Shetland Tundra yarn & Pattern - Giveaway for February 2014

Shetland Tundra yarn 20% Qivut-musk ox down- 80 % Virgin Shetland wool. 50 Gram skeins, 3ply light worsted weight yarn perfect for all the cozy knits that can be worn close to the skin !

Its Amazing how soft the Shetland yarn is with only 20% Qiviut added & i Love to be the first spinner doing such yarn.....

To enlarge any of the pictures simply click on them !

Lately i Have been knitting lots of sweaters & larger Projects thought it time to make some small items for a change ! The Texting mitts above are real easy to knit & knit up quite quickly. they have a Delicate Picot edge, circular knitting & knit in 2 sections with the Leafy cuff added at the end. You can make them in the Natural solid Black colour or as i have with a natural shade of Fawn Shetland Tundra yarn for contrast.

You Will Need :

1 skein of Shetland Tundra yarn,
1 set 3.00mm D.P.N's
1 pair straight 3.5mm needles,
3 stitch markers,
waste yarn(for thumb gusset)
Wool needle-sharp point.

The Pattern :

Knit First mitt.

With D.P.N's cast on 42 sts, join to work in the rnd, place marker, knit all rnds until work measures 3'' inches from cast on edge (without stretching)

Next begin Thumb Inc's

1: k18, place marker, m1, k1, m1, place 2nd marker, k to beg.

2: & all alt rnds knit without shaping.

3: k18, sm, m1, k3, m1, sm, k to beg

5: k18, sm, m1, k5, m1, sm, k to beg

7: k18, sm, m1, k7, m1, sm, k to beg

9: k18, sm, m1, k9, m1, sm, k to beg

11: k18, sm, m1, k11, m1, sm, k to beg

Next rnd, slip 1 st marker, k18, remove Thumb marker, slip 12 sts onto waste yarn, remove next marker,

knit across closing the gap as you go by putting extra tension on the working yarn.

Continue knitting in rnds until work reaches just past your knuckles(try on for size)

Picot Edge:

At beg of rnd slip marker, *k1, yo, k2tog, rep from * to beg of rnd.
Next knit 6 rnds then cast off all sts.
Turn inside out, sew the picot edge to the inside of mitt. Use a sharp wool needle to allow you to direct exactly where the the needle enters & Always apply same tension throughout so your work is Neat & has a professional finish !

Thumb Gusset: Slip the 12 sts from waste yarn onto 3 D.P.N's & knit 8 rnds, cast off & sew in your ends.

Make another mitt as above.

Leafy Cuff:

To Knit the Leafy cuff, cat on 8 sts with 3.5mm's then follow pattern below making 3 pattern repeats.
1: (RS) K5, yf, k1, yf, k2.
2: p6, inc in next st by knitting into front & back of it, k3.
3: k4, p1, k2, yf, k1, yf, k3.
4: p8, inc in next st, k4.
5: k4, p2, k3, yf, k1, yf, k4.
6: p10, inc in next st, k5.
7: k4, p3, k4, yf, k1, yf, k5
8: p12, inc in next st, k6.
9: k4, p4, yb, sl1, k1, psso, k7, k2tog, k1.
10: p10, inc in next st, k7.
11: k4, p5, yb, sl1, k1, psso, k5, k2tog, k1.
12: p8, inc in next st, k2, p1, k5.
13: k4, p1, k1, p4, yb, sl1, k1, psso, k3, k2tog, k1.
14: p6, inc in next st, k3, p1, k5.
15: k4, p1, k1, p5, yb, sl1, psso, k1, k2tog, k1.
16: p4, inc in next st, k4, p1, k5.
17: k4, p1, k1, p6, yb, sl1, k2tog, psso, k1.
18: p2tog, cast off 5 sts using p2tog as first of these sts, k1, p1, k5. Back to 5 sts again & start at pattern row 1 again & repeat another 2 times.

very easy lace design that adds an interesting touch to plain mitts !

This is Ramy Boy Foula, who was kind enough to Donate his wool back in September for this project.
You can't see due to the sun flooding in but he really is Very Black, with soft crimpy wool, jet black skin, perfect black horns & solid black Tongue so needless to say I'm keeping him for breeding. The fleece as you can see gets covered in hay that all has to be picked out by hand before i wash the fleece...Timothy heads are a menace !