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!

Indigo

The new Berroco Indigo is in the shop, just in time for summer cardigans. 

Sally chose the beautiful denimy neutrals...and then the mustardy yellow. (Yellow is our unofficial shop color.) Indigo is a worsted weight yarn, working up at 5 stitches per inch on a US7, and each skein is 219 yards of recycled cotton. This yarn is going to wash up and dry like a dream. The fabric will become softer and softer over time. Look at that nubbly texture.

You know the rain is going to last at least another month, so it's a great time to start knitting those summer layers. The pattern book has several lovely options. We have a sample of Prickly Poppy in the shop window right now.

Penstemon (above) has a pretty eyelet detail, and Larkspur looks like a sweater you could live in, doesn't it? That shawl collar is so cozy.

Milkweed is a nice easy v-neck tank. Only 3 or 4 skeins for sizes 32 through 44.

If you just want to wrap up, Desert Lily should do the trick. This would make an amazing baby blanket, too.

I know Ann is working on a cardigan with Indigo, so you will likely see her wearing it this summer on chilly days. We have a nice supply for your sweaters right now, so come see this lovely new yarn!

Renew, Revive, Recycle

Our fall Rowan order is trickling into the shop, and the most recent shipment included Rowan's second fully recycled yarn, Purelife Renew. It's a chunky weight wool blend yarn made purely from recycled fibers.

This is the second completely recycled yarn from Rowan, the first being Purelife Revive, a recycled cotton and silk blend I worked with several months ago. As with Revive, the colors of Renew are marled and tweedy rather than solid due to the way these yarns are produced.

Rowan's recycled yarns are created from used clothing and waste from fabric and yarn production. After seams and adornments are removed, the clothing is sorted by fiber type, color, and quality. It is then sterilized and shredded into loose fibers with a rag grinder. The resulting fibers are carded, and the yarn is processed and spun as usual. It's such a great way to reuse fiber that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

Purelife Autumn contains several designs using Renew, including this cropped jacket called Cyclamen. This would be a fast knit on size 10 needles, and it would be perfect over a tee shirt as we slowly sneak up on the cooler weather here in Portland.

For me, part of the appeal of knitting and sewing is taking materials that are not inherently useful and transforming them into something that serves a purpose. I appreciate that Rowan's recycled yarns take this idea one step further, and it's wonderful that they are able to do so with the style that we expect from Rowan.