Hobbit talk

Tags

Hobbit, Knitting, movies, Stansborough, Wellington, Wool

Just a quick pop in to share a new link with you today from one of my favourite New Zealand wool (and yarn) producers.

This is Stansborough’s facebook page, and a great way to find out what happening in Wellington this week with the launch of the Hobbit, including an artisan market that starts today!  It looks amazing! Must go.

I’m so pleased to see they’ve been involved in producing more of their beautiful woollen fabrics for this new movie.

Free pattern: Strong Heart mittens

Tags

designing, free pattern, giveaway, Knitting, Stansborough, Strong Heart, Wool, Zealana

The wait is over!!  At long last, here it is:  Free pattern – Strong Heart.

Available in long and short versions, as mittens or as fingerless gloves.

I experimented using a softer yarn in the below version using Zealana’s Rimu, and they’ve come out beautifully.

These gloves feature cabled hearts travelling up the back of the hand.  A smaller cable echoes the hearts over the thumb.  The rest of the glove is in stretchy double rib, which allows a reasonable range of hand sizes to fit them.

Gauge:  22 sts x 28 rows in stocking stitch on 3.75mm (US 5) needles.

You need:

60 – 80g DK yarn for the shorter versions (pictured above in Stansborough  Mythral – Kokako Grey and Zealana Rimu – Riverbank)

100 – 120g DK yarn for the long version (pictured above in Stansborough Mythral in Rata Red)

1 set 3.75mm DPN needles

2 stitch markers

1 cable needle

I think they’ll make lovely gifts for Christmas, but perhaps you’ll enjoy a cabled treat for yourself too!??

If you’re interested in the back story, it’s here.

And finally, as hinted at in my last post, because I’d love to share the experience of knitting with these gorgeous New Zealand yarns:  A small giveaway competition.

• Be in for the chance to win two balls of Zealana’s Rimu in the Riverbank* colourway shown above by posting a comment about why you want to knit with possum yarn.  You must mention either “Zealana” or “possum” in your comment so I know your comment is for this prize.
• Be in for the chance to win two balls of Stansborough’s Mythral in Kokako Grey* by posting a comment on which movies you know Stansborough Grey wool has featured in.  You must mention “Stansborough” in your comment so I know your comment is for this prize.

How I’ll decide:

• I’ll draw a winner for each category by random number draw, and assuming your answers are correctly provided.
• I’ll be sorting the comments for the draw per brand – so if you want to be in the draw for both Zealana and Stansborough, you’ll need to leave two comments, one for each brand.

Comments will close at midnight, Sunday, 2 September NZ time.

The competition is open to all, and I am happy to post anywhere within New Zealand or internationally.

Good luck!

* these yarns are from my own stash, and there is no choice of alternate colour.

Strong heart

Tags

cables, fingerless gloves, free pattern, Knitting, mittens, New Zealand wool, New Zealand yarn, Stansborough, Wool

Today, dear readers, I introduce Strong Heart.

Originally conceptualised many months ago, after I’d been reading quite a few blog posts about life’s challenges, I thought it would be nice to knit something as a reminder of the nicer things in life, and as my gift to my knitting sisters, who find life a struggle on occasion.

These gloves are dedicated to my dear friend, Kb, who is going through some tremendous changes in her life right now.

It feels nice to finally have wrapped around my arms what I’ve had in my head for so long.  The cabled motif is a continuous string of hearts.  As I knitted them, I reflected on how much you could read into the hearts – a love of knitting; a love for the person you might be knitting the gloves for; a love for all things cabled – the list goes on!  In this case, the hearts represent “heart”.  The ability to take strength; to take heart, and go on, to take on the good and the bad, opportunity and disappointment, and continue to enjoy all that life has to offer.  Hence the name “Strong Heart”.

But wait, there’s more! This is the mitten version.

I’ve used the wonderful Stansborough Mythral yarn, (DK weight, 100% New Zealand Stansborough Grey wool), in the Rata colourway for the long, fingerless version.  The mittens are in Kokako Grey – the natural colour of the sheep.

The pattern is of course, free and it will be released in about a week.  (I have some major work on at the moment that will prevent me from writing the pattern up too quickly).  Thanks to my son Tim, for the great pics today.

I hope you are having a marvellous, relaxing weekend.  :-)

Zealana and Stansborough at VK Live and TNNA

Tags

Knitting, Mythral, New Zealand wool, New Zealand yarn, Stansborough, TNNA, VK Live, Vogue Knitting Live, Zealana

Many of the lovely readers of this blog pop in from the USA.  Judging from feedback in your comments, a lot of you would love to try some of the beautiful yarns I blog about.

Well, if you are planning to attend Vogue Knitting Live in New York on January 14 – 16, your wishes have just come true!

Look out for the Yarnsisters‘ booth (no. 2100) where there will be not only Zealana, but also Stansborough’s Mythral for you.  Judging from the vendors list there is going to be a mind-stunning variety of suppliers to visit and spend your well-earned dollars with.  I’m very envious.

If you happen to be trade, and are going to the TNNA Winter Trade Show (Jan 21 – 23), look out for the Yarnsisters at booth no. 517.  Hint to people keen to see these yarns in their LYS – ask your store owner to check out the booth!

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to reading all about these event from afar.  They sound like my idea of yarn heaven!