Portlandia

Remember August?  When it was hot and sunny and we were all wearing sandals and sundresses?  Me neither.  What I do recall is that Portlandia shot an episode in our little shop.

Well, the season premiere is on Friday, January 4, just two short days away.  We are told that our skit will be in the first episode, so go record it or set an alarm or something.  It airs at 10PM (eastern time, so really 7PM our time) on IFC.  Here's a little sneak peek blatantly lifted from the IFC/Portlandia website photo gallery.

Look!  It's our shelves, and our paper flowers, and our needle cabinets, and Jeff Goldblum in a pink shirt!  There appear to be a few doilies involved.  Hmm...I wonder what the skit will entail.  So cool!

Hello, Beautiful

Welcome back from the holidaze, friends!  We love the knitting season at the yarn shop, especially the last few weeks before Christmas.  There is so much excitement coming into the shop and so much big yarn leaving the shop as people rush to finish up the handmade gifts.  While those crazy weeks are high-energy fun, I love the return to normal that comes with the new year.  Also, I love getting back to projects knit on needles smaller than US17s.

On that note, we are thrilled to welcome Shibui Knits to the shop.  Shibui is a Portland yarn company, and they really know what they're doing.  The yarns are addictive, the pattern styling is amazing, and the colorways are irresistible. We are starting out with three yarns and a smattering of patterns.  Here's what's in the shop.

Silk Cloud is little bit like Rowan Kidsilk Haze, but with more silk and more yardage.  The colors that Sally has chosen are something else.  The purple is called UV, and the orange is Jumpsuit.  That bright green, Apple, is impossible to photograph to its fullest potential...you really just need to come see it.

The Merino Alpaca is ropy and thick and hefty.  It reminds us a bit of a slightly thinner version of Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Merino.  On the day we opened the box, one lucky knitter snagged four skeins to make a simple and ample stockinette scarf.  I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Finally, the Staccato.  Gorgeous merino and silk in a fingering weight...I can see this working up beautifully.  You probably can't go wrong.

The designers at Shibui are really masters of mixing.  Many patterns use two yarns held together for some really cool effects.  Sally went with complimentary colors in all of these yarns so you (and we) can play around.  Let me show you the patterns we have right now using these pretty yarns.

From the Mix line, this is No. 9 , a sumptuous cowl made with Silk Cloud and Staccato, and No. 12 a crazy cool hood made with Silk Cloud and Merino Alpaca.

This is No. 4, No. 6, and No. 3, all knit with Silk Cloud paired with other lovely yarns.  All three are just perfect in their simplicity.

The Geometry Collection is pretty striking.  The styling and the photography really get me.  (Anyone recognize the local skate park?)  Right now we have Hypotenuse (cowl), Radii (cap and mitts), Segment (scarf), and Trapezoid (drapey cardigan).

We're pretty excited to try out these new yarns and patterns.  There are a few more colors on the way, so I'll let you know when they arrive.  Come by and let us know what you think!

Bags, Yarns, and Holiday Hours

More cute bags arrived on Friday from Dig This Chick.  The bags are really high-quality, and the little appliques are so sweet.  We have five different color combos.  These are handmade by a Montana artist, and she does great work!

We also welcomed a few yarns from Berroco this week.  (Ooo, take a look at their new site!)  This is Boboli Quick.  We have a nice little mitten pattern available at the shop for this yarn.

And this is Quasar.

Berroco has a really nice free cowl pattern using this yarn, Seyfert.  Just one ball makes a really generous cowl.  Perfect mindless holiday knitting.

Photo from Berroco.com

We have lots of new stuff, too, including fresh batches of Magnum, Gradient, Spud & Chloe, Blue Sky Alpacas, and a brand new yarn from Malabrigo called Rastita.  I'll have more ideas and inspiration for you all later this week.

As for the next week, we will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.  We will close up at 3PM on Christmas Eve and at 5PM on New Year's Eve.  Open Knit Nights on Wednesday night are on hold until January 9.  Otherwise, we'll be open regular hours.  Maybe you need to send someone in for a last minute gift?  Maybe you'll have a gift certificate to redeem this week?  Come and see us!

Yarn Pop Bags

We have some really great knitting bags from Yarn Pop.  (Please excuse the lighting in these pictures.  It's December in Oregon, and there is only so much I can do with my little camera.)

These little guys, the Small Yarn Pops, have a nice zippered inner pocket and holes for your yarn (or headphones)!  These are the perfect size for the little projects like socks, hats, and gloves.  I think they'd be especially useful for travel, when you really need to keep everything contained.  

For those of you wondering, you pull the yarn through the hole when you start your project and knit away, keeping your ball in the bag (and not rolling down the aisle or under the car seat).  When you need to tuck your project away, just put it in the bag!  There is a thoughtfully-placed little gap at the end of the zipper to keep your yarn from getting snagged.  Great ideas, right?

The larger ones, the Totables, have more pockets!  And more holes!  And a nice handle.  (Ahhh...there's a little natural light.)  These bags are really well-made with big zippers, a full lining, and high-quality materials.  The little guys are only $20, and the big ones are $58.  We originally brought these in for the holiday shoppers, but I think they're nice enough to keep in stock on a regular basis, don't you?

If you are using plastic bags to store your projects (I know you're out there), please send your loved ones down to the shop and we'll help them pick out a nice one for you.

Last Minute

If you're still trying to crank out gifts by next week, I have a few options.

We've discussed Laura Irwin's designs in the past.  Her work is amazing, she is a Portlander, and she is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet.  She has complied several of her newest designs in Softwaves.  Four of the five are knit with super bulky wool, so you could probably crank out one of each in the next seven days.

The book features the Textured Marbled Beret (on the cover), the Snail Twist Headband and Cowl, the Pivot Ruffle Cloche, and the Softwaves Magnum Cowl.  Sally has fresh batches of Cascade Lana Grande and Cascade Magnum in the shop this week, which will work beautifully for all but the Pivot Cloche.

If you need even easier and faster, please join the club and make the Garter Gaiter from The Purl Bee.  Ann and Jenni have each produced one, and they are both great.  The one above is made with Debbie Bliss Paloma, and Jenni used Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky in red and grey (photos on our Facebook page).  The pattern is free, you'll need one skein of each color, and the knitting is super easy.  You could even start and finish one on the plane or in the car.  Seriously.

In other news, Jenni is collecting hearts to mail to the community of Newtown, CT as part of the Hearts Across America movement (they have a Facebook page here).  Decorate a paper heart with art or words, and drop it off at the shop.  Jenni will send them off to Connecticut with the love and support of our community.  It's hard to know how to help in the wake of such tragedy, but this can't hurt.

Avert Your Eyes

Seriously, this yarn is so pretty it might hurt.  Say hello to Malabrigo Silkpaca in some stunning colors.

This is a true lace weight done up in alpaca and silk.  I had one lucky knitter take two skeins home for a Les Miserables Scarf last week.  The silk will resist the felting, leaving tiny boucle-like loops on the surface.  The effect is really beautiful.  And in this subtly tonal yarn...it's going to be amazing.  Let's have another shot, shall we?

Yup.  It's still pretty.

Oh, Deer

This sweet little thing is currently living at the shop.  I think we have decided to call her Pearl.  Ann created her using just one skein of Berroco Peruvia, some stuffing, and good bit of patience.  There are many small parts, but the results are so worth it.  The pattern is even a freebie on Ravelry, My Dear - A Deer Trophy by Clare Garland.

I'd like to try her in a darker brown, but I'm afraid the stuffing will show through.  So, I might have to just blatantly copy Ann.  Why not, since she seems to be on such a roll with these great samples?  If you hear me muttering something about increases on the antlers, please show me these photos to remind me how stinkin' cute this little lady is.  Thanks.