Blog
Deal of the Day for May 22nd: 30% off Rowan Lima
POSTED: May 20, 2013 by Kate
This worsted weight blend of alpaca, merino, and a bit of nylon (for strength) is chained for a beautiful texture. The generous alpaca content makes it very soft and the finished fabric has wonderful drape without the saggy bagginess of 100% alpaca. We have a gorgeous selection of colors for you to play with, some bright spring hues as well as a full spectrum of beautiful neutrals. At 30% off, the skeins are less than $9 each.
Julie created a bright friendly baby blanket with 8 skeins of Lima. She improvised a pattern and cast on 130 stitches, using size US 8 needles and a garter stitch pattern. Each stripe is two full skeins and these 4 colors could cheer any nursery.
Theresa made this beautiful wrap, Cozy by Danielle Shoonover. It is a free knitty pattern that can be knit up with 8 skeins of Lima. It is fresh off the needles, and with a bit of blocking and seaming will become a stunning poncho that she can toss over her head when the sun goes down and temperatures drop. The beautiful soft sage green that she chose will make this a wardrobe staple for casual outings.
There are some beautiful project suggestions to be found on Ravelry. Sorted by popularity it will come as no surprise that Brooklyn Tweed patterns and Stephen West patterns top the list. My favorites may be the Noelle Caplete by Martin Storey; a quick stockinette project knit in the round with 5-7 skeins. I also like Stephen West’s Windschief hat. This is a subtly textured beanie hat that could take 1-2 skeins depending on what size you choose. This pattern also provides details on how to make a matching cowl, so you get two projects in one!
We have beautiful colors from which to choose. We hope that you’ll be able to stop in for a visit this Wednesday to take advantage of the deal, and enjoy the garden that is in full bloom.
Welcome to our neighborhood
POSTED: May 19, 2013 by Julie
While Molly the shop dog and I were on our morning walk we got a chance to meet a new friend, Roger.
He is an Scientist by inclination, but our neighborhood Trolley driver by trade. He is full of stories and loves to chat. The trolley first rumbled through our streets in 1907 and was restored to service in the 70s. Roger is a real treat to talk to and I would encourage you to take a ride, especially if you have visitors or little kids in tow.
While out front, I did a bit of landscaping and brought some of the flowers that are blooming out back to the front yard in hopes that it might brighten things up. The garden is its best right now, and I hope that you’ll stop in for a visit and enjoy everything that is in bloom.
Summer knits in lighter fibers
POSTED: May 18, 2013 by Kate
We recently received some new colors of Louet Euroflax sport weight linen. This is a beautiful summer weight fiber to work with that creates a finished fabric that is soft with a beautiful drape. We got to chatting about our love of linen around the farm table in the shop, and quickly realized that all of us have used this yarn at some point or another. We all agree that it is perfectly suited to home knits: towels, runners, even curtains!
Dawn finished the Bubbly Curtain from the Mason Dixon gals and has promised to bring them into the shop so that we could take a peek at them. I worked on Jenny’s Tansu Table Runner last fall, and finished a beautiful version just before Thanksgiving. Talking of these projects got us thinking about what we’d like to start next.
© Purl Bee
Julie is interested in casting on for the Knit Tote from Purl Bee’s blog. This classic pattern calls for two skeins, and will create a beautiful market bag just in time for the Farmer’s Market season.
Linen is versatile, and can have beautiful results in clothes and accessories. I have had the Memories of Ukraine from the Natural Knitter in my Ravelry queue for ages; and would love to cast on this summer. Picking the color should prove to be the hardest part of getting started.
We're not the only folks interested in linen. Knitbot's Hannah Fettig has just published a collection of patterns: Knitbot Linen. These 6 patterns are classic, simple, and look very knitable.
Linen can be a bit of a bear to work with. It doesn’t have the give that wool does, and so I find it to be a bit stiff on the needles and hard on my hands. However, I just love the look of the finished projects once they have gone through the wash and transformed. Since I like to vary my projects, having a tough knit like linen in the project basket means that I can pick it up when I am in the mood, and then put it down for another time when my hands let me know I am done for the day. By the end of the summer, I should have my sweater finished and boy will I be eager to dive into projects that I can create with wool.
Stop on by and check out the beautiful colors we have in stock and let’s bounce around some ideas. Linen is a perfect choice for summer knits for the home or your closet.
The Sound of Silence
POSTED: May 16, 2013 by Kate
Construction is complete! We are thrilled to be able to announce that the hullabaloo around the shop has settled along with the dust and we are once again a quiet oasis of beauty. Our garden is in bloom, and the pansies, tulips, and roses are just bursting with color.
before
after
The bathroom that we’ve been constructing will be ready to be unveiled in about a week, and Julie has done an amazing job of picking one of a kind fixtures and up-cycled touches that make the space simply charming. We'd like to extend a very special thanks to all of the members of the team who helped make this project such a success. We can thoroughly recommend everyone who was involved:
Craftsmen Builders - construction
Catlin Custom Painting - painting
Bink Owsley - design
Fidel Zavala - stone masonry and landscaping
Linda Seals of Weeds Garden Care - continued garden transformation with landscape design
So stop on by, we'd love to see you and we have all kinds of fun new things in the shop to share.
Deal of the Day for May 15th: 30% off Sweet Georgia Lace
POSTED: May 13, 2013 by Kate
We have a very special Deal of the Day this week. Both of our Sweet Georgia lace weight yarns are 30% off.
CashSilk Lace is 2-ply laceweight with a scrumptious blend of 45% cashmere and 55%. Delicate, soft and ever so slightly glossy, this yarn comes in 2oz (50g) skeins that yield approximately 400 yards.
There are some stunning examples of lace shawls in the Ravelry Project database that were knit up with CashSilk. With over 500 projects to browse through, you may spend as much time admiring these projects, as you do trying to select a color to work with. Of course having the Knitbot Trunk show in the shop over the past weeks has me dreaming of knitting up a beautifully delicate version of Whispy.
We have a couple of samples in the shop that were knit up with CashSilk. The top shawl is Annis, a beutiful free pattern by Suzanna IC published in Knitty. Below, is the Churchmouse Bias 'Before & After' Scarf knit with a beautiful edge of beading. Both are lovely layering pieces for warmer weather that can bring a bright pop of color to your Spring wardrobe.
The Merino Silk Lace is a heavier 2-ply laceweight of 50% shimmering cultivated silk and 50% fine merino wool. Silky, shiny, springy and glossy, each 100g skein yields 765 yards (700 meters) and is perfect for summer shawl knitting.
© Purl Bee
We have had some beautiful samples in the shop knit up with this wonderful blend. Last Summer, Freeba created the Whisper Wrap from the Purl Bee website. She used two skeins of the Merino Silk Lace in a beautiful neutral color tumbled stone. This beauty was a favorite in the shop, and the color she chose complimented every skin tone.
Currently, we have a sample of the Churchmouse Ruched Wrap that looks stunning knit up with a skein of tropical Merino Silk Lace with size US 8 and 10 needles. This may be the perfect layering piece for summer gatherings. I know of at least three that are being knit up in various yarns for upcoming weddings.
It is a wonderful time to dig into lace and we hope that this deal will help inspire you to cast on. Stop in the shop to admire the beautiful colors and let us help you find the perfect skains for your next project.