Faery Wings in Deep Lagoon
Unravel wasn’t all work. I did find some time to dash off for a bit of personal shopping. I admit that it was only two hastily-snatched half-hours over the entire weekend, but I think I did pretty well! Continue reading
Alice (top) and Sokkusu (below) for Stay Awhile
I am still reeling from the fun, excitement and chaos that was Unravel! By chaos, I don’t mean to slight the Malting’s event organisation; that was supreme. I mean that my stand was so busy my head was spinning. A nice problem, I know!
It seems pretty apt that following the big Song of the Sea relaunch, that I’m now blogging to tell you all about our Fyberspates yarns for Unravel. Song of the Sea started with Fyberspates yarns and a special new version in Faery Wings has really helped it soar up the ‘What’s Hot’ list on Ravelry this week. It’s been truly exciting to see everyone respond to the new versions that I’ll be bringing to Unravel. I can also reveal, we have something being worked up right now for the show. You’re going to just love this version. Really.
Before I get too ahead of myself though, I should formally introduce you to Fyberspates, shouldn’t I? Fyberspates is an independent yarn company specialising in luxury hand-dyed yarns. Jeni, the Director, has developed two ranges: her hand dyed exclusives and her wholesale ranges. This is a yarn company that loves luxury blends and we’re bringing some real treats to Unravel for you!
Faery Song: delicate Song of the Sea in Faery Wings
So we might as well start with Song of the Sea seeing it’s so hot right now, shouldn’t we? The NEW revised pattern incorporates options for Lace Weight right through to DK so we’re sure you can find something to tempt you. Fancy making it in DK? No problem, we’ve got Scrumptious High Twist DK with BFL. Fingering? Vivacious 4ply is right there! Both these options are yarns with fantastic stitch definition to show off those art deco waves of the cowl.
However, if you’re looking for something with a halo, that’s just a little bit more kitten like around your neck, we’ve got that covered too. We’re bringing this Faery Wings sample to tempt you with and it’s a beauty. Faery Wings is a 4ply weight yarn that is a soft silk and mohair blend that knits up with a soft silky halo. The exact breakdown is 67% Silk, 23% Kid Mohair, and 10% Nylon, and its’ siren song has led to an explosion in Faery Wings samples! We’ll have some purple and plum options, plus silvers and turquoises for you to drool over. It’s lucky there’s single and double skein patterns for you to choose from!
We’ve got a FoolProof worked up in two colourways: Purple Rain and Inky Purple, to show you just how beautifully two skeins of solid colours stripe together…..
Foolproof Faery Wings
….. and then there’s Knit Night too…..
Who needs beads when the yarn is this special?! Jeni’s hand painted Faery Wings is just amazing. It’s perfect for Knit Night; the picots pick out little drops of intense colour from the yarn. As if that’s not enough, don’t forget that there’s that brand new sample that you’ll just have to come and see. It’s going to be amazing. You’re going to have to take my word on that.
Faery Knit Night
In contrast, there’s the smooth twist and definition of the Vivacious 4ply to consider and we’ve got just the set for this yarn. Leave it to Me and Leave these to Me are a beautiful hat and mitten set that perfectly showcase a rich hand dye that works up into a smooth and pleasing fabric.
Leave it to Me
Leave it to Me is an irresistible hat is embossed with elegant leaves. To make it extra special, details are picked out with pretty beads. The matching mitts, Leave these to Me are embossed with little leaves and embellished with beads. Special details include pretty transitions from the rib borders to the mitt itself…and don’t miss the little leaf “growing” up the thumb.
Leave these to Me
The beautiful semi-solid yarn is shown off to great effect by details worked through the back loop. Vivacious 4ply is a high twist Superwash 100% Merino yarn which means it’s soft but durable for hard working accessories. The high twist in the yarn is just perfect for mitts, hats…. And cowls….
Yes, High Twist is a theme we love in Fyberspates yarns and used the High Twist Scrumptious DK to dazzling effect for this Song of the Sea sample. We’re really quite in love with Song of the Sea as it seems like the perfect vehicle for shining semi-solids; Fyberspates real speciality. This is a full-on-glamour cowl that is as cosy as it is stylish.
Song of the Sea: High Twist Scrumptious DK
It’s probably worth noting that three of my patterns, Foolproof, Knit Night and Stay Awhile, can be made in anything…so you could make these in any of Jeni’s yarns that I’ll have on the stand. E.g. want to make Foolproof in Vivacious? Yes you can (and it’d be a nice option). See? We’ve just left the tricky bit, deciding which yarn with which pattern, up to you!
I keep alluding to beads, so before I sign off I should break down what we’re bringing to the show! They’re size 6/0 beads, so they’re perfect for 4ply/fingering. They will be £1.50 per 10g bag (approx 140 beads), or £1 per bag if you’re buying them for a kit. Never added beads to your knitting before? Don’t worry; it’s surprisingly easy. We can show you on the stand how to add beads with a crochet hook. We’ll have a free info sheet, with a clear photo-tutorial to take you through the steps, so you can remind yourself when you get home. You’ll only need one bag for leaf mitts or the hat. We have beads to co-ordinate with all of the beautiful yarn colours.
As if that wasn’t enough, I’m going to leave you with a last little teaser of something else we’re working on to showcase! We’re bringing Twizzle Silk, Fyberspates Merino/Silk Singles base. This is a lustrous hand painted yarn that gives soft rippling waves. With beads, Twizzle will make your knitting super special. It’s perfect for a day-to-evening Knit Night. Keep an eye on our Unravel Inspiration Pinterest board for photos of the final few samples, as soon as they come off the blocking mat.
Not long now!
Song of the Silvery Sea
I wanted to show how you could use the revised pattern for Song of the Sea to make your own personal project. I wanted to make a longer, wider, ombre version. In sportweight. I think that’s enough modifications, don’t you? I have a bit of an obsession with Blue Sky Alpacas Metalico right now. The natural sheen and undyed beauty of baby alpaca and raw silk is amazing, and that’s before you even touch it. Continue reading
Song of the Sea with a new border, shown in Alice Sock.
For me, a pattern only really comes alive when I see people’s projects. Now, for Song of the Sea, there are a lot of beautiful projects out there. And a lot of project notes to read. Yes, I do read them; it helps me to write better patterns.
I know people do like Song of the Sea as it is, but there are three niggles that I need to address: rolling edges, tricky start with tiny waves and the varying amounts of yarn needed by different knitters.
There are also some beautiful projects where modifications have been made in cowl size and yarn choice. I wish more knitters would find these kinds of changes easier to make. And I wish the pattern was available in other languages. So here is the news about the big update being published today – and our new knitalong.
It was great to be able to share the samples from Whimzy that we’ll be bringing to Unravel this month. Another yarn label to expect on our stand is British dyer, Juno Fibre Arts. We’ve managed to secure some more exclusives for you too as we know how much people just love to get their hands on something unique at fibre events!
So let’s dive in shall we? Continue reading
INSPIRATION KNITS 