Halla Hat

Last week I showed you the gorgeous and unusual Melted Baby Suri from Qing Fibre, but I wan't really sure what to do with it besides oggle it. I did some poking around, and I found a really cool hat pattern that I want to try.

Pic borrowed from Rav pattern page.

The Halla hat uses coordinating shades of the Melted Suri and a fingering weight yarn, perhaps the Merino Fingering from Qing Fibre as well? 

Even though the pattern calls for three different fingering weights, my instinct is telling me to split one skein into three balls and keep it a little more subtle. This combo is my favorite...so mossy.

These situations are not subtle, but they would be so fun!

We also have this gorgeous dove grey in the suri. It didn't have an obvious mate in the Qing Merino Fingering, but I think it would look cool with almost anything. Maybe a dark red or pink? Perhaps a black or navy?

The hat is knit in brioche stitch, which is not always my favorite because I am awful at fixing my mistakes in brioche. But it is also very, very popular right now with the knitwear designers, so perhaps I should give it another shot. Especially since I have basically been looking for a reason to take some of this yarn home with me. I guess it's a sign that I need to get better at brioche!

Eye Candy

It has been decided. My Felix will be orange.

I stopped in the shop and used the tried-and-true method of holding yarn up to my face and asking Melissa to tell me which one looked best. She humored me and chose this one.

I still LOVE that Galaxy colorway, and I might go back to get some yet...maybe for a Sundottir or a Treysta so I can play with some of those other colors in there. But the Felix will be orange.

Qing Fibre Merino Fingering

I'm on a color kick this week, apparently. Forgive me...it is very grey outside. While I love the rain and winter, a little pop of color always helps. The Merino Fingering from Qing Fibre is really doing my brain some good, even if I am feeling most drawn to the dark green on the left above.

The speckles on these are also bringing me joy. I hope they do the same for you all!

Eye Candy

We currently have some crazy amazing color from Qing Fibre. How about this Melted Baby Suri? Oh my goodness, it is lusciously soft.

Interweave Knits

The newest Interweave Knits has some lovely classics this time around!

July 9 Bags

We are excited to have these cool, new, very quality bags, made right here in Oregon by July Nine.

The handles are sturdy leather, and the bags are lightweight and durable. We have two sizes, The Sushi Sack and the Crossing Bag. 

The Sushi Sack is perfect tote size for all the knitting stuff, and the Crossing Bag is a little bigger and fits across your body. It's perfect for your larger projects or a run to the grocery store or library.

We always need more bags, and these are such a cool new style. I don't think they will last long!

Eye Candy

New how-to-knit book in the shop with super cool projects! K-n-i-t H-o-w from Pom Pom is informative and modern with projects for everyone.

Retrosaria João

The new yarns from Portuguese yarn company Retrosaria are just lovely. The weirdly adorable label on João caught my attention right away. What can we make with this lovely singly ply Merino? Ravelry to the rescue with inspiration!

Pic borrowed from rosapmar's Rav project page.

These baby pants (free pattern) are part of the reason we have this yarn in the first place, so let's start there. I know it's not machine washable, but these are too cute to pass up. Now I need to find a baby who needs pants.

Pic borrowed from Orlane's Rav pattern page.

Several knitters have made the Arnica Baby Cardigan to great success. So many cool color combos!

Pic borrowed from tanaiho's Rav project page.

I love the Fidra hat, and some smart knitter used João doubled to make this bright and cheerful version. (I'm noticing a blue and yellow theme here...)

Pic borrowed from Rav pattern page.

Do you have a need for unusual colorwork? These Isabel Mittens look like fun! I love that the tops and bottoms are different colors. Take a peek at all of the sweet color combos (the pink ones in particular).

Pic borrowed from fmf's Rav project page.

This beautiful wrap has been haunting my dreams lately. The knitter gives a basic pattern on her Ravelry project page, and all of that stockinette looks like therapy to my tired brain. Just seven skeins of João and some patience and this could be mine. I would need to choose the right color combination though. Maybe white with the navy blue? Or white with the grass green? Or white with the gold?

We have these fabulous shades in the shop now, and I think there is more on the way. Have you caught the Retrosaria bug yet? I think it's got me.

Granny Party

 

Let's marvel at this elegant crocheter and her sophisticated granny scarf. Would you love to learn to make one of these for yourself?

Melissa has a new crochet class on the calendar that goes beyond the basics of crochet and will introduce you to the magical world of granny squares. You can join the Granny Party on Sunday afternoons in February by calling the shop or popping in to sign up.

Week one will involve learning how to make the cute hat above and discussing options for your shawl. Weeks two and three will be all about the shawl.

There are many options for customization to make your shawl just the perfect thing for you. Crocheters should have some basic crochet knowledge of chain stitch, double, and single crochet. Can't wait to see your cool grannies!

Eye Candy

Cute project bags to go with our Retrosaria yarn!

Lopi Time?

I would really like to make this.

Pic borrowed from Rav pattern page.

It's the Felix Pullover from Amy Christoffers. I feel like she really knows what I'm going to like and puts out a design right when I'm needing it. I don't know how she does it.

The sweater is worked at an open gauge for this yarn on a US10, so it would knit up super fast, and the finished sweater would be light and lofty. We have a fair bit of Lopi in the shop (more than this), so it seems like I should just choose some and cast on. I love this Galaxy, but we are waiting on a restock.

This red is stunning, too, but I'm also leaning toward a light grey or heathery green.

I would only need nine or ten balls, which would make this a very economical impulse sweater. Which color do you all think I should choose? How quickly can I whip this up with all of life's distractions? We shall see.