Amber's Maidenhair Dandy

I am so inspired by all the indie knitting patterns we've picked up at the shop! One of my new favorite designers is Alexandra Tinsley of Dull Roar knitting patterns. I've just finished knitting her Dandy Scarf and it was a quick and satisfying knit.

After I fell for the dreamiest of dreamy yarns that is Handmaiden Maiden Hair, I was on the lookout for the perfect pattern to showcase it's sheen and drapiness. Dull Roar's Dandy Scarf was it! Alexandra's version is knit in 100% silk, and the Maiden Hair I used is a lovely alternative--shiny silk glowing through a magical halo of soft kid mohair.

I am in love with this scarf. It is sure to be a wardrobe staple for cool autumn days. One skein was all it took to make the Dandy, with plenty of yarn left over for the fanciful tassels.

New Handmaiden Maiden Hair and Fleece Artist Blue-Face Leicester Yarns!

Luxuriously slinky new Maiden Hair yarn is here from Handmaiden! This Swiss silk and kid mohair blend is hand-dyed in lovely semi-solids and variegated hues. It has a magical sheen, with lustrous silk shimmering through a halo of dye-saturated mohair. I've already cast on for a Dandy Scarf in the Smoke colorway and am so enamored with this yarn and the way it is knitting up!

The folks from Handmaiden shared some of their snowy white silk cocoons with us at the trade show. Did you know that one little cocoon holds 1000 meter of silk thread?

Also new from our friends in Nova Scotia is the Fleece Artist Blue-Face Leicester fingering weight yarn. These massive skeins clock in at 125 grams and 550 yards! Wow! That's a ton of yarn. I've been dreaming of this yarn ever since I saw it in a yarn shop in Portland and am so excited to be carrying it here at Fancy Tiger Crafts.

Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) Sheep are a longwool breed of sheep known for their light and super-soft wool. We can't get enough of it around here. Besides being one of the softest wools around, just look at this guy.

Happy knitting. Fall, here we come!