Kelbourne Perennial

If you need a neon pink fingering yarn, we have you covered. The Kelbourne Woolens Perennial is a really vibrant superwash merino/alpaca blend with just enough nylon to give it some strength. Between the nylon and the superwash, you can make some really cool socks with this stuff! Maybe some mustard yellow and hot pink stripes?

If it's not socks you're after, there are so many other options. I love the delicate colorwork on this Stonecrop Pullover.

Pic borrowed from Rav project page.

How about this Soldotna Crop?

Photo borrowed from Rav project page.

I've been longing for an Oslo Hat. You'd need to hold the Perennial with some silk mohair for that magical halo. Do I need a hot pink one or a more subtle one like this pretty hat?

Photo borrowed from Rav project page.

I think we should all make one. Which color do you like best?

June Hat!

While the colors for the June hat are not necessarily unusual, the hat itself is pretty great! These cuties are part of Kelbourne Woolens Year of Hats, and I think this is my favorite month yet.

Pic borrowed from Kelbourne Woolens site.

When you buy two skeins, you'll have enough for two hats in opposite colors. Plus, if you've been saving scraps, you can make some cute and colorful pom poms for your graphic new hat.

I think this neon tag kit would be perfect, too. I wonder if that's against the rules...

Year of Hats

Welcome to the Year of Hats brought to you by Kelbourne Woolens and their Germantown yarn. Yes, it's already May, but we are really excited about these hats and this beautiful yarn!

Each month, Kelbourne Woolens is releasing a new free hat pattern as part of a kit that will teach you some new skills. The sweet kits include a skein of Germantown, a cute little leather tag, and two bits of contrasty colored yarn for sewing on the tag.

We have samples of ths February hat, the March hat, and the April hat in the shop for you to check out.

Germantown, aside from having an adorable label, is a sturdy North American worsted weight wool in some rich and classic colors. If you love knitting hats and trying new things, this hat project should make you very happy! I'll keep you posted about when we have the new shades for the May hat.

Perfect Combo

Do you all daydream about knitting? I am certainly guilty of imaginary project planning, and I have been a little fixated on the beautiful Tecumseh by Caitlin Hunter.

Pic borrowed from Rav page.

Shortly after I found this sweater, Scout arrived in the shop at the perfect gauge and some amazing colors. This 100% wool from Kelbourne Woolens is just the perfect thing for Tecumseh. The colors are deep and rich and just the right thing to let the gorgeous designs of the sweater shine through.

If you love Tecumseh, you might also be into Caitlin's other beautiful designs, including the popular Ninilchik Swoncho, Tegna, and the gorgeous Birkin. (All pictures borrowed from their Ravelry pattern pages, just follow the links.)

 

There are so many more! Take a look at her Ravelry designer page to see for yourself. I think I have a new designer crush!

The Fibre Company

The newest shipment of yarn from The Fibre Company has arrived. We have carried these yarns in the past, and our knitters fell in love with the unique blends of fibers and subtle color palette. So, now we have more!

Terra and Organik, both worsted weight alpaca/merino/silk blends, are back on the shelves. Even though these yarns are made from the same fibers, the ratios of each ingredient and the spinning process make for two distinct yarns. Organik is a smooth and shiny single-ply, while Terra highlights the silk with a rustic, slubby texture which you can really see in the photo below. We also have Road to China Light, a light sport weight alpaca/silk/camel/cashmere blend. Look at those beautiful colors. Finally, there is Canopy Fingering. This alpaca/merino/bamboo blend has a bit of a following among our knitters. The alpaca and merino make this soft and drapey, and the bamboo adds such a nice shine. I claimed a skein of the Obsidian to play with, and I think I'll have to go back for more.
Kelbourne Woolens, distributor of The Fibre Company yarns, is a joint venture of popular knitwear designers Kate Gagnon Osborn and Courtney Kelley. They have designed a wonderful range of pieces specifically for these yarns. We have several of their hat patterns at Close Knit, and the Kelbourne Woolens website has a generous offering of patterns as well.

Here are a few of their patterns for Terra (click on the photo for more information),
Organik,
Road to China Light,
and Canopy Fingering.
Courtney and Kate have a new book coming out soon featuring The Fibre Company yarns, Vintage Modern Knits. They also include a page on their website with designs published in other sources using their yarns, and we have many of these books and magazines at Close Knit. Come on in to the shop, and we will help you find the perfect Fibre Company yarn to match your newest favorite pattern.

Thanks to Kelbourne Woolens for the beautiful pattern and yarn photos!