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Knitting on My Mind

by Iris on August 21, 2019

I was just looking at the Cloud Showstopper again, and wondering if any of you realized what an easy yet stunning knit this is. Start with just a few stitches, and work in simple stripes, increasing at one side, to make this easy to wear off-center triangle.

Here are some photos we recently took that show you the size and shape and ways to wear it:

This is such a fun knit using a large skein of Merino Cloud (I used the Citron color 378) and the 3 complimentary gradient skeins, that make things so fun and interesting.

Want to see what the kit looks like?

We are offering it in 3 other options as well:

Blue

Red

Neutral

Which is your favorite? Write and let us know.

Here’s a link to purchase the kit, or you can get it through your favorite Artyarns reseller.

Back to Blogging

by Iris on August 20, 2019

Hi everyone. It has been a while since i have blogged, and I feel that it is a great way for me to show you what I’m knitting and designing in terms of patterns and yarns.

The Stained Glass Knitalong (Starts September 1)

Color 101 shown in Merino Cloud came out in 2004, it was one of our first colors at Artyarns but we are dyeing it a new blended way. So it’s actually like a completely different skein. Many are pairing it with the gorgeous new 378 Citron colorway for our upcoming Stained Glass Knitalong large version of the shawl using 2 skeins of Merino Cloud.

I can’t wait to see them combined in this design.

Thankfully, Anna of Knitique Yarns is helping me test-knit this shawl, and I get to see her wonderful colors. Here’s a sneak peek of her version:

Anna’s Test Knit of the Stained Glass Knitalong

And of course i have to show you the original version in colors 2368 and 525:

The 200 Yard Version of the Stained Glass Knitalong:

The smaller version uses 2 skeins of Beaded Silk and Sequins (I also used colors 2368 and 525) and you can see it here:

Note that it increases on every single Brioche Row (8 increases on 4 Brioche Rows) as compared with the large version that increases just 4 increases on 4 Brioche Rows. This makes the shape get curvier more quickly, and that works out well with less yarn.

I was really fortunate to have Lucinda of Mont-Tricot as my test knitter on this version, and she made it using 2 skeins of Beaded Silk and Sequins in colors 528 and 246.

https://images4-e.ravelrycache.com/uploads/LucindaIglesias/642140030/B0A65E26-80E1-4BDC-ABEC-40C4B3D6B3BE_medium2.jpeg

Ok I am off to listen to some music (Mark Knopfler, so excited) and will blog more later…. I can see that this can become addictive.

Inspirations Club – May

by artyarns on January 22, 2018

Get inspired with the Artyarns Inspirations Club! A unique way to receive a surprise limited edition color of Merino Cloud every other month, with optional Beaded Silk & Sequins to match. Each club installment also comes with an exclusive pattern. These colors will not look like anything else we have. They are exclusive to the club and once they’re gone, they can no longer be ordered.

There are a limited number of memberships available. Reserve your spot and join the club at any participating retailer (listed below). If your favorite yarn shop isn’t on the list and you want them to carry the Artyarns Inspirations Club colors, have them contact us.

USA
Grandma’s Spinning Wheel (Tucson, Arizona)
Isabelle’s Parlour (Wickenburg, Arizona)
Red Scottie Fibers (Eureka Springs, Arkansas)
The Twisted Skein (Bakersfield, California)
Knitique (Elk Grove, California)
Jennifer Knits (Los Angeles, California)
L’Atelier (Redondo Beach, California)
Yarning for You (San Marcos, California)
L Knitterie Parisienne (Studio City, California)
Everything Alpaca Castle Rock, Colorado)
Longmont Yarn Shoppe (Longmont, Colorado)
Knit & Pearl (Avon, Connecticut)
Knitty Gritty Yarn Girl (Niantic, Connecticut)
Westport Yarns (Westport, Connecticut)
Knit 2 Together (Vernon, Connecticut)
Sheep Thrills (Leesburg, Florida)
Twisted Ewe (Garden City, Idaho)
The Loopy Ewe (Goshen, Indiana)
A Great Yarn (Chatham, Massachusetts)
The Wool and the Floss (Grosse Pointe, Michigan)
Nautical Yarns (Ludington, Michigan)
Silver Creek Cabin (Buffalo, Minnesota)
Love.Yarn.Shop (Bethlehem, New Hampshire)
Earth Faire (Newfoundland, New Jersey)
Yarn Refuge (Reno, Nevada)
Knitting Cove (Port Jefferson, New York)
Fabulousyarn.com (Tivoli, New York)
North Tahoe Knits (Incline Village, Nevada)
Fiber Basket (Minot, North Dakota)
Fine Points (Cleveland, Ohio)
Knit Wit Knits (Salem, Ohio)
Main Street Yarn (Rebersburg, Pennsylvania)
Punto Reves (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Yarn Cloud (Occoquan, Virginia)
Great Yarns (Everett, Washington)
Sheep’s Clothing (Kennewick, Washington)
Cabled Fiber Studio (Port Angeles, Washington)
D Marie Knit and Fiber (Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin)

ONLINE ONLY
FlyYarns
Kitterly
Love Knitting

INTERNATIONAL
Mont Tricot (Canada)
Tricolette (Canada)
Jubie’s (Canada)
La Vie Laine (Canada)
Sew Much More Yarn (Canada)
Mode & City (Belgium)
AR Konigstein (Germany)
Dibadu (Germany)
L’Anima (Germany)
Wollschmeide (Germany)
Knitting Clan (Hong Kong)
Rosa Traeume (Switzerland)
Strickbar (Switzerland)
Vilfill (Switzerland)
Wolle AARBERG (Switzerland)
Wollring (Switzerland)

5 Reasons I Love Modular Knitting

by artyarns on February 1, 2016

My name is Iris Schreier and I have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). I get distracted, multitask and therefore have at least 10 knitting projects going on at once. If you are at all like me, chances are you’ll enjoy my modular knitting designs. Here’s why:

1. Easy to memorize–there is order and consistency in my modular designs, which make them perfect for knitting while watching tv, or multitasking (as an ADD person I do that most of the time). I like to throw away markers and instructions once I establish the “system” and keep going by reading my work.

Triangleshawl3_small

2. Capture the knitter’s interest–if I get bored knitting garter stitch (knit every row) then i turn my work, and voila, multidirectional knitting saves the day.

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3. Startle others (in a good way, one hopes)–love to hear people ask me “how did you do that???”

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4. Endless possibilities–I love the unpredictability of it all, the way adding a simple lace or cable pattern creates dramatic results, and seeing how different stitch patterns intersect.

Stepintofall1_small2

5. No pooling–all yarns and colors look great in this. That said, you want to knit with the finest quality yarn you can afford, and the Artyarns brand is very reliable for its purity–no synthetic or poor imitation. Count on our yarn for zero Nylon filler.

2310709700_c1d5faef91

How to begin?

Abbreviations used in this tutorial:
Kfb: Knit into the front and the back of the same stitch (making 2
stitches out of 1 stitch)
S1: Slip one stitch knit-wise
SKP: Slip one stitch knit-wise, knit next stitch, pass slipped stitch over
knit stitch (making 1 stitch out of 2 stitches)
TURN: Turn piece over to start knitting on other side
Live Stitches: Stitches that are being worked on and are part of short row
Unworked Stitches: Stitches that are not being worked on and not part of
short row

Here’s a brief lesson.

EXERCISE 1
Right Triangle (90 degree angle)
Cast on 10 stitches
Lesson 1–Exercise 1
Row 1: Kfb, k1; turn
Row 2 and all even-numbered rows: S1, k to end; turn
Row 3: Kfb, k3; turn
Row 5: Kfb, k5; turn
Row 7: Kfb, k7; turn
Row 9: Kfb, k9; turn
Row 11: Kfb, k11; turn
Row 13: Kfb, k13; turn
Row 15: Kfb, k15; turn
Row 17: Kfb, k17–at this point there should be no more Unworked Stitches on needle. You will have a perfect Right Triangle with 19 stitches.

EXERCISE 2
Equilateral Triangle (3 equal sides)
Continue to knit using the 19 Live Stitches on the needle created in the
above Exercise.
Row 1: Kfb into the first stitch, SKP, TURN
Row 2: S1, K to end
Row 3: Kfb, K1, SKP, TURN
Row 4: S1, K to end
Row 5: Kfb, K to last Live Stitch, SKP, TURN
Repeat rows 4-5 until there are no more Unworked Stitches on needle. You
should have a perfect Equilateral Triangle with 19 Live Stitches.
Want more?

Sign up for our newsletter and I’ll be sending out some free lessons on Multidirectional knitting in each newsletter issue: https://www.artyarns.com/fjngpu/newsletter/

Or check out some of my multidirectional patterns on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/bundles/multidirectional

Step into Fall with Ensemble Light Knitalong October 15, 2015

by artyarns on September 29, 2015

This is still on the needles but I can tell that it will be a really pretty shawl, and I’m so excited to have you join me on this adventure. The best thing about this pattern is the unpredictable nature of how different colors will show off the design. I am using Ensemble Light, which is 400 yards per skein of the softest yarn you will likely encounter, and it is perfect because of the great amount of texture in this pattern stitch. I recommend it highly.

Because some of you have the yarn already, I have decided to post a small part of the beginning of the pattern here for you.

Start with an I-Cord Tab.

Step 1: Provisionally Cast on 3 sts using a crochet hook and waste yarn. Lucy Neatby has a great Youtube Video for this.

Step 2: Attach your Ensemble Light color A (darker color), and knit across the 3 provisionally cast on sts. *Slip the 3 sts to the left needle with the yarn in back, and knit them again; Repeat from * 4 times. This forms the I-cord tube, and the best way to visualize it is to actually do it and see for yourself.

Step 3: Slip the 3 sts to the left needle and knit them with the right needle. This time go on and pick up and knit 4 sts along the I-cord tube you just created. There are now 7 sts on the right needle. (The illustration above shows how the stitches are picked up along to upper side of the I-cord after you have slipped the 3 sts from on end.)

Step 4: Remove the waste yarn from the 3 provisionally cast on stitches, and with the yarn in front, slip them all to the right needle–there are now 10 sts on the right needle.

Abbreviations: kfb: knit into the front and back of the stitch, an increase of 1 stitch; pm: place marker, rm: remove marker; sl3wyif: slip 3 sts with yarn in front from left to right needle–you can slip these knitwise or purlwise, just be consistent.

INSTRUCTIONS

Using Color A (darker color), and the 10 sts of the i-cord tab you created, work as follows:

Row 1: K3, slip 3 from right to left needle with yarn in back, k3 again (same sts), kfb, kfb, pm, k1, kfb, sl3wyif–3 sts increased, 13 sts

Row 2: K3, slip 3 sts from right to left needle with yarn in back, k3 again (same sts), kfb, k to marker, rm, kfb, pm, k to last 4 sts, kfb, sl3wyif–3 sts increased, 16 sts

Repeat Row 2 six more times until there are 34 sts.

Post a photo of your yarn (which must be Artyarns yarn) on the Ravelry Pattern Page. If you need assistance as to how to create a project page, you can follow the guidelines here.

On or about October 15, I will send instructions for Part 1.

If you need to get yarn, you can ask for it at your local yarn shop, or visit these online re-sellers who have created special project pages for the knitalong:

https://www.fabulousyarn.com/penny/18yarnsart_kal2015combos.shtml

https://www.monttricot.ca/catalog/6627012/step-into-fall-with-ensemble-light-knitalong

Join our discussion group here: https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/penny/18yarnsart-knitalongs-and-designs/3281639

Dewdrops Cardi Knitalong

by artyarns on January 31, 2015

Here’s a fun top-down lace cardigan that is really easy to work once you have the hang of it. I used 1 skein of Merino Cloud and 1 skein of Beaded Silk and Sequins Light to knit the small version.

There is something really fun and satisfying about knitting lace diamonds in garter stitch, and using the natural eyelets in the diamonds to form the increases needed in a top-down raglan design makes it seamlessly lovely. The pattern is difficult to size conventionally because the diamonds are a finite size, but I have included 2 different diamond sizes, one set for the XS/S/M sizes and another set for the L/XL/XXL sizes. In addition if you are knitting the XS or L sizes, I have made recommendations to use a smaller needle at a tighter gauge.

Join us for the knitalong and experience one of the most fabulous yarns in the world, Merino Cloud, a combination of 80 Merino and 20 Cashmere that is soft as butter yet wearable for every day, since it is very durable and hardy. Make it with a skein of Beaded Silk & Sequins Light to alternate a little bling at the yoke, or skip the glitter and use 2 skeins of Merino Cloud for the small size. Other sizes are specified, and details on joining the knitalong are available here:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/diamond-dewdrops-knitalong

The first thing you will receive when you post a photo of your yarn is instructions on how to create a gauge swatch.

This will explain to you how to ensure that you are using the correct needles for the size you need. Once you have determined the right needle size, post a photo of your completed swatch, and I’ll send you Part 1 of the pattern. There is a discussion group as well where you can discuss the pattern and yarn with fellow knitters:

https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/penny/18yarnsart-knitalongs-and-designs/3124401/26-50#46