Wool Clasica

Oh Wool Clasica, you are so beautiful. We have a skein of each color here in this basket and sososo much more in the shop.

This yarn comes from a cooperative of artists in Uruguay that has been empowering women by providing them with a source of income since 1968. You can read more about the story and the yarn here. I love supporting this company, and I love their yarns.

Pic borrowed from Rav pattern page.

This blanket, in particular, has always stayed with me. Completed in 2011, it is still the reigning champion of favorites for this yarn on Ravelry. It seems there is no pattern, but it's just strips sewn together. So good.  
Wool Clasica is great for blankets, scarves, hats, sweaters, felting, colorwork...all of the things, really. Its rustic texture and rich colors really add interest to the yarn, and the knitted fabric is thick and squishy. We have so much in the shop right now! Come on in and see this beautiful yarn for yourself.

Eye Candy

If you've been in the shop lately, you have likely seen the return of the "yarn babies." 

These huge packs of Manos del Uruguay Clasica Wool are back and just as good as ever. Just let us know which ones you love and we will pull out the skeins you need!

P.S. We switch to fall hours today!

Monday - Friday 10-6
Wednesday Open Knit Nights 6-9PM
Saturday 10-5
Sunday 11-4

Eye Candy

These stunning skeins catch my eye every time I pass the wall of sock yarn. Manos del Uruguay Alegria in Colombina, what would you like to be?

Manos Marina

Oh my goodness, the new Manos del Uruguay Marina is lovely stuff. This gorgeous lace weight is soft and silky. It's a pure merino superwash yarn, with 874 whopping yards in each skein.

The subtle shades are so calming. Love that pale pink. And the grey. They would really be something worked together, don't you think? Maybe a striped sweater, or held together for a subtle marled effect.

If you like a little more oompf in your lace weight, the more variegated shades might be your thing. These are far from subtle.

Lace weight yarns can be used for shawls and scarves, like the easy peasy Bateaux Mouches wrap. I love a nice laceweight sweater myself. The Featherweight Cardigan would be lovely.

If the fine weight frightens you, these would be nice held together with a thicker yarn to add texture and visual interest. Whatever you choose, I think you all will love this pretty new yarn in the shop!

Alegria

The newest yarn in the shop, Manos del Uruguay Alegria, is really pretty. The semi-solids are rich and saturated. The pink and gold have captured my heart. Look at those colors.

Manos always does a great job with their variegated colors as well. Take a look at these gorgeous shades. Everything from subtle pastels to crazy bright carnival colors.

I love these unusual natural-based shades, too. The speckled colors knit up in a really unusual way. I checked out some Ravelry projects using these to give you an idea. Take a look at Columbina and Aguayo.

These skeins are 445 yards of machine-washable sock yarn in some of the best colors. Stop by the big table in the shop to see for yourself!

Color Therapy

After a winter of grey sweaters, I needed some color.  I showed you my work-in-progress Palette Cowl in the brightest neon green I could find.  The Manos del Uruguay Maxima in Chartreuse certainly did the trick, and the cowl itself is perfect.  (Click on over to the stunning new Manos website.  It really highlights the yarns, patterns, and the company itself.  Such a great story.)

While I was knitting, I worried that it would be too small to double wrap, especially since my bind-off usually comes out way too tight.  I decided to experiment with Jeny's Surprisingly Stretch Bind Off.  It was perfect and totally worth the tiny bit of extra time it took to implement!  It looked a little wavy and wobbly at first, but I blocked it out to size, and then everything was right with the world.  I love this, but apparently my need for color therapy did not end with the cowl.

I immediately fell in love with the Chartreuse Royal Alpaca that arrived from Aslan Trends last month.  And I immediately needed to pair it with the Turquoise, obviously.  Completely inspired by this lovely thing on Ravelry, I'll try a colorblocked cowl with these three colors, maybe a fourth..either winter white or chocolate brown.  I'll cast on enough stitches to fit on a 16" circular and knit a tube until I'm done with my yarn.

And still, I keep buying neon-colored yarn.  I have had the colorwork itch lately, and Grettir from BrooklynTweed Winter 13 looks like it might satisfy.  

Photo from BrooklynTweed Ravelry page.

Bright blue body with yellow, white, and charcoal yoke?  Perfect.  There are two versions, and I'll do the men's, skipping the turtleneck and waist shaping.  I'm going for pure cozy comfort here.

Finally, the subdued color changes of the Freia Flux Lace were too much to pass up.  I pretty much bought this because the colorway was called Metal Earth, and that spoke to me.

I thought maybe a triangular shawl, maybe the Age of Brass and Steam.  But Heidi Kirrmaier's Windward is on my list, too.  I love the idea of playing with the color changes is unexpected ways.  So many possibilities.

I think I might have sated the color craziness for now.  The last thing that came home with me is a nice dusty shade of purple.  

This is two skeins of Manos Wool Clasica, destined to become another Palette, because I loved knitting the first one so much.  This colorway is called Slate, and it is definitely on the grey spectrum.  Ahhh, back to normal.

On the Needles

I have many, many projects in progress at all times.  Sometimes I just need simple back and forth knitting, sometimes I need a little chart to follow, sometimes I need some shaping and picking up of stitches.  All at the same time.  And in different yarns and colors.  I have accepted this about myself, and I don't let it stress me out anymore.

I have a few sweaters that have been on the needles for years.  I will be thrilled to wear them when they are finished, but I can be patient with myself.  Sometimes I get motivated to finish all of my unfinished projects, and sometimes I just need something new.

I knit grey sweaters all winter (only one of which is finished), so I decided it was time for something with a little pop and brightness to get me through April in Portland.  Fortunately, Manos del Uruguay sent us a box of Maxima last month with some of the brightest neons I could ever imagine existing in yarn form.  I grabbed a few skeins of the chartreuse color and waited for inspiration to strike.

After a few false starts, I cast on Julie Hoover's Palette and started working.  The stitch pattern is pretty simple, satisfying my need for the basic no-brainer project.  But the color and the resulting fabric is certainly mood-lifting.

This yarn is like butter, friends.  It is soft and lofty and squishy.  I have a few concerns about piling, but I wonder if the slightly felted nature of the single ply with prevent it.  Perhaps the textured stitch pattern will help, too.  Only time will tell.  Worst case scenario, I will just have to knit another one in a few years.  If all goes well, this will be off the needles and blocking tonight, and I might even get a little use out of it this month.

Thinking a little further into the future, I have been dying to try Leinen Los, a wool and linen blend from Schoppel Wolle.  Sally made a swatch with it and was really impressed with how nicely it bloomed with a little hand-washing.  It is available in some beautiful earthy browns and greys, but I decided to go out on a limb and try white.

Photo from Annie Lee Designs Ravelry page.

Again, lots of project waffling on my part, but I settled on Groovy from Annie Lee Designs, available as a Ravelry download.  (I'm doing the original worsted/DK version, but she has a sock/laceweight version, too.)  The pattern starts with just a few stitches and then grows asymmetrically.  Many Ravelers used a contrast color to bind off on one long side.  I love the look, but I'm not sure if I want to mar the pure whiteness of this shawl.  Fortunately, it looks like I have plenty of time to decide.

Who knows how far I will get before I cast on for more fun summer knitting?  Maybe it's time for a Lattice Top in linen.  Or a soon-to-be-published Cameron Hoodie in Blue Sky Cotton.  I clearly need a Lemon in Shibui Linen, I think.  And socks.  Gotta' get ready for fall.

With so much inspiration in the shop and the whole knitting community, it's hard to stop myself.  But it's okay...this is a hobby, right?  It's not supposed to be stressful.  Cast on to your heart's content, I say.

Hello, March

Well, did you all have fun Yarn Crawling?  We had a great time seeing so many new faces and introducing people to our shop.  Thank you to everyone who participated!

Now that the dust has settled and we have caught our collective breath, let's get back to the yarn.  We have so many lovely new things at the shop right now.  Let's start with some Manos del Uruguay, shall we?  They have upped their game, my friends.  Over the last few years, their patterns have gone from dated and dowdy to stylish and modern, and I could not be happier to see the trunk show at the shop right now.

Um, garter stitch blanket?  That might be my middle name.  On Monday, I opened a large box with all of the colors for the Salida del Sol Throw, and I was so taken.  The highlighter yellow in the middle is pretty serious, and the dusky purple up at the top corner is gorgeous in person.  Worked in Manos Wool Clasica, the blanket is generous, too...perfect for wrapping up on the couch or by the fire.  I am trying to resist, but it might be futile.

I do plan to make Palette, but I think I need a brighter color.  The Cameo version is very pretty, but I think I'll use some Chartreuse Maxima that has been patiently waiting for me to settle on a project.  The original here was made with Wool Clasica, too, and I am surprised at how soft and cozy it is.  The length is perfect and the simple stitch pattern produces an interesting effect.  Maybe I'll make a few.

Quite a few knitters noticed the Oruga Scarf sample we had out over the weekend, too.  We now have the pattern in stock and many options for lace weight yarns.  Check out the cool detail running up the spine.

We also have samples of the Fumior gloves and Beaubourg, both knit in lovely lovely Maxima. (Both of these photos are from the Fairmount Fibers site.)

I really love what Manos del Uruguay stands for, so it makes me so happy to see these stunning designs and spot-on styling.  They are a cooperative that has been giving jobs and opportunities to women in Uruguay for decades, and they continue to establish new co-ops around the country.  They provide health insurance, vacations, maternity leave, and pensions to their employees, and they are responsible for the first kindergartens in Uruguay.  You can read more about their operation on the website.  

Each skein of yarn has a handwritten bit telling you the name of the person who dyed your yarn and the village where it was dyed.  The yarn has always been beautiful and high quality, and I hope these new designs will appeal to an even larger audience.  I know they have my attention!

Bringing the yarn focus a little closer to home, let's talk about a Portland yarn company.  If you are interested in playing with some Shibui yarn, please join us for the Mix Party Wednesday night!  There will be little mini skeins of the Shibui yarns to try out and mix and match, look books for the Shibui Mix line, and new spring patterns.  Give us a call at the shop to let us know you're coming (503.488.4568), and bring some needles, size US4 to 9ish.

See you soon!

Yarn Crawl Time!

The Rose City Yarn Crawl is upon us! 

 

Sally's St. Johns Slouch is at the shop right now, and it's really beautiful.  She designed it using Manos del Uruguay Maxima, a favorite yarn at Close Knit.  The pattern is free with any purchase in the shop, but the Maxima will be 10% off during the crawl.  We have a nice deep stock in the gorgeous Manos colorways we all love so much.  All of the free patterns are inspired by the water and bridges of Portland, and Sally's cables look like the iconic St. Johns Bridge.

Photo from Portlandbridges.com

Things get underway on Thursday, February 28 at 10AM.  We have so so so much going on, it's hard to keep track.  There are multiple raffles for all kinds of amazing baskets, door prizes for the first 10 purchases each day, and trunk shows from some our favorite yarn companies.

We have the adorable Royal Petites Collection and the beautiful new wraps knit in Blue Sky Alpacas Metalico.

I am very excited to check out Julie Hoover's designs for Manos del Uruguay, especially the Beaubourg pullover.  My heart skipped a little beat when Jenni pulled this one out of the box.

We also have some lovely stuff from the Scrumptious line from Fyberspates and some unusual hand-dyed Tencel from local dyer Teresa Ruch.

There will be a limited number of Rose City Yarn Crawl tote bags available for sale at the shop, but they won't last long.  We will be open from 10-6 Thursday through Sunday, March 3.  Print out your Passport, collect a whole bunch of stamps, and win a bunch of great stuff!  

I'll see you here next week when the dust settles.

Maxima

Our friends at Manos del Uruguay have sent us a little love in the form of soft and squishy variegated single-ply yarn.

The Manos Maxima is very similar to Malabrigo Worsted in terms of texture and yardage, but we are a little more partial to the Manos colorways.  The shades in each skein seem to blend a little more naturally, and the overall effect is so lovely.  We only have the variegated colorways right now, but we might be seeing some solids soon.

Manos del Uruguay is a cooperative that was founded in 1968 to "develop economic opportunities for women in a country where there were, and are still, few opportunities for work."  The small co-op has grown into a successful and thriving business, employing 350 artisans in 17 communities throughout Uruguay.  They are able to provide health benefits, retirement options, education, and childcare for the artisans.  Each skein of Manos del Uruguay yarn is signed by the person who dyed it.

The ample yardage (218 yards/skein) means that one of these will get you at least one hat, and two skeins will make a generous scarf or wrap.  It is a heavy worsted, knitting up at 4.5-5 stitches/inch on a US7 or 8.  It is so squishy and lofty, that I would definitely go with an 8 or larger unless you are aiming for a very dense fabric.

Fairmount Fibers distributes Manos yarns in the US, and they have pages of free patterns for all of their yarns.  The Maxima page contains some real gems, including the Paper Bag Hat (knit sideways with short rows!), the Handful of Berries Mittens, and the Botany Kerchief.

Manos has recently upped their game with some fresh new designers and new styling.  Recent print ads have been stunning, and I am thrilled to see Julie Hoover designing for them.  Check out Beaubourg, a big ol' reverse stockinette pullover that I would live in, given half the chance.

Photo from Fairmount Fibers

Also, Palette, which is designed in Wool Clasica, but would be equally lovely (and much softer) in Maxima.

Photo from Fairmount Fibers

Finally, Fumior, which are just fabulous.  I love the use of textured stitches and reverse stockinette in all of these designs, which seems to reduce the amount of pilling you get with single-ply yarn.

Photo from Fairmount Fibers

The Maxima is only the beginning of the fall yarns we will be seeing in the weeks to come.  What a great way to get started!