Lace at Every Weight

May 22, 2013Category: Featured Projects, Yarn Features

Do you love lace or does it intimidate you? Lace is a technique that creates a pattern of intentional, open holes in your fabric. Traditionally associated with doilies and wedding dresses, today lacework can be found on all kinds of garments and accessories. If you knit (or crochet) you can create lace, and we want to share several projects with you that show how wonderful lace can look in all weights of Manos del Uruguay yarns!

 

Here we’re starting with our finer gauge yarns. Manos Lace is a traditional choice, and is what’s called for in the Ocaso Shawl pattern. In the center, girlinthesea’s Skywalker Shawl is beautiful in Fino. On the right is dyannleslie’s Holden Shawlette in Alegria. Wouldn’t you love to wrap any of these around your shoulders?

Lace is not limited to shawls. The stitch pattern can be all-over lace or just a panel. It is a detail that will set apart your project from the rest! Serena is a wonderful choice for spring and summer garments; at above left is Cather,  a crochet top, and in the center is Algorta, which is knit. Peridot, knit with Silk Blend, would be beautiful in a solid or hand-painted colorway.

Do not hesitate to use a heavier gauge yarn with lace stitches! You will find that this combination can work, as craftivore notes on her Eyelet Front Vest knit with Wool Clasica, “[This is] a quick bulky knit that looks elegant not bulky.” Maxima makes a great choice for a soft, cuddly sweater, as shown here in Fairfieldknit1′s February Lady Sweater. One more great item in which to incorporate lace stitches is a blanket. Awrobertson’s Shale Baby Blanket, knit with Maxima, is a very impressive piece, sure to be a treasured heirloom!

We hope these projects and patterns have inspired you to give lace a chance in your next project! We encourage you to show off your shawls and more in our Ravelry group or on our Facebook page!

 

Don’t Fear Fingering Weight!

May 14, 2013Category: Featured Projects, Free patterns, Yarn Features

Are you a fan of fingering weight yarns? Just as some are drawn to bulky woolen sweaters, many equally feel the pull of fingering weight yarn.  Manos del Uruguay’s newest offering in the fingering weight category is Fino, a 30% silk, 70% extrafine merino blend. This is a great choice for heirloom accessories or luxurious garments. The generous yardage (490 yards per 100g skein) means you have many pattern choices for a small indulgence of 1 skein or a splurge with several skeins!

 Shawls are a great choice for Fino as it is lightweight, yet warm and has a subtle shine. Shawls, large or small, are a go-to accessory for cool breezes in spring or protection from air-conditioning that many have already had to utilize. Shown above, at left, is the Alchemilla Shawl, a free crochet pattern from The Crochet Project. You will need 4 skeins of Fino to create this piece which is based on traditional Hap Shawl patterns. Fairmount Fibers has two new free patterns that will make the most of one skein: the Pluma Shawlette, shown above center, and the Eternidad Scarf, above right.

Shown here to inspire you is just a sample of other gorgeous shawl patterns being made with Fino.  From left to right: Agena’s Galadriel’s Mirror, Hemmeli’s Haruni, and Ohakala’s Ishbel.

 

While it is understood that more yardage is needed to create a full size garment, it seems to be a magic trick when you can make a sweater with 2, 3, or 4 skeins (depending on size and pattern) of a fingering weight yarn! We could picture Elfe, above left, worked up in Crystal Goblet and Peacock Plume. Garnet Brooch would be stunning in Folded, center. Above right is Drifting, a striking pattern choice for Inkwell.  These complex, subtle, tonal colors are the result of a new dye process.

Let’s not forget the little ones! Welcome them into the world with a unique handmade item! The Little Baby Sweater from the Purl Bee or the Sunnyside sweaters are great free pattern options.  The Tulips and Rosebuds Blanket is sure to be a treasured heirloom.

For more pattern and project inspiration, check out our Fino Board on Pinterest. We also love to see what you make and encourage you to share your projects with us in our Ravelry group or on our Facebook page!

 

Fabulous Felting

April 30, 2013Category: Featured Projects, Yarn Features

Many knitters and crocheters love wool fiber because it is easy to work with, is warm, forgiving and durable. Wool also has the almost magical ability to end up as a different fabric if it takes a spin in your washing machine. Though many people experience this in unfortunate accidents of shrinking a favorite garment, felting can be done intentionally to achieve fantastic results and Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica is a perfect medium to use.

Bags are a very popular felting project that offers a lot of opportunity to experiment with other stitch techniques and textures. The Honeycomb Tote by Grace Akhrem, Amanda’s Squatty Sidekick by Amanda Berka, and the #05 Felted Tote by Angelia Robinson, from the newest Vogue Knitting Crochet Spring 2013, (shown above from left to right) are just a few patterns to inspire you.

There are so many projects beyond bags! Festive home decor items like the Star Garland or the Tiny Treasure Bowls are made quickly. The generous yardage in each skein of Wool Clasica will allow you to make many items from one skein.

If you can knit it, you can felt it! Keep in mind that when you are felting, wool can shrink up to one third of the original size of the item.  Swatching can help you get the results you desire and could make the difference when making items like slippers! The House Slippers make great gifts for every pair of feet under your roof.  You may have heard other knitters talk about the difficulty in felting white wool; this is the result of the bleaching process that is used to make the wool white. Our natural white wool does not undergo this process! You can see in mammamia’s Amy Beret how wonderfully this worked in the hat!

Beginners should not hesitate to try felting.  Each project in its pre-felted state looks uneven and awkward, but with exposure to hot water, soap and agitation, the spaces between the stitches are filled in and the project takes its proper shape.  Any mistakes made are often hard to find after the project is felted! For even more felting project ideas, check out our Pinterest board! Let us know in our Ravelry group, on our Facebook page, or Tweet us how your felting projects turn out!

Presenting Our New Spring Patterns

April 3, 2013Category: Featured Projects, New Stuff
Get your needles ready, our spring pattern line is available! These patterns are fresh and vibrant in the extensive colorways found in the variety of Manos del Uruguay yarns. Miriam L. Felton is our Featured Designer this season. Her collection includes pieces that are perfect for layering as we transition out of winter into the warmer days of spring.
Any of these three short sleeve tops would be a great way to freshen your wardrobe and could easily be worn in a casual or dressy style. Melo combines Serena, as the main color, with stripes of Maxima. The possible color combinations are very exciting! Solis features a lace mesh pattern that creates an easy, comfortable piece with a touch of shine from our Silk Blend yarn. Algorta is just the thing if you are looking for a little bit of lace and ruffle. Serena is used here to create a wonderfully versatile garment.
Anillo features stripes of Maxima and Silk Blend in an on-trend slouchy hat style. Collarin has the most hearts out of the bunch on Ravelry; do you have it in your favorites yet? This simple cowl is worked in Silk Blend, with a pop of color. Miriam has a tutorial for creating the unique buttons, which are covered in a Lace swatch, be sure to check it out!
Varian Brandon designed Guirnalda, a short-sleeve fair isle design in Silk Blend. As spring returns, leaving the drab winter behind, you will be just as inspired to give stranded colorwork a try! Silk Blend is also used in Cassandra Milani’s Empalme cowl which is composed of several different stitch patterns. Both of Lisa R. Myers’ designs use Serena. Feston (with a scallop edge) and Calza (with a cable edge) are knit with the blend of baby alpaca and cotton, are lightweight, yet warm and cozy, perfect for when you need a little something to ward off spring breezes.
Four designs by Jocelyn J. Tunney round out the presentation. Florido is a moebius cowl knit in two colors of Silk Blend. Gradiente is for our Lace lovers;  this scarf requires one skein of each three different colorways to create this blended effect.  If you are more interested in brightening up your home, there are two afghan options: Bloques, using Maxima, and Rayas using Wool Clasica.
We hope these new designs inspire you this spring to try something new! We’d love to hear your ideas for color combinations and see your projects – please share them on our Facebook page, in our Ravelry group or send us a Tweet!

Fair Trade February

March 1, 2013Category: Fair Trade News & Topics

We have enjoyed celebrating Fair Trade February with our fans and friends.  You shared your thoughts on our Facebook page and Twitter, and project ideas in our Ravelry group could keep a knitter or crocheter very busy straight on through to next February! There are currently more than 36,000 projects in Ravelry that used Manos del Uruguay yarns in some form and over 4,000 projects marked as “in-progress”. Here are a few that caught our eye!

From left to right: Lizzlizzlizz’s Martine Hat in Fino, JenInRI’s Happy Socks in Alegria, and AnnastasiaK’s Cloud Illusions in Lace.

From left to right: dkmerola’s Cabled Turtleneck in Maxima, knitwit65′s Bows in Clasica and FreneticEclectic’s Life Partner Cardigan in Serena.

With each purchased skein of Manos del Uruguay yarn you will be helping a woman to support her family. We encourage you to take a closer look at the tag on your skeins. Each skein is signed, so you will know who made your yarn, and from which village it came. You will be supporting the hand-crafted rather than mass-produced, and contributing to an economy where the workers control the means of production. You, as a handknitter, crocheter or weaver, will be contributing to women’s careers in harmony with family life, and contributing to the landscape and cultural heritage of Uruguay. We hope you continue to work with and support Fair Trade products, like Manos del Uruguay yarns, throughout the year!