Malabrigo Rios Sale & New Knitwear Designs by Sivia Harding

Malabrigo Rios in the new Acros Iris

This week I have some exciting news. In June I went to the fiber arts trade show TNNA and I was able to see & touch Malabrigo's new superwash merino wool yarn Rios. I placed a large order and its due to arrive late September, but I thought you may like to see it in advance and order it in Malabrigo's newest colors. I've listed Rios on my website and I'm taking Pre-Orders at 5-10% Off.

If you love Malabrigo's Merino Worsted than you're going to adore their new superwash Rios! 4 ply, worsted weight Rios is soft and luxurious, and kettle dyed, all like Merino Wortsed, but the superwash feature takes Rios to a whole new level allowing you to knit and crochet easy care items for yourself and loved ones. Sale ends August 31st

Save 5% on 5 Dyeloted Skeins and 10% on 10 Dyeloted Skeins: 5 skeins $68 - 5% = $64.60 and 10 skeins $136 - 10% = $122.40

And I just added ten new patterns by Sivia Harding, the lace and beaded knitwear designer extraordinaire.

There is something very special about a knit garment embellished with beads, the entire process from selecting the yarn and the right beads to enhance it, to working the project is magical. Sivia's expertise moves you beyond the beaded scarf and brings you a wide variety of projects to choose from, a beaded drawstring purse, a pair of socks, a dainty pair of beaded wrist cuffs and many more. Her patterns are detailed and guide you through the techniques and often give more than one option to use.

Beaded Drawstring Purse

Sivia's Beaded Drawstring Purse is a treasure bag, an ideal gift for all ages. The purse design teaches you three beading techniques and features beautiful beaded gussets that create a fluted shape. The Cherry Blossom Socks have bowers of beads descending this fetching sock. A fetching lace rib, columns of beads, and a lively cable bring to mind the gentle motion of the cherry blossoms in the spring. The beading technique is easy, just let pre-strung beads rest between stitches.

Cherry Blossom Socks

Aquitaine

Aquitaine are a pair of elegant beaded wrist cuffs or arm warmers that include up to four different beads and beading styles. Ruffles, lace and twisted stitches add dimension. The overall effect is charming elegance from another time.

Dragonfly Neckpiece and Bracelet

The beaded Dragonfly Neckpiece and Bracelet are dazzling and unique. The neckpiece is created in two pieces for a sculptural effect. Two different methods of using beads are used, one for the body, one for the wings and neck cord. The matching bracelet echoes the beading pattern found on the wings of the dragonfly.

Butterfly Wrap

Ophidian

Be a butterfly or just look like one in Sivia's beaded Butterfly Wrap. Three yarns are required to knit this enchanting wrap, and lots of beads for fringe! You will feel like a butterfly just emerged from your cocoon… luminously beautiful. Ophidian is a top-down triangle shawlette that accommodates any gauge yarn up to dk weight (and probably heavier). Simple garter stitch makes a graceful transition to the textured lace pattern, ending in a lovely openwork border with subtle scallops. The number of repeats may be modified as you like to make a smaller or bigger garment, and the open lace and bead border brings it all home. Beads are placed throughout with the add-as-you-go crochet hook method.

Angel Pearls Beaded Scarf

Rosalind

The Angel Pearls Beaded Scarf is an elegant scarf featuring intricate beaded accents. This symmetrical lace scarf is worked from one end to the other without grafting or provisional cast on. Instructions are included for placing beads with a crochet hook and making bead or yarn tassels. Rosalind is regal with a beaded flourish! This top-down shawl inspired by Shakespeare’s play As You Like It features cables, lace, beads, and a labyrinthine center panel.

Twining Vine Strip-Knitting Afghan

Toe Ups for All!

Or knit a lace project without beads with her Twining Vine Strip-Knitting Afghan this graceful, flowing lace blanket will be a joy to wrap up in. And get mini sock tutorial, the Toe Ups for All! pattern offers you a template for toe up socks with traditional heel flap and gusset construction in seven sizes with many options, for fingering and sport weight yarn.

All Sivia Harding patterns are sold as PDFs that are emailed to you after purchase, no shipping is charged. Visit my site to see all her collections:

• Shawls

• Scarves, Cowls & Gloves

• Socks

• Jewelry, Bags & Afghans

Meet Canadian knitwear designer Sivia Harding: I am a person who loves knitting and all fibery pursuits, surprise! Other than knitting and spinning, my favorite activities are reading, history, old music and films from the 40s, and messing around with my camera, not necessarily in that order.

As for my own history, I will go back even farther than my knitting life since that has been rather short…

I have always been interested in fiber arts, and when I was 14 years old, I participated in fiber classes at my local Art Museum (High Museum in Atlanta, GA) which resulted in pieces that were shown in the museum shop. After this introduction, I was never without fiber work in one form or another, but I didn’t find my way to knitting until the year 2000. By that time, I had worked in the graphic design field for several years and had a degree in painting and printmaking under my belt, so it wasn’t a huge stretch to begin designing with my new skill.

After contacting members of the West Coast Knitters’ Guild online, I became a member. One day a large box full of fine undyed yarn was donated to the guild, and since no one seemed to know what to do with it, I offered to handpaint the yarn and make lace shawls to sell as a fund-raiser project for the Guild’s yearly charitable contribution. A discussion arose about whose patterns to use for these shawls, and since copyright was an issue, I offered to design new ones. Several of my most popular lace shawl designs resulted from this guild project.

Knitted lace is my first and enduring love, and when I learned how wonderfully lace combines with beads, I began incorporating beads into most of my designs. Socks and fingerless gloves have become the latest additions to my design repertoire.

Since 2003, I have designed under my own name and also contributed to various other publications and knitting clubs.