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close knit: the neighborhood yarn shop
We have a lovely batch of Ella Rae Classic Wool back in the shop. We carried this yarn years ago, and it's nice to see it back on the shelves. This is such a great workhorse yarn, with 220 yards of worsted weight wool in each 100g ball.
The colors are lovely and muted and rich. I really like the very subtle heather on some (most?) of them. This red is just the perfect shade of gorgeous for holiday knitting. It's so hard to find a good red. This one is almost a brick red, but with just a little more pop. It's festive without being too much.
We have a few glove samples in the shop to show off a few shades of Ella Rae (and Ultra Alpaca). These were knit using the Montreal Mitts pattern. Three balls of Ella Rae will make several pairs.
The Ella Rae is great for felting, too, if that's your sort of thing. It makes great felted bags, slippers, hats. All the felted things. We can never have too many staple yarns in the shop. Come take a look!
So many hats! The big table is covered in some of our favorite little hat projects. We have everything from fingering weight colorwork to chunky stockinette. If you are thinking about some handmade holiday gifts, we would be more than happy to get your started on hats galore!
Sometimes we all need a little calm and comforting knitting. If you find yourself in need of some distraction these days, might I suggest a bright chunky blanket on big needles?
The latest Noro magazine features the Kureyon Air in these three big, cozy blankets. Each one requires six skeins of Air and a US15 needle. The stitch patterns are just enough to keep your mind engaged but not at all difficult.
We have this lovely Quick Slip Cowl sample in the shop to show off this lovely yarn. You'll need just one skein of Air for this, and the fabric looks great on both sides.
Sally has already been cranking on her bulky version of the Noromania Blanket (US17 with 71 stitches). Choose six skeins in two colorways, and take comfort in your knitting.
The new Knitted Cable Sourcebook from Norah Gaughan is amazing. Have you ever marveled at a Norah pattern and thought, "How does she do that????" Well this book will answer that question for you. There are plenty of familiar gorgeous cable patterns, charted and written out for you. But then there is a whole section full of this sort of thing:
Seriously. These are amazing. Do yourself a favor and stop by the shop to flip through the whole collection. As if this wasn't enough, there are patterns, too.
I must say, I am not really a knitted skirt kind of gal, but Norah's skirt patterns always catch my eye.
I am intrigued by the construction of this sweet cloche. I want to know how it works. And this huge chunky scarf looks like a ton of fun to knit and wear.
The sweater patterns are lovely, too. Which is not at all surprising. The batwing sweater is so unusual and feminine.
And this shawl-collared cardigan in bulky wool. Oh man, I am love. This would be perfect and lofty in Harrisville Turbine. And very warm.
If cables are your thing, this book will make you happy! Pick up a copy for yourself of put it on your wishlist.
We have Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine on the shelves! If you are familiar with the sport/DK, worsted, and chunky weights of Ultra Alpaca, you know what a wonderful line of yarn this is. While the other weights are 50/50 wool and alpaca, Fine has a little nylon for added durability. It's also machine washable! Happy day!
I love the Ultra Alpaca line. I've only used it for a few projects, and I'm trying to figure out why. It's like a workhorse yarn with just a little luxury thanks to the alpaca. Fancy workhorse, let's say. The hand of the knitted fabric is nice and even, but it's certainly not
heavy. The balance of the wool and alpaca prevents it from becoming too
warm or too dense.
I've always been a fan of the melange and heathered shades of this yarn. The greens, oranges, and purples always catch my eye. This beautiful light weight would be so nice for a shawl or baby sweater. I also have a thing for holding yarns together, and this would be a great choice. Did you know that two strands of fingering weight yarn will knit up to a worsted weight? Yup. It works really well. Oh, the possibilities.
