More Colours available on Etsy for the Home Workshops!

Here are two more colours of home workshop scarves available on Etsy.....
Hit on the link at the top right (the butterfly coat) to jump into my etsy site.
The workshop kit includes everything you need to complete the scarf, except water, towels, dishsoap, and a dryer.  All instructions in a 21 page colour photo booklet are included, and I am only an email away for help....   Dare yourself to learn this amazing craft!

Black, brown, and now purple kits are in stock.  More to come, or just email me with a colour you like.  I am sure I can build a kit for you.   :)

New! Workshop KIT for sale on Etsy

I have fielded many emails asking for a tutorial or workshop or instruction kit to make my nuno felt scarves, since most of you do not live near enough to attend my workshops in person.  So after much compiling of photos and instructions I came up with this.  A kit to complete a scarf, start to finish, no experience necessary.  After teaching so many students this technique, I think I have answered all the questions, and have enough photos, that it will be like I am standing over your shoulder! 
The other thing about this tutorial, material kit, is that all YOU will need are things already in your home!  Towels, water, dish soap, and a Dryer (must have a NO HEAT setting).
Here is the kit.  It includes 21 pages of instruction and photos. A base of chiffon silk, sourced from vintage saris.  Merino roving in main and contrast colours, contrast silk fabric with some beading already on it for embellishment, and some various fibres and yarns that finish the details.  Also plastic sheeting, poly sheer fabric, a water bottle with holes already drilled, and some ties to roll up your work.

 Below are (left to right) the bottle and plastic wrap, chiffon silk, merino rovings, embellished silk and fibres. 

 You will end up with a 5 foot by 15 inch nuno felt scarf, like this one.

 Here is a view of the details, front and back.

To get your own workshop, hop over to my Etsy site (upper right of blog), and choose a colour family that suits you.  I have the brown and wine up right now, and will add several other colours over the next few days.
Happy felting!

Beaded Mohair Shawl

 A wonderful find on my September trip to Nova Scotia is this Hand Maiden duo of fine lace weight mohair and sport weight silk boucle, hand dyed into a lovely burgundy mix.  I wanted to make it even more special by adding the sparkle of glass beads.  Starting at the top center, the pattern allows you to get a handle on the beading with short rows to start, ending with the marathon rows along two sides of the triangle.  By then you will be an expert!  This pattern is not for beginners, and you should have some experience with increases in the yarn over, but could be new to beading, with the photos below lending a hand.

Beaded Mohair Shawl

Yarn:  I skein HandMaiden Rumple (100% silk boucle) 100 grams/ 300 meters

     1 skein Hand Maiden Angel Hair (70% kid mohair, 30% nylon) 50 grams 400 meters

Needles: 3.5 mm circular needle (to allow for the width of the shawl – not worked in the round)

Glass beads 6/0 size, about 100 grams

Tiny crochet hook US 11/12  1.0 mm

Stitch marker

Gauge: not too important, but 14 - 16 sts = 4 inches  

Size of mine:  60 inches across the longest edge, 27 inches deep.  But you can keep knitting and grow it bigger if you choose.

How to :  PLACE A BEAD:   With tiny crochet hook, pick up a glass bead, then attach the crochet hook to the next stitch on the knitting needle.  Pull it off the knitting needle, and slip the bead off the crochet hook and onto the mohair stitch, then with the crochet hook, feed the loop of the stitch BACK ONTO the knitting needle….. see photos:

Shawl pattern:

Starting at the center, with silk boucle, cast on 5 stitches.

K1, YO, k1, YO, place marker, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1

Wrong side row:  k all stitches, slipping the marker

Regular right side row:   K1, YO, knit to marker, YO, slip marker, YO, knit to last stitch remaining, YO, k1.

Repeat wrong side row again,

Change to mohair yarn, and ***** work one regular right side row, and one wrong side row.

Bead Row:  K1, YO, K 2, [PLACE A BEAD, k bead stitch, k3]repeat across the row…. As you come to the marker, slip marker, YO, k1, YO at the same time as planting the bead every 4^th stitch.  Move to the next stitch if the count places the bead at a yarn over. Continue to the last stitch at the end of row, placing the beads as you go.  Stop the last bead about 4 – 6 stitches before the end.  YO and k1 at the end of the row as usual. 

Wrong side row with mohair.

Work one more regular right side and wrong side.

[work another bead row, and wrong, right and wrong regular rows- 4 row pattern], then repeat the 4 row pattern again. Since ***** you have worked two rows plain, then three sets of the 4 row pattern, for 14 rows with the mohair and beads.

Change to silk boucle and work 4 regular rows (without beads): right side with the yarn overs, and wrong sides straight knitting.

Change to mohair and work the ***** 14 row pattern *****.

Continue to alternate the 4 row silk boucle and 14 row mohair bead pattern, until size of shawl desired, or 7 pattern repeats have been completed (like mine). 

Finish with 4 rows of silk boucle, and a very loose cast off of all stitches.