Featured yarn: Kid mohair blend, fingering weight

I like using fingering weight yarn and mohair can be tricky.  Spun too loosely, it comes apart in your hands, spun to tightly it becomes harsh. This blend is spun for softness  yet is very strong. Makes beautiful items
 Fiber Content : 50% Polyamide, 50% Kid Mohair
Needle Size : 3 mm. US 3 [UK 11]
Color : Cream
Main Color : Cream
Brand : ICE
Weight Type : 1 SuperFine: Sock, Fingering, Baby
Length : 300 meters / 328 yds.
Stock Quantity : 392 (39 Lot)
Weight : 30 gr. / 1.06 oz.
2011-05-30
See other colors and purchase here

Featured yarn: Spider Wool, NEW

 Fiber Content : 70% Acrylic, 30% Wool
Needle Size : 4 mm. US 6 [UK 8]
Brand : ICE
Weight Type : 3 Light: DK, Light, Worsted
Length : 150 meters / 164 yds.
Stock Quantity : 196 (24 Lot)
Weight : 50 gr. / 1.76 oz.

I'm really excited about this yarn. It's new this week. It's a wool blend that is homespun. Homespun is machine spun made to look like handspun wool. Anyone who does any spinning knows most spinners can spin consistent yarn, but homespun makes a delightfully textured garment.

Featured yarn: Rumba Light Green

 Fiber Content : 100% Acrylic
Needle Size : 6 mm. US 10 [UK 4]
Color : Light Green
Main Color : Green
Brand : ICE
Weight Type : 5 Bulky: Chunky, Craft, Rug
Length : 65 meters / 71 yds.
Weight : 50 gr. / 1.76 oz.

 This yarn knits up beautifully into slightly shaggy garments. Yarns with texture add interest to projects.

http://maniyarns.yarnshopping.com/sku:fnt2-17124#top to see more colors and to purchase this yarn.

Making items such as hat, mittens, even sweaters more warm

How to insert thrums into knitting/crocheting  is page I recommend to get the basics of this. It is inserting bits of roving, carded but not spun fiber, into a project.  This technique is described for using bits of roving. 

I like to use long pieces of roving which I carry along the back of the knitting, just like you would another color yarn.  This makes another layer of fiber on the inside of the garment, somewhat like a lining, while creating the pattern on the outside.  These fibers, especially of animal origin (wool, mohair, angora) will eventually felt from being warm.  I've made some really warm mittens using this technique. It may help to understand what I am talking about if you check out the link on how to insert thrums.

Featrued Yarn: Camelia Rainbow Blue Silver crochet yarn

Fiber Content : 70% Polyester, 30% Metallic Lurex
Hook Size : 1.25
Color : Pink, Silver
Main Color : Pink
Brand : YarnArt
Weigth Type : 0 Lace: Fingering Crochet Thread
Length : 190 meters / 207 yds.
Weight : 26 gr. / 0.92 oz.   Delightful crochet yarn. Available in many other colors. 

 

Featured yarn: Pretty Boucle, mohair, wool blend

See other colors and buy yarn here

Fiber Content : 20% Mohair, 50% Acrylic, 10% Polyamide, 20% Wool
Color : Light Blue
Main Color : Blue
Brand : ICE
Weigth Type : Other
Length : 150 meters / 164 yds.
Stock Quantity : 432 (54 Lot)
Weight : 50 gr. / 1.76 oz.

I see this as an awesome sweater, hat, scarf, or shawl.  Available in many colors.  Boucle with mohair is the best in my opinion.

Alpaca Melange

Brand : KUKA
Color : Dark Camel
Length : 250
Main Color : Brown
Needle Size : 3
Weigth Type : 2 Fine: Sport, Baby
Fiber Content : %20 Alpaca, %80 Merino Wool
 50 grams, 1.76 oz.

This yarn is a soft dream to work with.  100% Alpaca garments can stretch out of shape under their own weight. This blend with merino wool, insures that won't happen. It is a softly heathered yarn with incredible softness. Great for knitting socks, gloves, sweaters. Just a great yarn.

http://maniyarns.yarnshopping.com/sku:fnt2-16714 to see purchase this and see other colors available.

Demet Wool, nice wool blend

 Fiber Content : 70% Acrylic, 30% Wool
Color : Light Khaki
Main Color : Green
Brand : ICE
Weigth Type : 2 Fine: Sport, Baby
Length : 165 m, 180 yds
needle size : 3 mm. (US 3) (UK 11)
Weight : 50 gr. / 1.76 ounce   Click here to see more colors available as well as to purchase

  A popular blend of wool and acrylic. Knits up nice as socks, sweaters, mittens, afghans, just about anything you can think of. Soft, and comes in many colors. Often, during weekly promotion, it is often .31 per ball when 8 are purchased.   Weekly promotion starts Monday at mid-day and goes until Tuesday evening. Click on the promotion tab.

Featured yarn: Sfumato Melange (wool,mohair, elastan, nylon)

 Click here to see other colors of this yarn as well as to purchase   Fiber Content : 28% Nylon, 1% Elastan, 60% Virgin Wool, 11% Kid Mohair
Color : Brown
Main Color : Brown
Brand : ICE
Weigth Type : 1 SuperFine: Sock, Fingering, Baby
Length : 500 m, 547 yds
needle size : 3 mm. (US 3) (UK 11)
Weight : 50 gr. / 1.76 ounce

 This is an excellent sock yarn. Not only does it contain wool and mohair for warmth, it also contains nylon to give it strength AND elastan which is spandex to give it a little elasticity.  Makes getting the garment knit from this easier to get on. 

Ice spins wonderfully strong, yet soft yarn and with the addition of elastan, the give as well.

Featured yarn: Lama Mohair, Mohair blend

See other colors available as well as purchase this yarn and others like it.   Fiber Content : 50% Mohair, 25% Acrylic, 25% Nylon
Color : Navy
Main Color : Blue
Brand : ICE
Weigth Type : 1 SuperFine: Sock, Fingering, Baby
Length : 450 m, 492 yards
needle size : 3 mm. (US 3) (UK 11)
Weight : 50 gr. / 1.76 ounce   This is one of my favorite yarns from ice. It is a blend of mohair, acrylic, and nylon.  The other two additions insure that the yarn has strength without having to be spun too tightly.  Tightly spun mohair makes a harsh yarn. This is soft and delightful. Makes absolutely gorgeous items.  It's a fine weight yarn and would make a beautiful sweater, hat, mittens, or scarf. I like making shawls out of it.

ACK! Gift giving holidays are approaching!! Get knitting and crocheting those Gifts!

See other colors here as well as purchase this yarn

Fiber Content : 100% Cashwool
Color : Dark Brown
Main Color : Brown
Brand : ICE
Weigth Type : 2 Fine: Sport, Baby
Length : 250, 265 yds
needle size : 3 mm. (US 3) (UK 11)
Weight : 50 gr. / 1.76 ounce   Cashwool is the softest wool. It is super soft merino wool which has the softness of cashmere. Not only is it the softest fiber, it is softly spun into plies which are then barely plied. When one knits with this yarn, you are using 6 plies in 3 very loosely plied strands. The result is outstanding.  So soft it is unbelievable it is wool. Makes great socks and gloves. This is one of my favorites to work with. Socks made from this feel like you are wearing a cloud!

Great Link to instructions on knitting with double pointed needles

video on knitting with double point needles
I recommend this video for a little more advanced than a beginner knitter. If you hold the yarn in your hand, it may be confusing to watch as the demonstrator holds the yarn in her left hand.  Also, any cast on method works, not just the double cast on. Use whichever method you know or are comfortable with.