Obviously you are a person of great taste and refinement. We appreciate you joining us!
Free Pattern Friday – Be Knotty!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the one ball Be Knotty Scarf in Poems Uno.
We’re not kidding when we say it’s the easiest scarf ever. It’s a one row repeat, and on US Size 35/19mm needles, it goes in a flash.
We call it the Be Knotty scarf for the obvious reason – it has a nice open lacy knotted look. We also call it that because you can “be naughty” and pretend that you slaved over it when in fact, you worked it up in an evening. That’s the nice thing about Poems Uno Superwash (90yds/150g) – it’s big, the colors are bold, and it works up fast. Instant results.
Please enjoy this easy and gratifying scarf.
Happy knitting!
50 Garter Stitch Gifts Giveaway!
Labor Day weekend is the traditional start of Fall – a time when thoughts turn to warmer wools and holiday knitting. Fortunately, we’ve got just the thing to start you off with a bang!
We’re giving away a copy of the popular 50 Garter Stitch Gifts to Knit. All the patterns feature our Deluxe Worsted wool (220yds/100g), a favorite stash staple that comes in 120+ colors.
To fire your imagination, we’re including enough Deluxe Worsted to make the ZigZag Mosaic Scarf, a lengthwise-knit scarf that makes clever use of slipped stitches to create a mosaic effect.
To enter, just comment on this post and answer this question: what’s the longest a project has stayed unfinished in your WIP pile? I’ll start the ball rolling by saying that during a recent cleaning binge I conceded defeat and ripped out the baby blanket that I started… a couple of decades ago. That baby is long grown.
There are no wrong answers, and there’s no shame here. What there is, is a desire to jump start your holiday crafting, assuming you’re not already neck-deep in projects. Comment by Monday, Sept 21st for your chance to win. We’ll randomly select one entry to receive the prize.
Good luck – and happy knitting!
Bamboo Bloom Handpaints- Limited Edition 323 Hashi
One of the best things about my job is coming in in the morning to a brand new batch of yarn, fresh from the mill. This is an absolutely beautiful example. Bamboo Bloom Handpaints in color 323 Hashi.
Hashi means “bridge” in Japanese, and this colorway represents two meanings of the word. It’s evocative of a passage from one place to another – a bridge that we walk across step by step.
It’s also meaningful as a passage from one time to another, a bridge that we cross simply by living our lives. The muted buttery yellows and oranges of Autumn are there, along with an oaky brown. But they’re connected by shining strands of cream and silver, a nod to winter frost, fallen leaves, and a sun that has to work a little bit harder to warm us.
Bamboo Bloom color 323 Hashi is here as a limited edition. When it’s gone, it’s gone. And that, too, is fitting for the passing of the seasons. The season to come will be just a little bit different than every one before.
Bamboo Bloom is a popular yarn for its thick/thin quality and shiny/matte blend, and because of the many easy accessory patterns out there. Designers enjoy it as well. Take, for example, Vanessa Putt’s Striped Raglan Pullover in the Fall 2015 Vogue Knitting. It combines lightly heathered Llamalini (royal llama/linen/silk bourette) 101 Birchbark with coordinating Bamboo Bloom Handpaints 309 Nagano for an aesthetically pleasing blend of color and texture, perfect for this top-down loose-fitting bohemian pullover.
Looking at our new colorway 323 Hashi, I couldn’t help but think that it would be a great match for Llamalini color 107 Porpoise. The two together are a great earthy blend.
I’m currently making myself a one-ball cowl in Hashi. Since it’s a limited edition I couldn’t resist grabbing a hank while we still had some. When it’s all done, I’ll share it on our Facebook page.
Here’s hoping you enjoy the changing seasons, and find some inspiration in the world around you.
Happy crafting!
Gorgeous Giveaway!
Have you visited Annie’s Craft Store’s new site yet? I love features like Build-A-Kit, which makes it easy to grab everything I need for a project that catches my fancy. The stitch guides are a great help too – it’s nice to have that resource at my fingertips. Annie’s is proud of the new site too, with good reason, and they’re having a sale to celebrate!
From now until Jan 23rd, use the code NEWYARN at the Annie’s site and get 20% off any yarn purchase. This is great, because we all know, even if you’re on a yarn diet, sale yarn doesn’t count!
To keep the celebration rolling, they’re also giving away a subscription to Crochet! magazine. We’re partnering with them for one of our favorite projects from the Spring 2015 issue, Amy Gunderson’s Bruges Edged Round Throw shown below (Ravelry link here). What a great burst of color for Spring!
So here’s the deal: comment on this post and tell us your favorite kind of project to crochet. We’ll select one entry to win a year’s subscription to Crochet! magazine as well as enough yarn to make the Bruges Edged Round Throw. Enter by Jan 30th to be counted!
We can’t wait to hear from you!
Warm It Up!
Confession time! When it’s cold outside, sometimes we break into the trunk show garments.
But come on! How could we resist? We are so fortunate to be surrounded by so many beautiful yarns and garments, and as knitters and crocheters we truly appreciate them. The happy knitter above is me, Heather. I’m wearing my own hat in Poems (1 ball of color 590 Sakura, US size 8/5mm needles, 84 stitch caston).
T
he cowl and mittens are part of Sandi Rosner’s Rose Quartz Set in Deluxe Worsted 100% wool. There’s a hat, too, but mine matches so well I stuck with it.
Sandi’s Rose Quartz set is available as a single pattern or part of the Walk in the Woods e-book, full of gorgeous colorwork and felted designs in Deluxe Worsted and Deluxe Chunky. It’s perfect for this time of year.
Also in Deluxe, I spotted our Design Lead in this stunning sweater the other day. Valentina is one of my favorites. It uses Deluxe Chunky 100% wool. The pattern is written and charted with design features like lovely saddle shoulders to show off the cables. It comes in sizes from 34″ to 54″ bust, and – believe it or not – is a free pattern. Home run!
Our Sales Manager can frequently be found in designs by Yumiko Alexander like Braided Fog, recently made available online as a download or as part of Yumiko Warm Earth Book 3. It also uses Deluxe Worsted. Are we wearing a lot of Deluxe? That’s not surprising – it’s great for cold weather. I suspect, however, that our sales manager wears this not because it’s warm but because it looks fabulous.
The best thing about being surrounded by these designs is that it’s inspirational. We find that seeing beautiful things awakens a desire to create something beautiful ourselves. We hope you find inspiration and happiness in your crafts throughout this new year.
Happy knitting!
Holiday Helper – Pattern Sale!
Holiday crafting going okay? Maybe you’re still looking for just the right design. Don’t worry, we’re here to help!
It’s our first online pattern sale! From now through Monday December 1st, 2014, take 30% off of all purchases from our Ravelry store. Just enter code 2014HOHOHO at checkout.
This includes e-books, pattern collections, and individual patterns. Pick from favorites like Bamboo Pop Kids and Contrarian Shawls, gorgeous designs from Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton and Yumiko Alexander, and lovely cool-weather knits in the Deluxe family of yarns.
I just have to point out, there are quite a few great options in Garden Book 5. That one book could knock out a lot of your gift crafting. The fact that they’re very satisfying projects to make is a nice bonus.
We hope you’ll take this opportunity to pick out a great pattern, swing by your local yarn store (Small Business Saturday is this weekend!) and make something gorgeous for the people you love. And include yourself in that list of people!
Happy crafting!
Free Pattern Friday – Leaf by Leaf Triangular Shawl
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
I know, I know. I’m squealing too.
This is the Leaf by Leaf Triangular Shawl in Soft Payette. Formerly available only as part of a printed pattern collection, today we release it “into the wild” as a free pattern.
Sequined Soft Payette (224yds/100g) adds the perfect amount of sparkle to this gorgeous lace shawl, which knits up quickly on US Size 9 (5.5mm)needles. I like the model shown in 158-02 Pearl, but am leaning toward 158-16 Lapis for my own. Those blue sequins on blue yarn are just my style.
Have fun making this shawl your own. Happy knitting!
Sunday Swatch – Uptown Worsted
Sunday Swatch is in Uptown Worsted.
Sunday Swatch will look very familiar to those of you who are joining us for the Afghan Knitalong. I thought I’d try Square Two, the “Do The Wave” block in different colors than my original color choice, just for kicks.
Why different colors? Well, we now have not one, not two, but THREE different people at Universal Yarn working on the Rocky Shore colorway selection.
Once again, all their blocks are different. But still – sometimes you want to mix things up a bit.
There’s something else different about the colorful block. It contains a noticeable mistake. The pattern itself is just fine, it’s just that I wasn’t paying close attention as I worked. So the choice before me was whether to unravel or to keep going.
These blocks are meant to be a learning experience, so that’s how I approached the decision. When I look at the finished afghan, do I need it to be perfect? Or will I enjoy looking at it and thinking about about the experience of making it?
In the end, I decided to let it go. It will be one block among many, so it probably won’t stand out. I’ll let this block be a lesson in accepting imperfection.
We’ll be back next week with block number three in our Afghan Knitalong. See you then!