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

Hop into the Easter festivities with these funky little egg and bunny friends from Lulu’s Stabby Critters!

Lulu's Stabby Critters Easter Fun!

Lulu’s creations signature expressive faces are sure to make you fall in love with these squishy little guys!

Also in are eleven new brooches from N.A.Schutt Design! Lots of fun Spring, flower and grassy inspirations can be found!

Beaded Brooches from N.A.Schutt Design!

Be sure to check out the mini brooches, a new line for N.A.Schutt that feature an easy to use tie tack backing and make for great additions to purses and bags, sweaters and scarves and so much more!

Mini Brooches

Happy Knitting!

Nadja

PS.  Stay tuned for a new Knit Along pattern fresh for Spring!

A few new additions have made it into the shop this week including the long awaited Crazy Zauberball Sock yarn from Skacel! We received four colors of this funky sock yarn including a bright and festive electric pink, a blue/black and white combination, a simple yet elegant black and white and a cheerful chocolaty  color.

Schokoladenseiten 2092

WRAPS and LACE!

Also here to ring in  Spring is the new Vogue Knitting International magazine. Lots of cute lace wraps and shawls in this issue as well as a few really cute ideas for summer lounging… With such a wet and foggy day as today, the though of bright warm summer sure is welcome!

Lots of Lace! Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2010

Lots of cute ideas to try… As if we all needed more projects

Happy Knitting,

Nadja

We have got a handful of new things going on this month! First off, for all you spinners out there, we are throwing around the idea of a Friday morning sit and spin. Definitely looking good so far, be sure to tune in for more details… If this sounds like something you’d like, let us know, we are tossing around the details and are very open to hear what you think or suggest!

Also I am sure you have all been putting our Stimulus Intensive  Program to very good use… Just remember that the savings program is only running through the 31st of March!

To sweeten the deal be sure to check your next Constant Contact emails for a fabulous coupon that can be used in conjunction with the already delightful savings! As for the sprinkles and cherry topping on this great deal,  have you checked out the red marked labels in the shop? Labels with the mark get an ADDITIONAL 40% off along with the Stimulus savings!

Let me show you how great this works:

AddiClick Interchangeable Needle Set

List Price: $170

OUR PRICE: $153

With Constant Contact Coupon: $130.05

Now, that is a good deal and definitely worth checking out to me. Not only does this deal work on the Addis but also on yarn, books, patterns and more! So be sure to hurry and sign up for the Constant Contact emails from Unique Yarns! You’ll be kept up to date on what is happening in shop and be able to get in on all sorts of good deals!

Happy Knitting,

Nadja

PS. Be sure to check out the email for all the details!

As you may have noticed, we have introduced a few new Mini Mochi colors and the thicker version of the same yarn  Mochi Plus by Crystal Palace.

In celebration of those awesome colors we are offering you a few free patterns that use the new Mochi Plus!

Diagonal Tam

Click for: Diagonal Tam

Tam Beret

Click for: Tam Beret

Twisty ZigZag Scarf

Click for: Twisty Zig Zag Scarf

The past two weeks we have been very busy here getting new products from the Spring lines out to the shop floor! First in was Berroco with a number of new yarns; Origami, Weekend, Vintage and a few old favorites; Sox,  Sox Metallic and of course Comfort and Comfort DK.  You may remember the Vintage from the pattern booklets that we received in the fall. Along with these beautiful yarns are a number of new pattern booklets as well as a sample sweater made of Origami.

We have also received a couple of new items from local artists including a few new brooches from N.A. Schutt Design and Sleep Hollow Yarns. The new brooches are in fun Valentine’s Day colors including sparkly pinks and reds. They make great one of a kind gifts, be sure to hurry in and check out the new brooches before they are gone! All brooches come with gift boxes as well to make it truly a one stop shopping experience!

Pink Sparkling Hearts Brooch from N.A.Schutt Design

Our newest local vendor  is Sleepy Hollow Yarns. They  feature hand dyed and spun yarns in a number of rich colors,  including:  Bittersweet, Brandied Cranberries, Irish Moss and Rhythm & Blues. Each Skein has 200 yards of lovely thick/thin hand spun that works up on a US size 6-9 needle.

Also new to the shop are Dream in Colors Knitosophy sock yarns. These delightful colorways are derived from the unique images on their labels and inspirational names. Each color also has an inspirational quote elaborating on the name, colors and emotion of the yarn. Find the color of your knitting philosophy today!

Dream in Color Knitosophy #82 LAUGH Inspired by the quote, "The excursion is the same when you go looking for your sorrow as when you go looking for your joy." - Eudora Welty

Plymouth Yarns also sent us a shipment that hit the floor bright and early this morning.  It features a new yarn for us, KnitCol which is a delightful self striping/patterning yarn. We offer a delightful number of colors as well as a few baby patterns that are created from this yarn. Also there are new Spring colors in Encore Worsted and Colorspun.

Well, speaking of new yarns, more just walked in the door so I had best get back to it! Look forward to seeing new yarns from the herd from Pecatonica as Alpaca de Rio Rosa just brought a big box of fun!

Happy Knitting!

Nadja

As a flashback to our Big Needle Afghan post, one of our lovely friends Arles and her husband came together to enjoy the creating of a Big Needle Afghan! When Arles bought the supplies and announced her new project idea, Joe jumped into action creating her a spindle board for all the skeins of yarn to twirl off!

Start of the Big Neddle Afghan and the Spindle Board!

Big Needle Afghan!

Arles picked out the shiny, bright Berroco Lustra in two shades of brown and blue, Nashua Shenadoa in a deep blue variegate and Tahki Bocciolo.  Gorgeous isn’t it?

Knitting… turns out it IS for everyone… at least in one form or another.

Happy Knitting,

Nadja

The new year has started out with a bang here at Unique! Over the end of 2009 and the beginning of lovely 2010 we have received a number of exciting new products, including some new yarn and rovings from local Thistle Ridge! This time they not only have included a number of yarns spun from their own sheep but have also brought in a load of rovings for all of you spinners and felters to play with.

Thistle Ridge Yarns and Rovings!

As you see they come in a variety of natural colors from snow white to charcoal. To learn more about them from our August blog post here.

Also new to the shop is an Auruncadia yarn, Panguipulli. You can check out which colors we all have in stock on our website.  Laura was kind enough to knit up a sample sweater in the #10 Blue/Green color.

Made from #10 Blue/Green Panguipulli

I am also currently working on a dolman sweater from the Winter 09 Vogue Knitting and must say that the Panguipulli is a quick, fun knit! Working it up on US10.5s the sweater is coming along quite nicely and is super soft! I will be sure to post pictures for you all soon!
Happy Knitting!

Nadja

PS. If you haven’t signed up for our email newsletters yet, be sure to do so quick… handy coupons may be popping up in the near future!