Archive for October, 2009...
Check out Rivka Designs
October 29, 2009
I love local artists! I have to live vicariously through everyone else who has time to knit because I don’t have time anymore…tres sad. But Rebecca, owner of Rivka Designs, had items which really struck my interest. And she is now making items out of Darn Good Yarn’s Premium Recycled Silk!
Click here to get Premium Recycled Silk!
Rebecca sells her amazing wares in some high-end shops in northern Cali. She has also been setting up shop at Farmers Markets and Renaissance Fairs for over 6 years!
Click Here to Check Out Her Facebook Page and make contact!
Sunrise Lodge Fiber Studio
October 28, 2009
Sometimes you run across great people in the online universe. For me, it was Shannon who owns the Sunrise Lodge Fiber Studio. I recently had an urge to get a spinning wheel so I did what most of us would do for a big ticket item…hit up ebay. Lucky for me, Shannon was getting rid of an Ashford Kiwi which I won in a heart-stopping auction which required me to duck out of my other job for 5 mins and bid feverishly on my iPhone while trying beat off this other pesky bidder.
But we got to talking and she owns this great shop! And I got a sample of her rovings…. beautiful! And her handspun yarn will make you drool. I’m serious!
Click Here To Go To The Lodge!
Take a look at the site and order up some crafting goodness and tell her we sent you!
KNIT: Mobius Cowl on a Yo Yo Diet
October 27, 2009
Check out this video (give it a second if you have a slower connection)
Click here to get on the yo-yo diet
And now, thanks to our “resident” knitter Faith we now have a great Mobius Cowl pattern you can get! Click Here To Get The Pattern.
Click Here to Get the Pattern
Oddball Gumball Yarn Packs Are HEEEEERRRRREEEEE!
October 23, 2009
Check out this video then read on! (Give it a second to load if you have a slow connection)
Click Here to check out the color
This worsted weight yarn is handspun in women’s co-ops in Nepal and made from recycled silk. So, not only are you getting an incredibly unique yarn, you’re creating jobs for others.
We got some different colors in outside of the normal Gumball Recycled Silk Balls. Well you’re gonna score on this deal! This yarn pack comes with 4 slightly mismatched Gumball Recycled Silk 100 g balls. And you can choose the pack you want…but HURRY! We only have one pack of each color pack shown in the pictures.
Each ball is about 100g and contains approximately 90 yards of yarn. With rich hues and great sheen this will make your projects shine!!!
We suggest size US 8-10 (5-6mm, UK/Canada 6-4). Depending on your knitting your gauge will be about 3-4 stitches per inch (13-15 stitches per 10 cm).
Exclusive to Darn Good Yarn: Remember, when you order this yarn with DGY, you’re going to get this great yarn in balls not cumbersome skeins. So, when you get your package, you can get crafting right away and not pay extra for that little luxury!
I’ve seen similar yarn sell on the internet for $14 per 100g and it’s still in skeins…what a rip off!
KNIT: Save the landfills BOOT TRAY & WELCOME MAT
October 16, 2009
It’s getting to be that time of year again, especially if you live in a climate where you go through the slushly periods of snow and mud. So Faith put together this great simple welcome mat pattern that you can make out of plastic bags. It’s nice because you can just rinse it off! In case you’re not familiar with how to make plastic bag yarn, Click HERE, to view my other free pattern where I have a few videos on how to make it!
Materials: 12 mm (US 17) needles
1-2 100g balls Darn Good Yarn Hemp yarn
Click Here to Get the Hemp
Cut up plastic shopping bags
(Note: the amount of yarn and number of plastic bags needed depends on how big you want the mat to be. The mat in the picture is 32 stitches or eight squares wide and 48 rows or 12 squares long and measures about 18 inches square. It took about 15 bags of assorted sizes and two half-balls of hemp.)
Using the cut-up plastic bags and two strands of the hemp, cast on a number of stitches that is divisible by eight.
Rows 1 to 4: Knit 4, purl 4 to the end of the row.
Rows 5 to 8: Purl 4, knit 4 to the end of the row.
Continue in a four by four checkerboard pattern until the mat is as big as you want it to be.
© 2009 Faith Cormier and Darn Good Yarn.
Sample Boot Tray/Welcome Mat
Need A Sample?
October 11, 2009
Click Here to Get Your Samples
I want to make sure you’re happy with your purchases so I offer you the option to get a sample of the yarn. You’ll get about two feet of the yarn wrapped around a 5×7 index card.
Choose the yarn you’re trying to make a decision on.
If you decide to the buy the yarn you got the sample for, let us know when you order and we will refund your sample cost!
Also, please note on the yarns which have multiple colors I will send our standard sample color. If you would like to see a sample of your specific color please email us at info@darngoodyarn.com upon purchase.
Click Here For the Samples
Crochet: A bit of Lace Hemp Tam Pattern
October 10, 2009
Click Here For the Pattern
Click Here For the Pattern
This tam is stylish and warm. Like the matching scarf, the hat is lacey but not overly feminine. Instructions are included for 3 sizes of brims and the option to add more “slouch”. This is a quick project that can be crocheted in a few hours depending on your crochet level, so this is a perfect pattern for a last minute gift that definitely won’t look last minute! This pattern advanced beginner.
Click Here For the Pattern
KNIT: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Purse
October 10, 2009
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Purse
You know me, I love easy patterns…but you know what I love more? Easy patterns that kick major hiney! That’s why I love this purse!
This simple pattern was made when I was experimenting. I was actually sitting by the ocean when I casted on and thought wow… what I’m working on totally looks like seaweed, very colorful seaweed.
The handles are a “Nicole” creation. I made them out of wire. Wire? I like having fun with metal and wire so I whipped these puppies up–and I couldn’t find a pair I really liked in any stores so I made my own. If you want a set get in touch with me and I’ll make them for $10 a piece.
So, here’s what you need:
Size 13 needles
2 skeins of Darn Good Yarn Sari Ribbon Yarn
Purchase the Sari Ribbon Click Here
2 skeins of Darn Good Yarn Blender Live Wire Yarn (100g each)
Click Here to check out the Blender Yarn
1 cool button
2 purse handles: You can get ones handcrafted by me here: http://www.shop.darngoodyarn.com/product/handmade-wire-purse-handles
needle to finish it up
Buy the handles here!
Here’s how you do it:
CO 11 sts, work in moss stitch for all two skeins of the DGY Sari Ribbon Yarn and BO.
Sew up the sides.
I turned it inside out (but that’s up to you). I then flipped the first half inch over and stitched it down to create a “lip” around the opening of the purse. I thought this looked nice for the overall shaping.
Next attach the handles.
Now onto some optional embellishments which I think look great. I sewed a big wood button from Darn Good Yarn and braided some left over blender yarn to make a loop/clasp at the opening.
Top of the bag
I also made a tassel out of the leftover Blender Yarn.
Dress it up however you’d like.
This project is super easy and the whole thing took me 2 hours to create! So, it’s a quick easy gift that will get tons of ohh’s and ahhh’s!
Front of the Bag
KNIT: $12 Easy Wool Scarf
October 4, 2009
I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to put this easy scarf up on the site. You will giggle because it’s so simple.
Click Here to Get the Yarn
First you need 2 skeins of Darn Good Yarn’s Thick and Thin Wool Yarn (which I call the yo-yo diet). You’re going to use up both skeins in their entirety for this scarf but you will get an ample scarf that goes together quick!
The second thing you need are US size 13 needles.
Too much fun:)
Now, cast on 9 or 11 stitches. You can choose depending on the width of the scarf you’d like. Me, well I like a longer scarf so I can wrap it more or tie it around my head then around my neck if it’s super chilly.
Ok, so you’re then going to knit 1 and purl 1 to the end for every row (yes seed stitch…can you tell I’m addicted to it?) It’s great if you’re just learning because you can practice practice practice!
I love this yarn because while the stitch is easy and you can zone out you end up with a very interesting texture. It reminds me of pebbles.
What a great, cost-effective, beautiful gift you can make in a snap this holiday season!
Throw it in the Dryer?
October 3, 2009
I was just at an Alpaca Event at Ranch of the Oaks. Check out their yarn here.But I was talking to someone who knitted with my yarn and she said she threw it in the dryer. I’m talking about Darn Good Yarn’s Premium Recycled Silk.
Click here to check out the yarn!
I just about fainted when I heard that. You see, I’m a total wus when it comes to my hand-knitted items. I have so little time to make them that they become treasured little nuggets so I “baby” them. But I figured I had to try this out…for the sake of all you out there feverishly crafting away with this great yarn!
So normally I tell people that if you want to wash your garment you can pick from this list: dry clean, dryel (the dry cleaning process you can do in your dryer), hand wash in cold water or throw your item in the machine with like colors on the delicate cycle with cold water.
And then to dry, I tell people to lay flat.
Well, for my experiment, I threw a swatch knitted up in stockinette stitch into the wash with like colored clothes on a …**gasp** normal cycle. Yes, I even had jeans in there!
I took it out, not bad…could this be a Darn Good Breakthrough?
Now onto the dryer…
I threw everything into the dryer on regular heat and all. My result… it held its shape pretty well. It did get a little fuzzy but it did make it reaaaaaaally soft. I like the result! Here are some before and after pictures. Hope they help you!
Before Washing DGY's Recycled Silk
Now keep this in mind too. When I took these photos, you will notice the “after” swatch is upside down. There actually really wasn’t that much loss in shape, my knitting was what didn’t have any shape to begin with:)
After Washing & Drying DGY's Recycled Silk
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