Announcing our Summer KAL.

That's right, a knit-along! We've chosen Shallows , a lovely cowl or scarf, designed by Bonnie Sennott, also known as Blue Peninsula.

The pattern is available for in-store purchase (or on Ravelry) and calls for 350 yards of a light fingering weight yarn on size 4 needles. The sample shown was knit with Swans Island Organic Merino/Alpaca and it's stunning. Of course there are loads of other options and we especially like blends that include silk, bamboo and/or alpaca to ensure drape. The Fibre Company's Canopy Fingering (you'd need two skeins) and Shibui's Staccato (also two skeins) would be perfect. The Canopy Fingering is a blend of merino, alpaca and bamboo and Staccato is a blend of merino and silk.

I'm going to play around a bit more with mine. That's one of the great thing about knitting cowls and scarves - they don't have to fit!

I've chosen Shibui's Cima and Silk Cloud, which mixes to a sport weight (a little heavier than what the pattern suggests). I'm thinking I'll use size 6 needles so it will drape. I have two skeins of each which gives me just over 650 yards; that would be more than enough to knit the pattern as written. I'll probably add stitches to get more width and I'll see how it goes to determine if I add rows for more length. Stay tuned...

The KAL officially kicks off this Friday, July 25. We'll be casting on at the shop that afternoon. If you can't be there in person, we hope you'll join us virtually. You can share questions, comments, and - of course! - project photos in our Ravelry group or on Facebook.

Please join us!

A(nother) Mystery KAL.

Has anyone else noticed the growing popularity of mystery KALs on Ravelry? A few of us are six weeks into Rowan's Mystery Afghan KAL, featuring their new Pure Wool Worsted (it's not too late to join, click here for all the details)...and a few of us are gearing up for this summer's hottest mystery shawl, hosted by Through the Loops and Kirsten Kapur .

Here's what Kirsten says about the design:

This year’s shawl will be a shallow triangle. I love this shape for its ease of wear. Since the point is not nearly as deep or pronounced as on a traditional triangle it can be tossed casually around the neck much like a scarf. With its triangular shape it still works well worn across the back as a shawl to show off the lovely patterning. For this design I recommend a solid, semi-solid, or gradient yarn. 

Her sample used 500 yards of fingering-weight yarn and she suggests a size 6 needle. She also says that complete swatching information will be available as part of the first clue that comes out on June 1. The remaining four clues will be released on the next four Sundays, hopefully by midnight Eastern time. If you stick to the schedule, you could be sporting a new summer shawl for the July 4th weekend! Please note that the pattern is available (on Ravelry or in-store) for half-price until June 1.

Kathy and I had fun yesterday picking out yarn. Here are a few of our suggestions.

First up, Fibre Company Meadow. This is a heavy lace-weight blend of merino, llama, silk and linen. One 545 yard skein should be enough (if you get gauge!). I used this yarn to knit Meadowsweet last summer (another Mystery KAL) and love the finished piece.

Meadow in Bergamot

Kathy and Sue have chosen Isager's Alpaca Merino 2, a fingering weight blend of ... alpaca and merino. You would need two skeins of a single color, but we think the gradient is stunning.

Alpaca Merino 2 in colorways 30, 4, 2 and 0 (top to bottom) 

 And last but not least, because we love how it looks knit up in lace, Quince&Co Sparrow. This is a fingering weight linen and comes in 168 yard skeins. Choose four of a single color...or a gradient.

Sparrow in colorways Sans, Little Fern, Citron and Fen (left to right)

I'd planned to use that skein of Meadow myself, but once I saw the Sparrow (and how pretty it looks knitted in lace), I changed my mind.

my choice - Sparrow in Paprika

Don't forget to join the Fans of Through the Loops group on Ravelry and introduce yourself on the mystery thread. The virtual community is a lot of fun for mystery KALs!

Quince & Co Linen | Project Inspiration.

Just in time for - our admittedly a bit belated! - Spring - we are so very pleased that our first shipment of Quince & Company linen has arrived! We are now stocking both Sparrow and Kestrel...in all the colors (of course!)

Both yarns are 100% organic linen, and like your favorite woven linen garments, they'll get softer and drapier with wear. Sparrow is a multi-ply sport-weight (recommending 6 stitches per inch on a size 3 needle), similar to Euroflax and Claudia's Hand-painted Linen. But the color palette is softer and more...organic.

Sparrow in Juniper and Birch

Kestrel is a flattened, chain-stitch tube that knits up to an aran to chunky gauge (recommending 4 to 3.75 stitches per inch on a size 9 to 10-1/2 needle). It reminds me of Shibui Linen, but bigger (much bigger!)

Kestrel in Rosehip and Senza

Quince & Company has plenty of pattern support for Sparrow, including Hannah Fettig's Knitbot Linen from last spring. This yarn is also suggested for two of our newest favorite designs - Bristol Ivy's Linum Tee (from Spring 2014 Interweave Knits) and Jamie Thomas' Meander (just released last week).

Kestrel is new this season and Quince & Company has released a five-pattern collection of simple sweaters and a cowl. But if you'd like to dip your toes into a smaller project, how about the Churchmouse Diagonal Lace Scarf & Wrap . I cast on the wrap-sized version  myself Sunday evening and I'm thrilled with the quick progress I'm getting with 42 stitches on size 11 needles!

A few inches into the 2nd ball...it's already more than 16" long!

And stay tuned for a tutorial on how to turn this project into the perfect social knit...once you know how to read your knitting, it's a piece of cake!

A Tale of Two Projects.

I know it's been ages since I've shared anything here and I apologize. Hoping you'll forgive me when you see what I have to share today!

First up, perhaps the cutest quickest baby project ever.

This is the Winter-baby kit with hat and mittens (a free pattern on Ravelry),

you can see my project and even more details on Ravelry, here

specifically the newborn size, knit with one skein of the Swans Island Washable DK (not even the whole skein) in the Pewter color way, a set of size 4 dpn's and about six hours this past weekend. The pattern is very clear and I followed it as written with just a few exceptions (all detailed on my project page).  I was especially impressed with the earflaps - they're quite clever in that you end up with no seaming, no picking up stitches and an earflap that starts underneath the ribbing to keep baby's ears super-toasty -

and the brioche stitch on the mitts. Of course newborn mitts are likely to be cute no matter what, but still, these are special!

I've got a few babies on the horizon this year and I'm delighted to have a pattern that knits up so well (so fast). Note that this set is for a baby due in February, so I'm anticipating he'll be able to wear it this winter. I also have a few summer/early fall babies and I plan to knit the 3-6 month size for them.

….and now, the pile of yarn I bought yesterday.

This is 12 skeins of Shibui's Heichi in the Sidewalk color way, destined to become Beaubourg.

© Fairmount Fibers/Julie Hoover

I have had my eye on this pattern since it was released (a year and a half ago!) and am excited to finally knit it. I chose the Heichi for two main reasons: first, I love it at the pattern-suggested gauge of 4 stitches to the inch; and second, because silk is a year-round fiber for our climate and I think this design could be worn year-round (or at least for ten months of the year).

I'm planning to swatch - yes, even though I've knit this yarn at the correct gauge three times before, it's been a while and I want to double-check - and cast-on later this week. Based on what I've heard around the shop, I think a few of y'all are interested in the pattern as well, so I'm going to share my progress here on the blog. Stay tuned and please - if you have any questions - ask them in the comments. And definitely, if you'd like to join me and knit-along, I'd welcome the company!

Our Next KAL | 100 Diamonds.

If you follow me on Instagram, I hope you weren't too unhappy with me when I posted this teaser photo yesterday afternoon.

In my defense, I figured a pile of pretty yarn would brighten anyone's day! I had a wonderful time pulling the yarns and posing the skeins just so. (and of course that whole effort resulted in a few balls disappearing from my pile - and the shelves - the Findley is really popular!) I understand; it's the yarn I've chosen myself to knit 100 Diamonds. Don't miss this - yes, our next KAL is 100 Diamonds and we're going to cast on November 1 (which sounds like it should be months away, but is really just two weeks from tomorrow - yikes!)

This pattern came across my radar a few months back when the designer posted photos of a slightly modified version of the shawl.

photo copyright knittimo on Ravelry

I loved that it could be modified...and that the resulting pieces could look so different from the original...and that every one of them is gorgeous! But I hadn't thought about it for a knit-along until Saturday, when I awoke to a text from Becca suggesting it. Really, it's perfect for a KAL - the pattern isn't all that complicated for anyone who's worked a lace chart, it's customizable (I love "knit your own adventure" patterns for knit-alongs), and it's a fair amount of knitting which always goes better with company, right?! And for those of us who have knit innumerable a few lace shawls, this one uses a different construction - it starts at the bottom point and knits up.

The designer hosted a KAL on Ravelry last month so we have a few dozen FOs (and a good bit of experience) to help us . Based on the projects/photos I've seen, I am loving the design in the pattern-suggested laceweight and (despite my personal yarn choice - driven by two past frogged KALs - which I am only admitting to y'all) a winter neutral. With Theresa's help, we've gathered eight yarn suggestions*.

Please note that the pattern suggests 630 yards of a laceweight yarn at a blocked gauge of 18 st/4 inches to create a finished shawl 68" wide by 34" deep.

Shibui Silk Cloud (pattern suggestion) :: 60% mohair/40% silk; 330 yds/25 g; suggest 2 skeins

Shibui Cima :: 70% alpaca/30% silk; 328 yds/50 g; suggest 2 skeins

Shibui Pebble :: 48% recycled silk/36% merino/16% cashmere; 224 yds/25 g; suggest 3 skeins

Juniper Moon Farm Findley :: 50% silk/50% merino; 798 yds/100 gr; suggest 1 skein

Fibre Co Meadow :: 40% merino/25% baby llama/20% silk/15% linen; 545 yds/100 g; suggest 1 skein (and modifying to make slightly smaller - like the designer modifications I linked above)
Swans Island Laceweight :: 50% merino/50% tussah silk; 530 yds/50 g; suggest 1-2 skeins (1 skein would mean modifications; 2 skeins would allow you to follow the pattern as written)

Habu Tsumugi Silk :: 100% silk; 450 yd/48g; suggest 2 cones

Malabrigo Silkpaca :: 70% alpaca/30% silk; 420 yds/50 g; suggest 2 skeins

*of course we have more laceweight yarns in the shop; we also have plenty of other lovely yarns that would make gorgeous shawls - these are just the eight we pulled to highlight here.

The pattern also suggests beads, but I'm not planning to use them. Although if I were knitting this with the suggested Silk Cloud...I would definitely consider it, if only to add a bit of weight to keep the shawl in place. We do have beads at the shop and they are not hard to incorporate.

I emailed Theresa on Tuesday that the only bad news I'd encountered about the project was size 3 needles. I knew the pattern suggested them, but I was hoping, especially after Boxy, we'd have a project on at least size 6s or 7s, alas no. I think the pattern suggested size 3 needle works best. I tried 4s and 3s and really like the fabric better on the 3s:

Of course if you use a thinner/thicker yarn or you're a looser/tighter knitter, you might need to go down (!!) or up. The best way to tell is to swatch! really!! these two swatches took me about an hour - and I'm pretty sure the finished shawl is going to be worth that little investment up front. (please note I did not wet-block these swatches - I merely pinned them like I plan to pin my wet-blocked finished piece)

The pattern is available online only. The instructions are clear and easy-to-follow. I am planning to knit my piece as written, without beads. If I had less yarn OR if I were using a heavier weight, I would work fewer repeats of chart B (and maybe of chart D) to make fewer diamonds. The cool thing about the construction is that we can easily get an idea how big the finished piece will be while it's still on the needles. That can all come later - for now, all you need to think about is your yarn choice, your needle (work a swatch with chart A - it's quick and easy!) and the cast-on date: November 1.

If you have any questions/comments/etc, please leave a comment here or in our Ravelry forum.

ready to go! (my yarn is Findley Dappled in the Woodland colorway and those are size 3 needles :-)

I do hope you'll join us!

A Peek at Pebble.

If you spend anytime on-line - or (better yet!) if you've visited the shop in the past few weeks, you probably already know about Pebble. It's  is the newest yarn from Shibui and I've been waiting to tell y'all about it until I had time to really work with it myself.

**drumroll**

it's awesome! (and oh my, I've just spent a few minutes hours! looking at Ravelry to grab more inspiration ideas...and I'm even more in love with it now).

Pebble is a blend of recycled silk, extra fine merino and cashmere (48%/36%/16% if you're keeping score), Shibui lists it as a "heavy laceweight" at 224 yards/25 grams and a suggested gauge of 26 st/4 inches on size 3 needles. To me, that gauge says "light sport/heavy fingering". I swatched it on US 4s and got 23 st/31 rows to 4 inches. 

my swatch in the trail colorway

And that made me very happy because that's the listed gauge for Relax (which I've had in my favorites since I saw it knit in Shibui Cima). When I first knit and blocked the swatch I thought the gauge was too open; but my daughter - who's the planned recipient of the sweater  - said no. The wide neckline means she'll wear a camisole (at least) under it anyway and it's oversized...so lightweight is good. I'm halfway up the front (yes, this sweater is knit in pieces and no, I don't have issues with that!) and yes, I think she's right! stay tuned!

Of course an oversized sweater on size 4 needles might be more ... knitting/yarn/work... than you want. 

How about a colorwork hat (the pattern is free)? This is Cliff...yes it's a lot of yarn (5 colors = 5 skeins) but it's knit double stranded. I promise it won't seem like laceweight yarn! I love the colors in fiddlehead's version.

photo copyright Shibui

Or a very cool textured/shaped hat...with a matching asymmetrical scarf?  This is Peak. It looks fabulous knit double stranded in a single color, but I love the marled effect of mixing two colors.

photos copyright Shibui

I hope you'll give it try - and if you do, please share your project...on Ravelry, Facebook or Twitter.

Happy Knitting!

sorry, couldn't resist one more photo!

An Eye Candy Tour.

Yes, consider yourself warned. This post is full of pretty photos guaranteed to tempt and hopefully to inspire. But no worries, I promise this is a calorie-free treat!

First, on the wall behind the yellow table, our just-arrived shipment of Treenway Silks Kiku, a silk laceweight in a generous 100 gram/1,100 yard put-up. We have two color collections of seven colors each, plus two neutrals. The great thing about the color collections is mixing and matching for multi-color projects like Color Affection . The 100 gram skein has enough yards to be a Main, Contrast 1 and Contrast 2 color.  All you need to do is find two friends to join you; everyone chooses a different color and you'll end up with three different shawls. Of course the company and encouragement of friends will be helpful for the knitting, too; the laceweight version of the pattern is a lot of stitches!

collection one is on the left and collection two is on the right

these are the two neutrals; that cream would make a lovely wedding shawl or even a veil

Next on our tour is the back wall, now stocked with Shibui, Swan's Island and Manos. We've added new yarns across all three brands and have lots of different weights and fiber combinations.

And now the side wall behind the sales counter. No longer the "Cascade Wall", it's now full of Malabrigo! I am so happy we have a place to show these yarns hanging.

Because really, you need to see them displayed like this to really see them!

And yes, we have a full shipment of Rasta ready to be knit into cowls for holiday gifts.

The final stop on the tour is the area formerly known as the Library. There are a few patterns left, but mostly it's now full of Habu and Shibui fingering, with sample knits to show off the different fibers. 

Funny, as I look over this post, I realize I should've also thought to take a photo of the interior... no worries, it's still chock full of yarn, too!

Hope everyone gets to visit us soon so you can see it all in person. Happy Knitting!

SweetGeorgia.

Probably the prettiest, most colorful display we've had at the shop entrance...maybe ever? or at least in the past few months. Last week our first shipment of SweetGeorgia yarn - all 81 colors of Tough Love - arrived and took over the cubbies and baskets.

SweetGeorgia is actually not a local company; it's based in Vancouver, Canada, founded in 2005 by Felicia Lo. Check out her video here and you'll get a taste of why we're so excited to carry the yarn. Felicia talks about color and how it can bring healing, comfort, and joy...and express love. That pretty much sums up what I love about needlecraft, and how perfect to use a yarn designed and dyed for that same purpose.

Tough Love is a washable 3-ply merino/nylon blend fingering weight yarn with a generous 425 yards per 115 g skein. It's perfect for socks, drapey shawls, sweaters and - held doubled - a great worsted weight substitute.

Here are a few of my favorite project suggestions.

First up - socks. The variegated colorways are stunning on their own. I'd use the Churchmouse Basic Sock pattern with a simple 2x2 ribbing at the cuff and a stockinette leg and foot. Or choose a tonal colorway to show off pattern and/or lace, like in the Cherry Lane Socks or the ever-popular Monkey Socks.

a very small sampling of the variegated color ways that scream Socks! or Summerflies!! 

And then the shawls. Summerflies is still our favorite single skein shawl (suggest a size 7 needle for the "average" tension). 425 yards should be enough to add another butterfly repeat or make that last knotted openwork section a little longer if you want a bigger shawl. I used 430 yards a few years ago for mine (project notes here) with added repeats and more knotted openwork.

Of course colorwork shawls like Color Affection would really shine. The hard part would be picking three colors! And if you're looking for something similar, but not quite the same, how about Happy Street . It's a new design by Veera Valimaki who designed Color Affection.

And finally sweaters (of course there are sweaters!). Ravelry seems to be overflowing with fingering weight sweaters these days so there are plenty of patterns that will work; it makes narrowing this list to three a challenge!

Joji Locatelli's Boxy . If you follow our forum on Ravelry you know this is going to be our next Knit Along, likely starting in mid-August. Most of the sizes call for a little over 1,600 yards of yarn...four skeins of Tough Love. Our shipment included four skeins each of those 81 colors so if you think you want to use it, you need to move fast!

These next two are designed by Jane Richmond. She suggests SweetGeorgia yarns for both...maybe because she's also from Vancouver? (or maybe she and Felicia are just good friends!)

Georgia  and Grace  . These are both top-down seamless cardigans with a contiguous sleeve that looks like a traditional set-in sleeve - not a raglan. The smaller sizes up to 36" take three skeins and the larger take four to five.

Remember - you will need to alternate skeins if you knit a project with multiple skeins of the same colorway.

Convinced? if only to see the yarns in person?

As always, happy knitting!