Tag Archives: shibui

Show and tell: PetiteKnit patterns.

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It’s been far too long since I shared show-and-tell here on the blog, though it’s an ongoing part of our daily Instagram posts – let’s see what folks have been making with yarn from our shop!

PetiteKnit has become one of the most-mentioned knitwear designers here at our shop. Almost every day, at least one knitter comes in shopping for, working on, or wearing a PetiteKnit design. Here are some of the PetiteKnit projects I’ve captured lately!

Margaretta is a fan of PetiteKnit – here are her two most recent sweaters, “Ingrid Sweater Baby” in Berroco Ultra Wool above, and “Moby Sweater” in Isager Jensen and Silk Mohair below.

Morgan knit this “No Frills Sweater” with Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Isager Silk Mohair held together throughout – the result is lovely, a perfect balance of structure and softness.

Michele came in wearing her first PetiteKnit sweater, “Sycamore Sweater,” and reports that the pattern was detailed and well written – she used Isager Jensen, Spinni, and Shibui Tweed Silk Cloud in this striking garment.

I knit my first PetiteKnit pattern recently, too, though it’s a far simpler design – here’s the “Sophie Shawl” I knit as a shop sample in Fibre Co. & Make Aran. The size small makes a such a nice scarf, wrapped around and tied like a kerchief, that I decided to make one for myself, too!

Thanks to Margaretta, Morgan, and Michele for sharing their work with us! We love to see what you make with our yarns, and can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Goodbye, Shibui Knits – 40% off!

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As many of you have already heard, Shibui Knits is no more, and though we’re sad to see them go, we’re happy to offer you a discount – 40% off all in-stock Shibui yarns and patterns!

We are so sad to say goodbye to Shibui, a company whose luxurious yarns and distinctive design aesthetic have been a part of our shop for 10 of our 16 years in business. Over the years, we hosted Shibui trunk shows and mix parties, eagerly anticipated their new yarns and colorways each season, and knit many of their patterns. Now, after a tough couple of years, the folks at Shibui have decided to close up shop, and we’re sending them off with a sale.

As of now, we have over a dozen different Shibui yarns, some in many colors and some in a dwindling few, some in sweater quantities and others in short supply. The best way to see them is to come in and shop around – we’ve created three sale sections especially for Shibui.

We have a small selection of Shibui kits at 40% off, too – look for these near the sale trunk!

Come by to pick up your favorite Shibui yarns before they’re gone for good, and shop early for best selection! We’re open from 11am – 5:30 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges, returns, or special orders. Thanks!

WestKnits MKAL 2022!

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We know many of you are fans of designer Stephen West and often participate in his annual Mystery Knit-Alongs – it’s that time of year again, and “Twists & Turns” is the pattern-to-be. It calls for 3 colors of fingering weight yarn: 780 yards of a Main Color, 780 yards of a Contrast Color, and 390 yards of an Accent color. We have tons of fingering weight yarns to choose from here at the shop, from saturated hand-dyes to muted heathers, fuzzy alpaca to smooth superwash merino, and so much more. Here are some color ideas!

  • Kelbourne Woolens Perennial: light fingering weight, 60% superwash merino, 25% suri alpaca, 15% nylon, 497 yards/100 g; $26 each, or $130 for “Twists & Turns”

  • Shibui Koan: fingering weight, 70% linen, 30% silk, 248 yards/50 grams; $22 each, or $220 for “Twists & Turns”

Join WestKnits MKAL 2022 by purchasing the pattern on Ravelry – you’ll get an introductory PDF with all the details, so you’ll be ready to cast on when the first clue arrives on October 6.

We’d love to help you find the perfect yarn for your “Twists & Turns” shawl! There are so many possibilities here at our shop – come by between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays, and we’ll be happy to show you around. We’re still taking online orders for local pickup or shipping, too; just fill out our online form. Hope to see you at the shop!

Show and tell!

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Back with more show and tell! Here’s another batch of completed projects made with yarns from our shop. If you follow us on Instagram, some of these may look familiar – let’s take a closer look at these beautiful knits.

Pam has been busy making “Rainy Day Hats” with Pascuali Balayage – we love her modification to include more contrast colors, and more stripes! Pattern by Melanie Berg.

Here’s Hazel’s “Cloves Entwined Toque,” knit with Koigu KPPPM and Isager Alpaca 1 held together. Pattern by Tif Neilan.

Here’s another Koigu project – Linda in her “Solstice Sunset” shawl, knit with KPPPM and Shibui Silk Cloud held together throughout. Pattern by Andrea Hungerford.

Here’s Elizabeth with her “Slipstravaganza,” an impressive shawl knit with Malabrigo Sock during last year’s WestKnits MKAL. Pattern by Stephen West.

Michele came in wearing her lovely “Purl Strings,” a pullover she knit with Brooklyn Tweed Dapple. Pattern by Heidi Kirrmeier.

Thanks to Pam, Hazel, Linda, Elizabeth, and Michele for sharing their work with us! We love to see what you make with our yarns, and can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Laine Magazine, No. 12.

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The newest issue of Laine Magazine is here!

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers as its focus, and a reputation for beautiful designs and tantalizing photography.

Issue 12 features patterns from an amazing group of designers, the likes of Olga Buraya-Kefelian, Kristin Drysdale, Tamy Gore, Jeanette Sloan, and more.

I spotted a few familiar yarns among these designs, the kind of rustic wool that Anne and I have such a soft spot for – here’s the toothy Isager Jensen in a dramatic cable and drop stitch yoke by Olga Buraya-Kefelian, followed by Kristin Drysdale’s colorwork pullover in Tukuwool Fingering.

We love super soft fibers, too, of course – how about Shibui Haven, a merino/cashmere blend? Dee Hardwicke has put it to use in a colorwork cowl and mitt set, below.

Laine No. 12 is $30 each – come by the shop or order online for local pickup or shipping! We also have Laine No. 8, No. 10, and No. 11 in stock, and Laine’s most recent books, Fair Isle Weekend, Strands of Joy, 52 Weeks of Shawls, and 52 Weeks of Socks – now in paperback. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: more sweaters!

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It’s been fun going back through show and tell photos from Instagram over the past year since our closure – there are so many incredible projects to share. Let’s take a look at some sweaters!

Like many of us, Linda spent much of the past year finishing lingering projects, and here she is modeling one of them – “Galloway,” a colorwork cardigan designed by Jared Flood for Brooklyn Tweed Shelter.

Above is Rosi’s “Cloudy Blouse,” an intricate embroidered pullover designed by Helga Isager for Isager Spinni.

Here’s Pat in her “Donner,” knit with Malabrigo Caprino and trimmed with Shibui Haven.

Linda knit this “Orime” top with Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, a smooth and springy yarn that’s perfect for showing off the subtle stitch pattern in Veronik Avery’s design.

Here’s Laura, showing off her beautiful “Zahavi,” designed by Emily Greene for Brooklyn Tweed Arbor – another yarn with superb stitch definition.

Above is Patricia’s “Peace Lily Blouse,” knit for her daughter using Kelbourne Woolens Mojave. She modified this cropped top by lengthening the ribbing, a clever and easy fix that changes the whole look of the garment.

Here’s Denise’s first ever steeked sweater, Caitlin Hunter’s “Ramblin Woman” cardigan, knit with Isager Jensen.

Thanks to Linda, Rosi, Pat, Linda, Laura, Patricia, and Denise for sharing their work with us! We can’t wait to see what you make next.

Yarn ideas for “Illuminate,” by Andrea Mowry.

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Andrea Mowry’s latest design has us playing the color game… here are some yarn ideas for “Illuminate,” a striking striped pullover with a colorwork yoke.

“Illuminate,” by Andrea Mowry. Photo © Andrea Mowry

Mowry uses a sport weight wool for the main color, and doubles up a lace weight mohair/silk blend for the contrast color. For the lace weight yarn, we love Shibui Silk Cloud – it’s soft and fuzzy and seems to glow with saturated color.

Shibui Silk Cloud:  lace weight, 60% mohair, 40% silk, 330 yards/25 g; $26.50 each ($28.50 for Julie Hoover colorways)

I looked through our sport weight yarns for main color options and found several that paired well with Shibui:

Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03: sport weight, 100% merino wool, 170 yards/50g; $16.50 each

Mountain Meadow Wool Cody: sport weight, hand-dyed, 100% merino wool, 200 yards/50 g; $9.80 each

Kelbourne Woolens Andorra: sport weight, 60% merino wool, 20% highland wool, 20% mohair, 185 yards/50 g; $12 each

Swans Island All American Sport: sport weight, hand-dyed, 100% Rambouillet wool, 185 yards/40 g; $12.50 each

Reach out if any of these combinations catches your eye – we’re happy to help calculate yardage or answer any questions that come up as you plan an “Illuminate” sweater of your own!

Tukuwool Fingering & Silk Cloud + Sea Mist.

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Flipping through the most recent issue of Laine Magazine, I was struck by how many patterns are shown in fuzzy yarns, with a soft halo from alpaca or mohair. One in particular caught my eye: “Sea Mist,” by George Cullen, an asymmetrical triangular shawl that pairs a rustic Shetland wool with a floaty mohair/silk blend.

Mohair is often held together with other yarns to add softness, but not in this case – here, Cullen moves between the two yarns in different sections of brioche and ribbed lace, highlighting the contrast between the textures and fibers.

Tukuwool Fingering and Shibui Silk Cloud are two such contrasting yarns, and they’re perfect for knitting a “Sea Mist” shawl. Here are a few color combinations I came up with!

Prefer to choose your own colors? Make an in-store shopping appointment to do just that! Or scroll down to see all the available shades in Tukuwool Fingering and Shibui Silk Cloud, and order online for local pickup or shipping. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Tukuwool Fingering:

  • fingering weight
  • 75% Finnsheep wool, 25% Texel wool
  • 213 yards/50 g
  • $12.50 each

Shibui Silk Cloud:

  • lace weight
  • 60% mohair, 40% silk
  • 330 yards/25 g
  • $26.50 each ($28.50 for Julie Hoover colorways)

Koan + Ascend.

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“Ascend” is a brand new pattern by Lucinda Iglesias, a bias-knit wrap with bold stripes at each end.

“Ascend,” by Lucinda Iglesias, knit with Shibui Koan in White, Abyss, and Ash.

Shibui Koan is a cool and lightweight blend of 70% linen and 30% mulberry silk, fibers known for drape and shimmer – they truly shine in this elegant warm weather accessory.

Shibui Koan:

  • light fingering weight
  • 70% linen, 30% silk
  • 248 yards/50 g
  • $21 each; $105 for 5 skeins needed to knit “Ascend”

“Ascend,” by Lucinda Iglesias, knit with Shibui Koan in Ivory, Pollen, and Graphite.

Shibui shows “Ascend” in two neutral colorways, one with a pop of Pollen; we’ve come up with a few more combinations!

The pattern is free when you buy 5 skeins of Shibui Koan for the project – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order. Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping, or make an in-store shopping appointment to choose for yourself!

HYS Hat Club: Quarter 4!

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The HYS Hat Club continues, and we’re opening it up for Quarter 4 signups!

HYS Hat Club is a subscription of thoughtfully curated hat projects for knitters, pairing yarns and patterns to keep you entertained all year long. Each quarter includes three hat projects (one per month), and a few other surprises along the way. This will be our last quarter, and it’s been so much fun to plan something special for these final 3 months!

HYS Hat Club, March 2021 – “Spruce & Lichen,” by Tif Neilan, 1 skein of Koigu KPPPM, 1 ball of Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering, 1 skein of Shibui Tweed Silk Cloud and one faux-leather sew-on tag (not pictured).

Patterns: Expect patterns from a variety of designers, using all kinds of techniques, anything from cables and texture patterns, stranded colorwork and mosaic knitting, marling, and beyond. 

Fiber: We love the elasticity of wool for hat-making, so there’ll be plenty of it, and all kinds!

Gauge: The yarns will vary in gauge, from fingering weight up to bulky. 

Color: Choose from four color palettes – warm, cool, neutral, and surprise; select a second palette if you’d like a bit more variety throughout the quarter.

Price, terms, and timing: 

Cost for HYS Hat Club Quarter 4, local pickup option: $150

Cost for HYS Hat Club Quarter 4, USPS shipping option: $174

Prepay for Quarter 4 by Saturday, June 19th, and expect an email early in July letting you know that your first HYS Hat Club order is ready for pickup or shipping. All HYS Hat Club sales are final, no returns or exchanges; discounts do not apply.

  • Quarter 4: July, August, September

HYS Hat Club, April 2021 – “Hatdana,” by Denise Bayron, 1 skein of Fibre Co. Cumbria Worsted, samples of Fibre Co. Lore and Gloves in a Bottle lotion, and HYS needle gauge.

Sign up for Quarter 4 using our online order form, answering the following questions:

  • Choose one or two color palettes: warm, cool, neutral, or surprise
  • Ravelry username:

HYS Hat Club, May 2021 – “Patikitiki Hat,” by Francoise Danoy, 2 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Dapple, sample of BT Ranch 03, and Baby Baggu project bag.

We can’t wait to share what we’ve been cooking up for the last hurrah of our HYS Hat Club, but each hat project is a surprise… Sign up for Quarter 4 by June 19th to join the club!