Show & Tell is our occasional series showcasing our customer's projects. You can read previous blog posts here and here.
Our latest Show & Tell is all about Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift. A 4ply yarn spun and dyed in Shetland.
As seen in the last Show & Tell, Fiona used Jamieson's Spindrift in her Mitered Corner Blanket (free from Purl Soho). She held two strands together and knitted with 4.5mm needles.
However, Spindrift is traditionally used in stranded colour work, as seen in our Kellister hat. There are a lot of colours available helping you create many different colour combos. We have over 120 shades in the Pittenweem shop and available online.
Our first project is a child's cardigan from Pat.
The pattern is Josefien by Sophie Ochera and it's available to buy on Ravelry.
Although you need a decent quantity of the main colours, the yoke uses small amounts of many colours, so it is perfect for using up oddments. You could even stripe the the body and sleeves for a very different look.
This cardigan is knitted in the round from the bottom up. So you knit a body and two arms before putting the pieces onto one needle and finishing with the yoke.
This design uses steeks.
A steek acts like a temporary bridge joining two sides, allowing you to work in the round. This is a much easier way to do stranded colour work (no purling back along a row). The 'bridge' is formed by adding extra stitches which will eventually be secured and then cut to turn a tube into a flat piece of knitting. Or, in this case, turn a jumper into a cardigan.
There are lots of tutorials on working with steeks. A while ago I made a Sheep Carousel tea cosy, designed by Kate Davies. I used her tutorials on steeks to cut open holes for a handle and spout. You can read them here.
Another good visual tutorial is from Tin Can Knits who use their Clayoquot cardigan as an example.
If you like the mismatched buttons you can find them here.
Elizabeth used steeks, in a different way, in her Nighthawk Slipover designed by Wilma Malcomson. It is one 6 patterns in Shetland Wool Adventures Journal Vol. 2.
This time the steeks bridged the sides of the armholes and neckline.
The original Nighthawk design uses 6 deep colours but Elizabeth chose a softer palette of Eesit, Purple Haze, Highland Mist, Autumn, Dusk with Pacific as the main colour. It's a beautiful tank top - and like their names the shades invoke a misty highland moor.
The last project didn't require any steeks!
By knitting this scarf in the round the colour work is easier (remember you're just knitting, there's no purling, as the right side of your knitting always faces you) and you can hide all you're ends inside the tube! It’s the same technique used in the Moonwake Cowl.
As a bonus, Susan also knitted these socks in Socks Yeah 4ply (Almandine and Topaz)... likening them to Scotland's other national drink 😆.
Aren't they beautifully knitted?!?
