Jeri Lea Kisala sent this outstanding shawl. What can I say. It takes my breath away. She writes:
"This just came off my needles the day before yesterday and it makes me so happy! It uses two skeins of Sea Silk (Woodland) on size 4 needles. When this yarn begged me to take it home (from Windsor Button in Massachusetts), I was determined to use it for something that would take maximum advantage of it. I looked everywhere for ideas, but no designs I found seemed just right. I borrowed all three of Barbara Walker's knitting treasuries from the library, and swatched and sketched like crazy. I settled on two motifs from her second book. I borrowed the border and top-down Faroese-style shoulder shaping from a Lucy Neatby pattern... After that came a lot of time with an Excel spreadsheet charting out ideas. I found the most logical place to end the shawl based on where all the different motifs in each area came to the end of a full repetition, which wouldn't have been the case had the shawl been either a little shorter or a little longer, and amazingly didn't run out of yarn before I got there. The ball of yarn I had left over at the end was about the size of a large marble (a shooter, we used to call them). So I guess I succeeded in making the most I could out of it. I love the shimmer in this yarn, especially in the stockinette areas, and the gentle way it radiates the warmth of your skin.
Someone asked me how I came up with this (my first lace shawl and my first design ever), and the answer I gave is that I asked the yarn what it wanted to be and this was its answer. I call it Feathers of the Phoenix. "
So much thought and effort went into creating this masterpiece, I just know that it will inspire others. Can you believe that this is her first lace shawl project? Jeri has made this pattern available on her newly created website "A la Kisala Designs".
Well done :)
Kristina has generously provided a free pattern for this fantastic scarf. It's knit is Hand Maiden Silken in Sangria but you could also use our new Double Sea Silk too. A One Skein project too - that makes me smile 'cause you don't need to worry about finding two skeins from the same dyepot. Just perfect for some of our experimental colours too. The weight and drape of this super silk accented with shimmering beads creates what I think is a majestic scarf.
She writes " It was greatly influenced by Sivia Harding's RiverRock scarf pattern, and the beads I purchased from Ellen at Earthfaire ." She gives very clear directions as well as tips for working with the beads.
Read more on Kristina's Blog Bespoke by Brouhaha. .
Here's a sweet little hat designed by my dear friend Kristy Hennings. Thanks babe! It uses our new Swiss Mountain Cashmere and Silk, but it can also be knit with Camelspin (just half a skein). We've got a men's version on the way that doesn't have the lace patterning. Stay tuned.
Download file
This is the first in what we hope to be a series of free downloadable patterns.
This quick and easy scarf pattern uses one skein of Lady Godiva, Silk Maiden, Silken, Great Big Sea, Flaxen, Swiss Mountain Silk Cotton or our new Double Sea Silk. This design really shows of the beauty of hand dyed yarns. Enjoy.
The yarn is Silk Maiden, the colourway is "Earth" from the Fleece Artist Line.
We've made the pattern letter size for easy printing: Download!
There are some amazing knitters out there. People who use stitches like clay to sculpt garments that you will actually wear. I want to point out some talented designers have created some delightful patterns using our yarn. So if you've got some HM yarn stashed away, waiting for that perfect project, check out these designers.
Sivia Harding
Sivia does amazing work with lace and beads. There is something wonderfully victorian about these patterns. Truly heirlooms.
Ilga Leja
Ilga's lace work has a more contemporary feel. She also has a useful "Tips and Techniques" section reinforces good knitting habits. Sometimes I need those little reminders to do tension swatches (every time) or to do a full wet block.
