Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Adventure Mitts


Looking for a fun, quick knit for spring? Try the new Adventure Mitts!
I wanted these mitts to be functional for any kind of adventure--leaving the fingers free to operate a bow-and-arrow, light a camp stove, put up a tent, or anything you can imagine--and also to remind the wearer of the spirit of adventure on a day-to-day basis.
These mitts were originally inspired by a trend I had noticed among younger girls--instead of all princesses and flowers, I had seen many girls wearing clothing with images of arrows, tents, canoes, and mountains. These kinds of themes are all over Pinterest, accompanied by quotes about adventure and exploring.  This also goes along with a growing interest in archery, thanks to several recent movies with archer heroines and heroes.
The pattern knits quickly and is worked in the round, with both colors carried along for the arrow section. They really are incredibly durable and will dry quickly. I get a lot of comments when I wear them in public. :)
Shown in Mountain Retreat (LL600) and Manor Grey (LL33)--but there are so many great choices in Lanaloft!

You may have already noticed that this pattern does not appear under free downloadable patterns on our website--we are having technical difficulties with editing this page. We apologize for any confusion. The good news is that you can look forward to a brand new website in the upcoming months!

For now, please find the link to download for free on Ravelry:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/adventure-mitts-2

I would love to see your finished mitts if you decide to knit them. . . Post a picture on our Facebook page or post as a project on Ravelry!

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Woven Blanket Scarves

Have you noticed the oversized, plaid scarves that seem to be everywhere lately? I admit that I'm mostly interested in fashion to the extent that I could weave, knit, or crochet something that's currently fashionable.  So of course, I had to enlist my mom's weaving expertise in creating one of these large scarves.
We wanted the scarves to be extra wide and long, but not overly hot to wear--sort of like flannel. We decided that Nature Spun Fingering would be ideal, woven at 16 ends per inch for a nice drape.
 
Nature Spun Fingering in 115 Bit of Blue, 110 Blueberry, 720 Ash, 730 Natural, 701 Stone, and 303 Sea Spray
These oversized scarves can be wrapped and worn in lots of other fun ways, too.

One of my favorite parts of any project is choosing the color scheme. I wanted the first scarf to be colorful and fun, yet neutral enough to match with anything. This color combo pairs warm neutrals with several cool blue shades.



The fringe is simply delightful.
I can only take credit for picking the colors--my mom did all the weaving on her Schacht Wolf Pup LT.  The finished scarf turned out to be about 17 inches wide and 90 inches long. I wish you could feel it--it's incredibly soft and squishy!

The next scarf has more of an earthy color scheme with an asymmetrical plaid pattern. I highly recommend checking out www.plaidmaker.com - it's rather addictive.



Scarf 2 in progress: colors are 720 Ash, 112 Elf Green, 110 Blueberry, 730 Natural, and 136 Chocolate Kisses

Warped and ready to weave!

Can't wait to wear my blanket scarf to the winter TNNA tradeshow in San Diego this week!
Beautiful finished scarf.