Project Focus: Fyberspates Cumulus

It's the third post of February and that means it's time to take a look at our favourite projects from Ravelry knitted in Fyberspates Cumulus!  

Let's start with some cosy cowls, perfect for snuggling up in on a cold winter day.  

Narapoia's Resonate Cowl

Narapoia and vpurl have both knitted Resonate by Louise Zass-Bangham, from her book Knit Play Colour but their two versions are very different (I love seeing projects like this that really show how you can take a pattern and make it your own and a small project like a cowl is a perfect opportunity to experiment).  

Narapoia's version (above) is knitted in #913/Slate and #902/Rust and we love the way the thin stripes of Rust really pop in this colour combination!  

vpurl's version (below) is no less beautiful, but uses a colour combination closer to the original pattern, but in different proportions.  She's used #905/Moonlight, #907/Magenta, 903/Bottle Green and #906/Turquoise.  I love the bold flash of Turquoise!  

vpurl's Resonate

Next we have a gorgeous wrap by DraadjesenZo, Old Vine: 

DraadjesenZo's Old Vine

I love the way this drapes and #903/Bottle green is the perfect colour for a botanical themed wrap!  DraadjesenZo is also has a yarn shop, Wolwinkel Draadjes & Zo in the Netherlands and is one of our lovely stockists.  

Another knit made by one of our stockists (Wereldwol, also in the Netherlands) is this stunning shawl, Dew drop by breimiek: 

breimiek's Dew drop

Knitted in #911/Silver, this shawl really shows off the beautiful drape and ethereal quality that Cumulus has, especially when used in lace patterns and blocked well.  

The next project shows something we mentioned in our last post, how well Cumulus works when used with other yarns.  And what more beautiful example of that than dawn's Ocean Breeze shawl: 

dawn's Ocean Breeze

Using Cumulus in #900/Pillar box (I adore bright lace!) with a hand dyed silk blend yarn is so effective and the contrast of textures gives a very pretty effect.  The shiny beads look beautiful against the fluffy soft Cumulus too!  

Last but not least is this delicate shawl, the brilliantly named Flufforama by WelshSteph!  

Knitted from Anniken Allis's Twiss Crescent Shawl pattern in #909/Water, this delicate shawl could take you anywhere!  Steph said: 'It was like knitting kittens if that’s possible!' Thanks Steph!  

We hope you've enjoyed looking at these beautiful projects!  Thank you to all these lovely knittes for letting us use their photos.  

If you've knitted something in one of our yarns we'd love to see!  Show us your knits on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Ravelry!    

Happy Knitting!  

Pattern Focus: Fyberspates Cumulus

It's the second week for a our current yarn of the month, Cumulus.  So that must mean patterns!  

(As usual, if you want to see any more details about the patterns, just click on the picture.)  

One of the best things about Cumulus is how versatile it is.  Thanks to the fuzzy texture of the yarn it adapts well to a wide range of different needle sizes, depending on the look you're after and what you want to use the finished fabric for.  

Our first pattern recommendation is one that showcases how well Cumulus works on larger needles.  

This absolutely gorgeous shawl by Susanna IC on Ravelry, is also called Cumulus!  You'd only need 3 balls of Cumulus (shown in #910/Sea Green) to make this delicate shawl and it would make a lovely extra layer over a pretty dress on a summer evening or worn like a scarf in the winter.  

Cumulus by Susanna IC

We absolutely love the way the beads are added to the lace pattern, helping the fabric to drape nicely.  

If you prefer a larger, less lacy shawl, why not try Affinity by Louise Zass-Bangham?  If you read our post last week, you'll know how well Cumulus works when combined with other yarns, and this shawl showcases that, using Cumulus with Scrumptious 4ply (both shown in Water) to highlight the contrasting textures.  

Affinity by Louise Zass-Bangham

Again, this example uses beads (applied with a crochet hook), but it would still be lovely without them too.  You'd need 3 balls of Cumulus and a skein of Scrumptious 4ply to make this shawl, and there are plenty of similar colours to the Cumulus range in Scrumptious 4ply.  Why not try some of the combinations below?  

Fancy a sweater instead?  Why not try Mithral by Carol Feller?  

Mithral by Carol Feller

Knitted on 4mm needles to give a drapey fabric, Mithral combines a simple lace pattern with a ridge pattern for a sophisticated yet easy to wear sweater that will work up surprisingly quickly.  There's plenty of guidance in the pattern for altering it, so you can make the sweater you want.  I really need to finish mine!  It's the perfect light weight sweater for layering, I love how floaty the fabric is, while still being warm.  It works really well in bolder colours too, the sweater shown above is knitted in #913/Slate, but I'm making mine in #907/Magenta.  Cumulus is very economical for sweaters too, this one takes just 7 - 10 skeins (or 6 - 9 skeins without a cowl neck) and is sized for nine sizes from 32 - 56 inch bust.  

If you'd like a closer fitting sweater, how about Modra by Vladimira Ilkovicova?  

Modra Pullover by Vladimira Ilkovicova

Knitted on smaller needles than Mithral (3.0mm and 3.5mm) to give a firmer fabric, Modra would be perfect to wear over a crisp white shirt or a camisole, and looks just as good worn with jeans as it would with a dress or skirt.  The sample pictured is knitted in #904/Teal, but if that's not your colour, we think it would look stunning in #912/Camel or #911/Silver.  Another economical sweater, it takes just 5 - 9 balls.  

Last but not least, we love Cumulus for big cosy shawls, like this one, Etherow by Anniken Allis!  

Etherow by Anniken Allis

7 balls of Cumulus (shown in #908/Plum) make this lovely big shawl, perfect for bundling up in on a cold day or slipping over your shoulders on a cool summer's evening.  

Which pattern would you make?  

Happy Knitting!  

Yarn Focus: Fyberspates Cumulus

It's the first Friday of the month, so it's time to unveil our new Yarn of the Month!  

For February, we're going to focus on the fluffy cloud of gorgeousness that is Cumulus!  

Top row: #910/Sea Green, #909/Water, #911/Silver, #912/Camel
2nd row: #903/Bottle Green, #902/Rust
3rd row: #904/Teal, 913/Slate, #908/Plum, #900/Pillar Box
Bottom row: #906/Turquoise, #905/Moonlight, #907/Magenta, #901/Ruby Red

Cumulus is quite a different yarn from the others in the Fyberspates range, with a delicate ethereal quality. 

This beautifully soft fluffy yarn is made from lovely snuggly Baby Suri Alpaca with a strong and shiny core of silk.  

The thing I like most about this yarn is how surprisingly versatile it is.  It adapts well to different needle sizes for different effects (depending on whether you want a dense or airy fabric) and the colour palette provides plenty of opportunities for experimentation!  

So on to the swatches!  (My favourite bit!!)

Yarn butterflies shown in (left to right): #902/Rust, #904/Teal, #913/Slate and #911/Silver
Swatches shown in: #902/Rust and #913/Slate

I thought I'd start with the most obvious use for Cumulus: lace.  

I love knitting lace, there are so many possibilities!  These swatches were knitted on a 4mm needle which would work well for quite a lot of purposes.  The grey swatch is actually my tension square for Carol Feller's Mithral KAL and this fabric is wonderful for a flattering drapey sweater like Carol's.  The finished fabric does change once washed and blocked, so don't be tempted to skip this step when checking your tension.  I only blocked this lightly (I didn't really stretch the swatch like I would if I was blocking a shawl, just smoothed it out flat so the edges were straight and then pinned it in place until it was dry), but it did grow quite a bit.  

Speaking of tension (or gauge), every knitter knits slightly differently, resulting in a range of different tensions for different knitters even when all of them are using the same yarn and needles.  Lace weight yarns like Cumulus tend to exaggerate these differences, so I would strongly recommend that you do a tension square before making a garment in this yarn (even if you usually don't) because patterns always state the tension that the designer achieved, and there's no guarantee that yours will be the same.  

Right, enough on tension, on with the fun stuff!  

Shawl shown in #911/Silver, yarn butterflies shown in #902/Rust, #931/Slate, #911/Silver and #904/Teal

Just a little bit more lace for you, this time using some Estonian gathered stitches to create the fan shaped border of this shawl.  Stitches like this create denser areas within the fabric which is really effective in Cumulus as it gives the effect of darker and lighter areas when viewed from a distance.  Again this was knitted on 4mm needles to create a sheer fabric with a beautiful floaty drape.  The fabric is deceptively warm too, so it's perfect for light and elegant layers that actually warm you up without looking bulky.  

Cabled swatch knitted with one end of Scrumptious 4ply in #318/Glisten (top yarn butterfly) and one end of Cumulus  in #911/Silver (bottom yarn butterfly)

Our next swatches are more experimental, and this is mine and Jeni's absolute favourite of the whole lot.

Combining Cumulus with other yarns opens up so many possibilities (we've done a few swatches, but there are lots more you could try).  

Using one strand of Cumulus in #911/Silver with one strand of Scrumptious 4ply in #318/Glisten makes the most gorgeous fabric ever!!  Seriously, we think this could be the yarn combination  to end all yarn combinations and I want to knit all the things in it.  You still get beautiful stitch definition on 3.25mm and 4mm needles (perfect for cables and textured stitches), but with a delicate halo of alpaca and a very slight marl.  We could spend all day thinking of Cumulus and Scrumptious 4ply pairs, but to start you off, why not try Ruby Red Cumulus and Cherry Scrumptious or Slate in both Cumulus and Scrumptious?  

The next two swatches are in Cumulus (#911/Silver) and Gleem Lace (#713/Slate).  The swatch above (knitted on 4mm needles) was knitted with one strand of each yarn to give a lovely heathered effect.  In the one below (knitted on 3.25mm needles) I striped first a strand of each yarn with a single strand of Cumulus and then stripes of both yarns on their own.  Both are effective, but I think alternating stripes of Gleem and Cumulus work best because of the sharp contrast between the textures.  

Last but not least, you could try alternating lace stripes of Cumulus (#911/Silver) and Scrumptious 4ply (#322/Sea Mist).  Knitted on 3.25mm needles, the stripes of Scrumptious give the fabric a bit of extra weight and a swingy drape, which would be perfect for a shawl.  

I hope this has given you some inspiration!  

For those who want to know, here are all the yarn details: 

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Yarn information

Content: 74% Baby Suri Alpaca, 26% Silk

Recommended needle size: 3 - 5mm (US 2.5 - 8)

Tension (gauge): 24 sts and 30 rows to 10cm [4in] over stocking stitch on 3mm needles

Number of metres per skein: 150m (164 yards) per 25g ball

Washing instructions: Cool handwash separately

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Happy Knitting!