You may have seen the recent photos I've been posting on Facebook and Instagram. If you haven't seen them, then here they are. If you have seen them, then here are some more! This mini collection started four months ago when I spent the weekend at Unravel in Farnham, my first yarn/knitting festival in the UK. I happened to have a table next to The Fibre Company and spent the weekend drooling over their yarn and chatting with founder, Daphne Marinopoulos. By the end of the weekend I was delighted to bring home some of their blends, such as Terra and Acadia, to inspire new knitted accessories. So here they are - my finished pieces, conveniently out in time for Wool Fest this weekend in Cumbria. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend Wool Fest this weekend but I hope to venture there next year!
The first blend is Terra, a rugged Aran weight blend of baby alpaca, merino wool and silk. My first idea was to reknit my Reversible Cable Headband because one skein of Terra is perfect for this project. I never seem to tire of knitting this headband. It's incredibly quick and easy to do. It was a pleasure to have a change from the neutral colours I usually use for this pattern and knit with the beautiful colour pallet Terra is available in. This sample is knit in their colour, Black Locust Bark. Also, this time last week I was soaking up the sun's rays on Guernsey. See my last post as to how I ended up there. However, Guernsey allowed me to photograph my new pieces against its breathtaking landscape. Plus no wind machine necessary, bonus! The following photos were captured by my housemate, Marcel Le Bachelet, on our hike along Icart Point. He's a talented social media guru and photographer extraordinaire, so check out his site!
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
Naturally, Terra inspired me to design another headband. This one I've called Rocquaine Bay, after an area of water off the Guernsey coast which is known for it's treacherous rocks and tragic shipwrecks. Again this pattern only uses one skein. The sample is made with their colour Beet.
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
The second yarn I had the pleasure of working with was their double knit weight, Acadia. Again, it is a blend of baby alpaca, merino wool and silk. I don't have the words to describe how much I love this yarn. It's heavenly and lends itself perfectly to the simple stitches that I like to use in my designs, yet the organic texture of the yarn still sings. These are my Pembroke Bay Mitts, named after Pembroke Beach, where I was able to stick my toes into the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in over a year. Samples are knit in Blue Leaf Birch and Mountain Ash.
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
Photo Credit: @mkjlb
This last one is probably my favourite of the three new patterns. Icart Point Hat uses two colours of Acadia. If you choose two subtle colours like Verbena and Pinecone you'll get a lovely gradation of the colours in linen stitch. I can't wait to knit this up again with a higher contrast of colour.
Thanks to The Fibre Company for their yarn support and Marcel Le Bachelet for beautiful shots! All patterns are available on my Ravelry page.