Hanf Natur Bicolor

I don't really need any of this, but I really want some. This Hanf Natur Bicolor from Zitron is so cool! It's a sport weight wool/hemp blend with some really interesting marled color action happening. 

The hemp will make your finished piece nice and drapey, much like a linen blend. This would be great for scarves and wraps and flowy sweaters. I feel like the hemp would also help reduce any pilling you might want to avoid.

I am really loving these shades. The red has a little purple fleck, and the brown has a bit of grey (I think). The marling is subtle, but it really adds depth to the yarn. 

Each skein is 437 yards, so three or four will make a grown up sized sweater and one should make a healthy-sized shawl. Someone stop me from taking it all home with me!

Gradient

Check out the wacky new yarn from Schoppel called Gradient.  As you might expect, this yarn does some slow color changes over the course of the ball, a little bit like Noro, but it's much softer.

Gradient is a worsted weight, so you'll get about 4-5 stitches per inch on a US7ish.  The yarn itself has a really unusual texture.  It's almost like a lightly felted single ply, so the yarn is very round and springy.  And the colors...

These are my two favorites, the most outlandish and the most subtle.  The tonal ones are nice, too.

The Ravelers have used this yarn in some spectacular ways.  There are several versions of Carina Spencer's Zuzu's Petals that are really breathtaking.  This unusual item is a cowl meant to look like a lace shawl.  Brilliant!
 
Gradient would make a great hat, too.  Maybe Turn a Square or the beloved Felicity slouch?  If you'd like to try fingerless gloves, maybe Nancy's Leah Gloves?  One ball of this crazy cool stuff will get you a hat, a cowl, or a pair of gloves.  You might have to think about where in the color repeat you want to start if you want to try gloves.  Or they can be fraternal if that sort of thing doesn't bother you.

This yarn is new in the shop, but going fast!

Mondays are for Yarn

Fall has officially arrived here in Portland.  I know we'll be having a few more spotty days of sunshine and warmish weather before we really hunker down, but September 23 has come and gone, so I say it's fall.

I know more than a few of you are just as happy to see the rain as I am, so I feel comfortable admitting that I am quite pleased to welcome back the season of rain boots, Gore-tex, and woolly layers.  In celebration, we will be open every single Monday from 10 to 6 through the knitting season.

I am also quite happy to welcome more new yarn to the shop.  This pretty pile is Breathless from Shalimar Yarns.  It's a fingering weight merino, cashmere, silk blend that reminds me a little bit of Madelinetosh Pashmina.  The Breathless colors are beautiful, with a tonal richness that knits up into an interesting final product.  We've already had at least one knitter match up a few lovely shades of blue for the Stripe Study Shawl from Ravelry designer Veera of Rain Knitwear Designs.  We are trying it out right now to see how you all like it.  If you love it and want more, please let us know!  How about a few more beauty shots?

We also have a fresh batch of Jojoland Melody Superwash in some rich fall colors.

Many of you know and love this from the Swirl Scarf and Shawl we discussed in September last year.  We have been out of the deeper colors all summer, but now they are back, and they are lovely.  My favorites are: MS26, MS12, MS27, and MS36 (left to right).

Melody Superwash is a fingering weight, machine washable merino/nylon blend.  It would make some mighty fine socks, but it seems to be used more often for scarves and shawls.  The color repeat is very long on this yarn, so it won't knit up like a variegated yarn.  It stripes over several rows, longer or shorter depending on how wide your piece is.  There is a bit of a cult following for this yarn.  If you are part of that cult, come and get it while we have a nice deep stock to choose from.

Ann also delivered a lovely mohair scarf to the shop...some biasing, some garter stitch, and a little ruching for you.  It's a freebie pattern at the shop with the purchase of just two balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze.  I feel that this little darling would be the PERFECT gift for the woman who is perhaps a little hard to please.  Add a little sparkle by knitting it up in Luna instead.

I know my fellow rain-worshipers are out there, because we chat about this on Sundays.  Well, it is our time, my friends.  And now you have Mondays to enjoy even more yarny inspiration.  See you soon.

Kathmandu Cowl

Perhaps mid-August is not the ideal time to be knitting a wool cowl.  What can I say, my love of tweed knows no bounds.

I whipped up a little cowl to show off the pretty colors of the Kathmandu Aran Tweed from Queensland Collection.

So, I love this yarn.  This is one of my desert island yarns*.  Tweedy, crunchy merino wool with just enough cashmere and silk to make it buttery soft, especially after a little soak.  And the colors, oh my.  The flecks in the different colorways really compliment each other, so play around with color combinations.

Sailor Blue (163) and Off White (135)

Petrol (158) and Charcoal (177)

Chocolate (161) and Brown (133)

Mocha (184) and Hunter Green (174)

The knit and purl stripes make this cowl totally reversible and flipable, too, so you can show off whichever color best suits your mood.  It appears that I was pondering red velvet cupcakes when I chose my colors, Vintage Wine (182) and Natural (176).  I just couldn't say no to that deep pink.

Here's the free pattern for you.  Enjoy!

*If you were stranded on a desert island and had to choose one yarn to knit with forever, what would it be?  Perhaps we knitters should discuss polar iceberg yarns instead...

Kathmandu Cowl

by Leah Bandstra

This cowl is reversible and flipable!

I didn’t use every last bit of the yarn, so you should have enough to do a few extra rounds with each color if you’d like.

Materials:

2 balls (one of each color) Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran (104 yds/50g), #182 and #176

US8 16” circular needles

Stitch marker

Finished size: About 24” around and 10” tall

Gauge: About 4.5 stitches per inch

Pattern:

CO 108 stitches with A.  Join in the round and place marker.

Knit 1 round with A.

Purl 15 rounds with A.  (Piece should measure about 3” from cast on.)

Knit 4 rounds with B.

Purl 8 rounds with A.

Knit 8 rounds with B.

Purl 4 rounds with A.

Knit 15 rounds with B.

Purl 1 round with B.

BO loosely knitwise using B.

Weave in your ends, block, and enjoy!

Fall Arrivals: Aslan Trends, Little Red, and Kauni

New stuff is arriving!  Above is Del Sur, a super-bulky thick and thin yarn from Aslan Trends.  Imagine a big ol' scarf or the pointy elf hat from the cover of More Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

You guys loved the Royal Alpaca last fall, and we have a whole lot more in the shop right now.  This is one of the softest and finest alpaca yarns you can buy.  We have a sample of Nancy's lovely Lana Glove in the beautiful mustard yellow.  This yarn would be stunning for cowls, hats, gloves, or the most amazingly soft sweater you've ever worn.

 

We love Ysolda Teauge, and we have her newest book in stock right now, Little Red in the City.  This book is AMAZING.  There are seven classic sweater patterns, and the sizes range from a 30" to 60" bust.

In addition to the patterns, Ysolda outlines so many valuable techniques.  She really appreciates that simply making a sweater larger doesn't make it work for a curvy figure.  This book is packed with valuable design advice, illustrated in easy to understand hand-drawings and notes.  You could design a sweater from the ground up, or adjust one of her patterns for the perfect fit.  I can't even begin to describe everything in here.  Come by and flip through a copy before they are all gone.

 

Last but not least, a basket full of Kauni.  This lovely yarn is flying out the door, but we have more on the way.  More on this pretty stuff when we restock.

Tosh!

Do you know what this sad, empty shelf means?

It's time for more Madelinetosh! Friday morning, Sally unpacked a huge box of yarn from one of the most popular hand-dyers.

Our shelves are now stocked with a fresh batch of Tosh Merino DK and Tosh Merino Light. These are both single-ply superwash merino with amazing yardage. The DK knits at about 5.5 stitches/inch, and the Light knits at about 7.

The internet is crawling with beautiful patterns for these yarns. As many of you have already discovered, the DK is great for pretty much everything. I love it for hats and scarves. The Light is amazing for those lightweight sweaters that are all over the place right now. Shawls, too. I especially like the striped ones in The Fine Line by Grace Anna Farrow from Knit Isager.

These are very hard to keep on the shelves, and even harder to get back on the shelves when they're gone.

Come and get it!

Spring Arrivals

Exciting news for our Close Knit family! Melissa and her husband, Ryan, welcomed a most impressive project into the world last week, sweet baby girl Dylan. She arrived a few weeks early, and Melissa and her family are all doing very well. We can't wait to see her all decked out in her fabulous Mama-made outfits!

We have had a few arrivals at the shop, too, although they aren't nearly as cute as Dylan. Several boxes of Classic Elite Yarns were delivered this week, including my FAVORITE summer yarn to date, Firefly.

The linen/viscose blend has the perfect combination of shine and strength, and the knitted fabric has such a fabulous drape and sheen. I made this simple little Firefly Bias Scarf last summer using three balls. The sample is back up in the shop, and the free pattern can be found here.

I've mentioned a few of my favorite Firefly designs in the past, including the V-Yoke Cardigan from the Spring 2011 Interweave Knits (shown below), and the designs from the CEY Firefly booklet, Meadow (#9136).

Our stock of Sprout has grown, as well. It's hard to find a bulky cotton that isn't too dense, and this one is lofty, springy, and organic, too. At 3.5 stitches/inch, you could crank out a summer cardigan or a baby blanket in no time.

I'm working on a little baby hat in Sprout, so I'll have a free pattern for you soon. Maybe I can talk Dylan into modeling for me!

Here Comes the Cotton Yarn

The cotton yarn is starting to roll in. Although the hail and snow in the forecast would suggest otherwise, it will be warming up soon. It's time to start thinking about what you'd like to have for those chilly summer evenings.

A rainbow of Tahki Cotton Classic has arrived. Bright colors, lustrous finish, and only $6.50 per skein. We have some nice samples knit with Cotton Classic, including this cool Side-to-Side Garter Stitch Vest, which is free when you buy the yarn. It's knit with a double strand, so it should come together pretty quickly. I might have to queue that one.

We also received the newest pattern books for Cotton Classic, Kaleidoscope #5, which includes these pretty little things, among others.

Green with Envy Cropped Cardigan

Blue Streak Henley

New to Close Knit, Ripple from Tahki. Ripple is a worsted weight 100% cotton with a thick-and-thin slubby texture. It's a bit of a departure from our other cottons, but it is really interesting yarn.

We have black on the shelves right now, with more colors on the way. The unusual texture would make the simplest cardigan or pullover really dramatic. The pattern book for Ripple, Urban Renewal, (shown above) has a few really nice choices, too.

Warren 2-Way Jacket

Myrtle

I know it feels like January again, but soon it will be time to tuck the heavy wool sweaters away. Wouldn't it be nice to have a fabulous cotton layer ready to go when the sun finally comes out for good?

Thanks, Jenni, for the Cotton Classic photos!