Latest entry on MILLAMIA blog

New Shade Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 08:12:00 +0000

After a cheeky sneak peek last month of our 24 new shades, we finally released them this week, and couldn't be more excited about the feedback we've gotten from you!

There's really so many to choose from now, that the possibilities are almost endless, so we decided to give you a round up of our favourite combinations incorporating our fabulous new shades.

Our Naturally Soft Merino has grown by a total of 10 new shades and here are the shades inspiring us right now:

MillaMia greys are so versatile, there are so many of the new shades that can work amazingly with them. Haze Grey (107), Ice (125) and Fuchsia (143) work together so well in this bright mix, especially for a little girl.

Using new shades like the frost-fresh Ice (125) and a periwinkle like Rain (165) with Berry (163) creates an almost autumnal and elegant look. A combination that is sure to work again and again.

We also love the combination of the vibrant Butterscotch (168), bright Scarlet (140) and the gloriously deep Ink Blue (106), which work together to make a bright and playful addition to any child’s wardrobe.

For more serene pastel inspiration, try Cloud Grey (127), Petal (122) and Sky Blue (126). These subtle tones compliment each other so nicely, a more calming and neutral choice but one that is so versatile across MillaMia designs.

Our Naturally Soft Aran range has grown by a staggering 14 shades with Denim (a favourite in our Limited Edition Naturally Soft Merino range) now being part of the core shades! Have a look some of the lovely combinations below:

We love this fresh and colourful combination of Aqua (243), Cloud Grey (227) and Shocking Pink (244). The vibrant pink is sure to be an eye-catcher in any iteration!

The Paradise Orange (245) makes this mix of muted Denim (206) and Mist (225) almost autumnal, but we think the brightness of the orange will fit to any season.

We've always loved some pastel baby tones and Blush (229) makes a beautiful pastel palette when combined with Haze Grey (211) and Stone (202).

We'd really love to hear from you which shades are your favourites, and how you're combining them! Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account.

All about colour!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 17:47:00 +0000

One of the things we know our customers love about Naturally Soft Merino and Naturally Soft Aran ranges are the vibrant colours. Every now and again we like to shake things up a bit by adding new limited edition shades. We love how adding only a few colours to the range can refresh the entire palette and lead to completely new colour combinations in our pattern collections. This season, our stunning new shades Denim, Coral, Lemon Twist and Raisin are providing a whole new range of inspiration for our knitters and we hope they will inspire you also to try some completely new colourways.

We always want the colours we create to really reflect what MillaMia stands for; modern design influenced by our Swedish roots. We’ve gotten some lovely compliments on our shades in the past and so thought we would share the process that goes into creating every single one of our colours.

All of our colours start their journey on the drawing board. Our colour palettes often come from inspirations we have picked up in Sweden - bright shades that remind us of long summer days, or more muted tones reminiscent of cosy winter nights by the fire. Inspiration for a specific colour is often organic - Helena might see a painting she likes, a flower in a bouquet, an accent colour on an item in a magazine. You are never quite sure where she will find the perfect shade of blue, pink or green….. Depending on our inspirations and the tone we want to set with the palette, the first decision that needs to be made is how many colours are going to be added and how many of each colour family, so how many blues, reds, greys, greens etc. will exist in the range. While we like to start our process with a rough framework of the colour families we want to include, this often changes as we get closer to deciding on our final colours.

The Pantone book then plays a crucial part of this process as we literally choose first colour schemes from it, using the colour chips to create shortlists of shades within each colour family - often seeking to match a small fragment or picture Helena has provided as her original inspiration. Then we start playing around with the colour chips to find colours that complement each other well and will work together in our patterns. Even the smallest gradient differences in a shade can determine whether the shade will fit into the range or not, so this step is crucial in making sure we create a coherent range of colours that will bring out our collections in the best possible way.

Only then can the lengthy process of turning these colours into yarn begin. First off, our colour selections are sent to the mill who begin mixing their dyes to match our colour chips as closely as possible. The mill will then test these colours on small portions of our yarn to see how the fibres take on the colour - this is called a lab dip. Lab dips are what we essentially base our final decisions on, as often the original Pantone colour we picked can come out looking completely differently when applied to our fibres. The mill will send the initial lab dips back to us and we will liaise with them closely on any alterations that need to be made to the dye so that the yarn ends up fulfilling our exact specifications. The mill will send new lab dips every time a change needs to be made, and often times we’ll do multiple lab dips before we finally achieve the colour we want. We are perfectionists after all! Once we are happy with the lab-dips, we sign off on them, and off they go into production to create those lovely coloured yarns that inspire our knitters every day.

Speaking of colour inspiration - we’re really excited to share some big news with all of our knitters and followers this month. Both the Naturally Soft Merino and the Naturally Soft Aran ranges are growing, with about 15 shades being added to each range! They have been a long time coming and we really can’t wait to finally share them with you. In the mean-time, enjoy this little sneak peek of what’s coming soon - can you guess their names?

Sharing the Love

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 14:10:00 +0000

We know we’ve been quite silent on our blog recently, but just in time for Valentine’s day we’re back to share the love with a brief snapshot of what we’ve been up to.

Christmas and the New Year have been quite busy for us over here, as we are still settling into our new home and focusing on our grand long term ambitions for the future of MillaMia. Most importantly though, we’ve been working away at some exciting new projects which we can’t wait to share with you!

First off, we’re very excited to have recently launched our new limited edition shades. Our Naturally Soft Aran is now available in Lemon Twist (401) and Raisin (400) and our Naturally Soft Merino is now also available in Denim (184) and Coral (185). You can buy all four of these exclusively on LoveKnitting, but hurry as we have a feeling these shades will be very popular! Why not surprise your loved one with a Woolentine and knit up a last-minute valentine’s heart in Coral?

Naturally Soft Aran in Lemon Twist

Naturally Soft Aran in Raisin

Naturally Soft Merino in Coral

Naturally Soft Merino in Denim

We’ve also hand picked a few of our favourite patterns and are currently updating them with our new shades so watch this space for news on when these will be live on the site.

There is more news coming soon, so stay tuned to make sure you don’t miss a thing!

Knit, Play, Colour....

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 17:22:00 +0000

Knit Play Colour - with a title like that it is hard not to get sucked in! Especially at MillaMia where we love knitting, we love playing and we especially love colour (as anyone who has seen our yarn will know). Knit Play Colour is the latest offering from talented Knit designer Louise Zass-Bangham.

Louise designs under the moniker of Inspiration Knits. Just released as a digital book it is also available in print and we are thrilled that two of the many gorgeous designs in the book feature MillaMia yarn.

Knit Play Colour Cover

But more of that later. We thought we'd start this blog by telling you a bit about our relationship with Louise. The fact that we have known her for quite a few years now makes profiling her brilliant new book on our blog all the more exciting. We first met Louise at a trunk show in Twickenham. It was one of the first trunk shows we had done as MillaMia and we did not quite know what to expect. We were therefore thrilled that knitters that loved our early MillaMia patterns actually bothered to turn up and spend half the morning chatting to us. Louise was one of those knitters. She had recently had children and had used many of the MillaMia patterns knitting for them. As you can see from Louise's designs today she clearly loves colour and I remember talking to her on that day about this already then. She was one of the rarer knitters we meet that dared to put together her own colour combinations for her MillaMia projects - and they always looked great. At that trunk show she mentioned that she was thinking of going into designing.

Ice Storm Cowl

Fast forward a few years and lo and behold that is exactly what she did. From the outset we were more than happy to support Louise with yarn - we were flattered that MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino was one of her favourites. Louise quickly took Ravelry by storm - first with her funny April Fools prank (ask her about it if you ever meet her!) and then with the beautiful Ice Storm patterns. (shown in the picture to the left in Naturally Soft Merino Putty Grey)

Now she has taken things one step further. With Knit, Play, Colour Louise has spent a year designing, knitting and playing with yarn. The book features 10 accessories patterns ranging from cowls and shawls to blankets and wraps. For each project, Louise includes the standard pattern, and then gently leads the knitter towards playful options to help them make their project truly unique and one of kind. Each pattern’s ‘Play’ section features swatches and suggestions for a variety of different yarns, as well as how to make changes to suit the comfort level of the knitter.

Our favourites of course are the two featuring MillaMia yarn - this time using our Naturally Soft Aran for the first time.

Shadow Lines

Warm hearted

Warm- hearted is one of those blankets that will clearly become an heirloom for any child (or adult) lucky enough to receive it. Shown here in Latte aran it will be a quicker knit thanks to the Aran weight and the subtle melange of the Latte colour will really enhance the finished result. I also think this would be beautiful in Stone or Dusk.

And Shadow Lines is a stunning oversized scarf that really shows our yarn to its best. It looks so soft - you just want to snuggle yourself up in it.

Shadow Lines

Plus plenty of other beautiful patterns like this Flight of Colour to the right - shallow triangle scarf, striped in three colours.

Knit Play Colour is available in both print and digitally. The printed book is RRP £16.95, which will include a code to download a free digital copy. Digital only RRP £14.95.

Louise has kindly offered MillaMia Blog Readeres one free digital copy - to win simply tell us via a comment what inspires you to play with colour.

all photos (C) Louise Zass Bangham

posted by Katarina

STOCKIST PROFILE - Sew-In of Marple and Didsbury

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 10:40:00 +0000

I first met David, his wife Karen and knitter extraordinaire Penny at the Stitches trade show back in 2011, and by the end of this first meeting I can say I was thoroughly enthralled by them! Not only were they friendly and approachable, but they had a broad and extensive knowledge of the yarn industry
and a passion for bringing the very best of it to their customers.

With 3 shops in the Sew-In stable offering a wide range of knitting, haberdashery and sewing products, Sew-In of Marple, Didsbury and Buxton delivers the most comprehensive service for the textile crafter in South Manchester. I asked David to tell us more about the shops, what they offer and their plans for the future.

1) Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about Sew-In of Marple and Didsbury.

Karen and I started in Marple 20 years ago this year by buying a branch of an existing yarn, haberdashery, needlecraft and fabric retail group Sew-In (Sew-In was a 6 branch business originally started in Buxton in the 1970s). We then acquired the Didsbury branch in 1997 from the Sew-In group, followed by Buxton in 2006 when the owners finally retired. It was a complete career change for me as I'd spent the previous 14 years in construction management. Buying the first store in Marple was a great opportunity to run our own business based around our cross-stitch hobby.

2) How do you go about choosing brands and products for your shops? There is a vast array of beautiful yarn available now, so what is it about a particular yarn that persuades you to carry it?
We effectively 'inherited’ core yarn brands such as Sirdar, Wendy and Stylecraft when we bought the business which was then and still is a leading regional Sirdar stockist. Gradually we introduced new brands in the middle market such as Rico and King Cole and at the premium level we took Rowan and Millamia which happily filled a gap in the market. The South Manchester Rowan stockist closed so we decided to carry Rowan to enhance our ranges, but we also wanted to include new cutting edge brands so we took on Millamia.

As for product choice, we aim to constantly carry the best from each of our brands. Some seasons this means more of one brand than another while in other seasons the decision might be different depending on the strength of each brand's new season offering. With the brands we've introduced we look for quality (both brand and product), range, design and service. In the case of small brands we want to see ‘personality' - I very much believe that the Supplier/Retailer relationship is and should be a partnership and therefore relationship with each brand's principals is very important.

The Buxton shop

3) What is your favourite MM product and yarn colour?
We've stocked MillaMia since March 2011 (after meeting the MillaMia team at Stitches) and MillaMia Aran since its launch last year. There really is no clear favourite colour as each lends itself to particular people and projects. Of course the high plus point with the brand is the intensity of colour, even the soft shades have strength and aren't wishy-washy!

4) Describe a typical Sew-In customer. What are they likely to be knitting?
Across our 3 branches I don’t think there is such a thing as a typical customer! We have everyone from early teens to ‘end of knitting’ people. As a ‘high street’ business we cater for most knitters needs which means we stock baby, sock, lacy and very thick yarn, from 100% man-made to 100% natural fibre. Knitters will be knitting to suit their needs/desires/the season but there is always baby knitting going on.

The first shop that David acquired in Marple

5) What is the strangest or funniest request you’ve ever had?
We regularly have ‘requests’ that could be called strange or funny. Maybe a case of customers not engaging their brains before asking . . .
‘My friend was wearing a pink cardigan last night, have you got the pattern for it?’
‘You had a pattern in the window when I was here on holiday last summer, can I have a copy?’
Customer approaches the counter with a pattern torn from magazine which clearly states that the yarn is only available as a knit kit from …….. and asks ‘Can I have the yarn to knit this please?’

Inside the old Didsbury shop - a veritable Aladdin's cave of yarny delight!

7) If one of our readers has never been to one of your shops, what is the one thing that you offer that means they should?
Service and technical knowledge, together with a passion for the craft – everyone we employ is an expert knitter, more than one is a designer, one has had a book published, all love to help customers achieve their individual knitting goals.

8) Lastly, what does the future hold for Sew-In?
Well, we have exciting times ahead. After 20 years of growing the business from branches that were already established not only in terms of brands, stock etc. but also position, layout, fixtures and fittings, we have embarked on an adventure with a ‘blank canvas’ - a new branch that have created from scratch. While still continuing to serve a loyal local customer base, we are also striving to create the South Manchester independent wool shop Destination of Choice for a much wider audience. Opened early in August 2015 - our brand new shop in Cheadle village is well worth a visit.

Inside the new Cheadle shop

You can find Sew-In online at www.myknittingyarnandwool.co.uk, at the Marple, Buxton and Cheadle shops and on Facebook.

An amazing design in Naturally Soft Aran -Zenmon

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 13:17:00 +0000

I can't believe I have not seen this earlier - an amazing pattern from talented knit designer Kirsten Johnstone in Naturally Soft Merino. Max may have shared it last year but I wanted to revisit this. I love so many things about it - its versatility, how it shows off the yarn, how interesting the pattern shaping is - but above all its modernity. I think this is one of the things that really distinguishes Kirsten's designs - she has a really clean, modern, stylish aesthetic and it plays all the way through to her photography.

Zenmon wrap - picture courtesy of Kirsten Johnstone

Super-thrilled that a designer of Kirsten's calibre is using our yarn. Kirsten is an architect based in Melbourne, Australia who uses the mediums of built form and interior space to create refined designs. Luckily for use she also uses yarn, fabric and photography to satisfy her design needs on a smaller scale!

Picture courtesy of Kirsten Johnstone

The Zenmon pattern can be downloaded from Kirsten's website. It is perfect for a the slightly cooler autumn months too. Take a look at the other patterns while you are there - plenty to get excited about.

Read more about the inspiration behind the pattern on Kirsten's own blog.

Posted by Katarina

Learning more about Tanya - our design assistant

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 22:12:00 +0000

Having been away it has been a while since we blogged. This month we thought it might be nice to get to know some of the creative team who help create the MillaMia designs. Here is an interview with Tanya - our talented design assistant. Happy reading!

An interview with Tanya - MillaMia design assistant:

1. What made you want to work in the hand knitting business?

Hand knitting was never my plan - it just sort of happened after I met MillaMia's previous intern , Louisa at the Knitting & Stitching show. I saw it as a new challenge and thought it would be great to try and master a new skill. I had a bit of prior hand knitting knowledge but I have always admired it as it takes so much more time and skill than machine knitting.

The Arctic Cushion from winter knitting -
one of Tanya's favourite MillaMia Knits

2. What have you learnt since you started with MillaMia? I have learnt how to chart fairisle which is a great skill to have as it means I can adapt and design patterns so much quicker now! I have also acquired a feel for what the MillaMia customer might want and how to incorporate knitwear trends from the catwalk into the designs without compromising on wearability.

3. What bits of the job do you enjoy the most?

I really enjoy coming up with new fabrics and swatching. I also love the design process from sketching to coming up with new and interesting colour ways.

4. What are your long term career aspirations?
I would love to stay within design and definitely within knitwear. It would be great to maybe work for a supplier so that I can design for a variety of brands.

5. What are your favourite 5 knitting patterns to knit?

Annette Scarf and Elika Wristwarmers
from Finishing Touch

Snow Storm wristwarmers from Winter Knitting

Well if I am choosing from the MillaMia collections for me it would have to be the Elika wrist warmers, Elk cushion, Annette scarf, Snow Storm wrist warmers and Arctic cushion.

INSPIRATION - Summer Knitting

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 12:18:00 +0000

Do the summer months see you putting down your knitting in favour of spending more time in the garden, entertaining the kids or picking up another craft that seems a little easier to manage in warm weather? Well, the summer months don't have to be a knitting black hole! Here are a few tips, and some suggested projects to keep you knitting all summer long.

1) Try knitting in the early morning or later in the day to avoid the warmest hours. It can be a real treat to wake earlier and sit with a cup of coffee before anyone else rises and add a few rows to your knitting.

2) Choose small, lightweight projects that won't be heavy and warm in your lap.

3) Choose finer yarn that is all natural fibres to avoid hot and sticky hands. Yarn made from acrylic or manmade fibre can make your hands sweat more and result in squeaky knitting!

4) Try knitting with metal needles in the warmer months - they stay cool to the touch and help the yarn to slide more easily.

5) It might seem like an obvious thing, but regularly washing your hands in cool water or even running the cold water over your wrists will help to reduce swollen fingers and keep your palms nice and dry.

6) The summer holidays may mean that you have small people to entertain - why not teach them to knit?

Top 10 Perfect Summer Projects

1) Need something small and delicate to wear over that pretty summer dress? The Carina Shrug for the ladies or the Karin Shrug for the girls is a simple, quick knit.

2) The ideal layering piece to keep babies warm without overheating is a tank top. Try the Bjorn or the FREE Milly Tank Top.

3) How about a cute summer accessory for the girls? The Louise Headband is so quick to knit, you could make one to coordintate with every summer outfit!

4) A summer tote bag is a must have to throw in all those daytrip essentials. The Paola Tote will make a stylish and practical accessory for any outfit.

5) Be back to school ready by knitting the kids a Pontus Pencil Case. They always need a new pencil case to start the new school year don't they?

6) The Patrizia Pouch makes an ideal gift for teenagers. Knit a few in different colours and then fill with nail varnish, makeup or cute stationary.

7) Not worried by knitting in the warm weather but do want something stylish to wear? The ever popular Emma Boatneck will make a great addition to your summer wardrobe.

8) You've decided to teach to the kids to knit, so you can enjoy some guilt-free knitting time yourself! The August Scarf from The Close Knit Gang is a great beginner project.

9) A chic clutch in a bright summer shade will finish off that summer evening dress perfectly. Knit the Corrine Clutch from just 3 balls of Naturally Soft Aran.

10) Take a cardigan in case the summer evening is chilly. The Lilian Jacket is all knitted in garter making it easy and quick.

Whatever the weather - enjoy your knitting!

Written by Max - Posted by Katarina

Anyone for tennis?

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 14:18:00 +0000

Tennis cupcakes - very sweet but delicious

As England is gripped by Wimbledon fever, signs of tennis are emerging everywhere. Popping out for lunch near the MillaMia office today we were inspired to indulge in some tennis- themed cupcakes. So creative.

It made me think that no doubt there are lots of tennis-inspired knitting and craft projects too. And of course a quick surf around Ravelry never fails to deliver. Tennis booties for babies available in both crochet and knit patterns for instance. Both of these patterns are for a DK yarn which means our Naturally Soft Merino would also substitute well.

Crochet version: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tennis-baby-booties
Knitting version: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tiny-tennis-shoes

And of course the tennis tank top is a classic. Our Bjorn tank top is perfect for any younger tennis players in your life.

Bjorn Tank Top from The Close Knit Gang

Snow 124 in Naturally Soft Merino

Putty Grey 121 in Naturally Soft Merino

It is beautiful in the original Seaside and Fawn, but I have always thought that it would also be lovely with Snow as the main colour and a cool stripe of Putty as a gentle contrast:

And as I googled I found some other interesting connections between Knitting and Tennis. For instance the fact that knitters suffer from 'Knitter's elbow' - which is in fact the same type of repetive strain type injury that tennis players suffer from when they have tennis elbow.

And the funniest story has to be this one from 2012 Wimbledon, where a lady was busy knitting on the sidelines of an Andy Murray match. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/9369232/Do-you-know-the-woman-who-knitted-her-way-through-tennis-thriller.html

Other viewers were horrified - finding it an insult to the players that she would be knitting at the same time as watching tennis. They clearly have no idea of what it is to be a knitter- the fact that we can multi-task, and knit at the same time as we talk, watch TV, commute, interact with others. At TNNA and Stitches and the other shows we attend, it is more common to see people walking around, shopping, talking and doing business while they knit than it is not to. I find this a wonderful example of why you should never jump to conclusions without understanding enough about the actions you are making a judgement on.

And on that note I am off to knit and work on a Bjorn tank top for my little one while watching Wimbledon on the TV!

Posted by Katarina

STOCKIST PROFILE - Ribbon Circus

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 14:20:00 +0000

Every so often we like to bring you an interview from one of our lovely stockists, as we firmly believe that the first step in keeping our local yarn shops alive and thriving is making sure you all know about them!

Ribbon Circus in Hebden Bridge is a crafters paradise that has recently expanded into bigger premises and is now filled with even more delightful fabric, delectable yarns and a dazzling array of ribbons and buttons. As dedicated (some might say obsessive!) crafters themselves, Helen and Caroline can almost always offer advice, pick up dropped stitches and help winkle out the meaning behind even the most difficult to read pattern!

1) Thanks so much for agreeing to feature on the stockist profile. Please introduce yourselves and your lovely shop!
Helen and Caroline bought Ribbon Circus in 2011 it was a really lovely small shop specialising in gift wrapping, ribbons and haberdashery. Amy, the previous owner, had just started to sell yarn. Helen had a ‘proper’ job in Bradford and was still earning from her DJ job too. She was trying to give up both when this opportunity came along. Running a small retail business proved to be immensely hard work but increasing the yarn and fabrics side of things increased the shop’s popularity. The move to bigger, more lovely and more central premises was a bit of a make or break move really. Happily it seems to be going well and the increased space means that Helen and Caroline can run more workshops and events in their amazing workshop/lounge.

2) How do you go about choosing brands and products for your shop? There is a vast array of beautiful yarn available now, so what is it about a particular yarn that persuades you to carry it?
Helen chooses most of the stock and is responsible for the day to day running of the business. “I choose yarn brands and products if I like them, I really only buy good quality yarns, things I would like to use, colours that I like, patterns that I would knit, I know that sounds a bit selfish but if a product is gorgeous or local or natural or beautiful or a combination of these things I know people will like it. Caroline often says the worst that can happen is that we have to use it up ourselves! Bummer!”

The new shop front is filled with fun bunting and some very tempting looking yarn!

3) What is your favourite MillaMia product and yarn colour?
The Aran in Cherry Red or Emerald Green - no red! . . . er or green. Too hard to decide!

Helens beautiful cable cardigan in Cherry Red Naturally Soft Aran - perhaps red really is her favourite!

4) Do you run any workshops or a knitnight?
Crafternoon Tea on the first and third Sunday of each month. 2-4pm. An elaborate afternoon tea and all the knitting, crochet and crafting you can fit in between feeding your face with delish locally made cakes and cheeses.

5) What is the strangest/funniest request you’ve ever had?
“I’m making these boots for my neigbours’ dog that’s allergic to grass…”
“Can we borrow your workshop table for our contortionist to perform on at the weekend, please?”

6) Tell us something unusual about yourself.
Every year my brother and I dj to 10,000 people in a large marquee on the opening night of the V Festival at Weston Park, Staffordshire. I once cleaned Princess Anne’s bathroom. I am a keen Lindy Hopper.

The annual lamb day ensures plenty of cuddles - although Popsy the cat doesn't look too impressed

7) Lastly, if one of our readers has never been to your shop, what is the one thing that you offer that means they should?
If you have never been to Ribbon Circus then you really should! There is a riot of colour going on, it is bright, light and we are cheerful, experienced knitters with an opinion on everything and usually the answer to anything. We love wool, we love creating beautiful things and we think you should too. We believe that the only thing that can improve an hour or two knitting something lovely from the finest quality yarns is a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake (gluten free).

You can find the shop at 18 Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX7 6AA and the phone number is - 01422 847803. You send the girls an email at info@ribboncircus.com or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

(posted by Max)

Midsummer - a Scandinavian tradition

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 14:09:00 +0000

It was Midsummer on Friday 19 June this year. We Swedes love Midsummer - to us it symbolises the start of summer. Although when you are living abroad it sadly does not quite hold true as our schools seem to go on forever - way into July - before we can start relaxing. In Sweden school finishes already in June.

Midsummer represents the longest day - and in Sweden this means almost 24 hour daylight - it barely gets dark. For that reason it is fantastic to celebrate this nice event in Sweden every now and again.

This year we were all in England - however our design assistant Tanya is half Finnish and was lucky enough to visit Finland for Midsummer. We wanted to share some of her gorgeous pictures. We are half tempted to visit Finland rather than Sweden this year as a result!

Posted by Katarina, Photos from Tanya

TUTORIAL - 3 Ways To Cast Off

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Sat, 13 Jun 2015 16:05:00 +0000

The final few centimetres of knitting always seem to take longer than the rest of the project put together don't they? Like staggering over the line having run a marathon, or losing those last 2 stubborn pounds to reach your target weight - the end in sight but needing one last push to achieve ultimate satisfaction!

We knitters know, that finishing one project often means beginning another that is likely very similar to the one we've just completed - that familiar combination of knit and purl, rows or rounds, increasing and decreasing. Nevertheless, beginning and ending projects is always momentous and that final act of casting or binding off is another area that bears some careful consideration.

Like casting on, there are multiple ways of casting off - each with attributes suitable for particular garments, stitch types or decoration. If your pattern hasn't stipulated what type of cast off to use, it's worth having a few techniques in your Knitters Arsenal with which you are familiar enough to select and create the perfect edge.

The most common cast off is the Standard Knitted Cast Off which uses the knit 2 sts, pass the first st over the second method to securely fasten off all the live stitches. It's important to keep this final row fairly loose so that you don't end up with a tight, drawn-in edging that won't fit over a head, hand or ankle! It's difficult to say just how loose these stitches should be, but as you get more familiar with casting off you will get a 'feel' for it without casting off so loosely that you end up with a flared edge.

Standard Knitted Cast Off

1) Begin by knitting 2 stitches. Next lift the first stitch (this is the one nearest to your hand holding the needle) on your right needle over the second (this is the one nearest to the pointed end of your needle). Don't pull tightly! Knit another stitch from the left needle onto your right so that you again have 2 stitches on your right needle and repeat the lifting first stitch over the second. Continue to end. To secure the very last stitch after all other stitches have been cast off, cut your yarn leaving a tail of 10cms and pull this end through the loop.

2) The picture on the left shows the cast off completed with each stitch knitted. On a ribbed edge you may prefer to knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches as you come to them - the picture on the right shows how this looks.

Some knitters find that the Standard Cast Off really doesn't give enough elasticity to their finished edge and so the Decrease Cast Off is a great alternative - just as simple to execute but resulting in a much more stretchy edge. It's perfect for the top ribbed edge of socks, or roll neck sweaters, cuffs and ribbed welts. As an extra tip, if you know that you are a tight knitter and whatever type of cast off you use tends to be rather tight, then go up a couple of needle sizes - it will force more yarn into the stitches and so create a more elastic edge.

Decrease Cast Off

1) The Decrease Cast Off works by knitting 2 stitches together and then passing this stitch back to the left needle in order to knit it together with the next stitch and so on. When you come to the last stitch, cut the yarn and pull through the last loop.

2) You can choose to knit the 2 stitches together through the back of the loop or through the front - each gives a different look to the finished edge. The picture on the left shows the stitches knitted through the back and the right shows them knitted through the front.

One of my favourite cast off methods is Elizabeth Zimmerman's Sewn Bind Off which creates a beautifully neat and stretchy edge that is incredibly versatile and can be used to finish almost any garment or accessory. I've found it particularly useful on the top edge of fingerless mitts as it gives just enough stretch to get them on, but is also nice and stable so that the edge holds its shape. This method uses a tapestry needle - as the name suggests, it is a sewn edge - but remember that you will need to cut your yarn at least 3 times the length of the edge you want to cast off.

Elizabeth Zimmerman's Sewn Bind Off

1) Cut the yarn 3 times longer than the length of the edge you want to cast off and thread onto a darning needle. For the first step, put the needle purlwise through the first 2 stitches on the needle.

2) You can see the yarn holding these 2 stitches still on the knitting needle. Next put the darning needle knitwise back into the first stitch and lift this off the knitting needle.

3) In the left hand picture you can see the stitch just lifted off at the beginning of your cast off edge. Carry on in this way, putting the darning needle purlwise through the first 2 stitches on your knitting needle, and then the needle back knitwise into the first stitch and lifting it off until you come to the end.

4) You can see the cast off edge clearly and just how stretchy it is in the right hand picture!

As ever, there are many more cast off methods than I can mention here and it's worth doing some research to find some of the more obscure ones. Youtube will show you how to work a Tubular Bind Off to match your Tubular Cast On to create the ultimate, invisible professional edge, a Suspended Bind Off, various Picot Cast Offs to make the edge a little prettier or an Invisible Ribbed Bind Off as well as a plethora of others. Which one you choose, is up to you!

(written by Max, posted by Katarina)

Beautiful Butterflies

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Sat, 06 Jun 2015 09:39:00 +0000

With apologies that we are a week late with the post (already missing Max's efficiency and whip cracking on blog posts!) we wanted to share a quick update from TNNA. Ideally we would have posted this last Friday as we arrived in Columbus - but at the moment crafting a blog with photos via an IPAD on the road is beyond my technical capabilities. A goal for the future instead.....

Exhibition centre Columbus

Segue tour - something you don't see in Europe!

TNNA was fantastic this year again. We are always impressed with the professionalism and spirit in the US yarn market and this proved to be the case this year again. We exhibit in the booth next to our US distributor Classic Elite and really enjoyed the camaraderie of being part of this bigger team. With an amazing team of sales reps across the USA working with Classic Elite has really helped us grow our US presence and it was wonderful to spend time with the many shop owners now stocking MillaMia who visited the show this year.

Helena hard at work pinning up the backdrop

Having won the 'best booth' award last year the pressure was on for Helena to come up with another brilliant concept. And she did not disappoint. Mixing the current trend for colouring in with her source of inspiration for the jewel like colours in our Aran yarn palette she came up with the beautiful dot to dot Butterfly background. Ably helped by our design assistant Tanya they brought it to life stitching in Ochre, Magenta, Cobalt, Emerald and Cherry Naturally Soft Aran yarn.

Free Milly Pattern is always popular

Beautiful Butterfly

The backdrop earnt us lots of compliments and was a real talking piece which is what we had intended. I was also thrilled it could be packed flat in our suitcase and was relatively easy to construct on site once Helena and Tanya had already done all the hard work in the UK before we left!

The finished booth

TNNA is also an opportunity to catch up with friends from the UK community who were also exhibiting or visiting. We bumped into Verity from Baa Ram Ewe and Titus Yarns already on the plane on the way into Columbus (and again on the way home!) and also Jenny from Fyberspates, Rachel (Rachel Coopey knits). I also enjoyed getting to know Carol Feller a bit better during a quiet part of the show. It's not just the independents that visit from the UK however - established operators like Ramsdens, Bretts and Sirdar are also making big inroads into the US market which is a great testament to our industry.

Catching up with Rachel Coopey and Jenny from Fyberspates

Finally a super breakfast with 3 of the most amazing knitwear designers from the US - Michele Wang, Olga Buraya and Bristol Ivy. It was so nice to spend some more time with these amazing women who are forging brilliant careers combined with their love of knitting. Their technical know how and perseverance and dedication to their concepts really sets them apart. Even more importantly - they are great company!

Helena and Bristol Ivy

Breakfast with Olga

This is one of Olga's latest patterns that is just beautiful - the Asanagi wrap:

Asanagi Wrap

Next year its Washington apparently. A change will be fun - although we will miss Columbus and the friends we stay with.

Posted by Katarina

NEWS - so long and thanks for all the knits . . .

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 22 May 2015 10:57:00 +0000

When the MillaMia team sat down to discuss the possibility of starting a Blog in 2012, I felt a thrill of excitement. I have always been a writer you see, and for me, the idea of combining two of my passions - knitting and writing - well, it was a gift. We set about planning and scheduling, talking excitedly around topics and themes, about how we wanted the MillaMia blog to look and most importantly what we wanted to say. It was clear from the off that we had plenty to share and it gave us the ideal platform to let our customers 'in' - so they could get to know us all a little better.

Looking back to those early days it's clear that 3 posts a week was rather ambitious and we soon settled into the once weekly slot that our readers - you - have come to love and expect. I have spoken to many of our blog readers over these 3 years and the message that I get repeatedly is one of excited anticipation - I love that you look forward to reading it in bed on a Saturday morning with a cup of hot coffee and your knitting by your side. It's exactly what I'm doing myself!

So, it's with a bittersweet mix of emotions that I tell you I'm moving on to a new job at the end of May. It feels like the end of a chapter in a book I don't really want to put down - I know I'll be thinking about the characters for some time to come. The Blog and all of the things I have worked on at MillaMia will of course continue as they must, and though it may feel a little different at first, know that the girls behind this amazing brand are just as dedicated and passionate about great content as I have been.

While the scent of change is in the air it seems like the ideal opportunity to ask you, the reader what you love (or loathe!) about the MillaMia blog. What do you value or enjoy? Which specific type of post do you find interesting or useful? What would like to see more or less of? Please leave your comments below and feel free to let us know exactly what you think - constructive criticism is always welcome!

It just remains for me to say that I have loved every minute of writing this Blog - there really haven't been any lows, only highs and as work goes, who could ask for more? I'm eternally grateful to Katarina and Helena who have been the most inspiring, hard working and encouraging women to work for - thank you both for everything! Keep reading, and making and learning about your craft and know that I will be doing the same . . . quietly knitting on a Saturday morning as the sun comes up.

Goodbye and good luck to the incredible MillaMia team

(posted by Max)

LOVE YOUR YARN SHOP DAY - with Stitch Solihull

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Thu, 14 May 2015 09:31:00 +0000

Ana Dugdale, owner of Stitch Solihull will tell you she is passionate about her business! She is a crafter, maker and yarn lover but she is also a staunch believer in the enormous benefits of communal crafting. Her shop, located in Notcutts Garden Centre on the outskirts of Solihull really is the hub of a growing knitting community and it is in no small way due to Ana. Her willingness to offer workshops, support indie designers and hold events at the shop makes Stitch Solihull a welcome crafters sanctuary, so it was no surprise to learn that she would be taking part in national Love Your Yarn Shop Day. Ana asked if she could have some of our sample garments to showcase MillaMia on the day, and we were only too pleased to help out.

Here is Ana's account of her best day ever!

Love Your Yarn Shop Day was a huge success for us, it was our second busiest day ever which is incredible! We offered 20% off everything for one day only which was very popular as it's the only day of the year we do this.

Gorgeous cashmere

We had pop-up stalls from Cashmered with their gorgeous cashmere yarn and patterns and from Katie Jackson with her crochet amigurumi and homewares. At just 15, Katie is the youngest regular at out Stitch and Sip groups and makes her own crocheted creations. She comes up with all the designs herself and is definitely going to go far!

Some of Katie's pretty crochet and a fabulous Teddy blanket in the making!

We also hosted an all day Stitch and Sip with homemade cake and plenty of tea and coffee. This was very well attended with people working on their own projects and sharing inspiration and ideas. We have Stitch and Sip sessions 3 times each week (Thursday 11-1, Friday 2-4, Saturday 11-1) which costs just £1 towards the cost of tea and biscuits. They're open to knitters, crocheters, cross stitchers, spinners and anyone else who wants to work on projects in a social environment.

Stitch and Sip attendees enjoying some gentle crafting on one of Ana's comfy sofas!

The MillaMia sample garments were a big draw, especially the Charlie Cardigan. The Charlotte Cardigan from Wonderland was the first project I ever knitted when we opened so it was great to see the child and adult versions together. People enjoyed trying them on and pulling out balls of yarn to compare and combine colours.

A lovely rail full of MillaMia samples ready to try on

Love Your Yarn Shop Day was certainly a fun and successful day for us - thanks to everyone who came along and supported us. We'll see you next year!

More lovely crocheted items to buy

Stitch Solihull can be found at Cedar Cottage, Notcutts Garden Centre, Stratford Road, Shirley, B90 4EN, tel 0121 315 6888; on Facebook, Twitter and online at www.stitchsolihull.tictail.com

(posted by Max and Ana!)

FREE PATTERN - Celebrate the new royal baby!

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 08 May 2015 11:36:00 +0000

As the delightful news of the latest royal birth flooded the headlines, the world let out a collective sigh of blissful satisfaction - well, there really is nothing nicer than welcoming a new baby, royal or not, is there? Welcome Princess Charlotte! And our most heartfelt and joyful congratulations to William and Kate!

With all the debate and circumspection that surrounded this royal baby now put firmly to bed - she is a beautiful little girl and her name is Charlotte - we can fully concentrate on celebrating this momentous occasion in the best way that we knitters know how . . . by knitting something super cute to commemorate it.

Enter Milly. A sheep of magnificently modern proportions who has been the inspiration basis for this mini collection. You may recognise her from our Milly The Sheep toy pattern, which has always been such a popular and much loved free download. Helena and Tanya were inspired to encourage new parents or grandparents to pick up their needles and knit something fun for their own little prince or princess. Helena says,

"We wanted to make something which was tasteful but overall had that cute factor. The pattern in the tank top was worked out by Tanya to the last minute detail and it really shows with the intricate detailing on the sheep - I love the way the ears are worked into the pattern and the heart between the kissing sheep is such a lovely detail. Tanya has a great eye for fairisle patterns. The sheep mobile was really fun to design - love the fact you can customise your mobile with the new arrivals initials or make a more simple product with just a flock of little garter or moss stitch sheep. We went for a traditional snow and storm combination but they could be really sweet in petal or forget-me-not or in fawn for a slightly warmer addition to a nursery. We hope everyone has as much fun knitting the pieces as we did designing them."

The smallest size of the Milly Tank Top (3-6 months) takes just 2 balls of yarn - 1 in each colour. There are alternative colour choices included in the pattern, so you can be as gender specific as you like, as brave or traditional as you like - the choice is yours! Knitting a flock of dancing sheep for the mobile also takes just 2 balls of NSM and a small scrap of pitch black for Millys face.

Milly Tank Top and Milly Mobile is available as a FREE download from www.millamia.com and there is also a right royal 15% discount off all purchases for the next month. Use discount code ROYAL15 until June 2nd to save yourself a sovereign or 2!

(posted by Max)

TUTORIAL - 3 Ways to Cast On

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 01 May 2015 11:21:00 +0000

You're all set. You've carefully selected your next project, bought yarn, pattern and needles (maybe a new project bag to keep it all in too), and you are finally ready to cast on! The pattern book is balanced on your knees and you skim read over all of the information at the beginning eager to see how many stitches you need to embark on this exciting knitting adventure . . .

'With 3.75mm needles cast on 91sts.'

And there it is. The first line of this new and thrilling knitting ride, open to all sorts of possibilities, trials and probable tribulations but potent with expectation and hope. And it is here that I urge you to practise restraint and take some time to think about your shiny new project while you consider just how you are going to cast it on. I know that it's all too tempting to just turn automatically to your favoured cast on method - I do it myself - but here is the very best place to make a significant decision about the type of cast on you choose that will make all the difference to the outcome of your project.

There are many different types of cast on, all with properties that are suited to particular types of knitting or garments. For example, the first cast on that I learned is the Cable Cast On which creates a very neat edge, perfect for starting the rib on a cuff or bottom edge of a sweater due to it's stable nature. It has enough stretch to make it useable but not so much that it will make your ribbing flare, but it's also a nice clear edge to pick up stitches on should you need to.

Cable Cast On

1) Make a slip knot - this is your first stitch. Put the right needle through this first stitch from front to back as you would to make a normal knit stitch.

2) Draw this stitch through, but don't drop it off the needle - instead place it on the left needle next to your first stitch. You now have 2 stitches on your left needle.

3) For the next sttich and the remainder of your cast on stitches you will put your right needle through both legs of the cast on stitch you have just made (and not just through the front leg). This marks the difference is between the Knitted Cast On where you simply knit through the front leg of the stitch and place the loop onto the left needle.

4) Pull the loop through.

5) Place the loop onto your left needle and continue in this way until you have made the required amount of stitches stipulated in the pattern.

For many knitters, the Long Tail is their cast on of choice. It produces a very stretchy edge suitable for all types of garments but is particularly useful for the top edge of socks, around neck edges - anywhere that you need the edge to have plenty of give. It may take a little bit of time to master this technique, and it's imperative that you allow enough yarn 'tail' for the amount of stitches you are casting on to avoid ripping out and starting again. As a rule of thumb, allow 30cms of tail for every 20 stitches you are casting on.

Long Tail Cast On

1) Leave a long tail - the longer the better if you aren't short of yarn! Lay the yarn across your needle with the working yarn at the back and the tail at the front. You can make a slip knot to secure the yarn to the needle but it isn't necessary.

2) Pick up the needle in your right hand and then grab the yarn as in picture 2 - with the tail end around your thumb, the working yarn end around your first finger and holding the 2 strands of yarn securely in your other 3 fingers and against your palm.

3) With the needle held in your right hand and the yarn held as described above, move the needle under the strand nearest to you on your thumb, now swing the needle over the top of the other strand on your thumb AND the first strand on your finger, collect this strand.

4) Pull this strand through the gap you have created with your thumb and the needle and then pull the stitch up snug to the needle - you've made your first stitch!

5) Continue in this way until you have the right amount of stitches on your needle, remembering that the slip knot (if you made one is always counted as a stitch). Persevere with this one - it may feel awakward and slow to begin with but you'll soon find a rhythm.

A particularly useful cast on method is Backward Loop. This is the ideal cast on to use if you need to add stitches to an area of knitting - perhaps to bridge a gap over the thumb on some mittens or under the arm of a sleeve. It doesn't produce a very stable edge, and I recommend knitting into the back of these stitches when you come back around to them on the subsequent row, but for adding stitches mid-row it's perfect.

Backwards Loop Cast On

1) When you are at the place in your row or round where you need to add some stitches, maybe to bridge the gap over a thumb section on some gloves (as shown in the pictures here), you will need to pick up your working yarn and wrap it around your thumb with the end attached to the needle going around the back and the end attached to the ball at the front and held in the palm of your hand with your other fingers.

2) Slide the needle up under the strand nearest to you and slip it off your thumb. You should now have a loose loop on your needle.

3) Snug the stitch up to the needle by pulling gently on your yarn and then repeat for however many stitches you require. Bridging the gap over a thumb often only needs 2 stitches as I've shown here.

4) Continue to knit to the end of your row, but make sure that you pull the yarn fairly tight on the first couple of stitches after your cast on stitches to avoid baggy stitches on the return row. To help make these cast on stitches more stable it's a good idea to knit or purl through the back of the loop on the next row.

While these 3 methods are a great starting point, there are many other cast ons with very specific applications which are well worth taking the time to learn. Judy's Magic Cast On is the go-to method for casting on toe-up socks, a Provisional Cast On will keep your stitches live so that you can graft them at the end of the project, the Tubular Cast On creates a very professional invisible ribbed edge perfect for sweaters, the Knitted On and Thumb Cast On are great for beginners and the Turkish Cast On is another method for beginning toe-up socks.

As always, YouTube is a fantastic resource for knitting tutorials so if your newest knitting pattern asks you for a specific cast on, take the time to learn how - it really will make all the difference!

(posted by Max)

TUTORIAL - Pontus Pencil Case

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 12:17:00 +0000

When I took one of the very first copies of Finishing Touch home last year, both my teenagers were immediately rather taken with the Pontus Pencil Case. They loved the chunky texture, contrasting zip and bright colours we'd made them in - easy to find in your school bag, apparently.

I promised them both a Pontus there and then - eager as always to furnish them with anything handknitted they will accept from me. I guess the idea of a teenager thinking that something is cool and desirable still somehow makes it so. I planned on one each in their Christmas stockings - filled with all sorts of edgy stationary, and personalised with a fun zip pull.

Planning was as far as I got, and as we headed into April, my son reminded me that he was still rather partial to the idea of a Pontus, especially with exams looming. I shuffled guiltily, gave a reluctant last look at the project currently on my needles and gave in. It wasn't long before I was delving into my stash of MillaMia Aran to see what I had.

Therein lay problem number 1. I needed a full ball of yarn to make the pencil case, and though I did have full balls they were all mentally allocated to larger projects. I found scraps left over from various other Christmas gift projects, and was rueing the fact that his favourite colours teal and ochre were only half balls, when I remembered the construction of the Pontus - knitted in 2 separate pieces - and had a lightning bolt moment. I would make it a pencil case of 2 halves!

The rest is history, apart from the emergence of problem number 2 when I realised that I had never actually sewn a zip into anything I'd knitted before . . . you'll see from the following pictures that the zip is in, and it works. Enough said.

The following tutorial is really an overview of the stages I went through in the making of the pencil case. If you haven't picked up stitches along a cast on edge before, the pictures will be useful. Likewise, picking up the 9 stitches along the side edge for the garter edging might offer some guidance.

1) Picking up stitches along the cast on edge (right side facing). I've used a cable cast on so it's easy to see where to insert the needle to pick up. Make sure you go through both 'legs' of the stitch for a neat seam.

2) Make sure to go into the same place as you pick up every time for a perfect seam. When picking up exactly the same number of stitches as the cast on be aware that the very first and last stitches sometimes get a bit lost.

3) Picking up stitches for the garter stitch border along the side edge. There are naturally occurring gaps between the stitches but you may sometimes have to pick up another stitch between the holes. Make sure you pick them up as evenly along the given edge as possible to avoid any obvious gaps or puckering. Again, be sure to pick up in the same gap in the row every time for perfect neatness.

4) Once you have your knitted piece finished, you will need to cut out the lining. Pin the flat piece (before you seam it) to the fabric and mark a 1/2" seam allowance all the way around with tailors chalk.

5) Now pin the bottom seams on both your knitted fabric and lining and stitch together. This forms the 3D shape.

6) Time for the zip! Pin and stitch in one side at a time, taking care not to stretch the knitted fabric. This can be a little tricky, but I found the most important thing here was to make sure my stitches were small and fairly close to the edge. Using the same colour cotton will make your small stitches almost invisible.

7) Pin the lining to the inside and the hand stitch in place. Remember that you will want all of the rough side of your seams to be hidden inside, so plan ahead for that.

8) Add the garter stitch loop as detailed in the Pontus pattern, or make something small and fun with scraps for added kid appeal! This cute chap is the Tiny Dinosaur from Teeny Tiny Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec made with some left over Naturally Soft Merino sportweight in teal. I know my son is sixteen, but I say you're never too old for great knits, or cute dinosaurs!

(posted by Max)

INSPIRATION - Shawls

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:02:00 +0000

If the weather has been miserable where you are this week, you may want to look away now. We don't often get the opportunity to boast about glorious sunshine in April here in the UK, but this week has seen temperatures warm enough for short sleeves and the emergence of some very pale legs! Of course, I shed my winter plumage with some reluctance as it means putting away the cosy sweaters and handknit socks that I've been wrapping myself happily in all winter long, but it also prompts a spell of cast-on-itis - particularly for great transitional pieces such as shawls.

The idea that shawls are the reserved for little old ladies, or seen only in popular television costume dramas has long been shut up in the outmoded closet thanks to some truly beautiful, contemporary designs by many of the top independent designers. That shawls make up almost half of the top 40 patterns on Ravelry's Hot Right Now board at the moment, gives you some idea of the popularity of a well designed shawl, and there are a number of reasons why they have emerged as the go-to item for a huge majority of knitters.

Like socks they are portable enough to throw into your bag and work on during an early morning train commute, or while waiting for the kids to come out of school. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be a showcase for some particularly precious yarn in a breathtaking colour. The long rows can be cathartic tv or knitnight knitting in the simplest garter stitch design, or provide an immensely satisfying lacework challenge on a quiet sunday morning. Attend any kind of knitting/yarn/fibre festival wearing your fabulous shawl and be immediately welcomed into the fellowship of like-minded knitters - many of whom are likely to stop you to admire your handiwork . . . well, who doesn't want to be part of such a prestigious club AND praised for their knitting prowess?? The shawl has so much to offer!

There are some stunning shawls to be found and knitted - in every imaginable weight and type of yarn. I have selected a few of my favourites here which call specifically for a sportweight yarn - an ideal weight for this time of year and perfect for using some of your Naturally Soft Merino.

Still featuring consistently on the Hot Right Now board and the perfect project for those who want to be brave with colour choices while enjoying the gentle, soothing rhythm of garter stitch is 'Drachenfels' by Melanie Berg. This is a large shawl which takes approx. 900m of yarn (7-8 balls of NSM) - the pattern costs around £4.36.

Inspired by the huge popularity of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is the 'Outlander Shawl' by Rachel Roden - a riot of travelling cables, lace and fabulous colour! Downloadable from Ravelry for £4.67, you could be watching the latest episode of Outlander while knitting your shawl . . . just a thought . . .

Want something in a single colour with a touch of geometric style? Then Parquet Tiles by Rose Beck is the shawl for you. Trying knitting in putty grey or forget-me-not for a soft neutral - the small size takes just 366m which is about 3 balls of NSM. Pattern costs £3.94 from Ravelry.

Easy garter stitch and a simple motif on the edge make Pipers Journey by Paula Emons-Fuessle (aka the Knitting Pipeline podcaster) the perfect choice for travel knitting. Taking just 3 balls of NSM this would look great in fuchsia or grass for a splash of spring colour. Pattern costs £3.43 from Ravelry.

Ready for something a little more challenging? The Ruxton Shawl by Dee O'Keefe has multiple pattern changes which create great texture over the triangular shape and is finished with a pretty picot edging. Requiring around 622m (approx. 5 balls of NSM), this makes a substantial shawl which will keep you warm through the cold spring evenings. Pattern is approx. £4.12 from Ravelry.

Elegant in its simplicity and the most attractive way to showcase a bold statement colour is The Big Blue shawl by Meg Gadsbey. The name suggests blue but I think this could look equally splendid in our Limited Edition teal or pumpkin NSM. Another small shawl that takes just 500m (approx. 4 balls of NSM), the pattern costs around £3.43 from Ravelry.

Finally, the only free pattern in my pattern pick is Kottarainen by Heidi Alander - a 2 coloured shawl that makes the most of contrasting stripes and a beautiful eyelet lace border. A subtle colour choice here could make for a very elegant summer cover-up - try some close neutrals in fawn and snow or petal and putty grey.

I haven't provided links to all the colours of Naturally Soft Merino in the text, but you can see all 20 colours in the image below. Have I convinced you that a shawl is the perfect spring/summer cover-up? And if so, which shawl, and which colour? Tempting isn't it??

(posted by Max)

INSPIRATION - Girls Dresses

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 10:46:00 +0000

Easter always feels like a significant time of change in my knitting diary. With so much talk about new birth, eggs, chicks and baby bunnies I can't help but think about putting aside my heavy blankets and sweaters and planning exciting new projects perfect for Spring.

That said, I don't count myself as a seasonal knitter at all. My only concession to the changing seasons in relation to my knitting is to return more solidly to my favoured yarn weights - 4 ply, sport and DK and to look for garments that will make ideal transitional garments for me and my family that will see us from a chilly spring right through to a mild Autumn.

This week the weather here in the UK has warmed considerably - in fact today, we have been promised 18 degrees C which is positively tropical for this time of year! Of course warmer weather means garments that are versatile and ideal for layering with other light pieces make the best choice.

For the little girls, I can't think of a better option than a knitted dress. A gentle A-line, with short sleeves will suit all body shapes and looks equally stylish teamed with a long sleeved tee, tights and boots for early spring, as it does with a pair of cute sandals and a pretty sun hat in the summer.

I've curated the MillaMia dresses from all of our collections here so you can see them all in one place. It was helpful to me to view them together - I notice that we have pretty much covered all bases! There are stocking stitch dresses that are very simple knits and make the most of a bright splash of bold colour, as well as cable and fairisle. And with the addition of a pretty ribbon the most practical dress is suddenly transformed into a dress fit for any party.

Pernilla Dress from Bright Young Things in fuchsia, peacock and grass ranges from age 1-2 to 4-5 years

The Filippa Dress is a labour of love in beautiful, tradition fairisle and the Lina makes practical look pretty too - both from Wonderland in sizes 1-2 to 5-6 years and 2-3 to 6-7 years respectively

Lisa Cable Dress is stylish and wearable and the Madeleine Dress gives plenty of scope to be brave and playful with your colour choices - both from Little Rascals in sizes 1-2 to 6-7 years and 2-3 to 6-7 years respectively

The Nina Dress from Close Knit Gang is soft and comfortable in putty grey, and the contrasting ribbon makes it super pretty too

Lastly, the Carlota Dress in the top picture has been by far the most popular dress pattern we have ever published. Knitters tell me that the bold and unusual colour combinations together with simple shaping all in stocking stitch make it such an interesting and enjoyable knit. And what about the little girls wearing these lovingly handknit Carlota dresses? Well they just love a riot of colour that is simply a joy to wear.

(posted by Max)

CULTURE - A Swedish Easter

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 14:22:00 +0000

If you are lucky enough to be invited to spend Easter with Swedish friends, be prepared for visual and gastronomic treats! Imagine a Smörgåsbord - with all its connotations of abundance and variety - delightfully laden with herring, eggs, spirits, snapps on a table simply decorated in the midst of a gathering of family and friends, and you will be close to realising a traditional Swedish Easter.

Along with the traditional pickled fish, there is often a creamy casserole of potato, onion and anchovy called Janssons Frestelse and in the month before Easter a delicious dessert called semlor - a cardamom spiced soft bun filled with almond paste and freshly whipped cream. The Swedes have a love of eggs all year round, but at Easter there are eggs of all shapes, sizes and types to be found! And if these aren't to be eaten, then beautifully painted, or dipped hard boiled eggs are used to decorate the birch branches found in many Swedish homes at Easter.

Birch twigs or påskris, serve as a reminder of the suffering of Christ, and were traditionally used by young people to lash each other on Good Friday, although they are now just used decoratively. Children love to hang pretty eggs and feathers on the birch twigs - eggs symbolic of rebirth, and the feathers signifying the end of Winter - although there are often small toy witches hanging too!

The Swedish Easter Witches are steeped in history and tradition, but much like Halloween have become more of a game or event that the children take part in. Girls happily dress up as witches, with oversized skirts, shawls, head scarves and aprons; faces painted with freckles and red cheeks and then go door to door with a copper kettle collecting treats. They may have drawn Easter cards to offer in exchange for chocolate or candy.

This tradition comes from an old belief that witches would fly to a fictitious German mountain called Blåkulla on the Thursday before Easter to party with the devil. People would light bonfires to scare the witches away as they flew back from their cavorting - something that is still marked today with fireworks in the days leading up to Easter Sunday. Until fairly recently it was still common to hide or lock away all tools such as brooms, shovels and sticks that could be used by witches to fly on, to prevent them from getting to Blåkulla. The tops of church towers were believed to be places where the witches would stop and rest on their journey to the mountain on Maundy Thursday, and as tradition tells it - the best place and time to look for a witch!

The birch twig tradition has inspired me to make my own Easter decoration, although I have used a twig 'tree' rather than birch twigs and crocheted some eggs to hang with a few pretty feathers too. I used small amounts of Naturally Soft Merino in Snow, Lilac Blossom, Petal, Daisy Yellow, Putty Grey, Seaside and Forget-me-not with snow as the main colour and the others just for the bottom half of each egg to make them look as though they have been dipped. I used a 3mm hook to give a nice firm fabric and the polystyrene egg 'inners' are 70mm - I bought mine from Hobbycraft at £1.25 for 3.

I am including the pattern for the crocheted eggs here, although I must first say it isn't a MillaMia pattern and has only been tested by me - so feel free to use it at your own risk!

DIPPED EGGS

Foundation Ring: Using colour A (snow), a 3mm hook and leaving a long tail approx. 30cms long, Ch 4 and join with a sl st to form a ring.
Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 3 dc into ring (4dc).
Round 2: 2 dc into each dc to end (8 dc).
Round 3: *1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc* 4 times (12 dc).
Round 4: *1 dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc* 4 times (16 dc).
Round 5: *1 dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc* 4 times (20 dc).
Round 6: *1 dc in next 4 dc, 2 dc in next dc* 4 times (24 dc).
Round 7: *1 dc in next 5 dc, 2 dc in next dc* 4 times (28 dc).
Round 8: *1 dc in next 6 dc, 2 dc in next dc* 4 times (32 dc).
Round 9: *1 dc in next 7 dc, 2 dc in next dc* 4 times (36 dc).
Rounds 10-15: 1 dc in each dc to end.

Change to colour B (contrast of your choice) and fit crochet over your polystyrene egg. You will now crochet the remainder with the 'egg' inside.

Round 16: *dc2tog, dc in next 16 dc* 2 times (34 dc).
Round 17: 1 dc in each dc to end.
Round 18: *dc2tog, dc in next 15 dc* 2 times (32 dc).
Round 19: 1 dc in each dc to end.
Round 20: *dc2tog, dc in next 6 dc* 4 times (28 dc).
Round 21: *dc2tog, dc in next 5 dc* 2 times (24 dc).
Round 22: *dc2tog, dc in next 4 dc* 2 times (20 dc).
Round 23: *dc2tog, dc in next 3 dc* 2 times (16 dc).
Round 24: *dc2tog, dc in next 2 dc* 2 times (12 dc).
Round 18: dc2tog to end.

Leave a long tail, thread needle and draw stitches up to close the small hole at the bottom of the egg.
Stitch in all ends.
Using the long cast on tail, ch 30 to create the hanging loop at the top of the egg. Secure to main body with a sl st and fasten end securely.

Lastly, you may want to give your home a little more Swedish flavour this Easter and so I have a pattern pick of the best witch patterns I could find on Ravelry! Of course, these will be just perfect for Halloween later in the year too . . .

'Witch' by Sarah Gasson costs just £1

'Sweetest Lil Witch Amigurumi' is a free pattern by Celina Lane Find her at www.simplycollectible.com

'Jazzy the Good Witch' by Sayjai Thawornsupacharoen costs $4.99 / £3.45 approx.

Glad påsk - Happy Easter!

(posted by Max)

TUTORIAL - Magic Loop

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:21:00 +0000

There are a couple of techniques that have revolutionised my knitting life. Regular readers will already be saying 'mattress stitch' quietly to themselves - which makes me giggle as you all know what a passionate advocate I am (to the point of obsession!) for utilising this incredible finishing technique wherever possible. But the other technique that I find myself turning to for all of my knitting in the round, is magic loop.

I was a doggedly determined DPN user for socks and sleeves for many years until I taught myself magic loop, and since mastering it I really haven't looked back. It has so many advantages in comparison to using double points.

To begin with, many knitters find loose 'ladders' appearing between needles when using double points. It's a common enough problem and one that can be resolved by keeping a good tight tension between those joins, but is an issue that virtually disappears when using magic loop. Of course magic loop reduces the amount of gaps between needles to just 2, and for me anyway, it's easier to manage the tension between the needles as they are closer together by virtue of the way you knit from one to the other.

Another advantage is that the quantity of stitches is really only limited by the length of the cable you use. As long as you have enough spare cable on either side for manoeuvrability, then you can even knit a sweater in the round using magic loop. At the other end of the spectrum, you can go right down to just a few stitches - 4! on your needles and still manage them fairly well. At this end it becomes a little tricky but it means that you can decrease right down to the very tip of a toe or the top of a hat without having to change to clunky DPN's.

I thought it would be useful to share this technique here in the form of a picture tutorial. It's the method I used for knitting the cute Easter Egg Hats last week, and as I mentioned can be used for knitting socks, sleeves, baby clothes, mittens, toys and even adult garments in the round. Remember you can convert flat pieces to knitting in the round for something like a sleeve - you will just need to subtract the stitches allowed for seaming - usually 1 at either side.

A couple of tips for using magic loop before the tutorial:
1) Make sure your circular needle is at the least 80cms. I find this is adequate for small items, but 100cms is often more 'comfortable'. You will adjust to the length that suits you best as you become more used to magic loop.
2) Invest in a circular needle that has a nice supple cable. Some cheaper circulars have stiff, plastic cables that will hinder your progress because they are just too inflexible. The circular I am using in the tutorial is from Signature Needle Arts which was a very thoughtful gift from a friend in the US (where they are made), but I find that Addi which are available much more widely in Europe are equally good. A simple Google search will show you where you can buy them locally.
3) Don't pinch the cable too hard when you are dividing your stitches on the initial row after casting on - you don't want a kink in your cable!

1) Cast on. An even number works best for equal division of stitches.

2) Find the middle of the stitches - in this instance I cast on 32 so I found the middle after stitch number 16. Slide the stitches down so that you can pull the cable through this 'gap' between the 2 equal numbers of stitches - this is the part where you don't want to pinch that cable too hard!

3) Slide 1 set of 16 stitches up to the end of one needle and the other set of 16 stitches up onto the other so that they are lying parallel and with your working yarn coming from the stitches on the back needle.

4) It is vital here - before you begin to actually knit the first round, that you ensure your stitches are not twisted in any way. I manage this by ensuring that the edge of stitches - the nice even bottom of the stitches is facing in towards the centre and I hold them firmly between my thumb and fingers so that they don't twist as I'm knitting. Some knitters recommend that you knit the last cast on stitch with the first to try and eradicate any gap on this first round. I have found that it doesn't really make much difference and so I just start to knit without trying to avoid the gap. On the second round however, I make sure I keep the first couple of stitches quite tight and this generally removes any excess yarn between the needles on the first round. You can of course use the cast on tail to tidy it up more at the end if you need to.

5) Using the 'back' needle to knit the stitches off of the 'front' needle, continue to the end of this first needle.

6) When you have reached the end of this first needle your needle in the left hand will now be 'free'. You now need to turn your work 180 degrees so that this free needle is at the front and the needle with all the stitches you have just knitted (along with the working yarn) is at the back - effectively swapping back needle for front and front for back.

7) To begin the next needle you will need to shuffle your stitches a little. Push the front needle through from the left (and pull the cable through) so that your stitches are up onto the needle ready to be knitted. Now pull the back needle through so that the stitches you have just knitted are sitting on the cable and the needle is free ready to knit from the front set. You will always use the back needle to knit the stitches onto, and your yarn always needs to come from the back needle.

8) This picture shows progress after the very first row. You can see that there is a long strand of yarn between the needles, but as I mentioned earlier, you will be able to tighten this up in the subsequent row. As a side note, these early rows can be a little tricky to manage, but trust me - once you have knitted a few rows, it gets a whole lot easier!

9) This picture shows my knitting mid row - with the cable loops or 'bunny ears' typical of the magic loop method. There is nothing much more to the technique than that - keep on in this way, knitting the stitches off of the front needle using the back one, turning your work, pulling the cable through and starting again. If your knitting looks like this - you've conquered Magic Loop!

(posted by Max)

INSPIRATION - Easter knits

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 13:23:00 +0000

Ravelry is almost always a long, exciting fall down a rabbit hole for me. I meander over there with an idea for a project that I'm thinking about, and emerge clutching more than I need and a head singing with ideas many hours later!

This was definitely the case with my search for some cute, quick Easter knits. I had some scraps of Naturally Soft Merino in some delicious pastel colours that I wanted to make into something to decorate our Easter table. Of course, I found the perfect pattern . . . I just happen to have a few other too cute knits that I couldn't resist either.

The Easter Egg Hats by Knitca is a FREE pattern and top of my Easter pattern pick. This is a great scrap buster - with each hat taking only 6gms of yarn including the pompom, and around 1/2 hour to knit, they are quick and satisfying to make.

The pattern actually calls for DK weight yarn but the NSM (colours daisy yellow, lilac blossom, petal and forget-me-not) worked a treat and the hats fit really well. Knitted in the round, I used my trusty circular needle for magic loop rather than the DPN's specified just as a personal choice but either would work equally well.

My family love boiled eggs, so these little Easter egg bonnets will be a welcome - and very cute - addition to the table, although I imagine that chocoholics could equally hide a Cream Egg under a hat for a tasty Easter treat.

Our very own Erik the Easter Bunny insisted on coming in at the number 2 spot (also a FREE pattern) but if you are a crocheter then you will love this adorable bunny pattern from All About Ami. Spring Bunnies is FREE and calls for DK yarn too, but the lovely tight twist on our smooth merino makes this great for crocheting with - just make the relevant adjustment to hook size if necessary. Stephanie, the incredible talent behind All About Ami has helpfully provided step by step photos on her Blog to guide you through making these adorable bunnies find it HERE.

Straight in at number 4 are the Easter Cupcakes by Louise Watling. These inedible versions may just be the perfect panacea to all the calorific Easter food - and they look almost as good as the real thing! The pattern costs £3.99 and is available from Womens Weekly pattern store (link via Ravelry).

And finally, Easter wouldn't be Easter without a cute chick or two. This sweet and funny take on the old saying 'Which Came First' is the latest offering from Frankie Brown. An egg inside a chick . . . no wait, a chick inside an egg . . . you get the picture! Another FREE pattern - Frankie doesn't charge for any of her patterns but just suggests you may like to support a charity she is really passionate about - link HERE. This also calls for DK weight, but as size and fit is not important for a toy, Naturally Soft Merino would work well - again just adjust your needle size accordingly. You could even match the colours in the picture for a funky chicken - daisy yellow, claret and Limited Edition pumpkin.

We're running a competition on Facebook and Instagram for the next two weeks just because we love to see what our followers are making with our Naturally Soft Merino and Aran. Remember to post your pics over on our Facebook page or on Instagram with the hashtag #millamiacompetition for a chance to win 4 balls of merino and a MillaMia paperback book of your choice.

Eggsiting isn't it!

(posted by Max)

DESIGN - Mother and Daughter Knits

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 14:44:00 +0000

Great fashion design always manages to effortlessly appeal across generations while achieving a timeless, classic status. It's what makes a Chanel suit as relevant today as it was in 1923, and why it suits women of all bodyshape and age. To take the idea a little further though - can great design span a much wider age spectrum - the polar opposites of young and old. And if it can, should it?

The Livia Cardigan for adults and kids

It's something we at MillaMia had to think rather deeply about a couple of years ago. We had produced some of our most iconic pieces - the Charlotte Cardigan, the Cecilia Coat and the Alexander Jacket for children but were increasingly being asked by our customers to upsize them. The exclamation of 'I would wear that!' from a lady customer at one of the retail shows we attend, as she lovingly gazed at a tiny cardigan for a 2 year old, was something we would hear repeated many times over.

After much debate, we decided to bow to popular opinion and selecting some of our most sought after designs, we 'grew them up' for the adult audience. The trio of adult collections was received with such enthusiasm and admiration that we knew from the outset we had made the right choice. Some of the key pieces were indeed exact, upsized replicas of the kids garments and these are still proving to be our best-selling patterns to date.

Charlotte Cardigan and Charlie Cardigan

Cissi Swing Coat and Catrin Jacket

Lovisa Cardigan and Annika Cardigan

Lilian Jacket and Bella Jacket

We all know instinctively when a design works - whether sized for a child or an adult, man or woman. If it manages to encompass classic appeal, great fit and style as well as offering a glimmer of unique detail to set it apart then it will happily grace the halls of the great. It may be blowing the MillaMia trumpet to say that these garments have managed to achieve the heady heights of great design, and I will leave you to form your own opinions about that!

Aside from pondering their level of greatness, the one thing that is true to say is that the trend of Mother and Daughter knits has already begun to gather some momentum here in Europe. With Alana Dakos aka Never Not Knitting trailblazing matching knits for Mum and daughter in the US with such designs as her Gnarled Oak and Little Oak, and with Mothers Day fast approaching here in the UK, there has surely never been a better time to cross the generational gap and step out in matchy-matchy style. Has there?

(posted by Max)

KNITTING - for premature babies

noreply@blogger.com (MillaMia) — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 12:43:00 +0000

It's a well known fact that knitting for babies is one of the most satisfying ways of utilising the time and talent of any knitter. But crafting tiny, beautiful items for premature babies whether you know them or for charitable donations to hospitals, has to be the most worthwhile and rewarding reason for picking up your needles.

A friend of one of the MillaMia team has just been blessed with her son rather earlier than expected. Arriving small and early meant that he was in need of some tiny clothes pretty quickly, and who better to turn to than knitters when some speedy crafting is required?

These cute hats are a free pattern available on Ravelry - called 'Preemie Hats For Charity' by Carissa Browning. There are 5 designs taking small amounts of sportweight yarn so perfect for using up those odds and ends of MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino. I had some putty grey, storm and teal left over from various projects suitable for a new baby boy, and decided on knitting a couple of striped and 2 ribbed hats to make it interesting for me, but also to ensure that with a choice of fit, at least 2 of them would be ok.

Each hat took around 2 hours to complete, knitted in the round using the magic loop technique. The combination of simple, gratifying knitting, over very few stitches destined for someone so worthy honestly made these little hats one of the most pleasing knitting experiences ever.

Sally, one of our incredibly talented test knitters also managed to whip up some tiny cardigans in next to no time. Knitted in Naturally Soft Merino in putty grey, forget-me-not and storm the main body took around 60g with a small amount needed to for the contrast edgings. The pattern is the Garter Stitch Cardigan by Debbie Bliss from her book Design It, Knit It: Babies.

While looking for suitable patterns to use, I came across a wealth of free patterns designed with knitting for charity in mind. There are some wonderful charities that provide free patterns, and accept all manner of knitted items for donation to hospitals across the world. Bliss and Preemies UK are just 2 organisations that work immensely hard in fundraising and providing the huge quantities of knitted items needed. Full details of knitting for or donating to these incredible charities are on their websites.

It prompted some thinking on my part. About the use of my time and talent, and about making something truly worthwhile but that will always be gratefully received. With a hat taking the gift of 2 hours and a scrap of yarn, I really have no excuse.

(posted by Max)