Nebula

And for something completely opposite of the Nightshade from the last post...here's Berroco Nebula! It appears that this sample piece shows a color repeat from several (all?) colorways, but it's hard to tell.

This is a single ply superwash merino in a light sport to fingering weight. Lots of folks have used it to make a Zick Zack scarf, a freebie on Ravelry. 

Pic borrowed from janetwynne's Rav project page.

You'll just need 2 skeins in different shades to get a really cool effect. Looks like the Hitchhiker and Daybreak shawls are popular choices, too. It would be cool to just knit a tube scarf using a few skeins and a 16" circular. You'd end up with a really cool scarf without having to think about it much at all. 

Pic borrowed from Rav pattern page.

Emily's Mini Fade would be fun, too! If you need some color after all of those grey months, maybe Nebula is what you're looking for.

Berroco Ultra Wool DK

I have to admit, I don't spend too much time in the superwash section of the shop. I'm not knitting so many baby things these days, and I don't really mind handwashing my woolies. So this Ultra Wool DK from Berroco sort of flew under my radar. It is really lovely!

Some superwash yarns can feel a bit plasticy and a little to slippery for my taste. I prefer my yarn with a little tooth to it, and this stuff is a great balance between a crunchy yarn and a really great superwash. Our newest sample, the Lane's Island Pullover from Berroco really shows off how nice it is. Plus, you know...pockets.

If you haven't visited the superwash corner of the shop, I suggest stopping by to check out the Ultra Wool. Apparently we have it in worsted weight, too!

Modern Gingham

Have you all seen Emily's latest design?

Her Modern Gingham cowl seems like just the right kind of thing to be knitting in this heat! It's designed with Berroco Remix Light, a mix of all kinds of recycled and non-wooly fibers in a DK weight. The yarn has a really nice and interesting hand to it, and it's just right for this cowl.

The mix of fibers also gives the yarn a little bit of a tweed or faded denim look, which I really like, and I think it looks really cool in this low-key colorwork pattern. I love the gold, charcoal, and natural shades that Emily used for her sample...strong contrast and so classy.

If you want to try out some nice beginner colorwork this summer, the Modern Gingham is a great place to begin! Emily's pattern is for sale on Ravelry, and we can always help you purchase it in the shop if you prefer. We have a nice array of colors in the Remix Light, so stop by to choose your favorites!

Berroco Remix Light

Hello, Berroco Remix Light, a combination of cotton, linen, silk, and acrylic, all recycled fibers! This lovely DK yarn is just the thing for summer tanks and tops.

I'm loving this Lake Arrowhead Tee (above) and Derecho (below). We are always looking for good summer knits, and these two in Remix Light look just right.

Pop in to check out all of the lovely shades we have in stock!

Travel Projects

Right before I departed for the Memorial Day weekend, I was scrambling about in a mad rush trying to find a good travel project... something small and packable involving minimal equipment, easy-to-memorize instructions, no swatching, and very little planning. This time, I ended up with a hat. But I know this won't be the last mad scramble for a suitable project. So, I want to arm you all (and myself) with some ideas. Since it was a hat that saved my day, let's start with a good hat project.

Did you all know that we have started listing some of our best-loved patterns for sale on Ravelry? Most of them are small, one-or-two-skein projects that will totally fit the bill for a travel project. Melissa's Snowed In Slouch Hat is a great place to start. It's knit with Berroco North Star, a bulky chained alpaca yarn that is as soft as fluffy clouds.

You'll need a few circular needles, US7 and US11, and some double-points for the top. (I do not consider DPNs good travel companions, so I would probably save that part until I returned home. But that's just me. Same goes for the pom pom.) For me, this sweet slouchy hat fits the bill for a perfect travel project: small, two balls of yarn, only two circular needles, and easily-memorized instructions. Perfect.

We even have a lovely supply of little project bags in the shop for you to keep it all safe and contained in your bag.

Whether you are traveling far and wide this summer, or just need a nice easy project for a trip to the park or a sit-down in the garden, the Snowed In Slouch might be just the thing!

Stay tuned for more ideas...

Close Knit Yarn Crawl Patterns

As part of the yarn crawl, we have two brand new shop patterns for you!

The sweet and romantic Silver Tip Fingerless Gloves are crocheted in Berroco Indigo, a beautiful cotton yarn made from recycled fibers. It will remind you of your favorite jeans.

The Coffee Beanie is a fun colorwork hat knit up in Woolstok from Blue Sky Fibers. This fun pattern works up so fast in this beautiful worsted weight yarn. 

These patterns will be available during the crawl for free with any purchase. After the yarn crawl, the patterns from all of the shops will be complied into an eBook available for sale on Ravelry. In addition, the yarns for each of these lovely designs will be 10% off during the crawl. We hope you love them as much as we do!

Noble

 

The new Berroco Noble is soft and luscious and chunky. It's a merino single ply with a little nylon for durability. We have such a lovely range of neutrals and a gorgeous deep red. (That's a neutral, right?) Maybe we will see more colors soon, but these are all so good!

The Noble pattern book has some nice stuff, including the pretty textured cowl up above, Coffeehouse and this interesting textured cowl in linen stitch, Damiano.

I just noticed that Berroco also has a nice free hat pattern using one ball of Noble. It's still chilly out there, friends. Get yourself some big yarn and knit some cozy stuff!

Ultra Alpaca Fine

We have Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine on the shelves! If you are familiar with the sport/DK, worsted, and chunky weights of Ultra Alpaca, you know what a wonderful line of yarn this is. While the other weights are 50/50 wool and alpaca, Fine has a little nylon for added durability. It's also machine washable! Happy day!

I love the Ultra Alpaca line. I've only used it for a few projects, and I'm trying to figure out why. It's like a workhorse yarn with just a little luxury thanks to the alpaca. Fancy workhorse, let's say. The hand of the knitted fabric is nice and even, but it's certainly not heavy. The balance of the wool and alpaca prevents it from becoming too warm or too dense.

I've always been a fan of the melange and heathered shades of this yarn. The greens, oranges, and purples always catch my eye. This beautiful light weight would be so nice for a shawl or baby sweater. I also have a thing for holding yarns together, and this would be a great choice. Did you know that two strands of fingering weight yarn will knit up to a worsted weight? Yup. It works really well. Oh, the possibilities.

Berroco Macro

The new fall yarns are coming into the shop, just in time for us to revel in these lovely days. While we have not reached the level of emergency cold weather knitting, everyone loves a big bulky yarn. So let's talk about Berroco Macro.

This big stuff is a wool/acrylic/alpaca blend, and it knits up on a US19. The pattern book has several fun designs that would be done in a heartbeat. I could see these being well received by kids starting school in some chilly climes.

Cute stuff, right? I also have a ridiculously simple blanket pattern to share with you all next week that would be perfect in Macro. Stay tuned!

All pattern photos borrowed from Berroco's website.

Beer on the Dock

I'm loving this cute hat sample in the shop.

This is Beer on the Dock by Thea Colman. Our sample is worked up in Berroco Maya, a buttery-soft baby alpaca and Pima cotton yarn. So cute, and perfect for chilly mornings. Fall is right around the corner. Get knitting!

Indigo

I love some nice denim yarn. Since the discontinuation of my beloved Rowan Denim, it has been difficult to find a good replacement. I was just wearing my favorite denim sweater last week and thinking about how much I loved that stuff. Berroco to the rescue! We are happy to have a fully-stocked basket of Berroco Indigo for all of your denim knitting needs.

This lovely stuff is made from recycled cotton fibers, and knits up into a fabric very similar to the denims I have loved. We have been carrying the solids for a little while now, but the marled shades are new to us this year. 

The pattern book is pretty great, too. These are all designed by Amy Christoffers. I love her work. Let's have a look.

Indigo knits up into the sort of garment you'll want to wear all summer long. Pop in and have a look!



P.S. Silly side note. Bonus points to anyone who recognizes this British actor from his days as a Rowan Denim People model. Anyone?

 

Ultra Alpaca Turns Ten

Berroco is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Ultra Alpaca line with a gorgeous and collectible compilation of patterns from several independent designers: Berroco Portfolio Vol. 1.  

We have been carrying Ultra Alpaca, the original worsted weight, since the very beginning. It is truly a classic yarn, working up into a soft and supple fabric. I've used Ultra Alpaca for hats, mittens, and sweaters for my daughters. This new book has me thinking I need a sweater for myself, too. Take a look at some of these gorgeous designs.

Helen is a perfect yoked pullover from Amy Christoffers. It's knit-top down with Bohus style colorwork, incorporating knitting and purling. So cozy.

We have a sample of Thea Colman's Rye in the shop, also worked up in Ultra Alpaca. Such a great design with lovely details such as the shoulder details and the textured panels.

 I'm loving Bristol Ivy's Gorse. Swingy, lacey, just right.

Emily worked up a sample of Fishbones by Mary Jake Mucklestone in Ultra Alpaca Light, the sport/DK weight. Such a cute little hat, perfect for a first colorwork project.

Mrs. Watson is also worked up in Ultra Alpaca Light. The squishy garter stitch shawls are all the rage these days, and this one is a good one.

We began carrying Ultra Alpaca Chunky a few years back, and I love it. I knit up a little hat sample last fall, and I really enjoyed working with this yarn.

Etruscan looks like the perfect scarf, doesn't it? Big and oversized and cabled. A great gift idea, for sure.

I love an unusual pullover, and Banner has lots of good details: colorblocking, textured panels, swingy shape. That one is definitely going on my list. Here's a little peek at a few more designs from the book.

 

 

Ultra Alpaca has been serving us well for a very long time at our shop. I hope you all enjoy the designs in this collection. Berroco calls it Volume 1, so maybe that means we will be seeing even more Ultra Alpaca designs soon!