Tag: Tencel

New pattern: Falling Leaves

February 20, 2023

Falling leaves is a set that I first created back in around 2016, before the days of Flora Fibres and learning about the world of all the fabulous plant based yarns. So I thought it was about time that I reworked the pattern to be compatible with both my new yarn and also the ethos of my company.

I have reworked the original pattern so that it looks just the same as it originally did, but is now designed specifically for my lovely DK weight Tencel yarn. As you may know this is a yarn which does not inherently have any stretch, which you might think would make it unsuitable for a garment such as a hat for which some amount of stretch is obviously necessary to keep the hat on your head! However it works very well with stitch patterns which give it the elasticity needed, such as rib stitch and lace stitches, both of which are used in this pattern. Tencel is also a wonderful choice for hats and scarves as it is a thermoregulating yarn which will keep you wonderfully cosy when it is cold out, but you won’t overheat on warmer days. I tested this myself by wearing my falling leaves hat to my children’s tennis competitions this week. As the rest of me slowly froze as I stood there, I was delighted to find my head and ears were perfectly warm and cosy!

The complete set uses 2 x 100g skeins of DK weight Tencel, with 50g needed for the hat, and 100g (or more if desired!) for the scarf, and is knitted on 3mm needles. The pattern includes 2 hat sizes: small for a head circumference of around 51-52cm, and medium/large for a head circumference of 56-57cm. The scarf as shown measures around 165cm, but includes instructions for making it both longer and wider to suit your needs. The pattern comes with both written instructions, and charts, and it includes tips on correctly blocking a Tencel hat to ensure the best fit.

The pattern set is available in both my Ravelry store, and from my Etsy shop, and for this first week (until Sunday 26th February) I will be running an offer in my Etsy store where if you buy both the yarn and the pattern at the same time then you will get the pattern free*!

(*Unfortunately I can’t set my Etsy shop up to give the pattern away free with a yarn purchase, so instead if you buy the yarn and the pattern in the same transaction then I will manually refund the cost of the pattern. This was the best way I could think of to achieve this, and works out the same in the end!)

New Yarn Bases!

June 11, 2021

Hi there! How are you doing? I hope that, like me, you’re beginning to feel like the end is in sight and some sort of normality is slowly returning to the world. Between getting my first dose of vaccination this weekend, and some yarn festivals tentatively planning to go ahead in the autumn , I’m definitely feeling my spirits start to lift.

All of which has helped kickstart my creativity, and I’m very excited to share my new yarn bases with you!

Recycled Cotton

First up is this fabulous, 100% recycled cotton. It is great for a wide range of projects, from cushion covers and scrubbies, to clothes and accessories. The yarn is very similar in looks and feel to yarns such as DROPS bomull-lin (which is a linen/cotton blend). It doesn’t have the smooth, shiny look of new cotton. This gives it a gorgeous matt texture and stops it from being a slippery yarn to work with. It is an aran or worsted weight yarn so works up quite quickly, making it ideal for quick projects.
See the whole collection here.

DK weight Tencel

The yarn Gods have finally listened to my plea to create a heavier weight Tencel yarn, and here it is in all its lustrous glory! As fabulously soft, shiny and drapey as the 4 ply version, these 100g skeins are DK (double knit) weight, and measure 225m each. This yarn is perfect for all your summery knits, from tank tops and tees to lightweight jumpers and shawls. But don’t discount it for cooler weather knits too, Tencel has excellent thermoregulation properties, keeping you cosy in winter as well as cool in summer.

For this first batch I have 80 skeins available, in 36 gorgeous dye lots. Whilst some of the lots are large enough for sweater quantities, most only have 2 skeins, so if you would like help putting together your ideal palette for your project then please just ask!

You can get yours here.

Oh, and there’s one more new yarn base still to come, but I’m not finished dyeing it all yet! It’s a fabulous aran weight Pima cotton, which I will share with you when it is available in the shop.

Grand reopening!

October 1, 2020

Hello my lovelies!

So it’s been a while since my last post here, but never mind because I’m back again with a huge shop update ready for the grand reopening of my Etsy shop tomorrow! (6pm BST on 2nd October 2020)

Banana yarn rainbow

As you can see it’s a very colourful, rainbowy (is that a word? I feel like it should be a word) sort of shop update, whether you’re looking for just one colour or for the whole spectrum there’s lots to choose from, no matter whether you’re looking for Tencel, cotton or even banana yarn!

Tencel yarnIMG_20200928_134743

Speaking of choice I even have a brand new yarn for you to try out! This beauty is pineapple yarn, and it’s a gorgeous, eco friendly bast fibre, which means the fibres were peeled from the leaves in a similar way to linen production, and not broken down in a chemical extraction process. As a bast fibre yarn it will benefit from a little breaking in, the same as other bast fibres such as linen or hemp. But a little effort will leave you with a surprisingly soft yarn, making it all worth while.

It is extracted from the leaves of the pineapple plant, after the fruit has been harvested. What used to happen was the farmers would then clear their fields and burn all the leaves to make space for the next crop. But now we’re saving that plant matter from being burned, which is obviously better for the environment, and the farmers are gaining a second income from selling what was otherwise a waste product. It’s really a win-win!

Pineapple yarn rainbow

There will also be another brand new section added to the shop, which contains ready made, hand woven creations made by me, using my hand dyed yarns. It will include 2 scarves, a cowl, and 2 little bags, and I have plans for the next lot of new additions already!
 

And finally a quick note for the spinners and sock knitters amongst you: you’ll notice tomorrow that these sections are looking rather empty as I’m not quite done with all the dyeing yet. No need to feel neglected however as there will be lots of choice for you too, when they’re ready in a week or two!

New pattern: Love You Forever Scarf

September 26, 2019

Next up is a pattern for all you Tencel fans!

 

‘Love you forever’ is a wonderfully sweet and deceptively simple pattern, designed as a perfect accompaniment for Flora Fibres Yarn Tencel yarn. The repeating heart lace pattern is only 12 rows long, making it suitable for most abilities from confident beginners onwards, and all stitches used in the pattern are fully explained.

The incredibly soft and silky feeling Tencel yarn makes this scarf feel delightful to the touch, while the breathable fibres will help keep you cosy but not overheated. The finished scarf also drapes beautifully, so it is sure to become a wardrobe favourite. Wear it out and about to keep you cosy, or wear it all day as a fabulous addition to your outfit!

 

Same as with Lovers Lattice, this is a free pattern to provide you with some inspiration for what to use the lovely Tencel yarn for. And if you make one please do tag me, I’d love to see!

Love you forever scarf

Happy knitting!

Aberdeen Yarn Fest

May 14, 2019

Oops, I see it’s been a while since I updated things on here. Sorry everyone! So now get ready for a bunch of information coming your way about upcoming events and exciting new products:

First up I’m delighted to (re)announce (for those who follow me on social media you will already know this) that I will once again be attending the Aberdeen Yarn Fest this year. It is to be held in the Doubletree by Hilton Aberdeen Treetops hotel on Sunday 9th of June, and looks set to be an amazing event!

I will have a whole array of gorgeous things to bring to the festival, including lots and lots of spinning fibre (braids and batts!), hand spun yarn, both my recycled and regular cotton yarns, and also some all new Tencel, and Banana yarns too! (More on those to follow)

You can read more about the event and get your tickets here. You will find me at stand 10!

Will I see you there?

An introduction to: tencel

June 14, 2017

The next fibre I’d like to introduce you to is tencel!

This amazing fibre is definitely one you should try out if you haven’t already. It has the most incredible lustre and shine, and when dyed it takes on the colour incredibly well to give truly beautiful results. Yarns made from tencel fibres are also smooth, soft and strong, making them delightful to work with. The company who produce Tencel, Lenzing AG, say “(tencel is) more absorbent than cotton, softer than silk and cooler than linen.”

Tencel is actually a brand name for a fibre also called lyocell, which is regenerated from cellulose extracted from wood pulp. The wood used for the purpose is eucalyptus, which is sustainably grown on farms in Europe, on land which is unsuitable for agriculture. It therefore does not compete for space with crops, unlike cotton. It also uses 10-20% less water to produce than cotton. The farms which grow the trees have been awarded FSC certification to show they are environmentally and socially responsible.

The fibres are then extracted from the wood pulp using non-toxic chemicals in an almost 100% closed loop system, which means almost everything used in the process is recaptured and does not leak out to pollute surrounding land and waterways. And the fibres are naturally white so no bleach is used in the process to whiten them. Over 100 patents have been awarded to the company for the fibre extraction process, showing how important technology is in the production of eco-friendly fibres! The process is so good that the company has been awarded the “European Award for the Environment” from the European Union. Quite the achievement!

So now that you feel good about choosing tencel for its environmental qualities, what’s in it for you? Well, there’s lots to love about this fibre!

As it is so incredibly absorbant it makes an excellent choice to wear next to the skin, especially in summer when it gets hot and you start to sweat *ahem* sorry, glow! We ladies glow, don’t we 😉 The fibres draw the moisture away from the skin, keeping you cool and also preventing bacterial growth. The incredibly smooth surface of the fibres are so soft they are ideal for anyone with sensitive skin. Unlike wool for example which is covered in tiny barbs, the tencel fibres are so smooth they won’t irritate the skin.

Tencel fibres respond incredibly well to natural dyes, taking on beautifully deep colours, which look incredible when paired with the incredible lustre of the fibres. See an example here of some blue yarn (dyed with black beans), which has already been spun, and some yellow (gorse) and green (gorse then black beans) fibres which I’ll be spinning soon:

Have you tried tencel yet? If you are now excited to try some for yourself, you can check out my current stock of tencel yarn here.

(TENCEL® is a trademark of Lenzing AG)