New Yarns: Ultra Alpaca Chunky and Shibui Maai

We love seeing new yarns roll into our little shop, and I think you all are really going to like these, too. 

First up we have Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky. Most of you know and love the Ultra Alpaca worsted and DK weights for their great yardage, amazing softness, and excellent price. You will be please to learn that the chunky fits right in...only $11.25 for 131 yards of 50/50 alpaca and merino. Yes, please.

I am test-knitting a hat for our dear Nancy using this lovely stuff, and it's turning out great! I'll let you know when it's done and in the shop. Look at the pretty colors...

 

We are also excited to have the newest Shibui yarn, Maai, an alpaca/wool blend with that cool chained construction.

These skeins are light as air, and the colors are rich and beautiful, as expected from Shibui.

We even have a free pattern to offer you with the purchase of the yarn. Sally is working up a sample right now to highlight the Maai. The large version takes four skeins, and the smaller takes three. I can't wait to see it knit up.

Photo borrowed from Shibui

Come welcome these yarns to the shop and pick your new favorite. Stay tuned for updates on several old favorites, too.  The shop is filling up fast with so much great yarn!

Gorgeous Project Bags

Check out these great project and notion bags from Rebecca Pearcy at Queen Bee.

Unusual styles and graphics, super high quality construction, and lots of space and pockets for your goodies and projects. These make great gifts for your favorite knitter, or you can send your loved ones into the shop. We will make sure they pick out a good one for you.

I love the bucket! We have this perfect size and an even larger one for your big ol' blanket projects.

We don't have a ton in stock right now, so come check them out soon!

Vote for Sally!

Sally designed a fancy cowl with some really fun yarn, and you should go vote for it!

The Schachenmayr yarn company is holding a little Facebook contest, and we could win lots of amazing prizes and products for the shop if Sally wins. She used three different shades of Schachenmayr Boston to create her fabulous cowl: two solids, one marled, and one neon for the pop of color. The knitting is pretty easy, so this would be perfecto for a beginner. The yarn is machine washable, too, so you could hand this over to a teenager or college student and not have to worry.

Head on over the My Mountain Facebook page and cast your vote for Sally's Boston Cowl. You can vote once per day if you are feeling so moved, so get yourself over to Facebook and cast your vote!

Bling

We have some holiday sparkle happening at the shop. There is always a call for some glitter around the holidays, and Diana really fits the bill.

Lisa used one skein of the gold to create this easy-peasy I-cord necklace. 

Want to make your own? Here's the pattern. Using a US15, cast on 3 stitches and work I-cord until the yarn is gone. Bind off, weave in the ends and call it done. Lisa tied a knot in the end of hers.

Knit up some holiday sparkle with this fun stuff!

Tiverton Tweed

We have manymanymany boxes of yarn coming in to the shop this month. Lots of good staples, standbys and favorites.

But this. This is new. The Tiverton Tweed from Classic Elite is so pretty and unusual, and it's so brand new that there are only a few projects on Ravelry. Sally is working on a little cowl with a few different colors to show off this great new yarn.

I really appreciate the colorful flecks nestled in the neutral marled background. The label suggests that it's a worsted weight, knitting up at 5 stitches per inch on a 7, but it seems much thinner than that to me. Maybe closer to a DK or sport, but maybe it will bloom a bit. I'm looking forward to seeing Sally's sample.

Stay tuned for updates on all the good stuff coming in to out little shop, including more new stuff and so many old friends!

New Magazine November

How is it November already? So sorry for the unintentional blogging break. Between a weekend away, Halloween, and sick kids, the last two weeks have flown by. But there are things to tell, so let's get back to it.

I know many of you have been clamoring for the newest issue of knit.wear. It won't be coming. Interweave has changed the name to Knit.Purl and given it a bit of a new look.

I really like this first group of designs, particularly the Cocoon Shrug by our beloved Nancy Ricci. This would be great in the Plymouth Homestead we have in the shop. The design is open and flowy but warm and cozy...a perfect layer for our crazy weather.

 

Love the texture and the full collar.  Great work, Nancy!

The in-front-of-the-woodpile story includes several other gorgeous and highly-textured pieces, including the Equation Cowl and the Fisherman Redux. The cowl is begging for something soft and squishy, maybe Cascade 220 Aran Superwash or Shibui Merino Alpaca?

 

The Fisherman Redux is done up in a worsted weight silk and merino blend. I would try it in Berroco Ultra Alpaca myself, but I just love that stuff. 

You know how I feel about a good textured chevron pattern, so it's no surprise that I love the Chevron Cardigan by Michele Wang. Another thick and cozy knit that should fly off the needles.

There is a fun colorwork section that caught my attention. Love the Tilting Fair Isle set knit up in Jamieson's Spindrift. We have lots of colors available, but Rowan Fine Tweed and Harrisville Shetland would play nicely, too.

The Banded Sweater is unusual and interesting,don't you think? I would try Cascade 220 Sport for sure. We are anxiously awaiting our fall shipment.

Are there fingering weight colorwork mittens? Of course there are. The Minaret Mittens are perfect.

What else looks good? The Pintuck Cardigan is a stunner. Maybe in some Blue Sky Alpacas Sport Weight? Yes, please.

The Lupinus Cardigan looks like a great wardrobe staple, and I like the unusual split neckline of the Shifted Eyelet Yoke Sweater.

Sad to see the end of knit.wear, but thrilled that the new Knit.Purl has picked up where they left off!