Blue skys and a little Folded

Some of you might have caught vague references to my holiday a couple of weeks ago. My partner and I decided we deserved a real holiday so booked a much needed break for our anniversary in Paphos, Cyprus. As it is only about 4 hours away it seemed the perfect treat for a quick sunshine getaway!

My days were filled with beautiful sunshine and I spent most afternoons knitting with this glorious view:

Nothing beats brilliant shades of blue skies and sea in warm sunshine to shake off the winter blues! Though we fit in some unintentionally long mountain bike rides the first couple of days (!), the rest of the break was spent calmly laying about – something I haven’t had the chance to do in what feels like years! Naps in the afternoons …bliss. I really needed that after the crazy year I’ve had, and it felt good to force myself to stop for a few days.

I realised one day as I put on my Folded for  a ride that I STILL hadn’t gotten any FO shots of it, so hopped off the bike and got contemplative in front of an enormous cactus!

I’ve been wearing this at least once week for the last four months since I finished it and love it’s simplicity. It is warm but not too warm and just perfect for a slightly chilly spring/summer day, but also breathes and is naturally anti-bacterial to keep you smelling fresh even after a bike ride (and not like a sailor in the sun. No offence to sailors, but they work hard. heh)! Did I mention LOVE?

The small only took 2 skeins of Kensington– BFL/silk/cashmere – and I knit the sleeves top down until I ran out of yarn. I literally had a meters length left when I bound off! Perfect.

I’ve sold out of most of this scrumptious blend at the moment but there are 5 skeins of Blighty so you could do a silver one… or use the last skein of Ansdell – light aqua/grey – alternated with the Blighty for a gorgeously subtle striped version! Just sayin. ;-D

It has just started lashing it down outside and I am coping by trying to picture myself back here:

 

Sigh.

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One sheepish post!

I’ve another guest spot …this time over on Meredith’s lovely blog – one sheepish girl!

She sent a call out for some help blogging as she is writing an amazing craft book, which I am so excited to see!

 Head over to the post to see what I keep in my yarn bag!

Nov 1st = knit along!

Today is the big launch day for the first Kettle Yarn Co. KAL of the beautiful Charm shawl by Juju Vail!

[photo: Juju Vail]

My lovely moderators and I have got some tutorial-type, in-depth instructions to help everyone start on the group pages and will be on hand to offer any help needed if you have a question.

There are more lovely fingering, sport and heavier yarns being added to the shop this weekend that will work for this pattern…a handful of brights:

[Westminster fingering]

A slew of pseudo neutrals:

[clockwise starting with the big image – a new hand-painted Westminster fingering  – ‘Median’, 100% British SW Bluefaced Leicester DK OOAK, and Islington fingering – ‘Nutkin]

And some heavier weights for warmth:

[Above, BFL/Alpaca Aran – OOAK grey/rose, more Wimbledon sport – ‘Tournament’ grey, and Kensington fingering- ‘Denbigh’.] 

..it’s never to late to start!

Kensington Purples

This week’s shop update Introduces a new fingering yarn base that I’ll be carrying semi-regularly…

KENSINGTON

• 70% Superwash British Bluefaced Leicester
• 20% Silk
• 10% Cashmere
• 437 yards (400 meters)/ 100 grams (3.53 ounces)

Shown above in my recently completed Marin shawl the yarn blend is slightly crisp, with a lovely drape and the added opulence and warmth from the softest cashmere. A nice plump fingering with a 3-ply construction, the yarn definition on this blend is divine! Details virtually pop – as you can see on the cable and ribbing above! You can see a detail shot of the cable on my project page.

I have really taken to this blend and have been knitting a Folded in it for the last week+ which is going quite quickly, thanks to the train ride to Yarndale I am already at the arms (will be knitting them top down to make the most of my 2 skein project):

As you can see, there is less drape with this yarn than the Islington I used in my Relax, as it has less silk. This makes for warmer garments for winter – especially with the added insulation trapped in the cashmere pluff!

The following description is from its new Ravelry page:

Uptown without the attitude, this lightweight blend is versatile and strong with added opulence and warmth from the softest cashmere – a luxurious choice for everyday items, next to skin wear and precious accessories.With its high percentage of 100% British SW Bluefaced Leicester this yarn is hardwearing, low pilling and long lasting. 20% silk adds subtle sheen and depth of colour, while 10% cashmere gives it a buttery halo and insulating warmth. Its 3 ply structure is ideal for lace and cables as details pop in this yarn with a crisp roundness. This superwash blend is perfect for heirloom baby items, as it can also be popped in a delicate machine wash. However it STILL spit splices – the best of both worlds! Vigorously wear tested, this yarn holds an amazing ‘3 shaves’ on Kettle Yarn Co.’s Wear Grading Chart – which means it will only pill lightly the first few times worn and will shave completely clean with no damage to fibres. Hand-washing or machine soaking and spinning is recommended.

Below are the two colourways added to the shop this weekend:

Brunswick – a rich, dark blue/purple with faint green accents Campden – a warm grey/purple

*Remember to sign up to the Kettle Yarn Co. newsletter to get first dibs on newly posted yarns.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing their projects and thoughts on the Kettle Yarn Co. Ravelry group and reviews on Etsy and the yarn info pages. These really help me out and it is also such good fun seeing the projects that are starting …and can’t wait to see the finished ones!

I’ve also really been enjoying the pattern suggestions and have added quite a number of new items to my ever-growing queue, as a result! Thanks ladies!

Join us if you haven’t already…!