Meet Florence & Buckhorn, Our Two Newest Patterns!

Two new Fancy Tiger Crafts patterns are here for our Heirloom Romney yarn!

Our new Buckhorn Cap is a rugged colorwork beanie, warm and woolly enough for any mountain man or explorer.

This design by Amber Corcoran is worked with two strands of our worsted weight Heirloom held together, for a chunky gauge that knits up super quick on size 11 needles.

It uses one skein each of two colors of Fancy Tiger Crafts Heirloom Romney, about 150 yards of the main color and about 80 yards of contrast color. Our sample above uses hand-dyed colors Fava Bean and Carrot, and the version below uses Elderberry and Tomato.

We tested our Buckhorn Cap for durability on an ice fishing expedition and are happy to say it kept our favorite fisherman alive and quite cozy!

Our newest shawl pattern, the Florence Shawl, was designed by Emily Platzer.

Designed for her grandmother, Florence, this generous shawl measures 84” long by 22” deep. On size 10.5 needles, it knits up in no time.

The elongated triangle shape is large enough to drape over your shoulders, or with a coat it can be worn wrapped like a scarf for extra warmth. The Florence Shawl uses one skein each of two colors of Fancy Tiger Crafts Heirloom Romney. Our sample is shown in colors Nettles and Fava Bean.

We hope you enjoy these new patterns! Follow the links above to instantly download a pdf copy or stop by the store to check these out in print. If you're going to TNNA, be sure to visit us in booth 655 with Elemental Affects yarn see these and samples of all our patterns in person.

Caitlin's Miette Cardigan

--caitlin

When I started to work at Fancy Tiger over a year ago I was an experienced seamstress, but I knew I needed to jump on the knitting bandwagon.  I had mastered my knits and purls with many scarves and cowls, but hadn't successfully completed a written pattern until becoming a Tigress.  Feeling inspired by our lovely customers and my co-workers, I picked up some yarn and needles and haven't looked back! 

This is just my second knit sweater and I couldn't be happier with the end product.  It's the Miette Cardigan by Andi Satterlund.  This is a really easy pattern to follow and would be a great project for beginners looking to take the next step to garments.  What's more is it's free so you can save your monies for more yarn!  

I knit this up in just under a month with the Quince & Co. Owl yarn in the color Rosebay.  Owl is an over-dyed alpaca/wool blend that is really delightful to work with.  I'm so happy with how this color shows off the lace detailing!

The pattern is written as a cute cropped cardigan, but I wanted it a bit longer so I repeated the lace repeat 3 times and added a bit of waist shaping.  Now it's the perfect addition to my wardrobe!

Watch out, world!  I think I'm a knitter.

Jess made a Breckon Cardigan!

--Jess

I have been dreaming of making sweaters since I started knitting 4 years ago, as a matter of fact it was my driving force to learn how to knit. The idea of being able to knit my own clothes still gives me goosebumps! I am constantly saying "I can't believe I MADE this!!" Needless to say I am extremely happy with my new sweater.

The Breckon is a Brooklyn Tweed pattern by Amy Christoffers that I have had my eye on since it was released. It calls for Loft fingering weight yarn. I fell in love with the color Truffle Hunt which was also featured in the pattern sample!

I was surprised with how effortless it was to understand the lace pattern. This is an easy nine stitch repeat mixed with a few cables and granite stitch. I know that might sound like a lot but I assure you it was a delight! I really enjoyed how much detail this sweater has. Every row kept my attention and I found myself saying "just one more repeat" far too often!  

This pattern calls for you to make the sleeves first.. and phew!  Was I happy when I finished the body to only had to attach them. (this is my happy face)

I decided not to include any waist shaping and I am so certain that was the right decision for me. The results are exactly what I was looking for. I wear cardigans almost everyday and this one has already jumped to the top of my favorites list. 

I could not be more pleased with my new cardigan! I have already cast on for my next sweater thanks to Fancy Tigers sweater KAL! I need to make a worsted weight project before I jump into my next fingering weight Brooklyn Tweed sweater. Be on the look out- I plan on making the Reine out of Loft in 2014 and I can't wait!  

Free Pattern! Tina's Sweet Adeline Crochet Shawl

Some of you may know Tina as one of our most prolific sewists at Fancy Tiger, but she's pretty adept with a hook as well!

As soon as we opened the box of our new Freia yarns, Tina took a skein home and immediately whipped up her own pattern for a lacy crochet shawl, worked up in Ombre Sport.

We love this simple little shawl, and how the crisp lace pattern works with the slow, ombre gradation of the Freia yarn.

Tina's Sweet Adeline shawl is simple enough for a beginning crocheter, and works up quick as can be. Download the free pattern by clicking on the image below!

Meadow is here from The Fibre Company!

--amber

Meadow is here from The Fibre Company!

This beautiful lace weight has the best of both worlds: a luxurious soft feel and a rustic texture. Merino wool, baby llama and silk give it a buttery softness, while the addition of linen gives Meadow it's strength and character.

Meadow comes in 12 classic Fibre Company hand-dyed tones. Its just a little bit on the heavier side of lace-weight, so it can work in a range of patterns from lace to fingering weight.

The lovely folks at Fibre Company are just starting a Mystery Knit-a-long Summer Shawl for Meadow, so now's the perfect time to pick up this pretty yarn and join in the fun!

Craft up a Trend - Prairie Style

Living in Colorado, it's hard not to be influenced by the prairies and fields surrounding us. Farmlands and country life are all inspirations to us.

Home on the range...

Small calico floral prints and ticking fabrics are perfect to achieve a prairie style. Lace-up oxfords can help you complete your look. Prairie fashion has been seen on the runway and in the streets and is easy to incorporate into your wardrobe. We have tons of patterns and supplies to achieve a country-prairie look. Here are some of our favorite fabrics, yarns and patterns.

Prairie style is big in fashion now - here are some styles we collected on Polyvore

Nothing beats ticking as a reference of prairie style. This sturdy, tightly woven fabric kept the feathers from escaping homesteaders' feather stuffed pillows and beds. We have a lightweight ticking cloth available in 6 colors that make for modestly classic bags, aprons and even dresses.

Speaking of ticking, thanks to this great pattern from Cirilia Rose for Loft you can knit your own Ticking Cowl inspired by this workaday fabric.

Small floral prints will help you achieve a prairie look. We'd love to see the Ceylon by Colette in one of these sweet little calicos.

A bandanda shawl would be great to accessorize your new wardrobe - perhaps this pattern from Hill Country Weavers in the rustically wonderful Acadia from Fibre Co?

Be sure to finish your garments and accessories with a natural cotton lace trim.

We have no shortage of pioneer inspired patterns, from quilts to cute dresses, your style can be handcrafted-down-home-prairie perfection.

“You should never be ashamed of work you have done only work that you haven't.”
― Little House on the Prairie

Amber's Donegal Tweed Peabody Sweater

I just finished knitting my first Brooklyn Tweed sweater! The Peabody Sweater by Leila Raabe is a quick knit in worsted weight yarn. I used Studio Donegal's Soft Donegal, a classic Irish tweed with a traditional rustic texture, but the softness of merino wool. 

I couldn't resist the bright green for my new sweater. It's a colorful warm thing to brighten up snowy days! The lace inserts kept my interest and had me loving charts. Our new highlighter tape is a chart knitter's best friend, by the way, to keep you on track when you have a large chart to follow.  

I did make a few mistakes in the lace, but thank goodness Miriam Felton shared her lace-fixing wizardry with me the last time she visited! Dropping down a lace panel several rows in your handknitting sure gives you the feeling you can do anything! Yes, there is a glass of wine in the background...

I am in love with my new Peabody sweater! Now I'm hooked--I have my eye on a couple more Brooklyn Tweed patterns...

New Yarn! Malabrigo Baby Silkpaca Lace is here!

Hooray for new Baby Silkpaca Lace from Malabrigo! We are excited to be carrying this pretty hand-dyed lace yarn, with it's silky sheen and soft, fuzzy warmth of baby alpaca.

Baby Silkpaca is super affordable and will make a stunning heirloom shawl!

Madelinetosh Pashmina Worsted & Prairie Lace are Here!

Two new yarns have joined our happy parade of Madelinetosh yarns! Prairie and Pashmina Worsted are here!

Prairie is a beautiful lace weight single in Madelinetosh hues which we love so much. If you've met Tosh Merino Light (one of our favorites from Madtosh), Prairie has that same irresistible rustic texture and depth of color, and the same soft washable Merino. We can't wait to use it for delicate lace shawls. Rock Island, we are talking to you.

Pashmina worsted is a new yarn from Madelinetosh. A luxurious blend of merino, silk and cashmere, Pashmina's fiber blend is inspired by traditional pashmina shawls. We think this delectable worsted weight yarn would be great for an extra special cardigan or fantastically soft hat for a dear friend.

They are so pretty we just want to eat them all!

Hopefully knitting with them will suffice.

Maenad KAL Madness!

The Maenad knit-along was a smashing success! We started this KAL after our meet-and-greet with Irish knitwear designer Carol Feller. We fell in love with this shawl - it is beautiful knit with 2 colors of fingering-weight yarn and it is long enough to wrap around several times for added warmth. Eight fancy folks participated, making a total of nine shawls! Everyone agreed the shawl knit up surprisingly fast - the body is knit first and then the lace border is added after. Here are the results of our Maenad craze:

Some of the Maenad KAL superstars

I made my Maenad shawl with Anzula's Sebastian yarn, one of our most recent yarn additions to the shop. Working with this pretty seasilk/merino fingering weight yarn, I enjoyed each and every stitch of making my shawl. Upon seeing Sebastian at Anzula's trunk show, I immediately fell in love with the soft grey-brown Clay and paired it with Chipmunk for my Maenad.

Jaime knit her shawl using the mysterious colorways of Madelintosh Light Cosmos and Lowlands. Between the cosmos and the lowlands, her shawl encompasses all of the universe, and her new Maenad shawl transports her to magical fairy forests whenever she puts it on. (She made me write that.)

Angelique was pretty enamored with Carol Feller's sample Maenad, and used the same Noro sock yarn paired with Anzula Sebastian in Charcoal for the edging.

Betsy blew our minds by knitting not one, but two Maenads! Her first is in Madelinetosh Light, colorways Badlands and Twig--two yummy browns!

Betsy's second Maenad was knit in Scrumptious Lace. This Maenad uses just one color: Natural. It is so classy, delicate and lacy!

Sunne, our talented-to-the-max knitting instructor, whipped out her Maenad in no time, using Noro sock and Isager Spinni.

Adorable Samantha's Maenad is knit with a hand-dyed sock yarn she picked up at Estes Park Wool Market and Malabrigo Sock in Black for the lace edging. 

Pink used Noro sock in a self-striping magenta colorway that matches her signature pink hair! She trimmed it with a bright orange Malabrigo lace.


Thanks to all the amazing knitters who participated in our Maenad KAL!