Have you knit anything from the Royal Petite collection yet? This collection includes seven petite patterns and the Royal Petite palette includes fourteen colors. You can read more about the three mitt designs by Colleen Powley here. Maybe, though, you’re more of a hat person like me. No problem! The Royal Petite collection includes two hats.

Buckingham Hat

The Buckingham Hat is the perfect, uncomplicated gateway to indulging in this decadent fiber.

The Details

Pattern: Buckingham Hat
Designer: Bobbi IntVeld
Size: Circumference: 18″, unstretched
• Height: 7½”
Needles: Size 2 (2.75mm) 16″ circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Size 2 (2.75mm) double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Petites, shown in Antique Black #1705
Pocket Pattern available at Blue Sky Alpacas Stockists
Digital Pattern available in the Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Store

Westminster Hat

The Westminster Hat, with its sophisticated, all-over texture, is one of my favorites! With this hat, you can learn to cable without a cable needle, like I did.

The Details

Pattern: Westminster Hat
Designer: Bobbi IntVeld
Size: Circumference: 18″, unstretched
• Height: 7″
Needles: Size 3 (3.25mm) 16″ circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Size 3 (3.25mm) double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Petites, shown in Cameo #1704
Pocket Pattern available at Blue Sky Alpacas Stockists
Digital Pattern available in the Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Store

Two cable rounds.

I’ve cabled before, but never so repetitively. Usually, it seems that there is one large cable in the front of a sweater, and one cable doesn’t really make for good practicing of this technique… it’s not a good way to retain the skill of cabling without a cable needle. However, the Westminster Hat features two distinct cable rounds. One round with right twist cables and the other round with left twist cables. To achieve the all-over texture, the cables are worked across the entire round for the entire hat, making this a great project to master cabling without a cable needle. And boy… do my cable projects fly off the needles now!

Slouchy-Style Westminster

This is the tutorial I used to learn to cable without the cable needle. I liked it so much I just kept knitting my Westminster for many additional rounds to get a slouch-factor. (That’s really the only thing you have to do to make a hat slouch, just keep knitting.) How do you prefer to knit cables? Do you like a beanie-style hat or do you prefer hats with slouch?

It can be a struggle to find the right gift for Mom for Mother’s Day. But, if your mom is a knitter, we have just the thing!

Royal Petite Boxed Knit Kits

These kits, available at your LYS, include two Royal Petite balls and a Royal Petite Pattern… everything mom needs to get knitting!

Introducing the Spring/Summer 2013 Organic Cotton Pocket Pattern Collection for Simple Kids Knits

Blue Sky Alpacas would like to share our four new and easy patterns featuring organic Skinny Cotton and organic Worsted Cotton. This collectible pattern set features tender illustrations and tactile packaging with designs that allow children to “just be”! Relaxed, simple heirloom pieces to be worn with discovery in mind. You are sure to treasure these items just as much as the memories made while wearing them.

Beatrice steps gingerly into the chilly water as she guides her bright red sailboat away from the shore.

The Beatrice Top encourages long, carefree days at the beach. As with all of the items in this collection, this top is named after a Minnesota lake. (We are, after all, the Land of 10,000 Lakes!)

The Details

Pattern: Beatrice Top
Designer: Erika Flory
Size: 6 months (12-18 months, 2T-3T, 4T-5T)
Needles: Size 5 (3.75mm) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Size 5 (3.75mm) double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton, shown in Gravel #314
Pocket Pattern available at Blue Sky Alpacas Stockists
Digital Pattern available in the Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Store

Ready for a picnic after a morning of discoveries, Cameron tiptoes across the sandy beach in search of the perfect location.

The cool breezes of early spring are no match for this comfy hooded vest.

The Details

Pattern: Cameron Hoodie
Designer: Bobbi IntVeld
Size: 6 months (12-18 months, 2T-3T, 4T-5T)
Needles: Size 7 (4.5mm) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Size 8 (5mm) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Cotton, shown in Sleet #635
Pocket Pattern available at Blue Sky Alpacas Stockists
Digital Pattern available in the Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Store

Gazing at the expanse of the lake, Georgie takes in the blue depths of the water while wriggling toes in the warmth of the golden sand.

This organic cotton blanket wraps your little one in handknit love—it’s just right for drying off or falling off to dreamland!

The Details

Pattern: Georgie Blanket
Designer: Cheryl Nelson
Size: S (L)
Needles: Size 8 (5mm) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Size H (5mm) hook, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Cotton, shown in Shell #606 and Stone #626
Pocket Pattern available at Blue Sky Alpacas Stockists
Digital Pattern available in the Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Store

As she enjoys a visit to the lakeshore, Harriet pauses in her exploration of the shoreline to listen to the lap of the waves and the cry of the gulls.

This simple handknit dress is soft and swingy—perfect for playing along the water’s edge!

The Details

Pattern: Harriet Dress
Designer: Cheryl Nelson
Size: 6 months (12-18 months, 2T-3T, 4T-5T)
Needles: Size 7 (4.5mm) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Size 7 (4.5mm) double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton, shown in Zinc #304
Pocket Pattern available at Blue Sky Alpacas Stockists
Digital Pattern available in the Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Store

The “look”!

I’ve been enamored with the Zelda Wrap since its release. The look, all the places I would wear it, and how lovely it would be to knit.

Peridot perfection

I have also been enamored with Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk in Peridot for ages.

When I realized that Alpaca Silk is completely interchangeable with Metalico (both the fiber content and the gauge are exactly the same), it was a total “Eureka!” moment:

Violà! Zelda Wrap meets Alpaca Silk, for results I love!

But the finished wrap wasn’t even the best part of knitting Zelda for me, as I have now been officially converted into a chart-loving knitter! I have been knitting for a long time, but for some reason I just completely disregarded charts. I didn’t need them or want to use them, preferring the written directions. But… on the other hand, how could I have a “preference,” if I never, ever even tried to use charts?!?! So, I gave charts a go with Zelda. Instead of reading pattern lines multiple times, spending long minutes counting as I worked across a row, I simply looked at the logical chart with the repetitive tessellations, saw how the stitches moved in predictable ways, and realized how much more efficient charts are at relaying this type of information than the written pattern.

The stitches started to move in predictable ways.

Zelda is an intermediate-level pattern because it is worked on the bias and has three charts to work from, but if you have always wanted to master charts I would strongly recommend trying this pattern. A chart illustrates knitting on a grid, as a whole, instead of individual line-by-line components and does take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you can work more quickly and with fewer errors! I’m so glad to be a convert, I wish I would have given charts a real chance a lot sooner.

What happens when you take simple, clean designs + a dash of vintage-inspiration + a rich, sumptuous fiber like Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Alpaca?

You get our Royal Petite collection!

A one-ball wonder!

This collection features Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Alpaca yarn in petite 100-yard balls paired with seven lovely petite patterns.

Three of the patterns are mitts, designed by my friend and coworker, Colleen Powley! Let’s find out more about her and her inspiration for these dainty designs!

BSA: Thanks for this fun, quick interview today.

If nothing good is on TV, I pop in _____. I never get tired of that movie.

Collen: Pretty Woman

BSA: You get one free plane ticket, anywhere in the world, you would go to _____.

Colleen: Australia

The Details

Pattern: Mitini Mitts
Designer: Colleen Powley
Size: Mitt Length: 5”
• Mitt Width (across palm): 3½”
Needles: Size 2 (2.75mm) double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Petites, shown in Alabaster #1700
Pattern available at your favorite LYS, or in the Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Store

Clean lines are created by simple twisted stitches.

BSA: In three words, my simple mitt patterns were inspired by _____, _____, and _____.

Colleen: Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Yarn, beauty, and affordability

BSA: When I’m not knitting, I’m _____.

Colleen: Quilting

The Details

Pattern: Windsor Mitts
Designer: Colleen Powley
Size: Mitt Length: 9¾”
• Mitt Width (across palm): 3½”
Needles: Size 2 (2.75mm) double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Petites, shown in Patina #1707
Pattern available at your favorite LYS, or in the Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Store

Lovely lace in lovely yarn.

BSA: The piece I loved designing the most, ever, is _____.

Colleen: Peruvian Cabled Scarf

The Details

Pattern: Countess Mitts
Designer: Colleen Powley
Size: Mitt Length: 8”
• Mitt Width (across palm): 3½”
Needles: Size 2 (2.75mm) double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Petites, shown in Laurel #1713
Pattern available at your favorite LYS, or in the Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Store

Thanks again to Colleen for the great interview.

And a special note I just want to add: Did you notice that size 2 (2.75mm) double pointed needles are needed for all three mitts? Get gauge and you can make all three with the same set of needles! That clever Colleen!