A Knitter's (or Crocheter's) Right to Choose-A NM Tutorial on How to Substitute Yarn

Here at Nordic Mart we answer lots of questions about yarn. How many yards? How much is it? Is it machine washable? Does it come in a more yellow-orange, instead of a gold-orange? You get the idea. :) One of our most common questions is "How much do I need?" This question happens a lot, sometimes it is a simple answer and sometimes it is a little more involved.  So to take away some of the mystery here's a handy how-to!

Lush by tincanknits

To get started lets choose a pattern. We thought we would go with this cute cardigan called Lush by tincanknits. This pattern calls for a DK weight yarn. Two great options to choose from would be DROPS Karisma Superwash or Cascade 220 Superwash.

DROPS Karisma Superwash- 109 yds / 50g

Cascade 220 Superwash- 220 yds / 100g

So lets say we are going to make a size Medium using DROPS Karisma which calls for 1100 yards of yarn. For this calculation you would take the yardage required (1100) and divide this by the yards per skein (109), the answer be the number of skeins needed. It's that simple! :)

1100 yards ÷ 109 yards = 10.09 skeins

For this number we would not round up. Most patterns count skeins not actual yardage, we would round up a skein if the decimal place was over 3. 10 skeins should be plenty for this project as long as the gauge is correct.

Chevron Stripes 3 Season Sweater by Esther Chandler

Let's do an example with Cascade 220 Superwash. Here's a pattern for you crocheters from Ravelry! This Chevron Stripes 3 Season Sweater by Esther Chandler is made using Debbie Bliss Rialto DK. What would we do if we wanted to make it in Cascade 220 Superwash instead? 

If we make a size 36 we need 4 skeins of cream, 2 skeins of purple and 2 skeins of Navy. 

Step 1:

Find the yards per gram of Debbie Bliss Rialto

Debbie Bliss Rialto- 115 yds / 50g

Step 2:

Multiply the skeins required by the yardage of Rialto

Cream: 4 x 115 yds. = 460 yds.
Purple: 2 x 115 yds. = 230 yds.
Navy: 2 x 115 yds. = 230 yds.

Step 3:

Find the yards per gram of Cascade 220 Superwash

Cascade 220 Superwash: 220 yds /100 grams

Step 4:

Divide the total amount of yards required by the yardage of Cascade 220

Cream: 460 yards ÷ 220 yards= 2.09 skeins
Purple: 1 skein
Navy: 1 skein
The purple and the navy require 230 yards, but the designer states that she had plenty of leftover yarn. This means that we only need one skein of purple and one skein of navy. We love an even exchange!

 It's not rocket science, but we know that calculations can be a challenge. Now you are ready to choose a color, which is the best part! We hope this tutorial helps more of you branch out and feel free to pick the yarn you want to work in! :)

Spring Inspiration

Happy Friday all! Spring is officially in the air and it is a great time to be inspired. We found some beautiful inspiration from a knit blog sharing photos of some knit and crochet floral creations. These photos are from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for their "Knit, Purl, Sow" exhibition. We were mesmerized by the intricate and complex work that has gone into creating this large flora and fauna!

We searched out our own floral inspiration on the web and we found some great patterns to share with you! We found patterns from Ravelry which is a great free pattern resource for knitters and crocheters alike!

Ravelry: Flower Power Shawl by Ekin Deniz

Ravelry: Flower Pie Shawl by Megan Ellinger

Both of these beautiful patterns can be knit in DROPS Lace, a lovely 70% Alpaca, 30% Mulberry Silk blend.

If it is still a little cold where you are at, but you want to bring some spring flowers into your life you could knit this blanket or jacket from Garnstudio.

Try this super soft knit blanket with big floral motifs made from DROPS Alpaca and DROPS Vivaldi

This sweater is one of our most popular patterns! It is originally knit in DROPS Nepal, but you can use any worsted weight yarn. Why not try your own unique spring version in Good Earth Solids, it is a great cotton/linen blend perfect for warmer weather!

If you have some spare time this weekend be sure and check out the podcast from The Knitmore Girls and listen for a Nordic Mart shout out! <3

Fun Yarn with Free Patterns

You may not have heard but about the Schachenmayr brand yarns, but they're some of our favorites here at Nordic Mart.

Boston, Boston Style, Lova, and Wash Filz-It! are all bulky yarns with great potential for colorful patterns.

Here we'll give you some adorable free patterns to use with these yarns for some inspiration! Why not give them a try?

First, let's meet the yarns:

Boston
Boston is Super Bulky
Wool/Acrylic Blend
Machine Washable
Just $4.95 per 50 grams
Find tons of pattern ideas for this yarn on Ravelry » 
Purchase Boston here »

Boston Style
Boston Style is Super Bulky
Wool/Acrylic/Polyester Blend
Machine Washable
Just $5.39 per 50 grams 
Find tons of pattern ideas for this yarn on Ravelry » 
Purchase Boston Style here »

Lova
Lova is Super Bulky
Wool/Acrylic Blend
Machine Washable
Just $5.95 per 50 grams
Find tons of patterns using this yarn on Ravelry » 
Purchase Lova here »

Wash Filz-It! (Now 25% Off for the month of March)
Wash Filz-It is Super Bulky
100% Virgin Wool
Will Felt easily in your Washing Machine
Starts at only $3.39 per 50 grams
Find tons of patterns using this yarn on Ravelry » 
Purchase Wash Filz It here »

What can I make with these yarns?

We're glad you asked! The possibilities are endless, but here are a few basic free patterns we picked out.

Two great hats for guys, one knit, one crochet, both stylish and easy to care for. 

Knit the hat on the left with this pattern »

Crochet the hat on the right with this pattern »

Order Boston for these hats»

These two jumpers are cozy, washable, and have fun pops of neon color for just the right amount of funk.

Knit the pattern on the left with this pattern »

Knit the pattern on the right with this pattern »

Order Lova to make these tops » 

Two great basic hats, one ribbed in Boston, one convertible in Lova.

The hat on the right can be cinched on the top to be a hat, or loosened and pulled around your neck as a cowl 

Make the hat on the right with this pattern »

Knit the hat on the left with this pattern »

Scarves for guys or girls, Boston makes some eye-catching accessories for everyone. 

Knit the pattern on the left with this pattern »

Crochet the pattern on the right with this pattern »

Order Boston »

Make this cute crop jacket in Lova or Boston using this pattern »

Have fun with these yarns and create funky and fashionable garments that will make you stand out! 

Find all these yarns at the best prices at www.nordicmart.com 

Happy Crafting! 

Puffy Power! A PomPom Tutorial

Pom Poms!
Fun little fluffy balls of yarn that can adorn the tops of hats, ends of scarves, garlands for your home, or anything else your imagination can dream up. Pom Poms are very easy to make, whether you're using your hands or one of our Pom Pom making kits, they only take a few minutes each.

This blog post is to give you some tips and walk you through a few ways to make a Pom Pom!!

First, without any fancy Pom Pom makers.

You will need: 

• Yarn (either scraps or skeins, the more yarn you use, the denser your pompom)
• Yarn with less twist will make poof-ier PomPoms. The more plied your yarn is, the more "stringy" or "stranded" your pom pom will look. We prefer 100% Wool Eskimo or something loosely spun to make PomPoms, because they give a fluffier and fuller appearance. But you can use ANY yarn you want!
• Scissors
• Hands
• A brush (This is optional, mohair brushes work best, but you can use any fine bristled brush)
• Buy a Mohair brush in our Webstore

Wrap yarn around your hand.

1. Start by wrapping the yarn around your hand. You can wrap it around two fingers, three fingers, or your whole hand. The more fingers you wrap, the bigger your PomPom will be. Don't wrap too tightly or later steps will be more challenging.
2. Continue wrapping until you have a thick area of yarn around your hand/fingers.  The more you wrap, the denser your PomPom will be. You can experiment to find what works best.
3. When you're done wrapping. Cut the yarn.  Cut an additional piece of yarn about 4 or 5 inches long, enough to fit around the yarn on your hand.
4. Use this piece to wrap the center of the yarn around your hand in the direction of your fingers. You will want to pull this yarn TIGHT, make sure it is centered and tie it into a tight knot. 

Wrap yarn around the center, pull tight, and knot.

 5. After you've wrapped the center piece and tied a knot, remove your fingers from the yarn. You will now have what looks almost like a bow, with a center string tied around your yarn and two looped ends. 

6. Stick your scissors through the loops of one half of your PomPom. Cut the loops. Repeat this on the other side. 

Cutting loops to make the Pom Pom take shape

 7. You will now have a sort of lopsided looking Pom Pom. Fluff it up in your hands to begin shaping it into a ball.  Use the scissors to trim off uneven pieces and perfect its shape.  It's okay to cut off a lot of yarn in this shaping stage. If you are going to attach the Pom Pom to something, leave long tails from the yarn you tied around the center and use to tie onto your project.

8. If you want to make your PomPom fluffier, hold the center tightly and use a mohair brush or any bristly brush to brush it out. Continue trimming as your brush to make the Pom Pom an even circle. 

(Brushing is an optional step) 

  9. Voila! You have a Pom Pom!

             Trimming for shape                   After a little brushing and fluffing

Here's another step by step shot, using a variegated sock yarn to make a colorful and smaller Pom Pom! You can make multicolored Poms by wrapping more than one color of yarn around your hand.

Using a Pom Pom Maker:
For this you will need the same supplies, but add some sort of Pom Pom maker. We have a few different types in our Webstore, and they all come with instructions.
Prym Pom Pom Maker  $10.59  (this is the one used for this tutorial, this one also comes with an instruction manual to make Poms that look like animals!)
Pony Pom Pom Maker $2.49 (this uses rings instead of pull apart pieces, not quite as simple to use)
Knitter Pride Pom Pom Maker $9.50 (the easiest to use)

All PomPom makers are a little different, but they all use pretty much the same idea, which is similar to the wrap-your-hand method above.

1. Take two halves and hold them together as shown.
2. Wrap the yarn around the two halves until you've covered the plastic.
3. Do the same with the other two halves of the maker.
4. Attach the wrapped pieces to one another.
5. Using your scissors, cut down the space between the pieces on both sides.
6. Cut a long piece of yarn and place it between the pieces, tightening and tying it in place.
7. Remove the plastic pieces from the yarn.
8. You will have sort of a misshapen, but again use your scissors to trim into a sphere and use a brush if you want more volume.

The Pom Pom Kits make a more uniform Pom Pom without as much trimming, but using your hands is great too! You can also cut your own PomPom makers from cardboard. Using the same idea as the Pom Pom maker, cut two doughnut shapes out of cardboard hold them together, wrap the cardboard, tie the middle, cut in between them, trim and fluff.

Make enough Pom Poms and assemble them into a decorative garland to hang anywhere!

Happy Crafting!

Big Knits

We have a new yarn in our midst that has so many possibilities, we're dedicating a blog post to it!

It's called Magnum, and let me give you some stats:
It's a Super Bulky Weight (That means it works up on BIG needles, US 15-19)
Made of 100% Peruvian Highland wool (That means its great quality and definitely soft)
It has gorgeous heathered colors (that means no bland solids, but beautiful mixes and dimension)
With 125 yards per skein, just one skein gets you a long way.

Find all Magnum Colors in our Webstore

You can knit Cowls, Hats, Scarves, Sweaters, or anything on this yarn. 

We think it would be fun to ARM KNIT with Magnum!

Grab a skein of Magnum and use your arms as needles for a big bulky scarf that you can make in under an hour!

If you missed our post with the Arm Knitting tutorial,  find it here.

You can find a wide range of patterns using Magnum on Ravelry. Check out this page to get you started.


If you don't want to knit with your arms, we have tons of BIG needles in stock to use with this yarn.
Big Double Point Needles
Big Circular Needles

Happy Crafting! 

Nordic Mart does the Wurm

We saw this hat on the home page of Ravelry a few weeks ago and immediately knew we had to make it with some of our yarns. We were very inspired in our color choice by the changing leaves.

 

The original pattern is called Wurm by Katharina Nopp, but our version is actually a variation on a variation of the Wurm.

Zanetta's version of the Wurm, which is the pattern we followed and adjusted for our pattern, uses Noro and Rowan yarns and has a bit of a looser and slouchier feel than the original Wurm.

Our version uses the super fun color variegation of Drops Delight and the softness of Drops Alpaca. Don't forget Alpaca is on sale until the end of the year!

We love the way the Delight stripes into different colors, and the fit of this hat is the PERFECT slouchi-ness. 

Here's the pattern we wrote out while experimenting with these two awesome hat patterns to make our own:

Instructions:
Supplies:
US Size 2.5 (3 mm ) circular needle (wood needles) (metal needles)

US Size 2.5 DPN (for very end of hat) (wood) (metal)

1 skein Drops Delight

1 skein Drops Alpaca

 

Cast on 120 sts with Alpaca

**Starting with a purl round, alternate 1 round purl with 1 round knit for 7 rounds.
Knit 5 rounds with Delight
Garter rounds (1 round purl/ 1 round knit) for 7 rounds in Alpaca

Knit 5 rounds Delight**

Repeat **-** three more times

Next round in Alpaca: *Knit 4, K2tog* repeat *-* until end of round
Garter rounds (1 round purl/1 round knit) for 6 more rounds in Alpaca

Next Round in Delight: *Knit 4, K2tog* repeat *-* until end of round 

Knit 4 rounds in Delight

Next round in Alpaca: *Knit 4, K2tog* repeat *-* until end of round 

Garter Rounds for 6 rounds in Alpaca

Knit 5 rounds in Delight

Next round in Alpaca: *Knit 4, K2tog* repeat *-* until end of round 

Garter rounds for 6 rounds in Alpaca

(change to double points when stitches no longer fit on circular needle)

Next Round in Delight: *Knit 4, K2tog* repeat *-* until end of round
Knit 4 rounds in Delight

Next Round in Delight *Knit 1, K2tog* repeat *-* until end of round
Last Round in Delight *k2tog* all the way around, until end of round

Close hole by pulling yarn through all stitches and securing.  

If you do not block this hat it will appear more "ribbed" and wavy. 

We like a flatter look so decided to dunk the hat in our sink and then laid it flat to dry. 

Once you make your own Wurm hat, share it with us on our Facebook 

 Happy Crafting