This week there is going to be a lot going on at Unique Yarns, Inc.! For starters, this morning we received a new batch of Stabby Critters- your favorite little felted animals around- from Lulu! There are a few new ones in the bunch including an elephant (too cute!), snail (adorable!), koala(awww!) and many more! She also restocked our selection of felted hair clips!

A little elephant poking his trunk out of the box!

Felted Swirled Hair Clips!

Also, Kiwanas Brat Days is going to be this weekend, starting on Friday we will have N.A.Schutt Design set up with all of her beautiful brooches, pins, pendants and rings. All of them come with wonderful gift packaging so they are great for birthday, holiday, hostess gifts, etc.

Beaded Brooch/Necklace Pendant only $22.50!

Mini Brooch Pins only $12.00!

Be sure to check your emails for the newsletter that just came out and see what other deals we will have to offer this weekend for the festival! If you haven’t signed up, you can do so at our website: www.uniqueyarnsinc.com or in store.

Happy Knitting!

Nadja

On Friday morning we will again be hosting an Open Spin from 10am to noon. This is a great time for spinners of all varieties to come in and share their passion for fiber. This is a free event. Be sure to check out our expanding selection of roving, including: Mountain Colors, local fiber fanatic Gwendelyn and her Woolly Flock, Illinois Wool and Fiber Mill as well as many more! Drop spindles and wheels are all welcome… beginners and advanced alike!

New Rovings from IL Wool and Fiber Mill

I look forward to seeing you there!

Happy Spinning,

Nadja

There are a few interesting new items in shop this week, beginning with lovely fibers from Gwendelynn’s Wooly Flock. This time she included roving from four new sheep: Bartalk, Samuel, Star and Storm.

Gwendolyn's Wooly Flock Roving

Gwendelynn also included a lovely photo album of her flock, so you can see exactly who your roving came from!

Gwendelynn's Wooly Photo Album

There are also a few new brooches from N.A.Schutt Design, who was at the Edgebrook Think. Feel. Design. Art Show over the past weekend. She brought in a few new brooches and also showed us how to turn our brooches into necklace pendants by running a cord through the back!

Thread cord through back for a bold necklace!

Large Beaded Brooch on a Cord

Large Beaded Brooch

She also has a number of the mini brooches still in stock, all of them new to the shop! So be sure to check them out. They make for great gifts and all come with either a gift box or a small fabric gift bag.

Happy Knitting,

Nadja

We would like to thank everyone for all the swatches that were donated to the mystery fiber installation! At the request of the fiber artists in charge of the mystery project, we will be doing one more call for swatches. So if you didn’t get a chance to participate, here is your chance!

If you would like to take part, here is what we need:

Any size, shape, color, texture, weight, knit, crochet… you name it swatches.

You may use your own stash or stop in the shop and use our stash! We have lots of yarn set out for you to use on this project!

The next due date is Friday, June 18th.

I hope you will take the few minutes to be a part of this exciting fiber installation coming to the Northern Illinois area this June!

Thank you again!

Happy Swatching!

Nadja

I am sure many of you have heard and are participating in our fiber installation project. I just wanted to take a second to remind you that the last day to bring in your swatches is going to be this Friday, June 4th.

Swatches Due Friday, June 4th!

For those who don’t know what we have been up to the past couple weeks here’s a quick refresher. Unique was contacted by artists who were wondering if we could get people to knit or crochet swatches for a mysterious fiber art installation that will be occurring in the Northern Illinois area this June. If you are interested in helping still, we are looking for swatches, knit or crochet, of any size, weight of yarn, color, texture… you get the idea! Anything goes! These swatches will be collected on Friday and turned into a fiber arts installation later this month.  We have yarn here in shop for you to use and play with for this project or you may use your own stash scraps.

Its a mystery! Be a part of it! Bring in your swatches by Friday, June 4th to participate!

Thank you for your support and happy knitting!

Nadja

We have a wonderful surprise  community project that we are taking part in and we need your help!

Unique Yarns was contacted by a group of Fiber Artists who need our help! They need various swatches of knitted and/or crocheted pieces for a community fiber arts installation, scheduled for the Northern Illinois Area, in June 2010. We have agreed to help by asking for volunteers to knit, crochet and collect these swatches for them at Unique Yarns, Inc.

We need knitted and crocheted swatches of various sizes, colors, weights and fiber contents by Friday, June 4th!

This promises to be an intriguing, mysterious and fun community project. If by chance you have managed to work through your stash… we have yarn donations available for you to use. Gather your friends and come “sit and knit… or crochet” anytime Monday through Friday for a creative, community fiber arts display.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Be a part of this mysterious piece!
Happy Knitting, Crocheting… Happy Fiber..ing!

Nadja

Last week was full of interesting new things that kicked off the Spring and Summer season here at Unique Yarns. First off we had our first ever Show and Share get together. A few of our friends showed off their newest creations, Connie showed off her fabulous lace shawls and I got to show off  a sweater I have been test knitting for Sleepy Hollow Yarns. (You may remember the name from here, we carry a few of her lovely hand spun and dyed yarns)

Also we had a lovely Open Spin morning on Friday. We had seven fiber fanatics show up. Wheels/drop spindles twirling and fiber was definitely flying! Susan was working on a breath taking piece, fair isle, out of 20 different hand spun yarns… amazing! We also had the few curious knitters join in on the fun! Be sure to come and spin, knit or whatever you may- with us on the first Friday morning of every month!

Well, I just wanted to touch base and tell you what a wonderful time we have been having here! We all hope to have you join us sometime!

Happy Knitting!

Nadja

PS. Don’t forget that the Edgebrook Farmer’s Market is now back in swing! Check it out on Wednesday mornings!

Starting next week, the first week of May, we will be unveiling  a couple new events for Unique Yarns! Better yet, they are free to attend and open to all! No sign ups necessary!

Show and Share!

On the first and third Monday of every month we are encouraging fiber artists from all ends of the spectrum to bring in what you are working on, share techniques and tips as well as display your work! From 1-3pm we will host this event starting on May 3rd. We encourage you to being pieces that we may display at the shop to drive interest for your fellow fiber artists and to even encourage those new to fiber arts to be creative!

Show and Share your creations on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month!

Sit and Spin

Sit and Spin is a new event being offered by our very own EJ, you may know her from Creative Knit on Wednesday afternoons. This event will take place on the first Friday morning of every month. We are hoping to have large turn outs of spinners, may it be wheel spinners or drop spindle fanatics, everyone is welcome! An email list will be passed around in case  you would like to get monthly reminders sent to you!

We are thankful for all your wonderful support and hope you will join us in spreading the joys of the fiber arts!

Happy Knitting (Crocheting, Spinning, Felting…)

Nadja

Tulip Hat 6-12 months

Written and Designed by:  Nadja Schutt 4/12/2010

Tulip Baby Hat

1 Skein Berroco Comfort DK in Pink, or any other flowery color

1 Skein of Berroco Comfort DK in green for stem, matches your button color.

US 5 circular needles (9-12 in.) or double points (if using circular needle, you may want two to do the decreases at the top of the hat without stretching the yarn too much, a set of DPs will also work for this.)

Green Paisley Shaped Button

Tapestry needle

Crochet hook

Removable Stitch marker

Note: Always slip first stitch for a nice clean looking edge.

Petal Tips:

CO 4

Row 1: purl

2: Sl, Kbf, Kfb, K  (Kbf: Knitting in to the back then the front of the stitch, aides in making increases look symmetrical)

3: Purl

4: Sl, Kbf, K to second to last st, Kfb, K

5: Purl

Repeat rows 4 & 5 until there are 14 sts on your needles, end on a knit row. Break yarn.

Repeat a total of 5 times to create your petal tips. I used the circular needle to create these and left each petal on the cord while I worked the rest. Be sure though that you keep all your petals facing the same direction.  On the fifth petal do not break yarn…

With the knit side facing you and the last petal you finished on the right hand needle:

CO4, K 1 st of next petal on left hand needle, PM, k 13,

Then repeat: *CO4, K 14 sts of next petal*

Until there are 5 sts left on the left hand needle K2tog, p2, ssk, slm

Round 2: *K12, k2tog, P2, SSK* until there 4 sts left on the needle, k1, p2tog, reposition marker

Round 3: *K14, p2tog* until 1 st remains, P, slm

Next round, your petals are now set up, K all knits and p the purls for 6.5 inches.

Begin Decrease:

Round 1: *K2tog, K10, ssk, p1* repeat 5 x

Round2: *k2tog, k 8, ssk, p1*

Round 3: *K2tog, K6, ssk, p1*

Round 4: *K2tog, K4, ssk, P1* You may want to switch to DPs or two circulars here.

Round 5: *K2tog, K2, ssk, P1*

Round 6: *K2tog, ssk, P1* (15sts)

Round 7: *K2tog, P1* (10 sts)

Switch to green stem yarn. Leave a longish tail so you can use this to sew your button leaf on later.

Knit for a total of 10- 14 rows depending on how long you’d like your stem to be, Decrease by K2tog and bind off.

Next, weave in the starting tail of the green to secure it and use it to sew the leaf button near the stem.

Weave in the remaining tails.

Happy Knitting!

Nadja

Sized for 6mos-18mos (17in head circumference)

Materials:

1 Berroco Comfort DK 2700 Chalk (petals)

1 Berroco Comfort DK 2719 Sunshine (main hat)

1 Berroco Comfort DK 2740 Seedling (stem)

1 Dill Buttons Paisley Shaped button in Green (Leaf)

Hiya Hiya needles US 5 – 9” or 12”

Double points to match or in a size smaller

Tapestry needle

5 Straight pins

Stitch marker

Crochet hook

CO 240sts in Sunshine or main hat color, place marker and join

Round 1: K all stitches

2: *K2tog* (120sts)

3: *K1, K2tog* (80sts)

4: (begin ribbing) *K1, P1*

Continue in rib pattern for 6.5 inches from start of rib.

Begin decrease rounds:

1: *K6, K2tog*

2: *K5, K2tog*

3: *K4, K2tog*

4: *K3, K2tog*

5: *K2, K2tog* (at this point I switched to double points or two circular needles)

6: * K1, K2tog*

7: *K2tog*

Switch to Seedling and knit 8-12 rounds depending on desired length of stem. Decrease remaining stitches by K2tog and bind the last stitch off, leaving a 12 inch tail (to use to secure button leaf later).  With crochet hook pull all tails into the inside of the hat.

Petals

Make five of these to go around the stem of the hat. They are knit in garter stitch. (I used the double points in a size smaller to make these.)

Tip: Always slip first stitch to give you a nice finished looking edge.  On the increase side, fasten a locking stitch marker so you will always know to increase on this side.

CO 4

Row 1: (Remember to slip your first stitch!) Knit all stitches

Row 2: Slip first stitch, Knit in to the front and back of next stitch, knit to second to last stitch, knit in front and back of stitch, k1. (Increased 2 Sts)

(Place marker somewhere on the side you just increased on, this will serve as a guide to remind you to increase on this side in the following rows.)

Repeat these two rows until there are 28sts on your needles.

Next:

1-6: Knit

7: K 5, K2tog twice, K till 9 sts left, K2tog twice, K 5 (24sts)

8: K11, K2tog, K11 (22sts)

9-16: Knit

17: K 5, K2tog, K till 7 sts left, K2tog, K5 (20sts)

18: Knit

19: K9, K2tog, K 10

20-21: Knit

22: K5, K2tog, K till 7 sts, K2tog, K5 (18sts)

23: *K2tog* (9sts)

Bind off leaving a long tail (at least 12-16 inches for attaching petals to each other and hat)

Fold petal in half and taking your tail stitch the bound off edge together onto itself, then double back.  Do this as neatly as possible as this side does face out! Don’t worry though, the garter stitch is rather forgiving and will hide small mistakes.

Once you have all your petals made, arrange them around the stem of the hat to get an idea about how close together they should be. The petals will overlap. Notice the ruffle effect from the shaping of the petals, in general I spaced my one petal edge to be touching the base of the big ‘bump’ made from where you sewed the edge together.  Once you have this how you like, pin the petals together and using the tail from the underlying petal, sew along the edge of the overlapping petal to secure the two together. Leave the tail out, you will use it to stitch the petals to the hat. Repeat for the rest of the petals, careful that the overlapping petals all match up and are not too wide around the stem. You want them to fit snuggly.

Once all are together, pull stem though the hole in the center. At this time I wadded up some wool (a shirt whatever will work) into a head shape and fit the main part of the hat over the top. Next ‘fluff’ up the petals so they lay in a ruffled manner and pin them down. The stuffing in the hat helps you keep the petals all equally shaped, just be careful not to pin your hat down to the stuffing! Taking a bit of scrap white, stitch hat down around stem.

Taking your tail that is left from stitching the petals together and your tapestry needle; carefully stitch straight across to the next tail. (Roughly 5-6 small stitches that can be hidden easily by the garter stitch) Pull the remaining tail into the inside of the hat to be woven in later.  Repeat this for every petal using up all your tails and pulling them to the inside of the hat.

Remember the leftover green tail from your stem? Taking your tapestry needle make sure it is secure, so it won’t unravel) and use it to stitch on your button leaf near the stem. Tie off and weave in the remaining tail.

Weave in all the ends securely and you are done!

This pattern was designed and written for Unique Yarns by Nadja Schutt.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Happy Knitting!

Nadja