How to block a beret or tam with Eucalan Delicate Wash.

Thank you to Eucalan Delicate Wash for sending me the Eucalan Gift Pack for review. You should always block your knitted, crocheted or woven projects. It helps even out the stitches and lets the yarn bloom. Eucalan Delicate Wash is a no-rinse formula that is non-toxic, biodegradable and phosphate-free. It naturally conditions the fibers with a touch of lanolin and it comes in five scents: eucalyptus, lavender, grapefruit, unscented and their new jasmine scent, Wrapture. Eucalyptus and lavender are naturally moth and flea repellent, making them an excellent choice for wool fibers and fabrics.

First check your yarn label and see what water temperature to use. Typically I use cold or tepid water. You do not want to accidentally felt your project. I am going to be blocking my Iced Eucalyptus Beret. The yarn label says "hand wash cold" so I will be using cold water. I filled the sink with cold water. As you run the water, add a teaspoon of Eucalan. Then soak the hat in the water for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, gently squeeze the water out of the hat. Then roll in between a towel to get the excess water out.

Take a 10" diameter plate and and place it inside the hat.

Thread scrap yarn onto a tapestry needle.

Using a running stitch, baste around the brim of the hat.

Gently cinch the brim to the desired size. You want the brim to gather up because you don't want it stretched out. Tie a knot to hold the scrap yarn in place.

The body of the hat is stretched over the plate to block out the lace pattern of the hat.

Balance the opening of the hat over a jar and let it dry.

The beret is all blocked and ready to wear.

Another good reason for soaking your knitwear in Eucalan? It cleans it. Your project would have attracted a lot of dirt or dust by the time you are done working on it. Eucalan Delicate Wash is great for cleaning before you wear it and for after you have worn it for a while. It's an excellent way to keep your knitwear looking new and smelling fresh. Their no-rinse formula makes it so easy to care for your handmade items. You can even use it on specialty fabrics and fibers such as silk, rayon and cotton.

You can find Eucalan Delicate Wash here. And you can find the pattern for the Iced Eucalyptus Beret here.

Melograno Cowl with Anzula

I am excited to release my latest cowl pattern, Melograno. Melograno means pomegranate in Italian. Anzula’s colorway, Madam, reminds me of the those delicious gem-like seeds. This warm and squishy cowl is worked from the bottom up in the round. It’s a quick knit using Anzula’s Burly. The merino, cashmere and nylon blend is soft and amazing to knit with.

Thanksgiving Special Discount: Buy the pattern for only $4 until Nov 24, 2018 (midnight est). No coupon code needed. Just add to your cart for the discount.

Yarn Review: Be Sweet Magic Ball

I am excited to share my review of Be Sweet's Magic Ball Yarn. Be Sweet’s mission; to bring socially and environmentally friendly products to fashionable consumers that evoke an individual style and help support community development around the world. Be Sweet works with several job creation groups that give artisans the means to support themselves and their families in economically depressed regions in Cape Town and the Eastern Cape.

I have never worked with a multi-textured yarn like this before. The Magic Ball is an arrangement of hand dyed boucle and brushed mohair yarns tied with knobby, ribbon and metallic goodies. I wound the skeins by hand and was delighted to see each section of yarns and ribbon that makes up each skein of the Magic Ball. One section even had little beads threaded into the yarn.

I used a US 10 needle to knit with the Magic Ball yarn. It was so much fun to knit with this yarn. I kept wanting to knit more because I wanted to see which section of goodies I would get to next. This yarn is extremely entertaining to knit with. I think my favorite sections would be the yarn with metallic threads, bobbles, beads and hand tied ribbon. The little hand tied ribbons are such a sweet touch. There are 48 colors to choose from and I did have a hard time choosing a color. I let me oldest daughter choose and she chose Oceans. I think it had to do with the mermaid-like colors of the yarn.

I used 2 skeins of Magic Ball to design a small shawl. It is such a quick knit and the yarn really makes this an eye catching accessory. The shawl is blocking and I hope to get the pattern written up onto Ravelry soon. Thank you, Be Sweet, for letting me review your yarn. I loved knitting with the Magic Ball.

Hanashōbu with Anzula

I just released a new cowl design, Hanashōbu, in collaboration with Anzula. The cowl is designed with their new yarn Gerty, a 100% American Targhee. The pattern was an exclusive kit sold at Sample It in the TNNA Summer Show in June. Now the yarn and the pattern are available to everyone. Read more about it on Anzula's blog. From now until Sept 30, you can buy Hanashōbu for a discounted price of $4 by using the coupon code “ILoveGerty” at the checkout.

Miss Babs Summer 2017: Little Dearest Baby Blanket

Last month, I was swamped with getting ready for The National Needlearts Association Summer 2017 Show in Columbus OH. I will save that topic for my next blog post. The week before the show, Miss Babs launched their baby patterns in their Summer 2017 Collection.

I designed a baby blanket called Little Dearest with 2 skeins of Yowza. The colorway is called Deer Moss and it's a neutral color, perfect for either a boy or girl.

Little Dearest is a classic diagonally knit baby blanket that will be loved by babies and parents alike. It is knit with a 100% superwash merino wool which will make this a very warm and snuggly blanket. The alternating sections of Garter and Ridge Stitch create a pleasing texture that will be perfect for a baby boy or girl.

I am thrilled with the response to my new blanket design. I love knitting blankets, but I also know how tedious it can get. That is one of the reasons why I designed it diagonally. As you knit, you increase for half the blanket and then decrease for the other half. It makes it feel like less work. You can purchase the pattern HERE and purchase the yarn from Miss Babs online or at her retail shows.

Ocean Grove with SweetGeorgia Yarns

Spring has finally arrived and I am excited to announce that SweetGeorgia Yarns just published my Ocean Grove Shawl. This light and lovely shawl is inspired by the Victorian architecture abundant in Ocean Grove, NJ. The highly textural stitches are reminiscent of the details you will find in a Victorian home. The gradient colors add another depth of beauty to further highlight the stitch patterns. It is knit up in Botanic Party of Five set. This gradient set definitely shouts SPRING, don't you agree?

As always, I block with wires and Knit Blockers by Knitter's Pride. It's much faster than using pins. 

You can can purchase my Ocean Grove pattern on Ravelry or from SweetGeorgia Yarns. Read more about the shawl and my Q & A on SweetGeorgia's blog. Also, you might want to check out SweetGeorgia Yarns Spring Party offer:

We are so excited about spring that we've put together three of our favourite gradient shawls into a Spring Party set for the first 100 customers! The set includes Ocean Grove (our newest pattern), Cumberland, and Starburst and each use SweetGeorgia's Party of Five; five mini skeins of fingering-weight yarn with rich hues and lush texture. It's a promise of bright, joyful colour in every stitch. Click HERE to get all three patterns at the bundle price of USD$12.36 (C$16). This sale is limited to the first 100 purchases before it expires, so act fast!