Naturalia

With this glorious change in weather, we are seeing more and more big yarn in the shop! This gorgeous organic wool is particularly sheepy.

Naturalia is some seriously chunky yarn, similar in gauge to Cascade Magnum but with a much different texture. It's very loosely spun, but a thin binding thread helps hold it all together. The thread all but disappears into the knitting, but it provides some nice stability and prevents the single ply yarn from pulling apart.

The fabulous Ellison whipped up a really easy and classy cowl using one skein of Naturalia. She has pattern notes on her Ravelry page.

We have several lovely natural shades in the shop right now. I love the fact that this corner smells like sheep thanks to this new arrival.

Several folks on Ravelry used the Naturalia to make garter stitch blankets, ribbed blankets, and oversized scarves. At only $20 for 131 yards of organic bulky yarn, this is a great deal for big statement projects like these. I'm so glad to see this cool weather and these big ol' chunky yarns in the shop. It is time!

Sincere Sheep

I love getting new yarn in the summer time. I know many knitters slow down when the temperature rises, but I always need something on the needles. Fresh, American-made, vegetable-dyed yarn is just the thing to keep us all inspired!

Sincere Sheep is a northern California company producing some gorgeous fiber, and we are happy to be carrying their Equity Fingering and Bannock yarns.

Bannock is a squishy worsted weight with 280 yards in each skein. Most of these are very subtle and tonal, but a few colorways have more variation than others. They are all really lovely. Sally started working with the yellow (Mrs. Fisher), and it is knitting up so nicely. I feel the need to squeeze it every time I see it.

Photo borrowed from Ravelry pattern page.

We love the Spate mitts by Jane Richmond for this yarn. That rich textured raindrop pattern looks so cozy. I'm putting these on the gift knitting list.

The Equity Fingering, grown and spun in Wyoming, is equally gorgeous. This yarn would be perfect for lace knitting, as it will block out beautifully. Colorwork is a great choice, too, since the yarn has a little tooth to it, making it stick to itself just the right amount. The sweet Ice Ribbons set is designed with two skeins of the Equity Fingering for the cap, cowl, and mitts.

Photo borrowed from Ravelry pattern page.

I am so happy to see more American-made yarns in the shop lately. Sally has done an amazing job choosing high-quality products at reasonable prices. Let us know what you think of the beautiful yarns from Sincere Sheep, and stay tuned for even more goodness on the way soon!

New Yarns and Some Thoughts on Gauge

Sally has been experimenting with a few new yarn companies this fall, and we have some really amazing new offerings for you.  The stuff above is so vibrant (and attention-grabbing), but first I want to tell you about the beautiful natural shades of the Jarbo Gastrike.

We have a 2-ply and a 3-ply version of this lovely sheepy stuff in some of my favorite colors: grey, black, and white.  So good.  In addition to being great yarns, these guys are very economical.  Like 330 yards for under $10 economical.

It seems to be a trend with some of these smaller companies to make the gauge a bit of a fun little game, and the Gastrike is no different.  Sally created a few very useful swatches to help us decide how we might use these yarns.  The Gastrike 3-ply, pictured above, is described as a worsted yarn on Ravlery, but the label suggests a gauge of 15-22 stitches over 4 inches on a US6-10.5.  That is some serious range.  The swatch below shows the yarn knit up on a US5 (at the top), 6, 7, and 8 (bottom).

The fabric is really nice on each needle, but the differences in gauge could make or break a project.  Sally is a very consistent, true-to-gauge knitter and here's what her swatch tells me: US5=5.5 stitches and 8 rows/inch, US6=5 stitches and 7 rows/inch, US7=4.75 stitches and 6.5ish rows/inch, US8=4.5 stitches and 6 rows/inch.

The finer version, Gastrike 2-ply, is described as a fingering weight on Ravelry, and a DK by the yarn company, with a gauge of 18-27 stitches over 4 inches on a US 2-10.  That's just confusing.  Here is what Sally found with her swatch: US3=7 stitches and 10 rows/inch, US4=6.5 stitches and 9 rows/inch, US5=6 stitches and 8 rows/inch, US6=5.5 stitches and 8.5 rows/inch.

It's a good idea to think about the final fabric you'll achieve with a given needle before you jump into a project.  You'd likely want a hat to be knit at a tighter gauge than a shawl, unless you like a really loose and slouchy hat (which I don't).  Mittens and gloves will want to be tight, but a scarf can be a little looser.  The gauge on a sweater really depends on the style and your personal preference.  A thick sweater coat will need to be knit more tightly than and drapey dolman sleeve top.  You get the idea.  The swatch not only tells you what your gauge is in stitches per inch, but you'll learn a lot about the resulting fabric.  Seeing these little swatches knit with four different needle sizes really drives that point home for me.  In short, please swatch.  Okay, off my soapbox and on to that gorgeous stuff you saw up above.



Elemental Affects is a small California-based company offering a few select yarns produced and processed in the US.  The Shetland Fingering that we have in the shop is grown in Montana, spun in the USA (not sure where), and hand-dyed in California.  I'm afraid that I am pretty much in love with the Old Gold colorway (bottom left corner) and would like to knit everything with it.  However, I will look jaundiced if I do that, especially in a few months when the freckles are gone, so maybe a little colorwork is in order.



Sally has cast on for her long-awaited Selbu Modern, a free pattern from the generous people at Kelbourne Woolens.  She is using the Old Gold and the deep tealy navy blue.  This yarn also pairs very nicely with the Gastrike 2-ply.  Since we are on a swatch kick today, here's a little striped swatch of the grey Gastrike and the pretty copper Elemental Affects.  Look how well they play together.



I have spent too much time thinking about Breton from Brooklyn Tweed (photo borrowed from Brooklyn Tweed site).

How beautiful would this be with the Gastrike as the main color and a pop of bright pink, green, or blue?  Very beautiful, I think.  There are so many possibilities for these yarns.  If you are the kind of person who knits fair isle sweaters in fingering weight wool, you will be thrilled.  If you want to make a light weight stripey scarf or little beanie with lots of colors or just a few natural shades, we can please you, too.  Come take a look at these new friends!

All photos involving the Elemental Affects are snagged with permission from the Flickr page of Lisa Weisman, aka Our Lady of the Really Nice Lens.  Thanks, Lisa!

Classic Elite Blackthorn

Our Blackthorn trunk show is on the ladies!  We're featuring the designs from the Blackthorn pattern book, #9182 for the next week.  If that chill in the air is getting to you, the soft and chunky Blackthorn might be just the thing for a quick knit to warm you up.  Take a look.

Blackthorn is a chunky wool/alpaca blend in the natural, undyed shades of the Classic Elite Mountain Top collection.  Knitting up at 3 to 3.5 stitches/inch on a US10.5 or 11, this one will make for some quick knits.

Jenni and I agreed that Spyder Lake, a cozy cabled sweater dress, is calling out for some skinny jeans and boots as the weather cools down.  The smallest size requires only seven skeins, so I think this one would knit up pretty quickly.

Birchfield features some really nice finishing, including a double-layered collar and folded under front edges for a clean look.  The thick collar stands up and holds its shape really nicely.  Love the asymmetrical opening and the chance to use some pretty buttons on this one, too.  Again, only seven skeins for the smallest size.

Photo from Classic Elite Yarns site

Widgeon Hill is knit lengthwise with just four skeins.  I thought this was a cowl at first, given the direction of the detailed edge, but I love the scarf length.  You could easily join it in the round for a nice long wrap-around infinity scarf.

Photo from Classic Elite Yarns site

A few of our knitters have already found these easy-peasy chunky mittens.  I know of at least one pair that will soon be off to warm up a loved one in chilly Minnesota.

These samples are here for you!  Don't be shy about stripping the mannequins and trying on the fabulous pieces.  We will have these until the middle of next week, so we'll see you soon.

Mountain Top Chalet

The Mountain Top Collection from Classic Elite has arrived, and it is so beautiful.  The line features natural fibers in their natural colors, and I am really quite smitten.  We will be receiving trunk shows for each of the yarns, beginning with my personal favorite, Chalet.

Chalet is a chained bamboo and alpaca blend.  You'd think that fiber combination would result in a drapey puddle on the floor, but the chained construction, which has been so popular lately, really helps it retain a surprising amount of bounce and loft.  And, yes, it really is as soft as it looks in the photos...maybe even softer.

Our trunk show features designs from the Chalet pattern book, #9183.  First we have Appenzell, a gorgeous cabled pullover with some great texture.  I recently made myself a pullover with a similar profile, and I have been loving it.  I think this dolman sleeve silhouette is surprisingly flattering, and I love the cabled cowl neck.

This sweater is now on my list of must-haves.  Heidi looks like a basic cardigan, and I suppose it is, but the slip-stitch detail on the sleeve and back add a little something special.  And the red buttons.  I'm a sucker for pretty buttons.

The accessories are nice, too, although somehow I only managed to get a photo of this crazy thing.  This is Yodel, and it is a lot of fringe, my friends.

We also have Zermatt, Matterhorn, and Snow Cap, all pictured below.  I love the squishy bias rib of Zermatt.  The pattern calls for three skeins, and at only $10.25 a pop, that seems more than reasonable for my new favorite scarf.

I have also been dreaming of the Cobble Hill Pullover from Interweave Knits Spring 2012 in Chalet.  

The sweater is designed in bulky alpaca, but that seems like a bit much.  I think the lightness and loft of Chalet would be ideal.  

It is definitely worth a trip to the shop to see this yarn and the samples in person.  You really need to handle this stuff to believe it.

Au Naturel

Most of us are concerned about making green choices - from the food we eat to the mode of transportation that we choose. Fortunately, there are socially responsible fiber choices as well. Here at Close Knit, we carry an increasing number of organic wools and cottons and naturally dyed yarns so that you can feel good about the fibers that you use.

One of my favorite companies, Rowan, based in the UK, produces Purelife Organic Wool Naturally Dyed. This is a classic DK weight yarn - 5.5 stitches per inch, and is soft and comfy in both subdued and festive shades, all dyed with natural dyes.

We also carry a naturally dyed bulky wool by local dyeworks Pico Accuardi. The colors are subtle and gorgeous - especially Partly Cloudy and Stumptown, dyed with local favorite Stumptown Coffee. Leah made an easy, slouchy hat with the Johnny-Wog colorway. Stop by the store to check it out.

We have many organic cotton choices from DK to bulky. Conventionally grown cotton is dependent upon the heavy use of insecticides. Organic cotton, however, is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment.

As part of their Purelife line, Rowan produces an organic, naturally dyed DK cotton in muted, springy shades.

Debbie Bliss produces Eco Cotton, an Aran weight yarn in lively, cheerful colorways. This yarn is produced using fair business practices as well as ecologically sound farming techniques. Farmers are equal partners with textile producers and the cooperative ensures fair and humane business practices. The dyes are non-toxic and water is recycled after production. We will receive our first shipment of Eco Baby, a a sport-weight cotton, this week. Sally has ordered all sixteen shades, along with the accompanying pattern book.

Blue Sky Alpacas produces several different organic cotton yarns. There's Hand-Spun Organic Cotton, which is spun on drop spindles by a women's cooperative in Peru, as well as Worsted Cotton, an organically grown cotton in a variety of vibrant shades.

We also carry Skinny Cotton, a plied, organic DK weight yarn dyed with low-impact dyes.

Finally, we carry Classic Elite Sprout, a bulky organic cotton perfect for spa cloths as well as garments in colorways that range from delicate to fiery.

So, if organic, natural products are important to you, ask about our options here at Close Knit. We would be happy to show you socially responsible, organic yarns that help you to feel good about your purchase and your impact on the world.