New pattern release: Skógur

I am so happy to introduce you to Skógur. Please don’t ask me how to pronounce it. I’ve googled it, and my brain doesn’t even know what to do to reproduce the way it sounds! But what I know for sure is that it means Forest in Faroese. 

Why Faroese? Because the yarn that I have used for it is a blend of Faroe Island and Falkland Island wool. It is HEAVEN. If you like rustic/soft yarns (that might sound very contradictory, but it’s nonetheless true!), you have to try out this yarn if you haven’t yet. I told Mom that I want a sweater quantity of that for Christmas already (that’s also true!). So Santa, I'm expeting more of that yarn under the tree this year!

I had heard about this yarn for so long, but for some reason, never got around to purchase it myself. It’s been listed on my “yarns to try asap” bucket list for the longest time, so when Laine des Iles approached me to ask if I wanted to create a piece in this yarn, I immediately said yes a big YES!

The design itself is very easy. You start off with a LOT of garter stitch. That’s just to get familiar with the yarn, and enjoy your favourite show (it's a Netflix friendly knit). And also it’s very squishy around the neck. Then the texture is slowly introduced in the next section. It might look intricate, but it’s very simple, intuitive and meditative. There’s also a video to show you how to execute the stitch. So nothing fancy here, just some texture goodness.

The shawl itself is quite long (it’s almost as long as my Hollows if you’ve ever knit that one), which makes it perfect to wrap around the neck, and drape nicely on the sides. I have started wearing it already as the weather has started cooling down quite drastically these past few weeks, and I absolutely adore it.

Yarn
3 skeins of Snaeldan 2ply, 100% Faroese Wool undyed, 394 yards (360 meters)/100g
OR
6 skeins of Snaeldan 2ply, 100% Faroese Wool dyed, 196 yards ( 180 meters)/50g
OR
approx. 1182 yards (1080 meters) of fingering weight yarn

Needles
A set of US5 (3.75mm) needles

Gauge
24 sts x 50 rows in garter stitch after blocking

Dimensions
19.2” (49cm) deep x 84.6” (215cm) long

New pattern release: Iris

I am beyond excited to share this new design with you today! I've been on a crazy sweater kick these past few months, as I have been dreaming of more wooly goodness to wear. So what a better way to embrace the beginning of Fall than having a new lightweight shrug to layer on top of dresses and tees?

Iris is a sweet little shrug knit in the stunning Samite from Blacker Yarns aka my most recent yarn crush.
As soon as I received the skeins, I knew that I wanted to make a lightwear sweater that would be a perfect piece for the Fall and Spring.
Light as a feather yet so warm and cosy. Wear it on top of a simple tee with a pair of skinny jeans, or on top of a dress, maybe with ascarf or a cowl if the air is a bit chilly, and you’re ready for a new season!

Construction-wise I wanted to revisit the technique that I have used on the Myst shawl: Iris is knit flat, starting with a provionnal cast on. It is knit sideways then a three needle bind off is used to create the opening for the sleeves and a few rows are knit in the round for the cuffs.
Stitches are then picked up to create the hem. And voilà! Easy peasy.

The whole thing might look a bit intimidating, but honestly it is so easy! Even that lace! It's just a matter of increasing and decreasing stitches here and there!

Yarn
2 (2, 3) skeins of Blacker Yarns Samite, 503 yards (460m) OR approx. 1006 yards (920m) / 1006 yards (920m) / 1509 yards (1380m) of fingering weight yarn. 

Needles
A set of US5)3.75mmneedles A crochet hook of the same size

Gauge
19 sts x 36 rows = 4” (10cm) in lace stitch after blocking. The lace pattern is worked over 22 sts and 12 rows

Notions
stitch markers waste yarn

Sizes
33" (37", 41") [83.8 (93.9, 104.1)cm] long and 22.4" (57cm) deep / long
to fit bust circumference 30-36" (38"-44" / 46”-52").

Now let's talk about this stunning yarn shall we?
First of all I've included below all the colorways available in this base. There's a lot. And they are ALL stunning. The Blacker Team had sent me a sample of each of the colorways, and let me tell you that I've had the hardest time deciding on which one to pick. Gosh they are so pretty. The second yellow one is wayyyy out of my comfort zone and my usual color palette, but I still could really see myself in a sweater of that color, especially this winter when everything will be so dark and gloomy.
Anyway, I'm rambling!

Pictures ©SkeinsSisters

I talked about having a yarn crush for this base. And that's not only because I think that color-wise this is the best base that Blacker Yarn has produced, but mostly because I have spent HOURS in company of this yarn, and as soon as I had it put down that I wanted to work with it again.
I'm not really a "lace" weight type of girl (if that even means anything), but what I mean is that I don't often knit with anything lighter than a fingering weight, because I always think that it'll take me a billion years to complete anything, furthermore a whole sweater.
So to be honest, I thought that Samite was a fingering weight. I don't think that I would have imagined creating this type of design if I would have known that the yarn wasn't a fingering yet.
Oh foolish of me. That prejudice wasn't justified at all. I would have missed so much by not knitting with this blend, because I had a blast.
It flew off my needles. I think that the stitch pattern that I have used might have played a role in that, but I also think that the woolen spun silk had way more "grip" than a traditional worsted one, which made the stitches fly on my metal needles.
The fabric after blocking is so strong, yet rustically soft and as light as a feather.

You can gets your hands on this blend at Blacker Yarns in you are in Europe, throught The Woolly Thistle in the US and at Skeins Sisters if you're in Australia

The pattern is now available for download on Ravelry! You can use the coupon code IRISSAMITE15 to receive 15% during checkout (valid until Friday 8th September 2017 Riga middnight)

New pattern release: Honey Plum shawl

I am beyond excited to share this new design with you today. Honey Plum is a simple crescent shaped shawl that features four of my favourite things: garter stitch, some simple lace, Estonian braids, and this absolutely stunning yarn from Gregoria Fibers.

The construction of the shawl is very simple, and the rows of garter stitch make it such a meditative knit. I have absolutely adored seeing all the different speckles knit up. Not a single stitch it different from the next! Then I have incorporated some very simple Shetland lace (I have used this exact same stitch in my Selkie pattern), and one of my all time favorourite stitch, the Estonian braid. I really don't know why but I find this stitch pattern so addictive to make, and I find it so aestically pleasing!

As for the yarn, I have used three skeins of Gregoria Fibers BFL DK which is without a doubt one of the most stunning hand-dyed yarn that I had the chance to stumble accross. Can you believe that this yarn was naturally dyed with plants? Anna's work truly amazes me.

To celebrate the pattern launch, Anna dyed three different colorways and they are available on two bases: her Polwarth and her Merino DK.

1.Polwarth DK

This wonderful wool is worsted spun from long staple fibres.  It’s a smooth, strong and lustrous yarn

100% SW Polwarth / DK weight / 100 g - 233 meters.

2. Merino DK

This 2ply merino is spun in Portugal. It’s a super-soft, fresh and comfortable yarn. The resulting fabric is incredibly squishy.

 100% SW Fine Merino / DK  weight / 100 g - 250meters.

She's scheduled a shop update for tomorrow evening 7PM Spanish time!
Let me know if you got anything from hers! I'm always so excited to see other knitters being so pleased with her yarns.
Here's the link to her shop: http://www.gregoriafibers.com/

New pattern release: Myst

Matilda of Organic Knitters approached me a couple of months ago to ask me if I wanted to take part as a featured designer in the #organicsummerkal that she's been hosting for a couple of years. She told me that I would have to work with some rather exciting yarn, so of course I had to say yes! I have been dreaming of Rosy green wool yarn for the longest time, so that was the most perfect opportunity to give this yarn a try! Rosy green wool specialises in rare breeds yarns that they blend with organic merino. The result is absolutely divine. I got to try the Manx merino Fine - go and google Manx sheep, they are just the most amazing breed. I really cannot get over this yarn now that I’ve tried it. It is light, airy, drapy, and oh so luxurious. I even think that my mom that is “allergic” to wool would definitely wear it around her neck. It's perfect for a lightweight shawl or a very fine cardigan!

I didn't have to play with this yarn very long, because you know sometimes, the yarn speaks to you. And that's what happened this time around. I didn't have to do much - well except for charting the whole thing out! I really felt that the shawl knitted itself up. The stitch pattern is rather addictive (just one more section please, and then I looked up and it was 2am, hum hum), and it's honestly a perfect piece for new to lace knitters. The lace part is very easy as you only repeat the same section over and over, which makes it a wonderfully meditative knit.

Apart from the stitch pattern which was a lo of fun, I loved playing with a different construction/ shape with this piece. I really wanted to challenge myself and try something different than the more traditional triangle or crescent shaped shawls. So for this piece you basically start off with a provisional cast on, and knit all the way to one edge. Then put the stitches back on the needles and repeat for the other. Easy peasy!

The result is a very generous elongated triangle that sits nicely on the shoulders ( I like to wear it as shown in the first picture). It’s been crazy chilly here in Latvia, so it was wonderful to go out and have it around my shoulders (also great when you forget to bring your umbrella), and I’m sure that I will have plenty of wear out of it this Summer!

If you want to get a copy of the pattern, click on the button below! It will redirect you to the ravelry pattern page where you'll be able to see all the beautiful versions that are being knit up!