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Shetland Wool Week Mitts-a-Long
Hello everybody, specifically those of you who can't make it to Shetland Wool Week but would like to be involved... The wonderful Felicity Ford AKA Knitsonik has been busy working away on an idea just for you: Introducing the Knitsonik Mitts-a-Long for Shetland Wool Week! 'Yay' I hear you cry, well Yay indeed, read on for the details. The idea is to design your own stranded colourwork using 'Fingerless Mitts' as the base for your explorations. There are two kit options for you to choose from, each one has been carefully thought out by Felicity and includes the pattern along with the corresponding 8 balls of our lovely 2ply Jumper Weight (a 4ply weight yarn). The first theme is the Crofthouse Museum, situated in Dunrossness in the South Mainland of Shetland. It is set up as it would have been in the 1870s so you can get a real feel of what it was like to live in a typical Shetland home at that time. The second theme is taken from knitting sheaths in the Shetland Museum & Archives. These were in use before knitting belts and were made with feathers to grip and hold a needle in place while working. The Knitsonik Mitts-A-Long 2016 coincides with Shetland Wool Week 2016 starting on the 24th September. It will continue until the 24th October with lots of places to share and discuss your progress online - you can find other participants by following the hashtag #knitsonikmittsalong on Instagram and Twitter, and on the Knitsonik Ravelry forum. We have a limited amount of kits in stock so if you would like to knit your Shetland inspired mitts with wool all packed up by us in Shetland, this is your chance!
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Heritage Hap Kits
You'll remember a few months ago I did a post about a pattern we had in the People's Friend Magazine, we couldn't believe the amount of orders we had for the yarn so we are very happy to say we now have the pattern available to buy as a kit! The pattern was developed by Sandra from a vintage pattern, and she decided to use our Shetland Heritage range as it so closely resembles the old Hap weight of Yarn. The pattern makes a brilliant first Hap, you begin with the centre panel then pick up each four sides individually and knit them. The edging is then knit and either sewed on or you can knit it on as you go. The slightly thicker (than traditional 1ply) yarn and bigger needles (it's knit on 5mm) makes a quick but warm and drapey hap. If you order the kit you will receive Snaa White heritage but feel free to choose any of the shades from the Dyed Heritage and our new Natural Heritage range, just leave a note in the delivery comments box! Happy Knitting! Save
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The Book of Haps
Hooray! The Book of Haps has arrived! Our good friend Kate Davies has done it again and her latest book has just landed at J&S, ever since we heard about this book we have been so excited to see it and the patterns don't disappoint! clockwise from top left: Hapisk by Helene Magnusson, Moder Dy by Kate Davies, Harewood by Bristol Ivy, Happenstance by Romi Hill Clockwise from top left: Theme and Variation by Veera Valimaki, Montbretia by Carol Feller and Hexa Hap by Tom van Deijnen, Clockwise from left: Nut-Hap by Jen Arnall-Culliford, Uncia by Lucy Hague and Shore Hap by Martina Behm, As always the essays are well researched and full of wonderful photos, Kate goes into depth about all aspects of a Hap, what it means, what it represents and its historical importance to places like Shetland. We are so happy that three of the beautiful designs have been made in our yarns.. Lang Ayre by Gudrun Johnston, knit in 2ply Jumper Weight Hamegaet Wrap by Hazel Tindall knit in Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight Houlland by Donna Smith knit in Shetland Supreme 2ply Lace We love how all the patterns are so different but all encompass the elements of a Hap updated with design features like lace, intarsia, steeks.. and many more. Each design has something new and different to learn which is well explained. Kate has worked closely with Technical Editor Jen Arnall Culliford and all the patterns are detailed and clear with lots of extra tips.. You can order your copy here and see more information about each pattern here. There are lots of fun ways to get involved with this new book: Jen Arnall Culliford is hosting a Knit-a-Long in her Ravelry group for the book which you can see here and Louise Scollay of Knit British is also hosting one which you can see here. Hap-py Knitting! Kate and her wonderful Moder Dy design, one knit in Buachaille and one in 2ply Jumper Weight.
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Crofthoose Hat Kits
So this years Shetland Wool Week pattern has now been out for a month or so, we were out of stock of one of the shades but its now back in (yippee!) so if you would like to knit the J&S colourway of the Crofthoose Hat you can order a kit from our website here It uses 5 shades of Jumper Weight in the colours seen above, if you order a kit we will include a paper copy of the pattern but you can also download it via the Shetland Wool Week website here If you would like to knit the hat but dont fancy these shades just leave us a note in the delivery comments box of the shades you would like and we will put them in for you, there are four different colourways in the pattern and lots of projects on Ravelry if you need inspiration! if you do knit a Crofthoose Hat remember to tag your projects on instagram and ravelry with the #crofthoosehat Happy Knitting!
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Natalia's Yoke
Today we have an exciting new pattern to share, we often get asked about childs yoke cardigan patterns, much like our adult Hairst Yoke. This is one of the many kinds of patterns Shetlanders pass down generation to generation which makes it difficult to find a traditional pattern to make, but now Sandra has designed one for us! The cardigan is called the Natalia Yoke, named after our very cute model and Kharis' niece. It is knit using 2ply Jumper Weight and comes in sizes 22 inches up to 28". It is knit traditionally in the round with a steek but it also includes instructions for if you wanted to knit it flat, the relatively small size makes it a great first steeking project, and as there are only 3 different contrast shades a great first Fair Isle project too. If you would like to order the kit for the Natalia yoke you can do so on our website here! happy knitting!
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The Wool Ride
During Wool Week there are many things happening all over the UK, of course we will be busy with Shetland Wool Week but in London the Campaign for Wool will be hosting their Wool Ride! from the Campaign for Wool website: Starting and finishing at Potters Fields on Sunday 5th October, the bicycle ride will journey through some of the streets made famous by London’s most prominent wool supporters, including the archetypal Jermyn Street. Participants will also be able to take in some of London’s key sights and hotspots, passing through iconic scenery such as; London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Knightsbridge, Park Lane and Regent Street. Commencing at 9am and running through till 2pm, this 13.4 mile ride, estimated to take around 1 hour 38 minutes, takes riders along a meandering route with time to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the sights of the capital at a leisurely pace. in celebration of the Wool Ride, Sandra has designed two free patterns which you can download and make yourself. The Rastoorie and the Bikers Hat. Both are designed to fit over a cycling helmet but of course if you use smaller needles or block the hat over a smaller plate (Sandra used a large dinner plate) it will fit a lot less slouchy. Although if you like that look, go for it! The Rastoorie uses lots of small amounts of Jumper Weight so its great for using up odds and ends and the bikers hat features a fun bike motif 'cycling' around the hat! for more information and to download the free patterns, click here Its been a very busy summer at J&S so we haven't had much time to blog, but with visits from Kate Davies, Deb Robson, Mary Jane Mucklestone and Gudrun Johnson thankfully they have blogged about visiting us! of course the usual tourist season filled with cruise ships and holiday goers has meant for a busy shop. We are now beginning to get organised for Wool Week, and we cant wait! Speak soon!
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Sandra's 2013 Collection for J&S
They're finally here! After many months of designing, knitting, writing, editing, test knitting, checking, checking and checking again then printing, our shiny new patterns have arrived back to J&S and are available on our online shop as kits. Sandra constantly has new knitting ideas popping into her head that she tries out on new designs in all different shapes and sizes such as her last patterns the Sheep Cushion, Monster Mitts and Monster Muff. The following four new designs reflect a broad range of her designs; featuring Fair Isle, lace and cable knitting techniques and various weights of yarn. Noughts & Crosses Cushion Sandras Noughts and Crosses Cushion uses the worsted spun Cushion Yarn used in the Shetland Flag Cushion, this unique cabled design which is inspired by the OXO Fair Isle patterns has holes in the cablesfor you to pull through Shetland Comb Tops which gives the cushion texture and a bit extra squash. You could use any colour of Comb Tops to co-ordinate with any colour scheme or leave the holes empty on one side for a more subtle effect. There are lots of possibilities! You can find the Noughts & Crosses Cushion here. Lace Ella The Lace Ella can be made using two of our newest yarns, Shetland Heritage and Shetland Supreme Lace Weight, this warm but surprisingly lightweight jumper features lots of different lace patterns on the front and back, with a beautiful lace patterned V on the back, and the sleeves have a classic lace motif all over. Sandra was inspired by a popular lace pattern from the 1970s and 80s in Shetland in which a signature lace V on the back was knitted by a particular knitter and any cardigan or jumper was known to be knitted by this one knitter, this is Sandra's interpretation of this classic style. You can find the Lace Ella here. Aran Star The Aran Star Jumper has a retro feel, Sandra was inspired by Vintage patterns to create a modern version of the jumpers you used to see all the time in Shetland. It is quite a simple design but with the bold Norwegian star its very effective, using the Shetland Aran it makes a very warm and cozy jumper for this time of year. The simple Fair Isle motif and thicker wool makes this pattern a good choice for beginners. You can find the Aran Star here. Hairst Cardigan Fair Isle Yoke cardigans are a classic in Shetlands knitwear history, and now we have a J&S version, Sandra used a beautiful palette of subtle but bright shades of Jumper Weight, we called it Hairst which means Autumn in Shetland Dialect, the classic Norwegian star and tree motif has always been passed down from family to family and with the resurgance of the popularity of Fair Isle Yokes Sandra finally wrote down her technique to pass on to you. The pattern is written with both working flat and in the round as options so you can make the Cardigan in your favourite way. You can find the Hairst Cardigan here. As an extra little gift all orders up until and including Friday 20th December for these new kits come with a free J&S Big Project Bag to keep your knitting tucked up in. Happy knitting!
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Coming soon...
...four new patterns by Sandra Manson for J&S. These include a cosy jumper made from Shetland Aran, a much sought after yoke cardigan made from our 2ply Jumper Weight, a lace jumper made in your choice of 2ply Shetland Supreme Lace or Shetland Heritage and a beautiful cushion made from yarn developed especially for our Shetland Flag Cushion pattern. The proofs are in and have been checked so they are all ready to be printed just down the road here in Lerwick. These are the result of months of work so we are so excited to get them out to you! More to come very soon...
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Kate Davies' Sixareen Patterns
Kate Davies' Sixareen Kep and Sixareen Cape are now available on our online shop as kits! The patterns arrived this morning so we couldn't wait to get them online. They're the first patterns that Kate has designed in our Shetland Heritage range, which makes us even more excited about them. As with all Kate's designs they have been very popular so far judging by the distinctive yarn combinations we have been posting out from J&S. These two new kits add to a number of Kate's other patterns that she has designed to suit the specific character - the unique softness, bounce and 'halo' - of our Real Shetland Wool yarns: the BMC in our 2ply Jumper Weight; the Sheep Heid, Rams & Yowes Blanket, Sheep Carousel and Toby's Coat in our Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight; and the Warriston in our Shetland Aran; and that is even before we mention those designs in her book Colours of Shetland. Also to make it easier to find all these beautiful designs in one place we have added a Kate Davies section to the kits part of the online shop. I'm sure there will be more to come in the future! You can find the Sixareen Kep here and the Sixareen Cape here on our online shop. You can also find out more on Kate's Blog about the Kep here and Cape here where you also get to see beautiful photography such as this. Amazing!
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