Talea Tunic - test knitter's projects

Today I’d like to share great portion of knitted inspiration - Talea Tunic projects from my fantastic test knitting team. I’m so happy and proud to work with such incredibly talented knitters from around the Globe. They were not just helpful with checking the pattern but also very inspiring and creative too. I highly recommend you to visit their Ravelry pages (links to Ravelry pages and Instagram accounts are included) and adore so many beautiful projects!

1. Talea Tunic from Catherine. Ravelry ID: Catherinesm

Catherine decided to combine two contrast colours together and the result is great! She is not just test knitted the pattern but knitted the tunic for all her beautiful granddaughters. Look at those gorgeous smiles - the best compliment to grandma's work!

"I have enjoyed working on this pattern so much that I have decided to knit one for each of my other 2 granddaughters..."

Yarn used: Universal Yarn Bamboo Pop

2. Talea Tunic from Leila. Ravelry ID: Vtblume

Beautifully knitted in aqua-blue colour, tunic made a perfect addition to another girly wardrobe.
"...Her mom says she loves this design, so I’m sure I’ll be making this again in other colors too!... "

3. Talea Tunic from Renata. Ravelry ID: grankaG  Instagram ID: grankag
Renata knitted the smallest size of tunic for her cute little granddaughter. She is not just the fastest knitter but a designer and great photographer too! She modified the tunic for knitting in the round and it's worked out great.

" This is such an adorable and modern knit for a stylish baby girl. Loved the knots, and the caterpillar knits up so fast, while the stitch pattern makes counting rows easy... "

Yarn used: Hamanaka Paume Baby Colour.

4. Talea Tunic from Kristin. Ravelry ID: kristincarroll  Instagram ID: kristinknits

I love Kristin's version of tunic. She has modified the pattern slightly so it fits better her beautiful little princess. Lovely colour and beautiful knitting keep another gorgeous girl happy! 

"I was supposed to be a pattern tester for this but I made edits so it would fit my granddaughter who is built like a Samoan Princess..." I love the result and Kristin's notes are very helpful.

Yarn used: Cascade Yarns Longwood Sport

5. Talea Tunic from Ellisen. Ravelry ID: Ellisen

This beautiful three colour tunic is not just beautifully knitted but it is also decorated with cute little applique.

".. Pattern is well-written and clear, and fun to learn the Tiny Knot +Caterpillar stitches. It took practice to get them in my head, but went very smoothly... "

Yarn used: Hobbii Rainbow cotton and Cotton Kings Cotton 8/8

6. Talea Tunic from Michelle. Ravelry ID: michellecoe 

Michelle has test knitted many of my design and the result is beautiful every time. I really love this bright purple colour and variegated yarn she choose for her little fashionista.

"... I have enjoyed learning two new stitch patterns - tiny knots and caterpillar.

The only modification I made from the pattern was on the sleeve edge. I have not learned how to use the Magic Loop method and could not easily put my hands on my DPNs so I knit the edge before sewing the seam. When I make the next one (already cast on) I will follow the pattern directions because it has a much better finish..."

 

7. Talea Tunic from Habibe. Ravelry ID: safran  Instagram ID: safranknit

Habibe knitted the tunic with one of my favourite pink shades. She is one of those knitters who is always busy with new project on her needles. Check her page out, you will find a lot of beautiful finished project to get inspired. 

"I really love it. I want to knit it with different color and yarn..."

Yarn used: Kartopu Love Cotton Solids

8. Talea Tunic from Christelle. Ravelry ID: puce59 

Kristelle beautifully knitted her tunic in mint colour in size 5-6 years. Have you also noticed this cute crocheted seal on her photo? 

"... An easy and very pleasant pattern to follow. It is very well explained and detailed... "

9. Talea Tunic from Sümeyye. Ravelry ID: suemaye  Instagram ID: eyyemus

This tunic is knitted with bamboo yarn in light cream shade. Sümeyye's knitting is always neat and beautiful. I'm sure her little daughter will enjoy knitting this beautiful garment.

Yarn used: Kartopu Bamboo Sacura

10. Talea Tunic from Safia Ravelry ID: Safiahesham

This light violet tunic is also beautifully knitted for very special little fashionista. Those tiny knots are so cute :)

Yarn used: Kartopu Baby Natural

11. Talea Tunic from Ugne. Ravelry ID: liepsnike  Instagram ID: liepsnike

Ugne knitted her tunic in the biggest size 13-14 years for her lovely daughter. I really love the result - the tunic is knitted very neat with accurate seams and neck finishing.

Yarn used: Hobbii Trivoli

12. Talea Tunic from Pari. Ravelry ID:  utopia5580

Pari's tunic is knitted in size 9-12 months and looks so cute in this turquoise colour. I love those tiny knots too!

Thank you for reading such a long post with so many beautiful photos! I've got two more opened test knits and hope to share another portion of inspiration with you very soon :)

Happy knitting and stay safe!

ViTalina Craft

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Talea Tunic - pattern release

After a number of adult designs I'm happy to share a children one - Talea Tunic.

I wanted to create a light weight summer dress with simple shape and beautiful texture. So for this tunic I have chosen lovely summer yarn Mary Maxim Simply Natural. In spite of DK weight, this yarn feels really light weight thanks to bamboo. It is very soft and drapes beautifully.

Talea Tunic is knitted back and forth on straight needles. It has A-shape silhouette with dropped shoulders and round neck. The neck and sleeve bands are knitted in the round.
For this tunic I used a combination of easy to memorise stitches - Tiny knots stitch and Caterpillar stitch divided by a number rows in garter stitch.

The knitting pattern for Talea Tunic is easy to follows and suitable for advanced beginners. It is written for wide range of sizes from 9-12 months through child 13-14 years.

It is available from Ravelry with 10% off until 3rd of June. Use code TALEA10 at checkout to get your discount.

List of recommended DK weight substitutes for Talea Tunic:
- King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK
- Stylecraft Naturals Bamboo & Cotton DK
- Lion Brand Coboo
- Sublime Isla
- Premier Yarns Bamboo Fair
- Hobbii Tivoli
- Hobbii Rainbow Cotton 8/8 Solids

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Pattern release - Glamrock Sweater

Last summer I have treated myself with a few types of unusual yarn from ITO. Most of their yarns are lace weight which is good for shawls but to get a light weight garment it should be knitted in two strands of yarn hold together. This gives you a chance to experiment and mix different fibres and create a new beautiful fabrics. So, today I’d like to share my first out of two new designs knitted with ITO yarn – Glamrock Sweater.

This sweater is knitted with two yarns – ITO Kinu and ITO Washi.

ITO Kinu is a 100% silk noil yarn, also called organic silk, as it is produced from the leftovers of spun filament silk. Differently colored fibers are blended for this silk yarn, to produce a melange effect. I used ITO Kinu in shade Chili Pepper.

ITO Washi is made of paper and viscose. It follows the tradition of noble Japanese paper yarns with an extremely silky softness. The paper is twisted with a rayon thread which gives the stability to the garments. Despite this yarn is made with paper it is washable. I used ITO Washi in neutral shade Angora.

To emphasize the beauty of the fabric created by these two yarns, I decided to knit a simple summer sweater with boxy shape and a lot of positive ease. Also, I decided to stick with very simple stitch so my choice was a stockinette stitch with horizontal purl rows every six rows.
The result is great, especially the feel of those yarns. The photos were taken in a very hot summer day (I completed the sweater last summer but wasn’t able to write a pattern) but despite on long sleeves I did not feel hot at all. The gentle light weight fabric was as my second skin. Sweater is turned out really light weight and breathable. 

The Glamrock Sweater can be knitted with two strands of any lace weight yarn or, alternatively, with single strand of Sport weight yarn. It looks beautiful in all shades -  solid, semi-solid or yarn with melange effect.

As I’ve already mentioned the sweater has a very simple construction – front and back are knitted separately bottom up. After shoulder seams are closed, the stitches are picked up for neck and sleeves. The neck is knitted in the round, while the sleeves are knitted back and forth top down, which allows to adjust the length on the go.

Another good thing about this pattern is that it is size inclusive. The pattern is written for wide range of sizes from XS through 5XL. It can be purchased on Ravelry.

To celebrate the pattern release I would like to offer you 10% off on Ravelry until 25th of May. Use code GLAMROCK10 to get your discount.

List of recommended sport weight substitutes:
- Malabrigo Arroyo
- The Yarn collective Rivoli Sport
- Phildar Merino 3.5
- The Fibre Co. Road to China Light
- Schachenmayr Catania Denim
- Cascade 220 Superwash Sport

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Pattern release - Tonic Cardigan

Happy knitting everyone! I haven’t had a chance to introduce you my latest published design – Tonic Cardigan

Knitted in bright orange colour, Tonic cardigan is a perfect staple for any wardrobe. The design of this cardigan has all features you are looking for in a modern garment – dropped shoulder, positive ease fit, slightly fitted around waist area and combination of beautiful stitches.

It is easy and enjoyable knit with very limited shaping. The cardigan is knitted with DK weight yarn on straight needles. However, circular needles are used for front band in order to accumulate big quantity of stitches.

The knitting pattern for the Tonic cardigan is available from Ravelry and Lovecrafts.

To celebrate the pattern release I’d like to offer and exclusive discount for both knitting patterns - Tonic Cardigan and Tonic Vest on Ravelry. Use code TONIC15 to get 15% off until 24th of May.

There is also the knitting pattern for a matching top – Tonic Vest, which is knitted with 4-ply yarn and can be worn together with Tonic Cardigan to complete a perfect set.

List of recommended yarn for Tonic Cardigan:
- Madelinetosh Tosh DK
- Hayton DK from Eden Cottage Yarn
- Cascade 220 superwash DK
- Rico Essentials Merino DK
- Willow and Lark Ramble

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