Great New Superwash Wool

We have a brand-spanking new yarn at the shop, Chris from Schaefer Yarns. This pretty handpainted yarn is machine washable, and it comes in a beautiful array of variegated colors. It's a great choice for kid and baby goodies, as well as hats, gloves, and mittens.

The colorways are rich and sophisticated, which I personally love for kids and babies. Each one is named after a "memorable woman," from Rosa Parks to Elizabeth Zimmermann, and a mini-biography of the yarn's namesake is included on each tag. Take a look at the color concepts page on the Schaefer site to see all of the colorways.
Sally is working up this sweet baby vest with just one skein of Chris, and it will be a the shop soon. We have the pattern for this vest as well as the textured hat below.
The newest issue of Knitty includes Quest, a versatile hat pattern using Chris. The designer, Laura Nelkin, adapted this pattern for a man's hat, as well. Take a look at her blog for more information.

Since this yarn is handpainted, it's a good idea to alternate skeins every few rows while you are knitting to avoid pooling and flashing of the colors. If your project only requires one skein, you can knit from either end of your ball instead. Just be sure to have your skein wound into a center-pull ball before you leave the shop.

Thank you, Laura, for the use of the pattern photos!