Dunadd

ALL ORDERS OF OVER £50 IN VALUE ARE DELIVERED FREE OF CHARGE

Our online shop is open again after a 10 week lockdown period in line with government and expert guidance. We are now using staggered work hours to avoid peak times on public transport and we are keeping to the 2m physical distancing rule. This means that order processing times are slower than usual but it is worth the wait to make sure that we all stay safe.

We send all international orders by a Royal Mail Tracked service. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, postal services are experiencing slower delivery times. Your package may take longer than usual to get to you, but you will be able to track its progress on the journey.

UK orders are sent by Royal Mail First Class. Currently First Class packages within the U.K are taking about 4-5 days to arrive.

Please ensure that you check our DELIVERY INFORMATION page for full details.

Our pattern-inclusive kits are made up in skeins of varying weight, according to the amounts required for each project. Every project on our website has been knitted here at Virtual Yarns, so we know precisely how much yarn is required to make them. Each kit contains that amount plus an extra 8 per-cent more yarn. This is enough yarn to knit a swatch and the project, PROVIDED THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED FOR THE SIZE ORDERED. The extra 8 per-cent allows reasonable leeway for knitter error. Kits are made up by hand to order, and each yarn amount is carefully weighed.

For further information, please check our PURCHASE INFORMATION page.

Dunadd is made with Alice Starmore Hebridean 3 Ply on 4mm needles. The spun yarn is carefully plied with 3 spun singles so that it maintains its soft and springy nature yet is smooth and crisp enough to show up textures and relief patterns to perfection. Maintaining the correct tension is really important for the best results. However, should you decide to knit Dunadd at a looser tension than given, please note that it will be larger than the dimensions given and will therefore require additional yarn to finish.

The design is composed of 12 large knotwork motifs, strategically placed and interspersed with 13 smaller knots all worked on a reverse Stocking Stitch background; it is bordered at the sides, bottom and top by a narrow band of Moss Stitch which is worked in with the whole piece, rather than attached later. I have provided a diagram of the knotwork placements for added reference, and the instructions for the knots themselves are charted in my well-known cable and knotwork style as featured in my books.

In order to preserve the high relief of the knots, I do not recommend pressing the finished piece. The best method of blocking is to pin the piece, right side up, to the given measurements. Do this on a flat, padded surface – clean towelling placed on a rug or carpet away from direct heat and sunshine is perfect. Once the piece is pinned to size, cover with clean, damp towelling and leave until the towelling is dry. It is not at all necessary to wet or wash the project on completion as fulling is not required.

Please note that all of our yarns are supplied washed and therefore do not require to be washed or fulled after knitting, unless you have an accident. Generally speaking, your garments should not require cleaning/washing any more than a coat would.

All of our designs are made with 100% pure new wool yarns and should be washed either by hand with pure soap in hand hot-water, or in a front loading washing machine which has a specific wool programme using a small amount of non-biological detergent. We do not recommend the use of any fabric softeners or any additives that will remain in the fabric after rinsing.

If hand washing, dissolve a small amount of pure soap flakes – or if using a pure soap bar, grate the required amount – into hand-hot water. Ensure that the soap has thoroughly dissolved before immersing the piece. Use a gentle squeezing motion to wash; do not cause any friction by rubbing or scrubbing as this will cause the fibres to felt. Gently squeeze out the excess soapy water and rinse well in warm water. It is important to remove as much excess water as quickly as possible as the longer moisture is left in wool yarn, the more likely it is to shrink or felt.

The best method for removing water is to spin in a washing machine, but if you prefer to remove the water by hand then gently squeeze the piece to remove the main water load and then lay the piece flat on towels and roll up, squeezing out as much water as possible into the towels. You will have to use several towels and repeat the process to remove as much moisture as you can.

Alternatively, spin to remove the excess water. If using a top loading machine it is important to place the piece in a suitable pillowcase (white cotton is best) so that it does not wrap around the spindle and become distorted. For both top-loading machines and front-loading machines, it is vitally important to remove from the spinner as soon as it has stopped: otherwise the piece can become permanently creased.

In all cases, dry flat on towels away from direct heat/sunlight, and smooth gently into shape. You can place small towels – or even better, cut and finish old towelling into the garment shapes, such as sleeves etc – and place inside the garment so that the two layers are separate. This will greatly help speed up drying process.

For straight, dropped-shoulder pullover styles, a woolly board is an excellent method of drying as the garment is placed on the board and dried to size allowing air to circulate inside. The board can also be used for cardigans in this style so long as you tack the front bands closed using a strong cotton thread, which you then carefully remove once the garment has dried. Glove boards can also be used for gloves which will allow them to dry in perfect shape.