SMP Craft

Happy Spring! Despite it being in the low-40s here in New York, the flowers are just starting to poke out of the ground, which gives me hope that warmer temperatures and spring dresses are just around the corner! To celebrate the season we’re having a giveaway for our fabulous new book 50 Sunflowers to Knit & Crochet by Kristin Nicholas along with some Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton yarn.

We are so excited about this book. The sunflower patterns are bright and cheery and come in all shapes and sizes. Plus, there are patterns for leaves and stems, butterflies, ladybugs, and bumblebees to add to the collection. Looking through this book just puts you in a good mood. It radiates springtime and sunshine. And there’s no one better to translate a field of sunflowers into knit and crochet patterns than author Kristin Nicholas. Kristin lives on Leyden Glen Farm, a working sheep farm in western Massachusetts with her husband and daughter (Oh, and not to mention, 400 sheep, 3 border collies, 2 Great Pyrenees guard dogs, 10 cats, 30 chickens, 1 guard donkey, and 1 guard llama). In the summer, her family grows a field of sunflowers that was the inspiration for this book. Check out the video below to see Kristin working on the farm and to hear how she incorporates color beautifully into her work and life.

If you’d like to enter win a copy of 50 Sunflowers to Knit & Crochet along with two skeins of Lion Brand’s Kitchen Cotton yarn, then leave a comment below (and while you’re at it, feel free to sign up for our newsletter at the top-right of this page). Please only one comment per person and, sorry, but this contest is for U.S. and Canadian citizens only. This giveaway will run from March 21 — March 28  and two winners will be chosen at random using random.org on Friday, March 29. Good luck!

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Winners!

Congratulations to Sylvia Buonanni and Christine Newpower, the winners of our book and Kitchen Cotton yarn giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who entered and for the overwhelming response! Check back again soon for more giveaways!

The Blaklukka sweater from Knitting with Icelandic Wool

Thanks to Kay Gardiner, over at Mason-Dixon Knitting for A.) having a very vivid imagination when it comes to what our lovely author Vedis Jonsdottir might look like. (Just for the record, here’s Vedis’s author photo—she’s even wearing an Icelandic sweater in it!) And B. for posting this super-fascinating blog post by Pam Peterson discussing the past and present of Icelandic sweaters! Icelanders really do wear lopi sweaters or lopapeysa—aka circular yoked sweaters featuring patterned borders like the one pictured above. Check out Pam’s blog post photos for proof. (The guy playing the accordion is my favorite!)

It turns out the history of lopapeysa does not go very far back. The rise of this iconic sweater began in the 1950s when the wife of the Icelandic Nobel-prize-winning author, Halldor Laxness, brought the pattern back from Greenland and replicated the design, which would go on to become a national symbol. Lopapeysa are traditionally knit using lopi yarn, which is 100% pure wool yarn that is lighter, warmer, and more water-resistant than yarns from elsewhere, as lopi comes from long-coated Icelandic sheep that have developed over time to ensure as much protection as possible from the harsh northern climate, giving the wool its special properties. Mmm…sounds so warm and fuzzy!

Just look at the fluffy coat on this guy!

If you want to learn more about Icelandic knitting, our book Knitting with Icelandic Wool has an excellent introduction discussing its origins as well as a history of the wool industry. It also includes over 65 gorgeous designs for a range of garments that are perfect for the whole family—from variations on the traditional lopi sweater to smaller projects like wooly hats, socks, and scarves.

Knitting with Icelandic Wool (click on cover to buy)
by Vedis Jonsdottir
$29.99 / $34.50 Can.
264 pages, paper over board