Socks for Summer

The voice on the radio this morning told me that the weather is going to start warming up next week. Now, I know a lot of you tend to set your knitting aside for the summer. I would love to talk to you about some little projects that are perfect for the warm days to come. Let's start with socks.

I am not a huge sock knitter. I confess. But sometimes a certain sock yarn just begs to be knit. Sally seems to know the way to my heart and feet this season. She is stocking (heh, stocking) up on this awesome big striped Jawoll stuff from Lang. We currently have these two colors in the shop, the the rest are on their way. Sneak peek at the whole family here.

I am equally excited about these marled sock yarns, also Jawoll from Lang. I am imagining solid toes and heels with a marled body. These are just a few of the color combinations that I'm considering.

Plus, these cute little skeins come with reinforcement yarn. You just carry this nylon thread along with your yarn as you work the heels and toes, and it helps extend the life of your socks by making the reinforced areas more durable and more resistant to holes.

No reason to stop knitting in the summer! Imagine how nice it will feel to have a few pairs of handknit socks waiting for you when the rain and chill return in the fall. Your cold toes will thank you.

Eye Candy

We are so excited to welcome Swans Island All American Sport Weight into our midst. This gorgeous yarn is going to be a favorite, I can already tell. We have a slew of lovely shades and several patterns. More soon. I have to go ogle just a little longer.

 

Shibui Rain

Seems like a good day to chat about rain. Are you focused on Purple Rain, Oregon rain, or Shibui Rain today? Or maybe all three?

Since we like to talk about knitting here, let's take a look at this sweet kerchief that we have in the shop right now. Knit up on a US6 with just one skein of Shibui Rain, this little project will work up in a snap. The pattern is pretty straightforward, and I love how the stitches pop in this crisp cotton. A cotton kerchief is such a great excuse to keep wearing our handknits throughout the summer. Add a little color, hide some bedhead, whatever you need.

Rain is 100% cotton, but it feels almost like a linen or hemp yarn to me, with its structure and matte finish. The yarn is chained, as you can see in the close up below, and the Shibui colors are stunning, as we have come to expect.

  

Treat yourself to a little skein of lovely Rain today and make yourself something quick and special. You deserve it.

Eye Candy Monday

The freshest issue of Amirisu is available at the shop! We tend to sell out of these pretty quickly. Come see us soon.

Chunky Blankie

We all love the Loopy Mango Big Loop and all of its associated blanketness. Seriously, a blanket in two hours? When we heard Loopy Mango was rolling out a line of slightly less enormous but still very chunky yarn, we were intrigued.

The M5 Merino No. 5 is loopy and chunky, but knits up on a US15 or 19 instead of the US50 used for the Big Loop. It's a loosely-spun merino yarn with a stabilizing thread to keep the yarn from pulling apart. M5 comes in some really fun and bright colors, and Sally says it's easy to knit up.

She used three colors and a few short hours of her life to make this sweet and squishy garter stitch baby blanket. Just 36 stitches on a US19 and knit all the way. That's the pattern. I know those last-minute-gift ideas are usually not so last-minute, but this one really is. Throw on a long movie and you'll be done by bedtime.

It's great to see new stuff from one of our favorite yarn companies. Come check out the great colors and squish the blanket in person!

Eye Candy

Talk about eye candy. This is some weird and cool and unusual sport weight sock yarn from Spun Right Round. Take a look at her Instagram page for even more inspiration. More soon on this crazy awesome stuff.

Whirligig

Sally found some colorful Noro inspiration on Ravelry awhile back. Noro Taiyo is a really cool yarn: cotton, silk, wool, and super soft and squishy. The pattern for the Whirligig tube scarf is free on Ravelry.

Just four balls in two different colorways and lots of knitting in the round on US9. This scarf is easy and fun and gives you plenty of opportunity to enjoy the Noro colors. Look at that pretty grassy green. I love how the colors blend and contrast. Which shade speaks to you?

Eye Candy Monday

A little teaser of some super cool sock yarn that we should be seeing in May! I will let you know as soon as we have it. After I snag one of each, of course.

Need Another Reason?

As if you needed another reason to be excited about crochet, The Purl Bee just released a (free) pattern for this stunning thing. The Four Points Baby Blanket uses four ample skeins of sock yarn. It looks amazing, doesn't it? I think I would go for Bumblebirch Heartwood or those cool splotchy splatter ones from Plymouth. Or maybe a few of each?

Pic borrowed from Purl Bee.

I am just starting to think about honing my crochet skills, but I know many of you out there are quite the masters. What do you crochet gurus like to make? The Purl Bee has a growing collection of free crochet patterns including blankets, scarves, garments, pillows, rugs, and yarmulkes (of course).

If you want to dip your hooks into crochet, I'm pretty sure Melissa can get you started on this lovely piece on Sunday afternoon. Give a call or pop in to sign up for her class.