New from Plymouth.

Posted by Julia on September 4, 2013

We get a lot of big boxes in the mail at the shop, especially this time of year, as all the new Fall things are coming in. Those big boxes give our UPS and Fed-Ex delivery people a workout, and we get used to seeing them every day. One of the boxes we recently unpacked came from Plymouth, and was filled with new colors in some of our best-loved Plymouth yarns.

Galway is our go-to worsted weight wool, a smooth and obedient yarn that is economical and easy to use for brand new knitters and crocheters, to whom we always recommend it. Each 100 gram ball has 210 yards, enough for a hat, small scarf, or a pair of mittens. Its excellent stitch definition makes Galway a great choice for cable-knitting, or any other texture pattern. Galway is also great for felting projects, and comes in a rainbow of colors. This fall, they added four more to their palette, shown above.

We also got four more colors in Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande, a super-bulky yarn composed of 100% baby alpaca. Baby Alpaca Grande is fluffy and soft, perfect for scarves, cowls, and other accessories one might wear next-to-skin. At a suggested gauge of 3 stitches per inch on a US #10.5, it knits up quickly, which can be quite encouraging, indeed.

Alpaca Prima is a brand new Plymouth yarn for us, also made of delightfully soft and fluffy alpaca, but at a finer gauge: fingering weight. Each skein has 362 yards, enough for a hat or small shawlette, or perhaps a pair of mitts. One knitter shrewdly paired it up with a Kira K hat pattern almost as soon as it came in; a glance through our pattern binders or suggested patterns on Ravelry should yield plenty of inspiration, as well.

Come by the shop to browse all our new yarns, and to see the latest colors in old favorites like Galway and Baby Alpaca Grande. See you there!

Wisdom Wrap, in progress.

Posted by Julia on September 2, 2013

Right before we left for market in June, Anne started knitting a Wisdom Wrap, one of Gina Wilde’s shibori felting designs for Alchemy Yarns. We’d seen (and played dress-up with) a Wisdom Wrap at market the year before, and kept it in mind all year.

It’s an unusual piece, but simple to construct. The first step is to make long stretches of i-cord with Sanctuary, a luxuriously soft blend of merino and silk. Then stitches are picked up along the length of the i-cord and knit up into garter stitch rectangles using Silken Straw.

The end result is a kind of i-cord scaffolding, which frames the Silken Straw color-blocks. When the knitting is done, the Wisdom Wrap is ready to be felted, just like the Simple Shibori Cowl. The Sanctuary i-cord shrinks and felts, looking almost like a velvet rope, and the Silken Straw rectangles soften and stretch out. It’s a bit of a leap of faith, but having seen the finished wrap at market and tried it myself on a smaller scale with the cowl, we feel confident that a successful shibori transformation awaits. In the meantime, Anne is hard at work on the wrap, working lengths of i-cord in between blocks of garter stitch–soothing knitting.

Besides the meditative knitting process, one of the major joys of an Alchemy project is choosing from their outstanding, vibrant color palette. Though she was picking from a smaller selection, before our colors numbered in double digits as they do today, Anne put together a beautiful colorway for her Wisdom Wrap, which calls for one shade in Sanctuary and four in Silken Straw.

In selecting colors for a Wisdom Wrap, one strategy is to begin with the Sanctuary, which comes in variegated colorways. From there, you can use the same colorway in Silken Straw, and then pull out three solid colors in the Silken Straw that appear in the variegated color you’ve chosen. Anne is using Sanctuary in color “Dark Star,” and Silken Straw in “Dark Star,” “Jungle Juice,” “Citrine,” and “Coco Rosie.” As I was arranging the Silken Straw in its basket, I couldn’t help but play the Wisdom Wrap game, putting potential colorways together, sometimes following the strategy I just laid out, sometimes not.

I could play this game all day. Come in to plan a Wisdom Wrap of your own!

Hello again, Alchemy.

Posted by Julia on August 31, 2013

One of the most exciting orders we placed at TNNA this year was with Alchemy Yarns of Transformation. We first discovered Alchemy at last year’s TNNA, when we dipped our toe in the water with a few colors each in two of their yarns, Silken Straw and Sanctuary. Back home at the shop, the Alchemy yarns were a hit; many admired the sample White Caps Cowl that Anne knit up, striping Silken Straw with Habu Cotton Nerimaki Slub. We loved seeing the different color combinations that our knitters put together, and it wasn’t long before our stock of Silken Straw had dwindled to a mere handful of skeins. We knew we’d dive in deeper with Alchemy the second time around, and now that our big TNNA order has arrived, you can see exactly how deep we dove.

At TNNA in June, we sat down with Gina and Austin Wilde, head alchemists over at Alchemy, and they helped us carefully select an astonishing 20 colors in Silken Straw, and 8 in Sanctuary, a soft and springy blend of merino and silk.

The two yarns are often used together in Gina Wilde’s signature shibori felted designs, so it was important to create complementary palettes in each yarn. We admired all of Alchemy’s knit samples at market, and came home with two special skeins to create an Alchemy sample of our own: the Simple Shibori Cowl.

This lacy cowl is constructed of both Silken Straw and Sanctuary in a straightforward feather and fan pattern, then (gulp) thrown into the washing machine to be felted. The Sanctuary felts because of its merino wool content, shrinking into a fuzzy, velvety stripe whose individual stitches are no longer distinguishable. Meanwhile, the Silken Straw stretches out, becoming softer and draping gently.

I confess, I held my breath as I tossed the cowl in my washing machine, but it quickly became clear that there was nothing to be afraid of. I checked every minute or two to see how the felting was progressing and removed the cowl when it was done, then laid it flat to dry. The transformation was fascinating, and the finished cowl is lightweight and lovely.

Want to make a Simple Shibori Cowl of your own? With all these colors, there are many beautiful combinations to choose from.

Look for the Simple Shibori Cowl pattern in the Alchemy pattern binder, where you’ll find plenty of interesting uses for these singular yarns.

Anne has a Wisdom Wrap on the needles, a little over halfway done–more on that another day. Come by the shop to see all our Alchemy yarns and patterns, and to plan your next project!

Hook and needle cases from Della Q.

Posted by Julia on August 29, 2013

Back in June, we travelled to TNNA, saw many of our favorite yarn companies, and placed a bunch of orders for the shop. The new Fall things are starting to come in, and its no surprise that it’s mostly yarn. Here and there, however, we receive boxes of other knitting- and crochet-related goodies, including organizational things like these hook and needle cases from Della Q.

Handcrafted from lustrous silk fabric, Della Q’s cases remind us that every aspect of our craft can be as pleasing as it is functional, from the patterns to the fibers to the tools to how we store them. The Crochet Roll has a space for hooks of all sizes with labels that make it easy to find exactly the hook you’re looking for.

When it’s rolled up and tied, all your hooks are snug and secure, and they wont take up much space in a tote with your projects and notions.

The Double Point Needle Roll works the same way, but is designed to hold sets of double pointed needles instead of hooks.

If your own collection of hooks and needles is in need of neat and pretty storage, come by the shop to take a closer look at these Della Q cases, along with our other organizational tools. See you there!

Interweave Knits: Holiday Gifts, 2013.

Posted by Julia on August 27, 2013

The latest magazine to arrive at the shop is Interweave Knits’ annual Holiday Gifts issue.

The Holiday Gifts issues are always bigger than the typical Interweave Knits, with more projects and greater variety. I spotted a lot of familiar yarns in use as I looked through the patterns, from knitted accessories and home goods to garments for adults and children. This textured pullover appealed to me even before I knew it was made in the luxurious Swans Island Organic Merino Worsted.

This little vest calls for Malabrigo Rios, a favorite superwash, worsted weight merino wool around here. It would also look great in Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted if more solid colors were desired.

This delicate lace scarf was made with just one skein of Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb, a soft lambswool yarn that boasts 825 yards per ball.

This colorful afghan makes the most of the many yards on each skein of Cascade Eco+.

Plymouth Galway is our most basic worsted weight wool, smooth, sturdy and reliable, and coming in a huge palette of colors. This slouchy hat is made with only one or two skeins.

Look for the Holiday Gifts issue on the teacart, amongst the newest magazines and books. See you at the shop!

New colors in Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted.

Posted by Julia on August 25, 2013

We’ve haven’t been carrying Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted for much more than a year, but already it feels like a staple at the shop. This worsted weight, machine-washable merino is good for so many things, and it’s one of the softest and well-behaved yarns of its kind that we’ve found. In fact, Clara Parkes called it “the Charmin of yarns” in her Knitter’s Review.

This fall, like last fall, Ewe Ewe has introduced new colors, rounding out their palette with a true black, a pale gray, pastel hues, and a vivid orange and blue.

As a designer and the owner of Ewe Ewe Yarns, Heather Walpole is always coming up with new ways for knitters and crocheters to use Wooly Worsted, so it’s no surprise that we also have a handful of new Ewe Ewe patterns to share. Its softness and easy-care make Wooly Worsted perfect for baby things and accessories for all ages, or any kind of garment that will get a lot of wear.

I started crocheting a sample Wearever Wrap for the shop when the new Ewe Ewe colors and patterns arrived; a few afternoons later, it’s done, and ready for blocking and tassels. Crochet is speedy, indeed. Here’s a peek.

Look for these and other patterns in the Ewe Ewe binder, and come by to see the latest shades of Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted!

Kira K Designs and Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sales.

Posted by Julia on August 23, 2013

Yesterday’s blog post was all about the latest Kira K patterns we’ve stocked at the shop. Kira Dulaney is a prolific designer of both knit and crochet garments, however, and we wanted our knitters and crocheters to be able to see her whole collection. Kira, like many designers, has made her patterns available as Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sales. This means that you can buy them at the shop, have us print a copy for you, and also know that a digital copy is saved in your Ravelry pattern library or sent to your email.

We now have a Kira K Designs binder at the shop with sample copies of all her patterns, so you can take a closer look at them before you decide to buy. If you find one you like in the sample pattern binder, just let us know and we’ll do a Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sale so you can have a print and digital copy of your own.

Flipping through this varied collection of knit and crochet patterns, I noticed some familiar yarns put to good use. This cardigan is made in Cascade Ultra Pima, a dk weight mercerized cotton with a lovely sheen.

This textured hat is made in Swans Island Organic Merino Worsted, a great way to use a skein of this special yarn.

Many knitters have admired the Gemini tee hanging in the shop that’s made in Katia Linen–here’s another summery top made in the same yarn, a dk weight blend of cotton and linen.

There are so many more Kira K patterns tucked into this binder: skirts, hats, gloves and mitts, scarves and cowls, sweaters and jackets and children’s garments. Be sure to take a look next time you’re in the shop, you may find your next project there!

Kira K Designs, for crocheters and knitters alike.

Posted by Julia on August 22, 2013

We were first acquainted with designer Kira Dulaney at last year’s TNNA, when we found her booth alongside Sincere Sheep, offering patterns for Sincere Sheep Equity Sport. This year we visited her booth again, remembering that she offered as many crochet patterns as knitting patterns, and filled up on both. We’ve seen a resurgence of interest in crochet of late, with more and more of our knitters becoming “bilingual,” including myself. Thumbing through the patterns as I unpacked them last week, I kept thinking of yarns that would pair well with each one.

This crocheted shawl was even more beautiful in person than in the photo, and would be lovely made up in Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere.

This openwork crocheted scarf or wrap calls for sport weight yarn, immediately bringing two of our favorite sport weight yarns to mind: String Theory Selku and Malabrigo Arroyo.

Both the above and below crocheted hats call for fingering weight yarn, so there are plenty of tempting choices. String Theory Bluestocking, Ultra Alpaca Fine, Swans Island Organic Merino Fingering, Mountain Colors Bearfoot… I could play this game all day.

Look for all of these patterns in the Crochet Patterns binder by the front window!

We got a few new Kira K patterns for knitting, too. This one also calls for fingering weight, so all of the yarns I’ve mentioned would be great choices for this cabled hat, along with Malabrigo Sock, Isager Highland, and Titus.

This knit cowl and mitt set calls for worsted to aran weight yarn, and the silvery purple/gray color it’s shown in made me think of these shades in Ultra Alpaca and Lustra.

Inspired by Kira K Designs? There are plenty more beyond these; all of Kira Dulaney’s designs are available as Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sales. More on that in tomorrow’s blog post. Come by the shop to see these newest yarns and patterns, and pair them up for your next project!

Back in stock: Knitter’s Pride needles.

Posted by Julia on August 20, 2013

Our Annual Inventory Sale left us with some big holes in our supply of Knitter’s Pride needles, so it was with great relief that I unpacked an absolutely enormous shipment of needles this past week. Now they’re all here: circular and double pointed Dreamz, Cubics, and Karbonz needles. We even got a set of the new Karbonz interchangeable circular needles, which boasts the smallest interchangeable needle points we’ve seen yet, with a range from US #2.5 – #10.

All three needle types have different qualities, which make them better suited to some tasks than others. Every knitter seems to have a favorite or two, usually depending upon what kind of yarn or project they’re using it for. The right tool can make a huge difference in the process of knitting. Sometimes it’s the difference between frustration and joy, or the difference between giving up and finishing a project.

We’re always happy to hear knitters’ feedback on different needle types, as it helps us to advise other knitters as they’re choosing the right needles for any given fiber or project. What are your favorite needles, and why?

New colors in Berroco yarns.

Posted by Julia on August 18, 2013

This week brought big boxes of yarn from Berroco. The yarns are familiar–Ultra Alpaca Fine, Ultra Alpaca, and Lustra–but the colors are brand new, just introduced by Berroco for Fall.

Ultra Alpaca Fine is a fingering weight blend of wool, alpaca, and nylon. Its fiber content and gauge suggest socks, but Ultra Alpaca Fine is equally at home in larger garments, and especially shines in openwork scarves and shawls. The alpaca content gives it a bit of a fuzzy halo, something to keep in mind if you’re planning a project that requires sharp stitch definition–those fuzzy fibers can obscure delicate texture patterns a bit. That said, those fuzzy fibers also give the finished fabric softness and warmth. These 9 new colors really brighten the Ultra Alpaca Fine palette, and beg to be combined; perhaps a Stripe Study Shawl, or Selbu Modern tam.

Ultra Alpaca is a staple around here, an affordable worsted weight blend of alpaca and wool that comes in a multitude of colors. It’s a warm and wooly yarn, great for sweaters, hats, shawls and scarves. One of our teachers, Katherine, recently picked up some Ultra Alpaca to make the Guernsey Wrap, a happy pairing of yarn and pattern; I can’t wait to see how it comes out.

Many of the best-loved shades in Ultra Alpaca are heathered, colors which read solid from a distance but on closer inspection are subtly mottled with fibers of different hues. The latest shades in Lustra are all heathered, adding depth to these shiny, fuzzy skeins.

Lustra is a single-ply aran weight yarn, a 50/50 blend of wool and Tencel, a plant fiber derived from tree bark. It’s the Tencel that makes Lustra so lustrous, a quality that has drawn knitters and crocheters to this yarn for as long as we’ve stocked it. Like all single-ply yarns, Lustra is a little delicate, and will pill or shed fibers more quickly than plied yarns. That makes it ideal for garments that don’t get a lot of hard wear, like a cowl, scarf, or shawl; a Honey Cowl, Saroyan scarf, or Springtime Bandit shawl would be lovely made up in Lustra. Arm yourself with a Lilly Brush and you can better care for your cuddly soft single-ply garments.

Come by the shop to see these favorite yarns in brand new colors, and begin planning your next project. See you there!