rows 5 and 6: knit.

Row 7: k6-sm, :k2, *sl 1 purlwise, k1; rep from * to marker, k last 6 sts.

Row 8: k6-sm, k2, *yf, sl 1purlwise, yb, k1; rep from * to marker, k last 6 sts.

Repeat these 8 rows  for 5 full pattern repeats then knit all sts for 6 rows to form outer edge.

Tassels`:

make 4:  I used the same 3 colors as in the scarf  by wrapping the yarn around palm of hand or closed fingers  20 turns, slipped it off my hand and put a length of yarn through the center and tied a secure knot in the top with enough length to sew the tassel to scarf, cut through bottom loops to open the tassel fringe, cut another length of yarn and secure around the middle of the tassel, trim with scissors then stitch to scarf. 

To see more colors of this yarn here's the Link:

www.cottagecraftangora.com/#/superwash-qiviut/4557554607 

100% Qiviut scarf competition/giveaway.

         Finished all my custom knit orders and even my Christmas knitting is done ! Finally got to cast on for this months competition. This time its a 100% qiviut scarf, easy lace stitch but the special bit is the WHITE Qiviut, yes white ! I have been lucky enough to get a small quantity of white qiviut and thought it would be nice to add some to this scarf . The picture above makes the qiviut look really white but its not that white, more creamish. we had to add 15% merino to the white qiviut as it was a bit short, we closed the twist but it should still have a lovely soft Halo after washing. 

Below is a picture of the Stroller outfit and baby Blanket i knit using white and natural qiviut.

The white and natural color look good together.

About the scarf: White qiviut scalloped edge changes to Natural colored qiviut, Knit width ways, you cast on 412 sts on 3.5mm-US4. Has an easy lace st design, should measure about 72'' long and 7'' wide after blocking......i hope !
The competition...... 31-10-2011 TO 28-11-2011.
This month we are giving 2 prizes: 1st the yarn in natural qiviut and some white qiviut to knit this scarf, (your saying, 'what scarf ', well i have to knit it but will add pics as i go along )  2nd the actual scarf so you can gift it (it's nearly christmas) or keep it for yourself !

To enter: Tell us what knitted item you Gift the most for others !
example, Mine happens to be Scarves !

yarn requirements: 50 grams of lace weight yarn and 15 grams of contrast lace yarn. Total yards about 480.
The pattern:
With contrast yarn and US4 - 3.5mm straights Cast on 433 sts.
Rows 1-4:  Knit.

Row 5: (rs) 1st and last 6 sts form the edges of scarf and should be knit on every row seperate with a st marker.  k1, * (k2tog) twice, (yf,k1) 3 times, yf, (sl1, psso) twice, k1,(place stitch marker here to seperate the pat rep's )

Row 6: purl.

Rep rows 5 and 6 - three more times, then rep all 12 rows to form the pattern as set.

Continue to work another 4 pattern repeats and the knit a further 4 rows in white qiviut or contrast yarn.

To bind/cast off knit with 2 strands of white/contrast yarn held together to give a nice sturdy secure edge to the scarf.

Got 2''inches done so far......only another 4'' inches to go......its quite slow, takes about 20 minutes for 1 row!

Well its getting there. Today is the 27th of November and the deadline is the 28th so i only have a couple of hours to finish and get it mailed off to the Lucky winner. It now measures 5'' inches, only 2'' to go, i will work on it this evening while watching 'House of eliott' and will post the final picture after blocking !
After blocking the scarf measures 7'' X 76'' and i'm really happy with the look of the scarf ! Its very soft, has a wonderful Halo.

2011-11-30:
The 2 winners drawn at random are:
Karen our scarf winner and Brendaknits our yarn winner.....Thanks to all who took part ! 

Artist's Hand Mock Cabled socks

                                                           

 These little Beauties are so soft and warm. Not sure if they will be Durable inside a shoe or boot but i dont plan on wearing them outside. I love Qiviut socks in fall and Winter for simply relaxing on the sofa while knitting to keep my feet Toasty warm or as bed socks...... when the storm is rageing outside qiviut socks give you the best nights sleep.

Qiviut truely is 'the wonder wool of the North'. It's softer than Cashmere, warmer than anyother yarn, durable if you take care, has a beautiful halo.....is an investment in your wellbeing, looks good and looks even better with age, and is a God send for anyone who suffers from poor circulation.
Qiviut promotes Blood Flow due to the heating factor, warms joints and muscles so they relax. Anyone with poor circulation is in need of these socks, yes they are expensive but worth every dime as long as you take care of them !
They must be hand washed, cold water, lay flat to dry. In summer store the socks in a plastic tote to protect from moths (yes, like Humans Moth's ADORE Qiviut) ......do these things and your socks will last for years !

The Yarn details :

Artists Hand is 90% Qiviut - 10% Silk. Qiviut is a very soft Silky fiber that takes dye very well....colors are vibrant and alive !  This yarn is now available in 50 gram skeins for smaller projects.....check it out here :www.cottagecraftangora.com/hand-painted-qiviut/4546963932

The Competition details :

Tell us: Where is the place/country that has the most number of wild Muskoxen.

Competition is open to knitters world wide, runs from 2011-09-02 TO 2011-09-30

***Correct answers will enter and 1 name drawn at random***

Well i can say for a fact that these socks will NOT be durable but will be fine for bed/house socks when its really cold out.They have a wonderful halo and softness with a massive amount of warmth.

You will need:

1 set of 3.25mm and 2.75mm  D.P.N's

60 grams of 2 ply lace weight yarn such as Artists hand,

stitch marker,

wool needle.

 Tension: 6sts=1'' inch. 8 rows = 1''inch long on 3.25mm

With 3.25mm and 2 strands of yarn held together cast on 50sts, join to work in the rnd.

Work rib top , *k1, p1, k2, p1 rep from * back to start of rnd.

Rep this rnd for 8rnds.

Next: move sts so you have on N1: 17sts, N2: 15sts, N3: 18sts

mock cable work:

1: *k1tbl, p1, k2, p1. rep from * back to beg.

2: *k1,p1,k1,yo,k1,p1.

3: *k1, p1, k3, p1.

4: *k1, p1, k3, with tip of left needle, lift 3rd st on right needle over 1st two sts and drop off, p1, rep from * to beg.

Work 12 pattern repeats

Change to 2.75mm D.P.N's and simply knit all sts for 12 rnds.

                         Heel Flap:

 On N1 knit 13sts and slip the last 4 sts onto the beg of N2.

On N2, k1, sl1 across the 19sts and k1, sl1 for 4 sts from end of N3.

Turn work and p across row.

rep k1,sl1 and purl rows a total of 17 times.

More coming soon.....only 50% done!

Qiviut lace gloves August competition

Luxurious 100% Qiviut fingerless gloves. These are my fav type of glove to knit, i love how easy this pattern is. The long cuff section is knit on 3.5mm straight needles and then the sts are transferd to 3.5mm D'P'N's to knit the thumb gusset, palm and fingers.......like putting your hand into a cloud. Shown in Natural qiviut color.

This months Giveaway.......Tell us what is your favorite type of knitting . Your answers should read as follows:
Example (this is what i like) 1: cables - (being most Loved)
                                              2: Lace
                                              3: fairisle
                                              4: Knit and purl patterns
                                              5: Rib stitch patterns - (Least Loved).....but i still like !
Winner will be chosen at Random and sent the pattern and 100% Qiviut yarn to knit these fingerless gloves.....Good luck !

Runs from 11-08-18 TO 11-08-31

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