Hand-Dyed Goodness

There are some lovely hand-dyed yarns fresh in the shop for you.

When I opened up a box of Chris from Schaefer Yarns on Monday morning, I could still smell the faint odor of the vinegar they use to set the dyes.  That's some fresh yarn.

Chris is a very durable machine washable worsted weight yarn.  This is great for kids sweaters, hats, and mittens because it will wear like iron.  With 215 yards per skein, it's also a great value, especially for hand-dyed goodness.  We have some nice bright colorways like Snoopy's Crayons and Hermione, shown above, and a few more subtle options as well.

Quest from Knitty was designed using Chris, and it's a great hat.  There is a little short row brim and an interesting honeycomb texture.  There is a version without the honeycomb as well, which is equally cool.

We also have a cute little vest, which Mr. Bear is modelling for us here.  It's a free pattern with the purchase of the yarn, and the smallest sizes require only one skein of Chris.  

If the flashing and pooling of the hand-dyed colors bother you, you can knit a few alternating rows from either end of the ball.  It takes the slightest bit of extra thought, but it's the best way to eliminate the pooling of any hand-dyed yarn.

If you prefer a tad more subtlety in your hand-dyes, Dream in Color is your company.  The fresh batch of Classy arrived last week, and I have been playing with color combinations.  This is Cocoa Kiss and Ruby River.

Here's Into the Mystic and Spring Tickle.

This is Happy Forest and Petal Shower.

And my personal favorites, Nightwatch and Strange Harvest.

I love these colors so much, and I have been trying to figure out a good way to combine them into a blanket.  I think the New Super Easy Baby Blanket from The Purl Bee is a great option.

I love the colorblocking, and I love not having to worry about running out.  I can just knit to the end of the ball and then start with a new color.  I'll cast on 200 stitches or so with a US8 and just keep adding colors until it's big enough...that should make a pretty sizable throw blanket.  I used this yarn to make a sweater for my kid, and I can tell you that the Classy is very hardy, too.  She wore it much of last winter, and it still looks great.

If you are thinking about socks on these chilly mornings, we have Starry for your viewing and knitting pleasure. 

What can I say?  It's hand-dyed, it's a sock yarn, and it's sparkly.  These yarns are all machine washable and absolutely beautiful.  Come and get yours while they are still fresh.