Back in stock: Malabrigo Lace.

Posted by Julia on June 25, 2014

The Malabrigo booth is always a must-see at TNNA, and this year, we went there to restock. We filled in some shades of Arroyo we were missing, and picked out a new palette in Lace, our supply having dwindled.

Malabrigo Lace is a single-ply merino, soft as can be, and boasts an impressive 470 yards on each 50 gram hank. That’s enough for a scarf, cowl, or shawlette; just two or three more skeins and you’ve enough to knit Hannah Fettig’s “Wispy Cardi.”

Here at the shop, we have a swatch of Malabrigo Lace, the start of Liz Abinante’s “Saroyan,” a popular free pattern for a triangular stockinette scarf with a leaf edging. This little bit of fabric gives a good sense of how Malabrigo Lace knits up. Come by the shop to take a closer look, and pick up a few skeins for yourself!

For crocheters.

Posted by Julia on June 22, 2014

Two new titles came in this week, speaking directly to crocheters: the Summer 2014 issue of Interweave Crochet, and a new book, Reversible Color Crochet.

Interweave Crochet came in this week full of ideas for summertime stitching.

With a focus on openwork and lace, this issue of Interweave Crochet features patterns for tops, shawls, jewelry, and more, including a tutorial on joining to crochet in rounds.

Laurinda Reddig’s Reversible Color Crochet shows a new technique for what might be described as crocheted intarsia. Reddig’s fabric, though, is identical on both sides, without the messy-looking wrong-side you can get with knitted intarsia.

Reddig gives clear guidance for how to work with multiple colors at once, and shares patterns for quilt-blocks that can be combined for unique crocheted afghans.

Come by the shop for inspiration, and to plan your next crochet project!

New colors in Shibui Linen.

Posted by Julia on June 20, 2014

Linen is the newest Shibui yarn in our collection, a chain-plied yarn in a light fingering weight. We’ve stocked it for just over a month, and already we’ve had to reorder many of the six colors we started out with. Thrilled that knitters and crocheters are as intrigued by the stuff as we are, we ordered a few new colors, too.

We now have Shibui Linen in “Ivory,” “Poppy,” and “Suit,” and they make nice additions to our color selection. I got to arranging them in groups of fours as I photographed them, thinking of Shibui’s free pattern, “L.1.”

“L.1” is a simple striped wrap shown in two main colors, neutrals, and two contrasting colors, one bright and one dark. With that composition in mind, I came up with these colorways, though of course there are many different color strategies to play with.

Come by the shop to see Shibui Linen for yourself, and while you’re here, be sure to admire Amy’s “Mix No. 28,” a vest made with Shibui Linen and Pebble held together. See you there!

Upcoming classes.

Posted by Julia on June 17, 2014

Our wonderful teachers have been busy preparing for upcoming classes, stitching samples and planning their knitterly curriculum.

Amy recently brought a batch of her self-published “Knitting Basic Socks” booklets to the shop, the textbook for her upcoming class by the same name. The booklet and class will guide you through the construction of a simple pair of socks knit on double-pointed needles from cuff to toe. She hand-bound each booklet with one of my favorite sock yarns, Colinette Jitterbug.

Come by the shop to take a closer look at Amy’s sock-knitting booklet, and sign up for her upcoming “Knitting Basic Socks” class for hands-on, in-person instruction.

I recently finished knitting this “Yipes Stripes Cowl,” by Ann Weaver, the subject of Katherine’s newest class. I used five shades of Plymouth Suri Merino, and knit the motifs out of order just because I could. During the 3-color braid, I worked with all three yarns flung across the room, giving them plenty of room to twist around one another, as they naturally do, and then untwist stitch by stitch on the following row.

You may recall that Anne knit one, too; they’re both on display at the shop now, illustrating how the same pattern can yield such different results just by changing the yarn and colors used. I can’t wait to see what Katherine’s looks like, and everyone else who’s taking the class! Sign up now to learn all the techniques you’ll encounter in a “Yipes Stripes Cowl” and get started on one of your own.

Marsha’s newest class will teach how to make a pair of “Podster Gloves,” a convertible glove/mitten with a peek-a-boo thumb, allowing you to keep your hands warm but free your fingers quickly to navigate a smartphone, should the need arise.

Marsha knit this “Podster Glove” in Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette, a sport weight blend of merino, alpaca, and silk. Worked up at a gauge of 8 stitches per inch, these are cozy gloves indeed. Come by the shop to see Marsha’s sample glove, and sign up for her class to have support in knitting some for yourself!

Amy finished her “Mix No. 28” vest in record time, working with two strands throughout: Shibui Linen and Pebble. Together, these two yarns make a unique fabric, combining the cool drape of the linen and the soft tweedy texture of Pebble’s wool, cashmere, and silk.

It’s a perfect fabric for an open vest like this one, with its clever integrated scarf. Amy has kindly left her “Mix No. 28” vest with us as a temporary shop sample–come by to see it for yourself, and join Amy’s “Mix No. 28” class to have guidance in making one of your own!

Thanks to all our teachers for continuing to dream up exciting new classes! You can read more about all of them on the “Classes” page, and sign up online via Paypal if you like. See you at the shop!

Crochet accessories and knit lace: two new books.

Posted by Julia on June 10, 2014

Two new books from Interweave have found a home at the shop: It Girl Crochet and New Vintage Lace.

It Girl Crochet boasts 23 patterns for crocheted accessories, from hats and mitts to scarves, cowls, and shawls. I spotted some HYS yarns as I flipped through the patterns; a hat in Mirasol Nuna, a shawl in Malabrigo Lace, and another in Shibui Silk Cloud.

Andrea Jurgrau’s New Vintage Lace is a collection of knitting patterns inspired by traditional lace doily patterns.

I was particularly impressed by the amount of information up front about the materials and design of garments like these, including detailed discussions of different fiber types and their various attributes, kinds of beads and how to apply them, gauge, swatching, blocking, and more.

The patterns are lovely, as well, with many familiar yarns at play; a hat in Malabrigo Silky Merino, and two shawls in Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb.

Come by the shop to peruse the latest books and magazines, including It Girl Crochet and New Vintage Lace–you’ll find them on the teacart. See you there!

Back in stock: Kauni Effektgarn.

Posted by Julia on June 8, 2014

We like to keep a decent supply of Kauni Effektgarn on hand, a nice selection of colors, from quiet neutrals to bold brights. There are a few particularly popular colorways, however, and one of our first TNNA tasks was to get them back in stock.

Kauni is a sport-weight, self-striping wool, unique even among its fellow self-striping yarns at the shop for its long stretches of color. Anne knit the above “Wingspan” to show off the long repeats in each color, and this short-row-shaped shawlette is a great project for highlighting Kauni. She used just one ball of color EF, which moves through shades of denim blue, mauve, green, and purple.

Rosi and I both worked on the “Kauni Color Wave Shawl” that hangs in the shop, showing another interesting use of the yarn.

Two shades of Kauni, EA and ED, are striped against one another in this garter stitch shawl. I would never have thought to put them together; Kauni can surprise you that way sometimes, entertaining you with its shifting shades as you stitch.

Perhaps the most popular Kauni colorway is EQ, a bright, bold rainbow.

Last Fall, a knitter brought in her “Spectra” scarf made in this signature shade of Kauni, and I photographed it for the blog. I love this clever use for the yarn, the way the colors frame one another in the pattern.

We’re thrilled to have these Kauni colors back in stock! Come by the shop to see them and many more, and to plan your next project. See you there!

Post-Market Sale spotlight: Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK.

Posted by Julia on June 6, 2014

From Friday May 23rd through June 29th, we will have select yarns discounted during our Post-Market Sale: single skeins will be reduced by 30% and full bags of 10 will be 40% off! Throughout the sale, I’ll be highlighting some of these yarns and giving ideas for what to make with them. Today: spotlight on Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK.

Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK is a soft, fluffy, single-ply yarn, coming in a range of neutrals and soft shades of pink, purple, blue, and green.

Rosi knit this “Herz & Baum” vest with Organic Merino Wool DK a few years ago, covered with intricate cable patterning. Look for it at the shop to get a sense of the nice, gentle way this yarn renders texture patterns, and check out our “Post-Market Sale” board on Pinterest for more projects made in this and other sale yarns.

Each 50 gram skein has 113 yards, and suggests a gauge of 5.5 stitches to the inch, though its loftiness means that it’s happy at a bigger gauge, too. Therefore, you can consider Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK for patterns calling for worsted weight yarns as well as those that want DK.

Heidi Kirrmair’s “Tea with Jam and Bread” pullover calls for worsted weight yarn to be knit to a gauge of 19 stitches = 4 inches, a fabric that Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK will happily knit up to without being loose or floppy. It’s a cozy stockinette sweater with bold colorblock stripes and pockets, sized for children and adults alike, and it’s also the reason I arranged shades of Organic Merino Wool DK in threes for this blog post.

Organic Merino Wool DK makes nice accessories as well–pick two shades for the “Quaking Aspen” shawl, or just one for shawls like “Saroyan” or “Terra.” Just a ball or two will make a pair of “Cafe au Lait Mitts” or “Fetchings,” perfect for gift-knitting or trying lace or cables on a small project.

Come by the shop soon to have the best selection of this gorgeous yarn at this nice price. It’s still early on in the sale, and we have full bags available in many colors, but they may not last long–hope to see you at the shop soon!

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted yarn. There can be no returns or exchanges, nor special orders–the discount applies only to what we currently have in stock. Thanks!

Post-Market Sale spotlight: Ella Rae Classic Wool.

Posted by Julia on June 2, 2014

From Friday May 23rd through June 29th, we will have select yarns discounted during our Post-Market Sale: single skeins will be reduced by 30% and full bags of 10 will be 40% off! Throughout the sale, I’ll be highlighting some of these yarns and sharing ideas for what to make with them. Today: spotlight on Ella Rae Classic Wool.

Ella Rae Classic Wool is aptly-named, an obedient worsted weight wool with 219 yards on each 100 gram ball. It’s not superwash, so it will happily felt when exposed to moisture, heat, and agitation, making it perfect for felting projects from slippers and hats to bowls and bags.

Classic Wool is smooth and tightly plied, giving it excellent stitch definition for all kinds of patterning. It seems particularly well-suited to cable-knitting; Marsha used it to knit this sample “Fine Fella” hat.

I recently created a new Pinterest board that shows projects made in our Post-Market Sale yarns, and there I discovered that Ella Rae Classic Wool is often used as a substitute for Shelter in Brooklyn Tweed patterns like “Levenwick,” “Guernsey Wrap,” and “Brownstone.” The Brooklyn Tweed and Wool People collections are amazing resources for patterns in worsted weight yarn; most of them are available as Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sales, so make a note of which ones you like and we’ll be happy to print a copy for you when you buy them at the shop, and save a digital copy in your email, too.

Save 30% on single skeins of Ella Rae Classic Wool during our Post-Market Sale, or 40% on bags of 10. Come soon for the best selection–see you there!

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted yarn. There can be no returns or exchanges, nor special orders–the discount applies only to what we currently have in stock. Thanks!

Fair isle tams.

Posted by Julia on May 31, 2014

If you’ve visited the shop in the past month or two, you may have noticed our stash of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift front-and-center in the second room. We’ve recently replenished our supply of the stuff, inspiring us to plan some colorwork projects.

I finished knitting the “Autumn Tam” just before we left for TNNA, where we serendipitously encountered its designer, Sandy Blue. I had so much fun knitting it, not only because of the clear, engaging pattern and well-reasoned color combination, but also because I just love this yarn. I’ve already picked out enough for a sweater: “Puffin,” by Kate Davies.

I’m happy to announce that Nancy Cavender is offering a class at the shop on knitting fair isle tams, giving students the choice of Sandy Blue’s “Autumn” or “Midnight Sun” tam patterns. Head to the “Classes” page on our website to sign up now!

We also got a new book on the subject, Mary Rowe’s Knitting Tams: Charted Fair Isle Designs, published by one of our favorites–Schoolhouse Press.

Most of these patterns, like the “Autumn Tam,” are knit in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, though a couple of them call for heavier yarns. Anne snapped up a copy of this book the day it arrived, and I can’t blame her; these are exciting patterns for lovers of colorwork.

I’m equally excited about our newly-acquired Jamieson’s color-card, which shows all 200+ shades of Shetland Spindrift. We can’t stock them all here at the shop, but if you’re looking for any colors in particular, do let us know and we’ll be happy to order them for you.

Come by the shop to see our sample “Autumn Tam” and plan a fair isle tam of your own!

Knitscene Accessories.

Posted by Julia on May 29, 2014

Yet another new magazine is here: Knitscene Accessories 2014!

This annual special issue is packed with patterns and tutorials for summertime stitching, when small projects feel just right. Here’s a cowl knit in Shibui Cima, and a scarf knit in Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball.

There are plenty of pleasing patterns in this issue, but I’m most impressed by the articles, which teach how to cable without a cable needle, convert top-down sock patterns to toe-up and vice versa, and double-knit.

Come by the shop to grab a copy of Knitscene Accessories!