close knit: the neighborhood yarn shop


Monday, April 30, 2018

Eye Candy

Check out the Michele Wang collection in the newest Knit.Wear. So much oversized, cable-y, goodness!

Friday, April 27, 2018

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!

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Herstory

Did you all know about the Herstory Sock Yarn Club from Knitted Wit? Neither did I! 
They are creating limited runs of hand-dyed yarns inspired by women in science and engineering fields, and we are lucky enough to have a smattering of these yarns in our shop. They are really vibrant and beautiful, just like all of the Knitted Wit yarns. 
These beauties go fast, so hurry in if you want a yarn inspired by prize-winning mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani and her contributions to moduli curves. Who doesn't want some of that?!

Monday, April 23, 2018

Eye Candy

Malabrigo eye candy is sort of the best kind, don't you think?


Saturday, April 21, 2018

Local Yarn Store Day

Hey friends! It's a beautiful day in Portland...perfect for a stroll down Alberta Street, a trip to the yarn shop, and some relaxing knitting!
Come on by today to help us celebrate Local Yarn Store Day! There will be raffles and a fabulous freebie for anyone who makes a purchase today. Can't wait to see you!

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

LYS Day

So, it looks like the first Local Yarn Store Day is this Saturday, April 21. We are a local yarn store, and we are excited to participate! Of course, it goes without saying that we are thrilled to see you any day of the year, and we always appreciate your business and community. Since Saturday is a special day of LYS appreciation, let's do a little thing, shall we?
Everyone who makes a purchase on Saturday will receive a code to download the Waterways: 2018 Rose City Yarn Crawl Pattern Collection ebook, which includes so many lovely things. All of the shops contributed some fun and beautiful designs, so it's a great way for all of us to say thank you to all of you as well.
The ebook contains Sally's beloved Zigzag Gansey, which you can see on several of our Close Knit gals above. It's a great cowl! All of you who make a purchase on Saturday will also be eligible for our yarn shop raffles and a gift certificate prize. So much good stuff!

As an added bonus, it looks like Saturday might be a beautiful day. We can't wait to see you all to celebrate our local shop. Thank you!

Monday, April 16, 2018

Eye Candy

Check out the cute summer tops in the newest Knitscene! Maybe, if we all knit summer garments, it will start to get warm. Let's try.


 

 
 

Friday, April 13, 2018

Bigger Bare Naked

Back in February, I showed you the sweet little skeins of Bare Naked Wools Stone Soup Fingering that we started carrying. We all loved it so much, that we decided to bring in the the larger skeins for you. These beautiful skeins are 450 yards of all kinds of gorgeous fibers blended together to create a stunning yarn.

The knitted fabric is something I really love...lovely stitch definition and such a nice hand. It's almost flannely, if that makes any sense. We have a sample of Trevi knitted up in the Stone Soup Fingering, and it has such nice drape and weight without being too much.
You'll just have to stop in to see for yourself. This is a great yarn, and we are so happy to be able to offer it up in these big beautiful skeins!

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

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!

Monday, April 9, 2018

Eye Candy

Love the Quill DK from Bumblebirch. Look at all those beautiful Portland-dyed shades!

Friday, April 6, 2018

Easter Eggs

The Zauberball Cotton looks like a basket of Easter eggs, just in time for spring! This 100% cotton yarn does the same cool gradual fade that the wool Zauberballs do, and there is a ton of yardage in these little balls. 
One is plenty for a colorful and generous shawl or scarf, with no changing skeins or worrying about coordinating shades. This would be a great choice for a baby a sweater, too. Maybe a Baby Surprise Jacket or the Gry's Jacket, both personal favorites of mine.
We also have the Wunderklecks from Schoppel, a really unusual yarn with long stretches of color giving it a hand-painted look. The ones with the white background are really striking. Take a peek at some of the projects on Ravelry using this yarn for some ideas.
I am totally inspired by some of the wacky socks, scarves, and wraps that people have made with this yarn. It knits up with a tie-dye look to it, and I think it's really cool. Some folks combined it with a solid color, and the effect is really interesting.

Pop in the shop to see these new-to-us yarns for yourself. They are worth the trip!

Monday, April 2, 2018

Eye Candy

Hey it's a blanket! This gorgeous cozy afghan was knit in Adrienne's Blanket Class last year. We are cranking away on the 2018 blanket, and I am sure we will give this class another go in 2019, because everyone loves it!
Adrienne is an amazing teacher with lots of great classes to offer. Beginning and Beyond will get you started or help you expand your skills. New classes begin this week on Thursday, April 5. Pick Your Project is all about you and whatever you want to knit, with a new class beginning tomorrow, April 3. 

If you're into crochet classes, we have the fabulous Melissa offering a beginning Crochet Workshop starting on Sunday, April 8. 

Spring is the time to learn new things! Hone those skills and be all ready with cozy knit and crochet goodies when fall returns. Stop in the shop or give us a call to sign up or ask questions.