Spotlight Mirasol Tuhu

October 31, 2011 in Mirasol, Mitts

Tuhu is one of two new yarns in the Mirasol Collection this season. The yarn label says, “Tuhu is a Quechua name meaning wild rabbit.” Isn’t that fun to know?

Dive in!

This wild rabbit is a 50% Baby Llama, 40% Merino Wool, 10% Angora blend that comes in 109 yard hanks. The suggested gauge is 5 to 5.5 stitches per inch on needles ranging from a US 5 to a US 7.

The 12 happy colors instantly caught my eye and once I felt this delicious yarn I was in love. It is soft, but has nice body and spring. Working with Tuhu puts me in mind of heavy cream, or al dente pasta, it has that level of satisfaction. The angora content gives the yarn just a little bit of a halo, but not enough to obscure stitch details.

In Book #24-Tuhu Jane Ellison has designed six sweaters, a scarf, and a pair of fingerless mitts to showcase this yarn.

You can find both the book and the yarn at local yarn stores across the country.

The cables along the raglan shaping are an eye catching detail on this cardigan. The same cables give a nice swing to the cuffs and hem.

This cable and rib top has a nice shape and will be cozy either alone or as an extra layer. Don’t you love the way the center cable splits and follows the neck shaping?

There are two version of this set in the book.

There are two different versions of both the T’ara Scarf and Mittens in the book. One version of the T’ara Scarf is long and skinny and requires three hanks of yarn. The other version, shown here, is a little shorter and wider and takes two hanks. The T’ara Mittens also have a long and short version.

I decided to make the short version of the mitts, which calls for just one ball of Tuhu. I used color #2002–Apple Green, which is one of the “in” colors this fashion season.

This was a very quick and easy pattern. I started on Friday and was done by Sunday afternoon. The pattern stitch makes a nice squishy fabric and the cuff detail is very simple to work.

The mitts are worked flat and seamed, so they would be suitable for a beginner looking to move on from scarves and try out a new pattern stitch. It also means you don’t have to struggle with a thumb gusset.

I’m going to give this pair of mitts to my friend. With all the snow New England received over the weekend I’m sure she’ll enjoy using them as much as I enjoyed knitting them!

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Mirasol Project Update

October 28, 2011 in Mirasol, miscellaneous

The Mirasol Collection is a beautiful line of yarn with a wide variety of patterns designed by Jane Ellison.

It also has a beautiful back story.

The line was developed to help fund a school in the remote area of Munani in the region of Puno to educate the children of the shepherds.

As the US distributor of the Mirasol Collection (distributors for other countries are listed here), KFI regularly receives updates on the school and the children. They are always exciting to read. We thought you would enjoy them, too, as it would give you a chance to see how your purchases are helping.

The students made and flew their own kites.

In August the students made kites using native bamboo and plastic. The kite that flew the highest was declared the winner.

The program director, Lourdes, shared this story about the students’ excitement for their kites:

Huber (5th grade) and Rufina (6th grade) – Their kites were up in the sky and in fact they were highest ones of their class. Then they started to fall down and they were far away. But the kids did not care how far they were and started to run as fast as they could to save their kites. They did not want to lose them since they were made by themselves. For them these kite were their trophy.

A school supporter sent volleyballs and soccer balls.

Over the summer the school received a donation of volleyballs and footballs–soccer balls in the US –which expanded the exercise and sports options and gave the students more opportunity to learn about sportsmanship. Lourdes shared the story of a student named Abad who was very upset when a football game ended in a tie after his team had been winning. “I felt very bad, but later I started to think that next time they won’t beat us, as we will have to work harder and practice much more in order to win,” Abad says.

In July and August the school hired a new principal and new teachers. “Now we have two Quechua-speaking teachers, which are a great asset and help to the school,” Lourdes writes. “Communication with children and parents is more fluent now.” The official language of Peru is Spanish, which puts children speaking the native Andean language of Quechua at a disadvantage when they go to state schools. Now that teachers at the Mirasol Boarding House speak both languages the students are improving in both and will be better prepared for the future.

Each grade level has a garden plot they tend.

In addition to traditional school subjects, students learn a variety of life skills. Each grade has a garden plot they tend. When the greenhouse was damaged by wind parents helped repair it. Students also learn about the importance of not wasting water, a topic about which they made posters to help educate each other.

The school is a boarding school where the students live during the week while their parents are tending their alpacas. The teachers also live on site. The program is looking to improve the facilities so the teachers can have private rooms as well as a game room for them to relax.

The school got electricity in June so they no longer have to rely on a generator, which expands the leisure options for the faculty members. Can you imagine not having electricity? If the power goes out for an hour I get upset!

You can read more about The Mirasol Project and the school on their official website.

It’s amazing how yarn connects the world.

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Hats with Flaps

October 26, 2011 in Hats, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Mirasol, Sirdar

The weather report says there is a chance of snow showers in Vermont and New Hampshire this week. It’s early in the season, so if it does snow it probably won’t stick, but this serves as a portent of things to come.

It’s time to get out the winter woolies and determine whether we need to rearrange our project list to prioritize garments that can be used this winter.

Those of you who live a little further south have more lead time to bundle up, while those people who live in the deep south will have more time to laugh at the rest of us.

Whether you prefer to admire snow from behind a window, or are a winter sports enthusiast who can’t wait to hit the slopes, a hat is a quick way to refresh your winter wardrobe.

You can purchase these pattern books and yarns at fine local yarn stores across the country. You can locate stores in your area by using the “find a store” feature on our website.

Juniper Moon Farm

Tanis Gray designed two fetching hats for the new Juniper Moon Farm line.

The Sluggy Bonnet, which it’s simple Fair Isle pattern, has been very popular. It is knit using one ball each of three different colors of Chadwick, a 60% Merino Wool, 40% Baby Alpaca blend yarn.

You can stick with the colors from the book, or have the yarn store staff help you select a different combination. When Susan Gibbs was selecting the 12 colors for Chadwick she made sure they would mix-and-match nicely for stripes and other color work.

Since Chadwick comes in 202 yard balls I’ve heard from people who have made two Sluggy Bonnets by mixing the colors around.

The Beaded Hat from the Willa book gives you a chance to visit your local yarns store’s bead section (or visit your favorite local bead store!).

This slouchy beret takes one ball of Willa, a 60% Merino Wool, 40% SuperKid Mohair blend yarn. With 12 vibrant colors from which to select you can make a hat for every day of the week.

Mirasol

Hats with ear flaps are both cute and practical. They are also much easier to knit than you might think. Usually it’s a matter of knitting the ear flaps flat, then knitting across them to attach them to the hat on your first round. Sometimes they are sewn on after the hat is finished, which gives you more options for placing them where you want them.

Jane Ellison has designed three ear flap hats for the Mirasol line.

The Isla Hat is in Book #17-Sulka. This hat requires one ball each of four different colors of Sulka, a 60% Merino Wool, 20% Alpaca, 20% Silk blend yarn.

The cute heart pattern will tell the recipient loud-and-clear that you love them (as if a hand knit hat wasn’t enough!), making it a good gift for the holidays or even Valentine’s Day.

If knitting color work isn’t your favorite, the Hattie pattern from Book #14-Akapana might be more your style. This cabled beauty will be fun to knit and warm to wear in the 65% Baby Llama, 25% Merino Wool, 7% Acrylic, 3% Viscose blend yarn.

The Kinglet Hat from Book #6-The Mirasol Accessories Collection has a more rugged look that will appeal to the men out there.

The book includes three version of the hat adjusted for the different weights of Akapana, Tupa, or Sulka.

Sirdar

If you’ve just started knitting, or haven’t made many hats, you should check out the Pom-Pom Helmet from Sirdar Book #361-Big Softie-More Knits for Beginners.

This pattern takes just two balls of Big Softie, a 51% Wool, 49% Acrylic blend that works up at a suggested gauge of 2 stitches per inch. With a yarn that chunky you’ll definitely be finished this hat before the snow hits.

This book also includes an adult hat with a little bit of color work if you want to give that technique a try.

For a more experienced knitter the Girl’s Cabled Hat in Book #356-Farmyard Girls & Tractor Boys will present a nice challenge. The pattern calls for one ball of Supersoft Aran, a worsted weight 100% acrylic yarn that is machine washable.

That is just a sample of some of the hats you can make to keep yourself and your loved ones warm this season. You can see more patterns on our website and select the style you want before heading to your local yarn store to get your supplies.

Tags: children, hats, mens, womens
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Gift Knitting Ideas

October 10, 2011 in Araucania, Cowls, Elsebeth Lavold, Gloves, Hats, Mirasol, Noro, Scarves, Uncategorized

Malin by Elsebeth Lavold

The middle of October is here and you know what that means.

Time to start thinking about your holiday gift knitting (and crocheting) if you haven’t begun already.

Including today, there are 73 days to December 21, the first day of Chanukah, and 76 days to December 24, Christmas Eve.

Have you ever timed your knitting? Not your stitch per minute speed, but how long it takes you to complete a project. For instance, I know a pair of socks usually takes me two weeks. A sweater for myself (an adult small), if it’s the only thing I work on, takes about a month. While a sweater for my husband, a men’s large, takes about two months.

If you are a member of Ravelry you already know that it is a great place for tracking how long a project takes, which is all important when planning your gift knitting time.

To maximize gift knitting time many people stick with simple or small projects, which makes accessories a great choice.

We have a number of books focused on accessories and other small projects that might help get your gift knitting juices flowing.

Elsebeth Lavold

The Small Things Matter Collection (Book #17) by Elsebeth Lavold is a good place to start. This book features around 20 projects ranging from hats and gloves to shawls and bags. There are even a pair of cute decorative boxes.

Most of the projects are knit in Silky Wool, which adds eight new colors this season so it will be easy to match your recipient’s tastes.

Matching the recipient’s tastes is an important first step to make sure your gift is used and not relegated to the bottom of a closet. Don’t select flashy colors for someone who likes neutrals and don’t select a complicated stitch pattern for someone who would prefer a smooth stockinette.

For your gift to be a success you need to spend some time thinking about what the person you give it to will enjoy wearing rather than what you’ll enjoy knitting. Hopefully you’ll be able to find a project that satisfies both of you.

The Malin smoke ring, shown at the top of this post, could be such a project. It calls for just two skeins of Silky Wool and features an easy lace pattern with shaping accomplished by changing needle sizes.

With the continuing popularity of cowls, your gift with be both cozy and stylish as well as fun to knit.

Mini Knits

Jenny Watson has put together “Mini Knits” books for several of the lines for which she designs.

Araucania Book #6 features 16 designs ranging from garments to home decor items.

For a change of pace there is also a cute teddy bear pattern. Just one skein of Itata is needed to make this new friend.

One skein of Araucania Itata is needed for this teddy.

If you enjoy making teddy bears, Debbie Bliss also has a few patterns. There are two sizes in her Booties, Blankets and Bears book that take Cashmerino Baby, which has six new colors this season.

There is also a free pattern for a teddy bear using one ball of Noro Kureyon on our website. Kureyon has eight new colors this season. That’s a lot of variety for your bears!

When making stuffed animals as gifts keep the age of the recipient in mind. Judge whether embroidered on eyes or plastic safety eyes will be better. For stuffing, it is easy to get either fiberfill or plastic beads at a craft store. Some knitters like to put the stuffing in a old panty hose that has been sewn or tied shut to prevent any from sneaking out through the fabric.

While Noro yarns make adorable stuffed animals they are mainly known for eye catching garments.

Jenny Watson’s Noro Mini Knits Two book covers a variety of garments from hats and scarves for both men and women to sweaters and shrugs for women of all ages.

Convertible mitts let you search for change.

One skein of Noro Silk Garden will make these cute flip-top mittens. This style of mitten is great because it keeps your fingers warm but if you need dexterity you can free your fingers without taking off the whole glove. The pattern is also fun to make with the challenge of the fingers to keep your attention.

K'acha scarf and gloves

The men in our lives can be some of the hardest people to knit for. To make it enjoyable for everyone it’s really important to select a style and color they will enjoy wearing. Showing them a selection of pictures of projects and yarns can help them narrow down what they would like. It is especially useful if they don’t “speak yarn” because instead of having to explain what they want they can just point.

This handsome scarf and glove set are from Jenny Watson’s Mirasol Mini Knits book. The set it knit in K’acha, a 60% Merino Wool, 25% Suri Alpaca, 15% Silk blend that comes in 12 jewel tone colors. Surely there will be one to satisfy that fussy man you know. The book also includes a men’s cabled hat and a boy’s vest.

Don’t worry, the book also includes plenty of pretty patterns the women in your life, including a cardigan, cowl, and hats.

If you get a start now, and plan carefully, you’ll be able to meet your gift knitting goals.

Tags: gifts, gloves, hats, mens, scarves, womens
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Mirasol Sawya

September 7, 2011 in Mirasol, Patterns

The school population in March 2011.

The Mirasol Project was started in 2006 to support shepherds and their families in a rural part of Peru. A boarding house, which opened in 2008, was built to provide housing and meals for the children during the week while they participate in the educational program. Homework support, sports, and an art program are all included.

The benefit for yarn lovers is that a fabulous line of yarn and patterns was developed to support the project with a portion of each purchase going to fund the center. The yarns in the Mirasol Collection are made from fibers from the animals tended by the communities that use the project.

It adds an extra depth to your project when you can trace the yarn to its origin and think about the people involved in its production.

Sawya

Sawya is one of three new yarns introduced for the Fall/Winter 2011. This butter soft yarn is a 60% Pima Cotton, 25% Alpaca, 15% Silk blend that comes in 92 yard/50 gram balls. With a suggest gauge between 4.5 to 5 sts on a US 7 or 8 needle it will be easy to substitute it into many of the patterns you already have queued.

Fortunately, you don’t have to bother digging those binders out because Jane Ellison has once again designed a book of eight beautiful patterns to support this new yarn and take advantage of its 16 stunning colors.

It's a carnival for your neck!

If you can’t decide on just one color then the Airedale Scarf would be a good first project. The easy garter stitch stripes end in fringes so you don’t have to worry about weaving in all the ends from the color changes.

Worked in the stripes as suggested it is like having Mardi Gras around your neck and is sure to lift your spirits whenever you wear it. Of course if you are feeling a little more decisive it will be just as fun in either a solid color or wider stripes.

You can follow Ellison's color scheme or make your own.

For a more challenging project consider Dentdale.

This cropped, short sleeved, raglan cardigan features the chevron stitch. The easy pattern stitch provides just enough action to keep you awake while you knit, but not so much that you can’t get into a smooth, relaxing rhythm.

Ellison has alternated colors with black stripes, which really makes the pattern pop!

Pretty and stylish!

If quick projects are more your style, the Swaledale beret has your name on it. Have fun mixing and matching the various colors to find your own unique combination, or make a tamer one-color version.

I’m sure the staff at your local yarn store will be happy to help you decide!

Tags: Jane Ellison, Mirasol
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Jane Ellison Spring 2010 Update

May 19, 2010 in Araucania, Inspiration, Jane Ellison, Mirasol, Noro

For this Spring Summer I have designed Noro Kids, Araucania Summer Fruits, and five booklets for Mirasol. Which means this is the most books I have ever done in one season, seven!

Febrero from Book #9 knit in Hap'i

My Mirasol Books

This is because there has seen an exciting change in the Mirasol books. We have changed the format of the books from a big book to small booklets. The physical size of the books may be smaller but the content will be the same or even more exciting!

I love this idea and have enjoyed working with my layout designer to create a look that is fun. My first thought was to mirror the labels on the yarn with the size of the book and the cover is the same shade as the labels of that individual yarn.

Each of these books has its own feeling and theme, yet they still work together for the whole season and as always incorporates the unique Mirasol identity. So briefly there is Book 8, which uses Samp’a and is dedicated to children’s garments and accessories as I feel the Samp’a is perfect for kids. Book 9 is women sweaters using Hap’i and Book 10 is women cardigans using Nuna. For Book 11 and Book 12 I tried something different. I used the same pattern for the adult garment on the child’s garment. So for example in Book 11 garments and accessories for men and boys using Lachiwa there is a v neck sweater for the man and I used the same patterning but in different colours on the child’s tank top.

My Noro book, “Noro Kids”

Alex from Noro Kids knit in Furin.

I have really enjoyed designing these children’s patterns. It’s been such fun to see what the yarns look like in little garments. Because the garments are smaller than an adult’s the resulting stripe is wider creating a different look. For this season the 4 yarns (Aya, Furin, Sekku and Shirakaba) that Noro introduced all had an initial base of cotton and silk that then has either wool, rayon, or nylon added to it to give the beautiful fibre mixes that make Noro so unique.

Most of the garments only take a couple of balls of yarn so it’s the perfect way to discover the joy of Noro Yarns or to try out a new quality. As always I design my patterns to be simple and straightforward to let the yarns shine.

I designed these garments primarily with new knitters in my mind, but also returning knitters who want a little garment to get started with, and finally for more experience knitters who would like a weekend project or need a gift in a hurry! Those like me, who know that the birthday is at the end of January so make plans at the beginning to get that present but feel they have plenty of time and then before they know it, it’s 4 days before the birthday and I have no present!

My third Araucania book, Araucania Summer Fruits

I was so excited to use Araucania new yarns this season, they spoilt me by introducing three gorgeous new yarns – Antu is 100% cotton, Chaiten is 100% silk and Trauco is 100% cashmere.

My inspiration behind these designs started with the beautiful yarns and then I dreamt of summer holidays in a small fishing village in Cornwall that’s been brought into the 21^st century with a marina and lovely cafes to sit and watch the days go by. Hopefully these designs would look just as good in the city as they do on the beach!

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Spotlight Mirasol Tuhu

Mirasol Project Update

Hats with Flaps

Juniper Moon Farm

Mirasol

Sirdar

Gift Knitting Ideas

Elsebeth Lavold

Mini Knits

Mirasol Sawya

Sawya

Jane Ellison Spring 2010 Update

My Mirasol Books

My Noro book, “Noro Kids”

My third Araucania book, Araucania Summer Fruits

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