Knitting Superstar Weekend!

We had lots of fun with Stephen West, Ragga Eiriksdotter, Ragga's daughter Runa and surprise guest, Cirilia Rose on their visit! We miss them already and look forward to the next time we get to see these lovely folks.

Amber, Cirilia, Stephen, Runa, Ragga & Jaime

Stephen and Ragga taught two workshops together as RaggaWest, and we had a great time getting a glimpse into their design process.

I sat in on Idea Tank and loved it. Everyone came up with designs that were so different and each one was amazing. I can't wait to knit up my new designs!

Stephen got to hang out in Denver for a while and we took him on a beautiful mountain hike (between snowstorms!) He showed off his knitting skills by knitting a sweater the entire time we hiked through mud and snow on steep mountain trails. You'll be happy to know he didn't fall off the mountain once. Phew!

Thanks for the fun times and inspiration everyone!

--Amber

Better Know a Crafter: Rúna Bergsdóttir

We had the pleasure of having Ragga Eiriksdottir and her daughter Rúna visit us this past week from Iceland. Ragga is the woman behind Knitting Iceland, hosting knitting tours of Iceland and Icelandic knitting heritage. They are both great knitters, but while here they took advantage of our sewing studio and made all sorts of amazing sewn garments. Rúna has awesome style in her color choices - very Icelandic!

Guðrún Lóa Bergsdóttir (Rúna) & Ragga Eiríksdóttir

Rúna and Ragga with favorite plush dog, Flosi

  

"Rúna og Flosi" collar made by Rúna

What types of crafts do you do?

I'm almost 10 years old and I live in Reykjavik, Iceland. I have a pet budgie named Spotti, he is yellow and green and knows how to talk. I think it's fun to make things and be creative. I like to sew dresses and knit and sometimes in school I make things from wool.

Rúna made these pajama pants

Tell us about your outfits. 
I designed two dresses made from jersey and polka dot fabric. One of them is pink and green and the other is purple and orange. I'm thinking about making a third one in pink and yellow. My mom helped my cut the fabric and sew. We used a sewing machine, serger, scissors, pins and and iron (I love ironing). and a t-shirt of mine for making the pattern. 

Rúna is working on a knit scarf

How did you learn to sew?

I learned to sew on a sewing machine in 3rd grade in my school. We made a little teddy bear. In 4th grade we learned how to knit and I made a little purse for my mom.

Rúna's kitty head skirt with flower Wiksten Tank

What is your favorite animal?

I have 3 favorite animals: cats, dogs, and giraffes
In Icelandic: köttur, hundur, giraffi

We asked Rúna to translate a few more crafty words for us into Icelandic:
Sewing - sauma
Knitting - prjóna
Fashion - tiska
Fabric - efni
Yarn - garn
Sewing Machine - saumavél
Scissors -  skæri
Pins - tituprjónar
Dress - kjóll
Skirt - pils
Clothes - föt
Necklace - hálsmen
Flower - blóm

Some of Rúna's favorite things

Thanks Rúna and Ragga! Happy crafting!

We ♥ Lopi! Iðunn Knit-Along is a Wooltastic Success!

Lopis are taking over the streets of Denver! Next time you go out you might be confused about whether you are in Reykjavik or the Rocky Mountains, thanks to the smashing success of our Lopi-alongers. 

Just a few of the new Lopis in town

We knit the Iðunn Cardigan by Ragga Eiríksdóttir, a two color yoked, steeked cardigan and a free pattern download from from Knitty. It was the perfect intro to colorwork, and a great intro to steeking as well!

We've found that Lopi wool is as perfect for Denver weather as it is for Iceland. The lofty yarn insulates as well as breathes, keeping you warm without stifling. The dual coated wool sheds water--snowmelt just beads up on the surface. Lopi, you are pretty cool. We thought some of our KAL'ers would eschew Lopi in favor of a softer yarn, but everyone was super hardcore and made true Icedlandic sweaters!

Now, meet some of the knitters who fell head over heels for this wooly Icelandic sweater!

Allison

Colors: Black Sheep Heather + Ash Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...picking colors and seeing what everyone else picked.
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...how warm it is and the fun ribbon on the inside.

Alsn

Colors: Stone Blue Heather + Ash Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...the help from the community of awesome knitters
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...it's finished!

Amber

Colors: Golden Heather + Bottle Green Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...seeing everyone's progress together. Also, it was fun to see how the color combinations each person chose knit up.
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...wearing it almost every day! I love it so much! Oh, also steeking for the first time was exciting!

Anna

Colors: Hazel Heather + Glacier Blue Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...starting it late, so I could be inspired by all the lovely sweaters that were being finished.
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...the color combination is ridiculous!

Betsy

Colors: Barley + Hazel Heather + Lapis Blue
My favorite thing about the KAL was...Loved watching the different color combos develop, and how that alone can change the "flavor"
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...I'm just so damned proud I made a sweater and it fits great!

Caitlin + Mathew

Caitlin Colors: Ash Heather + Pink Heather
Mathew Colors: Hazel Heather +  Stone Blue Heather + Celery Green Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...Brainstorming with fellow KAL-ers and seeing how AWESOME everyone's turned out
Caitlin: My favorite thing about my new sweater is...It is made for ME by ME!! Just the right length everywhere!! I want more!!
Mathew: My favorite thing about my new sweater is...That my fantastic, super-sexy, radical wife made it for me!

Candice

Colors: Sun Yellow + Straw
My favorite thing about the KAL was...working on the pattern.
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...It's done!...and warm!

Caroline

Colors: Celery Green Heather + Straw
My favorite thing about the KAL was...this was my first KAL - it was fun feeling like I was connected with Craft Night even when I wasn't able to make it to town due to the weather.
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...I love how fast and easily it has knit up!

Chase

Colors: Garnet Heather + Light Red Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...Being part of a super fun group of people - making cool stuff.
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...there is an established club I can now join.

Jaime

Colors: Bottle Green Heather + Light Grey Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...hanging out with everyone at Craft Night and knitting the same thing. I love comparing notes and asking/answering questions!
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...lopi + cardigan = ♥

Jess

Colors: Acorn Heather + Bottle Green Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...even though I was living in California, I could still be part of the Fancy Tiger funtimes - transcontinental KALs are the best!
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...I love the colorwork - it knit up so fast. This was my first sweater with colorwork, I LOVE how it turned out. I guess spending a million years to pick out your colors really pays off!

Mary

Colors: Ash Heather + Lapis Blue Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...new technique, original design, working on the same project with others and meeting other knitters
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...comfortable, warm but lightweight, new techniques for me actually worked! and the colors.

Megan

Colors: Rust Heather + Pink Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...having support and help from all the other Lopi knitters.
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...that the wool is from Iceland and it is super warm

Pam M.

Colors: Rust Heather + White
My favorite thing about the KAL was...meeting other knitters and comparing progress each week
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...it's the perfect cool weather cover-up and it turned out exactly how I wanted it to

Pam

Colors: Grey Heather + Rust Heather in Unspun Plötulopi
My favorite thing about the KAL was...it was so inspiring to see such a variety of color choices and sizes - they all look amazing!
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...not done yet, but I can't wait to steek it

Pink

Colors: Dark Wine + Berry Heather + Rose Heather + Ash Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...simple pattern, fancy looking results
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...matches my hair!

Sunne

Colors: Black Sheep Heather + Glacial Blue Heather
My favorite thing about the KAL was...cutting the front of my sweater.
My favorite thing about my new sweater is...it inspired me to knit more things that I cut.
Sunne is the Lopi-est! She also knit (from left to right) Craftsy Top-Down Icelandic Sweater in Golden Heather + Bottle Green Heather + Black Sheep Heather, Freyja in Steel + Donahue, and Aftur in Black Sheep Heather + Garnet Heather + Ash Heather + Grey Heather.


One of the most fun things about making this sweater was choosing the ribbon to finish off the steeked front. Here is a peak inside some of our Iðunns...

Thanks so much everyone! This KAL was a blast! Stay tuned for our next KAL--we will be announcing it next week! :)

Lettlopi Knit-Along!

Knit-along alert!

With all our holiday crafting behind us, we are ready to embark on a new sweater journey! What perfect timing--our favorite Icelander, Ragga Eiríksdóttir, just published Iðunn, a beautiful Lopi cardigan and a free pattern on Knitty.com.

Jaime and I both can't wait to make this pretty Icelandic cardigan! Which means we're already dreaming of our colors...

Golden Heather  |  Stone Blue Heather

Bottle Green Heather  |  Glacier Blue Heather

We will be casting on our Lopi sweaters at the first Craft Night of 2013--Tuesday, January 8th.

If you want to make Iðunn or any other Lettlopi sweater, please join us and get 15% off your sweater's worth of Lopi purchase up until 1/8/2013.

To make sure we have your favorite Lopi color in stock, please let us know by Christmas Eve (email fancytiger@gmail.com or stop by the store) which colors you would like to purchase and we will special order your sweater's worth of Lopi! Check for yarn requirements on the Iðunn pattern page.

We hope you will join us!

Icelandic Lopi wool is here!

We have been in love with Lopi wool since our first trip to Iceland and are thrilled to be offering it at Fancy Tiger!

Léttlopi is the worsted weight yarn that Icelanders use for traditional yoked sweaters. The Icelandic sheep have adapted to Iceland's cold wet climate and Lopi sweaters keep people warm and dry, too. Jaime made a Lopi sweater last year. On her recent trip to Iceland she wore it every day and it looks as good as the day it was finished. The rest of us at Fancy Tiger can hardly wait to make our own!

Our dear friend Ragga will be here this weekend teaching classes on traditional Icelandic knitting. Want to make your own Lopi sweater? Come join us for her classes!

10 reasons we love Lopi yarn:

• Icelandic wool is the warmest
• keeps you dry in cold wet weather
• comes in beautiful solid and heathered colors
• a strong single ply
• loosely spun and lofty
• wears well and hardly pills
• knits up fast
• perfect for adorable colorwork
• affordable
• comes from the cutest sheep!

Thanks sheepies!

Jaime's Iceland Wool Report 2012

I just got back from a week in Iceland! This was my second time - Amber and I went in 2010 for a Knitting Iceland retreat which was amazing and you can read all about that here. This time I went with my partner Matthew for a vacation so it was not soo knitting-centered, but luckily you can't escape the wool in Iceland. Here is my Iceland Wool Report for 2012.

Sheep are everywhere in Iceland. They graze with no fences all over the countryside, so I was able to hang out with lots of sheep on all our hikes and travels. The sheep provide Icelanders with both meat and wool so they are an integral part of their culture.

Sheep grazing in the thermal valleys of Hveragerði

Icelandic Sheep heads on display at a restaurant.

Iceland is one of the best countries to go to if you knit, crochet or appreciate wool and woolen goods. Every city and town has shops for buying yarn and hand knit goods and its no wonder -  Iceland is cold! The wool of the Icelandic sheep has adapted to keep them warm and dry in Iceland's cold, damp climate so knit goods made from Icelandic sheep are perfect for keeping humans warm and dry too. There is no shortage of handknit items to buy made from Icelandic sheep, from socks to gloves to hats and of course, the Icelandic Lopi sweaters.

Eating the yarn I bought.

In Reykjavik, I made a trip to the Handknitting Association of Iceland - the best place to buy your handknit goods. All of the sweater, hats, scarves and mittens sold here are knit in Iceland with Icelandic wool. They also carry all of the colors and weights of the Lopi wool yarn. I managed to pick out 2 sweaters worth of yarn so I can make two more Icelandic Lopi sweaters! I can't wait to get started on them.

Naturally tanned Icelandic sheep hides and hand knit sweaters at Þingborg

Beautiful naturally dyed lopi yarns at Þingborg

We also made it to Þingborg Wool Center in Selfoss. This is only about an hour outside of Reykjavik and it is a gem! I highly recommend this as my new favorite shop in Iceland. The Þingborg Wool Center sells hand knit goods as well as hand-dyed and hand-spun Icelandic wool yarns, knitting kits, fiber for spinning - anything fiber-related. It is a fiber-enthusiasts dream! I was a little overwhelmed at so much awesomeness in one place and I left with only this adorable cross stitch kit to make a traditional Icelandic design table mat. My kit contained a pattern, linen fabric, linen lace, and 5 colors of naturally dyed lopi yarn = heaven!!

I worked on my cross stitch during the flight home and finished it. I now have a beautiful heirloom to remember my trip by...♥!

If you need to get your own Iceland fix, be sure to stop by Fancy Tiger Crafts this Friday and Saturday to help us welcome Ragga from Knitting Iceland!

Ragga will be lecturing (for free!) on Friday night from 7 - 9pm on Icelandic Knitting Traditions and she will be teaching two classes on Saturday on Icelandic knitting. Check out the deets here.

Jaime's Icelandic Lopi Sweater

About a year ago, Amber and I went on an epic knitting journey to Iceland. We were able to learn about the Icelandic knitting traditions, go on tons of magical Icelandic adventures and meet and make friends with many amazing knitters. Iceland has a rich knitting tradition and Icelanders take great pride in it. On our journey we picked out some Lopi yarn and started our Icelandic Lopi sweaters. We took classes with Ysolda Teague who helped us to write our own patterns perfectly suited to our body type as well as Ragga Eiriksdottir who taught us how to do the colorwork yoke.

I started my sweater on the plane back from Iceland and just finished it a few weeks ago. I absolutely love it! The fit is perfect thanks to the shaping techniques that Ysolda taught us in our class. Denverites, you are very lucky because Ysolda will be teaching a very similar class here at Fancy Tiger Crafts in just a few weeks! The colorwork pattern was designed by Ragga and is her Lopapeysa free pattern colorwork design.

I loved loved loved working with the Lopi yarn. Lopi yarn is made from Icelandic sheep which are a rare, dual-coated breed of sheep. Their dual coated wool makes for a super-sturdy, warm and weather-resistant wool. This yarn is a single-ply yarn and has great durability - it's amazing! It is coarser than our more refined Merino sheep, but this is perfect for a garment that will stand the test of time. This sweater will keep me cozy and warm for many many years to come.

My Icelandic Lopi sweater has a special place in my heart. When I wear it I am connected to a rich knitting tradition I am honored to have experienced. Thanks Iceland!

TNNA Report: Columbus 2011

We had a blast at the TNNA trade show in Columbus! We picked up exciting new things: yarns and patterns, buttons, books, spinning fibers and felt. It's going to be a fantastically inspiring fall around here!

Our vote for cutest booth of all time goes to Ysolda, who decked out her space with a tea party, treats and photo booth funtimes. We stopped for a refreshing cup of Earl Grey and got to try on knit samples and peruse copies of her soon-to-be-arriving book Little Red in the City. We think you are going to love this book. She really gets nerdy about knitting and in the most fabulous way.

Photobooth fun! Amber is wearing Ysolda's Chickadee, Jaime is in the Liesl and Ysolda in Melia

We asked you on Facebook which new sock yarn to pick up and folks chose Anzula! Here is the hottness that is Anzula Squishy. We love the super saturated colors of this semisolid hand-dyed merino/cashmere. Can you handle the fabulous throw that was in Anzula's booth? It reminds us of this one from the Purl Bee, which is also made out of Anzula Squishy...yum.

Hooray for 140 years of Imperial Stock Ranch! We have a major crush on this yarn company. At TNNA we raised a glass to celebrate their anniversary and got to indulge ourselves on chocolates. We picked up another yarn from their line, Tracie Sport. It is a fabulous tweedy sport weight yarn, made from 100% Columbia wool from the Imperial Stock Ranch in Oregon. Fantastic new patterns are on the way, too, including these knee-high socks!   

Chocolates wrapped in the cutest Columbia sheep packaging...Happy 140th, Imperial Stock!

Ragga! We love this Icelandic knitting superstar! You may remember Ragga from our epic knitting trip to Iceland last fall. Ragga hosts amazing tours of Iceland (you should book one right now) and has recently published Knit Your Own Lopapeysa, a DVD tutorial on traditional Icelandic sweater knitting, which you can purchase at Fancy Tiger if you can't join her in Iceland. Ragga is sweet as pie and brought us presents--an awesome traditional Icelandic shawl book that I've been hankerin' for and some of the weird salty licorice candy Jaime got hooked on while visiting Iceland. Ragga, we love you.

We can't get enough of Knit Collage. Are these yarn wrapped twigs the cutest thing or what? FYI, new colors are coming this fall. Eeeeep.

Madelintosh! New patterns, new colors, new yarns are coming! Can we just say Edison Bulb might be the color you have dreams about...

 We've got lots more surprises in store for fall, so stay tuned for exciting new things!